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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

www.kuwaittimes.net

MUHARRAM 24, 1433 AH

North Korea mourns death of Kim Jong Il ‘Dear Leader’ suffered heart attack • Son named ‘great successor’

Saudi king calls for forming Gulf union

RIYADH: (From left) Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Kuwait’s Amir HH Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Ruler of Dubai and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid AlMaktoum and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa share a light moment during the annual GCC summit yesterday. — AFP

Syria to let in monitors 70 deserters killed

RIYADH: Saudi King Abdullah called for the formation of a Gulf union in response to growing threats, as rulers of the wealthy Arab GCC met yesterday against a backdrop of regional turmoil and fears over Iran. “I ask today that we move from a phase of cooperation to a phase of union within a single entity,” said the Saudi king, addressing his counterparts at the opening of the annual Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Riyadh. He did not elaborate on what form such a union might take, or any proposed steps to create it.

“You must realise that our security and stability are threatened and we need to live up to our responsibilities,” said King Abdullah. “Our summit opens in the shadow of challenges that require vigilance and a united stance,” he added. The GCC summit comes as the embattled regime of Syria, rocked by a nine-month uprising the UN estimates has killed at least 5,000 people, agreed to an Arab League proposal to send observers to the country. In a clear reference to Syria, the Saudi king urged the Gulf bloc to help their “Arab brothers so that the blood stops flowing and to Continued on Page 13

PYONGYANG: North Koreans marched by the thousands yesterday to their capital’s landmarks to mourn Kim Jong Il, many crying uncontrollably and flailing their arms in grief over news of their “Dear Leader’s” death. North Korean state media proclaimed his twenty-something son Kim Jong Un a “great successor”, while a vigilant world watched for any signs of a turbulent transition to the untested leader in an unpredictable nation known to be pursuing nuclear weapons.

South Korea’s military went on high alert in the face of the North’s 1.2 millionstrong armed forces following news of Kim’s death after 17 years in power. North Korea said Kim died of a heart attack, “complicated with a serious heart shock”, on Saturday while carrying out official duties on a train trip. US President Barack Obama agreed by phone with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak to close-

Kim Jong Il

Police break up bedoon protest

CAIRO: Syria yesterday pledged full cooperation with the Arab League after it agreed to allow an observer mission to monitor a deal to end nine months of bloodshed, in a move the opposition dismissed as a ploy.

Arab League chief Nabil Al-Arabi said an advance team of observers from Arab countries would head to Damascus within 72 hours, and the mission would last for a renewable initial period of a month. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem welcomed the deal, signed at Arab League headquarters in Cairo after weeks of prevarication, and expressed hope the bloc would lift sweeping sanctions on Damascus.

But Burhan Ghaliun, head of the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC), accused President Bashar AlAssad’s regime of “manoeuvring” to avoid threatened UN Security Council action. More than 5,000 people have been killed in the Assad regime’s crackdown on nationwide democracy protests that erupted in midMarch, according to the UN’s latest estimate issued a week ago.

Continued on Page 13 KUWAIT: Bedoons run for cover as riot police fire tear gas to disperse protesters demanding citizenship and other basic rights in Jahra yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

By B Izzak

DAMASCUS: Syrian military men form a pyramid and wave the Syrian national flag yesterday. — AP

KUWAIT: Elite special forces and police yesterday fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse thousands of stateless people or bedoons who demonstrated in Taima area in Jahra. A number of Kuwaiti activists joined the bedoon protesters amid tight and extraordinary security measures in which hundreds of police and special forces took part. The protesters gathered in a square they call the freedom square for the second time since Friday.

Police warned the crowd to disperse and gave them just 30 minutes to leave as they cordoned off the area

Deadly Cairo clashes stretch into fourth day

Kuwait female shooters bag two golds at Arab games

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and prevented people from entering and even sent journalists and photographers back. As the crowd swelled, special forces started firing tear gas and used hot water cannons. The protesters were pushed back inside the residential area which is exclusively used by the bedoons, who are estimated at around 106,000.

Security men continued to chase the protesters inside the narrow streets as the bedoons and their supporters gathered in several groups in different places in the residential area, as a police helicopter hovered overhead. No injuries were reported as the Kuwaiti Continued on Page 13

Max 19º Min 03º Low Tide 01:08 &12:46 High Tide 06:07 & 19:07

ly monitor developments.

On the streets of the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, people wailed in grief, some kneeling on the ground or bowing repeatedly. Children and adults laid flowers at key memorials. A tearful Kim Yong Ho said Kim Jong Il had made people’s lives happier. “That is what he was doing when he died: working, traveling on a train,” he said. Other North Koreans walked in line past a giant painting of Kim Jong Il and his late father, national founder Kim Il Sung, standing together on Mount Paektu, Kim Jong Il’s official birthplace. Wreaths were neatly placed below the painting. “How could the heavens be so cruel? Please come back, general. We cannot believe you’re gone,” Hong Son Ok shouted in an interview with North Korea’s official television, her body shaking wildly.

Continued on Page 13

Kim Jong Un

Alwaleed buys Twitter stake DUBAI: Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the Saudi billionaire and an investor in some of the world’s top companies, has bought a stake in microblogging site Twitter for $300 million, gaining another foothold in the global media industry. Alwaleed, a nephew of Saudi Arabia’s king who was estimated by Forbes magazine this year to have a fortune of over $19 billion, already owns a 7 percent stake in News Corp and plans to start a cable news channel. Twitter was a key means of communication for protesters in the Arab Spring revolts this year, violence that threatened Saudi Arabia until the kingdom unveiled a populist $130 billion social spending package.

The Twitter stake, bought jointly by Alwaleed and his Kingdom Holding Co investment firm, resulted from “months of negotiations”, Kingdom said.

Twitter chief executive Dick Costolo valued the company at $8 billion in October, according to media reports, which Prince Alwaleed would peg the size of Alwaleed’s investment at just under 4 percent.

Kingdom’s executive director Ahmed Halawani told Reuters that “substantial capital gain” was the motivation behind the investment, adding that there were no moves to ask for a board seat or influence strategy at Twitter.

Twitter, which allows people to send 140-character messages, or Tweets, to groups of followers, is one of the Internet’s most popular social networking services, along with Facebook and Zynga. Bernhard Warner, co-founder of analysis and advisory firm Social Media Influence, said: “The Arab world, of course, knows full well the value of Twitter.

Continued on Page 13

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

LOCAL

Amir heads to Riyadh

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah departed the country yesterday accompanied by an official delegation to attend the 32nd session of the GCC Supreme Council held in Riyadh.

The Amir was seen off at Kuwait International Airport

by His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, senior

sheikhs, Deputy Chief of the National Guards Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah. He was also seen off by the Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, ministers, top state officials, top ranked army, police and national

guards officials. HH the Amir’s delegation to the GCC summit includes Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber AlSabah, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid AlHamad Al-Sabah, Minister of Finance and Minister of Health, Mustafa Al-Shimali, and Minister of Oil and Minister

of State for National Assembly Affairs, Mohammad Mohsen Al-Busairi. The delegation also includes Amiri Diwan advisor, Dr Adel Al-Tabtabaei, HH the Amir’s Office Director and Head of Amiri Protocols, Sheikh Khalid AlAbdullah Al-Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary, Khalid Sulaiman Al-Jarallah, and senior Amiri Diwan and ministry officials.— KUNA

Parliament election campaign begins Ruling family member drops nomination plans KUWAIT: A member of the ruling family announced that he canceled his earlier plans to run for the 2012 elections “due to the difficult situations that the country is currently going through, as well as continuous pressure from some ruling family members”. “As per the request of the Al-Sabah Family Council and keeping Kuwait’s best interests in mind, I decided not to nominate myself for parliamentary membership during the upcoming elections”, said Sheikh Meshal Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in a statement published by a local daily yesterday.

The elections are set to take place on Feb 2, 2012 as per an announcement made by the Cabinet following their weekly session on Sunday. The Parliament was dissolved a couple of weeks ago following political troubles that led to the resignation of the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlSabah late last month.

Meanwhile, former MP Saleh Al-Mulla hoped that the next Parliament enforces legislations “that Kuwait desperately need”, which he said

include the judiciary sector independence law, and a law to establish a prosecution department specialized in prosecuting MPs and state officials who abuse their posts for personal benefits. Al-Mulla made these statements during a seminar held for third constituency voters, in which he and two other third constituency candidates, Abdullah Mayouf and Hesham AlShayea attended. All participants agreed that anti-corruption regulations must be given top priority by the next elected Parliament, as it is also necessary to regain people’s trust in the legislative authority.

In other news, a report quoting sources with knowledge of the Awazem tribe’s preparations for elections in the first constituency, indicate that concerns are increasing within tribe members after the number of tribesmen running in the same constituency reached 12 after former MP Husain Al-Huraiti announced that he is running in the first constituency. The sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity explain that the large number of candidates could damage their chances especially when holding pri-

mary elections is not an option in the first constituency compared to the situation in the fifth which features tribal dominance.

On a different note, sources close to former MP Askar Al-Enizy denied rumors that he was kicked out of a diwaniya in Jahra which he visited a few nights ago. The sources who spoke anonymously explained that Al-Enizy voluntarily left the diwaniya after a guest rejected his greeting following an incident in which the former MP failed to help him during his tenure in the Parliament. The rumors which circulated on social networking websites speculated that AlEnizy left after the diwaniya’s owner refused to welcome him inside on his arrival. Separately, Minister of Public Works and State Minister of Municipality Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar gave instructions to municipality branches around Kuwait to issue licenses for candidates’ elections headquarters before they are set up. The minister also said that headquarters located near public service facilities such as hospitals and power transformers, will not be issued a license. — Al-Rai, Al-Qabas, Al-Annahar

Kuwait takes part in Media Exhibition RIYADH: Head of Kuwait Information Ministry’s pavilion (External Media) Abdullah Al-Hathal said here yesterday that the external media department of the Information Ministry is taking part in the media exhibition and center accompanying the 32nd Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit which will kick off here today. The Kuwaiti delegation will be led

by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Al-Hathal said that the external media is keen to take part in such events that bring GCC people closer and help each other become acquainted with the various cultures and norms. He added that the Information Ministry is offering numerous

media publications and books which are of interest for all segments of the society.

He pointed out that the Kuwaiti pavilion always attracts a large number of visitors from the Gulf countries who ask for various publications of Kuwait heritage and mostly Kuwait map.

He said the Ministry has prepared for this event for a long time so that it meets the aspirations of those who are interested in learning the history and heritage of the Kuwaiti people.

He praised the distinguished preparations and organization of this exhibition by the Saudi Culture and Information Ministry which is used to such excellent organization of such events. —KUNA

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

local

Students disappointed with female MPs KUWAIT: Female MPs in the previous parliament failed to give top priority to matters that concern Kuwaiti women, and instead worked to achieve personal gains.

This opinion was shared by several female Kuwait University students who were quoted in a recent report that focuses on their assessment on performance of the four women who made it to the parliament for the first time in Kuwait’s history during the past parliament.

“Women in the parliament failed to fulfill their role properly when they had the chance to make some achievements”, according to Elaf Al-Kandari, who said that issues such as the rights of divorced women were not pushed by the female MPs; who she hoped will not be elected in the new parliament. Students Zainab Baqer also agreed that female MPs should focus on pushing laws to enforce loans and housing care to female citizens, while her colleague Aliya Methyeb noted that rights of Kuwaiti divorced and widowed women were never addressed during the past parliament’s term. Fellow student Amena Awadh also found that no advantages were made from the election of four female MPs to the parliament.

In the meantime, Nura AlShemmary said that female MPs did not bring anything new to support students’ causes, mentioning on that regard an incident in which a female lawmaker voted against a draft law to increase students’ allowances. Al-Shemmary also urged female citizens to become aware of their role as contributors in the development and reform process in Kuwait, instead of only participating in nomination and voting in elections.

On the other hand, stu-

dent Hind Aba Al-Khail insisted that it is still important that female candidates run during the upcoming elections, and focus in their campaigns on improving education and health sectors in

Kuwait. Student Nofe Ahmad in the meantime hoped that female MPs would make some real achievements in the parliament “that reflect the active role of Kuwaiti women in society”. Votes of

Kuwaiti women are considered a very important leverage in many constituencies that can give advantage to candidates during the election process. In the fourth constituency for example,

women amass to more than 60% of the total number of voters. On that regard however, many spectators believe that the tribal dominance over the fourth constituency highly influences

women’s votes, which in some cases go to certain candidates approved by the entire family instead of being based on personal choice.

Several spectators who

spoke to Al-Qabas anonymously suggest on that regard that campaigns are needed to increase awareness of female voters in constituencies dominated by tribal influence such as the

fourth and fifth, and make them more aware of their right of choosing candidates they personally believe are more fit to represent them in the parliament.

—Annahar & Al-Qabas

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

LOCAL

Letter to Muna Al-Fuzai

kuwait digest

Learn from others’ mistakes

Changes needed in educational system

By Waleed Al-Rujaib

D

espite the fact that security crackdowns violate the principles of justice, humanity, civilization and democracy, I always wonder why this method is still being used worldwide to resolve political and social issues. It doesn’t make sense when a regime uses violence against its own people. This action is completely unjustifiable when governments can use better methods to deal with the public and understand their demands. We saw numerous examples this year in the

We saw numerous examples this year in the Arab countries and the entire world that the more violence is used against people, the more determined they will become in their pursuit of freedom, democracy and justice. The situation is even more perplexing when violence is used against protestors who gather peacefully to push for their rightful demands.

Arab countries and the entire world that the more violence is used against people, the more determined they will become in their pursuit of freedom, democracy and justice. The situation is even more perplexing when violence is used against protestors who gather peacefully to push for their rightful demands.

The ‘risk to the country’s security and stability’ excuse usually used to justify crackdowns against protestors is definitely not convincing. I don’t understand why governments in the Arab World fail to benefit from the experiences of other countries nearby, and continue to use violence against protestors. The violence used against bedoon protestors last Friday reflects a shortsighted approach by authorities in dealing with people who gather to demand their human rights. The violent dispersal was uncalled for when stateless residents were only holding a peaceful gathering in which they called for their basic rights. Bedoons have been living for decades without the government working out a viable solution to ease their problem. Can you believe that there are still people living amongst us without proper identifications, and have no basic rights like legalizing their marriages or seeking well-paying jobs - in this day and age? Given such miserable conditions, it’s not surprising to see crime rates rise in their community.

Many bedoons participated in wars to defend Kuwait and Arab causes, but today they find themselves ignored by a society which claims to be a pioneer in humanitarian work worldwide. — Al-Rai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

twitter @munaalfuzai Dear Muna, am writing to express my opinion on the article you had written on the educational system. I would like to comment and discuss my ideas about how we can improve the educational system in Kuwait.

I am a Kuwaiti student studying abroad in Sydney.

I am the only Kuwaiti student and the first one to arrive and study at the Macquarie University so far. I am currently studying Diploma of Communication at “Sydney Institute of Business and Technology” specializing in Cultural Studies and International, and Intercultural Communication. Hopefully, I am going to start my Bachelor of Arts at Macquarie University in July 2012.

I completely understand what you have noted in the article and the way you critically analyze the problem accurately. However, I strongly recommend that the students in schools and universities learn some cultural and communication skills. It will help them observe the way ideas and values are communicated and constructed, how people understand their place in the world, how we relate to one another and how we identify ourselves and the way we live, work and play.

Moreover, learning the way people experience the world around them will encourage students to think critically about their social practices with respect to normalizing practices in a globalised world. I highly suggest that the education system in Kuwait puts more effort into our academic skills regarding approaching creativity and subjectivity.

There are many Kuwaiti students who face problems when they head abroad to pursue their academic studies. I can see from my experience that they have problems interacting with people from different backgrounds, and have difficulty in tolerating Western and Asian societies, culture, and people.

These are the main aspects I want to stress on.

Due to the mentality and strong religious values mixed with customs, some people are not aware of their nonverbal communication or their future. Many people are not open-minded or accepting of a globalised world and modern life and they are not willing to work hard for their future. “Life is not that easy; they must teach people that life is hard.”

This causes a lot of conflict in our society. For example, when we walk into a shopping mall or any public place, people start behaving as if others are their servants. We must think “Who makes cultures relevant to whom in which context to which purpose” (Piller, 2011) and “Who does what to whom in what circumstances” (Butt, 2000).

In conclusion, we propose answers and illustrations to these questions with a series of separate investigations of education in the media, television, government, society and business as well as religion expression. We need to turn students into systematic and critical observers of being ethical local and global citizens with judgmental skills, and problem solving abilities.

Yours sincerely, Abdullah Alomran

I kuwait digest

Showing support the right way

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

“T

he use of violence against bedoons is reckless behavior on the government’s part which damages Kuwait’s international reputation”: Former MP Daifullah Buramia “[The bedoons’ issue] needs to be resolved given its damaging effect on Kuwait’s international reputation”: Former MP Mohammad Hayef.

“The footage of [last Friday’s bedoons’ demonstrations] in Jahra gives a bad image of Kuwait”: Former MP Mubarak Al-Waalan.

“It’s unfortunate that every time Kuwait takes steps forward to improve its international image, security officers make mistakes that take the country several steps backwards”: Kuwait Graduates’ Society.

“Instead of using violence against bedoons, the state should resolve their problem, as the injustice they suffer is an insult to Kuwait”: Anonymous “The footage we saw of Taima is shameful; not because of the violent dispersal of a peaceful protest, but because of the misery that bedoon residents are still living through, till this day ”: Columnist Ibtihal Al-Khateeb.

What’s common between the above statements? Of course, they are all referring to the incident that took place last Friday and are extending their suppor t to bedoons. But if you take a closer look, you will notice that the last statement of columnist Al-

Khateeb is a little different from the others. The difference in AlKhateeb’s statement is that she points out the main problem with regard to the bedoons issue.

This is not the first time I’m writing to criticize those who

Efforts to address humanitarian issues should focus solely on eliminating the problem itself. Showing support to bedoons should be motivated by empathy, not over Kuwait’s image concerns. Otherwise, it would seem as if we are more concerned about how the world looks at Kuwait instead of the bedoons’ suffering. defend human rights superficially as their main concern is to protect Kuwait’s international reputation.

First of all, it’s not our business to worry about what image other countries have of us, because if it

was, then we should start overlooking our privacy, civilization, and perhaps even our rights, just to fall in line with other countries’ definition of a “reputable country”.

Secondly, and most importantly, addressing the bedoons issue should be motivated by genuine concern for them. This should be put ahead of all other interests, because human suffering should be given more premium than the state’s public image.

Efforts to address humanitarian issues should focus solely on eliminating the problem itself.

Showing suppor t to bedoons should be motivated by empathy, not over Kuwait’s image concerns.

Otherwise, it would seem as if we are more concerned about how the world looks at Kuwait instead of the bedoons’ suffering. This could mean that if there is no media attention on their plight, then no one would bother about finding a solution to their problems anymore. I am not trying to question anyone’s intentions or commitment towards supporting the bedoons’ cause.

I’m pretty sure that most former MPs and human right activists are honest about hoping to see an end to their suffering.

But I’m hoping that they would be more careful in choosing words that truly reflect their pure intentions. In addition to supporting their cause, we need to spread humanitarian and democratic awareness among people. — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

kuwait digest

Winds of change

By Dr Shamlan Yousuf Al-Essa

T

he winds of change that blew across Tunis, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria, reached the Gulf countries which dealt with it with reforms especially after Bahrain events. Reforms were also made in Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait. In Kuwait, for example there were several protests, demonstrations, and demands which were voiced that led to the resignation of the government and dissolution of the National Assembly.

The question that we must ask as people prepare for elections is this: Did our people, particularly the youth, get inspired by the Arab revolution? If the answer is yes, then how can it be gauged and recognized clearly?

Everybody agrees that in the Gulf, we were affected and influenced by the regional Arab regime, and we must be proud in Kuwait that we have a flexible democratic regime which allowed popular will to lead the change with elections.

Yet, the question remains: Are we going to choose change for sure? And will the enthusiastic youth during the demonstrations lead the election campaigns to elect who is best instead of supporting parties and traditional movements? Will the role of youth in tribes, who played a role in the demonstrations and protests, be practical and true in leading the change for the better? Will the new elections differ from the previous ones? And will the popular choice of new MPs be any better?

No one claims to know the answers - but indicators point to the continuation of the same old method, by presenting the same old topics, as Islamists, both brotherhood and Salaf are playing the same old record which is the need for renewal. What do these fast moving developments mean? They simply try to deceive people into believing that the opposition is better than others. The major challenge that faces the new polls is to elect new men and women, bedoons, Sunni and Shiites who have new ideas for Kuwait for the future. What we want is new youth to reach Abdallah Al-Salem Hall who will present new development ideas on economy, and human rights issues. We want it to be a liberal democracy; not tribal or sectarian, but a civil state. — Al-Watan

Let’s say ‘No’

By Sami Al-Nisf

L

et’s get back to the basics. We were ahead of our neighbors by 50 years. Now, they are ahead of us by 50 years, because they got busy doing some serious work while political crises kept us busy. Citizens are beginning to wonder if there’s any hope for growth. Given our current track record and slow development rate, we will automatically be called a failed state which is politically unstable and tough to reside in.

It is noticed that no one is threatening anybody these days with grilling and the like which means that Kuwaiti people and voters hate crises. Like it’s not enough that we were cheated once, we’re now rushing polls to give unscrupulous people a second chance to run for elections and make money, We would be responsible if it happens again.

It is noticed that no one is threatening anybody these days with grilling and the like which means that Kuwaiti people and voters hate crises. Like it’s not enough that we were cheated once, we’re now rushing polls to give unscrupulous people a second chance to run for elections and make money, We would be responsible if it happens again.

Let us say a big ‘No’ during the upcoming February elections and stand united against cheaters who pretend to honor the national flag but are true enemies of the constitution. We have been deceived enough and now we know better than to believe you. — Al-Anbaa

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

Local

Robbers break into baqala in Regaei KUWAIT: Police in Regaei launched investigations in search of four suspects who committed an armed robbery at a baqala (small grocery store) in the area. Criminal investigators headed to the scene after the shopkeeper reported four people stealing KD 700 and prepaid phone credit cards at knifepoint before escaping.

Maid suicide Police and paramedics rushed to a house in Ashbiliya where a citizen reported finding his housemaid dead in an apparent case of suicide. Upon arrival, officers were led to the bathroom where the body of the Asian woman was found hanging from the ceiling. The citizen told officers that he went to search for the domestic helper after she went missing for a while, and eventually found her body in the bathroom. The body was taken to the forensic department to confirm the cause and time of death. A case was filed at the area’s police station for investigations.

Man brutalizes sister’s harasser A child molester was hospitalized with serious injuries after he was attacked by one of the victims’ brothers. The incident reportedly took place in Waha where the attacker was approached by his 12-year-old sister, who told him that the shopkeeper of a baqala (small grocery store) nearby had sexually harassed her. The man immediately went to the shop and beat up the man. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Jahra Hospital. The girl’s brother was taken into custody to face physical assault charges, while police are waiting for the harasser’s condition to stabilize before questioning him.

Angry harassers A woman was hospitalized with a broken hand she sustained during a scuffle with a

harasser near a restaurant in Maidan Hawally.

The victim reportedly stopped her car in front of the restaurant when the suspect approached her and offered his phone number to her. When she rejected it, the suspect grabbed her hand and twisted it violently. As she screamed and threatened to call the police, he jumped into a car which had four other men and made his escape. The girl was taken to Mubarak Hospital while a case was filed for investigations.

Meanwhile, Salmiya police launched a search for a male driver who reportedly damaged the car of a woman who ignored his overtures. In her statement to police, the woman explained that the suspect repeatedly banged into her car with his own vehicle until her car broke down, after which he drove away from the scene. She added that the suspect went berserk when she kept ignoring his attempts to win her affection while she was driving on a street in Salmiya.

Camping dispute Police are looking to arrest a teenager who verbally assaulted a police officer off duty following a dispute at a camping site. The officer was reportedly setting up a tent with his family when the assailant approached him and claimed that the site he was setting his tent up on was already reserved. The officer refused to leave the place because it wasn’t marked as a reserved spot. Infuriated by this, the teenager launched a verbal assault against the officer, before driving recklessly near his family in a bid to scare them off the location. The officer reported the incident to Jahra police station officers, saying that the suspect almost hit one of his kids with his hostile driving. Police learned after verifying the license plate number of the suspect’s car that the suspect is actually a retired security officer’s son.

— Al-Rai, Al-Watan, Al-Anba

KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality continued its surprise inspection campaigns yesterday and discovered a shipment of spoiled fish at the airport.

Director of imported food department Istiqlal AlMusallam said the total weight of the spoiled fish was 220kg and it came from an Asian country. The whole shipment was destroyed in the presence of officials. —Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Egyptian falls from building under construction

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 34-year-old Egyptian broke his leg when he fell from a building under construction in Mirqab area.

He was taken to Amiri Hospital.

A 20-year-old Iraqi became dizzy while a 24-year-old Kuwaiti bruised his right shoulder during a car accident near Sabahiya. He was taken to Adan Hospital.

A 25-year-old Kuwaiti sustained face lacerations and various bruises during a car accident in Riqee area. He was taken to Sabah Hospital.

A 25-year-old Egyptian complained of pain in his right hand when the boat he was in flipped over near Al-Kout Mall. He was taken to Adan Hospital.

Two Kuwaitis in their early twenties sustained various cuts and bruises during a motorcycle accident on Second Ring Road, near Abdallah Al-Salem area. Both were taken to Amiri Hospital.

Gangster wife Investigations are currently ongoing in a case in which a Kuwaiti man claims that his wife used the help of three of her relatives to rob his money at gunpoint.

In his statement to Fahad Al-Ahmad police station officers, the citizen said that his wife’s relatives stormed his house and robbed KD 10,000 while one of them pointed a gun at him the whole time. He added that the suspects escaped along with his wife following the theft.

Multiple thefts Criminal investigators arrested three suspects responsible for multiple thefts that targeted Jahra camps recently. The three thieves, two bedoon residents and one Syrian national, admitted stealing electrical appliances which they later sold. They are currently in custody.

Approval for New Year concerts KUWAIT: The Ministry of Information licensed a set of concerts to be hosted late this month at the Ice Skating Rink as part of the New Year celebrations..

Three Arab singers will be performing in the concerts scheduled for Dec 30, according to organizers Ali AlAtwan and Ahmad Al-Khaldi who announced that they already obtained approval to hold the event. Singers Majid Al-Muhandes, Meryam Faris and Fahad AlKubaisi are set to arrive in Kuwait on Dec 29, the organizers said. The issue of holding musical concerts during New Year are usually a point of controversy between the government and Islamist MPs who argue that such events violate Kuwait’s traditions, and thus should not be licensed. The parliament was dissolved two weeks ago and fresh elections are set for Feb 2, 2012.

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Lawyers Society hosted Kuwaiti journalists Adel Al-Yahya and Raed Al-Majed who returned to Kuwait on Sunday following time they spent in police custody in Iran. The reception was held to celebrate the journalists’ safe return, and was attended by Khalid Al-Jarallah, Undersecretary of Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Journalist, photographer treated well in Iran

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Kuwait Bar Association appreciated the role the Kuwait Ministr y of Foreign Affairs played in releasing the Kuwaiti lawyer and journalist Adel Al-Yahya and T V photographer Raed Al-Majed, who were arrested in Iran recently. Khalid Al-Jarallah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the ministr y exer ted great effor ts to release the two detainees, who were accused of espionage in Iran.

“Iran responded positively to the demands of the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry. We also appreciate the effor ts of the Iranian Ambassador in Kuwait. The Kuwait Ambassador to Iran played a key

role in staying in touch with the arrested,” he said during the awarding ceremony held on Sunday evening at the Bar Association on the occasion of their release. The ceremony was also attended by Kuwait’s Ambassador to Iran.

According to Al-Jarallah, Iran treated the detainees in a good manner. “The detainees were not tortured or insulted. We are glad that they returned safely as many people were asking about them,” he added.

Attorney Adel Al-Abdulhadi demanded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pay the same attention to speed up the release of Kuwaiti detainees in Guantanamo - Fayiz Al-Kanderi and Fawzi Al-Odah - to bring them back to Kuwait.

The returned detainee Adel AlYahya thanked all those who helped him return to Kuwait along with his colleague Raed Al-Majed.

“I didn’t expect that going on a business trip to Iran would result in weeks of imprisonment. I went with my colleague Al-Majed to record an episode of my weekly program, about a Kuwaiti woman who was married to an Iranian citizen. The second day we recorded the inter view at her place and went to the fish market, we were arrested. We were not tortured or harmed physically, but we were accused of espionage and underwent intense mental trauma. We were transferred to different prisons until our release finally, but we were treated well by the Iranian

government,” he said.

Al-Jarallah also said that on each of his visits to the United States, he discusses the issue of the Kuwaiti detainees in Guantanamo with the officials. “Already the majority of the Kuwaiti detainees in Guantanamo have been released, thanks to the ministry’s efforts. These efforts didn’t stop and will continue till the last two detainees return home. One of the released detainees from Guantanamo went to Iraq and killed American soldiers in a case of suicide bombing. This affected our negotiations, as the Americans always mention this incident. But we won’t let this deter us from our continued efforts for their release,” he pointed out.

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local

Business conditions in Kuwait expected to improve next year Bayt.com and YouGov survey KUWAIT: A recent Consumer Confidence Index survey conducted by Bayt.com , the Middle East’s number one job site, and YouGov, a research and consulting organization, demonstrates that while end-of-year sentiments towards personal financial situations and national economy appear to be pessimistic, outlook for next year is brighter.

Respondents in Kuwait state that their (and their family’s) current financial situation is either the same (34%) or worse (32%) than last year, with only 27% claiming to have had their finances improve in the same time period. The generally neutral/negative feeling is also directed towards the country’s economy, with a collective 64% saying that the situation is the same (34%) or worse (30%) than it was 12 months ago.

Business conditions are considered to be down; 36% of respondents say that this is a bad time for business (and another 36% claim it is a neutral time), which is perhaps reflective of the fact that 36% believe that this is a bad time to purchase consumer durable goods - only 14% say this is a good time to buy, with 39% claiming it to be a neutral time. This quarter is also considered to have been a bad time for employment: 40% of respondents claim that there are ‘very few’ jobs available in Kuwait, with a further 36% saying that there are ‘not many available’. In cor-

relation with this, 33% state that there are fewer employees working with them now than there were this time last year, with 30% claiming that their businesses have expanded, and 26% saying that the number of employees is still the same.

Meanwhile, an overwhelming 74% of respondents claim that their salary has not kept up with the current cost of living.

“Sentiments are quite low this year, as it seems like we’re still riding on the tail end of the economic recession. However, going forward, expectations and optimism are high, particularly for those looking for employment,” said Amer Zureikat, VP Salesat Bayt.com. “At Bayt.com, employers and jobseekers alike can find the ideal solution to their employment needs, as we make it easier for people to find their ideal match through our comprehensive database.”

As mentioned by Zureikat, the outlook for 2012 is positive, with 50% of respondents believing that their financial position will change for the better in the coming year, and 44% saying the same about the country’s economy. Business conditions are expected to improve according to 57% of Kuwait respondents, and 35% are positive that there will be more jobs available -23% believe that the number of jobs will remain the same, and 24% believe there will be fewer jobs.

Pessimism continues when respondents were questioned about expected company growth in the coming three months: 34% believe that there will be no change in the number of employees taken on by their company (21% say there will be positive growth; 27% state the opposite). The statistics reflect a similar outlook in terms of keeping up with staff requirements39% of respondents have neutral sentiments, with 29% stating that their company will fail to match requirements.

The outlook for the economy is not much better, as inflation has left 38% of Kuwait respondents with a negative outlook for the cost of living in the future, and 31% believe that the cost of real estate will be negatively impacted, too.

“Despite the overall outlook being less than positive for the present, there are some warming sentiments for the year to come as people look forward to improved business conditions. Better business conditions should lead to more jobs and possibly enhanced compensations, which is always something to look for ward to,” said Sundip Chahal, CEO, YouGov. Again, there is a tendency towards negative sentiment when it comes to job satisfaction. Only 14% of respondents in Kuwait are satisfied with their job and career prospects, with just 17% of

them feeling happy with the potential for growth in their current organization. Satisfaction with job security is considered to be slightly higher, with 26% claiming that they are secure in their positions; only 7% are content with their current compensation though. More than half of respondents are displeased (61%), and 28% are neutral.

The majority of Kuwait respondents are not looking to make any major purchases in 2012. Of the 34% who say that they are considering buying a vehicle, 45% will buy new, and 48% will opt to purchase a used vehicle. Only 20% are looking to buy property in the coming 12 months - of these, 71% will buy new.

Laptops continue to be the most popular items that people are looking to buy in the next six months, with 25% saying they will invest in one. The second-most popular consumer good in Kuwait is air conditioners (20%), followed by furniture (16%). Data for the quarterly Bayt.com Consumer Confidence Index survey was collected online from November 27 - December 6, 2011, with 7,343 respondents aged over 18 years, covering GCC Arab, North African, Levant, Western Expatriate and Asian nationalities. Countries who participated are UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Pakistan.

Illegal residents’ rights secured KUWAIT: The central agency for addressing the situations of illegal residents said here yesterday that the rights of this sector of society was secured, adding that the media disregarding of the agency’s efforts in that area was a “baffling matter.”

A statement released by the agency said that on numerous occasions, the agency had announced steps to improve circumstances of such individuals, issuing ration cards, certificates, and other documents to help facili-

tate and improve their living standards.

In regards to recent statements in the media and print circulating about the humanitarian status of illegal residents, the statement said that such news were contradictory

to what is on the ground.

The statement indicated that the agency would continue to release documented figures on its activities to aid illegal residents in order to refute claims of mistreatment and injustice. — KUNA

Economic report on hold pending Assembly elections

KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Youth and Sport signed a memorandum of understanding with the Faculty of Physical Education of Alexandria University of Egypt, to boost cooperation between both parties. The memorandum was signed by PAYS General Director Faisal Al-Jazzaf and Assistant Dean of FPE, Dr Sameer Ali.

Kuwait most-favored destination for GCC job seekers RIYADH: The State of Kuwait is the mostfavored destination for citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states seeking jobs while the Kuwaitis lead the real property owners in the region, a report showed here yesterday.

The number of GCC citizens working in Kuwaiti private sector companies topped 19,000 while whose working at government institutions amounted to some 11,000, compared with a total of 37,000 working in the other five GCC countries, according to the report, issued by the GCC Secretariat.

There is a steady increase in the number of workers at GCC private sector companies from 6,279 in 1995 to 21,351 in 2010 while the number of workers at GCC government institutions grew from 9,070 in 2004 to 15,846 last year, it pointed out.

The GCC Supreme Council decided in December, 2004, that each GCC member state should provide insurance protection for its nationals working in another GCC country whether in private or public firms. As for the real property sector, the report said the number of Kuwaiti owners in the GCC countries topped 4,158 followed by UAE citizens: 2,474, Bahrainis

1,846, Saudis: 1,204, Qataris: 544 and Omanis 431. The UAE is the most-favored destination of property owners from the GCC, registering 4,604 acquisitions or 43 percent of the total in 2010. The Sultanate of Oman came in the second place with 4,370 acquisitions or 41 percent, followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 819 or eight percent, while Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar came last.

The report noted that the GCC members are coordinating closely the enrolment of students of each other at their educational institutions.

The GCC members issued 32,000 licenses for investors from each other willing to do business or have equities in shareholding companies. The emergence of the GCC Customs Union in January, 2003, and the GCC Common Market in January, 2008, have had a positive impact on the volume of bilateral trade among the GCC member states which skyrocketed from $15 billion in 2002 to $20 billion in the following year. Thanks to the common market, the volume of inter-GCC trade kept growing steadily to top USD 65 billion in 2010, the report added. — KUNA

KUWAIT: An economic consultative committee that is assigned to prepare a comprehensive report regarding the economic situation in Kuwait has suspended its meetings following the recent political developments, and is expected to wait until after the parliament elections before meetings are resumed.

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, the consultative committee had already finished preparing a unified report after merging two separate reports prepared by subcommittees formed to carry out individual studies to the economic situations locally, and with regards to effects of global economic developments. The committee was supposed to adopt the unified report during a meeting which the sources say that is put on hold now pending the parliamentary elections process. The committee was formed last August by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah following growing concerns about the state’s budget in light of

increasing spending rates on public sector salaries, and on the fact that oil revenues remain the state’s sole source of income.

In another news, the Central Bank of Kuwait has reportedly saw discussions of developments in the local economic scene during a board meeting on Sunday.

According to a source familiar with the meeting, the multimillion-deposits scandal in which a number of former MPs are involved was mentioned during the discussions.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source noted that the meeting was mainly held to review the procedures taken by the Central Bank in the past few years to support the local economy and protect it from being affected by global economic crises. Board members acknowledged during the meeting the need to keep focus on the CB’s role in monitoring and organizing the banking sector, the source added.

Awqaf works to promote Islamic culture KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs is working hard to promote the original Islamic culture and joint action worldwide, the ministry’s Assistant Undersecretary of for Cultural Affairs Khleif Al-Othayna said yesterday.

The ministry aims to establish Kuwait as a beacon of Islamic culture and arts, he told reporters here in the run-up to 5th International Forum for Islamic Art. The forum will open at the Grand Mosque of Kuwait on Dec 25 and last until Jan 7 under auspices of Kuwaiti Minister of Social Affairs, Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, and Minister of State for Housing Affairs, Mohammad Al-Nomes, with large

number of local and foreign Islamic institutions. Al-Othayna highlighted the importance of raise awareness about the Muslims’ outstanding contributions to the promotion of all aspects of human civilization throughout history.

“The ministry has always worked to activate the moderation approach and realize the role of Islamic arts in social development,” he pointed out.

He added that the forum was able over the last few years to build bridges of communication among the Islamic institutions worldwide, noting that more than 65 representatives of such institutions will take part in this year’s event. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Drugs authorities arrested two Asians in possession of 20 kg of Marijuana following information that the first suspect has the illicit substance for use and sale. An undercover agent was sent to buy some of the drug and was provided with KD 1000. A team armed with a warrant from the public prosecution went to Qurtuba area where the deal was to be made and the first suspect was arrested red handed. He told authorities that another person provided him with the drugs, so he was also arrested in Qurtuba area and more than 19 kg of Marijuana was found in his room.

—Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Kuwait’s Bar Association active member of Arab Lawyers Union AMMAN: The President of Kuwait Bar Association Khaled Al-Kandari said yesterday that the association was an active member of Arab Bar Union and its participation in various activities served the profession and Arab joint work.

Al-Kandari made his remarks on the sideline of his participation in the permanent office of Arab Bar Union meetings scheduled here in Amman.

