27 Jan

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

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Azarenka defeats injured Li in dramatic final

French forces in Mali strike at Gao rebel stronghold

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Deadly clashes in Egypt after football verdicts

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RABI ALAWAL 15, 1434 AH

Street riots kill 30 • 21 face death over stadium disaster

CAIRO: An Egyptian fan of Al-Ahly football club fires celebratory shots in the air and lights a flare as club supporters celebrate outside its headquarters yesterday after a court sentenced 21 people to death over a football riot that killed more than 70 people last year. — AFP

KIA: Weak yen could spark currency war KUWAIT: The decline of the yen could spark a currency war in southeast Asia, Badr Al-Saad, the head of Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund, said in comments aired yesterday. The Chinese economy will grow between 7.7 percent to 8 percent over the next two years, far better than developed economies, Saad, the managing director of Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), told pan-Arab network Al-Arabiya at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “The only fear is the decline of the yen. The decline of the yen could trigger a currency war in the countries of southeast Asia, this is the only fear we have at the moment,” he said.

The Japanese currency has weakened to about 90 per dollar from 80 since November on expectations Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will force the central bank to ease monetary policy to combat deflation. KIA has been seeking to invest more in China and China’s foreign exchange regulator recently increased the amount which the KIA can invest directly in local securities markets to $1 billion. Saad said that KIA has been investing

in private equity funds where the returns are good and is shunning bonds because interest rates are so low.

“We have been investing in private equity funds lately ... the returns are good,” he said in rare public comments about the KIA’s investment strategy. He named Texas Pacific Group and CBC as two of the funds the KIA has been investing in.

He said the fund wanted to invest in upcoming infrastructure projects in Europe and the United States. “We think that these countries need to develop their infrastructure. We think that investments in infrastructure will be big in the next five years,” he said. The KIA manages two main funds. Its Future Generations Fund invests abroad and had assets under management worth 73.63 billion Kuwaiti dinars at the end of March 2012, according to media reports, or $261 billion at the current exchange rate. The KIA, which does not officially disclose assets under management, also manages a general reserve fund, which acts as the main treasurer for the government and receives all revenues. — Reuters

55 dead in Venezuela jail riot CARACAS: At least 55 people were killed and 90 others wounded in clashes between prison gangs and security guards at a facility in northwest Venezuela, a hospital director said yesterday. Television images had earlier shown National Guard troops surrounding the Uribana prison in Lara state as inmates in bloody clothes were taken out of the building. Behind the barriers, relatives of the prisoners - most of them women - waited for news of their loved ones, many of them in tears. “There are 55 dead already in the morgue,” hospital director Ruy Medina said yesterday. Around 30 people were still being treated, he said, adding that the patients are “progressing satisfactorily,” and that more would likely be released during the day.

Medina had earlier said that most of those injured had suffered gunshot wounds, and that 14 people had injuries severe Continued on Page 13

Max 22º Min 15º High Tide 13:20 & 23:42 Low Tide 06:52 & 18:22

PORT SAID, Egypt: Street clashes killed at least 30 people in Egypt’s Port Said yesterday after 21 supporters of a local football club were sentenced to death over a bloody stadium riot in the canal city. The violence comes a day after nine were killed in protests against President Mohamed Morsi on the second anniversary of Egypt’s uprising against predecessor Hosni Mubarak, in the worst crisis Morsi has faced since taking power in June. Minutes after a Cairo court handed down the sentences against fans of Port Said side Al-Masry over the deaths of 74 people during post-match violence last February, protesters rampaged through the city, attacking police stations and setting tyres alight.

Relatives of those condemned tried to storm the prison in Port Said where they are being held, leading to fierce clashes with security forces. Unidentified assailants used automatic weapons against police who responded with tear gas, witnesses said. At least 30 people died and 312 were wounded, the health ministry said, with the interior ministry saying two policemen were among those killed. Medics told AFP all the fatalities were from gunfire.

Crowds stormed two police stations as heavy gunfire crackled through the city, where shops and businesses had closed, according to an AFP correspondent.

Ambulances ferried the injured to hospitals and mosques urged worshippers to donate blood. The army, which earlier deployed troops to restore calm, managed to control vital public buildings, including the prison, banks and courts, witnesses said. Clashes also erupted in the nearby canal city of Suez, where at least eight people were killed in fighting on Friday.

Continued on Page 13

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta hoists the India’s national flag at the Indian embassy premises yesterday. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: People attend the Republic Day celebrations. (Inset) Ambassador Mehta addresses the community members.

Indian Embassy celebrates Republic Day Joy, patriotism as hundreds attend festivities

The all-girls brass band of the Indian Community School performs.

A folk dance performance by Indian Community School students

By Sajeev K Peter KUWAIT: Thousands of Indians from all walks of life thronged the Indian embassy premises in Kuwait yesterday to mark India’s 64th Republic Day which was celebrated in an atmosphere of bonhomie and patriotic fervor. The impressive ceremony got off to a solemn start with Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta unfurling the national tricolor at 9 am marking 64 years of the establishment of India’s constitution. The ambassador also read out Indian President Pranab Mukherjee’s address to the nation after the singing of the national anthem.

Addressing the community members, Ambassador Mehta

said India-Kuwait relations are exemplary, longstanding, close and growing, characterized by mutual respect and understanding. “The relationship extends beyond historical and cultural linkages to encompass politics, trade and economy. Our engagement has been multifaceted and continues to grow,” he said.

India-Kuwait trade increased by 43 percent in 2011-2012 and reached a record $17.5 billion. India has consistently been among Kuwait’s top trading partners and recent years have witnessed new opportunities opening up sectors like human resource, medical tourism, hospitality and IT. Conveying his warm greetings to all members of the

Indian community on the occasion, Mehta highlighted the efforts made by the embassy to effectively address issues of concern for the community. “The large Indian community in Kuwait has a reputation for being industrious, talented, disciplined and law-abiding,” he said. The Ambassador also extended his best wishes and warmest greetings for the continued good health and wellbeing of His Highness the Amir, His Highness the Crown Prince, His Highness the Prime Minister and for the progress and prosperity of the people of Kuwait.

A kaleidoscopic view of India’s cultural diversity was presented on the occasion beginning with the all-girls brass band of the Indian Community School and the bugle band of the

Bohra community. An astounding float displaying a huge peacock - India’s national bird - and a variety of folkloric presentations by Indian Community School children were the highlights of the cultural pageantry. Students from Integrated Indian School, India International School and Wataniya Private School rendered patriotic songs. An exceptionally huge crowd attended this year’s Republic Day celebration that included construction and domestic workers, engineers, doctors, other professionals and representatives of Indian associations and businessmen, besides embassy staff and their families. The celebrations came to an end with an open house reception.

Six injured in accidents

UNRWA grateful for Amir’s help

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 44-year-old Indian expat received a head injury when a passing car hit him while he was crossing a street at Salwa opposite the medical center. He was rushed to the Mubarak Hospital and admitted to its intensive care unit.

A 40-year-old Egyptian expat suffered a head injury and fractured his ribs in a car accident at the Fifth Ring Road at Riyadh Bridge. He was taken to the Amiri Hospital and admitted to its intensive care unit.

A four-year-old Kuwaiti child was hit by a car at AlDhahr opposite the health clinic. The accident left him with a head injury and a fractured right hand. He was taken to the Al-Adan Hospital and admitted to its intensive care unit.

A car accident at Al-Nowaiseeb road opposite McDonalds resulted in a fracture in the left foot and backbone for a 16-year-old Kuwaiti young man while another 19-year-old Kuwaiti man suffered a fracture in his right foot. Both were taken to the Al-Adan Hospital.

A 38-year-old Egyptian expat was hit by a car and suffered multiple injuries when he was crossing the road at Salmiya, opposite Marina Play grounds. He was taken to the Al-Sabah Hospital.

Dangerous ring The Shuwaikh Industrial Area fire center was called to Al-Razi Hospital after receiving a report from the hospital emergency and accident division about a 19-year-old wearing a 3D ring, which became stuck, causing her finger to swell. Firemen had to cut the ring off using an electric cutting device, without causing injury to the girl. Lt. Colonel Abdullah Akbar, who supervised the procedure, warned citizens and expats to be more careful about wearing such jewelry, as it could prove dangerous.

Innovative new services from Wataniya Telecom KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom, one of Kuwait’s leading telecommunications operators, is participating at InfoConnect 2013 with its dealers which will be inaugurated today under the patronage of Minister of Communication Engineer Salem Al-Athaina and will last till Feb 2. InfoConnect is one of the most professionally organized trade shows in Kuwait, dedicated exclusively to the Telecommunications and information technology sectors.

Held at the Mishref International Fairgrounds, and with over 1,114 square meters of space, Wataniya will be promoting a variety of packages, plans and services including W’s, B2B, 4G, the new prepaid pack Wasil, as well as Gold Plus, and VIP numbers.

Additionally, visitors will discover the telecom operator’s latest promotion on plans worth KD 10 and above, offering all customers a chance to win from over 2000 gifts valued up to KD 20,000, on the spot. InfoConnect provides us with a chance to showcase the latest innovations at Wataniya to our valued customers.

Our previous experience in InfoConnect has allowed us to build direct rapport with our clientele, and we look forward to taking part once again in order to demonstrate our efforts in sustaining industry best practices and providing our customers with unparalleled services in the telecoms industry.

UNITED NATIONS: Richard Wright, Director of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Office in New York, late Friday said Kuwait’s offer to host the humanitarian pledging Conference for Syria next week is an extension of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s generosity to the UN agencies.

“We are immensely grateful to the Amir of Kuwait HH Sheikh Sabah to host the Conference. It is a very important humanitarian gesture by His Highness and the country. We, in UNRWA, have benefited from quite important donations from Kuwait, including in Gaza, so we see this (Conference) from our perspective as a sort of an extension of that,” Wright said in an interview in his office.

He expressed confidence that Kuwait will make an “important declaration. That will spur on other potential donors to match the example set by the host country. I don’t know what Kuwait may suggest, but we certainly are looking forward to that.” “We are very much hoping that this Conference, generously hosted by the Amir, will unlock additional funding and also bring forward new donors ... who have not contributed so far to provide some substantial contributions to enable us and other agencies to pursue our important work,” he said, indicating that countries of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will participate this time. — KUNA

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

LOCAL

Panel discusses monthly payments for bedoons Minister to look into demographic structure KUWAIT: The Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Sharida AlMaosharji, will attend the parl i a m e n t ’s h u m a n r i g h t s a n d stateless residents committee today (Sunday) to discuss multiple issues including a proposal to grant stateless residents monthly allowances to be paid by the Zakat House. “Discussion is set to focus on whether we c a n a gre e o n a m e c h a n i s m based on which the Zakat H o u s e m a k e s m o n t h l y p ay ments to bedoons, and study potential difficulties that might stand in the way of this proposal,” rapporteur of the committee, Tahir Al-Failakawo, said on Friday.

Meanwhile, Al-Qabas newspaper asked Al-Failakawi for his reac tion to a demonstration carried out by stateless resid e n t s o n Fr i d ay i n A l -J a h r a .

“A ny v i o l a t i o n o f t h e l aw i s u n a cce p t a b l e, t h e re fo re

Bedoons should have filed a request to seek a license for t h e i r p ro ce s s i o n i n o rd e r to avoid violating the law and as a result face legal prosecution,” he said.

Under Kuwaiti law, public demonstrations and gatherings can only be licensed for Kuwaiti citizens. “[Demonstrations] are n o t t h e w ay to re s o l ve t h e bedoons’ problem, not when t h e re a re d o c u m e n t s w h i c h prove that 75 percent of them do not meet the conditions for naturalization,” Al-Failakawi further indicated.

Separately, MP Mubarak AlNajadah told Al-Jarida newspaper that a group of MPs plan to submit a proposal to split the committee into two panels, one dealing with human rights and another with the issue of stateless residents. “ The proposal takes into account the complexity of both subjects, and

hopes to have a separate committee to fully focus on each subject,” he said.

M e a nw h i l e, Fi r s t D e p u t y Pr i m e M i n i s te r a n d I n te r i o r M i n i s te r S h e i k h A h m a d A l Hmoud Al-Sabah promised lawmakers that he would look into the issue of the state’s demogra p h i c s t r u c t u re a f te r M Ps pointed out certain expatriate communities the number of “whose nationals exceed fifty percent of Kuwaitis’ population.”

This was reported by Al-Rai yesterday quoting parliamentary insiders with knowledge of a secret session held a couple of weeks ago to discuss the security situation in the countr y. The state’s demographic structure repor tedly came in for a discussion during that session. “ The minister told MPs that the government is committed to reducing the number

of citizens of a certain nationality whose community broke all re co rd s i n Ku w a i t ,” s a i d t h e sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity. They further indicated that the minister blamed ‘loopholes’ in labor hiri n g re g u l a t i o n s b e h i n d t h e influx of expatriate communities “including commercial visas and visa transfer mechanisms fo l l owe d by t h e M i n i s t r y o f Social Affairs and Labor.”

The MPs also criticized lack o f m e a s u re s to c u r b i l l e g a l p r a c t i ce s “i n w h i c h d r i ve r ’s licenses are given to expatriate workers who do not earn the minimum monthly wages required to obtain licenses,” according to the sources. “The l aw m a k e r s m e n t i o n e d t h i s issue to point out the rapid increase in the number of vehicles which contributes to the country’s traffic jams problem,” the sources added.

NBK celebrates graduation of sixth batch KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) celebrated the graduation of the sixth batch of newly hired young Kuwaitis from NBK Academy. NBK Academy aims to train and develop the professional skills of young Kuwaitis as part of NBK’s strategy to attract and develop national human resources.

NBK organized a special ceremony for the graduation of the newly hired young Kuwaitis. The ceremony was attended by Isam Al Sager, NBK deputy group CEO, Mazin AlNahedh, General Manager, Consumer Banking Group, Adel Hechme, General Manager, Human Resources Group, and Emad Al-Ablani NBK Deputy General Manager Human Resources, along with a group of senior leaders from the bank.

Al-Ablani said: “NBK Academy is the first initiative of its kind in the private sector in Kuwait, and is part of NBK’s strategy to attract young Kuwaitis by offering them a range of career and professional development opportunities.”

“I congratulate the graduates of NBK Academy and call on them to exert every effort in order to continue their path of professional excellence,” he added. “This program marks the start of what will be a continuing process to nurture and grow our young talent.”

NBK Academy programs run for five months and are specially tailored to provide trainees with theoretical and practical skills covering the different aspects of the banking industry.

KUWAIT: Anwar Al-Rsheid (second right) with some presenters during the two days course. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

Kuwait hosts training course on human rights

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Gulf Civil Society Association Forum (GCSAF) organized a training course ‘Supporting the skills of the defenders of human rights’ in cooperation with the International Center for Supporting Rights and Freedoms (ICSRF) and sponsored by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

The course was held on Thursday and Friday at the Ibis Hotel. A total of 33 participants from the GCC countries participated in the course, most of them lawyers, activists, intellectuals and other professionals.

The presenters were from different countries including Egypt and Jordan. The course was launched by Dr. Ghanim AlNajjar, Founder of Amnesty Kuwait, and Dr. Munthir Al-Khor, Head of the Bahrain Human Rights Observatory.

Dr. Laith Kubba, Head of the Middle East Programs of the NED, handed out certificates to the participants after the course concluded. During this course, GCSAF signed a protocol of cooperation with the ICSRF to hold more such events for the members of both sides.

The course focused on the meanings and terminology of human rights.

“Different human rights issues were discussed during the course including the

international criteria for human rights, the procedures to protect human rights, how to submit claims at the international organizations, documenting skills and how to observe and record violations of human rights, way of preparing data and writing claims at the international organizations and institutions. The course also included forming work teams and structuring forms of claim submitting,” Anwar Al-Rsheid, President of GCSAF, told the Kuwait Times. “ This is the first course held by the Forum at this scale with participants from the GCC countries. The forum also holds annual conference and issues reports and final statement. We held six conferences already, the last being in Beirut in December 2012. We are currently preparing for other activities and conferences that will be held soon, and I hope to receive support for it,” he added.

Al-Rsheid also highlighted the fact that the headquarters of GCSAF is located in Paris, France as according to local legislation, no regional NGO is allowed to be licensed. “According to law no. 28/1962 about the NGOs, the non-Kuwaiti members are not allowed to be active members of any NGO. The foreign members can only be observing member and have no right to vote or be elected. So the GCSAF is not licensed at the GCC and received its license from Paris,” he pointed out.

KUWAIT: Somali ambassador, acting dean of diplomatic corps, held at dinner reception at Crowne Plaza Hotel in honor of the outgoing Poland ambassador over the weekend. A number of diplomats and other dignitaries attended the reception.

—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

LOCAL In my view

Local Spotlight

The myth of Brotherhood

Embracing the bear at last

By Amir Taheri

L

ast week, in what might be his administration’s last important foreign policy move, Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad concluded a major security treaty with Russia. Signed in Tehran by Interior Minister Muhammad Mostafa Najjar and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Kolokoltsev, the agreement represents a break with an old principle in Iran’s defense and security doctrines. Ever since the 18th century when it emerged as an organized state, Russia has been a source of fear and fascination for its Iranian neighbors.

Having coped with attacks by Turkic hordes from the east for centuries, Iran perceived Russia as a new threat from the north. Several wars of varying magnitude proved that analysis right. In terms of territory, Russia became the largest empire in history. However, bordering on mostly frozen seas and thus virtually landlocked, it could not project naval power, the principal instrument of global domination. Successive czars dreamed of the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. And that meant annexing or dominating Iran.

In Iranian political folklore, Russia was depicted as a bear whose embrace, even if friendly, could smother you. Haj Mirza Aghasi, an Iranian Grand Vizier in the 19th century, insisted that Iran should neither get too close nor too far from the bear. If too close, the bear could crush it. If too far the bear could mount a deadly ambush.

During both world wars, Iran tried to stay neutral, a policy that antagonized the “bear” and led to invasion by Russia and its allies. The late Shah learned the art of living with the bear.

While allying Iran with the “Free World” he also took care not to provoke the Soviet Union. Thus he would not allow Western business interests, including oil companies, to operate in provinces close to the Soviet border. At the same time, he resisted pressure to enter into security cooperation with the USSR, to allow the Soviet navy mooring facilities in the Gulf and to buy Soviet weapons on a large scale. Moscow tried to go around Iran by signing pacts with several Arab states, notably Egypt and Iraq, and establishing a foothold in Communistdominated South Yemen.

After the Shah’s fall and the end of the USSR, the tradition of keeping the Russian bear at arms’ length continued under the Khomeinist regime. The new Irano-Russian security pact provides for cooperation in intelligence gathering across the world and the fight against terrorism, people-trafficking, and drugsmuggling. More significantly, it commits Russia to training and equipping Iranian security forces in crowd control and dealing with civil unrest. Tehran and Moscow are nervous about being hit by “Arab Spring” style uprisings. Under the agreement, Moscow will help Tehran create special police units patterned on the 500,000-strong “internal army” controlled by the Russian Interior Ministry.

Created in 1802 the Russian Interior Ministry has always been the principal security arm of the state. Initially known by the acronym MVD, the ministry’s intelligence unit was renamed NKVD under Stalin. In 1953 it was absorbed into the security network controlled by Lavrenti Beria, Stalin’s fellow Georgian and, for long, regarded as the most brutal member of the Soviet ruling elite. Under Nikita Khrushchev the NKVD was reborn as the KGB, impacting both domestic and foreign policies. Contrary to expectations, the fall of the USSR did not spell the end of the dreaded security apparatus. It helped Boris Yeltsin crush the remnants of the Communist Party and, from 2004 on-wards, served as a ladder for Vladimir Putin’s ascent to the summit in the Kremlin. Last year, Rashid Nurgaliyev, the man in charge of the ministry for eight years, was sacked, ostensibly because he had grown too big for his boots.

Nurgaliyev, who is of Muslim origin, played a key role in helping Putin crush Islamist uprisings in Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan. The Irano-Russian security deal is the latest sign that something may be changing in Moscow-Tehran relations. Last week, Iran played host to Russian warships visiting BandarAbbas on the Strait of Hormuz in what looks like the opening gambit for a Russian naval presence in the strategic waterway.

Next week, Iran is slated to take part in naval exercises by the Russian fleet in Syrian waters around Tartus where Tehran and Moscow have mooring rights.

Ahmadinejad has always appeared keen on drawing the Islamic Republic closer to Moscow as part of his dream of a Tehran-Moscow-Beijing axis. Russia, however, has played hardto-get, mostly because Yeltsin and, for some time after him, Putin hoped to strike a deal with the US. Yeltsin and Putin declined repeated invitations by the mullahs to pay a state visit to Tehran. Observers in Tehran say the change in Irano-Russian relations is caused by several factors. Both regimes are involved in the Syrian civil war on the side of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Both believe that the “Arab Spring” is the result of “plots” hatched by Washington under the Bush administration a decade ago. Both fear that the “velvet revolution” recipe for regime change could be used against them. They wish to draw a line in the sand: no more “Arab Spring” regime change!

Moscow and Tehran regard what they see as an American strategic retreat under President Barack Obama as an opportunity. They think that, with the US out, no other “hostile” power has the capacity to check their regional ambitions.

Ahmadinejad and Putin also share an interest in curbing the appetite of Sunni Islamists, something that could threaten both regimes. All in all, however, dancing with the bear would be unpopular in both countries. Many Iranians still regard Russia with suspicion while many Russians would rather see their country as part of the Western world and not an ally of a regime caught in the cobweb of time.

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

I

In my view

Advancing women into leadership role

By Nadeem Shafi

D

ear Readers, we have been discussing different business matters for last few weeks; about risks and opportunities in business, Eurozone crisis, global business trends, entrepreneurship etc. but today I have chosen a different topic. I want to discuss the issue of women in leadership roles which reflects diversity in a male dominated society and the taboos that they encounter. We are in the region that is traditionally resistant to women’s autonomy. We at Ernst & Young are passionate about the importance of attracting women into various professional domains and to bring about the changes necessary to accomplish this. We believe that passion can mean standing one’s ground and battling entrenched attitudes.

Statistical studies show that women deliver positive, quantifiable results in leadership positions. Research by organizations such as McKinsey & Company, Goldman Sachs, Catalyst, Columbia University and Stanford University has shown the quantifiable value of having diverse leaders, including women, in senior management.

However, while women currently make up 34% of senior management, they comprise only 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs, according to The Sponsor Effect, a research report published by the Center for Work-Life Policy (CWLP). The obstacle to senior management, as identified in that study and other recent research, is an absence of proactive support from senior leaders. In other words, there is a dearth of sponsorship.

Most organizations, professions and communities have been historically dominated by men, and although this is changing, women often face an uphill task when they seek to advance professionally. Without active sponsorship from senior leaders - the majority of whom are male - women will not have the empowerment, exposure and experience they need for career growth.

Courage, tenacity, self-confidence, eagerness to learn from others- and more courage, sometimes to the point of putting one’s career at risk. The requirements to be a successful sponsor are really the requirements of leadership. At the core, the sponsor is someone who can spot talent and is willing to do what it takes to advance women leaders. Often, it takes heroic effort.

Unlike mentoring, which may often be limited to occasional meetings and coaching sessions, sponsorship is a long-term, hands-on commitment to encouraging, fighting for and creating advancement opportunities for highpotential individuals. Studies show that men are more likely than women to have sponsors and, as a result, more promotions and career opportunities. By contrast, women do not recognize the vital role of sponsorship to their advancement and often do not know how to proactively pursue such relationships. The fact that women may not seek out such support puts greater responsibility on the prospective sponsor. Then the questions arise: What are the traits of successful sponsors? How do they operate and sustain their commitment on a day to day basis?

The head of the organization must be the change leader, the evangelist. It is not an easy task to break down centuries-old biases. A sponsor puts his or her reputation on the line to advocate and often advance women for leadership positions, often in the face of significant resistance. Risk is not heedless. The sponsor also has the ability to balance the belief in an individual’s ability with a dose of reality. As strong as the desire is to help someone advance to a better position, it is critical to step back from forcing a situation where the odds of success are long.

Everyone has biases; the best we can hope to do is to recognize and overcome them but the question is what biases (conscious or not) could be hindering today’s lead-

ers as they select tomorrow’s? And we can say the main biases we see are based on a monolithic blueprint of a leadership model - generally white-male-centered and clearly a gendered and culturally specific model with years of history behind it. Some of the biases are conscious and some unconscious. When leaders are putting together the roster of the next generation of leaders, these biases are integrated into things like succession planning, which is like a black box and not transparent in most organizations. The broader cultural impact of these decisions is that you do not have a diverse slate of leaders. In some markets, it is said that there is a dearth of managerial talent. You hear this a lot about China, for example. Might it be true also that Western companies are missing a huge talent pool because their ability to recognize top talent is culturally biased? This is a bit of a red herring. We know that 53% of the global talent pool is coming out of the Asia-Pacific region and that 83% of the global talent pool consists of women and multicultural individuals. Companies have to recognize that talent comes in all shapes and sizes. The blueprint needs to flex.

We need multiple definitions of what leadership is and that there are multiple paths to power. It is very important to know what leaders can do to get around cultural taboos. For example, in some cultures, a male boss cannot ask a female protege out to lunch, or you cannot send women into the field alone because their families will object. In this case, how should companies handle this sort of thing? It requires creativity, awareness and education. If one-on-one mentoring is hard, do it in groups. Do it virtually. Do it by email. Companies in the Middle East have done some creative mentoring on a virtual basis, using male leaders in a group setting. There is also a generational aspect to this. We have heard from Gen X and younger women that they are generally comfortable working and socializing with men.

In general we need to know what common barriers an organization faces. The biggest mistake any company can make is to “fix the individual.” You can mentor and train and provide executive coaching to death, but that would not work unless the system changes. So fixing the system and process is the first imperative. The second is management-level education. We may overestimate the leaders’ level of knowledge of other cultures. What can leaders do that will start to make a difference? Identify five individuals you can reach out to in your global operations, then visit them once or twice a year and get to know them in a business-focused way. Next, charge each of them to do the same so there is a viral effect. In the longer term, make sure your performance evaluation and succession planning system are checked for biases. If you use an executive search firm, go to a firm that has a diverse slate.

Go to a more global source. Hardwire some kind of inclusiveness into your performance evaluation system, and link it to pay. Most of the people are confused if there is meaningful difference between mentoring and sponsorship when it comes to change? Yes, there is a big difference, and they are both very important. Mentorship is more about personal and professional support, whereas sponsorship is concrete advocacy for advancement. The emphasis on both mentorship and sponsorship is a core part of our culture, and it is not gender focused. We encourage everyone to engage in a network and support our rising stars. When you recommend a talented young professional for a board, a speaking opportunity or a stretch position, it makes a concrete impact on that person, but it really encourages those around them to reach higher as well.

kuwait digest

A beautiful new trend

By Iqbal Al-Ahmad

I

t was a strange yet perhaps the beginning of a beautiful new trend in our society when three young ministers sat down with youth activists at a public place and had an enriching conversation which would have been practically impossible inside the bureaucracy-filled ministry buildings.

The ministers involved were, in alphabetical order: Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Saleh, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and State Minister of Municipality Affairs, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah AlSabah, and Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Nayef Al-Hajraf.

After personally placing their orders at the counter, the three ministers sat down at a Sharq coffee shop with young Kuwaiti men and women and were not shy of admitting that there were aberrations in their respective departments in addition to outdated bureaucratic procedures that need to be eliminated.

In my opinion, the significance of this kind of an open conversation between young ministers and young citizens lies in the fact that it is a breakthrough from the formal address, filled with courtesies and empty promises, which the state departments’ offices routinely spew out.

This unprecedented meeting is certainly a source of optimism not because I believe that it is going to end all

our problems, but because it began a new form of dialogue with young activists or ‘Twitter’ followers. It comes at a time in which social networks are being used as a platform for youth activists responsible for violent movements witnessed in recent demonstrations.

One of the best questions to come up during the meeting was when a man in attendance asked the ministers what they had to offer so that the public trusts them and believes their capability to make achievements. Minister Al-Abdullah replied: “ That would be our work and achievements on the ground which we hope to realize within the frameworks of commitment to the law and constitution.” This excellent question diagnosed the fear and uncertainty which makes young citizens hesitant to trust their government, and is responsible for the feelings of negativity, depression, passivity and even resorting to violent behavior.

Recent unusual events which we have experienced and which were mostly committed by young people have in my opinion resulted from the lack of dialogue. This dialogue should have been in a language that the youth like to use. The traditional way of speech might have become too outdated for young people to comprehend since are now more used to resorting to social networks in order to obtain and distribute information. Not only are they using

new terminologies, but they react very differently to the steps that we thought were productive. This means that governments need to utilize new and imaginative methods in dealing with young citizens. I believe that the three ministers’ recent open meeting is one of these necessary methods.

While the statements the ministers made during the meeting must have left at least a little feeling of assurance for the youngsters in attendance, the situation would not remain as friendly if the young people were to feel that the ministers failed to fulfill their promises. Kuwait’s young generation is hasty in almost everything, including their dreams and ambitions. The government must, therefore, keep up with their pace and speed up its operations while focusing on removing all obstacles that might stand in young people’s way.

It would be great if the government continues to have such meetings with young people, who should be the focus of attention much more than the leaders of the opposition or loyalist politicians.

Take care of them. Talk to them. Listen to them.

Embrace them, for they are the true essence of Kuwait.

Bravo to Anas, Mohammad and Nayef. You have taken the first step towards young people. And applause also goes to whoever came up with this idea. — Al-Qabas

was eagerly following the news about what was being termed as Egyptian revolution’s second anniversary. What came across, in fact, was more an evidence that the myth of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt was falling apart for the entire world to see. To me, it was not a big surprise.

I always believed that the conservative groups could never succeed in today’s world, irrespective of whether they were Muslim or else. Any shift towards conservative trends was seen by people as being against their freedom and their right to choose. That is why every attempt by any conservative group to assume leadership ended dramatically.

I think the western society discovered long back that men of religion must not try to interfere in politics and the idea of forcing the people to think and act in a particular way was doomed to fail. These people did not inspire the masses to follow them by example but by virtue of the brute power that they come to hold.

I must hasten to add here that there is nothing in Islam which gives anyone the right to force people to become Muslims, or which mandates that a leader of any country has to be a member of some Muslim group and sport a beard. There were certain elements that want to control people’s preferences and want them to repose their trust and future in someone who could ostensibly never lie or steal or kill. This is the myth of pious Muslim brothers.

Even though the idea seemed so naive, it has worked out well in the Muslim world and proven that there will always be some people, no matter how educated, who would believe in this theory blindly, especially the women. The conservative Muslim groups have used such elements successfully to further their political goals to grab power and thus control people’s lives.

There has been an increased hunger for power among such groups which call themselves Muslim as if Islam is all about such people. It is not.

Many have been bewitched and fell into the terror trap because of such thinking. Many ignorant people ended up killing innocents for no reason.

Ever since the failure of the Taliban, I have had suspicions about the ability of any conservative Muslim group to achieve democracy or sustain development or protect human rights, especially the rights of women and children. The Muslim brothers failed singularly in rather too short a time period. Just like the Taliban, they also abused women. No seems to be able to confront this and end it once and for all.

I recently read somewhere that the Muslim Brotherhood was the new curse. While some called it Arab Spring and a heaven for these people, I think it has gave us an opportunity to explore and evaluate the realty of the Muslim Brotherhood which lies exposed. They are not new kids on the block, but a shot at power is new to them. This was something they had dreamed of, but never seriously expected to achieve as it happened in Egypt. It seems the Muslim brothers are now the curse that has wreaked more misery on Egypt and may strike us too, as if we haven’t had enough.

The Egyptian president has committed to pursue the rebels and prosecute them, without trying to understand why they were still angry and where were the reforms after two years which he and his group promised to usher in within the first 100 days of achieving power? I leave the answers to your own judgment.

kuwait digest

Loans dilemma

By Dr. Hassan Abbas

T

hough former MP Dr. Abdullah Buramia is no longer a member of the parliament, his memory remains alive today in the National Assembly where lawmakers have renewed calls to write off defaulters’ loans, a proposal Dr. Buramia was the first ever to submit. All of us, including the MPs, do not seem to be fully acquainted with the main issue here. The question is simple: who is responsible for the loans’ problem? There have always been defaulters, and there will always be people unable to repay their loans. Is having defaulters reason enough to say that we have a problem? Let us look at it this way: if there were no defaulters, would we still say that we have a problem? Is having defaulters among us the indicator that we indeed have a problem? Or is violation of the law enough reason regardless of whether there are defaulters or not?

The key question that remains unanswered is this: have banks violated the law? Nobody is willing to provide an answer which would help us in reaching a solution easily.

Let us assume that banks have not violated the law. In that case, what is all this fuss about? If banks have followed instructions of the state represented by the Central Bank, then we would be dealing with either one of two scenarios: the people who willingly agreed to take loans without being sure about their ability to repay are to be blamed, or the Central Bank itself is to be blamed for allowing banks to ‘take advantage’ of people and allowing, in some cases, the interest to exceed the base value of the loan. But in the latter scenario, all borrowers need to be included in any measures taken to address the issue, since it would be affecting all the borrowers and there would be no sense in limiting the solution to a certain group of borrowers as MPs suggest.

I would presume at this stage that banks ‘went around’ the Central Bank’s regulations. In this case, the CB and local banks need to be held accountable; the latter for violating the law and the former for allowing that to happen.

In this case, certain things need to happen. First, we need clinching evidence. Using random figures and the fact that there are defaulters makes it an issue that has to do with economics and needs to be handled through the state’s care and charity organizations.

Maybe there are intentions to criminalize a certain party. If that is the case, then what is the nature of this charge? If it was a violation of laws, then the banks would be the accused party. If it was lack of law enforcement, then the Central Bank would be to blame. Either way, evidence need to be submitted by those who were affected regardless of nationality or timeframe, so that treatment can be comprehensive. — Al-Rai

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

LOCAL

One dead, four injured in Wafra road accident Pipe thieves in police custody KUWAIT: A man was killed and four others were injured when their vehicle lost balance and overturned at Wafra road on Friday night. Police and paramedics rushed to the site where a sports utility vehicle (SUV) had met with the accident. A Kuwaiti man was pronounced dead on the scene while four other citizens were rushed to the Adan Hospital. The diseased was a fourth-year student at the Saad AlAbdullah police academy.

Investigations were on to determine the circumstances which led to the accident.

Zain honored by the Sadu Craft Society KUWAIT: Zain, the leading mobile operator in Kuwait, has been recognized by the Sadu Craft Society for the company’s long-term support of the society’s craft activities. The honoring ceremony took place at the Sadu Craft Society’s headquarters under the theme ‘Story of a House’.

Zain was honored at a special ceremony that is part of the Qurain Cultural Festival 2013, that aims to preserve and secure the future of Kuwait’s unique crafts heritage.

Waleed Al-Khashty of Zain said: “On behalf of Zain, I would like to thank Sadu Craft Society management who

have exerted maximum efforts in organizing various successful activities, with the purpose of teaching the Kuwaiti youth about their heritage and protecting it from extinction. Zain has always been a strong supporter and encourager of all activities aimed at reviving the Kuwaiti heritage, which is an important part of our national identity. We are proud to have received this recognition, and we hope that our close relationship and cooperation will continue in the future.”

During the ‘Story of a House’ themed event, Sadu Craft Society highlighted its main goals of retaining

Al-Sabah ‘treasures’ debuted in Houston HOUSTON: Treasures from the internationally renowned AlSabah Collection debuted at the Museum of Fine Art in Houston, Texas, in a first-of-its-kind exhibition showcasing 1,400 years of Islamic art from the far-reaches of the Islamic world.

The 70 pieces on display from the private collection of Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and his wife, Sheikha Hussah Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah, is one of the first exhibitions of Islamic art work presented by the MFAH, and was unveiled at the Arts of the Islamic World Gala on Friday.

Curators from Dar Al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (DAI), which oversees the extensive Al-Sabah art collection, carefully selected a symphony of artwork demonstrating the rich and varied cultures of Islamic societies around the world and throughout history, from Andalusian Spain, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, for the long-term loan to the MFAH. The Al-Sabah collection, one of the greatest private collection of Islamic art in the world, includes 30,000 pieces, and is currently on permanent loan to the State of Kuwait.

The exhibition titled Arts of Islamic Lands: Selections from the Al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, displays founding artistic elements within Islamic art, such as calligraphy, geometric ornamentation, and arabesque stylization found in priceless works dating from the 8th century to the 18th centuries.

Visitors can observe 8th century limestone architectural elements dating from the Umayyad empire, a 9th century chess board originating in India, engraved ceramics, metalwork, textiles and hand-blown glass from the 9th century through the 13th century, textiles from the 12th century Mamluk empire and the 17th century Ottoman empire, a 15th century ceiling panels from Andalusia Spain, Iznik pottery and tiles from Persia and Central Asia, and scientific instruments dating to the 18th century.

Also on display are several pieces from the A l-Sabah Collection’s famed cache of Mughal jewelry in India, from the mid 16th to 17th century.

The Al-Sabah Collection is widely recognized as the greatest holding of Mughal jewelry in the world, which visited the MFAH in 2003 during a world-wide tour. This includes a solid gold 100 Mohar presentation coin, weighing roughly 1 kilogram and one of only two in known existence.

“This is a small exhibition but these objects explain and give a general idea of what is Islamic art. We have chosen different materials, ceramics, metals, textiles, just to show multiple sides of Islamic art and to dispel misperceptions,” according to Dr. Giovanni Curatola, organizing curator with the DAI and professor of Islamic Archeology and Art History at the University of Udine, Italy told KUNA. “People think Islamic art is only religious art. Yes, of course there is religion, but I am confident [visitors to the exhibit] will take away the extraordinary quality and refinement and the variety of objects and material in Islamic art, according to Curatola. “It is not less important than Chinese art or European art of the same period. It really is a great art and if you have a great art, you have a great civilization and a great society.”

It took curators six months to bring the exhibit to Houston.

Plans are underway to potentially launch exhibitions in Italy, Finland, South Korea and Singapore, where there are few Islamic art collections available to the public.

Sheikha Hussah, Director General of DAI, told KUNA in an exclusive interview that to this exhibit seeks to deepen cultural understanding in a place like Houston where there is no presentation of Islamic art. — KUNA

the social and cultural aspects of the Kuwaiti history. These included depicting Kuwaiti architecture, art, and cultural elements.

Al-Khashty stressed that as leading telecommunications company, Zain’s sponsorship of the Sadu Craft Society comes in line with the company’s corporate social responsibility strategy, that aims at supporting all kinds of activities that play an integral role in the Kuwaiti society.

Zain will continue supporting different cultural and creative initiatives that rise with the Kuwaiti youth and create awareness to the entire society.

Pipe thieves Three people who were trying to steal an oil pipe in Al-Roudhatain recently were caught in the act and arrested. The security officers at AlRoudhatain oilfield premises nabbed the trio when they tried to cut the pipe with welding equipment. The

Bangladeshi men were taken to the Qash’aniya police station for further action.

MP charged Two traffic police officers who were threatened and intimidated by an MP in Jabriya recently for chasing a vehicle and trying to impound it pressed charges against the law maker, accusing him of verbally assaulting them.

The officers had followed a reckless driver to his house in the area and then proceeded to impound his sports car since he had ignored orders to pull over. As per the officers’ testimonies, before they could finish their job, a man they identified as an MP approached them and asked them to leave lest they were “taught a lesson” by the car’s owner. The officers took offense at the lawmaker’s remarks and pressed charges of offending police officers on duty in a case filed at the

area’s police station.

Two hurt in fight Two people attacked each other with pocketknives and had to be hospitalized on Friday in Khaitan. Police officers intervened to stop the fight and the two men were taken in ambulances to the Farwaniya Hospital.

Later, after being discharged from the hospital, they were taken to the Khaitan police station to face charges.

Bootlegger held A man was arrested in Al-Farwaniya for being in possession of alcohol with the intention to sell it. The suspect dumped his car and tried to escape on foot but policemen went in pursuit and finally overpowered him and arrested him. The Korean man was taken to the area’s police station after 200 bottles containing homemade liquor were found in his car.

Human resources ‘real wealth’ KUWAIT: Human resources constitute “the real wealth” for Kuwait and any other country, affirmed Minister of State for Planning and Development Affairs and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Dr. Rola Dashti yesterday.

Dr. Dashti also re-underlined that skilled and qualified labor forces and

personnel make up a basic factor for development.

States are keen on preparing and habilitating national cadres, capable of implementing the state comprehensive strategy because this approach is basic for development, said the minister in a statement on occasion of preparations for a training session for

investment in human investment.

She underlined the Kuwaiti Government keenness on boosting “the national human capital and transforming this force into a competitive force,” through implementation of programs and establishing regional and international partnerships with professional consultancy agencies.—KUNA

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

India celebrates Republic Day, warns Pakistan

Leftist Zeman wins Czech presidency Page 10

Page 11

Iraqis bury dead protesters Gunmen kill, snatch Iraqi soldiers

FALLUJAH, Iraq: Mourners chant slogans against Iraq’s Shiite-led government during a mass funeral yesterday. — AP

French troops seize airport BAMAKO: French-led troops yesterday seized the airport and a key bridge serving the Islamist stronghold of Gao in a stunning boost to a 16day-old offensive on Al Qaeda-linked rebels holding Maliís vast desert north. In a parallel pincer-like movement, battle-hardened troops from Chad and soldiers from Niger moved towards the Malian border from the Niger town of Ouallam, which lies about 100 km south-east of Gao. France yesterday confirmed the capture of the airport and the Wanbary bridge at Gao but said fighting was continuing in the town itself.

The airport is located about six kilometres east of Gao, while the bridge lies at

the southern entrance to the town, held by the Al Qaedalinked Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO). ‘French planes have landed in Gao. We want to quickly take over control of the eight quarters of the town and avoid damage,’ a Malian security official said. The French military in Paris confirmed the overnight seizure of the airport and bridge and said there were ‘sporadic’ attacks on its forces. There was no fighting ‘strictly speaking’ but the Islamist fighters were firing at French positions ‘after taking shelter in urban areas,’ a spokesman for the chief of staff told AFP. French defence ministry sources also said a report in French newspaper Le Monde that hundreds of Islamists had died since the French military intervention in Mali were ‘plausible’. Sources said earlier that the Islamists had left Gao in the wake of the French-led campaign on January 11 to stop a triad of Al Qaeda-linked groups from pushing southward from their northern bastions towards Bamako. An alliance of Tuareg rebels who wanted to declare an independent homeland in the north and hardline Islamist groups seized the northern towns of Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal in April last year.

The Islamist groups include MUJAO, Ansar Dine, a homegrown Islamist group, and Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, of which MUJAO is an offshoot. The Islamists then sidelined the Tuaregs to implement their own Islamic agenda. Their interpretation of sharia law has seen transgressors flogged, stoned and executed, and they have forbidden music and television and forced women to wear veils.

The MUJAO said it was ready for negotiations to release Gilberto Rodriguez Leal, a French national of Portuguese origin who was kidnapped in western Mali.

‘The MUJAO is ready to negotiate the release of Gilberto,’ said spokesman Walid Abu Sarhaoui. — AFP

FALLUJAH, Iraq: Gunmen killed two soldiers and snatched three more west of Baghdad on Saturday in apparent revenge attacks as mourners buried anti-government protesters that troops shot dead a day earlier. The unrest came as lawmakers opposed to Nouri Al-Maliki adopted a measure that would bar him from holding office beyond next year, as tensions rose dramatically after weeks of angry rallies in mostly-Sunni areas against the Shiite premier’s rule. In Fallujah, a predominantly Sunni town 60 km from Baghdad, police Colonel Mahmud Khalaf said gunmen attacked checkpoints in the east, west and north, killing two soldiers, wounding one and kidnapping three.

The trio were on leave and wearing civilian clothes at the time they were snatched, army Lieutenant General Ali Ghaidan Majeed told AFP. “We are conducting a search operation for them now.” No organisation immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, which came a day after Iraqi troops opened fire on demonstrators in Fallujah, killing eight. But militant Sunni factions, including Al-Qaeda’s front group, often attack security forces to push Iraq back towards the sectarian war that blighted it from 2005 to 2008.

While some Shiite clerics have given cross-sectarian support to the rallies, Maliki blamed protesters and insisted soldiers had been “attacked”. The attacks on soldiers came as mourners buried the seven protesters shot dead on Friday, while an eighth person died of his wounds on Saturday.

Some 59 others were wounded, according to Assem Hamdani, a doctor at Fallujah hospital. “It is not only tense in Fallujah - it is tense ever ywhere,” Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Al-Mutlak, a Sunni and a

Maliki opponent, told AFP. “It is almost out of control. It is becoming very worrying... It is getting very dangerous.”

Friday’s rally had been moving within Fallujah but was blocked by soldiers, who then opened fire after protesters began throwing bottles of water at them. The defence ministry promised an investigation and handed over security in the town to the police in an attempt to defuse tensions.

Yesterday, thousands attended the funeral of the people killed, carrying the coffins of the victims through the streets of the town.

At least one coffin was draped in an Iraqi flag dating back to the rule of now-executed dictator Saddam Hussein.

A demonstration followed the burials during which protesters shouted: “Listen Maliki, we are free people” and “Take your lesson from Bashar,” a reference to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose country is in the grip of a bloody 22-month uprising. “I will not be satisfied with compensation provided by the defence ministry,” said Ali Khalaf Al-Ani, whose son Omar was killed on Friday. “I want my son alive - that is my demand!”

Maliki called for restraint by security forces in a statement issued by his office, but also said soldiers had been attacked in the first place. “This is what Al-Qaeda and terrorist groups are seeking to exploit,” he said of the apparent sectarian tensions. The premier also blamed “conspiracies” propagated by the intelligence agencies of neighbouring countries, as well as Saddam and Al-Qaeda supporters. The Fallujah demonstration was one of several across Sunnimajority areas of Iraq that have raged in recent weeks, hardening opposition against Maliki amid a political crisis ahead of provincial elections due in April. — AFP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

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

Civilians fell rare Syrian trees for firewood

DARKUSH, Syria: A Syrian man chops wood in this northern town on Jan 23, 2013. —AFP

DARKUSH, Syria: Beset by a freezing winter and stifling fuel and electricity shortages, Syrian civilians desperate to stay warm in a northern forest have no choice but to cut down trees for firewood. Once a tourist destination for Syrians and other Arabs across the Middle East, the formerly pristine national park to the north and west of the city of Idlib is being systematically stripped bare. Bald, muddy swathes of fresh-cut land now stretch in many directions, with men using chainsaws to bring trees down and dozens of pick-up trucks coming and going for loads of lumber.

“My heart burns to see all the trees cut down. But there’s no choice. People need to stay warm,” says Hamad Al-Tawheed, one of more than a dozen pick-up drivers waiting in the town of Darkush to go out for another load. The area being cleared is renowned in Syria for its beauty. Sheer cliffs tower over the magnificent Orontes river.

Conifers, oaks and shrubs grow over the mountains, with narrow

winding roads linking the villages perched among them.

Before the war, a special unit of forest rangers protected the area.

Their vigilance underlined just how precious this forest is to Syria. In all, just 1.4 percent of the country is covered with woodland, according to an estimate by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. But with Syria’s conflict causing a spiralling fuel crisis and power cuts across the country, people are now resorting to hacking at living wood to provide fuel for their stoves to ward off the freezing winter.

And with bread shortages even affecting residents of Syria’s main cities, the wood has also become necessary to fuel bakers’ ovens. The heating oil that used to arrive from other parts of Syria has disappeared, and substitute fuel from nearby Turkey is substandard and too expensive, locals say. Even children in the region can be seen using picks or axes to split logs for their families. “This area was famous for its forests. Now, almost every-

body in the town is cutting down the trees,” Tawheed says.

The activity is also virtually the only economic prospect available in a region where businesses have been forced to shut. A chainsaw operator receives the equivalent of $5 to chop down a tree, and a truck driver gets around $150 per tonne of lumber. The locals know the lasting damage they are doing to the area, and regret it. But they say the war has left them no choice. “I feel very bad,” says Abu Saleh, a 64-yearold, as he helps men bring branches and logs down a steep slope to be chopped up. “Before this was a very beautiful forest - now it’s like a desert.”

The United Nations says more than 60,000 people have died in Syria’s 22-month conflict, which broke out after a peaceful uprising morphed into an armed insurgency when the regime unleashed a brutal crackdown against dissent.

More than 650,000 people have been forced to flee the fighting, the UN says. —AFP

NATO deploys Patriot as warplanes hit Damascus Rebels free more than 100 inmates DAMASCUS: NATO declared that a Patriot missile battery went operational on Turkey’s border with Syria yesterday, as a watchdog reported regime warplanes launched raids on a Damascus district. Britain, meanwhile, pledged a multi-million dollar aid package to help Syrian civilians, nearly half of which would be channelled through agencies in Jordan where a record 6,400 refugees arrived on Friday. The UN, which says the 22-month conflict has killed

(southern) city and people of Adana against missile threats,” it said, adding the other five batteries should be ready in the coming days.

Ankara and NATO have stressed the deployment is for defensive purposes only, while Damascus and its ally Moscow have criticised the measure.

The US-made missiles can take out cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as aircraft.

On the ground in Syria, the violence raged unabated yesterday between rebel fighters and

ALEPPO: A citizen journalism image taken on Friday shows a Syrian boy chanting slogans as he wears a sweater with the Syrian revolution flag during a demonstration after Friday prayers. —AP more than 60,000 people, estimates the number of refugees in Syria’s neighbouring countries will double to 1.1 million by June, if the bloodshed continues.

In northern neighbour Turkey, NATO said one of six batteries of Patriot missiles deployed to protect against a spillover of the conflict went into operation yesterday. The battery, provided

by The Netherlands, would “help to protect the

forces loyal to President Bashar Al-Assad. The air force raided rebel positions nationwide, including in an eastern district of the capital, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and activists said.

