26 Jan

IPT IO N SC R SU B

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

RABI ALAWAL 14, 1434 AH

No: 15700

2Arab leaders 7 call48 for 150 Fils

Municipality clamps down on illegal vendors

Mali forces push towards rebel-held Gao

Murray beats Federer to reach Melbourne final

urgent Syria action Arab world takes centre-stage at Davos

DAVOS: Global political and business leaders heard calls for urgent action over Syria’s escalating civil war yesterday as the Arab world took centre-stage at the Davos forum. Jordan’s King Abdullah II called on the international community to increase its assistance for the tide of refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria. ”I urge once more a stepped-up world response to the Syrian crisis,” he told the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“The weakest refugees are struggling now just to survive this year’s harsh winter. More international support is desperately needed,” the king said. “I cannot emphasize enough the challenges that we are all facing, both in Jordan and Lebanon, and it’s only going to get worse.”

Regional experts and diplomats meanwhile warned that Syria’s conflict was threatening to settle into a long and bloody war and urged the international community to take more action to stop the violence.

“We have something like a military stalemate on the ground and this can continue for a long time,” said Ghassan Salame, dean of the Paris School of International Affairs and former Lebanese culture minister. “Don’t underestimate the possibility of a protracted war that takes us into years and years,” he said, noting that few expected Lebanon’s 15-year civil war to last for so long.

“Today there are more than 60,000 dead... Can we wait until it’s double that? Can we wait until it’s triple that? This is a shame on all of us,” said Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former Saudi intelligence chief and ex-envoy to the United States and Britain. He said the global community needed to support Syria’s opposition against President Bashar Al-Assad, including by supplying them with weapons. “I assume we are sending weapons, and if we are not sending weapons then it would be a terrible mistake on our part. In Syria you have to level the playing field,” he said.

Calls were also issued for more humanitarian assistance both inside Syria and in neighboring countries, where more than 600,000 refugees have fled. International Committee of the Red Cross chief Peter Maurer said aid groups were finding it difficult to deliver assistance inside Syria and that there needed to be “respect for international humanitarian laws and principles”. — AFP

Obama picks aide as chief of staff WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has chosen longtime trusted adviser and national security expert Denis McDonough as his fifth chief of staff. A White House official said Obama will announce McDonough’s appointment later. McDonough, 43, will take over the key role from Jack Lew, Obama’s nominee for Treasury secretary.

McDonough has advised Obama on for- McDonough eign policy for nearly a decade and most recently served as the president’s deputy national security adviser. He is highly regarded by White House staffers. McDonough’s place in Obama’s inner circle was illustrated during the Navy commando raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May 2011. He is among those whose images are captured in a White House photograph seated in the situation room with Obama and other senior officials watching the raid unfold. — AP

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DAVOS: Jordan’s Queen Rania arrives to attend a session of the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in the Swiss resort of Davos. (Inset) King Abdullah II of Jordan addresses the forum yesterday. — AFP/AP

Egyptians march for change CAIRO: Egyptian protesters torched a Muslim Brotherhood headquarters and clashed violently with police as mass rallies shook the country on the second anniversary of an uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak and ushered in Islamic rule. More than 100 people were injured in yesterday’s clashes, the emergency services said, as police in Cairo fired tear gas at protesters outside the presidential palace.

Demonstrators outside the state television building in Cairo blocked traffic as marches of tens of thousands of people swarmed the capital, and tear gas was also fired at protesters in second city Alexandria. The unrest came on the second anniversary of a revolution that brought Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherhood, to power, and a day after clashes between protesters and police on the eve of the occasion.

After the seismic political changes of 2011, the Arab world’s most populous nation is struggling to find a balance between a leadership that boasts the legitimacy of the ballot box and opponents who accuse it of betraying the goals of the revolution.

Egypt is also in the throes of an economic crisis as foreign investment and tourism revenues dwindle, the Egyptian pound stands at its lowest level against the dollar and a budget deficit shows no sign of recovery. Protesters set fire to the Brotherhood’s headquarters in the canal city of Ismailiyah, an AFP reporter said, and black smoke could be seen coming out of the windows of the apartment housing the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) offices. — AFP

CAIRO: Egyptian protestors take cover as others throw stones towards security personnel in Sheikh Rayhan street that leads to the Interior Ministry headquarters near Tahrir Square yesterday. — AFP

local

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Asian held with homemade liquor KUWAIT: An Asian was arrested with 75 bottles of homemade liquor and KD 1807, said security sources. Case papers indicate that on seeing a police patrol, the suspect tried to drive off, but he was chased by police and forced to pull over before police searched his car and discovered the liquor and money.

Intimate couple The staff of a Shuwaikh industrial area car wash reported that a man and woman brought separate vehicles to be washed and, while waiting, became intimate in an upstairs waiting lounge.

According to the staff, one of the car wash employees observed the couple in the lounge and called for his colleagues, who watched, as well. Frightened by the workers, the couple jumped into their vehicles and drove off before their cars could be washed.

Municipality clamps down on unlicensed vendors at camps

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

Bedoon arrested A 32-year-old bedoon was arrested after being found in possession of 15 psychotropic pills and two bars of hashish, said security sources. Case papers indicate that a police patrol stopped a vehicle being driven in a slalom course along the sixth ring road.

After pulling over the car, police reported that the driver behaved as if under the influence of drugs and, on searching the vehicle, the pills were found. A case has since been filed. Meanwhile, Nuwaiseeb customs inspectors arrested a citizen when he arrived in Kuwait and was found to be in possession of four psychotropic pills and a pack of hashish-stuffed cigarettes, said security sources.

The sources added that the man looked confused while undergoing the inspection and, having found nothing in his vehicle, he was subjected to a search of his person when the drugs were found.

Youth injured A 26-year-old Lebanese was injured when a group of Lebanese and Kuwaiti young men confronted each other for unknown reasons in Sharq. In a similar incident, an Egyptian broke the nose of his compatriot and fellow-worker in a Shuwaikh store when the two scuffled. Later, the assailant claimed that the victim was very snobbish and always looked down upon him. A case was filed and further investigations were in progress.

Work site accident An Egyptian construction worker died on the spot when he fell down from a high-rise following a cardiac arrest. The victim, who was in his thirties, was working on a scaffolding on the seventh floor of an under construction building in Farwaniya, security sources said. They noted that initial medical examination of the body showed that the man suffered fall in his blood pressure followed by a heart seizure before falling to his death.

Road accident A 41-year-old Pakistani man was left with a fractured right leg when he was run over by a speeding vehicle while crossing the road in Farwaniya, security sources said.

Sexual assault A housemaid accused her 70-year-old sponsor of aggravated sexual assault and rape, besides causing her several injuries, security sources at Sabah Al-Salem police station said. They noted that the maid backed her complaint with a medical report about her injuries.

Firefighter missing A citizen reported that his brother, a firefighter, has been missing ever since he left the family house a few days earlier, security sources said. The citizen added that attempts to call his brother on his mobile phone failed as it was switched off. He added that he did not show up for work either. A case was filed and a search is on.

Roudha theft Three citizens separately reported that thieves broke into their vehicles and robbed valuables when these were parked in the Roudha area, security sources said. They noted that the robbers stole KD 500 and some credit cards from one vehicle, a valuable smart phone and sports gear from the second and a laptop from the third.

Sulaibikhat robbery A bedoon reported that an unidentified robber forced him to pull over his vehicle in Sulaibikhat and then proceeded to assault him. He said the assailant snatched KD 1500 that he had with him and drove off. A case was filed and further investigations were in progress.

KUWAIT: Teams of Ahmadi Governorate Municipality have carried out a campaign against unlicensed vendors and makeshift restaurants and groceries at camping sites in Mina Abdullah and Julaiaa.

Fahad Dughaim Al-Otaibi, in charge of the municipal branch in Ahmadi, said in a press release yesterday that the campaign aimed at clamping down on dealers who sell products, namely food and beverages, without abiding by relevant health and safety rules.

The campaign will continue till March, end of the camping season.

Kuwait, these days, is witnessing a moderate, sunny weather, with sporadic fog, encouraging many citizens and residents to erect camps in the desert regions for recreation. — KUNA

Three soldiers arrested for fabricating murder video Jewelry store salesman shot at

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Security sources refuted stories about the murder of an army soldier that were broadcast Wednesday through a video, and termed the video as fabricated.

Notably, the video was circulated on smart phones in Kuwait with a man in uniform hanging from the ceiling of a diwaniya and the video cameraman commenting that the murder took place in Kuwait.

Following on the same story, Kuwait Army military intelligence announced identifying and arresting three soldiers who made the video. The three said that they only wanted to create a practical joke and never thought it would spread all around Kuwait through social media means so fast. Officially, Army intelligence stressed that the three would be court-martialed for violating military and discipline codes.

Hawally shooting An Asian salesman at a jewelry store was injured when a robber fired two shots at him and decamped with some booty from a shop in Bin Khaldoun Street in Hawally. While the suspect made good his escape on foot, the injured man was rushed to a hospital, security sources said.

The CCTV cameras caught the robber in the act and a search is on to track him down, sources said.

Suicide attempt An Asian man detained in solitary confinement at the Salmiya police station set himself ablaze in protest against the treatment meted out to him and suffered burn injuries. He was rushed to the Mubarak Hospital.

Watchman stabbed A night watchman alerted by a strange noise at dawn at a plot in Shuwaikh that he guarded grabbed a knife and went out to check but was taken by surprise by the burglar who stabbed him in the abdomen.

The watchman managed to injure him in the hand, security sources said. A case was filed and further investigations were in progress.

Murder attempt A citizen accused her Filipina maid of attempting to kill her child. She claimed that the maid chased the child around the house holding a knife and a cleaver in her hands and that the child managed to hide in his room and locked the door.

Adan burglary A citizen reported that burglars broke into his house in Adan and stole some electric appliances.

Smuggling attempt An Asian truck driver was arrested when he arrived at a land border exit for trying to smuggle drugs by concealing them in a secret place in his truck, security sources said.

Maid suicide An Ethiopian housemaid hung herself to death by tying a rope to the ceiling at her room at her sponsor’s house in Taima, Jahra, security sources said.

Twitter insults A citizen in his 40s reported that ‘an old friend’ of his had been slandering and insulting him on Twitter, security sources

said, noting that the man urged the police to arrest the insolent blogger to protect his reputation.

Sexual assault A citizen reported that his 16-year-old son was kidnapped by three people who took him to a desert area where they tried to assault him sexually, security sources said. According to the father, his son received a call asking him to come to his house’s front door where a stranger was waiting in a Japanese sedan. He added that while talking to the driver, two masked suspects pushed him into the car and then drove off to a desert area where they asked him to undress. He refused to follow their diktat and managed to jump into a truck passing by. The father said that the kidnappers chased the truck and his son had to get off and seek refuge inside a nearby factory where the guards refused to hand him over and called him to pick up his son.

Bedoon attacked A bedoon man called police for help as a citizen attacked him and took away his expensive telephone, KD 80 and his wrist watch. When the police officer asked the victim why he remained silent and did not resist, he said the attacker was much stronger than him and he did not want to get more injured. Police started investigation.

Furniture stolen A citizen in his 50s accused another citizen of stealing his home furniture. He said he was shocked to see the house empty when he reached home at night. The victim accused a man with whom he had a ‘superficial friendship’ of the theft.

LOCAL SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

No end in sight for loans interests write-off issue MPs comment on Al-Shimali’s statements KUWAIT: As the finance and economic committee promised to finish its report on writing off citizens’ loans interests, some MPs plan to reach a “compromise” with the government. But Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shimali was decisive when he once again said: “The government has decided not to write off loans or its interest because that will not do justice to the citizens and will cost the state too much.” He said the government approved salary increases, cadres and allowances recently.

Al-Shamali said the Delinquents fund contributed significantly in solving the insolvents (who met the conditions) problem.

Al-Shimali called upon any citizen who has any problem with his consumer loan to visit the Central Bank to discuss his issue.

He said the government is studying an important issue with the Parliamentary finance committee on how to save and do things the citizen can benefit from including housing, apart from how to benefit from the delinquents fund with other advantages to citizens.

Meanwhile, MP Abdallah Al-Maayouf

said MPs are working on the conciliatory format on writing off the loans interests. He said the government must know this case is a popular one and citizens in debt are waiting for it.

MP Hani Shams said “finance minister Mustafa Al-Shimalli has clear view on writing off loans”, adding that MPs intend to agree over a certain view to present it to the assembly for a vote.

Meanwhile, MP Nabil Al-Fadhl said although Al-Shimali’s statements are politically a failure, they are practically correct.

He called for merging government and Parliamentary views together to solve the issue. He said the principle of Justice and equality must be met, and grant all a financial portfolio to meet their banking needs — be it government or consumption debts.

Member of the Finance Committee Nasser Al-Merri said the committee is trying to finish its report on dealing with loans next Sunday. He said following the lengthy unfruitful meetings with the governments, it became necessary that MPs in general and finance committee members in particular to take a stand to come out with a final solution for the problem.

KUWAIT: Special forces used tear gas to disperse a bedoon demonstration in Taima area yesterday. Tens of bedoons gathered following Friday prayers in Taima Area Square, then moved in a demonstration in Najashi Street demanding their rights under the watchful eyes of police. The gathering was in response to calls through Twitter and other means. The gathering was under the slogan of ‘Friday of Awakening’.

LOCAL

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Internet, happy birthday from Mideast

By Ahmed Mekky, Board Member and CEO of GBI KUWAIT: Thirty years ago this month, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) came into the office on a cold Virginia morning, finished their coffees, and set about a seemingly simple task: switch on the internet. With a few keystrokes, a series of independent academic networks joined together to form the foundation of what today backs a nearly two trillion dollar industry fundamentally reshaping how human beings communicate.

The internet was a first step towards what we know as the World Wide Web, the software protocol governing the online world and influencing how we do business, learn, socialize and find entertainment. In recent years, there is perhaps no region that has grown to interact with this web more than the Middle East. Whether it is empowering our schools with the latest learning tools, linking our hospitals directly with the global medical community, or the increasing permeation of smart phones and tablets, the Middle East’s demand for internet capacity has doubled every year for the

past five years. This tremendous pace beats out just about every region on the face of the Earth.

Driving this remarkable growth is the development of the region’s knowledge economy. As information increasingly becomes the valued commodity, fiber optic networks are replacing highways and shipping lanes as the core arteries over which goods are exchanged. On a consumer level, high capacity activities like video sharing on desk top and mobile devices are growing at an exponential rate. YouTube, for example, sees a staggering six million unique daily visitors from across the Middle East, up from only half a million in 2009.

Beyond the individual, broadband connectivity is playing an increasing role in underpinning broader societal progress.

This is particularly evident in medicine, where doctors in the Middle East can work in real time with doctors from Canada, the US or China. If you go to the hospital to have a tissue sample, there is a very real chance the information from that sample will wind up being analyzed by a lab half way around the world - giving you access to the world’s leading medical minds without

traveling more than a few blocks.

As the CEO of Gulf Bridge International (GBI), operator of the region’s highest capacity fiber optic network, and the first network connecting all the nations of the Gulf onwards to the data centers of Europe and Asia, I need only look at the traffic being directed over our network to grasp the sheer enormity of this knowledge exchange. Our cable alone possesses the capacity to transfer information at a rate equivalent to 7,000 full length movies per second.

The natural question one may ask on the internet’s 30th anniversary is, of course, what will the next 30 years hold? Ask a technology enthusiast and they will lend any number of popular responses. The ‘Internet of Things’ is one prominent example, where objects we use on a daily basis will soon become advanced enough to autonomously interact. Think of your refrigerator ordering a litre of milk when it runs low. Other predicted trends include wearable smart gadgets, like the upcoming Google’s Glass, which bring connectivity to an ever more ubiquitous and deeply permeated level.

While relevant, I believe these examples just

miss the point. In the next 30 years, the internet will see one simple and overriding trend: more. Currently, less than 40% of the world’s population has access to the internet. As new technologies and increasingly far-reaching cable networks connect new regions, and the culture of technology permeates new populations, it is no stretch to imagine connectivity for 80-90% of the world. In terms of the broader impact on humanity, there is no more exciting potential future for the World Wide Web. This is a trend I have personally experienced when GBI landed the first ever subsea cable in Iraq, bringing connectivity to a nation which had previously had very limited internet access. As connectively permeates, the population becomes increasingly aware and interactive. This interactive culture drives internet demand in an ongoing cycle of connectivity growth beneficial to many aspects of society.

So, from a region with a growing hunger for connectivity rivaling any on Earth, and with an expanding infrastructure and central location empowering us to take a leadership role over the next 30 years; “Internet, Happy Birthday from the Middle East!”

Kuwait urges Luxembourg to take steps to stop hate crimes

Students visit Porsche Road Safety Programme KUWAIT: Students from the Gulf English School Reception and Year 1 classes visited the Porsche Road Safety Programme at Qadsiya Sports Club this week as part of an initiative sponsored by Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company.

Over 250 children aged from 4 to 6 years learnt about the importance of road safety by fastening their seat belts, keeping their arms and head inside the car and bus windows and learning how to cross the road safely.

They were also familiarized with road traffic signs and their meanings and enjoyed driving model Porsche cars around the specially designed indoor road circuit, complete with traffic lights, ramps, tunnel roundabout and pedestrian crossing.

Over 10,000 children from schools

throughout Kuwait are expected to visit the programme during 2013 for a fun filled practical road safety les-

son. Visits for school and community groups can by arranged free of charge.

GENEVA: Kuwait advised Luxembourg at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to swiftly end negotiations for working out a pact regarding Muslims’ rights in the country.

Kuwait has also requested Luxembourg government, during the western European country’s annual comprehensive report at the UNHRC, to take extra necessary steps to stop all kinds of racist discrimination and hate crimes against the Muslims.

Third Secretary at the Permanent Mission of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations Haidar Abu AlHassan said, in his speech before the assembly, that Kuwait would like to inquire on the procedures that have been taken by Luxembourg to integrate immigrant Muslims in the society and counter any sort of discrimination against them.

After reviewing the European country’s report clarified all exerted efforts in the fields of educations, women’s and children rights and the integrations of immigrants into the society. Nonetheless, the Kuwaiti diplomat stressed that more efforts should be taken in terms of countering prostitution and human trafficking. Earlier, Kuwait’s delegate to the UN Human Rights Council (OHCHR) has urged Botswana’s government to offer all required support to civil society organizations to help achieve the UN human rights goals of 2016. The First Secretary of Kuwait’s mission to the OHCHR Abdullah Al-Jeraiwi also advised the Botswana government to do all in its power to provide free comprehensive basic education for all young people in the south African nation.

The statements came during the OHCHR’s review of Botswana’s human rights records as a part of the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review.

The Kuwaiti delegate, on the other hand, hailed Botswana’s fulfillment of its obligations as per international conventions and for its signing of regional and international pacts that support human rights.

Al-Jeraiwi lauded the Botswana government efforts to upgrade the human rights situation in the country as well as its work to fight poverty and achieve economic prosperity. — KUNA

LOCAL SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

NBK Mobile Banking Application hits new records KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait’s (NBK) Mobile Banking application hits new records as more than 50,000 financial transactions conducted by NBK customers via this round-the-clock dedicated online service monthly.

NBK Mobile Banking Application enables customers to easily and securely access their accounts to check balances, transfer

funds, and make payments in-one quick view. NBK customers can download NBK Mobile Banking on NBK.com or by logging into Watani Online.

NBK is keen on developing its services to meet customers’ demands and make banking more convenient. NBK’s free Mobile Banking application for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and BlackBerry devices enables cus-

Net profit forecast for global aviation industry at $6.7 bn KAC plans for fleet renewal remain undetermined KUWAIT: Kuwait Airways (KAC) said yesterday it plans to renew its aircraft fleet but has not yet determined the number of planes it would be recruiting or a delivery deadline for the move.

“Determining the exact number of planes or the dates of delivery is directly related to our fleet renewal strategy and the delivery schedule of aircraft manufacturers,” chairman of the airline’s newly-elected board, Sami Al-Nisf said in response to reports on the matter released by an international news agency.

Al-Nisf is part of the board which came into effect as of early November, 2012, marking the airline’s privatization transition from a state-owned enterprise into a private shareholding company.

Meanwhile, a report announced that the global aviation industry is braced for a significant decline in its profits due to hiking fuel prices and slowing down global economic recovery.

In a report released yesterday, Kuwait Finance House Research Limited projected a $6.7 billion-profit for the sector in 2012, compared with $8.8 billion in 2011. It added that the net profit margins for the industry remained modest at less than eight percent, expecting that the trend would continue in 2013.

KFHR pointed out that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has raised its previous forecast for the global aviation industry from $4.1 billion in October to $6.7 billion this year. IATA also said that industry is posed for $8.4 billion in profits in 2013.

It lamented the profits drop to a combination of slower global economic growth and further large fuel cost increases. — KUNA

KUWAIT: (From left to right) Former US President George Bush senior, General Supervisor of Dar Al-Athar AL-Islamiya Sheikha Hessa Al-Sabah, former US Secretary of State James Baker and spouse of George Bush senior Barbara Bush are pictured during Sheikha Hessa’s visit. — KUNA

Sheikha Hessa visits Bush senior KUWAIT: General Supervisor of Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiya Sheikha Hessa Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah has paid a cordial visit to the former US president, George Bush senior, and his spouse Barbara, in Texas, the US. The meeting was distinguished with an atmosphere, filled with mutual warm sentiments, particularly these bounding the American and Kuwaiti peoples, according to a statement released by the Dar yesterday. It was attended by the former secretary of state, James Baker, officials of Huston Museum, which would host “the modern Islamic exhibition.”

The Dar is taking part in the exhibition with 70 pieces from AlSabah collection of artistic works. — KUNA

tomers to easily and securely manage their financials anytime, anywhere.

NBK’s Mobile Banking application reflects NBK’s commitment to providing its customers with the best and most up-todate banking services. It is safe and easy to use, offering customers banking services with the added convenience of their mobile devices.

All NBK customers can benefit from a wide range of banking services and products such as checking balances, transferring funds, and making payments, ordering checkbooks, requesting a printed account statement, look for branches and ATMs, or restricting a card, and much more. For assistance, customers can visit any of NBK’s branches or call Hala Watani at 1801801.

LOCAL

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Address by President of India Pranab Mukherjee on the eve of 64th Republic Day of India My fellow citizens,

O

n the eve of our 64th Republic Day, I extend warm greetings to all of you in India and abroad.

I convey my special greetings to members of our armed forces, paramilitary forces and internal security forces.

India has changed more in last six decades than in six previous centuries. This is neither accidental nor providential; history shifts its pace when touched by vision.

The great dream of raising a new India from the ashes of colonialism reached a historic denouement in 1947; more important, independence became a turning point for an equally dramatic narrative, nation-building.

The foundations were laid through our Constitution, adopted on 26 January 1950, which we celebrate each year as Republic Day. Its driving principle was a compact between state and citizen, a powerful public-private partnership nourished by justice, liberty and equality.

India did not win freedom from the British in order to deny freedom to Indians.

The Constitution represented a second liberation, this time from the stranglehold of traditional inequity in gender, caste, community, along with other fetters that had chained us for too long.

This inspired a Cultural Evolution which put Indian society on the track to modernity: society changed in a gradual evolution, for violent revolution is not the Indian way.

Change across the knotted weaves of the social fabric remains a work in progress, impelled by periodic reform in law and the momentum of popular will.

In the last six decades there is much that we can be proud of. Our economic growth rate has more than tripled. The literacy rate has increased by over four times. After having attained self sufficiency, now we are net exporters of food-grain. Significant reduction in the incidence of poverty has been achieved. Among our other major achievements is the drive towards gender equality.

No one suggested this would be easy.

The difficulties that accompanied the first quantum leap, the Hindu code bill, enacted in 1955 tell their own story. It needed the unflinching commitment of leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Babasaheb Ambedkar to push through this remarkable legislation.

Jawaharlal Nehru would later describe this as perhaps the most important achievement of his life. The time has now come to ensure gender equality for every Indian woman. We can neither evade nor abandon this national commitment, for the price of neglect will be high. Vested interests do not surrender easily. The civil society and the government must work together to fulfill this national goal.

Fellow Citizens: I speak to you when a grave tragedy has shattered complacency.

The brutal rape and murder of a young woman, a woman who was symbol of all that new India strives to be, has left our hearts empty and our minds in turmoil. We lost more than a valuable life; we lost a dream. If today young Indians feel outraged, can we blame our youth?

There is a law of the land. But there is also a higher law. The sanctity of a woman is a directive principle of that larger edifice

Pranab Mukerjee called Indian civilization. The Vedas say that there is more than one kind of mother: birth mother, a guru’s wife, a king’s wife, a priest’s wife, she who nurses us, and our motherland. Mother is our protection from evil and oppression, our symbol of life and prosperity. When we brutalise a woman, we wound the soul of our civilization.

It is time for the nation to reset its moral compass. Nothing should be allowed to spur cynicism, as cynicism is blind to morality. We must look deep into our conscience and find out where we have faltered. The solutions to problems have to be found through discussion and conciliation of views. People must believe that governance is an instrument for good and for that, we must ensure good governance.

Fellow Citizens: We are on the cusp of another generational change; the youth of India spread across villages and towns, are in the vanguard of change. The future belongs to them. They are today troubled by a range of existential doubts. Does the system offer due reward for merit? Have the powerful lost their Dharma in pursuit of greed? Has corruption overtaken morality in public life? Does our legislature reflect emerging India or does it need radical reforms? These doubts have to be set at rest.

Elected representatives must win back the confidence of the people. The anxiety and restlessness of youth has to be channelized towards change with speed, dignity and order.

The young cannot dream on an empty stomach. They must have jobs capable of serving their own as well as the nation’s

ambitions. It is true that we have come a long way from 1947, when our first Budget had a revenue of just over Rs.171 crore. The resource base of the Union government today is an ocean compared to that drop.

But we must ensure that the fruits of economic growth do not become the monopoly of the privileged at the peak of a pyramid. The primary purpose of wealth creation must be to drive out the evil of hunger, deprivation and marginal subsistence from the base of our expanding population.

Fellow Citizens: Last year has been a testing time for us all. As we move ahead on the path of economic reforms, we must remain alive to the persisting problems of market-dependent economies. Many rich nations are now trapped by a culture of entitlement without social obligations; we must avoid this trap. The results of our policies should be seen in our villages, farms and factories, schools and hospitals.

Figures mean nothing to those who do not benefit from them. We must act immediately, otherwise the current pockets of conflict, often described as “Naxalite” violence, could acquire far more dangerous dimensions.

Fellow Citizens: In the recent past, we have seen serious atrocities on the Line of Control on our troops. Neighbours may have disagreements; tension can be a subtext of frontiers. But sponsorship of terrorism through non-state actors is a matter of deep concern to the entire nation. We believe in peace on the border and are always ready to offer a hand in the hope of friendship. But this hand should not be tak-

en for granted.

Fellow Citizens: India’s most impregnable asset is self-belief. Each challenge becomes an opportunity to strengthen our resolve to achieve unprecedented economic growth and social stability. Such resolve must be nourished by an avalanche of investment, particularly in better and greater education.

Education is the ladder that can help those at the bottom to rise to the pinnacles of professional and social status. Education is the mantra that can transform our economic fortunes and eliminate the gaps that have made our society unequal. So far education has not reached, to the extent desired, to those most in need of this ladder. India can double its growth rate by turning today’s disadvantaged into multiple engines of economic development.

On our 64th Republic Day, there may be some reason for concern, but none for despair. If India has changed more in six decades than six previous centuries, then I promise you that it will change more in the next ten years than in the previous sixty.

India’s enduring vitality is at work.

Even the British sensed that they were leaving a land which was very different from the one they had occupied. At the base of the Jaipur Column in Rashtrapati Bhavan there is an inscription: “In thought faith...

In word wisdom...

In deed courage...

In life service...

So may India be great” The spirit of India is written in stone.

Jai Hind!

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Syrian troops push to take rebel Homs areas

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N Korea defiant in face of US, China pressure

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Biden off to Virginia to push gun control

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This handout picture released by French Army Communications Audiovisual office (ECPAD) shows a C-17 military transport aircraft of the US Air Force (USAF) at the French military air base in Istres, southern France, carrying troops and military equipment to Mali as part of the French military operation codenamed Serval. — AFP

Mali forces push towards rebel-held Gao Islamists blow up bridge between Gao, Niger SEGOU/BAMAKO: French-backed government forces advanced into northern Mali yesterday towards the Islamist rebel stronghold of Gao, recapturing the town of Hombori, as they followed up on relentless French air strikes against the rebels.

Two weeks after France sent troops and aircraft into its West African former colony to block an offensive south by al Qaeda-allied Islamists occupying the north, Mali’s army was now on the move as Islamist fighters pulled back from towns.

Malian officials, who said an offensive against Gao could take place in the next few days, said government forces entered Hombori, about 160 km (100 miles) from Gao, late on Thursday.

Gao, with the other Saharan desert towns of Timbuktu and Kidal, has been occupied since last year by an Islamist alliance that includes AQIM, the North African franchise of al Qaeda.

“Our troops supported by French forces

entered Hombori yesterday evening without any combat. The Islamists had already deserted the town,” a Malian military officer, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.

Mali’s national radio said Hombori’s inhabitants turned out to cheer the government soldiers as they entered. Malian officials said French air raids on Thursday hit rebel positions at Ansongo, 95 km (60 miles) south of Gao. This is on the road to neighboring Niger, where Nigerien and Chadian forces are poised to join the fight against the Islamists.

But in a sign the Islamist rebels could offer resistance, a Malian officer and residents living in the area south of Gao reported they had blown up a bridge at Tassiga, south of Ansongo on the main road that follows the Niger River down to Niger.

Two civilians were reported killed when their vehicle drove off the destroyed bridge, the same sources said.

As French and Malian troops push northeastwards through the farmland and scrub

along the Niger River, hundreds of African troops are being deployed behind them, part of an African ground force intended to be the core of an international-backed offensive against Al Qaeda and its allies in north Mali.

There are concerns that this African force, expected to exceed 5,000 and comprised mostly of troops from West African states, lacks sufficient training, equipment and funding. African heads of state meeting at an African Union summit in Addis Ababa this weekend were expected to discuss these problems and appeal for more international support for the Mali operation from other governments, including China. France already has 2,500 soldiers on the ground in Mali as part of its Operation Serval (Wildcat) and this number would rise to 3,700 according to the French Defence Ministry.

Western and African leaders say the intervention in Mali is necessary to stop the country’s north - a vast lawless tract of desert and mountains that juts into the Sahara - from

becoming a safe haven for radical Islamist jihadists seeking to launch international terrorist attacks. French and Malian forces have over the last week retaken several towns, including Douentza, seized by the Islamist fighters as they attempted to advance towards Mali’s southern capital Bamako.

Carefully targeted strikes by French Rafale jets and Gazelle helicopter gunships forced the rebels to pull back from urban areas and avoid being caught in the open in their vehicles. They have abandoned caches of munitions, including one, at Diabaly in central Mali, found to contain rockets for a Soviet-made BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, witnesses said.

Despite the optimism now being shown

by Malian military commanders, French officials have said that their Islamist opponents appear well-trained and well-equipped, and are likely to resort to hit-and-run guerrilla warfare rather than committing to a conventional battle. — Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Syrian troops push to take rebel Homs areas 15,000 civilians trapped in Homs districts

BAGHDAD: Muslims shout slogans during an anti-government demonstration outside the Abu Hanifa mosque in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah district yesterday. —AFP

Iraqi troops kill five protesters BAGHDAD: Iraqi troops killed five protesters yesterday when they opened fire at demonstrators angry at the troops for preventing them from attending an anti-government rally west of Baghdad, officials said. Police officials said the soldiers started shooting after a group of protesters, who were on their way to a Sunni rally in Fallujah, started hurling stones at an army checkpoint at the entrance to the city.

Twenty-three protesters also were wounded in the shooting, the officials said.

The rally in Fallujah, about 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of Baghdad, is part of weekly Friday protests that erupted last month after the arrest of bodyguards assigned to Finance Minister Rafia Al-Issawi. The demonstrators, from Iraq’s Sunni minority, have been protesting what they see as unfair treatment by the government led by minority Shiites.

Medics at a hospital in Fallujah confirmed Friday’s casualties.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Police said protesters set one army vehicle on fire, but Sunni cleric Mohammed Al-Dulaimi urged the protesters to show selfrestrain and avoid further friction with the soldiers.

Al-Dulaimi, who led the Friday prayers, accused Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki’s Shiite-led government of adopting policies that could divide the country. “I tell the prime minister that he should stop neglecting our demands and stop violating our rights. ... Otherwise, the volcano will erupt,” he said. Also in Fallujah, police said gunmen attacked an army checkpoint, killing two soldiers and prompting local authorities to impose a curfew in the city. — AP

Turkey addresses Kurdish demand ISTANBUL: Turkey’s parliament passed a law late on Thursday allowing defendants to speak Kurdish in court, addressing a key demand of Kurdish politicians as Ankara seeks to advance peace talks with the jailed rebel leader of a 28-year-old insurgency.

