21 Jan

CR IP TI ON BS SU

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Kim Dotcom launches successor to Megaupload

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Djokovic keeps dream alive as Sharapova shatters record

Donaldson overtakes Rose to win in Abu Dhabi

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www.kuwaittimes.net

RABI ALAWAL 9, 1434 AH

Ice-cool Spurs hold United as Chelsea down Arsenal

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MPs up in arms as govt sticks to guns on debt MPs table ‘racist’ electoral bill • Oppn announces new protest

By B Izzak KUWAIT: MPs yesterday launched a furious attack against Finance Minister Mustafa AlShamali after he informed a crucial meeting that discussed a debt relief scheme that the government will not accept any of the proposed schemes and will stick to the debt relief fund it established several years ago.

Shamali made the statements after he met with members of the financial and economic affairs committee with high hopes the government will accept a compromise on the highly controversial issue.

Rapporteur of the committee MP Safa AlHashem said after the meeting that the government explained the financial cost of the proposals which call for the government to purchase all bank loans owned by Kuwaiti

citizens, drop all interest and then reschedule their repayment over several years. In a previous meeting, the Central Bank informed the committee that the value of interest on the loans is around KD 1.7 billion.

Hashem said that the government did not even come with a compromise on the issue despite the fact that the problem of debt was essentially caused by the government for failing to observe strict supervision over local banks. She said that the committee will next week vote on a comprehensive draft law and submit it to the National Assembly for voting despite the government’s rejection.

MP Khaled Al-Shulaimi said that the issue has the support of 42 MPs who will vote to support the proposed solution and enforce the law on the government, which has the right to reject any law even after it is passed

Kuwait’s China investment quota boosted to $1bn KUWAIT: China’s foreign exchange regulator has increased the amount which Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund can invest directly in the Chinese securities markets to $1 billion, state news agency KUNA reported yesterday. The regulator awarded Kuwait an additional $700 million quota on top of $300 million awarded in March last year, KUNA said. Kuwait said last year that it was seeking a maximum quota of $1 billion. The quota allows the fund to buy yuan-denominated stocks and bonds. Only five other foreign investors in China have quotas as large as $1 billion, according to Reuters records; they are Qatar Holding, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Norway’s Norges Bank, Government of Singapore Investment Corp, and Singapore-based investment firm Temasek Fullerton.

Until last month, the maximum quota for any QFII investor was $1 billion, but the foreign exchange regulator has now said funds can apply to invest over that amount.

Kuwait, one of OPEC’s top crude oil exporters, has a sovereign wealth fund managing assets well in excess of $300 billion. The fund said last October that its investments in greater China, including Hong Kong, had grown to $15 billion, KUNA said. While Gulf funds have historically preferred to invest in Europe, many are expected to boost investment in Asia as growth in the West slows and commercial ties deepen between the regions.— Reuters

Assad’s mother moves to Dubai DUBAI: Anisa Makhlouf, the mother of President Bashar Al-Assad, has left the war-torn country and joined her daughter in Dubai, Syrian expatriates in the United Arab Emirates and an activist said yesterday. Makhlouf has been living next to her daughter, Bushra, the only sister of Assad, in Dubai since around 10 days, Syrian expatriates told AFP. Bushra’s husband General Assef Shawkat, an army deputy chief of staff, was killed along with three other high-ranking Syrian officials in a July 18 bombing at the National Security headquarters in Damascus. In September, Syrian residents in the Gulf emirate said that Bushra had enrolled her five children at a private school in Dubai where she had moved.

Makhlouf’s “departure from Syria is another indication of Assad losing support even from within his family,” said Ayman Abdel Nour, head of the newly-formed group Syrian Christians for Democracy and editor-inchief of opposition news website all4syria.com. Analysts say that Assad is increasingly relying on the tightly-knit circle surrounding him, which includes Maher, his only brother still alive and who commands the army’s notorious Fourth Brigade. Assad’s two other brothers Bassel and Majd are dead. The embattled president also relies on relatives from his mother’s side, analysts say. — AFP

by the Assembly. MP Askar Al-Enezi said he and a number of MPs will submit a request calling to hold a special Assembly session to debate the issue and pass the debt relief law.

Shiite MP Hussein Al-Qallaf warned that Shamali’s stubbornness will cause the present government to collapse and “this will be followed by more dangerous events”. He explained that Shamali’s action will force the people to go to the opposition in order to obtain their rights, adding that if the government does not understand this, “then it deserves what it will get”. Qallaf said that the opposition is trying to “fish in troubled waters” and is waiting for an opportunity to exploit and the issue of debt relief is the best opportunity for them.

Five MPs meanwhile submitted a draft law calling to amend the electoral law and stipu-

Troops advance on Mali’s Islamist north

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lating that “original Kuwaitis whose forefathers lived in Kuwait before 1920 are allowed to contest the parliamentary election”. The unprecedented draft law was signed by MPs Abdulhameed Dashti, Nabeel Al-Fadhl, Hashem, Qallaf and Nasser Al-Shimmari, who later withdrew, describing the bill as “racist”.

The draft law clearly targets bedouin tribesmen, a majority of whom came to Kuwait in the past 40 years and very few of them had their forefathers in the country before 1920.

The opposition meanwhile announced on its Twitter account yesterday that the next demonstration will be held today in Sabahiya to demand the dissolution of the Assembly and the scrapping the controversial amendment to the electoral constituency law.

Organizers did not provide the time or location of the demonstration, the seventh in the

Max 22º Min 09º High Tide 07:59 & 20:29 Low Tide 01:31 & 12:31

series of the so-called Karamat Watan (Dignity of a Nation) rallies. The opposition also appears headed to take their grievances to the outside world after it was reported that it has formed a four-member team to explore the possibility and initiate contacts with international human rights organization in addition to a number of official bodies.

MP Fadhl meanwhile submitted a proposal to amend the trials law to stiffen penalties against illegal protests and to treat such crimes like murder and that the public prosecution must complete the investigation on them within two months. The Assembly’s human rights panel yesterday said the government will soon submit a study on the issue of sponsorship for expatriates in the country, which has been repeatedly criticized by many quarters in the world.

US rallies assail Obama gun curbs

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Obama sworn in for second term WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama took the oath of office yesterday to begin a second term threatened by strife at home and abroad and amid inaugural rituals lacking the hope and historic promise of 2009.

Obama, with a slight smile, took the oath at an intimate, private ceremony in the Blue Room of the White House lasting less than a minute, raising his right arm and placing his left hand on a family Bible. The president solemnly swore to “faithfully execute the office of President of the United States” and to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God”.

Chief Justice Roberts, who stumbled when swearing in Obama to open his first term in 2009, read each line of the oath out loud, before the president repeated words first intoned by George Washington, 224 years ago. After a ceremony lasting less than a minute, Obama hugged his wife, and children Malia, 14 and Sasha, 11 before quipping: “I did it” to his youngest daughter. Obama will take the oath of office for a second time at a time-honored outdoor public ceremony at the US Capitol today.

Vice President Joe Biden was sworn in before his boss at an early morning ceremony at his official residence, before the two laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Ceremony. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor - picked by Obama to be the first Hispanic judge to sit on the top court in his first term - made her own slice of history by leading Biden as he took the oath. As his first term waned, Obama worshipped at a prominent African American church in Washington, where the Reverend Ronald Braxton adapted the “Forward” motto of the president’s re-election campaign to the story of Moses. “Forward was the only option,” said Braxton.

Obama, 51, will embark on a second term at a time of deep partisan division in Washington, and will face foreign crises testing his legacy, including Iran’s nuclear program and resurgent Islamist militancy in North Africa. Senior aide David Plouffe said the president would use his second inaugural address before an expected 500,000 plus crowd - much smaller than in 2009 — to stress the national truths Americans share.

“He is going to talk about how our founding principles and values can still guide us in today’s modern and changing world,” Plouffe said on the ABC News show “This Week”. “He is going to say that our political system does not require us to resolve all of our differences or settle all of our disputes, but it is absolutely imperative that our leaders try and seek common ground.”

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WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama is officially sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts in the Blue Room of the White House during the 57th presidential inauguration yesterday as First Lady Michelle Obama holds the Robinson family Bible. —AP

Iran hangs 2 men for attack posted online

TEHRAN: Iranian policemen prepare to hang Mohammad Ali Sarvari yesterday. — AP

DUBAI: Iran hanged two men yesterday for their role in an assault that was filmed and posted on YouTube, the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) reported. A 37-second video posted on YouTube in December and later shown on Iranian state television showed four masked men approaching the victim on motorcycles, and then two of them assaulting him, taking his bag and jacket. One of the attackers appeared to be wielding a long knife or machete. The attack prompted public outrage, and officials vowed to punish those responsible.

Alireza Mafiha and Mohammad Ali Sarvari were hanged early yesterday in the Iranian capital, Tehran, according to ISNA. They were

convicted of “moharebe”, or waging war against God, which under Iran’s interpretation of Islamic law is punishable by death. Their sentence was issued by a Revolutionary Court in late December, ISNA said. “The issue of security for our people is more important even than daily bread,” said Sadeq Larijani, head of Iran’s judiciary, in December. Two accomplices were sentenced to 10 years in prison and 74 lashes, ISNA reported. It added nearly 300 people witnessed the hangings.

Iran carries out one of the world’s highest number of annual executions, according to rights group Amnesty International, which has called on the Islamic Republic to commute death sentences. — Agencies

Jihadist claims siege for Qaeda 5 kidnappers captured ALGIERS/IN AMENAS: A veteran Islamist fighter claimed responsibility on behalf of Al-Qaeda for the Algerian hostage crisis, a regional website reported yesterday, tying the bloody desert siege to France’s intervention across the Sahara in Mali. Algerian troops meanwhile captured five kidnappers and found the bodies of 25 captives yesterday at a gas plant deep in the Sahara, reports said, as a minister warned the toll from a hostage crisis may rise. Western governments whose citizens died nevertheless held back from criticising tactics used by their ally in the struggle with Islamists across the vast desert.

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MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Lebanese ambassador Dr Bassam Al-No’mani held yesterday a lunch banquet in honor of the new Tunisian ambassador to Kuwait Al-Sagheer Al-Fitnasi at his residence. It was attended by a number of ambassadords and other dignitaries. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

Technology plays active role in development process Ministry holds forum

By Nawara Fattahova

Barrak slams FM

By A Saleh KUWAIT: Following being interrogated by the public prosecutor over a complaint filed by the foreign ministry accusing him of insulting Jordan and the Jordanian monarch and jeopardizing its relations with Kuwait, former MP Musallam Al-Barrak slammed the foreign ministry and claimed that the case filed against him was fabricated.

“I’m sorr y the foreign ministry is defending another country at the expense of reform and those fighting constitutional violations and security oppression against freedom,” he said.

Meanwhile, MP Khalil Al-Saleh expressed amazement in the delay in handing over the police officer accused of shooting his colleague at Qadisiya police station to be examined

to determine his mental state while murdering the victim. “I’m afraid the interior ministry is waiting for a new manager to be appointed at Kuwait Center for Psychological Health prior to referring the suspect to it,” he said, warning both the health and the interior ministries.

Separately, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic affairs Dr Adel Al-Falah announced that the second GCC Halal Industry Conference would be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel from Jan 22 to 24 under the title of “Towards Effective Management of the Halal Industry”. Al-Falah stressed that the conference provides opportunities for both investors and manufacturers operating in Muslim markets dealing with halal products - be it food, medicine or even cosmetics.

GCC team on archeology, museums holds meeting RIYADH: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) team discussing joint regulations in the field of archeology and museums held its second meeting here, yesterday.

The two-day meeting will discuss a number of issues related to archeology and museums in the GCC states including the “GCC guideline law on archeology”, “Unified guideline system for interaction with foreign institutions in the field of archeology”, as well as the “Procedures manual for the joint GCC artifact exhibition”, said a GCC General Secretariat statement.

The meeting will review visions relating

to lending artifacts among GCC states, exchanging visits for the people working in the field of archeology and artifacts, and honoring specialists in the field of archeology and museums.

This would be in addition to reviewing the approved blueprint for a guidebook and directory on state and private museums as well as the guidebook and directory on specialists in this field.

The recommendations of this meeting will be referred to the next meeting of undersecretaries for archeology and museums affairs. —- KUNA

KUWAIT: A number of major internet service providers and mobile telecommunication companies participated in the Kuwait Telecommunication Forum organised yesterday by the Ministry of Communication at the Sheraton Hotel. The event was held under the auspices of the Minister of Communication and State Minister for Housing Affairs, Salem Al-Othaina.

Technology and communication play active role in the development process.

“The Ministry of Communication is looking forward to establish a communication authority this year. The communication industry is the strategic base of any developed economy, especially since all sectors now depend on the communication technology and data transfer,” said Mansour Al-Bader, Assisting Undersecretary for the Telecommunication Sector at the Ministry, during the launch ceremony of the forum.

The Ministry is working on developing and organizing the telecommunication sector. “Since a long time, this sector is facing many obstacles and challenges. During the past few years, the Ministry regulated the frequencies equally among the mobile telecommunication companies through organizing the market of internet licenses, the equivalent of mobile telecommunications. The Ministry also regulated the price of the internet services and the international calls,” he further said.

Furthermore, the Ministry connected its international net with land

and sea international cables with neighboring countries. “This step will fix or make stable the internet and telecommunications.

All these acts are some examples of the plans that the Ministry is realizing. I hope that this forum will come up with many useful recommendations, as the modern technology is the way to develop all sectors including administration, education, health, economy and others,” concluded alBader.

On his part, Waleed Al-Khashti, PR Manager of Zain Telecommunication Company, appreciated the cooperation of the Ministry of Communication in launching the fourth generation (LTE). “This step is

issues related to the future requirements that affect the telecommunication services in general,” stressed Al-Khashti.

Sahand Buladi, Executive Director of Operations at FASTelco, noted that this forum was being held for the first time in Kuwait under the patronage of the Ministry of Communication, and FASTelco’s participation in this forum came “from our full awareness about the importance of both the internet and telecommunication sectors.”

“Fastelco is continuing its plan to develop the internet web, as the telecommunication sector is an important of the other economic sectors,” he explained.

Mansour Al-Bader

Waleed Al-Khashti

considered a qualitative and effective move in the field of communication and internet. It presents a new era of mobile telecommunication services in Kuwait,” he stated.

“This forum is a great opportunity to highlight the vital role of the developing telecommunication sector and its importance in all around development. It discusses many

“We appreciate the cooperation between the Ministry representing the government, the private sector and the Kuwaiti community in this field. Also, it is necessary to establish an independent council for telecommunication as soon as possible, which should be highly qualified to organize this sector. I see that competition is healthy for the consumer

as it provides better services and prices,” added Buladi.

Two sessions were held, and during each of them, different issues were discussed including the challenges posed by the internet sector, issuing licenses, establishing independent body for telecommunication, challenges that faced Zain in applying the fourth generation and infrastructure, added value services, developing the internet sector, developing the telecommunication sector, the important legislation to organize the telecommunication market, and others.

At the second session, the economic analyst Eid Al-Fadhli addressed a presentation on the impact of telecommunication technology and data transfer on the development. “The economic effect of the improving technology is evident all over the world which proves the importance of globalization, as the world has become a small village.

The advancement of technology in the telecommunication field is one of the most important elements of addressing development concerns.

The e-learning is the best evidence of this fact,” he pointed out.

According to him, the revolution in the telecommunication field led the world towards a digital economy, which is the natural alternative of the classical economy. “With e-commerce and other electronic work, it is necessary to move towards e-government, which will save time and money through making the work simple.

Also, a good telecommunication infrastructure will attract foreign investors,” he added.

Arab states expected to offer development initiatives RIYADH: A senior Saudi official said yesterday that some Arab countries were expected to make some initiatives at the Riyadh summit, due to open today.

Saudi Finance Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf told reporters after the conclusion of the joint meeting of foreign and finance ministers that the session has discussed the summit agenda and will forward it to the leaders.

Assaf said that the main item on the agenda will focus on following up the implementation of decision adopted during the 2009 and 2011 summits in Kuwait and Sharm ElSheikh respectively. The summit is expected to tackle ways of bolstering cooperation in the fields of land, air and marine transport, as well as achieving the Customs Union by 2015 and putting into effect the Grand Arab Free Trade Zone and several electric power projects.

On another matter, he said that some countries have started benefitting from the Kuwait USD two-billion fund run by the Arab Fund for Economic Fund due to generous contributions by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Kuwait launched the fund with $500 million.

Assaf said that the two-day summit will adopt two new economic decisions on developing uses of renewable energies and a uni-

fied agreement on keeping Arab investments at home. It will also endorse two social items on the development plan in the new millennium and fighting non-contagious diseases such as diabetes and cancer. — KUNA

KPC to sponsor traffic conference KUWAIT: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) announced here yesterday that it would be sponsoring an international conference on traffic which would be held tomorrow.

Managing Director at KPC Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Sabah told media that the corporation would partake in the event as one of the major sponsors, adding that KPC was very eager to promote traffic awareness on a global scale. He said that the event would be focusing on finding solutions to traffic jams affecting many countries, hoping that the event would result in resolutions that would contribute to solutions concerning traffic problems locally to lessen their impact on development. —- KUNA

Ansari receives firemen’s team

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: General Director of the Fire Department, Lt General Yousuf Al-Ansari, met in his office yesterday morning with members of the firemen’s team that participated in the 4th UAE championship held from Jan 15 to 17 in Dubai under the patronage of His Highness Sheik h Mansour Ben Mohammad Ben Rashed Al Maktoum. Al-Ansari thanked the team

members for their hard work on behalf of Kuwait, as the Kuwaiti team came in second, receiving a silver medal in the group competition, and third in the individual games. Members of the team expressed gratitude to their brothers in the UAE and especially thanked His Excellenc y Mohammad Hassan Al-Ahmadi, director and organizer of the championship firemen challenge, for their invitation and warm hospitality.

KUWAIT: IDF members and guests display copies of Health Guide 2013.

IDF celebrates nine years of achievements

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Indian Doctors Forum (IDF) organized ‘Rainbow,’ a cultural presentation, on Friday to mark nine glorious years of achievements and success.

The event, held at the Regency Hotel, was graced

by Ali Jarah Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of the Amiri Diwan Affairs, Dr Muhammad Al-Haifi, Minister of Health, Indian Ambassador Satish C. Mehta and Dr Muhammad Al-Mutairi, President of Kuwait Medical Association.

Jarah Al-Sabah lauded the IDF for its relentless achievements and continuing efforts to provide excellent health services to the people of Kuwait.

“For the second time, HH the Amir patronizes the IDF event because he knows IDF’s importance to Kuwait and its people. On behalf of HH the Amir, I would like to extend his great wishes and congratulate you on this wonderful occasion. Thank you for your sincere efforts in providing the best health services to the people of Kuwait and thanks to the whole Indian community,” Jarah Al-Sabah noted.

The Minister of Health, Dr Muhammad Al-Haifi, also extended his best wishes to the IDF and thanked the Indian doctors for various health related activities which benefited the community and thousands of people.

“Our relationship has been deep rooted and goes back centuries even in the domain of health.

We are grateful to the Indian community, especially the IDF, for their great contribution to Kuwait,” he said. One of the many achievements of the IDF paraded last Friday was the award given to them by the President of India, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. It was conferred on the IDF on January 9, 2013 at New Delhi by a personality no less than the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.

In his speech, the Indian Ambassador, Satish Mehta, congratulated the IDF for receiving the award from the President of India in recognition of its sustained selfless service to the Indian community and the world.

The occasion also witnessed the launch of the much-awaited Health Guide which was distributed

free of charge to those attending. It will be distributed to the needy in other parts of the world also.

This year’s theme tackled the worldwide problem of obesity. “I am confident that this year’s Health Guide will be as useful as earlier editions as it deals with a major health issues of global concern,” he added.

Dr Narayanan Nampoory, IDF Chairman, said the IDF conducts its activities under the watchful eye of Kuwait Medical Association to which it is affiliated. Nampoory mentioned various medical outreach campaigns conducted through several health camps, health seminars, schools, and a great amount of published health related material.

“This year’s subject is a major health problem not only in Kuwait and India. It is a major cause of heart attack, cancer, hypertension and diabetes,” he pointed out. The IDF is a body of Indian medical doctors residing in Kuwait, and is aimed at fostering and strengthening the already existing healthy relationship between the two countries in the medical field.

$1.2bn in account of Arab development fund RIYADH: Nearly $1.2 billion have been deposited in the account of the fund to finance small and medium projects in the Arab world until Dec 31, 2012, a senior Kuwait Foreign Ministry official has revealed.

Sheikh Ali Al-Khaled Al-Sabah, Director of the Economic Department at the Foreign Ministry, told KUNA that $594.8 million have been granted to 15 Arab countries to be allocated for development projects.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Riyadh development summit, Sheikh Ali said Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have contributed $500 million each to the $2 billion fund launched in

2009. He pointed out that Oman and Egypt deposited $20 million each, while Algeria, Sudan, Syria, and Morocco contributed $10 million each.

Bahrain, Jordan, Tunisia, and Yemen deposited $5 million each in the fund’s account, while Djibouti, Mauritania, and Palestine gave $1 million each. The fund encourages the money flow from Arab and non-Arab countries for a more effective role in economic development, he said. He noted that the fund helps boost the abilities of the private sector through providing technical and consultative assistance.— KUNA

KUWAIT: (Left) Indian Doctors Forum officials welcome guests on Friday at Regency Hotel, Salwa led by Ali Jarah Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of the Amiri Diwan Affairs, Dr Muhammad Al-Haifi, Minister of Health, Indian Ambassador Satish C. Mehta and Dr Muhammad Al-Mutairi, President of Kuwait Medical Association. (Right) Dr Muhammad Al-Haifi, Minister of Health receives appreciation from the IDF.—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

LOCAL

Crystal meth ‘invades’ Kuwait’s drug market

KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received at Seif Palace yesterday Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr. Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf. Dr. Al-Hajraf was escorted by Dr. Abdullah Hamad Mehareb. The reception came on the occasion of the latter’s appointment as a new Director General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization.

KUWAIT: A senior Interior Ministry official warned about the ‘notable spread’ of crystal meth in the Kuwaiti society and said the drug became popular among addicts due to its relatively low price, prolific smuggling and immediate affect.

The insider who preferred to keep his identity anonymous noted at the same time that the drug which is considered “relatively new in Kuwait’s drug market ” leads to several negative effects on the abuser, some of which are physical such as “nerve damage and fatal damages to vital organs,” and some others are psychological, such a tendency to indulge in criminal behavior.

In this regard, the source told AlQabas that the drug, known scientifically as methamphetamine and popularly referred to as ‘meth’ or ‘ice’ or ‘crystal’ could possibly be blamed for the increasing violent behavior in the

Kuwaiti society.

“The side effects of abusing meth include schizophrenia and an urge to see blood,” the source explained.

The ministry official also said that the drug is usually smuggled as a powdery substance that looks like salt, and is then often mixed with other substances in order to increase its weight.

Some of these substances are toxic, according to tests carried out on confiscated drugs. “Crystal meth has an immediate effect as it can lead to addiction after taking the first dose,” the sources said, adding that one dose “immediately drives the addict into a case of visual and audio hallucinations, before making him feel severe depression and weakness and making him pine for the next dose.”

According to the source, a gram of crystal meth is being sold in Kuwait for KD20. He attributed its popularity to its “easy and low cost making.”

Govt criticized for absence on electoral law amendments KUWAIT: While lawmakers are readying to pass a new electoral law that will retain the five constituencies and entitle voters to a maximum of one vote each, criticism is mounting about the lack of governmental action to stop this move ahead of a crucial Constitutional Court ruling on the current election law.

Most speculation stems from the belief that passing a new electoral law would result in some sort of ‘immunity’ for the single-vote system that was enforced through an emergency decree last September. The law of the land is that the legislations passed by the parliament remain effective even if that particular parliament was to be annulled by the court.

Now, this is something that could actually happen if the Constitutional Court approved the challenges to the constitutionality of the emergency decree.

“This would be a grave violation [of the rights of ] the majority of the Kuwaiti people who boycotted the elections,” said Dr. Mohammad Al-Dallal, a lawmaker in the parliament that was elected in February last year but was annulled by the Constitutional Court four months later.

Sources who spoke to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity went on to suggest

Grave violation of people’s rights

that MPs were working “as per the directions of some ministers” in order to circumvent a potential court order. Meanwhile, constitutional expert Dr. Mohammad Al-Feeli called it “unwise” to pass a new electoral law before the court’s anticipated ruling. “Even if we talk about the suitability of it from a legal standpoint, it appears that proposing an electoral law under the current circumstances is similar to an act of aggression because in this case the parliament would look as if it is trying to take precautionary measures against a verdict that annuls it,” the Kuwait University professor told Al-Qabas.

On the other hand, MP Yaqoub Al-Sane’a defended the proposal by insisting that lawmakers were within their right to “legislate as per our own convictions.” “We are staying committed to our duty and are not going to be led by the street,” he said, making a subtle reference to public movements led by the opposition which boycotted last December’s elections. “As the official representatives of the people, it is our duty to lead the street.”

In other news, parliamentary insiders quoted by Al-Rai yesterday said that a new companies law proposed by the Cabinet was expected to be approved by the parliament this week. The parliament’s financial committee

had agreed on the law last week “after compromise was reached following the Minister of Commerce and Industry’s assurance to the committee members that amendments on up to 66 articles they have reservations on are going to be proposed at later stages,” said the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, a member of the parliament’s Health and Social Affairs Committee, MP Khalil Al-Saleh, revealed that “substantial amendments” were going to be proposed to the sports regulations, which would basically bring the sports club back under the Public Authority for Youth and Sport’s umbrella after the new law gave it full independence. “The amendments are necessary because I believe that the current law contradicts with the international laws and could subsequently lead to suspension of Kuwait’s sports activity,” AlSaleh told Al-Rai on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, MP Maasouma AlMubarak announced a proposal to grant unemployed female citizens a KD350 monthly pay under strict conditions “to avoid driving women away from the work force.” The conditions would include being over 40 years of age, having no pensions or any stable source of income.

Surprise inspections at spring camps

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: The emergency team of Ahmadi governorate carried out surprise inspections at the spring camps, mainly checking the tents used as storage facility for stuff, and the unlicensed grocery stores at Mina Abdallah Desert.

The campaign resulted in the

removal of some of the largest tents by its owner, after he was warned, while the emergency team confiscated 220 cartons of water.

The director of the team at the municipality, Mishaal Aba Al-Khail, who headed the inspection team, said that the tent was being used as a store for food items and from it, food items were being distributed

to the nearby grocery stores. In addition, the owner was using large areas to store timber and charcoal and due to poor storage practices, most of the food items were found spoiled. Aba Al-Safi warned about using the camps for any other business contrary to the law and said inspection campaigns will continue in all areas of the governorate.

Box Hill College students share achievements, experiences

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Sharing their experiences and future plans, the group of 12 newly graduated students from the Box Hill College Kuwait (BHCK) interacted with the media yesterday. BHCK President Ali Arifa welcomed the recent graduates at a press conference held at their campus in Abu Halifa and said while the five-year-old Box Hill College Kuwait was a relatively young school, it has traversed an excellent journey punctuated with significant achievements.

“I am happy to be here as part of Box Hill College Kuwait’s five year long journey of excellence.

Our great achievement is not just for the college alone but more importantly do credit to our students. Most of our graduates are now successfully competing in the real world. Some of them are here today to share their experiences and their future plans,” he opined.

“The newly graduated students are happily working now but are also studying and will be pursuing

higher studies in the future,” the president mentioned.

The Box Hill College is a college certified by and affiliated to the Australian University Council.

Certified schools such as the Box Hill can easily transfer students to any of the colleges and universities in Australia. “Our students here are treated just the same as if they had been studying in Australia. As part of our principles, we believe in continuous improvement as we soar high on a daily basis. We have made significant improvements and adjustment (in our programs) which enable students to complete their studies and compete in any university in Australia or anywhere in the real world,” he pointed out.

Arifa argued that the fact that several international universities are willing to cooperate with Box Hill College speaks volumes about the quality of education it offers.

“That is a proof of our competitiveness in the real world of business and labor market,” he added.

Haifa Al-Hayes, a marketing

KUWAIT: Box Hill College President Ali Arifa cutting the ceremonial cake yesterday at their campus in Abu Halifa. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Ali Arifa

diploma graduate said, studying at BHCK is such a privilege. “I am happy to complete my diploma in marketing here. I will be continuing my bachelors degree in one of the best universities here in Kuwait. It was a great experience and they were able to prepare me adequately to help me face a new life in another university. I am thankful for the wonderful experiences I have had at BHCK ,” AlHayes said.

Anwar Al-Qallaf, who has studied interior decoration and design, said her plan was to join the company that will allow her to express her ideas freely.

“I am planning to start my own business but only after gathering some experience with well known companies,” she said.

Jallah Abu-Zaid, was happy that BHCK allowed her to study and at the same time work with the company. “I did that since 2011 and have been working till now and they have absorbed me as their regular interior design employee. I am very happy. I have learned a lot and have been grateful for the experience. Box Hill is a great and wonderful school.”

Relief Society to establish special training center KUWAIT: Kuwait Relief Society is working to establish a special center to train relief missions heading to suffering countries in order to offer best services to aid victims, Chairman Youssef Jassem Al-Hajji announced yesterday.

He added in remarks to reporters after heading the first meeting of the new Board of Directors, that the Society needs a special headquarters to facilitate its humanitarian mission.

He called on the state’s ministries and concerned authorities to offer a temporary headquarter for the Society.

Al-Hajji also stressed the importance of establishing a special archive to document all photos related to the work of the Society

in various parts of the world since its establishment.

The meeting tackled a number of issues, including addressing interested bodies to take part in the first international conference of donors for the Syrian people, which will be held here by the end of this month.

Kuwait Relief Society is a voluntary association working to aid victims of disasters for the last 25 years, including 16 specialized institutions and bodies.

It works in cooperation with governmental ministries, embassies, charit y bodies and institutions in various aspec ts of humanitarian work. The Society was declared in October 2011. —KUNA

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

LOCAL kuwait digest

In my view

Constitutional violation

30 ‘stars’ join Shura Council

By Dr Yaqoub Al-Sharrah

By Abdullah Al-Otaibi

magine yourself wearing a dishdasha, the traditional Gulf garment, paired with a tie, and walking down the street thinking that you came up with a bright idea that no one ever thought of before, despite knowing at the same time that your behavior will be found rather peculiar and perhaps rejected by the society. Certain senior public sector officials seem to be doing something like this that defies all logic. As a result, it is leading to more problems.

In statement published recently, the Interior Minister spoke about the deteriorating levels of achievement as Kuwait finished at the bottom of the list in international tests in mathematics and science year after year. The minister announced a slew of proposals to address this problem, including introduction of new curriculums, starting with science and math by having the two subjects taught in English at all stages. By doing something as basic as changing the language in which the subjects are taught, the minister hopes to end the deteriorating level of achievements in these two subjects.

All educational systems around the world draft their curricula as per what they deem appropriate, but they always use the country’s official language as the medium

n a pleasant surprise to the Saudi people, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz issued a historic decree and appointed Saudi women to the Shura Council for the first time in the history of the kingdom. In his decree, King Abdulaziz emphasized that women will be entitled to at least 20 percent of the council seats, in a significant and historic step aiming to raise the stature and influence of women in public affairs. The decree also aims to help woman take charge of their own affairs, having spent many long years depending on men, who would first have to be convinced of a woman’s demands before seeking to achieve them.

King Abdullah, ever since assuming power, has been keen to gradually develop his country and is well aware of the need to promote women’s stature and consolidate their presence in public affairs. In fact, his words, decrees and policies all testify to his commitment in this regard, as he has long been an advocate and supporter of women’s rights. During his reign, Saudi women have made a huge impact on their country’s history.

They are now far more independent and are seeking to remove what remains of any obstacles hindering their influence as well as their social presence, whether in the current systems or institutions or any other areas that could obstruct progress.

Thir ty women have now entered the Shura Council at the same time. They are fully equal to their male peers in terms of rights, duties and responsibilities in the council. In fact, these women “will enjoy full rights of membership, be committed to their duties, responsibilities and assume their jobs”, as stipulated by the royal decree.

These Saudi women now represent something of a vanguard; they will have to support their female peers and raise their voice to rectify any defect or shortcoming — in any of their country’s institutions — that could harm women’s rights, because they are effectively expressing half of Saudi society.

In addition to this, they must also actively participate in all matters and regulations that are put forth for deliberation in the council, on equal footing with their male peers.

The phenomenon of progress and prosperity in human history has never been characterized by a single example that can be instantly applied elsewhere, regardless of differences imposed by different civilizations and historic courses. Rather, the process is about conscious, malleable policies, and the ability to galvanise a nation’s expertise, regardless of any inherent contradictions, in order to steer the country towards a better future.

The importance of the Saudi royal decree lies in the historic moment it was issued. In the era of the so-called Arab Spring, with its great international momentum and a media frenzy portraying the phenomenon as some sort of “salvation”, there are two prevailing schools of thought: There are those who believe the Western model, with its deser ved advancements and historical framework, is the only option for success. Yet there are others who believe that historical and geographical experiences, the different mindsets of nations, and the level of cultural advancement all must be taken into account. This is especially apparent when it comes to politics and the leadership of society.

Advocates of the second school of thought would argue that not all past experiences can be combined into a single model that is applicable everywhere and at any time, as some contemporary scholars try to claim with democracy. They view elections as the only way forward, and consider the counting of votes to be the sole route to salvation. In fact, this theory reflects the fact that these scholars have misunderstood a concept as broad as democracy, contenting themselves with only part of it. They are advocating empty democratic mechanisms at a time when our region is still dominated by historical heritage rather than modern development or civilization.

The Saudi royal decree ensured that different categories of women in Saudi society, from various districts and factions, will be well represented. As a result, wide spectrums of prominent women, who have achieved notable academic and professional successes both locally and internationally, have been nominated. Some of them have been awarded prestigious global awards and have assumed senior positions in international and local institutions. These women have proven their wor th through their accomplishments, and now they are in the media limelight. For those who do not know, the process that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undertaken in order to promote women’s roles and stature has been an arduous historical struggle. This began in the 1950s, with the government enshrining a woman’s right to education despite strong resistance at that time. This step served to emphasize the beginning of a greater women’s role in the years to come.

The latest royal decree is part of a gradual development strategy that relies on stability as a precondition and guarantee for advancement and continuity.

Before issuing the decree, the King consulted prominent jurists both from inside and outside the Council of Senior Ulema, and he also disregarded any obsolete customs that have now become worthless.

Saudi history is full of important roles undertaken by women ever since the establishment of the First Saudi state some 300 years ago. Here we can recall the examples of Modi, the wife of the first imam of the Saudi state Mohammed Bin Saud, as well as “Ghaliyya al-Wahhabiyya”, the fierce fighter who led armies and defeated enemies, along with many others. Today we can consider the 30 women who have been appointed to the Shura Council, in view of the roles they have performed and the successes they have achieved.

They are 30 new bright stars in the Saudi sky who will not only go down in the Kingdom’s history, but will also pave the way for younger Saudi women currently enrolled in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ scholarship program.

In Saudi Arabia there are many successful and creative women, and 30 of them have been appointed to the current round of the Shura Council. Other women will soon have their turn, whether in the council or in other fields, now that the door has been opened wide for them. We hope for more gradual and calculated developments, rather than jumping into the abyss of the unknown. Congratulations to all the women of the kingdom.

I

I

All educational systems around the world draft their curricula as per what they deem appropriate, but they always use the country’s official language as the medium of education. Arabic is the official language of the State of Kuwait, and also the language of the religion of the state, as mentioned in the country’s constitution. I do not know where the idea to use English as the medium to teach science and math in public schools came from. of education. Arabic is the official language of the State of Kuwait, and also the language of the religion of the state, as mentioned in the country’s constitution. I do not know where the idea to use English as the medium to teach science and math in public schools came from.

Also, why just science and math while the remaining subjects would still be taught in Arabic? This move is fraught with various risks as it contradicts the general philosophy, policies and goals of education in Kuwait.

Several studies carried out about the state of education in Kuwait revealed that weakness was not limited to science and math, but the level of education in general has deteriorated compared to the international standards for educational quality. Aptitude tests for the Kuwait University carried out in the past two decades prove that, but that did not result in any proactive efforts by the Ministry of Education to address the issue.

Changing the language used in teaching in Kuwait would be a huge error, not to mention a constitutional violation since it would first require a legislation in the parliament and an approval from the cabinet. I believe the parliament’s educational committee needs to look into this issue and see how serious the ministry is in implementing the decision that the minister has announced. I fear that one day our public schools would turn into English schools because some officials believe that the problem afflicting our educational system was mainly because of the language used in teaching. —Al-Rai

kuwait digest

Sales tax in offing

kuwait digest

Wait for court decision

By Abdul Lateef Al-Omairi

I

The court is engaged with a case and could adopt t is possible that the political turmoil that Kuwait is going through for the last many months was a certain approach but the NA council is using its caused by the one vote decree which has resulted powers to legislate in such a way that it may come up in fragmentation of the Kuwaiti society and caused with a law aimed at negating the verdict of the court.

Just to illustrate the point, assume for the sake of great distress to everyone. Kuwait seems to be passargument that a majority in the 2012 council were to ing through a dark tunnel.

It is also possible that a decision by the constitu- issue a legislation allowing anyone to enter the countional court proclaiming that the decree was not in cil hall to express an opinion, and that it would not be keeping with the constitution would be the best solu- considered as a forced entry. This would make it tion to the crisis. This may turn out to be the ray of impossible for the court to take notice of anyone complaining about it to the court since breaking into light at the end of that dark tunnel.

Even His Highness the Amir has said that “I will the council hall would then be legal.

Such a legislation would be solely passed to guard accept the constitutional court verdict about this the private interests of the MPs and not the public decree.” interest that they are ostensiTherefore, a solution to chosen to represent. This the problem could be linked Members of the NA council, who bly would amount to violating to the constitutional court’s verdict. But members of the became MPs on the basis of one the very basics of legislative NA council, who became MPs man-one vote system, are adamant practices, notions of justice on the basis of one man-one that they would not accept this deci- and constitutional principles.

The Article 119 of the convote system, are adamant that they would not accept sion. They do not want the court to stitution clearly bars the NA this decision. They do not decide this constitutional issue. By Council members from bringwant the court to decide this coming up with a law that proposes ing in amendments in the law governing their constitutional issue. By coming up with a law that pro- one man-one vote, and trying to get allowances, and any amendposes one man-one vote, it approved before the court ment can come into force and trying to get it approved announces its decision, they are try- from the next term only. This is to guard against the NA before the court announces its decision, they are trying to ing to preempt any possible rejec- Council members from making laws to serve their own preempt any possible rejec- tion of the decree. interests. tion of the decree.

But that is exactly what If court decides that the decree was constitutional, that will not hurt them in the NA Council members would be doing if they were any way, but if it termed it unconstitutional, then they to pass the one man-one vote law. They would be will have to go by a precedent established by an earli- basically skirting any possible adverse decision of the er court decision which had held the council of 2012 constitutional court which may cancel the one manas void, while the laws issued and passed by the one vote decree.

The government must stand up to its responsibility council were considered valid. This would mean that if the incumbent council is declared as void, the laws and not agree to any such tactics. It should return the passed by it would remain valid. That is why the MPs law even if the council approves it. Also, the government is duty bound to respect the wishes of His are trying to get the council to pass this law.

By indulging in formulating such a piece of legisla- Highness the Amir, who emphasized that he will respect the court decision. One of the ways to respect tion, they are playing around with the law.

It would amount to interference in the court’s deci- the decision of the court is to wait for it and not try to sion making process and will be in contravention of skirt it, otherwise we will lose our faith that Kuwait is a the Article 50 of the constitution which calls for sepa- state run by law where its institutions are well organized with balance of powers intact. —Al-Anbaa ration of powers among authorities.

kuwait digest

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

T

he government wants to impose sales tax at an “appropriate time.” Many do not know the nature of the tax. Let me explain its details: It is a tax payable by a consumer whenever he buys any thing.

The trader, the importer of the goods, the distributor in the local market, the owner of the shop which sells it in retail to the public are not required to pay this tax.

Only the consumer, a Kuwaiti or an expat, has to pay it to the government.

To be more precise, the government wants to specifically burden the poor with this tax to increase its income. It is the same government which was unable to find ways to spend KD 37 million but now wants to rob our pockets to solve the problem of how to increase its own income.

I will give a simple explanation for the sales tax which the government wants to impose on us. Once the sales tax proposal is approved, the importer will go to the Ministry of Commerce and obtain a card globally called the “tax number card.” While importing goods from abroad, say televisions, he will go to the customs to collect his consignment and will pay only customs duties on such goods as per customs laws.

But he will not pay sales tax as he has a “tax number card,” and customs will only charge him the regular customs duty. Once the goods enter the country, he will distribute these to the retailers, who also would have “a tax number card.” Thus, the importer will sell the goods to the retailer without charging sales tax since he has a “tax number card.” At the bottom of the chain, an ordinary consumer who does not have a “tax number card” will have to pay the sales tax to the retailer while buying a television set. This illustrates how it will be only us, the poor segment, which will pay the sales tax.

Some people seem to be working hard to ensure that there remain only two classes of people - the rich and the poor. They want to put an end to the middle class which is about to vanish soon. Due to the practices indulged in by consecutive governments, the middle class will soon vanish.

Note: Short run political aims might benefit certain persons for some time, but in the long run, it will destroy the state.— Al-Anbaa

Time ripe for reconciliation

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

T

he idea of a granting a general pardon as is crimes, are all loyal citizens who perhaps became being rumored recently but vehemently overly enthusiastic or adopted a wrong path in opposed by MPs is in my opinion a good their endeavors. They are not acting to achieve idea and one that needs to be considered seri- any personal gains or benefits for their families or people close to them. While one theory is that ously instead of being automatically denied.

To put things in perspective, it should not be they may have committed a mistake, it is also called general pardon, but ‘general reconciliation.’ possible that we simply are still to realize that The government is not a party to the cases in theirs was the correct vision. At the end of the day, they all are children of question and has no legal this nation. authorit y to ‘drop’ the Kuwaitis facing charges over opinTherefore, opening a charges. Pardon in this case can only be granted after ions that they expressed, including national dialogue in which the “renegades” are also the court delivers its verdicts. Therefore, efforts to those who face charges classified invited to take part is necpush for national reconcili- under state security crimes, are all essary from national and standpoints, ation are required in order loyal citizens who perhaps became political because the country needs to bring all sections of the Kuwaiti society to a general overly enthusiastic or adopted a a dream, a vision, an ambiwrong path in their endeavors. They tion shared by everyone. consensus.

Lawmakers who are There cannot be any are not acting to achieve any perrejecting the reconciliation winners or losers, right or wrong. Of course, the top sonal gains or benefits for their fam- idea on the basis that the priority here would be an ilies or people close to them. While ‘opposition’ merely com‘Amiri pardon’ to drop state one theory is that they may have prises a “bunch of troublemakers, corrupt individusecurity charges or convictions based on opinions committed a mistake, it is also possi- als” need to realize that expressed through the ble that we simply are still to realize some of them - and some of us as well - have been media or public demon- that theirs was the correct vision. involved in sabotage activstrations. Not only would ities in the past, and nowasuch a pardon result on dropping the penalties against the accused, but days enjoy the MPs’ trust.

The main point I am trying to make is that peowill also open the door for a general dialogue ple at both sides of the fence all seek the general involving all sections of the society.

This will bring people with different political good and to ser ve their countr y in order to opinions together. Kuwaitis facing charges over achieve national welfare. There is no definitive opinions that they expressed, including those evidence to prove that one side is right and the who face charges classified under state security other is wrong. — Al-Qabas

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

LOCAL

Bankers refute MPs’ allegations on loans Attempt to boost popularity KUWAIT: Local bankers rejected allegations made by lawmakers accusing them of resorting to inappropriate procedures which made many citizens default on their loans, and said the real goal behind proposals calling on the government to write-off the interest accrued on these loans was to increase MPs’ popularity among the voters. Al-Qabas newspaper spoke to directors of several local banks who insisted that a state fund established a few years ago to help defaulting citizens repay their debts was the best solution to the problem. “There is no justice in writing off the interests, apart from the fact that such a step would be in violation of the constitution,” said Gulf Bank Chairman Mahmoud AlNouri.

Many have strongly suggested that granting defaulters with exclusive financial privileges by writing off the interests accrued on their loans estimated by the Central Bank of Kuwait at KD1.7 billion - violates the constitutional principles of justice and equality. “Where is justice [in writing the interests off ]? What about borrowers who have been repaying regularly?” Gulf Bank’s CEO Michelle Akkad questioned.

His sentiments were echoed by CEO of the Commercial Bank of Kuwait Nehad Saliba, who also indicated that a decision to write these off would be like “running in circles because the result is going to be more borrowing and then more (such) demands.” The Vice President of NBK

KUWAIT: Justice, Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Minister Sharida Al-Muosherji pictured during the opening of the exhibition and 19th Waqf Forum of the Awqaf Secretariat General being held under the slogan “Social development with Waqf Sponsorship”.

KUWAIT: As part of the ongoing campaign to ensure only sale of food stuff fit for human consumption, a team of inspectors from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry confiscated 22 tons of rotten meat at the capital governorate. The Undersecretary at the Ministry of Commerce, Abdulaziz Al-Khaldi, told reporters that the inspection department led by supervisor Faisal Al-Ansari was able to stop the distribution of this rotten meat after laboratory tests revealed that it was not suitable for consumption.

EPA holds awareness lectures

RIYADH: Arab summits usually focus on politics at the expense of economic and social development ‘which requires more attention’ by leaderships, Kuwait’s chief diplomat said yesterday.

“Political issues always overshadow economic and social matters,” Kuwait’s Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah told the state-run television following a joint meeting of Arab foreign and finance ministers ahead of Monday’s summit.

Sheikh Sabah said that stronger cooperation calls on Arab countries to devote ‘enough time’ for economic and social development issues, highlighting in this regard Kuwait’s 2009 initiative to establish a USD two-billion fund to finance small and medium projects.

He said that the 2009 summit has laid the foundations for Arab development, mainly in the fields of education, health and human resources, as well as vital projects on free trade zones, a custom union and land, air and marine transport.

Sheikh Sabah said that the Riyadh Summit, due to open on Monday, completes what was initiated at the Kuwait and Sharm El-Sheikh summit.

He said that yesterday’s meeting discussed a unified Arab agreement on investment and better uses of renewable energies. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Director of Public Relations and Environmental Awareness at Environment Public Authority (EPA) Dr Khalid Al-Enzi stressed yesterday on the importance of awareness work and the environmental message that must be distributed. Dr. Al-Enzi said that the EPA held 108 lectures about environment, targeting various different age groups in schools of the Ministry of Education during the first semester in order to enhance the modern environmental concepts and applying them.

He added that the lectures aimed at all ages, held in seven kindergartens, 31 elementary schools, 47 middle schools and 23 secondary schools, in addition to a number of lectures in governmental institutions and public benefit associations and civil society organizations.

Al-Enzi also explained that the Authority also aimed to participate in various sectors of ministries, in addition to the annual exhibition for Independence and Liberation Days. Main issues tackled in these lectures included advantages of recycling, internal environment and the importance of working on reducing household waste. — KUNA

began an urgent investigation to know what caused the fire. Meanwhile, firemen rushed to the site to ensure there were no casualties.

Drug dealer Drug enforcement officers continue efforts to track down drug dealers, as a Bangladeshi expat was arrested for possessing drugs for the purpose of selling them. Earlier information was received about the suspect’s selling drugs, and after verifying the information, officers received permission to begin legal actions against the suspect. The man was later arrested and found to possess 43 grams of heroin, seven grams of “ice” drugs and 100 tablets.

According to officials, the Bangladeshi man and drugs were sent to concerned authorities.

Father complaint A man in his 40s filed a complaint with police about a man who has repeatedly attempted to seduce his 26 yearold daughter. The father told police the man occasionally called his daughter, hoping to seduce her, but after he failed he began sending her pornographic photos and videos on her mobile, resulting in her complaining to her father, who then reported that incidents to the police. The police have since registered a case of telephone misuse against the accused and police are seeking to interrogate him.

He added that the ministry has taken necessary action against the company for violating the law and it was referred to the public prosecutor who will decide on a suitable punishment. The confiscated meat would be retained till a decision is made to destroy it.

Al-Khaldi said the ministry will go ahead with monitoring the food companies and sending violators to concerned legal authorities. Penalties in such cases could reach up to ten years of imprisonment for those involved in implementing and selling meat unsuitable for human consumption. He emphasized the necessity to double the punishment, and also to introduce a provision to close the company besides imprisoning and deporting those involved. He sent a message to the dealers that the Ministry of Commerce will keep an eye on the goings on and will protect the health of citizens and expats.

He said there were many checks, starting with the customs authority and including the Kuwait municipality, to ensure that any imported meat found rotten was not directly distributed.

Central jail fire Some prisoners reportedly suffered suffocation due to heavy smoke when a huge fire broke out at the central jail yesterday afternoon. The Ministry of Interior immediately

have a luxurious vacation (or even) for speculation in the stock market.”

A sociologist who was asked to weigh in on the subject agreed that “envy” was part of the problem. “There are people who want to spend and live like others more financially capable,” said the Kuwait University professor who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.

The sociologist also blamed the government’s policies as being part of the problem.

“When people are under a permanent impression that the state is required to handle all kinds of costs, it is only natural to see high rate of consumer loans,” he said. He also cited official statistics which indicated that “Kuwait’s annual export rate reaches around $50 billion with an average of $50,000 per capita.”

“As long as efforts are not made to move towards saving, things are going to become worse,” he said. “Pay increases and allowances enforced over the past few years leave no scientific, economic or financial reasons to write off interests accrued on loans,” former commerce minister Ahmad Baqer told Al-Qabas. He presented several arguments to explain the nonfeasibility of lawmakers’ proposals including “the fact that 28,000 Kuwaitis have benefited from the defaulters’ fund” and “unequal compensation” when dropping interests of loans ranging between KD5000 to as much as KD70,000.

Summits give little attention to development issues: FM

22 tons of rotten meat confiscated in Capital

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

Group, Essam Al-Saqr, cited court verdicts in lawsuits filed against local banks in cases of default, and said they all “confirmed that banks’ positions are correct.”

In the meantime, Deputy CEO of Al-Ahli Bank Abdullah Al-Sumait blamed the “increase in the rate of interest at one stage” as the reason behind the problem that defaulters are suffering from today. In this regard, banking insiders explained to Al-Qabas that the Central Bank of Kuwait increased the interest rate “eleven consecutive times” between 2002/2003 and 2007/2008. “This led to inflation in the loans of some citizens,” said the sources who preferred to keep their identity anonymous. They also credited the defaulters’ fund for “helping thousands of citizens overcome their financial woes” through millions of dinars taken directly from the public funds. “The problem should have ended there, but lawmakers seem to always reopen it in order to achieve political gains,” the sources hinted.