“Warplanes carried out three air raids on the outskirts of Hermela area in Jobar,” reported the Local Coordination Committees, a network of opposition activists on the ground. The Observatory, which relies on a network of

World powers asked for delay in nuke talks: Iran TEHRAN: Iran blamed world powers yesterday for delays in long-stalled talks over its controversial nuclear program, after Western diplomats said Iranian uncertainty over the venue had delayed the negotiations. State broadcaster IRIB said deputy EU foreign policy chief Helga Schmid had asked Iranian deputy nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri on Friday to move the talks from January to February. World powers “are not ready to hold the negotiation in January,” IRIB quoted Schmid as telling Bagheri by telephone. “She suggested a new date in February.” But “Bagheri stressed that Iran is ready to hold the talks, asking the other party to remain committed to the date agreed for talks in January,” it added.

Schmid’s boss, Catherine Ashton, represents the so-called P5+1 group of the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France plus Germany in talks on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The West suspects Iran of attempting to develop a bomb, but Tehran strongly denies that, insisting nuclear its activities are purely peaceful.

On Friday, European diplomats voiced disappointment that “there was still no meeting,” and Ashton spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said contacts on when and where the talks will be held “are still taking place.”

The last round of negotiations in Moscow in June ended without break-

through. Tehran rejected P5+1 calls for it to scale back its nuclear program and asked for relief from sanctions that began to bite in 2012. The talks are focused on Iran’s current activities, in particular its capacity to enrich uranium to fissile purities of 20 percent. The process can be used for peaceful purposes but also for creating the core of a nuclear bomb. Iran says it has no intention of giving up what it calls its nuclear “right.”

Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, was quoted by Mehr news agency yesterday as saying “the right of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is a right that Iran will not give up, and everyone (in Iran) agrees on it”. “The nuclear issue is a strategic issue for Iran,” he said. In Washington on Thursday, Senator John Kerry, the secretary of state designate, said the United States would remain committed to its dual-track policy towards Iran with focus on talks and tough global sanctions.

“If their program is peaceful, they can prove it, and that’s what we’re seeking,” Kerry said, adding that the US will not be satisfied with containing Iran but will seek to stop it from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Israel, the Middle East’s sole if undeclared nuclear weapons state, has refused to rule out taking military action against Iran to prevent it from also acquiring the bomb.—AFP

activists, doctors and lawyers, reported strikes on Jobar and the outlying region of Eastern Ghuta, where rebels have their rear bases.

At least four civilians were killed in air raids on the northern rebel city of Al-Bab, while similar strikes were reported in Daraa province in the south. Warplanes also bombed the opposition stronghold of Qusayr in central Syria, where nine rebels were killed defending the town against an army onslaught. The insurgents are working to keep control of Qusayr and nearby Rastan after being largely driven from their position in Homs city, which suffered bombardments for the past half year and where more than 100 people died amid an army offensive in the last seven days.

Driven from large swathes of land in the north and east by rebels, the regime is focused on maintaining its grip on the key axis from Damascus to Homs, and on to the coastal Alawite heartland. Troops have meanwhile been forced to relinquish vast stretches of territory in the north and the east. Near the northwestern city of Idlib yesterday, rebels freed more than 100 inmates as they battled troops at a major prison, the Observatory said, reporting 10 insurgents killed since the attack began the day before.

Unverified videos posted online by activists showed dozens of prisoners escaping to an outdoor area of the prison, protected by rebels, as gunfire and explosions are heard. Other green night-vision footage apparently from inside the prison showed bombed-out cells and dead inmates on the floor. Prisoners said they were summarily executed by soldiers. The rebels did not take control of the prison, located west of the regime-held provincial capital, the Observatory said.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening announced Britain’s £21 million ($33 million) of aid for Syrian civilians after a visit to Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp. Greening implored other nations to step up aid at donor conference in Kuwait on Jan 30 to stem the humanitarian fallout from the brutal conflict that erupted in March 2011. “Warm words won’t provide the shelter and support that Syrian refugees need. Money will,” she said. “This is a man-made crisis. That man is Assad.” —AFP

Bahrain reconciliation talks to start early Feb DUBAI: Bahrain expects talks with the opposition aimed at breaking nearly two years of political deadlock to start next week or early in February, a cabinet member said in comments published yesterday. The Gulf Arab state, a US ally against Iran, has been in turmoil since protests erupted in early 2011 led by majority Shiites demanding an end to the Sunni-led monarchy’s political domination and full powers for parliament.

Wefaq and five other pro-democracy groups have said they are ready to attend the talks but have demanded the government show seriousness in addressing their demands, including for a constitutional democracy with an elected government rather than one appointed by the king. Thirty-five people died during the unrest and two months of martial law that followed, but the opposition says that number has risen to more than 80. The government rejects the figure.

“The Information Affairs Minister Samira Rajab expected the dialogue talks to start very soon ... by the end of this month or early next month, at the latest,” Bahrain’s Arabic language Akhbar Al-Khaleej newspaper said. King Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa called for the talks. Wefaq withdrew from a previous attempt at dialogue in July 2011, complaining there were too many hand-picked participants to reach a meaningful consensus.

An ally of Washington, Bahrain is the base for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and has accused opposition groups of being linked to Shiite power Iran. Martial law has been lifted and the government has introduced some reforms but the opposition says the measures are cosmetic and smaller scale protests have continued. Shiites complain of discrimination in the electoral system, jobs, housing, education and government departments. —Reuters

BAGHDAD: Iraqi journalists from across the national provinces gather at the National Theater yesterday during a conference calling on national unity and rejecting the sectarian and political division plaguing the country. —AFP

Iraqi insurgents try to harness opposition rage BAGHDAD: Iraqi insurgents are trying to capitalize on the rage of anti-government protesters and the instability caused by rising civil unrest, complicating the government’s efforts to stamp out a resurgent AlQaeda and other militants. Organizers of the protests attracting minority Iraqi Sunnis insist they have no links to terrorist groups.

Yet Iraqi and US officials have expressed concern that violent extremists could benefit from the demonstrators’ feelings of alienation and hostility toward the Shiite-led Iraqi government.

And tensions are rising. At least five protesters were killed and more than 20 were wounded on Friday when soldiers opened fire at stone-hurling demonstrators near Fallujah, a former Al-Qaeda stronghold where tens of thousands took to the streets.

Some in the crowd waved black banners emblazoned with the Muslim confession of faith. They were the first deaths at opposition rallies that have been raging around the country for more than a month. Two soldiers were later killed in an apparent retaliatory attack.

Protesters also have staged demonstrations in other areas with large concentrations of Sunni Arabs, who feel discriminated against by the government. Their list of demands includes the release of detainees and an end to policies they believe unfairly target their sect. For now, the American Embassy has no indication that Al-Qaeda is gaining support from the demonstrations.

But the fear remains, particularly as the security situation deteriorates in neighboring Syria. An embassy official said the US had expressed concern that the protesters’ peaceful expression of their viewpoints must not be usurped by extremists trying to provoke violence. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

Sectarian violence that once pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war has ebbed significantly, though violent attacks aimed mainly at Iraq’s Shiite majority, security forces and civil servants still happen frequently.

Insurgents have managed to mount large, mass-casualty bombings of the type favored by Al-Qaeda on at least five days this month. In another attack, a suicide bomber killed a total of seven when he assassinated a prominent politician who played a leading role in the fight against AlQaeda. The extremist group later claimed responsibility for the latter bombing and other unspecified attacks.

At least 170 people have been killed in insurgent violence since the start of the year, making January already the deadliest month since September. Protest organizers and the politicians who support them are eager to distance themselves from extremist rhetoric. Sunni lawmaker Ahmed AlAlawani recently urged Iraq President Nouri Al-Maliki to meet demonstrators’ demands so Al-Qaeda and other militant groups could not exploit their frustration. That was a sentiment echoed by protest organizer and spokesman Saeed Humaim in Ramadi, a city in western Iraq that has been the focus of daily sit-ins and frequent mass rallies. He said protesters have no intention to take up arms, but will defend themselves if

attacked by government security forces.

Still, many Iraqi Sunnis have little doubt that the protests strengthen militant groups. “I don’t think the Al-Qaeda people would miss an opportunity to move freely when the government and security forces are busy handling these spreading protests,” said Ayad Salman, 42, who owns a shoe store in northern Baghdad. “The country is slipping toward a new round of civil war, or at least some groups are planning and pushing for this.”

The rallies broke out just over a month ago in Iraq’s western Sunni heartland of Anbar following the arrest of guards assigned to the Iraqi finance minister, a Sunni who hails from the province. The vast desert territory on Syria’s doorstep was the birthplace of the Sunni insurgency that erupted after the 2003 US-led invasion, and where Iraqi officials believe Al-Qaeda’s Iraq arm is regrouping. In an interview aired late Thursday, the Iraqi prime minister suggested that Al-Qaeda and members of Saddam Hussein’s ousted regime have a hand in the demonstrations. “I hope that these protests would not turn violent ... and drag the country to a sectarian war,” he told AlBaghdadiya TV. Al-Qaeda’s local affiliate this week posted a statement praising the protesters, saluting what it called “the true Muslims who revolted in defense of their honor and religion”. A senior Iraqi security official who specializes in terrorist activities said AlQaeda is making use of the resentment in predominantly Sunni provinces, where local residents who used to provide authorities tips about terrorist activities are growing much more reluctant to snitch. He and another senior security official said AlQaeda fighters now have more freedom to move around. That is partly because state security forces’ movements are being restricted in Sunni areas so they cannot be accused of unfairly targeting the Muslim sect, they said.

The second official said the demonstrations give extremists a good opportunity to try to mobilize Sunni opposition and portray themselves as the only groups who can safeguard the rights and interests of the Sunni minority. The Iraqi officials insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss security operations with the media.

The local wing of Al-Qaeda, known as the Islamic State of Iraq, generally does not operate beyond Iraq’s borders. But AlQaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri last year urged Iraqi insurgents to support the Sunnibased uprising in neighboring Syria against President Bashar Al-Assad, whose Alawite sect is a branch of Shiism. Iraqi officials believe Sunni fighters aligned with AlQaeda’s Iraq franchise are moving back and forth across the Syrian border to help Sunni rebels overthrow Assad.

Rebel gains in Syria are giving Iraq’s Sunni protesters and insurgents alike a sense that their fortunes may be shifting too. “Sunnis seem ascendant in Syria. That is a major psychological boost to the Sunnis in Iraq,” said Kamran Bokhari, an expert on Mideast issues for the global intelligence company Stratfor. “They’re trying to capitalize on that.” —AP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

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Biden seeks support for plan from gun owners In Virginia, VP pitches White House’s gun-control plan WASHINGTON: Vice President Joe Biden took the Obama administration’s case for gun control to the gun-friendly state of Virginia yesterday, part of a White House strategy to urge the public to pressure Congress into passing laws aimed at curbing firearms violence.

“We’re going to continue to go around the country,” Biden said after a roundtable talk with officials and experts on gun violence at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. “We’re going to be doing a lot of more of this, and with the help of our colleagues in the House (of Representatives) and the Senate we’re going to get something done.”

The event reflected how Biden continues to serve as the administration’s key player in the gun-control debate. The issue soared to the top of

It also is home to Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, where in 2007 a gunman killed 32 people and wounded 17 others.

Many Democrats see Virginia, with its rural history of gun ownership and its booming suburbs where Obama and Democrats have done well in recent years, as an example of warming attitudes toward gun restrictions in many communities nationwide.

Friday’s roundtable was another indication that Obama is willing to use considerable resources to push gun-control proposals. Biden was joined by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, along with several Virginia lawmakers.

In New York, US Attorney General Eric Holder

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke talks during a budget hearing in Milwaukee. The Wisconsin sheriff said he released an ad calling on residents to defend themselves because the old model of having a citizen call 911 and wait for help isn’t always the best option. — AP Obama’s priority list after 20 children and six adults were killed on Dec. 14 by a gunman at a school in Newtown, Connecticut.

It also offered a hint of the administration’s strategy as it pursues the most significant US guncontrol steps in decades. Obama wants to revive a US ban on military-style assault weapons, a proposal that faces a tough battle in Congress, and put in place mandatory background checks for all gun buyers, a step viewed as having a better chance of success.

Virginia is home to the headquarters of the National Rifle Association, the nation’s largest gun-rights group and the loudest critic of the Democratic president’s plan.

Virginia is a politically divided state that Obama won in both of his runs for the presidency.

gave a forceful defense of Obama’s gun control efforts. “We are bound and determined to do this,” he said in a speech to the New York State district attorneys association. “This is not a time for complacency.”

Holder also defended Obama’s use of executive orders to take certain steps without congressional approval. “All of the president’s actions have been consistent with the historical use of executive power - and none will impinge on the Second Amendment rights of responsible, lawabiding citizens and gun owners,” Holder said, referring to the constitutional right to bear arms.

One expert said Obama is working to keep the issue in the public consciousness. “It would seem to be a clear effort to continue to stoke public attention so it doesn’t go away as it has in the

past,” said Robert Spitzer, a professor of political science at the State University of New York at Cortland who has written about the politics of gun control.

“Part of the goal is to try to cultivate some support from the gun-owning community,” Spitzer said.

Past efforts to restrict gun ownership have foundered in the face of strong opposition from gun owners, the NRA and other gun-rights groups. Gun ownership rights are enshrined in the US Constitution. The ability of lawmakers to restrict those rights is a persistent source of tension in American politics.

Gun control was not a major priority of Obama’s administration before the Newtown shootings.

Since Newtown, pro-gun lawmakers such as West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat, and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican, have indicated willingness to buck pressure from the NRA and consider new restrictions on guns.

Manchin said on Monday he is open to more regulation of military-style rifles like the one used in Newtown. “ This awful massacre of our youngest children has changed us, and everything should be on the table,” said Manchin, who once ran a campaign ad in which he shot a copy of an environmental bill with a rifle.

Obama and Biden have suggested they will take several trips to make the case to the public for the administration’s plan. Biden has sought to reassure gun owners that the plan would not infringe on gun ownership, even as it would ban assault weapons.

In a video released on Thursday, the vice president said that when it comes to self-protection, a shotgun is better than an assault rifle. “A shotgun will keep you a lot safer, a double-barreled shotgun, than the assault weapon in somebody’s hands who doesn’t know how to use it, even one who does know how to use it,” Biden said. “It’s harder to use an assault weapon and hit something than it is to use a shotgun, OK? If you want to keep people away in an earthquake, buy some shotgun shells.”

Obama plans to launch his second-term push for a US immigration overhaul during a visit to Nevada next week, the White House said on Friday. His visit also could offer a chance to make his case for gun control in another state with a tradition of gun ownership. Joining the White House’s efforts will be Organizing for Action, a non-profit group that evolved out of Obama’s reelection campaign to build public support for his policy initiatives. Jim Messina, Obama’s former campaign manager and the group’s leader, has cited efforts to prevent gun violence as one of the issues he plans to address. — Reuters

Chavez in ‘best moment’ since surgery, says VP CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is in his “best moment” since undergoing cancer surgery in Cuba 45 days ago, the vice president said yesterday, adding Chavez has made important economic decisions to strengthen exports.

“He’s got a smile that’s filled with light, his thoughts are illuminated,” said Nicolas Maduro in televised comments just after midnight after returning from a visit with Chavez.

The normally garrulous president

Obama, Clinton all smiles in joint interview WASHINGTON: Bitter rivals in the 2008 presidential campaign, President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton kept smiling at each other in a joint interview to CBS that Clinton said would have seemed “improbable” years ago.

“It has been a great collaboration over the last four years. I’m going to miss her,” Obama said in a televised excerpt from the CBS “60 Minutes” program that will air today. The interview, conducted at the White House on Friday, comes as Clinton prepares to step down and the Senate confirmation process moves forward for Senator John Kerry, Obama’s pick to replace her.

“A few years ago it would have been seen as improbable (to have a joint interview) because we had that very long, hard primary campaign,” Clinton said in the excerpt.”And then President Obama asked me to be secretary of state and I said yes. And why did he ask me and why did I say yes? Because we both love our country.” Clinton this week forcefully defended her handling of the deadly September attack on the US diplomatic mission in the Libyan city of Benghazi and denied any effort to mislead the American people. There is widespread speculation about whether Clinton, who leaves with high public approval ratings after serving from the start of Obama’s first term, will make another White House run in 2016.

“There are not a lot of people in the world who go through what they do,” Philippe Reines, deputy assistant secretary of state and Clinton aide, told CNN about the relationship between Clinton and Obama. “For good or bad, (they’ve) been put together.”

The interview, which will be broadcast at 7 pm EST (0000 Monday GMT), is Obama’s first since his ceremonial inauguration on Monday. It is also the first time that he and Clinton have been interviewed together. — Reuters

has not been heard from since a complex operation on Dec. 11. Official statements in recent weeks have sounded upbeat about his condition following rumors that he is gravely ill.

The communication minister yesterday is scheduled to provide more details about Chavez’s condition and treatment. Maduro’s comments about economic policy come amid widespread speculation that Venezuela is preparing a devaluation of the bolivar currency that would improve state

finances by providing more bolivars per dollar of oil exports.

Devaluing would make exports more competitive by lowering local production costs, and spur domestic industries by making imports less competitive with respect to local goods. “We’re going to develop our economy’s capacity to export,” Maduro said. Business leaders have for weeks said a devaluation is necessary to ease periodic product shortages that have resulted from a scarcity of dollars. — Reuters

Europe’s emigrants face red-tape in Latin America SANTIAGO: Geologist David Rodriguez and actress Cristina Pascual, two of the nearly six million Spaniards left jobless in the European recession, fled to Latin America last year, figuring their futures would be brighter in the booming economies on this side of the Atlantic.

Instead, they found themselves stuck, facing so many bureaucratic hurdles that their only option was to work illegally, for much lower wages.

Without a work visa, they couldn’t get a formal job. Without a job offer, no visa. And without a job and a visa, they had no way of securing an all-important tax-identification number, freezing them out of Chile’s booming formal economy. Trying to bend the rules can result in deportation for the worker, and fines for the company. Rodriguez and Pascual are among the many migrants watching this weekend as leaders from the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean seek ways of eliminating the red tape that has made it so difficult for foreigners to bring their skills across borders.

The vast majority of migrants between the continents used to travel to Europe, but the trends flipped after 2010, when economic indicators began to improve in Spain and Portugal’s former colonies.

Now Spanish and Portuguese workers are arriving by the thousands each year, entering on tourist visas and job-hunting in Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Argentina. Spanish migrants with skills needed in the mining industry are particularly sought after in Chile. But the bureaucracy is getting in the way.

Rodriguez, 32, graduated from col-

lege in Spain in 2010, and spent the next 28 months in a frustrating search for work in his field while he lived with his parents. Then a friend, architect Maria Moreira, posted a Facebook message saying she was migrating to Chile. He jumped at the chance to come along, but soon found himself stuck without authorization to work. Despite high demand for exactly the skills he could offer, it took four months of rejections before he found a lowpaid internship that eventually led to a company’s sponsorship for his paperwork.

Spain’s national statistics service said more than 40,000 Spaniards abandoned the country in search of work during the first six months of last year, up sharply from the 28,000 during the same period in 2011. The same agency said this week that unemployment has reached a record 26 percent in Spain.

Reducing roadblocks is urgent for the leaders at this summit. The IMF forecasts the Latin American and Caribbean economies to grow 3.6 percent this year even as Europe retreats 0.2 percent.

The continents’ economies are inexorably tied to each other, with EU countries representing 43 percent of Latin America’s international trade. Making it easier for workers to move to where the jobs are can help all these countries, in part by increasing the remittances people send home to their families.

Chile isn’t unique in the demands it places on foreign workers. Brazil and Argentina are famous for their red tape, and lacking EU citizenship, many Latin Americans haven’t been welcomed into Europe’s job market, either. — AP

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama (right) embraces Denis McDonough, a deputy national security advisor and member of the president’s inner circle, after introducing him as the new White House Chief of Staff in the East Room of the White House on Friday. — AFP

Newtown residents to join gun control march in DC WASHINGTON: Residents from Newtown, Conn., are joining a march on Washington for gun control yesterday with parents, pastors, survivors of gun violence and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

Organizers said they are expecting thousands of participants for the rally on the National Mall, including about 100 from Newtown and buses from New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia. Others are flying in from Seattle, San Francisco and even Alaska.

They gathered yesterday at the Capitol Reflecting Pool at 10 a.m. and began marching down Constitution Avenue toward the Washington Monument at 11 a.m. A rally was planned on the monument grounds at noon.

Molly Smith, the artistic director of Washington’s Arena Stage, and her partner organized the march, inspired by the December massacre that killed 20 first graders and six teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, she said.

The gunman also fatally shot his mother and committed suicide. “With the drum roll, the consistency of the mass murders and the shock of it, it is always something that is moving and devastating to me. And then, it’s as if I move on,” Smith said. “And In this moment, I can’t move on. I can’t move on. “I think it’s because it was children, babies,” she said. “I was horrified by it.”While she’s never organized a political march before, Smith said she was compelled to press for a change in the law. The march organizers support President Barack Obama’s call for a

ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines as well as for universal background checks for gun sales. They also want lawmakers to require gun safety training for all buyers of firearms.

As a theater person, Smith said murdering a child is something you can never show in theater. Even in the Greek tragedy, “Medea,” the main character kills her children, but that happens off stage, Smith said.

After the Connecticut shootings, Smith posted something on Facebook and drew more support to do something. The group One Million Moms for Gun Control, the Washington National Cathedral and two other churches eventually signed on to cosponsor the march. Organizers have raised more than $46,000 online to pay for equipment and fees to stage the rally.

Lawmakers from the District of Columbia and Maryland are scheduled to speak.

Actress Kathleen Turner is expected to appear, along with Marian Wright Edelman of the Children’s Defense Fund and Colin Goddard, a survivor from the Virginia Tech massacre. Smith said she supports a comprehensive look at mental health and violence in video games and films. But she said the mass killings at Virginia Tech and Aurora, Colo., and Newtown, Conn., all start with guns. “The issue is guns. The Second Amendment gives us the right to own guns, but it’s not the right to own any gun,” she said. “These are assault weapons, made for killing people.” — AP

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Namibia offers model to tackle poaching scourge WINDHOEK: Faced with poachers who are ravaging elephant and rhino populations, African nations could do worse than look to Namibia for a game plan to combat the scourge. Wildlife poaching is on the rise across Africa’s vast savannahs and in the jungles and outmanned and outgunned governments have struggled to keep up. Last year saw a record 668 rhino killed in South Africa, according to the government, while in east Africa elephant killings increased apace. The blame has been directed toward Asia, where demand for rhino horn, held to have medicinal value, is on the increase.

Elephants are prized for their ivory tusks.

After several quiet years, Namibia too has been touched by the bloody uptake. Late last year a black rhino cow was killed and dehorned in the south African country’s remote and scenic northwest, her helpless calf left to die. Though an isolated event, for Namibians, it was a rare and fearsome echo of the past. For decades under South African

rule, the country endured profligate poaching that threatened to exterminate wildlife populations and to discourage tourist dollars.

Today things are different. Within days of the rhino’s death, a culprit was arrested. A trial is now pending. The apparent overnight success in tracking down the poacher was in fact due to decades of work. It began 30 years ago when Garth Owen-Smith, a pioneer of community-based conservation, visited rural homesteads to encourage residents to cherish local wildlife. His argument was simple: wild animals and farming people with livestock can not only co-exist but actually benefit each other. Owen-Smith recalls his point in a recent book, “An Arid Eden”, writing that “if the wildlife was conserved, it would one day attract tourists, creating jobs and bringing money to the area”.

Local communities were initially reluctant to cooperate, but eventually the plan worked. In 1980, Namibia had an estimated 300 black rhinos left. Today their numbers

total some 1,700 animals. Desert elephants were reduced to some 155 animals in the early 1980s and now they number around 600. According to Pierre du Preez, current rhino coordinator for the ministry of environment and tourism, the policies worked partly because tracking animals for tourists provided well-paid jobs.

“Rural neighbours to rhino populations are far more pro-conservation, making it more difficult for individuals in these communities to become poachers as this might harm the whole community,” he said. “Better cooperation and trust exists between the (ministry), police, non-governmental organisations and the communities, thus the risk for illegal activities increases as the community will report to authorities.”

The rhino poached in December was found by local people and immediately reported to officials. This cooperation on the ground is being augmented with high-tech tactics. “Security devices were implanted in a

significant percentage of all rhino in highrisk areas, security personnel (are) specially trained and high-tech security systems are in place,” Du Preez said. An even more drastic measure may be on the cards. In 1989, Namibia was the first country in subSaharan Africa to dehorn black rhinos to prevent poaching. “This might become a possibility again,”Du Preez added.

Namibia’s success also shows the importance of tackling the politics that underlie and enable poaching. In the 1970s and 1980s, Namibia’s vast open spaces were effectively used as private hunting grounds by officials from the ruling South African government and top army personnel.

Officers visiting the war zones on Namibia’s northern borders, where guerrillas of the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) were waging an independence struggle, would be treated to hunting trips with army planes and helicopters.

Temporary tent camps were set up and

cabinet members from Pretoria including defence minister PW Botha - later South Africa’s president - could even enjoy icecubes in their drinks. The result was that hundreds of elephants, rhinos, giraffe and thousands of antelopes were shot for the pot, for illegal trade and for trophies. Former prime minister John Vorster is thought to have shot an elephant by the Ombonde River in 1973.

When Namibia won its independence from South Africa in 1990, the government laid the groundwork for a new approach on poaching - “community-based natural resource management”, a clumsy name for an effective policy. Today, politicians may be able to set the stage for similarly successful polices by addressing demand for rhino horn at the source in Asia when signatories of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) - a treaty to protect wildlife - meet in Thailand in March. —AFP

Leftist Zeman wins Czech presidency Former PM trumps aristocrat Schwarzenberg PRAGUE: Czechs chose outspoken veteran leftist Milos Zeman, an expremier, as their new president in the Saturday runoff of the EU republic’s first direct election, defeating Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, an aristocrat whose Sex Pistols-inspired social media campaign fell flat. The

Europe-friendly approach. In 19982002, Zeman’s leftist government helped negotiate his country’s 2004 EU accession and Zeman is now a selfdescribed “euro-federalist”. “I promise that as a president elected in a direct vote by citizens, I will do my best to be the voice of all citizens,” Zeman said in

austerity cuts in the Czech Republic, a central European country of 10.5 million. Zeman’s campaign focused largely on “voters from lower-income groups, older and less educated,” political analyst Josef Mlejnek observed. Voters giving Zeman, an economist, their support at the ballot

PRAGUE: Newly-elected Czech President Milos Zeman speaks during a press conference yesterday after the result of the second round of the presidential elections yesterday. (Inset) Czech Foreign Minister and defeated presidential candidate Karel Schwarzenberg reacts after the results. —AFP burly, silver-haired Zeman garnered 54.82-percent support with virtually all votes counted, against 45.17 percent for Schwarzenberg, having also won the Jan 11-12 first round in a field of nine rivals. “Milos Zeman has won, I acknowledge this, and I hope he will manage to be the president of all Czech people,” Schwarzenberg conceded as the final results rolled in yesterday.

His victory ends a decade under strident eurosceptic outgoing President Vaclav Klaus, 71, with Zeman, 68, having a decidedly

his victory speech at a Prague hotel, as overjoyed supporters chanted “Long live Zeman”.

“We can safely assume Milos Zeman will take a more favourable stance towards the EU,” Tomas Lebeda, a political analyst at Charles University in Prague, told AFP. “Of course he is no hardline euro-optimist, but he will take a much more rational stance than Vaclav Klaus, he’s a pro-European president,” he added.

The campaign revolved around issues related to the EU, corruption, an economy in recession and painful

box pointed to his traditionally leftist approach to social spending - that critics label populist - and to religion.

“I’m against school fees, and the restitution of (Catholic) Church properties (nationalised under communism).

This is why I chose Zeman,” Prague university student Gabriela Peresta told AFP, referring to policies of the centre-right government to which Schwarzenberg belongs.

In his campaign, the outspoken leftist famous for not mincing his words skewered Schwarzenberg for being part of Prime Minister Petr

Necas’s administration, responsible for a biting austerity drive amid recession. The Czech Republic, heavily reliant on car exports to western Europe, notably to Germany, sank into recession a year ago amid the eurozone crisis, after posting 1.9-percent growth in 2011. A 0.9-percent contraction is forecast for 2012, ahead of a pickup to 0.2 percent growth this year. Unemployment stood at 9.4 percent in December.

But Zeman himself has been put under the microscope for alleged corruption over his links to former communist apparatchik Miroslav Slouf, suspected of mafia ties.

Analysts note Zeman’s victory is likely to mean hard times for Necas’s wobbly centre-right government relying for survival on a very thin margin of support from independent members of parliament. In the election run-up, analysts had said age would count at the ballot box, suggesting wrongly that Schwarzenberg’s youthfocused campaign could swing the vote after he lost the first round by a whisker - just 0.82 percent.

A well-connected and independently wealthy former presidential aide to Czech Velvet Revolution icon Vaclav Havel, Schwarzenberg trumped Zeman online, scoring more than half a million “likes” on his Facebook campaign page, but fell flat at the ballot box. Dubbed “The Prince” for his noble roots, he tried to woo young voters with a punkedout Mohawk hairdo in yellow-andfuchsia pink pop-art “Karel Is not Dead!” and “Karel for PreSIDent” campaign posters, reminiscent of Britain’s Sex Pistols band album covers.

Czech presidents were elected by parliament until lawmakers approved the switch to universal suffrage in Feb 2012 to boost the legitimacy of the office amid criticism their choices were dictated by backroom political horse-trading. The presidency is largely ceremonial, with powers limited primarily to appointing the prime minister, central bankers and top judges. —AFP

Prison rights campaigner Abramkin dies in Russia MOSCOW: Valery Abramkin, a former Soviet political prisoner whose horrifying experiences prompted him to campaign for better prison conditions, has died at 66, the NGO that he headed announced yesterday. “On January 25 Valery Abramkin, the founder and continuing leader of the Moscow Centre for Prison Reform and former political prisoner, died after a lengthy illness,” the NGO said in a statement on its website. After serving time in the brutal Soviet-era Gulag labour camps, Abramkin became a long-ser ving member of Russia’s presidential council on human rights, which acts as an advisory body.

“He saw what life was like for prisoners and when he came out of the camp he devoted his whole life to improving the lot of prisoners,” veteran rights activist Lyudmila Alexeyeva, who heads the Moscow Helsinki Group, told the RIA Novosti news agency. “He had been ill for a long time, he caught tuberculosis in camp in a particularly nasty form and was a ver y sick man. But he fought

bravely with his illness and worked.”

Abramkin was born in Moscow and studied at the Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology, where he became a research fellow working on nuclear technology. But his political activities -

Valery Abramkin which included publishing banned samizdat magazines and writing articles for Western media - sparked the interest of KGB secret police and led to his dismissal. As an outcast within the

Soviet system, he was forced to earn his living with manual labour and by felling trees, stoking boilers and working as a watchman at a church.

He was finally arrested in 1979 and spent a year on remand in Moscow’s squalid Butyrka prison before serving out a three-year sentence at a remote prison camp for spreading anti-Soviet propaganda. A second jail term on the same charge later followed after he revealed details of the harsh prison conditions he experienced. Abramkin was exiled from Moscow on his release from jail in 1985 but returned in 1989. When the Soviet Union fell apart three years later, he co-wrote a manual called “How to sur vive in a Soviet prison” that was distributed freely to inmates and their relatives.

Abramkin acted as an advisor to Russia’s first president, Boris Yeltsin, helping introduce legislation that made prison conditions less harsh. In 2004 he became a member of a new presidential council on human rights, advising Vladimir Putin. The council is an

independent body whose reports have often criticised the Kremlin line, despite frustration from its members over its ability to affect policy. “For me this is a great tragedy,” council chairman Mikhail Fedotov told state news agency RIA Novosti.

Abramkin’s work to promote prisoners’ rights included heading the Moscow Centre for Prison Reform, an NGO that monitors prison conditions. He also presented a long-running radio show about prison issues. He received up to 12,000 letters per year from prisoners, he told AFP in 2001. He campaigned against prison overcrowding and conditions leading to rampant disease, like tuberculosis and AIDS, and called for reform of the prison system. Russia has one of the world’s highest incarceration rates, with 706,000 people currently behind bars.

Abramkin remained marked by his incarceration all his life. “I work not with human rights but with people,” the painfully thin, bearded man said in a television interview in 2006. “I still think of myself as a prisoner even now.” —AFP

MOMBASA: People stand on the deck of a ferry where a truck lost control and rammed into passengers boarding the boat yesterday. —AFP

11 killed as truck hits Kenyans boarding ferry NAIROBI: At least 11 people were killed yesterday morning when a truck lost control and rammed into passengers boarding a ferry in Kenya’s port city of Mombasa, the Kenya Red Cross said. “So far we can confirm 11 deaths from the ferry tragedy. Those that had been trapped were rescued and more than 20 people have been evacuated,” Mombasa regional Red Cross chief Mwanaisha Hamisi told AFP. Hamisi confirmed witness accounts of the event, saying “the lorry rammed into the passengers as they were boarding the ferry”.

“Its brakes failed then it lost control and hurtled down the ferry’s boarding ramp, running over the passengers and trapping people underneath it,” the Red Cross official added. Hamisi said that the death toll could rise as “many people are trapped in the wreckage.” A witness, Hassan Juma, who was on his way to work told an AFP reporter that he “saw the lorry lose control and ram into a crowd of passengers boarding the ferry.” The incident occurred at around 6:30 am local time (0330 GMT). “The lorry was actually on the boarding queue waiting for the next ferry when its brakes failed,” she said.

The area traffic police boss confirmed the incident but was unsure of the num-

ber of dead and injured. “We have dispatched a team to the scene...We can’t tell the exact number of people because there are a lot of people usually crossing the channel,” regional traffic police chief Joshua Omukata said. By 0900 GMT, services across the channel had resumed, with authorities recording no further casualties.

The Mombasa ferry service has in the recent past seen several incidents including breakdowns halfway through the Likoni channel - the key link between Mombasa Island and Kenya’s south coast which also serves as a corridor for traffic heading to neighbouring Tanzania. In November, thousands of travellers, including tourists, were delayed for several hours after all the ferries shuttling across the channel were cancelled following mechanical breakdowns. The Kenya Ferry Service says that up to 200,000 people and 5,000 motorists use the ferry services every day.

In October a tanker got stuck at a ferry ramp and partially sunk, spilling thousands of litres of cooking oil into the Indian Ocean. Mombasa, some 400 km southeast of the capital Nairobi, is Kenya’s main port city and a key tourist hub famed for its hotels and sandy beaches. —AFP

5 Indians kidnapped off Nigeria released LAGOS: The five Indian crew members of an oil tanker who were kidnapped last month after heavily armed pirates stormed their vessel off Nigeria’s coast have been released, their employer said yesterday. Medallion Marine, a Mumbai-based shipping firm, said the hostages were freed in good health, but did not disclose whether a ransom had been paid, or whether Nigeria’s security forces played any role in securing their release. Kidnap for ransom is common in Nigeria’s southern oil producing Niger Delta region, with expatriate workers often being targeted, but the companies involved rarely comment on ransom demands.

Nigeria’s navy spokesman could not immediately be reached to comment on the circumstances of this release.

“The five crew members who were taken from the (MT SP Brussels) vessel by armed men off the Niger Delta in December have been released,” a company statement said. “Following medical examinations, the crew members have now been flown home in order to be reunited with their families,” it added. After the Dec 17 attack, a company spokesman told AFP that all five people kidnapped were Indian nationals. A 2009 amnesty deal with rebel groups in the Niger Delta significantly reduced such kidnappings, but they still occur both onshore and in the Gulf

of Guinea, which includes the waters off Benin and Togo, as well as Nigeria.

Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau’s piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur, told AFP last month that there were 51 kidnappings in the gulf in 2012, making it one of the most dangerous areas for seafarers after Somalia. The IMB has also reported that attacks in west African waters have grown increasingly violent in recent years, with pirates frequently firing on the vessel they seek to board. The theft of fuel cargo for sale on the region’s lucrative black market is also considered a key motivation for such attacks, aside from ransom payment.

Three Italian sailors seized from a ship in the Niger Delta two days before Christmas were released on Jan 9.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer and the continent’s most populous nation with some 160 million people.

The Niger Delta region remains deeply impoverished despite its oil reserves, with corruption rampant. Violent abductions have also occurred in the north of the country, but those attacks, blamed on radical Islamist groups, are considered a different phenomenon from the unrest in the Niger Delta.

Islamist extremists are suspected of having abducted British, Italian, German and French hostages. —AFP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

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

India wheels out new long-range N-missile Big parade marks Republic Day

YANGON: A Buddhist monk (left) and a well-wisher give away money during a festival held at a temple on the outskirts of Yangon yesterday on the occasion of the full moon day of Pyar Tho according to the Myanmar lunar calendar. — AFP

Militia kidnapped in deadly Pakistan attack: Officials QUETTA, Pakistan: Dozens of armed men raided a pro-government tribal militia post in the southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan yesterday, killing one man and abducting five, officials said. The early morning raid took place in Dera Bugti district, about 400 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital Quetta, they said. “Armed men believed to be several dozen attacked the post and whisked away five members of the tribal force in their vehicles after forcing them to surrender,” provincial chief secretary Akbar Durrani said.

One man who resisted was shot dead by the assailants, he said. Local administration chief Syed Faisal Shah confirmed the raid, saying security forces had been rushed to the area and a search operation had been launched. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The govern-

ment set up a lightly armed tribal force, known locally as a peace force, to help security forces tackle militant violence in the region.

Baluchistan is rife with Islamist militancy and home to a regional insurgency which began in 2004. The insurgents demand political autonomy and a greater share of profits from oil and gas resources. The province has also become a flashpoint for sectarian violence between Pakistan’s majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shiites, who account for around 20 percent of the country’s 180 million people.

Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf earlier this month sacked the provincial government in Baluchistan after meeting Shiite Muslim protesters demanding protection after a huge bomb attack that killed 92 people. —AFP

Eyeing rich bounty, China in line for Afghan role KABUL: China, long a bystander to the conflict in Afghanistan, is stepping up its involvement as US-led forces prepare to withdraw, attracted by the country’s vast mineral resources but concerned that any post-2014 chaos could embolden Islamist insurgents in its own territory.

Cheered on by the US and other Western governments, which see Asia’s giant as a potentially stabilizing force, China could prove the ultimate winner in Afghanistan - having shed no blood and not much aid. Security - or the lack of it remains the key challenge: Chinese enterprises have already bagged three multibillion dollar investment projects, but they won’t be able to go forward unless conditions get safer. While the Chinese do not appear ready to rush into any vacuum left by the withdrawal of foreign troops, a definite shift toward a more hands-on approach to Afghanistan is underway.

Beijing signed a strategic partnership last summer with the war-torn country.

This was followed in September with a trip to Kabul by its top security official, the first by a leading Chinese government figure in 46 years, and the announcement that China would train 300 Afghan police officers. China is also showing signs of willingness to help negotiate a peace agreement as NATO prepares to pull out in two years. It’s a new role for China, as its growing economic might gives it a bigger stake in global affairs. Success, though far from guaranteed, could mean a big payoff for a country hungry for resources to sustain its economic growth and eager to maintain stability in Xinjiang.

“If you are able to see a more or less stable situation in Afghanistan, if it becomes another relatively normal Central Asian state, China will be the natural beneficiary,” says Andrew Small, a China expert at The German Marshall Fund of the United States, an American research institute. “If you look across Central Asia, that is what has already happened. ... China is the only actor who can foot the level of investment needed in Afghanistan to make it succeed and stick it out.”

Over the past decade, China’s trade has boomed with Afghanistan’s resource-rich neighbors in Central Asia.

For Turkmenistan, China trade reached 21 percent of GDP in 2011, up from 1 percent five years earlier, according to an Associated Press analysis of International Monetary Fund data. The equivalent figure for Tajikistan is 32 percent of GDP, versus 12 percent in 2006. China’s trade with Afghanistan stood at a modest 1.3 percent of GDP in 2011.

Eyeing Afghanistan’s estimated $1 trillion worth of unexploited minerals, Chinese companies have acquired rights to extract vast quantities of copper and coal and snapped up the first oil exploration concessions granted to foreigners in decades. China is also eyeing extensive deposits of lithium, uses of which range from batteries to nuclear components. The Chinese are also showing interest in investing in hydropower, agriculture and construction. Preliminary

talks have been held about a direct road link to China across the remote 76-kilometer (47-mile) border between the two countries, according to Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry. Wang Lian, a Central Asia expert at Beijing University, notes that superpowers have historically been involved in Afghanistan because it is an Asian crossroads - and China would be no exception.

“It’s unquestionable that China bears the responsibility to participate in the political and economic reconstruction of Afghanistan,” he says. “A stable Afghanistan is of vital importance to (China). China can’t afford to stand aside following the US troop withdrawal and in the process of political transition.”A stable Afghanistan, Wang says, is vital to the security of Xinjiang, China’s far west where Islamic militants are seeking independence. Some have gained sanctuary and training in Pakistan and along the Pakistan-Afghan border. Beijing fears chaos, or victory by the Taliban, would allow these groups greater leeway.

The US is encouraging Beijing to boost its investment and aid in Afghanistan and backs its participation in various peace-seeking initiatives, including a Pakistan-Afghanistan-China forum that met last month for the second time. Afghan Foreign Ministr y spokesman Janan Mosazai says there has been a greater sharing of intelligence between his country and China, and a joint US-Chinese program to mentor junior Afghan diplomats.

In one of the only cases of such cooperation in the world, the US brought 15 diplomats to Washington, DC, last month, after they had received similar training in China. Similar three-way programs are being developed in health and agriculture. “Recently, China has taken a keener interest in the security situation and the transition process, and we are more than happy that this is increasing,” Mosazai says.

“It’s certainly a change, a welcome change.” He adds that Beijing could play a crucial role in forging peace in Afghanistan because of its close relations to Pakistan, which has long-standing links to the Taleban, whose leadership is widely believed to operate from the country.

Davood Moradian, who heads the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies in Kabul, says the Chinese are treading carefully, realizing they lack expertise in a complex political landscape that has tripped up other great powers. “The Chinese are ambiguous. They don’t want the Taleban to return to power and are concerned about a vacuum after 2014 that the Taliban could fill, but they also don’t like having US troops in their neighborhood,” he says. Should the Chinese step into the peace process, either as a principal intermediary or through Pakistan, they could carry considerable weight.

“They are rare among the actors in Afghanistan in that they are not seen as having been too close to any side of the conflict. All sides are happy to see China’s expanded role,” Small says. —AP

NEW DELHI: India wheeled out a new longrange nuclear missile that can hit anywhere in China and warned rival Pakistan not to take its friendship “for granted” as it celebrated its Republic Day with a big parade yesterday.

India successfully tested last April the Agni V missile, which has a range of 5,000 kilometers and can strike across the Chinese mainland and even hit targets as far away as Europe.

The first appearance in the annual parade of the Agni V-seen as marking a significant upgrade of India’s nuclear deterrent-came along with the display of other military hardware acquired as part of a massive modernization drive costing tens of billions of dollars.

The parade along New Delhi’s ceremonial Rajpath, or King’s Avenue, also included floats marking India’s rich diversity and a tableau marking 100 years of Indian cinema wrapped in reels of film and embossed with movie names.

Large areas of the capital were sealed off for the celebrations-a traditional show of patriotic fervor-where Bhutan’s king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was the chief guest.

India’s shorter-range Agni I and II were developed with rival Pakistan in mind, while later versions reflect India’s focus on China as well. India and China have prickly ties and a legacy of mistrust stemming from a brief border war in 1962.

On the eve of Republic Day, marking proclamation of India’s constitution, President Pranab Mukherjee told Pakistan in his annual nationwide televised address that New Delhi’s hand of friendship should “not be taken for granted”.

His speech, aired again yesterday, came amid a ceasefire which took hold last week in disputed Kashmir after the nations agreed to halt cross-border firing that has threatened to unravel a fragile peace process. “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 taken for granted,” he said.

Before the ceasefire, Pakistan said three of its soldiers died in firing by Indian troops along a de facto border dividing Kashmir between the two nations.

India, in turn, accused Pakistani troops of killing two of its soldiers, one of whom was beheaded, and the Himalayan region remains on edge. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since partition in 1947, two of them over Kashmir, a territory which both claim. Snipers manned rooftops along the route of the parade in New Delhi while helicopters monitored the area from above. Tens of thousands of security forces were deployed in the capital and country for the holiday celebrated across India to mark when the nation’s constitution took effect.

In his speech, president Mukherjee also said it was time for India to “reset its moral compass” following the gang-rape and murder of a student last month that ignited nationwide demonstrations to press for better safety for women.

The death of the 23-year-old woman, “who

was a symbol of all that new India strives to be”, had shattered the nation’s complacency, he said.

“We lost more than a valuable life-we lost a

Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk (CR) and Indian President Pranab Mukherjee (Center-Left) arrive for the Republic Day parade in New Delhi yesterday. India marked its Republic Day with celebrations held under heavy security, especially in New Delhi where large areas were sealed off for an annual parade of military hardware at which Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was chief guest. —AFP

NEW DELHI: Indian army artillery is displayed during Republic Day parade in New Delhi yesterday. —AP

Delhi lawmaker tells gun owners to save women NEW DELHI: Gun owners should roam the streets at night and use their weapons to prevent crimes against women, Delhi’s lieutenant governor has said in the wake of the brutal gang rape and murder of a student in the capital, according to a report yesterday. Tejendra Khanna, who heads the national capital’s police department, on Friday urged gun-owning residents to put their weapons to “social service” and scare away potential molesters, The Indian Express said.

“Gun owners with licenses must roam lonely spots like bus stands each night and if they spot someone harassing a woman, they should use their weapon to stop the crime,” the federal administrator said in a speech.“They can at least spend an hour or so every day with their friends in public after nightfall,” Khanna said, according to the Indian Express.The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party condemned Khanna’s remarks, saying “citizens should not be advised to take their law into their own hands in any situation”.

dream” and “we must look deep into our conscience and find out where we have faltered”, he said. — AFP

The Geneva-based Small Arms Survey estimates India is home to 40 million civilian-owned firearms of an estimated 650 million worldwide. Just 6.3 million Indian arms are registered. Khanna’s remarks came as Indian President Pranab Mukherjee in a speech on Friday said the December 16 attack on the student who died of massive internal injuries “has left our hearts empty and our minds in turmoil”.

Police say rape cases in New Delhi jumped 23.4 percent to 706 in 2012 from a year earlier, highlighting rampant crime against women in the sprawling metropolis of 16 million people. The murder of the 23year-old student ignited street protests and calls for harsher punishments for rapists.

Five men are on trial for the rape and killing while a sixth has said he is under 18 and that his case should be heard in juvenile court.New Delhi is known as the most unsafe major Indian city for women with more than twice as many rape cases registered in 2011 than in commercial hub Mumbai. —AFP

Britain’s Prince Harry (right) giving an interview to a TV crew at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. Prince Harry said he was “thrilled to be back” in Britain as he returned home after serving a 20-week tour of duty in Afghanistan. The 28-year-old Apache attack helicopter co-pilot arrived back on home turf after spending two days’ mandatory post-deployment “decompression” time at a British base in Cyprus. —AFP

Myanmar rebukes US for calling it ‘Burma’ YANGON: Myanmar took a swipe at the United States yesterday for calling the country Burma, urging it to use its official title and avoid harming improving ties between the two former foes. In a response to a press statement issued by the US embassy in Yangon on the conflict in northern Kachin state, the Foreign Ministry said Washington should be following most countries and the United Nations and call it Myanmar.

The issue has struck a chord with the civilian-led government, which has won the recognition of the international community following political, social and economic reforms introduced after it replaced an oppressive military junta in March 2011.

“Myanmar strongly objects to the usage of the words ‘Burma’, ‘Burmese government’ and ‘Burmese military’ in the US embassy’s press release and not using the name recognized by the United Nations and the whole international community,” the ministry said in a statement carried in state-controlled newspapers.

It said US President Barack Obama had called the country Myanmar during his landmark visit late last year, so the embassy should follow his example.

After decades of bitterness, ties between Myanmar and the United States have started to thaw since the new government embarked on reforms and freed hundreds of political prisoners.

The United States has suspended most sanctions and even engaged with Myanmar’s military, which has been accused of corruption and human rights abuses that include rape, torture, forced labor and recruitment of child soldiers.

The country’s name has long had two forms in the Burmese language: Myanmar is the formal name while Burma has traditionally been used in informal conversation. In 1989, the then ruling junta deemed that the country should be officially known in English as Myanmar, a move it said was to appease minority non-Burman ethnic groups.

Opponents of the military, including Nobel laureate and lawmaker Aung San Suu Kyi, ignored the change and continued to refer to the country as Burma. She still calls it Burma today, an issue that has riled the government.

The embassy issued a statement on Thursday objecting to the fierce fighting between the Myanmar military and Kachin Independence Army and urged the government to protect civilians and allow humanitarian access to the area.

The Foreign Ministry criticized the embassy for not mentioning “terrorist” acts by the Kachin Independence Army. It said it hoped the embassy would “avoid in future actions that may affect mutual respect, mutual understanding and cooperation”. —Reuters

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

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

China’s Chongqing mayor says banished Bo Xilai’s influence BEIJING: The mayor of the scandal-plagued southwestern Chinese metropolis of Chongqing said yesterday that local authorities had banished the malign influence of the city’s former top official Bo Xilai, and vowed never to never allow a repeat of his crimes.

Once a contender for China’s top leadership, Bo was ousted in the biggest political scandal in two decades last year following his wife’s murder of a British businessman, Neil Heywood. A former commerce minister, Bo turned sprawling, haze-covered Chongqing into a showcase for his mix of populist policies and bold spending plans that won support from leftists yearning for a charismatic leader. Other Communist Party leaders viewed him as an attention-seeking loose cannon.