Kurdish and nationalist deputies clashed verbally and nearly came to blows during a tense debate over a reform seen aimed at breaking a deadlock in trials of hundreds of people accused of links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group. Courts have rejected suspects’ efforts to use Kurdish in defending against charges of membership in a PKK umbrella group. The new legislation will allow defendants to speak in their mother tongue, if they speak it better than they do Turkish. The court defence reform was among the demands of hundreds of jailed PKK rebels who late last year staged a hunger strike which was ended by the intervention of their leader Abdullah Ocalan, in prison on the island of Imrali, south of Istanbul.

Ocalan’s intervention is viewed as having paved the way for the government to launch peace talks with him, aimed at ending a conflict in which more than 40,000 people have been killed since his separatist guerrillas took up arms in 1984. —Reuters

AMMAN: The Syrian army has stepped up an offensive on opposition Sunni Muslim strongholds in the central city of Homs, bringing in ground forces and loyalist militia to try to secure a major road junction, opposition sources said yesterday. Around 15,000 Sunni civilians are trapped on the southern and western edge of the city near the intersection of Syria’s main north-south and east-west arteries, crucial to let the army travel between Damascus and the Mediterranean coast, opposition campaigners in Homs said.

Rebels said they had moved into new areas of Homs this month to grab more territory, which could explain the offensive. Activists said that rebels had asked them not to report on the advances because it could provoke retaliatory strikes.But activists in Homs said a barrage of army rocket, artillery and aerial bombardment had killed at least 120 civilians and 30 opposition fighters since Sunday.

In the south, eight members of Syria’s military intelligence were killed by an Islamist militant car bomb on Thursday night near the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, opposition activists and a violence monitoring group said yesterday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the bomb was planted by AlNusra Front, a rebel unit fighting to oust Assad that the United States has labelled a terrorist group.

“We think the blast might have killed a colonel who has been leading the fight against rebels in the area,” Rami Abdelrahman, head of the Britain-based Observatory said. The building targeted is in the town of Saasa, 14 miles (23km)

from the frontier with the Golan Heights, he said. Syrian authorities have banned most independent media, making it difficult to verify such reports on the ground. The nearly two-year-old conflict has now killed an estimated 60,000 people and a military stalemate has formed while hundreds of thousands of refugees flood into Syria’s neighbors. The Syrian Interior Ministry called on Thursday for Syrian refugees to come home and said they would be guaranteed safety.

A statement on the state news agency SANA said the government was “offering guarantees to all political opposition sides to enter the country ... (and) ... take part in the national dialogue without any query.” Few who left have returned, especially opposition supporters, and Assad said in a speech this month that he would not talk with opposition members he said had betrayed Syria or “gangs recruited abroad that follow the orders of foreigners”. The war has reached every province in the country and fighting has encroached on the heart of the capital Damascus, with residents reporting the daily thud of artillery being fired on rebel-held districts in the outskirts.

US ambassador to Syria Robert Ford told CNN on Thursday that Assad’s mother Anisa Makhlouf and his sister Bushra had both moved to the United Arab Emirates. It is not clear why they left. Activist Nader Al-Husseini, speaking by phone from the western sector of Homs, said at least 10,000 pro-Assad shabbiha militiamen had been brought from the coastal city of Tartous to back up the regular army. “They go in infantry formations behind the soldiers and their

speciality is looting and killing civilians,” he said, adding that among dozens killed by the shabbiha were a family of five in the village of Naqira. Husseini

A Syrian man checks the charred facades of a house in the southern city of Sweida. The two provinces are diametrically opposed in the current conflict. If Daraa chose rebellion, Sweida is firmly in regime hands. — AFP said 100 wounded civilians were trapped in Homs’ western neighborhood of Kafar Aya and that the Free Syrian Army rebels had tried to negotiate a deal to evacuate them but failed. Opposition sources blame shabbiha for the death of more than 100 Sunni men, women and children when they overran a nearby area 10 days ago. — Reuters

Shabaab says foes closed its Twitter account MOGADISHU: Al Shabaab yesterday said its Christian enemies had closed its Twitter account, which the Somali militant group used to parade hostages, mock rivals and claim responsibility for bombings and assassinations.

Al-Shabab fighters march with their weapons during military exercises on the outskirts of Mogadishu. Twitter suspended the account used by the Somali militants yesterday after the insurgents used the micro-blogging site to post a hostage video and death threat. —AP

The group’s official Twitter account, which has thousands of followers, was offline on Friday with a message saying “Sorry, that user is suspended”. It was not immediately clear why the account, which was created in 2011 under the HSM PRESS Twitter handle, was suspended. The account was still unavailable as of 1233 GMT. On Wednesday the al Qaeda-aligned rebels used the social media site to threaten to kill several Kenyan hostages and on Jan. 17 announced the execution of a captive French agent after a French commando mission to rescue him failed. “The enemies have shut down our Twitter account,” Al Shabaab’s most senior media officer, who refused to be named, told Reuters. “They shut it down because our account overpowered all the Christians’ mass media and they could not tolerate the grief and the failure of the Christians we always displayed (online).”

Al Shabaab wants to impose their strict version of sharia, or Islamic law, across Somalia. However, it has lost significant territory in the southern and central parts of the country in the face of an offensive by African Union troops.

Twitter said it does not comment on individual accounts and the Kenyan government denied it had filed any request for the account to be taken down.

“It’s an emphatic no. We would not try to negotiate or have anything to do with the Al Shabaab. We didn’t even know the account was suspended,” said government spokesman Muthui Kariuki. —Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Five held in London over ‘Muslim vigilante’ videos ‘Filmed harassments’ spark police action

PARIS: France’s Florence Cassez poses with her lawyer Franck Berton (left) prior to take part in the evening news of French TV channel TF1 hosted by French journalist Gilles Bouleau on Thursday in Paris.—AFP

Freed French woman says she was naive PARIS: The Frenchwoman who returned home this week after seven years in a Mexican prison acknowledged that she was naive to take up with a man accused of running a kidnapping ring but maintains her innocence. Florence Cassez previously said she lived at her ex-boyfriend’s ranch, where hostages were held, but didn’t know they were there. At least one victim identified Cassez as one of the kidnappers, though only by her voice.

On Friday, Cassez said she was at Israel Vallarta’s ranch for a couple of months while looking for an apartment. Mexico’s Supreme Court released Cassez Wednesday, citing gross human rights and due process violations.

Cassez told BFM television she may have been naive to get involved with Vallarta but added: “Who at 30 hasn’t had a relationship like that?”— AP

Polls show Italy’s centre-left leading ROME: Italy’s centre left is still in the lead a month before elections but will fall short of a majority in the Senate, a result which would make stable government more difficult, according to a poll yesterday. The centre-left’s lead could be eroded by its links to the troubled Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, enveloped by a widening scandal over derivatives losses.

Centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani’s Democratic Party (PD) has long had ties to the Tuscan lender, the world’s oldest bank. The PD and its hard-left ally, the Ecology and Freedom (SEL) party, would fall short of a majority in the Senate if the vote were held today, a Piepoli Institute poll in La Stampa newspaper said.

That means Bersani’s coalition would need the support of the centrist group led by outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti in order to control the Senate. Monti yesterday said the PD would be affected by the banking scandal because of its links to the bank, joining opponents of the left who are seizing on the crisis in an already bitter campaign.

Under Italy’s electoral law, the bloc with the most votes automatically gets a majority in the Chamber of Deputies, but in the Senate seats are awarded by region.

A split result would make it difficult for the government to pass legislation in a bi-cameral system where laws have to go through both houses.

The La Stampa poll showed the centre-left winning a majority in the lower house, but former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right taking the key regions of Sicily, Lombardy and Veneto in races for the Senate.

Lombardy has more seats in the 315-member Senate than any other region so is one of the keys to the control of the upper house. The centre-left’s lead was less than five points in a further three regions, the survey said.

A separate poll by Demos and Pi for the left-leaning newspaper La Repubblica gave the centre left 38.1 percent, followed by Berlusconi’s centre right with 25.8 percent and Monti’s centrist coalition with 16.2 percent.

A third poll, conducted by SWG, showed the centre-left with a thinner lead of 34.1 percent compared to 26.6 percent for the centre-right and 12.8 for Monti’s centrist coalition.— Reuters

LONDON: Five people have been arrested in London after videos emerged online of a group of men abusing passers-by for being gay, drinking alcohol or wearing mini-skirts in what they said was a “Muslim area”, police said yesterday.

The arrests were made over what Scotland Yard described as “filmed harassments” in east London, an area with a high concentration of Muslims, earlier this month. Detectives voiced particular concern about a YouTube video entitled “Muslim vigilantes in London harass and taunt gay male”, in which a group of men verbally abuse a man in the street for being homosexual.

“Don’t you know this is a Muslim area?” an off-camera voice in the video

says. “You’re walking through a Muslim area dressed like a fag, mate. You need to get out of here... You’re dirty, mate.

You’re gay mate, get out of here... You bloody fag.”

Detective Chief Inspector Wendy Morgan urged the victim to come forward, saying the police “takes such homophobic behavior very seriously”.

“This man is a crucial witness in the investigation and would encourage him and anyone else with information relating to this incident to make contact in confidence as soon as possible,” she said.

Another video posted on YouTube, entitled “Muslims enforcing Sharia Law on the streets of London” and dated January 2013, shows other people being

harassed. It shows a group of men asking a woman in a mini-skirt to “not dress like this in a Muslim area”. The girl says she is “appalled”, adding: “This is Great Britain.” But the man says: “It’s not so Great Britain.”

The men also ask revellers out on a Saturday night to move away from their mosque, and demand that one man put down his beer, saying: “No drink in this area... this is a Muslim patrol. Alcohol is evil.”

Five men aged between 17 and 29 years old have been arrested since Sunday, all on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and public order offences.

One was held in Acton, west London, and the others in east London, police said. —AFP

Russian police break up ‘kiss-in’ protest by gays MOSCOW: Russian police detained 20 people yesterday when gay activists tried to stage a “kiss-in” outside parliament to protest against a draft law banning the promotion of homosexuality among minors.

Police hauled away the protesters shortly before the lower house, the State Duma, was due to hold the first of three readings of the legislation, witnesses said.

Supporters of the law, some of them identifying themselves as Russian Orthodox Christians, cheered as the police stepped in and threw eggs at the protesters. Police confirmed that 20 people had been detained. If approved by the two houses of parliament, and signed by President Vladimir Putin, the law would ban the promotion of gay events across Russia and impose fines on the organisers.

Putin’s critics say it is the latest in a series of moves to appeal to conservative voters and consolidate support for him since his return to the presidency last May after a wave of protests against him in cities such as Moscow and St Petersburg.

Gay rights activists and human rights campaigners say the main aim of the law is not to protect children but to curb the rights of homosexuals.

“Animosity towards gays and lesbians is widespread in society, and the Duma, which has approved a number of unpopular laws, hopes it can win some popularity with an anti-gay law,” veteran rights campaigner Lyudmila Alexeyeva told Reuters. Supporters of the law say it is needed to prevent gay parades and television and radio programs that support gay couples, describing this as homosexual propaganda which affects the development of children in Russia.— Reuters

MOSCOW: A supporter of a bill banning “ homosexual propaganda” tries to grab a poster from the hands of a gay rights activist, during a protest near the State Duma, Russia’s lower parliament chamber, in Moscow yesterday.— AP

British sub cleared of sinking French trawler NANTES, France: Nine years after five Breton fishermen died when their trawler sank off the English coast, French authorities have finally ruled out the possibility of a British submarine being responsible.

Two expert reports published yesterday dismiss a theory that the Royal Navy’s HMS Turbulent, or any other submarine, could have got caught up in the trawler’s cables and dragged it down.

The families of the men who died on board the Bugaled Breizh have long suspected that a submarine was responsible for the unexplained January 15, 2004 sinking off Lizard Point in the English Channel.

Traces of titanium found on the cables after the trawler was salvaged fuelled their suspicions and sustained a legal probe that continued despite the French Marine Accident Bureau concluding in 2007 that the sinking was most likely caused by a cable snagging on the sea floor.

The families suspected that the titanium could have come from the paintwork of a submarine. That theory was dismissed however in the forensic report commissioned by the Nantes prosecutor. “It concluded that the miniscule traces of titanium found on the cables of the Bugaled were not indicative of the involvement of a submarine,” the prosecutor, Brigitte Lamy, said in a statement. —AFP

INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

N Korea defiant in face of US, China pressure Pyongyang threatens Seoul

BEIJING: Natsuo Yamaguchi (left), leader of the Komeito party from Japan prepares to deliver a personal letter from Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to China’s president-in-waiting Xi Jinping (right) during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. — AFP

Japan PM’s letter to China leader BEIJING: Japanese premier Shinzo Abe made a direct appeal to Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping for the two countries to improve relations amid their bitter row over disputed islands, Beijing said yesterday.

Tokyo’s hawkish new leader said in a letter to Xi that he would like to “push forward Japan-China strategic relationships for mutual benefit”, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters at a regular briefing. The personal missive was handed to Xi by Abe’s coalition ally Natsuo Yamaguchi in a meeting in Beijing aimed at smoothing links between the world’s second- and third-largest economies, which have been heavily damaged by the dispute.

“In the letter, Abe said that Japan-China relations are one of the most important bilateral relationships (and) the two countries share common responsibilities for peaceful development for Asia-Pacific and the world,” the spokesman added.

Yamaguchi, head of the New Komeito party, the junior partner in Japan’s ruling coalition, is the most senior Japanese parliamentarian to visit China since the long-running row over the islands intensified in September when Tokyo nationalised part of the chain.

The move triggered a diplomatic dispute and huge antiJapan demonstrations across China. Beijing has repeatedly sent ships and aircraft near the Tokyo-controlled islands, known as the Senkakus in Japan but claimed by Beijing as the Diaoyus. The chain could sit atop vast mineral reserves, it is believed. — AFP

SEOUL: North Korea threatened the South yesterday and said sanctions passed this week were a “declaration of war”, even as China and the US sought to pressure Pyongyang into backing down on a planned nuclear test.

In the latest in a series of bellicose warnings from Pyongyang sparked by a tightening of UN sanctions, the North’s top body for inter-Korean affairs threatened the South with unspecified with “physical counter-measures”. “Sanctions amount to a declaration of war against us,” the Committee for Peaceful Reunification of Fatherland said in a statement.

“If the South Korean puppet regime of traitors directly participates in the socalled UN ‘sanctions’, strong physical counter-measures would be taken,” it added. The warning, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, came a day after North Korea’s top military body threatened to conduct a third nuclear test and boost its ability to strike the United States. The current upsurge in tensions has its roots in Pyongyang’s defiant decision to push ahead with a long-range rocket launch on December 12 — insisting it was a peaceful mission to place a satellite in orbit. The rest of the world saw it as a banned ballistic missile test and on Tuesday the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution that expanded the number of North Korean entities on an international blacklist.

The United States, supported by Japan and South Korea, spearheaded the UN resolution. Pyongyang reacted furiously, vowing to boost its nuclear arsenal and to conduct a third nuclear test and even longer-range rocket launches in an “allout action” against its “sworn US enemy”.

In Washington on Thursday, White House spokesman Jay Carney criticized the North Korean threat as “needlessly

PYONGYANG: A board which reads ‘Highest Glory to the Great Mother Party,’ is posted in Changjon Street, Central District of Pyongyang yesterday. Following new UN sanctions punishing North Korea for a December rocket launch, North Korea warned that it would continue launching longrange rockets and conduct a nuclear test. —AP provocative” and stressed that any test would be a “significant violation” of UN Security Council resolutions.

“Further provocations would only increase Pyongyang’s isolation, and its continued focus on its nuclear and missile program is doing nothing to help the North Korean people,” Carney told reporters.

Outgoing US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the United States was “fully prepared” for a test from Pyongyang. “But I hope... they determine that in the end, it is better to become a part of the international family,” Panetta said. In addition to the UN measures, the United States added names to its own blacklist that freezes any US-based assets of designated individuals and groups and makes it a crime for anyone in the United States to assist them.

The UN resolution was notable for receiving the backing of North Korea’s sole major ally, China, which had shielded Pyongyang from stronger sanctions demanded by Washington.

In an unusually frank warning on Friday, China’s state-run media indicated that Beijing would decrease aid to Pyongyang if it goes ahead with a nuclear test. “If North Korea engages in further nuclear tests, China will not hesitate to reduce its assistance,” the Global Times, which is close to China’s ruling Communist Party, said in an editorial.

“China hopes for a stable peninsula, but it’s not the end of the world if there’s trouble there,” it added. As North Korea’s main economic lifeline, China is seen as the only country with any genuine leverage over the impoverished, isolated and nuclear-armed state. — Reuters

7 Algeria survivors, 9 dead arrive in Tokyo TOKYO: The seven Japanese survivors of the Algerian hostage crisis, and nine of the ten dead, arrived back in a shell-shocked Japan yesterday as the prime minister spoke of the nation’s “deepest grief”.

Emotional reunions away from the glare of publicity awaited those who made it out of the In Amenas complex alive, amid a renewed national sense of the perils of doing business in resource-rich, but unstable parts of the world. A government-owned plane with its national flag livery touched down at Haneda Airport as a warm orange sun rose over Tokyo.

Airport officials used black umbrellas to shield those getting off the plane from the glare of cameras feeding blanket media coverage in a country baffled by what happened half a world away. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida stood alongside officials from engineering firm JGC, which employed-directly or indirectly-all Japanese caught up in the siege, bowing deeply after the coffins were brought out from the plane’s cargo hold.

Three trailers, each carrying three coffins, lined up near the plane’s tail as the assembled dignitaries laid on them bouquets of white flowers, a common offering for the deceased in Japan.

Tokyo has accounted for all ten men who had been out of contact since Islamist gunmen stormed the desert gas plant over a week ago. Dozens of foreigners were killed during a four-day standoff that ended in a bloody

showdown with Algerian commandos on Saturday, with reports of summary executions.

Japan’s body count of 10 is the highest of any nation whose citizens were caught up in the crisis in the Sahara and an unusual taste of Jihadist anger for a country that has remained far from US-led wars in the Muslim world.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at a meeting of his senior ministers yesterday, said the nation was in mourning for those killed. “It is with deepest grief we have learned that 10 Japanese nationals who worked on the frontlines of international business have become casualties,” he said.

Flags flew at half-mast at government buildings across Tokyo and a statement of condolences on the prime minister’s Facebook page had been been “Liked” by thousands of people.

At the headquarters of JGC, mourners continued to pay respects in front of a makeshift altar.

A steady stream of visitors dressed in black solemnly bowed to a Buddhist cenotaph, as they urged departed souls to find peace. The loss of so many colleagues is a heavy blow to JGC in a country where corporate communities are close-knit and company loyalties remain strong. The firms president, Koichi Kawana held a deep bow for several seconds when he appeared in front of Japan’s assembled press corps. “Our grief is heartbreaking,” he said, in remarks that were televised live nationwide. — AFP

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shintaro Abe (third from left) offers silent prayer at the beginning of a meeting to deal with last week’s hostage crisis in Algeria, at his official residence in Tokyo yesterday. —AP

INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Biden off to Virginia to push gun control Proponents want enforcement of laws

US Army Capt Linda L Bray in her home on Thursday in Clemmons, NC.— AP

1st woman to lead in combat ‘thrilled’ with change RALEIGH, North Carolina: Former US Army Capt Linda L Bray says her male superiors were incredulous upon hearing she had ably led a platoon of military police officers through a firefight during the 1989 invasion of Panama.

Instead of being lauded for her actions, the first woman in US history to lead male troops in combat said higher-ranking officers accused her of embellishing accounts of what happened when her platoon bested an elite unit of the Panamanian Defense Force. After her story became public, Congress fiercely debated whether she and other women had any business being on the battlefield.

The Pentagon’s longstanding prohibition against women serving in ground combat ended Thursday, when Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that most combat roles jobs will now be open to female soldiers and Marines. Panetta said women are integral to the military’s success and will be required to meet the same physical standards as their male colleagues.

“I’m so thrilled, excited. I think it’s absolutely wonderful that our nation’s military is taking steps to help women break the glass ceiling,” said Bray, 53, of Clemmons, NC. “It’s nothing new now in the military for a woman to be right beside a man in operations.”

The end of the ban on women in combat comes more than 23 years after Bray made national news and stoked intense controversy after her actions in Panama were praised as heroic by Marlin Fitzwater, the spokesman for then-President George H W Bush. Bray and 45 soldiers under her command in the 988th Military Police Company, nearly all of them men, encountered a unit of Panamanian special operations soldiers holed up inside a military barracks and dog kennel.

Her troops killed three of the enemy and took one prisoner before the rest were forced to flee, leaving behind a cache of grenades, assault rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition, according to Associated Press news reports published at the time. The Americans suffered no casualties.

Citing Bray’s performance under fire as an example, Rep. Patricia Schroeder, D-Colorado, introduced a bill to repeal the law that barred female US military personnel from serving in combat roles. But the response from the Pentagon brass was less enthusiastic. “The responses of my superior officers were very degrading, like, ‘What were you doing there?’” Bray said.

“A lot of people couldn’t believe what I had done, or did not want to believe it. Some of them were making excuses, saying that maybe this really didn’t happen the way it came out.”

Schroder’s bill died after top generals lobbied against the measure, saying female soldiers just weren’t up to the physical rigors of combat.

“The routine carrying of a 120-pound rucksack day in and day out on the nexus of battle between infantrymen is that which is to be avoided and that’s what the current Army policy does,” Gen. M.R. Thurman, then the head of the US Southern Command, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

For Bray, the blowback got personal. The Army refused to grant her and other female soldiers who fought on the ground in Panama the Combat Infantryman Badge. She was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Valor, an award for meritorious achievement in a non-combat role. Bray was also the subject of an Army investigation over allegations by Panamanian officials that she and her soldiers had destroyed government and personal property during the invasion that toppled Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega.—AP

WASHINGTON: Vice President Joe Biden is taking the White House’s campaign for gun control on the road to Virginia. Biden plans a roundtable discussion Friday in Richmond with experts who worked on gun safety following the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech.

President Barack Obama wants Congress to require background checks for all gun sales and ban both military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. The president concedes passage will be difficult, but he also will travel to push the plan. His destinations have yet to be announced.

Virginia has an avidly pro-gun tradition, but lawmakers have been debating a bill to require that private sellers conduct criminal background checks on buyers at gun shows. The current law only requires dealers to conduct the checks.

There is a legal avenue to try to get any gun you want somewhere in the US, thanks to the maze of gun statutes across the country and the lack of certain federal laws.

That undermines gun-control efforts in communities with tougher gun laws - and pushes advocates of tighter controls to seek a federal standard. Gun rights proponents say enforcing all existing laws makes more sense than passing new ones.

An Associated Press analysis found that there are thousands of laws, rules and regulations at the local, county, state and federal levels. The laws and rules vary by state, and even within states, according to a 2011 compilation of state gun laws by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. These laws and regulations govern who can carry a firearm, what kind of firearm is legal, the size of ammunition magazines, and more. In some places, a

person can buy as many guns as desired.

Not only can people acquire military-style assault weapons, they can also get gangster-style Tommy guns, World War II-era bazookas and even sawed-off shotguns. “If you regulate something on the local or state level, you are still a victim to guns coming into other localities or states,” said Laura Cutilletta, a senior staff attorney at the California-based Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. In California, most guns come from Nevada, where there is almost no regulation of firearms, Cutilletta said, and in Arizona, gun owners don’t need a

permit. Obama is urging Congress to pass new laws, some of which would set a minimum standard for the types of firearms and ammunition that are commercially available. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D- Calif., on Thursday said she was introducing a new assault weapons ban. The powerful gun lobby says the problem lies in enforcement of existing laws. “Which begs the question: Why are we putting more laws on the books if we’re not enforcing the laws we already have on the books?” said Andrew Arulanandam, spokesman for the National Rifle Association.—AP

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama left listens as Vice President Joe Biden speaks about proposals to reduce gun violence in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington. — AP

Kerry tackles questions on Iran, Syria, Hagel WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama’s nominee for secretary of state discussed Iran, Syria and other issues Thursday, while testifying at his confirmation hearing that the United States must get its fiscal house in order to lead in the world.

Sen. John Kerry, a Democrat, also spoke out strongly for dealing with climate change, providing food and energy security and humanitarian assistance before mem-

bers of the Foreign Relations Committee.

The committee is expected to approve Kerry’s nomination early next week, and a full Senate vote could occur before the month is out. Kerry - son of a diplomat, a Navy officer in Vietnam, anti-war protester, five-term senator, unsuccessful presidential candidate and Obama’s unofficial envoy also spoke for robust foreign aid, but insisted that the country’s economy is central to

WASHINGTON: Sen Elizabeth Warren (center), accompanied by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (right) make statements introducing Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Sen John Kerry, seated second left, to the committee during his confirmation hearing to become secretary of state, replacing Clinton Thursday on Capitol Hill. —AP

success abroad. “More than ever, foreign policy is economic policy,” said Kerry, who has been a member of the committee for 28 years and its chairman for the last four.”

That bipartisan congressional panel failed in 2011 in its mandate to come up with a deficit-cutting plan. Sharp disagreements between Democrats and congressional Republicans over taxes and spending have threatened to set back America’s struggling economy. The latest ongoing dispute over whether to raise the federal debt ceiling was settled temporarily after the Republican-led House of Representatives voted Wednesday to postpone any showdown on the borrowing limit for three months.

Thursday’s hearing is the first of three for Obama’s national security nominees, and the least controversial. The president’s pick of Chuck Hagel to be the next defense secretary will face tough questions about his past statements on Israel, Iran, nuclear weapons and defense spending at his confirmation hearing next Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee. John Brennan, Obama’s choice for CIA director, will be quizzed about White House national security leaks and the use of unmanned drones at his hearing next month.— AP

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013

INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Mumbai women get chilli, knives to fend off rapists Doubts raised about fairness of Delhi trial

KARACHI: Pakistani women mourn the death of a family member, during a funeral in Karachi. Over 2,000 people were murdered in Pakistan’s largest city last year, but the shooting death of 20-year-old Shahzeb Khan in one of Karachi’s most upscale neighborhoods sparked an unusual outcry. — AP

Murder in Pakistan sparks anger at country’s elite KARACHI: More than 2,000 people were murdered in Pakistan’s largest city last year, but the shooting death of 20-year-old Shahzeb Khan in one of Karachi’s most upscale neighborhoods sparked an unusual outcry and highlighted a growing trend of citizens using social media to hold the country’s rich and powerful to account.

Khan was allegedly gunned down by a pair of young men from two of the wealthiest families in Karachi, a chaotic metropolis of 18 million people on Pakistan’s southern coast. The late night shooting at the end of December occurred after Khan, a university student, had an argument with one of the alleged shooters’ servants.

Khan’s family would likely have had little chance of getting justice in the past, even though his father is a mid-ranking police officer. Pakistan’s police and judges are notoriously corrupt and are often swayed by pressure from the country’s elite. The same is true for the main media outlets, which often take their business interests and political biases into account when choosing to run a story. Those underlying dynamics have not changed. But Pakistanis lining the corridors of power and their offspring, who are often bred with an extreme sense of entitlement, are now faced with a growing cadre of citizens who have had enough.

Those citizens, many of whom are middle or upper middle class, are attempting to fight back with the help of the Internet, an activist Supreme Court and prominent political figures seeking to harness their anger. “What we are seeing is somewhat of a democratization of power,” said Cyril Almeida, a political analyst and columnist for Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper. “Public naming and shaming is now more possible.”

Khan’s saga began around midnight on Dec. 24 when he dropped his sister off at their family’s apartment in the upmarket neighborhood of Defense after attending a wedding reception, said his father, Aurangzeb Khan. While she waited for her brother to pick up the apartment keys from their parents, she was harassed by a servant working for one of their neighbors, 22-year-old Nawab Siraj Talpur, son of one of the largest landowners in surrounding Sindh province.

Khan rushed back after his sister called to complain and also argued with the servant, said his father, who tried to resolve the issue with Talpur. The younger Khan slapped the servant in anger, said police. The situation worsened when Shahrukh Jatoi, the teenage son of a wealthy industrialist and landowner, arrived and declared that the younger Khan had dishonored his friend, Talpur, and they would take revenge, said the elder Khan. — AP

MUMBAI: India’s radical Hindu nationalist party governing Mumbai has handed out kitchen knives and chilli powder to women following a gang rape in the capital New Delhi that ignited a national debate on the best way to tackle sex crimes.

The Shiv Sena party, an ally of the main opposition BJP, said it had handed out 21,000 knives with three-inch (7 cm) blades to women in the city and surrounding areas and plans to distribute 100,000. Mumbai police said they were examining the knives and considering legal action. “This is a symbolic gesture,” said Shiv Sena spokesman Rahul Narvekar, adding that a knife shorter than six inches in length does not fit the definition of a weapon.

The party also handed out small bags of chilli powder - apparently to throw into an attacker’s eyes.

“It’s only to pass a signal to eve-teasers, anti-social elements and perpetrators of crime against women that women are empowered and they can take care of themselves,” Narvekar said. Eve-teasing is a euphemism for molesting women. “Don’t be afraid of using this knife if someone attacks you,” Ajay Chaudhari, running the knife campaign, was quoted by the party newspaper, Saamana, as saying.

“We have set up a team of nine advocates to protect you from any potential court cases that may arise.” A 23-year-old physiotherapy student was raped and beaten on a moving bus in on Dec 16 before being thrown bleeding on a expressway in New Delhi, dubbed India’s “rape capital”. Mumbai is generally considered a safer city for women.

The attack and the student’s death two weeks later caused public outrage at the failure of the government and police to protect women from rising sexual offences in a country where

one rape is reported on average every 20 minutes.

In response, more women are taking up self-defense classes and carrying pepper spray. A government commission set up to recommend revisions to India’s sex crime laws this week said women who kill an attacker during a attempted rape should be able to plead self-defense.

In the court of public opinion, the men being tried in the gang rape of an Indian university student should be hanged in a public square. That demand for swift justice might make it impossible for them to get a fair trial in a court of law. Already, there are plenty of portents. Amid the heightened emotions that have surrounded this case a local bar association has stopped its members from representing the men citing the heinous nature of the crime. The three grandstanding lawyers who have rushed in to represent the accused spent weeks taking potshots at each other instead of coordinating a defense. Two lawyers fought for days over which one was representing one of the defendants. And the case is being heard by a brand new fast track court, set up in the wake of the rape to deal with sexual assaults in the capital, that is under pressure to reach a verdict within weeks. Finally, whatever is said or submitted in court has to stay in the room-a gag order by the judge prevents the media from reporting anything about the case.

“However wicked and depraved society may perceive a person to be, he deserves a fair trial. He deserves a good defense,” said Markandey Katju, a retired judge of India’s Supreme Court.

“That some of those charged are the real culprits and some are innocent ... that is a very real possibility,” he said, adding that in India the police “spreads its net wide.” — Agencies

six die as fire guts Mumbai slum

NEW DELHI: King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk (center) and Bhutanese Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck (left) meet with Chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance, Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi yesterday. The King of Bhutan is in the country on a seven-day state visit and will be the chief guest at India’s 64th Republic Day military parade today. — AFP

35 years jail not enough for Mumbai plotter: FM NEW DELHI: India’s foreign minister said yesterday that the US planner of the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks should have got a harsher sentence than 35 years in prison and added that New Delhi still wanted his extradition.

David Headley, 52, who admitted to scouting targets for the Mumbai attacks in which 166 people died, cooperated with US authorities to avoid the death penalty during his sentencing in Chicago on Thursday.

“If we would have tried him, we would have sought much more (punishment). But the judge is bound by

the structured system of justice delivery in the US,” Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid told India’s CNNIBN TV network.

“It’s a beginning,” Khurshid told other reporters in New Delhi. “This should go a long way in hopefully conveying a very clear message” that such acts are not tolerated, he added.

Last November, India executed 25year-old Pakistani-born Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving gunman from the Mumbai rampage that lasted three days and traumatised India. — AFP

MUMBAI: A fire killed six people when it ripped through a slum in the heart of Mumbai yesterday and left hundreds more homeless, emergency services said.

Twelve fire engines and 11 water tankers rushed to the tightly-packed Nayanagar slum in the Mahim neighborhood after the blaze broke out shortly before daybreak, the Mumbai fire brigade said.

“In total six people were killed and three were injured,” assistant station officer Ishwar Kamble told AFP. Around 150 of the slum dwellings had been destroyed by the blaze, he added.