The Kuwaiti lawyer added that the three-day meetings of the union will discuss mechanism needed to improve the profession and tackle Arab issues in the region. “The meetings will also cover issues facing the lawyers as a profession and activities of the union with regard to Arab revolutions in the region,” Al-

Kandari said, noting on the “importance and responsibilities of the union in such critical time.”

Al-Kandari also expressed hope that participants in the meetings will issue recommendations that will benefit common interests and enhance the lawyers profession in general.

For his part, the Union’s Secretary General Omar Al-Zain said that the lawyers share vital responsibility in developing and improving the lawyer’s profession.

Al-Zain added that the union has setup a working program throughout next year, which coincide with decisions and resolutions by general conferences and the union’s permanent office. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Airways Corporation yesterday officially inaugurated the new headquarters of its Oasis Club which offers the KAC frequent fly program. The club is now operated by the Automated Systems Company at its new headquarters. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

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Kuwait a regional champion in pirated CDs Piracy needs to be dealt grassroots

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: The Embassy of Qatar in Kuwait hosted an event to celebrate Qatar’s National Day on Sunday which was attended by senior state officials including Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, as well as ambassadors, diplomats and other dignitaries. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Gary and Mohamad are from two different countries and backgrounds who share a similar addiction: playing video games. They both used to spend large sums of money on purchasing their favorite games. Today, these two residents of Kuwait enjoy their hobby by spending virtually nothing. Access to anything ranging from games to music and films is available for paltry sum of 500 fils. Whereas some are happy to spend less on games and movies, others say that such piracy is detrimental to the economy of a country.

Recently at a roundtable discussion in collaboration with the Kuwait’s Intellectual Property Rights, Software and Piracy Department, Ahmad AlJassim, Autodesk Country Manager noted Kuwait has the highest software piracy rate in the GCC countries.

A video shop owner in Hawally who spoke with the Kuwait Times on condition of anonymity, corroborated Jassim’s claim.

But he admitted that piracy can never be stopped unless the government is serious in doing so. “Or if they can curb the business of file hosting server —which is futile since file hosting server can be done elsewhere around the world. “How can you stop piracy if you can access a hosting server that allows people to download almost anything under the sun.

Downloading software, games, movies, music, TV shows and others are easily accessible virtually anywhere in the world provided that you have a high-speed internet connection. So, why pay when you can have it free,” he asked. In one downloading site [hosting server] for example, when you click a game link, you are redirected to connections where you can name your prize. Virtually all video games are available in the link from the past edition to the latest available one.

“This is just example of the site and you can visit other web-server

KUWAIT: One of the famous sites where Kuwait-based piracy experts download games and movies and then sell them to customers. anytime that allows downloading of any software available, you name it,” he said. The video shop owner who is also an expert in downloading software materials explained it is hard for the government to deal with the situation since file hosting server can easily change their name.

“The dilemma of the government is that they cannot easily detect file hosting server because they are basically server link to another server. It is a hard, tricky part; they are just hosting a software material of a company which they do not know where it came from and their contents. It is like a blog link to another blog,” he said providing an example with a windows7. “In the file hosting server will appear w7, who would ever think that it was the windows7 software; so it’s a bit tricky business. Besides a link

to another link is hard to be verified,” he said. A file hosting server can be confronted but again, they can only delete a specific material in question. “ The file hosting server will only delete software materials if somebody complaints. But imagine a day of exposure of a certain software material [to the file hosting server] can be copied by millions in couple of hours.”

Competition is another enemy of trying to control the proliferation of illegal software materials. “Some big companies would deliberately release or download the copy of their materials in order not to be left behind by a competitor. “Some of these software materials are deliberately downloaded in the internet [file hosting server] to advertise their products or merely to announce its

arrival. Nowadays, the fastest you release your newest products, the better chance for your products to be sold out.” Muhammad can access his favorite games through high speed internet connection, while Gary don’t but he can easily purchase pirated CDs from his favorite “underground” video shop in Hawally. Both video game addicts though are engrossed in an offense which is illegal but are hard to control at least up till now.

“I will continue to use pirated games because they are cheaper and available. Why should I purchase (games for) KD12 if I could have them for KD1,” Gary said. For Muhammad, as long as the downloadable materials are available in the file hosting server, he could only swear to continue downloading games which he enjoy.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

Spain’s next PM: Very tough times lie ahead

Zardari returns to Pakistan amid memo saga Page 11

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CAIRO: Egyptian protesters stand on top of cement blocks forming a barrier set up by the military to block the road and separate army troops from protesters, near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt yesterday. Hundreds of Egyptian soldiers in riot gear swept through Cairo’s Tahrir Square early yesterday and opened fire on protesters demanding an immediate end to military rule. The Health Ministry said at least three people were killed, bringing the death toll for four days of clashes to 14. —AP

Iraq slaps travel ban on Sunni vice-president Hashemi accuses Maliki’s govt of harassment BAGHDAD: Iraq has banned Sunni Muslim Vice-President Tareq Al-Hashemi from leaving the country, a security source said yesterday, sharpening a sectarian-tinged political crisis just after the last US troops departed. The completion of the US withdrawal on Sunday ended nearly nine years of war, but left many Iraqis fearful that a shaky peace between majority Shiites and Sunnis might collapse and reignite sectarian violence. “ We received the travel ban order for Hashemi,” said a senior security official, adding that the ban had been issued by five judges

investigating allegations against the Sunni leader. Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, a Shiite, has also asked parliament for a no-confidence vote against another leading Sunni politician, Saleh al-Mutlaq, who is deputy prime minister, on the grounds that he lacked faith in the political process. Hashemi and Mutlaq are both leaders of the Iraqiya bloc, a secular group backed by minority Sunnis, which joined Maliki’s unity government only reluctantly and recently boycotted parliament sessions after complaining of being marginalized, even though it is the single biggest bloc in the

assembly. Security sources and lawmakers said on Sunday an arrest warrant had been issued for Hashemi, one of Iraq’s two vicepresidents, but that Sunni and Shi’ite politicians had intervened to stop the arrest from being carried out. Security sources, who asked not to be named, said the arrest warrant was issued after four of Hashemi’s bodyguards, who were arrested two weeks ago, accused him of links with terrorism.

In a statement yesterday, Hashemi accused Maliki’s government of “deliberate harassment” after his plane was delayed for three

The renewed political infighting has overshadowed the US withdrawal and dominated Iraqi newspaper headlines yesterday. Fearing a deepening crisis that could push Iraq back into sectarian turmoil, senior Iraqi politicians were holding talks with Maliki and other leaders to contain the dispute. The large-scale sectarian violence of 2006-07 has largely subsided, but tensions still simmer close to the surface, with many Sunnis feeling shunted aside by the rise of Shi’ite power after the US led invasion ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003.— Reuters

Iran, bracing for more sanctions, admits the pain

Lebanon army uncovers rockets near Israel border HASBAYA: The Lebanese army yesterday said it had uncovered four Grad rockets in an olive grove near the volatile border with Israel. The rockets, each hidden inside disused plastic water pipes placed under a thin layer of dirt, were found by a farmer on the outskirts of the southeastern border village of Majidiyeh, near the disputed Shebaa Farms. The farmer alerted authorities after stumbling on the weapons, officials said. “An army patrol found four Grad rockets hidden under dirt in the region of Hasbaya,” the military said in a statement, adding that a probe was under way to determine the origin of the weapons.

The discovery comes amid high tension in southern Lebanon following a number of security incidents in recent weeks, including a rocket attack on Israel and a roadside bombing that wounded five French soldiers serving with the UN peacekeeping force. Israel yesterday denounced the presence of weapons in the region, saying it contradicts UN Security Council resolution 1701, which put an end to its devastating war in 2006 with the militant group Hezbollah.

“The Israel Defence Forces views the Lebanon government and the Lebanese armed forces as responsible for implementing this resolution and for preventing any hostile activity against Israel from Lebanon,” an army spokesman said. The Shebaa Farms, a mountainous sliver of land rich in water resources, is located at the junction of southeast Lebanon, southwest Syria and northern Israel. The area has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war and caught in a tug-ofwar over ownership ever since.— AFP

hours at Baghdad airport. He had been heading for the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniya to meet the Iraqi president. Security forces arrested three of Hashemi’s bodyguards on their way back from the airport, the statement said.

Military forces surrounding Hashemi’s house for weeks had been beefed up. “The vice-president has been very patient and is waiting for a reasonable explanation from the government parties concerned,” the statement said. “He is demanding the immediate release of the three officers who have been detained without judicial orders to arrest them.”

HASBAYA: UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) troops patrol the Majidiyeh area in south Lebanon’s district of Hasbaya yesterday.—AFP

TEHRAN: Western sanctions have taken such a toll on Iran over the past 18 months that now-as the screw is about to be tightened yet further-Tehran’s studied insouciance is slipping, with officials admitting the economic damage is being felt. “War-time conditions” demanded dramatic policy reactions, the head of Tehran’s chamber of trade and industry, Yahya AlEshaq, told Sunday’s Iran Daily newspaper.

The country must now act “as if under siege,” the governor of Iran’s central bank, Mahmoud Bahmani, agreed in comments to reporters and businessmen over the past week. Signs of economic difficulties have been accumulating: investments are becoming rare, imports are becoming pricier, and Iran’s currency is sliding. The United States and Europe are about to again ratchet up the pressure with measures against Iran’s central bank and vital oil sector.

They will add to severe sanctions imposed since 2010 by a West trying to halt Iran’s nuclear program, which it suspects masks ambitions for atomic weapons, despite Tehran’s denials. The growing evidence of the sanctions’ impact has prompted Iranian officials to drop previous assertions of business-asusual and start acknowledging some economic pain. “We can’t pretend the sanctions aren’t having an effect,”

Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi admitted at the weekend. But “we are not really worried,” he told the official IRNA news agency, explaining that “appropriate responses have been prepared for the worst-case scenario.”

A “road map” to circumvent new sanctions had been readied, he said.

AlEshaq also said “the sanctions have had some impact on the domestic economy,” notably by making imports 24 percent more costly. “The enemies have embarked on a war in the economic sector,” he said, calling for “war-era management” to be imposed in return. Iran has already been establishing trade links with other, non-Western countries, notably China. But imports have still declined 20 percent in the past six months according to official figures.

Exports continue to hold up, however, largely thanks to the high price for oil in the global market-a commodity that accounts for 80 percent of foreign earnings for Iran, OPEC’s second-biggest producer after Saudi Arabia. This year, the value of Iran’s exports topped $140 billion (107 billion euros), with oil and derivative products accounting for $120 billion of that.

But those figures “hide the fact that a growing part of trade is now being done under barter arrangements,” said one European expert in Tehran who

could not be named because of political sensitivities. “To get around the US embargo on dollar transactions, the main buyers of Iranian crude, such as China, Japan and South Korea, don’t pay in cash any more but rather through credit lines extended to Iranian companies, which reduces the central bank’s resources,” the expert said.

Iran said at the beginning of this year it had around $100 billion in foreign reserves and gold. But dwindling revenue has forced the central bank in recent months to dramatically cut foreign currency sales to businesses and individuals, an Iranian banker noted.

The central bank has also eased up on its previous strong support for Iran’s rial, letting the currency depreciate 20 percent since September.

The sanctions have also taken a noticeable bite out of the oil and gas industry. Oil production, which has dropped 10 percent since 2008, continues to shrink with November output this year put at 3.5 million barrels per day according to OPEC. Lacking options, Tehran has recently announced it is suspending several non-essential projects.

And even ones deemed priorities, such as the development of the giant South Pars gasfield in the Gulf, are running behind schedule, according to Iranian media. —AFP

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Republican candidates focus on main voters WASHINGTON: Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, the two leading Republican presidential contenders, are linking their campaign messages ever closer to issues dear to the hearts of voters in a party deeply divided between hard-core ideological conservatives and the more moderate establishment wing. In the final two weeks before Iowa voters become the first in the U.S. to make a choice in the party nominating process, Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, is stepping up criticism of federal judges and the Supreme Court.

Former Massachusetts governor Romney, the favorite of the moderate side of the party, is insisting he’s the candidate who can best fend off Democratic attacks and defeat President Barack Obama in the election next November. On Jan 3, Iowa voters will meet in the Midwestern state’s precinct caucuses to choose their favorite candidate from a field of seven, in what so far has been a chaotic campaign. Before Gingrich,

three other conservative hopefuls quickly rose then drifted out of favor with the most conservative Republicans who do not want Romney to head the ticket.

Gingrich is now leading Romney in polls both nationally and in Iowa and is playing to the conservative constituency by resurrecting the familiar claim that judges in the United States are overstepping their powers. “There is steady encroachment of secularism through the courts to redefine America as a nonreligious country and the encroachment of the acourts on the president’s commander in chief powers, which is enormously dangerous,” Gingrich said on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday.

In mounting the broad attack on federal judges and the Supreme Court, Gingrich argues that they are legislating from the bench and have more control over the country than they should. It’s an argument that drew sustained applause during a debate last week in Iowa - and one

that could have particular resonance in a state where Republicans fought a protracted battle with state Supreme Court judges over gay marriage, which is legal in Iowa.

An Iowa victory will offer momentum as the candidates head toward the New Hampshire primary election seven days later. In a rare appearance on a Sunday news program, Romney defended his years making millions in private business, claiming he’ll be able to handle attacks from Democrats who are already trying to paint him as wealthy and out-oftouch. “The president’s going to go after me,” Romney said on Fox News Sunday. “I’ll go after him.”

While Romney and Gingrich were on the East Coast on Sunday, other Republican candidates were campaigning across Iowa. Texas Gov. Rick Perry continued his bus tour across the state, as did Rep. Michele Bachmann. Former Sen. Rick Santorum planned two town hall meetings in the conservative western portion of the state. Gingrich plans to

spend the early part of the week in Iowa. He’ll head to New Hampshire tomorrow, where Romney will already be part way through a fourday bus tour. Romney won’t return to Iowa until after Christmas.

In Iowa, the state Republican Party is taking steps to secure its electronic vote collection system after receiving a mysterious threat to its computers.

A video claiming to be from a collective of computer hackers has jolted party officials with fears of an invasion of the database used to gather vote totals and crash the website used to inform the public about results that can shape the campaign for the White House.

While confident in the safeguards protecting the vote count itself, and aware the video may be a hoax, members of the state Republican Party’s central committee told The Associated Press they are taking the threat seriously and have authorized additional security measures to ensure hackers are unable to delay the release of results.—AP

Obama: Iran and Cuba ties do not benefit Venezuela CARACAS: The United States believes increasingly warm ties between Venezuela, Iran and Cuba do not benefit the Venezuelan people, US President Barack Obama said in an interview with a Venezuelan newspaper published yesterday. Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez and his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have expanded the two OPEC nation’s close business and political relations in recent years, exacerbating tensions between Caracas and Washington.

In May, the United States imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA for defying US law by sending at least two tankers carrying $50 million in oil products to Iran.

“Venezuela is a proud, sovereign nation ... The US has no intention of inter vening in Venezuela’s foreign relations,” Obama said in the email interview with El Universal newspaper. “However, I think the government’s ties with Iran and Cuba have not benefited the interests of Venezuela and its people.

“Sooner or later, Venezuela’s people will have to decide what possible advantage there is in having relations with a country that violates fundamental human rights and is isolated from most of the world. The Iranian govern-

ment has consistently supported international terrorism.” Chavez denounced the PDVSA sanctions as “gringo aggression.” His alliance with Ahmadinejad, as well as other anti-US leaders, is a source of pride for the socialist and a central part of his efforts to build alternative axes of power.

Since coming to power in 1999, Chavez has sought to project himself as the head of a global “anti-imperialist” movement inspired by his ideological mentor former Cuban president Fidel Castro. Chavez lauds Castro’s communistled revolution and underwent cancer surgery in Cuba in June. After recuperating from that and several subsequent sessions of chemotherapy in Havana, Chavez is now focused on winning a new six-year presidential term in an election next October.

In the interview, Obama said the US administration was closely watching the run-up to the Venezuelan vote. “We felt great concern to see that measures have been taken to restrict press freedom and to erode the separation of powers that are so necessary for a democracy to flourish,” he said. A year ago, the US government revoked the Venezuelan ambassador’s visa in retaliation after Chavez rejected Obama’s

choice of envoy to Caracas. That appeared to bury any lingering hopes of a rapprochement between both men.

But most analysts say neither will risk jeopardizing trade ties, principally Venezuelan oil exports that amount to about 1 million barrels per day and are crucial to both economies.

There was a window to improve ties after Obama took office in January 2009 and promised more engagement with foes. Chavez toned down his tirades against the “Yankee empire” and shook hands with the new US leader at a summit. But within months, Chavez said Obama was disillusioning the world by following his predecessor George W. Bush’s foreign policies, and the rhetoric from Caracas cranked up again.

In his interview, Obama said most people in the region were worn out by the war of words.

“I think most people in Latin America are tired of refighting old ideological battles that contribute absolutely nothing towards improving their daily life. Our people want to know what we promote, not just what we oppose,” he said.

“I look forward to the day when the governments of the United States and Venezuela can work together more closely.”— Reuters

SOUTH CAROLINA: Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks during a town hall meeting at Memminger Auditorium, Saturday in Charleston SC. —AP

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British lawmakers blame police tactics for riots LONDON: A failure of police tactics during England’s riots in August caused the unrest to escalate into the worst for a generation, British lawmakers said in a report published yesterday. The impression that police had lost control, particularly in London, encouraged rioters to go on a spree of looting and vandalism over four nights, said the report from the crossparty home affairs committee.

“In London and other areas, in con-

trast with the effectiveness of police responses in some towns and cities, there was a failure of police tactics,” said opposition Labor party MP Keith Vaz, the committee chairman. “This situation might have been avoided had police appreciated the magnitude of the task,” he added. Police have already faced criticism over their response to the initial outbreak of violence in the north London district of Tottenham on August 6, which was sparked by a fatal

police shooting. Officers appeared to pull back and the lawmakers said this initial reluctance to confront the rioters encouraged the spread of copycat unrest to other cities, causing widespread destruction and five deaths.

“The single most important reason why the disorder spread was the perception, relayed by television as well as new social media, that in some areas the police had lost control of the streets,” the report said.

The report, “Policing Large-Scale Disorder: Lessons from the Disturbances of August 2011,” also criticized police for a catalogue of other failures. These included failing to quickly flood the streets with large numbers of officers, not giving businesses in affected areas early and consistent advice, and an inadequate system for loaning officers between forces. Debate has raged about the underlying reasons for the unrest, but

the committee admitted it could shed no new light on the issue. “Unlike some events in the past, including riots in the 1980s, there does not seem to be any clear narrative, nor a clear element of protest or clear political objectives,” it said.

A spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers said the report had identified issues that needed to be addressed by police reforms currently under discussion. —AFP

Several thousand protest in Kazakh oil region after riots Violence claimed at least 15 lives

PRAGUE: A mourner pays respect by coffin with remains of former Czech president Vaclav Havel displayed at the Prague Crossroads centre in Prague, Czech Republic, yesterday. —AP

Czechs mourn late Prez Vaclav Havel PRAGUE: Braving the freezing cold, Czechs waited patiently yesterday to bid a personal farewell to former President Vaclav Havel, who led the peaceful revolution that toppled the communist regime in 1989. At least a thousand mourners quietly gathered in a long line front of the Prague Crossroads at the city’s Old Town, where the coffin with Havel’s body went on display yesterday at noon. Many were carrying flowers to honor Havel, who died Sunday at age 75.

Havel had turned a former church into a space where he organized international conferences and met leaders of other countries, dissidents and friends from all around the globe after his final term in office end in 2003. “He was a hero for me since my childhood,” said Zuzana Hronova, 32, who traveled to the capital from the city of Pardubice, 100 kilometers (62 miles) east of Prague.

“One day I will share this experience with my children,” she said, carrying one of her two daughters, 2-year-old Barbora, on her shoulders. “It would be great for them to have such a hero but I can’t see anyone who could replace him now.”

Havel’s wife Dagmar, who was with her husband till the last, arrived dressed in black with dark sunglasses to place roses on the coffin.

Tomorrow, the remains will be moved to the Prague Castle, the presidency seat, to be on display there for another two days. Czechs are also signing condolence books to pay tribute to Havel in Prague

and many other places all across the country, as well in the Slovak capital Bratislava. Slovakia split from the Czech Republic in 1993. Czech President Vaclav Klaus, Parliamentary speaker Miroslava Nemcova and Prague archbishop Domink Duka were the first to sign the books yesterday at Prague Castle.

Klaus was meeting Havel’s wife yesterday to discuss the state funeral that is expected Friday. Havel aide Sabina Tancevova said US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed her wish to attend the funeral. Immediately after the news about Havel’s death spread Sunday, thousands of Czechs spontaneously gathered at many key historic places - such is the monument of the 1989 Velvet Revolution in downtown Prague - to lay flowers and light candles for Havel.

In Warsaw, Poles who waged similar struggles against the communists paid their respects to Havel at the Czech Embassy, lighting candles and placing flowers under a portrait of Havel hanging outside the building. “I really respect him as a person. He was an intellectual and a man of great modesty,” said Daria Czapula, 69, who lit a candle, struggling in the wind.

“For us there is a little jealousy that we didn’t have such a leader.” In Brussels, flags were lowered to half-mast and NATO as European Union institutions observed a minute of silence. The Czech government meets later yesterday to declare a period of official mourning. —AP

Rafts spotted near capsized Russian rig MOSCOW: Rafts carrying people have been spotted off Russia’s east coast where a floating oil rig sank in remote, freezing waters, the owner said yesterday, but the government would not confirm the report and it was not clear whether there were survivors.

Time appeared to be running out for the scores of oil workers still missing the day after their floating platform was downed in a severe storm. Workers have already pulled out 10 bodies from the Sea of Okhotsk, and there are four more bodies that haven’t been retrieved yet, the Emergencies Ministry said.

Of the 67 men aboard, 14 were plucked alive from the icy waters immediately after the accident and taken to a hospital. Chances of survival are negligible as the water temperature in the area is 1 degree Celsius (33.80 Fahrenheit).

An official at the rig’s owner Arktikmorneftegazrazvedka, who asked not to be named because the offshore oil exploration firm is not authorized to comment on the rescue operation, told The Associated Press that rescue vessels have spotted four rafts with people aboard, but it was not clear if they were alive or not. The Emergencies Ministry and military officials would not confirm. The ministry said there are four vessels, one helicopter and one airplane in the area searching for the missing men. Helicopter shots from the area on NTV television showed nothing floating on the partly icebound sea. Russia produces most of

its oil onshore and it hasn’t seen any significant oil platform accidents in the past years. The floating oil rig capsized Sunday morning as it was being towed about 200 kilometers (120 miles) off the coast of Sakhalin Island amid a fierce storm. It started sinking after a strong wave broke some of its equipment and the portholes in the crew’s dining room.

One of the sur vivors, Sergei Grauman, said on Russian state television that the platform’s portholes were smashed in a second and the crew had struggled to fix them.

“Everyone rushed to the deck,” he told the First Channel station. “It all felt like a movie.”

The Kolskaya platform - 70 meters (226 feet) long and 80 meters (262 feet) wide - was built in Finland in 1985. It has recently done some work for Russian energy giant Gazprom and was on its way to a port in the Far East when it capsized.

There has been no report of environmental damage, but there is likely to be little because the rig only carried a small amount of fuel.

Russian newspapers yesterday speculated about whether there could have been fewer deaths if the rig’s owner had taken more people off the rig before it was moved. Russian law allows only a “minimal number of crew members” to be aboard the platform while it is being towed and bars any non-crew members or passengers. Reports said that at least 14 people aboard were not crew members. Var ya Kudr yavtseva contributed to this report. —AP

AKTAU: Several thousand people protested in Kazakhstan yesterday against what they said was state-triggered violence which claimed at least 15 lives in the oil-rich Mangistau region. About 3,000 people including oil workers gathered in the regional centre of Aktau on the Caspian Sea, urging authorities to pull troops out of the town of Zhanaozen where Friday’s clashes between striking workers and police left at least 14 dead.

Kazakhstan’s strongman leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, whose government is scrambling to respond to the unprecedented riots, meanwhile travelled to Moscow for economic talks with his Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus. One person was killed and 11 were wounded when dozens of protesters stopped a train with more than 360 passengers aboard near the small Kazakh village of Shetpe on Saturday in a show of support for the oil workers and then vandalised the village.

The village is about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the regional centre of Aktau where around 1,000 people took to the streets Sunday. That protest grew in numbers after striking oil workers from the Karazhanbas oil deposit joined in yesterday, an AFP correspondent reported from the scene. “We are here because we want to sit at the negotiating table, so that the authorities hear the oil workers’ demands,” said Vladimir Kozlov, leader of the unregistered opposition Alga party.

“Workers at the oil deposits have stopped working but the pumps are electric-powered so they are still operating,” Kozlov said. Riot police have blocked Aktau’s main Yntymak square, forcing people to stand on the fringes holding up signs like one reading “Don’t Shoot the People!” Prosecutors said Sunday that 14 people died in Zhanaozen and one was killed in Shetpe but some observers say the toll could be higher.

The Aktau independent labour union plans to set up a hotline for people to report their missing relatives, its chairman Kenzhegali Suyeuov told AFP. The unprecedented riots in Zhanaozen forced Nazarbayev to declare a 20day state of emergency in the town and dealt

a blow to a government which prides itself on attracting foreign investors. Zhanaozen remains in a virtual lockdown, with the town’s communications cut off from the rest of the country, and authorities blocking the main road and performing identity checks.

“There are many people who cannot reach their relatives because the phone lines in Zhanaozen, Shetpe and several other towns are disconnected,” Suyeuov said. The Mangistau region has been plagued by worker strikes since May but authorities have denied that the riots were related to the disputes, with Nazarbayev calling rioters “hooligans.” Kazakhstan’s general prosecutor Nurdaulet Suindikov said in a statement earlier yesterday that “the situation in Zhanaozen

MOSCOW: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, left, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, center, and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, right, take part in a meeting of heads of states of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, in the Moscow Kremlin, Moscow, Russia yesterday. —AP

Spain’s next PM: Very tough times lie ahead MADRID: Warning that very hard times lie ahead for Spain, the country’s next prime minister said his incoming conservative government aims to reduce the country’s deficit by euro16.5 billion ($21.6 billion) next year. In a keenly awaited speech to Parliament a month after being elected and then keeping largely silent over his plans, conservative Mariano Rajoy still did not specify what bitter cocktail of spending cuts or tax hikes might be used to get the deficit down to Spain’s stated goal of 4.4 percent of GDP in 2012.

The deficit was 9.2 percent of GDP last year and estimated by the outgoing Socialist government to be about 6 percent his year - a figure Rajoy suggested may be too optimistic. This is because the economy posted no growth in the third quarter. That stagnation prompted the outgoing Spanish government to join the EU, the IMF and many private economists in lowering its growth estimate for this year from 1.3 percent to 0.8 percent.

Rajoy said Spain’s staggering jobless rate had risen to around 23 percent overall and around 46 percent for people under 25. “The panorama could not be more somber,” Rajoy said. Spain’s overall

is gradually normalizing.” Journalists and bloggers seeking to travel to Zhanaozen reportedly were harassed at the weekend, with popular Kazakh blogger Murat Tungishbayev writing on Twitter that riot police beat him up.

Several Russian reporters were detained briefly on Sunday. Human Rights Watch called on the Kazakh authorities Sunday to immediately restore communications, urging the government not to use the state of emergency “to place unjustified and unnecessary restrictions on freedom of information.”

State-controlled television played down the violence, calling for tough punishment for the rioters as it continued broadcasting concerts as part of four-day Independence Day festivities. —AFP

national debt stands at euro706.34 billion ($919.6 billion) as of the end of September. That is up 15 percent from a year ago. The new figure is about 66 percent of GDP - but it does not include the substantial debts of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions.

Outlining his economic plans, Rajoy said he would end a freeze on cost-of-living adjustments for pensions, but said besides that every category of government spending is now subject to review.

Spain’s opposition Socialist Party slammed Rajoy for providing few specifics on how he will cut government services to reduce the deficit or create jobs, though the party will be able to do little to counter proposals Rajoy eventually brings to Parliament since his party won an absolute majority. “He didn’t explain how he’s going to do it,” said Jose Antonio Alonso, spokesman for the socialists. “It was a disappointing speech... it was ambiguous and it wasn’t clear.” Spanish stocks and bonds rose yesterday, in line with increases across Europe. The Madrid stock exchange was up 1.6 percent while the yield on the 10year bond dropped 0.13 of a percentage point to 5.13 percent. A bond’s yield drops when the price rises. — AP

MADRID: Spain’s conservative leader and next prime minister Mariano Rajoy leaves after giving his speech at the Parliament almost a month after being elected, in Madrid yesterday. —AP

Intl court refuses to halt Rwandan’s release THE HAGUE: International Criminal Court judges refused yesterday to block the release of a Rwandan rebel prosecutors accuse of involvement in deadly attacks by a Hutu militia on villages in Congo in 2009. The judges ordered the release of Callixte Mbarushimana on Friday after dismissing all charges against him for lack of evidence.

Prosecutors immediately said they would appeal the ruling and asked the court to delay Mbarushimana’s release pending the outcome. But in yesterday’s written decision judges ruled that Mbarushimana can no longer be detained because the 11 charges against him have been dismissed. “A warrant of arrest previously issued ceases to have effect with respect to any charges not confirmed by the Pre-Trial Chamber,” the judges wrote.

Mbarushimana has asked to be released to France, where he lived before his arrest in October 2010. “We need to contact French authorities and see if they accept him,” said court spokesman Fadi El Abdallah. It was not immediately clear if prosecutors would - or could - take any further steps to block Mbarushimana’s release. If he is freed, Mbarushimana would be the first suspect released from ICC custody since the court’s inception in 2002.

Prosecutors accused him of being a senior member of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, known by its French acronym the FDLR. The group is accused of unleashing savage attacks on civilians in the North and South Kivu provinces of Congo as a “bargaining tool” to win power. The case against Mbarushimana was unusual as it alleged his role in the attacks was to orchestrate “an international campaign of propaganda and extortion” to force Rwanda to accept the return of the rebels who had fled the country after its 1994 genocide. In a majority decision last week, a three-judge panel that heard a summary of evidence at a hearing in September ruled that it was “not sufficient to establish substantial grounds to believe that the Suspect encouraged the troops’ morale through his press releases and radio messages.” He faced 11 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity including murder, rape and persecution but always maintained his innocence. The FDLR was established by former guerrillas accused of genocide in Rwanda’s 1994 ethnic slaughter. After moving to Congo, the FDLR launched attacks on Rwanda aimed at ousting the government in Kigali.

Knowing they could not win a conventional military campaign, they went on a yearlong killing spree in Congo that left hundreds dead and forced thousands from their homes. — AP

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President Zardari returns to Pakistan amid memo saga Not clear when Zardari will return to work

KARACHI: School students supportingt Pakistani political and Islamic party Jammat-e-Islami (JI), carry placards as they shout anti-US slogans during a protest in Karachi yesterday. —AFP

Pakistan restores Afghanistan border centers in step forward KABUL: Pakistan has restored liaison officers at coordination centres on the Afghanistan border, NATO said yesterday, in a slight easing of tensions, after NATO air strikes last month killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers and provoked fury across the country. But the US -led coalition’s supply lines that run through Pakistan remain closed since the Nov 26 incident and it is both in the interests of foreign forces as well as Pakistan that the routes be opened sooner rather than later, the alliance said.

Ties between the United States and Pakistan are fraught, with Islamabad blocking the Afghan supply line for one of the longest periods yet. Last week, US lawmakers agreed to freeze $700 million in aid to Pakistan demanding it disrupt the movement of fertilisers used in making homemade bombs, the deadliest killer of foreign troops. But the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, US General John Allen, had spoken to the Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Kayani and there were signs of progress over the last few days, Brigadier General Carsten Jacobsen, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), told reporters. “ We have seen liaison officers, Pakistani officers, return to border coordination centres, General Allen has spoken to General Kayani, so we are moving in the right direction,” he said. The border control centres were set up to help NATO and Afghan forces and their Pakistani counterparts on the other side of the porous border to coordinate operations against militants and avoid the kind of the incident that occurred last month in which two Pakistan army posts

in Mohmand came under NATO fire.

Pakistan said the United States had carried out an unprovoked attack, an accusation rejected by Washington. An investigation has been ordered and Jacobsen declined to go into details of the incident ahead of the results. But he urged Pakistan to reopen the two supply routes into Afghanistan, which carry just under a third of all cargo for foreign forces fighting in the landlocked nation.

“It is in our interest as well as Pakistan’s interests, for economic reasons that they reopen these routes sooner rather than later,” he said.

Jacobsen also defended the use of night raids on Afghan homes to hunt down insurgents, despite yet another call overnight from Afghan President Hamid Karzai to end the practice, deeply hated by most Afghans. “Night operations remain the safest form of operations conducted to take insurgents off the battlefield,” he said, adding that in 85 percent of such raids not a single shot is fired.

The raids have accounted for less than one percent of civilian casualties, he said.

Karzai on Sunday asked NATO not to enter Afghan homes for such operations after a raid in eastern Paktia province in which he said a woman was killed and four people wounded.

Foreign forces fighting in Afghanistan have become more accurate in conducting night-time raids on homes, but they have stepped up the number and scope of the operations so they affect more civilians, a report by the Open Society Foundations and The Liaison Office said in September. Jacobsen said the way forward was greater involvement of Afghan Special Forces in these raids. —Reuters

KARACHI: Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari returned home from medical treatment in Dubai to face rising tension between his civilian government and the military over a memo accusing the country’s generals of plotting a coup. It’s not clear when the deeply unpopular leader who has uneasy ties with the army will return to work. He flew into the southern city of Karachi after treatment for a heart condition.

“The president is thankfully fit and healthy and that is why he has returned,” Shazia Marri, information minister for Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital, told Reuters. State television showed him at his residence, looking relaxed as he met senior provincial officials. Zardari could be damaged by the memo, reportedly crafted by his former ambassador to the United States, which wants ally Pakistan stable so it can help wind the war down in neighboring Afghanistan. The Supreme Court yesterday started hearings into a petition demanding an inquiry into who was behind it. As president, Zardari is immune from prosecution but the controversy could seriously damage him politically.

If a link is proven, the military, which has long been distrustful of Zardari, could push for his ouster. Although Zardari’s position is largely ceremonial, he wields considerable influence as leader of the ruling party and his forced departure would be a humiliation for the civilian leadership and could throw the country into turmoil.

Ruling Pakistan People’s Party officials played down concern the military could move against

Zardari. “The government and the military are on the same page.

There is no conflict, and there is no chance of any rift between

memo seriously.

Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani called for an investigation, saying the memo was an attempt to hurt

KARACHI: Activists of ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) sacrifice goats for Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari after his arrival from Dubai, in Karachi yesterday.—AP state institutions,” said a PPP leader who requested anonymity.

“We don’t want any conflict and won’t do anything which leads to that.”But the military is taking the

national security.

Tension between the civilian government and military has bedevilled the nuclear-armed South Asian country for almost its

Indian cabinet clears costly food subsidy bill NEW DELHI: The Indian cabinet has approved a landmark bill to provide subsidised food to hundreds of millions of people-a populist but hugely costly project that critics say will strain treasury finances. The Food Security Bill-greenlighted late Sunday-would provide monthly supplies of cheap rice, wheat and millet to 64 percent of India’s 1.2 billion population-or around 770 million people.

The legislation, which must still be approved by parliament, will increase the government’s annual food subsidy bill by nearly 280 billion rupees ($5.3 billion) to 950 billion rupees. Further substantial funds will be needed to ramp up grain production to meet the subsidy requirement. Food Minister KV Thomas said the bill would be presented in parliament before the current session ends on Thursday.

Critics of the bill say India can ill afford such a costly program at a time of slowing economic growth, near double-digit inflation and a yawning budget deficit.

There are already concerns that the government will fall short of its target of reducing the fiscal deficit to 4.6 percent of GDP in the current financial year. “This bill is just another progressive-sounding legislation that fails to address key issues: the crumbling public distribution system and malnutrition among rural and urban poor,” said food security analyst Sangita Sharma. —AFP

NATO: Raids to go on with Afghanistan participation KABUL: NATO will continue to carry out nighttime kill-and-capture raids that target suspected insurgents with increased Afghan partnership after repeated protests by President Hamid Karzai, the alliance said yesterday.

Spokesman Brig Gen Carsten Jacobson said that Afghan special forces now take part in nearly all night raids and their participation is constantly increasing.

The raids have become a flash point for anger over foreign meddling in Afghanistan and whether detention operations will be run by the Afghans or Americans. Karzai has demanded that foreign troops stop entering homes, saying Afghan citizens cannot feel secure if they think armed soldiers might burst into their houses in the middle of the night.

Karzai’s office said in a statement that during a National Security Council meeting late Sunday, the president had emphasized the need to prevent civilian casualties, saying the casualties and the night raids on homes “have created serious problems.” Last month, Karzai convened a traditional national assembly known as a Loya Jirga that stopped short of demanding a complete end to night raids. Instead, it asked that they be led and controlled by Afghan security forces - a demand that the US says it has met.

During a briefing on Sunday Jacobson said that the raids remain the safest form of operation to take out insurgent leaders. They account for less than 1 percent of civilian casualties, and in 85 percent of cases no shots are fired, he said. “President Karzai has asked foreign troops to (refrain) from entering Afghan homes and this is exactly where ...

‘Afghanization’ comes in,” Jacobson said, referring to the gradual transfer of responsibility for security to the Afghan army and police. They are due to assume full control in 2014, when foreign forces are to end their combat role in Afghanistan.

Adm. William McRaven, who leads the US Special Operations Command, said last week that about 2,800 raids were carried out against insurgent targets in the past year. But some analysts have questioned the military and

political value of the operations, saying that when guerrilla commanders are taken out they are usually replaced by younger and more aggressive fighters less disposed to making any compromise with the government.

The issue also has held up the signing of a security agreement with the US that could keep thousands of American troops here for years beyond the 2014 deadline for most international forces to leave.

Remaining American troops would train Afghan forces and assist with counterterrorism operations. The latest controversy over night raids was sparked by an operation early Saturday on a home in the Ahmadaba district of Paktia province.

The provincial governor condemned what he said was a raid on the home of the local counternarcotics chief. Three men were detained during the operation, including a leader with the Haqqani militant network, which is affiliated with al-Qaida and the US ban. The coalition said a joint AfghanNATO force returned gunfire coming from the house. One woman inside the compound was killed during the operation. Jacobson said the counternarcotics chief was released from custody on Sunday.

Separately, Jacobson said that “in recent days” Pakistani officers had been returning to the joint control centers where NATO, Afghanistan and Pakistan share information and coordinate security operations.

