18 Dec

CR IP TI ON BS SU

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

Etihad in final talks to buy India carrier stake

Mourners pack Indian funeral for royal hoax nurse

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The Scream: Yemeni women make their voices heard

Bin Hammam resigns from all football positions

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Obama vows effort to tame US gun violence Newtown buries its dead after school massacre

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Police disperse Manama protest DUBAI: Bahraini police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse dozens of anti-regime Shiite demonstrators who staged a protest in central Manama yesterday to mark the opposition’s “Martyrs’ Day”, witnesses said. The protesters had gathered in the financial district in response to calls by the online activist group February 14th Youth, they said, adding that plainclothes police made several arrests.

Demonstrators chanted anti-monarchy slogans, including “people want the fall of the regime”. Also yesterday, protesters clashed with police in a number of villages and blocked main roads with burning tyres, witnesses said. Martyrs’ Day commemorates the deaths of regime opponents in clashes with security forces in the 1990s. Bahrain was shaken by a protest movement in Feb 2011 led by the Shiite majority demanding a constitutional monarchy in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. At least 80 people have died since the start of the unrest, according to the International Federation of Human Rights.

Robotic hand offers hope for paralysed PARIS: Pentagon-backed scientists yesterday announced they had created a robot hand that was the most advanced brain-controlled prosthetic limb ever made. The mind-powered prosthesis is a breakthrough, the team of neurologists and bio-engineers reported in The Lancet. With further development “individuals with long-term paralysis could recover the natural and intuitive command signals for hand placement, orientation and reaching, allowing them to perform activities of daily living,” they said. The team, based at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, implanted two microelectrode arrays into the left motor cortex of a 52-year-old woman.

She had been left paralysed from the neck down, unable to move her arms and legs due to a condition called spinocerebellar degeneration. Two weeks after the operation, the prosthesis was connected and the woman embarked on 14 weeks of training but on only the second day, she was able to move the limb through mind power. (See Page 27)

Iran’s Khamenei ‘likes’ Facebook DUBAI: Facebook - banned in Iran due to its use by activists to rally government opponents in 2009 has an unlikely new member: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Launched a few days ago, the Facebook page “Khamenei.ir” displays photographs of the 73-year-old cleric alongside speeches and pronouncements by the man who wields ultimate power in the Islamic Republic. While there are several other Facebook pages already devoted to Khamenei, the new one - whose number of “likes” quadrupled yesterday to over 1,000 - appeared to be officially authorised, rather than merely the work of admirers. The page has been publicised by a Twitter account of the same name. Both US-based social media sites are blocked in Iran by a wide-reaching government censor but they are still commonly used by millions of Iranians who use special software to get around the ban. Khamenei’s Facebook page has so far shared a picture of a young Khamenei alongside the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in the early 1960s.

Israel approves 1,500 homes in Jerusalem JERUSALEM: Israel yesterday gave the green light for developers to go ahead with controversial plans to build 1,500 settler homes in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, the interior ministry told AFP. Spokeswoman Efrat Orbach said that the ministry’s planning committee had told the applicants to trim their request to build 1,600 new housing units at Ramat Shlomo to 1,500 and resubmit it “for final approval”. The plan caused a diplomatic rift with Washington when it was first announced in 2010 as US Vice President Joe Biden met top Israeli officials in Jerusalem to boost Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. It has lain dormant since Aug 2011 but two weeks ago the ministry announced that it had been revived.

Orbach said that at yesterday’s meeting, the committee heard public objections and told to make changes. “It reduced the plan from 1,600 to 1,500 and now the plan has to be resubmitted and meet the conditions in order to get final approval,” she said. “It could take months more, or years.”

NEWTOWN, Connecticut: US President Barack Obama reacts as he speaks at a memorial service for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on Sunday. — AFP

Syria VP says neither side can win war

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NEWTOWN, Connecticut: Funerals began yesterday in the little Connecticut town of Newtown after the school massacre that took the lives of 20 small children and six staff, triggering new momentum for a change to America’s gun culture. The first burials, held under raw, wet skies, were for two six-year-old boys who were among those shot in Sandy Hook Elementary School.

On Tuesday, the first of the girls, also aged six, was due to be laid to rest. There were no classes yesterday at all across Newtown, and the blood-soaked elementary school was to remain a closed crime scene indefinitely, authorities said. “Healing is still going on,” town police Lieutenant George Sinko said. “The plan is to try to resume normalcy for school classes tomorrow, except for those members of the Sandy Hook school.”

In the nearby town of Ridgefield, reports of a suspicious person prompted the lockdown and deployment of police yesterday at all schools, the Ridgefield public schools system said in an alert on its website. For Newtown, a picturesque and quiet suburban community where the 20-year-old killer lived with his well-off mother, the start of funerals was unlikely to settle the nightmare of what happened last Friday. But the crime, in which the murderer carried a high-powered, military style rifle and two handguns, may have spurred change in the political landscape regarding rules on weapons ownership.

Late Sunday, President Barack Obama joined a prayer vigil in Newtown and used his remarks to pledge to work for an end to mass shootings, which have now become an almost regular event in the United States with four massacres since Obama took office alone.

“These tragedies must end,” Obama said, not giving specifics, but appearing to commit himself to a push for reform in his second White House term, possibly by urging restoration of a federal ban on assault weapons like the one used in Newtown. That ban expired in 2004.

“Can we say that we’re truly doing enough to give all the children of this country the chance they deserve to live out their lives in happiness and with purpose?”

Obama asked on a podium lined with candles lit in memory of the dead. “I’ve been reflecting on this the last few days, and if we’re honest with ourselves, the answer is no,” he said. “We will have to change.”

Obama’s remarks, though impassioned and appearing to set a new mission for his presidency of curtailing rampant gun violence, did not propose specific solutions, in keeping with the somber tone of the apolitical vigil service. Heartrending sobs broke the silence as Obama slowly read the names of the six heroic adults who died trying to protect their innocent charges as gunman Adam Lanza, 20, unleashed terror with a military-style assault rifle. The president also read the names of the children, all aged six or seven, whose lives were taken, in an incredibly poignant moment.

“Charlotte, Daniel, Olivia, Josephine, Ana, Dylan, Madeline, Catherine, Chase, Jesse, James, Grace, Emilie, Jack, Noah, Caroline, Jessica, Benjamin, Avielle, Allison, God has called them all home....”

“They lost their lives in a school that could have been any school, in a quiet town full of good and decent people that could be any town in America,” Obama said.

“We can’t tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end, and to end them we must change,” the newly Continued on Page 13

Wave of attacks kills 48 people in Iraq

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MP proposes state to buy debt

By B Izzak KUWAIT: Newly-elected MP Nawaf AlFuzai yesterday submitted a draft law calling on the state to purchase all bank debts on Kuwaiti citizens and forgive all incurred interest on them as a way to help Kuwaitis repay their debt. The bill calls for the state -owned Kuwait Investment Authority, which manages public investments inside and outside Kuwait, to purchase all bank loans on citizens not exceeding KD 70,000.

Interest incurred on the loans will be forgiven once the KIA pays to the banks the original sum of the loans. At the same time, the government will give KIA a deposit equal to the principal of the debt purchased from banks. KIA will pledge to give a profit not lower than 10 percent annually on the government’s deposit and this will continue until the problem had been completely resolved.

Fuzai said in the draft law that it will not apply to ministers, members of parliament and their immediate relatives.

The bill will first be reviewed by the legal and legislative committee to assess

if it is in line with the constitution. If the bill is legal, the committee will then refer it to the financial and economic affairs committee. The committee will study the bill in the presence of government officials, mainly Finance Minister Mustafa AlShamali, in order to be able to write a report on the issue and send it to the Assembly for approval or rejection.

In the past the government repeatedly rejected similar attempts for the state to use public funds to purchase debts of citizens on the grounds that it will harm the country’s financial system and that it was too expensive for the state.

Observers however said during and after the election that the government may accept a compromise deal on the sensitive issue in a bid to give more credibility to the National Assembly which was elected on Dec 1 amid a huge boycott.

Several other MPs like Askar Al-Enezi and Mohammad Al-Jabri have also said they will file similar bills, but Jabri said yesterday that the issue will be delayed for a few days until it has been thoroughly studied.

Continued on Page 13

Surplus surges on high income KUWAIT: Kuwait’s provisional budget surplus surged 43 percent to KD 14.7 billion ($52.2 billion) in the first seven months of the fiscal year, boosted by oil income, government data showed yesterday. The figure compares with a KD 7.3 billion ($26.0 billion) deficit projected in the budget for 2012-2013, which began on April 1. The surplus stood at $36.5 billion in the same period last fiscal year. In the 2011-2012 fiscal year that ended on March 31, the OPEC member posted a record budget surplus of $47 billion on the back of an alltime high income of $107.5 billion. Oil income makes up about 95 percent of public revenues.

Revenues until the end of October also rose 15.7 percent to KD 18.86 bil-

lion compared with the same period in the last fiscal year. The seven-month income is also up 35.3 percent on budget estimates for the whole year of KD 13.9 billion, according to the figures posted on the finance ministry website.

Income from oil jumped 40.9 percent over the same period last year to KD 18.0 billion.

Meanwhile, spending shrank by a massive 30.7 percent to KD 4.2 billion from last fiscal year’s KD 6.0 billion in the first seven months. The ministry did not give reasons for the sharp drop but it is believed an ongoing political crisis in the Gulf state has further slowed down projects. The government issued the 2012-2013 budget with record Continued on Page 13

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

LOCAL Musical program at skating RINK KUWAIT: The minor hall at the Ice Skating Rink is set to host a musical program which requires its temporarily closure to skaters, the Touristic Enterprises Company announced yesterday. In preparation for the concert, which takes place in less than two weeks, the hall will be closed beginning Wednesday, Dec 26, until Saturday Dec 29, 2012, according to Ice Skating Rink and Fountain Park Supervisor Omar AlSamaraei.

The event, however, will not result in changes to schedules at the rink’s main hall, which continues to welcome visitors at regular operating hours every day from 8:30 am to 10:00 pm, broken into seven periods. The period between 6:30 pm and 10:00 pm each Tuesday is allocated exclusively for female skaters.

Omar Al-Samaraei

VIVA celebrates Qatar National Day with exceptional promotion

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received at Seif Palace yesterday the Speaker of the National Assembly Ali Al-Rashed. HH also met with members of the parliament office for the first regular session of the 14th legislative term; Mubarak Al-Khurainej, National Assembly’s Deputy Speaker, Kamel Al-Awadhi, Secretary of the National Assembly, Safaa AlHashem, Supervisor of Assembly, Dr Maasooma Al-Mubarak, Chair of the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee, Dr Yousef Hassan AlZalzalah, Chairman of Financial and Economic Committee, and Alaam Ali Al-Kandari, Secretary General of the National Assembly, on the occasion of the parliament office formation.

Parliament inaugural session ‘tasteless’ without Al-Barrak Al-Rashidi pledges to ‘shutdown corruption’ KUWAIT: The parliament’s inaugural session remained calm, as many had expected, given the lack of opposition figures present because they had boycotted elections in protest against an emergency decree that adopted the singlevote system. And while lawmakers lobby to put the past behind them and move on towards a new beginning, some couldn’t help but notice how the main hall in the National Assembly building felt ‘strange’ without former MP Musallam Al-Barrak’s exuberant approach.

“The parliament is tasteless without AlBarrak”, debutant MP Khalid Al-Shulaimi remarked, further extolling the outspoken former MP as being “an inspiration, not only to his fellow lawmakers, but to citizens as well”.

Faisal Al-Duwaisan had similar words of praise for his former colleague. “Whether we like it or not, no one can take Al-Barrak’s role in the parliament”, he told reporters following a side talk about the lack of heated debate during the inaugural session, which had been a regular fixture in past parliaments.

Al-Barrak watched the session live with supporters from a coffee shop near the Palace of Justice, where they saw MP Essam Al-Dabous

take over the chair Al-Barrak had occupied since 1996. They also watched Deputy Speaker Mubarak Al-Khurainj sit on the seat set aside for the leading opposition figure and the man regarded as Al-Barrak’s mentor, Ahmad AlSaadoun.

Of note, Islamist lawmakers Khalid AlShulaimi, Hammad Al-Dousary and Abdurrahman Al-Jeeran chose to sit in a location at the far end of the seats occupied previously by former Islamist MPs Dr. Faisal Al-Mislem, Dr. Waleed Al-Tabtabaei and Dr. Jamaan AlHarbash. Meanwhile, newly appointed minister Thekra Al-Rashidi said on the first day of work that she plans to “shutdown corruption and enforce the law” at the Ministry of Social and Labor, sparking debate about her ability to end multiple issues that her predecessors had promised to end, yet came up short. The two main subjects fueling the debate is the fact that AlRashidi’s statements were almost identical to promises made by former ministers after assuming the post, in addition to the ‘heavy burden’ that she is forced to tackle with issues ranging from the labor file and demographic balance, social care, and the co-operative societies sector.

The list of tasks on the minister’s desk is probably topped by the need to make the longawaited labor affairs authority a reality. The draft law to establish the authority, which would handle labor-related issues in order to ultimately lead for abolishing the sponsorship system, is waiting to be passed by the parliament, while hope is placed on Al-Rashidi to push for it being a priority. One of the main goals for establishing the labor authority is also to come up with a more effective mechanism regarding the demographic imbalance, by which Kuwaitis became a minority in their own country. It is believed that chances for ‘restoring balance’ would be improved with a new system replacing the sponsorship system; something that is also blamed for loopholes utilized by human trafficking suspects.

Another important topic on the new minister’s agenda is social care, a sector many believe needs to be ‘overhauled’ with procedures that include restoring dilapidated buildings housing orphanages, as well as for the elderly and disabled citizens, in addition to addressing increasing problems reported at orphanages, = including suicide attempts.

KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing telecom operator, announced yesterday the launch of a special promotion for its prepaid and postpaid customers in celebration of the national day of Qatar. For every five minutes during a call made to families and friends in Qatar on this occasion, VIVA will grant customers five free minutes in return. This promotion is valid for the 24 hours of today, Dec 18.

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

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

Customers interested in this special offer can visit any of the VIVA branches for additional information and activation.

To find out more about VIVA’s numerous competitive promotions, products and packages visit any of the 14 VIVA branches or visit the website at www.viva.com.kw , or contact its 24 hour call center at 55102102.

Task force panel set to remove state property encroachments KUWAIT: The Committee tasked with the removal of encroachments on state property regrouped its special teams in all industrial, commercial and investment areas and home residences throughout Kuwait.

The priorities of removing all encroachments that were rebuilt during last summer have been set and several illegal structures were identified and will soon be demolished, Colonel Thafer Al-Sayegh, Public Relations and Media Coordinator at the committee said yesterday.

The committee will deal with the violations in the private houses, including tent fixations, blocking footpaths, car parking shades adjacent to power boxes, growing garden plants outside borders licensed by the municipality and high concrete barriers around gardens, Al-Sayegh added.

He said that the illegal constructions will be demolished in industrial areas, especially in Amghara, where concrete factory owners used unlicensed property lands through storing gravel and sand and set-

ting up workshops that the committee has previously spotted, in addition to other areas like Fahaheel, Al-Ray and Shuwaikh.

The committee has also monitored, during its tours, some illegal expansions in agricultural areas such as Al-Abdali, AlWafra, Kabd and Al-Sulaibiya without referring to the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) to take the necessary licenses, as well as putting some installations outside the boundaries of tenure, Col. Al-Sayegh noted.

The committee has coordinated with PAAFR, Public Authority for Youth and Sports (PAYS), Public Authority for Industry (PAI), the Kuwait Municipality and the State Property Department in order for trained observers from these agencies to demolish them.

Al-Sayegh appealed to all citizens, residents and companies to commit to maintaining state property and to obtain the necessary official permits in the event of exploiting any of these lands. —KUNA

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

LOCAL

Kuwait ready to help Iraq address pending issues Call to expand mandate of UNAMI KUWAIT: Kuwait is ready to help Iraq address the issue of remains of Kuwaiti prisoners and Kuwaiti properties to quickly close this file, a senior government official said yesterday.

“Kuwait has been flexible in helping Iraq exit from Chapter VII (of the UN Charter) and is ready to offer assistance for the Iraqi side to finalize the issue of remains of Kuwaiti prisoners and Kuwaiti properties to speed up the closure of this file,” Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled AlHamad Al-Sabah told reporters on sidelines of a reception by Bahrain Embassy on occasion of the Gulf Kingdom’s 41st Independence Day. Kuwait, he said, asked the UN to expand the mandate of UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) to include the search for Kuwaiti properties and remains of prisoners.

UNAMI’s mandate can be expanded as the term of Gennady Tarasov, UN high-level Coordinator for missing Kuwaiti and third country nationals and of missing Kuwaiti property, expires later this month.

Sheikh Sabah said Iraq has honored many international obligations with little remaining

to be met. Kuwait is ready to provide assistance for Iraq to speed up the resolution of the file of remains of Kuwaiti prisoners, Kuwait national archive and properties.

Asked about His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah’s visit to Iraq, Sheikh Sabah said Kuwait and Iraq were preparing 10 cooperation agreements, and “once these agreements are ready, His Highness the Prime Minister will visit Iraq in return of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki’s visit to Kuwait last March.”

Sheikh Sabah said members of Kuwait-Iraq joint committee would be meeting during the first quarter next year.

Meanwhile, Kuwait backs up all global efforts contributing to enhancement of nuclear safety and security, being a mere human right, said Kuwaiti ambassador to Japan Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi, and head of state’s delegation to second Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety Fukushima. Ambassador Al-Otaibi was speaking during the three-day conference that kicked off, last Saturday. It was organized by

the Japanese government, in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Kuwait is committed to the IAEA work plans, including review of nuclear reactor safety measures, strengthening safety of nuclear reactors, as well as support for transparency of announcing and informing the IAEA of any radioactive releases, as well as exchange of such information with the international community, the diplomat affirmed.

Kuwait conducted, in the last few years, some studies related to establishing a nuclear reactor as a means of peaceful usage of this energy, however efforts were not completed in this field, he said.

The Gulf state called on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to adopt a regional project for peaceful harnessing of the nuclear energy at the council’s meeting, held in Riyadh, in 2006, he stated.

Execution of this venture started by a GCC work team, including experts in the field from the member countries, besides preparing a joint emergency plan in cooperation with the IAEA, Ol-Otaibi said.

Prominent role for justice experts KUWAIT: Assistant Undersecretary for Experts Affairs at the Justice Ministry, Khalid Al-Dakhil, spoke about the main features in the strategic plan for the experts sector, including its three components: the Experts department, Technical Inspection Administration, and Experts Technical Bureau. The plan covers the period from 2012 to 2016, and will help develop and improve work in this important sector in the state, on the one hand, and it aims at easing things for litigants, while reducing their suffering, on the other.

Al-Dakhil stressed the importance of the experts department role in providing assistance to the judiciar y, and appreciated the ministry employees keenness on removing all obstacles exper ts face and keeping them from playing their role as required, in cases that need a technical opinion. He said he considered experts to be technical advisors for judges, who study and research disputed cases

sent to them by the courts and prosecution, then prepare a report about their technical opinion to enable the cour t to use their research when issuing a verdict, though it is an uncommitted opinion for the judiciary.

Al-Dakhil spoke about the most important roles of the department and provided statistics and numbers regarding the number, type and nature of cases the department worked on in one year, including its role in advancing and improving the performance of its employees in the specialties of the experts department and its role, in general, towards the type of cases it receives. Al-Dakhil said the department has two basic sectors, accounts and engineering, and each has its own specialties.

The accounts sector is interested in labor issues and accounts settlement between individuals or companies, banks, insurance, compensations, debts, including cases that are referred by the pub-

lic prosecution and investigations depar tment, and the accounts cases that come from the appeals and cassasions court. The engineering sector is concerned with contracting, rents, mechanics and power, besides issues of real estate ownership and inheritance.

As for the experts department role as the assistant to judges, AlDakhil said expert technical advisors to the judiciary, research and study those cases referred to them from cour ts and various prosecutions in regards to technical engineering issues. The experts studies the case, interview the parties and witnesses, check the documents and prepare a report on their technical opinion on the case so that the court can use this research as a guide when issuing a verdict.

The experts’ reports are issued af ter a thorough study that answers the requirements scientifically and technically, and results are provided in detail. He said that

the reports do not legally commit the courts to them, rather, it is a means of proof, and the court can either accept them or not. AlDak hil said that there are 700 employees at the depar tment, including 347 exper ts, with Kuwaitis making up 90% of them.

He said, however, that this number is not adequate since the number of cases is on the increase, noting that among the most impor tant obstacles the experts sector faces is the lack of a suitable permanent building that meets the current and future needs of the experts sector, which resulted in the inability to employ new experts. He said he hopes the Ministry of Public Works speeds up the tender of the permanent building, since all licenses have been issued He added that there is no budget for training abroad, to send experts to attend courses and conferences, and to learn of the latest developments in their fields.

KUWAIT: Bahraini Ambassador Sheikh Khaleefa bin Hamad Al-Khaleefa has held a reception on the occasion of the National Day of his country at Sheraton Hotel. It was attended by a number of diplomats and other dignitaries.

—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

Local Spotlight

Traffic jams problem

Youth and NGOs - 2012

By Nasser Al-Khaldi o you know why we are having traffic problems on our roads? Simply because of lack of good planning. When we are supposed to have a full and comprehensive educational city, we find that the university has been set up in a residential area. The offices of the public authority for applied education and most of its colleges punctuate the residential areas in such a way that those visiting these colleges or coming out the premises end up on the same road.

All you need to do to see massive traffic jams is to just go to Kaifan, Khalidiya or Shamiya areas. How can our universities develop when our colleges are being built among rows of houses and have not enough parking?

The traffic problem starts right in the morning, at 7 am to be precise. When we speak about planning in advance for our civic amenities and being ready to deal with increasing urbanization pressures, it does not only mean building organizational infrastructure but also various other functional issues. In the case of traffic, that would mean taking into account the fact that everyone starts from home either at 7 am, or a little earlier or later. So around that time, there is maximum vehicular traffic on the roads, and the consequent traffic jams thus start from early morning.

Obviously, it seems only logical to start thinking whether a change can be made in the office timings.

Either the offices can start working a little late or the students can be made to move out earlier to their educational institutions. It is important that flexibility is built into the system, and changes are made to reduce the traffic jams.

It is the duty of the government to take an initiative to find some solutions quickly. Systems need to be developed and ways of accomplishing certain routine tasks need to be changed. We have been hearing about computerization of a lot of government-related record keeping and transactions, but why is this not happening fast enough? Why should people be made to report to ministries when they can deal with the officials through internet websites or can be in touch through mail? Why cannot the people simply call up to ask something instead of visiting the ministry? The files can be sent to them at home for a certain fee. We need to do these and many other things if we rightfully want to become a financial hub.

Lt General Ibrahim Al Turrah succeeded in dealing with the demonstration at Jahra area, and was able to bring the rally to an end even before it could really take off, simply through dialogue and by giving them a patient hearing. Many people in Al Jahra hailed his approach. This is what we need in such circumstances. The youth want to see a leader from the forces who listens to them is ready to discuss things with them. This way he earns the trust of others and then commands respect because he means his words and knows how to use them, instead of resorting to violence and scuffling with the youth because that does not make them stop. Good counseling and a patient empathizing hearing does.

MP Dr Jumaan Al Harbash has posted on his Twitter account that security personnel must avoid dealing with the youth with violence. We, too, second this counsel. But we suppose that it is the duty of people like Al Harbash and his colleagues in the opposition group also to work hard to counsel the youth and ask them to cool down and stay away from holding demonstrations in the residential areas. Safeguarding the security of the state is a great mission, and everyone must be part of the effort. —Al-Anbaa

D

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

inally, we have a new government body that will focus on the nation’s youth—- a state ministry for the youth. It is no longer just a wish to dream of having an official government department to seriously and officially have as its mission the carrying out of its duties towards the youth of Kuwait and recognize their needs and demands. I think this higher action recently taken by the Kuwaiti government shows how the youth are finally being seen as an essential instrument for the development of Kuwait and its people.I personally salute the Kuwaiti government for its decision, as much as for the choice of who should lead this ministry, being Sheikh Salman Hamoud Al Sabah.

A search of Google finds much information about this man, himself being an athlete, which means he understands youths and is knowledgeable in both the field of sports, youths and politics. These, I believe, are elements that could and should make the difference in the coming period. I always believed that development is not about building high skies or new streets or malls, but it is about human development. Bringing and shaping new/old ideas to society and youth, and rebuilding these ideas for better performances and understanding is what we need in Kuwait for the youth and for their future.

I have thought for some time that the youth have felt they are being deprived and forgotten in many aspects of life, such as in getting dream jobs, considering their talents in sports or cultural pursuits. These seemed like good wishes, but now they have become a reality. I do believe now, more than ever, that all of this and others things are now possible. I am not saying all dreams comes true, but I feel positive about change, changes that are possible if only they are re-shaped in a proper manner and with the right people to offer guidance.Recently, I met with some young Kuwaiti women in their mid-twenties, and we spent hours talking about the need to work for youth and how to help young Kuwaitis learn about their needs and abilities. I came with an opinion that NGO’s are not being managed or beneficial for young Kuwaitis.

In Kuwait, we have NGOs, but they are not as productive as those in the US or Europe. Here we need to have the youth take the lead in the NGOs and not be left out of the administration and making policies for those NGOs. We need to encourage and energize many young Kuwaitis, men and women, to participate in NGOs, especially the environmental and societal ones. In this way we might reshape their ideas about what Kuwait, as a country, expects from them if they are to become active and productive citizens.

Think of the high rate of car accidents and divorce among Kuwaitis, especially those between 20-30 years of age? Some may think these are not top agenda items and not related to politics. Yet in Kuwait, every societal file has become a political issue that needs support and consideration by the government. So it is important to recognize that the Kuwaiti government has assigned a new minister for the youth. I have many hopes now, and more than ever about the youth. I hope the new minister of youth, Sheikh Salaman Al Sabah, will help many Kuwaiti youths, to provide the best for Kuwait and its future since, after all, its their future too. I have faith in his leadership.

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kuwait digest

‘This is what Kuwait wants’

By Dr Hamed Al-Hmoud mid political news discussing post-election developments and speculation about the forming of the cabinet, one report grabbed my attention while reading a local daily a few days ago, which talked about an excess in qualified kindergarten teachers that forced the Ministry of Education to temporarily stop hiring new KG teachers. While this news has nothing to do with politics, no one can deny that the undesired overflow of teachers, as described in the report, was the result of incorrect policies.

The report further mentions “temporary solutions” the ministry resorted to in order to deal with this excess, which included “assigning three teachers per classroom” in public kindergartens across the country. In the meantime, the report also indicates that the MOE contacted education colleges at Kuwait University and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training to reduce the number of students becoming kindergarten teachers in order to avoid adding to the present surplus.It is normal here to ask a number of questions, such as why did the surplus happen, and why wasn’t the ministry able to predict that it was going to happen?

In the meantime, this news brought to my mind a report published in November 2011 about “severe shortages” in Kuwaiti teachers, with public schools having a total of only two physics teachers, ten chemistry teachers, and fifteen teachers for mathematics, Arabic and English languages in each of the three subjects. This information exposed a clear error in policies pertaining to the incentives system which, in the end, leads female students to go to college in order to become kindergarten teachers, instead of teaching other subjects.

A

In that regard, I recently spoke to a university professor who brought to my attention a phenomenon, as increasing numbers of high school graduates enroll in the kindergarten section at the education faculties.

On that topic, the professor blamed “deterioration in the value of work in Kuwaiti society’ as a main reason behind this phenomenon, in addition to the lack of incentives by which students would be encouraged to study Arabic language, physics, mathematics or other subjects, instead of kindergarten.But why specifically choose the kindergarten field? The professor explained that a KG teacher works an average of four hours a day, not to mention that on many days during the winter months the number of absent students increases, which gives teachers more freedom to take days off.

Furthermore, he explained that the difference between a KG teacher’s salary and that of an Arab language or physics high school teacher is less than ten percent, which doesn’t encourage college students to seek other teaching fields. “A person needs positive incentives that motivates them to contribute more, combined with penalties in case of failure to live up to their duties”, he added.

It is important for the teachers’ payroll to be considered in order to increase the number of college students seeking fields that meet the labor market’s demands. There is a saying we like to say often, which is “Kuwait is where we find everything we want”. This type of approach is what drives high school graduates looking to become teachers to choose the kindergarten field. I believe it’s time to adopt a new approach based upon the saying “this is what Kuwait wants”. — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

No support for destruction

kuwait digest

They are our own children

By Aziza Al-Mufarej read a column by Hassan Al-Essa just before the National ters? Is all this animosity against the government only Assembly elections in which he asked the Kuwaitis to boy- because it decided that each one of us should get one vote cott the elections. He said in his introduction: “When you just like all democracies in the world, and because it did so to boycott, you reject attempts by the ruling authority to get rid of tribalism and sectarianism?

Did we not elect during the previous elections one or two impose its will on you and its views on the state’s political journey. Why does it consider us as minors who lack compe- MPs because we believed in them, then distributed the othtence and are always in need of someone to tell us what to er two or three votes to those we liked but without knowing whether they deserve our vote or not. do, how, where and when?”

We know the liberal faction’s chronic We, my dear colleague, own our decianimosity against the government sions just as you do yours. Our decision We ask the citizens since the sixties, but is it not the time to to vote was a result of our conviction leave the past behind and look towards to back the demands that the steps taken by HH the Amir the future, at least for the sake of our were correct, just as your decision to not of political parties children and grand children? Why stay exercise your right to vote came out of a adamant and crawl backwards with and popular governconviction that the one voter-one vote every problem? Why recall events of the decree was not right. Why is it so diffiment, and then take it past all the time? There will always be cult for you to understand that? the record of the forged 1967 Assembly for granted that the Also, why do you not consider that and the National Council, the annulled Kuwaiti citizen agrees 1986 Assembly, Monday diwaniyas and the action of those who boycotted to so on. Are you not tired of repeating it call others also to boycott was also akin with all these all ad nauseum? to imposing their will on others, includWe ask the citizens to back the demands. What have ing their own reading of which way demands of political parties and popuKuwait was headed in its political jourwe achieved by doing lar government, and then take it for ney? In one case, you see it as an imposigranted that the Kuwaiti citizen agrees so till now? Do you tion of will, while in the other, you call it with all these demands. What have we freedom of opinion. believe that the achieved by doing so till now? Do you Further in the same column, he that the rational Kuwaiti will rational Kuwaiti will believe wrote: “You must be a full citizen in this agree to destroy his nest with his own state which is trying to marginalize you agree to destroy his hands by introducing political parties as a citizen, and push you aside in matinto our system? We have seen the nest with his own ters which concern you. In those matdestruction they caused in other Arab ters, the government orders you as if hands by introducing countries. you are merely a follower or a worker, In conclusion, if the above referred political parties into someone who lacks competence and columnist feels that his freedom is comhumanity.” promised, then it is his problem which our system?

Oh, my God! When did the governwe cannot empathize with because we ment do all that? When did it marginalare not suffering from it. As for the ize us, push us aside and treat us as people lacking compe- question about whether we are choosing to vote to get rid of tence? When did it ask us to give up the right to select who our own being, our answer is that our vote was to strengthen we want to represent us in parliament, who speaks on our that very being. We did so to avoid following those who are behalf and expresses our demands, and supervises our minis- themselves a failure. — Al-Watan

I

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij hat do children have to do with an electoral conflict?” a title I used for a recent column of mine was actually more a testimony about a reality than a rhetorical question.

Underage youngsters who took part in unlicensed demonstrations were neither politically motivated nor were they trying to achieve any clearly formulated political demands. They were only emotionally charged along sectarian lines or on the basis of social categorization under the label of ‘beddons’, a category that perceived itself as ignored by a government which ostensibly favors “foreigners” from other social categories.

The process of invoking and promoting such tendencies began deliberately ever since the Andalus gathering - the 2009 rally that followed in the aftermath of former MP Mohammad Al-Juwaihel’s televised remarks which were deemed offensive towards then opposition lawmakers and their supporters largely comprising tribal citizens. These later turned into demonstrations at the Iradah Square as national figures like Dr Ahmad Al-Khateeb, Abdullah Al-Naibari, Khalid Al-Fadhalah and Ahmad Al-Deyeen joined.

The next step was ‘politicizing’ the movement when it was given a ‘national’ character. There have been attempts by the Muslim Brotherhood to push former Islamist MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei to the frontline as ‘leader’ of the movement, but at the end of the day the movement remained distinctly tribal. In fact, it was not a political movement, but rather a ‘gathering of Musallam Al-Barrak’s voters as I have mentioned often before. Later, the people, too, started to realize that it was actually ‘socially’ motivated.

Some people have provoked our fellow citizens with tribal background against the

“W

government by magnifying and overstating the mistakes made by the government, or misrepresentation of political reforms or by exaggerating the lapses on part of the media. It was easy for them to exploit the mistakes made by the government.

Suddenly, a lot of things that the government did were being labeled as ‘targeting of tribal citizens’. Privatization, rejecting calls to write off loans, tackling the menace of primary elections, removing encroachments from state property and many other issues were all used to claim that the government was acting against tribal citizens. Even when the Kuwait University increased the minimum GPA required for high school graduates’ enrollment, it was exploited as being part of the fictional ‘war against the government.’

In this emotionally charged atmosphere, children grew up fed on a consistent dose of hatred for the state departments and government officials. That is why they were sucked into the movement where they vented their pent up emotions in confrontations with police and a state run by law.

Instead of allowing them to exercise their constitutional right of expression, the government sadly resorted to unequal and unnecessary confrontation.

It was easy to understand that these children were deceived, but it was hard to expect them to start accepting that fact, particularly when they have suffered deprivation and disregard that the state probably never intended, but it was unable to notice.

There are solid reasons underlying the outrage against the state and as negation of the might of the law. The government needs to study the situation very carefully and understand the real reasons behind young citizens’ outrage because at the end of the day, they are very much children of Kuwait. — Al-Qabas

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

LOCAL

Kuwaiti sheds light on national development Regional forum opens

KUWAIT: Fire fighters in action after a fire broke out in a building in Salhiya yesterday.

Fire breaks out in Salhiya building

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Fire broke out in a building in the Salhiya area, requiring firefighters from 3 fire centers to be called upon to extinguish the fire. About noon yesterday a report was received that a five-story investment company was on fire. Officials report that the Medina Fire Center, Al-Hilali and rescue centers rushed to the scene. The building was evacuated as firemen worked to fight the blaze. The fire appeared to have started in a kitchen for bachelors on the building’s 2000 square meter roof. The bachelor residence on the roof was constructed of light boards and had an aluminum cover, according to officials. It was found that the building owner has violated safety and security conditions by allowing the simple structures to be built on his roof. The fire was fought using mobile ladders from the ground, as it was difficult for firemen to reach the fire from inside the building. Officials said the fire was brought under control in a short time and there were no reported causalities.

KUWAIT: The Asian drug trader pictured after his arrest.

Drug trader Drug enforcement officials have arrested an Asian expat for selling drugs. After receiving information about the expat, necessary legal actions were taken and a team was formed to monitor his movements. After raiding his residence, officials found 700 grams of heroin and other drugs. The expat reportedly confessed and has been delivered, along with the drugs, to appropriate authorities.

Illicit relation A citizen from the Sabah Al Salem area reported to police that he found two Asian expats in his maids’ room, one Philippino and an Ethiopian. After interrogating the maids, they confessed to having sexual relations with the men. The citizen called the Ministry of Interior operations to seek their help, after his driver told him that two strangers had entered the maids’ room.

KD300 stolen In the meantime, a citizen reported to police that his bank account was looted by unknown persons who stole KD 300 from the account. A citizen was arrested in the Maseela area for driving his car while drunk and having in his possession 10 bottles of locally made liquor. The man was arrested after police became suspicious due to the way he was driving, as the car swerved on the road.

Saudi arrested A Saudi citizen was detained at Jleeb Al Shuyoukh police station after having a fight with an airhostess working for a GCC airline. After becoming drunk, the Saudi was asked to accompany security men, and he reportedly insulted an officer at the airport. A citizen reported that a person he knew fired five bullets at his car, with one of the bullets penetrating the auto.

Portugal eyes infrastructure projects in Kuwait K U WA I T: Po r t u g a l ’s D e p u t y C h a m b e r o f Commerce and Industry Chairman Pedro Goncalves expressed his country’s keenness on cooperation with Kuwait on construction and infrastructure development.

Goncalves is in Kuwait accompanied by a delegation of representatives of 12 of the largest companies in Portugal, and made the comment during a meeting with the Kuwaiti Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday.

“Kuwait can benefit from Portugal’s expertise in the fields of infrastructure development, information technology, public services, food and tourism,” he said. Portuguese industrial exports are focused on the Euro zone, but “we (Portugal) are working effortlessly to expand our circle of export to new regions, mainly the Gulf and Kuwait in particular,” he added.An ambitious development plan presents w i d e o p p o r t u n i t i e s fo r Ku w a i t to d e p e n d o n Portuguese expertise, in conducting projects, he suggested.— KUNA

DEAD SEA, Jordan: The regional forum, themed “Economies of the Arab Spring,” got underway here yesterday to discuss ramifications of the “spring” events in the Arab world, with the representative of Kuwait affirming that the Gulf state coped well with ripples of the historic events.

Addressing the opening session, the representative of Kuwait shed light on the Gulf country’s democratic experience and the administrative system contribution to ensuring political stability of the state.

The State of Kuwait “has been experiencing a democratic spring since its establishment, in shadow of a democratic political system that clearly contributed to boosting political stability and a constitution that became a patriotic option for the ruler and the ruled,” said Dr Bader Othman Malallah, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Planning Institute, speaking at the opening session of the forum.

Malallah was addressing the inaugural session on behalf of the Minister of State for Planning and Development, Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs, Dr Rola Dashti. The two-day gathering is organized by the Kuwait-based institute, in coordination with the technical secretariat of the Arab council of ministers of social affairs.

Shedding some light on how the State of Kuwait acted in shadow of fallouts of the Arab spring, Malallah noted that the political leadership, headed by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jabar AlSabah, had taken a series of steps in this regard, namely formation of a supreme economic consultative commission that produced a comprehensive program for reforms-adopted by the government.

Malallah, addressing the statement on

behalf of the minister, indicated that the forum constituted an opportunity for decision makers to ponder experience of the Arab spring and take steps for sustainable development.

Development gap between Arab countries and advanced nations expanded over the past years, with mounting rates of unemployment particularly among the young, the Kuwaiti representative added.

Malallah re-stressed that Kuwait “was an exceptional case for it has been living a spring since it was proclaimed,” praising HH the Amir’s initiatives at the social and economic levels.

For his part, the secretary general of Jordan’s ministry of planning, Saleh AlKharabsheh, said, during the opening session, that the Arab spring states are currently facing diverse problems, such as sluggish growth, growing budgets’ deficit, deteriorating tourism, falling investments, depletion of reserves of foreign currencies, soaring inflation in shadow of greater demand for food and fuel.

Losses related to the Arab spring events are estimated at $120 billion, in shadow of dropping foreign investments, in the range of 24.2 percent.

Direct investments in the Arab countries were estimated at $50 billion in 2011, compared with $66 billion in 2010. These investments were expected not to exceed $53 billion this year.

Tareq Al-Nabulsi, the representative of the Arab League, expressed regret that focus of the majority in the Arab world has been on political affairs, rather than vital issues in the social and economic arenaswhich in fact constitute roots of the uprising. —KUNA

KIB continues its competitions KUWAIT: KIB continues its competitions on its official pages on social media networks “Instagram and Twitter @AldawliBank” and the winners of this week have been honored.

On this occasion, Senior Public Relations Officer at KIB, Fahad AlSarhan confirmed that “KIB seeks to activate the usage of the social media networks and to communicate with the various segments of society, especially the youth through these weekly competitions” Al-Sarhan praised the turnout and the positive interaction that KIB pages witnessed on Instagram and Twitter @AldawliBank by the public. He confirmed that it’s an open invitation for all of our followers on Instagram and Twitter to participate in these competitions, pointing out that these competitions launched by KIB are ver y unique by the questions and prizes through identifying the locations of KIB branches and ATMs. Sarhan concluded “For more information about KIB services and products you can visit www.kib.com.kw or contact the call center “AlDawli Wayak”1866866.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

LOCAL

Man, infant daughter dead in car accident Taser gun thieves in custody

KUWAIT: A male driver was killed along with his infant daughter, following an auto accident which left his wife and three other people injured. The accident was reported recently on the King Fahad Highway when a Kuwaiti family’s car was involved in an accident with a vehicle carrying two Kuwaiti men. Paramedics pronounced the man and his infant daughter dead at the scene, while his wife, housemaid and the two men in the second car were rushed to the Adan Hospital, each suffering from various injuries. An investigation was opened to determine the circumstances behind the accident.

Salmiya shooting Police are searching for a male suspect who faces attempted murder charges after reportedly shooting into a car in Salmiya.

The case was reported at the area’s police station Sunday when an Iraqi man told officers that a man he has argued with damaged his vehicle with bullets fired from an automatic weapon.

The Kuwaiti suspect reportedly fired five shots from an AK47 into the victim’s car, as well as firing two warning shots while being chased by the victim. An investigation is ongoing.

Human trafficking Investigations are continuing of a Kuwaiti man who is suspected of trafficking in people through a company license he owns. The case was brought to the attention of officers after an Egyptian man approached detectives at the Migration General Department to complain that his sponsor has asked for KD700 to renew the Egyptian’s residency, adding that he paid KD3,000 for the same renewal over the past five years. During the investigation, several Egyptian workers registered through the same sponsor were summoned, and it later turned out that they work for other companies, in violation of labor laws. Further, the suspect’s company license was suspended before he was summoned for questioning.

Syrian fight Fifteen people were arrested following a fight between Syrian nationals attending their national team’s football match Sunday night, as part of the West Asia Cup tournament. The fight was sparked between a group of antiregime fans and supporters of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.

While only four people began fighting, the number of people involved quickly escalated, according to officials. Eventually, fifteen people were placed under arrest and taken to the Adailiya police station.

Natural causes Ahmadi detectives are carrying out an investigation to determine the circumstances behind the death of a middle-aged man found recently at his home in AlFahaheel. The case has since been classified as a natural death, as no evidence of foul play was found at the scene. The unconscious 55-year-old man was discovered by his brother, who made an emergency call for

medical help. Paramedics ruled that the Asian man had died hours before his body was found.

The case will remain open until an autopsy report has been released.

Theft duo held Farwaniya detectives have arrested two thieves responsible for multiple mugging incidents in which they reportedly used a taser gun to paralyze their victims, according to authorities.

Investigations began after a Syrian man filed a case at the Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh recently, and gave police the license plate number of the vehicle that the suspects escaped in following the robbery. The car’s owner, a Syrian man, was soon identified and placed under arrest. He later admitted responsibility for the theft, after being identified by the victim, and added that he had carried out similar crimes with his cousin. The second suspect was later arrested and is currently being held with his cousin, pending legal procedures.

The participants in a group photo at the end of the workshop.

Small business workshop ‘a big success’

Abrams stands between Al-Qanaei and Al-Anjari following the workshop.

KUWAIT: A workshop held by an American expert in small businesses, Rhonda Abrams, was recently concluded, following participation by thirty trainees representing various state departments, including the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, the Kuwait Institution for Scientific Research, and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, in addition to private companies, such as the Kuwait Banks Association.

The workshop was organized jointly by the Kuwait Small Projects Development Company and the Leaders Group for Counseling and Development, and held for the first time in Kuwait and the Middle East.

Following the workshop, a ceremony was held to reward the participants and honor Ms. Abrams for accepting the invita-

tion to host the workshop, which aimed to improve young citizens’ abilities to start and run their own businesses successfully.

“It is important to focus on efforts to provide a suitable environment that helps Kuwaiti young men and women start their own successful business projects and utilize tools provided by the state”, said KSPDC General Manager Hassan Al-Qanaei during the ceremony.

Al-Qabaei further expressed appreciation for the workshop’s success, “which reflects the country’s need for similar activities to be held”, and also expressed gratitude to General Manager of the Leaders Group, Nabilah Al-Anjari, who was in attendance, and for “the cooperation that helped make the event a success, both in planning and organizing”.

Students participating in Job Shadow.

INJAZ-Kuwait establishes two educational programs KUWAIT: INJAZ-Kuwait, the Kuwaitchapter of the global youth empowerment NGO Junior Achievement (JA), partnered this month with Yusuf A. Alghanim& Sons -Automotive Group to run two educational programs, “iCamp” and “Job Shadow”, which aim to provide students with real-life business knowledge and skills.

The two educational programs were tailor-made for students at the Australian College of Kuwait (ACK), and hosted and led by industry leader, Alghanim Automotive. The programs prepare students for the workforce, with sessions on entrepreneurship and financial literacy, analysis and brainstorming skills, as well as individual and group thinking activities.

INJAZ-Kuwait’s CEO, Rana Al-Nibari, said, “This is a very unique and exciting opportunity for college students that has been made possible with the support of Alghanim Automotive. We thankAlghanim Automotive for the time invested and the knowledge they have shared to help us achieve our programs’ goals. We look forward to continued cooperation with Kuwait’s leading companies to empower more students in the future.” INJAZ’s recent partnership with Alghanim Automotive is one of a series of collaborations between INJAZ and leading companies in Kuwait, which are all designed to help prepare Kuwait’s young adults for the working world. The “iCamp” program is a sixhour intensive workshop that focuses on expanding students’ critical thinking and teamwork skills. During “iCamp”, students were required to develop an innovative solution to a real-life business challenge, within six hours.

Eighty students from ACK took part in the “iCamp” program. 12 volunteers from Alghanim Automotive guided the students as they devised solutions to a real-life business challenge. At the end of the day, the solutions developed by students were evaluated by a panel of

five judges, and the top three winning teams were announced.

The first place winning team received a plaque from INJAZ-Kuwait and Alghanim Automotive, in addition to KD150 worth of gifts from Alghanim Automotive.

The “Job Shadow” program provides students with intensive training in analyzing and interpreting information, brainstorming solutions and innovative ideas, critical thinking, goal-setting, oral and written communication, public speaking, self-assessment and working in a group.

The program, hosted by Alghanim Automotive, took place two weeks after I-Camp, and involved forty students visiting the company’s offices. Employees from Alghanim Automotive spent the day with the students, introducing them to the inner-workings of the business.

As part of their visit, the students visited the Chevrolet and Cadillac Service Centers, Bumper to Bumper, the KromOzone Boutique and lastly, the Historical Vintage and Classical Car Museum.

Founded in 2005, INJAZ-Kuwait (INJAZ) is a non-profit (NPO), non-governmental organization (NGO) driven by Kuwait’s private sector. Through strategic partnerships with Kuwait’s business and education sectors, and with the help of qualified and dedicated volunteers, INJAZ delivers educational programs on entrepreneurial and leadership skills aimed at inspiring and educating future generations. Since 2005, INJAZ-Kuwait has reached over 25,000 students from more than 25 schools and universities, thanks to over 800 volunteers-and growing. INJAZ-Kuwait connects corporate volunteers to mentor youth through JA programs.

Volunteers undergo orientation and training before they embark on their mentoring experience to enhance their readiness as well as performance during mentoring sessions to inspire the youth.

Neither side can win war: Syria VP Page 8

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

TUZ KHURMATU: Iraqis inspect the damage following two bomb blasts near a Shiite place of worship in the flashpoint town of Tuz Khurmatu in the Kirkuk province yesterday. Two car bombs near a Shiite place of worship, or husseiniyah, and another in a village populated by Iraq’s small Shabak minority killed at least 10 people and wounded 32, police and doctors said. — AFP

Wave of Iraq attacks kills 48 ‘Security situation is worsening’ BAGHDAD: A wave of attacks targeting both Iraqi security forces and civilians killed 48 people yesterday, in a second day of deadly violence ahead of the first anniversary of the withdrawal of US forces.

Yesterday was the deadliest day in Iraq since November 29, when 50 people were killed. The latest violence comes after attacks killed 19 people and wounded 77 on Sunday. US military forces completed their withdrawal from Iraq on December 18, 2011, ending a nearly nine-year war that cost the lives of tens of thousands of Iraqis, thousands of Americans and hundreds of billions of dollars.

Violence in Iraq is down significantly from its peak in 2006 and 2007, but while Iraqi forces have held their own since the US departure, insurgent groups still pose a significant threat, and attacks occur almost daily.

In the deadliest attack yesterday, a car bomb exploded at a car dealership in north Baghdad, killing at least 11 people and wounding at least 40, security and medical officials said. In the Karrada area in central Baghdad, a car bomb killed at least one person and wounded at least four, an interior ministry official and a medical source said.

“The security situation is worsening,” said Duniyah, a 23-year-old employee of a hotel near the site of the explosion, who was watching the street from inside the hotel entrance, which was strewn with broken glass.

Gunmen attacked a police checkpoint on the highway west of Tikrit, then abandoned and detonated their explosives-rigged car when a patrol pursued them, killing a total of five police and wounding five, a senior police officer and a doctor said.

In the village of Al-Buslaibi, north of Baghdad, a roadside bomb targeting an army patrol killed three soldiers, while an attack by gunmen on army checkpoints in the north Iraqi city of Mosul killed three soldiers, officers and a doctor said.

A car bomb in Khaznah, a village near Mosul populated by the small Shabak minority, killed seven people and wounded 12, while two car bombs near a Shiite place of worship killed five and wounded 26 in the northern flashpoint town of Tuz Khurmatu, security and medical sources said.

Three roadside bombs exploded near Baquba, north of Baghdad, killing one person and wounding four others, while a magnetic “sticky bomb” and a shooting in the city killed two people, police and medics said.

In other attacks in Diyala province, gunmen wounded three Kurds in Jalawla, while a sticky bomb killed two Kurds in Baladruz, according to the same sources.

Khaznah, Tuz Khurmatu and Jalawla are all part of areas which Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region in the north wants to incorporate, over Baghdad’s strong objections. “The attacks in the disputed internal areas further aggravate the tensions there,” UN Iraq envoy Martin Kobler said in a statement condemning the violence, calling for efforts to de-escalate tensions in such areas.

A salvo of 10 mortar rounds slammed into the town of Rutba in Anbar province, killing two and wounding nine, officials said, and a car bomb near Dujail north of Baghdad killed one Iraqi and wounded at least 10 Iranian pilgrims.

A roadside bomb against a police patrol in Madain, south of Baghdad, wounded three police and two civilians, while an attack by gunmen on a Sahwa antiQaeda militia checkpoint west of the north Iraq city of Kirkuk killed one militiaman, security and medical officials said.

And a car bomb in Khaldiya, west of Baghdad, killed two civilians and two police, and wounded seven other people, police Captain Abdul Hafez al-Mahlawi said.

Iraqi security forces have been able to hold violence in check, with the number of people killed in the first 11 months of 2012 fewer than in the same period the year before, according to government figures.

“The withdrawal of US forces meant that training became reduced, intelligence gathering became limited and quick reaction forces were no longer as well resourced or able to reach flashpoints at short notice,” said John Drake, an analyst with AKE group.