Bo, 63, was widely seen as pursuing a powerful spot on the party’s elite inner core before his career unravelled

after his former police chief, Wang Lijun, fled to a U.S. consulate for more than 24 hours in February and alleged that Bo’s wife, Gu Kailai, had murdered Heywood with poison. Speaking at the opening session of the city’s largely rubber stamp legislature, Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan, who had served with Bo when Bo was the city’s party boss, described the past year’s events as “extraordinary”.

“Against such an exceptional backdrop and complex circumstances, we resolutely followed the decisions of the party ... and worked hard to banish the serious impact of the Bo Xilai and Wang Lijun cases,” Huang said, according to a transcript of his speech carried by Chinese news websites. The experience of the past five years showed that only by following the party’s leadership could Chongqing enjoy real success, both economically and socially, he added. “Otherwise, our work will be seriously harmed,”

Huang said. Formal charges against Bo have yet to be made public, but speculation is growing that his trial could come very soon.

A Beijing-backed Hong Kong newspaper reported on Friday that the trial would open on Monday in the southern city of Guiyang, though court officials have dismissed that possibility and neither the government nor his lawyers have confirmed it. Both Wang and Gu have been jailed and Bo expelled from the party, accused of corruption and of bending the law to hush up the killing. Bo arrived in Chongqing as its party chief in 2007 and recast it as a bold, egalitarian alternative mode of growth for China known as the “Chongqing model”, pumping money into social housing schemes and infrastructure such as a sleek new subway. The government has since sought to distance itself from Bo’s achievements-with the city’s then

acting party chief saying late last year there was no such thing as the “Chongqing model”.

Chongqing must never allow “vanity projects” that “tire the people and drain money”, or other projects enacted solely for political purposes, he said, a clear reference to Bo’s often grandiose plans for the city and which won him popular support. Bo’s case has overshadowed a tricky leadership transition in a country grappling with surging public anger at corruption. Xi Jinping, who will become president in March, has mounted a spirited campaign against graft, especially in high places, since becoming national party chief in November, something Huang also echoed. “We must strictly define authority in accordance with the law and ... never allow any group or individual to have special rights which exceed the constitution or the law,” Huang said. — Reuters

Images suggest N Korea ready for nuclear test Pyongyang’s true intention still shrouded

SINGAPORE: Residents cast their vote in the city’s by-election at a polling station in Singapore yesterday. — AFP

Singapore government faces test in by-poll SINGAPORE: Voters in a Singapore suburb began casting ballots yesterday in a by-election that tests the public mood two years after the ruling party suffered its worst ever poll performance. At stake is a seat left vacant when former Speaker Michael Palmer stepped down and quit the People’s Action Party (PAP), which has been in power for over half a century, after he confessed to an extramarital affair in December.

The campaign has been dominated by socio-economic issues like the rising cost of living. Analysts said the presence of three opposition candidates could split the anti-PAP vote. Lines of voters started forming at polling stations in the Punggol East constituency, a quiet residential district, before polls opened at 8:00am (0000 GMT).

They will close after 12 hours and results are expected to be declared before the night is over.

More than 31,000 Singaporeans are eligible to vote in the by-election, the second

since the May 2011 general elections when the PAP’s share of all votes cast fell to an alltime low of 60 percent. A year later, the PAP was again rebuffed by voters during a byelection in an opposition stronghold, but it still controls 81 of the 87 seats in parliament, where most seats are elected in clusters.

“I’m getting used to going to the polls,” Nick Chong, a 44-year-old sales trainer told AFP. “I’m just glad we have the chance to make a decision.” The main candidates in yesterday’s vote are a surgeon from the PAP and a sales executive from the Workers’ Party, which holds all six of the opposition seats in parliament. Two smaller parties are contesting the election, threatening to draw votes away from the Workers’ Party. The publication of voter surveys is banned in Singapore until polls close. The PAP first came to power in 1959 when colonial ruler Britain introduced self-rule in Singapore, which became a republic in 1965 after a brief union with Malaysia. — AFP

US: US, China oppose N Korea nuclear test BEIJING: Washington and Beijing have agreed that a nuclear test by North Korea would lead to its further isolation and set back efforts to restart regional talks on its nuclear disarmament, a US envoy said.

After talks in Beijing on Friday with senior Chinese officials, US envoy for North Korea Glyn Davies said both sides are opposed to any nuclear test by North Korea and said ridding it of nuclear weapons remains a condition for bringing stability to the region.

“We reached strong consensus that a nuclear test will be troubling and will set back efforts to de-nuclearize the Korean Peninsula. De-nuclearization is a necessary precondition to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” Davies told reporters. He said North Korea can choose to test and further isolate itself or return to disarmament talks that involve South Korea, Japan and Russia as well as the US and China. “We judge North Korea by its actions, not its words,” he said.

Davies’ Beijing talks come amid visits to South Korea and Japan to discuss what to do about North Korea. His tour also comes as tensions are rising and China is showing signs it wants to rein in its North Korean ally. Beijing fell into rare agreement with Washington this past week, allowing the UN to tighten sanctions against North Korea as punishment for a rocket launch last month. In

response, the North Korean Defense Commission, which commands the military, said it is prepared to conduct a nuclear test and made clear its missiles are capable of reaching the United States.

Another nuclear test by North Korea would pose a challenge to newly installed Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, unsteadying South Korea, Japan and the United States.

Relations between the three and Beijing are strained, and their trade and investment help to keep the buoyant Chinese economy growing. Asked about Davies’ visit, China’s Foreign Ministry said that given the current tensions, all sides need to keep calm. “The current situation of the peninsula is complicated and sensitive. We hope the relevant sides can stay calm, strengthen dialogue, avoid any acts that will escalate tension and jointly maintain peace and stability of the peninsula,” ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a routine daily media briefing.

China provides most of North Korea’s fuel and a good deal of its food and accounts for an increasing share of its trade and investment. But in more than a decade of recurring missile launches, two nuclear tests and other provocations by North Korea, China has been reluctant to use its economic leverage, fearing it could destabilize its neighbor. — AP

TOKYO: Ground staff members bow after a coffin carrying the last Japanese victim of the Algerian hostage crisis was unloaded from a plane at Narita Airport, outside Tokyo yesterday. — AFP

WASHINGTON: North Korea could be almost ready to carry out its threat to conduct a nuclear test, a US research institute said, pointing to recent satellite photos. The images of the Punggye-ri site where nuclear tests were conducted in 2006 and 2009 reveal that over the past month roads have been kept clear of snow and that North Koreans may have been sealing the tunnel into a mountainside where a nuclear device would be detonated.

But it remains difficult to discern North Korea’s true intentions as a test would be conducted underground. The analysis was provided on Friday to The Associated Press by 38 North, the website of US Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. The latest image was taken Wednesday. North Korea’s powerful National Defense Commission declared its plans Thursday after the UN Security Council tightened sanctions in response to a December long-range rocket launch. It described it as part of a “new phase” of combat with the United States, which retains 28,000 troops in South Korea and which it blames for leading the UN bid to punish Pyongyang.

The North said a nuclear test was part of “upcoming” action but did not say exactly when or where it would take place. 38 North concludes that the Punggye-ri site, in the country’s northeast, “appears to continue to be at a state of readiness that would allow the North to move forward with a test in a few weeks or less once the leadership in Pyongyang gives the order.”

South Korean media have cited intelligence officials as saying technical preparations appear complete and the North could be ready to test within days of making a decision to do so. US officials confirmed on Friday that the US has seen some trucks moving around the site. One official said the US is not ruling out that the test could happen in the near future. But the officials cautioned that, as in previous tests, because it would be done underground, the US may not know much before it actually happens. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss intelligence matters publicly.

Visitors watch South Korean army soldiers on patrol along the barbed-wire fence at the Imjingak Pavilion, South Korea, near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) of Panmunjom yesterday. —AP In 2006, North Korea detonated a nuclear with great fanfare in the authoritarian nation. In device just six days after it announced its plans to its assessment of the preparations at Punggye-ri, do so, and in 2009, 26 days after the announce- 38 North noted that there was considerable ment. Both tests came weeks after the UN snowfall there in November 2012. It said subseSecurity Council had condemned it for long- quent clearing operations as well as tracks in the range rocket launches. “While the test site snow in the remote area reveal activity at buildappears to continue to be at a high state of readi- ings and on roads near the possible test tunnel.

A satellite image taken Jan. 4 shows 30 or ness, it’s anyone’s guess when a detonation more personnel, possibly soldiers or security might occur.

The North Koreans may do it tomorrow, some guards, in formation in the yard of the main other day or they may decide to wait until a administrative buildings at the site. A Dec. 24 meaningful date like Kim Jong Il’s birthday on image shows a pile of material in the same yard.

February 16th,” said Joel Wit, a former US State Its purpose is uncertain but it could be intended for sealing the tunnel. By the time of Department official and the editor of 38 North.

Anniversaries related to members of North Wednesday’s photo, the pile has shrunk, which Korea’s ruling dynasty, such as former leader Kim could indicate operations have begun to seal the Jong Il who died in December 2011, are marked tunnel, according to the analysis. — AP

Fire guts Bangladesh garment unit, 6 die DHAKA: Fire raced through a small garment factory in the Bangladesh capital yesterday, killing at least six employees and injuring 10, firefighters and witnesses said, two months after the country’s worst factory blaze killed 112 workers.

Fire service officials said the fire at Smart Fashions, housed in the upper floor of a twostorey building in the suburb of Mohammadpur, appeared to start in a tire repair and welding shop downstairs. But the exact cause was still to be determined.

Firefighters and police combed the building after the blaze was brought under control and pulled out six bodies.”Everything inside the factory has been gutted,” a Reuters photographer said.

A fire at Tazreen Fashions Limited in a Dhaka suburb in November killed 112 workers and injured at least 150, a blaze that focused world attention on poor safety standards in the country’s garment sector.Working conditions at Bangladeshi factories are notoriously poor, with little enforcement of safety laws.

Overcrowding and locked fire doors are common.

Bangladesh has about 4,500 garment factories and is the world’s biggest exporter of clothing after China, with garments making

DHAKA: Bystanders watch as Bangladeshi firefighters and volunteers attempt to extinguish a blaze at a garment factory in Dhaka yesterday. — AFP

up 80 percent of its $24 billion annual expor ts. O fficials in the industr y have demanded quick implementation of recommendations to improve standards in a report that concluded the Tazreen blaze

Aquino: China harassed Philippine fishing boats MANILA: President Benigno Aquino has accused China of harassing two Philippine fishing boats in disputed South China Sea waters, allegedly driving out one that had sheltered from rough seas.

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Aquino said the two Scarborough Shoal incidents had led to Manila seeking United Nations arbitration this week over the territorial dispute. Aquino, who did not say when the incidents occurred, said “Chinese vessels” approached to within nine meters of a Filipino fishing boat near the shoal.

“While they (Chinese vessels) were approaching, their horns were supposedly blaring at full blast, causing apprehension to our fishing vessel,” he said, according to a transcript released by the government yesterday. A second Filipino boat was driven out by Chinese vessels shortly after it took shelter near the shoal, he added.”According to the affidavit (crew’s depositions), they were told to go back to the rough waters.” The shoal, located closer to the Philippine island of Luzon than the Chinese mainland, has been a source of friction since April last year when Chinese vessels stopped the Philippine navy from arresting

alleged Chinese poachers.

Aquino, saying only that the incidents were the latest in a series of assertive Chinese actions in the area, stressed the Scarborough Shoalwhich Manila calls “Bajo de Masinloc” and China calls “Huangyan island”-and its surrounding waters are part of the Philippines’ “exclusive economic zone”. China claims most of the South China Sea, including waters and islands close to the shores of its neighbours. Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario however this week said Manila had taken China to a UN tribunal to challenge its claim to most of the sea, including territory belonging to the archipelago, and would ask the arbitration panel to declare Chinese claims in the area invalid. Aquino said he could not allow China to claim “effective control over Bajo de Masinloc by ordering our vessels out”, as this could encourage Beijing to move into the Philippine-claimed and allegedly resource-rich Reed Bank. “We are not threatening anybody, but if we don’t stand up for our rights, who do we expect will be standing up for our rights?”

Aquino said. China’s embassy spokesmen could not be reached for comment yesterday. —AFP

was the result of both sabotage and negligence. Western clothing brands, including Wal-M ar t Stores I nc , have announced tougher measures to ensure safety standards are upheld.— Reuters

Second Malaysian found dead in Algeria crisis KUALA LUMPUR: The death of a second Malaysian worker in the Algerian hostage crisis has been confirmed after his body was identified by his dental records and a tattoo, the Malaysian foreign ministry said yesterday. The man, Tan Ping Wee, had been unaccounted for since Islamist militants attacked the In Amenas gas plant in the north African desert on January 16.

“Tan Ping Wee’s body was identified by the forensic team through his dental records as well as confirmation of his tattoo by his family,” Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said in a statement. Two other Malaysians working at the plant returned home Wednesday while another had stayed in Algiers to help locate Tan, the last Malaysian unaccounted for following the attack.

According to preliminary estimates by the Algerian authorities, 37 foreign hostages and 29 kidnappers died in the Islamist attack against the gas field and in the military operation that followed. The hostage-takers were demanding the release of Islamist prisoners and an end to France’s intervention in Mali. —AFP

NEWS Deadly clashes in Egypt after football verdicts Continued from Page 1 Protesters tried to storm the main police station, but were thwarted by police, who fired tear gas to disperse them, witnesses said.

Amid the spreading unrest, the opposition threatened to boycott upcoming parliamentary polls if Morsi does not find a “comprehensive solution” to the unrest. The National Salvation Front, the main coalition of parties and movements opposing the ruling Islamists, called for the creation of a “national salvation” government, saying otherwise it will “not participate” in the election. February’s riots, when fans of Port Said side Al-Masry attacked players and fans of Cairo’s Al-Ahly, sparked days of protests in the capital, in which another 16 people were killed.

In Cairo yesterday, both inside and outside the court, there were explosions of joy at the verdict. Women ululated, relatives hugged each other and shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest). A man who lost his son in Port Said wept outside the court, telling AFP: “I am satisfied with the verdict.” Another, Hassan Mustafa, had pinned a picture of his dead friend to his chest and said he was pleased, but wanted “justice served for those who planned the killing.”

Many Egyptians believe the violence was orchestrated either by police or by supporters of ousted president Mubarak. The court handed its verdict to Egypt’s top cleric for his final opinion, as is customary, and set March 9 for verdicts on another 52 defendants, including police officers. The sentences are subject to appeal, judicial

sources said.

They come after a day of clashes marking the revolution’s second anniversary left at least nine people dead and 530 injured. Tens of thousands took to the nation’s streets on Friday to protest against Morsi, who is accused of failing the revolution and consolidating power in the hands of his Muslim Brotherhood. Early yesterday, Morsi used Twitter to appeal for calm, urging “citizens to adhere to the values of the revolution, express opinions freely and peacefully and renounce violence”.

Troops in armoured vehicles deployed in Suez late on Friday, taking up positions at the entry of the canal, outside police headquarters and the governorate building. The Suez Canal authority said yesterday shipping in the vital waterway were unaffected by the violence. However, a Greek ferry anchored in Port Said was hit by apparent stray gunfire yesterday, but no one was hurt, Greece’s foreign ministry said.

Protesters also stormed government buildings in canal city Ismailiya on Friday, and torched the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters. In Cairo, police fired tear gas at protesters outside the presidential palace, scene of deadly clashes between Morsi’s allies and foes in December. Germany expressed its “concern” over the unrest, days ahead of a scheduled visit by Morsi to Berlin. Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said: “I note with concern that Egypt is unable to settle peacefully the question of the best route to pursue for a positive future for the country.” — AFP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

55 dead in Venezuela jail riot Continued from Page 1 enough to require surgery. He had called the initial death toll of 50 “alarming,” saying it was based solely on bodies brought to the hospital. Prison authorities have not yet released an official figure for the toll of those killed and wounded in the riot, but a press conference was expected later yesterday from Iris Varela, the minister responsible for Venezuela’s prisons.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro, freshly back in the countr y after visiting recovering President Hugo Chavez in Cuba, called the riot “regrettable” and “tragic”, and said an investigation had been launched. Varela said the riot was sparked after inmates rebelled when prison authorities launched a sweep of the facility in search of illicit weapons. Authorities had swept to “completely disarm” the prisoners after receiving a tip-off that prison gangs were readying to fight, she said.

Opposition parties immediately attacked the government, accusing it of exercising lax control over the prison system. “Who will they blame for this massacre this time around?” opposition leader and former presidential

candidate Henrique Capriles said on Twitter, calling the government “incapable and irresponsible”. Humberto Prado, head of the nongovernmental Venezuelan Prison Monitoring Organization, said the government “had failed to take responsibility for the events” and instead was “piling blame on the media”. The situation in Uribana prison has been monitored by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights since 2006, he added. “The court told the Venezuelan government that no more inmates should be dying in this jail, but the government did not comply with this request, and now we have such a serious outburst of violence,” he said.

Venezuela is notorious for the poor state of its prisons, which suffer from some of the highest levels of overcrowding in Latin America. Originally built to house 14,000 inmates, the country’s prisons now hold almost 50,000 people, often with low sanitary standards and high levels of violence. In Aug 2012, at least 25 people were killed and 43 wounded during a clash between rival gangs in Yare I prison near Caracas. In June 2011, dozens died in a riot that erupted at El Rodeo prison. — AFP

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

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Washington Watch

My experience at NYU Abu Dhabi

By Dr James J Zogby his January I returned to the UAE to teach a short term course at New York University’s Abu Dhabi campus. It was a remarkable experience. My 13 students hailed from 10 countries and were a highly self-aware and wonderfully articulate group. Our goal in the course was to examine the roots of the East-West divide and to explore ways of bridging the chasm.

We studied the knowledge gap that has separated the two worlds and the myths and negative stereotypes that have come to substitute for real knowledge. We reviewed extensive polling data that detailed the lack of information and depth of mistrust between East and West, and then focused on both the policy blunders that flowed from the misunderstanding and the role that bad policies have played in deepening the divide.

What was especially encouraging was the ability displayed by many of my students to apply lessons they were learning to their own unique situations. Whether from Turkey, Moldova, Hungary, Trinidad-Tobago, Canada, or Pakistan, participants in the course were able to share observations and shed light on the role that stereotypes and policies have played in aggravating tensions worldwide. At the end of the course, the students met, on their own, in two separate sessions and prepared “Lessons on Bridging the East-West Divide”. This final product was so thoughtful that I felt it deserved to be shared for consideration and comment.

They began their “Lessons” by noting the deep gap that separates the Arab World and the West. “Stereotypes, they noted, have spread and taken root, violence has taken lives on both sides, and war has created deeper wounds than can be quickly healed”. An essential initial step towards bridging the divide, they observed, is for leaders and citizens alike to both acknowledge that it exists and to understand that it “does not refer to fundamental differences between people in values, ideas, and culture. Instead, it consists of the misunderstandings and prejudices that prevent us from appreciating our differences.” “Too often”, they note, “the Arab World and the West have been defined by their differences”. However, on closer scrutiny we find that as a result of trade, colonization, migration, globalization, or travel, we discover a shared historical narrative of interdependency. This understanding can and must be broadened through cultural programs and exchanges.

It is also important, they observed, that a “clear distinction...be made between government policies and people’s attitudes.

Emphasis should be put on the daily lives of individuals in both societies, and not only on the exceptional events that are broadcast from the respective regions”. Education is vital to creating this deeper awareness - education, not as a means to an end, but as a continuously developing process both on a personal and a national level. As examples of what should be done, they proposed an expansion of Middle Eastern and Western studies programs available to students in both regions and “more exchange programs, cross-school partnerships, and conferences that bring together students and adults from different countries to collaborate on a wide range of issues”.

Another path, they noted, to promoting deeper understanding is the responsible use of social media which can foster instant global interaction, providing individuals direct access to a broader audience. Such communication enables us to listen to people’s stories and their own presentation of their personal narratives familiarizing participants with each side’s perceptions of events and the “connections that exist between these perceptions and tradition and culture”.

For any progress to be made in healing the divide, however, there must first be humility and the “understanding that we cannot be right if we cannot be wrong...we all aspire for a better future, but change cannot be built without a realistic understanding of our past...We must have courage to listen, to be open, to be wrong and to put aside our familiar roles of aggressor or victim to become equal partners with a common goal”.

What is unacceptable, my students insisted, are efforts to “brand individuals within each society who acknowledge shortcomings...of being ‘traitors’ or ‘apologists’...Our policy will be stronger and our relations better if we can be vulnerable and show empathy towards each other by recognizing our own shortcomings”.

Finally, my students posited that it was important to approach this entire enterprise with “grounded ambitions”. They recalled that in his now famous speech in Cairo, “President Barack Obama established a new standard for American awareness of the complexities and realities of US-Arab relations. But this understanding did not reflect the intricacies of the domestic politics and opinions within the United States, and ultimately would become a point of disillusionment”. In order to avoid this pitfall, it is important that leaders separate what is “pragmatic from what is idealistic” and not propose more than “they can realistically deliver”. In his book, “The Way We’ll Be” my brother John describes young people from 18 to 29 as the “First Globals”, noting that they are “the most outward looking and accepting generation in history”. Some days in class, I would just sit back and listen to my students as they discussed our course material. John’s observation would come to mind. I would marvel at their optimism, their vision, and their instinctive sense of collaboration.

And I would feel confident that they might very well be the generation to heal the divides that they inherited from the generations that had preceded them.

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NOTE: Dr James J Zogby is the President of the Arab American Institute

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

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

China changes tone, not interests, on N Korea

By Shaun Tandon hina’s unusually forceful criticism of North Korea shows the rising power is eager to distance itself from a pariah, but experts doubt Beijing would ultimately put the regime’s survival at risk. The Global Times, a state-run newspaper close to China’s ruling Communist Party, said in an editorial that if North Korea goes ahead with plans to test a nuclear bomb, Beijing “will not hesitate to reduce its assistance”. The newspaper, which normally takes a nationalistic tone on foreign policy, voiced exasperation with North Korea and accused Kim Jong-Un’s regime of failing to appreciate China’s efforts on its behalf.

North Korea vowed to carry out its third nuclear test after the UN Security Council condemned its Dec 12 rocket launch. The resolution was a compromise with China, which resisted US calls to impose new forms of sanctions but agreed to put more North Koreans on existing blacklists. Scott Snyder, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that China may have concluded that North Korea would respond angrily no matter what and decided, “Why should we take the hit if it’s not going to make a difference?”

Snyder said that China may have been upset not as much by the planned nuclear test but by Nor th Korea’s simultaneous vow to leave six-nation talks on

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denuclearization, a main means of Chinese leverage in regional diplomacy. But Snyder said there was no evidence that China’s leadership under president-inwaiting Xi Jinping has conducted a fundamental rethink on North Korea. “Until there is some evidence of that, I think we have to presume that China’s core objective remains stability and that they are still in North Korea’s corner, even though North Korea makes it very hard for them,” he said.

China is widely seen as fearing the consequences of a North Korean collapse, which could cause an exodus of refugees and potentially lead to a reunified, US-allied Korea directly on its border. China has been the primary benefactor of Pyongyang since the 195053 Korean War, providing critical diplomatic support and economic links to one of the world’s most isolated and repressive regimes. Philip Yun, a former US policymaker on Korea, said that Pyongyang was keenly aware that China did not want the regime to collapse and had likely mapped out the expected reactions to its announcement.

“Quite frankly, the North Koreans know the Chinese are not being nice because they like the Nor th Koreans. The Chinese are doing this because it’s in China’s interest,” said Yun, executive director of the Ploughshares Fund, a group opposed to nuclear weapons. North Korea has been a perpetual irritant in relations between the United States and China, with

US officials demanding that Beijing take stronger action after every crisis. The US-China relationship has seen turbulence after Secretar y of State Hillar y Clinton on Jan 18 strongly supported US ally Japan with a warning to Beijing not to challenge Tokyo’s control of disputed islands.

The tone between the Pacific powers was markedly different a week later, with Glyn Davies, the US pointman on North Korea, saying in Beijing that the United States and China had a “very strong degree of consensus”. Yun said that the Chinese wanted a better relationship with the United States and faced a dilemma on North Korea. “The Chinese are attached, I think, essentially to a loser and they are trying to figure out a way to deal with this that doesn’t poison the rest of the relationship” with the United States, Yun said.

James Acton, a nuclear expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, doubted that pressure could dissuade the North Koreans from carrying out their test.

“I think the North Koreans just say - how bad can it be? The Chinese have never punished us in a serious way in the past, so why would they do so in the future?” he said. “It’s one thing if the North Koreans haven’t made something public - at that point, extensive private pressure could work. But having made it public, it’s very hard to see how anyone - even China can influence North Korea’s decision,” he said.— AFP

787 probe, fixing problem, may cost Boeing dear

By Bill Rigby he slow progress of investigations into battery problems on Boeing Co’s 787 Dreamliner jets suggest the new plane could be grounded for months, raising fears that the financial hit to Boeing will be greater than had been initially predicted. Wall Street had been working on the assumption that safety inspectors would find the root cause of two battery incidents in the United States and Japan within weeks and Boeing would implement a speedy fix costing no more than a few hundred million dollars.

But on Thursday, the head of the US National Transportation Safety Board said it was only “early” in its investigation of a fire on a Japan Airlines Co Ltd jet in Boston on Jan 7, while Japanese aviation authorities appear no closer to resolving a battery problem that caused an emergency landing of a domestic All Nippon Airways Co Ltd flight last week. “Saying we are in the early stages of the investigation sent a resounding message to those who thought this was a quick fix,” said Carter Leake, aerospace analyst at BB&T Capital Markets. “If it comes out that ultimately it’s a six-month issue or a nine-month issue, everything changes. All of this optimism and all of this costing assumption, starts to become bigger numbers. Once you get past six months, you have to consider cancellations.” Investors do not appear to be in a panic yet. Boeing shares are down only about 2.5 percent since the 787 was grounded worldwide following the emergency landing in Japan on Jan 16. “Wall Street reaction shows confidence in Boeing’s ability to solve the 787 problem,” said Michel Merluzeau, managing partner at G2 Solutions, an aerospace and defense consulting firm in Kirkland, Washington.

Boeing does make four other kinds of jets, including the best-selling 737, and the company earns 40 percent of its revenue from its defense arm.

Still, the world’s biggest planemaker is producing 787s, but not delivering any, a situation that could stretch the company financially and test investors’ faith. “One of our big concerns is that this investigation continues to drag on, and it looks like it may be more than just the battery overheating itself,” said Russell Solomon, an

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analyst at Moody’s Investors Service. “You start getting into three, six months out and it has a bigger impact and my guess is that they (Boeing) would have to potentially cut the production rate.”

Besides the actual cost of fixing the 50 787s in service, plus another 50 or so in production or waiting for delivery, Boeing will have to compensate carriers unable to use 787s as planned and pay penalties for late deliveries, most likely in the form of discounts on future purchases. It also is not clear whether any fix - particularly if the probes lead to the identification of a major design fault - would also be costly. At the same time, it will be starved of the cash it was expecting for delivering 787s it is still producing at the current rate of five per month, which could add up to $300 million per month, analysts estimate.

And the longer the planes are grounded, the more Boeing is exposed, as airlines may start to reconsider orders and - in extreme cases - cancel some, especially if the battery fix adds weight to the plane and reduces its vaunted fuel efficiency.

Boeing, which is expected to report a drop in fourth-quarter earnings next Wednesday, is not talking specifically about costs of the 787 issue yet. “It’s too early to know the financial effects,” said Boeing spokesman Charles Bickers. “We’re focused on working through the process, getting to a resolution and returning the airplanes to service.”

Douglas Harned, an analyst at Bernstein Research, puts the cost of a fix at no more than $350 million, or about 30 cents per Boeing share, in a worst-case scenario.

Howard Rubel at Jefferies estimates the cost at somewhere between $250 million to $625 million, but notes that some of the cost may be borne by suppliers. “There’s still the hope of a relatively easy fix followed by a return to service within a week or two, but there’s also the strong and growing risk that they’ll need to redesign the battery system, which could mean another six to nine months,” said Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at aerospace research firm Teal Group.

More important is the effect on Boeing’s

The damaged battery case from a fire aboard a Japan Airlines (JAL) Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane at Logan International Airport in Boston earlier this month is displayed inside an investigation lab at National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Headquarters in Washington on Jan 24, 2013. — AFP

production rate, which is scheduled to jump to 10 a month by the end of this year, from five now. That jump is crucial to Boeing’s plans to eventually make a profit on the 787. Most of the investment in a new plane occurs early in the program, which means earlier planes cost more to build than later ones. The quicker Boeing can refine the process and ramp up numbers of planes produced, the quicker it will reach the target of 1,100 planes, where it calculates it will break even on the program. At planned production rates that would take about a decade.

If Boeing makes fewer planes than it has budgeted for and is not getting cash in the door for deliveries, that could add up to more than $1 billion per month in “incremental working capital spend,” according to Solomon at Moody’s. With $6 billion of cash on its balance sheet at the end of the third quarter, Boeing looks strong enough to deal with that, but the longer it goes on, the more the worries mount, said Solomon.

“If a billion to a billion and a half of incremental working capital consumption is the right number in terms of cash burn every month, you start getting into three, six months out and it has a bigger impact,” he said. “My guess is that they would have to potentially cut the production rate if that were the case.”

Cutting production of 787s, or halting it altogether, would be a huge blow for a plane program that is already three years behind schedule. “The market really only cares about one thing right now and that is, will production change?” said Leake at BB&T. “I believe it will not, Boeing can’t afford to do that. It’s too expensive to ramp down and ramp up again.” Production delays would ripple down the supply chain, could cost jobs and could even mean the loss of future orders if airlines lose patience with Boeing. Rubel at Jefferies said this is unlikely, but in the worst case scenario could result in a $5 billion write-off for Boeing, if it loses orders it was counting on to offset expenses it has already laid out in building the 787. That would take its toll on earnings and likely mean taking a provision against those losses. “It will impact equity investors,” said Solomon at Moody’s. “The company will grow much more slowly if they can’t ramp to 10 a month and the program is not successful.” - Reuters

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

S P ORTS

Casillas returns home MADRID: Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas has returned home after a “successful” operation on his fractured left thumb, his club revealed yesterday, and will now begin a recovery period of between eight and 12 weeks before he can return to action. “After a successful operation yesterday (Friday), the captain is back home resting,” his club revealed on their website. “Everything went superbly well. Now it is all a question of waiting while he recuperates,” added the club’s medical chief Carlos Diez. The Spanish international - who had controversially been dropped by coach Jose Mourinho just before Christmas leading to murmurings of discontent in the dressingroom - fractured the first metacarpal bone, at the base of his thumb, during Madrid’s Spanish Cup clash with Valencia in midweek. The recovery period means he will miss both legs of the Champions League last-16 tie with Manchester United and is also likely to miss Spain’s trip to France in a crucial 2014 World Cup qualifier on March 26. — AFP

De Gea critics are ‘idiots’: Ferguson LONDON: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has rounded on critics of his under-fire goalkeeper David de Gea, who include former United right-back Gary Neville, by branding them “idiots”.

De Gea came in for criticism after his weak punch led to Tottenham Hotspur’s injury-time equaliser in United’s 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane last weekend.

Neville, now an analyst for Sky Sports, said De Gea’s team-mates would have been “furious” with him, while former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen was also critical of the Spaniard.

Ferguson, however, believes the criticism is unfair. “It has been over the top. It is always over the top when it comes to criticism here,” he said. “You have to listen to some idiots in the game. I am not interested in discussing the criticism because we know it is unfounded.

“Outfield players maybe make 20 mistakes in a game. But they (goalkeepers) are in a crucial position. It is unfortunate for the lad, but he has to deal with it and we will help him.”

Ferguson strongly criticised assistant referee Simon Beck after the game for failing to award United a penalty following an apparent foul on Wayne Rooney by Spurs centre-back Steven Caulker.—AFP

Scholl chooses TV job over Bayern post BERLIN: Former German international midfielder Mehmet Scholl has said he will quit his job as Bayern Munich’s reserve team coach to concentrate on his other role as a television pundit at the end of the season.

The 42-year-old, capped 36 times between 1995 and 2002 and who played more than 330 times for Munich, had combined his coaching job at Bayern with television punditry for German broadcaster ARD. “I had completely misjudged the conflict of interest,” Scholl admitted to Munich newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung. His criticism of Bayern’s German stars Mario Gomez and Thomas Mueller during last June’s Euro 2012 tournament did not go down well with the Munich hierarchy.— AFP

Paris keeps nerve to win Kitzbuehel downhill KITZBUEHEL: Dominik Paris of Italy belied his relative inexperience yesterday to keep his nerve and win the toughest and most dangerous event on the World Cup circuit, the men’s Kitzbuehel downhill.

The 23-year-old Italian timed 1min 57.56sec to finish 0.13sec ahead of Canada’s Eric Guay, with Austrian Hannes Reichelt completing the podium at 0.36sec in front of a baying crowd of 50,000 people in brilliant sunshine.

It was Paris’ second downhill victory of the season (and his career) after tying with Reichelt for first place in Bormio, Italy, in December. “The start wasn’t perfect, but I was able to take the speed with me, and caught a perfect line toward the end,” said Paris.

Guay, the first Canadian on a podium here in 12 years, added: “It’s an unbelievable day.

I’m very excited to be down here in second place. “Kitzbuehel is legendary. This is one of the harder courses I’ve seen. The conditions are quite bumpy, quite icy, big jumps and everybody was charging hard.

“That’s what I love about racing, it’s how much you can push those limits, you can find in yourself how far you’re willing to push that.”

Paris’ win ensured host nation Austria are now six seasons without a winner on the the Streif, a course described by the US ski team as the “Super Bowl of alpine skiing” and likened by Norwegian star Aksel Lund Svindal to the Monaco Formula One race - you’re either on the track or in the wall.

Svindal, winner of Friday’s super-G, missed his line into the lower Hausberg section - but managed to stay on track, losing valuable hundredths of a second to finish ninth at 1.16sec. “You have to race well if you want to win and today I didn’t race well,” said Svindal.

Italian Christof Innerhofer, who placed third in the super-G but was demoted to the disadvantageous starting number of 46 after ignoring federation rules following a crash in training, made a brave attempt for a second podium.

Leading on the first two splits after an aggressive start, he however faded badly on a course that had been cut up badly by his forerunners and finished 1.92sec off the pace in 20th position.

The Hahnenkamm, or rooster’s comb, mountain takes no prisoners, with racers touching 100kph within 8.5 seconds of leaving the start. Yesterday’s 73rd running of the event, which made its debut in 1931, was over a piste more than 3.3 kilometres long, with racers reaching motorway-coasting speeds of 140kph while being forced into negotiating 80-metre jumps.

This year’s race took place in the shadow of the now-retired Swiss racer Didier Cuche, who notched up a fifth downhill victory in 2012 to better the previous record for downhill wins on the mountain he jointly held with Austrian ski legend Franz Klammer.

Cuche’s teammate Didier Defago, the only past winner of Kitzbuehel’s prestigious downhill (in 2009) to be in the running this year, came in 24th at 2.27sec. There were a few dramatic crashes on the unforgiving course, notably by Frenchman Johan Clarey and Italian Peter Fill.

Clarey, who set a new record for speed in an alpine ski race as he reached 161.9kph at Wengen’s downhill last week, slid heavily into the netting at the rutted Hausberg. Fill went wide on a turn early on and mounted the safety padding into the netting, but also escaped serious injury. — AFP

MARIBOR: From left, Slovenia’s Tina Maze, second placed, Lindsey Vonn, the winner, of the United States, and third placed Austria’s Anna Fenninger celebrate on the podium after winning the alpine ski, women’s World Cup giant slalom, in Maribor, Slovenia, yesterday. — AP

Vonn beats Maze to win World Cup giant slalom Spoils Maze’s party in Maribor

KITZBUEHEL: Italy’s Dominik Paris (C) reacts after competing in the FIS World Cup men’s downhill race yesterday in Kitzbuehel, Austrian Alps. Italy’s Dominik Paris won the event. — AFP

Armstrong meeting with USADA appears unlikely AUSTIN: Lance Armstrong’s lawyers say the cyclist will talk more about drug use in the sport, just likely not to the US AntiDoping Agency that led the effort to strip him of his Tour de France titles.

In a testy exchange of letters and statements revealing the gulf between the two sides, USADA urged Armstrong to testify under oath to help “clean up cycling.”

Armstrong’s attorneys responded that the cyclist would rather take his information where it could do more good - namely to cycling’s governing body and World Anti-Doping Agency officials.

USADA’s response to that: “The time for excuses is over.” The letters, obtained Friday by The Associated Press, underscore the continuing feud between Armstrong and USADA CEO Travis Tygart, the man who spearheaded the investigation that uncovered a complex doping scheme on Armstrong’s US Postal Service teams.

Armstrong’s seven Tour de France victories were taken away last year and he was banned for life from the sport. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey last week, Armstrong admitted doping, said he owed a long list of apologies and that he would like to see his lifetime ban reduced so he can compete again.His most realistic avenue toward that might be telling USADA everything he knows in a series of interviews the agency wants started no later than Feb. 6.

That seems unlikely. Armstrong attorney Tim Herman responded to USADA’s first letter, sent Wednesday, by saying his client’s schedule is already full, and

besides, “in order to achieve the goal of ‘cleaning up cycling,’ it must be WADA and the (International Cycling Union) who have overall authority to do so.”

By Friday night, Herman strongly suggested Armstrong won’t meet with USADA at all but intends to appear before the UCI’s planned “truth and reconciliation” commission. “Why would we cooperate (with USADA)?” Herman said in a telephone interview. “USADA isn’t interested in cleaning up cycling. Lance has said, ‘I’ll be the first guy in the chair when cycling is on trial, truthfully, under oath, in every gory detail.’ I think he’s going testify where it could actually do some good: With the body that’s charged with cleaning up cycling,” Herman said.

In its last letter to Armstrong, sent Friday evening, USADA attorney William Bock said his agency and WADA work hand-in-hand in that effort. “Regardless, and with or without Mr. Armstrong’s help, we will move forward with our investigation for the good of clean athletes and the future of sport,” Bock’s letter reads.

The letters confirm a Dec. 14 meeting in Denver involving Armstrong, Tygart and their respective attorneys, which is when, in Tygart’s words, Armstrong should have started thinking about a possible meeting with USADA. “He has been given a deadline of February 6th to determine whether he plans to come in and be part of the solution,” Tygart said in a statement. “Either way, USADA is moving forward with our investigation on behalf of clean athletes.” —AP

MARIBOR: Lindsey Vonn beat biggest rival Tina Maze on the Slovenian’s home snow and in her best discipline yesterday, earning a surprising victory in a giant slalom in Maribor.

Vonn proved again that she is back to her best after an illness by putting down the fastest time in the second run in what is traditionally her weakest event, winning in 2 minutes, 22.2 seconds.Vonn was third after the first run but overcame several errors in the second to create a margin that Maze couldn’t bridge.

“In the second run I decided, OK, it’s all or nothing, I had to go for it,” Vonn said. “It’s been a rough year for me in GS, so it’s just perfect.”Maze was looking to win her home race for the third time and led after a near-perfect first run, but a poor start to the second cost her valuable time and she finished 0.08 seconds behind Vonn.

However, second place was enough to secure Maze a third giant slalom discipline title as her closest rival Kathrin Zettel only managed sixth.

Maze is 238 points ahead of Zettel with just two

GS races remaining this season.

Vonn took nearly a month off over the holidays to recover her full strength after an intestinal illness landed her in a hospital in Colorado in November. While her break allowed Maze to build an even bigger lead in the overall standings, Vonn said it’s clear she made the right decision.

This was Vonn’s first GS victory - and podium finish - since March last year, and her second win in a week after taking the downhill at Cortina D’Ampezzo last Saturday. “A couple of weeks ago, everyone was thinking I was crazy taking this time off,” Vonn said.

“But I felt my body wasn’t ready. Now I am ready.” While the overall World Cup title may be Maze’s to lose, Vonn will again be a favorite to dominate next month’s world championships in Schladming, Austria, if she can maintain her current form.

This was also Vonn’s 59th World Cup win overall and leaves her just three away from

equaling Annemarie Moser Proell’s record on the women’s side. Austria’s Anna Fenninger was third, 0.57 seconds behind VonnMaze still extended her lead in the overall standing to 748 points over her closest challenger, Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch, who finished fourth. Vonn is another 66 points back in third. The 29-year-old Maze has won four of the seven giant slaloms this season, making the podium in the other three.”I had a mistake in the flat part,” Maze said.

“In my final run, I just had too many mistakes but I am very satisfied with second.

“I have been working so hard this year for this GS crystal globe. Now I’ve won it, I feel freed and can look forward.” Maze was 0.48 seconds ahead of Vonn after dominating the first run in front of a passionate home crowd.

However, she ran wide at the start of the second, leaving her 0.13 seconds behind her rival at the first checkpoint. Despite the cheers of the fans urging her on, Maze couldn’t make up the time and finished with tears in her eyes. — AP

Fans and famous alike drawn to mecca of skiing KITZBUEHEL: Five-star Austrian glamour and glitz combine every year with raucous, drunken horn-blowing revellery in homage to the “Super Bowl” of alpine skiing, the Hahnenkamm races.

The mecca of ski racing welcomes 100,000 people for three days to watch in awe as 50 or so skiers propel themselves down the Hahnenkamm mountain at bone-rattling speeds of 140kph. Spectacular crashes are part and parcel.

While some of the fans, including the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, are well-heeled and will stay at Kitzbuehel’s top-notch hotels, many more are locals who are ferried in from the surrounding region by a fleet of extra trains put on by Austrian rail authorities.

“It’s the biggest thing we have to see around here,” said 19-year-old Georg, an agricultural sciences student, bedecked in Austrian flag, face painted in the national red and white, eyes already glazed at 10am from the local “digestif”, Jaegermeister.

Along with the flags and bonhomie comes the equivalent of the Austrian vuvuzela: the gleaming, chrome truck horn, blaring out incessantly.

The cobbled streets of quaint old Kitzbuehel are transformed into a three-day party, with the installation of hundreds of wooden sheds meeting every demand-not only do some sell sausages, giant pretzels and beer, but others do a good business in oysters

and flutes of prosecco.

Tellingly, behind the sheds are the luxury shops, jewellers and estate agents advertising swanky chalets for between one and five million euros.

Different music blasts from loudspeakers every 10 metres: retro ‘80s, dance, and of course “Austro pop”, which proves to be very popular with the beer-swilling, sing-along apres-ski crowd. Fur coat-clad Christa Nohe, who hails from Bad Soden in Germany but who owns a second home in Kitzbuehel, said: “The party character is greater in Kitzbuehel than other

downhill races. “There’s a certain reputation associated with Kitzbuehel. That attracts a lot of people,” she told AFP. The Kitzbuehel downhill is widely considered the toughest and most dangerous downhill on the World Cup circuit. The course has been described by the US ski team coach Sasha Rearick as the “Super Bowl of alpine skiing” and likened by Norwegian star Aksel Lund Svindal to the Monaco Formula One race - you’re either on the track or in the wall.

Terry and Clare, an American couple from the Ann Arbor region of

KITZBUEHEL: American actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (C) and his son (L) attend the FIS World Cup men’s downhill race yesterday in Kitzbuehel, Austrian Alps. — AFP

Minnesota, admitted they were on a “pilgrimage” to the Hahnenkamm, which translates as the rooster’s comb and also gives some hardy fans the perfect dressing-up idea.

The keen amateur skiers were there for Saturday’s 73rd running of the downhill won by Italian Dominik Paris thanks to an extravagant 35th birthday wish of Terry to actually see and ski next to the demanding Streif course.

“We’ve flown in for the week,” he told AFP. “Detroit-Toronto-Munich and three trains to get here. We’re not even thinking about the jetlag, a few Weissbiers (wheat beer) and some slope time will sort that out.

“It’s always been a dream of ours to come here, it’s the mecca of skiing.” At the end of a long day in brilliant sunshine in temperatures of -3 degrees centigrade, Theresa was a little fatigued in her return home to nearby Kirchberg after watching the downhill.

Like her gaggle of twenty-something friends, she was heavily made up, skinny designer jeans tucked into ski boots with a diamante-laced heel, the “faux” fur lining of her puffa jacket looking suspiciously like that of several real minx. In keeping with the day’s activities, she sought out a miniature, dark-green bottle of Jaegermeister from her Louis Vuitton handbag to swig back and pass amongst her pals before they got home and slept off another epic Hahnenkamm. — AFP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

S P ORTS

Toulon extend Top 14 lead as Clermont crash PARIS: Toulon stretched their lead in the French Top 14 to seven points on Friday with a 15-9 win over rock-bottom Mont de Marsan while second-place Clermont slumped to a 26-19 loss at Perpignan.

Toulouse replaced Clermont in second place with a 19-14 win over Biarritz.

Both Toulon and Clermont will be playing in the European Cup quarter-finals in April, but both struggled to shrug off those celebrations and looked laboured ahead of a 10-day break for the domestic competition.

Mont de Marsan, with just one win all season, led 9-3 after just 18 minutes thanks to three penalties from Benat Arrayet. But former All Black flanker Chris Masoe and winger Alexis Palisson grabbed first half tries with Jonny Wilkinson kicking the other five points.

Mont de Marsan held their bigspending hosts pointless in the second half and earned a standing ovation at

the final whistle after securing a losing bonus point.

“We will take two things out of this game-the win despite a mediocre performance and the reaction of the fans who applauded both teams,” said Toulon coach Bernard Laporte whose side had lost to Racing-Metro in their last Top 14 outing. “We were a little flat and this part of the season is always very difficult to manage. The 10 days vacation coming up will do us good. I have told the players-go where you want to and come back with enthusiasm.”

Perpignan recorded a third win in their last four Top 14 outings with a 2619 win over Clermont. The victory was also sweet revenge for the 53-31 defeat they suffered to their rivals earlier in the season. Clermont led 12-6 at the interval thanks to four Morgan Parra penalties with Welsh fly-half James Hook replying with two of his own.

But a try from lock forward Romain Taofifenua early in the second period set Perpignan on their way to victory with Hook adding three more penalties before David Mele kicked a last-minute drop goal to increase the lead.

Toulouse, surprisingly knocked out of the European Cup at the pool stage last weekend, saw off Biarritz to record a sixth win in their last seven Top 14 games. Biarritz have not won at Toulouse in 12 years while the home side have not lost at their Ernest-Wallon ground since February 2010.

Meanwhile, former France captain Thierry Dusautoir said here yesterday he was looking forward to the challenge of proving he was worthy of inclusion in the 23 man squad for next weekend’s Six Nations opener with Italy.

The 31-year-old Toulouse flanker capped 54 times but who missed the three autumn tests because of injury

and has been replaced as captain by veteran lock Pascal Pape - is in the 32 man squad which will be trimmed down to 23 tomorrow evening for next Sunday’s match.

“I am happy to be here with the squad and to be in top form,” said Dusautoir, a veteran of the last two World Cup campaigns captaining the French to the 8-7 defeat by the All Blacks in the 2011 final.

“The last time I was with them, I was injured. “It is imperative that I demonstrate all over again I deserve being in the squad, it is something I find stimulating. “We are competitors after all, having doubts cast over you is part of the job.

“Today, I am swept up by this challenge.

Just like a young rookie, I am going to work hard to get back into the France team.”

The Ivor y Coast-born Dusautoir, known as the ‘Dark Destroyer’ since his

epic performance in the 2007 World Cup quarter-final victory over the All Blacks, said having only returned to the pitch in December, after suffering a right knee injury in October, he had had to work hard to regain his sharpness.

“I have managed to do that. When one comes back from an injury, there is always a little doubt in your mind.

Happily it wasn’t a serious injury, and I was able to recuperate sufficiently.

Dusautoir, who has played three games since making his return, said he had not been too upset by coach Philippe Saint-Andre’s decision to appoint Pape captain.

“I took it calmly. I have spoken about it to Pascal, there is no problem,” he said.

“I will be supportive of him and will do the utmost that everything goes well.

“My function now is different. I will focus on performing well and to earn my place on the pitch.” — AFP

Wade leads Miami Heat past Pistons 110-88 Lakers halt skid with team effort

DOHA: Chris Wood of England poses for photographers with the winner’s trophy after the final round of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at The Doha Golf Club yesterday. —AP

Wood wins first European title with stunning eagle DOHA: England’s Chris Wood said he felt a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders after he recorded his first European Tour victory at the Qatar Masters yesterday thanks to a superb eagle on the 18th green.

The 25-year-old Englishman started the final hole a shot behind Spain’s Sergio Garcia and South African George Coetzee, who had set the clubhouse target at 17-under-par, but a 12-foot putt at the par-five 18th handed him a one-stroke victory.

Wood, who fired a majestic six-iron from 202 yards following a booming drive at the last to set up the eagle chance, came home with a three-under 69 while Garcia (66) and Coetzee (65) had to settle for joint-second.

Sweden’s Alexander Noren (71) and England’s Steve Webster (68) finished four strokes further back on 13-under. “This win is massive for me. It’s taken a huge weight off my shoulders,” said Wood, who finished tiedfifth at the 2008 British Open to grab the leading amateur honours and then came joint third at the year’s third major 12 months later. “I’ve been knocking on the door in previous times and it’s not happened. To get it today, to get my first win, it’s such an honour.

I’m so pleased.”

Since he burst onto the scene in 2008, the 1.96-metre Englishman has finished second three times although he won the 2012 Thailand Open on the OneAsia Tour.

Wood had played 115 previous European events without a win and two years ago he squandered a four-shot 54-hole lead at the Iberdrola Open in Mallorca as 2011 British Open champion Darren Clarke won the trophy. In Qatar Wood was again in danger of letting a lead slip, when his three-shot thirdround advantage evaporated as he ran up a double bogey at the par-three third hole after

a mishit chip.