The Pakistanis were withdrawn after NATO airstrikes killed 24 Pakistani troops along the border last month.

Furious over the incident, Islamabad reUS ated by cutting the route which NATO uses to transport supplies to its forces in landlocked Afghanistan. It also severed military coordination between the two sides, and the return of Pakistani liaison officers may signal that tensions are now easing.

Meanwhile, two attackers wearing suicide vests were killed yesterday when their explosives detonated while they were riding a motorcycle through Dilaram district in western Nimroz province, the Interior Ministry said.

There were no other injuries, the statement said. —AP

entire existence. The military has ruled the country for more than half of its 64-year history after a series of coups. No evidence has emerged that the army was plotting a coup and the Pentagon at the time dismissed the memo as not credible but the issue is seen as further weakening a government already beset by allegations of corruption and incompetence.

The army is viewed as Pakistan’s most effective institution. “If it wasn’t for the army, our rulers would have run away with all the money they got through corruption,” said Tasleem Bokhari, 27, a small businessman. The military, which determines security and foreign policy, dismisses any suggestion that it might stage a coup but analysts say intervention could not be ruled out in the event of chaos. Zardari was elected in 2008 on the back of a sympathy vote after his more charismatic wife, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated after returning from self-exile.

While the military is believed to see Zardari as inept and corrupt, it has apparently also concluded he was a better option than other political leaders it distrusted even more. Criminal cases could haunt Zardari, who earned the title “Mr 10 Percent” while Bhutto was in power, based on allegations he demanded kickbacks on state contracts. Zardari was also accused of murder. He was never convicted and denied wrongdoing on all charges but spent 11 years in jail. In 2009, the Supreme Court scrapped an amnesty law that had dismissed corruption charges against thousands of Pakistani politicians, including Zardari. —Reuters

DHARMSALA: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama gestures during a religious talk at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharmsala, India yesterday.

The three-day talk ending Wednesday is organized on request from a Russian Buddhist group. —AP

Nationwide shutdown paralyses Nepal KATHMANDU: A second general strike in three days brought much of Nepal to a halt yesterday as protestors blocked roads and torched cars over the prison killing of a senior opposition par ty activist. The opposition-called strike closed businesses across the country as protestors on major highways enforced a ban on road traffic by attacking cars and burning tyres. “We arrested 27 protesters, most in Kathmandu, and a coffee shop and five vehicles were damaged in the capital,” police spokesman Binod Singh said.

In towns throughout the country, government offices, banks and vehicles were vandalized, he said. A local television station reported that thousands of people were stranded at a major road access point to Kathmandu, where buses were being denied entry. The strike organized by the Nepali Congress (NC) party followed a similar stoppage on Saturday that also saw shops vandalized and vehicles torched across the country.

The United States warned Sunday that the action could lead to Nepal’s travel warning being reinstated. The UN’s chief representative in Nepal, Robert Piper, tweeted yesterday about what he

described as “a coercive, enforced stoppage.” “Using bandhas (strikes) to seek redress, & the trigger for this one-a murder in custody of an NC cadre-more evidence of weak rule of law in Nepal,” he wrote. Shiva Poudel, chairman of a party youth wing, was critically injured when a group of inmates attacked him in a prison in the southern district of Chitwan on December 6 and he died in Kathmandu on Saturday.

He was on remand, having been accused of murdering a political rival. The NC demanded an investigation and called on the Maoist-led government to withdraw cases filed against Poudel, declare him a martyr and compensate his family. Hundreds of riot police brandishing wooden batons and shields patrolled the streets of Kathmandu on Monday.

Nepal’s civil war ended in 2006 after a decade of fighting that killed some 16,000 people, but the country has remained unstable due to political squabbling over the terms of the peace process.

Political parties last month reached a breakthrough deal that allows for the reintegration of thousands of former Maoist rebel fighters as the parties work to complete a new constitution. —AFP

Pakistani man chops off wife’s nose, lips ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani man chopped off his teenage wife’s nose and lips in a furious marital row allegedly over the amount of time she spent with her parents, officials said yesterday. The horrifying case underscores the brutal violence suffered by some women in Pakistan, where a domestic violence bill lapsed in 2009 after being held up in the Senate due to objections from religious parties.

Ghulam Qadir, 22, who is understood to have had a turbulent relationship with 18-year-old Salma, hacked into her face with a knife on Saturday in the remote village of Karkana, 475 kilometres (300 miles) southwest of Islamabad. “Qadir chopped off the nose and lips of wife Salma on Saturday morning and fled,” said Nadir Khan, an administration official in Musa Khel district, part of violence-torn Baluchistan province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran.

“They often had quarrels as the girl used to spend more time with her parents,” said Khan. The couple have been married for about a year. He said authorities were trying to arrest the culprit.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has demanded action in the case, but many cases of violence against women in Pakistan go unpunished. “The girl’s parents have taken her to a hospital in Multan and she is OK and out of danger,” Aftab Hasnain, assistant commissioner in Musa Khel, told AFP. Television channel Express broadcast footage of Salma, lying in hospital with a white bandage over her nose and lips, and wearing a red headscarf. Human rights groups say Pakistani women suffer severe discrimination and widespread domestic violence, including so-called “honour” killings when a victim is murdered for allegedly bringing dishonour on her family. Ali Dayan Hasan, Pakistan director at Human Rights Watch, told AFP that domestic violence is a “serious, endemic problem in Pakistan” and called on the government to revive efforts to outlaw domestic violence. —AFP

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Flood-hit Philippine prepare mass burials An estimated 700 dead on Mindanao island ILIGAN: The Philippines set up mass burial sites yesterday for decomposing bodies of flood victims after a cyclone disaster left an estimated 700 people dead on the southern island of Mindanao.

Officials in the port cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, where

figure at 662 with 82 still missing late yesterday. Most of the dead were from the two cities, which were built around river systems that overflowed when a month’s worth of rain fell in a 24-hour period. The disaster area, located about 800 kilometres (500 miles)

died in Iligan. Television footage from an Iligan mortuary showed a corridor lined with bodies wrapped in white plastic bags bound with tan-colored packaging tape.

In Cagayan de Oro, where the disaster council placed the death

ILIGAN: This aerial photo shows the damage caused by devastating floods over Iligan city in southern Philippines yesterday after tropical storm Washi blew away Sunday. —AP sleeping families were swept to sea from coastal slums, said unclaimed cadavers piling up in mortuaries were posing health risks and had to be interred.

Burials were expected to take place starting today.

The Philippine Red Cross set the death toll from Saturday’s flash floods spawned by tropical storm Washi at 713 while the government’s disaster council put the

from the capital Manila, is normally bypassed by typhoons that ravage other parts of the far-flung Philippine archipelago every year.

Teresita Badiang, an engineer at the Iligan mayor’s office, said the city had begun constructing two concrete communal tombs where cadavers would be placed side by side “so that their burial will be dignified.” The disaster council said at least 227 people

toll at 336, Mayor Vicente Emano said a mass burial would be held within the week. Dr Jaime Bernadas, the department of health’s director for the region, said cadavers were still being processed prior to “temporary burial” in the city. Health officials were taking DNA samples and photographs of victims. “We are giving time for relatives to claim (the bodies),” he told AFP by tele-

phone. About 47,000 evacuees are now huddled in evacuation centres in Washi’s wake, mostly in the northern coast of Mindanao, a vast poverty-stricken island troubled for decades by a Muslim separatist insurgency.

Dr Eric Tayag, head of the national epidemiology centre in Manila, said the government was taking steps to prevent outbreaks of cholera, dysentery, dengue and respiratory problems particularly in congested evacuation centres.

“Around 10 days after this flooding there might be an epidemic of water-borne diseases,” Tayag warned on television. Philippine Red Cross chief Gwendolyn Pang said strict guidelines had to be followed in mass burials, including photographing corpses, listing identifying marks and laying them a meter (yard) apart for possible exhumation.”I’m sure their families will look for them,” she told AFP. President Benigno Aquino is set to visit the stricken zone on Tuesday after ordering a review of the country’s disaster defences.

Benito Ramos, the disaster council chief, said most of the victims were “informal settlers”-a term typically used for slum squatters and internal migrants who are often unregistered by authorities.

The Philippine Red Cross still had more than 500 people classified as missing late yesterday, down sharply from more than 900 earlier in the day, and officials expect this to fall after further verification. Authorities likened the impact of tropical storm Washi to Ketsana, one of the country’s most devastating storms which dumped huge amounts of rain on Manila and other parts of the country in 2009, killing more than 460 people. —AFP

Aussie dad: dingo will be blamed for lost baby CANBERRA: The father of a baby who infamously vanished in the Australian Outback more than 30 years said yesterday that he was confident a new inquiry into the tragedy will officially rule that a dingo took his daughter. The disappearance of 9-weekold Azaria Chamberlain on Aug. 17, 1980, from a campsite near Ayers Rock, the red monolith in the Australian desert now known but it Aboriginal name Uluru, divided Australians between those who believed a native dog known as a dingo killed her and those who believed she was murdered by her mother, Lindy Chamberlain.

The tragedy and the legal drama that ensued became the subject of the 1988 movie “A Cry in the Dark” for which Meryl Streep earned an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Lindy Chamberlain, who has since remarried and taken the name Chamberlain-Creighton. ChamberlainCreighton received a life sentence for her daughter’s murder and spent four years in prison in the 1980s before the conviction was overturned.

Northern Territory Coroner Elizabeth Morris announced Sunday that a fourth inquest into the tragedy will begin in February to review the open finding of the third inquest that in 1995 failed to determine a cause of death. Morris said in statement that she would examine new evidence provided by Azaria’s parents that dingoes attack children.

Michael Chamberlain, who was given a suspended sentence in 1982 for being his wife’s accessory in his daughter’s murder but has since been cleared of any crime, said he is confident that the legal process would turn full circle by reaching the same conclusion as the original coroner Denis Barritt did in 1981 - that a dingo took the baby. “I don’t think people open inquests without thinking there’s good reason for it and that means there’d have to be a change from the status quo of the open finding that was in 1995,” Chamberlain told The Associated Press.

“It’s now looking at dingoes, not people, as to the cause of death,” he added. John Lawrence, a senior lawyer involved in a separate federal government inquiry that in 1987 exonerated both parents over the tragedy, agreed that the new inquest would be a final legal chapter that concluded a dingo was responsible. Early inquiries were provided with no record of dingoes ever attacking children. But in 2001, a 9-year-old boy was mauled to death on Fraser Island, the last wild habitat of purebred dingoes off eastern Australia, and two girls aged 4 and 3 have since survived dingo attacks on the same island.

“I think that the void will be filled by the new evidence on the dingo,” Lawrence told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. “The inquest will come to a conclusion very much similar to Mr. Barritt’s ... and that should really put it to bed,” he added.

Chamberlain-Creighton could not be immediately contacted for comment yesterday. But last year on the 30th anniversary of Azaria’s disappearance, she pleaded in an open letter posted on her website for her daughter’s death certificate to state that a dingo was to blame.”She deserves justice,” ChamberlainCreighton wrote. —AP

NARATHIWAT: Thai police officers inspect the dead body of a Muslim militant who was shot by Thai soldiers in Narathiwat province yesterday.

Thailand’s southernmost provinces have been plagued by more than eight years of conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 4,800 people, both Muslims and Buddhists. —AFP

China villagers warned against protest march BEIJING: Villagers in southern China in a rare stand-off with local Communist authorities said yesterday they were being bombarded with calls from officials to warn them not to take part in a planned protest march. The residents of Wukan, which has been under police blockade for over a week, say they will march on local government offices in a nearby town tomorrow if their demands are not met.

They want authorities to release three villagers detained on December 9 for allegedly inciting riots in September, and to hand over the body of a fourth, Xue Jinbo, who died in police custody.

A fifth villager detained at the same time has been accused of unrelated crimes, and the villagers have dropped their demand that he too be released.

But they also want a full investigation into what they say are years of illegal land grabs that has cost many local farmers their livelihood.

Addressing a rally in Wukan yesterday afternoon, villager Yang Semao said the government was bombarding families with telephone calls warning them not to petition, a commonly used term for complaining to the government. “They even called Xue Jinbo’s family and threatened them with arrest if this continues,” Yang told the rally, referring to the 42year-old father of three, who villagers suspect was beaten to death. Authorities say he died of a heart attack.

Wukan, in the wealthy southern province of Guangdong, has been under police blockade for more than a week

after residents drove out local Communist leaders in September.

Officials in Guangdong have refused to comment to AFP, but there are recent signs they may be trying to engage with the villagers to persuade them to end their stand-off. Yesterday Lin Zulian, an unofficial spokesman for the village who along with Yang is wanted by police over the September riots, said authorities sent an envoy to his home on Sunday in an apparent attempt to defuse the situation.

Lin said the envoy had urged him to turn himself in, saying he would be treated leniently if he did so, and to end the village protests. But he said villagers would not back down from their demands. “I told (the envoy) if they do not release the three detainees and return the body, then we would march to Lufeng on Wednesday and petition again,” Lin, 65, told AFP, referring to town near Wukan where the local government is based.

“I also said that the village wants a full investigation into the land requisition and into those responsible.” Lin, who has taken charge of briefing the large numbers of foreign journalists who have flocked to Wukan, denied that he had broken any laws, saying he was actually trying to uphold the law.

“All that I have been trying to do is to see that the laws and regulations on land acquisitions are implemented fairly and the central government policies on land are implemented in accordance with law,” he said. “For this they call me a criminal, it is unacceptable.” —AFP

PYONGYANG: Women collapse in tears as North Koreans gather after learning death of their leader Kim Jong Il yesterday in Pyongyang, North Korea. Kim died on Saturday, Dec 17, Nor th Korean state media announced yesterday.—AP

Kim’s death viewed with wary optimism BERLIN: World governments are viewing the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il with wary optimism - a possibly destabilizing moment for the region as power passes to his son but also an opportunity for a new diplomatic start.

North Korea’s past behavior has been notoriously erratic, making it difficult to predict the course it will choose. Japan and South Korea quickly held emergency meetings, and world leaders tried to convince the isolated country to open up more to the rest of the world about its nuclear intentions.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague expressed his condolences but added “this could be a turning point for North Korea” as Kim Jong Un takes over as supreme leader. “We hope that their new leadership will recognize that engagement with the international community offers the best prospect of improving the lives of ordinary North Korean people,” Hague said in a statement, encouraging the country to resume international talks on its nuclear capabilities.

Germany’s Foreign Ministry said it has “clear expectations” of North Korea’s new leadership. “It is, of course, an opportunity that things there will change,” spokesman Dirk Augustin told reporters.

“We have clear demands to North Korea: It must abandon its nuclear program; the catastrophic situation of the people must improve; and political and economical reforms must be implemented.” Kim’s death was announced yesterday by North Korean state television, two days after he died at age 69 of a heart attack.

During his 17 years in power, Kim’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and his military’s repeated threats to South Korea and the US stoked fears that war might again break out or that North Korea might provide weapons of mass destruction to terrorist movements. South Korea put its military on “high alert” and President Lee Myung-bak convened a national security council meeting. The Korean peninsula remains technically in a state of war more than 50 years after the Cold War-era armed conflict ended in a cease-fire. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda held an emergency national security council with top Cabinet members soon after hearing the news.

He “instructed us to be best prepared in case of any unexpected development” while top officials meet to discuss the situation, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told journalists in Tokyo.

Fujimura expressed condolences and

said Japan hoped Kim’s death would not affect the region adversely. “First of all we hope that this sudden development would not give adverse impact on the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula,” he said.

The White House said it was in constant contact with South Korea and Japan, but offered no substantive comment on the implications of Kim’s death, saying only that President Barack Obama “reaffirmed the United States’ strong commitment to the stability of the Korean peninsula and the security of our close ally, the Republic of Korea.” The news jolted financial markets, raising the specter of more instability. European stock markets fell slightly in early trading and Wall Street was set to open lower while South Korea’s Kospi index dived nearly 5 percent but later recouped some losses to close 3.4 percent lower.

Other Asian stock markets also fell.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said Kim’s death brings the situation to “one of those critical junctures” and “an exceptionally difficult period of transition.” “It is critical that everybody exercises appropriate calm and restraint in what is a important development in terms of the overall stability of the region and the security of us all,” Rudd said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency had no immediate comment on how nuclear talks might proceed under a new government. In China, a key North Korean ally, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu called Kim a “great leader” and said China believes the North Korean people will “turn their grief into strength, unite as one, and continue to advance the cause of North Korean socialism.” But he also added that Beijing would continue to offer its support and make “active contributions to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in this region.”

China has long sought to convince North Korea of the need for economic reform, and Kim’s death raises hopes that Pyongyang might now take heed of such advice, said Korea expert Lu Chao at China’s Academy of Social Sciences in Liaoning province, which borders North Korea. “There will definitely be change, good and positive change,” Lu said.

“North Korea will work more closely with the global community toward the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.”

China is also expected to take a strong behind-the-scenes role to help retain its influence, which is seen as important no matter which direction North Korea takes, said US Naval Academy China scholar Yu Maochun. —AP

Malaysia to use indelible ink to curb poll fraud KUALA LUMPUR: Some 12 million Malaysian voters will have their fingers stained with indelible ink in general elections widely expected next year as part of reforms to curb fraud, election authorities said yesterday. The Election Commission also said some 200,000 police and military personnel and their spouses would be allowed to cast their ballot two to three days in advance. Previously, they voted by post but critics said the ballot papers could be easily rigged.

The moves come months after thousands of people staged one of the country’s largest street rallies in nearly four years to demand more electoral transparency. Opposition parties and civic groups have accused Prime Minister Najib Razak’s ruling coalition, which has governed since 1957, of manipulating the law to remain in power. Commission chairman Abdul Aziz Mohamad Yusof said the plan to use indelible ink on 12.4 million voters was among recommendations made recently by a parliamentary panel set up by the government to study electoral reforms.

He said the ink contains silver nitrate that would be absorbed into the nail and skin, making it last for several days. He refused to say where the ink would be sourced and said the ink color would remain a secret to prevent sabotage attempts. Voters who refused to be marked will not be given their ballot papers, he added. Indelible ink is used in voting in some countries, including Indonesia

and India, where not all citizens have identity cards. The commission had planned to use indelible ink in 2008 polls but scrapped the plan at the last minute, citing security concerns.

The National Front coalition suffered its worst performance in 2008, losing more than one-third of Parliament’s seats to a resurgent opposition amid public allegations of government corruption and racial discrimination. Its popularity took a further dip after authorities arrested more than 1,600 demonstrators and used tear gas and water cannons against at least 20,000 people who marched for electoral reforms in Kuala Lumpur on July 9.

Najib subsequently announced the overhaul of decades-old security laws and set up the parliamentary panel on reforms to regain public support. National polls are not due till 2013 but are widely expected to be held next year. Abdul Aziz said polling stations would also be set up at army camps or police bases to allow advance voting. He said the ballot boxes then would be sealed and stored in a safe place until polling day. Those who are on duty elsewhere will still be allowed to vote via post, he said.

The commission is also studying the possibility of allowing nearly 1 million citizens living abroad to vote, he added. Only government workers, military personnel and fulltime students abroad are currently allowed to cast their ballot.— AP

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Deadly Cairo clashes stretch into fourth day CAIRO: Egyptian security forces clashed for a fourth straight day yesterday with protesters demanding an end to military rule as the death toll rose to 14, despite strong international criticism of the use of force. Two people were killed in dawn fighting in Cairo’s administrative heart as security forces swooped to remove the protesters, health ministry sources said. The clashes quickly subsided before several hundred people turned out in Tahrir Square - the epicentre of protests that toppled Hosni Mubarak - for the funeral of a protester killed in the violence.

But the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) that took power in February denied it had given orders to use force against protesters and said a plot had been uncovered to burn down parliament. SCAF member General Adel Emara, interrupting a live news conference, said he had “received a call now to say that a plot was uncovered today to burn parliament and there are now large crowds in Tahrir Square ready to implement the plan”. AFP reporters in Tahrir said there were no signs of tension there or on the square’s outskirts, where a historic building containing national archives was destroyed and protesters were trying to save any surviving documents.

Emara said the army “does not use force against protesters” but qualified

those in Tahrir as “people seeking to destroy the state... not the honourable people of the January 25 revolution”.

But Emara did admit that troops had beaten a veiled woman after having ripped her clothes to reveal her bra, sparking nationwide outrage. In the picture and YouTube footage of the incident, the woman is sprawled on the ground, helmeted troops towering over her. One is seen kicking her, and later she appears unconscious, her stomach bared and her bra showing. “Yes, this happened. But you have to look at the circumstances around (the incident),” Emara told reporters. “We are investigating it, we have nothing to hide,” he said.

The comments came as rights groups and dissidents slammed retired army general Abdelmoneim Kato - an advisor to the military - for saying that some in Tahrir were “street kids who deserve to be thrown into Hitler’s incinerators”. Presidential hopeful and former UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei said such statements showed “a deranged and criminal state of mind”.

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information denounced Kato’s comments, saying they “incite hatred and justify violence against citizens.”

Footage on social media networks of military police beating protesters, sometimes leaving them motionless on the ground, has caused nationwide out-

rage. A group of newly elected parliamentarians yesterday announced a sitin outside the Cairo Supreme Court, demanding an immediate end to the violence against protesters and an investigation. By yesterday afternoon, protesters and police hurled rocks and stones at each other over a wall erected by the army in a large boulevard off Tahrir Square.

A health ministry source said two people were killed yesterday, bringing the death toll from four days of fighting to 14. In the early morning raid on Tahrir and its outskirts, demonstrators held their ground and several dozens milled about the square, brandishing banners denouncing the SCAF, AFP correspondents said. One man held up a bloodied white shirt, which had reportedly been worn by the person killed at dawn.

Security forces built another cement wall on a street adjacent to Tahrir near the Institute of Egypt, the historic building housing priceless archives, many of which were destroyed in the latest violence when it was burned.

The institute for the advancement of scientific research was founded in 1798 during Napoleon Bonaparte’s expedition to Egypt, and contained more than 200,000 precious documents. The street battles that erupted on Friday raged outside the parliament building and the headquarters of the government. — AFP

Syria to let in monitors Continued from Page 1 “Signing the protocol is the start of cooperation with the Arab League and we will welcome the observers’ mission from the Arab League,” Muallem told a news conference in Damascus. The deal would not impinge on Syrian sovereignty, he said, after the League agreed to 70 percent of changes sought by Damascus. “ Within two or three days, an advance team of observers... will be sent,” Arabi told a joint news conference in Cairo with Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Al-Maqdad, who signed the accord. “The Arab League has a list of 100 names of observers from Arab, non-governmental organisations and representatives of Arab countries... (and) this number will be increased at a later date.”

The plan, endorsed by Syria on Nov 2, also calls for a complete halt to the violence, releasing detainees and the complete withdrawal of the military from towns and residential districts. The advance party of observers would be followed by 10-strong teams of experts specialising in human rights, legal and security issues, Arabi said, urging “goodwill” on all sides.

France, which spearheads international pressure on Syria to end its deadly crackdown, said the observers could not be in place quickly enough. “We regret there have been 30 more deaths in the past two days. It’s urgent,” a foreign ministry spokesman in Paris said. And the SNC umbrella group of opposition factions poured scorn on the regime’s acceptance of the plan, and sought Arab military intervention if the crackdown continues.

“The Syrian regime is manoeuvring to try to prevent the Syrian file being submitted to the UN Security Council,” said Ghaliun. “This is just a ploy. They have no intention of implementing any initiative. If the Syrian regime continues its violent repression, the SNC will resort to Arab dissuasion forces. We need to make use of force in a limited way and in specific areas,” he told reporters in Tunis. The Arab League had warned it would take Syria to the UN Security Council if Damascus continued to resist plans to admit observers.

Syria’s regional ally Iran, meanwhile, backed Damascus’ decision. The Arab League plan “contains many of the points Iran was also looking at,” even if not all concerns were addressed, said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdolahian. Iran found the agreement to let in observers from the Arab League “acceptable”, if not ideal.

There was no sign of the bloodshed easing yesterday.

Dozens of Syrian army deserters were killed by machinegun fire as they tried to flee their military posts in northwestern Idlib province yesterday, a rights group said. In a statement sent to AFP in Nicosia, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said between 60 and 70 deserters were gunned down as they abandoned their positions in the Idlib towns of Kansafra and Kafr Awid.

The Observatory reported earlier that security forces shot dead at least six civilians yesterday, including a child in the restive Damascus neighbourhood of Midan. The child was wounded when security forces opened fire on demonstrators at the funeral of a 13-year-old girl killed on Sunday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The girl, Hala Mujaned, was struck by a bullet in the back, another group, the Local Coordination Committees, reported. Another child was seriously wounded when security forces opened fire in northern Idlib province, where several other people were also wounded, said the Britain-based Observatory.

Army deserters killed three loyalist troops in Idlib province, it said in a statement sent to AFP in Nicosia.

Three civilians died during clashes between soldiers and army mutineers near the eastern oil hub of Deir Ezzor, the Observatory said earlier, adding: “The deserters were able to take a vehicle belonging to the military.” In the southern province of Daraa, where the uprising against the regime erupted in mid-March, a young man was killed in a village west of Daraa city by gunfire from security forces, said the Britain-based group. It added two more civilians were killed in Herak, eight were wounded - some critically - and dozens of people were arrested when security forces swooped on the town yesterday morning. — Agencies

Alwaleed buys Twitter stake Continued from Page 1 In the past year, it has been a force in politics, in regime change, so there is not a single person in that region in a position of influence who is not following the increasing power of Twitter.” “(Alwaleed) must see Twitter as something that is going to be a really powerful broadcast channel,” he said, adding the Saudi had got into the Internet boom belatedly, with mixed results, and appeared to be “kind of late” to the game again.

Investors in Saudi Arabia were more bullish, sending shares in Kingdom up 5.7 percent to 8.30 riyals at the close.

“One of the few sectors to record significant revenue gains in the last three years has been technology, which is why Kingdom would see Twitter as a good addition to its diversified portfolio,” said Hesham Tuffaha, head of asset management at Bakheet Investment Group in Riyadh. Saudis are increasingly turning to satellite television, online news providers and social networking to stay abreast of world events. The world’s biggest oil exporter announced a series of stricter regulations for journalists earlier this year.

Alwaleed, 26th on the Forbes list of billionaires with a sizeable stake in Citigroup, has spoken in favour of broader political participation, fair elections and effective job creation across the Arab world. He has also been publicly supportive of management including the Murdochs at News Corp and Citigroup chief executive Vikram Pandit.

Several Arabs tweeted that they were worried Alwaleed’s purchase would influence strategy negatively at Twitter. But Abdel-Khaleq Abdullah, an Emirati political scientist, said the investment was unlikely to raise eyebrows in official circles.

“He just saw an opportunity, a money-making opportunity, nothing more, nothing less,” he said. “(Internally), it’s going to

be viewed as a shrewd investment and I don’t think we should read too much into it.” The prince’s wife, Princess Ameerah Al-Taweel, is a regular Tweeter and has nearly 83,000 followers on the site.

Halawani gave his backing to a potential initial public share offering from Twitter , saying the investor would be interested in participating. Markets are eagerly anticipating a Twitter float but the company said in September it was in no hurry to go public. It raised $400 million in venture capital financing this summer. It now counts more than 100 million active users who log onto the service at least once a month.

Facebook, the world’s largest social network has more than 750 million active users.

Internet search giant Google recently launched a social networking service dubbed Google+ which some observers say could attract users away from Twitter. Shares in online games developer Zynga ended at a 5 percent discount to their issue price on their trading debut on Friday, and analysts said any valuation for Twitter could be misleading. “You could put any number of zeroes behind a valuation of a private company. Before it goes public it is almost meaningless,” said Warner. “This is a very small group of investors which has put money into this thing. That will be diluted and diluted and diluted again until it goes public. And that is when we will see what the value is. These are kind of magic numbers at the moment.” Kingdom owns a near-30 percent stake in Saudi Research and Marketing Group, which runs a range of media titles. “Our investment in Twitter reaffirms our ability in identifying suitable opportunities to invest in promising, high-growth businesses with a global impact,” Alwaleed said.

Alwaleed paid $500 million for shares in last year’s General Motors IPO. In August this year he unveiled plans to build the world’s tallest tower in Jeddah. — Reuters

Saudi king calls for forming Gulf union Continued from Page 1 guard against the risks of foreign intervention.”

In addition to Syria, the Gulf leaders discussed the situation in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, where popular uprisings have already unseated entrenched dictators this year. GCC member Bahrain was also hit by a month of protests that it crushed in March, while demonstrators in neighbouring Yemen forced long-time President Ali Abdullah Saleh to sign a power transfer deal. In Kuwait, the Cabinet resigned last month over allegations of corruption and a new government was sworn in on Wednesday with only minor changes to the previous government.

They were also expected to discuss their fears of the growing influence of arch-foe Iran after the US pullout from Iraq. Their relations with the Shiite-dominated

Islamic republic have soured following the unrest in Bahrain and Syria and an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Riyadh’s ambassador in Washington. The GCC comprised of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates - was formed in 1981 as a security alliance to counter post-revolution Iran.

The GCC agreed an aid package for both Oman and Bahrain following the spring’s demonstrations but the money has not yet been paid. “ This is still being reviewed to put the mechanism in place,” Omani Finance Minister Darwish Al-Balushi said. “It doesn’t form part of our 2012 budget at this time.” Yemeni Foreign Minister Abubakr al-Qirbi is also attending the summit and said on Sunday he hoped to secure development aid from the impoverished state’s Gulf neighbours. — Agencies

CAIRO: Egyptians collect burnt manuscripts from the destroyed Institute of Egypt yesterday. — AFP

Police break up bedoon protest Continued from Page 1 Progressive Movement claimed on its Twitter account that rubber bullets were also used but this could not be confirmed by an independent source. At least 12 people were arrested during the chase, including the reporter of Al-Rai newspaper Anwar Al-Feker, who was also beaten up and later detained during the storming of the National Assembly last month.

The chase continued until late yesterday as several Kuwaiti political and youth groups called for another gathering opposite the Assembly in Kuwait City to express their solidarity with bedoons and to press the government for resolving the decades-old humanitarian problem. Police cordoned off the area and demanded the civil identification cards from people going to the square to make sure only Kuwaitis were allowed to gather in accordance with the law that prevents non-Kuwaitis from demonstrating. A number of Kuwaiti activists refused to enter the square because police demanded the civil IDs and moved to a location near the main square which is used for rallies.

In a statement late yesterday, the Interior Ministry warned illegal gatherings and demonstrations are banned regardless of their goals because it is a flagrant violation of the law and security procedures. The statement said “despite interior ministry warnings, various groups of illegal residents along with activists in Taima area attacked policemen, injuring the field operations commander and caused other damage”.

“Security men were compelled to use smoke and percussion grenades and water cannons to disperse them, despite attempts to convince them to present their case through official channels, yet they did not respond to the attempts to calm down. Several demonstrators were arrested,” the statement said, adding the Interior Ministry will not allow anyone to compromise the country’s security and attack security men while violating the law. It said “gatherings and demonstrations must meet the legal conditions according to law 65/79 which bans motorcades, demonstrations and gatherings on roads or public squares.

Kuwaitis who participate in such activities will be jailed for two years or fined KD 1000 or both.”

The statement said item 34 of law 31/70 amending some of the rules of the penal law said that anyone who participates in a gathering of at least five persons in a public place, with the goal of committing crimes or disturbing public security, then remains in the place after police orders to leave, will be punished by a one year jail sentence and a fine of KD 100 or both. The statement concluded by saying the Interior Ministry will be strict in dealing with any illegal gatherings or demonstrations in the future.

Bedoons have been protesting since February this year to demand Kuwaiti citizenship and also other basic rights like education and healthcare which they were deprived

during a government crackdown in 2000. Bedoons insist they are Kuwaiti citizens but were deprived of nationality because of several reasons beyond their control, while the government insists that many of them do not qualify for Kuwaiti nationality because their ancestors came to Kuwait decades ago and threw their passports because they wanted to become Kuwaitis and enjoy benefits associated with nationality.

Former MPs strongly condemned the police action against the bedoon protesters, insisting that the security crackdown will only complicate the crisis. Jamaan AlHarbash said what happened yesterday is a serious violation and such security tactics will not resolve the problem, while Askar Al-Enezi said beating the bedoon protesters will only complicate the problem. Waleed Al-Tabtabaei called for granting bedoons all basic humanitarian services immediately and then grant citizenship to those who deserve.

Six Kuwaiti political and social groups called for a vigil later today to support a solution for the bedoons and urged police to eschew violence against peaceful protests.

“Believing in the just cause of the bedoons, the signatories call for speeding up the conclusion of a humanitarian and just solution for the cause of the bedoons without any delay or procrastination,” the six civil society groups said in a joint statement.

Separately, the public prosecution yesterday questioned five former opposition MPs over the storming of the Assembly on Nov 16 after interrogating four other ex-MPs over the same charge and releasing them on bail.Former MPs Musallam Al-Barrak, Khaled Al-Tahous, Al-Tabtabaei and Al-Harbash were interrogated almost all night on Sunday and were released on KD 3,000 bail each. Yesterday, the public prosecution began questioning former MPs Salem Al-Namlan, Falah Al-Sawwagh, Mohammad AlMutair, Faisal Al-Mislem and Mubarak Al-Waalan and they were expected to be freed on a similar bail.

The former MPs were charged of instigating to storm public property, damage of public property, assaulting security men and others which were all categorically denied. Al-Barrak told reporters at the end of the questioning that the prosecution also interrogated him on what he said at a public rally and accused the interior ministry of trying to manipulate the charges.

In a related development, the Amiri decree calling on Kuwaiti voters to elect a new Assembly is expected to be published in a special edition of the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm today which means that registration of candidates will start the following day. Under the law, the decree must be published in the official gazette at least one month ahead of the day of the elections which has been set for Feb 2. The registration of candidates will continue for 10 days and then will be followed by an opening for withdrawals until four days before the election day.

North Korea mourns death of Kim Jong Il Continued from Page 1 A foreigner who teaches at a university in Pyongyang told AP that students told about Kim’s death from a reported heart attack looked very serious but didn’t show any outward emotion. “There was a blanket of silence” over Pyongyang, said the teacher, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of worries about his security. “People were going about their business. Lots of people were lining up to lay flowers at official portraits. People looked a little stunned and very serious, but composed and respectful.”

“He passed away too suddenly to our profound regret,” said a statement carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency. “The heart of Kim Jong Il stopped beating, but his noble and august name and benevolent image will always be remembered by our army and people.” North Korean state media fell short of calling Kim Jong Un the country’s next leader, but gave clear indications that the third son of Kim Jong Il would succeed his father. The North said in a dispatch that the people and the military “have pledged to uphold the leadership of comrade Kim Jong Un” and called him a “great successor” of the country’s revolutionary philosophy of juche, or self reliance.

The death could set back efforts by the United States and others to get Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions, because the untested successor may seek to avoid any perceived weakness as he moves to consolidate control. “The situation could become extremely volatile. What the North Korean military does in the next 24-48 hours will be decisive,” said Bill Richardson, a former US ambassador to the United Nations who has made several highprofile visits to North Korea.

The death comes at a sensitive

time for North Korea as it prepares for next year’s 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung. The preparations include massive construction projects throughout the city as part of Kim Jong Il’s unfulfilled promise to bring prosperity to his people. Seoul and Washington will worry that Kim Jong Un “may feel it necessary in the future to precipitate a crisis to prove his mettle to other senior leaders,” according to Bruce Klingner, an Asia analyst at The Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington.

North Korea conducted at least one short-range missile test yesterday, a South Korean official said. But South Korea’s military sees the firing as part of a scheduled routine drill, instead of a provocation, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of a policy that bans commenting on intelligence matters. Konstantin Makienko, deputy director of the Moscowbased Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, however, told the Russian news agency RIANovosti that the test “undoubtedly is connected to the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Its goal is to show the world that ... the armed forces of this country now are completely battle-ready and will react to any development.”

North Korea conducted two nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009 and is thought to have enough plutonium for at least a half-dozen weapons.

But experts doubt that the North has mastered the miniaturization technology to mount a nuclear warhead on a missile. In Seoul, parliamentary official Lee Kyu-yun said he was thinking of stocking up food in case of soaring military tensions. Lee Byung-joon, 27, feared South Korea might have to fight a war against the North if high-ranking officials challenge the inexperienced Kim Jong Un and Pyongyang becomes unstable. “I definitely think the chance of

war breaking out between the South and the North is higher now than before,” Lee said.

Some analysts, however, said Kim’s death was unlikely to plunge the country into chaos because it already was preparing for a transition. Kim Jong Il indicated a year ago that Kim Jong Un would be his successor, putting him in high-ranking posts. Another analyst said an internal power struggle could break out between Kim Jong Un and his aunt’s husband, Jang Song Thaek, who was elevated in the government last year and likely will be given a caretaker role in the new administration.

“Tension will arise between Jang and Kim Jong Un, because Kim will have no choice but to share some power with Jang,” said Ryoo Kihl-jae, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, which is in South Korea.

The North said it would place Kim’s body in the Kumsusan memorial palace in Pyongyang and that his funeral would be Dec 28. No entertainment will be allowed during an 11-day mourning period, and the country will accept no “foreign delegations hoping to express condolences”, it said. South Korea’s President Lee urged his people to remain calm while his Cabinet and the parliament convened emergency meetings. The Defense Ministry said the South Korean military and the 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea bolstered reconnaissance and were sharing intelligence on North Korea. Lee also talked with the leaders of Japan and Russia.

In a “special broadcast” yesterday from the North Korean capital, state media said Kim died on a train due to a “great mental and physical strain” during a “high intensity field inspection”. It said an autopsy was done on Dec. 18 and “fully confirmed” the diagnosis. Kim is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008. — AP

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opinion

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

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Issues

In death, Kim gives China a dose of dread

By Chris Buckley and Ben Blanchard

C

hina for years nudged Kim Jong-il to embrace economic reforms, but now he is dead will fear that any changes will come too quickly and unpredictably, threatening Beijing’s hold on its needy yet distrustful neighbour. In China’s opaque relations with North Korea, much can rest on a single phrase, and one word that Beijing used in its formal reaction to the death of Kim “distressed”, which can also be translated as “shocked” conveyed some of the surprise and uncertainty probably weighing on Chinese policy-makers. “This is really going to throw a wrench in Chinese plans,” said Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, the North East Asia project director with the International Crisis Group. “They, frankly, felt that Kim Jong-il was going to be around for a couple of years longer. They’ll be a lot more nervous about what happens next.”