“However, counter-insurgency operations and arrests didn’t decline,” he said, though “the Iraqi military still has a long way to go in terms of building capabilities, and they remain under-resourced and regularly targeted.” —AFP

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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

Iran plans more drills in Strait of Hormuz soon DUBAI: Iran plans to hold military drills in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil and gas shipping route, by next March, Iranian media quoted a commander from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as saying yesterday.

IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi told reporters on Monday that the drill would be held by the end of the current Iranian year, which ends on March 20, but gave no details on timing or what the exercise would involve.

“By the end of the (Iranian) year we will hold an exercise in the Strait of Hormuz and will announce the exact time soon,” Fadavi said, according to Iranian student news agency ISNA. Iranian officials have often said that Iran could block the strait - through which 40 percent of the world’s seaborne oil exports pass - if it comes under military attack over its disputed nuclear programme.

A heavy Western naval presence in the Gulf is a big impediment to any

attempt to block the waterway but both sides have staged manoeuvres in the area this year to demonstrate their military capabilities.

Iranian threats to block Hormuz helped put upward pressure on oil prices in early 2012, softening the blow to Iranian government revenues dealt by a severe reduction in crude export volumes caused by punitive Western sanctions.

No other countries have threatened to bar the narrow waterway between

Iran and Oman, but Iranian military leaders say their presence helps ensure the safe passage of millions of barrels a day of oil out of the Gulf. “ The presence of the Islamic Republic in the Strait of Hormuz as the Persian Gulf’s number one power guarantees the security of oil exports to the world,” Brigadier General Yahya RahimSafavi was quoted by Iran’s Press TV as saying. “ We guarantee the oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz on the

condition that no military threat is issued against our country because Asia’s southeastern countries direly need the region’s oil.”

Israel has threatened military action against Iran, and the United States has not ruled it out, unless their archadversary abandons nuclear activities which the West suspects are intended to develop atomic bomb know-how.

The Islamic Republic says it is enriching uranium for peaceful energy purposes only. — Reuters

Neither side can win war: Syria VP French foreign minister says end is near for Assad

JAMRUD: Local residents run past a burning vehicle after a car bomb attack in the Pakistani town of Jamrud yesterday. A car bomb killed 17 people including women and children and wounded dozens more when it exploded near a bus queue at a market in northwest Pakistan yesterday. —AFP

Car bomb kills 17 in market in Pakistan PESHAWAR: A car bomb exploded in a crowded market in Pakistan’s troubled northwest tribal region near the Afghan border yesterday, killing 17 people and wounding more than 40 others, officials said.

The bomb went off next to the women’s waiting area of a bus stop, which is located near the office of one of the top political officials in the Khyber tribal area, said Hidayat Khan, a local government official. But it’s unclear if the office was the target.

The 17 dead included five boys and two women, said Abdul Qudoos, a doctor at a local hospital in Jamrud town, where the attack occurred. At least 44 people were wounded, he said. The explosives were packed in a small, white car that was parked in the middle of the road, blocking traffic, said Shireen Afridi, who was nearby buying a phone card when the bomb exploded. “ There was fire in which children burned, women burned, poor Afghan people burned, and it caused a lot of destruction,” said Afridi. “People’s heads were lying in the drain.” Local TV footage showed several cars and shops in the market that were badly damaged. Residents threw buckets of water on burning vehicles as rescue workers transported the wounded to the hospital.

The market was located close to the office of the assistant political agent for Khyber, said Khan, who works in the office. Initial reports wrongly indicated the women’s waiting area was for the political office, not the bus stop.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing. Khyber is home to various Islamist militant groups, including the Pakistani Taleban, which have waged a bloody insurgency against the government for the past few years.

Taliban militants fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons at an army convoy in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province yesterday, killing three soldiers and wounding three others,

said Nisar Ahmad, a local government official.

The soldiers were escorting a polio vaccination team outside the town of Lakki Marwat when the attack occurred, said Wazir Khan, a local resident. The Taliban have spoken out against polio vaccination in recent months, claiming the health workers are acting as spies for the U.S. and the vaccine itself cause harm.

A Pakistani Taleban spokesman in the South Waziristan tribal area, Asim Mehsud, claimed responsibility in a telephone call to The Associated Press. “These polio drops are a deadly American campaign to poison us,” he said.

The army has carried out offensives against the Taleban in most parts of the tribal region, including Khyber, but militants continue to carry out regular attacks in the country. On Saturday night, 10 Taliban militants attacked the military side of an international airport in Peshawar with rockets and car bombs, killing four people and wounding over 40 others. Five of the militants were killed during the attack, and five others died the next day in a gunbattle with security forces.

Elsewhere yesterday, gunmen killed a provincial government spokesman in the southwest Pakistan in an apparent sectarian attack, and then shot to death two nearby policemen, police said. The attackers shot dead Khadim Hussain Noori in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, said local police official Hamid Shakeel. Noori was the provincial spokesman and also a Shiite Muslim.

As the gunmen were speeding away on a motorcycle, they killed two policemen and wounded a third, said Shakeel.

Baluchistan has experienced a spike in sectarian killings in the past year as radical Sunni Muslims have targeted Shiites, who they consider heretics.

The province is also the scene of a decades-long insurgency by Baluch nationalists who demand greater autonomy and a larger share of the province’s natural resources. — AP

Gaza fisherman shot, army arrests West Bankers GAZA CITY: Israeli naval forces shot and wounded a Palestinian fisherman in waters off the northern Gaza Strip on Monday, sources on both sides said.

Nizar Aayesh, head of the Gaza fishermen’s union, said the man was wounded when navy gunfire hit his boat after which he was taken to hospital in the southern Israeli port city of Ashkelon. “ There was shooting towards a Palestinian fishing boat in the sea off northern Gaza. One fisherman was injured and the occupation’s navy took him to Barzilai hospital,” he told AFP. Under the terms of Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza, Palestinian boats are permitted to fish within waters up to six nautical miles from the coast.

The fishing zone was extended from three nautical miles after a November 21 truce ended an eight-day confrontation between Israel and Gaza militants.

“It was within the six nautical mile limit, but the Israeli vessels took the boat and whoever was on it and we are waiting for the fisherman to come back to know more details,” Aayesh said.

The military confirmed the incident but insisted the boat was beyond the permitted fishing limit. “Earlier this morning during routine activity, soldiers

from the Israeli navy identified a Palestinian vessel which deviated from the designated fishing area,” a spokesman said, indicating the boat had failed to respond to orders to stop.

“The soldiers fired in order to halt the vessel,” he said, confirming that one Palestinian “was injured by shrapnel” and had been treated by soldiers before being transferred to an Israeli hospital.

Meanwhile, troops in the northern West Bank arrested four Palestinians in Beit Rima near Ramallah early yesterday on suspicion of shooting offences, witnesses said. “Soldiers came to a house and arrested three brothers and another Palestinian, who was wounded,” the witnesses told AFP, saying they were accused of shooting at soldiers.

The arrests sparked several hours of clashes, they added. An army spokeswoman confirmed the arrests, saying: “Four Palestinians were arrested overnight in Beit Rima on security grounds. They were taken for questioning.” In another incident just south of Nablus, Jewish residents of the hardline Yitzhar settlement clashed with shepherds from the nearby village of Madama, one of whom was hit in the leg by a bullet, a local official said. — AFP

BEIRUT: Syrian Vice President Farouq AlSharaa said that neither the forces of President Bashar al-Assad nor rebels seeking to overthrow him can win the war which is now being fought on the outskirts of Assad’s powerbase in Damascus.

Sharaa, a Sunni Muslim in a power structure dominated by Assad’s Alawite minority, has rarely been seen since the Syrian revolt erupted in March 2011 and is not part of the president’s inner circle directing the fight against Sunni rebels.

But he is the most prominent figure to say in public that Assad will not win. He was speaking to the pro-Assad al-Akhbar paper in an interview from Damascus which is now hemmed in by rebel fighters to the south.

Assad’s forces have used jets and artillery to try to dislodge the fighters from around Damascus but the violence has crept into the heart of the capital and rebels announced on Sunday a new offensive in the central province of Hama.

Sharaa said the situation in Syria, where more than 40,000 people have been killed, was deteriorating and a “historic settlement” was needed to end the conflict, involving regional powers and the U.N. Security Council and the formation of a national unity government “with broad powers”.

“With every passing day the political and military solutions are becoming more distant.

We should be in a position defending the existence of Syria. We are not in a battle for an individual or a regime,” Sharaa was quoted as saying. “The opposition cannot decisively settle the battle and what the security forces and army units are doing will not achieve a decisive settlement,” he told the paper, adding that the insurgents fighting to topple Syria’s leadership could plunge it into “anarchy and an unending spiral of violence”.

Sources close to the Syrian government say Sharaa had pushed for dialogue with the opposition and objected to the military response to an uprising that began peacefully. In Damascus, residents said on Monday the army had told people to evacuate the Palestinian district of Yarmouk, suggesting an all-out military offensive on the southern district was imminent.

The centre of the city, largely insulated from the violence for 21 months, is now full of army and vigilante checkpoints and shakes to the sound of regular shelling, residents say.

Queues for bread form at bakeries hours before dawn, as people seek out dwindling supplies, power cuts are increasing and fears are growing that Damascus could descend into chaos.

In a veiled criticism of the crackdown, Sharaa said there was a difference between the state’s duty to provide security to its citi-

ROME: In this Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007 file photo, Syrian Vice President Farouk Al-Sharaa talks to journalists during a joint press conference with Italian Premier Romano Prodi at Chigi palace, in Rome. Syria’s longtime vice president said the army cannot defeat the rebels fighting to topple the regime, the first admission by a top government official that a victory by President Bashar Assad is unlikely. — AP zens, and “pursuing a security solution to the He said forces loyal to Assad had been given crisis.”He said even Assad could not be certain 48 hours to surrender or be killed.

“When we liberate the countryside of where events in Syria were leading, but that anyone who met him would hear that “this is Hama province ... then we will have the area a long struggle...and he does not hide his between Aleppo and Hama liberated and desire to settle matters militarily to reach a open for us,” he told Reuters.

The city of Hama in the province of the final solution.” “We realise today that change is inevitable,” Sharaa said, but “none of the same name has a special resonance for antipeaceful or armed opposition groups with Assad activists. In 1982 Hafez al-Assad, father their known foreign links can call themselves of the current ruler, crushed an uprising in the the sole legitimate representative of the city, killing up to 30,000 civilians.

In Damascus, activists said fighter jets Syrian people”.

“Likewise the current leadership...cannot bombed the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee achieve change alone after two years of crisis camp on Sunday, killing at least 25 people without new partners who contribute to pre- sheltering in a mosque.

The attack was part of a month-old camserving (Syria’s) national fabric, territorial unipaign by Assad’s forces to eject rebels from ty and regional sovereignty”.

Rebels have now brought the war to the positions they are establishing around the capital, without yet delivering a fatal blow to capital’s perimeter. Yarmouk, to the south, the government. But nor has Assad found the falls within an arc of territory running from military muscle to oust his opponents from the east of Damascus to the southwest from the city. In Paris, Foreign Minister Laurent where rebels hope to storm the government’s Fabius of France, one of the powers most main redoubt.

Opposition activists said the deaths in insistent that Assad has lost his legitimacy, said: “I think the end is nearing for Bashar al- Yarmouk, to which refugees have fled from Assad.” On the ground, rebels said they were fighting in nearby suburbs, resulted from a launching an operation to seize the central rocket fired from a warplane hitting the province of Hama to try to link northern rural mosque. Footage showed bodies and body areas of Syria under their control to the cen- parts scattered on the stairs of what appeared tre. Qassem Saadeddine, a member of the to be the mosque. The latest battlefield newly established rebel military command, accounts could not be independently verified said fighters had been ordered to surround due to tight restrictions on media access to and attack checkpoints across the province. Syria. — Reuters

Egypt opposition calls for protests against basic law CAIRO: Egypt’s opposition called for nationwide protests against a constitution backed by President Mohamed Mursi, after a vote exposed deep divisions that could undermine his efforts to build consensus for tough economic measures.

The Islamist leader won a 57 percent “yes” vote for the constitution in a first round of a referendum at the weekend, according to state media, a margin that was less than his party had hoped for and which is likely to embolden the opposition.

The second round, due to be held on Saturday, is expected to give another “yes” as voting will be in districts seen as even more sympathetic towards Islamists, which would mean the constitution should be approved.

The opposition National Salvation Front urged the organisers of the referendum to investigate what it said were widespread voting violations and ensure that the second round of balloting was properly supervised. It called for protests across Egypt on Tuesday “to stop forgery and bring down the invalid draft constitution” and urged organisers to consider rerunning the first round of voting.

Senior opposition politician

Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel prize winner, used his Twitter account to call for “cancelling the notorious referendum and entering dialogue to mend the rift.”

The closeness of the first-round tally and the low turnout give Mursi scant comfort as he seeks to assemble support for difficult economic reforms to reduce the budget deficit. One newspaper calculated that in the first round, out of every 100 Egyptians, 18 voted “yes”, 13 voted “no” and the rest did not participate, buttressing opposition claims that Mursi had failed to secure real backing.

Simon Kitchen, a strategist at Egyptian investment bank EFGHermes, said much would depend on whether Mursi took the result as “an endorsement of his policies ... or does he recognise that he may need to spend more time building consensus ahead of major policy changes?”

“I think he will continue to push ahead on reforming taxes and subsidies because, at this stage, Egypt has little choice but to make such reforms,” he said.

However, some analysts said they remained concerned by voting patterns that seemed to show a deepening sectarian divide, notably in Alexandria, Egypt’s sec-

ond city, where tensions between Christians and conservative Muslims run high.

The result of the first round of voting cast serious doubts on the credibility of the constitution, said Mustapha Kamal Al-Sayyid, a professor of political science at Cairo University. “This percentage ... will strengthen the hand of the National Salvation Front and the leaders of this Front have declared they are going to continue this

fight to discredit the constitution,” he said. “The polarisation is far from being ended,” Sayyid told Reuters. “ The unpopularity of Mursi will increase with economic measures he is planning to introduce.” If the constitution passes, national elections can take place early next year, something that many hope will usher in the stability that Egypt has lacked since the fall of Hosni Mubarak nearly two years ago. — Reuters

CAIRO: An Egyptian woman chants slogans denouncing President Mohammed Morsi during a protest supporting the Wafd party, in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday. A mob of hardline Islamists known as Salafis attacked the Cairo offices of the liberal Wafd party, smashing windows and doors last week. — AP

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

Lawmakers want ban on assault weapons ‘Lieberman supports such a ban’ WASHINGTON: Democratic lawmakers and independent Sen. Joe Lieberman said that military-style assault weapons should be banned and that a national commission should be established to examine mass shootings in the United States.

The proposals were among the first to come from Congress in the wake of Friday’s school shooting in Newtown, Conn. “Assault weapons

Senate seat in the November elections.

Speaking Sunday night at a vigil in Newtown, President Barack Obama did not specifically address gun control. But he vowed, “In the coming weeks I’ll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens, from law enforcement to mental health professionals to parents and educators in an effort

NEWTOWN: Two young women hug at a memorial service for the victims and relatives of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on Sunday, in Newtown, Connecticut. US President Barack Obama will address the memorial for the twenty-six people, 20 of them children, who were killed when a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary and began a shooting spree. — AFP were developed for the US military, not commercial gun manufacturers,” Lieberman said before a vigil Sunday night in Newtown.

“This is a moment to start a very serious national conversation about violence in our society, particularly about these acts of mass violence,” said the Connecticut senator, who is retiring next month.

Gun rights activists remained largely quiet on the issue, all but one declining to appear on the Sunday talk shows. Meanwhile, Democrats vowed action and said it was time to hear from voters - not gun lobbyists on how to prevent the next shooting. The time for “saying that we can’t talk about the policy implications of tragedies like this is over,” said Rep. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who won a

aimed at preventing more tragedies like this.” He added: “Are we really prepared to say that we’re powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard? Are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year after year is somehow the price of our freedom?”

Obama and Senate Democrats haven’t pushed for new gun controls since rising to power in the 2008 national elections. Outspoken advocates for stricter laws, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein, say that’s because of the powerful sway of the National Rifle Association.

But advocates also say the latest shooting is a tipping point that could change the dynamic of the debate dramatically. Feinstein, D-Calif., said

she will propose legislation next year that would ban big clips, drums and strips of more than 10 bullets.

“It can be done,” she said Sunday of reviving the 10-year ban that expired in 2004. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Obama could use executive powers to enforce existing gun laws, as well as throw his weight behind legislation like Feinstein’s.

“It’s time for the president, I think, to stand up and lead and tell this country what we should do not go to Congress and say, ‘What do you guys want to do?’” Bloomberg said.

Lieberman supports such a ban but said there should also be a national commission to scrutinize gun laws and loopholes, as well as the nation’s mental health system and the role that violent video games and movies might play in shootings.

“There are a lot of serious questions here about what is the impact of violence in the entertainment culture on everybody,” Lieberman said.

“There is a vulnerable population out there and I’m afraid this young man was obviously one of them. How do we identify shooters before they shoot and make sure they get the mental health help that they need, and then what about gun control?”

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois said he would support such a panel, adding that it was time for a “national discussion” that included school safety. “This conversation has been dominated in Washington by - you know and I know - gun lobbies that have an agenda” Durbin said. “We need people, just ordinary Americans, to come together, and speak out, and to sit down and calmly reflect on how far we go.” Congress has frequently turned to independent bipartisan commissions to try to solve the nation’s worst problems, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Iraq war and the failing economy. But ultimately, lawmakers are often reluctant to act on the recommendations of outsiders, especially if they think it will cost them support in their home states. — AP

Venezuela government sweeps vote, Capriles holds seat CARACAS: Allies of cancer-stricken President Hugo Chavez swept nearly all of Venezuela’s 23 states in Sunday’s regional vote, but Henrique Capriles consolidated his position as top opposition leader by winning re-election as governor.

The 40-year-old governor of Miranda beat Chavez’s former vice president Elias Jaua to retain his job at the head of Venezuela’s second-most populous state Miranda, leaving him as candidate-in-waiting if Chavez’s ill health forces him to step aside.

The ruling Socialist Party, however, extended its control over the South American OPEC nation, snatching four states from the opposition to win 19 of 23. It staged several upsets including a victory in the most populous state of Zulia.

The youthful Capriles’ re-election will help maintain unity among the historically fractured opposition in a potential election against Vice President Nicolas Maduro, Chavez’s anointed successor.

“The people have spoken and decided! Long live Miranda!” Capriles tweeted. His supporters whooped for joy at his headquarters in Caracas, where there had been scenes of despondency just two months ago when he lost the presidential fight.

Another prominent opposition leader, Henri Falcon, a former government ally who broke with Chavez in 2010, also won re-election. His broad popularity and appeal to working class voters have left many considering him a potential challenger to the socialist government.

“Venezuela’s new leadership is still alive,” Falcon said.

But overall, the results were a major disappointment for the opposition and signaled the continued dominance of Chavez’s socialist leadership despite his ill health.

Capriles won by only four percentage points in the state he says he has made into a model for Venezuela. At the same time, Chavez’s brother Adan comfortably held their agricultural home state of Barinas, while the president’s former military comrade Francisco Arias unseated a prominent opposition leader, Pablo Perez, in oil-rich Zulia state.

“It’s been an immense victory. The map is red in all corners,” said Socialist Party campaign coordinator Jorge Rodriguez. Turnout was a poor 54 percent, reflecting weariness with politics after the recent presidential campaign and the closeness of the Christmas holiday season. — Reuters

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

Kansas officers fatally shot outside market TOPEKA: Two Kansas police officers were fatally shot outside a grocery store Sunday while responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle, authorities said. Topeka Police Chief Ronald Miller called the shootings of Cpl. David Gogian and Officer Jeff Atherly “unspeakable.”

He said both Gogian, 50, and Atherly, 29, were shot in the head by a gunman who opened fire on them within minutes of their arrival to investigate the vehicle.

“It’s clearly beyond words. It’s unspeakable almost about why this happens and why this is happening in America at this stage in our history,” Miller said. Police were searching for a 22-year-old man believed to have been the one who fired on the officers from the vehicle. He remained at large Sunday night. Miller didn’t know the motive for the shooting but said the suspect has a criminal history, though he wouldn’t elaborate.

A third officer who went to the scene to check on the vehicle was not injured in the shooting. Gogian and Atherly were taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead. The call about the vehicle came shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday, police said. Gogian and Atherly had arrived as backup for another officer when someone in the vehicle they were investigating started shooting. “I don’t believe they had any idea this situation was going to go this direction as quickly as it

did,” Miller said. Police would not say whether the officers had reached the vehicle when they were shot or what kind of gun was used in the shooting.

Miller said there was more than one person in the vehicle, which later was found outside a house about 10 blocks from the grocery store. Officers searched the home but didn’t find the shooting suspect.

The chief declined to say why officers were investigating the vehicle and why it was considered suspicious. Old neighborhoods, economically and ethnically diverse, surround the grocery store. Some of the homes are a century old, and they vary in how well they’ve been kept up. Green space behind the store is home to an annual art fair, and the city’s public library is within walking distance.

A small crowd met for a candlelight vigil Sunday night outside police headquarters after hearing about the shooting. As the group gathered, police officials announced to reporters nearby that the officers had died. Gogian started with the Topeka Police Department in September 2004. Atherly had been with the department since April 2011.

Miller said Gogian was a retired military serviceman. It wasn’t immediately clear what branch of the military. He has a son who’s also a Topeka police officer. “He had spent his life in service to his country and in the city of Topeka,” the chief said. — AP

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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

Georgia seeks end to ‘confrontation’ with Russia TBILISI: Georgia said yesterMonday that it wants to end “confrontation” with Russia after the ex-Soviet foes held their first direct talks since they fought a brief war in 2008.

“It is not possible to remain in perpetual confrontation with Russia,” Tbilisi’s special representative for Russia, Zurab Abashidze, told a news conference after returning from talks in Switzerland on Friday with Moscow’s Deputy Foreign Minister

Grigory Karasin. Abashidze said that the neighbours would conduct regular dialogue, initially on the subjects of trade, transpor t, border and “humanitarian-cultural” issues, in order to find a way out of the “deadlock” in relations.

Georgia and Russia have not had diplomatic relations since the 2008 war and the Kremlin refuses to have any dealings with President Mikheil Saakashvili.

But new Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has made normalising ties with Russia a priority since his Georgian Dream coalition came to power after defeating Saakashvili’s party in parliamentary elections two months ago. “Our goal is to minimise security risks for our countr y,” Abashidze said. “We have started dialogue because its only alternative is deadlock and constant tensions,” he said. However Abashidze stressed that

Tbilisi’s pro-Western foreign policy “cannot be a subject of discussion” with Moscow. Ivanishili has vowed to maintain Saakashvili’s pro-Western course and continue Georgia’s bid to join NATO-an ambition strongly opposed by Russia. Abashidze also said there would be no compromise with Russia over Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity-a reference to two Georgian breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which

were controversially recognised as independent states by the Kremlin after the 2008 war.

Russia has permanently stationed thousands of troops in the two regions which it also supports economically-a move condemned by Georgia as occupation. Karasin has described the talks in Geneva as “constructive”. “Russia remains in favour of resolving this deep crisis,” he said on Friday. — AFP

Romania’s president picks PM who tried to oust him Rivalry between president, PM to persist

QUNU: In this photo taken Sunday, Dec. 16 2012, Bambatha Mandela, covered in blanket, grandson of former president Nelson Mandela, takes part in an initiation ceremony in Qunu, South Africa in a traditional Xhosa rite of passage to manhood. As Mandela remains hospitalized after undergoing surgery and recuperating from a lung infection, the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader missed the return of his grandson from the initiation ceremony. — AP

Hospitalized Mandela misses grandson’s initiation JOHANNESBURG: As Nelson Mandela remains hospitalized after undergoing surgery and recuperating from a lung infection, the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader missed the return of his grandson from an initiation ceremony.

Bambatha Mandela had been in the bush for days for the ukwaluka ceremony of Mandela’s Xhosa people, learning about the culture and ultimately undergoing a circumcision carried out by a traditional surgeon. Footage shot by AP Television News on Sunday showed the 23-year-old grandson of the struggle icon wrapped in a blanket, his face painted red, returning to their family homestead in Qunu, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape.

Men and women awaited Bambatha Mandela with meat from a freshly slaughtered sheep. Some women sang traditional songs, others laughed and called out to their friends. Family members had hoped Nelson Mandela would be home for the ceremony, but government officials say Mandela remains under care at a hospital in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria. Mandela, imprisoned for 27 years by South Africa’s former white-ruled government, always lamented the fact he was unable to visit and stay in touch with his family.

Mandela, South Africa’s first democratically elected president, was admit-

ted to the hospital on Dec. 8, the government has said. At first, officials said he was undergoing tests and later they acknowledged he had been diagnosed with a lung infection.

The Nobel laureate has a history of lung problems, after falling ill with tuberculosis in 1988 toward the tail-end of his years in prison before his release and subsequent presidency. While doctors said at the time the disease caused no permanent damage to his lungs, medical experts say tuberculosis can cause problems years later for those infected.

On Saturday, Mandela underwent endoscopic surgery to remove gallstones, a procedure in which a patient usually receives sedatives and an anesthetic to allow a surgeon to put an endoscope down their throat, authorities say.

The surgeon then can remove the gallstones, which are small, crystal-like masses that can cause a person tremendous pain.

Mandela’s 10-day hospital stay, his longest since leaving prison in February 1990, has sparked increasing concern about a man who represents the aspirations of a country still struggling with race and poverty. South Africa, a nation of 50 million people, reveres Mandela for his magnanimity and being able to bridge racial gaps after centuries of white racist rule. —AP

S Africa police arrest 4 in anti-terror sting BLOEMFONTEIN: South African police on Monday said they had arrested four armed right-wing extremists suspected of planning attacks, amid claims that an ANC leadership meeting may have been targeted.

Four men, aged 40-50 years old, were arrested on Sunday, “believed to be rightwing extremists, suspected of acts of terrorism,” according to Free State police spokesman Brigadier Billy Jones.

“Their premises were searched and evidence supporting the investigation was seized.” The arrests came after a nearly twoyear nationwide investigation, Jones told AFP. But there were conflicting reports about what the suspects’ target or targets may have been, with ANC saying its party conference may have been in the firing line.

Delegates at the Bloemfontein meeting include President Jacob Zuma and most of the South African government. Jones denied suggestions the meeting was under threat.

“We are not linking this to the ANC conference. The investigation is taking place at several points across the country,” Jones said. “Four people were arrested, not linked to the conference at all.” National police spokesman Phuti Setati confirmed that account of events. But ANC spokesperson Keith Khoza said the party had been given a preliminary report that the men may have been on route to blow up the conference venue. “We are still waiting for verification of the facts and as to who are these people.

Why did they want to do that and how they were going to do that,” he told AFP. Security has been extremely tight around the conference, with razor wire thrown up around a perimeter guarded by armed police. Only a few pre-screened vehicles are allowed to enter what is normally the campus of the University of the Free State. “You’ve got in here the president and the deputy president of the country. You’ve

got the entire cabinet, the entire top leadership of the ANC nationally and you have diplomats, foreign delegates and you’ve got 4,500 delegates.

“And that calls for maximum security because if anything were to happen you’d have a huge impact on the country and the government,” Khoza said.

“The police are currently handling the whole matter so we’ll be advised by the police in due course about the plot, if there is one, and who these people are,” said Khoza. Francois Cloete, national secretary of the Federal Freedom Party told AFP that at least two of the men arrested were members of his party, which backs a federal South Africa with self-governing white regions.

“According to our information two people were arrested, in Naboomspruit (Mookgophong) in Limpopo province,” he said. “We don’t associate at all with acts of terror. Our mission is self-determination through international laws.”

“The FVP is a political party, not a military organisation,” using the group’s Afrikaans acronym. Since the fall of the white-minority apartheid government in 1994 numerous right-wing groups have turned to violence.

In August 20 people were convicted of high treason in connection with a plot to kill Nelson Mandela and drive blacks out of the country. The “Boeremag” organisation had planned a right-wing coup in 2002 to overthrow the post-apartheid government.

Dozens of people were injured and one person killed in blasts that shook the Johannesburg township of Soweto in October 2002. South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance condemned the alleged plot. “It appears some on the lunatic fringe of our politics still do not respect the rights of all parties to exist. They must face the full force of the law.” — AFP

BUCHAREST: Romanian President Traian Basescu re appointed leftist Victor Ponta as prime minister on Monday, having said he would never do so again, giving his arch rival a mandate to complete a new deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The move follows Ponta’s Social Liberal Union (USL) winning a two-thirds majority in a Dec. 9 parliamentary election and eases concerns over Romania’s political stability. But the two men dislike working together and the partnership may not last.

The European Union criticised Ponta, a 40-year-old lawyer, for undermining the rule of law in a failed attempt to impeach Basescu in July. The dispute delayed policymaking in the EU’s second-poorest state and sent its currency to a record low.

Speculation had been rife that Basescu, a blunt former sea captain known for his outspoken and combative nature, might nominate someone else from the USL to try to split the alliance of leftists, liberals and conservatives.

The row raised doubts about how quickly Romania could seal an IMF deal to replace a 5-billioneuro ($6.6-billion) agreement that expires early next year and Ponta will have to balance that with easing austerity and reviving a recession-hit economy.

The leu was barely moved by the announcement. Dealers said Ponta’s re-appointment had been largely priced in last week when the currency rose to its highest since August.

“It’s clear that some constitutional changes would be envisaged but meanwhile a new deal

BRUSSELS: A combination of pictures made on December 8, 2012 shows Romania’s Prime Minister Victor Ponta (L) giving a press conference at the Residence Palace, near the European Union Headquarters in Brussels on July 12, 2012, and Romania’s President Traian Basescu (R) arriving at the Parliament in Bucharest on April 3, 2008. Basescu reappointed his arch-rival Victor Ponta as prime minister following elections, allaying fears of new political turmoil in one of EU’s newest members. —AP with the IMF is a certain priority as the only solution to support Romania and Romanians,” Norica Nicolai, vice president of the USL’s liberal wing, told Reuters.

Wrangling between the two men has distracted from pressing problems in a country where 3 percent of people live on less than $40 a day and some areas do not have reliable running water or electricity.

More than 20 years after the fall of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, the EU state trails far behind the bloc’s other members and remains blighted by corruption and organised crime.

Brussels monitors the justice system and Romania remains out-

side the passport-free Schengen zone due to graft concerns.

Basescu and his allies are deeply unpopular after pushing through austerity measures including salary cuts and sales tax increases, and Ponta took power in May after toppling a government linked to Basescu in a parliamentary confidence vote.

Underlining Basescu’s reluctance to name Ponta, he announced the decision in a press statement rather than the usual speech at his Bucharest presidential palace. Any renewal of Basescu’s feud with Ponta could leave him at risk of impeachment again.

The USL’s majority mean it

could try to pass changes to the constitution such as limiting the president’s powers, although any such move would need backing in a national referendum.

Ponta has a tricky juggling act to perform. He must implement austerity measures as well as long-term reforms such as selling inefficient state companies, while keeping the IMF on side and revitalising an economy that is expected to grow only 0.4 percent this year. “Unfortunately Romanian policymakers across the political spectrum have done very little to get the Romanian economy out of the crisis,” said Danske Bank chief analyst Lars Christensen. — Reuters

French opposition takes step towards healing rift PARIS: France’s right-wing opposition UMP on Sunday took a step towards healing the damaging rift that has divided the party when the two rival leaders appeared to agree on a fresh leadership vote next September.

After a month of bitter recriminations, Jean-Francois Cope, who won last month’s hotly disputed leadership battle, appeared Sunday to have accepted the new vote after a telephone conversation with his rival, former prime minister Francois Fillon.

Previously, Cope had refused any fresh vote before the 2014 local elections. Cope’s camp told AFP that Cope had made the concession in a bid to calm the damaging row. The September 2013

date would fall mid-way between the March 2014 vote he had initially wanted and the March 2013 deadline Fillon had set.

The question of dates had been the major blocking point in the battle between the two camps. It leaves the way clear to negotiating the reunification of the party in parliament. Last month, Fillon created his own parliament group, dubbed the Rally for the UMP (R-UMP), depriving the UMP of 68 of its 194 deputies.

Talks to settle that matter were set for yesterday, sources in both camps said. Cope told AFP Sunday he was confident he could reach an agreement with Fillon. “The problem of the calen-

dar for a new election was the last sticking point between us,” he said. “The mediation of (former prime minister) Jean-Pierre Raffarin allowed us to advance in a very positive manner,” he added. Once the two sides had settled the other issues, he added, Fillon’s R-UMP would begin the process of dissolving itself, “as that has always been the understanding,” he added.

In the meantime, he would stay on as president of the party, he said. “Not everything has been settled but there has been real progress,” said Fillon’s spokesman, Jerome Chartier.

Fillon issued a statement welcoming Cope’s willingness to agree to the September vote. He too said

PARIS: A photo taken on October 25, 2012 on a set of French TV France 2 shows the two favourite candidates to take over the leadership of France’s major opposition party, the Union for a Popular Majority (UMP), former Prime minister Francois Fillon (L) and outgoing UMP general secretary JeanFrancois Cope. — AFP

that the two factions of the party could be reunited once they had finalised their negotiations.

The deal between the two rivals appears to have headed off a referendum planned for Tuesday of UMP deputies and senators on the question of whether there should be a fresh leadership vote before next summer. Both leaders would like to see the UMP united before the next parliamentary session opens, on January 15, so as to present an effective opposition to the government of Socialist President Francois Hollande.

Late Sunday the two protagonists welcomed the UMP’s “grand slam” in three by-elections, winning one seat from the Socialists and holding two, with Cope seeing a “good omen for escaping from the crisis” in the party.

Sources close to ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy have said he was infuriated by the deadlock after the November 18 UMP election that was marred by allegations of irregularities and ballot-stuffing.

The UMP, the political heir to the movement founded by Charles De Gaulle after World War II, has been on the verge of collapse over the bitter and very public dispute between Cope and Fillon.

Both Fillon, 58, and Cope, 48, are fiscal conservatives advocating free-market policies and economic reforms, but Cope has carved out a niche on the right of the UMP with his tough-talking approach to immigration and Islam.

Sarkozy has no official post in the UMP after his defeat in the May presidential election to Hollande. But he is anxious to keep the UMP together in case he decides to make a comeback bid for the presidency in 2017. — AFP

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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

Thousands seek shelter as cyclone batters Fiji CANBERRA: More than 3,500 people evacuated to emergency shelters in Fiji as the biggest cyclone in 20 years swept across the Pacific island nation yesterday, three days after the storm killed four people and destroyed thousands of homes in nearby Samoa.

Tourist resorts on many of Fiji’s palm-fringed islands have been evacuated and authorities warned people to remain in shelter as Tropical Cyclone Evan battered the country, blowing over trees and destroying houses.

Authorities said Cyclone Evan had generated destructive winds, torrential rains and was likely to lead to flooding due to a storm surge as it passes to the northwestern side of the main Fiji islands of Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, with wind gusts up to 270 kmh (170

mph). Fiji’s weather bureau said cyclone Evan was rated a category four storm, the second highest level, and was moving only at about 18 kph (11 mph), meaning the destructive winds could last several hours.

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama ordered public servants to stay at home and he put emergency services on standby. Hospitals and health centres have been closed for all but emergency patients. Power supplies have also been cut to some areas as a precaution against falling power lines, including in the main tourist town of Nadi. Airlines grounded flights to and from Fiji, stranding about 1,900 visitors in the country.

“I cannot stress enough how serious this is. Every Fijian will be affected but

we must take preventative steps now,” Bainimarama said.

Residents and businesses stocked up on food and put up shutters to protect shops and offices. Major roads have been closed and authorities are warning that bridges could be swamped by flood waters.

Schools throughout the country were also being used as evacuation centres, with authorities saying more than 3,500 people had sought shelter by late yesterday.

The Fiji Times reported rough seas and ferocious winds had forced a bulk carrier to run aground on a reef near the capital of Suva. Australia and New Zealand offered support to Fiji ahead of the storm and have search and rescue personnel on standby. — Reuters

SUVA: This handout photo taken and received from Fiji’s Ministry of Information yesterday shows residents taking shelter at an evacuation centre during Tropical Cyclone Evan in Suva. Thousands of people fled to evacuation centres in Fiji as a powerful cyclone lashed the Pacific nation, causing power outages and flash flooding, officials said. — AFP

Car bomb at US compound in Afghan capital kills two Taleban claims responsibility for attack

SHIRVA: Husband Benedict Barboza, center, holds his son Junal, right, and daughter Lisha during the burial of nurse Jacintha Saldanha at her hometown Shirva, near Mangalore in southwest India, yesterday. Nurse Saldanha was found hanging in her room days after she had been duped by a hoax call from an Australian radio station about the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge. — AP

Quiet Indian Catholic pocket shocked by nurse’s death SHIRVA: She may have left years ago, but Jacintha Saldanha’s death has been felt deeply among Catholic communities in southwest India, her birthplace, where many families depend on remittances from abroad. This coastal stretch of the country, where the nurse’s body will be laid to rest, is a stronghold of devout Catholicism in Hindu-majority India and has seen streams of locals leave for foreign shores seeking better paid jobs.

Many were returning home to spend Christmas with their families as Saldanha’s body was brought back for her funeral following her apparent suicide after answering the infamous royal hoax call to the London hospital where she worked. “This is a time of celebration, Christmas and the wedding season.

Nobody expected this,” said teacher Alwyn Danthy in Shirva, the small hometown of Saldanha’s husband Benedict Barboza and her final resting place.

Saldanha was born in the nearby port city of Mangalore, which, like Goa, was settled by the Portuguese in the 1500s.

She and Barboza lived in Oman before moving to Britain about 12 years ago, but they kept in close contact with relatives in Shirva and would visit on holidays.

Their story was far from rare, according to parish priest Stany Tauro at Our Lady of Health Church, were the funeral

was being held yesterday.

“It’s quite common that people go abroad. They have prospects. People are educated and qualified and there are no jobs in this area, so they want to go out,” he said. Often reliant on money sent home, those who remained in Shirva enjoyed a “village atmosphere”, the priest said, with the community touched by each other’s tragedies.

Danthy said jasmine and rice farming were the traditional occupations in the area, but recent decades saw ambitious younger generations move out to seek work, whether to Mumbai, the Gulf countries or beyond. Britain was especially appealing-the city of Nottingham, for example, has an active association for Mangalorean Catholics. Belief that working abroad offered a better life made Saldanha’s death all the more shocking.

The nurse was found hanged at staff accommodation in the private King Edward VII hospital on December , a London inquest heard last week.

Her death came a few days after she transferred a prank call from two Australian radio DJs to another nurse, who gave out confidential details about Prince William’s wife Catherine as she suffered from acute morning sickness. “For a very good salary people go abroad, but if such things happen we all worry,” Danthy said. — AFP

KABUL: A car bomb exploded outside of a compound housing a US military contractor in the Afghan capital yesterday, blowing apart an exterior wall, killing at least two Afghan workers and wounding more than a dozen other people, company representatives and police said. In another part of the country, a suspected landmine killed 10 young girls, police said.

The blast on the outskirts of Kabul sent a plume of smoke up in the air and shook windows more than a mile (two kilometers) away in the city center. The security officer for Contrack, a McLean, Va.-based company that builds facilities for military bases, said a suicide attacker drove a vehicle packed with explosives up to the exterior wall of the compound and detonated the bomb. Afghan police said they could not confirm if it was a suicide attack or a remotely detonated bomb that had been placed in a parked vehicle.

Taleban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack in Kabul, saying in an email to reporters that it was a suicide car bomber who targeted the compound because it was company working with the government.

Two Afghan employees of the company were killed in the attack and at least 15 others were wounded, said deputy Interior Ministry spokesman Najibullah Danish. He did not have information on any of the foreign employees. Contrack did not respond to calls or emails asking for comment.

Contrack security officer Baryalai, who like many Afghans only goes by one name, said at the site that injured employees included Americans, Afghans and South Africans. An American official of the company was seriously wounded, he said.

An Associated Press reporter at the site saw large sections of exterior wall blown apart and a collapsed roof on a building inside.

Twisted metal from shipping containers that

KABUL: Afghan security members of Contrack company stand guard following a car bomb explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, yesterday. A car bomb exploded outside of a compound housing a US military contractor in the Afghan capital, blowing apart an exterior wall and wounding dozens inside, company representatives and police said. In another part of the country, a suspected landmine killed 10 young girls, police said. — AP had been ripped open by the explosion littered the ground. A light snow was falling all morning and was already starting to cover the debris as reporters and investigators surveyed the site. It appeared that the wall at the site of the explosion was made of mud brick - surprising in a city where most foreign contractors live in compounds reinforced by concrete blast walls.

Baryalai said the arm of the company that was attacked yesterday is building barracks and other facilities for the Afghan army.

Contrack’s projects in Afghanistan also include fuel storage, air field construction and tanker facilities for US military bases, according to its website.

A worker coming out of the building said that he saw at least 30 people wounded.

“There was massive destruction inside ... I was

sitting behind my computer when it happened. I was not hurt but I saw many of my colleagues were injured,” Bashir Farhang said.

Jalalabad road, where the explosion occurred, is one of the main arteries into the city. It is flanked by a number of foreign companies and organization, along with foreign military bases. The Kabul bombing came just hours after an exploding bomb or landmine killed ten young girls as they were gathering firewood outside their village in the east of the country.

Police said they believed that the device was an unexploded mine that had been laid years ago and was triggered somehow as the girls walked through the open field. At least one other old mine was found nearby, provincial police spokesman Hazrat Hussain Mashreqiwal said. — AP

Final voting in Indian state as Modi seeks win AHMEDABAD: Millions of Indians voted yesterday in the final stage of Gujarat state elections with Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi seeking a clear victory to bolster his prime ministerial ambitions in 2014.

Long queues formed at polling stations with turnout likely to match the 70 percent recorded in the first round of voting last week in Gujarat, one of India’s fastest-developing regions. Modi, who secured easy wins in the last two state elections, is looking to win another majority for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and strengthen his national status, which remains stained by religious riots in Gujarat in 2002.

“It’s a very peaceful election,” Modi said after casting his vote in the state’s largest commercial city Ahmedabad. “It will be an historic (election) because it has been contested on the issue of good governance and development.”

Though Modi has never declared his ambition to be prime minister, he is widely thought to be angling to lead the BJP into the next general election in 2014. Modi’s links to some of the worst sectarian violence in post-independence India make him a hate-figure for many Muslims and secularists.

He is blamed by some rights groups for turning a blind eye to the unrest in Gujarat in 2002, during which as many as 2,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in an orgy of violence that saw victims set alight or hacked to death in the streets. He denies any wrongdoing. His main rival in Gujarat is the left-leaning Congress party, which heads the federal coalition government and is dominated by the Gandhi dynasty which has run India for most of its post-independence history. Election results are expected on December 20. — AFP

AHMADABAD: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, left, flashes a victory sign as he sees off Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader Lal Krishna Advani, right, after a meeting at party’s state head quarters. — AP

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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

Australian wins compensation over sex mishap CANBERRA: An Australian bureaucrat who was injured while having sex in a motel room during a business trip has won a five-year legal battle against the federal government for worker’s compensation.

The Associated Press yesterday read the reasons the Full Bench of the Federal Court gave on Dec. 13 for rejecting an appeal by the government’s insurer Comcare against an earlier court declaration that the woman was injured in the course of her employment.

The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was staying in a motel in the town of Nowra, 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of her home-

town of Sydney, on Nov. 26, 2007, when she had sex with a male friend in her room. She was then aged in her late 30s.

During the sex, a glass light fitting was torn from its mount above the bed and landed on her face, injuring her nose and mouth. The courts have not decided on whether the woman or the man dislodged the light, ruling that factor irrelevant to the case.

The woman was treated in hospital for her injuries. She later suffered depression and was unable to continue working for the government. Her claim for worker’s compensation for her physical and psychological injuries was initially approved by Comcare

then rejected after further investigation.

She unsuccessfully appealed to the government’s Administrative Appeals Tribunal which reviews bureaucrats’ decisions. The tribunal agreed with Comcare that her injuries were not suffered in the course of her employment.

The tribunal found that the government had not induced or encouraged the woman’s sexual conduct and could not have reasonably expected that she would have contemplated it.

The tribunal also found the sex was “not an ordinary incident of an overnight stay” such as showering, sleeping and eating. The woman won

an appeal in the Federal Court on April 19, 2012, when Judge John Nicholas rejected the tribunal’s findings that the sex had to be condoned by the government if she were to qualify for compensation.

“If the applicant had been injured while playing a game of cards in her motel room, she would be entitled to compensation even though it could not be said that her employer induced her to engage in such activity,” Nicholas wrote in his judgment in favor of the woman receiving compensation.

In the Full Bench decision, Judges Patrick Keane, Robert Buchanan and Mordy Bromberg agreed last week

that the government’s views on the woman having sex in her motel room were irrelevant.

“No approval, express or implied, of the respondent’s conduct was required,” they said. It is not yet clear how much compensation the woman will be paid. Comcare was on Monday considering an appeal to the High Court, Australia’s highest legal authority, Comcare spokesman Russ Street said. “ The issue is a significant one,” Street said in a statement. “Workers need to be clear about their entitlements and employers should have an understanding of their responsibilities and how to support their staff.” — AP

Japan PM pledges no compromise on islands ‘China reacts with alarm on Abe’s victory’

MANILA: Filipino women and supporters wave at a convoy of a congressman as they celebrate after hearing news that Philippine legislators passed a landmark law that would provide government funding for contraceptives and sexuality classes during a demonstration outside the Philippine Congress in suburban Quezon City, north of Manila, Philippines yesterday. — AP

Philippines to pass birth control bill: Congressman MANILA: Philippine legislators were yesterday poised to pass landmark birth control laws paving the way for increased sex education and free contraceptives, despite lobbying by the Catholic church, the bill’s author said.

The Philippine Senate is due to vote on the Reproductive Health Bill during its crucial second reading, while the House of Representatives will vote for the third and final time late Monday, said Congressman Edcel Lagman.

Lagman said he was confident the bill would be approved by both the House and the Senate, which each need to pass it in three readings-the third of which is largely seen as a formality. “We are sure it will pass (in the Senate.) We expect the margin of victory to be wider in the House,” he told AFP, despite angry campaigning from the Catholic church in the nation of 100 million, where 70 percent of the population are followers.

Bishops across the country have argued that laws allowing increased sex education and the handing out of contraception will encourage pre-marital sex and lead to the legalisation of abortion.

The bill will be signed into law by President Benigno Aquino if both houses

of parliament agree on a common version. Lagman, who has been pushing family planning legislation for more than a decade, said he was confident the two chambers would reach agreement. He shrugged off intense lobbying by the Catholic church, including warnings that bishops would campaign against advocates of the bill in next year’s elections.

“It’s more of a threat than a reality. The experience in other Catholic countries is once a law is passed on reproductive health, even the Catholic church became silent and supports the law,” he said.

The bill is seen as a way of moderating the country’s population growth, reducing poverty and bringing down the high maternal mortality rate. “The key provision is the prioritisation of the poor and marginalised sectors who really need information and services of reproductive health,” Lagman said.

Bishops campaigned against the proposals at the weekend, reading a pastoral letter to congregations across the country during Mass, saying: “The wide and free accessibility of contraceptives, even to the youth, will result in the destruction of family life and in greater violence against women.” — AFP

Aid workers may have been target in Philippines MANILA: A suspected terrorist killed by Philippine police snipers after he threatened to detonate a powerful bomb may have been targeting a church or foreign aid workers helping typhoon-devastated province, a senior police official said yesterday. SWAT snipers killed Mohammad Noor Fikrie late Friday while he threatened to set off a bomb in his backpack outside a crowded park in southern Davao city. After months of surveillance, military and police intelligence officers had tracked the Malaysian to a budget hotel in the city last week. Their efforts to capture him peacefully failed when he evaded police, held up a cellphone and threatened to use it to set off a bomb.

“I was just waiting for the blast,” said police Senior Superintendent Ronald de la Rosa said. “I thought I would never see my family again.” Intelligence officials had received information that Muslim extremists were planning to bomb foreigners in Davao, said de la Rosa, who heads the police force in Davao, a bustling city about 980 kilometers (612 miles) south of Manila.

Fikrie’s wife, who was arrested, told investigators she and Fikrie had wanted to bomb a passenger bus for extortion, but de la Rosa said there were signs that the two had really wanted to target foreign aid workers. Aid workers are using Davao as a hub to provide assistance to nearby provinces recently devastated by Typhoon Bopha, which left more than 1,000 people dead. The target may also have been a Roman Catholic church, dela Rosa said, adding that two of five major bomb attacks staged in Davao city by Muslim militants in the past have targeted churches. Fikrie was discovered shortly before the start of popular pre-Christmas dawn Masses that pack churches nationwide with huge devotees, he said. Police say Fikrie, 26, was a Middle East-trained

bomb-making expert and close associate of fellow Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir, who uses the nom de guerre Marwan and is one of Southeast Asia’s most-wanted terror suspects. Washington has offered a $5 million bounty for the killing or capture of Marwan, who reportedly perished in a U.S.-backed Philippine military airstrike on southern Jolo island last February. Several Philippine intelligence officials, however, believe Marwan survived the attack and remains in hiding in the south.

Fikrie arrived in the southern Philippines in April and had allegedly provided bomb-making training to foreign and Filipino Muslim militants in the south.

He had wanted to acquire a Philippine passport, which he could use to travel to Syria for an unspecified purpose, according to a government dossier seen by The AP. After tracking down the suspect, police asked hotel staffers to evict Fikrie and his wife, fearing they may set off a bomb if confronted inside the building, which was packed with guests. When the couple reached the hotel lobby, de la Rosa said he and other policemen tried to take them into custody, but Fikrie broke loose, held up a cellphone and threatened to detonate a 60mm mortar bomb in a backpack he was carrying, a police report said.

“If you arrest or shoot me, I have a bomb. I will explode it,” the police report quoted Fikrie as saying to the police officers, who stepped back. Fikrie dashed out of the hotel and ran toward a park, where a sniper shot him twice in the chest.

Another police officer shot him in the shoulder to prevent him from trigger the bomb with his cellphone, de la Rosa said.

The bomb, which was subsequently defused, was fashioned from a mortar shell, he said. Fikrie’s wife, a Filipino named Anabelle Nieva Lee, was captured by police and was being interrogated, de la Rosa said. — AP

TOKYO: Japan’s premier-in-waiting Shinzo Abe came out fighting yesterday after his sweeping election victory, saying there can be no compromise on the sovereignty of islands at the centre of a dispute with China.

China reacted with alarm to Abe’s victory, after his conservative Liberal Democratic Party crushed opponents in national polls and he immediately restated Tokyo’s claims.

“The Senkaku islands are Japan’s inherent territory,” Abe told a press conference, referring to an archipelago Beijing calls the Diaoyus.

“Japan owns and controls the islands... under international law.

There is no room for negotiation on this point.” Beijing declared itself ready to work with Japan on “further development of stable relations” but expressed disquiet at where Abe would lead Japan.