The cause of the fire was not yet known. Distraught residents could be seen searching through the charred rubble for their belongings, some of whom were weeping openly. The fire also destroyed several vehicles. — AFP

MUMBAI: People watch from the rooftop of their houses a fire in a slum in Mumbai yesterday. A fire has swept through a slum in India’s financial capital Mumbai killing six people and injuring at least seven others. — AP

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BoJ governor says tough to meet inflation target

Germany confidence soars to 7-month high

Business

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As layoffs keep dropping, hopes rise for job gains

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Britain’s economy flirts with ‘triple dip’ slump

DAVOS: (From left to right) Chinese Min Zhu, Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, US professor Joseph E Stiglitz and Vittorio Grilli, Italian Minister for Economy and Finance attend the session ‘Creating Economic Dynamism’ during the 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF yesterday.— AP

Draghi hails euro ‘relaunch’ at Davos Euro crisis could erupt again this year: Economist DAVOS: The head of the European Central Bank said yesterday that the embattled euro had been relaunched but that more had to be done to boost the euro-zone’s recession-wracked economy. Speaking to the world’s top business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mario Draghi also said that austerity measures being taken in crisis-hit countries were “unavoidable” despite the impact on growth.

“If one has to find a common denominator... for defining why 2012 is going to be remembered, I think one would say it’s the year of the relaunching of the euro,” Draghi said in his well-attended and hotly anticipated speech. Draghi outlined three “extraordinary” steps taken by European leaders and institutions to battle the three-year sovereign debt crisis that has pitched the 17-nation bloc into recession. Governments have pushed through structural reforms with “urgency” and these are “now bearing fruit,” said the ECB boss. European leaders had recognised structural flaws inherent in the single currency and were now pushing for greater integration.

And finally, his own institution had

undertaken actions that broke the monetary policy mould, including providing one trillion euros ($1.33 trillion) in liquidity for banks. The ECB also announced a programme to buy the bonds of debt-wracked countries which had proved “very helpful” in reducing the perception that the euro was on the point of collapse, Draghi said.

However, he said it was too early to declare the battle over. “Are we satisfied for that? I think to say the least, the jury is still out.

Because all in all, we haven’t seen an equal momentum on the real side of the economy and that’s where we will have to do much more,” he said.

Nevertheless, Draghi hailed what he called a period of “relative tranquility” on the financial markets and said: “All the indices point to a substantial improvement of financial conditions.” “It is a situation where you have what I called once positive contagion on the financial markets ... but we don’t see this being transmitted into the real economy yet,” complained the central banker. He forecast that the euro area economy would “stablise” at a “very low level of activity” this year, and predicted “a recovery in the second part of the year.”

The European Central Bank has forecast the euro-zone economy will contract by 0.3 percent this year but rebound to register GDP growth of 1.2 percent in 2014. Draghi urged governments not to let up on the momentum of reforms just because the pressure from the markets had been reduced. “We can have a positive development if national governments would persevere in their actions, both in fiscal consolidation but especially now in the field of structural reforms,” he said.

Fiscal consolidation-or reducing debt and deficit mountains-was “unavoidable” he stressed, but he acknowledged that raising taxes and cutting spending tended to result in slower economic growth. Draghi concluded with a plea to the global elite not to underestimate the euro area economy, despite its woes. Notwithstanding the strife in weaker euro countries like Spain and Greece, the average levels of indicators such as productivity or inflation put the euro area in line with some of the best economies in the world, he said. “We tend to forget the strength of the euro area economy.”

Is the euro crisis over? A leading US

economist says not by a long shot. Barry Eichengreen warns that the debt crisis that has shaken Europe to its core could easily erupt again this year unless European leaders move faster to solve their problems.

While European governments and markets have been breathing easier in recent months after years of turmoil, it’s no time for complacency, said Eichengreen, who has chronicled the Great Depression and explored the consequences of a breakup of the euro currency used by 17 nations.

“Nothing has been resolved in the eurozone, where markets have swung from undue pessimism to undue optimism,” Eichengreen told The Associated Press in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “They said all the right things last year ... and they’ve been backtracking ever since.” He warns that the crisis over too much debt burdening governments and banks in the 17-country currency group “is going to heat up again in 2013.” He urged euro-zone leaders follow up on its proposals to steady its banking system and keep failed banks from adding to government debt through expensive bailouts. — Agencies

business

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Gold falls as ECB boosts appetite for euro, stocks LONDON: Gold prices fell yesterday after the European Central Bank said banks would repay 137 billion euros ($183.2 billion) in cheap loans, which reassured investors the euro zone banking system is stabilising.

Concerns over the stability of the bloc’s financial sector had supported demand for gold as a haven from risk.

Yesterday its failure to rise along with a stronger euro and gains in equities, which have typically boosted prices in the past year, exacerbated investors’ lack of confidence, traders said.

Spot gold was down 0.3 percent at $1,661.86 an ounce at 1352 GMT, having earlier touched its lowest since Jan. 14 at $1,659.70 an ounce. Gold priced in euros fell further, touching an eight-month low at 1,233.43 euros an ounce. “Europe is suddenly in vogue, and those who bought gold as a hedge against it are getting out and into equities instead,” Saxo Bank vice president Ole Hansen said. “Euro gold is also hurting some here.”

He added, “If I were a hedge fund, I would sit on my hands and wait for a break of $1,700, as we could easily see lower levels before this stabilizes.” The euro hit an 11-month high versus the dollar yesterday after the ECB said 278 banks had decided to repay three-year crisis funds at the earliest opportunity next week. The total amount was above the 100 billion euros expected. European shares also rallied, helped also by strong economic data out of Germany, which boosted expectations Europe’s largest economy could help drag the region out of crisis. Two-year German bond yields hit their highest since March. Gold prices extended losses on Thursday, when their failure to break through resistance at $1,695 an ounce after five sessions of trying prompted investors to liquidate long positions.

The next market-moving event on the calendar is expected to be a US Federal Reserve statement on Wednesday, which could give more clues on monetary policy, analysts said. “Accommodative policy is still expected to remain in place for some time, a scenario that continues to be conducive for higher gold prices,” UBS analyst Joni Teves said in a note. “And in that sense, the recent pullback should be viewed as an opportunity to pick up metal at more attractive levels.”

US gold futures for February delivery were down $1.40 an ounce at $1,668.50.

Physical interest emerges The price slump of the past few days has triggered some physical buying interest, analysts said. “We can now see some restocking ahead of the Chinese new year and possibly some restocking in the inventory chain in anticipation of a better economic environment through the first half,” SP Angel analyst John Meyer said. Spot silver was down 0.2 percent at $31.56 an ounce, after hitting a one-week low of $31.39 in earlier trade. Spot platinum was flat at $1,677.49, on course for a 0.6 percent weekly gain, extending its winning streak to a fourth week, its longest in a year. Spot palladium was little changed at $723.15 an ounce. Hopes that global demand for the platinum group metals from the automotive sectors will increase in line with an economic recovery underpinned the metals.

Moreover, a move to diesel cars from gasoline engines in the United States is seen as a potential source of buying for platinum in the long term, analysts said. Platinum is used in diesel engines to clean exhaust emissions. “In the United States, the switch from gasoline to diesel is at a much earlier stage ... around 5 percent of newly sold passenger cars in the United States run on diesel, up from just 1.7 percent in 2008,” Natixis said in a note. “This suggests a structural shift, which should progressively increase demand for platinum in the coming years as the United States embraces ultra-low sulphur diesel amid tightening fuel efficiency requirements, which should push drivers and automobile manufacturers towards diesel-powered vehicles,” it added. — Reuters

Samsung Total strikes lucrative Iran oil deal Samsung Total ‘lured by cheap fuel’ SINGAPORE: South Korea’s Samsung Total Petrochemicals Co has revived a contract to buy Iranian oil after a year’s hiatus, as thin margins in plastics make the cheap fuel from Iran hard to resist, people familiar with the deal said yesterday. Stringent US and European sanctions aimed at reducing Iran’s oil income and forcing Tehran to curb its nuclear programme have made shipping and paying for the oil hard, halving the Islamic Republic’s crude exports.

The deal is a rare example of a buyer returning to the market for Iranian oil despite the obstacles arising from sanctions and efforts by Western powers to stem the flow. After jarring interruptions in exports from Iran last year that included a halt in shipments to top consumers Japan and South Korea, importers have found ways to keep oil flowing without violating sanctions. The allure of cheap oil and improved margins has made it worthwhile for the South Korean joint venture between two big international firms to find ways around difficulties.

The deal may save Samsung Total as much as $6.7 million in costs, according to Reuters calculations. “The deal can be easily understood if you look at Samsung Total’s financial situation,” according to a government source in Seoul with direct knowledge of the matter. The company is a joint venture between South Korea’s Samsung Group and French energy giant Total. Spokespeople at Total, Samsung Total and the Samsung Group declined to

comment.

Samsung Total stopped importing oil from Iran last year as the US and European Union imposed sanctions to halt a nuclear programme the West suspects Iran may be using to develop arms. Tehran denies this.

To comply with US sanctions, importing countries are required to reduce purchases of Iranian oil.

Co-owner Total also stopped buying Iranian oil for its refineries to comply with EU sanctions last year. Replacing the Iranian oil forced up Samsung Total’s input costs, contributing to a fall in operating profits, sources said. Those profits fell 90 percent in the second-quarter of 2012, according to the company’s regulatory filings. The company switched to more expensive Australian and Russian condensate last year, sources said. Samsung Total had an annual contract to buy about 550,000 barrels a month of Kangan condensate until June last year, although it is unclear if it actually imported the full volume during the first half of 2012. The volume of the new contract is unclear.

Jostling for imports Other South Korean refiners will have to import less to make way for Samsung Total’s new contract if Seoul is to comply with US sanctions. To renew six-month exceptions to sanctions granted by Washington, buyers of Iran’s oil have to show continuous import cuts. South Korea’s waiver is next due for review in May.

The north Asia nation slashed crude purchases from Iran 36 percent to 153,405 barrels per day (bpd) in 2012. If Samsung Total starts buying a similar-sized cargo every month, South Korea’s imports from the OPEC member may rise by 10,000 bpd.

Condensate imports were not included when South Korean and US officials discussed cuts in Iranian crude imports, the South Korean government official said. For talks due in May, it is unclear whether Iranian condensates would be included in the crude import data or whether it would be counted separately.

“The US side may raise the issue with us when they next meet for talks if they spot higher imports of Iranian condensate,” the official said. “In the talks with the United States last December, we only talked about a cut in Iranian crude oil imports.

Iranian condensate was not discussed.”

Samsung Total kicked off imports from Iran by buying 30,000 tonnes, or 280,000 barrels, of Kangan condensate, which will be delivered in March to the petrochemical company’s plant in Daesan, the sources said. Condensate is a light oil usually processed in a unit called a splitter to produce naphtha, to make petrochemicals.

Samsung Total is looking to diversify supply sources to feed expanded facilities. It is adding a new 140,000 bpd condensate splitter, due to start in August 2014. The company operates a 1 million tonne per year (tpy) ethylene cracker, a 90,000 bpd splitter and other petrochemical units in Daesan. —Reuters

India’s Maruti Suzuki profit jumps 144% NEW DELHI: India’s biggest carmaker Maruti Suzuki yesterday reported quarterly profit more than doubled from a year ago, marking the company’s first earnings increase in 18 months as sales surged. The forecast-beating profit marked a sharp recovery by the company-54.2-percent owned by Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor-from deadly labour unrest last year and a string of work stoppages that badly hit output.

Maruti said profit for the OctoberDecember quarter climbed by 144 percent to 5.01 billion rupees ($93 million).

Sales leapt 46 percent to 109.6 billion rupees.

“The growth in net profit was primarily due to higher sales and good response to new models,” the New Delhi-based company said in a statement, adding tighter cost controls had also helped to drive profit. Analysts had expected profit to rise to 4.85 billion rupees in the third financial quarter, according to a poll by Dow Jones Newswires.

Maruti, the biggest overseas unit of Suzuki Motor, is vital to the fortunes of its Japanese parent, contributing over half of its net profit, according to the Indian company. Arun Agarwal, auto analyst at India’s Kotak Securities, called the Maruti earnings “strong numbers” and forecast even better times ahead for the carmaker.

Improvement in car demand with interest rates seen falling coupled with a “strong product portfolio is expected to

GURGAON: In this photograph, Maruti 800 (796cc) cars are parked at the sales and despatch area at the factory of Maruti Udhyog Limited (MUL) in Gurgaon, Haryana. — AFP help Maruti post healthy sales volume growth” in the next financial year to March 2014, Agarwal said. Sales were lifted by a more fuel-efficient model of Maruti’s entry-level Alto hatchback, India’s biggest-selling car, and its Ertiga minivans, which the firm launched last April-breaking into the nation’s fastestgrowing segment.

Maruti’s domestic vehicle sales rose 27 percent to 268,957 units in the quarter from a year earlier while export sales climbed 17 percent to 32,496 units. The results were the latest in a string of bet-

ter-than-expected performances in the current quarterly earnings season that have propelled the Indian stock market above the key 20,000 level to two-year highs.

Maruti’s shares climbed by 4.15 percent to a 52-week high of 1,620 rupees, far outpacing the broader stock market.

Maruti’s performance stands out from rivals, whose sales have weakened in the face of consumer reluctance to commit to big-ticket items due to a sharp economic slowdown, costly auto loans and high fuel costs.—AFP

BUSINESS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Greek riot police storm in on striking workers ATHENS: Greek police yesterday stormed the Athens metro depot to break up a sit-in by striking workers, escalating a showdown between the embattled coalition government and unions angry over deepening austerity cuts. Some 300 riot police were dispatched to the depot near central Athens at around 4:00 am (0200 GMT), cutting through a metal gate to retake the building that had been occupied on Thursday, police told AFP. Surrounding roads were blocked and four people were temporarily detained. The conservative-led government used an emergency law on Thursday to order the Athens metro staff to halt their strike, which has disrupted traffic in the Greek capital for over a week. Unions reacted by calling a general

transport standstill yesterday and additional action has been scheduled for next week.

A protest was scheduled to take place in Athens later yesterday. A leading member of Greece’s largest union GSEE said a general strike would also be held in response. “There are plans to bring forward a nationwide strike that was originally planned in February,” George Gavrilis, a GSEE board member, told state television NET. Hundreds of union members gathered outside the metro depot after the police raid in support of the strike. Metro staff oppose government plans to reduce their pay in line with wages in the broader public sector, part of reforms tied to the country’s massive EUIMF loan bailout. “The Greek people have

sustained major sacrifices. I can allow no exceptions,” Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said Thursday.

“Public transport does not belong to guilds. It belongs to the people.” The government has also accused the strikers of showing contempt for court rulings that had declared the metro strike illegal earlier this week. Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said the strike was hurting the Greek economy, adding in televised remarks: “There have been court rulings on the issue and the law must be applied.”

The metro strike, now in its ninth day, has cost the Greek economy an estimated 10 million euros ($13 million) according to reports. Under the emergency law invoked

by authorities, strikers face arrest if they refuse to get back to work. Kedikoglou said that around 500 staff were required to operate the metro and said the government was working to restore services over the weekend.

A leftist party in the ruling coalition Thursday criticised the civil mobilisation, calling it “an extreme option”. Opposition parties have also criticised the emergency measures as “barbaric” and “authoritarian.”

Transport workers had already scheduled work stoppages on January 29 and a 24hour strike on January 31. Sailors have also called a two-day strike starting on February 1 and health workers will hold a work stoppage during that day. —AFP

Britain’s economy flirts with ‘triple dip’ slump UK faces ‘very difficult’ situation: Osbourne

SIENA: Five Star Movement’s militants gather at the main entrance of the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Sienna (MPS) as their leader Beppe Grillo is to attend a general shareholder meeting of the world’s oldest bank to adopt a government aid plan amid revelations of a derivatives scandal yesterday. — AFP

Shareholders of world’s oldest bank meet in Italy SIENA: Cries of “shame” met shareholders yesterday as they gathered at Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS) amid a derivatives scandal that has sparked a political row in Italy, with the right-wing accusing the left of cosy relations with the scandal-hit bank. Shareholders arriving at the bank’s head office in Siena, central Italy, were met by flag-waving crowds from the right-wing Northern League party, demanding answers to an affair which has shaken the political world less than a month before an Italian general election. “You only know how to steal!” the protesters chanted, accusing the Democratic Party (PD) of being in league with the bank and premier Mario Monti’s technocrat government, which has offered the troubled 15th-century institution a 3.9 billion-euro ($5.2 billion) loan.

But harassed-looking shareholders of Italy’s third-largest bank also called for answers to the scandal, following a media report that said BMPS would book a 220 million euro loss on a potentially dodgy derivative contract. “We have to shed some light on this.

Those who are responsible must pay,” said one shareholder, who would only give her first name, Marzia. Another said: “I am ashamed by the way our glorious bank has been managed.”

Monti, who is running for a second term in the February 24 and 25 general election, has been accused by critics of “favouring” banker friends while ordinary Italians suffer from austerity programmes.

The outgoing premier rushed to reassure Italians, “whose nerves will doubtless be frayed by the fact that something as sensitive as a bank has become the object of a bull-fight.” He insisted that “Italian banks are among the most solid” in Europe. The 2009 derivative deal with Japanese bank Nomura-nicknamed “Alexandria”-is one of several under scrutiny by supervisory and judicial authorities.

Derivatives are financial instruments based on the value of a specific security or asset. They are widely used by companies and financial institutions to hedge against risks from price changes, but if not used carefully can result in huge losses. The “Alexandria” deal was personally approved by the former chairman of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena Foundation, Giuseppe Mussari. —AFP

LONDON: Britain’s economy shrank more than expected at the end of 2012 with a North Sea oil production slump, lower factory output and a hangover from London’s Olympics pushing it perilously close to a “triple-dip” recession. The country’s gross domestic product fell 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter, the Office for National Statistics said yesterday, sharper than a 0.1 percent decline forecast by analysts.

The news is a blow for Britain’s Conservative-led government, which a day earlier defended its austerity programme against criticism from the International Monetary Fund. It needs solid growth to meet its budget targets, keep a triple-A debt rating and bolster its chances of winning a 2015 election. Sterling fell to its lowest in 13-1/2 months against the euro and hit a five-month low against the dollar in response to the data. The euro was also buoyed by a stronger-than-expected German Ifo sentiment survey.

“There are no positive takeaways from today’s first (GDP)estimate,” said Lee Hopley, chief economist for the EEF manufacturers’ association. “Even assuming some unwinding of activity from the Olympics boost in the previous quarter, this still leaves no real signs of underlying growth in the economy.” Britain’s economy is now 3.3 percent smaller than its peak in Q1 2008, having recovered only about half the output lost during the financial crisis - a worse performance than most other major economies.

The country slipped back into recession in the last three months of 2011, and only emerged from it in the third quarter of 2012, after a boost from the London Olympics. After a bout of snowy weather in January - which is likely to have hit spending and output - the risk is that the economy will continue to shrink in the first three months of this year, technically pushing it into a rare “triple dip” recession.

Britain’s biggest department store group, John Lewis , said earlier yesterday that snow was responsible for its sales growth stalling in the latest week.

In economic terms, the picture remains one of stagnation over the past year. But politically, the latest dip in national output is more incendiary. “Stagnation is going to be the theme for the next couple of quar-

LONDON: A picture shows shoppers walking past a sale sign on Oxford Street in central London. — AFP ters or so. This obviously brings Osborne’s strategy into sharp relief and also the (Bank of England) strategy of maintaining or not sanctioning further monetary policy action,” said Rob Wood at Berenberg Bank.

“The Bank of England were forecasting a return to some growth in Q1 and that is likely to be disappointed.”

Finance minister George Osborne stuck fast to his austerity plan on Thursday, rejecting suggestions from the International Monetary Fund’s chief economist that he should consider slowing his deficit reduction plan. Prime Minister David Cameron this week staked his political future on offering a referendum on Britain’s place in the European Union. But it is Osborne’s gamble that austerity will deliver strong growth before a 2015 election that will be crucial for his Conservative party’s chance of winning.

After the figures were released, the Osborne conceded that Britain was still in a “very difficult economic situation”. “We face problems at home with the debts built up over many years and problems abroad, with the euro zone - where we export many of our products - deep in recession,” he added.

Osborne’s coalition partner, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, has said the government of which he is part had cut investment spending too rapidly.

Opposition Labour Party’ finance spokesman Ed Balls responded to the data by saying the government was complacent. “David Cameron and George Osborne have been asleep at the wheel.

They’ve spent the last six months obsessing about a referendum in five years time, not focusing on the problems in our economy today,” Balls said.

Britain’s chief central banker Mervyn King expects no more than a “gentle recovery” this year, while this week the IMF cut its 2013 forecast for British economic growth to 1.0 percent from 1.1 percent predicted in October. However, economists and business groups warn that even such lacklustre growth could be derailed by a hit to firms’ and consumers’ confidence from talk of a triple-dip recession.

The biggest driver for the fourthquarter fall in GDP was a 10.2 percent drop in mining and quarrying output, the biggest since records began in 1997, driven by disruption from extended maintenance affecting North Sea oil and gas fields. This knocked 0.18 percent off GDP, while slightly smaller amounts of damage were done by falls in factory output and in the ‘government and other services’ category, where the Olympics had boosted sports and recreation services in the third quarter. —Reuters

BUSINESS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

BoJ governor says tough to meet inflation target Japan’s consumer prices fall for fourth year

NEW YORK: In this file photo, toy demonstrator Marnye Young practices with the ‘Koosh Alien Archer’ ball launcher at Hasbro’s American International Toy Fair showroom in New York. Toy maker Hasbro says its fourth-quarter revenue failed to meet expectations because of weakerthan-expected demand over the holidays. — AP

Burnt circuit boards snag Dreamliner probe TOKYO: A device seen as key to explaining why a Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner jet made an emergency landing in Japan last week is burnt and unlikely to provide safety inspectors with data they need, said a person with knowledge of the ongoing investigation. Circuit boards that control and monitor the performance of the plane’s lithium-ion battery unit were charred and may be of little use to the teams investigating why the battery effectively melted, forcing safety investigators to scramble for possible clues from other components in the plane’s electronics, said the person, who didn’t want to be named as the probe is ongoing.

Aviation authorities in Japan face a painstaking reconstruction that may take months before they can unravel what caused one of the batteries to overheat, triggering warnings in the plane’s cockpit. That relatively inexpensive circuit boards may be keeping $10 billion worth of futuristic aircraft idle underscores how dependent the Boeing jet is on advanced electronics rather than more traditional, but less fuel-efficient, parts, experts said. “The circuit board (system) is badly damaged. We’ll see how much we can learn from examining it, but we’ll also have to look at other recording devices on the aircraft to try and find out what happened,” the person with direct knowledge of the investigation told Reuters.

Battery ‘brain’ The circuit boards, known as the battery monitoring unit, are the “brains” of the battery, experts said. About the size of a laptop computer, the boards monitor functions of the lithiumion battery’s eight cells and feed this information to the charger. That effectively makes the boards responsible for preventing a battery from overcharging. One key question for safety investigators is how the battery’s eight individual cells became volatile even though the overall voltage to the battery was steady and didn’t exceed the 32-volt capacity, officials have said. That data is not recorded in the Dreamliner’s “black box” flight-data recorder.

US, Japanese and Boeing representatives have this week been at the Kyoto headquarters of GS Yuasa Corp, which makes batteries for the 787, looking at everything from manufacturing quality to technical standards. The main battery from the All Nippon Airways flight is still at the GS Yuasa plant, where it is being cleaned and disassembled for further checks.

Once they are done, Japanese safety officials plan to take the damaged circuit boards to the manufacturer, Fujisawa-based Kanto Aircraft Instrument, for a detailed inspection. All 50 of Boeing’s Dreamliners in service were grounded last week after the ANA-operated flight’s emergency landing on a domestic flight. That followed an auxiliary battery fire in a Japan Airlines Co Ltd 787 parked at Boston Airport.

“There is a possibility that a fire destroyed the elements that caused the problem and if so, it will become difficult to investigate the cause,” said Hideaki Horie, project professor at the Institute of Industrial Science at Tokyo University. Horie said Boeing should re-think the design of the battery safety and data recovery system even while it investigates what caused the recent Dreamliner incidents. —Reuters

TOKYO: Japan’s top central banker yesterday said the new inflation target that his organisation set earlier this week would be difficult to achieve unless the country undergoes tough economic reforms. Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa said the BoJ would seek one percent inflation “for the time being” just days after it had adopted a two-percent target under pressure from the government. The two-percent goal was set on Tuesday when the BoJ also launched an open-ended easing plan to start next year, following a relentless campaign by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for the bank to usher in more aggressive policy measures.

Abe hailed Tuesday’s move, designed to beat Japan’s long-running deflation, as an “epoch-making” shift in setting monetary policy. But Shirakawa’s comments yesterday appeared to push back once more against the two-percent inflation target.

“For the Bank of Japan, ‘price stability’ means the positive area between two percent (inflation) and zero. The bank will seek one percent for the time being,” Shirakawa told the National Press Club in Tokyo yesterday. “It will take radical efforts from the government, central bank and the private sector in order to achieve the two-percent inflation target.” Tensions have run high between BoJ policymakers and Abe’s administration, with the 58-year-old premier having openly said he would like to turf out Shirakawa, whose term ends in April, and threatening to change a law mandating the bank’s independence if it does not fall into line.

The bank on Tuesday said switching from an inflation “goal” to a more explicit “target”, and aiming for a two-percent inflation rate instead of the one-percent it had earlier promoted, was driven by the “importance of flexibility in the conduct of monetary policy in Japan”. However, Shirakawa and Abe, who swept to power last month in landslide elections, butted heads on policy matters and the move was widely viewed as the under-pressure BoJ

TOKYO: A woman walks by an electronic stock board of a securities firm yesterday. — AP bowing to political pressure.

Some economists and analysts have pointed to structural reforms of the economy as being key to solving Japan’s woes, and cast doubt on the likelihood of achieving the new inflation target when the world’s third-largest economy has been stuck in a deflationary rut for years. “I would say that not even half of market players actually believe the two-percent target can really be achieved,” said Tsuyoshi Ueno, a senior economist at the NLI Research Institute in Tokyo.

Others noted that the plan may be more show than substance, with Londonbased Capital Economics saying that the vague timeline for the BoJ’s “ambitious” inflation target “makes that commitment much less bold”. “The Bank is already committed to end deflation and similar statements have been made before,” it said in a note after Tuesday’s announcement.

Official data yesterday showed consumer prices, excluding volatile fresh food,

slipped 0.1 percent last year, marking the fourth straight annual dip in Japan’s core inflation rate and underscoring its tough battle with falling prices.

Deflation is bad for the economy because it encourages consumers to put off spending in the belief their intended purchases will be cheaper in the future, softening demand and hurting producers and their own capital investment plans.

Also yesterday, Shirakawa said the expectations of central banks have “risen globally more than ever”.

The pressure from Tokyo has set nerves jangling among central bankers overseas, with the head of Germany’s Bundesbank on Monday decrying government meddling in monetary policy, citing Japan and Hungary. “We are witnessing disturbing abuses... where the new government is interfering massively in the affairs of the central bank, calling forcefully for a more aggressive monetary policy,” Jens Weidmann said. — AFP

P&G Q4 gains, results surpass expectations NEW YORK: Procter & Gamble Co’s quarterly profit soared past expectations as the world’s largest household products maker used higher prices and new products to drive sales growth, the strongest indication yet that turnaround efforts are paying off.

The results, along with improved forecasts for the fiscal year, follow months of criticism from analysts and most notably from activist investor William Ackman, who blamed P&G’s top brass, led by Chairman and Chief Executive Bob McDonald, for earlier missteps.

Shares of P&G, the maker of Pampers diapers and Gillette razors and a component of the Dow Jones industrial average , jumped to $71.84 in premarket trading from Thursday’s close of $70.42. The results, with profit and sales ahead of analysts’ expec-

tations, come after months of P&G trying to reignite growth in sluggish markets such as the United States while also expanding in emerging markets, where it typically sells lowerpriced merchandise.

Back in April 2012, analysts took McDonald to task on a tense conference call after P&G cut its outlook.

That summer, Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management bought the company’s shares and began pushing for more change. Profit has exceeded analysts’ expectations every quarter since, helped by new products such as Tide Pods singledose laundry detergent. Still, P&G’s growth lags that of peers such as Unilever.

P&G’s organic sales, which strip out the impact of divestitures and foreign exchange, grew 3 percent in the

latest quarter, while Unilever posted 6.9 percent sales growth on Wednesday. While P&G’s “absolute performance still trails peers, the sequential improvement in results seems apparent,” said JP Morgan analyst John Faucher. Organic volume rose in baby and family care; fabric and home care; and in health care; but was flat in beauty and grooming.

“We believe P&G still has work to do, including in beauty and grooming where volumes were flat,” said Stifel Nicolaus analyst Mark Astrachan.

Astrachan said that while the results were “solid and encouraging,” particularly the sales growth, P&G continues to lag in categories with strong growth trends, such as beauty.

Meanwhile, rival Kimberly-Clark Corp also posted a better-than-expected profit yesterday. —Reuters

business

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Germany confidence soars to 7-month high German flights hit by security staff strike

LAS VEGAS: In this file photo, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (left) and Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs speak during Jacobs’ keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show. — AP

Microsoft shares drop as profits dip slightly SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft shares slipped Thursday after the release of quarterly earnings figures that surpassed forecasts but left it unclear how the software titan will score in the post personal computer era. Microsoft reported that its profit dipped slightly in the final three months of last year despite revenues boosted by the release of new-generation Windows software tailored for the world of smartphones and tablet computers. Profit was down 3.7 percent from the same quarter a year earlier to $6.38 billion, better than most forecasts, while revenues rose 2.7 percent to $21.46 billion, a record for the US tech giant.

Microsoft said the boost in revenues came from pre-sales and upgrades of Windows 8, recognized in the quarter, and gains in business software and other segments. Shares in the Redmond, Washington-based technology firm were down more than one percent to $27.25 in after-market trading that followed release of the earnings figures for its second fiscal quarter. Microsoft did not provide specific sales data for the Surface tablet launched late last year or its new Windows Phone 8 system, two keys to the company’s future.

Chief executive Steve Ballmer said the company’s “big, bold ambition to reimagine Windows as well as launch Surface and Windows Phone 8,” had sparked “unprecedented opportunity and creativity with our partners and developers.” The profit amounted to 76 cents per share-one cent better than the Wall Street consensus. Citi analyst Walter Pritchard said Microsoft was on target.

“This was the first time in memory we haven’t seen disappointment in the Windows line,” he said in a research note, maintaining a buy rating. Raimo Lenschow at Barclays said the results were “essentially in line with investors’ low expectations.” John Ogg at 24/7 Wall Street called it a “mixed” report and said there appeared to be concerns that Microsoft did not offer guidance beyond saying its operating expenses would be $30.3 to $30.9 billion for the fiscal year.

The Windows division saw revenues jump 24 percent to $5.88 billion, while revenue was up 11 percent to $869 million at Microsoft’s online services division. To date, more than 60 million Windows 8 licenses have been sold. The growth in Windows sales was driven by operating system upgrades, sales of Surface tablets, and businesses licensing Windows 8, Microsoft chief financial officer Peter Klein said in a conference call with analysts.

“We learned a lot this quarter; we saw some really great demand for some of the touch devices we brought to market,” Klein said. Microsoft is working with device and chip makers to field a variety of Windows 8 touch-screen devices “at the right price points,” he noted. Microsoft is also beginning to see a pay-off from years spent working to “finely tune” its search engine that powers queries at Yahoo! websites.

Gains in online services, server and enterprise software helped offset a decline in the entertainment division which produces the Xbox console and games. Microsoft is expected to introduce a successor to the Xbox 360 this year, with the videogame console evolving into a hub for digital home entertainment. Windows remains the dominant platform for personal computers, but Microsoft has lost ground to Google and Apple in newer devices which use rival operating systems. The company’s search and online services have struggled, but its Xbox is the hottest gaming system in the industry.—AFP

FRANKFURT: Germany, Europe’s top economy, appears to have put the worst of the region’s debt crisis behind it, data showed yesterday, with business confidence rising to its highest level in seven months. The Ifo institute’s closely watched business climate index for Europe’s top economy rose to 104.2 points in Januaryits highest reading since June-from 102.4 points a month earlier. Economists polled

by Dow Jones Newswires had been pencilling in a more modest rise to 103.0 points. “The German economy made a promising start to the new year,” said Ifo president Hans-Werner Sinn. “The Ifo business climate rose for the third time in succession.

Assessments of the current business situation were somewhat more positive after deteriorating last month. Future business prospects improved considerably,” Sinn said. Ifo calculates its headline index on the basis of companies’ assessments of their current business and the outlook for the next six months. The sub-index measuring current business rose to 108.0 points in January, making good the slight decline seen last month. And the outlook subindex jumped to 100.5 points, its highest reading since May. “The German economy has put the crisis behind it,” said Berenberg Bank economist Christian Schulz. “Germany is roaring back to growth in the new year 2013.”

