7 Feb 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Thousands join Bahrain protest rally before talks

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www.kuwaittimes.net

RABI ALAWAL 26, 1434 AH

Kuwait make Thailand suffer at home with 3-1 victory

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Barrak drops bombshell: Court ruling has no date Oppn forming broader alliance • MPs to probe two mega projects

Max 22º Min 10º High Tide 10:23 & 20:25 Low Tide 03:33 & 14:44

By B Izzak

US operating drone base in Saudi Arabia WASHINGTON: The CIA conducts lethal drone strikes against Al-Qaeda militants inside Yemen from a remote base in Saudi Arabia, including the strike that killed the US-born Al-Qaeda operative Anwar Al-Awlaki. The location of the base was first disclosed by The New York Times online Tuesday night. The AP first reported the construction of the base in June 2011 but withheld the exact location at the request of senior administration officials. Any operation by US military or intelligence officials inside Saudi Arabia is politically and religiously sensitive. AlQaeda and other militant groups have used the Gulf kingdom’s close working relationship with US counAnwar Al-Awlaki terterrorism officials to stir internal dissent against the Saudi regime.

The base was established two years ago as part of US efforts to intensify the pursuit of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a grouping of the Yemeni and Saudi offshoots of the global terror network, the Washington Post reported yesterday. The disclosure of Saudi Arabia’s role in the drone program Continued on Page 13

US seeking Abu Ghaith extradition ANKARA: The United States has asked Turkey to extradite Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law Sulaiman Abu Ghaith after his detention in Ankara last week, a Turkish newspaper reported yesterday. Abu Gaith, the former spokesman of the Al-Qaeda terror network, was seized last week at a luxury hotel in Ankara after a tip-off from CIA, and is being held there by police, the Hurriyet newspaper said. Ankara police declined to comment on the report while a spokesman for the US embassy in Ankara said it would not comment on terror-related cases. “All I can tell you is that we cooperate with the Turkish authorities on various fields,” spokesman TJ Grubisha told AFP. The United States wants Abu Ghaith extradited over his alleged connection to the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington and Ankara is considering the request, Hurriyet added. Abu Ghaith’s detention after he allegedly entered the country illegally from Iran came in the same week that the US embassy in Ankara was targeted in a suicide bombing claimed by a radical anti-US leftwing group. Ankara considers Ghaith a “stateless” person as he was stripped of his Kuwaiti nationality after appearing in videos defending the 9/11 attacks and threatening further violence. He appeared in a propaganda video in the aftermath of 9/11, standing beside bin Laden, who was killed in May 2011 in Pakistan in a covert US operation. — AFP

KUWAIT: Former MP and opposition member Falah Al-Sawwagh holds up a copy of a ‘dateless’ court ruling ordering to arrest him along with two other former MPs during a protest gathering at opposition leader Musallam Al-Barrak’s diwaniya in Andalus late yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Former MP and leader of the opposition Musallam Al-Barrak said yesterday that a verdict jailing three former opposition lawmakers was issued without a date, which means it is “null and void” and must not be implemented. Speaking to thousands of opposition supporters at his diwaniya in Al-Andalus following a meeting of the opposition, Barrak insisted that the jail sentence cannot be implemented now because the ruling is illegal as it does not carry a date. He called on the public prosecution to start legal procedures over the case.

Before he spoke, a large number of youth movements, trade unions, political groups and former opposition MPs held a meeting at his house to discuss forming a broad alliance of the opposition to coordinate its actions in the coming weeks. Barrak called on representatives of such organizations to meet at his diwaniya today to officially announce the formation of the “Kuwaiti Opposition Alliance” and to announce future protests against the government.

The new opposition moves came after the criminal court on Tuesday sentenced former MPs Falah AlSawwagh, Khaled Al-Tahous and Bader Al-Dahoum to three years in jail each for allegedly insulting HH the Amir and undermining his status and authorities. They were charged after they made remarks at a public rally held on Oct 10 in which the former MPs warned against amending the electoral constituency law.

Barrak himself is on trial on similar charges and he expected that the sentence against him will be harsher.

The lawmaker called on supporters to stage a procession between Firdous and Sabah Al-Nasser for the second straight night in solidarity with the three former MPs. He said that the procession will be peaceful but Continued on Page 3

Morsi urges Syria unity at OIC summit

CAIRO: Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi (center) poses for a group photograph with leaders of nations taking part in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s two-day summit yesterday, including HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (to Morsi’s right). — AP

Tunisia oppn chief shot dead

TUNIS: A Tunisian protester jumps amid smoke after police fired tear gas during a protest outside the interior ministry after Tunisian opposition leader Chokri Belaid was shot dead yesterday. — AFP

TUNIS: Prominent Tunisian opposition leader Chokri Belaid was gunned down outside his home in Tunis yesterday, sparking angry protests by his supporters and attacks on offices of the ruling Islamist Ennahda party. Furious protesters built barricades in central Tunis and clashed with police who fired tear gas to disperse them, and four opposition groups including Belaid’s Popular Front bloc said they were pulling out of the national assembly. A policeman was killed in the clashes. President Moncef Marzouki denounced the killing of Belaid, an outspoken critic of his government, as an “odious assassination”, Chokri Belaid while Ennahda chief Rached Ghannouchi told AFP the killers wanted a “bloodbath”.

Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali said late yesterday he would form a government of technocrats without political affiliations, after the murder of Belaid sparked violent protests. “I have decided to form a government of competent nationals without political affiliation, which will have a mandate limited to managing the Continued on Page 13

CAIRO: Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi yesterday urged Syrian opposition groups to unify, as he addressed leaders of Islamic states at a summit that also focused on the battle against militants in Mali. “The Syrian regime must draw lessons from history: it is the people who remain. Those who put their personal interests above the interests of their people will end up leaving,” Morsi told heads of state and representatives of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Cairo. Among them was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in the first visit to Egypt by an Iranian president since Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution. Iran is the chief regional backer of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, while Egypt and Gulf powerhouse Saudi Arabia bitterly oppose Assad and support rebels seeking his ouster.

Morsi called on opposition parties not allied to Syria’s National Coalition, which is recognised by the international community, “to coordinate with this coalition and support their efforts for a unified approach... for democracy”. The meeting gathers leaders of 26 of the OIC’s 57 states, with Morsi, Egypt’s first Islamist president, assuming the organisation’s rotating presidency.

Though Syria is not represented at the conference, much of the debate was expected to focus on the conflict which the United Nations says has killed more than 60,000 people in less than two years. According to a draft resolution obtained by AFP, the gathering will call for “serious dialogue” between the Syrian opposition and government officials “not directly involved in oppression”. The call for dialogue, drafted by foreign ministers after two days of preparatory meetings, will pile pressure on Assad to respond to a surprise offer of talks by Ahmed Moaz Al-Khatib, leader of the National Coalition.

The document stresses the need to maintain “Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” while underlining that “the main responsibility for the continued violence falls on the Syrian government.”

The Syrian regime is committing “odious crimes... over which we cannot be silent,” said Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz. He urged the summit to suppor t “a transfer of power ” in Syria, adding that “the support by certain (states) of the Syrian regime is not helping resolve the situation,” in apparent reference to Iran.

Continued on Page 13

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

LOCAL

Riding therapy helps disabled children Expert provides services at the EACH

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Disabled children, adult patients, or people who are generally depressed can improve their physical and mental condition by riding horses and taking care of them. Equine Assisted Coaching and Healing ( EACH), a nonprofit center providing horseback riding for people with special needs and disabilities, actually makes possible for people to experience this treatment through the courses it runs.

Riding therapy has been around since the 1950s, and has grown rapidly. “Many programs have been developed over the years to help children of all ages in dealing with different problems. From behavioral issues to medical problems, riding therapy has had an inspiring and powerful effect on these children, giving them opportunities for living quality and enriched lives that they may have never had,” Dr. Raghad A. Al-Motabbagani, Founder of EACH and a trainer, told the Kuwait Times.

Dr. Raghad A. Al-Motabbagani, started this venture about eight year ago. She founded the Warfield Riding Center for the Disabled in the United Kingdom, and then opened the Therapeutic Riding Stables in Jordan. Currently, she is providing her services at the EACH in Kuwait, starting last month at the Mesial Club in Sabhan. Currently she has 11 students, mostly children, including the disabled.

“The Therapeutic Horseback Riding course teaches the children and adults self-esteem and self-confidence. It is available for children and adults from 5 to 50 years old from both genders. Before starting the course, the student has to provide a medical certificate about being able to ride a horse as in certain cases they cannot qualify to join the course, such as in cases with a broken hip, a fractured neck etc.,” stressed Dr. Raghad.

Therapeutic Horseback Riding is a form of physical therapy for children or adults who have unfortunately experienced any disability, whether physical, emotional, cognitive or social. “The horses provide a pleasurable and uplifting therapy for physical and emotional growth besides cognitive improvement. Many a times, adults and children develop a connection with the horse, and this horse can then literally change a person’s entire perspective on life,” she explained.

“It is also a profound therapy for children and helps those suffering from emotional problems feel important and loved. And, for children with medical problems, the strong bond between a horse and a person will keep them motivated and in high spirits, which will help in avoiding depression that is very common in anyone with disabilities of any kind,” stated Dr. Raghad. There are many children and adults who can benefit from the serene therapy of a horse. “It is amazing the effects a horse can

have on someone with disabilities. The following are just some of the disabilities that this type of therapy can assist.

Amputation - Anxiety attacks and PhobiasAutism- Brain Injury - Cardiovascular disabilities, Cerebral Palsy - Chemical and Alcohol Abuse -Developmental Delay -Down’s Syndrome , Emotional disabilities -Extended Grief- Learning Disabilities- Multiple Sclerosis Muscular, Dystrophy -Parkinson’s Disease -Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - Seizure Disorders Speech, Impairments - Spinal Cord Injury Stroke patients -Visual and Hearing Impairment, and many others,” she pointed out.

She also explained the way a horse can benefit persons with disabilities. “A horse is gentle and repetitive in movement. It moves the rider’s body in a way similar to a human. A person with physical disabilities can attain better flexibility, stronger muscles and balance. People with emotional problems, such as emotional, cognitive, behavioral or social, can benefit and attain improved stability, attitude and mobility.

It can simply help them through these emo-

A child during the course with Dr Raghad. tional areas in their lives,” noted Dr. Raghad.

“The horse and its rider tend to develop a strong connection. A person who cannot walk tends to rely on his horse for transport. Plus, a bond with the horse will likely increase confidence, self-esteem and patience,” she added.

Dr. Raghad hoped that the government here pays more attention to this kind of therapy. “As this type of therapy can be expensive for some

people, there are some charitable organizations in the USA and Europe that are realizing the benefits of this therapy and are donating what they can to help these children. But, we still have a long way to go. The connection that a person has with a horse is so deep that water therapy, traditional therapy or a psychologist are no comparison,” she further said.

Therapeutic Horseback Riding has literally changed the quality of life for thousands of children and adults with physical and/or emotional disabilities. It is amazing how these gentle creatures can have such an impact on a person’s entire being. The connection that a rider has with his horse can literally change his entire outlook on life.

According to Dr. Raghad, Therapeutic Horseback Riding is important for children with disabilities. “It has been proven that the bond between a horse and its rider is unique and will be the motivation these children need to continue with their therapy. This connection with the horse can help the body heal, and buck up the child’s spirit, helping to heal the mind. The benefits of this therapy are powerful in changing the quality of life for a child with disabilities,” she explained.

This course has physical benefits. “This therapy helps to develop coordination and strengthen muscle tone. It will also help to relax the spastic muscles. Posture and sitting and standing balance will be improved. The child’s gross and fine motor skills will be enhanced. A child’s functional range will actually increase. The cardiovascular function will improve, along with stamina,” she noted.

The cognitive benefits are “tapping into the thinking skill and push the child to concentrate and pay attention to the trainer, which will increase their vocabulary. Therapeutic Horseback Riding will improve flexibility in thinking skills, sequencing and planning skills, and judgment and critical thinking skills,” she said.

Furthermore, it has psycho-social benefits.

“Therapeutic Horseback Riding can save a child’s life. Children with disabilities tend to become depressed and some will shy away from the rest of the world. A horse can become a child’s best friend and loyal companion. A horse never judges and actually needs the child’s love. This helps children feel needed and loved,” she pointed out.

“The goal of EACH centre is to do a unique form of Life Coaching, Teaching Methods, Color Therapy and Physical Therapy on horseback for people with special needs. I provide monthly courses including two lessons a week, each being 40 minutes long. Also, I only do one-toone lessons, as each student has special needs and has to receive full attention,” concluded Dr. Raghad. People can contact on e-mail: eachkuwait@gmail.com

KUWAIT: One of the children riding the horse during the therapeutic horseback riding course.

Scholarship seats up to 4,500 KUWAIT: The Ministry of Higher Education plans to increase the number of scholarships next year in a bid to ease the pressure on the Kuwait University following announcement of high school results, a local newspaper reported yesterday quoting sources with knowledge of the issue.

The ministry has been dealing each summer with the challenge to provide college education to thousands of Kuwaiti high school graduates who are entitled under the constitution to state-backed free higher education.

Last year, the number of students sent abroad with paid scholarships had to be increased up to 3300, given the limited capacity available in the overcrowded Kuwait University, the country’s sole public university.

Given the lack of expansion projects at the KU as well as the modest capacities of private universities in Kuwait, the ministry is expected to increase the number of scholarship seats to 4,500 this summer, according to the sources who spoke to Al-Qabas on the condition of anonymity.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

LOCAL

Lebanese House Speaker praises Kuwait for support

BEIRUT: Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri pictured with Abdulwahab Al-Bader and other officials.

Retired servicemen to be recalled KUWAIT: Retired servicemen from the Interior and Defense ministries as well as the National Guard could be recalled to enroll in the police force in lieu of a monthly honorarium ranging between KD 300 and 500 in a bid to overcome shortage projected due to demographic growth.

According to sources familiar with the ongoing discussions about the issue, the Ministry of Interior would require nearly 15,000 security officers by 2015.

Reassignment of the retired servicemen would be carried out as per a clause in the police law which allows the Interior Minister to hire Bedoon (stateless) and Gulf nationals who are children of Kuwaiti mothers to serve in the police

force through private contracts.

Meanwhile, the insiders who spoke to Al-Rai on the condition of anonymity said that the idea to increase policemen’s salaries to attract new recruits was not discussed “because the current wage is considered the highest in the region.”

Meanwhile, the sources suggested allowing policemen to pursue part-time jobs or studying in a bid to bring down the attrition rate of officer cadre.

Increasing awareness about police services through the media and women’s recruitment were also suggested. The sources did not provide a date as to when the recommendations would be referred to top ministry officials to take necessary measures.

Stage set for traffic week KUWAIT: The preparation committee for organizing the unified GCC traffic week continued with its meetings in the run up to the launch of its activities slated for the month of March under the slogan “Our Aim Your Safety.”

The director of the specialized training center, Col Hisham Yaseen Abdullah, who is also the deputy chairman of the committee, chaired the meeting which was held yesterday morning.

Welcoming the participants, he conveyed to them the greetings of the assistant undersecretar y for traffic affairs, Lt Gen Mustafa Al-Zaabi, before taking up the agenda and enumerating the work done by the sub committees.

He also reviewed all the suggestions made by committee members during earlier meetings. Also, the details of the information campaign came in for a review. Al-Yaseen emphasized that the GCC’s unified traffic week exercise was an annual event aimed at underlining the informative role of the department to protect the life and property of people, and cooperate and coordinate with the fraternal GCC states.

He emphasized that the Ministry of Interior will do everything in its power to make this event successful. The committee is expected to hold still more meetings to follow up on certain other issues connected to this event.

Barrak drops bombshell: Court...

Continued from Page 1 warned police against resorting to the use of force and called on activists to retaliate. Barrak said the liberal National Democratic Alliance will take part in the new opposition alliance.

Turning to Prime Minister HH Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Barrak cited him as saying that he was against the amendment of the electoral law to what is known as the single vote law and that he had told seven former MPs that he feared that supporters of former speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi and former premier Sheik h Nasser AlMohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah would oust him. Barrak said that the solution to Kuwait’s ongoing political crisis is through forming an elected popular government which must be chosen by the elected National Assembly.

Speaking at the rally, head of the Progressive M ovement Ahmad AlDayeen said the goals of the opposition must be very clear. “Our aim is not to abor t the single vote law but to press for a full parliamentary system with a popular government and not a government comprised of sheikhs,” he said.

In Assembly news, MPs yesterday defied government objections and voted to form a special committee to investigate the awarding process of t wo mega contrac ts wor th more around KD 1.5 billion to build the Sheikh Jaber Causeway and the Al-Zour North power plant. Several MPs said there were reports of political deals in

the two contracts which were awarded last year. Twenty-three MPs voted for the proposal, which was rejected by the government, against 20 members who opposed it. The five -MP panel must conclude its probe within three months.

The first contract, awarded to South Korea’s H yundai Engineering and Construc tion Co and the local Combined Group Contracting Co, calls for building a 37.5-km causeway to link Kuwait City with Subbiya at a cost of $2.6 billion. The second is for building a power and water desalination plant in Al-Zour for $2.5 billion to produce 1,500 megawatts of electricity and over 100 million gallons of drinking water daily. The contract was awarded to Japan’s Sumitomo Corp, France’s International Power-GDF SUEZ and Abdullah Hamad Al-Sager and Brothers.

Minister of Electricity and Water and Public Works Abdulaziz Al-Ibraheem warned the Assembly that stalling the power plant project will force the ministry to resort to power cuts. He said that at present Kuwait has a production capacity of 13,000 MW and consumption grows between 800-900 MW every year and as last year’s consumption reached 12,000 MW, there will be no spare capacity next year and “we will be forced to impose power cuts in the summer unless new capacity is added”.

The Assembly also postponed for two weeks the debate on a draft law to write off the interest on the banking loans of Kuwaiti citizens.

BEIRUT: Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri expressed yesterday his thanks and appreciation for the unlimited support provided by the State of Kuwait to Lebanon.

This came during a meeting with the delegation of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), headed by its Director General Abdulwahab Al-Bader during which both sides reviewed

development projects carried out by the Fund in Lebanon. Berri stressed during the meeting the importance of the vital projects carried out by the Kuwaiti Fund in Lebanon, affirming that they contribute to the service of the Lebanese people and in advancing economic and social cycle in the country.

For his part, Regional Director for the Arab countries in the Kuwaiti

Fund Marwan Al-Ghanim said in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that both sides reviewed the numerous projects implemented by the Fund in various regions of Lebanon.

Al-Ghanim deeply praised Kuwaiti-Lebanese relations, expressing at the same time his appreciation for the positions of Lebanon towards Kuwait. —- KUNA

Cooperation of Legislative, executive powers ‘vital’ NA panel to investigate case related to KAC KUWAIT: Cooperation between the legislative and executive powers is vital for the state development plan, said Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Dr Rola D a s h t i h e re ye s te rd ay. M i n i s te r D a s h t i ’s statement came during the regular supplementary session of the National Assembly which was designated for the discussion of the government’s agenda of the 14th legislat i ve te r m fo r t h e ye a r s ( 2 0 1 2 - 2 0 1 3 ) a n d (2015-2016) The Minister said that the government’s program could not be carried out without the cooperation of parliament, affirming that the Kuwaiti people were eager to witness such kind of cooperation to see their nation even prosper more. Meanwhile, the National Assembly formed here yesterday a committee to look into the case related to a Kuwait Airways Corporation’s (KAC) pilot. During the regular session, the parliament assigned the committee to investigate an incident in which a pilot from Kuwait Airways had flown a plane to Tehran on March 20, 2012 while KAC’s employees were on strike. The committee will have three months to investigate the incident. The parliament also formed a committee to look into violations at the ‘abroad treatment department’ at the the Ministry of

Health in the last two years. A committee look ing into the contrac ts for the Jaber Bridge and Al-Zour station was also formed by the National Assembly.

The parliament referred to the government, during its yesterday’s regular supplementary session, a draft law on combating human trafficking and migrants smuggling to be discussed and voted on.

The voting process gained the approval of 34 members of the Parliament (MPs) out of 38 MPs who were present at the session; four MPs abstained. The explanatory memorandum of the draft law pointed to the United Nations General Assembly’s agreement on combating organized crime where the latter s t re s s e d t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f e l i m i n a t i n g human trafficking, especially of women and children, and smuggling of migrants via land, sea and air exist points.

Th e m e m o r a n d u m e x p l a i n e d t h a t t h e state of Kuwait had signed the UN agree ment; therefore, it has become obligatory to take necessar y steps to stop and punish these crimes according to the draft law submitted today at the parliament.

Today’s draft law consisted of a number of articles that explained some of the criminal definitions and terms of human trafficking

and migrant smuggling and described the p u n i s h m e n t d e s e r ve d fo r t h e p e o p l e involved in these crimes and their accessories.

The draf t document also stressed the importance of providing the victims of these crimes with temporary treatment and shelter. I n another development, Parliament Speaker Ali Fahad Al-Rashed hailed here yesterday the prospective national dialogue in the Kingdom of Bahrain next week under the auspices of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. AlRashed said in a press statement issued by the Information Department of the National Assembly today that the move “will have a positive impact on the brotherly Bahraini people and reveal the sincere desire of all par ties to overcome repercussions of the previous phase”.

He expressed hope the national dialogue in Bahrain would achieve the desired goals in promoting security and adhering to constitutional underpinnings approved by the brotherly Bahraini people, calling on the parties concerned to effectively and positively participate for the success of the dialogue and the achievement of its objectives. AlRashed is expected to head a delegation to Bahrain next Saturday. — KUNA

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

LOCAL

Officers unharmed in landmine explosion Teenager arrested for rape KUWAIT: Two policemen narrowly escaped death when a landmine exploded underneath their patrol vehicle near the northern border on Tuesday. Both the border security officers remained unharmed even though the patrol vehicle was severely damaged in the blast that happened in an area between Ritqa and Tahrir stations. Preliminary investigations indicated that the landmine was a remnant from the 1990/91 Iraqi Invasion era. The case was reported at the Qash’aniya police station.

KUWAIT: As part of its ongoing campaign to preserve heritage, the Commercial Bank of Kuwait participated in a two-hour radio show focusing on Kuwait’s culture. It is the second such consecutive year that the bank backed this campaign.

The Assistant General Manager of Public Relations and Media Department, Amani Al-Waraa, led the bank’s team which provided information about Kuwait’s heritage, and explained various facets of the bank’s campaign which also included many competitions. The show was broadcast last Sunday between 1pm and 3pm on the Arab Music Channel 103.7 FM. There will be two more episodes scheduled for the upcoming two Sundays in a row.

Sexual assault A teenager was arrested for sexually assaulting a child in Um Al-Haiman recently. The sixyear-old boy reportedly left his house for a nearby grocery store when the suspect caught hold of him and assaulted him before escaping.

Police managed to arrest the 16-year-old suspect after the victim’s father filed a case naming him at the area’s police station. The teenager was referred to the Juveniles Prosecution Department to face charges after confessing to his crime during interrogation.

Deportee caught Authorities at the Kuwait International Airport arrested an Asian man trying to enter Kuwait using a forged passport. After the man’s true identity was discovered, police learnt that he was deported earlier after being caught running a network suspected of indulging in human trafficking in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. The man admitted during investigations that he literally bought a new identity by paying an amount equal to KD250 to a man who had left Kuwait for good, in exchange for his passport that carried a valid Kuwaiti visa. The man forged the passpor t and tried to re -enter Kuwait but was caught. He was referred to the Criminal Investigations General Department for further action.

Drug addict A woman filed a case with local police after her drug addict son disappeared with her rented vehicle. The Saudi woman told officers at AlAdan police station that she reported the case

because she feared her son might use the vehicle to carry out illegal activities. She called her son to convince him to return but it did not work, she approached the police. Investigations are on.

Stabbers in custody Two men, both friends, were arrested after they stabbed a man who had gleaned the phone number of one of the suspect’s girlfriend by snooping into his phone and later sent her flirtatious text messages, as per details provided to the police by none other than the victim.

After his girlfriend received the unsolicited messages, the ‘betrayed’ man went with a friend to a location in Salwa where they met the sender of these texts and stabbed him before escaping.

The stabbed man explained his case to officers summoned to the Mubarak Hospital where he was hospitalized. The two were arrested shortly afterwards and referred to the proper authorities to face charges after they admitted stabbing him.

SMEs play a vital role in economic development KUWAIT: The economic past experience of industrial countries, has shown that the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in the economic development of all industrial countries, through their perceived role in transferring innovative ideas into reality.

It is important to note that the economic system of Kuwait, being capitalism, is based on two important pillars.

First is an advanced banking system, and second, a credible framework of SMEs support. As the Kuwaiti banking system enjoys an advanced level of professionalism, praiseworthy SMEs support system is rather lagging as, until this moment, no SME-related law has been approved, as is the case in most countries in the world.

Nevertheless, Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, with a vital assistance from the United Nations Development Program (UNDPKuwait), has established the first “distinctive business incubator that is spe-

cialized for Kuwaiti women, as part of a development program, Women Economic Empowerment project (WEE project). The project aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of MOSAL in order to provide superior economic assistance to Kuwaiti women in terms of launching several business incubators for Kuwait women. After several building capacity activities. MOSAL was able to launch the first incubator in the commercial zone at Alsalam residential area in South Surra. The choice of this area was intended due to its high intensity of population, a factor that is critical in making this endeavor a successful and encouraging experience.

The incubator was given a commercial name as “33 Boutiques”. It hosts 36 projects and about 10 other projects in terms of continuous exhibitions throughout the year and during different local distinct social occasions.

The incubator is supposed to provide professional technical, legal,

financial, secretarial and logistical services to the incubatees, who have diverse projects that range from women-specialty projects to a widerange projects such as computer-andmedia- related projects. The incubator also will indulge into some virtual incubation activities to entrepreneurs affiliated with “Own-Efforts” project, another ambitious project run by MOSAL to a special group of Kuwaiti women, who have some prominent business ideas.

MOSAL has assigned a steering committee from its high-command employees as a sign in stressing its seriousness towards this project. The committee shall take this project forward, until several other incubators are kicked off in the future. It is a hope that the consequence of opening several incubators will be a stunning inspiration and eye-catching to many officials in Kuwait. This, most likely, would spark the plug to a further awareness of the SMEs role in Kuwait economy.

KUWAIT: The Swimming Pool Complex organized the first ever swimming competition last Friday which featured participation of 50 children who were trained by the facility’s training staff. The winners were rewarded at the end of the event by Touristic Enterprises Company officials. The Swimming Pool Complex supervisor Mohammad Al-Ablani announced that many programs and entertaining activities are set to be organized throughout the week.

Winners of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Hamad award to be honored KUWAIT: The General Secretariat of Sheikh Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah’s Journalism Excellence Award Contest, patronized by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, announced yesterday that the final ceremony of the fifth session of the award would be held on Feb 17 at headquarters of Kuwait News Agency.

A special panel has examined the contestants’ forwarded works, according to specific criteria and terms, said the head of the committee, Ayman Al-Ali, also the Deputy Chairman of KUNA Workers Union. After exempting those that failed to meet the set conditions for taking part in the contest, the rest were handed over to members of the judging committee.

The supreme commission devoted special attention to Kuwaiti media personnel in this process, in line with instructions of the patron of the award, HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak.

Special awards would be also granted to young personnel in the profession. Moreover in this vein,three acquaintance meetings were organized for students of Kuwaiti, Gulf and American universities.

Number of the contestants in this session, that got underway on Oct 17 under the theme, “Be an Excellent Journalist,” has significantly increased, as compared to the number of participants in the previous sessions-particularly the number of contesting youth. Awards are due to be distributed to the winners at the final ceremony, he said, indicating that they would be granted for the best interview, news feature and photo.

The top winner will be awarded KD 800, the second KD 600 and the third KD 300.— KUNA

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

LOCAL

Islam provides guidelines to protect rights of all people ‘Family Encyclopedia’ launched KUWAIT: The Supreme Advisory Committee for the Completion of the Implementation of Shariah (Islamic Jurisprudence) held a ceremony Tuesday evening marking the launch of its “Family Encyclopedia”, under aegis and in presence of Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah AlSabah. The ceremony marking one of the most prestigious accomplishments of the committee, which branches out under the Amiri Diwan, was held at Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) ceremony hall in Sharq.

Patron of the ceremony Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah in his inaugural address stressed the care Islam urges to family unity and family affairs. He said “our faith has provided us with guidelines that ensure rights of all individuals are protected, be they husbands or wives, fathers or sons, mothers or daughters, and so on.

It is out of this belief in the role of the family unit in the overall function and advancement of society that we announce issue of this encyclopedia ... “an exceptional feat made possible through much time and ceaseless effort”. And we hail committee and KFAS staff who collaborated on this colossal project,” he added.

Also addressing those gathered for the event, Committee Chairman Dr. Khaled Mathkour Al-Mathkour said the family unit is a main concern for the

committee. He recalled that the late Amir His Highness Sheikh Jaber AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah had urged greatest care to preserve this unit and urged cooperation among all state bodies to conduct studies and issue reference works in this area.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad later gave the same stress and directives and so continued

the project and the first few volumes were viewed by the Amir and the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. ‘The cooperation and coordination between the committee and KFAS was initiated through directives of His Highness the late Amir.

‘Dr Al-Mathkour expressed appreciation for the support and cooperation of KFAS former chairman Dr

Ali Al-Shamlan and present Chairman Adnan Shihab-Eldin, under whose care the project was completed.

‘Deputy KFAS Chairman Mahmoud Yusuf Abdulrehim also addressed those attending and a speech was also given by Awqaf Public Foundation Secretary General Dr. Abdelmihsin Abdullah Al-Kharafi. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The newly-promoted officers in the traffic department met assistant undersecretary for traffic affairs, Lt Gen Dr Mustafa Al-Zaabi, in his office yesterday morning. Top traffic department leaders were also present on the occasion. Al-Zaabi congratulated the officers and conveyed to them the greetings from First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interor, Sheikh Ahmad Al Hmoud, and the undersecretary general, Ghazi Al Omar, and wished them success.

A helping hand to Syrians JEDDAH: Eminent Saudi figures have praised Kuwait’s recent hosting of the international donors for Syria conference affirming that its outcome contributed to alleviating hardships of the Syrian people. Dr. Anwar Majid Ashqi, President of the Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies, expressed his belief that the convention paved the way to thrashing out some of the political differences among the powers following up on events in Syria, namely the US and Russia. The conference constituted a step forward on the path of resolving the strife, he opined, hailing the pledge among the donors to aid the Syrian people with more than $one billion. He called for capitalizing on results of the convention to push for a settlement to the crisis and spare the Syrian people further blood-spilling and the whole Middle East looming dangers, noting the current mounting tensions in various countries of the region.

Dr. Habibullah AlTerkestani, a professor at King Abdul Aziz University, said the holding of the conference underlined Kuwait’s sympathy with the Syrian people and international unanimity to support them with diverse means. Moreover, it paved the way for facilitating delivery of relief supplies to the Syrian refugees on the borders of Syria’s neighboring countries.

The Syrian crisis has resulted in diverse negative consequences at the regional level, namely at the level of regional inter-trade, as well as prices of shipping, insurance, services and commodities, opined the professor. —KUNA

Diplomats’ Day in Russia

O

n Feb 10 Russian diplomats mark their professional day - Diplomats’ Day, which was established by a Presidential Decree in 2002 to commemorate the founding of the Russian Diplomatic Service in 1549.

The date itself is closely associated with the history of Russia’s first foreign affairs agency - the Ambassadorial Department (or “Posolsky Prikaz” in Russian). On Feb 10, 1549 the Ambassadorial Department, established

by Czar Ivan IV, was first mentioned in official chronicles. Of course, the Russian diplomatic traditions date back to more distant times.

For instance, the “Agreement on Peace and Love” between Ancient Russia and Byzantine Empire was signed in 860, and the envoys of Russian principalities were frequent guests in the states of the Medieval Europe.

But in 1500s, after the creation of a strong united Russian State, the necessity of a special diplomatic department to implement foreign policy became vital. Since 1549 the diplomatic service was made into an office of the State and received a special status.

The Ambassadorial Department successfully managed the Russian foreign policy throughout XVI-XVII centuries (with first permanent Russian diplomatic missions abroad opening in 1600s), when in 1718-1720 it was gradually transformed into the Collegium of Foreign affairs by Emperor Peter the Great.

This marked the emergence of the Russian Empire and the establishment of Russia as a Great European power. The constellation of talented diplomats serving within the Collegium laid down the basic principles and methods of the Russian diplomacy.

Finally, in 1802, the modern form of foreign policy management - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - was created by the manifesto ofEmperor Alexander I. By 1914 Russia had a wide network of diplomatic and consular representations all over the world. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in 1917-1946 - the Peoples Commissariat for Foreign Affairs) upheld state interests at every turning point of Russian and world history.

Our diplomacy made crucial contributions to the strengthening of the anti-Hitler coalition during World War II and creation of the United Nations Organization, bolstered the UN authority in governing international relations, fought for peace and disarmament.

Today the Russian diplomacy plays a significant role within the UN, G8, G20, APEC and other world and regional forums, promotes ties of friendship and cooperation with other states.

A diplomat of our times is completely different from the one of the past centuries.

Modern diplomacy has become by far diverse and dynamic. It requires a wider range of knowledge in various fields such as environmental issues, climate change, fighting terrorism and many others. While its method evolves towards multi-vector net-working, the chief task remains the same - security favourable external conditions for the national development.

But the best fundamental traditions of the Russian diplomats are still going strong, and among them - high professional culture, profound knowledge of international relations, commitment to their own country and respect for the countries of posting.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

LOCAL

kuwait digest

In my view

Smartphones and privacy

A dangerous rhetoric

By Aziza Al-Mufarej

W

ajdi Ghunaim, who considers himself an Islamic scholar, is sad about what is going on in his country. It is a right that we cannot deny him.

This sadness and anger made him send a letter to Egyptian President Morsi, urging him to be very strict towards the revolutionaries in Egypt who are calling for the ouster of “Al-Murshid’s government.” The scholar urged him to go all the way, even if that required amputating their limbs, and hang them because they are infidels on earth. He promised that he, along with his group, will carry out such actions if the Morsi government was unable to do so.

By Labeed Abdal

local@kuwaittimes.net

A

few years ago, we coined the phrase ‘Google it’ whenever we wanted to find an answer to any query. We were forever online, at least most of the hours when we were not asleep and at times even when we were dozing off, right till the time our heads rested on a soft pillow.

Nowadays, there is competition between smart phones, processors and browsers about which one is smarter than the rival.

It is time for us to admit that after various domains of knowledge, like biology, chemistry, literature, algebra, etc., we have some new streams coming up, and can safely add iphonology, Androidology, Instagramology and many more to that list.

Even the spell checkers embedded into many a software have still to learn to recognize these new terms becoming part of our daily life. The trend is across ages, sexes or origins.

Although we like to store things that we adore, like pictures, songs and SMSes on our smartphones, and keep a backup on applications like Open Skies, My Space and Cloud, yet it is important that we guard our privacy.

The regular and widely prevalent habit of quickly accepting the long-winded contractual obligations presented as ‘terms and conditions’ as a necessary step to use any software, device or application should not turn into a blind approval for everything.

Even though we are very pleased with free and quick results and the predictive and magically quick answers that our devices throw up, yet it should not be reason enough for us to be deprived of our right to privacy. It should not be a case of privacy vis-a-vis sale of information to the giant companies which collect data from billions of users to understand their wants and needs through tiny search engines.

kuwait digest

Irresponsible govt doctors

By Thaar Al-Rashidi Date: Feb 1, 2013, time: 12:35 pm, place: Mubarak hospital emergency. Situation: Two doctors, a Kuwait and an Egyptian, on duty with about 30 patients waiting their turn at clinic no. 3.

A female patient suffering from high blood pressure was sent from observation room to the “bones” room, where a Palestinian doctor was on duty. What needs to be noticed is that neither the Kuwaiti doctor, nor the Egyptian or the Palestinian agreed to treat the patient suffering from high blood pressure when she was sent to the bone room. The Palestinian doctor refused to treat her on the ground that she did not have any papers from the health clinic. The other two doctors administered an injection but when she asked what kind of injection it was, the Kuwaiti doctor told her to “take the injection in silence.”

They have no respect for the oath and no scruples that they need to earn their salaries, they neglect the patients and must be held accountable.

Had they been working in a private hospital, they would treat the patients with deference, with a smile pasted on their faces all the time, but since they were working in a government hospital where treatment is free of charge, it seems they can deal with patients as per their whims and fancy.

This was a brief account of what happened to a patient who entered the emergency room of Mubarak hospital on February 1st, and you wonder why patients die in our hospitals. Did the three doctors respect the oath they were sworn to when they graduated? If they had, they would have done their duty differently, and admirably.

They would have done so not just in case of this patient, but for all those who came to them, but because they have no respect for the oath and no scruples that they need to earn their salaries, they neglect the patients and must be held accountable. Had they been working in a private hospital, they would treat the patients with deference, with a smile pasted on their faces all the time, but since they were working in a government hospital where treatment is free of charge, it seems they can deal with patients as per their whims and fancy.

To the Minister of Health, I have this to say. These government hospital doctors deal with patients in such a non-serious fashion, playing with their lives. Please apply the law to them, and if someone does not like working at a government hospital, he or she should resign and go to any private hospital. I know that your public relations personnel will ask me the name of the patient and the nature of complaint, but even you are well aware that even if I send them the details, they will only cover up as they do every time I publish a complaint about one of your hospitals. Therefore, I will directly address His Highness the prime minister to set right the dilapidated infrastructure and poor administration of the government hospitals where most of the doctors deal with the patients as if they have come to seek alms. — Al-Anbaa

kuwait digest

The GCC and soft power

By Omar Al-Tabtabaei

W

e live in a crazy world that does not, and is never going to, stop evolving. In every category, there are creative specialists whose work changes our lives and lifestyles. The technology we use today is different than that of yesterday, so are the medical methods and inventions in the field of energy and others.

As long as creativity continues, the world will continue to evolve in all fields, including how power is controlled. The concept of how power is controlled has already changed in the modern world. After a time when military and economic power was limited only to some countries, the concept of soft power took root, thanks to creative minds. Soft power, as defined by Harvard University Professor Joseph Nye, is the ability to attract and co-opt rather than to coerce, use force or give money as a means of persuasion.

Soft power contributes significantly in forming relationships between countries. The United States of America, for example, pays extra attention to improve its sources of soft power such as Hollywood, which has permeated into every household around the world, as well as education by attracting a large number of students from all over the world to its colleges every year. These students go back home with a better appreciation of the American values and institutions, something which only fuels a good intentions towards the US. When the Taliban government in Afghanistan was overthrown in 2001,

India’s foreign minister arrived there to welcome the new Afghani government. His plane was not carrying money or food, but video and audio tapes from Bollywood to be distributed all over Afghanistan.

Countries can use their varied soft power reservoirs to attract a large number of people worldwide. France, for example, is the world’s number one country in perfume making, winning Nobel prizes in literature and tourism, whereas the United Kingdom is the world’s top country in accepting political asylum seekers, and the fifth in website hosting. Have you ever asked yourself why the UK pays so much attention to its own football league? Yes, football is a soft power resource that the UK uses.

If you move towards the Far East, you find that Japan is Asia’s top country in understanding the concept of soft, power given how much attention it gives to resources of this power. Japan is the world’s number one country in patents, number two in website hosting, and number one in giving developmental aid as well as the video game industry. We cannot ignore the Vatican either whose source of soft power depends on it being the world’s center of spiritual leadership for the Catholic Church.

All these are examples for resources of soft power which countries utilize to attract others. But this begs the question: are the governments of Gulf Cooperation Council states aware of today’s concept of the development of soft power?

The GCC countries combined have

significant sources of soft power through which huge goals can be achieved and as a result turn the region into a significant spot worldwide - aside from the fact that it contains more than 60 percent of OPEC’s worldwide oil reserve.

There are three factors for successful use of soft power: recognizing the resources of soft power that can be utilized, setting the goals and future strategy, and finally patience. In order for the GCC countries to build up soft power, they need to combine their goals in order to serve the region as a whole. Their unified resources can translate into a regional soft power.

Kuwait has the power of art, democracy and the development fund which could be sources of soft power.

Qatar has a tremendously powerful source in the form of Al-Jazeera TV. The Kingdom of Bahrain’s attempts to become a financial hub, Oman’s historical significance and the United Arab Emirates’ tourism are important sources as well. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has a huge source in Makkah, the center of Islam in the world. All these resources combined create an unimaginable soft power through which the GCC states can exercise enough influence to achieve their goals.

Joseph Nye also suggests that achieving balance in using hard and soft power breeds a new form of power that can be called ‘smart power.’ I would like to ask the GCC governments this question: how about achieving a balance between economic and soft power? — Al-Rai

When Saddam did what he did in Muslim Kuwait, which was peaceful and never harmed anyone, Wajdi Ghunaim was happy and said in the mosques that this was a punishment from God against those who were too rich. He turned a blind eye towards Kuwait’s contributions to the needy all over the globe.

This is a dangerous rhetoric. Anyone calling for the use of extreme violence against the demonstrators will not be met with silence by the Egyptians. They will answer him in a befitting manner. However, for me as a Kuwaiti, what interested me was that this man lacks credibility and has no sense of justice that those who choose to promote Islam must have.

When Saddam did what he did in Muslim Kuwait, which was peaceful and never harmed anyone, Wajdi Ghunaim was happy and said in the mosques that this was a punishment from God against those who were too rich. He turned a blind eye towards Kuwait’s contributions to the needy all over the globe. He only showed hatred against Kuwait, a country that God blessed with oil after a long time of deprivations, poverty and hardship. Wajdi Ghunaim’s is a black heart. Besides lacking sympathy for the displaced Kuwaitis who lost their country in 1990, he kept blaming their government claiming the country’s funds were being invested in the countries of the infidels instead of Muslim countries.

Ghunaim could not see that each country has the right to run its affairs in a way best suitable for it.

Countries are the best judge of their own interests, and Kuwait was no different. The infidels, for example, come to Egypt in large numbers for tourism, and were it not for tourism, Egypt would have lost a large part of its annual income. We noticed the effect of the tourists’ absence on Egypt’s national income following the terrorist operations that the extremist groups carried out in Luxor and Aswan and following the fall of Hosni Mubarak regime.

The tourism revenue plunged after the failure of the Muslim Brotherhood to rule Egypt and run its affairs.

Wajdi Ghunaim proved that he was not fit to be a promoter of Islam because he lacks the manners required of such a person.

However, I am now sure of his ability to work as a butcher, a profession in which he will be successful because it requires cool nerves that are not affected by severing heads and limbs. — Al-Watan

kuwait digest

The founding fathers

By Dr Mohammad Al-Moqatei

kuwait digest

Private tutoring

By Dr Yaqoub Al-Sharrah

W

ith the focus on improving education, efforts are on to diagnose the main problems marring the educational system and resolve them to avoid further complications. When students routinely fail in a class, it results in a waste of both money and efforts, and negatively impacts various other components of the educational system.

For example, failing classes leads to wastage of human resources and disruption of educational goals, not to mention the financial losses which were estimated at KD 62.5 million for the educational year 2003/2004. This came to nearly ten percent of the ministry’s total spending that stood at around KD600 million at the time. You can only imagine how much money was wasted in 2012 when the ministry’s spending was estimated at more than KD1.5 billion.

Such problems in the education sector not only affect public funds but also impact the family’s budget as more money is then spent on private coaching which has increasingly become a widespread phenomenon.

There are many reasons for it, including classrooms being crammed with too many students, a relatively shorter school year, an information overload in curricula, a wide variation in students’ learning capabilities and an inability on the part of some teachers to deliver the information adequately.There is a direct co-relation between private tutoring and low level of educational attainment which is basically sup-

ported by a student’s wish to avoid failure. The low level of educational attainment does not necessarily indicate laziness or negligence on the student’s part, but could also be a result of the student’s mental, psychological and social formation and his need for educational and social treatment methods that can help him overcome the obstacles in education. Unfortunately, the students usually do not find proper assistance in schools because the curricula fail to take individual differences into account.

A teacher faced with the task of finishing textbooks crammed with information within a relatively short period of time would normally be unable to tend to students who need more guidance.

This leaves students in a situation with limited choices and forced to resort to private tutors.

The spread of private tutoring in Kuwait reflects a flawed educational system which is no longer capable to curb it. Several field studies have pointed out these negative practices of teachers that have been triggering a rise in private coaching, including inadequate teaching being imparted in public schools.

Meanwhile, there are effective methods by which the government can eliminate the dependency on private tutoring, such as launching programs that should take care of underachieving students, help update curricula and teaching methods, as well as pay extra attention to individual differences and strengths. — Al-Rai

There is a direct co-relation between private tutoring and low level of educational attainment which is basically supported by a student’s wish to avoid failure. The low level of educational attainment does not necessarily indicate laziness or negligence on the student’s part, but could also be a result of the student’s mental, psychological and social formation and his need for educational and social treatment methods that can help him overcome the obstacles in education.

D

uring the phase of nation-building after Kuwait achieved independence, the country was led by statesmen from various walks of life. Thanks to their insightful vision, their efforts helped the country’s transition into the next phase smoothly and naturally.

One of the main achievements that the founding fathers are credited for is to have come up with a balanced constitution and certain principles to ensure that we consistently followed the path shown by our statute.

Some of these principles are: 1 Instilling the value of national unity through the constitution’s articles, the discussions during the run up to its issuance as well as the explanatory note accompanying the constitution.

2 Giving primacy to the people’s choice in the ruling system. It began with the people being given the exclusive right to vote on the constitution and ruling family members, who were ministers then, being barred from casting their vote in the parliament. The constitution also accords limited powers upon the state’s Amir, just like those found in other parliaments. It borrows certain strains from the presidential system of governance to help curb any outburst in the parliamentary system while at the same time maintaining the essence of public sovereignty.

3 Rooting for the principle of political partnership and keeping open the possibility of further improving it within the framework of mature dialogue that is capable of ingesting all differences.

4 Founding a state based in the first part on institutions and the sovereignty of law, and managed by three separate but balanced authorities who work independently and in cooperation with each other while making the constitution as the main reference to settle their differences.

5 Making sure that all citizens, including ruling family members, remain subject to the twin provisions of constitutional citizenship: rights and duties. Citizenship is about giving as much as it is about taking, constitution is like an umbrella and loyalty towards it is a citizen’s liability. These are some of the principles that the founding fathers cherished but which, unfortunately, have been abandoned today.

No wonder there is lesser commitment towards the constitution and national unity, thus putting the nation, its system and its people at risk. — Al-Qabas

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Hundreds march in Cairo against sexual violence

Five dead as Solomons quake sparks Pacific tsunami Page 12

Page 8

Ahmadinejad seeks strategic Egypt axis President says Iran has offered Egypt big loan

CAIRO: Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi greets his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during the 12th summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) yesterday. — AFP

CAIRO: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on the first visit to Cairo by an Iranian leader in more than three decades, called for a strategic alliance with Egypt and said he had offered the cash-strapped Arab state a loan, but drew a cool response.

Ahmadinejad said outside forces were trying to prevent a rapprochement between the Middle East’s two most populous nations, at odds since Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution and Egypt’s signing of a peace treaty with Israel in the same year. “We must all understand that the only option is to set up this alliance because it is in the interests of the Egyptian and Iranian peoples and other nations of the region,” the official MENA news agency quoted him in remarks to Egyptian journalists published on Wednesday.

The two countries have not restored diplomatic ties since Egypt overthrew its long term leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011, but its first Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, gave Ahmadinejad a redcarpet welcome on Tuesday to a summit of Islamic nations. “There are those striving to prevent these two great countries from coming together despite

French clash with Islamists in Mali GAO, Mali: French and Malian troops clashed with Islamist rebels near the large town of Gao, Paris said yesterday after reporting that hundreds of insurgents had been killed in a “real war ” to reclaim northern Mali. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the extremist rebels, who have been driven from key strongholds which they had controlled in northern Mali for 10 months, struck back at troops with rocket fire on Tuesday. “There were clashes yesterday around Gao,” Le Drian said on Europe 1 radio.

“Once our troops, supported by Malian forces, started patrols around the towns that we have taken, they met residual jihadist groups who are still fighting. “We will go after them. We are securing the towns we have been able to take along with the Malian forces. The jihadists around Gao were using rockets yesterday.”

One of the militant groups, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) said it had attacked military positions in Gao, the largest city in the north. “The combat isn’t over. The attacks are going to continue,” MUJAO’s Abou Dardar told AFP. The Malian army arrested two young men in Gao’s market yesterdaay who were brandishing two grenades and a pistol, though it was unclear “whether they planned to commit an attack or wanted to use the weapons for robbery”, a police spokesman said.

On Tuesday, Le Drian said “several hundred” Al Qaeda-linked militants had been killed by French air strikes as well as “direct combat” in the key central and northern towns of

Konna and Gao. “This is a real war with significant losses but I’m not going to get into an accounting exercise,” he said yesterday when asked about the toll. France’s sole fatality so far has been a helicopter pilot killed at the start of the military operation 27 days ago. Mali said 11 of its troops were killed and 60 wounded after the battle at Konna last month but has not since released a new death toll.

The United Nations said yesterday it had regained access for aid operations in central Mali, and hoped to soon be able to move into the north, where security was still a concern. “We could have access over coming days,” said David Gressly, who steers UN humanitarian operations in the region, adding that some 500,000 people were facing hunger in the north. France launched its surprise intervention in the former French colony on Jan 11 as a triad of Islamist groups that had seized control of the north in the aftermath of a military coup pushed south toward the capital.

Nearly 4,000 French troops have deployed, a number that will not be increased, Le Drian said. With Paris keen to pass the baton to s o m e 8 , 0 0 0 Af r i c a n t ro o p s pledged for Mali, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said soldiers would begin withdrawing “in March, if all goes as planned”.

President Francois Hollande confirmed that timeline, with a government spokeswoman telling journalists: “ The president confirmed this morning that if everything goes to plan, the number of French troops in Mali will begin to

fall from the month of March.”

Hollande, whose surprise decision to intervene in Mali won him a hero’s welcome there on Saturday, had said during his whirlwind visit that France will stay as long as it takes. The Islamists have put up little resistance, many of them fleeing to the Adrar des Ifoghas massif around Kidal, a craggy mountain landscape honeycombed with caves where they are believed to be holding seven French hostages. Kidal, the last key bastion of the Islamists, is now under control of French forces and some 1,800 Chadian troops, but fighter jets continue to pound the region around the remote desert outpost.

Meanwhile a Tuareg separatist rebel group that kickstarted Mali’s descent into chaos with a rebellion for independence last year said it is working with France against “terrorists” in the region. The Azawad National Liberation Movement (MNLA) linked up with the radical Islamists in its bid to secure independence for the desert nomad Tuareg people, who have long felt marginalised by Mali’s government.

But after being chased from their strongholds by the extremists, they have voiced a willingness to negotiate since France intervened. The MNLA said yesterday it had retaken the town of Menaka, 80 km from the Niger border, which Nigerien troops had taken from militant occupiers but then left as they continued their advance. Le Drian said France had “functional relations” with the group in Kidal but that fighting terrorists alongside them was “not our objective”. — AFP

the fact that the region’s problems require this meeting, especially the Palestinian question,” Ahmadinejad said.

Egypt’s foreign minister played down the significance of the visit, telling Reuters the Iranian leader, one of several heads of state to get the red-carpet treatment, was in Cairo chiefly for the Islamic summit beginning on Wednesday, “so it’s just a normal procedure. That’s all.” He had earlier reassured Gulf Arab countries that Egypt would not sacrifice their security. Egypt’s leading Sunni Muslim scholar scolded Ahmadinejad on Tuesday when he visited the historic Al-Azhar mosque and university over Tehran’s attitude to its Gulf Arab neighbours and attempts to spread Shiite influence in Sunni countries. In his meeting with Egyptian reporters, MENA said Ahmadinejad denied accusations Iran was interfering in Bahrain, where a Shiite majority lives under minority Sunni rule. Three Egyptians and a Syrian were detained on suspicion of trying to attack the Iranian president at another mosque, security sources said. They were held overnight but released on bail of 500 Egyptian pounds ($75) each yesterday.

