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Train ploughs into school bus, 50 killed 48 children die; Egypt transport minister resigns

ASSUIT: An injured child recuperates at Assuit University Hospital. (Right) Egyptians inspect the damage caused by train accident in the province of Assuit, south of Cairo yesterday. Forty-eight nursery school children were killed when a train smashed into their bus in central Egypt. — AFP

Max 27º Min 14º High Tide 13:13 Low Tide 06:36 & 18:02

CAIRO: Fifty people, mostly children, were killed when a train slammed into a school bus as it crossed the tracks at a rail crossing south of Cairo yesterday, further inflaming public anger at Egypt’s shoddy transport network. Witnesses said barriers at the crossing were open when the train hit the bus. Transport Minister Mohamed Rashad and the head of the railways authority resigned, and President Mohamed Morsi said those responsible would be held to account.

The bus was broken in half by the force of the crash.

Blood was spattered on the front of the engine and school bags and text books, some bloodstained, were strewn around. All but two of the dead were children, aged around four to eight, said a senior security official in Assiut, near the crash site. One woman and the bus driver also died, he said. Egypt’s roads and railways have a poor safety record and Egyptians have long complained that successive governments have failed to enforce even basic safeguards, leading to a string of deadly crashes.

Prime Minister Hisham Kandil travelled to the area to review the situation. But devastated and angry people in one village from where the children had been picked up to travel to school said they would bar entry to any visiting officials.

“We won’t accept any officials in the village. They only want to come to appear in the media,” said Alaa Ahmed from Al-Hawatka, where some children killed on the bus came from. They were travelling to a school near Manfalut, about 300 km south of Cairo. Some victims’ families protested at the crash site. Many other Egyptians across the nation were also shocked and angered.

Continued on Page 15

Thackeray dies at 86

GAZA: Palestinian paramedics carry an injured woman on a stretcher following an Israeli air raid on a house in Beit Lahia, the northern Gaza Strip yesterday. — AFP

Mideast crisis escalates Hamas HQ destroyed; Death toll mounts GAZA: Israeli strikes on Gaza killed 10 Palestinians and destroyed the Hamas government headquarters yesterday as Israel called up thousands more reservists for a possible ground war.

Israel’s cabinet yesterday authorized the mobilization of up to 75,000 reservists in preparation for a possible ground invasion. Palestinian militants in Gaza kept up cross-border salvoes, firing a rocket at Israel’s biggest city Tel Aviv for the third straight day. Police said it was destroyed in mid-air by an Iron Dome anti-missile battery deployed hours earlier, and no

one was injured.

Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that runs the Gaza Strip, said Israeli missiles wrecked the office building of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh - where he had met on Friday with the Egyptian prime minister - and struck a police headquarters. In the Israeli Mediterranean port of Ashdod, a rocket ripped into several balconies. Police said five people were hurt.

With Israeli tanks and artillery positioned along the Gaza border and no end in sight to hostilities now in their fourth Continued on Page 15

MUMBAI: Bal Keshav Thackeray, one of India’s most polarizing politicians and leader of an influential right-wing Hindu nationalist party that has dominated politics in the country’s richest city for two decades, has died aged 86. Thackeray died of cardiorespiratory arrest yesterday at his home, one of his doctors, Jalil Parker, said.

He had been ill for some time and was rumored to have died earlier this week.

A religious zealot whose grip over Mumbai often resembled that of a mob boss, Thackeray was president and founder of the hardline Shiv Sena (Shiva’s Army) party, built Bal Thackeray around his fiery rhetoric on religion, immigration and communalism. A hero of Mumbai’s Hindu working class, he was heralded as a staunch defender of regional heritage by his supporters and despised as a hot-headed bigot by others. He devoted his public life to championing the rights of Mumbai’s “sons of the soil”.

Thackeray, a former political cartoonist, waged a 50-year campaign against immigrants from outside the state. He accused immigrants of taking jobs away from residents of Mumbai, endearing him to large numbers of young working class men. “Only Marathis have the first right over Mumbai,” Thackeray wrote in his party’s newspaper last year, referring to natives of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is capital.

Continued on Page 15

KUWAIT: Photo shows a defaced billboard in Adeliya. A local company hired by candidates to put up billboards along highways and in town squares is suing the Kuwait government. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Government sued over candidates’ billboards

By A Saleh KUWAIT: A local company hired by candidates to put up billboards along highways and in town squares is suing the government following a decision that all parliament election related advertisements be removed from public places across the country. According to sources with knowledge of the case, the company is demanding “over KD1 million” in

damages for financial losses resulting from having to repay candidates “for breach of contract”.

“The company believes that the government’s decision is unjustified and lacks legal basis,” the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity said. They added that the company “is confident” about its chances to win the case. In other news related to the upcoming Continued on Page 15

in the

news

Bangladeshi beheaded

Saudi King hospitalized

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia yesterday beheaded a Bangladeshi convicted of murdering a Syrian man by bludgeoning him with a hammer before stabbing him, the interior ministry said. Madhaheb Shanadra had been found guilty of beating Nabil Al-Awdat on his “head with a hammer before stabbing and slaughtering him with a knife due to a dispute,” said the ministry, quoted by the official SPA news agency.

Shanadra was beheaded by the sword in Riyadh, it said. The execution brings to 66 the number of people put to death in Saudi Arabia so far this year, according to an AFP tally based on official reports. Amnesty International says 79 people were executed in the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom last year. Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under its strict version of sharia, or Islamic law.

RIYADH: A hospital official says Saudi King Abdullah has undergone successful back surgery in the fourth such operation in nearly two years on the 87-year-old monarch. The official said yesterday’s surgery at the King Abdel Aziz medical compound in Riyadh sought to secure a loose vertebra. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to brief the media. Although the operation was described as successful, it raises questions about the overall health of one of Washington’s most critical allies in the Middle East. The king had two back surgeries in New York - one in 2010 for a slipped disk and a blood clot pressing on nerves in his back and a second to stabilize vertebrae in 2011. The third back surgery was in Riyadh later in 2011.

MANCHESTER: Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor (left) and Manchester City's Yaya Toure battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer matchyesterday. Manchester City won the match 5-0 —AFP (See Page 20)

Saudi probes attacks RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s police force said yesterday it is investigating a series of attacks against members of the force in the Shiite-majority district of Qatif. “A police patrol carrying out its duties in the town of Tarot in Qatif district came under fire on Friday from a nearby farm,” said Eastern Province police spokesman Ziad AlRukaiti. Qatif police had opened “an investigation to hunt down the criminals,” said Rukaiti. The attack came one day after the same source announced that “three systematic crimes carried out by armed rioters at different times” had targeted police in the same region. The “crimes” include two incidents in which unknown gunmen had opened fire and hurled two petrol bombs at Tarot police station, and another in which assailants opened fire on a police checkpoint. The statement did not specify when the attacks took place while no casualties were reported in any of the incidents.

LOCAL

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

LOCAL

KUWAIT: More than 6,000 people participated in the Beat Diabetes Walkathon yesterday morning.

The Kuwait Riders team supporting the participants.

Beat Diabetes initiative touches lives of millions 6,000 people join Kuwait Walkathon

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Over 6,000 people joined the third annual Beat Diabetes Walkathon, organized by the retail and hospitality conglomerate, Landmark Group, yesterday morning. This proves the interest of people in practicing sports and the awareness about its benefits. The

walkathon started from the Yacht Club on the Gulf Road and ended at the Green Island. The Beat Diabetes walkathon marks the culmination of a year-long timeline of diabetes awareness drives and activities led by the Landmark Group. Walkathons were additionally held during November across Dubai, Oman, Bahrain, KSA, Qatar and India.

The Kuwait edition of the walkathon was organized under the patronage of the Ministry of Health and Dasman Diabetes Institute.

Saibal Basu, Chief Operating Officer, Landmark Group, Kuwait joined the supporters in the 3.1 km walk, reiterating the organization’s support to the cause. Also, the US Ambassador to Kuwait was present. Furthermore, the Kuwait Riders Team accompanied the event. The walkathon was followed by free blood glucose tests

of all participants who joined in huge numbers at the Beat Diabetes Walk.

Saibal Basu, Chief Operating Officer, Landmark Group Kuwait, said: “Now in its third year, the Beat Diabetes initiative has touched the lives of millions of people across seven nations. The support offered by residents and institutions towards this year’s edition of the walkathon

has indeed exceeded that of the previous years. Our mission is to focus this momentum on fostering a better and seamless understanding of the condition and help the community achieve a healthy, active lifestyle.”

“Diabetes is growing at an alarming rate and currently affects over 366 million people worldwide.

Landmark Group adopted the ‘Beat Diabetes’ initiative with a focused view to spread awareness about the causes, effects and dangers of the condition. Launched in 2009, the initiative today encompasses seven countries - UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, KSA and India,” added Basu.

On his part, Dr. Kazem Behbehani, Director-General of Dasman Diabetes Institute, noted that “Dasman Diabetes Institute does not

leave any stone unturned to promote and shed light on the menace of diabetes and raising awareness about general health amongst the public. The involvement of the Institute in the Beat Diabetes Walkathon stems from our mission to improve the lifestyle of the population of Kuwait. Adopting a healthy lifestyle, which includes regular exercise and physical activity such as the walkathon, is essential in living well with diabetes.”

The participants enjoyed this event. “I am participating for the second year. I really enjoyed walking in this great weather, and I encouraged my friends to come with me as well. I think this walkathon is very well organized and the distance was suitable even for those who do not usually practice sports,” Ahmed Matayed, one of the participants told the Kuwait Times.

Qualified trainers from the fitness concept led a mass warm-up session prior to the walk. Upbeat music added a fun element to the morning activity. Participants were also provided with complimentary t-shirts, caps, wristbands in blue, the color that symbolizes the cause universally, and a healthy breakfast.

The group also thanked the cosponsor Burgan Bank, Support Sponsors-Mais Al Ghanim, Boushahri Group, Vitatop Wellness & Diet Centre, Future Communications, Safwan Gen. Trading and Indian Doctors Forum, Media Sponsors- Al Rai, Al Watan, Al Qabas, Al Seyassah, Al Anba, Arab Times, Kuwait Times, Al Jarida, Alam Al Youm, Al Nahar, Al Yaqza, Ahlan, Student Talk, The Talk, Al Hadaf, Bazaar, Mondanite, Lana, Sarab, Al Masaref & Layalina and the other entities that extended their support to the Beat Diabetes initiative.

Landmark Group encourages people to regularly monitor their blood glucose levels to ensure early detection and better management of diabetes. Through its on-going campaigns such as Beat Diabetes, the Group actively seeks opportunities to raise awareness about the condition.

As part of the initiative, Landmark Group conducts year round activities and these emulate with the Beat Diabetes Walk organized in November, the World Diabetes Month. Last year, the Group organized a series of walkathons in six countries, which attracted participation by over 35,000 people, and a huge drive to avail of free blood glucose tests. The Group has also partnered with several organizations, including the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and local institutions in every country, to spread awareness about diabetes.

The finish point at the Green Island. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

LOCAL Women, national unity top Al-Fuzai’s program KUWAIT: Third constituency candidate Muna Al-Fuzai listed activation of the national unity law, fighting discrimination against women, and reinforcing Kuwait’s internal front as the key focus areas of her election program, a statement released yesterday said.

“Improving the government’s performance plan by achieving new programs for comprehensive administrative reform at state departments (will top the agenda),” Al-Fuzai’s statement made available to the Kuwait Times said. She also indicated Muna Al-Fuzai that her program focuses on “reconsidering the financial and moral needs” of retired and senior citizens, in addition to taking care of citizens with special needs. Reconsidering the situation of Kuwaiti women in order to achieve social justice through steps that include making available housing loans equally to male and female citizens is also on AlFuzai’s list, that also talks about “addressing the legislative shortage when it comes to the situation of Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaitis, as well as Kuwaiti widows and divorced women.”

Moreover, Al-Fuzai’s list includes “addressing young citizens’ affairs especially the sports sector and improving opportunities for commercial projects,” in addition to supporting projects and legislations “to help stimulate the state’s economy.”

The regular Kuwait Times columnist also wants to push for the establishment of an independent authority that deals with women, family and childhood. “This authority needs to be completely independent from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor so that the latter is left to focus on other duties with regards to expatriate labor, fighting human trafficking and maintaining workers’ rights,” she said.

Other priorities that Al-Fuzai listed in her program included “reviewing educational curriculums and using help of social and psychiatric experts from outside the Ministry of Education to produce school textbooks.” The candidate’s program also calls for “finding practical solutions to the traffic jams problem from technical and architectural angle,” as well as “establishing independent municipalities in each governorate.”

Dual citizens among candidates KUWAIT: Candidates competing for the upcoming parliamentary elections include dual citizens who, if elected, could spark a new crisis in a country rocked by political turmoil during the past few years, a local newspaper reported yesterday quoting sources with knowledge about such contestants.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the sources indicated that some candidates “did not live in Kuwait for years and then came back after the second dissolution of the 2009 parliament file nominations for the December 1 elections.” “People who could potentially become lawmakers had entered Kuwait with expired Kuwaiti passports, but travelled using foreign passports bearing their actual names,” the sources added, claiming that some of them lived outside Kuwait for “more than ten years” before returning recently.

Number of diabetic patients on the increase in Kuwait Awareness ‘only way out’

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: Dasman Diabetes Institute, in cooperation with the United States Embassy in Kuwait and the Methodist Healthcare Systems of San Antonio, Texas marked the World Diabetes Day over the weekend with a lecture titled “Diabetes 101: Understanding Diabetes Worldwide.” United States Ambassador to Kuwait Mathew H. Tueller and Director General of Dasman Diabetes Institute Dr Kazem Behbehani attended the lecture along with other specialists. Diabetes educator Sarah Villegas from Methodist Healthcare Systems gave a lecture on diabetes, its prevalence and how to tackle it.

Dasman Institute regularly organizes activities related to diabetes and involving all members in the family, and this year would be no different, as on Thursday, November 22, 2012, an open day will be organized that will include free medical tests in the presence of specialists who will offer consultations on various subjects including nutrition.

US Ambassador Tueller said, “The US Embassy is delighted to join the Dasman Diabetes Institute to have this special seminar by San Antonio Center for Diabetes Research on the basic consequences of diabetes. The United States and Kuwait have a long history of cooperation in the medical field going back a hundred years with the establishment of the first hospital here in Kuwait.

The Ambassador said, “Today, both our countries face a serious challenge of growing rate of diabetes, particularly affecting the young people. So we feel a deep responsibility to do what we can as governments to raise awareness so that families and young people have a chance for a prosperous future.”

He said, “This is an opportunity that we have to ensure a strong partnership between the United States and Kuwait in the medical field.”

Ambassador Tueller said, “We will be joining the program on November 21 to enhance awareness among

Dr Bahreh Azizi, Dr Kazem Behbehani and American Ambassador Tueller in attendance. school children about diabetes. The Dasman Diabetes Institute will be hosting students from different schools to present them information which they can then take back to their classmates and share information about healthy lifestyles, healthy eating choices, exercise and diet in order to combat increasing rate of diabetes in the country.”

Meanwhile, Dr Kazem Behbehani said that, “Today is a special day because Nov 14 of every year is Diabetes Day, but unfortunately, in Kuwait, my country, the number of diabetic patients is on the increase.

There are a lot of things that we need to do to make it possible to control it and make a difference. We need to make sure that younger people do not get afflicted by thus problem. I am happy to see the government supporting this and we are lucky to be in Kuwait.” Meanwhile, Director of Business Development and Communications Dr Bahreh Azizi said that both Kuwait and the United States representatives discussed the epidemic of diabetes. “It is extremely important because as you know, we think that diabetes is here in Kuwait, but as a matter of fact, it is also in countries like the US and they deal

with the same problems and issues as we do here. “So, we would like to find ways in which they are working with their community to improve things and decrease the number of diabetic patients, as well as obesity. We will try to implement same ideas here in Kuwait and vice-versa, so that we can learn from each other.” Calling it a very good start, she said such programs should allow us to discuss this important topic and reduce the number of afflicted in the years to come.

Diabetes is a word that brings fear and gloom to many people who get to know for the first time that are afflicted with it. However, this need not be the case. It is true that diabetes can cause complications with grave consequences, but it is equally true that it is possible to avoid and delay such complications by following certain steps as instructed by the doctor and diabetes educator.

The term diabetes covers a group of metabolic diseases all of which manifest themselves with higher blood sugar levels. The different types of diabetes depend on a complex interaction of genetic, environmental and lifestyle-related factors.

There are various types of diabetes, most notable of which are:

Type 1. Diabetes, which was known as insulin-dependent diabetes.

It is an auto-immune disease as the body’s immune system destroys the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas. This type of diabetes is also known as as juvenile-onset diabetes.

This type can appear at any age, and is triggered by environmental factors such as viruses, diet or chemicals in people genetically predisposed. Type 1 diabetics must inject themselves with insulin several times a day as per doctor’s instructions, as well as follow certain diet and exercise regimen.

Symptoms of Type 1 diabetes: Thirst, frequent urination, nausea, weight loss with increased appetite, and general fatigue.

Type 2: Diabetes, which was known as non-insulin dependent insulin, is the most common form of diabetes, and affects almost 90 percent of all people with the disease.

This type of diabetes, also known as late-onset diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. The disease is strongly genetic in origin but lifestyle factors such as excess weight, inactivity, high blood pressure and poor diet are major risk factors for its development.

Symptoms may not show for many years and by the time they appear significant problems may have occurred.

Type 2 diabetics are more likely to have cardiovascular disease.

Treatment of Type 2 diabetes include diet changes, exercise, tablets... all at the instructions of physicians.

Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes: Blurred vision, increased thirst, urination and appetite and fatigue.

A third type of diabetes is what some pregnant women may get: Gestational diabetes mellitus, which is carbohydrate intolerance. Risk factors for GDM include a family history of diabetes, increasing maternal age, and obesity. Though the blood sugar levels may return to normal after delivery, mothers have a risk of developing permanent diabetes. It is very important to pay attention to self-care and diet as this is an important part of treatment.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

THE COLUMN

What is real politics?

Media and its spinning

By Abdulmohsen Al-Mishari

N

ot everyone who talks about politics is a politician, and not everyone who writes about politics or current issues can be called a politician.

Political science is a complex study that involves several aspects and deriving results based on an understanding of these aspects. The politician has a certain experience and understands certain tactics. He has the ability to accommodate others’ opinions and keep advancing the cause through this complex maze. There are many who want to join politics but later regret because politics is an amalgamation of many sciences, and a bottomless sea.

When you read something about politics, it is not sufficient to know just the stated content. One also has to understand the hidden layers behind what is obvious and the implications of any issue, or what it forebodes about the future? In this sense, the science of psychology is highly connected to political science.

That is because argumentative science is a basic part of psychological sciences, something the Arabs of yore were very good at. Romans, of course, were the best in this science, and often remained ready to discuss issues. They liked to see these two branches of social sciences together.

Psychology is one of the most important sciences.

When we encounter a problem and start solving it, we move step by step towards a solution. From here, we enter the field of psychology through a step called social psychology. Gradually, our efforts at resolving the problem take us to the realm of political science and diplomatic negotiation. This is when we start to choose our words carefully in keeping with our subject. This is one the basic talents of any politician. Thus, political understanding is a talent very much like painting, writing or singing. It is a talent that God bestows upon some.

The politician is frank by nature. Recently, some political activities appeared to be happening under the table or as conspiracies. This is not politics; it is rather something malicious.

The most important quality of a politician is to be frank in expressing his views, but in a simple and direct way. The politician does not talk too much.

There is a wise saying which goes to say that “He who talks much, does not know anything.”

A politician must hear what others say and understand their views well, even though he may be having his reservations or disagreement. He must first hear them out and should not start talking and expressing his own views, except when the time is right. A politician is always humble and under the public eye. Thus, he always has to be acceptable in society. A politician must not get angry and should have patience. He must know how to shun anger and get a hold over matters. He must always be sure of himself and should not get affected by others’ opinions easily. He should be patient, because patience is the key to success. These are all words I read in a book which I write here briefly for your benefit. — Al-Anba

By Fouad Al-Obaid

fouad@kuwaittimes.net Twitter: @Fouadalobaid

Y kuwait digest

Words of inspiration

By Fahad Al-Handal

I

f you read through documented statements of some world leaders who led national freedom movements in their countries, you will find a large number of quotations, speeches and writings which are considered today as sources of inspiration for many young people looking for role models in their lives. Some young people make a distinction between these timeless statements and other aspects of the lives of people who made them. This can be an objective approach to a certain extent, as long as the moral aspect is not excluded because I believe that this aspect usually shapes the values that inspirational individuals imbue their own societies, or perhaps the whole world, with.

One of these characters is Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian nation who led from the forefront the struggle for India’s independence. A significant figure for all Indians and many other nations around the world, Gandhi was known for his great wisdom and characteristic simple lifestyle. And while he reached a national status to the point of attaining near sainthood, we should not ignore the fact that India’s independence from the British Crown also led to a partition of the country along sectarian lines between Hindus and Muslims, thus resulting in the birth of Pakistan and later leading to the establishment of Bangladesh. It also left in its wake the issue of Kashmir that remains a disputed zone until today.

Every national decision comes with a hefty price, which, even though acceptable, remains unavoidable. This is a fact that usually escapes most advocates for change, something often ignored by people charmed with their beautiful statements and strong speeches. When Abraham Lincoln ran for the presidential election of the United States of America, his agenda included a commitment to free the slaves so that they could enjoy some citizenship rights that freedom

bestowed. Once elected, this decision sparked violent reactions in the southern states which formed a Confederation, followed by a civil war that lasted for four years and claimed the lives of more than 620,000 American soldiers and civilians. Only after that tragic period could the ‘American Dream’ spread through the entire nation. The picture became perfect when African Americans obtained their civil rights in the sixties, something that has been recently embodied in the reelection of President Barack Obama, though many doubted whether he would return for a second term, mainly due to racial bias. Today we witness a political movement in Kuwait between two contesting sides, one calling for participation in the upcoming elections and another calling for boycotting these as a protest against an allegedly unconstitutional decree that changed the voting mechanism. Regardless of each party’s motives, we find ourselves in the midst of a struggle between children of the same society, some of whom forget the fact that whether they take part in the elections or boycott these, at the end of the day they are all part of the same society. They also ignore the fact that political disputes are going to feature more heated agreements between both parties after the door was left wide open for sectarians and those believing in tribalism to enter. They also ignore Abraham Lincoln’s famous quote when he said, “A ballot is stronger than a bullet.”

One last note: The more I read the quotations of revolutionists posted on Kuwaiti Twitter accounts, the more I wonder whether Che Guevara penned his ideas sitting at one of the Marina Crescent’s cafÈs, or Mahatma Gandhi wrote his national speeches at one of the Grand Avenue’s restaurants or Nilsson Mandela spent his 25 years in political imprisonment at one of Khairan’s chalets. — Al-Rai

kuwait digest

No compromise on principles

By Abdullatif Al-Omairi

T

he recent decisions taken by Kuwait’s Council of Ministers regarding the increase in the cap on housing loans and rent allowance are rife with political motives aimed at appeasing the people, quelling the general disappointment with the government’s performance and countering the massive public opposition to the decree of single vote system.

Having sensed the public anger, the government is now taking hasty decisions and is opening its treasury’s vaults to not only earn the public’s approval for its actions but to also coax the voters to participate in the upcoming elections.

Such decisions which amount to buying the people’s approval are unacceptable and may actually harm the government bodies. Even the citizens are rejecting these tactics. In fact, several times in the past, whenever the MPs in the erstwhile Parliament had advocated similar pro-people measures, the government cited fiscal deficit and nonavailability of resources to continue with what it called ‘uncontrolled’ spending. However, all these arguments seem to vanish when the government finds itself in a political tangle and wants to appease the people.

There are two arguments against the proposed increase in the cap on housing loans. The first and the most important is the two percent increase in the rate of interest on the loan, which is hardly desirable. God says that “Allah demolishes usury and grows charities” and the Prophet says, “Allah damn the one who takes usury and the one who gives it.”

The second point is the declared view of the government officials that such a policy was inadvisable and entailed a high cost. The former minister of housing, Mohammad Al-Noumes, in an earlier statement, said, “We will not agree to grant anyone KD 100,000 as housing allowance as the costs involved are too high.”

Also, the credit lending bank’s director Salah Al-Mudhaf, in his sharply worded statement, said, “If the bank approves it, it will cause inflation in the real estate market and this will only help line the pockets of merchants while the citizen will not benefit from it. Also, it will cause financial deficit to the bank.”

If such increments are going to prove harmful for the citizens and the state, as testified by none other than government officials, that what kind of decisions is the government taking?

The government has tried earlier also, and over a period of time, to buy the people’s approval. Last time when it granted each citizen KD 1,000 along with free ration, it failed to prevent the Kuwaiti public from rallying in large numbers in the determination yard a few months later, demanding the resignation of the same government and dissolution of the same National Assembly, both of which had approved the grant and the ration. The best way to earn the people’s approval is to seek Allah forgiveness, implement Allah Shareeat and stay away from sins small or big in all government matters, especially financial ones.

It has become imperative that the government understands the public interest and, for the sake of the nation, avoids any populist decisions which are costly and may prove useless in buying people’s approval.

The Kuwaiti people have proved time and again that they are very much alive to the issues and will not compromise on their principles and constitutional rights in lieu of some money. Is the government aware of that? —Al-Anba

ou would assume that when you watch the newsany news - that the point is to keep ‘You’ the citizen informed. You would be tempted into believing that the organization reporting on events has your best interest at heart, and that it is a public service, or in the case of private organization that their credibility is at risk; hence, it is in their interest to capture audiences by relaying an accurate and credible coverage of events.

Some of you that may have studied media are perhaps more aware than others that what you read, see and feel is custom-made to initiate specific emotions towards the given coverage. Were we to take an example of the TV coverage of for instance the recent protest movement spreading in Kuwait; the narrative of the official State media in on Kuwait TV is not necessarily reflective of the reality of the street. The disparity between the events on the street relayed by social media that document the events audiovisually, uploading them instantaneously, has allowed a more crude uncut/uncensored perception of events from multiple first hand sources. By the time the ‘official’ images of the events were aired with their constructed narrative and framing, the people watching the ‘official’ coverage feel duped.

It is perhaps not surprising that many people no longer await ‘news’ rather they await the official state stance on the issue-in so far as the recent street protest movement is concerned. The control of media is not new, since time immemorial information was/is/and will be the most powerful weapon at the disposal of humanity. Digressing from the current events without failing to see the similarities several centuries ago a protest movement appeared justly named the ‘Protestant Reformation’ at a time when the ‘Official’ Roman Catholic Church went a bit too far in its ‘duping’ of its flock.

The control of information and its dissemination led to the suppression of many powerful ideas that eventually led to the Scientific Revolution and brought in the era of ‘Enlightenment’. In Kuwait the continued spinning of events to a tune more aligned with the official government’s policy though effective in the short-term if done properly-the later is highly debatable. In the long run it’s the legitimacy of the government itself that will come under directly.

The current attempt to host election in less than two weeks time is daunting on many levels. I would argue that the time frame is too short, especially as the majority of the candidates are newcomers to the political scene with the vast majority of veteran MPs abstaining from this election leaving a rubber stamp parliament to eventually be elected. The caliber of the candidates itself is weak; for it seems that many candidates are mere gimmicks should they make it to parliament our external image will be greatly tarnished. More troubling is the danger of a government hell-bent on alienating the majority of its citizens who feel that the current amendment to the electoral system does not require an emergency decree.

Furthermore, it is highly possible that in a few months we will be back to yet another election under the old five constituencies and four candidates scheme as the Constitutional Court has previously ruled that the electoral law prior to the emergency decree is valid. The likely outcome would be that the Constitutional Court if it is truly independent would come to the same outcome.

kuwait digest

My reasons for boycotting

By Riyadh Al-Adasani

B

oycotting the upcoming elections is a historic step aimed to reinforce parliamentary life and protecting gains obtained inside the Abdullah Al-Salem Hall (the main hall inside the parliament’s building where sessions are held). Thirty nine lawmakers elected in last February’s elections are boycotting the elections, including myself, along with national figures, former lawmakers, the majority of political groups and many Kuwaiti citizens.

Our decision to boycott the elections isn’t taken in protest against the single vote system, but to call for the change in the voting mechanism to be made by the parliament rather than by an emergency decree. Our request is for the next elections to be held as per the previous system, which divides Kuwait into five constituencies and allows each voter to elect a maximum of four candidates, and after that a proposal to amend the electoral law is presented to the parliament.

One important question is: on what basis does the executive authority change the electoral law? If we accept the current situation, the cabinet might change the election’s system multiple times in the future, and make use of the emergency decree as a way to perhaps come up with a system that allows the election of a pro-government lawmaker. This would weaken the monitoring and legislating role of the parliament which should never be in alliance with the government.

Today’s events aren’t unprecedented. Forty one years ago, a large number of politicians boycotted the 1971 elections when the government carried out a demographic restructuring within constituencies aimed to dismantle and weaken the opposition. Today, just like forty one years ago, boycotting is taken as a political position to show protest and reservation against certain procedures.

Through boycotting, we seek the reduction of the voting percentage in order to send a message that we have our reservation on the decision to change the electoral system being taken outside the parliament. And as long as the emergency decree isn’t withdrawn, annulled or reinforced by a court order, the boycotting will continue. If a verdict came to prove that the emergency decree by which the voting mechanism was changed is constitutional, I would personally announce my decision to honor the court order in that case. My decision to boycott the elections is motivated by commitment to article 6 of the Kuwaiti Constitution which states that “the system of government in Kuwait shall be democratic, under which sovereignty resides in the people, the source of all powers”. People elect their representatives in the parliament, and as such any change to the electoral law should be made by people’s representatives in the parliament. —Al-Qabas

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

LOCAL

Oman celebrates 42nd National Day KUWAIT: The Sultanate of Oman celebrates its 42nd National Day today, Nov 18, Oman’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Sheikh Salim Bin Suhail, said in a press release issued on the occasion. He said these national anniversaries indicate utmost pride in historical and cultural heritage of nations.

“On this auspicious occasion and on behalf of my office in our brotherly country, Kuwait, I seize this opportunity to extend my heartiest congratulations to His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed; the guardian of Oman’s Modern Renaissance and the symbol of its pride and dignity. I wish His Majesty and the great Omani people many happy returns of this glorious day,” Bin Suhail said.

“This year’s celebrations coincide with the 42nd anniversary of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed’s coronation in 1970,” said Bin Suhail underlining the great deal of development and progress Oman has achieved in various fields since. “All Omanis take pride in the progress and development achieved under the wise leadership of Sultan Qaboos, whose coronation marked a turning point in Oman’s history,” Bin Suhail added, stressing that Omani citizens are now harvesting the fruits of 42 years of achievements manifesting their great historic and cultural heritage that has been glowing year after year and has always contributed to showing the real essence and strong will of Oman’s wonderful people.

“This development would not have been achieved if it was not for the stability and the trust that the people show in their wise leader and their loyalty and devotion to the nation,” he added, noting that citizens’ strong belief in the leader’s vision was the foundation of the success that Oman achieved in various fields.

“Considering them the most precious assets, His Majesty’s government has spared no effort in serving and developing the Omani people,

their skills and in creating more job opportunities for them. That explains His Majesty’s concern and devotion to developing individuals and human resources as a preliminar y step towards achieving the ultimate goal of creating a more prosperous country,” he added.

Bin Suhail also highlighted how steady and surefooted the Omani development and progress has been, bearing in mind the necessity to look forward to a better future without losing sight of Oman’s traditions and its past.

Talking about Oman’s domestic policies, Bin Suhail said that His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has been keenly sharing the process of decision-making with his people through his annual tours and visits throughout the Sultanate to exchange views and listen to the public’s suggestions. “This has greatly helped develop and modernize state establishments as well create strong integration and cooperation among the executive power; the cabinet, and the parliamentary establishment of Oman Council that comprises the Appointed State Council and the elected Shura, one that has been given unlimited legislative and supervisory authorities in 2011,” he explained.

He quoted His majesty’s speech on launching the council’s meetings for 2012, saying: “Oman’s Shura experience has proved successful and suitable for each phase of our development and rhymes with our social values.” He also said, “Omanis have shown a great deal of awareness, culture and perception in dealing with various dialogues and discussions targeting the best of the nation.”

Speaking about the role of development in building nations, His Majesty said, “In the course of achieving human and social development, we should build firm foundations for developmental plans and programs in the fields of education, health, train-

ing and creating new job opportunities.” He also said, “Because of urban expansions and socio-economic development, people’s need to communicate and seek better life standards and infrastructures will continue to grow.”

Addressing the Omani youth in a fatherly manner and advising them not to wait for government-backed employment opportunities, His Majesty said, “With all its civil, security and military bodies, the state cannot continue as the main employment provider forever...citizens must realize that the private sector is the real employment provider in the long run.”

Furthermore, Bin Suhail stressed that Oman’s domestic policy has focused on comprehensive sustainable development, developing human resources and giving Omani women the chance to partake in the development process. “What Oman achieved over the past decades was clearly echoed by international establishments’ classifications,” he added noting that Oman was highly ranked in human development index, linking it to non-oil revenues by the UN’s Human Development Report 2010.

Bin Suhail said that taking advantage of its political and economic stability, the application of free economy systems, allowing foreigners to own up to 100 per cent of projects, Oman has managed to attract humongous local and international investments.

“This economic situation is the result of long decades of hard work. Take the Muscat Jewel Museum in Singapore, for instance. It manifests Oman’s relations with nations and displays the ancient stops of Omani trading voyages from China, Malaysia, and Singapore to Sri Lanka, India, Muscat and Africa.”

Bin Suhail added that the Omani government has been focusing on many fields, the most important of which was tourism. “Oman has unlimited touristic sites (over 550) in addi-

tion to over 1,700 kilometers of fascinating beaches,” explained Bin Suhail noting that special plans have been drafted till 2020 to develop this highly important natural resource. He also noted that Muscat was chosen as the Arab Tourism Capital for 2012.

Culturally speaking, Bin Suhail stressed that Oman has had significant cultural achievements over its long history. “As a way to boost and spread international cultural concepts, the Sultanate Opera House was opened in Muscat in October, 2011 as a musical, theatrical and cultural edifice that will help in promoting the concepts of co-existence and intercultural dialogues among nations,” he said.

He also stressed that Oman’s foreign policy was built mainly on achieving very strong bonds with neighbors and surrounding nations as well as expressing its firm stance with regard to rejecting violence. Bin Suhail also stressed that Oman has always been keen on building bridges of trust and credibility based on frankness and transparency in dealing with various regional and international situations.

‘We always call for mutual respect and more dialogue as the best channel to solve disputes and disagreements. We reject violence. This has gained Oman international respect as per the high ranking of specialized international bodies concerned with peace, stability, international understanding and friendship among people,” he said noting that this wise foreign policy has won Oman friendship and fraternal relations with the GCC states, Arab and Muslim countries and the rest of the world.

In conclusion, Bin Suhail hailed the deep-rooted relations between Oman and Kuwait and noted that, thanks to the directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and HH the Amir, Shiekh Sabah Al-Ahmed, both countries have been enjoying strong bilateral rela-

tions that were recently topped by His Majesty’s four-day visit to Kuwait in April, 2012 which was reciprocated by HH the Amir’s visit in October, 2012.

He also noted that a Kuwaiti-Omani Combined Committee had been formed in August 2004 under the chairmanship of both countries’ foreign ministers to boost all forms of

Kuwait holds Gulf female journalists forum KUWAIT: The Gulf female journalists forum will kick-start here today under the organization of the Gulf Press Association (GPA) and Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA) with the participation of 30 female journalists from the GCC states and Yemen. A statement by KJA said that the event would be held under the auspices of Minister of Information and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammed AlAbdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah and with the attendance of GPA and KJA chairmen Terki Al-Sudairi

and Ahmad Behbehani respectively. Behbehani stressed the importance of the event in further developing and shaping the role of women journalists in the region, hoping that the event would address obstacles faced by journalists in the GCC and Yemen.

On his part, Al-Sudairi lauded Kuwait’s support of GCC press and journalistic development, affirming that the forum’s proposals and recommendations would be reviewed by GPA later to further support the careers of female jourSheikh Mohammed nalists. —KUNA Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah

GPA Secretary General Nasser Al-Othman

KJA President Ahmad Behbehani

GPA President Terki Al-Sudairi

‘Chosen one’ injures seven at Nugra mall Maid falls from second floor KUWAIT: A man who attacked shoppers indiscriminately at a Nugra mall on Friday and later told an officer that he was the ‘chosen one’ who has come to save humanity, was arrested and taken for a psychiatric treatment.

Seven people suffered injuries to their head when the man used a stick to attack them. After he failed to answer the officers coherently at the Nugra police station, he was taken to the Psychiatric Hospital.

KUWAIT: Drug enforcement agents arrested an Asian expat for having 250 grams of heroin and 100 grams of other drugs.

Information was received about the expat’s involvement in the drugs trade and, after completing the necessary legal formalities, agents raided his house and recovered 25 Nylon bags of different sizes containing the drugs. He confessed that he brought the drugs from his country and kept these hidden till he could bring them to Kuwait. —By Hanan Al-Saadoun

Escape attempt A domestic worker was hospitalized after she fell from a high rise building in Jabriya. Police is investigating whether she attempted suicide or fell while trying to escape. The woman reportedly wrapped herself in a blanket and jumped from her employer’s second floor apartment. She was rushed to the Mubarak Hospital where she was found to have suffered fractures and other serious injuries. Her employer told officers that she had tried to run away several times in the past. Police are waiting for the maid’s condition to stabilize in order to hear her side

of the story.

Three injured Two people were seriously injured in a fight involving ten Kuwaiti men outside a shopping mall in Kuwait City this past weekend. Police were called when a group of four clashed with another group of six men.

Two of the men involved in the fight were rushed to the Amiri Hospital with serious injuries, with one losing an eye, even as the police managed to arrest the others. According to preliminary investigations, the scuffle was triggered when the two groups with a history of disputes ran into each other at one of the mall’s gates. Meanwhile, a bedoon was hospitalized with a stab wound following a fight over sale of a car. A group of four Bedouins, including the victim, clashed with five Egyptian men in Farwaniya, when he got stabbed in the shoulder. The five Egyptians fled from the scene, leaving the injured Bedouin’s friends to tend to him till an ambulance arrived and rushed him to the Farwaniya Hospital where he was admitted to the

intensive care unit. A case was filed at the area’s police station for investigations.

Couple held Two men were arrested on the Sixth Ring Road after officers chased them down and found them in possession of unlicensed weapons. The suspects were driving an SUV which ignored patrol officers’ orders to pull over along the highway. The officers chased the car and eventually forced it to a halt. A search of the SUV led to the recovery of two unlicensed rifles. The duo was taken to the proper authorities to face charges.

Wedding shooting Police confiscated civil ID papers of a man after they received reports about gunfire at his brother’s wedding behind the Al-Sahel Sports Club. When the police came to investigate, a man insisted that no firing of celebratory gunshots had taken place. Police officers decided to confiscate the man’s ID and asked him to check with the area’s police station after the wedding. —Al-Watan

cooperation between both countries in various fields.

“Finally, I pray to Almighty Allah to safeguard our two nations, the builder of Oman’s Modern Renaissance His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, HH the Amir of Kuwait, sheikh Sabah AlAhmed and the peoples of both countries.”

TEC musical program pushed to Dec 28 KUWAIT: A musical program that was set to take place at the Ice Skating Rink on Thursday has been postponed to Dec 28, 2012 for “technical reasons”, a senior Touristic Emprises Company official said in a statement yesterday.

“The decision was made in honor of religious observance of the New Hijri Year, which coincided with the event’s original date,” explained the Ice Skating Rink and Fountain Park supervisor, Omar Al-Samera’ei Omar Al-Samera’ei. The minor hall at the Ice Skating Rink which is set to host the musical program will remain open until further notice, Al-Samera’ei said, adding that an announcement will be made before the event about closing down the minor hall to allow for preparations. The Ice Skating Rink is open to the visitors everyday from 8:30 am to 10:00 pm through seven separate periods; with the period from 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm each Tuesday reserved exclusively for female visitors.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

Blast kills 7 in Iraq

Croatia feels vindicated by generals’ acquittal Page 11

Page 9

MIDLAND: Parade participants look on after a trailer carrying wounded veterans in a parade was struck by a train in Midland, Texas, Thursday. Authorities say four people are dead and 17 others are injured after a Union Pacific train slammed into the parade float. — AP

Texas parade ends in tragedy War-time instinct takes over in train crash MIDLAND: With the thunderous crack of a freight train slamming into a parade float carrying his fellow war veterans, Sudip Bose went to work. A front-line physician in Iraq, Bose and other veterans instantly tended to the injured.

They applied tourniquets and put pressure on wounds as their training and battlefield experience took over in the chaotic moments after the wreck at a railroad crossing in this West Texas city.

“Instincts kicked in,” Bose said Friday, a day after the train traveling at more than 60 mph barreled into a flatbed truck adorned with American flags and filled with wounded veterans and their spouses. Four veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan were killed - including an Army sergeant who apparently sacrificed his life to save his wife, and 16 people were injured. Bose, who ser ved in Fallujah and Baghdad, said the aftermath reminded him of a combat triage situation.

Some of the veterans who managed to jump clear of the wreck rushed to help the injured. Tommy Shoemaker, a special operations soldier, resuscitated one person and applied a tourniquet to a bleeding woman.

“They are trained for tragedy,” said his wife, Pam Shoemaker of Monroe, La., who was with her husband on a float ahead of the one that was hit. Killed were Marine Chief Warrant O fficer 3 Gar y Stouffer, 37; Army Sgt. Maj. Lawrence Boivin, 47; Army Sgt. Joshua Michael, 34; and Army Sgt. Maj. William Lubbers, 43. Three people remained hospitalized Saturday morning, with one spouse in critical condition. A four th injured person was transferred from Midland to another medical facility in Texas.

One veteran and three spouses remained hospitalized Friday, with one spouse in critical condition. At the time of the crash, the veterans were on their way to a banquet in their honor and being cheered on by a flag-waving crowd. Their float was inching across a railroad track

in Midland when the crossing gates began to lower.

Some of those seated on the float jumped off in wide-eyed terror just moments before the train seemed to appear out of nowhere and crashed into the flatbed truck.

Michael, one of the soldiers killed, pushed his wife off the float when he saw the train coming, his wife told Cory Rogers, a friend of the couple.”His first instinct was to get her out of harm’s way,” said Rogers, who was not at the parade. “That’s the kind of man he was, and I feel like it was his training as a paramedic and then as a soldier, choosing to put someone’s life before your own.”

A day after the crash, federal investigators were trying to determine whether the two-float parade had been given enough warning to clear the tracks. Locals were struggling to cope with a tragedy at the start of what was supposed to be a three day weekend of banquets, deer hunting and shopping in appreciation of the veterans’ sacrifice. “It’s just a very tragic and sad thing,” said Michael McKinney of Show of Support, the local charity that organizes the annual event and invited the two dozen veterans. “It’s difficult when you’re trying to do something really good and something tragic occurs.”

National Transportation Safety Board member Mark Rosek ind, standing near the intersection in downtown Midland where the crash took place, offered hope Friday that video would provide a fuller picture of what happened.

Cameras were on both the lead car of the Union Pacific train and a sheriff ’s vehicle that was trailing the flatbed truck, Rosekind said.

The train was moving at 62 mph at the time of the crash, short of the 70 mph speed limit, Rosekind said. The speed limit was raised from 40 mph in 2006 to meet a growing demand for freight and to improve efficiency for passenger trains, Union Pacific spokeswoman Raquel Espinoza said.

NTSB investigators have not determined if the gate and other

protective measures were updated when the speed limit was raised, Rosekind said. The agency plans to test signals for abnormalities Saturday.

Shoemaker said the flatbed truck she was riding on had just crossed the tracks and was moving slowly when she heard a train coming and looked back to see the lowered crossing gates bouncing up and down on the people seated on the float behind her.

Witnesses described people screaming as the warning bells at the crossing went off and the train blasted its horn. Daniel Quinonez, who was waiting in his vehicle as the parade went by, said the float on the tracks could not go anywhere because of the one right in front of it.

“It was a horrible accident to watch happen right in front of me,” he said. “I just saw the people on the semi truck’s trailer panic, and many started to jump off the trailer.

But it was too late for many of them.”

Another witness, Joe Cobarobio, said only a few seconds elapsed between the time the crossing gates came down and the train slammed into the flatbed truck with a “giant cracking sound.”

Federal Railroad Administration records reviewed by The Associated Press show there were 10 collisions at the crossing between 1979 and 1997. But no accidents had happened in the past 15 years, the NTSB’s Rosekind said. Six drivers were injured in those accidents. The trains involved were moving slowly at the time, between 15 and 25 mph. A key question for investigators is whether, after the speed limit was raised, the timing of the crossing gates was changed to give cars and trucks enough time to clear the tracks, Robert Chipkevich, who headed NTSB’s rail investigations unit until retiring in 2010, said in an interview.

Investigators also will look at whether traffic lights in town prevented the flatbed truck in front from moving ahead, he said. — AP

Syria rebel coalition names envoy to Paris PARIS: President Francois Hollande said yesterday that France, the only Western country to officially recognise Syria’s new opposition National Coalition, planned to let the group appoint an ambassador in Paris.

The promise came after talks here between Hollande and coalition leader Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib during which the Syrian repeated that his coalition would move quickly to build a broad-based government of technocrats to rival the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

More than 39,000 people have died since a popular uprising against Assad erupted 20 months ago, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. France has been one of Assad’s harshest critics and on Tuesday became the first Western country to recognise the opposition coalition-formed last weekend in Doha-as the sole representative of the Syrian people.

The post of ambassador to Paris is to be filled by Monzir Makhous, an academic, although it was unclear if this would happen before the transitional government was formed. After his talks with Hollande, Khatib assured the international community that the transitional government will be composed of technocrats rather than politicians, and include representatives of all Syria’s ethnic and religious groups.

“There is no problem. The coalition exists and we will launch a call for candidates to form a government of technocrats that will work until the regime falls,” Khatib told reporters.

But he appeared to have made little progress on his call for the West to arm the rebels, with Hollande indicating that the major powers remain cautious about such a step.

France is pushing for the rebels to be given greater support, including some arms. “I can’t hide the importance of this question,” Hollande said, while acknowledging that France

PARIS: French President Francois Hollande (2nd-R) shakes hands with Syrian opposition coalition ambassador Monzer Makhous (2nd-L) next to French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius (L) and Syrian opposition coalition chief Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib at the Elysee Palace in Paris, yesterday. — AFP could not act without agreement from its partners in the European Union, which currently has a strict embargo on arms deliveries to Syria.

“The (rebel) Syrians need military means but the international community also has to exercise control,” he said. EU foreign ministers were set to discuss the arms embargo at talks in Brussels on Monday.

France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Thursday he would raise the idea of modifying the current EU embargo to exclude defensive weapons for the rebels to help them protect areas they hold from bombardment by forces loyal to Assad.

“The protection of liberated zones can only be done in the framework of the international community,” Hollande said after meeting Khatib.

“Once an alternative government has been formed, it can itself legitimately call for protection and support.”

Hollande noted that Khatib, a Sunni imam, had assured him that the future government would

include Christians and Alawites, the minority group to which Assad belongs. France, Turkey and the Gulf states have so far granted official recognition to the new Syrian grouping, and British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who met Khatib in London on Friday, said Britain was considering following suit.

EU member states Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland have also welcomed the formation of the coalition, but stopped short of recognising it as the sole representative of the Syrian people. The Paris meeting came as fighting continued in Syria.

At least 18 people were killed across the country yesterday, according to a preliminary count compiled by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syria’s air force meanwhile dropped deadly explosive-filled barrels on several rebel-held areas across the country, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of activists, doctors and lawyers for its information.—AFP

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

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

Tel Aviv shaken but not stirred by Gaza rockets TEL AVIV: Elad and his girlfriend Hadas check to see if the latest hip Tel Aviv establishment has a proper shelter in case of a sudden air siren-and only then look at the menu before deciding on a restaurant.

“It is the (1991) Gulf War all over again except that these rockets are no longer called SCUDS,” said 20-something Elad as he walked hand-in-hand with Hadas along the city’s bustling Mediterranean seafront.

“But the people refuse to admit it,” Hadas chipped in. “People like sipping their coffees at outdoor cafes and really do not want to change their lifestyles. It is a slow process in Tel Aviv, this change.”

Israel’s city that never sleeps is a playground whose party spirit was first shattered two decades ago during the first US campaign in Iraq.

But this week, militants from Gaza, who are locked in a deadly struggle with the Israeli military, fired two rockets at the city, both of which landed in the sea.

Neither caused any casualties, but they made a big splash, especially the one which fell in the water just 200 metres (yards) from the US embassy, sparking panic among beach-goers.

Gaza militants have long claimed to have missiles capable of reaching Tel Aviv, but until now, they have never put them into use.

The short-range rockets that have been falling by the hundreds on southern Israel can easily be assembled in Gaza-a territory ruled by Hamas but which is also home to other, even more militant Islamist branches.

But rockets that can fly more than 50 kilometres (30 miles) are widely believed

to have been produced in Iran, although Hamas on Friday claimed to have developed one with a 75-kilometre range (45 miles) which was fired at Tel Aviv.

How all these political consideration play out on the streets of Tel Aviv will help in large part to decide the fate of Israel’s upcoming elections on January 22 and that of its rightwing government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Jerusalem also came under fire from Gaza militants for the first time ever on Friday, with one rocket landing just outside the city.

Several hours later, the defence ministry said it would station a fifth battery of its Iron Dome anti-missile system in the metropolitan Tel Aviv area, which press reports said would counter rockets fired at both cities. It was expected to be operational by Saturday night. The mood

at this stage wavers between a furious refusal to believe that anything has changed, and calls for Netanyahu to order in troops and tanks into Gaza as soon as possible.

“I was not scared at all,” said a car park attendant called Dana Alosh. “What does it matter to me? If the rocket gets uswell, it gets us. But in the mean time, we sing and dance just like before.”