Wood’s ball hit a brick wall supporting the raised green and bounced back over his head into desert scrubland. “Making that double bogey was a big setback,” said Wood, who will climb from world number 142 into the top 60 when next week’s rankings are released.

“I had had a fairly sleepless night. But that turned out to be quite a good fright. It settled me down a bit and I gave myself quite a few birdie chances after that.”

Wood produced a sublime chip at the difficult par-four 15th to save par and although he let two good birdie opportunities slip at 16 and 17, his eagle at 18 for the victory led to a flood of messages of support.

“Very well done and congratulations on your maiden victory in Qatar. What a way to finish! All the best for the rest of the season,” nine-times major winner Gary Player said on his Twitter account.

Compatriot Luke Donald, the world number three, added on Twitter: “Some finish by Chris Wood to earn his 1st European Tour title - first of many - congrats.”

Wood, while clearly delighted and relieved, had some sympathy for Coetzee, who now has 21 top-ten finishes on the European Tour. “I know how he feels. He has come close a couple of times like I have. So I am sure it won’t be long before he wins,” said Wood.

Former world number two Garcia, playing his first tournament of the 2013 season, praised Wood for bouncing back after his double bogey early on.

“Obviously he’s been trying for a while and he deserves it, and after the start he had today, it’s quite impressive for him to come back the way he did and win,” said the world number 19. —Reuters

MIAMI: Dwyane Wade scored 29 points and sparked a pivotal run to help the Miami Heat earn their fourth victory in a row Friday by beating the Detroit Pistons 110-88.

After falling behind by nine points, the Heat outscored Detroit 26-4 during a seven-minute stretch in the second quarter to take a 60-47 lead.

Wade scored 15 points during the spurt.

LeBron James had 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Heat, who shot 56 percent. Miami, last in the NBA in rebounds, also won the battle of the boards, 36-35. Greg Monroe scored 31 points for the Pistons, who never got close in the second half. Wade’s most acrobatic basket was a fallaway jumper when he was fouled.

He took a tumble and slid across the floor on his backside as the ball swished through the net. On three successive possessions late in the first half, James and Wade took turns feeding each other.

First, James threw an alley-oop pass to Wade for an easy layup. The Heat then forced a turnover to start a fast break that ended with Wade’s alleyoop pass to James for a dunk.

Next came another Pistons turnover, and Wade flipped an underhand pass across the lane to James for another dunk and a 60-47 lead.In Atlanta, Kyle Korver scored 27 points and the Atlanta Hawks overcame a 27-point deficit in the first half to beat Boston 123-111 in double-overtime, handing the Celtics their sixth straight loss.

Jeff Teague had 23 points for Atlanta before fouling out in the first overtime. Al Horford had 24 points and 13 rebounds. Josh Smith, who opened the second overtime with a three-point play, had 17 points and 14 rebounds.

Kevin Garnett had 24 points and 10 rebounds as the Celtics were left with their longest losing streak in six years In Chicago, Kirk Hinrich scored a season-high 25 points, hitting six of seven threepointers in Chicago’s 103-87 victory over Golden State. Nate Robinson added 22 points off the bench in the Bulls’ third straight victory. Jimmy Butler had 16 points and a career-high 12 rebounds starting in place of All-Star Luol Deng, who missed his fourth consecutive game due to a right hamstring injury. David Lee, the Warriors’ AllStar selection, scored 23 points. In Cleveland, Kyrie Irving scored 35 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied from a 20-point deficit in the third quarter to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 113-108, while in Memphis, Tennessee, Marc Gasol had 20 points and nine rebounds and the Memphis Grizzlies blitzed the Brooklyn Nets 101 -77. In other games Friday, Kevin Durant had 24 points and 11 rebounds as the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a slow start to overwhelm the Sacramento Kings 105-95.

Also Friday, the Washington Wizards earned its tenth win of the season with a 114-101 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Houston Rockets beat the New Orleans Hornets 100-82 and the San Antonio Spurs had a 113-107 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

In Los Angeles, with superstar Kobe Bryant doing his utmost to get his teammates involved, the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a four-game NBA losing streak with a 102-84 victory over the Utah Jazz. Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace scored 17 points apiece while Bryant, the NBA’s second-leading scorer, handed out 14 assists to go with 14 points and nine rebounds in the muchneeded win. Pau Gasol and Steve Nash scored 15 points each while Howard also grabbed a gamehigh 13 rebounds for a Lakers team that had endured a rocky three-game road trip this week.

Last Sunday, Howard was ejected from a loss to the Raptors in Toronto after receiving two technical fouls. Howard then complained he wasn’t

involved enough on the offensive end after a disappointing eight-point outing in a Monday loss at Chicago. A team meeting on Wednesday morning aimed at clearing the air was reportedly tense, and was followed by defeat to the Grizzlies in Memphis.

Head coach Mike D’Antoni was delighted to see his star-studded roster playing like a team against the Jazz in the Friday fixture.

“I thought that the energy was great, the sharing of the ball, the rhythm that we had on offense.

But the defense was solid all night,” D’Antoni said.

“You could tell there was a better feeling out there.”

Bryant said his aim from the opening tip-off was to get his teammates involved.

“I was just trying to make a real concerted effort to try to force the game upon my teammates a little bit,” he said “Just have them play with confidence-even if the shots aren’t going in, just try to push on a little bit.”

The Lakers started strong, scoring 12 of the first 14 points of the contest. They led 47-37 at halftime and took a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles made their first seven attempts of the fourth to extend their advantage. Bryant’s steal and dunk gave the Lakers a 92-74 lead and the Jazz couldn’t make significant inroads from there. The 18-25 Lakers remain mired in 11th place in the Western Conference, well adrift in the race for the eighth and final playoff berth.

“There’s no formulas,” D’Antoni said. “I think guys understand a little bit more where we are and what it’s going to take to get to the playoffs.

“When we hit turbulence somewhere along the road we can’t bail out. That’s when we’ve got to come together and play through it.” “If we can sustain it, keep playing hard and keep being together we should be able to crawl out of this hole, but it is a big hole,” D’Antoni added. — Agencies

LOS ANGELES: Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap, right, puts up a shot as Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol, of Spain, defends during the second half of their NBA basketball game, Friday, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 102-84.—AP

NBA results/standings Washington 114, Minnesota 101; Atlanta 123, Boston 111 (OT); Miami 110, Detroit 88; Cleveland 113, Milwaukee 108; Chicago 103, Golden State 87; Memphis 101, Brooklyn 77; Houston 100, New Orleans 82; San Antonio 113, Dallas 107; Oklahoma City 105, Sacramento 95; LA Lakers 102, Utah 84.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT GB NY Knicks 26 14 .650 Brooklyn 26 17 .605 1.5 Boston 20 23 .465 7.5 Philadelphia 17 25 .405 10 Toronto 16 27 .372 11.5 Central Division Chicago 26 16 .619 Indiana 26 17 .605 0.5 Milwaukee 22 19 .537 3.5 Detroit 16 27 .372 10.5 Cleveland 12 32 .273 15 Southeast Division Miami 28 12 .700 Atlanta 25 18 .581 4.5 Orlando 14 28 .333 15 Washington 10 31 .244 18.5 Charlotte 10 32 .238 19

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City34 10 .773 Denver 26 18 .591 8 Utah 23 20 .535 10.5 Portland 21 21 .500 12 Minnesota 17 23 .425 15 Pacific Division LA Clippers 32 12 .727 Golden State 26 16 .619 5 LA Lakers 18 25 .419 13.5 Sacramento 16 28 .364 16 Phoenix 15 28 .349 16.5 Southwest Division San Antonio 35 11 .761 Memphis 28 14 .667 5 Houston 23 22 .511 11.5 Dallas 18 25 .419 15.5 New Orleans 14 29 .326 19.5

Tiger fires 65 to seize lead at Torrey Pines LA JOLLA: Former world number one Tiger Woods fired a sevenunder par 65 on Friday to surge through the field and take a twostroke second-round lead at the $6.1 million PGA Farmers Insurance Open.

Playing on the Torrey Pines layout where he has won this event six times and where he captured the most recent of his 14 major titles at the US Open in 2008, Woods had an eagle, six birdies and just one bogey on the North Course.

The 37-year-old, who has struggled with injuries and whose form slumped after an infamous sex scandal in 2009, opened with a four-under 68 on Thursday on the South Course and started the second round three shots off the pace.

He teed off Friday on the back nine and began with four pars in a row before a birdie at the par-5 14th hole. He scored a birdie at the par-3 17th, an eagle at the par-5 18th and then added birdies on the par-5 first and par-4 second holes, lifting himself into sole possession of the lead.

Woods, now back at number two in the world rankings, birdied the par-4 seventh, took his lone bogey of the round at the par-4 eighth and finished his round with a birdie at the par-5 ninth to stand on 11-under par 133.

Billy Horschel carded a threeunder 69 on the South Course to take second place on his own on 135. Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton was among half a dozen players on 136.

Compton had six birdies and an eagle in a seven-under 65 on the North Course. He was joined on eight-under by Casey Wittenberg (67), Canadian Brad Fritsch (67), Steve Marino (68), Jimmy Walker (69) and Josh Teater (70).

The 87 players who made the cut will play both weekend rounds on the South Course, where Woods gained his memorable US Open triumph five years ago after a playoff with Rocco Mediate, won despite a serious knee injury.

Woods is coming off a season debut at Abu Dhabi at which he missed the cut after taking a penalty for an improper drop. The key for him at Torrey Pines, where rain fell for much of Friday, has been the par-5s, which he played in 5-under par on Friday and 4-under on

Thursday. Altogether he has made five birdies and two eagles to lead the field in scoring on those holes. “ That ’s basically where the round could be had,” Woods said.

“On the North Course, drive the ball well here and you’re going to probably have 4-iron shots into the par-5s.”

Woods said his short game continues to improve, now that he has bedded-in the swing changes that have taken up a lot of practice time. “ That ’s something that I needed to work on, and as you saw toward the end of last season, it started coming around,” Woods said of play in and around the greens. “I haven’t had to hit as many golf balls, so I’ve been able to dedicate more time to (it) and consequently, it’s better.” — AFP

LA JOLLA: Tiger Woods hits a tee shot on the 11th hole during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines North Golf Course on Friday in La Jolla, California.— AFP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

S P ORTS

Pakistan women’s team to ‘build bridges’ with India LAHORE: Pakistan’s women cricketers will leave for India late yesterday to compete in the World Cup, with their batting coach hoping the team will ‘build bridges’ between the two nations despite recent tensions.

The International Cricket Council (ICC ) was forced to shif t Group B matches involving Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa from Mumbai to the eastern Indian city of Cuttack after the right-wing Indian Shiv Sena party threatened to disturb the event.

Their protest followed a rise in ten-

sion between India and Pakistan following a series of cross-border exchanges in the disputed Kashmir region with both countries accusing each other of violations along the de fac to border k nown as the Line of Control. Nine Pakistani hockey players had to be withdrawn from the inaugural Hockey India League after protests from the party in Mumbai earlier this month, casting serious doubts over the women’s World Cup matches.

Coach Basit Ali, a former Pakistan batsman, said the women’s team will try their best to pacify things. “We are

not afraid of anything,” Ali told AFP, hours before the team’s departure to New Delhi. “We will try to build bridges through cricket and I think there is no such thing as animosity in sports.”

The World Cup starts from January 31 with Group A matches, involving defending champions England, India, the West Indies and Sri Lanka, to be played in the original venue in Mumbai. Pakistan will stay in Cuttack, in the Indian state of Orissa, if they qualify for the second round, but will still have to travel to Mumbai if they make the final, the ICC said in a state-

ment on Friday. Ali, who played 19 Tests and 50 one - day matches for Pakistan during the 1990s, lamented threats from the Shiv Sena.

“Sports should never be disturbed, because Pakistan through its cricket board chief Zaka Ashraf had revived bilateral relations with India last month and it should progress rather than going back,” said Ali. India had suspended all bilateral ties with Pakistan in the wake of the 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai, blamed on militants based across the border.

However, New Delhi cleared a short, lim-

ited-over series, paving the way for the Pakistani team to play two Twenty20 and three one-day matches in India in December and January-the first series between the arch-rivals in five years. Ali said the women’s team will play without any fear. “People in Pakistan and India share a unique bond and we will have no fear in playing in India where the fans want to see Pakistan play,” said Ali. “Our chairman had sent a bouquet to the late Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray last year and had requested to him that cricket should go on without any trouble.” — AFP

S Lanka down Australia in opening T20 clash Warner’s unbeaten 90 in vain

BOSTON: Boston Bruins left wing Daniel Paille, top, drops New York Islanders defenseman Brian Strait to the ice during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Boston, Friday. — AP

Bruins rally for 4-2 win over Islanders BOSTON: Zdeno Chara scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period and Tuukka Rask made 24 saves, lifting the Boston Bruins to a 4-2 win over the New York Islanders on Friday night.

Patrice Bergeron, Shawn Thornton and Gregory Campbell also scored for Boston, for its third win in four outings.

The Bruins grabbed a 1-0 lead 4:52 into the game after Thornton backhanded in the rebound off Doug Hamilton’s shot. New York tied it on Keith Aucoin’s goal midway into the period. Aucoin came charging into the slot and redirected Colin McDonald’s pass from behind the net past Rask.

Aucoin got to a misplaced clearing attempt in the high slot and unloaded a slap shot past Rask’s glove to give the Islanders a 2-1 edge midway into the second, but the Bruins tied it less than 4 minutes later. Campbell controlled a rebound in front and the puck past Rick DiPietro.

Boston took a 3-2 lead 7:07 into the third when Milan Lucic circled from behind the net and fed Chara, who fired a wrist shot past Rick DiPietro’s glove inside the left post from the high slot.

Bergeron scored on a breakaway with 6:27 to play, shifting a few times before tucking in a forehand shot. Chara hit the left post in the closing minute with a backhand shot from the blue line after the Islanders pulled DiPietro for an extra skater.

In Detroit, Henrik Zetterberg broke a tie midway through the second period, and Todd Bertuzzi scored his second goal of the game early in the third to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild.

Pavel Datsyuk, who assisted on Zetterberg’s goal, put Detroit ahead by two late in the second period. Datsyuk also set up Bertuzzi on his second goal that gave the Red Wings a 5-2 lead. In Anaheim, California, Cory Schneider made 30 saves in his fifth career shutout, Mason Raymond scored twice, and the Vancouver Canucks avenged last week’s blowout loss to Anaheim with three power-play goals in a 5-0 win over the Ducks.

Daniel Sedin and Raymond scored on power plays in the first period, and Zack Kassian added a man-advantage goal in the third period as the Canucks quieted Anaheim’s standing-room-only crowd.

In other games Friday, Ilya Kovalchuk scored 4:39 into overtime, and the New Jersey Devils won their third straight game to start the lockout-shortened season, 3-2 over the winless Washington Capitals and Ryan Malone scored a pair of third-period goals as Tampa Bay beat Ottawa 6-4.

Also Friday, the Carolina Hurricanes scored a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres and the Winnipeg Jets won their first home game of the season, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2. — AP

NHL results/standings Boston 4, NY Islanders 2; Carolina 3, Buffalo 1; New Jersey 3, Washington 2 (OT); Tampa Bay 6, Ottawa 4; Detroit 5, Minnesota 3; Winnipeg 4, Pittsburgh 2; Vancouver 5, Anaheim 0.

Eastern Conference Western Conference Central Division Atlantic Division Chicago 4 0 0 17 10 8 St. Louis 3 1 0 15 6 6 W L OTL GF GA PTS Nashville 1 1 2 8 11 4 New Jersey 3 0 0 8 3 6 Detroit 2 2 0 10 14 4 NY Islanders 2 2 0 14 13 4 Columbus 1 2 1 7 15 3 Pittsburgh 2 2 0 13 13 4 Philadelphia 1 3 0 5 12 2 Northwest Division NY Rangers 1 3 0 9 14 2 Vancouver 2 1 1 13 12 5 Colorado 2 1 0 9 5 4 Northeast Division Edmonton 2 1 0 8 9 4 Boston 3 0 1 12 8 7 Minnesota 2 2 0 9 10 4 Calgary 0 2 1 7 12 1 Ottawa 3 1 0 15 8 6 Montreal 2 1 0 9 4 4 Pacific Division Toronto 2 2 0 12 12 4 San Jose 3 0 0 15 7 6 Buffalo 2 2 0 11 12 4 Dallas 2 1 1 8 8 5 Anaheim 2 1 0 12 12 4 Southeast Division Phoenix 1 3 0 15 16 2 Tampa Bay 3 1 0 19 12 6 Los Angeles 0 2 1 4 10 1 Winnipeg 2 1 1 10 10 5 Carolina 2 2 0 11 13 4 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one Florida 1 3 0 7 12 2 point in the standings and are not included Washington 0 3 1 8 17 1 in the loss column (L)

SYDNEY: Sri Lanka downed Australia by five wickets to win the opening T20 international at the Sydney Olympic Stadium yesterday.

Two towering sixes on consecutive balls from Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera sealed a comfortable win for the visitors, who have now beaten Australia in their last four T20s. The win was set up by some superb bowling from Sri Lankan pair Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara, who earlier restricted the Australians to 137-3 from their 20 overs.

The Sri Lankans reached the target with seven balls to spare and are now guaranteed of retaining their number one ranking regardless of what happens in the second and final match in Melbourne on Monday.

Australia earlier won the toss and chose to bat, but apart from big-hitting opener David Warner they found scoring difficult.

The Sri Lankans always had the target well in hand, once openers Kushal Perera (33) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (16) put on 46 runs in 38 balls for the opening wicket.

Kushal, making his international T20 debut, showed no signs of nerves as he took to the Australian fast bowling attack with relish. He outscored Dilshan, who was hit in the head by a Ben Laughlin bouncer and needed treatment for a cut above his eye.

Australia finally got the breakthrough when Dilshan fell to the spin bowling of Doherty, Laughlin taking a magnificent diving catch at point. They struck again soon after when Kushal edged Maxwell to wicketkeeper Matthew Wade and Chandimal (5) was caught in the outfield by Ben Cutting off Maxwell.

Doherty then got the important wicket of Mahela Jaywardene when he bowled the former Sri Lankan skipper for just eight. Angelo Mathews (35 not out) and Lahiru Thirimanne steadied the innings and got Sri Lanka back on track but on 104 Thirimanne slashed at a Mitchell Starc delivery outside off stump and was caught at backward point by Adam Voges for 20.

However, Mathews played patiently and kept the scoreboard ticking over to move the Sri Lankans to within striking distance, setting the match up for Perera’s big hitting at the end.

Earlier, Warner played a lone hand with 90 runs off just 62 balls, blasting five fours and three huge sixes. Voges was the next highest scorer with 25, while Kulasekara was the pick of the bowlers with 1-21 from his four overs. — AFP

SYDNEY: Thisara Perera (C) and Sri Lankan captain Angelo Matthews (R) celebrate as Australian captain George Bailey looks on, after winning their Twenty20 International match at ANZ Stadium in Sydney yesterday.— AFP

SCOREBOARD Scoreboard of the first Australia v Sri Lanka Twenty20 International at the Sydney Olympic Stadium yesterday: Australia: D. Warner not out 90 A. Finch c K. Perera b Kulasekara 1 S. Marsh run out 6 G. Bailey c Dilshan b T. Perera 11 A. Voges not out 25 Extras (b-1, lb-2, w-1) 4 Total (for 3 wickets in 20 overs) 137 Did not bat: M. Wade, G. Maxwell, B. Cutting, M. Starc, X. Doherty, B. Laughlin.

Fall of wickets: 1-8 2-31 3-53.

Bowling: Mathews 4-0-39-0 (w-1), Kulasekara 4-0-21-1, Malinga 4-0-19-0, T. Perera 4-0-29-1, Mendis 4-0-26-0.

Sri Lanka: K. Perera c Wade b Maxwell 33 T. Dilshan c Laughlin b Doherty 16 M. Jayawardene b Doherty 8 D. Chandimal c Cutting b Maxwell 5 A. Mathews not out 35 L. Thirimanne c Voges b Starc 20 T. Perera not out 19 Extras (lb-2, w-1) 3 Total (for 5 wickets in 18.5 overs) 139 Did not bat: J. Mendis, N. Kulasekara, A. Mendis, L. Malinga Fall of wickets: 1-46 2-53 3-61 4-69 5-104.

Bowling: Doherty 4-0-21-2, Starc 4-0-191 (w-1), Cutting 3-0-27-0, Laughlin 3.5-046-0, Maxwell 3-0-15-2, Finch 1-0-9-0.

POTCHEFSTROOM: Team New Zealand celebrate after winning the series during their one-day international cricket match against South Africa in Potchefstroom, South Africa, Friday. — AP

Smith century steers S Africa to nervy win POTCHEFSTROOM: Former captain Graeme Smith hit a century to set up a consolation one-wicket win for South Africa in the third and final one-day international against New Zealand at Senwes Park on Friday.

Smith made 116 — his 10th one-day century-but it needed a six off the last ball by all-rounder Ryan McLaren to enable South Africa to chase down a New Zealand total of 260 for nine. Smith was sixth man out when 32 were still needed off 26 balls. “I would like to have seen it through,” said Smith, who was caught at wide long-on off the off-spinner Kane Williamson.

“The shot was on but the execution wasn’t right.”

Three more wickets fell as New Zealand applied the pressure. Dale Steyn was caught in the deep off James Franklin off the fifth ball of the final over but it brought McLaren back on strike.

Franklin bowled short and McLaren swung hard to send the ball sailing into the crowd beyond backward square leg. The result spared South Africa the embarrassment of being whitewashed by their opponents, who started the series ranked ninth in one-day internationals, while the hosts were briefly ranked number one.

“It was nerve-wracking,” admitted South African captain Faf du Plessis. “It was very important for us as a team but there is a lot to work on.” New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said the 2-0 series win had been a big boost for his players.

“They have shown their fighting characteristics, especially after the Test series, which was a very tough few weeks for us,” he said. As was the case in the first two matches, New Zealand’s batsmen prospered in the closing overs of their innings, while the South Africans started well but struggled to accelerate.

Lonwabo Tsotsobe and McLaren took four wickets each but could not prevent a flurry of runs from New Zealand in the closing overs. Grant Elliott, Colin

Munro and Franklin hit half-centuries for New Zealand, who were struggling at 96 for four after 30 overs but added 164 runs in the last 20 overs.

Tsotsobe took four for 45 and McLaren claimed four for 52 but as in the first two matches the South African bowlers were unable to exert control towards the end of an innings. Tsotsobe bowled an excellent opening spell of two for nine in five overs as New Zealand lost their first three wickets for 46 runs.

When Brendon McCullum fell for 13 with the total on 68 New Zealand were in trouble. But Elliott (54) and Munro (57) added 67 for the fifth wicket, while Franklin again batted well with the tail to make an unbeaten 53. South Africa were 44 runs ahead at the 30-over mark but came close to repeating the collapse which led to a 27-run defeat in the second match in Kimberley. Smith made his 10th one-day century and there were 14 fours in his 130-ball innings.—AFP

SCOREBOARD POTCHEFSTROOM: Scoreboard in the third and final one-day international between South Africa and New Zealand at Senwes Park yesterday: New Zealand M.Guptill c Ingram b Tsotsobe 5 BJ Watling c du Plessis b McLaren 20 K.Williamson c de Kock b Tsotsobe 6 G.Elliott c Steyn b Tsotsobe 54 B.McCullum c Steyn b McLaren 13 C.Munro c de Kock b Tsotsobe 57 J.Franklin not out 53 N.McCullum c de Kock b McLaren 2 J.Neesham lbw b McLaren 13 K.Mills run out (du Plessis) 7 M.McClenaghan not out 2 Extras (b-1 lb-10 w-17) 28 Total (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 260 Fall of wickets: 1-15 2-27 3-46 4-68 5-129 6-196 7199 8-216 9-234.

Bowling: Steyn 10-1-56-0 (w6), Tsotsobe 10-2-45-4, Kleinveldt 10-1-44-0 (w4), Phangiso 8-0-43-0 (w1), McLaren 10-0-52-4 (w2), Behardien 2-0-9-0.

South Africa Q.de Kock b Franklin 31

G.Smith c Watling b Williamson 116 C.Ingram c Guptill b N.McCullum 25 F.du Plessis c Guptill b Mills 19 F.Behardien c & b Williamson 4 D.Miller b Mills 15 R.McLaren not out 25 R.Kleinveldt b McClenaghan 6 Phangiso c McCullum b Clenaghan 9 D.Steyn c Elliott b Franklin 4 L.Tsotsobe not out 0 Extras (b-4 lb-1 w-5) 10 Total (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 264 Fall of wickets: 1-83 2-122 3-165 4-174 5-205 6-229 7-237 8-251 9-258 Bowling: Mills 10-0-40-2, McClenaghan 10-0-70-2 (w-3), Neesham 3-0-22-0 (w-2), N.McCullum 10-135-1, Franklin 6-0-38-2, Elliott 3-0-14-0, Williamson 8-0-40-2.

South Africa won by one wicket New Zealand won series 2-1

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

S P ORT S

Cool-hand Zabaleta puts City in round five LONDON: Manchester City reached the fifth round of the FA Cup yesterday after Pablo Zabaleta’s late goal gave them a 1-0 win in an attritional cup tie at bogey team Stoke City.

The English champions had not won at Stoke in six previous visits but they made an assured start and saw David Silva hit the post in the eighth minute after being invited to shoot by the home defence.

Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross had a goal ruled out for offside, while City received a blow shortly before half-time when captain and centre-back Vincent Kompany had to go off after rolling his ankle.

Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen saved bravely at Gareth Barry’s feet in the 64th minute, while Peter Crouch headed a leftwing cross over the bar at the other end 10 minutes from full-time.

The tie looked set for a replay until Zabaleta started and finished a sweeping move in the 85th minute to send Roberto Mancini’s men into round five.

The Argentine exchanged passes with a team-mate inside the City half and then cantered upfield to meet substitute Sergio Aguero’s low cross with a deft outside-ofthe-foot finish that nestled in the

bottom-right corner. “ Today we were solid at the back, and up front we were very aggressive,” said Zabaleta, an FA Cup winner with City in 2011. “The Stoke crowd push the team a lot and we knew it was going to be difficult for us. We want to win the FA Cup again.”

Second-tier Brighton and Hove Albion, third-round conquerors of Newcastle United, will go in search of another Premier League scalp later when they welcome Arsenal to the Falmer Stadium.

Manchester United are in action in the evening kick-off, with top-

flight rivals Fulham the visitors to Old Trafford. Macclesfield Town and Luton Town of the fifth-tier Conference National will be bidding to emulate the exploits of fourth-division Bradford City, who overcame Aston Villa in mid-week to reach the League Cup final.

Both sides face Premier League opposition, with Macclesfield hosting Wigan Athletic and Luton visiting Norwich City. The fourth round began with an upset on Friday, when Championship club Millwall deepened Villa’s gloom with a 2-1 victory over Paul Lambert’s side at The Den. —AFP

Luton shock Norwich to make FA Cup history Giggs rolls back years to send United through STOKE: Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez, right, skips past Stoke City’s Ryan Shawcross during an English FA Cup fourth round soccer match against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium in Stoke on Trent, England, yesterday. —AP

Eintracht beat Hoffenheim to stay in chasing pack BERLIN: With Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich at VfB Stuttgart today, fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt stayed in the chasing pack with a 2-1 home win over Hoffenheim yesterday.

A deft chip from Japan winger Takashi Inui on 35 minutes allowed Frankfurt midfielder Martin Lanig to ghost in behind the centre-backs and beat Hoffenheim’s Germany goalkeeper Tim Wiese for the first goal.

Hoffenheim, whose centre-back Marvin Compper quit the club for Fiorentina on Friday after being accused of having a motivation problem, equalised through teenage striker Kevin Volland on 65 minutes.

Eintracht regained the lead just two minutes later through rightwinger Stefan Aigner, but despite the three points, Frankfurt, who were promoted at the end of last season, remain 12 points behind Bayern.

The defeat drops Hoffenheim into the automatic relegation places, in second bottom spot.

“I’m just happy we won, the whole team fought hard against a team who are better than their league place,” said Eintracht coach Armin Veh. “I am happy we built on our advantage after taking an early lead.” With speculation rife over whether Germany midfielder Lewis Holtby will join Tottenham Hotspur before January’s transfer window closes, his Schalke 04 side were held to a goalless draw at relegation-candidates Augsburg.

Holtby, whose contract ends in June, will join Spurs for next season and, although the North London club want to sign him sooner, Schalke have rejected all their offers for the 22-yearold so far.

Schalke have won just once in eight games and drop to sixth, while

the hosts moved up to 16th. “You can’t be happy, but after the way the game played out, you can live with it,” said Schalke coach Jens Keller, who added he sympathised with under-performing Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

“Augsburg were very aggressive, we didn’t get into the game and didn’t win those balls which would have put our striker in a good position.” Mainz moved up to fifth with a workmanlike 3-0 win at bottom side Greuther Fuerth.

Their former Real Madrid striker Adam Szalai finally got his toe to the ball after a goal-mouth scramble on 53 minutes. With team-mates queuing up to score, 19-year-old Yunus Malli rifled his shot home on 65 minutes to extend their lead before Szalai grabbed his second on 83 minutes to take the three points.

Borussia Moenchengladbach enjoyed a 2-1 win at home to Fortuna Duesseldorf to claim seventh place.

Despite having defender Sebastien Pocognoli sent off for a dangerous foul just 34 minutes into his Bundesliga debut after joining from Standard Liege last week, 10-man Hanover 96 claimed a 2-1 victory over Wolfsburg.

Former Manchester United striker Mame Diouf scored Hanover’s second goal midway through the first-half.

There was bad news for Hanover after the game as it was confirmed Swiss centre-back Mario Eggimann faces a long lay off after breaking his ankle in the first half.

On Friday, defending Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund romped to a 3-0 win at home to Nuremberg to provisionally go second, but Bayer Leverkusen can leapfrog them if they take a point at Freiburg tonight. —AFP

Today’s matches on TV African Nations Cup Morocco v South Africa ............ 20:00 Aljazeera Sport +10 Cape Verde v Angola ................ 20:00 Aljazeera Sport +9

England FA Cup

Udinese v Siena ................ 17:00 Aljazeera Sport +9 Atalanta v Milan ................ 17:00 Aljazeera Sport +10 Cagliari v Palermo............ 17:00 Aljazeera Sport +8

Brentford v Chelsea................. 15:00 Aljazeera Sport +5

Catania v Fiorentina ......... 17:00 Aljazeera Sport +2

Leeds United v Tottenham ..... 17:00 Aljazeera Sport +5

Sampdoria v Pescara......... 17:00 Aljazeera Sport +7

Oldham Athletic v Liverpool... 19:00 Aljazeera Sport +5

Parma v Napoli .................. 17:00 Aljazeera Sport +1

Spanish League Real Madrid v Getaffe............. 14:00 Aljazeera Sport +2

Barcelona v Osasuna ............. 21:00 Aljazeera Sport +2

Nice v Girondins ..................19:00 Aljazeera Sport +4

Bilbao v Madrid .................... 23:00 Aljazeera Sport +2

Germain v Lille .................... 23:00 Aljazeera Sport +4

Bologna v Roma ..................- 14:30 Aljazeera Sport +1

minute header for Fulham, who welcome United to Craven Cottage in the league next weekend.

Arsenal needed a late Theo Walcott goal to record a 3-2 win at second-tier Brighton and Hove Albion, conquerors of Newcastle United in the previous round.

Olivier Giroud twice gave Arsenal the lead, taking his tally to four goals in two games, but Brighton hit back to equalise on each occasion through headers from Ashley Barnes and Argentine debutant Leonardo Ulloa.

Arsenal had the last word, however, with Walcott netting in the 85th minute to spare Arsene Wenger’s men the inconvenience of a replay. Everton, fifth in the

Super-sub Walcott fires Arsenal into last 16 BRIGHTON: Theo Walcott stepped off the bench to bag the late winner that brought relief to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger as the Gunners secured a place in the FA Cup fifth round with a 3-2 victory at Brighton yesterday.

Wenger had gambled with his starting line-up by resting a number of his first choice stars and the Frenchman’s plan seemed destined to back-fire as Championship side Brighton dominated for long periods at the Amex Stadium.

Twice Arsenal went ahead through Olivier Giroud but Brighton recovered on both occasions, first through Ashley Barnes and then through debutant Leonardo Ulloa. But Walcott, who was finally introduced in the 68th minute along with Jack Wilshere, hit the winning goal late on to ensure Arsenal avoided another setback in their erratic campaign.

The FA Cup represents Arsenal’s best

chance of winning silverware this season, making Wenger’s decision to make changes even more surprising. Like Wilshere and Walcott, Santi Cazorla was named among the substitutes and Wenger switched his back four as well, with first choice full backs Bacary Sagna and Kieran Gibbs standing down while skipper Thomas Vermaelen was out injured.

The sight of the Gunners team-sheet undoubtedly gave Brighton a lift before kickoff. And the hosts came within inches of making the perfect start in the 14th minute when Ulloa headed into the path of Barnes, who had broken free inside the Arsenal box but screwed his right foot shot wide.

Arsenal had shown little to that point but the chance stung them into action and they were ahead two minutes later through Giroud. Tomas Rosicky surged forward from halfway before playing the ball into Lukas Podolski.

German League Hamburger v Bremen ......... 17:30 Dubai Sports 2 Stuttgart v Munich ............. 19:30 Dubai Sports 2

Premier League, also had a narrow escape against second-tier opposition and needed an injury-time winner from John Heitinga to prevail 2-1 at Bolton Wanderers.

Macclesfield Town were unable to match the exploits of fifth-tier rivals Luton, going down 1-0 at home to Wigan Athletic courtesy of a seventh-minute Jordi Gomez penalty. Earlier, a late goal by Pablo Zabaleta earned Manchester City a 1-0 win in an attritional tie at bogey team Stoke City. The fourth round had opened with an upset on Friday when Villa, beaten by fourth-tier Bradford City in the League Cup semi-finals in midweek, lost 2-1 at Championship club Millwall. — AFP

OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United’s English forward Wayne Rooney (R) scores the second goal during the English FA Cup football match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford in Manchester, north-west England yesterday.— AFP

French League Etienne v Bastia .................. 16:00 Aljazeera Sport +4

Italian League

leaders Manchester United enjoyed a much more straightforward fourth-round assignment, sweeping past Fulham 4-1 at Old Trafford to reach the fifth round with ease.

Veteran midfielder Ryan Giggs gave United the lead in the third minute, planting a penalty in the bottom-left corner after Aaron Hughes had been penalised for handball.

United stepped up the pace early in the second period, with Wayne Rooney claiming a neatly taken goal in the 50th minute before a quick-fire Javier Hernandez double put the game to bed.

Hughes replied with a 77th-

Inter v Torino ..................... 22:45 Aljazeera Sport +1

Vallecano v Betis.....................19:00 Aljazeera Sport +6

Mallorca v Malaga ................ 23:00 Aljazeera Sport +8

LONDON: Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers joined Aston Villa on the FA Cup scrapheap after famous wins for non-league Luton Town and third-tier Milton Keynes Dons in the fourth round yesterday. Luton, of the fifth-tier Conference National, won 1-0 at Norwich through an 80th-minute Scott Rendell goal to become the first non-league team to eliminate top-flight opposition in 24 years.

League Cup winners in 1988 but relegated from the Football League after going into administration in 2009, Luton began the day 85 places below their opponents in the English league pyramid. They will be only the seventh non-league team to compete in the fifth round since World War II. “It’s a lot to take in,” said Luton manager Paul Buckle. “The players were tremendous today. They held a Premier League team for 90-plus minutes. “It’s a huge day for them, for me and for our supporters.

Norwich pushed us all the way, but we were good for the win in the end.”

QPR, the Premier League’s bottom club, will be able to focus all their efforts on avoiding relegation after a humiliating 4-2 defeat at home to MK Dons of League One. Although QPR manager Harry Redknapp made nine changes to his team, his starting XI still featured seven full internationals, but they fell behind in the fourth minute when Armand Traore put through his own goal.

Strikes from Ryan Lowe, Ryan Harley and Darren Potter put the visitors 4-0 up by the 56th minute, before Jay Bothroyd and Fabio da Silva claimed a pair of consolation goals for QPR. Premier League

BRIGHTON: Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere, left, controls the ball in front of Brighton and Hove Albion’s Inigo Calderon, right, during their English FA Cup fourth round soccer match in Brighton, England, yesterday. Arsenal won the match 3-2. —AP

Podolski’s lay-off fell perfectly into the path of France striker Giroud, who took one touch before placing a crisp left foot shot into the top corner from the edge of the Brighton area.

That should have been the signal for Arsenal to settle and assume control of the game but Brighton reacted well, dominating the game before claiming an equaliser through Barnes.

Prior to the leveller, the striker had come close when Will Buckley flashed a cross in front of the Arsenal goal while Ulloa had seen a similar effort ruled out for offside.

But there was no disputing the validity of the strike or the shoddy nature of Arsenal’s defending when Barnes connected with David Lopez’s corner. The Brighton man was allowed to drift clear of Per Mertesacker before heading powerfully past Wojciech Szczesny in the 33rd minute.

Just as they had in the first half, Arsenal produced a goal against the run of play with Giroud again displaying the qualities that earned him an £11 million move from Montpellier.

This time the opening was created by Abou Diaby ’s chip for ward that Giroud brought down expertly before placing the ball beyond Casper Ankergren in the 56th minute.

Yet Brighton showed great resolve to hit back quickly, once again exposing the frailties of Arsenal’s patched up defence. Barnes was again involved, collecting the ball from rightback Inigo Calderon and whipping in a right wing cross towards Ulloa, who finished past Szczesny with a diving header from eight yards out.

Albion deserved to be on level terms and Wenger betrayed his concerns by introducing Walcott and Wilshere as the tie remained evenly poised. And the move paid off in the 85th minute when Ankergren failed to clear his lines as he attempted to punch Wilshere’s corner clear.

The ball fell to Walcott on the edge of the area and his volley was deflected off Brighton centre-back Adam El-Abd and beyond the home keeper. — AFP

19

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

SPORTS

Goalkeepers make their mark at Nations Cup NELSPRUIT: Burkina Faso scored the biggest win of the competition to date but it was three goalkeepers who took centre stage on a night of high drama in the African Nations Cup on Friday.

One scored a penalty, one was sent off and one accused a referee of making “one of the worst decisions in the history of football” after Burkina Faso beat Ethiopia 4-0 and champions Zambia needed a late controversial penalty to draw 1-1 with Nigeria in Group C. The penalty scorer was Zambia’s keeper Kennedy Mweene, the keeper sent off was Burkina Faso’s Abdoulaye Soulama and the goalie whose remarks could land him in trouble with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) was Nigerian Vincent Enyeama.

The 30-year-old, who has plenty of experience from a long career in club and international football and is now

plying his trade in Israel, pulled no punches when he was asked what he thought about the decision by Egyptian referee Grisha Ghead to award Zambia a penalty in the 85th minute. It had looked a soft challenge by defender Ogenyi Onanzi on striker Emmanuel Mayuka.

“It was one of the worst decisions in the history of football,” Enyeama told reporters. “It was the worst call I have seen live. It does not belong in football in my opinion. There is no place for a call like that in a match of this magnitude between the champions and Nigeria.

“What is happening to officiating in Africa if we have calls like that?”

Enyeama’s miserable night was completed when Mweene, his opposite number, strolled up from the other end of the field to beat him from the penalty spot and give Zambia a 1-1

draw which keeps them very much involved in the fight for a last eight place. Mweene himself had faced a penalty earlier in the match, but managed to keep his goal intact without needing to make a save of his own after Nigerian playmaker John Obi Mikel fired his poorly struck penalty against the right hand post.

The keeper was beaten by a good strike from Emmanuel Emenike which gave Nigeria the lead, but otherwise had a good game.

Mweene said: “It is hard enough for a goalkeeper to save a penalty, never mind score one, but I do practice them in training.

“It was a long walk from one end of the pitch to the other, but I just concentrated on scoring and that’s what I did.” Mweene has now faced four penalties in the last four matches Zambia have played in the finals - the

semi-final and final last year and the opening two games here, and none have been converted.

No goals were scored against Burkina Faso on Friday either as the west African outsiders took advantage of first-half injuries to Ethiopia’s Adane Girma and Asrat Megersa which fatally disrupted their rhythm after a bright start. Two goalkeepers helped the Burkinabe keep a clean sheet Soulama, who was sent off for a careless handball just outside his penalty area after 60 minutes, and substitute Daouda Diakite, who is likely to keep his place for the decider against Zambia as Soulama is suspended.

Burkina Faso, who had not won in the finals for 17 successive matches dating back to 1998 when they hosted the event, were lucky early on when Ethiopia’s Shimelese Bekele hit the post with Soulama stranded after just

four minutes. But there was nothing lucky about Burkina Faso’s opening goal, smashed in with a stunning leftfoot rocket from Alain Traore which gave Zerihun Tadelle no chance.

Tadelle, only playing because goalkeeper Jemal Tassew was sent off against Zambia last Monday, was also helpless to stop Traore’s second leftfoot piledriver after 74 minutes.

It was the start of a three-goal scoring burst over the next 21 minutes, including stoppage time, with Djakaridja Kone and Jonathan Pitroipa adding two more to complete the rout. Burkina Faso now sit on top of the group with four points from their two matches, followed by Zambia and Nigeria with two and Ethiopia with one. The climax will come next Tuesday when Zambia face Burkina Faso in Nelspruit and Nigeria play Ethiopia in Rustenburg. — Reuters

Ivory Coast ooze class to down Tunisia in Africa Cup Drogba dropped to the bench for first time RUSTENBURG: A vastly improved Ivory Coast put themselves within touching distance of the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals with a silky 3-0 win over Tunisia yesterday.

Under fire for an error-strewn opening win over Togo, the Elephants oozed class for much of this encounter with Premier League duo Gervinho and Yaya Toure and late substitute Didier Ya Konan getting the goals.

The result lifted the Ivorians to six points, which could be sufficient to earn them an early lasteight ticket should Algeria draw with Togo later in the second Group D tie.

In a surprise, Ivory Coast’s talismanic captain Didier Drogba was dropped to the bench. The 34-year-old veteran, figuring at his last Nations Cup, proved a largely ineffectual presence against Togo, with coach Sabri Lamouchi taking him off with quarter of an hour to go.

Also out were Manchester City defender Kolo Toure and midfield duo Max Gradel and Ya Konan. Lamouchi called up Lille striker Salomon Kalou and Anzhi Makhachkala’s young forward Lacina Traore, this pair joining Arsenal’s Gervinho in attack, and Newcastle midfielder Cheik Tiote.

Centre-back and former Spurs player Didier Zokora (modestly using the nickname Maestro on his shirt) was handed the skip-

per’s armband.

Tunisia’s cause was severely hampered by the absence of key striker Issam Jemaa, who misses the rest of the competition with a knee injury sustained against

good Tunisian side,” explained Lamouchi.

“My first satisfaction comes from the victory and the second from the content. We really entered this competition today.

25th minute (and Gervinho’s opener) we hadn’t entered into the game. The goal that we conceded was due to a lack of focus.

Up to the 85th minute we tried our best and were quite threat-

RUSTENBURG: Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba, right, controls the ball on the edge of the pitch during their African Cup of Nations group D match with Tunisia yesterday at the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg, South Africa. Ivory Coast defeated Tunisia 3-0. —AP Algeria.

“Why didn’t I play Didier Drogba? Because it seemed to me that the 11 players I picked were the best to overcome this

“We caused a lot of problems for this very good Tunisian team and were never really threatened at any point.” Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi said: “Until the

ening at that stage” In contrast to the match against Togo, the Elephants were playing neater, crisper football here, with Gervinho,

Traore and Yaya Toure troubling Tunisia’s backline.

Kalou blasted over on 18 minutes, then three minutes later Gervinho combined neatly with the influential Traore to slot a rising right-footed shot into the far corner of Moez Ben Cherifia’s net. Poor old Tunisia weren’t getting much of a look-in as Ivory Coast unveiled the face of champions-in-waiting for the first time at 2013.

The frenetic early pace ebbed away as the interval loomed, with Ivory Coast having legitimate claims for a penalty for Khalil Chammam’s hand-ball turned down by the Mauritian referee.

On 56 minutes a deft movement involving Traore, Gervinho and Kalou saw the ball in the back of the net, only for Gervinho to be harshly ruled offside. A big cheer went up when Drogba began to warm up on the touchline, and an even bigger one when he made his stately entrance for the final quarter with Traore making way.

Tunisia, who grabbed a lastminute winner against Algeria, finished strongly again with Saber Khalifa squandering a chance to level before goals from Yaya Toure and Ya Konan, seconds after entering the fray in the closing two minutes, rounded off a perfect night for the top-ranked team on the continent. — AFP

Togo send Algeria packing, Ivory Coast in quarters RUSTENBURG: Togo stunned Algeria 2-0 here yesterday to send the former champions packing from the Africa Cup of Nations while at the same time boosting their own hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.

Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor’s first half goal and Dove Wome’s in stoppage time sealed a memorable win which will have been greeted with jubilation in the Ivory Coast camp as it guaranteed their place in the last eight with a game to spare. Togo’s victory left the Ivorians, who moved up to six points after their 3-0 win over Tunisia earlier, assured of one of the two tickets from Group D. Togo and Tunisia will scrap it out for the second berth on Wednesday, leaving pointless Algeria playing only for pride when they face the competition favourites. Algeria, beaten 1-0 by Tunisia in their opening game, picked up the dubious honour of becoming the first team to be knocked out at this Nations Cup-a humiliating outcome for coach Vahid Halilhodzic and his band of talented yet inexperienced squad.

The two sides first meeting in the competition, watched by a near three-quarters-full crowd at the Royal Bafokeng stadium, proved a lively affair. On 32 minutes, Adebayor, who only agreed to answer his country’s call after a protracted will-he-won’t-he-play saga, put the little west African nation into the lead. The lanky striker ran on to Moustapha Salifou’s header, slamming the ball low past the onrushing ‘keeper Rais Mbolhi to open his 2013 account and put Togo bang in contention for the last eight.

Earlier, Togo ‘keeper Kossi Agassa did well to hold on to Nottingham Forest midfielder Adlene Guedioura’s bullet header off a corner taken by the lively Sofiane Feghouli, who was enjoying teasing Togo’s defence down the right.

And only Agassa’s chest denied Algeria’s Islam Slimani a quick equaliser. The second half was in its infancy when the north Africans had legitimate grounds for a penalty after Feghouli went down, tackled by Dakonam Djene, but Hamada Nampiandraza dismissed their apppeals.

The Malagasy official incensed the Desert Foxes further when turning down a second penalty shout soon after. With their Nations Cup dream fast turning into a nightmare, Algeria upped the tempo, peppering Togo’s goal, but to no avail.

A flurry of substitutions followed as Halilhodzic sought to bolster his attack, and Togo coach Didier Six his defence, which held firm, which is more than can be said for their goalposts. In a farcical end to the night, officials took an eternity to carry out repairs after Guedioura clattered into the netting, dislodging the right upright, triggering 18 minutes of stoppage time. That enabled Togo substitute Wome to add a second to extinguish any lingering hopes Algeria had of a fightback. — AFP

RUSTENBURG: Algeria’s defender Essaid Belkalem (L) vies with Togo’s forward Emmanuel Adebayor during the 2013 African Cup of Nations football match Algeria vs Togo at Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg yesterday. — AFP

Burkina Faso thrash Ethiopia 4-0 NELSPRUIT: Burkina Faso earned its first victory at the African Cup of Nations in 15 years on Friday, and could be on the verge of eliminating one of its more illustrious group opponents.

Burkina Faso beat Ethiopia 4-0 to go top of Group C with four points two more than defending champion Zambia and continental power Nigeria.

Zambia and Nigeria drew 1-1 in the day’s earlier game at Mbombela Stadium, leaving both teams needing a win in their final group matches to avoid an embarrassing first-round exit.

Burkina Faso had one the most convincing victory of the African Cup

of Nations so far, despite having goalkeeper Abdoulaye Soulama sent off for handling the ball outside his penalty area. Having gone ahead 1-0 in the first half, Burkina Faso added three goals in the last 16 minutes to put the game away.

“When we scored the first goal you saw Burkina Faso was released to play the game,” Burkina Faso coach Paul Put said. “And I think when we were down to 10 men we kept very disciplined and we scored another three goals so I’m very happy.”

Alain Traore netted two of the goals and now tops the tournament scoring charts with three in two games. The other match of the day

was decided by two penalties, with Zambia goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene the winner in both instances.

Mweene first saw Nigeria’s John Obi Mikel send a spot kick onto the outside of the post in the first half after diving the right way, and then scored one himself at the other end to equalize the game in the 85th minute.

Nigeria striker Emmanuel Emenike’s smooth finish in the 57th minute had left Zambia’s hopes of retaining its title hanging by a thread.

But they were handed a lifeline when Egyptian referee Ghead Grisha awarded a penalty for a foul by Ogenyi Onazi - a decision which drew heavy criticism from the Nigerian camp.—AP

S Lanka down Australia in opening T20 clash

Wood wins first European title with stunning eagle

17

16

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Luton shock Norwich to make FA Cup history

Page 18

MELBOURNE: Victoria Azarenka of Belarus hugs her trophy after winning the women's final against China's Li Na at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia. —AP

Azarenka retains Australian title Li Na suffers two ankle injuries MELBOURNE: Victoria Azarenka took everything the Australian Open could throw at her and emerged a champion.

The Belarussian won her second successive title at Melbourne Park yesterday with a 4-6 6-4 6-3 victory over China’s Li Na, bursting into tears as the emotion and stress of a fortnight came pouring out.

“You have to go through rough patches to achieve great things,” Azarenka told Channel 7, the host broadcaster. “It’s been tough but I am happy here right now. There were new experiences for me in the last couple of days. I have to say thanks to my team for being so supportive.