Video footage shot by a Turkish cameraman appeared to show a bearded man trying twice to throw a shoe at Ahmadinejad as he was mobbed by well-wishers on leaving the Hussein mosque. The president was not hit but was hustled to his car by security men, stopping to wave before he was driven away. The security sources said the three Egyptians held were all members of the al-Gamaa al-Islamiya, a hardline Islamist group that took up arms against the state in the 1990s but has moved into mainstream politics since Mubarak was toppled. In the Arab world, throwing a shoe is a serious insult. An Iraqi journalist hurled a shoe at thenUS President George W Bush during a news conference in Baghdad in 2008, forcing Bush to duck to avoid being hit. Al-Ahram daily quoted Ahmadinejad as saying in an interview that Iran had offered to lend money to Egypt despite being under international economic sanctions over its nuclear program. “I have said previously that we can offer a big credit line to the Egyptian brothers, and many services,” he said. He did not say if there had been any response. —Reuters

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

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

Syria rebels train ‘killing machine’ teenagers TLALEEN, Syria: Bored at home and eager to join their older brothers and fathers on the frontline against President Bashar AlAssad’s army, Syrian teenagers are joining the rebel cause, oblivious to international laws prohibiting child combatants. “When they arrive here, they are children. By the time they leave, they are killing machines,” said Abdel Razzaq, a 38-year-old former army sergeant who trains the boys. “I train them not to be scared of war and not to hesitate when the time comes to kill,” he said, speaking of his latest group of 20 volunteers, aged 14 to 18. “There are no more adult men in the villages. Now it’s the children who come for military training,” said Abdel Razzaq.

He teaches his students how to handle a Kalashnikov, or AK-47 assault rifle, the weapon most commonly used by the rebels. He teaches them how to disarm an enemy and kill him with a knife or even their bare hands. “Children are the best soldiers I know. They obey every command.

An adult asks questions and answers back.

But the children, they question nothing,” said Abdel Razzaq.

“Musab, you’re supposed to kill your opponent, not caress him!” he shouted out as he watched a 14-year-old boy try to disarm an opponent with a punch rather than

by stabbing him. Musab’s father said he takes pride in his son, who he’s sure will make “a very good soldier”. Sobhi, aged 15, said he begged his father to allow him to start training. “I was tired of staying home, waiting for my father and brothers to return from the front to tell me about the war. I want to go to the front and see it with my own eyes,” he told AFP. Abdel Razzaq’s “military academy” is a former school, located in northern Syria’s Aleppo province. Before being sent off to the front, the boys receive two hours of training a day for three months. The boys’ families are eager that they are trained well before they are sent off to fight the army. “Without proper training, they would die quickly,” said Abdel Razzaq. Fifteenyear-old Mohammed seems to have quickly learned how to assemble and dismantle his Kalashnikov. “Ready!” he said proudly, showing off to the instructor, a figure of both respect and fear for the boys.

Bashar, aged 16, was signed up for training by his brothers. “I want to avenge the death of my father,” a rebel Free Syrian Army fighter, he said. With families willing to bring their boys forward for training, Abdel Razzaq’s academy does not need to go into forced recruitment. UNICEF child protection coordinator Jean-Nicolas Beuze

TLALEEN, Syria: Syrian former army sergeant Abdel Razzaq (left) helps a recruit to assemble an AK-47 assault rifles as he takes part in a military training on Jan 23, 2013 at a former school turned into a ‘military academy’ in Aleppo province. — AFP told AFP that, “unlike other conflicts, there is no active recruitment of children. The youth come spontaneously, encouraged by their families.” But Beuze said “commanders have the obligation to turn them away.”

International law prohibits the use of anyone under the age of 18 in combat and in military support operations, such as espionage, transporting weapons or providing supplies to fighters. The use of children “as combatants or as a support to

combatants constitutes a grave violation of children’s rights,” said Beuze. Rights groups have frequently accused both the regime and the rebels of rights abuses in a war that has left more than 3,500 children dead, according to monitors. Several amateur videos have shown child soldiers in flashpoints across the country. Distributed by the media or even by rebel groups turning child soldiers into trophies, several videos have shown young boys brandishing Kalashnikovs and other weapons.

One video shot in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor showed a young boy holding an automatic rifle, as rebels fired their weapons nearby. “This is the youngest fighter in Syria,” said the unidentified cameraman shooting the video. The boy introduces himself as “Danny Walid, aged 14.”

Another video widely circulated by regime supporters showed shocking images of a young boy surrounded by men identified as rebels.

The axe-wielding boy beheads a man stretched out on the ground. The men congratulate him, and then kick the severed head at the boy’s feet. Syria’s conflict broke out in mid-March 2011 as a peaceful uprising but morphed into a bloody insurgency when Assad’s regime unleashed a brutal crackdown on dissent. — AFP

Syria rebels fight close to heart of Damascus Twin blasts target military intel HQ in Palmyra DAMASCUS: Syria’s army yesterday launched a fierce assault against rebels in the Damascus region, shelling neighbourhoods and sealing main entrances to the capital, witnesses said, as prospects for peace talks dimmed. In other violence, two suicide car bombings killed at least 19 members of the security forces in attacks targeting a military intelligence headquarters in the south-central city of Palmyra, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The fighting came as a proposal by opposition leader Ahmed Moaz Al-Khatib for peace talks with President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime suffered sharp setbacks, with Damascus ignoring it and a key opposing faction flatly rejecting the initiative.

The surprise gesture by Khatib, head of the opposition National Coalition, has been welcomed by Washington and the Arab League and was expected to receive the support of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Cairo later yesterday. Assad himself has yet to comment on the offer by Khatib, who says “the ball is now in the regime’s court”, but the

pro-regime Al-Watan newspaper said the offer came two years too late.

The Syrian National Council, the main component of the Coalition, rejected the possibility of any talks, saying it was committed to ousting Assad’s regime, rejecting dialogue with it, and protecting the revolution.

Khatib’s offer on Monday followed his surprise announcement last week that he was ready for talks with the regime, subject to conditions including the release of 160,000 detainees.

Khatib later elaborated, saying he was ready to meet Syrian Vice President Farouq Al-Sharaa. In the past the opposition has demanded President Assad step down before talks can begin but analysts say Khatib’s change in stance stems from a belief the population will be bled dry while the West fails to act.

Assad’s regime on yesterday signalled it believes it can still break the military stalemate that has seen his forces and rebels more or less hold their ground in the past few months, relentlessly pounding rebel lines around Damascus.

“The province was bombed very badly, in attacks that have not been seen in months. There was also very heavy fighting,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, the director of the Britain-based Observatory.

A Syrian security official in Damascus who declined to be named said that “the army has launched a coordinated all-out offensive on all of the areas surrounding the capital. “All entries to Damascus have been sealed,” he added. Local residents said that “unusually intense bombing” was heard throughout the capital all day yesterday.

In the south-central city of Palmyra, two suicide car bombings targeting a military intelligence headquarters killed 19 members of the security forces, the Observatory said. The deaths added to an initial toll by the watchdog of 69 people - 30 civilians, 22 troops and 17 rebels killed nationwide yesterday. The United Nations says more than 60,000 people have been killed since the start of an uprising against the Assad regime in March 2011. — AFP

LATAKIA, Syria: A Syrian rebel sits atop a Soviet-made T-55 tank as comrades pray on the Jabal al-Turkman mountain on Tuesday. — AFP

Ahmadinejad ally charged, freed DUBAI: A once-feared prosecutor at the centre of a row between two of Iran’s most powerful figures was charged and freed from two days’ detention yesterday, adding a new twist to their feud just months before the country’s next presidential election. Neither Monday’s arrest nor the release of the former Tehran prosecutor, Saeed Mortazavi, who faces unspecified charges, have been accompanied by any public explanation from the authorities. But Mortazavi was detained a day after his political ally President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad publicly accused the family of Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani of attempting to use their prominence for financial gain.

Larijani is a high-profile possible candidate to succeed Ahmadinejad, who is nearing the end of his second term and cannot run again straight away. The timing of the detention suggested it was linked to the accusations and was a clear indication Ahmadinejad has lost the favour he once enjoyed from Iran’s most powerful authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Tehran prosecutor said Mortazavi was taken to court yesterday for a hearing of charges against him before being released, Mehr news agency reported. The report did not detail the charges but said investigations were continuing. Yesterday afternoon, Mortazavi resumed work as head of the social security office, Fars news agency reported. His appointment to the post last year outraged MPs after a parliamentary report accused him of being linked to the

deaths in custody of three protesters in 2009 when Tehran prosecutor. The squabbling between members of Iran’s ruling elite has intensified despite repeated calls from Khamenei, the final arbiter on all matters in Iran, for officials to avoid airing their disagreements in public ahead of the vote in June.

The supreme leader is in direct charge of nuclear policy, but analysts say greater unity after the election may aid talks over a program Western leaders say appears to be moving towards a weapons capability and Tehran says is purely peaceful. Fars reported on Tuesday evening that judiciary chief Sadeq Larijani, the parliament speaker’s brother, held a meeting with Khamenei after Mortazavi was detained.

It did not elaborate. Ultimately Mortazavi’s arrest was a key sign of the discord in Tehran’s corridors of power and his release was intended to restore calm, say analysts. “It seems Iran’s supreme leader is trying to contain the situation by ensuring that the tensions between Larijani and Ahmadinejad do not escalate any further,” said Meir Javedanfar, a lecturer on Iranian politics at the Interdisciplinary Center at Herzliya, Israel. “The most important goal of the supreme leader is stability before the upcoming presidential election.”

Khamenei has not commented on Mortazavi’s arrest or Ahmadinejad’s accusations against the Larijanis, and analysts say he is unlikely to publicly involve himself in the recriminations.

Ahmadinejad, in Egypt yesterday for an Islamic

summit, has been under increasing pressure from hardline factions. His critics in parliament accuse the government of adopting policies that have worsened economic problems caused by Western sanctions over the nuclear program. In November, parliament called off plans to summon Ahmadinejad for questioning for what would have been only the second time after Khamenei called for greater unity among officials.

On Tuesday evening, Khamenei’s foreign policy advisor Ali Akbar Velayati suggested in a speech that a candidate selected from Iran’s conservative “principlist” faction could avoid the strife that has marked Ahmadinejad’s second term.

Velayati is part of a three-man committee tasked with uniting parliament’s principlists - hardline conservatives loyal to Khamenei and hostile to Ahmadinejad - around a single candidate to minimise chances of the virulent political divisions being carried into the election. “If principlists are divided in the elections and the presidency is not in the hands of principlists in the future, we will have a tragedy,” Velayati said.

“From these three people one person will be introduced as a candidate, so we can finish the job in the first round (of voting),” said the former foreign minister and possible presidential candidate, Mehr news agency reported. “We hope ... we can in the future have a government that is responsive to the demands of the supreme leader and the people.” — Reuters

CAIRO: An Egyptian protester holds up a knife during a demonstration to demand an end to sexual violence against women yesterday in the Egyptian capital. — AFP

Hundreds march in Cairo against sexual violence CAIRO: Hundreds of Egyptians marched yesterday to demand an end to sexual violence against women, as Amnesty International urged an end to the culture of impunity following harrowing reports of mob attacks in Cairo. Men and women, holding huge flags of famous Egyptian female icons, marched from Sayyeda Zeinab mosque to Tahrir Square chanting against the interior ministry, which is accused of failing to bring perpetrators to justice. “The interior ministry are thugs!” the protesters chanted during the march under the slogan “The Street is Ours”.

The demonstration comes amid increasing reports of mob attacks, sexual violence, rape and the use of weapons against women around Cairo’s iconic square. Human rights watchdog Amnesty International issued a statement urging President Mohamed Morsi to take action to put an end to the attacks.

“Horrific, violent attacks on women including rape in the vicinity of Tahrir Square demonstrate that it’s now crucial President Morsi takes drastic steps to end this culture of impunity and gender-based discrimination, and for all political leaders to speak out,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“Impartial, thorough investigations are vital to determine whether these mob attacks are co-ordinated by state or organised non-state actors and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.”

On Cairo’s streets, the sexual harassment of women, regardless of whether or not they wear an Islamic headscarf, is common in the form of obscenities, touching or groping. But an increase in accounts of sexual attacks has raised the alarm and prompted the creation

of several groups to combat the problem.

“The tactics used by mobs in recent protests is a harrowing reminder of the sexual harassment and assault against women protesters under ousted president Hosni Mubarak.

Women have been a vital part of protests and have sacrificed much in their fight for freedom and social justice,” Hadj Sahraoui said.

“Egyptian authorities need to honour their activism and pull out all stops to address endemic violence against women in all echelons of society.”

As Egyptians took to the streets to mark the second anniversary of their uprising on January 25, nearly 25 cases of sexual violence were reported, Amnesty said. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay recently slammed the failure of authorities to prevent acts of sexual aggression. “I deplore the fact that sexual violence is permitted to occur with apparent impunity in a public square, and that the authorities have failed to prevent these attacks or to bring more than a single prosecution against the hundreds of men involved in these vicious attacks,” said Pillay. “There has also been far too little effort to grapple with the sexual harassment and sexual violence taking place in a number of Egyptian cities.” Amnesty said it gathered testimony from women recently attacked by mobs often using weapons in assaults that last from five minutes to more than an hour.

“Given the stigmatisation attached to harassment and sexual assaults against women and the attitudes of law enforcement officials, many cases go unreported. Those who do try and press charges face a wall of indifference and even blame and contempt in their struggle for justice,” said Hadj Sahraoui. — AFP

Thousands join Bahrain protest MANAMA: Thousands of protesters in Bahrain demonstrated against the Gulf nation’s monarchy, less than a week before planned talks aimed at easing a two-year political crisis. Yesterday’s march included some groups favoring the dialogue. But many appeared to take a hard line against the Western-backed rulers with harsh slogans, suggesting divisions in the opposition ahead of talks set for next week.

Shiite protesters have increasingly demanded a stronger voice in the affairs of the Sunni-ruled nation, which is home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. Although the majority in Bahrain, Shiites claim they face systematic discrimination. Protest gatherings are planned every day until Feb 14, the second anniversary of the uprising. Main Shiite political factions have agreed to hold preliminary talks with Sunni officials beginning Sunday. — AP

DIRAZ, Bahrain: Bahraini anti-government protesters hold symbols of their prodemocracy uprising during a march just west of the capital Manama yesterday. — AP

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

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

Outcry over India rape shames some in S Africa JOHANNESBURG: The public outcry in India over the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a New Delhi bus has prompted soul-searching in South Africa, where some people are asking: “Why not here?” In the seven weeks since the trainee physiotherapist was raped, assaulted with a metal bar and thrown bleeding onto a highway to die, nearly 9,000 women and children will have been sexually violated in South Africa. In one recent case in the capital Pretoria, five men dragged a 21-yearold woman into the bushes and took turns to rape her as she walked with friends at dawn to secure a spot in a university enrolment queue. Nearly four weeks on, police have made no arrests.

Violence against women is also endemic in India, but the brutality of the recent attack shocked even those inured to the rising wave of sexual crimes and prompted thousands of protesters into the streets. The Indian cabinet has since fast-tracked tougher new penalties for sex crimes. In South Africa, such cases barely make a stir. In a country long known as the “rape capital of the world”, women’s rights campaigners say sexual violence has almost lost the power to shock. “We are not the

only country faced with crime, sexism, patriarchal attitudes and poverty. But we seem to be the only country that goes to sleep when a rape happens,” popular radio presenter Redi Tlhabi wrote.

Comparing data across countries is difficult because of varying reporting requirements, but by any measure South Africa’s sexual assault rate is off the charts. Its statistics agency concluded in 2000 that it had the highest reported rape rate of all 120 Interpol member countries. “It points to a fundamental kind of sickness in our society, that causing extreme and life-long pain to other people is a way in which some people have fun,” said Rachel Jewkes, acting president of the Medical Research Council (MRC). “We’re still dealing with a patriarchal society, where men see themselves as privileged and doing anything they can get away with, and that includes raping.”

Although researchers cite many reasons for South Africa’s high rates of sexual crime, including extreme poverty, they also point the finger at decades of white-minority rule under which many black families were broken by the need for fathers to leave home to work as migrants in apartheid-run

mines and factories. “The impact of apartheid on families is probably the most important area - the way in which apartheid destroyed family life,” Jewkes said. Mindsets have not evolved significantly post-apartheid, and the police and justice system have failed to do their parts to protect victims and prosecute perpetrators.

In the year to April 2012, more than 64,000 sexual offences, including rape, were reported in South Africa, which has a population of 50 million people. Of these, more than 25,000 were assaults on children. The figures could be much higher as research suggests only a fraction of rapes are reported given that the police force is seen as unsympathetic to victims. Even when suspects are caught, only 12 percent of cases end in conviction.

“It is so frustrating because when you go to the police you get the second victimization,” said Funeka Soldaat, a lesbian community activist in Cape Town’s Khayelitsha township, who was gang raped by four men 17 years ago. “The frustrating thing also is the silence among ourselves as women in the community, (the failure) to say this is not okay.”

Key ally of Merkel to fight plagiarism ruling Education minister stripped of PhD BERLIN: Angela Merkel’s education minister said yesterday she would take legal action against a decision to void her doctorate for alleged plagiarism, an untimely distraction for the German chancellor ahead of September’s national election. German opposition lawmakers said Annette Schavan, a close Merkel ally, should resign after the University of Duesseldorf said on Tuesday that parts of her 1980 doctoral thesis had been copied and that it was stripping her of her PhD. Her case closely mirrors that of KarlTheodor zu Guttenberg, who quit as Germany’s defence minister in 2011 over a plagiarised thesis. Guttenberg had been viewed before his departure as a possible heir to Merkel.

“I will not accept the decision of the University of Duesseldorf and I will file a lawsuit against it,” Schavan, 57, told reporters during a visit to Johannesburg, South Africa. She declined to make any further comment for legal reasons.

The accusations of plagiarism are especially embarrassing for Schavan because she oversees Germany’s universities and had previously been scathing in her criticism of Guttenberg, who resigned a month after losing his doctorate. “An education minister who is proven to have grossly violated academic rules cannot continue in the post,” said Renate Kuenast, a leading member of the opposition Greens. “I assume that Frau Schavan will spare herself and education a prolongation of this affair by resigning.”

Merkel’s spokesman said the chancellor was

Annette Schavan in contact with Schavan and continued to offer her support. “The chancellor values the minister’s performance highly and has full trust in her,” Steffen Seibert told a government news conference on Wednesday. Merkel and Schavan would have talks “in peace and quiet” after the minister’s return from South Africa.

Some members of Merkel’s centre-right coalition said the minister had fallen victim to a politically motivated campaign to damage the government ahead of the autumn federal election.

Merkel, who holds a doctorate in physics, is

Germany’s most popular politician and her conservatives are tipped to win the September vote, but there is uncertainty about the make-up of the next government. Merkel’s current coalition partner, the liberal Free Democrats, may fail to clear the 5 percent threshold to enter parliament. That would force her to consider an unwieldy pact with the opposition Social Democrats.

German media were mostly critical of Schavan. “If the education minister has cheated in her doctoral thesis, it is like the finance minister secretly hiding away his money in Switzerland or the traffic minister driving a car while drunk,” said the top-selling Bild newspaper. “There is no alternative (to resignation) for her.” The Duesseldorf university commission ruled that Schavan had “systematically and intentionally presented intellectual performance that in reality she did not generate herself”.

The decision left Schavan without an academic title, an important symbol of status in German politics and business, as her degree programme in philosophy finished solely with a PhD. Since the allegations first arose in May last year, Schavan has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and said she wrote her dissertation with a clear conscience. Her lawyers have said the proceedings of the commission had been riddled with mistakes and were unlawful, not least because information was leaked to the public in the process. — Reuters

Rape became front page news last year when seven men aged between 14 and 20 went on trial on charges of raping a mentally handicapped 17-year old girl and recording it on a cell-phone video that later went viral.

But even that incident did not spur anything like the kind of public protest seen in India. “If the gang rape of a mentally handicapped 17year-old failed to get thousands on the

streets in protest, what will?” columnist Rachel Davis asked in January in the online publication Daily Maverick. Last month police in North West province arrested a 43-year-old man for raping his 10-month-old niece while the baby’s mother was at work. After the arrest, another female relative came forward to lay a charge against the man for a prior rape. —Reuters

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

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

Clout of Obama’s ‘Mr Fix-it’ extends abroad WASHINGTON: US Vice President Joe Biden, already deeply immersed in highprofile domestic policy, is finding that his clout extends to foreign affairs as well, as he plays a top surrogate role for President Barack Obama in the early days of their second term. Biden is now in many ways viewed as Obama’s “Mr Fix-it,” who struck a crucial budget deal in January and who is able to navigate his way comfortably through Washington’s complex power structure with a back-slapping joviality that Democrats find endearing despite the occasional verbal misstep.

The 70-year-old former senator has often been viewed as gaffe-prone, which makes his wide influence all the more remarkable. Just last year Biden was the subject of media speculation that Obama, when his re-election campaign was struggling, might dump him in favor of Hillary Clinton.

“I think what’s striking about Biden’s role, particularly recently, is both the public nature of it and the significance of the portfolios,” said Joel Goldstein, an expert on the vice presidency at St. Louis University. A Reuters-Ipsos poll last week showed Biden leading several of the Republicans most often mentioned as potential 2016 contenders, like former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. “In terms of how Biden is perceived, there’s a real sort of folksiness - for lack of a better term

- that people find appealing,” said Ipsos pollster Julia Clark. “He puts his foot in his mouth, but who doesn’t? It’s sort of what makes him more relatable.”

Obama, who has maintained a tight control of foreign policy out of the White House, sent his No 2 to Munich this month to hold his second administration’s first face-to-face contacts with key US allies. Biden visited France and Britain as well as Germany.

In Munich, Biden dangled the possibility of direct US talks with Iran over its nuclear ambitions, which would be a departure from the typical US pattern of dealing with Tehran along with five other major powers. And under pressure to do more to help Syrian rebels, Obama had Biden meet with Syrian opposition leaders and assure them the United States would send them humanitarian aid in their bid to oust the Syrian government.

Such a high-profile role contrasts with the way many past vice presidents have been relegated to ceremonial functions like representing the United States at funerals abroad.

Some vice presidents, like Dick Cheney under George W. Bush, played powerful roles, but behind the scenes. Biden has played significant roles both publicly and privately, working internally as a sort of contrarian to challenge policies on Iraq and Afghanistan, for example, while publicly taking on difficult sales jobs, like pro-

becoming vice president, and added: “Most the time the president sends me to places that he doesn’t want to go!” Biden’s loose tongue may have led Americans to underestimate his role in Obama’s first term. But recent events, such the fiscalcliff crisis, have shown how reliant the president is on him.

It was Biden who brought about escape from fiscal chaos late last year by finding common ground with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, whose antipathy for Obama is such that he once vowed his major goal was to deny him a second term.

And it was Biden who negotiated with various groups and came up with the first US gun-control proposals in decades, recommendations that Obama quickly endorsed and Congress is now discussing. Just last week Biden was on Capitol Hill taking the temperature of Senate Democrats on the gun control proposals. Having spent 30 years in the Senate, he is viewed on Capitol Hill as a more credible voice than Obama, who served less than a full term as a senator.

“Senator Obama was here for 30 minutes; Senator Biden was here for 30 years.

That’s the biggest difference. He’s a lot less cocky, doesn’t hog the conversation, let’s everybody speak, and he understands it,” said an aide to a senior Republican senator. Inevitably, conversation about Biden turns to whether he will

moting Obama’s unpopular $787 billion economic stimulus plan in the first term.

As a devout Catholic, Biden’s public support for gay marriage last year caught the White House off guard and forced Obama to voice his own backing for same-sex marriage.

“It’s been that way from the beginning,” said Aaron David Miller, an expert at the Woodrow Wilson Center. “You can’t diminish Biden’s role over the first four years. He’s been incredibly public and very active.” In many ways, Biden is the exact opposite of the calm, cool and unflappable Obama, being more prone to bombast and show boating. So it comes as no surprise that the satirical website, The Onion, has developed an comedy series about him. The Onion’s Biden is a boozer - the real Biden does not drink who stole “800 feet of copper wire from a foreclosed home” and washes a Trans Am muscle car in the White House driveway, shirtless. Sometimes there is a sense that the fake Biden of The Onion and the real one are somehow linked - such as when he was on Capitol Hill to swear in senators. “Spread your legs, you’re gonna be frisked,” he joked to Senator Heidi Heitkamp’s husband. To body-building Senator Tim Scott, he said: “Need any help on your pecs, man, give me a call.”

He told attendees at the Munich security conference that he had traveled over 640,000 miles (1.02 million km) since

seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. He has not ruled this out.

Biden fueled speculation about his plans by staging a party of long-time friends and associates at his home in last January to celebrate his second swearingin. It included guests from the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. “I would say he’s definitely keeping his options open,” said one participant, Sara Riley, a lawyer from Cedar Rapids, Iowa who helped Biden’s 2008 presidential campaign. Biden will have to decide whether he can get elected at 74, an advanced age for a president, and whether he would want to run against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, should the 65-year-old wife for former President Bill Clinton decide to stand as well. At the White House, officials are well aware of the speculation and want Biden to be a successful vice president should he decide to seek the top job. And the best way for him to be a successful vice president, they say, is for Obama to be a successful president.

At the same time, Obama and the White House have been careful not to choose sides between Biden and Clinton.

White House spokesman Jay Carney skirted the issue when asked if Obama preferred one or the other. “I think for the sake and sanity of all involved, it’s worth taking a little bit of a break from presidential election-year politics,” he said. — Reuters

White House: Drone strikes are legal, ethical and wise NBC disclosure sets off new debate over rights

LOS ANGELES: Traffic on the northbound and southbound lanes of the 110 Harbor Freeway starts to stack up during rush hour traffic in Los Angeles. According to a report, traffic congestion was the second-worst in the country in the greater Los Angeles area. — AFP

Obama to talk strategy with Senate Democrats WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama is trying to sell Senate Democrats on his strategy for tackling immigration, gun control and a host of fiscal dilemmas.

Senate Democratic unity will be critical to Obama’s prospects for enacting the ambitious agenda he’s laid out for the start of his second term. Almost all the items on his to-do list face opposition from Senate Republicans - not to mention the even stronger opposition Obama is likely to run up against if and when the GOP-controlled House takes up those items.

Senate and White House aides are offering few details about Obama’s appearance Wednesday at the Democrats’ annual retreat at a hotel in Annapolis, Maryland,, but Obama is expected to address senators before engaging in a candid discussion about the toughest issues ahead. Obama is letting the Senate take the lead on crafting comprehensive immigration legislation, including a path to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants. But he is using all the power that the presidency affords to implore lawmakers to act without delay.

A bipartisan Senate group has reached agreement on the broad outlines of such an overhaul, but a few thorny issues remain, including a possible guest-worker

program and whether to delay steps toward citizenship until certain bordersecurity measures are in place.

Gun control is another of Obama’s priorities where the outcome may rest on whether Senate Democrats stick together in supporting him.

Obama says he sees an emerging consensus behind his proposals in the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut, schoolhouse massacre, but some provisions he’s pushing will make it tough for red-state Democrats and those up for re-election in 2014 to back him. Even the top Senate Democrat, Harry Reid, has declined to say whether he’ll back the most contentious aspect of Obama’s package: a ban on assault weapons.

The retreat also offers Obama his first chance to pitch directly to senators his proposal for a quick fix to avert the sweeping spending cuts set to hit the militar y, domestic programs and the economy at large on March 1. Obama appealed to Congress Tuesday to pass a short-term set of spending cuts and tax changes to give lawmakers more time to hash out a broader deal. House Democrats will hear from Obama at their annual retreat Thursday in Leesburg, Virginia. —AP

EL PASO: US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano speaks in the US Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine hangar in El Paso, Texas, on immigration and border security. —AP

WASHINGTON: The White House has defended drone strikes against Al-Qaeda suspects as legal, ethical and wise and insisted they complied with US law and the Constitution, even if they targeted Americans. The White House defended President Barack Obama’s power to wage drone war after a Justice Department memo argued that Americans high up in Al-Qaeda could be lawfully killed, even if intelligence fails to show them plotting an attack. The disclosure by NBC news, which posted a link to the white paper on its web page, came as US drone attacks in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere face increasing scrutiny and questions from human rights groups. “We conduct those strikes because they are necessary to mitigate ongoing actual threats, to stop plots, to prevent future attacks and, again, save American lives,” said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

“These strikes are legal, they are ethical, and they are wise.” Among the most controversial of the attacks were the September 2011 killings in Yemen of Anwar Al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, which stoked concern because the two were US citizens who had never been charged with a crime. “I would point you to the ample judicial precedent for the idea that someone who takes up arms against the United States in a war against the United States is an enemy and therefore could be targeted accordingly,” Carney said.

The white paper offers a more expansive definition of self-defense and imminent attack than those given publicly in the past by senior US offi-

cials, who have cited “the inherent right to selfdefense” in defending the attacks. “The condition that an operational leader present an ‘imminent’ threat of violent attack against the United States does not require the United States to have clear evidence that a specific attack on US persons and interests will take place in the immediate future,” the memo says.

Instead, an “informed, high-level” official could decide that the targeted individual posed “an imminent threat of violent attack against the United States” if he had “recently” engaged in such activities, and there was no evidence he had renounced or abandoned them.

The memo also says the individual’s capture must be unfeasible, and can be considered so if capture posed an “undue risk” to US personnel.

The 16-page memo is entitled “Lawfulness of a Lethal Operation Directed Against a US Citizen Who Is a Senior Operational Leader of Al-Qaeda or An Associated Force.”

NBC said the memo was given to the Senate Intelligence and Judiciary Committees in June on condition it be kept confidential and not discussed publicly. Its leak comes just two days before White House counter-terrorism chief John Brennan goes before the Senate for hearings on his nomination to be head of the CIA. Brennan has been a central player in the US drone campaign, which has expanded sharply under President Barack Obama despite qualms about its legality and public outrage in Pakistan over civilian deaths. Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal

director of the American Civil Liberties Union, which has sued to obtain the legal document used to authorize the killing of Awlaki, a radical preacher, called the white paper “chilling.”

“According to the white paper, the government has the authority to carry out targeted killings of US citizens without presenting evidence to a judge before the fact or after, and indeed without even acknowledging to the courts or to the public that the authority has been exercised.

“Without saying so explicitly, the government claims the authority to kill American terrorism suspects in secret,” he wrote on the ACLU’s web site. Administration officials fiercely defend the drone program as key to the US strategy against Al-Qaeda, in a war against terrorism with no geographic boundaries.

“It’s been an important part of our operations against Al-Qaeda, not just in Pakistan, but also in Yemen, in Somalia and I think it ought to continue to be a tool we ought to use where necessary,” outgoing US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in an interview with AFP last week.

Meanwhile, inside the United States, lawmakers in at least nine states were working on measures to restrict the use of drones in their skies due to worries that the unmanned vehicles could be used to spy on Americans at home.

The American Civil Liberties Union says the states so far are Oregon, California, Montana, Texas, Nebraska, Missouri, North Dakota, Virginia and Florida. — AFP

Captor rigged bunker, waged firefight: FBI MIDLAND CITY, Alabama: As FBI and police negotiators sought for days to coax an Alabama man into freeing a kindergartner held hostage in an underground bunker, the captor was making plans of his own, authorities say.

He rigged the bunker with explosives, tried to reinforce it against any raid, and when SWAT agents stormed the shelter Monday to rescue the boy, Jimmy Lee Dykes engaged in a firefight that left the captor dead, the FBI and officials said.

After the nearly weeklong hostage ordeal, relatives say the boy, who turns 6 Wednesday, is back at home and appears to be doing well. He was seized off a crowded school bus Jan. 29 after authorities say the gunman shot the driver dead and took the boy to the bunker.

While the FBI has said little about how it monitored Dykes’ behavior and mood in the days leading up to the rescue, the latest revelations suggest authorities were dealing with an abductor fully prepared for more violence even as he allowed police to send food, medicine and toys into the bunker for the boy.

An FBI statement late Tuesday said Dyke, 65, had planted an explosive device in a ventilation pipe he’d told negotiators to use to communicate with him on his property in the rural Alabama community of Midland City. The suspect also placed another explosive device inside the bunker, the FBI added.

Dykes appears to have “reinforced the bunker against any attempted entry by law enforcement,” FBI special agent Jason Pack said in the statement providing significant new details about how it all ended.

When SWAT agents stormed the bunker, Dykes “engaged in a firefight with the SWAT agents,” Pack added. Officers killed Dykes, said an official in Midland City, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official wasn’t authorized to discuss a pending law enforcement investigation.

The two devices were “disrupted,” Pack said, but did not say whether they were detonated or disarmed. For days, officers communicated with Dykes through a plastic pipe that rose up from the bunker, which was similar to a tornado shelter and apparently had running water, heat and cable television.

On Monday, authorities said, Dykes had a gun and appeared increasingly agitated, and negotiations were deteriorating. The Midland City official said law enforcement agents had been observing Dykes with some sort of camera, which is how they saw that he had a gun. Dale County Coroner Woodrow Hilboldt said Tuesday that he had not been able to confirm exactly how Dykes died because the man’s body had remained in the bunker. An autopsy was to be conducted once the body was removed. The boy, who has Asperger’s syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, was said to be acting like a normal kid after his rescue. — AP

GRAHAM: Dakota Gordon, 7, holds a candle as she looks at a toy hanging above crosses erected in memory of her cousins, Braden and Charlie Powell during a vigil in Graham, Washington. The vigil was held at the vacant lot where the home rented by the boys’ father, Josh Powell once stood. Powell blew up the house during a parental visit with the boys while a social worker was locked outside. — AP

Arizona woman charged in lover’s slaying testifies PHOENIX: Jodi Arias’ life changed from the moment she met the man she killed. A world of opportunities seemed possible. A good job. A promising future. A potentially loving relationship.

As Arias testifies in her murder trial, she continues to lay out in painstaking detail the events that led up to the day she stabbed and shot Travis Alexander in his suburban Phoenix home.

Her testimony was set to resume later yesterday. Arias has told jurors of a past marred by abuse at the hands of her parents, the numerous boyfriends who cheated on her and how things seemed to take a turn for the better when she met Alexander. The 32-year-old is now accused of stabbing and slashing him 27 times, slitting his throat and shooting him in the head in June 2008. She initially denied any involvement, then later blamed it on masked intruders before claiming selfdefense. Arias says she went to Alexander’s home for sex, but that he turned violent, forcing her to fight for her life. Prosecutors say she killed him in a jealous rage.

She could face the death penalty if convicted. Arias told jurors of other boyfriends - before she met Alexander - who cheated on her and lied to her. The defense claims

Alexander, a successful businessman and motivational speaker was abusive, both physically and mentally.

She said she first met Alexander at a Las Vegas convention in late 2006 after years of bad relationships. She was almost immediately enamored by him, and it appeared he was taken with her, too. She suddenly saw both personal and professional opportunities. “The things he said to me made a big impression on me,” Arias told jurors.

Arias said she soon ended her relationship with another man and within a week she saw Alexander again. That’s when things became sexual, she testified.

While staying the night at a home of one of Alexander’s friends, a day before he was to take her to church, she said the pair engaged in oral sex. “I didn’t want to tell him no so I just kept going with it,” she said.

“At that point in time, I was not really accustomed to saying no.”

Alexander told her about his Mormon faith, she said. Throughout the trial, defense attorneys have depicted Alexander as a liar and a cheater who belittled her Arias and told her and other girlfriends that he was a devout Mormon saving sex for marriage, while in reality he was having sex with other women. — AP

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

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

News

in brief

Heavy rain kills 34 in Pakistan ISLAMABAD: Days of torrential rain have killed 34 people in Pakistan, mostly on the northwestern border with Afghanistan, officials said yesterday. The worst-hit region was Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the northwest where 25 people were killed and 57 injured as a result of heavy rain from Sunday to Tuesday, the provincial disaster management authority said. Three soldiers were also reported missing after they were hit by a snow avalanche in the northwestern district of Lower Dir. Eight people were killed in the central province of Punjab, said Shahzad Abbasi, spokesman for the Punjab disaster management authority.

Myanmar to allow UN aid to Kachin YANGON: The United Nations will be allowed into Myanmar’s strife-torn Kachin state to deliver humanitarian aid for the first time since a recent escalation of fighting between ethnic rebels and government troops. An announcement of the deliveries came yesterday after the two sides agreed Monday to work toward ending a bloody conflict that has forced thousands of civilians to flee the area in northern Myanmar.

A UN spokesman, Aye Win, said it was “significant” that aid could be delivered for the first time since fighting escalated in December.

Avalanche kills five in India SHIMLA: An avalanche in a Himalayan region of northern India killed at least five villagers yesterday when their houses were buried under heavy snow, officials said. The avalanche trapped eight people in the remote Kafnu village in the state of Himachal Pradesh but three of them were later rescued, they said. “The victims were in two houses. The other six houses in the village had been vacated earlier,” said one of the officials, speaking anonymously as he was not authorized to talk to the press. A rescue operation was launched despite the heavy snowfall in the tribal region bordering Tibet, with forecasters warning of the possibility of more avalanches.

India voices ‘concern’ over China role in Pakistan port Port close to Iran seen as key energy supply link BANGALORE: China’s role in operating a strategically important port in Pakistan is a matter of concern for India, its defense minister said yesterday, as New Delhi and Beijing jostle for influence in the region. Indian policy-makers have long been wary of a string of strategically located ports being built by Chinese companies in its neighborhood, as India beefs up its military clout to compete with its Asian rival.

Management of Gwadar port, around 600 km (370 miles) from Karachi and close to Pakistan’s border with Iran, was handed over to state -run Chinese Overseas Port Holdings last week after previously being managed

by Singapore’s PSA International.

“It is a matter of concern to us,” Indian Defense Minister A K Antony told reporters when asked about Chinese control of the port.

When complete, the port, which is close to the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping lane, is seen opening up an energy and trade corridor from the Gulf, across Pakistan to western China, and could be used by the Chinese Navy, analysts say.

“It will enable (China) to deploy military capability in the region,” said Jay Ranade, of the Centre for Air Power Studies and a former additional secretary at the government of India. “Having control of Gwadar, China is basically getting an entry into the Arabian Sea and the Gulf.”

China has also funded ports in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, and

Chittagong in Bangladesh, both India’s neighbors. “Gwadar is a more serious development than the others,” Ranade said, as the Pakistani port gives China base facilities.

A Pakistani foreign ministry official told Reuters that the port was none of India’s business.

“India has no concern with whoever Pak istan decides to work with on Gwadar,” said the official, who declined to be identified. “We first had a deal with Singapore but that didn’t work out as desired. Singapore’s PSA International and the Chinese have settled the deal.” China and India fought a brief border war in 1962. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said last week that Gwadar was a commercial project, par t of longstanding bilateral cooperation.

“China will actively support any program that benefits ChinaPakistan relations and the prosperity of Pak istan,” he told reporters.

India, the world’s biggest arms importer in recent years, plans to spend around $100 billion over the next 10 years in upgrading its mostly Soviet-era military hardware to keep pace with China’s ramping up of defense spending.

The countr y was bound to modernize its armed forces in response to China’s own modernization, Indian Defense Minister Antony said at an air show in the southern city of Bangalore, adding that strengthening its north-eastern border with China

was not a confrontation with its neighbor. “It is our duty. If they are doing it, we will also do it,” said Antony, adding that the presence of a Chinese delegation at the show was a “welcome step”, without elaborating. Despite the push to overhaul its militar y, India’s defense budget would not escape a tightening of govern-

Male companion cross-examined at India gang-rape trial NEW DELHI: Defense lawyers began cross-examining yesterday the male companion of a student who was gang-raped on a bus in New Delhi at the trial of five adults accused of her murder, the man’s father said. “The cross-examination has begun,” said the father of the 28-year-old IT specialist, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

“Three defense lawyers will cross-examine and question him based on the statement that he gave to the police and the court,” he added.

The cross-examination comes after the companion, who is the chief prosecution witness, had on Tuesday identified the bus on which the fatal attack took place on December 16. The bus had been brought to the court compound. The five adult defendants have all denied murder, rape and robbery charges for which they are being tried at a special fast-track court in the Saket district of the Indian capital.

A sixth defendant is being tried separately as a juvenile. The 23-year-old medical student died in a Singapore hospital on December 29 from massive internal injuries she sustained during the savage bus assault a fortnight earlier, which caused outrage across India.

She and her companion had spent the evening at the cinema and were lured onto the off-duty bus after failing to flag down an autorickshaw to take them home.

As well as taking turns to rape the woman and violating her with a rusty iron bar, the group attacked her companion so badly that he is still unable to walk properly. He again appeared at the court on Wednesday in a wheelchair.

The judge has banned all reporting of proceedings inside the courtroom and ordered lawyers not to speak to journalists.—AFP

France’s Dassault Aviation was being reviewed by a cost negotiation committee, Antony said, adding that the delay in finalizing the deal was not due to budget cuts. India selected the Rafale from several options and entered into exclusive talks with Dassault for the $15 billion contract more than a year ago.— Reuters

BANGALORE: Indian defense minister A K Antony (right) gets into the cockpit of a HAL Rudra helicopter while Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne (C, in blue) looks on during Aero India 2013 at the Yelahanka Air Force station in Bangalore yesterday. —AFP

Poachers use AK-47s to kill rhinos in India

Riot police fire water cannon at Modi venue NEW DELHI: Indian riot police fired water cannon yesterday at hundreds of students who were protesting outside a college where the prominent hardline nationalist politician Narendra Modi was due to speak. Modi, tipped to be the main opposition BJP’s candidate for prime minister in elections next year, had been due to make a speech at the Sri Ram College of Commerce in New Delhi as part of a high-profile visit to the capital.

It was not immediately clear whether Modi had been able to enter the compound where large numbers of students had gathered, chanting slogans and carrying banners such as “Killer Modi Go Back”, according to an AFP correspondent.

Police barricaded the entire venue as they tried to push the protestors back from the gates of the college.

Modi, who is chief minister of Gujarat, is a hugely controversial figure having been in power in 2001 when the western state was rocked by some of India’s worst religious riots since independence in 1947. Some 2,000 people were killed in clashes between Hindus and Muslims, most of them Muslims.

One of Modi’s former ministers was jailed for life for instigating the killing, but all investigations have cleared Modi of personal responsibility. Earlier Modi had held talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after which he refused to be drawn on speculation that he wanted to stand as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate in elections due in spring 2014. —AFP

ment spending this year, Antony said, as New Delhi looks to rein in its fiscal deficit.

“Our priority areas will not face budget cuts. Those essential to operational preparedness, there won’t be any budget cuts,” Antony said.

A long-awaited deal for India to buy 126 Rafale fighter jets from

LAHORE: Members of the Pakistani Young Doctors Association (YDA) sit on a hunger strike at their protest camp in Lahore yesterday. The Young Doctors Association staged a hunger strike camp to press their demand for the release of their colleagues who have been arrested during an earlier protest for wage hike. — AFP

GAUHATI, India: Insurgents in India’s troubled northeast are suspected of using AK-47 assault rifles to hunt rare, one-horned rhinos to cash in on a huge demand for the animals’ horns in China and Southeast Asia, police said yesterday. Poaching has been rampant in and around the Kaziranga National Park in Assam state, where 21 rhinos were killed last year and eight so far this year. A half dozen of them were killed in the past month alone using AK-47s, leading police to suspect that insurgents had joined the poaching, Assam state police chief Jayanta Narayan Choudhury said.

“This is serious,” top state elected official Tarun Gogoi said, adding that he was asking federal investigators to launch a probe into the rhino killings.

An estimated 2,500 out of the world’s 3,000 one -horned rhinos live in Kaziranga. Powdered versions of their horns are coveted in many Asian countries as a medicine or an aphrodisiac.

A group of protesters gathered at the park Tuesday and stripped to their

underwear to express anger over the rhinos’ killings and to demand more state government action to protect the rare animals.

Some foreign tourists also lent their support. “I had come here to see the rhinos, but when I heard the animals were being killed by poachers at frightening regularity, I decided to join this protest,” Kenyan tourist Jenny Turner said.

The World Wildlife Fund said the Assam state’s porous borders with neighboring Bangladesh and Myanmar means that such weapons are easily available there and that poachers have easy access to illegal wildlife trade networks. The 480-square kilometer (185square mile) Kaziranga National Park is about 250 kilometers (155 miles) east of Gauhati, the state capital. Nearly two dozen rebel groups in the northeast have been fighting for independence or wide autonomy for decades. They accuse the Indian government of exploiting the region’s rich natural resources. —AP

Bangladesh war crime verdict ignites clashes DHAKA: Police fired rubber bullets yesterday at hundreds of activists from Bangladesh’s largest Islamic party during a second day of rioting sparked by the conviction of a top opposition figure for war crimes. After four people were killed during

violence that flared late into the night on Tuesday, dozens more Jamaat-e-Islami supporters were wounded when riot police tried to disperse fresh protests yesterday near Dhaka and the southwestern district of Khulna. The violence erupted after the

party’s fourth most senior official, Abdul Quader Molla, was jailed for life on Tuesday for committing mass murder during the 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.

The sentence was handed down by a

DHAKA: Bangladeshi social activists and bloggers participate in a demonstration demanding the death sentence for the country’s war criminals during a nationwide strike in Dhaka yesterday. — AFP

domestic war crimes tribunals which lacks any international oversight. Jamaat says the war crimes charges against Molla and eight other senior party officials due to face trial-including its leader and deputy leaderare bogus and part of a wider political vendetta.

The party enforced a nationwide strike on Tuesday and Wednesday and threatened to call indefinite protests if the trials are not halted. It had called a series of protests last week that left at least three people dead. The government maintains the trials are needed to heal the wounds of the deadly nine-month war in which it says three million people were killed, many by pro-Pakistani militia whose members allegedly included Jamaat officials.

The local police chief for Narayanganj, the suburb of Dhaka which saw the worst of the violence yesterday morning, said about 15 people had been injured by rubber bullets. The private Independent TV channel said at least 12 people were injured in Khulna after police fired rubber bullets. Security has been tightened across the country. In Dhaka, the government deployed border guards as reinforcements to stem spiralling violence while at least 10,000 policemen were also on patrol.

Thousands of pro-government protesters also staged a night-long candlelit rally at a key crossing in central Dhaka, demanding the death sentence for Molla.

Border guards were also deployed in Chittagong, the country’s second largest city, where another person died of bullet wounds in a hospital to take Tuesday’s death toll to four, the city’s deputy police chief Bonoj Kumar said.The tribunal, which was created by the country’s secular government in 2010, is also trying two senior officials of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. — AFP

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

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

Abe: China radar-lock on Japan ship ‘dangerous’ Tensions escalate in territorial dispute

A North Korean soldier waves as he stands guard on the river bank of the North Korean town of Sinuiju, opposite side of Dandong yesterday. North Korea vowed last month to carry out its third nuclear test but has said nothing about timing. — AP

China media vents N Korea frustration BEIJING: China should exact a “heavy price” from North Korea if an imminent nuclear test goes ahead, state-run media said yesterday in their strongest call yet, but analysts say Beijing appears unable to restrain its wayward ally.

The state-run Global Times raised the prospect that the relationship founded on the battlefields of the 1950-53 Korean War, and which Pyongyang has relied on ever since, “might break down” over the issue.

That would “be of no benefit to Pyongyang”, it said. “North Korea would face an even worse situation, but China could find some ways to compensate for geopolitical losses.” The article appeared in both the English- and Chinese-language editions of the paper. But analysts and diplomats said that despite its discontent Beijing was unwilling to carry out meaningful action, leaving the media as its only theatre to display its frustrations.

North Korea vowed to conduct its third nuclear test after the UN Security Council condemned its December 12 rocket launch in a resolution that was the product of extensive negotiations with China.

The Global Times-which is owned by the People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party-has previously urged Beijing to cut off aid if it goes ahead with the blast. But the threats contrast with Beijing’s official position of repeatedly urging calm and restraint, and avoiding punitive measures to prevent regional instability. China is widely seen as fearing the consequences of a North Korean collapse, which could send an exodus of refugees across the border and potentially lead to a reunified, US-allied Korea on its border. “If North Korea insists on a third nuclear test despite attempts to dissuade it, it must pay a heavy price,” said Wednesday’s Global Times editorial. “The assistance it will be able to receive from China should be reduced.”

“China is never afraid of Pyongyang,” it went on. “If Pyongyang gets tough with

China, China should strike back hard, even at the cost of deteriorating bilateral relations.”

Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, the Beijingbased Northeast Asia director for the International Crisis Group, said that “editorials are a great way to let off steam”.

Although Beijing has long maintained its stance of supporting its unpredictable neighbour, she said, the media provides a way to vent the views of those arguing for a tougher tack.

“They are really upset,” she said. “But there’s a higher-order priority.” Avoiding instability was China’s main concern in the Korean peninsula, she said.

“Even if they diminish the assistance, they are not going to do it enough to cripple the regime or make a difference,” she said. “Beijing is simply afraid of pushing the regime too far.” Beijing provides substantial economic support to Pyongyang through cross-border trade and investment, while aid constitutes “just one part of the relationship”, she added.

The foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on reports in South Korea that Pyongyang’s ambassador had been summoned for talks “several times”.

A car bearing diplomatic plates and carrying a North Korean flag was seen entering the foreign ministry Tuesday. A Western diplomat in Beijing said: “I don’t think the Chinese are going to change their policy, even if there is a lot of frustration here about the fact that they can’t persuade Pyongyang.”

The foreign ministry distanced itself from the editorials, with spokeswoman Hua Chunying saying that Global Times pieces “are perhaps not that in line” with its positions, and repeating China’s call for calm and restraint. China has acted as Pyongyang’s main benefactor since the Korean War, providing vital diplomatic support and economic ties to one of the world’s most isolated regimes. — AFP

Five dead as Solomons quake sparks tsunami HONIARA: A major 8.0 magnitude earthquake jolted the Solomon Islands yesterday with small tsunami waves buffeting Pacific coasts, leaving at least five people dead and dozens of homes damaged or destroyed.

A quake -generated wave of just under one metre (three feet) reached parts of the Solomons, and Vanuatu and New Caledonia also reported rising sea levels, before a region-wide tsunami alert was lifted. Sirens were heard in Fiji, locals said. “Chaos in the streets of Suva as everyone tries to avoid the tsunami!!” tweeted Ratu Nemani Tebana from the Fiji capital. The waves reached as far away as Japan, which was hit by a huge tsunami in March 2011 that killed more than 19,000 people.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency reported a 20-centimetre wave hitting the Ogasawara island chain south of Tokyo eight hours after the quake struck.

Smaller waves were later recorded on Japan’s main island of Honshu. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cancelled its regional alert for Pacific-island nations at 0350 GMT, about two and a half hours after the powerful quake struck at 0112 GMT near the Santa Cruz Islands in the Solomons. Australian and US monitors said a tsunami wave measuring 91 centimetres washed into the town of Lata, on the main Santa Cruz island of Ndende.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the wave appeared to have travelled 500 metres inland, inundating Lata’s airstrip as well as surrounding villages, flattening many traditional houses. “We can report five dead and three injured.

One of the dead was a male child, three were elderly women and one an elderly man,” Chris Rogers, a nurse at Lata Hospital, told AFP. Solomons Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo’s office said four villages on the Santa Cruz Islands had been hit by the tsunami. “Latest reports suggest that between 60 to 70 homes have been

damaged by waves crashing into at least four villages on Santa Cruz Islands,” Lilo’s spokesman George Herming said.

“At this stage, authorities are still trying to establish the exact number and extent of damage. ommunication to (the) Santa Cruz Islands is difficult due to the remoteness of the islands.”

Solomon Islands Red Cross secretary general Joanne Zoleveke said she had been told at least three villages were hit, with houses washed away.