Official gross domestic product (GDP) data showed that Germany turned in its weakest growth in four years in 2012, with an estimated contraction of around 0.5 percent in the fourth quarter alone. But there is growing consensus that the dip in growth will prove shortlived.

Already earlier this week, the ZEW investor sentiment index soared to the highest levels since the start of the eurozone debt crisis in 2010 as the German economic outlook looks ever brighter. And on Thursday, another forward-looking indicator, the purchasing managers’ index (PMI), notched up its strongest growth in a year. “Signs are growing that the German economy could be heading for a V-shaped rebound in the first quarter of 2013 after output contracted in the fourth quarter of last year,” Schulz said.

“The confidence rebound may still take some time to feed through to hard data

such as industrial production, but the fact that all surveys (PMIs, ZEW) and financial indicators point in the same direction inspires confidence in an economic rebound,” the expert said. According to the Ifo data, almost all sectors of the economy experienced a boost, with industry, services and construction leading the way.

Schulz believed that Germany is “heading for another extended growth period. This will also help its euro-zone partners to export their way out of trouble.”

“The crisis is over-at least in Germany and at least if one believes in the forecasting power of the Ifo,” said ING Belgium economist Carsten Brzeski. “All in all, today’s Ifo index nicely illustrates the green shoots in the German economy.

Even if the current harsh winter weather might delay the blossoming out somewhat, growth should return, leaving the contraction of the fourth quarter quickly behind,” he said. But Capital Economics economist Ben May was not quite so optimistic. “January’s rise in the Ifo survey provides further hope that the estimated sharp fall in fourth-quarter GDP will be a one off,” he said. “Nonetheless, given that the effects of the recent appreciation of the euro are unlikely to have been fully felt by exporters, it is too early to conclude that Germany will record a strong and sus-

tained expansion in 2013,” May cautioned.

Passengers travelling through Germany’s Duesseldorf and Cologne airports faced a second day of disruption yesterday as security personnel continued a strike over pay. More than 100 flights were cancelled at the two airports, with Germany’s largest airline Lufthansa scrapping over 80 flights at Duesseldorf alone.

Trade union Verdi has called for a 33 percent increase in pay for around 1,000 security personnel employed by private firms at the two airport.

It says the majority of security staff in the German state of North RhineWestphalia, where the two airports are located, are on hourly pay of 8.23 euros ($11) and wants that increased by 2.50 euros to pull workers out of the low pay sector. The BDSW association representing the security firms has called the pay demand “completely excessive” and said the strike is out of proportion. It has offered a pay increase of 9.22 percent.

Verdi has said the strikes could go on indefinitely and could be extended to include other staff and security personnel in a show of solidarity. The strike had already resulted in around 200 flights being cancelled on Thursday. Duesseldorf is Germany’s third largest airport after Frankfurt and Munich.— Agencies

COLOGNE: Passengers wait in long queues for security checks at the airport yesterday. — AP

Starbucks profit climbs NEW YORK: Americans still need their Starbucks fix even in the weak economy.

The Seattle-based coffee chain said its profit rose 13 percent in its fiscal first quarter, which was in line with Wall Street expectations. Results were boosted by a 6 percent increase in global sales at cafes open at least a year, a key metric of health. In the flagship Americas region, Starbucks said the figure rose 7 percent as traffic and spending per visit increased with the help of holiday drinks such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte.

The introduction of the Verismo single-serve coffee machine in stores also added 0.5 percent to the sales increase

in the Americas. The vast majority of the 150,000 machines Starbucks sold since its introduction in the fall was sold through specialty retailers, however. In the China and Asia Pacific region, the figure rose 11 percent driven primarily by an uptick in traffic.

But in Europe, a persistent weak spot the company, the figure fell 1 percent.

Starbucks executives have said they’re working to turnaround the chain’s performance in the region, in part by closing underperforming stores and improving customer service. Although traffic increased in Europe during the period, the amount people spent per visit declined.

“A lot of people were trading down it appears,” said Troy Alstead, the company’s chief financial officer, noting that fewer purchases included food. For October-to-December period, Starbucks Corp. earned $432.2 million, or 57 cents per share. That’s compared with $382.1 million, or 50 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose 11 percent to $3.8 billion. Analysts expected a profit of 57 cents per share on revenue of $3.85 billion, according to FactSet. The company affirmed its outlook for the year, with earnings expected to be between $2.096 and $2.15 per share, representing growth of 15 to 20 percent from the previous year. — AP

business

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

As layoffs keep dropping, hopes rise for job gains Overall job growth remains modest

BRUSSELS: Steel worker from ArcelorMittal in Liege, Belgium, throw bricks towards riot police during a protest at the Prime Minister’s office yesterday. The world’s leading steel and mining company ArcelorMittal announced it will close a coke plant and six production lines in Belgium, in a move that threatens 1,300 jobs. — AP

Obama urged to pursue trade negotiating power WASHINGTON: A leading US business group urged President Barack Obama on Thursday to build on trade successes of the past two years by seeking legislation that would allow him to submit trade deals to Congress for straight up-or-down votes without amendments. “I think the message to the president and the administration is: It’s time to engage the business community and Congress in discussions about Trade Promotion Authority,” Myron Brilliant, senior vice president at the US Chamber of Commerce, told reporters at a briefing on the group’s 2013 trade priorities.

Congress last passed a Trade Promotion Authority, or TPA, bill in 2002 and that was after a bitter fight in the US House of Representatives. Only 25 of approximately 210 House Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the legislation, reflecting the strong opposition of the AFL-CIO labor federation and others on the left who associate trade agreements with job losses. The legislation, by barring amendments to trade agreements, has been considered essential to encouraging other countries to make their best offers in talks with the United States.

It also gives Congress the opportunity to set negotiating objectives for the White House in areas such as labor, environment, agriculture and intellectual property rights. The law expired in June 2007 and Obama has never asked for a renewal, to the frustration of many Republicans and some Democrats who favor an activist US trade agenda. Even so, his administration has been negotiating a proposed regional free trade agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership with 10 other countries. It also is widely expected to launch talks with the 27-nation European Union this year.

Brilliant argued the White House needs TPA to complete the talks on both those initiatives and others such as a proposed International Services Agreement. Both US Senator Max Baucus, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Representative David Camp, the Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, have identified renewal of Trade Promotion Authority as one of their top priorities this year.

But the White House, which is in the midst of finding new leaders for both the US Trade Representative’s office and the Commerce Department, has not sent a clear signal that it is ready to push for the legislation. “The administration recognizes trade promotion authority as an important tool to support trade policy.

During this administration, USTR has consulted closely with Congress on trade issues. We will continue to do so on the range of issues, including TPA, as appropriate,” an administration official said.

Republican President George W Bush used the 2002 legislation to negotiate trade deals with Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, South Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru and Singapore. Congress passed the last of those trade deals - the Colombia, Panama and South Korea pacts - on broadly bipartisan votes in 2011 after the Obama administration negotiated a number of changes to address Democratic concerns.— Reuters

WASHINGTON: US employers are laying off fewer workers, a trend that normally suggests hiring is picking up. The January jobs report next week will show whether employers have begun to hire more freely or are still waiting for the economy to strengthen. The number of people seeking unemployment aid has reached a five-year low. Some employers, such as health care companies, restaurants and retailers, are hiring steadily. Yet overall job growth remains modest. And the unemployment rate is the same painful 7.8 percent it was when Barack Obama became president four years ago.

The economy isn’t growing fast enough to accelerate hiring. Flat pay and high unemployment are holding back consumer spending, which rose at a meager annual rate of 1.6 percent in the JulySeptember quarter. The economy expanded at a 3.1 percent annual pace in the same period, partly because companies stockpiled more goods, which boosts production. Most economists think growth dipped below a 2 percent rate in the October-December quarter because consumer demand remains tepid.

Another factor has been uncertainty about federal spending and budget deficits. Most companies don’t seem worried enough to cut jobs. But many may not boost hiring until further progress on the budget is achieved. This month, Congress avoided the “fiscal cliff” in part by postponing automatic spending cuts. And this week a deadline for raising the government’s borrowing cap was put off for three months. Significant hiring gains are “unlikely ... when there remains so much political uncertainty,” said Paul Dales, an economist at Capital Economics.

First-time applications for unemployment benefits dropped 5,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 330,000, the government said Thursday. That’s the fewest since January 2008. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, also fell to nearly a five-year low. Applications are a proxy for layoffs. They fluctuated between 360,000 and 390,000 for most of last year.

At the same time, employers have added an average of 153,000 jobs a month.

Weekly applications have now fallen below that level for two straight weeks.

That suggests that job gains could acceler-

ate. Still, economists caution that the figures are particularly volatile in January.

The government has difficulty adjusting its numbers to account for layoffs after the holiday shopping season. Layoffs typically spike in the second week of January as retailers and other employers cut staff.

Then layoffs plummet in the following weeks. The government tries to adjust for those seasonal trends. But the figures can still be volatile.

Tom Gimbel, CEO of the LaSalle Network, a staffing and recruiting firm in Chicago, says he’s seeing more demand for temporary and contract employees.

Demand for temp employees is up 25 percent in the past three months. “Companies are putting their foot in the water,” Gimbel

a month last year - almost one-fifth the overall total.

Construction companies may step up hiring soon. They added 30,000 jobs in December, though some of the increase likely reflected temporary hiring for repairs and rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy.

But the once-battered housing sector is recovering, which bodes well for construction jobs. Home builders started work in 2012 on the most new homes in four years. And sales of previously occupied homes reached their highest level in five years last year.

Patrick Newport, an economist at IHS Global Insight, forecasts that construction companies will add 140,000 jobs this year, up from a meager 18,000 in 2012. Other

LOS ANGELES: Hundreds of prospective candidates await their turn to apply for job openings at a Target job fair. — AP said. But they’re reluctant to make more permanent hires, partly because they don’t want to have to lay off workers if the economy falters, he said. Many businesses still have painful memories of undergoing layoffs during the recession.

“Companies do not want to do that again,” he said. Some sectors are already picking up. Manufacturers added the most jobs in nine months in December. Retailers posted three months of big gains last fall.

Restaurants and hotels have been hiring at a healthy pace since the summer. Health care companies added nearly 30,000 jobs

industries may also benefit. Home improvement retailer Lowe’s said Tuesday that it will hire 45,000 temporary workers for the busy spring season. It also said it would add 9,000 permanent part-time employees. State and local governments, though, are still shedding jobs. And job gains in the financial services and transportation and warehousing industries have been weak for months. United Airlines said Thursday that it will eliminate 600 positions from its work force of 84,000 people worldwide. The company lost $723 million last year. — Reuters

AT&T gains customers in Q4 NEW YORK: The launch of the iPhone 5 helped AT&T attract more new customers in the holiday quarter than it has in three years, but the company posted a big loss because of an annual adjustment to its pension obligations. AT&T Inc on Thursday said it added a net 780,000 new phones and other devices on contractbased plans from October to December, its best result in three years. It activated 8.6 million iPhones in the quarter - a record for any company. AT&T was the first company to introduce the iPhone in 2007, and has more iPhone users than any other US carrier.

AT&T’s push to expand its market by

getting non-phone devices connected to its network also helped, as nearly half of the new contract devices, or 380,000, were tablets. However, AT&T remained well behind Verizon Wireless, the country’s largest cellphone company. It added 2.2 million devices on contract-based plans to its network in the quarter, extending its lead.

Dallas-based AT&T’s quarterly loss was $3.86 billion, or 68 cents per share.

That compares with a loss of $6.68 billion, or $1.12 per share, a year earlier, also caused by an adjustment to pension and retiree benefit obligations. AT&T provides benefits to about 360,000 retirees.

Two years ago, it started accounting for its retirement benefit obligations with an annual fourth-quarter adjustment. That produces wild swings in fourth-quarter net income that don’t relate to the company’s underlying business, but do illustrate its large obligations to retirees.

Excluding the pension adjustment and some of the cost of repairs from Superstorm Sandy, AT&T earned 44 cents per share, 2 cents short of the average analyst estimate as polled by FactSet. Revenue was $32.6 billion, up a hair from $32.5 billion a year ago. It slightly exceeded analyst estimates of $32.2 billion.—AP

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Syringes, surgery and slaps: Thais suffer for beauty

www.kuwaittimes.net

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Are Hollywood awards by gender out of touch?

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A waxwing sits on a branch of a rose hip during cold temperatures in Mallnow, eastern Germany yesterday. — AP

T

he ‘What To Expect When You’re Expecting’ star was accompanied by her new boyfriend on double date with her good friend Drew Barrymore and her husband Will Kopelman in New York. The 40year-old blonde beauty enjoyed a cosy dinner with “a dapper gentleman dressed in a suit” at Bill’s Food and Drink in Manhattan, according to the New York Post’s Page Six. A source said the couples appeared to be having a great time together and it didn’t look like a first date, although Cameron introduced her guest to Drew, who gave birth to her first child Olive last October. The insider said: “Drew was raving about her baby and the best friends appeared to be having a great time.” Cameron was recently said to have been advised by her other best friend

Gwyneth Paltrow to give up men because her romantic liaisons “distract her”. A source previously said: “Gwyneth’s sorted out everything from finances to hooking her up with her trainer”. The two friends have been spotted out together regularly in the past year after having became close after the death of Gwyneth’s TV producer father Bruce Paltrow in October 2002 - and Gwyneth, 40, previously hoped to find the perfect man for her bubbly pal. A source explained: “Gwyneth is a nurturer. Cameron is bummed about being single, so Gwyneth sees her as a project. She’s trying to set her up with guys!” Cameron has previously dated several famous men, including Justin Timberlake, baseball player Alex Rodriguez and Jared Leto.

Naomi Campbell is a ‘gypsy’

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

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he 42-year-old supermodel loves travelling and is never happier than when she is discovering new places. She said: “I’m a gypsy. I want to see the new wonders of the world and spend quality time with the people I love.” Although she is widely known for her temper tantrums, Naomi credits giving up alcohol with bringing peace to her life. She is quoted by Life & Style magazine as saying: “I gave up drinking alcohol. Not drinking makes me a lot happier.” Naomi - who currently has homes both in London and New York - has previously expressed interest in re-locating to Moscow, Russia, in order to be closer to her billionaire boyfriend Vladislav Doronin as she feels ready

Leonardo DiCaprio

Evan Rachel Wood ‘over the moon’ about pregnancy

constantly reassesses his life

T

T

he 25-year-old actress and her husband Jamie Bell are expecting their first child together and Evan couldn’t be happier.

She told Access Hollywood: “I’m very excited.

I’m over the moon. “Motherhood is my dream and my husband is always the one I wanted to do it with. So, I’m very happy!” Evan, plays a Romanian woman in her latest movie ‘The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman’ and admitted getting the accent right was tricky as the budget for the indie drama did not

to settle down with the businessman. A source previously said: “Naomi and Vladislav are inseparable and she has been spending more and more time in Moscow. “He is building a new place there and wants it to be their new home.

Naomi is ready to settle down and is completely in love with him.” The raven-haired beauty also has a $18.5 million penthouse apartment in Brazil, which smitten Vladislav splashed out on for her. An insider commented at the time: “Naomi told Vladislav how much she loved Brazil and that she really wanted to settle down there. So he bought her the apartment, and said it was a gift for her. They will use it as their base when they are in Brazil together.”

stretch to a dialect coach. “I had someone make some tapes for me... so on my lunch breaks I was in my trailer with the CD just trying to study it as much as possible. Then once I got [to Romania], I just tried to listen to the locals. “Luckily, I was filming in the city I was supposed to be from, so if I got stuck on something I could just look at anybody and [ask], ‘How do you say this? How does it sound?’ and then I would mimic it. But it was difficult.”

he ‘Django Unchained’ star insists the thought of turning 40 in November 2014 doesn’t concern him as he is only thinking about continuing to do “great work”, and feels he can do that by regularly reviewing his goals.

Speaking to August Man magazine, he said: “I guess the big four-o hasn’t entered my consciousness yet. “I believe it’s very important to look back on the choices you’ve made and re-analyse where you want your life to go and the things you want to do as an individual. “My goal is to keep doing great work ... I haven’t stopped yet and hopefully the work will never stop.” Leonardo - who recently announced he is planning a lengthy break from acting and will use the time to focus on his environmental work - enjoys his endeavours in trying to help the planet, and finds his experiences “gratifying and fulfilling”.

He added: “In my adult life, my environmental work and activism remain a priority. “I created

a foundation that focuses on raising public awareness of the very important issues concerning our planet, our environment, and the impact we as people have on the world we live in. “It is not only an extremely fulfilling and gratifying learning experience, but has also taken me to some of the most interesting and beautiful places in the world.” Despite his plans for a break, the 38year-old actor is still passionate about his career and loves the “challenge and excitement” of making movies. He continued: “Once I got my first opportunity to work on a movie, it’s really been a mad rush to fulfill that dream. “As an actor, I do everything possible to tell a great story in a truly artistic way, but at the end of the day you never know how critics and audiences are going to respond. “It’s always an eternal sort of mystery in making movies, and that’s the great fun, challenge, and excitement about doing what I do.”

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Natalie Portman is moving to Paris

admitted the decision to hire him over someone from within the company was unusual, he is confident he is the right man for the job. He added: “I am not entirely a foreigner. I did grow up in France, and even though I didn’t go to the school or dance with the Paris Opera Ballet, I absorbed similar ideas in my training. I understand the scale of a big company. I danced for one for almost 20 years. I think it’s an asset that I have absorbed other traditions and had other experiences in the US, which I can bring to the dancers here. But of course I have a lot to learn about this company and its very remarkable and specific qualities.”

Justin Timberlake upset over grandfather’s death

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ill Bomar - who was too ill to travel to Italy for Justin and Jessica Biel’s wedding last year - passed away on December 29, after battling heart trouble and dementia for a number of years. Justin’s grandmother Sadie told America’s Star magazine: I hate to tell you this but my husband passed away on December 29.

“Justin was very upset. We all are, really. “He and Jessica were here for the funeral on January 2. He loved his grandfather very much.” Justin memorably flew a piece of his almond and coconut wedding cake 5,000 miles for his sick grandfather. Sadie said at the time: “I couldn’t go to the wedding. Justin was heartbroken but I couldn’t leave my husband Bill, who is ill in hospital. I’m so sorry I had to miss it but I talked to Justin and Jessie and they understood that I couldn’t leave Papa. “So Justin told me he was making me an album of photos and sending me some cake.” The newlyweds found the time to call Sadie on their special day, and though she was disappointed they married in Europe, she couldn’t be happier about their union.

Sadie added: “They called me on the day and I congratulated them and told Justin, ‘Thank you for giving me this beautiful new granddaughter.’ “It was a shame it wasn’t in America but they had more privacy in Italy.”

Ne-Yo still gets

starstruck by Beyonce

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he ‘Let Me Love You’ hitmaker and songwriter - who is currently working with the R&B superstar on her hotlyanticipated fifth studio album - admits that despite being a long-time collaborator, he is still in awe of the 31year-old beauty. Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, he said: “I absolutely still get starstruck. I just recently did some sessions with Beyonce. I’ve met her a million times but every time she steps into a room, it’s like, ‘Wow’. That’s what happens when you appreciate and respect an artist - being starstruck never goes away.” The 30-year-old crooner - who penned Beyonce’s 2006 hit ‘Irreplaceable’ - came to the singer’s defence following criticism over alleged lip-synching when she sang the American national anthem during President Barack Obama’s inauguration, insisting Beyonce is more than capable of singing live He argued: “I didn’t see the inauguration so I can’t comment on her performance, but I will say that people can be so judgmental on anything an artist does, so of course Beyonce will be no exception to that rule. People are always going to be making comments, everybody is a damn expert at everything. “You know what that woman is capable of, you know what she can do, so whether she’s singing live or lip synching, whatever the case may be, just enjoy the damn music and shut up.” Ne-Yo is set to kick off his latest UK arena tour, supported by Tulisa, at Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena on March 6. — Bangshowbiz

Marisa Tomei is engaged

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he ‘Thor’ beauty’s husband Benjamin Millipied has been appointed the new director of dance at the Paris Opera Ballet, starting in September 2014 and he confirmed Natalie and their son Aleph, 18 months, will move to Paris with him when he starts the job. Speaking about his surprise appointment, Benjamin told the New York Times: “I certainly knew about the position, but I also knew that there were candidates from within the company. I was surprised, but I felt very quickly that the artistic dialogue between us was an exciting one. After a while I did feel there was a really good chance I might get the position. Which made my head spin.” While Benjamin

T

he ‘Wrestler’ star is set to tie the knot with ‘Prometheus’ star Logan Marshall Green after the 36-year-old actor popped the question over the festive season. While Marisa, 48, has previously insisted she would never marry, she couldn’t resist Logan’s proposal. A source told In Touch magazine: “He popped the question over the holidays. She is very happy about the engagement.” The couple have been dating on and off since 2008.

Marisa’s latest project is an untitled romantic comedy from writer/director Marc Lawrence which will co-star Hugh Grant. The film follows Hugh’s character Ray Michaels, a charming Englishman who is celebrated by Hollywood for his work as a screenwriter in the late 1980s.

However, 15 years after winning an Oscar, he is left broke, unemployed and lacking creativity, so agrees to take on a job teaching writing at a small college. Though Ray intends to use his fame and new position to impress college girls, he instead finds romance with Marisa’s character, a single mother who has returned to school. The movie marks the fourth time Hugh will have teamed with Marc, having previously worked together on ‘Two Weeks Notice’, ‘Music And Lyrics’, and ‘Did You Hear About The Morgans?’.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Syringes, surgery and slaps:

Thais suffer for beauty F

This picture shows Thai models posing for photographs during a promotional event at a shopping mall in Bangkok. — AFP Illegal, backstreet cosmetic surgery clinics are cashing-in on that desire and increasing the risks. A product promoter, or a so-called “pretty”, died in October when a gel-like filler meant to make her buttocks more shapely was injected into her bloodstream. Her friend and fellow “pretty”, Nutchanunt Angkuttarothum, 25, said the tragedy had not deterred her from further surgery to add to a litany of procedures, including a nose job she has already undergone.

“We have to always take care of ourselves and look good, otherwise we

Daniel Radcliffe

rom gold thread face-lifts, to whitening soaps and olive oil injections, image obsessed Thais are going to ever increasing extremes in the quest for beauty. In a country where ideals of beauty carry particular weight, even in notoriously image-conscious Asia, it is not only women who are seeking to enhance what nature has provided.

Alarmingly high numbers of Thai men inject olive oil, beeswax, silicone and even paraffin into their genitals, in a misguided bid to enlarge, according to one Bangkok urologist. Skin lesions or serious infections are commonly the result, said Surat Kittisupaporn of the Police General Hospital, which sees up to 300 patients a month after botched treatments.

“The body reacts to the foreign substances. When there is chronic irritation or infection, it’ll be very hard to cure... it’ll be hard to even walk or take a shower,” he said, making surgery inevitable. The pursuit of an ideal beauty has a long history in the nation, according to Professor Suwirakorn Ophaswongse, of the Dermatological Society of Thailand.

“It starts from the belief that aristocrats should have white skin and people with dark skin are lower class,” she said. The influence of Korean pop culture has hastened the pace-and boosted the numbers-of those dashing to the cosmetic surgeon, she said, as Thais now seek to recreate the surgically enhanced, doll-like appeal of their ‘K-pop’ idols.

Bollywood film actress Priyanka Chopra poses at a special screening of Hindi film ‘Race 2’ directed

by Abbas-Mustan in Mumbai. — AFP

wouldn’t look different from others”, she said after pouting for the cameras at a recent motorcycle launch event in Bangkok. For women, the quest for bigger eyes, noses, is just one step in a wider bid to transform themselves.

Off-the-shelf skin whitening creams, including bleaching soaps, abound in the kingdom with many believing that a lighter skin reflects higher status and is more attractive to the opposite sex. It is an image of desirability reinforced by the legions of models and actors who adorn Bangkok’s billboards and star in the coun-

try’s wildly popular television dramas.

For the city’s strutting elite, known as Hi-Sos (High Society), more upmarket treatments are widely available, for the right price. Anywhere between $13,000 and $200,000 will pay for gold thread face implants, a tradition apparently stretching back to ancient Egypt which its adherents believe tightens and brightens the skin. Speaking at a upmarket Bangkok clinic, husband and wife Patcharat and Itsaraporn Rattanasuthaphaboon said they have both undergone the costly procedure. “I used to have wrinkles and dry skin under my eyes but it has been a lot better since I did it last time,” said 51year-old Itsaraporn.

“It’s okay by me,” her husband said. “I just want my wife to look good.” The treatment involves strips of near-pure gold being sewn into the skin forming a mesh which stimulates the body to produce collagen, thus keeping the skin supple, says Maciej Lichaj, a Polish gold thread aesthetician at the clinic.

“People in Asia love gold... they want to have gold outside and inside”, he explained, adding the results can be seen within months. But not everyone is convinced by the scramble to be young, fairskinned and beautiful. “People don’t have to be white to be beautiful-good personality, having knowledge and other capacities are much more important,” Professor Suwirakorn said. “It’s better to have beauty from within.” —AFP

From boy wizard to poet

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aniel Radcliffe casts off boy wizard Harry Potter to play the voice of the 1950s Beat Generation in new movie “Kill Your Darlings” - a seductive tale of friendship, gay love and murder.

Radcliffe, 23, plays poet Allen Ginsberg aged 17 - a young, naive and closeted teen who struggles to find his place in the world years before the cultural liberation of the 1960s.

As Ginsberg enters Columbia University in New York, his encounters with fellow mavericks Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan), William S. Burroughs (Ben Foster) and Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston) bring about a new vision - the founding of the Beat Generation. Indie film “Kill Your Darlings” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to critical praise this week and was purchased by Sony Pictures Classics for wider distribution later this year.

After 10 years and eight “Harry Potter” films, Radcliffe is also looking for a new place as an actor, appearing on stage in 2007 in London and New York in the drama “Equus,” for which he appeared fully nude, and musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” in 2011.

“Kill Your Darlings” sees Radcliffe pushing boundaries again as Ginsberg comes of age, including a raunchy scene with a man. “Everybody wants to have as diverse

a body of work as they can possibly have, and that’s what keeps people interested in your career,” Radcliffe told Reuters.

“There’s a lot to live up to in a sense that you’re playing someone so well known, and revered by so many people, but we’re not making a reverential film about him in any way,” he added of his role as Ginsberg.

Hollywood entertainment publication Variety said Radcliffe gives a performance “to banish any semblance of Harry Potter from the screen.” The Hollywood Reporter review noted a scene in which Ginsberg “decisively embraces his sexuality (that) likely will be viewed as a major step for the actor toward distancing himself from the Harry Potter persona.”

Radcliffe joins a long line of actors who have portrayed Ginsberg on film, including Ron Livingstone in 2000’s “Beat” and James Franco in 2010’s “Howl.”

“I purposely stayed away from other portrayals of (Ginsberg) because I find I am a terrible mimic, so I didn’t want to end up doing an impression of James Franco doing Allen Ginsberg,” the young actor said. Radcliffe said that while the film shows the four men who went on to create a literary and cultural revolution in America, the story is not solely about the birth of the Beats. “It’s about showing how much fun they had and how they

Daniel Radcliffe sparked off each other, and it’s that energy and vitality that launched the Beats,” Radcliffe said.

Director John Krokidas said Ginsberg’s story was central to the film because he had the biggest personal journey. “At the beginning of the film he’s very much the dutiful son ... but he never shows who he is inside, because he’s taking care of everyone else,” Krokidas told Reuters. “By the end of the film, he becomes the rebel, he self-proclaims himself as a poet and finds his own voice.” — Reuters

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Stone Roses, Blur headline Coachella 2013 music fest B

ritish rockers Blur and The Stone Roses will be joining French indierock band Phoenix and Red Hot Chili Peppers to headline this year’s three-day Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, organizers said on Thursday.

The annual music festival, set for two consecutive weekends in April, has become one of the largest US music festivals, attracting more than 80,000 people

to the desert town of Indio, California.

After featuring electronic music DJs such as Tiesto, Swedish House Mafia, Afrojack and David Guetta among the top-billed acts last year, this year’s Coachella sees the music festival return to its rock roots. The festival will take place on the weekends of April 12-14 and 19-21, with the same line-up both weekends. Blur and The Stone Roses, who recently reunited after a long hiatus, will

headline Friday. Phoenix, which has a new album coming out this spring, will take today’s primetime spot.

Los Angeles rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers, who previously headlined the festival in 2003 and 2007, will close out the festival in the Sunday headlining slot.

Other anticipated names on the line-up this year include hip hop collective WuTang Clan, Icelandic indie band Sigur Ros, Grammy nominees The Lumineers and

electro-rock music group The Postal Service. Previous years have seen acts such as Prince, Kings of Leon, Beastie Boys, Madonna, Muse, Pixies, Jay-Z and Kanye West take the headlining slots.

Last year, hip hop veterans Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre grabbed headlines as they resurrected late rapper Tupac via hologram on stage for the closing night of the festival. Ticket prices start at $349 and the — Reuters

JJ Abrams to direct next ‘Star Wars’

In this file photo, JJ Abrams arrives at the Winter TCA Fox All-Star Party at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, Calif. — AP

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nother universe of sci-fi fans has been put in the hands of JJ Abrams. According to multiple trade reports, Abrams is set to direct the next installment of “Star Wars,” which Disney has said will be “Episode 7” and due out in 2015. Disney bought “Star Wars” maker Lucasfilm last month for $4.06 billion. The Emmy-awardwinning director of the TV show “Lost” also captained the reboot of “Star Trek” for rival studio Paramount Pictures, with the next installment in that series, “Star Trek: Into Darkness,” set to hit theaters May 17.

Citing unnamed sources, the news was reported earlier

by Hollywood trade outlets The Wrap, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety. Messages left by The Associated Press for Abrams’ representatives as well as Disney and Lucasfilm were not immediately returned.

Soon after the news broke Thursday afternoon, websites were flush with chatter. On Twitter, “JJ Abrams,” “Star Wars” and “(hash)Star Trek” were all trending topics.

Roberto Orci, a producer and writer who has worked with Abrams on “Star Trek,” “Star Trek: Into Darkness,” and “Mission: Impossible III,” appeared to confirm the reports on Twitter. In response to a question about Abrams’ involvement, Orci tweeted back “True!” He also responded to a Spanish speaking questioner, “Creo que si!” (“I think so.”) Despite denying his interest in directing the next “Star Wars” following The Walt Disney Co’s October announcement, many people pegged Abrams as the most obvious choice.

Abrams spoke about the plot of the original “Star Wars” in the lecture series “TED Talks” in March 2007, and reportedly became enamored of “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof partly because Lindelof was wearing a “Star Wars” T-shirt when they first met. Abrams also worked with Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light and Magic special effects division for “Mission: Impossible III.” He is the second big name associated with the new “Star Wars” films to be launched under the Disney umbrella. Late last year, Lucasfilm confirmed that Michael Arndt, who wrote “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Toy Story 3” would pen the screenplay for “Episode 7.” Adam Frazier, a staff writer for the entertainment website GeeksofDoom.com, said Abrams should be able to make the next “Star Wars” original but at the same time appease longtime fans. “He took the ‘Star Trek’ franchise, which was just drowning in misery, and he was able to bring that back to life,” Frazier said. “If there’s anyone that can do it with ‘Star Wars’ I think it’s him.” — AP

A picture shows shoppers walking past a branch of troubled music retail chain HMV on Oxford Street in central London. — AFP

Music industry finally on road to recovery

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ews that the global music industry has finally turned the corner and is on the road to recovery should help get the annual four-day gathering of many of the world’s top music execs at the MIDEM trade fair that opens here today off to a good start. “I believe we can now say that the music industry globally is on the road to recovery and heading for growth for the first time since 1999,” Frances Moore, CEO of the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry), the body that represents the interests of the international recording industry, told AFP. “We may not get there this year, but the direction of travel is clear,” Moore added, noting that every digital revenue stream, including music downloads, subscriptions, ad-revenues and other channels are all growing. The vibrant, growing digital music sector, however, will only realise its full

Austrian-born US actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (right), US actress Jaimie Alexander (center) and US actor Johnny Knoxville pose during a photocall to promote their new film “The Last Stand” yesterday. — AFP

potential if copyright laws are protected, the IFPI boss cautioned. The main driver helping fuel this turnaround in the music sector is the increasing popularity of music download and subscription services such as Deezer, MOG and Spotify, industry executives noted. “Download and subscription services are growing fast driven by smartphones and tablets,” Edgar Berger, President and CEO International of Sony Music entertainment, one of the world’s largest record labels, told AFP. This advance is also worldwide, Edgar stressed, noting that eight of the top 20 music markets are showing growth, and this is a group of countries that span all the continents. “I’m extremely confident about the future development of the recorded music industry going into 2013,” Edgar said.