From China’s perspective, much now depends on Kim’s twenty-something son, Kim Jong-un, and whether he can secure his succession quickly. Protecting stability on China’s 1,415-km frontier with the North and throughout the region will be paramount, particularly with Beijing’s leaders grappling with their own attention-consuming succession from late next year, when President Hu Jintao steps down as Communist Party chief. “This has really come out of the blue. It’s not like it had been rumoured for a while giving everyone time to properly prepare,” said Cai Jian, an expert on Korean affairs at Fudan University in Shanghai. “China’s biggest worry will be over North Korea’s stability, and China’s aim will be to ensure the country remains stable,” said Cai. “I think security will be stepped up in North Korea, and China is also likely to tighten security along the border.”

After a decent interval, North Korea will probably pursue economic changes that will present opportunities and worries to Beijing, said several Chinese experts. “In economic policy, I think there will be major changes now that Kim Jong-il has passed away, and also in economic opening up there’ll also be significant steps,” said Wei Zhijiang, director of the Korea studies institute at Zhongshan University in south China. “The generation of Kim Jong-un have a strong awareness that North Korea can’t remain isolated from the world.”

Beijing will hope the younger Kim will embrace more measured economic reforms that will ease the chronic shortages enduring by North Koreans. But any wider opening by the North to South Korea and its allies could dilute Chinese economic and political influence, something that fuels strategic worries in Beijing. And China could also worry that any changes could spiral beyond the grip of Pyongyang’s leaders and their Chinese mentors. In the past 18 months, Kim, who previously rarely travelled abroad, visited China four times. During Kim’s visit in May the two sides vowed that their alliance, “sealed in blood”, would pass on to their successors. Kim’s successor, Kim Jong-un, is untested and largely unknown to the outside world.

“The Kim Jong-il era is over, and the post-Kim Jong-il era has begun, and this era will certainly bring change to the Korean peninsula. That’s without any doubt,” said Zhu Feng, a professor of international relations at Peking University who specialises in East Asian security issues.

“The issue of primary concern now is not whether North Korea will maintain political stability, but what will be the nature of the new political leadership, and what policies will it pursue at home and abroad,” said Zhu. “In the short-term, there won’t be new policies, only a stressing of policy stability and continuity. So soon after Kim Jongil has died, no leader will dare say that an alternative policy course is needed.”

China sees North Korea as a strategic barrier against the United States and its regional allies. But that barrier comes with an economic and diplomatic price. China’s trade and aid are crucial to Pyongyang’s survival, but bring only puny economic gains to Beijing. In October 2006, North Korea held its first nuclear test explosion, defying public pleas from China, and nuclear disarmament negotiations hosted by Beijing have languished for years without fresh progress or even fresh talks. “I think it’s ultimately good news,” Zhang Liangui, an expert on North Korea at the Central Party School in Beijing, said of Kim’s death. “I think it’s good news, because North Korea will finally have to change. Whether those changes will be for the better or the worse, we’ll have to wait and see.

But there’s no doubt that change is needed and inevitable.” — Reuters

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.

Nuke talks uncertain after Kim’s death

By Matthew Pennington

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he death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il could put a brake on talks ultimately aimed at getting the secretive communist state to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader’s untested third son and heir-apparent, is unlikely to risk any step that could be construed as weakness as he seeks to consolidate control. Even before Kim’s death, the United States and others have said they viewed the power transition as a dangerous time - when the ascendant Kim Jong Un could seek to demonstrate his leadership credentials through martial and provocative actions, such as a military attack on South Korea or a nuclear test.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that the North conducted at least one short-range missile test yesterday, just hours after announcing the death of the nation’s leader. Two unidentified South Korean military officials, while not confirming the report, said the test would be part of a routine drill and have little to do with Kim’s passing. Kim Jong Un was first brought into public view in September 2010, when his father put the 20-something in high-ranking posts. In power, he faces daunting challenges.

As the authoritarian dynasty enters its third generation, North Korea is struggling to feed its own people and has recoiled from reform of its struggling state controlled economy. Despite rising trade and cooperation with chief foreign backer China, the

nation’s very future is in doubt. “The most likely scenario for regime collapse has been the sudden death of Kim (Jong Il). We are now in that scenario,” said Victor Cha, a former US National Security Council director for Asian affairs.

The White House’s initial, brief reaction to the North Korean state media report of Kim Jong Il’s death Saturday from a heart ailment stressed regional security, saying that the US was in close touch with its allies in the region, South Korean and Japan.

“We remain committed to stability on the Korean peninsula, and to the freedom and security of our allies,” a statement said. The Obama administration has taken a cautious path in dealing with North Korea over the past three years, since Pyongyang pulled out of six-nation aid-for-disarmament talks in 2009. Shortly after the North announced its withdrawal, it conducted its second nuclear test, following its first in 2006.

In 2010, the North upped the ante even further. In moves that some experts speculated were linked to Kim Jong Un’s rise to power, a South Korean warship was sunk and a South Korean island came under artillery fire - seemingly unprovoked attacks within months of each other that left 50 people dead and almost pitched the heavily militarized Korean peninsula into war. And underscoring the North’s intent to develop its nuclear deterrent further, it unveiled a uranium enrichment facility that gave it a second way of generating fissile material to use in an atom

bomb. Only in July 2011, when North-South tensions had eased, did the US revive direct negotiations with Pyongyang, a prelude to a possible resumption of the six-nation talks, which also include China, Japan, Russia and South Korea. While there’s little expectation that the North Korean regime would agree to give up its nuclear deterrent - which it probably views as key to its very survival - the US hopes that talks could help slow the weapons’ development and discourage future provocations.

In the past five months, the diplomatic track has yielded little in the way of concrete results, but it has, at least, gathered some momentum.

Washington has held two rounds of exploratory talks and a third round appeared imminent. The US also appeared ready to resume badly needed food aid that Pyongyang requested nearly a year ago. US officials discussed the monitoring of the possible assistance with North Korean officials during two days of meetings in Beijing last week.

While Washington would deny a direct connection, food aid could serve as a sweetener for getting the North to agree to terms for a resumption of the disarmament talks, including the suspension of its uranium enrichment.

But with Kim Jong Il’s death, negotiations with the US- which retains about 28,000 troops across the border in South Korea - are likely to be put on hold, as the North enters mourning for the Dear Leader, and a period of uncertainty. — AP

Watchers say Kim son in power - for now

By Park Chan-Kyong

T

he death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has raised fears of turbulence in the nucleararmed nation but observers said a dynastic succession is underway and that strife is unlikely for the time being. Analysts said yesterday’s announcements on North Korean state media, which revealed Kim had died two days previously at age 69, made it clear his youngest son and heir apparent Kim Jong-Un is firmly in power - at least for now. But some Nor th Korea-watchers cautioned of risks ahead if the young and inexperienced Jong-Un feels the need to prove his militar y mettle by deploying the kind of aggressive tactics that helped keep his father in power.

State media in Pyongyang have urged people to rally round the leadership of Jong-Un, who is aged in his late 20s, with the state news agency dubbing him the “great successor ”. “ The Kim Jong-Un era has already started,” said Paik Hak-Soon of Seoul’s Sejong Institute think-tank. “This clearly indicates that JongUn is already firmly in power, and all key officials under Kim Jong-Il have decided for the past two days since Kim’s death to support Jong-Un as the new leader,” he added. “The North’s top guys have already sorted out everything, and the regime seems to be stable under the new leadership. I don’t expect any major turbulence or power struggle within the regime in the foreseeable future.”

Little is known about the young man now expected to extend the Kim dynasty into a third generation, other than that he attended a Swiss school and reportedly likes skiing and Hollywood tough guy Jean-Claude Van Damme. Kim Jong-Un had little public profile until his father suffered a stroke in 2008, forcing succession plans to be accelerated. In Sept 2010 the son was handed senior ruling party posts and made a four-star general, despite his lack of any military experience. Since then, he has been constantly at his father’s side.

Kim Jong-Il’s powerful brother-in-law Jang SongThaek may act as the son’s mentor as he finds his feet, say analysts who note that North Korea’s elites have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.

“For a while the military and Kim’s family will try to uphold K im Jong-Un as their leader and unite around him,” said Baek Seung-Joo of the Korea Institute for Defence Analyses, adding that the North had fully prepared for Kim’s death.

But the new leader, who comes into the job with a host of challenges including severe food shortages in a nation which has seen deadly famine in the past, is not expected to take on an ambitious agenda.

“Kim Jong-Un is not expected to seek any drastic policy change while trying to cement his leadership.

He will try to share power or set up a strategic alliance with top military leaders,” Baek said. “A power struggle is possible in the future, creating an obstacle to his succession because Jong-Un did not secure full public support,” he said, adding that the lack of popular backing made him vulnerable.

Relations with South Korea have been icy since two deadly border incidents blamed on the Nor th last year. M ichael Green, of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said there was a risk of similar confrontations ahead. “The danger now is that Kim Jong-Un feels under pressure to demonstrate his legitimacy with nuclear tests or military provocations,” Green said. But Green said he expected calm for the time being at least, as North Korea focuses on mourning.

Bruce Klingner of the US Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think-tank, said Kim’s death raises real concerns about stability. “North Korean provocative behaviour or military action is unlikely in the near-term,” Klingner said. “However, Seoul and Washington will be wary that Kim JongUn... may feel it necessary in the future to precipitate a crisis to prove his mettle to other senior leaders or to generate a ‘rally around the flag’ effect.” Paik agreed the new leadership was unlikely to take a confrontational approach towards the United States and South Korea for some time. “It needs lots of aid and daily necessities to provide to its people to mark the major political anniversary in 2012,” he said, referring to the 100th anniversary of the birth of founding president Kim Il-Sung.

News of the death came amid intensified diplomatic efforts to revive dormant six-nation negotiations on the North’s nuclear program.

“Regarding nuclear talks, the North will also likely take a more cooperative stance to get what they want,” Paik said. “They will probably come forward to renew negotiations with the US once the mourning period is over.” — AFP

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sp orts Willstrop takes top spot PARIS: James Willstrop defeated ailing Frenchman Gregory Gaultier on Sunday in the New Delhi Masters final and will replace English compatriot Nick Matthew as the new world number one in January. Willstrop clinched his third successive tour title when Gaultier retired with cramps 1-4 down in the fourth game of the match at the Siri For t Complex.

The French player had won the opener 19-21 before the 28-year-old Willstrop took the next two games, 11-8, 11-4. “It’s a very special day for me. I can’t really believe I’ve played and won this match - and I’d like to thank Greg for the great spirit in which it was played,” said Willstrop. “The day is so special.

I’m very proud I’ve done it in India where I won the world junior title.” — AFP

Sevilla president jailed for fraud MADRID: Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for his role in a corruption case with the Marbella local council, the provincial court in Malaga said yesterday.

Del Nido, who had acted as a legal advisor to the council, was one of 16 people involved in the embezzlement of funds from the local government of the Costa del Sol holiday resort.

The case, which had nothing to do with Sevilla football club, can be appealed to the high court.

The 54-year-old had been appointed to his legal advisory post by the former Atletico Madrid president and former Mayor of Marbella Jesus Gil. “Del Nido was a willing accomplice criminally responsible for offenses of continuous fraudulent activities in tenders, corrupt practices and embezzlement of public funds,” the court ruling said.

He was also ordered to pay compensation to the Marbella council of around 2.7 million euros ($3.52 million). Del Nido has been the president of La Liga side Sevilla since 2002, and has overseen some of the most successful years at the club.

Sevilla won back-to-back UEFA Cups in 2006 and 2007 and the King’s Cup in 2007 and 2010 and they have been regular contenders for a place in Europe each season. — Reuters

Palermo fire coach Mangia MILAN: Palermo fired coach Devis Mangia yesterday, six weeks after extending his contract until the end of next season.

Volatile club president Maurizio Zamparini had also said in September that he envisaged Mangia staying for years and emulating Arsene Wenger, who has been manager of English Premier League Arsenal since 1996.

“Palermo communicates that coach Devis Mangia and his staff have been relieved of their duties with the first team,” said the club in a statement, one day after losing 2-0 to Sicilian rivals Catania. Mangia, in charge since August, became the fourth coach to be dispensed with by Zamparini this year, with Delio Rossi, now at Fiorentina, losing his job on two occasions.

Zamparini fired Rossi earlier this year after a 7-0 home defeat by Udinese and also dismissed his replacement Serse Cosmi one month later. Rossi was then rehired but left at the end of last season by mutual consent. — Reuters

Hirscher wins slalom Takes overall lead

KUWAIT: Kazima and Kuwait players fight for controlling the buck.

Al-Qadisiya beat Al-Arabi 5-1 KUWAIT: Al-Qadisiya ice hockey team defeated Al-Arabi with a score of 5-1 in the third stage of the Kuwait League in its second year. Al-Qadisiya now has 18 points.

Meanwhile Kazima remained in second place with 13 points after a 3-3 draw with Kuwait. Kuwait team’s player David Kenneth from the USA tops the list of

scorers with 16 followed by Kazima’s Mishal Al-Ajmi with 11, Qadisiya’s captain Mohammad Al-Ajmi with 9 and classy Mcloud from the US with 9 also.

Head of the hockey committee Fuhaid Al-Ajmi said competition is now very strong, as preparations are to be made soon for participations in the Gulf and Asia.

Sanya forced out as Ocean Race hit by further trouble ALICANTE: The technical problems that have dogged the Volvo Ocean Race from the start struck again yesterday as Chinese leaders Sanya were forced out of the second leg because of a rigging failure. Mike Sanderson, skipper of the only team racing in a second-hand boat, feared the entire mast could break after the key piece of equipment broke overnight while the team were building a huge lead on the leg from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi.

They were forced to head to Madagascar for repairs, meaning they now have no chance now of reaching the secret ‘safe haven’ port in time to be transported through piracy-affected waters to the northern Emirates, where the race to Abu Dhabi will resume.

It was a heartbreaking setback for the New Zealander Sanderson and his crew who had established a lead of more than 200 nautical miles on the rest of the fleet in sailing’s toughest test. Their best hope now is to rejoin the race for leg three to their home port of Sanya in China. Sanya were also forced to suspend racing in the opening leg from Alicante to Cape Town after suffering a hole in her hull, probably caused by storm debris, on Nov. 6.

“We had an awesome night’s racing

and were making massive gains so we were very upbeat with our progress,” Sanderson said. “ The weather was turning for the better and so we were happy in our decisions and general progress.

“As you can imagine we are totally gutted and can’t quite believe this has happened when everything was going so well.” This is the fourth time that a boat has been forced to stop racing.

Three boats, including Sanya, pulled out of leg one but until now the sixstrong fleet had been sailing without major problem towards a stop-off point in the Indian Ocean on leg two.

The rest of the fleet will now hope to make it safely to the port for transport to a position near Sharjah on the Northern Emirates coast, from where they will resume the race to Abu Dhabi. Those measures were taken by race organisers to avoid the threat of piracy in the Indian Ocean. Leg three runs from Abu Dhabi to Sanya in China but again the boats will be shipped part of the way for security reasons.

US-led Puma now lead leg two following Sanya’s withdrawal, with overall race leaders Telefonica of Spain safely in the main pack.

The race visits 10 countries in total and finishes in Galway, Ireland on July 8, 2012. — Reuters

CAPE TOWN: In this Nov. 5, 2011, file photo provided by Volvo Ocean Race, Team Sanya, skippered by Mike Sanderson from New Zealand, is pictured at the start of leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean race 2011-12 as they leave Alicante, Spain for Cape Town, South Africa. Team Sanya suffered damage to part of their rigging yesterday, and are heading to a port in Southern Madagascar to asses the damage. — AP

ALTA BADIA: Austrian technical specialist Marcel Hirscher won yesterday’s slalom and overtook Aksel Lund Svindal for the overall World Cup lead, giving the sport’s most powerful team hope of winning skiing’s biggest prize for the first time in six years.

Having also led after the opening run, Hirscher completed the Gran Risa course in a two-leg combined time of 1 minute, 47.16 seconds. Olympic slalom champion Giuliano Razzoli finished second, a distant 0.56 seconds behind, and Felix Neureuther of Germany was third, 0.60 back.

“Being in the leading position after the first run is hard for anybody, because the whole nation is thinking about you,” Hirscher said.

“But after a while, I talked to myself and said it was time for full gas and I skied more than 100 percent and it was a big success for me.”

The 22-year-old Hirscher also won a giant slalom in Beaver Creek, Colorado, earlier this month, and now has five career victories. His only other slalom win came in Val d’Isere, France, last season, but he has a total of nine podium results in the discipline, making him a dominant force in both of the technical events.

Hirscher broke a bone in his left foot just before last season’s world championships and was out for several months. “I was completely focused when I started training again after such a long break,” Hirscher said.

Hirscher celebrated by waving both of his poles above his bright yellow helmet, skiing backward as he glanced at the scoreboard.

Defending overall World Cup champion Ivica Kostelic sat second after the opening run but finished fifth after losing a big chunk of time on the flat finishing section in his second leg as the sun warmed the course and slowed the racers. Svindal failed to qualify for the second run, placing 44th in the opening leg. Hirscher moved nine points in front of Svindal, with

American giant slalom specialist Ted Ligety who finished 10th - 40 points behind in third.

The last Austrian man to win the overall title was Benjamin Raich in 2005-06, while Nicole Hosp took the women’s title in 2006-07.

“At the moment it’s not important for me, because it doesn’t matter in which position you are at this point in season,” Hirscher said.

Hirscher also moved to the top of the slalom standings, with a 15-point lead over Kostelic,

at the second gate in the opening run, spun around backward and had both of his skis pointing straight up into the air when he hit the ground.

After coming to a stop, Miller stood up and stared back up the mountain to see what tripped him up, then skied directly to the personal bus that he travels the circuit in.

The men’s circuit now moves to retired Austrian great Hermann Maier’s hometown of

ALTA BADAI: Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, center, winner of an alpine ski, men’s World Cup slalom, celebrates on the podium with second placed Giuliano Razzoli, of Italy, left, and third placed Germany’s Felix Neureuther, in Alta Badia, Italy, yesterday. — AP who won the opening slalom this season. Flachau for a night slalom Wednesday, before Among those failing to finish the opening run rounding out the year with the annual downwas Olympic combined champion Bode hill in Bormio on Dec 29. Five more slaloms Miller. Likely worn down after a week of are scheduled for January, making Hirscher a downhill training and races, Miller lost control serious threat for the overall title. — AP

Ligety proposes radical changes for ski circuit ALTA BADIA: Ted Ligety has already created a storm of controversy on the World Cup circuit by leading the revolt over coming changes in ski shape rules.

Now he’s suggesting a complete overhaul of the sport’s format, proposing a radical switch from traditional two-run races in giant slalom and slalom to five mini knockout runs, and doing away with the two-hour break in between legs.

Ligety would also like to see all of the technical races run at night to gain bigger crowds, but men’s World Cup director Gunter Hujara says the 27-year- old American needs to better understand the finances and TV contracts that determine start times.

Ligety’s ideas were inspired by the Alpine Rockfest exhibition event to be held at the US team’s former training base in Paganella on Friday. “I’ve always believed ski racing is presented and formatted poorly,” Ligety wrote on his blog Saturday. “I can’t think of any successful sports that have a three-hour halftime and fans only see their favorite athlete twice for a max of four minutes.

“I can’t imagine going to a basketball game to watch LeBron James play for one minute then wait three hours to see him play for another minute,” the giant slalom world champion added. “It would not make sense for TV or the fans. Yet this is how a ski race is run.”

So Ligety wants to cut the field to 30 or 40 racers on a 30to 40-second course with five runs where the field gets cut in half after every run - so it could go from 30 racers to 16, eight, four and then the two finalists skiing the final run to determine the winner.

“This would create constant

action and if you are say an Aksel Lund Svindal fan you can see him race several runs,” Ligety wrote. Yet Svindal, the overall World Cup leader and Olympic super-G champion, isn’t convinced. “ That would be show races to me,” the Norwegian said.

“Some of the stuff we do now is pretty good. ... This is what the sport lives on - legendary races like Kitzbuehel, Wengen, Alta Badia, Adelboden. Those are really great races for us. And Alpine events are popular at the Olympics, so changing it around too much, that’s a little extreme.”

Svindal does agree with Ligety’s ideas about having more night races, especially during the upcoming holiday period. “Right now people have to choose between skiing, like we want them to do to buy the equipment, or to sit and watch the race,” Svindal said. “People could go skiing during the day and then watch the races in their cabins at night or go to the event. Instead of the 500 people we have in Bormio, we could have 50,000 people.”

Only about 500 people attend the annual downhill in Bormio held between Christmas and New Year’s each year, whereas about 50,000 fans show up in late January for the night slalom in Schladming, Austria, lining the course with flares to create an atmosphere rivaling that of an intense football match. In recent seasons, there have also been popular night races in Zagreb, Croatia. However, according to Hujara, Schladming’s attractiveness doesn’t go far beyond Austria. He said it’s one of the highest attended races of the year but attracts the lowest number of TV viewers because national broadcasters in Germany and Italy refuse to pick

it up in place of their weekday prime time lineup.

If the International Sk i Federation lines up national broadcasters in only Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, Norway, Sweden and Slovakia, the total number of live viewers is about 3 million. “Germany alone is 3 million and Italy gives you almost the same,” Hujara said. “We would like to do it, and for all other disciplines, too, but we don’t have the ( TV times).”

Instead, FIS has set up mini parallel giant slalom city events in Munich and Moscow. The Munich event will be held on New Year’s Day, and the Moscow event is scheduled for Feb. 21.

However, even the city event in Munich was moved up to a late afternoon start because of a lack of prime time TV contracts.

“We want to have a third city event,” Hujara told The Associated Press. “We were very close with New York but it failed in the last moment. You need big investors. It’s a huge thing to build a ramp in New York.”

Possible sites for a city event on a makeshift ramp in New York included Central Park and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens. Instead, FIS is now looking into creating a race in downtown Montreal. “We want to go to the east of Nor th America because that’s where we can reach more people,” Hujara said. “It’s a money issue and in this market there is not so much money.”

The inaugural race in Moscow three years ago cost about $10 million, a big chunk of it for the massive ramp, which is 60 meters high, 36 meters wide and 210 meters long with 20 gates.

“Now it costs less because they have the ramp already and all the materials, but that ’s still

quite an investment to do something like that. It’s much more expensive than having races here,” Hujara said following the annual giant slalom Sunday in Alta Badia.

Austria men’s head coach Mathias Berthold, who competed on the breakaway US Pro Tour in the early 1990s, would also like to see more parallel races.

“It’s exciting and people don’t really need to understand the sport to see who is winning, and it’s fair to the athlete as well,” Berthold said, adding that the parallel format could eliminate differing weather conditions for racers that so often decide the winner, because skiers would only be competing against the racer beside them at the very same moment.

“And If you have a rut you switch it around and the next run the other racer has the problem,” Berthold said. “I think that’s the good format.” Gustavo Thoeni, the 1972 Olympic giant slalom winner from I taly, is another proponent of parallel racing. In 1975, Thoeni edged Swedish rival Ingemar Stenmark for the overall World Cup title by winning a parallel slalom in Val Gardena. “Parallel is good for the TV because the people see the differences between the athletes,” Thoeni said. “But this is skiing. You’ve got the hill, the gate and the snow and it’s not like you can just change everything.”

Asked about his proposals, Ligety said he had not discussed them with FIS yet. “It’s not in FIS’s DNA to do something that drastic and potentially good for the sport,” Ligety said. “They just kind of stick to what they know, and they might be beating a dead horse but it’s not really something they’re concerned about as far as improving the sport.” — AP

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Chiefs end Packers’ perfect NFL season Seahawks rout Bears to keep playoff hopes alive KANSAS CITY: The Green Bay Packers’ perfect NFL season came to a crashing halt on Sunday against the beleaguered Kansas City Chiefs, who rallied behind interim coach Romeo Crennel and new quarterback Kyle Orton to a shocking 19-14 victory.

Orton finished 23 of 31 for 299 yards in his first start for the Chiefs (6-8), who fired coach Todd Haley last Monday after the team had lost five of its last six games.

But behind an inspired performance by the defense, four field goals by Ryan Succop and Jackie Battle’s short touchdown run with 4:53 left in the game, Kansas City handed the Packers (13-1) their first loss since Dec. 19, 2010, at New England. The Packers had won 19 straight games in the past year, including the Super Bowl.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was just 17 of 35 for 235 yards and a touchdown, and he also scampered eight yards for another touchdown with 2:12 left in the game. But the Packers were unable to recover the onside kick, and the Chiefs picked up a couple of first downs to secure the victory.

COLTS 27, TITANS 13 In Indianapolis, Dan Orlovsky threw a touchdown pass and the key block on an 80-yard TD run to lead the Colts to their first win of the season. Indianapolis (1-13) avoided becoming the second team in NFL history to go 0-16. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was picked off twice and Chris Johnson rushed for only 55 yards for Tennessee (7-7).

Orlovsky gave the Colts a 10-6 lead with an 18-yard TD pass to Reggie Wayne in the third quarter, and Jacob Lacey made it 17-6 with a 32-yard interception return for a TD. Jake Locker got the Titans within 20-13 with a TD pass with 3:43 to go, but on the next play, Orlovsky threw a block that gave Donald Brown on open lane to sprint 80 yards to seal the win.

SEAHAWKS 38, BEARS 14 In Chicago, Red Bryant returned an interception 20 yards for the go-ahead TD as Seattle kept its faint playoff hopes alive. Chicago quarterback Caleb Hanie was hit hard on the play by K.J. Wright and threw the ball right into Bryant’s arms as Seattle (7-7) scored two TDs in a 50-second span early in the third quarter.

Brandon Browner returned another interception 42 yards for a TD in the final quarter for the Seahawks.

Marshawn Lynch added two touchdown runs for Seattle. Chicago (7-7) lost its fourth straight.

a 20-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss as Washington got just its second win in its last 10 games.

Darrel Young also scored on a 6-yard run after one of three interceptions by the Redskins (5-9) and Graham Gano kicked three field goals. The loss knocked the Giants (7-7) out of first place in the NFC East division.

Dallas (8-6) now leads the division by a game with two to go, including one with Giants on the final weekend of the regular season.

PATRIOTS 41, BRONCOS 23 In Denver, Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score as New England clinched a playoff berth. The Patriots (11-3) won their sixth straight game and another AFC East division title by bouncing back from an early 17-6 deficit and an awful first quarter in which they were outgained on the ground 167 yards to 4.

Brady was 23 of 34 for 320 yards to beat the Broncos for just the second time in eight career starts. Tim Tebow was 11 of 22 for 194 yards and ran for 93 more, but he was unable to deliver another dramatic comeback for the Broncos (8-6). Tebow had engineered four straight fourth-quarter comebacks for the Broncos and six straight wins.

PANTHERS 28, TEXANS 13 In Houston, Cam Newton threw two touchdown passes and DeAngelo Williams ran for a score as Carolina ended Houston’s seven-game winning streak.

Newton completed 13 of 23 passes for 149 yards, outplaying opposing Houston’s rookie quarterback, T.J. Yates.

The Panthers (5-9) built a 21-0 halftime lead, then ended Houston’s second-half rally when linebacker James Anderson intercepted Yates in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter. The Texans (10-4) are playing for home-field advantage in the playoffs after

clinching the AFC South division last weekend.

LIONS 28, RAIDERS 27 In Oakland, California, Matthew Stafford threw a 6yard TD pass to Calvin Johnson with 39 seconds remaining to cap a 98-yard scoring drive as Detroit rallied from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to stun the Raiders.

The win wasn’t sealed until Ndamukong Suh blocked Sebastian Janikowski’s 65-yard field goal attempt on the final play in Suh’s first game back from a two-game suspension. The Raiders (7-7) appeared in control when Aaron Curry returned a fumble 6 yards for a TD to make it 27-14 with 7:47 remaining. But Stafford led two late scoring drives to give the Lions (9-5) a two-game lead in the NFC wild-card playoff race.

DOLPHINS 30, BILLS 23 In Orchard Park, New York, Reggie Bush ran for a career-best 203 yards, including a 76-yard TD run, to lead Miami to victory in interim coach Todd Bowles’ first game. Matt Moore also threw two touchdowns passes and Vontae Davis had two of Miami’s three interceptions.

Bowles replaced the fired Tony Sparano last Monday.

Miami (5-9) has won five of its last seven games.

The Bills (5-9) have lost seven straight and could finish last in the AFC East division for the fourth straight year. Ryan Fitzpatrick finished 31 of 47 for 316 yards and a TD. BENGALS 20, RAMS 13 In St. Louis, rookie A.J. Green had six catches and topped 1,000 yards for the season as Cincinnati rallied to keep alive its hopes of a wild-card playoff spot.

Brandon Tate’s 56-yard punt return set up Bernard Scott’s go-ahead touchdown run late in the third quarter and Cedric Benson added a short scoring run in the

EAGLES 45, JETS 19 In Philadelphia, LeSean McCoy ran for three touchdowns to set two team records as the Eagles routed the New York Jets to stay alive in the NFC East division race.

Michael Vick threw for 274 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score in his second game back after missing three games with broken ribs. The Eagles (6-8) have won two straight for just the second time this season and still have a chance to repeat as NFC East champions despite underachieving most of the year. They trail Dallas by two games and the New York Giants by one.

The loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Jets (8-6).

SAINTS 42, VIKINGS 20 In Minneapolis, Drew Brees threw for 412 yards and five touchdowns to lead New Orleans to its sixth win in a row. Brees completed 32 of 40 passes to help the Saints (11-3) overcome a sloppy start and stay two games ahead of Atlanta in the NFC South division.

Brees is 304 yards away from breaking Dan Marino’s single-season record for passing yards, with two games to play. The maligned Saints pass defense held the Vikings to 94 yards passing. Adrian Peterson rushed for 60 yards in his return from a three-game absence for the Vikings (2-12).

REDSKINS 23, GIANTS 10 In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Rex Grossman threw

Thorpe: ‘Premature’ to judge swimming comeback SYDNEY: Five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe said it’s still too “premature” to judge the success of his swimming comeback, despite his disappointing results in recent competitions. Thorpe finished 16th overall in the 100-meter freestyle and 10th in his first 200 freestyle race in almost six years at the Italian Winter Championships over the weekend, his first long-course meet of his comeback. He was still several seconds off the times he will need to qualify for the Australian team at the national Olympic trials in March.

“I’m in training at the moment, I came here to take the opportunity to race, and to race against fast swimmers,” he was quoted as saying by The Australian newspaper on Monday. “I don’t look at where I come in the race.”I look at the time, how fast it is. I watch it, I critique my race after it but I have no control of what the others are doing. It’s not a concern now, maybe later, but now it’s too premature.” The 29-year-old Thorpe came out of more than five years of retirement earlier this year in a bid to swim for Australia at next year’s London Olympics. As well as Olympic gold, Thorpe won 11 world titles and set 13 individual world records. Thorpe said racing still feels unfamiliar to him, but things are coming back every time he gets in the pool. “It’s important that I race, whether it’s a good result or a bad result, I have to keep racing at this stage,” he said.—AP Ian Thorpe

KANSAS CITY: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) is tackled by a group of Kansas City Chiefs defenders during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won 19-14, handing the Packers their first loss of the season. — AP

fourth for the Bengals (8-6), who won for just the second time in six games. Green has 1,006 yards receiving, leaving him 3 shy of Cris Collinsworth’s team rookie record, set in 1981. Kellen Clemens was 25 for 36 for 229 and one touchdown for the Rams (2-12), who have lost five in a row.

CARDINALS 20, BROWNS 17 In Glendale, Arizona, Patrick Peterson returned a punt 32 yards and John Skelton threw a 32 yard pass to Larry Fitzgerald to set up Jay Feely’s winning field goal as Arizona got its third overtime win in seven games.

Arizona (7-7), winner of six of its last seven, trailed 17-7 entering the fourth quarter. The Cardinals have been behind in the second half in all six of their recent victories. Both teams were without their starting quarterbacks because of concussions. Skelton, playing in relief of Kevin Kolb, completed 28 of 36 for 313 yards with a touchdown and interception. Seneca Wallace, starting for Colt McCoy for the Browns (4-10), was 18 of 31 for 226 yards. — AP

NFL results/standings WASHINGTON: Results and standings after Sunday’s National Football League games: Kansas City 19, Green Bay 14; Indianapolis 27, Tennessee 13; New Orleans 42, Minnesota 20; Seattle 38, Chicago 14; Cincinnati 20, St. Louis 13; Carolina 28, Houston 13; Miami 30, Buffalo 23; Washington 23, N.Y. Giants 10; Detroit 28, Oakland 27; New England 41, Denver 23; Arizona 20, Cleveland 17 (OT); Philadelphia 45, N.Y. Jets 19.

American Football Conference AFC East W L T OTL PF PA New England 11 3 0 0 437 297 NY Jets 8 6 0 0 346 315 Miami 5 9 0 1 286 269 Buffalo 5 9 0 0 311 371 AFC North Pittsburgh 10 3 0 0 282 198 Baltimore 10 4 0 0 331 236 Cincinnati 8 6 0 0 305 283 Cleveland 4 10 0 1 195 274 AFC South Houston 10 4 0 0 343 233 Tennessee 7 7 0 0 279 278 Jacksonville 4 10 0 0 207 293 Indianapolis 1 13 0 0 211 395 AFC West Denver 8 6 0 0 292 343 Oakland 7 7 0 0 317 382 San Diego 7 7 0 2 358 313 Kansas City 6 8 0 0 192 319 National Football Conference NFC East Dallas 8 6 0 1 348 296 NY Giants 7 7 0 0 334 372 Philadelphia 6 8 0 0 342 311 Washington 5 9 0 1 252 300 NFC North Green Bay 13 1 0 0 480 297 Detroit 9 5 0 0 395 332 Chicago 7 7 0 1 315 293 Minnesota 2 12 0 1 294 406 NFC South New Orleans 11 3 0 0 457 303 Atlanta 9 5 0 1 341 281 Carolina 5 9 0 0 341 368 Tampa Bay 4 10 0 0 244 401 NFC West San Francisco 10 3 0 1 307 182 Seattle 7 7 0 0 284 273 Arizona 7 7 0 0 273 305 St. Louis 2 12 0 1 166 346

PCT .786 .571 .357 .357 .769 .714 .571 .286 .714 .500 .286 .071 .571 .500 .500 .429

.571 .500 .429 .357 .929 .643 .500 .143 .786 .643 .357 .286 .769 .500 .500 .143

Lewis named European Tour rookie of the year LONDON: Briton Tom Lewis has been named the European Tour’s rookie of the year after the 20-year-old won on his third professional start at the Portugal Masters in October to secure a two-year tour exemption.

“I appreciate this honour very much. It certainly tops off what has been an amazing year,” Lewis said in a statement yesterday. Lewis shot a scintillating seven-under-par finalround 65 in Portugal to win by two shots from Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello, having burst onto the scene in July at

the British Open where he became the first amateur to lead the Open since 1968.

The Englishman hit a first-round 65 at Sandwich on his way to finishing as the leading amateur, then helped Britain and Ireland beat the United States in September’s Walker Cup before turning pro and recording a top-10 finish in his first start at the Austrian Open.

Lewis paid tribute to his father and coach, Brian, a former Tour professional, who has been an influential pres-

ence during his son’s rise through the amateur game into the professional ranks.

“I might not even have been a golfer if it wasn’t for dad, but he has definitely made me into the golfer I’ve become.

He is really the person who made this possible.” When Lewis beat a high quality field to the title in Portugal he also eclipsed former world number one and 14-times major champion Tiger Woods, who needed five tournaments to land his first professional title. — Reuters

Khan loses appeal over Peterson loss PARIS: British fighter Amir Khan has lost his appeal over his controversial loss to Lamont Peterson in Washington which cost him his IBF and WBA light-welterweight titles. Khan was penalised two points by referee Joe Cooper for pushing- charges that the Englishman denied.

But on Sunday the International Boxing Federation (IBF) said they were happy with the decision taken by the referee. “We found no discrepancies that would affect the outcome or the result of the fight,” IBF championships chairman Lindsay Tucker was quoted by the BBC. “We decided not to order an immediate rematch on the basis of the fact that in the rules, if the referee feels that it’s a foul, then that’s his call to take a point. He did warn Khan several times before he actually took the first point.”

Khan said after the majority decision defeat in Washington that he felt robbed of a rightful triumph and has put his plans to move up to the welterweight ranks on hold until he can fight a rematch against the American. Cooper deducted points from Khan for pushing in the seventh and 12th rounds and those proved the difference in a fight where two judges saw Peterson a 113-112 winner and the third gave it to Khan 115-100.

“It was like I was in there against two people, the referee and Lamont,” Khan said. “I had to push him away because he was coming in so low with his head. There was nothing I could do. It was either push him away or get head-butted.” — AFP

DOHA: Lebanese players jubilate after winning the women’s basketball game in the Arab Games in Doha, yesterday. Lebanon won over Qatar 74-32 in the last game in the tournament. —AFP

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NBC, Red Bull strike action sports partnership NEW YORK: Red Bull Media House and the NBC Sports Group have entered into a long-term partnership whereby NBC’s broadcast and cable channels will air the “Red Bull Signature Series,” a collection of action sports programming, starting in January.

Throughout 2012, NBC and its associated channels will air 35 hours of high-octane events like Red Bull X-Fighters, a global motocross competition, and Red Bull Cold Rush, a three-day skiing event.

“This is a true platform which should progress

NHL results/standings WASHINGTON: National Hockey League results and standings after Sunday’s games: Florida 3, Carolina 2 (OT); Chicago 4, Calgary 2; St Louis 6, Columbus 4.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division

Philadelphia NY Rangers Pittsburgh New Jersey NY Islanders

W 20 18 18 18 10

L 8 8 11 13 14

OTL 3 4 4 1 6

GF 110 87 107 90 69

GA 91 67 88 92 97

PTS 43 40 40 37 26

Boston Buffalo Toronto Ottawa Montreal

Northeast Division 21 9 1 108 16 13 3 89 16 13 3 100 15 14 4 102 13 13 7 85

61 94 105 116 89

43 35 35 34 33

Florida Winnipeg Washington Tampa Bay Carolina

Southeast Division 18 9 6 90 15 13 4 89 16 14 1 91 14 16 2 87 10 18 6 86

84 97 96 107 116

42 34 33 30 26

Chicago St. Louis Detroit Nashville Columbus

Western Conference Central Division 21 8 4 111 19 9 4 82 20 10 1 104 17 11 4 85 9 20 4 80

98 69 69 84 111

46 42 41 38 22

Minnesota Vancouver Calgary Edmonton Colorado

Northwest Division 20 8 5 84 19 11 2 106 14 15 4 82 14 15 3 87 15 17 1 88

72 80 94 87 100

45 40 32 31 31

San Jose Dallas Phoenix Los Angeles Anaheim

Pacific Division 17 10 3 18 12 1 16 13 3 14 14 4 9 18 5

74 86 85 79 105

37 37 35 32 23

86 80 84 69 75

Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

action sports on T V,” Werner Brell, Managing Director of Red Bull Media House North America, told TheWrap. “This should progress how people in the US view these sports and these athletes.”