“In the Solomon Islands when we talk about villages there can be anything from 10 to 30 houses,” she said. With Lata’s airstrip out of commission, officials were hoping to fly over the area early Thursday to assess the damage better.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck the Santa Cruz Islands, which have been rocked by a series of strong tremors over the past week, at a depth of 28.7 kilometres (18 miles).

About 20 aftershocks were recorded, including one at 6.6-magnitude. “Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated,” the Hawaii-based Pacific warning centre said after the 8.0 quake, before lifting its tsunami alert for several island nations.

Lata Hospital director of nursing Augustine Bilve said some patients were evacuated to higher ground to prepare for any injured from the villages along the coast. Settlements did not appear to be seriously damaged in the quake, he said, but added: “We were told that after the shaking, waves came to the villages.”

In 2007 a tsunami following an 8.0-magnitude earthquake killed at least 52 people in the Solomons and left thousands homeless. The quake lifted an entire island and pushed out its shoreline by dozens of metres. The Solomons are part of the “Ring of Fire”, a zone of tectonic activity around the Pacific that is subject to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

In December 2004, a 9.3-magnitude quake off Indonesia triggered a catastrophic tsunami that killed 226,000 people around the Indian Ocean.—AFP

TOKYO: The radar-lock that a Chinese frigate put on a Japanese warship was “dangerous” and “provocative”, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said yesterday, as tensions rose in a territorial row.

“It was a dangerous act that could have led to an unpredictable situation,” Abe told parliament. “It is extremely regrettable. We strongly ask for their self-restraint in order to avoid an unnecessary escalation.” The hawkish prime minister, who took office late December following a landslide election victory, described the radar-locking as “unilateral provocative action by the Chinese side”.

Abe’s comments come a day after Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera announced that weapontargeting radar had been directed at the Japanese vessel in international waters of the East China Sea last week. The move marks the first time the two nations’ navies have locked horns in a dispute that has some commentators warning about a possible armed conflict.

Onodera said a Japanese military helicopter was also locked with a similar radar on January 19.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a news conference that Tokyo protested on Tuesday to Beijing about the incidents and asked for an explanation, but had yet to receive any reply.

Chinese foreign ministr y spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Wednesday she was “not aware of the specifics” and referred inquiries to “competent Chinese authorities”.

“You can understand in this way: we learned about this incident from the press reports,” she told reporters at a regular briefing.

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (right) and Finance Minister Taro Aso (left) show their sour faces at the Upper House’s plenary session at the National Diet in Tokyo yesterday.

The radar-lock that a Chinese frigate put on a Japanese warship was “dangerous” and “provocative”, Abe said, as tensions in a territorial row ratcheted up. —AFP Beijing’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment. US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington was concerned at the incident.

“With regard to the reports of this particular lock-on incident, actions such as this escalate tensions and increase the risk of an incident or a miscalculation, and they could undermine peace, stability and economic growth in this vital region,” she said. Radar is used

precisely to determine a target’s distance, direction, speed and altitude. Weapon systems linked to the radar can be fired immediately, Japan’s government said. The situation is already tense in the East China Sea, where Asia’s two largest economies are at loggerheads over the sovereignty of an uninhabited island chain.

On Tuesday Tokyo summoned China’s envoy in protest at the presence a day earlier of Chinese government-but not military-ships

in the waters around the Tokyocontrolled Senkakus, which Beijing claims as the Diaoyus. Beijing has repeatedly sent ships to the area since Japan nationalised some islands in the chain in September.

The move triggered a diplomatic dispute and huge anti-Japan demonstrations across China.

Beijing has also sent air patrols to the area and both Beijing and Tokyo have scrambled fighter jets, though there have been no clashes. —AFP

Komodo dragon attack leaves 2 hospitalized

JAKARTA: A woman walks on a flooded street following a heavy rain at the main business district in Jakarta yesterday. About an hour of torrential rain triggered up to knee-high floods on the main streets of the capital and caused heavy traffic jams. —AP

Philippine Witness’ death case raises alarm MANILA: A witness in the murder of a prominent Philippine environmentalist has died in prison under mysterious circumstances, police said yesterday, as his relatives raised fears of foul play.

Relatives alerted police Tuesday about the death of the witness, Dennis Aranas, who was detained at a jail in Lucena, capital of Quezon province, said Chief Inspector Job de Mesa.

Aranas was a key government witness to the January 2011 shooting death of journalist and environmental activist Gerry Ortega. The state alleges the murder was plotted by a politician who is believed to have fled abroad. “They (jail officials) told us he (Aranas) had committed suicide, but when we went there to investigate, the body had been taken to the morgue,” said de Mesa, police chief of Lucena city. The prison director and jail guards are under investigation for failing to report the death and removing the body, de Mesa added.

The prisoner who shared the jail cell with the dead man was also being questioned, he added. Ortega’s family suggested the witness could have been silenced to

weaken the murder case, and also demanded a police inquiry.

“We are just worried because as witnesses die, the case may weaken in the long run,” it said in a statement. Aranas was the second state witness to die, the family added. It likened the deaths to the murders of several witnesses to the 2009 massacre of 58 people in the southern province of Maguindanao. The government alleges Joel Reyes, former governor of the island province of Palawan, and his brother Mario had plotted the murder of Ortega, a local critic. The environmentalist’s daughter Michaella Ortega told AFP a man accused of buying the gun used in the Ortega shooting died of liver disease last year.

Aranas had been arrested as an accomplice, but later agreed to testify that he served as a lookout while a gunman shot Ortega, the Ortega family said.

Prison officials told police Aranas was found dead in his cell Tuesday with a shoulder bag strap around his neck, de Mesa said. The dead man’s family challenged this account and demanded an autopsy, he added. — AFP

JAKARTA: A Komodo dragon in Indonesia has attacked two employees in one of the giant lizards’ protected island habitats, leaving its victims hospitalized with serious injuries, an official said yesterday.

One victim, a 50-year-old park ranger, was sitting at his desk at the Rinca island front office, where tourists usually check in, when the two-metre-long monitor snuck into his room Tuesday afternoon.

“The man panicked when he saw the Komodo and tried to escape by jumping on a chair, but the Komodo quickly grabbed and bit one of his legs,” Komodo National Park official Heru Rudiharto told AFP. Rudiharto said the ranger was the victim of a similar Komodo attack in 2009 and was still traumatized. Another employee, aged 35, heard the ranger scream and quickly ran to his aid, but the lizard also attacked him, taking a bite at his leg.

Both are in good condition after being given stitches at a health clinic, Rudiharto said, but they are being monitored in hospital to ensure an infection does not develop.

Until recently, Komodos were believed to hunt with a “bite and wait” strategy using toxic bacteria in their saliva to weaken or kill their prey, before descending in numbers to feast. But recent research found that the dragons’ jaws are armed with highly sophisticated poison glands that can cause paralysis, spasms and shock through haemorrhaging. They are native to several Indonesian islands and are considered a vulnerable species, with only a few thousand left in the world. Their normal diet consists of large mammals, reptiles and birds. A Komodo in October attacked a woman collecting grass for animal feed at the park, Rudiharto said. She has recovered from a serious leg injury.

The world’s largest monitor lizard, Komodos can grow up to three metres (10 feet) and typically weigh to 70 kilograms (150 pounds). — AFP

Singapore plans protest as population debate rages SINGAPORE: Singapore is to hold a rare antigovernment demonstration against plans for a dramatic increase in immigration that would boost the island’s population by as much as 30 percent by 2030. Discontent is growing in affluent Singapore over a rising number of foreigners blamed for strains on infrastructure, ballooning housing costs and transportation headaches in a country slightly smaller than New York City.

Public expression is a delicate act in Singapore where government figures, including elder statesman Lee Kuan Yew, father of the current prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, have sued critical opposition MPs for defamation. Nearly all media are pro-government.

Protest organiser Gilbert Goh said he hoped to attract 1,000 people to the Feb. 16 event at Speakers’ Corner, a designated park exempt from strict government controls over assemblies, speeches and outdoor protests.

Nearly 1,100 people said on a Facebook page they will or may join the demonstration against a government proposal on Jan. 29 to raise the population to 6.9 million. Of that, up to 36 percent, or 2.5 million, would be made up of foreign workers to balance a low birth rate and sustain economic growth.

“Let us send a strong signal to our government that we don’t want 6.9 million people living here by 2030,” Goh said.

The public generally supports Singapore’s tough laws and tight social controls as part of a social contract that in return has delivered years of economic prosperity. But calls for change are growing. Opposition parties won record support in the 2011 general election.

The long-ruling People’s Action Party, founded by Lee Kuan Yew, occupies 80 of 87 seats in parliament but lost two recent by-elections by surprisingly large margins in signs of mounting discontent. — Reuters

Park rangers oversee a Komodo dragon in Komodo island, part of the protected area of Komodo National Park in Indonesia’s Nusa Tenggara Timur province. A Komodo dragon in Indonesia has attacked two employees in one of the giant lizards’ protected island habitats, leaving its victims hospitalized with serious injuries, an official said yesterday.—AFP

NEWS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Morsi urges Syria unity at OIC summit Continued from Page 1 Egypt, Iran and Turkey also held talks on Syria on the sidelines of the summit. Egyptian presidential spokesman Yasser Ali said the meeting was aimed at finding a solution that would “satisfy the Syrian people”. “We want to stress to the Iranian leadership that their interests in the Arab world are tied to supporting the Syria people to end the bloodshed,” he told reporters. An Iranian official said on condition of anonymity that Tehran hoped Syria’s opposition would “soften its stance” on talks with the regime.

The summit, originally for 2011, was postponed because of the regional uprisings that overthrew four Arab dictators, including Egypt’s president Hosni Mubarak, the OIC’s secretary general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said. The summit also discussed the conflict in Mali, where French forces intervened on Jan 11 to help the army halt an advance on the capital Bamako by Islamists. The leaders will also discuss Israeli settlements

on occupied Palestinian territory, a regular topic of OIC summits. The questions of Islamophobia, Muslim minorities and economic cooperation in the Islamic world are also on the agenda.

In his opening address to the gathering, Senegalese President Macky Sall commended France for its military intervention in Mali, and said the Muslim world cannot allow “a minority of terrorists to commit crimes, distort our faith and deepen hatred for Islam.” The French operation has received broad international support, including from the Malian government itself, although Morsi has repeatedly denounced the intervention, saying it threatens to perpetuate instability across the region. Addressing the summit yesterday, Morsi stopped short of condemning Paris for its actions in Mali, but made clear that Cairo did not support it. “We call for a comprehensive approach to deal with the situation there and any similar case” he said.

“An approach that deals with all the different aspects of the crisis and its political, developmental and intellectual roots while safeguarding human rights.” — Agencies

US operating drone base in Saudi Arabia...

Continued from Page 1 that is run by the CIA and US military’s Joint Special Operations Command is likely to add to debate and increasing scrutiny about whether use of such strikes is legal. The Sept 2011 killing of Awlaki stoked concern because he and Samir Khan, a Pakistani-American who also died in the strike, were US citizens who had never been charged with a crime. The White House on Tuesday defended drone strikes against Al-Qaeda suspects as legal, ethical and wise and insisted that they complied with US law and the constitution, even if they targeted Americans.

The continued focus on drones comes as White House counter-terrorism chief John Brennan goes before the Senate today for hearings on his nomination to be head of the CIA. Brennan has been a central player in the US drone campaign, which has expanded sharply

under President Barack Obama despite qualms about its legality and public outrage in Pakistan over civilian deaths. Brennan, who once served as the CIA’s station chief in Saudi Arabia, played a key role in negotiations that led to the drone base being established in the kingdom, according to the Post report.

The newspaper said it decided to reveal the location of the drone base after learning on Tuesday that another US media outlet was about to do so, ending an informal arrangement with news organizations not to publish such details. A Justice Department memo published by NBC News on Tuesday argued that Americans high up in Al-Qaeda could be lawfully killed, even without evidence they are actively plotting an attack. “We conduct those strikes because they are necessary to mitigate ongoing actual threats, to stop plots, to prevent future attacks and, again, save American lives,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said of the memo. — Agencies

Tunisia oppn chief shot dead Continued from Page 1 affairs of the country until elections are held in the shortest possible time,” Jebali said in a televised address to the nation.

The US embassy issued a statement calling the killing an “outrageous and cowardly act”. The murder sparked outrage, with violence reminiscent of the uprising that ousted veteran dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali just over two years ago, and thousands rallying outside the interior ministry.

The four opposition parties demanded Interior Minister Ali Laraydeh’s sacking, blaming him for Belaid’s murder “because he knew he was threatened and he did nothing,” said Nejib Chebbi, leader of one of the groups.

The family of Belaid, who headed the Party of Democratic Patriots which is part of the Popular Front, accused Laraydeh’s Ennahda of being behind the assassination. The wife of the 48-year-old leftist leader said her husband had received daily death threats and was murdered before her eyes. “I saw his blood flowing, I saw his little smile. I saw that they want to kill democracy,” Basma Belaid told France’s Europe 1 radio.

Belaid’s brother Abdelmajid squarely accused Ennahda chief for the murder. “I accuse Rached

Ghannouchi of assassinating my brother,” he told AFP. Last week Belaid accused Ennahda “mercenaries” of attacking his supporters. On Tuesday he warned of “attempts to dismantle the state and the creation of militias to terrorise citizens and drag the country into a spiral of violence”. His supporters flooded the streets of Tunis and other cities, including Sidi Bouzeid, birthplace of the 2011 revolution.

In central Tunis a national guard tank fired tear gas at protesters, who used bins, coffee tables, barbed wire and barriers to build barricades on Habib Bourguiba Avenue.

Security reinforcements arrived after about 20 minutes of skirmishes, and police wearing helmets and armed with clubs charged some 150 protesters, who fled into neighbouring streets. In central Tunisia protesters torched the Ennahda party office in Mezzouna near Sidi Bouzeid, ransacked another in the mining community of Gafsa and set fire to a party office in the northeastern town of Kef, witnesses said.

In Kasserine, on the border with Algeria, hundreds of people calling for “vengeance” took to the streets, an AFP journalist said. In Sidi Bouzeid some 2,000 demonstrated peacefully, but around 200 people tried to storm police headquarters. Police fired tear gas to keep them at bay and the army intervened to try to keep the peace. — AFP

KUWAIT: A fancier holds a falcon during the popular heritage festival in Jahra yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Monopoly fans vote to add cat, toss out iron PAWTUCKET, Rhode Island: The Scottie dog has a new nemesis in Monopoly after fans voted in an online contest to add a cat token to the property trading game, replacing the iron, toy maker Hasbro Inc announced yesterday. The results were announced after the shoe, wheelbarrow and iron were neck and neck for elimination in the final hours of voting that sparked passionate efforts by fans to save their favorite tokens, and by businesses eager to capitalize on publicity surrounding pieces that represent their products.

The vote on Facebook closed just before midnight on Tuesday, marking the first time that fans have had a say on which of the eight tokens to add and which one to toss. The pieces identify the players and have changed quite a lot since Parker Brothers bought the game from its original designer in 1935. Rhode Island-based Hasbro announced the new piece yesterday morning. Other pieces that contested for a spot on Monopoly included a robot, diamond ring, helicopter and guitar. “I think there were a lot of cat lovers in the world that reached out and voted,” said Jonathan Berkowitz, vice president for Hasbro gaming marketing.

The Scottie Dog was the most popular of the classic tokens, and received 29 percent of the vote, the company

said. The iron got the fewest votes and was kicked to the curb.

The cat received 31 percent of votes for new tokens. The results were not entirely surprising to animal lovers. The Humane Society of the United States says on its website that there were more than 86 million cats living in US homes, with 33 percent of households owning at least one feline in Aug 2011. Worldwide, there were an estimated 272 million cats in 194 countries in June 2008, according to London-based World Society for the Protection of Animals.

The online contest to change the tokens was sparked by chatter on Facebook, where Monopoly has more than 10 million fans. The initiative was intended to ensure that a game created nearly eight decades ago remains relevant and engaging to fans today. “Tokens are always a key part of the Monopoly game ... and our fans are very passionate about their tokens,” Berkowitz said.

Monopoly’s iconic tokens originated when the niece of game creator Charles Darrow suggested using charms from her charm bracelet for tokens. The game is based on the streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and has sold more than 275 million units worldwide. The other tokens currently in use are a racecar, a shoe, thimble, top hat, wheelbarrow and battleship. Most of the pieces were introduced with the first Parker Brothers iteration of the game in 1935, and the Scottie dog and wheelbarrow were added in the early 1950s. — AP

14

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

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Issues

Next Iran talks: Stalemate on the steppes?

By Simon Sturdee greeing a venue for the next round of talks between Iran and six world powers on Tehran’s nuclear drive was hard enough. Achieving progress will be tougher still, analysts say. Following weeks of wrangling, Iran and the P5+1 - the US, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany - finally confirmed on Tuesday that they would meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Feb 26. It will be the first such meeting since last June in Moscow, and the first since US President Barack Obama’s re-election in November, a victory seen by many as freeing Washington’s hands to strike a deal.

Watching closely will be Israel, the Middle East’s sole if undeclared nuclear-armed state, which has warned it could bomb Iran, although the immediate threat appears to have receded in recent months, experts say.

“The Iranian danger has grown,” President Shimon Peres said Tuesday. “It threatens our existence, the independence of the Arab states, the peace of the whole world.”

Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful but many in the international community suspect that Tehran’s real aim is to develop the atomic bomb. The UN Security Council has imposed four sets of sanctions on Tehran, and further unilateral sanctions by the United States, the European Union and others began to cause Iran major economic problems in 2012. “The sanctions are biting,” Siavush Randjbar-Daemi, a Middle East and Iran lecturer at Manchester University in England, told AFP. “The currency has plunged badly and... the price of absolutely everything has skyrocketed.”

In May in Baghdad, the P5+1 demanded Iran scale back uranium enrichment to purities of 20 percent, which for the international community is the most worrisome part of Tehran’s activities. But because the P5+1 stopped short of offering relief from the sanctions, Iran walked away at the next round of talks in Russia. The lengthy US election campaign then put all further efforts on hold.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Tuesday that the world powers would make an “updated and credible” offer and that the “need to make progress is increasingly urgent”. Russia’s chief negotiator, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, was quoted yesterday

by RIA Novosti as saying he hoped to see at the talks “if not an outright breakthrough - then serious progress”.

“The key question is whether Iran will come in a real transactional mode, in other words really be ready to negotiate. They haven’t been so far,” said Mark Fitzpatrick, a former US State Department official now at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “I think the P5+1 are ready to haggle and negotiate. So far I haven’t seen signs that Iran is,” he told AFP. The run-up to Tuesday’s announcement of new talks did not bode well, with P5+1 chief negotiator Catherine Ashton’s office complaining that Iran had “come back to us again and again with new pre-conditions”.

Comments from Mahdi Mohammadi, a member of Iran’s negotiating team, indicated recently that the positions of the two sides remain poles apart. First, the United States had to accept Iran’s “right to enrich”, then the US and EU have to remove all unilateral sanctions, Mohammadi said. Only then, he said, would Iran be “ready to negotiate about 20-percent enrichment provided that the United Nations Security Council will annul all its sanctions resolutions against Tehran”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi appeared to strike a more conciliatory note in an interview in Germany’s Handelsblatt published yesterday, saying Tehran “takes the concerns of the other side seriously”.

“But at the same time our right to civilian uses of nuclear power... must be recognised,” he said, while calling for an end to “war rhetoric that all options are on the table and threats of more sanctions.”

For Mark Hibbs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, success in Almaty and beyond is about building trust and “sequencing” - the order in which both sides agree to take steps. “If you lift sanctions too early in the process and your negotiations fall apart, it may be very, very difficult for you to impose those sanctions after they have lifted them,” Hibbs told AFP. “And that is particularly the case for the multilateral (UN Security Council) sanctions.” And it is not just Iran and the P5+1 that have to agree on the right order, the six powers also have to speak as one - something which going forward is not necessarily a given, Hibbs said.

“There could be differences of opinion,” he said. — AFP

A

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

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

Under fire, Israel faces settlement showdown

By Crispian Balmer srael risks sleepwalking into a crisis with its allies over relentless settlement-building in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem unless it realises that the international anger is genuine and adjusts its course. The next few months may prove crucial if Israel is to avoid diplomatic disaster, with a new government forming around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama set to make his first official visit to the Holy Land in the spring. Obama will not just be coming for a photo opportunity. He is expected to try to revive a push for peace in hopes of finding an Israeli coalition receptive to deepening Western concerns about the prospects of creating a viable Palestinian state.

“The two-state solution is not dead, but it is in mortal danger,” said Daniel Seidemann, an Israeli lawyer and an expert on settlement expansion. “We are hanging onto it by our finger nails. This is the last opportunity to save it for the foreseeable future. The prospects are not great, but this is the last best hope.” Should these hopes wither, Israel can expect repercussions. These might range from tighter international regulations on the export of Israeli goods made in the occupied territories to tacit foreign backing for the Palestinians should they pursue Israel in the International Criminal Court over the settlements.

Obama himself, with no re-election to worry about, could review security and defence cooperation that Israeli officials say reached new heights during his first term, with annual US military aid from Washington put at some $3 billion. “Israel is walking blindly towards isolation and censure in the eyes of the world,” said one of the most senior Western envoys in Jerusalem, who declined to be named given the enormous sensitivities surrounding the issue.

“What I don’t understand is if Mr Netanyahu doesn’t realise what is happening, or if he doesn’t give a damn.”

In the past two months Israel has received sometimes fierce criticism from the United Nations, European Union and United States over its announcement of plans to build more than 11,000 new houses on land Palestinians want

I

for a future state. Last week, Israel boycotted the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva as it was planning a routine review of the Jewish state. Days later, UN investigators issued a strongly worded report that said the settlements could constitute a war crime.

Israeli leaders have largely shrugged off the opprobrium. They assert a right to build on territory seized in a 1967 war and accused the Geneva council, which includes nondemocratic states like Cuba and Saudi Arabia, of bias and hypocrisy. However, past and present Israeli diplomats are nervous about the mounting friction as Israel faces a multitude of challenges piling up along its troubled borders, with Islamists taking power in Egypt and on the rise in Syria’s civil war. “I am worried and so are many other Israelis,” said Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States. “Our legitimacy is being eroded and the more isolated and delegitimised Israel is, the more difficult it will be to get public opinion on our side regarding Iran,” he added, referring to suspicions the Islamic Republic is seeking nuclear weapons.

Israelis started moving to the West Bank soon after the 1967 conflict, and the numbers soared in the wake of the 1993 Oslo Accords that granted limited self-rule to the Palestinian Authority - but placed no limits on Jewish settlement growth. In 1993 there were an estimated 111,600 settlers in the territory. There are now more than 325,000, with a further 200,000 living in East Jerusalem, which was annexed by Israel after 1967 in a move not recognised internationally and is claimed by the Palestinians as their capital city.

“A Palestinian state has never been further away than it is today,” Dani Dayan, outgoing head of the main settler council, was quoted as saying in the Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. “The settlements today are blossoming ... There is almost no settlement without construction,” added Dayan, who endorsed Netanyahu ahead of the Jan. 22 election, which was won by the prime minister, albeit with a sharp fall in support.

Critics have long railed against the settlements, but successive Israeli governments have pushed back with vigour.

They were confident they had the support of mainstream America - Washington has long been Israel’s most steadfast ally - and dismissed EU complaints as largely irrelevant.

Internal Palestinian political divisions, coupled with regular bouts of violence, have also enabled Israel to argue that they do not have any genuine partners for peace.

Diplomats insist the mood abroad is hardening. They say that if the settlements get any bigger there will be no more room for a contiguous Palestinian state, dashing the chance of an accord. They also maintain that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is the most moderate leader that the Israelis can hope for. Noting this change of tone, the Institute for National Security Studies, a respected Israeli think-tank, said this week that for the first time, the country faced the possibility of “concrete punishment measures” tied to its settlement expansion.

Israel’s solitude was seen most starkly in November when a mere eight countries, including the United States and four micro Pacific nations, voted with the Jewish state in a failed bid to prevent the Palestinians from gaining defacto statehood recognition at the United Nations. EU diplomats in Jerusalem forecast that such isolation would become a way of life for Israel, but dismissed any suggestion that Europe might impose economic sanctions on the Jewish state. “ The most we would expect is a move towards labelling of all settler products as coming from occupied territories,” said one diplomat, who declined to be named. “Sanctions are a no-no.”

Even a labelling change is likely to elicit fury in Israel.

When South Africa proposed a similar move last May, the Israeli foreign ministry said the decision was “tainted” with racism. Many ordinary Israelis see deep-rooted antiSemitism at play in the criticism that is raining down on their nation, with the politically divided Palestinians only rarely admonished in the court of world opinion for their own missteps. “The issue of delegitimisation goes beyond a simple United Nations report. We are aware of the situation as Jewish people and worried by it,” said Zalman Shoval, another former Israeli ambassador to the United States who is close to Netanyahu. — Reuters

Iran’s ‘show’ of force: Loud but not so clear

By Brian Murphy n years past, keeping track of Iran’s claims of military and technological advances was relatively easy: Wait until early Februar y and watch the parades and announcements in the buildup to celebrations marking the Islamic Revolution. Now, with the strategic stakes ever higher, Iranian officials are boasting louder, pressing harder and leaving questions about how much is real.

The reasons for the flood of self-described achievements touch on the various pressures bearing down on Iran, including Western sanctions and the threats of possible military action if diplomacy cannot solve the standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program. It also highlights the learning curve of Internet-age showmanship from a country that acknowledges the economic pain inflicted by sanctions but claims it has the tools to bounce back stronger.

Since January alone, Iran has showcased a steady stream of purported advances that have been met with varying degrees of skepticism. They include another domestically made surveillance drone, claims of a monkey sent into space on a successful roundtrip mission, a supersonic air tunnel and a compact, single-seat warplane described as a radar-evading jet fighter. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the aircraft shows Iran can “conquer scientific peaks”.

As if those headlines weren’t enough, Ahmadinejad on Monday volunteered himself to be country’s first astronaut aboard an Iranian-launched rocket if its space program eventually moves to manned flight. The reaction included a mocking quip by US Sen. John McCain.

Meanwhile, aerospace experts and others, including the State Department, have raised doubts about last week’s claim of the monkey flight because of apparent inconsistencies in the Iranian photos of the animal before and after flight.

Despite the questions, there are elements of serious statecraft behind the increasing scope and speed of the Iranian announcements of progress in science and defense. In Tehran’s view, each unveiling serves as a counterpunch to Western sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program. The broad message from Iran is that the economic pressures may be hitting hard at the moment, but it cannot slow the priority projects of the ruling system such as aerospace, military technology and uranium enrichment.

“Whenever Iran introduces new technological developments, it’s intended to show the failure of Western sanc-

I

tions,” said Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, a political affairs professor at Tehran’s Allameh University. “It’s like an official announcement that the sanctions can only go so far.”

That’s because the pinch is already too much for officials to ignore. Iranian authorities - at first reluctant to put any figures on the economic hit - have acknowledged that revenue from oil and gas exports have dropped by 45 percent due to the sanctions, which also strike at Iran’s ability to access international banking networks. Iran’s currency, the rial, lost nearly 40 percent of its value in 2012 alone, putting its decline over three years at 350 percent. New US measures expected to take effect yesterday asks buyers of Iranian oil - now mostly big Asian economies such as China and India - not to pay Iran directly, depriving Tehran of badly needed foreign currency. The oil money would instead remain in the countries for Iran to purchase local products for import.

Still, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and others have stood steadfast to their claims that Iran can ride it out, which also suggests the country will bring the same tough-minded negotiating positions to the table later this month when nuclear talks with world powers resume.

Iranian officials have even tried to portray sanctions as an indirect bonus that has driven domestic innovation and industrial self-sufficiency. It’s part of Iran’s wider goals to be seen as the Islamic world’s hub for technology and political independence - a theme promoted heavily last year when Iran took the helm of the Non-Aligned Movement, a Cold War holdover that Tehran seeks to turn into a counterweight to Western power.

“We are conveying the message that technology is not just the property of the West,” said Ismali Kowsari, a member of the Iranian parliament’s influential Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy. “We’re telling other countries they can stand on their feet and achieve things as well.” And unlike even a few years ago, Iran now has more than a dozen official and semiofficial media outlets including English and Arabic language services - to release reports on purported breakthroughs or advances.

Yet the new policy also leaves many questions open about whether Iran’s claims can be backed up. Experts in cyber-technology have raised serious doubts about Iran’s plans to create its own Internet that would be independent of the one the rest of the world uses. There have also been no independent reviews or shared war games that would permit examination of the purported new, domestically produced additions to its arsenal, which include

submarines, sophisticated drones and the “stealth” fighter displayed on Sunday. “A hoax intended for the Iranian people,” concluded Tal Inbar, head of Space and UAV research at The Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies, an institute founded by the Israel Air Force Association. “It is a mock up and a very crude and unrealistic one,” he said after examining images from Iranian media. “You can clearly see that is made out of fiber glass and that it lacks any logic in the aerodynamics design ... It lacks any modern avionics and instruments found in a real aircraft.”

Dubai-based security analyst Theodore Karasik sees a “Potemkin Village” aspect to Iran’s military and technology claims, but he said dismissing Iran’s expanding knowhow is a mistake. Iran has shown it has the foundations for spacefaring expertise by putting satellites into orbit, and its longtime connections with countries such as North Korea and Russia have given it the backbone for a formidable missile program capable of reaching Israel and US bases in the region.

Iranian naval power also appears on the rise, with recent drills near the Strait of Hormuz - the tanker route for one-fifth of the world’s crude oil. Warships have traveled into the Mediterranean twice since 2011 in a clear signal to Israel that Iran’s military is not just confined to its own neighborhood. “What Iran parades out as advances is mostly to reinforce the public idea they have an indigenous program and are capable of protecting the Islamic Republic,” said Karasik, a regional security expert at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis. “But it’s not all just a show and Iran does have some credible power. It’s just really hard to tell which is which.” Observers should expect more claims in the week ahead, as Iranian officials build up toward the Feb 11, anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution with a so-called “10 Days of Dawn”. On Monday, as part of the ceremonies, military officials unveiled an upgraded version of Iran’s Zolfaqar tank that is billed as a rival to Russia’s T-72s, one of the mainstays of Moscow’s army.

Increasingly, though, the patriotic themes and claims of advancements must compete with the hardship and uncertainty generated by the West’s economic squeeze.

“To the people of Iran, much like everywhere else, economic problems take priority,” said Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian-born analyst based in Israel. “How can the people of Iran be impressed when there are reports the Iranian government has not allocated sufficient funds to import medicine?” — AP

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

S P ORTS Saha signs with injury hit Lazio

Recently renovated Brazil stadium in bad condition

Gibson signs new contract with WI

ROME: French striker Louis Saha has joined Serie A club Lazio, as the former international provides cover for Miroslav Klose who is set to be out of action for two months with a knee injury, the club announced yesterday.

The 34-year-old, who enjoyed four years of success with Manchester United between 2004 and 2008, which led to his international call-up, was released by Premier League outfit Sunderland last month, meaning he is free to join a new club outside the transfer window which expired last week. The team have reached the Italian Cup final and are currently third in Serie A as they cling to the final Champions League qualifying spot.

However they have since lost German star Klose, as well as 37-yearold veteran Cristian Brocchi who is out for the season with a broken toe. The much-travelled Saha began his career with French side Metz before moving onto spells with Newcastle, Fulham, United, Everton, Tottenham and most recently Sunderland.

He was also in United’s squad that defeated Chelsea on penalties in the 2008 Champions League final, although he made no appearance in the Moscow-hosted finale. In a career that has been hit by a series of injuries, Saha scored four times in 20 matches for France and was in the squad that played at Euro 2004 before reaching the 2006 World Cup final where they were beaten on penalties

by Italy in Berlin. —AFP

BRASILIA: The company responsible for administering a recently-renovated Brazilian stadium that will host Confederations Cup matches in June has been fined $500,000 for the poor conditions witnessed at the reopening by Brazil’s president and its sports minister.

Officials from the state government of Minas Gerais fined the administration company - Minas Arena - following a match on Sunday at the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte that underwent a $328 million renovation project lasting two and a half years. Fans at the game between state rivals Cruzeiro and Atletico faced problems with ticketing that led to massive queues. The entrances to parking are narrow and not well marked - leading to traffic jams.

Toilets lacked light. Food and drink vending areas were not open, leaving fans hungry and thirsty.

Minas Arena officials acknowledged there were a series of errors and said they’d work to correct them. But their company was still fined by the authorities. Tiago Lacerda, head of Secopa, the local organizing committee, said officials were working on a complete report.

“For everything that they went through - problems with the bars, water and food - the fans behaved really well,” he told reporters at a news conference on Monday. “But we had serious problems. The lack of water is unacceptable. Minas Arena must correct these errors.” —AP

ST JOHN’S: Ottis Gibson dashed English county champions Warwickshire’s hopes of hiring him yesterday as he signed a new contract with the West Indies. The 43-year-old - who is presently in Australia with the team - signed a three year contract which will run till 2016.

Gibson has served in the position for the past three years, from January 2010.

“Ottis has added significant value to the development of the West Indies Team during his tenure and we are delighted to have secured his services for another three years,” WICB Chief Executive Officer Michael Muirhead said. “Most notably is that he led the implementation of a system of professionalism within the team unit and curbed the negative results which we were experiencing with some frequency.

“There have also been clear successes under his stewardship from 2010 to date. These include, most notably, having coached the team to the World Twenty20 title, the team showing consistent improvements in the other formats, the reintegration of players into the team unit and the achievement of the set goals as outlined in the WICB Strategic Plan 2011 - 2016.” —AFP

Nadal makes winning return with double win

Essaa Butaiban

Jaber Al-Abdallah Al-Sabah tournament begins today

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: Preparations are on going for the tournament of Sheikh Jaber Al-Abdallah AlSabah to be held from Feb 7th to Feb 9th, 2013. The tournament will include the Olympic skeet, trap double trap 10m air rifle and pistol, 50m prone rifle and 25m pistol for men, women, juniors and the shooting school, as well as shooters of the national guard.

Shooters are seen at the ranges of Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex on daily basis practicing, as competition is expected to be strong, because the national team that will represent Kuwait in HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad International Grand Prix to be

organized by KSSC from March 1st until March 10th, 2013, with the participation of a large number of world champions as well as the London 2012 Olympic winners.

KSSC treasurer Essa Butaiban said it is always a pleasure for the club to organize this annual tournament as Sheikh Jaber AlAbdallah gave and still giving all for the sake of Kuwait. He said KSSC always make sure to remember the personalities that contributed to Kuwait at all levels, as well as support Kuwaiti athletes in general.

Butaiban urged all participating shooters to exert all their efforts and compete fairly to win. Butaiban said the sports club officials aim at executing the plans for the shooters to get Kuwait shooting to new higher levels and discover new talents.

VINA DEL MAR: Now that he finally has a competitive match under his belt after seven months on the sidelines, Rafael Nadal wants to stop talking about his injured left knee.

Nadal , whose knee problem has lingered despite on-going therapy, marked his return to the tour with a doubles victory Tuesday alongside Juan Monaco at a little-known clay court tournament in Chile.

The Spaniard had not played since June 28 when he was upset in the second round of Wimbledon by qualifier Lukas Rosol. Nadal and Monaco won easily in just over an hour at the VTR Open, defeating the Czech pair of Frantisek Cermak and Lukas Dlouhy 6-3, 6-2. Nadal’s practice sessions in Chile have lasted longer, and the first question centered on his knee - a sore subject with the Spaniard.

The former No. 1-ranked Nadal addressed the question for several minutes, and then said he wanted to drop the subject and concentrate on tennis as he begins a build-up to what could be his eighth French Open title.

“The knee - I said it when I got here. I would prefer not to keep talking about the topic,” Nadal said. “At the end of the day the doctors have said it’s OK. There is no risk of making it worse. My knee keeps hurting. But the fact I am playing here is a thing of joy. “I am not 100 percent, I need some weeks,” he added. “If it hurts, it hurts and we’ll put up with it. I am here to play tennis, with or without pain. ... I’m happy to have played an official game, although it was doubles.”

Nadal opens his singles campaign Wednesday against Argentine Federico Delbonis, hoping to catch up to the other three of tennis’ Big Four - Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.

The Spaniard has been almost unbeatable on clay, winning 93 percent of his singles matches - the highest percentage in the Open era.

Nadal has avoided surgery, and he

suggested he hoped to continue on the same path.

“If one day it is worse, and one can’t compete at 100 percent, then it can’t be done,” he said. Nadal showed quick reactions with a difficult backhand volley at the net to win the sixth game of the first set Tuesday.

Nadal and Monaco broke in the next game, and Nadal held serve in the

out,” Nadal said. “There are days when the knee is not comfortable. ... Today I am in the second round of doubles and tomorrow I start in singles. I’m not going to speak more about the knee. What’s coming up is tennis, and that’s why I am here to try to play as well as I can.

“The more hours I am on the court, the better,” he added. “Today

warmups for the French Open. But if he does win, the questions will also come up again at the next two stops in Latin America.

Toni Nadal, his uncle and coach, has said this year’s French Open will be much like Nadal’s first - meaning there will be nerves. Others have noted that the weak field in Chile is much like Nadal would face in a sweep

VINA DEL MAR: Argentina’s Juan Monaco returns the ball to France’s Guillaume Rufin (not in frame), during their ATP Vina del Mar tournament singles tennis match, in Vina del Mar, about 120 km northwest of Santiago, yesterday. —AFP next to make it 5-3 en route to a firstset victory.

Nadal hit several powerful forehands at sharp angles to win points, and seemed at ease moving around the court. And he drew the usual whistles from female fans as he stripped off his shirt after the win.

“I need for the knee be stronger, to be more comfortable playing all

was important, but in another aspect it wasn’t so important. The most important was just to be here. There is no doubt that perhaps the result here is not the overriding thing. I’ll do all I can to win and play as well as I can.”

Nadal is a huge favorite to win in Chile. If he doesn’t, questions will follow him to the next two clay-court events in Brazil and Mexico -

through the first week of the French Open.

Chile, without a top player since Fernando Gonzalez retired last year, has a new hope in 16-year-old Christian Garin. Garin defeated Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday in the first round. He is only the fifth 16-or-under player to win in an ATP Tour event since 2000. —AP

Infiniti Red Bull racing reveals title partnership and new livery

AUB leads KBC Bowling standings KUWAIT: The Ahli United Bank leads the KBC Bowling League standings with 24 points after defeating the Kuwait Finance House in week for competitions concluded recently at the Cozmo Bowling Hallin Salmiya.

The win puts the AUB one point ahead of the Central Bank of Kuwait who defeated Burgan Bank, while Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait defeated the Commercial Bank of

Kuwait to finish third with 22 points.

The Boubyan Bank defeated the Gulf Bank in the final match of week four.

Week five of the competition that is organized by the Kuwait Banks Club takes place this Saturday with matches between Al-Ahli Bank vs. the Central Bank, Boubyan Bank vs. the AUB, the National Bank of Kuwait vs. the CBK and Burgan Bank vs. the KFH.

DUBAI: The launch of Infiniti Red Bull Racing’s 2013 car, the RB9, not only marked the unveiling of the car with which the team will defend its Formula One Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles, but it also ushered in a new era for the team. The car features a striking new livery that reflects the strengthened relationship between Red Bull Racing and premium automotive brand Infiniti.

Triple World Formula One Champion Sebastian Vettel and nine-time grand prix winner Mark Webber were on hand at the team’s UK base at Milton Keynes to give the world’s media its first glimpse of the new car and livery, which integrates Infiniti’s purple-hued branding with the team’s existing racing colours. The unveiling was an opportunity for Infiniti to reveal that not only has it agreed a four-year deal to become the team’s title partner, as announced in November 2012, but also that it will become the exclusive Vehicle Performance Partner of the team.

Commenting on the enhanced relationship, Johan de Nysschen, President of Infiniti Motor Company said: “Our new, increased partner-

ship as Infiniti Red Bull Racing is a key milestone for Infiniti and a clear indication of our commitment to building the brand globally,” he said.

“While the first 24 months delivered outstanding results for both parties, our deeper involvement, which now sees us truly integrated as one team, will bring significant benefits to our people, processes and technology.

We go into the 2013 season and beyond with a shared objective to deliver world-leading performance on the track and the road.”

Infiniti already has engineering personnel working at the team’s Milton Keynes HQ, highlighting the deepening technical synergy between the team and the car manufacturer. The marque aims to inte-

grate further team members into the Vehicle Performance department in Milton Keynes.

Infiniti believes that rotating technical staff through the F1 environment will bring benefits in development processes and performance expertise. An early indicator of the value of the technical collaboration between the organisations was last year’s development of the Infiniti FX Vettel Edition from concept to production in just six months. More recently, Infiniti Red Bull Racing drivers Sebastian Vettel and Sebastien Buemi had a hands-on role test driving and developing the new Infiniti Q50.

Commenting on the strengthened relationship, Infiniti Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner said: “Our stronger link with Infiniti from 2013 is part of the natural evolution of our team and demonstrates its growth. We are still a young racing outfit and this title partnership is a very welcome aspect of our development. I firmly believe it will prove to be of enormous benefit on both sides over the coming years.”

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

S P ORTS

Baltimore celebrates Super Bowl champ Ravens BALTIMORE: The city of Baltimore welcomed their Super Bowl-winning Ravens home with a raucous party on Tuesday, with defensive star Ray Lewis taking center stage after the triumph in his final NFL game. As the Ravens faithful flocked to the parade and rally, US President Barack Obama offered his congratulations in a phone call to head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Ozzie Newsome.

According to the White House press office, Obama “commended the Ravens on an unbelievable year and for the steadiness the team displayed through the end” and said he lookied forward to

congratulating the team in person at the White House.

Thousands of fans lined the streets leading to the Ravens’ stadium, where an overflow crowd were able to see Lewis do his trademark “squirrel dance” on the turf one last time. Lewis is retiring after a 17year NFL career capped in storybook fashion with a 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 47 on Sunday in New Orleans.

Quarterback Joe Flacco also received plenty cheers for his Most Valuable Player performance. Safety Ed Reed offered Lewis a little musical accompaniment with

his rendition of Eddie Money’s “Two Tickets to Paradise” and the familiar chorus of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” during the rally.

For most fans, however, Lewis was the main attraction. The 37-year-old has spent his entire NFL career with the Ravens and was the only player remaining from their first Super Bowl triumph 12 years ago.

“There is nothing in the world, there is no place on this earth, that is better than Baltimore,” Lewis told the adoring throng.

“We believed in each other from day one, from 1996 to now.

“The only way on my last ride to pay

Baltimore back for everything you did for me and all the support you gave to me, was to bring back the Lombardi Trophy to Baltimore one more time. I love you, Baltimore. Baltimore! Forever my city.”

Reed’s turn at the podium included a poke at the 49ers. “Who’s got it better than who?,” he said-a reference to 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh’s famed team rallying cry of “Who’s got it better than us?”

Harbaugh, of course, is the younger brother of Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh, who wrapped up the festivities by leading the crowd in a chant. “Our team, I’m talking about all of us, one of the

keys was our determination,” the coach said. “We played with incredible determination and resolve. And judging by how hard it was to get into this stadium, I would say that’s true about our fans, too.

We’re on the parade coming down here, and every cranny, every sidewalk is full.

Every opening where it opens up, every grassy knoll is packed with Ravens fans.

They broke down the barriers behind Ray Lewis and mobbed the streets, right? They filled the streets. “ The city’s going crazy! For the Ravens! The world champion Baltimore Ravens!” —AFP

Rockets tie NBA record for 3s against Warriors HOUSTON: The Houston fans knew the Rockets were on the verge of history against Golden State on Tuesday night, needing one more 3-pointer to set an NBA record.

Warriors coach Mark Jackson wasn’t going to let that happen. The Rockets settled for tying an NBA record and set a franchise mark with 23 3-pointers in a 140-109 win over the Warriors. Houston matched the single-game record for 3s set by Orlando in a win over Sacramento on Jan. 13, 2009. The Toyota Center crowd realized the outright record was within reach in the final three minutes, chanting “One more 3!” But the Warriors took away Houston’s chances of

getting it by fouling at the end.

“We’re not going to lay down,” Jackson said. “If you’re going to try to get the record, we’re going to stop it.” The Warriors should’ve employed that plan sooner.

Jeremy Lin sank five 3-pointers, a career high, and Chandler Parsons and James Harden hit four apiece as the Rockets reached a season-high point total. They also tied an NBA record with 14 3 -pointers in the first half and dished out a season-high 35 assists on 46 field goals overall.

“Thankfully, we were just able to get a bunch of open looks and knock them down,” Lin said. “That’s just the way it is sometimes.”

NEW YORK: Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant drives the ball past Brooklyn Nets Joe Johnson during their NBA game at the Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, on Tuesday. —AFP

NBA results/standings Indiana 114, Atlanta 103; LA Lakers 92, Brooklyn 83; Phoenix 96, Memphis 90; Houston 140, Golden State 109.

Eastern Conference Western Conference Atlantic Division Northwest Division W L PCT GB Oklahoma City 36 12 .750 NY Knicks 31 15 .674 Denver 31 18 .633 5.5 Brooklyn 28 20 .583 4 Utah 27 22 .551 9.5 Boston 24 23 .511 7.5 Portland 25 23 .521 11 Philadelphia 21 26 .447 10.5 Minnesota 18 27 .400 16.5 Toronto 17 31 .354 15

Indiana Chicago Milwaukee Detroit Cleveland

Central Division 30 19 .612 29 19 .604 25 22 .532 18 31 .367 14 34 .292

Southeast Division Miami 31 14 .689 Atlanta 26 21 .553 Orlando 14 34 .292 Washington 12 35 .255 Charlotte 11 36 .234

0.5 4 12 15.5

6 18.5 20 21

LA Clippers Golden State LA Lakers Phoenix Sacramento

Pacific Division 34 16 .680 30 18 .625 23 26 .469 17 32 .347 17 33 .340

3 10.5 16.5 17

San Antonio Memphis Houston Dallas New Orleans

Southwest Division 38 11 .776 30 17 .638 27 23 .540 20 28 .417 15 33 .313

7 11.5 17.5 22.5

Lin scored 28 points, Harden added 18 and Parsons had 16 for Houston. The Rockets put on the shooting display without their best 3point shooter - Carlos Delfino, who sat out with a right elbow injury.

“We just got hot tonight,” Harden said.

Jarrett Jack scored 20 points and David Lee had 18 for the Warriors. Stephen Curry, averaging 21 points per game, scored only seven points on 3-for-12 shooting.

Houston set a Toyota Center scoring record and reached 140 points for the first time since April 1995. “ Throughout the whole game, you figured they’d cool off,” Curry said. “But we have to force them to take tougher shots. You just can’t give them open looks.”

The Rockets were 18 of 27 from 3-point range through three quarters. They finally hit a dry spell early in the fourth, missing their first three 3-point attempts. It didn’t last long - Marcus Morris connected on a 3 from the wing and Parsons flashed him a smile as the two trotted back down the court.

With the outcome decided, Rockets coach Kevin McHale pulled his starters with 5:49 left, leaving the pursuit of the NBA record to the reserves. By then, everyone on Houston bench knew the record was within reach.

“Obviously, the amount of 3s we hit is pretty ridiculous,” Parsons said. “We were open, and nobody is going to turn down open shots.”

The fans were ready to explode anticipating the record-setting 3. Reserve point guard Patrick Beverley drove for a one handed dunk with 1:04 remaining, prompting a mix of cheers and groans.

B e ve r l e y to o k a h a rd fo u l f ro m Draymond Green on a 3-point try with 34 seconds left. Beverley and Green snapped at one another, prompting a heated argument between several players. Green and Morris were ejected.

“Some nights, it’s not your night and it wasn’t ours and we didn’t play particularly well,” Jackson said. “That doesn’t mean, lay down and surrender. That’s not in our DNA.” But the Warriors had to be a bit demoralized, because the Rockets seemed to make every outside shot they took. They went 7 for 10 from 3-point range in the first quarter and 14 for 18 in the first half. Milwaukee had 14 3s in a half against Phoenix in March 2006 and New York matched that total twice last season - against Por tland on March 14 and against Boston on April 17.

Curry, though, had the most spectacular shot before the break, just beating the buz zer with a h alf - cour t s hot to c ut Houston’s lead to 77-62. But Golden State’s perimeter defense was no better in the third quarter, and 3-pointers by Parsons and Lin stretched the gap past 20. Harrison Barnes ran out to guard Lin on his next 3point attempt, and Lin blew by him for a layup and an 87-64 Houston lead.

“They were hitting the open looks, they were hitting the contested shots,” Lee said.

“And then when they hit outside jumpers, their shot fake works because you have to close out tighter. They shot the ball great, really from top to bottom.” —AP

JEREZ: Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton steers his Formula One during the second day of testing at Jerez racetrack, yesterday in Jerez de la Frontera. —AFP

Hamilton crashes in first test for Mercedes JEREZ: Lewis Hamilton’s first day of Formula One testing with Mercedes ended after 15 laps yesterday when his car suffered brake problems and ploughed into a tyre wall.

The 2008 world champion was unhurt in the crash, at the Jerez circuit’s Dry Sack corner made notorious in 1997 when title rivals Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve collided there in the decisive 1997 European Grand Prix.

The car’s wheel tracks showed Hamilton had been a mere passenger with no response from the steering as it went off the track.

“Lewis suffered a loss of rear brake pressure, the front brakes enabled him to slow the car but he couldn’t avoid the barrier,” said Mercedes. “We have traced the problem to the hydraulic brake line connecting to the right-rear caliper,” the team added on their Twitter feed.

The front left suspension and aerodynamic parts were damaged in the impact and a spokeswoman said the car would not go out again on Wednesday because of the time needed to repair it.

Hamilton, 28, had been second fastest with a best lap of one minute 19.519 seconds when he brought out the red flags an hour and 48 minutes into the session.

The Briton is opening a new chapter in his Formula One career with Mercedes after six years in F1 with regular title contenders McLaren, the team that had backed him from his early teenage years in karting.

Mercedes have one win, last year ’s Chinese Grand Prix, to their credit since buying the championship-winning Brawn team in 2009 and Hamilton has replaced retired seven-times world champion Schumacher.

The British-based team had a difficult start to the first pre-season test of 2013 on Tuesday when Germany’s Nico Rosberg completed only 14 laps.

Problems with the car’s wiring loom left Rosberg stranded on the track, with flames flaring briefly around the rear of the vehicle, before Mercedes called an early halt to proceedings. For the second day in a row, the car was returned to the garage on Wednesday on the back of a flat-bed truck for the mechanics to repair. —Reuters

Karabatic slapped with maximum suspension PARIS: France’s star handball player, double Olympic champion Nikola Karabatic, was suspended for six matches on Tuesday, along with six other players accused of betting on a club match suspected of being rigged.

The seven players received the maximum suspension allowed under the national handball league’s (LNH) regulations.

The players, all at the time playing for Montpellier, can carry on playing if they choose to appeal the punishment in the next five days. Karabatic’s agent told AFP that he would definitely appeal.

“We are surprised by this decision which does not respect the law,” said Bhakti Ong. “Obviously we are going to appeal. “The investigating judge’s report said that there is no proof that Nikola Karabatic either directly or indirectly placed bets. But in this case the commission says yes he did. This really isn’t serious.” Karabatic has strenuously denied placing a bet, although his brother Luka, who was released by the southwest club in the wake of the scandal and now plays for Aix-enProvence, has admitted betting thousands of euros.

The disciplinary commission announced:

“Mladen Bojinovic, Dragan Gajic, Samuel Honrubia, Nikola Karabatic, Luka Karabatic, Primoz Prost and Issam Tej are guilty of having either directly participated or used a third party to bet on the result of the game between Montpellier and Cesson on May 12 last.” All seven were therefore guilty of “behaviour which does not conform with the principles and rules of handball and a manifest infringement of the values held by the LNH” and were suspended for six matches.

Of the 10 players punished in all over the scandal only two Tej and Gajic - who also protest their innocence - remain at Montpellier. Karabatic has joined his brother at Aix-en-Provence.