How much this upturn in the digital music sector can cover the losses and

decrease in physical formats such as CDs and records, however, is still uncertain, according to experts. MIDEM Director, Bruno Crolot, told AFP that digital music is growing in a way that it’s now starting, at least in some territories such as the US, to cover the losses and decline in physical sales. “Even if it’s a bit slow and a bit fragile, it’s a real trend in the USA and we hope and the industry hopes that this will also come to other countries in Europe and the rest of the world,” Crolot said.

These and other topics will be discussed at the show’s packed conference programme that takes place in parallel with the real business of buying and selling music.

Some of the subjects that will be discussed include using YouTube as a source of income for artists, and “Direct-to-Fan” strategies to fund artists’ tours and concerts.—AFP

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

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o Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Helen Mirren really need a category just for women - a singular kind of affirmative action - to snare one of Hollywood’s favorite accessories, an Oscar, Emmy or Screen Actors Guild trophy? In a society tilting steadily toward gender neutrality, the separate-but-equal awards that divide actors into one camp and actresses into another have the whiff of a moldy anachronism. True, the Association for Women in Science gives honors to encourage female success in male-dominated fields. But to mark enduring achievements, would its members ever yearn for a Women’s Nobel Prize in physics?

In this file photo, Nicki Minaj arrives at the Winter TCA Fox All-Star Party at the Langham Huntington Hotel, in Pasadena, Calif. — AP photos

In contests of intellect or artistry, should gender ever matter? “It’s not like it’s upper body strength,” Gloria Steinem dryly observed of the requirements of acting. The separate labeling of male and female performers is losing favor in the industry. Actresses often swat the distinction away by calling themselves “actors,” standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. Usherettes are long gone from movie theater lobbies, after all.

And defense officials said Wednesday the Pentagon will be lifting its ban on women in combat.

SAG, which holds its awards ceremony Sunday, edged toward neutrality with its trophy dubbed the Actor, although the guild gives separate honors to best performance by a male actor and by a female actor. That cracks the door open, but only slightly. Fling it wide so that Daniel DayLewis’ majestic performance in “Lincoln” and Jessica Chastain’s steely turn in “Zero Dark Thirty” vie for the grand prize! “That’s a great idea,” said Mark Andrews, writerdirector of the animated film “Brave.” “At the end of the day, we’re all storytellers, and I don’t think when we’re defining a character that the gender is the major defining factor.”

In all other awards-eligible fields, including directing, writing or cinematography, everyone is “going for it,” male and female alike, Andrews said. That may be progress in theory for performers but not in practice, according to Sally Field, a SAG and Oscar best supporting actress nominee for “Lincoln.” “If you do that you won’t see any actresses up there (on stage) at all,” she said. “The percentage of roles is so weighted toward actors. That’s the way it’s always been.”

Exactly, concurred Naomi Watts, “The Impossible” best actress SAG and Academy Award nominee. “There’s so much competition in life and I do think we are different,” she said. “Yes, we should be able to have the same things as much as possible ... (but) life’s a battle already and there’s so many great roles written for men. Women are definitely at a disadvantage when it comes to volume.”

Rapper Nicki Minaj, who’s considering launching an acting career, has a pragmatic take on the issue. “You see all those divas in the audience looking so pretty, and they all want to beat each other out,” she said. “It’s entertainment.” Hathaway, in the running for SAG and Oscar supporting actress honors for “Les Miserables,” considers the gender split “an awesome question worthy of an awesome debate.”

“Can I conceive of a world where performance becomes a genderless concept?

Absolutely. Do I think it’s going to happen anytime soon? No,” she said. As Field pointed out, the bedrock challenge is that women get fewer substantive roles than men. Ironically, that’s obscured by the artificial parity on stage each year at awards shows. Five women compete, five men compete, two winners are crowned.

So what’s the problem? A quick numbers check makes it clear: Females comprised about a third of the characters in the 100 top-grossing films in 2011, according to the Center for the Study of Women

British actress Helen Mirren addresses the crowd during a ceremony to award her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. in Television and Film at San Diego State University. This, despite the fact women make up slightly more than half of the US population. And the finding isn’t an anomaly, according to the center’s past research.

In this context, feminist leader Steinem sees legitimate reason to retain separate acting awards. When two unequal groups are combined it’s the less-powerful one that loses, she said, as when 20th-century US school desegregation lead to mass layoffs of black principals and administrators.

Hollywood, often viewed as staunchly progressive, shows no indication of abandoning tradition in the awards arena.

The Oscars Awards, a reflection of their time, launched in the 1920s with his-andhers acting trophies (for Emil Jannings and Janet Gaynor) and stuck with the formula.

Television showed its modernity by kicking off the Emmy Awards in 1949 with a gender-neutral trophy for best TV personality - which was won by a woman, Shirley Dinsdale, according to Emmy archives.

Following Oscar’s lead, however, the Emmys quickly added separate actoractress contests in 1951. A best reality host category, begun in 2008, is open to men and women.

Tom O’Neil, editor of the Gold Derby awards prediction site, said strong forces are arrayed against change. Awards shows routinely try to add celebrity-driven categories, not drop them, to increase a show’s “glamor and glitz” quotient, he said, as well as mask the industry’s unequal treatment of women. “It’s criminal,” he said, bluntly.

In the behind-the-scenes film and TV categories in which the sexes compete, women rarely make it on stage at awards ceremonies. The Oscars started in 1929, but it wasn’t until 2010 that the first woman, Kathryn Bigelow, was honored as

best director (for “The Hurt Locker”).

Statistics again provide clarity: Women made up a paltry 9 percent of the directors on 2012’s top-grossing films, a new San Diego State University study found.

Let’s give two-time Oscar winner Field the last word in this debate. Actresses “should be in their own category because they ARE in their own category,” she said.

“They face their own specific kind of difficulties surviving in this business that actors, bless their hearts, don’t face.” — AP

In this file photo, Anne Hathaway poses with the award for best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture in “Les Miserables” backstage at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

5

great movies about

deception W

This undated film image released by Paramount shows, Jimmy Stewart (left) and Kim Novak, in a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 film, “Vertigo.” — AP

hen scandalous tales of fraud involving superstar athletes Lance Armstrong and Manti Te’o were exposed in the last week, connections to films were immediate and obvious. The story of Notre Dame Football hero Te’o falling for a fake dead girlfriend on the Internet called to mind the documentary “Catfish.” And disgraced cyclist Armstrong, who has finally admitted to doping in winning the Tour de France a record seven times, is already the subject of a biopic that’s in the works. It’s a huge topic that’s been explored in myriad ways on screen, and you’d probably come up with five entirely different choices, but here are my picks for five great movies about deception: “Vertigo” (1958): Speaking of fake dead women. ... One of Alfred Hitchock’s best, it also feels incredibly personal stylish and frightening, of course but also achingly sad. Yes, Jimmy Stewart is being manipulated, being duped into serving as part of a murder plot. And he’s foolish enough to let himself fall in love with Kim Novak’s doomed, quintessentially icy Hitchcockian blonde not once but twice. But he’s also deceiving himself, allowing his need for love to feed his obsessive quest to recreate that sensation all over again. Much is made of some of the film’s most famous images - the push/pull effect as Stewart’s character fights off his vertigo in the bell tower, the eerie, neon-green haze of the hotel room. But at its core, “Vertigo” is about needing to feel secure and loved.

“Some Like It Hot” (1959): Named the greatest comedy of all time by the American Film Institute, the Billy Wilder classic is also predicated on one big, wacky lie. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon pretend to be women to escape the clutches of mob thugs after they witness a massacre. Musicians Joe and Jerry change their names to Josephine and Daphne and join Sweet Sue’s All-Girl Orchestra, where they befriend sexy singer Sugar Kane Kowalczyk, played by Marilyn Monroe in one of her most Marliynish roles ever. The laughs come from how utterly unbelievable these men are as women, but also from how they try to maintain this elaborate ruse as both their emotions and their enemies close in on them.

“The Usual Suspects” (1995): The movie itself is one big lie - a seemingly simple caper mystery that grows enormously complicated with layer upon layer of twists and tricks. I am not even going to begin to try to explain the plot - if you’ve seen it, you know it, and if you haven’t, you should. And then you, too, can say out loud, “A ha!” It’s the movie that put director Bryan Singer on the map and it won both of the Oscars for which it was nominated: for Christopher McQuarrie’s clever and complex original

In this 1959 file photo provided by United Artists, Tony Curtis (left) and Marilyn Monroe are shown in the hilarious, milestone comedy, “Some Like It Hot,” produced, directed, and co-scripted by Billy Wilder. — AP screenplay and for Kevin Spacey’s chilling supporting turn as the chatty (and unreliable) witness Verbal Kint.

“Infernal Affairs” (2002): A loyal young member of the mob infiltrates the police force and an undercover cop works his way deep within the mafia.

Years later, each man must sniff out the mole in the other’s organization - each man must find the other. Sound familiar? That’s because this hugely suspenseful Hong Kong thriller was the basis for “The Departed,” the 2006 film that finally earned Martin Scorsese his long-overdue Academy Award for best director (along with prizes for best picture, adapted screenplay and editing).

The lies and cover stories must remain airtight, even as crises of identity and purpose begin to creep into the characters’ consciousness. Andy Lau and Tony Leung are both great as two sides of the same coin who must tap into their resourcefulness as the danger of being

exposed increases.

“Compliance”: This movie made me so angry while I was watching it. How could anybody be so stupid? How could anybody be tricked into falling for such outlandish manipulation? But that’s where the power comes from in writerdirector Craig Zobel’s startling film with its understated performances: This did happen, over and over, across the country. He’s just exposing an element of human nature we’d rather suppress. A prank phone caller pretending to be a police officer (Pat Healy) tells the middle-aged manager of a fast-food restaurant (Ann Dowd) that a young, pretty employee (Dreama Walker) has stolen money from a customer, and leads her though a series of increasingly invasive, degrading investigative steps. Everyone goes along with this charade - no one thinks to question it - and all you can do is sit in your seat and watch, and squirm. — AP

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Models present creations by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad during the Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2013 collection shows in Paris. — AFP photos

Easy chic and golden goddesses wrap up

Paris couture shows F

our days of haute couture shows wrapped up in Paris Thursday with the easy chic of Beatrice Demulder Ferrant contrasting with Zuhair Murad’s golden goddesses. Aiming for clothes that were “practical and elegant, shaped but not stiff”, Frenchwoman Demulder Ferrant’s collection combined luxury and comfort. Sky blue and navy damask trousers were teamed with a matching tunic or navy blazer, while a red and black damask skirt slashed to the thigh was worn with matching sleeveless top, long red leather gloves and ankle boots.

Standing out for evening were a backless floor-length dress in grey chiffon accessorised with long silver earrings, and a short purple “twisted” wool dress. Guest Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad, whose models looked like goddesses in gold laurel hairbands, meanwhile sent out a sumptuous, super feminine collection. Evening dresses in faded gold, glacier blue, pale green and powdered salmon silk all featured intricate gold embellishments.

Flowing capes and trains completed some of the robes creating dramatic silhouettes. It is an “honour to be invited by these big names and a responsibility too”, Murad told AFP afterwards, referring to the other couture houses. He added that he hoped his guest spot would translate into a sales boost.

Customers were spread around the globe, he said, with many in Russia and a growing number in Asia.

“I think this (Asia) is the future,” he said, echoing comments by Christian Dior chief Sidney Toledano who told AFP earlier the house was succeeding in winning new couture customers there. The “haute couture” label is protected by law in France and awarded on strict criteria such as the amount of work carried out by hand and in-house. The industry caters to no more than 200 of the world’s richest

women.

Elsewhere bandage dress pioneer Herve Leroux’s collection featured long, flowing evening dresses each with a different neck line shaped from tightly pleated silk jersey. “What is important is that it is a work on the body, it is an obsession I have had for many years,” he said. “I create a fabric and find new lines,” he added. Plenty of big names turned out for the week, including Kevin Costner, Princess Charlene of Monaco, Catherine Deneuve and Kim Kardashian.

Highlights included Christian Dior designer Raf Simons’s dreamy silk evening dresses modelled in a garden within a garden at Paris’s famous Tuileries.

Jean Paul Gaultier also gave the fashion world plenty to remember with his Rajasthan-inspired collection featuring the embroidery and vibrant colours of the Indian desert state.

And Chinese-born French guest designer Yiqing Yin flew the flag for the avant-garde with a truly original and thought-provoking collection. Karl

Lagerfeld, meanwhile, risked controversy with a finale featuring two female models in wedding dresses accompanied by his four-year-old nephew.

The German couturier said it had been intended as a show of support for gay marriage but added that he was not in favour of men fathering children via surrogates.

“Two mothers seems to me to be better than two fathers. A child without a mother, that’s a bit sad,” he said. And he offered words of encouragement for disgraced British designer John Galliano, sacked by Christian Dior and convicted in France last year of anti-Semitism. He said he hoped he could make a fresh start with the help of fellow designer Oscar de la Renta, who has invited him to work with him. “He made a mistake,” he said. “But you cannot pay forever.” — AFP

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Mrs Obama has bangs:

Let the analyzing begin B

efore we start rambling on obsessively about Michelle Obama’s bangs, let’s be clear: The president started it.

It was he, after all, who called the new hairdo, unveiled just a few days before the historic occasion of his second inauguration, “the most significant event of this weekend.” And he hasn’t stopped there. On Tuesday night, he introduced his wife at the Staff Inaugural Ball: “And the First Lady of the United States, bangs and all...”

So given the president’s evident interest in the subject, perhaps the rest of us shouldn’t feel so bad about analyzing ad nauseum the first lady’s new look, an activity that has certainly taken over social media for days (and, perhaps, ended discussion of an earlier obsession, Michelle Obama’s arms.) Heck, the bangs even have their own (unauthorized) Twitter account, FirstLady’sBangs, which has taken to issuing dispatches like: “Just got a text from Hillary Clinton’s sidepart” or “ BREAKING NEWS: Barack just named me director of Hairline Security.” And how about the headline in New York’s Daily News, the day after Obama’s private swearing-in? “In With A Bang.” Quips and clever headlines aside, everyone seems to have an opinion about the new style - not only how it looks, but what it means. And so, just because it’s fun, we analyze some of them here: THE YOUTH FACTOR: It’s no secret, say fashion experts, that on the right person, bangs can make you look younger. It’s also no secret that Mrs Obama turned 49 the very day she unveiled the cut last week, in a photo tweeted from her new Twitter account, FLOTUS. “None of this is accidental,” says Linda Wells, Allure magazine’s editor-in-chief. “She tried this on her 49th birthday. She wants to spice it up a bit. And

First lady Michelle Obama

President Barack Obama kisses first lady Michelle Obama in the presidential box near the White House as bands march past the presidential box, Monday, Jan 21, 2013, in Washington. — AP it’s definitely a more youthful style than what she had before. It just has a flirty, young quality to it.”

true about the first lady’s new hairdo.”

Explanation? She didn’t provide one, but in her defense, she only had 140 characters.

THE FASHION PLATE: Clearly Mrs Obama, well known and admired for her fashion sense, is aware that bangs are in these days.

Sure, they’ve been around forever, and your 5-year-old may have them, but recently bangs have become a full-fledged fashion trend, with actress Zooey Deschanel one of the standard-bearers. (Fun fact: Deschanel, 33, and Mrs. Obama happen to share the same birthday - Jan 17.)

“Bangs have always been there, but they are clearly having a moment right now,” says celebrity hairstylist Harry Josh, who was in Washington to style singer Kelly Clarkson’s hair for the inauguration (Clarkson sang “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.”)

“Mrs. Obama is really being modern and fashion-forward. We haven’t had a fashionforward first lady like this since Jackie Kennedy.”

New York hairstylist Robert Stuart agrees. “Bangs have been really, really big for about a year,” he says. He thinks Mrs. Obama has picked the perfect cut for her looks. “It’s much softer and younger, and it makes her look more approachable,” Stuart says. “It also works well for her sense of fashion. And it brings out her eyes.”

SHE’S EXPRESSING HER INNER SELF: Here we get a little more philosophical. Some have speculated that, since Mrs Obama is starting a second term and won’t have to endure any more campaigns, she’s finally free to express herself exactly as she wants and feels. “Haircuts do express how people are feeling,” says Wells. “You get that sense of her feeling liberated - more comfortable, and less worried about what everyone else is thinking. She’s showing her own sense of style and own sense of energy.” Stuart, of the Robert Stuart Salon, has a similar thought. “I think now she’s maybe feeling less threatened, and can express herself more. Really she just seems more comfortable.”

THE NAYSAYERS: Just in case one thinks everyone loves the hairdo - and the reaction does seem extremely positive - there are naysayers. Count among them Joan Rivers, comedienne and fashion commentator, who tweeted on Inauguration Day: “Today starts President Obama’s next four years in the White House. Let’s hope the same isn’t

IT’S SOMETHING TO EVERYONE: If you’d wandered around the National Mall on Inauguration Day, and spoke to women especially, you’d have found a lot of Michelle Obama fans. No surprise there. But many of these women were also fond of the bangs, and for various reasons. Sheila Garrison, an educator from Maryland, called the hairstyle “different,” but all the attention paid to it brought home to her and her friend, fellow teacher Patricia Cooper, that Mrs Obama “represents women in a beautiful way,” in Cooper’s words. “You look at her and you are proud to be a woman. She commands respect.” Garrison, 58, also appreciated how Mrs Obama, a fellow tall woman, “carries herself really well.”

Mattece Mason, 34, of Tulsa, Okla, adores the cut - when asked about, it she and her

family members - well, the females screamed, “Oh my God, we love it!” But the enthusiasm of her daughters was meaningful to Mason for a reason other than fashion.

“My daughter Aubrianna, who’s 14, said to me today: ‘I want bangs now,’” Mason said.

“That made me feel great because my girls have such a role model. A first lady they can emulate.” (Mason also mentioned she thought Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton looked great in those eyeglasses she’s been sporting lately.) And Roslyn Snow, of Newport Beach, Calif., had another reason for loving the new Obama look. “I think she looks like Jane Fonda back in the old days,” said Snow, 76. “Remember?”

A SIGN OF SOMETHING BIGGER?: Many have wondered whether Mrs Obama has plans to forge a new role in the second term, taking on different issues. Wells, the fashion editor, gets that feeling, though she makes clear it’s all speculation. “You sense it with the strong statement she is making with her appearance,” Wells says. “Before, her look was sort of retrograde: the hair, the A-line dresses. The emphasis was on ‘lady.’

Now, it seems, the emphasis is on ‘first lady.’”

A POLITICAL STATEMENT?: Josh, Clarkson’s stylist, likes to see a broader message in the haircut choice.

“Think about President Obama’s statement in his speech about gay people as equals. It was so forward-looking. Mrs. Obama was saying something similar, I’d like to think. She was putting America into the position of a forward-thinking country.” Or not. “Of course,” adds Josh, “she could just have been bored with her hair the old way.” — AP

technology

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Mega sharing service lacks versatility NEW YORK: New Zealand entrepreneur Kim Dotcom - still wanted by US authorities on allegations of copyright infringement - launched a new online service this week for storing and sharing files. Staying true to his outsized personality and reputation for excess, Dotcom unveiled the Mega service with great fanfare, renting a helicopter and hiring actors dressed as police agents to re-enact a raid that followed the shutdown of his first venture, Megaupload.

The new Mega service promises user privacy and a generous 50 gigabytes of free storage space - officially for documents and other files you own or are authorized to share. What Mega doesn’t promise is a good experience. Instead, it feels like a work in progress.

Several other services do what Mega does - and do it better. I have reviewed Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft’s

SkyDrive, and I like the way they let people store files remotely using a Web browser. Like Mega, they all let you create links that you can send to friends to download and view specific files.

All three go further by letting you do so from a wide range of browsers. Mega warns that using anything other than Google’s Chrome browser is bound to cause problems. That includes Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, which comes with every Windows computer, and Apple’s Safari, which comes with Mac machines. Chrome comes with, well, Chromebook machines, which few people have. Mega says it’s pushing the envelope with technology that other browsers lack, and it offers links when using other browsers to download and install Chrome.

Mega also doesn’t have one of the best features available with Dropbox,

Inventor’s rewards: Angry mobs, exile NEW YORK: For every clever man who invents a labor-saving machine, it seems a crowd of angry men rises up to destroy it.

The most famous of the machine haters were the Luddites, the skilled weavers of England who, in 1811, began smashing power looms that were threatening to take their jobs. Their name became a byword for technophobes ever after, but they were neither the first nor the most violent.

Consider the fate of the poor Pole who, in 1579, came up with a mechanical device for weaving ribbon. Legend has it that city officials in his native Danzig were so convinced it would steal work from hand weavers, they broke the machine to bits, then drowned him.

A century and a half later, in 1733, the Englishman James Kay built a machine that allowed workers to weave textiles faster by means of a “flying shuttle” containing yarn. His reward? Exile to Paris, courtesy of angry workers who thought his machine was a job killer.

In 1770, James Hargreaves invented a “spinning jenny” to speed the process of twisting threads together to make yarn.

Workers broke into his house and destroyed his machine.

It helps to have a dictator on your side. In 1801, the Frenchman Joseph Marie Jacquard invented a device that allowed weavers to create patterns in fabric with different colored yarns without the help of a second set of hands.

Napoleon had to dispatch gendarmes to protect him from angry workers, according to Joel Mokyr, a historian at Northwestern University.

In 1830, English farm workers threatened by automatic threshers figured they could get landowners who owned the machines to do the smashing for them. They sent letters threatening violence unless the landowners raised their wages and destroyed the threshers themselves.

It didn’t work. The ensuing Captain Swing Riots spread terror across the countryside as workers burned piles of hay and broke machines. In the United States, protest has often taken forms other than violence. When American Silas Putnam invented a machine to help forge nails for horseshoes, blacksmiths spread rumors that they were of inferior quality and kept making their own by hand. But Putnam did fine in the end. His invention was in 1859, and the Civil War started two years later. Demand for horseshoes soared, as it did for Putnam’s nails.

In the 1930s, silent films were being replaced by “talkies,” and musicians who played in movie theaters across the country were losing work. So their union launched a smear campaign. It took out ads calling the music “canned” and urged people to insist on the live variety.

“It’s not clear anyone took it seriously,” says Amy Bix, a historian at Iowa State University.In the 1930s, a Mississippi newspaper angry over a mechanized cotton picker, suggested readers drown it. “It should be driven right out of the cotton fields and sunk into the Mississippi River, together with its plans and specifications,” the editors opined. One time there was violence was in 1975 at The Washington Post. —AP

Google Drive and SkyDrive - the ability to create a special folder on your computer that automatically syncs with the service. You can add a document to your Dropbox folder on your work computer, for instance, and it will automatically appear on your Dropbox account online. When you’re home, the updated document is waiting on your computer.

Make a change there, and the work computer will get it, too. Mega says it’s working on something similar.

Same goes for mobile apps. Mega says apps to access files on smartphones and tablet computers are coming. Mega also isn’t as versatile when it comes to sharing options. Dropbox, Google Drive and SkyDrive offer two main ways to share individual files and entire folders. You can create a Web link that anyone can use to access a file or folder without signing up for an

account. You can also add specific users to a permission list and invite non-users to join. Shared files and folders would show up in their accounts, without needing a specific link. Either way, you can revoke access to specific users or cancel a link entirely should you change your mind.

With Mega, files can be shared only through a link, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to cancel it. With Google Drive and SkyDrive, you can also give others permission to edit documents with the link. Links with Mega and Dropbox are for viewing only.

For folders, you need to add people’s email addresses to the permission list, and those who are not already users will get an invite to join. With this approach, you can choose whether to let them read files only or make changes. You can also revoke permission. —AP

Can Apple maintain its shine?

Still world’s most valuable public company NEW YORK: For many investors, Apple’s best days are behind it. Competitors are catching up, they believe, and the latest iPhone is stumbling.

The company’s doubters have backed their conviction with billions of dollars. Last week, the stock fell below $500 for the first time in 11 months. Since Apple’s stock peaked at $705.07 on Sept. 21 -the day of the iPhone 5’s release- it has fallen nearly 30 percent, cutting Apple’s market capitalization by nearly $200 billion.

On Wednesday, Apple -still the world’s most valuable public company- gets a chance to rebut the skeptics as it reports financial results for the holiday quarter. But the report could also end up confirming beliefs that the company is losing its edge as an arbiter of innovation and a pacesetter in sales growth.

Apple’s perception problem centers on the iPhone. Many investors believe the company has painted itself into a corner with the high-priced gadget. The iPhone is more expensive than other smartphones that do many of the same things. The company created the modern smartphone, but because of its strategy to sell the iPhone at a large premium, it will be unable to capitalize fully as smartphones continue conquering the world. The iPhone seems destined to remain the phone of the elite who can afford it.

In many ways, the iPhone’s global battle with phones running Google’s Android operating system is a replay of the Mac-PC battles of the 80s and 90s, when Apple saw its innovative-yet-expensive Mac outflanked by cheaper PCs running Microsoft’s DOS and Windows software.

Analyst Michael Morgan at ABI Research believes Apple’s share of the global smartphone market will grow from 20.5 percent in 2012 to 22 percent this year and then remain flat. Meanwhile, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics -the world’s No. 1 maker of smartphones- is already at 30 percent of the market, and is set to leverage its chip- and display-making capabilities into further dominance, he said.

“Barring an unlikely collapse in Samsung’s business, even Apple will be chasing Samsung’s technology, software, and device leadership in 2013 -through the foreseeable future,” Morgan said.

Investors also see short-term difficulties

for Apple. Last week, the Japanese newspaper Nikkei and The Wall Street Journal said the company has slashed its orders for iPhone 5 parts because the device isn’t selling as well as hoped. Both publications cited unidentified people familiar with the situation. Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu believes the press reports are misleading. IPhone 5

compares with the 37 million it sold in the same period a year prior.

The wrinkle is that Apple doesn’t break out how many iPhones it sells of each type it has kept selling the cheaper, two-year-old iPhone 4 and last year’s 4S alongside the flagship 5.

A key tenet among investors who remain

WASHINGTON: A woman tries to use “Siri” voice-activated assistant software built into the Apple iPhone 4S in this March 13, 2012 photo in Washington. — AFP demand, he says, remains robust. He attributes the reports of lower orders to shifts to other suppliers and an improvement in production, which means fewer components are wasted while building the complicated phone. Apple usually reports the number of iPhones it sells each quarter, so Wednesday’s financial update should give investors some indication of where the company is heading.

Analysts on average expect the company to show sales of 48 million iPhones, which

optimistic about Apple: Although the iPhone 5 is too expensive, buyers will shift their attention to the older Apple phones, which they find “good enough.”

Analyst Andy Hargreaves at Pacific Crest Securities says demand for new iPhone models is going to falter. Last week, he downgraded Apple’s stock from “Outperform” to “Sector Perform” because he believes consumers aren’t going to clamor for new hardware features anymore.—AP

technology

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Is technology a job killer?

Second industrial revolution This combo picture, taken by Japan’s National Institute of Informations associate professor Isao Echizen on December 7, 2012 shows a man wearing a special goggles “Privacy Visor” with lighting of near infrared LED (R) and no lighting (L) to detect or not detect facial recognition with digital imaging cameras. The goggles are useful for anyone who wants to avoid their identity being detected by hidden cameras. —AFP

Goggles fool face recognition cameras TOKYO: A “privacy visor” that uses infra-red light to interfere with facial recognition technology has been developed in Japan for people worried about being spotted by computers.

The goggles are useful for anyone who wants to avoid their identity being detected by hidden cameras, the inventors say.

“Measures for preventing the invasion of privacy caused by photographs taken in secret... are now required,” said Isao Echizen of Tokyo’s National Institute of Informatics.

The goggles, which are made of clear plastic, have lines of lights that emit near infra-red rays. Echizen says this is enough to throw software off the scent, rendering a face invisible to a computer. However, the large plastic structures, complete with glowing lights and a sizeable power pack, may make the wearer somewhat conspicuous to the naked eye.

But, says Echizen, he believes they are an improvement on previous attempts at privacy shields-or the less innovative sunglasses and baseball hat approach-that created a barrier between people by obscuring their faces. Last year, the European Union ordered Facebook to remove a facial recognition service after complaints from users about data protection. — AFP

Scientists’ new trains ‘can prevent terror attack deaths’ LONDON: British researchers said Wednesday they have developed train carriages that can reduce deaths and injuries in terror attacks by using plastic-coated windows and measures to prevent flying debris.

The New Rail research centre at Newcastle University analysed the carriages hit in the July 7, 2005 attacks on the London Underground and conducted a test explosion on a decommissioned carriage to study the impact on its structure. The three-year SecureMetro project focused on containing the blast impact and reducing debris, which is the main cause of death and injury in such explosions and an obstacle for the emergency services trying to reach injured passengers. The researchers on the EU-funded project said the solutions they developed were relatively cheap to implement.

They conducted another test explosion on a prototype design, which had ceiling panels and features held in place with retention wire and plastic-coated windows to prevent potentially lethal glass shards being blown outwards.

The new design also had lighter, energy-absorbing materials in place of heavier structures. “The Madrid bombings in 2004 and the 7/7 attack in London the year after highlighted how vulnerable our trains are to attack-particularly busy metro and commuter trains,” said project leader Conor O’Neill.

“Completely replacing existing vehicles just isn’t an option. Instead, we have developed and incorporated new technology and materials into existing carriages to improve performance.

“What we’ve shown is that companies could make some relatively cost-effective and simple modifications that would significantly improve the outcome of an attack.” In blowing up the decommissioned metro carriage, the team looked at how the blast wave progressed along the coach to understand how the interior features reacted.

Using high-speed cameras, they examined the blast in slow motion. “Preventing flying objects is the key,” said O’Neill. —AFP

NEW YORK: To workers being pushed out of jobs by today’s technology, history has a message: You’re not the first.

From textile machines to the horseless carriage to email, technology has upended industries and wiped out jobs for centuries. It also has created millions of jobs, though usually not for the people who lost them.

“People suffer - their livelihoods, their skills and training are worth less,” says Joel Mokyr, a historian of technological change at Northwestern University. “But that is the price we pay for progress.”

A look at breakthroughs that made the goods we buy more affordable, our lives more comfortable - and our jobs more precarious: For most of history, people made many goods themselves.

That changed with the First Industrial Revolution, which began in England in the mid-18th century and lasted about 100 years.

New mechanical devices that allowed one man to do the work of several flooded the market with products, most notably textiles. Using cords, wheels and rollers, inventors sped up the twisting of threads to make yarn and the weaving of yarn to make cloth.

Next, steam was used to free the new machines from the limits of man’s muscle and make them run faster. The new machines produced so much, so fast and so cheaply, more people could afford to buy textiles. Demand soared and so did jobs manning the machines and doing other work.

In America in 1793, Eli Whitney freed slaves from the laborious work of picking sticky seeds from cotton bolls by inventing a cotton gin that did that automatically. It led to widespread planting of cotton - but even more work for slaves.

Whitney also is credited with another invention: interchangeable parts. At a workshop he ran for making firearms, he had his staff make the same part many times so that his guns could be assembled quickly. It worked, and industries such as watch makers copied his method.

In 1831, Cyrus McCormick invented a reaper that cut wheat stalks as it was pulled by horses and piled them on a platform. Farmers could harvest faster.

In 1837, John Deere stuck the blade of a steel saw onto a plow and invented the steel-edged plow to replace castiron ones. Farmers could cut a furrow in the earth more easily and sow faster.

And so began a series of inventions that made farming efficient, and began to drain farms of people. In 1800, twothirds of Americans worked on farms; today, 2 percent do.

Life sped up more in this second period of innovation, from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century, an age of steel and electric power, expanding railroads and the automobile.

In 1856, an Englishman discovered a way of making steel fast and cheap, and other inventors soon improved the process. Railroad companies started using steel for their rails instead of

wrought iron, which bent easily and needed to be replaced often. Trains could carry heavier loads, which meant businesses could send more products to distant markets. Sales increased, and so did jobs.

In 1861, a telegraph line was strung from coast to coast in the US, vastly improving communication. It also wiped out the Pony Express delivery service; it went out of business the same year.

In 1879, Thomas Edison made a light bulb that wouldn’t burn out in a few hours. Factories replaced gas lights, reducing the number of fires. In quick succession came a string of breakthroughs - the automobile, an automatic typesetting machine for printing, a tractor propelled by an internal combustion engine instead of pulled by

William Shockley discovered how to switch and amplify electronic signals using semiconductor material. It was the first transistor. A decade later, many of them were crammed onto a small chip, dubbed an integrated circuit.

Before the transistor, electronic products worked with bulky vacuum tubes.