Of the 35 hours of programming, 20 of it will air on NBC, while 15 will air on the NBC Sports Network. Red Bull Media House, based in Austria, launched its North American operations in January, bringing its print magazine-Red Bulletin-with it. It then released a documentary, “The Art of Flight,” earlier this year. Having already agreed with

YouTube to curate the action sports channel, Brell said television is the next logical platform. The first broadcast will be “Crashed Ice,” a combination of ice hockey, downhill skating and boarder-cross. It will air January 21 on NBC. Here’s a video promo of it.

For NBC, this represents another step towards expanding its foothold in sports programming. It has rebranded the Versus Channel as the NBC Sports Network, seeking to compete with the likes of ESPN and Fox Sports.

ESPN airs the most prominent action sports

event, the X Games, of which Red Bull is a sponsor.

However, Brell said he thinks NBC has shown a new level of interest in sports programming.

“NBC is really expanding their sports strategy and action sports is becoming more and more important,” Brell said. “This will offer a year-round action-sports, live-event TV series.” In addition to showing the competition, the shows will take viewers behind the scenes so they can get to know some of the biggest stars in BMX, snowboarding and other sports. — Reuters

Blackhawks coach gets 600th NHL victory Panthers beat Hurricanes CHICAGO: Chicago coach Joel Quenneville became the 10th coach in NHL history to earn 600 victories as the Blackhawks beat the Calgary Flames 4-2 on Sunday for their fifth straight win. Chicago also vaulted past Minnesota into first place in the NHL standings with a leagueleading 46 points. The Blackhawks are 7-0-1 in their last eight games. Marian Hossa, Steve Montador, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Patrick Kane scored for the Blackhawks, while Calgary got scores from Olli Jokinen and Curtis Glencross.

Ray Emery, who has taken over for struggling No. 1 goalie Corey Crawford, won for the fifth straight game while improving to 9-1-2 overall.

rally with the tiebreaking goal to lead the Blues. St. Louis won for the fifth time in six games and improved to 13-3-1 at home, matching Detroit for the

most home wins.

The Blues are also 13-2-4 under new coach Ken Hitchcock, who took over for the fired Davis Payne on Nov. 6.

Alex Steen, Alex Pietrangelo and Patrik Berglund also scored in the third period for St. Louis, which trailed 3-2 after two. T.J. Oshie and Kevin Shattenkirk

Panthers 3, Hurricanes 2 In Sunrise, Florida, Kris Versteeg scored 3:08 into overtime to give Florida a victory over Carolina. Stephen Weiss’ shot from in front was blocked, but Versteeg found the loose puck and swept it in from the left side of the crease for his team-leading 16th goal of the season. Sean Bergenheim and Jason Garrison also scored for Florida, and Jose Theodore made 24 saves. The Panthers have earned at least one point in eight straight home games.

Tim Gleason and Chad LaRose had goals for the Hurricanes, who have lost 10 of 12.

Blues 6, Blue Jackets 4 In St. Louis, Jason Arnott triggered a four-goal, third-period

GLENDALE: New York Rangers players swarm teammate Brad Richards, center, after it was determined he scored the game-winning goal in the final seconds of the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Phoenix Coyotes, in Glendale, Arizona. The Rangers won 3-2.— AP

Swiss FA cannot influence Sion decision BERNE: Swiss FA (SFV ) president Peter Gilleron was stunned by FIFA’s threat to suspend his country from international football, adding that his arguments had been ignored by soccer’s governing body.

Gilleron said that FIFA was asking the SFV to break its own statutes by instructing it on how to deal with first division club Sion, who signed six players in the summer and then fielded them despite being subject to a transfer ban.

FIFA’s executive committee, meeting in Tokyo on Saturday, said that Sion must be punished with 3-0 defeats for ever y match in which any of the players were

fielded. The SFV was given until January 13 to comply or face an international suspension which would also result in FC Basel, due to face Bayern Munich in the last six teen, being k icked out of the Champions League “It was a total surprise,” Gilleron told the SFV’s website (www.football.ch). “We knew that the Sion case would be discussed at FIFA’s meeting in Tokyo and we were prepared for all eventualities.

“This decision was naturally a disappointment for us.” “I cannot understand the decision, our arguments were not sufficiently taken into considering.

Absolutely not.” Disciplinary hearings have been opened against Sion but Gilleron said the tribunal was independent. “We have no influence over the disciplinary commission,” he said. “It’s independent, and we place great value on this division of power.”

“The decision, to punish Sion with forfeits, could also be a case of the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” he added “I’m sure we will find a solution, although the deadline is tight.”

European soccer ’s governing body UEFA said in a statement that it had not decided what to do if Basel, who quali-

fied at the expense of Manchester United, could not play in the last sixteen. “UEFA is confident that the SFV will comply with the FIFA request before the deadline of Jan. 13 and before the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg Feb. 22,” it said. “Should this not be the case UEFA will review the situation nearer the time.”

However, when Ukraine was faced with a similar threat last year, UEFA said at the time that teams from the country would for feit their Champions League ties, effectively handing byes to their opponents. In the event, Ukraine was not suspended. — Reuters

Scottish clubs ready to reintroduce standing areas GLASGOW: Scottish Premier League chiefs are ready to consider requests to reintroduce standing areas for supporters in the country’s top-flight stadiums. The proposal was discussed at a general meeting of all 12 clubs on Monday and has been given the green light.

Celtic and Motherwell are among the clubs who have expressed interest in the idea, although applications for standing areas will also have to be approved by local council safety committees and police. Scotland is not bound by the law which banned standing areas in top-flight football in England, which came in to force after the Taylor Report into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which saw 96 Liverpool fans crushed to death during an FA Cup semifinal against Nottingham Forest.

Neil Doncaster, chief executive of the SPL, said: “Since I joined the SPL in 2009, there has been widespread support amongst fans to reintroduce safe standing areas.

“I am delighted that we have been able to respond positively to supporters’ views on improving the match day experience.” The English Premier League responded to the news by ruling out the possibility of terracing returning to top-flight and Championship grounds.

“The bottom line is that it (standing at matches) is illegal under the legislation that was brought in after Hillsborough,” Premier League spokesman Dan Johnson said. “We can’t have standing in the Premier League and the Championship and it’s not a situation we would like to see change.”

Meanwhile, it was also revealed that, after discussions within the Joint Action Group formed to tackle sectarianism, there will be widening of what constitutes “unacceptable conduct” with an independent commission to be set up as the final arbiter.

The introduction of an independent panel comes after criticism that the SPL has been too lenient in tackling behaviour by supporters. Celtic were this month cleared of breaching rules on unacceptable conduct after fans sang pro-IRA songs at a home game against Hibernian, but fined £12,700 by UEFA the following week for an identical offence in a Europa League game.

added goals for the Blues.

Derek Dorsett and Derek MacKenzie also scored for the Blue Jackets, who lost for the fifth time in six games.— AP

The SPL noted that Celtic had publicly condemned the chants and had taken all “reasonably practicable” steps to minimise the likelihood of unacceptable conduct and were assisting in the identification and prosecution of offenders.

Earlier this year, Celtic manager Neil Lennon expressed surprise and disappointment that the SPL took no action against Hearts over the incident that saw him confronted

by a fan on the touchline at Tynecastle.

An SPL statement read: “The definition of unacceptable conduct within the SPL rules has been extended to include ‘using words, conduct or displaying any writing or other thing which indicates support for, or affiliation to, or celebration of, or opposition to an organisation proscribed in terms of the Terrorism Act 2000’.” — AFP

SAO PAULO: Norway’s players celebrate after defeating France at the end of the Women’s Handball World Championship final match in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday. — AP

We’re made of right stuff, says Adkins LONDON: Southampton manager Nigel Adkins believes his side’s 1-1 draw against local rivals Portsmouth proves they have the character to last the pace in the race to reach the Premier League.

Adkins’ Championship promotion chasers moved one point clear at the top of the table after withstanding a hostile atmosphere at Fratton Park on Sunday to emerge with a valuable point from the first league south-coast derby since 2005. The visit of arch enemies Southampton had whipped the 19,000 sell-out crowd into a frenzy and Portsmouth’s players responded with a tireless display that belied their lowly position in English football’s second tier. But Southampton showed their promotion credentials by matching Portsmouth’s intensity and then went on to provide the game’s few moments of real class. “There are 10 or 15 teams with aspirations of getting into the Premier League. I just wanted to be in with a shout and be in the top 10. We would have been happy with that,” Adkins said.

“We’ve led that race for over three months now. That shows we have a consistency about our play and we have good players. “We play the right way and score a lot of goals. Our desire is to pick up more clean sheets and results away from home now.”

Rickie Lambert opened the scoring with a clinically taken close-range header from Daniel Fox’s cross in the 63rd minute before Portsmouth-born Joel Ward rescued a point for his home-town club with a header of his own in the 84th minute.

Lambert has already scored 17 goals this season and is likely to attract interest from bigger clubs in the January transfer window, as will classy midfielder Adam Lallana. Adkins admits keeping hold of his better players is essential if Southampton are to achieve back to back promotions just 12 months after escaping League One. “We’ve got the January period when there will be a lot of speculation and transfer rumours. It’s then just a case of giving ourselves a chance to win the race and get promoted,” he added.

While Southampton have plenty of reasons for optimism, Portsmouth are finally showing signs of a revival of their own after a four-match unbeaten run. They remain in 17th place but new manager Michael Appleton has made a positive start to his first managerial role and Ward’s goal lifted the gloom around a club still beset by financial difficulties over two years after relegation from the Premier League.

Appleton enjoyed his first taste of the south-coast derby, but admitted he is relieved to see the back of Southampton until the return fixture at St Mary’s in April. “It will be nice not to mention the word ‘Southampton’ for a couple of months and just focus on climbing up the league and getting on with the rest of the season,” he said. “These games get built up that much that the players forget to play at times. There weren’t enough people prepared to put their foot on the ball and show a bit of composure.” — AFP

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India eye their main chance in Australia BANGALORE: India have fought some epic battles with Australia but now embark on a test tour with what many believe is their best chance of humbling the wearers of the baggy green caps in their own back yard for the first time. The average Indian fan will be viewing the series with a sense of apprehension, wondering if the team are good enough to conquer the final frontier. They will also hope the fourtest series can represent a coming-ofage for the likes of Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin and other stars of the next generation.

This is most likely the last stand Down Under for the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Zaheer Khan, who will want to bow out by guiding India to its first ever test series win in Australia. After the drubbing at the hands of England earlier this year, a

series victory would be redemption of sorts and go some way to proving India are not just a force to be reckoned with in the shorter formats of the game. Roughly half of the Indian squad was not part of the England series and it will also be the first tour of Australia for them, so the rookies can expect a stern test. And while Australia’s slump in form presents a golden opportunity, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni remains cautious. “Some people think that the last Australian team was much better than the current Australian side. To judge them is quite a difficult task,” Dhoni told reporters in Chennai on the eve of departure for Australia. “(Because they are) missing big names in the present setup, some people think that this is our best chance. But we did well that time also (in 2007) and quite a few things happened in the series.”

A series win, or even a tightly contested one, would also help the Indian young guns ensure there is life beyond one-day internationals and the instant gratification found in Twenty20s. To many Indian fans, drawing the 2003-04 series in Australia felt as special as beating them back home but the young faces in Indian cricket are not content with, or used to, coming off second best.

Virender Sehwag, fresh from his recording the highest individual score in a one-day match, will look to combine with Gautam Gambhir at the top of the order and provide the launchpad for a formidable batting lineup that follows. Tendulkar, of course, continues the search for the elusive century of centuries. Could it be karma that the hunt leads him to Aussie shores?

As Dravid looks to continue a good run of form that started against the

West Indies earlier this year, Laxman will hope to continue what is now, almost, his birthright, a good run of form against the Aussies.

With the top five picking themselves and Dhoni taking the seventh spot, the toss up will be between youngsters Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the number six spot, which has been up for grabs since Sourav Ganguly’s retirement.

No one among Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and a host of other youngsters have managed to cement the spot in the much-vaunted Indian batting lineup. Dhoni will bank on the experience and guile of pace bowling spearhead Zaheer to take advantage of Australia’s new found tendency for batting collapses and hope that Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Abhimanyu Mithun and Vinay Kumar give a good account of themselves. The onus of tying up the

Aussie top order will fall mainly on the capable shoulders of Ashwin, whose off-spin will lead the slow bowling attack in the absence of Harbhajan Singh and the retired Anil Kumble.

“Ashwin has just made his debut in the series against West Indies and nobody knew what Ashwin can do.

But he ended up winning the man-ofthe-series in the tests,” Dhoni said.

“Even when Shane Warne or Glenn McGrath made their debut they started from zero wickets.”

Like Australia did recently, India will soon approach a period of transition as they lose world class performers to the inevitability of retirement.

Whether they claim the four-match series or not, India is hoping the tour will sow the seeds of building a team that can eventually win a test world title just as the one-day side did back in April. — Reuters

Umar puts Pakistan in strong position Bad light stops play

CANBERRA: India’s VVS Laxman bats on the first day of the cricket match between Australian Chairmans XI v India at Manuka Oval in Canberra yesterday. — AFP

India top order struggle in Canberra tour match MELBOURNE: India’s top order, without prized batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, struggled on the first morning of their tour match against a Chairman’s XI in rainy Canberra yesterday. India won the toss and chose to bat first at Manuka Oval but were quickly reduced to 84 for four after the start of play in the three-day match was hit by a near three-hour rain delay.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma later steadied the ship with an unbeaten 78run stand to guide India to 162 for four at stumps. Opener Virender Sehwag lasted less than four overs before he was caught by Alex Doolan for 12 off lanky paceman Peter George.

Ajinkya Rahane was next to go, caught by Usman Khawaja off quick Josh Lalor for 15, with opener Gautam Gambhir trudging off three overs later after being bowled by Jason Behrendorff.

Vangipurappu Laxman, long Australia’s tormenter, was bowled for 15

by Victorian spinner Jon Holland as the quartet missed out on time at the crease ahead of the first of four-tests against Australia starting on Dec. 26 in Melbourne.

India paceman Ishant Sharma was not named in the 11 to bat after bowling less than six overs in the team’s two-day tour match in Canberra last week before leaving the field. Sharma’s fitness remains in doubt amid reports of a troublesome ankle, although Indian team officials said he had not sustained any injury during the tour match.

Indian media reports have speculated that a player will be flown out to Australia to cover for Sharma if he is ruled out of the Boxing Day test. The Chairman’s XI includes a number of Australian batsmen eager to prove themselves with a big score. Local media have billed the match as a shoot-out for a test place between out-of-form opener Phillip Hughes and the untried Ed Cowan, who was drafted into the side after Shaun Marsh was sidelined with injury.

Top order batsmen Usman Khawaja and David Warner, a Twenty20 specialist who scored a century in his second test against New Zealand in Hobart, are also jostling for a spot in the first test, with all rounder Shane Watson expected to return. — Reuters

Scoreboard CANBERRA: Scorecard after the opening day of the three-day tour game between a Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI and India at Manuka Oval in Canberra yesterday.

India 1st innings G. Gambhir b Behrendorff V. Sehwag c Doolan b George A. Rahane c Khawaja b Lalor V Kohli not out VVS Laxman b Holland R. Sharma not out

24 12 15 55 15 38

Extras (b1, w1, nb1) 3 Total (for 4 wkts; 50 overs) 162 Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Sehwag), 2-52 (Rahane), 353 (Gambhir), 4-84 (Laxman) Bowling: Bollinger 7-1-30-0, George 12-2-42-1, Behrendorff 9-5-81, Lalor 7-3-9-1 (1nb, 1w), Holland 9-0-37-1, Boyce 6-0-35-0.

FLUOR wins Petrofac Cup KUWAIT: Fluor Cricket Team won the Petrofac Cup beating Equate Champs in finals organized by KOC Cricket Committee and sponsored by Petrofac played at Ahmadi cricket grounds last Saturday.

Winning the toss, Equate Champs elected to bat first. Equate Champs Openers Wahid and Muthu provided a slow start putting on 22 runs for the first wicket in 5 overs. Equate Champs failed to recover from the slow start and kept loosing wickets at regular intervals with good bowling and fielding display

by Fluor. Equate Champs made 117 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their 20 overs with main contributions coming from Aditya and Sajjad (21 runs each), Das (20 runs) and Muthu (18 runs). For Fluor K anak and R ajesh picked two wickets each, Qadri, Melwin and Jose picked one wicket each.

Chasing the target of 118 runs to win, Fluor lost both openers Melwin & Nihal cheaply. However, Zaheer and Rajesh batted superbly making 43 runs and 50 runs respectively and ensured a win for their team putting on a match winning 90 run par tnership. Fluor achieved the target in the 19th over.

For Equate Champs Mansoor picked three wickets and Aditya picked one

wicket.

Fluor Cricket Team won the match by 5 wickets and clinched the Petrofac Cup. Rajesh was declared the Man of the Match for his all-round performance of 50 runs and 2 wicket.

The winners and runners trophies were presented by Faleh Al-Ajmi, ExChairman KOC CC, M ichel Frawley Construc tion Manager, Petrofac International and Hussain Shatti, Vice Chairman, KOC CC. The individual prizes for the winner were presented by Michel Frawely and Ber t Koopman, Projects Director Fluor.

The individual prizes for the runnerup were presented by Faleh Al-Ajmi and Hussain Shatti. The man of the match award was presented by Fadel Abbas, Member, KOC CC. Hussain Shatti presented memento to Michel Frawley, Pradeep Kumar & Giri Lokanadham as a token of appreciation for the continued suppor t of Petrofac International Limited in sponsoring the oil sector tournaments organized by KOC CC. A memento was presented to Faleh Al-Ajmi, ex-chairman, KOC CC by Fadel Abbas on behalf of all KOC CC members. Iqbal Vanoo, OST coordinator closed the presentation ceremony with vote of thanks.

DHAKA: Taufeeq Umar rode his luck to crack 130 as Pakistan boosted their chances of reaching a first-innings lead on the third day of the second and final Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka yesterday.

The left-handed opener hit 16 fours in his seventh Test century, and second against Bangladesh, as Pakistan reached 292-3 in their first innings at stumps in reply to the hosts’ 338. Pakistan were just 46 runs behind with seven wickets in hand.

Umar put on 127 for the second wicket with Azhar Ali (57) and 95 for the next with Younis Khan, who remained unbeaten on 48.

Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq was 26 not out when bad light stopped play. Bangladesh paceman Nazmul Hossain, who returned to the Test side after seven years, struck with the second new ball when he had Umar caught by Shahriar Nafees at second slip in the last session.

“Every hundred is important in Tests but I think my debut century (in 2001) against Bangladesh was the best. The plan was to play normal game and wait for the bad ball. We are in a better position now,” said Umar.

“We will try our best to win this game as we have world-class bowlers, but it depends a lot on the weather.”

Pakistan lost just two wickets in the entire day, adding 205 runs to their overnight total of 87-1 after a delayed start due to fog.

Bangladesh went wicketless in the opening session and failed to make the most of the chances that came their way, letting off Umar three times and Younis once.

“Had we not dropped a couple of catches, we would have been in a different position by the end of the day,” said Nazmul. “There are still two days to go and it depends a lot on the weather, but we will take it session by session and try to get a positive result.”

The first opportunity came when Umar was on 56, but wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim did not even try to stump him off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan while confidently appealing for a catch down the leg-side.

Umar was lucky to survive on 66 when he cut the first ball after lunch off paceman Robiul Islam, but Mohammed Nazimuddin dropped an easy catch at gully. He was on 118 when Nafees failed to hold on to an edge at short-leg off left-arm spinner Elias Sunny, while Younis was dropped on 15 by Shahadat Hossain off Nasir Hossain.

Umar, 44 overnight, went on to complete his hundred when he cut off-spinner

Mohammad Mahmudullah for a four in the second session. He played some aggressive shots after reaching his century, driving Sunny through the covers for two successive

12th half-century in 18 Tests. But he fell in the fourth over after lunch when Shakib-the most impressive of the Bangladeshi bowlers, conceding just 28 runs in his 18 overs-had him

DHAKA: Pakistan batsman Taufeeq Umar, center, watches Bangladesh’s Shahriar Nafees, right, mis-field during the third day of the second cricket test match at Mirpur in Dhaka, Bangladesh, yesterday. — AP boundaries. Azhar, who hit paceman Shahadat for two fours in the opening over of the day, reached his half-century with a boundary off Sunny in the last over of the morning session. He hit seven fours in his

caught behind with a delivery that turned away sharply.

Pakistan lead 1-0 in the series after winning the opening Test in Chittagong by an innings and 184 runs. — AFP

Scoreboard DHAKA: Scoreboard at the close on the third day of the second and final test between Bangladesh and Pakistan yesterday.

Bangladesh first innings 338 (Shakib Al Hasan 144, Shahriar Nafees 97) Pakistan first innings (overnight 87-1) M Hafeez c Rahim b Nazmul Hossain 14 Taufiq Umar c Nafees b Nazmul Hossain 130 Azhar Ali c Rahim b Shakib Al Hasan 57 Younus Khan not out 48 Misbah-ul-Haq not out 26 Extras: (lb-1, nb-15) 17

Total: (three wickets; 96 overs) 292 Fall of wicket: 1-23, 2-150, 3-245 To bat: Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal, Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Aizaz Cheema.

Bowling (to date): Shahadat Hossain 13-1-63-0 (nb6), Robiul Islam 18-3-65-0 (nb-6), Nazmul Hossain 204-51-2 , Mahmudullah 12-2-29-0, Shakib Al Hasan 185-28-1, Elias Sunny 8-0-36-0, Nasir Hossain 7-0-19-0.

Swann’s book ‘not clever’: Pietersen LONDON: Kevin Pietersen has labelled Graeme Swann’s recent autobiography as “not a clever book” after his England teammate went into print to criticise him as “not a natural leader ”.

Pietersen, in an interview with the BBC on Monday, insisted he had a good relationship with Swann and that the fall-out from the off-spinner ’s book would have no bearing on England’s team spirit ahead of their upcoming series against Pak istan in the United Arab Emirates.

“Things are absolutely fine,” said Pietersen. “It was Swanny, Swanny likes to talk. It’s not a clever book in the middle of your career, but it’s not affecting anything that’s going on in the team for sure.

“The team spirit we’ve got at the moment... a book won’t change anything like that,” Pietersen added.

“When we go to Abu Dhabi and Dubai in a couple of weeks time, the team will be as united as ever and that’s not going to change for one second because of a book,” star batsman Pietersen insisted. Pietersen was briefly England’s captain across

all formats but resigned in January 2009 after questioning the credentials of then coach Peter Moores, who was sacked from his post.

Their exits paved the way for the successful alliance between current Test captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower that this year took England, who won the Ashes 3-1 in Australia and then, at home, whitewashed India 4-0, to the top of the world Test rankings.

But their one-day form has been far less impressive, with England struggling to get into the k nockout stages of this year’s World Cup in Asia before being well beaten by eventual finalists Sri Lanka.

And in October a one - day series in India saw England thrashed 5-0 by the 50- over world champions. Pietersen said England’s inability, in contrast to the Test team, to find a settled one -day side was behind the Twenty20 world champions struggles in the 50-over format.

“We’ve used so many players, whether it be through injury or rest. “I’ve played seven years of one-day cricket for England, and it’s round about 35 players that

we’ve used. “To get that consistency and roles in the team can be quite hard,” he explained.

“Things didn’t go according to plan in India two months ago but we have made great strides in one-day cricket, certainly here (in England). “ The World Cup was a tough one because it came at end of that long Australian trip. I t is (England’s one - day record) something we are focused on improving.”

Swann, writing in his Sun newspaper column in October,

played down talk of a rift with the South Africa-born Pietersen.

“People have claimed my observation that KP is not a natural leader and should not have captained England has caused dressing-room divisions and a breakdown in team spirit. “Well, anybody who thinks that does not know this England team,” Swann said. “The reason we lost the one-day series 5-0 to India is because we’ve been outplayed in conditions which suit the home team.” — AFP

Pakistan to play final with pink ball KARACHI: Pakistan will experiment with a pink ball in the final of its premier first-class cricket tournament today. “The final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament, will be played with a pink ball, under floodlights”, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced yesterday.

Pakistan International Airlines take on Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd in the final, to be played from December 20-24. Last year’s final was also played under lights, but with an orange ball. Pink is widely regarded as the most suitable colour under floodlights. The Marylebone Cricket Club, the custodian of the laws of the game, has advocated the use of a pink ball for day-night Test cricket. An English county championship match between Kent and Glamorgan was played with a pink ball earlier this year. — AFP

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

SPORTS

China’s gain will be Japan’s gain, says Okada TOKYO: Former Japan coach Takeshi Okada says he moved to manage China’s Hangzhou Greentown to develop the game in Asian football’s sleeping giant, and in doing so help the Blue Samurai grow stronger.

Okada, who left Japan’s national team after leading them to the last 16 in the 2010 World Cup, spoke of a “crisis” in Asian football and said that unless the game in the region becomes more competitive, his home nation could suffer.

The 55-year-old has signed a oneyear contract with Hangzhou, one of a flurry of big-name moves to the Chinese top flight in the past week after Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka and former Fulham and Monaco manager Jean Tigana were both snapped up by Shanghai Shenua.

Okada remains on the board of the Japan Football Association and said if he succeeds in China it would help raise the level of Asian football and further develop the Blue Samurai. “I have been driven by a sense of crisis that, if Japan cannot have tough and high-level official matches in Asia, they would soon peak out and fail to win in the world,” he said.

“The situation will considerably change if one or two countries get stronger. I thought China would be one of them.” Okada turned down offers from Japanese and other Asian clubs to move to a country where anti-Japanese feeling persists due to wartime atrocities committed by troops under the Rising Sun flag.

“I think for now that, if I cannot help the team win, I may come under

tremendous criticism combined with that kind of anti-Japanese sentiment,” Okada said in Tokyo last week. Japan, four-time Asian champions bolstered by a swelling number of Europe-based players, have already booked their place in Asia’s final qualifying round for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

But China, twice Asian Cup runnersup, are still struggling in their bid for their first World Cup appearance since 2002. Corruption has also marred the game, and Okada’s signing comes just a year after the Super League’s nadir when a major match-fixing crackdown left senior officials facing jail, and saw sponsors and state television abandon the game. Yesterday, the former head referee of China’s football Super League went on trial on charges of bribe-taking.

Okada also said he wanted to play a role

in taming the animosity between China and Japan, which has frequently spilled over into sport.

Spectators at major football events in China, the 2004 Asian Cup and the 2008 East Asian championships, booed the Japanese team, jeering their national anthem and burning Japanese flags.

They even trashed a Japanese diplomat’s car when Japan beat China in the Asian Cup final.

Okada is confident he has the raw materials to develop the side-and maybe win round sceptical fans. “Their individual skills are at considerable levels but they tend to rely on foreign players as in the J-League’s early years,” said Okada, who led the Yokohama Marinos to the J-League title in 2003 and 2004.

“They have rough edges but a lot of vitality.” Hangzhou, owned by billion-

aire real-estate tycoon Song Weiping, finished eighth in the 16-team Super League in the March-November season and Okada has set his ambitions high.

He said he wanted the team to win the Super-League title, become the Asian champions, qualify for the Club World Cup and “beat Barcelona.”

“Everybody laughs at this, But it is not impossible,” he said. “When I said this to the players, they also laughed.”

The lofty aim is typical of Okada, who was ridiculed when he set a last-four spot as his target at the World Cup in South Africa.

But his men beat Cameroon and Denmark and drew with the Netherlands before bowing out to Paraguay on penalties in the knockout stage-for Japan’s best ever World Cup finish on foreign soil. — AFP

Udinese faces Juventus in battle for the league Our main target is to avoid relegation: Guidolin

MONTREAL: Quebec native Patrice Bernier, center, is presented with his Montreal Impact jersey from head coach Jesse Marsch, left, and sporting director Nick DeSantis during an MLS soccer news conference yesterday in Montreal.

Bernier spent the last nine seasons in Europe. — AP

Moenchengladbach out to topple cup holders Schalke BERLIN: Borussia Moenchengladbach will look to rubber-stamp their good form thus far this season when they face the equally in-form Schalke 04 in the last 16 of the German Cup on Wednesday.

Gladbach, five-time German champions and twice winners of the UEFA Cup, lie in an impressive fourth place in the Bundesliga, only months after they preserved their elite status with a relegation play-off win over VfL Bochum.

However, they may well be without their impressive attacking midfielder Marco Reus, who returned from a big toe injury for the 1-0 win over Mainz at the weekend but suffered a knock to his knee during the match.

Schalke, though, will provide a tough challenge as not only are they the holders but also come into the match on the back of a 5-0 thumping of Werder Bremen, in which veteran Spanish striker Raul scored a hat-trick. Raul also scored the only goal when the two sides met in the league in August.

Wednesday will also see fourth division outfit Holstein Kiel eyeing a potential giant-killing as they host struggling Mainz. Tuesday’s action sees last season’s champions Borussia Dortmund-unbeaten in their last 11 league games-and present leaders Bayern Munich facing away ties against Fortuna Duesseldorf and Bochum respectively.

Bayern’s players have been warned that they should have their minds on the match and not their impending Christmas holiday break, even if they are playing lower league opposition, who are ninth in the second division.

“The players know that our cup ambitions don’t stop at this stage of the competition,” said coach Jupp Heynckes.

“Thus no letting up tomorrow.” — AFP

Matches on TV

MILAN: Unfancied Udinese faces Serie A leader Juventus on Wednesday in a top of the table clash that could reveal much about the sides’ title chances. Udinese lost ground to Juventus on Sunday when it was held to a 2-2 draw at Lazio while Antonio Conte’s men beat Novara 2-0 to move two points clear at the top of the league.

AC Milan, which is level on points with Udinese, can go provisionally top when it faces Cagliari tomorrow. Udinese coach Francesco Guidolin recently said his main target is to avoid relegation, but striker Antonio Floro Flores - who scored his first of the season against Lazio - has loftier ambitions. “The game against Juventus is a battle for the league and we want to fight for it right until the end,” Floro Flores said. “I’m glad I got the goal because the coach is putting a lot of trust in me. I want to score lots more now.”

The match - as well as the rest of the midweek’s fixtures - should have been played on the opening day of the season and now takes on extra significance, coming just before the winter break. The first round of the Serie A season was postponed because of a players’ strike. Something has to give at the Stadio Friuli where Udinese have won all seven of their games this season but Juventus turn up as the league’s only team yet to lose a match this campaign. Juventus missed several chances against Novara and

Conte is keen to see his players be more clinical in front of goal.”We have worked and will work a lot on this aspect,” Conte said. “We’ll try to capitalize on out chances more in the next game, also so I can avoid heart problems. “However, I prefer to have these problems than others. Now we want to close this positive year in the best of ways against Udinese.”

Juventus striker Mirko Vucinic and defender Leonardo Bonucci, who were both suspended for the victory over Novara, return to face Udinese. Milan faces Cagliari, which slipped to 12th place after its 2-0 loss to Chievo Verona. The Serie A champion is looking to end the year on a high and knows it has a chance to be top over the winter break.

“We have the right team to fight for the title,” Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said. “We have strengthened the squad compared to last season and we will fight for it until the end. “Putting aside the match against Juventus, which it rightly won, we have done the best up until now. We won’t give up.” It will be a special game for coach Massimiliano Allegri, who made his Serie A managerial debut with Cagliari, leading the Sardinian side for two years until his surprise dismissal in April 2010. Elsewhere, Inter Milan is looking to continue its recent revival. A drab 1-0 victory at struggling Cesena was Inter’s fifth win in six games, a

run of results that has pushed Claudio Ranieri’s team up to fifth in the standings, 10 points behind Juventus.It hosts another struggling team on Wednesday as it entertains rock-bottom Lecce, which has just nine points from 15 games.

Novara, which is also in the drop zone, plays Palermo, which sacked Devis Mangia yesterday following one win in five games.

The other team in the bottom three, Cesena, travels to Atalanta. Napoli take on Genoa looking to arrest a miserable slide down the table. Walter Mazzarri’s team lost 3-1 to Roma on Sunday and has now only won once in seven Serie A games.

It will be without key player Ezequiel Lavezzi after the striker injured his right thigh against Roma. Lavezzi will be sidelined for at least a month. As well as Cagliari vs. AC Milan tomorrow, it’s also the Tuscan derby as Siena plays host to Fiorentina. Siena sits just two points above the drop zone, while Fiorentina is only three points better off.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, it’s: Bologna vs.

Roma, Lazio vs. Chievo, and Parma vs.

Catania, where Maxi Lopez could be playing his last game for the Sicilian side.

Maxi Lopez is likely to leave Catania in the winter transfer window - move to AC Milan has been touted. The striker left the field in tears when he was substituted midway through the second half in the 2-0 home victory against Palermo at the weekend. — AP

(Local Timings)

English Premier League W’hampton v Wanderers 22:45 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 6 Blackburn v Bolton Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3

23:00

Italian League Siena v Fiorentina Al Jazeera Sport +1

20:00

Cagliari v AC Milan Al Jazeera Sport +1

22:45

French League AS Nancy v Olympique Al Jazeera Sport +3

23:00

Spain Copa del Rey Real Madrid v Ponferradina 22:00 Al Jazeera Sport +2 Sevilla FC v San Roque Al Jazeera Sport +2

0:00

ASUNCION: Olimpia’s Pablo Zeballos, top, holds up the Paraguayan league trophy as he is carried on shoulders at the end of a Paraguayan league soccer game against Rubio Nu in Asuncion, Paraguay, Sunday. Olimpia is the new Paraguayan champion after winning the match 2-1. — AP

Redknapp won’t sell Pavlyuchenko

DORTMUND: A fan of the German football club Borussia Dortmund poses with the trophy of the German Football League Bundesliga which Dortmund won during the last season, at the “Borusseum” football museum of first division football club Borussia Dortmund in the western city of Dortmund yesterday. On the occasion of its 102nd anniversary, the football club made possible for its fans to have themselves photographed with the trophy at the “Borusseum”. — AFP

LONDON: Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has told Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko he can forget about leaving in the January transfer window to boost his chances of appearing in Euro 2012. Pavlyuchenko came off the bench to get the only goal in Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Sunderland at White Hart Lane on Sunday as the north London club rose to third in the Premier League.

The 61st minute strike was the Russia forward’s first goal in the Premier League this season and he has been given few chances to chances to break his duck before now as Redknapp prefers Emmanuel Adebayor and Rafael van der Vaart as his main attacking options.

With Euro 2012 just months away, Pavlyuchenko has made it clear he would like to play more often. But Redknapp, who has England striker Jermain Defoe in a similar situation, is adamant that

nobody will be leaving White Hart Lane in January as Spurs chase a top four finish and possibly a challenge for the Premier League title.

“Somebody’s got to be unhappy. The ones you pick love you, the ones you don’t can’t stand the sight of you,” Redknapp said. “Pav is a fantastic player, he’s got great ability, he’s a great finisher - top drawer as a player. But he’s been unlucky.

“Rafael van der Vaart, Adebayor and Jermain Defoe have been in great form. He didn’t start the season well and has slipped down the pecking order a bit.

“It is difficult, he’s an international player, who has got the Euros coming up and of course wants to play. It’s hard.

“It’s like Defoe. He wants to play.

He wants to get back in the England squad. It’s hard.

Somebody’s got to be left out. “But I would keep all four of them, I would like to keep them all. You

need your strikers. It is like central defenders, you have four or five then you lose a few.” Pavlyuchenko didn’t help his cause with a rather lacklustre approach to getting ready to come on as a first half replacement for Aaron Lennon.

Tottenham lost England winger Lennon after just 26 minutes to a torn hamstring, which was the cue for Pavlyuchenko’s introduction.

But the Russian looked as if he didn’t expect to be called up and Redknapp made his feelings clear to his striker. When you put on a sub you expect them to be ready,” Redknapp added. “Pav hadn’t warmed up an awful lot.

“He did nothing especially wrong. It was just me doing my nut for a change. “I could have got Niko Kranjcar on, I could have brought Steven Pienaar on, but I thought the game was going to be tight. If you want someone to score, he is always likely to score.”

Spurs were without Wales

winger Gareth Bale but Redknapp expects him back from an ankle injury in time for Thursday’s match against Chelsea, although Lennon could be out for a several weeks.

Meanwhile, Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill, who suffered his first defeat in his second match since replacing Steve Bruce, admitted he will continue to play Nicklas Bendtner, Lee Cattermole and Titus Bramble despite their off-pitch misdemeanours.

Bendtner and Cattermole were arrested on Thursday after allegedly vandalising cars in Newcastle, while Bramble is on bail after being questioned by police over an alleged sexual assault and possession of a Class A drug.

O’Neill, who revealed he had spoken to all three players about the alleged incidents, said: “We will deal with it when the police finish their investigations. “That’s what you have to do. It is not avoiding the issue.” — AFP

Hirscher wins slalom Page 15 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

Kuwait female shooters bag two gold in Doha Bader Al-Awadhi wins gold

The United Arab Emirates’ Alia Saeed celebrates after winning gold in the women’s 5000m final.

Adnen Rhimi (red) of Tunisia and Egypt’s Ahmed Aboumansour wrestle during their men’s 84kg freestyle wrestling final bout at the 2011 Arab Games in Doha. — AFP

Morocco’s Hayat Lambarki bites her gold medal after winning the women’s 400m hurdles final.— AFP

Katya Bachrouche of Lebanon poses after winning the gold medal in the women’s 400m freestyle. — AFP

DOHA: (Left to right) Shooters Iman Al-Shamaa’, Afrah Mohammad, and Sheikha Al-Rasheedi holding their medals during the Arab Games in Doha, Qatar. — KUNA

DOHA: Kuwaiti shooter Iman Al-Shamaa’ won a gold medal in the finals of women’s singles’ competition, as her teammate Afrah Mohammad achieved a silver medal yesterday at the 12th Arab Games-2011 in Doha.

Al-Shamaa’ was able to shoot 80 plates, while her colleague succeeded in achiev-

ing the silver medal at shootout after a tie with her Qatari counterpart Amal Ahmed who got the bronze medal for total of 79 plates in the final round.

Kuwait women’s team was able to win the total of two gold medals (singles) and the silver medal for (teams) at the skeet competition.

Earlier yesterday, Kuwaiti shooters AlShamaa’, Mohammad and Sheik ha AlRasheedi were able to achieve a gold medal for 176 plates. Kuwait’s outcome at the 12th Arab-Games 2011 sums up to 11 medals - five gold, two silver, and four bronze.