Nikola and Luka Karabatic and their girlfriends, plus a number of other players and others implicated in the affair, were placed under formal investigation in October on suspicion of defrauding state-run betting franchise Francaise des Jeux.

Montpellier, who were already assured of a 13th league title, lost the game 31-28 but suspicions were raised because of large bets placed at half-time on a defeat for the champions. —AFP

IOC’s Rogge defends high costs for Sochi Olympics SOCHI: With the Winter Olympics a year away, IOC President Jacques Rogge praised Sochi organizers yesterday and defended the $51 billion price tag.

Speaking in an inter view with The Associated Press in the Black Sea resort, Rogge said he was impressed by the preparations for Russia’s first Winter Olympics. “The site is very compact, it’s high quality and is situated in beautiful surroundings,” Rogge said.

Rogge is touring the Olympic venues ahead of the one-year countdown, which will be marked with a dazzling ice show on Thursday. Most of the venues have already been completed, while thousands of workers are still finishing up some Olympic facilities.

Russian authorities last week announced the latest costs related to the games, saying total spending would come to about $51 billion, which would make Sochi the most expensive Olympics in history.

Rogge said a great deal of the money is going to infrastructure projects, including new roads and railways, which will serve the development of the entire region for decades to come. “You have to put it into

proportion,” Rogge said. “The organization of the games is not going to cost a lot of money. But the government ... wished to develop the whole area. You cannot just take the cost of the train and the tunnels and the road into the cost of the games because this tunnel and the train and the road are not meant for two weeks of competition, they are meant for generations to last.”

Rogge also dismissed any concerns about the weather, saying organizers had contingency plans in place in case of adverse conditions. Warm temperatures and rain disrupted some of the snowboarding and freestyle skiing events at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

“I think that the organizers have taken all the precautions to cope with the weather,” Rogge said. “The weather in the mountains is always unpredictable. There can be too much snow or too little snow, we have seen it in the previous games. But, you know, if there is such a circumstance then the organizers will react with the plan B.” Rogge won’t be the IOC president at the time of the Sochi Games. He steps down in September at the end of his 12year term. —AP

SOCHI: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (2nd R) meets IOC President Jacques Rogge (L) at the Gornaya Karusel (Mountain Carousel) sports and holiday complex, that will be used at the 2014 Winter Olympics, in the Black Sea city of Sochi, yesterday with the head of the Sochi 2014 Olympic preparatory commission Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak (R) and Sochi 2014 CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko (C) accompanying Putin. Nestled between the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea in Russia’s south, the resort city of Sochi was chosen to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games thanks to Putin’s vigorous efforts. —AFP

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

S P ORTS

Vonn to have surgery in US next week after crash SCHLADMING: Lindsey Vonn is determined to be back competing for medals at next year’s Sochi Olympics despite her season-ending knee injury after a crash.

According to the U.S. Ski Team’s Alpine director, she’s even hoping to start racing again in late November or early December. Vonn tore two ligaments in her right knee and broke a bone in her lower leg in the opening race of the world championships, and the reigning Olympic downhill champion will undergo surgery in the US next week.

“I am grateful to my fans for the outpouring of support, which has really helped me stay positive,” Vonn said in a statement on Wednesday, a day after her super-G crash in Schladming. “I can

assure you that I will work as hard as humanly possible to be ready to represent my country next year in Sochi.”

Because of the intense media attention, neither she nor the U.S. Ski Team would say when she’s leaving Austria.

“She’ll be heading back to Vail (Colorado) and I will be doing surgery on her knee early next week,” team physician William Sterett told The Associated Press on Wednesday.Sterett would not set a return date to skiing for Vonn until after the surgery, but other doctors believe she will be sidelined for up to eight months.

Vonn wants to be back for the World Cup speed races in Lake Louise, Alberta, in late November or early December, a course she has won 14 times on. “She’s

got her mindset, she’s going to come back stronger than she was,” Alpine director Pattrick Riml told the AP. “She’s got her goal - ‘I’ll be back in Lake Louise’ - and Lindsey will do whatever it takes to be back.”

Vonn was released from the local hospital late Tuesday and returned to the team hotel. “Lindsey is doing well,” Sterett said. “She’s in good spirits.” Vonn tore her anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in her right knee. The broken bone was described as a lateral tibial plateau fracture. “The fracture is called an impaction fracture,” Sterett said. “It should not require any surgery.

It just needs to be non-weight on crutches.” The accident came after Vonn

landed off a jump in the opening race at the championships, the super-G. As she hit the ground, her right leg gave way and she spun down face first, throwing an arm out to protect herself. She ended up on her back as she smashed through a gate.

“The hospital staff did an excellent job with X-rays, MRI,” Sterett said. “She had very good care and they were very, very helpful.” Sterett said Vonn was “a little banged up, and sore everywhere.”

“She’s intently focusing on the next step and the next step now is getting from point A to point B, with point B being next season,” he said. “She’s determined and upbeat.” US speed coach Chip White also found Vonn motivated to battle through her injury.

“Last night she was (angry) but she was also positive that she’s coming back and she’s going to come back strong,” he said. “We’re looking forward to her return. She’s a great competitor and always will be.

“She has that determination,” he added. “If she wants to be (as strong as before) she will be.” Sterett left open the possibility of Vonn requiring more than one surgery, saying that with these types of injuries “that’s always a possibility.”

However, the plan for now was only one operation. “I want to say thank you to the amazing medical staff that cared for me,” Vonn said. “I plan on returning to Vail as soon as I can to have the necessary surgeries.” —AP

Blackhawks rally to bite Sharks in San Jose Crawford makes 30 saves

CANBERRA: Shane Watson of Australia bats during the one-day international cricket match between Australia and the West Indies at Manuka Oval in Canberra yesterday. —AFP

Watson, Faulkner star in Australia’s ODI series win CANBERRA: Shane Watson hit a century on his return from injury and James Faulkner claimed four wickets as Australia beat the West Indies by 39 runs to claim victory in the one-day international series yesterday.

Watson, opening the innings after four weeks out with a calf injury, smashed 122 off 111 balls. Supported by 86 from Phil Hughes, he helped Australia reach 329 for seven after winning the toss in the third ODI of the five-game series.

The home side then dismissed the West Indies for 290 off 47.3 overs with left-arm medium pacer Faulkner claiming four for 48 — all bowled-to achieve another emphatic victory after wins by nine wickets and 54 runs in Perth.

Watson reached his seventh ODI century off 102 balls and then set about Kemar Roach, clubbing a huge six-logged at 114 metres (374 feet) — into the stands. This was followed by a four as he threatened to go on for a big ton on the bat-friendly Manuka Oval pitch.

But two balls later Watson holed out to Kieron Pollard, one of four catches to the athletic West Indian, top-edging to deep backward square leg as he went after Roach’s second-last ball of his eighth over.

It was a welcome return to form for Watson before this month’s four-Test tour to India.

“I’ve been looking forward to that for the last four weeks, to get out there on a nice wicket and get a few runs out of the middle,” Watson said.

“It’s one of those days that you dream of that everything even from the first ball just feels like it’s coming off the middle of your bat.

“It was a beautiful wicket out there, it was very true, so you knew if you hit through the line of the ball you had more chance of finding the middle of the bat.”

Hughes, who gave away a chance cutting through slip on six, lost the opportunity to make his third ODI century this season when he was caught behind off Darren Sammy for 86.

He scored his runs off 93 balls with 10 fours and a six. The West Indies would have had to make history to overhaul the Australian total, with their biggest previous ODI run chase 324 for eight against India at Nagpur in 2006-07.

Brothers Darren and Dwayne Bravo gave the tourists early hope with a fighting 114run partnership for the third wicket before Mitchell Starc bowled Dwayne Bravo middle stump for 51 off 50 balls.

The wickets began to tumble, with Faulkner claiming two of them in his sixth over. He bowled Chris Gayle for two with the first ball after drinks, and was given a warning by the umpire for his over-zealous sending off of the batsman, before removing the dangerous Darren Bravo three balls later. Faulkner bowled him for 86 off 96 balls to put the skids under the West Indians. He finished with two more wickets, clean-bowling spinner Sunil Narine (1) and skipper Sammy (8) to wrap up the Australian victory.

Pollard, who was run out for nine by Mitchell Johnson, earlier put in a sensational performance in the field with two stupendous catches on the boundary ropes. Glenn Maxwell was left shaking his head when he was out to a brilliant one-handed catch for four by a leaping Pollard on the boundary as he looked to smash spinner Narine for six. Pollard then plucked another near-replica one-handed leaping catch on the rope to end George Bailey’s cameo of 44 off 22 balls and give Narine his second wicket.

The series moves to Sydney for the fourth ODI tomorrow before the fifth and final match in Melbourne on Sunday. —AFP

SCOREBOARD CANBERRA: Scoreboard after Australia beat West Indies by 39 runs in the third one-day cricket international at Manuka Oval yesterday: Australia won the toss and elected to bat West Indies innings K. Powell c Wade b Maxwell 47 Australia innings D. Thomas c Hughes b McKay 19 S. Watson c Pollard b Roach 122 Darren Bravo b Faulkner 86 A. Finch c Thomas b Sammy 38 Dwayne Bravo b Starc 51 P. Hughes c Thomas b Sammy 86 C. Gayle b Faulkner 2 M. Clarke c & b Pollard 15 K. Pollard run out 9 G. Bailey c Pollard b Narine 44 A. Russell c Wade b McKay 43 G. Maxwell c Pollard b Narine 4 R. Sarwan b Johnson 12 M. Wade not out 4 D. Sammy b Faulkner 8 J. Faulkner b Dwayne Bravo 2 S. Narine b Faulkner 1 K. Roach not out 1 M. Johnson not out 8 Extras (lb-4, w-6, nb-1) 11 Extras (b-1, w-3, nb-2) 6 Total (all out, 47.3 overs) 290 Total (for seven wickets, 50 overs) 329 Fall of wickets: 1-54 2-81 3-195 4-214 5-215 Did not bat: M. Starc, C. McKay Fall of wickets: 1-89 2-201 3-242 4-284 5-299 6-234 7-264 8-281 9-289 Bowling: McKay 10-1-62-2, Starc 7-0-50-1 6-317 7-321 (1nb, 1w), Johnson 9-1-59-1 (1w), Faulkner Bowling: Roach 9-1-72-1 (1w), Russell 5-0- 8.3-1-48-4, Maxwell 10-0-44-1 (2w), Clarke 341-0, Sammy 8-0-49-2 (2nb), Dwayne Bravo 0-23-0 (2w) 7-0-39-1, Narine 10-0-55-2 (1w), Gayle 5-0- Australia won by 39 runs.

36-0 (1w), Pollard 6-0-36-1.

Australia lead the five-match series 3-0.

SAN JOSE: Patrick Kane scored two goals, including the tiebreaking goal after a fight midway through the second period, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the San Jose Sharks 5-3 on Tuesday night in a matchup of the NHL’s top two teams.

Brandon Saad, Andrew Shaw and Marcus Kruger also scored for the Blackhawks, who overcame a 2-0 deficit to remain the only team in the NHL yet to lose a game in regulation this season. Corey Crawford made 30 saves.

Joe Pavelski, Tommy Wingels and Michal Handzus scored for the Sharks, who have lost three straight games following a franchise-record seven-game winning streak to open the season. Antti Niemi made 26 saves. The biggest difference for the Sharks during this recent slide has been the power play. San Jose failed to convert on all three chances against Chicago and has one power-play goal in its last 21 opportunities after scoring 12 power-play goals in the first five games.

The most painful came early in the third period with a chance to tie the game when Niemi was called for delay of game just 11 seconds after Nick Leddy was sent off for holding. Penalty killing has been a strength this season for the Blackhawks, who have allowed two goals in 39 short-handed chances.

Kane added an empty-net goal for the final margin. The game changed midway through the second period after Andrew Desjardins flattened former Shark Jamal Mayers with a hard hit that drew the ire of Chicago’s Duncan Keith, who started a fight with Desjardins.

Desjardins was given ejected for a hit to the head although replays appeared to show the contact was with the shoulder. So instead of a four-minute power play for San Jose, there were four minutes of 4on-4 play followed by a one-minute power play for Chicago.

That proved critical when Jonathan Toews picked Douglas Murray’s pocket near the net during the 4-on-4 and fed Kane for the go-ahead goal that gave the Blackhawks a 4-3 lead heading into the third.

Both teams came into the game playing tight defense and struggling to score in recent games. That all changed in a wideopen first period that featured three goals for each team, including the first of the season for four players.

San Jose got out to quick a 2-0

SAN JOSE: Brandon Saad #20 of the Chicago Blackhawks falls to the ice to slap the puck away from Justin Braun #61 of the San Jose Sharks in the third period at HP Pavilion on Tuesday in San Jose, California. The Blackhawks won the game 5-3. —AFP

NHL results/standings New Jersey 3, NY Rangers 1; Pittsburgh 4, NY Islanders 2; Toronto 3, Washington 2; Los Angeles 4, Columbus 2; Ottawa 4, Buffalo 3; Philadelphia 2, Tampa Bay 1; Calgary 4, Detroit 1; Winnipeg 3, Florida 2 (OT); Nashville 6, St. Louis 1; Chicago 5, San Jose 3.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL PTS Pittsburgh New Jersey NY Islanders NY Rangers Philadelphia

7 5 4 4 4

3 1 4 5 6

0 3 1 0 0

34 23 29 20 23

GF

GA

24 20 30 25 27

14 13 9 8 8

Boston Ottawa Montreal Toronto Buffalo

Northeast Division 6 1 1 24 6 3 1 29 6 2 0 26 5 5 0 25 3 6 1 30

19 19 17 29 37

13 13 12 10 7

Tampa Bay Winnipeg Carolina Florida Washington

6 4 4 3 2

Southeast Division 3 0 40 4 1 27 4 0 22 5 1 22 7 1 23

23 34 24 33 36

12 9 8 7 5

lead on goals by Pavelski and Wingels before a dizzying 89 second stretch that featured four goals, including three by Chicago.

The Blackhawks had scored three goals in a stretch of more than 198 minutes of game action before Saad started this goal frenzy by slamming a pass from Brent

Chicago St. Louis Nashville Detroit Columbus

Western Conference Central Division 8 0 2 33 6 3 0 32 4 2 3 20 4 4 1 23 3 6 1 20

23 25 21 28 32

18 12 11 9 7

Vancouver Edmonton Minnesota Colorado Calgary

5 4 4 4 2

Northwest Division 2 2 24 3 2 22 4 1 21 5 0 21 3 2 20

22 24 24 23 25

12 10 9 8 6

Pacific Division San Jose 7 2 1 34 21 15 Anaheim 6 1 1 29 23 13 Phoenix 4 4 2 29 27 10 Dallas 4 5 1 20 25 9 Los Angeles 3 3 2 20 25 8 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

Seabrook at the side of the net 10:08 into the first for his first goal of the season.

Handzus answered with his first 39 seconds later when he beat Crawford to the short side off a pass in transition from Wingels.

But there was no time to celebrate that as the Blackhawks took 8 sec-

onds off the ensuing faceoff to get the goal from Shaw off a pass from behind the net from Bryan Bickell.

Kruger capped the spree at the 11:37 mark when Justin Braun’s clearing attempt hit Wingels’ skate and went right to Kruger, who knocked in his first goal of the season. —AP

N Zealand XI turn tables on England WHANGAREI: England lost their second Twenty20 warm-up game in New Zealand when a New Zealand XI snatched a three-wicket victory off the last ball of the match here yesterday. A defiant 64 off 38 deliveries by Tom Latham and a final swipe to the mid-off boundary by Matt Henry denied the tourists back-to-back wins after England won the opening game by 46 runs.

Sent into bat first, England made 170 for five, largely through a batting master-class by Eoin Morgan (51) and Jos Buttler (51 not out) who put together a fifth-wicket partnership of 87 in 50 deliveries.

Michael Lumb was the only other serious contributor to the scoreboard with 45. Hamish Rutherford (30) and Anton Devcich (33) made a brisk start to New Zealand’s reply, reaching 58 in less than seven overs before Samit Patel dismissed Rutherford bringing Latham to the crease.

Latham had a horror start to the match when he dropped a sitter of a catch in the second over, but he showed no sign of nerves with the bat, putting together a confident 64 before falling in the penultimate over. After New Zealand had reached 162 for four with two overs remaining, Latham was the first of three wickets to fall for the addition of only four runs in the space of six deliveries as England threatened an unlikely comeback. In a tense final over, however, New Zealand held their nerve with Henry clouting Jade Dernbach over the rope for the winning run off the final ball. The first T20 international between England and New Zealand will be in Auckland on Saturday. —AFP

SCOREBOARD WHANGAREI: Scores in a Twenty20 warm-up match between New Zealand XI and England yesterday: England T. Latham c Wright b Broad 64 M. Lumb c Broom b Wagner 45 N. Broom c Tredwell b Broad 16 A. Hales run out (Henry) 4 C. Munro c Broad b Finn 4 L. Wright c Rutherford B Ellis 11 L. Ronchi c Lumb b Broad 12 J. Bairstow lbw b Ellis 2 A. Ellis not out 3 E. Morgan not out 51 D. Bracewell b Dernbach 1 J. Buttler c Bracewell b Wagner 51 M. Henry not out 3 S. Patel not out 0 Extras (b 1, w 2, nb 2) 5 Extras (lb 3, w 3) 6 Total (7 wickets; 20 overs) 171 Total (5 wickets; 20 overs) 170 Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Hales), 2-56 (Wright), 3- Fall of wickets: 1-58 (Rutherford), 2-81 61 (Bairstow), 4-77 (Lumb), 5-164 (Buttler) (Devcich), 3-123 (Broom), 4-143 Bowling: Henry 4-0-35-0 (1w), Bracewell 4-0- (Munro), 5-162 (Ronchi), 6-164 (Latham), 739-0, Wagner 4-0-38-2 (2w), Beard 4-0-28-0, 166 (Bracewell) Ellis 4-0-27-2.

Bowling: Finn 4-0-44-1 (2nb, 2w), Broad 4-024-3, Dernbach 4-0-38-1, Patel New Zealand XI 4-0-20-1, Tredwell 4-0-44-1.

H. Rutherford c Hales b Patel 30 Result: New Zealand XI won by three wickets A. Devcich c Bairstow b Tredwell 33

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

S P ORTS

United’s pampered players humbled by Munich memories LONDON: Manchester United players need to remember the legacy of those affected by the Munich air disaster because the aftermath of the tragedy is part of what makes the club great, Ryan Giggs said on the 55th anniversary yesterday. United’s current players, including new striker Robin van Persie, recently watched a DVD about the crash, in which 23 people died as the squad, supporters and journalists returned from a European Cup match in Belgrade.

Eight players and three members of the United staff were among those who died after their plane crashed as it tried to take off following a refuelling stop in

Munich. “New players, especially the foreign players, are joining a club which they think is great and offers them everything that comes from United being successful over the last 10 to 15 years,” Giggs told the club website (www.manutd.com).

“We all watched a DVD about Munich recently. It was really important for the squad to watch that and learn about what happened. Not only about the crash itself but also the success they had before it and how the team moved forward in the aftermath, from winning the next game to winning the European Cup 10 years later. Everyone was moved.”

The Premier League leaders also lis-

tened to a talk by Bobby Charlton, who survived the crash along with manager Matt Busby, who had to quickly rebuild a team amid the grief. “I think it’s very important, to know how the Busby Babes played and how successful they were before the air disaster and to know how Sir Matt built another great team,” added the 39-year-old Giggs, who has been at United since 1987.

“There are so many things that are relevant to us today and we need to carry on their legacy. For example, fans want to see young players coming through and doing well which they do on a regular basis at this club, and both as individuals

and as a team, we have to play in the right manner.”

Despite Giggs’s long association with the club and the many Munich memorial services he has attended, the DVD taught him new elements of the story which have inspired the midfielder as United, nine points clear, hone in on a 20th topflight title.

“There were things I didn’t know about the crash. I didn’t know how soon United played again afterwards, just 13 days later, and that players like Bill Foulkes and Harry Gregg who survived the crash were in the team. I thought that was unbelievable,” he said.

With a Champions League last-16 clash with Real Madrid in the next two months, United’s jet-setting squad were reminded that technology was very different in Busby’s day.

“Now if we’re playing in a big game like a Champions League semi-final, we’ll watch videos and know everything about the opposition. Everything. Then I think Sir Matt would go on one scouting mission and that would be it,” Giggs said.

“Once Sir Matt went to watch Real Madrid and when he came back, his players asked him what they were like. He didn’t want to tell them because Real Madrid were that good.” —Reuters

Iran crush Lebanon 5-0 on road to Australia Kuwait beat Thailand 3-1

DOHA: Mohd Amir Bin Yahya (C) dribbles past Abdelaziz Al-Sulaiti (L) and Talal Al-Bloushi of Qatar during the two teams 2015 AFC Asian Cup group D qualifying football match in Doha, yesterday. —AFP

Japan blank Latvia in season opener KOBE: Stuttgart striker Shinji Okazaki scored two goals to lead Asian champions Japan to a 3-0 win over Latvia in their season opener yesterday in a warm-up game ahead of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

The 26-year-old forward, who missed a header in the 31st minute, slid down for a right-footer on a cross by Schalke defender Atsuto Uchida, which hit the left post and landed in the net in the 41st minute.

In the 60th minute, CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda struck home from the edge of the area on a perfect cross by Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa to make it two up.

Less than two minutes later, Okazaki added another goal on a straight pass from behind.

“I was able to move back and forward very well. I think I did 60 percent of what I wanted to do. The remaining 40 percent is ... I couldn’t keep the ball when it was tough,” said Okazaki.

“It was a start for the team this year, so it is good to start with this win. For me, it was good to score goals, but I still have a lot to improve,” added Okazaki.

Japan kept the initiative after the break with substitute forward Ryoichi Maeda hitting the left post and Honda missing a goal saved by keeper Andris Vanins in the beginning of the second half.

Latvians Edgars Gauracs and midfielder Olegs Laizans hit a couple of shots in the second half, shortly before the home side pressed home its advantage with two more goals.

Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said: “ We didn’t get off to a good start, because we hadn’t played a game for a couple of months, but we started to play better from 15 minutes before the end of the first half.”

“I expect to have another warm-up game before the World Cup qualifier in March and I’m going to test more plans. I want the team to make good preparation for a game against Jordan in March,” added the Italian.

Japan, one win away from reaching the finals in Brazil, will play an away game against Jordan on March 26 in their next World Cup qualifier. Latvia, meanwhile, are lying in fifth place in the European group G. —AFP

SINGAPORE: Javad Nekounam starred with a hat-trick as threetime champions Iran kick-started their 2015 Asian Cup qualifying campaign with a crushing 5-0 victory over Lebanon yesterday.

The ex-Osasuna man, now with Iran’s Esteghlal, slotted penalties either side of half-time and added the hosts’ fifth and final goal while Standard Liege striker Reza Ghoochannejhad weighed in with a brace at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium.

The rousing win made Iran early favourites to join Japan, host nation Australia and South Korea, who finished first, second and third in 2011, at the Asian Cup’s next edition in early 2015.

The top two teams from each of five qualifying groups go through, along with the best third-placed team, with Iran already well placed at the top of Group B. Team Melli’s closest group rivals on the opening match day were Kuwait, who made Southeast Asian runners-up Thailand suffer in front of their own fans with a 3-1 victory in Bangkok.

An early own goal rocked Thailand, beaten in December’s AFF Suzuki Cup decider by Singapore, and second-half strikes by Hussain Fadhel and Hamad Aman put them virtually out of contention before Chanathip Songkrasin’s late consolation.

Earlier, the United Arab Emirates opened their campaign with a 2-1 win over battling Vietnam, and 10man Hong Kong held Uzbekistan 00 in Tashkent.

The UAE got off the mark with an early penalty, put away by Al Ahli forward Ahmed Khalil, but Vietnam’s busy efforts to get back into the game paid off on the hourmark when Huynh Quoc Anh made it all square.

However, Habib Fardan put the visitors back in front only seven minutes later and it was to prove decisive as UAE took an early lead in Group E and deflated the home

fans at Hanoi’s My Dinh Stadium.

In the Uzbek capital, Hong Kong turned up with an injury-depleted squad and the outlook looked even bleaker for Kim Pan-Gon’s men when midfielder Lo Kwan Yee was sent off after 58 minutes.

But the visitors held firm against against the Uzbek attack to escape the difficult fixture with a precious point.

In London, Croatia captain

Petric completed the scoring on his Fulham home ground.

Ivica Olic missed the chance to give Croatia an early lead when he headed wide from Niko Kranjcar’s cross. But in an open match it was South Korea who then had an opportunity to go 1-0 up, only for Vedran Corlua to clear Ki SungYeung’s goalbound header off the line following a cross by Lee ChungYong.

winning his 100th cap for Croatia, then tipped Ji Dong-Won’s shot over the crossbar before Srna doubled his side’s lead shortly before half-time with a fine solo goal from the edge of the area.

Croatia put the result beyond doubt in the 57th minute when substitute Jelavic made no mistake with his first chance of the match following a through ball from Luka Modric. Lee Dong-Gook came close

BANGKOK: Thai football player Teerasil Dangda (L) battles for the ball with Fahed Al Ebrahim of Kuwait (R) during the football 2015 Asian Cup qualifying group B at Rajamangala stadium in Bangkok yesterday. —AFP Darijo Srna marked his 100th cap by scoring in a 4-0 friendly international win against South Korea at Fulham’s Craven Cottage ground in London yesterday.

The 30-year-old Shakhtar Donetsk stalwart curled in a 41st minute shot to follow an earlier header by Mario Mandzukic. Nikica Jelavic then came off the bench to add a third goal before Mladen

Olic had another chance when Shin Hyung-Min gave the ball away inside the South Korean box to Mandzukic, who duly laid it off into the path of Olic only for his shot to be deflected wide. Instead it was Mandzukic himself who broke the deadlock when he headed in Ivan Rakitic’s free -kick in the 34th minute.

Goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa, also

to grabbing a goal for South Korea but struck a shot just wide of Pletikosa’s left post.

Numerous substitutions broke up the flow of the match but there was still time for Petric, with five minutes remaining, to complete the goal-scoring in stylish fashion when he chipped South Korea goalkeeper Jung SungRyong. —AFP

Berlusconi brothers in hot water over Balotelli ROME: Silvio Berlusconi and his brother Paolo are getting heat over maverick Italy striker Mario Balotelli, with one accused of racism and the other of signing him for their club AC Milan only to win votes in this month’s national election.

Paolo Berlusconi, AC Milan’s vice president, was lambasted in social media after calling former Manchester City forward Balotelli “the little black boy of the family”.

A video of his comments, made on Sunday after a political event, was going viral after it was posted on various websites, including Tuttospor t (www.tuttosport.com).

“And now let’s go and watch the little black boy of the family, the crazy head,” Paolo Berlusconi says in the video. A spokesman for the Serie A club said on Wednesday there would be no comment on the video, which was recorded on the day Balotelli made his debut for AC Milan after being transferred from English Premier League club City last month.

Criticism of Paolo Berlusconi’s remarks took off after foreign media began writing about the video, which had received relatively little attention in the Italian press in the past few days.

“Balotelli is back in Italy for 2 minutes and already had racist comments made about him. Why do black players even play in Italy?,” one person tweeted. Other tweets slammed the comments as “appalling”, “gross” and “idiocy”.

Balotelli, playing three days after leaving City, scored both goals in Milan’s 2-1 home victory over Udinese on Sunday.

After making the “little black boy ” remark, Paolo Berlusconi told his listeners at the event for a local centre-right candidate: “All the young ladies are invited as well - you can even have a chance to meet the president” - an apparent reference to his older brother Silvio, who is club president.

While Paolo was taking the heat for his comments, Silvio Berlusconi was still

under fire over his motivation for bringing the hot-tempered Balotelli back to Italy in the first place, having previously said Milan did not need a “rotten apple”.

For the past week, former prime minister Silvio has been the regular butt of jokes by comedians and attacks by his political rivals over the transfer, which they see as a clear attempt to woo Italian soccer fans to vote for his centre-right coalition.

Last week L’Unita, the paper of the main centre-left party, said nationwide fans of Milan, who won the Italian championship in 2011 but are now fourth in the Serie A standings, could influence about 1.3 percent of the vote.

L’Unita said thrusting Balotelli into the election campaign was “the devil’s touch”, a play on words because Milan’s mascot is a red-and-black devil. Another paper said the move was so blatantly political that it called Balotelli “Candidate Mario,” in an editorial.

Balotelli is no stranger to racism, real or perceived. He was born in Sicily to Ghanaian parents and given up for adoption to an Italian family at the age of three.

He grew up in northern Italy and became an Italian citizen at 18.

Both in I taly and during the 2012 European soccer Championship co-hosted

by Poland and the Ukraine he endured monkey chants and bananas thrown on the pitch.

He seemed to anger racist fans more than other black players in Italy, precisely because he is Italian and not a foreigner.

When Balotelli played for Inter Milan, rival Juventus fans once shouted: “There are no black Italians.”

Last month Silvio Berlusconi defended his players for walking off the pitch during a friendly match against lower division team Pro Patria, when Ghanaian midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng and two of his team mates were subjected to monkey chants and jeers from opposition fans. —Reuters

HANOI: United Arab Emirates footballer Habib Al Fardan (L) leads an attack during the Asian Cup 2015 qualifying match Vietnam vs UAE in Hanoi yesterday. UAE won 2-1. —AFP

Premier League set to rein in runaway spending LONDON: England’s Premier League clubs are expected to agree rules today to ensure that a 5 billion pound ($7.8 billion) television cash windfall is not frittered away in higher pay for players.

Featuring clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, the 20-team Premier League is the richest in the world for revenues. However, clubs spend around 70 percent of their income on lavish player wages, leaving little over for profit.

Alarmed by the state of clubs’ finances across the continent, European soccer’s governing body (UEFA) has introduced rules that will force leading teams to move towards breakeven or face exclusion from its competitions.

Top leagues in Germany and Spain have already adopted financial controls for their clubs and the pres-

sure is now on the Premier League to act. “It’s very positive. We can only encourage the Premier League,” UEFA General-Secretary Gianni Infantino said this week when asked about proposed curbs.

Most clubs agree that something needs to be done but the exact details of cost control have been the subject of hard bargaining over the last few months. The agreement of 14 of the 20 clubs is needed for proposals to advance. Arsenal and Manchester United are among top clubs who have cast aside long-standing rivalries to push for full adoption of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) breakeven rules. Chelsea, owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and winners of the Champions League last season, want club owners to have more freedom to spend to build a team.

Chelsea, who in any case say they are on course to

meet UEFA’s rules, are expected to back a compromise on Thursday which would place a ceiling on owner investment and cap annual increases in a club’s spending on player wages.

Critics of FFP argue that it will reinforce the balance of power in the Premier League and prevent clubs from emulating the rapid ascent enjoyed by Chelsea and Premier League champions Manchester City in recent years. City’s rise has been underwritten by cash from Abu Dhabi.

Premier League clubs stand to benefit from enhanced three-year TV contracts in August, having secured a 70 percent hike in the value of the domestic deal. Overseas rights with broadcasters including NBC in the United States are expected to push the total value of TV rights over 5 billion pounds. —Reuters

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

S P ORT S

Asia a proven fertile ground for match-fixers SYDNEY: While there was some shock at the extent of the match-fixing revealed in Monday’s Europol report, there can be little surprise the fixers were based in Singapore given the history of corruption in Asian soccer.

From China’s ‘golden whistles’ scandal of the early 2000s to the 41 players from South Korea’s K-League banned by FIFA for match-fixing just last month, the taint of corruption has rarely been far from the game in the world’s most populous continent.

European anti-crime agency Europol on Monday blamed criminal syndicates based in Singapore for fixing hundreds of matches in a global scam over three years from 2008.

The driving force behind the matchfixing is the huge amount of money gambled on soccer on the continent.

Chris Eaton, former head of security at FIFA and now head of an anti-corruption watchdog, estimates $3 billion a day is bet on sport, most of it on soccer and most related to South East Asia.

The Europol report said German police had proof 8 million euros ($11

million) had been made in gambling profits from the scam but it was probably the tip of the iceberg.

“It’s infinitesimal compared to what was made in the Asian market,” Eaton told Reuters yesterday.

“You can probably multiply that by a hundred for what was made in the Asian market. People have to get their head round this act - we’re talking about a major economy here.” In China, where betting is outlawed outside the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, one expert at Peking University estimated that illegal gambling was worth $150 billion a year in 2009.

With such huge sums involved, it is no great surprise that players, team officials and referees earning far, far less than their European counterparts have been tempted and the leagues compromised. Former Australia international Craig Foster recalled coming face to face with the problem in the early 1990s when he first played in South East Asia.

“I found an entirely unfamiliar world where players didn’t necessarily play to

win, or for the team, but in which numerous gambling syndicates controlled players throughout the league and paid them either to win or lose, according to the odds,” he wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday.

Indeed, the reason European leagues are so attractive to Asian gamblers is not only because of their high profile and glamour but because they are perceived to have retained an integrity local competitions lost long ago.

At times the fixing in Asia has descended into farce, as when players at one Chinese club peppered their own goal with lobbed “back passes” to try and even up the betting spread.

In Singapore, the local FA has employed random polygraph tests on players since 2001 in a bid to root out the problem. China attempted to clean up its house in 2006 with an AntiFootball Gambling Leadership Group.

The effort was somewhat undermined when the soccer official appointed to lead the group, Nan Yong, was jailed for 10 1/2 years after being found guilty of taking 1.48 million yuan

($237,600) in bribes last year.

Nan’s conviction was part of a renewed and robust police-led enquiry sparked when leading Communist Party officials - including then President Hu Jintao - expressed the need to clean up the sport in late 2009.

The latest attempt to curb the problem region-wide comes later this month when the governing Asian Football Confederation (AFC) host an Interpol conference entitled “Match-Fixing: The Ugly Side of the Beautiful Game” in Kuala Lumpur. “Our endeavour to wipe out corruption continues and the confederation is proactively organising events to fight corruption and match-fixing in the continent,” AFC general secretary Dato’ Alex Soosay said yesterday.

The AFC have not been immune to scandal themselves, however, and Qatari former president Mohamed Bin Hammam is still battling to clear his name after being suspended by world governing body FIFA for alleged bribery in July 2011. All the while, Asian cases of match-fixing have continued to emerge.

Malaysia, which was rocked by a match-

fixing scandal in the mid-1990s resulting in more than a 100 players being banned, handed out long suspensions to 18 youth players in February last year for match-fixing.

Then last month, the long-running enquiry into match-fixing in South Korea’s top flight K-League - a scandal so embarrassing the government threatened to shut the league down - resulted in the 41 players being banned for life.

Match-fixing in Asia is by no means limited to soccer, however, with volleyball and basketball also caught up in the Korean scandal, while cricketing authorities in India and Pakistan have their own battles to fight with illegal bookmakers.

The bad news for those who are trying to root it out is that many analysts believe the problem in sport is merely a reflection of a wider malaise in Asian society. Global anti-corruption body Transparency International says there is an alarming level of corruption in Asia.

Its corruption index rates Singapore at 10, the ver y cleanest, but 16 other countries score below three on the scale.—Reuters

Nigeria trounce Mali to reach Africa Cup final Three goals in 20 minutes

SHARJAH: Bahrain’s Mahmud al-Ajmi (L) vies for the ball against Mohammed Ahmed Ali of Yemen during their 2015 Asian Cup qualifying football match in the Gulf emirate of Sharjah, yesterday. — AFP

Jose Camacho under more pressure after Saudi defeat SINGAPORE: Veteran Spanish coach Jose Antonio Camacho’s tenure as China boss suffered another blow yesterday as his misfiring side were beaten 2-1 away by Saudi Arabia in their opening 2015 Asian Cup qualifier.

The 57-year-old former Spain and Real Madrid handler has come under increasing pressure since China crashed out of World Cup qualifying and losing four friendlies since June last year, including an 8-0 drubbing by Brazil, winning just once.

His Saudi counterpart, compatriot Juan Ramon Lopez Caro, however, will be delighted as his side won in his first competitive game in charge since replacing Frank Rijkaard, who was sacked last month after a poor showing at the Gulf Cup. The hosts took the lead through Fahad Al Muwallad in the 23rd minute only for China to level six minutes later as Guangzhou Evergrande midfielder Zhao Xuri shot home from the edge of the area after being set up by Yu Hanchao.

However, the visitors could not hold out and three-time champions Saudi took the points thanks to a goal by substitute Naif Hazzazi 13 minutes from time.

China have reached the last 10 Asian Cup finals but with 2007 champions Iraq having begun with a 1-0 home win over Indonesia they face a tough task to make it 11 in Australia.

The top two teams from each of five qualifying groups go through, along with the best third-placed team.

Iran’s closest group rivals on the opening match day were Kuwait, who made Southeast Asian runners-up Thailand suffer in front of their own fans with a 3-1 victory in Bangkok. In the Uzbek capital, Hong Kong turned up with an injurydepleted squad and the outlook looked even bleaker for Kim Pan-Gon’s men when midfielder Lo Kwan Yee was sent off after 58 minutes. But the visitors held firm against against the Uzbek attack to escape the difficult fixture with a precious point. —AFP

DURBAN: Nigeria displayed the class of real champions when they crushed Mali 4-1 and stayed on course to win the African Nations Cup for the first time in 19 years yesterday.

A superb semi-final at the Moses Mabhida stadium was won and lost in a blistering 20-minute first-half spell in which Nigeria scored three goals to leave them dreaming of a first title since current coach Stephen Keshi captained them to glory in 1994.

Goals from defender Elderson Echiejile, who stooped to head home after 25 minutes, Brown Ideye, who scrambled one in after 30 minutes and an own goal from Mali defender Momo Sissoko a minute before halftime put Keshi’s team in total control.

They made it 4-0 when substitute Ahmed Musa, who replaced the outstanding Victor Moses after 53 minutes scored three minutes after coming on, beating the offside trap and slipping the ball through goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa’s legs.

Nigeria also had the ball in the net for a fifth time shortly afterwards, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Keshi is now one victory away from becoming only the second man in the tournament’s 56year history to win it as a player and coach. The only person to have achieved the feat is Egyptian Mahmoud El Gohary, who won it in 1959 and 1998.

Mali, who famously came back from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 with Angola in the opening game of the 2010 finals, never looked like repeating that feat but did score a consolation when substitute Cheick Diarra fired home in the 75th minute.

That goal did nothing to dampen the Nigerian celebrations that followed the final whistle as the team booked a place in Sunday’s final, where they will meet the win-

DURBAN: Nigeria’s forward Ahmed Musa (C) dribbles Mali’s goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa to score a goal during the 2013 African Cup of Nations semi-final football match Mali vs Nigeria yesterday in Durban. — AFP ners of Wednesday’s second semi between Ghana and Burkina Faso.

Keshi, who spent two years coaching Mali and knows most of their players well, said he was obviously delighted with the victory by his young team, which he said should not be compared to his victorious 1994 team.

“We won in 1994 after we had been together for five years,” he told reporters. “But we have been together for five weeks. We met up for the first time in our training camp in Portugal before the tournament, and it was a young group.

“We worked hard, the atmosphere was wonderful but you cannot compare this team to that. We did play very well today and I am very happy but we haven’t won anything yet.”

Mali, inspired by the conflict in their homeland, and widely tipped to go one better than last year’s semi-final appearance, started better but failed with a trio of early chances and could not find a way back into the game once Nigeria took charge.

One of the reasons Mali were considered such a threat was the form in this tournament of skipper Seydou Keita, who has turned the clock back on his 32 years and given the kind of performances he used to give when he was with Barcelona.

But as hard as he tried yesterday, he could not reverse Mali’s fortunes against superior opponents on the day. “ We played against a ver y good team, who were better than us on the day,” Keita told reporters.

“And that is difficult to handle, especially as the country back home was looking to us and expecting a victory from us but we didn’t win it for them, and that is very hard.”

Mali actually looked the better team for the opening 20 minutes and Modibo Maiga and Keita had headers that went close while Sissoko unleashed a thunderous effort from 30 metres out that went just over Vincent Enyeama’s crossbar. But Nigeria, with John Obi Mikel and Ogenyi Onanzi and the superb Moses who made the open-

Pedro double sees Spain past Uruguay DOHA: World and European champions Spain stretched their unbeaten run at senior international level to 17 games with a 3-1 win over Uruguay yesterday thanks to two goals from Pedro Rodriguez.

A goalkeeping error from Fernando Muslera gifted Spain the lead after just 16 minutes as he allowed Cesc Fabregas’ long-range effort to slip through his grasp, but Uruguay were deservedly level before half-time as Cristian Rodriguez fired

home after latching onto Martin Caceres’ clever pass. However, Pedro proved to be the matchwinner in the second-half as he finished calmly from Barcelona teammate Gerard Pique’s pass six minutes after the restart before tapping home Fabregas’ cross to register his ninth goal in his last six internationals.

Vicente del Bosque’s men were captained by Carles Puyol on his 100th international appearance in the absence of Iker Casillas who was out

Rummenigge gushes over Qatar WC preparations DOHA: German footballing legend and president of the European Club Association, Karl-Heinze Rummenigge, said in Doha yesterday that the 2022 World Cup, set to be held in Qatar for the first time, will be a rousing success.

“After seeing the presentation yesterday, and what is probably the best pitch I have ever seen in my life, the pitch on which the match between Spain and Uruguay will be held tonight (Wednesday), we have a very good feeling about the organisation and the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup,” said the 1986 World Cup finalist.

The 57-year-old who spent ten years at Bayern Munich and was twice European player of the year (1980, 1981), also revealed that a decision had yet to be made on exactly when the tournament would be held, bearing in mind the sweltering summer temperatures in Qatar.

“We feel responsibility towards our players, and I would probably say that

the only question that we can’t respond to is when the 2022 World Cup will begin,” said the former striker who put away 45 goals in 95 matches for the Mannschaft between 1976 and 1986.

“We know that the discussion regarding the summer conditions such as climate and humidity is a lively topic, but we can’t say anything today, because these discussions have to be opened first

by FIFA (world governing body),” added the Bayern Munich president.

“Our impression, is that Qatar are not just able to organise the competition, but we have the impression that the world can expect a really fantastic World Cup, because of the stadiums, the hotels and the infrastructure, so we have a very positive impression”. “ We are aware about the fact that UEFA president Michel Platini has declared that we should be open to the idea of changing the dates from summer to winter or maybe autumn” he added. —AFP

ing two goals, asserting themselves in midfield, suddenly took control of the game with devastating effect. The breakthrough came when Moses turned and nutmegged Mali defender Adama Tamboura wide on the left and sent in a low cross which Echiejile, unmarked, stooped to head home.

Five minutes later Ideye doubled their lead from another Moses cross, bundling the ball home with Samassa powerless to prevent him scoring. The third came when Gambian referee Backar y Papa Gassama awarded Nigeria a free kick on the edge of the box just before halftime.

Emmanuel Emenike’s powerfully struck effort took a big deflection off Sissoko leaving Samassa watching the ball go into his net for a third time to effectively kill the contest and send Nigeria into the continental final for the first time since 2000. The one worry for Keshi is whether Moses, who came off with an injury early in the second half, will be fit in time. “We will know more tomorrow,” he said. — Reuters

DOHA: Spain’s Pedro Rodriguez (L) kicks the ball to score his team’s second goal against Uruguay during their friendly football match in the Qatari capital Doha yesterday. — AFP

with a broken bone in his left hand.

Cesar Azpilicueta, meanwhile, was making his international debut. The Chelsea defender was thankful for the experience shown by his skipper when he was late in stepping up to play Luis Suarez onside four minutes in but Puyol recovered well to disposes the Liverpool striker before he could get a shot off.

Spain went in front 12 minutes later thanks to a huge error from Muslera as he let Fabregas’ swerving drive from 30 yards slip through his hands and into the net. However, the South Americans responded well to going behind and Victor Valdes had to be quick off his line to prevent Edison Cavani having a clear run on goal from a long-ball over the top moments later.

Puyol then nearly marked his landmark appearance with just his fourth international goal but he was ruled to be just offside as he volleyed in a cross from the right.

Uruguay were level though just after the halfhour mark as a fine through ball from Caceres found Rodriguez free inside the area and the Atletico Madrid midfielder slotted the ball low past Valdes. It took Spain just six minutes into the second period to restore their lead as Pique, who had replaced Puyol at the break, played in Pedro who drove the ball into Muslera’s bottom right-hand corner.

Valdes had to make a stunning save to prevent Uruguay finding a second equaliser as he got an outstretched hand to Cavani’s driven effort before David Villa could easily have had a third for Spain as his effort drifted just over.

Del Bosque then took the chance to also hand debuts to Isco and Mario Suarez as the game began to become stretched and it was no surprise when Spain broke with great efficiency to kill the game off 15 minutes from time. Villa fed Fabregas and his cross to the back post was perfectly measured for Pedro to slide home. —AFP

Nigeria trounce Mali to reach Africa Cup final

Kuwait beat Thailand 3-1

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Vonn to have surgery in US next week after crash

Page 17

LONDON: England’s midfielder Frank Lampard (C) after scoring England’s second goal during the international friendly football match between England and Brazil at Wembley Stadium in north London yesterday. —AFP

England spoil Scolari’s Brazil return Brazil loses to England for first time in 23 years LONDON: England beat Brazil 2-1 yesterday to end a 23-year wait for victory over the five-time world champions and consign Luiz Felipe Scolari to defeat in the first game of his second spell as Brazil coach.

On a chilly Wembley night that saw Ashley Cole win his 100th England cap, home goalkeeper Joe Hart saved an early penalty from the recalled Ronaldinho, before Wayne Rooney put Roy Hodgson’s side ahead.

An error from Gary Cahill allowed halftime substitute Fred to equalise for Brazil early in the second half, but Cahill’s Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard gave England victory with a smartly taken goal

on the hour. The friendly game was being played to mark the start of the Football Association’s 150th anniversary celebrations, and in Scolari’s disjointed Brazil, England found unexpectedly generous opponents. Hodgson’s men will now approach March’s World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro in good heart, while Scolari must revisit his plans to craft a side capable of winning a sixth world title on home soil in 2014.

Jack Wilshere started alongside England captain Steven Gerrard in midfield for the first time and the Arsenal man was quick to assert himself with an enterprising forward burst that drew applause

from the home fans. However, the 21year-old gifted Brazil an opportunity to take the lead in the 19th minute when he allowed Ronaldinho’s cross to strike him on the arm. Back in the side after an absence of a year, Ronaldinho stepped forward to take the penalty himself, but his weak shot was saved by Hart, who then reacted sharply to claw the ball away as the thwarted taker closed in for the kill.

England reacted positively to their close shave, with the excellent Wilshere immediately slipping a pass through to Danny Welbeck, who poked over. Cole and Glen Johnson both had shots from distance, before the hosts made the

breakthrough with a goal that will have greatly pleased Hodgson. Wilshere was again the creator, threading a fine pass between centre-back and full-back for Theo Walcott, and when the Arsenal winger’s shot was blocked by Julio Cesar, Rooney steered the loose ball home to claim his 33rd England goal.

Neymar then spurned a glorious chance to level when he put the ball over from close range as he slid in to meet a low cross from the lively Oscar. Cole’s big night ended at half-time, with Leighton Baines coming on in his place, while Scolari elected to withdraw both Ronaldinho and the ineffective Luis

Fabiano. Fabiano’s replacement, Fred, needed just three minutes to find the target, but the goal was presented to him on a plate by the blundering Cahill.

Imperious until then, the Chelsea centreback over-ran the ball in a dangerous position and after Ramires darted in, Fred capitalised to flash a left-foot shot past Hart from the edge of the area.

Similar shaky England defending almost yielded a second Brazil goal moments later, but after Hart’s hurried clearance struck Cahill and bounced away, Fred saw his attempted curler hit the angle of post and bar.

Eager to atone, Cahill forced Cesar into

Germany break France jinx with 2-1 win

Burkina Faso in final with shootout win over Ghana NELSPRUIT: Rank outsiders Burkina Faso will face Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations final after a 3-2 penalty shootout win over Ghana yesterday.

Ghana’s Udinese midfielder Emmanuel Agyeman Badu had his effort saved by Daouda Diakite after earlier misses by teammates Isaac Vorsah and Emmanuel Clottey. Bakary Kone, Henri Traore and Aristide Bance converted their chances to continue the fairy-tale run of a team that had turned up in South Africa with the modest ambition of ending a 17-match winless Nations Cup run.

Now they find themselves meeting Nigeria, 4-1 winners over Mali earlier, for a shot at becoming kings of Africa. The spot-kick climax was called for after the two teams were inseparable at 1-1 in a thrilling semi-final, with Bance’s second-half goal cancelling out Mubarak Wakaso’s early penalty.

The Burkinabe were deserved winners after almost coming unstuck by a series of strange decisions against them by Tunisian referee Slim Jdidi. Chief among them was a legitimate penalty claim turned down, and a goal disallowed.

Jdidi wrongly waved away claims for an early spot-kick when John Boye barged into Jonathan Pitroipa, knocking his Rennes teammate unceremoniously to the much maligned Mbombela Stadium turf.

But on 13 minutes the referee had no hesitation in giving Ghana a penalty after an innocuous tangle involving Mady Panandetiguiri and Christian Atsu.

Wakaso stepped up to convert past

Daouda Diakite, for his fourth goal of the competition. The penalty dramas sandwiched an unscripted substitution for Ghana, with Solomon Asante coming on for John Paintsil, stretchered off with a right thigh injury.

Burkina were giving as good as they got in attack, but would have to find a way to trouble Ghana keeper Fatawu Dauda in the second half if they were to make it to Soweto on Sunday.

Burkina Faso’s athletic striker Bance was looking dangerous every time he got the ball.

On 52 minutes Dauda produced a superb save off the Augsburg attacker’s header when he grabbed the ball from underneath the crossbar, Jdidi on this occasion getting it absolutely right, much to the Burkinabe fans’ displeasure.

Down at the other end, Gyan hit Diakite’s woodwork. On the hour, Burkina got the equaliser their endeavour deserved, Bance, coolly firing past Dauda. Burkina’s Dynamo Bucharest defender Paul Koulibaly was fortunate to escape with just a yellow after lashing out with his boot at a delicate part of Gyan’s body.

Diakite kept Ghana at bay with a diving save to deny Atsu’s attempt to send the game into extra time, which was only minutes old when he tipped over a shot from Harrison Afful. Bance had his yellow spaghetti-mop hair in his hands on 102 minutes when clear on goal only to shoot high. Jdidi made another strange decision against Burkina Faso when disallowing Prejuce Nakoulma’s goal after a minor clash with Kwadwo Asamoah.

Pitroipa was harshly sent off on 117 min-

a superb finger-tip save with a powerful header from a corner. Brazil’s defending was puzzlingly static at times and England took advantage to re-take the lead in the 60th minute. After one of several Walcott surges down the right, the ball popped out to the edge of the area, and with Paulinho dawdling, Rooney stole in to tee up Lampard, who scored with a first-time shot that went in off the right-hand post.

Neymar tried to enliven proceedings with an audacious overhead kick that flew well over, before the now familiar succession of substitutions drew the life from the game and allowed England to see out a morale-boosting success. — AFP

NELSPRUIT: Ghana’s defender John Boye (L) vies with Burkina Faso’s forward Aristide Bance during the 2013 African Cup of Nations semi-final football match Burkina Faso vs Ghana, yesterday at Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit. —AFP utes for picking up his second booking of the night, for diving, after he had, in fact, been felled. He misses Sunday’s final.

Dauda produced a series of fine saves to

keep Ghana in business, but with the crowd almost to a man on their side, Burkina held their nerve to book an improbable date at Soweto’s Soccer City. — AFP

PARIS: Real Madrid duo Mesut Oezil and Sami Khedira combined to devastating effect as Germany came from behind to beat France 2-1 in a heavyweight showdown here yesterday.

Khedira supplied Oezil and then got on the end of a brilliant return pass from the little playmaker before finishing past Hugo Lloris in the 74th minute to hand Germany their first victory over their neighbours since reunification.