It was a victory that ensures she will stay at the top of the world rankings for at least a few more weeks but winning a second grand slam title will be of even more satisfaction.

When Li turned her left ankle early in the second set, the match swung in Azarenka’s favour.

When the Chinese fell again in the third and banged her head, it was getting surreal.

But the way the top seed dug herself out of a hole to clinch victory showed immense mental strength.

In her semi-final against American teenager Sloane Stephens, Azarenka had incurred the wrath of everyone watching when she took a 10-minute

double injury timeout just as Stephens was serving to stay in the match.

Her attempts to explain it fell flat and when she was introduced to the Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, a number of jeers rang out.

“I was expecting way worse, actually,” she told reporters. “But what can you do? You just have to go out and play your tennis. “It was definitely not easy with all the attention, with all the press around. But it was definitely a new experience for me that I think I handled quite well.

“I can only learn from this experience and move forward and try to improve as a player and as a person, as well.”

During the match, one fan called out “quiet please Azarenka”, in reference to her high-pitched grunting and the crowd was firmly behind Li. On the court, Azarenka could not cope with the former French Open champion’s aggressive returns, at times a little slow to react after her serve.

The first set went to the Chinese but slowly and surely, Azarenka began to work Li around the court, extending the rallies and making her opponent work harder for her points. Azarenka took a 3-1 lead in the second set and then watched as Li fell in pain after turning her left ankle.

Considering the drama of her semi-final, Azarenka must have wondered what was going on

but she kept her cool and stuck to her gameplan, levelling the match.

The drama moved up a level when Li slipped and hit her head on the court at 2-1 in the third set and when they resumed, Azarenka saved a break point to square the decider at 2-2. After breaking in the next game, she came through a long service game to stay ahead at 5-3 and then broke Li again to clinch victory.

Her celebrations were subdued but when she sat down in her chair, the tears flowed uncontrollably. “This one is way more emotional (than last year),” she said. “It’s going to be extra special for me, for sure.” —Reuters

Bryans win record 13th Grand Slam doubles title MELBOURNE: Mike and Bob Bryan have set one more record together as a doubles team - and this may be the most special of them all. The identical twins became the most cel-

ebrated doubles team in Grand Slam history by winning their 13th major title at the Australian Open yesterday, beating the unseeded Dutch team of Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling

MELBOURNE: Bob, left, and Mike Bryan of the US pose with their trophy after defeating Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands in the men’s doubles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, yesterday. — AP

6-3, 6-4 in 53 minutes.

The 34-year-old Americans had been level with the Australian legends John Newcombe and Tony Roche with 12 major titles. “It feels real good to have that record,” Mike Bryan said. “To be a part of history is pretty special. We weren’t thinking about it much out there, but now that we have it, it’s going to be fun to look back on our career and say we have the most Grand Slams.”

After converting their third match point, the brothers jumped in the air and bumped chests and then clapped their hands on their rackets to the several hundred fans who stayed in Rod Laver Arena after the women’s singles final to watch the match. They were so excited about the historic win, they gave high-fives to some fans after the match, including one man wearing a Los Angeles Lakers jersey who had covered the letter “T” in Kobe Bryant’s last name so it read “Bryan.”Sijsling joked during the trophy presentation that he had lost count of how many titles they’d won. “It’s probably 15,” he said.

“What is it?”

Haase then remarked, “I still don’t

know who’s who.” The Bryans have won each major at least once, but they play their best tennis Down Under - they now have six Australian Open titles to go along with four at the U.S. Open, two at Wimbledon and one at the French Open.

“I think we’re so successful at this tournament because we spent the off season mainly in the same spot working toward the new year,” Mike Bryan said. “We come into these tournaments with momentum.” The fact that they’re brothers - and extremely close - helps, as well.

“We never really point fingers in tough situations,” Bob Bryan said.

“We usually say how we feel right away. We clear the air. Those feelings never really linger, so we’re able to bounce back pretty quick after a tough week.”

The list of the brothers’ accomplishments and records grows by the year. They’ve been ranked No. 1 in doubles for eight of the past 10 years. They’ve won at least one Grand Slam title for a record nine consecutive years.

Th e y ’ve wo n a re co rd 8 4 t i t l e s together overall. — AP

MELBOURNE: Ana Konjuh of Croatia kisses the trophy after victory in her girls singles final against Katerina Siniakova of Czech Republic on the thirteenth day of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne yesterday. — AFP

Djokovic bids for third title MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic will bid to extend his Australian Open reign to a third straight year today in the final against Andy Murray, who will aim to end Britain’s 79-year wait for a men’s champion at Melbourne Park.

World number one Djokovic holds a 10-7 career record over fellow 25-year-old Murray, including beating him in the 2011 final at Melbourne Park.

Third seed Murray, however, edged Djokovic in five-sets at the US Open last year to win his maiden grand slam title after failing in four previous finals. Djokovic, who will bid to become the first man to win a hat-trick of

Australian Open titles in the professional era, survived a five-set scare against Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round, but has otherwise barely been pushed in his run to the final.

The five-times grand slam champion heads into the Murray clash after a straight-sets demolition of fourth seed David Ferrer. Murray motored into the semi-finals without dropping a set but was taken to five by second seed Roger Federer. The Scotsman will try to become the first man in the professional era to win his second grand slam immediately after his first. —Reuters

Business

Liberia exposes finances with city billboard Page 22 Kuwait budget surplus may touch KD13 billion Page 23

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

China to modernize before boosting global role: Official Page 25 Page 24

Tax debate rages across US

NICOSIA: People walk past closed shops in the old town of Nicosia yesterday. Fitch cut Cyprus’ government bond rating by two notches on Friday to ‘B’ with a negative outlook, saying the cost of bailing out banks is likely to be higher than previously thought. —AFP

WEF issues warnings on global economy Euro-zone must follow through budget hurdle: Lagarde DAVOS: Top international financial officials wrapped up the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos warning that much needs to be done to stabilize the world economy.

Despite relief that the euro, for all its struggles, remains intact and the US has so far managed to get through a crucial budget hurdle,

Lagarde said yesterday that the 17 European Union countries that use the euro have to follow through on steps to keep the troubles at banks from burdening governments. And she said US officials have to “indicate very promptly” how they ’re going to deal with their ongoing budget dispute between President Barack Obama

DAVOS: (Right) Angel Gurria, Secretary-General of the Organization of EconomicCooperation and Development (OECD), attends a session.— AFP

the International Monetary Fund’s managing director Christine Lagarde urged world leaders to “not relax.”

and Republicans in Congress.

One economic expert at Davos says there’s no rest for the weary: Governments must not back off

from making unpopular reforms that will help their economies grow faster.

Angel Gurria, secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, says “we have to keep fighting, keep pedaling” to improve educational opportunities, labor laws and tax codes to promote long-term growth.

Central banks already have cut interest rates as much as they can and governments can’t afford more stimulus spending as they try to reduce debts, Gurria told The Associated Press on Saturday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He said the key now was to focus on structural reforms that will make countries’ economies and labor markets more competitive.

“This incipient, hesitant recovery needs to be consolidated,” Gurria said. “We ran out of room on the monetary side, we’ve run out of room on the fiscal policy side, so what you need is to go structural.

“You need to go for education, for innovation, for more competition, for tax structures that are conducive to investments and job creation, you need to go for flexibility in the labor markets, for flexibility in the product markets,” he said. “ These are the things that are

going to keep you going long term.” The OECD is a group of 34 countries that seeks to promote global economic development. It is mostly made up of advanced economies such as the US, Britain, Germany and Japan, but also includes emerging economies like Chile, Mexico and Turkey.

Japan’s economy minister rejected criticism yesterday that his country’s extraordinary fiscal and monetary stimulus program was aimed at weakening the yen and undermined central bank inde pendence.

Ak ira Amari told the World Economic Forum in Davos it was up to the market to determine the currenc y ’s exchange rate, and the Bank of Japan had chosen independently to sign a joint statement with the government on actions to fight deflation and revive economic growth.

“You might think there’s a deliberate policy to drive down the value of the yen but we in government refrain from commenting on the exchange rate of the yen,” Amari said in response to criticism of Japanese action.

South Korea’s central bank governor questioned the efficacy of Japan’s easing of monetary policy and said the BOJ’s decision to start buying unlimited amounts of

DAVOS: Mark J Carney (right), Governor of the Bank of Canada and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) France’s Christine Lagarde (left) laugh during a panel session on the last day of the 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos yesterday.—AP

assets in 2014 could have unintended long-term consequences.

“What they did created a couple of problems,” Bank of Korea Governor Kim Chong-soo told Reuters in an interview in Davos.

“One is that the level (of the currency) is affected, and the pace of change is also a problem. They did it too hastily.” A stable exchange rate is key for the Bank of Korea, Kim added. The yen has come

under pressure since reports on Thursday quoted deputy economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura as saying the yen’s decline was not over, and that a dollar/yen level of 100 would not be a concern.

The Japanese currency is now trading around a 2-1/2 year low against the dollar at around 90 yen, as the market remained focused on Japan’s pursuit of a reflationary economic policy. —Agencies

Time to open up to trade, EU tells Argentina, Brazil SANTIAGO: EU leaders urged Argentina and Brazil yesterday to open up their markets and push ahead on a free-trade deal that would be a major prize for Europe as it battles to emerge from three years of economic crisis.

Negotiations on a trade pact with the South American trade bloc Mercosur - made up of Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Uruguay and Paraguay - began in the 1990s.

They were relaunched in 2010, but have yet to make real progress due to disputes over European farm subsidies and moves by Brazil and Argentina to protect local industry against foreign-made imports. In the meantime, Brussels has signed free-trade deals

with a number of Latin American countries, including Mexico and Chile, revealing an increasing split between the free-trade advocates on the Pacific side and the more closed economies, such as Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela, on the other side of the continent.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was among EU leaders in Chile for a two-day summit with Latin America heads of state, said she would discuss the issue with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff yesterday.

“We need to have open markets in terms of free trade and not protectionism. That’s a conviction that Germany shares with Chile,” Merkel said, referring to the EU’s trade deal

with the South American nation. “Our objective is to have a similar deal with Mercosur ...” she said, adding that reaching agreement would be “difficult.” Merkel’s comments were echoed by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

“Protectionism is resurging once again,” Barroso said. “Free-trade is subject to pressures, but it is our responsibility to open markets... It is time to reach a deal with Mercosur.” A new hurdle to a Mercosur deal is presented by Argentina’s curbs on imports. According to Global Trade Alert, an independent body monitoring commerce, Argentina is the world’s worst offender

when it comes to protectionist measures because the policies affect so many industries and sectors all over the world.

Members of the Group of 20 leading global economies promised not to resort to protectionism following the 2008/09 global financial crisis. But Brazil - Latin America’s largest economy - has also raised import barriers on goods from European steel to powdered milk.

Commodities-export giants Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela are ruled by leftleaning governments, and in the first 10 months of 2012, Brazil opened 47 trade defense cases, more than double the num-

ber in all of 2011.

Still, EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, who is also at the Santiago summit, said now was the time to act.

“We need to bring the negotiations with the Mercosur countries to a conclusion,” De Gucht said in a speech. “It is no secret that Europe would like to have made more progress in these talks by now.”

Europe is the top foreign investor in Latin America and according to a draft of the summit’s final statement seen by Reuters, EU and Latin American leaders will commit today to more open trade and to avoid protectionist policies. (Earlier report on Page 24)

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

BUSINESS

Liberia exposes finances with city billboard

Bayt.com weekly report

Five ways to bring out the best in your team in 2013

By Lama Ataya

MONROVIA: Liberia’s people have a novel way of finding out how their government is spending their money. On a bustling street in the capital, people can look up at an electronic information billboard that relays how state funds are being spent.

The US-supported project in Monrovia aims to improve state transparency, and the government of Nobel laureate President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf wants passers-by who might not normally read newspapers or surf the Internet to see what government projects are under way and where its money is being channeled. Hundreds turned out Wednesday as the Harvard-educated president switched on the billboard, which is connected directly to the Finance Ministry’s database, for the first time.

The billboard amounts to another step in the country ’s reconstruction following backto-back civil wars from 1989 to 2003 that killed an estimated 250,000 people, displaced millions and devastated the economy. Founded in the mid-19th centur y by freed American slaves, the impoverished countr y has received hundreds of

MONROVIA: Passersby stop to look up at Liberia’s new ‘Open Budget Initiative’ electronic billboard, located in a heavily trafficked area of Monrovia on Friday. Liberia’s government is sharing its financial outlook with the men and women on the street with a new electronic information billboard. —AP millions of dollars in US aid since the civil war.

Qatar Islamic Bank appoints new CEO DOHA: Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), the Gulf Arab state’s second-largest lender by market value, said yesterday it has appointed Bassel Gamal as its chief executive officer.

“He will be responsible for all the companies and institutions affiliated to QIB inside Qatar and abroad,” the bank said in a statement.

Gamal, who will assume his duties in February 2013, was senior deputy group CEO in Bahrain’s Ahli United Bank Group in charge of corporate banking, financial institutions and treasury and investment among others.

QIB’s net profit in the fourth-quarter to Dec. 31, 2012, more than halved due to provisions to 110 million riyals ($30.2 million), compared with the same period in 2011, according to Reuters data, missing an average forecast of 328.58 million. —Reuters

Argentina must pay up: US creditors NEW YORK: Investors who refused to join two sovereign debt restructurings by Argentina are urging a US court to force the country to pay them, in a case whose outcome could make it much harder for emerging market countries facing cash crunches to borrow money.

These investors, who own Argentina bonds that have been in default for a decade, are demanding that the South American country finally pay the $1.33 billion that a federal judge said they are owed. The demand came one month ahead of a Feb. 27 showdown before the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York. Argentina is seeking to have the appeals court overturn a finding in favor of the “holdout” creditors, which are led by NML Capital Ltd, part of a firm run by billionaire hedge fund manager Paul Singer, and the Aurelius Capital Management funds. But in written arguments submitted to that court on Friday, Aurelius said Argentina must stop going “far beyond the reach of accountability” by letting holdouts go unpaid for more than a decade even as it pays holders of restructured bonds. —Reuters

The bright, colorful, viewerfriendly screen shows how tax

dollars go to hospitals, roads, schools or agriculture, and how

Liberia shapes up by sector compared to its West African neighbors.

Finance Minister Amara Konneh said the ultimate ambition is that Liberians “will hold public officials accountable for results.” He ack nowledged it won’t be an antidote for corruption, but could help make inroads against it.

“The official corruption in our country is entrenched,” Konneh told The Associated Press. “What we are doing by putting this symbol of openness out is to prevent; prevention is better than cure.”

As Monrovians stopped to ponder the new billboard, some struggled to see the point or sensed a public-relations stunt. “I don’t see any significance,” said James Smith. “Government should find another means to really educate people rather than plant billboards.”

But Marie, a hairdresser who preferred to give only her first name, said: “Liberians should learn to appreciate a small beginning .... We were never being told of how our money was being spent. This is a way to start creating the awareness.” —AP

S&P 500 in longest winning streak since 2004 NEW YORK: The Standard & Poor’s 500 index closed above 1,500 on Friday for the first time since the start of the Great Recession in 2007, lifted by strong earnings from Procter & Gamble and Starbucks.

The S&P 500 rose 8.14 points to 1,502.96. It was the eighth straight gain, the longest winning streak since November 2004. The Dow Jones industrial average closed at 13,825.33, up 46 points. The Nasdaq composite gained 19.33 points to 3,149.71.

Procter & Gamble, world’s largest consumer products maker, gained $2.83 to $73.25 after reporting that its quarterly income more than doubled. P&G also raised its profit forecast for its full fiscal year. Starbucks rose $2.24 to $56.81 after reporting a 13 percent increase in profits.

“Earnings are growing,” said Joe Tanious, a global market strategist at JPMorgan. “The bottom line is that corporate America is doing exceptionally well.” Tanious expects corporate earnings to grow at about 5 percent over the “next year or two,” and stock valuations to rise. Currently, the S&P 500 is trading at an average price-to-earnings ratio of 14, below an average of 15.1 for the last decade, according to FactSet data.

Apple continued to decline, allowing Exxon Mobil to once again surpass the electronics giant as the world’s most valuable publicly traded company. Apple fell 2.4 percent to $439.88, following a 12 percent drop on Thursday, the biggest oneday percentage drop for the company since 2008, after Apple forecast slower sales. The stock is now 37 percent below the record high of $702.10 it reached Sept. 19.

Apple first surpassed Exxon in market value in the summer of 2011, grabbing a title Exxon had held since 2005. The two traded places through that fall, until Apple surpassed Exxon in early 2012. Stocks have surged this month, with the S&P 500 advancing 5.4 percent. It jumped at the start of the year when lawmakers reached a last-minute deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff.” Stocks built on those gains on optimism that the housing market is recovering and the labor market is healing.

The Dow Jones is up 5.5 percent on the year.

Deutsche Bank analysts raised their year-end target for the index to 1,600 from 1,575.

Companies will be able to maintain their earnings even if lawmakers in Washington decide to implement

wide-ranging spending cuts to narrow the budget deficit, the analysts said in a note sent to clients late Thursday.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to its price, climbed 11 basis points to 1.95 percent. Among other stocks making big moves.

Halliburton gained $1.91 to $39.72 after posting a loss that was smaller than analysts had expected.

The oilfield services company said fourth-quarter profits declined 26 percent to $669 million on increasing pricing pressure in the North American market and one-time charges from the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Wall Street had expected worse.

Hasbro fell $1.14 to $37.31 after the toy maker said its fourth-quarter revenue failed to meet expectations because of poor demand over the holidays. The company plans to cut about 10 percent of its workforce and consolidate facilities to cut expenses.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters rose $2.53 to $46.31 after an analyst noted that sales of a competing coffee brewer introduced by Starbucks were getting off to a weak start. —AP

J

anuary can be a very difficult time of the year for managers and company leaders in many different ways especially that it is the time when professionals usually assess their careers goals and aspirations.

Data from Bayt.com’s December 2012 ‘MENA professionals New Year Resolutions’ poll indicates that an overwhelming 65.3% of professionals will be looking to find a better job for 2013. This data coincides with that obtained from Bayt.com’s very recent 2013 ‘Employee Motivation in the MENA’ survey where almost four in ten respondents claim they would stay for at least the next 12 months with their current employer.

To help you make ensure your team is motivated and ready to give their best, the HR experts at Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 jobsite, list five areas you can actively work on to make sure motivation and engagement levels are up among your team: 1. Communicate better and often - According to Bayt.com’s ‘Employee Motivation in the MENA’ survey, only 44% of professionals say their line manager communicates what is going on in the organisation to them. Having daily 5-10 minutes team huddles in the beginning or the end of the day is a good idea to make sure everyone on the team is on the same page when it comes to goals and targets.

2. Praise and reward achievers - Rewards are great motivators and they need not just be monetary as you could get really creative with non-monetary rewards as well such as days-off, free use of company parking space etc. It is important that the reward communicates to the employee that you care for them and their work-life balance. This is often more important than money.

3. Develop your team’s strengths- Take the time to know the strengths of your team members.

According to Bayt.com’s ‘Reward Programs and Employee Engagement in the Middle East’ poll, 44.7% of professionals in the Middle East say that more opportunities to learn and grow within the company will make them feel more engaged at work. If your budget is restricted and doesn’t allow you to offer more training, then you can offer further opportunities, such as recommending them for special projects or teams. This will help them leverage their skills and get them to invest their energies and talents with renewed interest.

4. Be the leader you want your team to follow To bring out the best in your team you need to inspire excellence by being more self-aware. You can also adopt a 360-degree appraisal system that will help you get feedback on your leadership style.

Undertaking trainings for leadership and Emotional Intelligence development can also help you be a coveted manager.

5. Have fun - Above everything else it is important that you have fun while at work. Thrive to create a positive, fun and satisfying environment at work. Make it a point to celebrate personal milestones such as birthdays and professional achievements. When you give people the opportunity to get together and laugh, it creates a strong sense of camaraderie and solidarity.

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

.2740000 .4420000 .3720000 .3000000 .2810000 .2940000 .0040000 .0020000 .0762840 .7432150 .3900000 .0720000 .7285900 .0430000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2810000 .4447250 .3740110 .3021510 .2830810 .0501110 .0431140 .2961320 .0362420 .2287530 .0031760 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0765350 .7456550 .0000000 .0749530 .7301550 .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.192 5.241 2.885 2.221 3.309 230.340 36.424 3.539

.2840000 .4540000 .3810000 .3110000 .2920000 .3030000 .0067500 .0035000 .0770510 .7506840 .4050000 .0770000 .7359120 .0510000 .2831000 .4480480 .3768060 .3044090 .2851960 .0504860 .0434360 .2983450 .0365130 .2304620 .0032000 .0052900 .0022400 .0029080 .0035770 .0771070 .7512270 .4004240 .0755130 .7356110 .0070200

Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - transfer Irani Riyal - cash

UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

6.948 9.486 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 75.337 77.625 733.790 750.370 76.927

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 282.400 Euro 377.290 Sterling Pound 448.450 Canadian dollar 285.400 Turkish lire 159.590 Swiss Franc 304.970 Australian dollar 298.500 US Dollar Buying 281.200 GOLD 311.000 157.000 81.500

SELL DRAFT 301.17 289.26 306.98 379.38 282.00 451.17 3.21 3.568 5.243 2.230 3.290 2.892

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Selling Rate 282.250 285.310 450.050 377.280 301.730 747.250 76.825 77.475 75.230 397.875 42.694 2.227 5.236 2.885 3.540 6.948 692.360 4.125 9.540 3.970 3.320 93.365

SELL CASH 300.000 289.000 311.000 380.000 282.850 458.000 3.750 3.800 5.400 2.600 3.550 2.980

COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar

SELL CASH 300.800 750.620 4.000 285.900 554.300 46.000 51.300 167.800 44.270 379.800 37.100 5.420 0.032 0.161 0.242

Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

3.260 399.980 0.191 95.900 46.200 4.340 241.500 1.828 52.000 733.150 3.000 7.310 78.070 75.360 231.460 33.800 2.688 450.800 44.300 307.200 3.400 9.810 198.263 76.960 282.600 1.360 GOLD

10 Tola 1,798.520

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Bahrain Exchange Company

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee

77.200 748.000 45.500 399.500 733.000 78.500 75.350

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 43.700 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 42.468 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.318 Tunisian Dinar 182.550 Jordanian Dinar 398.870 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.895 Syrian Lier 3.069 Morocco Dirham 34.230

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

76.85 750.87 42.71 401.76 733.93 77.78 75.41

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 448.800 282.200

Al Mulla Exchange

SELLDRAFT 299.300 750.620 3.544 284.400

231.500 42.477 378.300 36.950 5.249 0.031

Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 281.900 378.250 449.900 286.550 3.175 5.234 42.550 2.223 3.540 6.930 2.889 750.600 76.775 75.250

399.940 0.190 95.900 3.300 240.000

732.970 2.891 6.953 77.640 75.360 231.460 33.800 2.225 448.800 305.700 3.400 9.680 76.860 282.200

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

BUSINESS

Bank of Italy board meets on Monte Paschi crisis ROME/MILAN: The four-member board of the Bank of Italy was meeting yesterday to consider the position of scandal-hit bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena and decide whether to authorize its request for 3.9 billion euros ($5.3 billion) of state loans.

Italy ’s third-largest bank this week revealed loss-making derivatives trades that could cost it about 720 million euros, sinking its shares and prompting questions about how the risky deals could have been hidden from regulators.

The issue has shot to the centre of the campaign for a Feb. 24-25 national election and politicians have blamed the Bank of Italy (BOI), led by current European Central Bank President Mario Draghi at the time of the deals, for failing to spot them.

At the meeting chaired by current Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco, the board will assess whether Monte Paschi meets the stability requirements necessary to receive the state loans.

The Tuscan bank, the world’s oldest, was forced to seek state aid last year for the second time since 2009 after becoming one of just four European lenders that failed to meet tougher capital requirements set by regulators. Under the proposed scheme, the bank would issue 3.9 billion euros of bonds to the Italian Treasury, with just under half of these replacing 1.9 billion euros of existing state loans. Visco said on Friday the bank was unquestionably stable.

The lender’s new management, appointed last year to turn it around, said the situation was “completely under control”.

The bank would pay a hefty 9 percent coupon on the bonds, which are worth more than its current market capitalisation of 3 billion euros. The coupon will increase by 0.5 percentage point every two years up to a maximum of 15 percent. At a stormy meeting at Monte Paschi’s Siena headquarters on Friday, shareholders approved two capital increases for 6.5 billion euros to be carried out if needed in the next five years, which are a condition of the state bailout.

That raises the prospect of possible nationalisation, because if the bank cannot repay the state bonds or the coupons attached to them, it will have to issue

shares to the Treasury.

Prime Minister Mario Monti said late on Friday he considered nationalisation a “remote hypothesis”.

Monti, bidding for a second term in the election, defended his government’s decision to rescue it with taxpayers’ money. “It’s a loan, with a high interest rate,” he said. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Visco sought to deflect accusations that the BOI had not done its job properly.

“It is wrong to insinuate that there was a lack of supervision by the Bank of Italy,” he said on Friday, adding the BOI would cooperate with prosecutors investigating the lender.

Draghi, also in Davos, took no questions from reporters.

Visco’s task was made more difficult by a report in the Corriere della Sera daily on Friday which included excerpts of a document drafted by six BOI inspectors expressing concerns over the two main trades under scrutiny as long ago as 2010. That report would have been sent to the BOI’s head of bank supervision at the time, Anna Maria Tarantola, who has since left the bank to become president of state broadcaster RAI. Visco sidestepped questions about whether Draghi knew about the 2008-09 derivatives trades, which involved Japanese bank Nomura and Deutsche Bank.

Internal auditors at Monte Paschi already detected anomalies at the bank’s finance department responsible for derivative trades three years ago, daily Il Sole 24 Ore said on Saturday.

However, the outcome of the Nov. 26, 2009 audit was “partially favourable” for the bank, contrasting with a “partially unfavourable” rating by the Bank of Italy after a May-August 2010 inspection.

Monte Paschi was already under investigation over its 9-billion-euro cash acquisition of smaller lender Antonveneta from Spain’s Santander in 2007.

Santander had bought Antonveneta for 6.6 billion euros in a three-way break-up bid for Dutch bank ABN AMRO, and almost immediately sold it on to Monte dei Paschi netting a hefty gain. — Reuters

Greek workers protest pay cuts ATHENS: Greek workers have marched to parliament to protest upcoming pay cuts for transport workers and the government emergency decree that forced subway employees to end their strike.

The march yesterday by 2,000 members of the PAME union was peaceful. On Friday, Greek riot police stormed the Athens subway depot to make sure that metro workers

went back to work. The subway system had been shut down for nine days but running Friday afternoon. Bus workers have been striking since Thursday. The debt-strapped Greek government wants to rip up subway workers’ contracts and make their pay similar to other civil servants, which would mean pay cuts. Transport unions are meeting later Saturday to decide on further action. — AP

ATHENS: Communist affiliated protesters gather in central Athens yesterday in solidarity to public transport workers, after government had ordered a civil mobilization to force the Athens metro staff to halt their strike, which had disrupted traffic in the Greek capital for nine days. — AFP

After Europe, IMF faces big challenge in Arab world WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund is gearing up for a huge new challenge to rebuild the economies of the turbulent Arab world, a mission that poses starkly different challenges to its euro-zone rescues.

The Arab Spring revolutions of 20102011 have opened doors to the IMF’s money and expertise as new governments face the need to balance their books and revive sagging growth.

Egypt and Tunisia are in negotiations over IMF loan programs that would entail structural reforms, and the Fund is also providing technical assistance to Libya.

The IMF is also nursing countries weakened by the Arab turmoil. In August, Jordan received a $2 billion loan and Morocco has a precautionary facility of $6 billion, meant to give it more protection from external shocks. Torn by political upheaval, the countries of the region face multiple deep challenges, including high unemployment, large population growth, capital flight and deep government deficits, experts say. The Fund recognizes the issues are more than financial.

Earlier this month, Managing Director Christine Lagarde wrote in the Financial Times that Arab countries need “urgent policy measures” to avoid killing the hopes raised by the revolutions.

Lagarde’s number two, David Lipton, has swept through the region delivering the IMF’s message in numerous speeches.

The Arab world has “formidable growth potential” that the IMF cannot ignore,

Lipton said. But, he likes to point out, aside from oil and gas, the region’s exports together are barely the size of Belgium’s.

The fund nevertheless has to convince a region plagued by doubts over its approach in the past-attaching harsh austerity conditions to its loan programs as it sought to help governments balance budgets and boost growth. Especially in sub-Saharan Africa, the IMF has been accused of foisting such programs on governments with little consideration for local conditions and how the local people are impacted. Before the Arab Spring, “many of the Arab and African countries were about to turn their backs on the IMF,” said Ibrahim Saif of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Indeed, many people blamed IMF programs for the social and economic hardship that led to the revolts, he said. Today, the IMF says it has got the message. It emphasizes that it is now developing reform programs that are “homegrown”developed with the backing of all stakeholders in a society, including civil society groups. “As we engage more closely in the region, we find that we have to explain the role of the IMF and how we work with governments today,” Lipton said in November.

“We know from experience that programs are much more likely to succeed if they are designed and owned by the national authorities and enjoy broad support within the country.” — AFP

Kuwait budget surplus may touch kd13 billion Crude prices end year on steady note NBK ECONOMIC REPORT KUWAIT: Crude oil prices were reasonably stable through December, rounding off a quiet 4Q 2012. The price of Kuwait Export Crude (KEC) traded in the narrow range of $104 to $108 per barrel (pb) through the month and into early January, with a dip in the first half of the month followed by a recovery later on. Similarly, Brent crude traded in a range of $107-113 pb. The main US benchmark crude - West Texas Intermediate (WTI) - saw a more constructive month, drifting up from a mid-month low of $85 to $93 by early January. In the process, the Brent-WTI spread narrowed to its lowest since September. Perhaps surprisingly, oil prices held up well against the on-off backdrop of negotiations over the US ‘fiscal cliff’, which had threatened to push the US into recession in 2013, before a last minute deal was struck by year-end.

But the absence of a market relief rally reflected a view that the US debt financing problem has been postponed rather than resolved, as well as a typical lack of trading momentum around the year-end. On the supply side meanwhile, OPEC left its production policy unchanged, rolling over its official 30 million barrel per day (bpd) output target until its next meeting in May. Although this was widely expected and may have helped maintain market stability in the short-term, the organization was seen as having avoided the more difficult decision of how to cope with the anticipated loosening of oil market fundamentals this year whilst maintaining unity amongst its often quarrelling members.

2012 as a whole was another landmark year for crude. Most benchmark prices inched to record highs (annual average), supported by geopolitical events, disappointing non-OPEC supplies (outside of the US) and dwindling levels of OPEC spare production capacity. Brent crude, for example, averaged $112, marginally above the $111 recorded in 2011. Similarly, KEC reached $109, up from $106 the year before.

Only WTI failed to make gains, slipping $1 to $94 pb on US storage shortages and the strength of north American supplies.

Total OPEC production (including Iraq) fell to under 30.8 mbpd, despite rising Iraqi output. Oil production there edged higher by some 11,000 bpd to 3.2 mbpd in November, nearing its preIran-Iraq war capacity of 3.4 mbpd. Baghdad is looking to add some 500,000 bpd to production capacity this year, though this will be contingent on easing infrastructure bottlenecks - including pipelines and storage facilities - as well as resolving ongoing disputes with the Kurdistan Regional Government.

After rising by around 0.8 mbpd in 2012, nonOPEC supplies are expected to climb by more than 1 mbpd this year. Less than one-third of this increase is expected to come from OPEC natural gas liquids (NGLs). North American production is likely to drive this expected surge in non-OPEC supplies in 2013, with the IEA projecting a significant 0.9 mbpd growth in US oil production. In total, however, global oil supplies are expected to rise more modestly this year, with cuts in OPEC output partially offsetting stronger

mbpd in the first quarter. In this case, the price of KEC is expected to slip slightly, but remain supported near $100 pb.

Alternatively, oil demand could turn out stronger than expected, allowing OPEC to maintain production at current levels. But combined with rising non-OPEC supplies, oil prices are still likely to come under some downward pressure.

In this scenario, the price of KEC edges down only slightly, but stays above $100 pb for most of this year. If, on the other hand, non-OPEC supplies growth exceeds expectations, then prices are likely to fall more rapidly. In this case, the price of KEC falls below $100 pb early on in the year. However, this will prompt OPEC to make significant production cuts before mid-year in order to prevent prices from sliding further.

non-OPEC supplies.

outcomes for FY 2012/13. The price of KEC should end up between $104 - $106 pb this year, compared to $110 pb last year.

If as we expect, spending comes in 5-10% below the government’s forecast and revenues much higher, this year’s budget surplus could end up between KD 11.4 billion and KD 13.1 billion before allocations to the Reserve Fund for Future Generations (RFFG). This would equate to 23%26% of forecast 2012 GDP. Though the budget surplus for the first 8 months of the fiscal year has already reached KD 14.7 billion, spending is expected to accelerate in the final months, pushing the surplus back down.

Budget projections With less than three months remaining in the current fiscal year, there is limited scope for the price scenarios above to greatly affect budget

Oil demand outlook Despite the fragile global economic environment, forecasts for global oil demand growth have in some cases been revised higher over the past month. The International Energy Agency (IEA), for example, has revised up its oil demand growth forecasts for 2013 from 0.8 mbpd (0.9%) to 0.9 mbpd (1%), partly on the back of stronger than expected outturn data for 2012. The Centre for Global Energy Studies has also revised up its 2013 growth forecast from 0.7 mbpd (0.8%) to 0.9 mbpd (1%), linked to resilient demand growth in countries where local energy prices are shielded by subsidies. But note that these figures, although improved from before, remain modest by historical standards and come on the back of similarly tepid demand growth expected to have been registered last year.

Oil supply outlook Crude output of the OPEC-11 (i.e. excluding Iraq) dropped by a substantial 220,000 bpd in November to 27.6 mbpd - the lowest level seen in over a year. Around 100,000 bpd of this decline came from Nigeria, where output continued to be affected by severe flooding in the oil producing Niger River Delta region. Saudi Arabia also saw output reduced by some 48,000 bpd, though official government figures point to much larger cutbacks of more than 200,000 bpd.

Separate data from ‘direct communication’ show additional declines from Libya (18,000 bpd) and Iran (13,000 bpd). The former has seen production hit by strikes and protests at various oil fields as well as the Ras Lanuf refinery, with output expected to have been further affected in December. Meanwhile, sanctions continue to weigh in on Iranian oil production, which has fallen by almost 1 mbpd in the past year.

Price projections Due to the impact of rising non-OPEC supplies and modest global demand, oil market fundamental are expected to weaken through early 2013. But a significant drop in prices is likely to be mitigated by a response from OPEC. Based on a 0.3 mbpd quarter-on-quarter decline in global oil demand in 1Q13, and assuming that OPEC production cuts are more than offset by a large 0.8 mbpd increase in non-OPEC supplies, then supply will continue to exceed demand and global oil inventories could rise by around 1.2

Japan’s ANA cancels 379 Dreamliner flights TOKYO: All Nippon Airways Co, which has the biggest fleet of Dreamliner jets, yesterday cancelled another 379 flights scheduled for Feb 118, almost doubling the number of its cancellations since one of the planes made an emergency landing.

The latest cancellations brings the number of ANA flights stopped since the Jan. 16 emergency landing in western Japan to 838. All

Dreamliners have been grounded since Jan. 17 due to unexplained battery problems. ANA, which has 17 of the 50 Dreamliners that Boeing Co has delivered to airlines to date, said the cancellations have affected more than 82,620 passengers. ANA said on its website that it flies around 3.7 million passengers each month on domestic and international routes.

ANA, which has put the lightweight, fuel-effi-

cient Dreamliner at the centre of its growth strategy, may have to scale back its next 2-year plan as it considers the mounting cost of the new aircraft’s grounding.

US safety officials looking into a battery fire on a separate 787 jet said on Thursday they are nowhere close to completing their probe, raising the prospect of a lengthy suspension for the technologically advanced aircraft. — Reuters

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

BUSINESS

Markets rise even as Apple struggles NEW YORK: US markets this week maintained their buoyant 2013 form, with the S&P 500 and the Dow Industrial index edging ever higher in a week marked by solid earnings results.

With the exception of high-tech giant Apple, which surprised the market with a gloomy outlook for 2013, top companies in a range of sectors released reports that either met or exceeded expectations.

Market watchers were also heartened by a move by the House of Representatives to agree to raise the US debt ceiling, removing a major source of uncertainty, at least for the medium term. “ The earnings have been very good and it appears that things are fine in Washington,” said Hugh Johnson, chief investment officer of Hugh Johnson Advisors, flagging Apple as a glaring exception to the mainly positive trend. The uptick of the major indices underscored growing optimism in the US economy, despite concerns until now about less than stellar job growth.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the week at 13,895.98, up 1.8 percent from last week’s close, and just 1.9 percent below its all-time high

Wall Street weekly report recorded in October 2007. The broad-based S&P 500 breached 1,500 for the first time in five years, closing the week at 1,502.96, up 1.1 percent. That places the index about four percent below its alltime peak, which also came in October 2007.

Among the most optimistic of the companies reporting earnings this week was health and beauty goods manufacturer Procter and Gamble, which beat analyst expectations by a wide margin and increased its guidance for 2013 earnings.

“Global market share trends improved,” said chief executive Bob McDonald as P&G pointed to organic sales growth in all five of its business segments. Fast food giant McDonald’s, which bested earnings forecasts by a modest margin, however offered a somewhat more restrained outlook for the new year.

“2013 is still going to be a tough economic environment around the world,” said chief executive Don Thompson.

“In the US, we’re seeing some signs of maybe a slight recovery. However, having said that, we also

know that we have commodity pressures and some labor pressures.”

The biggest question mark surrounded Apple, which reported large increases in the number of iPhones and iPads sold in the closing months of 2012, but offered a gloomy forecast for sales in the second quarter of 2013.

Apple forecast that Q2 revenue would range from $41-43 billion, well below the $54.5 billion reported in the first quarter. It also said it would have a gross margin of 37.5 to 39.5 percent, compared with a margin of 44.7 percent in the year-ago quarter. “Apple’s profit did go up; it just didn’t go up that much,” said analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group in Silicon Valley.

“They had a really high increase in sales, but their high margin is coming apart at the edges...

They are making less per gadget.” The results spawned a sell-off in Apple shares that saw the company by week’s end cede its status as the biggest company by market capitalization to oil

giant ExxonMobil. While Apple’s struggles were noteworthy, the company-specific nature of its problems spared the market as a whole. Patrick O’Hare at Briefing.com said the effect of Apple’s problems was a “great rotation” not out of stocks in general, but out of Apple to other equities.

“Several months ago, one would have shuddered at the thought of what Apple losing 12 percent in a day would have meant for the broader market,” O’Hare said. “Now, it is looked at as a stock with company-specific issues.”

With many technology and banking equities having already reported earnings, the coming week will see results from a smattering of major companies including ExxonMobil, Caterpillar, Pfizer and Boeing, which will no doubt face many questions about the prospects of its troubled 787 Dreamliner.

The aircraft has been grounded worldwide following several operational problems.

The coming week will also see its share of important economic indicators, including Wednesday’s release of gross domestic product data and Friday’s much-watched accounting of non-farm payroll data and the unemployment rate. —AFP

Time to tweak gas taxes?

US states weigh options Tax debate rages across nation

SANTIAGO: Chilean President Sebastian Pinera (second right) and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff exchanging documents as their Foreign Ministers Alfredo Moreno (right) and Antonio Patriota respectively, during a ceremony at La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago in the framework of the two-day CELAC-EU Summit, yesterday. —AFP

LatAm, Europe open summit to boost trade SANTIAGO: Latin American and European leaders open a two-day summit here yesterday to give a fresh impetus to efforts to seal a free trade agreement between their two blocs. Attending the gathering are some 45 leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Cuban leader Raul Castro as well as European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

Although the two blocs have met seven times, it is the 27-member European Union’s first summit with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC, its Spanish-language acronym).

Set up in Caracas in December 2011 at the behest of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, CELAC groups all American nations except the United States and Canada and aims to boost regional trade and institutional cooperation.

Chavez, who is convalescing from cancer surgery in Cuba, will not attend the weekend gathering. Monday, CELAC leaders will hold their own summit here, with Cuba taking over the chairmanship from Chile for one year.

The meeting will seal Cuba’s full regional reintegration and mark a major diplomatic coup for President Castro, whose communist-ruled country is still reeling from a 50year-old crippling US trade embargo.

The 33 CELAC leaders hope to overcome their ideological and economic differences to foster greater regional integration. “Our efforts (in this area) have not lived up to that is needed and what Latin America deserves,” Chilean President Sebastian Pinera conceded.

Shortly before Castro landed here Friday, about 200 people protested both for and against Havana.

An estimated 100 demonstrators massed outside the Cuban embassy, heeding a call by Chile’s ruling party, the conservative Independent Democratic Union, or UDI, to demonstrate against the Castro’s presence in the Chilean capital.

The UDI accuses Castro of harboring the

murderers of their party’s founder, Jaime Guzman, a senator who was killed in 1991 by the nearly extinct radical leftist group Patriotic Front of Manuel Rodriguez.

The UDI president, along with other lawmakers, also came to the embassy to deliver a letter demanding to know the whereabouts in Cuba of those they allege killed Guzman: Ricardo Poblete, and three other accomplices. However, the lawmakers were denied entry and then threw the letter into the garden. Another 100 demonstrators, from a “Group of Solidarity with Cuba,” also gathered near the embassy to show support for Cuba.

Ahead of the EU-CELAC summit, Pinera, the host, said the meeting aimed to “to seal a new strategic alliance for development and more open markets.”

“It will be the first timethat Latin America will speak with one voice” with Europe, Chilean Foreign Minister Alfredo Moreno said recently. The EU is the biggest outside investor in Latin America, with 3 percent of the direct foreign investment in CELAC or $385 billion in 2010.

Thursday, Van Rompuy and Barroso attended a EU-Brazil summit with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in Brasilia. The two sides called for the speedy conclusion of a free trade pact between the EU and the South American trading bloc Mercosur.

Negotiations over the pact have so far stumbled over differences on agriculturenotably Europe’s subsidies to its farmers, which undermine South America’s efforts to sell its own products.

Meanwhile, a parallel Summit of the Peoples got under way here Friday with a march of 1,000 leftists protesting capitalist economic policies.

The march turned violent when hooded demonstrators tore down traffic lights and shops’ shutters in central Santiago, prompting police to intervene with water cannons ans tear gas.

At least five protesters were arrested.

The two-day counter-summit brings together representatives of more than 400 social movements from across Latin America and Europe. — AFP

SANTIAGO: German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C) arrives at La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago for a meeting with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera as part of her official visit to Chile in the framework of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)-European Union (EU) Summit yesterday. —AFP

WASHINGTON: A great tax debate is breaking out in state capitals from Vermont to Texas: How do we maintain and expand our vital-but-aging networks of roads, bridges and urban transit systems?

For nearly a century, the nation has funded projects primarily with revenue from gasoline taxes. But the gasoline tax has lost its value over the past decade. Changes in fuel-saving automotive technology and driving habits are resulting in less revenue to repair crumbling bridges, repave highways or upgrade buses and trains.

During the same time, many states have been loath to raise the tax. Sixteen states haven’t raised gasoline taxes in 20 years or more, according to the policy think tank Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

So year after year, states have seen money for transportation slow to a trickle while critical transportation projects languished on engineers’ drawing boards, the inventory of dilapidated and dangerous bridges swelled, and trains and buses got older and creakier.

The debate now is over whether the gas tax can be made sustainable with some fixes, whether other forms of taxation will pay for roads, or whether fees-such as highway tolls and per-mile-traveled charges-can fund transportation networks.

Nowhere is the debate more watched than in Virginia, where Gov. Bob McDonnell seeks to radically reform state transportation funding by repealing his state’s 17.5-cents-a-gallon gas tax and replacing it with a transportation-targeted increase in the state sales tax.

McDonnell’s press secretary, Jeff Caldwell, says the governor ’s “very novel approach” reflects his understanding that gasoline tax revenue will only continue to decline.

There are reasons for that. Since 2001, the number of miles driven per person has declined for every age group. People don’t start driving until a later age. Many are turning to public transit, bicycling or walking. Since 2000, the number of bicycle commuters has increased 40% nationally, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

And, Caldwell says, “If you raise the gas tax, it will inherently drive up the price of gas without addressing long-term the issue of declining (gas tax) revenue.”

McDonnell’s proposal, which would have to be approved by his state’s legislature, is drawing fire from many quarters.

“He’s just substituting one tax for another,” says Joshua Schank, president of the Eno Center

for Transportation, a non-partisan think tank based in Washington, DC. “It’s a very bad move because it discards the ‘user pays’ funding concept that we’ve had ever since the gas tax was first collected by Oregon in 1919,” says Bob Poole, director of transportation policy at the Reason Foundation, a libertarian policy research group.

“It’s fundamentally bad tax policy,” says Carl Davis, senior analyst at the liberal-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. “With the gas tax, if you drive more, you pay more in taxes. Or, if you drive a heavier vehicle that does more damage to the roads, you pay more. If you get rid of the gas tax entirely and rely on the sales tax, you are very literally giving drivers a free ride.”

Virginia’s proposal is “by and large unprecedented,” says Jaime Rall, a transportation analyst at the NCSL. The nearest example she could think of was a Hawaii state Senate bill last year that would have increased the vehicle weight tax and repealed the state fuel tax. The measure failed. Davis recommends linking, or indexing, state gasoline taxes to the rate of growth in the costs of concrete, steel and other infrastructure components. No state currently does, although Florida’s gasoline tax rate is linked to the inflation rate measured by the consumer price index.

Thirteen states link their gas tax rate to the price of gasoline, he says.

Among the funding options being debated in at least 13 states: Other taxes and fees. Higher sales taxes, new taxes on gasoline stations, higher motor vehicle registration fees and more tolls are among the options being considered in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Michigan.

In Texas, where the 20-cents-a-gallon gas tax hasn’t been raised in 21 years, a state House committee reported in December that the state would have no money for new projects at the current funding level. The Legislature is considering a bill that would rededicate all motor vehicle taxes for transportation. Currently, the money also goes to education and other non-infrastructure expenditures.

Raising the gasoline tax. Wyoming appears to be the closest to raising the gasoline tax this year. A proposal to boost it for the first time in 14 years-from 14 cents a gallon to 24 cents-passed in the House and is being debated in the Senate.

Minnesota lawmakers are mulling a new report from Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton’s transportation advisory committee, which recommends higher gasoline taxes and vehicle registration

fees. Higher taxes at the pump are also being considered in Massachusetts and Missouri.

But debating raising the tax is far more common than actually raising it. Since 2008, only a handful of states-including Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermontand the District of Columbia have raised it, Rall says.

Schank and Davis say that raising gas taxes is politically difficult because politicians have done a poor job of explaining to voters the connection between the taxes they pay at the pump and better roads, less congestion and safer rides.

“People don’t like the gas tax when they talk about it in isolation, but they really don’t like bad roads,” Davis says. Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin already are rejecting an advisory committee’s early recommendations to raise the tax and imposing a mileage-based, vehicle-registration fee.

The federal gas tax has not been raised in two decades, but Congress has supplemented declining revenue by borrowing from the general fund for transportation-an option not available to most states, which have balanced budget requirements.

Tax by miles traveled. Oregon, Washington and Vermont are among states considering replacing or supplementing the gasoline tax with one that taxes vehicles by the miles they travel. Oregon has legislation that would impose such a tax on 2015 or later-model-year cars that get at least 55 miles per gallon. New federal fuelefficiency standards passed last year require that by 2025, cars average 54.5 miles per gallon, nearly double the current average.

In Washington, where gasoline tax revenue has been projected to drop by more than $5 billion total between 2007 and 2023, a legislative commission wants to study how such a tax would work. At least 18 states have studied the idea, Rall says. But no state has moved beyond the experimentation phase and passed milestraveled taxes on all vehicles, she says.

One problem is privacy concerns, because for the tax to work, cars would have to be equipped with GPS tracking devices that tally the miles driven.

Poole, the Libertarian, favors charging motorists for miles driven. “This is a true user fee, like tolls,” he says. He argues that privacy concerns could be eased by converting existing E-Z Pass transponders, currently used in about half the states, to mileage trackers. “That way,” he says, “people don’t need any Big Brother technology in their cars.” — MCT

Bank files to evict mansion squatter WEST PALM BEACH, Florida: Bank of America has filed for the removal of squatters from a multi-milliondollar Boca Raton, Fla., mansion saying it is the rightful owner despite a land grab attempt made under an obscure Florida law.

The case, filed in Palm Beach County court, names 23-year-old Andre De Palma Barbosa and eight unknown tenants as defendants.

Barbosa filed a so-called “adverse possession” claim on the waterfront home at 580 Golden Harbour Drive in December.

Purchased in 2005 for $3.1 million, the more than 7,000-squarefoot home was previously owned

by Michael Comparato, who signed a deed in lieu of foreclosure to Bank of America in July, according to Palm Beach County court records.

The well-heeled estate includes a boat dock, pool, five bedrooms and five bathrooms.

Bank of America says in its complaint that Barbosa is a “squatter” in wrongful possession of the home without permission or consent by the owner. It asks for a permanent injunction restraining Barbosa from trespassing on the property.

Barbosa did not return messages left at a phone number he gave to Boca Raton police.

Adverse possession was created hundreds of years ago when handscrawled property records could more easily be lost or damaged.

Allowing for adverse possession kept land in productive use when ownership was unclear, or, for example, the owner died with no heirs. If the person claiming adverse

possession stays in the home for seven years, paying taxes and caring for the property, they can take permanent ownership. Taxes on the Golden Harbour Drive home were $39,200 last year. In recent times adverse possession has been used in small property line disputes.