But her friend-a burly native Russian who looks after a small convenience store across the street-grumbled “kill all the Arabs” before walking away with a shake of the head.

Even 47-year-old Flora had a few words of militant encouragement for Netanyahu as she leisurely walked her dog while hiding behind huge chic sunglasses.

“It is okay by me if we go in (to Gaza)

now,” said Flora with a vigorous nod.

“There is no longer an alternative-we have to live and talk and walk and things like this.” Several people did admit surprise at Tel Aviv suddenly falling within the militants’ range. But few wanted to openly express shock or fear-the mood instead being almost mournful over a city stripped of its innocence.

“Everyone we know says that they have been looking to see where their bomb shelters are,” said Elad as his girlfriend broke into a laugh. “That is what they say,” Hadas explained.

“It is the cool thing to do-to say that I hid in a bomb shelter. But I do not think that people really do that. It will be a while before they become really afraid.”

Elad listened to Hadas and paused.

“There is a certain anxiety in the air,” he concluded. “Let us just call it that.” — AFP

Blast kills 7 in Iraq Iraq frees Hezbollah suspect in US plot

MANUBA: A picture dated December 8, 2011 shows Mohammed Bakhti, a prominent figure in Tunisia’s Salafist movement, speaking to the press in front of the office of the dean of the Faculty of Arts in Manuba, some 25 kilometres west of Tunis. Bakhti, died yesterday, after going on hunger strike over his arrest for an attack on the US embassy. — AFP

Second Islamist hunger striker dies in Tunisia TUNIS: A prominent figure in Tunisia’s Salafist movement, Mohammed Bakhti, died yesterday after going on hunger strike over his arrest for an attack on the US embassy, in the second such death this week, his lawyer said.

“He died in hospital at around 2 am (0100 GMT),” said Abdelbasset Ben Mbarek, noting that his death followed that of another member of the hardline Islamist movement, Bechir Gholli, who died on Thursday also after refusing food for nearly two months.

The lawyer had warned for several days that Bakhti, who was suffering from a brain haemorrhage, was in critical condition. The moderate Islamist party Ennahda, which heads Tunisia’s ruling coalition, called for a “rapid and transparent probe” to determine “the circumstances of the arrests and detentions as well as the causes of death and the hunger strikes.”

After the latest death, a justice ministry official said yesterrday that three of 56 Tunisian prisoners on hunger strike were in a “more or less worrying condition,” having refused to eat for exactly one month.

Negotiations are taking place with the detainees, their families and civil society groups to persuade them to call off their hunger strike, he told AFP. The official said most of the hunger strikers, not all of whom are Islamists, started their protest between November 9 and 16, and denied a claim from lawyer Mbarek that between 300 and 400 prisoners had started a hunger

strike in solidarity. Bakhti and Gholli began their strike in late September, days after their arrest in connection with a September 14 attack on the US embassy by a crowd of Islamists during which four assailants were killed in clashes with security forces.

They insisted they were innocent and protested over the conditions of their detention, while the Salafist movement charged it was being victimised by the authorities. Bakhti was considered a senior figure in the jihadist movement and close to Abu Iyad, the alleged organiser of the embassy attack, who is on the run.

Justice Minister Noureddine Bhiri of Ennahda said on Friday that Bakhti had been released on November 11. “His health deteriorated after his release,” he said. But Ben Mbarek said that Bakhti had been in a coma and was dying. The decision to free him was taken because the authorities knew “he was about to die,” he said.

Bakhti was jailed for 12 years in 2007 over bloody clashes between the army and Islamists in Soliman, near Tunis, under Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s regime but released under an amnesty declared after the 2011 revolution. In the attack on the US mission, hundreds of protesters, angry over an antiIslam film made in the United States, stormed the sprawling embassy compound in a suburb of Tunis. More than 100 people were detained following the attack.

Tunisia’s hardline Islamists have carried out numerous acts of violence since last year’s revolution that ousted Ben Ali. — AFP

BAGHDAD: An Iraqi health official says seven people, including three Iranian pilgrims, were killed when an explosives-laden car detonated as they were exiting a rest stop north of Baghdad. The health official says some 30 other people were wounded in yesterday’s blast in the town of Balad, some 50 miles north of Baghdad. He says the wounded were Shiite pilgrims from Iraq, Iran and Pakistan. He spoke anonymously because he wasn’t authorized to talk to the media.

They were traveling from a shrine in the northern city of Samarra to another in nearby Balad. Shiite pilgrims are often targeted by Sunni extremists who claim they aren’t true Muslims. Attacks typically increase this time of year, when Shiites mourn the seventh-century killing of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, the Imam Hussein.

HEZBOLLAH MEMBER FREED Meanwhile, Iraq has freed a Hezbollah member accused of plotting to kill five US soldiers in a move that has triggered anger in the United States, US and Iraqi officials said yesterday. “The judiciary decided to release Ali Musa Daqduq due to a lack of sufficient evidence,” a high-ranking Iraqi official said, asking to remain anonymous. He has now left the country for Lebanon, he added.

Daqduq was captured in 2007 on suspicion that he had helped organize a raid that led to the deaths of five US forces. He was held by American troops until he was handed over to Iraqi officials in December. The Iraqi official did not specify when he was released, but the US State Department reacted angrily to the news. “ While we strongly object to his release, we’ve been informed by the Iraqis that they determined that they were no longer able to hold him under Iraqi law,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. “We continue to believe that Daqduq should be held accountable for his crimes. We’ve made this point very clearly to the government of Iraq.”

The US military said Daqduq, captured in Iraq’s southern city of Basra in March 2007, had confessed to training Iraqi extremists in Iran.

BAGHDAD: An Iraqi man inspects burnt out vehicles following a car bomb attack outside a restaurant where three buses were parked carrying Shiite pilgrims on a highway near Balad, north of Baghdad, yesterday. The pilgrims were on their way to visit the Al-Askari shrine in Samarra, which militants bombed in February 2006 sparking a wave of sectarian violence that killed tens of thousands of people. — AFP The US military alleged the Quds Force, a unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah were jointly operating camps near Tehran to train Iraqis before sending them to carry out attacks in Iraq. Republican senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham hit out at Daqduq’s release calling it “disgraceful” that he was now “free to rejoin the terrorists bent on the destruction of America and its allies.” Nuland told journalists Washington would pursue other means to have Daqduq brought to justice and confirmed the United States had been in touch with Lebanon about his case, without saying if they had asked for his arrest. But the senators slammed the US administration for “failing to effectively exercise influence with the Iraqi government.” “Daqduq’s release further shows that America’s influence in the region is waning as a result of this Administration’s failed foreign policy,” they said in a statement. “The United States now has so little

influence that it could not prevail upon the Iraqi government to extradite Daqduq to the US to stand trial for his crimes.”

IRAQ KURDS ON ALERT The president of Iraq’s Kurdistan region has ordered its peshmerga security forces on high alert, a statement issued yesterday said, attributing the move to clashes with central government forces. An Iraqi general however said that the clashes in question came during an arrest attempt and did not involve the peshmerga. Tensions between Baghdad and the autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq have been running high after the establishment of a new military command covering disputed territory, and over various other longrunning disputes.

Kurdistan president Massud Barzani called “on the peshmerga forces to exercise restraint in the face of provocations, but also to be in a highest state of readiness to face any aggressive acts,” the statement on his website said. It said the

alert followed clashes between central government forces and peshmerga in the disputed town of Tuz Khurmatu on Friday “in which one person died and several were wounded.”

But the head of Baghdad’s recently established Tigris Operations Command, Lieutenant General Abdulamir al-Zaidi, told AFP that the incident did not involve the peshmerga and was rather an attempt to arrest a man accused of offences including murder and kidnapping. The establishment of the command, based in Kirkuk city and covering all of the province of the same name as well as neighboring Salaheddin and Diyala, has drawn an angr y response from Kurdish leaders who want to incorporate much of the area into their autonomous region.

The dispute over the command strikes at the heart of an unresolved row between Baghdad and the Kurdish regional government in Arbil over territory, oil and the interpretation of Iraq’s federal constitution.— Agencies

Beirut rally remembers missing civil war victims BEIRUT: Some 300 people rallied yesterday to remember 17,000 people who disappeared during Lebanon’s 15-year civil war, and called for action on behalf of the victims’ families, organisers and participants said.

“Today is important because it shows we will not be silent,” said activist and artist Zeina Daccache.

“We need to inform young Lebanese of the crimes that took place during the war. We should not stop talking, because if we do this will send a message that we have given up on

truth.” The rally came on the 30th anniversary of the first gathering in Beirut on November 17, 1982 of families of disappeared, said Act for the Disappeared president Justine Di Mayo.

Participants marched along a route linking the city’s Mathhaf area, where many disappearances took place, to three neighbourhoods where the state has recognised the presence of mass graves.

The march was organised following a twoweek campaign aimed at raising awareness

on the issue, Di Mayo told AFP. “It is clear that young people in particular were interested in the campaign, because in just two weeks, more than 10,000 people clicked ‘like’ on our Facebook page,” she said.

Little has been done to investigate the high number of enforced disappearances during the 1975-1990 war that left more than 150,000 people dead, or bring redress to the families.

Few effor ts were made to reconcile a deeply divided society or raise awareness

about the horrors of war, and armed clashes frequently erupt in hot spots in the multi-confessional country. “Despite that, I think there is a real interest among the youth to know more about the disappeared, which they have heard so little about,” said Di Mayo.

“The issue also unites people, because the disappeared come from across the political and sectarian spectrum. All sides were involved in ‘disappearing’ people during the war.” One participant believed that unless civil war crimes are investigated and the perpetra-

tors face justice, the chances of another such conflict remain high.

“Every day, it feels to me like a new war is on the verge of breaking out here,” said Hossam Mishaymesh, a 35-year-old photographer. “I didn’t lose anyone during the war, but I know many people who did. Their pain remains just as fresh today as it was when they first lost their loved ones.

“All Lebanese young people need to know about how awful the war was so that it doesn’t happen again.” — AFP

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

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

Three dead as plane hits truck during takeoff OWLS HEAD: A small plane hit a truck on the runway during takeoff and crashed into the woods near the Knox County Regional Airport, killing three people, authorities said yesterday. The plane went down Friday evening on the runway, caught fire and continued on about 200 to 300 yards into the woods beyond the runway, authorities said. With flames shooting 10 to 20 feet in the air, the first people to the scene tried unsuccessfully to pull one of the occupants from the burning wreckage, which sent smoke billowing into the sky, said John Newcomb, pres-

ident of the Downeast Air airline services company, who went to the scene to try to help.

The Cessna 172 was heading north on the runway during takeoff shortly before 5 pm when it struck a pickup truck that was crossing the runway, according to the Knox County sheriff’s office. The plane continued to climb and as it turned to the east, it spiraled downward into the woods and immediately burst into flames, sheriff’s officials said.

The four-seat plane was destroyed by flames, so there was no way to see

its identifying number, airport manager Jeff Northgraves said. The bodies were still at the crash site late Friday.

Officials were working to confirm the identities of the three people aboard.

Northgraves said the truck was authorized to be on the airport grounds and was driven by a pilot. He would not identify the driver but said it was not a county vehicle, nor a county employee. All trucks at the airport are equipped with radios to pick up any traffic from planes, Northgraves said. He said planes are required to radio their positions before, during

and after takeoff. He said it wasn’t known yet whether the plane that crashed had radioed its actions.

The flames were hot enough to pop the airplane’s tires and to keep wouldbe rescuers away from the airplane, Newcomb said. Firefighters had to carry fire extinguishers to the scene of the crash because they could not get their trucks close enough.

An investigator from the Federal Aviation Administration arrived at the crash site Friday night, Northgraves said. National Transportation Safety Board officers were expected to arrive

yesterday to join in the investigation.

The airport has two commercial carriers, but the plane that crashed was believed to be privately owned, officials said. The skies were clear at the time with light winds, according to the National Weather Service said.

The airport was the site of the deadliest commercial airplane crash in Maine history. More than a dozen passengers and two pilots were killed in 1979 when a de Havilland Twin Otter turboprop crashed short of the runway in foggy weather. There was only one survivor, a 16-year-old boy. — AP

Women in Petraeus scandal had visited White House Neither woman met Obama during their visits

SINGAPORE: US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, is greeted by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana, or Presidential Palace, yesterday in Singapore.— AP

Obama turns to foreign policy with Asia trip WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama, in his first trip abroad since the summer heat of the re-election campaign, seeks to reinforce American influence in Southeast Asia in spite of the large shadow cast by China. He will become the first US president to visit Myanmar, an appreciation for its steps toward democratization, as well as Cambodia.

The four-day trip beginning Saturday will be the president’s fourth to Asia. It comes amid unusual challenges at home, including opening discussions with lawmakers about dealing with the nation’s fiscal health and a sex scandal that’s roiling his national security team.

Still, Obama is eager to return to foreign policy matters that were put on the back burner by the campaign. The unprecedented visit to Myanmar, also known as Burma, gives the trip a historic edge while shoring up a strategic regional goal sought with stops in Thailand and in Cambodia, where he will attend the East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh.

The Asia trip underscores Obama’s efforts to establish the United States as an Asia-Pacific power, a worldview defined by 21st century geopolitics but also by Obama’s personal identity as America’s first Pacific president. Obama was born in Hawaii. “Continuing to fill in our pivot to Asia will be a critical part of this president’s second term and ultimately his foreign policy legacy,” deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said ahead of the trip. In choosing this time to travel - the East Asia Summit was scheduled some time ago Obama is taking advantage of his electoral success, and his international counterparts are bound to be in a congratulatory mood.

But Obama also heads out at a sensitive time for the US economy. Only six weeks remain before automatic tax increases and deep spending cuts kick in - they create the so-called fiscal cliff - that could set back the economy if Obama and congressional Republicans don’t find agreement on a deficit-reduction plan.

Stephen Hadley, national security adviser to President George W. Bush, cautioned that failure by Washington to resolve the fiscal cliff could signal to emerging economies that the democratic system is flawed. “That’s why countries are flirting with this notion that maybe China has it right: State capitalism plus keeping your people in line,” he recently told the World Affairs Councils of America. “That is very destructive.” But China also has problems with corruption and a sluggish economy.

“Burma is sending a powerful signal that people are rejecting the notion that an authoritarian model is the key to development,” Rhodes said. The precarious nature of the budget negotiations is not lost on Asian countries, and Obama will likely find himself on the sidelines offering reassurances to other leaders that the US will not plunge over a fiscal cliff.

“Some, particularly allies, will worry about the impact on defense spending at a time when Chinese power is rising,” said Michael Green, a former Asia adviser to Bush who now is a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a foreign policy think tank.

Telegraphing Obama’s response to that concern, White House national security adviser Tom Donilon conceded that “after a decade of war ... there will be reductions in the US defense budget.” He added: “Guided by our new defense strategy, our defense spending program will continue to support our key priorities, including our presence and missions in Asia.”

During the brief stop Monday in Myanmar, Obama will meet with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Thein Sein and deliver an address in which he will call for continued political reforms in a country that had been internationally shunned for decades.

The East Asia Summit includes the 10member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and eight other nations: the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Russia, Australia and New Zealand. — AP

Mexican druglords strike gold in coal AGUJITA: They may be known for flashy cars and state of the art weaponry, but Mexican druglords have found an earthy new source of wealth: Dirty old coal. They are mining it themselves in a coal-rich area along the US border or buying it from small mine operators, then reselling it to a stateowned company at fabulous margins that can see them make a profit 30 times greater than their initial investment.

Along the way, besides the earth’s black bounty, the druglords are seeking to reap credibility as legitimate business people.

First word of the Zetas drug cartel’s presence in mining-heavy Coahuila state came in October from a former governor, Humberto Moreira, who blamed the notoriously violent group for his son’s death.

The Mexican Mining Association says Mexico produces 15 million tonnes of coal a year, worth $3.8 billion. About 95 percent of it comes from Coahuila.

Reforma newspaper says the Zetas produce or buy 10,000 tonnes of coal a week. Selling it at their inflated prices, that means yearly revenue of $22 million to $25 million. The Zetas were created fo r fo r m e r M e x i c a n m i l i t a r y s p e c i a l forces operatives who worked for the Gulf cartel. But they broke away from that group to control lucrative drug trafficking routes to the United States and engage in other crimes such as extor-

tion, people trafficking and fuel theft.

“The Zetas are the first Mexican cartel to diversify from drugs into other areas,” said Tomas Borges, author of a book on the cartels. Zetas leader Heriberto Lazcano was shot and killed by authorities October 7 in the coal mining town of Progreso. Hi body was later stolen by armed men.

Moreira says the drug lord had his own coal pit in the region. But the Zetas presence is not new. Raul Vera, bishop of Coahuila’s capital Saltillo, said drug traffickers have been digging coal for years and doing it in areas where it is illegal.

“It is an open secret that drug traffickers are infiltrating the coal mines. But since Moreira spoke out, we have seen police and military around and we know they arrested several people,” a coal industry businessman in Agujita said on condition of anonymity.

Highway 57 heading north to the United States runs through a dusty black area where piles of coal from small, precariously operated mines dot the landscape. Fatal accidents are common.

Trucks loaded with coal are stopped at checkpoints manned by soldiers looking for drug traffickers and drug shipments.

Since the Zetas discovered coal, violence has been on the rise, especially in a town of 150,000 called Piedras Negras, or black stones.— AFP

WASHINGTON: Their close ties to the military community giving them unusual access to top generals, Paula Broadwell and Jill Kelley even visited the White House on separate and apparently unrelated occasions before a sex scandal brought down former CIA Director David Petraeus.

Neither woman met with President Barack Obama during their visits, a White House official said. Petraeus resigned as CIA director last week after acknowledging an affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell. In briefings Friday with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, the retired four-star general was apologetic and regretful and insisted that his resignation was related only to his personal behavior.

Jill Kelley, the Tampa, Fla., socialite who initiated the investigation that revealed the affair, and her twin sister had two “courtesy” meals at the White House mess as guests of a midlevel White House aide in September and October, the White House official said.

Kelley and her family also received a White House tour on the weekend before the Nov. 6 election.

Broadwell, who was writing a book about Petraeus and eventually became his paramour, attended meetings in June 2009 and June 2011 on AfghanistanPakistan policy in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is located in the White House complex, the official said.

The White House visits by Broadwell and Kelley illustrate the wide-ranging access both women enjoyed because of their ties with Petraeus, Gen. John Allen and others in the close-knit military community. The White House official discussed their visits on condition of anonymity because the visitors logs being cited have yet to be made public.

The FBI began an investigation after Kelley turned over anonymous emails that had been sent to her and Allen, the top US commander in Afghanistan. Kelley was a friend of both Petraeus and Allen and had become a social liaison

This combo made from file photos shows Gen. David Petraeus’ biographer and paramour Paula Broadwell, left, and Florida socialite Jill Kelley. Broadwell and Kelley, the two women at the center of David Petraeus’ downfall as CIA director, visited the White House separately on various occasions in what appear to be unrelated calls that did not result in meetings with President Barack Obama. — AP between the Tampa civilian community and the military at MacDill Air Force Base.

One anonymous email traced to Broadwell warned Allen to stay away from Kelley. FBI agents ultimately found emails between Petraeus and Broadwell that led them to believe the two were having an affair.

Largely out of public view in the week since his resignation, Petraeus was whisked into private meetings with lawmakers Friday amid the sort of clandestine atmosphere that befits a spymaster. A network of underground hallways was used to smuggle the retired general into a secure room beneath the Capitol to escape a clamorous crowd of photographers and television cameras.

Police closed down entire corridors in the Capitol.

Members of Congress said the

arrangements were designed to spare Petraeus further embarrassment. Before the scandal, he famously cultivated personal relationships with journalists and walked through the front door of the Capitol and greeted reporters when visiting Congress.

After more than four hours, Petraeus left the Capitol much the way he entered and was seen departing in a two-vehicle motorcade. About 20 minutes later, The Associated Press photographed Petreaus entering his home - one of the only public images of him since he resigned.

In separate briefings with members of the House and Senate intelligence committees, Petraeus discussed the September attack on the US. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which left four Americans dead. He did not discuss his adultery with Broadwell, except to say

that he regretted his behavior and that his departure was unrelated to the deadly violence in Libya.

“He was very clear his resignation was tied solely to his personal behavior,” said Sen. Mark Udall, DColo., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. “He was apologetic and regretful but still General Petraeus.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the chairwoman of the Senate committee, apologized to reporters and photographers for the stringent security. “I know that’s rankling you,” Feinstein said.

“We didn’t want to make it any more difficult for him. And you know, you people aren’t always the easiest. So the blame is on us.

Any waiting that you did, I apologize, but, you know, there’s a lot of suffering going on.” Feinstein said no senators asked Petraeus about the affair. —AP

Sandy cleanup turns NY beach parking into dump NEW YORK: Last summer it was packed with beachgoers, a parking lot where New Yorkers stashed their cars, applied sunscreen and dragged lawn chairs, coolers and umbrellas across the blacktop toward the shore. Today it’s an enormous waste collection site half a mile long and a quarter-mile wide, piled high with debris from the flooding caused by storm Sandy.

Twisted steel, waterlogged wood, broken furniture and countless mattresses fill a parking lot that normally serves one of New York’s most popular ocean beaches.

Hundreds of trucks come and go around the clock bringing material collected from the streets of the Far Rockaways and Breezy Point, where water from Sandy’s storm surge tore apart homes and buildings.

Residents are still digging out.

The temporary garbage dump at Jacob Riis Park in Queens is one of several sites around the city being used this way. The size of the dump reflects the enormity of the damage caused by the storm. The debris just keeps coming.

“Our mission is to clear the right of way - sidewalk to sidewalk,” said Fred Strickland, the resident engineer from the Army Corps of Engineers, which is helping the New York Department of Sanitation with the cleanup.

Strickland said his collectors are making constant rounds of the hardest-hit neighborhoods, going back

for more debris as homeowners clean out flood-damaged homes.

Strickland expects his assignment, paid for by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to take four months. “I’ll probably get to see the ball drop in Times Square this year,” said Strickland, who is from California.

Strickland works out of a hightech trailer parked on the edge of the dump. Inside are maps of the New York area, tasks and reminders scribbled onto whiteboards, and several computers. He says by Saturday he expects to have a thousand vehicles and roughly four thousand people working on the cleanup. The debris hauled to the site by the Army Corps is being combed over by workers for the Environmental Protection Agency, then trucked over to Staten Island, put on a barge and floated up the Hudson river to a landfill near Albany.

At the site, the EPA workers don full-body suits and gas masks and then scramble through the piles of debris to pick out hazardous materials like aerosol cans and electrical appliances.

Other EPA workers test the air for a range of hazards including bacteria, viruses and fungal agents, hazardous fumes, and lead paint.

Workers on the site are drawing on experiences from Hurricane Katrina and the devastating tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri, over a year ago.

The Army Corps said it has hauled

4,500 tons to Jacob Riis already; the sanitation department, which is also using the site, said it has cycled through ten times that amount.

Instead of sending debris upstate via barge, the sanitation department has been moving it to landfills out of state, including one in Pennsylvania.

Citywide, the department said it has collected a quarter of a million tons of debris. “It’s historic, the amount of tonnage,” said Joe Hickey, assistant sanitation chief at the department.

He added that if the debris piles

were to be lined up end to end they would stretch for two miles.

Though the flow of debris from the streets has slowed a little, the cleanup job is far from over.

Strickland said New York City officials have determined that around 350 homes in the city are beyond salvation, including 80 in Breezy Point alone. If all goes according to plan, the city will condemn the houses and demolish them, and Strickland’s team will help haul away the rubble. — Reuters

CALIFORNIA: In this Sept 21, 2010 file photo, the death chamber of the new lethal injection facility at San Quentin State Prison in San Quentin, Calif. Earlier this year, the US Supreme Court rejected Robert Fairbanks’ appeal of his death sentence for the 1985 rape and murder of college student Wendy Cheek. With that rejection, Fairbanks joined at least 14 other death row inmates who have “exhausted” their appeals to state and federal courts and are eligible for execution. — AP

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

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

Alps murder probe widens to maniacs and gun users LONDON: French police investigating a quadruple murder on a remote Alpine road two months ago have widened their probe to gun users and mentally disturbed people in the region after failing to find a motive for the killing, the BBC reported yesterday.

Officers plan to investigate hundreds of people fitting the profile over the unexplained shooting of three members of a British family and a French cyclist near the village of Chevaline, close to the Swiss and Italian borders.

Investigators were looking for

someone “who puts no value on human life, so someone who has doubtless killed before,” French prosecutor Eric Maillaud told the BBC, but cast doubt on the theory that the murderer was a professional assassin.

Saad al-Hilli, an Iraqi-born British engineer, was found shot dead with his wife and mother-in-law in their BMW car on a remote mountain road near the village of Chevaline, with the body of a cyclist, Sylvain Mollier, discovered nearby.

They were killed in what appeared to be execution-style murders, with at

least two hits to the head from a semiautomatic pistol. “We are looking at all mentally unbalanced people, very violent or known to be capable of violence, using weapons,” Maillaud said, in comments translated by an interpreter.

“And also, without wanting to link the two, everyone connected with the world of guns, hunters, collectors and members of shooting clubs, some of whom could have psychiatric problems,” he added.

People over the border in Switzerland and Italy as well as in

France would be investigated, he said.

Hilli’s two daughters survived the attack, despite the gunman trying to kill the eldest, 7-year-old Zainab, by beating her around the head after running out of bullets.

Four-year-old Zeena was found safe hiding beneath the legs and skirt of her dead mother in the backseat of the car. The brutality and unexplained nature of the killings led to prominent coverage of the case in British media.

Investigators have said previously they were looking at various theories, including robbery, a family feud, a pos-

sible link to Hilli’s work in the aerospace industry or his Iraqi origins.

Maillaud said investigators remained undecided whether the Hillis were murdered as part of a contract killing, but were “99 percent sure” that the cyclist was not the shooter’s target.

“We are further than day one, but still no motive,” he said. “The one thing, however, that the investigators say is that if it was a contract it was carried out very badly. We have the impression that it was carried out extremely quickly and not in a very professional manner.” — Reuters

S Leoneans flock to vote with hope Ethnic friction still plague West African state

ZAGREB: The front pages of the main Croatian daily newspapers baring pictures of former Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac are displayed yesterday in Zagreb a day after their return to Croatia after they were freed by the UN war crimes tribunal, with many feeling the verdict vindicated Zagreb’s role in the 1991-95 war against Belgrade-backed rebel Serbs. — AFP

Croatia feels vindicated by generals’ acquittal ZAGREB: Croatia celebrated into the early hours of yesterday after two of its generals were freed by the UN war crimes tribunal, with many feeling the verdict vindicated Zagreb’s role in the 1991-95 war against Belgrade-backed rebel Serbs.

Generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac returned home to a hero’s welcome Friday after their dramatic acquittal by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

The court cleared them of committing crimes against Croatian Serbs during the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia. Many here see the ruling as confirmation that they fought a justified war. “The verdict confirmed that the liberation of our territories was not a criminal enterprise,” President Ivo Josipovic said late Friday as he received the generals in Zagreb, quoting a term that prosecutors had used against them.

Gotovina and Markac, considered heroes in Croatia, were jailed last year for 24 and 18 years respectively for the murder of Croatian Serbs during their country’s struggle for independence and the bloody, ethnically driven breakup of Yugoslavia.

But the appeals court overturned the conviction after ruling that artillery attacks on Serb-inhabited towns did not amount to unlawful attacks on civilians. Judges also rejected the lower court’s finding that there was “a joint criminal enterprise whose purpose was the permanent and forcible removal of Serb civilians from the Krajina region” in Croatia. Prosecutors had alleged that Operation Storm led by Gotovina was devised by the late Croatian president Franjo Tudjman and senior Croat military commanders to drive Serbs from the country.

“Our Homeland war is clean, it belongs to our history, it is a basis on which we build our future,” Gotovina said after meeting the president. Josipovic added that the verdict was a “symbolic satisfaction” for all the victims of Vukovar, a town that stands as a symbol of Croatia’s wartime horrors.

On Sunday Vukovar will commemorate

the 21st anniversary of the eastern town’s fall to Serb forces, the bloodiest episode of the 1991-95 war. Vukovar Mayor Zeljko Sabo has invited the two generals to attend the ceremonies but it is not clear whether they will.

After their return on Friday, the generals appeared at a rally in Zagreb’s main square where tens of thousands of euphoric Croatians cheered them, chanting their names.

Smaller celebrations were held throughout the country with people waving Croatian flags and singing nationalist songs. Yesterday’s press echoed the sentiment of vindication widely felt in the country.”Winners! Croatia was not built on crime,” the left-leaning Novi List paper headlined. The influential Jutarnji List said Croatia was “finally satisfied”. “The verdict freed Croatia from any guilt for the war and organised war crimes,” the paper said in an opinion piece titled “The war is finally over, Croatia is innocent.”

In neighbouring Serbia, the acquittal was met with bitter outrage and Belgrade said it would scale back its cooperation with the UN court in protest. Serbia’s influential Politika daily yesterday splashed a picture of a column of Serb refugees fleeing Krajina in 1995 with a headline screaming “This is a crime”.

The UN refugee agency put the number of Serbs who fled from Operation Storm at 250,000 while other UN agencies estimate some 600 people were killed. In all some 20,000 people died in the Croatian war.

Zivana Sapic, a 62-year-old refugee from Croatia who had fled during the 1995 offensive, told AFP in Belgrade that she was “appalled”. “My husband, a simple farmer, was killed during ‘Operation Storm’ as we were trying to flee. But now his death will be seen as a death of a criminal or an enemy,” she said, visibly shaken.

Many Serbs suggested the decision was politically motivated to allow Croatia to enter the European Union with a clean slate.

Croatia will join the bloc in July 2013, having fulfilled the condition to hand over war crimes suspects to the ICTY. — AFP

Moldova blocks Russian plan to expand in rebel enclave CHISINAU: Moldova is blocking moves by Russia to expand its formal presence in the separatist Moldovan region of Transdniestria until Moscow pulls out its 2,500 troops and an end is negotiated to a 20-year-old dispute over the territory.

Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti turned down a Russian proposal to open a consulate in the rebel enclave after an envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin criticised Moldova’s energy policy and its rapprochement with the European Union.

The small former Soviet republic of 3.5 million, one of Europe’s poorest countries, is heavily in debt to Moscow for cheap gas imports that help keep its economy afloat.

But, with an eye to future possible membership of the European Union, it has also decided to join Europe’s energy pact and adopt European energy liberalisation measures, something which Moscow opposes.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, returned to this theme during a trip to Moldova on Friday, urging the country’s pro-Europe government to pull back from the EU’s so-called Third Energy Package.

This agreement would clip the wings of Russian gas giant Gazprom by imposing limits on the ownership of EU pipeline infrastructure by gas suppliers and calling for the “unbundling” of over-concentrated ownership. Rogozin also said he had agreed in principle with the Moldovan government to open

a general consulate in Transdniestria, an internationally-unrecognised separatist region of Moldova which broke with the central government after a brief war in 1992.

But this was over-ruled almost immediately by Timofti, a jurist who was elected president of Moldova in March.

“Moldova will not give its agreement to Russia to open its general consulate in Tiraspol until the Russian army has been withdrawn from Transdniestria and the Transdniestrian problem has been resolved,” Timofti told journalists.

“In the present situation, when the Moldovan authorities are not in control of the territory of Transdniestria, where a separatist regime is operating, and when, on the left bank of the Dniester there is ... the army of a foreign state, we can not guarantee the security of the work of a consulate from any country,” he added.

Moldovan authorities fear allowing Russia a full consulate in Transdniestria would be a step towards Moscow recognising the territory’s self-declared independence.

Russia, for its part, appears to be using the issue of cheap gas to secure concessions from Moldova whose pro-West push is not to Moscow’s liking. The Russian-speaking region of Transdniestria, which has a long border with Ukraine but none with Russia, has a population of about 500,000 people, about a fifth of whom have Russian citizenship.—Reuters

FREETOWNL: Sierra Leoneans crowded polling stations yesterday to vote in a close-fought election they hope can rebrand their poor, war-scarred West African state as an emerging democracy with the potential for fast growth from mining and oil. Election obser vers reported an enthusiastic turnout from the moment polls opened, with large, eager crowds of voters jostling outside balloting points in schools and other public venues in the steamy seaside capital Freetown and across the nation.

The presidential and parliamentary polls, the third held since the end of the 1991-2002 conflict, pit President Ernest Bai Koroma and his ruling All People’s Congress (APC) against challenger Julius Maada Bio, a former junta leader who represents the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). “I want to vote ... let us have good leaders to develop the country,” said Fafata Kamara, a catering worker, clutching her plastic voter registration card in a long line outside the Cardiff Primar y School in west Freetown.

The elections are being held amid rising expectations that foreign-run iron ore mining and oil developments can start lifting Sierra Leone’s 5.5 million people out of poverty and help the country shed its past image as a “blood diamonds” battleground for rebels and child soldiers. The vote is expected to be close. Former insurance executive Koroma, 59, who wrested the presidency from the SLPP in a hotly disputed 2007 vote, is considered the narrow favourite above Bio, a 48-year-old retired army brigadier who was involved in two military takeovers in the turbulent 1990s.

Koroma, wearing a white robe, voted in a west Freetown polling station set up in an unfinished building, where he was greeted by supporters chanting “world best, world best!”. “We feel very happy that Sierra Leoneans are motivated to vote,” the president said, adding the election had been peaceful so far and praising the presence of international observers. His rival Bio, also wearing white, cast his ballot outside a west Freetown school, in a makeshift polling station made from blue plastic sheeting and poles, with simple cardboard voting booths. To win outright, a candidate must gain 55 percent of the vote and the race may well go to a

FREETOWN: Supporters of the incumbent Sierra Leonese President wave as the latter leaves a polling station in Freetown yesterday after casting his vote for the presidential, parliamentary and local elections which are seen as a test of the country’s post-war recovery. It is the country’s third election since the end of a brutal civil war in the west African country, a high-stakes polls which will hand the victorious party stewardship of a lucrative mining boom. — AFP second round. With rivalry between the APC and the SLPP running high, there are concerns a close result could ignite violence. “I think the whole world is looking at Sierra Leone at the moment,” said Jens Anders Toyberg-Frandzen, the United Nations envoy to the country. He called the vote “a turning point in manifesting that Sierra Leone has graduated from a postconflict country to one that is now on the path to development.”

The elections in the former British colony will be one of the most closely observed in Africa this year by monitors from the European Union, the Commonwealth and the African Union. The chief EU election observer, Richard Howitt, said that apart from some polling stations opening late, there had been no reports so far of any serious disruptions or violence.

“From what I’ve seen and heard so far, it’s been very smooth with a very good turnout,” Howitt told Reuters, praising the enthusiasm and good nature of the voters.

Soldiers in crisp new green camouflage and floppy bush hats joined police in trying to control

the impatient, shoving lines of voters, some of whom had waited through the night. At stake is the opportunity to oversee millions of dollars of investment in the aiddependent country’s resources that include gold and diamonds, oil and iron ore.

Iron ore shipments by British companies African Minerals and London Mining are expected to buoy the economy to 20 percent growth this year - below original forecasts of more than 50 percent but still one of the highest growth rates on the planet.

Doubts remain over whether the election winner can root out the graft from Sierra Leone’s patronage-driven politics, fairly distribute the mineral wealth and unite a society with deep tribal and political divisions. In the electoral propaganda battle waged in Freetown’s pot-holed streets, APC billboards have sought to emphasise Koroma’s performance over the last five years in building new roads, improving the power supply and bringing in foreign investors.

“De Pa Dea Woke ( The Father is working)” proclaims one pro-

Koroma billboard in the local Krio language. SLPP posters hail Bio as a “Father of Democracy”. His supporters point to his role in handing over to civilian rule more than a decade ago and rebuff accusations from critics who question his military past and democratic credentials.Although ethnic allegiances still shape Sierra Leone’s electoral landscape Koroma’s APC draws support from the Temne and Limba peoples of the north, while the Mende of the south and east traditionally vote SLPP - both candidates face pressure to convert the mineral riches into jobs and improved livelihoods.

But a strong consensus also exists among voters that Sierra Leone must never be allowed to fall back into the violence of the brutal 1991-2002 war, when thousands of civilians had their limbs hacked off by drugged-up bush fighters.

“People are getting aware.

People are no more interested in violence ... They have seen that the power of development is through the ballot box, not the bullet,” said Alimany Barrie, a 45-year-old army corporal, as he lined up to vote in Freetown. —Reuters

French conservatives to pick new leader PARIS: France’s conservatives will elect a new leader today who will determine whether the party ousted in May from a 17-year presidential reign will hold to the centre or move to the right in a quest to regain power in 2017.

Moderate ex-prime minister Francois Fillon, who regularly tops political popularity polls, i s tipped to narrowly beat Jean-Francois Cope, a disciple of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy and his hard stance on issues including immigration.

Yet with two thirds of UMP (Union for a Popular Movement) members wanting Sarkozy to

return for the 2017 election, the result will be close and a Fillon victory would not completely bury an existential crisis in the opposition party. Socialist President Francois Hollande has a clear majority in parliament and controls most French regions, but a slump in his ratings is giving the right an audience. Fillon, an urbane 58-year-old, appeals more to centre-ground voters disillusioned with Hollande’s left-wing policies, such as tax hikes on high-earners.

Cope, a more polarising figure, is playing to the nearly one in five people who voted for the far-right

PARIS: French Socialist Party’s (PS) first secretary, Harlem Desir, arrives for the PS national council yesterday in Paris. — AFP

National Front in the first election round in May, betting that rampant unemployment will keep tensions high over immigration.

The gulf between them reflects a split in a party founded by former President Jacques Chirac in 2002 to group several centre-right parties and carry on the legacy of post-war leader Charles de Gaulle, who sought to transcend the left-right rift. The UMP is still smarting from losing the Senate, the presidency and the lower house within months of each other. “There are two political lines here,” Fillon said this week.

“One makes the UMP narrower, the other, mine, seeks to widen it, or at least preserve the project of the UMP’s founders to keep within the same family values which go from the centre through to the party’s right,” he told Le Figaro daily.

Cope, mayor of a town near Paris who speaks in the same brash way Sarkozy does and can be more provocative, alleged recently that city suburbs brim with “anti-white” racism. He irked many inside his party by making much of a one-off incident where a boy had his pain au chocolat pastry snatched from him by Muslim youths during the Ramadan fasting period.

“I am the tenant of a right which does not have hang-ups, which tells the truth and is comfortable with itself,” Cope told Le

Figaro in an interview alongside Fillon’s.

“No taboos, no stonewalling. France has far fewer complexes than its politicians have,” he said, stating his values as authority, courage and measured generosity. Cope played a central role in Sarkozy’s banning of the full-face Islamic veil, aims to appease those who find Muslim customs invasive in secular and traditionally Catholic France.

Unlike Fillon, a motor-racing fan who is ready to run for the 2017 presidency, the younger Cope, 48, has said he would stand aside if Sarkozy decides to make a comeback. Whichever direction the party takes will be tested a year from now in municipal and communal elections where Hollande risks losing ground, barring an economic rebound. Right-wing ideology aside, Cope and the bushy-browed Fillon have similar views on economic polic y and Europe, and have been critical of Hollande’s challenge to Berlin’s focus on austerity. Sarkozy, praised for his handling of the financial crisis, has told friends he would seek re election if the Socialists mishandle economic policy. Yet aides say he will keep a low profile on Sunday, when some 280,000 UMP members will vote, with results due from around 9 pm (2000 GMT). — Reuters

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

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

Afghan govt, Taleban urge more inmate releases KABUL: The Afghan government and Taleban said yesterday they wanted to see more Taleban inmates released from Pakistani jails, in a move seen as a step to bring militants to the table before NATO’s 2014 withdrawal.

Earlier this week an agreement was reached at a meeting between Pakistani government officials and Afghanistan’s High Peace Council (HPC) in Islamabad that resulted in the release of a group of Taleban in Pakistan.

“We hope the releasing of Taleban prisoners from Pakistani jails continues and more Taleban who are willing for talks are released,” the chief of Afghanistan’s HPC, Salahuddin Rabbani, told reporters yesterday in Kabul. Afghan officials have pressed for the release of senior Taleban leaders held in Pakistan believing they could help bring militants to the negotiating table, to end over a decade of war ahead of the 2014 pull-out of US-led

NATO troops. Rabbani said nine members of the Taleban were released but the group did not include the group’s former deputy leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was captured in Pakistan in 2010.

“Those who were released were also important members and they can help us in peace and negotiations,” he said, however. The Taleban, whose government was toppled by a US-led invasion in 2001, leading to an 11-year insur-

gency to regain power, welcomed the move, calling it a “positive step” to “increase trust between two neighboring nations and people”.

They also “requested the rest of the prisoners... to be released”, in a statement posted on one of their websites.

The militants have always publicly refused to negotiate directly with Kabul, calling the government of President Hamid Karzai a US puppet.

Preliminary contacts between the

US and the Taleban in Doha were broken off in March when the militants failed to secure the release of five of their comrades held at the Guantanamo Bay prison on the US base in Cuba.

Support from Pakistan, which backed the Taleban regime that held power in Kabul from 1996 to 2001, is seen as crucial to peace in Afghanistan after the departure of NATO combat forces. — AFP

ASEAN calls for South China Sea hotline to defuse tensions China insists it has sovereign rights to all of the sea

YANGON: Myanmar children walk near a graffiti painted by Myanmar artist Arker Kyaw to welcome US President Barack Obama on a street in Yangon, Myanmar, yesterday. Word of Obama’s historic visit has spread quickly around Yangon, which is readying itself with legions of hunched workers painting fences and curbs, pulling weeds and scraping grime off old buildings in anticipation of the president’s arrival. — AP

Myanmar welcomes Obama with graffiti YANGON: When Arker Kyaw heard President Barack Obama was coming to Myanmar, he gathered 15 cans of spray paint and headed for a blank brick wall under cover of darkness. Kyaw, whose passion is graffiti, labored from 3 a.m. until the sun came up. Passing taxi drivers and the occasional pedestrian gave him signs of encouragement as Obama’s grinning, uplifted face took shape against a background of the American and Myanmar flags.

“I wanted to welcome him,” said Kyaw, a 19-year-old with a sweep of styled hair and a penchant for skinny jeans. The next day, someone - a rival graffiti artist, suspects Kyaw - scribbled over his handiwork with a can of black spray paint.

Before dawn yesterday, as he watched for cops between tea breaks, he painted another wall with an image of Obama scrawled with the words “hello again.” He sees it as a shout out from the youth of Myanmar, and hopes Obama will glimpse it during his six-hour visit to the country, the first by a US president.

Word of Obama’s historic visit has spread quickly around Yangon, which is readying itself with legions of hunched workers painting fences and curbs, pulling weeds and scraping grime off old buildings in anticipation of the president’s Monday arrival.

Some here read symbolic value into Obama’s itinerary. Obama is scheduled to meet with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as well as President Thein Sein, who is widely credited with driving the country’s recent political and economic reforms. He will also deliver a speech at the University of Yangon, which has been

a seat of opposition since colonial times.

Obama will not visit Naypyitaw, the muscular, desolate capital built in the middle of scrubland at great expense by the country’s military leaders in 2006. “I like that Obama will meet Aung San Suu Kyi. It’s a very good point,” said Than Lwin, a 47-year-old freelance teacher from Kachin state, where an armed insurgency continues.

“I’m glad he’s not going to Naypyitaw,” he added, laughing.

“Naypyitaw is only the military.” Many hope that Myanmar’s emerging friendship with the West will improve human rights in the country and help counterbalance the influence of neighboring China. “I think America can work for the people. China only works for the government,” said Wizaya, a 47-year-old monk from Mandalay who goes by one name.

“This is our expectation, that they will help us. Whether they help us depends on them.”

Others are less convinced and see in Obama’s trip an attempt to further America’s own economic and regional interests. “This trip is not only for Burma,” said Hla Shwe, 75, who fought with communist rebels and spent 25 years as a political prisoner. “America wants to balance power between China and Southeast Asian nations.” “For 50 years the American government did not help the Burmese people,” he added.

“American companies will do business and cooperate with Burmese tycoons and authorities and high officials. All the benefits and interests will be for the Burmese authorities and their community. Not for the Burmese people.” — AP

Musharraf calls for India, Pakistan to ‘bury hatchet’ NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf said yesterday that nuclear-armed India and Pakistan need to “bury the hatchet” and settle their differences to reduce poverty and ease tensions in the region.

Musharraf fought against India in 1965 and 1971 wars and led Pakistan’s army in the 1999 Kargil conflict in which militants infiltrated India’s zone of Kashmir. “We need to resolve the longstanding disputes between India and Pakistan because these are the causes of hatred, causes of conflict and the wars,” Musharraf told a media conference in Indian capital New Delhi.

“It’s doable,” he said, talking of resolving Indo-Pak disputes. Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan as a military dictator and later as a civilian president between 1999 and 2008, said the issues need to resolved to improve the “socio-economic development” of South Asia, home to hundreds of millions of poor.

“It is high time we open our eyes to reality,” said Musharraf, who has lived in exile in Dubai and London since stepping down in 2008. “We need to bury the hatchet.” But “compromise should come from the bigger party. India should have a big heart because it is the bigger country,” he said.

Musharraf said that all outstanding disputes between Indian and Pakistan should be dealt with at the same time rather than following a “step-by-step” process. Chief among the conflicts to be settled is the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, he said.

“This is actually the root cause which spawns not only war” but also “religious militancy in Pakistan”, Musharraf said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

Muslim-majority Kashmir is divided

between India and Pakistan along the heavily-militarised Line of Control border.

It was plagued by violence for decades as militants fought for the region to become independent or part of Pakistan. While violence has fallen sharply in recent years, simmering tensions remain. Turning to Afghanistan, Musharraf said the country faces two possible scenarios when US troops pull out in 2014.

“Either Afghanistan goes back to 1989, when the Soviets left and warlords began fighting, or it goes back to 1996, when the Taliban came. If the US leaves a minimum force, then the situation should be maintainable,” he said. — AFP

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf addresses a press conference on the sidelines of a leadership summit in New Delhi yesterday. Musharraf warned India against trying to create an antiIslamabad Afghanistan and underlined that both India and Pakistan “should stop the proxy war” in the restive country. — AFP

PHNOM PENH: Southeast Asian countries called yesterday for a hotline with China to defuse tensions over their increasingly divisive maritime territorial rows.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan publicly floated the proposal for the South China Sea hotline ahead of three days of talks involving the region’s leaders in Cambodia starting today.

“We can give it a sense of urgency that, if there is anything developing that we all will be phoned... trying to consult, trying to coordinate, trying to contain any possible spillover of any... incident, accident, miscalculation, misunderstanding,” Surin told reporters.

Surin was speaking after Southeast Asian foreign ministers’ met in Phnom Penh to pave the way for the annual ASEAN leaders’ summit tomorrow.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, US President Barack Obama and leaders from six other nations are scheduled to then join their ASEAN counterparts for an expanded East Asia Summit starting tomorrow.

Analysts said the South China Sea disputes were set to overshadow the Cambodia meetings, during which countries will be aiming to push forward policies on human rights and opening up trade.

ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, as well as Taiwan, have claims to parts of the sea, home of some of the world’s most important shipping lanes and believed to be rich in fossil fuels.

But China insists it has sovereign rights to virtually all of the sea, and the Philippines and Vietnam have expressed concerns that their giant Asian neighbour has become increasingly aggressive in staking its claim.

The dispute led to unprecedented divisions within ASEAN this year. An ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Phnom Penh ended in July without issuing a joint communique for the first time in the bloc’s 45-year history because of differences over how to handle the South China Sea issue.

The Philippines and Vietnam had wanted the communique to make specific reference to their disputes with China. But Cambodia, the hosts of the talks and a close China ally, blocked the moves. Surin said ASEAN mem-

bers had largely healed their rifts, and were intent on ensuring the South China Sea issue did not sidetrack the Cambodia talks.

“I don’t think it’s going to be confrontational, I don’t think it’s going to be overly contentious,” he said.

Nevertheless, the issue is likely to flare

not be on the agenda at the East Asia Summit.

“Discussion of the South China Sea issue should return to the framework of China and ASEAN. Discussing the issue in other forums will interfere with the direction of cooperation,” Fu said.

Meanwhile, ASEAN leaders are aiming to

PHNOM PENH: Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (C) greets Cambodian government officials (R) upon his arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport yesterday. US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, sought to promote Washington’s strategic shift to the Asia-Pacific and a tentative rapprochement with Myanmar as he met counterparts in the region. — AFP again on Monday with Obama keen to reas- endorse today a declaration they say will prosure the Philippines and other US allies. mote human rights within their 10 countries Obama is likely to reiterate that the United but which has drawn widespread criticism.

States has a fundamental interest in freedom More than 60 rights groups, including of navigation in the sea, while urging ASEAN Human Rights Watch and Amnesty and China to agree on a code of conduct for International, issued a statement on Thursday the area, according to analysts. urging ASEAN to revise a draft of the declaraChina has long bristled at what it perceives tion. as US interference in the South China Sea, and ASEAN members are also aiming to kickwas upset at last year’s East Asia Summit in start negotiations in Phnom Penh over a giant Indonesia when Obama succeeded in having free trade zone with China, Japan, South the issue discussed there.

Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. The Chinese vice foreign minister Fu Ying 16 nations account for roughly half the global warned on Saturday that China did not want a population and around a third of the world’s repeat and that the South China Sea should annual gross domestic product. — AFP

Four shot dead in India’s northeast GUWAHATI: Four people have been shot dead in India’s restive northeast in the latest outbreak of ethnic violence which has claimed 10 lives this week, officials said yesterday.

Heavily armed gunmen attacked the village of Joraibari in the western Kokrajhar district late Friday, 230 kilometres (143 miles) from the state of Assam’s main city of Guwahati, authorities said.

“Three members of a family and another (distant) relative were shot dead by unidentified gunmen,” Biswajit Daimary, a member of parliament and leader of the Bodoland People’s Party (BPF), told AFP by telephone from Kokrajhar.