“We are highly concerned about which direction Japan will take,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing.

“The current task is now to properly handle the current issue” of the territorial dispute, she added.

Abe is expected to be elected as premier by fellow lawmakers when parliament meets for a special session on December 26. At home, his large electoral margin boosted hopes for the country’s problemplagued economy, with investors pushing stocks up as the painfully high yen eased.

The one -time premier has vowed to put the moribund economy back on track after years of deflation, made worse by a soaring currency that has squeezed exporters. Topping his agenda was a promise to pressure the Bank of Japan into more aggressive easing policies aimed at kick-starting growth as the world’s third-largest economy slips into recession.

All eyes will be on the bank’s policy meeting this week to see whether central bankers move in line with Abe’s wishes. Investors are increasingly betting on some action, with the yen tumbling

TOKYO: Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party President Shinzo Abe poses for photographers at the start of a press conference at the party headquarters in Tokyo yesterday, a day after the party’s landslide victory over the ruling Democratic Party of Japan led by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in parliamentary elections. — AP against the dollar and euro on Monday, while Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 stock index surged 0.94 percent by the close.

Voters on Sunday dumped Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda three years after his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) promised a change from more than half a century of almost unbroken LDP rule.

The result cost Noda his party leadership. The rout was completed by news that the LDP and its junior coalition party New Komeito secured a large enough majority in the lower house to overrule the upper chamber.

“Control of two-thirds of lower house seats would alleviate concerns about divided control of the Diet’s two chambers,” brokerage giant Nomura said in a note. “It is also likely to fuel expectations, particularly among foreign investors, of more expeditious policymaking.”

Fukushima plant operator TEPCO was a big winner on Monday,

with its shares rocketing 33 percent, leading the charge by energy firms as investors cheered the likely end to a nascent move to snuff out atomic power.

Anti-nuclear sentiment has run high in Japan since last year’s disaster at the plant, with opinion polls showing a majority of voters want to phase out atomic power. But the mood did not translate into success for parties pushing for an atomic exit. Analysts say the LDP’s victory came by default-with voters disenchanted by the DPJ after three years of flip-flops, policy missteps and diplomatic drift, but having little faith in any of the alternatives.

With turnout at a record low even Abe acknowledged the outcome was not a ringing endorsement. “I think this result means a ‘no’ to the political confusion of the DPJ. People will be strictly watching if the LDP will be able to live up to expectations.” Abe is set to meet with business leaders today morn-

ing. His offer to boost spending on infrastructure was standard fare from the LDP playbook but chimed with voters in the northeast, where the devastation of the March 2011 tsunami is still evident.

And his win stoked speculation that whoever is appointed to replace BoJ governor Masaaki Shirakawa next year will favour a more aggressive easing stance.

“Foreign investors are likely to remain bullish, betting that Mr. Abe will fulfil his promises to turn on the fiscal taps,” Kenichi Kubo, senior fund manager at Tokio Marine Asset Management, told Dow Jones Newswires.

He is likely to “pressure the Bank of Japan into much more aggressive asset purchases to pull Japan out of recession and prolonged deflation”. However, Credit Agricole said in a note that “it is not obvious that coalition parties will be as welcoming” to Abe’s aggressive policies. — AFP

N Korea displays Kim Jong Il a year after his death PYONGYANG: North Korea unveiled the embalmed body of Kim Jong Il, still in his trademark khaki jumpsuit, on the anniversary of his death yesterday as mourning mixed with pride over a recent satellite launch that was a long-held goal of the late authoritarian leader.

Kim lies in state a few floors below his father, national founder Kim Il Sung, in the Kumsusan mausoleum, the cavernous former presidential palace. Kim Jong Il is presented lying beneath a red blanket, a spotlight shining on his face in a room suffused in red. Wails echoed through the chilly hall as a group of North Korean women sobbed into the sashes of their traditional Korean dresses as they bowed before his body. The hall bearing the glass coffin was opened to select visitors - including The

Associated Press - for the first time since his death.

North Korea also unveiled Kim’s yacht and his armored train carriage, where he is said to have died. Among the personal belongings featured in the mausoleum are the parka, sunglasses and pointy platform shoes he famously wore in the last decades of his life. A MacBook Pro lay open on his desk. North Koreans paid homage to Kim and basked in the success of last week’s launch of a long-range rocket that sent a satellite named after him to space. The launch, condemned in many other capitals as a violation of bans against developing its missile technology, was portrayed not only as a gift to Kim Jong Il but also as proof that his young son, Kim Jong Un, has the strength and vision to lead the country.

PYONGYANG: North Korean children leave after laying flowers before portraits of the late leaders Kim Il Sung at left and Kim Jong Il on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, yesterday. North Korea marks the first death anniversary of Kim Jong Il yesterday. — AP

The elder Kim died last Dec. 17 from a heart attack while traveling on his train. His death was famously followed by scenes of North Koreans dramatically wailing in the streets of Pyongyang, and of the 20-something son leading ranks of uniformed and gray-haired officials through funeral and mourning rites.

The mood in the capital was decidedly more upbeat a year later, with some of the euphoria carrying over from last Wednesday’s launch.

The satellite bears one of Kim Jong Il’s nicknames, Kwangmyongsong, or “Lode Star,” a moniker given to him at birth according to the official lore.

North Koreans across the country stopped in their tracks at midday to bow their heads and honor the former ruler as the national flag fluttered at half-staff along streets and from buildings. Pyongyang construction workers took off their yellow hard hats and bowed at the waist as sirens wailed across the city for three minutes. Earlier, Kim Jong Un attended a solemn ceremony to reopen the sprawling granite mausoleum where his father and his grandfather lie in state in separate halls.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans gathered in the frigid plaza outside, newly transformed into a public park with lawns and pergolas.

Geese flew past snow-tinged firs and swans dallied in the partly frozen moat that rings the vast complex in Pyongyang’s outskirts. Speaking outside the mausoleum, renamed the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the military’s top political officer, Choe Ryong Hae, said North Korea should be proud of the satellite, calling it “a political event with great significance in the history of Korea and humanity.”

Much of the rest of the world, however, was swift in condemning the launch, which was seen by the United States and other nations as a thinly disguised cover for testing missile technology that could someday be used for a nuclear warhead. The test, which potentially violates a United Nations ban on North Korean missile activity, underlined Kim Jong Un’s determination to continue carrying out his father’s hardline policies even if they draw international condemnation.

Some outside experts worry that Pyongyang’s next move will be to press ahead with a nuclear test in the coming weeks, a step toward building a warhead small enough to be carried by a long-range missile.

Despite inviting further isolation for his impoverished nation and the threat of stiffer sanctions, Kim Jong Un won national prestige and clout by going ahead with the rocket launch. At a memorial service on Sunday, North Korea’s top leadership not only eulogized Kim Jong Il, but also praised his son. Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of North Korea’s parliament, called the launch a “shining victor y ” and an emblem of the promise that lies ahead with Kim Jong Un in power. The rocket’s success also fits neatly into the narrative of Kim Jong Il’s death. Even before he died, the father had laid the groundwork for his son to inherit a government focused on science, technology and improving the economy. And his pursuit of nuclear weapons and the policy of putting the militar y ahead of all other national concerns have also carried into Kim Jong Un’s reign.— AP

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

NEWS Obama vows effort to tame US gun...

Continued from Page 1 re-elected president added, implicitly rebuking those who argue that efforts to introduce more gun control laws would do little to stop killings. Obama promised to use “whatever power this office holds” to try to prevent more tragedies like the one that struck Newtown, appearing to set up a new political battle with America’s powerful gun lobby with the potential to define his second term. “Because what choice do we have? We can’t accept events like this as routine. Are we really prepared to say that we are powerless in the face of such carnage?”

Obama will face the tough task of manipulating Washington’s stalemated politics to enforce change, against entrenched interests and under a constitution that enshrines gun rights. On several occasions, for instance with his vows to close the Guantanamo Bay war on terror camp, or to transform US relations with the Muslim world, Obama has set high stakes with rhetoric only to find the stated goal impossible to achieve. Earlier, the voices of Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith leaders united in grief at the multi-denominational prayer service, as mourners grasped for meaning amid unbearable loss.

Earlier, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California promised to introduce a bill to ban assault weapons on the very first day of the next Congress, Jan 3.

But with gun ownership protected by the US constitution and firearms deeply ingrained in American culture, attempts to restrict access have long been seen as a vote-

losing proposition. Bit by bit, the full picture of the horror and heroism in the school where Lanza sprayed bullets into two rooms was starting to emerge.

The husband of Dawn Hochsprung, the diminutive school principal killed as she tried to stop the killer, said she told others around her to hide. Then she “and at least one other teacher went out and actually tried to subdue the killer,” her husband George said. “I don’t know where that comes from. Dawn was 5’2,” he said. “Dawn put herself in jeopardy and I have been angry about that, angry until just now, when I met two women that she told to go under shelter while she actually confronted the gunman.”

But police remained tight-lipped about their investigation into the killer. Lanza is believed to have first shot his mother in their house before going to the school. No information about a possible motive, or whether Lanza had any diagnosed mental condition, has emerged, although police said they are probing every bullet fired, every gun used, and searching the mother’s house for any clues to Lanza’s background. Newtown was the second deadliest school shooting in US history after the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, in which South Korean student Seung-Hui Cho shot and killed 32 people and wounded 17 others before taking his own life. In the previously most notorious recent incident, a 24-year-old, James Holmes, allegedly killed 12 people and wounded 58 others when he opened fire at a midnight screening of the latest Batman movie in Aurora, Colorado, in July. — Agencies

MP proposes state...

Continued from Page 1 Five MPs meanwhile submitted a draft law calling for the establishment of a Kuwait Media Establishment in prelude to dismantle the information ministry. The bill was submitted by MPs Faisal AlDuwaisan, Abdulhameed Dhashti, Saleh Ashour and Ahmad Lari, all of them Shiites, and Yaqoub Al-Sane. They demanded that the bill should be given urgency.

HH the Amir meanwhile yesterday received Speaker Ali Al-Rashed along with the new members of the National Assembly office. MP Maasouma Al-Mubarak, head of the legal and legislative committee, said the discussion focused on cooperation between the Assembly and the government. Several Assembly panels elected their office bearers yesterday. The Interior and Defense Committee unanimously elected MP Askar Al-Enezi as chairman and Abdullah Al-Tameemi as rapporteur, while MPs Saleh Ashour and Taher Al-Failakawi were unanimously elected chairman and rapporteur of the foreign relations committee, respectively.

Yousef Al-Zalzalah and Ahmad Lari were elected as chairman and rapporteur, respectively, of the financial and economic affairs committee, as Salah Al-Atiqi was elected chairman of the health committee and Hani Shams its repporteur. MPs Mishari Al-Husseini and Khaled AlShulaimi were elected chairman and rapporteur respectively of the educational committee. MP Ahmad Al-Mulaifi sent a question to Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah asking about the government’s plan to fight against forces of corruption.

Separately, the public prosecution yesterday ordered the detention for another day of three opposition activists who were arrested Sunday morning while taking part in a peaceful gathering outside the palace of justice in Kuwait City.

Surplus surges...

Continued on Page 13 spending projections of KD 21.2 billion in the absence of a parliament. The new Assembly is expected to confirm the budget soon.

National Bank of Kuwait said in a recent report that the country was expected to post a surplus of between $34.8 billion and $45.4 billion at the end of the current fiscal year. The projections were based on an average oil price of between $104 and $107 a barrel for Kuwaiti crude, said the Central Bank. Kuwait has projected a deficit in each of the past 13 fiscal years, but ended in surplus mainly by calculating oil income at a very low price.

During that period, the emirate has accumulated about $250 billion in budget surpluses. Under Kuwaiti law, 10 percent of revenues are deducted every year in favour of the state’s sovereign wealth fund, the assets of which are estimated at about $400 billion. This fiscal year, Kuwait decided to transfer 25 percent of revenues into the sovereign wealth fund.

Returns on the fund are not included in the budget. With a native population of 1.2 million in addition to 2.6 million foreigners, Kuwait says it holds 10 percent of global crude oil reserves and pumps about 3.0 million barrels of oil per day. — AFP

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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Issues

IAEA-Iran ‘deal’ just beginning

By Simon Sturdee he UN atomic agency, after a year of false starts, finally expects to sign a long-elusive deal with Iran on Jan 16, but that will be the easy part, experts say. Implementing the accord will be a lengthy and fragile process that will only partially resolve a decade-long standoff over Iran’s nuclear programme and help to silence Israeli “drums of war”. Implementing the accord between the IAEA and Iran “will take years”, one Vienna diplomat said, adding: “It’s not going to be solved overnight.” The International Atomic Energy Agency’s announcement on Friday after “good” talks in Tehran that it expects a deal in January was something of a surprise after a string of previous fruitless meetings, and considerable scepticism remains.

“We have been down this road before,” analyst and former US State Department official Mark Fitzpatrick, now at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told AFP, citing previous optimistic IAEA predictions in January and May that came to nothing. The IAEA says it wants Iran to allow it to visit sites, talk to officials and examine documents related to activities “related to the development of a nuclear explosive device” - mostly in the past but possibly still ongoing.

The IAEA, in a Nov 2011 report, cited “overall, credible” evidence indicating that such activities took place until 2003, and possibly since. They included experiments with high explosives, tests with surrogate nuclear materials to similate a nuclear explosion, modelling and engineering studies on ballistic missile payloads and a “green salt project” to enrich uranium covertly. But questions persist over the sources of the information.

The IAEA said its sources included a “foreign expert” thought to be a former Soviet nuclear scientist who worked in Iran - in addition to satellite images, opensource documents and the nuclear trafficking network of Pakistan’s Abdul Qadeer Khan - as well as information from Iran itself. But the bulk came from foreign intelligence services, including some 1,000 pages of documents known as the “alleged studies” from a so-called “laptop of death” reportedly obtained by the CIA in 2004 that several observers have thrown into doubt.

Iran has denounced the IAEA’s alleged evidence as either forgeries provided by its “enemies” or as nonnuclear - therefore none of the IAEA’s business. It also complains that the IAEA refuses even to show it some of the material. But the IAEA maintains that Iran has a case to answer, and in part to get around the foreign intelligence issue it has sought access to the Parchin military base because its information on the base is “independent”. “Believe me, we are reasonable people,” IAEA head Yukiya Amano said this month. “Bypassing these issues with a military dimension or refusing to respond to questions is not the solution.”

Iran wants to agree what both sides call a “structured approach” document IAEA jargon for a work plan to deal with the accusations in a methodical fashion. This has however proved to be a sticking point because Iran wants to include elements that some of the IAEA’s member states fear might “sacrifice the IAEA’s authority to get information it needs”, said Mark Hibbs from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. One Vienna diplomat for example said Friday after being briefed by the IAEA after its talks in Tehran the day before that Iran wants the IAEA to agree to “close” an issue for good once it has been addressed.

Another thorny issue would be how to respond if in the course of implementing the IAEA-Iran arrangement it turns out that some of the IAEA’s “evidence” of past weapons research work is indeed accurate. Such an explosive revelation could blow diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis out of the water - quite literally.

One way around this is what Pierre Goldschmidt, a former IAEA deputy director general, has called a “grace period” allowing Iran to admit past transgressions in return for a promise that it will not be punished. “Such disclosures could be very beneficial for confidence-building,” Goldschmidt said in May. “It would help persuade the international community that this time, Tehran has indeed opted for full cooperation and transparency.” The IAEA is not empowered to grant such a “grace period”; instead this would have to be one element of a wider deal between Iran and the big powers, who are thought to be pushing for a new meeting soon. —AFP

T

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

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

Obama wants to target gun violence, but how?

By Steve Holland and Jeff Mason and Susan Cornwell is words have been eloquent and sympathetic, as they typically are when he is the voice of a nation in mourning. But US President Barack Obama’s response to a gunman’s massacre of 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut grade school has revealed a more complex view of the president: emotional, frustrated - and perhaps rethinking his largely hands-off approach to gun control. “We can’t tolerate this anymore,” Obama said late Sunday at the vigil for the victims in Newtown, Connecticut, as he recalled earlier mass slayings and the shooting of former U.S. congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in 2011. “These tragedies must end. And to end them we must change.”

Obama notably did not use the word “gun,” but he did cast his argument against violence in terms of another politically potent image: protecting America’s children. “Can we honestly say we’re doing enough to keep our children, all of them, safe from harm?” Obama asked. “...If we’re honest with ourselves, the answer’s no. We’re not doing enough and we will have to change.”

Obama promised that “in the coming weeks, I’ll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens - from law enforcement to mental health professionals to parents and educators - in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this.”

It was the strongest signal yet that Friday’s shootings and Obama’s standing - he was just returned to office and will not be up for election again - may have inspired him to embrace gun control as part of his second-term agenda. It is an issue around which Obama has stepped carefully during his first term and his re-election campaign, to the frustration of gun-control advocates. Despite a series of mass killings by gunmen in recent years, polls have long indicated that most Americans are wary of increased restrictions on guns.

And the gun lobby, led by the National Rifle Association, has been a powerful force in building support among Republicans and rural Democrats, to the extent that trying to push new gun limits through Congress has been seen as a futile exercise. But the slayings in Newtown,

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Connecticut, have given new momentum to calls for more limits on guns, including the reinstatement of a ban on the sale of “assault” weapons such as the semiautomatic rifle that gunman Adam Lanza used.

Sen Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that she will introduce a proposed ban on assault weapon sales when the new Congress convenes in January. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a potential Democratic contender for president in 2016, was among others calling for new laws that would limits access to guns. And New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a persistent and vocal voice for gun control, essentially warned Obama against inaction, saying that it should be at the top of his agenda.

It’s unlikely that Obama will go that far, but it is clear that the Newtown shootings - and the fact that five of the 12 most deadly shootings in US history have occurred since Obama took office in Jan 2009 - are weighing on the president. “If you put aside the loss of troops ... these specific instances of the shootings have impacted him more personally than anything else,” said one former Obama aide, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Even so, any effort to get a significant change in gun policy through Congress would be complicated by other legislative priorities Obama has for his second term, the former aide said. “So the question is: Is (gun control) his thing? Or is it immigration or tax reform?” the former aide said, listing other policy goals. He said it was highly unlikely that the president could tackle all three.

Whatever the obstacles, Obama effectively has committed himself to do something aimed at reducing gun violence by promising to take “meaningful action”. So after the emotion of the moment has subsided, what might he do? Some analysts believe that Obama would support a renewed push by Democrats in Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban, which Congress allowed to expire in 2004. The analysts also believe that he would back stronger steps to ensure that the mentally ill are unable to buy firearms easily.

Obama may be able to take some action by executive order, without waiting for Congress to act. “We could do more to improve our mental health data reporting into the background

check system,” said Adam Winkler, a professor at the UCLA School of Law. “That may be done by executive order.” However, Winkler said, the Supreme Court has said that states can’t be forced to hand over such data to the federal government. State objections to doing so often revolve around costs; Winkler suggested that more federal grants may be needed to serve as a financial incentive for states to report the data.

Winkler also said that the system now used to make sure gun buyers do not have criminal backgrounds should be improved, but that probably would require an act of Congress.

Because of various loopholes, many lawful gun sales occur without any background check, Winkler said. It isn’t clear whether such changes could have prevented many of the shootings that have plagued the nation in recent years. In the Newtown case, for example, the three guns Lanza used in the shootings appear to have been purchased legally by his mother, who was Lanza’s first victim, authorities said.

White House officials have not elaborated on what Obama meant by “meaningful action”.

Bloomberg and other gun-control advocates say the president needs to move quickly and decisively, or risk being cast as part of the problem.

“We have heard all the rhetoric before,” said Bloomberg, who endorsed Obama’s re-election this year. “What we have not seen is leadership not from the White House and not from Congress.”

Early in his political career, Obama expressed support for increased restrictions on guns. As a state senator from Illinois representing an urban Chicago district in 2000, he was quoted in the Hyde Park Herald as calling for increased penalties for the use of guns, limiting buyers to one gun purchase a month and tougher laws to stop the sale of firearms at gun shows. During his first campaign for president in 2008, Obama said he backed reinstating the assault weapons ban. But once in office, he made no big push to do so, a stance that reflected a lack of enthusiasm on Capitol Hill for such legislation.

About a month after Obama took office, in Feb 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder said that the administration wanted to reinstate the ban on the sale of assault weapons. But then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, a fellow Democrat of Obama, threw cold water on the

idea. “I think we need to enforce the laws we have right now,” she said then. And a spokesman for another Democratic leader, then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, said the senator would oppose any effort to revive the assault weapons ban. Reid, a Democrat from the western state of Nevada, had voted against the ban when it was instituted back in 1994.

Holder then backtracked. When he was asked about the assault weapons ban again three weeks later, he said, “I think what we’re going to do is try to enforce the laws that we have on the books.” Pelosi and Reid have not said whether they would embrace any new efforts to push for an assault weapons ban or other gun-control measures. To date, Obama’s administration actually has expanded gun rights: He signed a law allowing concealed guns to be carried in national parks such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, and allowing guns in checked baggage on Amtrak trains.

The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence issued a scathing report in 2010, saying that Obama had “abdicated his responsibility” on the issue and giving him a grade of “F” for failing to support gun restrictions he had supported while campaigning.

But the Newtown shooting “may well be a turning point for the gun debate in America,” said Winkler, author of “Gunfight:The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America.” “People seem angrier than ever before,” he said. “To see 20 children mercilessly slaughtered in a schoolhouse is too much for people to bear. I think the political environment is different today than it was even a few weeks ago. President Obama, who has avoided gun control assiduously, no longer has to worry about re-election. President Obama didn’t want to talk about guns, because a lot of swing-state voters feel very passionately about guns and he needed to win those votes.”

Now, Winkler said, “his political calculus has got to be different”. Winkler also noted that several Republican congressional candidates who received more than $100,000 from the NRA for the November elections wound up losing. The NRA has not commented on the shootings. “The NRA had a pretty rough November,” Winkler said.

“So maybe Democrats are not as fearful of electoral retribution by the NRA.” —Reuters

Huge mandate for LDP less than meets the eye

By Linda Sieg ven Japan’s next prime minister, Shinzo Abe, realises that his party’s landslide election victory is not the sweeping mandate that it appears at first blush. An analysis of the vote as well as Abe’s own comments, suggests he would be best served by focusing on what matters most to voters - the economy - and steering clear of divisive issues such as revising Japan’s pacifist constitution. That said, aggressive moves by China in a territorial row over tiny islands in the East China Sea could act to bolster support for Abe’s tough-talking stance toward its giant rival.

Three years after a crushing defeat, Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) surged back to win 294 seats in Sunday’s vote for the 480-member lower house.

Together with a smaller ally, the New Komeito party, the LDP also took a twothirds ‘super majority’ that could help break Japan’s persistent policy deadlock in parliament. The ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), in comparison, managed a mere 57 seats - less than a fifth of its showing when it swept into power for the first time in a historic 2009 vote.

Abe himself, however, admitted the victory was more a rejection of the novice Democrats’ messy reign than a vote of confidence for the LDP, which ruled Japan for most of the past half-century before its ouster three years ago. “Our victory this time does not mean trust in the Liberal Democratic Party has been completely restored. Rather, it was a decision by the public that they should put an end to the political stagnation and confusion over the past three years, caused by the Democratic Party’s misguided political

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leadership,” Abe told a news conference yesterday. “We must move forward and achieve results.” Japanese voters have been on a roller coaster of hopes and disappointment for the past decade since charismatic leader Junichiro Koizumi took office in 2001 pledging bold reforms. Lured by Koizumi’s promises, voters handed the LDP a massive victory in 2005 only to kick out the long-ruling party four years later in hopes that the Democrats would do a better job. In a sign that both enthusiasm and expectations are fading, turnout on Sunday was a record low 59 percent, according to a Kyodo news agency estimate. Nor did the LDP win a majority of votes from those who did cast their ballots. The main opposition party won about 43 percent of the vote in the single-seat constituencies that supply 300 of the chamber’s seats, but a first-past-the post system and split votes amongst a clutch of new, small parties meant that the party secured 79 percent of those seats. In the proportional representation blocks that provide the other 180 seats, the LDP won about 28 percent of the votes compared to 16 percent for the DPJ, while the new right-leaning Japan Restoration Party took 20 percent, media estimates showed.

“It’s clear that only 30 percent or less of voters solidly support the LDP. Unless Abe is careful, his cabinet support will go down to that level very quickly and even with a two-thirds majority, he would be in trouble,” said Sophia University political science professor Koichi Nakano.

Abe, who quit in 2007 after a troubled year in office, will have to persuade voters quickly that they made the right choice

ahead of an election for parliament’s upper chamber in July.

Although the LDP-New Komeito “super majority” will allow the lower house to enact bills rejected by the upper chamber, doing so is a time-consuming and cumbersome process, so the new government will be keen to win a majority in July’s poll.

“He’s preparing for the next election and understands that what he does in the first few months will have a big impact and voters are most interested in the economy,” said Jeff Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University’s Japan campus.

Abe has vowed to rescue Japan from its fourth recession since 2000, end deflation and tame the strong yen with a recipe of hyper-easy monetary policy and big spending on public works.

Equally central to his agenda, however, is a push to shed the shackles of Japan’s post-war pacifism by revising the US-drafted constitution and rewriting wartime history with a less apologetic tinge.

Changing the charter - never altered since its adoption in 1947 - requires approval by two-thirds of both houses of parliament and a majority of voters in a national referendum. Straw polls of voters suggest that the economy tops the list of public priorities and LDP ally New Komeito is not keen on revising the constitution’s pacifist Article 9. But a strong showing by the nationalist Japan Restoration Party in the election also indicates simmering support for a tough stance towards China as well as hope for a decisive leader to restore Japan’s flagging self-respect.

That could grow if Beijing steps up its activities in waters and airspace near the disputed islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. Last week, a Chinese government plane entered what Japan considers its airspace over the islets in the East China Sea, prompting Japanese fighters to scramble and escalating tension in the row between Asia’s two biggest economies. “This has not been a strong mandate for Abe in foreign policy or security matters,” said Narushige Michishita, an associate professor at the National Institute for Policy Studies. “But if China continues to provoke us as they did several days ago, that might change.” —Reuters

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

sp orts Wiggins targets cycling double LONDON: Bradley Wiggins has targeted winning the Giro d’Italia and defending his Tour de France crown back to back next year. Britain’s first Tour de France winner was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday and immediately set his sights on emulating an incredible 12 months which also saw him romp to gold in the time trial at the London Olympics. “I’ve always wanted to win a second Tour,” Wiggins was quoted as saying in the Guardian yesterday.

“I’m the defending champion. I want to try and win the Giro d’Italia and win the Tour de France behind it. People say it can’t be done, winning two Tours. So let’s have a go at it.” Very few riders have managed to win both the Giro and the Tour de France in the same year with the late Marco Pantani last achieving the feat in 1998.

Before him Spanish great Miguel Indurain managed the double in 1992 and 1993. Next year’s Giro starts in Naples on May 4 and will cover 3,405km until the finish on May 26 while the Tour de France starts its 100th edition on June 29.

Wiggins’ Sky team mate Chris Froome, runner-up last year, is being tipped to win next year’s Tour as he is more suited to the extra mountain stages, but team boss Dave Brailsford did not rule out Wiggins going for victory in both.—Reuters

Pope to Italy athletes: Don’t give in to doping VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI told Italy’s Olympic team yesterday not to be tempted by performance-enhancing drugs, saying doping was a “blind alley” that isn’t worthy of such models of perseverance, sacrifice and human ability.

Benedict held an audience Monday with members of Italy’s Olympic and Paralympic teams in the frescoed Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace, congratulating them on their 28 medals, eight of them gold, from the London Olympics. The 85-year-old German pontiff said sport was beneficial for individuals and society, requiring loyalty, respect and altruism - as well as patience and humility “which is never applauded but is the secret of victory.” And while victory is

a worthy goal, he said, “Pressure to win good results should never prompt you to take shortcuts as happens with doping.”

“Let the same team spirit be a spur to avoid these blind alleys, and also be a support to those who realize they have made mistakes, so that they feel welcomed and helped.” One of the most noteworthy doping cases from the 2012 Games was that of Alex Schwazer, the Italian 2008 Olympic race walk champion who was expelled from London after testing positive for the banned blood booster EPO. Schwazer broke down in tears recounting how he hid the banned substance in the home he was sharing with star figure skater Carolina Kostner.—AP

Players’ Player-of-the-Year SINGAPORE: Thaworn Wiratchant made it a day to remember as he collected a trio of Asian Tour prizes after the experienced Thai became the oldest winner of their Order of Merit title on Sunday.

Thaworn, who turns 46 later this month, was named the Players’ Player-of-theYear at the Asian Tour awards on Sunday night and also won a special achievement prize after beating Australian Marcus Fraser to the money list hours earlier.

The Thai won the Queen’s Cup on home soil, Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters and Hero Indian Open to end his 25-event season on $738,046 with Fraser earning $672,744 despite not winning any of the 10 events he played in “I’m really happy. I’m an old man already and the players still picked me as their Players’ Player-of-the-Year,” Thaworn told the Asian Tour after collecting the awards following his fifth-place finish at the Iskandar Johor Open. “It was also nice to win the special achievement award which means a lot to me.—Reuters

Lakers see off 76ers PHILADELPHIA: Kobe Bryant scored 34 points, Metta World Peace added 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers won consecutive games for the first time in nearly a month with a 111-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

Dwight Howard had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who led 60-50 at halftime. Darius Morris had a career-high 15 points, all in the first half, and Chris Duhon scored 14.

The Lakers (11-14), who beat Washington 102-96 on Friday night, won two in a row for the first time since a three-game streak from Nov. 16-20. Even without injured stars Steve Nash and Pau Gasol, the Lakers hardly resembled the team which entered the night four games below .500.

Nick Young paced the reeling Sixers (12-12) with 30 points, while Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner added 16 apiece. Thaddeus Young had 14 points for Philadelphia, which dropped a third straight game for the first time this season.

FRANCE: Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, is seen at the finish area in this file photo. — AP

Still ill, Vonn heading home for a break ALTA BADIA: Lindsey Vonn has decided to go home to the United States for an unexpected break in the middle of the World Cup ski season, and is unlikely to return to Europe until January.

US women’s head coach Alex Hoedlmoser told The Associated Press on Monday that Vonn’s heavy schedule has not allowed the four-time overall World Cup winner to recover from the intestinal illness that landed her in the hospital in Vail, Colorado, last month.

Hoedlmoser said the timing of Vonn’s return “depends on how she’s feeling and exactly what her condition is.” “She’s going home for now,” Hoedlmoser said. “We’ll have to see when she’s ready. It’s a little bit unknown but the plan is to get her back strong. ... With the way the schedule has been and all the travel she just hasn’t had a chance to get back to strength. We want her back at full strength.”

Hoedlmoser said Vonn will miss this week’s slalom and giant slalom races in Are, Sweden. The following races on the schedule are also technical races in Semmering, Austria, Dec. 28-29.

“It’s possible she’ll skip Semmering, so that would mean her next races would be in January,” Hoedlmoser said. “It depends how she’s feeling and exactly what her condition is.”

Vonn won three consecutive speed races at Lake Louise, Alberta, earlier this season, and also took a super-G win in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Dec. 8. But she fared poorly in both of her races this past weekend in France.

On Saturday in Val d’Isere, she had an uncharacteristic fall in downhill - the event

she’s Olympic champion in. Then on Sunday in Courchevel, she fell again in the opening run of a giant slalom.

Immediately after Sunday’s race, Vonn posted a note on Facebook: “Hit a rock on my left ski in the GS and skied off course...struggling to find the energy I usually have...going to think hard over the next few days about my plan for the coming weeks and how to get strong again. Trying to stay positive. Now I’m packing up the Audi and heading to the airport.”

After Semmering, there is a special city event in Munich on New Year’s Day and a slalom in Zagreb, Croatia, on Jan. 4, followed by speed races Jan. 12-13 in St. Anton, Austria - on one of Vonn’s favorite courses. Depending on how many races Vonn misses, it might affect her chances of defending the overall title.

Vonn is currently only fourth in the standings. Tina Maze of Slovenia leads with 799 points, Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany is next with 468, Kathrin Zettel of Austria has 440 and Vonn has 414.

However, Vonn might not miss any speed races, her specialty, so Hoedlmoser wasn’t counting her out. “In January there are plenty of races left for her,” he said. “The goal is to get her back up in shape.”

In last week’s issue of People magazine, Vonn revealed that she struggled with depression in 2008, and was prescribed an antidepressant to treat the condition. She added that she’s happier these days, though, saying, “All the parts of my life are finally in sync. I accept who I am, and I’m moving forward.” Vonn separated from her husband of four years, Thomas, last year. — AP

Raptors 103, Rockets 96 In Toronto, Jose Calderon had 18 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds, and Toronto won consecutive games for the first time in eight months with a victory over Houston.

Alan Anderson had 24 points and DeMar DeRozan added 19 for the Raptors (6-19), who hadn’t won consecutive games since April 13 and 15 of last season. James Harden scored 28 points for the Rockets and Marcus Morris added 19.

Former Raptors sharp-shooter Carlos Delfino drained two baskets in the final 1:04 to pull the Rockets within two points, but Calderon sunk two free throws to put Toronto back up by four. The teams traded free throws for most of the final minute.

Nuggets 122, Kings 97 In Sacramento, reserve JaVale McGee scored 19 points, Danilo Gallinari had 18 and Denver built a big lead in the first half to cruise past Sacramento. The Nuggets scored 16 straight points to snap a first-quarter tie and take control.

Denver has won seven in a row against the Kings. Sacramento has lost four straight overall. Isaiah Thomas had 20 points and DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Kings.

Sacramento’s Aaron Brooks committed a hard foul against Andre Miller late in the first quarter and a mild altercation ensued involving Cousins and Kenneth Faried of the Nuggets. All four players were given technical fouls.

Trail Blazers 95, Hornets 94 In Portland, rookie Damian Lillard hit a 3pointer with 0.3 seconds left as Portland handed New Orleans its sixth straight loss.

After trailing by as many as 16, Austin Rivers hit a 3-pointer for the Hornets to tie it at 92 with 50.9 seconds left to set up Lillard’s winner. Lance Thomas made a layup for the Hornets as time ran out for the final margin.

JJ Hickson had a season-high 24 points and added 16 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who have won three straight. Hickson has five straight double-doubles and 13 overall this season. Ryan Anderson had 26 points, including seven 3-pointers, for New Orleans. — AP

SACRAMENTO: Denver Nuggets guard Andre Miller (right) protects the ball from Sacramento Kings guard Aaron Brooks during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game.—AP

NBA results/standings Toronto 103, Houston 96; LA Lakers 111, Philadelphia 98; Denver 122, Sacramento 97; Portland 95, New Orleans 94.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT NY Knicks 18 5 .783 13 10 .565 Brooklyn Boston 12 11 .522 Philadelphia 12 12 .500 Toronto 6 19 .240 Central Division Chicago 13 9 .591 12 10 .545 Milwaukee Indiana 13 11 .542 Detroit 7 19 .269 Cleveland 5 20 .200 Southeast Division Miami 15 6 .714 14 7 .667 Atlanta Orlando 10 13 .435 Charlotte 7 16 .304 Washington 3 18 .143

GB 5 6 6.5 13 1 1 8 9.5 1 6 9 12

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 19 4 .826 12 9 .571 Minnesota Denver 13 12 .520 Utah 13 12 .520 Portland 11 12 .478 Pacific Division LA Clippers 17 6 .739 16 8 .667 Golden State LA Lakers 11 14 .440 Phoenix 9 15 .375 Sacramento 7 16 .304 Southwest Division San Antonio 19 6 .760 15 6 .714 Memphis Houston 11 12 .478 Dallas 11 13 .458 New Orleans 5 18 .217

“By modifying the schedule to allow a rest day between the semi-finals and the final, the U.S. Open has recognised the incredible physical demands of men’s tennis,” a statement from the ATP said yesterday.

“However, the ATP and its players have made it clear to the US Open that we do not support a Monday final. “We strongly believe the US Open should keep a similar schedule to the other Grand Slams, with the men’s semifinals completed by Friday and the final on Sunday.

“It is unfortunate the US Open response did not reflect our views on this issue and the ATP and its players will continue to pursue this matter in its discussions with the USTA.”

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Former world champion Grinham falls at first hurdle GRAND CAYMAN: Rachael Grinham, a brilliant world champion only five years ago in Madrid, suffered a disheartening defeat in the World Open on Sunday when she missed three match points in a first round defeat to a qualifier.

The Australian’s loss was harder to take because of the support for her conqueror, Nicolette Fernandes, a Canada-born, British-based 23-yearold from Guyana, whose 3-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-5, 119 triumph brought a raucous response.

Grinham is renowned for her slow-balling, loband-drop skills and well-balanced movement, but she lost her chance to progress when she led 10-7 in the third game and allowed Fernandes to take five points in a row. The longer the match went on the more Grinham was made to scurry and retrieve to stay in the match. Briefly it looked as though she might turn the tables, saving three match points at 6-10 down in the decider before tinning her effort on the fourth.

The 36-year-old former champion’s official biography states that her ambition is to “work out what to do when I retire from squash”. It was hard to

avoid the conclusion that, even for a former champion with such an aesthetically pleasing style, the answer became more pressing with this result.

Fernandez, the world number 60, found it hard to believe she had managed her career-best win.

“You have to believe you can win, even if you don’t expect to,” she said. “I don’t even remember saving those match balls in the third game. But when I got to 10-6 in the fifth and she started coming back I told myself just to keep playing the way I played to get to get that point. I am very happy and thankful.”

Fernandes next plays Laura Massaro, the thirdseeded Englishwoman, who has already disposed of one qualifier, Catalina Pelaez, a Colombian, 11-4, 11-4, 11-6.Massaro was joined in the second round by her sixth-seeded compatriot Jenny Duncalf, the World Open runner-up a year ago in Rotterdam, by the 10th-seeded Madeline Perry, the former British Open runner-up from Ireland. Camille Serme, the 14th-seeded Frenchwoman, who finished runnerup in the Hong Kong Open a fortnight ago, also went through. — AFP

ATP against Monday finish for US Open LONDON: The US Open’s decision to extend the 2013 tournament to a third Monday has drawn criticism from the men’s governing body the ATP who have called on Flushing Meadows organisers to fall into line with the three other grand slam tournaments.

Next year’s men’s singles final will be played on Monday allowing the players to have a day’s rest after the semi-finals which have traditionally been played on “Super Saturday” along with the women’s singles final.

The 2013 women’s singles final will take place on Sunday with the semi-finals also on Friday - ending 30 years of the Super Saturday - although no decision has yet been taken on whether the change will be a permanent one.

6 7 7 8

Bad weather has wrought havoc with the US Open schedule in recent years with the men’s final, including this year’s epic between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, being pushed back to Monday for the past five years.

The ATP also gave a lukewarm response to the USTA’s announcement of a $4 million rise in prize money for the tournament to a record $29.5 million. “ The prize money increase announced by the US Open for 2013 is appreciated and, together with the 2012 increase, represents the largest increase by the US Open since the ATP Tour began in 1990,” it said.

“However, over the last nine months the ATP and its players have asked that the US Open fully recognise the fundamental role of

the players in driving US Open revenues, which are the largest in our sport.

“The ATP therefore remains committed to continuing discussions on this issue, with the objective of ensuring that the players’ share of the revenues at the US Open truly reflects the value that they generate for the event.”

Players have complained about prize money for years, saying purses for the four grand slams were too small in relation to the revenue they brought in and too lop-sided in favour of the top competitors who regularly advance to the later stages. The matter came to a head before this year’s Australian Open although talk of a possible strike never came to fruition. — Reuters

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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A group photo of players and guests with the GC/Atkins trophies

Al Sayer and 4 Dimension win GC/Atkins trophies KUWAIT: Atkins, a global leader in the engineering field has been a leading promoter of cricket in Kuwait and this year they announced their sponsorship of the GC Atkins Twenty20 cricket league organized by Gulf Consult. The tournament was comprises of 16 teams grouped into four pools and each team were ensured to play 3 matches. After the completion of the group matches, and as per their rankings, the teams will be regrouped to play 3 more matches and the top ranking team of each group were announced the winner.

Al Sayer Group secured top position in Group B by beat-

ing AL Bader Shipping, Durrar, Spartans, Desert Knights.

Overall performance throughout the tournament was given by Salim, Ishtiyaque, & Ayub. The final match was played against Emerging Stars. Winning the toss and batting first, Emerging Stars put a total of 120 in 20 Overs. Chasing the target the opener’s of Al Sayer Group, skipper Soheb Nazir & Krishna put a opening stand to 75 runs where the skipper was out for 30 Runs but Krishna on other hand took the team to the victory by scoring 52 not out and Al Sayer Group won the match by 8 Wickets. Krishna was declared player of the match for his batting & bowling skills.

Bangladesh agrees first post-attack Pakistan tour Officials have said they see no judicial bar this time. Jalal Yunus, a spokesman for the BCB, said the board on Sunday night received a security plan from their counterparts in Pakistan, which would be discussed before signing off on the tour. “We’ll sit with our stakeholders including players and concerned government officials very soon,” he told AFP. Yunus said Pakistan had proposed two matches to take place in Lahore from January 12-13, one of which would be a 50-over international game and the other a Twenty20 contest.

Pakistani cricketers are hugely popular in Bangladesh and 20 of them-including stars such as big-hitting Shahid Afridi and the spinner Saeed Ajmal played in the inaugural edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) last year.

The second edition of the BPL is due to begin next month, days after the Pakistan tour.

But according to a report yesterday by the cricket website, ESPNcricinfo, Pakistan will only give its cricketers clearance to play in the tournament if Bangladesh goes ahead with the tour. — AFP

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy ends year as world No.1 LONDON: Rory McIlroy has ended the year as world No.1 for the first time with a comfortable lead at the top of the official rankings over Luke Donald and Tiger Woods.

The 23-year-old Ulsterman won four tournaments during the year including his second major at the USPGA Championships in August.

That allowed him to break free of a year-long logjam atop the rankings involving himself, Donald and Lee Westwood.

Charl Schwartzel and Sergio Garcia end the year 14th and 16th in the world respectively after their weekend wins in South Africa and Malaysia. Dane Thorbjorn Olesen held on to 50th spot by 0.01 ranking points from Australian Geoff Ogilvy and so earns himself a US Masters debut next April.

2012 positions Final 2012 positions in the world golf rankings (end of 2011 positions in brackets):

1. (3) Rory McIlroy (NIR) 2. (1) Luke Donald (ENG) 3. (23) Tiger Woods (USA) 4. (18) Justin Rose (ENG) 5. (5) Adam Scott (AUS) 6. (40) Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 7. (2) Lee Westwood (ENG) 8. (21) Bubba Watson (USA) 9. (33) Jason Dufner (USA) 10. (38) Brandt Snedeker (USA) 11. (10) Webb Simpson (USA) 12. (16) Ian Poulter (ENG) 13. (31) Keegan Bradley (USA) 14. (9) Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 15. (13) Graeme McDowell (NIR) 16. (17) Sergio Garcia (ESP) 17. (14) Phil Mickelson (USA) 18. (6) Steve Stricker (USA) 19. (42) Peter Hanson (SWE) 20. (12) Nick Watney (USA)

Baig, the Director General (Admin, Facilities, Logistics & International Cricket, & Arjuna the General Manager web & Statistics Kuwait Cricket and Mahboob Kan Director Women’s Cricket.

The Guest of Honor was Will Myles, the Country Manager of Atkins Kuwait. Will Myles presented the Atkins Winners Champions Trophies to Al Sayer Group Captain and the other winners alongwith the individual prizes and promised his utmost cooperation and support for the development of cricket in the country. The match was supervised by Abdul Qayoum and Naveed Butt.

4 Dimension Captain Shahbaz receiving the trophy.

Victorious Al Sayer captain receiving the trophy.

DHAKA: Bangladesh have agreed in principle to tour Pakistan and become the first team to play international cricket there since an attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus nearly four years ago, officials said yesterday.

Pakistan have had to play their ‘home’ matches in venues ranging from Dubai to London ever since gunmen shot dead eight people and wounded seven Sri Lankan players in an audacious attack near the stadium in Lahore in March 2009.

But their exile status now looks set to end as early as January 12 after the Bangladeshi board (BCB) said it would take up an invitation to play two games in Lahore, as long as there were no last-minute objections on security grounds.

“We have in principle agreed to tour Pakistan. It’s a commitment made by former BCB president Mustafa Kamal. We are keeping his word,” Enayet Husain Siraj, the board’s head of cricket operations, told AFP. “The tour is subject to security clearance,” he added.

Bangladesh had also accepted an invitation to tour Pakistan last April for a short limited-over series but the Dhaka High Court blocked the tour on security grounds.

In other group final of the same event held at GC Grounds in Jeleeb Al Shuwaikh between 4th Dimension and Banswada 11. 4D stood the champions in Gulf Consult Atkins Cricket League 2012 - 2013 in Group C by defeating all the teams in their group. Mohammad Akram stood as Man of the Match with 49 runs and 4 wickets followed with the contribution of all team members, which lead 4D to hold the Champions Cup. The presentation ceremony was conducted by Murli, Director Junior cricket of Kuwait along with Jeff de Lange the Chairman of the Kuwait Cricket Executive Council, Asad

13.22pts 8.62 8.53 6.42 6.21 6.14 6.03 5.30 5.29 5.23 5.13 5.00 5.00 4.90 4.81 4.74 4.69 4.65 4.59 4.54

Sri Lanka chase 393 in Hobart HOBART: Australia removed Sri Lanka’s openers cheaply to leave the tourists clinging on at 65 for two and chasing an imposing 393 runs for victory at the close of play on the fourth day of the first Test yesterday.

There was bad news for the hosts on the injury front, however, with skipper Michael Clarke retiring hurt after smashing 57 runs off 46 balls to help drive his side to 278 in their second innings.

Coach Mickey Arthur said the 31-year-old, the highest run scorer in test cricket this year with 1,489, had suffered a hamstring injury but would play on in Hobart even if he might miss the second test in Melbourne.

“I think you’ll have to cut Michael’s leg off from him not to be out there,” he told reporters.

“He certainly wants to marshal the troops and I think he certainly wants to be there if hopefully sometime tomorrow we can clinch a win.”

Sri Lanka were dismissed for 336 on Sunday in reply to Australia’s first innings 450 for five declared and will need to set a new record for a fourth innings run chase at Hobart to beat the 369 Australia scored against Pakistan in 1999.

“Surely in 90-odd overs there’s eight balls that have got wickets on them?” Arthur added. “I’ve got full confidence that we’ve got an attack that has ability to get those eight wickets tomorrow.”

At stumps, Sri Lanka’s hopes were in the experienced hands of Kumar Sangakkara (18 not out) and skipper Mahela Jayawardene, who took 25 balls to get off the mark and was unbeaten on five.

Spinner Rangana Herath, who took five for 95 to mop up Australia’s tail, said the Sri Lankans were still going for a win despite the enormity of their task. “If we can bat through the first session without losing a wicket, it’s going to be a good game,” he told reporters. “It’s just an up-anddown track. It’s going to be an interesting day.”

While the Sri Lankan bowlers had to wait for their reward after being frustrated by the hosts’ openers for much of the morning, their Australian counterparts made a more immediate impact.

Shane Watson, taking on a bigger bowling burden after Sunday’s side injury to quick Ben Hilfenhaus, struck with his first ball to remove Tillakaratne Dilshan, who made 147 in the first innings, caught behind for 11.

Dimuth Karunaratne had put 30 runs on the board when he also fell victim to a superb delivery - a sizzling Mitchell Starc yorker which hammered into the base of the off-stump.

Despite his injury, Clarke had led his team out to field but missed a chance to remove Sangakkara when he dropped the ICC Cricketer of the Year in the slips when the batsman was on three. In the morning sunshine, openers David Warner (68) and Ed Cowan (56) had combined for a partnership of 132 but both were removed in the half hour before lunch in an appetiser for what was to come in the second session.

Herath had been belted for a six and a switchhit four by Warner but got his revenge when his carrom delivery took a bottom edge and carried to the wicketkeeper.

Cowan joined his partner in the pavilion 15 minutes later when Chanaka Welegedara, who finished with 3-89, swung in a fizzing delivery

which hit the Australian’s pad before taking off the bails.

Watson suffered torrid examination from Herath before he was stumped by wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene for five soon after lunch to bring Wade in at number five as Australia looked to up the run rate heading towards the expected declaration.

Three overs later, however, Phil Hughes played the ball onto his own wicket to depart for 16 and Wade did not last that much longer

before holing out to Kulasekara for 11.

After Clarke’s departure, Peter Siddle (four), Starc (five) and Lyon (11) made brief appearances before Herath trapped Hilfenhaus lbw for a duck to end the innings at tea.

The final wicket gave Herath 60 for 2012 to put him ahead of England’s Graeme Swann in their personal duel to decide the most prolific wicket-taker of the year. “That’s a good achievement I guess,” he said. “I’m really happy with the way I bowled all day.” — Reuters

HOBART: Australia’s Mike Hussey (second from right) plays a reverse sweep to Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene (left) on the fourth day of their cricket Test match. — AP

SCOREBOARD HOBART: Scoreboard at close of play on the fourth day of the first test between Australia and Sri Lanka at Bellerive Oval yesterday: Australia won the toss and chose to bat Australia first innings 450-5 declared Sri Lanka first innings 336 Australia second innings (overnight 27-0) E. Cowan b Welegedera 56 D. Warner c P. Jayawardene b Herath 68 P. Hughes b Eranga 16 S. Watson st b Herath 5 M. Wade c Kulasekara b Herath 11 M. Clarke retired hurt* 57 M. Hussey not out 31 P. Siddle c P. Jayawardene b Welegedera 4 M. Starc lbw Welegedera 5 N. Lyon b Herath 11 B. Hilfenhaus lbw Herath 0 Extras (lb-10, nb-4) 14 Total (all out*, 73.5 overs) 278

Fall of wickets: 1-132 2-140 3-153 4-165 5-181 6250 7-256 8-271 Bowling: Kulasekara 12-3-24-0 (nb-1), Welegedera 22-3-89-3 (nb-3), Dilshan, 2-0-2-0, Eranga 11-0-531, Mathews 5-2-5-0, Herath 21.5-2-95-5 Sri Lanka second innings D. Karunaratne b Starc 30 T. Dilshan c Wade b Watson 11 K. Sangakkara not out 18 M. Jayawardene not out 5 Extras (b-1) 1 Total (for two wickets, 37 overs) 65 Fall of wickets: 1-26 2-47 To bat: T. Samaraweera, A. Mathews, P. Jayawardene, N. Kulasekara, C. Welegedera, S. Eranga, R. Herath.

Bowling: Starc 10-4-21-1, Siddle 7-3-12-0, Watson 9-4-10-1, Lyon 10-3-16-0, Hussey 1-0-5-0.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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Giants rule American sports in 2012 NEW YORK: In a country driven by the mantra ‘bigger is always better’, it was fitting that Giants dominated America’s professional championships in 2012.

Two of the four major leagues were won by teams with the supersized moniker, with the New York Giants capturing the National Football League’s Super Bowl and the San Francisco Giants landing Major League Baseball’s World Series.