But today, with property records tangled in the massive real estate meltdown and foreclosure backlog in the courts, it has been used by people hoping to take over vacant and abandoned property permanently.

Palm Beach and Broward counties experienced several adverse possession issues in 2009 and 2010 when at least two men were arrested in connection with renting out homes they didn’t own to unsuspecting tenants. The men used adverse possession to take control of the properties.

A Wellington, Fla., resident, who was operating a for-profit company renting out homes he took through adverse possession, was charged by the Broward County State Attorney’s office with one count of organized scheme to defraud over $20,000. A West Palm Beach man spent a year in jail on charges related to renting out homes he claimed through adverse possession.

Following his release, he was arrested again on charges of burglary and organized scheme to defraud for continuing to rent out homes he didn’t own.

According to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser, 38 claims of adverse possession have been made in the past three years.

Barbosa, who has an email address that starts with Lokiboy954, has no criminal history in Florida.

He presented a Brazilian passport as identification when filing his adverse possession claim.

Bank of America’s complaint says law enforcement has been “unwilling to remove the defendants through a criminal trespass charge,” because of the claim.

But Boca Raton police reports about the incident show the confusion that can occur when an adverse possession claim is made on home owned by a lender overwhelmed with foreclosures.

Police were first called to the home Dec. 26 following a report of a suspicious incident. An officer interviewed Barbosa and two other men, determining at the time that they appeared to have a legal right

to be in the home after looking at the adverse possession paperwork.

After contacting the property appraiser’s office, Boca Raton officers began trying to reach Bank of America beginning Dec. 29, according to a police report.

In subsequent calls, officers noted that bank records still listed the former owner has having possession of the home and were told that the bank’s property management firm had to deal with the incident. “I spoke to several representatives from Bank of America-Property Resolution Department,” wrote one officer following a Jan. 2 call. “They were unable/unwilling to assert any type of authority on trespassing subjects from the property and I was transferred six times and spoke to a different representative each time.” — MCT

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

BUSINESS

Soros: We still don’t understand markets DAVOS: Billionaire financier George Soros told the Davos forum yesterday that financial markets were still poorly understood despite moves to limit more complex products after the crisis.

Soros told a packed audience of the world’s business and political elite in the Swiss ski resort that the established theory of how markets functioned “had collapsed.”

“The unfortunate fact is that ... we haven’t actually got a proper understanding of how financial markets operate,” said Soros, who made his fortune,

estimated by Forbes Magazine at some $19 billion (14 billion euros), gambling on the markets. “Now we have introduced synthetic instruments, invented derivatives where we don’t fully understand the effect they have,” added the 82-year-old, referring to complex financial products.

He compared the current moves to restimulate the global economy to actions required to stop a car skidding out of control.

“When a car is skidding, you first have to turn the wheel in the same direction as the skid to regain

control because if you don’t, then you have the car rolling over,” he said.

Therefore authorities responded to the debt crisis first by injecting more credit into the economynotably by supplying cheap loans to banks in Europe and with the US Federal Reserve’s policy of pumping money into its system.

Soros said that these actions had stabilised the markets, but the priority now was to steer the economy back to growth. Returning to the car metaphor, he said: “You first regain control and then you cor-

rect the direction.” “The first phase of the manoeuvre is pretty well complete, but the second phase we haven’t yet started,” he said.

The crucial operation of reversing the process of liquidity injection by mopping up excess cash in the economy was essential but “probably impossible” for central banks to decide when best to do this, he explained.

Given this, he forecast “a period of go-stop” for the global economy, which, he quipped, is “far superior to no go at all.” — AFP

China to modernize before boosting global role: Official Zhang outlines future global agenda

Participants walk inside the Congress Center during the 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. —AP

Training needed to redesign job market DAVOS: Training the youth for the challenges of a fast-changing world has to be central to any strategy to rebuild the job market following a financial crisis that’s wiped out millions of middle-class jobs over the past five years.

That was the central conclusion that emerged from the annual Associated Press debate at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss village of Davos, which focused on the need to build up skills for a changing economy. “We need a young labor force,” IMF Deputy Managing Director Min Zhu said. “Government doesn’t pay enough attention to training and retraining.”

Amid concerns that the rich world is faced with a lost generation of young people with dismal job prospects, panelists suggested other ideas in the debate that was moderated by the AP’s senior managing editor for US news, Michael Oreskes.

Proposals included the creation of “green” jobs to save the planet from climate catastrophe and lowering the costs of hiring first-time workers.

The International Labor Organization estimates that young people are three times more likely to be unemployed than adults, and that worldwide around 75 million youths aged between 15 and 24 are looking for work. This youth employment crisis, it says, threatens to scar “the very fabric of our societies.”

Eric Cantor, a Republican Congressman from Virginia, said training is needed to give workers the tools they need for the “new labor force.” “America is a huge catalyst for growth,” he said. “Workers need to be trained to get into those jobs.”

He warned, however, against piling more government money on schools without coming up with a “better way” to create new skills. An Associated Press analysis of employment data from 20 countries found that millions of mid-skill, mid-pay jobs have already disappeared over the past five years - jobs that form the backbone of the

middle class in developed countries.

That experience has left a growing number of technology experts and economists pondering whether middle-class jobs will return when the global economy recovers, or whether they have been lost forever.

Italian Finance Minister Vittorio Grilli, also at the debate, argued that technology doesn’t have to be the enemy, and “will provide a second wind to advanced economies.”Young people in the job market don’t all feel they’re getting education that fits today’s demand.

“The quality of courses is not up to standard at all,” said Lucy Nicholls, a 22-year-old fashion graduate in London. She was speaking Friday in a Google hangout video chat as part of AP’s Class of 2012, an exploration of Europe’s financial crisis through the eyes of young graduates facing the worst downturn the continent has seen since the end of World War II. Emerging markets may offer some ideas to the developed world in its new jobs conundrum.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, whose country has generated 4.6 million jobs over the past five years, credited the performance on a host of innovative policies, such as paying the wages of some young people when they first enter the workforce. “ The biggest problem is the cost of entry to the job market,” he said. “If an employer thinks it is less expensive to hire, then employment becomes easier.”

Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz suggested focusing on “green, renewable jobs” to help solve the youth unemployment crisis as well as the planet.

In Europe, where youth unemployment is a huge issue, particularly in Greece and Spain where the rate stands at over 50 percent, the job market overhaul will not be easy and certainly won’t be fast. “It’s a slow process and unfortunately it’s going to be a painful one,” Italy’s Grilli said. “It involves people changing their lives.” — AP

‘Under-represented’ women seek Davos equality DAVOS: One of the most noticeable aspects of the World Economic Forum in Davos, a gathering of the world’s top CEOs, politicians and officials, is the male dominance on the various panels.

Of the 2,500 movers and shakers who have descended on the picture-postcard Swiss ski resort, a mere 17 percent are women-a discrepancy that organisers tried to address on Friday by holding a top-level panel on gender equality. While speeches by the likes of Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor and Forbes magazine’s world’s most powerful woman, and Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, are highly anticipated, many believe Davos needs more equality.

“Only 17 percent of Davos participants are women. That is just a reflection of reality,” German Labour Minister Ursula von der Leyen told AFP in an interview.

“Only the leaders of the world are here and women are represented far too little worldwide in positions of leadership,” complained the minister, 54, a close ally of Merkel and sometimes touted as a possible successor. “Women are brilliantly educated, they have the ability but the glass ceiling is still very strong,” she added.

Artist Fernando Morales-de la Cruz has captured the inequality at Davos by creating a poster with 18 high profile women who attended last year’s shin-dig interspersed with just four men, to show what reality would be like if the gender balance was reversed.

Lagarde urged women to “speak out” against inequality and said obtaining more inclusion for women was an economic as well as a moral imperative.

“Gender inclusion is critically important, and, frankly, too often neglected by policymakers. In today’s world, it is no longer

acceptable to block women from achieving their potential,” stressed the IMF chief.

“Think about it: women control 70 percent of global consumer spending,” she noted. “The evidence is clear, as is the message: when women do better, economies do better,” added Lagarde.

The World Economic Forum ( WEF) itself has put in place a quota since 2011 to address the problem, said Saadia Zahidi, a senior WEF director in charge of equality and it is beginning to show results, especially among younger participants.

Leading companies are required to select at least one woman executive among the five top-level representatives they send to Davos and Zahidi noted that while the situation was not ideal, it had at least improved. “At the Annual Meeting 2013, approximately 17 percent of... participants are women, up from nine percent in 2002,” she told AFP. Viviane Reding, from the European Commission, which aims to have a binding 40 percent quota for women on the boards of listed companies by 2020, hailed EU figures out on Friday showing female representation in business had risen. She said that while quotas had been effective, she wished they were not necessary. But without them, it would take until 2060 to have equality in Europe’s boardrooms, she added.

German minister von der Leyen noted that quotas introduced in German politics had been successful and that they had given women “access to positions of leadership.” “I think in a few years, we won’t need them anymore,” she forecast.

And for her part, Lagarde, one of the world’s most influential women, said: “We must tear down all obstacles in the path of women, even the subconscious obstacles of the mind.” — AFP

DAVOS: China’s new leadership will focus on modernizing the country before it increases Beijing’s role in international affairs, a top official told the Davos forum yesterday.

Senior Chinese planning official Zhang Xiaoqiang told economic and business leaders gathered in the Swiss ski resort that the whole world would benefit if China completed its development programme.

“I think that the new leader of the Chinese government and the Communist Party has emphasised the strategic agenda for China in the future is to realize the modernization of China,” Zhang told the World Economic Forum.

“And of course for the largest developing country itself, modernisation must be a great contribution for the human being’s progress and development,” said Zhang, a deputy director of China’s National Development and Reform Commission.

Zhang was taking part in a panel at the annual forum that discussed China’s future global agenda, with other members including former British prime minister Gordon Brown and ex-Australian premier Kevin Rudd.

China’s once-in-a-decade leadership transition is due to take place at a key congress in March, after the Communist Par ty in November chose current Vice President Xi Jinping to take over the reins from current President Hu Jintao. Brown, British premier from 2007-10 and now a UN special envoy for education, argued that China should take a more prominent role in global affairs given that it would soon become the largest economy in the world.

“China should now want to play its rightful role in what is not a unipolar world any more but a multipolar world,” he said. He added that the world economy was growing “far slower” than it should because of a lack of coopera-

tion. But Zhang said China was already playing a global role, and urged patience. “In fact China already takes a lot of efforts in many global challenges, such as dealing with the international financial crisis, the government changes, food security,” he told the forum.

Zhang said his nation would “continue to play an important role as a responsible developing country” and wanted to “build up more global development partnership.”

“Particularly we first want to promote the common development within the developing countries, but this also will contribute a lot to the whole world’s peace, progress and prosperity,” he said.

International analysts widely expect China’s fast-growing economy to overtake the United States in terms of gross domestic product, or total size, some time in the first half of this century. But they also see the United States as likely to remain wealthier on a per capita basis given China’s huge population of 1.3 billion, while that of the US currently stands at about 315 million. Zhang said that China was trying to boost domestic demand and predicted that “maybe in 10 or 15 years later it will be one of the largest markets in the world.”

Speaking during another event at the forum, the deputy governor of China’s central bank, Yi Gang, said that some inflationary pressure would return in 2013 and that inflation would be “maybe a little over three percent”. Rudd, a Mandarin speaker who was Australia’s prime minister from 2007 to 2010, warned however of an arms race in Asia fuelled by increasingly nationalistic territorial disputes in China’s backyard.

“Economic globalisation does not, as a matter of inevitable mathematical logic, extinguish political nationalism,” said Rudd.

“In our part of the world where you’ve got

DAVOS: Yi Gang of China, Deputy Governor of the People’s Bank of China, waits during a session at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos yesterday. —AP the biggest arms race unfolding in recent global history, that’s the Asian hemisphere, there are important other factors which we need to respect.”

Meanwhile Brown-who was introduced to the Davos audience as having led a G20 summit in 2008 that “saved the world from the brink of financial meltdown” warned that lessons had not been learned from the global debt crisis. “I think we will have financial crises on a regular basis over the next 30 or 40 years,” he said. — AFP

Banking official: Watch those asset prices DAVOS: A top international finance official is warning banks to be cautious about the prices of investments that have gone up sharply because of current low interest rates.

Jaime Caruana, the general manager of the Bank for International Settlements, says the low interest rates in effect now may have made it difficult to assess the true value of those investments.

In an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Caruana told The Associated Press that banks and their regulators “should be vigilant on the prices of some of these assets.”

That’s so that bank finances are solid in case those assets fall in price when central banks in developed countries start raising interest rates as the economy recovers.

Investments such as US junk bonds - bonds issued by corporations with less than perfect credit ratings - have gone up as investors abandon lower-yielding, safer investments in search of higher interest yields. That rise, however, could go into reverse when rates rise.

And that could mean losses for investors and banks if they are not careful ahead of time.

“We should be monitoring the levels of the asset prices that have moved rapidly, particularly in risky assets,” Caruana said. “Financial institutions need to understand that the level of rates is very low.” At some point, there will be “a return to normality. and I think they should be at some point in time resilient to this type of movements,” said Caruana.

The Bank for International Settlements, based in Basel, Switzerland, is a global organization of central banks. Its members include the US Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, Bank of

DAVOS: A group of Anti World Economic Forum’s protesters demonstrate in a street of Davos yesterday. — AFP

England, and the European Central Bank, which conducts monetary policy for the 17 countries that use the euro.

Caruana’s caution follows a similar warning from the Institute of International Finance, a global association of banks, investment funds and other financial institutions. The IIF this week warned that low rates could mean a “boom-bust cycle” once the central banks withdraw their stimulus.

Central banks in the richer countries - such as the US Federal Reserve, the Bank of England and the Bank of Japan - have lowered interest rates to record lows and pushed newly created money into the financial system by purchasing financial assets. Caruana avoided mentioning any individual country’s policies but said central banks had done the right thing by making a strong effort to support the economy at a time of crisis. — AP

Japan hits back at critics at Davos DAVOS: Japan’s economy minister yesterday hit back at critics of Tokyo’s new economic policies, saying they did not call into question the independence of its central bank.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Akira Amari said the Bank of Japan had “voluntarily” decided with the government to introduce a new inflation target in a bid to boost the world’s third-largest economy. The new government in Tokyo, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has pushed the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to be more aggressive in its actions to battle nearly two decades of deflation and sluggish growth.

The BOJ on Tuesday unveiled a new inflation target of two percent and a massive programme of asset purchases to pump money into the economy, sparking accusations that central bank independence had been compromised.

No less an authority than German

Chancellor Angela Merkel told Davos on Thursday that she was “not without concern” about Japan’s actions. “As regards the new proposal, you might say that it might undermine the independence of the BOJ. In the case of Japan so far, there has not been any undertaking to share the inflationary targets with the central bank,” Amari said.

“This time for the first time, we came to an agreement of a two-percent inflation target that is around the international level,” added the minister.

The policy has also led to a steady decline in the value of the yen against other currencies-boosting exports-but other countries have expressed concern that Tokyo is pursuing a beggar-thy-neighbour approach.

Amari declined to comment on the current level of the yen, which has fallen steadily since the new policies were unveiled and stressed it was “for the markets to decide” the exchange rate. — AFP

DAVOS: Akira Amari of Japan, Minister for Economic Revitalization and Minister for Economic and Fiscal Policy smiles during a session at the WEF. — AP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

BUSINESS

Qatalum talks future of aluminium at QSTP symposium DOHA: Qatalum, the Qatari aluminium smelter, took part in the Aluminium Symposium, held on Tuesday at the Qatar Science Technology Park (QSTP).

Sharing the podium alongside Hydro (the Norwegian producer), Qatar University and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Qatalum participated in a full day seminar covering the advantages and modalities of the usage of aluminium as a structural and engineering material.

The seminar title was “Aluminium - The Sustainable Modern Metal For The Future of Qatar”, and the importance of the event and audience was clear in the presence of several inhouse experts and senior management from the company, and from the other institutions taking part, to discuss the future of the industry and the challenge and opportunities that await.

Qatalum’s CEO Mr. Tom Petter

Johansen took advantage of the senior audience to give a wide-

ranging and provocative presentation, which outlined Qatalum’s per-

spective on the trends in the global aluminium industry and fore-

FASTtelco showcases its most innovative services Tailor-made services for SMEs at InfoConnect expo KUWAIT: As part of its participation at the annual InfoConnect Exhibition from January 27th to February 2nd 2013, FASTtelco, the leading Internet Service Provider in the State of Kuwait, specializing in providing turnkey Internet and data communication solutions have announced that it will showcase a vast array of its most innovative services aimed to enhance Small Businesses’ work flow and play a key role in business efficiency, safety and information security.

InfoConnect is one of the most important exhibitions in Kuwait showcasing the latest telecommunications and information technologies. It is considered as the most successful in the region due to its large number of local and regional participants and attendees, in addition to the active participation from specialized international telecom-

munication and IT industry fields companies.

According to FASTtelco, small to

mid-sized companies will truly benefit from the newly introduced innovative services, as they will significantly enhance their companies’ workflow and make communication easier, to all of which have a positive

impact on boosting business productivity and sustainability, as well as profitability.

Among the tailored business services set to be showcased at the exhibition is the high-speed broadband Internet service with its special tailored packages to meet the unique demands and requirements of small to mid-sized businesses, as well as the innovative Cloud Computing service especially developed to provide powerful online office collaboration and secure filesharing As for companies with long-distance communication needs and requirements, FASTtelco is set to roll up the curtains on its long awaited IP Telephony service as fully managed business voice solution, adding a significant advantage in providing highly secure, reliable and scalable communications amongst

the company’s employees and customers, and significantly improving employees’ flexibility and productivity.

FASTtelco also provides customized software and hardware support, including installation and technical aid with its newly introduced FastFix service aiming to help enterprises adapt to the fast growing technological cycle, and adopt the most cutting edge services to reach business goals in an efficient manner.

Standing firm by its market and industry commitments, FASTtelco pledges to continually strive to introduce unique value-added products and services to the local and regional Internet and data communication markets, through its complete expertise and utilization of the best technological innovations, and business enhancing practices.

VIVA offers packages at InfoConnect exhibition KUWAIT: Kuwait’s fastest-growing telecom operator, VIVA, launches today its booth at the opening of the InfoConnect 2013 Exhibition at the Kuwait Fair Grounds in Mishref, Hall 6, where it will be presenting its customers and visitors of the exhibition with unique and exclusive offers guaranteed to meet their needs. The doors to the exhibition open today and will last until Saturday, February 2, 2013.

During the Exhibition, VIVA will also launch special offering for its postpaid customers, a promotion crafted specially for the InfoConnect 2013 exhibition, where all new postpaid customers (voice and data), will enter a draw to win a brand new Range Rover HSE Sport 2013.

VIVA has not forgotten its prepaid customers and has created an exciting prize draw for them that is surely to grab their attention. Prepaid customers will get one raffle ticket providing Manchester United recharge cards worth of 10KD, whereby the first winner will have the chance to attend a Manchester United home game in Old Trafford Stadium; the second and third winners will win an official Manchester United jersey signed by its players.

The prizes draw will take place on the last day of the InfoConnect where the winners of the New Range Rover and the Manchester United Ticket respectively will be announced.

It’s worth mentioning, that prepaid customers

can still participate in the ‘Win a Car Every Week’ campaign, the longest on-going campaign of its kind, where it will be presenting winners with a Dodge Challenger SE and KD10,000 every week.

In addition, InfoConnect visitors will enjoy a wide array of products and services at competitive packages, these will include: iPhone 5 (16GB, 32 GB and 64GB), Samsung Galaxy SIII, Samsung Galaxy Note II, Samsung Galaxy SIII Mini, Samsung Nexus, Nokia Lumia 920 and HTC Windows devices. In addition, the company will be presenting BlackBerry smartphone users with the most competitive market offers to date, whereby postpaid customers can be able to enjoy full BlackBerry services from VIVA starting at KD1.9 per month, while prepaid customers can enjoy the same services for KD3.9 per month.

The surprises do not stop at that, as VIVA is also presenting its customers with the first bundle of its kind in Kuwait, the opportunity to enjoy the latest iPad devices with a free mini router starting at KD18 per month.

VIVA will also be launching exciting new surprises and promotions for its existing postpaid subscribers following the InfoConnect 2013 exhibition.

VIVA continues to reward its customers with the most exciting offers and promotions, and reminds its customers of the ‘VIVA POINTS’ pro-

gram, a free point based rewarding scheme, through which postpaid voice customers can redeem points to receive free services such as SMS’s, voice minutes, data usage and several other services, in addition to bill discounts.

Customers interested in this program can visit the VIVA booth for more details. To find out more about VIVA’s numerous competitive promotions, products and packages, customers are advised to visit its booth at the InfoConnect 2013 exhibition in Hall 6. VIVA is the newest, most advanced mobile telecommunications service provider in Kuwait. Launched in December 2008, VIVA makes things Possible for our customers by transforming communication, information and entertainment experiences. The company has rapidly established an unrivalled position in the market through our customer and employee centric approach. VIVA’s quest is to be the mobile brand of choice for Kuwait by being transparent, engaging, energetic and fulfilling.

VIVA is growing its share of the market by offering an innovative range of best value products, services and content propositions, a state of the art nationwide network, and world-class service. VIVA is able to offer internet speed up to 42.2Mbps due to its investment in developing Kuwait’s most advanced third generation (3G and HSDPA) network. This delivers superior coverage, performance and reliability.

Global shares, euro rise on economic outlook NEW YORK: The euro hit an 11-month high and global equity markets advanced on Friday on signs of a healthier European financial system and a brighter outlook for Germany, while US stocks extended a rally to an eighth day, their best run since late 2004.

Solid U.S. corporate earnings and the strongest seasonal inflows to US stock mutual funds in a decade also helped lift Wall Street, with the benchmark S&P 500 index closing above the 1,500 mark for a the first time in more than five years ago.

The Dow closed at its highest level since October 2007. News from Europe was also bullish. The European Central Bank said banks will repay 137 billion euros from crisis loans next week, returning more cash earlier than expected in a sign parts of the financial system are regaining their health.

The repayments show financial strains are receding and “allowing investor risk appetite to rise,” said David Joy, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial in Boston. “So you’re starting to see more interest in stocks than in bonds, less interest in safe-haven currencies and just a general rise in risk appetite,” he said.

By taking back the three-year loans after only one year, the ECB has become

the first major central bank to start moving away from unconventional monetary policy measures to tackle the crisis. In contrast, the US Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan are buying bonds to stimulate economic growth.

The scale of the repayment, which beat the average estimate of around 100 billion euros in a Reuters poll, sent the euro higher, pushed German government bond prices down and boosted bank stocks across the euro-zone. “This is more than we had expected and underlines the material improvement in funding conditions for most European banks in the past 12 months,” said Michael Symonds, a credit analyst at Daiwa Capital Markets.

Global shares as measured by MSCI’s all-country world equity index rose 0.51 percent to 354.98. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 70.65 points, or 0.51 percent, at 13,895.98. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 8.14 points, or 0.54 percent, at 1,502.96. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 19.33 points, or 0.62 percent, at 3,149.71.

For the week, the Dow rose 1.8 percent, the S&P climbed 1.1 percent and the Nasdaq rose 0.5 percent. It was the fourth straight week of gains for all three indexes. Among companies beating ana-

lysts’ expectations, Procter & Gamble Co’s quarterly profit blew past expectations and Honeywell International Inc posted earnings just above Wall Street’s estimates. P&G rose 4.02 percent to $73.25 but Honeywell barely edged higher, up 0.13 percent at $68.33. Of companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings to date for the fourth quarter of last year, 68 percent have beaten analysts’ expectations, slightly higher than the 65 percent average over the previous four quarters. European shares scaled multimonth peaks on the bigger-than-expected loans paybacks and after the closely watched Ifo business morale index beat consensus estimates for January to match the most optimistic economists’ forecasts. Frankfurt’s DAX index led the rally, scaling five-year highs and closing 1.4 percent higher. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of pan-European shares closed 0.32 percent higher at 1,174.81. German bond futures settled down 70 ticks at 142.50. “People are choosing to pounce on any bit of good news. For the moment the trend is very much to the upside,” said Stephen Walker, head of equities research and market strategy at Ashcourt Rowan.

The euro hit $1.3479, its highest since last February, to extend gains fol-

lowing the release of data showing the German economy gathering speed again after contracting late last year. The euro last traded up 0.60 percent at $1.3455.

Data showing new US single-family home sales fell in December was not a cause for concern on Wall Street as the median sales price rose and the sector still appears to be a bright spot in the US economy’s recovery. Manufacturing in China and the United States also grew this month at the quickest pace in about two years. Oil traders sold crude to book profits after the strong economic data increased optimism about the state of the world economy and underpinned gains made during the week. Brent crude oil futures settled unchanged at $113.28, after spending most of the day higher.

US crude settled down 7 cents at $95.88. US Treasury debt yields rose, with 30-year bonds trading a point lower in price after better-than-expected euro zone data spurred selling of safe-haven US government debt. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury note was down 26/32 in price to yield 1.9434 percent.

Despite the recent hike in bond yields, strategists said a 2 percent yield on 10year US Treasuries was not an immediate prospect. —Reuters

casted usage growth in Qatar and the other GCC countries.

Johansen took the assembled experts through a tour of the history of growth in aluminium demand, the multitude of opportunities for aluminium brought about by global mega trends, primary production in the GCC (the fastest growth of primary aluminium production outside China), and the reasons underpinning growth in primary aluminium capacity in the Gulf region including the metal’s high versatility and the development of aluminium downstream industries.

He also outlined specifically Qatar’s great downstream aluminium opportunities, and presented an informative slideshow of images of aluminium in architecture, packaging and the automotive industry. “There has never been a more exciting time to be working in this industry, and there is nowhere more exciting to be

than here in Qatar”, he said. “The opportunities for growth, diversification and innovation have barely scratched the surface, and Qatalum is proud to be at the forefront of the industry’s future - here and internationally”.

The Aluminium Symposium took place at the Qatar Science and Technology Park - the national agency charged with executing applied research and delivering commercialized technologies in four themed areas: Energy, Environment, Health Sciences, and ICT. QSTP members include small companies, international corporations and research institutes that have together committed to fund ventures, create intellectual property, enhance technology management skills, and develop innovative products in line with the scientific and research components of Qatar National Vision 2030.

Over 50,000 transactions via NBK’s mobile banking application each month 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 customers 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 prod-

ucts 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.

CBK’s exclusive offer with British Airways continues KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait announced that its Visa and MasterCard cardholders may continue to benefit from its exclusive offer with British Airways which achieved outstanding success, where Al-Tijari cardholders can receive from 10% to 15% off on all airline tickets issued in Kuwait.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait has earlier launched this special offer on 1/10/2012 that and announced that it will continue until 28/2/2013 giving CBK cardholders: (classic, gold and platinum cards) 10% discount on airline tickets at all classes: (first class, business and economy class). Over and above, Visa Infinite cardholders will receive 15% off airline tickets at all classes when booking and ticketing to any destination from Kuwait using their credit cards at the British Airways General Agent Ticket Shop - Al Awadhi Complex or via internet

using the link available at the Bank’s website with a view to facilitate the booking process for the cardholders customers.

The Bank endeavors, through this offer and others, to reward its cardholders by offering them a chance for shopping and making their purchases from selected merchants and outlets as the prestigious British Airways heading diverse routes in Europe and America, and this accordingly benefits a large segment of the Bank’s customers.

As the Bank seeks to provide convenient services that will make their its customer feel peace of mind outbound flights, it entered into contract with one of the renowned insurance companies to issue free travel insurance policies to all credit cardholders to make their travel abroad secured and wonderful experience, where customers can get their insurance policy by visiting their nearest CBK branch.

Gulf Bank announces winners of Al-Danah daily draws KUWAIT: Gulf Bank held its Al-Danah daily draws on January 20th, 2013, announcing a total number of ten Al-Danah daily draw winners, each awarded with prizes of KD 1,000.

The Al-Danah daily winners are: Sunday — Wael Samih Al-Qadah, Aljazi Raja Hussain Al-Ajmi Monday — Kuchibhotal Anil Kumar, Asia Hassan Mohammed Ali Tuesday — Mohammad Ishaq Nawab AlBloushi, Latifa Daham Mezeal Al-Shammeri Wednesday — Amal Shawky Awadallah Aryan, Nasser Bader Mohammed Al-Awadhi Thursday — Saeed Mohammed Abdulkarim, Balqees Saleh Ahmed Al-Athari Gulf Bank’s new Al Danah 2013 draw lineup includes daily draws (2 winners per working day each receive KD1000), as well as two additional prizes per quarter. Al Danah’s 1st Quarterly draw will be held on 28 March (KD200,000, KD125,000, and KD25,000), 2nd

Quarter - 27 June (KD250,000, KD125,000, and KD25,000), 3rd Quarter - 26 September (KD500,000, KD125,000, and KD25,000) and the final draw held on 9 January, 2014 announcing winners of KD50,000, KD250,000 and the Al Danah Millionaire.

Gulf Bank’s Al Danah allows customers to win cash prizes and simultaneously encourages them to save money. Chances increase the more money is deposited and the longer it is kept in the account.

Al Danah also offers a number of unique services including the Al Danah Deposit Only ATM card which helps account holders deposit their money at their convenience; as well as the Al Danah calculator to help customers calculate their chances of becoming an Al Danah winner. To be part of the Al Danah draws, customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches, transfer on line, or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance.

DAVOS: Participants lining up for a panel session at 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, that takes place in Davos yesterday. —AP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

technology

Kenya’s geeks click away to ensure peaceful polls NAIROBI: Five years ago, a handful of bloggers invented a way to track-and hopefully prevent-bloody post-election violence that hit Kenya and claimed more than 1,100 lives.

The group of friends that set up Ushahidi-which means “to witness” in Kenya’s Swahili language-have seen their concept become a worldwide success, used in conflict and disaster zones, and again in Kenya ahead of March 4 polls.

Their non-profit software company, funded by several foundations, now employs 23 people and bears witness to a technology boom in what has traditionally been a rural East African country.

As tensions mount again with just over a month until Kenya’s presidential and parliamentary polls, the Ushahidi team are back in front of their screens.

Their invention is now one of the most popular crowdsourcing platforms in the world, taking input from large numbers of people, and so far its

map-tracking concept has been used in more than 150 countries.

Most recently it has been used in Indonesia to track floods in Jakarta, to map the scale of rape in the Syrian conflict and to fight violence against women in Cambodia.

“Something which started as a collaborative project is now an actual institution, which is very gratifying,” said Juliana Rotich, 35, Ushahidi’s executive director, raising her voice above the sound of table football in the bar behind her.

“There are more than 38,000 maps in different countries... some of them are around crisis mapping, some of them are around election monitoring, and an emerging trend which we are really pleased to see, is corruption mapping.”

Ushahidi is based in one of Nairobi’s most fashionable buildings: the iHub, home to Internet technology projects and from where the Ngong Hills, immortalised by author Karen Blixen in

“Out of Africa”, can be seen on fine days.

In late 2007 — when Kenya spiralled into bloody ethnic violence following the news that President Mwai Kibaki had won contested polls-the idea of collating Internet reports to track a political crisis was not new to Africa. Tunisian blogger Sami Ben Gharbia had notably shown its possibilities.

But the Kenyan bloggers added the possibility of feeding data into their interactive map by text message, the cheapest and most widespread means of communication on the continent.

Initially, their initiative had just 300 contributions, compared with 300,000 when the same software was used in Nigeria’s presidential polls in April 2011. “In five years, the most important development has been the penetration of mobile phones and Internet in Africa,” said Daudi Were, another Ushahidi co-founder.

“The rise of social network sites in particular has been spectacular in

Kenya,” he added.

More than three -quarters of Kenyans-at least 30 million peoplehave a mobile phone, with almost one in every three Kenyans having Internet access.

Ushahidi is preparing to launch a fresh crowd sourcing project titled Uchaguzi (simulation.uchaguzi.co.ke) — “election” in Swahili-ahead of the March 4 polls, which will also take input from smartphones and social media. On election night, the iHub will become the operations room to mobilise even more web users than the 200 who came for Kenya’s 2010 referendum on a new constitution.

The team will check data with local observers and associations on the ground, before feeding it into the platform.

At the time of the referendum, this alert system, linked to another network managed by the national electoral commission, made it possible to inform the police of several isolated

incidents of violence.

On March 4, if necessary, Kenyan web users will also be able to mobilize a further 900 colleagues worldwide who regularly help out online with cartography in crisis situations.

The young men and women at Ushahidi say they are “quietly optimistic” that polls will be peaceful this time, admitting they were traumatised by the tribal violence five years ago-a world removed from their permanently connected cosmopolitan urban microcosm.

Juliana Rotich had come back to Kenya on holiday from Chicago where she was working as a data analyst. “It was tragic. It shattered our conception of Kenya as a non-tribal society,” she recalls. “ Technology can make more informed citizens. The question whether more informed citizens will vote in a more intelligent way is left to anthropologists,” jokes Daudi Were. —AFP

NASA joins probe to solve ‘dark energy’ puzzle New space telescope NEW YORK: NASA has nominated three US science teams totalling 40 new members for the Euclid Consortium. NASA has teamed up with the European Space Agency to probe one of the most fundamental questions in modern cosmology - the existence of dark matter. ESA’s Euclid mission, a space telescope designed to investigate the cosmological mysteries of dark matter and dark energy will launch in 2020, NASA said.

Euclid will spend six years mapping the locations and measuring the shapes of as many as 2 billion galaxies spread over more than one-third of the sky. It will study the evolution of our universe, and the dark matter and dark energy that influence its evolution in ways that still are poorly understood.

The telescope will launch to an orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2 - the location where the gravitational pull of two large masses, the Sun and Earth in this case, precisely equals the force required for a small object, such as the Euclid spacecraft, to maintain a relatively stationary position behind Earth as seen from the Sun.

“NASA is very proud to contribute to ESA’s mission to understand one of the greatest science mysteries of our time,” said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, in a statement.

NASA and ESA recently signed an agreement outlining NASA’s role in the project. The US space agency will contribute 16 state-of-the-art infrared detectors and four spare detectors for one of two science instruments planned for Euclid.

“ESA’s Euclid mission is designed to probe one of the most fundamental questions in modern cosmology, and we welcome NASA’s contribution to this important endeavour, the most recent in a long history of cooperation in space science between our two agencies,” said Alvaro Gimenez, ESA’s Director of Science and Robotic Exploration.

In addition, NASA has nominated three US science teams totalling 40 new members for the Euclid Consortium. This is in addition to 14 US scientists already supporting the mission.

Euclid will map the dark matter in the universe. Matter as we know it - the atoms that make up the human body, for example - is a fraction of the total matter in the universe.

The rest, about 85 per cent, is dark matter consisting of particles of an unknown type. Dark matter first was postulated in 1932, but still has not been detected directly.

It is called dark matter because it does not interact with light. Dark matter interacts with ordinary matter through gravity and binds galaxies together like an invisible glue.

While dark matter pulls matter together, dark energy pushes the universe apart at ever-increasing speeds. In terms of the total mass-energy content of the universe, dark energy dominates.

Even less is known about dark energy than dark matter.

Euclid’s observations will yield the best measurements yet of how the acceleration of the universe has changed over time, providing new clues about the evolution and fate of the cosmos, researchers said. —AP

Apple loses world’s most valuable company crown NEW YORK: Apple shares extended their losses Friday, ending a miserable week for the California tech giant as it surrendered its position as the world’s biggest company based on market value.

Apple ended down 2.36 percent at $439.88, giving it a market capitalization of $413 billion, while oil giant ExxonMobil rose 0.36 percent to $91.68 with a market cap of $418 billion to edge into first place.

Apple first overtook ExxonMobil in August 2011 as the most valuable company in the world based on the value of its stock.

A year later, Apple dethroned longtime rival Microsoft as the most valuable company in history based on the value of its stock at $622 billion.

But the company took a bruising this week after a gloomy forecast accompanying its record quarterly profit announcement prompted pessimism over the tech giant’s slowing growth trajectory.

Apple’s profit was $13.1 billion on revenue of $54.5 billion in the fiscal quarter that ended on December 29, with sales of iPhones and iPads setting quarterly highs.

But despite those figures, investors soured on Apple after it forecast that revenue for the current quarter would range from $41-43 billion and that it would have a gross margin of 37.5 to 39.5 percent, lower than expectations.

Analysts remained cautious about Apple, which had seen a meteoric rise last September to over $700 a share but slid 37 percent since then. The company shed some $60 billion on Thursday and around $10 billion more Friday.

Some express concern that Apple

has lost its edge in innovation since the death of co-founder Steve Jobs, and is losing ground to rivals such as Samsung, which leads the mobile phone market, and to others using Google’s Android operating system.

Jinho Cho at Mirae Asset Securities said Apple will likely increase carrier subsidies in 2013 and launch an “entry-level” iPhone to

Getting into smartphone price wars would break from Apple’s long tradition of premium products aimed at the high end of the market and bite into profit made from each device sold.

“While we are incrementally more positive on the stock, we also mention that competition is increasing for the company,” Colin Gillis at BGC

NEW YORK: People walk past the Apple logo at the Apple Store at Grand Central Terminal in New York yesterday. Apple shares slid about 12 percent on January 24 after the tech giant posted record profits and sales of its iPhones and iPads but offered a disappointing forecast for the coming months. —AFP compete better in emerging markets.

“These moves by Apple should lead to stiffer competition for greater carrier subsidies among smartphone makers, thus driving down handset industry-wide operating margins,” the analyst said.

Financial said in a research note.

“We see competitors are using price as a lever to get traction in the market. Apple may also run into difficulty posting both the volumes and maintaining its prices over the next several quarters.”

Investors are also known for let-

ting emotion influence stock trading decisions. Late co-founder Jobs was a maestro at dazzling the world by over-delivering on innovations and blinding people to slips.

Since the death of Jobs last year, Apple has fallen short of high expectations for Siri artificial intelligence software for iPhones and smartphone mapping software so flawed that the company apologized.

Apple meanwhile released an update to an ongoing audit of working conditions at facilities in China.

“We’re fixing problems and tackling issues that our entire industry faces, such as excessive work hours and underage labor,” the report said.

“We’re going deeper into the supply chain than any other company we know of, and we’re reporting at a level of detail that is unparalleled in our industry.”

Apple tracks work hours for more than a million workers across its supply chain and publishes results monthly at its website. The company reported a 92 percent compliance rate with keeping work weeks to 60 hours or less last year, with the average number of hours worked in a week being less than 50.

Eight facilities were found to have bonded labor. Suppliers had to pay back $6.4 million in foreign contract worker fees and implement procedures to make sure the practice was stopped, Apple indicated. Eleven facilities were found to have underage workers. One supplier used dozens of underage workers backed with forged documents, prompting Apple to cut its business relationship and make the company send the children back to school and finance their educations, according to the report. —-AFP

US braces for ‘six strikes’ anti-piracy program WASHINGTON: A new voluntary system aimed at rooting out online copyright piracy using a controversial “six strikes” system is set to be implemented by US Internet providers soon, with the impact unclear. The program was created with the music and film industry and the largest Internet firms, with some prodding by US government.

The system had been set to take effect late last year but was delayed until early 2013 by the Center for Copyright Information, the entity created to manage the program.

Even though the program became known as “six strikes,” backers say the name is misleading and that it is not aimed at cutting off Internet access for people downloading pirated films or music. The center’s director Jill Lesser said the program is not “punitive.”

“We believe a voluntary, flexible program will be

the best way to address this, and we think consumers will respond to it,” she said.

Participating in the program are the five largest broadband Internet providers-Comcast, Time Warner Cable, AT&T, Cablevision and Verizon-covering some 85 percent of US residential customers. Lesser said the program should be launched “very soon” after some technical issues are worked out, but offered no date.

A Verizon document leaked on the TorrentFreak blog suggests that the big Internet provider would deliver warnings for the first two suspected offenses and for the third and fourth incident, redirect customers to a page where they would have to “acknowledge” the warning.

For the fifth and six offenses, Verizon would “throttle” the Internet download speeds of customers to just

above dial-up speeds. Customers could appeal the actions by paying $35 for a review by an arbitrator.

Verizon spokesman Ed McFadden said the report was based on a “working draft document,” and that the company is still developing its response. Other leaked documents showed AT&T would block users’ access to some of the most frequently-visited websites and that Time Warner Cable would temporarily interrupt the ability to browse the Internet, according to TorrentFreak.

Lesser said the program is not aimed at operators of public Wi-Fi networks such as cafes, though critics disagree. “It’s becoming clear that operating a public Internet hotspot is going to be nearly impossible” because of potential copyright violations on sites like YouTube and Facebook, said Cory Doctorow, editor at tech blog Boing Boing. —AFP

A woman holds a cell phone over a QR code made of black and white stones on the sidewalks near the beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. The QR codes are being placed at tourist spots which can be scanned with a mobile device for information about the site. —AP

Brazil barcodes give tourist info RIO DE JANEIRO: Rio de Janeiro is mixing technology with tradition to provide tourists information about the city by embedding bar codes into the black and white mosaic sidewalks that are a symbol of the city. The first two-dimensional bar codes, or QR codes, as they’re known, were installed Friday at Arpoador, a massive boulder that rises at the end of Ipanema beach. The image was built into the sidewalk with the same black and white stones that decorate sidewalks around town with mosaics of waves, fish and abstract images.

The launch attracted onlookers, who downloaded an application to their smartphones or tablets and photographed the icon. The app read the code and they were then taken to a web site that gave them information in Portuguese, Spanish or English, and a map of the area. They learned, for example, that Arpoador gets big waves, making it a hot spot for surfing and giving the 500-m beach nearby the name of “Praia do Diabo”, or Devil’s Beach. They could also find out that the rock is called Arpoador because fishermen once harpooned whales

off the shore. The city plans to install 30 of these QR codes at beaches, vistas, and historic sites, so Rio’s approximately 2 million foreign visitors can learn about the city as they walk around. “If you add the number of Brazilian tourists, this tool has a great potential to be useful,” said Marcos Correa Bento, head of the city’s conservation and public works. Raul Oliveira Neto, a 24-year-old visitor from the Southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, was one of the first to use the icon and thought the service fit well with the way people live now. “We use so much technology to pass information, this makes sense,” he said, noting he’d seen QR codes on tourist sites in Portugal, where they were first used for this purpose. “It’s the way we do things nowadays.”

Locals - used to giving visitors directions also approved the novelty. “Look, there’s a little map; it even shows you where we are,” said Diego Fortunato, 25, as he pulled up information. “Rio doesn’t always have information for those who don’t know the city,” he said. “It’s something the city needs, that it’s been lacking.” —AP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

US health care spending to climb at a faster pace NEW YORK: Health care stocks have started off the year on a tear. The industry group that includes health care providers, drugmakers and biotechnology companies has advanced 7.3 percent this year, making it the second-best in the Standard and Poor’s 500 index, trailing only energy companies. Even drugmakers, traditionally considered a safehaven play, are outperforming the market. The rally has solid foundations, but not all companies will benefit equally from the influx of cash. Also, the wide range of stocks in the sector offer investors vastly differing risk and return dynamics.

US health care spending is projected to climb at a faster pace than economic growth in coming years as the population ages and President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act gives millions of Americans greater access to care.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services projects that total health care spending will rise 70 percent over last year’s estimated level of $2.8 trillion to $4.8 trillion by 2021. That’s almost 20 percent of US gross domestic product. “There’s just a lot more money flowing into health care and we’re seeing the markets react accordingly,” says

Derek Taner, a portfolio manager at Invesco. President Obama’s re-election in November gave the sector a boost by removing the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Republican candidate Mitt Romney had said that he would overturn the act if elected.

The biggest beneficiaries of the act will likely be hospital companies, which have the potential to increase their earnings significantly, says Taner, who manages Invesco’s Global Health Care fund.

So-called managed-care companies should also benefit from the increase in spending, though they also face higher taxes and restrictions on how they can price their coverage, so the law will be challenging to them too.

HCA Holdings Inc., a bellwether for the hospital industry, has gained 25 percent so far this year. Tenet Healthcare Corp., a Dallas-based operator of acute care hospitals, has advanced 20 percent.

Drugmakers, often regarded as defensive growth companies by analysts, are also emerging from the doldrums after lagging the broader index for much of the last decade. Pfizer Inc., the world’s biggest drugmaker by revenue, has returned 31 percent over the last 10

years, compared with 113 percent for the S&P 500. The big pharmaceutical companies were shunned by investors as they faced challenges from rising research costs and the economic slump in Europe, which prompted governments to try to rein in health care spending. Drug companies were also hurt by what the industry dubbed the “patent cliff,” as an unprecedented number of patents expired on drugs worth billions of dollars in sales. The expiration of patents allows cheaper generic versions of drugs to replace blockbuster products. That hurts sales.

Pfizer lost exclusivity for its cholesterol-fighting drug Lipitor in the US in November 2011. In its most recent earnings report, Pfizer said that U.S. revenues from the drug plunged 87 percent in the third quarter of 2012 to $192 million. The company will release its fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday.

The worst of the impact of patent expiration may now be over for the drugmakers, and the market has already factored it into stock prices, says Mark Bussard, a health care analyst at fund manager T. Rowe Price.

“The ‘patent cliff’ for most of the companies has now come and gone,” says

Bussard, who is a physician by training.

“Some of the largest losses to generic competition are in the rear-view mirror now.” Approvals for first-of-a-kind drugs have also been climbing as drugmakers continue to pursue an emerging business model focused on treatments for rare and hard-to-treat diseases.

The Food and Drug Administration approved 39 new drugs last year, up from 30 the year before and the highest annual tally since 1997, when the agency also approved 39 drugs.

In addition to being relatively low-risk investments, due to the steady demand for drugs, Big Pharma also pays big dividends. The largest drug companies in the S&P 500 have higher dividend yields than the broader index, which yields 2.1 percent. Pfizer currently has a 3.6 percent yield and Merck & Co. yields 4 percent. Biotechnology companies are possibly the most exciting companies in the sector and are also advancing.

Investing in this sector can be challenging, though, as the vast majority of drugs being developed don’t work out.

“It’s probably unwise ... to try to pick the individual winner,” says Sam Isaly, the manager of Eaton Vance’s Worldwide Health Sciences Fund. “It depends on

whether you’re a lotto player or not.”

While the Affordable Care Act ensures that money will flow into the industry in the near term, that spending can’t keep rising exponentially. At some point, the focus will turn to the cost of the reforms, particularly if the initial spending estimates are exceeded, causing renewed uncertainty for the industry.

“That’s a longer-term concern that is going to come into play at some point,” says Invesco’s Taner. “Right now we’re in the honeymoon period. People aren’t thinking about that.”

And if history is a guide, the cost estimates will likely prove too low. Upon passing the Medicare bill in 1965, the House Ways and Means Committee estimated total program expenditures would amount to $1.3 billion in 1967.

That estimate proved to be “wildly optimistic,” with the actual cost coming in at $4.6 billion, according to research by Citigroup health care analysts. To counter the rising costs, governments and employers will increasingly try to shift more of the cost to individual consumers, transforming the industry from an “employer-driven insurance market” to an “employee-driven consumer market,” says Eddie Yoon of Fidelity. — AP

Brisk stroll can help stave off Alzheimer’s symptoms Balancing body’s level of CRF

Get rid of that dark patch DUBAI: Hyperpigmentation is the formation of dark patches on the skin. It is a common and often distressing condition that can occur irrespective of skin type and complexion.

There are multiple causes for this problem. Dark spots on the face, post-acne marks, skin damage from sunlight and pigmentation are commonly referred to as Chhaiyas.

Hyperpigmentation is caused by an increase in the production and deposition of melanin, the colour pigment produced by special cells in the skin (melanocytes).

Treatment depends on the duration of the problem. New patches are often easier and faster to get rid of than ones that have been on the skin for years.

Sun Damage: Dark skin patches often occur due to exposure to the sun. These are sometimes called age spots, lentigenes or liver spots and are often seen on the face, hands and shoulders. Most people do not realise that even on cloudy days, with only momentary bouts of sunshine, the UV index can high and sunburn can occur easily. Scars: Post-acne scars often occur in the form of pigmented patches. Acne is a chronic disorder characterised by inflammatory papules, pustules, pimples, open and closed comedones, cysts and nodules affecting both adolescents and adults.

Inflammatory acne lesions can disrupt the epidermal basal layer causing the melanocytes to increase melanin production. Freckles: Ephelides or freckles are dark spots that are inherited and a stubborn condition that is difficult to treat.

Melasma or Chloasma: Usually called ‘the mask of pregnancy’, this is defined by brown patches on the skin as a result of hormonal changes during pregnancy.

Usually these dark spots disappear on their own after delivery. Sometimes birth control pills can also cause pigmentation.

Other than sun exposure, other causative factors include autoimmune and thyroid disorders and photosensitising drugs. First, the doctor has to check whether pigmentation is epidermal or dermal. Only epidermal pigmentation responds to treatment. First-line therapy includes prescription creams to lighten the skin. These contain a combination of hydroquinone, tretinoin, and a class V to VII topical corticosteroid but this usually takes a long time. Chemical peeling with glycolic acid or trichloroacetic acid is an option for patients with severe melasma unresponsive to topical bleaching agents. There are some simple and effective home remedies that one can try. Lemon Juice: Lemon acts as a natural bleaching agent. Mix equal quantities of lemon juice and water and apply it on the spots. Leave on for 10 minutes and then rinse.

Aloe Vera: Aloe vera is a powerful astringent and can be directly applied to acne spots. Potato: Potato is a common skin lightening and bleaching agent. Apply thin slices of potato to the skin and leave on for 20-30 minutes so that the juice is absorbed by the skin. Turmeric and Milk: Apply the mixture of turmeric and milk on the affected area and leave it for 10 minutes before washing. Both milk and turmeric have bleaching properties and regular use makes the skin flawless.