A young teenager was also critically injured in the shooting. The government said there had been a “massive deployment of army, police, and paramilitary troopers” to quell the fighting between indigenous Bodo tribes and Muslim settlers who have been embroiled for years in territorial disputes. All the victims were Muslims. “The situation is tense,” Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters. “The death toll in fresh clashes in the past week has gone up to 10 and we’re trying our best to control the situation with a very firm hand,” he said.

An indefinite curfew has been clamped on the Kokrajhar district and soldiers are conducting counter-insurgency operations in troubled areas, police said. A father, whose 14-year-old son was critically injured in the shootings, said families were about to sleep when around a dozen masked gunmen “barged into our homes and fired indiscriminately using automatic weapons”.

“I saw four people shot dead and my son injured by at least three bullets,” Basit Ali, a resident of Joraibari, said. Two more people were also injured in the attack. Clashes between the Bodos and the Muslim settlers in July left at least 80 dead and displaced 450,000 people. Some 100,000 people remain in relief camps.

Police said they arrested a leader of the Bodoland People’s Party, Mono Kumar Brahma on Saturday, on accusations of fomenting violence and alleged they had seized two AK-47 rifles and live ammunition from his house. “The situation is turning from bad to worse and we anticipate even more trouble,” said Daimary whose party is an ally of the ruling Congress party in Assam state.

Northeast India, linked to the rest of the country by a narrow land bridge, has seen decades of friction among ethnic and separatist groups, although some rebels have recently started peace talks with the government. — AFP

CAMP DARAPAN: Northern Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lord David Trimble (L) talks with Ghazali Jaafar, vice chairman for political affairs of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), inside the rebel stronghold in Camp Darapan, Sultan Kudarat, Southern Philippines yesterday. Trimble discussed peace efforts and shared his own experiences in obtaining a peace accord in Northern Ireland with Ghazali Jaafar yesterday. — AFP

Seven soldiers dead in Philippines clash MANILA: Seven Philippine soldiers were killed and eight others wounded yesterday in a clash with communist guerrillas who are waging a decades-old Maoist insurgency, the military said. The army casualties were part of a foot patrol that clashed with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in a remote area of Isabela province on the main island of Luzon, said Philippine Army spokesman Colonel Cirilito Sobejana.

“They were on security operations, combat operations. We have inserted reinforcements by helicopter and are picking up the casualties,” Sobejana told reporters in Manila. He added residents had told the army up to five guerrillas were also killed, but said no bodies of any rebels were found when the army casualties were evacuated.

Fighting has broken out in two areas of the northern province of Isabela amid efforts by the government to restart stalled talks aimed at ending one of Asia’s longest-running rebellions.

Sobejana said the deadly skirmish occurred during the army’s patrol at dawn near the mountainous town of San Geronimo. NPA rebels also clashed yes-

terday with another army unit in the adjacent town of San Mariano, but there were no known casualties there, the military spokesman said.

Peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front, the rebels’ front organisation, were due to have resumed in Norway last month. The rebels however called them off after Manila again rejected their long-standing condition that 18 jailed comrades must be released before negotiations can resume.

The communists have been waging a rebellion since 1969, and more than 30,000 people have died in the conflict, according to the government. Both sides announced in February last year, following talks in Norway, that they had set a deadline of June 2012 to sign a final peace deal, but negotiations went nowhere due to the issue of the detained guerrillas.

The military estimates the NPA’s current strength at about 4,000 fighters nationwide, significantly down from over 26,000 at its peak in the 1980s. However the NPA retains support particularly in impoverished rural areas. — AFP

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

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

Tokyo ex-governor joins new conservative party TOKYO: Outspoken leaders from Japan’s two biggest cities formed a national political party yesterday, seeking to become “a third force” to lure undecided voters and challenge the country’s two biggest parties.

Nationalist Shintaro Ishihara, who resigned as Tokyo governor to create his own party this week, said he is scrapping his four-day-old group to join the Japan Restoration Party formed in September by the young and brash mayor of Osaka, Toru Hashimoto.

The announcement comes the day after Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda dissolved the lower house of parliament, paving the way elections next month. His ruling party is expected to give way to a weak coalition government divided over how to tackle Japan’s myriad problems. The biggest problems are getting a stagnant economy going again and reconstruction after the crippling March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Elections are set for Dec. 16, with official campaigning starting Dec. 4. If Noda’s centrist party loses, the economically sputtering country will get its seventh prime minister in six and a half years. Japan is going through a political transition with a merry-goround of prime ministers and the mushrooming fringe parties to challenge the long-dominant Liberal

Democrats’ return.

“This country is going to fall apart if we don’t act now,” Ishihara told yesterday’s party convention held in Osaka, announcing the merger of his party and Hashimoto’s. “I’ve decided to ignore small differences to join hands on common ground. This will be my last service for the country.”

Apparently, Ishihara made concessions to Hashimoto’s policy supporting phase-out of nuclear energy and participating in the US-led trans-Pacific trade block. The timing of the election could preempt moves by more conservative challengers to build enough electoral support.

Ishihara, 80, now heads the Japan Restoration Party, replacing Hashimoto, who now serves No. 2 post. Hashimoto, 43, has said he will remain mayor of Japan’s second-largest city and not run in the election. On Saturday, he announced backing 46 candidates to run in the polls.

“We’ll claw our way through the election battle not just to win seats, but to change the root of this country,” Hashimoto told a televised party convention. “We will change all forces that try to defend the status quo.” The DPJ, in power for three years, has grown unpopular largely because of its handling of

the Fukushima nuclear crisis and its plans to double the sales tax.

Noda’s most likely successor is LDP head and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He resigned as Japan’s leader in 2007 after a year in office due to stomach ailment. Polls indicate that the conservative, business-friendly LDP will win the most seats in the 480-seat lower house but will fall far short of a majority. That would force it to cobble together a coalition of parties with differing policies and priorities. Many of the newly formed small groups are formed by defectors of Noda’s party, and Japan now has at least 15 political parties, half of them with only several members.

Although DPJ’s rise to power was initially seen as a chance to have stable British-style two-party system in Japan, their troubled rule and infighting have prompted part divisions and defections, not necessarily based on policies.

“Now there is no division of conservative, liberal or centrist. There is no telling which two are the main parties,” said political commentator Shigetada Kishida on a TV talk show Saturday. “We are now in the process of figuring out which parties should take charge of Japan as an alternative.”

Political leaders took to the streets Saturday to make their election appeals to voters. Noda, who visited schools in Tokyo, called the party merger “noprinciple coalition” that neglected policies.

“We have mountains of problems to tackle - the economy, energy issues, diplomacy and political reforms. Do we want to push them forward or backward? That’s what the elections are all about and I will convince voters who should be in charge,” Noda told reporters.

In Kumamoto, southern Japan, Abe accused Noda’s party of failing to achieve results. “Their existence itself is political vacuum. We should get rid of them, or the vacuum only continues.” Ishihara said his party aims to be “a second force” not third, to be close enough to take power.

Ishihara resigned as Tokyo governor and created the Sunrise Party with several ultra-conservative national lawmakers Tuesday. As governor, Ishihara helped instigate the territorial spat with China by saying Tokyo would buy and develop the disputed East China Sea islands controlled by Japan but claimed by Beijing. The central government bought the islands, apparently to thwart Ishihara’s more inflammatory plans, but failing to calm China’s anger. — AFP

14

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

ANALYSIS

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Issues

C

What is US fiscal cliff?

ome Jan 1, Americans could face big tax increases coupled with draconian cuts in government programs if President Barack Obama and his Democrats are unable to hammer out a compromise with Republicans on fundamental changes in the way the country handles its finances.

There will be economic pain for virtually all Americans and political and ideological agony for politicians of both parties no matter how the looming “fiscal cliff” plays out. After years of government spending far more than what it collects in taxes, even the best solution for pulling back from the abyss will be nothing more than the least painful outcome. Here is a look at the fiscal cliff, its origins and the possible solutions for avoiding its disastrous effects: WHAT IS IT? The fiscal cliff is a convergence of mandatory spending cuts and the expiration of tax cuts, all scheduled to take effect Jan 1. Unless Congress and Obama reach an agreement, $85 billion in federal spending will be automatically eliminated $32 billion from military spending and $53 billion in acrossthe-board cuts to education, health care, law enforcement and other social programs. Democrats and Republicans agreed last year to schedule the automatic cuts, though neither side wants them and both hope they won’t take place. It was a compromise worked out to end a dispute about the government’s borrowing authority that threatened to send the US into default.

The cuts were seen as so politically untenable that they were expected to be an overwhelming incentive for both Republicans - who are deeply opposed to cuts for the Pentagon - and Democrats - who want to keep government social programs in place - to take more palatable action this year on the federal debt. The expiration of tax cuts instituted during the 2001-2009 presidency of Republican George W Bush would affect most working Americans. Again, neither party wants that to happen, but they can’t work out their differences: Obama wants to keep the reduced tax rates for all but the wealthiest Americans; Republicans oppose any increase in tax rates.

Also expiring Jan. 1 will be a 2 percent reduction in payroll taxes that Americans pay into the federal Social Security pension system, temporary tax breaks for businesses and individuals, and extended unemployment benefits. All together, the spending cuts, higher taxes and loss of extended unemployment benefits will mean that $671 billion would be sliced out of the American economy next year.

THE CONSEQUENCES? While the fiscal cliff would narrow the federal deficit that is now $1.1 trillion, it would mean Americans would have far less money to spend, devastating a US economy that has only weakly rebounded from the last recession. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office predicts there would be a return to recession and a spike to more than 9 percent in the already stubbornly high unemployment rate. Without a deal, Americans would find their paychecks shrunken by higher taxes - less money to spend, especially for already strapped middle income families.

Compounding that, people who depend on an array of social programs from education for their children to certain health care programs would find them spending more on that even as incomes are diminished by higher taxes. For the US economy as a whole, going over the fiscal cliff might end up having similar effects to the deep austerity programs in Europe that have driven the countries using the Euro currency back into recession. Since the United States remains the world’s largest economy, the repercussions would be felt worldwide, compounding other problems, such as the weak European economy. What are the politics behind the fiscal cliff?

Any resolution would have to be worked out by Obama and the outgoing Congress, which remains in office until the new legislature is sworn in early next year. Obama and his primary antagonist, House Speaker John Boehner, the most powerful Republican in Washington, have already begun laying out their positions. Obama, who has been accused of caving too readily to past Republican demands, is holding fast to his position that taxes go up for households earning more than $250,000 a year. He also says he is willing to see cuts in government spending, although he has not offered specifics.

Boehner and his Republicans - the low-tax, small-government tea party movement in particular - are equally adamant that tax rates not be raised for any income level and instead call for even deeper cuts in spending, although the targets of those reductions are unknown. What are prospects for a resolution? Obama met Friday with top congressional leaders for the first time since his re-election and appealed for cooperation and compromise. He said surmounting the fiscal cliff is “urgent business.” The leaders from both parties expressed optimism about avoiding the crisis. —AP

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.

Early ‘fiscal cliff’ talks show possible path to deal

By Richard Cowan

P

resident Barack Obama and top lawmakers agreed on Friday to work on a framework for reforming the US tax code and “entitlement” programs next year, in what could be an important first step in averting the upcoming ‘fiscal cliff.”

While the congressional leaders and the president had spoken individually in the past week in public statements about a construct for going forward, Friday’s session marked the first time they sat in a room together and struck a similar chord.

An agreement to discuss tax and entitlement reform, most pressingly Medicare, the health program for the elderly, would not be sufficient to solve the more immediate problem of averting the fiscal cliff, the broad tax increases and spending cuts set to start in January.

But a promise for the future is seen as necessary to convince members to compromise in the here and now, probably by replacing the relatively extreme fiscal cliff measures with less harmful deficit-reduction steps. The development came during the first meeting between Obama and Republican and Democratic congressional leaders since the election. Attending were the president, Boehner, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Following the hour-long White House meeting, Boehner said at he had “outlined a framework that deals with reforming our tax code and reforming our spending.” A Boehner aide, who asked not to be identified, said later the spending cuts would cover “entitlements” - the large federal benefit programs that include Medicare healthcare for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor. “This is a construct all present (in the White House meeting) agreed was needed,” the aide said.

A Democratic aide, who also asked not to be identified, did not dispute that tax and entitlement reforms had to be worked on next year. The aide added that the “key discussion right now” is what to do about across-the-board income tax rates that will rise in January if Congress cannot agree on a new deficit-reduction deal.

“The major development of the meeting was we made it clear our position is ... we should freeze tax rates for the middle class and raise rates on the top (income) families,” the Democratic aide said. “It was notable that neither Boehner nor McConnell shot that idea down.”

SIGNS OF COMPROMISE? While great uncertainty remains, Friday’s steps were not insignificant. Obama’s core supporters, who turned out in droves to ensure his re-election, are already fighting hard to protect benefit programs for the

poor, disabled and elderly that Republicans want to cut because of their rising costs. It is therefore meaningful that Democratic leaders at least say those entitlements are open for discussion. Conservatives in Congress bristle at the notion of raising any income tax rates, including for the wealthy.

After decades of Republicans insisting that Washington had a spending problem, not a revenue problem, the Republican leaders are at least now saying they are prepared to put revenues on the bargaining table.

Details, which have wrecked deficit talks in the past, are missing. On the entitlement cuts, for example, would they primarily hit middle-class beneficiaries, wealthy participants, or medical providers such as hospitals?

In public, the Republican leaders did not say whether the offer to negotiate on revenues meant merely closing some tax loopholes benefiting special interests and counting on future revenue growth from an improving US economy or, whether as Democrats hope, they were signaling they might finally say yes to raising tax rates on the rich. Reid and Pelosi, said a senior Senate Democratic aide, “feel they’re making progress (with Republicans) on tax cuts for the rich.” The aide predicted that “there will be some back and forth” in coming weeks before Republicans finally succumb. How far any of the talking goes will not be known until Congress returns

in late November from a Thanksgiving holiday recess and the real, nitty-gritty negotiating begins.

REID GAUGING OBAMA’S ‘SPINE’ Reid and Obama huddled in the White House earlier this week alone, without any aides present. According to a source who did not want to be identified, Reid wanted to gauge Obama’s spine - whether he would stand firm on raising taxes for those families with net incomes above $250,000.

For many Democrats, December 2010 was all too painful a memory, as Obama caved in to Republican demands that all tax cuts, including those for the richest, be extended through this year.

The source said Reid left that meeting convinced the newly re-elected president would stand firm. That gave Reid the confidence he needed to assure rank-and-file Democratic senators, the source added.

Without those assurances, there was no way Reid could begin preparing his members for the Medicare cuts that could lie ahead. So lawmakers have gone home for the holiday on an upbeat note but knowing it will be tough to hammer out a December deal. Reid returned to the Capitol on Friday telling reporters that “there were no harsh words” uttered during the White House meeting - a big accomplishment on the heels of a bitter election season. —Reuters

Gaza: No lessons learned Dr James J Zogby

T

he escalating violence between Israel and Gaza should remind us of old lessons that still need to be learned and new realities to which attention must now be paid. First and foremost among the old lessons is the fact that the successive waves of violence that have characterized the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have produced nothing but more death and destruction, more suffering and insecurity, and more anger all around. Every attack or assault that was intended to “teach a lesson” or “exact revenge” only laid the predicate for the next attack.

And so it has gone for decades. The lesson that should have been learned, and apparently has not been learned, is that just as violence will not end the occupation, neither will violence put an end to the resistance to the occupation. One can only wonder whether when the Israelis made the decision to assassinate Ahmad al Jabari they were foolish enough to assume that their attack would be the end of it. Having been down this same road before, where assassinations only led to escalation and then full-scale hostilities, one might have hoped that someone in the Israeli high command would have recalled 2008 or 2006 (and so many other tragic, bloody episodes in the past) and cautioned that “no good will come of this”.

When I heard an Israeli Ambassador tonight saying that “we must finish them off, so we can sit with moderates and talk peace”, it became all too clear that no lesson had been learned. More callous-minded Israeli journalists speculated that the Netanyahu government was itching for a skirmish as a pre-election display of muscle that would sideline the opposition parties just two months before voting. If the

Israelis were making such a crass political calculation for short term gain, serious questions must be raised about their leadership.

It might be noted, that when Israeli governments made similar calculations in the past they all too frequently lost significant electoral support. If, on the other hand, Netanyahu & Co were simply trying to teach Hamas & Co a lesson, then even more serious questions must be raised about their judgment. The same goes for the Palestinian side. At what point do they learn that revenge is not a political strategy and that aimlessly firing a barrage of missiles into Israel is nothing more than a criminal and stupid act? Criminal, because it can result in the deaths of innocents, and stupid, because it gives the Israelis the pretext to respond with overwhelming and disproportionate force.

Since this, too, has played out so many times in the past, one can only wonder why this lesson has never been learned. There is plenty of speculation in the Arab media regarding Hamas’ calculations and its competition with other groups in Gaza. Since they won in national elections more than a half decade ago, Hamas has had to face a choice whether to attempt to govern or to continue to operate as a “resistance” group.

For a short while, it appeared that they might have been ready to behave as a responsible authority attempting to control cross border attacks and planning, with Qatari assistance, a massive Gaza reconstruction effort. But that phase was shortlived. After the assassination of Al Jabari, Hamas took the Israeli bait and, risking their gains, began behaving as just another one of the groups. No lessons learned.

There is also a lesson in all of this for the rest of the world - namely, that it is unwise to write off Palestine. At least once every

decade, pundits and politicos pronounce the Palestinian issue dead, suggesting that the region has moved on and is now focused on “bigger things”. This, of course, is the Israelis most fervent wish. Netanyahu spent the better part of four years working to derail Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, seeking to have Iran placed the top of the US agenda.

With the help of pressure from a pliant US Congress, he appeared to have been successful. Add to that the “Arab Spring’s” upending of the old regional order and the bloody mess that has become of Syria, it seemed that the issue of Palestine had fallen off the table. The Arab World does have a lot on its plate and the region is unsettled, but as is so often the case, in an instant, Palestine comes roaring back front and center. This too is an old lesson: never assume that what happens in Palestine, will stay in Palestine. For reasons of history and deep culture, when Palestinians are hurt, the Arabs bleed. Palestine, for Arabs, remains “a wound in the heart that has never healed”.

It is an old lesson, but with a new twist.

In the past, when Israel was having its way with the Palestinians (or with Lebanon, as was the case in 2006, and throughout the 1990’s), despite widespread outrage, Arab leaders largely remained on the sidelines.

But in the aftermath of the “Arab Spring”, Arab public opinion matters. Governments, new and old, have their ears to the ground and are more responsive to their public’s unrest.

Should Israel seek a replay of 2008/2009 and undertake a massive ground assault into Gaza, the new Egyptian government would be hard-pressed to remain quiet, since its very legitimacy would be at risk.

Jordan, facing growing public discontent, would also feel compromised. Escalating

violence would even place the Obama Administration in a bind. Still attempting to recover from the devastating blunders of the Bush years and the setback encountered by its own failed Israeli-Palestinian peace bid, the last thing the Administration needs is to be confronted with a bloodbath in Gaza that enflames the region.

To some extent, Washington had its short-term Middle East agenda set. It appeared ready to attempt renewed engagement with Iran in an effort to reach an agreement on that country’s nuclear program. And having successfully worked with regional allies to restructure the Syrian opposition, creating a somewhat more representative body that could receive aid, the US and its partners were prepared to try to hasten the end of that conflict. These plans would be derailed should the clashes in Gaza spin out of control, with the US coming down squarely on Israel’s side, alienating Arab public opinion. Here, too, is an old lesson that needs to be recalled: an Administration is judged not by its success in implementing the agenda it has set for itself, but in how successful it is in dealing with the unexpected.

Since no one will win and everyone will lose, it might be assumed that sanity will prevail, and the current clashes will stop short of full-scale war. But given the record of the participants, that might be hoping for too much. With the Israelis threatening yet another “final” showdown; some Palestinian groups threatening “big surprises” yet to come; and the US Congress giving its unconditional support to Israel, undercutting the Administration’s more cautious support of the right of self-defense while urging restraint on all sides - it appears we may be “off to the races” - with no lessons learned and new realities ignored. God save us from our folly. smarter, and more just.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

NEWS

GAZA:Smoke rises during an explosion from an Israeli forces strike in Gaza City, yesterday. Israel bombarded the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip with nearly 200 airstrikes early yesterday, the military said, widening a blistering assault on Gaza rocket operations by militants to include the prime minister's headquarters, a police compound and a vast network of smuggling tunnels.— AP

Mideast crisis escalates Continued from Page 1 day, Tunisia’s foreign minister travelled to the enclave in a show of Arab solidarity.

Officials in Gaza said 41 Palestinians, nearly half of them civilians including eight children and a pregnant woman, had been killed since Israel began its air strikes. Three Israeli civilians were killed by a rocket on Thursday. In Cairo, a presidential source said Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi would hold four-way talks with the Qatari emir, the prime minister of Turkey and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal in the Egyptian capital yesterday to discuss the Gaza crisis.

Egypt has been working to reinstate calm between Israel and Hamas after an informal ceasefire brokered by Cairo unraveled over the past few weeks. Meshaal, who lives in exile, has already held a round of talks with Egyptian security officials. Israel uncorked its massive air campaign on Wednesday with the declared goal of deterring Hamas from launching rockets that have plagued its southern communities for years. The salvoes recently intensified, and are now displaying greater range.

The operation has drawn Western support for what US and European leaders have called Israel’s right to selfdefense, along with appeals to both sides to avoid civilian casualties. Hamas, shunned by the West over its refusal to recognize Israel, says its cross-border attacks have come in response to Israeli strikes against Palestinian fighters in Gaza.

“We have not limited ourselves in means or in time,” Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Israel’s Channel One television. “We hope that it will end as soon as possible, but that will be only after all the objectives have been achieved.” Hamas says it is committed to continued confrontation with Israel and is eager not to seem any less resolute than smaller, more radical groups that have emerged in Gaza in recent years. The Islamist movement has ruled Gaza since 2007. Israel pulled settlers out of Gaza in 2005 but maintains a blockade of the tiny, densely populated coastal territory.

At a late night session on Friday, Israel’s cabinet decided to more than double the current reserve troop quota set for the Gaza offensive to 75,000, political sources said. The move did not necessarily mean all would be called up or that an invasion would follow. Tanks and self-propelled guns were seen near the sandy border zone yesterday, and around 16,000 reservists have already been summoned to active duty. The Gaza conflagration has stirred the pot of a Middle East already boiling from two years of Arab revolution and a civil war in Syria that threatens to spread beyond its borders.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to visit Israel and Egypt next week to push for an end to the fighting in Gaza, UN diplomats said on Friday. Hamas’s armed wing claimed responsibility for yesterday’s rocket attack on Tel Aviv, saying it had fired a longer-range, Iranian-designed Fajr-

5 at the coastal metropolis, some 70 km north of the Gaza Strip. After air raid sirens sounded, witnesses saw two white plumes rise into the sky over the southern outskirts of Tel Aviv and heard an explosion when the incoming rocket was hit.

The anti-missile battery had been due to take delivery of its fifth Iron Dome battery early next year but it was rushed into service near Tel Aviv after rockets were launched toward the city on Thursday and Friday. Those attacks caused no damage or casualties. In Jerusalem, targeted by a Palestinian rocket on Friday for the first time in 42 years, there was little outward sign on the Jewish Sabbath that the attack had any impact on the usually placid pace of life in the holy city. In Gaza, some families abandoned their homes - some of them damaged and others situated near potential Israeli targets and packed into the houses of friends and relatives.

The Israeli army said it had zeroed in on a number of government buildings during the night, including Haniyeh’s office, the Hamas Interior Ministry and a police compound.

Taher Al-Nono, a spokesman for the Hamas government, held a news conference near the rubble of the prime minister’s office and pledged: “We will declare victory from here.” A three-storey house belonging to Hamas official Abu Hassan Salah was also hit and totally destroyed yesterday. Rescuers said at least 30 people were pulled from the rubble.

In Washington, US President Barack Obama commended Egypt’s efforts to help defuse the Gaza violence in a call to Morsi on Friday, the White House said in a statement, and underscored his hope of restoring stability there. On Friday, Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil paid a high-profile visit to Gaza, denouncing what he called Israeli aggression and saying Cairo was prepared to mediate a truce. Egypt’s Islamist government, freely elected after US-backed autocrat Hosni Mubarak fell to a popular uprising last year, is allied with Hamas but Cairo is also party to a 1979 peace treaty with Israel.

In a call to Netanyahu, Obama discussed options for “deescalating” the situation, the White House said, adding that the president “reiterated US support for Israel’s right to defend itself, and expressed regret over the loss of Israeli and Palestinian civilian lives”. Hamas fighters are no match for the Israeli military. The last Gaza war, involving a three-week long Israeli air blitz and ground invasion over the New Year period of 2008-09, killed over 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians.

Thirteen Israelis died.

But few believe Israeli military action can snuff out militant rocket fire entirely without a reoccupation of Gaza, an option all but ruled out because it would risk major casualties and an international outcry. While Hamas rejects the Jewish state’s existence, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who rules in areas of the nearby West Bank not occupied by Israelis, does recognize Israel but peace talks between the two sides have been frozen since 2010. — Agencies

Iran ready to double nuke work in bunker VIENNA: Iran is set to sharply expand its uranium enrichment in an underground plant after installing all the centrifuges it was built for, a UN report said, a move likely to increase Western alarm about Tehran’s nuclear course. It also showed that Iran’s stockpile of its most sensitive nuclear material - which could relatively quickly be processed further to bomb-grade uranium - had grown and was getting closer to an amount that could be sufficient for a nuclear weapon.

The latest quarterly International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Iran came 10 days after the reelection of US President Barack Obama, which raised hopes for a revival of nuclear diplomacy with Iran following speculation that Israel might attack the nuclear facilities of its arch-enemy soon. But the UN watchdog’s findings underlined the tough task facing world powers seeking to pressure Iran to curb atomic activity they fear is aimed at developing a nuclear weapons capability, a charge Tehran denies.

“The report paints the picture of Iran’s continued lack of cooperation with the IAEA, and details its continued

enrichment and installation of centrifuges in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions,” a senior Western diplomat said. The Islamic state has put in place the nearly 2,800 centrifuges that the Fordow enrichment site, buried deep inside a mountain, was designed for, and is poised to double the number of them operating to roughly 1,400 from 700 now, according to the confidential IAEA report.

“They can be started any day. They are ready,” a senior diplomat familiar with the IAEA’s investigation said.

If Iran chose to dedicate the new machines to produce higher-grade uranium, it could significantly shorten the time required for any bid to build an atomic bomb. Iran says it needs to refine uranium to make reactor fuel. In another potentially worrying development for the West, Iran appears to have virtually stopped converting this uranium into making civilian reactor fuel since the previous report. As a result, the stockpile of uranium gas refined to a fissile concentration of 20 percent increased by nearly 50 percent to 135 kg, the latest report said, still below the level of 200-250 kg experts say would be sufficient for an atomic bomb if refined further.— Reuters

Thackeray dies at 86 Continued from Page 1 The party newspaper is called Saamna, which means “confrontation” in the Marathi language.

His rise to power in Mumbai, a city of about 20 million people, underscored the strong pull of religion and regionalism in modern India, a constitutionally secular country prone to clashes over its many faiths and traditions. Always seen in oversized tinted sunglasses, even when indoors, with a necklace of beads over orange robes typically worn by religious figures, Thackeray held a strong grip on Mumbai through his army of loyal supporters, whose rallies and protests often turned violent and forced the city to a halt.

Thackeray often referred to Indian Muslims as “antinationals” and called for Hindu suicide squads to counter what he saw as a rise in Islamic terrorism. He was also fiercely critical of Pakistan, decrying efforts by New Delhi to reach out to its nuclear-armed rival. “Having peace talks with Pakistan which is behind the blasts in India is a farce,” Thackeray wrote in Saamna in July, referring to bomb attacks in Mumbai in 2008. “Playing cricket with them is treason,” he added. A government inquiry into riots in Mumbai in 1992 and 1993 said “there is no doubt that the

Shiv Sena and Shiv Sainiks took the lead in organizing attacks on Muslims and their properties under the guidance of several leaders of the Shiv Sena”.

Thackeray was never charged in connection with the riots, in which about 600 Muslims were killed. His political influence and huge following saw him courted by big business and some of India’s most famous film stars. Amitabh Bachchan, the biggest name in Bollywood, Mumbai’s film industry, fought through crowds outside his house to visit Thackeray this week when the politician’s health deteriorated. Thackeray’s views have been condemned by many mainstream politicians, but his party is the fourth-largest in Maharashtra’s state legislature, and his face adorns hundreds of billboards across Mumbai.

His death could spark a power struggle in the Shiv Sena, denting its support with its vote base in Maharashtra. In a video message to party workers last month, a visibly frail and out-of-breath Thackeray said he was exhausted and asked them to “take care” of his son, Uddhav, and grandson, Aditya, who are widely seen as his successors. Thackeray’s estranged nephew, Raj, whose skills as a public speaker have drawn comparison with his uncle, broke away from the Shiv Sena in 2006 to form a rival party, and is seen by many to be gaining influence in the state. — Reuters

Train ploughs into school bus, 50 killed Continued from Page 1 “It is so shameful and a big disgrace to this government. All of its members, and not only one minister, should quit. That is what I know would happen in any decent country,” said Mona Ahmed, a 60-year-old mother of three, in Cairo.

State media reported that as well as 50 dead, 15 or more people were injured. A medical source said as many as 28 were injured, 27 of them children. “They told us the barriers were open when the bus crossed the tracks and the train collided with it,” said Mohamed Samir, a doctor at Assiut hospital where the injured were taken, citing witness accounts.

Assiut Governor Yahya Keshk also said the crossing was open. “The crossing worker was asleep. He has been

detained,” he told state television.

The doctor said the bodies of many of those killed were severely mutilated, illustrating the force of the crash. “I saw the train collide with the bus and push it about 1 km along the track,” said Ahmed Youssef, a driver. Officials said the level of destruction and mutilation made it difficult to count and identify the bodies.

Morsi ordered his ministers to offer support to the families of those killed, the official news agency said.

Egypt’s worst train disaster was in 2002 when a fire ripped through seven carriages of an overcrowded passenger train, killing at least 360 people. At that time, when Morsi was an opposition member of parliament for his Muslim Brotherhood group, he accused the then prime minister

and officials of “gross negligence”.

Many more have been killed in rail accidents since then despite pledges from successive governments to improve safety.

Earlier this month, at least three Egyptians were killed and more than 30 injured in a train crash in Fayoum, another city south of Cairo.

In July, 15 people were injured in Giza, close to the capital, when a train derailed. Reflecting frustration at the state of public transport, Cairo metro workers went on strike this week complaining about poor levels of safety and maintenance.

Accidents involving multiple deaths are also common on Egypt’s poor quality roads. A crash on Cairo’s outskirts yesterday involving a minibus killed at least 11 people, security sources said. — Reuters

Government sued over candidates’...

Continued from Page 1 elections, the National Democratic Alliance and the Kuwait Democratic Forum have reportedly decided to meet in order to discuss “an offer made by the government to take part in the next cabinet,” said sources close to the two liberal groups.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the sources mentioned “early talks” happening between the government and members from both groups “focusing on a clear invitation to take part in the next cabinet’s formation.” “The government wants the two groups to nominate members to the cabinet, and not candidates close to them,” the sources added.

The ‘Forum’ and ‘Alliance’ are set to discuss whether to boycott the cabinet just as they had boycotted the parliamentary elections, or make a distinction between the two issues “since boycotting the elections was due to the emergency decree” that altered the voting mechanism. In this regard, the sources indicated that there are members in both groups who believe that taking part in the cabinet

would implicate “clear conflict in positions.”

Meanwhile, sources close to the opposition indicated yesterday that the groups fear an “unexpected surge in voting” in the fourth constituency despite the fact that they were counting highly on convincing the electorate to boycott the December 1 election. The concerns arose after “groups assigned to carry out surveys across the five constituencies found that the participation percentage at the fourth constituency could reach 45 percent as opposed to the earlier expectation of 25 percent,” the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity said.

Separately, fourth constituency candidate Mu’ayad AlKhalaf released a statement calling the government to write-off the interest component of bank loans taken by Kuwaiti citizens that he said “are threatening the stability of Kuwaiti families”. Indicating that Kuwaitis have no problem repaying the loans “but are unable to keep up with the rapidly increasing interests,” Al-Khalaf proposed a solution to the problem by advocating “a decision by the Central Bank to suspend the 0.5 percent of annual profits they collect from local banks until all loan interests are written off.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

sp orts Cochran, Triplett share lead

Still no sign of NHL play

Mura wins Paris gold

PEBBLE BEACH: Russ Cochran shot a 7-under 65 on Friday at Del Monte for a share of the Pebble Beach Invitational lead with fellow Champions Tour player Kirk Triplett.

Triplett had a 69 at Del Monte to match Cochran at 9-under 135 in the tournament that features 81 players from the PGA, LPGA, Champions and Web.com tours.

John Mallinger, the 2010 winner, was a stroke back after a 69 at Spyglass Hill. Triplett had one bogey and four birdies, including 15-footer on the ninth, his final hole of the round. “I putted well and drove the ball into the fairway most of the day,” said Triplett, who claimed his first Champions Tour title in July at Pebble Beach. “That’s what you have to do at Del Monte to play well.” Cochran, the 2009 Champions Tour rookie of the year who had three top-10 finishes this season, had five birdies and began his round with an eagle on the par-5 first hole. William McGirt and Robert Streb were 7 under. McGirt had a 71 at Spyglass, and Streb shot a 68 at Pebble Beach, the site of the final round today. Scott Stallings, the first-round leader after a 64 at Del Monte, had a 74 at Spyglass to drop into a group at 6 under with Tommy Gainey, Bryce Molder and Mark Brown. “I am very glad to be done,” said Stallings, who won the True South Classic in Mississippi in July for his second PGA Tour victory. “I knew how the play the course, but the greens were super soft and mushy with the foot traffic. I had a few three putts and short-sided myself a few times and wasn’t able to get up and down.” Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam was 5 under after a 69 at Spyglass. —AP

NEW YORK: The bitter labor dispute between the National Hockey League (NHL) and the players’ union shows no sign of thawing. Now, with Thanksgiving just days away and the North American winter rapidly approaching, time could be running out for the feuding sides to reach an agreement and save the season.

No-one knows exactly when the cutoff point is but the clock is ticking and the financial costs are running into hundreds of millions of dollars with the lockout already more than two months old.

The NHL have already postponed more than 300 games and cancelled the showpiece Winter Classic. The league is almost certain to announce another batch of postponements, possibly as early as next week. There was some hope the two sides might be on the verge of cutting a deal when they held a series of closed-door meetings in New York last week.

But they ended without any significant progress and the rhetoric from both sides remains gloomy.

“I think the process is stalled right now,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told the Los Angeles Times. “We are done with making proposals and we don’t have any new ideas.”The Canadian Press reported that the NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called the players’ association (NHLPA) and suggested they take a two-week cooling-off break before resuming talks.

NHLPA counsel Steve Fehr said the players wanted to keep negotiating.

“We believe that it is more likely that we will make progress if we meet than if we don’t. So we are ready to meet,” Fehr said in a statement. —Reuters

PARIS: Japan’s Takahito Mura claimed his first ISU figure skating Grand Prix title when he surged to gold at the Trophee Bompard here yesterday. The 21-year-old Mura took the gold ahead of America’s Jeremy Abbott with France’s Florent Amodio moving up from seventh after the short programme to take the bronze following the free skating final.

Skating to “Shogun” Mura scored 230.68 overall, despite popping a triple flip jump, as overnight leader Abbott, who has been struggling with back problems, restricted his free skate to drop to silver with 227.63. Mura cannot however qualify for the Grand Prix final in Sochi, Russia next month as he placed just eighth in Skate Canada. Home hope Amodio’s routine to the music “Jumpin Jack” and “Broken Sorrow” proved a hit with the crowd and earned him the highest free skate score for an overall total of 214.25. France’s Brian Joubert placed fourth after falling on his opening quad jump.

Earlier pairs skaters Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov booked their spot in the Grand Prix final at home in Russia next month after taking gold. The Russians held their overnight lead, taking gold by just 1.28 points on Canada’s Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford after the free skating final. The win means Kavaguti and Smirnov, already runners-up in the Cup of China, can compete in the Grand Prix final in 2014 Winter Olympic host city Sochi, along with Skate Canada runners-up Duhamel and Radford. —AFP

Best gives Windies victory in first Test

GALLE: New Zealand’s Kruger van Wyk plays a shot as Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene (right) and captain Mahela Jayawardene watch during the first day’s play of the first Test cricket match in Galle. —AP

Herath puts Sri Lanka on top GALLE: Rangana Herath bagged a fivewicket haul to put Sri Lanka in a strong position on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand in Galle yesterday.

The left-arm spinner finished with 5-65, his 11th haul of five or more wickets in a Test innings, as Sri Lanka dismissed New Zealand for 221 in the first innings before reaching 9-1 in reply at stumps.

Nightwatchman Suraj Randiv was unbeaten on three while opener Tharanga Paranavitana had yet to open his account.

Debutant opener Dimuth Karunaratne was trapped leg-before by fast bowler Tim Southee for no score.

“I made my Test debut in Galle and I love this place as most of the time I have played here I have done well. I have had a great time at this ground in the last two or three years,” said Herath.

“The ball is going to turn on the fourth and fifth days and we need to get a lot of runs. Our plan should be to bat tomorrow and even day after and get as many runs as possible.”

Sri Lankan paceman Shaminda Eranga, playing only his second Test, was the other bowler to impress as he took two wickets off three balls in a lively opening spell to eventually finish with 3-51.

New Zealand squandered the advantage of batting first on a good wicket at the Galle International Stadium after winning the toss as they faltered against pace in the morning and then against spin.

Opener Brendon McCullum (68) and middle-order batsman Daniel Flynn (53)

were the only batsmen to apply themselves well on a slow turning track before both fell to Herath in the afternoon session.

“It was not the batting performance we were after. At Galle when you win the toss and bat first, you’re after a total in excess of 400. We weren’t able to do that today,” said McCullum.

“I thought the pitch was good. It turned a lot more than we probably anticipated it would on day one of a Test match, but that’s what you expect when you come over to the sub-continent. It was slow turn.”

New Zealand were struggling at 40-3 following Eranga’s double-strike in the morning before McCullum and left-handed Flynn steadied the innings with a 90run stand for the fourth wicket.

McCullum played some aggressive shots in the afternoon, hitting off-spinner Suraj Randiv and Herath for sixes. He fell immediately after hitting his second six, bowled by Herath.

The New Zealand opener also cracked eight fours in his 125-ball knock. Herath got his third wicket when he had Flynn caught behind after the batsman had hit seven fours in his 152-ball knock. Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers did the early damage when they took three wickets in the first session, with Eranga striking twice and Nuwan Kulasekara once.

Eranga had opener Martin Guptill (11) and Kane Williamson caught in the slips, while Kulasekara bowled skipper Ross Taylor (nine) in his fifth over. —AFP

Scoreboard GALLE: Scoreboard at stumps on the opening day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle on yesterday: New Zealand 1st innings: M. Guptill c Mathews b Eranga 11 B. McCullum b Herath 68 K. Williamson c Paranavitana b Eranga 0 R. Taylor b Kulasekara 9 D. Flynn c P. Jayawardene b Herath 53 J. Franklin lbw b Herath 3 K. van Wyk b Herath 28 D. Bracewell c M. Jayawardene b Herath 12 T. Southee c Mathews b Eranga 16 J. Patel not out 12 T. Boult b Kulasekara 7 Extras (lb1, nb1) 2 Total (for all out; 82.5 overs) 221 Fall of wickets: 1-29 (Guptill), 2-29 (Williamson), 3-40 (Taylor), 4-130

DHAKA: Tino Best picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in tests as West Indies fought back to beat Bangladesh by 77 runs in the first Test in Dhaka yesterday.

The home side caved in under pressure and were all out for 167 runs in their second innings, having been set a target of 245 runs in a maximum of 78 overs to win on a fifth day track.

Best provided the killer blows to finish with a career best five for 24 as Bangladesh lost the test match despite scoring 556 in their first innings replying to West Indies’ 527 for four declared.

Bangladesh had the upper hand when a six-wicket haul by debutant off-spinner Sohag Gazi helped them dismiss the visitors for 273 in the second innings.

Gazi took all four West Indies wickets in the morning after the visitors resumed on 244 for six and returned with figures of six for 74 in the innings for a match haul of nine scalps, the best ever by a debutant for Bangladesh.

West Indies clawed their way back to reduce Bangladesh to 44 for two before lunch and maintained the pressure after it as they shackled the batsmen.

Best began his haul with the wicket of opener Junaid Siddique (20) after Ravi Rampaul made the first breakthrough by dismissing the other opener Tamim Iqbal for five.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy said they had seen something in the pitch during the last session of the fourth day that made them believe they could bowl the hosts out cheaply.

“There was something for the spinners and also our guys are much quicker, so I backed my bowlers to go out and put the ball in the right areas,” Sammy told reporters.

“It was a hard fought test match.

Obviously winning brings a good feeling in the dressing room. To see that we battled and came out victorious definitely boosts our confidence.”

Right-arm pacer Best had a rich haul in the second session when he took the wickets of Shakib Al Hasan, Shahriar Nafees and Mushfiqur Rahim to leave Bangladesh limping

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Nasir Hossain bats during the fifth day of the first cricket Test match between Bangladesh and West Indies. —AP at 85 for five.

Shakib (two) got a snorter which bounced awkwardly from good length to take the edge for wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin to complete the catch.

Shahriar Nafees (23) was the next to go offering Best a return catch before the bowler trapped Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim (16) lbw to dampen the hosts’ chances of a win.

Bangladesh’s remaining hopes were over when debutant left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul dismissed Naeem Islam lbw for 26 and bowled Nasir Hossain for 21. Gazi (19) tried to counter attack with some lusty blows but Permaul ended the fight when he had him caught out by substitute fielder Narsingh Deonarine at mid-off.

Shahadat Hossain survived only two balls as Best returned to take the final wicket of Mahmudullah, the top scorer for Bangladesh in the second innings with 29, to complete his fivewicket haul and the victory that left the hosts dejected.

“It’s really disappointing to see how we batted in the second innings against the same attack, who gave us 556 runs in the first innings,” said Bangladesh captain

Scoreboard DHAKA: Scoreboard after West Indies beat Bangladesh by 77 runs on the fifth day of the first test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on yesterday: West Indies first innings 527-4 declared Bangladesh first innings 556 West Indies second innings (overnight 244-6) C. Gayle c Rahim b Rubel 19 K. Powell c Rahim b Shakib 110 D. Bravo c Rahim, b Rubel 76 M. Samuels c Shahriar b Gazi 1 D. Ramdin lbw b Shakib 5 D. Sammy lbw b Gazi 16 V. Permaul b Gazi 10 S. Narine not out 22 R. Rampaul b Gazi 5 T. Best b Gazi 0 S. Chanderpaul lbw Gazi 1 Extras (b-1 lb-3 nb-4) 8 Total (all out; 74.2 overs) 273 Fall of wickets: 1-20 2-209 3-212 4-218 5-225 6-244 7-249 8-265 9-265 Bowling: Sohag Gazi 23.2-2-74-6, Rubel Hossain 19-4-53-2 (nb-2), Mahmudullah 3-0-12-0, Shahadat Hossain 7-1-34-0 (nb-2), Shakib Al

Mushfiqur Rahim. “We could have at least got a draw from that position if not a win.” West Indies opener Kieran Powell was adjudged man of

Hasan 11-2-56-2, Naeem Islam 8-0-220, Nasir Hossain 3-0-18-0.

Bangladesh second innings T. Iqbal c Ramdin b Rampaul 5 Z. Siddique c Ramdin b Best 20 S. Nafees c & b Best 23 Naeem Islam lbw Permaul 26 S. Al Hasan c Ramdin b Best 2 M. Rahim lbw b Best 16 N. Hossain b Permaul 21 Mahmudullah b Best 29 S. Gazi c sub b Permaul 19 S. Hossain c Powell b Rampaul 4 R. Hossain not out 0 Extras (b-1, nb-1) 2 Total (all out; 54.3 overs) 167 Fall of wickets: 1-10 2-44 3-51 4-55 585 6-106 7-119 8-155 9-159 Bowling: Rampaul 11-1-32-2 (nb-1), Narine 18-1-56-0, Best 12.3-2-24-5, Permaul 8-0-32-3, Sammy 3-0-13-0, Samuels 2-0-9-0 West Indies won by 77 runs.

West Indies lead two-test series 1-0

the match for his centuries in both innings. Khulna, a new venue, will host the second and final test from Nov. 21. —Reuters

(McCullum), 5-142 (Franklin), 6-155 (Flynn), 7-181 (Bracewell), 8-196 (van Wyk), 9-207 (Southee), 10-221 (Boult).

Bowling: Kulasekara 12.5-5-31-2 (nb1), Eranga 16-5-51-3, Mathews 3-0-11-0, Herath 30-5-65-5, Randiv 21-1-62-0.

Sri Lanka 1st innings: T. Paranavitana not out D. Karunaratne lbw b Southee S. Randiv not out Extras (b4, lb2) Total (for one wicket; 5 overs) Fall of wicket: 1-2 (Karunaratne) Bowling: Boult 3-2-2-0, Southee 2-1-1-1.

0 0 3 6 9

Al-Fahad and Al-Foudary (center back) in a group photo with the team

IOC says India attacking press freedom LONDON: The International Olympic Committee has criticized Indian cricket authorities, accusing them of attacking press freedom by preventing photographers from covering games between India and England. IOC Press Commission Chairman Kevan Gosper called on cricket’s governing body, the International Cricket Council, to intervene to allow news organizations free access to the cricket games between two of the world’s top teams.

International news organizations, including The Associated Press, suspended text and photo coverage of England’s cricket tour of India on Wednesday because of new restrictions introduced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

“The IOC strongly disagrees with these moves by the BCCI,” Gosper said in a statement, “which we believe are a direct attack on the freedom of the media to report from sporting events, and shows contempt for the sporting public around the world who would otherwise like to follow these important matches.” The BCCI has barred photo-only agencies from covering games and made a small number of its own photographs available to media.

Other international news organizations have also suspended coverage. The British press has refused to publish photographs of the match between India and England that began on Thursday in Ahmedabad. —AP

Jet Ski Team honors KSSC KUWAIT: Top Kuwait Sea Sports Club members were honored recently by the Kuwait Jet Ski Team for their support which allowed the team to win the International Jet Ski Tournament that took place last month in Arizona.

Among the senior members commemorated were KSSC President Fahad Al-Fahad, Vice President Ahmad Al-Ghanim, Secretary General Khalid Al-Foudary, and Head of the Sea Sports Committee Abdulqader Al-Najjar.

National jet skiers in attendance included Mohammad Burabei, Mohammad Al-Baz, Khalid Burabei, Yousuf AlAbdulrazaq, Ahmad Al-Dawas, Abdulwahab Al-Essa and Nawaf Al-Farhan, who collected fifteen medals, including five gold and six silver, during the tournament.

Meanwhile, jet ski team leader Abdulwahab Al-Omar announced during the ceremony his decision to stop travelling with the team in future competitions for personal reasons.

Al-Fahad receives a commemorative plaque from Mohammad Burabei

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

sp orts

Grizzlies roll over Knicks

ROME: Italy’s centre Tommaso Benvenuti (center) is tackled by New Zealand All Blacks’ centre Conrad Smith (down) during the International Rugby Union match between Italy and New Zealand at the Olympic Stadium in Rome yesterday. — AFP

New Zealand thrash Italy ROME: World champion New Zealand overcame a slow start and a series of early errors to beat Italy 42-10 yesterday in the second round of autumn internationals.

Aaron Cruden kicked for 17 points, Julian Savea scored two late tries and Kieran Read, Ma’a Nonu and Cory Jane also had tries for the top-ranked All Blacks, who led 13-7 at halftime.

Alberto Sgarbi scored a first-half try for the 11th-ranked Azzurri, and Luciano Orquera added one conversion and one drop kick before an enthusiastic sold-out crowd of more than 70,000 at the Stadio Olimpico. New Zealand extended its overall unbeaten streak to 19 matches and improved to 13-0 against Italy, despite leaving standout flyhalf Dan Carter on the bench. New Zealand visits Wales next weekend, then closes out its tour at England a week later. The Azzurri have only one more autumn test, against thirdranked Australia in Florence next weekend.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen kept his promise to give all of his 32-man squad a run in their first two tour games by making 14 changes from the side that beat Scotland 51-22 last weekend.

Italy had its top players back in the lineup after a disappointing 28-23 win over Tonga a week ago, and the Azzurri had a solid start before allowing Cruden to give the All Blacks the lead with a penalty 13 minutes in. On the All Blacks’ next possession, they ran right through the middle of the Azzurri as new captain Read got a virtu-

ally uncontested tr y to complete an impressive series started by Cruden and Kieran Read.

After another penalty from Cruden, Italy began to push forward with more determination and Sgarbi finally broke through the All Blacks’ defensive wall by stretching his right arm across the line following a series of quick passes. After Orquera’s conversion it was 13-7 and the crowd was thoroughly into the contest. The All Blacks should have had another try before halftime but they knocked the ball over the try line and allowed the Azzurri to clear their lines.

There were also a few bobbles and missed passes by New Zealand in the first half, and for a time it looked like the game may turn into a repeat of the teams’ meeting in Milan three years ago, when the All Blacks posted an unimpressive 20-6 win and scored only one try.

Early in the second half, Kevin Mealamu came off with an apparent calf injury and was replaced at hooker by Dane Coles, who gained just his second cap.

However, Cruden then added another penalty following an intentional knockdown by the Italians and with a half hour remaining Nonu burst through for another try as the All Blacks opened up a 23-7 lead.

Four minutes later, Orquera added a 40meter drop kick for Italy but substitute Jane then added another try as the All Blacks extended their lead and No. 11 Savea closed it out with two more late tries for the visitors.—AP

Samoa humble Wales CARDIFF: Six Nations grand slam champions Wales suffered a fifth straight loss when they were humbled 26-19 at home by Samoa on Friday, causing consternation in a proud rugby country with world champions New Zealand up next.