Some MPs speak fervently about this subject without being fully aware about the loan process. “Some lawmakers are too ignorant about the true interest rate and claim that they reach 20% while it currently cannot exceed 5%,” the sources said. Moreover, they pointed out to the “insatiability in seeking consumer loans” and mentioned examples to illustrate how some people are in the habit of availing loans to “buy a brand new car every one or two years (or) to

Confused driver As police patrolled the expressway on King Fahad Road, they stopped a car because it was traveling at a high speed. Officers reported that the driver appeared confused when they spoke to him. Officers then searched the car, finding 160 tablets and one unlicensed gun without bullets. The suspect claimed that he used the tablets as medicine and the gun to defend himself, as he is a frequent traveler. Police report the man was then arrested and sent to concerned authorities for a further investigation.

Money missing An Egyptian woman complained to the police that KD 100 went missing from her bank account after she lost her card for a day before finding it once again in her house in Farwaniya. The woman, who works as a teacher in a government school, said she went to the market close to her house and then proceeded to the bank to withdraw some money but was shocked to her account depleted by KD 100. When the police officer asked if she had given the bank card to any of her friends, she recalled that it was lost for a full day before she found it again at home. A case of theft was registered and police will now be analyzing the withdrawals from the woman’s account in cooperation with her bank.

Arabsat to build, launch sixth satellite RIYADH: Arab Statellite Communication Organization (Arabsat) signed yesterday two contracts to build and launch the first 6th generation satellite with a value exceeding $400 million. Arabsat President and CEO Khaled Balkhyour, in a statement, said the new satellite, Badr-7, would be co-located at Arabsat exclusive Hot Spot with Arabsat’s other satellites, known as Badr. Badr-7, he added, would provide massive satellite capacities for television broadcasting, Telecommunications and information exchanging services in Ku-band in addition to broadband services in Ka-band. — KUNA

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

LOCAL

Wife ‘charged’ after catching cheating husband red-handed Heart attack faster than police KUWAIT: A philandering man insisted on taking legal action against his wife who had waited till he fell asleep to snoop into his cell phone and found what it was that was keeping him glued to the phone for hours into the night. The woman had grown weary of her husband’s behavior as he spent night after night fiddling with his smart phone and even stayed up late apparently talking to other people through social networks. One fine night, she waited till he dozed off and then took the cell phone to the basement of their Riqqa house in order to investigate what was going on with her husband. She spent hours browsing her husband’s phone and going through the many text messages of love exchanged between him and a number of women. In the meantime, her husband woke up and panicked after discovering that his cell phone and, more importantly, also his wife were missing. He headed directly to the area’s police station and accused her of stealing his phone. The woman was summoned for investigations, during which she explained that she only wanted to know who her husband was talking to every night that he spent alone with his phone. However, even after knowing her story, the police had to keep the woman under arrest since her husband refused to drop the charges though he received back his phone.

Toddler dies A toddler was suffocated to death in Jahra when an orange slice blocked her respiratory

passage. The three-year-old Syrian girl was not breathing when she was brought to the Jahra Hospital on Saturday. After repeated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) procedures failed to revive her pulse, medics pronounced her dead twenty minutes later. A case was filed for investigations. (Rai) Heart attack A man facing charges pressed by his neighbors suffered a heart attack and died before police could reach and arrest him. Hawally officers reached the Kuwaiti man’s house after neighbors filed a case against him with the local police. When the man failed to answer the door, police returned with a warrant to break into his house but found him unconscious and bleeding. Paramedics who were summoned to the scene pronounced him dead. Further medical examination revealed that the man died of a heart attack and the bleeding from the head was due to an injury he probably suffered as a result of falling on the floor. A case was filed for investigations.

Diesel load missing A truck loaded with 5,000 liters of diesel was reported stolen in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh recently. The driver told the truck’s Kuwaiti owner that he left the vehicle for a few fleeting minutes outside his home in the area but found it missing when he returned. The owner filed a case with the area’s police station and investigations are ongoing.

Teen stabbed A teenager was hospitalized with a stab wound while search is on for the suspect identified by the victim’s father. The 17-year-old boy was admitted brought to the Farwaniya Hospital with a five centimetre deep stab wound on his back. His father told officers at the Sulaibiya police station about the person who he accused of stabbing his son during a fight in the area.

Investigations are ongoing.

Weapon stolen A licensed weapon was reported stolen in AlFintas on Saturday. The owner of the hunting rifle left it inside his car and went grocery shopping for about 15 minutes. Upon his return, he discovered his car’s window broken and the firearm stolen. The Kuwaiti man headed to the area’s police station and reported the case.

Auto theft gang Police managed to arrest a member of an exconvicts’ gang responsible for several auto thefts even as its search for his accomplices was still on. The man was arrested on Saturday shortly after suspects broke into a Sulaibiya garage owned by a major car dealer and ran away with a 2013 model vehicle. The gang left a security guard critically wounded after they ran him over when he tried to stop the theft. Police caught the suspect who was found near the garage.

During his interrogation, he let out the identity of his accomplices and admitted of his role in the many car thefts committed by the gang.

KUWAIT: At the instructions of the General Director of Kuwait Municipality, Ahmad Al-Subaih, the Municipality continued its operations to clean the Al-Shamlaan harbor next to Souq Sharq in cooperation with the Kuwait Diving Team, Kuwait Port Authorities and fishermen’s union.

Six boats were lifted and two truck loads of remains were cleared. — Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Kuwait granted highest investment quota in China BEIJING: China’s foreign exchange regulator awarded Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) fresh quota of $700 million this week for direct investment in the Chinese securities market, on top of the $300 million already granted last year, it was announced yesterday.

With the additional quota awarded by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), KIA’s investment quota has reached $ one billion cap that a qualified foreign institutional investor (QFII) can obtain in China.

Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund is one of only six QFIIs that have been granted the highest $ one billion quota. Other five institutions are Qatar Holding, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Norway’s Norges Bank, Government of Singapore Investment Corp. and the Singapore-based Temasek Fullerton, according to the SAFE. Under the new regulation issued by China’s securities regulator late December, only sovereign wealth funds are entitled to receive a quota above $one billion.

KIA has earlier said that it received the initial investment quota of $300 million last March after winning a QFII license in December 2011, following the inauguration of its Beijing Representative Office in October in that year. China launched the QFII program in 2002 to allow qualified overseas funds to buy and sell yuandenominated A-graded shares within the SAFE-set quota. As of December 31, the authorities had granted QFII status to 207 foreign institutions, with 169 QFII license holders given a combined investment quota of $ 37.44 billion.

Speaking at the Asia Financial Forum in Hong Kong on Jan 14, China Securities Regulatory Commission Chairman Guo Shuqing said China can increase 10 times the current level of foreign investment that now only accounts for about 1.5 percent of the country’s Ashare market. Guo also said China will further increase the total quota for QFII investors, which at present stands at $80 billion.

KIA, which manages Kuwait’s oil generated-assets, said in October that the fund’s investment in Greater China including Hong Kong has grown nearly eight times to $15 billion since its entry into the Hong Kong market in 2000, with setting its sights on hitting $20 billion this year. For mainland China alone, the figure has jumped to $8 billion from zero in the past six years. In another development, KIA Managing Director Bader AlSaad told KUNA in October that the fund was also granted a CNY 6.5 billion ($1 billion) license by China’s central bank last year to invest in the domestic interbank bond market. The People’s Bank of China launched a program in August 2010 to allow selected foreign financial institutions and central banks to buy bonds on China’s interbank market under a preset quota, in a move aimed at promoting the internationalization of Chinese currency.

Across Asia, KIA has so far participated as a cornerstone investor in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, AIA, CITIC Securities and the region’s biggest hospital operator IHH Healthcare of Malaysia. Cornerstone investors are a handful of elite institutional investors who are guaranteed shares early in initial public offerings (IPOs) in exchange for a pledge to hold the stocks for a period. — KUNA

ITQAN Academy launches second phase of training program KUWAIT: Boubyan ITQAN Academy launched the second phase of its training program targeting the development of young Kuwaiti leaders in cooperation with Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), accredited by University of Missouri at St. Louis (UMSL), with which agreement has been made to act as the “Exclusive Academic Partner” for Boubyan Bank in Kuwait. The new class in this phase includes 10 participants from Boubyan staff of promising Kuwaiti youth.

In a speech delivered at the program’s launch, Adel Al-Hammad, GM- Human Resources Group emphasized that despite the short history of the Academy established by the Bank last July, it has managed during this short period to prove its presence and ability to make the qualitative leap required in the world of professional training by transforming it from its traditional style.

Al-Hammad added that the coming period will witness more expansion plans for the Academy’s activities and programs with the purpose of making it a distinguished academic platform that is able to develop the Bank’s human resources and enhance their capabilities to be really the key pillar for growth plans and realization of the Bank’s strategic objectives.

Al-Hammad stressed that since the inauguration of the Academy, it has attracted massive interest from ambitious fresh graduate Kuwaiti youth, as expected, due to the offered benefits they can get by joining Boubyan Bank; chief among all is obtaining high-class academic certificates accredited by the most prestigious academic institutions. Al-Hammad noted that ITQAN

Academy represents a qualitative leap in the world of professional and administrative training and development, not only among local banks, but also on the regional level, as it shifts training and development concepts from the traditional style to a more advanced one as represented in granting the renowned academic certificates of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in cooperation with the most prestigious American and international universities.

Note worthy is that the first class of the Academy’s program which started study last July included 15 participants of the Bank’s staff, as the Academy’s work is based on transformation of the specialized banking training programs into academic credits accredited by American, international and local universities.

The Academy’s trainees satisfying certain conditions will be able to obtain 24 accredited credits of the MBA program at GUST, representing 55% of the program’s total accredited credit hours, which suit the basic work requirements in Boubyan Bank.

In addition, trainees will be given the opportunity to complete the remaining accredited credits of the MBA program at GUST to obtain the certificate, in case they so desire.

The Academy provides the Bank’s staff with training opportunities throughout a whole year in many fields comprising specialized training programs in financial management, financial statements analysis, business administration, communication skills, human resources development, as well as advanced, distinguished programs in customer service and professional sales of banking products.

Incredible India festival at Lu&Lu Hypermarket KUWAIT: Lu&Lu Hypermarket, the largest lifestyle shopping destination in the country, is running an exclusive Incredible India Festival from Jan 16 to 26.

The ten-day festival, marking India’s 64th Republic Day, was inaugurated on Jan 17 by Satish C. Mehta, the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, at the hypermarket’s Al-Rai branch.

Adding to the festivities of the inauguration day were a lively fashion show of ethnic wear by kids and a drawing competition for children.

The Incredible India festival is featuring a host of Indian food products and garments at unbelievable prices, while also showcasing an exceptional collection of Indian jewelry.

During the festival, special offers will be available on groceries, fresh foods, vegetables and meat from India, along with delicious Indian sweets prepared for the occasion.

Also, at the ‘Garment Mela’, exquisite saris, churidars and

churidar material will be offered at very attractive prices, while a very special discount of 25 percent will be made available on select prestigious brands like Van Heusen, Peter England and Louis Philippe.

The ten-day festival period will be chock-full of exciting and entertaining programs featuring live cooking demos and special cultural programs. For three days, from 21 to 23 January, talented chefs from leading Indian restaurants in Kuwait will demonstrate their cooking prowess; chefs from Best Treat Restaurant, Winners Restaurant and Moti Mahal Deluxe Restaurant will delight visitors with their talent, while offering cooking tips to the public. Special cultural programs, reflecting the rich and colorful artistic diversity of India, will be held on Jan 17, 18 and 19, as well as on Jan 24, 25 and 26, adding an entertainment element to the shopping experience at Lu&Lu Hypermarket.

The festival is part of Lu&Lu Hypermarket’s continuous initiative to interact with their customers and bring the best of the world to shoppers. By providing an ultra-modern shopping environment that integrates every conceivable need of consumers under one roof, Lu&Lu Hypermarkets, with their well-stocked shelves, extensively laid out counters, wide aisles and rows of check-out counters, provides customers with convenience along with the largest selection of high-quality products at very affordable prices.

The Incredible India festival is an ideal opportunity for shoppers looking to find value in their purchases of Indian fresh fruits, vegetables, groceries, meat and sweets, as well as garments and branded apparel. Living up to their tagline of ‘Where the world comes to shop’, the hypermarket brand offers customers the right products in the right place at the right time.

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Indian media hails Gandhi’s promotion

Airstrike kills at least 7 near Syrian capital Page 8

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AUSTIN, Texas: Austin Ehlinger helps hold a banner during a Guns Across America rally at the Texas state capitol on Saturday. — AP

Rallies assail Obama’s proposed gun curbs Five hurt in gun show accidents in three states NEW YORK: Pro-gun activists held “high noon” rallies across the United States on Saturday to defend the right to own firearms that they say is being threatened by President Barack Obama’s gun-control proposals. The US debate over gun control erupted in mid-December after a man armed with an assault rifle killed 20 first-graders and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut - the deadliest of a string of US shooting sprees last year.

“We are law-abiding citizens, business owners, military, and we are not going to be responsible for other people’s criminal actions,” former Marine Damon Locke said to applause at a Florida rally he had helped organize. Some in the crowd of about 1,000 in Brooksville, about an hour north of Tampa, hoisted signs that said: “Stop the Gun Grabbers” and “Gun control isn’t about guns, it’s about control.”

Obama and gun-control advocates have begun a push to reinstitute a US assault weapons ban following the Connecticut massacre. A number of other states have taken up gun legislation, and New York, with among the strictest gun control laws in the country, broadened its assault weapons ban on Tuesday.

Obama has also called for a ban on high-capacity magazines and more stringent background checks for gun purchasers. On the day the pro-gun rights rallies were being held across the country, five people were wounded in accidents at three gun shows. Three people were hurt when a 12-gauge shotgun discharged as its owner opened its case at the entrance to a show in North Carolina. Two others were wounded when guns went off accidentally at gun shows in Ohio and Indiana. None of the day’s injuries was life-threatening.

Defiant mood In Connecticut, a rally for gun rights drew about 1,000 people at the state Capitol, where lawmakers have reacted to the Newtown shooting with proposals to tighten gun-control rules, including limiting access to assault weapons and highcapacity magazines. That did not sit well with gun owner Jessie Buchanan, who attended the rally in Hartford.

“They could take away the 10round magazine today and tomorrow it would be the five-round and the next day it would be the whole thing,” Buchanan said. In Denver, the mood was defiant as about 500

people, including families with children, gathered in unseasonably warm weather outside the state Capitol. “I have earned the right to have my guns,” said Don Dobyns, an Air Force veteran and former police officer from Colorado Springs, who was among the rally organizers.

Sporting a shirt that read, “Girls with guns,” 31-year-old Jennifer Burk said, “My parents didn’t raise a victim and the government shouldn’t try and make me one.” Gun-control advocates say US civilians have no justifiable need for assault weapons or high-capacity magazines, and they say more background checks will help keep guns out of the hands of criminals. The reaction has been fierce from gun supporters such as the National Rifle Association, who point to a right to bear arms that is enshrined in the Second Amendment to the US Constitution and which they do not want to see watered down. On Sunday, guncontrol advocates plan to hold a National Gun Prevention Sabbath, where they say 150 houses of worship will call on the faithful to advocate for an “actionable plan to prevent gun violence.” People who have lost loved ones to gun violence will displaytheir photographs, organizers said. —Reuters

Attack kills 13 Qaeda militants in Yemen SANAA: More than 10 suspected Al-Qaeda operatives were killed by an explosion in a house in south Yemen where they were making bombs and at least three others died in a drone strike, tribal and official sources said yesterday.

A b o m b r i p p e d t h ro u g h a house in the province of Al-Bayda on Saturday night, the state news agency Saba and a local official said. Three other suspected militants were killed in a drone strike in the central province of Maarib, also on Saturday, tribal sources and the Ministry of Defence said.

Yemen’s government has been fighting a powerful branch of AlQaeda that took advantage of chaos in the impoverished state two years ago during a popular uprising against former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Al- Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is considered by Western governments to be one of the most active and dangerous

wing of the global network founded by Osama bin Laden, and has attempted a number of attacks against US targets. The house destroyed in al Bayda had been used for making bombs, an official from the area told Reuters yesterday. “We heard a massive explosion that terrified people and when we went to the house it was destroyed and everyone there was dead,” the official said. I n Maarib, a pilotless plane carried out two strikes against a car, a witness said.

“One of the strikes missed the target and the other hit the car and left the bodies of the three people in it completely charred,” the witness told Reuters by telep ho ne fro m t h e area. He said unidentified people evacuated the bodies while tribesmen blocked the main road linking the capital of Maarib province with S a n a a o n S a t u rd ay a f te r t h e s t r i k e s. Th e Ye m e n i D e fe n ce

Ministry said in an SMS text message that a number of militants were killed in two air strikes but gave no further details. Earlier this month, dozens of armed tribesmen took to the streets in southern Yemen to protest drones they said killed innocent civilians and fed an ger again st th e Un ited States. President Abd-R abbu Mansour Hadi spoke openly in favour of the strikes during a trip to the United States in September.

Praised by the US ambassador in Sanaa as being more effective against al Qaeda than his predecessor, Hadi was quoted as saying in September that he personally approved every attack. Hadi has not commented on the most recent strikes. AQAP offshoot, Ansar al-Sharia (Partisan of Islamic Law), seized a number of towns in the south in 2011 but Yemeni government forces retook the areas in a US-backed offensive in June. — Reuters

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

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

Bulgarian Turk leader foils gas pistol attack SOFIA: A Bulgarian ethnic party leader emerged unharmed yesterday after a dramatic attack by a man armed with a gas pistol, who pointed the weapon at his head after rushing to the stage during a televised political speech. Veteran Turkish minority party leader Ahmed Dogan was addressing delegates of his Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) party on Saturday when the young attacker, dressed in black, pulled out the non-lethal weapon and pointed it at his head, video footage showed.

Visibly stunned at first, Dogan then flung the attacker’s arm away before a shot could be fired. The man tried to point the gun once again but it “seems to have been misfired”, said Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

Both men fell to the ground in the ensuing scuffle. A handful of conference delegates rushed to the stage and severely kicked the assailant. Television footage showed the man’s bloodied face as police dragged him

away. He was later identified as a 25-year-old ethnic Turk from the eastern city of Burgas, who already had a police record for drugs, robberies and hooliganism. The man had two knives as well as the gas pistol, police chief Valery Yordanov said. Experts who later examined the gun confirmed that it was non-lethal. The three bullets loaded in it could not have threatened Dogan’s life even if properly fired, Yordanov said, adding that the man would likely face a charge of grave hooliganism rather than attempted manslaughter. Gas pistols are mainly used for self defence and fire tear gas cartridges. Dogan reappeared in the hall several hours later to a standing ovation from several thousand delegates. He announced his resignation, which had been widely expected at his party’s national conference in Sofia regardless of the attack. “This time my decision is categorical!” Dogan said, proposing that his deputy Lyutvi Mestan replace him as head of the MRF party.

Dogan, 58, has led the MRF since its formation 23 years ago. Backed mainly by Bulgaria’s 10 percent ethnic Turk minority, the controversial veteran politician has played a key role in Bulgaria’s post-communist transition.

Dogan’s ability to control his voters ensured the liberal MRF’s participation in two successive coalition governments between 2001 and 2009. The MRF is now in opposition to the right-wing government of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

Dogan’s interrupted address, read out later in his presence by another MRF member, claimed that a recent “demonisation” of his image was detrimental to the party ahead of general elections in July. He urged delegates to support Mestan’s candidacy and to make “a common effort to change public opinion about the MRF and its leader”. Dogan lashed out at the premier, accusing him of seeking to “replace democracy with dictatorship” by stifling the market economy and con-

trolling the media.

Dogan has prided himself for his role in maintaining Bulgaria’s ethnic peace while ethnic conflicts raged in the country’s Balkan neighbours in the 1990s. The Turkish minority, which was subjected to drastic assimilation policies under communism, won key rights under his leadership including free religious expression, political representation in parliament, Turkish classes in schools and Turkish-language news broadcasts on state television. Dogan’s political versatility and diverse coalitions with conservatives, liberals and socialists (ex-communists) over the years however attracted criticism from all sides, mostly for his authoritarian ways, political arrogance and alleged corruption. Revelations that he had collaborated with the communist police before turning against the political regime and being imprisoned in 1985 also alienated many of his supporters. — AFP

Iraq protester sets self ablaze in anti-govt rally 2,000 demonstrators protest in Mosul

QUSAIR: In this citizen journalism image, Free Syrian Army fighters take their positions during clashes with government forces in Qusair, Homs province, Syria yesterday. — AP

Airstrike kills at least 7 near Syrian capital BEIRUT: Syrian government troops battled rebels in several areas outside Damascus yesterday while regime warplanes bombed opposition-held areas around the capital, including an airstrike on one village that killed at least seven people, activists said. Rebels seeking to topple President Bashar Assad have seized swaths of territory in northern Syria but have become bogged down in their push for Damascus, where government troops are still firmly in control. While the opposition fighters have established footholds in suburbs east and south of the capital, Assad’s forces have kept them from advancing into the heart of the city and regularly hit them with artillery and airstrikes.

Much of the fighting yesterday was focused in areas east and south of the city, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, while government jets were bombing rebel areas. An airstrike on the village of Al-Barika, southeast of the capital, killed at least seven people, including five members of the same family, the Observatory said. Other activists provided the names of the dead, including the mother and father of the Shehadeh family and three of their children.

A video posted online said to be from the site showed dead bodies in the back of a pickup a truck and body parts and blood scattered in the street. “A whole family,” an off-camera voice says, adding that they had fled to the village to escape violence elsewhere. Another video posted online showed what activists said was the aftermath of an airstrike on the central village of Kafr Aya. The video showed more than 10 wounded people being treated in a rudimentary field hospital. Some the wounded were children and appeared to be unconscious. A small baby was wrapped in a bloody white blanket with a badly wounded forehead. The videos appeared genuine and corresponded to other activist reports. The Syrian government does not respond to requests for comment on military actions.

The state news agency said yesterday that troops had killed “scores of terrorists” in two rebellious southern suburbs of Damascus. The government considers the rebels and its other internal opponents “terrorists” backed by foreign powers that seek to destroy Syria. Also yesterday, the Observatory distributed two videos showing a rebel beating a captured government soldier with a rope.

The captive had been stripped to his underwear and was forced to raise his arms so he could be beaten on his sides, lifting his feet to receive blows on their soles. At one point, a captor asked: “Who is your God?” To which the captive replies: “God.” The captor then says: “No. Your God is Bashar Assad.”

The Observatory’s head, Rami Abdul-

Rahman, said the videos were from the Jabal Al-Zawiya region of Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, though he did not know which of the area’s rebel brigades filmed them. Syria’s government has been accused of war crimes throughout the conflict and at least 56 countries have co-signed a petition calling on the UN Security Council to refer the issue to the International Criminal Court. The Council, however, remains split. Accusations of war crimes by rebels have grown increasingly common, and Abdul-Rahman said he had more than 70 videos of rebels torturing people and more than 20 of them killing captives.

Abdul-Rahman, who supports the rebels, said he opposes such actions by either side.

“We are dreaming of a new Syria and a new democratic country,” he said, “We don’t want a system where if someone kills me I can kill him.” Syria’s crisis began in March 2011 with protests calling for political reform that the government quickly repressed. It has since evolved into a civil war with scores of largely independent rebel groups fighting the government across the country. The UN said this month that more than 60,000 people had been killed since the conflict’s start.

Meanwhile, Syrian opposition leaders will meet in Paris this month, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said yesterday, decrying an “abominable” situation in which he said 100 people a day were being killed in an uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad.

“The situation is horrific and Bashar must go as fast as possible,” Fabius said. “There will be a meeting of the coalition in Paris in a few days, on the 28th. It’s a coalition recognised by more than 100 countries, led by extremely respectable people who simply want to restore democracy in Syria,” he said.

Syria’s opposition leaders met in Istanbul on Saturday to launch their second bid to form a transitional government. Agreement among the National Coalition, a grouping formed last November, could help address international concern about the risk of Syria disintegrating along ethnic and sectarian lines if Assad falls.

Failure would highlight the divisions in the coalition, formed with Western and Gulf backing in Qatar, and undermine that support.

Fabius, interviewed on radio station Europe 1, said that the Paris meeting later this month would involve the “main backers” of the opposition coalition.

France has been pressing hard for an end to a 22-month conflict in which 60,000 people have been killed, according to United Nations estimates. “This is an abominable situation, with sadly around 100 people killed a day,” Fabius said. Syria’s foreign minister said on Saturday any discussion of Assad’s future was “unacceptable”. —Agencies

ANKARA: Members of Turkish unions stage a protest against the deployment of patriot missiles by NATO yesterday. The banner reads: “No to Patriots”, “No to imperialist intervention in Syria”. — AFP

MOSUL: An Iraqi protester set himself ablaze yesterday in a dramatic turn in more than three weeks of rallies by Sunni Muslims challenging Shiite Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s government. Thousands of Sunni demonstrators have rallied since late December against a Shiite-led government they believe has marginalized their minority sect, raising fears the OPEC country may slide again into widespread sectarian confrontation. During protests of around 2,000 demonstrators in the northern city of Mosul, one man set himself ablaze before others quickly stamped out the flames with their jackets, police said. He was sent to hospital with burns to his face and hands.

“We don’t want people to hang themselves or burn themselves, this would be against Islam,” said Ghanim Al-Abid, protest organizer in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad. “But he reached such a state of despair he set himself on fire.” Self-immolations have had resonance in the Arab world since a Tunisian vegetable seller set himself on fire two years ago. His death in Jan 2011 triggered the wave of uprisings that toppled leaders across North Africa and the Middle East. Yesterday’s incident in Iraq shows the frustration among Sunnis that has not ebbed

despite concessions from Maliki.

Many Iraqi Sunnis feel they have been unfairly targeted by security forces and sidelined from power since the fall of Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein after the 2003 US-led invasion and the rise of the Shiite majority through the ballot box.

Protests have centred Anbar province, a vast desert area that makes up a third of Iraq’s territory, populated mainly by Sunnis in towns and settlements along the Euphrates.

Syria crisis looms A year after the last American troops left, Iraq’s government of Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish parties is deadlocked in a crisis over how to share power. Insurgent bombers are still seeking to enflame sectarian tensions. Violence and Sunni unrest are worsening concern that the conflict in neighbouring Syria, where mainly Sunni rebels are fighting Shiite Iran’s ally President Bashar Al-Assad, will upset Iraq’s own delicate sectarian and ethnic balance.

A suicide bomber killed an influential Sunni lawmaker on Tuesday, and another suicide bomber hit the disputed city of Kirkuk a day later, killing more than 20 people. Sunni turmoil erupted in late December after state officials

arrested members of a Sunni finance minister’s security team on terrorism charges. Authorities denied the arrests were political, but Sunni leaders saw them as a crackdown.

Maliki has appointed Deputy Prime Minister Hussein Al-Shahristani, an influential Shiiite figure, to address protester demands, and the government has released more than 400 detainees in an effort to appease rallies. “There is no time left for talks. The government has to stand up to its responsibility and take a crucial decision to meet demands,” said Sunni lawmaker Wihda AlJumaili. Protesters want anti-terrorism laws modified, prisoners released, an amnesty law passed and an easing of a campaign against former members of Saddam’s outlawed Baathist party, a measure Sunnis believe has been used to target their leaders. They are also demanding better government services, a complaint they share with other Iraqis frustrated by the lack of economic progress despite windfall state revenues from growing oil production. Sunni protesters are also split among moderates more keen to work to improve power-sharing agreements and hardline Islamist voices who are calling for Maliki’s ouster and even the formation of a separate Sunni region inside Iraq. — AFP

Iran key issue, not settlements: Israel JERUSALEM: Two days before national elections, Israel’s prime minister yesterday shrugged off international criticism of Israeli settlement construction, charging instead that Iran’s suspect nuclear program the real threat to regional security. Speaking to his Cabinet, Benjamin Netanyahu said he had told a group of visiting US senators over the weekend that “the problem is not building ... The problem in the Middle East is Iran’s attempt to build nuclear weapons ... This was, and remains, the main mission facing not only myself and Israel, but the entire world.”

Israel, the US and much of the international community believe Iran may decide to produce nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

Netanyahu, who has repeatedly spoken of the Iranian nuclear program throughout his four year-term and long before, has claimed credit for helping put the issue on the international agenda. The international community has slapped tough economic sanctions on Iran, also urging Tehran to open its program to international inspectors. While the sanctions have hit Iran hard, its government has refused to cooperate with inspectors or halt its enrichment of uranium.

Enrichment is a key step toward developing a nuclear bomb, though it has other purposes as well. Netanyahu has welcomed the international pressure on Iran, but he has also repeatedly indicated Israeli might attack Iran, alone if necessary, if he concludes that diplomacy has failed.

Netanyahu has warned that 2013 will be a critical year in determining whether Iran reaches weapons capability or not.

The final opinion polls ahead of tomorrows’s vote have all predicted Netanyahu’s hard-line bloc maintaining a solid lead over center-left opponents. The Dahaf agency, for example, predicted Netanyahu and his hard-line and religious allies would capture 63 seats in the 120-seat parliament. As the largest member of the block, Netanyahu’s Likud-Yisrael Beitenu list would be

JERUSALEM: Former Palestinian prisoner Jihad Abedi (center) is carried on the shoulders of friends and relatives as he arrives in neighborhoodof Jerusalem following his release yesterday from an Israeli jail after serving 25 years. — AFP In his comments yesterday, Netanyahu sigthe senior member of the coalition, and Netanyahu would serve another term as prime naled that the settlement construction will conminister. The survey interviewed 1,000 people tinue. He also praised the legacy of Ron and had a margin of error of 3.2 percentage Nachman, the longtime mayor of the Ariel settlepoints. A new hard-line government would likely ment, who died Friday. Ariel, with nearly 20,000 mean continued deadlock in peace efforts with residents located deep inside the West Bank, is the Palestinians and further confrontation with considered a major obstacle to the establishment President Barack Obama. Netanyahu has drawn of a future Palestinian state. “Today we part from fierce criticism from the US and other allies for our dear friend who managed to build Ariel into building housing for Jewish settlers in the West a city of culture, with a university. I regret that he Bank and east Jerusalem, lands claimed by the did not have additional years in which to enjoy Palestinians for a future state. The Palestinians the fruit of his labors,” Netanyahu said. His govhave refused to negotiate while Israel continues ernment recently approved upgrading a college in Ariel to university status. — AP to build in the settlements.

Iraq opens Christian centre in ethnically-mixed city KIRKUK: Authorities yesterday opened what they billed as the first Christian cultural centre in Iraq in a decade, despite a dramatic decline in the country’s once significant Christian population. The building was inaugurated in the northern city of Kirkuk, home to a diverse population of Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen, and is to host conferences and meetings to promote inter-faith communications between the city’s Muslim and Christian communities.

“This centre is the first of its kind in Iraq since 2003, it sends a message of peace, and promotes the language of dialogue,” said Louis Sakho, Chaldean archbishop of Kirkuk.

“The communities of Kirkuk are one family,” he added.

Construction of the cultural centre, which lies next to Kirkuk’s Chaldean church, began in early 2012 and was completed at a cost of around $305,000, officials said. Iraq’s Christian community is one of the oldest of its kind in the world, but they suffered persecution, forced flight and killings in the aftermath of the 2003 US-led invasion. Before 2003 there were more than a million Christians living in Iraq.

Now they number around 450,000.

According to the UN refugee agency, many thousands fled after an October 2010 attack on a church in Baghdad.

From 2003 to May 2012, some 900 Christians were killed, while 200 were kidnapped, tortured and ultimately released for exorbitant ransoms, according to the Hammurabi Human Rights Organisation in Iraq. — AFP

Colombia’s FARC rebels end ceasefire HAVANA: A unilateral ceasefire declared by the Marxist FARC rebels at the start of peace talks with the Colombian government ended yesterday after the government refused to join the truce, the group said. “With pain in my heart, we have to admit that we return to the stage of war that nobody in this country (Colombia) wants,” FARC lead negotiator Ivan Marquez told reporters before going into the latest session of the talks aimed at ending Colombia’s long, bloody conflict.

The FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, declared the ceasefire when the talks began on Nov 19 in Havana, and gave the government two months to also lay down its arms. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos rejected the ceasefire from the beginning, saying the government would maintain the military pressure to keep FARC at the negotiating table.

Colombian officials have called the ceasefire a sham to gain international favor and accused the rebels of continuing their attacks.

Government forces have continued to attack and kill the rebels in their remote strongholds in the jungles and mountains of Colombia.

They say the rebels may be planning a new offensive. Marquez did not disclose their plans, but urged Santos to reconsider the decision not to lay down arms.

Long-running insurgency The two sides have been fighting since the formation of the FARC as a communist agrarian movement in 1964 in what is now Latin America’s longest-running insurgency and a relic of the Cold War. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced in the conflict, which the FARC says is aimed at ending Colombia’s long history of social inequality and the concentration of land and wealth in relatively few hands.

Officials say the FARC has been weakened by a US-backed, 10-year-long government offensive. But the group still has an estimated 9,000 fighters capable of continuing to inflict damage on Colombia’s infrastructure and slow the government’s plans to increase foreign investment in mining and oil operations.

The agenda for the talks calls for the two sides to address a number of difficult issues, starting with rural development. —Reuters

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

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

Islamists flee Malian town after French airstrikes French forces head towards Islamist-held north

HANOVER: A man wearing a medieval costume casts his ballot at a polling station in Northern Germany yesterday on polling day of the local elections in the central German state of Lower Saxony. The vote is largely seen as a test run for autumn’s federal election. —AFP

War crimes court to hear Liberia’s Taylor appeal THE HAGUE: Prosecutors and lawyers defending former Liberian warlord Charles Taylor will tomorrow begin their appeals at Sierra Leone’s UN-backed special court against his 50-year prison sentence for fuelling the west African nation’s savage civil war. Appeals judges are to question and listen to arguments both from prosecutors demanding a heavier sentence and from the former strongman’s lawyers calling for his sentence to be quashed or reduced.

The hearing, set for 10:00 am (0900 GMT) at the SCSL’s headquarters in the leafy suburb of Leidschendam outside The Hague, is to be dominated by particularly complex legal arguments-with both sides saying judges made mistakes in law in convicting Taylor in April last year and sentencing him in May. The UN-backed court’s 50-year sentence against Taylor, 64, for “some of the most heinous crimes in human history” was widely welcomed around the world at the time.

Judges said he aided and abetted rebel forces fighting against Freetown during Sierra Leone’s 10-year civil war, known for its mutilations, drugged child soldiers and sex slaves. In return, trial judges found, Taylor was paid in “blood diamonds” mined by slave labour in areas kept under the countrol of ruthless Sierra Leonean rebels.

The historic sentence was the first handed down against a former head of state in an international court since the Nazi trials at Nuremberg in 1946. Prosecutors, who declined to comment ahead of the hearing, are to argue that trial judges made a mistake by only convicting Taylor of aiding and abetting the notorious Revolutionary United Front and other rebel groups.

In one of four grounds of appeal, they said the court should have convicted Taylor for actively issuing orders to the RUF and its ally, the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC). “The Trial Chamber erred in law and

in fact by failing to convict Mr Taylor for ordering crimes committed by RUF/AFRC forces who were implementing his instructions,” prosecutors said in court papers.

Based on the facts and evidence accepted by the judges, no reasonable court “would have failed to find that Mr Taylor ordered these crimes”, they said. “The appropriate sentence should have been 80 years in order to reflect the totality of his overall conduct and culpability,” prosecutors insisted.

Taylor’s defence has filed 42 grounds of appeal, calling the trial chamber’s decision a “miscarriage of justice”, and asked appeals judges to reverse the conviction and quash the sentence.

“The colossal judgement, over 2,500 pages in length, is plagued throughout by internal inconsistencies, misstatements of evidence and conflicting findings,” Taylor’s lawyer Morris Anyah said in court papers. A main issue was the trial chamber’s finding based on “uncorroborated hearsay evidence” by the many of the 94 prosecution witnesses who testified during Taylor’s nearly four-year trial.

“The witnesses that gave evidence, we are arguing, are witnesses that were not truthful. They were witnesses that greatly benefitted from things given to them by the prosecution,” Anyah said. “We feel these witnesses had incentives to lie,” he said. Taylor, said Anyah, “was never in Sierra Leone when these crimes were committed” and furthermore he was so “engulfed at the time in many other domestic issues that it was not possible for him to be leading rebels in other countries to fight wars”. Appeals judges are expected to have a decision by September, SCSL spokesman Solomon Moriba said, with the ex-Liberian president remaining behind bars at the UN’s detention unit in The Hague until appeals proceedings are finalised. If his appeal fails, Taylor will serve his sentence in a British jail. —AFP

BAMAKO: Burned out vehicles and scattered bullets dotted the streets of a central Malian town after radical Islamists retreated following days of French airstrikes, according to video obtained yesterday. The Malian military announced late Saturday that the government was now controlling Diabaly, marking an important accomplishment for the French-led offensive to oust the extremists from northern and central Mali. “People are calm since the Islamists left the city of Diabaly before it was taken by the Malian and French forces yesterday,” said Oumar Coulibaly, who lives in the nearby town of Niono.

The Associated Press obtained video filmed Saturday by a local resident, which shows people from Diabaly inspecting the fighters’ vehicles and charred weaponry destroyed by French airstrikes and Malian ground forces. Several armored vehicles belonging to the Malian army also can be seen lying abandoned and damaged at the side of roads in Diabaly, a town of 35,000 that is home to an important military camp. The video marks the first pictures to emerge from the area, which was taken over by AlQaeda-linked militants at the beginning of the week. The zone remains blocked off by a military cordon and journalists have not been able to access the area so far. Residents who had fled to the nearby town of Niono and officials described how Islamists fled the town on foot after days of French airstrikes that destroyed their vehicles.

“They tried to hijack a car, but the driver didn’t stop and they fired on the car and killed the driver,” said a Malian intelligence officer who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists. The Islamists first seized control of the main towns in north-

against humanity charges in the International Criminal Court, charges he denies.

“We have almost 100 employees some located here, others in the field,” said Kyalo Mwengi, a legal officer at the commission. Field officers primarily attend political gatherings to monitor what is said there, and include police officers, journalists, students and community leaders. “They blend in and send us everything in raw format,” Mwengi said, adding that the Nairobi-based team then trawl the audio or video recordings.

“If there are elements of hate speech, we summon the person in question ... and warn them. Most of those warned

KISUMU: A protester prods a burning tyre roadblock as he and others take to the streets to protest the results of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) primary elections in Kenya yesterday. —AP ing for words or statements that might constitute hate speech. “The majority of cases we investigate are hate speech charges against big men...politicians, aspiring politicians...people who would do anything to get to power,” said Peter, asking that his full name not to be printed as he feared the consequences.

Internet sites such as Twitter and Facebook have seen a rapid rise in popularity since the last elections, with now over a quarter of Kenyans online. In 20078, it was radio stations that encouraged rival supporters to go out and attack other groups, broadcasting the location of where groups were, while mobile phone text messages were also used to whip up emotions. One former radio presenter, Joshua Sang, faces trial in April for crimes

cease immediately,” said Lwanga.

Violence following the last elections shattered Kenya’s image as a beacon of stability in east Africa, with what began as political riots quickly turning into ethnic killing. The violence was the worst in Kenya since independence in 1963, and Lwanga is under no illusion as to the magnitude of the work before her. “This cannot be done by us alone,” she says. “It is something all Kenyans should take up.”

All Kenyans must take part However, opinion remains divided over the commission’s performance, with opponents arguing the body has been a waste of public finances. “What tangible thing has it done for Kenyans?” former political detainee and civil rights

television, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Drian said France now has 2,000 troops in Mali and “could go beyond” the 2,500 troops initially announced for Mali. Neighboring countries are expected to contribute

edged it could be weeks before neighbors are able to do so. Laurent Fabius spoke at a closely-watched summit in Ivory Coast focusing on ways that African forces can better help Mali as France’s military inter-

BAMAKO: French foreign legionnaires get ready in Niono, some 400 kilometers (249 miles) north of the capital Bamako yesterday. —AP retake northern Mali for months, but it was not until the French began their offensive Jan 11 that the Islamists faced a military threat to their grip on power. The Islamists took Diabaly several days later - 270 miles (430 kilometers) away from the capital - as part of an alarming descent into central Mali and closer to the government seat of power in Bamako.

Speaking Saturday on French 3

around 3,000 troops to the operation. While some initial contributions from Togo, Nigeria and Benin have arrived to help the French, concerns about the mission have delayed other neighbors from sending their promised troops so far.

France’s foreign minister said Saturday that “our African friends need to take the lead” in the military intervention, though he acknowl-

vention there entered its second week.

“Step by step, I think it’s a question from what I heard this morning of some days, some weeks, the African troops will take over,” Fabius said in Abidjan, the commercial capital of Ivory Coast. Fabius also said that a donor summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Jan 29 “will be a key event.” —AP

Austria holds referendum on military draft

VIENNA: Opinion polls indicate that Austrians decided yesterday in a referendum to remain one of the very few countries in Europe with compulsory military service.

But with turnout expected to be low, the outcome is uncertain and months of lively debate have divided not only voters but also the coalition government ahead of elections due in September. This will be modern Austria’s first ever nationwide referendum, and although not binding, the government has vowed to respect the result.

With the end of the Cold War two decades ago removing the need for large armies, many countries in Europe have done away with the draft, including France

Kenya tackles hate speech ahead of polls NAIROBI: With elections weeks away, Kenya is tackling the hate speech that fanned ethnic violence that followed presidential polls five years ago in which more than 1,100 people were killed. Set up in 2008 after the contested polls, Kenya’s National Cohesion and Integration Commission tries to identify those guilty of hate speech in the run up to the next elections on March 4. “If you are guilty of hate speech, we will get you,” Milly Lwanga, who heads a team monitoring hate speech at the commission, told AFP. At the commission’s ultra-modern premises in Nairobi, a group of five men are monitoring social media sites, search-

ern Mali nine months ago, taking advantage of a power vacuum after a military coup in the distant capital of Bamako.

West African regional neighbors talked of a military intervention to

activist Timothy Njoya told AFP, calling it a waste of taxpayers’ money. “It is a toothless commission. It doesn’t even have a bark, let alone a bite...There has been no conviction, not even anything close to a conviction,” he added.

To date, the commission has investigated more than 100 hate speech cases, some involving the very top of Kenyan society. However, fewer than ten of those cases went to court, and none of the accused were found guilty. One hate speech and incitement case against a prominent politician was dropped simply because he made a public apology, but officials say they are also working to unify previously rival peoples.

“Our mandate is not just to condemn, we are also charged with promoting cohesion among communities,” Lwanga argued. “Of what value would a hefty jail sentence have been if the hateful sentiments he uttered had been left to fester among his followers?” But the commission is not the only body monitoring what is being said. Technology entrepreneur Kagonya Awori is in charge of a project called Umati-meaning “crowd” in Swahili-that uses a key words filter to monitor hate speech online.

“I was surprised to learn that people like me-young, urban, upwardly mobileare some of the worst hate speech offenders,” she said, dressed in a green Tshirt and stretch jeans. “We needed to see the kind of conversations going on online. The use of Internet in Kenya has risen ...and this means if the same hate messages go around, their reach will be much wider than it was in 2007 - meaning potentially worse violence,” said Awori. However, despite the initiatives monitoring hate speech, sceptics remain.

“Human nature dictates that if a trait is not punished by those in authority, it becomes entrenched,” said Njoya. “We will continue to clap for politicians abusing the imaginary enemies of our tribes.”Others argue that the change must come from the Kenyan people.

“Kenya’s national sport is politics.

Strangely, decency and common sense are thrown out of the window as soon as the main players get on the pitch,” civil society leader Tom Mboya told AFP.”Ultimately, the task of changing our ethnic politics lies with us, the voters. No commission or court will change our voting patterns.” —AFP

in 1996 and Germany in 2011. In Austria though, some fear that moving to a professional military will push the country to join NATO, endangering the Alpine nation’s cherished neutrality. Interior Minister Johanna MiklLeitner said on Saturday that the current system “fits Austria like a glove and is the best guarantee for all future challenges.”

At present around 22,000 men over 18 are drafted into six months of military service every year in eightmillion-strong European Union member Austria.

Supporters of the status quo say that if conscription goes, it will be tough to attract enough volunteers to keep the size of the army at 55,000 troops. They also say

creating a professional army will be expensive, just as the eurozone member is trying to cut spending. But the defence minister, Norbert Darabos of the Social Democrats, says that the draft is outdated in an era of “counter-terrorism, cybercrime... (and) failed states”.

The army’s chief of staff, General Edmund Entacher, has warned however that a professional army would lead “irreversibly to a drop in quality, numbers and ability”. Already Austria spends just two billion euros ($2.7 billion) per year on its military, or 0.6 percent of gross domestic product, one of the lowest in the EU. Generals have already had to cope with swingeing cuts, forcing them to sell or scrap for example two thirds of the army’s tanks. —AFP

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

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

India’s old leaders try to woo youth before polls JAIPUR: Scalded by spontaneous antirape and corruption protests near the seat of government in New Delhi, India’s ageing leaders are scrambling to win over an angry and influential young urban population ahead of elections due to be held by early next year. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 80, and Sonia Gandhi, the 66-year-old leader of the ruling Congress party, grappled with terms like “flash mob” and “Twitter” at a brainstorming meeting this weekend that focused on the new generation and growing social media. About two thirds of India’s 1.2 billion people are under 35 and the population is shifting to cities, eroding political parties’ traditional dependence on the rural poor.

Looking weary after nine years in coalition government, the Congress leadership is widely seen as aloof and out of touch.

The meeting, the first of its kind in a decade, was the party’s attempt to adapt to fast-changing demographics as it pre-

pares to contest for a third consecutive term. Gandhi’s son, Rahul, 42, was anointed party vice-president at the meeting. As the scion of a dynasty stretching back to India’s independence from Britain in 1947, the party wants him to be prime minister if it wins the elections.

His mother, who in the past has promoted welfare programmes for the rural poor, gave a speech that placed uncharacteristic emphasis on urban job creation for the young middle class in one of the world’s fastest growing major economies.

“We have to recognise the new changing India, an India increasingly peopled by a younger, more aspirational, more demanding and better educated generation,” Gandhi told party leaders.

“We cannot allow our growing educated and middle classes to be disillusioned and alienated from the political process.”

Singh’s government is already seeking to win over the middle class with reforms aimed at boosting economic growth,

such as subsidy cuts that have been backed by Gandhi, despite initial misgivings they would hurt the poor.

“Sops won’t work” Political analyst Amulya Ganguly said it was good the party had “suddenly discovered” the youth and urban middle class, but said more economic reform was needed, as was a clean-up of the police and bureaucracy, widely seen as corrupt.

“Sops will not work in modern India. The government has to create an environment for employment which will come through economic reforms,” Ganguly said.

Rahul Gandhi, often criticized for his low public profile, has so far given few clues to his own policies. But he will likely have to contend with Narendra Modi, an opposition leader whose reputation for clean governance and economic growth along with a slick modern media strategy have won admiration.

Modi, chief minister of Gujarat state for

the Bharatiya Janata Party, is perhaps the politician who has best tapped into this trend, but his association with religious riots a decade ago make him unpalatable to many. High economic growth helped the Congress party do well in urban areas and win a second term in the last general election. But a scandal-plagued four years of wobbly economic performance may have cost much of that support. The delegates came armed with ideas on how the party should embrace social media, which the government has at times tried to contain.

“It is being debated whether social media, flash mobs, new ways of organisation, migration and employment and how things are happening are to be looked in a different light now,” said Jitin Prasada, a junior minister close to Rahul Gandhi.

Angry, issue-led protests are on the rise in India, organised by tech-savvy citizens, not by political parties, and amplified by social media. A 23-year-old physiotherapy student died last month two weeks after

being raped on a moving bus in New Delhi, then thrown bleeding onto the street. Nationwide protests followed.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram fretted about the phenomena of flash mobs gatherings rapidly organised using social media. “Sometimes they gather to dance and sing, but sometimes they can gather to protest also,” Chidambaram said. “I don’t think we are fully prepared to deal with it.”

In 2011, the government was slow and heavy handed in its response to an anticorruption movement led by activists Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal that drew hundreds of thousands of protesters on to the Delhi streets and was seen as a political awakening for the urban middle class. “The party can no longer ignore street protests, that’s the realisation,” a senior leader of the Congress Seva Dal, a grassroots organisation of the party, said.

“Why were Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal able to mobilise the middle class?

We need to think.” —Reuters

Indian media hails Gandhi’s promotion Rahul Gandhi condemns elitism NEW DELHI: Indian newspapers yesterday trumpeted the elevation of Rahul Gandhi to second-incommand of the ruling Congress party and predicted a showdown for the position of prime minister with opposition rival Narendra Modi in 2014 polls. “Party finally crowns prince,” headlined the English-language tabloid Mail Today over a fullpage spread that featured a smiling picture of the 42-year-old.

down between Gandhi and Modi, a hardline leader of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who is widely expected to run for prime minister in 2014. “As number two in the Congress, he has been, for all practical purposes, pitched as the prime minister candidate of the party... thus setting the stage for a showdown with the Gujarat strongman,” it said referring to Modi.

The BJP-which is the main oppo-

bilities that awaited.

Rahul Gandhi, the heir to India’s Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, said yesterday he would work to transform the country by decentralizing power after he was elevated to the governing Congress party’s No. 2 post. His career embodies Congress’ reliance on the Gandhi family name, but the man widely expected to be the party’s candidate for prime minister in next year’s elections yester-

JAIPUR: India’s Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi (left) talks to his mother and party president Sonia Gandhi at the party’s meeting yesterday. —AP The son, grandson and greatgrandson of Indian prime ministers is now second in the party’s hierarchy after his mother, party president Sonia Gandhi, who led the party to back-to-back victories in the 2004 and 2009 polls. The move indicated that the Congress party was “not averse to pitting him against Narendra Modi and fielding him as its prime ministerial candidate,” the Mail said.

“The party, it is evident, now feels that it will be in an advantageous position... in case of such a battle.”

Gandhi was on Saturday formally named as the vice-president of the party, propelling his long-anticipated accession to power and paving the way for him to lead the party in general elections next year.

The Times of India said the stage had been set for a possible show-

sition party in parliament-is yet to name a candidate to take on the Congress-led alliance but clamour is growing for Modi to be pitched for prime ministership after he won key state polls last year. The Hindustan Times said the Congress had stopped short of naming Gandhi as the candidate for the country’s top job “perhaps out of consideration for its sitting octogenarian PM Manmohan Singh”.

In a front-page report headlined “Congress sends 2014 signal by elevating Rahul to number 2”, the daily also said the move to elevate Gandhi was in line with Congress’s shift of focus to the youth and the middle class. In the Hindi-language media, the daily Navbharat Times headline read “Rahul vs Modi?” while the Dainik Jagran talked about the new roles and responsi-

day condemned elitism as “the tragedy of India” and vowed to work to expand access to power for ordinary people.

“For me, the Congress party is my life. The people of India are my life and I will fight for them,” Gandhi, a 42-year-old lawmaker, said in his acceptance speech yesterday in the western Indian city of Jaipur, a day after he was appointed the party vice president, a position behind his mother Sonia Gandhi, who is the Congress party president. Reflecting on his eight years while working for the party organization, Rahul Ganhi said India’s governmental system was struck in the past and the answer lay in completely transforming it.

