28 Jan

CR IP TI ON BS SU 150 FILS

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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Panel approves debt relief, KD 1,000 grant Juwaihel ‘absconds’ after verdict • Lawyers prepare to defend Barrak

Max 24º Min 14º High Tide 13:20 & 23:42 Low Tide 06:52 & 18:22

By B Izzak

Brazil nightclub blaze kills 232

KUWAIT: The National Assembly’s financial and economic affairs committee yesterday unanimously approved a draft law stipulating that the government will forgive interest on loans taken by Kuwaiti citizens and providing a grant of KD 1,000 to those who will not benefit from the interest writeoff. HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah meanwhile told a number of MPs not to rush the issue of the loan interest write-off so as not to negatively impact the Reserve Fund for Future Generations. MP Yacoub Al-Sane, one of those who met the Amir, said “we assured the Amir that we represent the nation and that we will never accept anything that may harm national interests or the Future Generations Fund”.

According to the bill, interests incurred on bank loans taken between Jan 1, 2002 and March 31, 2008 will be forgiven and debtors will be asked only to repay the principal of the loan. The committee did not provide figures on how many people will benefit from the write-off or the cost of the bill on state coffers. Earlier this month, Central Bank Governor Mohammad Al-Hashel told the same committee that the cost of such a measure will be around KD 1.7 billion. The bill also stipulates that citizens who did not benefit from the waiving off of interest will be given a KD 1,000 grant which will be deposited in a fund called the family fund.

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Iraq signs oil contract with Kuwait Energy SANTA MARIA, Brazil: People carry a victim of a fire in a club in this city in Rio Grande do Sul state early yesterday. — AP SANTA MARIA, Brazil: At least 232 people died early yesterday when a fire tore through a nightclub packed with university students in the southern Brazilian city of Santa Maria, police said. Shocked survivors described a frantic rush to the exits as flames swept through the crowded club in the university town, with scores of young people getting trampled and passing out from smoke inhalation. Another 131 people were injured, and the death toll from the inferno had climbed rapidly as firefighters pulled bodies from the charred remains of the “Kiss” club, believed to have been packed with hundreds of revelers.

The tragedy appeared to be the deadliest such blaze in more than a decade, since a fire at a shopping

center and discotheque in the central Chinese city of Luoyang killed more than 300 people in 2000. Reports said the fire broke out after 2:00 am (0400 GMT) when the nightclub was hosting a university party featuring a rock band using pyrotechnics, but authorities have yet to offer an official explanation. Survivor Michelle Pereira said the blaze broke out when a band member lifted a flare into the air, setting the ceiling on fire. The flames quickly engulfed the entire room.

“Everyone was pushing and shoving... The fire started out small, but in a matter of seconds it exploded,” Taynne Vendruscolo, another survivor, told reporters. “Those who were close to the stage could not get out.” Bortolotto Mattheus, a young dentist,

French troops secure rebel-held Timbuktu

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Vietnam inks $9bn deal

said metal barriers set up at the entrances to organize lines had blocked the exits. “A girl died in my arms. I could feel her heart stop beating. I had only seen that in movies,” he told the Band News television channel.

The discotheque’s fire permit had expired in Aug 2011, the local press reported, citing Moses Fuchs da Silva, head of the state fire department. Santa Maria fire chief Guido de Melo said the fire caused widespread panic, and that many revelers were trampled or died from smoke inhalation. Military police commander Rois Tavares confirmed the new toll of dead and injured, after officials had earlier put the death toll higher, at 245 people. He said the dead Continued on Page 13

Djokovic grinds down Murray for three-peat

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BAGHDAD/HANOI: Iraqi energy officials yesterday signed an oil exploration deal with a Kuwait-led group, finalising a deal that was altered to expel a Turkish firm amid worsening ties with Ankara. A contract was inked with Kuwait Energy and Dragon Oil of the United Arab Emirates to explore a 900-sqkm block thought to contain oil in south Iraq, near the country’s border with Iran. The contract was signed by Abdul Mehdi Al-Amidi, the Iraqi oil ministry’s head of contracts and licensing, a representative of the state-owned South Oil Company, Hussein Al-Mosawy of Kuwait Energy and Mark Sawyer of Dragon Oil, according to an AFP journalist present.

Kuwait Energy has a 70 percent stake in the project, with Dragon Oil holding the remainder. The companies have agreed to be paid a service fee of $6.24 per barrel of oil equivalent eventually extracted. It is one of several agreements between Baghdad and foreign energy firms to boost oil output and explore for new deposits of energy as Iraq looks to cement its role as a key global supplier.

Continued on Page 3

Russia sees Assad’s prospects fading Regime courts opposition • Israel threatens Syria strike DAMASCUS: Russia’s prime minister yesterday said Syrian President Bashar AlAssad had made a “grave, perhaps fatal error” by delaying political reforms, as Damascus courted opposition forces. “He should have acted much more quickly and reached out to the peaceful opposition which was ready to sit at the negotiating table with him,” Russian news agen-

cies quoted Dmitri Medvedev as saying.

“It’s a grave error on his part, perhaps fatal,” he said, in a rare criticism of Assad

by Syria’s traditional ally Moscow. “It seems to me that his chances of staying (in power) are shrinking day by day,” Medvedev said in remarks to CNN television on the sidelines of the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

Syria’s high judicial council, meanwhile, announced a suspension of prosecutions of opposition members so they can join a national dialogue, state media reported. “The high judicial council has decided to discontinue all prosecutions against opposition forces and individuals so they may participate in the national dialogue,” the official news agency SANA

said, without elaborating. On Saturday, Interior Minister Mohammed Al-Shaar vowed to ease the return of opposition members living in exile to allow them to join a national dialogue proposed by Assad on Jan 6.

In a rare speech, Assad proposed a dialogue with opposition figures who Continued on page 13

BAGHDAD: Kuwaiti ambassador to Iraq Ali AlMomen (left) chats with Iraqi Oil Minister Abdelkarim Al-Luaybi yesterday. — AFP

in the

news

UAE to try 94 over plot to seize power ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates is to put on trial 94 Islamists accused of plotting against the Gulf state, attorney general Salem Kobaish announced yesterday. He said the accused, whose arrests were announced in July, will go on trial for “having created and led a movement aimed at opposing the basic foundations on which the state’s political system is built and at seizing power”. The group had formed a “secret organisation” which was in contact with individuals and organisations “abroad”, including the Muslim Brotherhood, Kobaish said, quoted by the official news agency WAM. The attorney general said they had also created or invested in real estate companies to finance their organisation, but he did not specify when their trial will begin.

Twitter launches ad services in Mideast DUBAI: Twitter Inc launched advertising services in the Middle East and North Africa yesterday as the social media firm seeks to exploit a tripling of its regional subscriber base following its widespread use during the Arab Spring protests. Digital advertising is relatively undeveloped in the region, accounting for an estimated 4 percent of its total advertising spending, but a young, tech-savvy population and rising Internet penetration points to significant potential for growth. “The two are interconnected - the rapid growth of our user base with the timing of why we want to help brands connect with that audience,” said Shailesh Rao, Twitter vice-president for international operations. Twitter does not provide a regional breakdown of its more than 200 million users worldwide, but Rao said its MENA subscriber base had tripled in the past 12 months. (See Page 27)

Bahrain police, mourners clash after boy’s funeral

DAIH, Bahrain: A Bahraini girl mourns during the funeral of 8-year-old Qassim Habib Marzooq yesterday in this village west of Manama. — AFP

MANAMA: Riot police and mourners clashed in Bahrain yesterday following the funeral of an 8year-old boy whom opposition groups claim died from respiratory problems triggered by heavy tear gas. Officials did not immediately comment on the cause of Qassim Habib Marzooq’s death after he was hospitalized Jan 19. Rights groups and others have complained about intense tear gas use by Bahraini forces during nearly two years of unrest. Hundreds of mourners staged a protest march following yesterday’s burial, but were dispersed by riot police firing tear gas and stun grenades. Some protesters hurled firebombs.

Bahrain has been wracked by conflict between the Sunni-led monarchy and majority Shiites seeking a greater political voice.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

LOCAL

Ministry staff questioned in labor-related violations Forgery of work permits KUWAIT: Several Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor employees are undergoing investigations as they are suspected of being involved in violations connected to human trafficking, local newspapers reported yesterday. “Minister Thekra AlRashidi took a decision last weekend to refer a number of employees working in different ministry departments to the Migration Investigations Department,” a local daily reported yesterday quoting a ministry insider with knowledge of the case.

The source requested to keep his identity anonymous because he was not authorized to release the information to the media. “ The employees in question were monitored before the decision was made to refer them for questioning,” the source said, suggesting that evidence proved their involvement in increasing the staff

cap for some companies illegally, thus allowing these companies to issue extra work permits which were then sold to laborers. These employees could also be involved in forging work permits, according to the sources which refused to give any information about the number of employees involved or their positions.

In other news, Al-Qabas newspaper obtained a statistical report released by the Migration General Department, which showed that 93,000 nationals of 12 states are currently living in Kuwait without a valid residency.

Among the ‘residency violators’ are 38,000 domestic helpers as pointed out in the report, a majority of them currently working illegally in people’s homes. Meanwhile, the sources which agreed to provide these statistics on the basis of anonymity, noted that data retrieved from the

Information Systems General Department’s database revealed that “a large number” of violators have been living without a valid residency for years; some since the 1991 Liberation War. “This is an indication that many violators preferred to ignore the amnesty periods offered by the government in recent years and continued to live illegally in Kuwait,” the sources suggested.

According to estimates in the report, there are 24,000 Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in Kuwait, the largest among expatriate communities in the country, followed by the Indian community with 22,000 violators, Sri Lankans with 14,000, Indonesians with 8,000, Egyptians with 7,000, Filipinos with 6,000, Pakistanis with 4,000, Nepalese with 3,000, and Ethiopians with 1,000. The Iraqis and Iranians bring up the rear but the sources did not provide specific numbers. — Al-Qabas

KD 95m support for construction loan beneficiaries KUWAIT: Minister of Commerce and Industry Anas Al-Saleh announced allocating KD 95 million to support construction materials for construction loan beneficiaries, including rebar, cement, bricks and limestone bricks.

The sum is “enough to cover the demands of more than 7,000 lands of construction materials”, the minister said yesterday, adding that the ministry is “working diligently to implement directives to provide the needs of citizens and to

overcome the difficulties they are facing.”

He stressed that the ministry is ready to fully provide construction materials backed by loan beneficiaries “as it considers all that would contribute to reducing the cost to the state and the citizens at the same time.

The ministry also takes into account the best standards through collaborations with local factories, which represents the support of domestic products whose preference is acclaimed.”

He stated that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is currently considering adding new substances to the list of construction materials and will replace others in the next step.

The material backed ranging from 45 tons of rebar, 4500 cement bags, in addition to 80 cubic meters of bricks and 522 square meters of limestone bricks for each construction loan beneficiary from Kuwait’s Credit and Savings Bank (KCSB), Al-Saleh concluded. — KUNA

KUWAIT: First Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Homoud AlJaber Al-Sabah receiving Director of the follow-up office of the committee and ministries, Col Dr Bandar Al-Khaldi who presented a copy of his PhD thesis entitled Insurance against Civil Liability in the Lebanese and Kuwaiti law.

PM sponsors GCC petroleum-media forum KUWAIT: The Ministry of Oil yesterday said the First GCC Petroleum Media Forum on March 25 and 26 is organized under the aegis of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah.

The ministry said the Premier’s sponsorship of the event comes out of realization of the vital importance of the oil sector locally and globally, and in recognition of the role of media in shedding light on challenges facing the industry and the policies adopted by the GCC states. The call for the forum was received with much enthusiasm

by GCC ministers and officials, it added, and the sessions are expected to be attended by a large number of oil decision makers and executives. National GCC oil companies are to take part in the discussions as well as the exhibition held on the sidelines of the meetings, said the statement, and there is also to be contributions and participation by representatives of regional and international corporations and bodies in the field of oil and related sectors such as OPEC, OAPEC, World Energy Forum, along with representatives of news agencies and other media outlets. — KUNA

Huge leap for media in Kuwait KUWAIT: Kuwaiti media has witnessed a huge leap during the era of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, said Minister of Information and Minister State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah AlSalem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah here yesterday.

On the seventh anniversary of His Highness the Amir’s constitutional swearin, Sheikh Salman said in a statement to KUNA that Kuwaiti media outlets flourished during the reign of His Highness the Amir and such a fact was evident through the launching of several new dailies as well as the establishment of various satellite channels.

He affirmed that the Ministry would continue on the road of development as envisioned by the Kuwaiti leadership.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Information Sheikh Fahad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah said that preparations to celebrate the swear-in anniversary were completed, adding that as of January 29th till the 31st, Kuwait television channels would be broadcasting the celebrations in throughout the country.

He also indicated that the Ministry was prepared for National Day and Liberation anniversary celebrations to be held in the upcoming month of February. — KUNA

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

LOCAL

KUWAIT: (Left) Minister Salem Al-Othaina at the E-Revenue Stamp Machine located at the booth of the Ministry of Finance at Hall 5. (Center) Al-Othaina listening to the explanation of the SMS informative service provided by the Ministry of Interior. (Right) The minister launching the exhibition. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

Host of offers, promotions at Infoconnect exhibition MOC working on new projects

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: As Infoconnect, the Kuwait Information Technology and Communication Exhibition, took off to a great start yesterday with many interesting offers and promotions for the consumers, several ministries and public institutions also found it a fit platform to launch their new services.

Infoconnect would showcase the latest in IT and communications at the exhibition from Jan 27 to Feb 2, at halls No 5 and 6 at the International Fair Ground in Mishrif.

The Ministry of Finance introduced the E-Revenue Stamps, a service which allows the consumers to pay their bills online and will expedite the paperwork.

Currently, consumers often find themselves searching for change

for the stamp machines at the ministries. People would be able to access the service within the next six months and it will be connected with the Ministries of Interior, Health and Social Affairs and Labor.

The Ministry of Interior also displayed its own services. “The participants at this exhibition are presenting many great and modern services that will save time and effort. People can obtain information about their paperwork, violations, residency, passport expiry and many other issues related to the Ministry of Interior through an SMS,” said Salem Al-Othaina, Minister of Communication and State Minister for Housing Affairs, at the launch of Infoconnect yesterday morning.

“The telecommunication com-

Saudi academy to accept more Kuwaiti students RIYADH: Kuwaiti Military Attache in Saudi Arabia Brig Musaed Al-Mutairi met with Abdulmohsen Al-Tuwaijri, Assistant Deputy Commander here yesterday.

The two sides held cordial talks depicting the depth of good ties between the two countries and their national guards, Al-Mutairi said after the meeting, noting that the meeting was constructive and fruitful.

On behalf of the Chief of Kuwait’s National Guard Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah and Deputy Chairman Sheikh Mishaal Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Al-Mutairi thanked the Saudi National Guard for accepting Kuwaiti students who serve in the Kuwaiti National Guard and the military offices in the classes of 29, 30 and 31 at King Khalid Military Academy in Riyadh.

Brig Al-Mutairi said that Al-Tuwaijri approved raising the number of the Kuwaiti students of next year’s 31st class to ten. He noted that this decision shows the unlimited cooperation from the Saudi leadership, which spares no effort in helping the Kuwaiti National Guard in the rehabilitation and training of its leaders.—KUNA

praise for Amir’s call to host Syria conference KUWAIT: Kuwait Relief Society praised call by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah to hold the First International Donors for Syria Conference this month to secure aid for the Syrian people. The chairman of the society, Yusuf Jassem Al-Hajji, said yesterday, “This generous call reflects genuine traits of natives of Kuwait and their keenness on extending hand of help to the needy.”

He also expressed gratitude to HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and the Kuwaiti people for aiding the Syrians.

Kuwaiti people were the first among nations of the globe that hurriedly granted relief and humanitarian assistance to the Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon.

The Gulf state hosting of the conference “constitutes yet a new proof of its long-time experience of charitable work,” he said, expressing hope that the convention would result in offering aid to the Syrian refugees and unify efforts for relieving the people of this country.

Tragedy of the Syrian people warrants a stand by all states of the globe for sake of putting an end to this bloody war, halting the blood-letting, daily relocation of natives to neighboring countries, said AlHajji, alluding to the ongoing violence in the war-stricken country, where troops of the regime of Bashar Al-Assad have been engaged in street fighting with various armed groups representing the opposition.—KUNA

panies and internet providers are promoting special offers including discounts, and it is our desire to provide better service at competitive prices and with technical support. It is a great opportunity for the consumers to visit this exhibition and benefit from the promotions on products and services which are on offer,” he added.

Al-Othaina also said that the Ministry of Communication is working on many upcoming projects. “Setting up a communication authority is one of the most important issues that the Ministry is working on. Today I have a meeting at the Parliament to discuss this issue and we will reach a solution soon. I expect that this project may be realized this year,” he explained.

Regarding the GCC joint cable,

he noted that the Ministry is still corresponding with the Audit Bureau to clarify some points and is still waiting for a reply from the Bureau.

The e-government is one of the current projects of the Ministry. “We are keen on the egovernment project as it will simplify the paperwork of the public.

Instead of going personally to different places to finish the formalities, one would be able to do most of the work online. It will also save the employees a lot of effort and save the client’s time, too,” Al-Othaina pointed out.

The visitors to Infoconnect can choose from many special offers by mobile service providers, internet subscription and many others. Some companies are also offering coupons to enter a draw for valuable prizes.

Kuwaiti charity to launch Syrian refugee donation TV campaign KUWAIT: A donation campaign will be held this evening on Kuwaiti state television to gather donations for Syrian refugees, said President of the International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO) Dr Abdullah AlMatouq.

In a press conference held by the IICO here yesterday, Al-Matouq called on people in Kuwait to support their Syrian brothers, who are suffering from an on-going conflict in their country since March 2011.

On the IICO efforts to help Syria, AlMatouq said that the organization would be holding a forum for charitable societies contribution to relief aid efforts in Syria on January 29th, noting that this forum would be held one day ahead of the First International Donors

for Syria Conference, hosted by Kuwait and called upon by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah a day later.

Al-Matouq said that the international donors’ conference would be aiming to gather USD 1.5 billion for the Syrian refugees, noting that governments as well as relief aid societies would contribute to that goal as a humanitarian obligation towards the Syrian people.

The international community is obliged to provide assistance to the increasing number of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries like Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq, stressed Al-Matouq, adding that over 600,000 Syrians had fled violence in their country and they are living in dire conditions. — KUNA

Panel approves debt relief...

Continued from Page 1 Rapporteur of the panel MP Safa AlHashem said the fund will be used to pay all the beneficiary’s debt toward the state like electricity and water bills and others and the rest will be paid to the citizens. Those who have no debt will get the whole amount.

Hashem did not provide figures about how much this will cost the state. The bill also allows retired people to seek bank loans equal to 40 percent of their monthly income.

There has been no immediate government comment on the bill but Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali had repeatedly said the government will reject any new legislation because it had already established a defaulters’ fund to resolve the issue.

In another development, MP Saadoun Hammad sent around 60 new questions to Minister of Oil Hani Hussein as he prepares to grill the minister over a variety of alleged violations. The new questions deal with Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) companies outside Kuwait, the reported sale of liquor at its facilities in foreign countries, their reported losses

and the controversial promotions.

Hammad had said he would grill the oil minister and is expected to be joined by MPs Nawaf Al-Fuzai and Abdullah Al-Tameemi.

The criminal court meanwhile yesterday sentenced controversial activist and member of the scrapped 2012 Assembly Mohammad Al-Juwaihel for three months in jail and fined him KD 2,000 for writing remarks on Twitter deemed offensive to the Mutairi tribe. Under the ruling, Juwaihel must go to jail immediately but he left the country just before the ruling was issued. Juwaihel later denied that he had fled the country. “I am in Poland to follow up the studies of my daughter, a genuine Kuwaiti,” he said, promising to turn himself in once he was back in Kuwait.

The criminal court meanwhile will today resume the trial of former opposition MP Musallam Al-Barrak for remarks he made that were deemed offensive to the Amir at a public rally on Oct 15. A defense team of around 20 lawyers was formed to defend Barrak, who was detained for five days and interrogated over the charges which he denied.

Iraq signs oil contract with...

Continued from Page 1 The original consortium that won the contract had included Turkey’s TPAO, but officials announced in November that the Turkish firm would be expelled due to “non-technical issues”, one of several signs of worsening ties between Baghdad and Ankara. The two countries have been at odds over the Syrian conflict and Iraq has publicly urged Turkey to hand over fugitive Vice President Tareq AlHashemi, who has been sentenced to death in Baghdad on charges of running a death squad. Iraq has proven reserves of 143.1 billion barrels of oil and 3.2 trillion cu m of gas, both of which are among the largest in the world.

Separately, Vietnam yesterday inked a deal with firms from Japan and Kuwait to build an oil refinery complex worth nearly $9 billion as part of efforts to meet its growing energy

needs. The Nghi Son refinery, which is due to start operating by 2017 in Thanh Hoa province, about 200 km south of Hanoi, will turn Kuwaiti oil into petrol and other petroleum products. It will be able to process 10 million tonnes of crude oil a year, the government said. State-owned PetroVietnam will own a 25.1-percent stake in the joint venture while Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan and Kuwait Petroleum International will each hold 35.1percent. Mitsui Chemicals of Japan will own the remaining 4.7 percent.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung hailed the project as “very important” for the communist country’s economic and social development, according to a government statement. Vietnam has offshore oil reserves but still spends several billion dollars each year to import petroleum products to feed its growing economy. — Agencies

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

LOCAL

Teen driver turned in after killing pedestrian Man tries to kill ‘friend’ KUWAIT: A teenaged boy, who was responsible for a hit and run accident four days ago on the Gulf Road in which a 15-year-old boy had died, turned himself in on Saturday. Investigators were hot on the trail of the suspect since Wednesday night as they searched for the driver of an American-made silver car who escaped after hitting the victim. The pedestrian boy was crossing the street separating the Marina Mall and the Salmiya beach when the car hit him. As Hawally detectives narrowed down the list of suspects, a man approached them on Saturday to report that his son was responsible for the accident.

The driver, also 15 years of age, had returned to his family Mangaf house following the accident and stayed there until his father came across a newspaper story on Saturday that was a follow up of the accident. Alarmed by the report since the car described in the report matched his own, the man recalled that his son had borrowed it the same day. When he confronted his son about his concerns, the boy confessed to his crime and explained that he had panicked

and escaped. The boy was referred to the proper authorities after his father made him surrender to the Hawally police. He remains in custody pending legal action.

Attempted murder A man fired multiple shots at his friend which hit the exterior of the car and then managed to escape from the scene, leaving the victim to approach the police. Search is now on for the suspect who faces attempted murder charges. In his statements to Andalus police station officers, the plaintiff said that his friend-turned-foe fired when their scuffle escalated. The suspect had followed the complainant but disappeared when he saw him approaching a police station. Investigations went underway after the suspect failed to answer his phone when police tried to contact him.

Drowning A drowning man who was rescued rather too late from the Kuwait City beach and rushed to the Amiri Hospital in a critical condition died shortly thereafter. The 33-year-old Kuwaiti was too exhausted by the time paramedics

arrived at the scene where he had slipped into the waters outside a shopping mall in Kuwait City, and died minutes after arriving at the hospital. A case was filed for investigations.

brought her to Kuwait. The man had taken the maid to clean his house where she apparently decided to end her life. A case was filed to determine the circumstances behind the incident.

Bullet case A passenger almost missed her flight after airport officers found an empty bullet case inside her bag, but was able to board her plane after agreeing to leave the souvenir behind. The American woman was given a choice between leaving the bullet case and catching her flight, or be taken in for investigations as per a case that police would have had to file if she had insisted to retain the bullet which she described as a souvenir. She was allowed to leave in time to catch her flight after she opted to leave behind the bullet case.

Daughter charged A Kuwaiti woman accused her own daughter of threatening to murder her following a recent dispute at their Salwa home. She approached the local police to complain that during a heated exchange prompted by her daughter’s spendthrift habits, she threatened to kill her. Police are now searching for the girl who left the house following the dispute.

Suicide in Nugra A domestic helper committed suicide after she was unable to find a job, preliminary investigations said. The body of the Nepalese woman was found hanging inside the bathroom of a Nugra house owned by a man working in the housemaids’ recruitment office that

Body found Investigations are on to determine the circumstances that led to the death of a man whose body was found recently in Khaitan.

Paramedics and police arrived at a street in the area where a man reported finding a body in rigor mortis. The victim was identified as a 24-year-old Jordanian. The body was taken to the forensic department. A case was filed at the Khaitan police station.

Book launched on Syrian crisis

KRCS provides aid to Syrian refugees in Jordan AMMAN: A Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) team distributed relief aid for Syrian refugees residing in Madaba city east of Amman, said an official here yesterday.

Head of the KRCS field team Fahad Al-Yagoot said that the team provided 700 food parcels as well as other necessities for the Syrian refugees, affirming that mission was a humanitarian obligation that Kuwait was very eager to fulfill.

Kuwaiti relief aid missions and entities are providing support to Syrian refugees in numerous regions within Jordan. The number of Syrian refugees fleeing chaos in their country to Jordan had reached around 319,000, according to official statistics here. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) has published a new book titled, “Syrian Crisis .. Kuwait’s Role, Arab and International Efforts,” on occasion of holding the first International Donors for Syria Conference, due here on Jan 30 and 31, in response to a call by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah.

The 144-page book tackles developments of the Syrian crisis since its breakout in March 2011 and friends of Syria conventions that have been held in many states in support of the Syrian people, role and actions of the Syrian opposition.

Moreover, it sheds light on Arab and international efforts for resolving the 22month crisis that has left some 60,000 deaths, hundreds of thousands wounded and many homeless, who have taken up refuge at camps on the Turkish, Lebanese and Jordanian borders.

The book deals with the initiative of His Highness the Amir of hosting the conference, in line with the humanitarian role, undertaken by Kuwait in support of stricken and poor nations as well as efforts exerted by Kuwaiti official and private authorities and associations to help the Syrian people.

Minister of Information, Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah introduced the book, tackling the historic relationship bounding the brotherly peoples of Kuwait and Syria, and the Kuwaiti hasty aid for the violence-haggard people of Syria. — KUNA

OSNplusHD launch

OSN showcases its latest innovative offerings KUWAIT: OSN, the leading pay-TV network in the Middle East and North Africa, presented its latest innovative offerings to the Minister of Communications and Information, Salem Al-Uthaina earlier yesterday as he inaugurated InfoConnect 2013.

Participating for the 12th consecutive year, OSN will showcase its latest offerings at InfoConnect 2013 including the regions first internet enabled Digital Video Recorder (DVR) with full HD and 3D capabilities, OSN Plus HD. Visitors will have the chance to experience the many features of OSN Plus HD first-hand and also enjoy OSN Play, the regions first online TV viewing platform on a number of devices. In addition, visitors can look forward to new OSN subscription offers which include free hardware and installation when new packages are purchased at the exhibition.

Running from Jan 27 until Feb 2 at the Kuwait Fair Ground, InfoConnect aims to give attendees the chance to view the latest innovation and developments in the IT and communications industry.

OSN is the ultimate destination for the widest choice of brand new premium Western, Arabic and Filipino entertainment in the Middle East and Africa. OSN is the home of 100 channels filled with great value entertainment, offering viewers in the MENA region exclusive access to the latest blockbuster movies, top rated series, sports, documentaries, news, kid’s entertainment and live talk shows. The movie offering includes over a 100 uncut and

uninterrupted movie premieres a month so viewers can watch them the way they were meant to be watched.

OSN boasts the most comprehensive portfolio of exclusive rights from all the major studios including Warner Brothers, Paramount, Fox, Disney, Sony, MGM, Universal and DreamWorks and offers access to the worlds leading television brands including Disney channel, Sky News, Discovery Network and Nat Geo. As the leader in innovation, OSN has changed the TV viewing experience by bringing quality entertainment through 36 High Definition channels and is currently the only network offering a full HD bouquet of channels as well as 3D entertainment in the region. OSN was the first to launch the DVR, the OSN Showbox HD; the regions first online TV platform, OSN Play; the regions first 3D, HD, internet enabled satellite receiver and recorder, OSN Plus HD and the region’s first VOD service, OSN on Demand offering viewers the opportunity to watch over 1000 movies and 52 latest seasons of the top series, all available in full HD quality and Dolby Digital sound.

September 2012 saw the launch of OSN’s first rewards programme, OSN Privileges, offering subscribers money can’t buy experiences, special offers and premium prizes all year round.

The OSN platform is owned and operated by Panther Media Group Limited; a company registered in DIFC, and is owned by Mawarid Group Limited and KIPCO.

OSN representative Amal Rhali, County Sales Director and Salem Al-Uthaina, Minister of Communications and Information and Mahdi Joumah , General Manager

Municipality holds field campaign

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: As part of Kuwait Municipality’s continued campaign against sale of foodstuff unfit for human consumption and violation of norms, ten citations were issued to food stores in AlArdiya Industrial Area in the Farwaniya governorate.

The fines issued during the field campaign were on account of selling expired food items or stuff otherwise found unsuitable for sale and consumption.

Foodstuff supervisor Mohamad AlAzemi who headed the campaign emphasized the need for the municipality to play its supervisory role in a proactive manner by focusing on surprise field campaigns to check any aberrations committed by food stores and shops.

The main aim of the drive was to ensure that food stuff that reaches the end consumer is hygienic.

Al-Azemi said inspection teams recorded samples at random from a number of food stores in Al-Ardiya.

Samples of meat and chicken were kept in a special ice box and sent to the labs run by the Ministry of Health for necessary tests. The results will be out in less than a week and based on the results, any necessar y action deemed necessary will be taken.

Al-Azemi said that during the cam-

paign, they found in one the stores food items that had expired their fitfor-consumption date in September 2011. Among these were eight packs of sanbosa, each of 500 grams. Two packs of frozen vegetables, each weighing 400 grams, and a pack of

sea food besides four kilograms of mashed potato were found, all in poor condition. Necessary citations were handed for these violations, in addition to eight more citations for not observing health and cleanlinessrelated norms.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

LOCAL

KD 2,000 grant predicted for all Kuwaiti nationals Top priority to public interest

News

in brief

Kuwait, Bahrain media cooperation KUWAIT: The Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humod and Cultural Advisor of Bahraini embassy in Kuwait, Mona Al-Dalhan discussed boosting media relations between two countries.

The meeting discussed deep historical relations and ways to enrich it to benefit joint internet, he Ministry of Information said in a statement. Later, Sheikh Salman met with the head of Kuwait Spor ts Club for the Disabled Shafi Al-Hajiri and a number of officials to implement sport activities for the disabled and to encourage them.

Ambassador meets governor NEW DELHI: Kuwaiti Ambassador to India Sami Mohammad Al-Sulaiman met Tamil Nadu Governor Konijeti Rosaiah in his headquarters in the capital Chennai. AlSulaiman also met new Tamil Nadu chief secretar y Sheela Balak rishnan, Finance Minister P. Panneerselvam and Minister of Industries P. Thangamani where he disc u s s e d e co n o m i c a n d t r a d e re l a t i o n s b e t we e n t h e t wo co u n t r i e s. Th e Ambassador reviewed with officials of the Kuwaiti Government plans and programs to accelerate the country’s development and revitalization of the economic and trade performance of Kuwait towards guidance for His Highness Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to restore its leading role as an important trading center in the region. Al-Sulaiman invited Indian companies to contribute to massive develo p m e n t p ro j e c t s a n n o u n ce d by t h e Government of Kuwait.

New road projects KUWAIT: The Director of Jahra governorate for roads at the Ministry of Public Works, Eng Abdul Mohsen Al Enazie, said that there were two contracts signed for roads and maintenance which involved a total cost of KD 2.118 million. He said the total amount paid for the contrac ts was KD 2,395 million so far while KD 1.748 million were still to be paid. He added the work done so far included the maintenance of Al Sabbiya road project and developing roads inside the Sulaibikhat graveyard besides development of the military convoys road located along the Salmi road.

Four-member gang robs Syrian man

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A Syrian expat complained to the Nugra police that four unknown persons in a Japanese car robbed him of KD 30,000. The Syrian said he withdrew the money from a local bank in the capital but when he reached his house and was about to enter the building’s elevator, two people accosted him and beat him up before snatching the bag that contained the money.

They then escaped in a waiting car which had another two occupants.

Road accidents A 34 year-old Kuwaiti woman broke her left ankle when a car struck her as she was crossing the road at Al-Andalous Block 9. She was brought to Al-Sabah Hospital for medical care.

A 3 year-old Egyptian child was hit by a car at Salmiya Block 2, near Mowasat Hospital. He was transferred to Mubarak Hospital where he was treated for numerous injuries.

A 24 year-old Pakistani expat received a head injury during a brawl on Al-Bahar Center in Hawally Tunis Street. He was treated at Mubarak Hospital.

A car accident at the Sixth Ring Road opposite Sulaibiya, overland customs, resulted in the hospitalization of those involved. Following the crash, police report a 45 year-old Indian expat suffered head injuries and was admitted to an intensive care unit for treatment.

Also, a 46 year-old Bangladeshi expat broke his left hand while a 47 year-old Bengali expat complained of suffering from pain in his neck. Additionally, a 50 yearold Bengali expat suffered a variety of injuries.All were taken to Al-Farwaniya Hospital for medical treatment.

A car accident on Arabian Gulf Road near the Towers resulted in a 48 year-old Jordanian expat suffering a knee injury, while a 21 year-old Kuwaiti woman was treated for shock. Also, a 31 year-old Iranian expat complained of pains in his back. They were taken to Amiri Hospital for treatment.

A car accident at Arabian Gulf Road near Platinio Club resulted in a 26 year-old Kuwaiti man injuring his left arm and a 21 year-old Kuwaiti woman injuring her right ankle. Both were taken to Amiri Hospital.

A 27 year-old Kuwaiti man suffered from pain in his neck while a 29 year-old Kuwaiti man injured his left hand following a car accident at King Fahad Road near Mishrif Bridge. Both were taken to Al-Adan Hospital.

A 45 year-old Syrian expat was treated for smoke inhalation after fire broke out in a building at Fhaheel Block 8. Officials report that five ambulances were sent to the location with ten technicians to administer emergency care.

A 35 year-old Syrian expat received a facial injury during a fight at Al-Abbassiya near Al-Aqsa Pharmacy .

He was taken to Al-Farwaniya Hospital for medical treatment.

By A Saleh KUWAI T: M P Abdullah AlTameemi stressed that he had information which was “semiconfirmed” that a KD 2,000 per head grant would be paid to citizens on the occasion of upcoming national anniversaries. Meanwhile, following a meeting with HH the Amir, MP Ya’qoub Al-Saleh stressed that the delegation assured HH that as the nation’s representatives, they would never make any decisions that would jeopardize public interest or the future generations’ fund. “We did not discuss anything about an Amiri grant,” he stressed.

Zakat House need The parliamentary human rights committee yesterday met in the presence of the justice ministry assistant undersecretary, Zakariya Al-Ansari, and the Zakat House director, Abdul Qader Al-Ajeel, the committee Rapporteur Taher Al-Failakawi said.

He noted that the monthly aid given to stateless families was discussed in the meeting, including the payment of KD 550 per family to 1,568 stateless families, free supplies for

2000 families, payment of genetic tests fee, tuition fees, health insurance fees and unemployment allowances to 8,500 family supporters.

Fur ther, Al-Failakawi said that taking into consideration the fact that the Zakat House’s income was KD 10 million plus a voluntar y one per cent of some companies’ net profit, the House would need a total of KD 38 million to give stateless people KD 250 per person per month.

IDs to bedoons MP Nasser Al-Shammari yesterday congratulate d lawyer Fauziya Al-Sabah on win n in g a case in wh i c h a court mandated the government to issue a civil ID to a stateless girl. “ This historic verdict confirms that stateless people rejected by various governmental establishment can now go to cour t for j ustice,” he stressed, noting that the verdict makes it obligatory upon the government to issue a civil ID for each and every person living in Kuwait, including t h o s e w h o we re b o r n a n d raised here ‘even before sixty years’ and still hold no IDs.

Kuwait’s tourism sector takes part in Istanbul fair ISTANBUL: For the purpose of boosting tourism cooperation between Kuwait and Turkey, the State of Kuwait’s tourism sector in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry participated for the third consecutive time on Saturday, in the 17th Eastern Mediterranean International Travel and Tourism Exhibition (EMITT), held here from Jan 24 to 27.

Kuwait is keen and places a great deal of interest in participating in promising markets in the region, especially with Turkey in the tourism field, Director of Public Relations in the Commerce and Industry Ministry Khaled Al-Abdulhadi said.

The official added that the ministry was always keen on participating in exhibitions and international conferences in Turkey, namely EMITT exhibition in Istanbul, the country’s commercial capital and a mecca for international tourism movement.

With a total attendance of 128,000 people from 70 countries, out of which 57,000 were tourism professionals and 71,000 visitors. The EMIT T Exhibition is open to tourism professionals during the first two days and open to the public during the last two. — KUNA

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

LOCAL kuwait digest

In my view

Theft of public funds

Between Arab, Iran media!

By Dr. Shamlan Y. Al-Essa

By Khalid Al-Dakheel

T

he government resorted lately to a policy of dragging citizens to the court and banning them from traveling if they were late in paying for public services, be it power, water, phones or any other. We do not agree with this move because the government does not send the bills to the citizens so that they can pay but rather asks the citizens to go to the concerned ministries to pay whatever they owe. This government procedure was acceptable as long as the citizen was not punished.

We accept this principle as citizens, provided that the government delivers the bills to the citizens.

Some businessmen who deal with various government departments to pursue contracts or interact with cooperative societies told me that the government orders various goods like furniture, cars, medicine or food, but once the orders are delivered, the government or the cooperatives which should pay up as per the stipulation in the contract within two weeks or four, are in reality much slow in paying and often make the merchant wait for even up to six months. It is often left to his skills to collect his cheque.

Why should the government or the cooperatives delay their dues to others? What happens when payments are delayed? Merchants and contractors who deal with the government or cooperatives know that the government is routinely late in paying its bills and therefore they safeguard their interests by adopted any correct or incorrect measures. They either hike the prices to compensate for the losses caused by delayed payments or bribe people in the government or cooperatives to ensure their payments are expedited.

The bribe amount varies according to the amount due. It all happens even as the government keeps snoring and makes no effort to resolve this problem.

In civilized countries, contracts are signed and if the merchant is late in delivering the goods, he has to pay penalties, but if the government delays payments, it has to pay interest to make up for the delay.

Some businessmen who deal with the American army know that the Americans are committed to pay what they owe within 30-45 days of receiving the goods, and they cannot be late because delayed payments attract strict penalties.

The question again is why state or cooperative employees do not stick to the conditions set in the contracts that they sign with the companies? And why do they deliberately delay payments? Our religion clearly teaches us these things, such as the Prophet (PBUH) saying, “Pay the laborer his wages before his sweat dries.” It is not only a just principle but is also logical and humanitarian to do so. Why the cooperatives so dominated by political Islam thinking stick to it? Why the government fails to comply with the contracts signed with business houses?

The answer is simple. It is a case of pure and simple mismanagement. It is a failure to pursue the corrupt and the bribe takers among government employees. We hope the National Assembly members find a scientific and realistic method to put an end to this culture of bribes, corruption and delaying things that are in the people’s interest. — Al-Watan

In my view

Statements of Sheikha Fraiha

By Aziza Al-Mufarrej

I

am writing this article not as an attempt to defend Sheikha Fraiha Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah against those who are reacting to her recent statements about organizers of public demonstrations, but because I think one must not remain silent when injustice is happening to someone.

Many of us are convinced that organizers of public demonstrators did not have the best interests of Kuwait in their hearts and were not worried about maintaining safety and security of the people.

Many officials are often misquoted or their statements made in public are misinterpreted. Sheikha Fraiha is like any other Kuwaiti citizen who feels concerned about what is happening in our beloved Kuwait. There are those who claim to be fighting for the dignity of our nation. I personally find it surprising that Sheikha Fraiha, the President of the Kuwaiti Ideal Family Association, was quoted as suggesting that demonstrators or those taking part in protests were “dual citizens” and “not original Kuwaitis.”

The Sheikha Fraiha that I know is usually the first to stress the importance of inculcating the values of national unity and patriotism among young citizens. Those who like to fish in troubled waters must keep that in mind. Many of us are convinced that organizers of public demonstrators did not have the best interests of Kuwait in their hearts and were not worried about maintaining safety and security of the people. It is no secret that this was not the first time that Sheikha Fraiha was wrongfully accused of making controversial remarks. Also, it is no secret either that Sheikha Fraiha has always dedicated her life for the welfare of Kuwait and its loyal citizens.

Instead of fabricating lies about Sheikha Fraiha’s statements, the skeptics should see what actions were committed during recent demonstrations condemned by both citizens and expatriates. These demonstrations came at a time when Kuwaiti citizens should be grateful for the countless privileges that we enjoy.

Sheikha Fraiha has always warned against assaulting security officers who risk their own safety while serving their country. She was not shy to point out that the attacks by some demonstrators on police officers could have been worse if it were not for providence and the wise approach of the officers.

Sheikha Fraiha has always described violations of law as being a ‘clear instigation against the state’ and against ‘the reputation of the state,’ but at the same time insisted that such actions were individual and reflect lack of true awareness about the risks that Kuwait faces.

T

In my view

Sunni, Shiite fighters in Syria

By Khalil Ali Haidar

I

t has been said that some of Syria’s mortuaries have the bodies of Kuwaiti Islamist fighters who were Jihadi Salafists and who previously participated in the Jihad against the Americans and the Shiites in Iraq.

The news reports about ongoing fighting in Syria speak about Shiite fighters on the front lines of Damascus suburban areas. Those fighters may be from Hezbollah in Lebanon or Iraq or but God forbid if there were any Gulf citizens, or particularly Kuwaitis, among them.

If there were Kuwaitis among the fighters, then this would be a catastrophe, as the Kuwaiti Sunni and Shiite are fighting on opposite sides in the current war, and each is keen on killing or butchering the other.

What will happen to Kuwait society, the stability among its various sects and the assurance of security if the fighting escalated there and came to dominate the sermons in the mosques and husseiniyas in Kuwait?

A month back, media reports said that “Sayyeda Zeinab area is witnessing fierce clashes between the Free Syrian Army fighters who are in the towns surrounding Sayyeda Zeinab City and the regime’s forces along with the popular committees formed by the Shiite sect in Sayyeda Zeinab, and these have non-Syrian elements.”

The report accused what it called Shiite Shabbiha (thugs) of committing sectarian massacres and crimes.

It added that “today the FSA fighters in Sayyeda Zeinab and its surroundings have grudges against Shiites who are loyal to the regime more than they are against the Alawaits who are supporters of the regime... If a Shiite is caught near an FSA checkpoint following a massacre, he will be

considered a valuable catch.”

These reports accused the Syrian regime of “recruiting many youth from Shiite villages in Homs, Alleppo and Damascus suburban areas as Shabbiha and virtually licensed them to kill.”

What will happen to Kuwait society, the stability among its various sects and the assurance of security if the fighting escalated there and came to dominate the sermons in the mosques and husseiniyas in Kuwait?

Some of Syrian Shiites, like Alawaits and Christians, are torn but no one knows if the fighting also involved kidnapping and raping women. These ghastly crimes were considered weapons to instill fear among the enemy in this criminal war in which Sunnis and Shiites are embroiled. The regime no longer cares about anything other than remaining in power.

On Jan 1, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat said that a video on YouTube showed a masked boy announcing the forma-

tion of Abi Al-Fadhl Al-Abbas Brigade to defend the tomb of Sayyeda Zeinab in the Damascus suburban area. The leader of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, alluded to Al-Abbas Brigades in 2007 as “Resistance Brigades in Iraq,” and Al-Manar TV, which belongs to Hezbollah, broadcast several videos of operations by these brigades in Iraq.

Of course, the Islamists and the Arab media in general, including the Syrian media, at that time welcomed the terrorism in Iraq and considered it resistance against the Iraqi occupier even as it used to reveal its sectarian intentions as was the case with “Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi” operations.

When the Americans withdrew this courageous resistance against the Iraqi government and the Iraqi people, the Shiites, Sunni Kurds and Turks continued their fight.

The Shiites of the GCC countries in Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia currently have a very crucial mission which is to avoid armed involvement in any struggle that promotes sectarianism in these small societies. They cannot bear such massacres.

Shiites in Kuwait and elsewhere should not fall victim to any foreign policy, no matter how it appears to be defending Shiites’ interests, and no matter how much they claim they can protect the Shiites against Takfiri groups.

The Syrian people want freedom just like the rest of the world. It is regretful that in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which fought against the Shah’s dictatorship and sacrificed much, there are elements which believe that the freedom of the Syrian people threatens the strategic interests of the Islamic Republic. — Al-Watan

kuwait digest

Credit goes to Buramia

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

M

embers of the current parliament are trying hard to achieve something they can call their own.

They are looking for a quick victory so that they can prove their ability to achieve and that they are independent of the government which is often accused of exercising control over the National Assembly. Of course, the desired achievement must be something that can be credited one hundred percent to the parliament, which means that no government cooperation should be involved lest credit has to be shared. Therefore, MPs are making sure that the government has no hand in scoring such an achievement, or more accurately, does not force it upon them.

For that, MPs found a perfect opportunity in the loans issue which the government has been rejecting for years.

Reappointing Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali, who is public enemy number one when it comes to calls for writing off the interests accrued on loans, has reiterated the government’s opposition to the proposal.

In their quest to realize this achievement, MPs today are basically following in the footsteps of the previous ‘failed’ parliaments whose target was how to waste the national

wealth and win some popularity among voters by distributing grants to citizens instead of living up to their true legislative duties. Draft laws were eventually put on hold after the former parliament gave up its legislative role and turned into a department taking care of state employees’ affairs. Of course, I am exaggerating a little bit but it is perhaps necessary so that MPs today can wake up from their costly slumber.

What stops MPs from working to ensure citizens’ bright future instead of putting their present at risk? Instead of splurging billions from the national reserve to achieve personal gains, why not focus on construction and development projects?

Even if they manage to write off the interests on the loans, MPs would not walk home with all the credit, or blame. Former MP Daifullah Buramia, who first proposed that the government should write off the loans, is considered the ‘hero’ in this regard, along with some previous parliaments. Therefore, MPs are advised to look for an achievement that they can truly call their own, such as pushing the cabinet into adopting developmental projects that former MPs either overlooked or opposed as in the case of KDow project. — Al-Qabas

MPs today are basically following in the footsteps of the previous ‘failed’ parliaments whose target was how to waste the national wealth and win some popularity among voters by distributing grants to citizens instead of living up to their true legislative duties.

Draft laws were eventually put on hold after the former parliament gave up its legislative role and turned into a department taking care of state employees’ affairs

here is a question that is often asked: Why does not the Arab media give the same importance to the events unfolding in Bahrain as it does with the movements in the rest of the other Arab countries? This is a legitimate question. There are two responses to this question.

Firstly, what is happening in Bahrain is not a revolution and it is different from what has happened and is happening in Tunisia, Egypt and Syria. Also, Bahrain differs in terms of size and influence, especially the number of victims who were killed in Bahrain compared to the number of victims killed in Libya and ever-growing number of them in Syria.

These differences, among others, justify the change in approach in dealing with Bahrain.

Secondly, the reason for the lack of interest of Arab media is originally a sectarian position, as the opposition in Bahrain, which is mostly Shiite, is unlike the opposition in the other Arab countries, which is mostly or entirely Sunni.

Thus, given that Sunnis are dominating the vast majority of the Arab media, this difference can account for the discrepancy in the Arab media’s handling of Bahrain.

Let us agree from the beginning that professional news coverage requires dealing with all cases employing the same standard. This is not practiced by the Arab media, mostly because they are either official agencies or under the influence of officials of the state or belong to a particular party. However, there are clear differences among them.

If we take the first answer, we conclude the following: What is happening in Bahrain is not a revolution.

What is happening in the country is a movement that dates back to the 1970s, more than 40 years before the Arab Spring. The Bahraini people are now sharply divided between Sunnis and Shiites, more than what they were in the past century. What does this have to do with Iran? It is difficult to say that there is a revolution while the division among the people is such sharp. This division strengthens the saying that what happens in Bahrain has sectarian motives. This is an issue that must be addressed and the resolution of this issue is long overdue. Thirdly, the majority and the most important forces of the movement are the “AlWefaq bloc” which is a religious association founded on religious ideals and has a religious authority. Notwithstanding its religious background, it is calling for a civil state.