The Pacific islanders were bright from the off in the November international and Fa’atoina Autagavaia scored a try after just over a minute following a flowing drive marked by missed Wales tackles. The hosts went in 13-10 ahead at the break, albeit against the run of play thanks to Ashley Beck’s breakaway try after an interception well inside his own half.

Wales started with usual captain Sam Warburton on the bench and with Mike Phillips recalled as scrumhalf but eight changes from the defeat by Argentina last weekend failed to spark the home side under interim coach Rob Howley.

The Welsh, who host the All Blacks next Saturday when coach Warren Gatland returns from British and Irish Lions’ duties, clung on after the break thanks to the boot of Leigh Halfpenny.

However, an early second-half try from George Pisi and Johnny Leota’s late touchdown sealed a deserved victory for the Samoans. Wales, on a high after March’s grand slam triumph, lost all three tests in

Australia in June before going down to Argentina and Samoa in a stark reminder to the Six Nations sides of how far behind the southern hemisphere they have fallen.

In Warburton’s absence, former skipper Ryan Jones took over the armband for a record 29th time but was far from happy.

“What could have been the greatest day of my career has turned into one of the worst,” he told the BBC. “We came second best in quite a few facets of that game. It was a game that slowly slipped away from us and we didn’t have enough in the end.

But that’s not taking anything away from Samoa, who turned up with a physical edge and a gameplan that stopped us playing again.”

Samoa, who also beat Wales in the 1999 World Cup when their more celebrated opponents were hosts, travel to France next Saturday seeking another scalp.

Wales flyhalf Rhys Priestland was also dropped to the bench but was called into action amid a raft of Wales injuries during the game, which did not help their cause.

“They got some big boys, physical boys,” Priestland said when asked about Samoa.

“It’s going to be tough (against New Zealand). It’s the toughest match in world rugby. We’ve got some injuries. We’ve got to look in the mirror.” —Reuters

Buescher wins Truck Series title HOMESTEAD: James Buescher started in the middle of the pack, barely cracked the top 10 and never even sniffed the lead. He caught a huge break when his Turner Motorsports teammate made contact with his closest competition, Ty Dillon.

No doubt, Buescher felt fortunate to end up celebrating a championship in Victory Lane. “It wasn’t pretty,” Buescher said. “It was a little messy, but we did it. ... This is definitely the coolest thing I’ve ever done in racing.”

Buescher avoided trouble and finished 13th in the season finale Friday night, enough to win NASCAR’s Truck Series championship by six points. Cale Gale won the 200-mile race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, edging Kyle Busch at the line as both trucks sparked after hard contact. The more significant celebration, though, was saved for Buescher. It was

HOMESTEAD: James Buescher (left) and a team member celebrate after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Truck Series championship.—AP

his first title in four full-time seasons. “It was close. Ty was giving us a run for it,” Buescher said. “I just about went in the fence myself, but I held it together and everything came our way.” Dillon was in position to pull off an upset with three laps remaining - he was running second and just a point behind - but made contact with Kyle Larson. Both trucks hit the wall in the fourth turn and were mangled in the mess. Afterward, Dillon questioned whether Larson should have been racing so hard because he wasn’t in the title hunt. “I’m all right with the way things finished,” Dillon said. “We were trying to hit the home run in the bottom of the ninth, but it bounced off the wall.” Buescher was far enough behind Dillon and Larson that he was able to drive around the wreckage that also collected Ryan Blaney. Buescher had a comfortable points lead over Timothy Peters when racing resumed with two laps remaining. After the green-white-checkered finish, Buescher crossed the line five spots behind of Peters. Peters finished second in the final standings. “This race didn’t go the way we wanted it to go,” Peters said. “You have to lose one of these to win one. We lost it, so next year hopefully we’re on the other side of the spectrum.” It was Gale’s first win in 32 career starts. Busch, a Sprint Cup regular, looked as if he was the one to beat in the closing laps. But Gale left pit road with new tires; Busch had used all five sets of new ones. And it showed.

Gale caught Busch on the final lap and passed him on the inside as they entered the third turn. The trucks made contact as they headed for the finish line, sparks lighting up the track, as Gale pinned Busch against the outside wall. “I got drove into the fence,” said Busch, clearly upset with the outcome. Gale had no regrets.—AP

MEMPHIS: Zach Randolph had 20 points and 15 rebounds, Marc Gasol added 24 points and the Memphis Grizzlies handed the New York Knicks their first loss of the season with a 105-95 victory on Friday night.

Rudy Gay scored 17 points and blocked four shots, and Mike Conley added 16 points and eight assists as Memphis won its seventh straight. The Grizzlies own the NBA’s best record for the first time in franchise history at 7-1.

Carmelo Anthony scored 20 points for New York, which was trying to start 7-0 for the first time since the 1993-94 team that reached the NBA Finals. Raymond Felton scored 18 points and handed out five assists. Rasheed Wallace scored 13 points, shooting 6 of 10.

The Knicks shot 51 percent for the game, but Memphis had 12 offensive rebounds, leading to a 22-12 advantage in second-chance points.

Lakers 114, Suns 102 In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant had 31 points, Metta World Peace hit five 3-pointers while scoring 22 points, and the Lakers played Mike D’Antoni’s style of up-tempo basketball in a victory over the Suns.

Dwight Howard had 18 points and 12 rebounds as the Lakers improved to 3-1 under interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff with a performance that must have impressed D’Antoni, who watched from the locker room inside Staples Center. Although D’Antoni wasn’t quite ready for sideline duty while recovering from knee replacement surgery, the Lakers played with aggression and urgency after just one practice under their new coach on Thursday. The former Suns and Knicks coach replaced Mike Brown, who was fired one tumultuous week ago. Goran Dragic scored 22 points for the Suns, who have lost three of four. Before the game, Staples Center unveiled a nearly 16-foot-tall bronze statue of NBA career scoring leader Kareem AbdulJabbar shooting his famed skyhook.

Trail Blazers 119, Rockets 117 In Portland, Nicolas Batum had a career-high 35 points, rookie Damian Lillard sparked a late comeback and the Trail Blazers edged the Rockets in overtime.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 29 points for Portland, including a tiebreaking free throw and key turnaround jumper in the extra session. Lillard, a firstround pick out of Weber State, finished with a career-high 27 points. James Harden had 29 points for the Rockets, who led by as many as 15 before falling behind in the final quarter.

Chandler Parsons added 19 points and 11 rebounds. Portland won its second consecutive game while narrowly avoiding a fourth straight loss at the Rose Garden.

Thunder 110, Hornets 95 In New Orleans, Kevin Durant and Kevin Martin each scored 27 points, and the Thunder rolled to their sixth victory in seven games.

Serge Ibaka added 15 for Oklahoma City, which shot 54 percent (40 of 74) and built leads as big as 30 points in the first half and 34 in the second, allowing the starters to rest for the entire fourth quarter. Thabo Sefolosha scored 11 points, while Russell Westbrook had 10 points and 12 assists. Oklahoma City made 14 3-pointers, with Martin hitting six of 11 and Durant four of five.

Ryan Anderson scored 15 points for New Orleans, which dropped its second straight. Anthony Davis tied a career high with 11 rebounds to go with eight points, but hit only four of 14 shots.

Warriors 106, Timberwolves 98 In Minneapolis, David Lee had 18 points and 13 rebounds and Golden State dominated inside in the victory. Carl Landry added 15 points and seven boards and Stephen Curry had 17 points and six assists for the Warriors (5-4), who outscored Minnesota 58-22 in the paint.

Alexey Shved had 22 points and seven assists and Derrick Williams had 23 points and seven rebounds for the Timberwolves (5-4), who are starting to succumb to the injuries that have ravaged them early this season. Harrison Barnes had 18 points and nine rebounds and the Warriors outrebounded Minnesota 50-34. They led 90-76 with eight minutes to play, but as they’ve done

LOS ANGELES: Lakers guard Chris Duhon (left) and Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat, of Poland, go after a rebound during the second half of their NBA basketball game.—AP all season, the scrappy Wolves clawed back in it.

Shved’s runner cut it to 92-89 with four minutes to go, but the short-handed Wolves just didn’t have enough in the tank to finish it off.

return from a knee injury. Bynum said he now has swelling and a bone bruise on both knees and his target date of Dec. 10 for basketball activities is in limbo.

Hawks 112, Kings 96 In Sacramento, Kyle Korver scored 22 points, reserve Lou Williams had 21 and the Hawks earned their ninth consecutive win against the Kings. Al Horford had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta after missing a game due to an illness.

Josh Smith collected 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The Hawks carried an 86-70 lead into the fourth quarter and maintained at least an 11-point lead the rest of the way. Jason Thompson had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Kings, who have lost four straight. Kings center DeMarcus Cousins returned after he was suspended the previous two games for a verbal altercation with San Antonio TV analyst Sean Elliott. Cousins, who was whistled for a technical foul in the third quarter, had nine points, 16 rebounds and seven assists, but missed 11 of 15 shots.

Pacers 103, Mavericks 83 In Indianapolis, David West and George Hill each scored 15 points, and the Pacers improved to 3-1 at home. West and Hill, Indiana’s top two scorers, had combined for 5-for-19 shooting and 10 points in Wednesday’s loss to Milwaukee.

Roy Hibbert and Sam Young added 14 points apiece for the Pacers (4-6), who had lost two straight before beating the Mavericks and their former coach, Rick Carlisle.

The Pacers shot 47 percent from the field in their first blowout win of the season. They had gone six games without scoring at least 100 points. OJ Mayo led the Mavericks (5-5) with 19 points. Vince Carter and former Pacers guard Darren Collison each had 10 points.

76ers 99, Jazz 93 In Philadelphia, Jrue Holiday scored 26 points to help the Sixers snap a three-game home losing streak. Jason Richardson added 20 points for Philadelphia. Thaddeus Young scored 14 and Nick Young finished with 12. The Sixers (5-4) dropped the first two games of a five-game homestand to Milwaukee and previously winless Detroit before bouncing back against Utah.

Paul Millsap led the Jazz (4-6) with 22 points.

DeMarre Carroll added a career-high 17 points, Al Jefferson had 15 and Mo Williams scored 12.

Before the game, injured Sixers center Andrew Bynum said he had suffered a “setback” in his

Magic 110, Pistons 106 In Auburn Hills, JJ Redick scored 23 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 42.8 seconds left, and Orlando got the win on the road.

Arron Afflalo scored 19 and Jameer Nelson added 13 points and 10 assists for Orlando, which had each of its starters score in double figures. Glen Davis had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Nikola Vucevic finished with 11 points and 13 boards. The Magic (3-5) began the day averaging just 88 points a game, but scored 66 in the second half after trailing by as many as 13. Greg Monroe had 23 points for Detroit, which has dropped nine of its first 10 games. The Pistons were coming off a 94-76 victory at Philadelphia on Wednesday night that snapped a franchiseworst 0-8 start.—AP

NBA results/standings Indiana 103, Dallas 83; Philadelphia 99, Utah 93; Orlando 110, Detroit 106; Oklahoma City 110, New Orleans 95; Golden State 106, Minnesota 98; Memphis 105, NY Knicks 95; Atlanta 112, Sacramento 96; Portland 119, Houston 117 (OT); LA Lakers 114, Phoenix 102.

NY Knicks Brooklyn Philadelphia Boston Toronto Milwaukee Chicago Indiana Cleveland Detroit Miami Charlotte Atlanta Orlando Washington

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT 6 1 .857 5 2 .714 5 4 .556 5 4 .556 2 6 .250 Central Division 5 2 .714 5 3 .625 4 6 .400 2 6 .250 1 9 .100 Southeast Division 7 3 .700 4 3 .571 4 4 .500 3 5 .375 0 7 0

GB 1 2 2 4.5 0.5 2.5 3.5 5.5 1.5 2 3 5.5

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 7 3 .700 Minnesota 5 4 .556 Denver 4 5 .444 Portland 4 5 .444 2 Utah 4 6 .400 Pacific Division LA Clippers 6 2 .750 Golden State 5 4 .556 LA Lakers 4 5 .444 Phoenix 4 6 .400 Sacramento 2 7 .222 Southwest Division Memphis 7 1 .875 San Antonio 7 2 .778 Dallas 5 5 .500 Houston 4 5 .444 New Orleans 3 4 .429

1.5 2.5 1/2 3 1.5 2.5 3 4.5 0.5 3 3.5 3.5

Czechs stun Spain in Davis Cup doubles PRAGUE: Hosts Czech Republic came within a point of winning the Davis Cup final after beating holders Spain in the doubles rubber here yesterday to take a 2-1 overall lead.

Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek beat Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-3 on the hardcourt of Prague’s O2 Arena in three hours and 19 minutes.

“That’s all we wanted,” a triumphant Berdych, who is only 119th in the ATP doubles rankings, said after the game. “We are still missing a lot, it’s just one point, but we are looking ahead and we will do everything” today, he added.

Today, Berdych, the world number six in singles, will take on fifth-ranked David Ferrer in a rubber pitting the teams’ number one players against each other. Stepanek, the world number 37 in singles, is due to face 11th-ranked Nicolas

Almagro after that. The Czechs are eyeing their first trophy since the country split with Slovakia in 1993, while former Czechoslovakia won the cup in 1980. A win would hand them a rare team double after the women’s team defended the Fed Cup here two weeks ago. Spain, missing world number four Rafael Nadal, who is recovering from a knee injury, are looking to lift their fourth Davis Cup in five years, in addition to wins in 2000 and 2004. But the holders’ hopes suffered a blow on Saturday as Lopez and Granollers, ranked sixth and 10th in doubles, failed to overcome the Czech pair. This all despite a boost that the Spaniards got from winning the ATP Tour Finals, where they lost only one game-against Stepanek and India’s Leander Paes. Besides, both Berdych and Stepanek had played the singles rubbers on Friday. Things

PRAGUE: Czech Republic’s Radek Stepanek (right) and Tomas Berdych, go for a short ball during their Davis Cup finals doubles tennis match against Spain’s Marc Lopez and Marcel Granollers.—AP

looked bright for the Spanish pair as Stepanek, the world number four in doubles, lost his opening serve, which was enough for Granollers and Lopez to take the first set. “I had a bad first serve and our opponents... played without any pressure, delivering incredible shots, serving amazingly,” said Stepanek. “But we told ourselves there is no way they can keep playing like that,” he added. In the second set, Lopez was the first to lose his serve but Berdych offered Spain a quick re-break. But Lopez was in for more trouble as he struggled to come back from three set points down and finally conceded the fourth one to let the Czechs come level.

In the third set, games went with serve until Lopez offered two set points again and the Czechs converted the second one.

All but flawless throughout the rubber, Granollers lost his serve in the sixth game of the fourth set and that was all the Czechs needed to clinch their 12th Davis Cup doubles win together, against a single loss. “I served very well today but in that game I couldn’t make a single first serve and if you don’t have one good serve against such players, it’s pretty difficult,” said Granollers. “It was a close game. We were very good in the first set, and the second and third one were close,” said Lopez. “We tried our best and we are a little disappointed because we didn’t win,” he said. In Friday’s singles, Ferrer beat Stepanek 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and Berdych then put the Czechs level after beating Almagro 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3. Stepanek spent three hours on the court on Friday and Berdych an hour longer.But they waved aside all concerns about weariness before Sunday’s rubbers, insisting they would be ready for the climax of the 100th Davis Cup final.

“We have the best score we could hope for after day two,” said Berdych. “We’re facing a terribly hard Sunday, but if you want to win the Davis Cup final, you can’t expect to be done after Saturday.” “We have lots of will left, and I believe we’ll manage to finish the job tomorrow,” Berdych added.—AFP

18

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

sp orts

Vettel sets pace on new Austin circuit

Kuwait wins Arab motocross DUBAI: Kuwait won the UAE’s first Arab Motocross Championship which concluded here late Friday with the participation of 40 riders from all over the Arab world.

Riders from the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, and Sudan took part in the event. Speaking to KUNA, Deputy Chairman of the Kuwaiti motocross committee and manager of the team Hamad Al-Saif said that the

Kuwaiti rider Mu’aath Al-Ansari came in second place in the MX 1 event which was topped by the UAE’s Mohammad AlBloushi. However, Kuwaiti riders Mohammad Ja’far and Abdullah Al-Shatti managed to win the first and second place in the MX 2 event. With the conclusion of the event, Kuwait came in first with one gold and two silver medals while the UAE and Bahrain came in second and third place respectively. —KUNA

AUSTIN: Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel dominated free practice at the US Grand Prix on Friday as drivers got their first taste of Formula One’s newest venue and gave it rave reviews up and down the paddock. Vettel, who can clinch his third straight drivers’ title on Sunday at the $400 million Circuit of the Americas, was quickly up to speed on the spectacular undulating 5.516km (3.4 mile) track carved out of the south Texas scrublands.

The 25-year-old German set the early pace in the morning with a best time of one minute 38.125 seconds then improved on that in the afternoon, despite missing much of the session due to a water leak, by clocking 1:37.718.

“It was slippery this morning and a bit like driving on ice. It wasn’t so easy,” said Vettel.

“We had a bit of a problem this afternoon and so couldn’t run as much as we wanted, but we got two good runs which is important for late yesterday and today.”

The champion’s afternoon time, 0.7 seconds quicker than Australian team mate Mark Webber in 1:38.457, underlined Red Bull’s intention to end the title chase in Austin.

“It’s been a great day for us,” Red Bull principal Christian Horner, whose team are all set to clinch their third constructors’ title in a row, told reporters. “It’s incredible to see what has been done here.

“It’s a great challenge, it’s a great spectacle and hopefully this weekend we can put on a great show for our American fans and public and it will be a race to remember.”

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, 10 points behind championship leader Vettel and the only driver who can deny his German rival the title, had the third best time in both sessions to keep the pressure on his German rival.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, who won the last Formula One race held in the United States five years ago at Indianapolis, signaled he was ready to scrap for the victory again recording the second effort in the morning and fourth fastest in the afternoon.

AUSTIN: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany steers his car during the third free practice session for the Formula One US Grand Prix auto race. —AP “This is a great drivers’ track - it’s very tough to pull together three perfect sectors,” said Hamilton, a three-time winner this season.

“Overall, we’ve had a good day. Our main difficulty this morning was switching on the tyres in the cooler conditions.

“But we’ll make some changes overnight there are definitely some improvements we can make.” The morning session, run in front of mostly empty grandstands, produced a few thrills as drivers came to grips on the slick undulating circuit.

While the 90-minute practice finished without major incident there were plenty of spins and more than a few forays into runoff areas as drivers tested the limits of the track.

Times improved dramatically in the afternoon and so did the crowds offering hope that Formula One may have finally found a permanent home in Texas.

“It is an enormously challenging circuit,” said McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh.

“There are a lot of different corners on this circuit, it is kind an assembly of corners from other circuits and tried everything here.

“The topography is great, there is something about hills and dips and blind corners which make it very challenging for drivers and makes it look great.”

Despite being a new circuit and the pressure of having a championship on the line, Horner said his team is trying to approach the US Grand the same way it does every other race. “The team’s very focused,” said Horner.

“We’re really concentrated on getting the most out of this weekend and trying not to allow other distractions to interfere with our preparation and performance. “We’ve come here to do a job and then the championships will tend to take care of themselves. “Our approach here is no different here to any other race. There’s obviously a bit more hanging on it than others as we’ve got to the business end of the championship.” —Reuters

Nouioui opens Celtic account at Aberdeen

Miyazato leads Choi by one shot at Titleholders NAPLES: Three players were separated by only three shots going into the weekend at the Titleholders. It’s the way that Ai Miyazato, Na Yeon Choi and Sun Young Yoo finished the second round that gave them such different vibes.

Miyazato made her ninth birdie of the day on the 18th hole, giving her an 8under 64 and a one -shot lead. The Japanese star had not seen many putts fall over the last month, and all she could do was remind herself that they would start dropping one of these days. Friday she felt like she couldn’t miss.

“This is the last tournament so I kind of have no expectations to myself, and nice and relaxed out there,” Miyazato said. “So I was really calm all day. That’s why I think I made some good putts.”

Choi, who captured her first major this year at the U.S. Women’s Open, was asked about her favorite shot in a round of 68. Choi can’t make up her mind whether to measure distances in meters or yards, but she had no trouble deciding the most important shot.

“Last hole, last putt, I think that was big to me,” she said.

The putt was about 12 feet - she called it 4 meters - and it was for par that gave her loads of confidence going into the final two rounds of the season-ending event. And there was Yoo.

It was bad enough that she ended with a bogey. Only when she sat in the scoring area and started to sign her card did she realize something was wrong.

Rules officials told her that TV replays indicated an improper drop on the par-5 14th, where she had chopped her way to a double bogey. Rule 20-2 says that a drop must be with the arm extended at shoulder-height. Yoo’s arm was much lower, so she was docked another shot.

The double bogey became a triple bogey. Her 70 became a 71.

“All I can do is just forget about it,” Yoo said. “I’ll learn from this mistake, and next time I won’t make it.” That’s what Yoo said on Thursday, when she ran off nine birdies in 15 holes and was running away from the field until finishing with a pair of three-putts - one of them for double bogey on the par-3 eighth, the other a bogey on the ninth.

She was still only three shots behind, though the shock had not worn off her face even after signing her card. Yoo is still very much in the mix, and she’s not alone. It starts with Miyazato, going for her third win of the year. She was at 10under 134, one shot ahead of Choi. Yoo was at 7-under 137, along with Suzann Pettersen, Karine Icher and Brittany Lincicome, who was happy to just be playing. — AP

Saints pile misery on QPR QPR 1

Southampton 3

LONDON: Southampton piled the pressure on under-fire QPR manager Mark Hughes with a 3-1 victory over their relegation rivals at Loftus Road yesterday.

Nigel Adkins’ side pushed Hughes to the brink of the sack after goals from Rickie Lambert and Jason Puncheon put the visitors in control of a match dubbed ‘El Sackico’ with both bosses reportedly in danger of losing their jobs.

David Hoilett briefly gave QPR hope when he reduced the deficit in the second half, but an own goal from Anton Ferdinand condemned the west London club to a 12th Premier League match without a win this season.

With QPR remaining bottom of the table afer the club’s Malaysian owner Tony Fernandes described the clash as a “must-win” fixture earlier in the week, it seems Hughes-who took over from Neil

Warnock last season-is now in severe danger of being dismissed. In constrast, although Southampton are still in the relegation zone, Adkins may be able to sleep a little easier after his team won for just the second time in the league this season and ended a run of five successive away defeats.

Saints reaped the rewards from an enterprising display, while QPR looked wracked with nerves from the moment Puncheon’s cross clipped the far post and deflected wide early on.

Adel Taarabt forced Southampton goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga into a quick reaction save as the hosts threatened for the first time.

But Lambert opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when QPR failed to clear a corner. Gaston Ramirez pulled back for Jose Fonte, whose shot was prodded goalwards by Puncheon. That effort was cleared off the line but Lambert was on hand to bundle home. There was little response from Hughes’ rattled side and Southampton went further ahead on the stroke of half-time. Puncheon started the move on the right and, when he collected the ball from Nathaniel Clyne, the winger turned past Alejandro Faurlin to score with a powerful strike. — AFP

GLASGOW: Substitute Lassad Nouioui scored his first goal for Celtic a minute after coming on as the Hoops got back to winning ways with a hard-earned 2-0 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie yesterday.

It is Celtic’s first win in four Scottish Premier League matches that moves them a point clear at the top of the table with a game in hand after Hibernian lost 3-1 to bottom of the league Dundee.

Chances were few and far between in an even first half with teenage striker Tony Watt heading against the post from a corner.

The Dons’ defence frustrated Celtic after the break but Lassad made the breakthrough in the 73rd minute when he reacted quickest to knock the rebound from Victor Wanyama’s superb shot past Jamie Langfield. Former Aberdeen player Charlie Mulgrew netted against his former club three minutes later when he sent a half-volley past the keeper and Wanyama had a late effort ruled out for offside as Celtic ended the Dons unbeaten home record.

Neil Lennon, whose thoughts will now turn to Celtic’s Champions League match with Benfica, was delighted with the win.

“It’s a huge three points for us. We needed the goal to open the game up and we were comfortable after that,” the Celtic manager said. “We looked a good team today and I’m

grateful for the three points which sets us up nicely for Tuesday.”

Aberdeen manager Craig Brown thought his side showed Celtic too much respect. “I don’t think we deserved to win the game but I think the score flattered Celtic slightly.

Although they had a lot of corners I don’t recall them creating many other chances,” the Dons boss said.

“I think we might have managed to get a draw from the fixture. We lost the game because we didn’t keep the ball well enough.

We gave Celtic too much respect.”

With one eye on the Champions League match against Benfica on Tuesday Celtic made three changes to the side that drew with St Johnstone with Mikel Lustig, Beram Kayal and Watt replacing Joe Ledley, Scott Brown and

Miku. Aberdeen started on the front foot and as early as the second minute Jonny Hayes cut in from the right and dragged a shot into the side netting. In Celtic’s first real attack Mulgrew’s corner to the back post was met by Wanyama but he couldn’t direct his header on target and it flew over. The Kenyan was then robbed by Gavin Rae in midfield and he fed Ryan Fraser who cut in from the left and curled an effort straight to the keeper.

The Dons had a narrow escape in the 24th minute when a superb Kris Commons’ cross to the back post was headed off the base of the post from four yards out by Watt.

Celtic made the breakthrough in the 73rd minute when sub Lassad opened his account for the Hoops a minute after replacing the injured Commons. — AFP

Al Ahly win CAF Champions League TUNIS: Al Ahly of Egypt won the CAF Champions League a record seventh time yesterday by defeating title holders Esperance of Tunisia 2-1 in the second leg of the final to win 3-2 on aggregate.

Mohamed ‘Geddo’ Nagy scored close to half-time and Walid Soliman just past the hour mark for Ahly, who entered the return

match as underdogs having been held 1-1 at home. Yannick Ndjeng hit a late consolation goal for Esperance. Ahly last won the premier Pan-African competition four seasons ago and they face the champions of host country Japan or Auckland City of New Zealand on December 9 in the FIFA Club World Cup quarter-finals. —AFP

Bayern go eight clear BERLIN: Bayern Munich extended their lead to eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga as their make-shift side drew 1-1 at ten-man Nuremberg yesterday in the 185th Bavarian derby.

Although Bayern were missing injured star wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben, coach Jupp Heynckes opted to leave Spain’s Javi Martinez and Germany defenders Philipp Lahm and Holger Badstuber on the bench.

With Bayern facing a crucial Champions League clash at Valencia on Tuesday, Heynckes was obviously thinking ahead to Europe and accepted the draw. “We can live with 1-1, I

think it’s not the end of the world,” he said. “We started well and dominated, but failed to get the second or third goal.

“In the second-half we experienced a very different Nuremberg, one which was committed to playing forward more.

“Because of the second-half, we have to accept only taking a point.” Bayern needed just three minutes to take the lead as Croatia striker Mandzukic pounced on a Toni Kroos pass and tapped home from close range. Nuremberg got back on level terms when ex-Munich midfielder Markus Feulner, who spent six years at Bayern as a youth player, smashed in his long-

GERMANY: Nuremberg’s Sebastian Polter (left) and Bayern’s Javi Martinez of Spain (right) challenge for the ball during the German First Division Bundesliga soccer match against Bayern Munich. —AP

range shot on 46 minutes to level. The hosts were reduced to 10 men when midfielder Timo Gebhart was shown a second yellow card for elbowing Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger in the face with 14 minutes left. But Nuremberg hung on to claim a point which moved them up to 14th in the league. Secondplaced Schalke can reduce Bayern’s lead if they win at Bayer Leverkusen later while Eintracht Frankfurt stayed up with the league leaders in third by claiming a 4-2 win at bottom side Augsburg. There were three goals in the first 15 minutes at Dortmund as hosts Borussia ran out 3-1 wins over second-from-bottom Greuther Fuerth.

After Borussia’s Poland striker Robert Lewandowski netted slotted home after just three minutes, Fuerth’s Zoltan Stieber levelled just two minutes later before Lewandowski converted a 15th-minute penalty.

Germany midfielder Mario Goetze made it 3-1 at half-time with a sublime goal on 42 minutes when he drew Fuerth goalkeeper Max Gruen to keep the defending champions fourth. A second-half own goal by Dutch defender Roel Brouwers handed VfB Stuttgart a 2-1 win at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Hamburg enjoyed a 1-0 win at home to Mainz as South Korea striker Son Heung-Min scored the contentious winner in the 63 minutes after being set up by a pass from midfielder Maximilian Beister.

Wolfsburg, 16th and amongst the relegation places, are at Hoffenheim on Sunday with exBremen general manager Klaus Allofs having been installed as sports director after 13 years at Werder. Caretaker coach Lorenz-Guenther Koestner is set to stay on as coach and Allofs has been tasked with keeping the 2009 champions up, while Werder Bremen host Fortuna Duesseldorf. —AFP

19

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

SPORTS Soccer results/standings Arsenal 5 (Mertesacker 24, Podolski 42, Giroud 45, Cazorla 60, Walcott 90); Tottenham 2 (Adebayor 10, Bale 71); Liverpool 3 (Suarez 47, 58, Enrique 65) Wigan 0; Man City 5 (Silva 43, Aguero 54-pen, 67, Tevez 65-pen, 74) Aston Villa 0; Newcastle 1 (Ba 90) Swansea 2 (Michu 58, De Guzman 87); QPR 1 (Hoilett 49) Southampton 3 (Lambert 23, Puncheon 45, Ferdinand 83-og); Reading 2 (Le Fondre 51, 79-pen) Everton 1 (Naismith 10); West Brom 2 (Long 10, Odemwingie 50) Chelsea 1 (Hazard 39); Norwich 1 (Pilkington 60) Man Utd 0.

English Football League results Championship Birmingham 2, Hull 3; Bolton 1, Barnsley 1; Bristol City 1, Blackpool 1; Burnley 0, Charlton 1; Cardiff 1, Middlesbrough 0; Crystal Palace 3, Derby 0; Huddersfield 1, Brighton 2; Leicester 6, Ipswich 0; Nottingham Forest 1, Sheffield Wednesday 0; Watford 2, Wolves 1.

Division One Bournemouth 4, Oldham 1; Carlisle 1, Leyton Orient 4; Colchester 2, Bury 0; Crawley 2, Walsall 2; Hartlepool 0, Coventry 5; Portsmouth 0, Doncaster 1; Preston 1, Brentford 1; Scunthorpe 2, Notts County 2; Sheffield Utd 4, Stevenage 1; Shrewsbury 1, Crewe 0; Swindon 4, Yeovil 1.

Played Friday Tranmere 0, Milton Keynes Dons 1.

Division Two AFC Wimbledon 1, Aldershot 1; Bradford 0, Exeter 1; Burton 3, Dagenham and Redbridge 2; Chesterfield 2, Oxford 1; Fleetwood Town 3, Plymouth 0; Gillingham 2, Morecambe 1; Northampton 3, Wycombe 1; Port Vale 2,York 2; Rochdale 2, Bristol Rovers 1; Rotherham 4, Cheltenham 2; Torquay 1, Southend 4.

Played Friday Barnet 1, Accrington 1.

Scotish Premier League results Aberdeen 0, Celtic 2 (Nouioui 73, Mulgrew 77); Dundee 3 (Benedictus 21, Milne 47, McBride 52-pen) Hibernian 1 (Griffiths 90); Hearts 1 (Grainger 64) St Mirren 0; St Johnstone 1 (Mackay 51) Ross County 1 (Craig 70-og).

Played Friday Dundee Utd 3 (Mackay-Steven 48, Daly 56, 90) Kilmarnock 3 (Sheridan 9, 30, Heffernan 53) Scottish Football League results First Division Cowdenbeath 1, Airdrie 1; Dumbarton 1, Morton 5; Livingston 2, Falkirk 1; Raith 1, Dunfermline 3.

Played Friday Hamilton 1, Partick 0.

Second Division Albion Rovers 0, East Fife 3; Alloa 2, Brechin 2; Arbroath 2, Queen Of The South 3; Ayr 2, Stranraer 1; Forfar 3, Stenhousemuir 2.

Third Division Berwick 3, Annan Athletic 1; East Stirling 2, Rangers 6; Montrose 1, Queen’s Park 1; Peterhead 1, Clyde 0; Stirling 1, Elgin City 4.

German league result Borussia Dortmund 3 (Lewandowski 3, 15-pen, Goetze 42) Greuther Fuerth 1 (Stieber 5); Borussia M’gladbach 1 (Stranzl 7) VfB Stuttgart 2 (Harnik 8, Brouwers 72-og); Hanover 96, 1 (Abdellaoue 33) Freiburg 2 (Schmid 11, Rosenthal 56); Nuremberg 1 (Feulner 46) Bayern Munich 1 (Mandzukic 3); Hamburg 1 (Son 63) Mainz 05 0; Eintracht Frankfurt 4 (Moelders 7-og, Aigner 32, Meier 52, 75-pen) Augsburg 2 (Koo 40, Moelders 64).

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man City 12 8 4 0 25 Man Utd 12 9 0 3 29 Chelsea 12 7 3 2 24 West Brom 12 7 2 3 19 Everton 12 5 5 2 22 Arsenal 12 5 4 3 23 West Ham 11 5 3 3 14 Tottenham 12 5 2 5 20 Fulham 11 4 4 3 24 Swansea 12 4 4 4 18 Liverpool 12 3 6 3 17 Newcastle 12 3 5 4 13 Norwich 12 3 5 4 9 Stoke 11 2 6 3 9 Wigan 12 3 2 7 12 Sunderland 10 1 6 3 7 Reading 11 1 6 4 14 Aston Villa 12 2 3 7 10 Southampton 12 2 2 8 18 QPR 12 0 4 8 9 English Football League tables Championship Crystal Palace 17 11 3 3 35 Cardiff 17 11 1 5 34 Middlesbrough 17 10 2 5 28 Hull 17 10 1 6 27 Leicester 17 9 3 5 29 Brighton 17 7 6 4 24 Huddersfield 17 8 3 6 23 Nott Forest 17 6 8 3 24 Watford 17 8 2 7 27 Blackburn 16 6 7 3 22 Millwall 16 6 5 5 29 Blackpool 17 6 5 6 28 Derby 17 6 5 6 25 Charlton 17 6 5 6 23 Burnley 17 7 2 8 30 Wolves 17 6 4 7 23 Bolton 17 5 6 6 24 Leeds 16 5 5 6 23 Birmingham 17 5 5 7 20 Barnsley 17 4 4 9 16 Sheffield Wed 17 4 3 10 21 Ipswich 17 3 4 10 13 Peterborough 16 4 0 12 18 Bristol City 17 3 3 11 25 Division One Tranmere 18 11 4 3 35 Sheffield Utd 18 9 8 1 23 Swindon 18 9 5 4 29 Milton 18 9 5 4 21 Stevenage 18 9 5 4 25 Crawley Town 18 9 4 5 27 Notts County 18 8 6 4 31 Doncaster 17 9 3 5 21 Brentford 18 7 8 3 25 Preston 18 7 6 5 31 Bournemouth 18 7 6 5 31 Yeovil 18 8 1 9 28 Colchester 18 6 5 7 21 Crewe 18 6 5 7 19 Leyton Orient 18 7 1 10 17 Coventry 18 5 5 8 24 Walsall 18 5 5 8 21 Carlisle 18 5 5 8 22 Portsmouth 18 5 3 10 22 Shrewsbury 18 4 5 9 19 Oldham 17 4 5 8 17 Scunthorpe 18 4 5 9 19 Bury 18 3 6 9 19 Hartlepool 18 1 5 12 13 Division Two Gillingham 18 12 4 2 34 Port Vale 18 9 6 3 37 Cheltenham 18 9 5 4 25 Fleetwood Town 18 8 7 3 27 Rochdale 18 8 6 4 27 Burton Albion 18 8 5 5 28 Bradford 18 8 4 6 26 Rotherham 17 8 4 5 28 Exeter 18 8 3 7 26 Southend 18 7 5 6 26 Northampton 18 7 5 6 28 Torquay 18 6 7 5 24 York 18 5 9 4 23 Dagenham 18 5 7 6 30 Morecambe 18 6 4 8 23 Chesterfield 18 5 7 6 21 Accrington 17 6 4 7 21 Oxford Utd 18 6 2 10 25 Plymouth 18 4 6 8 23 AFC Wimbledon 18 5 3 10 22 Bristol Rovers 17 4 5 8 20 Barnet 18 3 5 10 16 Aldershot 18 3 5 10 13 Wycombe 17 3 4 10 15 Scottish Premier League table Celtic 13 7 4 2 24 Hibernian 14 7 3 4 26 Aberdeen 14 5 6 3 19 St Johnstone 14 5 5 4 17 Inverness CT 13 4 7 2 26

10 17 13 13 16 13 11 21 19 16 16 17 18 10 21 11 19 22 30 23

28 27 24 23 20 19 18 17 16 16 15 14 14 12 11 9 9 9 8 4

22 23 21 23 16 15 23 20 24 19 26 25 24 23 32 23 26 28 26 25 30 38 25 34

36 34 32 31 30 27 27 26 26 25 23 23 23 23 23 22 21 20 20 16 15 13 12 12

15 12 15 11 25 25 20 15 19 22 29 28 23 24 21 25 29 34 27 24 22 31 30 34

37 35 32 32 32 31 30 30 29 27 27 25 23 23 22 20 20 20 18 17 17 17 15 8

13 20 21 16 23 24 19 25 26 20 25 23 24 27 24 22 27 32 28 32 30 31 28 28

40 33 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26 26 25 24 22 22 22 22 20 18 18 17 14 14 13

12 20 14 18 21

25 24 21 20 19

Kilmarnock 14 5 4 5 23 Hearts 14 4 5 5 14 Motherwell 13 4 5 4 17 Dundee Utd 13 4 5 4 16 Ross County 14 3 7 4 16 St Mirren 14 3 3 8 17 Dundee 14 3 2 9 9 Scottish Football League tables First Division Partick 12 8 2 2 29 Dunfermline 12 8 2 2 29 Morton 12 6 4 2 27 Livingston 12 5 4 3 20 Raith 12 5 4 3 18 Cowdenbeath 12 3 4 5 18 Hamilton 12 3 3 6 12 Falkirk 12 2 5 5 13 Airdrie Utd 12 3 2 7 16 Dumbarton 12 1 2 9 11 Second Division Queen of South 11 9 2 0 25 Alloa 12 7 2 3 24 Forfar 11 6 1 4 23 Ayr 12 5 2 5 20 Stenhousemuir 12 3 6 3 23 Arbroath 11 4 3 4 18 Brechin 11 4 1 6 18 East Fife 12 3 2 7 17 Albion 11 3 1 7 16 Stranraer 11 2 2 7 12 Third Division Rangers 11 7 3 1 29 Elgin 12 6 4 2 29 Peterhead 11 5 2 4 13 Queen’s Park 11 4 4 3 16 Annan Athletic 11 4 4 3 22 Montrose 12 4 4 4 20 Berwick 11 4 3 4 18 East Stirling 11 4 0 7 17 Clyde 11 3 1 7 10 Stirling 11 2 1 8 16 German league table Bayern Munich 12 10 1 1 33 Schalke 04 11 7 2 2 22 Eintracht 12 7 2 3 25 Dortmund 12 6 4 2 26 Bayer Leverkusen 11 5 3 3 19 Hanover 96 12 5 2 5 25 Mainz 05 12 5 2 5 15 Hamburg 12 5 2 5 12 Freiburg 12 4 4 4 16 M’bach 12 4 4 4 18 VfB Stuttgart 12 4 4 4 14 Werder Bremen 11 4 2 5 18 Hoffenheim 11 3 3 5 17 Nuremberg 12 3 3 6 10 Duesseldorf 11 2 5 4 10 VfL Wolfsburg 11 3 2 6 9 Greuther Fuerth 12 1 4 7 10 Augsburg 12 1 3 8 8

18 14 18 18 20 27 24

19 17 17 17 16 12 11

9 13 17 17 15 21 18 17 30 36

26 26 22 19 19 13 12 11 11 5

6 13 19 20 26 24 21 17 25 25

29 23 19 17 15 15 13 11 10 8

9 20 12 12 21 24 15 31 18 28

24 22 17 16 16 16 15 12 10 7

5 12 18 13 17 20 14 14 14 23 20 17 23 18 16 18 23 22

31 23 23 22 18 17 17 17 16 16 16 14 12 12 11 11 7 6

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

English Premier League

Fulham v Sunderland Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5

19:00

Spanish League

Real Madrid v Bilbao Aljazeera Sport +2 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD Deportivo v Levante Aljazeera Sport +2 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD Celta v Mallorca Aljazeera Sport +2 Getafe v Valladolid Aljazeera Sport +5 Granada v Atletico Aljazeera Sport +2 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD Sevilla v Betis Aljazeera Sport +5

0:00 14:00 18:00

Arsenal 5

Tottenham 2

LONDON: Emmanuel Adebayor made a nightmare return to the Emirates Stadium yesterday, his 18thminute dismissal proving decisive as Arsenal cruised to a 5-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby.

The former Arsenal forward had already fired his side into a 10th-minute lead when he jumped in on Gunners midfielder Santi Cazorla to earn a straight red card. That transformed the game, with Arsenal establishing a two-goal half-time lead through Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud. Cazorla and Theo Walcott added to the tally after the break, with Gareth Bale claiming one back for the visitors. The result provided a timely boost for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has come in for growing criticism following a string of inconsistent performances.

For Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas, there was only frustration, as he suffered an embarrassing reverse in his first experience of this local derby. Villas-Boas had admitted in the build-up to the game that Tottenham would attempt to exploit Arsenal’s recent frailties at home, when nerves appeared to have affected Wenger’s side.

The Spurs manager’s decision to pair Jermain Defoe and Adebayor up front for the first time in the Premier League this season confirmed the visitors’ intention to take the game to Arsenal.

And for the 17 minutes prior to Adebayor’s dismissal, the plan worked perfectly. William Gallas had an eighth-minute effort ruled offside, but two minutes later the visitors went ahead when Jan Vertonghen’s routine long ball forward exposed the Arsenal backline. Mertesacker and Bacary Sagna were both caught sleeping as Defoe beat the offside trap before firing in a left-foot shot that Wojciech Szczesny could only palm into the path of Adebayor, who finished from four yards out.

LONDON: Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (right) is tackled by Tottenham Hotspur’s Jan Vertonghen during their English Premier League soccer match.—AP It was the ideal start for the striker, but did nothing to calm him and eight minutes later, referee Howard Webb brandished a straight red card after he lunged in foolishly at Cazorla with his studs showing.

The momentum of the game shifted completely, with Tottenham immediately forced onto the back foot as Arsenal made the most of being handed an unexpected route back into the game. It took the home side just seven minutes to level, with Mertesacker making up for his earlier error by heading home Theo Walcott’s right-wing cross.

This time it was the Spurs defence that was all at sea, with Gallas guilty of allowing the Germany centre-back to rise unchallenged.

That set the pattern for the remainder of the first half, when only goalkeeper Hugo Lloris kept Tottenham in contention.

The France international-unexpectedly selected ahead of Brad Friedel- produced two outstanding saves to deny Giroud headers. But the Spurs

21:45

LONDON: West Bromwich Albion’s goalkeeper Boaz Myhill (center rear) looks on as Chelsea’s goalkeeper Petr Cech makes an attempt at goal in the last minutes of the game during their English Premier League soccer match.—AP

West Brom beat Chelsea West Brom 2

Chelsea 1

WEST BROMWICH: Chelsea coach Roberto Di Matteo paid a heavy price for tinkering with his team as the Blues went down 2-1 at his former club West Bromwich Albion yesterday.

Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie bounced the Baggies into fourth place in the Premier League, as Chelsea’s hopes of mounting a credible title challenge to the two Manchester clubs this season took another knock at the Hawthorns.

But Di Matteo had only himself to blame after leaving five players who may start in Tuesday’s vital Champions League game at Juventus on the bench. Albion needed some late heroics from goalkeeper Boaz Myhill, but there was no doubting their right to the three points. Di Matteo, a former Albion manager, was left to reflect on the price of his big gamble after a result that left Chelsea third in the standings. He broke up the heartbeat of his side this season-the midfield trio of Juan Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard-by leaving the Spaniard and the Brazilian on the bench, along with Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Ashley Cole. Hazard began in a central role behind Fernando Torres and was a shadow of his usual self. But Chelsea’s real problems were at the back, where they simply failed to get a grip on Long. The Albion striker drifted away from the dozing David Luiz to nod in James Morrison’s far post cross after 10 min-

utes. Long had Chelsea in a panic again when he stretched for Billy Jones’ cross.

He was denied by a lunge from Gary Cahill and vainly looked for a penalty after being bundled to the ground from behind. The Ireland striker almost had his revenge when he shrugged off Cahill but fired wide.

Chelsea had nearly gone ahead after seven minutes when Cahill’s shot was scrambled off the line by Liam Ridgewell. But they did not trouble Albion again until Daniel Sturridge’s effort was saved by Myhill half an hour later. Their feeble efforts prompted frustrated Chelsea fans to chant ‘Attack, attack, attack!’ Di Matteo, sensing a need for change, reshuffled his midfield trio and switched Hazard wide. It paid off when the Belgian ghosted in at the far post to head home Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross from the right.

Sturridge almost put Chelsea ahead just after the restart but it was Albion who struck next when Long crossed for Odemwingie to head in. Once again, Chelsea’s defending left plenty to be desired as Ryan Bertrand failed to cut out the cross.

Di Matteo’s hand was forced and he pulled off the ineffective Torres and finally introduced Mata and Oscar for the last half an hour. Mata immediately set up Sturridge but Myhill saved his toe-poked shot. Chelsea poured forward and Mata put Sturridge through for a second time, but Myhill saved brilliantly. Next, it was Oscar who set up Sturridge and he looked certain to score with time and space to pick his spot from eight yards. But he dragged his shot wide and Chelsea suffered their second defeat in a run of four games that have brought them only two points. Like his predecessor Andre VillasBoas, Di Matteo is finding November a tough month.—AFP

Reading 2

17:00

Everton 1

17:00 17:00 17:00 22:45

NEWCASTLE: Summer signings Newcastle 1 Michu and Jonathan de Guzman were both on target as Swansea beat Swansea 2 Newcastle 2-1 yesterday to secure their first win at St. James’ Park in 32 years.

Michu, who joined Swansea in a £2million move from La Liga outfit Rayo Vallecano over the summer, notched his seventh goal of the season while De Guzman’s late second gave Michael Laudrup’s side their first win in four matches, despite a stoppage-time strike from Demba Ba. Defeat for Newcastle consigned them to a second successive home defeat with Swansea climbing above them to move 10th in the Premier League table, leaving the Magpies in 12th.

Newcastle were dealt a blow prior to kick-off with Papiss Cisse ruled out after Senegal invoked FIFA’s “fiveday rule”-under which nations may suspend a player for five days should they fail to show up for an international fixture without a valid excuse-following the striker’s withdrawal from his country’s friendly against Niger in midweek. Nathan Dyer missed a chance to give Swansea an early lead as he scuffed his effort badly under pressure from Mike Williamson having been played in behind the Newcastle defence.

Pablo Hernandez and Michu both drew saves out of home goalkeeper Tim Krul during the first half, while Hatem Ben Arfa-who forced Gerhard Tremmel to claw away his fierce strike-was by far and away the liveliest player in Newcastle’s ranks.

The France international also picked out Ba in the Swansea box, but the striker’s glancing header flashed narrowly wide of the far post with Tremmel beaten.

Itay Shechter then could have put Swansea in front minutes before the break after he capitalised on hesitation from Williamson in the Magpies’ defence, but Krul was off his line quickly to block the Israeli’s shot.

Shechter was again guilty of being wasteful 10 minutes after the interval as he blazed over from the edge of the box before Krul palmed behind a Hernandez strike that was heading just inside the near post.

However, a poor clearance from the Dutch keeper minutes later landed right at the feet of Hernandez, who advanced down the wing and picked out Michu, who planted a diving header low into the corner to put the visitors in the lead. De Guzman then added a second three minutes from time, slotting in a rebound after Krul parried substitute Danny Graham’s initial attempt.

Newcastle pulled a goal back as Ba headed home after Sylvain Marveaux had rattled the crossbar, but it proved nothing more than consolation for the home side.—AFP

Le Fondre breaks Reading’s duck

23:30

17:00

defences were breached again two minutes before the break when Podolski cleverly used Mikel Arteta’s run as a decoy before turning and shooting beyond Lloris with the help of a deflection off Gallas. Then, seconds before the interval, Arsenal well and truly took control when Giroud turned home Cazorla’s left-wing cross at the near post.

Villas-Boas made two changes at half-time and switched to a back three in an effort to restore his side’s attacking threat.

But it was Arsenal who soon established their dominance once again and when Cazorla made 4-1 on the hour, it was impossible to see a way back for the visitors. Walcott and Podolski combined on the left before the German drilled in a low cross that found Cazorla unmarked at the far post.

Bale pulled one back for Tottenham in the 71st minute when he cut in from the left and struck right-footed, but Walcott completed the win in added time after being set up by substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.—AFP

Swansea edge Newcastle

19:50

Italian League

Udinese v Parma Aljazeera Sport +6 Inter v Cagliari Aljazeera Sport +1 Aljazeera Sport 1 HD Fiorentina v Atalanta Aljazeera Sport +9 Catania v Chievo Aljazeera Sport +8 Bologna v Palermo Aljazeera Sport +10 Sampdoria v Genoa Aljazeera Sport +1 Aljazeera Sport 1 HD

Arsenal punish Adebayor in north London derby romp

READING: A second-half brace from Adam Le Fondre saw Reading come from behind to beat high-flying Everton 2-1 yesterday and record their first win of the Premier League season.

Everton led at half-time through

an early Steven Naismith effort but Le Fondre equalised with a header early in the second half and then claimed the winner from the penalty spot after he was fouled by Seamus Coleman. The victory lifted Brian McDermott’s side out of the Premier League relegation zone at the expense of Aston Villa, while Everton slipped one position to fifth and conceded fourth place to West Bromwich Albion.