The last time France had lost to a German team was back in 1987, when Rudi Voeller scored twice in a 2-1 West Germany victory. It looked like Les Bleus’ impressive run against their old foes would continue when Mathieu Valbuena headed the hosts in front at the Stade de France just before half time.

However, a cool finish from Thomas Mueller brought the visitors level within six minutes of the restart, and Joachim Loew’s side then soaked up second-half pressure before securing a confidence-boosting win. Didier Deschamps’ France came into their opening game of 2013 with confidence boosted by their most recent performances, a 1-1 qualifying draw in Spain being followed by a 2-1 friendly victory in Italy in November.

Here, the French were up against another of the Euro 2012 semi-finalists, and while Germany were missing a whole host of regular starters, their’s was still the more experienced of the two teams at international level.

Manuel Neuer, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose were among the stars that German coach Joachim Loew was unable to call upon, but the likes of Mueller and Oezil can still be magnificent to watch when in full flow.

Those two combined to produce the first chance of the night in the sixth minute, as Bayern Munich’s Mueller sliced through the middle of the home defence before feeding Oezil, who tried to go round Lloris, only for the alert France goalkeeper to get down well.

Giant Arsenal central defender Per Mertesacker then saw his header turned on to the bar and over by Lloris soon after.

However, the home side, which was close to full strength, eventually came back into things, led by the attacking flair of Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema.— AFP

Business

NBK among top five safest banks in emerging markets Page 22 Khatif to distribute LavAzza Coffee

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Page 25 Mideast economies must open up: Expert

Jazeera Airways Group posts 32% rise in profits Page 26

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ATHENS: Members of the Greek communist labour union march at the Greece’s main harbor Piraeus port early yesterday in Athens during the forced end to a strike movement by seamen. —AFP

EU leaders face clash over 7-year budget Proposals for several years to be cut back BRUSSELS: European Union leaders head into a fresh clash over the EU’s budget at a two-day summit starting tomorrow, with the only certainty being that proposals for several years will be cut back.

The volume of EU expenditure, at a time of cuts in national budgets against a broad background of debt and recession, is the main issue dividing the 27 EU member states. One group among those countries that contribute the most, led by Germany and Britain, wants spending cut from the current level of about one percent of EU gross domestic product.

This would mean trimming the European Commission’s initial proposal for a budget of a trillion euros between 2014 and 2020. These cuts should be applied across the board, they say, and reach right down into wages and tax-free benefits for about 35,000 EU civil servants-some of whom have begun strike action for fear of redundancies.

Another group, led by France and Italy, want spending kept at a higher level and targeted more at investment likely to create jobs at a time when 26 million people are unemployed in the EU. Getting an agreement is the task of summit chairman Herman Van Rompuy, the EU president who had to call time on a

previous bid to settle the issue in November. The EU’s budget is financed from various sources. Member countries make contributions but also receive funding from the EU under various programs, including policies to help poorer countries catch up.

This means that some countries are net contributors and some are net beneficiaries. In addition Britain for example receives a special rebate won by Margaret Thatcher to compensate for what was then a distortion in the balance, largely because of the way big subsidies for agriculture work. The current negotiations will not change this basic structure, but might well change the way the budget is presented. The central focus concerns definition of an amount available for actual “payments” which often fall short of targets in the budget, and a higher absolute ceiling for the budget.

British Prime Minister David Cameron wants to focus simply on the payments limit-meaning that if the EU goes beyond that in terms of its “commitments,” there could be a problem for the EU but not for the Treasury department of the British government.

The European Commission initially proposed a five-percent increase and a budget for the seven-year accounting cycle of

more than one trillion euros.

That was too much for Cameron, whose relations with the EU are already uncertain after he promised a British referendum on membership following talks to take back some powers.

In November, Van Rompuy proposed a budget for “commitments” of 973 billion euros and diplomats say he will reduce that to 960 billion euros. He would also lower the effective “payments” cap cherished by Cameron down to about 900 billion euros.

The question would then be how to finance the outstanding 60 billion if the budget were used to the full and Britain refused to contribute to funding the gap?

That in turn would raise the question of whether the EU would then run a deficit?

“I am confident that with some adaptations, the proposal I made on 22 November can constitute the basis for a deal,” Van Rompuy said, adding that agreement was “becoming urgent” if EU machinery is to “run smoothly and deliver [its] potential for growth and jobs.” A senior negotiator said “the bottom line” is that the EU will “honor” its spending commitments.

In the European parliament in Strasbourg, however, leading conservative MEP Joseph Daul said that a deficit

approach would be “suicidal” and warned that lawmakers would vote against any such deal.

Liberal counterpart and former Belgian premier Guy Verhofstadt labelled a deficit approach as “budgetary fraud.” A majority in the EU parliament is required to pass the budget. Some arguments remain over which policy areas should be the target of cutbacks. Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, French President Francois Hollande and others worry that cutting funds for cross-border infrastructure projects in energy, transport and digital networks, for instance, would counter efforts to tackle unemployment.

But Van Rompuy ’s new plans will include an unspecified amount in billions of euros to help reduce unemployment among young people which is running at about 57 percent in Spain and Greece.

Barroso, and the parliament, meanwhile, still want the EU freed to raise funds via direct taxation. So far, most of its budget comes via member-state contributions.

If the leaders can turn the page on the budget, they will focus on Friday on securing rapid progress in free-trade negotiations with the United States and Japan, seen as key to delivering elusive growth, jobs and prosperity. — AFP

Fiscal muscle gives Saudis oil options RIYADH: A combination of massive currency reserves and a 2013 spending plan based on a conservative oil price projection means Saudi Arabia has considerable flexibility in deciding its oil output policy this year. The world’s top oil exporter has boosted state spending sharply in the past couple of years, adding hundreds of thousands of public sector jobs, introducing new social entitlements and starting big infrastructure projects.

Many economists agree this largesse will pose fiscal challenges for Riyadh in future. But for now, the government’s strong budget position means it can opt either to cut oil output in support of prices, or withstand a fall in prices to maintain market share versus rival producers.

“It gives them a little bit of comfort in their policies,” said Alexander Poegl, business development manager at JBC Energy in Vienna, which does consulting work for the Saudi oil sector.

He said Saudi Arabia’s priority was to pursue a middle way in the energy market, trying to maintain stability of prices and supply. Analysts’ estimates for Saudi Arabia’s break-even oil price this year - the price it needs to balance the state budget vary from around $65 a barrel to $85, depending on projections for its spending.

Those levels are well below the current market price of Arab Light, the country’s main type of crude oil for export, which is now at about $115. The flexibility which

that gap provides may prove important for Saudi Arabia, the main swing producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, as a dispute with Iran threatens to destabilize oil markets and with Iraq likely to rebuff Saudi calls to moderate its crude output.

Saudi officials have always insisted the kingdom’s energy policy is based solely on its reading of market forces, a lesson it learned after damaging boom-and-bust cycles in the 1970s and 1980s that followed the 1974 oil embargo.

However, local political analysts say Saudi leaders are always very aware of the impact of oil on foreign policy.

“In general they have not used oil as an instrument of political pressure. But in the real world, I don’t think a country that has such a strategic commodity can divorce its foreign policy from that fact,” said political science professor Asaad Al-Shamlan.

At the height of Arab Spring unrest around the Middle East in February 2011, Riyadh announced a package of spending that amounted to about $110 billion, on top of an already expansionary budget.

Government spending growth has averaged about 14 percent a year over the past decade. Even so, historically high oil prices have allowed Saudi Arabia to effectively wipe out government debt and build a cushion of foreign reserves worth $648 billion by the end of last year.

What concerns some economists is that

although a lot of the extra expenditure has been on infrastructure projects aimed at making the Saudi economy more productive, there have also been major additions to current spending. The kingdom is on an unsustainable long-term fiscal trajectory, Steffen Hertog, author of “Princes, Brokers and Bureaucrats”, a book about Saudi Arabia’s economy and politics, wrote in a paper that he delivered at a seminar in Riyadh. “The welfare and employment decrees indicate a return to the distributional policies of the 1970s oil boom period - but on a much larger and less sustainable scale,” he added. The government has financed hundreds of thousands of new public sector jobs since 2011, introduced an unemployment benefit and pledged more low-interest loans for home purchases. The International Monetar y Fund warned last year that Saudi Arabia could slip into fiscal deficit by 2016. But Finance Minister Ibrahim Alassaf has described the warning as a “doomsday scenario” which the country will avoid, and he said last month that Riyadh could sustain current spending levels in the medium term and beyond. So far, the figures bear him out.

Saudi Arabia reaped record state revenue of more than $331 billion last year, leading to a huge budget surplus of $103 billion.

Its budget plan for this year aims for revenue of $221 billion and spending of $219 billion. Spending will almost certainly be much higher than targeted; the govern-

ment has overshot its spending plans by an average of more than 20 percent a year over the past decade.

But because of high oil prices, this year’s revenue also looks set to be much higher than the target; Jadwa Investment estimated this year’s budget plan was based on a conservative oil price projection of only about $65 a barrel.

So another big budget surplus is in prospect. And even if Saudi Arabia does slip into a moderate deficit - perhaps to the tune of several tens of billions of dollars its reserves could easily cover a deficit of that size, for years to come.

Saudi Arabia appears most comfortable with a global oil price of around $100 or moderately above; Oil Minister Ali Naimi has said $100 suits both producers and consumers by facilitating oil exploration without hurting global growth.

From that perspective, Riyadh’s budget and market positions look favourable, with the oil price well above $100 after the kingdom cut its output by around 700,000 barrels per day to 9.02 million bpd in the last two months of 2012.

OPEC predicted in a report last month that demand for the organisation’s crude would be lower than originally expected in 2013 because of higher supply from other producers. But the International Energy Agency, formed by major consuming countries, said it saw markets tightening in coming months. — Reuters

Egypt falls; Gulf mixed MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Egypt’s bourse made its largest decline in more than a week yesterday as continuing political instability and foreign reserves falling to critical levels weighed on investor sentiment, while Gulf markets were mixed.

Cairo’s benchmark index dropped 1.8 percent, snapping a five-session winning streak in its biggest daily drop since Jan 29. Analysts had expected selling pressure after figures released late on Tuesday showed the country’s foreign reserves fell to $13.6 billion in January, below the $15 billion level which the government has said would be enough to cover three months of imports. “Egypt is still very volatile and is expected to remain so until the country starts to regain political stability and better economic conditions,” says a note from Al Masah Capital.

“Egypt’s foreign reserves are at the lowest level in 15 years, which should put further pressure on President Mursi to secure a loan with the International Monetary Fund.” Orascom Telecom and Palm Hills Development Co led the drop, losing 4.3 and 2.8 percent respectively. Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia’s index slipped 0.1 percent after optimism over a new Capital Market Authority (CMA) chairman proved short-lived.

The king appointed Mohammed bin Abdulmalik Al al-Sheikh as the new chairman for the CMA in a royal decree late Tuesday.

Analysts and traders said Tuweijri had been expected to leave as his term ended. They said the change was not necessarily related to Saudi Arabia’s preparations to open its stock market more fully to foreign investors, which have been in progress for years. The government has not yet set a date for the opening.

Nevertheless, the appointment is generally being seen as positive, given Al al-Sheikh’s professional background. “The new chairman has a legal background related to securities and companies looking to go public - the market is receiving the decision positively,” said Mohammad Omran, a Riyadh-based independent financial analyst. Al-Sheikh could also drive a legal structure overhaul in the capital market, he added.

In Dubai, the index gained 0.1 percent, as company earnings bolster sentiment.

Emaar Properties and Drake & Scull added 0.2 and 2.2 percent respectively. Emaar’s fourth-quarter profit missed estimates but many analysts remain upbeat about the property developer’s prospects as it diversifies into retail and hospitality. It shares are up 27 percent in 2013. The market rose for a ninth session in the last 10 and hit a 37-month high last week.

“Medium to long-term money is back because investors found a success story in Dubai - a good chunk of allocation from foreigners was in Emaar,” said Reda Gomaa, portfolio manager at Mashreq.

Abu Dhabi’s benchmark slipped 0.1 percent, down from Tuesday’s 34-month high.

Shares in Union National Bank tumbled 8.5 percent to a nine-day low after the lender’s fourth-quarter profit fell well short of estimates. Elsewhere, Kuwait’s index also declined, losing 0.7 percent. It stalled its early-year surge following the jailing of three opposition lawmakers.—-Reuters

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

BUSINESS

Bayt.com recognized as a top employer

NBK among top five safest banks in emerging markets KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) has been listed among the top 5 safest banks in the Emerging Markets. NBK ranked 4th on the list of the safest banks in the Emerging Markets, confirming the success of the bank’s conservative strategy, prudent risk management and dedication to service excellence.

The rankings, compiled by the international finance magazine Global Finance are based on evaluations of long-term credit ratings-from Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings-and total assets of the 500 largest banks worldwide.

Global Finance, for the sixth consecutive year, listed NBK among the 50 safest banks in the world for 2012. Global

Finance’s annual ranking of World’s 50 Safest Banks has been a recognized and trusted standard of creditworthiness for the entire financial world for more than 20 years.

NBK ranked above several international financial heavyweights including BNP Paribas, Standard Chartered and Wells Fargo, as well as being the only bank from Kuwait. Major international banks were removed from the list including Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays Group and CrÈdit Agricole. NBK has consistently been awarded the highest credit ratings of all banks in the region by the major international rating agencies: Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings.

ArcelorMittal blames Europe for Q4 loss AMSTERDAM: Charges related to its ailing European business and a drop in the value of its assets saw ArcelorMittal SA, the world’s largest steel maker, post a near $4 billion loss for the fourth quarter.

The company, based in Luxembourg, said yesterday net loss widened to $3.99 billion (?2.94 billion) from $1 billion in the same period a year ago. Sales fell 14 percent to $19.3 billion, as both prices and volumes declined year on year. The loss included $4.8 billion in charges and writedowns related to its European business, notably the idling of plants in Madrid and Florange, France, and the decision to close a plant in Liege, Belgium. The company has clashed with governments and labor unions over the facilities and remains cautious about its European business this year despite improvements elsewhere.

“Although we expect the challenges to continue in 2013, largely due to the fragility of the European economy, we have recently seen some more positive indicators,” said the company’s founder and chief executive, Indian industrialist Lakshmi Mittal.

That, together with cost cutting measures “are expected to support an improvement in the profitability of our steel business this year,” he said.

He forecast that steel shipments would grow by 2-3 percent in 2013 and operating profit - which was $7.1 billion for the full year 2012, a 30 percent fall from 2011 would show at least some unspecified amount of growth in 2013. Investors appeared encouraged by the relatively

upbeat forecast and the company’s shares rose 1.7 percent to ?12.645 in early trading in Paris.

Alongside the results, the company issued a second press release, apparently intended to underline the divergent fortunes of Europe and the rest of the world since the global financial crisis that began in 2007. Since then, global finished steel consumption has risen 16 percent, with China accounting for the bulk of the growth. In North America, consumption fell dramatically around the time of the financial crisis in late 2008, but quickly recovered and is now only about 8 percent lower than in 2007 and on an upward slope.

Europe initially recovered along with North America, but has since fallen away again as austerity measures hurt demand.

Consumption is now nearly 30 percent lower than it was in 2007 and a decline appears to be accelerating. The company has obvious reasons for wanting to underline the difficulties it faces in Europe. At Florange, the company initially wanted to close two blast furnaces, but after protests that led one politician to threaten to nationalize the site, the company eventually struck a deal with French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault to retrofit the furnaces instead. It’s investing ?180 million to install systems that recycle blast gases and capture CO2. Six hundred jobs were saved.

In Liege, a dispute over 1,300 proposed layoffs continues. Clashes between striking workers and police left two officers injured as recently as Jan 29. — AP

ME’s number one jobsite ranks in top ten DUBAI: Bayt.com, the Middle East’s number one jobsite, has once more been placed amongst the “Top Companies to Work for in the UAE” by the Great Place to Work Institute, a global research and management consultancy. The official list, published in the February issue of Executive Magazine and Business Pioneer, is a ranking of the nation’s 15 best employers based on the confidential feedback of employees and an audit of management practices. A ceremony to celebrate the winners was held last night at the H Hotel in Dubai.

The rankings were compiled by The Great Place to Work Institute that recognizes the best workplaces in more than 45 countries across the world. To pick the “Top Companies to Work for in the UAE”, the Great Place to Work Institute conducts an evaluation of each participating company. Two-thirds of the company’s score is based on the results of the Institute’s Trust Index survey, which is sent to the employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about the management’s credibility, employee engagement and job satisfaction. The other third of the scoring is based on the company’s responses to the Institute’s Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefits programs and a series of openended questions about hiring, communication, and development.

“It gives us great pride to have once more been recognised as one of the UAE’s top companies to work for. We consider ourselves to be a people’s business, and we go to great measures to ensure that our pan-regional teams have nothing but the best working conditions. This includes providing top-class training, support, and a working environment that fosters teamwork, creativity, entrepreneurship and the development of exciting ideas that carry Bayt.com forward as the region’s number one jobsite,” said Rabea Ataya, Bayt.com Chairman and CEO. Employees at Bayt.com, affectionately called ‘Baytheads’, benefit from a bright, cheerful work environment across the MENA-

Saudi keeps oil production steady DUBAI: Saudi Arabia kept its crude oil production steady at 9.05 million barrels a day (bpd) in January, from 9.025 million bpd in December, an industry source said. OPEC’s lead producer responded to slower demand at home and abroad by lowering supply by around 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) over the last two months of 2012, more than a million barrels daily below peak production last summer.

The source added that supply to the market in January was 9.26 million bpd, slightly up from around 9.151 million bpd in December.

Benchmark Brent crude oil prices have been on an upward trend since November.

However Brent was down 27 cents to $116.25 per barrel yesterday, retreating from the previous session when it hit its highest since mid-September. US crude fell $1.07 to $95.57.

Total OPEC crude oil output fell in January to its lowest in more than a year as Iranian exports dipped from December’s unexpectedly high rate, according to a Reuters sur vey.

Supply from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has averaged 30.53 million barrels per day (bpd), down from 30.62 million bpd in December, the survey of sources at oil firms, shipping agents, OPEC and consultants found. — Reuters

wide network of offices. They enjoy, among other perks, a diligent, systematic approach to training and development, including monthly internal training schedules and generous external training allowances; regular team-building activities; flexible working hours for mothers; a ‘kind culture’, where values are centered around earning the admiration and respect of internal and external communities.

There is a strong emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and improving the communities that baytheads live in. The overall feeling throughout the offices is that employees are involved in something much bigger and better than merely a job; they are involved in making the region a better, richer, more prosperous place through CSR initiatives and the industry-leading jobsite that is Bayt.com. Internal and external communications permeate the organization so that all stakeholders are regularly reminded of

Bayt.com’s vision (‘To be a Middle Eastern institution that is a globally recognized, respected and admired indispensable extension of people’s lives’) and mission (‘Lifestyle Engineering: To empower people with the tools and knowledge to build their lifestyles of choice’), while keeping everyone in touch with news, enhancements and developments.

Commenting on the Top Companies list, David Robert, Chief Executive Officer of Great Place to Work Gulf, said: “We would like to send a sincere thank you to all of the companies that participated in the program this year and to congratulate each of the 15 companies that have been recognized as top companies to work for in the UAE. Great Place to Work conducts the most credible and objective workplace studies in over 45 countries, and by doing so we are uniquely positioned to be able to help companies increase the level of trust within their organisations and ultimately drive profitability.”

India growth to fall to 5.4%: IMF NEW DELHI: India’s annual economic growth is expected to decline to 5.4 percent with a string of recent reforms not enough to offset a failure to invest in infrastructure, the IMF said yesterday.

The finance ministry has previously forecast expansion of 5.7-5.9 percent in the 2012/13 financial year but the International Monetary Fund said in its annual report on India that a slowdown would be more pronounced than expected. “In 2011/12, India’s growth rate was 6.5 percent. That figure is expected to drop to 5.4 percent in 2012/13,” said the IMF. “Despite the poor outlook for the global economy, this is a far larger drop than might

be expected.” With elections due early next year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government is hoping a string of pro-market reforms unveiled last year and last week’s move to cut interest rates for the first time in nine months will boost the economy.

In its report, the IMF said “the government has already taken significant steps to restore growth” with its reforms, which include a hike in fuel prices and plans to allow foreign supermarket chains such as Walmart to operate in India. However it added that “more needs to be done”.

The organization said that India was paying the price for failing to ensure investment in infrastructure kept pace with economic

growth in the previous decade when growth rates were close to double figures.

India’s infrastructure shortfalls were rudely highlighted last year when it experienced mass power cuts.

“Addressing India’s long-term energy needs, for example, will require solving complicated problems related to coal (which powers most of India’s electricity plants), while easing traffic jams will require facilitating the acquisition of land to widen roads or build new ones.”

The slowdown in growth has triggered a fall-off in support for the ruling Congress party with elections due in India in little more than a year. — AFP

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 .4400000 .3760000 .3070000 .2790000 .2900000 .0040000 .0020000 .0761490 .7418950 .3900000 .0720000 .7272960 .0420000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2805000 .4424880 .3787800 .3086470 .2811530 .0507780 .0443130 .2920800 .0362230 .2270450 .0030420 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0765080 .7453890 .0000000 .0749270 .7298950 .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.008 5.314 2.882 2.230 3.333 228.710 36.409 3.547

.2840000 .4550000 .3870000 .3160000 .2910000 .3000000 .0067500 .0035000 .0769140 .7493510 .4050000 .0770000 .7346050 .0470000 .2830000 .4457960 .3816110 .3109550 .2832550 .0511570 .0446440 .2942630 .0364940 .2287420 .0030640 .0053460 .0022440 .0029050 .0036140 .0770800 .7509620 .4002830 .0754870 .7353510 .0070180

Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - transfer Irani Riyal - cash

Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

6.940 9.489 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 75.310 77.598 733.530 750.100 76.900

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

Rate for Transfer Selling Rate 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

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 282.300 Euro 384.210 Sterling Pound 443.210 Canadian dollar 284.000 Turkish lire 159.590 Swiss Franc 311.590 Australian dollar 298.500 US Dollar Buying 281.100 GOLD 311.000 157.000 81.500

SELL CASH 295.19 287.36 314.09 385.06 281.70 444.72 3.08 3.568 5.301 2.230 3.323 2.883 76.76

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

296.000 286.000 313.000 381.800 282.000 445.000 3.750 3.800 5.350 2.520 3.450 2.933 77.000

COUNTRY SELL CASH 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

SELLDRAFT 297.300 750.350 3.970 285.900 554.100 46.000 52.200 167.800 42.570 386.400 37.070 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

3.150 399.840 0.191 94.090 46.600 4.340 241.200 1.828 52.600 732.890 3.000 7.250 78.040 75.330 229.420 33.790 2.687 448.400 45.600 313.800 3.400 9.780 198.263 76.930 282.500 1.360 GOLD

10 Tola 1,755.690

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Bahrain Exchange Company

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY SELL DRAFT Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams

747.000 46.750 398.000 733.000 78.500 75.400

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 42.450 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 42.032 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.317 Tunisian Dinar 183.850 Jordanian Dinar 398.730 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.895 Syrian Lier 3.068 Morocco Dirham 34.852

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

750.07 42.03 401.33 732.15 77.79 75.33

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 446.400 282.100

Al Mulla Exchange 295.800 750.350 3.540 284.400

229.400 42.050 384.900 36.920 5.312 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) 281.700 385.050 443.500 284.850 3.050 5.305 41.950 2.228 3.550 6.932 2.884 750.150 76.700 75.250

399.800 0.190 94.090 3.330 239.700

732.710 2.885 6.940 77.610 75.330 229.420 33.790 2.229 446.400 312.300 3.400 9.660 76.830 282.100

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

BUSINESS

Arab economies must open up: Expert Oil market to remain bullish • Currency war fears premature

By Sajeev K Peter KUWAIT: The Middle East region has many growth stories but limited access to international money keeps the region underperformed, said an economic expert and geopolitical analyst. “There is a dividend of growth in the Middle East at the moment and many foreign investors are showing interest to enter these markets despite the ongoing geopolitical tension,” said Gar y Dugan, Coutts’ Chief Investment Officer, Asia & Middle East, in an exclusive interview with Kuwait Times.

During the interview, Dugan shared his views on economic and market trends in the Middle East, especially in the context of the emerging geopolitical situation in the region. He also gave an assessment of the global economy, taking a look at the prospect of a currency war and the oil price scenario in the medium term. “I would say that the Middle East market should open up because it has tremendous potential for growth. But the lack of access to international money would mean that we have to rely on local investors,” he said.

Currently, an enormous amount of investment is finding its way to the region. For instance, in Dubai, the property market has gone through the roof reflecting the huge capital that is being pumped into the market resulting in remarkable liquidity.

“We have seen a tremendous increase in the money being spent by the governments in support of their economies in the region. That is good news. That also implies tremendous redistribution of wealth across each nation in the region.”

But considering the enormous potential, the region is largely underperformed, he said. A glaring example is probably Saudi Arabia which is a large market with a potential of substantial growth especially in the fields of petrochemical industry and banking. But foreign money has no direct access to the market. Similarly, Kuwait and UAE markets remain narrow and restricted as foreign investors have no access to these markets too. On the contrary, most of the emerging markets such as China, Japan and the Philippines are doing well because international investors enjoy unfettered access to those markets.

Stability Giving a snapshot of the unraveling geopolitical situation in the region, he said, post-Arab Spring has not changed anything much. “Unfortunately,

we are still not sure about the end result of the Arab Spring. At the same time, we are also seeing the developments in countries like Egypt and Tunisia.

Violent clashes between protesters and government forces in Egypt are only amplifying the challenges of the Arab Spring,” he pointed out.

“We can change everything. But we don’t necessarily get the most stable environment. What the region needs today is stability. Whatever maybe the political system, it should bring stability and restore confidence among people, because only stability can bring inward investments,” he said. “I would say if Beirut is vibrant, the whole region is vibrant.

Unfortunately, if you look at the continuing problems in Syria and the number of countries that are embroiled in that particular conflict, you have a reason to get worried,” he said referring to the escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East especially after the Israeli involvement. Unless the region is prepared to attract international money and ready to diversify, especially in the context of some of the lingering risks associated with the Arab Spring, it will lose out to other emerging markets an opportunity for substantial growth, he said.

Oil price scenario Dugan is of the opinion that the oil market will remain bullish in the medium term considering the geopolitical risks and supply side constraints. Even while admitting that there is not much pressure on the United States today to rely entirely on Middle Eastern oil, he quoted international energy agencies to drive home his theory. The IEA and EIA recently upgraded the global oil demand growth by a few hundred thousand barrels recently. “ The Arab Spring is going nowhere and Netanyahu is forming the next government. So, Israel and Iran will remain uppermost in the minds of people when they talk about oil prices. So I will argue for a higher oil price in the range of $110$120. It will be high, but I don’t think anything is changing,” he said.

Currency war Talking about the possibility of a currency war around the world, he said it has been unfair on Japan as the yen has been undervalued for some considerable time. “This currency issue doesn’t impact global growth much. Considering the size of the Japanese economy, it would only support global growth and would help Japan win some market share back,” he

said. “We want to see if there is a fairer split of trade.

Also we want to see if some of the Asian countries, particularly China, begin to comply at the level of the yen. Then there is a greater risk of something happening in the market. I’m neither concerned about the yen at 100 nor with the scale of appreciation of the dollar against the yen so far,” Dugan said. “But we

Coutts’ Chief Investment Officer Gary Dugan will start to get more concerned if the yen moves to over 110 against the US dollar which is a good way from here,” he said.

According to Dugan, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may continue to press for a weaker yen and seek the intervention of the Bank of Japan (BOJ).

“It looks like there will be a political appointment at the central bank in April,” he predicted. As Dugan spoke, the BOJ chief Masaaki Shirakawa said that he would step down about three weeks before his term ends.

Regarding the concerns raised by the Kuwaiti authorities over the possibility of a currency war, Dugan said, “Kuwait is largely dollar-pegged although the basket includes other currencies.

Naturally, Kuwait is also concerned over the prospect of a currency war that will affect global growth.

However, as I mentioned earlier, the current level of the yen is nothing remarkable,” he said.

Dugan chose to play down the significance of a rising won, the South Korean currency, in the global market. “The overlap between South Korea and Japan in terms of products is quite minimal. Today, about 50 percent of Korean exports are mirror images of Japanese products. Japan has become extremely competitive in a short period of time. If the Koreans are losing out, it is in a competitive sense.

Considering the vibrancy in the global growth, they may have to put up with it,” he commented.

European crisis There has been some stability in the crossEuropean environment of late, though a solution to the crisis is still far off. “Two crucial countries are Spain and Italy. They missed the austerity targets.

Spain is still a politically mess and Italian elections did not deliver a strong government. The bond markets are wobbly and the political pressure will be more unified in the euro-zone for compliance especially from Germany,” he said. There is no cohesiveness in the euro-zone as every country has its own interests, he mentioned. “The fundamental figure that drives an economy is demographics and Europe is dying demographically. If there is no growth in the population, it is difficult for an economy to grow substantially,” he mentioned.

In the United Sates, President Barack Obama has a great opportunity but it doesn’t look like he is taking it, Dugan commented. “The US needs to take strong decisions on budget control. Unfortunately, some vested interests are holding back the government from taking strong decisions,” he said. The US budget deficit is probably about 100 percent of the country’s GDP. If the congressional policy doesn’t change, it may shoot up to 200 percent of the GDP within the next 20 to 30 years. The trade imbalance is also worrisome. They still need the Chinese or Japanese to buy their debts,” he mentioned. *Gary Dugan is managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of Asia and Middle East at Coutts based in Singapore. Prior to joining Coutts Gary served as CIO, Private Banking, Emirates NBD for three years, based in Dubai. He is also widely quoted in the financial media and has spoken at investment conferences throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Budget cut warning as India opens air show Antony says country passing through hard times

Letter carrier Kevin Pownall gathers mail from the back of his truck in Philadelphia. — AP

US Postal Service to cut Saturday mail, trim costs WASHINGTON: The financially struggling US Postal Service says it will stop delivering mail on Saturdays but continue to deliver packages six days a week under a plan aimed at saving about $2 billion a year.

In an announcement scheduled for later, the service is expected to say the Saturday mail cutback would begin in August. The move accentuates one of the agency’s strong points. Package delivery has increased by 14 percent since 2010, officials say, while the delivery of letters and other mail has declined with the increasing use of email and other Internet services.

The agency in November reported an annual loss of a record $15.9 billion for the last budget year and forecast more red ink in 2013, capping a tumultuous year in which it was forced to default on billions in retiree health benefit prepayments to avert bankruptcy.

The Postal Service is in the midst of a major restructuring. Since 2006, it has cut annual costs by about $15 billion and reduced the size of its career workforce by 193,000 or by 28 percent, officials say.

Under the new plan, mail would be delivered to homes and businesses only from Monday through Friday but would still be delivered to post office boxes on Saturdays. Post offices now open on Saturdays would remain open on Saturdays. Over the past several years, the Postal Service has advocated shifting to a five-day delivery schedule for mail and packages - and it repeatedly but unsuccessfully appealed to Congress to approve the move. Though an independent agency, the service gets no tax dollars for its day-today operations but is subject to congressional control.

It was not immediately clear how the service could eliminate Saturday mail without congressional approval. But the agency clearly thinks it has a majority of the American public on its side.

Material prepared for the Wednesday press conference by Patrick R. Donahoe, postmaster general and CEO, says Postal Service market research and other research has indicated that nearly 7 in 10 Americans support the switch to five-day delivery as a way for the Postal Service to reduce costs.

“The American public understands the financial challenges of the Postal Service and supports these steps as a responsible

and reasonable approach to improving our financial situation,” Donahoe said.

He said the change is expected to achieve cost savings of approximately $2 billion annually when fully implemented.

The president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Fredric Rolando, said the end of Saturday mail delivery is “a disastrous idea that would have a profoundly negative effect on the Postal Service and on millions of customers,” particularly businesses, rural communities, the elderly, the disabled and others who depend on Saturday delivery for commerce and communication.

There was no immediate comment from lawmakers. But others agreed the Postal Service had little choice but to try. “If the Congress of the United States refuses to take action to save the US Postal Service, then the Postal Service will have to take action on its own,” said corporate communications expert James S. O’Rourke, professor of management at the University of Notre Dame. He said other action will be needed, such as closing smaller rural post offices and restructuring employee health care and pension costs.

The financial losses for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 were more than triple the $5.1 billion loss in the previous year. Having reached its borrowing limit, the agency is operating with little cash on hand.

The agency’s biggest problem was not due to reduced mail flow but rather to mounting mandatory costs for future retiree health benefits, which made up $11.1 billion of the losses. Without that and other related labor expenses, the mail agency sustained an operating loss of $2.4 billion, lower than the previous year.

The health payments are a requirement imposed by Congress in 2006 that the post office set aside $55 billion in an account to cover future medical costs for retirees. The idea was to put $5.5 billion a year into the account for 10 years.

That’s $5.5 billion the post office doesn’t have. No other government agency is required to make such a payment for future medical benefits. Postal authorities wanted Congress to address the issue last year, but lawmakers finished their session without getting it done. So officials are moving ahead to accelerate their own plan for costcutting. — AP

BANGALORE: India’s defense minister warned of budget cuts yesterday as he opened the country’s air show with a sobering message for global defence groups used to years of lavish spending.

Referring to efforts to reduce the budget deficit caused by slowing economic growth and higher spending on subsidies, A K Antony said the government of India, the world’s leading arms importer, was “passing through difficult days”. “The whole government is facing some financial problems, so we need to tighten in all areas for a better future,” he said. Having seen the defence budget cut this year, reportedly by about 100 billion rupees (two billion dollars), Antony appeared to be preparing the ground for painful negotiations over the upcoming budget due at the end of the month. He stressed that essential programs would not be affected-in particular the deal to buy 126 Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault Aviation-but said the armed forces would have to prioritize in their spending.

“Acquisitions that are very important for operation preparedness of the armed forces immediately and in the short term will have priority,” he said.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India received nine percent of global arms transfers from 2006 to 2010, making it the world’s leading importer of weapons. New Delhi initially budgeted about 1.93 trillion rupees ($36 billion) for defence spending in this financial year to March, an increase of 17 percent from 20112012 when spending was hiked by another 12 percent. Defence spending next year will be under pressure by new Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, who is leading the austerity drive in the government and has promised a “responsible” budget ahead of elections in 2014.

The new focus on cost-saving could have repercussions for a range of procurement contracts which are either in the final stages of negotiation or are out to tender.

But asked about the headline deal for the Rafales, Antony insisted there was no question of it being delayed for financial reasons. “There is no question of delay because of budget cuts. It is one of the biggest procurements from the ministry and air force,” he said. Exclusive negotiations are under way to determine the final price and the amount of technology transfers, with the issue set to be taken up by French President Francois Hollande when he

BANGALORE: Aviation Chief Executive Officer Eric Trappier poses in front of a Rafale multirole fighter aircraft during Aero India 2013 at the Yelahanka Air Force station in Bangalore yesterday. —AFP visits New Delhi next week. One long-discussed deal that could face further delays is for 197 light reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters, with Eurocopter and Russia’s Kamov competing, industry analysts say.

The Aero India show, now in its ninth edition, has grown exponentially in step with India’s huge modernisation drive and diversification of its buying to include the US, France and Israel as well as traditional supplier Russia. A total of 78 countries have confirmed their attendance, with nearly 700 Indian and foreign companies on display. India this year welcomed its first high-level delegation from China after New Delhi extended an invitation to Beijing for the first time in January, months after the neighbours agreed to resume military cooperation. Air Vice Marshal Zheng Yuanlin headed a fiveperson Chinese group at the five-day show.

The last Aero India in 2011 saw India initially snub China, but the Chinese ambassador in New

Delhi was allowed to attend in a negotiated compromise. Suspicion of China runs deep in the Indian military and hawkish comments from senior commanders often conflict with the political leadership, which tends to stress the need for a partnership between Asia’s two biggest nations.

India and China claim parts of each other’s territory, while Beijing’s military build-up along their frontier, as well as competing interests in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, are frequent sources of friction. Many of India’s new acquisitions are designed to guard against possible future threats from China-rather than traditional foe Pakistan-and protect Indian economic interests globally as the country extends its influence. Since concerns last year about India’s credit rating and budget deficit, India has been curbing spending. Chidambaram has promised that the fiscal deficit will be no more than 5.3 percent this year and no more than 4.8 percent next year.— AFP

Stocks rally stalls, euro dips on ECB NEW YORK: Global equity markets eased yesterday as investors assessed the outlook for further gains after this year’s rapid start, while the euro slipped ahead of a European Central Bank meeting that could reveal concerns about the currency’s strength.

The ECB is widely forecast to keep rates at a record low 0.75 percent when it meets on Thursday, but the euro’s strength may lead policymakers to examine whether the strong currency is undermining any recovery in troubled economies like Spain.

The S&P 500 has gained 6 percent so far this year, lifting the benchmark equity index to highs last seen in December 2007 but giving investors pause. The Dow briefly climbed above 14,000 for the first time in more than five years during the rally.

“You knew a correction was coming,” said

Gordon Charlop, managing direc tor at Rosenblatt Securities in New York. “The question was whether they were going to tease you and get it close and then start selling it off or get it up to 14,000 and then start to make a move to the sell side,” he said.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 29.76 points, or 0.21 percent, at 13,949.54. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was down 2.34 points, or 0.15 percent, at 1,508.95.

The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 6.39 points, or 0.20 percent, at 3,165.20.

European equities extended losses in afternoon trading, weighed down by a string of disappointing earnings results, while signs of disagreement between Germany and France over the exchange rate for the euro dented sentiment.

The FTSEurofirst 300 was down 0.37 percent at 1,150.18. MSCI’s all-country world equity index fell 0.02 percent to 354.91.

After France complained about the euro’s level, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman said the currency was not overvalued and that competitiveness could not be achieved via exchange rates.

Against the dollar, the euro was 0.4 percent lower at $1.3524. Japan’s yen, at the center of concerns that some countries are trying to devalue their currencies to boost growth, hit a near-three-year low earlier in the day on the view a new Bank of Japan governor will ease policy aggressively once in office.

The yen fell 0.16 percent to 93.46. Brent crude oil futures fell, pressured by ample supply and worries about the euro. — Reuters

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

BUSINESS

Brent holds above $116 on US data SINGAPORE: Brent crude futures held above $116 per barrel yesterday after positive economic data from the United States and Europe bolstered the view that the global economy is on the mend.

The vast US services sector extended a three-year run of growth, boosting riskier assets, while data showing signs of recovery in Europe’s business activity also helped calm nerves jarred by fears a potential political turmoil would derail the region’s efforts to resolve its debt crisis.

“The markets are now more optimistic about the world economy, so oil prices are heading up, but gradually,” said Ken Hasegawa, a commodity sales manager at Newedge in Tokyo.

Brent rose 9 cents to $116.61 per barrel at 0529 GMT, extending its gains from the

previous session when it hit a more than four-month high.

US crude rose 1 cent to trade at $96.65.

Brent may test $120 per barrel this month, while US oil may remain under a little pressure, Hasegawa said. US crude has dropped more than a percent so far this week, versus a mostly steady Brent, as concerns about excess supply at Cushing, Oklahoma-delivery point for the US contract- weigh on the benchmark.

Brent on the other hand has been supported by an expected shortfall in March supply of the four North Sea crude oil grades that underpin the futures contract.

The crisis-ridden euro zone economy appeared to have turned a corner based on data this week.

Markit’s Eurozone Composite PMI,

based on business activity across thousands of companies, and a good gauge of economic growth, rose in January to a 10month high of 48.6 from 47.2 in December. While still below the 50 mark that divides growth and contraction, where it has been since February last year, it has risen for the third straight month.

But there were some troubling signs as well. The data from Germany was strong while France lagged even troubled nations such as Spain and Italy, which means the region as a whole may not be progressing as indicated by the data. “Concerns over Europe appear to have eased, although problems in the region are still a long way from being resolved and fiscal austerity measures will continue to contribute to soft energy demand throughout 2013,”

National Australia Bank analysts wrote in a report.

Investors will now be looking out for the European Central Bank’s meeting on Thursday and China’s trade numbers due on Friday for more clues on the health of the global economy and what it may mean for commodities demand.

China’s January export growth was likely its strongest in 11 months, though a 17 percent year-on-year surge forecast in a Reuters poll may owe as much to trade cycles and Lunar New Year base effects as a recovery in demand.

US crude inventory data will also be on the radar. Analysts estimated that US commercial crude oil stockpiles rose last week on higher imports and lower refining activity. Data from the American Petroleum

Institute showed that crude stockpiles rose by 3.6 million barrels last week, more than the 2.8 million barrel rise that analysts had forecast.

Weekly inventory report from the US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration is scheduled for release later in the day. The oil markets were monitoring developments in the Middle East as well where sanctions-hit Iran has taken delivery of several new tankers from Chinese shipyards, giving it more flexibility to maintain exports.

Iran and world powers announced new talks on Tehran’s nuclear program on Feb. 26, but hopes of progress were tempered when an Iranian official said the West’s goal in talking was to undermine the Islamic republic. — Reuters

MUMBAI: An Indian woman walks pass a billboard advertising gold jewelry in Mumbai yesterday. —AFP

India’s CB plans more gold import curbs MUMBAI: India’s central bank said yesterday it will consider more steps to restrict gold imports and help stem the country’s widening current account deficit. Gold purchases are one of the biggest contributors to the deficit in the current account, the broadest measure of trade. It hit a record $22.3 billion, or 5.4 percent of GDP, in the July-September quarter, as imports outpaced exports.

“The need to contain the demand for gold imports is critical in a country with insatiable demand for the yellow metal,” a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report said yesterday.

“Given the precarious global economic situation and its impact on the Indian exports, there is a clear need to reduce the current account deficit considerably.” India imports about 900 tons of gold each year, mainly through designated banks. The government last month increased the import duty

on gold to six percent from four percent earlier.

The RBI said Wednesday it would consider introducing gold-linked financial instruments to divert savings of people from gold bars and coins into bonds.

India is the world’s biggest consumer of gold, with purchases an essential part of religious festivals and weddings. Many Indians-especially in rural areas where there are few banks-purchase gold in the form of jewelry, bars and coins as a hedge against inflation.

“Creation of an alternative asset class that may provide returns comparable to that in physical gold with similar flexibility is important,” the RBI said. The bank said it may consider setting up a “Gold Bank” or Bullion Corporation of India, which can pool the large amounts of scrap gold in India to reduce imports of the precious metal. — AFP

Gold edges higher as equities come under pressure LONDON: Gold recovered early losses yesterday to edge higher after stocks came under pressure from renewed concerns over the euro-zone economy, though caution ahead of a European Central Bank meeting knocked the euro lower.

Platinum and palladium held near 17-month highs, meanwhile, benefiting from rising appetite for industrial metals as confidence in the growth outlook improved, and on concerns over the supply outlook from major producers South Africa and Russia. Spot gold was up 0.1 percent at $1,674.60 an ounce at 1306 GMT, while US gold futures for December delivery were up $2.80 an ounce at $1,676.30. The precious metal is flat from the start of the year, struggling for traction as a run of better economic data boosted the appeal of assets more highly geared to the economic cycle, such as stocks and industrial commodities. “Certainly the stronger performance of more conventional assets, certainly equity markets, has taken the shine off gold,” Deutsche Bank analyst Daniel Brebner said.

“Safe-haven assets have performed fairly poorly as expectations of growth have improved... and a lot of those debt-related risks have for the time being faded into the background. In that kind of environment, there is no

significant motivation for gold prices to rise on the basis of investment demand.” European stocks surrendered early gains to ease 0.2 percent at midday as the previous session’s tentative recovery lost steam, with euro zone banks sliding on renewed concerns over the health of the region’s economy.

The Japanese currency neared a three-year low on Wednesday on expectations that a new Bank of Japan governor could ease policy. That helped send the most active gold futures contract on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM), currently December , to record highs for a fifth day at 5,073 yen a gram.

The euro fell 0.5 percent agains the dollar. ECB president Mario Draghi is likely to face tough questions on Thursday about the impact of the euro’s recent appreciation on growth and inflation speculation, although the bank is unlikely to contemplate an interest rate cut.

“Investors remain unconvinced gold is capable of replicating its decade-long robust performance through to 2012, given recent improvement to global risk sentiment and rallying equity markets,” VTB Capital said in a note. “Bullion’s correlation to the broader equity market has weakened significantly in the past month.” — Reuters

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

BUSINESS

Khatif to distribute LavAzza Coffee Company acquires 50% stake in Arwa Gulf Food Co

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The Kuwait-based Khatif Holding Co, announced its latest acquisition in a new sector-food industry. Khatif acquired a 50% stake in Arwa Gulf Food Co, the main distributor of ‘LavAzza coffee’ in Kuwait, the number one coffee brand in Europe.

LavAzza coffee will be retailed and distributed all over Kuwait through institutions/offices and buildings nationwide.

“We are not the typical cafÈ or restaurant bars, just like the traditional coffee shops, we own the coffee beans and the vendo-machines and so we will be supplying institutions, like hotels, restaurants and coffee shops. My dream is to provide LavAazza coffee to every offices in Kuwait,” Fatma M Al-Bader, founder and Chairman, Khatif Holding Co said.

LavAzza coffee is the Italian taste sensation that established its international brand. Fatma M Al-Bader said the acquisition is an exciting opportunity for both companies to bring Europe’s number one coffee brand to sophisticated coffee lovers in Kuwait.

“By combining the strengths of the two companies and partnering with Arwa Gulf Food Co to distribute LavAzza in Kuwait, we will provide unmatched quality products to our customers,” she said.

Asked whether the entry of LavAzza could somehow affect the already estab-

KUWAIT: (Left) Fatma M Al-Bader, Founder and Chairman, Khatif Holding Co with Osama N Mohamed, CEO before holding a press conference yesterday at Courtyard Marriott. lished and known coffee brands in the market, she said, “I don’t think so, the market is huge for everyone and we are different and unique in many ways. But yes, we are the number one and most sought after coffee brand in the world today,” she noted.

Osama N Mohamed, Chief Executive Officer, Khatif Holding Co, discussed the new projects signed since the beginning of 2013 by Fajr Al-Eman General Trad & Cont Co, Khatif Holding’s first acquisition. He also spoke about the contracts

awarded by KGOC and Ahmadia Contracting Co to Ashabakat Technical Networks for Computer, one of the subsidiaries of Khatif Holding KCSC to supply and implement Oracle project management solutions.

Al-Bader concluded by drawing attention to Khatif Consult, and in particular the hiring of its new director, as well as a list of projects in the pipeline.

Speaking about Khatif’s strength, AlBader noted: “At Khatif, we have proved our capability to add value to existing

profitable businesses that seek a partner to take them to the next level. Our acquisition is mostly through capital increase and our funding goes into taking the acquired company to the next level of market share, operational efficiency and profitability. It has become clear that these companies have greatly benefitted from our investment and expertise”. “We have just concluded our three-year-long strategic plans and are actively seeking further opportunities to expand into the Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia and other GCC countries.

Established in 2008, Khatif Holding is a Kuwaiti based acquisition and venture capital company which seeks to acquire significant shares in small to medium sized enterprises. With more than 45 years of financial and operational experience with regional insights, it procures niche business opportunities in the GCC and MENA region. Khatif management comprises a diverse group of experts with a broad experience in a range of different industries.

HSBC’s global spread left it open to crime: CEO

SEOUL: A scene of a traditional outdoor market in central Seoul on Tuesday.

A mountain of household debt in South Korea, coupled with rising interest rate, is taking a toll on lives of ordinary and low-income families. — AFP

Germany gets tough on risky banking FRANKFURT: The German government unveiled yesterday tougher new banking rules which it hopes will help prevent financial crises in the future and make the banks themselves bear more of the responsibility.

“We know that the exaggerated de-regulation (of the financial markets in the past) was a mistake,” Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told a news conference to present new banking legislation, which must now be passed by parliament. “We allowed ourselves to be dazzled by technical innovation, new financial products and breathless developments on the financial markets,” he said.

But in the wake of the financial crises, Germany had come to the realisation that “no financial market, no financial player and no financial product must be allowed to escape supervision,” Schaeuble said. “If you want the chance to make a profit, you must also shoulder the risk,” and the taxpayer should not be expected to foot the bill, the minister said.

“We’re establishing step by step a new regulatory framework for the financial markets,” he said. Under the new legislation, which Schaeuble said he hopes to have passed by parliament by June, the government wants large banks to separate their different areas of activity in order to protect customers’ deposits from riskier areas of banks’ operations. The rule will apply to institutions where high-risk operations such as high-frequency trading or hedgefund financing make up either 20 percent of the balance sheet value or surpass 100 billion euros ($135 billion) in value. The banks concerned will be required to transfer their risky businesses into legally and financially separate units.

Schaeuble estimated that 10-12 banks in Germany fulfil that criteria and would therefore be affected.

He declined to name any names, but the rules will certainly affect the country’s two biggest banks, Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, as well as regional banking giant Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg (LBBW ). The law also requires banks to

draw up so-called “wills” or emergency plans for restructuring or winding down once they get into financial difficulty.

And high-level managers and executives will face up to five years in jail if they are found guilty of neglecting their risk management duties and allowing their company to run into trouble. The legislation would tackle directly the shortcomings that make the financial system vulnerable to crisis and also tackle the “lack of responsibility on the part of banks and bankers,” Schaeuble said. Banking separation is an idea promoted by the head of the Finnish central bank and European Central Bank governing council member Erkki Liikanen as a measure for reducing risk in the banking sector. France has also drawn up similar legislation and Britain, too, is mulling an overhaul along similar lines. But a Europewide process would likely take years, so Germany was seeking to provide added impetus by pressing ahead with its own national legislation now, Schaeuble argued.

Nevertheless, the banks themselves are fiercely opposed to the changes. Deutsche Bank has repeatedly slammed the idea as harmful both to the German economy and German companies. It argues that if it can no longer use deposits to support its activities in investment banking, refinancing costs would automatically rise and that would narrow the financing possibilities of major companies.

The BdB German banking federation agreed. “The draft legislation will undermine Germany as a financial centre,” complained BdB president Andreas Schmitz.

“The measures approved by the cabinet today are folly,” he said, slamming them as cheap populist moves by politicians with an eye on the general elections later this year. “There is no evidence that separating off trading activities will lead to greater stability on the financial markets,” Schmitz argued. Instead of rushing ahead with its own unilateral national regulatory measures, Germany should wait for new rules to be established at a European level, he said. — AFP

LONDON: HSBC’s was forced into its biggest restructuring in almost 150 years because the bank’s complex structure and wide geographical spread had made it attractive to criminals, its chief executive said. “Our structure was not fit for purpose for a modern world,” Stuart Gulliver told lawmakers on a British banking inquiry yesterday. “Our geographic footprint became very attractive to trans-national criminal organizations, whether they are terrorist in origin or criminal in origin.” HSBC, whose former slogan “The world’s local bank” reflects its presence in more than 80 countries, was in December given a $1.9 billion fine, the largest ever imposed on a bank, following a US investigation into its Mexican and US operations.

The probe made scathing criticism of HSBC’s anti-money-laundering systems and found its lax controls allowed two drug cartels to move

$881 million through the bank.

“We’ve crushed our reputation with the Mexico events,” Gulliver said. “The behavioural stuff of what went on in Mexico is absolutely shocking to us.”

After taking the bank’s helm at the start of 2011, Gulliver centralised control and created global business operations, taking much of the control out of the hands of country managers.

“It’s the biggest organizational change in this firm since 1865 and we did it to deal with the weaknesses,” the CEO said. HSBC’s problems in Mexico stemmed from its purchase of Grupo Financiero Bital in 2002, and Gulliver and his chairman, Douglas Flint, said the bank was too slow to improve its systems and controls.

Gulliver said some senior people had been removed from the bank for “values breaches” in the last two years, but he said there were

RBS faces over $600m fine for rate rigging LONDON: Royal Bank of Scotland will be hit with fines of almost 400 million pounds ($627 million) yesterday for its role in a global interest-rate rigging scandal, sources familiar with the situation said.