Now computing power could be miniaturized, a breakthrough that led to small radios, personal computers, cellphones and an array of other devices today.

In 1971, the first email was sent by a Defense Department computer engineer. The same year, John Blankenbaker built the Kenbak-1, the first computer small and cheap enough for the masses to buy. They didn’t. Fewer than 50 Kenbak-1s were sold, mostly to a community college, according to oral history

SEOUL: A South Korean model poses with Samsung’s smartphone “Galaxy Note” during an IT show in Seoul in this May 15, 2012 photo. Global smartphone sales soared in 2012, taking a huge slice of a mobile market that was otherwise flat, survey data showed yesterday. Research firm Strategy Analytics said global smartphone shipments grew 43 percent to 700 million units in 2012, with South Korea’s Samsung capturing more than 30 percent of the market and extending its lead over Apple and others. — AFP horses and the Wright brothers’ airplane. Henry Ford started his eponymous car company in 1903. He put men and their tools in stationary positions and had a car being assembled roll from one man to the next. The moving assembly line was born, and cars could be made faster and cheaper. As with textiles earlier, car prices plummeted and demand soared, creating new kinds of jobs in a new industry - and helping to wipe out 100,000 jobs for carriage and harness makers.

The inventor’s focus shifted from building things to manipulating information. The tools of this new period help people gather and analyze data and communicate faster, cheaper, better. No invention is commonly accepted as first of the age, but one contender is the first digital computer in 1937, created by George Stibitz of Bell Labs, the former research arm of AT&T. Stibitz seized the idea of using the open and closed positions of metallic devices when electricity runs through them to do simple math.

In 1947, a team at Bell Labs led by

by Blankenbaker at the Computer Museum in Boston. His company went out of business within two years. In 1981, the National Science Foundation set up a network linking university computers, a milestone in the development of the Internet. Its impact could scarcely be imagined then.The past three decades, new products and innovations have allowed people to entertain and inform themselves anywhere, anytime.

In 1983, Motorola introduced the first portable cellphone, a 2-pound clunker called the DynaTac 8000x. In 1984, the first PDA, or personal digital assistant, was sold - the long-forgotten Psion.

In 1994, BellSouth sold its first Simon, the start of a stream of ever-smarter smartphones from which you can access virtually any information while on the run, including that staple of the telephone operator - a phone number.

Which helps explain why there were just 36,000 US operators in 2010, down nearly two-thirds in 10 years. A job that rose in the same period? Software engineer. They numbered 1.03 million in 2010, up nearly 40 percent. — AP

TV listings

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

00:50 01:45 02:35 03:25 04:15 05:05 05:55 06:20 06:45 07:35 08:00 08:25 09:15 10:10 Baker 11:05 11:30 12:00 12:25 12:55 13:50 21:10 22:05 23:00 23:55

Animal Cops Phoenix Crocodile Feeding Frenzy Untamed & Uncut Wildest Islands Shark Attack File 3 Monster Bug Wars Call Of The Wildman Animal Battlegrounds Michaela’s Animal Road Trip Wildlife SOS Meerkat Manor Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Crocodile Hunter Weird Creatures With Nick

00:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson 01:00 Amanpour 01:30 World Sport 02:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 03:00 World Report 03:30 World Sport 04:00 Anderson Cooper 360 05:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 06:00 Quest Means Business 06:45 CNN Marketplace Africa 07:00 The Situation Room 08:00 World Sport 08:30 Leading Women 08:45 Future Cities 09:00 World Report 09:15 CNN Marketplace Africa 09:30 Backstory 10:00 World Report 10:15 CNN Marketplace Middle East 10:30 Sanjay Gupta MD 11:00 World Sport 11:30 Winning Post 11:45 The Gateway 12:00 The Best Of The Situation Room 13:00 Amanpour 13:30 The Brief 14:00 World Report 14:30 Inside Africa 15:00 Talk Asia 15:30 I Report For CNN 16:00 World Report 16:30 On China

Monkey Life Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Natural Born Hunters The Really Wild Show Wildest Latin America Wildest Africa Tigers Attack Wildest Latin America Bad Dog Karina: Wild On Safari

00:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 00:40 Come Dine With Me 01:30 Antiques Roadshow 02:20 House Swap 03:05 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 03:30 House Swap 04:15 Come Dine With Me 05:05 Antiques Roadshow 05:55 House Swap 06:40 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 07:10 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 07:50 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 08:15 Antiques Roadshow 12:35 Vacation Vacation Vacation 13:30 Trish’s Mediterranean Kitchen 14:20 Rhodes Across The Caribbean 15:05 Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes 16:00 Eating In The Sun 16:50 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 17:45 Come Dine With Me: South Africa 18:40 Bargain Hunt 19:25 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 22:05 Come Dine With Me: South Africa 23:00 Vacation Vacation Vacation 23:25 Vacation Vacation Vacation 23:50 Antiques Roadshow

00:00 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 00:30 Football Focus 01:00 BBC World News America 02:00 BBC World News 02:30 Newsnight 03:00 BBC World News 03:10 Weekend World 03:30 The Bottom Line 04:00 BBC World News 04:10 Have You Heard From Johannesburg?

05:00 BBC World News 05:30 Horizons 06:00 BBC World News 06:10 The Art Of Spain 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 Fast Track 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 Middle East Business Report 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 Click 10:00 BBC World News 10:10 Weekend World 10:30 The Bottom Line 11:00 BBC World News 11:10 Football Focus 11:30 Horizons 12:00 BBC World News 12:10 The World Debate 13:00 BBC World News 13:10 World Features 13:30 Newsnight 14:00 BBC World News 14:10 Weekend World 14:30 Our World 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 Talking Movies 16:00 BBC World News 16:15 Sport Today

ATTACK THE BLOCK ON OSN MOVIES HD 16:30 Fast Track 17:00 BBC World News 17:30 Dateline London 18:00 BBC World News 18:10 Have You Heard From Johannesburg?

19:00 BBC World News 19:30 Our World 20:00 BBC World News 20:30 The Bottom Line 21:00 BBC World News 21:30 Fast Track 22:00 BBC World News 22:15 Sport Today 22:30 Click 23:00 BBC World News 23:10 The World Debate

00:15 01:10 02:05 03:00 03:55 04:20 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:15 08:45 09:40 10:30 11:25 12:20 17:50 18:45 19:40 20:35 21:30

Fast N’ Loud One Car Too Far Wheeler Dealers Mythbusters Border Security Auction Kings Auction Kings How Stuff Works How It’s Made Sons Of Guns Mythbusters Magic Of Science Time Warp Is It Possible?

Shark Family Ultimate Survival Animal Cops South Africa You Have Been Warned Fast N’ Loud Gold Rush Gold Divers Sons Of Guns Auction Kings

00:10 00:35 01:25 02:15 03:05 03:55 04:45 05:35 06:00 06:25 06:40 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:30 08:45 09:10 09:35 10:00 10:25 10:50 11:05 11:15 12:40 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 14:45 15:00 15:10 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:00 18:25

Hannah Montana Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Suite Life On Deck A.N.T. Farm Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Fish Hooks Fish Hooks Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Jessie Austin And Ally A.N.T Farm Toy Story Toons Cars Toons Pixel Perfect Phineas And Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Gravity Falls Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Prankstars Prankstars Shake It Up Austin And Ally Jessie A.N.T Farm Thirteenth Year Prankstars

18:45 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:05 22:55 Cody 23:45

Phineas And Ferb Austin And Ally Prankstars A.N.T Farm Jessie Jessie Good Luck Charlie The Suite Life Of Zack And Stitch

00:00 Opening Act 00:55 Style Star 01:25 E!es 02:20 THS 03:15 Behind The Scenes 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 THS 05:05 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 10:15 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 11:10 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 12:05 E! News 13:05 Scouted 14:05 Giuliana & Bill 15:00 Giuliana & Bill 16:00 Opening Act 17:00 Opening Act 18:00 E! News 19:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 20:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:00 A-List Listings 21:30 Fashion Police 22:30 E! News 23:30 Chelsea Lately

00:15 Heat Seekers 00:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:30 Heat Seekers 01:55 Guy’s Big Bite - Special 02:20 Guy Fieri’s Top Of The Class 02:45 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 03:10 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 03:35 Heat Seekers 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 07:35 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 - Back To Basics 10:30 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 10:55 Cooking For Real 11:20 All Star Healthy Makeover 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 All Star Healthy Makeover 16:20 United Tastes Of America 16:45 Chopped 17:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 18:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 18:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:50 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 Iron Chef America 23:00 Chopped 23:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

00:45 Amish: Out of Order 01:40 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 02:05 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 02:35 On Surfari 03:00 On Surfari 03:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 03:55 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet

04:25 Amish: Out of Order 05:20 Bondi Rescue: Bali 05:45 Bondi Rescue 06:15 Dive Detectives 07:10 Departures 09:00 Treks In A Wild World 10:50 Amish: Out of Order 11:45 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 12:10 My Sri Lanka With Peter Kuruvita 12:40 On Surfari 13:35 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:30 Amish: Out of Order 15:25 On Hannibal Trail 15:50 Finding Genghis 16:20 Departures 17:15 Treks In A Wild World 19:05 Bondi Rescue: Bali 19:30 Bondi Rescue 20:00 Dive Detectives 21:00 Departures 22:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 22:55 Deadliest Journeys

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Monster Fish Night Stalkers Untamed Americas World’s Deadliest Animals The Incredible Dr. Pol Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Insects From Hell Hooked Fish Warrior Caught In The Act World’s Deadliest Animals Ultimate Animal Countdown Maneater Manhunt Dangerous Encounters Untamed Americas World’s Deadliest Animals The Incredible Dr. Pol Fish Tank Kings Unlikely Animal Friends Ultimate Animal Countdown Dangerous Encounters Untamed Americas World’s Deadliest Animals The Incredible Dr. Pol Fish Tank Kings

00:05 Empire Girls: Julissa And Adrienne 01:00 Empire Girls: Julissa And Adrienne 02:00 Videofashion News 02:25 Videofashion Collections 02:55 Big Rich Texas 03:50 Big Boutique In The City 04:20 Jerseylicious 05:15 Glam Fairy 06:10 Chicagolicious 07:05 Clean House: New York 08:00 Videofashion News 08:30 Videofashion News 09:00 Videofashion Daily 10:00 Videofashion Daily 10:55 Designer Marathon 11:50 Videofashion Collections 12:20 Videofashion Collections 12:50 Open House 13:20 Open House 13:50 Giuliana & Bill 14:45 Giuliana & Bill 17:35 How Do I Look?

18:30 How Do I Look?

19:25 Big Boutique In The City 19:55 Big Boutique In The City 20:25 Designer Marathon 21:20 Designer Marathon 22:15 Tia And Tamera 23:10 Tia And Tamera

00:00 The Ring-PG15 02:00 The Crazies-18 04:00 Goal!-PG15 06:00 Legendary Assassin-PG15 08:00 The Stool Pigeon-PG15 10:00 Walled In-PG15 12:00 The Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption-PG15 14:00 The Stool Pigeon-PG15 16:00 Mission: Impossible III-PG15 18:15 The Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption-PG15 20:15 Paranormal Activity 2-18 22:00 Carlito’s Way-18

TV listings

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

01:00 Judy Moody And The Not Bummer Summer-PG 03:00 Marley & Me: The Puppy Years 05:00 Cars 2-FAM 07:00 Call Of The Wild-PG15 09:00 Judy Moody And The Not Bummer Summer-PG 11:00 Kung Fu Dunk-PG15 13:00 Water For Elephants-PG15 15:00 The Decoy Bride-PG15 17:00 Ghost Machine-PG15 18:45 The Way Back-PG15 21:00 Bad Teacher-18 23:00 Powder Blue-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Angry Boys 02:00 South Park 02:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 03:00 Last Man Standing 03:30 2 Broke Girls 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 06:00 Samantha Who? 06:30 Seinfeld 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:30 Last Man Standing 09:30 Samantha Who? 10:00 How I Met Your Mother 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Seinfeld 13:30 Samantha Who? 14:00 2 Broke Girls 15:00 How I Met Your Mother 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 19:00 The Neighbors 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Saturday Night Live 23:00 The Ricky Gervais Show 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 02:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

American Idol Glee Damages Boardwalk Empire Good Morning America Royal Pains Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show House Royal Pains American Idol House Live Good Morning America Emmerdale Coronation Street Breakout Kings Criminal Minds C.S.I. Miami Strike Back Boardwalk Empire

07:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

Emmerdale Coronation Street C.S.I. Breakout Kings Criminal Minds C.S.I. Miami Strike Back

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 PG15 12:00 14:00 16:00 PG15 18:00 20:00 22:00

The 40 Year Old Virgin-18 No Strings Attached-18 Envy-PG15 Good Boy!-PG The Tooth Fairy 2-PG15 Desperately Seeking Santa-

01:00 Dragonfly-PG15 02:45 Ironclad-18 04:45 Country Strong-PG15 06:45 The Alamo-PG15 09:00 My Enemy’s Enemy-PG15 11:00 My Afternoons With Margueritte-PG15 12:45 Dear John-PG15 14:45 My Enemy’s Enemy-PG15 16:45 Quiz Show-PG15 19:00 Manolete-18 21:00 Nixon-18

00:30 Attack The Block-PG15 02:30 Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Pt.2-PG15 05:00 Open Season 3-FAM 07:00 Glee: The Concert Movie-PG15 09:00 According To Greta-PG15 10:45 The Vow-PG15 12:30 Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked-PG 14:00 X-Men: First Class-PG15 16:15 According To Greta-PG15 18:00 The Artist-PG 20:00 New Year’s Eve-PG15 22:00 Anonymous-18

01:15 The Three Bears: Dreadful Dangers-FAM 02:45 Cars 2-FAM 04:30 Winner & The Golden Child: Part I-FAM 06:00 Spy Kids: All The Time In The World-PG 08:00 Olentzero And The Magic LogFAM 10:00 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs.

Evil-PG

11:30 Treasure Buddies-PG 13:15 Winner & The Golden Child: Part II-FAM 14:45 Cars 2-FAM 16:30 Hop-PG 18:15 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs.

Evil-PG 20:00 Despicable Me-FAM 22:00 Winner & The Golden Child: Part II-FAM 23:30 Hop-PG

00:00 04:30 06:30 07:00 11:30 14:30 15:00 17:00 19:00 23:30

00:00 01:00 03:00 04:00 07:00 07:30 09:30 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 16:30 19:30 21:30 22:00

PGA European Tour Top 14 European Tour Weekly PGA European Tour Live Cricket Twenty20 ICC Cricket 360 Top 14 Live Top 14 PGA European Tour Cricket Twenty20

Trans World Sport WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line UFC The Ultimate Fighter ICC Cricket 360 Top 14 Trans World Sport Inside the PGA ICC Cricket 360 Futbol Mundial PGA European Tour Weekly Live PGA European Tour Cricket T20 Top 14 ICC Cricket 360 UFC The Ultimate Fighter

00:30 02:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 11:30 12:00 14:00 15:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 23:00

Top 14 Dubai World Cup Carnival Trans World Sport ICC Cricket 360 Cricket T20 Futbol Mundial Top 14 Trans World Sport Dubai World Cup Carnival ICC Cricket 360 Trans World Sport Spirit of a Champion Top 14

00:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter The Smashes 01:00 WWE SmackDown 03:00 WWE Bottom Line 04:00 UFC Unleashed 05:00 NHL 07:00 WWE SmackDown 09:00 WWE Bottom Line 10:00 WWE Vintage Collection 11:00 NHL 13:00 UAE National Race Day Series 14:00 WWE Smackdown 16:00 WWE Bottom Line 17:00 European Le Mans Series 18:00 European Le Mans Series 19:00 UFC 21:00 WWE SmackDown 23:00 WWE Bottom Line

01:35 03:20 05:25 07:00 08:35

Dressed To Kill Texasville Megaville Body And Soul Zelig

Envy-PG15 Robots-PG Desperately Seeking SantaBaby Geniuses-PG The Waterboy-PG15 Tamara Drewe-18

THE DECOY BRIDE ON OSN CINEMA

09:55 Fluke 11:30 Lights! Action! Music!

12:30 The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes 14:30 The Unforgiven 16:35 Johnny Be Good 18:00 Where Angels Fear To Tread 19:50 Mgm’s Big Screen 20:05 The Innocent 22:00 That Championship Season

01:15 03:00 04:55 PG 06:40 08:00 09:45 11:40 13:40 15:35 PG 17:25 FAM 19:30 21:20 23:00

Shaft Silk Stockings-FAM Two Weeks In Another Town-

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:30

High Hitler Pawn Stars Storage Wars Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Hitler’s Island Madness High Hitler Mud Men Pawn Stars American Restoration Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Ancient Aliens Ancient Aliens American Pickers American Pickers Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Ancient Aliens Ancient Aliens Storage Wars Storage Wars Pawn Stars Cajun Pawn Stars American Pickers Storage Wars Storage Wars

Edge Of The City-PG Bachelor In Paradise-PG Silk Stockings-FAM The Yellow Rolls-Royce-PG Now, Voyager-PG Two Weeks In Another TownThe Unsinkable Molly BrownLes Girls-PG The Time Machine-FAM Get Carter-18

00:40 Chowder 01:30 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 01:55 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 02:20 Foster’s Home For...

02:45 Foster’s Home For...

03:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 04:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 04:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Powerpuff Girls 05:40 Generator Rex 06:05 Ben 10 06:30 Ben 10 06:55 Angelo Rules 07:00 Casper’s Scare School 07:30 Casper’s Scare School 08:00 Grim Adventures Of...

08:45 Total Drama Island 09:10 Total Drama Island 09:35 Transformers Prime 09:55 Level Up 10:15 Ben 10: Ultimate Challenge 10:35 Ben 10: Omniverse 11:00 Thundercats 11:25 Mucha Lucha 11:50 Regular Show 12:40 The Amazing World Of Gumball 13:05 Adventure Time 13:30 Johnny Test 14:20 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 14:45 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 15:10 Total Drama Island 15:35 Total Drama Island 16:00 Level Up 16:25 Level Up

16:50 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 17:15 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 17:40 Young Justice 18:05 Young Justice 18:30 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 18:55 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 19:20 Ben 10: Ultimate Challenge 19:45 The Amazing World Of Gumball 20:10 Adventure Time 20:35 Regular Show 21:00 Mucha Lucha 21:25 Total Drama Island 21:50 Total Drama Island 22:15 Grim Adventures Of...

23:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:50 The Powerpuff Girls

00:40 Disappeared 01:30 Dr G: Medical Examiner 02:20 The Haunted 03:05 Evil, I 03:30 Evil, I 03:55 Ghost Lab 04:45 Disappeared 05:30 Dr G: Medical Examiner 06:20 The Haunted 07:10 Murder Shift 08:00 Life Or Death: Medical Mysteries 08:50 Street Patrol 09:15 Street Patrol 09:40 Real Emergency Calls 10:05 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

10:30 On The Case With Paula Zahn 11:20 FBI Case Files 12:10 Disappeared 13:00 Life Or Death: Medical Mysteries 13:50 Street Patrol 14:15 Street Patrol 14:40 Forensic Detectives 15:30 On The Case With Paula Zahn 16:20 Real Emergency Calls 16:45 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

17:10 FBI Case Files 18:00 Disappeared 18:50 Forensic Detectives 19:40 Street Patrol 20:05 On The Case With Paula Zahn 20:55 Stalked: Someone’s Watching 21:20 Nightmare Next Door

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 Jungle Junction 08:30 Little Einsteins 08:55 Lazytown 09:20 Imagination Movers 09:45 Timmy Time 09:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:20 The Hive 10:30 Doc McStuffins 10:45 Zou 11:00 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 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 Timmy Time 13:20 The Hive 13:30 Doc McStuffins 14:00 Zou 14:15 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 14:30 Mouk

WHAT’S ON

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Announcements India - Flag Hoisting Ceremony

O

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.

MahaQuizzer registration closes today

M

ahaQuizzer, the annual solo quiz conducted by the Karnataka Quiz Association (KQA) simultaneously across several Indian cities debuts internationally on 1st Feb 2013 in Kuwait with MahaQuizzer Middle East-Kuwait organized by National Institute of Technology, Calicut Alumni Association. This is a solo open general written quiz contest for all participants, irrespective of age, nationality or affiliation.

Test is from 2pm to 3.30pm with centers - Indian English Academy School (Don Bosco), Salmiya and Fahaheel Al-Watanieh Indian School (D P S), Ahmadi.

Separate prizes for ladies, children & schools.

Scientific Center holds spring camp

Edward Hopper and the Blank Canvas screening at CAP Date: Wednesday, 30th of January 2013 Time: 7:00pm Artist: Edward Hopper Title: Edward Hopper and The Blank Canvas, 51mins Director: Jean Pierre Devillers About the film: The official film of the current exhibition that is hosted at the Grand Palais, Paris. The film is about many

T

he Scientific Center holds its annual spring camp starting from February 17, 2013. The camp is divided into two weeks (from Sunday to Thursday) featuring various activates including educational workshops as well as visits to the Aquarium, Discovery Hall and the iMAX Theater, in addition to a ‘behind-the-scene’ visit to watch the shark feeding process. The programs take place between 9:00 am and 2:30 pm. Children aged between six and twelve are invited to join.

Write to us

Body Variances exhibition by 5 European sculptors Date: 4th of February - 4th of March 2013 Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm Location: CAP - Exhibition Space About the exhibition: Body Variances presents five European sculptors exposing the discrepancy of the human body, its relation and interactions with surroundings, other bodies, people, events and arts, depicting body’s reaction towards a psychological and emotional experiences of self conflicts and/or inner peace.

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

W

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

The exhibition is curated by Mark Hachem in collaboration with Contemporary Art Platform.

The selected sculptors are: Anne De Vilemejane, Arman, Martin C. Herbst, Mauro Corda and Polles, depicting over thirty sculptures their view of the body’s multiple reactions and actions on daily matters and sudden happenings in five different contemporary visions and approaches.

Body Variances is an opportunity for a unique and international confrontation between perceptions of the body and their significance in the contemporary world.

What’s Kuwait Bike Show 2013?

Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

references in contemporary film to Edward Hopper’s works, as well as the widespread reproduction of some of his paintings have made his universe familiar to many. This film brings the artist to life, transposing his realist and metaphysical poetry. It is a subtile and passionate work, which at last unveils one of the most important painters of American modernity.

Entrance for this film is free of charge!

A

n annual bike show organized by Harley Davidson of Kuwait. The show this year will take place at Marina Mall, the most popular shopping destination in

Kuwait.

Invited participants will include all Middle East chapters.

The bike show is a competition with different categories

where judgment will be taken on certain points by experts.

Participation Benefits * Gift for the 1st winner and runner-up of each category * Assorted gifts on arrival (t-shirts, cap, pin, patch, primo gifts, info on activities)

Cat show

U

nder the patronage of Sheikh Abdallah Jaber Al-Athbi Al-Sabah the Kuwait Cat Club presents CFA Biggest Cat Show in the Middle East on February 1 and 2, 2013 (two days, 8 rings show - 4 rings (AB) each day) at Safir International Hotel, Pearl Hall.

WHAT’S ON

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

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 ConsulateGeneral 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, AlBanwan 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.vfsau-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

UIS holds workshop

U

nited Indian School held a workshop on January 24 and 25, 2013 on Team Building, Teacher Sensitising and Whole Language Approach. It was conducted by eminent resource persons Manjushree Patil and Shilpa Vaidya.

With their innovative methods, they urged the teachers to involve completely, guide and introspect their perceptions towards teaching and channelize the energy of the young minds.

Paritala Yuvasena pays tribute to Ravi

P

aritala Yuvasena, Kuwait paid rich tribute to late TDP leader Paritala Ravindra yesterday in Hawally on the occasion of his 8th death anniversary.

Paritala Ravi (August 30, 1958 January 24, 2005) was a political leader in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, India. He was a former cabinet minister in Andhra Pradesh and a sitting member of the Legislative Assembly when he was assassinated by his political rivals in 2005.

Paritala Yuvasena, Kuwait President Ratakonda Laxmipati Naidu and others remembered the services he rendered to the poor people. Reddaiah Naidu, Narasimhulu Naidu, R Venkataiah Naidu, Sreenivasulu Naidu, Chandra Babu Naidu Nagineni, Naresh Naidu Tallapaneni, Somusekhar

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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-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 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. nnnnnnn

Naidu, Sivaiah Naidu Gandra, Malli Naidu Marothu, Ravindra Manyam, Chandra Naidu Korrapati, Koti Payyavula, Babu Naidu Polarapu,

Perugu Sreenu, Babu Naidu Kavuturi, Sekhar Chowdary, Sateesh Katta, PS Rayudu, Tota Sriram, Paidi Manohar were present at the gathering.

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. nnnnnnn

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.

HEALTH

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Mediterranean diet may not protect aging brain New French study

PHNOM PENH: Cambodian workers carry chicken at a market in Phnom Penh yesterday. Two Cambodians, including a 15-year-old girl and a 35-year-old man, have died from bird flu after they prepared sick chicken for food, the World Health Organization said. — AFP

Two Cambodians die from bird flu PHNOM PENH: Two Cambodians have died from bird flu contracted while preparing infected chicken, the World Health Organization said yesterday.

Tests on the victims, a 15-year-old girl and a 35-year-old man who died earlier this week, confirmed they had contracted the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, the WHO said in a joint statement with the Cambodian health ministry.

An eight-month-old boy admitted to hospital in Phnom Penh on January 9 was also infected with H5N1 but later recovered, the statement said.

There was evidence of infections among poultry in the villages of the two who died and the pair “prepared sick chicken for food prior to becoming sick”, the statement said.

Cambodia has recorded 24 cases of H5N1 since 2003 with all but three of the victims dying.

The virus has killed 362 people worldwide since a major outbreak in 2003, according to WHO statistics.

It typically spreads from birds to humans through direct contact, but experts fear it could mutate into a form easily transmissible between humans, with the potential to trigger a pandemic. — AFP

Genetic mutations may show how cancers grow WASHINGTON: Scientists have discovered two new genetic mutations that occur together in 71 percent of malignant melanoma tumors, an aggressive and deadly cancer of the skin, a study published Thursday said. The mutations, detected in a part of the cancer genome that controls genes but not in the genes themselves, could aid understanding and lead to treatment of one of the world’s most lethal cancers or stop its progression.

It “represents an initial foray into the ‘dark matter’ of the cancer genome,” said Dr. Levi Garraway, of the DanaFarber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

“In addition, this represents the discovery of two of the most prevalent melanoma gene mutations,” he said of the findings, which were part of two studies published in the online edition of the US journal Science.

The researchers said the cancer-associated mutations were the first to be discovered in the vast regions of DNA in cancer cells that do not contain genetic instructions for making proteins-the mutations are located in non-protein-coding DNA that regulates the activity of genes.

The mutations were discovered when the scientists sifted through data from whole-genome sequencing of malignant melanoma tumors.

Unlike “whole-exome” searches that examine only the protein-coding DNA of a cell’s genome, whole-genome searches scan all of the DNA, including the non-coding regions. In analyzing whole-genome data, the researchers found the two mutations in 17 of 19 (89 percent) of the tumors. They then examined a larger number of melanoma tumors and found the two mutations in 71 percent of them in total.

The researchers said the two mutations are present in cells found in liver and bladder cancers. — AFP

MANHATTAN: Hopes that a Mediterranean diet would be as good for the head as it is for the heart may have been dampened by a French study that found little benefit for aging brains from the diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, wine and olive oil.

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, looked at the participants’ dietary patterns in middle age and measured their cognitive performance at around age 65, but found no connection between Mediterranean eating and mental performance.

“Our study does not support the hypothesis of a significant neuroprotective effect of a (Mediterranean diet) on cognitive function,” wrote study leader Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot at the nutritional epidemiology research center of the French national health research agency INSERM. It’s been suggested that the “good” fats in the Mediterranean diet might benefit the brain directly, or

that low saturated fats and high fiber in the diet could help stave off cognitive decline indirectly by keeping blood vessels healthy. Previous research has seemed to uphold that premise.

One large study in the US Midwest, for example, found that people in their 60s and older who ate a mostly Mediterranean diet were less prone to mental decline as they aged. Another study of residents of Manhattan linked a Mediterranean-style diet to a 40 percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers in the French study used data on 3,083 people who were followed from the mid-1990s, when they were at least 45 years old.

At the beginning of the study, participants recorded what they ate over one 24-hour period every two months, for a total of six dietary record samples per year. Then, between 2007 and 2009 when the participants were about 65 years old, their memory and other mental abilities were measured.

Researchers then separated participants into three categories depending on how closely they adhered to a Mediterranean-style diet, and compared their mental ability test scores.

Overall, they found that people who ate a diet closest to the Mediterranean ideal performed about the same as those who ate a non-restricted diet.

Nikos Scarmeas, who was not involved with the study but has researched the effects of food on brain health, said it’s important to note that the new study had some limitations.

For instance, researchers only tested the participants’ mental abilities once, making it impossible to track whether they got better or worse over time, added Scarmeas, an associate professor at New York’s Columbia University Medical Center.

“We don’t have the strong evidence to go and tell people,’Listen, if you follow this diet, it will improve cognition,’” he said. — Reuters

Tattoos linked to hepatitis C NEW YORK: People seeking to get a tattoo should be picky about the parlor they have them done at, US researchers say in the wake of a study that found a link between body art and Hepatitis C, the leading cause of liver cancer.

According to the study, which appeared in the journal Hepatology, people with the hepatitis C virus, which is blood borne, were almost four times more likely to report having a tattoo, even when other major risk factors were taken into account “Tattooing in and of itself may pose a risk for this disease that can lay dormant for many, many years,” said study coauthor Fritz Francois of New York University Langone Medical Center, although he warned that the study could not produce a direct cause and effect.

About 3.2 million people in the United States have hepatitis C, and many don’t know because they don’t feel ill, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver cancer and the most common reason for liver transplants in the US Some 70 percent of people infected will develop chronic liver disease, and up to 5 percent will die from cirrhosis or liver cancer. For the current study, researchers asked almost 2,000 people about their tattoos and hepatitis status, among other question, at outpatient clinics at three New York area hospitals between 2004 and 2006.

They found that 34 percent of people with hepatitis C had a tattoo, compared to 12 percent of people without the infection.

The most common routes of infection for hepatitis C are through a blood transfusion before 1992 or a history of injected drug use. Injected drug use accounts for 60 percent of new hepatitis cases a year, but 20 percent have no his-

tory of either injected drug use or other exposure, according to the CDC. Francois and his colleagues only included people with hepatitis C who did not contract it from these two other common sources.

After accounting for other risk factors, the difference between people with and without hepatitis was even greater, with four times as many tattoos in the infected group than for uninfected people.

“This is not a big surprise to me,” said John Levey, clinical chief of gastroenterology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. Earlier studies had found a link, but they were small and had not taken other risk factors into account as well as the new study did.

But the CDC’s Scott Holmberg said

the link may not be quite as strong as the findings suggest, because some people who used illegal drugs probably would not admit it, even on an anonymous questionnaire. And they didn’t rule out people who picked up hepatitis before getting their tattoo.

Holmberg recommends that people only have tattoos or piercings done by trained professionals, noting that there have been no reports of hepatitis C outbreaks linked to professional tattoo parlors in the United States.

Tattoo parlors are not federally regulated, and standards vary by state and region. The Alliance for Professional Tattooists recommend finding a tattoo artist who wears disposable gloves, a clean work space without blood spatters and single-use disposable needle kits. — Reuters

Leprosy, an ancient disease, thrives in 21st century PARIS: It has been called the world’s oldest recorded disease, an evil that humans have known for more than 3,500 years, as papyri from ancient Egypt testify. Yet drugs to cure leprosy are cheap, plentiful and effective.

So why is this biblical curse still around?

Doctors speaking ahead of World Leprosy Day on Sunday point to wonderful news about the bid to stamp out this nightmare-but they also acknowledge sizeable hurdles.

“There has been enormous progress in treating and controlling the leprosy epidemic,” says British microbiologist Stewart Cole. “Six million people have been cured by multidrug therapy.” Multi-drug therapy, or MDT, is a cocktail of three antibiotics designed to kill the parasitic rodshaped germ, Mycobacterium lep-

rosae, that after a long incubation spreads from nerve cells to muscles and other tissues.

Several drugs are always used, as only one drug enables the germ to develop resistance to it.

Without treatment, the microbe causes crippling damage to the hands, skin, the nose and eyes. The condition goes hand-in-hand with ostracism, even though scientists say M. leprosae, transmitted by droplets from the nose and mouth, is generally not very infectious.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO) figures, there were roughly 5.2 million people with leprosy in 1985.