Despite Reading’s desperate need for points, it was Everton who tore out of the starting blocks at the Madejski Stadium. Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici had to

save from Phil Jagielka inside two minutes, with Nikica Jelavic blazing over after the ball was fed back into the box.

Everton took the lead in the 10th minute amid woeful defending by the home side, who spurned several chances to clear before Marouane Fellaini nudged the ball on for Naismith to score from close range.

Le Fondre spurned a chance to equalise when he shot over after beating Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard to a long ball, but Everton quickly reasserted themselves.

Kaspars Gorkss was fortunate not to concede a penalty for a rash chal-

lenge on Naismith, while Federici had to parry from Thomas Hitzlsperger and then produced a superb sprawling save to thwart new England cap Leon Osman.

Everton had another penalty appeal turned down when referee Martin Atkinson failed to spot an apparent handball by Sean Morrison, while Jay Tabb had to clear a Jagielka header off the line just before the interval.

The first half had been all Everton, but the hosts hit back six minutes into the period when Le Fondre met Nicky Shorey’s appetising free-kick with a fine header that found the top corner.—AFP

Best gives Windies victory in first Test

16

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

Arsenal punish Adebayor in north London derby romp

19

Vettel sets pace on new Austin circuit

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NORWICH: Manchester United’s English midfielder Michael Carrick (second right) vies with Norwich City’s English striker Grant Holt (left) during the English Premier League football match.—AFP

Pilkington leaves United reeling Norwich 1

Man United 0

NORWICH: Manchester United spurned an opportunity to regain first place in the Premier League table when they were stunned 1-0 at Norwich City yesterday.

Last year’s champions Manchester City had moved to the top of the table earlier in the afternoon thanks to a 5-0 home vic-

tory over Aston Villa. And a header on the hour by Norwich winger Anthony Pilkington-a former United trainee-ended up consigning Alex Ferguson’s side to their third defeat of the season after only 12 matches. United were forced to do without Wayne Rooney because of tonsilitis but fellow striker Robin van Persie had been passed fit after missing a mid-week international friendly because of a thigh strain. Anders Lindegaard kept goal for the visitors, with youngster Sam Johnstone on the bench because David de Gea had to visit the dentist because of a swollen jaw.

The visitors made a bright start, with

van Persie forcing Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy into an early save as Roy Hodgson, the England manager, watched from the stands.

Norwich replied with efforts from Robert Snodgrass and Pilkington that only narrowly failed to hit the target and that was also the case at the other end, where Ryan Giggs’ corner was hit first time by van Persie. Snodgrass was involved in much of the home side’s best moments before the break and fired in a shot on the turn that went wide.

United were lacking urgency although Ashley Young’s corner might have led to an opener but Patrice Evra, having got

goal-side of his marker, completely missed his header. Snodgrass once again went close, this time with a header, before Norwich’s ex-Manchester City man Javier Garrido fired an angled effort across goal and wide. Norwich captain Grant Holt was denied an opener by Chris Smalling’s timely block after more good work on the right by Snodgrass, but it was United who finished the first half the stronger.

The Canaries were grateful that van Persie could make no connection at all after Giggs’ long ball had dropped over his shoulder in front of goal and Ruddy’s reputation was enhanced by another good save, this time to deny Young. The second

half began with van Persie failing to get the connection he wanted following another ball over the top of the home defence, but he recovered to force Ruddy into a save. United continued to play at a slow tempo and were punished on the hour mark when they failed to deal with a swift Norwich attack.

Wes Hoolahan teed Garrido up for a cross from the left that Pilkington-having arrived ahead of Chris Smalling-headed high past Lindegaard.

With 20 minutes remaining, United made a double change, with Antonio Valencia and the disappointing Javier Hernandez replaced by the 38-year-old

Aguero and Tevez demolish Villa Man City 5

Aston Villa 0

MANCHESTER: Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez each scored twice to add to David Silva’s opener as Manchester City recorded a commanding 5-0 victory over Aston Villa yesterday.

Silva opened the scoring with his first goal of the season and after Andreas Weimann was controversially penalised for handball, Aguero converted from the spot.

Tevez added another penalty and after Aguero thumped in a fourth, Tevez had a tap-in for a fifth as City extended their unbeaten home league run to 36 matches and moved top of the table ahead of Manchester United’s game at Norwich City.

Only Chelsea have managed a longer unbeaten run in the Premier League era, but that record stands at 86 games. More importantly for coach Roberto Mancini, however, was the fact that his team, who had not managed more than three goals in a match this term, recovered the incisiveness that took them to the Premier League title last season.

The game opened with the familiar pattern of City being camped in Villa territory and probing for a breakthrough, which seemed close when Aguero met Samir Nasri’s corner and Tevez diverted a shot narrowly over the bar.

Brazilian defender Maicon’s start to life at the Etihad Stadium has been interrupted by injury but he made a good early impression against Villa, getting in position to miss with a wild effort and then thumping a drive across the area from Nasri’s pass.

In a rare Villa break, Christian Benteke had an effort blocked by Matijia Nastasic on the edge of the area. Joe Hart, who has faced significant criticism in the wake of a

shaky display in England’s 4-2 defeat by Sweden, showed there is nothing wrong with his reflexes when Vincent Kompany prodded a Matthew Lowton cross towards his own goal and the goalkeeper reacted quickly to push it away.

Silva had a shot deflected over the bar by Barry Bannan but Villa continued to enjoy the better chances, despite being on the back foot.

Enda Stevens whipped in a cross from the left and Belgian Benteke climbed above Nastasic to produce a powerful header that was blocked by Hart at full stretch.

Gael Clichy also had a drive saved by Villa’s American goalkeeper Brad Guzan before Nastasic missed with a header from six yards from the Nasri corner that followed.

As the pressure continued, Maicon whipped in a cross from the right and Nasri’s strike was held by Guzan. Yaya Toure also headed wide from another Nasri corner and just before the interval, Tevez saw a low effort turned around the post by Guzan.

From the corner that followed, Villa failed to clear from Kompany and Tevez and Silva burst onto the loose ball ahead of Nastasic to bundle home at the far post.

The Spaniard then had another effort pushed wide by Guzan after racing into the area to collect a Tevez pass. After the interval, City continued to search for a second and Tevez saw a drive fly just past the post from the edge of the area before Ron Vlaar denied Aguero with a fine sliding challenge.

At the corner that followed, assistant referee Adrian Holes held his flag out and, to the bemusement of the crowd, referee Jon Moss pointed to the spot, presumably because the linesman felt Weimann had handled. Aguero dispatched the penalty and Tevez followed suit a couple of minutes later after Bannan handled as Silva attempted to cut inside him. Aguero bust clear and fired in a shot at the near post to add a fourth before a Nasri cross was allowed all the way to the far post for Tevez to prod in a fifth of the afternoon.—AFP

Paul Scholes and Danny Welbeck.

Welbeck immediately saw a header deflected around a post and soon afterwards forced Ruddy into a save with another. United piled on the pressure to the end and Ruddy had to tip over a header from his own defender, Sebastien Bassong, after substitute Jonny Howson had missed a chance to make it 2-0 at the other end when put through with only Lindegaard to beat.

The final whistle sparked joyous celebrations from the home fans, who have seen their side improve steadily after a shaky start to the season under new manager Chris Hughton.—AFP

Liverpool down Wigan

MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s Belgian defender Vincent Kompany (left) vies with Aston Villa’s Belgian striker Christian Benteke (right) during the English Premier League football match.—AFP

LIVERPOOL: Luis Suarez scored twice Liverpool 3 as Liverpool saw off bogey side Wigan 30 to inject fresh life into their worst Wigan 0 Premier League start in over two decades.

Suarez took his league tally for the season to 10 with a quick fire double early in the second half, with Jose Enrique adding the third to lift Brendan Rodgers’ side up from 13th to 11th.

Wigan, who were unbeaten against the Merseysiders in their last five encounters, stayed in 14th. Liverpool welcomed back goalkeeper Pepe Reina after a five week spell out with a hamstring injury. Around the quarter hour mark the Spaniard watched with relief as Ben Watson’s searching 20 yard shot flew over the crossbar.

In an evenly balanced opening period the Spaniard’s opposite number, Ali Al Habsi was called into action down at the other end to turn Daniel Agger’s header around the post.

Shots from Suarez and Suso were blocked by Wigan defender Gary Caldwell. Wigan manager Roberto Martinez was then forced into an unscheduled substitution, with David Jones coming on for Watson, who picked up a nasty leg injury after a collision with Raheem Sterling as both men chased the ball. Shortly after, Rodgers brought on Jordan Henderson for midfielder Suso, who had picked up an earlier knock to his ankle.

Liverpool went into the break the more frustrated of the two sides, having failed to add the killer touch to their flurry of chances against a Wigan side that won here for the first time in their history last March. Two minutes after the restart Suarez put the home side in front, firing in from 10 yards into the top right hand corner of the Wigan net after good work by Sterling down the right, to calm nerves amongst the Liverpool faithful in the Kop. And Suarez put the game to bed 11 minutes later, Liverpool’s sole out and out striker latching on to Enrique’s through pass to poke the ball into the corner for his tenth Premier League goal of the campaign. Given his form it’s little wonder Rodgers this week issued a hands off warning to potential suitors hovering to try and prise the Uruguayan forward away from Anfield in the January transfer window. On 65 minutes Enrique turned from supplier to scorer, the Spanish left back shooting from inside the box to the bottom left corner of Al Habsi’s goal.—AFP

Business

Kuwait budget surplus could reach $12.8bn Page 23 Going off ‘cliff’ with a bungee cord

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

Toyota’s Hybrid sales surpasses 1m units

Page 25 Over 30 Egypt firms join Kuwait real estate expo

Page 26

Page 22

MADRID: Spanish police officers take part in a demonstration against the Spanish government’s latest austerity measures in the center of Madrid yesterday. Thousands of police officers gathered in front of the Interior Ministry in Madrid to express their anger against the austerity measures and benefit cuts. — AFP

As euro-zone economy shrinks, debt loads grow Financial markets remain calm amid lingering debt crisis FRANKFURT: Europe’s government-debt crisis is no longer panicking financial markets. But it won’t end until the region’s economy starts growing strongly again. And that will be a while.

The economy of the 17 countries that use the euro has shrunk for two straight quarters - a common definition of a recession - and analysts forecast little or no growth until 2014. Without growth, there won’t be enough tax revenue to help countries like Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal narrow their deficits and slow the expansion of their debts. Their debt burdens as a percentage of economic output, a key measure of fiscal health, look worse by the day.

The euro-zone’s combined debts are equal to about 93 percent of the region’s gross domestic product this year and that figure is forecast to rise to peak at 94.5 percent next year. In 2009, the eurozone’s debt-to-GDP ratio was 80 percent. A ratio above 90 percent is generally considered high and can put pressure on governments’ borrowing costs.

“The worrying thing about the projections is, the peak seems to keep moving,” says Raoul Ruparel of the Open Europe think tank.

The panic in European financial markets has eased in recent months largely because of aggressive action by the European Central Bank. The ECB said on Sept. 6 that it was willing to buy

unlimited amounts of government bonds issued by countries struggling to pay their debts. That pledge quickly lowered borrowing costs for Spain and Italy, which earlier in the year faced the same kind of financial pressure that forced Ireland, Greece and Spain to seek bailouts.

But stemming the crisis and heading off a default by one or more countries aren’t the same as stimulating growth. The United States economy remains weak several years after actions by the Federal Reserve helped arrest its financial crisis.

Europe’s economy is being held back for several reasons: Austerity. Whether they got into trouble by overspending or after rescuing banks from a real estate collapse, European governments are tackling their debts the same way: By raising taxes and cutting spending, including wage cuts for public sector workers. Italy slashed its deficit by 2.8 percent of GDP this year, but economists estimate that reduced growth by 1.5 percentage points. Less spending by the government and less spending by consumers who gave more of their income to the government were a drag on the Italian economy.

Shaky banks. Banks reeling from the financial crisis are making it harder and more expensive for businesses in the hardest-hit

countries to borrow. That’s crimping investment and hiring by these companies across southern Europe. Companies in Greece or Portugal are often paying twice as much interest on loans as their German competitors.

Consumers are holding back. Wage cuts have weighed on family budgets, and people are saving more because they’re worried about further economic shocks. Together, these trends have reduced consumer spending by about 1 percent this year.

Anti-business regulation. Laws in many European countries make it hard for companies to lay workers off in lean times, and that makes employers reluctant to hire. Bureaucracy chokes the process of starting a business or exporting goods. Greece’s tax accounting rules were so onerous - permitting large penalties for minor paperwork errors - that the EU demanded the entire rulebook simply be abolished. Parliament finally complied last week.

European governments are slowly trying to make their economies more competitive. But in a September survey on global competitiveness by the World Economic Forum, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy ranked low because of poor access to financing and rigid labor markets.

It requires 11 bureaucratic filings to start a business in Italy.

Saudi prince buys luxury Canada hotel RIYADH: Billionaire Saudi Prince Walid bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding investment group said yesterday it has purchased the luxury hotel Four Seasons Toronto, Canada for $200 million. “The transaction was funded by a $130 million mortgage loan while $70 million came from (the company’s) own resources,” Hazem al-Dosari, a Kingdom Holding Company spokesman, told AFP. The Four Seasons Toronto features 259 guest rooms, including 42 suites. “This transaction is in line with our investment strategy to develop hotels in selected key cities,” Prince Walid said in a company statement announcing the deal. The prince, in his late 50s, has holdings in Citibank and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. Forbes magazine listed him last year as the 26th richest person in the world with assets of $19.6 billion. Kingdom Holding, of which he owns 95 percent, has stakes in Four Seasons and Fairmont Raffles Hotels International.

In December last year, Prince Walid and his KHC announced a combined investment of $300 million in the social networking site Twitter. — AFP

Qatar Airways to sell Cargolux stake after strategy differences

SILIGURI: Indian vendors sell bamboo baskets at a roadside market in Siliguri yesterday. Widening income gaps and rising numbers of unskilled young people could derail India’s economic growth, speakers at a high-profile economic conference warned on November 8. — AFP

Barclays denies making ‘illegal payment’ for Saudi license DUBAI/JEDDAH: Barclays did not make any “illegal payment” to win a banking license in Saudi Arabia, the bank said in a statement in response to a newspaper report last week that said US authorities were looking at whether improper payments were made.

The Financial Times had reported on Nov 10 that the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) was investigating whether Barclays made any improper payments to win a banking license in Saudi Arabia to operate a wealth-management arm and investment bank, citing people familiar with the investigation. “The board of directors of Barclays Saudi Arabia and its executive management takes the issue

Fellow euro member Slovenia requires two. Eurostat data released Thursday showed that for the second straight quarter the eurozone economy contracted. Output shrank by 0.1 percent in the July-September quarter, compared with the previous quarter.

The European Union’s executive commission forecasts the euro-zone economy will shrink by 0.4 percent for all of 2012 and grow by just 0.1 percent in 2013. Without growth, there’s little chance of cutting into an 11.6 percent jobless rate, the highest since the euro was introduced in 1999. Unemployment tops 25 percent in Greece and Spain.

Even with a modest recovery in late 2013 and 2014, the eurozone economy will be smaller adjusted for inflation than it was in 2008, when the Great Recession reverberated around the world.

Marco Valli, chief European economist for Unicredit, has charted recoveries from five crises going back to the late 1970s. He forecasts that the euro-zone economy will not recover to its 2008 level until the first six months of 2015.

“This is unusual, in that even during the major financial crisis of the past, we have never seen such a slow recovery from a financial crisis,” he says. — AP

raised by the media very seriously,” the bank said yesterday.

“Barclays Saudi Arabia confirms that it did not make any illegal payment to the CMA (Capital Markets Authority) or any of its officials regarding the granting of Saudi license.”

“Barclays SA will continue to conduct business in the kingdom in accordance with the highest professional standards and is fully committed to the development of Saudi Arabia’s financial market,” the bank said. Barclays was licensed to start business in Saudi Arabia in August 2009 and given final approval to begin securities trading in May 2010 after the Saudi regulator said the bank had met all requirements.

The CMA said last week that it was not aware of any investigations and had not received any inquiries from regulatory bodies on the issue. Barclays is facing a series of investigations into its business, including one by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and Financial Services Authority which are scrutinizing payments made by Barclays to Qatar as part of a 2008 fundraising.

The bank has come under scrutiny regarding manipulation of benchmark interest rate Libor and could face fines over an investigation into the manipulation of power prices the United States. Barclays Saudi Arabia is a closed joint stock company regulated by the CMA. — Reuters

BRUSSELS: Qatar Airways is to sell its stake in Luxembourg’s all-cargo airline Cargolux after a disagreement over the future direction of the airline, a Cargolux spokeswoman said yesterday.

Qatar Airways bought a 35 percent stake from the Luxembourg government and other parties last summer, but has decided to pull out after failing to agree on a strategy for the airline during meetings on Friday. “The Luxembourg and Qatari shareholders disagreed on the future strategic orientation of the airline, which led to Qatar’s decision to pull out of Cargolux,” a spokeswoman for Cargolux told Reuters.

Qatar Airways was not immediately available to comment. No value was given for the stake when the purchase was announced in June last year.

The head of fast-growing Qatar Airways says there are no immediate plans to launch a budget airline to compete with Dubai’s expanding lowcost carrier.

Instead, CEO Akbar al-Baker says Qatar Airways will concentrate on enlarging its global network as part of rivalries with Gulf carriers Emirates and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways. Al-Baker is quoted yesterday by the Dubai-based Khaleej Times as saying there are no current plans to create a budget airline to challenge the growing market share of government-backed flydubai, which began service in 2009 and now serves more than 50 destinations.

But Al-Baker said Qatar Airways keeps “options open” on all future plans. Al-Baker made the comments earlier this week in Seattle after he took delivery of the airline’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. — Agencies

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

BUSINESS

Bayt.com weekly report

Six innovative alternatives to cash bonuses

A

s the year draws to an loved ones.In light of the above, end, it’s that time again employers should know that when professionals and their employees need a break managers everywhere turn a once in a while. Companies can critical eye on what they set out offer paid off-time in the form to achieve during the year and of vacation days, holidays, perhow well they succeeded at it. sonal leaves, and sick leaves, so It’s officially Appraisal time! as to give employees down Those professionals who time and a chance to deal with have truly succeeded beyond non-work related issues. their manager’s expectations Despite the high costs of paid will eagerly look forward to off-time, companies who offer Appraisal time with great anticiit are also the same companies Lama Ataya pation. For managers across the that are good at attracting and region this is a testing time too, as their retaining talented employees.

Appraisals have a triple function to fulfill - to give feedback, to motivate and adequately 4. Memberships reward. When it comes to rewarding, along There is no doubt that free gym memberwith the more traditional cash bonuses, the ships keep employees healthy and happy.

HR experts at Bayt.com the Middle East’s #1 But, what most companies don’t know, is the jobsite recommend some innovative alterna- fact that every dollar invested in year-round tives to try out. In fact human resource health-promotion programs can ultimately experts believe that non-cash rewards can save you more in terms of not having to pay sometimes have an even greater impact on for absent/sick days. Employers benefit in the performance of employees. This is due to terms of increased productivity, reduced the fact that most employees yearn for spe- absenteeism, and less healthcare related cial recognition for a job well done. costs. People who are more active may not As per the results on Bayt.com’s latest need to go to the doctor as much. But what Consumer Confidence Index (November it really comes down to is that better health 2012) almost 50% professionals in Kuwait are means more productivity. somewhat dissatisfied with their level of compensation. Even if you are a cashSo what can you do? strapped start-up, there is no reason you As an employer, you can provide staff should hold back from rewarding your team. with access to on-site gym facilities at no Below are some alternatives to cash bonuses cost, or can negotiate a deal or discounts worth considering: with local gyms and fitness centers. Another healthy incentive could be by offering your 1. Training team a nutritious canteen service at the By providing adequate training to office. 45% of professionals in the MENA employees, not only will you fulfill their region say that they don’t have an office canessential need for continual growth and self- teen/cafeteria, and would appreciate one development, but also reap the benefits of (MENA Professionals Health & Eating Habits, enhanced skills and competencies. April 2012).

According to Bayt.com’s ‘Reward Programs and Employee Engagement’ (November 5. Free parking 2012) in the Middle East survey, 44.7% of No statistics to prove this, but based on professionals in the Middle East say that common sense, employees consider ‘parking more opportunities to learn and grow within woes’ as one of their top daily peeves. An the company is what they need to feel more incentive practice (which is also followed at engaged at work, beating the option of ‘a Bayt.com) is granting top achievers access to better salary and benefits package’. free office parking.

KUWAIT: Egyptian Ambassador to Kuwait Abdulkareem Sulaiman inaugurates the exhibition. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Over 30 Egypt firms join Kuwait real estate expo ‘Ammar Ya Masr’ draws investors

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The United Marketing and Organizing Exhibitions ‘UNIEXPO’ held the 9th Egyptian Real Estate Exhibition ‘Ammar Ya Masr’ on November 14 - 17, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

The exhibition was supervised by the Egyptian Authority for Exhibition Affairs and International Markets (EAEAIM). It was inaugurated by the Egyptian Ambassador to Kuwait Abdulkareem Sulaiman.

This exhibition represents the social, economic and cultural ties between Kuwait and Egypt. It also symbolizes the commercial and touristic exchanges between the two countries as it seeks to promote success among citizens and expats living in Kuwait.

It succeeded to attract a large number of investors from different Arab countries who could be potential investors in Egypt due to its reputation as a good investment destination. It was supervised by the EAEAIM in cooperation with the Egyptian Commercial Representing Office in Kuwait. More than 30 Egyptian companies working in the field of real estate and investment participated in the exhibition. They were presenting several projects located in different areas of Egypt.

KUWAIT: Egyptian Ambassador to Kuwait Abdulkareem Sulaiman and other officials visit a pavilion at the exhibition.

Moody’s to review Cyprus for possible downgrade WASHINGTON: Rating firm Moody’s said it would review Cyprus for a possible downgrade, citing dragging bailout talks with international lenders on an aid package.

Just five weeks after its last ratings cut, Moody’s said the review on Cyprus’s B3 government bond rating was due to rising liquidity risks for the euro-zone country, closely linked to debt-crippled Greece.

“The slow pace of negotiations with the troika and the resulting uncertainty regarding the likelihood and timing of a support package which raises liquidity risks” was a key trigger for the review, Moody’s said in a statement. The second factor was signs that Cyprus’s budget deficit “will be signifi-

cantly larger than expected.” “The key difference between the drivers underlying today’s rating action and Moody’s previous actions on Cyprus is the increase in the country’s liquidity risk in a short period of time,” it said.

Moody’s chopped its grade for Cyprus’s debt by three notches on October 8 to B3, citing the impact of the meltdown in the country’s banks following Greece’s financial crisis. The rating firm noted that Cyprus had requested a European Union bailout in June, but negotiations only began in midNovember. The so-called troika of international lenders-the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the

International Monetary Fund-are trying to thrash out with the Cypriot authorities the extent of public-sector cuts required in return for financial aid. “Given that politically controversial measures such as significant changes in the structure of public expenditures... and privatizations are high priorities for the Troika, Moody’s points to the risk that negotiations could potentially be prolonged,” the firm said.

In particular, it said, the fact that Cyprus’s presidential election is scheduled February 17 significantly raised the risk of a delay in reaching a deal on the rescue program and disbursement of aid until late in the first quarter of 2013. — AFP

2. Team building activities Over the past decades, management theory has evolved from the promotion of competitive work environments to the development of cooperative ones. As a part of this evolution, companies have put an increasing emphasis on team building. Team building activities, whether they are five-minute games or week-long retreats, teach essential collaborative skills while helping employees develop trust in each other and each other’s abilities.

3. Off-time As Bayt.com’s poll on ‘Wok-Life Balance in the MENA’ (September 2012) region shows, professionals today give more importance to work-life balance than ever before. In fact, 88.3% of professionals who participated in this poll go as far as stating that they wouldn’t mind changing their job for better worklife balance. In the same poll, 36.2% of professionals also said that they would spend their free time with family members and

6. Gift cards With many financial compensation and bonus programs cancelled or suspended because of the slowing economy, employers are turning to gift cards to express their appreciation. Most employers give gift cards to acknowledge outstanding performance, boost morale, increase sales, or reward loyalty. Gift cards are non-cash incentives that are often referred to as “sticky” rewards, because of their tendency to remain in the minds of employees long after cash is spent.

Non-cash rewards can be much more effective than cash rewards. It’s just the way our brains work. People are able to visualize and remember tangible items better than cash, and therefore stay more actively engaged with program goals and objectives.

They’re also more emotionally involved and willing to work harder for something perceived as an emotional item, rather than cash or a more practical reward.

So, when thinking about alternatives to cash bonuses you can be as creative as you want!

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 .4440000 .3550000 .2940000 .2800000 .2910000 .0040000 .0020000 .0764600 .7449300 .3870000 .0720000 .7302720 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2816500 GB Pound/KD .4467530 Euro .3571040 Swiss francs .2964420 Canadian dollars .2816080 Danish Kroner .0478830 Swedish Kroner .0415540 Australian dlr .2930570 Hong Kong dlr .0363400 Singapore dlr .2302000 Japanese yen .0035510 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0767130 Bahraini dinars .7473800 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0751270 Omani riyals .7318440 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. 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

ASIAN COUNTRIES

3.559 5.147 2.947 2.172 3.223 232.110 36.502 3.452 6.834 9.199 0.271 0.273

.2850000 .4590000 .3690000 .3070000 .2910000 .2990000 .0067500 .0035000 .0772290 .7524170 .4070000 .0770000 .7376110 .0510000 .2837500 .4500840 .3597670 .2986530 .2837070 .0482400 .0418640 .2952420 .0366110 .2319170 .0035780 .0051870 .0021810 .0029700 .0034870 .0772840 .7529520 .4013440 .0756870 .7373000 .0069520

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 75.470 77.763 735.090 751.690 77.063

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 47.900 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.327 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.320 Tunisian Dinar 178.150 Jordanian Dinar 399.150 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.899 Syrian Lier 3.870 Morocco Dirham 33.088 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 282.900 Euro 364.940 Sterling Pound 452.500 Canadian dollar 284.890 Turkish lire 153.750 Swiss Franc 301.920 Australian dollar 294.220 US Dollar Buying 281.700 GOLD 332.000 167.000 86.500

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

297.600 752.470 3.710 286.200 555.700 46.100 50.100 167.800 48.050 364.600 37.200 5.590 0.032 0.162 0.249 3.610 400.970 0.191 95.480 45.000 4.350 233.400 1.833

50.300 734.970 3.090 7.070 78.260 75.550 232.880 34.590 2.695 452.300 42.700 303.000 4.200 9.580 198.263 77.150 283.300 1.370

734.790 2.963 6.900 77.830 75.550 232.880 34.590 2.174 450.300 301.500 4.200 9.400 77.050 282.900

GOLD 1,834.720

10 Tola Sterling Pound US Dollar

COUNTRY

SELL DRAFT

296.100 752.470 3.455 284.700

232.900 46.372 363.100 37.050 5.150 0.031

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

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 450.300 282.900

SELL DRAFT

296.80 286.85 303.80 363.47 282.30 452.07 3.55 3.463 5.140 2.175 3.224 2.950 76.93 751.67 46.30 402.18 734.71 77.96 75.49

SELL CASH

296.000 285.000 304.000 362.500 283.000 451.600 3.690 3.580 5.550 2.310 3.650 3.150 77.500 750.000 47.950 400.000 740.000 77.850 75.850

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 400.930 0.190 95.480 3.240 231.900

Rate for Transfer

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

Selling Rate

282.650 283.295 449.415 360.460

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

299.225 748.310 76.930 77.585 75.335 398.440 46.353 2.166 5.142 2.942 3.458 6.866 693.345 4.550 9.295 4.385 3.310 92.235

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

Currency

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

282.700 2.946 5.160 2.175 3.463 6.150 77.075 75.545 751.500 46.337 454.500 2.990 1.550 365.400 288.200 3.345

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

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

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

*Rates are subject to change

282.300 363.000 451.550 284.700 3.550 5.142 46.305 2.172 3.453 6.835 2.948 752.350 77.020 75.520

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

BUSINESS

JC Penney CEO tries to change the way we shop

Kuwait budget surplus could reach $12.8bn Crude prices weaken on Hurricane Sandy

NBK ECONOMIC REPORT KUWAIT: Crude oil prices continued to weaken in October, pushing some benchmarks down to their lowest levels since mid-year.

The price of Kuwait Export Crude (KEC) averaged $108 per barrel (pb) in October and had slipped further to $103 by early November, nearly $12 below its mid-September high. The price of Brent crude appeared to fall decisively below the $110-115 range that persisted through much of the third quarter, reaching $106 in early November. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) - the benchmark US blend - has fallen to just $85. The spread between Brent and WTI is now re-approaching the highs of $30 pb seen in 2011, thanks in part to this year’s surge in US oil production.

Price weakness through October and early November was attributed to a number of factors.

Firstly, the onset of Hurricane Sandy in late October - aside from taking a personal toll - saw major disruption to economic activity along the US east coast, including loss of electricity demand as businesses and homes were evacuated, and the shutdown of mass transit systems. Although this put crude oil prices under downward pressure, the impact on the oil complex more generally was mixed: gasoline prices rose as logistics disrupted fuel deliveries and stock levels fell. The longterm impact of the storm on oil prices is not expected to be large.

One view is that the eventual rebuilding of local infrastructure could imply a small boost to activity and demand over the medium-term.

Broader economic factors also played a role in undermining crude prices. Weak economic data in the US, as well as signs of a further slowdown in Europe deepened the gloom surrounding the global economy.

This was subsequently exacerbated by political developments in the US: the re-election of President Obama and a divided Congress refocused attention on the so-called ‘fiscal cliff’, which threatens to send the US economy into recession next year.

Despite this, however, the tradeweighted US dollar has strength-

ened 2% since mid-September on ‘safe-haven’ flows. A stronger dollar typically lowers the dollar price of crude in order to offset the movement in foreign currency terms.

Oil demand outlook The fragile outlook for the global economy translates into expectations for modest oil demand growth next year among most analysts. Organizations such as the International Energy Agency, OPEC and the Centre for Global Energy Studies (CGES) all forecast global demand growth of 0.8 million barrels per day (mbpd), or 0.9%, in 2013, similar to the 0.7 - 0.9 mbpd expected for this year. Demand in the OECD is seen continuing its steady decline, with Japanese demand expected to fall by up to 0.2 mbpd as the country restarts operations at some of its nuclear reactors. Meanwhile, non-OECD demand growth is seen more modest than in previous years, partly due to the knock-on effect

of weak economic growth in key export markets.

Oil supply outlook Crude output of the OPEC-11 (i.e. excluding Iraq) fell by a substantial 275,000 bpd in September to just below 2.8 mbpd. The largest declines were witnessed in West African OPEC members Angola and Nigeria, who were ironically the largest gainers the previous month.

Output fell by 179,000 bpd and 137,000 bpd respectively, due to maintenance programs in Angola and severe flooding in Nigeria.

Production in Venezuela was also hurt by an outage at the country’s largest refinery and crude production fell by some 33,000 bpd. These declines were met by smaller increases in Libyan and GCC output, which together rose by around 94,000 bpd.

Alternative figures from ‘direct communication’, however, point to reduced production in these MENA countries.

Total OPEC production (including Iraq) fell to an 8-month low of 31.1 mbpd. This came in spite of a 10,000 bpd increase in Iraqi oil production, which recorded its third consecutive month of plus3 mbpd output.

Following a Baghdad-Irbil deal, Iraqi exports from Kurdistan are set to increase by around 50,000 bpd this quarter, and a further 50,000 bpd next year.

However, last month, the Kurdistan government began exporting its own oil independently of Baghdad, a move that could lead to renewed disputes.

Non-OPEC supplies are now

projected to increase by around 0.7 mbpd in 2012, with OPEC natural gas liquids (NGLs) contributing more than half of this increase.

In the remainder of 2012, strong North American production is likely to offset non-OPEC supply disruption elsewhere, with supply losses from Hurricane Sandy believed to be minimal. In total, if OPEC-12 output remains at its current level, global oil supplies could rise by around 2 mbpd in 2012. Next year could see a slightly larger increase in

non-OPEC supply.

Price projections Despite weak global demand, oil prices could still hold up well for the remainder of this year.

However, early next year, oil market fundamentals are likely to loosen on the back of rising US production. Under the CGES’s forecasts, a 0.8 mbpd quarter-onquarter rise in non-OPEC supplies in 1Q13 generates a huge 1.6 mbpd rise in inventories. While in this scenario the price of KEC would remain relatively firm in the near-term, it sets the stage for steep falls in the middle of next year. If, on the other hand, US production turns out even stronger than expected, then prices could be set on a steeper downward path. In this case, the price of KEC falls below $100 pb early next year, and further thereafter. This would almost certainly prompt OPEC member countries to make production cuts to prevent prices from declining further. Alternatively, demand could receive a temporary boost from cold winter conditions in the Northern hemisphere or nonOPEC supplies could once again disappoint. In this case, the price of KEC remains supported at above $100 pb for the remainder of this year and into 2013.

Budget projections The three scenarios described above would generate average oil prices of between $104 and $107 pb for this fiscal year. The recently approved, and much delayed, official Kuwaiti government budget for FY2012/13 shows a 9% budget-on-budget increase in planned spending to KD 21.2 billion, as well as oil revenues based on a conservative average price assumption of just $65 pb. If as we expect, spending comes in at 5-10% below the government’s forecast and oil revenues much higher, the budget could ultimately see a surplus of between KD 9.8 billion and KD 12.8 billion before allocations to the Reserve Fund for Future Generations (RFFG).

This would equate to a surplus in the range of 20-26% of GDP, compared to the 30% recorded last year.

Monti says Italy austerity may have saved euro-zone ROME: Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti yesterday defended the biting austerity measures imposed during his first year in power, saying without them the euro-zone might have broken up or collapsed altogether. “Perhaps today, without the austerity measures brought in by the government, the euro-zone would be no more,” the premier’s office said in a 17page round-up marking one year since Monti took over leading a debt-laden Italy.

“Or it (euro-zone ) would be notably smaller in geographical terms without that which Italy, in a collective effort that does not have many precedents in the history of the republic, has been able to carry out,” the statement added. Monti, a former economics professor and high-flying European commissioner, was voted in by parliament as the head of a technocratic government on November 16 last year as Italy came under fire from the eurozone debt crisis. “This government was born

on the wave of an emergency, faced with a dramatic decision: to let the country sink or force it to get out of the swamps.”

The measures eased interest rates and reassured skittish markets alarmed at the size of Italy’s debt that the euro-zone’s third largest economy was not going to be the catalyst that brought down the single currency, it said. Monti, whose popularity has been hit by the austerity packages and structural reforms that critics say are impeding growth, admitted that the government could have done more, particularly for Italy’s poorest citizens.

“Clearly, it would have been necessary to do more, and perhaps some errors were made. Much more could have been done in favor of the most needy classes.” The country entered into a recession at the end of last year and jobless rates particularly among the young have soared, sparking a series of

protests. However, Italy has recovered respect on the international stage since Monti’s appointment and “is once more an active and proactive (EU) partner, a protagonist in strategic and operational decision-making,” the statement said.

The one-year anniversary of the Monti government has seen supporters speak out in favour of the premier staying on after elections in spring 2013.

The idea is particularly popular in business circles where many agree he has restored Italy’s credibility after Silvio Berlusconi was forced out in late 2011 by a parliamentary revolt, a series of scandals and panic on the markets. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, the head of luxury car maker Ferrari and a former leader of Italy’s big business federation, is to launch a new political movement on Saturday which will push for Monti to stay on as prime minister. — AFP

NEW YORK: JC Penney CEO Ron Johnson seems unfazed that the department store chain’s mounting losses and sales declines have led to growing criticism of his plan to change the way we shop. Perhaps that’s because this isn’t the first time during Johnson’s 30-year career that he’s attempted what seemed impossible.

People predicted he’d fail at selling high-end housewares and designer dresses at discounter Target, but shoppers still flock there years later for cheap chic goods. Likewise, almost no one believed that the Apple stores he designed to sell the consumer electronics giant’s gadgets would make money. Yet Apple’s retail operations have become the most profitable in the industry.

At the time, both decisions seemed radical. Now, they each are viewed as strokes of genius.

But Johnson’s latest gamble is shaping up to be his biggest. He’s not only aiming to reverse the fortunes of Penney, a 110-year-old chain that has had sales declines in four of the past five years as it’s struggled to adapt to changing consumer tastes and shopping habits. He’s also attempting to do something no other retailer has before: reinvent the department store from the ground up.

Since leaving Apple to become Penney’s CEO in November, Johnson has been overhauling everything from the retailer’s pricing to its merchandise to its stores. He got rid of most sales.

He’s brought in hip brands. And he’s replacing rows of clothing racks with small shops that make the stores feel like outdoor mini malls.

But since Penney started the changes, the chain has reported three consecutive quarters of big losses on steep sales declines. Its stock has lost more than half its value. Its credit rating is in junk status. And critics are beginning to doubt that Johnson has what it takes to make the chain cool.

“He’s trying to start a retail revolution without an army of consumers behind him,” says Burt Flickinger, III, president of a retail consultancy.

“Penney will suffer dire financial and competitive circumstances as a result.”

But Johnson, 53, a Midwest native who speaks about his vision for JC Penney Co with boyish enthusiasm, is undeterred: “Lots of people think we’re crazy. But that’s what it takes to get ahead.”

THE BEGINNINGS Virtually no one questioned Johnson’s savvy when it was announced in June 2011 that he was leaving his role as Apple Inc.’s senior vice president of retail to take over the top job at Penney, a chain that had gained a reputation in recent years of having un-hip, boring stores and merchandise. To the contrary there were lofty expectations for the man who had made Apple’s stores hip places to shop and before that, pioneered Target Corp.’s successful “cheap chic” strategy.

Johnson, who says that his biggest inspirations in life are “sunrises” and “smiles,” spent several months before becoming Penney’s CEO traipsing across the globe to find ideas on how to transform the company. On the itinerary: meetings with executives at trendy retailers and designers such as Gap, J. Crew, Diane Von Furstenberg and Ralph Lauren.

During these trips, Johnson hatched an idea to make Penney stores appealing not only to its core of middleincome shoppers, but also to new groups of younger and higher-income customers. Johnson decided to focus on three areas: price, merchandise and the stores. Johnson started as Penney’s CEO in November 2011. In his first couple of months in the role, Johnson hired big-name executives that he trusted. Among them, Michael Francis, a top Target executive that he’d met while he worked there, was brought in as president to help redefine Penney’s brand.

Johnson’s boldest move came on Feb. 1 of this year when he rolled out new pricing in Penney’s 1,100 stores.

That’s virtually unheard of in retail, where significant changes are typically tested in a few locations for several months before being rolled out

nationally. Johnson says that Penney didn’t have several months to waste.

Testing would’ve been “impossible,” he says, because Penney needed quick results. Johnson’s plan was designed to wean customers off the markdowns they’d become accustomed to, but that eat into profits. He ditched the nearly 600 sales Penney offered throughout the year for a three-tiered strategy that permanently lowered prices on all items in the store by 40 percent and offered month-long sales on select items and periodic clearance events throughout the year.

Penney, based in Plano, Texas, also stopped giving out coupons and banished the words “sale” and “clearance” in its new “fair and square” advertising campaign. The ads were colorful and whimsical: In one spot, a dog jumped through a hula hoop that a little girl held. The text read: “No more jumping through hoops. No coupon clipping.

No door busting. Just great prices from

CEO Ron Johnson the start.”

Johnson’s plan received a warm reception at first. Investors began pushing Penney’s stock up after he announced the plan in late January: It rose nearly 25 percent to peak at $43 in the days after the plan was rolled out in February. Analysts used words like “visionary” and “revolutionary” to describe the plan.

The honeymoon didn’t last. After most of Penney’s coupons and sales disappeared, so did its customers. And the ads didn’t help: They were praised for being entertaining, but criticized for not explaining the new pricing.

Walter Loeb, a New York-based retail consultant, says Johnson acted in haste and sprang the changes on customers too soon. “The customer isn’t accustomed to such drastic change,” he says.

The first sign that things were falling apart came in May when rival Macy’s Inc. told analysts that sales were rising at its stores that share malls with Penney locations. A week later, Penney posted a $163 million quarterly loss. Revenue plunged 20 percent to $3.15 billion. The number of customers visiting stores fell 10 percent.

Wall Street didn’t like the changes any more than Main Street did. A day after it posted the loss, Penney’s stock fell nearly 20 percent - its biggest oneday decline in four decades - to $26.75.

That same month, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services lowered its credit rating to junk status.

Johnson asked investors to be patient and reiterated his confidence in his plan. But a few weeks later, Johnson fired Francis, who’d been in charge of marketing the new pricing.

Johnson, who wakes up at 4 a.m. without an alarm clock, took over that responsibility and brought back the word “sale” in ads. But things kept getting worse. So six months after he rolled out Penney’s plan, Johnson tweaked pricing. On Aug. 1 - just days before Penney posted another big loss on a second consecutive quarter of disappointing revenue - Johnson eliminated one tier of the pricing plan: the monthlong sales. He also brought back another taboo word: clearance.

Johnson says the original three-tier strategy was too confusing for customers. “We got too tricky,” Johnson told the Associated Press in an interview. — AP

NEW YORK: A customer looks at merchandise at a JC Penney store in New York. JC Penney CEO Ron Johnson seems unfazed that the department store chain’s mounting losses and sales declines have led to growing criticism of his plan to change the way we shop. — AP

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

BUSINESS

Kuwait equities remain buoyant BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the green zone. The price index ended last week with a increase amounted to 0.49%, and the weighted advanced by 0.15% compared to the closings of the week before. In addition KSX-15 index increased be 0.26%. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover increased by 32.20%, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD 29.73 million, whereas trading volume average was 411.29 million shares, recording increase of 58.25%.

Kuwait Stock Exchange continued its gains for the second consecutive week, especially price index, in light of improved trading indicators, whether value or volume.

Last week KSE performance was mixed, despite the relatively quiet political events, which negatively impacted the market in the past. However, the return of traders’ confidence is still in its first steps. Moreover, the watch state to announce the names of the companies which will be stopped from being traded due to passing the 9 months financial data declaration due date, had a role in spreading a hesitant reaction among traders.

On the other hand, speculations mastered the trading sessions during the week and mostly concentrated on small-cap stocks, followed by profit collection operations which affected the market stability. However, the overall results were positive especially the price index, and all market indices closed in the green zone.

For the annual performance, the price index ended last week recording 0.24% annual loss compared to its closing in 2011, while the weighted index increased by 0.96%, and the KSX-15 recorded 0.33% decrease compared to its value at inception.

By the end of the week, the price index closed at 5,800.50 points, up by 0.49% from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 0.15% weekly gain after closing at 409.50 points. Moreover, the KSX-15 index closed at 996.68 points, increasing with 0.26%.

Sectors’ Indices Six of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, The Oil & Gas sector headed the gainers list, after its index closed at 929.79 points, to increase by 3.10%. Financial Services sector was the second on the list, as its index closed at 819.90 points, up by 1.34%.

The Basic Materials sector was the least on the gainers’ list, which index advanced by 0.21%, closing at 983.45 points.

On the Other hand, The Health Care sector headed the

losers list as its index declined by 8.16% to end the week’s activity at 848.59 points. While the banks was the least, when its index closed at 996.39, down by 0.09%.

Sectors’ Activity The Real Estate sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 663.13 million shares changing hands, representing 40.31% of the total market trading volume. The Financial Services sector was second in terms of trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 38.75%

of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 637.72 million shares.

On the other hand, the Real Estate sector’s stocks were the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of K.D. 44.70 million or 37.59% of last week’s total market trading value. The Financial Services sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD 35.56 million represented 29.90% of the total market trading value. — Prepared by the Studies & Research Department Bayan Investment Co.

China’s economy is recovering KCIC WEEKLY ASIA REPORT

By Camille Accad For most of this year, China’s economy has been slowing down, in line with global growth. However, during the past two months, it started showing signs of recovery, with both its domestic and external sectors improving.

This comes at a very important stage, for two important reasons: first, material economic growth is the pillar behind the prevalence of China’s leaders, the Communist Party, rather than progress in social security and its safety net. This month, they are undergoing a once-a-decade change in leaders, and a faltering economy could be a threat to the Communist Party’s leadership. Secondly, growth in the country’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been coming down for seven straight quarters, from 9.8% year-on-year (YoY) at the end of 2010 to 7.4% YoY in the third quarter of this year. Signs that China’s real GDP growth will bottom out in the last quarter of 2012 will be well received by investors as global economic growth remains sluggish, and markets jittery, especially with the US ‘Fiscal Cliff’ approaching.

After a steady slowdown throughout most of the year, industrial production (IP), an accurate measure of the industrial sector (about 45% of GDP), witnessed a reversal in trend: in October, IP grew 9.6% YoY, up from 8.9% in August. Retail sales, a good gauge for the services sector, also about 45% of GDP, accelerated from 13.2%YoY in August to 14.5% in October. This also suggests resilience in the domestic sector of the economy, which is very encouraging for growth ahead given the buildup

of external downside risks. Nevertheless, exports also accelerated in October, from 2.7%YoY in August to 11.6%. Hence, if the major economic indicators continue to display positive momentum, we expect real GDP growth to bottom out in the last quarter of this year.

Real GDP is a measure of the economic output or of the size of the economy - adjusted for inflation or deflation. It is the sum of the values of all final goods and services produced by that country or region over a given time period. The values depend on the quantities (volume) of the goods produced and their prices. Real GDP is a measure that holds prices constant by using a given year’s value (the base date) for all items and services.

Then these values are used to calculate GDP for years prior to the base year and subsequent years. GDP can be measured in several ways, and National Bureau of Statistics, the government body responsible for national accounts data, publishes GDP by sector output (agriculture, industry and services) and expenditure (private consumption, government expenditure, fixed capital investments and trade).

IP and retail sales are accurate indicators of economic growth, as they represent more than half of GDP when broken down by sector output. When looking at GDP by expenditure, retail sales and exports are also significant to determine the trend of a large portion of GDP. Overall, real GDP growth could be estimated in the short-term by analyzing the above indicators.

Moderate but prolonged, the fiscal and monetary stimuli introduced by China this year has managed to

bring about an uptick in economic growth. In addition, inflation has eased further to 1.7% YoY in October, from 2.2% in August, providing levy for further loosening if the need arises. But because economic growth in China is back on track, we do not expect any additional expansionary stimulus this year, except for a possible precautionary cut in the Required Reserve Ratio (RRR). Industrial production (IP) and exports have accelerated to a five-

month high in October, while retail sales grew at a sevenmonth high in the same month. After seven consecutive quarters of slowing growth, we expect real GDP growth to bottom out from a three-year low in the fourth quarter this year. If November’s economic data continues October’s upbeat trend, it should trigger a brief market rally, before the onset of the US fiscal cliff. So watch out for next month’s series of economic data.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

BUSINESS

Going off ‘cliff’ with a bungee cord WALL STREET WEEKLY OUTLOOK NEW YORK: The 1987 crash. The Y2K bug. The debt ceiling debacle of 2011. All these events, in the end, turned out to be buying opportunities for stocks. So will the “fiscal cliff,” some investors say as they watch favorite stocks tumble during the political give-and-take happening in Washington.

The first round of talks aimed at avoiding the “fiscal cliff” caused a temporary rise in equities on Friday, signaling Wall Street’s recent declines could be a buying opportunity. The gains were small and sentiment remains weak, but it suggests hope for market bulls.

Though shares ended moderately higher on Friday, it was not enough to offset losses for the week. The S&P was down 1.5 percent, while both the Dow and the Nasdaq fell 1.8 percent.

The S&P 500 is down more than 5 percent in the seven sessions that followed President Barack Obama’s re-election. Uncertainty arose as attention turned to Washington’s task of dealing with mandated tax hikes and spending cuts that could take the U.S. economy back into recession.

Some see the market’s move as an overreaction to hyperbolic headlines about policy gridlock in Washington, believing stocks may start to rebound in what should be a quiet few days ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday next Thursday. “It just doesn’t seem to make any sense that you suddenly wake up the day after the election and realize we’ve got a fiscal cliff,” said Krishna Kumar, partner at New York hedge fund Goose Hollow Alpha Advisors.

US pension insurer runs record $34 billion deficit WASHINGTON: The federal agency that insures pensions for more than 40 million Americans last year ran the widest deficit in its 38-year history. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. said Friday that its deficit grew to $34 billion for the budget year that ended Sept. 30. That compares with a $26 billion shortfall in the previous year. Pension obligations grew by $12 billion to $119 billion last year. Assets used to cover those obligations increased by only $4 billion to $85 billion. The agency has now run deficits for 10 straight years. The gap has grown wider in recent years because the weak economy has triggered more corporate bankruptcies and failed pension plans.

If the trend continues, the agency could struggle to pay benefits without an infusion of taxpayer funds.

Agency Director Josh Gotbaum said continued deficits “will ultimately threaten” the PBGC’s ability to pay pension benefits to retired workers.

“There’s no imminent threat that we’re going to stop cutting checks,” Gotbaum said during a conference call with reporters. However, he said, Congress must act “long before 10 years from now” to increase the insurance premiums that companies pay to the agency. The Obama administration has proposed raising the premiums and tailoring them to the size of companies and their level of financial risk. Under the plan, bigger companies and those at greater risk of failing would pay larger premiums. The fees haven’t been raised in six years. Companies whose pension plans failed in the latest year, with the agency taking them over, included Friendly Ice Cream Corp., law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf and Olan Mills Inc. The PBGC joined with unions at American Airlines earlier this year to oppose the company’s plan to terminate its pension plans. The move would have dumped billions of dollars of new obligations on the agency. American ended up freezing pensions for most workers instead of terminating them.