“A handful of people control the entire political space” he said to cheering party workers. “It doesn’t

matter how much wisdom you have.

If you don’t have position, you have nothing. That’s the tragedy of India,” he said. Rahul Gandhi also said many Indian youths are angry because they have been excluded from the political class. “We only empower people at the top of the system. We don’t believe in empowering all the way to the bottom,” he said.

He said change could be possible only if those in power started respecting and empowering people for their knowledge and skills. “All the public systems - administration, justice, education and political - are designed to keep people with knowledge out,” he said. Such a system promotes mediocrity, he added.

However, opposition parties are already seizing on the fast political rise of Rahul Gandhi - the son, grandson and great-grandson of Indian prime ministers - to brand Congress as nepotistic and elitist.

Arun Jaitley, a leader of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, said Rahul Gandhi’s elevation in the Congress party was a move to convert the world’s largest democracy into a dynastic one. Jaitley said the leader of his party was decided on the basis of ability, not lineage.

In 2004, Manmohan Singh, a technocrat, was chosen to fill the prime minister’s seat in 2004 by Sonia Gandhi, the Congress leader and widow of assassinated Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Singh has been widely seen as a regent, keeping the seat warm until Rahul Gandhi was ready to take what some see as his birthright. But Gandhi has displayed little public sign that he is undergoing any sort of apprenticeship that would prepare him for running the country.

He has never held a Cabinet-level position.

Party workers have been demanding Rahul Gandhi’s elevation for years, but he had been shying away from holding a top position in the party. His supporters argued he was rebuilding the party at the grassroots level and has taken a lead in the Congress’ campaigns in state elections in Uttar Pradesh and in Bihar in recent years. The party performed poorly in both states’ elections last year. Rahul Gandhi entered politics in 2004 and became a lawmaker from Amethi seat in northern Uttar Pradesh state. The parliamentary seat was held by his mother until she shifted to a neighboring constituency. —Agencies

KARACHI: This photograph shows Nazeran, the sister in-law of Pakistani fisherman Nawaz who died in an Indian jail, reacting while posing with photographs of him in Rerhy in the outskirts of Karachi. —AFP

Forgotten victims of ‘Kashmir of the seas’ RERHY: The killings of Indian and Pakistani troops in Kashmir have once again captured the world’s attention but the victims of a lesser-known border dispute between the two nations are largely forgotten. In a flyblown wooden hut in the Pakistani coastal village of Rerhy, at the edge of the vast metropolis of Karachi, Hamida mourns her husband Nawaz, once a fisherman like those preparing their multicoloured boats on the nearby shore. Nawaz went to sea in 1999, two days before a violent storm struck. His family thought he was dead but seven years later they received a letter saying he was alive-in an Indian prison.

Then last autumn Hamida suffered a shuddering blow: without any warning, her husband’s body was delivered to the village.

The disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir has been the cause of two of the three wars between India and Pakistan since independence from Britain in 1947 and clashes between troops in the region regularly make headlines. Five soldiers, three Pakistani and two Indian, have been killed in cross-border firing since January 6, threatening the two nuclear-armed countries’ fragile efforts towards lasting peace.

But the dispute over Sir Creek, a 100-kilometre (60-mile) strip of water in marshland dividing the Indian province of Gujarat from the Pakistani province of Sindh, is less wellknown. The creek opens out into the Arabian Sea and is noted for its rich stocks of fish, but fishermen who brave the area are regularly locked up for illegally entering the neighbouring country. Ganesh Kumar was detained by Pakistan in October in an Indian boat. “There were seven of us in the boat and I didn’t know where I was. The man who owned the boat should have known,” the 19year-old told AFP in Karachi’s Malir jail.

There are more than 200 Indian fishermen in custody in Malir, according to prison governor Nazir Hussain Shah. In India, 125 Pakistani fishermen are imprisoned, according to Manish Lodhari, secretary of India’s National Fishworkers’ Forum. Syed Sarim

Burney, a lawyer who defends some of the Indians in Pakistan, said the fishermen are at the mercy of the authorities. “They are thrown in jail for years without committing any crime,” he said.

“There is no visible sea demarcation between the two countries so the navy of each country can arrest the people of the neighbouring country whenever they want.”

The men fish using simple boats with little in the way of modern navigational technology such as GPS to help them pinpoint their location, Burney explained. Delhi and Islamabad have been seeking to improve ties in recent years and fishermen were freed several times last year as “goodwill gestures”, though in October Pakistan seized 33 Indians less than a month after freeing 48.

A joint committee was set up in 2007 to try and speed up the release of fishermen.

Once freed, they return home overland under escort-without their boats. Depleting fish stocks as a result of environmental changes brought about by industrial pollution and the building of dams across the Indus, the great waterway that runs almost the entire length of Pakistan into the Arabian Sea, may also be playing a role in the territorial dispute.

The river’s mangroves, an important ecosystem where fish and shellfish can feed and reproduce, have reduced in area from 300,000 hectares to 70,000 in 30 years, according to Mohammad Ali Shah of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum. As a result, Pakistani fishermen have spread further east, closer to India and disputed waters where they say stocks are more plentiful.

Hasan Dabla has been fishing in the Arabian Sea for most of his 80 years. He spent 18 months in an Indian prison in the 1990s, but recalls the simpler days of his youth. “When I was a boy I went fishing with my father and there was no danger. After partition there was a wall created among people,” he said. Until India and Pakistan reach a settlement, Dabla’s happy memories look likely to remain just that: memories. —AFP

Sex major reason US army commanders are fired WASHINGTON: Brig Gen Jeffrey Sinclair, fired from his command in Afghanistan last May and now facing a court-martial on charges of sodomy, adultery and pornography and more, is just one in a long line of commanders whose careers were ended because of possible sexual misconduct. Sex has proved to be the downfall of presidents, members of US Congress and other notables.

It’s also among the chief reasons that senior military officers are fired.

At least 30 percent of military commanders fired over the past eight years lost their jobs because of sexually related offenses, including harassment, adultery, and improper relationships, according to statistics compiled

by The Associated Press. The figures bear out growing concerns by Defense Department and military leaders over declining ethical values among US forces, and they highlight the pervasiveness of a problem that came into sharp relief because of the resignation of one of the Army’s most esteemed generals, David Petraeus, and the investigation of a second general, John Allen, the top US commander in Afghanistan.

The statistics from all four military services show that adulterous affairs are more than a four-star foible. From sexual assault and harassment to pornography, drugs and drinking, ethical lapses are an escalating problem for the military’s leaders. With all those offenses taken together, more than 4 in every 10 commanders at the

rank of lieutenant colonel or above who were fired fell as a result of behavioral stumbles since 2005.

The recent series of highly publicized cases led to a review of ethics training across the military. It also prompted Army Gen Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to conclude that while training is adequate, it may need to start earlier in service members’ careers and be reinforced more frequently. Still, officials struggle to explain why the problem has grown and they acknowledge that solving it is difficult and will take time.

“I think we’re on the path. I think the last two defense secretaries have made this a very high priority and have very much held people accountable. But we’ve got a ways to go,” said Michele Flournoy, a former undersecretary of defense under President Barack Obama. She said the military must enforce a “zero tolerance” policy and work to change the culture so service members are held accountable and made to understand that their careers will be over if they commit or tolerate such offenses.

“The policy is in place,” she said. “I don’t know that it’s as evenly and fully enforced as intended.”For top officers, the numbers are startling. Eighteen generals and admirals, from one star to four stars, were fired in recent years, and 10 of them lost their jobs because of sex-related offenses; two others were done in by alcohol-related problems. The figures show that 255 commanders were fired since 2005, and that 78 of them were felled by sex-

related offenses. A breakdown: 32 in the Army, 25 in the Navy, 11 in the Marine Corps and 10 in the Air Force.

Alcohol and drug-related problems cost the jobs of 27 commanders - 11 in the Navy, eight in the Army, five in the Marine Corp(s and three in the Air Force. “It’s troublesome,” said Rear Adm John Kirby, the Navy’s top spokesman. “Navy leadership is taking a look at why personal conduct seems to be a growing reason for why commanding officers are losing their commands. We’re trying to get to the root causes. We don’t really fully understand it.”

He and other military leaders agree that poor leadership, bad judgment, and ethical lapses, rather than operational failures, are growing factors in the firings. But Kirby said it’s not clear whether that has anything to do with the strains of the past 10 years at war or simply reflects deteriorating morals among the general population. US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ordered the ethics review in November. He said that “when lapses occur, they have the potential to erode public confidence in our leadership and in our system for the enforcement of our high ethical standards. Worse, they can be detrimental to the execution of our mission to defend the American people.”

Anu Bhagwati, executive director of the Service Women’s Action Network, said there is more focus on this issue now than ever in the past, but that there really

is no sufficient deterrent in place. She said a major problem is that military commanders are responsible for deciding what cases should move forward. She said military lawyers, who are trained and have a greater appearance of impartiality, should make such an important legal decision. The statistics gathered and analyzed by the AP represent a very conservative estimate of the problem. While the Army, Navy and Marine Corps provided details for all military commanders who were lieutenant colonels or commanders and above for 2005 until now, Air Force officials said they could only provide data for colonels and above from 2008 until today.

Also, the figures reflect only officers who were in command positions. The numbers don’t include what could be hundreds of officers fired from other jobs, such as administrative or other military posts. Military officials said they only collect data on officers in command who are fired. The reasons for the firings are also murky. In some cases, no reason was listed; in other cases, it was vague - such as “ethics” or “leadership” or for fostering a bad command climate. There also are varying degrees of publicity when such action is taken. In Sinclair’s case, the charges and impending court martial have received extensive coverage. The five pages of allegations, which involve his conduct with five women who were not his wife, include one count of forcible sodomy, two counts of wrongful sexual conduct, six counts of inappropriate

sexual relationships, and eight counts of violating regulations. He could receive life in prison if convicted. But in many other cases, particularly of those below the rank of general, there is little public notice if the senior officer is in the Army or Air Force. The Navy, however, issues a public statement every time a commander is removed from a job. The figures also highlight the Navy’s reputation for being quick to justice. Although it is the second smallest of the four military services, the Navy has relieved the most commanders, 99, over the past eight years. By comparison, it was 83 for the Army, 41 for the Marines and 32 for the Air Force.

Dismissing a commander from a job does not mean that officer is forced out of the military. In some of the more serious cases, officers may be discharged or forced to resign. But in many other cases, service members may go on to another job for some time. Still, a dismissal often signals the end of an officer’s career, and with no chance for promotion, officers will often retire or leave the service. The Army is the largest of the military services, reaching a peak of about 570,000 active duty soldiers at the height of the Iraq war. It is supposed to cut 80,000 troops by 2017. The Marine Corps is the smallest service, with about 202,000 at its peak during the wars and is set to slim down to about 182,000. The Navy has about 322,000 active duty forces and the Air Force has about 328,000. —AP

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

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

Japan talk of warning shots fuels China row China ‘strongly dissatisfied’ with US island remarks

KACHIN: An injured rebel Kachin Independence Army (KIA) 3rd Brigade soldier gets an injection from a medic on Hka Ya mountain in Kachin province yesterday. — AFP

Army ignoring president’s ceasefire: Myanmar rebels YANGON: Myanmar’s president said yesterday he wanted peace talks with all ethnic rebel groups in the country, but government troops again attacked rebel positions in Kachin State in the northeast despite his order to cease fire, rebels and a local source said. President Thein Sein had issued the ceasefire order on Friday to troops in the La Ja Yang area of Kachin State near the border with China, where fighting has been fiercest.

It was due to take effect on Saturday morning, but Colonel James Lum Dau, Thai-based spokesman for the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), told Reuters the army had continued to attack over the weekend, both in La Ja Yang and elsewhere in the state. Thein Sein denied that the army, known as the Tamadaw, aimed to capture Laiza, where the KIA and its political arm, the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), have their headquarters. “Now the Tamadaw members are an arm’s length from the KIA/KIO headquarters in Laiza but I have ordered them not to occupy Laiza,” he said at a meeting with non-governmental groups in Yangon, the commercial capital. “In order to gain sustainable peace all over the country, there is no other way but to hold talks at the negotiating table as soon as possible,” he added. A 17-year ceasefire with the KIA broke down in June 2011 and fighting has been particularly intense in recent weeks.

Twenty months of fighting has displaced tens of thousands of people and, for some analysts, raised doubts about the sincerity of all the political and economic reforms pursued by Thein Sein in Myanmar, also known as Burma. On Saturday, addressing a development forum attended by donor countries and international aid organisations, Thein Sein had invited the Kachin rebels to a “political dialogue” with

the government and ethnic rebel groups from other states. No date was given. Ten other major rebel groups have already agreed ceasefires.

The KIA’s Lum Dau said an offensive in La Ja Yang from about 8 am yesterday morning (0130 GMT ) had involved artillery and infantry. A local source in Kachin, who did not want to be identified, confirmed the army attacks yesterday, including one on a rebel position about five miles (eight km) from Laiza. Fighter jets had flown over the area but had not attacked, the source said.

New York-based Human Rights Watch last week accused the army of indiscriminately shelling Laiza.Loud explosions were also heard by residents of the town of Mai Ja Yang who felt the vibrations, the source said.

More goodwill needed Lum Dau said the KIA had sent the president a reply saying it would not attend talks until there was more evidence of goodwill on the government side, involving a ceasefire in the whole state, or at least a big reduction in fighting. “We already agreed to a ceasefire in 1994 and look at where we are now ... We didn’t break any agreement,” he said, expressing KIA mistrust of central government that has persisted even after Thein Sein took office in 2011 at the head of a quasi-civilian government after half a century of military rule.

The KIO said in a statement that “the government should reduce offensive operations all over Kachin State instead of suspending operations in La Ja Yang region”.

Further clarification of its demands was not immediately available. Lum Dau said the government was simply buying time and would use any ceasefire to prepare another assault on rebel positions. — Reuters

Foreigners can now take own phones to N Korea BEIJING: Foreigners visiting North Korea can now take their own mobile phones into the country, Chinese state media reported yesterday, citing an employee with the operator of the countr y ’s mobile network. A technician with Koryolink, the North Korean-Egyptian joint venture that operates the 3G phone network, told China’s official Xinhua news agency that the move took effect on January 7.

“We have tried hard to negotiate with the Korean security side, and got the approval recently,” the technician, identified as an Egyptian, said, adding: “It has nothing to do with the Google trip.”

Earlier this month, Google chairman Eric Schmidt made a high profile visit to North Korea and said in Beijing after the trip he told officials in the North that the country would not develop unless it embraced Internet freedom.

“Once the Internet starts, citizens in a country can certainly build on top of it,” Schmidt said. “The government has to do something. It has to make it possible for people to use the Internet which the government in North Korea has not yet done.” Highly secretive North Korea has a domestic Intranet service with a limited number of users. Analysts say access to the Internet is for the country’s superelite only, meaning a few hundred people or maybe 1,000 at most. The Egyptian technician said foreigners need to fill out a form to provide their phone’s

IMEI-International Mobile Station Equipment Identity-number with North Korea’s customs agency to bring in their personal device. Previously, foreigners were required to leave their phones with customs and pick them up when leaving the country, the report said.

The technician also told Xinhua that foreigners using a phone based on the WCDMA 3G mobile standard can buy a SIM card in North Korea from Koryolink for 50 euros ($67) and make international calls. Mobile Internet service will also be available soon for foreigners in North Korea, Xinhua said.

“It is not a technical problem, we just wait for” North Korean approval, the Koryolink employee said. North Korea’s 3G mobile network has 1.8 million users, Xinhua said, though beyond voice calls their options are limited to text messages and video calls. Their phones can’t make international calls or connect to the Internet, while North Koreans and foreigners can’t call each other because of different settings on their SIM cards, Xinhua said.

Google’s Schmidt accompanied Bill Richardson, the former US ambassador to the United Nations, on the trip, which also involved talks with North Korea about an American citizen detained in the country. Efforts to “strongly urge” North Korea to increase the use of the Internet were “the main success of the visit”, Richardson said in Beijing. — AFP

PYONGYANG: This photo shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (center) at the Taesongsan General Hospital being built by the People’s Army in Pyongyang. The US and China have made a deal under which the UN Security Council will expand existing sanctions against North Korea for staging a ballistic missile test, envoys said yesterday. — AFP

TOKYO: Japan says it may fire warning shots and take other measures to keep foreign aircraft from violating its airspace in the latest verbal blast between Tokyo and Beijing that raises concerns that a dispute over hotly contested islands could spin out of control. Japanese officials made the comments after Chinese fighters tailed its warplanes near the islands recently. The incident is believed to be the first scrambling of Chinese fighters since the tensions began to rise last spring.

According to Chinese media, a pair of J-10 fighters was scrambled after Japanese F-15s began tailing a Chinese surveillance plane near the disputed islands in the East China Sea. China has complained the surveillance flight did not violate Japanese airspace and the F-15s were harassing it.

It was the first time the Chinese media has reported fighters being mobilized to respond to Japanese air force activity in the area and comes amid what Japan says is a rapid intensification of Chinese air force activity around the islands, where Japanese and Chinese coast guard ships have squared off for months. Though there have been no outright clashes, the increased sea and air operations have fueled worries that the situation could spin out of control.

Such concerns have grown over official comments suggesting new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Cabinet are considering the use of “tracer” fire as a means of responding to airspace incursions. Tracer rounds are designed to burn brightly to get the attention of a pilot who may have missed other warnings due to a radio malfunction, while also indicating that the aircraft firing them is prepared to take further action. “Every country has procedures for how to deal with a violation of its territory that continues after multiple cautionary measures,” Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Wednesday when asked if tracer shots would be fired against intruding aircraft that refuse to change course. “We have response measures ready that are consistent with global standards.”

Onodera said the use of warning shots has long been provided for under Japan’s defense policies and is widely accepted under international rules of engagement. Japan’s air force has not actually resorted to them since 1987 against a Soviet aircraft - and none were fired last week.

But Chinese and Japanese media have suggested Tokyo is publicly floating the possibility to test China’s reaction. The escalation of tensions has worried the United States, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton saying Friday that while the US doesn’t take a position on who has sovereignty over the islands, it opposes “any unilateral actions that would seek to undermine Japanese administration.”

That brought a sharp retort from the Chinese Foreign Ministry yesterday. The comments “ignore the facts” that the islands are China’s inherent territory, spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement that urged the US to adopt “a responsible attitude.” In Beijing last week, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said China is on “high alert” and suggested Japan is escalating the tensions over the islands, called the Diaoyu in China and the Senkaku in Japan. Taiwan also claims the small isles, which are uninhabited but may be surrounded by valuable underwater natural resources. “Chinese planes and ships are exercis-

ing normal jurisdiction in the waters and airspace surrounding the Diaoyu Islands,” spokesman Hong Lei said. “We are opposed to the operations of Japan’s planes and ships, which violate our rights around Diaoyu. We are on high alert against this escalation.” As is often the case, Chinese media quoted military academics with a much more fiery response.

“Japan’s desire to fire tracer warning shots as a way of frightening the Chinese is nothing but a joke that shows the stupidity, cruelty and failure to understand their own limitations,” Maj Gen Peng Guangqian of the Chinese Academy of Military Sciences was quoted as saying by the China News Service and other state media.

“Firing tracer bullets is a type of provocation; it’s

recent weeks both Beijing and Tokyo have scrambled fighter jets, though there have been no clashes.

“We urge the US side to treat the issue of the Diaoyu islands with a responsible attitude,” Qin said, referring to the territory by its Chinese name. Japan calls the islands the Senkakus. He also called for Washington to be “careful in words, cautious in actions” and to take “realistic actions to protect the peace and stability of the region and Chinese-US relations”.

Qin’s statement came after Clinton on Friday said the US opposed “any unilateral actions that would seek to undermine Japanese administration” of the islands. Clinton, speaking at a press conference with Japanese Foreign Minister

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (third from left) watches as Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera (second from right) receives a flag from Maj Fumihiro Kayanuma (right) who led Japan’s Self-Defense Forces involved in UN peacekeeping operations during a flag returning ceremony at the Defense Ministry yesterday. — AP firing the first shot,” he said. “Were Japan to dare to fire tracers, which is to say fire the first shot, then China wouldn’t stint on responding and not allow them to fire the second shot.” Peng said Japan may have put out the report to generate discussion and gauge China’s response.

Meanwhile, China said it was “strongly dissatisfied” yesterday after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a veiled warning to Beijing not to challenge Tokyo’s control of disputed islands at the centre of a bitter territorial row.

China is “strongly dissatisfied with and resolutely opposes” the remarks, Foreign Ministr y spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement on the ministry’s website.

The maritime dispute, which has simmered off and on for years, intensified last year when the Japanese government nationalised islands in the small chain it did not already own, triggering angry responses in China. China has since increased maritime and air patrols near the East China Sea territory, and in further escalations in

Fumio Kishida in Washington, did not mention Beijing directly but said she wanted China and Japan to settle the issue peacefully.

“We do not want to see any action taken by anyone that could raise tensions or result in miscalculation that would undermine the peace, security and economic growth in this region,” she said. The US insists it is neutral on the ultimate sovereignty of the islands but also says they are under Japan’s de facto administration.

China has persistently criticised the US position and Beijing’s sending of maritime surveillance ships to the potentially gas-rich area is seen by experts as a way to contest the notion of Japanese control. Complicating the issue is a security treaty that obliges the US-which keeps military bases in Japan-to aid the country in the event it is attacked. Another factor that has raised tensions is the coming to power last month of hawkish Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose party won a landslide victory in elections. — Agencies

Australian outlaw buried in cement MELBOURNE: Australian outlaw Ned Kelly was finally laid to rest in a rural cemetery beside his mother yesterday, with his grave unmarked and sealed beneath layers of concrete to guard against souvenir-taking. A small group of Kelly family descendants escorted the bushranger’s remains to the Greta cemetery where he was buried in a deep and reportedly concrete-sealed pit beside his mother, Ellen.

Kelly’s last wish when he was hanged at the Old Melbourne Gaol 132 years ago was to be buried in consecrated ground in the family plot at Greta, not far from the town of Glenrowan where he had his final shootout with police. But after his execution his remains were thrown into a pit and it wasn’t until 2011 that DNA testing confirmed the bones-except his skull which remains missing-were his.

“We’ve brought him home, back to his family and back to the area that he loved, we’ve given him his final wish, so that makes us quite happy,” said Joanne Griffiths, great-granddaughter of Kelly’s sister Kate.

“We’ve made a real effort to ensure that he’s going to be safe and he’s surrounded by family and friends, which is the way he would’ve wanted it.”

Kelly’s burial brings an end to a chapter in the story of one of Australia’s most famous and enduring legends, with his tale of defiance against land barons and corrupt policemen dividing the nation even today.

Some see him as a callous killer and criminal while others celebrate him as a folk hero and symbol of Irish-Australian rebellion against British colonial authorities. His exploits have been the subject of art, film and literature.

Hundreds gathered to bid farewell to him at a church service Friday ahead of his burial, but Griffiths said the family had also endured decades of judgment for his deeds. “Regardless of what people might think now... this is not the day for judgment this is just the day for burying a family member,” she said. Developers of the prison site where his bones were found wanted to keep the famous skeleton for a public memorial or display but the Victoria state government forced them to return it to the family for proper burial. Kelly was the only one of his gang to survive the shootout at Glenrowan due to his iconic homemade suit and helmet of plate metal armour. Three policemen were killed. “ This man Ned Kelly has a certain immortality. Not just in our hearts, but in the hearts of Australia,” Monsignor John White told those gathered for yesterday’s burial. — AFP

BEIJING: Elderly Chinese dancers continue with their weekend outdoor meeting at Ritan Park despite the heavy snowfall that affected Beijing yesterday. China is suffering its coldest winter for 28 years, the news agency quoted China’s Meteorological Administration as saying. — AFP

Solo sailor rescued in Southern Ocean SYDNEY: A French lone sailor adrift for days in a life raft on huge Southern Ocean swells after his yacht sank was recovered yestreday by the crew of an Antarctic cruise ship that had raced to his rescue. Alain Delord was attempting to sail solo and without assistance around the world when his yacht, Tchouk Tchouk Nougat, was damaged in rough weather off southern Australia’s Tasmania island on Friday. The Frenchman was forced to abandon ship and had been adrift in a life raft on the Southern Ocean since then.

An Antarctic cruise ship carrying 100 passengers was diverted about 1,800 kilometres (1,125 miles) to his assistance. It battled worsening weather to reach him before sunset, amid fears he would have to spend a third night at sea. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said the Orion managed to find Delord and pluck him to safety, in an alert issued just after 9:30 pm local time (1030 GMT). “I’m very pleased to confirm the solo sailor, who had been in a life raft in the Southern Ocean for the past three days, has been recovered by the cruise ship Orion and AMSA believes he is being taken to Hobart,” a spokeswoman said. There were “scant” early details of the rescue but AMSA said Delord

had been recovered “safely and without injury”. “He is currently receiving medical attention and early indications are that he is healthy,” the authority said. “Weather conditions were better than expected and there was plenty of light in the area.” A Fairfax newspaper reporter on board the Orion said Delord had been recovered by a Zodiac inflatable dinghy. He looked “awake and relatively well” as he boarded the ship by a side door to cheers and whistles from those on board. “He is very tired and being attended to by the ship’s doctor,” said Ian Vella, manager of the ship’s hotel. “He is very hungry, so he is going to have something for his dinner.”

Orion tour leader Don McIntyre said it had been an incredibly quick operation. “(The Zodiac crew) rocketed across the water, grabbed Alain and brought him onto the Zodiac,” McIntyre told Fairfax. “They then rocketed back to us, we brought him up and it was over that quick. “It pretty much all worked to plan, and we are very excited to have him on board now. It’s a great feeling.”

The crew expected strong winds and waves of between three and seven metres (10-23 feet), and were preparing to approach the raft directly and winch Delord up if they were unable to launch the Zodiac. — AFP

NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Obama sworn in for second term

Jihadist claims siege for Qaeda

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

Obama’s second inauguration, which comes courtesy of an election win over Republican Mitt Romney in November, lacks the historical resonance of Jan 20, 2009, when he was sworn in as the first black American president. Since then, a graying Obama has struggled to accelerate a weak economic recovery, failed to meet hugely elevated expectations for his presidency and waged a political war of attrition with Republicans. He begins anew with several fierce budget battles looming in Congress, and his “Yes We Can” rhetoric soured by sarcasm over the blocking tactics of Republicans in the partisan brouhaha paralyzing government in Washington.

Abroad, the US confrontation with Iran is fastheaded to a critical point with the specter of military action becoming ever more real the longer diplomacy over Tehran’s nuclear program remains stuck in neutral. And terror strikes that killed Americans in Benghazi and Algeria call into question Obama’s election year sound bite that “AlQaeda is on the run”, despite the killing of Osama

bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011. Muscle-flexing by China and rising tensions in contested waters with its neighbors, as well as North Korea’s nuclear belligerence, will meanwhile test the president’s signature pivot of US diplomacy to Asia.

Obama was taking the oath of office yesterday to comply with the US Constitution, which dictates his first term ends at noon on January 20.

Tradition states that when that date falls on a Sunday, a private swearing-in is followed on Monday by the public festivities, including the second oath taking, the address, parade and glittering inaugural balls. Obama knows that for second term presidents, power quickly wanes and political potholes await. The second term “curse” often strikes: Richard Nixon resigned, Bill Clinton was impeached, George W Bush’s image was shattered by Iraq and Hurricane Katrina and Ronald Reagan’s legacy was marred by the Iran-Contra scandal. Plouffe said however that with a full agenda, including immigration reform, gun control and speeding the economic recovery, Obama would hardly be shuffling around the White House looking for things to do. — AFP

“We in Al-Qaeda announce this blessed operation,” Mokhtar Belmokhtar said in a video, according to the Sahara Media website, which quoted from the recording but did not immediately show it. “We are ready to negotiate with the West and the Algerian government provided they stop their bombing of Mali’s Muslims,” said Belmokhtar, a one-eyed veteran guerrilla who fought in Afghanistan in 1980s and in Algeria’s civil war in the 1990s.

“Five terrorists were found still alive this morning” at the gas field, where special forces launched a final rescue bid on Saturday that left 18 people dead, including seven hostages, Ennahar TV said. But “three others are at large,” the station’s director, Anis Rahmani, told AFP. Belmokhtar’s fighters launched their attack on the In Amenas gas plant before dawn on Wednesday, just five days after French warplanes began strikes to halt advances by Islamists in neighbouring northern Mali. European and US officials say the

raid was almost certainly too elaborate to have been planned in so short a time, although the French campaign could have been one trigger for fighters to launch an assault they had already prepared. “We had around 40 jihadists, most of them from Muslim countries and some even from the West,” Sahara Media quoted Belmokhtar as saying. Algerian officials say Belmokhtar’s group was behind the attack but he was not present himself.

Some Western governments have expressed frustration at not being informed in advance of the Algerian authorities’ plans to storm the complex. However, Britain and France both defended the Algerian action in public. “It’s easy to say that this or that should have been done. The Algerian authorities took a decision and the toll is very high but I am a bit bothered ... when the impression is given that the Algerians are open to question.

They had to deal with terrorists,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a televised statement: “Of course people

will ask questions about the Algerian response to these events, but I would just say that the responsibility for these deaths lies squarely with the terrorists who launched this vicious and cowardly attack.” “We should recognise all that the Algerians have done to work with us and to help and coordinate with us. I’d like to thank them for that. We should also recognise that the Algerians too have seen lives lost among their soldiers.”

The Islamists’ assault has tested Algeria’s relations with the outside world, exposed the vulnerability of multinational oil operations in the Sahara and pushed Islamist radicalism in northern Africa to centre stage.

Algeria, scarred by the civil war with Islamist insurgents in the 1990s which claimed 200,000 lives, has insisted there would be no negotiation in the face of terrorism.

Algeria’s Interior Ministry had reported on Saturday that 23 hostages and 32 militants were killed during the assaults launched by Algerian special forces to end the crisis, with 107 foreign hostages and 685 Algerian hostages freed. — Agencies

14

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

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Issues

Madagascar rivals out of vote, but uncertainty remains

By Gaelle Borgia and Tsiresena Manjakahery itter rivals Andr y Rajoelina and Marc Ravalomanana may have opted out of Madagascar’s presidential race, clearing a key hurdle to ending a long-running political crisis, but analysts warn the pair will likely pull strings from behind the scenes. News that the arch-enemies had agreed to step aside received a global thumbs-up and raised hopes that a post-coup deadlock may be edging to its end after dogging the Indian Ocean island for four years. But a cloud of uncertainty still hovers over the elections, and analysts say that exiled ex-president Ravalomanana and Rajoelina, the man who ousted him, will remain heavy-weight political players despite being out of the race in theory.

“Rajoelina wants to be president in 2018,” and so “he must be president now, even (it is) by proxy, to prepare for 2018,” said Guy Ratrimoarivony of the Centre for Diplomacy and Strategic Studies in Madagascar. Given the power tussle between the arch-rivals, “Ravalomanana will do the same”, Ratrimoarivony said. The protagonists are looking at “proxies that they are going to push who will run in the election and they become the powers behind those proxies”, said Trevor Maisiri, senior researcher for southern Africa with the Brusselsbased International Crisis Group.

Strongman Rajoelina, who ousted Ravalomanana in 2009, said he was stepping aside to give the nation a fresh chance, but at the same time has already intimated that he would be back to “save” the country. At just 38 years old, he is unlikely to vanish from the country’s politics and could be buying time to allow the dust to settle after ruling as transitional leader since his armybacked takeover.

In the upcoming vote, he will ensure that the electoral processes favour his candidate, said Maisiri. “He will also try to ensure that Ravalomanana does not have the kind of capacity to prop up a credible proxy, that will give Rajoelina’s proxy a good run for his or her money in the next election,” he said. The expected May date for a first round of polls is also uncertain. Rajoelina is now trying to switch the election calendar, pushing for the parliamentary vote to run ahead of the presidential, a move seen as a ploy to swing back onto the political scene through the back door.

If his party wins, he could pull a Vladimir Putinstyle manoeuvre and get appointed prime minister of the coup-prone island. After serving two terms as president, Russian strongman Putin gave the reins to Dimitry Medvedev in 2008, becoming prime minister until the pair then went on to swap jobs. Madagascar’s prime minister post will be chosen by parliament under a new constitution - which is also causing uncertainty as it has yet to be recognised internationally and by some on the local political scene.

“We could have another Russian scenario. Who knows if Rajoelina is not creating... that kind of scenario where in five or 10 years he is back as president of Madagascar,” said Maisiri. Regional bloc the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which mediated in the conflict, this week appealed to the Madagascar parliament to come up with a law that would grant amnesty for Ravalomanana. Exiled in South Africa since 2009, he was convicted in absentia and sentenced to hard labour over the death of 36 protesters shot by his presidential guard.

The interior ministry has identified a surprisingly high number of contestants for the elections, with 216 parties and more than two dozen presidential candidates declared. “What we seem to pick out is that as much as Rajoelina is out of the race, and Ravalomanana is out of the race, we still feel they are going to look at proxies,” said Maisiri. — AFP

B

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

Belmokhtar preferred money to death

By Rukmini Callimachi okhtar Belmokhtar is known abroad as the man who orchestrated the abduction of scores of foreigners last week at a BP-operated plant in the remote, eastern corner of Algeria, in a raid that led to many of their deaths. In the Sahara at least up until this week he was, ironically, known as the more pragmatic and less brutal of the commanders of an increasingly successful offshoot of Al-Qaeda. The question now is has he evolved into an international terrorist every bit as violent as his rivals, or did the Algeria operation go very differently than he intended?

Belmokhtar, an Algerian in his 40s known in Pentagon circles as “MBM”, just split off from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, to start his own franchise. Over the past decade, AQIM has kidnapped dozens of foreigners, including diplomats, aid workers, field doctors and tourists. Although Belmokhtar’s hostages are forced to endure months of privation and live with the constant threat of execution, those who have dealt directly with him say his cell has never executed a captive, according to hostage negotiators, a courier sent to collect proof-of-life videos, senior diplomats and security experts interviewed for this article.

The notable exception was the 2011 kidnapping of two French nationals from a bar in the capital of Niger, both of whom were killed when the French military tried to rescue them. It’s unclear if the two died from friendly fire, or were executed by their captors in a situation that closely mirrors the chain of events in Algeria, where combat helicopters strafed the compound in an effort to liberate the hostages, killing both kidnappers and victims.

Belmokhtar prefers to trade his hostages for money, experts have said, and global intelligence unit Stratfor says he can get an estimated $3 million per European captive. The money allowed him to build one of the best-financed cells of Al-Qaeda. It may explain how he was able to strike out on his own six weeks ago to create “The Masked Brigade,” whose inaugural attack was launched inside Algeria. “MBM is more along the lines of, how do I negotiate and put extra money in my pocket?” says Rudolph Atallah, the former head of counterterrorism for Africa at the Pentagon, who has spent years tracking the terror network in this Sahelian country.

“The others are purists.”

Belmokhtar is a contrast to his more ruthless colleague, Abou Zeid, who beheaded a British national and executed a 78-year-old Frenchman in 2010 in retaliation for a raid attempting to save him that killed six militants.

Up until December of last year, both men were emirs of their own “katiba,” or brigade, in AQIM. Though they are both from southern Algeria, they have chosen to embed themselves in northern Mali, in the immense, ungoverned desert which ranges from feather-soft dunes to flat, rocky plains. And both have made tens of millions of dollars by kidnapping French, Canadian, Spanish, Swiss, German, English and Italian nationals.

The contrast between the two is captured in the recently published memoir of Robert Fowler, a Canadian diplomat who was kidnapped by Belmokhtar in 2008 in Niger, where he had been sent as a United Nations special envoy. Fowler was tied up and shoved into a pickup truck and the blows he suffered as his body was banged against the metal during the multiday journey to Mali caused a compression fracture in a vertebra. He was forced to sleep in the open, and he ate his food with the lens cap of his 77 mm Canon camera, which happened to be in his shirt pocket when he was taken, according to his account in “A Season in Hell”.

Fowler’s ordeal could have been much worse. He described how on April 21, 2008, the day he was liberated, he was driven to a rendezvous point. The same day, Abou Zeid’s troops arrived with two women, one of them on the point of death. Belmokhtar went to inspect the women, and returned to where Fowler was sitting with a “thunderous look on his face”, he wrote.

Belmokhtar asked to be passed dysentery pills from the medical kit, and ran back to give them to 77-year-old Marianne Petzold, a retired German teacher, and Swiss national Gabriella Burco Greiner.

When Fowler saw the two “the shock was physical. I recoiled with horror at the sight of those small, troubled white faces, twisted with pain”. One had been bitten by a scorpion, and her arm had ballooned and turned black. She would later spend six weeks in the hospital getting skin grafts to replace the necrotized flesh, he writes in “A Season in Hell”. They both suffered from

M

dysentery, and Abou Zeid had refused to give them the medicine that their governments had sent during their negotiation. At the moment that they were supposed to be released, Abou Zeid decided that he was not ready to free them, and an argument ensued between him and Belmokhtar.

The same man who masterminded the recent horror in Algeria last week was visibly disturbed, wrote Fowler.

He said it was Belmokhtar who intervened, overruling Abou Zeid to free the two, ordering the drivers to take off across the trackless desert. “If you are kidnapped by Belmokhtar you would most likely live - and you could not say the same thing for Abou Zeid: All the hostages killed between 2006 and 2012 were killed by Abou Zeid.

You don’t want to be in a position of describing him as the ‘noble savage.’ But I do think his thought process is less distorted by ideology,” says Geoff Porter, founder of North Africa Risk Consulting, a political risk firm specializing in the Sahara region, who has tracked Belmokhtar for years. “ However, long before this week’s attack in Algeria, Belmokhtar had also shown brutality. His men attacked

Mokhtar Belmokhtar a military base in Mauritania in 2005, killing over a dozen soldiers, said Dakar, Senegal-based analyst Andrew Lebovitch. And he’s twice been sentenced to death in absentia in Algeria for the killing of customs officials and border guards, according to Abdel Bari Atwan’s upcoming book “After Bin Laden”.

His trajectory up until last week was nearly identical to that of Abou Zeid. Like Abou Zeid, he joined the Armed Islamic Group, or GIA, an Algerian extremist organization which arose in the aftermath of the 1991 election, which was voided by the secular government after an Islamic party won. He then joined the GIA’s offshoot, the GSPC, a group that carried out suicide bombings against Algerian government targets. In 2006, when the group became part of Al-Qaeda, changing its name to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, both Abou Zeid and Belmokhtar became the head of individual brigades.

Belmokhtar claims he trained in Afghanistan in the 1990s, including in one of Osama Bin Laden’s camps. It was there that he reportedly lost an eye, earning him

the nickname “Laaouar”, Arabic for ‘One-eyed’. Research by the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation claims Belmokhtar became the conduit between the core Al-Qaeda and AQIM. But early on, there were signs that Belmokhtar was not in step with the gratuitous violence that characterized both the GIA and the GSPC, as well as AQIM. A diplomatic cable from the US Embassy in Algiers quotes Algerian sources who say that at different times, Belmokhtar denounced both GIA and AQIM tactics because they caused many civilian casualties.

Last December, after rumors of a growing rift with Abou Zeid, Belmokhtar announced that he was leaving AQIM and creating his own group, “ The Masked Brigade.” His close associate, Oumar Ould Hamaha, told the AP that Belmokhtar wanted to create a pan-Saharan movement, and the North African chapter was too narrowly focused on countries in the Maghreb, or North Africa. It came as the United Nations was getting ready to authorize a military intervention to take back Mali’s north from Islamic extremists, including Belmokhtar’s group. When France began airstrikes on Jan 11, destroying a training camp, several weapons depots and a base known to be used by Belmokhtar’s men in the northern Malian town of Gao, Hamaha raged that now their jihad would go “global.”

It was only a few days later in the tiny town of In Amenas in far eastern Algeria that turbaned men claiming allegiance to Belmokhtar descended on a natural gas complex, operated in partnership with BP and took hundreds of hostages in the most ambitious terrorist operation the North Africa had ever seen. They forced the hostages to wear explosives. Belmokhtar issued a statement saying the dozens of captives would be killed if France didn’t halt its military incursion in Mali.

No one will ever know what would have happened if Algeria or other governments agreed to negotiate.

Instead, the Algerians sent in helicopters, pounding the compound, and in the bloodbath that ensued, at least 32 militants and 23 captives were killed, according to the Algerian government. It’s unclear how many were killed by friendly fire, and how many were executed by Belmokhtar’s men.

One of the people that knows him best says these events in Algeria signal that Belmokhtar has chosen to walk down the path of Abou Zeid. Moustapha Chaffi has been the main hostage negotiator on many of the kidnappings carried out by both Belmokhtar and Abou Zeid. It was he who was waiting to receive Fowler and the two women on April 21, 2008. He confirmed that Belmokhtar ran to give them the dysentery pills, and later insisted they be released.

“Before he led this operation in Algeria, that was the sentiment I had, that Belmokhtar was less brutal,” Chaffi said by telephone on Friday. “Now I find myself thinking that they are all terrorists. That they all take hostages.

That they are all fanatics. So to draw a difference between them is really, really relative. There’s in fact no difference anymore.” — AP

In this undated photo, a man stands next to the body of an unidentified person near In Amenas, Algeria. — AP

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

S P ORT S Ivanovic says she can revisit highs of old

Cavani saves Napoli keeper’s blushes

Japan mourns death of sumo legend

MELBOURNE: Ana Ivanovic is yet to revisit the highs of 2008 when she won the French Open and made the Australian Open final, but the Serb feels her game is close to a level where she can challenge again.

The world number 13 was beaten 6-2, 6-4 Sunday by fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska to miss out on a quarter-final berth at Melbourne Park, creating chances but missing the killer instinct of old. Yet Ivanovic, who worked hard in the off season to lose weight and boost her strength, is confident her time will come again. “Definitely, definitely,” she said. “That’s what still drives me, to play and compete. I want to compete for big titles in big tournaments because I feel my game is still there. You know, I have strength to do so.” Her form has been patchy since Roland Garros in 2008, but she reached last year’s US Open quarterfinals-her best Grand Slam since the Paris victory.

“It is frustrating because I feel like I create chances for myself again,” she said. “I feel a few years back when I was losing in the second and third rounds of Grand Slams, that was the level then. — AFP

ROME: Edinson Cavani’s 100th goal in Serie A earned Napoli a 1-1 draw against Fiorentina yesterday and made up for a glaring error by his goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis for Fiorentina’s goal.

Cavani’s 42nd minute header from Marek Hamsik’s freekick saw Napoli go second in the table but five points behind Juventus, who whipped Udinese 4-0 on Saturday, while Fiorentina at least put an end to three successive defeats in all competitions.

The Uruguayan’s goal - which was his 17th of the campaign - got Napoli back on terms after De Sanctis had completely misjudged Argentinian Facundo Roncaglia long pass from halfway which instead of finding its intended target, striker Luca Toni, went past the Napoli ‘keeper and into the net.

“My team-mates said to me ‘you will have a goal to remember’” said Cavani, who has scored 34 goals for Palermo and 66 for Napoli. “I am very happy, but I am thinking more of the team, we need to move forward to achieve our targets.”

Napoli could well have left with all three points but for the brilliant display in goal by Fiorentina’s goalkeeper Neto. The Brazilian was on hand to deny a fierce effort by Gokhan Inler, a shot from Cavani and a pointblank header from Goran Pandev. — AFP

TOKYO: Japan was mourning yesterday after the death of former sumo grand champion Taiho, who won a record 32 tournaments and became a hugely popular figure in the 1960s when the sport was untainted by the damaging scandals seen more recently. Taiho, whose real name was Koki Naya, died of heart failure in hospital in Tokyo on Saturday, the Japan Sumo Association said. He was 72. His death was front-page news in Japan, with the Nikkan Sports daily calling him “the strongest yokozuna (sumo grand champion) in history”. “He was sumo history,” former yokozuna Chiyonofuji, whose 31 championships are second on the all-time list, told Kyodo news agency. “That one additional title he won, that was something beyond my reach. It is a measure of his greatness.”

Born on the then Japanese-occupied island of Sakhalin off the Russian far east to a Japanese mother and a Ukrainian father, Naya was raised on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, reportedly in poverty.

After making his debut in 1956, he won his first championship in 1960 and became the youngest wrestler to reach sumo’s top rank in 1961 when he was 21 years old. — AFP

Second Asian Youth Shooting training camp concludes

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: The Second Asian Youth Shooting Training camp concluded at Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Olympic Shooting Complex in the presence of President of the Arab Shooting Federation, Vice President of Kuwait Shooting Federation Eng. Duaij Khalaf Al-O taibi, Secretary General of KSF and ASF Obaid AlOsaimi, Assistant Secretary General, Director General of ASC Eng. Mohammad Al-Ghurba, KSF Treasurer Essa Bu Taiban and Assistant Treasurer Adnan AlIbrahim. Eng. Duaij Al-Otaibi thanked the International lecturer Bret Erickson for conducting the courses and that had a positive effect in guiding the young shooters to follow the correct methods in their sport, and reach their goals.

Al-Otaibi added that the presence of coaches in the camp gave them the opportunity to be familiar with the new laws of the ISSF. He said that KSF does not spare any effort to make available all that is necessary to develop the sport of shooting in cooperation with Asian Federations. He said the Kuwait Shooting Sport Club Board, headed

by Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah is keen on providing such opportunities year

long. Eng. Duaij Al-Otaibi thanked HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad and the political leadership for their care and continued support to achieve the best of results.

Meanwhile Secretary General of the Arab and Kuwait Shooting Federations Obaid AlOsaimi said the KSF adopts a policy of caring for promising shooters, and to discover talented ones through holding specialized training camps and invite international experts in the field of shooting to benefit from them.

He said this camp is one of those activities that come at the right time, as the new ISSF rules have come into effect and Kuwait is the first country in the Middle East to apply them during the Late Sheik h Fahad Al-Salem Tournament which was held latterly.

Al-Osaimi thanked the Public Authority for Youth and Sports for holding this camp and its support it gives to KSSC in all fields.

International Lecturer Bret Erickson thanked Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah for giving him the opportunity to come to Kuwait and lecture in the camp. He said “I noticed significant improvement of the young shooters” adding that the camp was a great opportunity for Asian Shooters to meet, and may be they will meet later during official tourna-

ments and may be the Olympics. Erickson said the camp is a good concept, and bringing promising shooters together is also good,

as it is important to give them the necessary information in the presence of their coaches, so when they go back home they continue

training as they did here. He wished that such programs continue to give shooters the opportunity to learn and develop.

Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial dead at 92

Sheikh Salman calls on other nations to hold shooting events ASC executives meet to discuss future plans

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: Asian Shooting Executive Committee held its 19th meeting in Kuwait under the Chairmanship of KSC and KSF President, and ISSF Vice President Sheikh Salman Sabah AlSalem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, as the meeting discussed the Asian shooting achievements and future plans.

Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah welcomed the committee members and thanked them for being present. He said that Asian Shooting witnessed outstanding achievements in the past few years, and congratulated the Korean shooting team for coming out on top during the London Olympics.

He said we have to build on these achievements including the performance of the shooting academics, coaches courses and Asian shooters performance. He said the ASC Technical and Judges Forum for the first time here in Kuwait, which judging from the feedback, enjoyed great success.

Sheikh Salman said after the meeting that the executive committee discussed many topics including the Asian per formance in the Olympics and having Asia being on top in the shooting sport. He said committee members discussed the technical matters including the latest changes of rules by the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF), and its application in all future tournaments. He said the meeting discussed the distribution of ASC upcoming events for the next four years and were approved.

Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud said it was agreed to have UAE, Iran, India and Kuwait organize those events. He said that ASC, located in Kuwait, is performing well to develop the sport of shooting through the organization of many training courses for referees and shooters, and through the shooting academies in Tehran and Bejing. Sheikh Salman thanked Kuwait Shooting Sport Club and the Public Authority for Youth and Sports for providing all the necessary facilities for hold this meeting.

Meanwhile ASC Vice President, Qatar ’s Shooting Federation President Mohammad Ali Al-Ghanim said, it was agreed to hold the shotgun tournament in UAE, and the comprehensive tournament in Kuwait. He said the results that were achieved in the London Olympics reflects that shooting is one of the sports admired by the Gulf people. He said the upcoming championship in Kuwait will decide the countries who will participate in Rio de Janeiro, adding that “we fully trust the Kuwaiti youth to organize such championship, as they have organized it before in an outstanding fashion.

On his part, Saudi Arabia’s Shooting Federation Secretary General Riyad bin Dawood Al-Rasheed thanked the State of Kuwait for hosting the 19th meeting of ASC’s Executive Committee, during which important decisions were taken to further develop Asian shooting.

He said the meeting was fruitful and Asian Shooting continues to develop under the leadership of Salman Al-Sabah.

ST LOUIS: Hall of Fame baseball player Stan Musial, who used an unorthodox batting style to become one of the sport’s greatest hitters in 22 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, died on Saturday at age 92.

Musial, adored by fans for his humility and easy-going manner as much as his baseball skill, died of natural causes at his home in the St. Louis suburb of Ladue, according to his grandson Brian Schwarze.

Known in the baseball world as “Stan the Man,” Musial had suffered from Parkinson’s disease and age -related dementia, Schwarze said. “We have lost the most beloved member of the Cardinals family,” William DeWitt Jr., chairman of the Cardinals, said in a statement. “Stan Musial was the greatest player in Cardinals history and one of the best players in the history of baseball.”

Once a pitcher in the minor leagues, Musial became one of baseball’s greatest all-around players and was named to the All-Century team in 1999. He reached the majors in 1941, and by the time he retired in 1963 had won three Most Valuable Player awards and been on three World Series championship teams.

Musial finished his career with a .331 batting average and batted over .300 for 17 of his seasons in the league. He totaled 3,630 hits, 475 home runs and 1,951 RBIs in 3,026 regular-season games. He played in 24 All-Star games and was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, in 1969.

Musial was born on Nov. 21, 1920, in the coal-mining town of Donora, Pennsylvania.

His father was an immigrant from Poland, and Musial would later serve as an unofficial US emissary to Poland. Musial grew up poor and his first toy was a baseball, he said during his admission to the Hall of Fame.

He began playing semi-pro baseball at age 15 and was also a top high school basketball player.

Musial signed a professional baseball contract in 1938. He had to give up being a pitcher due to a shoulder injur y.

Concentrating on playing the outfield and hitting, he developed a corkscrew swing coiled with his back almost facing the

pitcher as he peeked around his shoulder that became one of the most unique swings in Major League Baseball.

Musial, who missed the 1945 season at the prime of his career as he served in the U.S. Navy during the last year of World War Two, also played a role in the integration of baseball by openly supporting Jackie Robinson when he broke the racial barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement that the sport had lost “one of its true legends” in Musial, and that his life as a player, military veteran and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient “embodies baseball’s unparalleled history and why this game is the national pastime.”

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is America’s highest civilian honor. When President Barack Obama gave the award to Musial in 2011 at the White House, Musial wore a sport coat that was bright red, the color of his old team.

“Stan remains to this day an icon, untarnished, a beloved pillar of the community, a gentleman you’d want your kids to emulate,” Obama said at the ceremony. Current and past members of the St. Louis Cardinals took to Twitter to praise Musial.