This demand is perfectly understandable if “Al-Wefaq” does not consider itself a political force, and that it was prompted to make these demands on behalf of the people and to support their rights in the state. However, this association in fact sees itself as a political force, and that it has the right to be a key player in the political process of the civil state; thus to be considered as a party in the state’s legislative and executive authority. Here comes the problematic issue: How can it be desired for the state to be civilian if the most important political force is a religious party with a religious background, without full representation of all the people, but rather only one component, regardless of the size of this component?

I encountered the same problem before the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. Most people, at least inside and outside Iraq, especially in the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf, backed the fall of the regime. Although the Iraqi opposition at that time, especially the Shiite forces, was allied with Iran and the US and they enjoyed the popular support. People, especially the Iraqis, were tired of Saddam and his destructive policies. Yet what happened there after the fall of the regime is known to all and sundry. There is no new political system replacing that of Saddam’s which creates the basis of a new Iraqi state for all Iraqis, regardless of their religious affiliation or sectarian or ethnic backgrounds.

What has been happening for the past 10 years is tragic by all accounts. It is equally bad that the Shiite forces, which got the political influence after the fall of the former regime, have made Iraq a proxy for Iran as the latter exercises influence in all political, financial and intelligence institutions of Iraq. Those brothers chose the Iranian option because they share with them the same doctrine and they want to benefit from the influence of Iran in order to strengthen their political position inside Iraq. Maybe they viewed the issue from the perspective that the Iraqi Shiites did not benefit from Iran under the Shah, while the Sunnis benefited from the wide Arab Sunni presence in the region.

Thus, the presence of a Shiite religious state in Iran is now looking for its Shiite allies in the region, and the division of the Arab world and its weakness in the current phase, is an opportunity that should not be missed because it may never be repeated. We do not have the space here to discuss Iranian politics, and that one of its aims is to use Iraq as an advantage to it and a window for regional influence.

This necessarily requires a weakened state in Iraq. This does not mean, of course, that the Iraqis, Sunnis and Shiites, accept that their country should be run with this premise.

The intensity of the sectarian divide, the political instability for the past 10 years since the fall of the former regime and Iran’s success in extending its influence across several bridges, all indicate that the situation in Iraq remains critical.

It cannot be expected that the region will accept the repeat of the Iraqi case in Bahrain, at whatever cost, for the simple reason that the country’s small size and sharp sectarian division within it would make it an easy prey for Iran, unlike Iraq. Also, Bahrain is close to shores of Saudi Arabia, not farther than 23 km. Do the brothers in the Bahraini opposition view the subject from this angle? Since the sectarian divide is a reality on the ground everywhere now, why this division is denied in Bahrain?

The Bahraini opposition has failed to address the other side of the Bahraini people and it has also failed to address the regional concerns. They are dealing with all of this as if they do not care. This does not serve them well and it does not serve anyone well. Rather, it promotes distrust, which is what established sectarianism in the beginning. If “AlWefaq” is against sectarianism and I think it is, then it must address these concerns directly and announce a clear position. I have already expressed this view in some detail to one of the leaders of “Al-Wefaq” last year, and he was generous in his response on the subject.

Here, we come to the second answer. We cannot deny the presence of the sectarian factor in the position of the Arab media. Yet, this is the same standard of the Iranian media, and the media of Hezbollah, in their dealings with the events of the region on the basis of sectarianism that is clearer and more direct. Has “Al-Wefaq” taken the same position here? The Arab media deals in the same way with Syria and its Alawite president, Yemen and its Al-Zaidi president, and Tunisia, Libya and Egypt and their Sunni leaders.

However, the Iranian media is always with the Shiite forces, whether in power or out of power. The media of Hezbollah is also on the same line.

We are thus facing a situation that combines sectarianism with political interest, as well as a daring Iranian position that is unparalleled in its divisiveness. This stems from the nature of the Iranian political system, and therefore it needs sectarianism in the region. What is the position of “AlWefaq” in this case? Can it distinguish itself? Or will it continue to be silent about Iran’s policies? Does it have the right to criticize the Saudi position, or the Egyptian, for example?

Can it take a divisive position similar to Iran? When it cannot achieve any of these, it puts itself amid the sectarian game, which it complains about.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

Thousands march in Washington for gun control

Pakistan still viewed as global jihad hub Page 11

French-led soldiers close in on Timbuktu BAMAKO: French-led troops were closing in on Mali’s fabled desert city of Timbuktu yesterday after capturing a string of other towns in their offensive against Islamist groups in the north of the country. A Malian reconnaissance team has reached the edge of Timbuktu, a senior Malian officer said, adding that French and Malian soldiers were approaching the city “without meeting any resistance”. The advance comes after French and Malian troops on Saturday seized the town of Gao to the east of Timbuktu, the biggest victory so far in their 17-day operation against the militants.

And in another blow to the insurgents who have been in control of the north of the impoverished country for 10 months, French air strikes destroyed the home of the leader of an Al-Qaeda-linked group in the town of Kidal overnight. French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault had earlier said troops were advancing on Timbuktu, an ancient desert trading post and centre of Islamic learning, where 333 revered Muslim saints are believed to be buried. The Malian officer said the troops’ main concern was to ensure security as there had been widespread looting in Gao. “We want to avoid these scenes in Timbuktu and elsewhere,” he said. Gao is the biggest of six towns seized by French and Malian troops since they launched their offensive on January 11 to wrest the vast desert north from the Islamists amid fears that the region could become a terror hotbed.

French-led forces on Saturday took the city from the AlQaeda-linked Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), one of the Islamist groups that took control of northern Mali in April last year. A Malian security source also said the home of Ansar Dine (Defenders of the Faith) chief Iyad Ag Ghaly was destroyed in the air raids on Islamist bases in Kidal, 1,500 kilometres (950 miles) north of the capital Bamako. The Mali crisis erupted in April in the chaotic aftermath of a coup in Bamako. An alliance of Tuareg rebels seeking an independent homeland in the north joined forces with several Islamist groups, seizing Kidal first and then Gao and Timbuktu.

The Islamists quickly sidelined the Tuaregs, imposing a harsh version of Islamic law which saw offenders flogged, stoned or executed while militants also banned music and television, forced women to wear veils and destroyed ancient religious sites in the World Heritage site of Timbuktu. France launched its campaign after Islamists captured a central town and pushed deeper into government territory towards Bamako from their bastions in the north, an area the size of Texas. — AFP

Page 9

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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

Top UN team in Yemen to push reconciliation Thousands take to streets in protest

MOZAMBIQUE: Residents flee to the roof of a house in Chokwe district, to escape the floods. —AP

Mozambique flood toll rises to 40 CHOKWE: The death toll from flooding in Mozambique climbed to around 40 yesterday after four more bodies were discovered in the worst-hit southern town of Chokwe, while the number of people forced to flee has topped 100,000. “They found four bodies in the last 24 hours,” the town’s mayor Jorge Makwakwa told AFP, adding that Chokwe’s flood-ravaged streets were littered with rotting animal carcasses. “I am mobilising workers to remove the bodies but we need masks and gloves,” he said.

According to a toll from the United Nations on Friday, the severe flooding in the impoverished country had killed at least 36 people, most in the southern province of Gaza.

The floods, which have also hit neighbouring South Africa and Zimbabwe, are the result of days of torrential rains this month that swelled the Limpopo river. The UN children’s agency UNICEF said yesterday that the number of people forced to flee their homes in the Limpopo valley had reached 108,000. About 23,000 families have sought shelter in camps in Gaza, and the UN World Food Programme has begun feeding some 75,000 flood-affected people, according to the United Nations.

UNICEF said it had set up three field hospitals and was broadcasting radio messages urging locals to take basic hygiene measures to ward off diarrhoea and

cholera. While the Limpopo river started to recede in Chokwe yesterday, the 9,000 residents who had stayed behind were in urgent need of clean water and food, mayor Makwakwa said, as a major clean-up operation got under way.

While some tried to salvage what they could and laid their possessions out to dry, others walked through the streets inebriated, having helped themselves to alcohol in flood-damaged stores, an AFP reporter on the scene said. With relief efforts focused on the camps, some locals said they were struggling to get their hands on emergency supplies.

In the village of Guija, children told AFP they had had no water or food since Wednesday, while a doctor said two mothers had given birth on rooftops after they were marooned by the rising waters.

Mozambican authorities were also scrambling to protect the partly inundated coastal tourist city of Xai-Xai on the Limpopo river, where some 45,000 people were thought to be at risk from the deluge, Rita Almeida, a spokeswoman for Mozambique’s Disaster Relief Management Institute, told AFP. She added that helicopters would be dispatched to try to rescue those stranded by the floodwaters. “Our biggest priority is to reach the people (who have taken refuge) in trees,” she said. — AFP

SANAA: A UN Security Council delegation yesterday began a brief visit to Yemen in a clear boost to President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi aimed at helping to iron out problems hampering national reconciliation talks. Thousands, meanwhile, took to the streets on the occasion of the visit, demanding an end to the immunity given to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh who was eased out of office in February 2102 after three decades of rule following a UNbacked and Gulf-brokered deal.

The Security Council delegation, which includes the head and members of the top body, held talks with Hadi, state television said, adding that the team later went on to meet members of the government. It termed the visit as “international support for Yemen to push political reconciliation as per the Gulf initiative” which ended Saleh’s rule and nearly a year of bloodshed.

The trip comes as Sanaa struggles to organise a national dialogue conference that would result in a new constitution and presidential and parliamentary elections in February 2014, thereby ending the current two-year transition period.

The conference, originally set for mid-November, has been repeatedly delayed as some factions of the Southern Movement, which has campaigned for autonomy or secession for the formerly independent south, have refused to join the talks.

After North and South Yemen unified, in 1994, a short-lived secession bid was crushed by Sanaa troops and since then the citizens of the south have complained of discrimination. The United Nations special envoy Jamal Benomar said the team’s visit “reflects the UN Security Council’s interest in pushing the reconciliation and removing obstacles that are hindering the implementation of the points of the Gulf initiative.”

He told state television that the “process is difficult,” and urged all Yemeni parties to “realise that there is a historic opportunity and join the

national dialogue without preconditions to solve all Yemeni issues, including the question of the south.” Yesterday, demonstrators poured into the streets of Sanaa amid tight security calling to bring Saleh to justice and to “return the funds stolen by the former president and his family,” an AFP correspondent reported.

The Youth of the Revolution, a group that was the main engine of the year-long protests, also called for an international probe into violations and crimes committed by Saleh’s regime. It urged the UN Security Council to “freeze the funds owned by the leaders of the former

SANAA: A Yemeni pro-democracy protester waves his national flag during a demonstration demanding that former president Ali Abdullah Saleh be put on trial yesterday. — AP

Outrage as Berlusconi praises Mussolini

Fears grow that Libya is incubator of turmoil Libya’s upheaval the past two years helped lead to the ongoing conflict in Mali, and now Mali’s war threatens to wash back and further hike Libya’s instability. Fears are growing that post-Muammar Gaddafi Libya is becoming an incubator of turmoil, with an overflow of weapons and Islamic jihadi militants operating freely, ready for battlefields at home or abroad. The possibility of a Mali backlash was underlined the past week when several European governments evacuated their citizens from Libya’s second largest city, Benghazi, fearing attacks in retaliation for the French-led military assault against Al-Qaeda-linked extremists in northern Mali.

More worrisome is the possibility that Islamic militants inspired by - or linked to Al-Qaeda can establish a strong enough foothold in Libya to spread instability across a swath of North Africa where long, porous desert borders have little meaning, governments are weak, and tribal and ethnic networks stretch from country to country. The Associated Press examined the dangers in recent interviews with officials, tribal leaders and jihadis in various parts of Libya.

Already, Libya’s turmoil echoes around the region and in the Middle East. The large numbers of weapons brought into Libya or seized from government caches during the 2011 civil war against Gadhafi are now smuggled freely to Mali, Egypt and its Sinai Peninsula, the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and to rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad. Jihadis in Libya are believed to have operational links with fellow militant groups in the same swath, Libyan fighters have joined rebels in Syria and are believed to operate in other countries as well.

Libyan officials, activists and experts are increasingly raising alarm over how Islamic militants have taken advantage of the oilrich country’s weakness to grow in strength.

During his more than four decade rule Gadhafi stripped the country of national institutions, and after his fall the central government has little authority beyond the capital, Tripoli. Militias established to fight Gaddafi remain dominant, and tribes and regions are sharply divided.

In the eastern city of Benghazi, birthplace of the revolt that led to the ouster and killing of Gaddafi, militias espousing an Al-Qaeda ideology and including veteran fighters are prevalent, even ostensibly serving as security forces on behalf of the government since the police and military are so weak and poorly armed.

One such militia, Ansar Al-Shariah, is believed to have been behind the Sept. 11 attack on the US Consulate in the city that killed four Americans, including the ambassador. Since then, militants have been blamed for a wave of assassinations of security officers and government officials.

Earlier this month, former Libyan leader Mustafa Abdul-Jalil warned the militant threat extends to efforts to establish a state that can enforce rule of law. “Libya will not see stability except by facing them,” he told a gathering videotaped by activists and aired on Libyan TV. “It is time to either hold dialogue or confront them.” He listed 30 officials and police officers assassinated in Benghazi

the past year. The Mali drama illustrates how the threat bounces back and forth across the borders drawn in the Sahel, the region stretching across the Sahara Desert. Libya and Mali are separated by Algeria, but the two countries had deep ties under Gaddafi.

Thousands of Tuaregs moved from Mali to Libya beginning in the 1970s, and many joined special divisions of Gaddafi’s military where they earned higher salaries than they would have at home.

As Gaddafi was falling in 2011, thousands of heavily armed Tuareg fighters in southern Libya fled to northern Mali. The Tuareg are an indigenous ethnic group living throughout the Sahel, from Mali to Chad and into Libya and Algeria. The fighters, led by commander Mohammed Ag Najem, broke the Mali government’s hold over the north and declared their long-held dream of a Tuareg homeland, Azawad. But they in turn were defeated by Islamic militants, some linked to Al-Qaeda’s branch in North Africa, who took over the territory and imposed rule under an extreme version of Shariah, or Islamic law.

This month, as militants moved south, France launched its military intervention to rescue the Mali government, conducting airstrikes against militants.

In retaliation, militants seized an oil complex in eastern Algeria, prompting a siege by Algerian forces that killed dozens of Western hostages and militants. The militant group that carried out the Algeria hostage taking, in turn, had help from Libyan extremists in the form of smuggled weapons and “organizational ties,” the group’s leader, Moktar Belmoktar said.

“Their ideological and organizational connection to us is not an accusation against a Muslim but a source of pride and honor to us and to them,” Belmoktar, the one-eyed Algerian founder of the Masked Brigade, said of the Libyans in an interview with The Mauritanian newspaper in midDecember. “Jihadists in Al-Qaeda and in general were the biggest beneficiaries of the Arab world uprisings, because these uprisings have broken the chains of fear ... that the agent regimes of the West imposed.”

He urged Libyan militants not to submit to calls by the Tripoli government to hand over their weapons, saying their arms are “the source of their dignity and their guarantee of security.” With pressure building on Mali’s Islamists, Libya provides a possible alternative haven for jihadis, said Scott Stewart of the global intelligence group Stratfor. “It is a very good place to operate if you are an extremist,” he said. “There are fault lines and divisions ... The central government has very little authority outside Tripoli. This is very conducive environment for Jihad to thrive.”

They already have a free rein in Benghazi.

“Libya became a heaven for them,” Col Salah Bouhalqa, a leading military commander in Benghazi, said of Al-Qaeda. “The Westerners are fearful that what happened in Algeria will take place in Libya. And here, just like Mali and Egypt and Iraq, these groups have extensions.” fighters as mercenaries, and now they suffer not only from poverty but from the disdain of Libyans who see them as Gaddafi loyalists. — AP

regime and return them to public treasury.”

“The people want to put the killer on trial,” chanted the protesters, referring to Saleh who is also accused of hampering the political transition. The transition deal also stipulates restructuring the army and integrating military and security forces under a single command, a task that remains difficult with Saleh’s sons and relatives still occupying senior security posts. The United Nations made an urgent call in December for Yemeni political parties to begin the dialogue, warning that the transition was under threat. — AFP

MILAN: Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi (foreground) sits in front of Northern League party’s leader Roberto Maroni yesterday. — AP

Palestinians gather state symbols and budget blues RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: In the wake of a UN status upgrade last year, the Palestinians are busy printing State of Palestine letterheads and stamps, but they have never been less able to pay their bills. Last November 29, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas smiled broadly as the UN General Assembly took the historic vote that upgraded the Palestinians to non-member observer state, but the move has had costly consequences. It was opposed by both the United States and Israel, with the latter opting to suspend its monthly transfers of tax and tariff revenue collected for the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the wake of the decision.

That has plunged the PA’s finances - shaky at the best of times - into chaos, forcing prime minister Salam Fayyad to beg Arab nations to make up the shortfall by activating a “safety net” worth $100 million a month. The money was intended to ensure the PA could continue to pay its thousands of employees’ salaries, which make up a large part of the $240 million a month the government needs to stay on top of its obligations. But the promised money has not been forthcoming. Last week, Saudi Arabia announced it would chip in $100 million in a one-time donation, but other Arab countries have not come forward. The situation has created tension on the ground. PA employees are still owed half their November salaries and all of their December pay. On Jan 13, the Arab League announced it would dispatch a delegation headed by its secretary general Nabil Al-Arabi and accompanied by Fayyad to try to drum up more of the promised “safety net” from Arab donors. “When the Palestine Liberation Organisation announced that it would go ahead with seeking observer state status, the battle intensified with the United States and Arab donor aid to the PA declined,” political analyst Abdelmajid Suleim said. “The only explanation for the financial crisis is that the Palestinian people and its leaders are paying the price for disobedience to Washington,” he added.

Economist Nasser Abdel Karim lays some of the blame on the Palestinian leadership, pointing out that financial sanctions from Israel and Washington had been expected after the UN bid. “The Palestinian government expected economic difficulties due to the decision to go to the UN, but it did nothing to prepare,” he told AFP. Despite the budgetary blues, Abbas this month gave orders for work to begin on new passports, ID cards and driving licences reading “State of Palestine”. Deputy interior minister Hassan Alawi said that there were practical barriers to putting such orders into practice. “We’re still under occupation,” he said. “We have the ability to deliver a Palestinian passport, but the Israeli side will not accept their use.”—AFP

ROME: Italy’s gaffe-prone former premier Silvio Berlusconi sparked outrage yesterday with remarks praising wartime dictator Benito Mussolini despite Il Duce’s persecution of Jews and allowing thousands to be deported to Auschwitz. “The racial laws were the worst mistake of a leader, Mussolini, who however did good things in so many other areas,” Berlusconi, who is angling for a return to politics in elections next month, said on the sidelines of a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day in Milan. Starting in 1938, Mussolini promulgated decrees known collectively as racial laws that barred Jews from the civil service, the armed forces and the National Fascist Party. The laws also banned intermarriage.

Mussolini’s Italy participated in the deportation of Jews to the Auschwitz death camp, and an estimated 7,500 are estimated to have been victims of the Holocaust.

Italy “does not have the same responsibilities as Germany,” said Berlusconi, a billionaire media tycoon known for ill-considered outbursts. On Saturday, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany had “an everlasting responsibility for the crimes of (the Nazis)”.

The head of Italy’s Jewish community, Renzo Gattegna, slammed Berlusconi’s remarks, saying they were “not only superficial and inopportune, but also... devoid of any moral meaning or historical foundation.” Gattegna, head of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, added: “The persecution and the racist anti-Semitic laws of Italy originated well before the war and were applied with full autonomy under the... fascist regime, later an ally and willing and conscious accomplice of Nazi Germany.” He said the remarks showed “the extent to

which Italy still has trouble seriously accepting its own history and its own responsibilities”. Centre-left politicians also voiced outrage over Berlusconi’s comments.

“Berlusconi’s words are a disgrace and an insult to history and memory. He should apologise to the Italian people today,” Dario Francheschini, head of the centre-left Democratic Party, said in a Twitter message.

His party is tipped to win the elections set for February 24-25. Left-wing MEP Debora Serracchiani said in a statement: “It is simply disgusting that even on Remembrance Day Berlusconi goes about rehabilitating the actions of the dictator who dragged Italy into the Second World War.” Antonio Di Petro, head of the small anticorruption Italy of Values party, dismissed Berlusconi as “nothing more than a caricature” of Mussolini. The flamboyant, scandalplagued 76-year-old, who has had three stints as prime minister, heads the centreright People of Freedom Party (PDL) but has not decided whether to seek a fourth term or settle for a cabinet post if the party wins in February.

The head of the PDL’s parliamentary group, Fabrizio Cicchitto, came to Berlusconi’s defence, saying: “The fascist dictatorship never attained the horror of that of the Nazis or the Russians.” He said the left’s reactions were politically motivated and that “Berlusconi was obviously talking about (Mussolini’s) social aid policies and support for families.” Berlusconi’s long history of gaffes includes an earlier comment about Il Duce: “Mussolini never killed anyone. Mussolini used to send people on vacation in internal exile,” he told an Italian magazine in 2003. — AFP

Lawyers latest targets of Turkey’s fight against terror ISTANBUL: With the latest wave of arrests, the number of lawyers behind bars in Turkey has reached 45, hitting those defending Kurds and far-left activists hard, and even emptying the offices of some law firms. At other law practices, inexperienced lawyers fresh out of law school have been obliged to step up to replace their more experienced colleagues languishing in jail. “It is enough!” Umit Kocasakal, chairman of Istanbul bar told hundreds of lawyers, cheering his call to resistance.

“These attacks targeting the rights to defence and lawyers in a systematic and deliberate manner have reached a dimension that is not bearable,” he said. Earlier this month, nine of their colleagues were detained for “membership in a terrorist organisation”-the banned Marxist-Leninist Revolutionary People’s Liberation Front (DHKP-C). The lawyers concerned were defending several alleged members of the organisation.

They had also defended victims of prison and police violence such as Engin Ceber, a leftwing activist who died in prison in 2008 following torture; and Festus Okey, a Nigerian illegal immigrant who died in a police station in 2007. “These lawyers have done incredible work on some human rights cases,” Emma Sinclair-Webb of the Human Rights Watch said.

“No one else would have taken care of these cases. What attention would such cases get if they had not been there?” The nine lawyers have joined 36 of their colleagues in detention, 33 of whom are being held over suspected links to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The other three are accused of involvement in a conspiracy against the Islamic-conservative government, according to the Diyarbakir bar in the southeast of the country.

With 45 colleagues now behind bars,

lawyers rival their colleagues in the journalism profession when it comes to jailed members.

Turkey currently holds 46 journalists in prison, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which in December awarded the nation the title of the world’s leading jailer of journalists. The crackdowns have hit law firms defending far-left activists and Kurdish circles the hardest: some of them have been stripped of their entire staff. Others meanwhile have been forced to turn to inexperienced graduates, fresh out of college, to keep working. In November 2011, the Asrin law firm, which defends Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK, lost five of its six lawyers when they were arrested as part of a clampdown against Kurdish lawyers. A young lawyer who had worked there for two months was spared.

After the incident, the firm had to hire two more newly graduated lawyers to follow the case of Turkey’s most prestigious prisoner.

“Actually I got my lawyer’s licence the very same week my colleagues from Asrin were arrested,” said Rezan Sarica, the 25-year old lawyer of Ocalan.

Before Asrin, he had worked a few months for another law firm. “But there too, the lawyers were also arrested and the office was totally empty, which meant I had to handle everything,” including pleading in front of a high criminal court only a week after entering the professional world, he said. In addition to Ocalan’s case, Sarica now has to defend his arrested colleagues. “They are in prison because they are the lawyers of Ocalan. There is no respect for the rule of law and the defence right in this country.” Kocasakal is also worried about what the future holds for Turkey: “If we are all thrown into prison, who is going to defend you?”—AFP

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32,000 people fatally shot in US in 2011 Thousands march in Washington for gun control

SERTA: Portuguese firefighters work around the wreckage of a bus which ran off the road and crashed into a ravine, killing 10 people and injuring 33 yesterday. — AP

10 dead, 33 hurt in bus crash in eastern Portugal LISBON: A bus crashed and fell into a ravine near the eastern Portuguese town of Serta, killing 11 people and injuring 32, officials said yesterday. National Civil Protection authority spokesman Carlos Guerra said the injured were flown and driven to hospitals in nearby cities. One injured person died in the hospital.

Television images showed a large rescue operation mounted on the rain-soaked approach road, including more than 260

firefighters and at least one rescue helicopter. The Spanish-registered bus was reportedly traveling from the city of Badajoz in Spain to the tourist destination of Santa Maria da Feira.

Civil Protection spokesman Rui Esteves said all the occupant of the bus, including the driver, were Portuguese citizens. Some of the passengers were trapped inside and images showed firefighters cutting sections of the bus to rescue them. — AP

Major floods sweep northern Australia SYDNEY: Two people were missing and the body of a third person was recovered from raging floodwaters as severe storms pounded northeastern Australia yesterday, forcing more than 1,000 to flee their homes. Army aircraft were deployed in the northern state of Queensland, where storms generated by former tropical cyclone Oswald unleashed punishing rains and localised tornadoes and floodwaters threatened several major towns.

One woman was plucked to safety in Biloela, 600 kilometres (400 miles) northwest of the state capital Brisbane, after she spent eight hours clinging to a tree. At Gympie, north of Brisbane, three families waited on the roofs of their homes for seven hours before rescue helicopters, hampered by high winds, managed to reach them, town mayor Ron Dyne said.

A 27-year-old man was missing after he tried to cross a swollen creek near Gympie,

and state Premier Campbell Newman said there were serious concerns for another young woman. “Emergency services are searching for a young woman who reportedly drove into waters near Pacific Haven this morning, and we have grave fears for her safety,” Newman told reporters.

Separately yesterday, police said the body of an elderly man who went to check on a yacht had been recovered from waters north of Bundaberg, where the engorged Burnett River broke its banks and was expected to engulf 300 homes. Bundaberg was among dozens of towns devastated by floods in Queensland two years ago that claimed 35 lives. Newman said residents there were bracing for the river to peak above nine metres (30 feet), well in excess of the 7.92m seen in 2011. Further north at Gladstone, about 900 homes were evacuated and several towns in the region were already isolated by the rising waters. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Thousands of people marched in Washington on Saturday to demand stronger gun control legislation, in a solemn rally six weeks after the shock massacre of young children at a Connecticut school. Protesters, backed by senior officials, marched in silence for around 30 minutes along the National Mall near the US Capitol and Washington Monument, carrying white placards marked with the names and pictures of gun crime victims. The demonstration came after the December shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut that saw a gunman mow down 20 young children and six adults, sparking a furious national debate over gun ownership. The shooter used a military-style assault weapon and handguns.

“No more talk. We must act, we must act, we must act,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, telling the crowd that when he headed up a network of Chicago schools from 1990 to 2000, a child was buried every two weeks due to gun violence.

“This has to change. Our children, our families, our communities, our country deserve better,” he said to thunderous applause. Around 270 million guns are in circulation in the United States-almost one weapon for every man, woman and child-where more than 32,000 people were fatally gunned down in 2011 alone.

Among the protesters were several friends, neighbors and relatives of the Newtown shooting victims. Under chilly temperatures, the demonstrators held banners reading “Ban Assault Weapons Now” and “My children are more important than your guns.” Colin Goddard, survivor of the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech university that left 33 people dead including the gunman, said the latest spate of gun violence should trigger change.

“Enough is enough,” he said. “Today is not the finish line, today is the starting block. This is not an individual race, but this is a team relay.” Washington Mayor Vincent Gray, who has come out in support of gun control, called for action to keep “each other safe from arms those irresponsible and irrational

people who still go across our cities and our states and have access to guns in ways that they should not.”

Duncan pledged that President Barack Obama’s administration “will do everything in our power to make sure that we pass legislation that makes our children, our families, our communities safer.” In the wake of the Connecticut deaths, Obama signed 23 executive orders and also called on Congress to pass new laws in a series of sweeping measures aimed at addressing gun violence.

The proposed measures include a ban on military-style assault rifles and the closing of loopholes that allow many gun buyers to avoid back-

ground checks. But securing congressional action will be difficult as many Republicans are vehemently opposed to the White House’s plans, contending that the measures will infringe upon the constitutional right to bear arms.

Opposition to new laws is not purely along party lines. Some Democrats from states where hunting and shooting sports are popular support gun rights.

An ABC News poll this week found 53 percent of Americans back Obama’s gun control plans, while 41 percent view it unfavorably. “We know the fight will be difficult but that we will prevail,” said march organizer Molly Smith. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Thousands of people participate in the March on Washington for Gun Control on January 26, 2013 in Washington in response to last month’s school shooting in Newtown. — AFP

Bulgarians vote in referendum on nuke plant SOFIA: Bulgarians voted yesterday on whether to revive plans ditched by the government to construct a second nuclear power plant, in the EU member’s first referendum since communism.

The vote was seen as a popularity contest for political parties ahead of elections in July, even though low turnout was expected to render the result of the referendum invalid. The referendum asks 6.9 million eligible voters: “Should Bulgaria develop nuclear energy by constructing a new nuclear power plant?”

At stake is an on-again, off-again project for a 2,000-megawatt facility on the Danube river at Belene on the northern border with Romania that was first conceived in 1987. Severe financial constraints and the inability to attract a foreign investor after the withdrawal of German energy giant RWE in 2009 prompted the right-wing government of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to abandon the project last March.

The opposition Socialists initiated the referendum after Atomstroyexport, the state-owned

Russian firm set to build Belene, filed a compensation claim for one billion euros ($1.3 billion). The referendum must have a turnout equal to that of the last general elections, or 4.35 million voters, to be valid. Surveys however indicate that this will be a tall order, with apathy on the rise and most voters uncertain about the project’s cost and economic feasibility. Eve-of-ballot surveys suggested that a mere 1.6 to 2.1 million people would vote, with 60-62 percent in the “yes” camp compared with 38-40 percent against. — AFP

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61 killed in Venezuela prison riot 120 wounded in deadly mutiny GOP needs to pick its fights with Obama: Ryan WASHINGTON: Rep. Paul Ryan said Saturday that Republicans need to stick together and pick their fights during President Barack Obama’s second term, rejecting some White House proposals outright and trying to infuse others with conservative principles. In a speech to conservatives, the GOP’s 2012 vice presidential nominee said Obama would attempt to divide Republicans but urged them to avoid internal squabbles after a second straight presidential loss.

“We can’t get rattled. We won’t play the villain in his morality plays. We have to stay united,” Ryan said at the National Review Institute’s weekend conference on the future of conservatism. “We have to show that if given the chance, we can govern. We have better ideas.” The Wisconsin congressman outlined a pragmatic approach for a party dealing with last November’s election defeats and trying to determine whether to oppose Obama’s agenda at every turn or shape his proposals with conservative principles.

How the party moves forward was a major theme of the three-day meeting of conservative activists who also heard from Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

Govs. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Bob McDonnell of Virginia were scheduled to address the conference yesterday. The theme also dominated the Republican National Committee’s winter meeting, which ended Friday in Charlotte, NC. With a surging minority population altering the electorate, Republican leaders have discussed the need to attract more women and Hispanics while at the same time standing firm on the values that unite conservatives.

Republicans said despite the losses, the party could return to power by projecting optimism and attracting new voters with a message of economic opportunity.

Walker, a star among conservatives after surviving a union-led campaign to recall him from office, said government needed “brown-bag common sense,” a reference to his frugal practice of packing his own lunch of ham-andcheese sandwiches every day. Qualities like optimism, staying relevant to voters and showing courage in tackling big problems would be rewarded at

the voting booth, he said. “We’ve got to learn to be more optimistic. We’ve got to learn to give a viable alternative to the voters,” Walker said.

Cruz said Republicans needed to use upcoming fights over the budget and the deficit as “leverage points” to tame long-term spending and debt.

Projecting an upbeat outlook for the party, he said Obama’s policies would drive many voters to Republicans just as many Americans turned to Ronald Reagan after the economic turmoil of the late 1970s. “We’re on the verge of a rebirth of conservativism,” Cruz said.

Looking ahead, Ryan rejected the notion that Republicans were “in the wilderness,” noting that the party controls the House and most statehouses.

But he said Obama’s victory over Romney meant that Republicans would need to recalibrate their approach to deal with the new political realities.

“If we want to promote conservatism, we’ll need to use every tool at our disposal,” Ryan said. “Sometimes, we will have to reject the president’s proposals - that time may come more than once. And sometimes we’ll have to make them better.” He said Republicans should have two main goals for the next four years, namely “to mitigate bad policies” and “to advance good policy wherever we can.”

Ryan acknowledged that “we all didn’t see eye to eye” on the recent “fiscal cliff” vote to deal with a combination of spending cuts and higher taxes that were set to take effect at the start of the year. He defended his support for the bill, saying it was the only way to avoid sweeping tax increases and prevent the economy from going into a free-fall. As chairman of the House Budget Committee, Ryan said Republicans needed to guard against a debt crisis for the country that would undermine the economy. He said he would promote changes to Medicare and Medicaid and would propose a budget “that will balance and pay down the debt.” But November’s election results still linger. Ryan said he was “disappointed” by the outcome, saying he was “looking forward to taking on the big challenges” while living at the vice president’s residence. “My kids were looking forward to having a pool,” he joked. —AP

CARACAS: The death toll has risen to 61 following fierce gunbattles between inmates and National Guard troops at a Venezuelan prison, a hospital director said Saturday. About 120 more people were wounded in one of the deadliest prison riots in the nation’s history. Penitentiary Service Minister Iris Varela said Saturday that officials had begun evacuating inmates from the Uribana prison in Barquisimeto and transferring them to other facilities, but she did not provide an official death toll. However, Dr Ruy Medina, director of Central Hospital in the city of Barquisimeto, told The Associated Press that the number of dead had risen to 61. He initially told Venezuelan news media after the Friday uprising that about 50 were killed.

Medina said that nearly all of the injuries were from gunshots and that 45 of the estimated 120 people who were wounded remained hospitalized. Some underwent surgeries for their wounds. Relatives wept outside the prison during the violence, and cried at the morgue Saturday as they waited to identify bodies. The riot was the latest in a series of deadly clashes in Venezuela’s overcrowded and often anarchical prisons, where inmates typically obtain weapons and drugs with the help of corrupt guards.

Critics called it proof that the government is failing to get a grip on a worsening national crisis in its penitentiaries.

The gunbattles seized attention amid uncertainty about President Hugo Chavez’s future, while he remained in Cuba recovering and undergoing treatment more than six weeks after his latest cancer surgery. Government officials pledged a thorough investigation, while some critics said there should have been ways for the authorities to prevent such bloodshed. Nayibe Mendez, the mother of a 22-year-old inmate in the prison, told the AP that she was able to talk by phone with her son and he was uninjured.

“What they say is that there were shots all over the place, and they don’t know where they came from,” Mendez said. “It was a massacre. A full list hasn’t come out of the dead and injured.”

Mendez spoke by telephone from the morgue, where she said she went out of solidarity. “We’re all hurt. No matter what, a prisoner has a right to live,” she said, demanding that the authorities fully investigate what happened. Varela said during a news conference that officials decided to evacuate all inmates from the prison in order to “close this chapter of violence.” She said victims had wounds from guns, explosives and knives or other sharp weapons made by the inmates.

Varela did not provide any estimates of the numbers killed and injured, and instead criticized Venezuelan news media at length for their coverage of the violence. Vice President Nicolas Maduro called the bloodshed tragic and said Prosecutor General Luisa Ortega Diaz and National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello would lead the investigation.

“The prisons have to be governed by law,” Maduro said on television early Saturday. The riot was the deadliest in nearly two decades. In

1994, more than 100 inmates died in the country’s bloodiest prison on record, at a prison in the western city of Maracaibo. In 1994, about 60 inmates were killed in a riot in a Caracas prison.

Varela said that the violence erupted on Friday when groups of inmates attacked National Guard troops who were attempting to carry out an inspection. She said the government decided to send troops to search the prison after reports of clashes between groups of inmates during the past two days.

Douglas Briceno said his nephew, an inmate, was wounded in the foot during the shooting. “I think he’s out of danger,” Briceno told the AP. “I haven’t been able to communicate with him because they don’t let me pass to the prison.”

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles condemned the government’s handling of what he and many other critics call a growing crisis in the country’s prisons. “Our country’s prisons are an example of the incapacity of this government and its leaders. They never solved the problem,” Capriles said on his Twitter account. “How many

BARQUISIMETO: Relatives of inmates react outside the Uribana prison in Venezuela. — AP more deaths do there have to be in the prisons for the government to acknowledge its failure and make changes?”

Venezuela currently has 33 prisons built to hold about 12,000 inmates, but officials have said the prisons’ population is about 47,000. The Venezuelan Prisons Observatory, a watchdog group, said in a statement that in 2007 the Costa Rica-based Inter-American Court of Human Rights had ordered the government to seize weapons that inmates had in their possession at Uribana prison and to take measures to avoid deaths in the facility. The group called for the government to release a list with the names of the dead and wounded in Friday’s violence, as

Fox News, Palin cutting ties NEW YORK: Fox News Channel is parting ways with former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, ending her three-year tenure as a contributor on the network. While Palin’s time at Fox was occasionally rocky, the network’s news executive, Bill Shine, said Friday that “we have thoroughly enjoyed our association” with her. “We wish her the best in her future endeavors,” said Shine, Fox’s executive vice president for programming. A person familiar with discussions between Fox and Palin described the parting as amicable, saying that Fox and Palin had discussed renewing her contract but she decided to do other things. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record.

Palin’s lawyer in Alaska, John Tiemessen, had no immediate comment on her exit.

Palin’s last appearance on Fox News was Dec. 19 on Greta Van Susteren’s show. Palin signed to deliver commentary on Fox in January 2010, reportedly for $1 million a year. It was a coup for both sides at the time; the former Alaska governor was a little more than a year removed from her attention-getting run for the vice presidency and was considered one of the leading contenders for the 2012 presidential nomination. At Fox, she had a platform on the

most popular network for conservative viewers. Fox installed equipment in Palin’s Wasilla, Alaska, home to make her regular appearances easier.

But there were some indications of tension between her and Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes, who was quoted in a 2011 story by The Associated Press saying, “I hired Sarah Palin because she was hot and got ratings.” When Palin announced she would not be a candidate in 2012, she said it on a conservative radio show, which didn’t sit well with the company paying her to be a contributor. Palin took to her Facebook page late last summer to complain that Fox had cancelled her appearances one night at the GOP national convention; Fox said it was simply because the GOP had to condense its speaker schedule due to a hurricane.

Four years removed from her vice presidential candidacy, Palin’s influence had waned and she was somewhat overshadowed as a contributor at Fox by Karl Rove, former President George W Bush’s top political aide. Rove recently renewed his contract at Fox through the 2016 election. With four more years of a Barack Obama administration in power, Fox recently hired former Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich as a contributor. — AP

Observatory reported 30 killed.

In August, 25 people were killed and 43 wounded when two groups of inmates fought a gunbattle inside Yare I prison south of Caracas.

Chavez ’s government previously pledged improvements to the prison system, but opponents and activists say the government hasn’t made progress. Varela, the prisons minister, said news media including Globovision and a local newspaper had run reports on the inspection by authorities, which she said had in fact been a “trigger for the violence.” Prado denied that, saying: “The problem isn’t the work of the media.

The problem is that the government hasn’t disarmed the prison population.”— AP

Kerry set to take Clinton’s crown Venezuela’s Chavez overcomes infection

WASHINGTON: In this file photo, Sarah Palin, the GOP candidate for vicepresident in 2008, and former Alaska governor, delivers the keynote address to activists from America’s political right at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). —AP

well as details about weapons seized in the search.

“No one doubts that inspections are necessary procedures to guarantee prison conditions in line with international standards, but they can’t be carried out with the warlike attitude as (authorities) have done it,” said Humberto Prado, an activist who leads the prison watchdog group. “It’s clear that the inspection wasn’t coordinated or put into practice as it should have been. It was evidently a disproportionate use of force,” Prado told the AP. His group says Uribana prison was built to hold up to 850 inmates but currently has about 1,400.

Similar though less deadly clashes have flared repeatedly during the past few years. In April and May, a prison uprising in La Planta prison in Caracas blocked authorities from going inside for nearly three weeks. One prisoner was killed and five people were wounded, including two National Guard soldiers and three inmates. Two months later, another riot broke out at a penitentiary in Merida, and the Venezuelan Prisons

SANTIAGO/CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has overcome a respiratory infection, but is still being treated for breathing problems after cancer surgery in Cuba last month, a government minister said on Saturday. Official statements have sounded upbeat about the socialist president’s condition in recent weeks, following rumors he was gravely ill in a hospital in Havana and might be unable to keep governing after being re-elected in October to a third term. “(Chavez) has overcome the respiratory infection, although he still has a certain degree of respiratory insufficiency,” Information Minister Ernesto Villegas told reporters in Chile, where Latin American and European leaders are meeting.

“Vice President (Nicolas) Maduro has estimated that Chavez could come back in weeks, but we haven’t wanted to put a time frame on the president’s recovery,” Villegas added. Earlier on Saturday, Maduro said Chavez, 58, was in his “best moment” since his operation 45 days ago.

“What we can share with you is that the commander is in his best moment that we have seen in all of these days of struggle,” Maduro said in televised comments before dawn on Saturday, after returning from Cuba to meet with the president.

Chavez has not been seen in public since undergoing his fourth and most complex surgery to treat an illness that might jeopardize the future of his self-styled revolution. He has never said exactly what type of cancer he has, only that the initial tumor found in mid-2011 was in his pelvic area and was the size of a baseball. In contrast to Chavez’s previous visits to Havana for treatment, officials have not published any evidence of his condition. In 2011, with great fanfare, they broadcast videos of him reading a newspaper, walking in a garden and chatting with his daughter. In the absence of such proof this time, many Venezuelans are questioning the terse official bulletins that provide few details about his condition or treatment.

Economic policy Maduro said earlier on Saturday that Chavez had ordered a series of economic decisions that would help boost Venezuelan exports, comments that came amid speculation the government was preparing a devaluation of the bolivar currency. “He gave a series of orders that the economic team will share in the coming hours with the people of Venezuela, which are focused on building Venezuela’s export capacity,” he said. He did not elaborate. A Finance Ministry source who asked not to be identified said on Saturday the ministry was not planning on making any announcements right now. Devaluation would make exports more competitive by lowering local production costs and spur domestic industries by making imports less competitive with locally produced goods. It would also improve state finances by providing more bolivars per dollar of oil exports, following heavy spending in 2012 on homes for the poor and pensions for the elderly that helped Chavez win re-election. But it would also push up consumer prices in a country that already has one of the highest inflation rates in the region. A lack of dollars in recent weeks has left many businesses struggling to import the products they need. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: John Kerry is the son of a US diplomat, who grew up among the rubble of Berlin, criss-crossed Europe as a child, fought in Vietnam, has met many world leaders and negotiated tough deals for America. And in just a few days the veteran senator, who has diplomacy sewn into his DNA, is set to land his dream job, taking the helm of the State Department and its 70,000 employees, and helping shape America’s future foreign policy.

He has big shoes to fill. Hillary Clinton, the former first lady and ex-New York senator, has won accolades and the expansive title of “the rock star diplomat” during her four years on

Sen John Kerry the job. For the past few weeks, Kerry has been quietly, unobtrusively, doing the rounds at the State Department being briefed on the intractable dossiers about to hit his in-tray, meeting the staff, evaluating the contours of his new team. In nominating Kerry last month to be the next secretary of state, President Barack Obama said of the long-time member of the Senate Foreign Relations committee: “He is not going to need a lot of on-the-job training.”

“It’s as if John Kerry stepped out of one of those portraits on the seventh floor of the State Department. He’s been in training for this job for decades,” said Martin Indyk, director for foreign policy, at the Brookings Institution. But Indyk predicted a change of style, under the leadership of the 69-year-old Kerry, if he is confirmed by the US Senate as expected tomorrow. “He’ll, I think, want to be much more engaged in the nitty-gritty of

negotiations where that becomes possible,” he said on the think-tank’s website.

“Hillary Clinton has done a fantastic job of rebuilding America’s images and standing in the world, and Secretary of State Kerry, if he is confirmed, will have the opportunity to work off that platform in trying to help shape the emerging global order for the president.” At his confirmation hearing on Thursday, Kerry turned to some of the biggest issues facing the United States today. He warned Iran the US would do “what we must” to stop it from getting a nuclear weapon, told China he would work to strengthen ties and hinted at a “way forward” in the Middle East peace process. Already, the Israeli Haaretz newspaper quoting senior Israeli officials said Kerry was planning an early visit to both Israel and the Palestinian territories in February.

By comparison Clinton during her tenure made only five trips to Israel, and two to the Palestinian Authority as the Middle East peace process was left on a back-burner after Obama tried and failed to bring the two sides together. As the US withdraws its troops from Afghanistan, Kerry, who knows President Hamid Karzai well, could also play a key role in determining the two nation’s future relations.

Kerry also vowed to be “a passionate advocate” to tackle climate change, and talked about the need to combat the evolving threat posed by Al-Qaeda. “We cannot afford a diplomacy that is defined by troops or drones or confrontation,” the Vietnam veteran told US lawmakers.

“We need to be sort of thoughtful about the history and the culture and the nature of the places that we’re dealing with. And you can’t just take an American concept and plunk it down or a Western concept and plunk it down and say, this is going to work.” After fighting in Vietnam, Kerry became a vociferous anti-war campaigner on his return.

Famously, he testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1971 about the Vietnam War asking: “How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?”

“If there is such a thing as a Kerry Doctrine, it is a clear-eyed willingness to pursue engagement and test the intentions of other countries, even present and former enemies or difficult partners on the world stage,” says Douglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University, in the online magazine Foreign Policy. “Kerry exudes noblesse oblige. But his courtesy and diplomatic finesse can mask a toughness and a willingness to speak hard truths,” he wrote.

His deeply-held instinct not to rush to intervene also wins fans. “There’s a combination of prudence and knowledge,” Christopher Preble, vice president for foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, told AFP. “I think he’d be somewhat less enthusiastic about the United States becoming involved in a Syria or something like that.”— AFP

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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

Pakistan still viewed as global jihad hub ‘Foreigners afraid to come to Pakistan because of drone strikes’ PESHAWAR: Pakistan is still a major destination for radicalised Muslims bent on a life of jihad, despite hundreds of US drone strikes, the death of Osama bin Laden and the fracturing of AlQaeda. New battlegrounds have sprung up in Africa and the Middle East, but the number of foreign recruits smuggled into the northwestern tribal belt is increasing and they come from more diverse countries. Since the 1980s “jihad” to expel Soviet troops from Afghanistan, Muslim fighters from all over the world have lived and trained on the Afghan-Pakistan border, moulded into AlQaeda and a host of spin-off militant networks.

After US-led forces in late 2001 evicted the Taleban in Kabul for sheltering Al-Qaeda, Afghan Taleban fled across the border into Pakistan. But Washington and NATO will end their combat mission in Afghanistan next year and these days the Taleban say their foreign allies are drawn to other conflicts, despite their support networks in a region outside direct government control.

“Al-Qaeda is shifting its focus to Syria, Libya, Iraq or Mali,” one member of the Afghan Taleban told AFP on condition of anonymity in northwest Pakistan. Local officials estimate the number of Arab fighters has fallen by more than a half or two thirds in the last 10 years, to below 1,000. In the last two years, some Al-Qaeda Arabs, particularly Libyans and Syrians, left to take part in the civil war in Syria and the violent uprising that overthrew Libya’s dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Others migrated to Iraq in 2003, and others to Somalia and Yemen. But Saifullah Khan Mehsud, executive director of the FATA Research Center, a

think-tank focused on the tribal belt, says uprisings in the Middle East have had a minimal effect on the Arab presence in Pakistan. “Arab fighters are not leaving in big numbers,” he told AFP. “They have been there for 30 years and it continues,” he added. The number of fighters from other countries is also rising, say witnesses in Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristanthe district with the largest concentration of Taleban and Al-Qaeda fighters. “The overall number of foreign jihadis has increased in the last two years. Every week we see new faces,” says one regular visitor. There could be around 2,000 to 3,500 foreign fighters in the border areas from around 30 different countries. During the 1980s, the number was also estimated to have been several thousand.