The Los Angeles Kings finally lived up their regal nickname when they won National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup for the first time while LeBron James silenced his critics by winning a first National Basketball Association title with the Miami Heat.

The New York Giants set the tone for a year of comebacks when they reclaimed the greatest prize in North American sports with a nail-biting 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots in Indianapolis.

Inspired by their dynamic quarterback Eli Manning, named the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the second time in four years, the Giants stole victory with a last-minute touchdown from Ahmad Bradshaw.

“The greatest feeling in professional sports is to win the Super Bowl,” said 65year-old Tom Coughlin after becoming the oldest coach to land the prize. What made their victory remarkable was the Giants had looked to have no hope of even competing for the title after losing four consecutive games late in the regular season, putting them in danger of missing the playoffs.

They needed to win their last two games to make the playoffs and then won four straight to claim the Super Bowl in early February and cap a fairytale run that captivated America’s biggest city.

For the Patriots, losing to fierce rival New York in the championship game for the second time in four years was unpalatable. “You don’t feel good after you lose this game,” said New England head coach Bill Belichick.

San Francisco, led by MVP-winning catcher Buster Posey, also endured a wild ride through the playoffs before winning the World Series in late October for the second time in three seasons.

The team won six elimination games, three against the Cincinnati Reds and another three against the St Louis Cardinals, before sweeping the talentpacked Detroit Tigers in the best-of-seven Fall Classic.

“It just so happens we got kind of hot and scored some runs at the right time,” said Matt Cain who pitched the first perfect game in Giants history during the regular season. Cain was not the only who achieved a rare feat in 2012 with Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera becoming the first player in 45 years to win the Triple Crown, leading the American League in batting average, home runs and runs batted in (RBI).

The Venezuelan-born slugger had a .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 139 RBI and was the 15th player to accomplish the feat, and the first since Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. The

Lochte leaves worlds with six gold medals onds was the fastest on the team.

He also won silver in the 200 backstroke. “All the races I have done last week are starting to catch up,” he said. “But it is the last day of the tournament and there is always something left in the tank.”

Radoslaw Kawecki of Poland beat Lochte and said he deployed the same tactics as his rival. “We both wanted to wait until the final 50-75 meters and start pushing really hard. I am happy I came out on top and proved that I was better prepared than Lochte,” Kawecki said, adding it felt “great to be better than a world-record holder.”

Lochte broke the world record in the 100 IM with a time of 50.71 in the semifinals at Sinan Erdem Arena on Saturday, eclipsing the mark set by Peter Mankoc of Slovenia in December 2009. On Friday, the American broke the world record in the 200 IM. — AP

PARIS: New Zealand moved smoothly from winning the World Cup on home soil to dominate 2012 despite a blip in their final match against England that will give the rest of the rugby world a glimmer of hope.

Led magnificently by indefatigable captain Richie McCaw, who is now to take a sabbatical to recharge his batteries, the All Blacks won the newly-launched Rugby Championship that included Australia, South African and newcomers Argentina.

The side went undefeated, with their final match against Australia an 18-18 draw. The performances of fly-half Dan Carter ensured he was named the International Rugby Board player of the year for a second time (after 2005).

The Championship’s inclusion of Argentina was a particular success, and the Pumas’ exposure to that level of rugby can only bode well for the sport in South America as a whole.

The All Blacks moved on from their three-Test summer series victory over Ireland and their successful Championship to claim three straightforward wins over Scotland, Italy and Wales in their autumn Tests.

But they finally came acropper in their final match of the calendar year, England ending the world champions’ 20-Test winning sequence with a famous 38-21 victory at Twickenham-it was also the Kiwis’ first loss on their end-of-year northern tour in a decade.

“All the boys will take a wee while to get over it but they will come back next year and this (defeat) will remind them what it’s all about,” said skipper McCaw. “If there’s a positive out of it, that’s probably not a bad thing to have next year.”

Another team to deliver on their World Cup promise, at least until March, were Wales, who produced a third Six Nations Grand Slam in eight years. The Welsh team saw off France 16-9 in their final match of a generally poor championship to add to victories over Ireland (23-21), Scotland (27-13), England (19-12) and Italy (243).

But that success did not last long after a losing three-Test series in Australia in the summer

Mustafa Karam and Sons Shooting tournament KUWAIT: A large number of shooters from the Shooting Sports Club and National Guard Sports Association registered in the Mustafa Karam and Sons Company tournament starting on Thursday at Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex. The tournament will include 10m air pistol and rifle, 50m prone rifle and 50m fire pistol, in addition to archery.

KSSC Assistant Secretary General Eng Mohammad Al-Ghurba said the club is glad to organize this tournament every year as Mustafa Karam Company is committed to support the club and Kuwaiti shooters for a long time. Al-Ghurba thanked all those who contributed in making the tournament a success, and wished all success.

Al-Ghurba urged shooters to utilize the efforts of the president and board members to improve the technical standards and keep achieving good results for their country.

a city battered by unemployment, high taxes, lousy weather and poor sports teams, was that he wanted to win a championship to help cement his place among the game’s greats.

But in 2012 James proved that in a sport played by giants, he towers above everyone else, cleaning up the four biggest team and individual honors in the sport. In addition to winning his first NBA title against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he was named MVP during the regular season for the third time.

James also won the MVP award for the finals in June and a gold medal with the United States at the London Olympics in August. Only Michael Jordan, the player LeBron is constantly compared with, has completed the same grand slam.

“It was definitely a journey,” James said. “I can finally say I’m a champion and I did it the right way. I didn’t shortcut anything. “I put a lot of hard work and dedication in it and hard work pays off. It’s a great moment.” — Reuters

Eli Manning

All Blacks cement world champion status

Ryan Lochte

ISTANBUL: Ryan Lochte won two more races at the short-course world championships on Sunday, finishing the event with six gold and one silver. The result matched his medal total from the last championships, in Dubai in 2010.

Lochte won the 100-meter individual medley, a day after he broke the world record in the event. The five-time Olympic champion finished in 51.21 seconds, ahead of Kenneth To of Australia and George Bovell III of Trinidad and Tobago.

To started well and led at the halfway mark. He held off Lochte over the breaststroke leg, but the American accelerated in the freestyle to move ahead. Lochte then joined the US team of Matthew Grevers, Kevin Cordes and Thomas Shields to win the 4x100-meter medley relay in 3:21.03, with Russia second and Australia third. Lochte’s time of 45.22 sec-

Kings also timed their run to perfection after scraping into the playoffs as the Western Conference’s lowest-ranked team and going on to win the first Stanley Cup in the franchise’s 45-year existence.

They upset the top three seeded teams, the Vancouver Canucks, the St Louis Blues and the Phoenix Coyotes, to win the Conference before beating the battle-hardened New Jersey Devils 4-2 in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup finals.

“At our lowest moments the biggest thing is nobody ever turned on someone else, everybody stuck with it,” said goaltender Jonathan Quick, named MVP in the finals in June.

“You just can’t say enough about the resiliency that it took to get through those times during the season and still make the playoffs.” After losing the first three games of the series, the Devils clawed their way back with two straight wins but that momentum was swiftly undone by a game-changing penalty that led to three first-period goals in less than four minutes as the Kings cruised to victory.

For hockey fans it was the last real action they would see for the immediate future with a labor dispute between owners and players indefinitely delaying the start of the 2012-13 season.

Despite his incredible talent and athleticism, James has been derided by American sports fans since he walked out on his hometown team two years ago to join the Miami Heat.

His rationale for deserting Cleveland,

followed by losses in the autumn to Argentina, Samoa, New Zealand and again the Wallabies.

The string of seven successive defeats meant Wales fell out of the top eight in the IRB rankings and were drawn alongside England and Australia for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.

This means one of the sport’s traditional powers will be knocked out before the quarterfinals, with only the top two teams from each of the four pools going through to the knockout stages.

In the southern hemisphere’s elite franchise competition, the Waikato Chiefs downed South Africa’s Coastal Sharks 37-6 to win the Super 15, the schedule of which has been altered for the 2013 season to accommodate the nine-game schedule of the British and Irish Lions Tour to Australia in June. Australian teams will take a break from Super Rugby when the Wallabies play the Lions in three Tests on June 22, June 29 and July 6.

Similarly, there will be staggered rest periods for teams from South Africa and New Zealand.

European club competition saw Irish province Leinster claim a second successive European Cup title. Leinster, with full-back Rob Kearney named as European player of the year, outscored Irish rivals Ulster 42-14 in a five tries to one thrashing.

Veteran France scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili kicked all of his side’s points as Biarritz beat French rivals Toulon 21-18 to win the second tier European Challenge Cup. In South Africa, fly-half Demetri Catrakilis kicked nine unanswered final-quarter points to guide Western Province to a shock 25-18 victory over the Sharks to win the Currie Cup final.

Domestically, league table toppers Harlequins won the English Premiership with a 30-23 victory over Leicester for a first ever title.

Welsh rugby great Shane Williams scored a try two minutes from time to end his stellar competitive club career with a 31-30 win over Leinster to claim the Celtic League title.

Toulouse were crowned French champions for the 19th time after battling to a hard-fought,

tryless 18-12 victory over Toulon in the Top 14 final at the Stade de France, ex-All Black Luke McAlister getting all the winning points.

The IRB’s World Sevens Series was claimed by New Zealand for the 10th time in 13 seasons, the season’s top scorer and All Black playmaker Tomasi Cama taking the player-of-the-year award. — AFP

Richie McCaw

First stadium for Brazil’s 2014 World Cup opens FORTALEZA: The Castelao Arena in the northeastern Brazilian city of Fortaleza became the first stadium to be inaugurated for the 2014 World Cup finals on Sunday.

Along with the Mineirao in Belo Horizonte, to be opened on Dec. 21, they are the only stadiums to meet the December 2012 deadline set originally for next year’s Confederations Cup, a World Cup finals dress rehearsal.

President Dilma Rousseff attended the opening ceremony at the Castelao, which has been completely refurbished at a cost of 518.6 million Brazilian reals ($249.18 million) with a capacity for 67,000.

She said inauguration of the first stadium for the 2014 tournament and Corinthians’ victory in the Club World Cup final in Japan earlier on Sunday showed Brazil’s strength on and off the soccer field.

“Brazil is capable of both things, winning on the football fields and building a stadium of this standing,” she said. The biggest of the northeastern venues, Castelao will host six World Cup matches including one of Brazil’s in the first round, a second-round game and a Ghurba hands a trophy to a shooter in this file photo.

quarter-final. It will also host three Confederations Cup matches including Brazil’s group stage meeting with Mexico on June 19, the stadium’s debut in an official FIFA tournament.

FIFA extended the deadline for the other Confederations Cup venues, Brasilia, Recife, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, until March while the remaining World Cup stadiums will be completed sometime during 2013.

“This is a very special day for us at FIFA because it marks the two great events that will take place in Brazil in the coming years, the Confederations Cup and the World Cup,” FIFA president Sepp Blatter said in a message recorded in Tokyo where he was attending the Club World Cup and shown at the Castelao.

Brazil’s World Cup preparations have been criticised several times by FIFA due to delays notably with airports and urban transport with the world body’s general secretary Jerome Valcke once memorably saying the country needed “a kick in the backside”. — Reuters

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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Ancelotti’s fortunes swing again as PSG go top PARIS: As Carlo Ancelotti approaches the completion of one year in charge of Paris Saint Germain, the Italian’s position appears to be on stronger foundations after guiding the club back to the top of Ligue One, just weeks after rumors circulated that he was on the way out.

The 53-year-old former Juventus, AC Milan and Chelsea handler is far from certain of remaining in the Parc des Princes hotseat next season and will not take heart from the fact that his predecessor, Antoine Kombouare, was shown the door last winter when the team were also top of the pile in France.

The Qatari-backed club are impatient to see immediate success after buying the capital outfit 18 months ago and investing millions to put PSG

shirts on the backs of Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Brazilian defender Thiago Silva, amongst others.

A 1-0 victory over seven-time champions Lyon on Sunday, returned PSG to the summit albeit on goal difference and a win at home over Brest on Friday will send them into the winter break as halfterm champions.

“We lost at Nice but since that game, a lot of things have changed,” said Ancelotti, in regards to their four-game winning streak that included topping their Champions League pool which guarantees a more favorable draw on Thursday for February’s knockout stages.

“We have to be more solid and more consistent but we have a team that can do something this

season,” he added. “Football has shown how strange it can be, because none thought we would be on top of the league right now. “However while it is important to be on top right now, it is more important to be on top at the end of the season.”

While Ancelotti has already built a hugely successful career and is one of a select group to have won the Champions League both as a player and manager, his list of honors count for nothing, with owners who are reportedly interested in Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola or Arsene Wenger to take the team forward.

“I haven’t read the papers,” said Ancelotti following the Nice defeat that put both his and sporting director Leonardo’s jobs’ in jeopardy. It was the Brazilian, a close friend, who initially

brought in Ancelotti to replace Kombouare on December 30, 2011.

Results in recent weeks have given Ancelotti a stay of execution but winning the title for the first time since 1994 is almost mandatory and a run deep into the later stages of the Champions League is also expected for a return on the millions invested by club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi. “I think the title will be decided between the three teams currently on top and I think the French championship is going to be very interesting over the next months”.

Interesting for the neutrals, but decisive for the future of Paris Saint-Germain and Ancelotti who must put silverware back in the club’s trophy cabinet or face the wrath of his success driven owners. —AFP

Bin Hammam resigns, FIFA bans him for life

JAPAN: Hawk-Eye managing director Stephen Carter explains the goal-line system at Toyota stadium. The head of the company which makes the Hawk-Eye system — one of two goal-line technology systems used at the Club World Cup — said experience gives the product an edge over the competition. — AP

Goal-line technology unused in 1st tournament TOKYO: After eight games at the Club World Cup, few conclusions were reached about the effectiveness of goal-line technology. The tournament was the first to feature goal-line technology. The Magnetic-field-based system GoalRef was used at Yokohama Stadium, while Toyota Stadium was equipped with the camerabased Hawk-Eye system. There were no close calls, however.

Both systems relay information to the referee via a vibrating wristwatch in a split second. They passed all pre-game tests with no problems but were never called upon to determine a goal at Japan.

The closest the system came to being used was early in the final when Corinthians goalkeeper Cassio dove to stop a shot by Chelsea’s Gary Cahill in the 11th minute. Cassio trapped the ball under his legs about a foot in front of the goal, but play went on as it was clear that the ball never crossed the line.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said goalline technology is being well-received by referees. “The referees are happy to have this help for them because they know now

if there is a conflicting situation they will get the accuracy to say if it was a goal or not,” Blatter said before Sunday’s final.

Any data that FIFA was able to gather from the Club World Cup will be used as it looks to make a decision by the end of March as to which technology it will use for the six venues at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil. FIFA decided to introduce both systems after they won “unanimous” support from the International Football Association Board panel.

Blatter was initially opposed to the idea of using goal-line technology, but changed his stance two years ago when he saw England denied a clear goal by midfielder Frank Lampard against Germany at the 2010 World Cup. Blatter said FIFA should reopen the debate, although he insisted it must involve only goal-line decisions. Video replay remains off limits for judgment calls, such as penalties or offside. “We are very confident,” Blatter said. “The referees are confident and the players are confident that they know if a goal is scored or not.”—AP

BOGOTA: Millonarios’ players celebrate at the end of the Colombian League soccer final game against Deportivo Independiente Medellin. Millonarios won the penalty kick shoot out 5-4 after a 1-1 on aggregate. — AP

Millonarios and Libertad seal titles COLOMBIA: Millonarios, the team that was a stepping stone for Alfredo di Stefano on his way from River Plate to Real Madrid 60 years ago, have ended a 24-year wait for a record 14th Colombian league title.

The team from Bogota beat Independiente Medellin 4-3 on penalties at their El Campin stadium on Sunday after a 1-1 draw in the second leg of the Clausura championship final. The first leg had ended 0-0 in Medellin on Wednesday but away goals are not taken into account.

Goalkeeper Luis Delgado converted Millonarios’ sixth penalty then saved Medellin’s sixth taken by Andres Correa.

Each side had missed one earlier spot kick in the shootout.

The balance of power in Colombia has

shifted back to the capital this year after a quarter of a century. Millonarios’ archrivals Independiente Santa Fe won the Apertura championship in the first half of the season, their first title since 1975.

Millonarios, who had won their last title in 1988, enjoyed a golden era midway through the last century. Leading Argentines including Di Stefano, one of the all time greats, left their country during a players? strike in 1948 to continue their careers in Colombia and were nicknamed The Blue Ballet. Di Stefano joined Real Madrid in 1953.

The Paraguayan Clausura championship went to the wire on Sunday with Libertad lifting their 16th title with a lastday 2-0 home win over Sportivo Luqueno to finish three points clear of Nacional. — Reuters

ZURICH: Mohamed Bin Hammam, the former FIFA presidential candidate embroiled in corruption allegations, has resigned from all his positions in football and been given a life ban, FIFA said yesterday.

The 63-year-old former Asian soccer chief was first banned by FIFA in July 2011 for alleged bribery during his failed bid to oust Sepp Blatter in the presidential race to head world soccer’s governing body.

That punishment was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in July, but FIFA handed out another life ban on Monday and said he would never be active in organised football again. This suspension was not in connection with bribery allegations during the election campaign but for “conflicts of interest” while he was president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

“In view of the fact that under the new FIFA Code of Ethics, the FIFA Ethics Committee remains competent to render a decision even if a person resigns, the Adjudicatory Chamber decided to ban Mohamed Bin Hammam from all football-related activity for life,” a FIFA statement said. “This life ban is based on the final report of Michael J. Garcia, Chairman of the Investigatory

Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee.

“That report showed repeated violations of Article 19 (Conflict of Interest) of the FIFA Code of Ethics, edition 2012, of Mohamed Bin Hammam during his terms as AFC President and as member of the FIFA Executive Committee in the years 2008 to 2011, which justified a lifelong ban from all football related activity.”

This latest suspension could bring an end to one of the most unsavory scandals to have hit the sport. Bin Hammam was originally accused of trying to buy the presidential votes of Caribbean officials by handing them $40,000 each in brown envelopes at a meeting in Port of Spain one month before he was due to challenge Blatter in last year’s FIFA presidential election.

He withdrew his candidacy and was subsequently banned pending investigations. Blatter was re-elected unopposed for a fourth term as FIFA president. Bin Hammam was then banned for life after being found guilty of breaking seven articles of FIFA’s ethics code, including one on bribery. In July, a CAS three-man panel voted 2-1 in Bin Hammam’s favour but added that his behaviour was

Mohamed bin Hammam “not of the highest ethical standard” and that “it is more likely than not” that he was the source of cash brought into Trinidad and Tobago and distributed by former FIFA vicepresident Jack Warner. CAS said then: “It is a situation of ‘case not proven’, coupled with concern on the part of the Panel that the FIFA investigation

was not complete or comprehensive enough to fill the gaps in the record.

Bin Hammam, who was elected unopposed for a third and final fouryear term as the head of the AFC in Jan. 2011, has long pleaded his innocence and complained his punishments have come because he challenged Blatter’s leadership. — Reuters

Another trophy slips by for weary Chelsea LONDON: With its plans for world and European domination in ruins, weary Chelsea is facing a crucial run of domestic games over the Christmas period that will determine the fate of its imploding campaign. Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Corinthians in the Club World Cup final in Japan came 12 days after Chelsea’s defense of the Champions League was cut short by an unprecedented elimination at the group stage.

Chelsea also lost 4-1 to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup in August and was beaten 3-2 by Manchester City in the Community Shield weeks earlier, meaning four opportunities for silverware have already slipped by.

When the squad returns on a 12-hour, 6,000-mile flight from the Far East, a toughlooking schedule of six matches in 17 days awaits - starting with a League Cup quarterfinal against second-tier Leeds tomorrow before games in the FA Cup and Premier League.

It promises to be a defining period for the London club and its embattled interim manager Rafael Benitez. “We now have to go on a run of games in the league to keep ourselves in the hunt and we have the FA Cup and League Cup as well,” Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard said, “so we have to keep pushing on.” Chelsea is already 13 points behind Premier League leader Manchester United, so the League Cup may be Benitez’s best chance of silverware in his brief tenure this season.

The team also has the Europa League to contest but after the highs of winning the Champions League in Munich in May, it is some fall from grace. For an owner as ambitious and demanding as Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, this latest setback coming in front of a global audience - will hurt. Chelsea became the first European champions to fail to win the Club World Cup since 2006 after a tired performance against Corinthians, which ended in further misery

when Gary Cahill was sent off in the last minute. “It’s a tough moment, especially for the Chelsea fans that came to Japan,” Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata said.

“I hope we can enjoy good moments and lift more trophies for the club ... very soon.

We’re still playing to win four trophies and we will give everything we have to success in each of them.”

Benitez is likely to face more criticism from fans this week, particularly if the aftereffects of the draining trip to Japan take in a surprise loss to Leeds at Elland Road.

Fernando Torres still looks like a striker lacking confidence, despite scoring five goals in three matches before Sunday’s game, while supporters will wonder why Lampard and Ashley Cole appear set to leave the club in June at the end of their contracts.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom for Benitez.

Captain John Terry is ready to return from a knee injury that has kept him out since Nov. 11 while the Spanish coach appears to have stumbled upon the best way to utilize the undoubted talent of another center back, David Luiz.

The mercurial Brazil international looked more at home in center midfield in the 3-1 win over Monterrey in the Club World Cup semifinal than he did in central defense in the final. With holding midfielder John Obi Mikel set to miss the match at Leeds and also the league game against Aston Villa on Sunday through suspension, Luiz may have more chances to show his adaptability in a new position.

For now, though, an inconsolable Luiz must recover from losing Sunday’s final to a team from his native country. “I have a heavy heart,” said Luiz, who left the field in Yokohama in tears. “I am disappointed but I need to look to the future because I have many games ahead. I play for a big club and I need to win big titles.”— AP

Chelsea FC’s coach Rafael Benitez

SAFA president and officials suspended for match fixing JOHANNESBURG: South Africa was plunged into crisis yesterday just a month before it hosts the African Nations Cup finals with the suspension of its football association president and other top officials following a report into match fixing involving the national team.

South African Football Association (SAFA) president Kirsten Nematandani, new chief executive Dennis Mumble and its top refereeing officials have been suspended indefinitely as the organisation said it planned to ask a judge to set up an independent inquiry.

The suspension follows the handing over

last Friday by world governing body FIFA to SAFA of a 500-page report investigating the activities of convicted Singapore match fixer Wilson Raj Perumal and his Football 4U organisation. The report highlighted the involvement of the five South African officials, a press briefing in Johannesburg was told. “These suspensions were necessary for good governance and for allowing this matter to be thoroughly and properly investigated,” said outgoing chief executive Robin Petersen, who was due to hand over to Mumble next month.

FIFA has alleged that the results of pre-

World Cup warm-up matches against Thailand, Bulgaria, Colombia and Guatemala in the weeks leading up the 2010 finals were fixed.

The suspended officials had engaged Perumal to organise opponents for South Africa’s national team as they prepared to host the World Cup, and then also agreed to Perumal’s suggestion he bring in and pay referees from other African countries to handle the matches, SAFA said. The referees then fixed the results of the games to benefit an Asian betting syndicate, some of the matches filled with dubious penalty decisions and poor offside calls.—Reuters

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

SPORTS

S Africa ready, but where’s the 2013 energy?

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa count down 30 days to the Africa Cup of Nations tomorrow with no doubt over their ability to host but little of the bursting energy the nation experienced before the 2010 World Cup. Fears over empty seats and the state of the pitch of the opening and closing matches’ host stadium also linger.

Stadiums, roads and hotels have been ready since the World Cup over two-and-a-half years ago. But unlike back then, no flags of the 16 participating nations are flying from street poles, and the hippo mascot Takuma is nowhere in sight.

South Africa’s bright colours aren’t flying on cars’ side-mirrors and people don’t wear national team Bafana

Bafana’s (The Boys) shirts. Bafana once again got in on a hosting ticket, having failed to qualify for the tournament themselves.

South Africa kick off against firsttimers Cape Verde on January 19 at Soccer City stadium in southwest Johannesburg’s Soweto, where Spain became world champions in 2010. But some local fans aren’t overly worried over the lack of hype.

“We know it’s happening. There’s nothing but you know, it’s Africa,” said Rolf Wilhelmsen, 50, taking photos with his family at Soccer City. “It’s all subdued. It’s simmering below the surface at the moment. But at the start of January it’ll be bang! It’s full on.” For 28-year-old Bheki Khumalo it’s about

national pride. “In the World Cup we proved we can host. So hosting the Afcon makes me proud.”

Earlier this year South Africa took over the event from Libya, who withdrew following political turmoil during the Arab Spring. The country with the continent’s best sporting facilities and infrastructure was the logical choice to step in at short notice.

The tournament will be played in five host cities and townsJohannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Nelspruit and Rustenburg. All of them have upgraded or newly-built stadiums. Security for teams will be ramped up after children threw stones at African champions Zambia’s bus following a match in Johannesburg in

November. Goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene needed stitches after glass cut his head.

Visas and border crossings will be jacked up for the tournament. But filling stadiums is another story during an economic crunch on a continent where travel is exorbitantly expensive.

“I have no doubt we will have more than 90,000 people when we host the opening and final matches,” insisted Soccer City marketing manager Louis Tshakoane.

In October organisers said they’d sell 400,000 tickets by the end of the year; they had struggled to reach 50,000 by the start of December. Prices range from 50 rands ($5.95, 4.68 euro) to 200 rands ($23.81, 18.74 euro).

But South Africans have never been overly excited about the Africa Cup. An empty Royal Bafokeng Stadium seems very probable in northern mining town Rustenburg, or in Port Elizabeth on the south coast.

But then thousands of seats were empty during matches at the previous tournament in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon at the start of the year. The Soccer City pitch is being replanted with hybrid grass and rested until January after international concerts there damaged the surface.

Outrage however trumps fear over its readiness because the stadium will host a concert of American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers a week before the final on February 10.—AFP

Mourinho surrenders title as Barcelona go nine clear

FRANCE: Paris Saint Germain’s midfielder Mohamed Sissoko (right) challenges for the ball with Lyon’s forward Lisandro Lopez from Argentina, during their League One soccer match.—AP

PSG beat Lyon to go top PARIS: Blaise Matuidi’s first-half goal helped Paris St Germain snatch the Ligue 1 top spot as the capital side beat title rivals Olympique Lyon 1-0 at home on Sunday.

France’s Matuidi headed home a Zlatan Ibrahimovic cross following a quick counter-attack on the stroke of halftime to send PSG level with Lyon on 35 points but top on goal difference.

Lyon only threatened PSG when a Lisandro Lopez volley hit the post in the 27th minute and the big-spenders deserved their victory, proving much stronger than the visitors.

“Lisandro’s chance could have changed the match but then we played at a very, very high level in the second half,” PSG right back Christophe Jallet told French channel Canal+.

“You don’t have to get overexcited when everything is fine nor be depressed when you have bad times. All the squad just enjoy being first.” Lyon’s Michel Bastos confirmed PSG’s superiority but said his side would not surrender in the title race.

“It’s a long way to go in the league.

We know who are the favourites are but we will try to fight until the end,” the Brazilian winger said. Both sides are level on points with third-placed Olympique Marseille, who won 1-0 at Toulouse on Saturday. The trio have a five-point lead over Lorient, who outclassed hosts St Etienne to clinch a 2-0 victory to climb up to fourth.

At Parc des Princes, Lyon had the early possession but the first attempt on target was for PSG’s Javier Pastore, whose shoot from close range in the 12th minute was parried away by Remy

Vercoutre. Lisandro Lopez went closer to scoring when he struck the post, without knowing at the time it was to be his side’s only clear-cut chance throughout.

Thiago Silva was perfectly marshalling the home defence and Matuidi kept harassing the midfielders. PSG eventually broke the deadlock when Ibrahimovic, who had been quiet, set up Matuidi for the opener just before the break. The Swede, who has scored 17 and set up four of PSG’s 33 league goals so far, could have doubled the lead a minute later but Vercoutre denied him.

The visiting goalkeeper then had to produce a solid performance in a onesided second half. The 32-year-old, who has been the first choice at Lyon this term for the first time since he joined them in 2002, saved Pastore’s superb strike in the 65th minute.

He then won a one-to-one against Ezequiel Lavezzi nine minutes from time but his team mates never managed to really push for an equaliser. At St Etienne, Lorient extended their winning run to a fourth game thanks to Jeremie Aliadiere’s seventh goal of the season in the 20th minute and a Alain Traore header 18 minutes later. Les Verts, whose goal-drought has now lasted for more than 500 minutes, are eighth with 27 points. Earlier, Henri Saivet rescued a point for 10-man Girondins Bordeaux as he struck home in the 76th minute to earn his side a 1-1 draw at basement side Nancy.

It was the fourth consecutive league draw for Bordeaux, who are seventh on 28 points, and the sixth in a row for Nancy, who wasted a lead in five of those games. Nancy have 11 points.—Reuters

MADRID: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho surrendered La Liga title on Sunday as his misfiring team slipped a massive 13 points behind bitter rivals Barcelona. Real were held to a disappointing 2-2 home draw by struggling Espanyol before Barcelona compounded his misery by romping to a 4-1 win over second-placed Atletico Madrid, who are now nine points off the pace.

“The league is now impossible,” admitted Mourinho. “It is the first time that I have been in a situation like this where my team are a long way off their objectives. “But I don’t want to make a drama out of it, I will treat it as another stage of my life.” At Camp Nou, Radamel Falcao put Atletico ahead after 31 minutes but Barca quickly responded with goals from Adriano and Sergio Busquets before half-time.

After the break, Lionel Messi scored his 24th and 25th league goals of the season and now has 90 in the calendar year as Tito Vilanova’s side extended their record start to 15 wins from 16 games.

“Nobody thought we would be in this position but Atletico and Real Madrid are going to keep going. It is a good advantage but we are still only halfway through the season,” said Busquets.

Falcao headed a Jorge Koke cross against the post and it was an early indication of the danger that Atletico’s in-form forward poses. Barca took their time to get into their stride and even then they were finding it difficult to move forward as Atletico were giving them little space.

Arda Turan quickly chipped a free-kick over the home side’s defence for Falcao to run on to but the Colombian’s shot drifted past the far post. He finally made the breakthrough as he latched onto a Diego Costa pass, outpaced Busquets, and finished with a delightful dink over keeper Victor Valdes. While Barca’s forwards were being kept quiet it was full-back Adriano who had the answer as he then curled in

SPAIN: Atletico Madrid’s Joao Miranda from Brazil (second right) duels for the ball against FC Barcelona’s Carles Puyol (left) and Gerard Pique (right) during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium.—AP a 25-yard strike from the right pressure is firmly on the counter-attack.

Luka Modric hit the post for wing. Busquets put them ahead Portuguese. “It is practically just before the break as he kept impossible. There are too many Madrid with a long distance his composure inside the area points to make up at this stage. drive midway through the first and picked his spot past the Last season, we had a 10-point half but it was Garcia who put keeper Thibaut Courtois. Barca lead in February and La Liga was the visitors ahead with a clinical finish from a Verdu pass that maintained the momentum ours,” added Mourinho.

The Portuguese admitted split the Madrid defence. after the break and Messi hit the Ronaldo was denied again by third after 57 minutes with a that his players are under-perclinical shot into the corner and forming. “Cristiano played well Casilla before he did finally put with Atletico having run out of but his teammates didn’t. The the ball in the back of the net as steam the Argentine got his sec- attitude has been good and he knocked in a cross from Sami ond three minutes from the end. what we need is a bit of calm Khedira. After the break Madrid At the Bernabeu earlier and luck. For the effort of the had more of a cutting edge and Sunday, Cristiano Ronaldo players we deserved to win but Coentrao, bursting forward from full-back, latched onto a equalised for Madrid on the we wasted clear cut chances.”

New Espanyol coach Javier Ronaldo pass and slotted the stroke of half-time after Sergio Garcia had put joint-bottom Aguirre has worked hard on ball past Casilla. The Espanyol Espanyol ahead on the half hour making the defence more solid shot-stopper was in inspired but he was without captain and form though as he prevented mark.

Two minutes after the restart, first choice keeper Cristian Madrid from killing off the game Fabio Coentrao put Real in front Alvarez and so put his faith in by denying Jose Callejon and but it was not enough as Juan the inexperienced Francisco substitute Di Maria before also tipping a powerful strike from Albin slotted home from close Casilla.

Casilla first parried a Ronaldo the latter onto the crossbar. range two minutes from the Madrid were made to rue shot and then Pepe wasted an end.

Mourinho had already criti- excellent opening when he their missed chances as Albin cised his players for a lacklustre headed a Mesut Ozil cross knocked the ball in after a goalperformance in a midweek straight at him but there were mouth melee as the home side Spanish Cup game where they warning signs at the other end desperately sought to clear the lost to Celta Vigo and now the with Simao firing wide on the ball.—AFP

Ambitious Kenya make poor start to CHAN campaign

Fellaini in the dock as ‘wrestlers’ go free LONDON: When FA officials view footage of Marouane Fellaini’s triple assault on Ryan Shawcross in Saturday’s Premier League match between Everton and Stoke City they could do the game a huge favor by freezing the action a second before each incident.

Fellaini faces an almost certain ban and fine for his two butts and a light cuff, all missed by the referee, as the FA now routinely uses video evidence to retrospectively punish players for violent conduct offences. Some hysterical media reaction even suggested the Belgian could be suspended for nine games - three for each “offence”.

Shawcross, however, will escape any sort of sanction, despite the blatant holding of the Belgian forward that led to each flashpoint, as every one in the game continues to turn a blind eye to a growing problem that infuriates supporters.

Fellaini has apologised for his response, particularly the one butt that left Shawcross rolling on the floor holding his face, and his own manager David Moyes said he deserved the punishment coming his way.

But fans will be disappointed if they expect an announcement from England centre back Shawcross expressing any regret for his continual and completely illegal shackling of Fellaini at every Everton set-piece in the 1-1 draw at the Britannia Stadium.

TV pundits were falling over themselves at the weekend to condemn Fellaini for his “unacceptable thuggery” - but few chose to highlight the similarly unacceptable acts of “constriction” that led to them and that are now turning many penalty areas into scenes of farce.

Video evidence can be used to penalise a player for serious foul play, violent conduct, spitting at an opponent or using abusing language or gestures, but not for persistent and blatant holding while showing not the slightest interest in the whereabouts of the ball.

What Shawcross was doing can now be seen routinely at just about every free kick and corner taken in most major leagues around the world as defenders concentrate on totally obstructing the attacker. If the same offence took place in the centre circle referees would instantly blow for a foul and would be entitled to issue a yellow card.

When it takes place in the box, however, the officials suddenly lose interest.

Quite often they will blow their whistle to delay a corner and issue a clear “I’m watching you” warning only to routinely ignore the identical behaviour seconds later as piles of bodies litter the turf.

Shawcross’s actions are completely endemic in top-level soccer these days, and the failure of referees to punish them, or for any lead from the FA or FIFA on clamping down on them, leaves attacking players with little option but

LONDON: Everton’s Marouane Fellaini (left) and Stoke City’s Robert Huth battle for the ball during their English Premier League soccer match in this Saturday Dec. 15 file photo.—AP to fight fire with fire in an attempt to extricate themselves from the sometimes ludicrous bearhugs.

One of the few occasions this season when a referee has given a penalty in such a situation was, ironically, two weeks ago when Fellaini was penalised for hauling down Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko at a corner.

“It’s wrestling, it was tough. It was difficult to run through, they just catch you all the time and grab you,” said Everton defender Sylvain Distin after Saturday’s game. “I think the ref could have a better look at it. But that is foot-

ball and it’s going to happen when you come to a place like Stoke. “Sometimes you get grabbed or blocked and it is not a penalty. Then you see what happened against City when the ref gave them a penalty, and you think ‘there should be a penalty every week’.

“There is no consistency so it’s a bit frustrating when it’s not going your way.” That kind of holding has yet to permeate through to the pub leagues around the country, where even having a referee is often a luxury and where players are forced to police themselves to a certain extent.—Reuters

JOHANNESBURG: Kenya made a disappointing start to their quest for 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) glory when losing 1-0 in Burundi at the weekend. A Christophe Nduwarugira goal midway through the first half won the regional clash and set up an intriguing second leg of the preliminary tie in Nairobi next month.

Kenyan preparations for the first leg were disrupted when France-born national coach Henri Michel refused to train the team because of unpaid salaries. Stand-in James Nandwa believes the deficit can be overtaken: “The loss is a setback, but not a major one. I am happy with the way the boys played and am confident we can overcome Burundi in the return match,” he said. Kenya are under pressure after leading football official Omondi Aduda laid a challenging marker for the team-telling them his expectation was victory in the CHAN final when South Africa host the tournament. “Our ambition is to ensure-if we do not make it to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil-that we lift the African Nations Championship trophy. That is the expectation we have,” said Aduda.

The overall winners face Sudan next June and July in the first round of a competition restricted to footballers playing in their country of birth, and qualifiers

are staged regionally.

Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mauritania, Mauritius and Mozambique advanced to the next qualifying phase after eliminating Togo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Comoros Islands and Seychelles respectively.

Simplice Yameogo scored six minutes from time after a defensive mixup in Lome to earn Burkina Faso a 1-0 win against Togo after taking a 2-1 advantage into the second leg.

Guinea must have feared the worst having been held goalless at home by Sierra Leone, but they drew 1-1 in Freetown to squeeze through on the away-goal rule. Nabe Keita put the visitors ahead and Seray Jah equalised in the final minute.

Mauritania also completed a double by winning 2-1 at home over Liberia with El Mamy Traore converting a late penalty after Mohamed Yacoub had put the home team ahead and Mohamed Varney levelled.

Mauritius forced a 0-0 draw on the Comoros to retain a two-goal lead from the first encounter while Mozambique triumphed 2-1 in the Seychelles having taken a four-goal cushion to the Indian Ocean islands.

Mozambican dominance in Victoria finally paid off on 52 minutes when Reginaldo scored and Sinamunda added a second soon after before Alex Nibourette responded with a consolation goal.—AFP

Mourinho surrenders title as Barcelona go nine clear

Another trophy slips by for weary Chelsea

19

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

Sri Lanka chase 393 in Hobart in first Test

Page 16

NEW ORLEANS: Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back Anthony Gaitor (26) breaks up a pass intended for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Lance Moore (16) in the first half of an NFL football game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.—AP

49ers down Patriots in the rain FOXBOROUGH: The San Francisco 49ers earned a playoff berth by withstanding a stunning comeback by New England from a 28-point deficit to beat the Patriots 4134 on Sunday night in the rain.

Michael Crabtree took a short pass from Colin Kaepernick and sped around cornerback Kyle Arrington for a 38-yard touchdown with 6:25 to go, then David Akers made a 28-yard field goal to clinch it. San Francisco (10-3-1) owns at least a wild-card spot and plays at Seattle next week with a chance to win the NFC West.

A loss would bring the division race down to the final weekend.

Kaepernick threw for four touchdowns, two to Crabtree, who had 107 yards receiving. The defense rattled Tom Brady at times, but also yielded 443 yards passing. AFC East champion New England (10-4), which had won seven in a row, trailed 31-3 at one point and lost for the first time at home in December in 21 games. The Patriots also had won 21 in a row in the second half of the schedule before San Francisco somehow regrouped late in a game it seemingly had clinched long before.

Packers 21, Bears 13 In Chicago, the Packers clinched their second straight NFC North title with a win over archrival Chicago. James Jones caught all three touchdown passes thrown by Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay has now won six straight in the NFL’s oldest and fiercest - rivalry. The Packers (10-4) have won 12 straight against NFC North opponents, the longest streak in the NFL. Brandon Marshall had a 15-yard TD catch for the Bears, who have lost five of six and are in danger of missing the playoffs after beginning the year 7-1. Clay Matthews continued his torture of Jay Cutler with two sacks, and Alshon Jeffery hurt the Bears (8-6) with three offensive pass interference calls late in the second half.

Texans 29, Colts 17 In Houston, the Houston Texans are AFC South champions for the second straight year. Andre Johnson had 151 yards receiving and a touchdown, Bryan Braman scored on a blocked punt and Shayne Graham kicked five field goals.

The Texans (12-2) grabbed their first AFC South title last season after the Colts nosedived without injured quarterback Peyton Manning. Manning is gone and Andrew Luck couldn’t do much against Houston’s defense.

The Colts (9-5) had won three straight and needed a win to clinch a playoff berth a year after going 2-14. JJ Watt had three sacks as Houston’s defense got back on track a week after a 42-14 loss to New England. The Texans will have home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs in they win out.

Redskins 38, Browns 21 In Cleveland, rookie Kirk Cousins threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns filling in for injured star Robert Griffin III, leading Washington to its fifth straight win.

Cousins connected with Leonard Hankerson for both TDs in his first career start and the Redskins (8-6) barely missed a beat without the talented and multidimensional RG3, who sat out with a sprained knee.

Last week, Cousins came off the bench after Griffin got hurt. Cousins was behind center from the start of this one and delivered a performance that extended Washington’s longest winning streak since 2007 and moved the Redskins into a tie for first in the NFC East. Rookie Trent Richardson had a pair of TD runs for the Browns (5-9).

Vikings 36, Rams 22 In St. Louis, Adrian Peterson ran for a season-best 212 yards, including an 82yard touchdown that fueled the Minnesota’s big second quarter.

Peterson has 1,812 yards rushing, leaving him 294 shy of breaking the NFL’s single-season record of 2,105 by Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. Peterson, less than a year removed from a serious knee injury, has two games left - at Houston and home against Green Bay - to top Dickerson. The Vikings (8-6) scored 10 of their 23 points in the second quarter off turnovers by Sam Bradford, including a 29-yard interception return by defensive end Everson Griffen. The Rams fell to 6-7-1.

Falcons 34, Giants 0 In Atlanta, Matt Ryan threw three touchdowns passes and Atlanta handed the Giants their first regular-season shutout since 1996. Julio Jones caught a couple of scoring throws from Ryan, who broke his own franchise records for completions and passing yards in a season. He finished 23 of 28 for 270 yards.

The Falcons (12-2), who have already clinched the NFC South, moved a step closer to locking up home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs.

One more win would lock it up. Eli Manning threw two interceptions for New York (8-6), which came into the game with a one-game lead over Washington and Dallas in the NFC East.

Broncos 34, Ravens 17 In Baltimore, Chris Harris returned an interception 98 yards for a momentumturning touchdown, and Denver won its ninth straight. Peyton Manning threw for 204 yards and a score in his ninth consecutive win against Baltimore, the first with the Broncos (11-3).

Down 10-0 late in the first half, the Ravens had a first-and-goal at the Denver 4 when Harris stepped in front of Anquan Boldin, picked off a pass by Joe Flacco and sprinted down the right sideline en route to the longest regular-season interception return in Broncos history. The Ravens (9-5) were playing their first game under offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell, who replaced the fired Cam Cameron.

Baltimore clinched a playoff spot by virtue of Pittsburgh’s overtime loss to Dallas.

Seahawks 50, Bills 17 In Toronto, Seattle rookie quarterback Russell Wilson ran for three touchdowns and threw for another in leading the Seahawks to their second straight rout.

Wilson scored on runs of 14, 25 and 4 yards and then hit Zach Miller for a 4-yard touchdown in helping the Seahawks score 31 points on their first five possessions. The defense forced three consecutive turnovers to start the second half, including Earl Thomas scoring on 57-yard interception return. A week after a 58-0 win at home against Arizona, the Seahawks (9-5) inched closer to clinching a playoff berth and became the NFL’s third team to score 50 points on consecutive weekends. The Bills (5-9) were knocked out of playoff contention for a 13th consecutive season.

Cowboys 27, Steelers 24 In Arlington, Brandon Carr intercepted a pass from Ben Roethlisberger to set up Dan Bailey’s 21-yard field goal in overtime.

The Cowboys won a Bailey kick on the final play for the second straight week since practice squad linebacker Jerry Brown was killed in a one-car accident that led to manslaughter charges against teammate Josh Brent. Carr intercepted Roethlisberger’s pass along the sideline and returned it 36 yards to the 1. Bailey’s kick came after Tony Romo took a 2-yard loss to put the kicker in better position.

The Cowboys (8-6) moved into a threeway tie for the NFC East lead with the Giants and Redskins. The Steelers (7-7) lost for the fourth time in five games.

NFL results/standings Green Bay 21, Chicago 13; Atlanta 34, NY Giants 0; New Orleans 41, Tampa Bay 0; Minnesota 36, St. Louis 22; Washington 38, Cleveland 21; Miami 24, Jacksonville 3; Denver 34, Baltimore 17; Houston 29, Indianapolis 17; Arizona 38, Detroit 10; Carolina 31, San Diego 7; Seattle 50, Buffalo 17; Dallas 27, Pittsburgh 24 (OT); Oakland 15, Kansas City 0; San Francisco 41, New England 34.

American Football Conference AFC East W L T OTL PF PA New England 10 4 0 0 506 315 NY Jets 6 7 0 1 245 306 Miami 6 8 0 2 264 279 Buffalo 5 9 0 0 306 402 AFC North Baltimore 9 5 0 1 348 307 Cincinnati 8 6 0 0 355 293 Pittsburgh 7 7 0 1 302 291 Cleveland 5 9 0 1 280 310 AFC South Houston 12 2 0 0 394 280 Indianapolis 9 5 0 0 309 358 Tennessee 4 9 0 1 271 386 Jacksonville 2 12 0 3 219 383 AFC WEST Denver 11 3 0 0 409 274 San Diego 5 9 0 1 299 312 Oakland 4 10 0 0 263 402 Kansas City 2 12 0 1 195 367

PCT .714 .462 .429 .357 .643 .571 .500 .357 .857 .643 .308 .143 .786 .357 .286 .143

National Football Conference NFC East Washington 8 6 0 0 381 350 Dallas 8 6 0 0 327 338 NY Giants 8 6 0 0 373 304 Philadelphia 4 10 0 1 253 375 NFC North Green Bay 10 4 0 0 344 292 Minnesota 8 6 0 0 319 308 Chicago 8 6 0 1 321 240 Detroit 4 10 0 2 330 380 NFC South Atlanta 12 2 0 0 371 259 New Orleans 6 8 0 1 389 379 Tampa Bay 6 8 0 0 354 349 Carolina 5 9 0 1 296 319 NFC West San Francisco 10 3 1 1 357 218 Seattle 9 5 0 0 350 219 St. Louis 6 7 1 0 258 315 Arizona 5 9 0 1 224 302

.571 .571 .571 .286 .714 .571 .571 .286 .857 .429 .429 .357 .750 .643 .464 .357

BALTIMORE: Ravens fullback Vonta Leach is crushed by Denver Broncos defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson (99), cornerback Champ Bailey (24) and outside linebacker Wesley Woodyard (52) during the first half of an NFL football game.—AP Cardinals 31, Lions 10 In Glendale, Greg Toler returned an interception 102 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown as Arizona ended a ninegame losing streak. The Cardinals (5-9) intercepted Matthew Stafford three times, returning two for touchdowns and setting up a TD with the other. The Lions (4-10) lost their sixth straight. Rashad Johnson brought back a pick 53 yards for a touchdown to cap Arizona’s 21-point second quarter. Patrick Peterson’s interception set up another score. Detroit’s Calvin Johnson became the first player in NFL history with consecutive 1,600-yard receiving seasons and tied an NFL record with his seventh straight 100-yard receiving game.

Panthers 31, Chargers 7 In San Diego, Mike Tolbert scored twice against his former team and DeAngelo Williams turned a tipped pass from Cam Newton into a 45-yard touchdown reception. Carolina (5-9) won consecutive games for the first time since last December. The loss knocked the Chargers out of playoff contention for the third straight year. The Chargers (5-9) clinched their first losing season since 2003, when they were an NFLworse 4-12. Coach Norv Turner is expected to be fired at season’s end, most likely along with general manager A.J. Smith.

Tolbert capped Carolina’s first two drives with 1-yard scoring runs. His second TD was set up when Philip Rivers lost a fumble, his 21st turnover this season and 46th in less than two full seasons.

Saints 41, Buccaneers 0 In New Orleans, Drew Brees passed for 307 yards and four touchdowns, and New Orleans posted its first shutout since 1995.

Brees connected on his scoring passes with tight end David Thomas, running back Darren Sproles and receivers Lance Moore and Joe Morgan. Mark Ingram

added an 11-yard touchdown run.

Josh Freeman endured one of his worst outings of the season for Tampa Bay (6-8), throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble. Jabari Greer made two interceptions, Rafael Bush and Isa AbdulQuddus the others. Cameron Jordan forced Freeman’s fumble on a sack and recovered it. New Orleans (6-8) also bottled up standout rookie running back Doug Martin, holding him to 16 yards on nine carries.

Dolphins 24, Jaguars 3 In Miami, Miami kept former teammate Chad Henne out of the end zone, made three fourth-down stops deep in its own territory and benefited from an odd penalty. Henne, playing in Miami for the first time since he departed as a Dolphins bust last offseason, threw for 221 yards with no turnovers. But the Dolphins turned back three scoring threats, and a go-ahead touchdown for the Jaguars came off the board because of an illegalsubstitution penalty. Ryan Tannehill went 22 for 28 for 220 yards and two scores with no interceptions to help Miami (6-8).

The Jaguars (2-12) helped their chances of getting the No. 1 draft pick next April.

Raiders 15, Chiefs 0 In Oakland, Sebastian Janikowski kicked five field goals and Darren McFadden rushed for 110 yards. The Raiders (4-10) overwhelmed the Chiefs (212) to snap a six-game losing streak.

Sandwiched around those losses are a pair of wins over Kansas City, a rare bright spot in this disappointing season in Oakland.

There has been little to cheer for this season for the Chiefs, who have lost 10 of 11 games and are tied for the second most losses in franchise history behind a 2-14 mark in 2008.—AP

ENBD frontrunner to buy BNP Paribas Egypt arm Page 22

US economists forecast moderate 2013 growth Page 23

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

Tax collection still falls short in Greece: EU Page 25

Jazeera Airways launches rights issue to fund growth Page 26

NEW YORK: Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange hold a moment of silence in honor of those killed in the shooting massacre in Newtown, CT, yesterday in New York City. — AFP

Millions in US face higher taxes without fix Foreign holdings of US debt hit record $5.48tn WASHINGTON: While much of Washington is consumed by the debate over tax increases scheduled to take effect next year, big tax hikes have already gone into effect for millions of families and businesses this year.

More than 70 tax breaks enjoyed by individuals and businesses expired at the end of 2011. If Congress doesn’t extend them retroactively back to the beginning of this year, a typical middle-class family could face a $4,000 tax increase when it files its 2012 return in the spring, according to an analysis

by H&R Block, the tax preparing giant.

At the same time, businesses could lose dozens of tax breaks they have enjoyed for years, including generous credits for investing in research and development, write-offs for restaurants and retail stores that expand or upgrade and tax breaks for financial companies with overseas subsidiaries. Meanwhile, foreign demand for US Treasury securities rose to a record level in October, a sign that overseas investors are confident in US debt despite a potential budget crisis.