“Sad to hear about Stan the Man,” AllStar outfielder Matt Holliday said in a tweet. “It’s an honor to wear the same uniform. Prayers to the Musial family.” Musial said after retiring from baseball in 1963 that he regretted not going to college, and he encouraged young players to do so before beginning their professional careers.

After retirement, Musial often held court with fans at his St. Louis restaurant. He was an accomplished harmonica player and on many occasions would play “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

Musial’s death came on the same day as that of Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver, who led the Baltimore Orioles to four American League titles and a World Series championship. Weaver was 82.

Musial was 19 when he married his hometown sweetheart, Lillian “Lil” Labash.

She died in May 2012. Musial is survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. — Reuters

Gulf Bank tops KBC League standings KUWAIT: The Gulf Bank leads the KBC League standings after victories in the team’s first two matches in the tournament that is organized by the Kuwait Banks Club featuring teams representing local banks.

The Gulf Bank opened second week competitions by defeating Boubyan Bank Saturday night in a match held at the Kazma Sports Club Stadium.

The victory puts them on top of the standings with six points ahead of the Kuwait Finance House and the National Bank who each have three points from victories in their first matches.

The KFG and NBK square off tonight (Monday) while the Commercial Bank goes against the Boubyan Bank tomorrow (Tuesday). The second week concludes Wednesday with a match between Al-Ahli Bank and the International Bank of Kuwait.

ST LOUIS: In this Oct. 1, 2006, file photo, St Louis Cardinals great Stan “The Man” Musial strikes his signature pose after unveiling his statue at the re-dedication ceremony for the statues, at the new Busch Stadium, of Cardinals Hall-of-Famers and notables before a baseball game against the Milwaulkee Brewers in St Louis. Musial, one of baseball’s greatest hitters and a Hall of Famer with the St. Louis Cardinals for more than two decades, died Saturday, the Cardinals announced. He was 92. — AP

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

S P ORT S

Players back, fans too, as puck drops on new season MONTREAL: The National Hockey League is back, and so are the fans, as the puck finally dropped on a season that nearly never was because of bitter labor dispute.

From sunny California to wintry Quebec, 26 of the NHL’s 30 teams were in action on Saturday. The Los Angeles Kings raised their massive black-andwhite Stanley Cup banner before opening the defense of their crown against the Chicago Blackhawks, while in Montreal, two of the league’s flagship franchises, the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, renewed their storied rivalry.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Players Association chief Donald Fehr, who had held the ice hockey spotlight through nearly four months of negotiations, slipped into the shadows and left the stage to the players.

“Last week we announced that we reached an agreement on a new CBA

(collective bargaining agreement) and tonight the Bruins are back on the ice,” said Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs shortly before his team got a 3-1 win over the New York Rangers.

“When the puck drops, we put the last four months behind us and celebrate the return of hockey to Causeway Street. “The fact that we were unable to reach an agreement until just recently is a disappointment.

“I want to personally apologize to our fans and others who depend on this team for their livelihood. But these are just words. The best way to make it up to you is to play hard and win.”

The season began the way the last one ended-in Los Angeles, with the Kings doing one final victory lap around a jubilant Staples Center with the Stanley Cup before a poignant banner raising ceremony assisted by the family of Ana Marquez-Greene, a fan and victim of the Sandy Hook massacre.

There was one big difference, however, as the Kings, who never gave up more than four goals in their championship run, surrendered that many in two periods as the Blackhawks spoiled the party with a 5-2 win.

In some markets, bitterness from the 113-day lockout is sure to linger but not in Canada where an ice hockey buzz swept across the country like a massive winter storm and fans welcomed back teams with open arms. The return of the NHL also meant the return of hundreds of jobs as fans slipped into their favorite jerseys and packed bars and pubs providing a jolt to local economies.

The league and teams have worked hard to win back disgruntled fans and their wallets, offering everything from free tickets and parking to discounts on beer, hotdogs and merchandise.

Even the Maple Leafs, who last year were rated by Forbes as the first ice hockey team to be worth $1 billion,

extended an olive branch by giving away 1,000 tickets to Monday’s home opener against Buffalo and offering free skate rentals at the Toronto city hall outdoor rink that same day.

For opening day the NHL took out full page newspaper ads in major cities across Canada and the United States, offering yet another apology for dragging fans through a fourth work stoppage in 20 years.

At nearly every arena, teams thanked fans for their patience and standing by the sport through trying times. Fans were also front-and-center at several openers. In Los Angeles, 10 fans were selected to escort the Stanley Cup in the Staples Center while two San Jose Sharks supporters were chosen to drop the ceremonial puck at their home opener.

The league-wide charm offensive generated enough goodwill to make opening day a success but most of the initiatives do not go further, leaving it up

to the product on the ice to keep the turnstiles twirling and television ratings climbing.

With a shortened 48-game regular season there will be little margin for error, with even a minor slump or injury capable of tripping up a team up during a 99-day sprint for a playoff spot.

With only a six-day training camp, there was plenty of rust on display on Saturday. The Pittsburgh Penguins, the oddsmakers favorites to replace the Kings as champions, got off to solid start beating their great rivals the Flyers 3-1 in front of a record Philadelphia crowd.

The Maple Leafs, who have not hoisted the Stanley Cup since 1967 and failed to make the playoffs the last seven seasons, gave their fans hope the postseason drought might be coming to an end with a 2-1 victory over the Canadiens. The New Jersey Devils, losing finalists a year ago, beat the New York Islanders 2-1. — Reuters

NHL results/standings Pittsburgh 3, Philadelphia 1; Ottawa 4, Winnipeg 1; Chicago 5, Los Angeles 2; Boston 3, NY Rangers 1; Toronto 2, Montreal 1; New Jersey 2, NY Islanders 1; Tampa Bay 6, Washington 3; Florida 5, Carolina 1; St. Louis 6, Detroit 0; Columbus 3, Nashville 2 (SO); Dallas 4, Phoenix 3; Minnesota 4, Colorado 2.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF GA PTS Pittsburgh 1 0 0 3 1 2 New Jersey 1 0 0 2 1 2 NY Islanders 0 1 0 1 2 0 Philadelphia 0 1 0 1 3 0 NY Rangers 0 1 0 1 3 0 Northeast Division Ottawa 1 0 0 4 1 2 Boston 1 0 0 3 1 2 Toronto 1 0 0 2 1 2 Montreal 0 1 0 1 2 0 Buffalo 0 0 0 0 0 0 Southeast Division Florida 1 0 0 5 1 2 Tampa Bay 1 0 0 6 3 2 Winnipeg 0 1 0 1 4 0 Washington 0 1 0 3 6 0 Carolina 0 1 0 1 5 0

Western Conference Central Division St. Louis 1 0 0 6 0 2 Chicago 1 0 0 5 2 2 Columbus 1 0 0 3 2 2 Nashville 0 0 1 2 3 1 Detroit 0 1 0 0 6 0 Northwest Division Minnesota 1 0 0 4 2 2 Colorado 0 1 0 2 4 0 Vancouver 0 1 0 3 7 0 Calgary 0 0 0 0 0 0 Edmonton 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pacific Division Anaheim 1 0 0 7 3 2 Dallas 1 0 0 4 3 2 Phoenix 0 1 0 3 4 0 Los Angeles 0 1 0 2 5 0 San Jose 0 0 0 0 0 0 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

De Villiers suspended JOHANNESBURG: South African one-day international captain AB de Villiers will miss the last two matches against New Zealand after being suspended for a slow over rate in the first match in Paarl on Saturday.

The South African players, already stung by a surprise one-wicket defeat against the Black Caps, will lose their entire match fee after it was found South Africa were six overs short of their target even after time allowances were taken into account.

De Villiers admitted after the match that he had failed to ensure an acceptable over

rate for the match, which finished more than half an hour late. Match referee David Boon imposed the suspension after De Villiers pleaded guilty to the offence.

There was no immediate word from Cricket South Africa about the appointment of a captain for the remaining two matches, in Kimberley on Tuesday and Potchefstroom on Friday.

Test captain Graeme Smith is still a part of the one-day squad, while Faf du Plessis captained South Africa in a Twenty20 international series against New Zealand earlier in the season. — AFP

Australia-S Lanka ODI called off after rain SYDNEY: The fourth one-day international between Australia and Sri Lanka was abandoned after rain halted play yesterday with the tourists chasing 223 runs to take the series. Sri Lanka needed 209 more runs off 46.4 overs with all their wickets in tact when the umpires took the players off the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Skipper Mahela Jayawardene was on four and Tillakaratne Dilshan nine. Australia scored 222 for nine off their 50 overs after winning the toss. “The outfield is still quite

wet so unfortunately...” said a disappointed Australian skipper Michael Clarke.

Opener David Warner top scored with 60 off 73 balls but ninth man Mitchell Starc starred for the hosts knocking 52 off 37 to help Australia post a decent total.

Sri Lanka have routed Australia in the last two games to seize a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

The final leg will be played in Hobart on Wednesday. “We’ve got a chance to level the series,” Clarke said.— AFP

SCOREBOARD SYDNEY: Collated scoreboard in the fourth one-day international between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday: Australia innings D. Warner lbw T. Perera 60 P. Hughes c Chandimal b Kulasekara 1 M. Clarke lbw Kulasekara 20 D. Hussey c Thirimanne b Malinga 1 G. Bailey c T. Perera b Herath 22 M. Wade c Kulasekara b T. Perera 31 M. Henriques lbw Herath 3 M. Johnson lbw Malinga 10 M. Starc not out 52 C. McKay b Kulasekara 2 X. Doherty not out 10 Extras (1b, 7lb, 2w) 10 Total (9 wickets; 50 overs) 222 Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Hughes), 2-50 (Clarke), 3-53 (Hussey), 4-93 (Bailey),

5-125 (Warner), 6-130 (Henriques), 7-145 (Johnson), 8-166 (Wade), 9-182 (McKay) Bowling: Mathews 10-1-50-0, Kulasekara 10-2-30-3, Malinga 10-2-33-2, T. Perera 10-0-64-2, Herath 10-0-37-2 Sri Lanka innings M. Jayawardene not out 4 T. Dilshan not out 9 Extras (1w) 1 Total (no wickets; 3.2 overs) 14 Fall of wickets: Bowling: McKay 2-0-13-0, Starc 1.2-0-1-0 No result: match abandoned after rain Sri Lanka lead 5-match series 2-1

SYDNEY: Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka (L) plays a shot shortly before rain delayed play during the fourth one-day international between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday. — AFP

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles Kings’ Drew Doughty is pinned by Chicago Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews(19) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Los Angeles, Saturday. Blackhawks’ Daniel Carcillo is at rear. — AP

Blackhawks spoil Kings’ coronation with easy win Hossa scores twice in season opener LOS ANGELES: After a 113-day lockout, the NHL finally returned to the ice Saturday but it wasn’t the start the defending champions had hoped for as Chicago crashed the Kings’ Stanley Cup celebration with a 5-2 victory.

Marian Hossa had two goals and an assist, Corey Crawford made 19 saves, while captain Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane each had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks, who jumped to a 3-0 lead on Michael Frolik’s goal less than 15 minutes in.

With superior speed and skill, Chicago ruined the festivities shortly after the Kings hung their first championship banner in the Staples Center rafters. With every player who touched the ice in last season’s playoffs returning to defend the title, the Kings received their championship rings during a stirring pregame ceremony that included each player passing the Cup around the boards. The Blackhawks didn’t watch it, but they seemed fired up from the opening faceoff.

Rob Scuderi and Jordan Nolan scored and Jonathan Quick stopped 17 shots for the Kings, who are definitely done celebrating last season’s achievements as the first eighth-seeded playoff team to win the Stanley Cup.

Hossa, who set up Kane’s goal, then got credit for a score when his centering pass hit Drew Doughty’s skate and ricocheted past Quick. Just 74 seconds after that, Frolik put a pall over the celebratory crowd with the Blackhawks’ third goal on eight shots.

When Toews, who spent the week ailing with a cold, alertly scored 1:16 into the second period, a few scattered boos came down from the sellout crowd.

At Boston, Tuukka Rask stopped 20 shots for Boston in his first game after taking over for two-time Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas, and the Bruins beat the New York Rangers 3-1.

Milan Lucic and Daniel Paille scored for Boston, which won the Northeast Division last year before losing in the first round of the playoffs. Brad Richards scored for the Rangers on an assist from Rick Nash, the former Columbus star who was New York’s biggest acquisition over the summer. Henrik Lundqvist made 31 saves for the Rangers.

In Vancouver, British Columbia, Teemu Selanne had two goals and two assists Saturday to help the Anaheim Ducks thump the Vancouver Canucks 7-3.

Daniel Winnik added two goals for the Ducks while Sheldon Souray, Corey Perry and Kyle Palmieri also scored.

In Sunrise, Florida, Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and two assists in his NHL debut, Brian Campbell scored twice in a first-period frenzy and the Florida Panthers opened defense of their Southeast Division title with a 5-1 win over the Carolina Panthers.

In Nashville, Tennessee, Derick Brassard scored in the sixth round of a shootout, and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Nashville Predators 3-2, while the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Washington Capitals 6-3 at home.

Also Saturday, David Clarkson’s goal at 8:17 of the third period sent the New Jersey Devils to a 2-1 season-opening win over the New York Islanders and Tyler Kennedy and James Neal both scored goals to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1.

In other games Saturday, the Toronto Maple Leafs had a 2-1 victor y over the Montreal Canadiens, the Dallas Stars opened with a 4-3 victory against the Phoenix Coyotes and the St. Louis Blues thrashed the Detroit Red Wings 6-0. — AP

Pakistan set for testing South African challenge JOHANNESBURG: The Pakistan Test team are due to arrive in Johannesburg tonight to take on world champions South Africa in a three-Test series. It is Pakistan’s first visit to South Africa in six years and their biggest challenge could be to adapt to the pace and bounce of the pitches they will play on against a fast bowling attack generally acknowledged to be the world’s best. They will have a four-day warmup match against a South African Invitation XI in East London, starting on Friday, but conditions in the coastal city are less pace-friendly than is likely when they play the Test matches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Centurion.

In the past 15 months, Pakistan’s Test series have been played in the

Asian sub-continent or the United Arab Emirates, which has been their home base since visiting teams stopped touring Pakistan following an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009.

In the year before that they had two high-scoring draws against South Africa in the UAE and toured New Zealand, West Indies and Zimbabwe. Pakistan nevertheless have a Test squad which is likely to provide stronger opposition for South Africa than current tourists New Zealand, who were beaten by an innings in two Test matches.

“Pakistan will be a potentially tough series,” said South African captain Graeme Smith after the New Zealand series. “They have an exciting bowling unit and some experi-

enced batsmen.” The fast bowling attack will be spearheaded by the left-armer Junaid Khan, the tall Mohammad Irfan and the experienced Umar Gul, one of four members of the touring squad who were on the 2006/07 tour of South Africa.

Newcomer Ehsan Adil was a member of the Pakistan Under-19 team which played in a triangular tournament in South Africa in January 2012. Pakistan have two top-class spinners in Saaed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman.

Younis Khan, who topped the Pakistan averages in 2006/07, is the outstanding player in a reasonable batting line-up, while Mohammad Hafeez and Faisal Iqbal also played in the 2006/07 series, which South Africa won by two matches to one. In

18 previous Test matches between the two countries, South Africa have won eight, Pakistan three and seven have been drawn. Pakistan’s only series win was in Pakistan in 2003/04.

After spending Sunday night in Johannesburg, the Pakistanis will travel to East London on Monday to prepare for their match against the Invitation XI, captained by former international batsman Justin Ontong.

Pakistan Test squad: Misbah-ulHaq (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Azhar Ali, Umar Gul, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Ehsan Adil, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Haris Sohail, Faisal Iqbal, Taufeeq Umar, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk). — AFP

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

S P ORT S

No Lance Armstrongs in our sport, say top trio ABU DHABI: Thomas Bjorn, Henrik Stenson and Richard Green, three leading figures on the European Tour, are united in their view that golf is free of doping.

The trio, speaking after this week’s admission by American cyclist Lance Armstrong that he cheated his way to his seven Tour de France wins, believe their own sport is clean when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs.

“I would find it very surprising if we encountered any enhancing drugs in golf,” twice former Ryder Cup player Stenson told Reuters in an interview on Sunday, the final day of the Abu Dhabi Championship.

“I don’t know what you could take to help you perform better in golf. Viagra maybe - to hit it long and straight,” he said with a cheeky grin. “I am happy I am in a sport where (doping) seems to be very,

very rare,” Stenson added on a more serious note. The Swede, who ended his Abu Dhabi campaign well with a 67 giving him a five-under 283 total, said he had been unhappy to hear of Armstrong’s confession to chat-show host Oprah Winfrey to using banned substances to establish himself as one of the biggest names in cycling. “It’s obviously sad in any sport when the great heroes you expect to be clean, aren’t,” said Stenson. “Cycling’s had a lot of problems with this issue but thankfully golf is in a different situation.

“There have been certain sports we’ve known about for years where people have been caught taking illegal stuff...he is just another one in that category. “It makes it even sadder when it is one of the greats who gets caught cheating. There’s not much I can do about it myself except stay clean and hope most people (in golf)

think the same way,” said the 36-year-old Stenson.

An official said the European Tour had introduced random drug checks in July 2008 and there have been no positive tests since. Golf is renowned for its fair play and integrity, with players often calling penalties on themselves for rule infringements.

Bjorn, chairman of the European Tour’s Players Committee, echoed Stenson’s view. “In golf we do our drug-testing and it seems to be a very clean sport,” the 41year-old Dane told Reuters after carding a closing 71 for 288, level par. “We can be proud of that.

“Being part of the Olympics again in 2016, there is going to be more focus and attention on it but we believe ours is a clean sport and we don’t seem to have any big issues with stuff like that.”

Bjorn, who has won 13 European Tour titles in his career and played in two Ryder Cups, used to follow cycling when he was younger but said the proliferation of doping issues had diminished his interest in the sport.

“I grew up with Lance Armstrong and you couldn’t help but be amazed by his achievements,” said the Dane. “It’s disappointing when it comes to this but cycling’s had its issues over the years and you can’t say it comes as a massive surprise. I followed it a bit in the past but it kind of wears off a bit when stuff like this happens.”

Australian Green said he did not believe there were any substances available that could help golfers perform better on the course. “Golf’s not like cycling,” said the former world number 29 after returning a 67 for 283. “I just don’t think

there is anything the guys can take to improve their performances.

“It is just down to hard work, hard practice, good technique and the right equipment...and I think that’s what the guys are doing out here. “In my opinion it (Armstrong’s case) was human nature’s way of crossing the line. Everyone’s trying to look for an easier way to do just about anything.

“Whether it’s digging a hole, rather than using a shovel people use a big digger instead. Cyclists have just found an easier way to do it.” Green, winner of three European Tour events, blamed cycling officials for not taking a firm enough stance over doping. “Where the responsibilty lies is with the governing body of cycling,” said the 41-year-old left-hander.

“They probably haven’t policed the issue enough.” — Reuters

Donaldson plucks Rose to win in Abu Dhabi Persistence pays off

NEW ORLEANS: New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon scores next to Golden State Warriors forward Carl Landry (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Saturday. — AP

Tony Parker, Spurs hold off Hawks, 98-93 ATLANTA: Tony Parker had 23 points and 12 assists, and the San Antonio Spurs held off the short-handed Atlanta Hawks 98-93 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.

Matt Bonner added 17 points, and Kawhi Leonard and Tiago Splitter each had 14 for the Spurs, who gave forward Tim Duncan the night off.

The Hawks announced about 90 minutes before the game that guard Lou Williams faces season-ending surgery for a torn ACL in his right knee. Williams was hurt Friday at Brooklyn and the tear was found when Williams was examined on Saturday.

Then the Hawks lost guard Devin Harris to a sprained left ankle in the third quarter.

Josh Smith led the Hawks with 21 points.

Kyle Korver, who started at shooting guard, had 19 points.

The Spurs led by 12 in the first half but Atlanta kept the game close in the final two periods. A basket by Hawks rookie John Jenkins tied the game at 72-all early in the final period, but Bonner’s basket gave San Antonio the lead for good.

Jenkins made two free throws with 22 seconds remaining to cut the Spurs’ lead to 94-91, but San Antonio beat the Hawks’ full-court press for an easy basket by Splitter. In New Orleans, Klay Thompson had a season-high 29 points, Jarrett Jack scored seven of his 25 in the final minute and the Golden State Warriors beat the New Orleans Hornets 116-112.

The Warriors trailed 110-108 in a topsyturvy game when Jack hit two free throws with 52 seconds left to tie the score. He converted a tough floater to give Golden State a 112-110 lead, and he finished off the Hornets with three free throws.

In Chicago, Marc Gasol scored 19 points, Zach Randolph had 13 points and 19 rebounds, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Chicago Bulls 85-82 in overtime.

Memphis scored the first six points of the extra period, Gasol’s putback making it 82-76. The Bulls cut it to 83-80 on Jimmy Butler’s layup and had a chance to tie, but Nate Robinson missed a 3-pointer with 25 seconds left.

At Salt Lake City, Randy Foye scored 20 points, Derrick Favors had a season-high 19 and the Utah Jazz beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-98.

Utah used a 31-point third quarter to take a 16-point lead into the fourth which they never relinquished as they scored their fifth win in six games.

Also Saturday, Marcus Thornton scored 18 points off the bench as the Sacramento Kings held on to beat the Charlotte Bobcats 97-93 for their third win in four games and the LA Clippers edged out the Washington Wizards 94-87 to maintain its lead in the Pacific Division.

In other games Saturday, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the slumping Houston Rockets 92-79 and the Milwaukee Bucks held on against the rallying Portland Trailblazers 110-104. — AP

ABU DHABI: Jamie Donaldson reeled in red-hot Justin Rose to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship yesterday.

The 37-year-old Welshman poked his nose in front going into the back nine and he held firm, going up against the hotlyfavoured world No.5 to record just the second win of his professional career.

Jamie Donaldson will make his Masters debut in April, but had he heeded the words of his doctor, he would have been retired from golf several years ago due to chronic back pain.

Speaking yesterday after securing the biggest win of his career at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, the 37-year-old Welshman recalled the moment in 2004 when he thought his career might be over. earing his back might “go again” just by stepping off a curb, Donaldson sought specialist advice and he did not like what he heard. “One (specialist) said don’t play. So soon we went to see someone else,” he explained.

“To be honest as soon as somebody says that, you just go and see somebody else, I couldn’t hear that. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear.” A second specialist was consulted and it was more to his liking - plenty of physio and stability exercises and maybe there was some hope.

“I was in the wilderness for sort of four years after that injury. I didn’t really know where I was at. It was just a case of starting again and finding out what works,” he said. Gradually and painfully he

worked his way back to something like full fitness and rejoined the ranks of European Tour journeymen where he had been before his physical problems floored him.

He came in with a final round of 68 for a 14-under total of 274. Rose and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark were joint second on 13 under after rounds of 71 and 69 respectively with Ricardo Santos of Por tugal four th a fur ther two strokes back after a 68.

The victory was Donaldson’s second after he won the Irish Open last year in what was his 255th European Tour event. His second took just 13 more tournaments.

It also means he will break into the world top 30 for the first time ahead of his Masters debut in April.

Rose star ted the day two strokes clear of the field, but quickly came under pressure with Olesen the first to show, drawing level with the 32-year-old Englishman at the fifth as he birdied and Rose had a bogey.

But the fast-rising Dane came to grief at the next, a drive into deep rough, resulting in a wild second into a bush, a penalty drop and a double bogey six. He was unable to get his nose back in front again after that.

Veteran Englishman David Howell, a former world top tenner fallen on hard times due to a combination of back problems and loss of form, then edged ahead with a scintillating front nine of 32.

But his challenge collapsed in tragic fashion at the 13th where he somehow contrived to four-putt from five feet to plummet down the

ABU DHABI: Jamie Donaldson from Wales, left, holds the trophy next to Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority while he holds a falcon after he wins the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in United Arab Emirates, yesterday. — AP leaderboard. That left Rose and Donaldson out in front, two strokes clear of the field. Donaldson then eased ahead by sinking 12-foot birdie putts at the 14th and 15th with Rose cutting the gap to one stroke with a birdie of his own at the 14th. Two holes later though the Ryder Cup star’s second to the parfour 16th went way right and was lucky not to end up in the water. But he was unable to get down in two from there and Donaldson had a two-stroke cushion. The Welshman

opened the door slightly by missing a five-footer for par at the last, but neither Rose nor Olesen were able to grab the birdie they needed to force a play off.

For Rose, the runners-up finish will feel like a lost opportunity in a tournament that saw the world’s top two golfers - Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods - fail to make the cut. Olesen has again underlined the potential he has shown to become one of Europe’s top players in the next few years. — AFP

Neureuther wins World Cup slalom WENGEN: Felix Neureuther of Germany won a World Cup slalom yesterday, defeating overall leader and training partner Marcel Hirscher of Austria.

Neureuther made up a deficit of 0.05 seconds from the first run to beat Hirscher by 0.21 seconds and deny him a fourth straight slalom win.

The German threw out his arms and shouted with delight upon crossing the line, then repeated the gesture as he watched first-run leader Hirscher fall short of victory.”I’m really very happy and proud of myself,” Neureuther said. “It’s fun for me and Marcel, too, I guess, to have such a good fight.”

Ivica Kostelic of Croatia was third, 0.25 behind Neureuther’s two-run time of 1 minute, 50.53 seconds. Kostelic was trying to win the Wengen slalom for the fourth straight year.

Hirscher extended his lead in the overall standings to 188 points over Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal, who skips slalom races. “I’m very

satisfied,” Hirscher said. “I was even lucky to finish second because Ivica was very close. For me, it’s a gain.”

Ted Ligety of the US, who is third overall, placed 13th, 1.33 behind Neureuther. Ligety earned 20 World Cup points and is 239 behind defending champion Hirscher.

Hirscher leads the slalom standings ahead of Neureuther and stretched his record of finishing on the podium in every slalom he has completed to 18 races over the past two years.

It was Neureuther’s second World Cup win this season, adding to the New Year’s Day parallel racing event at Munich, Germany.He has four career victories and, with by winning the slalom at Wengen he followed his father, Christian, who won on this course in 1973 and ‘74.

Kostelic also wrote a chapter of personal history by finishing on the Wengen podium for the 12th time. He surpassed Alpine greats Ingemar Stenmark, Marc Girardelli and Didier Cuche -

they had 11 top-3 finishes at a single World Cup venue.

“These are the biggest names that Alpine sport has. The moment when you beat these guys is like a dream,” the 33-year-old Kostelic said. “Coming into today’s race I had this in mind.

It seemed like it was a good chance.”

Kostelic was cheered by a crowd of 8,000, including a flag-waving group of Croatia fans who traditionally arrive to support him on Sundays in Wengen.In a tight race on a clear, sunny day, Hirscher had 14 rivals within one second of him after the morning run, though one expected challenge faded.

Alexis Pinturault of France, whose slick slalom run Friday lifted him to victory in the super-combined event, almost skied out and did not qualify for the second run.

Ligety’s teammates David Chodounsky and Will Brandenburg finished outside the top-30 racers who qualified. — AP

NBA results/standings Sacramento 97, Charlotte 93; San Antonio 98, Atlanta 93; Memphis 85, Chicago 82 (OT); Golden State 116, New Orleans 112; Minnesota 92, Houston 79; Utah 109, Cleveland 98; Milwaukee 110, Portland 104; LA Clippers 94, Washington 87.

Western Conference Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Northwest Division W L PCT GB Oklahoma City 32 8 .800 NY Knicks 25 13 .658 24 18 .571 9 Denver Brooklyn 24 16 .600 2 Utah 22 19 .537 10.5 Boston 20 19 .513 5.5 Portland 20 20 .500 12 Philadelphia 17 23 .425 9 Minnesota 17 20 .459 13.5 Toronto 14 26 .350 12 Pacific Division Central Division LA Clippers 32 9 .780 Indiana 25 16 .610 24 15 .615 7 Golden State Chicago 23 16 .590 1 LA Lakers 17 22 .436 14 Milwaukee 21 18 .538 3 Sacramento 16 25 .390 16 Detroit 14 25 .359 10 13 28 .317 19 Cleveland 10 32 .238 15.5 Phoenix Southwest Division Southeast Division San Antonio 32 11 .744 Miami 26 12 .684 26 13 .667 4 Memphis Atlanta 22 18 .550 5 21 21 .500 10.5 Orlando 14 25 .359 12.5 Houston Charlotte 10 30 .250 17 Dallas 17 24 .415 14 Washington 8 30 .211 18 New Orleans 13 27 .325 17.5

WENGEN: From left: Second placed Marcel Hirscher of Austria, winner Felix Neureuther of Germany and third placed Ivica Kostelic of Croatia celebrate on the podium after the alpine skiing World Cup slalom race at the Lauberhorn in Wengen, Switzerland, yesterday. — AP

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

S P ORT S

Sharapova sparkles after Kerber crash in Melbourne MELBOURNE: Maria Sharapova enjoyed the smoothest passage to the Australian Open quarter-finals in history yesterday as Agnieszka Radwanska, Li Na and Spanish dangerman David Ferrer also stormed through.

The irresistible world number two clocked up her fifth 6-0 set score of the first week as she blitzed Kirsten Flipkens 6-1, 6-0 to reach the quarters for the loss of just five games, smashing the tournament record.

Sharapova, the statuesque Russian who clinched the title in 2008, won her first two matches 6-0, 6-0, a double not achieved at a Grand Slam since 1985, and then floored Venus Williams 6-1, 6-3 in the third round.

She beats the tournament record of eight games lost en route to the last eight, held by Monica Seles and Steffi Graf, and comes close to Mary Pierce’s all-Grand Slam mark of four in reaching the 1994 French Open quarters.

The intensely focused Sharapova has not given her opponents an inch, in a relentless performance which has given backers of Serena Williams, the tournament favourite, second thoughts. But the four-time Grand Slam winner said her thoughts never strayed beyond her next opponent, in this case fellow Russian Ekaterina Makerova, her victim in the quarterfinals on the way to last year’s final. “It’s not about waiting to see where you are in the semis or finals, it’s about who’s ahead of you,” said Sharapova, a veteran of 38 Grand Slam campaigns at the age of just 25. “And my next match is against Makarova. I have to do the right things to beat her. If I win that, it’s moving on to the next one. That’s how I go about a tournament, a Grand Slam.

“Obviously I want to be playing my best tennis towards the end of the second week.”

However, on Tuesday Sharapova will meet a challenger gunning for revenge in the form of Makarova, who is still smarting from last year’s comprehensive 6-2, 6-3 defeat. “She won a lot of matches easily because she is playing so aggressive, staying in the court,” Makarova said of Sharapova, after ousting Germany’s Angelique Kerber in straight sets.

“I have a plan against her. We’ve played a lot of times so we know each other. I think we’ll be a good match and I try to show my best tennis.” As China’s Li dispatched Germany’s Julia Goerges, Poland’s world number four Radwanska dominated former world number one Ana Ivanovic as she chalked up her 13th win of the nascent season. “I’m very happy I could play my best tennis today,” said Radwanska, who reached her first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon last year.

“Ana played more aggressively in the second set and was volleying well but in the important moments I was focused and glad I could close it out in two sets.”

Radwanska’s opponent on Tuesday will be Li, the world number six and 2011 French Open champion, who was also impressive in her 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 victory over Goerges as she reached her third Melbourne quarter-final.

“If I had lost the first set it could have been another story,” admitted Li. “I just kept going point by point, not thinking too much.” In the men’s draw, world number five Ferrer was faultless as he dispatched Japanese number one Kei Nishikori, the 16th seed, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 to set up an all-Spanish last-eight clash with Nicolas Almagro. — AFP

MELBOURNE: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic hits a return against Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka during their men’s singles match on day seven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne yesterday. — AFP

Djokovic wins epic Ferrer faces Almagro in quarters

MELBOURNE: Russia’s Maria Sharapova serves against Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkins during their women’s singles match on day seven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne yesterday.— AFP

MELBOURNE: Defending champion Novak Djokovic lived to fight on at the Australian Open after an epic five-setter early yesterday, as David Ferrer set up an all-Spanish quarter-final with Nicolas Almagro.

The Serbian world number one was taken to the brink by Swiss 15th seed Stanislas Wawrinka before winning their fourth round thriller 1-6, 75, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 12-10 in 5hr 2min on Rod Laver Arena. Djokovic will have to regroup for his quarter-final against Czech fifth seed Tomas Berdych on Tuesday, while Ferrer will face compatriot Almagro after they earlier took contrasting roads to the last eight.

“It definitely ranks right at the top. One of the longest, most interesting, and most exciting matches I’ve played in my career,” said a relieved Djokovic. “All the credit to Stan. I feel sorry that one of us had to lose. He definitely deserved to win. But I’m just thrilled to be able to fight once again up to the last moment.”

Wawrinka had lost his previous 10 encounters with Djokovic going back to 2006 but he produced 69 winners and seven service breaks to have the Serb in deep trouble at times during

Peterhansel clinches record Dakar triumph SANTIAGO: Stephane Peterhansel claimed a record fifth Dakar Rally drivers title on Saturday, and 11th overall of his career, while French compatriot Cyril Despres captured a fifth motorcycling crown.

Peterhansel, the champion on four wheels in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2012, as well as being a motorcycle winner on six other occasions, beat Ari Vatanen’s 25-yearold record of four auto titles on the gruelling endurance event.

“It’s a special moment — 15 days of racing full of emotions and tension and, now, the pressure vanishes all of a sudden,” said Peterhansel, who was the favourite once former winners Carlos Sainz and Nasser alAttiyah were forced to retire. “This is the first time since I started racing in cars that we’ve finished a race without a single mechanical problem. This is the best car I’ve ever driven.

“It wasn’t an easy victory, because we knew the buggies (of Sainz and al-Attiyah) would be fast. But this situation enabled me to focus from the start of the race. I

attacked to open up a gap between me and my rivals.”

Spain’s Nani Roma claimed the event’s last stage, and his fourth in 2013, as the 8,000km race ended with a 150km timed run into Santiago.

Peterhansel, taking part in his 25th Dakar, eased through the final stage to take overall victory by 42min 22sec over South Africa’s Giniel de Villiers in a Toyota. Russian Leonid Novitskiy was third, 1hr 28min 22sec behind his Mini teammate Peterhansel.

Despres, riding a KTM, added the 2013 title to his wins in 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2012. Portugal’s Ruben Faria claimed second place, 10min 43sec off his teammate’s pace, with Chilean rider Francisco Lopez, on another KTM, in third, 18min 48sec behind the leader.

“It’s true that I needed to cross the line and see all these pictures and people here to know that no-one can take this win from me,” said Despres, who was 17th on the concluding stage. —AFP

SANTIAGO: KTM’s rider Cyril Despres (R) of France and KTM’s rider Ruben Faria of Portugal celebrate their first and second place at the podium of the 2013 Dakar Rally in Santiago, Chile yesterday. Stephane Peterhansel claimed a record fifth Dakar Rally drivers title, and 11th overall of his career, while French compatriot Cyril Despres captured a fifth motorcycling crown. — AFP

the titanic struggle. But Djokovic was ultimately able to reach his 15th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final and take his career five-set record to 18-6.

Ferrer, the fourth seed in celebrated countryman Rafael Nadal’s absence, wore down Japan’s Kei Nishikori in straight sets to reach his third straight quarter-final at the year-opening Grand Slam. But 10th seed Almagro was only on court for over an hour before his Serbian opponent Janko Tipsarevic retired with a foot injury at 6-2, 5-1. Ferrer, on track to face Djokovic in the semifinals, has never lost to Almagro in 12 meetings.

Berdych defeated Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-2, 76 (15/13) in 2hr 44min after surviving a nerveracking tiebreaker in which the South African had five set points.

Ferrer, who will usurp Nadal as world number four after the Open, was far too consistent and disciplined for 16th seed Nishikori, winning 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in 2hr 10min, but he dismissed suggestions he was in the top four on merit.

“I am top four because Rafael has been injured a long time. It’s true,” Ferrer admitted. “I think the top four, they are better. It’s my opin-

ion. But I am trying to win every match. The results, are there, no? I’m not making something up. “It’s very difficult for me to win a Grand Slam because there are the top four. At this time they are better than the other players.”

Ferrer was promoted to fourth seed in the year’s opening Grand Slam when Nadal pulled out with a stomach virus, after missing all of last year after Wimbledon with a knee injury.

Although Nishikori had beaten Ferrer in their only previous Grand Slam encounter at the 2008 US Open, this time it was clear-cut for the Spaniard.

Nishikori’s exit ended Asia’s hopes in the men’s singles draw as he was bidding to repeat last year ’s quarter-final appearance in Melbourne. Meanwhile, Almagro said he was disappointed to go through to his first Australian Open quarter-final at the ninth attempt because of Tipsarevic’s injury.

“I’m not completely happy because Janko was injured. That’s not the way you want to win,” he said. “Sometimes you can’t do your best and you need to decide to stop if you want to be ready for the next tournament.” — AFP

Holders Leinster make early Heineken Cup exit PARIS: Two-time defending champions Leinster and four-time winners Toulouse crashed out of the European Cup yesterday as Munster and Leicester sneaked into the quarter-finals.

Leinster, who have won three of the last four tournaments, became the first champions to exit in the pool stages since Wasps in 2008.

Leinster had their fate sealed when fellow Irish province Munster beat Racing-Metro 29-6 in Limerick in Pool 1 to deny them one of the two best runners-up spots available for the quarter-finals.

Munster ended their pool campaign second in the group to Saracens and were level on points with Leinster, but edge their Irish rivals for a last-eight spot on tries scored.

“If we hadn’t reached the quarter-finals the people would be in the long grass, there would have been a lot of bullets being fired,” said Munster coach Rob Penney. “If we hadn’t gotten the outcome, I would have still been proud of the progress we are making and the areas of growth we are getting.”

At Welford Road, where 50 tonnes of snow had been removed from the pitch in the 48 hours leading up to the game, two-time champions Leicester topped Pool 2 with a gritty 9-5 win over Toulouse.

In a game played in treacherous conditions, the French side’s kickers squandered 17 points with the boot. Toulouse scored the game’s only try early in the second half when winger Yoann Huget stumbled over the line, but Toby Flood’s three first-half penalties proved decisive for the Tigers.

In Limerick, Munster got the perfect against Racing when French flanker Antoine Battut was sent off by referee Wayne Barnes in the fifth minute for kneeing Keith Earls in the head.

However, it took the hosts 20 minutes to go ahead as scrum-half Conor Murray went over from five metres out-Ian Keatley, standing in for suspended fly-half Ronan O’Gara, converted to make it 7-3. The hosts added a second three

minutes later as Ireland wing Simon Zebo rounded off a superb move, started by a devastating run by prop Dave Kilcoyne. Keatley, however, missed the conversion to leave the score at 12-3. Munster ran in a third try through Mike Sherry before Zebo guaranteed the crucial bonus point.

After good work by Felix Jones, the 22-yearold tapped the ball through and outpaced the Racing covering defence. Zebo then sealed his hat-trick when Earls fed the ball to him. The pool’s other match saw English side Saracens

top the table as they thrashed Edinburgh 40-7 with England wing Chris Ashton running in two tries and his international team-mate Owen Farrell kicking 15 points.

The result left Edinburgh with the sorry record of six defeats and no points having failed to garner even a bonus point just a season after they reached the semi-finals. In the quarterfinals, top seeded English champions Harlequins will welcome Munster, Clermont host last-eight first-timers Montpellier, Leicester go to Toulon while Saracens will welcome Ulster. — AFP

WELFORD ROAD: Leicester’s Adam Thompstone, left, hands off Toulouse’s Luke McAlister during the Heineken Cup, Pool Two match at Welford Road, Leicester, England yesterday. — AP

World’s best big wave surfers to compete in Mavericks HALF MOON BAY: As massive swells lumber across the Pacific toward Northern California, nearly two dozen of the world’s best big wave surfers will be waiting to meet them a half-mile offshore at the infamous surfing break Mavericks.

For the first time since 2010, the Mavericks Invitational surf contest which requires wave faces of at least 20 feet - will occur at the bone-crushing break that has claimed the lives of two expert big wave surfers.

Wave forecasters this week saw an excellent mixture of swell, wind, tide and sunny skies. Once the decision was made to run the contest, the call went out to the surfers, giving them a couple of days to pack their boards and wetsuits, and hop a plane. Surfing the wave at Mavericks is a feat that takes athletic skill, experience and nerve.

The swells travel through deep water for five days before hitting a small, finger-like section of shallow reef that juts out into the sea. When the swell meets

the reef, the wave jumps upward and crashes back down with a fury, eventually washing through a section of craggy rocks.

The takeoff is often so steep that the surfers’ big-wave “gun” surfboards leave the wave face, forcing the surfers to land near the bottom and make a quick turn before being pummeled by the wave’s lip.

The spot - named after the dog of Jeff Clark, who is credited with being the first to surf Mavericks - has earned a nasty

reputation. Mark Foo, a legendary bigwave surfer from Hawaii, died while surfing Mavericks in 1994. In 2011, another seasoned waterman, Sion Milosky, died there just weeks after another surfer nearly drowned.

This year’s contest will be different: spectators are forbidden access to the beach or bluffs. After a large set of waves crashed into the crowd in 2010, injuring dozens, local officials barred crowds from congregating there.

Also, people congregating on the

bluffs and along tide pools during previous contests caused environmental damage. This year organizers have set up a festival at a nearby hotel, featuring a large screen that will broadcast the surfing live. The surfers will hold the awards ceremony there at the end of the contest.

The Coast Guard has issued a high surf advisory for the weekend, and is warning people throughout the region to watch for “sneaker waves” and other hazards. — AP

19

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

SPORTS

Nigeria target medals, Burkina Faso a rare win NELSPRUIT: Nigeria, with a stand-out 13 top-three finishes in the bank, return to the Africa Cup of Nations fold after missing the boat last year, with an opening run-out against Burkina Faso today.

No-nonsense coach Stephen Keshi knows what it takes to claim the continental showcase having been captain of the last Super Eagles’ team to go all the way in Tunis 19 years ago.

They beat Zambia 2-1 in the final then and come up against the Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) again in their second Group C game next Friday. Keshi, who made a name for himself as a physically formidable cen-

tre-back, has spent the last few weeks fine-tuning his squad in Portugal.

Nigeria’s diet of warm-up friendlies harvested a mediocre set of results, with a 1-1 draw against a Barcelonaboosted Catalonia side, a goalless draw with fellow qualifiers Cape Verde, a 1-0 behind-closed-doors win over Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam and a 5-0 rout of a Portuguese second division outfit.

Keshi, who failed to get past the first round in previous stints with Togo and Mali, is happy with his squad’s commitment. “It is good to see players working so hard to win places in my starting line-up. Such competition gives me a nice kind of headache.

“No one has a permanent shirt in the team-they must fight to get it and fight to keep it.” Captain Joseph Yobo, poised to equal Nwankwo Kanu’s record of playing in six Nations Cups, is not blind to the difficulty of the task that lies before him and his team.

“Winning the trophy is not going to be easy but I promise we will give it our best shot,” he said. The defender added: “Let us not get beyond ourselves. The focus for now is on getting past the group stages and only then should we think about quarter-finals and, hopefully, the semi-finals and final.”

In midfield, Chelsea pair John Obi

Mikel and Victor Moses are expected to make an impact. Winger Moses, at his first Nations Cup, said: “We have prepared well and, having missed the last tournament, wish to make Nigerians proud by the end of it.”

Burkina Faso can only cast covetous glances at Nigeria’s outstanding Cup record, the Stallions’ having gone 17 matches without a win, their last victory way back in 1998. Some of their exits have been gallant, others humiliating, with the team failing to harvest a single point at the 1978, 1996 and 2012 finals.

But ahead of their opener in Nelspruit, striker Aristide Bance was in

positive frame of mind. “I believe we have learnt from past failures and have a realistic chance of getting out of the group,” said the star who plays for Bundesliga side Augsburg.

Burkina’s prospects were boosted with the return to fitness of another striker, Alain Traore, but his heel injury may prevent him playing in the opening round. Such is his significance to the national cause-he scored a decisive stoppage-time goal to put Burkina Faso through at the expense of the Central African Republic-a high-ranking delegation headed to Brittany last month to pay him a courtesy visit at his club, Lorient. — AFP

Arsenal frozen out as Chelsea win snowy derby Chelsea 2

Arsenal 1

BRAGA: SC Braga’s midfielder Custodio Castro (3rdR) heads the ball next to Vitoria FC’s Polish goalkeeper Pawel Kieszek to score a goal during the Portuguese league football match SC Braga vs Vitoria FC at the Municipal Stadium in Braga yesterday. — AFP

Van der Vaart returns as Hamburg claim point BERLIN: Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart made his first Hamburg appearance since November yesterday to help his club secure a Bundesliga point at Nuremberg in a 1-1 draw.

Hamburg were denied all three points after South Korea striker Son Heung-Min hit the post seconds before the final whistle with Nuremberg goalkeeper Raphael Schaefer beaten.

Former Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur star Van der Vaart, 29, has endured a difficult few months after tearing his hamstring in November, then injuring his thigh, but looked sharp playing behind strikers Son and Artjoms Rudnevs.

“The first half was really bad, you can’t win a Bundesliga game like that,” said the Oranje star, who split from celebrity wife Sylvie, 34, over the winter break.

“We played much better in the second-half, so at the end 1-1 was okay. It was good to get out there again.”

Hamburg took the lead on 70 minutes when Latvia striker Rudnevs headed home, only for Czech Republic striker Tomas Pekhart to level for the hosts five minutes later.

The point moves Hamburg up to ninth while Nuremberg, whose coach Michael Wiesinger was taking charge of his first Bundesliga match, are 15th, just above the relegation places.

On Saturday, league leaders Bayern Munich enjoyed a 2-0 win at home against bottom side Greuther Fuerth.

Striker Mario Mandzukic scored either side of half-time for Bayern, who had pulled off a midweek coup by announcing they had persuaded Pep Guardiola, who won 14 titles in four years at Barcelona, to be their new

head coach from July.

Fuerth have just one league win all season and Bayern enjoyed more than 75 percent ball possession to dominate their Bavarian neighbours at the Allianz Arena to keep Munich nine points clear of second place Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayer enjoyed a 3-1 win at home to fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, although the first-half was briefly heldup after away fans lit flares in their block.

Bayer bolted into a 2-0 led with two goals in as many minutes as Poland defender Sebastian Boenisch, then striker Stefan Kiessling netted.

Germany forward Andre Schuerrle made sure of the three points with the third, before Frankfurt midfielder Alexander Meier scored a late consolation goal, his 12th of the season.

Defending champions Borussia Dortmund stayed in touch in third place with an emphatic 5-0 victory at Werder Bremen in sub-zero temperatures. Mainz were held to a goalless draw at home by Freiburg as GermanAmerican striker Shawn Parker was sent off for the hosts after earning his second yellow a minute from time.

Hoffenheim remain in the bottom three and seven points from safety after a 0-0 draw at home to Moenchengladbach. On Friday, Schalke 04 earned their first win in seven league games, dating back to November, with a 5-4 win over Hanover to give new coach Jens Keller his first Bundesliga win.

Tottenham Hotspur-bound Lewis Holtby created two goals and scored Schalke’s fifth as eight goals were scored in the second-half. — AFP

LONDON: Chelsea ended its barren run at home by holding off a second-half fightback by Arsenal to win 2-1 yesterday, tightening the team’s grip on third place in the Premier League and leaving its London rival struggling to make the top four.

Juan Mata’s excellent finish and a penalty from Frank Lampard gave Chelsea a two-goal lead after only 16 minutes as Arsenal’s frail defense wilted under gentle but regular snowfall at Stamford Bridge.

The visitors couldn’t help but improve in the second half and a 58th-minute goal by winger Theo Walcott - signed up on Friday for a further 3 1/2 years at the club offered them hope of at least a draw.

Aided by some desperate defending, Chelsea hung on for only its third win in eight home matches - and first in four in all competitions - under interim manager Rafa Benitez. The European champions remain favorites to take the final automatic Champions League qualification spot behind the Manchester clubs, who are battling for the title.

“We are doing well and progressing,” said Benitez, whose team’s fast start meant he avoided the kind of crowd abuse that has marred his first two months at Chelsea.

Arsenal failed to recover from the damage inflicted by its dreadful first-half showing - arguably its worst 45 minutes of the season - and is now 11 points behind Chelsea. Finishing in the Champions League positions is far from guaranteed for Arsene Wenger’s side, which has been a fixture in Europe’s top competition for the past 15 years.

“The table is the table,” Wenger said, bemoaning a second straight slow start following on from the 2-0 home loss to City last weekend. “We have lost two big games in the last week. That’s damaging for us. We can’t afford to lose more points. It’s a concern.”

Lacking leaders, defensively weak and failing to show the

LONDON: Chelsea’s English midfielder Frank Lampard (C) stretches for the ball against Arsenal during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in London yesterday. — AFP to draw 2-2 with Southampton on Wednesday, virtually dashing the team’s slim title hopes, and the same nearly happened five days on.

Walcott made it 11 goals in his last 15 appearances by running onto Santi Cazorla’s perfectly weighted through ball and sidefooting a lofted finish past goalkeeper Petr Cech, sparking an allout offensive from Arsenal.

Suddenly it was Wenger’s team first to every ball as the home crowd became nervous but the equalizer never came, with Chelsea’s defense - again missing the fit-again John Terry - holding form. “It was very hard, the second 45 minutes,” Mata said. “We were defending until the last minute.” — AP

bled under a challenge by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who as last man was fortunate to only receive a yellow card. The penalty was dispatched low into the corner for the midfielder’s 195th goal for the club, leaving him seven behind Bobby Tambling’s alltime record.

More chants of “Sign him up” came from the Chelsea fans, frustrated at the club hierarchy’s apparent decision to let his contract run down this summer.

Ramires and the subdued Fernando Torres, recalled in place of Demba Ba, skied shots over as Chelsea toyed with Arsenal before the interval but the second half couldn’t have been more different.

Chelsea surrendered a 2-0 lead

same work rate and hunger as its opponent, Arsenal was picked off time and again by Chelsea’s effervescent midfield - led by Mata - in the first half. It should have been worse than 2-0 at halftime and Wenger had a face like thunder throughout the half.

“We only came into the game when we were 2-0 down - that’s worrying,” Wenger said. Mata’s goal came after Ramires escaped punishment for a foul on Francis Coquelin in the center circle.

While Arsenal’s players protested, Cesar Azpilicueta lofted a ball over the visiting defense to Mata, who controlled expertly and fired a shot high into the net with Bacary Sagna trailing in his wake.

It was all Chelsea and Lampard made it 2-0 after Ramires tum-

SPL results/standings Chelsea 2, Arsenal 1; Tottenham Hotspur 1, Manchester United 1; Liverpool 5, Norwich City 0; Manchester City 2, Fulham 0; Newcastle United 1, Reading 2; Swansea City 3, Stoke City 1; West Bromwich Albion 2, Aston Villa 2; West Ham United 1, Queens Park Rangers 1; Wigan Athletic 2, Sunderland 3.