In general classification, Kuwait stands

in sixth place with 38 medals.

Kuwaiti billiard player Bader Al-Awadhi also won a gold medal yesterday in the nine-ball competition.

Al-Awadhi won the final match 11-9 against Qatari Bashar Abdulmajid who won the Silver. The Kuwaiti player kicked off his run for the tournament against Libya’s

Kasal Sharif and Iraq’s Ahmad Al-Tawil, defeating both 9-2 and 9-8 respectively.

In the quarter finals, Al-Awadhi defeated teammate Abdullah Yousif, and later won against Lebanese Mazen Barjawi.

Kuwait player Khaled Al-Mutairi won the Bronze medal in the eight balls competition. —KUNA

Fergie upbeat on United title chances LONDON: Sir Alex Ferguson believes his Manchester United side have moved on from the shock of elimination from the Champions League and remain on course to retain their Premier League title. United’s 2-0 victory away to Queens Park Rangers on Sunday was their second successive league win since a shock defeat in Basel condemned Ferguson’s side to the Europa League.

The win left them two points behind leaders Manchester City after their local rivals beat Arsenal 1-0 later Sunday. “It was a disappointment (to go out of the Champions League),” United manager Ferguson said after seeing his side dominate proceedings at Loftus Road.

“We have always had to recover. We are not immune to losing a game. Obviously, we don’t want to lose big ones but in the nature of our club we put it down as another day in the history of Manchester United. “We get on with it-we don’t sit and moan about it,” added Ferguson, who this year celebrated his 25th anniversary in the Old Trafford hotseat.

“We have to do something about it and I think the players have done that.” With meetings with three struggling teams-Fulham, Wigan and Blackburn-to come, Ferguson wants his side to stay in touch at the top before picking up the pace in the title race in the second half of the season.

“The important thing is to be there on

New Year’s Day,” he said. “If you’re involved right at the top part then you know (what to do in) the second half of the season, we’ll relish that.” A first minute goal from Wayne Rooney sent United on their way to victory before Michael Carrick’s 56th minute goal secured all three points against QPR. Carrick ran 50 metres to score and his all round performance, together with that of midfield partner Phil Jones, drew praise from Ferguson. “The goal put the game to bed really,” he explained. “He did fantastically well.

He’s been at the top of his game-I’ve been really pleased with his performances - and it gave us that control in the middle of the pitch with PJ.” Ferguson added: “He’s only 19

years of age, Phil. He’s got tremendous potential and he’s got great energy, which you saw today. “He was up and down the pitch, making fantastic runs through the middle. He could’ve scored two or three himself. He’s hit the post and goes through in the first half and the goalkeeper’s had a good save.”

Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov both returned to the bench after injury with Hernandez appearing as a second half substitute. And Ferguson said: “It’s good to have those two players back and Rafa (da Silva) is training now. “It’s getting a little bit better.

Still, obviously, we’d like to have Anderson and (Tom) Cleverley back, of course, and a couple of others. But, in the main, we’re

pleased with what we’ve got at the moment.”

Rangers manager Neil Warnock indicated he will enter the January transfer market in the search for a new striker.

DJ Campbell returned from injury as a second half substitute but missed a good chance and Warnock is keen to strengthen his forward options, with promoted QPR now just three points above the relegation zone.

“We’ve struggled scoring goals, so it’s good that January’s coming,” Warnock said.

“We had DJ at Liverpool who hadn’t kicked a ball for nine weeks. We’ve been short of numbers so we’ll try and get enough depth in the squad to cover for injuries at both ends of the pitch.” — AFP

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Cash-strapped Sudan open for oil bidding Page 23

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

Etihad boosts stake in Air Berlin to 29.21%

KSE stocks lose ground Page 24

Page 26

TROLLHATTAN: Workers at the Swedish car manufacturer Saab Automobile leave the factory in Trollhattan, southwestern Sweden, yesterday. Saab Automobile filed for bankruptcy with a Swedish court yesterday, bringing to an end two years of efforts to rescue the iconic brand. — AFP (See Page 25)

Euro-zone pursues IMF lending plan Draghi gives no new signal on ECB program BRUSSELS: European finance ministers will pursue plans to enhance the IMF’s arsenal and press on with a drive for tighter fiscal rules in an attempt to assuage doubts they can overcome their sovereign debt crisis. With new governments in Italy and Spain redoubling austerity efforts, the EU ministers will discuss via a teleconference the draft text of a new euro zone “fiscal compact” so that it can be finalized by the end of January, EU officials said.

Having agreed to offer 150 billion euros to the International Monetary Fund to raise its crisis-fighting capacity, they will also consider the size of individual bilateral loans to the Fund in talks starting at 1430 GMT. There are doubts about the scheme. Germany’s Bundesbank said last week it would only contribute if non-euro zone and non-European countries did too and the level of outside commitment is not clear.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble saw little chance of the United States increasing its contribution to the Fund to help Europe. “Washington cannot make bilateral loans available to the IMF without Congress

approving it ... and there’s no chance of that and the American government has always made that clear,” he told German radio. Even with the yearend looming there is no let-up in the scramble to ease market pressure on euro-zone strugglers.

The European Central Bank will offer threeyear funds to banks for the first time on Wednesday to counter a freeze in interbank lending. France hopes banks will use the money to buy euro zone bonds but with banks under pressure to reduce risk and rebuild capital that may be a vain hope.

Market response to measures agreed at a Dec. 9 EU summit has been cool, mainly because of the reluctance of the ECB to step up euro-zone bond purchases and declare its readiness to do so. As a result, ratings agency Fitch concluded on Friday that a ‘comprehensive solution’ to the crisis was technically and politically beyond reach.

It warned that six euro-zone economies including Italy and Spain could be hit with credit downgrades in the near future. Standard & Poor’s has said it could soon downgrade nearly all the euro-zone’s 17 members.

ECB President Mario Draghi told The Financial Times that the ECB could not start printing money and gave no signal that it would buy euro zone government bonds more aggressively.

Speaking at a ceremony in Rome, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano called for a “strengthening of the still insufficient firewalls necessary to defend sovereign debt and save the single currency”.

Spain’s incoming Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy promised deep cuts in public administration spending to meet tough deficit targets while offering tax breaks for companies in his first speech before parliament yesterday. His first three reforms would concentrate on budget stability, completing a banking sector restructuring process and structural reforms in the public sector. “We are confronting enormous difficulties and must make very demanding efforts,” Rajoy told Parliament. Italy’s austerity budget, vital to Rome’s attempts to get its accounts in order and do its part to try to save the euro from collapse, enters its final stretch this week with unions still on the warpath.

But given the doubts about the IMF getting more money and the fact that the euro zone’s rescue funds have taken so long to establish, investor focus remains overwhelmingly pinned on the ECB. “We believe the resolution of the euro debt crisis will remain the principal theme in 2012. All other themes are likely to be derivatives of the crisis,” Deutsche Bank analysts Mark Wall and Gilles Moec said in a note. “We see greater ECB involvement as inevitable. Very easy monetary policy for longer is also likely.” The central bank, which is forbidden by EU law from directly financing government deficits, welcomed the Dec 9 agreement on more fiscal discipline in the euro zone, but doused expectations it would ramp up sovereign debt buying in return.

Euro-zone policymakers said the ECB’s role in the crisis was impossible to communicate clearly because of legal and political constraints. But they said the bank would not, in the end, allow the crisis to threaten the survival of the currency bloc. A declaration from the ECB that it would buy unlimited amounts of euro zone bonds for

Kingdom lifts Saudi; Gulf bourses down

New Congress showdown on US payroll tax cut bill WASHINGTON: The US Congress edged closer to yet another down-tothe wire showdown yesterday as Republicans in the House of Representatives shun a bipartisan payroll tax cut bill approved by the Senate and prepare to write a package to please lawmakers demanding a more conservative version.

The House friction comes two days after the Senate easily approved a two-month compromise solidly supported by both parties and left town for a month. The House scheduled a vote late yesterday, with leaders saying they would either formally request talks with the Senate on a new bill or make changes in the Senate measure.

The Senate bill also includes a provision dear to Republicans that would force President Barack Obama to approve a proposed Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline within 60 days unless he declares the project would damage the national interest. Obama had previously said he would make no decision on the Keystone XL pipeline until 2013, allowing him to wait until after next November’s elections.

Without congressional action, the payroll tax would rise 2 percentage points on Jan 1 - an increase that Democrats eagerly said would be the GOP’s fault. The brinksmanship is a familiar pattern this year between the two parties, who have narrowly avert-

ed a federal default and several government shutdowns in past fights.

Extending the payroll tax cut and jobless benefits has been a keystone of Obama’s and congressional Democrats’ effort to spur a revival of the economy. Congressional Republican leaders also say they support the idea, but other Republicans say the unemployment coverage is too generous and that cutting the payroll tax does not create jobs.

The Senate bill would cut the payroll tax and extend jobless benefits through February.

“If House Republicans refuse to pass this bipartisan bill to extend the payroll tax cut, there will be a significant tax increase on 160 million hardworking Americans in 13 days that would damage the economy and job growth,” Dan Pfeiffer, the White House communications director, said on Sunday. After Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell struck a deal on their twomonth bill Friday night, McConnell expressed optimism that Congress would approve it and lawmakers would revisit the battle in February.

But House Speaker John Boehner said on Sunday he opposed the Senate bill and wanted a yearlong version and other changes. Boehner did not specify the changes he would like in the bill. —AP

as long as necessary would immediately calm markets, but would probably break EU law and would relax pressure on politicians to reform their economies.

“The ECB simply can’t and won’t say that, and it’s very unreasonable to even expect it,” one euro zone official said. Instead, the bank was likely to keep quietly buying enough Spanish and Italian bonds to keep both countries on the market but with financing costs sufficiently high to keep pressure on their lawmakers to pursue tough reforms. “This is the most expensive approach, also not likely to work in the longer run, but still it is the only one possible,” the euro zone official said.

Euro-zone leaders agreed on Dec 9 to write into national constitutions a rule that budgets have to be balanced or in surplus in structural terms. If they are not, automatic corrective measures would follow.

Such rules would sharply limit government borrowing, bring down debt and, euro zone politicians hope, help restore market trust in the sustainability of public finances. — Reuters

MIDEAST STOCK MARKET

BEIJING: A security guard drives away journalists who try to film former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn after his arrival at an economy conference organized by Chinese Internet company Netease in Beijing yesterday.

Strauss-Kahn began his return to public life with a speech at a business conference in Beijing after the scandal earlier this year in New York over a sexual assault accusation. —AP

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Holding surged yesterday after it and billionaire owner Prince Alwaleed bought a $300 million stake in Twitter, while most Gulf markets fell as the death of North Korea’s leader sparked fears of instability in Asia. Kingdom Holding surged 5.1 percent to its highest close since June 21, helping lift Saudi Arabia’s index by 0.1 percent.

Advanced Petrochemical rose 2.1 percent in strong buying after saying it will pay a 1 riyal-per-share ($0.27) cash dividend for the second half of 2011. It will also issue one bonus share for every 6.25 held, raising its paid-up capital to 1.64 billion riyals from 1.41 billion riyals, it said in a statement.

Saudi Chemical Co climbed 3 percent. It said on Sunday it will distribute a 2 riyals-per-share dividend for the third quarter. Dec. 28 is the ex-dividend date.

In Abu Dhabi, the index slumped to a fresh 21-month low as property stocks tumbled. Aldar Properties fell 5.4 percent and Sorouh Real Estate ended 4.7 percent lower. Both had dropped more than 7 percent intraday. “Investor focus is shifting back to fundamentals and with the recent delays and cancellations in Abu Dhabi real estate projects, it would be hard to imagine from where these developers will continue to generate cash going forward,” said Amer Khan, fund manager at Shuaa Asset

Management. Abu Dhabi governmentowned Tourism Development and Investment Co said in October it was postponing the opening of three museums, in a fresh delay for one of the largest cultural projects in the Middle East. In Dubai, contractor Arabtec rose to a 13-month high, extending gains to help lift the emirate’s index by 0.1 percent. Shares in Arabtec climbed 1.8 percent, up for a third session to reach its highest close since November 2010.

Traders said an individual investor wanted to purchase a sizable stake in the firm, but a company official denied the report. Emaar Properties fell 2.3 percent.

After market hours, the developer said it had signed a $1 billion Islamic and conventional financing facility, secured by Dubai Mall.

Mashreq bank jumped 9.4 percent, in just two trades. Analyst said illiquid stocks see similar trades near year-end to boost stock prices. Qatar’s index ended 0.09 percent lower and Oman’s index fell 0.7 percent. Kuwait’s benchmark declined 0.3 percent after the ruler called an early parliamentary election for Feb. 2. “The outcome of the election and who will be running the government is an important factor, the date is no surprise,” said a Kuwait-based trader on condition of anonymity.

“Your main driver until then is endof-year closing.” — Reuters

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

BUSINESS

Emaar inks $1bn financing deal backed by Dubai Mall

Abu Dhabi’s NPCC eyes ADNOC oil projects ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi-based oil and gas services contractor National Petroleum Construction Company hopes the launch of a number of big projects in the Emirates next year will boost revenue after a flat 2011. “At least four to five mega projects will be launched by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) with huge packages in billions of dollars and we see opportunities there”, chief executive Aqeel Madhi told Reuters in an interview.

The majority state-owned firm has had a difficult 2011, facing stiff competition from price competitive Asian contractors actively bidding for projects across the Gulf.

Next year could be better, with NPCC hoping for Abu Dhabi’s backing to win projects in the UAE. It also plans to target projects in Saudi Arabia and India.

ADNOC was expected to launch offshore projects as it seeks to boost oil and gas output. Despite winning significantly fewer projects this year, revenue will be flat due to a backlog of projects, Madhi said, adding profit could be hit by lower margins. “We face aggressive competition from Koreans, Chinese and Indian companies who offer unrealistic prices,” he said without giving figures as the firm is not

obliged to declare financials publicly.

As competition heats up in its home and neighboring markets, NPCC is eyeing new markets to widen its operations, said Madhi, citing Angola, Iraq, Kazhakstan, Nigeria and south-east Asia.

To cater to new markets where major offshore projects are being launched, the firm is investing $500 million to upgrade its offshore fleet, including building new vessels.

It also wants to acquire an engineering firm in Europe or the United States to help its ability to enter new markets. “We expect to enter the new markets by end 2012 and the acquisition could be completed by March next year,” he said.

NPCC is funding its investment through equity and debt from commercial banks, he said.

The firm has been active in Qatar but does not expect big contracts until 2013 due the gas-rich state’s moratorium on developing new fields.

In September, NPCC along with Technip won a $500 million offshore construction contract from Abu Dhabi’s ZADCO. Abu Dhabi government’s General Holding Corp holds a 70 percent stake in NPCC while Consolidated Contractors Group holds the balance. — Reuters

DIB, NBAD, StanChart to provide financing DUBAI: Dubai’s Emaar Properties, builder of the world’s tallest tower, has signed a $1 billion financing which is secured against its mammoth Dubai Mall, the developer said in a statement yesterday.

The two-tranche facility, which consists of both sharia-compliant and conventional funding, is split between a five -year tranche and an eight-year amortising loan and carries a margin of 350 basis points.

Dubai Islamic Bank, National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Standard Chartered are providing the finance, which will be initially used to repay an existing $300 million facility taken out in 2010, Emaar said.

The new facility will benefit the company by extending its debt maturity profile and reducing the cost of its borrowing, the statement added. Dubai Mall is one of the world’s largest malls, with an indoor Olympic-sized ice skating rink and a twostorey high aquarium.

Sources told Reuters in September that the developer was in the process of raising around $800 million through a twotranche loan which was backed by four malls, including Dubai Mall, one of the world’s largest shopping centres.

India’s Kingfisher grounds 15 jets MUMBAI: Troubled Indian carrier Kingfisher Airlines has been forced to ground 15 aircraft because it is unable to pay their maintenance costs, the Economic Times newspaper said yesterday.

The business daily quoted one unnamed executive as saying that the cost of keeping the aircraft at airports around the country was “killing” the company financially. More than 50 pilots are also said to have left the carrier last week, the report said, quoting an unnamed aviation industry insider with knowledge of the issue. A Kingfisher spokesman said the company had no comment to make on the reported groundings and added on the pilots issue: “We have adequate number of pilots to operate as per the revised schedule.”

Kingfisher is in desperate need of fresh capital and has cut back on dozens of unprofitable routes, amid heavy financial losses that have raised questions about its financial viability. The company-India’s third-largest carrier by market share-earlier this year announced the closure of its lowfares operation, Kingfisher Red, to concentrate on full-fare services. Kingfisher, which is owned by the liquor baron Vijay Mallya, has never posted a profit since its launch in 2005. The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation estimates it needs urgent capital of $400500 million. The carrier has been one of India’s worst-hit airlines in an industry plagued by high jet fuel prices and local sales taxes, fierce competition and inadequate airport infrastructure. — AFP

Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, an Emaar property in Dubai. (file photo)

Iraq signs $72m power deal with Iran’s Sunir

Atheeb gets nod for $310m rights issue

BAGHDAD: Iraq signed a $72 million electricity deal with Iranian power development firm Sunir to expand a plant in northern Iraq by 320 megawatts to help feed the power-starved nation, an electricity ministry official said yesterday.

The Iranian company will install two gas units, each with a production capacity of 160 megawatts, at Dibis power plant in northern Kirkuk province, Musab al-Mudarres, a spokesman at the electricity ministry, said.

He said the units, which were purchased from Siemens in 2008, would be installed in just over 14 months.

Dibis currently produces 150 MW. Iraq is trying to ramp up electricity production as it rebuilds after years of war and international sanctions. The electricity ministry signed a series of power deals this year to boost the national grid. It plans to add 22,000 megawatts of production capacity across Iraq over the next three years, Deputy Electricity Minister Salam Qazaz said in November.

The deal with Sunir is the second contract awarded to the company. It has already built a $150 million gas power plant in Baghdad, consisting of two units with a total capacity of 320 MW. The first unit became operational this year. Power disruptions are a chief complaint among Iraqis, with demand far exceeding supply estimated at around 7,000 MW. — Reuters

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Etihad Atheeb Telecom has received regulatory approval to launch a 1.175 billion riyals ($310 million) capital increase, paving the way for the loss-making firm to resume trading on the kingdom’s bourse. Atheeb, 15-percent owned by Bahrain Telecommunications Co, will issue the 117.5 million shares at a nominal value of 10 riyals per share to raise its capital to 1.575 billion riyals, the operator said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

Atheeb, which operates under the brand name GO and was awarded a fixed line licence in 2009, will hold an extraordinary shareholder meeting to decide at what price to sell the new shares, with the rights issue restricted to existing shareholders. The firm’s shares were suspended in May after its accumulated losses reached 95 percent. Saudi market rules call for a suspension if losses exceed 75 percent. Atheeb then cut its capital by 60 percent to 400 million riyals to cover some of these losses, with the rights issue to follow ahead of its resuming trading. “(This will) be discussed with regulatory bodies and we are sure the suspension will be lifted in the appropriate time,” Atheeb said in the statement. No date was announced for the shareholder meeting. — Reuters

TAQA gets Europe firms for Dutch gas storage ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi National Energy Co ( TAQA) said yesterday it has secured three European energy firms as launch customers for its massive Bergermeer gas storage facility in the Netherlands in deals worth up to $1 billion.

Statoil ASA, Vattenfall Energy Trading Netherlands and a third European energy company agreed with TAQA to lease a total of more than 90 percent of the 1 billion cubic metres (bcm) of annual storage capacity made available, TAQA said in a statement. It declined to name the third company but a source familiar with the matter told Reuters that it is a northwest European energy producer, one of Europe’s largest. “The vast market demand for

our storage capacity is proof of northwest Europe’s need for the seasonal flexibility offered by this project. Bergermeer is coming to market at the right time and will be a game changer,” Carl Sheldon, Chief Executive of TAQA said in the statement.

The project has been facing delays after the highest administrative court in the Netherlands decided to halt construction because of environmental concerns, and has asked for additional tests. The court is expected to decide on future construction work in early 2012.

TAQA said this means construction of the storage facility cannot be completed in 2014 as originally planned. The storage project whose full

capacity is 4.1 bcm, along with the soon-to-becompleted liquefied natural gas terminal in Rotterdam, is an important part of the Netherlands’ plan to become a European hub for natural gas. The three launch customers secured both fixed price and indexed price long-term contracts with durations between 4 and 10 years as of April 2015, the TAQA statement said.

The majority Abu Dhabi government-owned TAQA, with a 60 percent stake, is the operator of the Bergermeer Gas Storage facility and also acts as the marketing agent for all storage capacity.

EBN BV, an independent company with the Dutch State as its sole shareholder, holds a 40 percent stake in the project. — Reuters

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 Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2735000 .4280000 .3580000 .2940000 .2640000 .2730000 .0040000 .0020000 .0752540 .7331730 .3810000 .0700000 .7179320 .0040000 .0430000

.2810000 .4380000 .3680000 .3060000 .2760000 .2830000 .0070000 .0035000 .0767050 .7473080 .4020000 .0760000 .7317730 .0072000 .0520000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2777500 .2798500 GB Pound/KD .4300960 .4333480 Euro .3609080 .3636370 Swiss francs .2960770 .2983160 Canadian dollars .2668750 .2688930 Danish Kroner .0485680 .0489350 Swedish Kroner .0399950 .0402970 Australian dlr .2752090 .2772890 Hong Kong dlr .0356760 .0359450 Singapore dlr .2125750 .2141820 Japanese yen .0035620 .0035890 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 .0052950 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 .0024650 Pakistan rupee .0000000 .0031340 Bangladesh taka .0000000 .0036490 UAE dirhams .0756500 .0762220 Bahraini dinars .7370310 .7426030 Jordanian dinar .0000000 .3958270 Saudi Riyal/KD .0740860 .0746470 Omani riyals .7217100 .7271660 Philippine Peso .0000000 .0064040

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.598 5.337 3.154 2.436 3.341 213.250 35.672 3.580 6.336 8.873 0.271 0.273

GCC COUNTRIES 74.150 76.402 722.230 738.540 75.715

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 47.500 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.282 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.272 Tunisian Dinar 189.860 Jordanian Dinar 392.670 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.865 Syrian Lier 6.003 Morocco Dirham 33.814 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 277.950 Euro 370.650 Sterling Pound 431.930 Canadian dollar 268.420 Turkish lire 153.940 Swiss Franc 300.620 Australian dollar 277.000 US Dollar Buying 277.750 GOLD 315.500 159.000 81.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar

SELL CASH 280.600 742.000 3.880 272.000 548.000 43.800 49.900 167.800 48.090 367.000 36.550 5.650 0.032 0.212 0.243 3.670 396.230 0.189 90.120 46.600 4.290 215.400

SELL DRAFT 279.100 742.000 3.467 270.500

215.000 46.351 365.500 36.400 5.265 0.031

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

1.808 47.900 724.170 3.310 6.750 77.180 74.490 215.040 35.850 2.658 436.500 41.400 301.900 5.100 9.340 198.263 76.070 279.400 1.340

724.530 3.125 6.350 76.750 74.490 215.040 36.850 2.447 434.500 300.400 5.100 9.120 75.970 279.000

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 434.500 279.000

Sterling Pound US Dollar

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee Uae Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

SELL DRAFT 281.86 273.19 302.42 366.48 435.66 3.64 3.463 5.245 2.449 3.299 3.107 75.93 741.99 46.33 396.85 724.97 76.92 74.48

SELL CASH 282.00 275.00 305.00 371.50 437.00 3.70 3.820 5.620 2.650 4.000 3.300 76.35 741.00 48.10 396.00 725.00 77.20 74.95

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 395.350 0.188 90.120 3.300 213.900

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank

Selling Rate 278.950 273.160 433.935 365.820 297.605

738.695 75.925 76.570 74.345 392.660 46.390 2.446 5.299 3.121 3.462 6.351 684.255 3.670 8.980 5.875 3.310 92.660

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

GOLD 1,673.520

10 Tola

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

Currency US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 278.950 3.110 5.260 2.455 3.480 6.375 76.040 74.530 741.600 46.320 437.500 3.190 1.550 396.200 5.750 368.300 273.700 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange 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) 278.250 365.600 434.500 271.800 3.585 5.295 46.290 2.445 3.445 6.347 3.120 741.000 75.800 74.400

A

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business Commodity Update

Cash replacing commodities

By Ole S Hansen

T

he major commodity indices followed stocks lower this week, posting the biggest drop in nearly three months, as investors increasingly moved into cash with the two major investment markets oil and gold both suffering heavy losses. The dollar meanwhile moved to an 11-month high against the euro, as funding stress among European banks increased, thereby eroding support for commodities priced in dollars.

Ahead of the OPEC meeting oil prices had remained relatively firm while losses were seen across other commodity markets. This firmness only lasted until the end of the meeting where its members returned to unity by deciding to cap the daily OPEC output around 30 million barrels per day. With the meeting out of the way traders returned to focus on the outside markets and this resulted in the biggest one-day drop in nearly three months. The five percent slide occurred on growing worries about weakening oil demand thereby removing some of the risk premium that had been built up over the last month in relation to the stand-off triggered about uncertainties over Iran’s nuclear intentions.

Bumpy ride ahead With the focus firmly on worries about an economic slowdown the near-term risk to prices points to the downside. Hedge funds have stubbornly held onto speculative long positions over the last few months with the current long position of futures and options amounting to 227 million barrels, some 28 million above the average over the last two years. The rule of thumb is that every 100 million barrel change in speculative length equates to roughly a 10 dollar move in price.

Whether the market will allow this bullish approach to be maintained over the next few weeks remains to be seen as further price weakness could trigger additional long liquidation.

Brent crude has been in a small downtrend since the peak reached back in March and the weakness over the past week has brought the price back to the middle of this downtrend. Given the above factors we see a risk of a test to the lower end of the current range with the October low of 99.1 giving initial support ahead of a potential move down to 95 during January.

Gold below 200 DMA Spot gold crashed through its 200-day moving average on Thursday, a level that previous corrections during the last three years failed to break. In Europe politicians are still as far away from a solution as they have ever been and this has seen the dollar rally further and increased the gloom about the global economic outlook for 2012.Based on this gold has once again been put into the risky asset category with speculative investors, given the time of year, adopting a very short-term investment horizon with loss making positions being closed much quicker than normal. Money managers are increasingly moving to the sideline into cash as they wait until the New Year before new investment decisions will be made.

Demand for Exchange Traded Funds continues nevertheless with total known holdings reaching a new record of 2,360 tons as the setback in price is being viewed by this investor segment as a buying opportunity. Once again it remains to be seen if the setback will be met by physical demand just like we experienced during the most recent correction where Central Banks bought record amounts.

With most investors already positioned towards higher prices physical demand plays a very important role in order to avoid additional long liquidation ahead of year-end.

The move below 1,619, the 200 day moving average (DMA), has opened up for a re-test of the September low at 1,532 which also co-insides with trend-line support from the 2008 lows. However with the RSI having moved into oversold territory a correction back towards 1,619, which is now resistance, looks very likely.

Nowhere was the selling more apparent than in platinum which dropped to a two-year low and the silver market which has now lost more than 7 percent on the week and trades at the cheapest since Februar y. Silver reached its cheapest relative level to gold in 13 months at 55.3 oz of silver to 1 oz of gold, getting close to its five-year average of 57.3.

Cocoa surges The price of cocoa, which up until this week had been languishing near the bottom of the 2011 performance table, surged more than 10 percent on Monday when one of the world’s four biggest traders of cocoa warned that the slump in prices seen during 2011 could trigger reduced production in 2012. This carried the risk of moving the market into a supply deficit with most up until now having seen the market as balanced.

According to the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission hedge funds and other large speculators have been short cocoa futures since early September with last week’s data showing an additional 43 percent increase in net short positions. This helps to explain the price surge as funds were caught short at a time where the market was already technically oversold. — Saxo Bank

Kuwait could post KD9-11bn budget surplus in FY2011-12 NBK ECONOMIC REPORT KUWAIT: Oil prices saw some minor ups and downs through November, but ended the month close to where they started. By mid-month, the price of Kuwait Export Crude (KEC) had risen $7 to $112 per barrel (pb) from the start of November, before subsequently falling back to $107 by early December. Brent - the main European crude - remained similarly flat-ish finishing the month at $111pb. Its US equivalent West Texas Intermediate (WTI) - rose by $7 through the month, breaching the $100 pb mark for the first time since June. The spread between the world’s two major blends dropped to just $9 pb, its lowest since March.

Oil prices have remained well-supported despite growing pessimism over the prospects for global economic growth.

Much of this pessimism has focused on the debt crisis in the euro-zone. But although Europe accounts for 16% of global oil consumption, demand there had been expected to remain weak anyway. Meanwhile, growth signals from other parts of the world - notably the US and resource-hungr y Asia - have been more mixed.

Ultimately, too, markets may be betting that any deterioration in global demand will be met by further policy easing, which would likely boost the attractiveness of commodities.

Markets have also been unmoved by slightly better news on the supply side, notably the speedy pick-up in Libyan output and the return of substantial amounts of North Sea production after seasonal maintenance. Part of the reason for the resilience of prices is that - despite the apparent easing - oil market fundamentals remain tight, with lean inventories and thin spare capacity levels. In addition, the market may have been avoiding major moves in advance of OPEC’s next meeting, which was due to take place on December 14.

Demand outlook Global oil demand growth was likely moderate in 2011, with most analysts predicting an increase of 1 million barrels per day (mbpd) or less (up to 1.1%) over 2010.

Demand growth has decelerated during the course of the year, generating disagreement amongst analysts over what can be expected in 2012. The International Energy Agency (IEA), for example, is at the top end of expectations, forecasting oil demand growth of 1.3 mbpd, or 1.5%, while choosing to emphasize the downside risks to their projection. The Centre for Global Energy Studies (CGES), by contrast, continues to maintain its more pessimistic stance, predicting growth of just

0.8 mbpd (0.9%) next year, based upon expectations that financial concerns in Europe and growth/unemployment worries in the US will continue to weigh on the world economy.

Supply outlook Crude oil output of the OPEC-11 (i.e. excluding Iraq) increased by 85,000 bpd in October to 27.27 mbpd. The main reason

peak in August.

Given recent comments by Oil Minister Al-Naimi that Saudi production had reached 10 mbpd, however, it is too soon to conclude that the Saudi authorities are making a concerted effort to scale back production as Libyan output returns.

Output of the Kingdom’s main OPEC allies Kuwait and the UAE - has remained close to its peak (indeed, Kuwait’s has increased).

will come from OPEC natural gas liquids, or NGLs, including from Qatar’s Pearl Gas-toLiquids project. The IEA’s June 2011 60 million barrel stock release will, however, in effect reduce supply growth next year by around 0.2 mbpd. If OPEC crude oil production were to remain unchanged at current levels, OPEC and non-OPEC supply would rise by a combined 1.3-1.8 mbpd in 2012.

Price projections Given the combination of demand uncertainty and a substantial increase in supply, oil markets could turn out to be softer next year than in 2011.

Nevertheless, in light of the tight starting point, this need not translate into significantly weaker prices. Using the CGES’s more pessimistic forecast of 0.8 mbpd increase in demand in 2012, and assuming a recovery in non-OPEC supplies of 1.1 mbpd (including OPEC NGLs), supply may exceed demand and a repeat of this year’s stock draw is avoidable. If OPEC output increases, on average, by 0.4 mbpd next year, the price of KEC could edge below $100 pb in 2Q12, and slip further in the second half of the year. If, on the other hand, non- OPEC supplies rise by 0.3 mbpd less than expected next year, oil prices could remain above $100 pb in the absence of more aggressive OPEC supply increases. Under this scenario, the price of KEC hovers around $108 pb during the first three quarters of 2012, before accelerating in the final quarter.

Alternatively, oil demand growth co u l d t u r n o u t m u c h we a k e r t h a n expected if both the EU and US slip into a recession. Oil demand could grow by as little as 0.6 mbpd (0.7%) in 2012, possibly prompting moves by OPEC to cut output. Such action may come too late however to prevent prices from falling markedly. In this case, the price of KEC slips to $92 pb in 2Q12, and to under $80 in the second half of the year.

was a surge in Libyan production, which jumped by 264,000 bpd to 350,000 bpd.

This more than offset declines in Nigeria (72,000 bpd) and Venezuela (-36,000 bpd), the former linked to infrastructure sabotage. In addition, Saudi Arabian production dipped by 70,000 bpd to 9.47 mbpd, and has now fallen by 288,000 bpd since its

Moreover, its announcement in early December that it was raising its official selling price to Asian refiners suggests that it views the market as “tight”.

Next year could see a sizeable increase in non-OPEC oil supplies of 1-1.5 mbpd, following a modest rise of closer to 0.5 mbpd in 2011. Up to half of next year’s increase

Budget projections With three-quarters of the fiscal year 2011/12 behind us, the full force of the scenarios described above will not be felt this year. They imply fiscal year average oil prices of between $106 and $108 pb, an increase of 28-31% on a year earlier. If as we expect, spending comes in at 5-10% below the government’s forecast, the budget could see a surplus of between KD 8.8 billion and KD 10.7 billion before allocations to the Reserve Fund for Future Generations.

This is KD 3-6 billion higher than last year’s surplus, and would represent Kuwait 13th successive budget surplus.

Cash-strapped Sudan open for oil bidding KHARTOUM: Cash-strapped Sudan yesterday said it will open six exploration blocks for bidding by international oil companies, after losing 75 percent of its oil production when the south separated in July. “Everyone is invited to invest in this country,” Minister of Petroleum Awad Ahmed Aljaz told reporters, through a translator.

He said investors will be treated well “as long as they come without any strings or baggage.” South Sudan, which gained independence in July following a twodecade civil war, produces three quarters of the now divided country’s 470,000 barrels per day of oil.

The vast majority of Khartoum’s export earnings came from petroleum, leaving the government now scrambling for ways to bolster its finances. The bidding process for the six blocks will start on January 15 and the government aims to announce winners by May, said Azhari Abdalla, director general of the oil ministry’s Oil Exploration and Production Authority. On offer are Blocks 14 and 18 bordering Egypt; Block 12B in the conflictplagued Darfur region; Block 15, onshore and offshore along the Red Sea; and Blocks 8 and 10, south of Khartoum and in eastern Sudan. Abdalla said gas was earlier discovered in Blocks 8 and 15, while other sites have “potential.” Four of the sites were relinquished this year by other

companies, leaving them open for re-bidding, while two blocks are being offered for the first time, he said. Officials held the news conference the day before talks tentatively scheduled between Sudan and South Sudan in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, aimed at resolving a fierce dispute over oil compensation fees.

Although most of Sudan’s oil is produced in the south, for now it can only be exported via the north, and the two countries disagree over how much Juba should pay for using the north’s pipeline and export infrastructure.

“There is no relation between the talks in Addis and what we are doing here,” the oil minister said, referring to the six blocks. “These blocks are within the sovereign borders of Sudan.” Energy-hungry China is the largest foreign investor in Sudan’s oil sector, and the biggest buyer of Sudanese crude.

US President Barack Obama last year extended economic sanctions against Khartoum over what the White House called its alleged support for Islamist militant groups, and the situation in Darfur.

The United States has banned virtually all trade with Sudan since 1997. Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir is wanted by The Hague-based International Criminal Court for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide allegedly committed in Darfur. — AFP

Iran admits output hit by lack of investment TEHRAN: Iran in a rare admission yesterday said its crude production has dropped due to lack of investment in its oil fields, as it faces the West’s toughest ever sanctions over its nuclear program.

“Compared to last year there was an insignificant drop in our crude production due to lack of investment in developing oil fields,” Deputy Oil Minister Ahmad Qalebani was quoted as saying by the student ISNA news agency.

Qalebani did not provide a figure for the fall in output.

Iran has not previously attributed falling output to a lack of investment.

Most foreign oil companies are avoiding Iran’s energy sector because of sanctions.

Iran, the world’s fifth-largest crude exporter, currently produces 3.5 million bpd, but hopes to boost its output to 5.1

million bpd by 2015. Concerns over the OPEC producer’s nuclear program have increased since a group of hardline students stormed the British embassy in Tehran. Britain closed its embassy and expelled all Iranian diplomats from London. Several other countries recalled their envoys, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.

The European Union is considering a ban - already in place in the United States - on imports of Iranian oil, although diplomats and traders say awareness is growing in the EU that a ban could potentially damage the bloc’s economy without doing much to undercut Iran’s oil revenues.

Iran has warned any move to block its oil exports would more than double crude prices. — Reuters

LONDON: A general view of the London headquarters of British banks HSBC (right) and Barclays (left) is pictured at Canary Wharf, in east London.

London was due to announce action on December 19, 2011 to split the retail and investment units of British banks as part of tighter government regulations to prevent a repetition of the financial crisis. — AFP

Britain to accept ICB bank reforms in full LONDON: Britain was due to accept proposals to shake up the country’s banks yesterday, forcing lenders to form barriers between their retail operations and riskier investment arms to protect ordinary customers better in any future crisis. Business secretary Vince Cable told the BBC legislation introducing reforms proposed by the government-sponsored Independent Commission on Banking would be completed within the current parliament, namely by mid-2015. Finance minister George Osborne will issue his formal response yesterday to proposals laid out in September by the ICB, headed by John Vickers. He may not go as far as Vickers wanted on forcing banks to hold debt that could absorb losses if they hit trouble, however. The proposal on “bail-in” debt has been attacked

by HSBC and Standard Chartered , who have threatened to quit their London headquarters for Asia. While Vickers wanted the “bail-in” debt to apply to each bank’s global assets, HSBC estimated that would cost it more than $2.1 billion a year, while Standard Chartered said Britain should wait for international rules to come in.

The government was set to apply the rule to banks’ British balance sheet rather than their global assets, substantially reducing the cost, the BBC reported on Sunday.

The government set up the ICB after the 2007-08 credit crisis saw Britain nationalize Northern Rock and pump 66 billion pounds ($102 billion) into Lloyds and Royal Bank of Scotland. While the government says taxpayers should not have to bail out lenders in the future, Prime Minister David Cameron also

wants to ensure the regulations do not harm London’s standing as a leading financial centre. He vetoed changes to the European Union treaty this month to protect the City.

Shares in Barclays and RBS were down 1.5 percent by 0910 GMT, while Lloyds was down 2.2 percent. HSBC fell 0.1 percent.

In September, the ICB said British banks should “ring-fence” their retail units from investment banking operations. It said banks should hold core capital of 10 percent, plus a further 7-10 percent capital in the form of “bail-in” bonds.

There would also be limits to the extent to which a bank could use money in its retail arm for its investment bank-a move that will increase funding costs for British lenders.