More nationalities, same problems Most of the current crop are Turkmens and Uzbeks, numbering between 1,000 and 3,000 fighters according to local officials, who have fled authoritarian secular regimes in their home countries to set up their own groups. The Islamic Jihad Union, which splintered from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, is based in Pakistan’s border areas. It is committed to toppling the government in Uzbekistan, and fights alongside insurgents in Afghanistan. It has also plotted an attack in Germany, which was foiled. US officials say covert drone strikes have played a huge role in destroying training camps and disrupting AlQaeda in Pakistan.

According to the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism, 362 US drone strikes

have been reported in Pakistan since 2004 — 310 of them since US President Barack Obama took office in 2009. Although North Waziristan locals say the strikes kill more Taleban than Al-Qaeda operatives, they have condemned foreign fighters to a life underground. “They are low profile, they dress like locals, they avoid big meetings and above all they move all the time,” a local journalist told AFP. Mehsud says that foreigners are coming from a more diverse number of countries than in years past. “A few months ago, we even welcomed some (two or three) people from Fiji for the first time!” says the Taleban member who spoke with AFP. “There are more nationalities because they face the same problems. They tell us that they feel left aside by capitalism and discriminated by unfair laws, like the Swiss one on minarets or the French one on hijabs,” he adds.

Local and Western officials say the number of Western militants have fallen to dozens compared to the several hundreds of a few years ago.

A Canadian, who uses the name Mohammad Ibrahim, told AFP that he had been in Pakistan for three years but was now preparing to leave to wage jihad at home.

“Foreigners are now afraid to come to Pakistan because of the drone strikes,” he says, putting the number of his compatriots at 14, compared to “60 to 85 three years ago”. A mechanical engineer by training, he says he works in “technical and logistic affairs” but does not elaborate further. “I often met British, Spanish, Italians, Algerians and Germans. But now... our movements have been limited because of the drone strikes,” he says. —AFP

Roadside bomb kills 10 in Afghanistan KANDAHAR: A police truck packed with officers and detainees struck a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan’s largest city, killing 10 of those aboard, officials said yesterday. It was one of four blasts Saturday that left at least 24 people dead across the country. Attacks by insurgents are a daily occurrence around Afghanistan and the Afghan police with their unarmored pickup trucks and remote checkpoints are a common target.

In the Kandahar city blast, police had driven to a residential neighborhood of the city at night to inspect a bomb that had been found there, said Javid Faisal, a spokesman for the provincial government. They detained

three suspects and were driving back with them in a police pickup truck when the vehicle struck another explosive buried in the road. Eight police officers and two detainees were killed in the blast.

Meanwhile, Afghan authorities accused NATO of killing three civilian men in a nighttime ambush in the eastern Logar province. The coalition disputed the account, saying it had no operations in Logar’s Baraki Barak district Saturday night. NATO said there were three dead, but they were insurgents killed by Afghan forces.

Deputy provincial police chief Rais Khan Abdul Rahimzai said all three of the added were civilians. “They were

brothers. They had dinner at one of their brother’s houses in another part of the district and it was when they were driving back that they were ambushed by the foreign soldiers,” Rahimzai said. “It was a misunderstanding in which foreign forces shot and killed three people.” A spokesman for the international force disputed the Afghan version of the incident. “This was the ANSF,” said Maj. Martyn Crighton, referring to the Afghan National Security Forces. He said they went after three men who had been seen burying a bomb in the ground and “got engaged in a firefight with these guys.”

It was not possible to reconcile

the conflicting accounts. Earlier Saturday, 10 policemen were killed when a suicide bomber on a motorcycle blew himself up in Kunduz province in the north. Elsewhere, a remote-controlled bomb planted on a bicycle exploded in the eastern city of Ghazni, killing one police officer and a civilian. And in the west, officials in Farah province said yesterday that two police officers were killed there Saturday evening when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb. Yesterday in the south, a roadside bomb in the town of Marjah killed another three police officers, said Ahmad Zarak, a spokesman for the Helmand provincial government. —AP

DHAKA: Relatives cry near the body of Josna, 16, a victim of a fire at a twostoried garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, Jan 26, 2013. —AP

Exit locked at burned Bangladesh factory DHAKA: Bangladesh’s government has ordered an investigation into allegations that the sole emergency exit was locked at a garment factory where a fire killed seven female workers, an official said yesterday. The fire Saturday at the Smart Export Garment Ltd. factory occurred just two months after a blaze killed 112 workers in another factory near the capital, raising questions about safety in Bangladesh’s garment industry, which exports clothes to leading Western retailers. The gates of that factory were locked.

Government official Jahangir Kabir Nanak said an investigation has been ordered into the cause of Saturday’s fire and allegations that the emergency exit was locked. Altaf Hossain, father of a garment worker killed in the latest fire, has filed a police case against three directors of the factory, accusing them of negligence involving the fire, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Sub-inspector Shamsul Hoque told The Associated Press yesterday.

He said police had begun an investigation. Doctors said most of the victims died from asphyxiation. “When I tried to escape through the emergency exit I found the gate locked,” Raushan Ara, a worker at the factory, was quoted as saying by Dhaka’s Prothom Alo newspaper. The newspaper said at least 50 people were injured in a stampede triggered by the fire. Six were hospitalized, while others received first aid treatment on their own.

Some of the injured jumped out of the windows of the two-story factory, survivors said. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Monzurul Kabir said the bodies of seven women were recovered from the

top floor of the factoryt. He said the factory was making pants and shirts, but could not provide further details. Fire official Abdul Halim said it took firefighters about two hours to bring the blaze under control.

Volunteers joined firefighters in battling the fire as a large crowd gathered outside the factory awaiting word on the fate of relatives. Family members were seen crying near the body of a female worker named Josna, who was 16. About 250 workers were working at the time of the fire, newspapers said. It was not immediately known if the factory produced garments for any international companies. The owner was not available for comment, and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said the factory was not a member so it had no details.

Earlier this month, Wal-Mart Stores Inc alerted its global suppliers that it will immediately drop them if they subcontract their work to factories that haven’t been authorized by the discounter. The stricter contracting rule, along with other changes to its policy, come amid increasing calls for better safety oversight after the deadly fire in late November at a factory owned by Tazreen Fashions Ltd. that supplied clothing to WalMart and other retailers. Wal-Mart has said the factory wasn’t authorized to make its clothes. Wal-Mart ranks second behind Swedish fast fashion retailer H&M in the number of clothing orders it places in Bangladesh. Fires have led to more than 600 deaths of garment workers in Bangladesh since 2005, according to research by the advocacy group International Labor Rights Forum. —AP

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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

N Korean leader vows strong action N Korea defiant over nuclear test SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un convened top security and foreign affairs officials and ordered them to take “substantial and highprofile important state measures,” state media said yesterday, indicating that he plans to push forward with a threat to explode a nuclear device in defiance of the United Nations. The meeting of top officials led by Kim makes clear that he backs Pyongyang’s defiant stance in protest of UN Security Council punishment for a December rocket launch. The dispatch in the official Korean Central News Agency did not say when the meeting took place.

Last week, the Security Council condemned North Korea’s Dec 12 launch of a long-range rocket as a violation of a ban against nuclear and missile activity. The council, including North Korea ally China, punished Pyongyang with more sanctions and ordered the regime to refrain from a nuclear test - or face “significant action.” North Korea responded by rejecting the resolution and maintaining its right to launch a satellite into orbit as part of a peaceful civilian space program.

It also warned that it would keep developing rockets and testing nuclear devices to counter what it sees as US hostility. A rare statement was issued Thursday by the power ful National Defense Commission, the top governing body led by Kim. Kim’s order for strong action and the recent series of strong statements indicate he

intends to conduct a nuclear test in the near future to show “he is a young yet powerful leader both domestically and internationally,” said Chin Hee-gwan, a North Korea expert at South Korea’s Inje University.

North Korea cites a US military threat in the region as a key reason behind its drive to build nuclear weapons. The two countries fought on opposite sides of the Korean War, which ended after three years in 1953 with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The US-led U.N. Command mans the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, and Washington stations more than 28,000 troops in South Korea to protect its ally.

North Korea is estimated to have enough weaponized plutonium for four to eight bombs, according to American nuclear scientist Siegfried Hecker, who visited the country’s nuclear complex northwest of Pyongyang in November 2010. However, it is not known whether North Korean scientists have found a way to build nuclear warheads small enough to mount on a long-range missile.

Experts say regular tests are needed to perfect the technique, and another atomic test could take the country closer to its goal of building a warhead that can be mounted on a missile designed to strike the United States. North Korea has carried out two nuclear tests, in 2006 and 2009. South Korean defense officials say North Korea is technically ready to conduct a nuclear

Poll loss forces Singapore into delicate balancing act SINGAPORE: It was just one seat in parliament but the loss of a by-election this weekend will force Singapore’s long-ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) to take a hard look at how it balances investor and voter needs in one of the world’s biggest financial centres. With anger rising in the wealthy Asian city-state over soaring living costs, reliance on foreign workers and a widening income gap, the opposition Workers’ Party took the PAP-held seat in the Punggol East ward by a convincing margin of nearly 11 percent in Saturday’s poll.

The PAP, which has dominated politics since 1959, will keep its grip in parliament with 80 of 87 elected seats and is not likely to be supplanted at the helm of the island of 5.3 million people in the near future. But the rise of the Workers’ Party from a fragmented opposition and its seven seats in parliament point to eroding support for the PAP before the 2016 general election and the need to halt a decline in popularity that began in earnest two years ago.

“Investors will see that Singapore is no longer just free or independent of politics,” said Chua Hak Bin, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

“There is more probability in the future that the PAP will not be the one single dominant party and there will be more political constraints on policy-making.”

The government will have to stay the course it has embarked on, he said, because taking even more aggressive steps to cool the property market and further restrict foreign workers would risk suffocating growth and raising business costs. Saturday was a “tipping point,” wrote Chua Mui Hoong, opinion editor of the state-linked Straits Times newspaper, as a PAP barrage of nationwide social spending announced just before the by-election seemed to have little impact on voters in the relatively young and middle-class ward. “Future elections will be full of people who think and vote like those at Punggol East.” The seat, won by the PAP in 2011 with 54 percent of the vote, became vacant when the speaker of parliament quit in December over an extramarital affair. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the elder son of Singapore’s founding leader Lee Kuan Yew, said he respected the choice of voters but sought to play down the impact. “In a by-election, the governing party candidate always has a tougher fight. Voters see it as choosing an MP, not choosing a government,” he said in a statement. “Our plans and programmes are already in progress. But they are geared towards the longer term, and will take time to show results.”

“Unmitigated disaster” Lee Kuan Yew led the transforma-

tion of the British outpost into a major financial hub and one of Asia’s richest countries in just over a generation with a pro-business fervour, a pervasive role in the lives of citizens and an intolerance of dissent. In a “social compact” with Singaporeans, the PAP built up the nation by focusing on economic growth, self-reliance, housing for all, good education and healthcare, clean government and strict laws to ensure public safety.

That social compact is now under serious strain as economic and social pressures challenge the PAP’s technocratic approach and its impatience with critics. The extent of public antipathy became apparent in the 2011 national election, when the PAP suffered its worst result since independence in 1965 by winning just 60 percent of the vote. Things have not improved since as the PAP’s man for the largely ceremonial role of president just squeaked through in a four-way race in 2011 and the ruling party failed to capitalise in a by-election last year, when the Workers’ Party held its seat in the Hougang ward despite a sex scandal of its own. Clearly concerned, the government has broken from the past in talking openly about the issues and taken steps to cool property prices, restrict the number of lower-skilled foreign workers and enhance social protections.

After months of public dialogue, new population and immigration policies are due soon that will have profound implications as the workforce ages and the government envisions Singapore as a global city with at least 20 percent more people.

“They’ll hope that by the time of the next elections, the concerns that are in the minds of voters such as congestion, housing and stagnant wages will abate,” said Chua, the economist.

But some bloggers said Saturday’s election illustrated why the government needs to do some radical alterations. “It is an unmitigated disaster that will tell the PAP that it has to change, not tweak itself,” wrote Calvin Cheng, a former nominated member of parliament. “Everything that used to work is now not working.”

For Belmont Lay, editor of the New Nation online magazine, it was the human touch that helped the Workers’ Party candidate, a woman who works as a sales trainer and lives in public housing, defeat the PAP’s contender “a colorectal surgeon with so many credentials and too much ministerial calibre”. “What the PAP should recognise by now is the electorate no longer wants superhumans who can save them from themselves,” Lay wrote.

“They want someone they can relate to. Someone who is motherly, caring and soft.” — Reuters

test in a matter of days. Satellite photos taken Wednesday show 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. Analysis of the images of the Punggye-ri site was provided Friday to The Associated Press by 38 North, the website of the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Kim could order a nuclear test ahead of the Feb. 16th birthday of his late father and former leader Kim Jong Il to “create a festive mood,” Chin predicted. Kim Jong Il died at age 69 in December 2011. The US, South Korea and other countries have warned North Korea not to go ahead with a nuclear test, saying that would only deepen the country’s international isolation. After meeting with Chinese officials Friday, US envoy for North Korea Glyn Davies said a nuclear test would set back efforts to restart regional talks on the North’s nuclear disarmament. North Korea has accused the US and South Korea of leading the push for the UN Security Council resolution.

Yesterday’s KCNA dispatch said the UN punishment indicates US hostility toward North Korea has reached its highest point. North Korea also warned South Korea on Friday of “strong physical countermeasures” if Seoul takes part in the UN sanctions. — AP

This undated picture released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) yesterday shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un attending a consultative meeting of officials in the fields of state security and foreign affairs at an undisclosed location in North Korea.— AFP

Japan launches new satellites TOKYO: Japan yesterday launched two satellites to strengthen its surveillance capabilities, including keeping a closer eye on North Korea which has vowed to stage another nuclear test. One of them was a radar-equipped unit to complete a system of surveillance satellites that will allow Tokyo to monitor any place in the world at least once a day.

The other was a demonstration satellite to collect data for research and development. The H-IIA rocket blasted off from the southern island of Tanegashima around 1:40 pm (0440 GMT) and released the satellites as planned, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). “The rocket flew as planned and released both satellites,” JAXA said in a statement, confirming its success.

From an altitude of several hundred kilometres, the radar satellite will be able to detect objects on the ground as small as a square metre, including at night and through cloud cover. Prime Minister Shinzo

TANEGASHIMA: An H2-A rocket carrying two intelligence satellites lifts off from its launch pad at Tanegashima Space Center, southwestern Japan yesterday. — AP

Gunmen kill 9 police, villagers in Manila MANILA: Gunmen hiding in a sugarcane field ambushed a truckload of policemen and village guards who had helped secure a village dance festival, killing nine and wounding nine others yesterday in the central Philippines, officials said.

About 20 gunmen raked the victims’ truck with automatic weapon fire before dawn in the foothills of Mount Kanlaon in Negros Occidental province, firing nearly 300 rounds of ammunition. One police officer was among those killed and two others were wounded, provincial police Chief Celestino Guara said.

Eight other people, mostly village guards, were killed and seven others were wounded. They had joined the police in helping protect a village festival late Saturday and were traveling back to La Castellana town’s main police station when they were attacked, police said. “Our policemen managed to return fire but there were just too many gunmen firing away,” Guara said by cellphone from the scene of the attack.

Road checkpoints were immediately set up and government troops launched a manhunt for the attackers, who fled toward a forest in Negros Occidental, a poor, sugar-producing province about 470 kilometers (280 miles) southeast of Manila. Police said the attackers may have been communist New People’s Army guerrillas. “Before withdrawing, the gunmen yelled, ‘Long live the New People’s Army,’” Guara said.

One of the three police officers in the truck had received death threats over a land dispute, and his adversaries may have enlisted the help of the Maoist guerrillas to go after him, Guara said. However, army brigade commander Col. Oscar Lactao said the attackers may have been members of an illegal logging group. A forest ranger was killed by suspected illegal loggers in the area last year, he said. The killings are the latest in a flurry of gun violence that has revived calls for tighter gun controls. The country has long grappled with communist and Muslim insurgencies, crime, and armed groups controlled by politicians, warlords and powerful families.

Police estimate there are more than half a million unlicensed firearms in the country, down from more than a million a few years ago. Yesterday’s attack occurred despite a national 150day ban on the carrying of firearms outside residences imposed by election officials to prevent violence ahead of congressional and local elections on May 13. —AP

Abe, who has taken a hardline stance on North Korea, hailed the successful launch.

“The government will make the most use out of the system... in order to enhance our country’s national security and crisis management,” he said in a statement, according to national broadcaster NHK. Japan developed a plan to use several satellites as one group to gather intelligence in the late 1990s as a response to a long-range missile launch by Pyongyang in 1998. The space agency has said the radar satellite would be used for information-gathering, including data following Japan’s 2011 quake and tsunami, but did not mention North Korea by name. But the launch came as Pyongyang has vowed to carry out more rocket launches and a third nuclear test in protest at tightened UN sanctions over its banned launches. The North last year launched two long-range rockets. The first failed in April but the second in December flew over the southern Okinawa island chain, jangling nerves in Japan.— AFP

China keeps mum on Bo trial BEIJING: China’s government is giving no details on the trial of shamed senior leader Bo Xilai, the final chapter in its worst political scandal in decades, as speculation mounted the case could be heard as early as today. Beijing-backed Hong Kong newspaper, the Ta Kung Pao, reported on Friday that Bo’s trial would begin today in the southern Chinese city of Guiyang.

But the government has not confirmed or denied this, belying recent efforts to promote transparency and openness, and at least two well-informed sources said yesterday the repor ts were not true.

However, a third source, who has ties to the leadership, said the trial would in fact begin today in Guiyang.

It was not immediately possible to reconcile the conflicting reports. Reuters reporters in Guiyang said they could see no signs of heightened security so far, either around the main courthouse or in any other part of the city. Once a contender for China’s top leadership, Bo was ousted from his post as Communist Party chief in the southwestern city of Chongqing last year following his wife’s murder of a British businessman, Neil Heywood.

Bo, 63, was widely tipped to be promoted to the party’s elite inner core before his career unravelled. The downfall came after his former police chief, Wang Lijun, fled briefly to a US consulate for last February and alleged that Bo’s wife, Gu Kailai, had murdered Heywood with poison. Gu and Wang have both since been convicted and jailed. No criminal charges against Bo have yet been revealed, only accusations from the party of corruption and of bending the law to hush up Heywood’s killing.

Bo was last seen in public in March and is being held in custody, though there has been no word where he is being held and

he has not been allowed to defend himself in public. China’s new Communist Party chief Xi Jinping, who takes over from Hu Jintao as president in March, has made government accountability and fighting corruption two of his key themes since assuming his party role in November. The party has also tried to show it is at least paying lip service to following legal procedures in pursuing the case against Bo. “If they are doing this by the book and the trial is today then there should have been a formal announcement by now,” said Zhang Lifan, a Beijing-based political commentator. “If they don’t follow procedure, and hold the trial in great secrecy in a very low-key manner, it would be going against the convention (of the previous trials) and make people suspicious of the whole process and of government promises,” he added. The trial, when it does comes, is almost certain to be conducted behind closed doors, with access limited to close family members, a handful of state media and a carefully selected group of other observers. In Gu’s trial, British diplomats were allowed in, but only because she was accused of killing a British national.

After Gu and Wang’s trials, court officials briefed the media, foreign press included.

Formal charges against both Gu and Wang were also announced ahead of their trials.

A source with direct knowledge of Bo’s case, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said yesterday that reports on the trial date were likely false and that the case was unlikely to begin today. Another source, who is close to Bo’s family, also said such reports were incorrect. Further adding to the confusion, several Chinese news websites yesterday carried the entire Ta Kung Pao article about Bo’s trial, but without attributing it to the Hong Kong newspaper or adding any other details. — Reuters

Landslides leave 16 dead, 9 missing in Indonesia JAKARTA: Rescuers found four more bodies yesterday, bringing the death toll to 16 in two separate landslides triggered by torrential rain in western Indonesia, including five geothermal workers, officials said. The worst landslides happened in Tanjung Sani of Agam district in West Sumatra province, where 20 houses were buried when mud and rocks fell from surrounding hills at dawn yesterday, killing 11 villagers, said disaster official

Ade Edward. He said six injured villagers were being treated at a hospital, including one in critical condition. The bodies of the dead, including three children aged 8 and 9, have been evacuated and rescuers using heavy digging equipment are searching for nine people who reportedly were buried under the mud and feared dead.

Hundreds of terrified survivors fled their hillside homes for tents on safer ground, fearing more of the

mountainside would collapse under continuing rain, Edward said. In the neighboring province of Jambi, days of heavy rains triggered a landslide in a drilling field owned by PT. Pertamina Geothermal Energy, a state-run company, late Saturday.

The death toll there rose to five after searchers pulled out the body of another worker from the mud yesterday, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. Company official

Adiatma Sardjito said 60 workers survived Saturday’s landslide. “The workers were having dinner when the landslide suddenly occurred,” Sardjito said, adding the disaster left five others hurt. He said the landslide did not impact their production. Seasonal downpours cause frequent landslides and flashfloods each year in Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.— AP

HONG KONG: A worker stands next to a Chinese New Year decoration yesterday outside a building to celebrate the Year of the Snake as the Chinese lunar New Year starts on Feb 10. — AP

NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

Brazil nightclub blaze...

Russia sees Assad’s prospects fading

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

included 120 men and 112 women, most of whom had died of asphyxiation, and that all bodies had been removed from the wreckage.

Shirtless young men helped evacuate the wounded as firefighters doused the blackened shell of a red brick building with water and used sledge hammers to punch holes in the walls to get people out faster. The bodies were taken to a sports stadium that was blocked off by police to keep grieving family members from streaming in. Family members and survivors, many of them sobbing and some with soot-blackened faces, gathered outside in the hope of getting news of their loved ones. The town is home to the Federal University of Santa Maria.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff cut short a visit to Chile, where she was attending a European and Latin American summit, to head to Santa Maria and oversee the response to the tragedy.

“It’s a tragedy for all of us, and I cannot continue here at the summit, because my priority is the Brazilian people,” the visibly emotional leader told reporters traveling with her in Santiago. She said federal and local authorities are mobilizing “all resources, so that we do not just recover the bodies but also support families at this time and provide very efficient care to the injured.” The tragedy recalled a 2003 blaze in a nightclub in the US state of Rhode Island that killed 100 people and another in Buenos Aires in 2004 that killed some 200, both blamed on faulty safety measures. -— AFP

were not “slaves of the West” and on condition that “terrorist attacks” came to a halt. The regime has consistently branded activists and insurgents alike as terrorists. Shaar, in comments reported by state media, cautioned that the directive allowing Syrian opposition figures living abroad to return was not a blanket amnesty. “Executive orders will be issued to border crossings to facilitate and guarantee that all political opposition forces may enter the country, maintain residency and leave at will,” Shaar said. He emphasised that “there is a big difference between those who safeguard their nation and those who are complicit in foreign agendas.”

Medvedev yesterday reiterated Russia’s stand that only the Syrian people can decide the fate of Assad, whose departure the West has long called for in the face of a 22-month uprising that has left over 60,000 dead according to the UN. “I personally a few times called Assad and said, You need to start reforms, you need to sit at the negotiating table,” he said, according to the CNN transcript. “In

my view, unfortunately, the Syrian authorities turned out not to be ready for this.” But he also warned of consequences if Assad is thrown out by force. He said: “Then the civil war will last for decades.” The message from Medvedev came a day after Syria’s deputy prime minister, Qadri Jamil, said Russia was still “fulfilling its obligations” to supply weapons to Damascus.

UN humanitarian aid chief Valerie Amos, meanwhile, held talks in Damascus with Foreign Minister Walid Muallem and other senior officials, her spokesman Khaled Al-Masri told AFP. The UN said on Jan 21 that it will conduct a major humanitarian operation in Syria. On the ground in Syria, violence raged on Sunday between rebels and loyalists, a day after the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 127 people killed nationwide.

Fighting erupted in the Port Said area of south Damascus and spread to the nearby Qadam train terminal, while the army shelled nearby districts.

On the Damascus outskirts, warplanes pounded the Eastern Ghuta region, the watchdog said, while an activist network reported shelling against

the southwest suburb of Daraya from Mazzeh military airport by the elite Fourth Division. A Syrian security source told AFP late last year that the army’s bid to push insurgents from their rear bases around Damascus was aimed at securing an upper hand in any future dialogue.

The fighting has alarmed neighbouring Israel, where Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom said that any sign that Syria’s grip on its chemical weapons was slipping could trigger Israeli military strikes.

Should Lebanon’s Hezbollah guerrillas or Syrian rebels obtain Syria’s chemical weapons, “it would dramatically change the capabilities of those organisations,” Shalom said. Such a development would be “a crossing of all red lines that would require a different approach, including even preventive operations,” he told Israel’s Army Radio, alluding to military intervention for which Israeli generals have said plans have been readied. “The concept, in principle, is that this (chemical weapons transfer) must not happen,” Shalom said.

“The moment we begin to understand that such a thing is liable to happen, we will have to make decisions.” — Agencies

14

ANALYSIS

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

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Issues

‘Tug-of-war’ ahead for Czech government

By Jan Flemr eading a wobbly centre-right minority government, Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas has congratulated leftist Milos Zeman on his presidential victory, but analysts warn of a looming “tug-of-war”. Zeman, who campaigned on an antiausterity platform, on Saturday trounced aristocrat Karel Schwarzenberg - foreign minister in the austerity-driven Necas government - in the Czech Republic’s first-ever direct presidential election.

Necas, in office since 2010 and responsible for painful budget cuts amid a recession, greeted the news of the left-wing Zeman’s win with cool optimism. “I’m convinced our cooperation will be absolutely normal,” Necas told reporters in Prague on Saturday - but observers say he may soon change his tune. “Milos Zeman is a strong player, and he will try to show that being elected by the people means he’s earned some authority on the political scene,” Tomas Lebeda, an analyst from Charles University in Prague, told AFP. “I think the government is in for a tug-of-war,” he said.

Known for his sharp wit and for not mincing his words, the 69-year-old Zeman, himself a former premier from 1998-2002, has skewered Necas for steps including tax hikes on food and medicines as joblessness soared to nearly 10 percent last year. “A leftist president must oppose a right-wing government,” Zeman said on Saturday, while also quipping about record-low popular support for Necas.

Zeman’s rise comes as Necas has seen backing for his cabinet in the 200-seat parliament shrink from 118 to just 98 votes. He has been surviving thanks to former allies now sitting as independent lawmakers. He has so far survived five no-confidence motions by the Zeman-allied left-wing opposition and three confidence motions he called himself. Should Necas’s vulnerable government fail to ride out its term, analysts say Zeman would also pose a challenge for the left-wing Social Democrats, which polls show would likely win a snap election or the next regularly scheduled poll in 2014.

The new president, whose term will expire in 2018, is still a power to be reckoned with in the party, which he chaired in 1993-2001. “The president may start playing the role of a leader of the leftwing executive and try to persuade everyone that he’s the one formulating left-wing policy for the government,” said Lebeda. Led currently by lacklustre lawyer Bohuslav Sobotka, the Social Democrats might find Zeman calling the shots. “Imagine Sobotka going to see Zeman with a cabinet line-up after he has won elections. Zeman might say: ‘How come you left out this one, and where’s this lady?

Get out!’,” Michal Pink, a political analyst at Masaryk University in the second Czech city of Brno, told AFP recently.

Heavily reliant on car exports to western Europe, notably to Germany, the Czech economy sank into recession a year ago after posting 1.9-percent growth in 2011. Zeman struck a chord with austerity-weary voters by vowing to be a hands-on president and attending sittings of both the government and parliament. An economist, he focused in his campaign largely on “voters from lower-income groups, older and less educated,” political analyst Josef Mlejnek observed.

“He’s promised to tell the government what a miserable life people in the Czech Republic are living, and I believe Mr. Milos Zeman that he will keep his promise,” voter Miroslav Drobny told AFP at Zeman’s Prague victory rally. “If you veto a law after you didn’t say a word against it in cabinet or parliament, you’re a hypocrite,” Zeman said on the campaign trail. Zeman replaces eurosceptic Vaclav Klaus, whose second and final term expires on March 7. — AFP

H

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Jihadists make comeback in Mideast

By Antoine Lambroschini he flow of foreign fighters into Syria, flood of arms across North Africa, war in Mali and terror attacks highlight the jihadists’ return in a region rocked by the Arab Spring, diplomats and analysts say. The combination of factors, following the absence of Al-Qaeda and affiliates from the Arab Spring revolts, has led to France’s military intervention against Islamists in Mali and the deadly hostage-taking at a desert gas plant in Algeria. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, appearing before Congress on Wednesday over September’s attack on the American consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi, warned of the new geopolitical landscape in the Arab world and North Africa.

“We cannot afford to retreat now. When America is absent, especially from unstable environments, there are consequences. Extremism takes root, our interests suffer, and our security at home is threatened,” she said.

Clinton also highlighted “instability in Mali,” saying it “has created an expanding safe haven for terrorists who look to extend their influence and plot further attacks of the kind we saw just last week in Algeria.”

Russia went further, charging the Western military intervention in Libya was the root cause of the insecurity. “Acts of terrorism have become almost daily events, the proliferation of arms is out of control, (foreign) fighters are infiltrating,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this week. “The impression is that Mali was a consequence of Libya and the hostage-taking in Algeria is a very worrying signal,” he said.

Despite their support for rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Western powers have also started to voice growing concern over the influx of hundreds if not thousands of foreign jihadists onto the battlefields of Syria. Jean-Pierre Filiu, a professor at the Sciences-Po institute in Paris, said Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb existed before the Arab Spring as a “gangster-jihadist” organisation. It combined Muslim “holy war” with criminal activities and was severely repressed by dictators in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt that were swept away in a wave of popular uprisings.

The new regimes have been struggling to come up with an alternative policy. “For example, the release of Abou Iyadh was a big mistake. He was not a prisoner of conscience but rather a long-time collaborator of Al-

T

Qaeda,” said Filiu, author of “The New Middle East”. Abou Iyadh, the suspected organiser of a deadly attack on the US embassy in Tunis and Afghanistan veteran, was pardoned and has become a leading figure in the rise of Muslim ultraconservative Salafists in the country.

Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki has admitted his government “didn’t realise how dangerous and violent these Salafists could be”, and warned of the perils of arms trafficking in North Africa since the fall of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi. The desert shared by Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Mali has long been a haven of smugglers but the presence of hardline jihadists has added a new dimension. The hostage-taking at In Amenas gas plant highlighted the multinational dimension of the threat: the 32 assailants were of seven different nationalities entering from northern Mali, with reported logistical

support from inside Libya. Tripoli, Algiers and Tunis have pledged to coordinate their efforts to combat trafficking and terrorism, as the jihadists in North Africa adapt to the post-revolutionary realities of the region. Mathieu Guidere, a French university scholar of Islam, said the rise of Islamic regimes in Tunisia and Egypt has forced jihadists to seek out new targets for their militancy. “The political scene has been structured around an Islamic reference point” in North Africa, he said. “So the most radical parties have tended to head south towards countries such as Mali, which has a Muslim majority and... a government claiming to be secular, Westernised and modern.”

Guidere warned that France’s intervention in Mali was a “strategic error” that could turn the country into another post-Saddam Hussein Iraq where Al-Qaeda flourished in the wake of the 2003 US-led invasion. — AFP

A picture taken on Aug 7, 2012 shows fighters of the Ansar Dine Islamist group standing guard at Kidal airport, northern Mali. — AFP

Murray run ragged by relentless Djokovic

By Simon Cambers ndy Murray ran and ran until the skin on his feet came off and still it was not quite enough. The Briton’s hopes of winning his second successive grand slam title were ended by the resilience and defensive brilliance of world number one Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final. The Serb’s 6-7 7-6 6-3 6-2 victory yesterday was Murray’s fifth defeat in six grand slam finals but having broken his duck at the US Open last September against Djokovic, the pain is unlikely to linger quite as long this time.

Having played a five-set semi-final against Roger Federer and with a day less to recover than the Serb, a calm-looking Murray did well to save five break points in the first set and then played a superb tiebreak to move ahead.

But his big chance came

A

and went in the second game of the second set when he had 0-40 on the Djokovic serve and failed to convert. It was the turning point of the match.

“I was getting quite a few 0-15s, 15-30s, 0-30s and I couldn’t quite capitalise on my chances on his serve,” Murray told reporters. “That was a disappointing part. “I played a good second set. I created quite a few chances and didn’t quite get them. That was the difference.”

The two 25-year-olds, born just a week apart, are separated by two places in the rankings but they showed again that when they face each other across the net, there is a hair’s breadth between them. Murray said he was a little stiff after his effort against Federer but of bigger concern was a nasty blister that appeared on his right foot. His ability to stop and change direction was affected and when you have a weakness, the last person you want to play is Djokovic.

Having lifted his energy at the end of the second set to level the match, he ran Murray side to side, relentlessly, slowly increasing the pain. Still it took until the eighth game of the third set, two hours and 51 minutes into the match, for the first break of serve as Murray netted a forehand. The gruelling rallies were beginning to take their toll and with Djokovic’s tail up, Murray was broken in the third game of the fourth.

That, pretty much, was that.

Murray denied that the blister had affected his

chances and said he was more than happy with his efforts in reaching a third Australian Open final and his third straight grand slam final. “The last few months have been the best tennis of my life,” he said.

“I made the Wimbledon final, won the Olympics, won the U.S. Open and I was close here as well. It was close. I know no one’s ever won the immediate slam after winning their first one. It’s not the easiest thing to do and I got extremely close.

This is the first time I’ve beaten Roger in a slam over five sets. I think I dealt with the situations and the ebbs and flows in that match well. I felt much more comfortable on the court today than even I did at the US Open, so that has to be a positive.” — Reuters

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

S P ORTS

Gabart wins Vendee Globe in record time

Pakistan beefs up bowling attack

China’s Jing Yu wins 500 at world sprint champs

LES SABLES D’OLONNE: Frenchman Francois Gabart won the seventh Vendee Globe roundthe-world race yesterday after a two-and-a-half month epic journey which saw him set a new record for the course.

Gabart, at 29 the youngest skipper in the race, sailed back into the port at Les Sables d’Olonne in western France in mid-afternoon to a rousing welcome home from thousands of spectators gathered along the shoreline. In all, he covered 24,000 nautical miles (44,450 kilometres) in just over 78 days, smashing the previous record of 84 days 3 hours and 9 minutes set by another Frenchman, Michel Desjoyeaux, the last time the race was held in 2009. The second boat home, expected later yesterday evening, was set to be another Frenchman, Armel Le Cleac’h, with whom Gabart had duelled for the lead for most of the race. In third place was Welshman Alex Thomson and he looked sure to be the first non-Frenchman to come home on Tuesday evening.— AFP

KARACHI: Pakistan said yesterday they would add pacemen Tanveer Ahmed and Rahat Ali to their squad for the three-Test series in South Africa starting next week.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the team, currently playing a four-day tour opener in East London before the first Test in Johannesburg, sent a request for the extra bowlers.

“After considering the conditions and duration of the tour in South Africa the Pakistan team management has requested the national selection committee to send two fast bowlers,” said a PCB press release, adding that they would reach South Africa before the start of the first Test on Friday.

Ahmed, 34, played the last of his four Tests in the West Indies in 2011 and has also played two one-day matches, while 24year-old left-armer Ali played one limited-overs international in Sri Lanka last year before he was discarded.

Pakistan will also play two Twenty20s and five one-day internationals on the tour. A squad for the limited overs matches will be announced next month. — AFP

KEARNS: Jing Yu of China won the first 500-meter event at the world sprint speedskating championships on Saturday.

Jing covered the distance in 37.21 seconds at the Utah Olympic Oval. South Korea’s Lee Sang-hwa, who set a world record a week ago at a World Cup in Calgary, was second in 37.28.

American Heather Richardson earned her first podium finish at this competition by taking third in 37.31.

Jing won the overall world sprint title last year.

Reigning Olympic bronze medalist Joji Kato of Japan won the men’s 500 in a personal-best 34.21. Teammate Ryohei Haga tied for second with Canada’s Jamie Gregg in 34.43 seconds. Kato has done well on the Utah Olympic Oval near Salt Lake City, setting a world record there in 2005.

The competition continues on Saturday with the 1,000 meters for both men and women.Skaters will compete in a second round of events today. — AP

Blazers inflict fourth straight loss on Clippers Jazz edge Pacers 114-110 in OT

SAN FRANCISCO: Jackie and Jack Harbaugh, parents of San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, stand before an NFL football game between the 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks in San Francisco. The entire Harbaugh family already got its Super Bowl victory last Sunday, when each coach did his part to ensure a family reunion in New Orleans next week. The Ravens face off against the 49ers in the first Super Bowl coached by siblings on opposite sidelines. — AP file photo

Harbaugh parents could become Super Bowl TV stars NEW YORK: Jack and Jackie Harbaugh would do well to practice their impassive faces in front of a mirror before the Super Bowl. The parents of Baltimore Ravens coach John and the San Francisco 49ers’ Jim Harbaugh will be watched closely during Super Bowl - if anybody finds them - for any visual evidence that mommy and daddy really do love one boy or the other best.

It promises to be a fascinating sidebar to CBS’ coverage of the game because, as Lynn and Rick Raisman can attest, parent cams are valuable in sports coverage. NBC’s clip of the Raismans watching daughter Aly perform on the uneven bars during last summer’s Olympics in London went viral, with stage parents everywhere relating to their murmurs and facial contortions.

“I had no idea it was going to be so great,” said David Michaels, senior producer at NBC Sports, who often produces and directs coverage of gymnastics and figure skating, events where parental involvement can be particularly intense.

Michaels makes it a point to know where parents are sitting during competitions, tracking them through spotters or sometimes sports governing bodies that know where parent seats have been assigned. Or where they are not sitting: Sometimes a dad who retreats to a concession stand because he can’t bear to watch an offspring compete is a good story, too.

Michaels said he tries not to overdo it, sticking with parents who he knows are interesting and very involved in their children’s competitive undertakings. “It has certainly gotten more ubiquitous,” he said. “Sometimes it’s fantastic and sometimes it’s just too gratuitous.” Jack, a former college and high school football coach, and his wife will be attending the Super Bowl. On a conference call last week, the parents said they did not know where they would be sitting. Even if they did, they’d be unlikely to inform a horde of reporters about their seat locations.

The senior Harbaugh was a college head coach at Western Michigan and Western Kentucky and an assistant at several places, including Michigan, Pittsburgh and Stanford.

His son-in-law, Tom Crean, is the Indiana University men’s basketball coach. It doesn’t seem like a family that would want to watch a

game casually while piling their plates with nachos.

The couple had a practice run to see what it would be like to watch their sons coach against each other on Thanksgiving 2011, when older brother John’s Ravens beat the 49ers 16-6.

During that game, the couple watched in an office. Jack said his wife’s face looked “nearly comatose” throughout the contest.

“She just stared at the screen,” he said. “Not a word was spoken. And at the end of the game, it was just over.”

They’ll experience the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat - all at once. A 75-yard touchdown pass that would be reason to stand up and cheer for one son is another son’s horrible defensive lapse.

“I am going to be neutral in the game,” Jackie Harbaugh said. “I know one is going to win and one is going to lose, but I would really like to end in a tie. Can the NFL do that?”

CBS Sports President Sean McManus said there will be a pregame feature about the familial battle. It would be hard to argue otherwise; no matter how much the brothers want to downplay it, it’s a unique situation.

But McManus said CBS would try not to let it dominate its coverage of the game. Given the need for the coaches’ parents to stay neutral, longtime TV critic David Bianculli said he wondered how much of a story it will be visually for CBS. If they really maintain impassive faces, how much will viewers want to see them on the screen? “I would advise them to pay attention to the field, more than anything else,” said Bianculli, who teaches about television for Rowan University. A stone face is a story, too, Michaels said. The only question is how much a producer should go back to the shot. He said he can’t imagine CBS not knowing where the couple is. If they’re out in public, the network will likely keep a close eye on their reactions. “As a producer or a director in this kind of a situation, it’s incumbent upon you to know where every element of the story is because you never know how it’s going to evolve,” Michaels said.

Finding the right approach ultimately shouldn’t be much of a problem for CBS, he said. “It’s a little bit of a distraction at times,” he said. “But they’ll figure out the best way to deal with it. The pictures won’t lie.” — AP

Defending champs make up ground at Rolex 24 DAYTONA BEACH: The defending Rolex 24 champions have rallied from a huge deficit at Daytona International Speedway.

The No. 60 Michael Shank Racing entry, anchored by NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger, was seven laps down after an early steering problem Saturday.

But after several caution flags overnight, including a two-hour slowdown early Sunday because of heavy fog, Shank’s Ford Riley got back on the lead lap with about five hours to go in the twice-around-the-clock endurance race. The car was running fourth with 41/2 hours remaining. “Everyone is working so hard,” Allmendinger posted on his Twitter page. “Even more proud of this team then last year. We have a chance. Fighting till end. (hash)nevergiveup.”

IndyCar driver Justin Wilson was behind the wheel of the No. 60 when it got back on the lead lap, a move that prompted the team to tweet, “That only took 19 hours!!” John

Pew, Ozz Negri and Marcos Ambrose also have taken turns behind the wheel.

All of them were chasing the dominant Chip Ganassi Racing entry. Ganassi’s No. 01 BMW Riley, anchored by veteran Scott Pruett, was back out front with 41/2 hours to go.

Pruett is trying to tie Hurley Haywood’s record of five Rolex victories. The other Ganassi entry, though, has fallen way back.

NASCAR regular Jamey McMurray hit a wall leaving the pits overnight, causing the team to lose several laps.

“I just wasn’t paying attention and I made a costly mistake there,” said McMurray, who also drew a penalty Saturday night after he drove over an air hose in the pits.

Six of 17 cars remained on the lead lap in the Daytona Prototype class. The No. 44 Mangus Racing entry, which won the Grand Touring class last year, was up front early Sunday. The No. 16 Napleton Racing car was atop the newly formed GX class. —AP

PORTLAND: The Los Angeles Clippers’ NBA losing skid reached a worrying four games with a 101-100 defeat at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.

The Clippers have gone from 32-9 to 32-13 with the past three losses coming in the absence of injured guard Chris Paul - and while they still lead the Pacific Division, they now trail league-leading Oklahoma City by 2-1/2 games.

In other key games, second-placed San Antonio made it eight straight wins by downing Phoenix, Houston extended its hoodoo over Brooklyn by beating the Nets for the 12th straight time, Utah edged Indiana in overtime, and Milwaukee downed Golden State.

Portland’s Nicolas Batum had 20 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists for his second triple-double in a week, as the Trail Blazers won a see-sawing contest. Having been up by 14 points, Portland ceded the lead to Los Angeles in the fourth quarter, but reclaimed the advantage with 45 seconds to go when J.J. Hickson sank two foul shots. Jamal Crawford missed a 19-foot jumper for the Clippers with 0.9 seconds left.

Blake Griffin had 24 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for Los Angeles. The San Antonio Spurs extended their home winning streak to 16 games by beating the Phoenix Suns 108-99, with Tony Parker having 31 points and Manu Ginobili 20. The Spurs were without Tim Duncan (sore knee) and coach Gregg Popovich (illness) for a third consecutive game but outscored Phoenix 27-17 in the fourth.

Michael Beasley had 25 points for the Suns, who lost for the first time since coach Lindsey Hunter took over. The Houston Rockets performed strongly off the boards and in the key to beat the Brooklyn Nets 119-106.

James Harden scored 29 points and Chandler Parsons added 16 points and a career-high 11 assists for the Rockets, who outrebounded the Nets 50-31 and outscored Brooklyn 60-24 in the paint.Nets star Deron Williams scored 27 points, but cooled off after a 20-point first quarter. He was ejected with 1:07 left after arguing a call.

Utah Jazz edged the Indiana Pacers 114-110 after overtime. Al Jefferson scored 25 points and Paul Millsap had 21 for Utah, which scored the first six points in the extra session after blowing a 97-89 lead with 2:44 left in regulation. Paul George scored 24 points for Indiana, who lost despite winning the rebounds 41-28.

Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings scored 20 points to help the Bucks to a 109-102 win over the Golden State Warriors.

Milwaukee’s Monta Ellis also had 20 points against his former team. Stephen Curry’s 26 points led Golden State, which has lost its past four in Milwaukee. The Philadelphia 76ers cruised to a 97-80 home win over the New York Knicks, with Jrue Holliday scoring a career-best 35 points and Nick Young adding 20. The Sixers led from the start and beat the Knicks for the first time in four tries.

New York’s Carmelo Anthony needed 28 shots to get 25 points. He has 28 straight 20point games, tied with Patrick Ewing for secondlongest streak in franchise history. Richie Guerin did it 29 games in a row in 1961-62.

The Denver Nuggets built a 32-point lead after three quarters and then rested its starters as they cruised to a 121-93 win over the Sacramento Kings.Ty Lawson scored 26 points

and Andre Iguodala had 20 for the Nuggets, who shot 62 percent in the first two quarters to reach 71 points at halftime.

Aaron Brooks scored 16 points for the Kings, who have lost four straight.

The Washington Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls 86-73 to bring up five-straight home wins

for the first time in five years. In other games, Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving made a 3-pointer with 0.7 seconds left to give the Cavaliers a 99-98 win at the Toronto Raptors and Charlotte’s Gerald Henderson left it almost as late, sinking a 3 with 4.6 seconds left as the Bobcats beat the Minnesota Timberwolves. — AP

PORTLAND: Portland Trail Blazers center J.J.Hickson, middle, battles for the ball with the Indiana Pacers’ David West, left, and Roy Hibbert during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Oregon. Hickson scored 14 points and pulled in 13 rebounds as they beat the Pacers 100-80. — AP

NBA results/standings Cleveland 99, Toronto 98; Philadelphia 97, NY Knicks 80; Washington 86, Chicago 73; Charlotte 102, Minnesota 101; Houston 119, Brooklyn 106; Milwaukee 109, Golden State 102; San Antonio 108, Phoenix 99; Denver 121, Sacramento 93; Utah 114, Indiana 110 (OT); Portland 101, LA Clippers 100.

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

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT 26 15 .634 26 18 .591 20 23 .465 18 25 .419 16 28 .364 Central Division 26 17 .605 26 18 .591 23 19 .548 16 27 .372 13 32 .289 Southeast Division 28 12 .700 25 18 .581 14 28 .333 11 31 .262 11 32 .256

GB 1.5 7 9 11.5

Oklahoma City Denver Utah Portland Minnesota

0.5 2.5 10 14

LA Clippers Golden State LA Lakers Sacramento Phoenix

4.5 15 18 18.5

San Antonio Memphis Houston Dallas New Orleans

Western Conference Northwest Division 34 10 .773 27 18 .600 7.5 24 20 .545 10 22 21 .512 11.5 17 24 .415 15.5 Pacific Division 32 13 .711 26 17 .605 5 18 25 .419 13 16 29 .356 16 15 29 .341 16.5 Southwest Division 36 11 .766 28 14 .667 5.5 24 22 .522 11.5 18 25 .419 16 14 29 .326 20

Slagter wins Tour Down Under ADELAIDE: Dutchman Tom-Jelte Slagter from Blanco Pro Cycling won the season-opening UCI WorldTour Down Under yesterday.

Slagter stayed out of trouble in the final 90kilometre stage through the streets of Adelaide to win the general classification in

ADELAIDE: Tom-Jelte Slagter of the Netherlands (C) receives a kiss on the podium after winning the overall honours of the Tour Down Under cycling race in Adelaide yesterday. — AFP

18hr 28min 32sec, finishing 17 seconds ahead of Spaniard Javier Moreno (Movistar) and 25 clear of British rider Geraint Thomas (Sky Pro Cycling). German Andre Greipel from Lotto Belisol won the mass sprint to take out the final stage, his third stage win of the tour and his 14th overall.