Man United Man City Chelsea Tottenham Everton Arsenal Liverpool Bromwich Swansea City Stoke City

P 23 23 23 23 22 22 23 23 23 23

W D 18 2 15 6 13 6 12 5 9 10 9 7 9 7 10 4 8 9 6 11

L 3 2 4 6 3 6 7 9 6 6

F 57 45 47 40 35 41 40 33 34 22

A Pts 30 56 19 51 22 45 28 41 26 37 26 34 28 34 32 34 27 33 27 29

Sunderland West Ham Norwich City Fulham Southampton Newcastle Aston Villa Reading Wigan QPR

23 22 23 23 22 23 23 23 23 23

7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 5 2

7 6 8 7 7 6 8 7 4 9

9 9 9 10 10 12 11 12 14 12

27 25 24 33 30 28 19 28 25 18

31 28 39 40 40 41 44 43 43 37

28 27 26 25 22 21 20 19 19 15

South Korea’s Koo nets as Augsburg claim away win

PORT ELIZABERTH: Mali’s supporters cheer during the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations football match between Mali and Niger at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth yesterday. — AFP

BERLIN: South Korea midfielder Koo JaCheol netted yesterday to help Bundesliga strugglers Augsburg pick up only their second league win of the season with a 3-2 victory at Fortuna Duesseldorf.

Koo, 23, gave Augsburg a 2-0 lead at the break when he scored from a tight angle on the stroke of half-time by firing across Fortuna’s luckless goalkeeper Fabian Giefer to claim his third goal of the season.

Giefer was exposed twice as he first allowed Augsburg striker Sascha Moelders a simple tap in after the ball rolled through his legs on 40 mins. Moelders then added Augsburg’s third when he charged down Giefer’s 71st-minute clearance kick which flew into the Fortuna net.

Australia midfielder Robbie Kruse helped pull a goal back for Fortuna when his 73rd minute pass was converted by striker Stefan Rensinger, who then netted a second on 91 minutes to set up a tense finale.

Japanese striker Genki Omae came on for his Fortuna debut for the last 20 minutes

having joined from J-League side Shimizu SPulse. Despite the points, Augsburg stay second from bottom, nine points from safety, while Fortuna are 14th.

Earlier, Hamburg were held to a 1-1 draw at Nuremberg as Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart made his first appearance since November for the guests.

Hamburg were denied a win after South Korea striker Son Heung-Min hit the post seconds before the final whistle. Former Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur star Van der Vaart, 29, has endured a difficult few months after tearing his hamstring in November, then injuring his thigh, but looked sharp playing behind strikers Son and Artjoms Rudnevs.

On Saturday, league leaders Bayern Munich enjoyed a 2-0 win at home against bottom side Greuther Fuerth as striker Mario Mandzukic scored either side of halftime for Bayern.

Victory keeps Munich nine points clear of second place Bayer Leverkusen, who

enjoyed a 3-1 win at home to fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, although the first-half was briefly held-up after away fans lit flares in their block. Defending champions Borussia Dortmund stayed in touch in third place with an emphatic 5-0 victory at Werder Bremen in sub-zero temperatures.

Mainz were held to a goalless draw at home by Freiburg as German-American striker Shawn Parker was sent off for the hosts after earning his second yellow a minute from time.

Hoffenheim remain in the bottom three and seven points from safety after a 0-0 draw at home to Moenchengladbach.

On Friday, Schalke 04 earned their first win in seven league games, dating back to November, with a 5-4 win over Hanover to give new coach Jens Keller his first Bundesliga win.

Tottenham Hotspur-bound Lewis Holtby created two goals and scored Schalke’s fifth as eight goals were scored in the secondhalf. — AFP

Djokovic wins epic

Donaldson plucks Rose to win in Abu Dhabi

18

17

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Arsenal frozen out as Chelsea win snowy derby

Page 19

LONDON: Manchester United’s goalkeeper David de Gea claims the ball beside Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale, center, during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and ManchesterUnited at White Hart Lane stadium in London, yesterday. — AP

Ice-cool Spurs hold United Dempsey late show gives United frostbite Man United 1

Tottenham 1

LONDON: A stoppage-time goal by Clint Dempsey saw Tottenham Hotspur snatch a 1-1 draw at home to Manchester United yesterday that prevented the Premier League leaders from restoring their seven-point lead.

United had taken the lead through Robin van Persie in the 25th minute and looked set to hold on for a narrow victo-

ry until Dempsey scrambled the ball home from close range in the 93rd minute at a snow-sprinkled White Hart Lane.

The result means that second-place Manchester City are now five points behind United, while Spurs finish the weekend trailing third-place Chelsea by four points and leading Everton by the same distance. “We did so well at everything and we kept heading it out-the disappointment is not finishing them off,” said United manager Alex Ferguson.

“We had a lot of opportunities on the counter-attack but our final ball let us down. Tottenham were very committed and aggressive. I think they have a decent squad and a good team.”

It was only the fifth time this season

that Ferguson’s side have failed to pick up maximum points from a league game and they have taken just a point from Spurs, who prevailed 3-2 at Old Trafford in September.

“It was a big relief. I thought we dominated the game,” said Spurs manager Andre-Villas Boas. “We wanted to win, but it was an important point in the end due to the form United are in. A point can give us a lot of confidence.”

Persistent snowfall in north London had put the fixture in jeopardy, but the game survived a pitch inspection 70 minutes prior to kick-off and as the game got under way, the snow had started to ease.

Spurs looked to take the initiative, Dempsey seeing a volley blocked by

Nemanja Vidic and the recalled Scott Parker shooting over from 22 yards, but United threatened first when van Persie headed straight at Hugo Lloris. Few players have caused Patrice Evra problems as consistently as Aaron Lennon in recent seasons and the Spurs winger left the Frenchman trailing in the 14th minute before drawing a save from David de Gea with a low shot.

United started the game with Wayne Rooney on the bench but there is always danger when van Persie is around and in the 25th minute the Dutchman struck for the 10th time in as many league games to put the visitors ahead.

Danny Welbeck drifted in from the left before spraying the ball wide to

England colleague Tom Cleverley, and his curling cross was headed in at the back post by the leaping van Persie.

Spurs resumed their assault on the United goal but both Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale were thwarted by agile saves from De Gea, who readjusted well to block the Welshman’s deflected shot shortly before half-time.

Early in the second period, De Gea produced an incredible reaction save with his legs to thwart Dempsey, who was able to take aim at an exposed goal from just eight yards after a slalom into the box by Mousa Dembele.

United manager Ferguson introduced Rooney with half an hour remaining and he immediately had a penalty appeal rejected after being caught by

Atletico beat Levante, trim gap on Barca

Congo storm back to hold Ghana PORT ELIZABETH: Congo came back from 2-0 down for a 2-2 draw with Ghana at the African Cup of Nations yesterday as Group B’s opening game swept away the tournament’s damp start with a pulsating contest at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Emmanuel Agyemang Badu’s finelyworked goal late in the first half and Kwadwo Asamoah’s header early in the second put Ghana two up and on course for an opening win and a reassuring start to the African Cup. But having already threatened to lead in the first half, Claude Le Roy’s competitive Congo rallied in the second through Tresor Mputu in the 53rd and Dieumerci Mbokani’s penalty in the 67th, which the tall striker won and then buried with a languid stroke into the top right corner.

The African Cup had gone through nearly five halves without a goal before Agyemang Badu was the first of four scorers in Port Elizabeth. If only there were more fans to watch.

Congo was also inches away from winning when Yousuf Mulumbu’s late shot was clawed away by Fatawu Dauda.

And in one final thrill, Asamoah Gyan’s header was just kept out by flamboyant Congo goalkeeper Muteba Kidiaba on the goal line in the final seconds of the four minutes of added time.

From the moment Gyan nearly connected with a dangerous cross in the second minute, to the Ghana captain’s near-miss right at the very end, the game served up rapid and expansive attacks one after the other in the kind of advert for African football desperately lacking in the opening two

games at Soccer City on Saturday night.

“I think it is not possible to get a better image of African football than the game between these two teams,” Le Roy said.

Despite the rich entertainment for the fans, the draw was still a blow to title contender Ghana’s campaign, with regular rival Mali and then Niger still to come in the group.

“All we have to do is go home and correct our mistakes ... and come back hungry,” Gyan said.

Having survived a rough opening five minutes, Congo responded to rattle Ghana’s crossbar in the 13th minute through Lomana Lualua - instantly grabbing the Ghanaians’ attention. Mputu also went close straight after.

Ghana appeared to have impressed its authority with Agyemang Badu’s superb goal in the 40th, which was set up by an outstanding one-two between Kwadwo Asamoah and Gyan before Agyemang Badu slid in to score from close range.

Asamoah headed in a corner at the far post off the bar of Kidiaba’s goal for a comfortable advantage for the Black Stars.

Against the backdrop of well-publicized problems over tournament bonuses for the squad, and Le Roy’s apparent threat to resign last week, Congo’s players might be in for a rewarding tournament after their attacking invention in the first half and stirring fightback in the last 35 minutes.

Mputu was played in by Cedric Makiadi to push a shot with the outside of his right foot across Dauda and into the far corner for 2-1.

Mbokani’s spot kick after he was the

Steven Caulker just inside the Tottenham area.

A clear sight of goal arrived for the hosts in the 78th minute, but when Lennon sent Defoe clear, his former West Ham United team-mate Rio Ferdinand slid in from nowhere to prevent an equaliser with a vital block.

Ferdinand then produced a telling intervention with five minutes left, bravely getting his head to a fierce Bale strike to divert the ball narrowly wide of the lefthand post.

It seemed Spurs’ efforts would be in vain, but with the final whistle beckoning, De Gea miscued a punch and Dempsey turned Lennon’s pass home to give United’s pursuers a glimmer of hope in the title race. —AFP

PORT ELIZABERTH: Ghana’s Jerry Akaminko, left, challenges Congo’s Dieudonne Mbokani during their African Cup of Nations Group B soccer match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, yesterday. Mbokani scored on the penalty to equalize the match at 2-2 in the second half. — AP

player dragged down in the area sent Kidiaba, the unmistakeable pony-tailed Congolese ‘keeper, into his traditional and bizarre celebrations as he went bouncing around his penalty area on his backside.

In another match , skipper Seydou Keita broke the deadlock in the 84th minute to give Mali a 1-0 win over Niger and become the first team to collect three points for a victory in the African Nations Cup yesterday.

After three successive draws, two in Saturday’s Group A matches, and a 2-2 finish between Ghana and Democratic Republic of Congo in the earlier Group B

clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, this game seemed set to finish all square with the teams level and final whistle approaching.

But Keita, who had hit the bar with a thunderous shot in the 77th minute, reacted quickly when Niger goalkeeper Daouda Kassaly fumbled a high ball and the midfielder swept it home with his left foot.Neither team had a shot on target in the first half, and although Niger, who have lost all four games they have played in their two tournament appearances, produced some neat passing play, Mali were the relieved, and deserved winners at the end. — Agencies

MADRID: Atletico M adrid took full advantage of Barcelona’s defeat at Real Sociedad and trimmed the gap on the La Liga leaders to eight points when Adrian and Koke struck in a 2-0 win at home to Levante yesterday. Barca crashed to their first reverse of the campaign when they let slip a two-goal lead and were beaten 3-2 at Sociedad on Saturday and Atletico maintained their perfect home record with an efficient performance against Valencia-based Levante. Diego Simeone’s side, whose latest victory was soured by an injury to top scorer Radamel Falcao, have won all 10 of their league matches at their Calderon stadium and are second on 47 points from 20 games. Barca have 55 points, while champions Real Madrid are 18 points behind their great rivals and 10 adrift of city neighbours Atletico in third ahead of their match at Valencia later on Sunday (2000 GMT). Adrian fired Atletico ahead in the 32nd minute when he connected with a Javi Manquillo centre at the far post and his first-time shot from a tight angle went into the net off Levante defender David Navarro.

Midfielder Koke curled in a second from the edge of the area on the hour and Atletico have now gone 10 games in all competitions without conceding a goal at home. Colombia striker Falcao, who is coveted by several of Europe’s richest clubs, had earlier pulled up clutching the back of his left leg and had to be replaced by Diego Costa. The club said later on their Twitter feed he had damaged his hamstring but did not say how long he might be sidelined. Real Valladolid climbed back above Getafe, who drew 1-1 at home to Sevilla on Saturday, when they inflicted a third-successive defeat on Real Zaragoza. Javi Guerra put Valladolid ahead in the 12th minute at their Jose Zorrilla stadium before their best player, German winger Patrick Ebert, limped off with an apparent muscle strain and Oscar made it 20 16 minutes from time. Deportivo La Coruna’s tentative revival under new coach Domingos Paciencia faltered when they lost 2-1 at fellow strugglers Osasuna and dropped below the Pamplona-based club to the bottom of the standings.— Reuters

Business

KPMG to hold workshop on Kuwait tax landscape Page 22 Gulf markets gained in 2012 despite strain Page 25

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Mercedes-Benz ‘Intelligent Drive’

All-new MINI JCW Countryman now in Kuwait Page 26

Page 23

LONDON: Shoppers walk along Oxford Street in central London yesterday. Four big British high-street retailers had to call in administrators this winter as cash-strapped, web-literate consumers proved unforgiving of stores failing to adapt to fast-evolving markets.— AFP

Iranian airlines face turbulent times Parliament to probe CB over response to rial fall TEHRAN: Sky-rocketing fuel and ticket prices, a drop in passenger traffic and foreign currency shortages, all resulting from global sanctions, have forced Iran’s aviation sector into turbulent times. Aviation experts believe that some airlines in the Islamic republic will fail to weather these stormy days and be forced to even shut down. “It is likely that some small airlines will be out of business due to rises in fuel prices,” Hamid Reza Pahlevani, head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation, was quoted as saying by the Iranian media this week. The state-owned National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC), apparently facing financial difficulties like many other firms, tripled the price of jet fuel in October, making matters worse for domestic airlines.

Iranian media reports that the price of jet fuel for international flights has soared to 21,000 rials ($0.75) from 7,000 rials ($0.25) per litre, while domestic flights now have to cough up 7,000 rials per litre, up by 75 percent. They say the price hike is driven by a

plan to reduce the gap between Iran, where fuel is subsidized, and Gulf Arab states.

The price increase is also a result of high inflation, officially estimated at 25 percent, and the plunging value of the rial-a direct result of Western sanctions imposed on Tehran to halt its suspicious nuclear program.

Oil and banking embargoes by the United States and the European Union have also led to a shortage of foreign currency in Iran.

Adding further pressure is the doubling of airport taxes following the lifting of subsidies. With companies losing their edge in buying foreign currency since the end of 2012, the cost of buying equipment and maintenance has also doubled.

The result is that airlines have increased fare prices by 70 percent on domestic flights and 90 percent on international flights, leading to a 25 percent drop in passenger traffic, said airlines association chief Abdolreza Mousavi. “The income of companies dropped by 15 percent since August,” Mousavi said, adding that some carriers are “on the verge

of bankruptcy... due to the collapsing rial, fuel hikes, and inaccessible foreign exchange.” “They do not have money to pay their debt.” In January, the planes of domestic airlines, Mahan Air and Aseman, were grounded for a few hours by NIORDC which refused to refuel them because it said they were behind on their payments.

The state-owned jet fuel supplier now demands cash up front from all airline companies, media reports say. Iran’s deputy oil minister, Ali Reza Zeighami, has put the pending payments from such airline companies at around 7,500 billion rials ($225 million). The turmoil in the sector has led Austrian Airlines to stop flying while Dutch carrier KLM said it would cease operations from April. European carriers like Lufthansa, Alitalia, Turkish and Aeroflot still land in Iran, however. Despite these financial difficulties, Iranian travel agencies have released large and colorful advertisements in mass-selling dailies, offering overseas trips ahead of the country’s New Year, Nowrouz, observed on

March 21. The aviation crisis has also ruffled the nation’s political class critical of the government’s subsidy-easing policy.

Iran’s parliament voted 171 to 36 to investigate the country’s central bank over its response to last year’s currency crisis, parliamentary news agency Icana reported.

Iranian media also reported on Sunday that Mahmoud Bahmani, Iran’s central bank governor, had asked to leave his post, but there was no confirmation or denial from the central bank.

The value of the Iranian rial against the US dollar has plummeted in the last year following sanctions on the central bank and a European Union embargo on Iranian oil, believed to have curtailed Tehran’s hard currency earnings. Critical legislators have accused the central bank of economic mismanagement for its handling of the currency’s decline, including accusations that it did not provide the market with enough dollars to meet demand, helping to drive down the rial. — Agencies

TEHRAN: Iran Air and Mahan Air passenger planes sitting on the tarmac of the domestic Mehrabad airport in the Iranian capital Tehran. Sky-rocketing fuel and ticket prices, a drop in passenger traffic and foreign currency shortages, all resulting from global sanctions, have forced Iran’s aviation sector into turbulent times. — AFP

Egypt pound weakens again at CB auction Growth slows, but markets feel good ahead of Davos FRANKFURT: The world’s financial and political elite will head this week to the Alps for 2013’s gathering of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, with the global economy far less plagued by fear than it was last year. Much-feared worldwide panics from a collapse of the euro currency union have been avoided. China appears likely to remain an engine of global growth.

Stocks are off to a running start in the New Year. “There’s a sense of relief that the worst didn’t happen ... and I think that relief is probably justified,” said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist at IHS Global Insight.

Davos is the venue for the World Economic Forum, an annual gathering of more than 2,000 decision-makers from nearly 100 countries and hundreds of com-

panies that starts Wednesday. The WEF has taken “Resilient Dynamism” as the theme for this year’s event.

Yet the global economy is expected to remain sluggish in 2013, with two of the biggest economies - the euro alliance and Japan - in recession. There’s also a risk that the United States, the world’s largest economy, may slash government spending - a step that could dampen the world economy. Few think global economic growth will even match last year’s tepid 3.3 percent. Despite that, as fear of a catastrophe has eased, optimism appears to have taken hold among investors. The world’s financial markets have surged. Both the US Standard & Poor’s 500 and Europe’s STOXX 600 have risen 13.5 percent in the past 12 months. —AP

CAIRO: Egypt’s pound extended losses against the US dollar at yesterday’s central bank sale of foreign exchange, leaving the currency 6.6 percent weaker than when auctions were introduced at the end of December.

The pound has now weakened by more than 12 percent since the uprising against Hosni Mubarak in January 2011 that toppled the leader of 30 years and set off two years of political turmoil and violence, driving away investors and hammering the economy. The central bank accepted bids worth $74.3 million with a cut-off price of 6.5875 Egyptian pounds to the US dollar at the 12th auction since it introduced the system to try to curb a fall in foreign reserves that are at critical levels. The cut-off price at the previous auction, held on Thursday, was 6.57 pounds.

On the interbank market - where the central bank limits trades to a 0.5 percent band above or below the weighted average of bids at the most recent currency auction -

the pound slid to a fresh low of 6.6203 pounds to the US dollar. The central bank, whose reserves stood at $36 billion before the uprising, has spent $21 billion from those reserves plus additional cash granted or lent by Gulf and other backers in a bid to prop up the Egyptian currency. Reserves have hovered around $15 billion for months, even as donors have stumped up cash, with Qatar one of the main backers.

The central bank has said reserves are at a critical level, covering roughly three months of imports. Finance Minister Al-Mursi AlSayed Hegazy told reporters yesterday that Qatar had provided Egypt a total of $5 billion in support, made up of grants worth $1 billion, deposits at the central bank worth $1.5 billion and $2.5 billion of bond buying.

Egypt is also seeking $4.8 billion from the International Monetary Fund. The deal was agreed in principle in November but final approval was postponed when the government delayed some unpopular tax rises seen as vital to securing the cash. — Reuters

Dubai hits 32-month high; Gulf markets up MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Dubai’s bourse rose to a 32-month closing high in heavy trade yesterday as it tested, but failed to break, long-term technical resistance. Most regional markets also gained. The Dubai index, buoyed by a budding recovery in the real estate market and the belief that the emirate has largely put its 2009-2010 corporate debt crisis behind it, climbed as high as 1,803 points before it finished up 1.0 percent at 1,792 points, its highest close since April 2010.

The index was testing major chart resistance between 1,778 points, the 2012 high hit in March last year, and the October 2010 peak of 1,793 points. Any clean break - a close above that area for at least two successive sessionswould trigger a major double bottom formed by the 2012 and early 2011 lows, with a technical target above 2,200 points in coming months.

“The market has the potential to break the 1,800 level, which was tested today - the volumes were significant and a continuation on last week’s volumes,” said Musa Haddad, head of investment advisory services at National Bank of Abu Dhabi. Investors may decide to book gains in the next few sessions, but this could merely allow medium- and long-term investors to buy at lower prices. “This is a huge recovery for the Dubai market, heading to 2,200 to 2,400 points,” added Haddad. “The market has been basing out for a few years and this is a bullish confirmation on the Dubai market, which should continue for a couple of years.” The market traded 446 million shares during the day, a little below the peak of 505 million shares traded on Jan. 9, which was the highest in about a year.

Bellwether Emaar Properties rose 4.1 percent, National Central Cooling (Tabreed) added 2.4 percent and Union Properties climbed 6.3 percent Abu Dhabi’s measure gained 0.6 percent to its highest close since November 2010. Heavyweights First Gulf Bank and Etisalat climbed 2.1 and 0.1 percent respectively.

In Egypt, Orascom Construction Industries (OCI) helped lift Cairo’s bourse after US investors committed to invest $1 billion in its unit OCI NV. Shares in OCI rose 1.7 percent to close at 271.70 pounds ($41.15). OCI NV said on Friday it had launched an exchange offer to acquire all of the outstanding Global Depositary Receipts of parent OCI in exchange for ordinary shares in OCI NV. It also offered to acquire all of OCI’s ordinary shares in exchange for OCI NV shares or 280 pounds in cash per share.

“Should more than 95 percent of investors in OCI accept the offer, the company would then have the option to force the remaining shareholders to sell and to delist OCI in Cairo - we think this is the likeliest option,” NBK Capital said in a research note, adding that the fair value of OCI shares was close to the cash offer price. Delisting OCI would take a chunk of trading volume off the Egypt exchange, where the company accounts for about 25 percent of total market capitalization. “The loss in liquidity will be quite severe,” NBK added.

Egypt’s index closed 0.4 percent higher, up 4.1 percent so far in January. The Egyptian pound continued sliding to fresh record lows against the US dollar yesterday but many investors are still betting Egypt can avoid an outright currency collapse, so the depreciation has not hurt stocks.

Elsewhere, shares in Saudi construction firm Abdullah A M Al-Khodari Sons Company plunged 8.3 percent to their lowest close in January. —Reuters

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

BUSINESS

KPMG to hold workshop on Kuwait tax landscape

By Sajeev K Peter KUWAIT: KPMG will hold ‘Kuwait Tax Briefing,’ a workshop on evolving tax landscape in Kuwait on Wednesday, (January 23). The workshop is expected to give the participants a practical and commercial understanding of Kuwait Corporate Income Tax law, practices developed by the Kuwait tax authorities for applying the tax law and the details of recent developments.

The interactive workshop with KPMG

experts will be held at the JW Marriott Hotel from 8.30 am to 1.30 pm. The workshop will discuss recent developments in the practices of the Kuwait Tax Authority (KTA) with special focus on infrastructure projects, neutral zone options, deemed profit assessments and tax on cash dividends.

The Kuwait tax environment is continually evolving through the practices of the Kuwait Tax Authority. Generally, foreign companies earning income from Kuwaiti source are subject to corporate

eign companies often incorrectly assume that they have no tax obligations in Kuwait which eventually results in penalties which are often higher than the actual tax due. There are also specific requirements when considering the practical application of the tax treaties.

It is therefore vital to have knowledge of the practical aspects of the Kuwait tax environment prior to commencing activities in Kuwait, the release added.

Similarly, local Kuwaiti shareholding companies which are subject to Zakat

income tax of 15% (for fiscal periods commencing after 3 February 2008, prior to which a maximum tax rate of 55% was applicable) of taxable profits determined by the Kuwait tax authority (KTA), a press release issued by KPMG pointed out.

Due to the adjustments made by the KTA, foreign companies face a higher tax liability compared to the amounts offered in their respective declaration. In addition, as the Kuwait tax environment differs in several ways than most other tax jurisdiction around the world, for-

(and National Labor Support tax for listed entities) face adjustments which result in higher Zakat due compared to the amounts offered in their respective declaration. KPMG’s Kuwait tax seminar will discuss these key aspects of the current tax landscape in Kuwait based on its experiences in tax matters with over 50 local and foreign companies.

KPMG Safi Al-Mutawa & Partners, the audit, tax and advisory firm is the Kuwait member firm of KPMG International Cooperative (KPMG International).

Hungary CB set for unusual succession Rebuilding investor-confidence priority BUDAPEST: Prime Minister Viktor Orban is poised for take full control of one of Hungary’s few remaining independent state institutions when a new central bank head is appointed next month, analysts say.

And unlike the departing and independentminded Andras Simor, the likely new governor, Economy Minister Gyorgy Matolcsy, does not appear to enjoy trust among investors.

“Governor Simor himself is widely respected in the financial markets,” analysts from Capital Economics in London said in a recent report. “From the perspective of the markets, Dr. Matolcsy would ... be the worst choice.”

The trusted Orban lieutenant with a maverick reputation has been behind many of the government’s more “unorthodox” policies such as nationalizing private pension funds and imposing “crisis taxes” on certain sectors.

Were he to take the reins at the central bank in March, the worry is that this approach would be extended to monetary policy, and in particular by focusing too much on getting Hungary out of recession and not enough on inflation.

He has already said he wants “close cooper-

ation” in the future between the government and the central bank, the MNB. OTP, Hungary’s largest bank, fears that the government could even press the bank to start printing more money-a sure-fire route to increasing what is already the EU’s highest rate of inflation.

Since sweeping to power in 2010, Orban, 49, has been accused of eroding the independence of other vital democratic institutions such as the judiciary and the media.

Orban acolytes already form a majority on the central bank body which sets interest rates, outvoting Simor to cut borrowing rates five times in five months despite inflation averaging 5.2 percent in 2012. The European Central Bank, which has expressed worries about the independence of its Hungarian counterpart, targets inflation of below but close to two percent in the euro-zone. Proof that such worries about Matolcsy are well founded came in a recent newspaper column in which the 57-year-old declared the lowinflation and strong-currency policy of 2002 to 2010 a mistake. Within a day, Hungary’s currency the forint dropped to a seven-month

low against the euro. Matolcsy’s ministry blamed currency speculators, or “pirates of the financial world” as he once called them.

“The anticipated changes at the MNB are not good for the forint,” said a report by CIB Bank. “The market has begun pricing in a weaker rate.”

Peter Felcsuti, a former president of the Hungarian Banking Association, said that the government clearly wanted the MNB to do more to kickstart economic growth, but that the scope for achieving this was limited.

And if it goes further, “the government risks being punished by the markets as well as opening a new front between Budapest and the EU,” he said. Worries over the bank’s independence was also one reason that talks with the International Monetary Fund and EU over a 15-billion-euro ($19-billion) financial safety net foundered last year. There is meanwhile little love lost between Orban and the former private banker Simor, 58, with the prime minister saying on Friday that the central bank would never again have an “offshore speculator” as its head. —AFP

Saudi crude exports fell to 7.15m bpd in Nov DUBAI: Saudi crude oil exports fell by 124,000 barrels a day (bpd) to 7.154 million bpd in November, according to official data published by the Joint Data Initiative (JODI) yesterday.

The world’s top crude oil exporter cut its production by 232,000 bpd from October to 9.492 million bpd in November, largely due to a 232,000 bpd drop in Saudi oil use for power generation and lower demand abroad. Offsetting the fall in Saudi electricity sector demand, its refinery intake rose by 53,000 bpd month on month, while the kingdom put an average of 193,866 bpd of crude into storage, the latest JODI figures show. Official figures for December exports will not be published by JODI until mid February, but Saudi Arabia has told OPEC it cut production by 467,000 bpd to 9.025 million bpd in December.

Export and internal power demand figures published yesterday support a Saudi oil official’s claims that some of the reduction in production in late 2012 was a result of lower seasonal demand in Saudi Arabia. Saudi production in December was more than a million barrels below its peak production last summer, when the kingdom’s own oil use rises because it burns oil to generate electricity to meet high air conditioning demand. But the 700,000 bpd drop in Saudi crude production over the final two months of 2012 also reflects weaker demand abroad. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ monthly report published last week indicated world oil supply will comfortably outstrip demand in the first half of 2013. —Reuters

Saudi Electricity Q4 net loss widens on costs JEDDAH: Saudi Electricity Company reported a sharply wider fourth-quarter net loss yesterday, partly on costs related to workers who have been let go by the utility.

The company said it had a net loss of 1.09 billion riyals ($290.7 million) in the three months to Dec. 30, compared with a loss of 514 million riyals in the same quarter in 2011. One analyst at EFG Hermes had forecast a loss of 750 million riyals, according to a Reuters survey.

Saudi Electricity’s shares were down 1.08 percent on the Saudi stock exchange in early afternoon trade. “The reason for the rise in net losses for the fourth quarter compared with the same quarter a year earlier is due to the rise in

costs of non-recurrent programs to improve production,” the statement said, referring to future commitments for people who have left the company.

The partly state-owned monopoly holder is working to restructure its operations pending further privatization of its operating units.

Operating losses narrowed by 2 percent to 622 million riyals from 636 million riyals in the same period a year earlier. Its results are highly seasonal due to the wide variation between summer and winter electricity demand in the sweltering desert kingdom. The utility benefits from very cheap energy feedstock supplied by Saudi Arabian Oil Co. —Reuters

MADRID: A protester holds a mock coffin during a demonstration against a measure raising Court fees in Madrid. Demonstrators protested yesterday against a rise in the fees to be paid by citizens to present lawsuits or complaints, a measure announced by Spain’s Justice Minister Alberto RuizGallardon. —AFP

National Bank of Oman Q4 profit jumps 48% advances grew by 14 percent in 2012, hitting 1.91 billion rials against 1.67 billion rials at the end of 2011.

Customer deposits rose 18 percent yearon-year, standing at 1.89 billion rials against 1.6 billion rials at the end of 2011.

Total assets gained 14 percent in the same period to 2.54 billion rials at the end of 2012. Fitch Ratings affirmed NBO’s BBB+ rating in November, citing improving profitability, liquidity and asset quality on account of the bank’s new strategy.

However, it noted the bank’s weakening capital position - its core capital ratio declined 0.5 percent in the first nine months of 2012 to 12.8 percent on the back of strong growth - at a time when other Omani banks are mulling rights issues.

NBO shares closed 0.7 percent lower on the Muscat bourse yesterday. —Reuters

DUBAI: National Bank of Oman, the sultanate’s fourth-largest lender by market capitalization, posted a 47.8-percent rise jump in fourth-quarter net profit on Sunday, beating analysts’ expectations.

The lender made a net profit of 10.2 million rials ($26.5 million) in the final three months of 2012, according to Reuters calculations based on previous financial statements, up from 6.9 million rials in the same period in 2011. Four analysts polled by Reuters had estimated an average fourthquarter profit of 8.7 million rials.

Full-year profits stood at 40.7 million rials, climbing 19 percent on the previous year’s figure of 34.2 million rials, a statement to the Muscat stock exchange said.

The bank was helped by a 15-percent rise in net interest income, which increased to 67.2 million rials in 2012. Loans and

Al-Mojil to sue for over $100m take measures against other companies, but did not elaborate. Officials at Saudi Binladin and the Saudi operations of Petrofac and SK Engineering were not immediately available to comment.

In November last year, shareholders in MMG rejected the idea of liquidating the company, which is involved in oil and gas projects, mainly for state oil company Saudi Aramco.

The company’s recovery plan includes asset sales, cutting bank debt and absorbing accumulated losses. MMG is involved in building part of Aramco’s Wasit gas program, as well as the Aramco-Sinopec refinery in Yanbu, among others. It has branches in the United Arab Emirates. —Reuters

KHOBAR: Financially troubled Saudi Arabian construction company Mohammad Al Mojil Group (MMG) plans to start legal action to collect dues and claims worth more than 400 million riyals ($107 million), it said yesterday.

The company said it would take legal action against the Saudi unit of Britain’s Petrofac, Saudi Binladin Group, and South Korea’s SK Engineering and Construction, an affiliate of SK Holdings.

MMG, which is restructuring its operations after being hit by heavy losses and accumulated debt, said in a bourse statement that the legal action was coming after “all available solutions and options were exhausted”. It did not give details of the legal action. It added that it would

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 US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

.2740000 .4440000 .3720000 .2990000 .2810000 .2930000 .0040000 .0020000 .0763380 .7437430 .3880000 .0720000 .7291070 .0430000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2812000 .4462080 .3745020 .3006680 .2835530 .0501870 .0431320 .2954430 .0362720 .2291770 .0031210 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0765900 .7461850 .0000000 .0750070 .7306740 .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.203 5.150 2.889 2.224 3.246 231.160 36.408 3.533

.2840000 .45900 .3810000 .3110000 .2920000 .3030000 .0067500 .0035000 .0771060 .7512180 .4050000 .0770000 .7364350 .0510000 .2833000 .4495400 .3772990 .3029140 .2856710 .0505620 .0434540 .2976490 .0365430 .2308880 .0031450 .0053020 .0022450 .0029110 .0035700 .0771620 .7517580 .4007070 .0755670 .7361310 .0070470

Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - transfer Irani Riyal - cash

UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

6.994 9.443 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 75.297 77.584 733.400 749.970 77.886

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 282.250 Euro 376.520 Sterling Pound 454.420 Canadian dollar 287.720 Turkish lire 159.460 Swiss Franc 304.150 Australian dollar 298.620 US Dollar Buying 281.050 GOLD 311.000 157.000 81.500

SELL DRAFT 301.97 290.56 308.38 378.73 281.65 455.48 3.27 3.554 5.151 2.231 3.244 2.899

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Selling Rate 282.650 286.870 454.355 370.475 306.160 748.310 76.930 77.585 75.335 398.440 43.553 2.212 5.144 2.900 3.506 6.913 693.345 4.230 9.375 3.975 3.305 92.855

SELL CASH 300.000 289.000 311.000 380.000 282.850 458.000 3.750 3.800 5.400 2.600 3.550 2.980

COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar

SELL CASH 300.300 751.150 4.000 288.500 554.700 46.000 51.300 167.800 44.730 380.100 37.120 5.480 0.032 0.161 0.243

Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria 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

3.240 400.260 0.191 96.980 46.200 4.340 240.000 1.830 51.500 733.670 3.000 7.310 78.130 75.410 231.530 35.090 2.690 452.600 44.400 305.800 3.400 9.780 198.263 77.010 282.800 1.360 GOLD

10 Tola 1,799.800

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Bahrain Exchange Company

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee

77.200 748.000 45.500 399.500 733.000 78.500 75.350

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 46.200 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 42.785 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.318 Tunisian Dinar 182.330 Jordanian Dinar 398.350 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.894 Syrian Lier 3.067 Morocco Dirham 34.212

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

76.75 749.94 42.79 401.26 733.02 77.78 75.32

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 450.600 282.400

Al Mulla Exchange

SELLDRAFT 298.800 751.150 3.538 287.000

231.500 42.732 378.600 36.970 5.245 0.031

Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 282.050 378.350 450.350 286.900 3.170 5.237 42.690 2.223 3.542 6.945 2.889 751.000 76.750 75.200

400.230 0.190 96.980 3.300 238.500

733.490 2.895 6.969 77.700 75.410 231.530 35.090 2.230 450.600 304.300 3.400 9.690 76.910 282.400

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

BUSINESS

Mercedes-Benz ‘Intelligent Drive’ The Future of Safety innovations by Mercedes-Benz

Attention assistance

360 Degree camera view STUTTGART: It first started ten years ago with PRESAFE and continued with DISTRONIC PLUS, and in the space of the next few years it’s due to take motoring into a whole new dimension at MercedesBenz: comfort and safety merged together as one, opening up all sorts of new prospects for motorists and car developers alike. Mercedes-Benz calls it “Intelligent Drive” - the next generation of the new S-Class will already boast an array of new systems designed to make driving an even safer and more comfortable experience.

Ever since the brand’s earliest origins, the current flagship model from Mercedes-Benz has assumed a very special role - not just for the company, but for the automotive world as a whole. Because the SClass has never ceased to keep raising technological standards, it has come to be a role model with symbolic status. A decade ago, PRE-SAFE ushered in a new era of vehicle safety with the advent of technology that was able to detect the risk of an accident occurring in advance and prepare both vehicle and passengers for a possible collision. For the first time, active and passive safety technology worked together in synergy.

“The intelligent assistance systems of the future will be able to analyze complex situations and recognize potential dangers out on the road with the aid of improved environment sensor systems even more accurately than today,” explains Prof Dr Thomas Weber, Member of the Daimler Board of Management responsible for Group Research and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

“Figuratively speaking, the next S-Class won’t just have eyes at the front; it will have 360-degree allround vision.” Of crucial importance in this respect is the networking of all systems, or “sensor fusion” as the safety experts call it. Mercedes-Benz is continually enhancing the performance capabilities of its assistance systems with the aim of ensuring comprehensive protection, not just for the occupants of a Mercedes-Benz, but for all other road users, too.

The new systems hold tremendous potential for either preventing accidents or mitigating their consequences according to Prof. Weber: “ Take, for instance, the new BAS PLUS assistance system with Cross-Traffic Assist. The results of our accident research based on the data from the GIDAS (German In-Depth Accident Study) indicate that it could either prevent or lessen the severity of 27 percent of all accidents at road junctions resulting in personal injury. That equates to some 20,000 accidents a year in Germany alone.”

Here is a summary of the new assistance systems and those with notably enhanced functionality: • DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist helps the driver to guide the vehicle in its lane and can even follow the vehicle in front in slow-moving traffic automatically.

• For the first time, the Brake Assist system BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic Assist is able to detect cross traffic and also pedestrians, and if necessary boost the braking power applied by the driver accordingly.

• PRE-SAFE Brake can detect pedestrians and ini-

Lane keeping assistance

tiate autonomous braking to avoid a collision at speeds up to 50 km/h.

• PRE-SAFE PLUS can recognize an imminent rearend collision, prompting the PRE-SAFE system to trigger occupant protection measures. It can also firmly apply the stationary vehicle’s brakes in the event of a rear-end collision to prevent secondary accidents.

• With PRE-SAFE Impulse, the driver and front passenger are pulled away from the direction of impact by their seat belts at an early phase of the crash before the resulting occupant deceleration starts to increase. This can substantially reduce the risk and severity of injuries in a frontal collision.

• Active Lane Keeping Assist can detect oncoming traffic and when the adjacent lane is not clear, and prevent the vehicle from leaving its lane unintentionally by applying the brakes on one side.

• Adaptive Highbeam Assist PLUS allows the main-beam headlamps to be kept on permanently without dazzling traffic by masking out other vehicles in the beams’ cone of light.

• Night View Assist PLUS can alert the driver to the potential danger posed by pedestrians or animals in unlit areas in front of the vehicle by automatically switching from the speedometer display to a crystal-sharp night view image and highlighting the source of danger. A spotlight function is furthermore able to flash at pedestrians detected ahead.

• ATTENTION ASSIST can warn of inattentiveness and drowsiness in an extended speed range and

Cross wind assistance

Dubai: The ultimate tourism and travel hub KUWAIT: flydubai, Dubai’s innovative lowcost airline, has announced remarkable growth figures ahead of its inaugural flight celebrations to Male, the capital of Maldives. flydubai’s Chief Executive Officer, Ghaith Al-Ghaith was joined at a press conference yesterday by Laila Suhail, CEO, Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE) and Hamad Bin Mejren, Executive Director, Business Tourism, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and Anita Mehra, Vice President - Marketing & Corporate Communications, Dubai Airports to highlight the incredible passenger growth recorded

the year as the world’s fourth busiest hub for international passengers achieved another month of double digit growth last November.”

“Commencing today, the new MalÈ route will attract passengers from across the flydubai network, in particular those from the CIS, CEE and GCC. Dubai’s geographic advantages as a gateway between east and west, its established reputation as a popular yearround tourist destination, a financial centre and logistics hub, makes affordable travel across the airline’s route network accessible,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai.

More than 40% of flydubai’s route develop-

from Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) plus the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and GCC markets.

The latest figures from Dubai International Airport reveal that passenger traffic from the CIS and Russia increased by 34% in Q3 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, in large part due to flydubai’s on-going expansion in this region.

Anita Mehra, Vice President - Marketing & Corporate Communications, Dubai Airports said: “flydubai’s growth, particularly within Russia and the CIS, has provided a tremendous boost to passenger traffic through linking Dubai to many cities in this region for the first time. The airline has played a key part in ensuring that passenger traffic at Dubai International is likely to have surpassed the projected target of 56.5 million passengers for

ment in 2012 concentrated on CEE and CIS cementing the airline’s commitment to expansion and connectivity. The airline now operates to 16 destinations in the region including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkmenistan and Ukraine. flydubai’s GCC network is also the largest of all Middle Eastern carriers, with 265 flights per week to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Now the second-largest airline operating out of Dubai International Airport, flydubai’s impressive year-on-year growth figures have been driven by its rapidly expanding network and fleet. New figures highlighting its remarkable development include: • 285% growth in passenger numbers from the CIS and CEE markets in 2012 compared to

Parking assistance package

2011, plus a 114% increase in the number of flights over the same period. * 65% growth in passenger numbers from the GCC in 2012 compared to 2011, and a 36% growth in the number of flights over the same period.

Speaking during the busy month-long Dubai Shopping Festival, DEPE’s CEO, Laila Suhail, said: “Dubai has established itself as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, offering visitors a variety of attractions and experiences including shopping offers, family entertainment, cultural events, international sport tournaments, music festivals, and much more. The emergence of Dubai as a global landmark of excellence in tourism and events was recognized when it was awarded twice in a row as the ‘World Festival and Event City 2011 and 2012’ by the International Festivals and Events Association. This recognition came as a result to the close partnerships we have with the private sector to ensure that Dubai offers tourists from around the world the best holiday experience by creating a premier platform for all that makes their holiday in Dubai a memorable one.”

Hamad Bin Mejren, Executive Director, Business Tourism, DTCM, said: “flydubai has been vital in helping promote tourism in Dubai, especially in key areas such as the CIS, CEE and the GCC markets. Tourist numbers from these areas grow each year; a fact that is undoubtedly driven by growth in airline connectivity.” flydubai’s CEO, further commented: “Our vision has always been to open up new markets and give more people the opportunity to travel affordably, granting them direct access to Dubai’s commercial and tourism opportunities, as well as the chance to explore beyond Dubai an array of exciting destinations on our network. The UAE’s encouraging environment has definitely been the key to the success of our vision. We would not have been able to become the world’s fastest start-up airline, if it hadn’t been to one of the fastest growing cities in the region, and possibly the world.” flydubai operates a growing fleet of 28 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, to cater to increasing demand from both the business and leisure passengers across its route map.

notify the driver of their current state of fatigue and the driving time since the last break, as well as offering an adjustable sensitivity setting.

The safety experts from Mercedes-Benz developed and fine-tuned the new safety systems during countless test runs, but they also proved their effectiveness and acceptance with test subjects in the inhouse “Moving Base” driving simulator. With its 360∞ screen, fast electric power system and the twelve-metre-long rail for transverse or longitudinal movements, the simulator is one of the most powerful of its kind in the entire automotive industry.

In addition to this, Mercedes-Benz is further increasing protection for passengers in the rear with the active seat-belt buckle and the beltbag. In contrast to many other manufacturers, the seat belts in the rear already include belt tensioners and belt force limiters today.

The new S-Class will also live up to its pioneering reputation when it comes to lighting technology. It is the first vehicle in the world to do without a single light bulb as standard. “With its long life and a headlamp color temperature resembling daylight, LED technology already had a great deal in its favor,” remarks Prof. Weber. “Now, though, our engineers have made great advances where energy efficiency is concerned too, reducing power consumption to a quarter of that of conventional headlamps.” The lighting’s multi-level functionality is another world first: out of consideration for any road users behind, the intensity of the brake lights is reduced at nighttime or while waiting at traffic lights.

Night view assistance

Defender of euro, Juncker steps down after 8 years BRUSSELS: Respected leader, defender of the euro and the wider European dream, Jean-Claude Juncker steps down this week as head of the eurozone finance ministers group after eight often tumultuous years.

Known for his dry sense of humor and respected for his commitment to the European cause, the Luxembourg prime minister hands over the reins with the euro-zone in better shape than many believed possible after the ravages of the debt crisis.

No little part of his success has been his ability to keep everyone on board, reconciling the often sharply differing views of France and Germany, the top two economies in the bloc.

“When I want to speak in French, I think in German; when I want to speak in German, I think in French, with the result that I am totally incomprehensible,” he joked typically at one stage.

Alongside the humor, there is also sharp judgement, needed since he was named in 2005 as the first head of the now 17-state euro-zone. He steered the single currency through the global financial crisis in 2007-08 which then morphed into the eurozone debt crisis, proving popular with his colleagues and clearly winning their respect.

In July, however, he insisted wearily it was time to leave but when France and Germany failed to find a compromise candidate, they pressed him to stay on. Second time around, and having helped put the euro-zone on a sounder footing, Juncker announced this month his “irrevocable” decision to quit. He has not been afraid to be blunt with member states when required and is well known for speaking out when others might not. He has “two fatal flaws-he has an opinion and he is not afraid to share it”, said one European official. In a farewell address

to the European Parliament this month, Juncker typically did not mince his words, railing against unnamed, rich northern states who had become arrogant, laying down the law to their weaker southern EU partners.

He insisted that countries such as bailed-out Greece were going through real hardship and that their sacrifice should not be played down or dismissed.

Annoyed by one MEP who accused him of spouting platitudes, Juncker shot back: “You will see what platitudes really are in the next few years.”

Criticism and setbacks, the incredible strains of the debt crisis which threatened several times to sink the euro, none of this dampened his faith in a federal European state which could be home to all the old continent’s traditions and peoples after untold years of conflict and bloodshed.

He was awarded Germany’s prestigious Charlemagne Prize in 2006 for his commitment and vision, which he always tempered with a solid dose of realism.

“For me, Europe is about taking a series of concrete steps and strong, perhaps even fervent, convictions,” he told German TV recently. “But strong convictions alone are worth nothing if you can’t be pragmatic too.”

Juncker was born December 9, 1954 in a Europe still struggling to rise from the wreckage of World War II when his father had been pressganged into the German army. His father was a strong influence, not least for his experiences as a metal worker and union member. A smoker, Juncker appreciates the finer things in life good cognac, certainly-and holds firmly to the political right but he is suspicious of its simple prescription that free market economics can solve all problems. — AFP

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

BUSINESS

Ethical investors seek to focus on tax avoidance LONDON: Growing anger at aggressive tax avoidance by big business has prompted ethical investors to consider shunning shares in companies that don’t pay their fair share of tax.

As governments struggle to balance massive budget deficits caused by the financial crisis, reports that big companies like Apple, Google and Vodafone pay minimal taxes in some big markets have sparked public protests in Europe and the United States.

All the companies criticized say they follow the law, and some argue they owe it to investors to pay as little tax as legally possible. But politicians on both

sides of the Atlantic have argued such avoidance is immoral and hauled executives into public hearings to explain their tax affairs.

Tax authorities in France, Germany and Italy have even launched raids on some high-profile companies’ offices. Many investors with a ‘socially responsible’ mandate say they have long taken account of companies’ tax practices when deciding where to invest, but few if any funds have made a point of screening out companies over tax issues, according to more than a dozen industry professionals contacted by Reuters.

That may be about to change.

FTSE Group, which compiles the share indexes that fund managers in the UK, United States and Asia use to build investment portfolios, said it was looking into excluding companies with what it called overly aggressive tax reduction policies from its ethical index group, FTSE4Good.

“Tax is one of the areas which the independent FTSE4Good Policy Committee are considering, among other criteria priorities,” a spokeswoman said.

FTSE did not say when it would reach its decision.

The FTSE4Good indexes are one of the benchmarks

most commonly used by ethical funds to build their portfolios. European funds invested in socially responsible investments totaled 7 trillion euros ($9.30 trillion) at the end of 2011, according to European Sustainable Investment Forum, an ethical investment industry association.

Eleven percent of the $33.3 trillion in assets under professional management in the United States is invested in funds that screen for environmental and ethical factors, according to a 2012 report from the US Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. — Reuters

DILI: East Timorese girls moving possessions from their residence in Dili which was flooded during heavy rain. The tiny half-island nation of East Timor is struggling with widespread poverty and a laggard economy, despite offshore energy reserves worth billions of dollars and a steady stream of aid into Asia’s youngest nation.—AFP

East Timor faces up to economic challenges KULAU RAI HUN, East Timor: East Timor is striking out on its own after 13 years of UN protection, facing the daunting challenge of how to retool its economy and ease its dependence on energy to tunnel out of poverty.

Foreign troops ended their peacekeeping mission in the half-island nation of 1.1 million people on December 31 and Asia’s youngest country is now turning its focus from security to building an economy almost entirely from scratch.

A 20-year plan spearheaded by Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao aims to transform the nation of predominantly poor subsistence farmers to an upper-middle-income economy that exports cash crops, livestock and processed oil products. The task is mammoth for what the IMF has dubbed the “most oil-dependent economy in the world”, which produces little beyond some $15 million in coffee a year, mostly for Starbucks, accounting for 90 percent of its non-oil exports.

World Bank country manager Luis Constantino said East Timor was, in fact, a “big example of things actually going right”.

“They rightly focused on stability, they achieved peace, they created confidence in the state, they devised a vision and they put institutions in place to guide the country forward,” Constantino told AFP. However, the country’s double-digit growth in recent years has come almost entirely from controversial state spending of the nation’s $11 billion petroleum fund.

The money has steamrolled muchneeded infrastructure, most of which was destroyed in Indonesia’s 24-year occupation, when some 183,000 people-then a quarter of the populationdied from starvation, fighting and disease. “Now there’s the challenge to diversify Timor-Leste’s economy to one that’s not just dependent on oil but creates other sources of wealth,” Constantino said, referring to the country by its official name.

After criticism, the government plans to draw only 66 percent of its budget, or $1.2 billion, from the petroleum fund this year, down from 80 percent in 2012.

But the opposition Fretilin Party said the government had neglected 75 percent of the population who are subsistence farmers. “If you look at the amount of money the previous government spent, over $4 billion, you wonder where it all went,” Fretilin member of parliament Estanislau da Silva said.

Only 20 minutes from the centre of the capital Dili, what the economic challenges mean for ordinary people is only

too apparent. Malnourished children with bloated stomachs and runny noses play among ramshackle tin huts in the village of Kulau Rai Hun, as jobless parents sit idly by a dirt road, drinking coffee and smoking.

Marta de Jesus, 48, and her husband, a taxi driver who earns $5 on a good day, cannot grow or buy enough food to meet their nutritional needs. “ We get through around 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of rice every week.

That’s all we eat. If we have more money we can buy meat and sometimes corn,” she said outside her two-room dirt-floor home.