The American Benefits Council, which represents businesses, called the $34 billion deficit figure misleading and said it was based on faulty math. “The public should not be led to believe the PBGC is in danger of a bailout, and Congress and the Obama administration should not use this number as a pretext to raise (insurance) premiums,” the group said in a statement. The group has been critical of the PBGC. The PBGC was created in 1974 as a government insurance program for traditional employer paid pension plans. If an employer can no longer support its pension plan, the agency takes over the assets and liabilities, and pays promised benefits to retirees up to certain limits.

The agency backs defined-benefit plans, which are most prevalent in auto manufacturing, steel, airlines and other industries.The number of companies offering traditional pension plans has shrunk dramatically in recent decades. US employees increasingly have turned to defined-contribution plans such as 401 (k)s to fund their retirement. The PBGC has been in the red for 31 of its 38 years of operation. It did have surpluses in some years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when fewer companies failed.

Not long ago the S&P was on target for its second-best year in the last 10, riding a 17 percent advance in 2012. That’s been halved to about 8 percent, which isn’t bad but disappointing compared with just a month ago. Investors have been selling the year’s winners. Apple is down 25 percent from its peak above $700. General Electric is down 14 percent; Google has lost 16 percent. Overall, the stocks that make up the top 10 percent of performers in the month prior to Election Day have been the worst performers since, according to Bespoke Investment Group of Harrison, New York.

“I think it’s a good opportunity to be long stocks at these levels,” said Kumar.

Hikes on capital gains and dividend taxes are on the line, and Obama has dug in his heels on what he sees as a mandate to make the tax code more progressive. He seems to have the upper hand in dealings with Congress because Republican lawmakers don’t want to see tax rates increase, which is what will happen if no solution is found by the beginning of 2013. Republicans don’t want to take the blame for driving the economy over the cliff.

The current crisis is similar to last year’s fight to raise the US debt ceiling, which led to the downgrade of the United States’ top credit rating in early August 2011. During the dealings, the S&P 500 lost 18.8 percent between its peak in July 2011 and its bottom in August. As the market slid, the political standoff badly hurt investors’ confidence in Washington, setting off a spike in volatility.

In the end a deal was announced that raised the ceiling and put off longer-term fiscal decisions until Jan. 1, 2013, setting the stage for today’s “fiscal cliff” crisis.

After staying flat through September 2011, the S&P 500 jumped 31 percent between its October low and the end of March.

Gridlock in Washington and all that could possibly go wrong with the economy if a deal is not reached have grabbed the headlines, but the negotiations leave room for stock market gains.

Congressional leaders said Friday they will work through the Thanksgiving holiday recess to find a solution.

“The debate over how to solve (the fiscal cliff) may be more productive than is commonly recognized,” said Brad Lipsig, senior portfolio manager at UBS Financial Services in New York.

“The US is facing a major debt overhang, and serious steps toward addressing it might ultimately be viewed as a positive for future growth,” he said.

“The market may recognize this and, after a time of hand wringing, recover from the concerns with a renewed sense of optimism.” The recent selling took the S&P 500’s relative strength index - a technical measure of internal strength - below 30 this week, indicating the benchmark is oversold and due for a rebound.

The RSI in four of the 10 S&P sectors - utilities, telecoms, consumer staples and technology - is below 30 and the highest RSI reading, for the con-

Markaz get nod to invest more in Kuwait real estate KIA mandate for managing national real estate portfolio

KUWAIT: Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz) announced obtaining final approval from Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) to manage part of its National Real Estate Portfolio which invests in Kuwait’s real estate market.

Markaz said that it signed a contract with KIA to establish and manage a portfolio of real estate investments with a maximum value of KD250 million for the period of 10 years, representing 28.6% of Markaz AUM as of September 30, 2012. Fees impact on profits could not be estimated as they are decided based on the actual amount invested and the portfolio’s actual returns which will be paid quarterly in the coming years.

Markaz real estate portfolio management activities includes value-added services and aims to achieve rewarding returns by increasing economic and operational efficiency of commercial and investment real estates. Markaz also manages investments for individuals, companies and public institutions and has an extensive experience in establishing and managing portfolios.

Bassam Al-Othman, Markaz Executive Vice President MENA Real Estate said: “ We’d like to thank KIA for their trust in Markaz, which has been one of Kuwait’s investment companies that has developed an advanced corporate governance structure and keenly applied it in light of the country’s regulatory requirements in addition to international best practices. Markaz has a strong governance framework through which risk levels were identified and controlled by setting internal guidelines and sound administrative systems. Markaz has continuously been improving and strengthening its governance framework in line with international best practices and therefore received a “CGA2” Corporate Governance rating from Capital Standards Agency.”

Al-Othman added: “KIA’s decision to grant this contract to Markaz has come as a laudable step within the government’s effort towards revival and sustainability of the State of Kuwait’s economic pillars. We hope that such a step would reflect positively not only for the real estate sector but for all other economic sectors.”

Al-Othman noted that “Markaz manages real estate assets by establishing and managing real estate funds and portfolios; buying and managing revenue generating real estate; investing in properties with potential value improvement; and developing real estate across various sectors. Our team is experienced in project development and closely manages development operations by monitoring its progress, quality and cost through financial and technical reviews in addition to progress reports, field visits and workshops. Markaz also conducts extensive studies on supply and demand in local real estate market.”

Markaz has been managing real estate by pinpointing proper rent prices, increasing occupancy and raising tenants’ retention rate in addition to lowering operational costs. Markaz team conduct periodical field visits to evaluate needs and opportunities to create added value, issuing periodical reports to monitor real estates’ performance.

Since 2005, Markaz has carried several real estate activities in the MENA region with the objective of investing for the company and its client in the region’s markets. “Markaz Real Estate Opportunities Fund” manages investments in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Abu Dhabi. The fund recently exited its investment in Jordan and will distribute the investment profits during Q4 of this year. It has also been completing a real estate development project in Lebanon. Markaz has also been developing residential villas in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, aiming to achieve 20% in

Bassam Al-Othman, Executive Vice President - MENA Real Estate, Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz)

net profit. The company also acquired a plot in Al Khobar, Rawabi neighborhood and hired a design consultant with the aim to develop it into a residential apartment complex for rental targeting expatriates living in KSA. The development aims to generate gross returns in the tune of 20%.

Markaz real estate activities also include several projects in the State of Kuwait. “Markaz Real Estate Fund” was established in 2003 and aims to achieve profits on a monthly basis by investing its capital in buying and developing real estate in Kuwait. The fund received additional subscriptions totaling KD 5.02 million in Q3 2012 and deployed KD 10.25 million raising its portfolio to 38 properties. The funds NAV exceeded KD 80 million and its annual returns since inception reached 9.5% including steady monthly distributions.

Congressional leaders upbeat after meeting Obama

FRANKFURT: Specialists watch price monitors as DAX index plunged on the Bourse Frankfurt. — Photo by Sajeev K Peter

Higher taxes may not hammer dividend stocks NEW YORK: If Washington allows tax cuts to expire at the end of the year, taxes on dividends will nearly triple for the highest-paid Americans. That’s led some experts to warn of a looming collapse for popular dividend-paying stocks. When Uncle Sam charges a higher tax on something, they reason, it drives people away. But judging by the country’s previous experience taxing dividends, that may not be how things play out. “Historically, big changes in taxes just have no effect on dividend stocks,” says James Morrow, a fund manager at Fidelity Investments. “And our view is that you should lean on history.” Recent studies have examined how companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index have fared over the past half-century when taxes on dividends change. They found dividend-paying stocks performing in seemingly unpredictable ways.

Between 1990 and 1993, for example, when dividend taxes climbed to a maximum of 39.6 percent from a maximum of 28 percent, dividend-paying stocks outperformed the broader market.

“The ‘fiscal cliff’ will be a big deal for the stock market if it’s not avoided,” says Russ Koesterich, global chief investment strategist for BlackRock’s iShares group. “But it’s probably not such a big deal for many dividend-yielding stocks.” Tax increases

sumer discretionary sector, is below 40, suggesting a bounce is in store.

“What I want to do is what we did during the decline following the budget negotiations in the summer of 2011: The lower the stock market goes, the more I want to own stock,” said Brian Reynolds, chief market strategist at New York-based Rosenblatt Securities. “If we go off the cliff it will be with a bungee cord attached,” he said.

Volatility is expected to rise through the end of November and to spike in late December if no agreement on the fiscal cliff is reached in Congress.

Alongside comes opportunity for those with high risk tolerance. “Recently, volatility has increased in the market overall. You can’t really pick it up in the VIX yet, but I think as we get through November, I think you’re likely to see the VIX be at a relatively higher level,” said Bruce Zaro, chief technical strategist at Delta Global Asset Management in Boston.

In 2011, the VIX averaged 19.2 in July and 35 in August. So far this month the average is 17.8 and it is expected to spike if negotiations on the cliff drag into late next month.

“Looking at the range of possibilities, I would say any of them would be better than sitting here waiting. I would even put going off the fiscal cliff in that category,” said Jill Cuniff, president of Seattle-based Edge Asset Management Inc, which manages about $20 billion. “But we don’t believe Congress will let that happen; there’s going to be some middle ground here.” — Reuters

and government spending cuts known collectively as the “fiscal cliff” are set to take effect Jan. 1 unless Congress and President Barack Obama reach a deal first.

Obama wants to keep the tax cuts in place, including the 15 percent dividend rate, for people making less than $200,000. Republicans want to keep the tax cuts for everyone, including the 15 percent dividend rate, but have not taken a hard line on the dividend rate publicly.

Dividend payments were taxed like everyday income, meaning taxed by increasing brackets, until 2003, when Congress passed sweeping tax cuts backed by President George W. Bush.

The 2003 cuts reduced the tax on most dividends to 15 percent. If Obama and Congress can’t make a deal, and perhaps even if they can, dividends will be taxed like everyday income again.

And the top marginal income tax rate will climb back to 39.6 percent from 35 percent, where it has stood since 2003. The country’s top earners will be taxed an additional 3.8 percent on dividends to pay for the president’s health care overhaul, meaning the wealthy will pay 43.4 percent on dividends almost triple the tax they pay today. For millions of Americans, a dividend tax increase won’t matter.

Stocks in most individual retirement accounts and 401(k)s will be unaffected until years from now, when the account holders cash them in.

Fidelity Investments has estimated two years ago that a third of US stocks are held in tax-deferred accounts IRAs and 401(k)s. Another 13 percent are held by foreigners, who don’t pay US dividend taxes. It’s tricky to make any historical comparisons because nothing like this has happened before.

There has never been such a large increase on dividend taxes, partly because they have generally gone down.

The closest historical parallel is probably the early 1990s, says David McGonigle, a fund manager at Copeland Capital Management. The top income-tax rate rose from 28 percent to 31 percent in 1991, then climbed to 39.6 percent in 1993. So did higher taxes prompt investors to ditch dividend stocks?

Not at all. Between 1990 and 1993, dividend-paying stocks returned an average of 12 percent a year. The S&P 500 returned an average of 10.7 percent.

Armed with these studies, some investors are arguing that dividend-paying stocks, especially those backed by large, cash-rich companies, will remain a relatively safe bet if Congress and Obama can’t make a deal.—AP

WASHINGTON: Republican and Democratic congressional leaders emerged from a meeting with President Barack Obama on Friday pledging to find common ground on taxes and spending that would allow them to avert an upcoming “fiscal cliff” that could send the economy back into recession. The top lawmakers spoke to reporters as a group for the first time in more than a year in what aides said was a joint decision to project a message of unity. Each side at least signaled a willingness to put “on the table” issues dear to the two parties for decades, agreeing on a framework to discuss both tax and entitlement reform next year.

The two Democrats, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader in the House of Representatives, said they recognized the need to curb spending. John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the House, and Mitch McConnell, who leads the party in the Senate, said they had agreed to put “revenue on the table” as the two sides enter what are likely to be weeks of tense negotiations before a Dec 31 deadline. Starting on Jan. 2, about $600 billion worth of tax increases and spending reductions,

including $109 billion in cuts to domestic and defense programs, will begin to kick in if Congress cannot decide how to replace them with less extreme deficit-reduction measures.

Nonpartisan budget forecasters say failure to reach a deal could push the US economy back into recession and drive up the unemployment rate. Both sides are eager to reassure the public that Washington will not see a repeat of the white-knuckle budget standoffs that spooked consumers and investors last year. “We have the cornerstones of being able to work something out,” Reid said, standing outside the White House after a meeting with Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other top officials that lasted more than an hour. The S&P 500 stock index has dropped 4.7 percent since the Nov. 6 election as investors have turned their attention to the uncertainty surrounding the fiscal cliff.

But stocks closed up on Friday on hopes that politicians would find common ground to steer clear of the danger. The meeting marked the first time Obama, a Democrat, sat down with his Republican opposition since he won re-election last week. —Reuters

President Barack Obama, accompanied by House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, speaks to reporters in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. — AP

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

BUSINESS

Toyota’s worldwide Hybrid sales surpasses 1 million units in 2012 DUBAI: Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has announced that the global sales of its hybrid vehicles from January 1 through October 31, 2012 have crossed the one million units1 mark with global cumulative sales reaching 4.60 million units1.

Stating that responding to environmental issues is a management priority within the organization, and based on its belief that environment-friendly vehicles can only have a positive impact if they are used widely; Toyota has endeavored to promote the massmarket adoption of hybrid vehicles.

Nobuyuki Negishi, Chief Representative of Middle East & North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation said, “The Toyota Motor Corporation has long recognized the need for a sustainable, environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional fuel-powered motoring and for the past decade has researched diversifying fuel sources and devel-

oped environmental technologies such as hybrid technology, in which Toyota is the industry leader. This has resulted in a versatile range of Toyota hybrid vehicles which are now enabling consumers to make a single,

simple change that could have one of the biggest positive impacts on the environment to date. The increased sales of hybrid vehicles globally are a clear reflection of our success in this area.”

As of the end of October 2012, there are 19 TMC-produced hybrid passenger car models and one plug-in hybrid vehicle model available in approximately 80 countries and regions around the world. In the Middle East as of October 2012, Toyota has five hybrid passenger vehicles2 available.

Currently, approximately 14% of Toyota’s global sales are hybrid vehicles and owing to the rising awareness concerning hybrid vehicles, Globally, Toyota plans to introduce 21 new hybrid models by the end of 2015 and will make further efforts to expand the product lineup and sales territories.

Toyota calculations as of October 31, 2012 revealed that Toyota hybrid vehicles3 sold globally since 1997 have led to decreases in CO2 emissions4, considered to be a cause of climate change, of approximately 30 million fewer tons worldwide than would have been emitted by gaso-

line-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance. Toyota further estimates that its hybrid vehicles have saved approximately 11 million kilo liters of gasoline compared to gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size.

In addition to delivering low fuel economy and emissions, Toyota hybrids do not compromise on power and performance, emphasized further by Negishi who added, “Toyota Racing’s TS030 which features the innovative Toyota Hybrid System Racing recently completed the FIA World Endurance Championship season with three race victories, three pole positions and four fastest laps.”

Toyota positions hybrid technologies that enable the use of combinations of different fuels including all component technologies necessary for the development of various ecofriendly cars, as key environmental technologies for the twenty-first cen-

tury. TMC plans to continue working to further raise performance, reduce costs, and expand its product lineup to create vehicles that are popular with consumers, including the development of other types of eco-cars beyond hybrids.

In August 1997 in Japan, Toyota launched the “Coaster Hybrid EV” followed by the launch of the “Prius”, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid passenger vehicle, in December. Firstgeneration Prius sales began in 2000, followed by the second-generation Prius in 2003 and third-generation in 2009. Since then, new models such as the “Prius ?” (Prius Alpha) and the “Aqua” have been launched. Toyota has also expanded the use of its hybrid system on vehicles such as minivans, SUVs, rear-wheel-drive sedans, compact hatchbacks and other vehicle types.

Jazeera Airways winter sale continues Final week of largest sale of the year KUWAIT: Jazeera Airways yesterday announced new big savings on six destinations that will be launched tomorrow in the final week of its three-week winter sale. This week’s one-way fares start from KD 20.400, all-inclusive of taxes and charges, and are available until November 22 exclusively on jazeeraairways.com.

Jazeera Airways Vice President of Sales, Rafik Boghdady, said, “This is the last week for travelers to grab an opportunity to spend a short getaway at great fares before the end of the year and in one of the most popular destinations in the Middle East.”

The winter sale includes highdemand holiday and leisure destinations such as Dubai, Bahrain, Alexandria, Cairo, Beirut and Amman, and covers the travel period from November 18 to December 20.

This week’s Winter Sale oneway fares are (including taxes, charges, meals and 40 kilograms baggage allowance):

Bahrain From KD20.400 Dubai From KD26.800 Alexandria From KD31.100 Beirut From KD36.300 Amman From KD44.900 Cairo From KD55.400 The airline operates a two-

class cabin comprising of a Business Class and an Economy Class. Business Class travelers get both an upgraded experience

and exclusivity, starting with exclusive check-in lines, business lounge access, up to 60 kilograms in free baggage allowance, and an exclusive on-board cabin. The airline’s Economy Class offers travelers free baggage allowance

of 40 kilograms and free onboard meals with a changing menu every month.

Jazeera Airways is an IATA-

member airline and operates one of the youngest Airbus A320 fleets across the Middle East.

Established in 2005, Jazeera Airways Group is a Kuwait Stock Exchange-listed company. The company has 12 fully-owned Airbus A320s in operation, distributed between its airline business, Jazeera Airways (seven aircraft), and its fully-owned leasing business, Sahaab Aircraft Leasing (five aircraft). Sahaab has assets placed with Virgin America, SriLankan Airlines, and Jazeera Airways.

In 2011 the airline carried 1.2 million passengers in total across its network that includes today high-demand business, leisure, family, and weekend destinations such as Dubai, Bahrain, Beirut, Alexandria, Amman, Damascus, Istanbul, Sharm El Sheikh, Assiut, Luxor, Mashhad, Sohag, Jeddah, Riyadh, Cairo and Al-Najaf.

Jazeera Airways is an IATA member airline and operates one of the youngest Airbus A320 fleet in the Middle East.

Gulf Bank announces winners of 45th Al-Danah weekly draw KUWAIT: Gulf Bank held its forty-fifth Al-Danah weekly draw on November 11th, 2012, announcing a total number of ten Al Danah weekly prize draw winners, each awarded with prizes of KD 1,000.

The 45th Al Danah weekly winners are: Hadi Zaal Mozel Al-Azmi Mohammad Abdullah Fahad Al-Mutairi Faleh Said Omar Al-Bathali Amer Jawdat Khalaf Yasmeen Mohammed Hussain Al-Mousa Zahra Mohammad Abdulmohsen Mohammed Al-Ali Mostafa Mohammed Hassan Ali

Lulwah Nahabah Khalaf Hamada Laila Mahmoud Ahmad Khajah Ali Saleh Hmoud Al-Ali Gulf Bank encourages everyone in Kuwait to open an Al Danah account and/or increase their deposits to maximize their chances of becoming a winner in the upcoming weekly (KD1000 each for 10 winners) and Kd1 million draw. Gulf Bank’s Al-Danah allows customers to win cash prizes and encourages them to save money. Chances increase the more money is deposited and the longer it is kept in the account.

Al-Danah also offers a number of unique services including the Al-Danah Deposit Only

ATM card which helps account holders deposit their money at their convenience; as well as the Al-Danah calculator to help customers calculate their chances of becoming an Al-Danah winner.

To be part of the Al Danah draws, customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches, transfer on line, or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance.

Customers can also log on to www.e gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s website, to find all the information regarding Al Danah or any of the Bank’s products and services or log on www.egulfbank.com/aldanahwinners, to find out more about Al Danah and who the winners are.

Elliott Wave principles in action applied to Canadian dollar

By Kamel Mansour The first time I analyzed the Canadian dollar against the US dollar (CAD/USD), better known as the “Loonie”, was on 20th of February 2011 with a unique Elliott principles. The accuracy of this unique method that has been dormant for decades was brought to light with a new perspective.

“The task is not so much to see what no one yet has seen, but to think what nobody yet has thought about that which everyone sees. ... But life is short, and truth works far and lives long: let us speak the truth. (Arthur Schopenhauer, 1818)” Few of the excerpts of the Loonie article of 20th of February 2011 are quoted hereunder: “The market is currently forming its final five sub-waves of the ((c))... whose bottom range is estimated to be around 0.9800 - 0.9700 marks. It is just a matter of limited time now to finalize this formation where we will see a new phase, a new era in the bullishness of the US Dollar against the Loonie for many years to come.” “.....Fibonacci ratios ... applied to the Loonie ... if we take 61.8% of movement from the high on 21 November 2008 at 1.2984 to the Low in Q4-2007 at 0.9056, we end up at a level of 0.9620 marks on the Loonie ...” The USD against CAD actually bottomed on 25th of July 2011 at 0.9406 and continued appreciating for 10

weeks till 3rd of October 2011 to top at 1.0657. This movement was composed of an impulse first wave and an irregular correction of a second wave. With the elongated consolidation that took place from September 2011 to September 2012, we can rest assured that the ensuing wave will be elongated. The long term bullishness in the USD against the Loonie or the long term depreciation of the Loonie will, indeed, see swift impulse moves with excessive consolidations embedded with large swings that will deceive the investor of changes in trend. With Elliott glasses on, the path should be well guided.

History of the Loonie in Elliott Perspective Listed down were the Loonie’s movement waves and their constituent sub waves, in decreasing order, from Super Cycle, to Cycle, to Primary and to Intermediate Waves for the last half a century.

Indicators for USD Bullishness “Denying realism amounts to megalomania. (Karl Popper, 1975)” Several intriguing findings are quite essential in the analysis of this bullish market: First, the unexpected, unique and elongated consolidation was disproportionate to the impulse it underwent for the 10 weeks move from 0.9406 on 25th

of July 2011 to 1.0657 on 3rd of October 2011. This elongated sideways coiling of Intermediate wave II should act as a spring board for a strong third wave.

Second, which adds as an extra indicator to the impetus of the perusing impulse wave, was the Elongated irregular B sub wave of Intermediate II which was much higher than the top of first wave of Intermediate I. Third, the Low of Intermediate II reached at 0.9632 did not cross the first Minor wave @ 0.9551 reached on 29th of July 2011 which was part of the Intermediate I from 0.9406. This was a strong indication that the market was indeed in an overall upward trend.

Fourth, the movement from 13th of September 2012 has shown impulsive mode and the market is currently working its way in the Third Wave. We expect Intermediate III to be extended in length.

Fifth, if we have to align the movement on the depreciation of the Euro to USD with that of the depreciation of the CAD to USD, we notice that both are now in a Third Wave. In my article on the euro last 12th of August 2012, I mentioned that we would top in October 2012 and heavy selling would take place in the fourth quarter. This fell in line with the second wave bottom reached by CAD in September 2012 which has since, commenced its Third Wave.

Sixth, the final 5 sub-waves movement of Intermediate II took place between October 2011 and September 2012 in a parallel sideways channel perfectly capturing the upper and lower sub waves.

Since 3rd of October 2011, there were two counter movements upward. The first one elapsed for 4 weeks, went from 26th October 2011 at 0.9891 to 24th of November 2011 at 1.0523. The second took 6 weeks and moved from 26th April 2012 at 0.9799 to 3rd of June 2012 at 1.0446. Both of these moves did not display impulsive moves which were naturally in line with the corrective mode of C wave of Intermediate II. Yet the time element was essential for the balance of waves. Even though this was not disclosed in Elliott Waves as a principle of analysis, but it was a technical factor that could not be heeded. From the bottom made on 13th of September 2012, the market has overbalanced, in time, these previous up-moves.

Short Term Expectations The first target of Minor I of Intermediate III should be slightly higher than 1.0235 which is the distance of Intermediate I from 0.9406 on 25 July 2011 to 1.0009 on 8 August 2011 added to the end of Intermediate II reached at 0.9632 on 13 September 2012.

Burgan Bank winners of iPad 3 and Galaxy S III cards campaign KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of the winners of the bank cardholder’s monthly draw to win an iPad 3 and Samsung Galaxy SIII on it cards campaign. The lucky winners of the iPad 3 and Samsung Galaxy SIII were Fakhurddin Mohammed Merjee and Amr Al-Sayed Al-Halawani.

The winners’ announcement comes as part of Burgan Bank’s cards promotion that was launched earlier, in which every KD10 spent in Kuwait online or in stores using Burgan Bank’s cards, cardholders will be granted 1 chance to enter the draw. Customers using their cards outside Kuwait, will double their chances to entering the monthly draws.

Two winners will be announced on a monthly basis, with a total of 12. There are 6 more remaining winners that will also benefit from this draw in the coming three months.

Burgan Bank’s latest promotion is inline with its overall commitment to provide its customers with exclusive benefits that go beyond their banking needs.

To find out more about Burgan Bank’s services as well as its latest promotions, customers are required to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch or contact the call center on 1804080. For more information, customers can log on to the bank’s website on www.burgan.com.

Established in 1977, Burgan Bank is the youngest commercial Bank based in Kuwait, with a significant focus on the corporate and financial institutions sectors, as well as having a growing retail and private bank customer base.

Burgan Bank has four majority owned subsidiaries: Gulf Bank Algeria AGB (Algeria), Bank of Baghdad - BOB (Iraq), Jordan Kuwait Bank - JKB (Jordan) and Tunis International Bank - TIB ( Tunisia), (collectively known as the “Burgan Bank Group”). The Bank has continuously improved its performance over the years through an expanded revenue structure, diversified funding sources, and a strong capital base. The

adoption of state-of-the-art services and technology has positioned it as a trendsetter in the domestic market and within the MENA region.

Burgan Bank’s brand has been created on a foundation of real values - of trust, commitment, excellence and progression, to remind us of the high standards to which we aspire. ‘People come first’ is the foundation on which its products and services are developed.

Earlier this year, ‘Brand Finance’ - the international brand valuation companyrated Burgan Bank brand as AA with positive outlook. The rating places Burgan Bank Brand at 2nd amongst the most valuable bank ing brands in Kuwait.

Excellence is one of the Bank’s four key values and Burgan Bank continually strives to maintain the highest standards in the industry. The Bank was recertified in 2010 with the ISO 9001:2008 certification in all its banking businesses, making it the first bank in the GCC, and the only bank in Kuwait to receive such accreditation. The Bank also has to its credit the distinction of being the only Bank in Kuwait to have won the JP Morgan Chase Quality Recognition Award for twelve consecutive years.

Burgan Bank won the prestigious “Banking Web Awards” prize in the commercial and corporate Category for Kuwait. In 2010 Burgan Bank was awarded with the “Best Internet Banking Service award” from Banker Middle East Awards. Burgan Bank was recognized in 2011 as Kuwait’s “Best Private Bank”, by World Finance. The bank also won, in 2011, the coveted “International Platinum Star for Quality” award from Business Initiative Directions, and “ The Best Technical Award” from Banking Web Awards. In 2012, Global Bank ing and Finance Review online magazine recognized Burgan Bank as the “Best Bank ing Group in the MENA” as well as the “Best Corporate Bank in Kuwait”.

KIB offers 33% discount at Hilton Hotels & Resorts Exclusively for Visa cardholders KUWAIT: Kuwait International Bank (KIB) has recently launched its latest promotion to Visa cardholders in collaboration with Visa International. KIB Visa cardholders can now enjoy 33% discount on their stay at Hilton Hotels & Resorts in the Middle East and Africa.

Marketing Manager at KIB Tarek Al-Ajlan elaborated on the promotion and said: “KIB seeks with much enthusiasm new trends to distinguish its Visa International clients by offering them with attractive promotions that cater to their needs. Now, they are given the opportunity to enjoy up to 33% dis-

count on their stay at Hilton Hotels & Resorts in MEA by using their Visa cards” Al-Ajlan added that the promotion is valid till April 22nd, 2013 while the bookings should be placed before December 31st, 2012 through the promotional webpage: viasmiddleast.com/Hilton.

It’s worth mentioning that KIB offers to its customers a wide range of Visa cards including Al Moyassara Visa Credit Card available in both Classic and Gold, Visa Platinum Card, Al Momayaza Visa Charge Card, Visa prepaid Card and Visa Gift Card.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Afghan women learn literacy through mobile phones KABUL: Afghanistan has launched a new literacy program that enables Afghan women deprived of a basic education during decades of war to learn to read and write using a mobile phone. The phone is called Ustad Mobile (Mobile Teacher) and provides national curriculum courses in both national languages, Dari and Pashto, as well as mathematics.

All the lessons are audio-video with writing, pronunciation and phrases installed in Ustad Mobile phones-and they are distributed free to students.

Sitting on a carpet in a small Kabul classroom with a handful of women learning to read and write, 18year-old Muzhgan Nazari said the Taleban, who banned schooling for girls during their rule, were in power when she should have started her education.

“I could not go to school because the Taleban took control of Kabul city,” she said, adding that her father had also opposed his daughters attending school.

“Since I heard about this literacy training centre for women, I convinced my father and he allowed me to attend on a daily basis,” she said. Nazari is delighted with the program, which is being rolled out by a commercial provider and the ministry of education with financial backing from the United States. The Mobile Teacher software was developed

by Paiwastoon, an Afghan IT company, with $80,000 dollars in US aid and is designed to tackle one of the worst illiteracy rates in the world by riding the growing wave of mobile phone use.

Despite millions of girls now attending school, Afghanistan’s literacy rate among women remains at just 12.5 percent, compared with 39.3 percent for Afghan men, according to United Nations figures.

“This is the first time audio-visual literacy learners have the chance to receive lessons on their cellphones,” Mike Dawson, CEO of Paiwastoon said. Cell phones cheaper than computers — The company

has experience in the field, having previously managed the “One Laptop Per Child” program that handed out 3,000 computers to women and children in Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Baghlan and Jalalabad.

“We can make the job of the teachers easier by using the video and the audio and the questions and exercises,” Dawson said. “Cell phones are cheaper than any computer and people are familiar with it.

And also, the maintenance is much easier.” The free app can be installed on all mobile phones with a memory card slot and a camera. Individual lessons, which will also be made available on the ministry of education website, will teach new words and phrases. “We try to get to as many people as possible. The other thing, we can add more subjects like English, Arabic, Pashtu, health, agriculture,” Dawson added.

“For rolling out Ustad Mobile-we are looking to talk with the phone companies and the media to make people aware of the program. “We interviewed phone shop owners about the software and they are willing to install it for people like they install other software on mobiles,” Dawson said. “People don’t realize how powerful these phones are, they work like computers.” At the moment, some 100 students are using the Mobile Teacher in a pilot project in Kabul, 65 percent of them women, with plans to roll the project out across the country, the education ministry said.

“Our focus and target is mostly on uneducated women,” said director of programs, Allah Baz Jam. The ministry would do everything it could to promote the Ustad Mobile for women and would also distribute the software on CDs and DVDs, he said. At the pilot project class in Kabul, Samira Ahmadzai, a 24- yearold mother of two wearing an all-enveloping burqa, also said she had been unable to attend school

because of the Taleban. “And later, I got married. Now with the permission of my husband, I’ve come to the literacy centre to learn to read and write.”

The Taleban were ousted by a US-led invasion in 2001, and have since waged an insurgency against the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai. Today, of Afghanistan’s 8.4 million schoolchildren, 39 percent are girls, the education

ministry says. But US-led NATO troops will withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, and rights activists fear that some of the gains made by women in the past decade could be lost as Taleban pressure on the government increases. For now, though, the Mobile Teacher is bringing new hope to those who missed their chance of an education in the past.— AFP

KABUL: Afghan women sit in a class and study using mobile phones in Kabul. — AFP

For banks, cyber attacks lurk as constant threat Cybergang recruiting 100 botmasters for attacks

LOS ANGELES: An attendee plays a video game using Nintendo’s Wii U controller at E3 2012 in Los Angeles. — AP

Nintendo Wii U blows up dual-screen gaming NEW YORK: When Nintendo first broached the idea of multiple-screen video games in 2004, many critics were skeptical that players could focus on two images at once. Yet the handheld DS, blending one touch-sensitive screen with a slightly larger video display, became a runaway hit. Turns out the portable DS may have just been a dress rehearsal for Nintendo’s latest home console, the Wii U, which blows up the dual-screen concept to living-room size. It goes on sale in the US on Sunday, starting at $300.

The Wii U is the heir to the Nintendo Wii system, whose motion-based controls got couch potatoes around the world to burn calories as they swung virtual tennis rackets, bowled and flailed around in their living rooms. The new console still allows you to use your old “Wiimotes,” but its major advancement is a new controller, the GamePad, with a built-in touch screen that measures 6.2 inches diagonally.

The GamePad looks like the spawn of a tablet computer and a classic game controller.

Its surface area is a little smaller than an iPad’s, but it’s about three times as thick, largely because it has hand grips that make it more comfortable over prolonged game sessions. It has an accelerometer and gyroscope for motion-controlled games, as well as a camera, a microphone, speakers, two analog joysticks and a typical array of buttons.

It’s the touch screen that really makes the difference. In some cases, it houses functions that are typically relegated to a game’s pause screen. In others, it allows a group of people playing the same game together to have different experiences depending on the controller used. Nintendo Co. calls this “asymmetric gaming.” In the mini-game collection “Nintendo Land,” you can shoot arrows or fling throwing stars by swiping on the touch screen. One of the games in the collection, “Mario Chase,” uses the GamePad to provide a bird’s-eye view of a maze through which you can guide the hero. His pursuers - up to four players using Wiimotes - see the maze from a first-person perspective on the TV screen.

“New Super Mario Bros. U” brings the asymmetric approach to cooperative action. While Wiimote-wielding players scamper across its side-scrolling landscapes, the GamePad user can create “boost blocks” to help them reach otherwise inaccessible areas. If you’re going solo, you can play the entire adventure on the GamePad screen, freeing up the TV for family members who might want to watch something else. On a more basic level, the GamePad lets you select your next play or draw new routes for your receivers in Electronic Arts Inc’s “Madden NFL 13.” You use it to adjust strategy or substitute players in 2K Sports’“NBA 2K13.”

Ubisoft’s “ZombiU” - the best original game at launch - turns the GamePad into your “bugout bag.” It’s where you’ll find all your undeadfighting supplies, from bats and bullets to hammers and health kits. It lets you access maps and security-camera footage as you navigate the devastated streets of London. If you hold it ver-

tically, you can scan the virtual space in three dimensions to locate zombies who are lying in wait. Essentially, the GamePad functions like the bottom half of the portable DS, with triggers, buttons and the touch screen offering additional information and an added dimension of control. In this comparison, your living-room TV would be the equivalent of the DS’ top display.

It’s somewhat gimmicky: Much of the time, you can easily imagine playing with just a regular joystick. But in “ZombiU,” the GamePad adds to the atmosphere, creating the panicky feeling of scrambling around in a backpack while another undead horde approaches. The highdefinition graphics produced by the Wii U are close to those of Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 and Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3. That should bring back some of the game makers who had fled the underpowered Wii - at least until Microsoft and Sony bring out their next-generation consoles (neither company has announced any plans yet). Some fine games from the past couple of years - Warner Bros.’“Batman: Arkham City,” Electronic Arts’ “Mass Effect 3” and THQ Inc.’s “Darksiders II” - are finally coming to a Nintendo console. The enhanced GamePad controls don’t substantially alter their DNA, and if you’ve already played them on the Xbox or PS3, you aren’t missing much. But if I’d had the option to play them the first time around with the enhanced GamePad controls, I would have.

The Wii U’s online functions include video chat, its own social network and the ability to search for TV shows and movies from services such as Netflix and Hulu. These are all free. I wasn’t able to test those features before writing this review. Nintendo said Friday that many of these features won’t be available until next month.

I don’t expect the Wii U to make as big a splash as the original Wii did six years ago.

Nintendo’s competitors are dipping their toes into the dual-screen pool as well: Some Sony games link the PS3 with the handheld Vita, while Microsoft’s SmartGlass app for tablet computers adds bonus material to Xbox games such as “Halo 4” and “Forza Horizon.” Still, the Wii U goes all in on the multiscreen concept for a relatively inexpensive price. And in a world where people tweet on their iPads while watching sports or reality shows on their TVs, the whole GamePad concept feels perfectly natural.

The Wii U’s success will depend on what Nintendo and other developers do with that second screen. The early results are very promising.

ABOUT THE WII U The basic Wii U model, with 8 gigabytes of internal storage, costs $300. The deluxe set, with 32 GB, “Nintendo Land” and a charging stand for the controller, costs $350. It comes to the US on Sunday, later this month in Europe and Dec 8 in Japan. Both versions come with the GamePad, but you’ll need to snag oldschool Wii controllers from older Wiis or buy them separately.— AP

MINNEAPOLIS: When denial-of-service cyberattacks were jamming up major bank websites in September, the public disruption made headlines.

But in the sketchy recesses of the underground Web, something potentially much more damaging was apparently brewing. IT security company RSA noted in an Oct 4 blog post that a cybergang linked to Eastern Europe was recruiting about 100 botmasters for a planned “blitzkrieg-like series of Trojan attacks” on 30 US financial institutions. The weapon was dubbed Gozi Prinimalka, a mutation of the Gozi financial malware that has bedeviled banks for several years now.

RSA analyst Mor Ahuvia, in Israel, blogged that if the project materialized it would be “the largest coordinated attack on American financial institutions to date.” The Gozi rumblings illustrate the significant challenge banks face defending against myriad shifting cyberthreats. The denial-of-service attacks inconvenienced customers and made a statement. But Gozi, like its older cousin Zeus and other financial malware, is about draining money right out of accounts. It’s a subject banks have been loath to discuss.

RSA, the security division of tech giant EMC Corp in Massachusetts, wouldn’t release the list of targets.

But Internet security firm Trend Micro Inc. in Cupertino, Calif., provided a list that includes 26 companies including Charles Schwab and Scottrade as well as several of the country’s top banks. Wells Fargo & Co and US Bank declined to comment for this story.

The Gozi cyberheist isn’t targeting bank networks. It goes after customers banking online, and siphons money from accounts by essentially taking them over without victims knowing it.

Gozi allows cyberthieves to steal a company’s online banking credentials to gain access to their business accounts, impersonating both the victim and the financial institution. Detection is very difficult. “It’s the scariest way that they commit fraud,” said Ryan Elmer, an account executive at Total Networx Inc., an IT security company in Burnsville, Minn, that’s focused on banks. The malware can lurk in email attachments, for instance, or be embedded in poisonous websites that victims unwittingly browse.

Cyberthieves looting company bank accounts by taking them over - dubbed corporate account takeover - is a top fraud concern of banks. Gozi is the latest tactic in corporate account takeover, according to Total Networx. Increasingly, attacks target smallbusiness bank customers. They’re an attractive target. Small companies typically lack the IT resources and controls of large ones. And unlike individual bank customers with a checking account, businesses wire large sums of money around and use the electronic Automated Clearing House to handle such transactions as payroll.

Corporate account takeovers caused losses of at least $45 million last year, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The FBI says it’s investigating about 230 reported cases of such fraud, involving the attempted theft of more than $255 million, with actual losses around $85 million. Last month, hackers stole more than $400,000 from a Bank of America account held by the town of Burlington, Wash, near Seattle.

Ahuvia, at RSA, said the thieves behind the purported Gozi campaign are targeting US financial institutions partly because they don’t use a second layer of authentication - an added security measure beyond a login and password - for private banking customers to the extent banks in Europe do. Federal bank regulators last year recommended banks use multiple layers of authentication, but it’s not a mandate.

What’s notable about the latest Gozi version, she said, is the degree to which it can impersonate an account holder, duplicating the victim’s complete PC settings in an attempt to deceive the bank’s backend security systems. The scheme involves phoneflooding software to block victims from getting a call or text message from the financial institution that would verify online account activity.

Cyber security expert Brian Krebs blogged that he thinks RSA’s findings are linked to a Russian hacker nicknamed “vorVzakone” who communicated on

underground forums in September that he was planning Project Blitzkrieg. Curiously, a man claiming to be vorVzakone posted a gloomy video of himself on YouTube driving a Toyota Land Cruiser and giving a tour of a two-level suburban-style house he said was his home. Krebs aptly described him as a “stocky bald guy in sunglasses.”

Tech security circles have buzzed about the timing of the potential Gozi spree, which was expected to hit as early as this month. There are plenty of skeptics. In a recent interview, Daniel Cohen, RSA’s head of business development for Online Threats Managed Services, said the Gozi blitzkrieg may be off altogether. “The leader of this attack campaign has since posted within the underground forums that he has canceled his plans, though we suspect he has probably gone deeper underground,” Cohen said via email. “They may very well attempt to regroup and launch the same campaign but with more secrecy.

We are continuing to monitor the forums for any developments.”

Doug Johnson, vice president of risk management policy at the American Bankers Association, said he couldn’t help but laugh at the vorVzakone video. But whether or not you think the big Gozi heist is real, it must be taken seriously, he said. “We’re aware clearly that the overall cyberthreat environment is escalating,” Johnson said. “We are practicing an extra level of diligence.” Whether the blitzkrieg is a go, Elmer said he’s staying on high alert. Threat levels change, but the threats never permanently vaporize, he said.

“Cybercriminals will share their exploits with one another and all it takes is another ringleader to take the ball and run with it,” Elmer said. “Also we will oftentimes see threats being recycled, where hacks that were popular five years ago are modified and rereleased.” Total Networx customers, primarily community banks, have generally protected their networks,

he said. The bigger problem is the banks’ corporate customers who have looser security, he said. “What banks have really been after is something that can cheaply and effectively put their users in a bubble,” Elmer said.

His company has devised a way to effectively segregate users from the bank network, he said. He said he couldn’t divulge details. Before the latest Gozi threat he expected to set up about 1,000 such segregations in six months. If Gozi materializes, it could be four to five times that, he said. It represents progress, he said. Banks have often kept the problem secret; it’s easier to put the lost money back into a customer account and move on. Now trade associations, regulators and the FBI are pushing to get all banks to discuss the problem with their customers. The various entities have started the push to make sure every bank is broaching the topic with customers. “Up until this point,” he said, “there were only a handful of banks that were comfortable talking about it with their customers.”

MODERN BANK ROBBERS An Eastern European cybergang supposedly has been gathering recruits in recent months to wage a large-scale attack that would drain money from customer accounts at 30 US financial institutions.

HOW IT WORKS: The Gozi malware lets thieves impersonate both a financial institution and its customer, making detection difficult.

WHO’S BEHIND IT: Underground forums have pointed to a Russian hacker nicknamed “VorVzakone.”

STATUS: Recent UnderWeb posts suggest the attack is off for now, but cybercriminals like to stay unpredictable. — MCT

‘Do Not Track’ privacy effort at crossroads WASHINGTON: A movement by privacy activists to curb tracking of Internet users’ browsing habits scored a major victory last month when Microsoft launched its new browser with “do not track” as the default, or automatic setting. But some advertisers are in revolt against the move, certain websites are skirting the Microsoft effort and the debate over online privacy and tracking is heating up. The controversy stems from practices used by websites and marketing partners to track browsing activity to be able to deliver ads targeted to individuals.

The ad industry argues that tracking is done anonymously without violating privacy, but some say it is easy to connect the person’s anonymous IP address or mobile device to a real person.

“It is trivial to make those connections,” says Jim Brock, a former Yahoo! executive who now heads a venture called PrivacyFix which offers browser plug-ins for privacy and other services to consumers and businesses. Websites and mobile device use a variety of software to determine a user’s browsing habits. Marketers can then use that data for “behavioral ads” designed with people’s habits in mind. In some cases, these electronic tags can pre dict if a consumer is price-sensitive, allowing sellers to charge more or less for a product or service.

Privacy activists say a simple Web search can make consumers a target for marketers, and that viewing certain websites may identify them as homosexuals, AIDS patients or suffering from another disease. “That is one of the scariest things, and it shakes people’s faith in the mar-

keting industry,” Brock said. “There is very little protection for targeting based on health conditions.

This is information that can get in the hands of insurance companies and employers who might not use it in a way we would expect.” Most Web browsers allow users to activate a “do not track” privacy feature, and Microsoft designed its Internet Explorer 10 with the feature as the default setting.

“We believe consumers should have more control over how data about their online behavior is tracked, shared, and used,” Microsoft chief privacy officer Brendon Lynch said in announcing the move. Advertisers see the issue differently, arguing that Microsoft should not make the decision for consumers. The Digital Advertising Alliance, a consortium of the largest US media and marketing associations, told its members they can ignore or override the default settings in Microsoft or other browsers.

“The trade associations that lead the DAA do not believe that Microsoft’s IE10 browser settings are an appropriate standard for providing consumer choice,” said the alliance, which includes the Better Business Bureau. “Machine-driven do not track does not represent user choice; it represents browser-manufacturer choice.” Yahoo! has also broken ranks with Microsoft, saying it “will not recognize” the “do not track” settings by default. —AFP LOS ANGELES: Microsoft Corp’s new Surface tablet computer is displayed at Hollywood’s Milk Studios in Los Angeles. — AP

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

health & science

Report: Steps can reduce preterm births, a little WASHINGTON: For all the miracle stories of tiny preemies who survive, the sad reality is that scientists know far too little about what triggers premature birth and how to prevent it. And despite some recent progress, the US has a far higher rate of preterm births than other similar nations.

On Thursday, an international coalition said there are a handful of proven protections - and if the US and other developed countries do a better job of using them, together they could keep 58,000 babies a year from being born too soon.

That’s a blip in the global epidemic of prematurity: About 15 million preterm babies are born every year, most of them in Africa and parts of Asia where the priority is to improve care of these fragile newborns. More than 1 million premature infants die, mostly in developing countries, and survivors can suffer lifelong disabilities.

But in wealthier countries, where sophisticated medical care already keeps most preemies alive, the focus is shifting to how to prevent these births in the first place. Nearly 1 in 10 births across the developed world are preterm, and about 1 in 8 in the US. Only recently have rates begun leveling off or dropping in many of these countries after years of steady increases.Thursday’s report makes clear just how hard additional progress on that

front will be - projecting an average 5 percent drop in preterm birth rates across the highest-income countries by 2015, if they follow the new advice.

“Shockingly, very little reduction is currently possible,” specialists with the World Health Organization, Save the Children, US National Institutes of Health, March of Dimes and other groups reported in The Lancet. But even that improvement would translate into about $3 billion in annuals savings from medical bills and lost productivity, the group calculated. Nearly half that savings would be in the US. The bigger message: It’s time for a major scientific push to figure out the causes of preterm birth and find some better ways to intervene.

“I don’t think it’s hopeless at all,” said report co-author Dr. Catherine Spong, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at NIH who points to clues that infections and inflammation affecting the mother play a yet-to-be-understood role.

Because healthier babies grow into healthier adults, “if you could improve pregnancy outcomes, you could improve the health of the nation, quite honestly,” she added.

Over half a million US babies are born premature, before completion of the 37th week of pregnancy. That’s 11.7 percent of the babies born in 2011, the lowest rate of preterm birth in a decade and down from a peak of

12.8 percent in 2006, the March of Dimes reported earlier this week.

Contrast that with Japan and Sweden, where fewer than 6 percent of births are premature, or Canada and Britain where fewer than 8 percent are.

Last spring, this same international coalition provided the first country-bycountry estimates of preterm births and recommended some inexpensive steps that developing countries could take to improve preemie survival.

Thursday’s follow-up analyzed trends in developed countries, to come up with advice on preventing prematurity.

The report recommends: Nearly eliminating the practice of inducing labor and C-sections scheduled much ahead of mom’s due date unless they’re medically necessary. Much of the recent US improvement comes from reducing elective early deliveries, leading to a drop in “late preemies,” babies born a few weeks early.

Helping women to quit smoking.

Smoking at some point during pregnancy varies widely, from 10 percent in Canada to 23 percent in the US and 30 percent in Spain, the report found.

Providing regular injections of the hormone progesterone to certain women at high risk, largely because of a prior preterm birth. A recent NIH survey of obstetricians found just 21 percent of eligible patients received the shots. Putting a stitch into the cervix of

TRENTON: New Jersey Gov Chris Christie during a news conference in Trenton, NJ. Threatened with repeal just weeks ago, President Barack Obama’s healthcare law now appears on track in close to half the states. —AP certain high-risk women, those who have what’s called a short cervix. * Using just one embryo, not multiples, when in vitro fertilization is used.

The impact would vary. The US could see an 8 percent drop in its preterm birth rate by 2015 if it fully implemented these steps, the report estimated, while countries such as Sweden that already have far fewer preemies would see their rates inch down only slightly more, by about 2 percent. Having one preemie greatly increases the risk for another. Other risk factors include pregnancy before age 17 or over 40, and the mother’s

own health conditions, such as being underweight or overweight, or having diabetes or high blood pressure. That’s why it’s so important for women to have good care, not only early in pregnancy, but before they conceive, said the March of Dimes’ Christopher Howson. But all those factors explain only a portion of preterm birth. NIH’s Spong pointed to efforts to understand how vaginal infections and inflammation may help trigger preterm labor. Another mystery: Why AfricanAmerican women are at higher risk, with a preterm birth rate of about 17 percent compared to under 11 percent among white women, Howson said.

Still, many women don’t know that there are some protections, said Nikki Fleming of suburban Charlotte, NC, who benefited from two of the steps recommended in Thursday’s report and tries to spread the word. Fleming’s first baby, Lauren, was born at 26 weeks, weighing just over 2 pounds and spending her first five months in the hospital. Fortunately Lauren, now a healthy 8-year-old, fared well. But Fleming’s next pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.

Her doctor determined that she would benefit from that cervical stitch as well as the progesterone shots. The result: two healthy full-term babies. “I appreciate that they didn’t treat it like an isolated incident,” Fleming said. — AP

Hormone may help protect monogamous relationships Study uncovers surprising new property of oxytocin

KAMPALA: An isolation unit to care for impeding victims at Nyimbwa Sub County Health Centre IV 60 kilometers (40 miles) from the Uganda capital Kampala. Scores of Ugandans were isolated on Thursday to prevent the spread of a new outbreak of Ebola which has already killed three people. — AP

Sky Harbor woman has mental health issues, says mother PHOENIX: The 21-year-old woman who crashed through a gate at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and drove on the runway with her infant son in the car has a history of mental illness, her mother says.