The Treasury Department says total for-

eign holdings rose to $5.48 trillion in October, up 0.1 percent from September. China, the largest holder of US government debt, increased its holdings slightly to $1.16 trillion.

Japan, the second-largest holder, boosted its holdings by a smaller amount to $1.13 trillion.

Brazil, the country with the third-largest holdings, increased to $255.2 billion.

Investors are continuing to seek the perceived safety of US Treasurys, even as lawmakers and President Barack Obama remain at odds over whether to raise the US borrowing limit as part of a broader budget deal.

Lawmakers in both political parties say they expect to address this year’s tax increases as part of a deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff” of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts scheduled to take effect next year. But as talks drag on, they are reluctant to deal with the 2012 tax increases separately because that would reduce pressure to reach a broader budget agreement.

Even if Congress does act, last-minute changes to federal tax laws could make it difficult for taxpayers to figure out their 2012 tax

bills. “We’re really expecting this upcoming tax season to be one of the more challenging ones on record,” said Kathy Pickering, executive director of The Tax Institute at H&R Block.

“For your 2012 returns there’s so much confusion about what will be impacted.”

The biggest tax increase facing individuals for this year is the alternative minimum tax, or AMT. The tax was first enacted in 1969 to ensure that wealthy people can’t use tax breaks to avoid paying any federal taxes. The AMT, however, was never adjusted for inflation, so Congress routinely does that to keep it from imposing hefty tax increases on millions of middle-income families. Congress last adjusted the AMT in 2010, and about 4 million taxpayers paid it in 2011. Without a new adjustment for the 2012 tax year, the AMT would reach an additional 28 million taxpayers, increasing their tax bill by an average of $3,700. The tax would affect individuals making more than $33,750 and married couples making more than $45,000, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

Other expired tax breaks include deduc-

tions for college expenses, deductions for state and local sales taxes, and a $250 deduction for teachers who buy classroom supplies with their own money. The sales tax deduction is geared toward taxpayers in states without state income taxes: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

The tax increases could vary greatly, depending on how much money a person makes and which deductions they qualify for.

For example, a single man making $65,000 who paid $6,000 in college tuition and fees would get a tax increase of $837, mainly because he would lose a deduction for college expenses, according to the H&R Block analysis. A married couple with two young children and a $100,000 income could face a tax increase of more than $6,600, if they live in a state that doesn’t have a state income tax. Most of that increase - about $4,015 would come from the AMT. The AMT would also reduce their tax credits and they would lose a deduction for paying state and local sales taxes.— AP

US to press China on trade as Beijing eyes ‘fiscal cliff’ Etihad in final talks to buy India carrier stake NEW DELHI: Gulf carrier Etihad Airways, seeking to widen operations in India and other Asian markets, is in the final stages of talks to buy part of either Jet Airways or grounded rival Kingfisher Airlines, an Indian government official said yesterday.

A deal, which the official said could be announced by next week, would be the first since the government relaxed ownership rules in September to allow foreign airlines to invest up to 49 percent in a domestic carrier.

“Etihad has not yet decided. They are talking to both,” said the officials, who has knowledge of the talks but declined to be named as the negotiations are confidential.

Buying into Jet is seen as more lucrative for Etihad as the two carriers already have a code-sharing agreement and could target the market share of state-owned Air India and Dubai-based Emirates Airline, which dominates routes between India and the Middle East. But a stake in Kingfisher, which has been grounded after its licenses were suspended and whose owner, liquor baron Vijay Mallya, has been looking for an investor for more than a year, would be cheaper. Indian carriers are beset by stiff competition and high operating costs and have been in talks to sell minority stakes to foreign operators.

Shares in Jet Airways Ltd, the No. 2 Indian carrier, closed 2.4 percent higher yesterday, after rising as much as 4.7 percent to a nearly

two-year high, on hopes that Abu Dhabibased Etihad would strike a deal with it.Kingfisher shares ended down 5 percent their daily limit - snapping nine consecutive sessions of gains. “Unbelievable as it might sound, Kingfisher at the moment stands a better chance, but the price has to be right,” said Rajan Mehra, an industry expert and the India head of US-based private jet operator Universal Aviation. “Etihad will be able to have control over the airline. Right now what they want is control,” said Mehra, who previously headed Qatar Airways’ India operations.

Kingfisher is considering giving up operational control of its overseas flights if a deal goes through, a separate source had said earlier. The debt-laden carrier said last week it was in talks with Etihad and other investors about taking a stake, while later in the week it capped foreign portfolio investment in the company at 3 percent, carving space for a foreign investor to buy as much as 49 percent in it. Yesterday, Kingfisher said it was looking to restart operations and would arrange funding itself. The carrier said it would discuss a full recapitalization plan with a small group of bankers. Kingfisher will need about 4.25 billion rupees ($77.91 million) to restart according to its plan, said Shyamal Acharya, a deputy managing director at State Bank of India, the country’s top lender and the lead bank to Kingfisher. —Reuters

WASHINGTON: The United States will press senior Chinese officials this week for action on longstanding trade problems, and may face a rebuke from Beijing over the haphazard way it is managing its finances.

A Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier Wang Qishan will be in Washington today and Wednesday for talks with US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, acting US Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank and US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “I don’t think we should be expecting sweeping changes, but I do think we will see tangible progress on some specific issues,” said John Frisbie, president of the USChina Business Council. “China is definitely prioritizing its US relations and they are also discussing economic reforms back at home that could impact some of the issues that matter to US companies.” Kirk and his colleagues have said they are pushing China to drop restrictions on US livestock and farm products, to take stronger action to stop counterfeiting and piracy of US goods and to reduce pressure on US companies to transfer valuable technology to do business in China. Wang in turn is expected to convey Beijing’s strong interest in a deal in Washington to avoid the $600 billion in spending cuts and tax hikes set to take hold at the start of the year, widely known as the “fiscal cliff.”

Economists warn that failure to avert that outcome could send the United States back in recession, which would threaten growth in China and around the world. President Barack Obama and Republican leaders have so far made little visible progress toward a deal.

Given that China is the United States’ largest

creditor, it has a deep interest in Washington’s management of its budget. Chinese officials are also expected to press on a range of other issues - from concerns about US anti-dumping measures on their exports, to restrictions on China’s ability to import US high-technology products and the often strong political resistance to Chinese investment in the United States. The annual US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade meeting comes during a transition for both governments. Obama is expected to bring in a new economic team for his second term. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping took helm of the Chinese Communist party in November and will take over as head of state in March at the annual parliament meeting. “We’re either going to get nothing, meaning just details, or we might get a change,” said Derek Scissors, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. One reason to be optimistic that concrete progress could be made is a trip Xi made last week to southern Guangdong, where he echoed calls for market reforms and strengthening the rule of law that reformist senior Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping made 20 years ago in the same province. Outgoing Chinese President Hu Jintao’s ten-year tenure is generally associated with a retreat from market liberalization and the rise of Chinese “state capitalism” that favored domestic national champions over foreign firms. In that sense, this week’s JCCT meeting could mark the start of the Xi era in U.S-China relations, but there remains a lot of uncertainty about how much reform the new Chinese administration will pursue, Frisbie said.— Reuters

Emaar propels Dubai stocks; Saudi higher MIDEAST STOCK MARKET DUBAI: Foreign buying in Dubai’s bellwether Emaar Properties yesterday helped the emirate’s bourse make its largest one-day gain in two weeks. Shares in Emaar rose 1.6 percent, extending year-to-date gains to 44.4 percent. A recovery in sectors of Dubai’s real estate market along with new project announcements has brought investor appetite back into developers shares.

Emaar said last November that plans to expand its Dubai Mall with high-end fashion stores, hotels and luxury homes had been finalized and work would begin shortly. “Most of the activity was concentrated on Emaar, which is driven by foreigners who are positioning ahead of the year-end,” said Anastasios Dalgiannakis, institutional trading manager at Mubasher.

Some market participants expect a strong year for equities in 2013 and are accumulating now, he added. Investors are also bullish on Emaar’s fourthquarter results. Small-cap Ajman Bank climbed 4.2 percent, extending gains on market talk of a possible investor looking to purchase a large stake.

The emirate’s index advanced 1 percent, its biggest one-day gain since Nov 29. In Saudi Arabia, the index gained 0.3 percent, a fresh five-week high as investors took positions ahead of the year-end on expectations of a strong start to 2013. Large-caps supported, with the heavyweight petrochemical and banking sectors up 0.8 and 0.4 percent respectively.

Saudi Kayan Petrochemical jumped 4.5 percent in heavy trade. Saudi Basic Industries Corp gained 0.3 percent. “People are positioning for two things, the Saudi budget and 2013 - we are very positive on the market for next year,” said Alhassan Goussous, chief executive officer at Bakheet Investment Group. “The market is quite undervalued and prices should come in line with fundamentals once global issues - uncertainty in the US and Europe - reduce.” Saudi’s budget for 2013 is expected to be announced before December-end. On global markets, investors are focused on the fast approaching year-end deadline to avoid the imposition of steep tax hikes and spending cuts in the US, known as the “fiscal cliff”, which could send the world’s top economy back into recession. Back in Riyadh, shares in Dallah Healthcare Holding Company surged 51.3 percent on its debut. Dallah rose to 57.50 riyals per shares, up from its initial public offering (IPO) price of 38 riyals. The stock accounted for nearly a quarter of all shares traded on the Saudi exchange. In Egypt, the benchmark slipped 0.3 percent, easing away from Sunday’s three-week high. Orascom Construction Industries and Orascom Telecom declined 1.2 and 1.3 percent respectively. Commercial International Bank slipped 0.3 percent. —Reuters

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

BUSINESS

ENBD frontrunner to buy BNP Paribas Egypt arm Sale likely to raise $400-$500m for bank European banks are trying to repair damaged balance sheets by selling some overseas units.

ENBD wants to expand its Dubai-centric business, having been hit in recent quarters by its exposure to debt-laden, state-linked entities in Dubai which have been forced to restructure billions of dollars of obligations. A deal still does not appear imminent since Egypt’s central bank is reviewing the offer and other terms before approving the transaction, one of the sources said.

“They (ENBD) were aggressive on the pricing side and outbid the other party. It’s now up to the central bank to make the final call,” the source said. “The regulator in Egypt wants to do these deals one at a time and now that the SocGen deal is agreed, the priority will be to see this transaction through.”

Societe Generale, another French lender, sold a majority stake in its Egyptian arm to Qatar National Bank for $2 billion last week.

Large regional banks in the Middle East, flush with funds and relatively unscathed by the financial crisis, are looking to grow through acquisitions; picking up stakes in entities

DUBAI: Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest bank, has emerged as the frontrunner to buy BNP Paribas’ Egyptian retail business, three sources familiar with the matter said, in a deal likely to raise $400-500 million for the French lender.

BNP, France’s biggest listed bank, put its retail banking business in Egypt on the block in June, seeking to shore up its capital base and exit non-core operations.

The sale attracted interest among large regional lenders including ENBD and Morocco’s Attijariwafabank, which were looking to gain a foothold in Egypt. ENBD’s offer for the business was highest in a second round of bidding that took place earlier in December, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the matter has not been made public.

A spokesman for the Dubai bank declined to comment, as did BNP Paribas. Officials at Attijari were not immediately available for comment. Despite continued political turmoil in Egypt, some Middle East investors are keen to beef up their presence in the country after last year ’s revolution there. Meanwhile,

owned by Western institutions is often an attractive option. The BNP Paribas deal would be ENBD’s first major expansion of its regional presence through an acquisition since it was created in a state-backed merger between Emirates Bank International and National Bank of Dubai in 2007.

The bank is looking for acquisitions in fastdeveloping African markets to satisfy investor demand for growth it is unlikely to deliver at home, chief executive Rick Pudner said in an interview with Reuters last month. ENBD, 56 percent-owned by state fund Investment Corp of Dubai, aims for international revenues of around 15-20 percent of its total in five years’ time, up from 5 percent at present, with acquisitions likely to play a key role in achieving the target, Pudner said at that time. BNP has retail, corporate banking and private banking operations in Egypt; it is only looking to sell the retail business. The lender operates nearly 70 branches in the country, where fresh political unrest erupted last month over a push by President Mohamed Morsi to award himself wide powers. — Reuters

Burgan Bank introduces new multi-currency X-Change Card Travelers can save between 3-5% during season KUWAIT: Burgan Bank’s newly launched multi-currency X-Change Card was designed to be the perfect travel companion. The card, which is accepted across 23 million locations around the world, has been tailor-made specifically for frequent travelers’ needs where they can save between 3-5% on each usage abroad.

Customers ordering the card are given a selection of the top currencies which include US dollars, Euro, British Pound, Saudi Riyal, UAE Dirhams, Egyptian Pound as well as the Filipino Peso.

Bank’s latest X-Change card, or any of its products and services, customers can visit any of the bank’s branches, or contact the call center on 1804080.

For more information, customers can also log onto 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 sub-

The card’s unique key feature is its ability to capture and hold the value of the exchange rate at which the card was bought to enable customers to capitalize on their preferred currency rates. To obtain the newly launched multi-currency XChange card are required to follow 3 simple steps, which are logging into the bank’s website to fill their personal details, loading the card with required amount in the currency of choice, and finally receiving the card from the nearest Burgan Bank branch.

To find out more about Burgan

sidiaries: 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.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani workers clean the mirrored facade of The Islamabad Stock Exchange (ISE) building in Islamabad yesterday. Pakistan’s central bank lowered its benchmark interest rate by 0.5 percentage points to 9.5 percent this week, in the light of a fall in inflation. The Pakistani rupee has fallen by 3.3 percent against the dollar since June, the bank said. — AFP

Iran’s oil revenues halved by sanctions TEHRAN: Iran is losing half of its oil revenues because of international sanctions imposed over its disputed nuclear program, Economy Minister Shamseddin Hosseini said in remarks quoted by media yesterday. “Iran is facing a 50-percent drop in its oil revenues due to sanctions,” Hosseini told state television, Jomhuri Eslami newspaper reported.

Hosseini put down the loss to difficulties in repatriating oil money. Subject to harsh Western sanctions over its controversial nuclear work, Iran is struggling against what it calls an “economic war” to cope with punitive measures targeting its vital oil income and access to global financial systems. An oil embargo on Iran imposed by the European Union came into effect in July, ending European purchases of Iranian crude and also decreas-

Banque Saudi Fransi to close $507m sukuk today

Iraqi Kurdish oil exports fall below 30,000 bpd ARBIL, Iraq: Oil exports from Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region have fallen to an average of below 30,000 barrels per day (bpd), industry sources said yesterday, a decline likely to worsen tensions between Baghdad and the Kurdish region.

The fall comes at a time of increasing friction between the Kurdish region and the central government in Baghdad, which has withheld payments to oil companies operating in the north as part of a wider dispute over petroleum rights. Kurdistan has previously halted shipments of its oil in protest over what it said were overdue payments from Baghdad, but the reason for the current decline was not

immediately clear. At their highest, Iraqi Kurdish oil exports reached around 200,000 bpd. “Exports are much lower than 30,000 now,” said one industry source on condition of anonymity. Comment from the Kurdish ministry of natural resources was not immediately available. Last week, Kurdish crude flow was cut by around 75,000 barrels per day due to a technical problem at the Khurmala oilfield, Iraqi oil sources said. That followed an earlier reduction to 100,000 bpd. In October, the Kurds agreed to export 250,000 bpd in 2013 if Baghdad paid operators in the region. An initial sum of $650 million was transferred by Baghdad to the Kurdistan regional govern-

ment (KRG) in October, but a subsequent payment has not yet been made. Baghdad rejects the deals signed between Kurdistan and oil companies including Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Total as illegal and has blacklisted some that have ventured into the northern region.

Kurdistan says its right to grant contracts to foreign companies is enshrined in the Iraqi constitution, which was drawn up following the 2003 invasion that ousted Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein. The oil payment dispute is part of a broader debate between Baghdad and Kurdistan over control of oil and territories which is straining Iraq’s uneasy federal union one year after US troops left. — Reuters

ing Tehran’s oil exports to its Asian customers from 10 to 30 percent.

According to the International Energy Agency, Iranian exports in November were estimated at 1.3 million barrels per day, down from nearly 2.3 million last year.

A number of Iranian lawmakers and government officials have hinted that the drop in oil revenues will shrink the budget for the next Iranian calendar year, starting on March 21, 2013. In early September, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad acknowledged that Iran had “some problems” in selling its oil because of the sanctions. Iran insists its program of uranium enrichment is for purely peaceful purposes, and denies Western and Israeli allegations that it wants to manufacture nuclear weapons. — AFP

DUBAI: Banque Saudi Fransi, which is part-owned by Credit Agricole, will close a 1.9 billion riyals ($506.6 million) Lower Tier 2 Islamic bond issue yesterday, a source familiar with the matter said.

The subordinated sukuk will boost Banque Saudi Fransi’s supplementary capital reserves, or Tier 2 capital. Bonds and sukuk issued to raise Tier 2 capital are usually classed as subordinated debt, meaning they would be below secured creditors in the event of any restructuring. Banks in the kingdom have been boosting capital reserves through debt issuance this year, despite having healthy levels in comparison to international

peers, as they look to replenish reserves after strong lending growth in recent years.

Banque Saudi Fransi’s issue was around 2.2 times covered by investors and was priced at 110 basis points over the three-month Saudi interbank offered rate (Saibor), the source said yesterday.

The sukuk has a seven-year life but is callable - meaning the bank can choose to repay the sukuk - after five years.

Banque Saudi Fransi, the kingdom’s fifthlargest bank by market value, said last month its board had approved issuance of Lower Tier 2 sukuk worth up to 2.5 billion riyals. — Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds

.2740000 .4510000 .3670000 .3030000 .2830000 .2940000 .0040000 .0020000 .0761620 .7420270 .3880000 .0720000 .7274250 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2805500 GB Pound/KD .4536770 Euro .3692320 Swiss francs .3055270 Canadian dollars .2845480 Danish Kroner .0494880 Swedish Kroner .0420130 Australian dlr .2957420 Hong Kong dlr .0362000 Singapore dlr .2299210 Japanese yen .0033340 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0764130 Bahraini dinars .7444610 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0748330 Omani riyals .7289850 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - transfer Irani Riyal - cash

3.360 5.181 2.884 2.194 3.239 232.170 36.370 3.450 6.843 9.198 0.271 0.273

.2840000 .4610000 .3750000 .3120000 .2920000 .3020000 .0067500 .0035000 .0769280 .7494850 .4060000 .0770000 .734736 .0510000 .2826500 .4570730 .3719960 .3078140 .2866780 .0498590 .0423270 .2979550 .0364710 .2316420 .0033590 .0052120 .0022040 .0028940 .0035070 .0769850 .7500330 .3997880 .0753930 .7344420 .0069400

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 75.190 77.474 732.360 748.900 76.777

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 47.700 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 45.594 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.315 Tunisian Dinar 181.550 Jordanian Dinar 397.730 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.892 Syrian Lier 3.855 Morocco Dirham 33.754 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 281.850 Euro 373.730 Sterling Pound 458.570 Canadian dollar 288.490 Turkish lire 158.300 Swiss Franc 309.050 Australian dollar 299.040 US Dollar Buying 280.650 GOLD 318.000 160.000 82.500

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

300.800 749.420 3.690 289.200 553.400 45.900 50.300 167.800 47.860 375.100 37.050 5.480 0.032 0.161 0.242 3.450 399.340 0.191 95.190 45.600 4.330 241.400 1.825

51.300 731.980 3.070 7.210 77.950 75.240 232.410 35.200 2.684 459.300 43.200 310.000 3.400 9.560 198.263 76.830 282.200 1.360

10 Tola

GOLD 1,795.660

Sterling Pound US Dollar

731.800 2.898 6.865 77.520 75.240 232.410 35.200 2.193 457.300 308.500 3.400 9.410 76.730 281.800

COUNTRY

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 457.300 281.800

SELL DRAFT

299.300 749.420 3.462 287.700

232.400 45.715 373.600 36.900 5.180 0.031

399.310 0.190 95.190 3.250 239.900

SELL DRAFT

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

301.18 289.79 311.63 373.83 281.35 459.33 3.44 3.480 5.139 2.192 3.228 2.887 76.67 749.14 45.66 400.83 732.24 77.69 75.24

SELL CASH

299.500 288.500 310.000 372.500 282.700 458.500 3.690 3.620 5.460 2.330 3.600 3.100 77.300 748.000 47.700 398.700 734.000 77.850 75.500

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer

Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

281.700 286.195 456.200 371.200

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

307.320 745.795 76.675 77.325 75.085 397.095 45.691 2.186 5.162 2.872 3.464 6.841 691.010 4.370 9.285 4.370 3.340 92.270

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

281.600 2.884 5.191 2.205 3.458 6.885 76.775 75.250 748.600 45.619 459.400 2.990 1.550 375.000 291.600 3.265

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

281.350 373.400 457.100 287.550 3.400 5.145 45.635 2.186 3.460 6.860 2.870 749.200 76.600 75.100

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

BUSINESS

UBS faces $1bn day of reckoning over rate rigging Settlement could come early in week LONDON/ZURICH: UBS AG is expected to be hit with a $1 billion-plus fine to settle charges of rigging Libor interest rates this week, making it the second bank to be brought to book for its role in the global scandal. The fine, to be imposed by regulators in Britain and the United States, would be the latest blow for the Swiss bank that suffered a rogue trading scandal last year, paid a $780 million fine to settle a U.S. tax investigation in 2009 and nearly collapsed in 2008 under the weight of huge subprime losses.

Sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters the fine will be $1 billion or more, which would be more than double the $450 million levied on British bank Barclays Plc in June for interest rate manipulation. The penalty could be as high as $1.6 billion and UBS will admit 36 traders around the globe manipulated yen Libor between 2005 and 2010, Swiss newspaper TagesAnzeiger said, citing unnamed sources.

UBS declined to comment on the report or on the timing of a settlement.

Reuters could not independently verify the $1.6 billion figure.

“It’s a little bit astonishing from a shareholder perspective that the fine could be double the amount of Barclays,” said Peter Stenz, portfolio manager at investment and pensions manager Swisscanto and a holder of UBS shares.

“The good thing is that it is ended then ... The bad thing is the amount, which raises the question of how important UBS was in this story,” Stenz said. While Barclays’ settlement touched off a firestorm that forced its chairman and chief executive to quit, previous scandals at UBS have already prompted culls of top bosses as well a decision to wind down parts of the investment bank that have tarnished the bank’s name.

Swiss commentators suggested the Libor affair would stiffen the resolve of UBS top management - all installed after the period under investigation - to focus on the core business of wealth management as they trim risky trading

activities. However, the settlement which sources say is likely to come sometime this week - could add to global public and political anger about standards and culture across the industry. The settlement will be with US, British and Swiss regulators, although the last has no power to fine the bank.

Japanese regulators are also involved, some sources said, although it was not clear if they would be formally involved in the penalties.

UBS will admit to criminal wrongdoing by its Japanese arm, where one of its traders manipulated yen Libor and euro yen contracts, sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters.

UBS declined to comment.

Admitting to criminal wrongdoing can be fatal for a bank, as it can lose its license but by admitting to wrongdoing at its Japanese subsidiary, UBS would be stopping short of admitting to wrongdoing at a group level.

Individuals are also being targeted.

The UBS investigation centres on former UBS trader Thomas Hayes, but also

includes other UBS bankers, the sources said. Hayes, who joined Citigroup after leaving UBS in 2009, is one of three British men arrested last week by London police but later released on bail, according to a source.

Reuters has been unable to contact Hayes.

More than a dozen banks have been caught in the international inquiry into Libor rates, with most of the focus being on how rates were set between 2005 and 2008.

Royal Bank of Scotland is also expected to shortly reach a settlement on Libor manipulation.

The bank will receive a penalty of more than 350 million pounds ($564 million), the Sunday Times newspaper reported, without citing sources. RBS declined to comment.

Libor benchmarks are used to help price trillions of dollars worth of loans around the world, ranging from home loans and credit cards to complex derivatives.

Tiny shifts in the rates, compiled

from daily polls of bankers, could benefit any given bank by millions of dollars.

But every dollar a bank benefits could mean an equal loss by another bank, hedge fund or investor on the other side of the trade - raising the threat of a raft of civil lawsuits.

Barclays in June admitted it improperly took its own trading positions into account when reporting interest rates used to calculate the Libor benchmark, touching off a firestorm that forced its chairman and chief executive to quit.

At UBS, Libor is the latest in a series of serious problems that have damaged its reputation. In 2009, UBS paid $780 million to settle a US investigation into tax issues, while former Londonbased trader Kweku Adoboli was convicted last month over a $2.3 billion rogue trading fraud.

Reuters’ parent company Thomson Reuters Corp collects information from banks and uses it to calculate Libor rates according to specifications drawn up by the British Bankers Association (BBA). — Reuters

US economists forecast moderate 2013 growth Sandy could cut growth by 0.2%

HONG KONG: Pedestrians walk past foreign exchange signs in Hong Kong yesterday. The yen plunged in Asian currency markets after Japan’s conservative opposition swept to victory in national polls, with promises from its leader to press for more central bank easing. — AFP

India cuts growth rate forecast to 5.7-5.9% NEW DELHI: India yesterday cut its growth forecast for the current fiscal year to just below six percent, putting Asia’s third-largest economy on track for its worst annual performance in a decade.

The finance ministry said “supportive” moves from the central bank would be needed even for the economy to expand at the revised level of 5.7-to-5.9 percent, down from 7.85 percent estimated at the start of the year. The forecast came a day before the bank was expected to keep the benchmark interest rate on hold as it waits for stubborn inflation to ease, despite mounting pressure for a cut to boost the sluggish economy.

“It should be possible for the economy to improve the overall growth rate of GDP (for the year) to around 5.7 percent to 5.9 percent” from 5.4 percent in the first half, said the Mid-Year Economic Analysis tabled in parliament. The full-year rate would be far below the near double-digit

pace India set before the onset of the global financial crisis. Finance Minister P Chidambaram has been urging the central bank to reduce high interest rates to bolster the economy. But the bank has kept rates steady since April-when it cut them for the first time in three yearsunlike other developing countries which have lowered borrowing costs to shield their economies from the euro-zone crisis.

India’s bank has insisted inflation must recede and the government needs to curb its ballooning fiscal deficit-the widest of all emerging market economiesbefore more rate cuts. Growth in 2011-12 fell to a nine-year low of 6.5 percent hit by high interest rates, struggling overseas economies and sluggish investment caused by concerns about policymaking and corruption. India’s economy has not expanded by less than 6.5 percent since the 2002-2003 financial year. Economists had already cut their year growth forecasts to mid-five percent or lower. — AFP

YANGON: Construction laborers working on an elevated platform at a deep sea port project in Mayingyi, part of the Dawei Special Economic Zone development. Myanmar sought yesterday to drum up investment in a stalled multi-billion-dollar sea port project at the heart of the former junta-ruled country’s efforts to revive its impoverished economy. — AFP

WASHINGTON: US business economists believe the country will see modest growth in 2013 with strength coming from a further rebound in housing which will help offset weakness in business investment. In its latest survey of top forecasters, the National Association for Business Economics says it is looking for the economy to grow in 2013 by 2.1 percent after 2.2 percent growth in 2012.

That would continue the same tepid growth the country has seen since the Great Recession ended in mid-2009.

Growth at that pace is not strong enough to make a significant improvement in unemployment. The NABE economists believe unemployment will average 7.7 percent for all of next year, right at the level it reached in November. The 48 NABE economists on the survey panel had essentially the same outlook as their previous forecast in October. While they have modest expectations for 2013, they do see growth slowly improving as the year progresses.

The economists forecast growth in the gross domestic product, the economy’s total output of goods and services, at 1.6 percent in the current October-December quarter, down from 2.7 percent growth in the JulySeptember period. Part of that slowdown, the economists believe, will reflect the disruptions caused by Superstorm Sandy, which

slammed into the Northeast on Oct. 29. About half of the economists surveyed believe Sandy will cut growth by 0.2 percentage point to 0.5 percentage point in the current quarter and about one-third of the survey panel believe rebuilding from the storm will increase growth by a similar 0.2 percentage point to 0.5 percentage point range in the first three months of next year.

The NABE panel is looking for GDP growth at an annual rate of 1.8 percent in the first quarter followed by rates of 2.4 percent in the April-June quarter, 2.6 percent in the third quarter and 3 percent in the fourth quarter next year.

Nayantara Hensel, head of the NABE panel and a business professor at the National Defense University in Washington, said part of the optimism that growth will be improving is a belief that the government will come to a resolution of the fiscal cliff. That’s the name being given the sharp increases in taxes and spending cuts that will hit in January if Congress and the Obama administration do not reach a budget deal.

“The panelists believe that once there is greater clarity on budget and tax issues, you will see less uncertainty on the part of businesses and consumers,” she said.The panelists expect housing will once again be a standout performer with residential investment grow-

ing at an annual rate of 12 percent next year.

Builders are expected to break ground on 930,000 new homes in 2013, up 21 percent from this year, while home prices are expected to increase 3.5 percent, after an expected 3 percent gain this year.

But the panelists look for business investment in equipment and software and structures to slow in 2013. They are also looking for after-tax corporate profits to show an increase of 5 percent, down from an expected 8.5 percent gain in 2012. Both years are below the 10.2 percent average increase over the past 20 years.

Among the other predictions in the latest NABE survey: Employers will add an average of 165,000 jobs per month next year, a slight improvement from the 150,000 monthly job average so far this year.

Inflation will remain modest with the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge rising just 1.8 percent. That is below the Fed’s 2 percent target. Oil prices are expected to average $93.20 per barrel in December 2013, only a slight increase from $86.70 currently.

Longer-term interest rates will rise slightly with a 10-year Treasury note at 2.25 percent at the end of next year, up from 1.70 percent currently. The Federal Reserve is expected to keep short-term rates unchanged at a record low near zero for all of next year. —AP

Boehner opens door to tax hikes in us WASHINGTON: The first real movement in the “fiscal cliff” talks began on Sunday, with Republican House Speaker John Boehner edging slightly closer to President Barack Obama’s key demands as they try to avert the steep tax hikes and spending cuts set to take effect unless Congress intervenes

by Dec. 31. But Boehner’s new positions, on tax rates and the total amount of new revenue to be included in a deficit-reduction deal, were still far from those held

by Obama. And the two sides have yet to make headway on tough issues such as entitlements, with the Republicans wanting far more than Democrats are likely to tolerate in cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, the government healthcare programs for the poor and seniors.

Sources familiar with the Obama-Boehner talks confirmed

that Boehner proposed extending low tax rates for everyone who has earned less than $1 million, and rates would rise for wages above that. Obama wants that threshold set at $250,000. Under current law, the 35 percent top tax rate is scheduled to expire on Jan 1, and would automatically go to 39.6 percent - where it was during the Clinton administration. Boehner also has increased to $1 trillion his figure for total revenue, compared to Obama’s figure of $1.4 trillion.

The balance of a 10-year deficitreduction plan would come from spending cuts. The White House has not accepted the Boehner proposals. The Boehner offer to accept a tax rate increase for the wealthiest Americans knocks down a key Republican road block to a deal resolving the year-end “fiscal cliff.” The question now boils down to what President

Barack Obama offers in return.

Such major questions, still unanswered so close to the end of the year suggest, however, that no spending and tax agreement is imminent. With just over two weeks before the fiscal cliff’s $600 billion in automatic tax hikes and spending cuts are triggered, threatening a new recession, there is little time to craft a comprehensive deal that will satisfy both Democrats and Republicans.

Until the latest Republican offer Boehner had insisted on extending all of the Bush era’s lower tax rates.

A rising chorus of business executives also had urged Republicans to agree to this. Some lawmakers and congressional aides had predicted that Republicans, once serious negotiations began, might try to raise the $250,000 threshold, say to $500,000 or $1 million. They also speculated that Republicans, if

forced into a tax rate hike on the upper-income groups, might seek a smaller increase, say to around 37 percent. Although the White House has not accepted Boehner’s gambit, it could push negotiations away from entrenched, ideological positions.

“Boehner has now accepted the premise of higher rates. So now we’re just arguing over details. I think it’s a significant step,” said Greg Valliere, chief political strategist at Potomac Research Group.

A framework deal spelling out tax revenue and spending cut targets to be finalized in the new year could be possible, Valliere said.

“Boehner’s offer to allow tax rates to go up for taxpayers earning over $1 million fundamentally transforms fiscal cliff negotiations,” added Sean West, US policy analyst at Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy. — Reuters

Weakening dollar, with fiscal cliff ‘frustration’ NBK WEEKLY ECONOMIC REPORT KUWAIT: Markets started the week with a relatively stronger US dollar, ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee.

Uncertainty overwhelmed the greenback in the FX markets. The lack of progress on averting the “fiscal cliff” of steep tax hikes and spending cuts have weighed on the US Dollar and the US economy. The negotiations have hit a wall as US House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner and President Barack Obama met on Thursday to discuss the unsettling problem, with both sides voicing frustration over the situation. The Euro started the week at 1.2891.

The single currency then advanced against the US Dollar throughout the week, as frustration and uncertainty emerged in the US over the “Fiscal Cliff” gridlock. The EUR rose steadily against its American counterpart, after the FOMC statement, breaking the 1.3050 levels. The Euro continued its rise on Thursday, after EU ministers agreed to for a $64 billion payout for debt-stricken Greece.

The single currency hiked until the end of the week, to close at 1.3163. The sterling pound endured a positive week. Cable opened the week at 1.6040, only to surge on Tuesday to reach 1.6120, after Italy’s Prime Minister said he intends to resign, boosting demand for the safety of UK assets. The sterling pound then dropped to 1.6085 after a report showed that a majority of UK manufacturers are still seeing a decline of orders.

Cable followed suit with the euro, hiking on Friday to close at 1.6174. The Japanese Yen opened the week at 82.49, weakening against the US dollar throughout the week, to touch a high of 83.96 on Friday as prospects of more easing by the BOJ appear in the markets. The Japanese Yen closed the week at 83.52. The Swiss franc opened the week at 0.9345, only to strengthen against the US dollar, as investors seek the safety of the Swiss Franc from global easing programs and political uncertainties. The CHF closed the week at 0.9178.

FOMC In the FOMC meeting this week and for the first time, the committee linked the outlook for its main interest rate to unemployment and inflation, and said it will expand its asset purchase program by buying $45 billion a month of Treasury securities starting in January to spur the economy. Rates will stay low “at least as long” as unemployment remains above 6.5%, and if the inflation is to be no more than 2.5%. The thresholds replace the Fed’s earlier view that rates would stay near zero at least through the middle of 2015.

Unemployment claims Fewer Americans than forecasted filed for first-time claims for unemployment last week, indicating that demand is still resilient enough to maintain current employment levels. Jobless claims dropped 29,000 from 372,000, down to 343,000, beating the forecast of 369,000. The pace of

dismissals may indicate that companies are poised to boost hiring should the economy avert damage should US lawmakers find a way to resolve the fiscal cliff of tax increase and spending cuts at the beginning of next year.

Retail sales Retail sales in the US rose in November as demand for automobiles rebounded and holiday shoppers snapped up electronics and clothes. The 0.3% gain followed a 0.3% decrease in October. The expected strengthening in retail sales growth was largely informed by indications of a sharp recovery in auto sales that was expected to send sales at dealerships up 4.0% after Hurricane Sandy sent sales down 1.9% in October. Greece drew enough bonds to its sovereign debt buyback to meet the International Monetary Fund’s target to qualify for aid. European Governments have agreed to provide the extra aid for Greece,

approving a payout of EUR 49.1 billion of loans through March 2013. The EU ministers have also stated that they are willing to take “additional measures” incase Greece’s debt reduction change course.

German investor confidence jumped in December, surpassing all expectations, on speculation Europe’s largest economy will gather momentum next year. The ZEW index climbed to 6.9 from -15.7 in November, against a forecasted -11.5.

German Flash Manufacturing (PMI) continued to decline during the latest survey period and at a faster pace than in the previous month, it dropped to 46.3 from 46.8 in November. The fall reflected client uncertainty about the direction of the economy and a desire to keep stocks to a minimum.

Kuwait Kuwaiti Dinar at 0.28100 The USDKWD opened at 0.28065 yesterday morning.

24

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

business

Tumbling over cliff may yield fiscal solution Controlled, temporary fall may be an option WASHINGTON: Diving off the so-called fiscal cliff with no Plan B at the ready is perilously risky, most Americans would agree.

But what about a controlled, temporary fall?

It is an option that the White House and Republican leaders are scrambling to avoid, through tense 11th-hour negotiations to strike a deal that would prevent more than $500 billion in tax hikes and mandated federal spending cuts from kicking in beginning January 1.

Many in Washington would howl in protest at such an irresponsible gamble as purposely tumbling off the cliff, and there is no airtight certainty over how the markets, both American and international, would react. But working out a deal in the suddenly severe landscape of early 2013, when tax hikes hit all Americans who have jobs, could prove politically more palatable for some conservative Republicans.

Most Republicans in Congress have pledged never to raise taxes, while President Barack Obama insists on hiking tax rates on households earning over $250,000 per year as part of any deficit reduction deal. With the higher rates written into law come January 1 when the Bush-era tax breaks expire, Congress could then quickly pass new legislation lowering rates for the middle class back to their current levels, while keeping those for the wealthiest at the higher rate.

That would let Republicans tell constituents they actually voted for a tax

decrease, while President Barack Obama could tell his backers that he did not relent on his campaign vow to raise taxes on the wealthy. Economists are divided over the immediate implications of a cliff dive, but some have come to refer to the looming tax hikes and $1.2 trillion in spending cuts to military and domestic programs as a “fiscal slope,” with the effect being gradual.

Gary Thayer, an economist at Wells Fargo Advisors, said it would still be possible for 2012 to end without an agreement, while still not provoking broad financial damage.

“Congress could easily make any agreement retroactive to the beginning of the year,” Thayer said, referring to a potential move to return rates on most Americans to current levels. Stock markets “might not overreact” if there was no December deal, provided both parties are still working toward an agreement in January, he added.

“There’s a highly likely chance we’re going to go over the cliff,” economist Nouriel Roubini told Bloomberg TV. “If we do so, the market reaction is going to force the two sides to reach an agreement.”

There are signs of movement on negotiations. House Speaker John Boehner reportedly proposed allowing taxes to rise on those earning over $1 million, provided there are significant reforms made in the coming year to benefit programs like Medicare, the federal health care for the elderly.

And on Sunday, in what would be anoth-

er concession, The Washington Post said Boehner offered to push back the fight over raising the debt ceiling by a year. Boehner’s office declined to confirm either report.

Leaving aside the “Thelma and Louise” over-the-cliff histrionics employed by both sides in the weeks leading up to the deadline, aides and congressional experts on Capitol Hill are quietly acknowledging that rolling the fiscal crunch into 2013 is viable. “I think it’s got to be a quiet effort, if it’s happening, since polling indicates people are afraid of the cliff, and inclined to blame the GOP if it happens,” one congressional strategist told AFP. As long as that retroactivity can be applied to cover the first few days or weeks of January, “then damage would be minimal,” he said.

As the parties tussle, some Democrats openly embrace two options: ensure tax rates rise on the wealthiest and programs like Social Security and Medicare remain intact, or let it ride into the new year.

“If there is no agreement, we go off the cliff,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi bluntly told reporters earlier this month.

Last week, Republican freshman congressman Andy Harris said he would vote against any tax increase that was not accompanied by federal spending cuts at least 10 times as large. If Obama balked at such a deal, “then we go over the cliff,” Harris said, according to the Post.

Much of the urgency is driven by the business community, and “they’re well with-

in their rights to do so,” said Dick Keil of nonpartisan consulting firm Purple Strategies, noting that the Business Roundtable, a bloc of top chief executives, wrote Obama and congressional leaders urging a serious com-

promise. “What might work well for politicians in Washington-some Kabuki theater maneuvering, with final results to be decided-is actually a very bad thing for business,” he said. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Fog obscures the Capitol dome on Capitol Hill in Washington. Big tax increases will hit millions of families and businesses a lot sooner than many realize if Congress and the White House don’t agree on a plan to avoid the year-end fiscal cliff of automatic tax increases and government spending cuts. — AP

Oil edges below $108, US talks eyed LONDON: Oil edged below $108 a barrel yesterday as investors remained concerned over the progress of US budget deficit reduction talks, countering support from signs of a brighter economic outlook in China.

The first real movement in the talks began on Sunday, with Republican House Speaker John Boehner edging closer to President Barack Obama’s key demands on taxation. But investor concern over the pace of progress was weighing on markets, including European stocks. Brent crude for February was down 42 cents at $107.76 a barrel by 0926 GMT, having earlier risen as

high as $108.50. U.S. crude for January was down 7 cents to $86.66.

Oil had gained on Friday after surveys showed China’s manufacturing sector grew in early December and that US factories were having their best month since April. “We’re just seeing a bit of consolidation after that uptick in China data improved sentiment,” said Ben Le Brun, a markets analyst at OptionsXpress in Sydney.

“The market is looking for the next leg-up and that would have to do (with) talks involving the US fiscal cliff.” The United States and China are the world’s largest and secondlargest oil consumers, and stronger

economies would boost fuel use. At present, forecasters such as the International Energy Agency expect sluggish oil demand growth in 2013.

Brent hit a 2012 high of $128 in March and is on course to end the year little changed in percentage terms as economic worries have countered price-supporting supply disruptions in the Middle East and other regions such as the North Sea. Iran’s oil revenues have been cut in half this year from a year ago, a newspaper quoted Iran’s economic minister as saying, an admission of how deeply Western sanctions are cutting Tehran’s chief source of funds. — Reuters

Bank reporting cocktail leaves investors groggy LONDON: European banks are under pressure to standardize how they measure their riskiness as investors grow increasingly wary of the kaleidoscope of methods used.

The variety of approaches covering critical matters such as when a loan becomes impaired and defining what is suspect directly affects how much capital banks must hold and the sort of returns investors can expect. Efforts to harmonize reporting standards have been going on for nearly a decade, but the financial crisis has brought the issue to a head as investors, burned by tumbling share prices and emergency cash calls, are steering clear of those lenders whose risk models they don’t trust.

“This lack of comparability does in our view weigh on the investibility of some banks,” said Jon Peace, a London-based banking analyst with Nomura. “Where transparency is too low to form a clear view on the accuracy of the calculations, investors will be inclined to discount the shares for the uncertainty, whether or not it is warranted.”

Other analysts, who will only speak anonymously because of the sensitivity of the topic, are more blunt, with one describing financial statements as “pointless”, given the lack of consistency across banks and the discretion they have on key metrics.

The treatment of mortgage arrears is particularly diverse. As a general rule, home loans are defined as being in arrears if the repayments are more than 90 days overdue, but it varies widely across Europe. In Portugal, a home loan is overdue when just one month’s payment is missed. In Italy, it is one or two months. At the other end of the spectrum, Denmark’s arrears clock only starts ticking three and a half months after the last payment was made.

In Italy, IntesaSanpaolo was so concerned that comparisons with non-Italian banks would lead to “flawed conclusions” that it incorporated an international comparison into its last results presentation.

Under the method selected for that presentation, Spanish banks’ bad loans would triple to a quarter of total loans. The comparable figure for Italian banks was 9.9 percent.

“We see that in an apple-for-apple comparison, the Spanish figures would triple and would be 2.5 times higher than the Italian ratio,” Chief Executive Enrico Cucchiani said.

“Italian asset quality is significantly underappreciated, and we also see that there is a clear need for greater harmonization and transparency.”

‘Doubtful’ loans are another minefield. Some countries use payment history as the sole determinant, while others use more subjective clauses; in Spain and Portugal, for example, a loan can be classed as doubtful if repayment is considered “uncertain”.

One analyst said the quality of banks’ disclosure was “just as problematic” as the different definitions they use; some banks tell you lots, and some banks tell you very little.

Alain Laurin, a senior vice president at credit rating agency Moody’s, said the agency got good co-operation when it asked for more information.

Four analysts, who did not work

for ratings agencies, reported a different experience. “Of course we can ask,” said one. “It doesn’t mean we get it.”Then there’s the issue of capital.

Risk-weighted assets (RWAs), which are a key determinant of the amount of capital a bank needs to hold, are treated differently even by banks in the same country, even though all banks must have their RWA models approved by local regulators. RWAs are a bank’s assets, usually loans, adjusted for the likelihood of nonpayment.

A recent study by the Bank of England recently showed how some banks can put a low ‘weighting’ adjustment on a certain type of loan, meaning there is a strong chance it will be repaid, while others might assign a far higher weight to the same portfolio. — Reuters

TEPCO shares soar 33% after pro-nuke win in Japan polls TOKYO: Fukushima operator TEPCO soared almost 33 percent yesterday, leading an energy firm rally after a pro-nuclear election win in Japan likely means any short-term plan to ditch atomic power will be shelved. Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) rocketed 32.89 percent to 202 yen by the close, Chubu Electric Power jumped 9.59 percent to 1,188 yen and Kansai Electric was up 17.64 percent at 920 yen.

The huge surge on the Tokyo Stock Exchange came after voters on Sunday dumped Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), giving the pro-business Liberal Democratic Party a landslide victory. Anti-nuclear sentiment has run high in Japan after last year’s Fukushima atomic crisis, with opinion polls showing a majority of voters wanted to phase out nuclear power. However, that failed to translate into wider support for the DPJ, which had pledged to work toward a zero-nuclear country, or a group of small anti-nuclear parties which had little impact at the polling booth.

Premier-in-waiting Shinzo Abe, the LDP’s hawkish head, derided the zero-nuclear goal as unrealistic and “irresponsible”-and hinted at keeping atomic power. The LDP has said it would decide on reactor restarts in three years and the nation’s “best energy mix” within a decade.

Major business lobby Keidanren said in a statement Monday that it “welcomes the LDP’s landslide victory”. Japan’s private sector had bemoaned the nation’s energy bills as already too high with less nuclear meaning more challenges for Japan Inc. which was wrestling with a strong yen and weakening overseas demand.

All but two of Japan’s 50 reactors remain switched off in the wake of last year’s atomic accident, the worst in a generation. To plug the energy gap, Japan turned to pricey fossil fuel alternatives-nuclear once supplied about one-third of the resource-poor nation’s power mix.

“We think an LDP victory would reduce the long-term risk of even relatively new nuclear power plants being forcibly decommissioned,” Nomura Securities said in a client note.

The Abe administration was unlikely to rush on reactor restarts until experts from the Nuclear Regulation Authority decide which plants are safe to go back online, the brokerage said.

“Japanese electric power companies will still look to LNG (liquefied natural gas) as an alternative to nuclear power even if the LDP returns to government,” it added. — AFP

25

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

BUSINESS

Dollar surges on Japan vote, US budget weighs LONDON: A win by Japan’s conservative Liberal Democratic Party lifted the dollar to a 20-month high against the yen yesterday, while uncertainty over the prospects for a US budget deal sent European shares lower.

US stock index futures pointed to mixed open on Wall Street where tech giant Apple’s shares will be in the spotlight because of sharp falls in pre-market trade after Citigroup cut its rating for the stock.

The biggest moves of the day came in the currency market following a landslide election victory for Japan’s LDP on Sunday which opened the way for a shift in economic strategy designed to lift the world’s third largest economy out of recession. The triumph was seen as piling pressure on the Bank of Japan to ease further at its next policy meeting, which ends on Thursday, setting the stage for an even bigger fall in the yen.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we were talking about, in March or April time, a move that has taken us up into the mid-nineties (for dollar/yen),” said Simon Derrick, chief currency strategist at Bank of New York Mellon.

“I think when it moves it’s quick and I think it’s going to happen.” The dollar was up 0.3 percent on the day at 83.70 yen , having earlier hit 84.48 yen after the election result became clear, its strongest level since April 2011.

The yen’s fall also boosted the

euro, which jumped to around 111.30 yen, its highest since late March and near its year’s high of

month high on expectations the weaker yen will boost exports by Japanese firms.

known as the “fiscal cliff”, which could send the giant economy back into recession. A new pro-

TOKYO: A pedestrian passes before a share prices board in Tokyo yesterday. Japan’s share prices rose 156.43 points to close 9,893.99 points at the morning session of the Tokyo Stock Exchange after Japan’s conservative opposition swept to victory in national polls, with promises from its leader to press for more central bank easing. —AFP 111.43 yen.

Japan’s Nikkei stock index bucked the downward trend in Asian markets to close at an 8-1/2-

Meanwhile investors were still focused on the year-end deadline to avoid the imposition of steep US tax hikes and spending cuts,

posal for tax hikes on incomes over $1 million a year from US Republican House Speaker John Boehner on Sunday was seen as a

step forward but was still some way from the position of President Barack Obama.

Anxiety over the unresolved differences between the two sides is holding back a rally in equity and commodity markets spurred by the easier monetary policies of the world’s major central banks.

“Global stock prices have almost doubled since March 2009 with total return indices in the US, UK, Germany and some emerging markets at or near all time highs,” said Trevor Greetham, director of asset allocation at Fidelity Worldwide Investment.

The MSCI world equity index edged down 0.02 percent to 336.30 points, though in the last month it has added about six percent for a year to date gain of 12.3 percent.

After making strong gains in recent weeks on the brightening outlook, the FTSE Eurofirst 300 index was down 0.3 percent on Monday following on from a 0.5 percent decline in Asia share markets outside Japan. London’s FTSE 100, Paris’s CAC-40 and Frankfurt’s DAX were flat to 0.5 percent lower.

The major debt markets, however, did take some encouragement from the Boehner proposal on taxes with US Treasury prices edging lower, while German 10-year cash yields rose 0.8 basis points to 1.37 percent.

But traders were cautious about reading too much into the latest

developments.

“It’s important that there’s been a shift, so to that extent it’s a positive development ... (but) people are now wary of overinterpreting what politicians say,” said Marc Ostwald, strategist at Monument Securities in London.

In oil markets investors drew support from a brighter economic outlook for top energy consumer China, although the market remained skittish over the potential impact a failure to reach a budget deal would have on future demand.

“The US economy is on a good track but we need the resolution of the fiscal cliff,” said Andrey Kryuchenkov, analyst at VTB Capital. “Until then, from the point of view of investors, let’s wait and see when we have a definite solution.”

US crude was unchanged at $86.73 a barrel while Brent dipped 0.15 percent to $108.03.

Gold prices were down for a third straight session in line with the softer tone on stock markets.

The precious metal hit a twoweek high above $1,720 an ounce last week after the US Federal Reserve pledged to buy $45 billion a month in longer-term Treasuries last week, a potentially inflationary move that was expected to support gold. But the worries over the fiscal cliff and yearend positioning brought the spot gold down 0.2 percent to around $1,689.50 an ounce. —Reuters

Tax collection still falls short in Greece: EU ‘Athens has trouble dealing with outstanding tax’

CHENGDU: Laborers working on a square outside the world’s biggest standalone building which is now still under construction in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan province. The metropolis of Chengdu, the reference of the breathtaking economic growth in western China, embodies its ambition in the “Global Center” building that is described as “the largest single building in the world. “ —AFP

Ireland to focus on growth as EU president: Minister BRUSSELS: The way forward out of the crisis for Europe is to secure growth and jobs, Irish Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore said yesterday as his country prepares to take over the rotating EU presidency.