That will be the second-largest penalty so far in an international investigation involving over a dozen banks, and will heap embarrassment on a lender that had to be bailed out by British taxpayers at the height of the 2008 financial crisis. British finance minister George Osborne has already said RBS, which is 82-percent owned by the state, must pay the fines out of bankers’ bonuses rather than from the pockets of taxpayers, while critics say the scandal shows banks’ riskier activities should be separated from basic lending functions. Banks across the world are struggling to rebuild their reputations after the financial crisis, and many have been engulfed in a series of investigations into their past misdemeanours, including fixing benchmark interest rates, money laundering and mis-selling products to customers.

Britain’s Barclays has already paid $450 million for its part in the manipulation of the London interbank offered rate (Libor), a benchmark used for trillions of dollars of financial instruments ranging from home loans to complex derivatives.

Some $1.5 billion of fines have also been handed out to Swiss bank UBS for interestrate rigging. One of the sources said Royal bank of Scotland (RBS) would pay around 90 million pounds to Britain’s Financial Services Authority, about $150 million to the United States Department of Justice and about $325 million to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

RBS said it expected to pay “significant penalties” to settle regulatory probes.

It was in “late stage settlement discussions” with regulators in Britain and the United States, but no fines had yet been agreed, the bank said in a statement, adding it expected regulators to impose other sanctions beyond the fines.

One of the sources said RBS would avoid admitting criminal liability in the United States but accept criminal charges against its

business in Japan. The bank will agree a “deferred prosecution agreement” with US authorities, the source said. That means RBS will retain its US banking license provided it doesn’t step out of line again. The deal will prevent RBS from having to sell off its US business Citizens at a reduced price.

John Hourican, head of RBS’s investment bank, will part company with the bank following the settlement, sources have said. There is no suggestion he had any knowledge of wrongdoing. Chief Executive Stephen Hester has warned of a “miserable day” for the bank, during which embarrassing emails exposing the extent of collusion between traders are set to be revealed.

RBS said last August it had dismissed staff following its own internal investigation.

The revelations could put the future of RBS’s investment bank under renewed scrutiny and are likely to re-ignite calls from critics who want the bank to focus on basic lending activities in its domestic market. British Business Secretary Vince Cable said the bank was “in limbo” and should have been fully nationalized when it was rescued in the financial crisis. The Liberal Democrat said early hopes for a re-privatization of RBS now looked a “distant dream” and resurrected an idea he originally proposed in 2011 that shares in RBS should be distributed to the public by the government so that they share in any eventual recovery in the bank’s stock price. Taxpayers are sitting on a loss of about 15.7 billion pounds on the RBS stake, after Britain pumped in 45.5 billion to keep the bank afloat. In contrast, the United States has made tens of billions of dollars from its bank bailouts with the US Treasury selling the last of its securities in banking giant Citigroup for nearly $900 million on Tuesday.

More than a dozen banks have been scrutinized by regulators as part of an investigation into interest-rate rigging. Dozens of individuals are also under scrutiny in the probe, initiated by the CFTC in October 2008. Shares in RBS were up 1 percent at 340.9 pence by 1150 GMT, reflecting relief the fines might not be as large as the 500 million pounds some observers had expected.—Reuters

BOE to hold fire as new Canadian chief speaks LONDON: The Bank of England is set to freeze its key interest rate at a record-low 0.50 percent at a meeting tomorrow, when its incoming governor appears before parliament for the first time.

The BoE, which will be led by Canadian central bank chief Mark Carney from July, will give an update of its monetary policy following a two-day meeting and amid growing concern that Britain is heading for a third recession in five years. The bank’s nine policy members

must decide whether to alter the level of its emergency cash stimulus, known as quantitative easing (QE) used to prop up the economy after it surprisingly contracted in the final quarter of 2012.

Prior to tomorrow’s decisions, governorelect Carney appears before parliament’s Treasury Select Committee of lawmakers who will quiz him over his monetary policy stance.

“With the BoE widely expected to leave monetary policy on hold tomorrow, future governor

rewards on offer as well as penalties. The bank’s chief risk officer is likely to be the fifthhighest paid person at the bank in 2012, whereas he wouldn’t have been in the top 50 in 2006, he said.

The CEO has sold or exited from 45 businesses deemed non-core in the last two years, in an attempt to not only reduce complexity, but also cut costs and boost profitability.

Last week it set up a Financial System Vulnerabilities Committee to help further simplify business activities and spot risks in areas such as preventing terrorist financing or illegal drugs activities.

“We’re not saying the job is done ... the people we’re dealing with are highly sophisticated and will continue to change their ways of trying to penetrate the banking system,” Gulliver said. — Reuters

Mark Carney giving evidence at parliament on the UK monetary policy framework on the same day may gain more market focus,” said Bank of America economist Nick Bate.

“With the economic outlook broadly unchanged since its last forecasts in November ... the bank is widely expected to leave interest rates and QE on hold at 0.50 percent and £375 billion, respectively.” British borrowing costs have stood at the record-low level for almost four years, in which time the BoE has pumped

£375 billion ($589 billion, 436 billion euros) of new cash into the economy under the stimulus program. Under QE, the Bank of England creates cash that is used to purchase assets such as government and corporate bonds with the aim of increasing lending by retail banks and boost economic activity. Lawmakers are meanwhile likely to ask Carney whether the British central bank should continue to set interest rates with a view to maintaining its 2.0-percent annual inflation target. — AFP

LONDON: A woman walks past a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in London. Royal Bank of Scotland yesterday said it expected to pay “significant penalties” and face other sanctions from British and US financial regulators over its role in the Libor rate-rigging scandal. —AFP

German economy bounces back FRANKFURT: Germany appears to have put the worst of the crisis behind it, analysts said yesterday, with industrial orders on the rise, lending weight to the recent sharp gains in confidence indicators.

Industrial orders increased by 0.8 percent in December compared with November, after falling by 1.8 percent the previous month, the economy ministry said in a statement.

Analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires had been pencilling in a gain of 0.7 percent for December.

“There was an above-average volume of big-ticket orders,” the ministry explained. And while domestic orders declined by 1.2 percent, orders from abroad rose sharply by 2.4 percent, it calculated.

By sector, incoming orders for semi-finished goods fell by 3.6 percent month-on-month in December, while orders for capital goods and consumer goods increased by 3.6 percent and 1.7 percent respectively. Using a two-month comparison to iron out short-term fluctuations, orders rose by 0.5 percent in November and December combined compared with the preceding two months. “At the end of last year, industrial orders picked up again, which bodes well for the overall trend in orders for the current year,” the ministry said.

“Together with the improvement in business confidence, early indicators point to a end to the current phase of industrial weakness in the foreseeable future,” the ministry said.

Analysts shared the ministry’s confidence, especially as it appears to back up the recent strong rise in industrial sentiment indicators. “All in all, German factory orders are back on to a positive trend in the fourth quarter of last year, which should continue in 2013,” said Thomas Harjes at Barclays Research. “This bodes well for our forecast of a swift recovery of economic activity currently underway in Germany, also reflecting a robust expansion again of industrial activity,” the analyst said. Commerzbank analyst Ralph Solveen said that the underlying upward trend in orders since last autumn “supports our expectation that the German economy has achieved a turn for the better. After a weak fourth quarter of 2012, we therefore assume it already returned to noticeable growth in the first months of this year,” he said.— AFP

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

BUSINESS

TMC announces financial results for 9-month period ended December 31, 2012

Toyota achieves net revenues of 16.2 trillion yen Net revenues increased 26% Operating income rose to 818.5bn yen l

TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced its financial results for the ninemonth period ended December 31, 2012.

In the year 2011 and while Japan was suffering from natural disasters, hitting the country in the form of Earthquake and Tsunami, in effect Toyota Motor Corporation lost its number one position as the world’s top automaker. Only to recover spectacularly in 2012 fortified with a spectrum of magnificent new models, along with customers trust in the brand of Toyota, a trust that hasn’t been tarnished by the increased rate of the Japanese currency the yen.

On a consolidated basis, net revenues for the period totaled 16.2 trillion yen, an increase of 26.0 percent compared to the same period last fiscal year. Operating income increased from 117.1 billion yen to 818.5 billion yen, an increase of 701.3 billion yen, while income before income taxes1 was 925.7 billion yen. Net income2 increased from 162.5 billion yen to 648.1 billion yen.

Major factors contributing to the increase in operating income include the positive effects from marketing activities generating 660.0 billion yen and cost reduction efforts saving 320.0 billion yen.

Consolidated vehicle sales for the nine months totaled 6.629 million units, an increase of 1.634 million units compared to

the same period last year.

Commenting on the results, TMC Senior Managing Officer Takahiko Ijichi said: “Our consolidated operating income for the period April through December 2012, 818.5 billion yen, reflects our increased vehicle sales and the progress we are making with our profit improvement activitiesin spite of a currency exchange rate around the same level as last year. We also managed to secure an unconsolidated operating income of 21.5 billion yen for the same period.”

In Japan, vehicle sales totaled 1.668 million units, an increase of 310,564 units compared to the same period last fiscal year. Operating income from Japanese operations increased by 572.9 billion yen to 266.4 billion yen.

In North America, vehicle sales totaled 1.865 million units, an increase of 596,587 units compared to the same period last fiscal year. Operating income increased by 13.6 billion yen to 165.4 billion yen, including 31.3 billion yen of valuation gains/losses on interest rate swaps. Operating income, excluding the impact of valuation gains/losses on interest rate swaps, increased by 19.7 billion yen to 134.1 billion yen.

In Europe, vehicle sales totaled 603 thousand units, an increase of 23,365 units compared to the same period last fiscal

year, while operating income increased by 12.7 billion yen to 21.3 billion yen.

In Asia, vehicle sales totaled 1.267 million units, an increase of 373,635 units compared to the same period last fiscal year, while operating income increased by 115.2 billion yen to 286.3 billion yen In Central and South America, Oceania and Africa, vehicle sales totaled 1.226 million units, an increase of 329,698 units compared to the same period last fiscal year, while operating income decreased by 4.9 billion yen to 91.0 billion yen.

In the financial services segment, operating income decreased by 10.9 billion yen to 243.5 billion yen compared to the same period last year, including 27.7 billion yen of valuation gains/losses on interest rate swaps. Excluding valuation gains/losses, operating income decreased by 10.5 billion yen to 215.8 billion yen. This was mainly due to a lower reversal of provisions for loan and residual losses in comparison to the same period last year.

TMC also today revises its consolidated vehicles sales forecast for fiscal year 2013

from 8.750 million units to 8.850 million units, an increase of 100,000 units from the previous forecast announced in November 2012, due to the increased overseas vehicle sales, mostly in North America.

TMC also upwardly revises its consolidated financial forecasts for fiscal year 2013 to consolidated net revenue of 21.8 trillion yen, operating income of 1.15 trillion yen, income before income taxes of 1.29 trillion yen and net income of 860.0 billion yen, with the revision of an exchange rate of 81 yen to the US dollar and 104 yen to the euro.

Commenting on the forecasts for fiscal year 2013, Ijichi said: “Given increased overseas vehicle sales mostly in North America, progress in our companywide profit improvement activities and the slight weakening of the yen, we have revised upwardly our consolidated forecast for the current fiscal year to 1.15 trillion yen and also forecast a full-year profit on an unconsolidated basis, our first in five years. We believe that our efforts have been bearing fruit and that we are finally on the road to sustainable growth. We will continue our efforts to build ever-better cars and to move forward in a steadfast manner.”

(All consolidated financial information has been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America)

Jazeera Airways Group posts 32% rise in profits to KD 13.9m Company is well-positioned for growth in 2013

KUWAIT: (Left to right) Jehad Al-Hajji and Adel Al-Munifi

Kuwait Styrene realizes $59m net profit in 2012 Sales value exceeds $667 million KUWAIT: The Kuwait Styrene Company (TKSC) announced realizing a net profit of $59 million for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012.

On this occasion, TKSC Board Chairman Jehad Al-Hajji said, “Despite several challenges, these profits were realized due to a number of elements relevant to stability in petrochemical prices, having a solid customer base, operational excellence and strategic marketing with total sales in 2012 exceeding $667 million, which is a positive sign indicating the continuous recovery of petrochemical markets.”

Al-Hajji expressed, “Utmost appreciation and gratitude to all contributors to this success, especially TKSC Board members, shareholders and EQUATE Petrochemical Company.”

On his part, TKSC CEO Adel Al-Munifi said, “With the average per ton price of Styrene Monomer (SM) exceeding $1460 during 2012, SM markets continue their

positive growth as demand exceeds four percent annually, especially in light of escalating gross domestic product growth in emerging economies, such as China, India and others.”

Al-Munifi noted, “The operational excellence at the Company’s plant has positively reflected upon optimizing performance and overcoming arising challenges.”

As Kuwait’s first and only producer of Styrene Monomer, TKSC was established in 2004 as an international joint venture between Kuwait Aromatics Company (KARO) and The Dow Chemical Company (Dow).

EQUATE Petrochemical Company is the single operator of Greater EQUATE, which includes The Kuwait Styrene Company ( TKSC), Kuwait Paraxylene Production Company (KPPC) and The Kuwait Olefins Company (TKOC) under one fully integrated operational umbrella at Kuwait’s Shuaiba Industrial Area.

Burgan Bank ties up with MyUS.com for multi-currency X-Change cardholders KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday a new partnership with MyUS.com which aims at rewarding the bank’s XChange cardholders by enabling them to shop online from US stores without the need to have a physical address.

Burgan Bank’s X-Change card customers can capitalize on the numerous benefits accompanying this new service, starting with a waived setup fee and annual membership for 2 years. Customers will be getting up to a 20% discount on shipping rates. The multi-currency X-change card is accepted across 23 million locations

around the world. The choice of currencies offered when using the card are US dollars, Euro, British Pound, Saudi Riyal, UAE Dirhams, Egyptian Pound as well as the Filipino Peso. Customers can apply online through the banks website to get the card.

Cardholders wishing to reload their XChange cards could do so online or at any of the bank’s branches and ATMs. To find out more about Burgan Bank’s latest XChange card and MyUS.com facilities, or any of its products and services, customers are urged to visit any of the bank’s branches, or contact the call center on 1804080.

KUWAIT: In a webcast attended by local and international analysts, Jazeera Airways Group yesterday announced a net profit of KD13.9 million for the year 2012, beating last year’s record earnings and making the year the company’s best year in history despite regional political unrest and fuel price volatility.

As a result of these earnings, Jazeera Airways Group continues to be one of the very few profitable airlines in the Middle East, while the competitive landscape continues to be dominated by government backed, owned, and operated airlines.

FY 2012 Financial Highlights: Operating revenue: KD62.6 million, up 8% from FY2011’s KD57.8 million l FY2012 Operating profit: KD18.5 million, up 25% from FY2011’s KD14.9 million l FY2012 Net profit: KD13.9 million, up 32% from FY2011’s KD10.6 million lFY2012 Average yield: up 13% from FY2011 Q4 2012 Financial Highlights: lQ4’12 Operating revenue: KD13.9 million, up 5% from Q4’11’s KD13.3 million l Q4’12 Operating profit: KD3.3 million, up 18% from Q4’11’s KD2.8 million lQ4’12 Net profit: KD2.5 million, up 93% from Q4’11’s KD1.3 million Balance Sheet Highlights: lHard assets of KD149 million l Cash reserves increased to KD47 million, exceeding equity lEquity improved by KD32 million lDebt to equity ratio of 1.6 l FY2012

Key 2012 Developments: l Rights issue completed in Q4, raised the target of KD17.8 million with an oversubscription of 2.25 times the target l Received one new aircraft, financed with backing from European Export Credit Agency l Launched the first commercial service between Kuwait and Iraq in 22 years, endorsed by the governments of both countries l Introduction of new sales, booking, and check-in technologies Established in 2005, Jazeera Airways Group is a Kuwait Stock Exchange-listed company. The company has 12 fully-owned Airbus A320s in operation, distributed between its airline business, Jazeera Airways (seven aircraft), and its fully-owned leasing business, Sahaab Aircraft Leasing (five aircraft). Sahaab has assets placed with Virgin America, SriLankan Airlines, and Jazeera Airways.

Jazeera Airways Group Chairman Marwan Boodai said, “Like 2011, 2012 was another recordbreaking year in every sense. This performance continued to be driven directly by a healthy, growing, profitable and sustainable airline business, and a reliable and consistent leasing business. Together, they have proven to be an ideal business combination that generates a sustain-

able net profit in every quarter.” “Today we have one of the healthiest balance sheets in the region that is also cash-rich with KD47 million. I thank our shareholders and their statement of confidence in the Group and its management team as evident in the rights issue held in Q4, which was oversubscribed by 2.25 times,” said Boodai.

2012 in Review In addition to the financial results, 2012 was milestone year for the Group. The airline continued its focus on boosting the customer offering with new payment and check in technologies, including mobile payment and self-check-in facilities at Kuwait Airport and web-check-in throughout our network. Today, one in ten bookings are made on a mobile platform, which is one of the highest mobile booking penetration in the region. Boodai said, “Our continued success in 2012 couldn’t have been achieved without the cooperation of the Kuwait Directorate of Civil Aviation and their support across all levels, our partners and service providers, and the support

Jazeera Airways Chairman Marwan Boodai

of the government of Kuwait.”

The results reflect the ongoing success of the Group’s Strategic Master Plan (STAMP). STAMP is a business plan for the years 2012 to 2014.

2013 Outlook Following the last two recordbreaking years, the Group well-positioned for another growth year in line with the strategic master plan set by the management team.

“We operate a regional network where the average flight time is 2.25 hours. This market is always in demand and has repeatedly shown it can withstand political, weather, and financial shocks. Since 2008 we’ve seen financial crises, revolutions, wars, severe weather disruptions and irregular regulatory environments, and despite it all, demand for our product never waned and we continued to generate record earnings while serving our customers with a great product,” said Boodai. “Our outlook for 2013 is positive as we plan to receive two additional aircraft during the

year, bringing our fleet to 14 aircraft as we capitalize on demand in the existing network.”

The airline operates a two-class cabin comprising of a Business Class and an Economy Class.

Jazeera Airways’ Business Class offering includes a separate cabin for passengers, exclusive checkin counters, business lounge access at airports, in-flight ‡ la carte menu, and 60 kilograms in free baggage allowance. The airline’s Economy Class offers travelers free baggage allowance of 40 kilograms, free on-board meals with a changing menu every month, and year-round value fares.

Jazeera Airways is based in Kuwait and operates a network comprising high-demand business, leisure, family, and weekend destinations such as Dubai, Bahrain, Beirut, Alexandria, Amman, Damascus, Istanbul, Sharm El Sheikh, Assiut, Luxor, Mashhad, Sohag, Jeddah, Riyadh, Cairo and Al Najaf. Jazeera Airways is an IATAmember airline and operates one of the youngest Airbus A320 fleets in the Middle East.

Qatalum signs aluminum supply contracts with Qatari businesses DOHA: Qatalum - the Qatari aluminium smelter - has announced the signing, on 29th January, of supply contracts with ALUNOO Rand Qatar Aluminium Extrusion, for the sale of premium aluminium, the signing of the contracts took place at the Qatalum office at Mesaieed.

Qatalum was represented by CEO Tom Petter Johansen and Deputy CEO Khalid Mohammed Laram; ALUNOOR was represented by Jassim Abdul Noor, Owner and General Manager; and Qatar Aluminium Extrusion was represented by Chairman Abdul Rahman AlAnsari.

The total volume of both contracts is approximately ten thousand tons for 2013 - of which close to 800 metric tons will be delivered monthly. Although a small amount by global downstream standards, the significance of the contracts is in the pioneering of a downstream aluminium industry in Qatar, exemplifying the support and cooperation between Qatalum and such downstream industries. Deliveries to local customers start-

ed in mid-2012 on a trial basis during both the customers’ ramp-up operations and to test the product at their facilities. The excellent quality of Qatalum products was appreciated by both customers, thus current contracts represent a long-term commitment for supply from Qatalum.

The two companies who have signed these supply contracts have varied expertise and market focus. ALUNOOR has two broad profiles, in industry and construction, making up 20 and 80 per cent of its work, respectively. In construction, it produces windows, doors, metal curtains and building exteriors. In industrial production, ALUNOOR makes products for other factories to use in the manufacturing process, such as mechanical devices and various high-end precision equipment.

Qatar Aluminum Extrusion Company is an expert in aluminum extrusion and is involved in production of various products for domestic and business use.

Qatalum CEO Tom Petter said: “Encouraging the local aluminum downstream industry is a

key priority and commitment at Qatalum. The contracts signed today represent the beginning of implementing such commitment

towards Qatalum’s participation in developing local industry in Qatar.”“Qatalum premium quality products and location represent huge

DOHA: Abdul Rahman Al-Ansari, Chairman of Qatar Aluminium Extrusion Co, signing contracts with Qatalum CEO.

opportunities for developing aluminium downstream industries in Qatar. The demand for aluminium is obviously there.

Khalid Laram, Qatalum’s DCEO added, “Qatalum is ideally located to meet the growing demand for aluminium products based on strong strategic fundamentals.

With these supply contracts, we are seeing an exciting future in downstream Qatari industry. We at Qatalum are proud to be instrumental in developing this in Qatar”.

Khalid Laramadded: “ We expect that Qatalum should be able to supply the local Qatari market with their needs for the coming years.

This is an exciting time for us, and these contracts are part of Qatalum’s policy in encouraging other companies to become involved in the downstream industry related to aluminium in Qatar especially after Qatalum received ISO 9001/2008 certifi cateand ISO/TS 16949:2009 certificate for high quality products which allows our Aluminium to be used in the automotive industry.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

technology

Internet cat stars scratch the surface for fame NEW YORK: They frolic in empty boxes and stick their heads under faucet streams of water. They dance on tippy toes and fly through the air with Pop-Tarts. They play piano wearing little frocks and get tickled to distraction to the delight of millions on YouTube. I speak, of course, of the cat stars of the Internet, a place filled with felines and their wacky uploading humans since the dawn of bandwidth. Now, after years of viral viewing, they’re coming into their own in lucrative and altruistic ways.

The first Internet Cat Video Film Festival drew a Woodstock-esque crowd of more than 10,000 - people, that is - to a Minneapolis art museum in August. Police closed a span of highway clogged with cars trying to get to the Walker Art Center for the free outdoor slate of 80 videos culled from 10,000 submissions that covered the simple, funny moment to polished animations and works made by trained filmmakers.

“People were spilling out into the streets.

It kind of took our breath away. You hit the people that are the cat lovers but you also get people who just like sharing something on the Internet, and it kind of reaches across age groups,” said the museum’s Scott Stulen, who worked on the festival and helped curate entries.

Corporate kittydom is happy with the higher profile for the cat meme, which actually goes back to the ‘70s, when swapping VHS tapes was big and the word meme was barely known. It means, by the way, all the crazy, viral themes that spread online faster than you can say nom, nom, nom (cat-vid speak for the sound of a cat eating.)

In addition to the Walker’s free night in cat video heaven, Fresh Step litter sponsored Catdance, an evening of felines on screen that coincided with January’s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. A fan-voted winner among five scripted finalists - 10 films were commissioned at the launch of the program will earn $10,000 after online voting ends later this month.

In November, Friskies gave a lifetime achievement statue to angsty existentialist Henri, le Chat Noir, at the brand’s own awards ceremony and donated 250,000 cans of cat food to shelters around the country. Henri, the troubled Tuxedo, won another statue in Minneapolis and will soon begin a collaboration of food-focused videos with Friskies.

Oh, and Henri’s putting out his first book in April. Roly poly Maru, the megastar in Japan with millions of views for nearly 300 videos since 2007, has three books and a calendar, among other swag for sale. The squishy-faced, often blissed-out Scottish fold who loves boxes and bags was used by Uniqlo when the Japanese brand launched its San Francisco store in October. Maru chose boxes, called “Lucky Cubes,” stuffed with giveaways for human contest winners.

Not to be outdone, Simon’s Cat, a funny

NEW YORK : This undated publicity images provided by William Braden shows Henri, le Chat Noir, a cat who is featured in the video, “Henri 2, Paw de Deux.” —AP feline in a series of line-drawn animated videos out of London, has a book and an online store, as does Henri, who lends his fame and some of his dollars to cat charities.

Even the funny faced Grumpy Cat, whose real name is Tartar Sauce, coughs up some bucks to animal welfare groups, while captions for her still photos fly around the Internet and she sells T-shirts off her website.

She put out some videos after her existence as a living, breathing and not digitally altered feline was questioned, according to her site.

So why cats?

Cats are fluffy and unpredictable and usually kept behind closed doors, which lends them allure and appeal that other common pets - I’m talking to you, dogs! - don’t seem to have when it comes to vapid, funny or deranged video. At least that’s what cat fans think.

“Cats are going to do what they want to do and that’s one of the reasons that we love them,” said David Kargas, a Fresh Step spokesman who worked on Catdance. These days in the cat video game, acts of charity are expected as much as laughs, said William Braden, the Seattle filmmaker who morphed a pampered family cat named Henry into the French-speaking Henri for a 2006 film school project. Cranking out Henri videos and managing the black-and-white long hair’s growing projects are now Braden’s full-time job.

“On the one hand you’d be stupid not to do charity because fans are sensitive,” Braden said. “On the other hand, for the love of God, I make a living doing this... . How horrible would I be if I didn’t give a little bit of it away?”

MINNEAPOLIS: In this Aug 30, 2012 publicity photo provided by the Walker Art Center, festival attendee, Mike Bridavsky and his cat Lil Bub, left, pose with Golden Kitty Award-winner William Braden, at the Walker Art Center Internet Cat Video Festival. —AP The gravy train for cat vid makers is a long one not likely to dead-end any time soon. Consider the ad revenue from YouTube and other social networks and personal websites. But while commercial ads are often included on the sites, so are fans looking to help cats in need.

On the Facebook page of Simon’s Cat, for

example, people post to find homes for wayward cats. The Facebook page of Oskar the blind cat, who hit it big on YouTube as a kitten when he came home to his older buddy Klaus, raises awareness that disabled cats can make great pets.

Animator Simon Tofield, creator of Simon’s Cat, said from London that his first

Google wins Australian sponsored links case

Oracle Announces General Availability of MySQL 5.6 New Version of the World’s Most Popular Open S ource D a t a b as e D e s i gn e d to Power Next Generation Web, Cloud and Mobile Applications.

News facts Oracle today announced the general availability of MySQL 5.6, the world’s most popular open-source database.

With increased performance, scalability, reliability and manageability, MySQL 5.6 helps users meet the most demanding Web, Cloud and embedded application requirements.

MySQL 5.6 improves developer agility with subquer y optimizations, online Data Definition Language (DDL) operations, NoSQL access to I nnoDB, new instrumentation in Performance Schema and better condition handling.

For m ore d e t a i l s, j o i n th e M y SQ L Technology Update webcast on Feb 14 at 10:00 am US, Pacific Time.

In addition, Oracle is hosting the first Virtual Develop Day for MySQL on March 12 at 9:00 am US, Pacific Time. The event will include presentations and hands-on labs to educate MySQL users on essential skills and the latest features in Oracle MySQL 5.6. Register here.

Continued innovations for the MySQL Community New features and enhancements in MySQL 5.6 are available to MySQL users in the MySQL Community Edition.

MySQL 5.6 provides enhanced linear scalability, helping users to leverage modern hardware capabilities.

With this version, users can experience simplified query development and faster execution, better transactional throughput and application availability, flexible NoSQL access, improved replication and enhanced instrumentation.

Highlights of MySQL 5.6 include: Better Quer y Execution Times and Diagn o st i c s p rov i d e d th ro u g h a n enhanced MySQL Optimizer diagnostics: Subquer y Optimizations: simplify query development by optimizing subqueries prior to execution. New efficiencies in how result sets are selected, sorted an d re t ur ne d d e l ive r s u b s ta n ti a l improvement in query execution times.

The Addition of I ndex Condition Pushdown (ICP) and Batch Key Access ( BK A) : c a n i mp rove s e l e c te d q u e r y throughput by up to 280x(1).

Enhanced Optimizer Diagnostics: with EXPLAIN for INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE operations. EXPLAIN plan output in JSON format delivers more precise optimizer m e t r i c s a n d b e t te r re a d a b i l i t y, a n d Optimizer Traces enables to track the optimizer decision-making process.

Greater Performance Throughput and Application Availabilit y with an improved InnoDB storage engine:

Up to 230 Percent Improvement in Transactional and Read Only Throughput: InnoDB has been re-factored to minimize legacy threading, flushing, and purge mutex contentions and bottlenecks, enabling better concurrency on heavily loaded OLTP systems, and resulting in significantly improved throughput for both transactional and read only workloads(2).

Enhanced Availability : online DDL operations enable DBAs to add indexes and perform table alterations while the application remains available for updates. Full-Text Search with InnoDB: allows developers to build FULLTEXT indexes on InnoDB tables to represent text-based content and speed up application searches for words and phrases.

Simple, Key Value Lookup: flexible NoSQL access to InnoDB provides simple, key-value lookup of InnoDB data via the familiar Memcached API. Users get the “best of both worlds,” combining key-value operations and complex SQL queries in the same database.

I m prove d S c ale - O ut and H igh Availability: with new features in MySQL replication including: Self-Healing Replication Clusters: the addition of Global Transaction Identifiers and Utilities make it simple to automatically detect and recover from failures.

Crash-Safe Replication enables the binary log and slaves to automatically recover correct positions in the replication stream in case of a crash, and resume replication without administrator intervention. Checksums maintain data integrity across the cluster by automatically detecting and alerting on errors.

H i g h Pe r fo r m a n ce R e p l i c a t i o n Clusters: up to 5 times faster replication through Multi-Threaded Slaves(3), Binlog G ro u p Co mm it and Op t im i zed R owBased Replication enable users to maximize the performance and efficiency of replication as they scale-out their workloads across commodity systems.

Time-delayed Replication: provides protection against operational errors made on the master, for example accidentally dropping tables.

Enhanced performance-schema: new instrumentation enables users to better monitor most resource intensive queries, objects, users and applications. New summaries with aggregated statistics grouped by query, thread, user, host and object are also available. The enhancements allow for easier default configuration with less than five percent overhead.

MySQL 5.6 includes a number of additional enhancements including Geographic Information Systems - Precise Spatial operations, improved IPv6 compliance and optimized server defaults.

video, “Cat Man Do,” changed his life. Inspired by his cat Hugh, one of several he shares his life with, the first video was his attempt to teach himself the computer program Flash. It features the hungry, googly eyed cat character trying to annoy his owner awake, wonking him with a baseball bat at one point. The video was put on YouTube four years ago and received millions of views overnight, Tofield said. More than two dozen videos later, Simon’s Cat views have exceeded 300 million.

“Before Simon’s Cat launched, I was working as a freelance animator, which could be frustrating as you would never know when the next job would come in,” Tofield said.

“Although I was drawing, which I love, it wasn’t as enjoyable as what I’m doing now by drawing and creating my own characters.”

Nobody knows the cat meme better than Ben Huh, who with a group of investors bought the I Can Has Cheezburger site in September 2007. The site, now an empire of sites for Huh, allows users to generate captions on cat photos using LOLcat speak, a language with spelling and syntax all its own.

Huh has none of Braden’s guilt about making money off of funny cats on the Internet. He recently starred in his own Bravo reality show, and sees a healthy future ahead as cat memes spread and merge with other content.

“People are mixing and matching and the content can’t be put into neat little boxes anymore,” said Huh, noting that Grumpy Cat’s still photos pop up just about anywhere nowadays. “That’s the irony. That has caused the Cat Internet Industrial Complex to continue to grow.” —AP

LAS VEGAS: In this Monday, Nov 13, 2000 photo, Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO of Dell, speaks during his keynote address at Comdex. —AP

Dell’s founder strikes deal to turn it around NEW YORK: It’s easy to forget now, but Michael Dell was the Mark Zuckerberg of his day. Hailed as a young genius, he created the inexpensive, madeto-order personal computer in his University of Texas dorm room and sold it straight to the public.

In the 1980s and ‘90s, his face appeared on magazine covers, and well before he turned 40, he was a college dropout-turned-billionaire CEO, ranked alongside Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.

But that was a long time ago in the fast-moving world of high technology. Now the PC is getting eclipsed by smartphones and tablet computers, and Dell is struggling to save his company - and his legacy. Tuesday’s announcement that Michael Dell and the investment firm Silver Lake have struck a $24.4 billion deal to buy publicly traded Dell Inc. and take it private may well be the founder’s last chance to recapture his former glory. The agreement will allow the company to attempt a turnaround without having to worry about pleasing Wall Street with its earnings.

For Michael Dell, 47, the attempt to retool the company he built is personal, said technology analyst Patrick Moorhead, who runs Moor Insights & Strategy. “His name is on the logo and all the buildings. So he takes all of this very personally,” Moorhead said. “This is a way for him to solidify the way people will look at him and remember him.”

Analysts said Dell Inc. will have to mine more profitable areas such as technology consulting and business software. In a statement, Dell himself said little more than that the transformation will “take more time, investment and patience.” The company he founded some 29 years ago rose to the top of the world’s PC market more than a decade ago. In its heyday, its turn-of-the-millennium ad slogan, “Dude, you’re getting a Dell,” became a pop-culture catchphrase. Dell took orders straight from customers, first by phone and then by Internet, cutting out stores and passing the savings along.

“What Michael Dell was all about was getting products to people faster and more directly and at a lower cost than anyone could,” said Forrester Research analyst David Johnson. While Dell PCs are still used in offices and homes around the world,

the industry has proved unforgiving to those who don’t evolve with it. With smartphones booming, PC sales falling 3.5 percent last year, and tablets expected to outsell laptop computers this year, Dell’s old slogan is more likely to be phrased as a question, as in: “Dude, you’re getting a Dell?” Dell Inc. is now worth less than the $30 billion it raised in its 1988 initial public offering and well below its peak of more than $150 billion in 2000, and is now the world’s third-largest PC maker, having fallen behind Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo. Apple has a smaller share of the computer market but more than makes up for that with its sleek iPods, iPhones and iPads. IBM managed to reinvent itself during the 1990s when its main business of selling mainframe computers began to suffer as desktop machines grew increasingly powerful. But it took nearly a decade.

Michael Dell stepped down as CEO in 2004, staying on as chairman. But the Round Rock, Texas, company faltered under CEO Kevin Rollins and saw its first-ever profit decline. Customers complained of poor service, and sales slowed as Dell faced a market glut of cheap PCs from other makers. The company lost its No. 1 position to HP 2006 and never regained its standing.

Michael Dell returned as CEO in 2007 and began carrying out a turnaround plan, dubbed “Dell 2.0,” that included improving customer service, thinning the managerial ranks and expanding into new businesses. Moorehead said it will probably take Michael Dell at least another three to five years to transform his company. That’s a timeframe that probably would have caused Wall Street to grow even more frustrated with Dell Inc. “If what you are trying to do is not being valued by your investors, you need to go somewhere else,” Moorhead said. “They weren’t getting any respect on Wall Street, so this is the best move they could make right now.” Under the leveraged buyout announced Tuesday, Dell stockholders will get $13.65 per share. That’s well above the stock price of $10.88 before word of the talks emerged three weeks ago. But it’s a steep markdown from $24 a share six years ago. —AP

SYDNEY: Internet titan Google was cleared yesterday of allegations it hosted deceptive advertisements, with Australia’s highest court saying it was not responsible for companies who diverted users from their competitors’ sites. Australia’s competition regulator had taken Google to court, alleging that adverts using keywords for Honda, Harvey World Travel, Alpha Dog Training and Just 4X4 Magazine published by Google had led consumers to rival firms. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) lost the initial case but won an appeal in the Federal Court, which ruled that Google’s technology created its search results.

Google had argued that it should not be held responsible for the content of ads on its platform because it was paid for and submitted by the advertisers under the highly profitable Google AdWords program. AdWords allows firms to create their own ads and bid for keywords linked to their products.

In the Australian case, travel, automotive and pet-care companies successfully bid on the names of their rivals as keywords.

The High Court of Australia overturned the appeal decision yesterday, agreeing that the advertisers, not Google, were responsible for the content of so-called sponsored links. “Google did not create the sponsored links that it published or displayed,” the court said. “Ordinary and reasonable users of the Google search engine would have understood that the representations conveyed by the sponsored links were those of the advertisers, and would not have concluded that Google adopted or endorsed the representations,” it added.

“Accordingly, Google did not engage in conduct that was misleading or deceptive.” The Internet giant welcomed the judgment, which brings to an end a six-year legal battle. “We welcome the High Court’s unanimous decision that Google cannot be held responsible for the ads that advertisers create for Google’s search engine,” Google said.

The ACCC had seen the case as an important precedent on the accountability of search engine providers as publishers of paid content, and said it will review the decision carefully for any broader ramifications. “The ACCC took these proceedings to clarify the law relating to advertising practices in the Internet age,” said ACCC chairman Rod Sims.

“Specifically, we considered that providers of online content should be accountable for misleading or deceptive conduct when they have significant control over what is delivered.”

Sims said the High Court had focused solely “on Google’s conduct” and it had not been disputed that the “representations made in the sponsored links by advertisers were misleading or deceptive”. “In the facts and circumstances of this case the High Court has determined that Google did not itself engage in misleading or deceptive conduct,” he said.

“It remains the case that all businesses involved in placing advertisements on search engines must take care not to mislead or deceive consumers.” It is not the first time Google has landed in legal strife in Australia-the firm was ordered to pay US$208,000 last year to an entertainment promoter after publishing material linking him to mobsters which was ruled to be defamatory. Google also attracted the ire of authorities in 2010 after breaching privacy laws by collecting private wireless data with its “Street View” mapping cars. —AFP

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

Obesity leads to vitamin D deficiency Obesity can lead to a lack of vitamin D circulating in the body, according to a study led by the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH). Efforts to tackle obesity should thus also help to reduce levels of vitamin D deficiency in the population, says the lead investigator of the study, Dr Elina Hypponen.

While previous studies have linked vitamin D deficiency with obesity, the ICH-led paper, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, sought to establish the direction of causality i.e. whether a lack of vitamin D triggers a weight gain, or whether obesity leads to the deficiency.

This study, based on an ICH-led DCarDia Collaboration, used genetic markers derived from an analysis of 21 adult cohort groups (up to 42,000 partic-

ipants) to explore the link between body mass index (BMI) and genes associated with the synthesis and metabolism of vitamin D. Associations between vitamin D and BMI were further confirmed using data from another genetic consortium with over 123,000 participants.

Researchers found that a 10 per cent rise in BMI was linked to a four per cent drop in concentrations of vitamin D in the body. Overall, the findings suggest that a higher BMI leads to lower levels of available vitamin D, while the effect of a lack of vitamin D on BMI appears to be very small. The association between obesity and vitamin D status found here was consistent between genders, being apparent both in men and in women, and in younger and older age groups.

people have not shown any consistent findings. It has also been suggested that obesity could result from an excessive adaptive winter response, and that the decline in vitamin D skin synthesis from less exposure to sunlight contributes to the tendency to put on weight during colder seasons. However, vitamin D is stored in fatty tissue and thus, the most likely explanation for the association found in the ICH-led study is that the larger storage capacity for vitamin D in obese people leads to lower circulating concentrations of vitamin D. Overall, the ICH results suggest that although increases in vitamin D are not likely to help with weight regulation, increased risk of vitamin D deficiency could contribute to the adverse health

Vitamin D, which is essential for healthy bones as well as other functions, is made in the skin after exposure to sunlight but can also be obtained through the diet and through supplements.

Obesity and vitamin D status are known to be associated, but the direction of the association and whether it is causal has been uncertain up to now.

Vitamin D deficiency is a growing public health concern, and there is evidence that vitamin D metabolism, storage and action both influence and are influenced by adiposity or body fat. While experiments in rats have suggested that large doses of vitamin D2 can boost the amount of energy they burn, trials testing the effect of vitamin D supplements on weight loss in obese or overweight

effects associated with obesity. Dr Elina Hypponen, UCL Institute of Child Health and lead author of the study, says: “Vitamin D deficiency is an active health concern around the world. While many health messages have focused on a lack of sun exposure or excessive use of suncreams, we should not forget that vitamin D deficiency is also caused by obesity.” “Our study highlights the importance of monitoring and treating vitamin D deficiency in people who are overweight or obese, in order to alleviate adverse health effects caused by a lack of vitamin D.” (Great Ormond Street Hospital and the UCL Institute of Child Health (ICH) are Europe’s largest academic centre for research and education in children’s health and disease)

Air pollution linked to low birth weight WASHINGTON: For pregnant women, breathing in air pollution from vehicles, heating and coal power plants increases the risk of having a low birth weight baby, an international study said yesterday.

The research, the most extensive of its kind on the link between air pollution and fetal development, found that the higher the pollution, the greater the rate of children born with a low weight. It was published in the US journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Scientists analyzed data from more than three million births in nine nations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Most of the data was collected from the mid-1990s to the late 2000s, with some obtained earlier.

Low birth weight-below 5.5 pounds, or 2.5 kilograms-is linked to serious health problems, including a higher risk of complications or death in the weeks right after birth, as well as chronic health problems later in life, said lead author Payam Dadvand of the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) in Barcelona. Co-lead investigator Tracey Woodruff said the pollution is ubiquitous.

“What’s significant is that these are air pollution levels to which practically everyone in the world is commonly exposed,” said Woodruff, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive sciences at UC San Francisco.

“These microscopic particles, which are smaller than the width of a human hair, are

in the air that we all breathe.”

But she noted that nations with tighter air pollution restrictions have lower levels of the pollutants.

“In the United States, we have shown over the last several decades that the benefits to health and well-being from reducing air pollution are far greater than the costs,” Woodruff added. “This is a lesson that all nations can learn from.”

Under the Clean Air Act, the US limits primary particle pollution to an average of 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air a year for particles measuring less than 2.5 microns.

The limit stands at 25 micrograms per cubic meter in the European Union, and environmental protection agencies are weighing whether to lower that level.

In Beijing, the concentration of these particles was recently measured at more than 700 micrograms per cubic meter.

Thick smog choked the Chinese capital and vast swathes of northern China last month, blamed on emissions from coalburning power stations and exhaust fumes from vehicles on choked streets.

“From the perspective of world health, levels like this are obviously completely unsustainable,” said study co-author Mark Nieuwenhuijsen of CREAL. An epidemiological study of some of the children included in the data is investigating whether these pregnancy exposures can have an impact in their later years. — AFP

SHANGHAI: This picture taken on Jan 18, 2013 shows people admiring a chocolatemade statue at the Chocolate Happy Land in Shanghai. —AFP

US adults with mental illness smoke at higher rate ATLANTA: Mentally ill adults in the United States smoke cigarettes at a 70 percent higher rate than adults without any kind of mental illness, according to a report released by federal health agencies on Tuesday.

Statistics show smoking by the mentally ill is a “very serious health issue that needs more attention” and should prompt mental health facilities to ban the habit, said Dr Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We need to do more to help smokers with mental illness quit,” Frieden told reporters during a telephone briefing.

The CDC study found 36 percent of mentally ill adults smoke, compared with 21 percent of other adults. Those with mental illnesses also smoke more heavily, con-

suming an average of 331 cigarettes per month, compared with 310 for other smokers, the report found.

Tobacco can alter some aspects of mental illness, such as anxiety. But it can also lead to a long list of other health problems and should not be used as a form of self medication, Frieden said.

“There are very good treatments and very good counseling that, unlike cigarettes, don’t take 10 years off your life,” he said. The study analyzed data from the 2009-2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which involved interviews with 138,000 adults at their homes.

The survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration did not include patients in mental hospitals or members of the U.S. military. —Reuters

NEW ORLEANS: Patron Cheryl Boyd of Spring Valley, Minn., eats calas cake at The Old Coffeepot Restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Tired of celebrating Mardi Gras with the same old beignets? Make the switch to calas, tangy rice fritters born to go with cafe au lait. Calas can be tough to find these days, but they have a rich history that spans the great cuisines of New Orleans. — AP

Bionic eye gives hope to blind around the world Still have a long way to go WASHINGTON: After years of research, the first bionic eye has seen the light of day in the United States, giving hope to the blind around the world. Developed by Second Sight Medical Products, the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System has helped more than sixty people recover partial sight, with some experiencing better results than others.

Consisting of 60 electrodes implanted in the retina and glasses fitted with a special mini camera, Argus II has already won the approval of European regulators. The US Food and Drug Administration is soon expected to follow suit, making this bionic eye the world’s first to become widely available.

“It’s the first bionic eye to go on the market in the world, the first in Europe and the first one in the US,” said Brian Mech, the California-based company’s vice president of business development. Those to benefit from Argus II are people with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic disease, affecting about 100,000 people in the US, that results in the degeneration of the retinal photoreceptors. The photoreceptor cells convert light into electrochemical impulses that are transmitted to the brain via the optic nerve, where they are decoded into images.

“The way the prosthesis works (is) it replaces

the function of the photoreceptors,” Mech told AFP. Thirty people aged 28 to 77 took part in the clinical trial for the product, all of whom were completely blind.

Mech said the outcomes varied by participant. “We had some patients who got just a little bit of benefit and others who could do amazing things like reading newspaper headlines,” he said. In some cases, the subjects could even see in color. “Mostly they see in black and white, but we have demonstrated more recently we can produce color vision as well,” Mech said.

According to Mech, Argus II is already available in several European countries for 73,000 euros ($99,120). A US price has not been set but is likely to be higher, he said.

“Now we are (at) around 60 patients... We have tons of surgeries scheduled, the number is growing almost daily,” he said.

Other researchers are also vying to develop bionic eyes of their own, that would offer higher resolution images with more electrodes implanted in the retina. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a team lead by John Wyatt is working on a system that would have up to 400 electrodes.

Daniel Palanker of California’s Stanford University is proposing a different approach

‘Tree of life’ has Kurdish roots PARIS: Seen by some as emblematic of the Mediterranean landscape and cuisine, the olive tree in fact has its domesticated roots in Kurdish regions, said a study yesterday that seeks to settle an age-old debate.

Harvesting of wild olive trees called oleasters has been documented from the Near East (the area around ancient Palestine and Jordan) to Spain since the Neolithic or New Stone Age that started about 10,000 BC. The tree then became domesticated, a process thought by some researchers to have started in the Near East about 6,000 years ago.

Other experts, though, have offered evidence for simultaneous domestication of different olive cultivars across the Mediterranean.

Now an international team of experts used genetic data, molecular dating, fossil records and climate modelling to determine that the iconic tree’s roots lie in only one place-somewhat further north and east than many had thought. “We conclude that the western Mediterranean was not a major primary centre of domestication of the olive tree,” the team wrote in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

“The cradle of primary domestication of the olive tree is located in the northeastern Levant.”

This refers to the modern-day Kurdish zone between Syria and Turkey, study co-author Guillaume Besnard of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) told AFP. From there, the domesticated olive probably spread through the eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus, westwards to Turkey, Greece, Italy and the rest of the Mediterranean “in parallel to the expansion of civilisations and human exchanges in this part of the world”, said the report. The domesticated olive tree, Olea europaea, is central to Greek, Roman and early Christian mythology, and the olive branch remains a symbol of peace today.

The ancient Greeks believed that Athena, goddess of war and wisdom, presented the Athenians with their first domesticated olive tree, from which all others sprouted.

“The importance of the cultivated olive tree in people’s lives has turned this species into a symbol of ancient, sacred literature, and the origins of this crop are often subject to controversies,” the paper said.

“According to our study, the maternal origin of the majority (about 90 percent) of cultivated olives today is clearly the Near East,” or roughly the modern-day Middle East, added Besnard. — AFP

based on tiny photovoltaic cells instead of electrodes. “We’re thinking about implanting up to 5,000 of these cells at the back of the eye that would theoretically allow for a resolution that is ten times better,” George Goetz, a member of Palanker’s team, told AFP. This system would also help individuals who lost their sight due to agerelated macular degeneration, he added. These photovoltaic cells convert light into electrical impulses that stimulate the nerve cells in the retina, which then transmit the signals to the brain. This system has successfully been tested in rats, and the first clinical trial could begin in a year, probably in France.

Palanker is linked with French company Pixium Vision based in Paris. Grace Shen, of the National Eye Institute that has supported both the Argus and Palanker projects, said work on stem cells and optogenetics were also important areas to focus on in developing treatments or the prevention of blindness. Through optogenetics, retina cells can be genetically modified to render them light-sensitive again. “I think the bionic eye is something that is going to work in some patients and is not going to work with all patients, but it’s an exciting time ahead,” said Shen. “We know it’s feasible, it can work, but we still have a long way to go.” —AFP

US blacks still more likely than whites to die from cancer ATLANTA: Drops in smoking may have helped drive cancer death rates down among black men in the United States during the last decade, but they are still more likely to die of cancer than whites, according to a US study. “I think we see some really good news, but then we also see some trends that are going in the wrong direction,” said Carol DeSantis, the study’s lead author from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta.

Using information from several databases, DeSantis and her team analyzed information on the number of cancers diagnosed and the number of cancer deaths reported across the United States between 1990 and 2009. The biennial analysis found that improvements in cancer treatments and care have avoided nearly 200,000 cancer deaths in blacks since 1990. But cancer death rates for black are still higher than whites, according to DeSantis and her colleagues, who published their findings in CA: A Cancer

Journal for Clinicians. Between 2005 and 2009, the researchers found about 288 black men died from cancer out of every 100,000, compared to about217 white men. Among women, those numbers were about 181 blacks per 100,000, and 155 whites per 100,000. The gap between cancer death rates narrowed the most between black and white men during the last decade. Over that time, the cancer death rate for black men fell by 2.4 percent every year, compared to 1.7 percent for white men.

“That’s primarily driven by declines in lung cancer, which is driven by more black men stopping smoking than white men,” said DeSantis. For women, however, death rates fell equally between blacks and whites over the last decade at about 1.5 percent.

Black women are also 16 percent more likely to die from cancer even though they are 6 percent less likely to get cancer, the researchers said. — Reuters

MONTREAL: French-Lebanese pastry chef De Gaulle Hélou is pictured at his shop, Chez De Gaulle, on Jan 26, 2013 in Montreal. De Gaulle, originally from Lebanon, named after French General Charles De Gaulle who his father admired, who resisted numerous problems with the local mafia, but has finally decided to return to France, finding the Quebec system ‘too tolerant with crooks’. — AFP

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

India’s changing appetite throws up meaty issues Calorie needs set to grow fast MUMBAI: With German sausages, French duck breasts and homegrown chicken, Francis Menezes is cashing in on the growing appetite for meat among Indians-even in one of Mumbai’s most strictly vegetarian areas. In the upmarket neighbourhood of Malabar Hill, numerous shops, restaurants and even some apartment blocks remain meat-free.

But Menezes, co-manager of the Cafe Ridge food store, says he does a brisk trade in “non-veg”, especially with those who have studied abroad.

“Things like Thanksgiving, which was never celebrated over here in Mumbai, is now being celebrated every year. The new generation are cool with eating anything,” he said.

India’s booming middle-class is driving the demand for meat in a country with a traditionally low intake-a survey in 2006 showed that 40 percent of the population were vegetarian.

Fish and meat have long been part of other Indians’ diets but for many they used to be a rarity, said Arvind Singhal, chairman of the consumer consultancy group Technopak Advisors. “ With rising disposable incomes, meat consumption is increasing,” he said. “Before meat would have been seen as for a special occasion.” Members of the Jain faith and some groups within India’s majority Hindu religion hold vegetarianism as an ideal. Father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi espoused a meatfree diet as part of his non-violent philosophy. But fewer of the younger generation appear to feel the same.

Despite coming from a “hardcore veg” Hindu community, bartender Ishita Manek is an enthusiastic member of the Mumbai Meat Marathon, a group that gets together every weekend to try out protein-heavy dishes.

“It’s just to do with the country progressing. The mindset is changing and no one really sticks to traditional values anymore,” she said, although

she admitted her mother dislikes her love of beef, a taboo under Hinduism.