Australian Mark Renshaw (Blanco Pro Cycling) finished second on the final stage with Sky Pro Cycling’s Edvald Boasson Hagen third. Slagter, 23, went into the final day with a 13-second advantage after a brilliant ride to finish second to Simon Gerrans in Saturday’s penultimate stage up Old Willunga Hill.

He was never in any real danger of losing the ochre leader’s jersey and stayed safely in the peloton for the duration of the race.

The real attack came from Thomas, who lost the leader’s jersey to Slagter on Saturday, slipping from first to fifth in the process.

Thomas won the first intermediate sprint and came third in the second to pick up enough bonus seconds to move him to third place, leapfrogging Spaniard Jon Izagirre (Euskaltel Euskadi) and Belgium’s Ben Hermans (Radioshack Leopard). — AFP

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

S P ORTS

Thomas: No sympathy for steroids-tainted stars CHICAGO: Retired Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas feels even better about his career after watching steroidstainted stars Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Roger Clemens fail to gain entry to the Hall of Fame.”I think I’ve done enough to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” he said Saturday at the team’s fan convention. “Watching all the nonsense unfold and not really knowing what was going on, it makes me much more proud of my career,” he said. “I

competed in that era. I played at a high level in that era. There are a lot of great players, but as it unfolds, a lot of it was not the real deal. I know 100 percent I was the real deal.”

Bonds, Sosa and Clemens were denied in their first year of eligibility amid suspicions by some voters that their accomplishments were boosted by performance-enhancing drugs. Mark McGwire, 10th on the career home run list, received 16.9 percent of the vote on

his seventh try, far short of the 75 percent needed for election.

“I wouldn’t say I feel bad for them,” Thomas said. “I respected them on the field, but they chose this. They made their own decisions off the field and they’ve got to live with it.”

He said their numbers were “incredible” but “fake.” “Any time you look at the PED situation, you look at the Lance Armstrong situation - you look at stuff like that, it’s serious out there,” Thomas

3,060 hits. Biggio appeared on 68.2 percent of the 569 ballots and fell 39 votes shy. Thomas thinks baseball’s drug-testing is on the right path. Players will be tested for human growth hormone throughout the regular season following blood testing during spring training last year. Those are in addition to urine tests. “There won’t be any more scandals. Baseball is going to be 100 percent clean,” Thomas said. “They’re going to have to be.” — AP

said. “Thank God I’m blessed I did it the right way. I had a good family base that made me outwork ever ybody else because that’s the only way I made it to the big leagues.”

A two-time American League MVP with a .301 average and 521 homers, will join Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine as first-time eligible on the ballot sent to voters this autumn.

Thomas was surprised Craig Biggio did not gain election despite having

Marleau’s double ties record as Sharks beat Avalanch 4-0 Viktor Fasth wins NHL debut

OSAKA: Tetyana Gamera-Shmyrko of Ukraine crosses the finish line of the Osaka international women’s marathon at the Nagai stadium in Osaka yesterday. Gamera-Shmyrko won the race with a time of 2 hours 23 minutes 58 seconds, while Japan’s Kayoko Fukushi finished in second. — AFP

Gamera-Shmyrko wins marathon OSAKA: Tetyana Gamera-Shmyrko of Ukraine came back from behind to beat Japan’s Kayoko Fukushi to win the Osaka International Women’s Marathon yesterday.

The 29-year-old Gamera-Shmyrko, once behind front-running Fukushi by more than 140 metres, caught up with the Japanese athlete in the last 920 metres to snatch the lead before crossing the line in two hours 23 minutes 58 seconds.

“I thought I would never be able to catch up with her (Fukushi), because she was very fast in the beginning,” said Gamera-Shmyrko, who broke her personal best of 2:24:32 set at the London Olympics when she finished at fifth.

“I usually move up my pace after 30 kilometres (19 miles). I found that I was able to run faster in the last two kilometres and then I took the lead ahead of her,” added

Gamera-Shmyrko.

Fukushi formed a front-running group with fellow Japanese Mari Ozaki and Yuko Watanabe, Gamera-Shmyrko and pace-setters. When the last two pace-setters abandoned the race at the 30 kilometre mark, it seemed that Fukushi was going to run alone for the remainder of the race as others had been left behind.

But Fukushi slowed down in the last seven kilometres, allowing Gamera-Shmyrko to come back into the race again. Fukushi also improved her personal best by clocking 2:24:21, but it was not enough to qualify for the world championships in Moscow in August.

Watanabe came in third at 2:25:56, followed by Ozaki in 2:26:41, while the former Japanese fastest-time record holder Yoko Shibui was eighth in 2:32:41.— AFP

Titans interested in hiring Williams NASHVILLE: Gregg Williams may be a step closer to returning to the NFL after being suspended indefinitely for his role in the Saints’ bounty program. Titans coach Mike Munchak has talked with Williams and is interested in adding him to his Tennessee staff, said a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke Sunday to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the Titans do not discuss personnel moves until they are finalized.

Before the Titans could hire Williams, he must be reinstated by the league.

Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him indefinitely for his role in the New Orleans Saints bounty program, and NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Sunday the league has not yet addressed Williams’ potential reinstatement.

Munchak did not immediately answer a message left by the AP yesterday. The Titans coach has not talked with the media about his team since the day after the season ended. How quickly the league considers reinstating Williams may take at least a week with the San Francisco 49ers arriving in New Orleans on Sunday to kick off festivities leading up to the Feb. 3 Super Bowl.

Williams is the only coach or player who has yet to return to the NFL in the wake of the bounty scandal. Goodell just lifted the suspension for New Orleans coach Sean Payton on Tuesday, nearly two weeks earlier than expected. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for eight games and

assistant head coach Joe Vitt for six. Four current or former Saints players were also suspended after an investigation found the club had a performance pool offering cash rewards for key plays, including big hits. The player suspensions eventually were overturned.

Williams was the Saints defensive coordinator from 2009-11 and was hired by St. Louis in January 2012 by former Titans coach Jeff Fisher before being suspended indefinitely in March 20112. Williams’ son, Blake, also was on Fisher’s staff as the Rams’ linebacker coach - but his contract was not renewed earlier this month.

Munchak has known Williams since 1990.

Munchak was playing for the then-Houston Oilers when Williams became an assistant coach with the team. They also coached together with the Oilers; Munchak oversaw the offensive line starting in 1994 and Williams rose from defensive assistant to coaching special teams, then linebackers and finally defensive coordinator.

Williams left the Titans to become head coach of the Buffalo Bills in 2001 before becoming defensive coordinator with the Washington Redskins from 2004-07. He also was defensive coordinator in Jacksonville in 2008 before being hired by the Saints in 2009.

Williams also has a relationship with Munchak’s current defensive coordinator, Jerry Gray. When Williams left for Buffalo, Gray went with him and served as Williams’ defensive coordinator with the Bills. —AP

SALVO: San Jose’s Patrick Marleau became just the second player in NHL history to score multiple goals in the first four games of the season, leading the unbeaten Sharks to a 4-0 victory over visiting Colorado on Saturday.

Marleau netted two first-period power play goals to become the first player to achieve the feat since the Ottawa Senators’ Cy Denneny in the NHL’s inaugural 1917-18 season, the league said on its website.

Already the league leader in goals, Marleau struck twice in 80 seconds against the Avalanche to take his total to eight in the first four games.

“I’ll take them as they come, trying to do the same thing, trying to work and going to those same areas,” he told reporters. “My line mates have been playing great, too.”

Asked if he had been hoping for a hat trick in one of those two -goal games, Marleau replied: “It’d be nice, but I’m not going to get greedy.”

The Sharks center also picked up an assist on Joe Thornton’s second-period power play goal to give him 11 points this season. “I don’t know if he can keep scoring two goals every night, but he can keep his play up the way it’s been,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan told reporters.

“He’s been skating extremely well. A ton of confidence. He’s prepared to shoot the puck. He’s engaged physically. It’s a great reward for him. He came focused to play.”

Both of Marleau’s goals came after a big hit on Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog

by Sharks defenseman Brad Stuar t.

Avalanche defenseman Ryan O’Byrne confronted Stuart after the hit and a long fight followed.

O’Byrne received 19 penalty minutes, including a 10-minute misconduct. Stuart was penalized five minutes for fighting.

Landeskog missed the rest of the first period before returning for the second.

Rookie defenseman Matt Irwin delivered the Sharks’ other goal, also in the second period. Sharks netminder Thomas Greiss had 24 saves in his first start of the season to record his first NHL shutout.

“I always had to make just the first save and they took care of the rest,” Greiss said.

“Blocked a lot of shots, too. Made my life pretty easy today.”

The Avalanche (2-2), who had won two in a row before the Saturday’s game, fell to their ninth consecutive defeat on San Jose ice. Meanwhile, Viktor Fasth made 19 saves and stopped all three Nashville shootout attempts to win his NHL debut, and Corey Perry scored the only shootout goal in the Anaheim Ducks’ 3-2 victor y over the Predators on Saturday night.

Fasth, the Ducks’ new 30-year-old backup goalie from Sweden, capped his solid debut performance by deftly gloving his deflection of David Legwand’s final shootout attempt out of midair.

Daniel Winnik and Bobby Ryan scored for the Ducks, who never led until the shootout in their third victory in four games to start the season. Pekka Rinne made 20 saves for Nashville, but the Vezina Trophy finalist dropped to 0-1-3 this season when former 50-goal scorer Perry beat him to the glove side on Anaheim’s second shootout attempt.

Legwand and Winnik traded goals 1:03 apart midway through the third period, with Winnik becoming the first Anaheim player to score five goals in the first four games of a season with his tying tip-in.

Nashville goal-scorer Patric Hornqvist left the ice limping badly midway through the third period after getting tangled up with Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf while both players pursued a puck in the corner. Hornqvist

didn’t return. Brandon Yip scored an early goal for Nashville, which had won six straight over Anaheim dating to the clubs’ 2011 firstround playoff meeting and 12 of 15 overall.

After getting routed 5-0 by Vancouver in their home opener Friday night, the Ducks restored much of the good feelings from their two season-opening victories on the road, but only after a rough start against Nashville.

Ryan’s first goal of the season ended 99 straight minutes of scoreless hockey at Honda Center for the home team, and Fasth kept the Ducks in it during an eventful third period and overtime.

Nashville took the lead when Legwand ended up alone in the slot with the puck after Fasth gave up a long rebound of Kevin Klein’s shot. Winnik evened it moments later when he reached around defenseman Hal Gill and nimbly tipped Perry’s pass over Rinne’s outstretched pad.

The goal was the fifth in four improbable games for Winnik, the journeyman forward who joined Anaheim in the offseason. Winnik has never scored more than 11 goals in any of his five NHL seasons.

After starter Jonas Hiller set a club record and led the NHL with 73 starts in the Ducks’ crease last season, Anaheim won the offseason competition for Fasth with a $1 million, one-way contract. Fasth was named the Swedish Elite League’s top goaltender in each of the past two seasons with AIK Stockholm, the first goalie to win back-toback Honken Trophies since New York Rangers star Henrik Lundqvist.

Fasth gave up a goal on the second NHL shot he faced, but only after stopping the first shot in a 2-on-1 set up when a linesman accidentally blocked a Ducks defenseman’s path to a loose puck. Yip followed up for his first goal of the season, and the Ducks struggled to match it, with the home crowd booing them during a particularly feckless power play. Anaheim showed more jump in the second period, but wasn’t rewarded until Teemu Selanne jarred the puck loose in the corner and got it to Cam Fowler, whose shot from the point was expertly redirected by both Selanne and Ryan, the dependable 30-goal scorer who ripped the Anaheim organization last summer during another offseason of trade rumors.— Agencies

ANAHEIM: Vancouver Canucks goalie Cory Schneider makes a save against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday. — AP

NHL results/standings San Jose 4, Colorado 0; NY Rangers 5, Toronto 2; Chicago 3, Columbus 2; Philadelphia 7, Florida 1; St. Louis 4, Dallas 3; Los Angeles 4, Phoenix 2; Calgary 4, Edmonton 3.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF GA 3 0 0 8 3 2 2 0 13 13 2 2 0 14 13 2 3 0 12 13 2 3 0 14 16 Northeast Division Boston 3 0 1 12 8 Ottawa 3 1 0 15 8 Montreal 2 1 0 9 4 Buffalo 2 2 0 11 12 Toronto 2 3 0 14 17 Southeast Division Tampa Bay 3 1 0 19 12 Winnipeg 2 1 1 10 10 Carolina 2 2 0 11 13 Florida 1 4 0 8 19 Washington 0 3 1 8 17 New Jersey Pittsburgh NY Islanders Philadelphia NY Rangers

PTS 6 4 4 4 4 7 6 4 4 4 6 5 4 2 1

Western Conference Central Division Chicago 5 0 0 20 12 10 St. Louis 4 1 0 19 9 8 Nashville 1 1 3 10 14 5 Detroit 2 2 0 10 14 4 Columbus 1 3 1 9 18 3 Northwest Division Vancouver 2 1 1 13 12 5 Colorado 2 2 0 9 9 4 Minnesota 2 2 0 9 10 4 Edmonton 2 2 0 11 13 4 Calgary 1 2 1 11 15 3 Pacific Division San Jose 4 0 0 19 7 8 Dallas 2 2 1 11 12 5 Anaheim 3 1 0 15 14 6 Los Angeles 1 2 1 8 12 3 Phoenix 1 4 0 17 20 2 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

Johnson defends title at UFC Chicago CHICAGO: Demetrious Johnson successfully defended his flyweight title at UFC Chicago, unanimously outpointing John Dodson in front of a capacity crowd Saturday night at the United Center.

Dodson, fighting at 125 pounds, landed left hands twice in the second round, sending Johnson to the ground. In the third round, Johnson had a takedown and landed a knee to get back in the fight. Johnson was warned after two illegal knees, a low blow in the first round and an illegal knee in the fourth round.

Johnson (17-2-1) started taking control late in fourth land, landing a series of knees to Dodson’s head and a series of punches as Dodson (15-6) tired. It continued in the fifth and final round, as Dodson couldn’t defend repeated knees to his head.

Johnson struggled in the first two rounds. “I got dazed a little bit, but I am in good shape,” Johnson said. “It is going to happen. You are going to get hit.” In what may have been the most anticipated fight of the night, Glover Teixeira topped Rampage Jackson in an unanimous decision in a light heavyweight bout. Jackson, the 34-year-old former light heavyweight champion was taken down in all three rounds, but Teixeira (20-2) couldn’t take advantage. Jackson (32-11) got back to his feet every time. Late in the second round, both fighters exchanged blows. Jackson tried to shrug off Teixeira’s punches, but fatigue appeared to be setting in.

“I really wanted to win that fight,” Jackson said. “I kind of wish I fought smart and didn’t get hit so

much, but I always said I would rather lose a good fight than win a boring one and the fans are telling me that was an exciting fight. So I guess I’m sad but not so sad. I fought like Rampage tonight.”

The fight was scored 30-27, 3027, 29-28. Jackson, who fought his last fight under his current UFC contract, has been critical of the UFC and how he perceives the organization treats its fighters. He insists the fight was his last in the UFC, but plans on continuing his MMA career.

In a lightweight bout, Anthony Pettis (14-2) landed a left kick to Donald Cerrone’s body and followed with a left jab in the second round, knocking Cerrone (19-5) to the ground and winning his third straight fight. “Shutting that guy up

was the biggest thing for me,” Pettis said. “Now I never need to hear about that guy again. He’s done. He got beat in one round. Goodbye.”

Pettis put himself in a position to fight Benson Henderson for the lightweight UFC title and asked the question to UFC President Dana White.”I am not scared to fight anybody. I want the champ ASAP,” Pettis said. “Dana White what do I have to do for this title fight?”

In another main card fight, 30year-old Chicago native Ricardo Lamas (13-2) dropped a series of elbows and punches on 24-yearold Erik Koch (13-2) before the featherweight bout was stopped by referee John McCarthy. Lamas had Koch pinned to the ground and went to work on Koch’s bloodied face. — AP

CHICAGO: John Dodson, left, fights Demetrious Johnson during the UFC flyweight championship on FOX 6 at United Center in Chicago, Saturday. — AP

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

S P ORTS

Fog delay forces Monday finish at Torrey Pines SAN DIEGO: Tiger Woods’ bid for a 75th PGA Tour victory was put on hold for 24 hours when thick fog allowed only five minutes of play in the Farmers Insurance Open third round on Saturday, forcing the event into a Monday finish.

Initial tee times were pushed back three hours before play eventually started at Torrey Pines but the action was halted just five minutes later as visibility swiftly deteriorated.

With the sun briefly breaking through, officials prepared for a re-start at 12:20 pm local (2020 GMT) but those plans were swiftly abandoned as another blanket of fog rolled across the coastal venue.

“ We basically lost the whole day today, so we’ll be back here in position at 7:00 (1500 GMT) in the morning,” Mark Russell, the PGA Tour’s vice president of rules and competition, told reporters.

“We’re going to play golf all day until dark and then when it gets dark, we’ll suspend play. We’ll come back Monday morning and finish the championship if the weather cooperates. That is the plan.

“Usually with over 78 players (left after the second round) we make a cut after the third round, but we’re not going to make a cut. We’re not going to re-pair. We’d lose too much time.”

Asked what time he expected the tournament to finish on Monday if the

weather cooperated over the next two days, Russell replied: “Ballpark, we’re going to have anywhere from 12 to nine holes Monday, something like that. We will play 72 holes. If we get half the field in (finished) in the final round, the round must stand.”

Former world number one Woods leads the tournament by two shots, having taken control with a superb sevenunder-par 65 in rain-sodden conditions during Friday’s second round.

A six-times champion in the PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines, Woods finished at 11-under 133 with little -known American Billy Horschel alone in second after carding a 69.

“I have been out here long enough to know that this is part of the game,” Woods said of Saturday’s near-washout because of the fog. “I’ll be ready to go tomorrow.” Woods has gone on to win 34 times out of 44 when holding at least a share of the 36-hole lead on the PGA Tour and he heads a relatively weak leaderboard going into the final two rounds. Of his 14 closest pursuers, only Australian John Senden and American Nick Watney have previously won on the PGA Tour. Horschel, who has been grouped with Woods and fellow American Casey Wittenberg for the final two rounds, was stunned that the fog stayed around for most of the day.

“I knew it was going to get foggy out here, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad,” he said. “Up at Pebble (Beach), I’ve been there when it’s been foggy, and had several hours to wait, but nothing where the whole day has been washed out.” Asked what he had done to pass the time, Horschel replied: “Eat a couple of times, sit down, relax, chit chat, come out here and putt, chit chat with everyone else. Just try to stay loose. It’s all I’ve done, really.”

Saturday’s fog delay was the first at the Farmers Insurance Open since 2005 when play was suspended on the second and third scheduled days of the event. — Reuters

Hirscher win slalom before home fans KITZBUEHEL: Marcel Hirscher won a World Cup slalom for the 10th time in his career yesterday, drawing roars from a home crowd that included Austria-born Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Hirscher became the first Austrian since Klaus Kroell in 2009 to win a race at the Hahnenkamm event, one of the classic stops on the men’s World Cup calendar. Ivica Kostelic of Croatia won the combined, which adds the slalom results to those from Saturday’s downhill. He became the first skier to win that competition four straight years.

Hirscher was third in the opening leg but was fastest in the second run to finish in a combined time of 1 minute, 44.34 seconds for his 17th career title. It was Hirscher’s first victory in Kitzbuehel. “If you want to be among the greatest skiers, you have to win in Kitzbuehel at least once,” Hirscher said. The defending overall champion extended his lead in both the overall and slalom World Cup standings.

In the overall title race, Hirscher has 1,035 points to lead Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal by 114. Felix Neureuther of Germany was 0.77 back in second, and Kostelic finished third, 0.91 behind Hirscher. Ted Ligety of the United States was among those who failed to finish.

Ligety skied out after five gates, failing to score points for a second straight day after missing a gate in the downhill. He finished sixth in Friday’s super-G and remained in third place in the overall standings with 736 points.

“Kitz weekend started well but went sideways fast. Literally and figuratively,” Ligety wrote on Twitter. In the combined, Frenchmen Alexis Pinturault and Thomas Mermillod Blondin were second and third. Kostelic matched Norway’s Kjetil Andre Aamodt’s record of six straight podium finishes in this

event. Hirscher, who was beaten by Neureuther in a slalom in Wengen, Switzerland, last week, has won five races and finished on the podium 13 times this season.

With each victory worth 100 points, the Austrian has now gained a stunning 700 points in eight slaloms this season.

Neureuther trails him by 134 points in second.

“It’s not getting easier, the pressure is immense,” Hirscher said. “If you get so many podiums in one season, you expect yourself to finish top five in each race.” Hirscher used an attacking yet error-free second run to win the race after trailing Stefano Gross and Giuliano Razzoli in the opening run. Both Italians, however, had costly mistakes in their final runs and finished 11th and fourth, respectively.

“It was a very, very tough race,” Neureuther said. “In the second run, I raced tactically smart.

Marcel showed the aggression you need to win here. He was always going to be the man to beat.” Kostelic called himself fortunate after finishing on the podium despite being more than 0.4 seconds off the top three in his opening run.

“I was lucky today and I wasn’t expecting a top-three finish anymore,” said Kostelic, adding that he admired the run of Austrian veteran Benjamin Raich. “I was inspired by the way Benni was skiing today.” Raich posted the second-fastest time in the final leg, just 0.10 slower than Hirscher, to climb from 25th to fifth place. In a difficult first run, 28 racers failed to finish. The slalom gates were placed by Italian technical coach Jacques Theolier after an initial course set by Croatia’s Ante Kostelic, father of Ivica and former women’s overall champion Janica, was rejected as being too difficult by the international ski federation.— AP

OMAHA: Ashley Wagner competes in the Ladies Free Skate during the 2013 Prudential US Figure Skating Championships at CenturyLink Center on Saturday in Omaha, Nebraska.

(Inset) Wagner poses for photographers after winning the Ladies competition. — AFP

Despite falls, Wagner edges gold for second US title Wins back-to-back titles

KITZBUEHEL: (L-R) Germany’s Felix Neureuther, Austria’s Marcel Hirscher and Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic celebrate after competing at the FIS World Cup men’s slalom race yesterday in Kitzbuehel, Austrian Alps. Austrian Marcel Hirscher won the race, German Felix Neureuther placed second and Croatian Ivica Kostelic placed third. — AFP

Maze wins slalom MARIBOR: Overall World Cup leader Tina Maze rebounded from a close loss with an emphatic slalom victory before her home fans yesterday. The Slovenian has now won in four disciplines this season.

Maze, who lost Saturday’s giant slalom by 0.08 seconds to Lindsey Vonn, led after the opening run and finished her two runs in 1 minute, 33.68 seconds down the Radvanje course.

“It’s so amazing to win here,” said Maze, who celebrated with a cartwheel with her ski boots on. “Everybody is cheering for me.” Frida Hansdotter of Sweden finished second, a distant 0.86 seconds behind.

Kathrin Zettel of Austria was third, 1.13 back.

American teenager Mikaela Shiffrin moved up from 13th after the opening run to finish sixth and maintained a 13-point

MARIBOR: Slovenia’s Tina Maze speeds past a gate on her way to clock the fastest time in an alpine ski, women’s World Cup giant slalom, in Maribor, Slovenia, Saturday. — AP

lead ahead of Maze in the slalom standings.

The 17-year-old Shiffrin had won the past two slaloms and has three wins overall this season. In the opening run, she was fastest in the top section and second fastest in the last section, but U.S. coach Alex Hoedlmoser said she had three big mistakes in the middle.Vonn finished 36th in the first run and failed to qualify for the second leg. Both runs were held in clear conditions, with the temperature below freezing.

In the overall standings, Maze has more than twice as many points as her nearest challenger, Maria Hoefl-Riesch, the Olympic slalom champion who went out in the first run. Maze leads Hoefl-Riesch 1,654-806, and Vonn is third with 740 points.

Vonn won two slaloms four seasons ago, but the event has become her weakest discipline. She hadn’t even entered a slalom since last season’s World Cup finals. It was Maze’s seventh win of the season and first in slalom. She now needs only a downhill win to hold victories in all five disciplines this season.

Only two women have won in all five disciplines in a season - Austria’s Petra Kronberger in 1990-91 and Croatia’s Janica Kostelic in 2005-06. The only man to do it was Marc Girardelli in 1988-89. Maze’s super-G win in St. Anton two weeks ago gave her wins in each discipline over her career.

“Tina is sensational this season,” Zettel said. “She has shown her class here once again.” A special city event is scheduled for Moscow tomorrow, the last race before the Feb. 5-17 world championships in Schladming, Austria. Only two more traditional slaloms remain this season, although the parallel city event - a mix between slalom and giant slalom - also counts toward the slalom standings.— AP

OMAHA: Luck, strong will, maybe even a little generosity from the judges. The details really don’t matter. All anyone will remember is that Ashley Wagner now has something in common with Michelle Kwan.

Wagner became the first woman since Kwan in 2005 to win back-to-back titles in the US Figure Skating Championships, managing to hold off upand-comer Gracie Gold despite two falls Saturday night. “To join that type of a club with Michelle is absolutely an honor, and I’m so pleased with myself that I was able to accomplish that,” Wagner said.

“That was one of my main goals this season. I wanted to say I was a repeat national champion. I definitely lucked out at this competition.

“Knowing that, it only pushes me more to have the rest of the season be nice and solid.”

Wagner finished with 188.84 points, about two ahead of Gold. Gold won the free skate - posting the second-highest score ever at the US meet, no less.

But the 17-year-old had too much ground to make up after a dismal performance Thursday night in the short program left her in ninth place, more than 13 points behind Wagner.

“This is my first US Championships and it was horrifying at the beginning. But now it’s been amazing,” said Gold, who won the US junior title last year.

“I’m so proud of myself that I was able to come back after that very, very rough short program and to put out that long program that’s the best I’ve ever done.”

Agnes Zawadzki dropped from second to third after falling on her a triple flip. Earlier Saturday, Olympic silver medalists and 2011 world champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White won their fifth straight dance title, matching a US record. Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir won the pairs title.

There is something about defending the title that brings out the worst in the American women.

Since 1990, Kwan is the only other woman to win consecutive titles (granted, she did win eight straight). Six women have won the last seven crowns, and the reigning champion has almost always had a total meltdown. Rachael Flatt is the

The Central Bank team

only defending champ who even managed to stay on the podium the next year.

“I don’t think anyone could have prepared me for how difficult this national championships was going to be,” Wagner said. Wagner, though, is made of stern stuff. She’s been rock solid since moving to California to train with John Nicks in the summer of 2011. She won the U.S. title last year, had the best finish by an American at worlds since 2007 and won the silver medal last month in the Grand Prix final.

And she sure looked loose as she came out from the dressing rooms, clapping along with the crowd to Zawadzki’s “Rhapsody in Blue” music. Her opening triple flip-double toe loop-double toe combination was gorgeous, drawing oohs and aahs from the crowd. She also did a triple loop in and out of a spread eagle - incredibly difficult.

But she didn’t have her usual fire, almost as if she was skating not to lose rather than skating to win. “I was feeling great that first half,” Wagner said. “Then I started to overthink it a little. She was off-balance in the air on a triple lutz, and couldn’t right herself in time to save it. With a triple loop only seconds later, she didn’t have time to regroup and she tumbled to the ice on that one, too. Wagner was subdued as she waited for her marks, surely thinking she’d blown her chance to repeat. At 21, though, Wagner is a far more complete skater than Gold, and that’s what made the difference. Skating to “Samson and Delilah,” Wagner told a story while Gold just skated and jumped.

When her score was announced and she saw she was still in first, a look of surprise crossed her face before she smiled. “I was very uncertain as to what was going to happen, waiting for those scores to come up. I knew the program as whole, aside from the two mistakes, was very solid,” Wagner said. “It’s definitely not the type of win, not the performance I had imagined myself having. But the fact I was able to repeat as champion with those two performances, that’s something to be proud of.” Gold’s performance was something to be proud of, too. Better yet, something to build on. With blonde good looks and

a made-for-the Olympics name, Gold has all the makings of that “next big thing” the United States has been craving. That she can skate only fueled the hype, and some were ready to put her on the Sochi medals stand after she won the US junior title last year and finished second in the junior world championships.

But she’s been wildly inconsistent this year, winning the silver medal at Cup of Russia after falling apart at Skate Canada. After botching her short program Thursday, she needed a dazzling performance just to have a chance at one of the spots on the world championships team.

She came through, posting a 132.49 that was the second-highest score for a free skate at nationals.

Sasha Cohen scored 134.03 in 2006, the year she won her only US title.

“I stopped focusing on what was around me - the crowd, the screaming, the other skaters, the pressure, the expectations. I let it all go,” Gold said. “I just pictured myself at my rink in Chicago and even the practices here - how I would skate if I was practicing.

Just the feel of the knees, the feel of the ice, one thing at a time.

“I didn’t get over my head with thoughts or expectations. I just went out there and skated like I know how to skate.” Gold’s jumps are fabulous, easily the best of the entire field. Maybe the whole world.

They’re done with power, and her combinations are so smooth she looks like a stone skipping across the water. She did seven triples, and even Kim Yu-na would be impressed with her triple lutz-triple toe loop combination.

But skating is both sport and art, and Gold is going to have to add some substance between the jumps if she wants the prize to match her name. Her footwork was basic and most of her spins were adequate, and she didn’t display that passion that makes a good program great.

“They pushed me,” Gold said, looking at Wagner and Zawadzki. “After that short program, I didn’t want to compete. But I knew I had a lot of competitors and I had to push through.” — AP

Al Ahli Bank team

Central Bank victorious in KBC bowling league KUWAIT: The Central Bank of Kuwait won 3 out of 3 games in a competition held in part of the KBC bowling league organized by the Kuwait Banks Club.

The Central Bank finished first with

1,776 points followed by Al Ahli Bank with 1,736 and Al-Ahli United Bank with 1,656.

The KBC Bowling League continues with teams, doubles and masters competitions.

Al-Ahli United Bank team

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

S P ORT S

Former Chelsea striker Drogba joins Galatasaray ANKARA: Ivory Coast captain and former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has left Shanghai Shenhua to sign a 1-1/2 year contract with Galatasaray, Turkish broadcaster CNN Turk said yesterday.

The channel did not give any more information and Galatasaray could not be reached for immediate comment.

The 34-year-old, who is on African Nations Cup duty with his country, moved to China after helping Chelsea win the Champions League last May.

Drogba signed a 2-1/2 year deal with Shenhua in June that was, according to media reports, worth around $300,000 a week. However, the Shanghai-based Oriental Sports daily said last month that the player was owed money by the club. Drogba applied for permission to leave on loan before the January transfer window but world soccer’s ruling body FIFA refused the request. The striker returned to Chelsea to train at his former club in a bid to stay sharp for

the Nations Cup, fuelling media speculation of a return to Europe.

If his move to Turkey is confirmed, the transfer will come less than a week after Netherlands midfielder Wesley Sneijder joined Galatasaray from Inter Milan. Galatasaray have been drawn to meet German club Schalke 04 in the last 16 of the Champions League next month. Drogba’s former Chelsea team mate Nicolas Anelka ended a one-year spell at Shenhua when he joined

Italians Juventus on a five-month loan deal on Saturday. The signings of Drogba and former France striker Anelka were heralded as a coup for the Chinese Super League last year.

After years of negative headlines brought by match-fixing scandals which hit the league’s credibility and led to jail terms for former Chinese soccer chiefs, the two transfers drew attention for all the right reasons. Drogba scored 157 times in 341 appearances

for Chelsea, making him the club’s fourth all-time leading scorer. Having left Olympique Marseille to join the Londoners in 2004, he won everything in England and his strength and speed made him a handful for world-class defenders. He was Chelsea’s Champions League talisman last season, scoring a brilliant headed equaliser in the final against Bayern Munich to force extratime and then scoring the winning penalty in the shootout. — Reuters

Marseille draws 2-2 at Rennes PARIS : Marseille remains in third place in the French league after twice wasting the lead in a 2-2 draw at Rennes, with a handling error from goalkeeper Steve Mandanda gifting Rennes a late equalizer on Saturday.

Winger Andre Ayew put Marseille ahead late in the first half and his younger brother Jordan Ayew restored Marseille’s lead in the 82nd minute after defender Kevin Theophile-Catherine’s leveler for Rennes.

But Mandanda, who has a record of making careless mistakes despite being an outstanding shot-stopper, let a soft cross from the right slip through his hands and Romain Alessandrini nodded home in the 88th. “ There’s a lot of disappointment because we were 2-1 up, but before the match maybe we would have signed up for a draw,” Marseille coach Elie Baup said. “I’m disappointed for my players that we didn’t win. You can have some regrets when you take the lead twice.”

Marseille is level with second-place Paris Saint-Germain, which has played a game less and hosts Lille, and three points behind leader Lyon, which won 2-0 at Valenciennes on Friday.

Ironically, last weekend Marseille profited from a defensive error to score an injurytime winner against Montpellier, and just like the recent 3-1 defeat away to Sochaux, Marseille also conceded a goal from a set piece. “That’s our weak link. We marked all the players in the penalty area but one player makes a run from outside the area and is totally free,” Baup said. “We have to start concentrating and working on set pieces again.” Still, Baup thinks Marseille will benefit in the long run from playing the right way. “We wanted to keep the ball on the ground, we have to repeat this kind of per formance. It’s encouraging for the future,” Baup said. “We have to keep going, even if we’re disappointed with the result.”

Rennes was in fourth place.

“It’s not for nothing that they’re where they are in the league, and they’re in the League Cup final,” Baup said. “They’re fighting with us for a European place.”

Elsewhere, it was: Evian 1, Ajaccio 1; Montpellier 2, Sochaux 0; Nancy 2, Lorient 1; Reims 1, Toulouse 1, and Troyes 2, Brest 1.

Defending champion Montpellier bounced back from three straight defeats

to move up to seventh place thanks to goals from striker Emmanuel Herrara and winger John Utaka. Toulouse remains in mid-table after being pegged back by Grzegorz Krychowiak’s goal after France midfielder Etienne Capoue opened the scoring. Meanwhile, new signing Dennis Oliech scored for Ajaccio only for right back Daniel Wass to level for Evian.

Troyes, which is in 19th place, kept alive its hopes of avoiding relegation with only its third win of the season.

Midfielder Fabien Camus scored his fourth goal in the past three games to give Troyes the lead on halftime, and midfielder Stephane Darbion made it 2-0 before Eden Ben Basat pulled a goal back.

Last-place Nancy remains one point behind Troyes. Paul Alo’o Efoulou put Nancy ahead, continuing his good form after scoring twice in midweek, but forward Jeremie Aliadiere equalized just after the break with his eighth league goal of the campaign. Center half Sebastien Pugrenier got Nancy’s winner in the 71st.

Earlier, Mathieu Valbuena’s delicate pass with the outside of his foot sent Andre Ayew sprinting through and he calmly clipped the ball under the body of goalkeeper Benoit Costil to give Marseille the lead in the 37th.

But Marseille was caught napping in the 58th and Theophile-Catherine was left unmarked to head into the top corner.

Valbuena helped create the second goal, releasing Morgan Amalfitano down the right and his cross was volleyed home at the back post by Jordan Ayew.

Substitute Abdoulaye Sane set up the equalizer with a surging run down the right, yet there appeared little danger as he pulled the ball back from a tight angle. But Mandanda let it slip through his fingers, it bounced back off the post and gave Alessandrini an easy header from three yards (meters) out.

“It was a great game, very intense. We were too shy in the first half, it was different in the second,” Rennes coach Frederic Antonetti said. “We came out on top in terms of chances and the quality of our play, but Marseille has more experience and more maturity than us.”

Saint-Etienne faces Bastia and Nice hosts Bordeaux in other games. —AP

MADRID: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal, center, in action with Getafe’s Miguel Torres, left, during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, yesterday. — AP

Madrid thrash Getafe 4-0 Ronaldo scores hat-trick BARCELONA: Cristiano Ronaldo hit a hat trick as Real Madrid warmed up for its Copa del Rey clash with Barcelona by rolling to a 4-0 home victory over Getafe in the Spanish league yesterday. Sergio Ramos scored in the 53rd minute after Ricardo Carvalho forced goalkeeper Miguel Moya to fumble the ball by hitting his arms in an apparent foul that went unpunished.

“I don’t know if I fouled him or not,” Carvalho said. “It all happened so fast. I jumped and I don’t know if I touched him.” Ronaldo then scored three times in an 11-minute span to give him 21 goals in league play this season, second only to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi with 29.

Madrid’s win kept it in third place and provisionally reduced the gap with Barcelona to 12 points before the league leaders hosted Osasuna later yesterday. Madrid hosts Barcelona in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal on Wednesday. Even though its league title defense looks almost impossible, Carvalho said Madrid was still going all out for victory.

“The most important thing is to win games, in

the league as well, since it makes us stronger for the Copa del Rey and Champions League,” Carvalho said. Madrid hosts Manchester United in the Champions League knockout stage on Feb. 13.

Adan Garrido started in Madrid’s goal after Iker Casillas broke his hand on Wednesday and underwent an operation on Friday. He will be out for eight to 12 weeks. Madrid signed goalkeeper Diego Lopez from Sevilla on Saturday, and he was on the bench for the game versus Getafe. With the “clasico” looming, Madrid coach Jose Mourinho held back Xabi Alonso and only played Sami Khedira and Mesut Oezil 45 minutes each. Madrid had the better share of the scoring chances in a subdued first half. Ronaldo tested Moya with a bouncing free kick 10 minutes in, before drawing a save from the Getafe ‘keeper in the 22nd.

Moya again responded well to turn away back-to-back attempts by Khedira and Fabio Coentrao moments before Madrid finally scored after Carvalho’s collision with Moya. “It was clear-

ly a foul,” Getafe coach Luis Garcia said. “It’s a pity. When you are losing you have to push forward, and that’s what let them get out on the break. Madrid is the best team in the world on the counterattack.”

Ahead 1-0, Madrid didn’t look back. Ronaldo finished off a counterattack from its own area in the 62nd, running onto Oezil’s pass and firing the ball beyond Moya and inside the far upright.

Three minutes later, Ronaldo made it 3-0 as he charged in unmarked behind Gonzalo Higuain to head home Angel Di Maria’s floated cross at the far post.

Ronaldo dispatched a penalty kick into the lower left corner in the 72nd to record his second hat trick in league play this season after Alberto Lopo fouled Luka Modric in the box.

The Portugal forward, rarely substituted, was taken off seconds later to the applause of the Santiago Bernabeu crowd.

Later, second-place Atletico Madrid visits Athletic Bilbao, Malaga is at Mallorca, and Rayo Vallecano hosts Real Betis. — AP

Napoli lunges toward summit with 2-1 win

SAINT-ETIENNE: Saint-Etienne’s Brazilian forward Brandao (L) vies with Bastia’s French defender Jeremy Choplin (R) during the French L1 football match AS Saint-Etienne (ASSE) vs Bastia (SCB) yesterday, at the Geoffroy Guichard Stadium in Saint-Etienne, central France. — AFP

Saint Etienne up to sixth with win over Bastia PARIS: Saint Etienne, once the leading lights of French football, kept their hopes of qualifying for Europe next season alive as they leapt into sixth place with an easy 3-0 win over Bastia yesterday.

After losing ground in December when they hit something of a goal drought, Saint Etienne got their season back on track by taking an early lead through Brazilian Brandao after just nine minutes.

But it took until the 79th minute before they made the game safe when leading scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted his ninth goal of the season, but his first since the start of November, after substitute Josuah Guilavogui set him up.

Guilavogui rounded things off five minutes from time with a powerful shot which left Bastia ‘keeper Mickael Landreau no chance. On Saturday, Marseille missed the chance to climb back into second spot as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Rennes in Brittany.

In an entertaining contest, Marseille led at the interval thanks to a strike from Ghana star Andre Ayew, who bulldozed his way through the home defence and exchanged passes with Mathieu Valbuena before poking the ball past advancing Rennes ‘keeper Benoit Costil.

However, they were pegged back just before the hour mark when defender Kevin Theophile-Catherine powerfully headed home a right-wing corner for a rare goal.

Both sides had chances to go on and win the game after that as the action swung from end to end.

Ayew’s brother Jordan put Marseille back in front with just seven minutes remaining after Morgan Amalfitano sent in a tantalising cross but in the 88th minute, Rennes rescued the point they deserved.

A long clearance from Costil created confusion in the Marseille defence and Romain Alessandrini nodded the Bretons level to move them into fourth place, six points adrift of Marseille and one ahead of Nice. The draw left Elie Baup’s side three points behind leaders Lyon - 2-0 winners at Valenciennes on Friday - and adrift of Paris Saint-Germain on goal difference before the capital club entertain Lille this evening.

“I am a bit disappointed with the players as we had the three points in the bag until the 88th minute,” observed Baup. Andre Ayew also voiced frustration. “We are very frustrated as the three points were there for the taking, though it’s still a good away point against a good side. We can still do better,” the Ghanaian striker said. — AFP

ROME : Napoli’s up and down season took another lunge toward the summit yesterday with a 2-1 win at Parma, which hadn’t lost at home all season.

Edinson Cavani scored the winner in the 85th minute to move Napoli within three points of Serie A leader Juventus, which was held to a 1-1 draw by Genoa on Saturday.

Napoli is chasing its first title since Diego Maradona led the southern club to Serie A championships in 1987 and 1990. It’s been a wild season for the club with some of Italy’s most passionate fans.

In December, Napoli was penalized two points for match-fixing after its former goalkeeper, Matteo Gianello, confessed to attempting to fix the result of a game with Sampdoria three seasons ago. But the penalty was lifted on appeal earlier this month, as were bans imposed on club captain Paolo Cannavaro and defender Gianluca Grava.

This was the first match back for both players. Marek Hamsik put Napoli ahead 20 minutes in at the Ennio Tardini stadium, using one touch to redirect a pass from Blerim Dzemaili. At the star t of the second half, Parma took the momentum and equalized when Cannavaro deflected in a cross from Parma’s Nicola Sansone in the 75th for an own goal.

Ten minutes later, Naples-born Lorenzo Insigne provided a perfect through ball for Cavani, who dribbled around the goalkeeper for his league-leading 18th goal of the season, thus snapping Parma’s 15-match unbeaten streak at home.

After slumping in November and most of December, Napoli has gone unbeaten in its last five matches and is looking more and more like a legitimate title threat as it approaches a home match with Juventus on March 1.

Elsewhere Sunday, AC Milan beat 10-man Atalanta 1-0 with a 29th-minute strike from 20-

PARMA: Uruguayan Napoli’s striker Gomez Edinson Roberto Cavani (L) is tackled by a Parma’s player during the Italian Serie A football match yesterday at Parma’s Tardini Comunal stadium. Napoli won 2-1. — AFP

yearold Stephen El Shaarawy, who has 15 goals to stand second on the scoring chart behind Cavani. Atalanta’s Davide Brivio picked up his second yellow card in the 59th for a foul on Giampaolo Pazzini.

Milan is fifth, 12 points back. Ten-man Fiorentina dropped to sixth after a 2-1 loss at Catania. Giulio Migliaccio gave Fiorentina the lead in the 21st and Nicola Legrottaglie equalized for Catania in the 50th, with both goals coming on headers. Fiorentina midfielder Alberto Aquilani was sent off with a direct red for vehement protests in the 80th and Lucas Castro scored the winner for Catania in the 88th with a header, making it a bittersweet return for Fiorentina manager Vincenzo Montella to the club he managed last season.

In the lunchtime fixture, Roma was fortunate to come away with a 3-3 draw at Bologna, where Alessandro Diamanti hit both the post and crossbar for the hosts in the final minutes.

Greece midfielder Panagiotis Tachtsidis equalized for Roma in the 74th by heading in a free kick from Francesco Totti. Diamanti, who showed glimpses of brilliance in Italy’s squad at the European Championship, hit the post with a powerful long shot in the 87th then found the crossbar with an equally powerful and long free kick in the fourth minute of added time.

Alessandro Florenzi had given Roma the lead in the ninth after also taking a pass from Totti. Bologna forward Alberto Gilardino then made it 1-1 in the 17th but Pablo Osvaldo restored Roma’s lead a minute later.

Manolo Gabbiadini equalized for Bologna in the 26th to make it 2-2, then Cristian Pasquato put Bologna ahead in the 54th by tak ing advantage of a defensive blunder.

While Roma beat Inter Milan in the first leg of the Italian Cup semifinals Wednesday, the Giallorossi extended their winless streak to four in Serie A. Inter hosted Torino later. In other matches, Argentine for ward Mauro Icardi scored four goals as Sampdoria routed Pescara 6-0; Cagliari drew 1-1 with Palermo 1; and Udinese beat last-place Siena 1-0.

While most of his goals Sunday were facilitated by Pescara’s porous defense, the 19-yearold Icardi also scored twice against Juventus earlier this season and his pedigree is rising fast. — AP

19

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

SPORTS

Bayern win in Stuttgart to extend lead, set record BERLIN: Bayern Munich went 11 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table yesterday with a 2-0 win at ten-man VfB Stuttgart and set a new record in the process.

The clean sheet in Stuttgart means Bayern have conceded just seven goals after 19 Bundesliga games, a new German league record, and they also extended their lead at the top of the table.

Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen lost ground after being held to a goalless draw at Freiburg on Saturday.

Despite two wins from two league games in 2013, Bayern’s director of sport Matthias Sammer grumbled over the performance after their 15th league victory.

“We have to get into our rhythm as quickly as possible,” said Sammer, his

dissatisfaction stemming from last weekend’s 2-0 laboured win over Fuerth. “As we were against Greuther Fuerth, we were good, but ‘good’ just won’t cut it for the rest of the season.”

Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic showed again why Germany striker Mario Gomez has to make do with warming Bayern’s bench by scoring the opening goal, then setting up Thomas Mueller for the second to make sure of the three points.

Munich went ahead after a horror back-pass from Stuttgart defender Cristian Molinaro allowed Mandzukic to round the hosts’ goalkeeper Sven Ulreich and fire into an empty net on 50 minutes.

Stuttgart were lucky to escape conceding a penalty when centre-back Georg Niedermeier brought down

Munich’s Toni Kroos in the area, but when referee Florian Meyer waved play on, Kroos’ furious protest earned him a booking.

Mandzukic made sure of the three points when he played in a superb cross for Mueller to slot past Ulreich after getting to the ball just ahead of his marker Serdar Tasci on 72 minutes.

Stuttgart had Martin Harnik sent off for the last 10 minutes after frustration got the better of the Austria star who clattered into Franck Ribery’s ankle after the ball had gone and he was shown a second yellow.

Earlier, Hamburg won the north German derby with a 3-2 victory at home as Werder Bremen finished with nine men. South Korea striker Son Heung-Min scored a great goal for the hosts. Werder were reduced to nine

men after both captain Clemens Fritz and Austria bad-boy striker Marko Arnautovic were shown second yellow cards.

Fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt stayed in the chasing pack with a 2-1 home win over Hoffenheim, who dropped to second from bottom. With speculation rife over whether Germany midfielder Lewis Holtby will join Tottenham Hotspur before January’s transfer window closes, his Schalke 04 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.

Mainz moved up to fifth with a workmanlike 3-0 win at bottom side Greuther Fuerth as former Real Madrid striker Adam Szalai scored twice.

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.

Defending champions Borussia Dortmund enjoyed an impressive 3-0 win at home to Nuremberg on Friday to stay third and are at Leverkusen next Sunday.— AFP

Liverpool and Spurs humbled in FA Cup Torres rescues FA Cup holders Chelsea LONDON: Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur were both dumped out of the FA Cup by lower-league sides yesterday, on a day of sensational fourth-round upsets that also saw Chelsea scrape a 2-2 draw at lowly Brentford.

The magnitude of the shocks seemed to increase as the day progressed, with Chelsea’s near miss followed by Spurs’ 2-1 loss at Championship side Leeds United before Liverpool went down 3-2 at thirdtier Oldham Athletic.

Liverpool’s loss was the most remarkable, with 80 places in the English league pyramid having separated the sides prior to kick-off at a rain-soaked Boundary Park.

FA Cup semi-finalists in 1994, Oldham made an ideal start when Matt Smith headed them in front in the third minute from Youssouf M’Changama’s left-wing cross.