The burden has fallen sharply, driven especially by free MDT treatment made available by the WHO to poor countries. —AFP

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

HEALTH

information SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

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SHARQIA-1 CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) QUARTET (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

SHARQIA-2 TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (24/01/2013 TO 30/01/2013)

MARINA-2 GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

BAIRAQ-1 GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-1 QUARTET (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

MUHALAB-1 ART OF SUBMISSION (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) ART OF SUBMISSION (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:15 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

AVENUES-2 THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

BAIRAQ-2 SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

1:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

MUHALAB-2 SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

BAIRAQ-3 DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

A360º- 1 3ALA GOSETY 3ALA GOSETY 3ALA GOSETY 3ALA GOSETY 3ALA GOSETY NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:15 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM 11:30 PM

PLAZA THE LAST STAND (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG)

360º- 2 THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

LAILA GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) NO FRI SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO FRI GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) NO FRI SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO FRI

AL-KOUT.1 3ALA GOSETY GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.2 TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (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

FANAR-1 CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 11:45 PM

FANAR-2 SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) ART OF SUBMISSION (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) ART OF SUBMISSION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

MARINA-1 QUARTET (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) ART OF SUBMISSION (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

AJIAL.1 RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI)

3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 11:00 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM

3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM

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4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM

information SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers use seats Airlines JAI KLM THY JZR JZR QTR SAI ETH GFA UAE ETD OMA QTR PIA FDB MSR RBG DHX THY JZR JZR KAC JZR BAW KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE KAC ABY QTR FDB ETD GFA BAB JZR IZG MSC MSR UAE IRM KAC JZR FDB KNE KAC SVA QTR JZR KAC KAC KAC KNE QTR IRC JZR JZR KAC UAE SYR JZR ETD RJA GFA SVA JZR QTR ABY UAL KAC KAC JZR RBG

Arrival Flights on Saturday 26/1/2013 Flt Route 574 MUMBAI 413 AMSTERDAM 772 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 441 LAHORE 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 643 MUSCAT 138 DOHA 239 ISLAMABAD 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 3555 ALEXANDRIA 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 555 ALEXANDRIA 416 JAKARTA 529 ASSIUT 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 1302 MUMBAI 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 344 CHENNAI 855 DUBAI 362 COLOMBO 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 436 BAHRAIN 165 DUBAI 4161 MASHAD 401 ALEXANDRIA 610 CAIRO 871 DUBAI 1190 MASHAD 382 DELHI 325 NAJAF 57 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 672 DUBAI 500 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 257 BEIRUT 788 JEDDAH 790 MEDINAH 284 DHAKA 470 JEDDAH 134 DOHA 6692 MASHAD 787 RIYADH 535 CAIRO 118 NEW YORK 857 DUBAI 341 DAMASCUS 357 MASHAD 303 ABU DHABI 640 AMMAN 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 777 JEDDAH 144 DOHA 127 SHARJAH 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 538 SOHAG 542 CAIRO 177 DUBAI 3553 ALEXANDRIA

Time 0:30 0:30 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:30 1:45 1:50 2:35 2:45 2:50 3:01 3:05 3:05 3:10 3:25 5:15 5:30 5:55 6:00 6:25 6:35 6:40 6:45 6:55 7:40 7:45 7:55 8:05 8:40 8:40 8:45 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:55 10:05 11:20 11:45 12:00 12:45 12:50 12:50 12:55 13:00 13:50 14:10 14:15 14:30 14:45 14:50 14:55 15:00 15:10 15:10 15:30 15:50 16:10 16:25 16:35 16:40 16:40 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:45 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:00 18:05 18:15 18:20

BAB FDB IZG FDB MSC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC IRA KAC OMA FDB JAI AXB MSR JZR ABY QTR KNE ALK KNE MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE JZR JAI FDB KLM KAC AIC JZR GFA KAC JZR KAC UAL DHX BBC DLH

438 63 4167 8055 405 176 618 104 674 774 607 562 647 61 572 389 618 189 129 146 462 229 474 402 136 221 307 859 135 576 59 415 786 975 239 217 502 185 614 981 370 43 636

BAHRAIN DUBAI MASHAD DUBAI SOHAG GENEVA DOHA LONDON DUBAI RIYADH MASHAD AMMAN MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI MANGALORE ALEXANDRIA DUBAI SHARJAH DOHA MEDINAH COLOMBO JEDDAH BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN COCHIN DUBAI AMSTERDAM JEDDAH CHENNAI AMMAN BAHRAIN BEIRUT DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DHAKA FRANKFURT

Airlines AIC UAL DLH JAI KLM KAC SAI ETH THY KAC FDB UAE OMA ETD RBG MSR PIA QTR QTR JZR GFA THY FDB BAW JZR JZR KAC KAC JZR KAC ABY KAC UAE

Departure Flights on Saturday 26/1/2013 Flt Route 976 GOA 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 573 MUMBAI 413 AMSTERDAM 283 DHAKA 442 LAHORE 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 381 DELHI 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 644 MUSCAT 306 ABU DHABI 3556 ALEXANDRIA 613 CAIRO 240 SIALKOT 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 256 BEIRUT 534 CAIRO 101 LONDON 787 JEDDAH 324 AL NAJAF 671 DUBAI 122 SHARJAH 537 SOHAG 856 DUBAI

18:40 18:45 18:50 18:55 19:00 19:15 19:20 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:50 19:55 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:30 20:35 20:45 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:25 22:30 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:15 23:25 23:40 23:45 23:55 Time 0:05 1:10 1:20 1:30 1:45 2:25 2:30 2:45 2:55 3:15 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:05 4:10 4:20 4:50 6:05 6:55 7:00 7:35 8:25 8:45 8:50 9:15 9:20 9:25 9:35 9:40 9:45 9:50 9:55

FDB ETD KAC QTR GFA JZR BAB KAC KAC JZR JZR MSC IZG MSR JZR UAE IRM FDB KAC KAC KNE KAC SVA JZR KNE QTR KAC IRC KAC KAC JZR ETD SYR JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR RBG JZR UAL FDB BAB FDB MSC IZG KAC FDB IRA OMA KAC JAI ABY MSR KAC KAC KNE KNE DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC FDB JZR UAE JAI KAC KLM QTR GFA KAC

56 302 789 133 214 356 437 541 165 776 786 406 4162 611 176 872 1191 58 561 673 473 617 505 188 461 141 773 6693 785 501 238 304 342 538 135 858 641 216 184 511 128 266 145 3554 134 982 64 439 8056 402 4168 613 62 604 648 331 571 120 607 351 543 471 475 171 230 403 308 137 222 301 60 554 860 575 205 415 147 218 411

DUBAI ABU DHABI MADINAH DOHA BAHRAIN MASHHAD BAHRAIN CAIRO ROME JEDDAH RIYADH SOHAG MASHHAD CAIRO DUBAI DUBAI MASHHAD DUBAI AMMAN DUBAI JEDDAH DOHA JEDDAH DUBAI MADINAH DOHA RIYADH MASHHAD JEDDAH BEIRUT AMMAN ABU DHABI DAMASCUS CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI ALEXANDRIA MASHHAD BAHRAIN DUBAI ISFAHAN MUSCAT TRIVANDRUM MUMBAI SHARJAH LUXOR KOCHI CAIRO JEDDAH JEDDAH BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI KOCHI ISLAMABAD DAMMAM DOHA BAHRAIN BANGKOK

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

10:00 10:05 10:15 10:30 10:40 10:45 10:50 11:30 11:50 12:15 12:55 13:00 13:05 13:45 13:50 14:15 14:15 14:30 14:30 15:05 15:10 15:45 16:00 16:05 16:10 16:15 16:25 16:50 16:55 17:05 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:00 19:05 19:10 19:25 19:30 19:55 20:00 20:05 20:15 20:40 20:50 20:55 20:55 21:10 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:40 21:40 21:50 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:50 23:55

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Word Search

C R O S S W O R D 8 1

ACROSS

Yesterdayʼs Solution

1. A solution containing a phosphate buffer.

4. A sheath for a sword or dagger or bayonet.

12. A former monetary unit in Great Britain.

15. The United Nations agency concerned with the interests of labor.

16. Belonging to or inherited from one's father.

17. The month following March and preceding May. 18. Australian operatic soprano (1861-1931).

20. Material used to daub walls.

22. A capacitance unit equal to one billion farads.

25. A small piece of anything (especially a piece that has been snipped off).

27. A poplar that is widely cultivated in the United States.

28. A republic in the Asian subcontinent in southern Asia.

29. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

31. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

32. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily.

33. Any of several short-billed Old World rails.

37. A personal attractiveness that enables you to influence others.

41. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

43. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

44. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

45. (Sumerian) God of the air and king of the Sumerian gods.

48. Fraught with extreme danger.

51. Naked freshwater or marine or parasitic protozoa that form temporary pseudopods for feeding and locomotion.

53. (Sumerian) Consort of Dumuzi (Tammuz).

55. A dictator or dictatorial person.

57. A shelter from danger or hardship.

59. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

63. The capital and largest city of Ghana with a deep-water port.

66. An internationally recognized distress signal in radio code.

68. Jordan's port.

70. A steep rugged rock or cliff.

74. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

75. Exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health.

76. An esoteric or occult matter that is traditionally secret.

77. An endorsement made in a passport that allows the bearer to enter the country issuing it v 1.

78. A town in north central Oklahoma.

79. A large Yoruba city in southwestern Nigeria.

80. Norwegian mathematician (1802-1829).

2. (pathology) An elevation of the skin filled with serous fluid.

3. A system of solmization using the solfa syllables.

4. A cut of pork ribs with much of the meat trimmed off.

5. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

6. A highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series).

7. A piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep.

8. The largest Latin American country and the largest Portuguese speaking country in the world.

9. (Babylonian) Any of a group of powerful earth spirits or genii.

10. Marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea.

11. A metric unit of volume equal to one tenth of a liter.

12. Capital city of the Apulia region on the Adriatic coast.

13. Affording unobstructed entrance and exit.

14. (informal) Exceptionally good.

19. An imaginary elephant that appears in a series of French books for children.

21. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates.

23. By bad luck.

24. A Mid-Atlantic state.

26. A linear unit (1/6 inch) used in printing.

30. Metal shackles.

34. American author of inspirational adventure stories for boys.

35. A Bantu language spoken by the Kamba people in Kenya.

36. Enthusiastic approval.

38. An orderly arrangement.

39. The sound made by a cat (or any sound resembling this).

40. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

42. Fill with high spirits.

46. The dynasty that ruled much of Manchuria and northeastern China from 947 to 1125.

47. Hosiery consisting of a cloth covering for the foot.

49. Expanded in scope.

50. God of love and erotic desire.

52. Soft suede glove leather from goatskin.

54. Ctenophores lacking tentacles.

56. A city is east central Sweden north northwest of Stockholm.

58. Melon having yellowish rind and whitish flesh.

60. Formerly a term of respect for important white Europeans in colonial India.

61. Lower in esteem.

62. A clique that seeks power usually through intrigue.

64. A capacity unit used for measuring fresh herring.

65. City in southwestern Colombia in a rich agricultural area.

67. Toward the mouth or oral region.

69. (Polynesian) An alcoholic drink made from the aromatic roots of the kava shrub.

71. Narrow wood or metal or plastic runners used for gliding over snow.

72. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

73. A decree that prohibits something.

Yesterdayʼs Solution

DOWN 1. A member of the North American Indian people living in southern Arizona and northern Mexico.

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

SPORTS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Duncan, Bosh head All-Star reserves NEW YORK: Tim Duncan was selected to his 14th NBA All-Star game, San Antonio teammate Tony Parker joined him, and the Chicago Bulls also had two reserves chosen on Thursday for next month’s game in Houston.

Joakim Noah and Luol Deng were picked from the Bulls, who have stayed in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race despite the season-long absence of point guard Derrick Rose. Noah is one of five firsttime All-Stars for the East, along with New York’s Tyson Chandler, Indiana’s Paul George, Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving, and Philadelphia’s Jrue Holiday.

Miami’s Chris Bosh, picked for his eighth All-Star team, rounded out the East squad. West forwards David Lee (Golden State), LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland) and Zach Randolph (Memphis) all were picked for the second time. Houston’s James Harden

was chosen for the first time and joins former Oklahoma City teammate Russell Westbrook, headed to his third straight All-Star game.

Duncan wasn’t chosen last year for the first time in his career but has bounced back with a terrific season at age 36, averaging 17.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots, his best statistics since 2009-10.

The co-MVP of the 2000 All-Star game joined a group that includes Michael Jordan for fifth-most selections. Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett, both voted to start, and Shaquille O’Neal all were picked 15 times.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the career leader as a 19-time All-Star.

The reserves were voted by the head coaches from each conference, who had to select two guards, three frontcourt players and two players regardless of position. They were not

allowed to vote for players from their own teams. With centers Chandler and Noah, East coaches passed on Brooklyn’s Brook Lopez, the leading scorer for a resurgent team that is right behind the Knicks for the Atlantic Division lead. Perennial AllStars Deron Williams and Joe Johnson of the Nets also missed out, as did Boston’s Paul Pierce.

Lee gave the Warriors their first AllStar since Latrell Sprewell in 1997, but coach Mark Jackson and his team hoped for more. However, Stephen Curry wasn’t selected despite averaging 20.9 points. He’s the league’s eighth-leading scorer and the highest one who won’t be in Houston for the Feb. 17 showcase. Lee called his selection “bittersweet” because Curry - the first person to send him a congratulatory text - wasn’t picked. “In our practice facility, there’s that All-

Star chart and it stops at ‘97 and there hasn’t been any since. So the whole team was really excited with the improved record this year and to get one or both of our guys on there,” Lee said. “I’m really excited to be the one that goes and represents our team. I wish Steph could be a part of it and maybe he’ll still be able to. I’m just very, very excited. It’s been a long time for the Bay Area fans. Not only to have an All-Star, but to be winning games.”

Voted as East starters by fan voting along with Garnett were Miami’s LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, New York’s Carmelo Anthony and Boston’s Rajon Rondo. The West starting five is Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard of the Lakers, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, and Clippers teammates Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. — AP

Suns beat Clippers 93-88

NBA results/standings

Improving 2-0 under coach Hunter

Toronto 97, Orlando 95; NY Knicks 89, Boston 86; Phoenix 93, LA Clippers 88.

PHOENIX: Goran Dragic scored 19 of his 24 points in the first half and the Phoenix Suns held on to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 93-88 on Thursday night, improving to 2-0 under interim coach Lindsey Hunter.

Marcin Gortat added 15 points, including two free throws with 23.3 seconds left. Luis Scola and Markieff Morris had 14 apiece for the Suns, who had not won two in a row since a season-high, four game winning streak ended on Dec. 19. Dragic also had eight assists.

The Clippers, who lost their third straight, were without Chris Paul for the fifth time in seven games because of a bruised right kneecap. The team is 3-2 without him. Jamal Crawford led Los Angeles with 21 points. Eric Bledsoe scored 15 for Los Angeles and Blake Griffin 12. With the victory, Phoenix pulled out of the cellar in the Western Conference at 15-28 to New Orleans’ 14-28. The Clippers slipped to 32-12, 1 1/2 games behind West leaders Oklahoma City and San Antonio.

The three-game losing streak is Los Angeles’ second-longest of the season.

The Suns, who won at Sacramento on Wednesday night, scored six in a row to go up 86-79 on Gortat’s layup on a pass from Dragic with three minutes left. But the Clippers reeled off the next six. Bledsoe blocked Dragic’s shot and Crawford sank a 3-pointer from the corner to cut the lead to 86-85 with 26 seconds remaining.

After Gortat’s two free throws with 23 seconds left put Phoenix up 88-85, Crawford was fouled on a drive to the basket, narrowly missing a chance at a game-tying, three-point play. Instead, Crawford, an 88 percent free throw this season, missed one of two free throws and the Suns led 88-86.

Phoenix got the inbounds pass to Shannon Brown, who was fouled on

NY Knicks Brooklyn Boston Philadelphia Toronto

Chicago Indiana Milwaukee Detroit Cleveland

what officials ruled was a clear path to the basket. Brown made both free throws to make it 90-86 with 15.4 seconds left and the Suns retained possession. One free throw by Morris and two by Dragic wrapped up the scoring. Hunter became the fourth coach in Suns history to win his first two games. The other three - Gentry, Scott Skiles and Jerry Colangelo - also did it as midseason replacements.

The wins came despite a rocky change of power. Earlier in the day, Elston Turner confirmed he has left the organization after being passed over to replace the fired Alvin Gentry in

favor of Hunter, who was director of player development and had never coached before. Dan Majerle also left as an assistant coach after being passed over for the interim job.

Dragic scored the final nine Suns points in the first half, the last two on free throws after Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro and Crawford were called for technicals with .3 seconds left to put the Suns up 50-46 at the break.

Crawford scored seven straight points, the last two on a drive, to put Los Angeles ahead 62-59 with 4:17 left in the third quarter. Phoenix finished the quarter with a 6-2 spurt to lead 6866 entering the fourth. — AP

Central Division 25 16 .610 26 17 .605 22 18 .550 16 26 .381 11 32 .256

GB 1 7 10 11.5

2.5 9.5 15

Southeast Division 27 12 .692 24 18 .571 14 28 .333 10 32 .238 9 31 .225

4.5 14.5 18.5 18.5

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 33 10 .767 Denver 26 18 .591 Utah 23 19 .548 Portland 21 21 .500 Minnesota 17 22 .436

7.5 9.5 11.5 14

Miami Atlanta Orlando Charlotte Washington

PHOENIX: Blake Griffin #32 of the Los Angeles Clippers falls to the court after a foul from P.J. Tucker #17 of the Phoenix Suns during the NBA game at US Airways Center on Thursday in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Clippers 93-88. — AFP

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT 26 14 .650 26 16 .619 20 22 .476 17 25 .405 16 27 .372

LA Clippers Golden State LA Lakers Sacramento Phoenix

San Antonio Memphis Houston Dallas New Orleans

Pacific Division 32 12 26 15 17 25 16 27 15 28

.727 .634 .405 .372 .349

4.5 14 15.5 16.5

Southwest Division 34 11 .756 27 14 .659 22 22 .500 18 24 .429 14 28 .333

5 11.5 14.5 18.5

SPORTS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Habs use four-goal salvo to keep Capitals winless Ovechkin, Backstrom remain scoreless WASHINGTON: The Montreal Canadiens used a four-goal barrage to rout Washington 4-1 on Thursday and leave the Capitals still searching for their first win of the lockout-reduced season.

Second period goals from Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Markov, Brian Gionta and Josh Gorges secured back-to-back victories for the Canadiens after a lacklustre season-opening loss to Toronto.

“We took advantage of our powerplay, especially in the second period,” Montreal coach Michel Therrien told reporters.

“The powerplay gave us a good chance to win this hockey game.”

Canadiens netminder Carey Price stopped 30 shots and was rarely tested before a Joey Crabb goal with 2:33 remaining ended the veteran goalie’s shutout bid. “Things haven’t been going our way,” Capitals first-year coach Adam Oates said. “The team is probably a little

fragile and we gave them a five-on-three goal, which right away took the wind out of our sails a little bit.”

Montreal opened the scoring early in the second period when Plekanec netted from the right-wing circle with the Canadiens enjoying a two-man advantage. Less than a minute later, the Canadiens added another powerplay goal when Markov beat back-up Michael Neuvirth to the stick side.

With 11 minutes left in the period, the Canadiens made it 3-0 when Gionta caught the Capitals napping and fired an uncontested, five-foot wrist-shot high to the gloveside to silence a sold-out Verizon Center crowd of 18,506.

Gorges completed the scoring blitz with 1:39 remaining in the period to put the Canadiens out of sight of their shellshocked opponents. “Some of our mistakes are pure effort,” Oates added. “It’s

very upsetting. We’re pros. You’ve got to be a pro and you’ve got to do your job.”

After being out-scored 10-5 in their first two contests of the 48-game season, Oates opted to start Neuvirth in goal but the move backfired in the decisive middle period when he conceded all four goals on 11 shots. The Capitals (0-3) are in the midst of their worst start since dropping the first six games of the 1993-94 campaign. Two of the team’s top scorers, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, are still looking for their first goal of the season.

Backstrom refused to blame the club’s slugglish play on a new system installed

by Oates. “It’s up to us,” he said.

“We’re playing. Even if we have a new system, it’s not such a big difference from that last system. It’s a matter of work and making the right decisions at the right time. “And right now, we’re not doing that.” — Reuters

WASHINGTON: Andrei Markov #79 of the Montreal Canadiens scores a goal on goalie Michal Neuvirth #30 of the Washington Capitals during the second period at Verizon Center on Thursday in Washington. — AFP

NHL results/standings NY Islanders 7, Toronto 4; Philadelphia 2, NY Rangers 1; Montreal 4, Washington 1; Carolina 6, Buffalo 3; Ottawa 3, Florida 1; St. Louis 3, Nashville 0; Chicago 3, Dallas 2 (OT); Colorado 4, Columbus 0; Edmonton 2, Los Angeles 1 (OT).

New Jersey NY Islanders Pittsburgh Philadelphia NY Rangers

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF 2 0 0 5 2 1 0 12 2 1 0 11 1 3 0 5 1 3 0 9

GA 1 9 9 12 14

PTS 4 4 4 2 2

Ottawa Boston Montreal Buffalo Toronto

Northeast Division 3 0 0 11 2 0 1 8 2 1 0 9 2 1 0 10 2 2 0 12

2 6 4 9 12

6 5 4 4 4

Tampa Bay Winnipeg Carolina Florida Washington

Southeast Division 2 1 0 13 1 1 1 6 1 2 0 8 1 3 0 7 0 3 0 6

8 8 12 12 14

4 3 2 2 0

Chicago St. Louis Nashville Columbus Detroit

Western Conference Central Division 4 0 0 17 3 1 0 15 1 1 2 8 1 2 1 7 1 2 0 5

10 6 11 15 11

8 6 4 3 2

Colorado Minnesota Edmonton Vancouver Calgary

Northwest Division 2 1 0 9 2 1 0 6 2 1 0 8 1 1 1 8 0 2 1 7

5 5 9 12 12

4 4 4 3 1

Pacific Division San Jose 3 0 0 15 7 6 Dallas 2 1 1 8 8 5 Anaheim 2 0 0 12 7 4 Phoenix 1 3 0 15 16 2 Los Angeles 0 2 1 4 10 1 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

Snedeker, Choi share lead as Tiger lurks SAN DIEGO: While most eyes were on six-times champion Tiger Woods as he briefly moved within a stroke of the lead at the Farmers Insurance Open on Thursday, Brandt Snedeker launched his title defence in barnstorming style.

Snedeker, who has posted four top10s in his previous six appearances in the PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines, charged into a tie for the lead with South Korean KJ Choi after carding a flawless sevenunder-par 65 in the opening round. The fast-talking American birdied four of his first nine holes before picking up three more shots after the turn on the easier North Course, one of two layouts hosting the fourth PGA Tour event of the year.

“Obviously, a great start,” FedExCup champion Snedeker told reporters after a mainly overcast and calm day at Torrey Pines. “It was nice to be back here defending. The golf course is in great shape and to play the way I played today was nice. “I drove the ball really well, did-

n’t make too many mistakes and, when I did, my putter saved me. “It was a great day, but I realise we’ve got three more of them (rounds) to go and I’ve still got the hard course to go, so not too much excitement yet.”

Choi birdied three of his last four holes on the tougher South layout to join Snedeker at seven under while Woods, who got to six under after a storming seven-under run from the fifth to the 13th, finished bogey-par-bogey-par for a 68 on the South.

“I made a few mistakes out there, but I made some nice plays as well,” said Woods, whose charge came immediately after he had double-bogeyed the fourth.

“We couldn’t ask for better conditions to score than we had today.”

Canadians Mike Weir and Adam Hadwin, who both started out on the North course, and Britain’s Ross Fisher were among a group of eight players knotted on 66. Weir, the 2003 Masters

champion, is in good position to end a run of 17 consecutive missed cuts on the PGA Tour dating back to 2011, after being hampered by a lingering elbow injury. “I’ve tried to have a positive outlook as bad as I’ve played and as much as I’ve struggled,” the 42-year-old said. “I’m happy with the progress I’m making. My putter was just really hot today.”

Snedeker, who tied the North Course record in 2007 with a blistering 11under-par 61 in only his third start as a PGA Tour member, has always felt comfortable at Torrey Pines.

“The golf course just fits my eye really well,” he said. “I come in hitting the ball the right speed, reading the right lines and when you do that, and you have that kind of confidence, it kind of bleeds into the rest of your game.”

Choi, an eight-times winner on the PGA Tour, was delighted with his impressive start on the challenging South layout. “My goal today was a couple under

par,” he smiled after mixing eight birdies with a lone bogey. “I hope that this momentum just carries on into tomorrow and the weekend.”

Phil Mickelson, a three-times champion here whose tournament preparation was distracted by unwise public comments he made about his tax concerns, struggled on the greens on the way to a level-par 72 on the easier North Course.

“It’s fun to see a guy play well, it shows you what you need to do,” said Mickelson, who totalled 30 putts while playing in the company of Snedeker. “I didn’t play the best. I hit it poorly. I putted poorly.

“But I love being here at Torrey Pines.

The golf course is in great shape, the greens are as firm as I’ve ever seen them and I’ll see if I can get it going tomorrow.” The scoring average on the North course was 70.06 during the opening round while the South layout played to a mean of 71.73. — Reuters

sports

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Pakistan’s World Cup games shifted from Mumbai NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s matches in the forthcoming Women’s World Cup have been moved from Mumbai because of a right-wing nationalist group’s threat to disrupt them, cricket officials said yesterday.

The entire eight-nation event, to be held from January 31 to February 17, was due to take place in the financial city but the International Cricket Council (ICC) has revised its schedule following Shiv Sena’s planned protests.

The eastern city of Cuttack will now host all of Group B’s matches, featuring Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Pakistan will play its three league games at Cuttack’s Test venue, the Barabati Stadium, while the other group games will be held at the nearby Driems cricket ground.

Pakistan will stay in Cuttack if they qualify for the second round, but will still have to travel to Mumbai if they

Platini, Wenger want January window axed NYON: The January transfer window should be abolished or at least limited because it is unfair and distorts competitions, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and UEFA president Michel Platini said yesterday.

“I think a lot of coaches are unhappy about it because they don’t know if they are going to end the competition with the same team they started with,” Platini told reporters at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

“I think it’s unacceptable when, in one part of the competition, a player plays for team A against team B and, in the second half, he plays for team B against team A.” “This transfer window has been created to allow for a certain amount of business in a few other situations, but I think overall it damages the competitions.”

His French compatriot Wenger agreed. While Arsenal have yet to make any new signings this month, fellow Premier League side Newcastle United have been busy with purchases including French players Massadio Haidara, Mathieu Debuchy, Yoan Gouffran and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.

“I think it (January transfers) should all be completely cut out or limited to two players,” Wenger told a news conference. “It’s unfair for the league, some teams who have played for example Newcastle now twice already have an advantage on teams who play Newcastle now they have bought six or seven players.

“You do not face exactly the same team so I believe the number of players you could buy should be limited.” Wenger did not rule out bringing in new players in this window but reckoned it was not necessary for the club.

“If someone else can strengthen our squad, we will do it of course, but we have the resources inside to do well,” he said. “We have two players in every position, that should be enough, plus the young players in behind.

“But if we find the top-class players in any position, we never refuse to strengthen our squad.” He pointed out fundamental flaws in the mid-season transfer window. “It is a wrong transfer market. The only teams who sell players are teams who are in financial trouble who sell or players who are unhappy where they are,” he said.

Arsenal, who are sixth in the Premier League, will turn their attention to the FA Cup this weekend when they head to Championship (second division) Brighton and Hove Albion in the fourth round.

They will be without injured captain Thomas Vermaelen who sustained a minor ankle injury in Wednesday’s 5-1 thumping of West Ham United in the league but will welcome back midfielders Abou Diaby and Tomas Rosicky. “(Vermaelen’s injury) is short term.

It got a bit worse yesterday so we will not gamble on him,” Wenger said. — Reuters

make the final, the ICC said in a statement.

Group A matches between defending champions England, India, the West Indies and Sri Lanka will remain in Mumbai as originally scheduled.

The dates of the tournament also remained unchanged. Shiv Sena’s anger stems from recent border tension between India and Pakistan. Tension was heightened in early January by a series of cross-border exchanges in dis-

puted Kashmir along the de facto border known as the Line of Control.

Protests by Shiv Sena in Mumbai has already forced organisers of the inaugural Hockey India League to withdraw nine Pakistani players from the tournament and sent them home.

ICC chief executive David Richardson said in the statement that he was glad the governing body had come out of a “difficult situation which was not of cricket’s making”. — AFP

I Coast, Tunisia target early last-eight ticket RUSTENBURG: A win for Ivory Coast or Tunisia, who meet here today, could secure a pass to the Africa Cup of Nations last eight with one throw of the Group D dice still to roll.

A quarter-final ticket will go to the winners if the other game in the Rustenburg double-header between Algeria and Togo ends in a draw.

Ivory Coast and Tunisia occupy the top two places in the group on the strength of fortunate wins in their opening games. The Ivorians failed to do justice to their status as 2013 favourites when putting in an errorstrewn performance on Monday.

The game was heading for a draw after Yaya Toure’s goal was cancelled out by Jonathan Ayite until Gervinho struck two minutes from time to clinch all three points.

On this evidence, if the Ivorians were at school their report would read: “could do a lot better”. China-based striker Didier Drogba, at his last Nations Cup, was out of sorts and hauled off with a quarter of an hour remaining.

The former Chelsea star, who turns 35 in March, acknowledged the work that needed to be done if his team were to lift a title that has frustratingly alluded this golden generation of Elephants.

And coach Sabri Lamouchi, while relieved at scraping a win, lamented his side’s catalogue of mistakes in what he described as “the worst game since I took over”.

He said: “It wasn’t the best performance, we made lots of technical errors.

My team can’t put up the same performance against Tunisia, that’s for sure.

“The difficulty was that when we had the ball we lost it too quickly, and defensive mistakes put us in danger.

“This match has to serve as a lesson to us.”

Ivory Coast captain Kolo Toure, responsible for one of those defensive slip-ups which almost led to Togo’s Emmanuel Adebayor pinching an early goal, urged supporters to defer judgment.

“Our next game against Tunisia might be a better scale to judge us,” said the Manchester City defender.

Former Leicester player Sol Bamba put a bright spin on his side’s laborious showing.

“We’re going to take it step by step.

We got three points against Togo, now we have to be ready for Tunisia. “We

know how important first games can be. It gives us more confidence now we’ve got three points and it’s easier to wait for the second game,” he told the BBC. Like the top-ranked team in Africa, Tunisia were lucky to grab the points having been largely dominated

by Algeria in the Maghreb derby only for young midfield maestro Youssef Msakni to settle the issue with a lastminute goal.

This was a major boost for Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi in his bid to make it to the knockout stages of a competition he competed in as a player in South Africa in 1996, losing to Bafana Bafana (The Boys) in the final.

“You have to be really patient in a match like that as they are often decided at the last minute,” he said. On facing Ivory Coast, Tunisia captain Khelil Chammam commented: “For sure it gives us motivation. I hope we can go right to the finish line.”

Tunisia’s cause has been severely hampered by the absence of key striker Issam Jemaa, who misses the rest of the competition with a knee injury he sustained in the early stages against Algeria.

Tunisia, meanwhile, have history on their side as they prevailed 3-1 in the sides’ only previous Nations Cup meeting in Port Elizabeth in 1996. — AFP

RUSTENBURG: Tunisia midfielder Hatten Baratli (L), forward Zouhair Dhaouadi (C) and defender Aymen Abdennour (R) train yesterday in Rustenburg on the eve of a 2013 African Cup of Nation Group D football match against Ivory Coast. —AFP

sports

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Djokovic glad to carry lighter workload into final MELBOURNE: Supremely confident Novak Djokovic says he is feeling fitter and fresher than he did carrying last year’s leviathan workload as he sits back and waits for tomorrow’s Australian Open final.

The world number one has the benefit of an extra day’s rest and is in prime position to go after his fourth Australian title against US Open champion Andy Murray, who beat Roger Federer in five sets in their semi-final late Friday.

Djokovic demolished Spanish world number four-elect David Ferrer in less than 90 minutes in Thursday’s one-sided semifinal to clinch his third straight Australian final appearance. It is in stark contrast to 12 months ago, when the Serb had to dig deep

to win the title after fighting off Murray in a five-set semi-final over 4hr 50min ahead of his 5hr 53min final triumph over Rafael Nadal, the longest-ever match at Melbourne Park. Djokovic, who taken to the brink in a five-hour five-setter with Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round, has bounced back with untroubled wins over fifth seed Tomas Berdych and Ferrer.

The defending champion’s confidence is sky-high as he builds towards a shot at his sixth Grand Slam crown. “I definitely prefer being fitter for the final and having a little bit more time than I had in 2012,” Djokovic said. “It’s quite different circumstances that I have to face this time. “Last year I played five hours in the semis and had only a day-

and-a-half to recover for another six hours with Nadal.