Setting out his country’s priorities for the six-month stint at the helm of the European Union, Gilmore said Dublin would make every effort to boost recovery, with jobs, especially for the young, a first priority. Gilmore, who also serves as foreign minister, said that Ireland would be optimistic and realistic about what could be done as the euro-zone languishes in recession and the jobless rate runs at record highs.

At the same time, Europe faces increasing competition and a key issue will be restoring its competitive edge, he said, highlighting the fast growing digital sector in Dublin’s plans for the next six months, which will include a Digital Assembly in June, its biggest function of the term.

Gilmore, whose country takes over January 1 from Cyprus, said trade was also important, with the EU about to

begin talks with Japan on a Free Trade Agreement and hoping to do the same with Washington.

An EU-US FTA was a priority for Brussels, Gilmore said, adding: “I know it is a priority for the US as well,” after raising the issue with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Gilmore noted last week’s accord on the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM), a key step towards a wider ‘banking union’ aimed at preventing any repeat of the disastrous eurozone debt crisis by breaking the link between banks and sovereigns.

It was now “imperative that we move along as soon as possible” with the next steps-a facility for winding up failed banks and a deposit guarantee scheme.

Ireland had to seek help from the EU and IMF in 2011 when its banks ran up so much bad debt that the government was threatened with bankruptcy after trying to keep them afloat.

Gilmore reiterated that Ireland aimed to be the first euro-zone country to emerge from its EU-IMF program next year, ahead of Greece and Portugal who similarly sought help. —AFP

UK homeowners face tepid house price rise LONDON: British homeowners will have to wait a long time before they recoup losses from the last few years on their properties as a weak economy and high unemployment keeps demand in check, a Reuters poll showed. London house prices, however, will continue to outperform as the capital keeps drawing strong demand from overseas investors.

The poll of 28 market watchers, taken in the past week, predicted that UK house prices would rise 0.6 percent in 2013, having dropped by the same amount this year. A 2.0 percent rise was forecast for 2014, medians showed. That marks an improved outlook from a poll taken three months ago, which predicted a flat 2013. Average prices have fallen almost 12 percent from a peak in late 2007, according to data from mortgage lender Nationwide.

“The housing market looks set to remain

in the slow lane in 2013. The short-term economic outlook remains poor and this is expected to overshadow the housing market throughout most of next year,” said Gary Styles at Hometrack, a property analytics business.

London house prices are set to rise 1.0 percent next year and 3.0 percent in 2014, according to a smaller poll sample. “London is a little island of prosperity and it really is hoovering up Chinese, Arab and Russian buyers and I can’t see that is going to change.

The London housing market is going to continue to be a bright spot,” said Tony Williams, an independent analyst.

Britain’s economy jumped out of its second recession in four years in the third quarter but growth in the coming years is expected to be tepid at best. Unemployment held at 7.8 percent in October but is seen averaging 8.3 percent in 2013. —Reuters

BRUSSELS: Greek tax collection is still falling well short of key targets that need to be met to reduce the government’s staggering debt pile, the European Union warned yesterday.

An EU task force helping Greece overcome the financial crisis that brought it to the brink of bankruptcy said Athens still has trouble dealing with old, outstanding tax claims. With 2 months to go in 2012, it was still about a billion euros behind the EU target of recovering 2 billion euros ($2.6 billion). In a report it said Greece made only 88 audits of large taxpayers, well short of a 2012 target of 300, and 467 of “high-wealth individuals,” below a 1,300 target.

Overall, though, EU Vice President Olli Rehn said Greece was tackling problems “with determination and resolve.”

Greece’s partners in the 17country euro-zone agreed only last week to hand over the next disbursement of the country’s bailout loans, which will prevent it from going bankrupt and triggering more turmoil in financial markets.

The cash-strapped country will get a total of 49.1 billion euros ($64 billion) between now and March, with 34.3 billion euros due in the coming days.

In return for the money that will see Greece through the winter months, the country had to commit to further austerity measures, including more spending cuts and tax increases.

And it needs to better enforce rules it already has set to get the

public finances back on track. The EU set up a task force of specialists to guide Greece through that process and it produces quarterly reports to chart progress. Taxation is a particularly tough issue to deal with. “The Greek Tax administra-

Antonis Samaras was strongly committed to an overall reform of the tax system.

Last week, the Greek government proposed legislation for a simplified tax system by which people earning more than

incomes above 100,000 euros ($130,770). There are currently eight tax bands ranging from 18 percent to 45 percent. These will be replaced by three tax rates: 22 percent, 32 percent and 42 percent. For years, Greeks have been

ATHENS: Hundreds of Hellenic Postbank employees protest outside the Finance ministry in Athens yesterday against the planned privatization of the company. —AFP tion is falling short of targets and is not well placed to meet end-2012 benchmarks,” the report said.

The group did insist in the report that the new government of Conservative Prime Minister

Zurich Insurance Group puts Sandy impact at $700m ZURICH: Swiss insurer Zurich Insurance Group said yesterday that Superstorm Sandy had hit it with claims worth about $700 million (532 million euros). “It’s difficult to say exactly how much the final amount will be,” Sylvia Gaeumann, a spokeswoman for the insurer told AFP, pointing out that the impacts of “business interruption take a while to be assessed.”

She said: “It could be a bit higher or a bit lower (but) usually our estimates are good.” She explained that the actual amount of claims was higher than $700 million, but that the insurer was partially shielded through reinsurance coverage, which had kicked in. This however meant that Zurich Insurance Group would need to renew its reinsurance contract, which was expected to cost an extra $58 million before tax, the company said. The estimated costs would be recorded in the company’s fourth quarter and full-year results, which will be published on February 14, it said in a statement.

Zurich Insurance Group was not hit so hard as its compatriot Swiss Re, which late last month put its exposure to Sandy at about $900 million. Earlier this month, US President Barack Obama asked for $60.4 billion in emergency funds to repair devastation after the storm, which flooded the New York subway system and knocked out electricity for hundreds of thousands of people. The floods and wind also destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of homes, schools and hospitals, and created chaos in fuel supplies after refineries and gas stations were damaged. —AFP

42,000 euros ($55,000) per year will now be taxed at a new top rate of 42 percent. Under the new guidelines, the 42 percent top tax rate and earnings threshold replaces the previous level of 45 percent for

complaining about the uncertainty created by an ever-changing tax system, arguing it undermined compliance and revenue. Tax evasion and corruption has long been a major problem. —AP

Russian tycoon becomes Norilsk CEO in board deal MOSCOW: Norilsk Nickel named longtime co-owner Vladimir Potanin as its chief executive yesterday under a deal to end a boardroom war at the world’s top nickel and palladium producer.

Kremlin-backed oligarch Roman Abramovich will take control of a 20 percent voting stake to act as a buffer between Potanin and rival Oleg Deripaska, who owns a share in Norilsk through UC RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminum producer. Speaking after his unanimous election by the Norilsk board, Potanin said he planned to stay in the job for between 18 months and two years. The peace deal will last for 10 years, with the core shareholders agreeing not to keep their stakes for five.

Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Chelsea soccer club, could also act as a conduit for the Kremlin at the cash-rich company that mines the vast mineral deposits of Russia’s far north.

Having brought an end to the four-year feud between Potanin and Deripaska, he could potentially end up sidelining them as President Vladimir Putin seeks to restore order at the $30 billion miner that was privatized in the mid-1990s.

Deripaska and Potanin now lose their

blocking voting stakes and Abramovich steps in with the ability to serve the president’s interests early in his new six-year term. “Roman Abramovich is a businessman who wants to make money,” a wellconnected industry insider said of the deal.

“Norilsk Nickel is a cash machine that doesn’t need to fear a crisis.” Alexander Abramov, Abramovich’s partner in Evraz, Russia’s largest steelmaker, is to become board chairman at Norilsk Nickel, a source said. Norilsk’s shareholders will elect a new board on March 11.

The company will pay around half of its core earnings, expressed as earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in dividends over the next few years, said Potanin. It will start paying dividends twice-yearly in 2014.

Vladimir Strzhalkovsky, who like Putin served in the Soviet KGB security force, steps down as CEO - a demand by Deripaska that Potanin had resisted.

Sources close to the company’s shareholders said last week that Strzhalkovsky, who sided with Potanin and launched a series of buybacks during the dispute over Norilsk Nickel’s cash flows, would have a $100-million severance deal. —Rueters

26

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

BUSINESS

Jazeera Airways launches rights issue to fund growth Issue to help increase capital by 74% to KD 42m: Boodai KUWAIT: Jazeera Airways Group yesterday held a briefing session for regional and international business media to guide them through the rights issue, its objectives, and the strategic drive behind it.

The briefing session was headed by Jazeera Air ways Chairman Mar wan Boodai, who told reporters that “This rights issue is of strategic importance for the company and will help fund future growth plans as well as close current high-interest commitments”.

The rights issue, which was announced last week and kicked-off today, aims to increase Jazeera Airways Group’s capital by 74% to KD42 million by issuing of 178 million shares at a nominal value of 100 fils per share.

The subscription period is from Monday December 17 to December 31, 2012 and is open to existing shareholders.

The rights issue prospectus is available for review at the company’s investor relations page on jazeeraairways.com, at the Kuwait Clearing Company, the Kuwait Stock Exchange and Jazeera Airways Group’ headquarters.

An Amiri Decree was issued earlier in August, approving of the company’s decision to raise its capital to KD42 million through a rights issue to exist-

ing shareholders. Customary ministerial process was finalized beginning of the month and an official announcement was made in Kuwait ’s official gazette (Kuwait Al Youm) on Sunday, December 09.

Jazeera Air ways is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange and is one of the few fully-private airlines in the Middle East. Jazeera Airways has had a recordbreaking earnings streak for the past nine quarters, registering record net

Jazeera Airways Chairman Marwan Boodai presents the rights issue.

profits in eight of the last nine quarters.

Last month, Jazeera Air ways announced a record Q3 net profit of KD7.6 million, up 24.6% from the same period last year, as well as its best ninemonth results for the year of KD11.4 million, up 23.6% from same period last year.

Jazeera Airways Group comprises a fleet of 15 A320 aircraft, 12 of which are already delivered and placed. The remaining aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2013 and 2014.

The 12 delivered aircraft are distributed between its airline business (Jazeera Airways, operating seven aircraft), and its fully-owned leasing business (Sahaab Aircraft Leasing, operating five aircraft).Sahaab has assets placed with Virgin America and SriLankan Airlines.

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.

Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons launches offers on new Chevrolet vehicles KUWAIT: Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons Automotive, the exclusive distributor of Chevrolet vehicles in Kuwait, caters your needs for every season, especially a season that is highly anticipated by people in Kuwait. Since friends and families who are preparing themselves to spend quality time camping in the vast deserts during wintertime, the company took the opportunity to offer attractive installments on the Chevrolet line up.

Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons Automotive offers the Silverado at a monthly installment of only KD 99, All-New 2013 Trailblazer at a monthly installment of KD 149, Tahoe at a monthly installment of KD 179, Captiva at a monthly installment of KD 109 and Traverse at a monthly installment of KD 129.The promotion extends to all new Chevrolet line up.

Whether your plans include an adventurous trip or a leisurely time spent camping in the

desert, the Silverado proves to be the ultimate choice for you as it prevails over any rugged paths that might be on your route. The Silverado, available as

able and toughest SUV, is globally renowned for its slogan: raw power, refined. The solid drive comes with a powerful 5.3 L V8 engine and a 6-speed automatic

Stabilitrak. The Tahoe is also equipped with convenient features including cruise control and remote engine starter.

The 2012 Chevrolet Traverse

regular cab, extended cab and crew cab comes to you with a 4.8L, 5.3L or 6.0L - V8, 4X2 and 4X4.

The Tahoe, Kuwait’s most reli-

transmission that pumps out 320 hp. A car for all needs, the Tahoe is loaded with safety and security measures including eight airbags, ABS as well as

is a car for every family. Powered by a 3.6L, V6 engine generating 281 HP, the Chevrolet Traverse is an expressively styled, wellequipped crossover that com-

Cyprus may default within days: Official NICOSIA: Cyprus could default on loan payments due this month unless it can reach an agreement on a bailout with international lenders within days, a government official said yesterday.

“If in the coming days the state is unable to secure 250300 million euros ($330-$395 million), then the state will proceed to default on payments,” finance ministry official Christos Patsalides told a parliamentary committee.

Patsalides said the government had no “plan B” if it fails to reach an agreement on a bailout.

The cash-strapped government wants to dip into the pension and provident funds of semi-government organizations as it has nowhere to turn to secure such amounts on a shortterm basis. Employees of the telecommunications authority have protested against such moves as they fear they will not get their money back.

Patsalides said the government needed a total of 420 million euros to meet its needs but that 170 million euros had been secured from “external sources”. A troika of lenders-the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund-is reviewing Cyprus’s request for EU financial aid which is expected to go before the eurogroup on January 21.

But it would take weeks before Cyprus sees its first tranche of money. An independent assessment is being carried out on how much the Greek-exposed banking system needs to boost liquidity. But the final report is due in midJanuary, meaning extra funds must be found in the mean time. The troika said good progress has been made but some adjustments are needed, and the amount Cyprus needs to borrow will determine whether that debt is sustainable.

Nicosia has pushed through a tough austerity measures to meet troika demands in making over a billion euros in cuts and savings. The four-year adjustment program represents 7.25 percent of gross domestic product. Parliament has approved public sector salary cuts ranging from 6.5 percent to 15.5 percent, a freeze on index-linked wages until 2016 and extended emergency salary contributions in the private and public sector. Benefits have also been slashed while taxes on cigarettes, alcohol and petrol have all gone up.

Cyprus requested a bailout in June when its two largest Greek-exposed banks asked for assistance after failing to meet EU capital buffer criteria. It then nationalized the island’s second biggest lender Cyprus Popular Bank after underwriting its 1.8 billion euro capital issue.

The money needed by Cyprus has been widely reported to total 17.5 billion euros — 10 billion euros for the banks, 6.0 billion euros for maturing state debt and 1.5 billion euros for public finances.

The country’s entire GDP in 2011 was 17.97 billion euros and, according to 2013 budget projections, it is expected to shrink 2.4 percent this year to 17.85 billion euros. —AFP

fortably seats for eight passengers in its spacious interior cabin. Apart from earning a five-star frontal and side-impact crash test rating, the Traverse’s safety features are further enhanced with its three rows of airbags, rear ultrasonic parking assist, StabiliTrak as well as an electronic stability control system with traction control system.

Yet again, Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons Automotive confirms its commitment on providing everyone with the best offers on the latest cars as well as a complete ownership experience in the world’s largest and most advanced service center that satisfies every customer with its excellent after-sales service. Take advantage of this limited time offer by dropping by any of Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons’ showrooms located in Al Rai, Shuwaikh, Fahaheel and Sharq to buy a Chevrolet vehicle that will suit your needs.

Nissan seeks ultimate ‘Nissan Patrol challenge’ DUBAI: Having conquered everything the Middle East’s environment can throw at it for over 50 years, Nissan is encouraging the region’s people to create a new ‘Nissan Patrol Challenge’ for the unstoppable Hero of all terrain. Nissan Patrol was designed specifically for the Middle East following 13,265 hours of testing in the region before its launch and has since been confidently carrying its passengers anywhere, anytime.

Now Nissan’s online competition is encouraging fans to design an innovative test for the Patrol and give themselves a chance of winning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Japan or other great prizes.

“Meticulously honed for over 60 years and with a 55 year presence in the Middle East, the Nissan Patrol enjoys a rich heritage and passionate

following,” said Samir Cherfan, Sales and Marketing Director, Nissan Middle East.”With ‘Nissan Patrol

Challenge’, we are offering the region’s people the opportunity to share their great ideas of how they’ve

dreamt of using this iconic vehicle.

‘Nissan Patrol Challenge’ is the next chapter in the Nissan Patrol’s history

in the Middle East and we look forward to sharing in our fans’ vision of what that might look like.”

Citadel Capital portfolio company divests offshore Gulf of Suez asset KUWAIT: Citadel Capital, (CCAP.CA on the Egyptian Exchange), the leading private equity firm in the Middle East and Africa with $9.5 billion in investments under control, confirmed yesterday portfolio company National Petroleum Company Egypt Ltd (NPC Egypt) has divested the National Petroleum Company Shukheir Marine Ltd. The acquiring party is Sea Dragon Holding Ltd, a subsidiary of Sea Dragon Energy of Canada.

Under the terms of the share purchase agreement, Sea Dragon Holding Ltd will pay NPC Egypt $250,000 in cash at closing while

also assuming at closing responsibility for c. $3 million of the National Petroleum Company Shukheir Marine Ltd’s existing accounts payable.

“This transaction is the first of a number that will see us exit non-core portfolio and platform companies as part of our transformation over the coming three years into an investment company. This transaction is important because it reduces our risk and increases our focus. Our goal is simple: To create value for shareholders by holding 11 strategic investments in five industries including energy, transportation

and logistics, agriculture and consumer foods, mining and cement across our core footprint in Egypt, East Africa and North Africa,” said Citadel Capital Chairman and Founder, Ahmed Heikal.

The assets of the National Petroleum Company Shukheir Marine Ltd. include a 100% participating interest in the Shukeir Marin concession containing the offshore Gulf of Suez concessions at the Shukeir Bay and Gamma oil fields. Citadel Capital’s effective ownership of National Petroleum Company Egypt Ltd. (NPC Egypt) stands at 15.05%.

Renault GCC launches first brand campaign for region KUWAIT: ‘Milestones’ is the first Renault Brand campaign in the GCC, highlighting its four pillar models: Renault Duster, Renault Safrane, Renault Fluence and Renault Megane Hatch. Since 2009, Renault sales in the region have shown a fantastic growth momentum of 323% to date. The new fully localised campaign represents a new step in Brand development and reflects Renault’s long term commitment towards consumers in the GCC. Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al-Babtain Co: ‘Milestones’ is a 360 degree communication campaign promoted through TV, print and digital media across the GCC ,including Kuwait. The TV commercial is directed by an Emirati film director. In this film, Renault clearly articulates its people-centric values through highlighting key milestones in people’s life such as marriage, graduation, work promotion or having a baby - events that Renault is always part of.

Renault’s ‘Milestones’ campaign will run until 20 December 2012, offering retail customers a free-ofcharge service package for two years or 40,000 kilometres (whichever comes first, in line with Renault’s service maintenance book). The offer is available on the purchase of any of the car models featured in the promotion.

Renault GCC has created a digital platform on www.renault-milestones.com to provide information on all the cars and allow potential buyers to register for test drives. Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al Babtain Co, the exclusive dealer of Renault vehicles in Kuwait, stressed its support to the campaign knowing that it will enhance Renault’s sales in the region by attracting its fans to own its unique models. Consequently, Renault’s brand name will expand in the GCC region, particularly Kuwait, which lately received an honorary award from Renault for achieving its goals and targets in year 2011, in addition to providing excellent postsale services. The award reflects Al Babtain’s commitment to reaching its planned strategies and objectives as well as satisfying its customers by providing them with finest services.

Mustansir Lakdawala, Managing Director of Renault GCC, said: “We have registered strong sales momentum since 2009. This year marks record sales for Renault since its establishment in the GCC. At the end of October 2012, Renault GGC has sold more units than we did during the 12-months of 2011. We are confident that ‘Milestones’ will further drive this momentum and firmly boost our Brand awareness.”

Benoit Turibe, Marketing Director of Renault GCC, said: “Renault is a ‘people centric ’ Brand. The ‘Milestones’ TV commercial delivers with emotion and simplicity our Brand’s philosophy. Renault offers excellent quality / price ratio with models that suit the needs of the cosmopolitan population living in the region and this is why there’s a Renault for every ‘Milestones’ in life. In this direction, it was obvious and necessary for us to localize this campaign at all levels; from the selection of a local director to the local casts and to the shooting of the film in the region. This campaign is also a ‘Milestone’ for us in our Brand development strategy for the GCC. The Renault Brand potential is massive and we are here to stay.”

Milestones models RENAULT DUSTER At the end of September 2012, within six months of its official launch in the GCC, the Renault Duster has taken the fourth best-selling spot in the Renault lineup and already ranks amongst the 15-bestselling SUVS segment models in the GCC. In order to meet the wide-ranging needs of different regions, the ‘shockingly affordable’ Renault Duster, which is especially tested in the GCC, is available in 4x4 6-speed MT and 4x2 4speed AT versions powered by a 2.0 16V (135 hp) engine.

RENAULT SAFRANE Renault Safrane is Renault GCC’s flagship model, offering world-class technology, comfort and safety.

Renault Safrane features in the 15-bestselling European cars in the region for the period ending September 2012. Equipped with one of the three fuelefficient engines delivered from the Renault-Nissan Alliance,-2.0 16V (140 hp) X-Tronic CVT, 2.5 V6 (180 hp) 6-speed AT and 3.5 V6 (240 hp) 6-speed AT, Renault Safrane is a generously dimensioned, elegant saloon car that provides exceptional comfort and wellbeing to its occupants.

RENAULT FLUENCE The Renault Fluence has earned the distinction of being one of the top 10 selling European models in the GCC, at the period ending September 2012.The three-volume saloon with a comfortable cabin, boasts two power trains that guarantee absolute driving pleasure, including 1.6 16V (112 hp) X-Tronic CVT and the 2.0 16V (143 hp) X-Tronic CVT. In addition to a list of features, Renault Fluence offers automatic dualzone climate control and rear AC ducts as standard equipment in its upper trim level.

RENAULT MEGANE HATCH The Renault Megane Hatch offers remarkable onroad ability, outstanding comfort and design along with an attractive selection of high-end equipment and features. It is available with a 1.6 16V (105 hp) 4speed AT and 2.0 16V (140 hp) X-Tronic CVT. The Renault MÈgane Hatch presents a practical driving environment with controls that are both ergonomically positioned and intuitive.

27

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

New Google Maps boasts big improvements

By Bree Fowler NEW YORK: Like a lot of people, I was happy and relieved to see Google Maps return to the iPhone. I’d been frustrated with the Apple mapping software that had replaced it three months ago. For one thing, it didn’t have public transit directions, a feature important for New Yorkers like me. Apple’s mapping app also wasn’t as good as the old Google app in finding destinations. I often had to type full addresses rather than just the name of a business. I tried to get by with maps on Google’s mobile website instead, but I found that clunky and slower to start up. So when Google Maps returned this week as its own app, I installed it right away. Although it may not be perfect, it is a big step up from both Apple’s current software and the old Google-powered Maps app that Apple kicked off the iPhone in September.

For the first time, Google Maps has turn-by-turn voice navigation on the iPhone, and with that, automatic recalculation of routes whenever you make a wrong turn. The feature had been available on Android phones since 2009, but Google’s previous refusal to bring it to the iPhone is believed to be a key reason Apple decided to develop its own technology. The new app also offers public transit information for more than 500 cities around the world. That’s a feature Apple’s own mapping software lacks.

The turn-by-turn driving directions work exceptionally well. It quickly and accurately calculated the most direct route from AP’s headquarters in Manhattan to my home in the Bronx. It offered a variety of routes for traveling from New York to Boston. The app’s voice directions came in the form of a pleasant female voice that sounded much more human than the GPS system my husband had in his car years ago. She was

also more pleasant to hear than Siri, the virtual assistant on my iPhone 4S. The maps themselves are clear and easy to read, and directions were easy to understand. But don’t worry if you’re the type of person, like my husband, who finds voice directions annoying. There’s a mute option. Google’s app usually gives you the choice of a couple of routes.

Unlike Apple’s app, Google Maps lets you automatically exclude routes that

NEW YORK: In this Dec 13, 2012 photo, the new Google Maps application is demonstrated. — AP involve highways or tolls. You can also add an overlay showing how bad the traffic is along the way, along with satellite and extensive street-level photography of the area you’re traveling through.

Those features are much more limited in Apple’s app.

To test out the walking directions, I took to the streets of New York. I didn’t get as many bells and whistles as the driving directions. For instance, there was no nice lady to tell me which way to go, because the voice directions only work for driving. In addition, the app doesn’t automatically recalculate your route if you miss a turn. The little blue

Internet regulation is seen at national level SAN FRANCISCO: The world’s major Internet companies, backed by US policymakers, got much of what they wanted last week when many nations refused to sign a global telecommunications treaty that opponents feared could lead to greater government control over online content and communications. In rejecting even mild Internet language in the updated International Telecommunications Union treaty and persuading dozens of other countries to refuse their signatures, the US made a powerful statement in support of the open Internet, US officials and industry leaders said.

But both technologists and politicians fear the Internet remains in imminent danger of new controls imposed by various countries, and some said the rift that only widened during the 12-day ITU conference in Dubai could wind up hastening the end of the Net as we know it. “If the international community can’t agree on what is actually quite a simple text on telecommunications, then there is a risk that the consensus that has mostly held today around Internet governance within (Web-address overseer) ICANN and the multi-stakeholder model just falls apart over time,” a European delegate told Reuters. “Some countries clearly think it is time to rethink that whole system, and the fights over that could prove irresolvable.”

An increasing number of nations are alarmed about Internet-based warfare, international cybercrime or internal dissidents’ use of so-called “over-the-top” services such as Twitter and Facebook that are outside the control of domestic telecom authorities. Many hoped that the ITU would prove the right forum to set standards or at least exchange views on how to handle their problems.

But the United States’ refusal to sign the treaty even after all mention of the Internet had been relegated to a side resolution may have convinced other countries that they have to go it alone, delegates said. “This could lead to a balkanization of the Internet, because each country will have its own view on how to deal with over-the-top players and will regulate the Internet in a different way,” said another European delegate, who would speak only on condition anonymity. Without US and European cooperation, “maybe in the future we could come to a fragmented Internet”, said Andrey Mukhanov, international chief at Russia’s Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications.

Spurred on by search giant Google and others, the Americans took a hard line against an alliance of countries that wanted the right to know more about the routing of Internet traffic or identities of Web users, including Russia, and developing countries that wanted content providers to pay at least some of the costs of transmission. The West was able to rally more countries against the ITU having any Internet role than agency officials had expected, leaving just 89 of 144 attending nations willing to sign the treaty immediately. They also endorse a nonbinding resolution that the ITU should play a future role guiding

dot marking your location just continues on its merry way in the wrong direction. To get the voice and the recalculations, you’d have to walk with driving directions, but you might then find yourself walking farther as the app won’t let you walk against traffic on oneway street or through a park on recreational paths.

Google’s mapping service is typically adorned with multitudes of landmarks

Internet standards, along with private industry and national governments.

Some delegates charged that the Americans had planned on rejecting any treaty and so were negotiating under false pretenses. “The US had a plan to try and water down as much of the treaty as it could and then not sign,” the second European said. Other allied delegates and a US spokesman hotly disputed the claim. “The US was consistent and unwavering in its positions,” he said. “In the end-and only in the end-was it apparent that the proposed treaty would not meet that standard.”

But the suspicion underscores the unease greeting the United States on the issue. Some in Russia, China and other nations suspect the US of using the Net to sow discontent and launch spying and military attacks. Ror many technology companies, and for activists who are helping dissidents, the worst-case scenario now would be a split in the structural underpinnings of the Internet. In theory, the electronic packets that make up an email or Web session could be intercepted and monitored near their origin, or traffic could be subjected to massive firewalls along national boundaries, as is the case in China.

Most technologists view the former scenario as unlikely, at least for many years: the existing Internet protocol is too deeply entrenched, said Milton Mueller, a Syracuse University professor who studies Net governance. “People who want to ‘secede’ from that global connectivity will have to introduce costly technical exceptions to do so,” Mueller said. A more immediate prospect is stricter national regulations requiring Internet service providers and others to help monitor, report and censor content, a trend that has already accelerated since the Arab Spring revolts.

Jonathan Zittrain, co-founder of Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet Society, also predicted more fragmentation at the application level, with countries like China encouraging controllable homegrown alternatives to the likes of Facebook and Twitter.

Zittrain, Mueller and other experts said fans of the open Net have much work to do in Dubai’s wake. They say government and industry officials should not only preach the merits of the existing system, in which various industry-led non-profit organizations organize the core Internet protocols and procedures, but strive to articulate a better way forward.

“The position we’re in now isn’t tenable,” said James Lewis, a cybersecurity advisor to the White House based at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “For us to say ‘No, it’s got be an ad hoc arrangement of non-governmental entities and a nonprofit corporation ... maybe we could get away with that 10 years ago, but it’s going to be increasingly hard.” Lewis said the United States needed to concede a greater role for national sovereignty and the UN, while Mueller said the goal should be a “more globalized, transnational notion of communications governance” that will take decades to achieve. — Reuters

such as tourist spots, dry cleaners and bars. To test this out, I took a walk up Ninth Avenue toward Hell’s Kitchen. I found that while Google knows this neighborhood pretty well, it doesn’t know it as well as I do. A pawn shop that closed and was replaced by a Dunkin’ Donuts a month or two ago is still shown as such on the map (then again, it’s not even listed in Apple’s mapping app). A bar that changed its name last summer still is listed under its former identity, the same as in the Apple software. And only about half of the many restaurants on the roughly 10 blocks I walked are listed.

There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of

rhyme or reason as to what made the map and what didn’t. Still, there appears to be more landmarks in Google Maps than in Apple’s app.

Back at the office, I did searches using both Google Maps and Apple’s software for 10 places by entering just the names, not the addresses. The locations included my daughter’s pediatrician in the Bronx and some of my favorite restaurants in New York City and my much smaller hometown of Okemos, Mich. I also threw in my parents’ house. Apple’s software found seven of the 10 locations.

It couldn’t find my daughter’s pediatrician or one of my doctors in Manhattan without an address. It couldn’t find my favorite restaurant in Okemos, until I added the town’s name to my search.

Google Maps easily found eight, including that restaurant without the town’s name. I know people have complained about Apple’s maps showing landmarks at the wrong location, but Google Maps is the one that goofed: While it has the right address for the AP’s Detroit office, where I worked years ago, the pin marking its location is about a block off. Apple’s pin was much more accurate. As for my parents’ house, Apple is able to find it because it accesses the contacts on my phone. Google Maps doesn’t do that.

For people like me who live in big cities or travel a lot, the addition of public transit information is a big plus. For basic directions, Google Maps works very well.

It’s able to find my apartment building in a far-flung neighborhood of the Bronx (though Google still thinks my building is about half a block north of where it actually is).

It gives me a couple ways to get there on the subway and bus, along with pretty accurate travel times. If you have a preference of subway, bus or light rail, you can filter out the other options. The app shows me the correct express bus

routes from my office to my home, but fails to mention that it costs $5.50 to ride that bus, rather than the usual $2.25. It also doesn’t mention that regular monthly transit passes don’t work on those buses.

I also asked the app for light rail options as I live about a five-minute walk from a Metro-North railroad stop. But instead of sending me across town to Grand Central Terminal to catch a 25minute train ride home, the app offers a convoluted set of instructions that involves taking an Amtrak train to the suburbs and then heading back into the city on another Metro-North train. While technically faster, the directions are far from practical (or cheap). It’s also worth mentioning that unlike what you get with HopStop.com or the public transit agency’s website, you can’t ask for a handicapped accessible route. That means you can’t find out if the subway stop you’re traveling to has an elevator (hint: many in New York still don’t). This can cause big problems for everyone from moms with strollers to the wheelchair bound. But the bigger problem is not having the transit directions at all, as Apple’s mapping app is guilty of.

As with any mobile app, you’re at the mercy of your wireless connection. While out walking in midtown Manhattan, I lost my cellular signal several times, putting a stop to my little blue dot’s progress or sending it way off the street I was traveling down. I knew where I was going, but if you’re a tourist in an unfamiliar city, this could be a problem. That’s the case whether you’re using Google’s or Apple’s product. The one clear advantage that Apple has is style. Like Apple devices, the maps are clean and clear and have a fun, pretty element to them, especially in 3-D. But when it comes down to depth and information, Google still reigns superior and will no doubt be welcomed back by its fans. —AP

Robotic arm gets closer than ever to human limb Paralysed woman controls prosthetic arm with thought LONDON: Researchers in the United States have developed a robotic arm controlled directly by thought with a level of agility closer than ever to a normal human limb. Jan Scheuermann, a 52 year-old woman who was diagnosed with a degenerative brain disorder 13 years ago and is paralysed from the neck down, was able operate the robotic arm with a level of control and fluidity not seen before in this type of advanced prosthesis. Experts are calling it a remarkable step forward for prosthetics controlled directly by the brain.

Other systems have already allowed paralysed patients to type or write in freehand simply by thinking about the letters they want.

And in the last month, researchers in Switzerland used electrodes implanted directly on the retina to enable a blind patient to read.The development of brain-machine interfaces is moving quickly and scientists predict the technology could eventually be used to bypass nerve damage and re-awaken a person’s own paralysed muscles. In the meantime, they say, systems like this could be paired with robotic ‘exoskeletons’ that allow paraplegics and quadraplegics to walk.

In the latest study, published in the Lancet, a research team from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center implanted two

microelectrode devices into the woman’s left motor cortex, the part of the brain that initiates movement. The medics used a realtime brain scanning technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging to find the exact part of the brain that lit up after the patient was asked to think about moving her now unresponsive arms. The electrodes were connected to the robotic hand via a computer running a complex algorithm to translate the signals that mimics the way an unimpaired brain controls healthy limbs.

“These electrodes are remarkable devices in that they are very small,” Michael Boninger, who worked on the study, told Reuters. “You can’t buy them in Radio Shack.” But Boninger said the way the algorithm operates is the main advance. Accurately translating brain signals has been one of the biggest challenges in mind-controlled prosthetics. “There is no limit now to decoding human motion,” he said. “It gets more complex when you work on parts like the hand, but I think that, once you can tap into desired motion in the brain, then how that motion is effected has a wide range of possibilities.”

It took weeks of training for Scheuermann to master control of the hand, but she was able to move it after two days, and over time

she completed tasks - such as picking up objects, orientating them, and moving them to a target position - with a 91.6 percent success rate. Her speed increased with practice.

The researchers plan to incorporate wireless technology to remove the need for a wired connection between the patient’s head and the prosthesis. They also believe a sensory loop could be added that gives feedback to the brain, allowing the user to tell the difference between hot and cold, or smooth and rough surfaces.

“This bioinspired brain-machine interface is a remarkable technological and biomedical achievement,” said GrÈgoire Courtine at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, who was not involved in the study.

“Though plenty of challenges lie ahead, these sorts of systems are rapidly approaching the point of clinical fruition,” Courtine said in a comment piece in the Lancet linked to the study.

Although using technology to restore movement, sight or hearing in the disabled would for many seem uncontroversial, some disability rights groups and ethicists are wary.

They argue that restoring hearing, for instance, could fuel a prejudice that a deaf life is less rich, or less well lived. — Reuters

Japan women enamoured of ‘Mr Right’ game apps TOKYO: After being saved from kidnapping, you discover you’re the daughter of the prime minister and your life is in imminent danger. You are introduced to a handful of handsome bodyguards, and must decide who you want to protect you 24 hours a day. That’s the scenario for one of several role-playing “love games” currently popular in Japan, allowing women to safely spend time with their choice of Mr Right without actually dealing with a live person - even as marriage rates in Japan fall. “In the game, you’re the lone woman, and the attention of all the guys is on you,” said “han-kura,” a 37-year-old office worker who uses that alias on a blog dedicated to these games.

The role-playing games are based on characters typical of Japanese manga comics, with all the men slender and elegant. The player becomes the heroine and chooses an ideal mate from several “knight in shining armour” characters, developing a relationship through the choices they make in the storyline. The games, which can be played on smart phones, are especially popular with working single women in their 30s who feel they don’t have the time or energy for a real relationship due to their demanding work schedule, said Kana Shimada, a novelist who writes about modern women and relationships. “It may be virtual, but if it’s ‘a boyfriend from a game,’ then you can enjoy it whenever you want,” said Shimada. “The games that make you feel the ups and downs of a real relationship have all the elements to get women hooked.”

The video game industry has always had a strong male following, but it seems to have found a way to finally capitalize on female users. The sector based on such love simulation games grew by 30.4 percent with 14.6 billion yen ($177.3 million) in sales in 2011, according to Yano Research Institute. The games come in several episodes, each costing around 500 yen ($5.98). The growth of smart phones has had a hand in this popularity through their portability and privacy, said Nozomi Wada, an editor at AppBank, a website that reviews apps.

UAE Internet users keen on communicating, entertaining recent Kaspersky Lab survey on the daily Internet activities has revealed the UAE users are more likely to use a variety of online services to communicate and amuse themselves. Email, social networks, and online video were the most popular, with almost 85 percent, 83 percent and 82 percent of users dealing with them correspondently every day. And if the world average for email activity is almost the same (86 percent), the interest in social networks and online video worldwide is approximately 10 percent lower than in the UAE. The next group of the most popular activities includes downloading free software (68 percent), communicating via video calling services as Skype (62 per-

A

cent), and listening to music or the radio over the web (60 percent). And to point it out, the popularity of video-and-voice services among the UAE Internet users is significantly higher than average in the world - the difference rises up to 30 percent. Besides, half of all UAE Internet users are keen on communicating via instant messaging (56 percent) or gaming (50 percent). Nearly the same percentage of people (54 percent) uses the Internet as a source of multimedia content - music, films, and videos. The addiction to these activities generally corresponds to the world averages for them. Meanwhile, the number of UAE citizens who use the Internet to perform financial transactions is well below the world average.

28

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

health & science

Can exercise detoxify body? Experts skeptical NEW YORK: The word “detoxification” is flung around the fitness community as frequently as kettlebells are swung.

Yoga teachers regularly speak of detoxifying twists, aerobics instructors of detoxifying sweat, dieters of detoxifying fasts. But health professionals are skeptical.

“If you start talking about exercising to detoxify, there’s no scientific data,” said Dr. Elizabeth Matzkin, chief of women’s sports medicine at Harvard Medical School. “The human body is designed to get rid of what we don’t need.”

The same applies to fasting. “No good scientific data supports any of those cleanses, where you drink juice, or (only) water for a week,” she said.

Exercise is important, Matzkin added, because it enables our body to do what it is made to do, but the kidneys and colon get rid of waste. The role of exercise in that process is unclear.

“In general exercise helps our lungs; kidneys get rid of things that can cause us onset of disease,” she said. A healthy

lifestyle - eating healthy, drinking plenty of water and exercising - is important to detoxifying because it enables our body to do what is intended to do.

squeeze the organs, which push the blood out so fresh blood can rush in.

“Better circulation equals better health,” said Archer, who is based in

“As for specific yoga moves, I’m not so sure,” she said. Yoga instructor and fitness expert Shirley Archer, an author and spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise (ACE) said the theory behind the effectiveness of detoxifying twists in yoga is that they

Florida. “If detox means to eliminate from the body what it no longer needs, then certain yogic practices can help.”

She said yogic deep breathing with strong exhalations can empty the lungs of unneeded carbon dioxide and

allow for a fresh breath of more oxygenated air. “This nourishes all of our cells,” she said. “It is also a method of cleansing because better circulation equals better health.”

Meditative movement practices, such as yoga and tai chi, she added, can detox your attitude because they require staying in the present moment and discourage dwelling on the past.

Last summer, celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson began taking groups of 40odd women on what she calls Detox Weeks, which involve at least three hours of workouts each day, as well as lectures on fitness and nutrition aimed mainly at encouraging lifestyle changes.

Similar weeks in other cities are planned for 2013.

“Women work out and think ‘Why can’t my love handles, muffin tops go away’?” said Anderson, creator of the Tracy Anderson Method and a co-owner, with actress Gwyneth Paltrow, of fitness centers in Los Angeles and New York. “The most important thing is if

Arctic town eyes future as Europe’s gateway to space Commercial space flights to take off soon KIRUNA, Sweden: Sweden’s small Arctic town of Kiruna has a surprisingly international airport with regular flights to London and Tokyo, but it has even bigger plans: to offer commercial space flights. Spaceport Sweden, a company founded in 2007, hopes to be able to provide the first flights

would take off for a maximum two-hour trip into space aboard futuristic spacecraft currently undergoing testing, which resemble a cross between an airplane and a space shuttle and which can carry between one and six passengers.

The sub-orbital flights will send

area. The wide-open spaces within Sweden’s borders also mean no bureaucratic red-tape to be resolved with other countries.

Kiruna also has 60 years experience of space research to its credit. IRF was founded in 1957 and the Swedish space research and rocket centre Esrange, located in

This handout picture shows an artist’s impression depicting an international space airport in Kiruna. Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden, hopes to develop space tourism in ten years by building an international space airport. —AFP within a decade from Kiruna’s airport. “We’re working on establishing commercial flights from Sweden to space for tourism and research, and to create a launching pad at the airport,” explained the company’s enthusiastic director, Karin Nilsdotter, seated in her office at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF).

The idea is that space tourists

passengers 100 kilometres (60 miles) above Earth and allow them to experience five minutes of weightlessness. Kiruna’s location in the far north of Sweden, and Europe, makes it a prime location for space flights, Nilsdotter said.

The space flights would not be disturbed by heavy air traffic, nor is the region a densely populated

the town, was founded in 1966.

“We have to use this knowledge to create a unique adventure with global impact: space travel,” Nilsdotter insisted. “Even if it’s too early to give any figures, market studies show there is potential for 14,000 travellers after 10 years of business,” she added.

Spaceport Sweden is not build-

ing its own spacecraft, but will instead collaborate with a company that is doing so, she says, refusing to disclose how many spacecraft it will operate nor the identity of its partner. In the United States, several companies are already developing aircraft capable of carrying space tourists, such as Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. “ The technology isn’t fully developed yet,” Nilsdotter said, adding that the companies were currently carrying out test flights in the United States.

The first commercial space flights are expected to take place in the United States in 2014 and a few years after that in Sweden.

The head of the Esrange space research and rocket site, Lennart Poromaa, is meanwhile more measured in his enthusiasm for the project. “In a few years there may be commercial space flights, but it will take longer than people think,” he said.

Esrange pulled out of the project “because we’re not about creating adventure”, he explained.

But “we could help them if they need help in the field of research, possibly”, the aerospace engineer said. According to Nilsdotter, space flights could take off four times a day. Esrange meanwhile launches four rockets a year.

“Researchers who want to test their experiments in microgravity may be able to fly with us and then adjust their projects,” she said.

In the United States, more than 1,000 tickets for space flights have already been reserved, at around $200,000 (153,000 euros) apiece.

For adventure-seekers who can’t wait to visit space, Spaceport Sweden already offers flights from Kiruna airport to view the northern lights, a spectacular phenomenon of colorful lights that streak across the night sky, for the tidy sum of 6,990 kronor (810 euros, $1,059). —AFP

Diet Pepsi quietly changes sweetener NEW YORK: Diet Pepsi is quietly changing its sweetener ahead of a major rebranding of the soft drink set for next month. The change comes as PepsiCo Inc. looks to reinvigorate its namesake brands after losing market share to Coca-Cola Co. in recent years.

Cans of Diet Pepsi around the country now list a mix of two artificial sweeteners, a pairing that is commonly found in newer diet sodas. Previously, Diet Pepsi used only aspartame, which is sensitive to heat and breaks down more easily. This summer, PepsiCo had declined to say whether it would go ahead with such a change after reports surfaced that it was testing the new sweeteners. Although the switch is only intended to help prevent the taste from degrading over time, companies are often sensitive to public perceptions that they might be tinkering with major brands. PepsiCo executives likely don’t want to call any attention to the use of artificial sweeteners in the drink either.

When reached for comment Sunday, PepsiCo spokeswoman Andrea Canabal said that Diet Pepsi using the new sweetener mix started hitting shelves in early December. She said the new mix will be more widely available in the coming weeks.

“It’s not like a light switch. It’ll start appearing as shelf space clears,” she said. In January, Canabal said the company is planning a major ad campaign that will include a new logo with a heart and the theme “Love Every Sip.”

The sweetener change will not be explicitly communicated in the ads, which will feature actress Sofia Vergara. In addition to aspartame, cans of Diet Pepsi found in New York, Omaha, Neb., and the Bay Area now list acesulfame potassium as an ingredient. The ingredient is often used in combination with other artificial sweeteners and can be found in a wide range of foods including baked goods, chewing gum and gelatin desserts.

John Sicher, editor and publisher of the industry tracker Beverage Digest, said the synergistic effect of mixing the two sweeteners is intended to help keep the drink’s sweetening power at a constant level, making it taste fresh longer. “A change in sweetener does not change the flavor,” he noted.

PepsiCo said in a statement Sunday that it was adding a “very small amount” of acesulfame potassium “to ensure consistency with every sip.” The sweeteners used in Diet Pepsi vary depending on the region of the world. The move to improve Diet Pepsi comes amid a broader push by PepsiCo to boost sales of its flagship soda. Under pressure from investors, CEO Indra Nooyi earlier this year announced the company would step up investment in its flagship brands.

Already this year, PepsiCo has made several splashy moves including a wide-ranging partnership with singer Beyonce and a multiyear deal with the National Football League to sponsor the Super Bowl

halftime show. TV ads for Pepsi have also featured singer Nicki Minaj, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, the boy band One Direction and international soccer stars including Lionel Messi.

Whether the efforts will pay off with increased sales remains to be seen. In the latest quarter, PepsiCo said its soda volume in North America fell 2 percent, reflecting the broader decline in soft drink consumption that has plagued the industry since 1998. But the company noted that its share of the market had improved. For now, Diet Pepsi remains the No. 7 carbonated soft drink with 4.9 percent of the market, according to Beverage Digest. That’s down from 5.3 percent in 2000.

Meanwhile, Diet Coke’s share has increased in that time from 8.7 percent to 9.6 percent. Diet Coke, which still only uses aspartame, overtook regular Pepsi to become the No. 2 soda brand in 2010.

Coke remains No 1 and Pepsi is No 3. Still, Diet Pepsi rakes in roughly $5 billion in a year in revenue and remains one of PepsiCo’s biggest moneymakers. The company, based in Purchase, NY, also makes Frito-Lay snacks, Tropicana juices and Quaker oatmeal.

It’s not the first time a soda company is tweaking the sweeteners in its drinks; PepsiCo made a similar move with Diet Mountain Dew in 2006, while Coca-Cola did the same with Diet Sprite in 2000. —AP

you can become a consistent exerciser.”

“A good workout is not five to 10 yoga poses,” she explained. “You have to learn to scale up your endurance. If you can only jump for five minutes straight, we’ll go to 10 minutes, then 20 minutes.”

Anderson said she uses the term detoxification broadly to include everything from working up a good sweat to clearing the mind of destructive thoughts.

“Detoxification is a big topic,” she said. Nancy Clark, a registered dietitian in Boston, Massachusetts and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, said the body generally does a fine job of detoxifying itself through the liver and kidneys. Sweating has nothing to do with it. “ When you sweat you really don’t detoxify anything,” she explained. “If someone goes on a crash diet, then maybe toxins are released but then the body would take care of them. When you sweat you lose sodium.” —Reuters

IVF twin pregnancies riskier than singletons: Study STOCKHOLM: Having twins as a results of in vitro fertilization (IVF) carries higher risks of complications for both mother and babies than having two single babies from separate IVF procedures, according to a Swedish study.

The extra concerns that come with multiple births are nothing new. Btu even as many fertility clinics have stopped regularly transferring more than one embryo, debate has continued over whether having twins through IVF is really a bad thing for couples desperate for children.

“The neonatal and maternal outcomes were dramatically better for women undergoing two IVF singleton pregnancies compared with one IVF twin pregnancy after double-embryo transfer,” wrote lead researcher Antonina Sazonova in the journal Fertility and Sterility. “ These results suppor t single embryo transfer to minimize the risks associated with twin pregnancies,” added Sazonova of Sahlgrensk a University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The researchers analyzed data from fresh and frozen embryo transfers done at Swedish IVF clinics between 2002 and 2006. Those records included 991 women who ultimately gave birth to twins after a double embr yo transfer and 921 mothers with two children born through separate rounds of IVF. Almost 47 percent of twin babies were born prematurely and 39 percent were considered low bir th weight, the team reported. That compared to the seven percent of single-

ton babies that were preemies and less than five percent born small.

Twins were also more likely to have breathing complications, sepsis or jaundice. Their mothers had two to three times more preeclampsia - high blood pressure and protein in the urine - and were four times more likely to need a C-section than women who had two single births.

However, there was no difference in the babies’ chances of having severe malformations and other lifethreatening health problems. “A lot of patients, when they’ve had infertility for a long time, think that it’s a bonus to get two,” said Lynn Westphal, a women’s health and fertility specialist at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California.

“We know it’s always safest to have one child at a time,” added Westphal, who wasn’t involved in the new study, adding that she and her colleagues have been counseling more and more women to have a single embryo transferred, especially the younger and healthier patients.

Some data suggest women are just as likely to get pregnant if they have a single embryo transfer, versus more than one. But the findings have been inconsistent, Westphal said. “A lot of patients are focusing just on getting pregnant, they’re not looking at the whole pregnancy and looking at the outcome of twins,” she said.

“They’re just thinking if they transfer more, they’re more likely to get pregnant. And they’re thinking if they have twins, they’re just getting everything done at one time.” —Reuters

Daylight savings tied to bump in heart attack rates: Study Setting the clock ahead for daylight savings time may set the scene for a small increase in heart attacks the next day, according to a US study - which suggests that sleep deprivation may be to blame.

Researchers at two hospitals in the US state of Michigan, whose findings appeared in the American Journal of Cardiology, reviewed six years of records and found that they treated an average of 23 heart attacks on the Sunday when the United States switched to daylight savings time. That compared to 13 on a typical Sunday.

“Nowadays, people are looking for how they can reduce their risk of heart disease and other ailments,” said Monica Jiddou, the study’s lead author and a cardiologist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. “Sleep is something we can potentially control. There are plenty of studies that show sleep can affect a person’s health.”

A 2008 Swedish report, for instance, found that the chance of a heart attack increased in the first three weekdays after the switch to daylight savings time, and decreased the Monday after the clocks returned to standard time in the autumn. Jiddou told Reuters Health that her team wanted to see if their respective hospitals experienced the same increase and decrease in heart attacks seen in the Swedish study.

For the new study, she and her colleagues reviewed records for the 328 patients who were diagnosed with a heart attack during the week after a time change between 2006 and 2012, and for the 607 heart attack patients who were treated two weeks before and after the time shifts.

They found that except for the small increase on the Sunday that daylight savings time kicked in, there were no significant differences in heart attack rates in the first week after the spring clock change or in the fall, when people set clocks back.

The authors note, however, that the small trends they observed suggest shifts to and from daylight savings time may be linked with small increases in heart attacks in the spring, and small decreases in the fall. They speculate that sleep deprivation resulting from the time changes could raise levels of stress hormones and inflammatory chemicals just enough to trigger a heart attack, especially in those already at high risk.

Though the slight increase in heart attacks in the days following time shifts were so small they could have been due to chance, Jiddou told Reuters Health that she believes the problem was the size of the study population. “ The numbers weren’t necessarily striking, but the trends make you stop and think,” she said.

But Steven Nissen, a cardiologist who is chair of the Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, said that people should be carefully interpreting the findings.