There are no recent figures on overall meat consumption, but the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in 2007 put India’s per capita intake at 5.0 to 5.5kg-the country’s highest since records began, with further increases expected.

With chicken a favourite meat, the rapid rise of the domestic poultry market is a good indication of changing diets. Currently worth an estimated $9.0 billion, it is growing at an annual rate of 20 percent, driven by broiler meat, according to Technopak.

Farm manager Vijay Sakhrani turned to the broiler business back in 1982 with 2,000 chickens. He now rears more than 800,000 a year as a contract farmer for Indian poultry giant Venky’s. “You have self-employment, you require a small space. In a small space you can do a lot of business,” he told AFP in Koregaon Mul village, 30 kilometres (18 miles) from western Pune city, where he said numerous other farmers had followed his foray into poultry.

Venky ’s general manager Vijay Tijare described a “chicken revolution” going on in India and one, he believes, that can supply the need for economical protein among the nation’s 1.2 billion people.

The company’s thriving fortunes enabled it fund the takeover of the leading English football club Blackburn Rovers three years ago.

With a median age of 26.5, India’s calorie needs are set to grow faster than the population, but the domestic supply of vegetable proteins has not kept up with demand and India is now the biggest importer of pulses.

Others see mass-produced meat as only doing damage to middle-class diets, especially when cooked at the growing number of fast-food joints.

While malnutrition is wide -scale among India’s poor, an estimated 63 million in the country had diabetes in

Making mealtime a challenge can be good for dogs

2012. “Industrial meat is adding to the crisis in health,” said food security analyst Sangita Sharma.

“Consumers are oblivious as to what is going on their plates.”

Changing consumption patterns also threaten to exacerbate the country’s environmental pressures.

India is the world’s top buffalo meat exporter, despite the beef taboo, and the leading emitter of greenhouse gas methane from livestock, according to a report from the New York-based think tank Brighter Green last year.

Citing water scarcity and intense strains on land, the group said it was crucial for India to promote plantbased diets and prioritise less resource-intensive industries than livestock.

“With 500 million cows, buffalo, goats, sheep, camels, pigs, and billions of chickens, 600 million farmers and 1.2 billion people, the competition is on in India for natural resources,” said

its report. Singhal too expressed concerns, especially the challenge thrown up in diverting grains to animal feed, which critics say takes food away from the poorest members of society.

He said one way to ease the pressures was to think beyond India’s traditional desire for self-sufficiency.

He criticised a ban on poultr y imports from the United States, despite the fact that chicken legs are popular in India but often go to waste in America.

The ban is purportedly to prevent bird flu but has been challenged by Washington as disguised trade restrictions.

India’s per capita meat consumption for now remains well below the Asian average, but with its population due to become the world’s largest in coming years, analysts are calling for greater attention to how its food is produced. “India needs to realise it is not a vegetarian country,” Singhal said. — AFP

SANTA BARBARA: Working to get a meal is something dogs were born to do. “If dogs were out in the wild they’d be spending most of their time hunting for food,” says trainer Joan Mayer of Santa Barbara, California.

But for many of our dogs, mealtime is over in a minute or two. Then what? They look for something else to do. Unfortunately, when dogs are left to find their own entertainment, we aren’t usually pleased with their choices. “They’re not going to sit down and turn on the T V,” says Mayer. “They’ll chew up the coach or bark all day.”

So ask many trainers how you should feed your dog, and they’ll say you’re wasting a golden opportunity by feeding out of a bowl.

At any pet store you’ll see balls, puzzles and other food-dispensing objects - the Kong is the most familiar. They’re often referred to with terms like “treat balls,” so some owners worry about weight gain from extra goodies if they use them. In fact, you can use these toys to feed your dog’s regular diet. If you feed dry kibble, just toss it in and you’re good to go. Or you can plug the hole of a Kong with canned food and freeze it for an even longer-lasting meal. Feeding this way can help with a variety of behavior problems.

For dog trainer Melissa Duffy of Carlsbad, California, food toys have helped her rat terrier, Dinky, with separation anxiety.

“She starts to get anxious when I am getting ready to go out, whining, pacing, shivering,” Duffy says.

Being left with a food-dispensing toy calms her, and has longer-lasting effects as well. “She also doesn’t get into the trash can, which she will do

if I leave her without a treat-dispensing toy,” says Duffy. “I’ve also noticed that she isn’t as frantic when I come home, no matter how long I’ve been gone.” Getting animals to use their natural behavior to get food is part of what zoos call “enrichment.”

Rather than serving a bear out of a dish, say, keepers hide food so the animal has to search and dig as it would in the wild. This technique helps reduce stress-related behaviors like pacing.

It works for dogs too, as dog trainer and former zookeeper Stephanie DeGesero DeYoung of Abilene, Texas, showed in her master’s thesis, using the same research methodology used to evaluate enrichment techniques in zoos. She found that giving dogs a stuffed Kong reduced the number of stress behaviors observed, even after they were finished with it.

Tearing things apart is a basic instinct for a meat-eater, but when a dog gets that out of his system by digging breakfast and dinner out of a dispenser, he’ll feel less need to shred the furniture.

Some advice for dog owners who want to get started feeding their animals this way: First, if you’ve got multiple dogs, separate them to prevent conflict. “I tell people, every dog owner should have a baby gate or two,” says DeYoung. Second, some dogs need help at first, as trainer Kate Abbott of Vista, California, found the first time she gave a stuffed Kong to her Jack Russell, Qwill: “He was very interested, but after a few licks shrugged and went off to chase lizards.” Abbott put food in a clear plastic water bottle so Qwill could see it, and then cut off the top so the food fell out easily. — AFP

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

‘Seafood Promotion of the Month’ at Terrace Grill Steakhouse

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 ECC organizes Omra trip for Egyptians

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ecretary general of the Egyptian Community Council (ECC), Dr Azmi Abdul Fattah congratulated all Egyptians on the second anniversary of the January 25 revolution urging everybody to consolidate and unite for the best of Egypt as a whole. On this occasion, Abdul Fattah announced that the council would organize its annual Omra trip pointing out that it would last eight days in the period of February 21 till 28.

Shirva feast hirva Welfare Association Kuwait (SWAK) will be celebrating their Shirva Parish feast2013 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 / get-together 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.

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atisfying the demand of its seafood lovers in what has earned the reputation of being known as the ‘best steakhouse in town’, Terrace Grill at JW Marriott Kuwait City Hotel, introduces its special seafood promotion to all its guests during the celebrated month of February.

Guests can now enjoy a feast of endless seafood delicacies, popular delights including salmon carpaccio and freshly pre-

pared red snappers, along with sea-food inspired soups and more.

The promotion, which ends on the 28th of February, features dishes such as pan fried sea bass with peas and mashed potatoes as well as the Newburg style gratinated lobster served with a champignon and Chateaux potato on green peas. Before enjoying the main dish, guests can complement their meal with their choice of special

seafood appetizers. They could choose from a seafood platter, serving prawns wrapped in Kunafa with a freshly-made seafood salad and lobster cappuccino or a warm red snapper and salmon carpaccio served with orange emulsion. A spicy and sour soup is also part of the special seafood menu, which will be served with an intriguing composition of prawns, salmon, squid and Asian spices along with various offer-

ings of exclusive decanted desserts to complete a memorable dining experience.

JW Marriott has deployed an expert and efficient culinary team to guarantee a truly world class dining experience for its discerning guests. The diverse menu also features dishes such as fillet mignon, rib eye steak and other premium cuts while dining in the restaurant’s relaxing and signature ambience.

Kuwait National English School 2013 Annual Science and Technology Fair

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.

APAK Xmas-New Year celebration ngamaly Pravasi Association Kuwait (APAK) will conduct its Christmas and New Year celebrations tomorrow 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.

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Kitchen Rock Band music itchen Rock’s Valentine program on February 15 at Asia Asia Royal Hall, AlWatiya Complex, Kuwait City, 7pm onwards. Enjoy the New Version band, Selda band and Freefall band.

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KDNA medical seminar

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ozhikode District NRI Association (KDNA) is organizing a medical seminar titled ‘Pain in Human bodies’ on February 8, 2013 at Indian Community School, Khaitan Branch at 5.30 pm. Wellknown Functional Neurosurgeon Dr Ramnarayan, M.Ch (neurosurgeon), FRCS, Functional Fellowship (UK) will be presenting the topic. Private consultation with the Doctor will be available on prior registration.

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

KUWAIT: Kuwait National English School, Hawally, celebrated its best ever 2013 Annual Science and Technology Fair on Thursday January 31, 2013in the Al Farabi Theatre. The theme of the event was ‘Going Green’.

The event started by a full school assembly during which Madame Chantal Al Gharabally, School Director, addressed the student body and stressed the importance of Science and Technology to the young generation. Her speech was centered on philosophical thought towards ethics in science through various examples of Recycling and Going Green. Madame additionally commented

on the importance of Research in Science and Technology to enthusestudents to think about the advantages of a science oriented career and scientific research.

The format of the Science and Technology fair was altered this year to enable more active participation from each student. Each year group began with PowerPoint presentations on Recycling and Getting Green by students using the updated school facilities and they were judged by a panel of experienced teachers. They were very interesting and informative.This was followed with Science Pop Quizzes with various

teams of six students made from each year group. Students from each year group were competing among themselves to show their understanding of scientific facts and principles. At the end of the day, winners were rewarded with prizes and medals.

The Kuwait National English School Science fair was an excellent event that showcased the successes of our students. The school has invested extensively in Science and Technology over the last few years and this event is very encouraging to see this realized in the enthusiasm and achievement of the Primary and Secondary Departments.

Madame Chantal Al Gharabally, School Director, and the team of Science & Technologyteachers from the entire school have been holding the event each year since 1998as a way to develop students’ skills and interest in the subjects of Science and Technology. This interest is obviously building as each year students seem to get an earlier start on their Projects and Researches in order to know everything they can about their science topic before the fair begin.

The Student Council commented that the event was extremely enjoyable and during which students were able to learn in a different environment.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

IKEA Kuwait holds amazing surprises this February

Embassy Information

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s part of the much anticipated February festivities, IKEA Kuwait has announced a special promotion that will enable its customers to benefit from an inspiring range of products that will turn their dream homes into a colorful reality .The month long campaign ends 28th February, 2013.

Conceptualized by IKEA Kuwait to introduce its customers to renewing their homes with endless living solutions this season, through this promotion, customers can start their New Year with a home that reflects ones character through modern, stylish and contemporary patterns at low prices.

This February, shoppers will receive a coupon for every KD 20 worth of purchases to enter a draw to win IKEA gift cards. The first prize value starts at KD 1,500 and so on.

IKEA Kuwait offers a wide and unique range of sofa fabrics, customized living storage solutions, TV solutions, curtains, cushions and throws rugs, table and long lasting energy saving floor lamps to breathe fresh life into every eager customer’s home this season.

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

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GUST PR Department organizes Desert Camp Out for Staff and Faculty

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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he Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) Public Relations Department organized a desert camp out for its staff and faculty.

With the attendance of staff and faculty and their families, the day was spent at a

desert camp filled with games, entertainment and competitions for the kids and adults, as well as good food and ample time to socialize. It was a great opportunity for the GUST employees to meet and get to know each other better

outside the work atmosphere.

The day was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone in attendance. There were games and bouncy castles for the kids’ entertainment. As for the adults, there were soccer and volleyball fields avail-

able and they had the chance to sit and revel in the great weekend weather and meet new staff and faculty. After lunch, a DJ played music and hosted competitions for the kids and adults with characters entertaining the children.

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.

McDonald’s commemorates Winners of My McDonald’s Photography Competition

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ity, February 3 2013, McDonald’s Kuwait held an award ceremony on Sunday evening at the Corniche restaurant to award the winners of the My McDonald’s photography competition. The one-month competition that concluded on January 26th was a platform for the members of the community to display creativity and imagination by capturing what the McDonald’s brand means to them in a form of a picture. “We are really pleased with the number of amazing pictures that we had received. The participants showcased a great amount of creativity and demonstrated their passion for McDonald’s through the lens of their camera.” Commentated George Khawam, Marketing Director of McDonalds Kuwait.

First to receive the prizes were the winners of the weekly smart phone competition, participants of the weekly competition were encouraged to take snapshots using their smart phones of their favorite part of their McDonald’s experience; be it the interior or exterior of McDonald’s 68 branches, their family time experience at McDonald’s, or the vast range of products. Every week three winners were chosen by the public based on the cumulative votes that they received on the McDonald’s Arabia Instagram and Facebook pages. All winners received the brand new D5200 Nikon DSLR cameras.

Winners of weekly smart phone competition were Zahraa Hussain Abdal, Yaaqub Yousef Alouli, Abdul Samad Abdul Majid Butt Riyaz, Archimedes H. Ricafort, Haya Marjan Abdullah Faraj, Kawthar Hussain Abdal, Abdul Qadeer Sarwar, Lovelily David and Noura Khalifa At Asfour.

The next category was the digital cameras judged by the prominent Kuwaiti photographers, Abdul Aziz Al Asousi, Majed Al Zaabi and Faisal Al Bisher. The pictures were judged on creativity and originality, perspective and angle of the picture and basic photography compositions and techniques. The grand prize of KD 2000, the largest monetary value that has ever been awarded in a photography competition in Kuwait was won by Mohammed Al Sultan. Yousef Al Qallaf came second and was awarded KD1000 and Abdulla Ebrahim Malallah and Fahad Al Robah were tied for third place and awarded with the prize of KD500 each. Khawam further stated “At McDonalds we abide by the Blue Ribbon Protocol, which is a legal and control process to ensure promotion fairness. For that reason we turned to the expertise of some of Kuwait’s well known photographers and sourced them as 3rd party judges. We want to thank the judges for their hard work and dedication and also the participants who took part in the competition and allowed us to get a glimpse of what McDonald’s means to them”.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 Animal Cops South Africa 01:45 Your Worst Animal Nightmares 02:35 I’m Alive 03:25 Wildest Africa 04:15 Mutant Planet 05:05 Running With Wolves 05:55 Call Of The Wildman 06:20 Animal Battlegrounds 06:45 Wildlife SOS 07:35 Wildlife SOS 08:00 The Really Wild Show 08:25 Breed All About It 09:15 Dogs 101: Specials 10:10 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 11:05 Wildest Africa 12:00 Animal Cops Phoenix 12:55 Call Of The Wildman 13:20 Wildlife SOS 13:50 Gator Boys 14:45 Animal Precinct 15:40 Wildest Africa 16:30 Animal Battlegrounds 17:00 The Really Wild Show 17:30 Dogs 101: Specials 18:25 Rescue Vet 18:50 Rescue Vet 19:20 Extraordinary Dogs 20:15 Bondi Vet 20:40 Safari Vet School 21:10 Call Of The Wildman 21:35 Animal Battlegrounds 22:05 Wildest Africa

00:00 Homes Under The Hammer 00:50 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 02:10 Come Dine With Me 03:00 10 Years Younger 03:45 MasterChef 04:15 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 04:40 Bargain Hunt 05:25 Living In The Sun 06:15 House Swap 07:00 Gino D’acampo: An Italian In Mexico 07:50 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 08:15 Homes Under The Hammer 09:05 Bargain Hunt 09:50 Antiques Roadshow 10:45 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 12:05 MasterChef 12:35 Come Dine With Me 13:25 Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes 14:15 Holmes On Homes 15:05 Bargain Hunt 15:50 Antiques Roadshow 16:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 18:00 Homes Under The Hammer 18:50 The Hairy Bikers USA 19:20 The Hairy Bikers USA 19:45 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 20:10 French Food At Home

00:00 00:30 00:45 01:00 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 04:45 05:00 05:30 05:45 06:30 06:45 07:30 07:45 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 09:45 10:00

Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Hardtalk BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News BBC World News Hardtalk BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News

10:30 BBC World News 11:00 GMT With George Alagiah 12:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 13:30 Hardtalk 14:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 BBC World News 16:30 BBC Focus On Africa 17:00 BBC World News 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 19:30 World Business Report 19:45 Sport Today 20:00 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 20:30 Hardtalk 21:00 BBC World News America 22:00 Newsday

00:05 Taz-Mania 00:30 Pink Panther And Pals 00:55 Moomins 01:20 Tom & Jerry Kids 01:45 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 02:10 Puppy In My Pocket 02:35 Wacky Races 03:00 Looney Tunes 03:25 Duck Dodgers 03:50 Dastardly And Muttley 04:00 Dexter’s Laboratory 04:30 Wacky Races 04:55 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries 05:20 Tom & Jerry 05:45 The Garfield Show 06:00 Bananas In Pyjamas 06:25 Gerald McBoing Boing 06:45 Jelly Jamm 07:00 Ha Ha Hairies 07:25 Baby Looney Tunes 07:50 Lazy Town 08:15 Krypto The Superdog 08:40 Jelly Jamm 09:05 Gerald McBoing Boing 09:30 Cartoonito Tales 09:55 Bananas In Pyjamas 10:20 Ha Ha Hairies 10:45 Lazy Town 11:10 Krypto The Superdog 11:35 Baby Looney Tunes 12:00 Jelly Jamm 12:25 Gerald McBoing Boing 12:50 Cartoonito Tales 13:15 Krypto The Superdog 13:40 Lazy Town 14:00 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 14:25 Tom And Jerry Tales 14:50 Sylvester And Tweety Mysteries 15:20 Johnny Bravo 15:45 Tom & Jerry 16:10 Pink Panther And Pals 16:35 The Garfield Show 17:00 What’s New Scooby-Doo? 17:25 Sylvester And Tweety Mysteries 17:50 Tom And Jerry Tales 18:15 The Looney Tunes Show 18:40 Taz-Mania 19:05 Moomins 19:30 Pink Panther & Pals 19:45 The Garfield Show 20:00 Sylvester And Tweety Mysteries 20:20 Tom And Jerry Tales 20:45 Moomins 21:10 Dexters Laboratory

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

03:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 04:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 04:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Powerpuff Girls 05:40 Generator Rex 06:05 Ben 10 06:55 Angelo Rules 07:00 Casper’s Scare School 08:00 Mucha Lucha 08:25 Johnny Test 08:45 Adventure Time

09:05 Total Drama Action 09:30 Total Drama Action 09:55 Ben 10: Omniverse 10:20 Young Justice 10:45 Thundercats 11:10 Regular Show 12:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 12:50 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 Transformers Prime 17:40 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 Celebrity Manhunt’s Total Drama...

20:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 21:20 Hero 108 21:45 Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge 22:10 Grim Adventures Of...

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

Magic Of Science Time Warp Mythbusters Border Security Auction Kings Auction Kings How Do They Do It? How It’s Made American Guns Mythbusters Unchained Reaction Finding Bigfoot Border Security Auction Kings Auction Kings How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Magic Of Science Time Warp Mythbusters Mythbusters Border Security Auction Kings Auction Kings Desert Car Kings Finding Bigfoot Mythbusters American Guns

00:10 Hannah Montana Forever 00:35 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 01:25 Replacements 02:15 Emperor’s New School 03:05 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 03:55 Replacements 04:45 Emperor’s New School 05:35 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 06:00 Phineas And Ferb 06:15 Suite Life On Deck 06:40 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 07:05 A.N.T. Farm 07:30 Phineas And Ferb 07:55 Jessie 08:20 Good Luck Charlie 08:45 Doc McStuffins 09:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 09:35 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 09:45 Mouk 10:00 Jonas Los Angeles 10:25 So Random 10:50 Hannah Montana 11:15 Sonny With A Chance 11:40 Kim Possible 12:05 Shake It Up 12:30 Wizards Of Waverly Place 12:55 Phineas And Ferb 13:20 Austin And Ally 13:45 Art Attack 14:10 A.N.T. Farm 14:35 Suite Life On Deck 15:00 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 15:25 Shake It Up 15:45 Minnie And You

15:50 16:15 16:40 17:00 17:25 17:30 17:55 18:20 18:45 18:55 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:30 20:50 21:15

Austin And Ally Jessie A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Minnie And You Gravity Falls Suite Life On Deck Austin And Ally Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb A.N.T Farm Good Luck Charlie Jessie That’s So Raven Cory In The House Phil Of The Future

00:20 Little Einsteins 00:50 Special Agent Oso 01:15 Lazytown 01:40 Jungle Junction 02:10 Handy Manny 02:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 03:00 Lazytown 03:25 Special Agent Oso 03:50 Imagination Movers 04:20 Handy Manny 04:40 Special Agent Oso 05:00 Timmy Time 05:10 Lazytown 05:35 Little Einsteins 06:00 Jungle Junction 06:30 Little Einsteins 06:50 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Jungle Junction 07:45 Handy Manny 08:00 Special Agent Oso 08:15 Imagination Movers 08:40 Cars Toons 08:45 Handy Manny 09:00 The Hive 09:10 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 09:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 10:05 Zou 10:35 Doc McStuffins 11:00 Lilo And Stitch 11:30 Cars Toons 11:35 Timmy Time 11:45 Art Attack 12:10 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 12:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 13:00 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 13:10 Doc McStuffins 13:25 Handy Manny 13:40 Jungle Junction 13:55 Timmy Time 14:05 The Hive 14:15 Zou 14:40 Timmy Time 14:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:20 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 15:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 16:00 The Little Mermaid 16:25 Lilo And Stitch 16:55 Imagination Movers 17:20 Handy Manny 17:35 The Hive 17:45 Lilo And Stitch 18:10 Doc McStuffins 18:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:10 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 19:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:05 Timmy Time 20:15 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 20:25 Doc McStuffins 20:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:55 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:10 Zou 21:45 Handy Manny 22:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 22:25 The Hive 22:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 23:00 Timmy Time 23:10 Animated Stories 23:20 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 23:30 Jungle Junction 23:45 Handy Manny 23:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

00:00 Programmes Start At 7:00am 07:00 Kickin It 07:25 Phineas And Ferb 07:50 Almost Naked Animals 08:15 Pokemon: BW Rival Destinies 08:40 Slugterra 09:05 Scaredy Squirrel 09:30 Ultimate Spider-Man 09:55 Zeke & Luther 10:20 Kick Buttowski 10:45 I’m In The Band 11:10 Rekkit Rabbit 11:35 Rated A For Awesome 12:00 Iron Man Armored Adventures 12:25 American Dragon 12:50 Kick Buttowski 13:20 Pair Of Kings 13:45 Zeke & Luther 14:10 Kid vs Kat 14:35 I’m In The Band 15:00 Ultimate Spider-Man 15:25 Kickin It 15:50 Rekkit Rabbit 16:15 Pair Of Kings 16:40 Almost Naked Animals 17:05 Lab Rats 17:30 Slugterra 17:55 Cars Toons 18:00 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 18:25 Scaredy Squirrel 18:50 Phineas And Ferb 19:40 Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge 20:05 Slugterra 20:30 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 20:55 I’m In The Band 21:20 Rated A For Awesome 21:45 Rekkit Rabbit 22:10 Phineas And Ferb 22:35 Ultimate Spider-Man 23:05 Kick Buttowski

THE REUNION ON OSN ACTION HD

00:00 00:55 01:25 03:15 03:40 04:10 05:05 06:00 07:50 08:20 09:15 10:15

Scouted Style Star THS Behind The Scenes Extreme Close-Up THS E!es THS Behind The Scenes E! News Ice Loves Coco THS

12:05 13:05 14:05 York 15:00 15:30 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:30 23:30

E! News Opening Act Kourtney & Kim Take New Style Star THS Behind The Scenes Married To Jonas E! News E!es Giuliana & Bill Married To Jonas Fashion Police E! News Chelsea Lately

00:15 Unique Sweets 00:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:30 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 02:20 Unwrapped 02:45 Charly’s Cake Angels 03:35 Unique Sweets 04:20 Kid In A Candy Store 04:50 Unique Sweets 05:15 Charly’s Cake Angels 05:40 Chopped 06:30 Iron Chef America 07:10 Unwrapped 08:00 Food Network Challenge 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 Easy Chinese: San Francisco 11:45 Easy Chinese 12:10 Mexican Made Easy 13:00 Iron Chef America 13:50 Tyler’s Ultimate 14:15 Unique Sweets 15:05 World Cafe Asia 15:30 Easy Chinese: San Francisco 15:55 Easy Chinese 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 Chopped 22:10 Iron Chef America 23:00 Crave 23:25 Crave 23:50 Unique Eats

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:05 03:55 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 Jones 20:30 21:20 22:10 23:00

I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab American Greed I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

True Crime With Aphrodite Murder Shift Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Forensic Detectives True Crime With Aphrodite Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Disappeared Murder Shift Forensic Detectives True Crime With Aphrodite Disappeared Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill Kidnap And Rescue

00:45 Amish: Out of Order 01:40 Meet The Natives: USA 02:35 Bondi Rescue 04:25 Ultimate Traveller 05:20 A World Apart 06:15 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 06:40 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 07:10 Reverse Exploration 08:05 Amish: Out of Order 09:00 Meet The Natives: USA 09:55 Bondi Rescue 11:45 Ultimate Traveller 12:40 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 13:35 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:30 Eccentric Uk 15:25 Amish: Out of Order 16:20 Meet The Natives: USA 17:15 Bondi Rescue 19:05 Travel Oz 20:00 Eccentric Uk 21:00 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 21:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 22:00 A World Apart 22:55 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 23:20 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 23:50 Street Food Around The World

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

Hunter Hunted World’s Deadliest GPU The Megafalls Of Iguacu The Incredible Dr. Pol The Pack Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy The Real Serengeti The Megafalls Of Iguacu The Incredible Dr. Pol The Pack Ultimate Animal Countdown Animal Autopsy Ultimate Predators GPU Monster Fish Restless Planet Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS ON OSN MOVIES HD 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00

The Pack Ultimate Animal Countdown Animal Autopsy World’s Deadliest GPU Moray Eels: Alien Empire Ultimate Animal Countdown The Pack

00:00 Open Graves-18 02:00 Alien-18 04:00 Goal!-PG15 06:00 Tomorrow, When The War Began-PG15 08:00 The Reunion-PG15 10:00 Transporter 2-PG15 12:00 Battle: Los Angeles-PG15 14:00 The Reunion-PG15 16:00 Go Fast-PG15 18:00 Battle: Los Angeles-PG15 20:00 Street Kings 2: Motor City-18 22:00 Caught Inside-PG15

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 18:45 21:00 23:15

Awaydays-18 The Decoy Bride-PG15 Ghost Machine-PG15 Golden Christmas 3-PG15 The Decoy Bride-PG15 Win Win-PG15 Once Brothers-PG15 Jane Eyre-PG15 Eva-PG15 Moneyball-PG15 We Bought A Zoo-PG The Rum Diary-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 The League 02:00 Louie 02:30 Eastbound & Down 03:00 New Girl 03:30 Raising Hope 04:00 Less Than Perfect 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Til Death 06:00 Seinfeld 06:30 Hope & Faith 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Less Than Perfect 08:30 New Girl 09:00 Til Death 09:30 Allen Gregory 10:00 The Mindy Project 10:30 Hope & Faith 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Seinfeld 12:30 Less Than Perfect 13:00 Til Death 13:30 Hope & Faith 14:00 Raising Hope 14:30 The Mindy Project 15:00 Allen Gregory 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 New Girl 18:30 2 Broke Girls 19:00 Allen Gregory 19:30 Modern Family 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 18:30

Franklin & Bash Awake The Carrie Diaries The Finder Six Feet Under Good Morning America The Bachelor Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Jane By Design The Bachelor Franklin & Bash The Finder Jane By Design Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street

00:00 Open Graves-18 02:00 Alien-18 04:00 Goal!-PG15 06:00 Tomorrow, When The War Began-PG15 08:00 The Reunion-PG15 10:00 Transporter 2-PG15 12:00 Battle: Los Angeles-PG15 14:00 The Reunion-PG15 16:00 Go Fast-PG15 18:00 Battle: Los Angeles-PG15 20:00 Street Kings 2: Motor City-18 22:00 Caught Inside-PG15

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00

MacGruber-18 Take Me Home Tonight-18 Beware The Gonzo-PG15 Good Boy!-PG Little Shop Of Horrors-PG15 The Bad News Bears (1976) Beware The Gonzo-PG15 Best In Show-PG15 The Bad News Bears (1976)

01:00 Nixon-18 04:00 Terms Of Endearment-PG15 06:15 Witness-PG15 08:15 Life In A Day-PG15 09:45 Anna And The King-PG15 12:10 The Memory Keeper’s Daughter-PG15 13:40 Miles From Nowhere-PG 15:05 Anna And The King-PG15 17:30 TT3D: Closer To The EdgePG15 19:15 Love And Other Impossible Pursuits-PG15 21:00 The Silence Of The Lambs-18 23:00 Biutiful-18

01:00 Black Forest-PG15 03:00 Rising Stars-PG15 05:00 Call Of The Wild-PG15 07:00 Happy Feet Two-PG 09:00 The Adjustment Bureau-PG15 11:00 The Bad News Bears (2005) 13:00 Marley & Me: The Puppy Years-PG 15:00 Hitch-PG15 17:00 The Adjustment Bureau-PG15 18:45 Hugo-PG 21:00 We Bought A Zoo-PG 23:15 Friends With Benefits-18

01:15 The Wild Thornberrys Movie 02:45 The Ugly Duckling Goes On Holiday-FAM 04:15 Turtle Hero: Part I-FAM 06:00 Treasure Buddies-PG 08:00 Alex & Alexis-FAM 10:00 Kung Fu Panda 2-PG 11:30 The Wild Thornberrys MoviePG 13:00 Rebound-PG 14:30 Rio-FAM 16:15 The Fantastic Adventure Of The Ugly Duckling-FAM 18:00 Kung Fu Panda 2-PG 20:00 The Fairy Tale Tree-FAM 22:00 Rebound-PG 23:30 Alex & Alexis-FAM

00:30 European Tour Weekly 01:00 Inside The PGA Tour 01:30 Super League 03:30 Trans World Sport 04:30 Rugby Union 06:30 Inside The PGA Tour 07:00 PGA Tour Highlights 08:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 09:00 European Tour Weekly 09:30 Super League 11:30 ICC Cricket 360 12:00 Rugby Union 14:00 Rugby Union 16:00 Trans World Sport 17:00 Futbol Mundial 17:30 Live Dubai World Cup Carnival 22:00 NFL Gameday 22:30 Inside The PGA Tour 23:00 Live PGA Tour

00:30 Futbol Mundial 01:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 02:30 Dubai World Cup Carnival 07:00 Trans World Sport 08:00 Futbol Mundial 08:30 Anglo Welsh Cup 10:30 ICC Cricket 360 11:00 PGA Tour Highlights 12:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 13:00 PGA European Tour Weekly 13:30 Live PGA European Tour 17:30 Inside The PGA Tour 18:00 Futbol Mundial 18:30 NFL Game Day 19:00 WWE NXT 20:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 21:00 Trans World Sport 22:00 Live Premier League Darts

00:00 World Cup of Pool 01:00 Golfing World 02:00 World Cup of Darts 05:30 Futbol Mundial 06:00 European PGA Highlights 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Total Rugby 08:30 Spirit of a Champion 09:00 World Pool Masters 10:00 World Cup of Pool 11:00 World Cup of Darts 14:30 Golfing World 15:30 World Pool Masters 16:30 World Cup of Pool 17:30 Trans World Sport 18:30 European PGA Tour 23:00 Anglo Welsh Cup

Tour

01:00 NHL 03:00 Ping Pong World Championships 04:00 US Bass Fishing 05:00 NHL 07:00 WWE SmackDown 09:00 Ping Pong World Championships 10:00 US Bass Fishing 11:00 NHL 13:00 WWE Vintage Collection 14:00 WWE Bottom Line 15:00 Prizefighter 18:00 UAE National Race Day Series 19:00 NHL 21:00 UFC Ultimate 100 Knockouts

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00

Storage Wars Pawn Stars Storage Wars Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Ancient Aliens Storage Wars Seeking Salvage Pawn Stars American Restoration Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Pawn Stars Storage Wars Seeking Salvage Pawn Stars American Restoration Pawn Stars Storage Wars Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Ancient Aliens Storage Wars Pawn Stars American Restoration Seeking Salvage Ancient Aliens Storage Wars Pawn Stars

00:55 Bhowani Junction-PG 02:45 Pink Floyd - The Wall 04:20 The Barretts Of Wimpole Street-PG 06:05 Robin And The Seven Hoods 08:00 Elvis: That’s The Way It Is-FAM 09:50 The Prize-PG 12:00 The Barretts Of Wimpole Street-PG 13:45 Destination Tokyo-FAM 16:00 Robin And The Seven Hoods 18:05 Please Don’t Eat The Daisies

Classifieds THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Kuwait

SHARQIA-1 WARM BODIES (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

SHARQIA-2 HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-3 SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) LINCOLN (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) LINCOLN (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-1 GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) LINCOLN (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) LINCOLN (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:15 PM 7:15 PM 9:15 PM 12:15 AM

MUHALAB-2 WARM BODIES (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-3 HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-1 WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-2 SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-3 THE LAST STAND (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

2:00 PM

THE LAST STAND (DIG) JAB TAK HAI JAAN (DIG) (HINDI) RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-4 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED FANAR-5 LINCOLN LINCOLN LINCOLN LINCOLN NO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-4 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG)

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM

360º- 1 WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 9:00 PM 11:15 PM 1:15 AM

360 º- 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

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-3 SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS NO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-3 LINCOLN (DIG) LINCOLN (DIG) LINCOLN (DIG) LINCOLN (DIG) LINCOLN (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

2:15 PM 5:15 PM 7:15 PM 9:15 PM 12:15 AM

MARINA-2 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-2 THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

4:15 PM 6:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:45 AM

2:45 PM 5:45 PM 8:45 PM 11:45 PM

MARINA-1 LINCOLN (DIG) QUARTET (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) LINCOLN (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

AVENUES-1 GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) GANGSTER SQUAD (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

MATRIMONIAL

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

12:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM 12:30 AM

12:30 PM 3:00 PM 5:30 PM

360 º- 3 DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) CHINESE ZODIAC (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) DJANGO UNCHAINED (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

8:00 PM 10:30 PM 1:00 AM

2:15 PM 5:15 PM 8:15 PM 11:15 PM

360 º- 4 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:30 PM 4:00 PM 6:30 PM 9:00 PM 11:30 PM

AL-KOUT.1 HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:45 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

AL-KOUT.2 SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) LINCOLN (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) LINCOLN (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.3 THE LAST STAND (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) THE LAST STAND (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

BAIRAQ-1 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED BAIRAQ-2 LINCOLN (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

2:00 PM 5:00 PM

LINCOLN (DIG) SILENT HILL: REVELATION (DIG) LINCOLN (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED BAIRAQ-3 WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) WARM BODIES (DIG) NO SUN+TUE+WED

7:00 PM 10:00 PM 12:05 AM

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

PLAZA 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) ONGOLE GITHA (DIG) (TELUGU) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) NO FRI ONGOLE GITHA (DIG) (TELUGU) FRI 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) NO FRI LAILA HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS LINCOLN (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS AJIAL.1 DAVID (DIG) (TAMIL) NO THU RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) THU DAVID (DIG) (TAMIL) NO THU RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) THU DAVID (DIG) (TAMIL) NO THU RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) THU

3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:45 PM 9:30 PM

3:30 PM 5:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM

7:00 PM 7:00 PM 10:00 PM 10:00 PM

3:30 PM 6:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM

AJIAL.4 KAMMATH & KAMMATH (DIG) (MALAYALAM) 3:45 PM KAMMATH & KAMMATH (DIG) (MALAYALAM) 6:45 PM KAMMATH & KAMMATH (DIG) (MALAYALAM) 9:45 PM METRO-1 KAMMATH & KAMMATH (DIG) (MALAYALAM) 3:30 PM KAMMATH & KAMMATH (DIG) (MALAYALAM) 6:30 PM KAMMATH & KAMMATH (DIG) (MALAYALAM) 9:30 PM DAVID (DIG) (TAMIL) 9:30 PM NOTHU METRO-2 ONGOLE GITHA (DIG) (TELUGU) NOTHU RACE 2 (DIG) (HINDI) THU ONGOLE GITHA (DIG) (TELUGU) ONGOLE GITHA (DIG) (TELUGU)

State Life Insurance Policy # 633000165 ñ Name: Ali and Policy # 633000317 Maqsood Ali, 63003044 Framan Ali, has been lost.

Finder may please contact SLIC office No: 2245208-9.

(C 4296) 3-2-2014 SITUATION WANTED

4:00 PM

AJIAL.3 ONGOLE GITHA (TELUGU) ONGOLE GITHA (TELUGU) ONGOLE GITHA (TELUGU)

LOST

11:00 PM

4:00 PM

AJIAL.2 KADAL (DIG) (TAMIL) DAVID (DIG) (HINDI) NO THU KADAL (DIG) (TAMIL) THU KADAL (DIG) (TAMIL)

Proposals are invited for a 29-year-old Latin Catholic boy, from Cochin working in Kuwait as Engineer in a very well established firm.

He will be in Cochin for two weeks end of Februar y.

Email: jkuwait1983@gmail.com (C 4295) 3-2-2014

4:00 PM 4:00 PM 7:00 PM 10:00 PM

PhD holder (Malaysian citizen) with 12 years R&D experience seeking academic, research or consultancy positions in the area of IT/ Computer Engineering, Data Mining etc. Available for appointments between 2-15 Feb 2013. Call 97298545 for details. (C 4298) 4-2-2013 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. Contact: 55829223 or Email: acconline@ymail.com (C 4285) 3-2-2014

FOR SALE 2009 Hyundai Sonata, single use, white color, excellent condition, agency maintained, 37,000 km only, still under warranty, expecting price KD 3,000, negotiable. Contact: 97182559.

6-2-2013 Toyota Camry V6, model 2004, km 217,000, KD 2,100.

Tel: 99084420, 55037878.

(C 4299)

Mitsubishi Pajero 2003, golden color, 6 cylinder, excellent condition, 187,000 km, price KD 1,850/-.

Contact: 50994848.

(C 4301) 5-2-2013 Used Laptop HP Envy, core I7, RAM 6, HD 500, in box, KD 125. Call 66888103.

(C 4294) 3-2-2014

CHANGE OF NAME I, Mrs Angela Tito D/o Francisco Xavier Tito holder of Indian Passport No: G9944134, has changed my name from Angela Tito to Angela Pinto. (C 4300)

Anthony Tito to Anthony Pinto. (C 4300) 5-2-2013 I, Rulesh Julesh Ayare holder of Indian Passport No: J2020606, hereby change my name to Rulesh Julesh Fereira. (C 4297) 4-2-2013 I, Dahodwala Murtaza Zohar, holder of Passport No: G2210473, hereby change my name to Bhabhrawala Murtuza Zohar. Address: 301 3rd floor Alefiya Apartment Sujai Baug, Godhra Road, Dahod (Gujrat). (C 4293) 3-2-2014

I, Mr Anthony Tito S/o Xavier Tito holder of Indian Passport No: Z2182382, has changed my name from

Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is

1889988

Prayer timings Fajr:

05:14

Shorook

06:35

Duhr:

12:02

Asr:

15:08

Maghrib:

17:30

Isha:

18:49

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JAI THY JZR JZR QTR SAI ETH GFA UAE ETD FDB MSR RBG QTR DHX THY JZR JZR JZR BAW KAC KAC KAC FDB IRA KAC IRA KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB ETD IRC IZG GFA BAB JZR MSC MEA MSR UAE KAC SYR FDB KAC KAC KNE SVA QTR KAC MSR JZR

Arrival Flights on Thursday 7/2/2013 Flt Route 574 MUMBAI 772 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 441 LAHORE 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 3555 ALEXANDRIA 138 DOHA 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 555 ALEXANDRIA 529 ASSIUT 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 354 COCHIN 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 605 ISFAHAN 302 MUMBAI 617 AHWAZ 332 TRIVANDRUM 855 DUBAI 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 6588 SHAHRE KORD 4161 MASHAD 213 BAHRAIN 436 BAHRAIN 165 DUBAI 403 ASSIUT 404 BEIRUT 610 CAIRO 871 DUBAI 382 DELHI 341 DAMASCUS 57 DUBAI 546 ALEXANDRIA 672 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 500 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 788 JEDDAH 514 CAIRO 257 BEIRUT

Time 0:05 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:30 1:45 1:50 2:35 2:45 3:05 3:10 3:25 3:45 5:15 5:30 5:55 6:00 6:35 6:40 6:45 7:35 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:55 7:55 8:15 8:40 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:25 9:35 9:55 10:05 11:20 11:35 11:55 12:45 12:50 12:55 12:55 13:50 14:15 14:15 14:15 14:30 14:35 14:55 14:55 15:05

KNE KAC QTR OMA JZR KNE KAC UAE JZR ETD RJA GFA SVA JZR QTR ABY UAL KAC JZR RBG KAC BAB FDB MSC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA FDB JAI AXB MSC MSR JZR ABY ALK QTR KAC MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE FDB DHX AIC JZR GFA KAC JZR UAL BBC DLH

470 284 134 645 535 474 118 857 1771 303 640 215 510 777 144 127 982 542 177 3553 786 438 63 405 176 618 104 674 774 647 61 572 393 401 618 189 129 229 146 562 402 136 221 307 859 59 372 981 239 217 502 185 981 43 636

JEDDAH DHAKA DOHA MUSCAT CAIRO JEDDAH NEW YORK DUBAI JEDDAH ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH DOHA SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO DUBAI ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI SOHAG GENEVA DOHA LONDON DUBAI RIYADH MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI KOZHIKODE ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA DUBAI SHARJAH COLOMBO DOHA AMMAN BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN CHENNAI AMMAN BAHRAIN BEIRUT DUBAI BAHRAIN DHAKA FRANKFURT

15:05 15:10 15:30 15:40 16:25 16:30 16:35 16:40 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:45 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:45 19:00 19:15 19:20 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:20 20:25 20:30 20:35 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 22:00 22:00 22:30 22:45 22:50 22:55 23:05 23:25 23:45 23:55

Airlines AIC AXB QTR JAI UAL DLH KAC SAI ETH THY KAC FDB UAE ETD RBG MSR QTR QTR JZR GFA KAC THY FDB BAW IRA IRA JZR JZR KAC KAC KAC ABY UAE FDB ETD QTR IRC IZG GFA BAB JZR KAC KAC JZR MSC MEA KAC MSR JZR SYR UAE FDB KAC KNE

Departure Flights on Thursday 7/2/2013 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 390 MANGALORE 6131 DOHA 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 283 DHAKA 442 LAHORE 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 381 DELHI 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 3556 ALEXANDRIA 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 545 ALEXANDRIA 771 ISTANBUL 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 606 MASHHAD 616 AHWAZ 256 BEIRUT 534 CAIRO 101 LONDON 787 JEDDAH 671 DUBAI 122 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 133 DOHA 6589 SHAHRE 4162 MASHHAD 214 BAHRAIN 437 BAHRAIN 1770 JEDDAH 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 776 JEDDAH 406 SOHAG 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 611 CAIRO 176 DUBAI 342 DAMASCUS 872 DUBAI 58 DUBAI 673 DUBAI 473 JEDDAH

Time 0:05 0:15 0:55 1:05 1:10 1:20 2:25 2:30 2:45 2:55 3:15 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:05 4:10 4:50 6:05 6:55 7:00 7:30 7:35 8:25 8:45 8:50 8:55 9:05 9:15 9:20 9:25 9:40 9:45 9:55 10:00 10:05 10:10 10:25 10:35 10:40 10:50 11:15 11:30 11:50 12:15 12:35 12:55 13:00 13:45 13:50 13:55 14:15 14:30 15:05 15:10

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

KAC KAC SVA KNE JZR QTR KAC OMA KAC JZR KNE ETD JZR QTR UAE RJA MSR GFA JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR RBG UAL FDB BAB MSC FDB KAC KAC OMA JAI AXB ABY KAC MSC MSR KAC DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC FDB JZR UAE DHX KAC QTR GFA JZR KAC KAC

561 617 505 471 188 141 773 646 501 238 475 304 538 135 858 641 515 216 184 511 128 266 145 3554 982 64 439 404 62 351 331 648 571 394 120 343 402 619 543 171 230 403 308 137 222 301 60 554 860 373 205 147 218 528 411 415

AMMAN DOHA JEDDAH JEDDAH DUBAI DOHA RIYADH MUSCAT BEIRUT AMMAN JEDDAH ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN CAIRO BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN ASSIUT DUBAI KOCHI TRIVANDRUM MUSCAT MUMBAI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH CHENNAI ALEXANDRIA ALEXANDRIA CAIRO BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DOHA BAHRAIN ASSIUT BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR

15:40 15:45 16:00 16:00 16:05 16:15 16:25 16:40 17:00 17:15 17:25 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:15 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:00 19:10 19:25 19:30 20:00 20:40 20:45 20:55 20:55 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:40 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:00 23:10 23:50 23:50 23:55 23:55

34

stars CROSSWORD 93

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19)

Computers and other equipment could go haywire today, limiting your abilities to work at maximum efficiency.

Even though you’re usually calm and laid back, Aries, today the ogre in you may be tempted to emerge. Don’t let it. It will only cause tension between you and those around you. Stay calm and focused, call in a technician, and enjoy the break from your routine.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Don’t try to sign up for a class over the phone or online today, Taurus, as it probably won’t work. This also isn’t a good day to travel - delays are likely whether you fly or drive. If you’ve been planning a trip, don’t finalize the arrangements now. Wait a few days, as computers and other equipment used in such arrangements are likely to malfunction, and you could end up frustrated.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. Any of several small ungulate mammals of Africa and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes.

4. Of an organism's environment.

12. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

15. Electrical conduction through a gas in an applied electric field.

16. The act of making something clean.

17. At a great distance in time or space or degree.

18. A form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature.

20. (especially of promises or contracts) Not violated or disregarded.

22. Filled with a great quantity.

24. Precipitation of ice pellets when there are strong rising air currents.

26. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

27. A soft gray ductile metallic element used in alloys.

29. Thin and fit.

32. Treated with contempt.

33. A fricative sound (especially as an expression of disapproval).

37. The work of caring for or attending to someone or something.

40. Given to avoiding association with others.

44. The smallest multiple that is exactly divisible by every member of a set of numbers.

45. Small tropical American tree bearing edible plumlike fruit.

48. A nucleic acid that transmits genetic information from DNA to the cytoplasm.

49. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

51. Proceeding from or ordered by or subject to a pope or the papacy regarded as the successor of the Apostles.

53. An intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium ores.

54. A fabric with prominent rounded crosswise ribs.

57. A promontory in northern Morocco opposite the Rock of Gibraltar.

59. A ductile gray metallic element of the lanthanide series.

61. A dark-skinned member of a race of people living in Australia when Europeans arrived.

63. German states who as chancellor of West Germany worked to reduce tensions with eastern Europe (1913-1992).

65. Any wingless blood-sucking parasitic insect noted for ability to leap.

68. A city in the Asian part of Russia.

71. An incorrect deal.

73. A percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance.

75. A transuranic element that has not been found in nature.

76.

White Southerner supporting Reconstruction policies after the Civil War usually for self-interest.

79. Thigh of a hog (usually smoked).

80. Outer space as viewed from the earth.

81. Medium tall celery pine of New Zealand.

82. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN 1. Tropical woody herb with showy yellow flowers and flat pods.

2. A particular geographical region of indefinite

boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

3. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

4. A small digital computer based on a microprocessor and designed to be used by one person at a time.

5. Large northern deer with enormous flattened antlers in the male.

6. The seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located adv.

7. A person who lacks good judgment.

8. Constituting the undiminished entirety.

9. Destruction of heart tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply to the heart muscle.

10. Having removed clothing.

11. 1/1000 gram.

12. (old-fashioned) At or from or to a great distance.

13. A small cake leavened with yeast.

14. Decapod having eyes on short stalks and a broad flattened carapace with a small abdomen folded under the thorax and pincers.

19. Small often spiny insectivorous mammal of Madagascar.

21. A native or inhabitant of Afghanistan.

23. The compass point that is one point east (clockwise) of due north.

25. Made agreeably cold (especially by ice).

28. Octavian and Mark Antony defeated Brutus and Cassius in 42 BC. 30. An archaic name for Easter or Passover.

31. Any property detected by the olfactory system.

34. Chief god of the Rig-Veda.

35. Used of locations.

36. Characterized by dignity and propriety.

38. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

39. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

41. A class of proteins produced in lymph tissue in vertebrates and that function as antibodies in the immune response.

42. An informal term for a father.

43. Belonging to or derived from or associated with a divine power.

46. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

47. A telegram sent abroad.

50. A name given to a product or service.

52. British physicist (born in Hungary) noted for his work on holography (1900-1979).

55. First in order of birth.

56. The basic unit of money in Macao.

58. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily.

60. Improperly forward or bold.

62. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

64. Building that contains a surface for ice skating or roller skating.

66. An accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape.

67. A woman hired to suckle a child of someone else.

69. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

70. God of love and erotic desire.

72. A local computer network for communication between computers.

74. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

77. A chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints).

78. A state in northwestern United States on the Pacific.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

No matter what friends tell you, Gemini, this isn’t the day to make an investment of any kind, from buying a house to starting a savings account. And this isn’t a good day to invest online. The planetary energies don’t favor computers or other forms of modern technology used in such transactions, so wait a day or two. Discussions about possibilities are OK. Just don’t do it yet.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

More than one problem with modern equipment could rear its head today, Cancer. Computers could malfunction, crash, or be maddeningly slow. You might also have a hard time reaching people you need to talk to. Don’t be tempted to blow your top. That won’t accomplish anything. Just call the technicians and get it handled. Tomorrow everything should be back to normal.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

A trip of some kind might have to be postponed, as computers and other technology involved in your arrangements might be temporarily out of operation. This can prove frustrating, Leo, but it’s beyond your control. The best thing to do is make new arrangements and move on. For the most part, everything is going very well for you, so don’t give in to panic. Hang in there.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Some upsetting dreams might haunt you today, Virgo. They might evoke some uncomfortable emotional issues.

You might be a bit edgy emotionally and more likely to overreact when other people quarrel or machines break down. It might be a good idea to analyze your dreams first thing in the morning so you can learn from and release them. That way you will be more balanced throughout your day.

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Libra (September 23-October 22)

Machines are likely to pose a few problems today, Libra, particularly where work and money are concerned. An unforeseen problem might interfere with your social life, perhaps forcing you to cancel a get-together you’ve been anticipating. If the person you were supposed to meet protests, avoid taking out your frustrations on him or her. Make new arrangements. It’s only a temporary situation.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Obstacles may arise in the course of your chores when machines break down and interfere with your efficiency.

Your frustrations may cause you to want to yell and throw things. If you must blow your top, Scorpio, do it in such a way as to avoid causing upset to others. Go for a workout or jog.

The machines will be fixed and the situation will pass. Hang in there.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Payment for work you’ve performed may not come when expected, Sagittarius, particularly if direct deposit is involved. The planetary energies today don’t favor the smooth functioning of computers or other machines. This is a temporary setback and not worth stressing over. Don’t give in to the temptation to lose your temper. All will be straightened out and your funds will be in their proper place.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Family members might not be in the best of moods today, Capricorn. Frustration with machines or friends could have tempers on edge, so try to avoid the temptation to get into arguments.

The problems will be resolved and the bad moods will pass. You don’t want any residual bad feelings between you and them. This is a good day to get out and spend the day in the bookstore by yourself.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

Problems in your community may result from malfunctioning machines. Be prepared, Aquarius. Have flashlights handy in case of a power outage, and walk instead of drive in case signals cause major traffic jams. Neighbors may be going crazy, but try to stay calm. This is a temporary situation, and not worth getting all stressed over. A good piece of advice is to spend the day reading.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Temporary upsets regarding money might result from a computer failure of some sort. Take care not to lose your temper over it, Pisces. Instead, remain calm, focused, and polite until everything is worked out. Your financial condition itself still looks very promising. It’s just that the planetary energies don’t favor machines today, so they may all go out of whack. Hang in there.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

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Yesterday’s Solution

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 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 Sharq

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

ST TAT TE OF KUW K WA AIT

Tel.: e 161

DIRECTORA AT TE GENE GENERAL OF CIVIL AV VIA AT TION PA ARTMENT METEOROLOGICAL DEP DA AY: Y Wednesday e

Fax: 24348714

06/02/2013

No Current Warnings arnin a

WARNING A MAX. EXP P.