The couple had 13 children, two of whom died from malaria and malnutrition. The country ’s fertility rate-the fourth highest in the world, with an average of 6.5 children per family-will only exacerbate food insecurity and unemployment, which is more than 40 percent among youths, according to AusAID. To tackle both issues, the government plan includes the cultivation of cash crops such as palm oil, vanilla and candlenut for export. The country now imports almost all fruit and vegetables.

But experts are skeptical. “It’s never going to develop a viable secondary industry sector, it simply doesn’t have a sufficient market domestically, nor does it have the requisite skills,” Damien Kingsbury from Deakin University in Melbourne said.

Downstream energy industries are touted as the nation’s best hope, but Kingsbury called an estimated $10 billion development of the southern coast as an oil and gas supply base and refinery “questionable at best”.

Charles Scheiner from the TimorLeste Institute for Development Monitoring and Analysis said the plan was “a very attractive dream for the kind of lives the people deserve”.

It should focus, however, on realistic goals, such as improving health and education, which received only some 10 percent of the budget, he said.

“Timorese don’t need propane, or diesel fuel. They need food and water, and 80 percent are farmers, so that’s where the focus of economic development should be,” Scheiner said, adding only two percent of the budget goes to agriculture. Deputy Prime Minister Fernando La Sama de Araujo said the government recognized the scale of the challenge but was still hopeful it could improve people’s lives.

“We can’t say we’re going to solve the poverty issue 100 percent, but we’re trying to reduce it. And we’re optimistic the government can tackle it.” — AFP

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

BUSINESS

Gulf markets gained in 2012 despite strain KAMCO GCC Equity Markets Overview KUWAIT: The year 2012 witnessed several key developments that shaped GCC equity markets’ performance including the implementation of the bylaws and regulations of the Capital Markets Law issued by the Capital Markets Authority in Kuwait, the recovery of the real estate sector in Dubai and the announcement from the Saudi Capital Markets Authority that it would allow listing by foreign companies that already have their shares listed on other regulated exchanges.

During FY-12, Dubai Financial Market as measured by DFM General Index led the stock markets in the GCC region ending as the best performing market and posting a whopping 19.89% gain. Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange as measured by ADX General Index trailed with a 9.52% return followed by Saudi TADAWUL All Share Index rising 5.98%. All the GCC markets ended the year on a positive note with the exception of Bahrain Bourse and Qatar Exchange losing 6.83% and 4.79%, respectively.

During December, the combined market capitalization of the 7 GCC bourses added $14.7bn driven by the gains witnessed by TADAWUL which mounted to $16.6 bn. After gaining $80bn and $90bn in their market capitalization during 2009 and 2010 respectively, GCC bourses plunged in 2011 with combined losses in their market cap of $ 56 bn. However, during 2012 the GCC bourses combined market capitalization advanced 6.1% to end the year at $762.6bn, up from $719bn in 2011 driven by TADAWUL, which accounts for 49% of the GCC bourses market cap, surging 10% (equivalent to $34.5bn) to $373.3bn in 2012 up from $338.8bn in 2011. Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange added $8.3bn to its market cap to end the year at $79bn benefiting from the improvement in investors’ sentiment and the robust economic growth and better than expected corporate earnings. Qatar Exchange, the second largest stock market in the GCC region, and Kuwait Stock Exchange were relatively stable during the year at $126bn and $103 bn respectively. Even throughout the recent 2 years of political uncertainty in the MENA region, GCC states were resilient during 2012 and delivered strong and sustainable growth in their economies supported by robust oil prices, government backup of key economic sectors and the attractive investment opportunities driven by the favorable demographic profile and solid stocks that reached to attractive levels along with steady growth in corporate earnings.

Dubai’s government has announced its budget for 2013 with more than AED 34.12bn expenditures and nearly 8% increase in public revenue. The government is able to reduce the budget deficit to record levels keeping the deficit ratio at less than 0.5% of the GDP, the government said in a statement. The gap in the budget has been reduced by 18% from 2012, where public revenues have been set at AED 32.62 bn.

Qatar’s economic growth slowed in Q3-12 but was supported by strong expansion of non-oil sectors, according to data released by the statistics authority.

Gross domestic product in Q3-12, adjusted for inflation, rose 3.9% from Q3-11 and grew 1.7% from Q2-12.

That marked a slowdown from Q2-12, when real GDP grew 5% from a year ago, and Q1-12, when growth was 6.9%.

The GCC countries combined nominal GDP is estimated to hit $1.48 trillion in 2012 and grow further by 3.3% to $1.53 trillion in 2013 driven by robust oil prices and government deployment of massive fiscal surpluses to develop non-hydrocarbon sectors. Saudi Arabia remains the region’s largest economy with nominal GDP forecasted to reach $657bn and $682.6 bn in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Meanwhile, the UAE remains the second largest economy with a nominal GDP forecasted to reach $361.9bn and $374.9 bn in

2012 and 2013, respectively. Qatar Nominal GDP is forecasted to grow at 6.4% in 2012 to $184.6bn while Kuwait GDP is forecasted to grow at 8.45% to $174.6 bn.

In Saudi Arabia, despite the slowdown in economic growth, a record budget announced for 2013 coupled with easing concerns regarding the King’s health helped the TASI snap a three month losing streak and end December as the best performing market alongside Muscat Securities Market as they both were up 4.1% with market breadth skewing heavily towards the gainers with an advancer-to-decliner ratio of 133to-21 and 3 stocks unchanged. This recent jump allowed the TASI to end 2012 as the third best performing market with a 5.98% return, following DFM and ADX which jumped a whopping 19.89% and 9.52%, respectively. Accordingly, TADAWUL market capitalization rose 4.66% adding SAR 62.4 bn ($16.6 bn) to reach SAR 1.4

($1.6 bn) to record KD 29.1 billion ($102.9 bn) at the end of the month, dragged by heavyweight Banking and Telecom sectors losing KD 261.3 mn ($224.4 mn) and KD 261.3 mn ($924.6 mn), respectively. Compared to November-12, trading indicators ended the month mixed with volume traded marginally decreasing 0.12% to 7.16 bn shares from 7.13 bn shares in November-12; while value traded rose 22.52% to KD 730 mn up from KD 596 mn in November-12.

As for Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, as measured by ADX General Index, slumped 1.63% in December, trailing all of its GCC peers, on the back of new Central Bank regulations placing a cap on mortgage loans and introduction of government royalty fees to be paid by local telecom operators. On the other hand, the ADX ended as the second best performing market in 2012 following neighboring Dubai, posting a 9.52% increase in FY-12

trillion ($373.3 bn) as compared to SAR 1.34 trillion ($356.6 bn) recorded at the end of November-12, as all sectors in the market increased. Market heavyweight Petrochemical Industries added 4.17% to its market cap to reach SAR 439.9 bn ($117.3 bn) while the Banks and Financial sector was up 1.62% to SAR 307.4 bn ($82 bn) and the Telecommunications & IT sector gained 6.49% to SAR 152.8 bn ($40.7bn). Trading indicators rose during the month with volume traded increasing 28.3% to 4.4 bn shares distributed over 2.9 mn transactions while value traded gained 25.6% to SAR 124 bn from SAR 98.7 bn in November-12.

While in Kuwait, the Kuwaiti bourse failed to maintain last month’s bullish momentum, ending December on a negative note, on the back of retail investors booking profits amid a lack of any fundamental data. Despite the fact that investors are speculating that Q4-12 earnings will beat estimates and that the new parliament will support economic development as the Emir had earlier pledged, market movements were still dominated through small cap stocks that made easy gains. Nonetheless, the KSE ended 2012 in the green as the KSE Price Index increased 2.07% to close at 5,934.28, following four consecutive years of losses; whereas the KSE Weighted Index jumped 2.97% to 417.65, while the KAMCO TRW Index was up 2.61%, to close at 2,652.69. During the month of December 2012, the market capitalization of Kuwait Stock Exchange shed 1.53% or around KD 451 mn

as the bourse rebounded from last year’s slump with the local economy showing resilience and growth, while the government has managed successfully with well-studied interventions and reforms helping revive business activity. Liquidity was mixed as volume decreased 10.8% to 1.3bn shares and value rose 8% AED 1.8 bn. Total market capitalization shed 1.17% to AED 290.2 bn ($79 bn) in December pressured by a 5.52% drop in the telecom sector due to new regulations, which outweighed the positive 2.3% performance of market heavyweight banks sector. Etisalat, the first operator in the Emirates, will be required to pay a fee of 15% on its revenues and 35% on profits from this year to 2016.

In Dubai, after last month’s slight correction, the DFM General Index was able to rebound back to the upside gaining 0.91% in December and ending 2012 as the best performing market among its GCC peers, posting a whopping 19.89% rise on the back of a brighter outlook for Dubai’s property market which has been hit hard during the period 2008-2010 after the breakout of the global financial crisis. Although the UAE Central Bank has introduced new regulations capping mortgage amounts, investors remain upbeat regarding the housing market in the Emirate.

Additionally, as the year came to end, investors built positions in stocks amid expectations of increased dividend pay-outs for the year. However, despite the positive performance during the month, the bourse’s mar-

Discounts for ABK’s credit holders at ‘Fantasy World’ KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait presents the ABK Advantage program so its valued customers can benefit special discounts up to 45 percent at participating retail outlets. ABK adds merchants intermittently to this program, so a wider segment can benefit from the special offers available. The latest to come on board is a children’s’ favorite - ‘Fantasy World’, the dream toy shop with a 10% discount for ABK cardholders.

Stewart Lockie, General Manager of Retail Banking, said “Our aim is to give our clients value added deals at a wide range of lifestyle outlets, therefore the collaboration with various merchants to cover fashion, jewelry, restaurants and more, so when you pay with your ABK card, you get more than you pay for.”Lockie added,” At ABK, we consider varied interests and cater accordingly, to meet our clients’ evolving needs.”

It is worth mentioning here that ‘Fantasy World Co.’ has become one of

Stewart Lockie the biggest companies in the toys’ market with a distinguished international trademark. ‘Fantasy World’ is considered to be Kuwait’s first choice for housing the best and largest collection of toys to suit differing ages and tastes.

Broke Cyprus could be energy trump card NICOSIA: Europe should not worry about bailing out crisis-hit Cyprus because the island’s huge untapped gas reserves will benefit the European Union by making it less dependent on Russian energy, analysts say.

Despite struggling under a Greek-exposed debt mountain, the east Mediterranean island sits on potentially huge energy wealth in excess of 600 billion euros, a Royal Bank of Scotland report said.

Cyprus hydrocarbons company chief Charles Ellinas says the island will be exporting to Europe by 2019 with a view to meeting 10 percent of the bloc’s energy needs.

“This is not totally hypothetical. Europe has a huge dependence on Russia and Cyprus can help reduce that,” he told AFP. “If you look beyond the next couple of years the future looks rosy. After 2020 we will start to pay off our debt and eventually create a surplus.”

RBS said that despite now facing potential bankruptcy, Cyprus’s future energy riches will be a boon. “Cyprus will become geopolitically important for gas pipeline routes, and Europe should benefit from greater energy security away from Russia,” the RBS report

said, also sounding a cautionary note.

“These monies however are not readily available; the commodity spoils of Europe’s new lucky country are a medium- to longterm story.” If further exploratory drillings match the success of the first findings, these could top 2,950 percent of GDP. “The longterm potential of Cyprus is very good but in the short term it has to make adjustments through the austerity measures as part of any loan deal. Gas reserves are there but need time to be exploited,” RBS analyst Michael Michaelides said.

Offshore exploration by Houston-based Noble Energy in Block 12 of Cyprus’s Exclusive Economic Zone indicates a gross natural gas reserve of up to 254.9 billion cubic metres (9 trillion cubic feet). Noble expects to commercially extract and transfer the gas onshore by late 2018 and begin exporting to Europe the following year. Italian giant ENI, France’s Total and South Korea’s Kogas are all negotiating for permits in other offshore blocks.

Analyst Fiona Mullen estimates that the current finds alone could mean gas revenues of at least one billion euros annually. —AFP

ket cap shed 0.62% of its value to reach AED 174.6 bn ($57.5 bn) weighed by the real estate & construction and telecom sectors which declined 0.27% and 8.52% to AED 31.6 bn ($8.7bn) and AED 16.5bn ($4.5 bn), respectively. Liquidity increased during the month, volume and value jumped 25.4% and 22.4%, respectively, to 2.45 bn shares and AED 2.76 bn, respectively, over 33,381 transactions.

In Qatar, the Qatar Exchange declined for the second consecutive month in December as it was dragged down further by extended profit-booking by local and foreign institutions. Despite the Ministry of Finance expects the economy to grow around 5% in coming years, the QE 20 Index failed to find any support from economic fundamentals on speculations that growth in 2012 more than halved the 14.1% jump witnessed in 2011. As a result, the QE 20 Index shed 0.5% to 8,358.94 adding more to the bourse’s FY-12 losses to reach 4.79%, and end as the second worst performing market in the GCC region following Bahrain Bourse which slumped 6.83%. Market performance was weighed down by the decline in the heavyweight Banking sector which fell 0.73% to QAR 179.5 billion. Nevertheless, market capitalization for the month was up by 0.15% to QAR 459.9 bn supported by the industrial sector, which gained 2.26% to QAR 125.1 bn. Liquidity was relatively flat during the month as volume inched 0.54% higher to 61 mn shares, while value traded was up by 0.75% to QAR 2.96 bn spread over 43,950 transactions.

In Bahrain, the Bahrain Bourse ended the month on a positive note, reporting a rise after two consecutive months of decline. The Bahrain All Share index rose by 1.60% to reach 1,065.61. During the month, most of the trading was concentrated on the Investment Sector, which witnessed 15.6 mn shares exchanging hands, capturing 45.7% of the total volume on the BSE. In line with Bahrain, other GCC markets recorded gains in their benchmarks this month led by Tadawul All Share Index and MSM 30 Index both recording gains of 4.10%. During the month, market capitalization of the Commercial Banking sector gained 4.44% to reach BHD 2.14 bn compared to BHD 2.05 bn in Nov-12. Market heavyweight Ahli United Bank (AUB) which accounts for 54% of the Commercial Banking sector and 20% of the total Bahraini Bourse in terms of market cap, witnessed its market cap surge 6.4% as its stake sale in Ahli Bank Qatar is soon to be finalized.

Whereas another market heavyweight Aluminium Bahrain which accounts for 11%, of the total Bahraini Bourse in terms of market cap, posted a 9.6% fall on m-o-m basis.

Finally in Oman, strong economic fundamentals coupled with heavy buying pressure from pension funds and local investors helped the Omani Bourse end on a positive note and close the month as the best performing market alongside TADAWUL, to increase 4.1% to 5,760.84 points. On an annual basis, the MSM 30 index ended 2012 in the green, registering a 1.15% rise. Accordingly, market breadth skewed heavily towards the gainers with an advancer-todecliner ratio of 47-to-9 while 4 stocks remained unchanged. Trading indicators jumped with volume surging 127% during the month to 442.5 mn shares compared to 195 mn in Nov-12, while value traded increased a whopping 82.6% to OMR 104.9 mn versus OMR 57.4 mn in the previous month. Market heavyweight banking & investment sector gained 5.59% to reach OMR 3.22 bn, supported by the 3.23% and 7.53% rise in sector heavyweights Bank Muscat and Bank Dhofar, respectively; while the services & insurance sector increased 3.07% to OMR 2.5 bn from OMR 2.44 bn and the industrial sector rose 3.57% to OMR 1.25 bn from OMR 1.21bn.

Bleak winter for Britain’s high-street retailers LONDON: Four big British high-street retailers had to call in administrators this winter as cashstrapped, web-literate consumers proved unforgiving of stores failing to adapt to fast-evolving markets. DVD rental chain Blockbuster became the latest casualty Wednesday, with its British arm entering administration-in which a troubled firm brings in independent financial help in a bid to stay operational-a day after music chain HMV made the same move.

Camera chain Jessops went into administration on January 9 and closed its 187 shops shortly after, while electrical firm Comet shut its 235 stores in December. The failures have cost Britain 9,025 jobs, with another 7,780 in the balance.

Bryan Roberts, director of retail insights at analysts Kantar, said this was part of a trend that began with the 2008 financial crisis. “ We’ve been through such a brutally Darwinistic few years, in which all the runts of the litter have been picked off,” he said.

Britain’s still-struggling economy, which climbed out of double-dip recession in the third quarter of 2012, faces at best sluggish growth this year. Retailers meanwhile face stiff competition from supermarkets and online sales, especially in entertainment, where downloads and streaming are eroding markets for physical products. HMV, Britain’s last nationwide music store chain, failed to produce a strong online offering early enough to combat Amazon and Apple’s iTunes, Roberts said.

“Management in the late 90s was very dismissive of the threat and the opportunity of online,” he said. Later, the store tried to diversify into areas including consumer technology, live music and accessories, but this “diluted their authority”, Roberts added. “If you were a consumer who had music tastes beyond the mainstream you were very badly served by HMV.” Blockbuster was late to grasp the threat posed by online services such as Netflix and Lovefilm, which offer films and television programs for download and streaming, while Jessops fell prey to digital photo processing and phone cameras.

Matt Piner, research director at consultants Conlumino, said store chains needed to focus on multi-channel, “bricks and clicks” retailing along with distinctive product ranges.

He cited department stores John Lewis and electricals firm Dixons-which owns Currys and PC World-among companies proving more resilient. Both offer popular “click-and-collect”

LONDON: Shoppers walk past a sale sign on Oxford Street in central London yesterday. Four big British high-street retailers had to call in administrators this winter as cash-strapped, web-literate consumers proved unforgiving of stores failing to adapt to fast-evolving markets. — AFP services. Both reported strong Christmas sales, outlets in 2013 from 2012. High street shop with John Lewis saying takings in the pre- vacancy rates had already hit a 15-year high in Christmas week had hit £157.8 million ($250.3 November, with 11.3 percent of shops in town million, 187.9 million euros) a 26.5 percent centers empty. Blockbuster and HMV are still increase on the same week a year earlier. seeking rescue deals, with more than 50 reportAnother group of retailers have been dragged ed expressions of interest in the music retailer, down by debt, even where sales are holding up. whose chief executive insisted it “still has a place JJB Sports, once Britain’s biggest sports retailer, on the high street”. Roberts, of Kantar, said HMV failed in October with administrators only secur- was likely to survive in some form, as its brand-with a distinctive logo of a dog listening a sale of 20 of its over 150 stores.

HMV was also debt-laden, with underlying ing to an old-fashioned gramophone-is “an net debt growing to £176.1 million in the six incredibly resonant brand for British shoppers”. months to the end of October, and banks and But he said the future looked “bleak” for suppliers finally running out of patience on bad Blockbuster, where administrators are to close at loans. Debt concerns are stalking private equity- least 129 of 529 stores. Samuel Tombs, UK econowned fashion chain New Look, which said in omist at Capital Economics, said stores would November it was planning a £1.1 billion refi- have to wait until 2014 for a more forgiving climate. nancing over 18 months.

“I think consumers are going to remain under The government warned in November of unproductive, indebted “zombie” companies pressure this year-inflation is likely to remain kept alive by low interest rates and banks unwill- above increases in wages for the next year or so, ing to recognize their losses. Researchers Local so consumer spending power will be reduced, Data Company said last week that overall store with pressure to pay down debts rather than closings in Britain were set to double to 4,000 spend on the high street,” he said. — AFP

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

BUSINESS

The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman

All-new MINI JCW Countryman now in Kuwait New automatic gearbox available as an option on all JCW models KUWAIT: The MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, the most powerful MINI in the current portfolio line-up, was officially unveiled to customers and media in Kuwait.

MINI, together with its official Kuwaiti importer, Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive, presented the latest addition to its sporting subbrand, John Cooper Works, during a series of action packed drive events at the Kuwait International fair ground in Mishref. The MINI John Cooper Works drive events took place all across the region and were proudly supported by Goodyear who was the exclusive tire brand on all MINI John Cooper Works models that are driven during the events.

More than 80 guests participated in the customer and media events in Kuwait, in which MINI Driver Instructors guided participants through the wide range of driving options available on MINI’s exclusive, sporty sub-brand John Cooper Works, including the new MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, through a series of dynamic driving activities.

Available from this month onwards, the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman will be available and feature an optional automatic gearbox.

Speeding into the fast lane with a 218 hp engine which is channelled through an all-wheel drive system, passengers are guaranteed to get the

ride of their lives whether they are travelling on smooth road surfaces or rough terrain.

Having arrived in the region in December of last year, the optional automatic gearbox is also available on the following MINI John Cooper Works models: MINI Hatch, MINI Cabrio, MINI Clubman, MINI Coupé and MINI Roadster. Linked up as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox tuned to suit its high performance characteristics, the new engine on the MINI John Cooper Works

Al Tijari announces winners of Najma Account daily draw KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al-Najma account daily draw yesterday. The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Saquer Al Manaie.

The winners of the Najma daily draw are: Rooya Ali Husain Rafiee — KD 7000, Khalil Habib Ali AlZaidi— KD 7000, Mohammed Mohey Aldin Sayj Aldin — KD 7000, Essa Ahmad Hassan Al-Hosani— KD 7000, Aymen Suhail Asfahani and or Mazda Mohammed- KD 7000.

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account. Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Eid AlAdha and on the 19th of June which is the date of the bank’s establishment.

With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw. In addition, for each KD25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

Burgan Bank announces names of daily lucky winners of Yawmi Account KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of the Five lucky winners of its Yawmi account draw, each taking home a prize of KD 5,000.

The lucky winners for the daily draws took home a cashprize of KD 5000 each, and they are: 1. Waleed Saleh Hasan Al-Aliirina Arevalo 2. Mohamed Kamel Abdul lah jab Allah 3. Mubarak Hadi Jerayan Al-azemi 4. Abdullah Ashour Mohammad Leri 5. Aewdi Tewalde Hamle The newly re-launched Yawmi Account is better, easier and faster than any day before. With its new and enhanced features, the Yawmi Account has become more convenient, easier, and faster for customers to benefit from. Now, customers will be eligible to enter the draw after 48 hours only from opening the account. Customers are also required to deposit KD 100 or equivalent only to enter the daily draw, and the coupon value to enter the draw stands at KD 10.

The newly designed Yawmi account has been launched to provide a highly innovative offering along with a higher frequency and incentive of winning for everyone. Today, the Yawmi account is a well understood product, where its popularity can be seen from the number of increasing account holders.

Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open a Yawmi account and/or increase their deposit to maximize their chances to becoming a daily winner. The more customers deposit, the higher the chances they receive of winning the draw.

Opening a Yawmi account is simple, customers are urged to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and receive all the details, or simply call the bank’s Call Center at 1804080 where customer service representatives will be delighted to assist with any questions on the Yawmi account or any of the bank’s products and services. Customers can also log on to Burgan Bank’s www.burgan.com for further information.

models can be ordered as an option with a sixspeed automatic gearbox with Steptronic function. Owners who opt to go the automatic route still have the ability to shift gears manually by using the selector or shift paddles located on the steering wheel.

These sporty models are ferocious which have been bred for the race track and adapted for the roads. The MINI John Cooper Works collection plays homage to its pioneering British

Racing Driver founder John Newton Cooper, who turned his attention to transforming the original MINI into a performance machine back in the 1960’s.

All six MINI John Cooper Works models combine their stand-out sporting potential with unmistakable looks and special equipment features which accentuate the feeling of a race car both inside and out. The John Cooper Works aerodynamic kit also comes as standard and

optimizes not only the air flow over and around the cars, but also the visual impact.

Yousef Al-Qattami, General Manager at Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive said: “MINI John Cooper Works automatic transmission comes to reiterate the sporty appeal and smoothness of the MINI brand in Kuwait. This car will add a new chapter to the MINI brand with its active and dynamic elements and the smooth design. We have no doubt that it will prove popular among MINI enthusiasts in Kuwait.”

Commenting on the arrival of the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman and new automatic gearbox across the full line-up, Sarah Klippert, MINI Manager, BMW Group Middle East, said: “Currently, the MINI Countryman is the bestselling MINI model in the Middle East, so the new edition of the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman coupled with the new automatic gearbox is an exciting addition to the MINI portfolio.

“Kuwait is an important market for MINI sales; we are therefore confident that the new John Cooper Works engine, in combination with the automatic gearbox, will contribute significantly to our sales. It will also attract a whole new target audience to MINI’s John Cooper Works subbrand as Middle East customers tend to opt for cars with automatic gearboxes, added Klippert.”

Jazeera Airways rights issue oversubscribed 2.25 times KUWAIT: Jazeera Airways Group yesterday announced the successful closing of its rights issue of 178 million shares, effectively raising the company’s capital by 74% to KD42 million. The rights issue was oversubscribed 2.25 times. The additional funds that resulted from the oversubscription will not be called for.

Shares were available to shareholders as of December 16, 2012 and at a nominal value of 100 Kuwaiti fils. The subscription period ended on December 31, 2012. Jazeera Airways Group Chairman Marwan Boodai said, “The oversubscription was one of the

most successful rights issues in Kuwait in recent years, breaking the USD150 million barrier. This result reflects a clear investor appetite for being part of our company’s success story and statement of confidence in our management team.”

In November, Jazeera Airways announced a record Q3 net profit of KD7.6 million, up 24.6% from the same period last year, as well as its best nine-month results for the year of KD11.4 million, up 23.6% from same period last year. The Group’s 9month earnings in 2012 exceeded full-year 2011’s recording earnings by KD0.8 million

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.

Jazeera Airways is an IATA member airline and operates one of the youngest Airbus A320 fleet in the Middle East.

Heikal: Triple Combo key to Egypt growth KUWAIT: Egypt currently faces three major interlocking challenges: An energy-induced balance of payments problem, unemployment, and high inflation, with all three set to be complicated by the impact of devaluation of the national currency. Bilateral and multilateral support programs are among the keys to solving these problems and accelerating economic growth, the founder of Africa’s leading investment company told participants at the AmCham MENA Regional Council Annual Conference in Cairo.

“Egypt has yet to begin accruing a democracy dividend as political turmoil and the reluctance of traditional investors to return to the fray has slowed both domestic and inward investment,” said Ahmed Heikal, Chairman and Founder of Citadel Capital.

“With the government facing a major liquidity crisis it has become increasingly difficult for the private sector to gain access to bank financing because of the crowding out effect; banks prefer to lend to governments,” said Heikal.

“In the period to come, anyone financing large projects should be prepared to resort to what we call the ‘triple combo’ of American, European, and international Development Finance Institutions, Gulf Sovereign Wealth Funds, and Export Credit Agencies,” Heikal told participants at the summit.

Citadel Capital has called on members of this “triple combo” to fund investments ranging from the US$ 3.7 billion Egyptian Refining Company (ERC) in Egypt to the more than US$ 300 million, five-year turnaround program for Rift Valley Railways (the national railway of Kenya and Uganda).

ERC is supported by $1.1 billion in

equity provided by a broad spectrum of investors including Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), which has invested $270 million for a 23.8% interest), Qatar Petroleum International (QPI), which has committed over $362 million for an effective 27.9% interest and Citadel Capital (which has directly and indirectly invested over $155 million and holds an effective equity stake

Investment Insurance (NEXI), the Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).

“It was very comforting for someone like me to be walking with the elephants,” said Heikal.

At a time when traditional lenders and investors opted to stand quietly on the sidelines wringing their hands

Ahmed Heikal of 11.7%). Other participants include International Finance Corporation (IFC), Netherlands Finance Corporation (FMO), German Investment Corporation (DEG) and the InfraMed Fund.

ERC’s $2.6 billion debt package includes $2.35 billion of senior debt and $225 million of subordinated debt. With the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi serving as the global coordinator, institutions participating in the senior debt package include the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Nippon Export and

about overblown perceptions of risk, members of the ‘triple combo’ stepped up to the plate and invested in a project that is expected to help reduce by 50% Egypt’s present-day diesel imports, generate more than US$ 300 million in annual benefits to the state treasury, and reduce by nearly one-third the country’s present sulfur dioxide emissions,” he added.

ERC stands as among the largestever project finance transactions in Africa and is one of Egypt’s largest

inward investments. The project is expected to create over 700 permanent jobs in addition to 10,000 during the construction phase.

Heikal also pointed out that: “What complicates matters is that decisionmaking within government has been severely compromised by a fear factor.

It is not reasonable to expect a government official who spends his morning under investigation for a completely legitimate decision he made yesterday to turn around and sign paperwork for a new project. I am thus all for enacting a law that gives amnesty to government officials unless it is proven beyond a doubt that they have directly benefited from a decision,” said Heikal.

Despite the challenges, Heikal remains optimistic about the future.

“Although we will all pay the price of devaluation, I see tremendous opportunities for companies that are prepared for the period ahead. As the government faces balance sheet constraints, this creates opportunities for the private sector - particularly in infrastructure -but we need to be selective with our investments. The key is figuring out whether you’re in an industry poised to benefit or feel the pinch, and to take action accordingly.”

“Again, the triple combo, with their commitment to the long-term future of countries like Egypt, will play a crucial role in bridging the liquidity gap and helping foster economic growth in the coming period,” added Heikal.

This year’s conference theme is “MENA Regional Development Opportunities: US and Multilateral Support Programs.” The two-day event includes participants from the American Chambers of Commerce in Abu Dhabi, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia.

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

technology

Xerox researchers hit streets to help unclog highways DUBAI: Xerox researchers have taken their frustration with traffic congestion to the streets. They’re using expertise in data analytics, control systems, sensing, imaging and video to create new transportation applications that help reduce congestion, increase safety on the road and take the pain out of finding a parking spot.

“Today you can find our scientists and ethnographic researchers standing on bridges and roads or camping out in city parking lots collecting data and observing driver behaviors,” said Sophie Vandebroek, Xerox’s chief technology officer and president of the Xerox Innovation Group. “Our expertise in imaging and human behavior is now being applied to new areas such as analyzing real-time data - including video of traffic and parking patterns-to help improve traffic safety, increase driver satisfaction, simplify a municipality’s infrastructure or make cities greener by decreasing traffic-related pollution.”

Despite the economic downturn and rising fuel costs, more cars are competing for capacity on roadways and parking spaces. The result? Congestion-a problem with consequences that extend far beyond drivers’ inconvenience: * The cost based on wasted fuel and lost productivity reached $100 billion in 2010 - more than $750 for every US traveler (according to the 2011 Texas Transportation Institute’s Urban Mobility Report).

* The amount of wasted time totaled 4.8 billion hours - 34 hours for every traveler.

“Adding intelligence to systems is how government and transportation agencies around the world can do more for less,” said Cees de Wijs, Xerox group president for International Transportation and Government. “At Xerox we are focusing our innovation to simplify the complexities of modern integrated transport, resulting in greater convenience, reliability and savings for users and governments and transportation agencies.” De Wijs is speaking on the topic this week at the 19th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems in Vienna, Austria.

Here’s a peek at Xerox innovation that is clearing the way for smoother travels ahead: * Imaging Technology / HOT and HOV Lanes: HOT (high occupancy toll) and HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes can help move more people, more efficiently through the same number of highway lanes. While they can reduce emissions and improve overall air quality, enforcement is a challenge, requiring police officers to monitor lanes in person. Xerox researchers have developed an image-based prototype that accurately identifies how many occupants are in a vehicle using automated image processing techniques. These techniques could also come in handy in cities that have enhanced their carpool lanes by allowing single occupant vehicles to use them by paying a toll.

* Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR): Many of today’s toll-collecting systems rely on a combination of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and ALPR video camera technology. Transportation experts believe video-based tolling has the potential to eliminate toll booths and other congestion-causing highway collection points. But for now governments interested in using this technology must invest in the infrastructure, install cameras and wait months for an ALPR system to be “trained.”

Xerox researchers are using their expertise in optical character recognition to develop an ALPR system that not only is reliable but can be rapidly “pre-trained” for specific jurisdictions. While the industry is still years away from removing toll booths, Xerox’s innovation means forward-thinking municipalities can begin benefitting from ALPR technology today. The researchers are exploring how advances in processing information captured by video cameras (such as license plate recognition) can be used to support other safety needs.

For example, it could help law enforcement officers rapidly scroll through videos to search for suspect vehicles - which might assist in capturing criminals on the run.

Parking: Smart Urban Parking Services: Xerox ethnographers and computer scientists are helping drivers find park-

ing more efficiently. Their insights and analytics help determine parking availability and make the most of existing parking real estate scattered throughout a city by offering new services including merchant-reserved parking, reserved parking, curb-cut (curb space in front of a garage) parking, and commercial loading zone management.

Parking Demand Management Services: Xerox researchers developed a parking pricing engine that adjusts parking rates based on driver demand for spaces and availability. Using advanced data analytics, it increases and decreases rates based on demand to reduce traffic congestion and pollution generated by drivers hunting for on-street parking. The parking engine has been integrated as a module into Xerox’s new Merge(tm) parking management system, which is a single portal for managing a city’s meters, pay-bymobile phone, sensors, enforcement, and collections. * Public Transportation: Xerox scientists at XRCE are analyzing existing ticketing data so that city transportation agencies have a better understanding of how travelers are actually using public transit and can better respond to their needs. The data can be combined with demographics, the availability of other kinds of transportation and weather forecasts to simulate ridership and predict the impact of changes to the infrastructure.

This ongoing analysis of massive amounts of data is visualized in a city dashboard monitor.

Aviation technology advances FAA tries to keep up despite questions over oversight

If your genome is public, so are you: Researchers LOS ANGELES: Scouring information available to anyone with an Internet connection, a team of genetic sleuths deduced the names of dozens of supposedly anonymous people who had their DNA analyzed for scientific and medical research.

The snooping feat, which took advantage of genealogy websites that let people compare their DNA to search for relatives, was in full compliance with federal privacy regulations.

Experts said it underscored a stark reality about genetic privacy in the age of social media: Don’t count on it.

“Nobody can promise privacy,” said Mildred Cho, who heads up Stanford University’s Center for Integration of Research on Genetics and Ethics, and wasn’t involved with the study. Whitehead Institute geneticist Yaniv Erlich and his team, who described their work Thursday in the journal Science, didn’t provide a complete recipe that would help others ferret out the identities of research volunteers. Nor did they divulge the names of the people they were able to unmask.

Since the first draft of the human genome was published in 2000, scientists have scrutinized its 3 billion pairs of DNA letters to try to find variants that cause disease, to understand human physiology, and to unravel the evolutionary history of our species.

Toward that end, academic efforts like the 1000 Genomes Project post complete genomes online for public use. The idea is that providing free access to the data will allow scientists to compare DNA from many people and help them discover connections between genes and traits, eventually leading to the development of personalized, targeted treatments for a wide range of disorders.

Keeping genomic data private has been a concern all along. Worries that health insurers or employers might use information about genetic health risks to drop benefits or discriminate against workers inspired the 2008 Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, which provides protection against abuse. Last year, the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues recommended a variety of additional measures to further secure genetic data.

Potentially complicating these efforts are the legions of amateur geneticists who want to learn their risk for diseases or gain clues about their ancestry. As sequencing costs have dropped, these enthusiasts have sent vials of saliva, swabs of cheek cells, circles of dried blood or other types of DNA samples to private sequencing companies. Often, they post their tests results online, for the world to see.

Erlich has been interested in privacy since he worked as a professional hacker — breaking into corporate networks as a “vulnerability researcher” for a computer security company — to help support himself in college. He started planning the current research after hearing about a 15-year-old boy who had part of his genome sequenced in 2005 in order to find his biological father, a sperm donor.

The boy compared a pattern of repeating DNA letters from his Y chromosome to the corresponding patterns of men who had posted their genetic data on a genealogy website.

Finding several men whose pattern matched his led him to his father’s last name. He then used other clues to make contact.

Y chromosomes correlate with surnames because both are passed directly from father to son.

Erlich said he thought the boy’s approach was “brilliant,” and he wondered if his lab could do something similar with public genome data. He and his colleagues started by analyzing the repeat patterns of Y chromosomes in published studies of genomes whose owners were known. They used a free genealogy website to look for surname matches.

In two of the cases, the Y chromosome data lined up with relatively common last names, so the results were of little use.

But one of the samples — provided by sequencing pioneer J Craig Venter — matched the surname “Venter.” From there, the team used a free Web directory and personal information that often accompanies genomes in public databases — age and state of residence — to zero in on the scientist.

Then they moved on to 10 mystery genomes collected from Utah residents who participated in public sequencing projects. They found surname matches for five people, then used those names to look at obituaries, family trees on file with the genomic information and other information to link nearly 50 related men and women to their DNA. Analyzing census and genetic data, the team calculated they could find the correct surnames of white, middle- and upper-class men in the US 12 percent of the time. Conducting a search using last name, year of birth and state of residence produced lists with about a dozen — a number small enough to investigate in more detail, Erlich said.

The discoveries in the new study point to a new level of vulnerability for research subjects who wish to remain private, Cho and others said. To Laura Lyman Rodriguez, a policy specialist at the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Md., the bottom line is that research subjects should be told that their genomic data could be breached. “It’s important to be clear,” said Lyman Rodriguez, who co-wrote a commentary that accompanied the report in Science. — MCT

DALLAS: After two separate and serious battery problems aboard Boeing 787s, it wasn’t US authorities who acted first to ground the plane. It was Japanese airlines.

The unfolding saga of Boeing’s highest-profile plane has raised new questions about federal oversight of aircraft makers and airlines. Some aviation experts question the ability of the Federal Aviation Administration to keep up with changes in the way planes are being made today both the technological advances and the use of multiple suppliers from around the globe. Others question whether regulators are too cozy with aircraft manufacturers.

Even as they announced a broad review of the 787 earlier this month, top US transportation regulators stood side-byside with a Boeing executive and declared the plane safe saying that they would gladly fly in one. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood repeated his endorsement Wednesday. A few hours later, the FAA issued an emergency order grounding the planes.

Despite their concerns, many safety experts still believe that the current regulatory process works - the 787s were grounded before any accidents occurred. The Dreamliner is the first airliner whose structure is made mostly from composite materials rather than aluminum. The plane relies more than previous airliners on electrical systems rather than hydraulic or mechanical ones, and it’s the first airliner to make extensive use of lithium-ion batteries to power cabin-pressurization and other key functions.

Such technological advances may force the FAA to reexamine the way it does its job. “We’ve gone from aviation to aerospace products that are much more complex,” said Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst with the Teal Group.

“The FAA is equipped for aviation. Aerospace is another matter.”Former National Transportation Safety Board member Kitty Higgins said the FAA must consider whether changes in its certification process would have turned up the problems in the Dreamliner battery systems.

“They need to make sure the certification process stays current with the industry and the new technology,” she said. An FAA spokeswoman declined to comment for this article, referring instead to statements made during a news conference last week. Officials said then that the review of the 787 wouldn’t be limited to the Dreamliner’s batteries.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said that the agency would “make sure that the approved quality control procedures are in place and that all of the necessary oversight is done.”The FAA has said that its technical experts logged 200,000 hours testing and reviewing the plane’s design before certifying the plane in August 2011. Boeing defended the process and the plane.

“We are confident in the regulatory process that has been applied to the 787 since its design inception,” said Boeing Co. spokesman Marc Birtel. “With this airplane, the FAA conducted its most robust certification process ever.” A week ago, FAA’s Huerta and Transportation Secretary LaHood endorsed the Dreamliner’s safety even as they ordered a new review of its design and construction following a fire in a lithium-ion battery on a 787 that had landed in Boston. Then, this past Wednesday, after a battery malfunction on a second plane resulted in an emer-

TOKYO: All Nippon Airways’ Boeing 787 “the Dreamliners” passenger jets park on the tarmac as Japan Airlines’ Boeing 737 taxies by them at Haneda airport in Tokyo on Friday. US safety officials and Boeing inspectors joined a Japanese investigation into the 787 jet at the center of a worldwide grounding of the technologically advanced aircraft. — AP gency landing, they grounded Dreamliner flights in the US. In certifying new planes, the FAA relies heavily on information from the manufacturers. That system has worked the US commercial airline fleet is safer than ever - but it is coming under renewed scrutiny after the 787 incidents.

Experts say that FAA officials have no choice but to rely on information from aircraft manufacturers as key systems of the plane are designed and built. “As a practical matter, they can’t do the testing,” said longtime aviation consultant Daniel Kasper of Compass Lexecon. “They don’t have the expertise in aircraft design, and they don’t have the budget - it would be too costly. They would have to be involved in every step.”

Thomas Anthony, director of the aviation-safety program at the University of Southern California, said many new planes have flaws that are only discovered once they go into service, and that the regulatory process worked the way it was supposed to with the Dreamliner.

“The FAA used to be accused of ‘blood priority’” - acting only after a disaster, Anthony said. “In this case, it’s not true. The regulators are taking their job seriously. There were no accidents, there were no injuries, there were no fatalities. ”That has not always been the case. In 1979, authorities grounded the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 for five weeks after an engine tore loose from the wing of an American Airlines plane, causing a crash that killed 273 in Chicago.

And there were other incidents that occurred after the DC10 was introduced in 1971, including cargo-door problems

that forced one emergency landing and caused a Turkish Airlines crash that killed 346 in 1974.

Boeing, based in Chicago, is racing to find a fix to the Dreamliner’s battery systems and get the planes back in the air. It is still producing 787s but has stopped delivering them to customers.

Bloomberg News reported that Boeing has tried to persuade FAA to end the groundings by proposing a variety of inspections and having pilots monitor electronic signals from the batteries to prevent fires. The FAA has been reluctant to approve those steps without a clear idea of what caused the defects and how they can be prevented.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement issued Sunday that its own investigation continues into the Jan. 7 fire aboard the Japan Airlines Boeing 787 at Boston’s Logan International Airport. An NTSB statement said the lithium-ion battery that powered the auxiliary power unit had been disassembled and examined at an agency laboratory. It added that the battery was X-rayed and CT scans were generated and certain components would undergo further scrutiny.

It also said investigators have examined several other components taken from the plane, including wire bundles and battery management circuit boards, adding test plans were being developed for those and other components removed from the aircraft. According to the statement, several other components were sent for further examination at Boeing’s facility in Seattle and the manufacture’s facilities in Japan. — AP

Kim Dotcom launches successor to outlawed Megaupload WELLINGTON: Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom claimed a “massive” response to his new file-sharing service yesterday, launched exactly one year after he was arrested in the world’s biggest online piracy case.

The mega.co.nz website, which replaces the outlawed Megaupload, went live at dawn, on the anniversary of armed police raids on the New Zealand-based Internet tycoon’s mansion in Auckland which saw him arrested and the site shuttered.

The 38-year-old German national, who changed his name from Kim Schmitz, is now on bail as US authorities seek his extradition on a range of charges including

AUCKLAND: Indicted Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom holds a press conference ahead of the launch of “Mega”. —AP

money laundering, racketeering and copyright theft.

Dotcom hopes the new venture will repeat the success of Megaupload, which boasted 50 million visitors daily, and initial demand triggered overloads that caused long delays in accessing the site.

His lawyer Ira Rothken said they were satisfied the new service was legal and that Dotcom believed it was the “most legally scrutinized start up” ever.

The website offers cloud storage with state-of-the-art encryption to ensure only users, not the site administrators, know what they are uploading. That would theoretically stop authorities from accusing administrators of knowingly aiding online piracy, the central allegation facing Dotcom in the Megaupload case.

Despite the system overloads, Dotcom expressed delight with the rollout, tweeting within an hour of the launch that there were already 100,000 users registered in possibly the “fastest growing start-up in Internet history”.

An hour later, with 250,000 registrations, he said: “Site is still overloaded. Massive demand. Incredible.” He said server capacity was on maximum load and that access should improve when the “initial frenzy is over”. Users took to Twitter to complain of difficulties in registering. “I can’t even sign up, it’s jammed,” one potential user tweeted. “I can’t get to the site,” added another.

Dotcom, who held a lavish launch party at his New Zealand mansion, said later that problems accessing the site had been addressed. “We had a lot of users interested

AUCKLAND: Indicted Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom appears on a large screen during the launch of a new file-sharing website called “Mega” at his Coatesville mansion in Auckland yesterday. — AP in the site, we’ve stabilized everything netted more than $175 million in criminal now,” he said. New Zealand Internet con- proceeds and cost copyright owners more sultant Steve Simms said the problems than $500 million by offering pirated appeared linked to delays in servers being copies of movies, TV shows, music and othupdated to recognize the site certificate, as er content.

Dotcom denies the charges which carry well as the overwhelming number of users jail terms of up to 20 years. While on bail simultaneously accessing limited capacity.

Dotcom, who has a reputation as a in New Zealand, his legal team have showman, was dressed for the launch in enjoyed a number of successes challengthe same attire he was on the day of the ing the prosecution case, including a rulraid, and said he still felt resentment at the ing that the police raid was illegal and a way he was treated. “Yes, of course. We did- government admission that Dotcom was n’t expect it at all and felt it was extremely illegally spied upon before his arrest. His unfair. 220 people lost their jobs overnight.” extradition hearing is due to be heard in US authorities allege Megaupload sites August. — AFP

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Russia eyes private boost for Arctic energy MOSCOW: Stalling production and global warming are seeing the Russian government mull breaking up its Arctic energy monopoly and allowing independents to survey some of the world’s most coveted oil and gas fields. The idea - debated at a top but private cabinet meeting last week - is still nascent and opposed firmly by the state’s natural gas supplier Gazprom and main oil provider Rosneft. But it could see cash-flush private players one day explore forbidding northern expanses that hold as much as 550 billion barrels of oil equivalent - nearly eight times Russia’s current proven reserves.

Any breakthrough could in turn transform a global market that will already see major changes from growing exports of liquefied natural gas from North American shale deposits. “Gazprom and Rosneft have got everything they have asked for - 80 percent of the (Arctic) shelf,” said Sberbank Investment Research analyst Valery

Nesterov. “They got the fields and now are sitting on them,” said the analyst. “There must be a procedure for taking back these licenses, and that it what the ministry of natural resources is trying to do.”

Russia’s slowly-melting ice shelf stretches along the Arctic Ocean from the Barents Sea near Norway to the Chukchi Sea opposite the coast of Alaska. The country’s immediate problems are slightly different in the oil and gas sectors due to both global market conditions and existing natural resource supplies. But the roots of both reach back to a strong state system that forbids independents from controlling offshore projects or getting to access to fields that were claimed but remain untouched.

“The pace of the shelf’s geological survey work is not sufficient,” Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev admitted in his opening statement at Tuesday’s energy meeting.

“We are studying various ways we can speed up geological survey work.”

One of the biggest factors behind the state’s slow Arctic development has been the monumental risks and costs involved.

And those are especially hard to take on at a time of global economic turmoil and lagging energy consumption. Russia natural gas exports to Europe actually fell by more than one percent last year. Fitch Ratings warned that “Gazprom’s sales are likely to fall further in 2013” as the continent’s economic woes rage on.

But oil production is breaking postSoviet records as strong investments over the past two decades and stable prices are finally starting to pay off. Reports said Gazprom put up the strongest defence of the status quo while Rosneft - its investment options more varied - backed up the gas giant while accepting some room for compromise. Gazprom company boss Alexei Miller emerged from the energy powwow affirming that “we are not giving up the shelf to anyone.”

The government session ended with Gazprom receiving rights to 17 of the 29 new fields for which it had applied. The others remained unassigned. Neither was there progress on awarding survey contracts to private oil companies. Current offshore rules require them to be at least half-owned by the state and have past experience working in tough terrain. None fill the bill despite repeated attempts by Lukoil - the ambitious independent with its sights now set on difficult Caspian Sea projects - to get a foothold in the Arctic.

Rosneft was awarded 12 new oil blocks after promising to speed up investment in fields it already owns - an understandable stance in the wake of its historic series of tie-ups with the likes of ExxonMobil and BP. “We have the financial resources to do this and out partners do too,” Rosneft boss Igor Sechin said in reference to accelerated Arctic exploration. The essence of the natural resources ministry’s deferred plan

involves reducing the number of years a company has to begin exploration from seven to five or even three.

Failure to comply would mean opening up the fields up to private bidders. Those would then prospect the blocks and be required to take on a state firm as a controlling partner should any commercial quantities of oil or gas be found. Kremlin economic adviser Arkady Dvorkovich admitted that “we have still not determined who is going to conduct the geological survey work - private or public firms.”

Sberbank Investment Research analyst Nesterov said the government has about three years to figure out how it can get independents to help boost Arctic development without the state losing control of what it views as a strategic reserve.

“Because in the end, we will either have to develop the Arctic or find ways to raise oil production at existing wells,” Nesterov observed. —AFP

Testing brain pacemakers to zap Alzheimer’s damage WASHINGTON: It has the makings of a science fiction movie: Zap someone’s brain with mild jolts of electricity to try to stave off the creeping memory loss of Alzheimer’s disease. And it’s not easy. Holes are drilled into the patient’s skull so tiny wires can be implanted into just the right spot. A dramatic shift is beginning in the disappointing struggle to find something to slow the damage of this epidemic: The first US experiments with “brain pacemakers” for Alzheimer’s are getting under way.

Scientists are looking beyond drugs

and thinking might keep those neural networks active for longer, essentially bypassing some of dementia’s damage.

Sanford decided it was worth a shot. “The reason I’m doing it is, it’s really hard to not be able, sometimes, to remember,” Sanford, 57, said from her Lancaster, Ohio, home. Her father is blunter. “What’s our choice? To participate in a program or sit here and watch her slowly deteriorate?” asked Joe Jester, 78. He drives his daughter to follow-up testing, hoping to spot improvement. A few months after

This undated file image shows a cross-section of a normal brain and one of a brain damaged by advanced Alzheimer’s disease. —AP to implants in the hunt for muchneeded new treatments.

The research is in its infancy.

Only a few dozen people with earlystage Alzheimer’s will be implanted in a handful of hospitals. No one knows if it might work, and if it does, how long the effects might last. Kathy Sanford was among the first to sign up. The Ohio woman’s early-stage Alzheimer’s was gradually getting worse. She still lived independently, posting reminders to herself, but no longer could work.

The usual medicines weren’t helping. Then doctors at Ohio State University explained the hope - that constant electrical stimulation of brain circuits involved in memory

the five-hour operation, the hair shaved for her brain surgery was growing back and Sanford said she felt good, with an occasional tingling that she attributes to the electrodes. A battery-powered generator near her collarbone powers them, sending the tiny shocks up her neck and into her brain.

It’s too soon to know how she’ll fare; scientists will track her for two years. “This is an ongoing evaluation right now that we are optimistic about,” is how Ohio State neurosurgeon Dr Ali Rezai cautiously puts it.

More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s or similar dementias, and that number is expected to rise rapidly as the baby boomers age.

Today’s drugs only temporarily help some symptoms. Attempts to attack Alzheimer’s presumed cause, a brain-clogging gunk, so far haven’t panned out. “We’re getting tired of not having other things work,” said Ohio State neurologist Dr Douglas Scharre. The new approach is called deep brain stimulation, or DBS. While it won’t attack Alzheimer’s root cause either, “maybe we can make the brain work better,” he said.

Implanting electrodes into the brain isn’t new. Between 85,000 and 100,000 people around the world have had DBS to block the tremors of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. The continuous jolts quiet overactive nerve cells, with few side effects. Scientists also are testing whether stimulating other parts of the brain might help lift depression or curb appetite among the obese. It was in one of those experiments that Canadian researchers back in 2003 stumbled onto the Alzheimer’s possibility.