“This year it hasn’t been the case, and I’m very glad. I was pushed to the limit in the fourth round and I’ve had some really physically tough matches in this tournament, and I’m glad that I got through it.

“Right now I feel great on the court.”

Those are ominous words for Murray as Djokovic has dropped just three sets and spent a total of 14hr 37min on court to reach the final. Djokovic described his tennis as “incredible” against the outgunned Ferrer, who despite his high ranking was made to look second-rate as his serve was broken seven times and he won only onethird of the match points against the ram-

pant Serb. “It can only do positive things for my confidence,” he said. “Definitely at this stage of a tournament, playing semi-finals against the world number four and being able to perform as well as I did, it’s incredible. “I have a great feeling about myself on the court at this moment. Now I have two days off before the finals which gives me enough time to get ready and recover for the finals,” Djokovic said.

“I don’t expect myself to play always this well, but I was free in my mind tonight and hopefully I can maintain that to the final,” he added. “This extra day’s break definitely serves me well, physically, mentally, emotionally, so I can get all my strength for the final.” — AFP

Azarenka faces headwinds in back-to-back bid Super-fit Li contesting her first major final

MELBOURNE: Italy’s Roberta Vinci, left, and partner Sara Errani, hold their trophy after winning the women’s doubles final against Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, second right, and Casey Dellacqua, right, at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, yesterday. — AP

Agassi amazed by tennis’ ‘golden age’ MELBOURNE: Eight-time Grand Slam-winner Andre Agassi yesterday said tennis was witnessing a “golden age” and that Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were arguably the best the sport had seen. Agassi, 42, speaking on his first visit to the Australian Open since he retired in 2006, joked that the only way he could have beaten Djokovic, the world number one, would have been to pick a fight with him.

“Let’s see. I would have probably gotten in a fight with him in the locker room before the match. I might have had a chance, maybe there,” Agassi said, adding that he was amazed at how standards had soared.

“It’s been amazing watching the standard continually sort of get better. You wonder how it’s possible, you know, to continue at that sort of rate. “I mean, what Federer did when he came and when I said goodbye, a lot had to do with what I knew was untouchable.

“It’s just a different standard of tennis. It’s different rules of engagement when guys can do what these guys can do. I don’t recognise it from a standpoint of strategy, because I counted on getting somebody behind in a point and then slowly smothering them.

“But nobody’s behind in a point. You never know when they’re behind in a point. That would have eliminated any ability I had to move forward in the court. “Means I would have had to be a different player, would’ve had to have a different body. It means the game has gotten a lot better.”

Since Agassi retired, Federer has outstripped Pete Sampras to reach a record 17 major titles, including a career Grand Slam.

Nadal has totted up 11 and Djokovic, 25, has been the dominant player of the past two seasons. “You know, Fed raised it; Nadal matched and raised it; Djokovic, for that intense little period of time, even raised it,” Agassi said. “It seemed like last year settled down a bit, and now all of a sudden (Andy) Murray is in the equation of where is he going to go. “But when I see those top three guys, I see what history will say is the golden age of tennis. You’re talking about arguably the three best guys. “Djokovic will still need some distance to cover, but best of all time, if you’re having that discussion in the same generation, it’s remarkable.” —AFP

MELBOURNE: Accused of gamesmanship and dogged by injury, Victoria Azarenka’s bid for successive Australian Open titles today will pit her against an opponent in the form of her life and a centre-court crowd wary of any hint of bad sportsmanship.

The Belarusian will take on sixth seed Li Na, who has not dropped a set all tournament and boosted her skyhigh confidence further by demolishing last year’s finalist Maria Sharapova 6-2 6-2 in the semi-finals.

Azarenka’s performance against American Sloane Stephens was less assured, and marred by controversy when the top seed took a near-10 minute medical timeout after blowing five match-points.

Azarenka returned to the court with jeers from the crowd, and after closing it out on the sixth match-point, added fuel to the fire by telling the on-court interviewer she nearly had “the choke of the year.”

Slammed on social media and grilled by reporters, Azarenka denied she had taken the timeout to calm her nerves, saying it was to receive treatment for a rib injury that was restricting her breathing.

Medical staff confirmed the treatment, according to tournament director Craig Tiley, and the 23-year-old tried to clear the air in an interview with the host broadcaster Channel Seven on Friday.

“It wasn’t really pleasant but there are some things that you have to deal with and some things you have to learn from,” said Azarenka of the controversy. “The important thing is just to move forward and have a great match tomorrow.” If Azarenka requires any additional motivation today, she knows she will lose her world number one ranking to Serena Williams if she fails to take the title.

The public relations exercise is unlikely to win much of the Rod Laver Arena crowd back to her corner, especially against an opponent like Li, who lost in the 2011 final to Kim Clijsters and remains a sentimental favourite at Melbourne Park.

Li, who will turn 31 next month and is bidding to become the tournament’s

oldest women’s champion, is in the shape of her life after a punishing offseason boot-camp under new coach Carlos Rodriguez, former mentor to seven-times grand slam champion Justine Henin.

Li said she was better prepared to take the title after being overwhelmed in her first attempt against Clijsters, which was also her maiden grand slam final. “(The) first time to the grand slam final, I was a little bit shocked because I didn’t know what I should do,” said Li who captured her sole grand slam title at the French Open a few months after the disappointment Down Under.

“Also no one told me what I should do on the court. But this time I’ve got more experience, so I think I should be better.”

Rodriguez has not only encouraged the hard-hitting Li to use more topspin as a defensive weapon and to mix up her play, but also brought a more tactical approach to her game.

The approach was obvious against Sharapova, as Li dominated the baseline and turned her soft serve into a slicing weapon that rarely allowed the Russian a free hit.

Most of Rodriguez’s work has been between the ears, however, teaching the temperamental Li to silence the voices of doubt in her head and trust in her game.

“He gives me ‘homework’. He’ll give me a piece of paper with some things written on it,” said Li, Asia’s first grand slam singles champion.

“It’s just about believing in myself.”

Azarenka holds a 5-4 record over Li and has won their last four matches, the most recent a tight battle in October at the WTA Championships in Istanbul that ensured she would finish the year as world number one.

Li, however, is 2-0 up in grand slam encounters, having beaten Azarenka at Melbourne Park in 2011 and again during her run to the title at Roland Garros. — Reuters

MELBOURNE: This photo combo created yesterday shows Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka (L) and China’s Li Na (R) in action during the 2013 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. Li and Azarenka will compete for the women’s singles title today. — AFP

SPORTS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Lennon hopes for third time lucky at Hampden

MALAGA: Malaga’s Uruguayan forward Sebastian Fernandez (L) vies with Barcelona’s goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto (R) during the Spanish Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) quarter-final second leg football match Malaga CF vs FC Barcelona at the Rosaleda stadium in Malaga on Thursday. — AFP

Bradford misery to help Arsenal avoid new shock ‘Arsenal must overcome potentially tricky test’ BRIGHTON: Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny believes the bitter experience of losing to League Two minnows Bradford will help the Gunners avoid a second humiliating defeat at Brighton in today’s FA Cup fourth round tie. The FA Cup looks Arsenal’s most realistic chance of silverware this season but if they are to progress in the competition, they must overcome a potentially tricky test against Championship opposition in the last 32.

Gus Poyet’s Brighton side are challenging for a place in the second tier play-offs and confirmed their threat in the previous round when they knocked out Premier League strugglers Newcastle. That will signal a warning for Koscielny and his Arsenal team-mates, who are still smarting from an embarrassing defeat on penalties to Bradford in the League Cup quarter-finals. The loss at Valley Parade in December confirmed to the France centre-back his side can take

nothing for granted. “The lesson is that it is not just with your quality that you can win a game. All of the team must concentrate and want the same thing,” said Koscielny. “We must be prepared to fight and stay focused on our quality and play our football like we do in every game. If we play like this then we can win every game. “Whether it is the FA Cup or the French Cup, it’s all the same: the smaller teams always want to win against the big teams. “They would like to beat Arsenal, so it will be hard and we will have to fight. We must play our football to win this game.

“We are favourites, so there is a little more pressure when you play. It will be difficult but if we keep our quality and play our football, we can win.” Arsenal head into the tie on the back of a 5-1 demolition of West Ham on Wednesday which helped lift spirits after the disappointing 2-1 defeat at Chelsea.

The win included two goals for France striker Olivier Giroud who has now scored 11 goals for the club since his preseason move from Montpellier. But Giroud insists there is more to come from him in the second half of the season. “It is good thing to reach this number of goals, but I want to keep going and score more,” he said.

“I know my team-mates very well, so I feel really good in games. I have scored 11 goals and I have nine assists but I know I can do more.” Meanwhile, Arsenal’s visit will give Brighton the chance to show how far they have come since their 6-1 defeat to Liverpool in the fifth round of the competition last season. Three own goals added to Brighton’s misery that day and former Chelsea star Poyet said: “I’m learning from last year. I want to make sure we don’t give everything in the first 30 minutes. That’s it. — AFP

GLASGOW: Celtic manager Neil Lennon is hoping to avoid a hat-trick of Hampden disappointments when his side take on St Mirren in tomorrow’s League Cup semi-final.

The Hoops boss watched on in agony as his side lost out to Kilmarnock in last March’s League Cup final before the Parkhead club succumbed to a late Hearts winner in their Scottish Cup semi-final in April.

The Glasgow giants are currently in a great position as they continue their hunt for a first domestic treble in 12 years and also have a Champions League last-16 tie against Juventus to look forward to next month.

But after his previous results at Hampden in charge of the Hoops, which include another Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Ross County, Lennon is far from relaxed heading into the game. “Every game is a knifeedge, in terms of what we want to do domestically and in Europe,” the Celtic manager said.

“And, in a semi-final, anything can happen. “I am very, very wary of St Mirren and very, very wary of playing at Hampden. “It will be a totally different environment, different conditions, a different ball, even.

“So we have to adapt very quickly to this game. “If we don’t turn up on Sunday, St Mirren could turn us over and the chance of a treble would be gone. “It’s very exciting that we have put ourselves in this position, but one game could change everything.”

Celtic will be boosted by the availability of Kelvin Wilson for tomorrow’s tie, the defender having now served his two-game suspension, and Lennon is hopeful keeper Fraser Forster will have recovered from the neck injury that has ruled him out of their past two games. However, the match has come too soon for winger James Forrest and Efe Ambrose remains on international duty with Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Meanwhile, St Mirren boss Danny Lennon says the Buddies will travel to Hampden on Sunday hoping to defy the odds against the tournament favourites.

And he is seeking inspiration from Kilmarnock’s 1-0 win against Celtic in last season’s final.

“I certainly believe that miracles do happen,” the St Mirren manager said. “It’s a one-off game. More often than not the hungrier team wins and I certainly hope that’s us on Sunday.

“We’re certainly not just going there just to enjoy the occasion. We want to go and make it an occasion.

“We have to make sure that we bring our key strengths. We’ve got to show bravery, confidence and a lot of desire and work rate.” Today, the other semifinal sees high-flying Inverness Caledonian Thistle take on Hearts at Easter Road in Edinburgh.

Inverness manager Terry Butcher has led the Highlanders to the giddy heights of second in the Scottish Premier League this season, but the former England captain says taking the club to the final of the League Cup for the first time in their history would top all of his managerial achievements. — AP

Svindal wins super-G for 20th career WCup victory KITZBUEHEL: Aksel Lund Svindal became the first skier in nine years to win three World Cup super-G races in a season yesterday.

Austrian standout Hermann Maier was the last skier to do it in 2003-04.

Svindal’s 20th career World Cup victory and first in Kitzbuehel - left him one shy of the all-time Norwegian record by Kjetil Andre Aamodt. In light snowfall and fog, Svindal used a strong finish to win in 1 minute, 14.68 seconds on the Streifalm course. Matthias Mayer of Austria was 0.13 behind in second, and world super-G champion Christof Innerhofer of Italy took third, 0.40 off the lead. “I’ve been leading before in Kitzbuehel but always lost the race,” Svindal said. “For me the last guy was Max Franz, I thought he

could take me. He started 30th, so I felt my heart beating until I saw his split times.”

Svindal extended his lead in the discipline standings to 171 points over Matteo Marsaglia of Italy, and he closed the gap to overall leader Marcel Hirscher to 88 points.

The Austrian skipped the race. The Norwegian saw his victory as ideal preparation for the world championships in Schladming, where the men’s super-G takes place in 12 days’ time.

With Saturday’s downhill in Kitzbuehel, followed by the super-G and a downhill in Schladming, Svindal knows this is the time of the season to peak. “That’s four races in a row where I have a good chance to win,” said Svindal, who crashed into safety nets at last

week’s downhill in Switzerland. “If you look at one race separately, you can become nervous. If it’s four races, it’s easier to get over the bad luck card that I drew in Wengen.”

Halfway down his run, Svindal trailed leader Mayer by 0.02 but attacked the second part in impressive style to deny the Austrian a surprise victory. Earning his first World Cup podium while being loudly cheered by a home crowd left Mayer nearly speechless.

“I don’t know what to say, I am totally excited,” said the son of Helmut Mayer, a silver medalist in super-G at the Calgary Olympics in 1988. “Kitzbuehel is like a child’s dream,” Mayer said. “Every time you watched TV in your childhood, you saw Kitzbuehel

and the many emotions. I am proud to be on the podium here.”

Innerhofer, who started ahead of most of the favorites in eighth, shouted out loudly in the finish area to celebrate his run, which was by far the fastest until then.

The Italian has been in the middle of a dispute with governing body FIS, who gave him start position 46th for Saturday’s downhill as a punishment. In Thursday’s downhill training, Innerhofer ignored a stop signal from a jury member who waved the yellow flag.

The Italian, however, claimed a jury member allowed him to ski down the course. He finally stopped his run after being shown a second yellow flag. The incident made Innerhofer “more angry than normal.” — AP

sports

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Redknapp brands Swansea ball boy ‘disgusting’ LONDON: Harry Redknapp has spoken out in support of Chelsea’s Eden Hazard following his red card for kicking a ball boy against Swansea, instead labelling the actions of the ball boy involved as “disgusting”.

The comments from QPR manager Redknapp came after the ball boy at the centre of the row, 17-year-old Charlie Morgan-who is also the son of Swansea’s biggest shareholder-took to Twitter after a “crazy 24 hours” and confirmed that he would not be pressing charges against Hazard.

Hazard was sent off by referee Chris Foy for kicking Morgan in the closing stages of Wednesday night’s Capital One Cup semi-final second leg at Liberty Stadium, which ended 0-0 as the

Swans advanced to the final 2-0 on aggregate.

The Belgium playmaker lost patience when Morgan refused to hand over the ball after it had gone out for a goal-kick.

Morgan fell to the ground as Hazard attempted to get the ball from him, with the 22-year-old then trying to kick it from under him but appearing to instead make contact with the youngster. However, Redknapp said he sympathised with Hazard and holds Morgan responsible for the incident. “Hazard toe-poked the ball under the boy’s body. Why is the kid lying on the ball in the first place?” he said.

“You can imagine the frustrationyou’re a player trying to reach a cup final but there’s this kid behaving like

Barca look to bounce back in La Liga MADRID: Top of the league Barcelona face struggling Osasuna at home tomorrow bidding to bounce back from a first league defeat of the season, 3-2 at Real Sociedad, last Saturday. Barca’s record breaking first-half of the season, which saw them drop only two points, means Tito Vilanova’s side sit eight ahead of Atletico Madrid in second with Real Madrid a further seven points back in third.

However, last weekend’s set-back saw the Catalans lose a two-goal lead in San Sebastian and it should serve as a wake up call with 18 league games still to play.

Despite that defeat, Barcelona showed in midweek that there was no long-term damage when they beat Malaga 4-2 in the Spanish Cup quarter-finals to set-up a semi-final clash with Real Madrid. Both Madrid sides won their games last Sunday to cut the deficit at the top, but have lost key players, Iker Casillas for Real and Radamel Falcao for Atletico, in the past week. Barca will themselves be without new father Gerard Pique on Sunday after his red card against Sociedad.

Osasuna forward Nino believes his side will be full of confidence after a 2-1 win over Deportivo last Sunday that saw the Pamplona-based side move off the bottom of the table.

“Wins give you the confidence for the day-to-day and then the game on Sunday. We work hard to win and you feel better when you achieve that. We all know the situation is difficult but we will try not to give anything away at Barcelona,” he said. “We know it won’t be easy but any point would help us out, so we’ll be giving it our best.”

Atletico Madrid go to Athletic Bilbao, also on Sunday, without top-scorer Falcao who picked up a muscle problem in his left thigh in Sunday’s win over Levante.

The Colombian striker, who has 18 league goals, is expected to be out for at least another two weeks, but coach Diego Simeone is not too worried.

“He is important for us, but we have Diego Costa, Adrian Lopez and Raul Garcia who can give us cover in attack and they are good players,” he said.

Atletico’s Spanish international Juanfran is another absentee-he has not trained since picking up a hamstring injury against Betis in the Cup. Real Madrid face neighbours Getafe on Sunday without goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas who fractured a bone in his left hand after a collision with teammate Alvaro Arbeloa in Wednesday’s Spanish Cup quarter-final second leg in Valencia. Casillas could be out of action for up to two months, which would also see him ruled out of the Champions League last-16 tie with Manchester United.

Antonio Adan will cover for Casillas and Madrid will also have Sergio Ramos back in defence, as a red card picked up in the Cup will not mean a suspension in the league.

For the same reason Angel Di Maria and Fabio Coentrao, who picked up further red cards at Valencia, will also be available, but centre-half Pepe is still not available and coach Jose Mourinho will choose between Raphael Varane or Raul Albiol to partner Ramos in defence.— AFP

an idiot who won’t give you the ball back.

“Hazard didn’t kick the kid, he kicked the ball underneath him, but the whole thing got blown out of all proportion. “I can think of a lot of players who would have kicked a bit harder than he did. He just toe-poked the ball away.

“The boy was tweeting before the game that he’s a super time waster. The way he behaved was disgusting.” In the early hours of Friday, Morgan tweeted: “Crazy 24 hours. Spoke to Hazard and I will not be pressing charges. Be in touch.”

Despite that, South Wales Police have been obliged to continue investigating the incident after receiving three complaints. “Three calls have been

received from members of the public living in Sussex, Kent and west Wales which are being followed up,” a police spokesman said.

Hazard was assumed to have avoided criminal charges when the matter was dropped after he and the teenager met and made mutual apologies. It then emerged Morgan was the son of millionaire Swansea director Martin Morgan. Charlie’s parents Martin and Luisa Morgan own almost a quarter of the Premier League club and their son enjoys a lifestyle most professional footballers would envy. Lifelong Swans fans, the Morgans amassed their £42 million ($66.3m) fortune through owning and selling a travel agency and then investing in boutique hotels.— AFP

Real Madrid players deny seeking sack for Mourinho ‘Casillas out of action with fractured thumb’ M A D R I D : Real Madrid stars Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos denied Thursday reports that they had demanded the club fire coach Jose Mourinho before next season.

The league champions have seen their performances improve at the halfway point in the season but have won little respite from reports of tension in the dressing room. Top sports paper Marca, a pro-Real daily, splashed a claim that Casillas and Ramos had given the club management an ultimatum at a meeting on Tuesday, headlined “It’s Mou or us.”

Casillas and Ramos, two influential members of the Real squad who have reportedly clashed with the Portuguese coach, rejected the report and president Florentino Perez branded it an attempt to “destabilise” the club.

“No kind of ultimatum was ever made by us concerning our coach” at the meeting, the two players said in a statement. “We want to demonstrate our support for our coach, Jose Mourinho, to whom we owe the utmost respect.”

Marca said the two had told club president Florentino Perez that several players were ready to leave the club if Mourinho remained in charge for next season. Mourinho kept Casillas-a hero of Real Madrid and the Spanish national teams that won the last World Cup and two European championships-on the bench for two matches in December and January.

The coach said it was a question of the keeper’s form but the move was widely interpreted as a bid by Mourinho to assert his authority over Casillas, whom he reportedly sees as a dissenter in the dressing room.

Casillas is now out of action with a fractured thumb which will require surgery. Ramos was left on the bench following a defeat to Sevilla, and later appeared to defy Mourinho by visibly wearing under his strip the name of his teammate Mesut Ozil, who was being sidelined from the squad.

Perez, a construction magnate, said he had met on Tuesday with Casillas

and Ramos as well as Real Madrid director general Jose Angel Sanchez but denied the details reported by Marca.

“What was published is simply a lie,” Perez told a news conference at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium. “The meeting was to agree on the bonuses to be given players for various competitions. It is completely false that during this meeting we received such an ultimatum,” he added. The editor of Marca, Oscar Campillo, acknowledged there may not have been an “ultimatum” as such but stood by the story that various Real players were thinking of leaving if Mourinho stayed.

Over recent months Spanish media have been full of reports of a rift in the dressing room between Mourinho and heavyweights such as Casillas and Ramos complaining about his aloof style.

Last week Marca reported that star striker Cristiano Ronaldo clashed with Mourinho after the Portuguese coach

criticised his performance in the final minutes of the side’s 2-0 win over Valencia in the first leg of their Spanish Cup quarter-final tie.

A poll published in the newspaper earlier this month said Real Madrid supporters have also started to lose faith in Mourinho: 54.4 percent said he should stay next season and 41.8 percent said it was time for him to go.

Mourinho was jeered at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium this month after he benched Casillas for two matches. Real Madrid won the Spanish league last year but are lagging in third this season with 40 points, 15 behind their arch-rivals, league leaders Barcelona, and seven behind city rivals Atletico.

Mourinho has admitted the league title is out of reach this season but Real have qualified for the semi-finals of the Spanish Cup, where they will face Barcelona, and host Manchester United on February 13 in the first leg of the Champions League quarter finals. — AFP

BREST: Plabennec’s French defender Steven Abiven (C) vies with Lille’s Brazilian forward Tulio De Melo (R) during the French Cup football match Plabennec vs Lille on Thursday in Brest, western of France. — AFP

sports

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Vidic expects sunshine break to revitalise United MANCHESTER: Nemanja Vidic believes Manchester United have benefited from their warm-weather training in Qatar as they prepare to face Fulham in the FA Cup fourth round today.

United departed for the Middle East on Sunday, following a 1-1 draw with Tottenham that saw their lead at the top of the Premier League cut to five points.

After the frustration of conceding a late equaliser at White Hart Lane, United captain Vidic, 31, believes this week’s sunshine break will revitalise the squad as they head into the second half of the season.

“It’s been excellent since we’ve been here,” Vidic said. “The weather has been nice and the facilities have also been fantastic. “Working in the sun has been a nice

Today’s matches on TV

African Nations Cup Ivory Coast v Tunisia ............................ 18:00 Aljazeera Sport +9 Algeria v Togo ....................................... 21:00 Aljazeera Sport +10

England FA Cup Stoke v Man City ................................... 15:45 Aljazeera Sport +5 Norwich v Luton.....................................18:00 Aljazeera Sport +8 Albion v Arsenal ....................................18:00 Aljazeera Sport +5 Man United v Fulham............................ 20:30 Aljazeera Sport +5

Spanish League Vigo v Sociedad .....................................18:00 Aljazeera Sport +2 Levante v Valladolid.............................. 20:00 Aljazeera Sport +2 Zaragoza v Espanyol ............................. 22:00 Aljazeera Sport +8 Coruna v Valencia................................... 0:00 Aljazeera Sport +2

Italian League Lazio v Verona ....................................... 20:00 Aljazeera Sport +1 Juventus v Genoa....................................22:45 Aljazeera Sport +1

French League Rennais v Marseille.................................19:00 Aljazeera Sport +4 Montpellier v Sochaux ............................ 22:00 Aljazeera Sport +4 Gaillard v Ajaccio .....................................22:00 Aljazeera Sport +6 Lorraine v Lorient .....................................22:00 Aljazeera Sport +9

German League Eintracht v Hoffenheim ........................... 17:30 Dubai Sports 6 Augsburg v Schalke.................................. 17:30 Dubai Sports 2 Borussia v Fortuna .................................... 17:30 Dubai Sports 7 Freiburg v Leverkusen ...............................20:30 Dubai Sports 2

change, especially with the weather in Manchester at this time of year. We were here three years ago and on both occasions we have had great trips.”

Having beaten West Ham 1-0 in a third round replay at Old Trafford, Alex Ferguson’s team earned a tie against the Cottagers at Old Trafford as they look for a first FA Cup triumph since 2004. That final victory over Millwall saw United win the cup for the fifth time since Ferguson took charge in 1986.

But the Scot has regularly expressed his frustration at their failure to win it since, with long-serving players such as Rio Ferdinand, who was serving a drugs ban nine years ago, Wayne Rooney, Vidic and Patrice Evra never having won the competition.

Like Vidic, Welsh midfielder Ryan Giggs, 39, also feels that the break in Qatar will aid United’s pursuit of silverware in the months ahead. “It’s been really enjoyable - the weather has been good, the facilities are excellent and it’s been good to be in the sun,” Giggs said.

“We hope it will benefit us over the season as the training has been great and the lads have had some down-time relaxing on the beach and watching the golf at the Qatar Masters which was enjoyable.”

The only downside of the trip was a report that Rooney, who has only just returned from three weeks out with a knee injury, had limped out of training with what seemed to be a thigh problem that may make him doubtful to face Martin Jol’s team.

United will certainly rate their chances against the Cottagers, having won 20 of their last 21 home games against Fulham, stretching back to 1963. Fulham striker Dimitar Berbatov will be facing his old club, although Jol was quick to insist his side can’t just rely on the Bulgarian striker.

“I don’t want to put pressure on him,” Jol said. “Of course if he was playing for Man United it would be a bit easier for him but he is not playing for them any more, he plays for us.

“Hopefully he will do something nice, but for me it is important that he works for the team. We would love to go to the next round, even though we are playing against United.” Jol has been pleased with Berbatov since his arrival from United earlier in the season.— AFP

Zambia keeper scores from penalty to salvage draw Enyeama rages at ‘worst ever call’ R U S T E N B U R G : Zambia goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene, a noted penalty saving and taking specialist, scored from the spot to salvage a 1-1 draw against Nigeria here yesterday.

Mweene’s late heroics in this Africa Cup of Nations Group C clash cancelled out Emmanuel Emenike’s goal with Nigeria’s John Obi Mikel failing to convert a first-half penalty. The stalemate left defending champions Zambia and Nigeria tied at the top of the minileague, with Burkina Faso and Ethiopia playing later.

“The coach likes to ask who wants to take penalties before the match-Chris (Katongo) and I said ‘yes’, but Chris went out so I was the only one left. “It’s a long way to walk from one goal to the other knowing you have to score to equalise. It was difficult, but I kept my cool.”

Zambia coach Herve Renard added: “I thought we played a very good match today. We made an enormous error in conceding the goal, but found the resources to come back.” Nigeria goalkeeper and captain Victor Enyeama was upset about the penalty awarded against his team: “That was one of the worst calls I’ve seen in the history of football.

“It doesn’t belong to football, you shouldn’t see such a call in a game of this magnitude.” Coach Stephen Keshi backed Enyeama: “I agree with my captain, but I don’t want to speak to much about the referee. People should judge it for themselves, but I’m not sure if it was a penalty.

“In a big game like this a penalty should be clear, but we’ve got to move on and do what we need to do in our next game. “My aim was to get three points here but I’m happy enough with a draw against the champions Zambia, who have been together for four years now.”

For the Zambians, this clash on the threadbare Mbombela Stadium pitch represented the chance to avenge defeats to Nigeria in Angola in 2010 and in the 1994 final, the last of Nigeria’s two titles.

Herve Renard’s men started ambitiously, but Nigeria’s defence held firm as

the title-holders struggled to capitalise on all their possession.

On 25 minutes, Zambia had a lucky escape when defender Davies Nkausu felled Ahmed Musa in the box, with

The Spartak Moscow striker was doubling his tally in South Africa, having scored in Nigeria’s first game.

That sparked Renard to alter his lineup, Collins Mbesuma and Mukuka

NELSPRUIT: Zambia’s goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene shoots to score a goal, from the penalty spot, against Nigeria during their African Cup of Nations group C match yesterday at the Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. The two other teams in group C are Ethiopia and Burkina Faso. — AP Egyptian referee Grisha Ghead pointing to the spot.

John Obi Mikel stepped up, but his far-from-vintage low effort went the wrong side of Mweene’s right post.

Zambia ended the first half as they’d begun it, on the attack, yet unable to land a sucker punch.

A more assured Nigeria emerged after the restart, and deservedly took a 57thminute lead when Emenike raced on to Mikel’s neat through pass and controlled the ball well before shooting low into the left hand corner.

Mulenga coming on for captain Christopher Katongo and Chisamba Lungu. Soon after, Isaac Chansa came off for Jonas Sakuwaha as Renard strengthened his attack.

Mweene then saved Zambia’s day. The ‘keeper, who regularly takes penalties for South Africa Premier League club Free State Stars and converted his effort in last year’s Nations Cup final shoot-out, coolly stepped up to slot home a spot kick awarded harshly when Ogenyi Onazi tangled with Emmanuel Mayuka in the box. — AFP

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2013

Sports

Zambia keeper scores from penalty to salvage draw

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MELBOURNE: Britain’s Andy Murray plays a return during his men’s singles semi-final against Switzerland’s Roger Federer on day twelve of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne yesterday. — AFP

Murray floors Federer To meet Djokovic in final MELBOURNE: Andy Murray won a knock-downdrag-out thriller of a scrap with Roger Federer yesterday to set up an Australian Open final against Novak Djokovic and finally beat the Swiss for the first time at a grand slam.

Charged with confidence after claiming his first grand slam title at last year’s U.S. Open and beating Federer in the Olympic final, Murray met the Swiss as a peer and prevailed 6-4 6-7 6-3 6-7 6-2 after four hours of top quality tennis.

The 25-year-old Briton blasted 21 aces and won the winner count 62-43 but it was only in the fifth set that he was able to pull away from the 17-times grand slam champion to reach his third Melbourne Park final. Federer was never going to give up easily and twice came from a set down to level a sometimes fractious contest before the effort of playing back-to-back five set matches took its toll on his 31-year-old legs. “It was a tough match (but) I thought I did a good job tonight,” said Murray. “I’ve obviously lost some tough matches against him in slams. So to win one, especially the way that it

went was obviously nice.” Murray had never beaten Federer in their three previous meetings at grand slams and now has the chance to become the first man in the open era to back up his maiden major title at the first attempt.

To do that, though, he will have to beat double defending champion Djokovic, who crushed the Scot in the 2011 final and played one of the best matches of his career on Thursday to hammer David Ferrer and reach his third successive final.

“I don’t want to be wasting any energy, because I’ll need all of it if I want to win against Novak tomorrow,” said Murray. With two of the “Big Four” of men’s tennis facing off for the first time in the tournament, there was a real buzz as the pair took to the court on Rod Laver Arena.

The capacity crowd would not be disappointed and watched mesmerised as they did battle through lengthy rally after lengthy rally, only the squeak of their shoes on the bright blue surface and the occasional gasp breaking the silence.

Once all sinew, Murray has muscled up consid-

erably and his increased power was evident in his service and some huge forehands that forced the four-times Australian Open champion onto the backfoot. Power on its own has never been enough to beat Federer, however, and it was the acute angle of the third seed’s crosscourt winner that gave him a break to go 2-1 up in the first set.

Federer put huge pressure on Murray’s next couple of service games but the Briton showed his increasing maturity to hold where he might once have crumbled and go a set up.

There were no break points in a tight second set but Federer got his nose ahead in the tiebreak, setting up set point with a beautiful backhand pass and yelling “Allez!” as he converted it.

It was the first set Murray had lost all tournament and he looked intent on making it the last, breaking for 4-2 in the third when Federer went wide with a backhand and closing out comfortably with his 16th ace. Federer was still not done, however, and two hours and 42 minutes into the match he finally got his first break when Murray went

wide with a forehand in the 71-minute fourth set.

Murray’s brilliant returning helped him break straight back, however, and he was in front with another break four games later but just could not serve out for the victory.

“When I was serving for the match at 6-5 in the fourth, he came up with some unbelievable shots,” said Murray, who lost the ensuing tiebreak 7-2.

Murray raced to a 3-0 lead in the decider, however, and was soon raising his arms in triumph after reaching his sixth grand slam final.

“It was tough tennis. I enjoy that,” said Federer.

“I think Andy was a bit better than I was tonight. He beat me fair and square tonight. No regrets from me. “He’s always played me pretty well over the years. With the win at the Olympics and the U.S. Open ... it seems like he has more peace when he plays out there.”

Earlier, Italian duo Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci beat local hopes Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua 6-2 3-6 6-2 in the women’s doubles final to claim the first title of the tournament. —Reuters