The security breach was the latest in a series of similar mishaps across the country that have raised questions whether the nation’s airports are truly secure. The woman rammed the partially open airport gate around 10 pm Thursday and started crossing the runway, police spokesman Sgt. Trent Crump said. Officers forced the car to stop after a few minutes and detained the driver.

The airport said no aircraft were nearby at the time and no passengers were in immediate danger. Airport operations were stopped for about 15 minutes. KoKo Nicole Anderson, from nearby Mesa, was booked into jail on aggravated DUI and criminal damage charges. Police suspect she had taken an unknown drug and don’t believe she was impaired from alcohol. A drugrecognition expert was called to the scene shortly after her arrest.

However, the woman’s mother, Bebe Anderson, told The Associated Press late Friday that she doesn’t believe her daughter was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. She explained that her daughter has a history of mental illness. “She’s not going to be stable until she gets on medication.

I’m so scared. I’m at a loss of how to help her,” Bebe Anderson said, noting that her daughter suffers from a bi-polar disorder.

“I’m just really hoping someone can advocate for her.” Police told television station KPHO that they were aware of the younger Anderson’s possible mental health issues and that she would be evaluated.

Her child - a 2-month-old boy - was in a car seat. He wasn’t hurt and has been turned over to relatives. Crump said Anderson was so impaired she didn’t even know her son was in the car.

“We don’t believe her intent was to harm here,” Crump said. “We believe it’s impairment and poor decision making.”

Such incidents are troublesome because a vehicle that crashed into a jetliner landing or taking off could cause a catastrophe, whether it was an intoxicated driver behind the wheel or a terrorist, said Jeff Price, an aviation professor at the Metropolitan State University of Denver and former assistant security director at Denver International Airport. Airports in general need to think about adding barriers that automatically pop up if an unauthorized vehicle enters a gate as part of an overall upgrade of perimeter security that also includes better detection systems, he said. He noted that

Sky Harbor meets federal security standards.

The incident was the latest involving vehicles crashing through the Phoenix airport’s gates or fences and getting onto its runways. Sky Harbor spent $10 million to upgrade its perimeter security and access gates after a man being chased by police in 2005 crashed a stolen pickup through a gate and drove onto the runways, passing several jets on a taxiway. In 2003, two teens in a stolen car crashed through a perimeter fence and drove onto the airfield. Both incidents caused brief closure of aircraft operations.

In Thursday night’s incident, an airport operations worker was testing the gate when the small sedan crashed through, Sky Harbor spokeswoman Deborah Ostreicher said. The worker promptly notified police and the control tower, which ordered a halt to air traffic operations. As the car made it onto a runway, Anderson lost control, then took off again, Crump said. A police probable cause statement said she then hit a portable toilet and kept driving until an officer rammed her car and caused it to spin around and crash into a fence. Police found Anderson in the car with a pacifier in her mouth. All she told officers was that she wanted her flip-flop shoe.

The airport’s operators are satisfied with its fence security and Sky Harbor exceeds federal security standards, Ostreicher said.

She said the airport has no plans to beef up fence security, but will work with federal authorities to see if there are other things the airport could be doing. “The important thing to know here is that what was supposed to happen happened,” Ostreicher said. Ostreicher conceded it’s possible that Anderson could have reached a plane, but also noted that there was no aircraft leaving or departing the area at the time.

Similar examples have occurred at airports around the country. A man crashed his SUV through a locked gate at Philadelphia International Airport on March 1 and drove down a runway at speeds of more than 100 mph as a plane was fast approaching him from behind. The incident caused a major disruption, forcing air traffic controllers to put dozens of flights into holding patterns and delaying the departures of dozens more. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

In Grand Junction, Colombia, a driver smashed through a fence while under the influence of alcohol in 2008 before getting stuck atop electrical equipment. And in September, an apparently mentally unstable woman drove through a fence onto the West Oahu Kalaeloa Airport in Hawaii and asked to see the airplanes. — AP

LOS ANGELES: If retired Army Gen David H Petraeus had gotten an occasional dose of supplemental oxytocin, a brain chemical known to promote trust and bonding, he might still be director of the Central Intelligence Agency, new research suggests. A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience has uncovered a surprising new property of oxytocin, finding that when men in monogamous relationships got a sniff of the stuff, they subsequently put a little extra space between themselves and an attractive woman they’d just met.

Oxytocin didn’t have the same effect on single heterosexual men, who comfortably parked themselves between 21 and 24 inches from the comely female stranger. The men who declared themselves in “stable, monogamous” relationships and got a dose of the hormone chose to stand, on average, about 6 { inches farther away. When researchers conducted the experiment with a placebo, they found no differences in the distance that attached and unattached men maintained from a woman they had just met.

Even when an attractive woman was portrayed only in a photograph, the monogamous men who received oxytocin put a bit more distance between themselves and her likeness. But when the new acquaintance was a man, administration of oxytocin did not prompt attached men to stand farther away than single men, the researchers reported. The latest findings suggest that oxytocin, which floods the body in response to orgasm, early romance, breast-feeding and childbirth, may act more subtly in humans than has been widely understood.

A mounting body of recent research suggests that boosting oxytocin in the human brain will indiscriminately promote trusting,

friendly behavior. Research on female prairie voles has suggested the chemical might play some role in pair-bonding, and in humans playing games of risk and power, it increased empathy and trust in males and females alike.

Injected into the cerebrospinal fluid of male rats, oxytocin causes spontaneous erections.

Accordingly, researchers examining oxytocin’s effects on people - including the authors of the latest study - assumed that men under its influence would draw closer to women, not farther away. “This was quite surprising,” said Dr. Rene Hurlemann, a psychiatrist at the University of Bonn in Germany, who led the study. At the same time, the new findings make evolutionary sense, Hurlemann added: As human societies evolved to give men an increasing role in safeguarding and supporting their mates and offspring, it appears that oxytocin may have taken on a more discriminating role in human interaction by favoring staying over straying behavior among men who’ve already found a mate. Paul Zak, founding director of Claremont Graduate University’s Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, said the new findings squared nicely with research, including his own, suggesting oxytocin doesn’t merely make people friendlier - it makes them more empathetic, more attuned to social cues, and more inclined to adjust their behavior accordingly.

But the study also suggests something important about the ways in which the human brain differs from those of other animals, said Zak, who was not involved in the German experiments. “The finding that one’s relationship status affects how oxytocin affects the brain provides some evidence that our brains evolved to form long-term romantic relationships,” Zak said. “Hugh Hefner is the exception, not the role model for men.”

Inhaled oxytocin was marketed until 1997 in the United States under the name Syntocinon as an aid to new mothers having difficulty with breast-feeding. (It was withdrawn for business reasons unrelated to safety concerns.) In recent years, it has been under investigation as a drug that may help those with autism or schizophrenia to strengthen social skills. Oxytocin’s effects in women are quite clear. It plays a pivotal role in childbirth (its infused synthetic form, called Pitocin, is used to induce labor) and in breast-feeding, where it facilitates the “letdown” of milk.

For men, however, the chemical’s effects have been mysterious. High levels of testosterone, for instance, inhibit the release of oxytocin. Asked whether an oxytocin nasal spray might be used to help philandering males resist temptation, Hurlemann chuckled and asked whether any drug could be so powerful.

At the same time, he underscored that high levels of oxytocin or its more masculine counterpart, the hormone vasopressin - are produced by the body in response to sexual activity, cuddling or even the touch or close physical presence of a mate.

“What we actually simulate is a kind of post-coital posture” with the nasal administration of oxytocin, Hurlemann said. “And why should you actually approach another women when you’re in a post-coital situation? It doesn’t make much sense.” For women whose partners seem to get a little too friendly with new female acquaintances at parties, he said, the effects of inhaled oxytocin might be achieved by other means. “It might make a lot of sense to remind him of the relationship, and sexual activity might be one means of achieving this,” Hurlemann said. “I’m not sure it’s politically correct to say so, but from a biological point of view, it makes sense.”— MCT

Obama’s health care law advances in the states

WASHINGTON: Threatened with repeal just weeks ago, President Barack Obama’s healthcare law now appears on track in close to half the states, with others playing catch-up and the administration readying a fallback for states not wishing to participate.

Friday was the original deadline for states to notify Washington if they would play a role in building new health insurance markets through which the uninsured can get coverage starting in 2014.

Though the administration granted a month’s extension, most states have already made their intentions known. As of Friday, 23 states plus Washington, D.C., were proceeding; 15 said they’d defer to the federal government to run their markets and 12 were still mulling over their options. The mostly blue group proceeding included five Republican-led states. The undecided included several states that seemed to be moving toward an active role.

“Postelection it’s really been ‘game on,’” said Kelly Barnes, leader of the health care group at the PricewaterhouseCoopers consulting firm. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney had vowed to begin dismantling “Obamacare” his first day in office. But Romney

lost, and instead GOP governors are scrambling to see if they can find an accommodation with the administration after two years of fighting the president’s signature law. “The president won the election...and New Jersey is going to comply with the Affordable Care Act,” Republican Gov Chris Christie said Friday. Christie said he still has questions about costs and is weighing his decision. Earlier this year he vetoed legislation creating a state exchange, as the new insurance markets are called. A check by The Associated Press found that 16 states plus Washington, DC, want to build their own exchanges.

Starting Jan. 1, 2014, individuals, families and small businesses will be able to buy private coverage through an exchange in their state, with most consumers getting government assistance to pay premiums.

The exchanges will also help steer low-income, uninsured people into expanded Medicaid programs in many states. Another seven states have indicated they want to partner with Washington to build their exchanges. Ohio joined this group Friday and West Virginia officials said they’re heading in the same direction. Fifteen mostly Republican-led states say they’ll

defer to the federal government to build and run their markets.

Georgia and Wisconsin formally joined that group Friday. However, New Hampshire, where Democrats

won control of the state House in the election, is taking a second look at its decision to default to the feds. Finally, another 12 undecided states now have until Dec. — AP

This undated image provided by Bloom Health shows the Bloom Health website. In a major shift in employer-sponsored health insurance coverage, companies such as Sears Holdings Corp and Darden Restaurants Inc are giving employees a fixed amount of money and allowing them to choose their own coverage based on their individual needs. —AP

health & science

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

Dar Al-Shifa Hospital introduces VisuMax - Kuwait’s First KUWAIT: Dar Al Shifa Hospital proudly announced yesterday the arrival of the world’s most technologically advanced laser vision correction machine, the VisuMax. With the latest model of the VisuMax introduced by the hospital for the first time in Kuwait, patients can look forward to receiving optimal levels of superior state-of-the-art ophthalmology and optical services.

VisuMax, which has been developed by renowned Carl Zeiss Meditec, is the logical enhancement of its product range, and marks another step into the future of corneal surgery. The machine uses the Mel80 innovation, which has been designed to make the correction of vision defects even safer, more patient-friendly and individual. The innovative femtosecond laser system brings together perfectly coordinated components to provide maximum cutting precision, efficiency, predictability and comfort. The machine is considered as the ideal platform for therapeutic and refractive applications of cuttingedge corneal surgery, including Flap, Keratoplasty, Incision for ICR and ReLEx. With Flap, the machine utilizes Femto-LASIK and laser blended vision for treating presbyopic patients, and stands out as a flap cutter. It provides predictable flap thickness and adjustable geometries. Moreover, VisuMax offers a broad spectrum of corneal transplant procedures, including lamellar and penetrating keratoplasty.

High-precision cutting quality and rapid incision progress enable the preparation of precision corneal grafts and ideal preparation of the recipient’s cornea.

The machine also impresses with its femtosecond laser technology for the implantation of intracorneal rings. It even permits inclined cutting geometries and ring tunnels smaller than 360∞ and offers a previously unachieved degree of flexibility when defining the tunnel parameters. With the minimally invasive refractive procedure, ReLEx smile, VisuMax enables a new, flapless technique. In a single step, the femtosecond laser creates the refractive lenticule, and the access through which

the lenticule is extracted.

A specially designed spherically curved contact glass is used during the procedure, which prevents unnecessarily high rise in intraocular pressure and temporary vision loss during the procedure. The result is a fast, safe and comfortable procedure.

world of refractive surgery, and one which employs high-performance femtosecond laser technology which is characterized by its outstanding cutting precision, unsurpassed speed and gentle treatment techniques. All the parameters of this high-precision laser machine are geared to increasing effi-

using the VisuMax is up to 80% smaller.

This means that the majority of the upper corneal layers remain untouched when using the machine. Moreover the lamellar incision area is roughly 1/3 smaller compared to Femto-Lasik.

Dr. Al Zafiri also noted that: “The benefits of the VisuMax are extensive.

With a laser pulse rate of 500 kHz, the VisuMax sets new standards of efficiency in corneal surgery. It combines excellent accuracy with best-in-class speed and treatment comfort in performing advanced femtosecond laser applications, short procedures, enhanced workflow and high patient throughput. It further allows surgeons to create 3D cuts within the cornea, essentially increasing predictability of refractive surgery due to less tissue destruction and better ambient conditions.

Dr. Yousef Al Zafiri, Dar Al Shifa Hospital’s Ophthalmology Consultant, and one of the few highly qualified practitioners in this field said: “We are proud to introduce to Kuwait for the first time the latest version of the VisuMax machine. This new pioneering technology is significantly shaping the

ciency, achieving optimum treatment results and rapid visual recovery.”

“The latest version of the machine delivers excellent clinical outcomes coupled with the potential for a unique optimized work flow for our surgeons and improved comfort for our patients.

The hospital now has full capacity to establish comprehensive vision correction services, while also offering corneal therapeutic applications,” added Dr Al Zafiri.

In a study conducted in the United States recently, 85% of all patients who experienced the VisuMax have achieved uncorrected visual acuity of 20/20 and better after 3 months, in which stability included no regression. The overall results are very close to target refraction, where 97% of eyes refractive outcome is within +/-0.5D. Doctors have also found that patients’ side-cut area

For patients, flying spot laser where the eye tracker’s response time is shorter than the time between two consecutive laser pulses, while also benefitting from comfortable treatment, as well as rapid vision recovery. Moreover, for eye care specialists, the VisuMax machine offers a broad portfolio of applications, and the machine can be easily combined with the femtosecond system. For workflow, the machine provides seamless data transfer, shorter start-up time, and swivel-type patient supporting system.”

The machine is currently found across Saudi Arabia (4 machines), Bahrain (2 machines), Egypt (2 machines), the UAE (2 machines) and now, for the first time in Kuwait. Dar Al Shifa Hospital’s latest initiative demonstrates its responsibility to its patients and its overall commitment towards providing a better life to them.

Jellyfish tentacles inspire DNA chains to snag dangerous cells LOS ANGELES: Jellyfish have inspired ideas for bird-safe wind turbines and artificial hearts. Now a team of researchers has drawn insight from a jellyfish’s tentacles to design a better way to capture dangerous cancer cells roving through the bloodstream.

Cancer cells are often most threatening when they break off from their original site and start invading other parts of the body, a process called metastasis. To find out if that’s happening in a patient, doctors often look for them in a sample of blood.

Current methods often try to filter these cells out of the bloodstream by running a tiny amount of blood through a channel in a microfluidic device. The channel is coated with antibodies that can latch on to specific proteins on a cancer cells’ surface. But the antibodies are simply too short - just a few nanometers in length - to catch much in the flowing liquid, especially since whole cells can be 10 to 30 micrometers long (a micrometer is 1,000 nanometers).

A study published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences looked to nature for a solution to this intractable problem. Senior author Jeffrey Karp, a bioengineer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University thought about the way marine animals like jellyfish and sea cucumbers use long tentacles or arms with sticky patches to snag tiny prey out of the water. Thus inspired, they designed a device with long chains of DNA made out of aptamers - repeating, “sticky” blocks of DNA - specially made to latch on to a protein called tyrosine kinase 7, which is found in certain leukemia cells as well as in lung and colon cancers.

The researchers also cut the flow surface into a herringbone pattern, causing the flowing blood to swirl around rather than go straight through; that made any cancer cells more likely to get snared by the DNA tentacles. Karp and his colleagues found they could push fluid through 10 times faster than previous systems allowed. They also showed that their bio-inspired device can catch up to 80 percent of target cells. Scaling the technology up could increase the flow rate 100-fold and make it practical for future use in hospitals.

And since the tentacles can also be severed with enzymes, the captured cancer cells can be freed and recovered in the sample for later analysis, the study pointed out. Since different aptamers can snag different types of proteins, the technology could prove useful for finding a number of different cancers. It may also be able to capture free-floating fetal cells in a pregnant woman’s bloodstream, the researchers said. Identifying these metastatic cancer cells earlier would help doctors personalize their patients’ treatment. And for leukemia patients, it could one day help doctors see whether a treatment is working without resorting to painful bone marrow sampling. — MCT

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

WHAT’S ON

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! This summer, 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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Announcement Basketball Academy he new Premier Basketball Academy offers coaching and games every Friday and Saturday from 10 am onwards for 6 to 18 year olds, boys and girls. Located in Bayan Block 7, Masjed Al-Aqsa Street by Abdullah Al-Rujaib High School. Free Basketball and Tee Shirts for all participants, with certificates and special awards on completion of each 6 week course. Qualified and experienced British and American Coaches, Everyone Welcome.

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Goan Culinary Club he Goan Culinary Club - Goa encourages you to log on to their website where you can find a video of Odette and Joe Mascarenhas sharing their thoughts on Goan cuisine. These videos were recorded at the launch of the Goan Culinary Club in Goa on March 3, 2012. Thanks to support from all at the Goan Culinary Club, we have made great progress in six months.

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Suhaani Shaam fter hosting ‘Bappi Lahiri Live Concert’ Indian Cultural Society brings you live excitement & entertainment with renowned young Ghazal Maestro Jaswinder Singh for romantic geet & ghazal.

An evening accompanied by laughter machine & Hindi poet sardar Manjit Singh. Special guest of honor & attraction from Bollywood will be famous film actress Raveena Tandon. Join us on 30th Nov at 7 pm at Dr. Kamil Al Rays Auditorium AIS - near police station Maidan Hawally, Kuwait.

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Arabic courses WARE will begin Winter 1 Arabic language courses with new textbooks and curricula will begin on 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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Scrumptious Sandwich Day at India International School n 7th November under the auspices of Shifana Muizz K.G HOS and her team of dedicated teachers ‘Sandwich Day’ was organized for the creative Tiny Tots of UKG. It was indeed an awe inspiring day for the spectators to watch cor-don-bleu cooks of UKG dressed up perfectly and smartly. A warm welcome was given to

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the Director Malayil Moosa Koya and Principal F.M. Basheer Ahmed by the little master chefs.

It was truly amazing to see the Tiny Tots in full spirits to display their cooking skill in an extraordinary style. This was evident in the variety of Sandwiches that were prepared by the little master. From vegetarian to non-vegetarian, from fish

to chicken and panel sandwich, appetizing apple and corn salad and succulent falooda ice-cream. Teachers and students enjoyed to the fullest and made the day a memorable one.

The occasion was graced by the presence of Director Malayil Moosa Koya and Principal F.M. Basheer Ahmed. We at India International School are relentlessly

identifying the talent in students, grooming and nurturing them in multiple skills and providing a platform with a strong founding to become global citizens.

Winter 2012 AMIE examination

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he AMIE Winter 2012 examinations will be held between Dec 01-07, 2012 as follows:

Section A (Diploma) - December 1-4, 2012 Section A (Non-Diploma) - December 1-7, 2012 Section B - December 1-7, 2012 The last date for submission of examination application forms are given hereunder: Candidates not appeared at Summer 2012 Exam: Aug 21 - Sept 21, 2012 Candidates appeared at Summer 2012 Exam: Sept 21 - Oct 19, 2012.

Candidates who intend to appear for the Winter 2012 examination must apply directly to Kolkata by filling the prescribed application form along with requisite amount of demand draft in favour of The Institution of Engineers (India), payable in Kolkata.

Food for the crowd

Agility introduces Arabic website gility, a leading global logistics provider, launched its Arabic-language website on October 30, to cater to Arabic-speaking customers, partners, and shareholders in the Middle East and North Africa. The website has been designed to allow Arabic speakers convenient access to the latest company news, range of products and services, specialized solutions, and other related business and investor information. “We are a global company that operates in more than 100 countries, but we have strong local roots in the countries in which we operate. This is especially true in the Middle East, where we got our start as a company. Our Arabic website is part of our ongoing commitment to serving our customers in the Middle East and North Africa, and to maintaining open communication with our shareholders and partners,” said Elias Monem, Agility’s CEO for the Middle East and Africa.

With the newly introduced Arabic version, Agility’s website is now available in four languages, including English, French and German.

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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

10,000 plates of food is a habit for chef Pazhayidom

By Sunil Cherian azhayidom Mohanan Namboothiri is busy 365 days with making food. Over this weekend, he was in Kuwait to prepare a 26-itemed food for Kuwait Engineers Forum (KEF) annual celebration. 1,600 was the number on Friday for KEF, but the number of gourmets can go up to 10,000 depending on the crowd he is catering to. Kerala Youth Festival has been inviting this man’s team for the past 9 years.

With seminars, camps and weddings, Namboothiri’s Pazhayidom Food Sensations at Kurichithanam, near Kottayam, is busy 24/7.

How has he gained trust and taste of the thousands, even across the oceans? Pazhayidom smiles, like the fresh vegetables in his kitchen. “I’m into this field over 20 years”, he said. There is no secret for the number of people.

For a food item, the 55-year old chef has a formula for a 100 people. Any number above can be accordingly adjusted by multiplying the ingredients. For example the south Indian vegetarian curry ‘sambar’, the equation is 1 kg of dhal or lentil, 1 kg of ladies finger

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(okra), half kilo tomato, quarter kilo drum-sticks, 200 gram sambar powder, 100 g tamarind and 50g asafetida.

Before the KEF banquet began, Pazhayidom offered the food he prepared to lord Ganesh, a ritual he likes to follow. A plantain leaf,

instead of the plate, was laid, facing the East before a lamp. The food servers served 26 food items by turn as per the chef’s instructions as Beach Palaces’s IV Dineshan and Krishnan PS lighted the lamp. (It was Beach Palace group’s Target catering that

Food is being offered to Ganesh.

brought the celebrity chef to Kuwait this time). Ganesh is Vighneswar, the remover of hindrances. So we serve all the food items on a plantain leaf and we believe in the concept that we are taking a share of what we’ve offered, Pazhayidom said. Back in

India the offering is later given to cows or crows. Some people argue that barbers have the right for Ganesh’s offering. In places like Kuwait, the offering is shared by the organizers.

Pazhayidom at the KEF kitchen on Friday.

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WHAT’S ON

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

Embassy Information

Cry Chess 2012 - for challenging young minds

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s with all other FOCC events, the 9th CRYchess was also organized on a Friday, this November on the 9th. The difference although was the venue. FAIPS, popularly known as DPS (Delhi Public School) in Ahmadi, also turned out to be a wonderful venue with plenty of space for all the associated activities.

The cool weather added further charm. This year’s tournament, organized by Friends of CRY Club (FOCC), registered 184 children, which is the highest participation to date. Children of all ages and 6 nationalities competed in the annual event, with some children having participated in all the previous 8 annual tournaments. After completing all the registrations, the names are sorted by the age.

The children are then placed in groups of 32 participants each, based purely in the descending order of their age. This year’s participants were paired in six groups. The eldest child in any particular group is thus within 1 to 2 years of the youngest in the same group. The names are then entered in a SwissPairing software, where the first round pairing is done by the software in a random order. In every subsequent round, winners are paired against winners.

Each participant plays all the five rounds. After the 5th round technically, only one person would be placed 1st rank, provided he has won all the 5 rounds. In case of no one winning all the 5 rounds, children with 4 wins are listed in the order of their round wise wins.

Depending on the ratings of the opponents defeated, the software gives a clear ranking to all players. This is NOT a knockout system. Thus even after losing any one game, a child could still

hope to be a winner in his group, based on the ranking. There were 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies to be won in each group. A special award was also reserved for the youngest participant of the tournament. The Tournament opening ceremony was graced by the Vice Principal Mr. Ravi Ayanoli. He pointed out that the origins of Chess are believed to be from an ancient Indian game of military strategy. The game is intellectually challenging and encour-

order - first, second and third place): White Opal Group : Duggirala Vivek, Colin Thomas, V. Ram Narayan; Yellow Topaz Group : Akshaya KS, Mayank Jain, Rohan R. Tiwari; Blue Saphire: Issac Abheek, Ch. Srisaisaketh, Prasanna Reddy; Red Ruby Group: Athul Suresh Krishnan, Varghese P. Jacob, S. Naveen Kumar; Green Emerald Group: Jonathan Vinay, Anjuna Anand, Sushyanth Sreedhar; Violet Amethyst Group: Asnel Felix Gonsalves, Ajin Kurian Joseph,

aged all the children to give their best to win, but at the same time, remember the purpose of the tournament, which is to help the under-privileged children though CRY. He then cut the inaugural ribbon to start the tournament. The high registrations showed the enthusiasm of the players, the spirit and competitiveness was evident from the facial expression of the winners and the losers, as they vied for the winner’s trophies.

Each group is supervised by an Arbiter. The Arbiters are volunteers, who have a good chess playing background, and have offered their services for the cause. FOCC thanks all Arbiters for their continued support and cooperation.

The winners in each group were (in the

Farhan Khan Shahid and Ryan Roshan Kurvilla, at 6 years and 2 months of age, was awarded the special Youngest Player trophy. The “Kid’s Corner” is the life and color of the free time between rounds. But for the support of the “CRYbuddies”, who are children who have chosen to dedicate their time and effort contributing towards the success of the event, the Kid’s Corner would not exist. Special thanks to them all. The “Buy for CRY” stall, as usual had great bargains to be grabbed, where gift items, books, magazines and sundry goodies are sold for a song. “With CRY everyone wins” is the slogan FOCC carries. In Kuwait, the children are slowly being made aware of the activities of Child, Rights & You (CRY), the parents

IES honoured with St Berchman’s extempore speech championship

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ndian Educational School (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan), Kuwait has been honoured befittingly with the St. Berchman’s Extempore Speech Championship 2012 on 9th November 2012. The rich and scintillating award ceremony held in Carmel School, Khaitan was graced by the charming presence and thoughtful words of the chief guest on the occasion, the honourable Supreme Court Justice (retired) Mr Syriac Joseph. T. Premkumar, Principal IES, was honoured at the function when he was asked to deliver a speech on the occasion much to the delight of the Bhavan’s representatives.

Bhavan’s prodigies Revanth Vishnuvajhala, Himag Bhavadip Vaidya, Ijaz Aflah, Duvvuri Rohini Pratyusha and Joanna Perinchery Johnson got their prestigious individual trophies while the principal and the members of the staff together with the accomplished orators received the much acclaimed St. Berchman’s overall championship.

The key note address delivered by the chief guest exhorted the hundreds of people gathered there to give selfless support to elevate a child to the status of a winner. Moreover he reminded every listener to keep trying. Those who try hard have the sky as their limit.

He also wanted all the expatriates to be the true ambassadors of their country. The long but enthusing speech of the chief guest stressed upon the optimism and positive thinking that an individual has to maintain in his or her philosophy.

T. Premkumar expressed his pride in receiving the accolade brought to his institution by the grooming speakers. Reflecting on the thoughts delivered by the chief guest, Premkumar advised the students from the Indian schools in Kuwait who attended the function to keep trying and be the winners in the years to come. He also congratulated St. Berchman’s Alumni Association on organizing such unique platforms of healthy competitions for the growing generation. The champions of St. Berchman’s Basketball Tournament also were honoured on the occasion.

get a channel for their support and unfortunate children back home in India get a chance to regain their lost childhood through CRY. In addition to the winners, all the participants are awarded a medal and a certificate.

DPS Principal, Mrs Anju Dhiman graced the Closing Ceremony as the Chief Guest. She mentioned her association of many years with CRY, through the organization’s initial philosophy of child relief to its present strength of being an organization fighting for children’s right to be granted their childhood. She was pleased at this inaugural association of DPS with FOCC and ultimately with CRY and declared the availability of the facilities of the school for all the years to come. She congratulated the winning children, and presented the trophies to the winners as well as each of the 184 participants. FOCC is grateful for her presence and time. A brief about FOCC & CRY supported project was presented by FOCC and Manav Ashrita Sansthan (MAS) is the supported grassroots organization working towards the upliftment of children and women in the tribal areas of Bavalwada area of Rajasthan, India.

This project covers 22 villages with a population of more than 16,000. A continuous display of CRY’s achievements was running, for the benefit of parents and children throughout the day. The day ended with the numerous flashes of the cameras of photographs, parents and friends of the winning children proudly showed off their trophies.

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.

Patriotic songs competitions

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ndo-Kuwait Friendship Society, Kuwait is planning to conduct competitions in Indian and Kuwaiti Patriotic songs. This is the first time in Kuwait, an Indian Association is organizing contests in “Patriotic Songs” for both Indian and Kuwaiti School students.

The first 3 places will be declared separately by Judges who are experts in Indian and Kuwaiti Patriotic songs.

Several prizes and awards will be handed over for the winning schools. Pradeep Rajkumar and A K S Abdul Nazar said that IKFS wants let our children learn what they mean as a “Patriotic” to their home country. 4 pages of spot Essay competition related to “Patriotism” also will be held in the same day as a spot registration. 1 girl and 1 boy student from each school can participate in the essay contest. Dr Mohamed Tareq, Chairman of the First Indian Model School in Kuwait “ Salmiya Indian Model School (SIMS) already confirmed as a Co-Sponsor of the Program.

Conditions apply 1) The competitions are meant for all the Schools located in Kuwait and should be nominated by school authority 2) Each school can select group of 7 students for the ‘patriotic songs’ (Indian and Kuwaiti)” and nominate separately 3) Children of above 12 years till 17 years (VII classes to XII classes) are eligible for the contest. But if School is permitted 4) Musical instruments or KARAOKE mixer should be accompanied by the participating students/Children and the school team should operate and select the mixers 5) Time frame: 7 minutes - Names will be called as “First come” in the Registration The event will be held at the auditorium of “Salmiya Indian Model School” on Saturday, 27th October 2012 from 9:30 am onwards. It will be a full day program with fun and full of entertainments. Food-stalls of different Kuwaiti and Indian tastes will installed.

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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EMBASSY OF BANGLADESH

The Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Kuwait will remain closed on Thursday, 15 November 2012 on the occasion of the Islamic New year 1434 Hijri.

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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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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 INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on Nov 25, 2012 - Sunday on account of Muharram.

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EMBASSY OF LEBANON Due to exceptional circumstances Lebanon is going through currently, a mass celebration that was planned on Wednesday, Nov 14, 2012 at the Lebanese Embassy’s garden has been called off. Ambassador of Lebanon to Kuwait Dr Bassam Al-Nu’mani welcomes well wishers on the occasion of Independence Day at his residence on Thursday, Nov 22, 2012 between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.

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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 UKRAINE The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait would like to remind that the external polling station No 90046 was created in the Embassy’s premises at the following address: Hawalli, Jabriya, bl.10, str. 6, build. 5. The working hours of the polling station: Sunday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Monday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Tuesday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Wednesday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Thursday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Friday from 10.00 to 13.00 pm; Saturday from 10.00 to 13.00 pm On October 28, 2012 the working hours of the polling station from 8.00 am to 20.00 pm. Please be advised to refer to the Embassy to check your data in the Electoral Register as well as to pick up your personal invitation from the polling station if you did not receive this document by post.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:20 00:50 01:45 02:35 03:25 04:15 04:40 05:05 05:55 06:45 07:35 08:00 08:25 09:15 10:10 11:05 11:30 12:00 12:25 12:55 13:50 14:45 15:40 16:35 17:00 17:30 18:25 19:20 20:15 21:10 22:05 23:00 23:55

Baboons With Bill Bailey I’m Alive Animal Cops Phoenix In Search Of The King Cobra Bad Dog Baboons With Bill Bailey Baboons With Bill Bailey Wild France Animal Cops Phoenix Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Wildlife SOS Talk To The Animals Dogs 101 Crocodile Hunter Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Breed All About It Jeff Corwin Unleashed The Really Wild Show Wild France Wildest Africa Wildest Africa Swarm Chasers Wild Animal Orphans Rescue Vet Too Cute!

Trophy Cats World Wild Vet Gator Boys Amba The Russian Tiger Wild France Into The Lion’s Den The Magic Of The Big Blue

23:50 Animal Cops Houston 00:15 Bargain Hunt 01:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 01:45 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 02:30 Come Dine With Me 03:20 Antiques Roadshow 05:55 Antiques Roadshow 06:50 MasterChef Australia 07:35 MasterChef Australia 13:50 MasterChef Australia 14:15 Baby Borrowers USA 15:00 Baby Borrowers USA 15:45 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:05 Come Dine With Me 17:55 Come Dine With Me 18:50 Bargain Hunt 19:35 Bargain Hunt 20:20 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 21:10 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 22:00 Baking Made Easy 22:30 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 22:55 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 23:20 The Hairy Bakers 23:45 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition EditionEdition 00:40 01:35 02:30 03:00 03:25 03:55 04:20 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:05 06:35 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:30 11:25 12:20 14:10 14:35 15:05 15:30 18:15 19:10 20:05 21:00 21:55 22:50 23:45

Behind Bars Chris Ryan’s Elite Police How Do They Do It? How It’s Made How Do They Do It? How It’s Made How Do They Do It? How It’s Made How Do They Do It? How It’s Made How Do They Do It? How It’s Made How It’s Made How Do They Do It? Machines Of Glory World’s Top 5 Wheeler Dealers Around The World In 80 Ways Deadliest Catch How It’s Made How It’s Made Scrappers Scrappers Dynamo: Magician Impossible Dynamo: Magician Impossible You Have Been Warned Mythbusters Dirty Dozen Dynamo: Magician Impossible How We Invented The World Curiosity Dynamo: Magician Impossible

23:20 Surviving Disaster 00:15 Weird Or What?

01:05 The Colony 02:45 The Colony 03:40 Smash Lab 07:05 Smash Lab 08:00 Meteorite Men 08:50 Weird Or What?

09:40 Head Rush 09:43 Sci-Fi Science 10:10 Sci-Fi Science 10:40 Robocar 11:30 Punkin Chunkin 2010 12:20 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 13:10 Brave New World 14:00 Build It Bigger: Rebuilding Greensburg 14:50 Meteorite Men 15:45 Weird Or What?

16:35 Things That Move 17:00 Head Rush 17:03 Tech Toys 360 17:30 Tech Toys 360 18:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 18:50 Scrapheap Challenge 19:40 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 20:30 Punkin Chunkin 2010 21:20 How Tech Works 21:45 How Tech Works 22:10 Gadget Show - World Tour 22:35 Gadget Show - World Tour 23:00 Punkin Chunkin 2010 23:50 Things That Move 20:20 Bang Goes The Theory 00:20 Little Einsteins 00:50 Special Agent Oso 01:15 Lazytown 01:40 Jungle Junction 01:55 Jungle Junction 02:10 Handy Manny 02:20 Handy Manny 02:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 02:55 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 03:00 Lazytown 03:25 Special Agent Oso 03:50 Imagination Movers 04:20 Handy Manny 04:30 Handy Manny 04:40 Special Agent Oso 05:00 Timmy Time 05:10 Lazytown 05:35 Little Einsteins 06:00 Jungle Junction 06:15 Jungle Junction 06:30 Little Einsteins 06:50 Special Agent Oso

07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Jungle Junction 07:30 Jungle Junction 07:45 Handy Manny 08:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 08:30 Minnie’s Bow Toons 08:35 Minnie’s Bow Toons 08:40 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:10 Minnie’s Bow Toons 09:15 Minnie’s Bow Toons 09:20 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:45 Minnie’s Bow Toons 09:50 Minnie’s Bow Toons 09:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:20 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 11:20 Minnie’s Bow Toons 11:25 Minnie’s Bow Toons 11:30 The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 13:00 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 13:05 Minnie’s Bow Toons 13:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 13:35 Minnie’s Bow Toons 13:40 Minnie’s Bow Toons 13:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 14:15 Minnie’s Bow Toons 14:20 Minnie’s Bow Toons 14:25 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 14:50 Minnie’s Bow Toons 14:55 Minnie’s Bow Toons 15:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:30 Minnie’s Bow Toons 15:35 Minnie’s Bow Toons 15:40 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 16:05 Minnie’s Bow Toons 16:10 Minnie’s Bow Toons 16:20 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 16:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 17:20 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 17:45 Minnie’s Bow Toons 17:50 Minnie’s Bow Toons 17:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 18:20 Minnie’s Bow Toons 18:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 18:55 Minnie’s Bow Toons 19:05 The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:25 Doc McStuffins 20:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:55 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:10 The Hive 21:20 Timmy Time 21:30 Mouk 21:45 Handy Manny 22:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 22:25 The Hive 22:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 23:00 Timmy Time 23:10 Animated Stories 23:15 A Poem Is...

23:20 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 23:30 Jungle Junction 23:45 Handy Manny 23:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ecial Agent Oso 23:50 Lazytown 00:30 01:25 02:20 03:15 03:40 04:10 Ride 05:30 Ride 06:00 06:55 08:00 08:55 09:50 10:45 11:40 12:35 13:00 13:30 14:25 15:20 16:15 17:10 18:05 19:00 19:25 19:55 20:20 20:50 21:15 21:45 22:10 22:40 23:35

Salad Days TNA: Greatest Matches M1 Selection 2010 Transworld Sessions Transworld Sessions Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your AMA Motocross 2011 AMA Motocross 2011 Alli Presents Alli Presents Alli Presents AMA Motocross 2011 AMA Motocross 2011 Tread BMX Tread BMX Alli Presents Alli Presents Alli Presents Fight Girls Fight Girls BMX Megatour Mantracker Mantracker Mantracker Mantracker Ed’s Up Ed’s Up Transworld Sessions Transworld Sessions Light The Wick One For The Road

00:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:40 Guy’s Big Bite 01:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:30 Heat Seekers 01:55 World Class: Bartender Of The Year 02:45 Chopped 03:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:50 Heat Seekers 05:15 Guy’s Big Bite 05:40 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 06:05 Unwrapped 06:30 Iron Chef America 07:10 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 07:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 08:00 Food Network Challenge 08:50 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 09:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 09:40 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 10:05 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 10:30 Kelsey’s Essentials 10:55 Cooking For Real 11:20 Cooking For Real 11:45 Food Crafters 12:10 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 12:35 Heat Seekers 13:00 Iron Chef America 13:50 Guy’s Big Bite 14:15 Cooking For Real 14:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 15:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 15:30 Food Crafters 15:55 Unique Eats 16:20 Unique Eats 16:45 Chopped 17:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 18:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 18:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:50 Heat Seekers 19:15 Guy’s Big Bite 19:40 Unique Eats 20:05 Unique Eats 20:30 Chopped 21:20 Iron Chef America 22:10 Food Network Challenge 23:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

23:50 Food(Ography)

00:15 Into The Drink 00:45 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 01:40 Roam 02:05 Young Global Hotshots 02:35 The Best Job In The World 03:00 The Best Job In The World 03:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 03:55 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 04:25 Street Food Around The World 04:50 Market Values 05:20 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 05:45 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 06:15 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 06:40 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 07:10 Market Values 07:35 Market Values 08:05 Bondi Rescue 08:30 Bondi Rescue 09:00 Bondi Rescue 09:25 Bondi Rescue 09:55 Danger Beach 10:20 Into The Drink 10:50 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 11:45 Roam 12:10 Deadliest Journeys 12:40 The Best Job In The World 13:05 The Best Job In The World 13:35 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:30 Street Food Around The World 14:55 Market Values 15:25 Perilous Journeys 16:20 Bondi Rescue 16:45 Bondi Rescue 17:15 Bondi Rescue 17:40 Bondi Rescue 18:10 Danger Beach 18:35 Into The Drink 19:05 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 19:30 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 20:00 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 20:30 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 21:00 Market Values 21:30 Market Values 22:00 Bondi Rescue 22:25 Bondi Rescue 22:55 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 23:20 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 23:50 Kimchi Chronicles 23:00 Naked Science 00:00 Philly Undercover 01:00 Croc Labyrinth 01:55 Monster Fish 02:50 Crocodile King 03:45 Cougars: Ninja of Jackson Hole (aka American Couga 04:40 Caught In The Act 05:35 Unlikely Animal Friends 06:30 Dangerous Encounters 07:25 Dangerous Encounters 08:20 Cliffhangers 09:15 Python Hunters 10:10 Animal Intervention 11:05 Great Migrations 12:00 Wild Mississippi 13:00 Monster Fish 14:00 Planet Carnivore 15:00 Animal Intervention 16:00 Ultimate Predators GPU 17:00 Cougars: Ninja of Jackson Hole (aka American Couga 18:00 Ape Genius 19:00 Wild Mississippi 20:00 Monster Fish 21:00 Planet Carnivore 22:00 Animal Intervention 23:00 Ultimate Predators GPU Zoo Confidential 23:00 Dangerous Encounters 00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 PG15

Bats-18 Machete-18 The Speak-18 Judge Dredd-18 Dangerous Flowers-PG15 Anaconda-PG15 Lords Of Dogtown-PG15 Dangerous Flowers-PG15 Fright Night-PG15 Lords Of Dogtown-PG15 AVP: Alien vs Predator-PG15 True Justice: Angel Of Death-

22:00 13 Assassins-1822:00 Homecoming-18 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Saturday Night Live 02:30 Family Guy 03:00 Raising Hope 03:30 Last Man Standing 04:00 Samantha Who? 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Seinfeld 06:00 Seinfeld 06:30 Friends 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Samantha Who? 08:30 Raising Hope 09:00 Seinfeld 09:30 Seinfeld 10:00 Two And A Half Men 10:30 Parks And Recreation 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Friends 12:30 Samantha Who? 13:00 Seinfeld 13:30 Seinfeld 14:00 Last Man Standing 14:30 Parks And Recreation 15:00 Two And A Half Men 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Friends 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Happy Endings 18:30 Hot In Cleveland 19:00 Two And A Half Men 19:30 Parks And Recreation 20:00 The Cleveland Show 20:30 Napoleon Dynamite 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Don’t Trust The B In Apartment 23 22:30 Eastbound & Down 23:00 Family Guy 23:30 The Cleveland Show Fall on 00:00 Body Of Proof 01:00 C.S.I.

02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 PG15 23:00

Breakout Kings Justified Bones C.S.I. Miami Body Of Proof Emmerdale Coronation Street C.S.I. New York Breakout Kings C.S.I. Bones Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show C.S.I. New York Body Of Proof Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show C.S.I. New York Bones The River The Killing True Blood Strike Back

Botched-18 The Speak-18 Kick-Ass-18 Enter The Phoenix-PG15 Rocky II-PG15 Kick-Ass-18 The Reunion-PG15 Rocky II-PG15 Men In Black-PG15 A Dangerous Man-18 True Justice: Angel Of DeathWalled In-PG15

00:00 Pretty Bird-18 02:00 Failure To Launch-PG15 04:00 Morning Glory-PG15 06:00 Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son-PG15 08:00 Life As We Know It-PG15 10:00 Stealing Harvard-PG15 12:00 Fat Albert-PG 14:00 Just Go With It-PG15 16:00 Stealing Harvard-PG15 17:45 Coldblooded-PG15 20:00 Zero Effect-PG15 22:00 Rag Tale-18 22:00 Frenemy-18 01:15 03:00 05:15 07:00 09:00 PG15 11:00 13:00 15:00 PG15 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Beautiful Boy-18 Quiz Show-18 Loosies-PG15 The Greatest-PG15 An Invisible Sign Of My OwnBob Roberts-PG15 Patriot Games-PG15 An Invisible Sign Of My OwnFreakonomics-PG15 Cruel Intentions-18 I’ve Loved You So Long-PG15 Fear-18 Square Grouper-18

00:00 Never Let Me Go-PG15 02:00 Treasure Buddies-PG 04:00 Muhammad And Larry-PG15 05:00 Rango-FAM 07:00 I Don’t Know How She Does ItPG15 09:00 Soldier Love Story-PG15 11:00 Les Miserables 25th Anniversary-PG15 14:00 Justice For Natalee HollowayPG15 16:00 Into The Wind-PG15 17:00 Soldier Love Story-PG15 19:00 Red-PG15 21:00 The Help-PG15 23:30 Final Destination 5-18

01:00 Princess Lillifee-FAM 02:45 Mr. Popper’s Penguins-PG 04:30 The Fantastic Adventure Of The Ugly Duckling-FAM 06:00 Emilie Jolie-PG 08:00 Rainbow Valley Heroes-FAM 10:00 Freddy Frogface-PG 11:30 Princess Lillifee-FAM 13:00 The Ugly Duckling Goes On Holiday-FAM 14:15 Mr. Popper’s Penguins-PG 16:00 Arrietty-FAM 18:00 Freddy Frogface-PG 20:00 Despicable Me-FAM 22:00 Arrietty-FAM 23:45 The Ugly Duckling Goes On Holiday-FAM 22:15 Resident Evil 4: Afterlife-18 01:00 01:30 03:30 05:30 06:00 08:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 20:00 22:00

ICC Cricket 360 Rugby Union International Rugby Union International ICC Cricket 360 Rugby Union International Live PGA European Tour Rugby Union International Rugby Union International Live Grand Slam of Darts Rugby Union International Live Grand Slam of Darts

02:00 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 06:00 09:00 13:00 13:30 17:30 19:30 20:00 23:00

UFC Prime Time UFC Prime Time UFC Prime Time UFC Countdown Live UFC Prelims Live UFC Grand Slam of Darts PGA European Tour Weekly Live PGA European Tour Rugby Union International NFL Gameday Live NFL Grand Slam of Darts

21:00 NHL 23:00 Trans World Sport 01:30 02:30 06:30 07:00 09:00 10:00 12:00 12:30 17:00 17:30 18:15 21:00 23:00

Trans World Sport Grand Slam of Darts Futbol Mundial Rugby Union International Trans World Sport Rugby Union International Futbol Mundial PGA European Tour Top 14 Highlights Total Rugby Live Anglo Welsh LV Cup Premier League Snooker AFL Highlights

KUWAI KNCC PROGRAM FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (15/11/2012 TO 21/11/2012) SHARQIA-1 SINISTER (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED SHARQIA-2 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) LEGENDS OF VALHALLA: THOR THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED SHARQIA-3 FLIGHT (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) FLIGHT (DIG) FLIGHT (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED MUHALAB-1 HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) ALEX CROSS (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

2:00 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-2 MISS MOMMY (DIG) 2:00 PM JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) 4:00 PM NO FRI (16.11.2012) Special Show “JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI)” for Western Union 4:00 PM FRI (16.11.2012) FLIGHT (DIG) 7:30 PM MISS MOMMY (DIG) 10:00 PM FLIGHT (DIG) 12:05 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED MUHALAB-3 WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-1 MISS MOMMY (DIG) SON OF SARDAR (DIG) (HINDI) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) SON OF SARDAR (DIG) (HINDI) THE SWEENEY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-2 SINISTER (DIG) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) SINISTER (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:30 AM

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

FANAR-3 JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) 12:45 PM JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) 4:15 PM NO FRI (16.11.2012) Special Show “JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI)” for Western Union 4:15 PM FRI (16.11.2012) JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) 7:45 PM JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) 11:00 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED TAKEN2 :2D 11:00 PM SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-4 LEGENDS OF VALHALLA: THOR LEGENDS OF VALHALLA: THOR THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:45 PM

MISS MOMMY (DIG MISS MOMMY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-2 HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG)

2:30 PM 5:00 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-4 JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 4:45 PM 8:15 PM 11:45 PM

AVENUES-5 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 6:00 PM 9:00 PM 12:05 AM

AVENUES-9 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) 1:30 PM LEGENDS OF VALHALLA: THOR (DIG-3D) 3 : 3 0 PM WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) 5:45 PM HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) 8:00 PM THE SWEENEY (DIG) 10:15 PM THE SWEENEY (DIG) 12:30 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-10 JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) 12:30 PM JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) 4:00 PM NO FRI (16.11.2012) Special Show “JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI)” for Western Union 4:00 PM FRI (16.11.2012) JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) 7:30 PM JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) 11:00 PM NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-11 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:15 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

MARINA-2 FLIGHT (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) FLIGHT (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) FLIGHT (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-1 MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG)

7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM

11:00 PM

AVENUES-8 TAKEN2 :2D SON OF SARDAR (DIG) (HINDI) SON OF SARDAR (DIG) (HINDI) SON OF SARDAR (DIG) (HINDI) TAKEN2 :2D NO SUN+TUE+WED

MARINA-1 HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) ALEX CROSS (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

3:00 PM 5:30 PM

8:30 PM

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

12:45 PM

6:00 PM

AVENUES-7 ALEX CROSS (DIG) ALEX CROSS (DIG) TAKEN2 :2D ALEX CROSS (DIG) ALEX CROSS (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

FANAR-5 FLIGHT FLIGHT FLIGHT FLIGHT FLIGHT NO SUN+TUE+WED

MARINA-3 WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

3:30 PM

2:00 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

360 º- 2 ALEX CROSS (DIG) ALEX CROSS (DIG) ALEX CROSS (DIG) JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) ALEX CROSS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

9:30 PM

1:00 PM

AVENUES-6 SINISTER (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:05 AM

7:00 PM

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM

AVENUES-3 FLIGHT (DIG) FLIGHT (DIG) FLIGHT (DIG) FLIGHT (DIG) FLIGHT (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

360 º- 1 FLIGHT (DIG) FLIGHT (DIG) FLIGHT (DIG) FLIGHT (DIG) FLIGHT (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

4:30 PM

10:00 PM 12:15 AM

360 º- 3 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) TAKEN2 :2D JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) NO SUN+TUE+WED TAKEN2 :2D SUN+TUE+WED 360 º- 4 HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED 360 º- 5 WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) THU+FRI+SAT THE SWEENEY (DIG) THU+FRI+SAT WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED 360 º- 6 LEGENDS OF VALHALLA: THOR LEGENDS OF VALHALLA: THOR WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) LEGENDS OF VALHALLA: THOR SINISTER (DIG) SINISTER (DIG)