They switched on the electrical jolts in the brain of an obese man and unlocked a flood of old memories.

Continuing his DBS also improved his ability to learn. He didn’t have dementia, but the researchers wondered if they could spur memorymaking networks in someone who did.

But wait a minute. Alzheimer’s doesn’t just steal memories, it eventually robs sufferers of the ability to do the simplest of tasks. How could stimulating a brain so damaged do any good? A healthy brain is a connected brain. One circuit signals another to switch on and retrieve the memories needed to, say, drive a car or cook a meal. At least early in the disease, Alzheimer’s kills only certain spots. But the disease’s hallmark gunky plaques act as a roadblock, stopping the “on” switch so that healthy circuits farther away are deactivated, explained Dr. Andres Lozano, a neurosurgeon at Toronto Western Hospital whose research sparked the interest.

So the plan was to put the electrodes into hubs where brain pathways for memory, behavior, concentration and other cognitive functions converge, to see if the jolts reactivate those silenced circuits, added Ohio State’s Rezai. “It’s like

going through Grand Central Station and trying to affect all the trains going in and coming out,” he said. Lozano’s team found the first clue that it’s possible by implanting six Alzheimer’s patients in Canada.

After at least 12 months of continuous stimulation, brain scans showed a sign of more activity in areas targeted by Alzheimer’s. Suddenly, the neurons there began using more glucose, the fuel for brain cells. “It looked like a blackout before. We were able to turn the lights back on in those areas,” Lozano said.

While most Alzheimer’s patients show clear declines in function every year, one Canadian man who has had the implants for four years hasn’t deteriorated, Lozano said, although he cautioned that there’s no way to know whether that’s due to the DBS. The evidence is preliminary and will take years of study to prove, but “this is an exciting novel approach,” said Dr. Laurie Ryan of the National Institutes of Health’s aging division, which is funding a follow-up study.

Under way now: The Toronto researchers have teamed with four US medical centers - Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pennsylvania, University of Florida and Arizona’s Banner Health System - to try DBS in a part of the brain called the fornix, one of those memory hubs, in 40 patients. Half will have their electrodes turned on two weeks after the operation and the rest in a year, an attempt to spot any placebo effect from surgery.

At Ohio State, Rezai is implanting the electrodes into a different spot, the frontal lobes, that his own DBS work suggests could tap into cognition and behavior pathways. That study will enroll 10 participants including Sanford. Surgery back in October was Sanford’s first step.

Then it was time to fine-tune how the electrodes fire. She took problem-solving tests while neurologist Scharre adjusted the voltage and frequency and watched her reactions. Sanford was cheered to see her test scores climb a bit during those adjustments. She said she knows there are no guarantees, but “if we can beat some of this stuff, or at least get a leading edge on it, I’m in for the whole deal.” —AP

China seeks to control Beijing air pollution BEIJING: Beijing is to unveil unprecedented new rules governing how China’s capital reacts to hazardous air pollution, the official Xinhua news agency said, as deteriorating air quality threatens to become a rallying point for wider political dissatisfaction. The rules will formalize previous ad-hoc measures, including shutting down factories, cutting back on burning coal and taking certain vehicle classes off the roads on days when pollution hits unacceptable levels. Air quality in Beijing, on many days degrees of magnitude below minimum international health standards for breathability, is of increasing concern to China’s leadership because it plays into popular resentment over political privilege and rising inequality in the world’s second-largest economy.

Domestic media have run stories describing the expensive air purifiers government officials enjoy in their homes and offices, alongside reports of special organic farms so cadres need not risk suffering from recurring food safety scandals.

Smog blanketed most of the city from late Friday, prompting the government to warn people to reduce outdoor activities. On Saturday, an index measuring PM2.5, or particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), rose as high as 400 in some parts in the city. A level above 300 is considered hazardous, while the World Health Organisation recommends a daily level of no more than 20. The reading was still lower than last weekend, when it hit a staggering 755.

Lung cancer rates in the city have shot upward by 60 percent in the last decade, according to a report by the state-run China Daily in 2011, even as smoking rates have flattened out. The pollution has also deterred foreigners from living and working in “Greyjing”. Now it appears that the government has adopted a more transparent approach to addressing the problem than in the past. Officials once tried to spin the city’s poor air quality by not including PM2.5 readings in reports and referring to smog as “fog” in weather reports. One official accused the US embassy in Beijing of meddling in China’s internal affairs for publishing its own PM2.5 readings online. But this time around, state media appears to have been cleared to cover pollution as a major problem. Vice Premier Li Keqiang, who is expected to take over as premier in March, said earlier this week that tackling pollution would be a long-term process. —Reuters

LIBERIA: Benedict Smarts stands next to tombs of his ancestors on Dec 12, 2012 on the concession of Indonesian Golden Veroleum Liberia in southern Liberia, where, since the end of 2010, large parts of the last great primary forest of Liberia disappeared to make way for palm oil in defiance of traditions and local customs closely linked to forest. —AFP

Liberia is for sale MONROVIA: Liberia is selling itself slice by slice nine years after a terrible civil conflict finally came to an end, offering valuable resources to the highest bidder even though that could kindle tension among a population that often feels it is being sold out. The chairman of the Liberia Land Commission, Othello Brandy, says that 57.5 percent of the nation’s territory has been allotted via concessions, for a total of 5.6 million hectares, of which a little more than one million hectares represented agricultural land. Alfred Brownell, a lawyer who founded the non-governmental organization Green Advocates estimates that at least 120 foreign companies have signed concessions contracts in Liberia, a country the size of Portugal that was colonised by freed black slaves from the United States.

“Over the last six years it has been an avalanche,” Brownell said, before explaining that Liberia, a western Africa country that suffered 15 years of war from 1989 to 2003, lacked the expertise to develop by itself. “There is no capacity of absorption in Liberia, no skills, no trained people,” Brownell noted, “we will depend on foreign experts.” The lawyer defends Liberian communities that are affected by palm oil plantations and warns: “If we get back to war, it will be on land.”

The United Nations still maintains a peacekeeping force in Liberia and a panel warned in early December of the potential for land conflicts. Its report underscored “numerous underlying conflicts of title as well as violations of landowners rights,” and added: “This has the potential to undermine peace and security in outlying rural areas.” But Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, is under pressure to rebuild the nation’s economy, Brandy said. He noted: “It’s like repairing a moving car, extremely difficult.”

In most cases, land concessions are negotiated in the capital Monrovia, far from those who are directly affected. Interior Affairs Minister Blamoh Nelson explained that “the government signs for a general territory, areas of interest,” and then the company involved goes to the area to meet “traditional groups and customary leaders to limit the boundaries”. Nelson acknowledged that local chiefs do not always “understand what they signed”.

An early example of a Liberian concession was one signed in 1926 with US tyre maker

Firestone which acquired the rights to a half million hectares near Monrovia, but ended up producing “not even a rubber band”, according to Brownell. More recently diamonds, gold and wood earned fortunes for Liberian warlords until former president Charles Taylor was ousted in 2003 and the UN voted sanctions against international trade in “blood wood”. Sirleaf annulled many controversial deals but has also signed new ones covering agricultural, forestry, mineral and offshore oil resources. “The false assumption is that the government owns the land,” Brownell said.

That situation is often seen elsewhere in Africa, the continent now most coveted by foreign investors owing to its vast natural resources.

Paul Mathieu, a specialist in land rights for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, estimates that “80 percent of rural land rights are either not documented at all or else only in vague terms because governments consider themselves the land owners”.

In Liberia, agriculture accounts for 61 percent of the nation’s total economic output. In southern Liberia, 220,000 hectares have been ceded for 93 years to the Indonesian group Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL) to produce palm oil, and on which around 200 families now live. “Each of them can tell you which tree, which stream is theirs,” said Bestman Weagba, a 65-year-old who refused to abandon his home to GVL, and continues to grow cassava, a kind of manioc, and plantains to feed his family.

UN official Olivier de Schutter said that “in more than half the cases, there was no consultation with the population,” and emphasised that such deals are “a windfall for the government”.

Sirleaf, a former World Bank economist, has applied a policy that was long favoured by that institution but which has been called into question since, promoting export products and crops even if it means importing food. But in 2009 she set up the commission headed by Brandy that was tasked with defining property rights, which if adopted would finally guarantee those of local communities across the country. Brandy, who trained as an agronomist, hopes it will help guarantee the country’s food security. “There is still enough land but the window (of opportunity) is closing, this means that this commission is under pressure to do some major stuff,” he acknowledged.—AFP

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Obesity in Kuwait, its causes and treatment

By Faten Gharzeddine

Dar Al Shifa commends expertise of Al-Jazzaf KUWAIT: Dar Al Shifa Clinic commended the medical expertise of Dr Adel AlJazzaf, consultant ophthalmology at Dar Al Shifa Clinic. Dr Al-Jazzaf is an award winning consultant ophthalmologist who has published over ten scientific research papers around glaucoma and has also participated across fifty international conferences and workshops worldwide. His career spans an impressive 10 year experience across the United States as well as the United Kingdom and later in Kuwait. Al-Jazzaf is a graduate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, a fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in the United Kingdom, a member of American glaucoma society as well as a member of the American Academy of

Dr Adel Al-Jazzaf Ophthalmology. He is also a member of the ophthalmology board in the Middle East and Africa, a lecturer in the Gulf region and America and the only winner of the international prize of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in Kuwait. Along with that, Dr Al-Jazzaf is also a fellow of the University of Tennessee in glaucoma specialty in USA. He is also a clinical trainer in Kuwait board of Ophthalmology.

A number of major breakthroughs have been attributed to him within his

speciality, which include medical treatment, laser treatment for glaucoma as well as valve implantation surgery for glaucoma treatment, which the Journal of Clinical Ophthalmology has recently published a scientific paper on. It was conducted in Kuwait regarding implantation of glaucoma drainage implant he carried out on patients with refractory glaucoma in Kuwait and was the first experience of its kind in the Gulf and Middle east region.

Dr Al-Jazzaf enjoys a wide range of specialties that include treatment of glaucoma (eye pressure) using the latest medical technologies, surgical operations to treat glaucoma, laser treatments, along with a number of surgical procedures, while also conducting full examinations for early detection of optic nerve disease, cataract, glaucoma, congenital disorders of the optic nerve and retinal disease using Humphrey Diagnostic Technology.

On this occasion, Al-Jazzaf said: “I am delighted to be part of a growing professional team at Dar Al Shifa Clinic. The clinic, which is part of the renowned Dar Al Shifa Hospital, will provide more room for me to establish a first of its kind specialized center for glaucoma which enjoys the most advanced treatment methods medically, surgically as well as using laser treatment. Part of my remit will also include help identify new diagnostic tools for various diagnosis purposes of the glaucoma. I look forward to contributing with my skills and add more value to the clinic’s patients.”

Dar Al Shifa Clinic provides patients with comprehensive medical solutions.

The clinic includes an extensive array of departments such as Dar Al Shifa Dental Care Unit, Dermatology, Diet & Nutrition, Ophthalmology, Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, a fully equipped laboratory as well as a solely dedicated pharmacy to accommodate patients’ prescription requirements.

What is obesity? besity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat that accumulates in the body, adding risks to health. A person can be considered obese if his/her weight is 20 percent more than the normal weight or if he/she has a BMI greater than 30. In Kuwait, an estimate of 42-43 percent of the population suffers from obesity. That’s very close to half the population. Not only that, 48 percent of the females are obese, and 36 percent of male Kuwaiti’s also suffer from obesity.

A study focusing on obesity among the adolescent population in Arab countries showed that Kuwaiti adolescents - both males and females ranked number one in obesity. Not only that, Kuwait ranks #2 in obesity prevalence worldwide - right after the US. People from all age ranges are prone to suffer from obesity. In 2000, a study was conducted with a sample of 8,957 children from the ages 6 to 10. Results and findings indicated that 15.7 percent of the boys suffered from obesity and 13.8

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percent of the girls were also obese.

Hearing alarm bells yet? Obesity is a serious health complication that should not be taken lightly. If people don’t make a decision to adapt a healthier lifestyle, there will be 2.3 billion overweight adults by 2015, with more than 700 million that are expected to suffer from obesity.

What’s making you fat/obese?

Obesity can be caused by numerous factors. The increase intake of high saturated fatty foods combined with a sedentary lifestyle is what’s leading you down to ‘Obesity-ville’.

Certain factors like the harsh weather, labor-saving machinery and desk jobs contribute to limiting our physical activity. Also, the notion of hospitality and family gatherings are integral elements that are embedded within the Kuwaiti culture. Some families may frown upon the fact that you prefer eating in moderation or refuse to eat.

Another contributing factor to driving obesity numbers in Kuwait through the roof are the restaurants and junk food chains. There are approximately 4,783 restaurants cur-

rently operating in Kuwait, with a ratio of 1:230 people, in contrast to the USA (1 restaurant to every 600

people). These restaurants and food outlets serve fatty and unhealthy food choices, driving you deeper and deeper into obesity.

The ugly side of obesity While many fail to take it seriously, obesity is an epidemic disease. It affects the body’s vital functions leading to life threatening diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, infertility and hypertension. Obesity has a direct effect on fertility. Obese women are at a risk for ovulatory

infertility. Not only that, with each extra 10 kg men and women put on, chances of reproduction drop by 10 percent. Not only that, cardiovascular disease accounts for 46 percent of deaths in 2010 and a total of 54 percent of Kuwaiti’s suffer from high cholesterol. Kuwait is also ranked #1 in the MENA region with diabetes prevalence. All of these figures can further increase if the population continues to suffer from obesity.

Fight Obesity: Tips and tricks The best way to fight obesity is to incorporate physical activity alongside a tailored and balanced food plan, rich in complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and good fats in moderation. To help you choose what’s best for you, the Diet Center created a variety of dietary programs that will help improve the quality of life for people suffering from cholesterol, diabetes, infertility, celiac disease.

The Diet Center also has a specialized diet program dedicated for women to help them keep healthy during pregnancy, along with special children’s diet, to help little ones adapt a healthy lifestyle.

US climate fears mounting, but political action wanes WASHINGTON: Climate change was thrust to the forefront of the US political agenda recently in the wake of the devastation caused by superstorm Sandy and record high temperatures across the country. But despite President Barack Obama renewing his early promises to act, experts said political opposition would make it at least as difficult as during Obama’s first, failed push to get new legislation through Congress, and said decisive measures will remain unlikely. “All the public opinion polls show a better understanding of the link between climate change and extreme weather events,” said Alden Meyer, strategy director of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

But, he added, “there is still a lot to do in the Republican Party and in the business community,” to get them on board with Obama’s plans for solutions, should the president launch a second offen-

sive. Growing public concern over the global warming threat was laid out in a recent study by the Rasmussen Institute, carried out shortly before November’s presidential election, but after Sandy slammed into the US Northeast. The study showed that 68 percent of US voters believed that climate change was a serious problem, compared to just 46 percent in 2009.

Since being re-elected, Obama has addressed climate change several times, including pledging the week after the vote to launch a nationwide conversation to find common ground, because “we’ve got an obligation to future generations to do something about it.” The president acknowledged that his stance on climate change would require “tough political choices,” and conceded that lawmakers - Democrat and Republican alike - may not be on board. The makeup of Congress remains

largely the same as before the November vote.

Republicans have retained the majority in the House of Representatives, and a significant bloc come from the ultra-conservative “Tea Party.” In the Senate, Democrats strengthened their majority.

Elliot Diringer of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions think tank noted that growing public awareness of climate change “has yet to translate into a surge in political willingness”. The issue was not a “game changer” during the election, he added in an interview. “We still do not see any prospect for major legislation in Congress.”

In 2010, amid an economic crisis, the Democratcontrolled Senate rejected the creation of a national market of greenhouse gas emissions - a so-called cap-and-trade system - that would have penalized coal and oil users in favor of those using renewable energy.—AFP

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

Pakistan stall grabs attention at 3rd economic exhibition

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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

Announcements

Arabic courses

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WARE will begin Winter 1 Arabic language courses with new textbooks and curricula on from December 2, 2012 until January 24, 2013. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed & courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. For more information or registration, please log-on to our website.

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India - Flag Hoisting Ceremony

n the occasion of the Republic Day of India, a Flag Hoisting Ceremony will be held at the Embassy of India premises at 9.00 am on Saturday, January 26, 2013. This will be followed by the reading of the message of Honorable President of India by the Ambassador, singing of patriotic songs, and an Open House Reception. All Indian nationals in Kuwait are cordially invited to attend the Ceremony.

IMLA students camp on Wednesday

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he Kuwait Kerala Muslim Association’s ladies wing IMLA (Indian Muslim Ladies Association) has announced its Students Social awareness program on Wednesday, 23rd January from 6PM to 9.30 PM at KKMA community hall, Jleeb Al Shuwaik. The student aged between 12 to 18 years can attend the event.

Prominent personalities and other professional will be presenting the various topics which is aimed at Women’s development and welfare.

Well known psychologists Mrs. Sreedevi Pradeep and Mrs. Reeshma Farhan will address the session with effective topic “Beware of social evils” and “Adolescent Psychology” respectively. Prominent public speaker and trainer Mr. Mohammed Sameer will be instructing the students on Success and Leadership Essentials.

Special transport facility arranged for the students in Farwaniya, Abbasiya and Fahaheel.

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akistan Embassy in Kuwait actively participated in the 3rd Economic Exhibition held at Sheraton Hotel on January 13 organized by Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Pakistan pavilion, with its wide variety of informative material including posters, brochures and artifacts on country’s diverse culture, globally famous tourist spots and the investment friendly environment managed to grab the attention of large number of people who visited the event. An eye-catching documentary highlighting Pakistan’s tremendous landscape and various cultural events was also displayed.

Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarallah, the Under Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, inaugurated the event. He also visited Pakistani stall and took keen interest in the products on display. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kuwait Iftekhar Aziz briefed the chief guest on salient features of Pakistan’s culture and economy.

Pravasandhra TDP pays tribute to NTR

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ravasandhra Telugu Desam, Kuwait members and TDP followers paid rich tributes to Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, founder of the TDP on the occasion of his 17th death anniversary last Friday in Hawally. Pravasandhra TDP President Mulakala Subbarayu and others paid floral tributes, and praised NTR as a beacon of hope for the poor and the weaker sections.

Regency Ciramics, India officials Dr Somavaram Venkata Ram Prasad, GV Sudhakar Reddy who came from India for short visit to Kuwait attended as the special guests during this occasion.

BP Naidu, Suresh Malepti, Pidikiti Srinivasa Chowdary, Ramesh, Skynet Prasd, Perugu Srinivasulu Naidu, Chandra, Venkatesh, Shankar, Prabhakar Reddy, Basha and others participated in the event.

NSS holds annual celebration ICSK KHAITAN INTRODUCES TOASTMASTERS

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n introductory session of Speech Club of “Toastmasters International” was organized at ICSK Khaitan on 8th Dec, 2012. VicePrincipal, ICSK Khaitan, Dr. Mary Isaac, opened the session with a brief introduction on Toast Masters club, motivating the students to join the club. Mr. K. Gangadhar Shirsath, Principal, ICSK Khaitan, cordially welcomed the gathering and shared his experiences when he first started as a public speaker.

Toastmaster N Satish Kumar was the speaker of the day who introduced the club activities and elected the office-bearers. His articulate presentation inspired the students to become the Toastmasters that can ultimately mould them into good leaders.

Honorary Joint Secretary to the ICSK Board of Trustees, Dr. Kamlesh Kumari, addressed the gathering and spoke about the benefits of good publicspeaking skills.

PAC representative to the Board, Ninan Joseph; PAC members, Ajay George, Munaf, Mrs. Vardhana Rajesh, Amanullah Popere, Abdul Salam Kulandu and Farah Yusuf were present on the occasion.

Vijayaratna from the Department of English was selected as the coordinator for the programme.

Beena Jerome, Head of the Department of English, proposed the vote of thanks. Students showed immense enthusiasm towards the Toastmasters club.

Executive Committee: Chelsea Marie Joseph, Rushali Mahesh, Eldho Paul, Varun Arumugham, Mussad Mustafa, Zaid Khalil, and Justin Satish Baily.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

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air Service Society (NSS), Kuwait celebrated Mannam Jayanthi for the 12th consecutive year on January 11, 2013 (Friday), at Marina Hall, Touristic Park, Abbasiya from 6 pm to commemorate 136th birth anniversary of Bharata Kesari Padmabhushan Mannathu Padmanabhan, the great social reformer and founder of the Nair Service Society.

Vidhu P Nair, Charge d’Affaires, Indian Embassy of Kuwait, inaugurated the function, which was presided over by M R

Raveendran Nair, President, Nair Service Society, Kuwait. Prof. Gopinath Muthukad delivered the keynote address and Rahul Easwar, author and leading social activists, spoke on the occasion.

Sharafudheen Kanneth, Member of Pravasi Shemanidhi Board, Government of Kerala has been honored for his elevated post and new assignment. Mohan Thayyilmadom, senior NSS member, who is leaving Kuwait for good, was also honored during the function. A souvenir was

released in connection with the Jayanthi celebrations by Mattar Mohd Al Shimmari (Kuwait International Bank) by giving a copy to Vijayan Karayil. In the annual award ceremony, Mannam Jayanti Gold Medals for outstanding academic performances for students of Class XII and X were also presented by Prof Gopinath Muthukad. Mementos to dignitaries and celebrities were presented by Prof Gopinath Muthukad, Dr C G Suresh, R K Nair, Sunil Menon and Rajendran

Pillai. The celebrations went on with cultural extravaganza, commenced with the classical/semi classical dances of Asha Sarath, versatile dancer and actress followed by magical show by Prof Gopinath Muthukad and caricature show by Jayaraj Warrier. The program was anchored by Deepa Vijayan. Prasad Padmanabhan, General Secretary of Nair Service Society, Kuwait delivered the welcome speech and Dilip Nair, Treasurer, rendered the vote of thanks.

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

Obesity fighting campaign launched at Avenues

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 Embassyof Canada 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, U.A.E. 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-imenquiry@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 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00†until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday.

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EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com.

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EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, Al-Salaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location. Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com.

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EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk.

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nder auspices of the health minister, Dr Mohammed Al-Haifi and the attendance of MOH nutrition department manager, Dr Nawal AlHamad, an awareness campaign to fight obesity was launched at the Avenues Mall under the title ‘Fight Fat’.

The campaign, organized by the Investors Group for Exhibitions and Conferences (IG Events), was held from January 15-19.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr AlHamad said that obesity was largely prevailing in Kuwait, especially among children and teens. She added that obesity is highly dangerous and leads to heart diseases and diabetes because of the unhealthy diet people tend to have and their sedentary lifestyles.

Head of the organizing committee, Heba Bin Salamah said that the campaign included a health exhibition, PB

and diabetes tests and an exhibition for healthy food. Also speaking on the occasion, IG Events CEO, Ahmed AlIbrahim said that both the campaign and the accompanying four-day exhibition had been designed to interactively communicate with various social sects, namely those endangered with obesity.

“We also used modern social media such as Twitter, YouTube and Smart phones to contact the targeted audi-

ence and promote the campaign”, he stressed noting that the campaign was designed to boost public awareness of the dangers of obesity.

Notably, IG Events was established in 1999 and operates in the field of creatively organizing conferences and various events in order to achieve the strongest effect. The group activities cover investment, banking, petroleum, media and health topics.

Warm welcome

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G Dr Yuhanon Mar Chrysostomos, Niranam Diocese Metropolitan of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, reached Kuwait to lead a Tri-Day Convention in connection with Nineveh Lent, organized by Mar Gregorios Movement, a Charitable organization of St. Gregorios Indian Orthodox Maha Edavaka.

He was received at the Kuwait Airport by the Vicar Rev Fr Jose Mathew, Fr Saju Philip, Parish Treasurer Reji Oommen, Secretary Sandeep Pulickal, Sabha Managing Committee Members Sabu T George, Shaji Abraham, Jaison P Varghese and office bearers of Mar Gregorios Movement.

KKK elects office-bearers for 2013

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uwait Kannada Koota (KKK) conducted its election of the office-bearers for the year 2013 during the Annual General Body meeting held recently at Indian Community School Khaitan. The members of the association unanimously elected R Dinesh as President, Vijay Kumar Kairangala as Vice President, Ramesh P as General Secretary, and Ramesh Chikkanna as Treasurer.

The newly-elected Executive Committee of 2013 organized a meeting with various sub-committee conveners and members (Cultural, Public Relation, Sports, Marala Mallige, Web, Media and Souvenir Committee) and the members of the different committees shared their ideas and opinions.

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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.

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 Untamed & Uncut 01:45 Attack Of The Giant Jellyfish 02:35 Animal Cops Philadelphia 03:25 Wildest Latin America 04:15 Untamed China With Nigel Marven 05:05 Great White: The Impossible Shot 05:55 Animal Cops Philadelphia 06:45 Wildest Latin America 07:35 Wildlife SOS 08:00 The Really Wild Show 08:25 Bad Dog 09:15 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 10:10 Baby Planet 11:05 Wildest Latin America 12:00 Animal Cops Philadelphia 12:55 Call Of The Wildman 13:20 Wildlife SOS 13:50 Wild Africa Rescue 14:45 Animal Precinct 15:40 Wildest Latin America 16:35 Cheetah Kingdom 17:00 The Really Wild Show 17:30 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 18:25 Crocodile Hunter 19:20 America’s Cutest Pet 20:15 Monkey Life 20:40 Bondi Vet 21:10 Call Of The Wildman 21:35 Cheetah Kingdom 22:05 Wildest Latin America 23:00 Karina: Wild On Safari

00:10 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 01:35 10 Years Younger 02:25 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 03:10 Antiques Roadshow 08:25 Trish’s Mediterranean Kitchen 08:45 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 09:40 The Boss Is Coming To Dinner 10:25 Bargain Hunt 11:10 Antiques Roadshow 12:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 13:25 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 14:20 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 15:05 Bargain Hunt 15:50 Antiques Roadshow 16:45 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 18:05 Britain’s Dream Homes 19:00 Trish’s Mediterranean Kitchen 19:25 Trish’s Mediterranean Kitchen 19:50 Rhodes Across Italy 20:35 Come Dine With Me: South Africa 21:30 Vacation Vacation Vacation 21:55 Vacation Vacation Vacation 22:20 Antiques Roadshow 23:15 Bargain Hunt

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 04:45 05:00 05:30 05:45 06:00 06:30 06:45 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 08:45 09:00 09:30 09:45 10:00 10:30 10:45

BBC World News Horizons BBC World News Our World Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday India Business Report Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Hardtalk BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News

11:00 BBC World News 11:30 World Business Report 11:45 BBC World News 12:30 Hardtalk 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 BBC World News 15:00 GMT With George Alagiah 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 Hardtalk 18:00 BBC World News 19:30 World Business Report 19:45 Sport Today 20:00 BBC World News 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

00:20 00:45 01:10 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:15 03:40 04:00 04:20 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:25 07:00 07:30 07:55 08:10 08:35 08:50 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:20 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 12:25 12:50 13:00 13:15 13:40 13:55 14:20 14:35 14:50 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:40 19:05 19:30 19:45 20:00 20:15 20:30 20:55 21:20 21:35 22:00

Yogi’s Treasure Hunt Duck Dodgers Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Dastardly And Muttley Popeye Wacky Races Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Flintstones The Jetsons What’s New Scooby Doo? Taz-Mania The Looney Tunes Show Tom & Jerry Tales Dexter’s Laboratory Moomins Dexter’s Laboratory Dexter’s Laboratory Baby Looney Tunes Jelly Jamm Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Ha Ha Hairies Tom & Jerry Kids A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Puppy In My Pocket Wacky Races Looney Tunes Duck Dodgers Popeye Top Cat The Flintstones Dastardly And Muttley Ha Ha Hairies Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Cartoonito Tales Moomins Dexter’s Laboratory Johnny Bravo Tom & Jerry Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show What’s New Scooby-Doo? Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry Tales The Looney Tunes Show Taz-Mania Moomins Pink Panther & Pals The Garfield Show Jelly Jamm Ha Ha Hairies Gerald McBoing Boing Baby Looney Tunes Bananas In Pyjamas Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show

00:40 Chowder 01:30 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 02:20 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 06:55 Angelo Rules 07:00 Casper’s Scare School 08:00 Mucha Lucha 08:25 Johnny Test 08:45 Regular Show

09:05 Total Drama, Drama, Drama...

09:55 Ben 10: Omniverse 10:20 Young Justice 10:45 Thundercats 11:10 Adventure Time 12:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 12:50 Foster’s Home For...

13:15 Foster’s Home For...

13:40 Courage The Cowardly Dog 14:30 Powerpuff Girls 15:20 Angelo Rules 16:10 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 16:35 Young Justice 17:00 Ben 10: Omniverse 17:20 Johnny Test 18:00 Level Up 18:25 The Amazing World Of Gumball 18:50 Adventure Time 19:15 Regular Show 19:40 Mucha Lucha 20:05 Total Drama Action 20:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 21:20 Young Justice 21:45 Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge 22:10 Grim Adventures Of...

23:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:50 The Powerpuff Girls

00:40 Around The World In 80 Ways 07:00 Mythbusters 07:50 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 08:45 Gold Divers 09:40 Border Security 10:05 Auction Kings 10:30 Auction Kings 10:55 How Stuff Works 11:25 How It’s Made 11:50 Fast N’ Loud 12:45 One Car Too Far 13:40 Wheeler Dealers 14:35 Border Security 15:05 Auction Kings 15:30 Auction Kings 16:00 Is It Possible?

16:55 Gold Divers 17:50 Mythbusters 18:45 Sons Of Guns 19:40 How Stuff Works 20:05 How It’s Made 20:35 Auction Kings 21:00 Auction Kings 21:30 Gold Rush 22:25 Gold Divers 23:20 Around The World In 80 Ways

00:10 00:35 01:25 02:15 03:05 03:30 03:55 04:20 04:45 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:40 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:00 09:25 09:35 09:45 10:00 10:25 10:50 11:15 11:40 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:25 15:50 16:15

Stitch A Kind Of Magic Replacements Emperor’s New School A Kind Of Magic A Kind Of Magic Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School A Kind Of Magic Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck My Babysitter’s A Vampire A.N.T Farm Phineas And Ferb Jessie Good Luck Charlie Doc McStuffins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Mouk Jonas So Random Hannah Montana Forever Sonny With A Chance Kim Possible Shake It Up Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Austin And Ally Art Attack A.N.T Farm Phineas And Ferb Shake It Up Austin And Ally Jessie

16:40 17:00 17:30 17:55 18:20 18:45 20:00 20:30 20:50 21:15

A.N.T Farm Good Luck Charlie Gravity Falls Suite Life On Deck Austin And Ally Lion King 1.5 Jessie That’s So Raven Cory In The House Kim Possible

00:20 Little Einsteins 00:50 Special Agent Oso 01:15 Lazytown 01:40 Jungle Junction 02:10 Handy Manny 02:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 02:55 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 03:00 Lazytown 03:25 Special Agent Oso 03:50 Imagination Movers 04:15 Handy Manny 04:40 Special Agent Oso 05:00 Timmy Time 05:10 Lazytown 05:35 Little Einsteins 06:00 Jungle Junction 06:30 Little Einsteins 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Jungle Junction 07:45 Handy Manny 08:00 Special Agent Oso 08:15 Imagination Movers 08:45 Handy Manny 09:00 The Hive 09:10 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 09:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 10:05 Doc McStuffins 10:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 11:00 Mouk 11:15 Animated Stories 11:20 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 11:45 Art Attack 12:10 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 12:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 13:00 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 13:10 Doc McStuffins 13:25 Handy Manny 13:40 Jungle Junction 13:55 Timmy Time 14:05 The Hive 14:15 Mouk 14:30 Little Einsteins 14:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:20 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 15:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 16:00 The Little Mermaid 16:25 Art Attack 16:55 Imagination Movers 17:20 Handy Manny 17:35 The Hive 17:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 18:10 Doc McStuffins 18:25 Doc McStuffins 18:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 18:55 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:10 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 19:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:00 Animated Stories 20:05 Timmy Time 20:15 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 20:25 Doc McStuffins 20:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:55 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:10 The Hive 21:20 Timmy Time 21:30 Mouk 21:45 Handy Manny 22:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 22:25 The Hive 22:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 23:00 Timmy Time 23:10 Animated Stories 23:15 A Poem Is...

23:20 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 23:30 Jungle Junction 23:45 Handy Manny

00:00 Programmes Start At 7:00am KSA 07:00 Kickin It 07:25 Phineas And Ferb 07:50 Almost Naked Animals 08:15 Pokemon: BW Rival Destinies 08:40 Slugterra 09:05 Scaredy Squirrel 09:30 Ultimate Spider-Man 09:55 Zeke & Luther 10:20 Kick Buttowski 10:45 I’m In The Band 11:10 Rated A For Awesome 11:35 Iron Man Armored Adventures 12:00 American Dragon 12:25 Kick Buttowski 12:50 Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge 13:20 Pair Of Kings 13:45 Zeke & Luther 14:10 Rekkit Rabbit 14:35 I’m In The Band 15:00 Phineas And Ferb 15:25 Pokemon: BW Rival Destinies 15:50 Rekkit Rabbit 16:15 Pair Of Kings 16:40 Almost Naked Animals 17:05 Lab Rats 17:30 Slugterra 18:00 Kickin It 20:05 Mr. Young 20:30 Zeke & Luther 20:55 I’m In The Band 21:20 Rated A For Awesome 21:45 Rekkit Rabbit

THE EDGE OF LOVE ON OSN MOVIES HD

00:30 Holly’s World 01:25 15 Most Infamous Child Star Mugshots 03:15 E! Investigates 04:10 E!es 05:05 Extreme Close-Up 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 A-List Listings 09:45 Married To Jonas 10:15 THS 12:05 Ice Loves Coco 13:05 Giuliana & Bill 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New York15:00 Style Star 15:30 E!es

16:30 Behind The Scenes 17:00 Fashion Police 18:00 E! News 19:00 E!es 20:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:00 Opening Act 22:00 Nicki Minaj: My Truth 22:30 Nicki Minaj: My Truth

00:15 Unwrapped 00:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Special 01:30 Heat Seekers 01:55 Food Network Challenge 02:45 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:35 Unwrapped 04:20 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:50 United Tastes Of America 05:15 Unique Eats 05:40 Chopped 06:30 Iron Chef America 07:10 Unwrapped 08:00 Iron Chef America 08:50 Kid In A Candy Store 09:15 Unwrapped 09:40 United Tastes Of America 10:05 Barefoot Contessa 10:55 Cooking For Real 11:20 Hungry Girl 11:45 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 12:10 United Tastes Of America 12:35 Unwrapped 13:00 Iron Chef America 13:50 Tyler’s Ultimate 14:15 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 14:40 Everyday Italian 15:05 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 15:30 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 15:55 Hungry Girl 16:20 United Tastes Of America 16:45 Chopped 17:35 Barefoot Contessa 18:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 19:15 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 19:40 Tyler’s Ultimate 20:05 Guy’s Big Bite 20:30 Chopped 21:20 The Next Iron Chef 22:10 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 23:30 Chef vs Britain 23:50 World Cafe Asia

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:05 03:55 04:45 05:30 06:20 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 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:25 23:50

Deadly Affairs Ghost Lab Dr. G: Medical Examiner Reel Crime/Real Story I Almost Got Away With It Deadly Affairs Ghost Lab Dr. G: Medical Examiner Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Murder Shift Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis 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 Mall Cops – Mall Of America On The Case With Paula Zahn Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill I Married A Mobster I Married A Mobster Blood Relatives

00:15 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 00:45 Ultimate Traveller 01:40 On Hannibal Trail 02:05 The Green Way Up 02:35 Street Food Around The World 03:00 Market Values 03:30 Travel Oz 03:55 Graham’s World 04:25 On The Camino De Santiago 04:50 Young Global Hotshots 05:20 Nomads 06:15 Food School 06:40 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 07:10 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 08:05 Ultimate Traveller 09:00 On Hannibal Trail 09:25 The Green Way Up 09:55 Street Food Around The World 10:20 Market Values 10:50 Travel Oz 11:15 Graham’s World 11:45 On The Camino De Santiago 12:10 Young Global Hotshots 12:40 A World Apart 13:35 Food School 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:30 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 15:25 Ultimate Traveller 16:20 On Hannibal Trail 16:45 The Green Way Up 17:15 Street Food Around The World 17:40 Market Values 18:10 Travel Oz 18:35 Graham’s World 19:05 On The Camino De Santiago 20:00 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 21:00 Food School 21:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 22:00 Nomads 22:55 Food School 23:20 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30

Lion Battle Zone Wild Case Files Triumph of Life Animal Superpowers Built for the Kill Swamp Men Hidden Worlds Triumph of Life

A LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN ON OSN CINEMA 07:25 Animal Superpowers 08:20 Built for the Kill 09:15 Cougars: Ninja of Jackson Hole (aka American Couga 10:10 Cheetah: Against All Odds 11:05 Crimes Against Nature 12:00 Bonecrusher Queens 13:00 Great Migrations 14:00 Animal Superpowers 15:00 Built for the Kill 16:00 Big Cat Wars (aka Lion vs Cheetah) 17:00 Africa’s Lost Eden 18:00 Crimes Against Nature 19:00 Monster Fish 20:00 Animal Superpowers 21:00 Built for the Kill 22:00 Cougars: Ninja of Jackson Hole (aka American Couga 23:00 Cheetah: Against All Odds

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Wake Wood-18 Monsters-PG15 The Rocketeer-PG15 Rage Of The Yeti-PG15 The Reunion-PG15 True Justice: Dead Drop-PG15 Secret Window-PG15 The Reunion-PG15 Judge Dredd-PG15 Secret Window-PG15 The Killing Room-18 Kill List-R

01:00 03:00 05:00 06:45 09:00 11:00 13:00 PG15 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Ways To Live Forever-PG15 Larry Crowne-PG15 33 Postcards-PG15 Another Year-PG15 Ways To Live Forever-PG15 Larry Crowne-PG15 What’s Wrong With VirginiaArrietty-FAM Blackthorn-PG15 Super 8-PG15 A Little Bit Of Heaven-18 Young Adult-PG15

00:00 Breaking In 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Angry Boys 02:00 American Dad 02:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 03:00 Last Man Standing 03:30 The Simpsons 04:00 Brothers 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Til Death 06:00 Samantha Who? 06:30 Seinfeld 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Brothers 08:30 Last Man Standing 09:00 Til Death 09:30 Samantha Who? 10:00 Two And A Half Men 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Seinfeld 12:30 Brothers 13:00 Til Death 13:30 Samantha Who? 14:00 The Simpsons 15:00 Two And A Half Men 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Seinfeld 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Last Man Standing 18:30 The Simpsons 19:00 Melissa & Joey 20:30 Wilfred 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 Angry Boys

00:00 01:00 03:00 04:00 06:00 07:00 08:00

Eureka The Closer Breakout Kings Boardwalk Empire Good Morning America Royal Pains Emmerdale

08:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 21:00 23:00

Coronation Street House Royal Pains Eureka Breakout Kings House Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Breakout Kings Justified Boardwalk Empire

00:00 07:00 07:30 12:00 12:30 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00

Grimm Emmerdale Coronation Street Emmerdale Coronation Street Emmerdale Coronation Street C.S.I. Breakout Kings

00:00 Neil Delamere-PG15 02:00 The Switch-18 04:00 Cars 2-FAM 06:00 The Winning Season-PG15 08:00 Scooby-Doo! Curse Of The Lake Monster-PG 10:00 Despicable Me-FAM 12:00 Cars 2-FAM 14:00 Cheaper By The Dozen-PG 16:00 Despicable Me-FAM 18:00 Just Go With It-PG15 20:00 Friday After Next-18 22:00 Loser-PG15

01:00 Romeo Is Bleeding-18 03:00 The Chorus-PG15 04:45 Burlesque-PG15 06:45 A L’origine-PG15 09:00 Le Divorce-PG15 11:00 Backwash-PG15 13:00 Boy-PG15 15:00 Le Divorce-PG15 17:00 Christmas Comes Home To Canaan-PG15 19:00 Frozen-PG15 21:00 The Skin I Live In-R 23:00 Gardens Of The Night-18

01:00 The Edge Of Love-PG15 03:00 Senna-PG15 04:45 The Help-PG15 07:15 Another Earth-PG15 09:00 I Don’t Know How She Does It-PG15 11:00 Soldier Love Story-PG15 12:30 Michael Jackson: The Life Of An Icon-PG15 15:15 The Dragon Chronicles: Fire & Ice-PG15 17:00 I Don’t Know How She Does It-PG15 19:00 A Mother’s Choice-PG15 21:00 Green Lantern-PG15 23:00 The Debt-18

01:15 Supertramps-FAM 02:45 Sammy’s Adventure: The Secret Passage-FAM 04:30 Turtle Hero: Part II-FAM 06:00 Princess Lillifee-FAM 08:00 Princess Sydney: The Three Gold Coins-FAM 10:00 A Monster In Paris-PG 11:30 Turtle Hero: Part II-FAM 13:00 Alex & Alexis-FAM 14:30 Rebound-PG 16:00 The Lucky Dragon-PG 18:00 A Monster In Paris-PG 20:00 Spooky Buddies-PG 22:00 The Lucky Dragon-PG 23:45 Alex & Alexis-FAM

02:00 02:30 03:00 06:00 07:00 10:00

Futbol Mundial ICC Cricket 360 Cricket Twenty20 Trans World Sport Snooker Masters Trans World Sports

11:00 Rugby Union Challenge Cup 13:00 Cricket Twenty20 16:00 Champions Tour 19:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 20:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 21:00 Cricket Twenty20

00:00 Live PGA Tour 03:00 Inside the PGA 03:30 Live Champions Tour 06:00 NFL Gameday 06:30 Futbol Mundial 07:00 PGA European Tour 11:30 Triathlon UK 12:30 PGA Tour 16:00 Snooker Masters 19:00 Trans World Sport 20:00 Futbol Mundial 20:30 ICC Cricket 360 21:00 PGA European Highlights 22:00 PGA Tour Highlights 23:00 Triathlon UK

Tour

04:00 Snooker Masters 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Top 14 Highlights 08:30 ICC Cricket 360 09:00 World Pool Masters 10:00 World Cup of Pool 11:00 Snooker Masters 14:00 Golfing World 15:00 World Pool Masters 16:00 World Cup of Pool 17:00 Trans World Sport 18:00 Spirit of Yachting 18:30 Spirit of Yachting 19:00 Rugby Union European Challenge Cup 21:00 Golfing World 22:00 World Pool Masters 23:00 World Cup of Pool

00:00 V8 Supercars Highlights 01:00 V8 Supercars Highlights 03:00 UFC Unleashed 04:00 UFC Unleashed 05:00 NHL 07:00 WWE Bottom Line 08:00 WWE Experience 09:00 V8 Supercars Highlights 10:00 V8 Supercars Highlights 11:00 NHL 13:00 UAE National Race Day Series 14:00 WWE NXT 15:00 WWE SmackDown 17:00 European Le Mans Series 18:00 European Le Mans Series 19:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter The Smashes 20:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 21:00 UFC

00:00 Nazi Gospels 02:00 WWII: Europe’s Secret Army 03:00 Nazi Gospels 05:00Mankind The Story Of All Of Us 07:00 UFO Hunters 08:00 Pawn Stars 08:30 Storage Wars 09:00 Mud Men 10:00 Pawn Stars 10:30 American Restoration 11:00 Pawn Stars 11:30 Storage Wars 12:00 Soviet Storm: WWII In The East 13:00 Ancient Aliens 15:00 Pawn Stars 15:30 American Restoration 16:00 Mud Men 17:00 Ancient Aliens 19:00 Pawn Stars 19:30 American Restoration

01:25 03:15 05:55 08:00 09:45 12:30 14:20 15:55 17:35 19:25

Meet Me In St. Louis-FAM Raintree County-PG The Glass Bottom Boat-FAM The Swan-FAM Raintree County-PG The Glass Bottom Boat-FAM Forbidden Planet-FAM Hotel Paradiso-PG An American In Paris-FAM Bad Day At Black Rock-PG

Classifieds MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Kuwait

SHARQIA-1 PARENTAL GUIDANCE (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:15 PM 8:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

SHARQIA-2 ZAMBEZIA (DIG-3D) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

SHARQIA-3 THE IMPOSSIBLE (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

MUHALAB-1 GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:15 PM 5:00 PM 7:30 PM 9:15 PM 11:45 PM

MUHALAB-2 CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-3 DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

FANAR-1 GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) PARENTAL GUIDANCE (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

FANAR-2 TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) ZAMBEZIA (DIG-3D) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:15 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

FANAR-3 HYDE PARK ON HUDSON (DIG) HYDE PARK ON HUDSON (DIG) JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) HYDE PARK ON HUDSON (DIG) THE IMPOSSIBLE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

FANAR-4 CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG)

12:45 PM

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (17/01/2013 TO 23/01/2013)

THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

FANAR-5 DJANGO UNCHAINED DJANGO UNCHAINED DJANGO UNCHAINED DJANGO UNCHAINED DJANGO UNCHAINED NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-1 PARENTAL GUIDANCE (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) PARENTAL GUIDANCE (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:15 AM

MARINA-2 CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:00 PM 12:05 AM

MARINA-3 TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-1 HYDE PARK ON HUDSON (DIG) HYDE PARK ON HUDSON (DIG) HYDE PARK ON HUDSON (DIG) HYDE PARK ON HUDSON (DIG) HYDE PARK ON HUDSON (DIG) HYDE PARK ON HUDSON (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

AVENUES-2 SABOBA (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SABOBA (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

AVENUES-3 CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:15 PM 3:45 PM 6:15 PM 8:45 PM 11:15 PM

AVENUES-4 DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:30 AM

360 º- 1 THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

NO SUN+TUE+WED

NO SUN+TUE+WED

360 º- 2 GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:45 PM 6:30 PM 9:15 PM 12:05 AM

360 º- 3 ZAMBEZIA (DIG-3D) ZAMBEZIA (DIG-3D) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 8:30 PM 11:30 PM

360 º- 4 SABOBA (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

360 º- 5 PARENTAL GUIDANCE (DIG) SAT PARENTAL GUIDANCE (DIG) FRI+SAT PARENTAL GUIDANCE (DIG) NO MON PARENTAL GUIDANCE (DIG) PARENTAL GUIDANCE (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:30 PM 11:00 PM

360 º- 6 THE IMPOSSIBLE (DIG) THE IMPOSSIBLE (DIG) THE IMPOSSIBLE (DIG) THE IMPOSSIBLE (DIG) THE IMPOSSIBLE (DIG) THE IMPOSSIBLE (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.1 ZAMBEZIA (DIG-3D) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:15 PM 4:15 PM 7:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.2 HYDE PARK ON HUDSON (DIG) PARENTAL GUIDANCE (DIG) HYDE PARK ON HUDSON (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) HYDE PARK ON HUDSON (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 9:45 PM 11:45 PM

AL-KOUT.3 CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.4 THE IMPOSSIBLE (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) THE IMPOSSIBLE (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:30 AM

BAIRAQ-1 CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

BAIRAQ-2 THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

BAIRAQ-3 DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 5:15 PM 8:15 PM 11:15 PM

PLAZA TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) THU+FRI TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) SAT+MON SEETHAMMA VAKITLO SIRIMALLE CHETTU THU+FRI SABOBA (DIG) NO THU+FRI SABOBA (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) LAILA THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO THU CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) NO THU THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO THU DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO THU AJIAL.1 SAMAR (DIG) (TAMIL) SAMAR (DIG) (TAMIL) SAMAR (DIG) (TAMIL)

MATRIMONIAL

Toyota Camry 2004, 4 cylinder, white color, interior and exterior neat and clean, car’s maintenance done by Al Sayer service center, tires and battery new, accident free, original paint, A/C super cool, 174000 km run, price KD 2,300, Contact: 99072651 / 99527500.

(C 4283)

Jacobite parents from upper middle class family (Ernakulam) living in Kuwait invite proposals from Christian parents of tall/slim/fair girls (age 2528, Bach/Masters degree, pref. Employed in Kuwait) with good family background, for their son 30/173cm/MBA (Australia) employed at a reputed bank in Kuwait. Nurses need not apply. Kerala Matrimony ID: E2321072, Email: cissacjee@yahoo.com (C 4286) 21-1-2013

SITUATION VACANT Wanted part time maid in Salwa, salary KD 80, 8 am to noon, six days per week.

Contact: 96942874.