The ICB has said banks should have until 2019 to implement the proposals-in line with plans by the Basel committee of global banking regulators to impose tougher capital requirements on banks also by 2019. “The capital requirements are quite strict but the timetable for implementation is quite generous. Analysts had always expected that the government would tick through the reforms,” Shore Capital analyst Gary Greenwood said.

The head of the British Bankers Association said an initial ‘white paper’ on the ICB reforms was expected in 2012, adding Monday’s statement would start a formal process rather than conclude one. BBA chief executive Angela Knight said while banks were “committed to working with the government” over the reforms, the top banks were set to continue lobbying as reforms draw nearer.— Reuters

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KSE stocks lose ground GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) closed in red zone yesterday as the brief momentum couldn’t sustain for more than a session. Local bourse tracked most of GCC, MENA and international markets, which were affected psychologically by international news from France and North Korea.

Global General Index (GGI) ended the day down by 0.91 percent, at 179.17 point. Market capitalization was down for the day, reaching KD29.31bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 5,812.8 point, shedding 19.6 points (0.34 percent) to its previous close.

Market breadth During the session, 94 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 41 equities retreated versus 16 that advanced. Trading activity was mixed yesterday.

Total volume traded was down by 4.75 percent with 115.09mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD14.75mn (4.17 percent higher compared to Sunday’s session). Real Estate sector was the volume leader.

The sector accounted for 34.31 percent of total shares exchanges. Buying interest was clearly witnessed on shares of Abyaar Real Estate Development Company with 20mn shares exchanged. The services sector was the value leader, having 33.51 percent of total traded value. In terms of top gainers, Real Estate Trade Center Company was the top gainer for the day, adding 8.47 percent to its share value and closing at KD0.064. On the other hand, Al Dar National Real Estate Company shed 9.09 percent and closed at KD0.015 making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Sector-wise During the session, five out of the eight sectors ended the day on a negative note. Services sector topped the loser’s list, shedding 1.49 percent. Telecom stocks staged a session of poor performance.

The sector ’s heavyweight, Zain, declined by 2.22 percent to close at KD0.880, the lowest level since May 25, 2009. While, National Mobile Telecommunications Company plunged by 1.02 percent to end the day at KD1.940. From the same sector ’s, Agility closed down as well by 1.30 percent at KD0.380.

Banking sector, the largest in the market, followed declining by 1.11 percent after 5 of the 9 bank stocks closed down.

National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) tumbled by 1.75 percent to close

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at KD1.120. Earlier, the bank’s investment arm, NBK Capital, said that it has acquired a 42 percent stake in Elaj Medical Services.

Non-Kuwaiti sector continue the south journey for third session in a row. Global Non Kuwaiti Index closed down by 0.45 percent backed by the sole decliner in the sector, United Gulf Bank closed down by 4.72 percent at KD0.202. It’s worth mentioning that, the BOD will meet in February 27, 2012 to discuss the bank’s financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2011.

On the other side of the spectrum, insurance stocks were the biggest advancers, up by 0.35 percent. Shares of Warba Insurance Company extended their winning streak to two straight sessions, edging 5.08

percent higher and closing at KD0.124.

Corporate news Osoul Investment Company announced that a 99 percent owned subsidiary has signed a preliminary agreement to sell one of its real estate properties in Kuwait for a total value of KD1.28mn with an expected loss of KD0.02mn, which will be reflected in the company’s consolidated financial statements for 4Q2011. On December 19, 2011 the company announced that its subsidiary has completed the sales procedure realizing a loss of KD0.02mn.

The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $103.57pb on Friday, compared with $104.60pb the previous day, according to OPEC secretariat calculations.

Oil firms on supply fear, weaker dollar LONDON: Oil prices rose yesterday as the dollar weakened despite an initial flight-to-safety after the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, while protests in Kazakhstan’s oil producing region raised the specter of further supply disruption.

Ongoing concerns that the euro zone debt crisis will weigh on demand kept a lid on prices, however. Brent crude futures were 55 cents up to $103.90 a barrel by 1255 GMT. Last week the front-month contract fell by 4.85 percent, its biggest percentage drop since the week to Nov. 18. US crude futures rose 15 cents to $93.68 a barrel.

The benchmark lost 5.9 percent in the previous week. “There was some overnight pressure in tandem with the Asian stocks down on the death of Kim Jong-il, but I am not sure that the oil markets will maintain much of a North Korea risk,” Petromatrix’s Olivier Jakob said.

A reversal in the dollar index, which fell after initially surging on the back of a flight-to-safety following the death of North Korea’s Kim Jong-il, lent support to prices. A stronger greenback makes dollardenominated assets such as oil more expensive when purchased in other currencies.

The possibility of further supply disruptions this year with the Kazakh protests and amid a power-vacuum in Iraq also spurred gains, analysts said. Commerzbank analysts noted Kazakhstan is a major oil producer, with over 1.6 million barrels per day “exactly the same amount as Libya’s pre-war production.” “ The Mangistau region where Zhanaozen is situated is responsible for approximately one quarter of the country’s total oil output,” they wrote in a note.

Across Europe, sentiment softened after Fitch Ratings warned on Friday it might downgrade France and six other euro-zone countries,

saying a comprehensive solution to the region’s debt crisis was beyond reach. “The market is still concerned that what’s going on in Europe will spread to China, the biggest centre for oil demand growth,” said Gordon Kwan, head of energy research at Mirae Asset Management in Hong Kong.

China should be able to steer its economy into a moderate slowdown, after housing inflation data hit its lowest level this year in November, the latest sign that Beijing’s efforts to fight rising prices are paying off as it steadily eases monetary policy to ensure a soft landing. “China has enough tools to provide more liquidity and avoid a hard landing, which will be bullish for oil prices,” said Kwan.

China’s top refiner Sinopec will in January buy less than half the crude it typically imports from Iran, trade sources said yesterday, as the two haggle over terms against a backdrop of rising international pressure on Tehran.

China, the world’s top energy consumer, is also the largest buyer of Iranian crude.

In a rare admission, Iran acknowledged its oil output had dropped due to lack of investment in its oilfields. Market participants will be watching events in Iran this week on the possibility that sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program will choke off supplies from one of the world’s largest crude oil exporter.

Indian companies have begun talks with alternative suppliers to slowly replace Iranian oil, and South Korea has set new sanctions on Tehran, banning fresh investment in its oil and gas sectors and blacklisting additional Iranian firms and personnel.

The threat of a major supply disruption from OPEC’s second-biggest producer has helped support oil prices in recent weeks. — Reuters

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Kuwait credit facilities grow marginally KAMCO MONEY MARKETS REPORT KUWAIT: Credit facilities extended by local banks maintained the upward trend for the fifth consecutive month to add around KD 89mn and stand at KD 25.5bn. Since the beginning of 2011, credit facilities saw a marginal increase of KD 286mn or around 1.14 per cent indicating the challenging business environment for enterprises along with banks’ conservative lending policies.

So far, there is no clear sign that credit will revive in the medium-term as demand for credit by the private sector is not picking up and the delay in implementing the development plan will most likely have an adverse impact on the credit market. The slowdown in credit growth is expected to continue through Q1-12 on the back of tight credit conditions, insolvency problems suffered by local firms, scarce investment opportunities in the local market along with rise in default risk by distressed and highly indebted firms. Deterioration in asset prices, which are mainly held as collateral for bank loans, pushed local banks to implement stricter lending policies.

Personal facilities, the key growth driver of credit and its major component, continued the upward trend for the sixth consecutive month to increase by 1.1 per cent or KD 98 mn during October to reach KD 8.83 bn, hence comprising around 34.6 per cent of banks’ loan portfolios. Since the beginning of the year, personal facilities added around 3.41 per cent or KD 373mn, driven by high consumption

and significant pick up in the retail sector.

Since the beginning of 2011, credit to the purchase of securities witnessed a contraction of KD 57 million in large part due to the high market risk amid high volatility in local and international markets and reduced investor appetite. This made banks to extend credit facilities to households and the productive economic sectors guaranteed by sustainable cash flows rather than lending for investing activities.

During the last 12-month period ending October-2011, credit to the real estate sector grew by KD 265 mn, as compared with a drop of KD95mn in the comparable period ended Oct2010 indicating recovery in the real estate market. Growth in personal facilities showed significant improvement compared to last period, while credit to financial institutions (ICs) dropped by KD345mn versus a drop of KD132mn during the 12-month period ended Oct-2010. Personal facilities added KD395mn in the 12 month period ending OCt-2011, up from KD129mn added in the comparable period. The Industrial sector has gained a new credit of KD151mn, almost equivalent to the increase witnessed during the comparable period ended Oct-10. The sustainable growth in credit to the industrial sector since 2009 is mainly driven by the banks’ new strategies to direct more funds to the productive economic sectors that have low default risk and backed by

generating real cash flows.

Deposits Total deposits (public and private) continued the upward trend for the

fourth month in a row and added around 0.4 per cent or KD110mn, to end the month at KD 30 bn. Private sector deposits, which represent 89 per cent of local Banks’ deposit base, increased by KD119mn or 0.4 per cent to stand at KD 26.6 bn. Since the beginning of the year, private sector deposits grew at 8.1 per cent or KD1.99bn, indicating the ample liquidity with banks and more room for lending. Government deposits, which account for 11 per cent of banks’ deposits, dropped during October by a marginal 0.3 per cent or KD9mn to record KD 3.34bn. After recording a significant increase of KD 449mn in 2009 driven by the government intervention in the banking system, government

deposits during 2010 dropped by 4 per cent or KD163mn amid easing concerns about the financial standing of local banks; this was carried-over in 2011, seeing government deposits shedding

around 12.5 per cent or KD 477mn over the 10 months of the year. Injecting public money to the banking system has maintained confidence in local banks and improved liquidity, however, it failed to stimulate credit growth as local banks remained reluctant in extending additional credit to some sectors, namely financial and real estate.

Money Supply Kuwait’s broad measure of money supply (M2) continued last three month’s upward trend, to rise by KD120mn or 0.4 per cent during October-11 and stand at KD27.6 bn.

The rise in M2 is mainly attributed to the increase in Kuwaiti Dinar sight deposits of around 2.8 per cent or

KD152mn to reach KD5.6bn, while quasi money dropped by a marginal 0.2 per cent or KD33mn to stand at 21 bn. Moreover, the current month has seen aggregate Net Domestic Assets (NDA) increasing by KD28mn, triggered by government deposits and claims on private sector, while on the other hand, aggregate Net Foreign Assets (NFA) added KD92mn, mostly driven by the increase in NFA with local banks. Since the beginning of the year, M2 saw a general upward trend rising by 8.5 per cent or KD2.16bn compared to a minor growth of 1.3 per cent or KD311mn during the comparable period in 2010. The major drivers of the increase came in the form of Net Foreign Assets (NFA) with both Local banks and the Central Bank adding a total of KD1.38bn, along with an increase of KD463mn in claims on private sector; this is notwithstanding the major effect of the Amiri grant to Kuwait citizens in stimulating the growth in M2. However, in an analysis of the evolution in money supply and its effect on credit facilities, it’s noticeable that the expansion seen in money supply following the year 2008 was not able to spur growth in the credit market as banks became more cautious in extending additional credit. On a YTD basis, total credit facilities extended by local banks added a marginal KD 286mn (1.1 per cent), while money supply and deposits added around KD2.16bn (8.5 per cent) and KD1.52bn (5.3 per cent), respectively, over the same period.

Automaker Saab files for bankruptcy in Sweden Two-year effort to revive carmaker ends

NEW YORK: Trader Robert McQuade (right) works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. European markets edged tentatively higher yesterday, stabilizing after losses in Asia, as investors weighed the potential consequences of the death of North Korea’s absolute ruler, Kim Jong Il. —AP

Markets may play jilted lover in euro-zone drama LONDON: The euro-zone debt crisis may be as much about the heart as it is about the head-like a jilted lover, markets are just finding it hard to trust again.

Behavioral economists say financial bubbles can create an emotional high that turns into a irrationally deep low when the bubble pops-people begin to ignore fundamentals and have only negative associations with certain investments.

“Something like that is now happening with the euro (zone) where it has become contaminated on a psychological level and hated,” said David Tuckett, psychoanalyst and author of “Minding the Markets”. “It actually is quite a good analogy to think of if your girlfriend has an affair or something. It’s actually very difficult to get back (together), although it can be done.”

Tuckett and other proponents of “emotional finance”-the intersection of managerial finance and investor psychology- say in periods of crisis following sustained growth, fear and panic can spread like a virus.

“Sometimes just a little trigger, quite often trivial, can lead to a tipping point unravelling the whole thing usually very quickly. It starts moving in one direction, then panic takes over ... basically driven by herding behavior,” said Paul de Grauwe, professor of international economics at the University of Leuven and an expert on monetary union and European debt.

In the case of the euro, the prospect of Greek default was enough to take Greece’s debt problems off years of slow boil and eventually prompt Europe to think the unthinkable - breaking up the euro-zone. To emotional finance experts this makes sense; like the example of the troubled relationship, at a certain point everything associated with a former love begins to seem tainted.

Emotions are a way people can tip the scales in a dilemma between two unknowns, and changes in these emotional states drive events like the eurozone crisis, Tuckett said. “In order to make decisions in a world of uncertainty, if it’s falling in love with something or making a big investment or buying a house, your emotions have to be engaged in that

decision because it cannot be done on rational grounds alone.”

According to psychologists the brain’s emotional workings can be divided up into three systems: wanting, attachment and anxiety. Wanting is what psychologist Sigmund Freud called the pleasure principle, and is reinforced by the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine, a highly addictive chemical.

Attachment produces something different-oxytocin, which is associated with the pleasure received from being part of a relationship, even fleeting ones. Tuckett says that this same type of attachment pleasure is derived by holding onto investments and decisions.

“There was euphoria about the euro zone like there was during the bubble in the 1990s-people didn’t see the weaknesses,” said de Grauwe, author of the authoritative “Economics of Monetary Union” textbook. “When you are euphoric you are blind. It’s like being in love-you are blind.” The anxiety that unpredictability and uncertainty produces is not appreciated fully enough, said Richard Taffler, a professor of finance and accounting at Warwick Business School.

When investors lose confidence in their ability to know the direction of the market, they turn negative and stop believing in their data, he said.

“It’s a cauldron of emotions we’re dealing with-we’re saying the markets want this or that or borrowing rates are this or that, but fundamentally it’s all about anxiety and lack of trust.”

Peter Ayton, professor of psychology at City University London, says that this has been deemed the ostrich effectinvestors bury their heads ignoring fundamentals and just go on emotion.

“You don’t want to look when you know that the news is probably bad ... It’s not that you don’t even sell or trade, you just don’t look at what’s happening.”

The idea of waves and fears dictating market behavior is nothing new.

Economist John Maynard Keynes wrote about animal spirits of optimism and pessimism and Friedrich Hayek wrote in 1945 of the marvel of a market that enabled disparate groups of investors to make correct actions based on limited information. — Reuters

STOCKHOLM: Saab Automobile filed for bankruptcy yesterday, giving up a desperate struggle to stay in business after previous owner General Motors Co blocked takeover attempts by Chinese investors.

Saab CEO Victor Muller personally handed in the bankruptcy application to a court in southwestern Sweden, ending his two-year effort to revive the carmaker that over more than six decades has become known for its rounded sedans and quirky design features.

The Vanersborg District Court was expected to approve the application later.

“This is the most unwelcome Christmas gift I could have imagined,” said Fredrik Almqvist, 36, who has worked at Saab’s assembly line for nearly 17 years. While experts say the company is likely to be chopped up and sold in parts, local officials in the town of Trollhattan, where Saab employs more than 3,000 people, were holding out hope that a new buyer would emerge to salvage the brand.

“Our absolute hope is that the bankruptcy administrator will aim for a solution where the company is sold in its entirety,” Trollhattan Mayor Paul Akerlund said in a statement.

Muller, a Dutchman, used his luxury sports car maker Spyker Cars to buy Saab from GM in 2010, promising to restore its Swedish identity, but the company ran out of money just a year later. Even as production stopped and salary payments were delayed, Muller fended off bankruptcy by selling the company’s real estate and lining up financing deals with investors in Russia and China. He bought time by placing the company in a reorganization process under bankruptcy protection.

But the deals fell through, blocked by regulators or by GM, which still owns some technology licenses for Saab. The US automaker was concerned that its technology would end up in the hands of Chinese competitors.

The final Chinese suitor, Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co, said it pulled out after the last proposal for a solution was rejected by GM over the weekend. “ We were supporting them to the last moment, even up to 1 am this morning we were discussing possible solutions by telephone, but due to GM’s position, in the end

Sweden’s Saab filed for bankruptcy this morning,” said Rachel Pang, an executive director of a subsidiary company of Youngman and daughter of Youngman’s founder, Pang Qingnian. Swedish lawyer and reconstruction expert Peter Smedman said the prospects of selling Saab during bankruptcy proceedings

VANERSBORGS: Saab’s Chief Executive Victor Muller and carmaker’s lawyer Kristina Geers leave Vanersborgs district court that filed Saab cars for bankruptcy yesterday. —AP would depend on GM. “The licenses that GM 27,000 in 2009, as GM - itself in bankruptcy has are crucial for the value of the company,” protection following the financial crisis - preSmedman said. “If GM doesn’t want to let any- pared to wind down the Swedish brand.

Muller stepped in after a takeover attempt one in because they are scared of competition in China, then there is probably not much by a consortium led by Swedish sports car (value) left.” Originally an aircraft maker, Saab maker Koenigsegg failed. Analysts expressed entered into the auto market after World War doubt over Saab’s chances of survival under II with the first production of the two-stroke- Spyker, which later changed its name to engine Saab 92. It soon became a household Swedish Automobile. Spyker manufactured name in Sweden and in the 1970’s it released only a few dozen high-priced cars a year. its first turbocharged model - the landmark Without support from other investors, Muller’s Saab 99. To auto enthusiasts, Saab was known plans didn’t seem credible, critics said. for its quirks such as placing the ignition lock Concerns mounted as Saab failed to pay supbetween the front seats and becoming the pliers early this year. Production was stopped first car to have heated seating in 1971. GM in March, restarted, then halted again as the bought a 50 percent stake and management liquidity crisis deepened. —AP

Basel outlines capital disclosure rules for banks LONDON: Banks across the world will have to use a common format for disclosing the size and quality of their capital safety buffers from 2013 to help reassure investors they are stable.

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, made up of regulators from nearly 30 countries, including the United States, China, Japan and large European Union countries, published draft disclosure templates yesterday for public consultation. In the run up to the financial crisis, it was hard for regulators and investors to compare capital buffers of banks. “It is often suggested that lack of clarity on the quality of capital contributed to uncertainty during the financial crisis,” the Swiss-based Basel Committee said in a statement.

“Furthermore, the interventions carried out by the authorities may have been more effective if capital positions of the banks were more transparent,” the

control of Saab in 1989, and gained full ownership in 2000. The aircraft and defense company with the same name remained an independent entity, building fighter jets and weapons systems. Saab Automobile’s sales peaked at 133,000 cars in 2006. After that, sales dwindled to 93,000 cars in 2008 and just

committee said. The requirement to fully disclose details of capital buffers was enshrined in the Basel III accord which will force banks to hold more capital and liquidity from 2013. Banks will have to comply with disclosure rules from the date of publication of their first set of financial statements on or after January 1, 2013. They will be required to publish updated data each time they publish financial statements, which for big banks is typically on a quarterly basis. Lenders would also have to update disclosures whenever a new capital instrument is issued and included in capital buffers.

The Basel III accord will require banks to hold at least 7 percent of core Tier 1 capital in the form of retained earnings or pure equity. Regulators and markets have already forced banks to hold well above the planned minimum that is not due to take full effect until the start of 2019. — Reuters

Eldorado Gold to buy European Goldfields Canadian Gold and iron producer Eldorado Gold Corp said yesterday it will buy European Goldfields Ltd. in a deal worth about $2.4 billion, increasing its ability to produce gold. The Vancouver, British Columbia, company said its offer values each European Goldfields share at 13.08 Canadian dollars ($12.59), based on Eldorado’s closing stock price on the Toronto Stock Exchange Friday. That comes to 2.5 billion Canadian dollars. It’s a 10 percent premium to European Goldfields’ closing price on the Toronto Stock Exchange Friday.

Eldorado said the deal will create a company with a market capitalization of about 11 billion Canadian dollars ($10.59 billion) and help diversify production. It expects to increase annual production to reach more than 1.5 million ounces of gold by 2015. In October, the company said it expected to produce 650,000 ounces of gold this year.

Eldorado operates in China, Turkey, Brazil and Greece. It has six active mines and other projects in development. European Goldfields, which is based in Whitehorse, Yukon, operates a mine in Greece and is developing projects in both Greece and Romania. It said it has gold reserves of 10 million ounces within the European Union. — AP

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Years

business

Etihad boosts stake in Air Berlin to 29.21% Airline becomes biggest single shareholder ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has agreed to increase its stake in Air Berlin, Europe’s sixth largest airline, to 29.21 per cent, becoming Air Berlin’s largest single shareholder.

The strategic move, announced yesterday in Berlin by Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer James Hogan and Air Berlin CEO Hartmut Mehdorn, connects the airlines’ extensive networks and frequent flyer pro-

and Middle East.”

James Hogan said the deal was one of the most important in Etihad Airways’ history.

“This new partnership expands our network reach, gives us access to 33 million new passengers, and provides us with a real opportunity for global growth. Through Air Berlin, we gain immediate access to a broad and complementary European market, with outstanding connectivity options for customers of

BERLIN: Air Berlin CEO Hartmut Mehdorn (lef) and Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan (right) pose for a picture prior to a press conference in Berlin yesterday. — AFP

grams to offer travellers 239 destinations across 77 countries.

Hartmut Mehdorn said: “The strategic partnership with Etihad Airways opens up enormous opportunities for the future of our company.” “This applies especially to future market development and the realization of synergies.”

“One of the key components of the new partnership is the launch of Air Berlin services to Abu Dhabi, which will become our new gateway to Asia and Australia.”

“The agreement with Etihad Airways will also dramatically improve the global connectivity of our customers in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and throughout the GCC

both airlines.”

“Our partnership strategy has been integral to our success over the past eight years, and the returns we have seen from this strategy have confirmed its value.” “We are always looking for ways to grow and partnerships are a smart way to enhance our ability to compete on the world stage.”

“We now have a portfolio of 34 quality airline partners, but this is our first equity investment in another airline. It is a sign of our confidence in Air Berlin’s management and in the carrier’s potential to grow with us.”

“We expect such growth will also offer a host of additional employment opportunities,

both in Europe and the United Arab Emirates,” Hogan said. “Etihad Airways and the Air Berlin group carry a combined total of more than 40 million passengers a year, operate 233 aircraft, and employ 18,000 people. Together, the companies generate more than $9 billion in revenues.”

“We estimate each airline could achieve incremental revenues of between EUR 35 million and EUR 40 million just in the first year, and we believe the partnership has enormous potential to unlock a range of efficiencies.”

Under the partnership: Air Berlin will shift its Middle East operation from Dubai to Abu Dhabi; Air Berlin will operate four A330-200 flights a week between Berlin and Abu Dhabi from January 15, 2012 - with European travellers having immediate access to a total of 29 flights a week to and through Abu Dhabi from four German hubs, with a plan to increase to 42 flights from mid-April; the airlines will implement an extensive codeshare agreement, with Etihad Airways codesharing on 36 of Air Berlin’s 171 destinations and Air Berlin codesharing on 24 of Etihad Airways’ 82 passenger destinations, and plan further expansion of the pool of codeshare routes; Etihad Airways will sign codeshare agreements with the Air Berlin group for all European activities including NIKI, the Austrian airline, and Belair, the Swiss airline; and Etihad Guest and top bonus, the airlines’ frequent flyer programs, will be integrated, enabling passengers of both airlines to ‘earn and burn’ on each other’s flights and offering reciprocal benefits including status earning - to top tier members.

Under the agreement, Etihad Airways will have two seats on the Board of Directors of the Air Berlin PLC. The two companies will seek anti-trust immunity, which would allow greater coordination of route networks and of sales and marketing activities.Air Berlin and Etihad Airways are committed to creating a joint procurement taskforce to look for cost efficiencies across the two companies, including areas such as fleet procurement and deployment, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and general procurement.

Etihad Airways’ minority stake will consist of 27.03 per cent from a new share issue by Air Berlin, funded from operational cash flow, and an existing interest of 2.99 per cent (predilution), which will amount to a total interest of 29.21 per cent. The new shares will be issued at a price of EUR 2.31.

OCI wins deal for Burooj Properties’ Egypt project KUWAIT: Commenting on the Palm Hills Development’s appointment of Orascom Construction Industries (OCI), Egypt’s biggest listed firm, as the development contractor for the $93 million Village Garden Katameya project in Egypt, leading UAE and Middle Eastern property developer Burooj Properties, the real estate investment arm of the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), said that this step is an important milestone for the project that will contribute boosting investor confidence of the delivery according to schedule.

The development, which targets not only expatriate Egyptians living in the UAE and the GCC, but also other nationals who express an interest to invest, offers tailor-made designs for its customers, and promises to provide residents with a haven from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Speaking of the appointment, Adel Ahmed Al Zarouni, Managing Director of Burooj Properties, said, “ The Village Garden Katameya in Cairo is a very exciting project for Burooj. We’re pleased that Palm Hills Development has awarded the development contract to OCI, because it is one of the trusted and well-known construction firms in Egypt, and has a strong track record of completing highquality work on schedule.”

Al Zarouni added that the MENA property market is soon to recover well following the global downturn, and the developmental project targets a wide range of audience. “This can be readily seen from the responses we have had from interested buyers, which reflects the strong demand for modern and luxury residential units in Egypt, particularly

among Egyptians living in the UAE and other GCC countries.”

And he is not alone in his confidence.

According to the recent Global Investor Sentiment Survey report released by property consultancy Colliers International, the majority of investors believed the relative value of real estate in the Middle East had increased strongly when compared to ten years ago, and some 70 percent intend to increase their real estate holdings in the Middle East over the next 12 months, with two-thirds reporting target returns in the region of 15 to 20 percent.

OCI is a leading engineering, procurement and construction contractor active in emerging markets across the MENA region. Their local knowledge and relationships make them an ideal partner for international developers, and they have earned a reputation for delivering quality work under difficult conditions, on schedule and at competitive prices.

Situated in east Cairo, close to the American University, Village Gardens Katameya is a cleverly master-planned residential community consisting of modern standalone villas, town houses and apartments, intermingled with plenty of open green spaces and lushly landscaped gardens, as well as a clubhouse offering various sports and leisure facilities and a shopping strip catering to all residents’ basic needs.

VGK is the first joint project between Burooj and Egyptian real estate developer Palm Hills Development since the two signed an agreement last year to cooperate in the development and marketing of a set of residential projects for a wide range of customer base.

Gold eases as Fitch warning hurts euro

Citi holds M&A simulation exercise at KU’s CBA KUWAIT: 25 of Kuwait University’s College of Business Administration (CBA) students sat lately for an intriguing corporate experience, where they had the opportunity to experience roles that investors and corporate management teams in the Kuwait Stock Exchange assume in a typical merger and acquisition event.

The Citi M & A Simulation that was developed and delivered by Citi’s Investment Banking Associate, Jassim Al Sane, allowed CBA students to experience a realistic M&A event unfold before them and observe how each development affects different market participants throughout the process.

After acquiring basic valuation and M&A process concepts, students were divided into 4 groups representing management and shareholders of target and acquiring companies. Each group participated in the simulation attempted to play their “role” and exercised their respective mandates and rights in order to arrive at the “fair price” from their perspective.

Al Sane, who is part of Citi’s Middle East Investment Banking team based in DIFC, said: “Practical simulations derived from real life corporate experiences are key to understanding today’s dynamic corporate world. Citi volunteers work closely with several academic institutions, such as KU, to deploy their own practical experience for the benefit of students who need this kind of training to supplement their academic qualifications.”

The Citi M&A Simulation Game complements the Citi-Financial Market Trading Program (CITI-FMTP) which trains CBA’s top students on real-life dealing room simulations. Funded, since 2009, through a grant from the Citi Foundation, Citi’s social investment arm and with the cooperation of the Financial Trading Center at KU, the program runs intensive

sessions employing latest trading techniques, and culminates in a degree in Financial Market Trading. More than 100 students have so far been certified as financial traders under this program.

“Citi’s involvement with Kuwait University has been quite useful for our students, whether through the Citi-FMTP program, or through focused training session such as the Cit M&A Simulation,” said Dr. Abdullah Alsalman, Founder & Director of Financial Trading center. “With the steady commitment of corporate players such as Citi and the Citi Foundation, we are able to complement academia with relevant hands-on training for our business majors.”

“We continue to work closely with Kuwait University to upgrade business students’ practical skills and get them ready to engage real-life work environments,” said Fatah Adour, Treasurer of Citibank Kuwait. “This training is in line with Citi’s long-term strategy to developing local professionals with a clear career path, and underscores Citi’s commitment to supporting financial education at top academic institutions.”

Citi has been in the Arab World for nearly 50 years and continues to view the region as critical to its global franchise. It is currently present in ten Arab countries including Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria.

Since establishing its fully licensed branch in Kuwait in 2006, Citi has evolved into an active corporate citizen, with a particular interest in supporting financial education and developing Kuwait’s talent pool.

Over 500 young Kuwaitis have so far received certified training on financial literacy, life skills and personal economics through Citi’s sponsored training programs which are delivered by bank volunteers.

Burgan Bank winners of Yawmi Account draw KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of the lucky winners of its Yawmi account draw, each taking home a prize of KD 5,000.The lucky winners for the five daily draws took home a cash-prize of KD 5000 each, and they are: 1.

Abdah Mohammad AlShabrawi Hasanen Sharaf Aldeen 2.

Dalal Abdulwahab Yousif Alhumoud 3.

Fajer Saleh Abdulghani Almutawa 4.

Sabeeha Mohd Ali Rostom 5.

Alaa Nizar Abdulqadir Al Ebrahim The newly re-launched Yawmi Account is better, easier and faster than any day before. With its new and enhanced features, the Yawmi Account has become more convenient, easier, and faster for customers to benefit from. Now, customers will be eligible to enter the draw after 48 hours only from opening the account. Customers are also required to deposit KD 100 or equivalent only to enter the daily draw, and the coupon value to enter the draw stands at KD 10.

The newly designed Yawmi account has been launched to provide a highly innovative offering along with a higher frequency and incentive of winning for everyone. Today, the Yawmi account is a well understood product, where its popularity can be seen from the number of increasing account holders.

Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open a Yawmi account and/or increase their deposit to maximize their chances to becoming a daily winner. The more customers deposit, the higher the chances they receive of winning the draw.

Opening a Yawmi account is simple, customers are urged to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and receive all the details, or simply call the bank’s Call Center at 1804080 where customer service representatives will be delighted to assist with any questions on the Yawmi account or any of the bank’s products and services.

LONDON: Gold prices eased yesterday, extending the previous week’s hefty losses, as a warning from Fitch Ratings that it may downgrade France and six other euro-zone countries hurt stocks and the euro and fuelled a dash to the dollar.

Spot gold was down 0.3 percent at $1,594.39 an ounce at 1036 GMT. The precious metal posted its biggest one-week loss since late September last week, falling to a near 12-week low as concerns over the euro zone debt crisis intensified, boosting the dollar at others assets’ expense.

Investors’ thirst for the US currency, often seen as a haven from risk, is weighing on dollar-priced gold, which becomes more expensive for holders of other currencies as the unit appreciates. “You’re looking at euro weakness, rather than anything else, as the driving force behind the sell-off,” said David Jollie, an analyst at Mitsui & Co Precious Metals. “You’ve got a stronger dollar and that will tend to lead to lower prices.”

Traders with an eye on the end of the year are likely to be loath to add to long positions at this stage, whatever their view of gold prices’ longerterm direction, he added.

“Whatever your view, you have to ask what the chances are of making money by the end of the year,” he said.

“That says to a lot of people that this is not a market to get longer in.”

The euro eased towards an 11month low on concerns that the eurozone sovereign debt crisis would damage global growth, while the dollar also got support on uncertainty after the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Though the gold market barely reacted to Kim Jong Il’s death, it is sensitive to moves in the wider markets. Gold in recent months has been closely correlated to riskier assets as the funding squeeze forces investors to dump gold to cover losses elsewhere.

The euro was under pressure after Fitch’s warning late Friday that it could downgrade France and six oth-

er euro-zone countries as it believes that a comprehensive solution to the region’s debt crisis is “technically and politically beyond reach”.

European shares fell, meanwhile, while safe-haven German government bonds rose in early trade.

Managed money in gold futures and options cut bullish bets for a second consecutive week as gold prices fell sharply, the latest data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed.

“The need/desire to hold US dollars trumped gold’s safe haven attributes, as liquidity became the overriding priority for investors and corporates of all kinds,” said Credit Suisse in a note.

Demand for physical metal in the world’s biggest gold consumer, India, was subdued yesterday as buyers postponed purchases in anticipation of bigger fall in prices, dealers said.

Gold demand in number two buyer China is expected to be firm ahead of the Lunar New Year, but Swiss bank UBS said in a note that imports may not spike as a result, as physical gold is already plentiful in the local market after strong imports earlier in the year. Analysts say gold may be vulnerable to further losses towards the end of the year and in early 2012, with no end yet in sight to the euro-zone debt crisis and some improvement expected in the US economy, which should support the dollar.

However, gold’s underlying appeal as a hedge against currency market instability, an official sector reserve asset and a store of wealth in emerging economies is expected to prevent too steep a correction, they add.

Even after last week’s correction, spot gold prices remain up 12.3 percent from the beginning of the year.

Among other precious metals, silver was down 2.2 percent at $29.04 an ounce, having fallen nearly 8 percent last week, tracking gold.

Spot platinum was down 0.1 percent at $1,414.74 an ounce, while spot palladium was up 0.4 percent at $620.66 an ounce. — Reuters

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

TECHNOLOGY

LG introduces innovative robotic vacuum cleaner HOM-BOT 2.0 provides smart, user-free cleaning

Steven Isaac, CEO of TouchFire, types on his iPad using his first product, a silicone overlay that goes on top of the device’s virtual keyboard and allows typing that feels like physical keys, is shown in Seattle. — AP

A device attempts to elevate the iPad’s keyboard SAN FRANCISCO: Even if you love the iPad, you’re probably not keen to write your next novel using its on-screen virtual keyboard. You may not be thrilled to type up a lengthy email with it, either.

Steve Isaac felt the same way. So the Seattle-based software designer got to work on a way to make the iPad easier to type on. Using a stretchy silicone, he invented a keyboard that sits atop the tablet’s on-screen keyboard when the device is turned on its side. He called it, TouchFire.

Isaac, who worked on an early tablet at computing startup Go in the ‘90s, isn’t unique in dreaming up this type of device. But his invention has garnered intense support on Kickstarter - a website where entrepreneurs and artists solicit funding for their projects and often give rewards in exchange, such as a limited-edition poster or first version of a product. In Isaac’s case, he turned to the site to raise money to transform his prototype into a real device, offering the first run of TouchFires to Kickstarter backers. His effort raised $201,400 by the time it ended last week. That was more than 20 times the $10,000 that he and his business partner had hoped to snag. The TouchFire’s birth as a consumer product shows the growing importance of sites such as Kickstarter. They offer a new way to finance bright ideas and usher them to the masses. Kickstarter visitors can search through a bevy of proposals for everything from graphic novels to consumer electronics, coming from creators who must meet their stated funding goal in a specified period of time in order to actually use the money.

About 45 percent of the projects meet or exceed their goals, Kickstarter said.

This year, site visitors pledged about $79 million to projects that either succeeded, including Isaac’s, or were still in the process of soliciting funds. The response to the TouchFire in particular indicates that, despite the tough economy, people are interested in shelling out for ideas they believe in - something that benefits both consumers and entrepreneurs.

“It sure makes us feel very good about the potential for this project and the demand for this project,” Isaac says. It’s validation for a year and a half’s worth of work. Not long after the iPad came out in April 2010, Isaac started fashioning prototypes by cutting up transparent silicone laptop keyboard covers (the kind you use to protect a laptop’s keyboard from dirt) and thin sheets of silicone.

He had a number of stipulations for the TouchFire: It should somehow work with the iPad’s existing on-screen keyboard and have springy “keys” that you

could actually feel. It had to be small, light and unobtrusive. It needed to respond to your finger taps, but, as on a hardware keyboard, be insensitive enough that you could rest your fingers on the keys without triggering the typing of random letters. Last September, he connected with Brad Melmon, an industrial designer who was also based in Seattle. The duo refined Isaac’s original idea and created the TouchFire company together. A TouchFire prototype Isaac recently brought to The Associated Press’ San Francisco office looked deceptively simple. On the surface, it appeared to be just a flexible keyboard cover with some rigid plastic on the sides.

But a closer look revealed small bumps on the underside of the keypad’s silicone keys - bumps that provide typing fingers with the proper amount of resistance. Magnets on the sides and the bottom adhere it to the magnetic portions of the face of the iPad 2, allowing it to sit right on top of the on screen virtual keyboard without sliding around. If you use the original iPad, a non-slip layer on the bottom of the TouchFire helps keep it in place. Typing with it was fairly comfortable, though it would take some getting used to its squishy feel (a more apt name might be SquishyType). Creating a functional prototype like this was just the first step, though. Isaac and Melmon needed funding to make their idea into a consumer product. So after briefly looking for outside investors, they turned to Kickstarter in October.

Not every idea makes it through KickStarter’s application process, which is required before you can start seeking funds through the site. The TouchFire was initially rejected - Isaac suspects their pitch wasn’t demonstrative enough. But after adding a video that showed it in action, KickStarter approved the application and added it to the site on Oct 20. Isaac and Melmon hoped to raise $10,000 by the campaign’s Dec. 13 deadline by offering a TouchFire to anyone who pledged at least $45 - about the same price they eventually hope to sell them at in stores.

This wasn’t a problem. By the fifth day of their Kickstarter campaign, they reached their goal. In the final seven days, the project had snagged more than $167,000 in funding. Isaac says he now expects to ship more than 5,000 TouchFires to Kickstarter backers.

Marci Liroff is one of the excited buyers. Liroff, a Los Angeles-based casting director and producer who successfully funded one of her own films through Kickstarter, uses an iPad for nearly everything. — AP

Eugene Kaspersky wins ‘Outstanding Contribution to Business’ award KUWAIT: Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions, announced yesterday that its Founder and CEO, Eugene Kaspersky, was honored to received the award of “Outstanding Contribution to Business” of the CEO Middle East awards, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at the Armani Hotel, on September 20.

In the past five years, CEO Middle East, an ITP Publishing House publication, has become the leading voice of business leaders. From Sir Richard Branson to Donald Trump, and from Mohammed Alabbar to Prince Alwaleed, CEOs from across the world have chosen the publication for exclusive interviews.