Liverpool replied in the 17th minute through stand-in captain Luis Suarez, only for Smith to restore the hosts’ lead in firsthalf injury time when he tapped in following a mistake by visiting goalkeeper Brad Jones. A glorious Reece Wabara header further extended Oldham’s advantage early in the second period and Liverpool could find no way back despite the introduction of Steven Gerrard and a 79th-minute goal by Joe Allen.

Oldham’s reward was a fifth-round tie at home to Liverpool’s Merseyside rivals Everton. “I am left speechless by the result.

We went out there wanting to battle together,” said Latics hero Smith.

“We rallied and thoroughly deserved the win. We proved what we can do today and we will be looking to do the same against Everton.”

Liverpool join Spurs, Aston Villa,

Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers in being knocked out of the tournament by lower-league opposition this weekend.

Fallen giants Leeds followed up their shock 2010 elimination of Manchester United by sending Spurs out of the competition at Elland Road. The three-time English cham-

Clint Dempsey header in the 58th minute.

McCormack had a chance to seal it in the 72nd minute, only for Friedel to save, but the home side withstood Spurs’ attempts to find an equaliser to take their place in round five.

“It’s a fabulous performance,” Leeds

GRIFFIN PARK: Chelsea’s English midfielder Frank Lampard (R) tackles Brentford’s Jonathan Douglas (C) during the FA Cup fourth round football match between Brentford and Chelsea at Griffin Park in west London yesterday. — AFP pions took a 15th-minute lead when Luke Varney scampered down the inside-left channel before calmly beating goalkeeper Brad Friedel.

Ross McCormack made it 2-0 five minutes into the second half with a sweet leftfoot shot following a lobbed pass from ElHadji Diouf, before Spurs replied through a

manager Neil Warnock told ESPN. “It’s a great day for us. The atmosphere was good, two cracking goals. There were a lot of heroes today. It was a typical FA Cup tie.”

Chelsea needed an 83rd-minute equaliser from Fernando Torres to rescue a 2-2 draw at third-tier Brentford as they narrowly avoided a humiliating exit. A penalty

from Brentford starlet Harry Forrester looked destined to send the European champions out of the competition, only for Torres to curl home a fine goal to deny his side’s west London neighbours a memorable upset.

“Brentford did well. We knew they would play with a high tempo and try to press,” said Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez. “As a team they showed great character. You could see the manager (Uwe Rosler) on the touchline telling them what they needed to do, and they did it.”

The League One side enjoyed the better of the first half and went ahead three minutes before half-time, with Marcello Trotta arrowing home after Ross Turnbull parried a 25-yard curler from Forrester.

Chelsea introduced Juan Mata at halftime and within 10 minutes the visitors were level, as Oscar brought down a high ball and skipped past a couple of challenges before arcing a lovely shot into the top-left corner.

Chelsea appeared to have taken control, but in the 72nd minute Turnbull sent Tom Adeyemi sprawling in the visitors’ box and Forrester, 22, swept the spot-kick into the bottom-left corner.

With home fans lighting flares in the Griffin Park stands, an unforgettable victory looked to be on the cards, until Torres swept home his late equaliser from the edge of the box to take the tie to a replay.

The fifth-round draw saw Manchester United paired with Reading, while Leeds face a trip to English champions Manchester City. Meanwhile, non-league Luton Town’s reward for upsetting Norwich City was a home game with second-tier Millwall. — AFP

S Africa force draw to send Morocco out DURBAN: South Africa came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with Morocco yesterday and top Group A in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Bafana Bafana (The Boys) finished on five points with Cape Verde, but a superior goal difference enabled the hosts to stay above the debutants, whose fairy-tale continued with a 2-1 win over Angola in Port Elizabeth.

Issam El Adoua and Abdelilah Hafidi put the Atlas Lions ahead in this Indian Ocean city only for May Mahlangu and Siyabonga Sangweni to equalise and condemn Morocco to a fourth consecutive first round exit. Morocco made making five changes from the team that came alive only in the closing stages of a midweek 1-1 draw with Cape Verde. In came Ahmed Kantari, Kamel Chafni, Chahir Belghazouani, Youssef Kaddioui and Youssef El Arabi as coach Rachid Taoussi opted for a five-man midfield and among those axed were wide men Nordin Amrabat and Oussama Assaidi.

South Africa, who made a similar number of alterations after being held by Cape Verde in the tournament opener, gave a vote of confidence to the starting line-up

in a 2-0 victory over Angola. Bafana Bafana were stricken by nerves in the early stages as the Atlas Lions attacked from the kickoff to quieten a sell-out 60,000 crowd at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Suspended playmaker Younes Belhanda was not being missed as young Spain-based midfielder Abdelaziz Barrada took control and the home team had several scares before falling behind.

El Adoua rose highest in the heart of the six-yard box to nod in a corner with Khune reacting too slowly as the South African defence was once more exposed at a set piece. Morocco were comfortably containing the host nation, apart from a Bernard Parker shot from an acute angle that flew across veteran goalkeeper Nadir Lamyaghri but wide of the far post.

Chafni had a glorious chance to double the advantage just before half-time as he sprung an offside trap and broke clear, but Khune raced outside his box, blocked the ball with his legs and cleared it.

Thuso Phala gave the home crowd a rare reason to cheer eight minutes into the second half with a curling free kick over the wall and it took a diving one-hand save from Lamyaghri to keep the ball out.—AFP

DURBAN: Morocco’s defender Ahmed Kantari (L) vies with South Africa’s forward Katlego Mphela during the South Africa vs Morocco Africa Cup of Nations 2013 group A football match at Moses Mahiba Stadium in Durban yesterday. — AFP

PORT ELIZABERT: Cape Verde’s midfielder Toni Varela (L) fights for the ball with Angola’s defender Pirolito during a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations football match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth yesterday. — AFP

Cape Verde’s fairy-tale Africa Cup run continues PORT ELIZABETH: Cape Verde’s fairy-tale run in the Africa Cup of Nations continued yesterday when they qualified for the quarter-finals thanks to a 2-1 win over Angola in a finalround Group A match.

Cape Verde finished on five points to advance along with hosts South Africa, who drew 2-2 with Morocco in Durban, and topped the table thanks to a better goal difference.

Morocco and Angola were eliminated. The west African islanders overcame mighty Cameroon to debut at the finals of Africa’s showpiece football event, where they again impressed with draws against hosts South Africa and Morocco before coming from behind to beat the Angolans.

Angola were rewarded for their offensive play after 33 minutes when Amaro delivered a cross and Mateus put Neves under pressure with the ball coming off the Cape Verde skipper and into his own net. Cape Verde restored parity in the 81st minute when Gege headed home after sustained pressure on Angola and Heldon won the game in the 90th minute as he fired home a rebound after Lama could not hold a fierce shot. The Black Antelopes of Angola took the game to Cape Verde from the

first blast of the whistle, using the wings and long balls. It was scrappy opening, but Angola were first to settle and continued to attack.

But after eight minutes the outstanding Ryan Mendes’ chipped shot from outside the box came close to giving Cape Verde the lead against the run of play. Minutes later, Angola skipper Manucho almost profited from a mixup between goalkeeper Vozinha and skipper Neves, but the Tunisian referee signalled a foul against the big Real Valladolid striker.

In the 12th minute, Manucho again threatened with a header off a free kick as Mateus on the right flank and Djalma on the left became a constant danger to their opponents.

Angola’s lead on 33 minutes seemed to spark the Blue Sharks to life on a cold, windy night in this Indian Ocean city.

Big striker Julio Tavares came close with a header in the 36th minute. A minute after the resumption, another Tavares’ header was kept out on the goal-line by an Angolan defender as Cape Verde continued to mount pressure.

Manucho was unlucky to see his low drive from inside the Cape Verde goal area beat the goalkeeper but come off the foot of the post after 52 minutes.—AFP

Madrid thrash Getafe 4-0

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MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

Cape Verde’s fairy-tale Africa Cup run continues

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Despite falls, Wagner edges gold for second US title

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MELBOURNE: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic kisses the winner’s trophy after his victory over Britain’s Andy Murray during the men’s singles final on day 14 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne yesterday. — AFP

Djokovic wears down Murray for hat-trick Wins fourth Australian Open title MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic came up with his best tennis when it mattered most to reassert his grand slam dominance over Andy Murray yesterday and become the first man to win three successive Australian Open titles in the professional era.

The Serbian world number one played 171 minutes of cat and mouse with his British rival before pouncing when the US Open champion blinked and racing away to a 6-7 7-6 6-3 6-2 victory.

There was no ripping off of the shirt and no victory roar like Rod Laver Arena witnessed last year, but there was no disguising Djokovic’s delight at claiming a fourth title at Melbourne Park.

His three successive titles were a first since Roy Emerson won his fifth straight in 1967, while a quartet of crowns matches Roger Federer and Andre Agassi, the latter being on hand to present him with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup. “What a joy, it’s an incredible feeling to win this trophy again.

This is definitely my favourite grand slam. I love this tournament. I love this court,” said Djokovic, who lost to Murray at Flushing Meadows in September.

“Every tournament, especially the major tournaments, is very special (but) winning it three in a row, it’s incredible.” The similarity of playing style meant the match, although studded with some brilliant rallies, was not the classic that fans have come to expect from grand slam finals in the golden age of men’s tennis.

So little separated the two 25-year-old baseliners, however, that two hours and 51 minutes

of the contest had passed before the first break of serve.

Crucially, it went to Djokovic and 49 minutes later he was celebrating his sixth grand slam title.

For Murray, hampered by a badly blistered toe, distracted at a key moment by a white feather and physically compromised by his four-hour semi-final against Federer, it was a third final defeat in four years in Australia.

The Scot took some solace from the fact that this match was a much tighter affair than his defeats by Federer in 2010 and Djokovic in 2011. “There’s going to be some obvious reasons for me feeling a little bit better,” said Murray, who was hoping to become the first Briton to win the title since Fred Perry in 1934.

“The last few months have been the best tennis of my life. I made the Wimbledon final, won the Olympics, won the US Open.

I was close here as well. It was close. “I know no one’s ever won a slam the immediate one after winning their first one. It’s not the easiest thing to do and I got extremely close.”

Djokovic needed nearly six hours to beat Rafa Nadal in last year’s final and few were betting on a pre-midnight finish after the first two sets yesterday took 133 minutes to get through.

The Serbian’s aggression gave him a slight edge in the first set and he claimed five break points only for Murray to save them all and then scoot through the tiebreak 7-2.

Murray took the momentum into the second set, where he won the first seven points to earn his first three break points but he fluffed his chances and Djokovic saved his serve.

“After that I felt just mentally a little bit lighter and more confident on the court than I’d done in the first hour or so,” said Djokovic. A white feather which drifted down from the birds nesting in the rafters distracted Murray when he was serving during the tiebreak and he double faulted on his way to losing it 7-3.

“At this level it can come down to just a few points here or there,” said Murray. “Probably my biggest chance was at the beginning of the second set, I didn’t quite get it.

“When Novak had his chance at the end of the third, he got his.” Djokovic opened the key third set game with a brilliant winner that just caught the back of the line at the end of a 36shot rally.

He closed it out to go 5-3 ahead when Murray smacked a forehand into the net tape and then won seven of the next nine games to claim the title. “I didn’t expect an easy match,” said Djokovic. “You never get the grand slam trophy in an easy way. You have to earn it.”

There was more success for 25-year-olds earlier in the day when Australians Jarmila Gajdosova and Matthew Ebden clinched the mixed doubles title, beating Czech pair Lucie Hradecka and Frantisek Cermak 6-3 7-5.

The day belonged to Djokovic, however. “I’m just trying to play this game with 100 percent of devotion, love, passion, and fun also,” he said. “I mean, 25 years-old and I won six grand slams and have a lot of trophies. “It’s amazing. I’m just trying to embrace this moment and enjoy it as much as I can and see where tomorrow brings me.” — Reuters

PALAU SANT JORDI: Spanish players raise the trophy after winning the final match of the Handball World Championships between Spain and Denmark at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Spain, yesterday. — AP

Spain crowned world handball champions BARCELONA: Spain won their second world handball championship in grand style after they blew away favourites and European title holders Denmark 35-19 yesterday.

Denmark headed into the showdown as the only unbeaten team in the tournament but looked overawed from start to finish as Spain produced an effervescent performance to repeat their 2005 success.

Wingers Valero Rivera and Victor Tomas led the Spanish effort by scoring 11 goals between them and their Yugoslav-born keeper Arpad Sterbik pulled off a string of stunning saves to thwart his bewildered opponents.

“It was incredible and we could never have imagined a final like this in our wildest dreams but the truth is we weren’t nervous

before the match,” Tomas told the country’s national TVE broadcaster.

“The whole team was really up for just enjoying it and it couldn’t have turned out any better. Everyone came out and performed and we were convinced we could win the match.”

Left back Alberto Entrerrios added: “We played a very good match with a sensational defence.”

Having beaten Spain in the Euro 2012 semis en route to their second European gold medal, the Scandinavians had high hopes of winning their first world title after finishing runners-up in 1967 and more recently 2011, when they were beaten by Olympic champions France in extra time.

But Denmark they had no reply for Spain’s fast-flowing game resulting in a bar-

rage of fast breaks, while they struggled in attack with the tournament’s top scorer Anders Eggert Jensen completely subdued.

Spain patiently built an 18-10 halftime lead and any hopes of a Danish comeback evaporated in the cauldron of Palau San Jordi after the home team scored eight unanswered goals in as many minutes after the break to delight their vociferous 13,000 fans.

With the lead swelling to 17 goals in the closing stages, Spain’s bench turned to the crowd and danced joyfully well before the final whistle as Denmark coach Urlik Wilbek motionlessly watched his team’s collapse.

Croatia won the bronze medal on Saturday, their third in a row after they also finished on the podium in Euro 2012 and the London Olympics. —Reuters

GCC states rush to develop new power, water projects Page 22

Business

India faces rates cut for first time in 9 months Page 23

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

Kuwait Energy consortium signs contract with Iraq

KSE witnesses mixed performance Page 25

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MANILA: A homeless child stands on one of the trusses of the Quezon Bridge in Manila yesterday. Philippine President Benigno Aquino on December 19, 2012 signed into law a 2.005 trillion-peso ($49 billion) budget for 2013, vowing to use higher taxes on tobacco and alcohol to boost programs to reduce poverty, education, health, agriculture and a cash-transfer scheme for the poor are the key priorities of the appropriations, which are 10.5 percent higher than the 2012 national budget. —AFP

Japan policy sparks ‘currency war’ fears BOJ’s new inflation target unnerves Davos leaders DAVOS: Japan’s controversial new economic policy emerged as one of the hot topics at this year’s Davos forum, with talk of currency wars and strong rebuttals from Japanese officials.

The new government in Tokyo, led by Shinzo Abe, has pushed the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to step up efforts to battle nearly two decades of deflation and sluggish growth in the world’s third-largest economy.

The BOJ on Tuesday unveiled a new inflation target of two percent and a massive program of asset purchases to pump money into the economy, sparking accusations it had bowed to political pressure and compromised central bank independence.

The new government 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-neighbor approach.

No less an authority than German Chancellor Angela Merkel got the ball rolling in Davos when she complained-in typically under-stated fashion-that she was “not without some concern about Japan right now.”

She also appeared to warn Tokyo that its actions were not going unnoticed on the world stage, saying there was an increasing awareness of what she called “political influences or manipulations of the exchange rate.”

This sparked a furious reaction in Tokyo with Finance Minister Taro Aso telling reporters that such accusations were “completely off the mark.”

In an unusual ministerial comment on foreign exchange rates, French Finance Minister

LatAm, Europe back free trade SANTIAGO: European and Latin American leaders pledged here Saturday to shun protectionism and boost their strategic partnership to foster free trade. Some 60 countries are represented at the summit between the 27-member European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or CELAC. Set up in Caracas in December 2011 at the behest of Venezuela, CELAC groups all nations from across the Americas except the United States and Canada and aims to boost regional trade and integration.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, the twoday summit’s host, opened the session with a call for a new “strategic alliance to achieve sustainable development.” And indeed participants unanimously adopted a summit statement extolling their “strategic partnership to achieve sustainable development.” They also reiterated their commitment “to avoid protectionism in all its forms” and to “favor an open and non-discriminatory, ruled-based multilateral trade system.”

“We firmly reject all coercive measures of unilateral character with extra-territorial effect that are contrary to international law and the commonly accepted rules of free trade,” the statement said.

The leaders also pledged to continue working together “toward a new international financial architecture.”

And they backed concrete actions to bolster law enforcement cooperation “to dismantle criminal organizations, all within the full respect of human rights and international law.” There was also support for the convening of a special UN General Assembly session on the global drug problem.

The leaders also gave a nod to “the universality and indivisibility of human rights as laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” It was the seventh summit between the two blocs but the first since the creation of CELAC. The two sides agreed to hold the next EU-CELAC summit in Brussels in 2015. The EU is the biggest outside investor in Latin America,

accounting for three percent of direct foreign investment in CELAC or $385 billion in 2010.

EU officials noted that the figure exceeds the combined investment in China, Russia and India.

“We need a strong political commitment to rein in protectionism and promote liberalization,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told a meeting of business chiefs leaders shortly before the political summit’s opening. Powerful German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whom the Chilean press has dubbed “Europe’s boss,” called for “cooperation without barriers to trade.” “The dynamic development of this entire region shows that we, within the EU, must strive to ensure we are not left behind, to improve our competitiveness, reduce our debt. We cannot live on the backs of future generations,” she added. The Europeans are particularly keen on securing the speedy conclusion of a free trade pact between the EU and the South American trading bloc Mercosur.

Negotiations have so far stumbled over differences on agriculture-notably Europe’s subsidies to its farmers, which undermine Latin America’s efforts to sell its own products.

Argentine President Cristina Kirchner, who has taken some protectionist measures, said that the EU-Mercosur negotiations, launched in 2004, must restart on a “new basis” that can clear the way for a deal. “The negotiations with the EU cannot be based on decisions made in 2004. We need new premises, first among all Mercosur members, not just between Brazil and Argentina,” she said after a bilateral session with Rousseff.

Kirchner suggested establishing an ad hoc Mercosur panel to come up with new proposals and make a new offer to the EU later this year. Meanwhile, a Venezuelan minister said here that President Hugo Chavez has beaten a severe respiratory infection that occurred after his latest cancer surgery in Cuba. —AFP

Pierre Moscovici also told a panel at the Swiss ski resort that the level of the euro “is high and it creates some problems.” But Japanese officials hit back, arguing that some intervention was required to reverse years of an overly strong yen harming the economy. Japan’s minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy, Akira Amari, travelled to Davos to insist that the BOJ had “voluntarily” decided to introduce the new target. He also stressed “it was up to the markets” to set the appropriate exchange rate.

One leading Japanese businessman complained: “The yen appreciated by 40 percent against the dollar and 50 percent against the Korean won. How can we compete under such circumstances? Some macro-economic management is key.” Carlos Ghosn, one of the world’s richest people and boss of Japanese

automaker Nissan, said it was important “to eliminate the obstacles that the strength of the yen gives to the economy.” “It is an attempt just to bring the level to a normal price, it is good for Nissan,” he said. Treading a fine lineBut an independent arbiter, the head of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), said Japan was treading a “fine line” between defending its currency and putting trading partners at a disadvantage. “The only question is where do you draw the line between what is genuine self-defense and then something that would be a beggarthy-neighbor policy? This is a thin line and it’s a difficult line to walk,” said Angel Gurria.

While fears that such a powerful country as Japan was intervening to control its exchange rate exercised the minds of some Davos partici-

Dubai may ease curbs on foreign investors DUBAI: Dubai, seeking to attract more investment, may let citizens from five other Gulf Arab countries establish businesses along with foreign partners but without having to include domestic investors, the government said.

The Department of Economic Development has formed a committee to study applications from nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council and will evaluate them based on how valuable the projects are to Dubai’s economy, the department said in a statement seen yesterday.

Currently foreign investors in Dubai and the larger UAE can hold only minority stakes in companies and must have a local partner, except for so-called “free zones” where 100 percent foreign ownership is allowed. Relaxing this restriction could be an important economic reform for Dubai, giving foreign investors more flexibility to find partners from the GCC’s six nations instead of having to choose from a small pool of qualified UAE citizens.

The GCC, comprising the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, is a loose political and economic association of Gulf Arab oil exporters. Dubai, recovering from a 2008-2010 corporate debt crisis and property market collapse, is eager to lure more foreign capital. In one initiative announced early this month, the emirate said it would revise regulations to become a regional centre for Islamic finance and other Islamic businesses.

Government officials could not be reached on Sunday to comment on the statement, and it was not clear how actively the new policy would be applied, or whether it might conflict with the UAE’s national regulations. The UAE’s central government has for years been working on legislation that would in some cases let the cabinet approve 100 percent foreign ownership in firms outside free zones.

But Economy Minister Sultan bin Saeed Al-Mansouri told Reuters this month that the draft law still needed to be debated by the Federal National Council, an advisory panel, and the cabinet.

Foreign direct investment projects totalling $4.5 billion in capital spending were announced in Dubai during the first half of last year, up 7 percent from a year earlier, according to official data. —Reuters

pants, others warned it was an overblown fear.

Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of Canada, stressed that the group of seven top industrial countries had vowed to refrain from interfering in exchange rate policy “for the benefit of the global economy.” Jin Liqun, chairman of the China Investment Corporation, told a Davos panel: “Don’t believe this myth about a currency war. I think there would be no winners in a currency war.”

But another analyst, Nariman Behravesh, chief economist of think-tank IHS, told AFP that such policies could lead to what he termed an “epidemic of competitive devaluations” with potentially devastating consequences. “This is a dangerous scenario, which was played out at a huge cost to the global economy in the 1930s,” judged Behravesh. —AFP

Bluechips lift Dubai to 33-month high MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Dubai’s heavyweight banking and property stocks lifted the emirate’s index to a fresh 33-month high above a long-term resistance level yesterday, while other regional markets were mixed.

Dubai’s index rose 1.5 percent to 1,819 points, its highest finish since April 2010.

Emaar Properties climbed 3.6 percent and top lender Emirates NBD rose 1.5 percent.

Dubai Financial Market, the Gulf’s only listed bourse, added 2.4 percent, accounting for nearly a quarter of all shares traded on the index. Hopes for strong fourth-quarter earnings, dividend payouts and an improving outlook for equities in 2013 have buoyed investor sentiment.

“UAE markets are making a real turnaround,” said Musa Haddad, head of investment advisory services at National Bank of Abu Dhabi. “The economy is growing faster than others, new projects are coming in and confidence is back in the debt market.”

The Dubai index closed above major chart resistance at 1,778 points - the 2012 high hit in March last year - and the October 2010 peak of 1,793 points. For a break-out, it would need to close above these levels for at least two successive sessions, with a technical target above 2,200 points looming in coming months.

“Volumes are picking up and any dip at this time is a good buying opportunity,” Haddad added. “We see more potential in

prices for 2013 - valuations are still low because we’re coming off a low base.”

Abu Dhabi’s benchmark gained 0.6 percent to its highest level since February 2011.

National Bank of Abu Dhabi climbed 0.9 percent. Analysts polled by Reuters on average expect the bank’s fourthquarter net profit to rise 21.1 percent. In Egypt, the bourse recovered from a threeweek intraday low to end near-flat as international investors absorbed selling pressure from their local and regional counterparts after violence in Port Said.

Egyptians rampaged in protest at the sentencing of 21 people to death over a soccer stadium disaster last year, violence that compounds a political crisis facing President Mohamed Mursi.

Non-Arab foreigners were net buyers against selling pressure from Egyptians and other Arab investors, according to bourse data. Cairo’s index ended 0.02 percent lower, trimming 2013 gains to 4.1 percent. Most stocks slipped, with 19 down and nine up. Orascom Telecom rose 1.2 percent, while Talaat Moustafa dropped 1.9 percent.

In Qatar, the measure slipped 0.6 percent, easing from Thursday’s two-week high. Qatar National Bank shed 1.5 percent. Masraf Al Rayan and Commercial Bank of Qatar each fell 1.6 percent.

Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia’s measure ended little changed, easing 0.02 percent. —Reuters

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

BUSINESS MEED Survey

GCC states rush to develop new power, water projects Kuwait No 2 in GCC in power, water projects at 68 KUWAIT: Rising oil and gas prices combined with increasing domestic power requirements are prompting governments across the GCC to increase investments in the power and water sector, as well as secure alternative sources of energy.

Installed generating capacity in the GCC is forecasted to reach 170,000MW by 2019, according to the latest data from MEED Insight. The cost of the new build requirement alone will be an estimated $66 billion, with at least the same amount needed to be invested in T&D infrastructure in the next six years.

Confronted with such a massive demand, governments across the GCC are now pouring money into power and water projects with investments reaching

$25 billion last year.

In 2012, Saudi Arabia led the GCC with a total of 148 projects in the power and water sector, investing more than $8 billion; Kuwait followed with 68, valued at close $3 billion. The United Arab Emirates is next with 62 projects, worth a little more than $3 billion; while Oman has 49 projects worth $1.2 billion. Qatar boasts 35 projects worth $1.8 billion; and although Bahrain has only 15 projects, the total value of investment is estimated at $7.3 billion.

“As increased investments in the power and water sector create new opportunities for contractors and project developers, the more we need to ensure that the projects being developed adhere to the

2011 and December 2012 are eligible to compete in the awards program.

Submissions for the 2013 awards program are now being sought in the following categories: Mashreq Oil & Gas Project of the Year, Industrial Project of the Year, Power and Water Desalination Project of the Year, Water Reuse Project of the Year, Leisure and Tourism Project of the Year, Transport Project of the Year, Social Project of the Year, Building Project of the Year, Sustainable Project of the Year and Small Project of the Year.

The deadline for submission of projects is January 31, 2013. Winners will be announced in ceremonies to be held on May 14, 2013 at the Jumeirah Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi.

highest standards of excellence, especially because they play a role in the progress of the GCC as a whole. The awards program was established to recognize completed projects, and since its establishment has been a benchmark for project excellence,” said Becky Crayman, Head of Awards, MEED Events.

Now in its third year, the MEED Quality Awards for Projects, in association with Ernst & Young has become the industry benchmark for projects excellence. It is judged by an independent judging panel consisting of respected key representatives from the projects industry who will determine the winners at the national and regional level of the competition.

Completed projects between January

Cyprus: German ‘envy’ undermining bailout

LONDON: A selection of Starbucks chocolate “gold coins” displayed at a branch of the international coffee chain in central London. Starbucks has threatened to suspend millions of pounds of investment in Britain over what it sees as unfair targeting by Prime Minister David Cameron over its tax affairs, according to the Sunday Telegraph as reported yesterday. —AFP

ENOC replaces Iran oil with Qatari supplies DUBAI: Emirates National Oil Co (ENOC) has started importing condensate from Qatar to replace sanctioned Iranian oil and is close to finalizing deals with other producers, the Dubai government-owned company said yesterday. ENOC was the biggest buyer of Iranian condensate in 2012 when its imports rose to an average of 127,000 bpd, up from 106,000 bpd in 2011, despite US pressure to stop the trade. US officials have for months been leaning on ENOC to find alternative sources for a refinery which provides the city’s 2 million mainly expatriate residents with cheap fuel.

ENOC, which needs to import oil because Dubai’s crude production is too meager to satisfy thousands of gas-guzzling vehicles’ fuel thirst, has now begun importing the light oil from nearby US ally Qatar and is scouring the globe for more. “ENOC has already started importing condensates from Qatar to meet the current local market demand,” ENOC said in a statement.

“With oil price volatility continuing to have a bearing on financial bottom lines, along with increased demand for petroleum products and the shortage of imported condensates from Iran because of the applied economic sanctions, we are evaluating various sources for condensate for our refinery.” ENOC said it was currently finalizing contracts with other leading condensate producers in the region to meet its fuel needs over the next few years. —Reuters

NICOSIA: Cypriot officials are hitting back at Germany with charges that German domestic politics and “envy” over the island’s role as a financial hub are damaging efforts to seal an EU bailout before the euro-zone nation sinks into bankruptcy.

German politicians have criticized plans to bail out Cyprus, saying its banks are havens for tax evaders and money launderers.

Cyprus’s request for EU financial aid for its debt-ridden economy has been undermined by damaging allegations it is a laundromat for dirty Russian money as international lenders call for greater transparency. “The issue is a political one because of the German elections,” a government source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Cyprus sought out aid last June. But suspicions over banking sector transparency and Nicosia’s reluctance to push through tougher reforms such as privatization have delayed the urgently needed bailout, leaving the country on the brink of bankruptcy.

“We are making sure we comply with all recommendations of the International Monetary Fund and the Eurogroup to ensure these allegations go away,” said the government source, referring to money-laundering charges.

“Another reason is that countries would like to have a piece of our pie as a financial centre,” the source added.

Former finance minister Michalis Sarris said the money laundering issue keeps resurfacing because it is a “sexy topic” that sells in the German media and the election campaign in that country.

“Cyprus has to be above suspicion and do more than is necessary to demonstrate it is a reputable financial centre,” Sarris told AFP. He said under a

draft bailout agreement, international lenders called for more transparency and a timely exchange of data when other countries request tax information.

“The government should ask for specifics and take the necessary measures required.”

Nicosia is now on the counteroffensive on the issue of financial crime. “It is obvious that behind the attacks against Cyprus there are vested interests. Those who attack Cyprus want to take its role as a serious, international, financial and investment centre,” government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou told reporters on Thursday.

He said Cyprus was the fourth largest investor in Russia and the second biggest in Ukraine. Fed up with negative reports alleging Cyprus to be a haven for the ill-gotten gains of Russian oligarchs, the Cypriot parliament is launching a campaign to defend the island’s “clean” reputation on the European stage.

And the government says it welcomes closer scrutiny of its financial sector. “We are doing everything within our power for the implementation of all international recommendations.

We disagree with allegations that there is non-implementation of laws and regulations,” said central bank official Michalis Stylianou.

Cyprus had received “very good assessments” on money laundering compliance from the Council of Europe’s MONEYVAL experts. “Cyprus compares very favourably with other member states of the European Union,” said Stylianou.

Eurogroup finance ministers made no decision on a rescue package for Cyprus at a meeting in Brussels on Monday because negotiations on

bank recapitalization are continuing.

They said a decision would most probably be taken in March. On March 1, a new Cyprus government will be sworn in following February presidential elections in which communist incumbent Demetris Christofias will not stand.

Christofias is seen as an obstacle to agreeing more reforms-such as privatizing state-owned utilities-that the EU and International Monetary Fund have been insisting upon.

Outgoing Eurogroup president Jean Claude Juncker said this period will also provide time for “close monitoring of the anti-money laundering” framework and its implementation.

Cyprus says it has adopted more international standards and recommendations than many of its fellow euro-zone colleagues. A Deutsche Bank report on the Cyprus debt crisis issued last week said there was an “excessive focus” on money laundering. “It is rather Cyprus’s status as an offshore tax haven with a relatively opaque banking sector heavily used by foreign depositors that is under scrutiny,” said the report, referring to non-resident deposits of 24 billion euros, or $32 billion, much of it from Russia. Nicosia called for a bailout in June when its banks, hit by the EUimposed writedown on Greek debt, needed financial assistance. In a draft agreement with the EU and IMF, the amount for the banks was set at up to 10 billion euros as part of a total package which could reach 17.5 billion euros-matching the output of the island’s entire economy.

Although Cyprus has pushed through harsh austerity measures of around 1.2 billion euros in tax hikes and savings, fellow EU partners have called for more reforms. —AFP

US stock markets lead global rally

By Hayder Tawfik KUWAIT: Stock markets around the world have been going up since the start of the year lead by US stock markets indices. Over 70% of US corporate that reported results for the 4th quarter of last year have beaten the estimates and this has set a good trend for the rest of results. But can this be the reason why global stock markets are going up! We have talked in the past about the aggressive measures taken by the Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke through the quantitative easing and literally printing unlimited amount of US dollar. I think this is one of the reasons and it is a very important reason. The effect of his measures has been seen in the recovery of the US housing market and falling unemployment. Some other central banks around the world have taken similar measures but to less effect. I think they will have to do lots more and investors are getting the message in advance.

I think central banks around the world are encouraging investors to start taking risk on board. It is not something they talk about but the measures they have been taking are encouraging investors to take risk again. Short-term interest rates are near zero with long term rates around 2% with inflation under control and too much supply of cheap money, I wonder if there is any choice left to investors apart from taking risk and piling into equities. My biggest concern is the risk of a selloff in the bond market that might scare investors off again. However, a selloff in the bond market might be a signal that economic recovery is accelerating which can only be very good news for corporate earnings.

International equity investors should remember that the S&P 500 peaked around the 1500 twice before. First time was way back in March 2000 at the time of the technology and telecom boom and then back in 2007 at the time of the sub-prime boom and now we are at 1500 level again. I think both previous peaks were justified at the time as GDP growth was much stronger and unemployment was nearly half what it is now. Today with the big recession ended in June 2009, we are far from reaching the growth expansion and the low unemployment that we have experienced in the past decades. The euro-zone has not even started and luckily Japan has decided to target stronger economic growth and higher inflation.

Does the valuation supports any further rally in the markets?

Earnings are way down from the previous peaks of the S&P 500. An estimate of earnings growth of this year is just around the 3% which I think is very conservative and a potential upward revision is very much a possibility. I think economist and equity analysts have become very much conservative in their estimates and this is something always happens. They go overboard in good times and they become very pessimistic in bad times. It is between those two swings which investors could make a fortune. Now we are back to those swings. I personally think US economic growth will accelerate from the second half of this year and the rest of the world will follow and that is why the markets rallying now. I think the recent rallies in stocks are purely based on valuation rather than earnings. If earning comes on the upside then it is an added bonus. Equity valuations are much cheaper now than in 2000 and 2007 and that is one of the fundamental reason for the recent rallies.

Stock markets are the barometers of the health of the economy and they are the most leading of all leading economic indicators and to start the year in a very much positive and healthy momentum can only bode well for the coming years. It is now up to politicians to grab this unique opportunity to come up with credible measures to stimulate economic growth.

— Hayder Tawfik - Executive Vice President of Asset Management, at Dimah Capital

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 297.600 750.220 3.990 285.100 554.000 46.000 51.300 167.800 43.400 383.800 37.080 5.420 0.032 0.161 0.245

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

3.200 399.770 0.191 95.450 46.200 4.340 240.000 1.827 52.200 732.760 3.000 7.300 78.030 75.320 230.120 33.780 2.687 449.400 44.200 308.000 3.400 9.800 198.263 76.910 282.500 1.360 GOLD

10 Tola 1,797.570

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 447.400 282.100

Al Mulla Exchange

SELLDRAFT 296.100 750.220 3.544 283.600

230.100 42.454 382.300 36.930 5.247 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

399.730 0.190 95.450 3.300 238.500

732.580 2.888 6.951 77.600 75.320 230.120 33.780 2.217 447.400 306.500 3.400 9.640 76.810 282.100

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

BUSINESS

Telecom industry price wars Short-term gains, long-term damage Booz & Company report DUBAI: The thriving market for mobile services is intensely competitive.

Operators are constantly offering new promotions, enticements, and other marketing “hooks” to attract new customers and capture share from competitors. As the major differences between the various products and services available on the market decrease, operators inevitably start to reduce their prices. This is precisely how a price war begins. While these wars can initially alleviate the pressure on targets and quotas, management consulting firm Booz & Company has found that, ultimately, they leave both the aggressor operator and the market considerably worse off. Operators should therefore try- relentlessly -to prevent a price war. However, if this proves to be ineffective, Booz & Company offers four crucial steps to winning the battle.

From the outside, price wars appear to offer positive results. The ramifications, however, run much deeper. “Price wars promise much at the outset, but yield little in the end: at first, gross additions strongly jump as customers shift to another operator. Soon after, the ‘winner’s’ network capacity is tested as traffic rises and the quality level decreases. In consequence, ‘losers’ have to redouble media expenditure and offer incentives to lure their customers back. This, in turn, forces the ‘winner’ to follow suit and spend more to survive,” said David Tusa, a Partner with Booz & Company.

Booz & Company’s study of six developed and emerging markets during price wars - spanning Asia, the Middle East, and Europe - demonstrates that the net effect is a substantial loss in market value. “The example of the Middle Eastern

market tells an eloquent story: the market before the price war should have reached 79 percent of potential value. However, the price war depressed value to 74 percent,” explained Abhijit Navalekar, a Principal with Booz & Company.

aggression and seeks to limit the damage and picks the terrain for conflict. l Messages and tools: Surgical Strike has a narrow audience and its messaging is highly targeted and focused on value.

In effect, the operator joins the price war,

scale of engagement while ratcheting up the level of intensity. l Messages and tools: Its messages are focused, enduring and most effective when applied to a segment that is not overly price-sensitive.

“The operator sets out to acquire a structural cost advantage that can be leveraged into a superior, sustained price position.” With the New War-Fighting Machine approach, the operator develops a new capability set and a clear competitive advantage based on three structural elements: 1. Organizational restructuring: This includes functional consolidation and outsourcing to create synergies and cost benefits prior to outsourcing on a larger scale.

2. Process reengineering: This comprises the design of back-end processes, simplification of customer processes as well as delaying customer segments and simplifying product offerings and propositions.

3. Rigorous operating expenditure reduction: This involves efforts to lower operating costs across multiple dimensions.

David Tusa

Abhijit Navalekar

but controls its impact. l Capabilities: Precision targeting and effective delivery of marketing messages are the key capabilities. l Target outcomes: This play increases value extracted from a specific market segment, resulting in enhanced customer loyalty. l Value implications: The Surgical Strike is mainly used in developed countries.

l Capabilities: Capture and Keep the Hill requires disciplined management capabilities to support the obstacles that will interfere along the way. l Target outcomes: This plan can apply to all markets. l Value implications: With this technique, players can gain market share of value in specific sections -even though their total market share may suffer.

Value Implications A radically lean cost structure results in improved margins and provides operators with the mobility and flexibility to make calculated pricing choices that influence the structure of the market.

To conclude, price wars are valuedestructive; yet, they are also controllable, and sometimes even avoidable.

Operators must respond with any or all of the three tactical price plays, which -if executed properly - will see them through the war and can even curtail the length of the conflict. In actuality, however, the best option remains that of the structurally-advantaged reformulation of an operator’s business model by means of a drastic change in its cost structure.

Tactical responses So, how should today’s marketing directors and their CEOs react when a price war threatens? To answer this question, Booz & Company presents four tactical “plays” and one “no-go area,” - which together offer marketing directors the ability to “avoid if you can, win if you can’t”.

Play 1: Sword Waving This method is a pre-aggression deterrent that postpones conflict by signaling the intent to win without engaging. In this strategy, non-aggressor operators use credible threats to draw attention away from an imminent war. l Messages and tools: Sword Waving looks at the whole market and its messages can highlight the value delivered in service propositions in order to distract from the instigator’s price offers. l Capabilities: The key capability is to understand how actions in response to imminent aggression will affect market segments. l Target outcomes: The best outcome from a non-aggressor’s standpoint is that the attacker retreats. l Value implications: The Sword Waving approach comes more naturally to established players as they are not likely to jeopardize their reputations for a short-lived pricing advantage.

Play 2: Surgical strike A Surgical Strike responds to another’s

Play 3: Capture and Keep the Hill The third play involves joining the price war with an aggressive counterattack. Capture and Keep the Hill limits the

A new war-fighting machine The fourth play is fundamentally different. “The aim is to become a new warfighting machine thanks to a radicallyimproved cost structure,” said Navalekar.

India faces rates cut for first time in 9 months Sequel to reform program, benign inflation

TEHRAN: Iranian employees of Iranian Entekhab industrial group hold slogans which reads in Farsi “Lying, till when?” during a demonstration in front of the South Korean embassy in Tehran yesterday, after the South Korean company Daewoo Electronics canceled an acquisition contract with Entekhab group which was signed in 2010, due to economic sanctions imposed on Iran. — AFP

Italy CB approves Monte Paschi bailout request ROME/MILAN: Italy’s central bank gave its approval to a request by scandal hit bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena for 3.9 billion euros ($5.3 billion) of state loans, the latest step in the battle to revive the ailing bank.

The Bank of Italy’s backing was the final stage required to free up the financial help for Italy’s third biggest lender, which this week revealed loss-making derivatives trades that could cost it about 720 million euros. After a meeting that lasted most of Saturday, the central bank issued a brief statement to say its board had given “a favorable opinion” on the bailout. It gave no further details.

The scandal surrounding Italy’s oldest bank has hit its share price and prompted 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 Saturday’s meeting the BOI’s four member board, chaired by Governor Ignazio Visco, had to judge whether the bank’s current and future capital adequacy and stability were sufficient to receive the loans. The Tuscan bank 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 loan scheme the bank will 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 help.

The lender ’s new management, appointed last year to turn it around, said on Friday the situation was “completely under control”. The bank will 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 bil-

lion 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 nationalization, 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 nationalization 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 on Friday Visco sought to deflect accusations 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, 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 theCorriere della Sera daily 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 document 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 had detected anomalies at the bank’s finance department responsible for derivative trades three years ago, daily Il Sole 24 Ore said on Saturday.

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

NEW DELHI: India’s central bank is expected to cut interest rates this week for the first time in nine months in response to the government’s recent economic reform spree and slowing inflation, economists say. With inflation at a threeyear low and a flurry of new measures to ease investment rules, now is seen as the right time for the bank to focus on pulling the economy out of its worst growth slump in a decade.

Policymakers are “clearly teed up for rate cuts,” banking on a further easing of inflation in coming quarters, lower government borrowing and more pro-market reforms, HSBC economist Leif Eskesen said. However, those hoping the Reserve Bank of India will announce a big cut following its policy-setting meeting on Tuesday are likely to be disappointed.

The bank “is likely to tread very carefully-given lingering inflation risks,” Eskesen added. Like other economists, he said he expected the bank to limit any rate cut to 25 basis points. The bank’s key repo rate-at which it lends to commercial banks-now stands at 8.0 percent. Any reduction

would be welcomed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s scandal-scarred Congress party government, which is anxious to revive growth before facing voters in general elections due in the first half of next year.

Indian shares have been nosing higher to trade at around two-year highs in the past week on hopes of lower rates. “The market is betting on a rate cut of 25 basis points,” said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Care Ratings.

Countries such as China, South Korea and Brazil have all cut rates to try to shield their economies from the spillover of the euro-zone debt crisis. But India’s central bank-which last cut rates in April after an aggressive multi-year ratehiking spree-has resisted the clamor from business leaders and politicians for lower borrowing costs to spur the economy. Growth fell to 5.3 percent in the July-September quarter-far below the near double-digit pace India set before the onset of the global financial crisis-while industrial output shrank by 0.1 percent in November from a year ago.

UAE bank body hopes mortgage caps will curb speculation DUBAI: The Emirates Banks Association is discussing proposed caps on mortgages with the United Arab Emirates’ central bank, hoping to raise the limits while curbing speculation in the real estate market, the industry body’s chairman said yesterday.

The EBA is awaiting a response from authorities to its proposals to cap mortgage lending on a first property to 75 percent of value for expatriates and 80 percent for UAE nationals, Chairman Abdulaziz Al Ghurair told reporters. The industry body is also proposing that mortgages for second and subsequent home purchases be capped at 60 percent for expatriates and 65 percent for local citizens.

Al Ghurair said the proposals, which also include limiting total lending on a single mortgage to 25 million dirhams ($6.8 million), were part of an overall discussion with the central bank on real estate lending and that final rules should be in place in the second half of 2013.

“It’s the intention of the central bank to ensure the health of the economy, the health of real estate developers and the banking system and from this, the idea came to put some guidelines down for mortgage lending,” said Al Ghurair, who is also chief executive officer of Mashreq.

A central bank circular sent to banks at the end of December said mortgage loans for foreign individuals should not exceed 50 percent of the property value for a first purchase of a home, and 40 percent for second and subsequent homes.

The caps for UAE citizens were set at 70 percent and 60 percent. The EBA has also told the central bank it proposes to limit mortgages extended to property speculators to 50 percent, though the details of this are still being considered.

The health of the mortgage sector will benefit from the introduction of a long-awaited federal credit bureau, and the EBA has asked the Ministry of Finance to expedite approval of this reform, Al Ghurair added.

Real estate prices in the UAE, particularly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, collapsed after the bursting of a bubble in 2008, with prices falling more than 50 percent from their peaks. — Reuters

The bank has also long warned that the leftleaning government needed to curb its spending on deficit-bloating welfare programs before interest rates could be lowered-a demand met partly by recent moves to cut some energy subsidies. Finance Minister P Chidambaram promised a fiscally responsible budget next month while vowing to accelerate reforms during a charm offensive last week in Asia to drum up foreign investment.

“Watch the upcoming budget closely: it will prove we mean business,” he told investors in Hong Kong, according to the Indian website Firstpost. Indian inflation stands at 7.18 percent as it has edged down from double-digit levels in late 2011.

The central bank is expected to resist further efforts to arm-twist it into big rate cuts until it sees definite progress on reducing government borrowing and signs that inflation is clearly headed downward, economists say. The bank “will want to keep Delhi on its toes” to ensure it pursues reforms, said Eskesen. — AFP

Ireland plans to redo bank debt proposal DUBLIN: Ireland will make changes to its proposal to ease the state’s bank debt burden, government ministers said yesterday, adding that failure to reach a deal with the European Central Bank could have catastrophic consequences.

The ECB rejected Ireland’s preferred solution over how to reschedule part of its state-owned bank debt, Reuters reported exclusively on Saturday, citing EU sources familiar with the discussions.

Admitting that some “very difficult” issues remained outstanding, transport minister Leo Varadkar told national broadcaster RTE that changes were needed to what Ireland proposed, although the government has agreement in a lot of areas. He did not specify what those changes might be. “Failure to conclude negotiations on the promissory note would have a potentially catastrophic effect on Ireland,” Deputy Prime Minister Eamonn Gilmore told the EU-Latin America Summit in Chile, which was attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council president Herman van Rompuy. “Time is not on our side... The sacrifices made by the Irish people must not be squandered now.”

Dublin wants to avoid having to pay a politically incendiary 3.1 billion euros ($4.2 billion) a year until 2023 to service a promissory note issued to underwrite failed Anglo Irish Bank and had proposed con-

European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi

verting the note into a long-term government bond. The sources said the ECB’s Governing Council discussed the plan for the first time at a meeting on Wednesday and Thursday and agreed that it amounted to “monetary financing” of the Irish government, banned under article 123 of the EU treaty.

One source said all involved in the talks want to find a solution by the end of March, when the next payment is due. Dublin postponed last year’s 3.1 billion euro cash payment in a complex arrangement, under which it issued a 13-year bond. Varadkar confirmed that Ireland’s proposal was discussed last week and suggested it could be looked at once more when the Governing Council meets again in two weeks’ time.

Government ministers have for months been confident that a deal would be struck.

Last week finance minister Michael Noonan cautioned that outstanding matters could derail the talks but reiterated that agreement was likely.

That confidence continued yesterday. “I believe and am absolutely satisfied that there will be an agreement before March 31,” Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte told RTE. Prime Minister Enda Kenny told Reuters Insider television in an interview on Friday that getting relief on the debt was a crucial part of his country’s path to returning to full market funding this year after its EU-IMF bailout program expires. The International Monetary Fund, which with the European Union came to the country’s aid in November 2010, has also said a deal is essential to ensure Ireland’s smooth return to bond markets when its bailout ends this year.

Ireland, which began its gradual market return last year, has already raised a quarter of the 10 billion euros it aims to borrow this year to fully fund its post-bailout needs in 2014. Yields on Irish 2020 benchmark debt have fallen to 4.1 percent from over 15 percent 18 months ago. The head of the country’s debt agency said last week that markets had “to a greater or lesser extent” priced in a promissory note deal. —Reuters

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

BUSINESS

Poland stumbles as ‘energy revolution’ falters Shale gas industry fails to take off WARSAW: A map of Poland, unevenly colored in shades of yellow, brown, green and purple, like a half-finished jigsaw puzzle, hangs prominently on the walls of the country’s ministries, state agencies and corporations. Official visitors are cordially invited to take a closer look.

The label in the upper right-hand corner of this new map reads, “Map of Concessions for Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production.”