21-1-2013

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

3:30 PM 4:45 PM 5:30 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM

3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM

AJIAL.2 SEETHAMMA VAKITLO SIRIMALLE CHETTU 3:30 PM SEETHAMMA VAKITLO SIRIMALLE CHETTU 6:30 PM JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) 9:30 PM AJIAL.3 MATRU KI BIJLEE KA MANDOLA (DIG) NAAYAK (TELUGU) KANNA LADDU THINNA AASAIYA (DIG)

FOR SALE

4:00 PM 7:00 PM 10:00 PM

METRO-1 SEETHAMMA VAKITLO SIRIMALLE CHETTU 4:00 PM SAMAR (DIG) (TAMIL) 7:00 PM SEETHAMMA VAKITLO SIRIMALLE CHETTU 10:00 PM METRO-2 DA THADIYA (DIG) (MALAYALAM) DA THADIYA (DIG) (MALAYALAM) DA THADIYA (DIG) (MALAYALAM)

3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM

GRANADA NAAYAK (TELUGU) NAAYAK (TELUGU)

3:30 PM 6:30 PM

Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.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

Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw

Prayer timings Fajr:

05:19

Shorook

06:42

Duhr:

11:59

Asr:

14:57

Maghrib:

17:17

Isha:

18:37

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines PIA JAI THY JZR JZR QTR ETH QTR GFA UAE ETD AFG QTR FDB MSR DHX THY JZR BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB ETD KAC GFA BAB KAC JZR MSC IRC MPH MEA MSR UAE FDB KAC KNE KAC SVA QTR JZR KAC KAC QTR

Arrival Flights on Monday 21/1/2013 Flt Route 205 LAHORE 574 MUMBAI 772 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 6130 DOHA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 416 JEDDAH 138 DOHA 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 855 DUBAI 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 352 COCHIN 213 BAHRAIN 436 BAHRAIN 344 CHENNAI 165 DUBAI 403 ASSIUT 6521 LAMERD 97 AMSTERDAM 404 BEIRUT 610 CAIRO 871 DUBAI 57 DUBAI 672 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 546 ALEXANDRIA 500 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 561 SOHAG 788 JEDDAH 284 DHAKA 134 DOHA

Time 0:15 0:30 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:45 1:45 1:50 2:35 2:45 2:55 3:01 3:05 3:10 5:15 5:30 5:55 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:55 8:40 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:50 9:55 10:05 10:40 11:20 11:30 11:45 11:50 11:55 12:45 12:50 13:50 14:10 14:10 14:30 14:30 14:45 14:50 14:55 15:10 15:30

OMA JZR KAC UAE ETD RJA GFA SVA JZR QTR ABY UAL KAC JZR KAC BAB FDB MSC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA FDB JAI AXB MSR ABY QTR MSC ALK MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE JZR JAI DHX FDB AIC TAR JZR GFA PIA JZR UAL BBC DLH

645 535 118 857 303 640 215 510 777 144 127 982 542 177 786 438 63 405 618 742 104 674 774 647 61 572 389 618 129 146 401 229 402 136 221 307 859 135 576 372 59 975 327 239 217 205 185 981 43 636

MUSCAT CAIRO NEW YORK DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH DOHA SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO DUBAI JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI SOHAG DOHA DAMMAM LONDON DUBAI RIYADH MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI MANGALORE ALEXANDRIA SHARJAH DOHA ALEXANDRIA COLOMBO BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN COCHIN BAHRAIN DUBAI CHENNAI TUNIS AMMAN BAHRAIN LAHORE DUBAI BAHRAIN DHAKA FRANKFURT

15:40 16:25 16:35 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:45 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:30 18:40 18:45 19:15 19:20 19:30 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:20 20:25 20:35 20:45 20:50 20:55 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:30 22:45 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:25 23:45 23:55

Airlines AIC UAL DLH JAI PIA KAC ETH THY QTR FDB UAE ETD AFG MSR QTR QTR JZR GFA THY KAC JZR FDB BAW JZR KAC KAC ABY UAE FDB ETD QTR GFA BAB KAC KAC JZR KAC MSC IRC MEA KAC MPH MSR JZR UAE FDB KAC KNE

Departure Flights on Monday 21/1/2013 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 573 MUMBAI 206 PESHAWAR 283 DHAKA 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 6131 DOHA 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 416 JEDDAH 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 560 SOHAG 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 534 CAIRO 787 JEDDAH 671 DUBAI 122 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 437 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 406 SOHAG 6522 LAMERD 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 97 SHARJAH 611 CAIRO 176 DUBAI 872 DUBAI 58 DUBAI 673 DUBAI 473 JEDDAH

Time 0:05 1:10 1:20 1:30 1:35 2:25 2:45 2:55 3:15 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:00 4:10 4:50 6:05 6:55 7:00 7:35 7:45 8:15 8:25 8:45 9:15 9:25 9:35 9:45 9:55 10:00 10:05 10:30 10:40 10:50 11:30 11:50 12:15 12:20 12:30 12:35 12:55 13:00 13:20 13:45 13:50 14:15 14:30 15:05 15:10

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

SVA KAC QTR KAC KAC OMA JZR ETD JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR JZR UAL FDB BAB MSC FDB OMA KAC KAC KAC JAI ABY MSR MSC DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC FDB UAE JAI DHX KAC QTR JZR TAR GFA KAC

501 617 141 773 741 646 238 304 538 135 858 641 216 184 511 128 266 145 134 982 64 439 404 62 648 331 361 351 571 120 619 402 171 230 403 308 137 222 301 60 860 575 373 205 147 502 328 218 411

JEDDAH DOHA DOHA RIYADH DAMMAM MUSCAT AMMAN ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN ASSIUT DUBAI MUSCAT TRIVANDRUM COLOMBO KOCHI MUMBAI SHARJAH ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI DUBAI KOCHI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DOHA LUXOR DUBAI BAHRAIN BANGKOK

15:45 15:45 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:40 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:05 19:10 19:25 19:30 20:15 20:40 20:55 20:55 21:00 21:10 21:10 21:15 21:25 21:50 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:00 23:10 23:35 23:45 23:50 23:55

34

stars CROSSWORD 76

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) ARIES Focus in on the things that really need accomplishing this morning and then the rest of the day is yours. Sexual need is just one of life’s pleasures emphasized for you at this time. There are lots of energies available to do as you please for now. Don’t be too surprised when you find relatives dropping by later this afternoon.

There seems to be plenty of requests for your time and your opinion. You express your opinion when you have an understanding on a situation. Sympathy and understanding are emotional qualities that take on importance. A strong urge for a change in scenery may bring about the suggestion of a movie in the evening. If the weather is good, a walk to identify the stars and enjoy a bit of fresh air would be an excellent choice.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This morning you may gain some insight into some political news in the country. Starting with your own town, you could make your own thoughts known by writing the editor of your city newspaper or in publishing your own website with your personal slant to the news. There could be some ideas that you will want to submit to the media through your voice or in writing. A love relationship blossoms this afternoon. You reach out to every opportunity that comes your way in order to keep this relationship close. You find some wonderful rewards for your efforts in many ways. Now may be a good time to add a little spice to your love relationship—use your imagination and perhaps a party can be planned or a short vacation for just you two.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. Give over.

5. A high-crowned black cap (usually made of felt or sheepskin) worn by men in Turkey and Iran and the Caucasus.

11. The capital and largest city of Norway.

15. Affording unobstructed entrance and exit.

16. A chronic disease of the nose characterized by a foul-smelling nasal discharge and atrophy of nasal structures.

17. (botany) Of or relating to the axil.

18. Dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises.

20. A light strong brittle gray toxic bivalent metallic element.

21. The innermost membrane of an organ (especially the inner lining of an artery or vein or lymphatic vessel).

23. The administration of a strong electric current that passes through the brain to induce convulsions and coma.

24. An episode of such pastoral or romantic charm as to qualify as the subject of a poetic idyll.

25. Any warm-blooded vertebrate having the skin more or less covered with hair.

26. (ballet) Quick gliding steps with one foot always leading.

28. Expose to fresh air, as of old clothing.

30. Any of various trees of the genus Ulmus.

31. Wild geese.

34. A bee that is a a member of the genus Andrena.

38. Fear resulting from the awareness of danger.

40. Genus of western United States annuals with showy yellow or white flowers.

41. A hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair.

44. A small drink of liquor.

45. A German machine gun.

47. Take in, also metaphorically.

50. An unabridged dictionary constructed on historical principles.

51. A person who announces and plays popular recorded music.

52. Characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy.

56. (Babylonian) A demigod or first man.

58. Not widely known.

59. Widely distributed lichens usually having a grayish or yellow pendulous freely branched thallus.

62. (meaning literally `born') Used to indicate the maiden or family name of a married woman.

64. Prince's plume.

67. Of or relating to chaetae (setae or bristles).

72. Of a leaf shape.

74. Small genus of evergreen trees of tropical America and western Africa.

75. (usually followed by `to') Naturally disposed toward.

76. Oldest known reptiles.

79. A barrier constructed to contain the flow or water or to keep out the sea.

80. Lacking self-confidence.

81. A great raja.

82. A gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number).

DOWN 1. Ratio of the hypotenuse to the opposite side.

2. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

3. A low triangular area where a river divides before entering a larger body of water.

4. The compass point midway between northeast and east.

5. Express strong disapproval of.

6. The azimuth of a celestial body is the angle between the vertical plane containing it and the plane of the meridian.

7. 1 species.

8. A performer who provides erotic entertainment by undressing to music.

9. An associate degree in nursing.

10. Alligator-like reptile of Central and South America having a more heavily armored belly.

11. Porridge made of rolled oats.

12. Being of delicate or slender build.

13. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

14. Using speech rather than writing.

19. Lead someone in the wrong direction.

22. Italian chemist noted for work on polymers (1903-1979).

27. Any of various brown and yellow finches of pats of Europe.

29. East Indian cereal grass whose seed yield a somewhat bitter flour, a staple in the Orient.

32. Someone who pays (or otherwise incites) you to commit a wrongful act.

33. A former unit of electric current (slightly smaller than the SI ampere).

35. The back side of the neck.

36. Two items of the same kind.

37. Capital of Nigeria in the center of the country.

39. (Jungian psychology) The inner self (not the external persona) that is in touch with the unconscious.

42. Primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves.

43. Any orchid of the genus Disa.

46. A public promotion of some product or service.

48. A chronic progressive nervous disorder involving loss of myelin sheath around certain nerve fibers.

49. Capable of wounding.

53. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

54. Altered from an originally straight condition.

55. A deep bow.

57. A nucleic acid consisting of large molecules shaped like a double helix.

60. Spherical gram-positive parasitic bacteria that tend to form irregular colonies.

61. Offensive or even (of persons) malicious.

63. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

65. An inactive volcano in Sicily.

66. Not only so, but.

68. A pilgrimage to Mecca.

69. The periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon.

70. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

71. Young sheep.

73. The rate at which red blood cells settle out in a tube of blood under standardized conditions.

77. An informal term for a father.

78. A state in midwestern United States.

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

Imagination and creativity are in full swing today. This, together with the ability to put your thoughts into words, allows you to captivate and spellbind. You have been thinking of writing a book and today would be a good time to start an outline, if you have not done so already. Have you taken a writing course? You could consider a writing course through your community college now. Just breaking away from the usual is something you may look forward to doing: perhaps a play or a movie, the theater, a special showing at a museum. You will be surprised to find some money that you had forgotten you had. Also, you may look into an alternative healing therapy to help bring a better balance into your life now.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) The temptation to spend money is strong today. Hold back a bit longer—you will find a much better bargain soon. You have wanted to put a story to paper and try your hand at becoming published. Saying and writing things with style counts for a lot now—this tends to bring out the social butterfly in all of us. A college writing course could help to keep you on the right track and give you constructive ideas on ways in which to reach your goal. You may also meet someone today that could be a big help in this area. A friend needs your advice today. You are sincere and considerate and your optimism is upbeat—your friend cannot help but be influenced in positive ways. You could be planting seedlings in starter pots this evening—gardening soon.

Leo (July 23-August 22) It might be easy to be a bit bossy today—careful. If you are dieting, eat plenty of protein—often. Balance is the word for now. Lovers, children and other people or things dear to your heart are emphasized. The powers of persuasion is working in your favor and you will have the last word on whatever activities you and your friends or family enjoy today . . . the choice is yours. You are enthusiastic and optimistic about any sort of challenge. Much of your strength arises from the creative side of you. One way to have a more fulfilling relationship is to stay aware of the differences between your needs and the needs of others. Stand on your own belief system when you are involved in deep discussions but . . . agree to disagree instead of making others change.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) This is a lucky day for making plans or decisions and finding your way through just about any problem you may uncover. Do you suppose it is your attitude that is changing? You will feel successful and feel able to cope with most any situation.

Good advice from a guide or older person may be in the making; listen. When someone pushes your temper buttons, remember that they are your buttons and you have power over whether you become emotional or not. Agree to disagree—this is a very growth oriented action. Tact and wisdom are things that someone asks you to teach them. You are a loyal friend and will often go the extra mile to help others; you may be helping to paint, move or any number of things today.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) While shopping today, you may have your patience tested. You may have found a desired piece of furniture . . . only thing is you have to put it together. This afternoon the boxes and instructions may have you stumped for a while— but not long. While looking for tools to put together this piece of furniture, you may find a lost item that you did not think you would ever see again. You have always had a magical way in finding or bringing things back into your life that you have lost. Think ahead and keep an even pace with your activities; rushing may not be as important as you think. Perhaps you are trying to push too much into one day. Relax tonight and enjoy the young people that are around you—they will create in you a grateful spirit!

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) There are some confusing circumstances, paperwork or issues that have gone unresolved and can be resolved now. Take a little trip or get outside today. You may want to break with your standard activities and try something new or different for now. You may discover some insights into day-to-day problems that will be of great value later. Someone will be repaying a debt or a family member is ready to support your plans. A few tasks and lots of interaction with friends make this wonderful day.

Coming to the aid of an older person or a handicapped individual will satisfy a deep emotional need. Communicating feelings becomes more important as you find yourself laughing and talking about things you have in common with others.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You may have some responsibilities in your church or synagogue today—there are positive results. Friendships may come into play this afternoon and you may decide to involve yourself in some kind of group sports. You may seek help from your friends—perhaps some repairs at home are needed. Turn about is fair play—if you are not able to treat them to a meal, make it a point to be ready to return the favor in some way. An occasion arises this evening when someone manipulates your time. This manipulation creates a lack of respect and you could be in a quandary in figuring out an action. Remove your emotions and state your viewpoint in a matter-of-fact way. Choose peace instead of conflict—you will be rewarded for your efforts!

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Everything comes around to value and bring out your dramatic, unique and unusual qualities. You may find that someone close to you understands and is supportive of your eccentricities. You could come up with new solutions or inventions as your creative mind is working well. A clear-minded insight into your own plans and methods is available. You could be helping young adults in some decision making process toward their future goals. Some guidance in creating a resume would be a good start for these young people. If you want to enjoy your friends in a quiet environment later, you might invite them for an after-dinner get-together this evening. If you have children, you may want to hire a sitter for the kids and go out for dinner with friends.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You might feel that some avenue of support has been cut off or blocked. Arguments of an emotional kind could be easy to find.

However, you are learning to expand your vision—accepting the things you cannot change. Keeping a balance in mind, body and soul means that if frustrations come up, your own outlook will remain positive. Through this balance, you will be able to help many people. Independence, as well as anything unusual or different, is valued now. Depending on your family’s wishes, you may want to invite some friends over this evening. There is a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with someone you love. You could feel real support and harmony at this time.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) A stay-at-home morning gives you the opportunity to catch up on some of the little odd jobs that need your attention. Community affairs may surface today but the time for action is not quite yet. This afternoon, you and your friends could enjoy the fun of just being together with the opportunity to express yourselves freely. Your outward and social success is highlighted now, a kind of peak, after which you should turn your attention to concentrating on what you have set in motion up to this point. A short trip this evening, perhaps with family members, will create a different atmosphere to enjoy. Your frame of mind is quite improved over a year ago. You may enjoy a bit of music that is different from the usual. Music can be a wonderful equalizer.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

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 Jabriya

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

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 ATE T GENE GENERAL OF CIVIL AV VIA AT TION METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A DA AY: Y Sunday

Ext.: 2627 262 - 2630

Mostly sunny with light to moderate south easterly wind, with speed of 06 - 26 km/h

BY Y NIGHT:

Cool with light variable wind changing to light to moderate north westerly later on wind, with speed of 06 - 28 km/h with a chance for fog later on No Current Warnings arnin a

WA ARNING MAX. EXP P.

MIN. REC.

KUW WA AIT CITY

21 °C

15 °C

KUW WA AIT AIRPOR RT

23 °C

12 °C

NUW WA AISEEB

22 °C

12 °C

WAFRA A

22 °C

11 °C

SALMI

21 °C

10 °C

25746401

ABDAL LY

22 °C

10 °C

25316254

JAL ALIY YA AH

21 °C

09 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FA AILAKA

19 °C

13 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

17 °C

16 °C

Mishref

25381200

QARUH ISLAND

19 °C

18 °C

W Hawally

22630786

UMM AL-MARADEM

18 °C

18 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

SFC. CHART

20/01/2013 0000 UTC

4 DA AY YS FORECAST Temperatures WEA ATHER T

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

09 °C

NW

10 - 32 km/h

07 °C

NW-VRB

12 - 35 km/h

23 °C

08 °C

VRB-SE

08 - 30 km/h

23 °C

09 °C

VRB-NW

08 - 30 km/h

MAX.

MIN.

New Jahra

24575755

Monday

21/01

sunny

22 °C

West Jahra

24772608

Tuesday

22/01

sunny

22 °C

South Jahra

24775066

Wednesday e

23/01

Mostly sunny

Thursday

24/01

Mostly sunny

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

PRA RA AYER Y TIMES

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPORT

Fajr

05:20

MAX. Temp.

21 °C

06:43

MIN. Temp.

07 °C 95 %

Ardhiya

24884079

Sunrise

Firdous

24892674

Zuhr

11:59

MAX. RH

Asr

14:56

MIN. RH

26 %

Omariya

24719048

Sunset

17:16

MAX. Wind

N Khaitan

24710044

Isha

18:36

TOT TA AL L RAIINF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

Fintas

23900322

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

SE 43 km/h 00 mm V1.00

20/01/13 03:04 UTC

T1.06

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

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36

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Will.i.am, Legend take

part in young voters event W

ill.i.am says though he’s an active supporter of President Barack Obama, don’t expect the Black Eyed Peas leader to become a politician. “Nope. I like it from this angle,” he said in an interview Saturday night. Will.i.am attended an event for OurTime.org, a nonprofit organization that encourages young people to vote.

Several hundred people packed the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, where John Legend, Common and T-Pain performed. The event was just one of will.i.am’s inaugural appearances: He’s attending the Candle Light Inaugural Ball and Green Inaugural Ball yesterday and will be a guest at Obama’s public swearing in ceremony today and at the Inaugural Ball later that day.

He said it “feels good” to lend his hand to the Obama campaign and that he wants to see young voters do more. “This is important for the youth to realize how powerful they are and to stay active and stay informed, and go out when it’s time to vote. And not just for a presidential candidate, but for local government, too,” he said. Common kicked off the live performances with songs like “The People” and “Testify.”

He even danced and kissed a fan onstage - and on the lips while Beyonce’s “Party” blasted in the background. “Just be whoever you are no matter what they say,” Common said to the crowd. The rapper also hit the stage with John Legend, who played piano as Common performed “The Light.”

Legend slowed the night’s upbeat mood, crooning on songs like “Green Light,” “Tonight (Best You Ever Had)” and “Ordinary People.” Newly crowned Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan, actress Sophie Bush and Arianna Huffington also attended. Rapper-singer T-Pain closed the night, performing hits like “Bartender” “5 o’clock,” “Good Life” and “Blame It.”

C

C

buys LA home

iall Horan has bought a house in Los Angeles. The One Direction hunk has splashed out $1.5 million on a new home in a luxury gated complex, and his new American home boasts a swimming pool and games room - but builders refused the 19-year-old pop star’s request for a bar because he is under the legal drinking age in the US. A source said: “The guarded community where Niall lives when he’s in LA is a good investment - and it’s packed with celebrity neighbours. “As well as the Kardashians, other residents include Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne and Jennifer Lopez. “Niall wanted a permanent place in the States because One Direction will be spending a lot more time there this year and he didn’t want to stay in a string of hotels.” And the house could even spark a new career move for the ‘Little Things’

Nicki Minaj won’t watch herself on ‘American Idol’

T

he 30-year-old rapper is too self-conscious to watch herself in action on the singing competition because she is her own worst critic and worries she will pick flaws in herself. She said: “I’m not going to watch myself. I have a hard time watching myself with anything. I’m afraid I’m going to overanalyse it and make myself feel bad about something I can’t change. With a performance, I’ll watch and then pause it and see if I could handle that. Sometimes it’s a good performance and I really love it and I’ll watch it every day after that. I’m my biggest critic.” The feisty ‘Starships’ singer - who claims her vicious spat with fellow judge Mariah Carey is in the past plans to pass on her ability to judge and analyse her own live performances to all the contestants in her category. Nicki explained: “When I’m on the stage I feel what I do - if I do great, if I do not great, I feel it. It’s funny because that’s what we’re trying to tell the contestants. You should be at a place in your artistry when you know when you’re on and when you’re off, and no one should even need to tell you that.” The outspoken star was convinced to join the panel after watching rival talent shows where a sob story is key and claims she would never put someone through on the basis that their backstory was TV-worthy. Nicki told Britain’s OK! magazine: “When I watch these shows and they say yes to someone who clearly doesn’t deserve it, that bothers me in my soul - I want to jump through the TV. For me, it was completely different. I don’t feel the need to send someone through just because of a great story.”

tor, writer, star or start date have been set.

Armstrong is in the midst of a two-part interview with Oprah Winfrey in which he admits to using performance-enhancing drugs to reach his historic victories, something he’d defiantly denied for years. The International Olympic Committee stripped him of his 2000 bronze medal this week.

heryl Cole’s boyfriend has been given permission by her father to propose marriage.

American dancer Tre Holloway, 27, reportedly called Garry Tweedy last week to ask to marry his daughter - who was wed to soccer star Ashley Cole for four years until 2010 - and was overjoyed when he said yes, though Garry has admitted he was reluctant to agree as he didn’t want the ‘Promise This’ singer to get hurt again. A source told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “After plucking up courage Tre phoned Garry last week. He was very surprised by Tre’s call and told family friends how he almost said no. “He didn’t know if Cheryl was ready and wanted to protect her from getting hurt again. But he decided to give Tre his permission and asked to just make sure he was 100 per cent sure when he proposed. “He warned Tre that Cheryl couldn’t take another heartbreak and said there was nothing wrong with waiting a bit longer. “Tre admitted he hadn’t bought a ring yet but wanted his blessing for when the time feels right.” Tre, who has been dating Cheryl for around eight months, wants to design his own ring and has asked his girlfriend’s mother Joan Callaghan and Girls Aloud bandmates Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts for advice.

The source added: “Tre’s so excited. He still doesn’t know when he’s going to pop the question, but he’s looking at ring designs. “Joan, Nicola and Kimberley have all told him that although Cheryl loves diamonds she doesn’t expect some expensive rock. “They told him to go for something -classic and elegant. Kimberley warned him to steer clear of anything similar to her engagement ring from Ashley. “Tre has an idea of what he’s going to get and wants to have the ring specially -designed as he wants it to be a one-off. He wants to include pearls on the ring somewhere as they are Cheryl’s birthstone.”

ountry music singer Randy Travis has reached a plea agreement in a misdemeanor assault case arising from an altercation last summer in a Texas church parking lot, KTVTTV reported on Saturday. The Grammy winner will serve 90 days of deferred adjudication under a plea he entered on Friday in a municipal court in Plano, a Dallas suburb, the CBS-affiliated station in Dallas/Forth Worth reported. Deferred adjudication lets a defendant plead “guilty” or “no contest” in exchange for meeting requirements such as probation during the period. The defendant may avoid a formal conviction or have his case dismissed once the requirements are met. Police said Travis assaulted a man in the parking lot of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano on Aug 23 while attempting to intervene in a disagreement between a woman, who is now his fiancée, and her estranged husband. Travis pleaded not guilty to the charge last month. He filed a lawsuit in a Collin County court against the man he was charged with assaulting, saying the incident was an attempt to injure and embarrass Travis, the TV station reported. Attempts to contact Travis’ attorney on Saturday were unsuccessful. The 53-yearold singer still faces charges of driving while intoxicated in an Aug. 7 incident near his hometown of Tioga, about 60 miles (96 km) north of Dallas. Authorities are still investigating alleged threats he made to troopers who took him to jail, and no charges have been filed.

N

H

e’s already gotten the Oprah treatment. Now Lance Armstrong is headed for the silver screen.

Paramount Pictures and JJ Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot, are planning a biopic about the disgraced cyclist, a studio spokeswoman said Friday. They’ve secured the rights to New York Times reporter Juliet Macur’s upcoming book “Cycle of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrong,” due out in June.

Macur covered the seven-time Tour de France winner for over a decade. No direc-

Cole’s boyfriend gets proposal permission

Travis reaches plea deal in assault case

Horan

JJ Abrams to produce Armstrong biopic

singer. He has befriended his young new neighbours, Kendall and Kylie Jenner - the daughters of Kris and Bruce Jenner - and the teenage sisters are keen for him to appear on their family reality TV show ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’. The source added to The Sun on Sunday newspaper: “He’s made friends already with his Kardashian neighbours and the younger Kardashian sisters love him and his Irish accent. They’re already talking about getting him on the family’s reality shows and they think he’s sure to say yes because he would find it funny.”

Johansson’s film lessons for Redmayne

S

carlett Johansson turned Eddie Redmayne a film buff. The blonde beauty left British star Eddie red-faced on the set of ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ in 2008 when she discovered he had never seen the Cohen Brothers’ cult movie ‘The Big Lebowski’ or any Woody Allen films, and made it her business to educate him in some of cinema’s best classics. Eddie said: “I was doing the film the other Boleyn girl with Scarlett Johansson and she was like, ‘You know that bit in ‘The Big Lebowski’?’

And I was like, ‘I haven’t seen the ‘Big Lebowski’.’ She’s like, ‘You haven’t seen ‘The Big Lebowski’? You know that bit in that Woody Allen film?’ I was like, at what point do I lie and pretend that I’ve seen it? “She’s like, ‘What have you seen?’ And I was like, ‘Well I started out in theatre...’ “So Scarlett accrued from all the guys working on that film a list of films that i should watch.” Scarlett’s persistence has paid off as Eddie is determined to do better with his film viewing. He added: “I’ve slowly been working my way through.” —Agencies

37

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

LIFESTYLE M o v i e s

&

M u s i c

Eagles talk about new Showtime documentary

From left, Timothy B Schmit, Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh of The Eagles take part in a Q&A session with reporters at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Saturday. —AP photos

(From left) Timothy B Schmit and Don Henley of The Eagles sign an acoustic guitar for a charity auction to benefit Swaner Preserve and Eco Center.

T

about the film, and seeing the old footage, was “how much fun we had.”

That may surprise people who are familiar with the band’s welldocumented discord, including their acrimonious breakup in 1982 (they got back together in 1994). “Most of the things that have been written about this band have focused on conflict the journalism of conflict,” Henley said. “It sells papers and magazines, but one thing that Glen said that people will see in this

he Eagles picked the producer of their new Showtime documentary “The History of the Eagles” - but they insist that’s about all the control they had in the making of it. “It’s really not a film that represents our point of view so much,” Glenn Frey said Saturday as the quartet spoke at the Sundance Film Festival hours before the film’s premiere. The film was directed by Alison Ellwood and produced by Alex Gibney, whose other documentaries include the

Academy Award-winning “Taxi to the Dark Side” and “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.”

“The History of the Eagles” will be shown in two parts on Showtime Feb 15-16. It includes 40 year-old footage that was in the band’s archives, as well as recent interviews with the band.

Henley said he was interested in someone making a documentary about the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers but was unimpressed with recent music documentaries.

So, he asked to see the work of

Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers and was led to Gibney.

From there, he worked to convince Gibney that he should tell the band’s story, and they had “zero” influence on its outcome.

“We have a good story to tell and I think he’s a great storyteller,” Frey said, adding that Gibney told him, “We’re going to make a movie, and we’re going to tell the truth.” Don Henley said the band hasn’t even seen the final cut yet.

“I hope we like it,” he joked. Frey said what surprised him most

documentary is that we had a lot of fun. Some of it’s not on film, and that’s good.”

“The bitter fighting that the media loved to talk about really didn’t take place. We argued a lot, we discussed stuff a lot, and that tension had a lot of to do with the creative process,” Walsh said. “We didn’t hate each other; we didn’t have fist fights, none of that.”

Walsh, Henley, Frey and Timothy Schmit were expected to attend the premiere later Saturday. Frey said the band might eventually

make new music together. Their last album together was 2007’s “Long Road Out of Eden.” “I think what we realized is how good we are together and how things have changed, and it would be a shame if we didn’t try to find a way to create some more new music,” Frey said. “People really like to hear us sing, we really do well, we still perform at a very high level, so for me, it would be great.” —AP

Indian film explores harassment as Bollywood in spotlight

A

new Indian film looks at the sensitive topic of sexual harassment in the workplace at a time when Bollywood has come under fire for its portrayal of women, after a fatal gang-rape shocked the nation. “Inkaar” (Denial), a Hindi movie combining crime and romance, explores how a relationship turns sour between Rahul, the alpha male CEO of an advertising agency, and his ambitious protegee Maya, who rises up the company’s ranks. She claims sexual harassment, a charge he flatly denies, and the film develops through a series of flashbacks as the pair tell their story to a social worker looking at the case.

The theme is an unusual one in an industry that has faced fresh criticism for objectifying women as merely skimpily dressed arm candy for a macho hero. The brutal gangrape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a bus in New Delhi on December 16 sparked shockwaves and protests across the nation, along with much soul-searching about its treatment and portrayal of women. Director Sudhir Mishra said the timing of Inkaar’s release, on Friday, was a coincidence but he hoped the film would spark debate on under-discussed issues facing modern and rapidly urbanizing India.

“The film explains the environment of a workplace from both men’s and women’s points of view,” he told AFP. “Everyone has a point of view on a subject, especially something as strong as sexual harassment. I have come across a cluster of people who work in different offices and they have similar stories to narrate.” Inkaar’s initial

reviews say it has failed to live up to its promise, and should have pushed further its exploration of gender politics in the office. “The tough questions that the film had started to lay out for us... all get buried under a hurried, compromised end,” said The Indian Express.

But film trade analyst Komal Nahta described it as a “brave attempt” to take on a “bold subject”.

“Films based on sexual harassment

plot, featuring scantily clad women in sexually suggestive dance routines. When the film returns to the storyline, the main female character is often tirelessly wooed by the male protagonist until she gives in to him. “We talk about public or police apathy towards crimes against women but nothing comes close to the antipathy shown to women by Bollywood,” said awardwinning playwright Mahesh

In this photograph taken late December 27, 2012, Indian Bollywood actress Chitrangada Singh poses with actor Arjun Rampal during the launch of the forthcoming Hindi film ‘Inkaar’ directed by Sudhir Mishra in Mumbai. —AFP should be made more and more, but the filmmaker should handle this delicate subject with utmost care,” he told AFP. While Bollywood avoids on-screen sexual contact and even kissing scenes, questions over its alleged commodification of women have intensified since last month’s horrific gang-rape.

The “item number” has come under particular fire-a musical performance often unrelated to the

Dattani in a scathing column.

“Bollywood loathes women.

Bollywood is a monster that has gone horribly wrong,” he said.

Shabana Azmi, a 62-year-old actor known for her roles in Indian New Wave cinema from the 1970s, suggested there was some responsibility on younger women in the business to insist on better portrayal of female characters. “Celebration of a woman’s sensuality is healthy

but commodification is not and our heroines will do well to make more discerning choices,” she said on Twitter. Others in the industry defended its movies, saying Bollywood had become a soft target that could not be blamed for inciting violence.

Chitrangada Singh, the female lead in Inkaar, said song-and-dance numbers in films had been around for decades. She pointed in particular to Helen, a legendary Indian star in the 1970s and the most famous “item girl”. “Helen did a lot of dances during my mother’s time but men were not like this,” she told AFP. Veteran art film actor and television presenter Farooq Sheikh suggested that scripts had deteriorated over the years. “Intelligent writers need to be given a chance,” he said. An alternative Bollywood is starting to emerge: a crop of “Hindi Indie” directors have done well on the festival circuit and even some mainstream films have departed from the typical love story themes.

Films such as last year’s thriller “Kahaani” (Story) and “The Dirty Picture” a year earlier, both starring Vidya Balan, have won praise for presenting stronger female characters. Among India’s leading independent filmmakers is Anurag Kashyap, who said it was up to the audience to make movie-makers adapt. “Cinema is business and whatever will work, they’ll keep doing that,” he told NDTV. “You want that to change, stop watching those films... stop buying those tickets.” —AFP

Russia gives new ‘Anna Karenina’ chilly reception

T

he latest film version of Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina” has prompted a storm of passions in Russia where some critics have slammed it as cliched, shallow and insulting to Tolstoy’s monumental work. British director Joe Wright’s costume drama starring Keira Knightley in the title role opened in Russian cinemas this month but its reception highlighted how hard it is for foreign versions of Russian classics to win recognition in the country. “This is like a lavishly illustrated, glossy children’s primer,” wrote the Izvestia daily.

“Anna Karenina has been crushed by the scenery,” wrote Kommersant business daily, saying that Wright’s stagey concept of setting the film in a theatre made it “hard to take it too much to heart.”“From the very first minutes of Anna Karenina, your heart sinks at the excessive production,” wrote Boris Nelepo on Afisha lifestyle magazine’s website. “This constant scenery-changing is the only device, a fairground attraction at the heart of the film.”

The new film version faced a tough audience of Tolstoy buffs in Russia, where it was released January 10 and has made $4.7 million, according to Variety Russia magazine. Here school children are forced

to read Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” in its entirety and even those who skip “Anna Karenina” are familiar with a 1967 Soviet film version starring eyelash-fluttering Tatyana Samoilova. Nit-picking critics and viewers slammed howlers in the new film such as aristocrat Levin living in what appears to be a peasant’s wooden huttopped with onion domes.

“Two hours of absurdity,” one commentator wrote on the Kommersant web-

site. “It’s not bad if you watch it as a comedy.”Wright’s Bafta-nominated film was scripted by Tom Stoppard, who is a regular visitor to Russia and wrote his “The Coast of Utopia” trilogy about Russian thinkers. The film “could only be bought and released in Russia in a state of complete moral collapse,” thundered awardwinning biographer and poet Dmitry Bykov on Openspace.ru arts website. He slammed it for “making a mockery” of the novel and even suggested passing an “anti-Wright law putting a parliamentary embargo on all Keira Knightley’s future films.”

‘The English Karenina is too bony’ Anna Karenina has previously been played by a long line of screen sirens including Greta Garbo, Vivien Leigh and French actress Sophie Marceau. A recent Russian film version by veteran director Sergei Solovyov starred his muse Tatiana Drubich as Karenina at the age of 49, but was never given a theatrical release despite critical praise. Many Russians complained that Knightley did not fit their visual idea of Karenina. “The English Karenina is too bony,” Trud newspaper wrote, while Izvestia complained that her

show-stopping designer dresses were inauthentic because in the novel Anna Karenina economically made over her old dresses.

“She is so unlike our picture of Anna, especially if you compare the thin actress with Alla Tarasova, Vivien Leigh, Greta Garbo or Tatyana Samoilova,” wrote Novaya Gazeta. “Keira Knightley as Anna Karenina? She would be about as suitable casting in a biopic of Marilyn Monroe...

The point of her plumpness was that Karenina loved life and pleasures and was also a mother,” wrote one commentator on the Moscow Echo website.

“Keira Knightley does not have the figure of a Russian woman of the time.

She needs to put on 10-15 kilogrammes,” wrote a commentator on Afisha website.

Yet a poll by Snob.ru website found that she was the second-best Anna Karenina, after Samoilova. Novaya Gazeta also slammed Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s performance as Karenina’s virile lover Vronsky, saying he looked “like a parody of the literary original.” While criticism of Wright’s film in Russia was perhaps inevitable, the reception was not all bad with some critics praising his innovative approach. —AFP

Left to right, Foo Fighters band members Chris Shiflett, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel and Pat Smear pose together at the premiere of the documentary film “Sound City” at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. —AP

Nicks, Fogerty, more join Grohl for Sundance gig

A

s Dave Grohl took to the stage at the Park City Live, he gave the audience an expletive-laced warning: “It’s going to be a long night.” But fans were rewarded Friday night as Grohl brought out members of the Foo Fighters, ex-bandmates in Nirvana, plus John Fogerty, Stevie Nicks, Rick Springfield, and several others in a three hour plus concert that celebrated his directorial debut - the film “Sound City.”

Earlier Friday, “Sound City,” a documentary about the music made at the recording studio of the same name, had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. “Sound City” includes interviews with some of the key musicians who made music at Los Angelesbased studio, including Nicks, Tom Petty, Paul McCartney and others.

At the packed concert, Grohl brought on stage some of those same players, named, appropriately enough, the Sound City Players. Fogerty performed some of his classics, including “Proud Mary,” “Traveling Band” and “Centerfield”; Springfield jammed with Grohl and others for his hits, including “Jessie’s Girl” and “I’ve Done Everything for You”; and Nicks performed songs including “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” “I wish we could play 100 songs, but we have 17 musicians tonight,” Grohl said at one point.

One of the concert’s highlights came when Grohl brought out Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen, Slipknot’s Corey Taylor, his old Nirvana partner Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear together for a set that included

Taylor belting out the Fats Domino classic “Ain’t That A Shame.” “This, without any (expletive) is a dream (expletive) come true for me,” Taylor said, echoing the sentiments of many in the crowd as well. The Sound City Players are featured on an upcoming

Dave Grohl, director of the documentary film “Sound City,” arrives at the premiere of the film at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Friday. —AP album that came out of the documentary: “Sound City - Real to Reel.” Grohl has more appearances scheduled for his Sundance film premiere this week, and the Sound City Players plan to perform other shows in the near future.—AP

Christina Voros, left, director of the documentary film ‘kink,’ poses with producer James Franco at the premiere of the film at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Saturday in Park City, Utah. —AP

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Damir Doma gets monk-chic in slouchy show C

roatian-born designer Damir Doma went to his roots to explore the patterns of East Europe in a slouchy, texture-rich menswear collection for fall-winter 2013. It was as if Doma had chanelled a chic Balkan monk for many of the baggy, boxy silhouettes, and wide pleated pants, which played on contrasts of fabric: static boucle was followed by

corduroy, alongside nylon and leather.

Patterns too provided oppositions with washed checks on square tops, against curved eastern patterns reminiscent of a lunar-cycle. The program notes cited the influence of the Alpine sportsmen of yesteryear, who would brave the peaks in layers of tweed, high baggy pants and V-necks without

Hermes lets clothes do the talking in classy show H

ermes has become a byword for simple, unpretentious luxury. With panache, veteran menswear designer Veronique Nichanian proved this again in a classy and masculine showing for fallwinter 2013. A more muted palette than last season was broken up with bright flashes of golden yellow. There was no farflung concept, gimmick or muse, unlike most Paris shows, simply because none was needed. Nichanian - who’s been at the helm of this family-run business an incredible 22 years now - is an expert at letting the clothes do the talking.

Models display creations by Hermes during the men’s fall-winter 2013-2014 fashion week in Paris. — AFP

There was indeed a lot to be said. The 44 looks ranged from on-trend loose but structured naval trenches, to short peacoats, tight black calfskin pants, via turtlenecks, jacquard silk pullovers and fitted double breasted tuxedo in black wool and mohair which were fit for a prince. The unity in the diverse collection was to be found in the sumptuous fabrics.

The program notes read like a luxury encyclopedia: double -face cashmere, alpaca, winter gabardine, ribbed nubuck calfskin, shearling, chiffon crocodile, mink and velvety cotton suede, to name but a few. Sitting on the front row, former Hermes CEO Patrick Thomas, tried to put his finger on the enduring allure of the house - one of fashion’s biggest success stories of the last decade. Was there a secret? “No, no. There’s no secret. But it’s not about ostentation, pretention, or trying to show you’ve got money,” Thomas told The Associated Press. “It’s just the simplicity, and excellence of the fabrics.” — AP

lapels. The reference, alas, was not immediately obvious, but retro ski knits, snow-ready scarves and caps provided a cool sporty-relief to the monk style. The collection could have benefited from some variation pm the baggy silhouette, however. But as ever, the Antwerp designer provided one of the cooler shows for the Paris fashion week calendar. — AP

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Dior Homme creates the space-age businessman I

t was cosmic musing for Dior Homme’s Kris Van Assche, who injected a space-age fiber into the house’s DNA of fitted black suit, white shirt and black tie. A sanitized all-white set saw elegantly suited, droid-like gentlemen file by in Saturday’s fall-winter 2013 menswear show with galactic high collars, and super high buckled waists. They cut the torso in half - against a palette of lab white, luminous deep midnight blue as well as gray and black. Though at times there was a slight

feel of vintage Pierre Cardin - the collection’s starting point was apparently the sci-fi movie “Gattaca,” in which humans are genetically modified to be better prepared for the future.

One result of this futurist exploration was the businessman as superhero. As it happens, the other result was also one of the stronger shows the Belgian designer has done in a while.

“The first silhouettes look Wall Street. But little by little you understand that they are not so clas-

sic. There is a secret about them,” Van Assche told The Associated Press backstage. A red pin stripe recurs as a futuristic cult-like symbol, a triangle within a square; shoe heels are encased in a smooth, clear plastic so they don’t leave a trace; and traceless, too, are the smoothly covered zipper fastenings.

This secret Dior man will pass through time minimalist and unnoticed. In Raf Simon’s recent women’s wear designs for Christian Dior, waists

were cinched in a reworking of the 1950s bar jacket with peplum. Here Van Assche is adding his menswear voice to the fashion conversation, by echoing this style through delineating the waist.

He raised it, military style, through a belt almost halfway down the torso; this was mirrored, beautifully, by the cult-like symbols, which bisected the waist at the exact same point. This Dior man can indeed afford look to the future - with a collection like this, it’s a bright, if sanitized, place. —AP

Timex teams with X-cite to launch Timex watches A

lghanim Electronics and Timex Group announce the launch of Timex watches in Kuwait exclusively at X-cite stores. Ever since watches moved from the pocket to the wrist, Timex has defined how the world tells time. For over 150 years, Timex has led the way providing affordable cutting-edge technology in trendsetting styles.

The Timex story begins in the 1850s as the Waterbury Clock Company, simply put, made timekeeping affordable for working class Americans.

Curvy Kim takes Kuwait by stom

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Models display creations by Belgian designer Kris Van Assche for the label Dior during the men’s Fall-Winter 20132014 collection show as part of the Men’s fashion week in Paris. —AFP

Towards the end of the 20th century, Timex introduced a number of industry firsts: The first electroluminescent watch face in 1992, when the blue-green Indiglo night light appeared on some of its digital and analog watches The Data Link watch in 1994, a sophisticated style that carries scheduling, phone numbers, and other personal information, developed in collaboration with Microsoft to create the necessary software to communicate the data from computer to watch And in 1998, Timex pioneered its iControl alarm watch and, in a joint venture with Motorola, a new wrist pager called Beepwear.

Timex embraced the new millennium by exerting its watch making prowess with collections that have captured both its technological and design expertise: designed to pay homage to its 156 year old history, Timex launched its Timex Originals collection which are inspired by vintage designs through-out the decades together with modern updates that remain in the line today.

Most recently, demonstrating itself as a

true watchmaker, Timex introduced the Timex Intelligence Quartz collection in 2011. Based on state-of-the art technology that is an open-ended platform with the flexibility to incorporate new technologies, new functions and new ideas as they become available, Intelligence Quartz is a design and technology platform targeted primarily to the male consumer seeking a sophisticated yet technology driven timepiece.

Commenting on the launch of Timex in Kuwait, Gavin Crilly-McKean, E.M.E.A Vice President Timex said: ‘Thanks to our consumers, today we are a leading brand across the GCC and launching in Kuwait was of strategic importance to us. We wanted, however, to be absolutely sure we were partnering with a leading and innovative company in such a relevant market and we found it, X-cite by Alghanim Electronics offering our brand a perfect platform to reach our clients with excitement and we are delighted to start this great journey together.’

Samer Sayegh, Vice President X-cite by Alghanim Electronics said, ‘As part of offering quality products and services to our valued customers, X-cite by Alghanim Electronics takes immense pleasure in announcing the launch of Timex in Kuwait exclusively through our X-cite stores and online channels. Considering the heritage Timex and Alghanim enjoy, this is a partnership that will cater to the needs of our customers.’

Throughout time, Timex has been at the forefront of watch making, creating a long lasting legacy that continues to live on through every timepiece it crafts. With prices ranging between 12 and 80 KD, Timex is retailed exclusively in Kuwait at X-cite stores as well as on-line channel www.xcite.com

he’s got a fan following of over 16 million on Twitter alone, her own reality TVseries; even a trip to the grocery has the press reaching for their pens. It’s no wonder that Kim Kardashian had Kuwait gushing with excitement upon her recent visit to the city.

Throughout her stay, in captivating Kuwait, the brunette beauty made several public appearances. ESCADA watches and jewelry co-hosted the reality starlet at a VIP gala dinner that saw a turn-up from the creme dela creme of Kuwait.

ESCADA’s debut collection - of jewelry and watches - dazzled into the night with glitz and glamour.

The luxe brand is, and has for a very long time been a classic favorite amongst international A-listers and high profile personalities. Over the years, it has evolved and has established a strong prominence in the world of fashion and beauty.

Marking a new milestone this year with its posh line of fashion jewelry and Swiss timepieces, ESCADA’s chic new dazzlers are a riot of sassy, sleek and elegance.

From

AIGNER with love T

his February, AIGNER is every inch the blushing, cherry-red damsel primed and poised to frolic romance and beauty. Setting the mood and fashioning a tune befit for Valentine’s Day, AIGNER has contemplated a romantic edition of sassy bold with a timepiecejewelry duo set in a special gift box.

The limited edition box features a dainty red-strap watch and a heart-shaped pendant that sits perfectly at the center of a gold necklace. Pure, sincere and gorgeous - court your valentine with this exclusive feature by Aigner.

Eagles talk about new Showtime documentary

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MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013

An Ice sculpture is pictured during the 15th International Sculpture Symposium “Snow Kingdom 2013” in Pustevny, Czech.

Regularly the event is attended by more than thirty artists and around ten thousand visitors. —AFP

Luxury, ancient craft go hand in glove in French town

File photos show workers making gloves at the Causse glove factory in Millau. —AFP hen Karl Lagerfeld wants a new ing costs in an industry where much of the pair of gloves, like Madonna and work is still done by hand, the changing Kylie Minogue, he looks to a times near-decimated Millau glove-maksleepy town in central France, the one-time ing. capital of European glove-making kept alive ‘Each house has its universe’ by 21st-century high fashion. Chanel, Dior, Nearly but not quite. Today, there are Hermes, Louis Vuitton: the top names in world fashion go to Millau for their gloves, four tanneries and as many glove-makers tapping into a manufacturing tradition that left. The largest of them, Causse, employs stretches back to the 12th century and 42 people in a little workshop designed by peaked a hundred years ago. Worn long for star French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, elegance, fingerless by sportswomen, made turning out some 25,000 pairs a year. of lambskin for suppleness, python or igua- Fellow Millau glove-maker Fabre, which na for an exotic touch, in scented leather or supplied Grace Kelly via the house of covered in cockerel feathers for collectors, Christian Dior, is also behind the gloves gloves have been making a comeback on worn by Nicole Kidman in the upcoming biopic “Grace de Monaco”. The other two the catwalks.

“Our philosophy is to create gloves that are Lavabre-Cadet-beloved of the fictional are worn like jewellery,” said Manuel Rubio, gentlemen thief Arsene Lupin-and the general manager of glove-maker Causse, Atelier du gantier, which today turns out a acquired last September by Chanel as part small, playful line.

All owe their continued existence to the of a strategy of buying up high craft suppliers in France and Europe. Founded in luxury industry, which put gloves back on 1892, Causse was then one of 80 tanneries the catwalks from the 1990s onwards. and 20 glove-makers that employed some Couture houses make for demanding cus7,000 people in and around Millau, turning tomers, explains Nadine Carel, artistic out about four million pairs of gloves each director at Causse. “Each house has its uniyear, recalls the Millau and Grandes verse, and you have to learn to work within Causses Museum curator Francois Leyge. their codes,” she said. A high fashion order For Millau could-and can still-draw on a rarely goes beyond a hundred pairs, with key raw material: the hides of millions of collections sometimes updated several lambs whose mothers were reared for their times a year-unworkable constraints for an industrial glove-maker. milk on the nearby Larzac plateau.

Causse sells under its own brand as well In a bygone age, the town’s glovemakers prospered thanks to the extravagant as producing for the catwalks, working fur tastes of Queen Marie-Antoinette or the or metal embellishments onto its gloves or Empress Josephine, who was known to teaming up with graffiti artists-for a price order up to 985 pairs in a single year. tag that can soar to 3,000 euros ($4,000) a During the French Belle Epoque (Beautiful pair. Among its loyal customers it boasts Era), from the 1870s to the outbreak of style icons from Madonna and Kylie World War I, it was unthinkable for a well- Minogue to Sharon Stone, as well as heeled man or woman to leave home Chanel’s flamboyant designer Karl without gloves-a convention that held Lagerfeld, who relies on the house for his signature studded fingerless black gloves. pretty much until the 1960s.

But come the student revolts of May “These days, people wear gloves as style 1968, and fashion codes radically changed- thing,” summed up Rubio. “They are a fashwith a denim-clad younger generation ion object-a way of making yourself stand preferring neckscarves or jewels as acces- out. Keeping out the cold comes in distant sories. Combined with rising manufactur- second place.” — AFP

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Down in a bunker, US chef targets French cooking prize R

ichard Rosendale is a man on a mission-to capture one of international cooking’s most coveted prizes, the Bocuse d’Or. And he’s going about it with military precision. In a windowless Cold War bunker under The Greenbrier, a splendid antebellum resort hotel in rural West Virginia, the 37-year-old chef is perfecting his dishes with a view to nothing short of total victory. “For over 10 years I wanted to compete,” Rosendale told AFP as he prepared to fly to Lyon, France for the biannual competition on January 29-30 that many regard as the Olympics of fine cuisine.

“I just look at it as the pinnacle of cooking competitions.” If he wins the gold prize against rivals from 23 countries, he will be the first American ever to do so. Even if he takes silver or bronze, it would be a US breakthrough in a competition traditionally dominated by Europeans.

Rosendale, executive chef of the Greenbrier’s nine acclaimed restaurants, is no novice, having opened two restaurants and participated in 45 international culinary competitions. He qualified for the Bocuse d’Or, named after the celebrated Lyonnais chef and nouvelle-cuisine pioneer Paul Bocuse, after winning the national Bocuse d’Or USA finals a year ago.

Every day, Rosendale and his commis (assistant) Corey Siegel, 22, descend into the bunkeroriginally built to shelter US politicians in the event of nuclear war-and get cooking. In an exact replica of the kitchen they will use in Lyon, right down to the utensils, with a US flag on the wall,

Commis Corey Siegel tastes ingredients while preparing for practice. they perfect the meat, fish and side dishes they will present to 14 discerning judges. An adjoining “war room” features a countdown clock and photographs of winning dishes from past regional Bocuse d’Or contests. During his allotted fivehour, 35-minute slot in Lyon, Rosendale is planning to make beef filet, lobster and turbot dishes, plus three sides using ingredients from a surprise

Chef Richard Rosendale looks into a pot while making a sauce for fish and glaze for beef in preparation for practice.

shopping basket.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for all the competitors,” he said. “But I don’t just want to go to Lyon and say, ‘I did the Bocuse d’Or.’ I do want to win.” So far, no American chef has ever risen past sixth place in the competition. During a recent visit to the Greenbrier, Rosendale and Siegel, dressed in matching crisp white chef’s uniforms, worked in lockstep as they prepared a beef stock.”Corey, how much of that wine did you use?” asked Rosendale, who compares the intensity of their work to playing an American football game.

“Three hundred and seventy-five grams,” or 13.2 ounces, Siegel replied. “We have enough for four servings.” “OK,” his boss said. “We’ve got to really watch that, because that stuff is... I only have the two bottles.” Rosendale, a native of Pennsylvania who draws inspiration from the classic American cooking he grew up with, said: “I’ve got a pretty good idea of what I want to do.”

He cites Yankee pot roast and butternut squash cooked in apple cider-”it goes great with lobster”-among his favorites. “The ideas for the beef are things that I remember from my childhood, that I grew up eating, things that my mom used to cook,” he added. “It’s very much an American style. “I love the flavor of eating a grilled steak on the grill, and I think of the Fourth of July whenever I have that,” Rosendale said. The challenge: “How do you take a grilled steak off of the grill, and how can you elevate that to a very high level of cuisine?” he added. — AFP

Miss America unsure about attending inauguration

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Cooking tools and other items are kept labeled and in the same place to aide in practicing.

allory Hagan says her first week as Miss America has been amazing, but she’s not sure she’s going to Inauguration Day because of the weather. Hagan said in an interview Saturday that it may be too cold to attend President Barack Obama’s public swearing in ceremony Monday. She says she has a ticket and is “in the middle of deciding if she’ll go” because “it’s going to be freezing.”

Hagan spoke at an event for OurTime.org, which featured will.i.am and John Legend. Hagan won the Miss America title last week.

The 23-year-old was born in Alabama, but moved to New York at 18. She was named Miss New York last year and lives in Brooklyn. She says she feels “overwhelmed, excited, humbled” after having the crown for a week.—AP

Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan arrives at the OurTime.org Inaugural Youth Ball Generation Now Party on Saturday, in Washington. — AP