“We haven’t generally thought that missing an hour of sleep causes heart attacks. This may or may not hold up,” Nissen said. He added that while the study looks at a good question and he applauds the researchers’ efforts, but stressed the limitations of the results and noted that the size of the effect is not huge. —Reuters

29

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

health & science

Soyuz put in place for mission to space station BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan: A Soyuz spacecraft atop a towering rocket was placed into launch position yesterday at Russia’s manned-space facility in the freezing, windswept steppes of Kazakhstan ahead of a five-month mission for three astronauts to the International Space Station.

The craft was rolled out of its hangar on a flatbed train at exactly 7 am in strict accordance with tradition and crawled for two hours at a walking pace to the launch pad. Colleagues, friends and relatives of the astronauts withstood temperatures as low as minus-30 C (minus-22 F), worsened by wind, to watch the procedure. NASA’s Tom Marshburn, Russian Roman Romanenko, and the

BAIKONUR: A Soyuz spacecraft atop a towering rocket at the Bikonur space station.

Canadian Space Agency’s Chris Hadfield will blast off Wednesday and travel for two days before reaching three other astronauts working at the orbiting laboratory.

Although the temperature was lower in other parts of Kazakhstan - it was minus-42 C (minus - 44 F) in the capital, Astana - locals assert with a hint of pride that the exposed steppe makes it far more uncomfortable in Baikonur.

But officials say the glacial conditions have little effect on the Soyuz. There are very few weather requirements or restrictions for the launch of the Soyuz vehicle,” veteran NASA astronaut Mike Fossum said. “We launch a couple of days from now in similar conditions and we are without any concerns.”

The current Soyuz craft is a variation on the vehicle that has been in constant use by the Soviet and then Russian manned space programs since 1967.

The three-man crew, which has been in Baikonur for almost two weeks making final preparations, took a tour Sunday of the hangar where the craft was being kept.

“Incredibly impressive to see the final assembly of the rocket that will throw us into orbit. This is one excited crew!” Marshburn wrote on his Twitter account.

Marshburn, 52, is making his second trip to space. During his maiden voyage in 2009, he logged more than 376 hours in space, which included 19 hours of extravehicular activity over the course of three spacewalks.

In the remaining time before the launch, which takes place Wednesday at 6:12 pm (1212 GMT), more checks will be carried out and the booster rockets will be fueled.

The launch marks a return to use of the launch pad known as Gagarin’s Start, where Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin blasted off in 1961 for the first human orbital space flight. Site No 1. Another launch site was used for the previous mission, which set off in October.

The need for a back-up launch site became particularly acute with the decommissioning of the US shuttle fleet. The Soyuz now is the only vehicle able to carry astronauts to the space station.

Although the Soyuz has proven dependable, recurrent problems with the unmanned version of the craft have sown anxiety over NASA’s excessive reliance on the Russian space program.

NASA announced last week that it was making progress toward the first test of its new generation Orion spacecraft in 2014. Orion is a part of NASA’s growing ambitions to extend its reach into space. NASA says it is being designed travel more than 3,600 miles (5,800 kilometers) above Earth’s surface and return at a speeds almost 5,000 miles (8,050 kilometers) per hour faster than any current human spacecraft. —AP

This graphic provided by NASA shows the projected paths into the moon by spacecraft Ebb and Flow. —AP

Twin NASA spacecraft to plunge into lunar mountain LOS ANGELES: NASA’s latest moon mission is about to meet its end. Twin spacecraft were poised to hit a mountain near the moon’s north pole after nearly a year in orbit. NASA planned this crash to avoid striking the Apollo landing sites or any other place on the moon with special importance.

The spacecraft known as Ebb and Flow have been measuring the moon’s gravity to better understand its interior and early history. To collect data, they’ve had to circle low above the lunar surface. They’re running out of fuel so NASA will command them to hit the surface. Since this will occur on the dark side of the moon, the space agency says skygazers on Earth won’t be able to see it. “We’re not putting out an allpoints bulletin to amateur astronomers to get their telescopes out,” said mission chief scientist Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Earthlings may be shut out of the spectacle, but the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter circling the moon will pass over the crash site and attempt to photograph the skid marks left by the washing machine sized-spacecraft as they slam into the sur-

face at 3,800 mph.

After rocketing off the launch pad in September 2011, Ebb and Flow took a roundabout journey to the moon, arriving over the New Year’s holiday. More than 100 missions have been flung to Earth’s nearest neighbor since the dawn of the Space Age including NASA’s six Apollo moon landings that put 12 astronauts on the surface. The imminent demise of Ebb and Flow comes on the same month as the 40th launch anniversary of Apollo 17, the last manned mission to the moon. Ebb and Flow focused exclusively on measuring the moon’s lumpy gravity field in a bid to learn more about its interior and early history.

After flying in formation for months, they produced the most detailed gravity maps of anybody in the solar system.

Secrets long held by the moon are spilling out. Ebb and Flow discovered that the lunar crust is much thinner than scientists had imagined. And it was severely battered by asteroids and comets in the early years of the solar system - more than previously realized. Data so far also appeared to quash the theory that Earth once had two moons that collided and melded into the

one we see today.

Besides a scientific return, the mission allowed students to take their own pictures of craters and other lunar features as part of collaboration with a science education company founded by Sally Ride. Ride, the first American woman in space, died of pancreatic cancer in July at age 61.

Scientists expect to sift through data from the $487 million mission for years.

Obtaining precise gravity calculations required the twins to circle low over the moon, which consumes a lot of fuel.

During the primary mission, they flew about 35 miles above the lunar surface.

After getting bonus data-collecting time, they lowered their altitude to 14 miles above the surface.

With their fuel tanks almost on empty, NASA devised a controlled crash to avoid contacting any of the treasured sites on the moon. The last time the space agency intentionally fired manmade objects at the moon was in 2009, but it was for the sake of science. The crash was a public relations dud - spectators barely saw a faint flash but the experiment proved that the moon contained water. —AP

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Mais Al-Ghanim takeaway announces winter promotion SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! Let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

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AUK honors students’ outstanding scholastic achievements

n recognition of AUK students’ academic achievements for Spring 2012, a ceremony was held at the AUK Liberal Arts Auditorium where recipients of the President’s Honor Roll and Dean’s Honor List celebrated their success with faculty, staff and parents.

The ceremony, which took place earlier this month, started with an introductory word from AUK President, Dr Winfred Thompson. The President congratulated students on their achievements and quoting Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Success is counted sweetest by those who ne’er succeed.”

The ceremony honored 26 students for the high distinction, which placed them on the President’s Honor Roll. Students in this category have managed to maintain a 4.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). The Dean’s List featured 119 awardees, out of which 48 were awarded

by Dr Nizar Hamzeh, Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, while 61 were awarded by Dr Mohsen Bagnied, Department Chair of Marketing and Management. Students on the Dean’s Honor List have earned a minimum of 3.7 GPA. Dr Bagnied expressed his admiration at the students’ achievements, pointing out that with this number of outstanding students in the College of Business and Economics, “We got the best business school in Kuwait.” In his closing remarks, President Thompson congratulated the students again and urged them to continue building their academic success.

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Spring 2012 President’s Honor Roll Aya Abdulhamid Saleh Al-Ojeiri Abdulla Al-Wohaib Makia Al-Arbash Mohammed Yousr AlAyyoubi Ali Al-Baghli Ayat Al-Bloushi Alaaeddin Al-Chalabi Fatima Al-Faraj Aisha Al-Hunaidi Salwa Al-Qattan Huda Al-Rashid Salem Al-Salem Mohammad Al-Zafiri Hiba Bazzi Nada Bedir Nada El-Badry Isha Haider Farnaz Heidari Jihan Kablaoui Noor Kassem Monica Matta Arwa Mulla Ali Ali Rady Balqees Salem Sally Zaghloul Spring 2012 Dean’s Honor List College of Arts & Sciences Aya Abdulhamid Yousef Abdul-Husain Yasmin Abou Zeid Shahad Al-Asfour Matrah Al-Dooseri Jumanah Al-Refaei Jenan Al-Alban Hiam Al-Ali Talal Al-Ali Jassem Al-Ansari Makia Al-Arbash Zainab Al-Baksami Ayat Al-Bloushi Alaaeddin Al-Chalabi Sara Al-Enezi Radia Alfili Fraih Al-Fraih Aisha Al-Fuwaires Sulaiman Al-Ghounaim Rasha Al-Jabi Lamis Al-Nazer NourahAl-Omar Salwa Al-Qattan Ahmed Al-Sabah Salem Al-Salem Batol Al-Saraf Sayed Hashim AlTabtabaei Halima Al-Wazzan Anwar Behbehani Noor Behbehani Farah Bossakhar Jassem Bourahmah Zahraa Hamadi Farnaz Heidari Noor Kassem Salli Khaddag Stephanie Khalil Yasser khalil Sara Mohamed

Arwa Mulla Ali Dina Naser Ali Rady Behnaz Rahimi Farah Rasheed Sara Soliman Sarah Thakur MaymoonahToubeh Joshua Williams College of Business & Economics Sara Abdel Baki BassamAbulibdeh Saleh Al-Ojeiri Abdulla Al Wohaib Sarah Al-Ajmi Bashaer Al-Ali Mohammed Yousr AlAyyoubi Ali Al-Baghli Reem Al-Bassam Bibi Al-Behbehani Fatima Al-Faraj Tala Al-Ghusain Shahad Al-Harban Aisha Al-Hunaidi Al-Jazi Al-Huwaishel Jana Al-Mashaan Rahma Al-Mishwat Faiyez Al-Mousharji Helal Al-Mutairi Maryam Al-Nassar Shaimaa Al-Qazwini Hashim Al-Rasheed Huda Al-Rashid Mohammad Al-Sabah Fahad Al-Saeed Noor Al-Sanea Farah Al-Saqlawi Dina Al-Sayer Noora Al-Sebaie Fahad Al-Shaya Sarah AlTerkait Dalal Al-Therban Mohammad AlZafiri Njoud Aweis Hiba Bazzi Nada Bedir Zahra Bin Nakhi Zeinab Chebli Fatma Ebrahimi Mashael Eissa Nada El-Badry Razan Farhat Carol Ghali Isha Haider Jihan Kablaoui Manit Kaur Sophia Massouh Monica Matta Ahmed Mohamed Tawfik Dalal Mohammad Ghaidaa Naqi May Omran Sara Qaddoura Madonna Reyad Balqees Salem Lina Salout Ayatallah Sharawi Majdi Suleiman Fatma Yasin Rana Youssef Sally Zaghloul

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

ais Al-Ghanim announced introducing new items to the takeaway service menu as per a new winter promotion which comes as part of the companies continued offers throughout the year.

The new options include the Italiano Kebab dish, served with tomato sauce with Italian herbs and spices, a first-time dish introduced to Mais Al-Ghanim’s takeaway service.

The promotion also offers a choice of five different types of Lebanese appetizers, including hummus, Beirut’s hummus, Muhammarah, Mutabbal, Musaka’ah of eggplants, Musaka’ah of squash, Babaganoug, garlic labneh and oil chicory. For seafood lovers, Mais Al-Ghanim’s takeaway service offers a shrimp dish consisting of ten pieces of fried shrimps served with tartar sauce. The promotion also includes healthy food options, including the halloumi salad made with fresh vegetables and grilled halloumi cheese, in addition to our special cheesecake dessert.

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Premier Goal Academy Festival of Football at Bayan Park he Premier Goal Academy in association with Everton FC, under the sponsorship of Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company, held their 2012 Winter Festival of Football event on December 15, 2012, at Bayan Park under the patronage of the British Ambassador Frank Baker.

In total, over 550 players aged 3 to 16 participated in the Porsche Centre Kuwait sponsored event, including teams from the PGA/Everton Coaching Courses and Everton Centre of Excellence, as well as numerous private schools and football academies from across Kuwait. A huge turnout of enthusiastic parents and spectators cheered on and encouraged the players, who were superbly organized and guided by their coaches throughout a series of exciting matches.

The Premier Goal Academy freestyle players Jonathan and Tala presented a fine display of amazing football skills in front of a 1,000+ crowd prior to the Awards Ceremony, when Frank Baker and several other VIP guests presented medals to all participants, as well as certificates of appreciation to event sponsors and supporters.

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Baker expressed his appreciation and recognition for the collective effort behind such an important community event, and congratulated all the players and coaches who took part, saying: “Apart from the joy of the game itself, football is a wonderful way to encourage young people to become physically active, improve fitness, and develop their communication and good teamwork - essential skills as they grow up. In this day and age of hi tech entertainment it is important to participate in sporting activities which contribute to maintaining a healthy lifestyle” He added, “Congratulations to all who took part and made this fabulous event possible - to Premier Goal Academy organizers Mike and Baker, Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company, Go Sport, Camco Events, Aquafina, Light Foods Mickey Snacks, KD Cow and the other generous sponsors, and all the teachers and coaches who have taught and encouraged the players and teams to such an exceptionally high standard.”

IKEA Restaurant & Cafe celebrates this festive season the Swedish way

KEA Restaurant & Cafe is celebrating Christmas and New Year the traditional Swedish way this year. With the aim of following a well-deserved tradition that binds families together this festive season, IKEA Kuwait is offering the whole roast Duck meal suitable

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for four people for takeaway or dine in, for only KD 9.

Keeping the traditions and diverse cultures in mind, IKEA Restaurant & Cafe each year hosts a special seasonal festival dedicated to a specific cuisine. This year, visitors can look forward to a delightful meal of whole roast duck, served with a side of seasonal vegetables, mashed potatoes and choice of brown gravy or orange sauce.

IKEA Restaurant & CafÈ uphold international quality standards and cultural preferences in their kitchen and F&B service - including using Halal processed meat, UTZ Certified Coffee & meals being cooked in zero percent Tran’s fat oil serves as the perfect health alternative to control cholesterol. Furthermore, IKEA restaurant’s Swedish Breakfast & Family offer at an unbelievable price is any shopper’s ideal start to the day. In addition to that, IKEA Bistro Frozen Yogurt “low fat low price” is a sweet delight not to be missed while leaving the store.

FAIPS celebrates Rendez-Vous 2012 he first inter-school French Day competition- Rendez-Vous was held at Fahaheel Al-Watanieh Indian Private School, Kuwait on November 29, 2012. The occasion was graced by Monsieur Ludovic, Cultural Attache, French Embassy, Kuwait. Six Indian schools from Kuwait were part of this mega event. The festivities started off with a grand parade, showcasing the many facets of France. The competitions were held in several topics ranging from displaying French culinary skills to rattling tongue twisters. A quiz to test the latest in French fashion, food and football was conducted by the young quiz masters of FAIPS.Dumb charades was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience who tried guessing which French word or sentence was being enacted by the participants to their team members. A band competition playing the tunes of foot tapping French music was enjoyed by all. Students from the host school also put up a mesmerizing band performance. In addition to this, the FAIPS students danced to a catchy number which left the audience mesmerized. A hilarious skit put up by gifted dramatists of FAIPS left the audience in splits.

The Rendez-Vous was a grand success organized by the FAIPS students who were guided and supported by their teachers and mentors. The spectacular show is evidence to the students’ efforts and their love of France and its beautiful language. Vive la France!

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Bhavans Kuwait bags IBAK trophy he Indian Badminton Association Kuwait ; IBAK conducted the Annual Interschool Badminton Tournament on Friday, December 6, 2012 which attracted over 150 badminton players from Indian, Pakistan and Philippines schools in Kuwait.

Indian Educational School having dominated the U-16 boys and U-14 girls in the recently concluded CBSE Kuwait Cluster Badminton Tournament sent 12 boys and 8 girls who have always scripted great victories in the past in various interschool competitions.

IES boys proved their supremacy with deft touches and powerful smashes across the court much to the surprise of their opponents. Bhavans Kuwait clinched the U-14 boys’ singles, U-16 boys’ singles and doubles titles and the U-19 boys’ runners up title.

Inspired by the boys’ achievement, the girls soared to hit the target and the U-14 singles

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and doubles crown was owned by IES girls.

By bagging U-16 singles winner and doubles runners up trophy, IES girls’ added one more feather to the victory cap of IES.

The overall championship rolling trophy was presented to the proud IES boys and girls in the presence of the guests and ardent followers of badminton in Kuwait.

The formidable boys’ team members: Anirudhan 9E, Paul Aby 8D, Aaditya Jayashankar 8A, Sanju Jacob 8E, Shyam Sundar 9B, Gokul Jeyabalan 9B, Hemachandran 10D, Vineet Baburaj 10D, Sharath Ganesh 9B, Sriram Prakash 6E, Ashuthosh Parkar 5D and Sanketh 6D The girls who made us proud: Neha Sathish Kumar 9B, Archana Mohandas 8D, Sheril Hannah George 6D, Sushmita 6D, Harsha Vardhini 9B, Saili Abhijit 7A, Aayesha Sageer 9E and Aarathi Mohandas 6D. The school management congratulated the team members for their indomitable spirit and exceptional talents exhibited on court and the Head of the Physical Education Department, Murugaiyan for his commitment and unstinting support that has helped the students in bringing laurels to the school.

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WHAT’S ON

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office).

In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

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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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Al-Kharafi biennial contemporary art exhibition opens in Kuwait he Fifth Al-Kharafi Biennial for Contemporary Art exhibition was opened at Kuwait Arts Association building on Saturday with participation of 83 Arab male and female artists displaying 160 paintings. Former National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi, who inaugurated the exhibition, asserted the importance of cultural exchange between artists, particularly in formative art in order to enrich common culture and exchange expertise. Al-Khorafi said the major objective of the exhibition was to make Kuwaiti artists interact with their Arab counterparts, as well as get acquainted with different schools of formative art. The exhibition includes several paintings reflecting different schools of expressionism, surrealism and abstractionism, said AlKhorafi. “Formative art is a human expression of the inner world of the artist and its relation to its surrounding world,” he said. Chairman of Kuwait Arts Association Abdulrasoul Salman voiced content for the participation of elite artists who would contribute,

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through their paintings, to enriching art in Kuwait. Salman said Arab artists were reflecting living conditions and indeed life through their paintings. The judging committee, meanwhile, named

Omar Al-Rashed of Bahrain and UAE’s Salma Al-Marri as winners of the Grand Prize of the 5th Al-Kharafi Biennial for contemporary art. The committee also gave special prizes for four distin-

guished artists: sculpturist Zaid AlObaid of Kuwait, formative artist Taher Helmi of Egypt, Ali Al-Hana’e of Oman and Hussein Dekson of Kuwait. —KUNA

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on short-stay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com.

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EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, Al-Salaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location. Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com.

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EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk.

Hilton Kuwait Resort holds Christmas tree lighting ceremony

s people prepare to celebrate Christmas and welcome the New Year, Hilton Kuwait Resort shared in the magic of Christmas by lighting their Christmas tree today. The tree lighting ceremony was held at its famous Song Bird Cafe. The festivities did not end there as the event featured children’s ani-

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mation, games, Christmas goodies and an uplifting performance by the Hilton Choral Team. Christmas cheer was added with a special visit from Santa, who came with some early Christmas presents for the children. To experience a traditional Christmas and New Year atmosphere in a five star setting, look no further -

legendary service awaits you this season at Hilton Kuwait Resort’s Teatro and Yin Yang Restaurants. The Hilton Kuwait Resort wishes everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

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EMBASSY OF PERU The Embassy of Peru is located in Sharq, Ahmed Al Jaber Street, Al Arabiya Tower, 6th Floor. Working days / hours: SundayThursday /9 am - 4 pm. Residents in Kuwait interested in getting a visa to travel to Peru and companies attracted to invest in Peru are invited to visit the permanent exposition room located in the Embassy. For more information, please contact: (+965) 22267250/1.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 Animal Cops Philadelphia 01:45 Human Prey 02:35 Untamed & Uncut 03:25 Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer 03:50 Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer 04:15 My Cat From Hell 05:05 Great Savannah Race 05:55 Call Of The Wildman 06:20 Cheetah Kingdom 06:45 Wild Africa Rescue 07:10 Wild Africa Rescue 07:35 Wildlife SOS 08:00 The Really Wild Show 08:25 Animal Planet’s Most Outrageous 09:15 Dogs 101 10:10 Must Love Cats 11:05 Great Savannah Race 12:00 Animal ER 12:55 Shamwari: A Wild Life 13:20 Shamwari: A Wild Life 13:50 Wildlife SOS 14:15 Bondi Vet 14:45 Animal Cops Philadelphia 15:40 Great Savannah Race 16:35 Cheetah Kingdom 17:00 The Really Wild Show 17:30 My Cat From Hell 18:25 Natural Born Hunters 18:50 Deep Into The Wild With Nick Baker 19:20 Dogs 101 20:15 Monkey Life 20:40 Bondi Vet 21:10 Call Of The Wildman 21:35 Cheetah Kingdom 22:05 Mouse: A Secret Life 23:00 Gator Boys 23:55 New Breed Vets With Steve Irwin

00:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 00:45 Come Dine With Me 01:35 Antiques Roadshow 02:30 Gok’s Fashion Fix 03:20 Gok’s Fashion Fix 04:10 Eating With The Enemy 04:55 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 05:40 Saturday Kitchen 06:10 Saturday Kitchen 06:40 Eating With The Enemy 07:25 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 08:10 MasterChef Australia 09:00 MasterChef Australia 09:25 Gok’s Fashion Fix 10:15 Gok’s Fashion Fix 11:05 Bargain Hunt 11:50 Antiques Roadshow 12:45 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 13:30 Come Dine With Me 14:20 Ty Pennington’s Homes For The Brave 15:10 Ty Pennington’s Homes For The Brave 15:55 Bargain Hunt 16:40 Antiques Roadshow 17:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 18:15 Come Dine With Me 19:10 Kirstie & Phil’s Perfect Christmas 20:00 Kirstie & Phil’s Perfect Christmas 20:45 Come Dine With Me 21:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 22:20 Antiques Roadshow 23:15 Bargain Hunt

00:00 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 00:30 Hardtalk 01:00 BBC World News America 01:30 BBC World News America 02:00 Newsday 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 Newsday 03:30 Asia Business Report

03:45 Sport Today 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 BBC World News 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Asia Business Report 06:45 Sport Today 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 Hardtalk 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 BBC World News 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 BBC World News 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 World Business Report 11:45 BBC World News 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 Hardtalk 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 BBC World News 14:00 BBC World News 14:30 BBC World News 15:00 GMT With George Alagiah 15:30 GMT With George Alagiah 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 16:30 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 19:30 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 BBC Focus On Africa 21:00 BBC World News 21:30 World Business Report 21:45 Sport Today 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 23:00 BBC World News 23:30 World Business Report 23:45 Sport Today

00:05 Taz-Mania 00:30 Pink Panther And Pals 00:55 Moomins 01:20 Tom & Jerry Kids 01:45 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 02:10 Puppy In My Pocket 02:35 Wacky Races 03:00 Looney Tunes 03:25 Duck Dodgers 03:50 Dastardly And Muttley 04:00 Dexter’s Laboratory 04:30 Wacky Races 04:55 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries 05:20 Tom & Jerry 05:45 The Garfield Show 06:00 Moomins 06:10 Looney Tunes 06:35 Tom & Jerry Tales 07:00 Dexter’s Laboratory 07:30 Baby Looney Tunes 07:55 Jelly Jamm 08:10 Gerald McBoing Boing 08:35 Bananas In Pyjamas 08:50 Ha Ha Hairies 09:05 Tom & Jerry Kids 09:30 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 09:55 Puppy In My Pocket 10:20 Wacky Races 10:45 Looney Tunes 11:10 Popeye 11:30 The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie 13:00 Ha Ha Hairies 13:15 Gerald McBoing Boing 13:40 Jelly Jamm 13:55 Baby Looney Tunes 14:20 Bananas In Pyjamas 14:35 Moomins 14:50 Dexter’s Laboratory 15:20 Johnny Bravo 15:45 Tom & Jerry 16:10 Pink Panther And Pals 16:35 The Garfield Show 17:00 What’s New Scooby Doo? 17:25 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries

17:50 18:00 19:15 19:30 19:45 20:00 20:15 20:40 20:55 21:20 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:40

Tom & Jerry Tales Scooby-Doo And The Loch...

Pink Panther And Pals Moomins The Garfield Show Ha Ha Hairies Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Cartoonito Tales Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show What’s New Scooby Doo? Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry Tales The Looney Tunes Show

00:40 Chowder 01:30 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 01:55 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 02:20 Foster’s Home For...

02:45 Foster’s Home For...

03:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 04:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 04:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Powerpuff Girls 05:40 Generator Rex 06:05 Ben 10 06:30 Ben 10 06:55 Angelo Rules 07:00 Cow & Chicken 07:30 Casper’s Scare School 08:00 Eliot Kid 08:45 Johnny Test 09:05 The Powerpuff Girls 09:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:20 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:45 Courage The Cowardly Dog 11:35 Adventure Time 12:00 Regular Show 12:25 Transformers Prime 12:50 Ben 10: Omniverse 13:15 Courage The Cowardly Dog 14:05 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 14:30 Young Justice 14:55 Codename: Kids Next Door 15:45 Ben 10: Alien Force 16:10 Ben 10: Alien Force 16:35 Powerpuff Girls 17:00 Angelo Rules 17:20 Young Justice 17:40 Hero 108 18:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 18:25 The Amazing World Of Gumball 18:50 Johnny Test 19:15 Billy & Mandy Save Christmas 19:50 Regular Show 20:05 Green Lantern: The Animated Series 20:30 Ben 10: Omniverse 20:55 Generator Rex 21:20 Level Up 21:45 Grim Adventures Of...

22:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 23:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:50 The Powerpuff Girls

00:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson 01:00 Amanpour 01:30 World Sport 02:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 03:00 World Report 03:30 World Sport 04:00 Anderson Cooper 360 05:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 06:00 Quest Means Business 07:00 The Situation Room 08:00 World Sport 08:30 African Voices 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Report 11:00 World Sport 11:30 Talk Asia 12:00 World Business Today 13:00 Amanpour 13:30 News Special 14:00 World One 15:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 16:00 News Stream

TAKERS ON OSN ACTION HD

17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:30

World Business Today International Desk Global Exchange World Sport News Special International Desk Quest Means Business Amanpour CNN Newscenter

00:15 01:10 02:05 03:00 03:55 04:20 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 14:35 15:05 15:30 16:25 17:20 18:15 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Outback Truckers Deadliest Catch Gold Divers Mythbusters Border Security Dirty Money Auction Hunters How Stuff’s Made How It’s Made River Monsters Overhaulin’ Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Border Security Dirty Money How Stuff’s Made How It’s Made Outback Truckers Deadliest Catch Gold Divers Border Security Dirty Money Auction Hunters Ultimate Survival Overhaulin’ River Monsters Mythbusters How Stuff’s Made How It’s Made Border Security Dirty Money Auction Hunters Flying Wild Alaska Bear Grylls: How To Stay Alive Ultimate Survival

00:40 01:05 01:35 02:25 03:15 04:05 04:35 05:25 05:50 06:15 06:40 07:05 08:00 08:50 09:40 09:43 10:10 10:40 11:05 11:30 12:20 13:10 13:35 14:00 14:50 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:03 17:30 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:30 20:55 21:20 22:10 22:35 23:00 23:25 23:50

The Gadget Show The Tech Show Cosmic Collisions Mega World Thunder Races Mean Green Machines Ways To Save The Planet How Do They Do It? How Do They Do It? The Gadget Show The Tech Show Cosmic Collisions Mega World Ways To Save The Planet Head Rush Patent Bending How Stuff’s Made How Do They Do It? How Do They Do It? Robocar Thunder Races The Gadget Show The Tech Show Mega World Ways To Save The Planet Mean Green Machines How Do They Do It? How Do They Do It? Head Rush Patent Bending How Stuff’s Made Robocar Cosmic Collisions Thunder Races Junk Men Junk Men Bad Universe The Gadget Show The Tech Show Junk Men Junk Men Bad Universe

00:10 00:35 01:00 01:25 01:50 02:15 03:05 03:55 04:20 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:40 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:10 09:35 10:00 10:25 10:50 11:15 11:40 11:50 12:05 12:15 12:30 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:00 18:20 18:45 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:30 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:05 22:45 22:55 23:20 23:45 23:55

Fish Hooks Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Doc McStuffins Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Jessie Jessie Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Austin And Ally Austin And Ally Shake It Up Shake It Up Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Doc McStuffins Doc McStuffins Art Attack Jessie Jessie A.N.T. Farm A.N.T. Farm Wizards Of Waverly Place Shake It Up Austin And Ally Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Luck Of The Irish Austin And Ally Phineas And Ferb A.N.T Farm Good Luck Charlie Jessie That’s So Raven Cory In The House Kim Possible Hannah Montana Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Fish Hooks Fish Hooks

00:55 01:25 03:15 03:40

Style Star THS Behind The Scenes Extreme Close-Up

04:10 E!es 05:05 E!es 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 Scouted 09:15 Scouted 10:15 THS 12:05 Married To Jonas 12:35 Married To Jonas 13:05 Ice Loves Coco 13:35 Ice Loves Coco 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 14:30 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:00 Style Star 15:30 THS 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 17:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 18:55 E!es 19:55 Khloe And Lamar 20:25 Married To Jonas 20:55 Married To Jonas 21:25 Opening Act 22:25 Fashion Police 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Dirty Soap

00:40 01:30 02:20 02:45 03:05 03:30 03:55 04:45 05:30 06:20 06:45 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:30 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:15 14:40 15:30 16:20 16:45 17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:05 Jones 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab Crime Scene Psychics Crime Scene Psychics I Married A Mobster I Married A Mobster Reel Crime/Real Story Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab Crime Scene Psychics Crime Scene Psychics Disappeared Killer Outbreaks Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Murder Shift Disappeared Killer Outbreaks Street Patrol Street Patrol Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Murder Shift Disappeared Forensic Detectives Street Patrol True Crime With Aphrodite Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill Deadly Affairs Deadly Women

01:35 Jinxed!

03:15 Pale Blood 04:45 Steel And Lace 06:15 Trade Off 07:45 The Tempest 09:10 Vigilante Force 10:40 Danielle Steel’s A Perfect Stranger 12:10 Swamp Thing 13:40 K-9000 15:10 Submarine X - 1 16:40 Twelve Angry Men (1997) 18:35 The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes 20:35 A Perfect Body 22:00 The Wicked Lady 23:40 The Men’s Club

00:15 Market Values 00:45 Somewhere In China 01:40 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 02:35 One Man & His Campervan 03:00 One Man & His Campervan 03:30 Banged Up Abroad 04:25 Don’t Tell My Mother 05:20 Earth Tripping 05:45 Market Values 06:15 One Man & His Campervan 06:40 Exploring The Vine 07:10 Street Food Around The World 07:35 Market Values 08:05 Somewhere In China 09:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 09:55 One Man & His Campervan 10:20 One Man & His Campervan 10:50 Banged Up Abroad 11:45 Don’t Tell My Mother 12:40 The Best Job In The World 13:05 Market Values 13:35 One Man & His Campervan 14:00 Exploring The Vine 14:30 Street Food Around The World 14:55 Market Values 15:25 Somewhere In China 16:20 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 17:15 One Man & His Campervan 17:40 One Man & His Campervan 18:10 Deadliest Journeys 18:35 Deadliest Journeys 19:05 Don’t Tell My Mother 20:00 Street Food Around The World 20:30 Market Values 21:00 One Man & His Campervan 21:30 Exploring The Vine 22:00 Earth Tripping 22:25 Market Values

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00

Ancient Megastructures Prehistoric Predators Shark Men Which Way To Engineering Connections Hunter Hunted Which Way To Big, Bigger, Biggest Ancient Megastructures Prehistoric Predators Shark Men Which Way To Engineering Connections Hunter Hunted Which Way To World’s Toughest Fixes Megastructures Prehistoric Predators

A SEPERATION ON OSN CINEMA 18:00 Shark Men 19:00 Convoy: War For The Atlantic 20:00 Fight Science 21:00 Animal Autopsy (AKA Inside Nature’s Giants) 22:00 Convoy: War For The Atlantic 23:00 Big, Bigger, Biggest

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:10 04:40 05:35 India) 06:30 07:25 08:20 08:45 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

Untamed Americas Sharkville Alaskan Killer Shark Fish Tank Kings Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves World’s Deadliest Animals Wild India (aka Secrets of Wild Alaskan Killer Shark Fish Tank Kings Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves Shark Men Python Hunters Animal Intervention Amazonia’s Giant Jaws Wild Russia Fish Tank Kings Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves Shark Men Python Hunters Animal Intervention Alaskan Killer Shark Fish Tank Kings Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves Shark Men Python Hunters

00:00 Hostel: Part III-18 02:00 Boiler Room-PG15 04:00 Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans-18 06:00 Judge Dredd-18 08:00 Dangerous Flowers-PG15 10:00 The Net-PG15 12:00 Takers-PG15 14:00 Dangerous Flowers-PG15 16:00 Anaconda-PG15 18:00 Takers-PG15 20:00 Ronin-18 22:00 Stool Pigeon-PG15

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 16:45 19:00 21:00 23:00

A Separation-PG15 Stolen Lives-PG15 Certain Prey-PG15 Quest For Zhu-PG Stolen Lives-PG15 Larry Crowne-PG15 Garfield’s Pet Force-FAM Family Gathering-PG15 Another Year-PG15 The Company Men-PG15 Cedar Rapids-18 Final Destination 5-18

00:00 Wilfred 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 01:30 American Dad 02:00 Curb Your Enthusiasm 02:30 The League 03:30 Hot In Cleveland 04:00 Hope & Faith 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Hope & Faith 10:00 Modern Family 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Hope & Faith 14:00 Hot In Cleveland 15:00 Modern Family 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 New Girl 19:00 Modern Family 19:30 Community 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report

22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

American Dad Allen Gregory How To Make It In America Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 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

The Glades Justified Sons Of Anarchy The Tudors Burn Notice Revenge The Glades Emmerdale Coronation Street Criminal Minds The Ellen DeGeneres Show Revenge Burn Notice Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Criminal Minds The Glades Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Criminal Minds Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice Hawthorne Pillars Of The Earth The Tudors

00:30 02:15 04:00 07:00 09:00 PG15 11:00 13:00 15:00 PG15 17:00 19:00

Blood Out-18 Carjacked-PG15 The Godfather III-18 The Reunion-PG15 True Justice: Street WarsGoal!-PG15 Vengeance-PG15 True Justice: Street WarsBiker Boyz-PG15 Empire-18

00:00 Barry Munday-18 02:00 Paul-PG15 04:00 Held Up (1999)-PG15 06:00 Last Holiday-PG15 08:00 Scooby-Doo! Curse Of The Lake Monster-PG 10:00 Baby Geniuses-PG 12:00 Held Up (1999)-PG15 14:00 In Her Shoes-PG15 16:15 Baby Geniuses-PG 18:00 Best In Show-PG15 20:00 The Banger Sisters-PG15 22:00 Love And Other Drugs-R

01:15 02:45 05:00 07:15 10:15 12:00 13:45 15:15 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:15

Mercy-18 Vincere-PG15 Vanity Fair-PG15 Hindenburg-PG15 Dear John-PG15 Bob Roberts-PG15 Yona Yona Penguin-PG Dear John-PG15 Chasing 3000-PG15 Divorces!-PG15 Gandhi-PG Garden State-18

01:00 The People vs George LucasPG15 03:00 The Muppets-PG 04:45 The Way-PG15 07:00 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never-PG 09:00 Bound By A Secret-PG15 11:00 Yogi Bear-FAM 12:30 The LXD: The Uprising BeginsPG15 14:00 The LXD: Secrets Of The RaPG15 15:45 Oceans-PG15 17:30 Bound By A Secret-PG15 19:00 The King’s Speech-PG15 21:00 Summer Coda-PG15 23:00 Killer Elite-18

01:00 Toyz Goin’ Wild-PG 02:45 The Apple & The Worm-FAM

04:30 Cher Ami-PG 06:00 Princess Sydney: The Legend Of The Blue Rabbit-FAM 07:30 The Apple & The Worm-FAM 09:15 Spooky Buddies-PG 11:15 Cher Ami-PG 13:00 Free Birds-FAM 14:30 Scooby-Doo! Legend Of The Phantosaur-PG 16:00 Cheaper By The Dozen-PG 18:00 Spooky Buddies-PG 20:00 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules-PG 22:00 The Apple & The Worm-FAM 23:30 Free Birds-FAM

02:00 Futbol Mundial 02:30 Live Cricket Test Match 10:30 Trans World Sport 11:30 Live Twenty20 Big Bash League 14:30 ICC Cricket 360 15:00 Cricket Test Match 22:00 Live Darts

03:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 04:00 European Challenge Cup 06:00 Trans World Sport 07:00 Darts 12:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 13:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 14:30 European Challenge Cup 16:30 Extreme Sailing Series 17:00 Extreme Sailing Series 17:30 Extreme Sailing Series 18:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 19:00 Futbol Mundial 19:30 Twenty20 Big Bash League 22:30 ICC Cricket 360 23:00 WWE SmackDown

00:30 Trans World Sport 01:30 European Challenge Cup 03:30 Golfing World 04:30 FEI Equestrian World 05:00 Ladies European Highlights 06:00 Spirit of a Champion 06:30 Spirit of a Champion 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Fukuoka Marathon 11:00 FEI Equestrian World 11:30 European Challenge Cup 13:30 Golfing World 14:30 PDC World Darts Championship 19:30 MENA Golf Tour Highlights 20:30 Trans World Sport 21:30 Golfing World 22:30 Spirit of a Champion 23:30 Spirit of a Champion

01:00 02:00 04:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 23:00

V8 Supercars Extra European Le Mans Series UFC The Ultimate Fighter WWE NXT WWE Bottom Line V8 Supercars Highlights V8 Supercars Extra WWE Bottom Line WWE Vintage PrizeFighter European Le Mans Series WWE Experience UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC 142 PrizeFighter

00:35 Mutiny On The Bounty 03:25 The Honeymoon MachineFAM 04:50 My Favorite Year-PG 06:20 Dream Wife-FAM 08:00 The Bad And The Beautiful-PG 09:55 The Honeymoon MachineFAM 11:20 The Seven Hills Of Rome-FAM 13:00 It Happened At The World’s Fair-FAM 14:45 Jezebel-FAM 16:25 Seven Brides For Seven Brothers-FAM 18:05 My Favorite Year-PG 19:35 Kim-FAM 21:25 Girl Happy-FAM 23:00 Slither

Classifieds TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation in Salmiya behind Mercedes showroom only single Pilipina lady in a master bedroom. Tel: 97751739.

11-12-2012 FOR SALE Mazda (6) white color 2003, excellent condition, insurance one year, KD 1,100.

Mob: 66729295. (C 4256) 18-12-2012 Mazda (6) white color 2003, excellent condition, insurance one year, KD 1,100. Mob: 66729295.

(C 4256) 17-12-2012

boy 5’7” working as a private nurse invites proposals from God fearing and well educated girls. Email: shijopmathew@hotmail.com (C 4250) 13-12-2012 Pentecostal parents invite proposals for their daughter 26, 5’4”, MSc Biochemistry working in Kuwait, from professionally qualified boys. Please send detailed profiles with photos to ne_georgev@yahoo.com 12-12-2012

CHANGE OF NAME I, Muhammed Abdulla, holder of Indian Passport No: F6634470, have changed my name as MUHAMMED KUNHI ABDULLA.

I, Parayil Puthen Veetil Abdul Rahim, holder of Indian Passport No: K3650340, hereby change my name to AZAD MANZIL ABDUL RAHIM. (C 4254) 18-12-2012 I, Muhammed Abdulla, holder of Indian Passport No: F6634470, have changed my name as MUHAMMED KUNHI ABDULLA. I, Parayil Puthen Veetil Abdul Rahim, holder of Indian Passport No: K3650340, hereby change my name to AZAD MANZIL ABDUL RAHIM. (C 4254) 17-12-2012

SITUATION WANTED Accountant (5 years’ experience) B.Com, MBA Finance, Finalization of accounts, B/S, P/L, TB, Bank Transaction, Cash, Debtor, Creditors and Inventory Management, ERP Tally, Oracle. Seeking suitable position.

Contact: 97176224. (C 4255) 18-12-2012 Accountant (5 years’ experience) B.Com, MBA Finance, Finalization of accounts, B/S, P/L, TB, Bank Transaction, Cash, Debtor, Creditors and Inventory Management, ERP Tally, Oracle. Seeking suitable position.

Contact: 97176224. (C 4255) 17-12-2012

TUITION AutoCAD tuition available by Highly Qualified Experienced Teacher, Learn professionally AutoCAD 2D&3D with Projects, Flexible Schedule, and individual tutorial. Contact: 99302850 / 22467301. (C 4251) 15-12-2012

MATRIMONIAL Orthodox parents invite proposals for their son 30/172 cm M.Com PGDBA, B & B in Kuwait and employed in a reputed MNC in Kuwait from parents of Orthodox/ Jacobite/ Marthoma B.E/MCA/MBA/M.Com/B.ED or other suitably qualified and employed in Kuwait. Contact Email: thekalloors@gmail.com (C 4253) 16-12-2012 55 years well placed Indian Muslim man seeks a lady for marriage 30 to 35 years age background and faith does not matter. Please email: asgar_kathawala@ymail.com 14-12-2012 32 years Roman Catholic

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES Kuwait Parliament www.majlesalommah.net

The Public Institution for Social Security www.pifss.gov.kw

Ministry of Interior www.moi.gov.kw

Public Authority of Industry www.pai.gov.kw

Public Authority for Civil Information www.paci.gov.kw

Prisoners of War Committee www.pows.org.kw

Kuwait News Agency www.kuna.net.kw

Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.gov.kw

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair www.islam.gov.kw

Kuwait Municipality www.municipality.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Oil) www.moo.gov.kw

Kuwait Electronic Government www.e.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.kw

Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw

Public Authority for Housing Welfare www.housing.gov.kw

Ministry of Commerce and Industry www.moci.gov.kw

Ministry of Justice www.moj.gov.kw

Ministry of Education www.moe.edu.kw

Ministry of Communications www.moc.kw

Ministry of Information www.moinfo.gov.kw

Supreme Council for Planning and Development www.scpd.gov.kw

Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

No: 15661

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines KLM JAI THY JZR QTR ETH GFA PIA UAE ETD OMA QTR FDB MSR RJA DHX THY JZR KAC BAW KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE GFA ABY QTR FDB ETD IRA GFA TMA JZR MEA MSR UAE GFA JZR KAC FDB KNE KAC SVA KAC QTR JZR

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 18/12/2012 Flt Route 411 AMSTERDAM 574 MUMBAI 772 ISTANBUL 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 239 SIALKOT 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 643 MUSCAT 138 DOHA 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 642 AMMAN 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 416 JAKARTA 157 LONDON 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 332 TRIVANDRUM 855 DUBAI 223 BAHRAIN 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 605 ISFAHAN 213 BAHRAIN 213 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 610 CAIRO 871 DUBAI 219 BAHRAIN 325 NAJAF 514 TEHRAN 57 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 362 COLOMBO 500 JEDDAH 546 ALEXANDRIA 140 DOHA 561 SOHAG

Time 0:30 0:30 0:35 0:50 1:00 1:45 1:50 1:55 2:35 2:45 2:50 3:01 3:05 3:10 3:15 5:15 5:30 5:55 6:25 6:40 7:40 7:45 7:55 8:05 8:15 8:40 8:45 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:45 9:55 11:00 11:20 11:55 12:45 12:50 13:35 13:40 13:45 13:50 14:10 14:20 14:30 14:30 14:45 14:50

KAC KAC QTR UAE ETD RJA GFA SVA QTR ABY UAL SYR KAC JZR RBG KAC BAB FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA FDB JAI AXB MSR KAC IRA ABY QTR ALK MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE QTR FDB DHX KLM AIC JZR GFA PIA JZR UAL BBC DLH

562 284 134 857 303 640 215 510 144 127 982 341 542 177 3553 786 438 63 166 618 742 104 674 774 647 61 572 393 618 678 619 129 146 229 402 136 221 307 859 6130 59 372 415 981 239 217 205 185 981 43 636

AMMAN DHAKA DOHA DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN RIYADH DOHA SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES DAMASCUS CAIRO DUBAI ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI PARIS DOHA DAMMAM LONDON DUBAI RIYADH MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI KOZHIKODE ALEXANDRIA ABU DHABI LAR SHARJAH DOHA COLOMBO BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM CHENNAI AMMAN BAHRAIN LAHORE DUBAI BAHRAIN DHAKA FRANKFURT

14:55 15:10 15:30 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:00 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:45 19:10 19:20 19:30 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:30 20:35 20:35 20:45 20:55 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:30 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:25 23:45 23:55

Airlines AIC AXB BBC UAL DLH JAI KLM KAC KAC ETH THY PIA FDB UAE OMA ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR GFA RJA THY KAC JZR FDB BAW KAC KAC KAC GFA ABY UAE FDB ETD JZR QTR GFA IRA KAC KAC TMA MEA KAC MSR JZR UAE GFA FDB

Departure Flights on Tuesday 18/12/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 390 MANGALORE 44 DHAKA 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 573 MUMBAI 411 AMSTERDAM 283 DHAKA 283 DHAKA 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 240 SIALKOT 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 644 MUSCAT 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 560 SOHAG 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 101 LONDON 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 561 AMMAN 224 BAHRAIN 122 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 324 AL NAJAF 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 604 ISFAHAN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 223 DUBAI 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 611 CAIRO 176 DUBAI 872 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI

Time 0:05 0:15 1:00 1:10 1:20 1:30 1:45 2:25 2:25 2:45 2:55 3:10 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:10 4:50 6:05 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:35 7:45 8:15 8:25 8:45 9:20 9:25 9:30 9:30 9:45 9:55 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:30 10:40 10:45 11:30 11:50 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:45 13:50 14:15 14:20 14:30

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

KAC KNE SVA KAC KAC QTR KAC KAC JZR ETD JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR SYR RBG UAL FDB BAB FDB OMA KAC JAI AXB ABY KAC MSR IRA DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC FDB JZR UAE DHX KAC KLM QTR QTR JZR GFA KAC

673 473 501 617 677 141 773 741 238 304 538 135 858 641 216 184 511 128 266 145 342 3554 982 64 439 62 648 351 571 394 120 343 607 618 171 230 403 308 137 222 301 60 554 860 373 205 415 147 6131 528 218 411

DUBAI JEDDAH JEDDAH DOHA ABU DHABI DOHA RIYADH DAMMAM AMMAN ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA DAMASCUS ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI MUSCAT KOCHI MUMBAI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH CHENNAI LUXOR LAR BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DAMMAM DOHA DOHA ASSIUT BAHRAIN BANGKOK

15:05 15:10 15:45 15:45 16:00 16:15 16:25 16:30 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:00 19:00 19:10 19:25 19:30 20:40 20:55 21:10 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:25 23:50 23:50 23:55

34

stars CROSSWORD 42

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) If you are in business for yourself or have a hobby that is making money for you, you may have to consider expanding or moving. You will be doing even better with more space to show off your wares or talents. If you are working for someone else, there is talk of closing shop for the next few days. Plan now for the finances you might need. Group travel is cheap during this time of the year and there is talk about taking a trip with a tour group. This is a time when new information becomes known, making it clear a change is needed to preserve the security around your home.

This could mean an outside light, better locks or just changing the screens on the window. You and a mate may plan to work together in the future. All is well.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You just feel good for no particular reason today. The year’s end is a good time to reevaluate your goals and set your resolutions for the year ahead. Much of your future success lies in the wishes and goals that you visualize for yourself. You are in a learning phase now and that means adapting to changes you have set for yourself. Do not get into competitive situations today—compete with your own abilities. Some of the energies at this time indicate problems or difficulties in finding solutions to life’s problems but in your case, an easy solution is easy to find. You have the energy and the determination to complete whatever you set out to achieve. Tonight is a grand time to plot your path to a lovelier home—perhaps some redecorating or repairs.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A small ball with a hole through the middle.

5. An alloy of copper and zinc (and sometimes arsenic) used to imitate gold in cheap jewelry and for gilding.

11. (informal) Elegant and fashionable.

15. An officer who acts as military assistant to a more senior officer.

16. A waste pipe that carries away sewage or surface water.

17. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

18. A fact that has been verified.

20. (of complexion) Blemished by imperfections of the skin.

21. Wild or seedling sweet cherry used as stock for grafting.

22. A deep bow.

24. Unknown god.

25. On a ship, train, plane or other vehicle.

27. Or or relating to or caused by tides.

28. Submerged aquatic plant having narrow leaves and small flowers.

30. One thousand grams.

32. A unit of length of thread or yarn.

33. A colorless and odorless inert gas.

34. Loose temporary stitches.

38. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

40. (Judaism) Sacred chest where the ancient Hebrews kept the two tablets containing the Ten Commandments.

42. A master's degree in business.

44. (Greek mythology) The winged goddess of the dawn in ancient mythology.

45. Cause to become awake or conscious.

47. A raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip).

50. The sixth month of the civil year.

51. The United Nations agency concerned with the international organization of food and agriculture.

52. A clergyman.

53. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

54. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

56. A narrow way or road.

57. A river that rises in northeastern Turkey (near the source of the Euphrates) and flows generally eastward through Armenia to the Caspian Sea. 61. Any plant of the genus Erica.

65. Scarabaeid beetle considered divine by ancient Egyptians.

72. An implement used to propel or steer a boat.

73. A family of birds of the suborder Oscines.

76. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

77. The law enforcement agency in the Justice Department.

78. Gradually narrowed toward a point.

79. A benevolent aspect of Devi.

80. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

81. Large arboreal boa of tropical South America.

82. An informal term for a father.

DOWN 1. Informal or slang terms for mentally irregular.

2. A genus of Mustelidae.

3. (of animals) Fully developed.

4. An isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole.

5. A crystalline metallic element not found in nature.

6. Leaf or strip from a leaf of the talipot palm used in India for writing paper.

7. Constituting a copy or imitation of something.

8. Any of several tropical and subtropical treelike herbs of the genus Musa having a terminal crown of large entire leaves and usually bearing hanging clusters of elongated fruits.

9. (informal) Of the highest quality.

10. A family of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in southeastern Asia.

11. An Asian temple.

12. Evergreen trees and shrubs having oily one-seeded fruits.

13. A mark left by the healing of injured tissue.

14. The (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb.

19. Of or relating to or characteristic of Hades or Tartarus.

23. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that was formed by an explosion.

26. A small cake leavened with yeast.

29. A large fleet.

31. A judge who assigns grades to something.

35. The upper house of the parliament of the Republic of Ireland.

36. Capital city of the Piemonte region of northwestern Italy.

37. The condition of being honored (esteemed or respected or well regarded).

39. Jordan's port.

41. A group of African language in the NigerCongo group spoken from the Ivory Coast east to Nigeria.

43. An indistinct shapeless form.

46. An implement used to erase something.

48. A minor Hebrew prophet (8th century BC).

49. A member of the Siouan people of southeastern Mississippi.

55. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

58. United States writer (born in Lebanon) (1883-1931).

59. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

60. Dried root of two plants of the genus Polygala containing an irritating saponin.

62. An Indian side dish of yogurt and chopped cucumbers and spices.

63. A nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens.

64. A name given to a product or service.

66. Open-heart surgery in which the rib cage is opened and a section of a blood vessel is grafted from the aorta to the coronary artery to bypass the blocked section of the coronary artery and improve the blood supply to the heart.