Poland, which last century was the target of

foreign armies shaping the region’s political history, today is being divided up by a hydrocarbon fever that the Polish government has energetically encouraged. Hoping to reproduce the recent “energy revolution” brought about in the United States by the advent of fracking and other drilling technologies, the Polish government has spearheaded shale gas exploration in Europe in the hopes that one day it will have its own dynamic natural gas industry.

“Shale gas exploration and extraction is a priority for our government, and that’s the reason we’ve decided to focus the investment energy of many companies,” says Mikolaj Budzanowski, Poland’s treasury minister, supervising the country’s state-owned oil and gas enterprises.

So far, 111 exploration concessions have been awarded to about 30 companies, both state-owned and international, on a territory of more than 35,000 square miles — nearly a third

of the country. Despite the enormous infusion of capital and promises that production could start as early as 2015, however, Poland’s gas industry has yet to take off.

Hampered by difficult geology, a paltry service sector, a lack of adequate infrastructure, as well as an uncertain regulatory and tax environment, there have been few exploratory wells drilled.

That, in turn, has delayed assessment of the actual size of reserves and left in doubt whether the industry could ever be commercially viable. In 2011, the US Energy Information Administration published an enormous figure — 5.3 trillion cubic meters of gas — in estimating the natural gas reserves in Poland, which generated the initial burst of political and investment enthusiasm. Then in 2012, the Polish

70 percent option in three concessions in northern Poland, although it retains three more. It has been reported that Canadabased Talisman Energy also has started talks to sell off its Polish exploration licenses.

Meanwhile, with market uncertainty growing, the share price of small independent companies engaged in unconventional gas exploration in Poland has plummeted precipitously, which has forced them to nearly halt operations.

A major challenge has been the price of wells, and drilling services in particular.

Although Poland is one of the oldest oil and gas producers in the world — its first oilfield dates back to 1853 — it never managed to develop a competitive market for services. Unlike in the United States, its

Gas line construction crosses pastures on its way to the MarkWest Energy gas processing plant under construction west of Cadiz in Harrison County, Ohio. — MCT Geological Institute together with the US Geological Survey, using stricter methodology, decreased those figures by a factor of 10.

“You can say that the basin in Poland has historical data that is on the edge of being good or bad. Depending on how strict you are, you can make it easily negative or expand it easily to a bigger number,” says Pawel Poprawa, one of the first Polish geologists to start working on the shale gas issue, as far back as 2005, and a co-author of the Polish Geological Institute report.

According to Poprawa and many other experts in the field, the only way to arrive at a more realistic estimate of Poland’s gas potential is to do exploratory drillings, lots of them. All other reports are simply “first guess.”

“We’re very optimistic and we think there’s real potential here in Poland, although we have to drill a lot more wells before we feel confident for development,” says John Buggenhagen, exploration manager of London-based San Leon Energy, which bills itself as Europe’s largest shale gas company by acreage and holds the second largest number of concessions in Poland after the government.

“One of the things we do in North America that isn’t done anywhere else in the world is that we drill, drill, drill, drill, drill,” he said. “And the way to find hydrocarbons is to drill.”

But it is exactly the sheer scale of drilling required that may prove impossible for Poland. Unlike conventional gas, shale gas development needs a much larger number of wells, a substantial part of which will contribute almost no production. Only a few of them, rich in natural gas liquids or tapping the so-called “sweet spots,” could prove commercially viable, and the decline of production could be rapid, up to 75 percent in the first year, according to the International Energy Agency.

Studies have offered various growth scenarios, but all of them agree that if Poland’s shale gas industry is to have a real economic impact, a substantial number of wells would be necessary.

The Kosciuszko Institute, a leading Polish think tank, assumes that Poland would drill an average of 500 wells per year to create 155,000 jobs over a period of 10 years. The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies has calculated 700 to 1,000 drillings per year. That’s wildly more than Poland has drilled. Over a period of three years, only 33 test wells were drilled, with 10 of those hydraulically fractured, out of which just two were horizontally drilled and fracked — the definitive procedure for assessing potential.

Government officials recognize the challenge. “Whoever was thinking of a direct parallel to the American gas boom is, of course, wrong,” said Piotr Wozniak, Poland’s chief national geologist and the undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Environment, which is responsible for giving out concessions.

“It would be absolutely different. It would develop differently, at a different pace, and the results would be different.”

Results have not been encouraging.

Exxon Mobil withdrew from Poland in 2012, saying its wells had failed to demonstrate “sustained commercial hydrocarbon flow rates,” while ConocoPhillips relinquished its

industry has been dominated by the state monopolist PGNiG and its daughter companies, distorting the economics of the market.

According to European Union statistics, Poland has just 11 drilling rigs available (there are 70 in the whole of Europe), compared to about 2,000 in the United States — a huge impediment to any future largescale operations.

In addition, Polish shale gas has proved to be on average 1.5 times deeper — some deposits are more than two miles underground — than most formations in America, ramping up costs. All in all, the average price of an exploratory well in Poland, horizontally drilled and hydraulically fractured, comes to about $15 million, compared with just $4 million in the Barnett Shale in Texas.

Even with higher gas prices in Europe, those numbers make the commercial viability questionable. Industry representatives contend that only economies of scale — much more drilling — will bring costs down. Yet that won’t happen without definite proof of available reserves, while available reserves can’t be proved without more drilling — a vicious circle.

“Definitely hopes and expectations a year ago were much higher than today,” says Cezary Filipowicz, a former vice president at PKN Orlen, the biggest oil refiner in Poland, and currently the business development manager of United Oilfield Services, a new service company that has raised $150 million for state-of-the-art equipment, including seismic trucks, a fracturing fleet, and one drilling rig.

“I’m not sure what will happen next year and how many wells will be drilled,” Filipowicz said. “If there are again a dozen or so and we use 10 percent of our capacity, it doesn’t make sense in the long term.

Nobody would risk investment in equipment without a market for services.”

Tomasz Chmal, an energy analyst with the Sobieski Institute, a Polish think tank, urges patience. “It’s too early to judge. Let the business people decide, not politicians,” he said. “The price of the technology is going down. It may not be economic this year or next year, but it might be economic in the years to come.” That possibility faces another hurdle: The government has made plans to introduce a new hydrocarbon law that would give the state a minority stake in each concession and would, reportedly, raise taxes to around 40 percent of gross profits.

The idea, according to Wozniak, the country’s chief geologist, is to have legislation comparable to that in Nor way, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Private operators contend that any comparisons to Norway and Denmark, major producers of conventional gas, are unwarranted, as shale gas resources in Poland are still a matter of speculation, and investment is much riskier.

“We haven’t even proved if there’s a commercial hydrocarbon industry beyond what has already been found and the government is already talking about that they’re the North Sea and they’re going to have all this production and they’re going to raise taxes,” says Buggenhagen of San Leon Energy. “People are just going to leave.” — MCT

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

BUSINESS

KSE witnesses mixed performance BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Two of Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) indices ended last week in the green zone. The price index ended last week with an increase amounted to 1.03%, while the weighted index improved by 0.35% compared to the closings of the week before, whereas KSX-15 Index decreased by 0.02%. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover increased by 5.79%, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD35 million, whereas trading volume average was 421.38 million shares, recording decline of 3.05%.

In addition, the market performance was influenced by the traders’ preferences during the week’s sessions, as some small-cap stocks witnessed noticeable purchasing activities, and positive speculations, which enabled the Price Index to continue its increase. However, some large-cap stocks witnessed quick profit collection operations, and as a result, KSX-15 recorded limited loss, and Weighted Index gains were restrained.

Moreover, the market is still witnessing a trading cautious state, despite its positive performance during this period, due to the traders’ watch to the listed companies’ 2012 financial results, which few were announced during the preceding week.

By the end of the week, the price index closed at 6,202.65 points, up by 1.03% from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 0.35% weekly gain after closing at 432.67 points.

Moreover, the KSX-15 index closed at 1,045.97 points, decreasing with 0.02%.

ing at 985.73 points, followed by the Telecommunications sector, as its index closed at 932.63 points at a loss of 1.46%.

Sectors’ indices Six of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, while the other Six recorded declines. Last week’s highest gainer was the Oil &

Gas sector, achieving 6.43% growth rate as its index closed at 1,048.76 points. Whereas, in the second place, the Real Estate sector’s index closed at 1,045.06 points recording 2.32%

increase. The Technology sector came in third as its index achieved 2.06% growth, ending the week at 863.05 points. On the other hand, the Consumer Goods sector headed

the losers list as its index declined by 1.91% to end the week’s activity at 937.11 points. The Basic Materials sector was second on the losers’ list, which index declined by 1.47%, clos-

Sectors’ Activity The Financial Services sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 690.72 million shares changing hands, representing 40.98% of the total market trading volume. The Real Estate sector was second in terms of trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 29.41% of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 495.64 million shares.

On the other hand, the Financial Services sector’s stocks were the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD42.38 million or 30.27% of last week’s total market trading value. The Real Estate sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD 34.64 million represented 24.74% of the total market trading value.

—Prepared by the Studies & Research Department, Bayan Investment Co

Weekly commodity update

Oil edges higher, gold slides

By Ole Hansen

S

entiment towards riskier assets remains at elevated levels, having been driven by expectations that

the global economy has turned the corner. This continues to support commodities, with the energy sector led by crude oil showing a particularly strong return so far in January. Improved economic data from Europe’s powerhouse - Germany; additional quantitative easing measures in Japan; a postponement of the US fiscal debt ceiling negotiations and a weaker US dollar has all played their part.

Most of the positive action, however, has been seen across other assets, especially stock markets, where the MSCI World equity index of leading companies has reached its highest level since July 2008. The positive momentum witnessed in commodities especially during the last couple of weeks has so far only managed

to pull the energy-heavy S&P GSCI commodity index up to a three month-high and a 2.7 percent return so far this January compared with 5.2 percent on the above mentioned MSCI World index.

As evidenced by the chart below, gains have been seen across the major commodity sectors with the only spot of weakness being livestock, a sub component of agriculture. The difference in performance between the two indices comes down to differences in exposure to specific commodities within the different sectors.

Soft commodities Soft commodities take the top and bottom places in this week’s performance table. The top performer is cotton which has seen the longest rally in two years on expectations that some cotton farmers in the US, the world’s largest exporter, will turn to more profitable crops such as corn and soybeans this coming season thereby reduce the available supply. At the bottom we find coffee and cocoa with the latter falling to a six-month low on reports that the Ivory Coast and Ghana, two of the world’s biggest producers were adding supply by selling some of next season’s crop at a time of falling demand especially from Europe.

Arabica coffee, meanwhile, has seen a reversal of its attempt to create positive momentum, falling by five percent in just

one session on news that a group of producing countries in South America had exported 15 percent more during the fourth quarter of 2012 than in the same period the previous year. Speculative traders still hold net-short positions and with news of an outbreak of Roya fungus across Central America production could be negatively affected which leaves the price exposed to short-covering.

Economic outlook The price of RBOB gasoline was also strong on raised expectations that available stock levels in the US could dwindle over the coming weeks as refineries enter the season of repair and maintenance which could last until May at which time production is ramped up ahead of the summer driving season. Heating oil rose as colder than normal weather across the northern parts of the US raised demand at a time where inventory levels on the US East Coast are 47 percent below average for this time of year.

As already mentioned, the best performing sector at the start of 2013 has been the energy sector which just like the previous two years has kicked off with solid gains. This time around, the advance came primarily on the back of raised growth and demand expectations from the world’s two biggest consumers - the US and China - as geopolitical worries have so far been subdued. Brent crude

rose to a three-month high while the premium over WTI crude rose to 17.5 USD/barrels from a recent low of 15 USD/barrel. The widening was driven by news that the recent expansion of the Seaway pipeline from Cushing to the refineries on the Mexican Golf had not been able to carry the expected 400,000 barrels per day. However the technical issues which have reduced the flow are expected only to be temporary and once back to normal, Brent premium has the potential of coming under some downward pressure once again. The overall strength of the market did help WTI crude on its way to record the strongest run of weekly gains since 2009 during which time it has rallied by more than 12 percent.

Brent crude oil remains stuck in a $105 to $115 barrel range within which it has traded for the last six month. Momentum and investor sentiment remains positive which could now carry it forward to test the top of this range despite limited fundamental support for such a move. But while the dollar remains on the defensive and economic data continues to improve such a move seems to be the road of least resistance.

Gold lower The precious metals sector was mixed with platinum and palladium continuing to find buyers as the fundamental out-

look supports both. Meanwhile, gold and silver ran into trouble again, especially after gold spent five days attempting and failing to break above resistance at $1695 /oz. This led to some disillusioned traders holding long positions bailing out thereby sending the yellow metal lower through important support at $1662 /oz which is the 200-day moving average.

The fact that gold has failed on several occasions to attain what is supposed to be the real level of resistance - currently the 1701.5 trend-line connecting the highs from October and November - tells us a story about fading investor confidence because the global growth outlook, especially in the US, continues to improve. The expected announcement by the Bank of Japan of further measures to kick start the economy failed to provide support and the market is now left once again in trying to build enough confidence to climb higher. The near-term key will be US economic data as a continued improvement raises the risk of the US Federal Reserve stepping away from its stimulus measures earlier than expected.

The leveraged trading community are holding relatively light net-long positions but while they now have cheaper levels to re-enter our feeling is that they would rather wait until we move above $1700 /oz than engaging at current levels where the immediate outlook once again looks uncertain. —Saxo Bank

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

BUSINESS

Kuwait Energy consortium signs contract with Iraq Exploration, development of block 9 in Basra

Kuwait Energy Chief Executive Officer Sara Akbar

BASRA: A Kuwait Energy-led consortium and the Iraqi Ministry of Oil yesterday signed the final service contract for the exploration, development and production of Basra’s “block 9”.

“Block 9”, which spans over an 866 square kilometer area in the Basra province, was awarded to the consortium during Iraq’s fourth bidding round in May 2012.

The contract was signed on behalf of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil by the Deputy General of South Oil Company, Faisal Wadi, and from Kuwait Energy by Chief Executive Officer, Sara Akbar.

The Kuwait Energy-led consortium for “block 9” includes Dragon

Oil, an independent international oil and gas exploration, development and production company.

Kuwait Energy will be the operator of the block with a 70% working interest, while Dragon Oil will hold the remainder 30% working interest.

Sara Akbar said, “On behalf of Kuwait Energy and our partner, we look forward to continue participating in the development of Iraq’s energy resources, and supporting the country’s endeavors towards the development of its energy sector.”

As per the contract terms, potential hydrocarbons prospects will be assessed during the fiveyear exploration phase of the con-

tract, eligible for a possible renewal for two years twice. In the case of a discovery, the Consortium will be automatically eligible for 20year development and production phases, extendable by an additional five years.

This is the third block awarded to Kuwait Energy in Iraq. In Iraq’s third energy bidding round that was held in October 2010, Kuwait Energy was awarded two 20-year development contracts for the Siba and Mansuriya gas fields.

Kuwait Energy holds a 60% working interests Siba gas field, operated by Kuwait Energy, and a 30% working interest in the TPAOoperated Mansuriya gas field.

Currency wars seen intensifying in 2013 NBK MONEY MARKETS REPORT KUWAIT: Since the beginning of the year, the Japanese yen has been on every investor’s mind.

Indeed, as the Japanese government continues to show their commitment to a weaker currency, European leaders on the other hand are starting to show concerns about the Yen and the negative effect it would have on European exports.

In the US, the recovery remains underway with jobless claims falling to a five years low this week.

Equities also registered highest levels post the financial crisis, as the US House of Representatives passed a measure to postpone the debt ceiling deal by three month until May 19.

President Obama also did his share in offering hopes during the presidential inauguration speech, as he noted the US must remake the Government, revamp the tax code, and make some hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of the deficit.

The good news continued during the week on the European side, after German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the eurozone has left the worst of its debt crisis behind, but its countries cannot relax and have to continue their fiscal consolidation efforts.

Overall, the data as of late has showed an improving activity outlook for the Euro zone and the trend of growing balance of payments surpluses and falling budget deficits are structural and cyclical positives for the euro. The data out of Germany is leading the way and this could spill off into other countries as financial markets normalize and the reduced requirements for banks liquid asset holdings will allow banks greater capital to support trade finance. Market analysts are now talking about a recovery in cross border lending as confidence has started to return.

The euro ended the week outperforming across the board, especially against Asian currencies. The currency reached a high of 1.3479 against the dollar while registered an increase of almost 4% against the Japanese Yen. The sterling pound on the other hand continued its underperformance after Bank of England Mervin King noted that a lower pound was beneficial for the UK’s economy rebalancing. The currency reached a low of 1.5746 against the dollar while it posted its lowest level for over a year against the Euro.

Unemployment claims Initial jobless claims in the US dropped to its lowest level in five years last week. the data suggest a stronger labor market and economic growth despite persistent pessimism in the market. Initial jobless claims fell 5,000 to 330,000 in the week ended Jan 19 representing a 1.5% drop from the previous week 335,000. The data were significantly lower than the average estimate of analysts expecting 355,000.

Europe and UK Looking at a year earlier, Europe was in a much worse situation than where it is today. After risks of a break-up have receded, Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann warned against relying on the European Central Bank as the only crisis man-

ager. Indeed, he was quoted telling a newspaper earlier this week that its bond buyback program was risky.

According to him, “Central banks in recent years have been pulled into the role of a crisis manager.”. He also added, “The program can bring considerable risks to the monetary policy. Those risks now have to be limited and prevented”. Weidmann concluded that the greatest risk is that the cheaper financing takes away the incentive for fiscal reform.

The attention now turns over to Japan where European politicians have started criticizing publically the country, mentioning its engineering of a weaker yen and stirring a global currency war. The Japanese vice Finance Minister Takehiko Nakao replied that Japan has no intention whatsoever of competitive devaluation of the yen and the recent depreciation of the yen should be regarded as a correction from the one-sided and

numbers were better.

German IFO Beat Estimates while Mario Draghi Deliver Optimism in Davos German IFO Business Climate rose from 102.4 in December to 104.2 in January, exceeding economists’ expectations of an increase to 103.0. On the other hand, IFO Current Assessment grew to 108.0 in January, versus 107.1 the previous month and above forecasts of 107.2. Finally, IFO Expectations climbed to 100.5 from 97.9 and slightly above expectations of 99.0.

According to the ECB president Mario Draghi, 2012 had effectively marked the re-launching of the Euro and repeated that financial stresses had eased, although the economy continues to lag.

Japanese monetary policy was unjustified. ‘Europe is in no position to criticize Japan’ Nishimura said, “Europe has brought about a prolonged weakness of the euro as a result of their own policies, while Japan has supported Europe through purchases of bonds”.

Indeed, Japan’s largest mutual fund bought EFSF bonds for the first time since 2010.

On another front, Japan trade data was weaker than expected in December, with a deficit of JPY 801bn. While exports were beginning to recover, imports rose again, 1.2% m-o-m. Falls in exports to the US and China and imports of mineral fuels, contributed to a persistently high trade deficit in recent months.

UK recession UK GDP shrank by 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2102. The contraction, which was worse than most

Commodities According to the first Deputy Chairman of the Russian Central Bank, Alexei Ulyukayev stated that

Citibank sponsors Charter Awards ceremony KUWAIT: As part of Citibank’s continued support to financial education and to the local community, Citibank Kuwait will be the silver sponsor of the 5th CFA Annual Forecast Dinner and Charter Awards Ceremony due to be held on 28th January 2013 at the Salwa AlSabah Hall at the Marina.

The event, sponsored by Citibank for the third consecutive year, will be hosted by Faisal Al-Ayyar, Vice Chairman of the KIPCO (Kuwait Projects) Group and Dr Marc Faber, author and publisher of The Gloom, Boom & Doom Report and attended by Richard Fernand CFA, Director Industry Relations, CFA Institute.

With more than 200 leading investment professionals and their guests expected to attend, the event is considered one of the main annual events in the investment and business calendar of Kuwait. It will be a successful celebration of yet another batch completing the CFA program.

Citibank Kuwait will present the new charter holders with a token as an appreciation for their efforts and to congratulate them on becoming Chartered Financial Analysts.

“Citi is committed to supporting programs that encourage and add value to bankers to progress further in their careers.

We are proud to celebrate the 5th batch this year by sponsoring this event for the 3rd time in a row and look forward to seeing these bankers play a role in developing the investment sector in Kuwait into a strong, vibrant and dynamic sector that can compete internationally”, commented Ozgur Kutay, General Manager, Citibank Kuwait.

Citibank Kuwait has evolved into an active corporate citizen, with a particular interest in supporting financial education and developing Kuwait’s talent pool. Over 500 young Kuwaitis have so far received

certified training on financial literacy, life skills and personal economics through Citi’s sponsored training programs.

Since establishing its fully licensed branch in Kuwait in 2006, Citibank Kuwait began redeploying the best people to the region, building out a team with a unique

Ozgur Kutay, General Manager, Citibank Kuwait. blend of local talent, industry knowledge, product expertise and global standards. At Citibank Kuwait, there are 53 employees with more than 60% of them Kuwaitis.

Citi has been in the Arab World for nearly 50 years and continues to view the region as critical to its global franchise. It is currently present in ten Arab countries including Egypt, UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait.

KAMCO sponsors CFA Award ceremony for fourth year KUWAIT: KAMCO (KIPCO Asset Management Company) announced the sponsorship of the 2013 Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Award Ceremony in Kuwait for the fourth consecutive year. The sponsorship of the event, which takes place tonight, emphasizes KAMCO’s commitment and support of advanced education and financial analysis.

KAMCO continuously seeks opportunities to support individuals in their pursuit of qualifications which are related to KAMCO’s role as an investment banking and asset management company. This falls in line with KAMCO’s position as a company that values employees who are dynamic, innovative, and motivated to foster ethical standards in the financial sphere. Mohammed Al-Hubail, KAMCO’s Chief Resources Officer, said: “The value that institutions such as the CFA Institute add to our employees is vital and immeasurable when it comes to the knowledge and discipline they bring to the company. The pursuit of knowledge, improved corporate governance and business ethics have always been and will always be a part of KAMCO’s corporate social responsibility agenda.”

Mohammed Al-Hubail He added: “Faisal Al-Ayyar, Vice Chairman of KIPCO - the Kuwait Projects Company - will be present at the event as guest of honor, and will be joined by Dr Marc Faber, the renowned author and publisher of The Gloom, Boom & Doom Report, as the evening’s guest speaker.”

Al-Tijari announces winners of Najma Account daily draw

excessive appreciation that took place up to last year.

Divergence between German and French PMI Give an Unclear Picture of Europe France’s manufacturing PMI was much weaker than expected in January, falling to 42.9 versus expectations of 44.98, and from 44.6 the month before.

The number demonstrates that France’s manufacturing industry is shrinking at the fastest pace since the trough of the global financial crisis, in a new sign the Euro zone’s second biggest economy is in recession.

Germany’s manufacturing PMI on the other hand was stronger than expected at 48.8 versus expectations of 46.8, and up from 46 the month previously. The services PMI was also much stronger at 55.3 versus 52 consensus. The divergence between the French and German numbers was 6 points, but not unforeseen as similar divergences had occurred in the past as in 2010 and 2012, although they did not persist for more than 1-2 months.

The composite Euro zone manufacturing PMI rose to 47.5 versus consensus 46.6. Given the strength in Germany and weakness in France were roughly offsetting, this suggested that the peripheral PMI

economists’ estimates, compared to a 0.9% rise in the previous three months. The statistics office also mentioned there was also some evidence of “fall back” following the Olympic Games in the third quarter.

Industrial production fell 1.8%, while manufacturing dropped 1.5%.

Construction output rose 0.3 %.

On Thursday, Britain’s Chancellor told reporters during the world economic forum in Davos that the government would stick to its austerity plan, despite criticism from the IMF. China PMI better China’s HSBC PMI was stronger than expected in January, rising to a two year high of 51.9 versus economists’ estimates of 51.7 and up from the previous month’s 51.5.

HSBC said the sub-indices for output, new orders and employment are all now above the 50 level which indicates expansion. It seems that increased consumer demand is spurring manufacturers to expand production, while an expansion in railway building were also contributing.

Japan’s deputy economy minister said that a yen at 100 to the dollar would not be a problem, and argued that foreign criticism of

the bank will continue to buy gold as it seeks to diversify its foreign reserves away from paper assets it views as risky. The bank has also been a bullion buyer and the share of gold in its reserves is approaching a medium-term target of 10%, raising questions over whether it would keep buying gold.

Ulyukayev, speaking during the World Economic Forum, said the central bank would continue to buy gold, but gave no indication on whether there would be any change in the share of its reserves it allocates to the precious metal.

In Europe, following on from a request by Germany’s Federal Court of Auditors last year to review its overseas gold holdings, the Bundesbank has indicated that it will begin a process to rebalance the distribution of its gold reserves.

The bank stated that its gold will be repatriated (drawing down on stocks held in the US and in France).

The Bundesbank wishes to increase its domestic gold holdings to 50% from 31% currently over the next six years or so.

Kuwait Kuwaiti dinar at 0.28140 The USDKWD opened at 0.28140 yesterday morning.

KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al-Najma Account daily draw yesterday.

The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Abdul Aziz Al-Attar.

The winners of the Najma daily draw are: Hezam Mezaal Hezam Wesham— KD 7000, Hussain Hani Hussain Al-Habbabi— KD 7000, Manal Mutlaq Mneajil Al-Azmi — KD 7000, Mohammad Naeem Anwar Minhas— KD 7000.

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account. Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000

each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha and on the 19th of June which is the date of the bank’s establishment.

With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw. In addition, for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

Burgan Bank announces winners of Yawmi draw KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of the four lucky winners of its Yawmi account draw, each taking home a prize of KD 5,000.

The lucky winners for the daily draws took home a cash-prize of KD 5000 each, and they are: l 1. SHAIKHA MOHAMMED AHMAD ALBAGHLI l 2.

ABDUL-BARI MOHD MOHD ABDULBARI l 3. JARRAH MUTLAQ DGHAIM ALKHALDI l 4. OSAMA EDWAR YARED With its new and enhanced features, the Yawmi Account has become more convenient, easier, and faster for customers to benefit from. Now, customers will be eligible to enter the draw after 48 hours only from opening the account. Customers are also required to deposit KD 100 or equivalent only to enter the daily draw, and the coupon value

to enter the draw stands at KD 10. The newly designed Yawmi account has been launched to provide a highly innovative offering along with a higher frequency and incentive of winning for everyone. Today, the Yawmi account is a well understood product, where its popularity can be seen from the number of increasing account holders. Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open a Yawmi account and/or increase their deposit to maximize their chances to becoming a daily winner. The more customers deposit, the higher the chances they receive of winning the draw.

Opening a Yawmi account is simple, customers are urged to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and receive all the details, or simply call the bankís Call Center at 1804080 where customer service representatives will be delighted to assist with any questions on the Yawmi account or any of the bank’s products and services.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

technology

RIM seeks to regain glory BlackBerry 10 launch seen as comeback bid NEW YORK: BlackBerry maker Research in Motion begins its comeback bid Wednesday with a new platform launch in a make-or-break move for a firm that is rapidly sinking in the smartphone market it once dominated.

The Canada-based company unveils its BlackBerry 10 operating system and handsets in what some see as its last, best chance to remain a major player in an already competitive sector that is nevertheless attracting new entrants.

RIM boomed as the maker of “crackberries,” a nickname stemming from the addiction the phones engendered, but it risks becoming a footnote in a market led by Apple’s iPhone and rivals who use Google’s Android operating system.

“The importance of this launch cannot be overstated,” said Ramon Llamas, an analyst at the research firm IDC. “There’s going to be a lot of work that needs to be done to earn back respect.”

RIM, whose stock is at about oneeighth of its valuation in 2008, said it plans to “significantly” increase its marketing budget for the BlackBerry 10 launch, and there will be events in New York and five other global cities.

The company website home page depicts a sleek black device against a black background, alongside the words: “The Blackberry Experience. Redesigned.

Re-engineered. Re-invented.” RIM is touting the system as a big change in smartphone technology.

“This is an entirely new operating system,” said company spokesman Nick Manning. “We think it’s the first entirely new mobile operating system in about five years.”

More than 150 carriers worldwide have been testing the new platform, and RIM has given more than 8,000 prototypes to application developers.

BlackBerry 10 devices will be offered in an all-touchscreen version as well as in a model that keeps a physical

Research in Motion CEO Thorsten Heins speaks during a BlackBerry conference September 25 in San Jose, California keyboard. RIM says the system will break new ground by creating a user space that allows customers to flip between applications seamlessly and without first passing through a home page, to boost efficiency and multitasking.

This feature has caused real “excitement” as RIM has met with carriers around the world, RIM chief executive Thorsten Heins told analysts on a December earnings conference call.

Another key asset of BlackBerry 10 is what RIM dubbed the “BlackBerry balance,” a system that allows users to separate professional communications and applications from music, photographs and other personal items. Such an option means that if a user changes job, his or her former company can disable the device’s corporate side with-

out affecting personal data.

BlackBerry, which until a few years ago was the dominant smartphone, has seen its market share slip to under

five percent last year, surveys show.

Gartner analyst Phillip Redman said RIM still has a strong constituency of business users who prefer its hard key-

board and its reputation for strong network security.

While Redman doesn’t think the BlackBerry 10 will surpass Apple’s iPhone or Android products, the device “has great comeback potential,” he wrote in a recent blog entry.

But the market is also getting more competitive with new Android devices, and RIM will be competing with Microsoft’s Windows Phone for third place, and such conditions leave some analysts doubtful about the company’s prospects. RIM has already undertaken a significant downsizing, cutting about 5,000 staff from the 17,000 workers it employed last May, making further job cuts difficult to envision if the BlackBerry 10 fails to generate huge sales.

Analysts also expressed reservations about RIM’s loss of service fees.

Whereas the company’s older devices were routed into RIM’s network for which the company charged, the new service won’t keep users on RIM’s network.

That removes a key revenue stream, though RIM will also offer its software platform for rival devices.

“We don’t buy the hype,” Citi analyst Jim Suva said in a research note, pointing out that rivals such as China’s Huawei are also entering the market. “We remain skeptical of how the company can compensate for the highly profitable service streams as it materially and structurally shifts lower with the coming BB10 products, which will derive lower rates going forward.”

Sterne, Agee & Leach analyst Shaw Wu noted that many of the high-end customers to which RIM is marketing have already migrated to other devices.

“We see the company getting a degree of traction in this higher end market, but doubt there is a return to its former glory,” Wu said. —AFP

The week in Technology

Five must-know things Twitter launches ad services in Mideast DUBAI: Twitter Inc launched advertising services in the Middle East and North Africa yesterday as the social media firm seeks to exploit a tripling of its regional subscriber base following its widespread use during the Arab Spring protests.

Digital advertising is relatively undeveloped in the region, accounting for an estimated 4 percent of its total advertising spending, but a young, tech-savvy population and rising Internet penetration points to significant potential for growth. “The two are interconnected - the rapid growth of our user base with the timing of why we want to help brands connect with that audience,” said Shailesh Rao, Twitter vice-president for international operations.

Twitter does not provide a regional breakdown of its more than 200 million users worldwide, but Rao said its MENA subscriber base had tripled in the past 12 months.

The company has recruited Egypt’s Connect Ads, which is ultimately owned by Cairo-listed Orascom Telecom Media and Technology, to launch advertising initially in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Pepsi and Saudi telecom operator Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) are among its confirmed clients, the company said. Twitter says the products it promotes typically have an audience response rate of 1 to 3 percent, significantly higher than traditional advertising rate of 0.1 to 0.5 percent.

“Social media advertising is totally different because it relies on what people say. It’s about two-way, not one-way, communication,” said Mohamed El Mehairy, Connect Ads managing director. —Reuters

This week in Tech we took a peek into the finances of a few tech giants, tested a sneaky new mobile security app and said goodbye to some classic video game companies.

Here’s what you need to know about the week in Tech: 1) Music apps sing a popular song for music stores Your smartphone and your guitar can exist in perfect harmony. Musical instruments are experiencing a comeback, thanks to YouTube and new tech-enabled music devices.

USA TODAY’s Jefferson Graham took a look at the latest musical tech innovations at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) convention earlier this week.

New products include a USB ukulele, a wireless guitar amp and a musical ball that lets you create music. NAMM CEO Joe Lamond said YouTube has helped spur interest in musical instruction because it has a wide variety of music-lesson videos.

Offerings range from amateurs to music stars such as James Taylor and Robben Ford.

Lamond said music apps are “a good start, but there’s nothing like live interaction with a teacher.” If you want to learn an instrument, tapping on your iPad’s keyboard app can only get you so far.

2) Lookout for Android can take a picture of a phone thief Having your cellphone stolen can be frustrating, but it’s even more frustrating-even dangerous-if you store personal information on the phone. A new Android app takes the logic behind the iPhone’s “Find My Phone” app one step further with a Lock Cam feature that can take a photo of the person

Here’s how each company fared: than expected: Google took in $2.89 billion in the fourth quarter ($8.62 a share), up from $2.71 billion last

lock or wipe your smartphone and the option to display a message telling the finder how to return your phone, are only available to premium users.

Our take: If you’re a heavy phone user, or if you use an Android smartphone for work, spring for the premium plan. At $2.99 a month, it’s a small price to pay for some peace of mind.

year ($8.22 a share). Google also reported revenue of $11.34 billion, up from $8.13 billion a year ago. l Apple-worse than expected: Apple missed analysts’ iPhone sales forecasts for the holiday shopping season. The company reported a profit of $13.1 billion for its fiscal first quarter ($13.81 a share), compared with a profit of $13.1 billion this time last year

Hacker group Anonymous downs US government site WASHINGTON: Hacker group Anonymous said it disabled the US Sentencing Commission’s website Saturday in revenge for the death of Internet freedom advocate Aaron Swartz, and vowed to release government data. The website of the commission, an independent agency of the US Justice Department involved in sentencing, was apparently hacked into early Saturday.

Anonymous threatened to make public the encryption keys to files that could potentially embarrass judges and other federal employees, saying it acted in protest at the Justice Department’s alleged mishandling of Swartz’s case. Swartz was facing 35 years in prison and a $1 million fine for breaking into a closet at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to plug into the computer network.

He downloaded millions of academic journal articles he had allegedly planned to dis-

tribute for free. Friends and relatives have accused overzealous prosecutors of contributing to the 26-year-old’s suicide. He was found hanged in his New York apartment earlier this month.

Swartz was just 14 when he co-developed the RSS feeds that are now the norm for publishing updates online and went on to help launch social news website Reddit. “As a result of the FBI’s infiltration and entrapment tactics, several more of our brethren now face similar disproportionate persecution, the balance of their lives hanging on the severely skewed scales of a broken justice system,” Anonymous said in a video posted on YouTube.

The hackers said they had infiltrated several US government computer networks and copied secret data that they could release.

Likening the data to a nuclear weapon, Anonymous said it had “enough fissile material

3) The week in Tech earnings Apple, Google and Microsoft all released earnings reports this week, giving investors and tech experts a good sense of what the tech world will be like this year.

who stole your device.

The Lookout app takes a photo of the thief silently using the phone’s front-facing camera and e-mails you a photo and a location of where the phone is.

USA TODAY’s Ed Baig tried out the app on a Google Nexus 4 smartphone and said he “came away pleased” with the Lookout’s many security tools. But he noted that a few key features, such as the ability to remotely

for multiple warheads” it could launch against the Justice Department and agencies that the group says intrude on individual liberties.

The FBI said in a statement that it was investigating the attack. “We were aware as soon as it happened and are handling it as a criminal investigation,” said Richard McFeely, of the bureau’s Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch.

The Anonymous operation came just days after US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano warned of a looming “cyber 9/11” that could especially target critical infrastructure planks such as water, electricity and gas lines.

The loosely affiliated network of hacktivists, has attacked sites around the world, including those of MasterCard and Visa, the Justice Department and the Tunisian and Yemeni governments.—AFP

l Google-better

($13.87 a share). The company’s revenue guidance for the current quarter is between $41 billion and $43 billion, slightly below expectations of $45 billion. l Microsoft-mixed: The company said its net income fell 4% to $6.38 billion (76 cents a share) compared with a year ago, but its revenue rose 3% to a record $21.46 billion.

4) Bankruptcy for Atari, THQ dissolves assets It’s the end of an era in the video game world this week. The US division of Atari filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday after 40 years of video game production, moving to separate from its French parent company.

Atari gained a huge following in the ‘70s and ‘80s with popular games such Pong and Centipede, and has attempted a rebound by re-releasing its classic titles on mobile platforms.

THQ fell from the ranks of video game publishers after a judge cleared plans to sell its assets, many of which were acquired by competitors. Among the higher-profile acquisitions: Koch Media snagged the rights to the Saints Row series, while Sega scooped up the developers of the strategy franchise Company of Heroes.

5) Surface Windows 8 pro tablet to launch Feb 9 Microsoft announced on Tuesday that the Surface Windows 8 Pro tablet will be released on Feb. 9 starting at $899.

The Pro tablet is an expanded version of the previously released Surface tablet, with options for using the device as a tablet or a laptop and an optional “Touch Cover.” —MCT

‘Gozi’ computer virus hit bank accounts NEW YORK: Federal prosecutors said they had foiled an international cyber-crime ring that targeted bank accounts in the US and around the globe. The criminal charges, disclosed, highlight the vulnerabilities of online consumer banking, which has become more popular in the digital age. It also comes just months after most every major US bank suffered a relentless round of online attacks by Middle Eastern hackers.

In the case unveiled Wednesday, three men — a Russian, a Latvian and a Romanian — allegedly created and spread a virus they called “Gozi” that infected more than 1 million computers around the globe, including at least 40,000 in the United States.

The virus and other malicious software infected individuals’ and businesses’ computers, and then stole log-in information for online banking and other accounts. One program imitated a bank’s website, tricking users into giving away their personal identification numbers and other personal information, such as their mothers’ maiden names.

“Their bank heists required neither a mask nor a gun, but a clever computer program and an Internet connection,” Preet Bharara, the US attorney in Manhattan, told reporters Wednesday. Referencing a quotation often attributed to the notorious bank robber Willie Sutton, Bharara said, “Cyber criminals target banks too because that’s where the money still is.” Although the Gozi virus’ reach spanned the globe - infecting computers in Turkey, Poland and Finland, among other countries — Bharara could not say how many US customers’ accounts had been breached. Nor could he say how much was stolen from the accounts, aside from alleging “tens of millions” of dollars in losses globally.

He said the investigation was continuing.

NASA also fell victim to the virus. About 190 of the space agency’s computers came down with the bug between 2007 and 2012, according to court documents. Extracted data allegedly included log-in information for a NASA email account, Web browsing histories and Google chat messages. —MCT

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Experts urge action on global obesity ‘pandemic’ DAVOS, Switzerland: Obesity has become a global pandemic that could leave more than half of all adults worldwide overweight within two decades, experts said, calling for urgent action beyond just blaming people for lacking willpower. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, health, nutrition and fitness experts said the world’s increasingly deadly obesity crisis needs to be tackled with the same determination policy-makers once took to fighting smoking. With our food more and more unhealthy and our lives increasingly sedentary, answers are needed to address a crisis that is driving up diabetes, boosting heart disease and already killing 2.8 million adults per year, they said.

The current figure of 1.4 billion adults already overweight globally is set to soar, Linda Fried, dean of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, told a panel on obesity at the

annual gathering of the global elite. “In another 20 years, if things continue to increase the way they are, it may well be that 50-60 percent of the world’s adult population will be overweight,” Fried said. “If this were an infectious disease we might call it a pandemic. It’s not regional, it’s global, it’s increasing rapidly, it’s continuing to escalate - those are the basic definitions of a pandemic,” she said.

The first step to resolving the crisis, the experts said, is overcoming the instinctive reaction many have to obesity - blaming the obese themselves instead of the conditions around them.

“In 30 years, the percent of the world’s population that is overweight or obese has doubled,” Fried said. “There’s no evidence that there has been a collective global loss of willpower.” The blame rests instead with the easy availability - and relative cheapness - of higher-calorie foods and increasing urbanisation that

has led to less active lifestyles, the experts said.

Lisa MacCallum Carter, Nike’s VicePresident for Access to Sport, said obesity was linked to an “inactivity crisis” as a result of urbanisation. She said significant amounts of daily exercise from incidental movement had been lost, with for example people now sending emails instead of walking across the office to talk to a colleague. She cited research showing that Americans are now 32 percent less active than in 1967, and if current trends continue they will be 50 percent less active by 2030. In just half a generation, she said, the Chinese had also become 45 percent less active.

At the same time, the foods we eat are becoming less healthy, with fattier, higher-salt and artificial products easier to produce and distribute, the experts said. “The ways we see markets working are accelerating these trends very rapidly,” said Marc Van Ameringen, executive

director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). Some governments, as in the United States, are encouraging this by subsidising industrial food production, as with corn syrup, which is widely used in prepared foods as a sweetener and thickener, he said.

“Look at the money that goes into producing corn and corn-syrup products, compared to the subsidies that go into producing fruit and vegetables,” he said.

Fried said some policy-makers have taken encouraging steps to fight obesity, like Mayor Michael Bloomberg of her native New York. His crusade against junk food has seen the city ban the sale of supersize soft drinks and require fastfood restaurants to label menus with calorie information. The experts said steps like widespread calorie-labelling laws, limits on portion sizes and increased taxes on unhealthy food would make a difference.

Paul Bulcke, the CEO of Swiss food

giant Nestle, said too much blame was being laid on food companies. “It is a very complex problem,” he said. “Yes, we are attacked, but that comes a bit from a society that wants to blame.” He said Nestle supported “meaningful labelling” of its products and that governments had an obligation to increase nutritional education. MacCallum Carter of Nike said more had to be done to restore physical activity to daily life. “On the nutrition side this problem is being looked at in a very sophisticated way,” she said. “But we’re certainly not resolving the physical activity crisis.”

The experts said children needed to be involved in sport and individuals, companies and governments needed to work together to boost physical activity, for example by redesigning urban spaces to require more walking. “We have a health emergency, it is global and it is of huge dimensions... We can only solve it together,” Fried said. — AFP

Elder abuse, use of shelters rising in US

CHICAGO: In this July 20, 2006 file photo, a woman smokes a cigarette during a break from work in downtown Chicago. — AP

Women have caught up to men on lung cancer risk Smoke like a man, die like a man. US women who smoke today have a much greater risk of dying from lung cancer than they did decades ago, partly because they are starting younger and smoking more that is, they are lighting up like men, new research shows. Women also have caught up with men in their risk of dying from smoking-related illnesses. Lung cancer risk leveled off in the 1980s for men but is still rising for women. “It’s a massive failure in prevention,” said one study leader, Dr Michael Thun of the American Cancer Society. And it’s likely to repeat itself in places like China and Indonesia where smoking is growing, he said. About 1.3 billion people worldwide smoke.

The research is in Thursday ’s New England Journal of Medicine. It is one of the most comprehensive looks ever at long-term trends in the effects of smoking and includes the first generation of US women who started early in life and continued for decades, long enough for health effects to show up. The US has more than 35 million smokers - about 20 percent of men and 18 percent of women. The percentage of people who smoke is far lower than it used to be; rates peaked around 1960 in men and two decades later in women.

Researchers wanted to know if smoking is still as deadly as it was in the 1980s, given that cigarettes have changed (less tar), many smokers have quit, and treatments for many smoking-related diseases have improved. They also wanted to know more about smoking and women. The famous surgeon general’s report in 1964 said smoking could cause lung cancer in men, but evidence was lacking in women at the time since relatively few of them had smoked long enough.

One study, led by Dr Prabhat Jha of the Center for Global Health Research in Toronto, looked at about 217,000 Americans in federal health surveys between 1997 and 2004. A second study, led by Thun, tracked smoking-related deaths through three periods - 1959-65, 1982-88 and 2000-10 - using seven large population health surveys covering more than 2.2 million people.

Among the findings: * The risk of dying of lung cancer was more than 25 times higher for female smokers in recent years than for women who never smoked. In the 1960s, it was only three times higher. One reason: After World War II, women started taking up the habit at a younger age and began smoking more. * A person who never smoked was about twice as likely as a current smoker to live to age 80. For women, the chances of surviving that long were 70 percent for

those who never smoked and 38 percent for smokers. In men, the numbers were 61 percent and 26 percent. * Smokers in the US are three times more likely to die between ages 25 and 79 than non-smokers are. About 60 percent of those deaths are attributable to smoking. * Women are far less likely to quit smoking than men are. Among people 65 to 69, the ratio of former to current smokers is 4to-1 for men and 2-to-1 for women. * Smoking shaves more than 10 years off the average life span, but quitting at any age buys time. Quitting by age 40 avoids nearly all the excess risk of death from smoking. Men and women who quit when they were 25 to 34 years old gained 10 years; stopping at ages 35 to 44 gained 9 years; at ages 45 to 54, six years; at ages 55 to 64, four years.

The risk of dying from other lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis is rising in men and women, and the rise in men is a surprise because their lung cancer risk leveled off in 1980s.

Changes in cigarettes since the 1960s are a “plausible explanation” for the rise in non-cancer lung deaths, researchers write.

Most smokers switched to cigarettes that were lower in tar and nicotine as measured by tests with machines, “but smokers inhaled more deeply to get the nicotine they were used to,” Thun said. Deeper inhalation is consistent with the kind of lung damage seen in the illnesses that are rising, he said.

Scientists have made scant progress against lung cancer compared with other forms of the disease, and it remains the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

More than 160,000 people die of it in the US each year. The federal government, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the cancer society and several universities paid for the new studies. Thun testified against tobacco companies in class-action lawsuits challenging the supposed benefits of cigarettes with reduced tar and nicotine, but he donated his payment to the cancer society.

Smoking needs more attention as a health hazard, Dr Steven A Schroeder of the University of California, San Francisco, wrote in a commentary in the journal.

“More women die of lung cancer than of breast cancer.

But there is no ‘race for the cure’ for lung cancer, no brown ribbon” or high-profile advocacy groups for lung cancer, he wrote.

Kathy DeJoseph, 62, of suburban Atlanta, finally quit smoking after 40 years - to qualify for lung cancer surgery last year. “I tried everything that came along, I just never could do it,” even while having chemotherapy, she said. It’s a powerful addiction, she said: “I still every day have to resist wanting to go buy a pack.” — AP

MASON, Ohio: She raises her hands to her snow-white hair in a gesture of frustrated bewilderment, then slowly lowers them to cover eyes filling with tears. The woman, in her 70s, is trying to explain how she wound up in a shelter that could well be where she spends the rest of her life. While the woman was living with a close family member, officials at the Shalom Center say, her money was being drained away by people overcharging for her grocery shopping, while her body and spirit were sapped by physical neglect and emotional torment. She says she was usually ordered to “go to bed”, where she lay in a dark room, upset, unable to sleep. “She just yelled at me all the time. Screamed at me, cussed me out,” the woman says of a family member. “I don’t know what happened. She just got tired of me, I guess.”

The Shalom Center offers shelter, along with medical, psychological and legal help, to elderly abuse victims in this northern Cincinnati suburb.

It is among a handful in the country that provide sanctuary from such treatment, a problem experts say is growing along with the age of the nation’s population. The number of Americans 65 and over is projected to nearly double by 2030 because of the 74 million baby boomers born in 1946-64, and the number of people 85 and over is increasing at an even faster rate. The number of seniors being abused, exploited or neglected every year is often estimated at about 2 million, judging by available statistics and surveys, but experts say the number could be much higher. Some research indicates that 1 in 10 seniors have suffered some form of abuse at least once.

“That’s a big number,” said Sharon MerrimanNai, project director of the Clearinghouse on Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly, based at the University of Delaware. “It’s a huge issue, and it’s just going to get bigger.” Recognition of and mechanisms for dealing with elder abuse are many years behind strides that have been made in child abuse awareness and protection, experts say. Getting comprehensive numbers of the abused is complicated, experts say, because the vast majority of cases go unreported out of embarrassment, fear of being cut off from family - most abuse is at the hands of relatives - or confusion about what has happened.

Abuse sometimes comes to light only by chance. County-level adult protective services caseworkers can get anonymous tips. In one recent Ohio case, a hair stylist noticed her elderly client was wincing in pain and got her to acknowledge she had been hit in the ribs by a relative. Another Shalom Center patient was referred by sheriff’s detectives who said his son beat him. “Are these older people going to be allowed to live their lives the way they deserve to?” said Carol Silver Elliott, CEO of the Cedar Village retirement community, of which the Shalom Center is a part. “We really are not addressing it as a society the way we should.”