Apart from these remedies, have a regular skin care routine. Keep the skin hydrated, moisturised and well nourished. Apply sunscreen before going out in sun, whether you are 16 or 60, to prevent the sun’s rays from damaging and aging your skin.

Probe after dummy taped to baby’s face at British hospital LONDON: A criminal investigation is under way after a baby was found with a dummy, or pacifier, taped to his face while being treated in hospital, British police said Friday.

The four-month-old boy, who had been born 11 weeks premature, had been taken to Stafford Hospital, in central England, with breathing problems, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.

Staffordshire Police said its officers were at the ‘very early stages’ of investigating a complaint about the treatment of a four-month-old boy earlier this month.

The trust which runs the hospital, that is already at the centre of an inquiry into serious failings, said it had apologised to the family and suspended one member of staff pending the outcome of the police investigation.

In a statement released Friday, the trustís director of nursing and midwifery

Colin Ovington said: ‘One of our recent incidents involved a dummy that was found taped on to a baby’s face.

‘Fortunately, the baby was unharmed.’ ‘ We cannot emphasise strongly enough that this incident is exceptional and apologise again to the family,’ he added.

The baby ’s grandmother, Diane Denning, 69, told the Daily Mail: ‘I am furious. How can a human being do this to an innocent, defenceless baby? To my mind, this is nothing less than torture.’

A public inquiry is ongoing into standards of care at Stafford Hospital between 2005 and 2009, with the findings due to be published next month.

A damning report by a healthcare regulator in 2009 revealed a catalogue of serious failings at the trust while a separate inquiry the following year said the hospital ‘routinely neglected patients’. —AFP

NOTTINGHAM: Taking a brisk stroll daily can help lower your chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease, say scientists. A team at the University of Nottingham has found that a stress hormone produced during a brisk stroll can protect the brain from memory loss, the Mirror reported.

The finding, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, may also explain why people vulnerable to stress are at more risk of dementia.

Experts have been mystified why higher physical and mental activity can lower your chances of getting Alzheimer ’s. But the Nottingham University team has suggested that the key might be found in balancing the body’s level of the hormone CRF. People with Alzheimer’s have a reduced level. But normal levels of CRF help the brain, keeping the mental faculties sharp. The new research look into the effects of CRF in mice and found when its production was blocked, the mice displayed stress and abnormal behaviour. Dr. Marie-Christine Pardon and her team found releasing CRF can maintain a connection between nerve cells, which is thought to break down in the Alzheimer’s patients and cause early memory loss. Other symptoms include mood changes and problems with communicating and reasoning. This is the first time researchers have been able to identify a brain process directly responsible for the beneficial effects of exercise in slowing down the progression of the early memory decline of Alzheimer’s, Dr. Pardon said. Further the research suggests that a healthy lifestyle involving exercise slows down Alzheimer’s risk, she added.

Health answers sought about burned-off war garbage WASHINGTON : J.D. Williams didn’t think much about the smoke cloud that often shrouded his air base in Iraq. Not when it covered everything he owned with black soot or when his wheezing and coughing made it difficult to sleep at night.

“We just went about our business because there was a war going on,” said Williams, a retired chief warrant officer who was responsible for maintaining some 250 aircraft for the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division.

He returned home from that second stint in Iraq in 2006 and subsequently was diagnosed with an irreversible lung disease that his doctor suspects could be related to smoke from one of the hundreds of burn pits that dotted Iraq and Afghanistan during the course of the two wars.

The pits were used to burn off the garbage that accumulates at military bases, everything from Styrofoam and metal to paints, solvents, human waste and medical waste. A new Department of Veterans Affairs registry, mandated by Congress, will be used to try to determine if there is a link between the burn pits and long-term health problems. Military personnel who were stationed near an open burn pit can sign up. Researchers will use the database to monitor health trends in participants, and the VA will alert them to major problems detected. Over the long term, the findings could make it easier for veterans who served near burn pits to obtain disability payments.

Williams, 56, of Huntsville, Ala., was initially told that he would have to prove that his illness, diagnosed as constrictive bronchiolitis, was servicerelated. He walked out of the room. Eventually, after he traveled to Washington and met with members of Congress, the VA increased his disability rating 10 percent. He said he’s hoping the registry will pave the way for other soldiers to avoid a similarly exasperating process. If researchers find certain illnesses are linked to exposure to burn pits, then the VA would be more likely to declare those illnesses a presumptive condition, eliminating the need for a veteran to prove that his or her illness is service-related.

Sixty-three burn pits were still being used in Afghanistan as of Dec. 26; those in Iraq were closed by December 2010. Camps with fewer than 100 people are not required to report the use of a burn pit, so there could be more, but generally much smaller ones. Proponents say the burn pits were so widespread that the large majority of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan

could participate in the registry. In 2009, the military updated its policies on burn pits to prohibit the burning of hazardous materials such as certain medical waste, batteries and tires, and whenever possible, to situate them where the smoke would not blow over work and living quarters.

“When our service members voice concerns about burn pit exposures as well as other health issues, we take our responsibility seriously to investigate these exposures and possible health risks, and to implement any protective measure that are indicated and feasible,” said Defense Department spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith. The creation of the burn pit registry has been several years in the making.

Air Force Lt. Col Darrin Curtis said in a memo disclosed by the Army Times in 2008 that he believed a particularly large burn pit at Joint Base Balad, one of the largest air bases in Iraq, was an acute health hazard, and he was amazed that it was allowed to operate without restrictions.

Congressional hearings followed that featured sick veterans, contractors and family members who had lost a loved one from illnesses they attributed to burn pits. The Pentagon said that none of the monitoring conducted at Balad identified an increased risk for long-term health problems. It has maintained that position over the

years but also acknowledges that some personnel have persistent symptoms, possibly as a result of elevated exposures to the smoke, existing health conditions or other unknown factors.

An Institute of Medicine study requested by the VA and made public in 2011 concluded there was insufficient data to determine whether burn pit emissions had long-term health consequences.

The study found the pollutants measured at Balad were generally present at a concentration so low that it would not be expected to cause any harm, even if a person was exposed to that concentration for a lifetime. The two exceptions were particulate matter and acrolein. Particulate matter is a mixture of small particles and liquid droplets that can lead to acute respiratory problems. But the high concentrations at Joint Base Balad came primarily from local sources such as traffic and dust storms, rather than the burn pit, according to the institute, which advises the government on health issues. Acrolein is a liquid primarily used as a herbicide and in making other chemicals.

Exposure can lead to eye, nose and throat irritation. Although the concentration exceeded precautionary levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency, it was still far below the concentration that led to nasal and lung damage in laboratory animals, the study said. — AP

Gatorade pulls ‘fire retardant’ additive WASHINGTON: PepsiCo subsidiary Gatorade said yesterday it was removing an ingredient from its popular citrus-flavored sports drink that has a second life as a fire retardant.

Brominated vegetable oil-patented as a chemical to help prevent flames from spreadingappears in a number of brands of soft drinks in the United States as an emulsifier. An online petition on Change.org launched by Mississippi high school student and volleyball player Sarah Kavanagh urging Gatorade to stop using BVO drew more than 200,000 signatures.

“While our products are safe, we are making this change because we know that some consumers have a negative perception of BVO in Gatorade,” said company spokeswoman Molly

Carter in a statement to the Chicago Tribune newspaper.

Concern about BVO, which is banned from food in Europe and Japan, grew after a December 2011 article in Scientific American in which scientists called for a reassessment of its safety. Some soda binge-drinkers such as video game players “have needed medical attention for skin lesions, memory loss and nerve disorders, all symptoms of overexposure to bromine,” the respected magazine said.

“When I went to Change.org to start my petition, I thought it might get a lot of support because no one wants to gulp down flame retardant,” Kavanagh, 15, said in a Change.org statement. “This is so, so awesome.” —AFP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

GE focuses on effective healthcare solutions Focus on oncology, cardiology, women’s health DUBAI: GE Healthcare will leverage its participation at Arab Health 2013, the Middle East region’s premier healthcare exhibition and conference, to put the spotlight on the need for more effective and responsive healthcare solutions for a healthier world, through greater public and private sector collaboration.

At the event, held from Jan 28 to 31, 2013, GE Healthcare will showcase its comprehensive range of healthcare solutions aimed at promoting clinical confidence, patient comfort, productivity, connectivity and patient care. These technologies are designed to complement the region’s efforts to address the rising incidence of lifestyle diseases, covering oncology, cardiology and women’s health.

The Platinum Sponsor of Arab Health, GE Healthcare will also present its diverse portfolio of solutions and service offerings to support the region’s efforts to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and address customer needs.

Maher Abouzeid, GE Healthcare’s President & Chief Executive Officer for the Middle East and Pakistan, said: “Today, more than ever, it is extremely important to give a human touch to delivering healthcare. With the rise of ‘patient power’ in the region, our citizens are aspiring for better quality, more accessible healthcare, and we are focused on working with our partners to develop solutions that meet their requirements.

“This year marks our largest presence at Arab Health with technologies that have been designed to address the challenges faced by the region. The exhibition will serve as a strong platform for us to stimulate discussion among healthcare experts, engage and interact with our customers, and highlight our global ‘healthymagination’ initiative aimed at increasing access to quality healthcare solutions at lower

cost. “We believe that transformational change can be attained in healthcare delivery only by working with our partners. This has always been GE Healthcare’s approach to the Middle East region, where we have a significant partnership base.

We are now taking this relationshipdriven model to the next level, by engaging them even further in developing meaningful grassroots solutions and initiatives.” GE Healthcare’s technology showcase at Arab Health builds on the Middle East region’s current focus on promoting an earlier model of healthcare through timely and accurate diagnosis, which helps potentially reduce the rising healthcare bills that the region incurs to address the growing incidence of lifestyle diseases. In particular, the diverse portfolio of GE’s radiology solutions enables quicker and more accurate diagnosis, with a focus on providing new levels of patient comfort, clinical confidence and connectivity.

GE Healthcare’s stand will present its wide range of healthcare solutions, across all specialties, specially highlighting the features and user experience of GE Healthcare’s Positron Emission Tomography (PET CT ) technology.

Among the new solutions to be introduced are: the Silent Scan MR* which reduces MR system noise to unprecedented, near ambient levels for improved patient comfort; Centricity PACS and PACS-IW with Universal Viewer that put a wealth of data and clinical insight within radiologists’ reach to improve efficiency and the new SnapShot* Freeze technology which can help significantly reduce coronary motion and overcome the inherent limitation of all hardware-only solutions.

Visit GE Healthcare’s stand at Arab Health at Saeed Hall, Booth #S3B10 at the Dubai International Convention

Center. With over 3,500 exhibitors, Arab Health is the world’s longest running healthcare exhibition and congress and is now in its 38th year.

About 85,000 visitors are expected to attend the event, from over 140 countries. GE Healthcare has a significant presence in the Middle East region, led through several public and private partnerships.

The company follows a threepronged approach in addressing the pressing healthcare challenges of the region. This is led by strategic partnerships, innovation and the transformation of healthcare delivery via a sustainable model of care. These three overarching approaches align with GE’s ‘healthymagination’ initiative.

GE works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges.

Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance.

Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing.

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and servic-

es that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.

Our “healthymagination” vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality around the world.

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE).

Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees are committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries.

Penalty could keep smokers out of health overhaul WASHINGTON: Millions of smokers could be priced out of health insurance because of tobacco penalties in President Barack Obama’s health care law, according to experts who are just now teasing out the potential impact of a little-noted provision in the massive legislation. The Affordable Care Act - “Obamacare” to its detractors - allows health insurers to charge smokers buying individual policies up to 50 percent higher premiums starting next Jan. 1.

For a 55-year-old smoker, the penalty could reach nearly $4,250 a year. A 60year-old could wind up paying nearly $5,100 on top of premiums.

Younger smokers could be charged lower penalties under rules proposed last fall by the Obama administration. But older smokers could face a heavy hit on their household budgets at a time in life when smoking-related illnesses tend to emerge.

Workers covered on the job would be able to avoid tobacco penalties by joining smoking cessation programs, because employer plans operate under different rules. But experts say that option is not guaranteed to smokers trying to purchase coverage individually. Nearly one of every five U.S. adults smokes. That share is higher among lower-income people, who also are more likely to work in jobs that don’t come with health insurance and would therefore depend on the new federal health care law. Smoking increases the risk of developing heart disease, lung problems and cancer, contributing to nearly 450,000 deaths a year.

Insurers won’t be allowed to charge more under the overhaul for people who are overweight, or have a health condition like a bad back or a heart that skips beats - but they can charge more if a person smokes.

Starting next Jan. 1, the federal health care law will make it possible for people who can’t get coverage now to buy private policies, providing tax credits to keep the premiums affordable. Although the law prohibits insurance companies from turning away the sick, the penalties for smokers could have the same effect in

many cases, keeping out potentially costly patients.

“We don’t want to create barriers for people to get health care coverage,” said California state Assemblyman Richard Pan, who is working on a law in his state that would limit insurers’ ability to charge smokers more. The federal law allows states to limit or change the smoking penalty.

“We want people who are smoking to get smoking cessation treatment,” added Pan, a pediatrician who represents the Sacramento area. Obama administration officials declined to be interviewed for this article, but a former consumer protection regulator for the government is raising questions.

“If you are an insurer and there is a group of smokers you don’t want in your pool, the ones you really don’t want are the ones who have been smoking for 20 or 30 years,” said Karen Pollitz, an expert on individual health insurance markets with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. “You would have the flexibility to discourage them.”

Several provisions in the federal health care law work together to leave older smokers with a bleak set of financial options, said Pollitz, formerly deputy director of the Office of Consumer Support in the federal Health and Human Services Department.

First, the law allows insurers to charge older adults up to three times as much as their youngest customers.

Second, the law allows insurers to levy the full 50 percent penalty on older smokers while charging less to younger ones.

And finally, government tax credits that will be available to help pay premiums cannot be used to offset the cost of penalties for smokers.

Here’s how the math would work: Take a hypothetical 60-year-old smoker making $35,000 a year. Estimated premiums for coverage in the new private health insurance markets under Obama’s law would total $10,172. That person would be eligible for a tax credit that brings the cost down to $3,325. — AP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

NBK welcomes students from Om Al Hareth Al Ansariah High School

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

Announcements 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

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-thescene’ 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.

Om Al Hareth Al Ansariah High School students in a group picture

N

ational Bank of Kuwait (NBK) recently hosted students from Om Al Hareth Al Ansariah High School for girls, who toured the bank’s head office to learn about the banking industry and the day-to-day work of the bank’s various departments.

NBK Public Relations officers accompanied the students on their tour of

the bank’s various departments and gave them a brief presentation about NBK in general and the role of marketing and public relations within the bank.

The students had the chance to learn about the broad range of NBK financial and banking products and services and were particularly interest-

ed in the multi-benefit Al-Azraq and Al-Shabab accounts, exclusively designed for high school, college and university students.

NBK supports fresh graduates and Kuwait’s youth, listens to their interests and issues and offers a range of products and services to satisfy their needs.

The tour is part of NBK’s ongoing commitment to its corporate social responsibility program and to promoting the education and development of the country’s youth. Other initiatives include providing summer training programs for students, hiring fresh graduates and offering professional development programs for new hires.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KPL Cricket Tournament commences

KUWAIT: The Medical Emergencies Department received a delegation from Salhiya Intermediate Girls School, Mubarak Al-Kabeer area on Thursday 17/1/2013. A lecture on first aid was delivered about CPR and chocking. Shift official Abdelaziz Hafez gave and explanation on how work is done in the department and how calls are received and how ambulances are dispatched and how conditions are followed through instructions over the phone.

K

okan Premier League ( KPL ) 2013 Season kicked off on Friday 25th Jan in Kuwait at the playing ground opposite to Riqqai Area.

KPL is an annual event to bring the Kokani Speaking Community in Kuwait together under a single platform. KPL 2013 was inaugurated by Dr. Abdul Razzak Rumane, the President of Kokan Welfare Society in Kuwait KPL Kuwait is the largest Tennis Ball Cricket League in Kuwait.

The KPL League covers cricket teams from Kokan, Maharashtra area. It gives chance to cricket aspirant residing in Kuwait to develop their talent.

KPL is the only cricket tournament in Kuwait with Live ball to ball scoring.

This year the excitement of KPL followers has been such that, since January the website has already crossed 100,000 hits.Results of KPL Kuwait are keenly followed by the Kokani Speaking Community around the World, especially in Kuwait, India, Middle East, and South Africa.

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

Students from the Gulf English School Reception and Year 1 classes have been visiting the Porsche Road Safety Programme at Qadsiya Sports Club this week sponsored by Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company. Over 250 children aged from 4 to 6 years have been learning 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 also became familiar with road traffic signs and their meanings as they 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 lesson. Visits for school and community groups can by arranged free of charge by contacting the Programme Director, Aisha by email;q8.road.safety@gmail.com

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

Burqan School Hosts Symposium on Underachievers, Remedies

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

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EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassyof Canada in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada†should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca†or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-imenquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00†until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday.

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By Hassan A. Bari KUWAIT: Under the auspices of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Educational Area’s secondary education supervisor, Jassim Al-Arraj and ELT senior supervisor, Ayesha Al-Awadhi, Burqan secondary school for girls recently hosted a special symposium called for by the area’s ELT supervision to discuss the problem of low or underachievers in English.

“A wide gap has been detected between the daily assessment and the

first period test grades in many of the area’s schools, in some of them the gap exceeded 40 per cent”, started AlAwadhi inviting participants to justify the gaps and suggest solutions to narrow them in order to, eventually, help improve students’ assimilation of the four skills of English learning; listening, speaking, reading and writing.

“Daily assessment must be done more meticulously to reflect students actual standards, on the other hand, low achievers should be tended to separately, special remedial exercises

should be made for them and schoolparent cooperation should be made through meetings called for by the social worker offices”, she reiterated urging English heads of departments to follow up each and every individual case and its relevant remedies.

On his part, Al-Arraj urged area school directors to facilitate all possible means to prepare special remedial material and help concerned English teachers provide underachievers with extra sessions and exercises especially set for them.

Besides the host school, the symposium was attended by ELT supervisors, Mohammed Taha Samaha, Mahmoud Al-Najjar and Habib Rezouqi in addition to school directors, HODs and English teachers from Jaber Al-Ali, Abdullah Mubarak, Duaij Al-Salman, Khaled Soud Al-Zaid and Sabah Al-Salem secondary schools.

Participants were warmly and cheerfully received by Burqan school director, Majeda Al-Haddad, HOD Mesha’el Jassim and English teacher Miss Amani.

Iqra’a Bilingual School hosts Literacy Week

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com.

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EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, Al-Salaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location. Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com.

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EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk.

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EMBASSY OF PERU The Embassy of Peru is located in Sharq, Ahmed Al Jaber Street, Al Arabiya Tower, 6th Floor. Working days / hours: SundayThursday /9 am - 4 pm. Residents in Kuwait interested in getting a visa to travel to Peru and companies attracted to invest in Peru are invited to visit the permanent exposition room located in the Embassy. For more information, please contact: (+965) 22267250/1.

AWARE Center hosts a presentation on “Think and Grow Rich”

“T

T

he parents, staff and students of Iqra’a Bilingual School recently celebrated Literacy Week. Dressed as their favorite character from a book, the students

entertained their parents with a parade of characters. The event also included a program on the importance of reading to children, a storytelling demonstration and a book

fair. Iqra’a Bilingual School is a new school located in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh.

This year the school serves pre-K to KG-2 students and will be offering grades 1 and 2 next year. The long

range plan is for the school to offer all grades through grade 12. Iqra’a Bilingual School has recently been designated as an International Baccalaureate Candidate School.

he AWARE Center cordially invites you to its diwaniya presentation entitled, “Think & Grow Rich,” by Laurie Santos on Tuesday January 29, 2013 at 7:00pm.

Do you Want to slash debt, pay off bills and improve your credit? Do you Want to acquire more wealth, abundance and prosperity? Do you desire a more successful, fulfilled, and joyous life?

Come learn the 13 Proven Steps to Riches that the most successful men and women having been practicing for nearly 100 years outlined in the course, Think & Grow Rich, a facilitated by Certified Life Coach, Laurie A. Santos.

In 1937, Napoleon Hill published, Think & Grow Rich, a personal-success book dedicated to showing the “average” person how to acquire wealth by following the simple yet proven method the richest men and women were practicing during the Great Depression in America.

Certified Life Coach Laurie Santos has been teaching the Think & Grow Rich course for the past 10 years in the United States. Laurie’s methods in the classroom are candid, engaging, fun, and dynamic. This course is not a typical sit-down lecture-style class; instead, participants are engaged and involved in exercises and group exercises while learning how to reprogram their negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors into more productively powerful positive thoughts and actions resulting in more wealth and prosperity.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

00:20 Karina: Wild On Safari 00:50 Untamed & Uncut 01:45 Tigers Attack 02:35 Animal Cops Philadelphia 03:25 Wildest Latin America 04:15 Bad Dog 05:05 Karina: Wild On Safari 05:55 Animal Cops Philadelphia 06:45 Wildest Latin America 07:35 Wildlife SOS 08:00 Meerkat Manor 08:25 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 09:15 Crocodile Hunter 10:10 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 11:05 Monkey Life 11:30 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 12:00 Natural Born Hunters 12:25 The Really Wild Show 12:55 Wildest Latin America 13:50 Mutant Planet 14:45 Mutant Planet 15:40 Shamwari: A Wild Life 16:35 Wildlife SOS 17:30 America’s Cutest...

18:25 Trophy Cats 19:20 Call Of The Wildman 19:45 Call Of The Wildman 20:15 Gator Boys 21:10 Tigers Attack 22:05 Wildest Latin America 23:00 Untamed China With Nigel Marven

00:45 Antiques Roadshow 04:15 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 05:05 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 06:25 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 07:45 Antiques Roadshow 08:40 Trish’s Mediterranean Kitchen 09:30 Rhodes Across The Caribbean 10:20 Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes 11:10 Eating In The Sun 12:10 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 13:00 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 13:50 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 16:30 DIY SOS 17:25 Bargain Hunt 20:25 Come Dine With Me 22:00 Vacation Vacation Vacation 22:50 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials

00:00 BBC World News 00:30 Dateline London 01:00 BBC World News 01:10 The Art Of Spain 02:00 BBC World News 02:10 World Features 02:30 Middle East Business Report 03:00 BBC World News 03:10 World Features 03:30 Talking Movies 04:00 BBC World News 04:30 Dateline London 05:00 BBC World News 05:10 The World Debate 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Newsnight 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 Click 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 India Business Report 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 Fast Track 10:00 BBC World News 10:10 World Features 10:30 Talking Movies 11:00 BBC World News 11:10 World Features 11:30 Dateline London 12:00 BBC World News 12:10 Have You Heard From Johannesburg?

13:00 BBC World News 13:10 The Art Of Spain 14:00 BBC World News 14:10 World Features 14:30 Newsnight

15:00 BBC World News 15:30 The Bottom Line 16:00 BBC World News 16:15 Sport Today 16:30 Click 17:00 BBC World News 17:30 Horizons 18:00 BBC World News 18:10 The World Debate 19:00 BBC World News 19:30 India Business Report 20:00 BBC World News 20:10 The Art Of Spain 21:00 BBC World News 21:30 The Ideas Exchange 22:00 BBC World News 22:15 Sport Today 22:30 Talking Movies 23:00 BBC World News 23:10 Have You Heard From Johannesburg?

02:00 02:25 02:50 03:15 03:40 04:00 04:20 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:25 07:00 07:20 07:45 08:10 08:35 09:00 09:25 09:40 09:55 10:10 10:25 10:50 11:05 11:30

Popeye Wacky Races Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Flintstones The Jetsons What’s New Scooby Doo? Taz-Mania The Looney Tunes Show Tom & Jerry Tales Johnny Bravo Moomins Dexter’s Laboratory What’s New Scooby Doo? Taz-Mania Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry Tales The Garfield Show Baby Looney Tunes Bananas In Pyjamas Cartoonito Tales Ha Ha Hairies Jelly Jamm Gerald McBoing Boing Pink Panther & Pals Moomins The Garfield Show

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

02:45 Foster’s Home For...

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

08:45 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 16:00 Level Up 16:50 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 17:40 Young Justice 18:05 Young Justice 18:30 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

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

Auction Kings How Stuff Works How It’s Made How Stuff Works How It’s Made How Stuff Works How It’s Made How Stuff Works How It’s Made How Stuff Works How It’s Made Fast N’ Loud One Car Too Far Wheeler Dealers Gold Rush Gold Divers Around The World In 80 Ways How It’s Made Auction Kings Border Security Mythbusters Mythbusters Magic Of Science Time Warp How We Invented The World Secret Service Secrets Body Invaders

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

Stitch A Kind Of Magic Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School A Kind Of Magic A Kind Of Magic Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School A Kind Of Magic Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Suite Life On Deck A.N.T. Farm Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Prankstars Prankstars Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Jessie Austin And Ally A.N.T Farm Gravity Falls Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck The Suite Life Movie Prankstars Prankstars My Babysitter’s A Vampire Austin And Ally Prankstars Prankstars A.N.T. Farm Jessie Jessie Good Luck Charlie The Suite Life Of Zack And Stitch

00:20 Little Einsteins 00:50 Special Agent Oso 01:05 Special Agent Oso 01:15 Lazytown 01:40 Jungle Junction 01:55 Jungle Junction 02:10 Handy Manny 02:20 Handy Manny 02:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 02:55 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 03:00 Lazytown 03:25 Special Agent Oso 03:35 Special Agent Oso 03:50 Imagination Movers 04:15 Handy Manny

THE WAY BACK ON OSN CINEMA

04:25 Handy Manny 04:40 Special Agent Oso 04:50 Special Agent Oso 05:00 Timmy Time 05:10 Lazytown 05:35 Little Einsteins 06:00 Jungle Junction 06:15 Jungle Junction 06:30 Little Einsteins 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Jungle Junction 07:30 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 13:45 Doc McStuffins 14:00 Zou 14:15 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 14:30 Mouk 14:45 Jungle Junction 15:00 Handy Manny 15:15 Animated Stories 15:20 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 15:40 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 16:05 The Hive 16:20 Mouk 16:35 Zou 16:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 17:05 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 17:20 Doc McStuffins 17:30 Doc McStuffins 17:45 Art Attack 18:10 Lazytown 18:40 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 19:05 Mouk 19:20 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:00 Animated Stories 20:05 Timmy Time 20:15 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 20:25 Doc McStuffins 20:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:55 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:10 Zou 21:25 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 21:30 Mouk 21:45 Handy Manny 22:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 22:25 The Hive 22:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 23:00 Timmy Time 23:10 Animated Stories 23:15 A Poem Is...

23:20 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 23:30 Jungle Junction 23:45 Handy Manny 23:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

00:00 Programmes Start At 7:00am KSA 07:00 Pokemon: BW Rival Destinies 07:25 Rated A For Awesome 07:45 Phineas And Ferb 07:55 Phineas And Ferb 08:10 Almost Naked Animals 08:35 Lab Rats 09:00 Ultimate Spider-Man 09:30 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 09:55 Kickin It 10:20 Phineas And Ferb 10:30 Phineas And Ferb 10:45 Pair Of Kings 11:10 Mr. Young 11:35 Scaredy Squirrel 12:00 Slugterra 12:30 Zeke & Luther 13:00 Eddie’s Million Dollar Cook Off 14:22 Cars Toons 14:35 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 15:00 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 15:25 Scaredy Squirrel 15:50 Lab Rats 16:15 Slugterra 16:40 Mr. Young 17:05 Almost Naked Animals 17:30 Kickin It 17:55 Pair Of Kings 18:20 Rekkit Rabbit 18:45 Rekkit Rabbit 19:10 Rekkit Rabbit 19:35 Rekkit Rabbit 20:00 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 20:25 Zeke & Luther 20:50 Mr. Young 21:15 Phineas And Ferb 21:25 Phineas And Ferb 21:40 Iron Man Armored Adventures 22:05 Pokemon: BW Rival Destinies 22:30 Rekkit Rabbit 22:55 Kick Buttowski 23:20 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes

00:00 Holly’s World 00:25 Holly’s World 00:55 Style Star 01:25 THS 03:15 THS 04:10 E!es 05:05 Extreme Close-Up 05:30 Extreme Close-Up 06:00 30 Best & Worst Beach Bodies 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Extreme Close-Up 09:45 Extreme Close-Up 10:15 E!es 11:10 Opening Act 12:05 E! News 13:05 Married To Jonas 13:35 Married To Jonas 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:00 E!es 16:00 Fashion Police 17:00 Behind The Scenes 17:30 Behind The Scenes

18:00 19:00 19:30 20:30 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:30

E! News A-List Listings Giuliana & Bill Giuliana & Bill Ice Loves Coco Ice Loves Coco Opening Act Opening Act

00:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:30 Heat Seekers 01:55 Iron Chef America 02:45 Chopped 03:35 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 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 12:10 United Tastes Of America 12:35 Unwrapped 13:00 Iron Chef America 13:50 Tyler’s Ultimate 14:15 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 14:40 Everyday Italian 15:05 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 15:30 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 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 22:10 Food Network Challenge 23:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

00:15 I Married A Mobster 00:40 Evil, I 01:30 Ghost Lab 02:20 Dr. G: Medical Examiner 03:05 Blood Relatives 03:55 I Married A Mobster 04:20 I Married A Mobster 04:45 Evil, I 05:30 Ghost Lab 06:20 Dr. G: Medical Examiner 07:10 Disappeared 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 22:10 Couples Who Kill 23:00 Reel Crime/Real Story

00:15 Deadliest Journeys 00:45 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 01:40 On Hannibal Trail 02:05 Finding Genghis 02:35 Ultimate Traveller 03:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 03:55 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 04:25 Street Food Around The World 04:50 Market Values 05:20 Amish: Out of Order 06:15 On Surfari 06:40 On Surfari 07:10 Don’t Tell My Mother 09:00 Deadliest Journeys 09:25 Deadliest Journeys 2 10:50 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 11:45 On Hannibal Trail 12:10 Finding Genghis 12:40 Ultimate Traveller 13:35 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:30 Street Food Around The World 14:55 Market Values 15:25 Cruise Ship Diaries 16:20 Don’t Tell My Mother 17:15 Deadliest Journeys 17:40 Deadliest Journeys 2 19:05 Amish: Out of Order 20:00 On Surfari 20:30 On Surfari 21:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 22:00 A World Apart 22:55 Food School 23:20 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 23:50 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1

00:00 Unlikely Animal Friends 01:00 Ultimate Animal Countdown 01:55 Wild Alaska 02:50 Ultimate Animal Countdown 03:45 Planet Carnivore 04:40 Animal Intervention 05:35 The Incredible Dr. Pol 06:30 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 07:25 Animal Fugitives

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III ON OSN ACTION HD 08:20 09:15 09:40 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

Wild Case Files Snake Wranglers Snake Wranglers Fish Tank Kings Kingdom of The Oceans Monster Fish Bear Nomad Ultimate Animal Countdown Planet Carnivore Ultimate Predators GPU Lion Warrior Hunter Hunted Monster Fish Bear Nomad Ultimate Animal Countdown Planet Carnivore Ultimate Predators GPU

00:30 Amphibious-18 02:15 Paranormal Activity 2-18 04:00 The Stool Pigeon-PG15 06:00 The Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption-PG15 08:00 Barricade-PG15 09:45 Mission: Impossible III-PG15 12:00 Go Fast-PG15 14:00 Barricade-PG15 16:00 Restitution-PG15 18:00 Go Fast-PG15 20:00 Street Kings 2: Motor City-18 22:00 Deadtime Stories 2-18

01:00 Ghost Machine-PG15 03:00 The Way Back-PG15 05:15 Kung Fu Dunk-PG15 07:00 The Decoy Bride-PG15 09:00 Ghost Machine-PG15 11:00 Sammy’s Adventure: The Secret Passage-FAM 12:30 Marion Jones: Press Pause 13:30 Once Brothers-PG15 15:00 Golden Christmas 3-PG15 17:00 Certain Prey-PG15 19:00 Something Borrowed-PG15 21:00 One Day-18 23:00 The Perks Of Being A Wallflower-PG15

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Saturday Night Live 02:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 03:00 Last Man Standing 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 The Neighbors 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Seinfeld 13:30 Samantha Who? 15:00 The Neighbors 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 Two And A Half Men 20:30 Breaking In 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Angry Boys 22:30 American Dad 23:00 The Ricky Gervais Show

04:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 10:00 11:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 23:00

Boardwalk Empire Good Morning America Royal Pains Emmerdale Coronation Street House Royal Pains House Live Good Morning America Emmerdale Coronation Street Breakout Kings Eureka The Closer Boardwalk Empire

07:00 12:00 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 21:00

Emmerdale Emmerdale Emmerdale Coronation Street C.S.I. Breakout Kings The Closer

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

The Guru-18 The Waterboy-PG15 Baby Geniuses-PG Desperately Seeking SantaRobots-PG Wayne’s World 2-PG15 Baby Geniuses-PG Below The Beltway-PG15 Wayne’s World 2-PG15 Extract-PG15 Stuck On You-PG15

00:15 02:00 04:00 07:15 09:00 10:45 12:15 14:30 16:15 18:00 21:00 22:45

Dead Awake-18 Brighton Rock-PG15 Nixon-18 Manolete-18 Dear John-PG15 Tresor-PG15 Quiz Show-PG15 Alabama Moon-PG15 Tresor-PG15 Hindenburg-PG15 Bruc-PG15 Swing Kids-PG15

00:30 After Life-18 02:30 According To Greta-PG15 04:30 The Artist-PG 06:30 X-Men: First Class-PG15 09:00 The Adventures Of Tintin-PG 11:00 Lorenzo’s Oil-PG15 13:15 African Cats: Kingdom Of Courage-PG 14:45 The Way-PG15 17:00 The Adventures Of Tintin-PG 19:00 The Company Men-PG15 21:00 Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes-PG15 23:00 Chloe-R

01:15 Olentzero And The Magic Log-FAM 02:45 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs.

Evil-PG 04:30 Winner & The Golden Child: Part II-FAM 06:00 Despicable Me-FAM 08:00 Mia And The Migoo-PG 10:00 Marley & Me: The Puppy Years-PG 11:30 Hop-PG 13:15 The Adventures Of Scooter The Penguin-FAM 14:45 Despicable Me-FAM 16:30 Crab Island-FAM 18:00 Marley & Me: The Puppy Years-PG 20:00 Turandot-PG 22:00 Mia And The Migoo-PG 23:30 The Adventures Of Scooter The Penguin-FAM

02:30 07:00 11:30 12:30 13:00 16:00 17:45 18:15 20:30 23:30

Dubai World Cup Carnival PGA European Tour Trans World Sport ICC Cricket 360 Cricket Twenty20 Top 14 Futbol Mundial Live Anglo-Welsh Cup Cricket Twenty20 PGA European Tour

01:00 04:00 06:00 07:00 10:00 10:30 12:30 14:30

Live UFC Prelims Live UFC Trans World Sport Cricket T20 Futbol Mundial Top 14 Top 14 Futbol Mundial

15:00 15:30 16:30 18:00 21:00 23:00 23:30

Inside the PGA Trans World Sport NFL Gameday UFC Prelims UFC NFL Gameday Trans World Sport

01:00 03:00 03:30 06:30 07:00 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 17:30 18:30 20:30 22:30

Top 14 ICC Cricket 360 Cricket T20 Futbol Mundial Top 14 Trans World Sport Spirit of a Champion Spirit of a Champion Spirit of a Champion Spirit of a Champion Spirit of Golf Spirit of Golf European PGA Tour Trans World Sport Top 14 Top 14 Anglo-Welsh Cup

00:00 01:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 16:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:30

WWE Vintage Collection UFC UFC Unleashed NHL WWE Bottom Line WWE NXT V8 Supercars Highlights NHL Prizefighter WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line UFC Countdown UFC Unleashed WWE Experience WWE This Week WWE Vintage Collection Mobil 1 The Grid

00:00 Pawn Stars 00:30 Cajun Pawn Stars 01:00 Soviet Storm: WWII In The East 02:00 Storage Wars 02:30 Storage Wars 03:00 Pawn Stars 03:30 Cajun Pawn Stars 04:00 American Pickers 07:00 Soviet Storm: WWII In The East 08:00 Ancient Aliens 10:00 Soviet Storm: WWII In The East 11:00 Soviet Storm: WWII In The East 12:00 Pawn Stars 14:00 American Pickers 15:00 UFO Hunters 16:00 WWII: Europe’s Secret Army 17:00 Storage Wars 17:30 Storage Wars 18:00 Pawn Stars 18:30 Cajun Pawn Stars 19:00 American Pickers 20:00Mankind The Story Of All Of Us 22:00 Ancient Aliens

00:10 Blow Out 02:00 Wild Orchid 03:50 Women In Love 06:00 Stone Cold 07:35 Retroactive 09:10 Dust Factory 10:50 Danielle Steel’s Once In A Lifetime 12:25 Mr. Wonderful 14:05 A Star For Two 15:40 Mgm’s Big Screen 16:00 Bound For Glory 18:30 Bananas 19:55 That Championship Season 22:00 Mac

00:55 03:05 04:30 06:15 08:00 09:55 11:45 13:10 15:05 18:40

Victor/Victoria Westworld 3 Godfathers-FAM Logan’s Run-PG The V.I.P.S-FAM The Sunshine Boys-PG Edge Of The City-PG Logan’s Run-PG Gone With The Wind-PG Lust For Life-FAM

Classifieds SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

FOR SALE Jeep Tawareq, 2005 model, white color, six cylinders, price KD 3,300. Contact: 66104141. (C 4289) 24-1-2014 Mitsubishi Pajero 2004, golden color, 6 clr, excellent condition, km 187000, KD 1850. Tel: 66729295.

(C 4288) 22-1-2013 Toyota Camry 2004, 4 cylinder, white color, interior and exterior neat and clean, car’s maintenance done by Al Sayer service center, tires and battery new, accident free, original paint, A/C super cool, 174000 km run, price KD 2,300, Contact: 99072651 / 99527500.

MATRIMONIAL Jacobite parents from upper middle class family (Ernakulam) living in Kuwait invite proposals from Christian parents of tall/slim/fair girls (age 2528, Bach/Masters degree, pref. Employed in Kuwait) with good family background, for their son 30/173cm/MBA (Australia) employed at a reputed bank in Kuwait. Nurses need not apply. Kerala Matrimony ID: E2321072, Email: cissacjee@yahoo.com (C 4286) 21-1-2013

SITUATION VACANT Wanted part time maid in Salwa, salary KD 80, 8 am to noon, six days per week.

Contact: 96942874.

21-1-2013

TUITION Well prepared notes for the exams, for the courses of MBA, M.Com, MA, B.Com, subjects including accounts, management, cost accounts, income tax, economics, etc are available by a well experienced Indian Post Graduate teacher.

Also for all levels including O, AS, AI and A levels for IGCSE & British, American schools. Tel: 99838117/99315825. (C 4287) 22-1-2013

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES Kuwait Parliament www.majlesalommah.net

The Public Institution for Social Security www.pifss.gov.kw

Ministry of Interior www.moi.gov.kw

Public Authority of Industry www.pai.gov.kw

Public Authority for Civil Information www.paci.gov.kw

Prisoners of War Committee www.pows.org.kw

Kuwait News Agency www.kuna.net.kw

Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.gov.kw

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair www.islam.gov.kw

Kuwait Municipality www.municipality.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Oil) www.moo.gov.kw

Kuwait Electronic Government www.e.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.kw

Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw

Public Authority for Housing Welfare www.housing.gov.kw

Ministry of Commerce and Industry www.moci.gov.kw

Ministry of Justice www.moj.gov.kw

Ministry of Education www.moe.edu.kw

Ministry of Communications www.moc.kw

Ministry of Information www.moinfo.gov.kw

Supreme Council for Planning and Development www.scpd.gov.kw

Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

Prayer timings

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw

112

Fajr:

05:18

Shorook

06:40

Duhr:

12:01

Asr:

15:01

Maghrib:

17:22

Isha:

18:41

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines

Arrival Flights on Sunday 27/1/2013 Flt Route

Time

JAI THY JZR JZR QTR GFA UAE ETD QTR FDB MSR RJA ETH KAC CLX DHX THY JZR BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB ETD GFA IRA IRC JZR MEA MSR SYR UAE KAC KAC KAC FDB KNE SVA QTR JZR KAC

574 772 267 539 148 211 853 305 138 67 612 642 620 544 792 170 770 555 157 412 206 53 302 332 352 855 121 132 55 301 213 603 6666 165 404 610 341 871 382 742 774 57 472 500 140 561 284

0:30 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:50 2:35 2:45 3:01 3:05 3:10 3:15 3:25 4:20 4:55 5:15 5:30 6:00 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:55 8:15 8:25 8:40 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:55 10:40 11:10 11:20 11:55 12:45 12:50 12:50 12:55 12:55 13:30 13:50 14:10 14:30 14:45 14:50 15:10

MUMBAI ISTANBUL BEIRUT CAIRO DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI ABU DHABI DOHA DUBAI CAIRO AMMAN ADDIS ABABA CAIRO LUXEMBOURG BAHRAIN ISTANBUL ALEXANDRIA LONDON MANILA ISLAMABAD DUBAI MUMBAI TRIVANDRUM COCHIN DUBAI SHARJAH DOHA DUBAI ABU DHABI BAHRAIN SHIRAZ AHWAZ DUBAI BEIRUT CAIRO DAMASCUS DUBAI DELHI DAMMAM RIYADH DUBAI JEDDAH JEDDAH DOHA SOHAG DHAKA

QTR JZR UAE ETD RJA GFA SVA JZR QTR ABY UAL KAC JZR RBG KAC BAB FDB AFG KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA FDB JAI AXB MSR ABY QTR ALK MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE KAC JZR JAI DHX FDB KAC KLM AIC JZR GFA KAC JZR UAL DLH

134 787 857 303 640 215 510 777 144 127 982 542 177 3553 786 438 63 415 166 618 102 674 562 647 61 572 393 606 129 146 229 402 136 221 307 859 172 135 576 372 59 514 417 981 239 217 502 185 981 636

DOHA RIYADH DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH DOHA SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO DUBAI ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI KABUL PARIS DOHA NEW YORK DUBAI AMMAN MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI KOZHIKODE LUXOR SHARJAH DOHA COLOMBO BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI FRANKFURT BAHRAIN COCHIN BAHRAIN DUBAI TEHRAN AMSTERDAM CHENNAI AMMAN BAHRAIN BEIRUT DUBAI BAHRAIN FRANKFURT

15:30 16:10 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:45 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:45 19:00 19:10 19:20 19:35 19:35 19:55 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:45 20:55 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:45 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:30 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:25 23:55

Airlines TimeAIC AXB DHX BBC UAL DLH JAI KAC THY KAC FDB UAE ETD ETH MSR QTR QTR JZR GFA RJA THY CLX JZR FDB BAW KAC ABY KAC UAE FDB KAC KAC ETD QTR GFA KAC IRA IRC JZR KAC JZR MEA KAC MSR SYR JZR UAE FDB KAC

Departure Flights on Sunday 27/1/2013 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 390 MANGALORE 371 BAHRAIN 44 CHITTAGONG 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 573 MUMBAI 283 DHAKA 773 ISTANBUL 381 DELHI 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 621 ADDIS ABABA 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 771 ISTANBUL 792 GIALAM 560 SOHAG 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 171 FRANKFURT 122 SHARJAH 741 DAMMAM 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 117 NEW YORK 773 RIYADH 302 ABU DHABI 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 602 SHIRAZ 6667 AHWAZ 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 786 RIYADH 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 611 CAIRO 342 LATAKIA 176 DUBAI 872 DUBAI 58 DUBAI 561 AMMAN

0:05 0:15 0:40 1:00 1:10 1:20 1:30 2:25 2:55 3:15 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:10 4:10 4:50 6:05 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:35 8:15 8:15 8:25 8:45 9:10 9:45 9:55 9:55 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:05 10:30 10:40 11:30 11:40 12:10 12:15 12:20 12:55 12:55 13:00 13:45 13:50 13:50 14:15 14:30 14:30

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

KAC KNE SVA KAC QTR KAC JZR ETD KAC JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR RBG JZR UAL FDB BAB AFG FDB OMA JAI AXB ABY MSR DHX ALK ETD MEA QTR GFA KAC FDB UAE JAI KAC KAC DHX KLM QTR KAC JZR GFA KAC KAC

673 473 503 617 141 501 238 304 513 538 135 858 641 216 184 511 128 266 145 3554 134 982 64 439 415 62 648 571 394 120 619 171 230 308 403 137 222 301 60 860 575 351 205 373 417 147 343 502 218 415 411

DUBAI JEDDAH MADINAH DOHA DOHA BEIRUT AMMAN ABU DHABI IMAM KHOMEINI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN JEDDAH DUBAI MUSCAT MUMBAI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN COLOMBO ABU DHABI BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI DUBAI KOCHI KOCHI ISLAMABAD BAHRAIN DAMMAM DOHA CHENNAI LUXOR BAHRAIN KUALA LUMPUR BANGKOK

15:05 15:10 15:45 15:45 16:15 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 20:00 20:40 20:55 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:50 22:55 22:55 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:15 23:35 23:50 23:55 23:55

34

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

stars CROSSWORD 82

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) ARIES The flow of your work or finances may have run into a wall of resistance this last day or so. There may be instances when you will have to give a full accounting of your labors, particularly to superiors or those interested in buying your wares. Be cooperative and all will go well. You will see an overall improvement in your sales very soon. This month has allowed you time to adjust before the real demands begin. You will feel able to cope with whatever comes to your attention. You are intent on seeing the big picture and getting to the point. Being in touch with ideas and people on a large scale, keeps you on your toes, so to speak. Make a determined effort to practice balance in your life. Compartmentalizing and prioritizing will be your safety net.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You may find yourself a bit serious and your words today are that you need to concentrate on your work. You may also find yourself distracted and wishing you were at home with your own personal projects. Feeling handcuffed to your desk you do realize the need to work today is temporary and so you get down to business and accomplish more than you expected. The evening brings up some interesting conversations around the dinner table concerning plans. All will contribute their own dreams and wishes for themselves. Some conversations lead to memories past and comparisons of the present and perhaps, some possibilities of the future. You can sway others with your ideas—you are probably a speaker or in a religious field.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A person regarded as arrogant and annoying.

5. A starch made by leaching and drying the root of the cassava plant.

12. Explosive consisting of a yellow crystalline compound that is a flammable toxic derivative of toluene.

15. An informal term for a father.

16. Kauri pine.

17. 10 hao equal 1 dong.

18. Someone who copies the words or behavior of another.

19. A workman who laces shoes or footballs or books (during binding).

20. A broken piece of a brittle artifact.

22. Covered with paving material.

24. Destruction of heart tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply to the heart muscle.

25. West Indian evergreen with medium to long leaves.

26. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

27. A dark region of considerable extent on the surface of the moon.

29. A member of an agricultural people in southeastern India.

32. A blue dye obtained from plants or made synthetically.

35. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

40. A cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment).

44. Used of persons.

46. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

48. East Indian cereal grass whose seed yield a somewhat bitter flour, a staple in the Orient.

49. (comparative of `near') Being the one of two that is less distant in space.

50. Pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic.

53. 1 species.

56. An esoteric or occult matter that is traditionally secret.

57. Full of submerged reefs or sandbanks or shoals.

60. A traditional Japanese system of unarmed combat.

62. Providing sophisticated amusement by virtue of having artificially (and vulgarly) mannered or banal or sentimental qualities.

63. A distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list.

64. United States writer noted for his droll epigrams (1902-1971).

68. Fermented alcoholic beverage similar to but heavier than beer.

69. A salesman who travels to call on customers.

73. A human limb.

74. Continuing at full strength or intensity.

76. (computer science) Memory whose contents can be accessed and read but cannot be changed.

77. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

78. Of or relating to Gabon or its inhabitants.

79. A member of a people living in southern Benin and Togo and southeastern Ghana.

DOWN 1. (trademark) A tinned luncheon meat made largely from pork.

2. Plant with an elongated head of broad stalked leaves resembling celery.

3. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to

agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

4. United States writer of poems and plays about racial conflict (born in 1934).

5. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

6. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

7. An enclosed space.

8. (linguistics) The form of a word after all affixes are removed.

9. The spirit of evil in Zoroastrianism.

10. Denoting a quantity consisting of six items or units.

11. An ancient kingdom in northern Mesopotamia which is in present-day Iraq.

12. A case or sheath especially a pollen sac or moss capsule.

13. A lawman concerned with narcotics violations.

14. A member of a pastoral people living in the Nilgiri hills of southern India.

21. Precipitation of ice pellets when there are strong rising air currents.

23. United States labor organizer who ran for President as a socialist (1855-1926).

28. Again but in a new or different way.

30. Lower in esteem.

31. Russian country house.

33. A Roman poet.

34. The territory of Athens in ancient Greece.

36. An anxiety disorder characterized by chronic free-floating anxiety and such symptoms as tension or sweating or trembling of light-headedness or irritability etc that has lasted for more than six months.

37. An organization of independent states to promote international peace and security.

38. A plant hormone promoting elongation of stems and roots.

39. A long noosed rope used to catch animals.

41. One of two flaps attached to a cap to keep the ears warm.

42. A hat that is round and black and hard with a narrow brim.

43. The stipend assigned by a cathedral to a canon.

45. Scale-like plant-eating insect coated with a powdery waxy secretion.

47. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

51. A fraudulent business scheme.

52. Feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and being unable to roar.

54. (used of arms and legs) Bent outward with the joint away from the body.

55. The peninsula and island in the Philippines where Japanese forces besieged American forces in World War II. 58. 100 halers equal 1 koruna.

59. The ending of a series or sequence.

61. Income from capital investment paid in a series of regular payments.

65. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

66. Precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals.

67. Stable gear consisting of either of two curved supports that are attached to the collar of a draft horse and that hold the traces.

70. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

71. Light informal conversation for social occasions.

72. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.