MIN. REC.

KUW WAIT A CITY

22 °C

12 °C

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

21 °C

08 °C

NUW WAISEEB A

20 °C

09 °C

22456536

WAFRA A

22 °C

06 °C

22465401

SALMI

19 °C

07 °C

Salmiya

25746401

ABDAL LY

21 °C

07 °C

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YAH A

20 °C

10 °C

FA AILAKA

20 °C

11 °C

AHMADI POR RT

19 °C

14 °C

QARUH ISLAND

17 °C

15 °C

UMM AL-MARADEM

23 °C

16 °C

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755 24772608

SFC. CHART

06/02/2013 0000 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures

West Jahra

DA AY

DA AT TE

WEA AT THER

Thursday

07/02

Friday

08/02

Saturday Sunday

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

09 °C

SE

20 - 45 km/h

10 °C

VRB

06 - 22 km/h

23 °C

11 °C

VRB

06 - 20 km/h

23 °C

12 °C

VRB-N

06 - 26 km/h

MAX.

MIN.

clouds to decrease + scattered rain

21 °C

fog

22 °C

09/02

fog + high clouds

10/02

sunny

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Fajr

05:13

MAX. Temp.

20 °C

Ardhiya

24884079

Sunrise

06:34

MIN. Temp.

07 °C

Zuhr

86 %

24892674

12:02

MAX. RH

Firdous

Asr

15:08

MIN. RH

Omariya

24719048

Sunset

17:30

MAX. Wind

Isha

18:49

TOT TA AL L RAIINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

N Khaitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

PRA RA AY YER TIMES

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WA AIT AIRPORT

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

31 % NW 39 km/h 00 mm

06/02/13 03:04 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

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

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

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

Dr. Salem soso

Al-Shuhada

22545171

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

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

07:00

Issue Time

Partly cloudy to cloudy with light to moderate freshening gradually at times south easterly wind, with speed of 20 - 40 km/h with a chance for scattered light rain

ST TATION T

22418714

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

Clouds will increase gradually with variable wind changing to light to moderate south easterly wind, with speed of 08 - 30 km/h

BY Y NIGHT:

25623444

Ext.: 2627 262 - 2630

Expected Weeather for the Next 24 Hours BY Y DA AY:

Maidan Hawally

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

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

LIFESTYLE M o v i e s

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Madonna

to auction costumes for Sandy relief

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adonna is to auction her tour costumes to raise money for Hurricane Sandy relief. The ‘Girl Gone Wild’ hitmaker visited some of the areas hit by last October’s superstorm - which caused millions of dollars worth of damage, particularly in New York and New Jersey - shortly after the natural disaster took place, and is now planning to do what she can to help those worst affected. According to the New York Post newspaper, the 54-year-old pop star will sell off outfits including the majorette costume and caged basque which she wore on stage during her ‘MDNA’ world tour, as well as numerous props from the set. The news comes after Madonna’s eldest daughter Lourdes, 16, made an impassioned appeal for people to help US residents trying to rebuild their lives after the devastating hurricane.

Lourdes - who visited Far Rockaway in November with her mother to help relief workers box up supplies for locals - wrote on her blog: “It’s extremely important that we STILL do what we can because people still need help. This can be donating to hurricane relief or going down to the affected locations and helping out. “My family and I went down to Rockaway a while back and the devastation was awful. It looked like the apocalypse and trash, rubble and tree branches were everywhere. We boxed provisions and gave them out to folks that needed them. “It was actually really awesome to see how many people were there helping out and how many people cared. There has been an extreme amount of progress since the hurricane despite the damage done and it is very inspiring to see the city rebuild itself but there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done.” As well as Lourdes, Madonna is also mother to Rocco, 12, Mercy, six, and David, seven.

Ora felt like Princess Diana in Kosovo

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ita Ora felt like Princess Diana when she visited her native Kosovo. The ‘How We Do’ singer says people in her homeland “worship” her music and her image and she felt like the late Princess of Wales when they flocked around her in reverence during a visit to the country. Rita - who lived in the country until she was one - told Stylist magazine: “I lived in Kosovo until I was one and my grandparents, aunties and cousins are still there. They’re living in a country which is worshipping what I’m doing and I don’t know what it’s like because I’m not there. My cousins call me up and say, ‘Rita, you don’t understand, they have shops named after you.’ “I went there and felt like Princess Diana, I’m not even joking. It was the best reception I’ve ever received. And they crowned me ambassador [in 2012], which was a great honor.” The 22-year-old star admitted that one of her own idols is pop legend Madonna and she would be totally dumb-struck if she were to ever meet the ‘Like A Virgin’ hitmaker. Describing her dream lifestyle, Rita said: “I’d be friends with Madonna. She could heal me; I’d go to yoga with her so I feel like I’d get really healthy... I’ve never met Madonna but if I did, I’d probably say nothing and she would be like, ‘What is this weirdo doing?’ “

Justin Bieber: I’m an ‘artist’

Sarah Harding

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ustin Bieber wants to show people he is an “artist”. The 18-year-old singer hopes his new album ‘Believe Acoustic’ will make fans focus on his music, rather than his personal life, and thinks the record will prove his real talent to critics. He told TV talk show host Jimmy Fallon: “It’s just good music. It just shows that I wasn’t made, I was found on YouTube and it shows people music is music.

That’s what you need to focus on - listening to the music. I’m an artist. I’m not - I’m a singer and I want to show people what I love to do.” The ‘Baby’ hitmaker - whose on/off relationship with Selena Gomez has been the subject of much recent speculation says the record shows off his “raw” side because the music is so stripped-back.

He added: “I wanted to basically strip it down so it’s just me and an acoustic guitar. Some of it is me and a piano but most of it is just raw me. I think the fans really like it because it’s just kind of how I started. I started with just me on the internet. Not really with all the produced pop music and so it’s just that it’s just really mellowed down and I feel like it’s made for all ages.” During his appearance on the show, Justin and Jimmy played a makeshift game of basketball using random objects, with the teenage star kissing a mannequin head before throwing it through the hoop, and he also threw pasta at the audience and

loves the red carpet

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he 31-year-old singer looked stunning as she stepped out at the ‘Run For Your Wife’ premiere in a floor-length shimmering black and bronze gown and she insists she is at home at the glitzy events. Speaking outside the Leicester Square Odeon cinema, she told BANG Showbiz: “I love the red carpet!

I love it. I’ve been waiting for about two years to see this film backed, seriously. It feels great to be here.”

Sarah stars in the film with Denise Van Outen and Danny Dyer - who plays a bigamist who has to stop his wives, Denise and Sarah, from meeting in the comedy - and she insists it was great to work with such talented cast. She added: “It was fun, it was a great cast and there were so many amazing cameos. I got to meet so many amazing people.” The film is based on the theatre farce ‘Run for Your Wife’ written by Ray Cooney who co-directed and produced the movie - and features cameos from several major British stars, including Dame Judi Dench, Ray Winstone and Sir Cliff Richard. Sarah has no starred in several movies but insists her acting is going to take a back seat to the Girls Aloud Reunion tour, which kicks off later this month. When asked if she has any other roles coming up, she replied: “Possibly yes, but right now I’m on tour.” Other stars to walk the red carpet included Danny, Denise, ‘Only Fools and Horses’ actor David Jason and ‘Loose Women’ panellist Denise Welch.

Leighton Meester is dating Adam Brody

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he couple - who co-starred in 2011 romantic-comedy movie ‘The Oranges’ - have reportedly been secretly seeing each other for several weeks, which comes after they used to “hang out” together while shooting the film. An insider confirmed to Us Weekly: “They were always close and friendly.” The 26-year-old beauty - who is known for her role as Blair Waldorf in teen drama TV series ‘Gossip Girl’ - and the 33-year-old actor were spotted “hugging and laughing” as they took in art exhibitions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art earlier this month. One eyewitness, @CedricDiggory, wrote on Twitter: “They were getting cuddly today at the LACMA apparently? Hugging & laughing. (sic)” @tayeschbach19 tweeted: “Just in the same museum exhibit with Adam Brody and leighton meester. Enough said. #lacelebsiting (sic)” Leighton and Adam who starred as Seth Cohen in US teen drama TV series ‘The O.C.’ for four years - also travelled to Bangkok together earlier this year where they were spotted at the Siam Kempinski Hotel in the Thai capital city.

Adam was recently linked to 34-year-old director Lorene Scafaria - who helmed Steve Carell and Keira Knightley’s comedy-drama movie ‘Seeking a Friend for the End of the World’ - while Leighton has previously dated ‘Austin Powers’ actor Aaron Himelstein.

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Watts does her own laundry

aomi Watts is determined to lead a normal life. ‘The Impossible’ star - who is nominated for a Best Actress Oscar on February 24 - has revealed it is “exhausting” juggling her career and motherhood but she tries to do it with as little help as possible because she wants to be hands-on with her children. The 44-year-old actress, who has two sons, Alexander, six, and Samuel, five, with her long-term partner Liev Schreiber, told USMagazine.com: “It’s pretty exhausting. It’s so great, it’s the best thing. Most high rewards you can have in anything, but it’s definitely exhausting being a mom. “I do my own laundry, but I sometimes have help. I cook. I definitely don’t have a chef.” Naomi previously claimed she rarely gets recognized by her fans and gets “pushed aside” so people can meet Liev. She said: “I never get recognized on the street. I’m lucky that way. “People see me as the dolled-up moviestar type on the red carpet, but in real life, I don’t look anything like that. I blend easily into a crowd.” Naomi recently admitted she was pleased her forthcoming movie ‘Queen of the Desert’ has been delayed because she wants to spend time with her family following a heavy period shooting ‘Diana’ and ‘The Impossible’.

She said: “It’s still a way’s off. I don’t know yet. Hopefully, it will happen. I just can’t travel again right now because I did a lot of travelling last year. It’s been a big year and it’s time for me to be home with the kids.”

Sutherland named Hasty Pudding Man of the Year

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iefer Sutherland has been named Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Man of the Year. The ‘24’ actor will be honored by the university’s prestigious undergraduate drama society for his contributions in entertainment - including his Emmy Award-winning role as anti-terrorism agent Jack Bauer in the action-packed TV show - in a ceremony on Friday . Kiefer, 46, will follow in the footsteps of this year’s Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year, ‘Rust and Bone’ actress Marion Cotillard, who enjoyed a buoyant and colorful ceremony last week including a parade and a comedy roast at the university’s Cambridge, Boston campus in Massachusetts. The ‘Touch’ star whose father is ‘The Hunger Games’ actor Donald Sutherland - shot to fame following a starring role in the critically-acclaimed 1986 coming-of-age drama, ‘Stand by Me’. He has since appeared in a string of movies such as ‘A Time to Kill’, ‘The Three Musketeers’ and ‘Phone Booth’. Perhaps best known for playing Jack Bauer for nine years in the hit TV series ‘24’, Kiefer earned an Emmy award, a Golden Globe award and two Screen Actors Guild awards for best leading actor thanks to his work on the show.. The Hasty Pudding Theatricals drama troupe honored ‘How I Met Your Mother’ actor Jason Segel with the Man of the Year award last year.

Bruce Willis: Emma is the boss

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ruce Willis does whatever his wife tells him. The ‘A Good Day To Die Hard’ actor is still smitten with Emma Heming with who he has nine-month-old daughter Mabel - and admits his spouse of almost three years is in control of their relationship. He said: “Emma is just great. Just great. She’s a great mother and she truly is very smart and very reserved and I just love her so much. “She had a great modeling career when she was younger and you should see her in a bathing suit. “She’s the boss and she’s the smartest of us both and I acquiesce to just about everything she thinks. I ask her opinion more than I ask anyone else’s.” As well as Mabel, Bruce, 57, has daughters Rumer, 24, Scout, 21, and Tallulah, 19,with ex-wife Demi Moore and is proud of the fact they have grown up to be “great women”. He said in an interview with the Daily Mirror newspaper: “There was a time when I didn’t quite know what kind of adults they were going to turn into. “But they turned into really great women and they have great morals and great ethics and they’re also kind, polite and intelligent and I couldn’t be more pleased. “We always raised them to have their own voices and to speak their minds and their opinions. “And now that they’re older I hear every opinion they have and I’m pleased with it. Despite becoming a father to Mabel later in life, Bruce insists he doesn’t feel any strain and thinks his action career has helped him keep up with the little girl. He said: “One of the things that makes becoming a father that much easier for me is that I pretty much stay in shape and I can run and jump and play, and being a father at this point in my life is great. “I feel like I have the same amount of love I used to have, if not more. I like getting up early and I like looking after Mabel and it’s just very exciting - it makes me very happy.” —Bang Showbiz

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Valentine’s Day specials at Joyalukkas

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enowned jeweler Joyalukkas has several surprises in store this Valentine’s Day, beginning with a choice of no less than a dozen resplendent diamond pendants from the Be Mine Heart-to-Heart collection.

Meticulously crafted in 18k white, and yellow gold, and studded with the finest diamonds, these pendants are a fitting tribute to love.

The Be Mine Heart-to-Heart collection features stylish pendants that appeal to every sensibility. Each one is inspired by the classic heart, with interesting variations. There is also a chic

Singer Beyonce performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show. —AFP

Beyonce’s Super Bowl

leather has PETA in a lather B

eyonce Knowles can’t seem to leave the house without catching flak from somebody these days. First, the “Halo” singer was criticized last month for her less-than-live performance of the National Anthem at Barack Obama’s inauguration. Now, Knowles has attracted the ire of animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for wearing leather during her halftime performance at Sunday’s Super Bowl.

According to the New York Times (which who knew? - keeps track of such things), Knowles’ outfit, which was conceived by New York designer Rubin Singer - consisted of a cropped leather motorcycle, matched with a

leather bodysuit made with strips of python and iguana. Knowles’ use of all that animal hide, surprisingly, did not sit well with PETA, who accused the singer of being out of touch with shifting fashion trends.

“We would take a bet that if Beyonce watched our video exposes ... she’d probably not want to be seen again in anything made of snakes, lizards, rabbits, or other animals who died painfully,” PETA said in a statement.

“Today’s fashions are trending toward humane vegan options, and Beyonce’s Super Bowl outfit missed the mark on that score.” Of course, Knowles could have ditched the offending outfit altogether - at which point she’d have the

Parents Television Council hounding her instead of PETA. PETA did, however, show some love for Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs - even though he covets a leather-covered ball for a living. “The game was great, however, and so is Baltimore Ravens linebacker and yesterday’s Super Bowl champion Terrell Suggs, who has just joined PETA in protesting the fur industry by starring in PETA’s ‘Ink, Not Mink’ campaign,” the organization added. A spokeswoman for Knowles has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment because, really, if you were her, would you willingly place yourself in the middle of this? —Reuters

pendant that can be worn as a heart, or as a sleek oval for prices that start at just KD 72.

Masaaki pearl jewelry also has several exclusive designs for Valentine’s Day, including necklaces, pendant sets and rings, all featuring high quality natural pearls imaginatively set in gold, with prices starting at only KD 60.

“It is the season to celebrate love and we have lined up an exciting range of exclusive pendants and jewelry collections to make the occasion special for jewelry lovers. We have also added an exciting 10 percent cash back offer to make it more rewarding for our customers,” said John Paul Joy Alukkas, Executive Director, Joyalukkas Group.

Joyalukkas will also offer customers

10 percent cash back vouchers on purchases of diamond and polki jewelry during the offer period from 6th February to 16th February, 2013.

Customers purchasing the special Valentine’s collections will also be given a free Valentine card to wish their loved one. These offers are valid across every store in the GCC.

Galliano suing former employer Dior in French court F

The Dubai Mall to bring ‘Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience’ to the city DUBAI: Dubai is joining the league of global fashion capitals by hosting, for the first time in the Middle East, the acclaimed ‘Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience’ in October 2013. In the runup to the modern fashion phenomenon that aims at energising the fashion retail industry, The Dubai Mall will welcome Franca Sozzani, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia, the trendiest and most influential Italian fashion magazine in the world, for a mentoring session for Emirati fashion designers in February 2013. Sozzani, who has been serving as Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia since 1988, will offer them insights on the newest trends in the fashion industry and evaluate their works.

The ‘Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience’ will not only put the spotlight on the newest fashion trends and creativity but also raise funds for Dubai Cares, a philanthropic organisation working to improve children’s access to quality primary education in developing countries.

Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman of Emaar Properties, said: “With the hosting of the Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience, Dubai is once again underlining its credentials as the region’s fashion hub, led by the trend-setting showcase of highend brands at The Dubai Mall.

“The event will serve as a magnet for fashion connoisseurs from across the region. It will also drive the growth of the

fashion retail community in the mall with longer opening hours, special events and part of the proceeds going towards Dubai Cares, thus highlighting our responsibility to the community. The mentoring session by the fashion legend Franca Sozzani will put the spotlight on our city’s talent, enabling them to emerge as global professionals.”

During the ‘Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience’ select high-street and haute couture fashion brands from The Dubai Mall’s Fashion Avenue will create and launch a special line of merchandise exclusively for the event. Part of the revenue from the sales of these custommade fashionwear will go to Dubai Cares.

Franca Sozzani, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Italia, said: “The Dubai Mall is a Fashion World. Vogue Italia is the Fashion Magazine. To make an event together means to welcome all the people who love fashion, and also to give an opportunity to young talents to show their creativity and their talent. But this event has another aim, too, and that is to raise funds for Dubai Cares which is one of the most internationally recognised organisations in helping children for education and health. We are really delighted to participate in such an incredible project and to underline how much The Dubai Mall and Vogue care about creativity and social opportunities.”

ashion designer John Galliano, fired from French couture house Dior in 2011 after an anti-Semitic outburst in public, has begun wrongful dismissal proceedings against his former employer. Galliano, a talented and theatrical designer once at the top of the fashion world, will argue that he was fired “without real and serious cause,” his lawyer, Chantal Giraudvan Gaver, told Reuters.

Earlier this week, a Paris labour court ruled that it had the right to hear the case. Dior, part of luxury goods group LVMH, will have two weeks to accept or contest that decision. The File picture shows British court will not designer John Galliano. hear the case before October —AFP or November, Giraud-van Gaver added. The once-stellar career of Galliano, 52, went south after the British designer was caught on camera making antiSemitic remarks in a Paris cafe in 2011. A French court handed out a 6,000-euro ($8,100) suspended fine to Galliano in 2011 after he was found guilty of anti-Semitic behaviour.

File picture shows British fashion designer John Galliano arriving at the Paris’ court hall for his trial. —AFP He has since apologised and last month issued a statement in which he said he has been in recovery from alcoholism for the past two years. In January, Galliano did a threeweek residency with Oscar de la Renta’s New York studio before New York Fashion Week.

‘Finnegans Wake’ is new Chinese publishing hit

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new Chinese translation of “Finnegans Wake”, renowned for its linguistic difficulty in the original, is proving a hit in China-although one academic called the author James Joyce “mentally ill”. The first-ever mainland Chinese edition of the novel sold out its initial print run of 8,000 copies just three weeks after being launched in December, the official Xinhua news agency said. Translator Dai Congrong of Shanghai’s Fudan University toiled for eight years to render the work about an Irish family into Chinese, imitating the stream of consciousness style and unusual language, it said.

It quoted Wang Weisong of the Shanghai People’s Publishing House, which released the book, as saying its success was “totally unexpected”. Both the translator and the publisher declined to comment on Tuesday.

Chinese readers are already familiar with other works of the early 20th century

Irish writer. The Chinese edition of “Ulysses”, considered his masterpiece, went on sale in 1995.

Literary critic Liu Wei told a recent seminar on “Finnegans Wake” that the book-the plot of which remains open to interpretation-deserved respect.

“Modern writers share a common sense of doing interesting textual experiments... among this group of writers, Joyce has the most intensive sense of all,” he said, according to an online transcript.

“I think it deserves our respect that Joyce created such a rich text.” But one reader, who gave the name Eudaimonus, said in a microblog posting that the work was not accessible to all. “Finnegans Wake is a book for book collectors and critics, but not for readers,” the posting said. Others were more emphatic. Xinhua quoted Jiang Xiaoyuan, a professor at Shanghai’s Jiaotong University, as saying: “Joyce must have been mentally ill to create such a novel.” —AFP

Giraud-van Gaver disputed that her client was seeking 15 million euros in damages, as some media have reported. She said Galliano was seeking damages, but would not specify a number. LVMH have declined to comment on the case. —Reuters

A braided horse’s tail is decorated with a rose at the horse market in Berching, southern Germany yesterday.

Berching Horse Market is considered to be the biggest folk festival in Bavaria during the winter months. Some of the participants have been coming to the horse market with their horses for decades. —AP

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

lifestyle M U S I C

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M O V I E S

Chris Brown returns to court for probation issues

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hris Brown is set to return to court yesterday to face a prosecutor who is asking a judge to revoke the singer’s probation because investigators say they could not find credible evidence he completed his community labor sentence for the 2009 beating of Rihanna.

A motion filed Tuesday raises for the first time in Brown’s felony assault case several incidents that prosecutors say demonstrate Brown has continuing anger management issues.

They cited a Jan 27 fight between Brown and fellow R&B star Frank Ocean, and a 2011 outburst in which Brown threw a chair through a window after he was asked about the Rihanna attack on “Good Morning America.” The filing represents a dramatic shift in the case against Brown, who was repeatedly praised by the judge overseeing his case for his completion of domestic violence courses and his community service work in his home state of Virginia. That changed in September, when prosecutors raised concerns about Brown’s community service after he logged 701 hours in seven months - an amount that had previously taken him more than two years to achieve.

Los Angeles investigators traveled to

Richmond, Virginia, to investigate Brown’s service. “This inquiry provided no credible, competent or verifiable evidence that defendant Brown performed his community labor as

presented to this court,” Deputy District Attorney Mary Murray wrote. Brown’s attorney Mark Geragos blasted the court filing, saying prosecutor ignored interviews “where sworn

File photo shows Chris Brown performs during the 54th annual Grammy Awards, in Los Angeles.—AP

peace officers stated unequivocally that Mr. Brown was supervised and did all of the community service.” After pleading guilty to the attack on Rihanna, Brown was given permission to serve 180 days of community labor in his home state of Virginia, so long as he performed manual labor.

Given problems with documentation and statements from some witnesses who contradict Brown’s claims of work, prosecutors asked Brandlin to order Brown to repeat his service in Los Angeles. Brown spent one-third of the hours he logged in Virginia working night shifts at a day care center in rural Virginia where his mother once served as director and where the singer spent time as a child. A detective who checked on Brown’s work nine times at the Tappahannock Children’s Center found the singer, his mother and a bodyguard at the center on each visit. The records said Brown waxed floors or performed “general cleaning” at the center. A professional floor cleaner contracted to work at the daycare center told investigators he, not Brown, had been cleaning the floors during the months Brown reported working at the facility. — AP

Review

‘Playroom’ a family drama from kids’ view

A Soaring solos from Thompson on ‘Electric’

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n “Electric,” Richard Thompson plugs in and delivers his most generous helping of guitar solos in many years, perhaps ever. The fretwork is marvelous even by his lofty standards and some credit for inspiration probably goes to producer Buddy Miller, a fair picker himself.

While Thompson’s notes come in a flurry, he has always been prolific as a composer, too, and here he serves up another solid batch of songs. He might get flagged for a

late hit on Sarah Palin with “Sally B,” but it rocks, as does “Stony Ground,” where unrequited love turns bloody. Otherwise, the body count’s lower than on most Thompson albums. He’s ably accompanied by his touring mates, drummer Michael Jerome and bassist Taras Prodaniuk, and the arrangements give the guitarist plenty of room to do his thing. Each time Thompson launches into one of his eclectic breaks, “Electric” becomes electrifying. — AP

Joe Pesci settles dispute over ‘Gotti’ film payday

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Disney working on standalone ‘Star Wars’ films

oe Pesci has settled a lawsuit filed against a company planning a biopic on the Gotti crime family. The Oscarwinner sued Fiore Films in July 2011 claiming the filmmakers reneged on a deal for a $3 million role in the film and were offering him a lesser part in the project and a lower payday. Pesci’s attorney Jessica Trotter confirmed Monday that a settlement had been reached in the case but said she could not provide any details.

Michael Froch, an attorney for Fiore Films, said he could only confirm the case had been dismissed. Pesci’s lawsuit stated the actor gained 30 pounds (14 kilograms) in anticipation of playing a childhood friend and enforcer of crime boss John Gotti Sr. The film, “Gotti: In the Shadow of My Father,” has not started filming. — AP

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isney is mining The Force for even more new films. Walt Disney Co CEO Bob Iger says screenwriters Larry Kasdan and Simon Kinberg are working on standalone “Star Wars” movies that aren’t part of the planned new trilogy. Iger told CNBC on Tuesday that the standalone movies will be based on “great ‘Star Wars’ characters that are not part of the overall saga.” The films

rare example of a grown-up story compellingly told from the perspective of children, “The Playroom” is a modest gem. This ‘70s-set drama depicting one tumultuous night in a suburban family’s lives benefits from the admirably subtle approach by director Julia Dyer, working from a sensitive screenplay penned by her late sister Gretchen, with their brother Stephen serving as one of the producers. Unlike the dysfunctional one depicted onscreen, this family unit works together perfectly.

The title refers to where the Cantwell children - teenage Maggie (Olivia Harris) and younger siblings Christian (Jonathon McClendon), Janie (Alexandra Doke) and Sam (Ian Veteto) - gather to tell each other stories by candlelight. When their parents return home one night, it soon becomes apparent that the family dynamics are frayed, with the mother Donna (Molly Parker) clearly a heavy drinker and father Martin (John Hawkes) affectionate but distracted. Still, everything seems normal enough, with Mar tin even conducting an impromptu spelling bee during dinner.

It isn’t until the arrival of another couple (Jonathan Brooks, Lydia Mackay) for a night of cards and drinks that things begin to unravel, with Maggie catching her mother passionately kissing the family friend and the evening devolving into loud drunken arguments and a physical altercation. These events are mostly fleetingly observed through the eyes of the chil-

This film image released by Freestyle Releasing shows John Hawkes in a scene from ‘The Playroom.’ —AP dren, who are otherwise preoccupying themselves with games and horseplay, including Christian accidentally falling off the roof into the pool, an event his oblivious parents fail to notice.

The film beautifully captures both the innocent bafflement of the younger children about the adults’ behavior and the cynical teenage perspective of Maggie, who has just lost her virginity that day.

There are a couple of too-clever ironic touches. The film is set on the day of Patty Hearst’s capture, with Maggie obviously relating to the

Josh Groban sings about love lost-again J

File photo shows actor Joe Pesci sits court-side at the NBA basketball game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers, in Los Angeles. —AP

In this publicity photo released by Lucasfilm Ltd, actor Jake Lloyd portrays Anakin Skywalker, a young Darth Vader, in ‘Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace.’ —AP would be released during the six-year period of the new trilogy, starting in 2015 with “Star Wars: Episode VII.” Disney confirmed last month that “Star Trek” director J.J. Abrams will direct the seventh installment of the “Star Wars” saga. Disney bought “Star Wars” maker Lucasfilm last year for more than $4 billion. The “Star Wars” prequel trilogy was released from 1999 to 2005. —AP

fugitive heiress. And when she has sex with her boyfriend in the family garage, there’s a cut to a shot of one of the children threading a needle.

But these are small quibbles about an otherwise quietly moving and well-wrought drama marked by superb performances, including newcomer Harris in her screen acting debut. And it’s a pleasure, especially after his recent standout turns in “Winter’s Bone” and “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” to watch Hawkes solidly deliver the goods in a non-villainous role (as he also did in “The Sessions” this past fall). “The Playroom,” a Freestyle release, is unrated. 83 minutes. — AP

osh Groban enjoyed singing sad songs about a breakup on his last album, 2010’s Rick Rubin-produced “Illuminations.” So when the singer started recording his latest album, which is about another breakup, he changed his approach. “I’m in a different place, different mindset and the same thing goes - but I wanted the record to feel more energetic, more dynamic, more positive, more rhythmic and uplifting,” he said. “The last record, I was very proud of it, and it was a good record, but it

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File photo shows American singer Josh Groban poses for a portrait in New York. —AP was sad,” he continued. “I was in a very, very tough place. I was going through a lot of changes in my life. I had gone through a really bad breakup. ... It felt like I was getting a lot of it out of my system lyrically and musically, so it was a little bit of a sadder record.”

Groban doesn’t have Rubin by his side on “All That Echoes,” out this week. Instead, he’s got Warner Bros Records chairman and Green Day producer Rob Cavallo. “For a guy who’s at the top of the label chain to also say, ‘Let’s take chances and let’s make music that just makes us feel really, really good’ was so impressive to me,” Groban said of Cavallo, who has also produced records for the Goo Goo Dolls, My Chemical Romance and Paramore. Groban, who turns 32 this month, isn’t just building his musical resume: He’ll star as a failed rock band member working as a barista in the upcoming CollegeHumor indie comedy “Coffee Town,” written and directed by “Arrested Development” writer Brad Copeland. The film will be released this year.

The singer talked about “Coffee Town,” singing about relationships, album sales and more in a recent interview.

AP: You cover Stevie Wonder’s “I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)” on the album. How’d that come about?

Groban: The reason I think people relate to Stevie Wonder’s love songs is because they really, truly, genuinely make you feel the way you feel, the way love is. Sometimes it’s just “I Just Called to Say I Love You” and it’s really as simple and cheesy as that. And sometimes it’s a song like “I Believe,” which we close the album with, which is that my past has been crap. I’ve missed the mark. I admit it. I’m not perfect. But when love comes my way again, kick up the gospel choir because I’m not going to let it go. ... That’s where I am right now, which is that when it comes along again, I’ll be there to grab it.

AP: Is it easy singing about your breakup?

Groban: You’re exorcising the demons a little bit when you sing about love lost and the things that didn’t quite work out. But you learn from that and you grow from that, and there’s often times great art from that. My voice does sad really well, so I think selfishly sometimes it’s more fun to sing the sadder songs just because sometimes the sadder melodies are the most beautiful.

AP: You were 20 when you released your debut in 2001. What’s it like to think about that time as you reflect on your life?

Groban: I was blissfully naive. I’ll tell you, when I was 17 and signed, on the one hand I kind of missed out on having a pretty raucous college experience, where I could wake up on the bathroom floor and say, “All right, not doing that again.” ... If I could go back and talk to that kid though, I would just tell him to just chill out a little bit. I was just nervous as all hell. I was really worried a lot. I was anxious a lot.

AP: Your last album went platinum, selling 1 million units, but most of your records have sold 5 million units each. Do you think about record sales a lot?

Groban: I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t important. It’s your ticket to make the next record and I want to keep doing what I’m doing.

But mostly it’s the validation that you’ve done something that people want to have and own.

AP: What was it like working with Rob Cavallo compared with Rick Rubin?

Groban: Rob was a great change of pace in a certain way because he likes to work very much based on riding a wave of energy when it’s there, which is pretty compatible with how I like to work. ... And whenever I would have doubts (like), “I don’t know if this is my wheelhouse” or “I don’t know if this is right for my voice,” he’d be great at saying, “I don’t know if you should sing that” or most of the time saying, “Well, shoot, let’s expand what your wheelhouse is.”

AP: You’re building your acting reel.

What’s that been like?

Groban: It’s great to let out that other side because the music side is so serious that to be able to have an outlet for your funny bone, for your weird, oddball side is just cathartic for me.

And it’s actually what I started doing. I was in Improv Theater before I even started singing, so the fact that the comedy side is starting to work its way around in my world strangely, considering the kind of music I sing, I’ll take it. It’s wonderful.

AP: Do you want to play a serious role?

Groban: Yeah, sure. I think I’m probably better at comedy, but comedians take serious roles sometimes and it actually goes really well. ... I’d love to play a bad guy actually. I’d love to dive in and play some kind of French assassin, like “The Professional.” — AP

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

lifestyle M U S I C

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M O V I E S

A Grammy maybe?

Carly Rae Jepsen heads for gold

Lebanese singers Wael Kfoury and Elissa pose for a picture with Emirati singer Hussein Al-Jasmi during a press conference to announce the launching of the Egyptian version of the British music competition for aspiring singers ‘X Factor’, yesterday in Cairo. —AFP

Hollywood to the FAA:

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Let us use drones!

ook, up in the sky. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s ... If the Motion Picture Association of America has its way, it soon could be a camera-equipped pilotless drone shooting the overhead chase scenes for Hollywood’s action thrillers. The MPAA is pushing the Federal Aviation Administration to allow the use of what have been called “drones” - but in the movie business are far more likely the size of model planes and model helicopters than anything like what the US is using to target terrorists.

Studios see the airborne vehicles as a way to get better long shots with fewer safety risks and at reduced cost. Currently, such drone use is legal in some foreign countries, but not in the US. In fact, some of the opening scenes in “Skyfall” were shot in Turkey using a helicopter drone system.

France has also approved use of the drones, and one was used last year for scenes in “The Smurfs 2.” “What we are looking for is line-of-sight things that can be utilized in innovative ways,” MPAA spokesman Howard Gantman told TheWrap. “These could be used much more safely than going up a tree and much more cheaply than renting a helicopter,” he said. Under language in the FAA’s reauthorization by congress, the agency must in the next 18 months develop rules for commercial use of what it calls “unmanned aircraft systems” of 55 pounds or less. The language is intended to resolve a quirk in current FAA rules: Recreational use of model planes and model helicopters - including those carrying cameras - are currently allowed, but commercial use is banned. Model airplanes can only be flown below 400 feet above ground level and away from airports and air traffic - but not by individuals or companies flying them for business purposes. This means, for example,

that student videos and films can use drone camera shots, but not commercial films; commercial use is limited to experimental research and development and flight trainings. “A private company can obtain a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category, but experimental certificate regulations preclude carrying people or property for compensation or hire,” FAA spokesman Les Dorr told TheWrap.

While the MPAA acknowledges its interest and the MPAA’s lobbying form filed with the US Senate says specifically the organization is pushing on the issue of “unmanned aerial aircraft,” so far such lobbying has been informal, and the MPAA has not had actual written communications with the FAA. Dorr said the agency will seek written comments from potential users only after it announces a formal ruling. Another reason for the MPAA’s interest now is that the price for the drones has begun to drop.

Rental of a real helicopter runs about $1,700 an hour, for example, with a pilot another $1,900 a day - and crew is additional. One Indiegogo ad seeking development money for the company’s “Alpha Dragonfly,” says a drone that can be used for camera work will retail for from $119 to $249, depending on accessories. The ad, which offered a Dragonfly for development supporters for $99, sought $110,000 in development money and raised more than $1.1 million. The website of Flying-cam.com whose helicopter drone system was used in “Skyfall” and “The Smurfs 2” in Paris and movies in China and South Korea, also features pictures taken of its use in America for Disneyland’s 50th anniversary, Alaska’s Tourism Board and commercials or videos

by Bridgestone and others.

All that said, the movie industry is only

one among many looking at the technology. “Many industries are realizing how unmanned aircraft could help their bottom lines,” Melanie Hinton, senior communications manager for the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, a group pushing robotic devices, told TheWrap. Indeed, it’s expected that the TV and movie industry will be small players in the drones use. Companies that originally developed smaller drones for the military and wanting to now expand the drones use for civilian purposes have been pushing hardest for the FAA to act. They hope FAA action will make it easier both for lawenforcement agencies and private companies to use the devices. Steven Gitlin, VPmarketing for AeroVironment Inc., a company that makes several military drones it wants to market to civilian market. The company’s 5-pound Qube drone is among those that come with video capability. He notes that the high cost of helicopters means relatively few police departments can afford them. Those same departments might be candidates for drone purchases. Then there is the civilian market. “We have been pushing to use airborne vehicles for mapping and surveying,” Gitlin said, adding the company also hopes to market the products both for search-and-rescue and policing missions and for uses in agriculture; monitoring of bridges and microwave transmitters; and security for public events including marathons and concerts. In addition, oil and gas companies want unmanned aircraft to efficiently monitor oil rigs, pipelines and other infrastructure, said Hinton, and farmers “want to use unmanned aircraft to monitor the health of their crops, detect for drought conditions, or more efficiently distribute pesticides. —Reuters

File photo shows Carly Rae Jepsen performing at the 40th Annual American Music Awards in Los Angeles. —AP

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arly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” became the soundtrack for endless viral online fun last year: US infantry soldiers lip-synched to it in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province. So did James Franco and the US Olympic swim team. Models from Abercrombie & Fitch showed off their abs to it, as did hair-whipping Miami Dolphins cheerleaders. Dogs have barked the whole song. Parodies of it have been parodied. Fellow singers from Katy Perry to Selena Gomez embraced the pop goodness. Even the Cookie Monster jumped on the “Call Me Maybe” train.

The song put 27-year-old Jepsen, who finished third on a season of “Canadian Idol,” in the spotlight and on a path to potential Grammy gold. The monster hit is nominated for song of the year and best pop vocal performance at the Feb 10 awards show. “I was gunning maybe for Top 10 on iTunes. That was my little, mini secret goal,” she said recently by phone from Los Angeles, where she was picking out a dress to wear to the Grammys, where she’ll also present an award.

Children from Newtown, Conn., will be featured as part of the Grammy Awards broadcast on Sunday.

Newtown Music Project producer Tim Hayes says “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest will do a live segment via satellite with the children for Sunday’s redcarpet programming. He says the children will be interviewed by Seacrest and interact live with Jepson, perhaps doing some of her hit, “Call Me Maybe.”

The song had a nine week-arc on top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and has sold more than 6.7 million tracks in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The only thing Jepsen hasn’t

been able to do is have album sales that match her powerful single. She put out the CD “Kiss” last September, but despite a hit second single - the double platinum “Good Time” with Owl City - the album has sold only 226,000 copies.

“I think with (a) song being as big as ‘Call Me Maybe,’ there’s always that challenge of how do we push past that and show people that there is more to offer,” she said. “I’m confident whether it’s with this album or the next, I’ll be able to prove that.” Gary Trust, an associate director and columnist at Billboard, says sales faced an uphill battle since pop these days is a singles medium, not album-orientated. “She might have been able to sell more if they were able to put the album out quicker,” he said of “Kiss,” which arrived five months after her smash song was released.

“But I think, no matter what, the song was going to outsell any album she could put out.” The song, which Jepsen co-wrote with guitarist Tavish Crowe and Marianas Trench lead singer Josh Ramsay, will compete in the song of the year category at the Grammys with No.1 hits from fun. and Kelly Clarkson, as well as critically acclaimed tunes from U.K. singer Ed Sheeran and R&B performer Miguel. A year ago, before her breakthrough on the music charts, Jepsen was like everyone else: looking forward to a good awards show on TV. “To be really honest with you, leading up to every Grammy weekend except for this one, I was getting comfy in my PJs with my popcorn bowl and deciding whose dress I liked the best,” she said. “So it’ll be different for me to actually put on a dress of my own.” — AP

French ‘Artist’ actor to return to Oscars stage This film image released by Open Road Films shows Jude Law, left, and Catherine Zeta-Jones in a scene from ‘Side Effects’. — AP

‘Side Effects’ a twisty thriller I f “Side Effects” is indeed Steven Soderbergh’s final film, as he’s said it will be after toying with the notion of retirement for a couple of years now, then intriguingly it feels like he’s coming full circle in some ways to the film that put him on the map: the trailblazing, 1989 indie “sex, lies and videotape.” Both are lurid genre exercises, laid bare. Both focus on the intertwined lives of four central figures, including a scene in which one of the men interviews one of the women on video, hoping to unearth a hidden truth. Both movies are about danger, secrets and manipulation, filled with characters who aren’t what they initially seem, all of which Soderbergh depicts with his typically cool detachment.

Twists and double crosses occur and schemes are revealed as layer upon layer of Scott Z. Burns’ clever script gets peeled away; it’s actually going to be difficult to discuss “Side Effects” without giving too much away. Yet Soderbergh approaches such dramatic events with the same chilly tone that has marked so much of his work, even as the developments grow more than a little implausible. Just as matter-of-fact is the way the characters rattle off the names of the prescription drugs they’re on and discuss which ones work better than others, from Wellbutrin to Zoloft to the fictitious Ablixa. In an accurate reflection of our impatient times, everyone in “Side Effects” wants the quick fix: for their finances, careers, reputations, sex lives and, most fundamentally, their moods.

Fittingly in this New York-set thriller, Soderbergh has shot and edited the film (under his usual pseudonyms of Peter Andrews and Mary Ann Bernard) crisply and efficiently, with occasionally hazy backlighting - one of his signatures - suggesting a dreamlike mental state. He

puts us on edge from the start, through Hitchcockian visual choices, with clues that a bloodbath has occurred in a Manhattan apartment. Flashing back three months earlier, we see that pretty, twenty something Emily (Rooney Mara) has pulled up to a prison to visit her husband, Martin (Channing Tatum, in his third Soderbergh film following last year’s “Haywire” and “Magic Mike”). He’s at the end of a four-year sentence for insider trading, which destroyed the lavish Greenwich lifestyle she’d come to enjoy.

Once he’s released, though, Emily isn’t nearly as happy as one would her expect her to be, and she actually falls into a deep and suicidal depression. When she goes to see psychiatrist Jonathan Banks (Jude Law), he prescribes her a new drug called Ablixa, which he’s testing out on a few patients as part of a lucrative deal with a pharmaceutical giant. Emily’s former therapist in Connecticut (Catherine Zeta-Jones, sly and stylish as always), whom Banks seeks out for guidance, also happens to be a big proponent of this drug. Both are, in theory, in the business of helping people but they’re also opportunists to varying degrees of sleaziness.

But then this magical pill starts showing some disturbing side effects and ... well that’s really all we can say. The aforementioned really terrible and bloody thing occurs, which ruins careers and lives and drives people to madness.

Or does it ...? No really, we gotta stop now. The complexity of emotion, confusion and loss at the film’s start gives way to some acrobatic trickery by the end, but “Side Effects” is never less than gripping or entertaining. Mara, who showed such fierce intelligence in David Fincher’s “The Social Network” and “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” is quietly chilling here. —AP

These February 26, 2012 file photos show from left: Actor Jean Dujardin; actress Meryl Streep; actress Octavia Spencer; and actor Christopher Plummer during the 84th Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, California. — AP

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rench actor Jean Dujardin, star of last year’s Oscar-winning movie “ The Artist,” will return this year as an Academy Awards presenter, along with his fellow laureates, organizers said Tuesday. Meryl Streep, who won best actress last year, will present awards at this show, as will Octavia Spencer and Christopher Plummer, best supporting actress and best supporting actor respectively. “We are honored to have Meryl, Octavia, Christopher and Jean, last year’s Oscar winners in each of the acting categories, return to the Oscar stage,” said the

February 24 show’s producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

Streep is the most Oscar-nominated actor ever with 17 nods, and has won three, including for her role as former British premier Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.” Dujardin won best actor on his first nomination, for his role as a silent, black-and-white movie star struggling with the arrival of sound on the big screen.

Spencer also won with her first nomination, as a black maid in civil rights drama “The Help,” while Canadian veteran Plummer became the oldest

actor ever to win an Oscar, at the age of 82.

Steven Spielberg’s presidential drama “Lincoln” has the most nominations for this year’s show, with 12 nods, followed by “Life of Pi” with 11 and “Les Miserables” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” both with eight.

But Ben Affleck’s Iran hostage crisis drama “Argo” has won a succession of top prizes in Hollywood’s annual awards season, leading some to tip it as favorite for the coveted best picture, despite only having seven nominations. — AFP

‘Breaking Bad’ actor wins school board seat in NM

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This 2009 image released by AMC shows actors Bryan Cranston as Walter White, left, and Steven Michael Quezada as Steven Gomez in a scene from the third season of ‘Breaking Bad.’ — AP

n actor from the TV show “Breaking Bad” has won a seat on Albuquerque’s school board. Steven Michael Quezada plays federal drug agent Steven Gomez on the Albuquerque-based show. He was running unopposed Tuesday for a seat on the city’s west side District 5. There’s no incumbent in that district, and Quezada was the only candidate to file for the position.

Three of Quezada’s four children attend the Public Academy for the Performing Arts, a charter school where the actor has been active on the governing board. The AMC hit television series is finishing filming its fifth and final season. “Breaking Bad” follows former high school teacher Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, producing and selling methamphetamine with a former student, Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul. — AP

Chris Brown returns to court for probation issues

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Newly initiated ‘naga sadhus’ prepare to perform rituals on the banks of the Ganga River during the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad yesterday. During every Kumbh Mela, the diksha - ritual of initiation by a guru - program for new members takes place. — AFP

Allen Ginsberg photos recall Beat generation T

he writers of the Beat Generation, who shocked America with their bohemian lifestyles and upended literature half a century ago, are celebrated in a new photo exhibit by one of their most famous members, Allen Ginsberg. The New York exhibition, “Beat Memories, the photographs of Allen Ginsberg,” comes just after the release of the movie “On the Road,” which has received generally good reviews for its dramatization of Jack Kerouac’s famous 1957 book of the same name.

More than 80 black and white pictures

housed at New York University’s gallery uniquely capture the Beatniks, as they were known. All the main figures of the movement, which espoused innovative literary styles, free love, drug-taking, and rejection of accepted US social values, star in the collection. They include Kerouac and “Naked Lunch” author William Burroughs, as well as the lesser known Peter Orlovsky and Gregory Corso. There’s also Neal Cassady, inspiration for one of the main characters of “On the Road.”

Ginsberg, author of the poem “Howl,”

In this file picture taken on January 31, 2013 a visitor views a painting entitled ‘Femme assise pres d’une fenetre’ (A woman sitting by a window) by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso at Sotheby’s auction house in central London. — AFP photos

described his photographic mission like this: “Without even intending it, there is that little shiver of a moment in time preserved in the crystal cabinet of the mind. A little shiver of eternal space. That’s what I was looking for,” he wrote.The snapshots heavily feature the lower Manhattan neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, East Village and the Lower East Side, all counter-culture hotbeds and artistic havens until their relatively recent gentrification. “Many were taken within walking distance of Greenwich Village, which holds countless favored Beat haunts,” said Lynn Gumpert, director of the NYU gallery, which itself is located in the Village.

“Exhibiting ‘Beat Memories’ at the Grey Art Gallery displays these captivating works nearly next door to their original settings.” In addition to the exhibit, the gallery is offering a downloadable self-guided tour of the area and a formal tour, which is already booked out, for April.

The photos capture the wanderings of the tightknit group. The Beatniks were most associated with New York and San Francisco, but the movement was also centered in the so-called Beat Hotel in Paris, where the writers escaped the censorship at home, and in the Moroccan port of Tangier, where novelist Paul Bowles lived, as well as, for a time, Burroughs.

The pictures were taken in two distinct periods: from the Beats’ heyday in 1953-1963 and then 1980-1990, when musicians Bob Dylan, Lou Reed and pop star Madonna come into the frame. Ginsberg, who died in 1997, sought right to the end to capture his world, with intimate photos of hotels in Eastern Europe and in his own East Village apartment. The exhibit was first shown in Washington and next will head to San Francisco in May. —AFP

Picasso lover portrait sells for £28.6 mn in London

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portrait of Pablo Picasso’s lover MarieTherese Walter sold in London on Tuesday night for £28.6 million ($45.0 million, 33.3 million euros), Southeby’s auction house said. The colorful and curvaceous “Femme assise pres d’une fenetre” (Woman sitting by a window), painted in 1932, was sold at a crowded salesroom to an anonymous telephone buyer, a Sotheby’s spokesman said. It had been expected to go under the hammer for between £25 million and £35 million. “We are delighted that this stunning and monumental portrait, which is part of the defining series that introduced his ‘golden muse’ to the public eye, fetched such a strong price,” said Helena Newman, chairwoman of Sotheby’s impressionist and modern art department in Europe.

“This particular portrait is a striking and notably modern-looking work from one of the artist’s most celebrated periods.” The painting was the star lot in Tuesday’s impressionist, modern and surrealist art sale, achieving the top price in an auction that netted a total of £121 million. Picasso met his famous muse Marie-Therese Walter in Paris in 1927, when she was 17 and he was 45. Their relationship was kept secret for many years because of her youth and Picasso’s marriage to the Russian ballerina Olga Khokhlova.

The affair was revealed in 1932 when portraits of Walter were displayed for the first time alongside other Picasso works in a major retrospective, and

Khokhlova realized there was another woman in her husband’s life. Walter, who inspired several of Picasso’s works including “La Lecture”, “La Reve” and “Nature morte aux tulipes”, bore the Spanish artist a daughter, Maya. “In recent years in particular we have witnessed the remarkable allure of Picasso’s

portraits of Marie-Therese to collectors,” Newman said. Another portrait of Walter from the same series, “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust”, held the record for the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction when it was bought for $106.4 million in New York in 2010. —AFP

A photograph of 20th-century American poet Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997), taken by his friend William Burroughs, is part of an exhibit of Ginsberg’s photographs at New York University’s Grey Art Gallery in New York. — AFP

India snake charmers have identity crisis

Pali Nath, second from right, snake charmer on the outskirts of capital New Delhi, shows off his most prized possession and means to earn his livelihood, a cobra called Reshma. — MCT

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ali Nath has a high-tech advantage in performing an ancient ritual. The snake charmer’s cobra is computer chipped and ready to dance. Well, almost.

It’s winter in northern India, and the beast isn’t terribly energetic. So as Nath waves his flute, striking up a brisk tune, a listless Reshma briefly lifts her head before retreating into her basket and semi-hibernation.

Nath, 52, is one of only 10 Delhi-area snake charmers whose serpents have semiconductors embedded by the Delhi government under their skin. The chips act as name tags that legalize ownership and help ward off officials threatening to fine, extract a bribe or jail Nath under laws designed to protect wildlife.

This gives Nath a big advantage over competitors. “I’m sure they’re jealous,” he says in this dusty community a half-hour from the capital. Dressed in a traditional saffron robe and cap, he adds, “They’re unemployed, and I’m making money.”

Which should make him happy. But working in a profession that’s as endangered as some of its snakes weighs on him. Tastes are changing as India’s middle class explodes. Children who once followed the sound of his flute, Pied Piper fashion, now barely glance up from their portable Game Boy consoles.

“We’re losing our culture,” says Nath, whose sixth-grade education puts him ahead of his mostly illiterate compatriots, arguably why his four cobras, rattlesnake and king cobra are on the right side of the law.

Bureaucrats didn’t really publicize the snake-chip program, effectively a onetime amnesty for a lucky few because all snake charmers are technically in violation of the country’s wildlife act. And, truth be told, the authorities wouldn’t

mind if the charmers gave up their snakes for good.

Charmers have long been suspected of using their art as a cover for selling snakes to smugglers who supply the lucrative Chinese traditional medicine trade. The microchips-which cost the government about $20 per snake, including implanting-are embedded below the skin to escape the snake’s molting process. The idea is to ensure that a specific snake actually belongs to a charmer.

Nath learned of the program only after reading a newspaper article two days before the deadline to comply. He rushed to Delhi’s Department of Forests and Wildlife office with his six snakes in a bag, where a worker took them into another room to be chipped and gave him a document attesting to his new, legal status.

Media, animal lovers and the government criticize charmers like Nath for confining the snakes to tiny baskets and ripping out their fangs-which is done periodically because they grow back-leading to infection and death. But Nath strongly disputes this, arguing that his snakes sleep with him and eat better than he does. “We treat them like our children,” he says, jamming 5-foot-long Reshma into a basket the diameter of a dinner plate.

India had about 800,000 unlicensed snake charmers in 2007, according to a recent survey by the Snake Charmers Federation of India. Those now caught without a license face up to seven years in jail under Indian laws that aim to safeguard biodiversity by banning the possession, sale or trading of wild animals.

Among the most affected, other than smugglers, have been traditional showmen: charmers, monkey grinders and trick-bear keepers. —MCT