The Obama administration has said it has increased its focus on protecting American seniors by establishing a national resource center and a consumer protection office, among other steps. But needs are growing at a time when government spending on social services is being cut on many levels or not keeping up with demand. In Ohio, slowly recovering from the recession, budgets have been slashed in such areas as staffs that investigate elderly abuse cases. Staff at the Job and Family Services agency in Hamilton County in Cincinnati is about half the size it was in 2009, spokesman Brian Gregg said.

Even as national statistics indicate elder abuse is increasing, the number of elder abuse cases the agency can probe is lower, down from 574 cases in 2009 to 477 last year, he said.

There are no longer enough adult protective services investigators to routinely check on older adults unless there is a specific report of abuse or neglect. “We do the best we can down here,” Gregg said, noting that the agency has a hotline to take anonymous reports and that it is seeing more financial scams targeting elderly people.

The price for not getting ahead of the problem and preventing abuse of people who would otherwise be healthy and financially stable will be high, warned Joy Solomon, a former Manhattan assistant prosecutor who helped pioneer elder abuse shelters with the Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention, which opened in 2005 at the Hebrew Home community in New York City. “My argument always is, if all you do is come in when the crisis has occurred, it is much more costly than preventative care,” said Solomon, director of the shelter, which takes in about 15 people a year.

“We’re going to have to pay for it anyway.”

She and others in the field say the first steps are to raise public awareness and train police, lawyers, criminal justice officials and others to recognize and respond to signs of abuse.

Prosecutors often have been reluctant to purse elder abuse cases, which can be complex because of medical and financial complications, the witness’ ability to testify or reluctance to testify against relatives, according to research for the National Institute of Justice.

In suburban Los Angeles, Orange County started an Elder Abuse Forensic Center nearly 10 years ago; it helps police, geriatrics specialists, lawyers and social services workers coordinate efforts to identify, investigate and prosecute abuse cases. New York City started its Elder Abuse Center to 2009 to bring a multi-organization approach to the problem, saying nearly 100,000 older people are abused in their homes in the city alone. While he was Ohio’s attorney general, Richard Cordray, now director of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, initiated in 2009 the state Elder Abuse Commission, something current Attorney General Mike DeWine has continued.

The commission has focused on training and education and hopes to launch a public awareness campaign this year, said Ursel McElroy, the longtime adult protection services investigator who leads it. The commission also has been pushing for legislation to improve legal protection and abuse prevention, expand training, and improve statistical data. In New York, part of the Weinberg Center’s mission is to help other communities replicate it. It has assisted shelter startups in upstate New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Minnesota along with the Shalom Center in Ohio.

The center marked its anniversary in January.

While more than 40 people have been referred to the nonprofit, faith-based center, only three have gone through with admittance, signs of the reluctance of people who fear losing family relationships - even if they are bad - or the feeling of being at home. Set up as a “virtual shelter” because victims are integrated into the full Cedar Village retirement community, it is meant to provide 60- to 90-day emergency stays while caseworkers provide help and seek out the best alternative, such as with a different caregiver or relative.

In the case of the woman who complained of abuse in a relative’s home, a call to adult protective services by someone familiar with her led to an investigation and her referral to the shelter.

She has little money, health problems and few alternatives, and after a while, she asked if she could stay at Cedar Village permanently.

Caseworkers and officials at the nonprofit, faithbased home agreed that was the best place for her. The center asked that her identity be protected for this story because the close relatives who allegedly abused her don’t know where she is.

She paints, plays in a residents’ bell choir, plays bingo with others regularly, and has her own room and TV to watch favorites such as “Ellen” and reruns of “I Love Lucy”. The healthy diet the center keeps her on means she misses some of her favorite foods - beans and corn bread, fried chops. But she loves the tuna salad, the group activities and having a life with people who care about her.

“I’ve got quite a few friends,” she says.

“They’re just nice people here. I have somebody to talk to, and I appreciate it.” — AP

MASON, Ohio: An elderly woman who has suffered abuse by a relative watches “I Love Lucy” on a television inside her room at Cedar Village retirement community on Jan 8, 2013. — AP

US hit by new stomach bug NEW YORK: A new strain of stomach bug sweeping the globe is taking over in the US, health officials say. Since September, more than 140 outbreaks in the US have been caused by the new Sydney strain of norovirus. It may not be unusually dangerous; some scientists don’t think it is. But it is different, and many people might not be able to fight off its gut-wrenching effects.

Clearly, it’s having an impact. The new strain is making people sick in Japan, Western Europe, and other parts of the world. It was first identified last year in Australia and called the Sydney strain.

In the US, it is now accounting for about 60 percent of norovirus outbreaks, according to report released Thursday by the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention.

Norovirus - once known as Norwalk virus - is highly contagious and often spreads in places like schools, cruise ships and nursing homes, especially during the winter. Last month, 220 people on the Queen Mary II were stricken during a Caribbean cruise. Sometimes mistakenly called stomach flu, the virus causes bouts of vomiting and diarrhea for a few days.

Every two or three years, a new strain evolves - the last was in 2009.

The Sydney strain’s appearance has coincided with a spike in influenza, perhaps contributing to the perception that this is a particularly bad flu season in the US. Ian Goodfellow, a prominent researcher at England’s University of Cambridge, calls

norovirus ‘the Ferrari of viruses’ for the speed at which it passes through a large group of people. “It can sweep through an environment very, very quickly. You can be feeling quite fine one minute and within several hours suffer continuous vomiting and diarrhea,” he said.

Health officials have grown better at detecting new strains and figuring out which one is the culprit.

They now know that norovirus is also the most common cause of food poisoning in the US. It’s spread by infected food handlers who don’t do a good job washing their hands after using the bathroom. But unlike salmonella and other foodborne illnesses, norovirus can also spread in the air, through droplets that fly when a

sick person vomits. “It’s a headache” to try to control, said Dr John Crane, a University of Buffalo infectious disease specialist who had to deal with a norovirus outbreak in a hospital ward a couple of years ago.

Each year, noroviruses cause an estimated 21 million illnesses and 800 deaths, the CDC says. For those infected, there’s really no medicine.

They just have to ride it out for the day or two of severe symptoms, and guard against dehydration, experts said. The illness even got the attention of comedian Stephen Colbert, who this week tweeted: “Remember, if you’re in public and have the winter vomiting bug, be polite and vomit into your elbow.” — AP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

Recycling entrepreneur stubs out cigarette garbage TRENTON, New Jersey: Recycling entrepreneur Tom Szaky is stubbing out the world’s cigarette problem - one butt at a time. The 30year-old who dropped out of Princeton University to start his innovative company TerraCycle in Trenton, New Jersey, says there’s no such thing as trash, even when you’re talking about the contents of ashtrays. In a program started in May in Canada and now running from the United States to Spain, TerraCycle collects cigarette butts from volunteers and turns them into plastic, which can be used for anything, even ashtrays themselves.

The discarded cigarettes, which litter countries around the world, are first broken up, with the paper and remaining tobacco composted.

The filter, made of a plastic called cellulose

acetate, is melted down and turned into an ingredient for making a wide range of industrial plastic products, such as pallets - the trays used to ship heavy goods. It seems that for once smoking benefits everyone. The tobacco industry, happy to get some decent publicity, pays TerraCycle. Volunteer collectors win points per butt, which can then be redeemed as contributions to charities.

Sidewalks start looking cleaner. And TerraCycle, which sells recycled products to retailers like Walmart and Whole Foods, gets more business. TerraCycle has a similarly creative view on all manner of other refuse that has tended to be bracketed as impossible to recycle and is instead sent to the landfill. Juice sachets, plastic bottles, pens, coffee capsules,

Dar Al Shifa celebrates its newborn babies’ birthdays KUWAIT: Dar Al Shifa Hospital recently celebrated the birthdays of its babies born during the month of December by introducing a range of entertainment as well as educational programs for children and parents together. The event, which took place at Dar Al Shifa Hospital, was attended by a number of the staff as well as representatives from the pediatric, diet and nutrition departments along with the infants, children and their parents. It included an extensive program of entertainment, educational programs, and free gifts for children as well as a range of discounts and offers on a number of medical services for parents and their children.

Dr Bilal Sakr, Pediatrics master ’s degree holder and doctor at Dar Al Shifa Clinic, addressed the parents during his presentation at the event, saying: ‘We, at Dar Al Shifa, are concerned about our patients in every matter. For that, we find it crucial to educate parents on how to prevent and treat certain common diseases that include fevers, and how to generally nurture a healthy future generation.’ The event also included several lectures that shed light on fever at children, its causes, ways of measurement as

Dr Bilal Sakr well as various home treatment options.

Moreover, a lecture was conducted by Nutritionist Assistant Farah Hashem, which highlighted various ways of managing children’s healthy diet during the early stages in their lives (1-3 years old), the types of food children at this age require, as well as the best ways of feeding them.

candy wrappers, toothbrushes and computer keyboards are all grist for TerraCycle’s mill.

Some items go to classic recycling, meaning they are used purely as material for a wholly new product.

Others are upcycled, which means the shape of the piece of garbage is retained and incorporated into a new product. For example, candy wrappers, complete with their logos, are used to bind books, or are joined together to make backpacks. “The purpose of TerraCycle is to make things that are non recyclable recyclable,” CEO Szaky told AFP at the New Jersey headquarters. Soon they’ll be doing chewing gum and dirty diapers, but Szaky said his “personal favorite” is used cigarettes. “It’s the ash, the cigarette butt, it’s the packaging, every-

thing,” he said. “After we launched it in May in Canada, it was so successful, we collected over a million cigarettes in a short period of time.

We had all these great organizations collecting and the tobacco industry was so excited that they launched the program in the US, in Spain.”

Expect to see the project spread across Europe and possibly Mexico in the next four months, Szaky said. It takes between 1,000 and 2,000 butts to make a plastic ashtray, and more than 200,000 to make a garden chair.

Not that there’s any shortage of supplies: 37 percent of the world’s litter is in cigarette butts, with up to a couple trillion thrown out yearly, Szaky said. About 35 million people across 22 countries take part in TerraCycle’s collection programs, which are financed by businesses,

like Old Navy clothing in the United States and Colgate, which supports the toothbrush collection.

“When we created the cigarette solution, we went to big companies and showed them plastic made from used cigarettes. They couldn’t believe it and the companies got very engaged,” Szaky said. “They not only finance the program and pay for all the costs, they are out here, and are going to do very aggressive promotion.” Szaky’s company began when two people had the idea of harvesting worm excrement for fertilizer. Now it employs about 100 people. “I want to solve every kind of garbage that exists,” he said. “My real goal would be that there is no such thing as garbage. Garbage doesn’t exist in nature.” — AFP

Silicosis suit could crush S Africa’s mining sector JOHANNESBURG: Thousands of ex-gold miners suffering from silicosis have launched a class action suit in South Africa, in what could prove the final nail in the coffin of the country’s battered but vital mining sector. Already buckling under huge operational costs and seemingly endless labour unrest, some 30 gold mine operators were last month slapped with litigation by thousands of their former employees. The plaintiffs - mostly black migrant labourers from nearby countries and South Africa’s far flung mountainous villages of the Eastern Cape region - allegedly contracted the lung disease while drilling gold bearing rocks.

Already theirs is the biggest class action in South Africa’s legal history, involving more than 17,000 complainants. And the list is growing by around 500 people each month, according to lead attorney Richard Spoor. That stream could very well become a torrent. Academic calculations estimate some 280,000 people have worked in gold mines for a minimum of 10 years, long enough to inhale dangerous levels of silica dust.

When exposed for long to excessive amounts, the dust gets locked in the lungs and permanently scars the organ, resulting in silicosis, a disease that has no known cure. Symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pains and persistent cough.

Sufferers are more susceptible to other lung diseases like tuberculosis. Research has shown that

between 20 and 30 percent of all gold mine workers contracted silicosis. Black miners working in often unsafe conditions during apartheid were hardest hit. Activists argue the disease is preventable, if only operators invest in making the mines safe.

The disease has virtually been wiped out in other gold mining countries such as Australia, the United States and Britain. “But in South African we continue to hear thousands each year, who have been disabled by this disease,” said Spoor, whose oldest client started working in 1965. If the miners are successful, it could cost the industry millions of dollars, but mining experts warn it could also cost jobs. “There will be no golden goose anymore,” warned mining consultant Peter Major.

“There may be some feathers, some intestines and maybe a beak (but) there will be no goose, no golden bar ever again.”

That would be an epoch-ending event for a country whose very foundations were built on the gold reefs and diamond deposits. “Do you really want to put mining companies down forever in country that has 30 percent unemployment,” asked Major. “We are almost getting to the stage now where it looks like ‘let’s kick the guy, let’s put the boots to him now that he’s down on the ground’.” A watershed Constitutional Court ruling in 2011 which allowed sick workers to sue their

employers has emboldened the gold mine workers and opened the floodgates. The mass suit filed last month and likely to be heard within months - is sure to play havoc with investors’ sentiment. But so far there has been no such flight by investors. Emerging market analyst Peter Nomura is of the opinion the case may not immediately move markets. Markets “may well change particularly if there are large payouts,” he said.

Depending on commodity prices, operators may in the long run consider selling their companies, he added.

But some of the larger operators, already facing a few cases brought by smaller groups of miners, are not taking the latest case lightly. “The application raises a number of complex legal and factual issues, and AngloGold Ashanti plans to respond through the appropriate court procedures to defend the case on its merits,” said spokesman Alan Fine. “Silicosis is an issue that not only challenges the mining industry, but South Africa as a whole,” said Fine.

The consequences of the suit may yet shift into unexpected directions. Some activists argue that government should also be charged with complicity in the case as they grant mining royalties and collect taxes. The state’s occupational health compensation department did not respond to requests for comment. — AFP

T R AV E L

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

A land of tolerance and opportunities

A panoramic view of Erbil encompasses the beauty of the place. (Inset) Adnan Al-Rashed, Kuwait Journalists Association Treasurer addresses a meeting of local journalists. — Photos by Hani Al-Shemmary

Massoud Barzani, President of the Iraq Kurdistan Region is pictured with Badrya Darwish, General Manager of Kuwait Times newspaper.

The KJA delegation is seen during their visit to the parliament in Erbil.

thrilling. I will never forget my visit to the Syriac Heritage Museum. For me, that was pretty impressive. I thought that the Syriac ERBIL: Iraq’s Kurdistan region never crossed language has become extinct and that only my mind as a tourism destination, nor as a few people speak it today. I remember back in business venue. Then, as usual, the active Bethlehem they had Adnan Al-Rashed, a church and very Treasurer of the few people who Kuwait Journalists spoke the language.

Association (KJA), I remember in Syria, asked me to join a there is a minor group of journalists community that still he wanted to take speaks the lanto Iraq Kurdistan. guage. There is a To be honest, I bigger community was reluctant at in Kurdistan where first. I thought that they have the it was a war zone museum and they with bombing and are trying their best shelling all over, to revive it and take and was an unstacare of their herble region. I itage. The museum dragged myself to was very modern the airport. I did A team from the Syriac Heritage Badrya Darwish (centre) is making a point during the delegation’s visit Jassem Kamal, KJA member is and equipped with not forget to check Museum is restoring some artifacts. to a local university as Lama Al-Othman , an editor from Al-Jarida news- pictured during the delegation’s a team of technithe weather online paper is looking on. visit to a local university. cians specialized in and took along an restoring historical items. They impressed me the hotel. We passed through streets which flying over the Swiss Alps. old fur coat which I had locked up in my closa lot with the professional look they had. I were all modern, lined with new buildings. et for the last 20 years. I said, “Hello, now is thought I was in an ER in a hospital which had There were well-built highways. It is a vast Infrastructure at its best the time to put you to some good use.” old pots aged over 1,000 years. The museum place. Mountains overlooked the streets covI started changing my mind as soon as we Actually, I think my trip started at the airwas home to many old exhibits such as cosered with snow. It was early evening when port itself. I was thrilled to know that we were landed at the Erbil airport. It is not anything tumes from different historical eras in the sun shined over the glacier. It reflected in like what you see on TV when they broadcast flying on one of His Highness the Amir’s Kurdistan and other items from various culmy glasses. I thought I was in a dreamland. news from Iraq. It was quite a new airport planes. In all honesty, this was the first time I tures, wheat grinder, hammer etc.

Our schedule in Erbil was really hectic yet with good infrastructure and all modern facilwas on a private jet. I can tell you that this

By Badrya Darwish

was magnificent. I discovered that this was the way to travel. Our journey took us directly to Erbil, the capital of Iraq Kurdistan, in an hour and a half. Watching the view from my window seat and peering out, I thought I was

ities. The Kurds impressed me from the very beginning. They were warm and friendly. Of course, 90 percent spoke Arabic and managed a decent smattering of English, too. I was looking out from the bus as we drove to

The KJA delegation is seen upon arrival in Erbil (left) and during a visit to a local university.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

T R AV E L

A glimpse of downtown Erbil.

A mosque located in the heart of the Citadel in Erbil

The Kuwait Journalist Association (KJA) delegation featured:

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dnan Al-Rashed KJA Treasurer, Rashid Al-Ruwaished Kuwait News Agency General Manager, Badrya Darwish Kuwait Times General Manager and columnist, Dr Ayed Al-Manna’a KJA advisor, Jassem Kamal KJA member, Lama Al-Othman an editor from Al-Jarida newspaper, Saleh Al-Ghannam editor from AlSeyassah newspaper, Nasser Al-Khaldi editor from Al-Kuwaitiya newspaper, Ibrahim Al-Sa’iedi editor from Al-Qabas editor, Mubarak Al-Shemmary editor from AlWatan, Hani Al-Shemmary photographer from Al-Anba’a newspaper and Ghanim AlSulaimani an editor from Al-Rai.

Badrya Darwish is seen in a picturesque part of Erbil.

The KJA delegation is pictured in front of the building of the Public Authority of Tourism in Kurdistan.

The Erbil International Airport.

The Citadel in Erbil seen from below.

The delegation is seen touring the Citadel in Erbil.

Education success story We left the museum and headed to a more enlightening and modern location - a non-segregated university of Erbil where young men and women were exchanging notes and studying together.

That reminded me of Kuwait University, of course. We met the dean and many of his staff members. Kurds are very proud of their identity. I could feel it in their hearts that they want to tell the world their story, about their language and the hardships they have encountered throughout history.

They wanted to tell the world how did not buckle in the face of all these hardships. On the contrary how it had made them stronger.

Their story reminded me in a way of the Palestinian story.

Palestinians were driven out of their land and were displaced by Jews that came from around the world. In some parts of Kurdistan, people were forced out of their homes during the days of Saddam regime and were replaced by Iraqi Arabs. For instance, Saddam moved Iraqis from Basra and planted them in Kirkuk. He forced out of their homes people from Kirkuk and shifted them to Basra. He shuffled these people like pawns in a game.

The theory goes that he wanted to change the demography of

The KJA delegation were treated to an evening of local folklore.

Kurdistan. That is their story.

Saddam was ruthless to them. So was history. Parts of Kurdistan fell under Turkish occupation, other parts went under Syrian occupation. These people were destined not to have their own independent state.

History took a turn after the toppling of Saddam and Kurds came to an agreement with Iraqi authorities to become almost autonomous and self-ruled. The oil fields at Kirkuk are the source of a large proportion of Iraq’s oil and that makes it harder to break away from the central government in Baghdad.

Living in tolerance What I liked about the people in Kurdistan is that they are very tolerant people and accept the minorities. Most Kurdish people are Sunnis but have minorities of Shiite and Christians who they accept and co-exist with. They also have a sect of Yazidis who are monotheists. In all, all these religions coexist in a spirit of accommodation and tolerance, regardless of their beliefs.

Most Kurds speak Arabic. The universities teach Kurdish and Arabic to those who want to study in Arabic. They are proud of their heritage. I noticed that some of the younger generations are not

enthusiastic about studying Arabic, a result of the former regime of Iraq or the geopolitics in the Arab world.

Economic boom As for development and the economic situation, Kurdistan is rich by nature. They have many springs of water, are affluent and not affected by the wars. They have vast mountains and valleys. The scenery is breathtaking. They have rich resorts. The country is agricultural. You can see this in the food.

The cuisine is delicious and there are always fresh fruits and vegetables that accompany the meals.

They are an oil-rich country. A lot of development is taking place in the country. Wherever we drove, one could see newly built highways, malls, bridges and buildings under construction. Power stations and electricity plants were coming up all over the place. So, if you have a lot of money and wonder where to invest it, head to Kurdistan.

Members of the delegation are seen discussing various issues on the plane en route to Erbil.

The view of Erbil from atop.

Streets and shops inside the Citadel.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

IKEA Kuwait delivers fresh approach with new campaign

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

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hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! Let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

Announcements

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KEA Kuwait recently launched its new “Living with Textiles” campaign for customers looking to revitalize their living room environment or change it completely while also serving new home owners. The campaign, which started on January 1, aims at educating the public about using textiles to breathe a new life to a home or bring an old favorite back to life.

An extensive array of textiles and fabrics are displayed at the IKEA Kuwait store in an innovative way to deliver inspiration for individuals planning their home and furniture. One does not have to think big in order to bring new life to the house, but

rather use the small and fast techniques in items such as curtains, beddings, linen, rugs, pillows and blankets in an original and fresh way to give the home more warmth and comfort.

IKEA Kuwait focuses on textiles and their importance while also emphasizing on creativity and full utilization of a range of product collections to deliver a personalized feeling across its customers’ houses.

Part of IKEA Kuwait’s ethos is to help its individuals express and build a home that reflects their personalities through colorful and inventive textiles that are zestful and filled with promise of new life and its endless possibilities.

An exhilarating evening of pure magic

Shirva feast

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hirva Welfare Association Kuwait (SWAK) will be celebrating their Shirva Parish feast-2013 here in Kuwait. On this occasion there will be a mass offered at 9.15 am on February 8, 2013 at the Holy Family Cathedral. Kuwait and the celebration / gettogether with a of variety entertainment programme will he held from 4:30 pm - 9 pm on the same day at the Indian Community School, Salmiya. SWAK members or their children who would like to participate in the variety entertainment programme and show their talent are requested to contact any of the SWAK committee members listed below to avail the opportunity before January 10, 2013. Likewise if any of members children have excelled in academics or any other extra curricular activities in the past 1 year will be appreciated and hence are requested to inform any of the SWAK committee members listed below before the 10th of January.

Last date for enrollment in the talent show is January 15, 2013.

Arabic courses

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WARE will begin Winter 1 Arabic language courses with new textbooks and curricula on from December 2, 2012 until January 24, 2013. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed & courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. For more information or registration, please log-on to our website.

Goan Culinary Club

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he Goan Culinary Club - Goa encourages you to log on to their website where you can find a video of Odette and Joe Mascarenhas sharing their thoughts on Goan cuisine. These videos were recorded at the launch of the Goan Culinary Club in Goa on March 3, 2012. Thanks to support from all at the Goan Culinary Club, we have made great progress in six months.

Basketball Academy

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he new Premier Basketball Academy offers coaching and games every Friday and Saturday from 10 am onwards for 6 to 18 year olds, boys and girls. Located in Bayan Block 7, Masjed Al-Aqsa Street by Abdullah Al-Rujaib High School. Free Basketball and Tee Shirts for all participants, with certificates and special awards on completion of each 6 week course. Qualified and experienced British and American Coaches, Everyone Welcome.

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he Silver Jubilee celebrations of Nritta Dhyana, the school for Indian classical dance were held with great pomp & festivity on January 18, 2013 at the Marina Hall, Jleeb AlShuyoukh. The Director of Nritta Dhyana, Sujatha Rajendran deserves accolades for carrying forward the high standards she has received from her masters. The evening started with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp and the release of the souvenir brought out on the occasion. The souvenir was a testimonial of the experience of several students who were touched by the magic of dance imparted by Sujatha.

The program commenced with Ganesha Stuti - a very elegant and graceful Mohiniattam performance in all its finery presented by senior students

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Kitchen Rock Band music

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itchen Rock’s Valentine program on February 15 at Asia Asia Royal Hall, Al-Watiya Complex, Kuwait City, 7pm onwards. Enjoy the New Version band, Selda band and Freefall band.

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

hair to the tips of the little toe as visualized in Madhurashtakam. This was beautifully portrayed by Ahana, Adhira, Divya and Reshmi. The centrepiece of the dance recital, Varnam, dedicated to Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam, was a visual treat for the connoisseurs of the art lovers of Kuwait. The synchronization of the group was incredible to watch. This Varnam was a composition of Rangaswamy Nattuvanar in ragam Nattakurinji set to adi talam, where the ability of a dancer was put to test.

The poems of the Mahakavi Bharatiar which were presented in an ensemble with the various elements from classical to folk was the highlight of the evening.

Nithya Nagarajan, an alumni of Nritta Dhyana, who has pursued dance as her career also performed a padam. Bho

Shambho, a composition of Swami Dayananda Saraswathy and the Keerthanam, Devi Neeye Thunai were very pleasing to the eyes.

A pulsating presentation of the highly energetic thillana in Sankarabharam was a fitting finale to the evening The audience were captivated and mesmerized but forced themselves to leave with a promise from Sujatha and her disciples that they will bring more evenings like this to satisfy the urge to see such pure entertainment for the soul. A dedicated and committed teacher, Sujatha has nurtured dancers to appreciate the intricacies of the classical art forms, respect its integrity and strive for excellence in their performances. The students performed with enthusiasm and passion.

Buntara Sangha Kuwait elects new office-bearers for 2013

APAK Xmas-New Year celebration

ngamaly Pravasi Association Kuwait (APAK) will conduct its Christmas and New Year celebrations on February 1, 2013 Friday at Abbassiya United Indian School Auditorium from 5:30 pm - 10 pm. The meeting will be chaired by the Advisory Board Chairman Jacob Pynadath in the presence of President Bacon Joseph, Secretary Martin Kurian, Treasurer Sajeev Paul and other famous personalities in Kuwait. Various programs will be followed like Christmas Carol and Orchestra by the members and children to make the event colourful. All Angamaly constituency residents residing in Kuwait are kindly requested to attend with their family, friends and neighbours to make this event a memorable one.

of Nritta Dhyana. This was followed by Natyanjali in Ragamalika and Talamalika where the dancers paid obeisance in the Bharatnatyam style.

It was a pleasure to watch the little ones on stage next, who were having their arangetram (1st stage appearance). They performed items like Alarippu, Ganesha Kauthvam, Jathiswaram, Sabdam and so on. The participants were as young as six years and they all displayed a maturity and innocence which left the audience enthralled. Every Mudra and moves were executed with great clarity and perfection. To rightly put it, it was like poetry in motion with the entry and exit of little angels.

The little Lord Krishna is sweetness personified from the tips of his curly

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untara Sangha Kuwait held its Annual General body meeting on Friday, January 11, 2013. The program commenced with a prayer followed by the traditional lighting of lamp by the managing committee. Welcome address was given by Vice President Soma ShekarRai. Jaysheel Shetty, General Secretary, presented the annual report highlighting the various cultural and social activities organized in the past year. Treasurer Sadanda Adyanthaaya briefed about the income and expenditure of the sangha for the year. The managing committee felicitated the few newly married couple without dowry as part of social commitment of the association. The managing committee honored all the sub-committee members and also other adults and kids who participated in the various cultural programs. The outgoing President Sathishchandra Shetty Nakre extended gratitude to all the members for the yearlong cooperation and support as well as the warm response in contribution to welfare activities to serve the needy under HEMA (Health, Education, Marriage Assistance) scheme.

Chandrahas Shetty, the designated election officer briefed over the nomination of the managing committee for the year 2013. The following office bearers were declared to have been elected to serve as office bearers for the year 2013.

President: Umesh Shetty Adve Vice President: Shanker Shetty PaduKudoor Gen Secretary: Vishwanath Shetty Treasurer: Vivekkumar Shetty Cultural Secretary: Shalini Yadunath

Alva Sports Secretary: Praveen Kumar Shetty PRO: Sujaya Rajesh Shetty The new managing committee members introduced themselves and affirmed their commitment to serve the association to the best of their abilities in co-operation with all the members. After the delicious lunch by Oriental Restaurant, lively cultural programs entertained the mem-

bers. Dr M K Subhash, one of the finest and popular singers in Kuwait mesmerized the audience with his beautiful rendering of the popular classical song Shankarabharanam”. Preetha, Sandhya, Laxmi and Nalini along with Dr Subash also entertained the audience with some melodious Kannada and Hindi songs. spectacular dance programs were performed by JovasXInc, Breakhouse,

The dancing divas, Kuchipudi and Dhoom Dance group. Finally the evening was capped by some electrifying Bhangra group dances and concluded with the Indian national anthem. The vote of thanks was given by Jaysheel Shetty. The program was well anchored

by Sandesh Shetty and Prithvi Shetty.

Cultural program was coordinated by Shalini Alva.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

Voting opens for Landmark Group’s ‘Art Olympiad’ competition

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. � � � ��� � �

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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andmark Group Kuwait announced voting for “Art Olympiad 2013” is now open to public. The 50 shortlisted drawings have been put up online on the Landmark Group Facebook page for public to vote. This year students were provided with themes including Design Your Own Living Room, Graffiti, Your favorite Cartoon Character, Kuwait Liberation Day etc. and the selected ones were judged on the basis of creativity, workmanship, overall impression and relevance to the theme to enter the online voting process.

Now in its sixth year, this year’s competition is the first to be online and has seen a smooth mechanism where all the drawings were collected by Landmark management and then shortlisted for final winner selection. The competition has seen an impressive number of sub-

missions with more than 160 entries from 16 different schools, reflecting the continued interest in art within the community and the role of this initiative for young emerging artists. The Art Olympiad VI facebook page will be live for a period of three weeks only till February 16, 2013, public are encouraged to go online (https://www.facebook.com/cplmg) and vote for the best drawing in the respective category. One can gain more votes by encouraging family and friends to vote as well.

Saibal Basu, Chief Operating Officer of Landmark Group, Kuwait said, “Supporting and nurturing the artistic talents of emerging artists across the community is the main aim of this competition. The huge volume of entries year on year shows us that the art community is thriving and remains a passion

for many children. The standard of drawings this year has once again escalated and the drawings put up online showcases the diversity of art forms and young budding artists that are present in Kuwait.”

The final selection for winners will be based on 50 percent votes and 50 percent judge’s scores comprising of well renowned Kuwaiti artists Asad Bunashi and Maha Al-Mansoor. The winners together with all the representatives of participating schools will be invited for the prize awarding ceremony which will take place around the third week of Feb 2013.

This year the competition took place simultaneously in all 16 participating schools with Landmark Group representatives present at every school to supervise the event. Themes were provided to

the students of age categories (9-11 years) and (12-14 years). All drawings were collected by the representatives and a total of the best 25 drawings in each category were shortlisted.

The participating schools for this year’s Olympiad were: British School of Kuwait, Canadian Bilingual School, Carmel School, Fahaheel Al-Watanieh Indian Private School Ahmadi, Indian Community School Khaitan, Indian Educational School Jleeb, Indian English Academy School - Don Bosco, Indian Learners Own Academy, The English School Fahaheel, Kuwait American School Salmiya, Kuwait International English School, Lycee Francais Du Koweit, Salmiya Indian Model School, The English School Salmiya , Dasman Model School and Al-Ghanim Bilingual School.

Red Bull X- Fighters Jams in front of Kuwait Towers

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uckle up and get ready as the Red Bull XFighters Jams will be landing soon in Kuwait. Friday February 15, 2013 at 7:30 pm, the best motocross freestyle show in the world will take place at the iconic Kuwait Towers.

Four International riders Nick Franklin, from New Zealand, Martin Koren from Czech Republic, Chris Brock from England and Gill Dejong from Belgium will rock the place and produce a jawdropping show full of big air-tricks executed with scientific precision.

The Red Bull X-Fighters Jams is a series of exhibitions worldwide that offers thousands of people around the globe the opportunity to witness the best freestyle motocross action in the world. The event sponsored by Nissan/AlBabtain and held under the cooperation of the Kuwait Quarter Mile Club often leaves people rubbing their eyes in disbelief at the tricks on show.

The Red Bull X-Fighters Jams in Kuwait will be hosted by famous Lebanese TV presenter Michel Kazzi, better known as Micho, and will also host the best stunt riding show in the world performed by world champion Chris Pfeiffer who will show some amazing ground shots that emulate the aerial shows which defy the gravity laws.

Nick Franklin hails out of New Zealand and grew up on a farm just outside of Tokoroa on the northern island. After annoying his parents to get him a motorbike to rip around their Tokoroa farm as a 10-year-old, Nick has been seldom off the two-wheeled beasts, unless he’s flying through the air with barely a fingertip between him and the bike. After years riding motocross bikes in junior competitions and one thing led to another and eventually built his own ramp at his parents’ farm.

Martin immigrated to the USA with his family as a little kid, where he grew up and threw his leg over a motorcycle for the first time. At 13 he returned with his family to the Czech Republic, where he started his mx racing career. Inspired by the first American freestyle motocross video’s like roots of steel and crusty demons, and found his passion in big air and tricks. Martin got started in FMX in 2003 and never turned back.

Gilles “Baton” Dejong started riding FMX after Jimmy Verburgh asked him to come over to the FMX4EVER compound and try to jump a ramp.

By that time Gilles was already rated as one of the Belgium’s most talented MX riders and the challenge of hitting the ramp should have posed no problem. In 2006, he was ready for his new challenge and promised Jimmy at the Dortmund SX party to finally visit him for his first ramp jumps.

Chris Brock is not one of your average FMX riders that you will meet today on the courses.

He is 100 percent attitude and definitely one punk you don’t want to mess with. Or try to and see for yourself... you will probably get a spit in the face or a call out of words that will but you into place. On the bike, he is the definition of style and lives through every single trick. The only constant flipper in Britain is a talent for all alternative sports and kills it on a BMX, skate and surf board. The event which will take place on February 15 at the Iconic Kuwait Towers will start at 7:30 and is free for public.

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EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on short-stay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. � � � ��� � �

EMBASSY OF 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. � � � ��� � �

My McDonald’s smartphone competition announces 2nd week winners

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he second week’s winners of My McDonald’s smartphone photography contest are: Archimedes Ricafort (1st place), Kawthar Hussein (2nd place), and Haya Al-Marjan (3rd place).

“My McDonald’s” is a one month photography competition open to all individuals in the State of Kuwait to participate in, and is a platform showcasing creativity and talent in photography by using digital or smart-phone cameras to capture how a McDonald’s moment is seen through their eyes. Next week will be the final for the smartphone photography contest.

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.

Kuwait Carnatic Music Forum Thyagaraja program

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n January 31, 6:30 pm onwards, NJ Nandini disciple of Bombay Jayasree who sang the title song in the Oscar nominated movie Life of Pi and winner of Ragarathnam program Amrutha TV classical music competition; accompanying artistes: Kanchi Kamakodi Pitham asthana vidwan Karunagappalli S Balamurali on violin; Kanchi Kamakodi Pitham asthana vidwan Perunna G Harikumar on mridangam; Gireesh Sundareshan on ganchira; Vazhappalli G Anil kumar on ghatam; and Manoj Mavelikkara on morshankh will perform. Full day classical music program on Feb 1 9 am - 4.30 pm. Participants: music students and devotees. Pancharathna keerthanaalapanam at 5 pm at the Indian Community School Salmiya (senior girls). All are welcome.

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stars CROSSWORD 83

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) ARIES Young people surround you today and you will enjoy guiding them in their activities. Loved ones, children and other people or things dear to your heart are emphasized at this time. Being appreciated and admired for your gifts and talents are powerful needs. Taking chances can bring big rewards. Responsibilities may balance out the remainder of the day. An important friendship is growing and you will find mutual interests will bring you even closer. There are fun times for communicating back and forth with ideas and shared interests can have you talking for hours. You can be one of the most exciting companions and your respect for others along with your attention to their needs is probably all that one could ever ask.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) As a lover of freedom and liberty you may be creating music, poetry or some other sort of writing today. You will find that if you stick with this for a time you will be able to have some great results—possibly a profitable piece of art. You could also come up with new solutions or inventions today. Some interruptions may occur—but the sooner you learn to work with the interruptions, the faster you will see results. You may be in a rare mood of self-enjoyment and can appreciate your own better qualities.

You may have much compassion for an older person in your family. You will find the work you have done towards better health is taking hold now and your level of energy is improved. Your loved ones notice and enjoy your positive presence.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. A room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter.

4. Source of a wood mentioned frequently in the Bible.

11. A deep orange-red variety of chalcedony.

15. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

16. The quantity contained in (or the capacity of) a tank or tanks.

17. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

18. A pilgrimage to Mecca.

19. An ancient city on the Nile in Egypt.

20. Relating to or characteristic of or occurring on land.

21. Of or relating to or characteristic of a czar.

23. Wet through and through.

25. A state of extreme confusion and disorder.

28. A state in the western United States.

29. A hard brittle blue-white multivalent metallic element.

31. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

32. (Jungian psychology) The inner self (not the external persona) that is in touch with the unconscious.

34. An involuntary spasm of ineffectual vomiting.

36. A workplace for the conduct of scientific research.

38. (folklore) A small grotesque supernatural creature that makes trouble for human beings.

41. United States tennis player who was the first Black to win United States and English singles championships (1943-1993).

42. French cabaret singer (1915-1963).

46. Japanese ornamental tree with fragrant white or pink blossoms and small yellow fruits.

48. City in Sudan.

50. In bed.

51. Found along western Atlantic coast.

53. Of deserts of northern Africa and southern Asia.

55. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

56. A genus of Vespertilionidae.

58. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

59. Relating to or containing the azo radical.

61. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

64. Dwarf shrub.

68. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily.

70. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

72. A plant hormone promoting elongation of stems and roots.

73. (sports) With hand brought forward and up from below shoulder level.

76. (Babylonian) The sky god.

77. An advanced law degree.

78. The amount of electromagnetic radiation leaving or arriving at a point on a surface.

79. The number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros.

80. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

81. The father of your father or mother.

82. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.

DOWN 1. The basic unit of money in Thailand.

2. By bad luck.

3. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar.

4. Characterized by dignity and propriety.

5. An angry disturbance.

6. An insect or other arthropod between molts.

7. A knockout declared by the referee who judges one boxer unable to continue.

8. Pulled or drawn tight.

9. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

10. United States puppeteer who created a troupe of puppet characters (1936-1990).

11. A deep bow.

12. Any of various strong liquors distilled from the fermented sap of toddy palms or from fermented molasses.

13. Re-establish on a new, usually improved, basis or make new or like new.

14. An informal term for a father.

22. Reconnaissance (by shortening).

24. (Norse mythology) Ruler of the Aesir.

26. A constitutional monarchy in southeastern Asia on Borneo and the Malay Peninsula.

27. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

30. A net or mesh foundation for lace.

33. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

35. Coming next after the second and just before the fourth in position.

37. (old-fashioned) At or from or to a great distance.

39. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

40. English monk and scholar (672-735).

43. A ruler of the Inca Empire (or a member of his family).

44. Small European freshwater fish with a slender bluish-green body.

45. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

47. A city of south central Germany.

49. A popular tourist area in northwestern England including England's largest lake and highest mountain.

52. A man who is the lover of a girl or young woman.

54. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

57. Hungarian playwright (1878-1952).

60. A mug intended for serving beer.

62. (of complexion) Blemished by imperfections of the skin.

63. A measuring instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity or for testing conformity with a standard.

65. Exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health.

66. Avatar of Vishnu.

67. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

69. Type genus of the family Arcidae.

71. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

74. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

75. A master's degree in education.

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

What you thought you wanted is not as important as you once used to think. Just appreciating where you are and what you have is the thinking today. Relationships are keys to emotional satisfaction now. Sometimes, however, you get so involved in your tasks that you forget to laugh or joke or to observe the wildlife in your area. Take some time to be with nature today—perhaps while you are walking a dog or walking for exercise. Breathe in some fresh air and enjoy the moment—whether you are with someone or not. You have discipline and you are not afraid to be challenged— personal or business. It is okay to say no when you feel you are already involved in enough responsibilities—others could follow your example. Tonight is magic.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Harmony and beauty are what you strive for today—you may decide to consider a plan for home or neighborhood landscaping—perhaps you will be planting bulbs for spring. Friends may enjoy your company this afternoon; however, you will need to take the back seat and let others express their opinions. You can draw on the passion and ideas of others at this time. Enlightenment through your relationships is the key to emotional satisfaction. Harmony and beauty are deeply satisfying—and the lack of them can be emotionally disturbing. You are one of those wonderful people that feel; regardless of what you have already learned, there is always room to expand and grow. Marriage and other partnerships could be a key arena for your passion today.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Making a good impression and putting your best foot forward take on a greater importance as a new cycle begins. Appearances and style may count more than substance. Romance, the arts and others of life’s pleasures seem to take center stage now. If you want to win someone’s attention today, you will find positive results. Reach for the brass ring—grab the merry-go-round ring. Whatever you are planning, today will be successful. You are in the mood to be expressive, insightful, creative and lighthearted.

Everything seems to bring out your unique qualities. There are opportunities to join your friends this afternoon—perhaps a play or movie. Afterward, there is much talk about how the movie or play relates to each person’s personal life.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) There may be a new system of communication between family or roommates now. Everyone in your living area may be quite busy today. Domestic problems cannot be ignored for too long. In order for everyone’s living space to run smoothly, you may want to initiate family or roommate meetings once a month. You will have a better grasp of expectations and may even gain some insight. A keen interest in what makes things tick may find you inventing the latest shortcut to wherever or whatever.

Others may tease you because you have dreams and a highly creative mind. The pay for your hard work may be slow in coming but you will certainly receive acknowledgment.

The poorest of all men is the man without a dream.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) You may discover there is enough money this month to use toward the updating of furniture or painting your house. When people visit you, they rarely want to leave. You create warmth that brings people in out of the cold. Elegance and family ties are the keys to emotional satisfaction for you. Harmony and beauty are deeply satisfying—and the lack of them can be emotionally disquieting. You demonstrate to others the feelings that our capacity to be happy and useful cannot truly be hampered by external conditions. Continue to seek happiness from the inside. Laughter is more fun with two. There is talk of wanting to adopt an animal. Romantic opportunities are pleasant this evening. Perhaps a romantic dinner out could be enjoyed.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Harmony is important to you and having clean surroundings will contribute to those feelings. You may feel a push to clean clothes—do some mending—pick up around the house or work on your car. This is a busy but productive and rewarding day. You may find yourself being put to good use by your friends this afternoon. There are some wonderful opportunities to deepen a friendship. Deep and serious conversations along with funny anecdotes can be shared. A serious matter can also be tended to today. A situation with some budgeting problems can turn in to a compromise.

You have a clear vision into your own inner sense of values, how you appreciate and love.

This is a good time to examine and think about what is important and of lasting value.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Caution while exercising today is a wise move. Warm up before exercising and try walking instead of running, pushing instead of pulling, twisting instead of lifting, etc. Removing stress through exercise is important and caution is necessary in order to avoid pulling muscles. A domestic situation may call for you to intervene with your more commonsense qualities. You will be able to settle some confusion and simplify some matters today. This is a time to broaden your horizons both intellectually and spiritually. There are plenty of professional opportunities in teaching, education, publishing, broadcasting, legal and political interests and advertising, if you are looking for them. Some sort of entertainment can be enjoyed this evening—perhaps the stars.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Your creative side is showing and you could be staining furniture, building some gizmo in the garage or designing some new thing or other. When you allow your creative self to have expression, you will probably find it easier to be involved in life and life’s decisions. You and a loved one will come up with some ideas that will have some long-lasting effects on the family—think carefully! A short trip to the country—weather permitting—may be enjoyed by the whole family this afternoon. The energies of the universe are working in favor of an attitude change that affords outward thinking. Spread your wings and try new skills. Be encouraged to discard limiting ideas.

Do not allow false limitations to undermine your dreams.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This morning there may be a situation that could present a test of faith. The inquisition and the purging of the superficial are the issues that take hold at the very roots of your existence. This is a kind of spiritual or philosophical time. Ultimate answers come from far away. After lunch and perhaps out with friends, you may feel like really joining in the laughter and camaraderie. There is a lot of pleasure in the simple things. You could find ways to spend your money today but take care that you do not indulge too much for now. You could sway someone around to your way of thinking later this afternoon—perhaps that friend gone astray. Only some of us learn by other people’s mistakes; the rest of us have to be the other people. You have a grateful heart.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Everything conspires to reveal you at your most elegant, particularly in social situations. You will have a grasp for abstract and spiritual ideas and the ability to present or communicate these to others. You could be teaching a Sundayschool class or attending a spiritual meeting today. Refinement and relationships are the keys to emotional satisfaction for you now. Harmony and beauty are deeply satisfying— the lack of them can be disconcerting. If you are female, you and a close friend will have fun trading clothes, comparing taste, giving each other facials and generally just hanging out together. If you are male, you will find much talk and games of chance quite a lot of fun. Close special ties to other people are a focal point for your feelings.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 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 TATE T OF KUW K WA AIT

Tel.: e 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GEN GENERAL OF CIVIL AVIA V AT TION METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A DA AY: Y Sunday

27/01/2013

BY Y NIGHT:

Viisibility isib decreases due to fog and with light variable wind changing to light to moderate south easterly wind, with speed of 10 - 30 km/h with a chance for rain that might be thundery at times

BY Y DA AY:

Partly cloudy with light to moderate freshening gradually at times south easterly wind, with speed of 15 - 40 km/h causing raising dust with a chance for rain

WARNING A

A decrease in visibility visib

16 °C

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

22 °C

14 °C

NUW WA AISEEB

24 °C

18 °C

WA AFRA

25 °C

15 °C

SALMI

23 °C

15 °C

25746401

ABDAL LY

22 °C

13 °C

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YA AH

21 °C

14 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FA AILAKA

20 °C

16 °C

AHMADI POR RT

20 °C

18 °C

QARUH ISLAND

20 °C

19 °C

UMM AL-MA-

20 °C

19 °C

W Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Omariya

24719048

N Khaitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

ST TATION T

SFC. CHART

27/01/2013 1200 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA AT TE

WEA ATHER T

Monday

28/01

Tuesday

29/01

Weednesday

30/01

Thursday

31/01

Wind Speed

Wind Direction

MAX.

MIN.

partly cloudy + scattered rain+ raising dust

24 °C

14 °C

SE

15 - 40 km/h

unstable

20 °C

15 °C

SE-NW

25 - 50 km/h

cool + scattered clouds

18 °C

09 °C

NW-N

12 - 35 km/h

partly cloudy + scattered rain

20 °C

11 °C

SE

25 - 45 km/h

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

PRA AYER Y TIMES Fajr

05:18

MAX. Temp.

Sunrise

06:40

MIN. Temp.

22 °C 17 °C

Zuhr

12:01

MAX. RH

83 %

Asr

15:01

MIN. RH

Sunset

17:22

MAX. Wind

Isha

18:41

TOT TA AL L RA AINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

56 % NE 39 km/h 00 mm

27/01/13 15:00 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 Weather e 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

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 Untamed & Uncut 01:45 Tigers Attack 02:35 Animal Cops Philadelphia 03:25 Wildest Latin America 04:15 Untamed China With Nigel Marven 05:05 Sharkman 05:55 Animal Cops Philadelphia 06:45 Wildest Latin America 07:35 Wildlife SOS 08:00 The Really Wild Show 08:25 Bad Dog 09:15 Dogs 101 10:10 Baby Planet 11:05 Wildest Islands 12:00 Animal Cops Philadelphia 12:55 Call Of The Wildman 13:20 Wildlife SOS 13:50 Clinically Wild: Alaska 14:15 Clinically Wild: Alaska 14:45 Animal Precinct 15:40 Wildest Islands 16:35 Animal Battlegrounds 17:00 The Really Wild Show 17:30 Dogs 101 18:25 Crocodile Hunter 19:20 Too Cute!