67. An elaborate song for solo voice.

68. Someone new to a field or activity.

69. Praise, glorify, or honor.

70. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

71. Toward the mouth or oral region.

74. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

75. An acute inflammatory disease occurring in the intestines of premature infants.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

Your intuitive and inventive energies are steady and the time is favorable for technological and humanitarian—perhaps some volunteer work enterprises. This is a favorable time for a job change or a move. Friends and colleagues tend to give you their approval and business affairs go smoothly. You may decide to work on the holiday calendar. You plan for any future events—leaving time open to be with family and friends. Now is a good time to develop your personal resourcefulness. You may experience the desire to communicate your feelings with those around you. If you are experiencing problems with your partner, then this is a good time to express those concerns.

Both of you will be able to express your views and listen objectively.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Today you could be feeling more dynamic and outgoing. Besting others in the heat of competition and taking on a leadership role means a great deal to you— second best is not good enough! You may decide the company you work for does not give you enough opportunity to grow. Friends encourage you to broaden your scope of education, especially when it comes to different cultures. This could mean an invitation coming your way to travel into unknown places. You may decide to work as a chaperone, travel companion or guide, etc.

Whatever the case, today may be the beginning of insight into the exciting times to come.

Losing sight of the practical where finances are concerned calls for caution.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Others value you for your ability to make practical decisions concerning group issues. This is a busy time but it does not stop you from helping others . . . often.

You are probably working to teach young people or working in a service-oriented company. You have a natural sense of what the public wants at this time. Clear decisions affecting others could be made now. You make a positive difference in other people’s lives. Update your information on local current affairs this evening. Socializing tonight may be hard on your rest quota but advantageous to your professional outlook next year. Some people attending this function will put in a good word for your advancement—network! Plan to take some quiet time in the next few days.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) New ideas make positive changes possible. Do not be afraid to let others know where you stand and then busy yourself with your own schedule. Basic life lessons this week and next may continuously keep you paying attention. Your achievement today is where your attention stays focused. This afternoon you may get into some fun conversations with friends . . . it is time for a break. This could mean a weekend or a week at a health spa, vacation near water, recordings on relaxation and meditation, etc.

Perhaps you would benefit from some creative visualization or any other number of ways to boost the energy level in positive ways. Outer circumstances tend to work in your favor. You may find that you are more organized and self-disciplined.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) This is the time for accomplishing work that was started last week. Your work is much more effective than usual and you are able to get a lot done. You could be most persuasive and eloquent in speech and communication. If you find it necessary to interrupt the flow of conversation in a meeting today, what you say and the way you say it will gain the attention you desire. The situation today is a natural for self-expression and lends itself to your particular ideas and thoughts. This afternoon is a very good time for physical competition and sports. Your vitality and enthusiasm make good impressions especially with your co-workers in an after-work team playoff. You are feeling good. This good feeling will rub off on other folks as well.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Today morning you may find yourself waiting and waiting and waiting— perhaps becoming quite restless. If there is nothing constructive to do, take this time to write out your goals, call a friend, play with the household pet. You may be glad for the extra time just now. Eventually, progress happens and you achieve whatever is needed. This could mean you need to stay home for a plumber or you are waiting on a ride or a car to be fixed. You may look around your home and decide to use your executive abilities to bring structure to your home life. You decide on ways to become better organized and begin to create lists for yourself and your family or roommate to consider. You can see many possibilities to create a more comfortable lifestyle.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Clearing up a misunderstanding may be easy to do this morning—the extreme amount of work has cleared a bit and it may be easier to think and sort through things. Missing information may create some confusing situation this evening, particularly if you try to help someone without the complete story—ask. This afternoon you may feel like doing a bit of shopping—perhaps a visit to the hobby store or the post office to check out the new ways to store or add to an old collection. You are in a great mood of self-enjoyment and can appreciate your own, better qualities. You may also care to volunteer your services at a nearby recreation center in your community. You see value in others and enjoy guiding or sharing with people. This is a good time for friends.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Business connections may be changing, growing or moving. You will be glad you had put effort into keeping in touch with past customers. Let any weak links in business be a signal of the need to rethink your approach; otherwise, you may find yourself cut off or stranded. You might consider setting aside one day a month to confer with the people that give you leads, or help advance your place in the professional world. If you are stopping off at the library that is on the way home, why not invite a family member to come along with you? You could help this person get a library card—providing an encouragement to read. A young person may learn how to do a bit of research.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You are in a planning mood and are very clearheaded and able to view all the alternative paths. Go ahead and make those decisions—others are waiting for your opinion. You can see the road ahead and will make the right choices. You could find that you are appreciated or valued for your feelings or your ability to act and get things done.

Chores take up much of the afternoon and cooking the evening meal may become a group affair. One person cooks the cornbread, another puts the soup on to cook, etc. After the chores are finished, you may find it quite enjoyable to be with others in activities such as card or board games. Others find you especially witty and eccentric just now. Take the time to be with the people you love more often.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) A meeting with co-workers may have you really looking forward to the beginning of next year. The customs and traditions of the season may have overflowed into the workplace where everyone talks of their gatherings and experiences and does very little work. You may be in a position to suggest a day to take a few hours to celebrate and visit with co-worker friends. This way there is a planning committee with allocated times to work on the party and the other times are for work. Suggest that each person review his or her own progress in the workplace. The subject of work and progress can soon return. You may be inspired to splurge when it comes to planning this event. You will be able to come up with a simple but successful event.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 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

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 KUW K WAIT A

Te el.: 161

DIRECTORA AT TE GENERAL GENE OF CIVIL AVIA V ATION T METEOROLOGICAL DEP PA ARTMENT DA AY Y: Monday

17/12/2012

BY Y DA AY:

Cool with light variable wind changing to light to moderate north easterly wind, with speed of 06 - 28 km/h

BY Y NIGHT:

Cold with light north easterly to light variable wind, with speed of 06 - 22 km/h

No Current Warnings arnin a

WARNING A

12 °C

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

18 °C

06 °C

NUW WAISEEB A

20 °C

09 °C

WA AFRA

20 °C

10 °C

SALMI

18 °C

06 °C

ABDAL LY

20 °C

07 °C

JAL ALIY YAH A

19 °C

06 °C

25623444

FA AILAKA

17 °C

11 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

18 °C

12 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

19 °C

16 °C

W Hawally

22630786

WA ARBA A - BUBY YAN A

19 °C

07 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

ST TATION T

SFC. CHART

17/12/2012 0000 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA ATE T

WEA AT THER

Tuesday

18/12

partly cloudy

Weednesday

19/12

cool + scattered clouds

Thursday

20/12

partly cloudy + scattered rain by night

Friday

21/12

partly cloudy + scattered rain

22 °C

PRA RA AYER Y TIMES

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

18 °C

6 °C

VRB-NE

06 - 26 km/h

19 °C

9 °C

VRB-SE

06 - 28 km/h

22 °C

10 °C

S-SE

15 - 40 km/h

11 °C

SE-NW

20 - 45 km/h

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WA AIT AIRPORT

Fajr

05:11

MAX. Temp.

18 °C

24884079

Sunrise

06:36

MIN. Temp.

09 °C

24892674

Zuhr

11:44

MAX. RH

74 %

Asr

14:34

MIN. RH

32 % W 18 km/h

Omariya

24719048

Sunset

16:52

MAX. Wind

N Khaitan

24710044

Isha

18:15

TOT TAL AL RAIINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

Fintas

23900322

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

00 mm V1.00

17/12/12 03:37 UTC

T1.06

PRIVATE CLINICS Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Dr. Salem soso General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

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 Weeather for the Next 24 Hours

18 °C

Psychologists /Psychotherapists

22545171

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

07:00

Issue Time

KUW WAIT A CITY

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

Al-Shuhada

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

MIN. REC.

Firdous

Ext.: 262 2627 - 2630

22418714

Fax: 24348714

MAX. EXP P.

Ardhiya

PHONE

Al-Madeena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

The Spice Girls to continue without Victoria Beckham he British girl band - which also includes members Emma Bunton, 36, Mel C, 38, Geri Halliwell, 40 and Mel B, 37 - are reportedly set to announce their reunion within weeks and are thinking about recruiting a new member to take the fashion designer’s place in the group so they can continue to make new music and tour. A source told the MailOnline: “The girls are going it alone without Victoria. They are keen to get back together and were trying to work out if they could do it as a four-piece. I think they know this is the last chance for them to get the band going again. “But the Spice Girls as a foursome is not going to get them another record deal or sell out big venues. They need an extra cherry on the cake. And the cherry on the cake would be if they replaced Victoria. “And that leads to the next question: who do they replace her with? At the moment it’s all being done in a very cloak-and-dagger way and not through official channels. “At the moment they’re thinking who, out there, who’s been in a another band, could be Victoria. There would be interest in a television series, but I think they’re keen on someone with industry experience rather than discovering a new star.” When asked to comment on the speculation, a spokesperson for Victoria would only say: “Victoria respects all of the girls and will always support them all personally and professionally.” Among those rumoured to be in the running to replace her is former Sugababes star Heidi Range, 29, who is already close friends with Emma. Last week Victoria and her family posed separately from the group and hid away during the ‘Viva Forever!’ after-party. The 38-year-old fashion designer arrived at the marquee on the banks of London’s River Thames on Tuesday evening with her husband David, 37, and sons Brooklyn, 13, Romeo, 10, and seven-year-old Cruz after the opening of the Spice Girls musical at Piccadilly Theatre but instead of joining the rest of her bandmates on the dancefloor, they sat quietly in the corner.

T

Mariah Carey’s husband told her to join ‘American Idol’ panel he ‘Hero’ singer admitted she was initially wary of taking a role on the judging panel of the pop star search show but ‘America’s Got Talent’ host Nick Cannon talked her into it.

She said: “He really wanted me to do this. I had my own kind of reservations about it because I didn’t know how I would adapt to the situation. It’s a huge deal.” However, Mariah admitted she would have hated to be a contestant on the show when she was first starting out. She said: “I get really attached to certain people for different reasons whether it’s their story or what it mainly is is talent. Sometimes I see myself in some of the contestants when I first started and I’m glad I didn’t have to do a show like this. I would have hated it! “It’s been really fun. We’re still in the beginning stages but I’ve learned a lot. I want to continue to be the best I can be in order to help contestants. It’s that for me. “I don’t know if I have a judging style. I try to speak as frankly as possible, but as kindly as possible not sugar coating the whole thing because that does nobody any good and that’s boring to watch.”

T

Megan Fox’s baby is ‘bossy’ he ‘This Is 40’ actress gave birth to Noah - her first child with husband Brian Austin Green - in September and admitted the youngster is already showing them he’s in charge. She told Hollyscoop: “He’s very bossy! Yes! He’s only two and a half months and he’s super opinionated and I’m already a complete slave to him.” Yet, it hasn’t stopped Megan from hoping to add to her family soon.

When asked if she wants more kids she said: “For sure, yes definitely.” However, the 26-year-old actress insists motherhood has changed how she approaches her career and Megan has ruled out revealing photoshoots or nude scenes in films. She said: “It’s more about some of the photoshoots I’ve done. I think about some of that and I sort of sweat thinking about him coming across them when he’s older. “I won’t do nudity, I’ve never done nudity but now I never will.” Megan previously admitted she is finding it difficult to adjust to parenthood but says it is worth it because she is so besotted with her son. She added: “It’s exhausting, but it’s amazing and you can’t, until you have kids, you can’t imagine how much you could possibly love a human being. It’s really intense and really overwhelming and amazing. He’s super cute.”

T

Deadmau5 gets engaged to Kat Von D he Canadian DJ proposed to the tattoo artist - who he split from in November after a two-month romance - on Twitter and the brunette beauty said yes. Deadmau5 - whose real name is Joel Zimmerman tweeted: “I can’t wait for Christmas so....

Katherine Von Drachenberg, will you marry me?” The tweet was accompanied by a picture of a diamond ring flanked by two skulls, with text on the image explaining that the musician planned to get the stone switched.

He wrote: “Changing the diamond for a black diamond FYI. Sorry for the jpg... they’ll finish the actual ring soon I hope. I love you. (sic)” Kat replied with a series of exclamation marks, prompting her new fiance to write: “Holy crap. im engaged and stuff! (sic)” Kat who was previously engaged to Sandra Bullock’s ex-husband Jesse James - and Deadmau5 then thanked fans for their wellwishes. Kat wrote: “Mi corazon!!! Thank you all for the lovely congratulations. Please excuse me while I go squeeze the hell out of my fiance!” Deadmau5 added: “Thanks for the well wishes and support from the horde and everyone else! “brb while i spend the rest of my evening with my future wife :) (sic)”

T

Leonardo DiCaprio is dating Margot Robbie T

he 38-year-old actor has grown closer to his ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ co-star after he reportedly stayed overnight at her apartment in Union Square, New York, last week, and was spotted leaving the 22-year-old beauty’s abode the next morning. A source told the New York Post newspaper: “He stayed overnight.” Margot - who plays Leonardo’s love interest in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ - joined the ‘Great Gatsby’ star in Las Vegas for his 38th birthday last month, where the pair spent “a lot of time” together. An eye witness at the time said: “There looks to be some strong chemistry between Leo and his leading lady. They spent a lot of time at the party together.” Leonardo split from Victoria’s Secret model Erin Heatherton in late October after 10 months together amid reports he didn’t want to settle down and the pair struggled to see each other because of their busy schedules.

A source said at the time: “Erin wanted things to get more serious between them, but Leo is not ready to settle down. “While it would seem amazing that he wouldn’t want to settle down with one of the world’s most beautiful women, Leo leads a charmed life.” Following their break-up Erin insisted she was doing fine and “couldn’t feel more beautiful”. She explained: “I’m having the best time right now. I couldn’t feel more beautiful with all my friends. It’s wonderful.” Leonardo has previously dated a number of famous beauties including Blake Lively, Gisele Bundchen and Bar Refaeli.

Katie Holmes wins ‘best revenge body’ of 2012 he ‘Dead Accounts’ star - who split from Tom Cruise in June after six years of marriage and won full custody of their daughter Suri, six, topped the annual fit list, compiled by Fitness magazine. The magazine ranked the 33-year-old actress’s figure slightly ahead of 28-year-old ‘Part of Me’ singer Katy Perry’s post break-up body, whose divorce from British comedian husband Russell Brand was also finalised last summer after just 14 months of marriage. Katie is frequently spotted attending spinning classes in New York at the popular celebrity exercise centre Soul Cycle, and also maintains her petite curves by sticking to a diet rich in vegetables and fruit. Katie recently revealed that she comes from a health conscious family and said that her family even goes running together before tucking into their Thanksgiving dinner. She said: “Many years ago, my dad started this tradition where we all do this run in the local park. “It’s a three mile run called the Turkey Trot. There’s even a prize, which I haven’t won yet. But it’s really fun.”

The actress has always kept fit and even ran the New York City marathon in 2007. Blake Lively was awarded ‘best legs’ in the poll, while Jennifer Lawrence was voted ‘best curves’. —Bangshowbiz

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It was love at first sight for Cate Blanchett he Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ actress has been married to screenwriter Andrew Upton for 15 years, and she has revealed they got engaged within weeks of meeting each other as they knew they were perfect for one another. In an interview with Britain’s The Sun newspaper, Cate said: “The most romantic moment in my life was meeting my husband. Love at first sight? Yes, it was. “He proposed two weeks after we met. A straight, old-fashioned proposal.”

The 43-year-old Australian beauty - who has three children, Dashiell, 11, Roman, eight, and Igantius, four, with Andrew - didn’t have time for a honeymoon after getting married because of her busy Hollywood career, so instead made a romantic pact with her husband. She added: “We didn’t have time for a honeymoon because I had to leave Australia for England to film ‘Elizabeth’. It meant that I was on my own, in places like Newcastle. So we thought we’d stretch it out over the next 50 years in instalments.

“We have taken it when we can. I did the film ‘The Talented Mr Ripley’ in Italy and only worked about two days a week during a Roman summer, so that was a fantastic place to catch up on romance.”

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Dolls for boys, drills for girls: Ending toy ‘apartheid’ ith firefighter kits for girls and baby dolls for boys, toys are breaking out of the gender ghetto this Christmas thanks to retailers willing to brush aside some hard-to-shift stereotypes. The latest to chip away at the toy apartheid, French supermarket Super-U, has printed a holiday season catalogue showing boys cradling dolls and girls piloting remote-controlled cars, billed as a first for the country. “This is not activism,” said Thierry Desouches, the group’s head of external relations. “But it’s about keeping up with changes in society, with the shifting roles of men and women,” he told AFP. “It’s about breaking down stereotypes-pink and ironing boards for girls, blue and cars for boys, it’s really too narrow.” Retailer La Grande Recre has also brought in a line of gender-neutral DIY kits, kitchens and cleaning trolleys, aimed at boys and girls alike. Sold in France, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium and Morocco, the toys are packaged in orange, white or purple with no pink or blue in sight. The line is doing well, says the chain’s sales director Franck Mathais, with sales of the toy vacuum cleaner up 40 percent in a year. The French moves bring the country into line with a snowballing trend in Britain and the United States.

Last year a four-year-old American girl named Riley Maida shot to prominence for a YouTube video showing her rant against the tyranny of princess gear for girls, and superhero stuff for boys. The clip, which went viral, summed up the frustration many families feel with what they perceive as forceful gender stereotyping by toy manufacturers.

In Britain, campaigners have claimed a string of victories in the past year or so. London’s Harrods this summer unveiled a vast “gender-neutral” zone organised by theme instead of by sex, and last December the Hamleys toy store removed “boy” and “girl” signposts, replacing them with red and white ones. Britain’s Early Learning Centre, a leading toy retailer, was targeted in 2009 by a grassroots campaign dubbed “Pinkstinks” denouncing stereotyping in toys. “Back then, the ELC had a double page spread on things people do, fireman, policeman etc, which were all boys except for a girl as an old-fashioned nurse,” said Emma Moore, who launched the drive with her sister Abi five years ago. “The next page was all girls in princess dresses.” Stung into action, the ELC’s website now pointedly shows girls playing with construction sets or dressed as firefighters and boys rocking baby dolls.

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Two women dressed as angels ride on horses near Uttenweiler, southern Germany, on December 16, 2012. —AFP

The up-and-comers

any big-name LA-based designers Rodarte, Gregory Parkinson, Rachel Zoe, Barbara Tfank, Skaist-Taylor and Juan Carlos Obando among them - have already shown their fall 2012 collections at New York Fashion Week. Now in the middle of Los Angeles Fashion Week, it seems like a good time to meet other designers and labels that are shaping the LA fashion scene and giving it global reach.

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Of Two Minds The look: L.A.’s answer to Isabel Marant.

The goods: Designer Sunjoo Moon marries Parisian chic and West Coast cool for a worldtraveler vibe seen in fur vests, maxi-length dresses done in relaxed 1970s silhouettes, cozy knits and trousers festooned with subtle tribal patterns. Prices run $180 to $1,000.

The back story: After years of working for European fashion houses including Missoni, Thierry Mugler and Kenzo, as well as her Parisbased line and boutique, Moon brought her talents west to create a contemporary collection.

With the eclectic and free-spirited line in its third season, Moon continues to reinterpret the Left Bank to Los Angeles inspiration that encourages layering and print-on-print dressing.

Where to find it: Ron Herman, Fred Segal.

A.L.C. The look: Modern wardrobe essentials with a twist.

The goods: The perfect striped T-shirt, the wear-everywhere leather jacket and the dress-up or dress-down pleated maxi-skirt are mainstays of the line, $295 to $1,895. For fall, designer Andrea Lieberman plays with tweeds, paisleys and rubber-coated lace on oversized coats, silk Tshirts and skinny pants.

The back story: A graduate of Parsons School of Design, Lieberman always knew that having her own line was in her future, even as she segued into styling tour and concert wardrobes for P. Diddy, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Eve and other music world stars, culminating in her working with Gwen Stefani on the L.A.M.B. clothing line. Lieberman launched her own collection, A.L.C., in 2009 and has recently expanded the offerings to include jewelry, such as mini-screw stud earrings and twisted nail cuffs.

Where to find it: Barneys New York,

Nordstrom, Net-a-porter.com, Shopbop.com and Intermix stores.

Raquel Allegra The look: Artfully distressed.

The goods: Tie-dye print jackets and shorts, shredded jersey and lace layering pieces, cocoon-shaped T-shirts, soft shirt dresses and, for fall, rib knit skirts and leather leggings.

The back story: Allegra first gained a following in 2006 for turning reclaimed L.A. County Jail

caviar-like crystals, ankle boots that can be worn with the backs folded down or up, reversible tartan totes, structured pony-skin bags and soft leather pochette purses with clear plastic windows for displaying a special photo. Prices are $425 to $1,000.

The back story: Stylist sisters Maryam and Marjan Malakpour launched Newbark in 2009 with the goal of producing comfy shoes that could be worn at home, on set or while traveling. Since then, their soft, foldable slippers have

Los Angeles clothing designer Sunjoo Moon is photographed in the downtown Los Angeles Findings showroom. —MCT tees into one-of-a-kind shirts with her signature shredding and tie-dying technique. That idea has since grown into a full line of soft and tailored separates, priced at $150 to $1,300.

Where to find it: Barneys New York, Net-aporter.com, RaquelAllegra.com.

Newbark The look: Bohemian jet-set accessories hand-stitched in Los Angeles.

The goods: For fall, the classic pancake flat Newbark slipper gets an updated silhouette and a tiny heel. There are also mules covered in

become such a hit that they’ve branched into more structured footwear and bags with a similar utilitarian appeal.

Where to find it: Maxfield, Just One Eye and Net-a-porter.com.

L’Agence The look: Head-to-toe dressing with a boho feminine sensibility.

The goods: Easy, washed-silk dresses, satin tops, crinkled maxi-skirts, crisp high-waist pants, tailored velvet jackets, super-soft T-shirts, cashmere capes and lush shearlings, priced at $165

to $2,700. For fall, designer Margaret Maldonado was inspired by “Dr. Zhivago” and traditional Russian clothing. Accessories and jewelry were recently added to the line.

The back story: Launched in 2008 by stylist agent Maldonado, who helped launch the careers of celebrity stylists Rachel Zoe, Andrea Lieberman and Jen Rade. The line was originally conceived as a platform for a different guest designer each season, but now Maldonado does it all.

Where to find it: Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Ron Herman, Barneys New York, Net-a-porter.com.

Les Aperizes The look: Relaxed romantic with a masculine-feminine mix.

The goods: Frilly, high-neck blouses, flowing-yet-functional maxi-dresses, sturdy coats, low-slung trousers borrowed from the boys and high-waist yoke leather pencil skirts, $300 to $2,600.

The back story: Los Angeles couple Laurence Nguyen and Brian Tamborello debuted Les Aperizes for spring ‘12. She has a background in fashion (with stints designing for Levi’s, RRL and Christophe Lemaire), and he has a background in music and photography.

Where to find it: Barneys New York, Ikram.

Cerre The look: New generation, stylish-yet-understated rocker.

The goods: Buttery leather jackets and accessories and ready-to-wear clothes with a minimal-meets-goth vibe. Each piece is made on-site at the new Cerre atelier situated between art galleries and interior design studios in West Hollywood. Prices range from $75 to $3,500.

The back story: Flavie and Clayton Webster are former models who met posing for some of Paris’ most celebrated designers. The duo started Cerre in 2005, and have since caught the attention of Hollywood’s biggest stylists, celebrities and costume designers. Most recently, they created the custom-made motorcycle jackets and bags for Rooney Mara’s title character in “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”

Where to find it: Cerre, 8920 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood. —MCT

‘It’s just so boring, apart from being damaging!’

So how much is really changing? Haude ConstantinBienaime runs a day care centre in the Paris suburbs that was the first in the country to adopt a policy on gender discrimination. “Little children will try anything. It’s what we adults offer that influences them. And society is full of gender stereotypes,” she told AFP. “This is one way to tackle stereotyping,” she said of the retailers’ moves. “But walk into a toy store and there’s still a very clear divide between games for boys and ones for girls.”

“There is movement but it is fairly superficial,” agreed Moore, who feels girls have most to lose from the current state of affairs. “Boys get adventure, action, science and discovery. What girls get is very often a dumbed down version of that, or go and sit in front of a mirror.

“You still see a glut of toys which are about being pretty,” with make-up kits targeting toddlers as young as two.

“Little girls are encouraged through play to become obsessed with what they look like.” Pinkstinks uses Twitter and Facebook to name and shame bad practice-and often gets its own way, like recently when Sainsbury’s supermarket removed the “boy” and “girl” tags from a doctor’s and beautician’s outfits. It has logged messages of support from all over the world, including every country in South America. “We were first to verbalise what was actually bothering quite a few people,” said Moore. “As a culture, we are obsessed by gender but it didn’t used to be like this.” “If you go back 20 or 30 years and look at toy catalogues it’s fascinating, you see pages of toys for children-not for boys and girls.” She, like many campaigners, believes the core driver for splitting the market into his and hers is purely economic: you get to sell twice as much. “I have no doubt there are differences between boys and girls-I can see it in my children and my nephews. But there is growing evidence that suggests the differences are fairly minute.” “It’s just so boring, apart from being damaging!” —AFP

‘Bearding winter’ at Siwash Lake Ranch in British Columbia “I

t’s a true thing,” as my grandmother used to say. Luxury lodging is in the eye of the beholder. Whether it’s an inn, hotel, resort, even a campsite, all the assorted bits that meet to make a hotel feel like a home will never be to everyone’s taste.

Colors and styles that speak to you might leave me yawning. And vice versa. But luxury comes in different flavors in Canada, where most land area is either lightly populated or wilderness.

We’ve flown along the coasts and over the interior of this vast country, the world’s second largest (after Russia), and marveled at unimaginable features, things we’d never heard of and didn’t know existed: deep gorges, roiling waterfalls, vast lakes, rolling tundra, mountain ranges and endless forests.

It’s no surprise, then, that when a luxury lodge pops up in one of these remote corners, offering cocooned comfort within and raw nature without, the contrast heightens the pleasure.

We’ve felt it everywhere, at legendary hideaways in Ucluelet and Tofino on Vancouver Island, in classic digs on Quadra Island, in modern hotels in Prince George and Inuvik (on the Arctic Ocean), and Ontario’s fishing lodges.

These are the yin and yang of socalled soft-adventure, the “Star Trek” generation’s mission played out not in space but on terra firma. Who doesn’t want - deep inside - to walk with lions,

then dine by candlelight? To sail the Northwest Passage on a cruise ship with an ice-breaker bow? To beard the northern winter in its den?

As it happens, bearding winter is a fact of life at Siwash Lake Ranch, in the snow-blown foothills of British Columbia’s Cariboo Mountains. Owner Allyson Rogers, a modern-day pioneer, bought the land and lake, designed the lodge (with her father’s help), built it using timber grown on the property, and installed a solar-and-water heating

system. But the site isn’t just remote. It’s 50 miles from the nearest town, store or restaurant. Daily shopping isn’t an option in this 80,000-acre wilderness.

Rogers’s closest neighbor lives 30 minutes away. The rest of the population consists of the four-legged kind: deer, moose, black bear, badger, coyotes, 30 horses, three dogs and two pet cows. Though phone lines straggle down the nearest dirt road, Siwash Lake Lodge is off the grid and without public utilities.

Dog teams on the move at Siwash Lake Ranch, British Columbia, Canada. —MCT

“We’re so isolated here that we look forward to having people come to us,” says Rogers, who runs the lodge with the help of her two teenagers, partner Roy Grinder and a staff of 12. “The kids look forward to meeting other kids, many of them coming from around the world. This is my dream house. Sharing it means everything.”

It’s a late afternoon under a smoky grey sky as we arrive. The dirt road to the lodge leads under dark firs, passing the horse corral, a popular hangout for horse-crazy teens in summer’s more benevolent weeks. Cold and wet, the barn looks foreboding. The horses, winter coats grown wooly and thick, stamp their feet and turn to stare. Srands of straw and manure dot the snow, today’s frozen lumps and tomorrow morning’s chore.

Then the front door opens and Rogers appears in a halo of light, welcoming you to the warmth within, with a glimpse of soaring peeled-log rafters and good smells from the kitchen. A cup of tea, a glass of wine and a cushy sofa in front of the tall stone fireplace will never seem better. You’ll spend this evening the old-fashioned way, with a hot toddy or glass of wine beside the fireplace, a game of checkers or cards, a book, music or conversation.

Tomorrow, when the anchor-weight of ample meals leaves you dozing, the cure is a brisk snowshoe trek through a

snowy wonderland, or a cross-country ski across the frozen lake.

Rogers supplies guests with basic gear, or you can bring your own. She also partners with local outfitters in 100 Mile House who organize special expeditions: long snowmobile treks, ice fishing and dog sledding. We’d been sledding before, but just for rides. So we jumped on board when Rogers suggested a dog mushing class, taught by local trainer Laurie Niedemeyer, owner of Netkitsilik Outdoor Adventures, and taught at the lodge. Niedemeyer, who trains dogs and teams to race and to perform in films, trains guides, dog handlers, actors and amateurs. Just the kind of help we needed. But before unloading the dogs, we started with the basics: learning commands, how the dogs work, and driving techniques.

“No matter what happens, even if you spill,” she warned, “even if you fall, don’t let go of the sled. The dogs can run for miles without realizing you’re gone. Catching them means a very long hike.” Finally Niedemeyer unloaded her 40 dogs, enough for three teams, and hitched them to the sleds. Taking turns, we practiced driving, riding, and driving again. When my lead dog, Tricia, looked back at me, waiting for a command, I knew I’d graduated from novice to partner.

“Ready up,” I sang out and we were off. —MCT

Miss Malaysia 2012 Kimberley Leggett performs at the 2012 Miss Universe National Costume Show of the 2012 Miss Universe Presentation Show in Las Vegas. —AFP

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

lifestyle

Ciara performs onstage.

Ledisi performs during VH1 Divas on Sunday, Dec 16, 2012, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. — AP photos

Metric performs.

Kelly Rowland (left) Adam Lambert (center) and Keri Hilson are seen.

Jordin Sparks is seen performing onstage.

Kelly Rowland performs.

eter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” led the box office with a haul of $84.8 million, a record-setting opening better than the three previous “Lord of the Rings” films. The Warner Bros. Middle Earth epic was the biggest December opening ever, surpassing Will Smith’s “I Am Legend,” which opened with $77.2 million in 2007, according to studio estimates Sunday. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” also passed the December opening of “Avatar,” which opened with $77 million. Internationally, “The Hobbit” also added $138.2 million, for an impressive global debut of $223 million. Despite weak reviews, the 3-D adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s first novel in the fantasy series was an even bigger draw than the last “Lord of the Rings” movie, “The Return of the King.” That film opened with $72.6 million. “The Hobbit” is the first of another planned trilogy, with two more films to be squeezed out of Tolkien’s book.

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While Jackson’s “Rings” movies drew many accolades “The Return of the King” won best picture from the Academy Awards - the path for “The Hobbit” has been rockier. It received no Golden Globes nominations on Thursday, though all three “Rings” films were nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for best picture.

Particularly criticized has been the film’s 48-frames-per-second (double the usual rate), a hyper-detailed look that some have found jarring. Most moviegoers didn’t see “The Hobbit” in that version, though, as the new technology was rolled out in only 461 of the 4,045 theaters playing the film.Regardless of any misgivings over “The Hobbit,” the film was a hit with audiences. They graded the film with an “A” CinemaScore.

“What’s really important, what makes this special is the CinemaScore,” said Dan Fellman, president of domestic dis-

Miley Cyrus performs.

tribution for Warner Bros. “All these things point to a great word of mouth. We haven’t even made it to the Christmas holidays yet. Kids are still in school this week.”The strong opening culminated a long journey for “The Hobbit,” which was initially delayed when a lawsuit dragged on between Jackson and “Rings” producer New Line Cinema over merchandizing revenue. At one point, Guillermo del Toro was to direct the film with Jackson producing. But eventually the filmmaker opted to direct the movie himself, originally envisioning two “Hobbit” films. The production also went through the bankruptcy of distribution partner MGM and a labor dispute in New Zealand, where the film was shot.

The long delay for “The Hobbit,” nearly a decade after the last “Lord of the Rings” film, made it “one of those movies that had everyone scratching their heads as to how it would open,” said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst for boxoffice tracker Hollywood.com. “It’s been a decade since the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy concluded,” said Dergarabedian.

“There’s been so much anticipation for this film and having Peter Jackson back at the helm just made it irresistible both to fans and the non-initiated alike.” “The Hobbit” was far and away the biggest draw in theaters, with no other new wide release. Paramount’s “Rise of the Guardians” continued to draw the family crowd, with $7.4 million, bringing its cumulative total to $71.4 million. The Oscar contender “Lincoln” from Walt Disney crossed the $100 million mark, adding another $7.2 million to bring its six-week total to $107.9 million. And Sony’s James Bond film “Skyfall,” with another $7 million domestically, drew closer to a global take of $1 billion. The box office continued to be on the upswing and with anticipated releases like “Les Miserables,” “Django Unchained” and “The Guilt Trip” approaching in the holiday movie-going season. Dergarabedian expects the year to break the 2009 record of $10.6 billion. With some $10.2 billion in revenue thus far, he said, “We’re on track to be in that realm.” Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com.

Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures were set to be released yesterday. — AP

ward-winning Chinese director Xie Fei has slammed China’s system of film censorship as wasteful and arbitrary, urging censors in an open letter to issue clearer rules on banned topics. Xie, 70, won international awards for such 1990s films as “Black Snow” and “Woman Sesame Oil Maker”, which was handed the top prize at the Berlin film festival. In the letter addressed to the state film bureau, he cited recent difficulties in getting film approvals by numerous prominent Chinese directors including Jiang Wen, Tian Zhuangzhuang, and Jia Zhangke.

“The state administrative methods and the censorship system that manages the film industry long ago lost its real social, economic, ideological and cultural significance,” Xie wrote in the letter, posted on his microblog page Saturday. It “has only become a corrupt black spot for controlling the prosperity of the cultural and entertainment industry, killing artistic exploration and wasting administrative resources”.

Controls on the kinds of films Chinese directors can make were also leading to poor box office showings, he said, with Chinese viewers largely favouring foreign films produced by film makers without such restraints. Xie has long been an outspoken critic of China’s censorship system and in recent years has refused to make new films because of it.

He has been working as artistic consultant on a movie about the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution including homosexuality as a theme, which has been awaiting the censors’ approval for four months, he said. Xie said China’s film censorship should be based on laws and regulations that are linked to the constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech and the right to publish.

“We must recognise that the best way to administer the cultural industry is through law and through the market,” the letter said. “Today’s film censorship system is not ‘ruled by law,’ but still ruled by a system based on personalities that we long ago said should end.” China’s censors were still banning anything they consider to be a negative portrayal of the nation, he said. China’s film market, set to become the world’s second-largest this year, maintains a quota on the number of foreign movies that can be shown in the nation’s cinemas. — AFP

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

lifestyle

arbra Streisand would really rather relax than star in a movie. “I like not to be bothered,” she said during a recent interview. “I like to look at the ocean and swim in my pool and play with my dog and see my son.” But for the director and writer of “The Guilt Trip,” in theaters tomorrow, Streisand was the only choice to play Joyce Brewster, a loving but meddling mom who sees the bonding opportunity of a lifetime when her only son, Andy (Seth Rogen), invites her on a cross-country road trip. Streisand declined the role for a year. Then her real-life son, Jason Gould, joined the chorus of voices urging her to do it, so the legendary 70-year-old entertainer made a few “requests” of producers.

Could they promise weekends off and no call times before 8:30 am? Would they consider renting a warehouse closer to Streisand’s Malibu home rather than shooting on a proper sound stage? “I get a little carsick sometimes so I didn’t want to schlep to Paramount, which is an hour and a half to two hours that time of the morning,” Streisand said. “So if you rent a warehouse and built the sets - it’s ridiculous what I was asking.”

Yet the filmmakers obliged her every demand, and in the end, Streisand and Rogen shared one of the most pleasant, fun and creatively comfortable acting experiences they’ve ever had. The two approach work similarly, they said, and they really became like mother and son on set. “Aw, you were proud of your mommy?” Streisand asked Rogen sweetly, laying her head on his shoulder playfully after he complimented her performance in the film. Rogen, 30, said Streisand

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reminds him of his own mother.

“A lot of people see the movie from all races and nationalities and they’re like, ‘Oh man, she reminds me so much of my mother,’ and I think it’s because, it’s probably because your mother is a fan of hers and acts like her.” Rogen and Streisand also bonded as filmmakers. As multi-hyphenates who work on both sides of the camera, they brought a broad understanding of the moviemaking process and resulting openness to their roles. For example, during one scene where Streisand’s character tries to eat a four pound steak to win a free meal, the actress in her didn’t want to do it, but the director in her knew she had to. “Because, as a filmmaker, I don’t care what the actress has to go through,” she said.

“Some actors are like that, Rogen said. “Ones who’ve made movies are like that. You can see that even though they don’t want to be doing that, they know that they have to because it’s the best thing for the movie.” That director’s sense of story and filmmaking also informed their improv scenes. Streisand said ad-libbing comes naturally to her - “not that I’ve had to use it before in something like ‘Prince of Tides.’”

The mutual respect between the two was evident when they discussed their upcoming projects. Rogen just finished his co-directorial debut, “The End of the World,” which he also wrote and produced. “How did you find dealing with your actors?” Streisand asked.

“Because your actors were all your friends, right? So you could say anything to them.” Rogen said it made it easier in some ways and more difficult in others.

t’s the happiest condo on Earth. Filled to the brim with plush dolls, pin and key-chain displays and thousands of figurines - some more than 2 feet tall - Janet Esteves’ home is a monument to Mickey Mouse. Esteves, a 57-year-old Celebration, Fla., woman, has held the record for the largest documented Mickey Mouse memorabilia collection in the world since 2006. Back then, she set the record with more than 2,100 items. The latest Guinness World Records count put Esteves’ collection at 4,127 items, but she estimates that she has about 2,000 more pieces still waiting to be cataloged and counted. “This is a passion,” she said. “Actually, it’s an obsession. Some people think it’s crazy, but frankly, I don’t care.”

Esteves is among a rare breed of challengers who actually break records. “We receive around 1,000 claims per week from people looking to break records,” said Sara Wilcox, a spokeswoman for Guinness World Records North America Inc.

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“Only about 4 percent of those are successful attempts.”

The most recent edition of Guinness World Records includes more than 4,000 records - from the longest snake ever in captivity to the fastest toilet. The person who holds the most Guinness records is Ashrita Furman, with 147 current ones.

The Queens, NY., resident has set 424 records since 1979 and currently is the world-record holder for among other things - long-distance pogo-stick jumping, most glasses balanced on the chin, most hopscotch games in 24 hours and most records held at the same time by an individual.

Esteves holds just the memorabilia record - but she keeps breaking it. Esteves’ 1,900-square-foot condo has been the family vacation home since 2005, and last year, Janet and her husband, Juan, decided to relocate there from their home in Palm City, Fla. The two packed their nearly 6,000 Mickey items in boxes and took months to get them all to

Kristen Dennis poses for portrait with duplicates of some of the nearly 10,000 sugar packets, in bins behind, she has collected at her Chicago, Illinois home. — MCT photos

hen traveling with children - especially little ones - it’s important to make them feel comfortable and secure wherever they are. But with checked bag fees going nowhere but up, we don’t want to fill up the suitcases and carry-ons with lots of bulky stuff. So to help make transitions - and packing - easier, here are four space-saving products that do double- or triple-duty: CuddleUppets are part blanket, part puppet, and a lot of fun for the kids. At 39 inches x 28 inches, they’re about the size of a child’s blankie, and they come in seven varieties, including Blue Elephant, Lady Bug, Unicorn, Purple Monkey, and Green Crocodile. Soft, with paws on each corner and a large, stuffed head, children can use them to put on puppet shows for the family or to give their imagination a workout by themselves. If mom or dad has one too, you may find yourself adding a few extra miles to your car trip or hoping your flight is delayed so you can have more time to play together. When you’re done for the day, the kids can snuggle up with their CuddleUppet and drift off to sleep.

CuddleUppets are machine washable and recommended for ages 6 months - 15 years, but unless they come out with one that texts or plays Angry Birds, they really aren’t going to interest anyone much over 6 - not including parents, of course. Retail price: $19.99, but available only online.

Although Zoobies come in wide variety of styles, our favorites for the family-on-thego are Blanket Pets and Slumber Pets.

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CuddleUppets are part blanket, part puppet, and a lot of fun for the kids. — MCT

The actors all play themselves, he said, and he and Streisand shared a laugh about potential character discussions on set between actor and director.

“You hired me for me, and this is what I want to do!” Streisand laughed. When she revealed that she’s having trouble finding financing for her next directorial project, Rogen commiserated. “It’s tough to get a movie going,” he said. Though Streisand’s reputation as a legendary talent and reported diva precedes her, Rogen said he was impressed by the Oscar-winner’s approach to her work and demeanor on set.

“If anything, it showed me that I should maintain sanity,” he said. “There’s no excuse to be crazy.

Because Barbra’s not crazy. She acts very reasonably and she can get away with a lot of (stuff) that she doesn’t pull. I’ve seen people with much less power than her get away with crazier (things) than she’s ever pulled... She could go bonkers and she doesn’t do anything.” “I’m like this nice person,” Streisand said. “Why do I have this strange reputation?” “I’m saying you could,” Rogen said. “I think people project what they would maybe do if they had as much power as you.” All she did was move “The Guilt Trip” sets a little closer to her house. — AP

In this photo, Seth Rogen (left) and Barbara Streisand, cast members in the film “The Guilt Trip,” pose together for a portrait at The Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. — AP

Celebration. Though many of their pieces are already on display, dozens of figurines still fill their garage waiting for a more permanent home inside. “I’m always looking for empty spaces on the walls and thinking, ‘Which Mickey can I put there?’ “ Janet Esteves said.

When looking for the perfect place for a Mickey Mouse, there are only two rules: No Mickey in the master suite - that area is just for the couple - and no Mickey in Juan Esteves’ office. That’s the territory for his “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” memorabilia. Now Janet Esteves is setting her sights on more-personal collectibles. She is on a mission to build a photo album of herself on Disney property and cruise ships posing with Mickey in each of his more than 200 outfits. — MCT

Janet Esteves high-fives her favorite piece of her Guiness record setting collection of Mickey Mouse memorabilia.

Blanket Pets are a stuffed animal, blanket, and pillow all rolled into one. With at least 25 animals to choose from, even the pickiest kids will find something to entertain themselves with in the car, plane, hotel, or grandma’s house. At the end of the day, unzip the plush blanket and use the animal’s head as a pillow (it’s stuffed with microbeads for maximum squishability). Machine washable, Blanket Pets retail for $29.99, although the more collectible “retired” models are more. zoobies.com Zoobies Slumber Pets take Blanket Pets up a notch and come with a lightweight sleeping bag rolled up inside. Available in varieties such as Furbie the Feline, Gumdrop the Golden Retriever, and Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar, they’re great for long car rides, hotel stays, and everywhere else - and there’s a good chance your child will want to use it at home too. Made of Zoobies’ soft fleece and topped off with the Slumber Pet’s microbead head, the sleeping bag (which at 43 inches x 22 inches, is roomy enough for most little ones) zips off for easy washing. Children love sleeping on a large stuffed toy pillow, as well as playing with it during waking hours. As your little one gets ready for bed in an unfamiliar place, snuggle up with her for a story featuring the animal of choice, and help her get ready for another exciting day. Blanket Pets retail for $39.99. zoobies.com—MCT

t age 76, George Griffin, a local jazz pioneer, knows drumming.

These days, Griffin lives in a housing complex for seniors of limited income. The slow movements there are a long way from the jazz clubs of his younger days. But he’s finding a different kind of reward with his fellow oldsters. He’s become the music teacher to people who, in some cases, had never before touched a musical instrument. “I can’t hang out in the clubs like I used to,” says Griffin. “My reward now is in seeing people play the rhythm.”

Griffin was 5 when he first started banging away at cardboard boxes. He was 16, still a junior at Garfield High School, when he was playing professionally with the Dave Lewis Combo, a legendary Northwest group. John Coltrane. Charles Lloyd. Miles Davis. Griffin remembers them. In the 1960s, he was in the house band at the celebrated Penthouse club in downtown Seattle and opened for those greats.

At this particular complex, there are no assisted-living services. It is part of the Senior Housing Assistance Group for “independent seniors.”

Still, Griffin says, being independent doesn’t necessarily mean being active. He says he noticed many of the residents, “sitting around doing nothing. I decided drumming might be a good thing.”

Back in April, Griffin put up notices on the elevators stating that he was forming a drum line, no experience needed. They’d bang away on, mostly, miniature conga drums provided by the 208-unit complex.

Now, twice a week, about eight seniors show up in a meeting room on the second floor, and for an hour-and-a-half, the beat goes on.

It was rough going, at first. “The neighbors said they wanted to close their doors,” says Theresa Trammell, 67, retired from her various human-services jobs. “Now we’re getting better, and they’re opening their doors.” The way Griffin teaches them is simple: “If you can say it, you can play it.” He says, “Say, ‘Mamma.’ Say, ‘Daddy.’ Now take your hands and play it by saying it. ‘Mammy’ is two notes, and ‘Daddy’ is two notes.”

The rewards for the seniors isn’t just in learning a beat, whether helping them physically or just feeling a bit more cheerful after practices. “It’s helped my balance,” says Eleni Vainas, 69. Making her way down stairs, says Vainas, who still does graphic design, sometimes she felt she’d topple. “Now I don’t feel that anymore. I move with much more ease.” Before joining the drum line, her only music-making experience had been picking up a tambourine.

William “Speedy” Bryant, 74, who used to work heavy construction, is the only man in the drum line. Because of arthritis in Bryant’s hands, Griffin loans him the tom-tom from a drum set he owns, which is much easier to play than pounding a conga. As to why no other men volunteered for the lessons, Bryant says, “They don’t want to spend the time to learn, I guess. I thought it’d be fun. I like the satisfaction of playing and having fun.” He adds about the drum line, “And there are so many personalities.” It is certainly that_a group with personality plus.

At a recent practice, Griffin has an animated discussion with Vainas.

Griffin says about her adding an extra beat to what everyone else was playing, “You played the first one right; the rest of them are not right.”

Vainas replies, “But I was hearing it correctly!” For good measure, she says, referring to how Griffin apparently mimicked her talking, “And you’re making fun of my voice!”

Griffin sighs. He says he’s been trying hard not to come across so hard-nosed about proper drumming. It is just that for him, drumming has always been so natural. Sure, it started with cardboard boxes, and an instinct to pound away. By his teen years, he was listening to the rain hitting the garbage-can lids and finding peace in the rhythms.

Over the years, over two marriages and two daughters and a son, he always was in one group or another.

After the 1960s in Seattle, he ended up in Southern California, with his own trio, playing clubs, and working for a time in crisis intervention in a Los Angeles program for youth gangs. He was also a coordinator for the Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation. Five years ago, Griffin returned to Seattle, where his son lives. He didn’t have much in savings but says he has no regrets.—MCT

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George Griffin, a local jazz pioneer, leads his 3G Senior Hand Drum Line during rehearsals at a housing complex for seniors in Rainier Valley, Washington. — MCT

‘Hobbit’ beats ‘Rings’ with $84.8m opening

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012

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Fireworks are seen at the closing ceremony of the 9th annual Dubai Film Festival, during a display held in the desert on the outskirts of Dubai on December 16, 2012. — AFP photos

t the peak of the uprising against now ousted Yemeni strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, Khadija AlSalami left her diplomatic post in Paris to film the mass participation by long-marginalised women in the revolt. In her documentary “The Scream,” screened at the Dubai International Film Festival, Salami-who was forced to marry aged just 11 — focuses on the role women played during the year-long uprising in the impoverished Arab state. “Traditionally, a woman’s voice must not be heard, just as her hair must remain covered,” said Salami, who herself does not cover her long dark hair. “I chose this title for my film because women have shouted out through their uprising and movement that they exist” in Yemen’s male-dominated society, she said. “They screamed out their suffering, announcing that their revolt is not only against the government but also against all of Yemeni society, including their husbands and fathers.”

Filming in the vast sit-in camp that sprang up outside the gates of Sanaa University, Salami followed the daily lives of black-clad women who demonstrated alongside men until Saleh finally quit under a power transfer deal signed in November 2011. “I was amazed to see these women standing up” for their rights in Yemen, she said. “I

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wanted to be part of the revolt.” In “The Scream,” Salami follows Rahma the journalist, Balqis the human rights activist and Huda the poet-three women who played major roles throughout the uprising.

The film shows Rahma fearlessly contacting senior officials to denounce the use of prohibited weapons by security forces against protesters. Balqis, meanwhile, breaks the conservative tradition that women do not visit coffee shops and is seen sitting at a cafeteria, boldly discussing gender equality with the men. And Huda the poet is seen climbing atop the podium at the camp, which became known as Change Square, and making fiery speeches to encourage demonstrators.

The women, who insist on being part of the uprising, refuse to put up their own tents away from those of the men, and they soon begin facing problems in Yemen’s ultra-conservative and deeply tribal community. “Women took to the streets alongside men but they were beaten and harassed by so-called revolutionaries,” said Salami.

“How can a man be rebelling against a regime while oppressing his (female) partner?”

Her film also shows women being treated with contempt by the companions of a prominent religious figure,

as Saleh himself in his speeches criticised the mixing of the sexes among opposition ranks. As it nears its end, “The Scream” portrays the disappointment of women as they realise that the uprising has failed to improve their status within Yemeni society. But “now women do not fear anybody. They have a voice and they will continue the struggle to achieve their rights,” said Salami. However she concedes that it will be “a long fight.”

In Paris Salami also filmed prominent Yemeni activist Tawakkul Karman after she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her influential role during the uprising. Salami is already working on a new film that tells the stories of girls who have been forced to marry older men, an ancient traditional practice in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country which she condemns as “organised rape.” The 46-year-old Salami was herself forced by her family to marry a 20-yearold man when she was only 11.

“I felt I was abused. I had two choices-either I end my own life or rebel against society,” she said. “I chose the latter and got a divorce, but only after much difficulty.” She believes her salvation came through education. She won a scholarship to continue her schooling in the United States and later became director of the Paris-based Centre for

Yemeni film director Khadija Al-Salami attends the premiere of “Wadjda” during the 9th annual Dubai International Film Festival in the Gulf Emirate on December 12, 2012.

Communication and Culture of Yemen. In 2006, Salami published, with Charles Hoots, her book “Tears of Sheba.

Tales of Survival and Intrigue in Arabia.” Its title, she said, is to “remind people that women had ruled Yemen” during the country’s ancient past. — AFP

Mr Singh International Turban Pride 2012

Contestants display traditional Sikh wedding groom attire during the Mr Singh International Turban Pride 2012 Fashion Show in Amritsar late December 16, 2012. A total of 26 contestants participated in the event in the northern Indian city. — AFP