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

1:15 PM 3:45 PM 6:15 PM 8:45 PM 11:15 PM

2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 1:00 AM

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 11:00 PM

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

NO SUN+TUE+WED 360 º- 7 MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM 1:15 AM

360 º- 8 JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) 1:30 PM JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) 5:00 PM NO FRI (16.11.2012) Special Show “JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI)” for Western Union 5:00 PM FRI (16.11.2012) JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) 8:30 PM JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) 12:05 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED 360 º- 9(VIP-1) JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) NO SUN+TUE+WED 360 º-10(VIP-2) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) NO THU (15.11.2012) Special Show “THE TWILIGHT SAGA : BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG)” THU (15.11.2012) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED 360 º- 11 SINISTER (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) 360 º- 12 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED 360 º- 13 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (IMAX) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (IMAX) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (IMAX) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (IMAX) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (IMAX) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (IMAX) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 4:00 PM 7:30 PM 11:00 PM

2:00 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:30 PM 11:00 PM

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:30 PM 9:00 PM 11:30 PM

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

360 º- 14 MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

360 º- 15 PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) SON OF SARDAR (DIG) (HINDI) SON OF SARDAR (DIG) (HINDI) SON OF SARDAR (DIG) (HINDI) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 7:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.1 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(DIG-3D) WRECK-IT RALPH (DIG-3D) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.2 MISS MOMMY (DIG) FLIGHT (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) FLIGHT (DIG) MISS MOMMY (DIG) FLIGHT (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.3 ALEX CROSS (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) ALEX CROSS (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) SINISTER (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.4 HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) TAKEN2 :2D THE SWEENEY (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) THE SWEENEY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 11:45 PM

BAIRAQ-1 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) 12:30 PM LEGENDS OF VALHALLA: THOR (DIG-3D) 3 : 0 0 PM THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) 5:00 PM THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) 7:30 PM THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) 10:00 PM THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2 (DIG) 12:30 AM NO SUN+TUE+WED

Classifieds SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JAI THY JZR JZR QTR ETH GFA UAE ETD FDB MSR RJA RBG QTR KAC CLX DHX THY JZR BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE GFA KAC ABY QTR FDB ETD GFA IRA IRC JZR IRA MEA UAE KAC MSR KAC GFA FDB KAC KAC SVA QTR SYR JZR QTR UAE ETD RJA GFA SVA JZR QTR ABY UAL KAC JZR KAC FDB JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA KAC FDB JAI AXB MSR ABY QTR ALK MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE KAC JZR JAI DHX FDB KAC KLM AFG AIC JZR GFA JZR UAL DLH

Arrival Flights on Sunday 18/11/2012 Flt Route 574 MUMBAI 772 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 642 AMMAN 3553 ALEXANDRIA 138 DOHA 544 CAIRO 792 LUXEMBOURG 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 555 ALEXANDRIA 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 382 DELHI 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 855 DUBAI 223 BAHRAIN 284 DHAKA 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 603 SHIRAZ 6666 AHWAZ 165 DUBAI 615 SHAHRE KORD 404 BEIRUT 871 DUBAI 742 DAMMAM 610 CAIRO 774 RIYADH 219 BAHRAIN 57 DUBAI 672 DUBAI 538 SOHAG 500 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 341 DAMASCUS 561 SOHAG 134 DOHA 857 DUBAI 303 ABU DHABI 640 AMMAN 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 777 JEDDAH 144 DOHA 127 SHARJAH 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 542 CAIRO 177 DUBAI 786 JEDDAH 63 DUBAI 787 RIYADH 166 PARIS 618 DOHA 102 NEW YORK 674 DUBAI 647 MUSCAT 562 AMMAN 61 DUBAI 572 MUMBAI 393 KOZHIKODE 606 LUXOR 129 SHARJAH 146 DOHA 229 COLOMBO 402 BEIRUT 136 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 307 ABU DHABI 859 DUBAI 172 FRANKFURT 135 BAHRAIN 576 COCHIN 372 BAHRAIN 59 DUBAI 514 TEHRAN 417 AMSTERDAM 405 KABUL 981 CHENNAI 239 AMMAN 217 BAHRAIN 185 DUBAI 981 BAHRAIN 636 FRANKFURT

Time 0:30 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:45 1:50 2:35 2:45 3:05 3:10 3:15 3:25 3:45 4:20 4:55 5:15 5:30 6:00 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:45 7:55 8:15 8:25 8:40 8:45 8:45 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:55 10:40 11:10 11:20 11:35 11:55 12:50 12:55 13:05 13:30 13:35 13:50 14:10 14:20 14:30 14:35 14:40 14:50 15:30 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:45 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:30 18:45 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:35 19:35 19:55 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:45 20:55 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:45 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:15 22:30 22:45 22:50 23:05 23:25 23:55

Airlines AIC AXB DHX BBC UAL DLH JAI ETH THY FDB UAE ETD RBG MSR QTR QTR JZR GFA RJA THY KAC JZR CLX FDB BAW KAC GFA KAC ABY UAE KAC KAC FDB ETD KAC QTR GFA KAC IRA IRC JZR KAC IRA MEA KAC JZR MSR UAE GFA FDB KAC KAC SYR SVA KAC JZR QTR JZR ETD KAC JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR JZR UAL FDB KAC FDB OMA JAI AXB ABY MSR DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC FDB UAE JAI KAC KAC DHX KLM QTR KAC JZR GFA KAC KAC

Depature Flights on Sunday 18/11/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 390 MANGALORE 371 BAHRAIN 44 CHITTAGONG 981 WASHINGTON 637 FRANKFURT 573 MUMBAI 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL-ATATURK 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 3554 ALEXANDRIA 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 771 ISTANBUL 537 SOHAG 560 SOHAG 792 GIALAM 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 171 FRANKFURT 224 BAHRAIN 671 DUBAI 122 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 741 DAMMAM 117 NEW YORK 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 773 RIYADH 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 602 SHIRAZ 6667 AHWAZ 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 614 SHAHRE 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 872 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 561 AMMAN 673 DUBAI 342 DAMASCUS 503 MADINAH 617 DOHA 786 RIYADH 141 DOHA 238 AMMAN 304 ABU DHABI 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 538 CAIRO 135 DOHA 858 DUBAI 641 AMMAN 216 BAHRAIN 184 DUBAI 511 RIYADH 128 SHARJAH 266 BEIRUT 145 DOHA 134 BAHRAIN 982 BAHRAIN 64 DUBAI 283 DHAKA 62 DUBAI 648 MUSCAT 571 MUMBAI 394 KOZHIKODE 120 SHARJAH 619 ALEXANDRIA 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 403 BEIRUT 308 ABU DHABI 137 DOHA 222 BAHRAIN 301 MUMBAI 60 DUBAI 860 DUBAI 575 KOCHI 351 KOCHI 205 ISLAMABAD 373 BAHRAIN 417 DAMMAM 147 DOHA 343 CHENNAI 502 LUXOR 218 BAHRAIN 411 BANGKOK 415 KUALA LUMPUR

Time 0:05 0:15 0:40 1:00 1:10 1:20 1:30 2:45 2:55 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:05 4:10 4:50 6:05 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:35 8:05 8:15 8:15 8:25 8:45 9:10 9:30 9:35 9:45 9:55 9:55 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:05 10:10 10:40 11:30 11:40 12:10 12:15 12:20 12:35 12:55 13:00 13:50 14:05 14:15 14:20 14:30 14:30 15:05 15:40 15:45 15:45 15:50 16:15 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:05 19:10 19:25 20:30 20:40 20:55 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:50 22:55 22:55 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:15 23:35 23:50 23:55 23:55

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

SITUATION WANTED Western educated “Project Manager” with 2 EngineeringDegrees (Civil/Elec.), 4-Master Degrees (Project Mgmt/ Engineering/ Education & Training/ MBA), plus 17-years experience in Middle East/ Australia, seeking Executive Position. Contact: 65695468 email: rav@engineer.com (C 4195) 18-11-2012

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Galant, 2006 model, silver color, beige interior, 1,25,000 km, serviced by dealership, owned

by American lady, price KD 1,500/-. Contact: 99405067.

(C 4218) 15-11-2012

MATRIMONIAL Seeking proposal for daughter age 26, Msc., 5.6 heights, fair, slim, born & brought up in Kuwait, Pakistani Muslim family, current Kuwait resident.

Contact: pkproposal22@gmail.com (C 4219) 15-11-2012

Prayer timings

112 Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw

Fajr:

04:49

Duhr:

11:32

Asr:

14:33

Maghrib:

16:55

Isha:

18:14

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 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

22451082

Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

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

Hawally

ST TATE T OF K KUW WAIT A

Te el.: 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GENE GENERAL OF CIVIL AVIA V AT TION METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A DA AY: Y Saturday

17/11/2012

BY Y DA AY:

BY Y NIGHT:

Cool with light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 06 - 26 km/h and some scattered clouds will appear No Current Warnings arnin a

WA ARNING

19 °C

KUW WA AIT AIRPOR RT

26 °C

11 °C

NUW WA AISEEB

26 °C

14 °C

WA AFRA

26 °C

13 °C

SALMI

23 °C

11 °C

ABDAL LY

25 °C

12 °C

JAL ALIY YA AH

24 °C

13 °C

FA AILAKA

26 °C

16 °C

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

25 °C

18 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

25 °C

23 °C

W Hawally

22630786

WA ARBA A - BUBY YAN A

26 °C

11 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

ST TAT TION

SFC. CHART

17/11/2012 0000 UTC

4 DA AY YS FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

South Jahra

DA AT TE

WEA ATHER T

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

Sunday

18/11

partly cloudy

27 °C

12 °C

VRB-SE

06 - 26 km/h

Monday

19/11

partly cloudy + scattered rain

25 °C

16 °C

SE

15 - 40 km/h

24775066

Tuesday

20/11

clouds to decrease + scattered rain

25 °C

12 °C

NW

12 - 35 km/h

North Jahra

24775992

Weednesday

21/11

partly cloudy

25 °C

12 °C

NW

12 - 35 km/h

North Jleeb

24311795

Ardhiya Firdous

PRA RA AYER Y TIMES

24884079

24719048

N Khaitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WA AIT AIRPORT

Fajr

04:51

MAX. Temp.

25 °C

Sunrise

06:14

MIN. Temp.

12 °C

Zuhr

11:33

MAX. RH

65 %

Asr

14:32

MIN. RH

Sunset

16:52

MAX. Wind

Isha

18:12

TOT TA AL L RAIINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

24892674

Omariya

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

28 % NW 43 km/h 00 mm V1.00

17/11/12 02:36 UTC

T1.06

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

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

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Expected Weather e for the Next 24 Hours Fair with light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 10 - 32 km/h and some high clouds will apap pear

26 °C

24772608

22545171

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

07:00

Issue Time

KUW WA AIT CITY

West Jahra

Al-Shuhada

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

MIN. REC.

24575755

Ext.: 262 2627 - 2630

22418714

Fax: 24348714

MAX. EXP P.

New Jahra

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

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez had a ‘healthy break-up’

T

he 18-year-old singer and the 20-year-old actress recently called time on their relationship of almost two years and ‘The Secret Life of the American Teenager’ star Francia Raisa has praised them for their maturity throughout the split. She told Wetpaint: “[Selena’s] great. They’re both adults about the situation and they’re still friends. It’s probably the healthiest breakup I’ve ever seen in my life and I wish I was that mature when I was her age.” Despite the civil break-up, it was recently claimed that Selena’s friends hope her romance with Justin is over for good as she has “shed many tears” over him in the past year. A friend of Selena’s said: “It’s been so difficult to watch this unfold over the past year or so. Selena has shed so many tears over Justin. “She’s tried to split up with him so many times but they have always ended up back together. “It’s out in the open now and that is one of the toughest parts, so that means there’s more chance it will be permanent this time. But we expect Justin to try to win her back - and he tends to get what he wants.”

Bobby Brown

T

he 43-year-old singer was arrested last month when police observed him driving erratically on a Los Angeles street and while he did not appear in court, his attorney, Tiffany Feder, entered the plea on his behalf Bobby also denied two other crimes, “driving on a restricted licence and driving a vehicle without a vehicle interlock device”, which stem from a prior DUI conviction this year. Bobby could face up to two years in jail and may also have violated his probation from his earlier conviction which took place in March when he failed a sobriety test and as part of his release deal, agreed to enter rehab. However, in August he checked out early because he didn’t think he needed anymore help. A source said at the time: “Bobby is no longer in rehab, he decided he’s had enough treatment for his problems.

“When he first checked in, he promised his family and friends, including his New Edition bandmates, that this time he was going to stay in rehab for the full treatment. “However, after fulfilling his duties for his DUI plea deal, Bobby has decided that he doesn’t need treatment anymore.” The next pretrial hearing is scheduled for December 13.

Matthew McConaughey

T

dreams of burgers

he Hollywood star has lost an astonishing 38lbs - almost a quarter of his body weight - for his role as real life AIDS victim Ron Woodroof in upcoming film ‘The Dallas Buyers Club’ and after months of healthy eating Matthew already knows exactly what he wants for his first calorie filled meal. He revealed: “I will have some 70 percent beef, 30 percent fat ground beef, maybe a half pound cheeseburger with three types of cheese. “I’ll prepare it all and I’ll make sure that it takes three hours just to prepare. I’m going to have buns with butter on both sides, toasted and grilled.

“I’m going to melt the cheese on the top bun, Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise. I want kosher dill pickles sliced nice and thin, diced white onions, slightly grilled until they get almost hard, and some thin jalapeno slices.” Although Matthew, 43, is looking forward to his meaty treat he knows the physical effects of his dramatic weight loss will mean he has to approach the patty with caution.

He added to HitFix.com: “The organs shrink, so my stomach has shrunk as well. So as much as I can’t wait to have that cheeseburger, on the day, it’ll be damn hard to eat the whole thing.”

Woodroof was given six months to live after contracting the disease in 1986 and he ended up spending the next six years smuggling medicine into the US to help himself and fellow sufferers. He eventually died in 1992.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson to marry next year

T

Kellan Lutz arm wrestled a chimpanzee for work

T

pleads not guilty

he ‘Twilight Saga’ star was a model before his acting career took off and he admits he was booked for some strange jobs. The weirdest pay day he ever had was when he was told he had to compete with an ape. He told America’s OK! magazine: “As a model I arm wrestled with a chimpanzee and I sold pots and pans at Macys.”

Although the vampire franchise has come to an end with the release of final movie ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2’, Kellan would consider returning to the movie series in the future. The 20-year-old actor believes he could take on Peter Facinelli’s role of Carlisle Cullen, his own on-screen father in any future remake. Kellan - who also starred with Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner in the movies - said: “I hope we do a remake and I play Dr Cullen. I love our cast, we’ll be friends for life.”

he ‘Modern Family’ star and his lawyer fiance Justin Mikita have hired a wedding planner to help them put the big day together and just hope they can find a venue in time. Jesse, 36, told E! News: “I did go get a Martha Stewart Weddings magazine but it’s really a lot of over-the-top stuff, a lot of bridesmaids’ gifts. Neither one of us ever dreamed of getting married. Maybe in the back of our heads we did, but we don’t have a book of our dream wedding . . . It’s a lot of learning as we go.” Justin added: “It’s about the venue.” Jesse and Justin have just launched their own line bow ties, through their Tie the Knot Foundation, which supports the fight for marriage equality. He said: “It’s just a fun way to spruce up an outfit. Men don’t get fun, exciting things to wear.” They worked together on the project and Justin said it was easy because they both have different approaches to their work. He said: “I adore Jesse in all ways and I think we are very compatible personally and business-wise. He’s much more creative and I’m more business-oriented. I get stressed out and have certain ways of doing things and Jesse can deal with it for the most part and that’s half the battle.”

Lindsay Lohan feels at home on movie sets

T

he troubled actress has taken on the role of the late Dame Elizabeth Taylor in new TV movie ‘Liz & Dick’ and her co-star Grant Bowler says shooting films is the most natural environment for her.

Grant - who plays Lindsay’s on-screen husband Richard Burton in the film - said: “For Lindsay, I imagine, and I can only imagine ... because she grew up on sets and did her homework on set and fell asleep watching TV waiting to go on set, it’s a much more instinctive process. It’s much more natural to be in the trailer or on set than anywhere else.” Grant, 44, says he works in a completely different way to 26year-old Lindsay because they’ve had such different upbringings. He told Confidenti@l: “I actually think we had very different work methodologies “My father was a tradesman, so I come at acting from a workman’s point of view. It’s my trade. “I do my work, I do my research, I put in as many hours as I can. It’s a paradigm of labour, if you like.” —Bangshowbiz

Jordin Sparks sees a future with Jason Derulo T

he 22-year-old singer is head over heels in love with Jason and while they are in no rush to settle down and marry, she hasn’t ruled it out in the future. She said: “I hope to marry and have kids one day, for sure, and I do see him in my future.

But we both have to be ready. If that happens one day, it will happen. “ Jordin also credited Jason - who she has been dating since August 2011 - with keeping her calm and stress free and said she loves spending her spare time with him. She added to America’s OK! Magazine: “There is something as simple as him just being in the room with me that helps calm me down and makes me feel at ease. “We go to the gym together, we blow off steam at the gym - that helps relieve stress sometimes. He’s gotten me a massage before - that was really sweet. He says sweet things. When you love somebody, the littlest thing can be the biggest thing.”

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Aseel

Factory of Lies

Just a Picture

DIFF gives Gulf directors a voice through global showcase A

This is London

s the international home for Arab film, Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) reinforces its commitment to regional grassroots projects though the rich repertoire of Gulf Voices films which will be screened this year. With four World Premieres and one GCC Premiere, the selected films originate from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Oman.

Among the most anticipated categories in the Festival, Gulf Voices - a key component of DIFF’s out-of-competition - will comprise of five short and one feature film which portray the complexity, intricacy and changing face of the Gulf region.

DIFF Artistic Director, Masoud Amralla Al-Ali commented, “Offering some unique perspectives on the Arab world today, the emotive stories portrayed in the Gulf Voices film category will resonatewith DIFF audiences. The talent and technique used to craft and develop these films is true testament to DIFF’s successful impact

on the evolution of the Gulf-wide film industry.”

A repository of the Gulf region’s finest films, the six Gulf Voices submissions tell heartfelt stories of hardship and sorrow, murder and deception, blended with remarkable innerstrength and hope which will surely resonate with DIFF audiences.

In a heart rendering story of survival and persistence, the feature film and GGC premiere of ‘Aseel’ by Khalid Zidjali portrays the struggles of a 9year-old tribal boy striving to protect his heritage and village. Iraqi filmmaker, Kamiran Betasi, will showcase the world premiere of his complex and thought-provoking short film titled ‘Silhoutte’ which discovers the intrinsic link between life, hope and the pursuit of happiness.

In a riveting story of greed, deception and murder in American Business, the political thriller Factory of Liesspans the sands of Saudi Arabia to the streets of Chicago. The film,

which will make its world premiere at DIFF, is written and directed by Saudi Hamzah Jamjoom.

Independent Bahraini writer and director, Mohammed Rashed Buali, who has also been shortlisted for the IWC Schaffhausen Filmmaker Award, will present his film ‘This is London’.

The film, which is an Enjaaz Shorts production, portrays a couple’s mission to capture a perfect shot of parental love to send to their son andpreviously won The Official Gulf Competition at GFF 2012.Similar in theme, Saudi Arabia’s Nawaf Alhoshani’swill present the world premiere of Just a Picture at DIFF. The film explores the journey of discovery undertaken by three men searching for a picture-perfect desert photograph.

The final selection and the World Premiere of ‘48 Hours’, by Haider AlKinani, narrates a story profiling the strength and resilience of the next generation of Iraqi graduates. DIFF’s

out-of-competition category has been critically acclaimed and widely appreciated by film-loving audiences in Dubai. Each year, the festival presents a staggering number of world, international and regional premieres proving its status as a festival of choice for film-makers from around the world.

“Friends of the Festival” packages are now available for the upcoming 9th edition of DIFF. Film enthusiasts can select from any of the six exclusive tiers - DIFF Platinum Partner, DIFF Gold Circle, Patron of DIFF, DIFF Supporter, DIFF Genre and DIFF 10 and 25 ticket deals. In return, patrons will receive insider access to the Festival as an acknowledgement of their support for one of the most anticipated events on the UAE’s cultural calendar.

Minneapolis writer’s secret: Tap inner 11-year-old

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arely known in a literary field dominated by brand names like “Twilight” and “The Hunger Games,” William Alexander scored the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature by tapping into his burning love for books when he was 11 years old.

“Of course I still love books, I adore books. But not with the same intensity, the same need,” Alexander said Friday, a day after returning home to Minneapolis from the New York City awards ceremony where he scored a major coup for a first-time novelist. “To try and have that level of impact on a new batch of 11year-olds is ridiculously arrogant. But you’ve got to try. You’ve got to aim for that.”

With his novel “Goblin Secrets,” Alexander seems to have hit the mark.

Set in a strange fantasy world populated by witches, masked actors, people with gears for body parts, and - yes - goblins, the book won over the five judges on the Young People’s Literature panel who bestow one of US literature’s most important awards.

“You want to find a book that people will still be reading in 50 years, that’s going to be an enduring book,” said Gary Schmidt, the Calvin College professor and children’s author who chaired the panel. “That’s the case with this one you just keep getting blown away by what he’s doing, and then you get to the end and he brings it all together in a way that’s simply stunning.” Alexander, 36, teaches creative writing at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

Prior to the release of “Goblin Secrets” last March, he had only published a handful of short stories in mostly obscure literary journals. He was one of two Minneapolis writers to win a National Book Award last week; Louise Erdrich, long acclaimed for her novels of the American Indian experience, won the General Fiction award for her latest, “Round House.”

A slight but energetic man with dark hair and a trim beard, Alexander walks with a cane due to chronic back problems. A theater actor in college who also studied folklore, Alexander crafted a novel that tells the tale of Rownie, an orphan boy who falls in with a troupe of goblin actors; together, they embark on a search for his long-lost biological brother. “In a way it’s very much a classic story of a child trying to find a family,” said Liz Burns, a New Jersey regional librarian who reviewed the book for the School Library Journal. “But then he also pulls off this amazing feat of worldbuilding, creating this entire mythology from scratch. It creates a unique place for a child to fall into.”

Burns said the best audience for the book is kids ages 8 to 12. She compared it to CS Lewis’s “Chronicles of Narnia” series and the first couple of “Harry Potter” books. Schmidt likened it to Madeleine L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle in Time” and its sequels. Alexander said he hoped it would find adult readers too, particularly parents whom he urged to read it

out loud to their kids. Reviewers have also praised the book for its swiftness in a fantasy genre that often bogs down in lengthy exposition and explanation. “It moves fast, and it leaves a lot to your imagination,” said Christine Irvin, an Ohio-based reviewer for the website TeenReads.com.

Alexander was born in Miami but grew up mostly in the Philadelphia area.

The son of a Cuban father, he said an inherited sense of machismo pushed him into acting as a young man: “There’s this horrible impulse to do things that terrify you. I was extremely shy, so I took to the stage,” he said. Though he quickly came to love it, Alexander’s back problems made acting increasingly difficult.

He finally had surgery in 2001 to repair a double lumbar fusion.

“I think I’m technically a cyborg.

There’s a lot of titanium holding my spine together,” Alexander said. It’s a quality shared by inhabitants of his mythical city of Zombay, many of whom have missing body parts replaced by machinery. Graba, a witch who supervises Rownie at the book’s start, has giant metal chicken legs; a police official has creepy glass eyes with tiny gears in place of irises. Even when he still acted, Alexander started to realize he was interested in more than just his lines. “I was more interested in the whole story, the whole play,” he said. In his writing process, he always begins with dialogue first before turning to character and motivation.

Alexander has had a busy autumn.

Besides his National Book Award, his wife Alice Dodge gave birth on Oct. 29 to their daughter Iris; the couple also have a 3-year-old son, Liam. His deal with Margaret K. McElderry Books, a Simon & Schuster imprint, was for two books. “Ghoulish Song,” to be published in March, is also set in Zombay and takes place at the same time as “Goblin Secrets.” But it’s about characters that made only brief appearances in the first book. “You don’t have to read one in order to understand the other,” he said.

Alexander said he hopes to return to Zombay in future books, and that the character of Rownie is at some point likely to get a proper sequel. He’s also interested in creating other fictional worlds, and said someday he might try writing a novel for adults. Few fantasy or science fiction writers have won a National Book Award in its 76-year history. One is Ursula Le Guin, a giant of the genre who wrote for both adults and children including the “Earthsea” series published between 1968 and 2001.

Alexander grew up reading Le Guin, and was overwhelmed a few months back when the 83-year-old author praised “Goblin Secrets” on her blog. “I wish I could have read it when I was 11,” Le Guin wrote. “At 11, of course, was when I was reading her,” Alexander said. —AP

Dance pair Srikant and Aswathy during their performance on Thursday as part of Arpan Kuwait Swaralaya program.

House of dance

By Sunil Cherian

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ogether, they are like drumsticks in the hands of a deva, creating musical harmony by their gracious, yet competitively expressive movements. This is Aswathy’s second phase as a dancer after she married her 6-years older master Srikant, 39, departing from her alma mater Kalamandalam Saraswathy, her mother, renowned both as a dancer and as the wife of award winning writer MT Vasudevan Nair. The young dancing couple was not romantic on Swaralaya stage on Thursday at Indian Community School, Salmiya, organized by Arpan Kuwait. Rather, they appeared mutual respecting devotees of the art of dance, evoking a spirit of devotion among the packed audi-

Dance duo Aswathy and Srikanth rain delight in Arpan program ence. At 10 pm, the heavily sweating duo thanked for the standing ovation while the stage still seemed like a big drum where the deva played these two magical sticks.

The duo was a delight to watch throughout their performances of Bharatanatyam, a south Indian classical dance form. At times they were in the ideal couple posture - the lady in squatting position in front, the man behind as a shield. They paused

that pose as if in a jpeg image and the cameras flashed whenever they ‘jpeged’ that posture. The flamboyant, more glamorous Srikant introduced the show briefing their repertoire. In the two-hour long dance program the duo performed solos and duets culminating with an exclusively choreographed performance of a devotional song. Thursday was the couple’s 8th wedding anniversary too.

It was Srikant’s mastery over choreographing that made Aswathy’s movements closer to him, she recalled when I met her before the show. Aswathy met Srikant for the first time when he performed along with his guru Padma Subramahnyam at Providence College, Kozhikkode where Aswathy was an English literature student.

Aswathy She cancelled her plan to study Visual Communications and went to Srikant in Chennai to ‘unlearn’ the traditional ways of presenting Bharatanatyam and to refine her skills from Srikant who excelled in facial expressions and enactments.

Treat me as a friend, not as a guru,

Srikant told her. The master-disciple friends got married after 5 years, shocking the conservative Chennai circles. “We broke that tradition”, Aswathy said. “After our marriage there have a couple of guru-student marriages”.

Post-marriage days were not movements on flowers, Aswathy said. We slept on the floor for three months in a rented house. We did not ask for any support from our parents. It was good that our life evolved that way, she said. Those years were productive though.

Stage performances, a couple of DVDs on their performances and dance instructions, besides teaching at Nrithyalaya, the dance school Saraswathy opened a few years ago.

The couple lives now in their own flat in Kozhikkode with their twoand-a half-year-old son, Madhav.

It was Aswathy’s second visit to Kuwait for the Arpan program. She had come to Kuwait in 1993 with her renowned writer father MT and stayed with a family in Fahaheel. She wrote a short story, Fields of Gold, after she saw the life and times of expats in the Gulf. The story appeared in her college magazine.

MT who has a legendary record of influencing young authors as an editor and writer never intervened in Aswathy’s interests, respecting her self-independence. But together the father and daughter have devoured books, movies, both classics, and share great interests in south Indian food. After his recent cataract operation, the 79-year old MT is currently engaged in making his novel The Second Turn into three movies.

Discussions are on the trilogy.

How has life among gurus influenced Aswathy? “Srikant is still my guru. I touch his feet before a program. But I want my skills to speak for themselves”.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

lifestyle

itbull dressed up and Ke$ha went casual for American Music Awards rehearsals. The entertainers popped by the Nokia Theatre Friday to practice the performances they’ve planned for Sunday’s show. Ke$ha was surrounded by male dancers as she bounced around the stage in sneakers, striped leggings and a torn black T-shirt. She played a giant golden drum, was carried aloft by her dancers and closed the rendition of her new hit “Die Young” by writhing on stage as fireworks rained down overhead.

Pitbull, fresh off his performance at Thursday’s Latin Grammy Awards, arrived wearing crisp white pants, a red polo shirt and a tan blazer. After joking with his band in Spanish, he ditched the blazer and added shades to rehearse “Don’t Stop the Party,” for

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which he shares the stage with two drummers, two keyboardists, two ballerinas and a DJ. Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, No Doubt, Christina Aguilera and Nicki Minaj are also set to perform during the three-hour ceremony, which will be broadcast live Sunday on ABC. Stevie Wonder and Ryan Seacrest will also honor the late Dick Clark, who created the American Music Awards, at the 40th anniversary show. — AP

Pitbull performs “Don’t Stop the Party” at the 13th Annual Latin Grammy Awards at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. — AP

spen Sandberg and Joachim Ronning, the directors of the Norwegian film “Kon-Tiki,” are among the directors being eyed for an upcoming feature about another great European character, Arsene Lupin, a gentlemen thief, an individual close to the project told TheWrap. The two men have been much in demand since “Kon-Tiki” played at the Toronto Film Festival in September. Based on the story of real-life Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl, who used a raft called Kon-Tiki to cross the Pacific in 1947, the film is this year’s Norwegian foreign-Oscar entry.

It was picked up by the Weinstein Company earlier this month, and the co-directors are doing the rounds in Hollywood to promote the film. The new film, “Arsene Lupin AKA Once a Thief,” is based on the classic series French detective novels and short stories written by Maurice Leblanc in the early 1900s. It’s being produced

by Dan Lin of Lin Pictures and Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment and is set up at Warner Bros.

Lin is the producer of the current crop of Sherlock Holmes films, and Lupin is known as being to the French what Sherlock Holmes is to the English-speaking world. A force for good who operates on the wrong side of the law, he was introduced 1905 serialization in the French magazine, Je Sais Tout. A large number of feature films already have been made about the character, including “Arsene Lupin,” in 1932, with John Barrymore, as well as a number of Japanese films. Lee is currently filming “Oldboy” and has a number of high-profile films in the works, including “Godzilla,” “Sleepless Night” and “Run All Night AKA All-Nighter.” Lin’s credits include not only the Sherlock Holmes films but “Godzilla” and the upcoming “Lego: The Piece of Resistance.” — Reuters

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Colombian artist Cain Tubal performs during the third International Tattoo Convention in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia on November 16, 2012. — AFP

ank Azaria, who provides the voices for a host of characters on “The Simpsons,” including Moe Szyslak and Chief Wiggum, is suing over the rights to one of his characters. Azaria and his How to Pictures, Inc. filed suit Wednesday against “Leap Year” actor Craig Bierko in US District Court in Central California on Wednesday, saying that Bierko is jeopardizing a potential movie deal by falsely laying claim to a voice that Azaria claims he created nearly 30 years ago.

Don’t worry, though; Springfield’s favorite curmudgeonly bartender and inept police chief won’t be affected. According to the suit, Azaria created a voice for a “a

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colorful baseball announcer who speaks with peculiar speech inflections” in 1983 or beforehand, and introduced the voice to Bierko after meeting him in 1990.

In 2010, Azaria used the voice in a Funny or Die skit in which he played a sportscaster named Jim Brockmire, which employed the voice in question. (The suit also notes that the Brockmire character employed other attributes, such as a plaid jacket and a back story about his wife abandoning him.) The video became a hit, the lawsuit says - so much so that Azaria was able “to entertain discussions to develop a feature-length motion picture based upon the Jim Brockmire Character who uses

the Azaria Voice.”

It also drew the attention of Bierko, who subsequently contacted Azaria and claimed to have created the voice either independently or in collaboration with Azaria, the suit says. (The complaint says that Bierko never made clear which it was, and that Azaria denies the claim in either case.)

The suit claims that Bierko’s claim to ownership on the voice “has created a cloud over the rightful ownership of the Azaria Voice (which is an integral part of the Jim Brockmire Character) such that Plaintiffs’ ability to develop a feature length motion picture based upon the Jim

arah Jessica Parker and Gerard Butler are adding to the star wattage at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert. The actors will be the hosts of the 19th annual event, to be held Dec 11 in Oslo, Norway. Jennifer Hudson and Seal are among the performers. The European Union captured the prize this year. Parker says she is honored to “promote the power of peace around the world. Butler said the European Union has shown “the world what is possible when forces unite in peace” and called the concert a “remarkable celebration of humanity.” Past winners of the Nobel Peace Prize include Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, former Vice President Al Gore and President Barack Obama. — AP

Brockmire Character is being significantly impeded.”

A representative for Bierko has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment. Azaria is seeking a declaration that the sportscaster voice alone isn’t copyrightable, but that the Brockmire character is, plus a declaration that Bierko as no claim to the voice. (He also wants Bierko blocked from laying claim to the voice.) The suit also asks for attorney’s fees and court costs.— Reuters

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Sara Bareilles (left) performs alongside Cary Brothers (center) and Holly Conlan during a concert at the Baja International Film Festival, Nov 15, 2012, in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. — AP

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker and Minnie Mouse participate in the official opening of “Electric Holiday” presented by Barneys New York and The Walt Disney Company on Wednesday, Nov 14, 2012, in New York. — AP

rom Brooke Shields to Lindsay Lohan and even “Modern Family” actress Ariel Winter, the idea of someone having a “stage mom” is commonplace in our lexicon. Fox Business Network anchor Melissa Francis isn’t just familiar with the term, she lived it. Francis grew up a child actress, landing a full-time role on “Little House on the Prairie” when she was 8 years old.

What people might not know is that her mother was so invested in her daughter’s show-biz career that she was often manipulative and selfish. Francis writes about her own “Mommy Dearest” experience in the memoir, “Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter.” She tells how her mother was like a drill sergeant, making sure she was prepared and punctual for auditions and jobs, while at home, the conditions were often that of squalor. Laundry would pile up, often there was no food in the refrigerator, and when Francis wasn’t working, her mother would fall into a deep depression.

Interwoven with memories of Hollywood are examples of how Francis’ older sister, Tiffany, was often the forgotten child and began to act out as a result. As Francis grows up and wants to focus on being a college student, her sister regresses and becomes more dependent on her parents. “Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter” is not only a fascinating read but also a sad one because it’s the story of a family’s destruction. Ultimately it’s also an inspiring story, as Melissa Francis’ strength and determination to become more than just a former child star is nothing short of commendable. — AP

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ady Gaga’s tweets were getting a lot of attention ahead of her Buenos Aires concert Friday night. The Grammywinning entertainer has more than 30 million followers on Twitter and that’s where she shared a link this week to a short video showing her doing a striptease and fooling around in a bathtub with two other women. She told her followers that it’s a “surprise for you, almost ready for you to TASTE.” Then, in between concerts in Brazil and Argentina, she posted a picture Thursday on her Twitter page showing her wallowing in her underwear and impossibly high heels on top of the remains of what appears to be a strawberry shortcake. “The real CAKE isn’t HAVING what you want, it’s DOING what you want,” she tweeted. Lady Gaga wore decidedly unglamorous baggy jeans and a blouse outside her Buenos Aires hotel Thursday as three burly bodyguards kept her fans at bay. Another pre-concert media event where she was supposed to be given “guest of honor” status by the city government Friday afternoon was cancelled. After Argentina, she is scheduled to perform in Santiago, Chile; Lima, Peru; and Asuncion, Paraguay, before taking her “Born This Way Ball” tour to Africa, Europe and North America. — AP

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A Lady Gaga fan holds her VIP ticket in her mouth as she stands outside the venue where the US pop star was scheduled to perform at a concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina. — AP

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

lifestyle

The first issue of 10 dinars denomination. (Left) The picture with the image of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah (right) and the back design with the image of wooden ship ‘Boom Al- dhow’.

By Mahmoud Zakaria Abdul-Raheem he story of the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) is a matter of pride for every Kuwaiti. It began 60 years ago when people felt they needed a national bank to take care of their interests. At that time, there was only a British bank called “The British Bank of the Middle East.” An 1896 agreement between the Kuwaiti side and England prevented the Kuwaiti government to allow any other foreign bank to open a branch in Kuwait.

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Amir support In the early 1950s, a group of Kuwaiti merchants approached His Highness the late Prince Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah (1950-1965), and moot the idea to establish a national bank. The prince praised the move and not only approved the idea but also supported it with a financial contribution of one million pounds and half a million dollars,

the bank was able to distribute dividend to its shareholders to the tune of about seven percent.

Simple activities As far as banking practices went, in its infancy the bank only carried out simple banking activities that would seem primitive today when it comes to trade credits, currency exchange and bank transfers, as well as deposit and withdrawal processes.

The authority sent Khalifa Al-Ghunaim to England to contract with an experienced foreign manager. He succeeded in his mission and brought the required director to Kuwait, which indicated that there should be some foreign exchange available to strengthen the Bank’s work. For this reason, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem deposited amounts of $500,000 and £1 million sterling to support the bank.

management of large loans, including loans arranged by the bank after the liberation of 1991went in favor of the Kuwait government.

It was worth $5.5 billion US. On the other hand, the bank provided the Equate Company a loan estimated at around $1.25 billion US. It is considered the largest such transaction.

• • • • • •

Resources Al”-Baetha” (massion) magazine, Kuwait, 1952 Rose El Youssef, Egyptian magazine, 1952 Kuwait and the glorious past by Shaheen Al-Ghanim, Kuwait 1995 The history of coins in Kuwait by Basim AlIbraheem Kuwait 2010 Kuwait currency through history by Dr Adel Abel-Moghni, Kuwait 1996 Website of national bank, www.nbk.com

Economic independence Thus, NBK was the first national bank and

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem (1950-1965)

The first Board of Directors After the Amiri decree of May 1952, the IPO body summoned all shareholders for a meeting at Mubarakiyah School to elect the first Council of Administration. Nine people were elected as follows:

Khalid Zaid Al-Khalid — President Ahmad Al-Saud Al-Khalid — Vice-President Khalifa Khalid Al-Ghunaim — Secretary and member Mohamed Abdulmohsen Al-Khorafi — member Khaled Abdullatif Al-Hamad — member

List of the members of the Board of Directors as it was published in the Egyptian newspaper Rose El Youssef in 1952.

amounts that acted as an incentive for all.

The opening An Amiri decree was issued on May 19, 1952 to establish the National Bank of Kuwait.

The bank’s capital did not exceed a million Kuwaiti dinars. On November 15, 1952, the National Bank of Kuwait opened its doors to the public for the first time. NBK began its journey from being a small bank located in three shops in the New Street which was the first commercial street that was lined with modern buildings. It began with very few employees and carried out all functions manually. Today, it has grown into one of the region’s largest that is rated the most profitable, pioneering and innovative banks with the highest credit ratings among all MENA banks and an international presence in four continents. NBK is one of the 50 safest banks in the world. During its first year of operation,

first shareholding company in Kuwait and GCC region. It has played a leading role in the service of the people of Kuwait. While everyone knows that 1961 was the year of political independence of the State of Kuwait, most of the people do not know that the year 1952 witnessed another kind of independence, namely the economic independence of Kuwait through the National Bank of Kuwait.

For 60 years, the National Bank of Kuwait has helped Kuwait make a lot of achievements on several levels, including health, education, environment, community service, national employment, sports, conferences and seminars.

Abdulaziz Hamad Al-Sager — member Yousef Abdulziz Al-Fulaij — member Sayed Ali Al-Sayed Ali Sulaiman — member Ahmad Al-Saud Al-Khalid — member Yousef Ahmed Al-Ghanim — member

Rupee coins used by Kuwaiti people before finding the dinar. The issuance of Queen Victoria 1882; the above picture is one rupee and the one below is half rupee.

Strength in times of crisis During the 1982 stock market crash of Kuwait’s unofficial stock market, the Souk AlManakh, NBK proved to be the safest bank because of good banking practices, prudent dealing, making it the only national institution that survived this crisis. Its performance made many call it the only bank that could claim a surplus.

From rupee to dinar NBK played an influential role in the replacement of the local currency twice. The first was in May 1959 when it replaced the Indian rupee banknotes to a new currency called the Gulf rupee. Then came the second currency replacement process in April and May of 1961, when the Kuwaiti Monetary Council issued “Kuwaiti dinars” instead of Gulf rupee. This was necessary to build a strategy of political and economic independence.

Image of the old building of the National Bank.

During the invasion NBK was able to continue operating from London during the Iraqi invasion to Kuwait.

After making its contribution in overcoming the repercussions of the Iraqi invasion, NBK went on to play an important role and turned out to be very influential for the Kuwaiti economy. It was then that the provision regarding

Models of paper currency used in Kuwait in 1918, issue of 2 rupees and eight annas denomination, with the image of King George.

DIFF gives Gulf directors a voice through global showcase

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2012

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A new essential? Glasses go main frame

udging from the plethora of eye-catching eyewear that’s been getting face time over the last few years - be it on the European ready-to-wear runways or in the adjoining office cubicle - it’s clear that glasses have gone from nerd necessity to chic accessory. It’s a shift reflected in the current look-at-me trends retro, vintage-inspired frames, chunky tortoise shells and geometric shapes that attract rather than deflect attention - and reinforced by the laundry list of fashion-focused brands with a presence in the eyewear arena. These include high-end European luxury labels like Prada, Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana as well as American contemporary brands Brooks Brothers, Tory Burch, Tiffany & Co. and Sperry Top-Sider, which aims to translate the brand’s footwear DNA into a line of licensed sunglass and ophthalmic frames due to hit the market next year.

While it might seem logical to blame the deteriorating eyesight of the aging baby boomer population or the ever-increasing computer- and smartphone-induced strain on our collective eyeballs, consumer behavior statistics don’t show a jump in the number of people who need prescriptions. What they do show, however, is an increase in the number of people who wear glasses without prescription lenses - presumably to look cool.

Dorothy Parker famously observed, “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses.”

How did we go from that image to bespectacled bombshells? How did eyewear go from the disguise that turns Superman into his milquetoast alter-ego to an individual expression of signature style? Some in the eyewear industry point to the traditional pop-culture petri dishes of Hollywood celebrity and fashion runways.

“Maybe they’re seeing more celebrities” wearing glasses, said Larry Leight, co-founder and creative director of boutique brand Oliver

Peoples. “And there are more ... fashion magazines and runway shows where designers are accessorizing their shows with ophthalmic glasses - the kind that aren’t sunglasses - with either clear lenses or only slightly tinted colored lenses.”

Milena Cavicchioli, vice president of marketing for Luxottica Group - the Milan-based eyewear company that owns Ray-Ban, Oakley and Oliver Peoples, among others, and which also makes eyewear and sunglasses under license for some 20 fashion labels - points to the recent Hollywood award show season as evidence.

“Think of Meryl Streep on Oscar night,” Cavicchioli said. “She was wearing beautiful frames. And she’s not the only one. Jennifer Garner and Demi Moore are two I often see in clippings. When people are looking at (celebrities like) them to see what the latest trends are, them wearing frames is a huge support and endorsement.”

She said there have also been other factors at work over the last half decade, including fashion designers’ approach to eyewear both in the frames that bear their names and in the styled looks that hit the runways during fashion week. “The (optical) collections themselves are becoming more elaborate,” she said. “There are some (styles) that are like jewelry pieces, that make a big fashion statement - like Prada’s Baroque frame, for example. The collections are being treated in a more fashion-forward way.”

Fashion designers have realized just how powerful a brand extension eyewear can be, especially in comparison to some other offshoots. “It’s difficult for a brand to be visible with a fragrance because you’re the only one who knows what you’re wearing,” she explained. “But when you wear a pair of sunglasses or optical frames, the brand itself gets exposure in the most prominent way because this is something you wear on your face. It’s not

like a wallet that you put in your bag. I would say that it is as powerful as a (designer hand) bag as a brand statement, as brand exposure.”

Not just a powerful statement, but an economical one too, points out David Rose, vice president of design and manufacturing at Costa Mesa, Calif.-based Salt Optics. “A few years back, before the economy took a hit, people would spend a lot more money on their bags and their shoes,” Rose said. “But now eyewear is an accessible way to have a quality accessory.”

Rose also said that switching out the spectacles provides a quick and easy way to create a whole new vibe. “It’s like getting a haircut going from (having) long hair to buzzing your head - it really changes your overall look.”

It’s not just the designers who’ve seen the value of cultivating the eyewear-as-fashionaccessory notion. Cavicchioli said that over the last five years Luxottica has increased its advertising in fashion magazines and worked to get its brands noticed by influencers and trendsetters. “We’re using the category to make a statement as well,” she said.

At the same time, those responsible for styling fashion shows - putting together complete runway looks that include hair, makeup, footwear, accessories and jewelry - have increasingly employed eyewear to help bring the designer’s vision into focus. “Dolce & Gabbana and Prada were the initiators. They have been using frames in their shows for years,” she noted. “And now it’s normal.”

Cavicchioli isn’t the only one in the industry who’s noticed an increased presence on the fashion runway. Another is Gai Gherardi, coowner and co-designer (with Barbara McReynolds) of the independent LA Eyeworks brand.

“Yes, we’ve noticed more and more (optical) styling on the runways,” Gherardi said. “And I love it so much. I remember so clearly opening

Plush purple: A

ctress Jaime King plays feisty Lemon Breeland on the CW’s hit show “Hart of Dixie.” It’s all ruffles, debutante ball gowns and derby hats in Blue Bell, the fictional town where Breeland lives, but in real life, King is more of a fashion risk-taker than a Southern belle. From her start as a teen model, King has proved to be a fashion chameleon, able to wear a variety of looks and appear polished and on trend. Give her a paper bag, and she can find a way to rock it. King mixed a flowy floral dress with a motorcycle jacket at the recent Samsung Galaxy Note II launch, chose an embellished Giambattista Valli peplum outfit for the CFDA / Vogue Fashion Show and looked svelte in a white Calvin Klein collection dress at the Elle Women in Hollywood event last month.

At the recent launch of Rachel Zoe’s “Major Must Haves” collection for Jockey at Sunset Tower, King gave different shades of purple a whirl in a Christian Dior fall 2012 eggplant top and a skirt with sheer panels. She tied her Dior pumps like ballerina slippers and held on to a gold Jason Wu clutch. To get King’s look, you’ll need a form-fitting shirt and a skirt in different shades of purple. Try the Caslon long-sleeve crew neck shirt from Nordstrom.com for $25 with the Jucca three-quarter-length skirt from Yoox.com for $35 or the purple shimmer skirt from Topshop.com for $40.

For the heeled ballerina slipper look, try the Pleaser women’s Chic-14 pump from Amazon.com for $30.55, and tie the straps up your ankle.

Accessorize with a chunky statement piece. Try the knotted multi-chain necklace from Express.com, on sale last week for $24.43. For a gold clutch, get the Expressions NYC snake embossed box clutch from Nordstrom.com for $48. —MCT

a newspaper or a magazine a couple of years ago and one of the big (fashion houses) had sent this flock of models down the runway in gorgeous clothes - gowns really - with clear eyeglasses on. It was really a turning point.”

Gherardi is pleased since more cat-eyes on the catwalk helps reinforce the connection between spectacles and style. There’s been more exposure for her brand too - designers who have styled runway looks with LA Eyeworks’ spectacles in the past include Corey Lynn Calter, John Bartlett, Rachel Pally and Erik Kim. But she said it’s only a reflection of the changing attitude, not the genesis of it. For that she points to what she calls “a couple of big milestones.”

The first wave, Gherardi said, came on the heels of the mass-market embrace of rimless, disappear-on-the-face frames that had their heyday in the first half-decade of the new millennium. “Everybody was wearing rimless frames,” she said. “It was rimless frames, rimless frames, rimless frames. Suddenly everybody looked like they were 70 years old and should be running Daimler (Group).” Then Sarah Palin stepped into the spotlight as presidential hopeful John McCain’s running mate with her distinctive Kawasaki 704 eyeglass frames. “(She) went around wearing those, and everyone wanted that look,” Gherardi said.

The notion that a pair of eyeglass frames can so easily help define one’s personal sense of style is borne out by annual consumer behavior studies conducted by the Vision Council of America. According to the group, as of the 12month period through December 2011, 63.6 percent of Americans reported wearing prescription eyewear. Although that’s down a half a percentage point from two years earlier, it’s essentially offset by an increase in the use of contact lenses (up 0.4 percent) and reading glasses (up 0.1 percent) in the same period. But

among US adults who don’t wear prescription eyewear, 19.2 percent said they have worn eyeglasses without a prescription just to be fashionable - an increase of nearly 4 percent from December 2008 to February 2011.

Today the throwback look, dominated by classic shapes and tortoise-shell patterns - call it vintage-inspired, geek chic or the “Mad Men” effect - reigns supreme, while the addition of bright pops of color and unusual shapes make fashion-forward eyewear more eye-catching and image-defining than ever.

“Retro-inspired design and classic shapes continue to influence the market,” Cavicchioli said. “But the cat-eye style that has been popular for the last couple of years is on the decline, and we’re moving into more geometric shapes; the hexagon, for example, is a shape that’s coming on strongly. Things are also getting a bit smaller - we were getting a little bit oversized - so you’ll see a return to smaller sizes. But, in the next year and a half, the geometric and sculptural shapes will be where there is newness in the market.”

Salt Optics’ Rose sees some similar trends.

“We’ve had this vintage kind of feel for a while,” he said. “A lot of the vintage, heavier, chunkier frames have been slimmed down, and I’m doing a lot of slimmer (frames), with deeper eye shapes. ... As far as color goes, I’ve been digging into opaque colors - aquamarine, aubergine and some nude colors that have been a big trend for us lately.” But Rose says that the ‘50s and ‘60s vintage-retro look has dominated eyewear trends for so long, people are starting to tire of it. “Now I’m looking to the ‘80s and ‘90s for inspiration.” —MCT

Replicate Jaime King’s look