20:15 Monkey Life 20:40 Bondi Vet 21:10 Call Of The Wildman 21:35 Animal Battlegrounds 22:05 Wildest Islands 23:00 Karina: Wild On Safari

00:10 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 01:30 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 02:20 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 03:05 Antiques Roadshow 08:15 Trish’s Mediterranean Kitchen 08:40 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 09:30 The Boss Is Coming To Dinner 10:20 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 11:10 The Boss Is Coming To Dinner 11:35 The Boss Is Coming To Dinner 11:55 Bargain Hunt 12:40 Antiques Roadshow 13:30 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 14:10 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 14:35 The Hairy Bikers Ride Again 15:05 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 15:50 Bargain Hunt 16:35 Antiques Roadshow 17:25 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 18:05 Britain’s Dream Homes 19:00 Trish’s Mediterranean Kitchen 19:25 Trish’s Mediterranean Kitchen 19:50 Rhodes Across Italy 20:35 Come Dine With Me: South Africa

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

Popeye Wacky Races Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Flintstones The Jetsons What’s New Scooby Doo? Taz-Mania The Looney Tunes Show Tom & Jerry Tales Dexter’s Laboratory Moomins Dexter’s Laboratory Dexter’s Laboratory Baby Looney Tunes Jelly Jamm Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Ha Ha Hairies Tom & Jerry Kids A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Puppy In My Pocket Wacky Races Looney Tunes Duck Dodgers Popeye Top Cat The Flintstones Dastardly And Muttley

13:00 13:15 13:40 13:55 14:20 14:35 14:50 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:40 19:05 19:30 19:45 20:00 20:15 20:30 20:55 21:20

Ha Ha Hairies Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Cartoonito Tales Moomins Dexter’s Laboratory Johnny Bravo Tom & Jerry Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show What’s New Scooby-Doo? Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry Tales The Looney Tunes Show Taz-Mania Moomins Pink Panther & Pals The Garfield Show Jelly Jamm Ha Ha Hairies Gerald McBoing Boing Baby Looney Tunes Bananas In Pyjamas

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

02:45 Foster’s Home For...

03:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 04:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 04:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Powerpuff Girls 05:40 Generator Rex 06:05 Ben 10 06:30 Ben 10 06:55 Angelo Rules 07:00 Casper’s Scare School 07:30 Casper’s Scare School 08:00 Mucha Lucha 08:25 Johnny Test 08:45 Regular Show 09:05 Total Drama Action 09:30 Total Drama Action 09:55 Ben 10: Omniverse 10:20 Young Justice 10:45 Thundercats 11:10 Adventure Time 12:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 12:50 Foster’s Home For...

13:15 Foster’s Home For...

13:40 Courage The Cowardly Dog 14:30 Powerpuff Girls 15:20 Angelo Rules 16:10 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 16:35 Young Justice 17:00 Ben 10: Omniverse 17:20 Johnny Test 18:00 Level Up 18:25 The Amazing World Of Gumball 18:50 Adventure Time 19:15 Regular Show 19:40 Mucha Lucha 20:05 Total Drama Action 20:30 Total Drama Action 20:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 21:20 Young Justice 21:45 Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge 22:10 Grim Adventures Of...

23:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien

00:00 Born To Kill 01:00 Born To Kill 02:00 Snapped: Women Who Kill 03:00 Born To Kill 04:00 Murder Casebook With Fred Dinenage 05:00 Born To Kill 06:00 Evil Up Close 07:00 Curious & Unusual Deaths 08:00 The FBI Files 09:00 Psychic Detectives 09:30 Psychic Detectives 10:00 Crime Stories 11:00 Snapped: Women Who Kill 11:30 Snapped: Women Who Kill 12:00 Born To Kill 13:00 Murder Casebook With Fred

Dinenage 14:00 Curious & Unusual Deaths 14:30 Curious & Unusual Deaths 15:00 Vanished With Beth Holloway 16:00 The FBI Files 17:00 Psychic Detectives 17:30 Psychic Detectives 18:00 Crime Stories

00:40 Body Invaders 01:35 Body Invaders 07:00 Mythbusters 07:50 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 08:45 You Have Been Warned 09:40 Border Security 10:05 Auction Kings 10:30 Auction Kings 10:55 How Stuff Works 11:25 How It’s Made 11:50 Fast N’ Loud 12:45 One Car Too Far 13:40 Wheeler Dealers 14:35 Border Security 15:05 Auction Kings 15:30 Auction Kings 16:00 Bionic Builders 16:55 You Have Been Warned 17:50 Mythbusters 18:45 Sons Of Guns 19:40 How Stuff Works 20:05 How It’s Made 20:35 Auction Kings 21:00 Auction Kings 21:30 Gold Rush 22:25 Gold Divers 23:20 Around The World In 80 Ways

DISCOVERY HD SHOWCASE 00:40 Chasing Classic Cars 03:50 Sci-Trek 05:30 Science Of The Movies 08:00 Sunrise Earth 08:55 Deadliest Catch 09:40 River Monsters 10:30 Science Of The Movies 11:15 Circus 12:05 How Do They Do It? 12:30 Street Customs 13:15 Deadliest Catch 14:05 River Monsters 14:50 Ultimate Journeys 15:35 Chasing Classic Cars 16:00 Chasing Classic Cars 16:25 Mythbusters 17:10 Science Of The Movies 18:00 Inventions That Shook The World 18:50 Building The Future 19:40 Ultimate Journeys 20:30 Chasing Classic Cars 20:55 Chasing Classic Cars 21:20 Circus 22:10 Science Of The Movies 23:00 Inventions That Shook The World 23:50 Building The Future

00:30 Dirty Soap 01:30 Chelsea Lately 02:00 Live From The Red Carpet 04:00 Live From The Red Carpet 06:00 Live From The Red Carpet 08:00 Live From The Red Carpet 10:00 E!es 11:00 E!es 12:00 Live From The Red Carpet 14:00 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 14:30 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:00 Style Star 15:30 THS 16:30 A-List Listings 17:00 Live From The Red Carpet 19:00 E!es 20:00 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:00 Opening Act 22:00 Live From The Red Carpet

STREET KINGS 2- MOTOR CITY ON OSN ACTION HD

00:15 Unwrapped 00:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:30 Heat Seekers 01:55 Food Network Challenge 02:45 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:10 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:35 Unwrapped 04:00 Unwrapped 04:20 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:50 United Tastes Of America 05:15 Unique Eats 05:40 Chopped 06:30 Iron Chef America 07:10 Unwrapped 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 Hungry Girl 11:45 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 12:10 United Tastes Of America 12:35 Unwrapped 13:00 Iron Chef America 13:50 Tyler’s Ultimate 14:15 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 14:40 Everyday Italian 15:05 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 15:30 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 15:55 Hungry Girl 16:20 United Tastes Of America 16:45 Chopped 17:35 Barefoot Contessa - 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 Andy Bates American Street Feasts

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

Deadly Affairs Ghost Lab Dr. G: Medical Examiner Reel Crime/Real Story I Almost Got Away With It Deadly Affairs Ghost Lab Dr. G: Medical Examiner Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

True Crime With Aphrodite

Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill

01:35 03:15 04:45 06:20 08:05 09:35 11:10 12:45 14:10 15:40 17:10 18:40 20:05 22:00 23:40 23:55

Hendrix Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings Bulletproof Theater Of Blood Return To Macon County In The Custody Of Strangers In The Shadow Of A Killer Hunter: Back In Force Shark!

Grow Old Along With Me Vigilante Force Savage Harvest Mac The Tenth Man Mgm’s Big Screen The Good Wife

Murder Shift Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Forensic Detectives True Crime With Aphrodite Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Murder Shift Disappeared Forensic Detectives Street Patrol True Crime With Aphrodite

00:15 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 00:45 Ultimate Traveller 01:40 On Hannibal Trail 02:05 The Green Way Up 02:35 Street Food Around The World 03:00 Market Values 03:30 Travel Oz 03:55 Graham’s World 04:25 On The Camino De Santiago 04:50 On The Camino De Santiago 05:20 A World Apart 06:15 Food School 06:40 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 07:10 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 07:35 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 08:05 Ultimate Traveller 09:00 On Hannibal Trail 09:25 The Green Way Up 09:55 Street Food Around The World 10:20 Market Values 10:50 Travel Oz 11:15 Graham’s World 11:45 On The Camino De Santiago 12:10 On The Camino De Santiago 12:40 A World Apart 13:35 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:30 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 14:55 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 1 15:25 Ultimate Traveller 16:20 The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia 16:45 The Green Way Up 17:15 Roam 17:40 Market Values

00:00 Family Guns (Aka Family Combat) 01:00 Inside World War II 02:00 Rescue Ink 03:00 The Border 04:00 Mega Bridges 05:00 Hunter Hunted 06:00 The Border 07:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr 08:00 Family Guns (Aka Family Combat) 09:00 Inside World War II 10:00 Rescue Ink 11:00 The Border 12:00 My Brilliant Brain 13:00 In The Womb 14:00 The Border 15:00 Nat Geo Amazing!

16:00 Family Guns (Aka Family Combat) 17:00 Inside World War II 18:00 Rescue Ink 19:00 Untamed Americas 20:00 Engineering Connections 21:00 Hunter Hunted

00:00 Lion Warrior 01:00 Hunter Hunted 01:55 Great Migrations 02:50 Animal Superpowers 03:45 Built for the Kill 04:40 Swamp Men 05:35 Animals Of Brazil 06:00 Animals Of Brazil 06:30 Great Migrations 07:25 Animal Superpowers 08:20 Built for the Kill 09:15 Big Cat Wars (aka Lion vs Cheetah) 10:10 Africa’s Lost Eden 11:05 Crimes Against Nature 12:00 Brutal Killers 13:00 Wild Mississippi 14:00 Night Stalkers 15:00 Built for the Kill 16:00 Killer Dragons 17:00 Crocs Of Katuma 18:00 Crimes Against Nature 19:00 Monster Fish 20:00 Animal Superpowers 21:00 Built for the Kill

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

Sanctum-18 Street Kings 2: Motor City-18 Barricade-PG15 Go Fast-PG15 Season Of The Witch-PG15 Restitution-PG15 True Justice: Angel Of DeathSeason Of The Witch-PG15 Unknown-PG15 True Justice: Angel Of DeathCarriers-PG15 The Payback-18

01:00 Marion Jones: Press Pause 02:00 Once Brothers-PG15 03:30 Golden Christmas 3-PG15 05:00 Sammy’s Adventure: The Secret Passage-FAM 07:00 Certain Prey-PG15 09:00 Golden Christmas 3-PG15 11:00 Horrid Henry-PG 13:00 Quest For Zhu-PG 15:00 The Third Wave-PG15 17:00 An Invisible Sign Of My Own 19:00 Vampires Suck-PG15 21:00 Bel Ami-18 23:00 How I Spent My Summer Vacation-PG15

00:00 Breaking In 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Angry Boys 02:00 American Dad 02:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 03:00 Last Man Standing 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 Two And A Half Men 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Seinfeld 13:30 Samantha Who? 15:00 Two And A Half Men 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Seinfeld 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Last Man Standing 19:00 How I Met Your Mother 20:30 Wilfred 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 Angry Boys 22:30 Unsupervised 23:00 The Ricky Gervais Show

A DANGEROUS METHOD ON OSN MOVIES HD

00:00 Big Fat Important Movie02:00 Extract-PG15 06:00 Wayne’s World 2-PG15 08:00 Below The Beltway-PG15 10:00 12 Dates Of Christmas-PG15 14:00 Rebound-PG 16:00 12 Dates Of Christmas-PG15 18:00 It’s Kind Of A Funny StoryPG15 20:00 Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy-PG15 22:00 Analyze That-PG15

00:45 Anna And The King-PG15 03:15 Bruc-PG15 04:45 Hindenburg-PG15 07:45 Alabama Moon-PG15 09:30 Soldier Love Story-PG15 11:00 George Harrison: Living In The Material World-PG15 14:30 Evita-PG 16:45 Soldier Love Story-PG15 18:30 Seabiscuit-PG15 21:00 Mutum-PG15 22:45 Restless-PG15

01:00 The Romantics-PG15 03:00 Lorenzo’s Oil-PG15 05:15 African Cats: Kingdom Of Courage-PG 06:45 The Way-PG15 09:00 My Girlfriend’s BoyfriendPG15 11:00 Fat Albert-PG 13:00 On Strike For Christmas-PG15 15:00 Pina-PG15 17:00 My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend 19:00 Johnny English Reborn-PG15 21:00 Transformers: Dark Of The Moon-PG15 23:30 A Dangerous Method-18

01:00 Crab Island-FAM 02:45 Turandot-PG 04:30 Mia And The Migoo-PG 06:00 The Adventures Of Scooter The Penguin-FAM 08:00 Blue Elephant 2-FAM 10:00 Snow Day-PG 11:30 Crab Island-FAM 13:00 Rh+ The Vampire Of Seville14:30 Turandot-PG 16:00 Cheaper By The Dozen-PG 18:00 Snow Day-PG 20:00 Little Secrets-PG 21:45 Blue Elephant 2-FAM 23:30 Rh+ The Vampire Of Seville-

00:00 Miles From Nowhere-PG 02:00 The Marc Pease ExperiencePG15 04:00 The Hairy Tooth Fairy 2-PG 06:00 Kung Fu Panda 2-PG 08:00 Source Code-PG15 10:00 Take Shelter-PG15 12:00 Thor-PG15 14:00 Rio-FAM 16:00 Source Code-PG15 18:00 Captain America: The First Avenger-PG15 20:15 Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son-PG15 22:00 Home-PG15

04:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 10:00 11:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 21:00 23:00

Boardwalk Empire Good Morning America Royal Pains Emmerdale Coronation Street House Royal Pains House Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Breakout Kings Justified Boardwalk Empire

04:00 Anglo-Welsh Cup 06:00 Futbol Mundial 06:30 ICC Cricket 360 07:00 Cricket Twenty20 10:00 Trans World Sport 11:00 ICC Cricket 360 11:30 Live Cricket Twenty20 14:30 Dubai World Cup Carnival 19:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 20:00 Cricket Twenty20 23:00 PGA European Tour Highlights

07:00 12:00 16:00 16:30 19:00

Emmerdale Emmerdale Emmerdale Coronation Street Breakout Kings

00:30 02:30 03:00 06:00 07:00 11:30

WWE SmackDown NFL Gameday Live NFL Trans World Sport PGA European Tour Adventure Challenge

12:00 14:00 15:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 21:30 22:00

Top 14 Trans World Sport Cricket T20 Adventure Challenge NFL Gameday NFL UFC 156 Countdown Top 14

00:30 Cricket T20 03:00 PDC World Championship 06:30 Spirit of Yachting 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Top 14 Highlights 08:30 ICC Cricket 360 09:00 World Pool Masters 10:00 World Cup of Pool 11:00 Anglo-Welsh Cup 13:00 Spirit of Golf 13:30 Spirit of Golf 14:00 Golfing World 15:00 World Pool Masters 16:00 World Cup of Pool 17:00 Trans World Sport 18:00 Anglo-Welsh Cup 20:00 Top 14 Highlights 20:30 Futbol Mundial 21:00 Golfing World 22:00 World Pool Masters 23:00 World Cup of Pool

Darts

00:00 01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 22:00

UAE National Race Day Series V8 Supercars Highlights UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed NHL WWE Bottom Line WWE Experience V8 Supercars Highlights V8 Supercars Highlights NHL UAE National Race Day Series WWE NXT WWE SmackDown European Le Mans Series European Le Mans Series UFC UFC Countdown WWE SmackDown

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

Driven With Pat And Nicole Driven With Pat And Nicole Driven With Pat And Nicole Primitive Instinct Primitive Instinct Primitive Instinct Realtree’s NASCAR Outdoors Realtree’s NASCAR Outdoors Realtree’s NASCAR Outdoors Driven With Pat And Nicole Driven With Pat And Nicole Driven With Pat And Nicole Primitive Instinct Primitive Instinct Primitive Instinct Realtree’s NASCAR Outdoors Realtree’s NASCAR Outdoors Realtree’s NASCAR Outdoors Buck Commander Buck Commander Buck Commander Saltwater Series Saltwater Series Saltwater Series Buck Commander Buck Commander Buck Commander World Class Sports Fishing World Class Sports Fishing World Class Sports Fishing Trout Unlimited On The Rise Trout Unlimited On The Rise Trout Unlimited On The Rise Steve Gruber’s The Wildlife Steve Gruber’s The Wildlife Steve Gruber’s The Wildlife World Class Sports Fishing World Class Sports Fishing World Class Sports Fishing Trout Unlimited On The Rise Trout Unlimited On The Rise Trout Unlimited On The Rise Steve Gruber’s The Wildlife Steve Gruber’s The Wildlife Steve Gruber’s The Wildlife World Class Sports Fishing World Class Sports Fishing World Class Sports Fishing Trout Unlimited On The Rise Trout Unlimited On The Rise

00:35 02:45 04:45 08:00 10:00 11:50 13:50 15:30 18:15 FAM 19:35 21:20 23:00

The Fixer Sweet Bird Of Youth Ben-Hur-PG Little Women-FAM Bachelor In Paradise-PG Silk Stockings-FAM The Wizard Of Oz-PG Raintree County-PG Across The Wide Missouri-

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:30

Hitler’s Island Madness High Hitler WWII: Europe’s Secret Army Hitler’s Island Madness High Hitler Mankind The Story Of All Of Us UFO Hunters Pawn Stars Storage Wars Mud Men Pawn Stars American Restoration Pawn Stars Storage Wars Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Ancient Aliens Pawn Stars American Restoration Mud Men Ancient Aliens Pawn Stars American Restoration Mud Men Pawn Stars Storage Wars Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Pawn Stars Cajun Pawn Stars

High Society-FAM Casablanca-FAM The Night Of The Iguana

00:05 Chicagolicious 01:00 Jerseylicious 02:00 Empire Girls: Julissa And Adrienne 02:55 Videofashion Daily 03:50 Big Boutique In The City 04:20 Jerseylicious 05:15 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

06:10 Married Away 07:05 Open House 07:30 Open House 08:00 Videofashion News 08:30 Videofashion News 09:00 Videofashion Daily 10:00 Open House 10:30 Big Boutique In The City 11:00 Top 10 11:25 Top 10 11:55 Giuliana & Bill 12:55 Tia And Tamera 13:50 Videofashion News 14:20 Videofashion Collections 14:50 Dress My Nest 15:15 Dress My Nest 15:45 How Do I Look?

16:40 How Do I Look?

17:35 Big Rich Texas 18:30 Big Rich Texas 19:25 Tia And Tamera 20:25 Tia And Tamera 21:20 Giuliana & Bill 22:15 Giuliana & Bill 23:10 Empire Girls: Julissa And Adrienne

00:17 01:00 01:45 02:00 02:45 07:17 13:17 16:00 16:45 18:00 18:45 20:00 20:50

TRACE URBAN Playlist Africa 10 Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Playlist Playlist Hip Hop 10 Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Hit Us Playlist

Classifieds MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

Kuwait

SHARQIA-1 CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) QUARTET (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

SHARQIA-2 TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

SHARQIA-3 3ALA GOSETY SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED MUHALAB-1 ART OF SUBMISSION (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) ART OF SUBMISSION (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED MUHALAB-2 SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED MUHALAB-3 GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (24/01/2013 TO 30/01/2013)

FANAR-4 THE LAST STAND (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:15 PM 6:00 PM 8:45 PM 11:30 PM

360ยบ- 2 THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

BAIRAQ-2 SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

360ยบ- 3 DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 5:00 PM 8:00 PM 11:00 PM

BAIRAQ-3 DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

360ยบ- 4 3ALA GOSETY 3ALA GOSETY SABOBA (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY 3ALA GOSETY NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:15 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 12:30 AM

PLAZA THE LAST STAND (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG)

360 ยบ-10(VIP-2) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

LAILA GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) NO FRI SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO FRI GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) NO FRI SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO FRI

AL-KOUT.1 3ALA GOSETY GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

1:00 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.2 TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

AL-KOUT.3 THE LAST STAND (DIG) ART OF SUBMISSION (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) ART OF SUBMISSION (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) ART OF SUBMISSION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.4 QUARTET (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:15 PM 6:45 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

12:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:30 AM

12:45 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 1:00 AM

MARINA-1 QUARTET (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) ART OF SUBMISSION (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:15 AM

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:15 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

MARINA-2 GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

MARINA-3 SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

AVENUES-1 QUARTET (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:45 PM 11:45 PM

FANAR-2 SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) ART OF SUBMISSION (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) ART OF SUBMISSION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:15 PM 9:15 PM 12:15 AM

2:30 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 12:05 AM

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

AVENUES-2 THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-3 SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED AVENUES-5 SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

Required used car in good condition.

Contact: 96955168. (C 4290) 28-1-2012

GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) SABOBA (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

FANAR-5 3ALA GOSETY 3ALA GOSETY 3ALA GOSETY 3ALA GOSETY 3ALA GOSETY NO SUN+TUE+WED

FANAR-1 CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) GREAT EXPECTATIONS (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

FANAR-3 TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) TEXAS CHAINSAW (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

FOR SALE

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

A360ยบ- 1 3ALA GOSETY 3ALA GOSETY 3ALA GOSETY 3ALA GOSETY 3ALA GOSETY NO SUN+TUE+WED

BAIRAQ-1

AJIAL.1 RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 11:00 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM

Jeep Tawareq, 2005 model, white color, six cylinders, price KD 3,300. Contact: 66104141.

(C 4289) 24-1-2014

SITUATION WANTED MBA Finance, B.Com & ACCA (Fundamental) with 5 years of Accounts experience in Kuwait, looking for suitable position in well established company or MNC. If anyone has any opportunity or can refer me to any company I would be thankful. Please contact: 55829223 or Email: acconline@ymail.com (C 4284)

Well prepared notes for the exams, for the courses of MBA, M.Com, MA, B.Com, subjects including accounts, management, cost accounts, income

4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM

3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM 9:45 PM

GRANADA SEETHAMMA VAKITLO SIRIMALLE CHETTU 3:30 PM NAAYAK (TELUGU) 6:30 PM SEETHAMMA VAKITLO SIRIMALLE CHETTU 9:30 PM

SITUATION VACANT Wanted part time maid in Salwa, salary KD 80, 8 am to noon, six days per week.

Contact: 96942874.

21-1-2013

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw

METRO-1 THE LAST STAND (DIG) 4:30 PM SEETHAMMA VAKITLO SIRIMALLE CHETTU 7:00 PM SEETHAMMA VAKITLO SIRIMALLE CHETTU 10:00 PM METRO-2 RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) DA THADIYA (DIG) (MALAYALAM) RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) SUN+MON+TUE+WED NAAYAK (DIG) (TELUGU) THU+FRI+SAT

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

Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

AJIAL.2 DA THADIYA (DIG) (MALAYALAM) 3:45 PM SEETHAMMA VAKITLO SIRIMALLE CHETTU 6:45 PM DA THADIYA (DIG) (MALAYALAM) 9:45 PM AJIAL.3 SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG)

MATRIMONIAL

TUITION

10:30 PM

3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM

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

112 Prayer timings Fajr: Shorook Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

05:18 06:40 12:01 15:01 17:22 18:41

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines PIA JAI THY JZR JZR QTR ETH QTR GFA UAE ETD AFG QTR FDB MSR DHX THY JZR BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB ETD KAC GFA BAB KAC JZR MSC IRC MPH MEA MSR UAE FDB KAC KNE KAC SVA QTR JZR KAC KAC QTR

Arrival Flights on Monday 28/1/2013 Flt Route 205 LAHORE 574 MUMBAI 772 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 6130 DOHA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 416 JEDDAH 138 DOHA 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 855 DUBAI 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 352 COCHIN 213 BAHRAIN 436 BAHRAIN 344 CHENNAI 165 DUBAI 403 ASSIUT 6521 LAMERD 97 AMSTERDAM 404 BEIRUT 610 CAIRO 871 DUBAI 57 DUBAI 672 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 546 ALEXANDRIA 500 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 561 SOHAG 788 JEDDAH 284 DHAKA 134 DOHA

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645 535 118 857 303 640 215 510 777 144 127 982 542 177 786 438 63 405 618 742 104 674 774 647 61 572 389 618 129 146 401 229 402 136 221 307 859 135 576 372 59 975 327 239 217 205 185 981 43 636

MUSCAT CAIRO NEW YORK DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH DOHA SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO DUBAI JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI SOHAG DOHA DAMMAM LONDON DUBAI RIYADH MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI MANGALORE ALEXANDRIA SHARJAH DOHA ALEXANDRIA COLOMBO BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN COCHIN BAHRAIN DUBAI CHENNAI TUNIS AMMAN BAHRAIN LAHORE DUBAI BAHRAIN DHAKA FRANKFURT

15:40 16:25 16:35 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:45 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:30 18:40 18:45 19:15 19:20 19:30 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:20 20:25 20:35 20:45 20:50 20:55 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:30 22:45 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:25 23:45 23:55

Airlines AIC UAL DLH JAI PIA KAC ETH THY QTR FDB UAE ETD AFG MSR QTR QTR JZR GFA THY KAC JZR FDB BAW JZR KAC KAC ABY UAE FDB ETD QTR GFA BAB KAC KAC JZR KAC MSC IRC MEA KAC MPH MSR JZR UAE FDB KAC KNE

Departure Flights on Monday 28/1/2013 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 573 MUMBAI 206 PESHAWAR 283 DHAKA 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 6131 DOHA 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 416 JEDDAH 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 560 SOHAG 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 534 CAIRO 787 JEDDAH 671 DUBAI 122 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 437 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 406 SOHAG 6522 LAMERD 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 97 SHARJAH 611 CAIRO 176 DUBAI 872 DUBAI 58 DUBAI 673 DUBAI 473 JEDDAH

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Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

SVA KAC QTR KAC KAC OMA JZR ETD JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR JZR UAL FDB BAB MSC FDB OMA KAC KAC KAC JAI ABY MSR MSC DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC FDB UAE JAI DHX KAC QTR JZR TAR GFA KAC

501 617 141 773 741 646 238 304 538 135 858 641 216 184 511 128 266 145 134 982 64 439 404 62 648 331 361 351 571 120 619 402 171 230 403 308 137 222 301 60 860 575 373 205 147 502 328 218 411

JEDDAH DOHA DOHA RIYADH DAMMAM MUSCAT AMMAN ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN ASSIUT DUBAI MUSCAT TRIVANDRUM COLOMBO KOCHI MUMBAI SHARJAH ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI DUBAI KOCHI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DOHA LUXOR DUBAI BAHRAIN BANGKOK

15:45 15:45 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:40 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:05 19:10 19:25 19:30 20:15 20:40 20:55 20:55 21:00 21:10 21:10 21:15 21:25 21:50 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:00 23:10 23:35 23:45 23:50 23:55

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MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Spears’ family worries about Vegas move

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ritney Spears’ family are worried about her moving to Las Vegas. The 31-year-old singer is reportedly close to signing a fiveyear concert residency in the city worth $100 million per year and although Las Vegas is notorious for its wild partying, Britney’s father, Jamie Spears, wants to make sure she doesn’t get caught up in that lifestyle. A source told Life & Style magazine: “She has a bad track record there. This will be a bad temptation for her. “They intend to set her up in a mansion in the Nevada suburbs. There will be bodyguards, her father, her manager they will escort her to and from the show and watch her every move.

They’ll make it like her life in California, just hotter.” The star is said to be close to agreeing to a $100 million residency with the Caesars hotel chain, but has now received bids from a rival hotel. The ‘Scream and Shout’ singer would be legally bound to perform a complete live show several times a week for hotel guests.

Sheeran prefers

PSY wins big at NRJ awards P

SY and One Direction were among the big winners at the NRJ Music Awards on Saturday night. The Korean chart sensation took home two awards for his song ‘Gangnam Style’, picking up International Song of the Year and Music Video of the Year. Meanwhile, the British boy band - who performed their hit ‘Kiss You’ at the star-studded ceremony in the Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France - won the award for Best International Group. Tweeting after taking to the stage, member Harry Styles wrote: “Thank you so much to @NRJhitmusiconly and our fans for the award!! See you later .xx.” His bandmate Niall Horan also tweeted his delight, saying: “Cannes thank your for today! We had a lot of fun! French fans thanks alot for the award! gona sit lovely beside the TV. (sic)” The group arrived at the bash shortly after Harry’s ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift, who

was reportedly staying in the same hotel. The ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ - who presented an award to the best French female artist looked stunning in a short sparkly mini-dress, amid rumours she is desperate to rekindle her relationship with the ‘Little Things’ heartthrob. The former couple were rumoured to have had a heart-to-heart in London earlier this week but have not been seen together since they broke up shortly before New Year’s Eve after having an argument while on holiday in the British Virgin Islands. Rihanna also won an award for International Female Artist of the Year, although the 24-year-old was not present at the event.

Other guests at the event included Ed Sheeran and Alicia Keys, who was accompanied by her husband Swizz Beatz. The singer celebrated her 32nd birthday on Friday but is not expected to

Full List of 2013 NRJ Music Awards’ Winners: Francophone Breakthrough of the Year: Tal International Breakthrough of the Year: Carly Rae Jepsen Francophone Female Artist of the Year: Shy’m International Female Artist of the Year: Rihanna International Duo/Group of the Year: One Direction International Song of the Year: Psy - ‘Gangnam Style’ Music Video of the Year: Psy - ‘Gangnam Style’

Campbell will be tough judge on the face

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eira Knightley panics when she thinks about planning her wedding. While the 27-year-old actress is besotted with her fiance James Righton, she hasn’t managed to put together any plans for their big day yet. A source told Us Weekly: “She gets flustered when it is mentioned. She’s getting ideas and trying no to stress. What matters to her most is being with him.” The ‘Anna Karenina’ star previously admitted she felt pressured by the media to rush into their marriage and have kids thanks to constant speculation as to whether she and her Klaxons musician beau are expecting their first child. She laughed: “People keep trying to make me pregnant! I’m not ready for it. Yes I’d love to at some point but not this quick, stop trying to make me pregnant. “I have been asked whether I am pregnant yet about four or five times. And I started thinking, ‘Do I look like I’m pregnant ...

I’m a very thin girl, I am sure I don’t look pregnant!’ It’s the ring on my finger!”

make husband laugh

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rew Barrymore feels most attractive when she makes her husband laugh. The 37year-old actress tied the knot with art consultant Will Kopelman eight months ago and says making him smile makes her feel pretty even if she is dressed down. She said: “[I feel most attractive] when I make Will laugh. I’m usually in sweatpants and a scrunchie, being a dork. But when I hear his funny laugh, I’m like, Damn, I feel pretty.” Drew - who has created her own make-up line Flower - gave birth to the couple’s first child, daughter Olive, four months ago and while she thinks the tot will want to play with the make-up as she gets older, she wants her to hold on to her childhood as long as possible. Drew added to Us Weekly magazine: “What little girl doesn’t want to play with make-up? But kids should be kids for as long as possible. When she gets into her teens though all bets are off. She should just experiment and figure out what kind of woman she wants to be.”

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arry Styles is Ed Sheeran’s favorite One Direction singer. While the singer/songwriter is close to the entire band after writing their single ‘Little Things’, Ed admitted Harry, 18, is his favourite. He said: “Harry is the one I’m closest to. I made friends with him before I know who the band was.” Ed is also close to Harry’s former girlfriend Taylor Swift but has ruled out a romantic relationship with her. He told People magazine: “We met by just being fans of each other and reaching out. Then we just started hanging out. We have the same kind of work ethic. But I don’t know if I’m her type.” However, the ‘A Team’ singer admitted he would love to date Emma Stone, who is currently in a relationship with Andrew Garfield. He said: “Emma Stone is my dream girl but she’s all taken so I need to find someone else.”

stay in France for long to enjoy an extended vacation as she is due to return to New Orleans, where she is performing the American national anthem at the Super Bowl on February 3.

Knightley’s wedding panic

Barrymore loves to

Styles to other 1D boys

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aomi Campbell has been giving out “tough love” on ‘The Face’. The supermodel will be a strict mentor on her new TV show - where she sits on the panel alongside former ‘America’s Next Top Model’ judge Nigel Barker and top models Karolina Kurkova and Coco Rocha - and has promised not to go soft on the crop of aspiring fashion models. She told OK! magazine: “I’m definitely sergeant major! I’m the mentor that is tough love. I tell them when things are not right and I don’t believe you should sugar-coat anything. “I want these girls to have as much understanding and authenticity from myself as what’s going to be out there in the real world of modeling. But I do give praise to my girls too.” However, the program - which will be aired on the same network as Tyra Banks’ flagship show ‘ANTM’ - was emotionally taxing on the statuesque beauty as she had no idea she would become so invested in the girls’ lives. Naomi sighed: “It was such an emotional journey. I had no idea it would be like this but about the fourth or fifth day it, it hit me! “I’m not a shrink but I felt like one. I had to be there to hear everything about there girls, like their family history, their background, their tragedies, their ups and downs. I felt very sympathetic to their stories.” The 42-year-old star is convinced ‘The Face’ will find the next big fashion star with all the qualities and confidence necessary to become a household name and says she is looking for someone exactly like herself. Naomi explained: “Were looking for someone who catches your eye, has drive, passionate, can take direction. Someone who walks into the room and takes your breath away. So yes, we are looking for a supermodel like myself. They have to believe in themselves.”

Osbourne

is ‘proud’ of Adele and Pattinson

Walsh: Harding worst for preening

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irls Aloud’s Kimberley Walsh admits Sarah Harding spends the most time preening herself. The 31-yearold singer has confessed her blonde bandmate has been hogging the mirror backstage during rehearsals for their ‘Ten - The Hits’ reunion tour. When asked who checks themselves out the most, Kimberley told OK! magazine: “Oh, it’s a tough one between Sarah and Nadine [Coyle]! I think Sarah perhaps a little more.” Kimberley also revealed she and close pals Nicola Roberts and Cheryl Cole tend to annoy the other girls with their tireless gossiping. She laughed: “Probably me, Cheryl and Nicola [are the biggest gossips]. The other two look at us like were old women.” However, when it comes to making long-distance calls, Kimberley admitted that Nadine - who lives in Los Angeles where she runs an Irish pub - is constantly on the phone discussing new work opportunities. The sexy star explained: “I guess because she knows a lot of people in LA now and needs to be connected more.” Kimberley wouldn’t gossip quite as freely about her ten-year relationship with Justin Scott, however, and simply insisted their long-term love is able to withstand the pressures of her showbiz lifestyle. She said: “We have a solid base and other outside factors don’t really cause problems. I wouldn’t listen [if someone tried to split us up]! But I’m older now and it’s never really been an issue, even in the early days of the group it was never put to us.”

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elly Osbourne is “so proud” of Adele and Robert Pattinson. The ‘Fashion Police’ host is friends with both stars and thinks they set a great example to the rest of the UK. She said: “I know Adele from years back and I’ve hung out with Robert Pattinson in London since I was 19. “It makes me so proud of my country that they’re all doing so well. Rob was at the Soho House party in LA [after the Golden Globes], and the last time I saw him there, his friend was stealing the toilet roll. “Everyone was so happy that Adele won Best Original Song [at the Golden Globes].

Adele is so well-loved. “When she hit the red carpet, everyone’s mouths dropped - her skin is glowing. I need to get her baby boy present.” Kelly enjoyed working at the Golden Globes in her capacity as a host on ‘Fashion Police’, but still managed to take time out to chat with her friends. She added to LOOK magazine: “The best moment was after Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom wowed on the red carpet - they asked my boyfriend Matthew [Mosshart] for a lighter. I know Orlando, so we sat down and had a cigarette and a chat.” —Bang Showbiz

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MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

LIFESTYLE A w a r d s

‘Fruitvale,’ ‘Blood Brothers’ win top awards at Sundance

Director Ryan Coogler accepts the US Dramatic Audience Award for the film ‘Fruitvale’ during the 2013 Sundance Film Festival Awards Ceremony on Saturday. —AP photos

Director Jill Soloway accepts her US Dramatic Directing Award for the film ‘Afternoon Delight’.

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Director, writer and cast member Lake Bell accepts her US Dramatic Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for ‘In A World...’.

Documentary subject Rocky Braat, left, and director Steve Hoover accept the Grand Jury Prize: US Documentary for ‘Blood Brother’.

Director Sean Ellis looks up as he dedicates the Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic for ‘Metro Manila’ to his late mother during.

Screenwriter and director Barmak Akram celebrates with his World Cinema Dramatic Screenwriting Award for his work on ‘Wajma (An Afghan Love Story)’.

Georgian director Tinatin Gurchiani accepts the Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary for ‘The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear’.

Serbian director Srdan Golubovic accepts the World Cinema Dramatic: Special Jury Award for ‘Circles (Krugovi)’.

rama film “Fruitvale” and documentary “Blood Brothers” won the top awards at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, giving them a big boost to reach independent movie audiences this year. “Fruitvale,” starring Octavia Spencer and Michael B. Jordan and directed by 26-year-old, first-time filmmaker Ryan Coogler,” picked up the US drama jury and audience awards for its “moral and social urgency.” The film is based on the true story of 22-year-old Oscar Grant, who was killed by police in Oakland, California, on New Year’s Eve in 2008 and whose death sparked riots against police brutality.

Movie studio The Weinstein Company purchased distribution rights for the film.

“This film had a profound impact on the audience that saw it ... this award goes out to my home in the Bay Area where Oscar Grant breathed, slept, loved, had fun and survived for 22 years,” Coogler said in his acceptance speech. Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim awarded the US documentary jury prize to “Blood Brothers,” saying it shook the voting panel to their core.

The documentary follows an American man who moves to Africa and works with children suffering from HIV at an orphanage, and through his work, the children gain a voice. “It is so encouraging for the kids ... their lives are so encouraging, and they die and no one remembers

their name ... To take their story so that everyone sees it, it’s so awesome,” director Steve Hoover said.”

Young actress Shailene Woodley, praised for her performance in “The Descendants” last year, and her costar Miles Teller won the Special Jury acting prize in “The Spectacular Now.” Actress Lake Bell, who made her directorial debut in the US drama category with quirky comedy “In A World,” picked up the drama screenwriting award. Hosted by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who premiered his raunchy directorial debut “Don Jon’s Addiction” this year, the Sundance Film Festival Awards pick winners at the top gathering for independent movies made outside of Hollywood’s major studios.

“Sundance is a community of people of filmmakers and film lovers who all believe together that there’s more to movies than glitz and glamour and money and the box office. In Hollywood, you can feel like a freak if you talk about movies as art, and here, you don’t have that,” GordonLevitt said.

World cinema winners The Sundance Film Festival, now in its 35th year, is backed by Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute. The 10-day gathering of the independent film industry is held in snowy Park City, Utah. In previous years, films that win the top prizes at the Sundance Film Festival often go on to achieve Hollywood awards suc-

Actress and presenter Mariel Hemingway, left, and host Joseph Gordon-Levitt look over their scripts during the 2013 Sundance Film Festival Awards Ceremony.

cess as well. Last year, mythological drama “Beasts of the Southern Wild” won the top prize at Sundance and is now nominated for four Oscars in major categories.

The award winners are voted for by special juries of industry professionals and by the audience for the audience favorite awards. In the world cinema categories, South Korean drama “Jiseul” picked up the grand jury drama prize. The film, directed by Muel O, follows the residents of a small town who were forced to hide in a cave for 60 days after the military attacked their village.

Cambodian documentary “A River Changes Course,” about three young Cambodians struggling with adversity in a country ravaged by war and debt, picked up the world cinema grand jury award. “Events like these really bring our communities together to share in the beauty of the world and the beauty of our future,” director Kalyanee Mam said.

“Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer,” which follows the story of three members of a Russian feminist punk band jailed for performing a “punk prayer” in a Russian Orthodox church, picked up special jury prize in the world documentary category. Co-director Mike Lerner said the three members of the band had “started a feminist revolution that we hope will continue around the world.” —Reuters

Sundance Festival Director John Cooper speaks.

Hostage film ‘Argo’ wins producers award as Oscars loom

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ran hostage drama “Argo” continued its trophy-winning streak on Saturday, taking the top prize at the Producers Guild Awards in the latest boost to its chances at the Oscars.

Guild picks regularly go on to win at the film industry’s most prestigious event - for the last five years, the producers’ choice of best-produced film has taken the best picture Oscar.

“I’m really surprised. I’m not even in the PGA (Producers Guild of America),” Argo director, producer and star actor Ben Affleck said as he collected the award for the film that tells the true story of the rescue of US diplomats from Tehran after the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

“I am still acting and available,” added a smiling Affleck, joined on stage by co-producer Grant Heslov. George Clooney, also a producer, did not attend the event in Beverly Hills.

The PGA prize is seen as a particularly good indicator of future success as many of the Guild’s 5,000 plus members are also members

of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences who vote for the Oscars.

Argo was nominated earlier this month for a best film Oscar, but Affleck was snubbed in the director’s category. Neverthless, he won a Golden Globe for his direction this month and Argo also won best movie drama at the Golden Globes. Argo won the PGA prize against nine other films on Saturday, including Steven Spielberg’s presidential drama “Lincoln”, musical “Les Miserables” and Kathyrn Bigelow’s Osama bin Laden thriller “Zero Dark Thirty”.

Also contending were Quentin Tarantino’s darkly humorous slavery Western “Django Unchained”, the James Bond blockbuster “Skyfall”, Ang Lee’s shipwreck tale “Life of Pi” and the comedy “Silver Linings Playbook”.

Many of the PGA-nominated movies are also in the running for the best picture Oscar on Feb 24. The PGA handed “Wreck-It Ralph,” its

honor for best animated movie.

Unlike the Academy Awards, both the Producers Guild Awards and the Golden Globes also give prizes to television dramas and comedies. The HBO film “Game Change” about Sarah Palin’s 2008 vice presidential bid won the outstanding longform TV prize and ABC’s “Modern Family” was named best-produced television comedy. “Homeland” was named the best-produced TV drama.

“Searching for Sugar Man,” a film about an obscure singer named Rodriguez who is a hit in South Africa, won the prize for best documentary. J.J. Abrams, who grabbed headlines this week for being named director for the “Star Wars” film received an achievement award for his television work while producers Harvey and Bob Weinstein received a milestone award. —Reuters

Ben Affleck attends the Modern Master Award Ceremony at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Friday. —AP

Kurdistan: A land of tolerance and opportunities

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MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2013

Musician Katy Perry, right, poses with her new wax figure for Madame Tussaud’s Las Vegas at Paramount Studios on Saturday in Los Angeles. —AP

China artists work up-close with old masters in Madrid

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ith brushes and paintsplotched palette, Chinese artist Yang Feiyun adds the finishing strokes to his latest work: a portrait of the moustached 17th century Spanish King Felipe IV. An untrained eye would fail to tell the difference between Yang’s canvas and the original by the Spanish master Velazquez, hanging inches away in a crowded gallery at Madrid’s Prado Museum. “I have been painting my whole life, ever since I was a child,

Goya’s “The Third of May 1808 in Madrid,” a harrowing image of French occupying forces executing Spanish patriots by firing squad. The copies will be exhibited in Beijing, the Prado said. In a corner of one gallery Sun Wengong, 47, stands plying his brushes in front of Vicente Lopez’s grim-faced 1826 portrait of the painter Francisco de Goya in a greyblue coat.

“When I’m in a museum in front of the originals, I always feel like I want

and Velazquez is a master among painters. He is known in China for his great depth,” Yang tells AFP. A respected artist in China, where he is head of oil painting at the state Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, Yang is now leading 17 other specialists on a pilgrimage to the Spanish capital. Their mission: to make first-hand copies of some of the jewels of European oil painting and take them home to use in training curious Chinese artists. “Our aim is to

to copy them or try and do my own version,” Sun says, the messy palette at his feet resembling that of the man in the portrait. “It helps me a lot as a painter. I have seen lots of prints of the paintings, but prints are nothing like the originals. Being here in front of the originals, you have more direct and true contact with the artists,” he added. “To be here copying the masterpieces of these painters is the best apprenticeship you could have.” —AFP

Chinese painter Guo Zhongzheng works on his painting, a copy of Titian’s painting “The emperor Charles V at Muchlberg”.

Chinese painter Yang Fei Yun works on the painting, a copy of Velazquez’s paiting “Portrait of Felipe IV” at the Prado Museum in Madrid. —AFP photos

learn a lot and have these works as teaching material in China,” Yang told AFP. “There is not a long history of oil painting in China-just the past 100 years or so. We are in a learning period.”

In other halls of the vast museum, their walls heaving with masterpieces

by Titian, Rubens, Goya and El Greco, Yang’s companions work quietly at their easels under the curious gaze of visitors. A few steps from Yang, his companion Guo Zhangzheng is executing a smaller version of Titian’s “Emperor Charles V at the Battle of

Muehlberg,” a three-metre portrait of the lance-wielding monarch on horseback from 1548. The Chinese artists-from the state academy and another top fine arts school, the China Academy of Art-are due to stay for just over two weeks. Each aims to produce a copy of two works from the Prado’s collection.

Yang’s first go at copying Velazquez has taken him just five days to render virtually complete.

Paintings on the list for their first week’s work included “The Three Graces” by Peter Paul Rubens and

Chinese painter Sun Wengong works on his painting, a copy of Vicente Lopez’s painting “El pintor Francisco de Goya” (Painter Francisco de Goya).

Paddling on ranger-guided trip great way to experience Biscayne Park

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iscayne National Park could be the region’s least-known natural treasure.

Encompassing 173,000 acres, most of it underwater, the park is best explored by boat, with fishing and diving as the primary activities.

But for residents and visitors who don’t own watercraft, their primary exposure is by touring the indoor exhibits or participating in seasonal family fun fests at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center near Homestead. But now there’s a free way to tour Biscayne’s unique coastal marine environment: ranger-guided canoe trips into mangrove tunnels like those found deep in the Everglades.

“Gorgeous!” exclaimed Christiana Admiral, the park’s chief of interpretation, after a recent shakedown paddle with longtime park volunteer Terry Helmers and five others. Weather permitting, paddlers will be guided along a northern route that begins and ends at Black Point Park and Marina or the southern route to and from the visitor center at Convoy Point. The trips take two to three hours and are aimed at all skill levels.

“The park has the largest continuous stretch of mangroves on the east coast of the US,” Admiral said. “We hope to take people who may not have been out on the water in Biscayne National Park to explore a mangrove coastline.”

The trip is a treat for first-timers and seasoned paddlers alike-especially the southern route.

Admiral, Helmers and the rest of the group paddled a little over a half-mile south on Biscayne Bay from the harbor at Convoy Point to the nearly hidden entrance of a mangrove tunnel along the shoreline. Helmers led the way into a narrow creek that-although unnamed-he decided to call Crocodile Creek because it is located within the habitat of the American crocodile, a protected species.

The creek was just wide enough for a single canoe or kayak to pass, and the paddlers had to pull themselves along hand over hand using the red mangrove roots. The clear waters revealed schools of mangrove snapper and mullet, plus the occasional blue crab. Smaller mangrove crabs climbed the reddish-hued prop roots lining the narrow watercourse.

Helmers noted that the water trees seemed to be unusually litter-free, and he credited volunteers from Vanderbilt University who spent their recent “alternative winter break” performing a heavy-duty shoreline cleanup. “Beautiful, pristine,” Admiral said.

As the party wound south, the tunnel thinned out and they could see the towers of the nearby Florida Power & Light plant. Soon, they came to a bend in the creek and took the

left fork into what Helmers dubbed “Hidden Pond”-an open slough that led to small, scattered stands of mangroves that he named “the mangrove plains.” Helmers explained that these dwarf mangroves don’t grow as tall as their neighbors because they are anchored in mud flats so shallow that they dry up when the tide falls out.

The group returned through Hidden Pond to the main creek and let the outgoing tide carry them out to the open bay, then paddled north back to Convoy Point. Helmers, who frequently paddles deep into the remote Everglades back country, said the 2 mile “Alligator Creek” trip the group had just completed is a good introduction for beginners who might not feel comfortable doing it on their own. “A person can take this trip and find remoteness and solitude similar to deeper trips in the Everglades, and they’re only moments away from the boat ramp and civilization,” he said. Admiral said she hoped the trip would show newcomers the importance of the mangrove ecosystem for storm protection, nursery habitat for fish and other marine life, and as a carbon sink that improves air quality.

Added ranger Astrid Rybeck: “We hope this will foster a connection and create an understanding of habitats in their backyard by experiencing them.” —MCT

Biscayne National Park volunteer Terry Helmers, left, talks to park volunteer Lena Schock and park ranger Astrid Rybeck in the Biscayne National Park, Florida. —MCT