75. A radioactive transuranic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons.

Idealism, rationality and critical thinking become more and more a part of your mental patterns and the way you communicate. You are inventive, original and high tech. You may find yourself analyzing your life situation and surroundings. A relationship that has been touch and go lately may find you deciding to back off—this may be the wisest time to let go—fish or cut bait, so to speak. Control issues may have to be studied in order to create happier future relationships. Review your limitations as well as your expectations. Respect the differences. You are wise to balance your personal and your professional life now. You will have an opportunity to enjoy visiting with friends, family and neighbors this evening. You listen to inspiring conversations.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Political issues may be running around in your head today. Tending to errands this morning may bring issues to the forefront of your attention.

There is talk about a new rule regarding the requirement for a valid photo ID before sending a letter. You may even conjure up the memories when everybody actually sent cards—thank you cards, birthday cards, anniversary cards, etc. There is something about freedom that is precious and precarious—you may decide to write a local newspaper.

Perhaps a letter to some editor is in order. Talk a neighbor into a walking exercise with you—you may find these walks, as well as the friendship, will boost your energies. A loved one wants to hear your ideas and you may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Leo (July 23-August 22) This morning is in your favor for completing any unfinished personal business. You may also find yourself politically expressive regarding some sort of neighborhood project. This may mean that you get people to sign a petition or you collect money to help with future spring planting of trees or building a covered bus stop.

You may be contemplating some citywide issues. This could mean a volunteer job for you. This is a fun time to purchase beauty or toiletry products—perhaps a new scent or skin protection product. You also can see the benefit of making your own skin product to keep the unsuitable chemicals away from your body—fun. Of course, you always want to abide by the safety precautions of developing any products, particularly soap.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Personal chores can be accomplished today but interruptions are likely; now you have been forewarned. You may want to stay as flexible as possible. Relatives express their admiration of your ability to adjust to change. Good fortune happens in a natural and timely manner and by the end of this day you will wonder what you did to create so many good vibrations. There are lots of opportunities to enjoy the afternoon; you are wanting and able to do almost anything. Today you may be successful in scheduling a travel plan for yourself. You feel great support for your ideas. Set clear priorities that will help you eliminate the unessential. Look at the companies that discover or work with navigation tools and remote control equipment for a future investment.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) You attract people that give you encouragement. A new friend may come into your life that is new to your part of the country. You can also attract high-strung people that worry and aim for advancement. Perhaps you need this difficulty in your life just to create a challenge in solving problems. As you help people with their problems . . . they will move forward with their lives. Don’t expect these people that you have helped to stay in one place. Perhaps you will do well in lecturing, motivational speaking or writing how-to type of books. Allocate some of the home responsibilities today by taking a vote on who will do what chore. Have clarity in direction and desired results with rewards for going beyond the call of duty. Positive energies are available.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Feeling two ways at once takes up most of the day. Although many things are positive, some difficulties can occur in your day. You have a way of wording things so that people see a particular subject your way . . . you can persuade others with your argument. You feel a love of order and law—an appreciation for responsibilities and duty. Problems are short-lived. Continual discovery, persistent search and continual change and transformation keep you on the move and growing. You are able to penetrate and get to the very heart of things; thus if you are doing research, you will find much success. When you express yourself honestly and take a stand for yourself you may find an attentive and fair-minded partner gives you more than the time of day.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Good luck, good opportunities and interesting relationships make this a fun and rewarding day. If there is something you need help in accomplishing or new projects to begin . . . today is your day. Someone close to you is supportive of your ideas and will help you. There is motivation for disciplined work, but push too hard and you may break something. Keep your resolutions regarding health and fitness.

This afternoon some political issues may come to your attention. The power of attraction and desire for love is great, but you should exercise caution before entering a new relationship that may come about during this time. An evening meal of turkey is good; it will help you relax for the evening. Enjoy family togetherness this evening.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You are tuned in to the world around you and not too many things will get by you today. You can just about set your own pace for now. Simplicity is the word for the day. A pop-around visit from a co-worker may not be welcomed. You may feel he or she stays too long or wants to know information that you are not ready to share. You will discourage interruptions today with short but sweet comments.

Accomplishments in your work can be limitless. A small amount of exercise can bring your tolerance level up this afternoon. Any problem from the past or anything that slows you down needs understanding before there is more confusion. Relax and take things easy this evening. Make sure your nutrition is balanced and you are breathing fresh air.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You like salads, so create some tempting ones for next week. Tuna and chicken salads could be made for the first of the week and some finger food like rolled lunchmeat and low-fat cheese with crackers can go for the end of the week. You enjoy cooking a week ahead so you can magically pull out special items all week long with very little work. Perhaps you will think about publishing a cookbook—one for people that work and need easy-to-prepare foods to take to work.

Educational plans need changing: you realize that they may not suit you as well as you’d like. Anything connected with publishing, advertising, or broadcasting requires examination. Your dreams of further education or travel keep coming into your mind.

Create a plan.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Be wise in your communications with an authority figure today. You may find someone you meet just now is too secretive for your liking.

Sometimes things are very clear until you realize some important fact was excluded. Even with all the facts, you may need to wait before completing the task. The things that you see and hear today may need time to develop. If you read about a job opportunity, send out your resume. Your management and directional abilities are in high focus—give yourself a chance. You have insight into your emotions and drive and you can talk about your feelings with great insight. Social invitations and romance are in the forecast—you may take some time this afternoon to get a new suit or dress for the event.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

22451082

Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

ST TAT TE OF KUW K WA AIT

Te el.: 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GEN GENERAL OF CIVIL AV VIA AT TION METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A DA AY: Y Saturday

26/01/2013

BY Y NIGHT:

Partly cloudy with light to moderate north easterly becoming south easterly later on wind, with speed of 08 - 28 km/h with a chance for scattered light rain

BY Y DA AY:

Partly cloudy to cloudy with light to moderate south easterly changing to north easterly later on wind, with speed of 08 - 28 km/h with a chance for scattered rain

WARNING A

No Current Warnings arnin a

16 °C

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

22 °C

15 °C

NUW WA AISEEB

24 °C

17 °C

WAFRA A

25 °C

17 °C

SALMI

23 °C

17 °C

25746401

ABDAL LY

22 °C

17 °C

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YA AH

21 °C

17 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FAILAKA A

20 °C

16 °C

AHMADI POR RT

20 °C

18 °C

QARUH ISLAND

20 °C

19 °C

UMM AL-MA-

20 °C

18 °C

W Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Ardhiya Firdous

ST TAT TION

N Khaitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

26/01/2013 1200 UTC

Temperatures DA AY

DA AT TE

WEA ATHER T

Sunday

27/01

Monday

28/01

Tuesday

29/01

Weednesday

30/01

Wind Speed

Wind Direction

MAX.

MIN.

partly cloudy + scattered rain

22 °C

15 °C

SE-NE

08 - 28 km/h

cloudy + scattered rain

20 °C

16 °C

SE-E

15 - 40 km/h

unstable

21 °C

17 °C

SE-NW

25 - 50 km/h

partly cloudy

18 °C

12 °C

NW

12 - 32 km/h

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

PRA AYER Y TIMES Fajr

05:18

MAX. Temp.

22 °C

Sunrise

06:40

MIN. Temp.

09 °C

Zuhr

12:01

MAX. RH

88 %

Asr

15:01

MIN. RH

Sunset

17:22

MAX. Wind

Isha

18:41

TOT TAL AL RA AINF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

24892674 24719048

SFC. CHART

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST

24884079

Omariya

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

54 % SE 36 km/h 00 mm

26/01/13 14:20 UTC

V1.00

T1.06

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Dr. Salem soso General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Expected Weeather for the Next 24 Hours

22 °C

25381200

22545171

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

19:00

Issue Time

KUW WAIT A CITY

Mishref

Al-Shuhada

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

MIN. N. EXP P.

25388462

Ext.: 26 2627 - 2630

22418714

Fax: 24348714

MAX. REC.

Bayan

PHONE

Al-Madeena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Tina Turner on path to Swiss citizenship

S

oul music legend Tina Turner has taken the first steps toward giving up her US passport and becoming a citizen of Switzerland, the country she has called home for nearly 20 years. The Zurich suburb of Kusnacht has approved Swiss citizenship for the “Proud Mary” singer, pending confirmation from other authorities in the country, a spokeswoman for Turner said on Friday. Turner, who was born in Tennessee, moved to Switzerland in 1995 to join her German-born record producer partner Erwin Bach and has lived there since. She enjoys the privacy she receives there and has no plans to live elsewhere, the spokeswoman said. “I’m very happy in Switzerland and I feel at home here,” Turner, 73, was quoted as telling the Swiss daily newspaper Blick. The eight-time Grammy winner retired from performing after her last tour, which ended 2009. Her hits with Ike Turner and as a solo artist include “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Private Dancer” and “River Deep - Mountain High.”

Reynolds reportedly in intensive care with flu

A

Wyatt grateful for Ashley K

imberly Wyatt is glad to have Ashley Roberts in the UK. The former Pussycat Dolls are both judges on UK reality TV shows - with Kimberly on ‘Got to Dance’ and Ashley on ‘Dancing on Ice’ - and the former bandmates, who are both from the US, have become even closer as a result. Kimberly said: “I’ve been so thankful to have Ashley over here in the UK. She’s probably my closest friend.” The 30-year-old star also admits she had a scary time recently when one of her decisions on ‘Got to Dance’ was booed by the audience. She added: “It was terrifying. My whole body was shaking afterwards. I disagreed with the comments judges Aston [Merrygold] and Ashley [Banjo] were giving. There can be some heated debate on the panel, but you’re not always going to be right. I’m learning that.” However, Kimberly said she has become a huge fan of choreographer Ashley since they’ve worked on the show.

She added to Closer magazine: “We’ve become really good friends and I’m really proud of Ashley and his group Diversity.

The fact a dance troupe can sell out arenas is amazing.”

merican actor Burt Reynolds is battling the flu in the intensive care unit of a Florida hospital, CNN reported on Friday. The “Smokey and the Bandit” actor arrived at the unnamed hospital with dehydration and was later transferred to intensive care, Reynolds’ manager, Erik Kritzer, told CNN. “He is doing better at this time,” Kritzer was quoted as saying on Friday afternoon. “We expect, as soon as he gets more fluids, he will be back in a regular room.” Reynolds, 76, is famous for roles in 1970s movies including “Deliverance” and “The Longest Yard.” More recently, he won a Golden Globe award for his role as a porn king in 1997 film “Boogie Nights.” Reynolds had heart bypass surgery in 2010.

Lake faints

from weight loss

R

icki Lake fainted because she lost so much weight. The talk show host - who weighed 19 stone at her heaviest - dramatically lost more than half her weight, cutting down to eight stone in an unhealthy manner, causing her to be hospitalized. She said: “I was fainting and once had to be hospitalized with an IV drip. I took it to an extreme. It wasn’t a size I could maintain. My goal weight is a healthy 10 stone now.” Although she has achieved her goal weight, the 44-year-old star says she hasn’t conquered her battle with her weight. She told Now magazine: “I wouldn’t say I’ve conquered it. I still battle with it and always will. Doing ‘Dancing with the Stars’ in 2011 got me in amazing shape - the best of my life - and now I’m at a healthy weight. I’m not obese anymore. I was enormous, so I’ve got a handle on it. Would I like to lose another stone? Yes. But I’m not a big person anymore. “I’ll never be skinny. I’d rather be fit and happy than emaciated and malnourished. I have to be at peace with my body no matter what size it is.”

Sims

was jealous of Danes’ post-baby body

M

olly Sims is jealous of Claire Danes’ post-baby body. The ‘Homeland’ actress showed off her incredible physique in a figure hugging gown at the Golden Globes earlier this month, just a few weeks after giving birth and Molly admitted she is struggling to lose weight seven months after having her son. She told Us Weekly: “I’m still about 10 pounds away and my baby is seven months. And I look at Claire Danes at the Globes and I’m like, I hate you.” Molly, 39, revealed she has had to work extra hard to lose the baby weight because of a thyroid problem. She said: “My thyroid kind of shut down, so that really made it very difficult in terms of the weight loss. “The problem is...you can’t [cut back your diet] until you stop breastfeeding, and I stopped at three months because I had no milk. “[Some] women will say, ‘Oh my god, it’s so easy, and I eat M&Ms and I breastfeed all day long,’ and that’s just not true.”

Theron’s superhero party

Swift doesn’t have a specific type

T

he 23-year-old singer has dated a host of celebrities including Jake Gyllenhaal, Joe Jonas, Harry Styles and John Mayer but Taylor says she doesn’t know what attracts her to certain men. Speaking on Spanish show ‘El Hormiguero’, she said: “I don’t really think too hard about what people think or why you should like someone. I think in 20s we’re just like, ‘Oh, I’ll try hanging out with him’ or ‘I’ll try being single.’ “You’re kind of all over the place. We’re crazy. We’re in our 20s.” Taylor also revealed she wrote the song ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ - which is widely believed to be about her relationship with ‘End of Watch’ star Jake - to remind herself not to take him back. She explained: “Once a relationship’s done, it’s done. I think that [‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’] kinda says it. “Maybe I wrote that song so I would never get back in that relationship. Because once you write that about it, there’s no way you’re getting back together.”

J

C

harlize Theron threw a superhero themed birthday party for her son. The ‘Snow White And The Huntsman’ actress celebrated Jackson’s first birthday at the Coop, a play space for children, in Studio City, Los Angles, where Jackson’s friends enjoyed Spiderman cupcakes and special appearances by Wonder Woman and Batman. A source told Us Weekly: “It was a really mellow party. Charlize is the nicest person on earth. She’s gorgeous and relaxed and sweet. “Charlize absolutely adores [Jackson]. They have the most wonderful relationship.

[Jackson] was jet-lagged, so when everybody sang ‘Happy Birthday,’ they had to whisper it. She didn’t want it to be really loud.” It was previously revealed Charlize received nine copies of baby book ‘Go to Sleep’ when she adopted Jackson in March 2012. The Oscar-winning actress is famed for her love of swearing and as a joke nine of her pals each bought her the novel, which is described as a “children’s book for adults”. The book examines the angst involved in getting babies to go to sleep after spending hours trying to soothe them.

Lopez not ready for marriage

ennifer Lopez is in no rush to marry Casper Smart.

Although the 43-year-old singer is deeply in love with her 25-year-old backing dancer, she says she is taking their relationship one day at a time. Speaking on ‘CBS This Morning’ she said: “[Usually I’m like] Where is it going? Are we getting married? But now I’m like, maybe it’s OK to just be in the moment. Maybe it’s OK to enjoy this for right now. Who knows where it’s going? There’s love here. Relax.” Jennifer started dating Casper after her split from third husband Marc Anthony and the ‘Parker’ actress admitted it has been difficult explaining the marriage breakdown to their four-year-old twins Max and Emme. She said: “It wasn’t until recently they started going, ‘Where’s Daddy?’ And I’m like, ‘I’m going to explain it to you when you’re bigger because you’re not going to understand it right now.’ And they’ll take that. And I said, ‘But here’s what I do know. Mommy and Max and Emme are always going to be there. Mommy’s always going to be there. Mommy’s not going anywhere.’ And that comforts them a little.” —Babg Showbiz

37

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

LIFESTYLE M o v i e s

T

&

M u s i c

First Steve Jobs movie gets red carpet premiere

he first movie about Apple’s legendary co-founder got a warm reception at its world premiere on Friday, just 15 months after Steve Jobs’ death. “jOBS,” starring “Two and a Half Men” actor Ashton Kutcher as the tech and computer entrepreneur who revolutionized the way people listen to music and built Apple Inc into an international powerhouse, got a red carpet roll-out at the Sundance Film Festival ahead of hitting US theaters on April 19. “jOBS’ chronicles 30 defining years of the late Apple chairman, from an experimental youth to the man in charge of one of the world’s most recognized brands. It is the first of two US feature films about Jobs, who died in 2011 at age 56.

“Everybody has their own opinion about Steve Jobs, and they have something invested in a different part of his story. So the challenge is to decide what part of his story to tell, and not disenfranchise anybody,” director Josh Stern told Reuters ahead of the screening.

“Hazarding a guess and venturing into too much speculation is always dangerous, especially with a character who is so well-known,” Stern added. The film, costarring Josh Gad and Dermot Mulroney, begins with Jobs the dreamer, the poet and the occasional drug user in college, and his initial ideas for Apple Computers,

From left, actor Ashton Kutcher, who portrays Steve Jobs, director Joshua Michael Stern, and actor Josh Gad, who portrays Steve Wozniak, pose together at the premiere of ‘jOBS’ during the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on Friday. —AP before his vision took on a life of its own.

Much of the drama is based around the early 1980s, and Jobs’ ideologies for the Apple Lisa and Macintosh computers, which ended up performing poorly for the company and led to Jobs being fired.

Kutcher’s Jobs is seen as the rock star of

the tech world, admired but misunderstood in his early days as he constantly tried to think outside of the box and bring a notion of “cool” to his brand. The audience on Friday warmly applauded the film following the screening. In a question-and-answer session after the

screening, Kutcher took to the stage to talk about his preparations of mastering Jobs’ posture, hand gestures and eccentricities, saying his “painstaking research” included watching more than 100 hours of footage of the Apple innovator.

Notably missing from the film are details about Jobs’ personal life - his court settlement with the mother of his first child features only in the backdrop of the 1980s, a time when he struggled to gain support from the Apple board for his visions. Stern told the audience that he deliberately stayed away from the CEO’s personal life, saying the film was “not about getting mired in some of the soap opera” of Jobs’ life. Kutcher, 34, told Reuters on the red carpet before the screening that he was honored to play Jobs but also terrified because of the former Apple chairman’s iconic status. “To be playing a guy who so freshly is in people’s minds, where everywhere you go you can run into people who met him or knew him or had seen a video of him ... that’s terrifying because everyone is an appropriate critic,” Kutcher told Reuters.

Wrong personalities Hours before the screening, Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak said the movie appeared to misrepresent aspects of both his own and Jobs’ personalities and

their early vision for the company.

Wozniak was commenting after seeing a brief clip of an early scene that was released online on Thursday. “Totally wrong. ... The ideas of computers affecting society did not come from Jobs,” Wozniak, who co-founded Apple with Jobs and Ronald Wayne in a California garage in 1976, told technology blog Gizmodo.com.

“The lofty talk came much further down the line,” Wozniak said in a series of emails. “Book of Mormon” star Gad, who plays Wozniak, told Reuters on Friday’s red carpet that the filmmakers had tried to reach out to him to get his input on “jOBS,” but that Wozniak was “participating in another project about Steve Jobs.”

Wozniak is tied to a movie based on Walter Isaacson’s official biography “Steve Jobs,” being developed by screen writer Aaron Sorkin of “The West Wing” and “The Social Network” fame. No release date or casting has been announced. Kutcher said he hoped Wozniak would look more kindly on the movie when he had seen the whole two hours. “I hope that when he sees the film, he feels that he was portrayed accurately, that the film accurately represents who he was and how he was, and more importantly, inspires people to go and build things,” he said. —Reuters

‘Zero Dark Thirty’ California bill would toughen hits the UK: did penalties for celebrity ‘swatting’ critics zero in on A torture scenes?

“Z

ero Dark Thirty” landed this week in the United Kingdom, where the Kathryn Bigelow drama continued to stir debate over its depiction of the use of torture in the CIA’s decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden. As they have in the US, some critics accused the filmmakers of implying that enhanced interrogation techniques could be a useful form of intelligence gathering, while others believed that Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal were more ambiguous in their portrayal of torture’s efficacy.

Most reviewers were floored by the propulsive storyline, the performance of star Jessica Chastain and the gripping dramatization of the raid on bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan. In the Evening Standard, David Sexton argues that the film is ambivalent about water boarding and other brutal methods, noting that a key piece of information is only discovered after interrogators ply a detainee with food and kindness.

“This has proved offensive to those who, to avoid having to accept there may be negative consequences from taking the moral high ground, prefer to believe that torture must always be ineffective as well as wrong,” Sexton writes. “Some of these critics - most notably nitwit Naomi Wolf, who has tastefully compared Bigelow to Leni Riefensthal and dubbed her ‘torture’s handmaiden’ - have claimed the film’s disturbing representation of torture amounts to a blithe commendation of the practice, not really a possible interpretation for those who have actually seen the movie.”

In a four-star review, Sexton went on to hail “Zero Dark Thirty” as “terrifically good” and said the depiction of the raid was a “masterclass in action filmmaking.” In The Independent, Anthony Quinn praised the film for avoiding simplistic conclusions about America’s controversial interrogation methods.

“The waterboarding, the beatings, the dog collars, all the stuff you’ve heard about is here, and perhaps some you haven’t - the spectacle of a man being forced inside a small wooden box is as harrowing as any,” Quinn writes. “Is this an abhorrent crime? Would the information be impossible to gain by other means? The film isn’t saying either way; it is asking us to make up our own minds.”

Quinn also argued that the film is more effective because it was directed by a woman and that because of her gender, Bigelow has a less “gung-ho” relationship to violence than a Ridley Scott or Michael Mann might bring to the same material (he may not have seen “Point Break”) Robbie Collins maintains in his review of the film in the Telegraph that Bigelow and Boal leave it to audiences to decide whether torture is right or wrong.

“These scenes are every bit as hellish to watch as they should be, and Bigelow’s genius is to make them feel at once gratuitous and necessary,” Collins writes. He also praised the film for eschewing jingoism and for having the courage to end on a deflated note. “Where, then, does Zero Dark Thirty leave us?” Collins asks. “In the same place it leaves Maya: with our thirst for justice quenched, but our sense of rightness shaken.

“Where do you want to go?” a pilot asks her, and she starts shedding tear after tear. This, finally, is what victory looks like, and its likeness to defeat is terrifying.”

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian was more unsettled by the film’s relationship with torture and seemed to wish it had taken a firmer position. “There is nothing in Zero Dark Thirty comparable to Gavin Hood’s soul-searching 2007 movie, Rendition, in which Jake Gyllenhaal’s CIA agent denounces waterboarding information as valueless; he quotes Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and says torture victims ‘speak upon the rack,/ Where men enforced do speak anything,’” Bradshaw writes. “I can well believe that, but for me the most sinister depiction of torture is non-depiction. Many Hollywood movies about the war on terror have managed to ignore the subject, implying non-existence. Despite its fence-sitting, I prefer Bigelow’s account.”

Bradshaw was also less enamored of the film on an artistic level, writing that “It is well made, with a relentless, dour drumbeat of tension and a great final sequence, but nowhere near as good as the first season of Homeland.” Empire Magazine’s Kim Newman mostly skirted the political debate surrounding “Zero Dark Thirty,” but was ecstatic about Bigelow’s directing, the film’s pacing and star turns.

“Like Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, it’s a relatively new kind of American patriotic war movie, counterprogramming jaded paranoid fantasies like the Bourne movies or the liberal horror stories (Redacted, Rendition, In The Valley Of Elah, Green Zone etc.) thrown up by the War On Terror,” Newman writes. “It’s measured, seething with suppressed emotion, unafraid of slow stretches and false trails, snapping shut like a mantrap when blood is shed. If it grips in a more intellectual, journalistic manner than its Oscar-winning predecessor, it’s because Chastain’s character is necessarily absent during the climax though she has a terrific post-traumatic outburst when the case is closed.” —Reuters

larmed that pranksters have called 911 to report false emergencies at the homes of celebrities, including Justin Bieber and Tom Cruise, a state lawmaker on Wednesday proposed legislation to get tougher with those engaged in “swatting.” Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca asked for the bill by state Sen Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), which provides for longer sentences and greater restitution when people are convicted of making false reports to the police involving anyone, including celebrities.

“The recent spate of phony reports to law enforcement officials that the home of an actor or singer is being robbed or held hostage is dangerous and it’s only a matter of time before there’s a tragic accident,” Lieu said. The most recent incident happened Monday when someone called police with a false report about domestic violence and a possible shooting at the Hollywood Hills home of singer Chris Brown, who was not home at the time.

Lieu said his bill, to be introduced soon,

would hold those convicted of making false 911 reports liable for all costs associated with the police response. Currently, the penalty for making a false 911 report is up to one year in jail, but an offender could get probation with no jail time. Lieu’s bill proposes a minimum sentence of 120 days in jail.

The measure would also make it easier to charge someone with a felony if a person gets hurt as a result of a prank call, which would increase the penalty to up to three years in jail. Prosecutors would no longer have to show that the prankster knew injury or death would occur as a result of a false report.

“The sheriff is sponsoring this bill because this phenomenon is increasingly becoming more of a challenge,” said Stephen R. Whitmore, a spokesman for Baca. “He believes increasing the penalties, including increased jail time and financial responsibility, will bring this serious, albeit new, crime to the forefront exactly where it belongs.”—latimesblogs.latimes.com

File photo shows US actor Tom Cruise poses for photographers during a news conference of his film ‘Jack Reacher’ in Tokyo.—AP

File photo shows Justin Bieber accepts the award for favorite album - pop/rock for ‘Believe’ at the 40th Anniversary American Music Awards, in Los Angeles. —AP

Documentary uncovers story behind ‘punk prayer’ protest

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hen three women of Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot entered a Moscow church to perform a “punk prayer” in February of last year, little did they think their actions would land them behind bars and capture the world’s attention. A new documentary, “Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this week, follows the band members and their families as they struggle through the legal system in Russia.

The documentary tells the story of three women - Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30 - who as members of the feminist art collective Pussy Riot performed a 40-second “punk prayer” inside Russia’s main cathedral on Feb 21, 2012. Pussy Riot took on two powerful state institutions at once - the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian government - when they burst into Moscow’s golden-domed Christ the Savior Cathedral wearing bright ski masks, tights and colorful dresses to protest against President Vladimir Putin’s close ties with the Church.

This performance led to their arrest on charges of religious hatred and culminated in a trial that reverberated around the world. After a trial that was shown

live on television, a judge ruled the three women had “committed an act of hooliganism, a gross violation of public order showing

ishment converted to a suspended sentence. “It was such a big soap opera in Russia,” documentary co-director Maxim

case became one of Russia’s most high-profile trials since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. It ignited comments from Madonna,

Members of the all-girl punk band ‘Pussy Riot’ Yekaterina Samutsevich, Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova sit in a glass-walled cage in a court in Moscow. —AFP obvious disrespect for society.”

The court found all three women guilty and sentenced them to two years in prison.

Samutsevich later had her pun-

Pozdorovkin told Reuters. “In Russia there is a national sort of sense that a lot of people believe that the girls got more or less what they deserved,” he said. The

Sting and Paul McCartney.

“Whereas in the West it was understood to be mostly a political human rights story, in Russia it was understood almost exclu-

sively as a religious hooliganism, religious hatred story,” Pozdorovkin said.

“In reality the story is so much bigger and so much richer and so epic, and I don’t use that word lightly ... (that) while people still have this awareness of the story, we wanted to make a thought provoking film about it.”

Pozdorovkin and co-director Mike Lerner, who started following the band around the time of their arrest, said that other documentaries and shows following the story had vilified the three women and that they were “victims of quite aggressive Russian television interviews and programs.”

They wanted to make a film that went behind the news story of the three women and their trial, exploring through interviews their backgrounds and motivations to act as they did in the church. “Various shows (were) made about the girls that were obviously quite negative, so they were very wary. But I think they quite realized a proper film that explored who they were and what their motivation was, was a good idea ... their contribution is vital to understanding who these women are,” said Lerner.

The US television rights were purchased by HBO during the festival. —Reuters

Director Abrams to helm new Star Wars, fans say force with him

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ci-fi filmmaker JJ Abrams will direct “Star Wars: Episode VII”, Walt Disney Co said after days of speculation, giving hope to many long-suffering fans who were disappointed by the last three installments in the iconic franchise. The announcement was greeted with celebrations on online networks by the films’ army of enthusiasts who have already watched Abrams rescue the aging “Star Trek” series with a high-grossing prequel in 2009.

Disney said late on Friday Abrams would work under the leadership of producer Kathleen Kennedy, the former president of Lucasfilm, and the script would be penned by Oscar-winning writer Michael Arndt. “JJ is the perfect director to helm this. Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise,” Kennedy said in a statement on starwars.com. Fans were

equally enthusiastic. “JJ Abrams to the rescue!!! Yes!! #starwarsVII,” wrote Jonny Radtke on Twitter.

“Great news about JJ Abrams directing Star Wars.

Might justrescue the brand...,” added Alastair Brookshaw.

Rumors that Abrams, one of Hollywood’s most successful directors and producers, would take stewardship of the films filled industry publications and online forums over the past week. The 46-yearold made his name with TV shows “Alias” and “Lost” and earned his stripes as a director of effects-laden blockbusters with “Super 8”, “Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol” and another widely-expected Star Trek film “Star Trek Into Darkness”, due out later this year. The Star Wars franchise, which was created by George Lucas’ Lucasfilms Ltd, has grossed more than $4.4 billion at the global box office since the first film

was released in 1977, making it the third most successful movie property after the “Harry Potter” and “James Bond” series. Star Wars characters such as Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker and the anti-hero Darth Vader have become a staple part of pop culture, along with the catch phrase “May the force be with you”. The Star Wars films were acquired by Disney after they bought Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion in October 2012. They announced then that three new installments would be made, starting in 2015.

Lucas, 68, gave Abrams his blessing on Starwars.com, saying the director was “an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn’t be in better hands”. Abrams said his new role was “an absolute honor”. Disney had previously said Lucas would remain a creative consultant on the series. —Reuters

JJ Abrams

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

lifestyle

Las Vegas

F E A T U R E S

This January 2013 photo provided by MGM Resorts International shows the Chinese New Year floral display at the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens in Las Vegas welcoming the year of the snake.

Feasts and flowers for

Lunar

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as Vegas is getting ready for the year of the snake. The casino capital celebrates Chinese New Year - also known as lunar new year - in a big way, with feasts, exhibits, performances and other events at outdoor festivals and at casino-resorts like Bellagio and The Venetian.

While the new year holiday falls on Feb 10, some of the offerings are under way already and will continue through much of February.

Las Vegas also hosts a three-day Chinese New Year in the Desert festival downtown, Feb. 8-10, and a one-day event in the city’s Chinatown neighborhood on Feb 17.

Asians and Asian-Americans are an important and growing demographic in Las Vegas, in terms of both residential population and tourism. More than 6 percent of the 589,000 people who live in Las Vegas are Asian, according US Census estimates. About 3 percent of the city’s 39 million annual visitors - totaling over a million people a year - are Asian or AsianAmerican, according to the 2011 Las Vegas Visitor Profile Study. International tourists include 188,000 annual airport arrivals from China, 132,000 from Korea and 107,000 from Japan, according to the Las Vegas Convention

and Visitors Authority, with even more flying into California airports and heading to Las Vegas by bus or car.

While Asian tourists visit Las Vegas throughout the year, the period surrounding the lunar new year holiday is a particularly popular time for leisure travel, especially among China’s growing middle class. “They want to leave their homes and go travel during holidays,” said JanIe Low, who is helping to organize the Chinese New Year in the Desert festival in partnership with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Fremont Street Experience. She said that according to tradition, if you travel during the new year holiday, “it’s a sign that you’re going to be doing this the whole year.”

This is the second year for the Chinese New Year in the Desert festival. Cultural performances are scheduled for the Third Street Stage on Feb 8 from 5 pm -10 pm, and on Feb 9 and 10, noon to 9 pm A dragon dance Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. will kick off with virtual fireworks on the 90foot-high (27- meter) LED display canopy at Fremont Street Experience, the downtown pedestrian mall and entertainment area. A parade with floats steps off at 8 am on Feb 10.

The festival also includes food vendors and oth-

er activities and events.

Las Vegas’ Chinatown is not a historically ethnic residential neighborhood like Chinatowns in New York or San Francisco. But it is a commercial area worth visiting for Asian restaurants and businesses, located along Spring Mountain Road west of the Las Vegas Strip. The Chinatown Year of the Snake festival takes place Feb 17, 10 am -5 pm, with cuisine from around Asia, arts and crafts, and performances drawing on a variety of traditions, including Chinese lion and dragon dances, martial arts, Japanese taiko drummers and Polynesian dance. Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens annual floral display welcoming the lunar new year is up through March 3. The display, incorporating principles of the Asian design philosophy feng shui, includes large hanging red lanterns, an 18-foot-tall (5.5-meter) money tree decorated with gold coins, a 9-foot (3-meter) blue-and-yellow snake, a waterfall, incense pots, and a wooden boat with a 38-foot (11.5-meter) mast in a pond of koi fish inspired by 15th century Chinese fishing vessels. Also on display are figures of six children wearing outfits made from hundreds of colorful carnations and chrysanthemums.

‘Not to publish’ Diana photo sells for $18,000

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previously unseen press photo of a teenaged Princess Diana that a London tabloid deemed too hot to publish has sold for $18,306, the American auctioneers handling the sale said Friday.

The black-and-white image from the dawn of the 1980s shows Diana, possibly in a ski chalet, smiling at the camera as she lies comfortably in the lap of a like-aged but unidentified young man reading a book. The photo was taken before she became princess of Wales.

By the window stands a bottle of Johnnie Walker whisky, but more intriguing are the words “not to be published” scrawled across the photo with the kind of grease pencil used by newspaper picture editors at the time. On the back, the photo is dated February 26, 1981 — two days after

New Year

Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of Prince Charles and the commoner then known as Diana Spencer. RR Auctions of Amherst, New Hampshire, which handled the sale, said the photo came from the private Caren Archive, which acquired it seven years ago when it bought out the photo library of Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper.

The auctioneers did not identify the buyer. British media have said the young man is Adam Russell, the great-grandson of former British prime minister Stanley Baldwin.

Internet bidding on the photo and othersincluding a rare autographed portrait of Albert Einstein by a New York society photographer-ran from January 17 through Thursday. Diana died in a Paris car crash in August 1997, a year after her divorce from Charles. She was 36. — AFP

This January 2013 photo provided by The Venetian in Las Vegas shows a Chinese New Year art installation welcoming the year of the snake in the waterfall atrium connecting The Venetian and The Palazzo resorts. — AP photos Rice & Company at Luxor Hotel and Casino; and a “China Poblano” menu by chef Jose Andres at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Other events and special offerings in Las Vegas marking year of the dragon include themed treatments at Mandarin Oriental’s Forbes Five-Star spa; a parade through the MGM Grand Feb. 10 at 5 pm by the Cirque du Soleil dance troupe; a dragon dance visiting retailers at ARIA and Crystals at CityCenter, 1 pm to 3 pm on Feb 11; and a dragon and lion dance at 6 pm Feb 12 at Wynn Las Vegas. —AP

Romanians arrested over

Dutch art heist claim innocence

Daniela Dede, the lawyer of Mihai Alexandru Bitu speaks to journalists at The Court of Bucharest on January 25, 2013. —AFP

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This image provided by RR Auction shows a photograph marked ‘not to be published’ of a teenage Diana Spencer before she became Princess of Wales, with a young friend seated beside her. — AP

Bellagio will host a dragon and lion dance on Feb 12 at 6:30 pm, and a $500 per person new year dinner is being offered at Bellagio’s Tuscany Kitchen, prepared by the culinary team from Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, recreating dishes that have been served there to visiting dignitaries.

The waterfall atrium connecting The Venetian and Palazzo resorts hosts an art installation featuring a 98-foot-long (30 meters) animatronic snake named Sophie Chow coiled throughout a massive peach tree decorated with flowers, lanterns and coins, on display through Feb 25. On Feb 9, drummers and firecrackers will launch a dragon dance at 3:30 pm through The Venetian lobby, casino and atrium, ending at the Palazzo. On Feb 10 at 1 pm, at The Shoppes at The Palazzo’s Chloe rotunda, a traditional Chinese fan dance will be followed by distribution of 500 red envelopes with gift cards, chocolate coins and other surprises.

Special menus for the new year around Las Vegas include a $28.88 dinner (eight is a lucky number in Chinese culture) at Monte Carlo’s Dragon Noodle Co & Sushi Bar; a Chinesethemed four-course prix fixe at Fleur by Hubert Keller at Mandalay Bay; a four-course prix fixe at

ll three Romanians arrested last week on suspicion of involvement in the theft of seven masterpieces from a Rotterdam museum, including works by Monet and Picasso, claim they are innocent, their lawyers said Friday. Daniela Dede told AFP that her client Mihai Alexandru Bitu, accused of acting as an intermediary in the sale of two paintings, was “absolutely not guilty”. “He just received a call from his co-defendant who asked him to find a buyer for some objects. He didn’t know it was these paintings,” she said. Two other men, Radu Dogaru and Eugen Darie, were also “not guilty in this affair”, their lawyer Doina Lupu said.

All three have been detained for questioning since their arrest on January 22. Under Romanian law, they can be held for 29 days but their lawyers were seeking Friday to have them released early. The spectacular grab from Rotterdam’s Kunsthal museum in the night of October 1516 last year was the biggest heist in 20 years, with the val-

ue of the works pinched estimated at between 50 million and 200 million euros ($66 million and $266 million) on the open market.

All three men had spent several months in the Netherlands prior to the theft. According to sources close to the case, the men admitted visiting the museum, but a week before the theft. The heist gripped the Netherlands and the art world as police apparently struggled to piece the crime together, despite putting 25 officers on the case. Dutch police released grainy security camera footage of the theft, which took place around 3:00 am.

The footage showed two apparently young males entering and leaving the museum in central Rotterdam within barely 90 seconds. Romania’s police chief Petre Toba said Thursday that “clues had shown that several other people took part in the theft.” The works stolen include Picasso’s “Tete d’Arlequin”, Monet’s “Waterloo Bridge” and Lucian Freud’s “Woman with Eyes Closed”. — AFP

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

lifestyle F E A T U R E S

Employees preparing pho noodles next to big tanks of beef soup at Pho Thin restaurant.

An employee placing pho noodles into bowls.

Vietnamese noodles

A cultural pho-nomenon I

n Hanoi, it is a truth universally acknowledged that the best pho noodle soup is found in the grimiest restaurants, where the staff are rude, the queues long, and the surroundings spartan at best. Pho, a simple soup of beef broth, herbs, spices and rice noodles, emerged some 100 years ago in north Vietnam and has since acquired a global following, beloved by French celebrity chefs and cash-strapped American students alike. But in Vietnam eating pho is akin to a religious ritual-as the late writer Nguyen Tuan said-and the humble dish, which can be found on every street cor-

ner in the capital Hanoi, is integral to people’s daily lives.

“I have been eating here for more than 20 years,” Tran Van Hung told AFP as he stood shivering in Hanoi’s damp winter chill in the queue at the Pho Thin restaurant. “The staff here is always rude to me. I’m used to it. I don’t care,” the 39year-old said, adding that he was raised on the noodles from the unassuming yet renowned establishment on Hanoi’s Lo Duc street. Pho is a Vietnamese staple.

While traditionally a breakfast food, it is now served at all times of day and eaten regularly by rich and poor alike, usually

at the same establishments, where it costs around a dollar a bowl.

“Pho is purely Vietnamese, the most unique, distinctive dish in our cuisine,” said chef Pham AnhTuyet. The noodles must be handmade, the perfect size and no more than four hours old; the ginger must be chargrilled; the broth of beef bones and oriental spices must have bubbled gently for at least eight hours over coals, she said. “The fragrant perfume of the pho is part of the beauty of the dish,” Tuyet, who is famed for her mastery of traditional cooking, told AFP. “No other country can make anything like pho-one of the secrets is the broth, the clear, aromatic broth,” she told AFP at her tiny restaurant, tucked away on the top floor of a wood-fronted house in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

Controversy obscures origins The exact origins of pho are obscure and highly controversial in Vietnam. It is traditionally made with beef broth, but chicken has also been used since the 1940s when the Japanese occupation resulted in a scarcity of beef. Beef was not common in Vietnamese cooking at the turn of the century-cattle were valuable working beasts-but with the arrival of the steak-eating French colonialists, bones and other scraps became available for the soup pot. Some experts, such as Didier Corlou, the former head chef at Hanoi’s Metropole Hotel who has expounded pho’s virtues to international gourmands for decades, argue the dish is “Vietnamese with French influence”. “ The name ‘pho’ could have come from ‘pot au feu’-the French dish,” Corlou told AFP, pointing out similarities between the dishes, including the grilled onion in the French dish and the grilled shallot in pho. Another theory, Corlou said, is that as pho was first sold by roving hawkers carrying a pot and earthenware stove-a “coffre-feu” in French-the name comes from the shouts of “feu?” “feu!” to establish if noodles were available.

Yet another argument suggests pho originated from a talented cook in Nam Dinh city-once Vietnam’s largest colonial textile centre, where both French and Vietnamese workers toiled-who thought up a soup to please both nationalities.

Many Vietnamese strongly deny any French influence on their national dish, arguing it pre-dates the colonial period and is uniquely northern Vietnamese. But whatever the real story, “pho is one of the world’s best soups,” Corlou said. “For me Vietnamese cuisine is the best in the world.”

Customers eating pho noodles.

Pho au fois gras?

Corlou said that while the main ingredients of pho stay constant, the dish

A picture shows an employee placing pho noodles into bowls at Pho Thin restaurant in Hanoi. — AFP photos

must evolve. At his three Hanoi restaurants, for example, he offers a salmon pho as well as a pho au fois gras priced at $10 a bowl-”you cannot put pho in a museum,” he said. In the last decade, new local versions of that classic-including fresh rolls made from unsliced pho rice noodle sheets-have also emerged. And as Vietnam has grown richer, more expensive pho-including a reported $40 kobe beef version-has appeared.

But beyond adding more meat, there

is not much you can do to improve the dish, said Hanoi-based chef and cuisine expert Tracey Lister, who thinks the Vietnamese deserve the credit for their acclaimed noodle soup.

“It is the great dish, the celebrated dish, and I think we’ve got to let Vietnam have that one,” Lister, the director of the Hanoi Cooking Center, said. “Pho truly represents Vietnamese cuisine. It’s a simple dish yet sophisticated. It is a very elegant dish. It’s just a classic.” — AFP

Employees preparing pho noodles next to big tanks of beef soup.

Ancient farmers may have sweetened lives with chocolate

A

ncient corn farmers living in pit houses among arid canyons of what is now Utah may have sweetened their lives with a chocolate derivative imported from the tropics of Central America, recent archeological findings suggest. An archeologist and team of chemists analyzing the remains of an eighth century village near present-day Moab found theobromine and caffeine, compounds found in a cacao tree native to Central America and from which chocolate is derived.

“We associate cacao use with the migration of corn farmers from Mexico into the Southwest,” University of Pennsylvania archeologist Dorothy Washburn said on Friday. But the new findings sug-

gest that cacao, a bean that was ground up and used to flavor food and make drinks, may have arrived in the region hundreds of years earlier than previously thought, and from farther afield, she said. The team analyzed roughly a half dozen polished and “very beautifully designed” ceramic bowls “with non-local designs” that belonged to farmers whose ancestors migrated north over centuries from parts of Central America, Washburn said.

The findings strongly suggest the bowls contained cacao, and predate earlier traces of cacao studied in jars and bowls found in masonry pueblos from the 11th and 12th centuries at Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, Washburn said. The Utah study, to be published in April in the Journal of Archaeological

Science, is not definitive because water swished around the bowls and then analyzed did not contain a third compound that could prove the existence of cacao, Washburn said.

“We looked for it but didn’t detect it,” said Washburn, who conducted the study in 2012 with husband William Washburn and his colleague, Petia Shipkova, both chemists at drug maker BristolMyers Squibb. Michael Blake, an anthropology professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, said cacao was an elite food in ancient times - the Aztec used cacao beans as currency and the bowls analyzed in the study were likely from ordinary farmers.

“It is quite possible that it made its way up there

as a precious trade item, part of a trade system of a wide range of precious commodities,” Blake said.

The earliest evidence of cacao consumption dates back more than 3,000 years to southern regions of Mexico and Central America, Blake said. It cannot grow naturally in the Southwest United States.

Washburn said her team had also discovered cacao in ancient vessels analyzed near Collinsville, Illinois, which were used at the same time as those found in Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. Washburn said the combination of theobromine and caffeine in the bowls from Utah suggested the existence of cacao, but the traces could also be from types of holly that grow along the Southeast United States Gulf coast and elsewhere. — Reuters

Vietnamese noodles: A cultural pho-nomenon

39

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2013

Venezuela

International Expo

Matt Gone who is known as The Checkered Man poses for a photo at the 3rd annual Venezuela Tattoo International Expo in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan 25, 2013. As many as 300 tattoo artists from a variety of countries are expected to attend the 4-day event, sharing their skills including under the skin implants and body piercings. — AP

Mary Jose Cristerna known as The Vampire Woman poses for a photo at the 3rd annual Venezuela Tattoo International Expo.

F

Black women unlock potential of hair

ive years ago, Kansas City, Mo, jazz singer Bukeka Shoals woke up one morning and decided she was through with chemical relaxers. “I was tired of wearing my hair a certain way to feel acceptable,” says Shoals, who now wears her hair in a fluffed-out curly ‘do with slanted bangs framing her face. For Shoals, embracing her African-American hair the way God made it was part of a midlife transformation to express her true self in every way, to get back to a cultural identity she had chosen as a young girl but then drifted away from.

Shoals grew up in California in the 1960s and ‘70s, when black leaders, entertainers and athletes wore Afros as a political statement. Her father was earning a doctorate at Stanford University. When she was 6, Shoals asked her parents if she could change her given name, Gretchen Elizabeth, to Bukeka Bosede. Bukeka is a South African name from the Xhosa people, and Bosede comes from the Yoruba of West Africa.

While most of the nation was mesmerized by televised images of civil rights activist Angela Davis and her amazing Afro-it seemed as big as the moon she was reaching for-Shoals and her family saw her in person at rallies. “My whole family wore Afros then. And my sister and I had wigs that looked like Angela’s hair because ours wasn’t long enough,” she says.

In her late teens, Shoals started relaxing her hair and wore it that way for more than 20 years. When she decided to ditch the chemical relaxers, she discovered natural hair has practical benefits. It requires less time at the hair salon, costs less money and makes it easier to maintain an active lifestyle. Because relaxed hair can lose its shape if exposed to water or sweat, black women with perms often avoid strenuous exercise. For Shoals, who works out four to five times a week and likes to swim, natural hair is “freeing.”

She’s not alone. Stylists say there has been a sea change in the last decade, with percentages flipping from 80 percent of their black female clients using relaxers 10 years ago to only 20 percent using them today. As with most trends, the movement toward natural black hair started on both coasts before really gaining momentum here about two years ago. Celebrities such as Erykah Badu, Esperanza Spalding and Rihanna are frequently seen rocking natural locks in magazines.

In September 2012, Oprah went au naturel, sporting a full mane of real curls in her cover shot for O magazine for the first time. Celebrities have always driven trends in hairstyles. Just as Angela Davis and the Jackson Five ushered in Afros during the black-is-beautiful movement in the ‘60s and ‘70s, Michael Jackson and Prince ignited a relaxer revolution with their Jheri curls in the ear-

LaToya Rivers unravels coils of Suzetta Parks’ hair.

ly ‘80s. But today’s shift toward natural styles is not a return to the Afro. Blacks who opt for that retro style are the exception, not the rule. Kevin Young, a senior on the University of Kansas Jayhawks basketball team, lets his hair grow during basketball season as a way to stand out.

“I like wearing an Afro. Not a lot of people have one. A lot of people say I’m like Samson because I can’t cut my hair,” Young says, laughing.

Still, Young says some of his teammates have been growing their own hair out a little longer, too. Students sometimes come up to Young on campus or at the grocery store to compliment his hair. And he does the same thing. “I don’t see many Afros around here, but when I do I make sure I stop and say hello.” LaRon Green, owner of Shampoo by Salon LaRon in Kansas City, Mo,

Jallae Brannan, background, styles JoAnn Harris’ hair.

LaToya Rivers wears a Sister Girl earrings and sporting Sister coils.

LaKeisha Brashier, right, uses a blow dryer on Diane Burkholder’s hair.

Diane Burkholder’s hair was an Afro that she had styled in to a layer cut.

emphasizes that natural black hair doesn’t have a single expression. “Natural black hair can be styled to be super curly or stick straight or anything in between,” Green says.

In fact, natural hair gives women more styling options than chemically relaxed hair. That’s because sodium hydroxide, or lye, the active ingredient in relaxers, changes the way molecules in the hair bond. In doing so, it also makes hair more susceptible to breakage, so stylists don’t want to add highlights or use heated styling tools on relaxed hair. Curls in relaxed hair are created by setting wet hair on rollers.

Natural hair, however, can be colored, flatironed or blow-dried. Green uses chemical relaxers on clients who want them, but he tries to talk them into going natural because it is healthier for the hair. Relaxers, especially if applied improperly, can burn the scalp and permanently damage hair follicles, leading to thinning hair and bald spots. The latest generation of heated styling tools and natural creams and oils has helped swing the tide away from relaxed hair by expanding the styling options for natural hair.

Today, natural hair can be styled to look even sleeker and straighter than relaxed hair. “By using a pressing comb around the hair line and then flat-ironing the hair, you can add more body and bounce to the hair.

Processed hair can’t take heat,” Green says. Queen Latifah’s silky straight look comes from pressing combs and flat irons, not chemical relaxers, Green says. You can tell because photos of her in a pool show her hair reverting to natural, tight curls.

Another option for straightening black hair naturally is the Brazilian blowout, says Trae Smith, a stylist at Paul Smith Salon in Kansas City. The technique, popular with Caucasians, seals keratin and collagen into the hair using high heat.

Keratin is a protein that hair needs, and collagen provides necessary elasticity. A Brazilian blowout doesn’t change the chemical bonds in the hair but “tricks” the hair cuticle into lying down flatter, which reduces frizz for several weeks before it returns to its natural form.

“Black women just want the same options Caucasian women have. Before, they couldn’t achieve that flowy Kim Kardashian or Jennifer Lopez look without chemical relaxers, but with today’s products and implements they can,” Smith says. —MCT