The CEO Awards recognize and reward outstanding success, innovation and ethics across Middle Eastern Business. The awards honor CEO’s through the appreciation of innovative business, business excellence and overall business success, plus acknowledge publicly the vital contribution made by individuals and their companies to the vibrancy of business

across the region. Kaspersky who flew from Moscow especially to attend this event, made the opening speech at the event, on his war against cybercrime. The judges said the award recognized the businessman has he “done more than almost anyone on the planet” in the battle for online security. “I am thrilled to have received this award, especially in the Middle East region, and honored to have the extensive work and determination of the team, here and around the globe, being recognized. I dedicate this award to each and every person working in Kaspersky Lab, it is a team’s win” said Eugene Kaspersky, Founder and CEO of Kaspersky Lab. Commenting on this win, Walid Akkawi, CEO, ITP Publishing said, “There are few success stories in recent years as great as Eugene Kaspersky. Both as a company and individual, he has led the field in the battle against Cyber Crime, and in the process created a world class company. Our judges took no time at all in coming to the conclusion that Eugene thoroughly deserves this prestigious award.”

KUWAIT: LG Electronics (LG) has introduced HOM-BOT 2.0, its acclaimed robotic vacuum cleaner in Kuwait. The agile little vacuum delivers outstanding cleaning power and a big edge in convenience with its high-tech capabilities. The HOM-BOT 2.0 combines dual cameras (upper and lower) with ultrasonic and infrared sensors to navigate even the corners of rooms, ensuring thorough cleaning with minimal collisions throughout the home.

“LG’s research into customer preferences revealed that expectations are very high when it comes to robotic vacuum cleaners.

But LG’s HOM-BOT 2.0 proves that these expectations can be met,” said Mr. H S Paik, President of LG Electronics Gulf FZE. “The HOM-BOT 2.0 offers smart and reliable vacuuming, making life at home more relaxed and productive.”

The HOM-BOT 2.0’s Dual Eye Camera Sensor system is the first and only one of its kind in the vacuum cleaner business. The camera mapping system uses one lens on top of the body and a second lens on the bottom, with software combining the data from both lenses to obtain a much wider range of vision.

The upper camera is also tasked with simultaneously mapping and storing house floor plans, while the lower camera incorporates an Optical Flow Sensor to capture surface images at high speed and report obstacles back to the HOM-BOT 2.0’s decision-making software.

The two cameras combined allow the smart vacuum cleaner to calculate distance information and plot courses that maximize cleaning efficiency while saving customers’ time.

Course selection is further assisted through the HOM-BOT 2.0’s ultrasonic and infrared sensors, which identify obstacles in real time, helping the cleaner avoid the bump-andretreat action that plagues other robotic systems. In addition, the accelerometer and gyro sensors support stable movements even on slightly tilted surfaces. The myriad of sensors

and data interpretation software result in big improvements over previous robotic vacuum cleaners, particularly in terms of avoiding possible pitfalls around the home.

On top of these cutting-edge features, HOM-BOT 2.0’s Smart Battery System includes a Li-Polymer battery that has a longer life cycle than conventional batteries. This helps customers save on battery replacement costs, while the battery’s low self-discharge quality preserves energy for longer. When the robotic

the cleaner run almost independently, so customers only need to pay the minimum of attention.

The HOM-BOT 2.0 comes in an understated, modern design, whose super-slim shape helps it get to harder-to-reach places such as underneath beds and sofas.

Noise levels have been reduced to just 60dB (IEC), meaning customers can watch TV, read books or get some work done while the HOM-BOT 2.0 takes care of the cleaning. Auto

vacuum cleaner runs low on battery power, it automatically hovers to the charger, docks itself with the station, recharges, and finishes the rest of the vacuuming. HOM-BOT 2.0’s advanced and intelligent battery system lets

docking and recharging functions add to the overall convenience.

The HOM-BOT 2.0 recently received a 2011 reddot Design Award for its superior design and innovative features.

Groupon acts locally with $10 credit offer

Samsung files new claims against Apple in Germany

NEW YORK: Groupon is thinking locally. The online deals site is offering a $10 credit to the first 150,000 people who purchase a local Groupon by Dec. 24.

The offer looks like a response to a recent promotion by Amazon that critics said hurt brick-and-mortar businesses. Last Saturday, Amazon.com Inc. gave shoppers a $5 discount if they used its Price Check app inside retail stores to find lower prices on its website.

Groupon CEO Andrew Mason said the offer is not a jab at Amazon.

Rather, he said it’s a symbolic gesture to show people they can both save money and support local businesses.

“I think people have over the years come to believe that they have to make this difficult choice between supporting local businesses...or getting a great price,” he said. “Groupon is here to remind people that they can do both.” EBay Inc. is also weighing in. It’s giving people a $10 credit to shop in stores if they spend $100 online at three retailers, including Toys R Us. Mason, who’s now been at the helm of a public Groupon for more than a month, said his job feels “very much the same” post-IPO. Though now there’s a “this kind of funny line,” he said, that gets drawn about the company on finance websites. That, and “I’ve gotten really into Scientology,” he joked. —AP

SEOUL: South Korea’s Samsung Electronics said yesterday it has filed new legal claims against US rival Apple in Germany, claiming that the iPhone maker infringed four of its patents.

Samsung said the claims, filed on December 16 with the Mannheim regional court, relate to alleged infringement of patents including those for Samsung’s telecommunications standard technology and user interface.

The two technology giants are engaged in a legal battle involving dozens of cases worldwide as they struggle for leadership in the hugely lucrative smartphone and tablet computer market. Apple began the process in April, accusing Samsung of “slavishly” copying its iPhone and iPad designs. Samsung has focused its own lawsuits on technology patents rather than design. The South Korean giant has received two legal boosts this month. On December 9 Australia’s High Court cleared the way for Samsung to sell its Galaxy 10.1 tablet in the country in time for Christmas, dismissing Apple’s bid to have a ban extended. Earlier in the month a federal court judge in San Jose, California, denied Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction that would have banned the sale of three Samsung smartphones and a tablet computer in the US. — AFP

Files on Manning’s computer linked to WikiLeaks site FORT MEADE: Classified files downloaded to the computer of Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning matched those that later showed up on WikiLeaks, an investigator testified on Sunday, the first time the government has linked Manning to the whistleblowing website.

Special Agent David Shaver, a computer crimes investigator with the military, said an analysis of Manning’s two classified computers revealed hundreds of sensitive files and file fragments that were accessed or downloaded through the military’s secret computer network.

Manning’s defense attorney, David Coombs, has largely ignored the question of whether his client is to blame for the leaks but has focused instead on why Manning continued to have access to classified material despite warning signs of emotional instability.

Coombs noted on Saturday that Manning “got furious and upset” during an outburst, flipped a table and sent a computer crashing to the ground. Manning had to be restrained over fears he was headed for a weapon. Shaver’s examination of Manning’s computer also found thousands of State Department cables and two versions of an Apache gunsight video that showed an attack that killed several Iraqis, including two Reuters journalists.

One version of the video matched the film aired by WikiLeaks in 2010 and the other appeared to be the source, he said. Shaver, who faces cross-examination from the defense on Monday, said he compared the files on Manning’s computer to documents he downloaded from WikiLeaks and found to be the same. Manning is suspected of downloading thousands of government files from the military’s classified computer network when he was stationed in Iraq, information that later showed up on the WikiLeaks website in the largest unauthorized release of classified documents in US history.

Shaver’s testimony came on the third day of a hearing to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to try the 24-year-old Manning at a general court martial on charges

of aiding the enemy and 22 other counts. If convicted of the most serious charges, he could be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Shaver said Manning’s computer profile had been used to carry out more than 100 searches of the military’s Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, known as SIPRNet, for documents naming WikiLeaks or its founder Julian Assange. Shaver also recreated a path used on Manning’s computer to download assessment documents written about detainees in the US war against al-Qaeda who were being held at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Among files that had been deleted from Manning’s user profile were several complete Guantanamo detainee assessments, Shaver testified. The prosecution has portrayed Manning as a well-trained analyst who was particularly knowledgeable about computers

FORT MEADE: David Coombs, attorney for Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, walks into a courthouse in Fort Meade, Maryland, for a military hearing that will determine if Manning should face court-martial for his alleged role in the WikiLeaks classified leaks case. —AP

and who understood his responsibilities but violated them. But the defense has sought to portray him emotionally unstable and unsuitable for his job as an intelligence analyst.

The defense showed Manning sent an email to Sergeant Paul Adkins, a superior in charge of security at his intelligence installation in Iraq, in April 2010 in which he said he suffered from a gender identity disorder that was affecting his life, work and ability to think, according to testimony Saturday.

The email included a photo of Manning as a woman. A superior officer said Adkins did not tell him about the email until after Manning’s arrest. Manning, it was disclosed during the proceedings, created a female alter-ego online, Breanna Manning. Captain Casey Fulton, an Army intelligence officer who worked in the same secure facility as Manning, testified that she saw Manning curled up on the floor with his arms around his knees as Adkins spoke to him.

Adkins invoked his right against selfincrimination on Sunday as he began answering questions in the case against Manning.

Coombs argued Adkins should not be excused because he was not under investigation in the case, but the prosecution declined to grant him immunity to testify and he was excused. The defense has portrayed Adkins as someone who should have recognized the private’s troubled emotional state and acted to revoke the security clearance that gave him access to classified US documents. As it crossexamined prosecution witnesses on Sunday, the defense team continued to suggest Manning should not have had access to classified documents given his emotional state.

Fulton, who used Manning in her work preparing for the Iraqi election, rejected suggestions that supervision of lower-level analysts like Manning was lax.

“It’s impossible to supervise 100 percent of the time,” she said. “There’s a limited amount of supervisors and you can’t supervise everyone at every second of the day. (You) trust that they’ll safeguard the material the way they’ve been taught.” — Reuters

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Not quite an MIT degree, but MITx may still appeal CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts: Think you can hack it at MIT? If so, the world-renowned university is willing to give you a new kind of credential to prove it. Not a full-fledged diploma - that’s still a possibility only for the 10,000 or so students admitted to its Cambridge, Massachusetts, campus. But on Monday, MIT is announcing that for the first time it will offer credentials - under the name “MITx” - to students who complete the online version of certain courses, starting with a pilot program this spring. “This is not MIT light. This is not an easier version of MIT,” said Provost L. Rafael Reif.

“An MITx learner, anywhere they are, for them to earn a credential they have to demonstrate mastery of the subject just like an MIT student does.”

The announcement comes as elite universities like Stanford, Yale and Carnegie-Mellon are experimenting with how to use the Internet to extend their teaching to a global audience hungering for instruction on platforms like YouTube, Apple’s iTunes U and others developed by universities themselves. MIT ’s OpenCourseWare has been among the most popular, making course materials such as syllabi, tests and lecture videos from over 2,000 MIT classes available free online. The 10-yearold program has been accessed by more than 100 million people worldwide.

But where elite universities like MIT have mostly stopped short is offering some kind of credential

that carries the university name and proves the recipient has mastered the high-caliber curriculum.

One concern is that awarding such credentials too readily could dilute the value of the degree earned by students in the university’s highly-selective traditional programs. But MIT officials said while OpenCourseWare has distributed knowledge widely, the lack of a credential keeps many from benefiting. Many users “want to have piece of paper saying they learned something and maybe that will help them get a job,” Reif said.

Now MIT is looking to strike that balance - with an extra letter. University officials described “MITx” as a non-profit entity established inside the university that will offer an “MIT-sanctioned certificate” for completing various courses and, perhaps eventually, degree programs. How exactly will it work? On a conference call Friday, university officials were short on many details - how many courses would eventually be offered, how much it would cost, even the name of the first course for the experiment in spring.

They did say they would focus, at least initially, on science and engineering, where assessment is fairly objective and easily scaled up. Users might include a high school senior who wants to take an early freshman class at MIT, or college students at overseas universities where a particular course isn’t offered, explained Anant Agarwal, an electrical

engineering and computer science professor who is helping lead the initiative. Users will experience courses in a new, open-source online learning platform that will also be made available to other universities to operate themselves and develop their own courses. For each MIT course, students would find interactive videos and other materials, and could even potentially complete science laboratory assignments from afar.

It’s not clear how much if any direct access participants would have to MIT faculty; as Agarwal described it, computer models might alert professors to the most common questions for them to address, but less common questions might be answered by other students taking the same course. Most assessments would be automated, but MIT said everyone would be held to the same standards as regular MIT students.

So far, everything would be free. But students who want to receive a credential from MITx might have to take an additional exam at a secure testing site to demonstrate mastery, and would also have to pay. The university said it hadn’t decided yet how much to charge. Officials said they want the courses to be affordable, so prices might vary between countries, but they believe it’s important for students to pay something. Reif said “money is not the driver”. But with MIT’s global brand and the huge interest OpenCourseWare has already gener-

ated, there’s clearly revenue potential. Roger Schonfeld, director of research at Ithaka S+R, who follows the field, said the potential market will depend on a range of factors - namely what MIT charges and whether other universities decide the MIT brand is meaningful enough that they will accept transfer credits from a program that is notquite MIT. While many universities - both for-profit and traditional - offer online courses for credit, Schonfeld said he believed this was the first time a highly selective university has offered a credential on this model. Stanford offers a “certificate of completion” for some of the hugely popular online engineering courses it offers, but it holds no value as part of a degree program, the university said.

Stanford’s highly popular offerings on YouTube and iTunes offer no opportunities for credit, nor do the popular “Open Yale” courses.

But in a way, Schonfeld said, MIT’s project is kind of a throw-back. A number of prominent universities, such as Harvard and NYU, have extension programs or colleges of general studies where they offer at least a version of their teaching to a much broader swath of the public than those who make it through the bottleneck of the traditional admissions process. “The prospect of taking that kind of model, if that’s what this is, into an online environment, and scaling it up into a global model is really exciting,” he said. —AP

New breakthrough in live cancer cells Advance could herald transformation

MAGDEBURG, Germany: Keeper Susann Paelecke feeds a mona monkey baby (Cercopithecus mona) in a zoo yesterday. The infant was born Dec 10, and has no name yet— AP

Elite athletes at greater risk for arthritis: Study STOCKHOLM: Elite male athletes who participate in high-contact sports such as football, soccer and rugby have a higher risk of developing knee and hip osteoarthritis than men who exercise little or not at all, a Swedish study found. There was a doubled risk in soccer and handball players, and a tripled risk in ice hockey players, added the researchers, whose study was published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

Osteoarthritis, also called “wear and tear” arthritis, occurs when the cartilage cushioning the joints wears down. That allows bones to rub together, which can cause pain, swelling and limited range of motion.

“Hip and knee osteoarthritis ... are more commonly found in former male elite athletes than expected,” wrote co-author Magnus Tveit at Lund University in Sweden.

“A previous knee injury is associated with knee osteoarthritis in former impact athletes but not in nonimpact athletes.” The study included more than 700 retired Swedish athletes aged 50 to 93 who had played professional and Olympic level sports, and nearly 1,400 men of the same age who exercised a little or not at all. The group of retired athletes included men involved in high-contact sports such as soccer and hockey, and those who partici-

pated in non-contact sports like running, swimming and cycling. The risk of having hip or knee arthritis was 85 percent higher in elite athletes. In athletes who had had joint surgery, the risk more than doubled.

The risk for those who got little to no exercise was 19 percent.

“Regular exercise is important to health and well being, but certain kinds of exercise expose you to greater risk of injury,” said Joseph Buckwalter, who studies osteoarthritis and sports medicine at the University of Iowa and was not involved in the study. “Elite athletes engage in challenging, physically demanding sports, so they’re at higher risk of joint injuries and repetitive joint injuries.” Though the study found little impact on younger or weekend athletes, there are a few lessons for some, added Tveit. “If you’re an overweight, middle-aged runner who wants to run at an intense level, there are better ways of staying in shape without risking a knee injury,” he wrote in an email. Experts agreed that physical activity regardless of the type of sport had health benefits that outweigh the risk of arthritis, and recommended sports with less risk of injury such as swimming, cycling, moderate running and yoga. — Reuters

Aussie woman wins thalidomide hearing SYDNEY: A woman born without arms or legs yesterday won the right to have the class action she is leading against the firms behind thalidomide, a sedative blamed for birth defects, proceed in Australia. The Supreme Court of Victoria dismissed German chemical firm Grunenthal’s request to have the hearing in Germany or stayed, saying “it cannot be said that (the state of ) Victoria is a clearly inappropriate forum”. Lynette Suzanne Rowe is leading the class action on behalf of those born in Australia from 1958 to 1970 who have suffered since birth from a congenital malformation and whose pregnant mothers took thalidomide.

The 49-year-old alleges that her condition was caused by her mother’s consumption of thalidomide drugs and has taken her case against Grunenthal, British-based distributor The Distillers Company and Diageo Scotland to court.

Justice David Beach acknowledged that Rowe and most of her witnesses were in Australia. “Further, she suffered injury in Victoria and all of the evidence concerning the consequences of her injuries is in Australia, if not in Victoria,” he said.

Beach also noted that Grunenthal had argued that all of the relevant facts concerning the development of thalidomide occurred in Germany, all the documents are in Germany and most, if not all, are in German.

Further, all of the witnesses Grunenthal would want to call come from outside Australia -again, the bulk being in Germany. “ There can be no doubt that there are substantial connecting factors between this proceeding and Germany,” Beach said. “However, in my view, the proceeding also has a substantial connection with Victoria. Having considered all the relevant connecting factors, I am unable to conclude that Victoria is a clearly inappropriate forum.”

Rowe’s family, who have cared for their daughter since birth, pleaded for the case to be heard as soon as possible.

“Let Lyn have her day in court. Please don’t cause any more delay just for delay’s sake,” her father Ian Rowe told reporters. “Time is not on our side... I’m almost 80. We really need to know how Lynette will be provided for when we can no longer do it ourselves.” More than 100 thalidomide victims are reportedly now part of the class action for the case, which is expected to be heard in Melbourne next year.

Thalidomide was launched in the late fifties and sold in nearly 50 countries before being withdrawn later after babies began showing the severe side effects of the drug, such as the absence of arms and legs. There were an estimated 10,000 children born with deformities as a result of their mothers taking the drug. — AFP

WASHINGTON: US researchers said yesterday they have discovered how to keep tumor cells alive in the lab, generating buzz in the scientific community about a potential breakthrough that could transform cancer treatment. Until now, scientists have been unable to make cancer cells thrive for very long in the laboratory in a condition that resembles the way they look and act in the body. Doctors have largely relied on biopsied tissue that is frozen or set in wax to diagnose and recommend treatment.

The advance has sparked new hope that someday doctors may be able to test a host of cancer-killing drugs on a person’s own tumor cells in the lab, before returning to the patient with a therapy that is likely to be a good match. “This would really be the ultimate in personalized medicine,” said lead author Richard Schlegel, chairman of the department of pathology at Georgetown University ’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. “The therapies would be exactly from their tissues.

We would get normal tissue and tumor tissue from a particular patient and specifically match up their therapies,” Schlegel told AFP. “We are really excited about the possibilities of testing what we can do with this.”

The method, described in the online edition of the American Journal of Pathology, borrows on a simple method used in stem cell research, experts said. Lung, breast, prostate and colon cancers were kept alive for up to two years using the technique, which combines fibroblast feeder cells to keep cells alive and a Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitor that allows

them to reproduce. When treated with the duo, both cancer and normal cells reverted to a “stem-like state”, Schlegel said, allowing researchers to compare the living cells directly for the first time.

The two elements have previously been used separately in stem cell research, according to Yale University pathology professor David Rimm, who wrote a commentary that accompanies the article. “No individual technique was new, as far as I know. It was in some sense a very clever combination that led to this success,” Rimm told AFP. Rimm cautioned that more labs need to show they can do it too, and that attempts to try different therapies to kill the cancer cells are just “speculation” now, but described the initial results as “pretty compelling”. “One of my senior scientists went down to Georgetown for a week and she got it to work.

She got pancreatic cells to work, which is impossible. Even they were having trouble with that one,” he said. “So that just further served to stoke my enthusiasm, rather than generate skepticism.”

If other scientists can replicate the technique - and three university labs in the United States are already working on it - the advance could herald a long-awaited transformation in the way cancer cells are studied. The study was published after two years of research in collaboration with National Institutes of Health scientists and was funded by the NIH, the Depar tment of Defense, Georgetown University and the National Cancer Institute.

“A tumor from one patient is different from a cancer from another patient, even though they appear to be the same under a pathologist’s microscope, and really that is one important reason why so many clinical trials fail,” said Marc Symons, investigator at the Center for Oncology and Cell Biology at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York. “I think it is fair to say this may revolutionize the way we think of cancer treatment,” added Symons, who was not involved in the study.

Cancer is the leading cause of death in the world, k illing 7.6 million people in 2008 according to the latest data from the World Health Organization. Mark Friedman, who works in the department of pathology at St Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital, said the real gain for patients could be reducing the harmful effects of chemotherapy that may not be suited for various tumors.

“This would be a tremendous benefit for the patient because you would be minimizing toxicity while maximizing the benefit of the treatment,” said Friedman, who was not part of the study. K aren Anderson, of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, was one of the scientists who recently completed training in the method at Georgetown. She said the process took three days to learn. “It is actually surprisingly straightforward... I am optimistic about it but we have to confirm whether or not the cells that are growing are really going to be the things we want to be able to study,” she said. “But I think it is pretty exciting.” — AFP

Geography and squatting blamed for deadly floods MANILA: A freak storm, poor warning systems, flimsy buildings and human folly are all being blamed as Philippine officials struggle to explain one of the deadliest flash floods to have hit the country. Entire villages were washed away when tropical storm Washi whipped Mindanao island overnight Friday to Saturday, killing more than 650 people with hundreds still listed as missing yesterday in a trail of flattened homes, broken bridges and upended vehicles.

Sandwiched between the sea and a wall of mountains, the ports of Cagayan de Oro and nearby

Iligan, both built on the mouths of major rivers, are natural flood magnets, said Mines and Geosciences Bureau official Sevillo David.

“We are a country composed of hills and mountains as well as basins, and we are also frequently visited by rains and typhoons.

Combining this you can expect flooding and landslides,” he told AFP. The hardest-hit neighbourhoods were shanty villages made of light materials built haphazardly atop loose deposits of river sediment, he said. “When the water rises or there’s a flash flood these can be easily swept away.”

David, in charge of a five-yearold government program to map hazardous areas, said the bureau had recommended relocating residents out of the sandy island bars hit by the floods. But the recommendations, which also included banning buildings within a kilometre of the mouths of the Iligan and Cagayan rivers as well as dikes, were not followed.

“In a way, it takes political will to implement some of the recommendations. If you move people you need to find a relocation site for them,” David added.

President Benigno Aquino has ordered a review of the govern-

ILIGAN, Philippines: An aerial pictures shows the damage caused by devastating floods over Iligan City in the southern island of Mindanao yesterday, two days after Typhoon Washi wrought havoc in the city.— AFP

ment’s defences against natural disasters. Mindanao, the southern third of the archipelago, is rarely hit by typhoons that regularly pound the northern island of Luzon every year, and residents were caught unprepared.

Cagayan de Oro’s mayor Vicente Emano insisted on Sunday that city officials had only learned about the looming storm from the media. “Mindanao is usually not a typhoon-prone area that is why most residents were caught unprepared,” Gwendolyn Pang, secretar y-general of the Philippine Red Cross, said in a statement. “Climate is changing.

We must also change the way we address climate issues,” she added. Benito Ramos, head of the government’s national disaster council, suggested local officials and residents had ignored warnings of the approaching storm. “ They were forewarned these were risky areas. They were aware that they were in a flood-prone area and most of them are informal settlers,” Ramos said. “They did not move because they had not experienced typhoons like this.” A month’s worth of rainfall, about 180.9 mm, fell over the region in the 24 hours before the deluge, according to preliminary weather service estimates. Most victims were caught sleeping.

Anthony Lucero, a senior forecaster, said most of the heavy rain fell on mountains inland, generating the raging torrents that flowed down the rivers. “Those rainfall levels rarely happen,” he told AFP, adding that Mindanao as a whole had been receiving heavier than usual rainfall this year due to La Nina, a cyclical warming and cooling of Pacific Ocean surface waters. — AFP

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

EPA rules threaten older US power plants WASHINGTON: More than 32 mostly coal-fired power plants in a dozen states will be forced to shut down and an additional 36 might have to close because of new federal air pollution regulations, according to an AP survey.

Together, those plants - some of the oldest and dirtiest in the country - produce enough electricity for more than 22 million households, the AP survey found. But their demise probably won’t cause homes to go dark. The fallout will be most acute for the towns where power plant smokestacks long have cast a shadow. Tax revenues and jobs will be lost, and investments in new power plants and pollution controls probably will raise electric bills.

The survey, based on interviews with 55 power plant operators and on the Environmental Protection Agency’s own prediction of power plant retirements, rebuts claims by critics of the regulations and some electric power producers. They have predicted the EPA rules will kill coal as a power source and force blackouts, basing their argument on estimates from energy analysts, congressional offices, government regulators, unions and interest groups. Many of those studies inflate the number of plants retiring by counting those shutting down for reasons other than the two EPA rules.

The AP surveyed electricity-generating companies about what they plan to do and the effects on power supply and jobs. It was the first survey of its kind. The estimate also was based in part on EPA computer models that predict which fossil-fuel generating units are likely to be retired early to comply with the rules, and which were likely to be retired anyway. The agency has estimated that 14.7 gigawatts, enough power for more than 11 million households, will be retired from the power grid in the 2014-15 period when the two new rules take effect.

The first rule curbs air pollution in states downwind from dirty power plants. The second, expected to be announced Monday, would set the first standards for mercury and other toxic pollutants from power plant smokestacks. Combined, the rules could do away with more than 8 percent of the coal-fired generation nationwide, the AP found. The average age of the plants that could be sacrificed is 51 years. These plants have been allowed to run for decades without modern pollution controls because it was thought that they were on the verge of being shuttered by the utilities that own them.

But that didn’t happen.

Other rules in the works, dealing with cooling water intakes at power plants and coal ash disposal, could cause the retirement of additional generating plants.

Those rules weren’t included in the AP survey. While the new rule heralds an incremental shift away from coal as a power source, it’s unlikely to break coal’s grip as the dominant domestic electricity source. Most of the lost power generation will be replaced, and the coal-fired plants that remain will have to be cleaner.

“In the industry we retire units. That is part of our business,” said John Moura, manager of reliability assessment at the North American Electric Reliability Corp. NERC represents the nation’s electrical grid operators, whose job is to weigh the effect a proposed retirement will have on reliability. With so many retirements expected, that process could get rushed. “We are getting a little hammered here, because we see multiple requests,” Moura said. NERC, along with some power plant operators, is pressing the Obama administration to give companies more time to comply with the rules to avoid too many

this month that the EPA mercury rule could “unintentionally jeopardize the reliability of our electric grid.” At a speech in New Hampshire in November, GOP presidential candidate and former Utah Gov Jon Huntsman predicted summer blackouts. A recent US Chamber of Commerce ad said a single EPA regulation “could threaten America’s energy supply.” Particularly at the older, less efficient plants most at risk, coal already was at a disadvantage because of low natural gas prices, demand from China and elsewhere that was driving up coal’s price, and weaker demand for electricity. For many plant operators, the

SALEM, Massachusetts: Dominion’s power plant is seen along the waterfront on Dec 16, 2011. — AP plants shutting down at once.

In addition to anticipated retirements, about 500 or more units will need to be idled temporarily in the next few years to install pollution controls. Some of those units are at critical junctions on the grid and are essential to restarting the electrical network in case of a blackout, or making sure voltage doesn’t drain completely from electrical lines, like a hose that’s lost its water pressure. “We can’t say there isn’t going be an issue. We know there will be some challenges,” Moura said. “But we don’t think the lights are going to turn off because of this issue.”

That hasn’t stopped some critics from sounding alarms. Rep Darrell Issa said in a letter to the White House

new regulations were the final blow. For others, the rules will speed retirements already planned to comply with state laws or to settle earlier enforcement cases with the EPA. In the AP’s survey, not a single plant operator said the EPA rules were solely to blame for a closure, although some said it left them with no other choice.

“The EPA regulation became a game changer and a deal changer for some of these units,” said Ryan Stensland, a spokesman for Alliant Energy, which has three units in Iowa and one in Minnesota that will be retired, and four in Iowa that are at risk of shutting down, depending on how the final rules look. “Absent the EPA regulations, I don’t think we would be seeing the transi-

tion that we are seeing today. It became a situation where EPA broke the back of coal.”

Some believe the change is long overdue. The two rules will cut toxic mercury emissions from power plants by 90 percent, smog-forming nitrogen oxide pollution by half, and soot-forming sulfur dioxide by more than 70 percent. “Many of them are super old. They’ve either got to be brought up to code, fixed with the best available technology, or close them down,” said Sen Barbara Boxer, who heads the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “You can’t keep on going.”

The impact is greatest in the Midwest and in the coal belt - Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia - where dozens of units probably will be retired. Coal “is the fuel that is local to this area,” said Leonard Hopkins, the fuel and compliance manager for the Southern Illinois Power Cooperative, which serves rural electric customers in 25 counties in the state. “We are scrambling to find ways to comply.” His options: switch to a lower sulfur coal, install additional pollution controls or retire the oldest boiler and buy cheaper power from elsewhere.

For many of the country’s oldest coal-fired plants, retirement is the cheapest option. “It is more expensive to retrofit these plants than retire them and build new generation,” said Chris Whelan, spokeswoman for Kentucky Utilities, which announced in September that it was retiring three coal-fired power plants in the state. The plants, which came on line in 1947, 1962 and 1950, employ 204 people. Whelan said the company is “going to do everything we can to reallocate the work” by shifting employees to a new gas-fired power plant.

In some places, a job at the power plant is the best thing going. Thirty people work at the Central Electric Power Cooperative plant in Chamois, Mo., where EPA regulations have put the plant in danger of shutting down.

Some employees are looking to see if there are other power plants where they could find work. “We always knew there was a chance we could get shut down,” said Robert Skaggs, who has worked at the 50-year-old power plant for 10 years and is also an alderman in the town of 400. “It’s pretty obvious. Our plant is an old plant.”

Chamois Mayor Jim Wright saw the sewing factory leave and doesn’t understand why coal has to do the same. “Coal’s coal. If you are going to dig and ship it to China, you might as well burn it here,” he said. Electricity bills are also a concern. Kentucky Utilities expects its customers to see as much as a 14 percent rate increase to make up for the $800 million it is spending to replace what will be retired, and the $1.1 billion it plans to spend on anti-pollution upgrades. Other power companies have applied to recoup the cost of retrofits or of building new gas-fired power plants. The EPA estimates that industry will spend $11 billion complying with the two rules by 2016. —AP

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N

Prof AgnieszkaFajga and her xylophone group.

Dr Lisa Urkevich and her female guitar group

The male guitar group is pictured.

AUK’s Music Program hosts concert

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he Music Program at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) presented an informal concert of students from the beginning level music classes on Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011. The afternoon performances began with the Xylophone Ensembles, presented by Prof AgnieszkaFajga. Especially notable was the more advanced group (MUSC 165) who

impressed with their syncopated polyphonic segments and group skills in interpretations of works, such as the choral finale of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Next, six small guitar groups performed offering charming renditions of classics, such as “Carol of the Bells” and “Country Gardens.” A highlight was the female guitar trio with musicians FarnazHeidari, Shorouq Al-Enizy, and

The female guitar trio: FarnazHeidari, Shorouq Al-Enizy, and Samantha Combs.

Samantha Combs presenting the tango “Some King of Sunset.”

The concert ended with featured voice students of Prof Anna Karadimitrova and her two large ensembles-the female group singing a lovely 3-part version of “The Streets of London,” and the males presenting a crowd pleasing, “You Raise Me Up.” Dr Lisa Urkevich, the Coordinator of the Music

Dr Lisa Urkevich, the Coordinator of the Music Program.

Program said, “This was a great opportunity for our less experienced music students.

Most have never performed on a stage before, let alone in front of hundreds of their peers. All had good reason to be proud of their accomplishments that day.”

The American University of Kuwait (AUK) is an independent, private, equal opportunity, and co-educational liberal arts institution

of higher education. The educational, cultural and administrative structure, methods and standards of AUK are based on the American model of higher learning. The language of instruction is English. More information on the American University of Kuwait can be found at www.auk.edu.kw.

Prof Anna Karadimitrova and her female choir.

2,000 people watch Kalpak’s ‘St Paul’

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wo packed houses of spectators at Cambridge School, Mangaf were captivated by the 38 settings, and 32 actors enacting an epic with 32 subplots last Friday. One of the oldest Indian theater groups in Kuwait, Kalpak, had the golden feather on its cap when the Kalpak crew presented their magnum opus work, St Paul, a two-and-a half hour drama, at Cambridge School auditorium. Scenes were as varied as Emperor Nero’s palace, jail, an ocean in motion and a ship that is wrecked. Visiting artist Sujathan along with the director Raju Chirackal were praised by the audience at the end of the final show. A group of 50 volunteers in a rented out basement in Mangaf that was turned into a theater workshop, have been rehearsing for the past six months.

The mega drama, the dream project of Babu Chakkola, a drama enthusiast based in Mangaf, was the first of its kind drama experience in Kuwait according to him, considering the number of people taking part in it and the amount of money and effort put into it. The making of sets, costumes and dubbing were done in Kuwait. Music was coordinated by Manoj Mavelikkara.

The drama, the life story of Saul who became Paul, was popularly staged in Kerala last year by Kanjirappalli Amala Theaters. Babu Chakkola bought the copyright when he went for vacation last June to present the heroic epic in Kuwait after its visual impact ‘didn’t leave’ him, he said.

The drama crew had their thanksgiving gathering yesterday as most of them offered their help and contribution without any financial remuneration, Kalpak’s Babu Chakkola said. Artist Sujathan is presently working on another drama project in Kuwait.

Youth Chorus Christmas Carol program

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ellifluous and timeless Christmas carols will be rendered at the Fifteenth Annual Christmas Carol program on the 22nd of December 2011 at the Indian Central School Auditorium, Abbassiya at 6:15 pm organized by the Youth Chorus.

11 Choirs from various churches in Kuwait, Youth Chorus, United Indian School and Indian Central School will usher in the spirit of Christmas at the three-hour long Christmas Carol Service with a wide repertoire of classic Christmas carols.

Dr Abraham Mar Seraphim Metropolitan will inaugurate the program. Mathews Mar Theodosius Metropolitan will deliver Christmas Message.

Respected Bishops, Priests and other Elders of the different churches will attend and lead the program. The prizes of the International Quest Examination 2011 and Prizes of the 6th Group Song Competition will be distributed on the occasion. Youth Chorus welcomes one and all to join this wonderful celebration.

Carluccio’s Italian restaurant revamps menu

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n the presence of local media representatives and invited guests, Carluccio’s today celebrated the launch of its new menu. Featuring a range of traditional Italian specialties, guests were able to sample signature dishes all made in-house from the freshest of local ingredients combined with products imported directly from Italy. Dedicated to serving real Italian cuisine, Carluccio’s team of chefs showcased their favourite recipes to bring Kuwait it’s very own taste of Italy.

Located at The Avenues, Carluccio’s a la carte menu features a range of appetizers such as ‘Arancini’ (deep fried rice balls filled with melting mozzarella and meat ragu) and ‘Bresaola’ (thinly sliced cured beef

served with rocket leaves and shaved parmesan). The menu also includes a new range of soups, salads, pastas, risottos and desserts. In addition, the restaurant has recently launched its new menu of woodfired authentic Napoli-style pizzas.

Sajan Alex, Country Operations Manager, Foodmark Kuwait along with the entire restaurant team welcomed the local media representatives and other guests to an afternoon of good food and friendly service. The ambience was enhanced by the impressive décor, modern lighting and beautifully colorful designs printed around the walls.

Alex said: “Carluccio’s has a reputation for offering the finest Italian cuisine and

service. We decided to refresh our menu to ensure that we offer the best possible choice to our guests, from a relaxed breakfast or afternoon coffee and cake right through to a weekend family feast or a candle-lit three-course meal”.

On the day, guests sampled Carluccio’s ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotto, served with butter and sage - all handmade at the restaurant. Other tasty samples included mushroom risotto containing a mix of shiitake, porcini, oyster and button mushrooms and mini pizzas and foccacinas made from their secret dough recipe - unique only to Carluccio’s in Kuwait. For a sweet ending, guests enjoyed homemade Tiramisu - one of the

most famous and popular dishes on the menu.

The launch of the new menu by Carluccio’s is part of their strategy to combine its philosophy of serving traditional Italian food, with its commitment to satisfying the tastes and preferences of the local market. This range of dishes ticks all the boxes, and the team are confident that the diners of Kuwait will fall in love with this new fresh, home-made quality and taste.

In true Italian style, children can choose from a dedicated menu of spaghetti, crunchy chicken, or pizza followed by delicious gelato ice-cream, while mum and dad enjoy a feast of their own!

Le Meridien unveils ‘Le Meridien Hub’ Lobby experience

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e Meridien yesterday presents the first Le Meridien Hub, a new concept that re-interprets the hotel lobby into a social gathering place for creative people to converse, debate and exchange, at one of its most iconic hotels, Le Meridien Barcelona. This will gradually be introduced in Le Meridien hotels around the world, further reinforcing the brand’s award-winning Arrival Experience and Coffee Culture, which have both been implemented successfully worldwide.

Yesterday’s unveiling of the Hub concept at Le Meridien Barcelona will include a panel discussion on the subject of ‘A New Perspective on Creativity’.

Moderated by Emilio Alvarez, Director of Angels Gallery and Co-Director of Loop Video Art Fair & Screen Festival, the conversation will feature JÈrome Sans, Le Meridien brand’s Cultural Curator and Director of Ullens Center for Contemporary Art Beijing, who contributed his artistic creativity to enhance the Hub experience; Richard Florida, LM100 member and author of The Rise of the Creative Class, the book that validates the audience for the Le Meridien brand; and Ferran Adria, former head chef of Spain’s renowned Michelinstarred El Bulli and founder of El Bulli Foundation think-tank, which Starwood is supporting via “Ideas for Transformation”, a global ideas challenge competition organized by Ferran Adria and Telefonica.

“Starwood has long been an innova-

tor in the transformation of the traditional hotel lobby,” said Eva Ziegler, Global Brand Leader, Le Meridien and W Hotels Worldwide. “More than 13 years ago when Starwood launched the W brand, our lobbies became ‘Living Rooms’, and soon after, Sheraton brought people together with the Link@Sheraton. Le

Istanbul Etiler and Le Meridien Oran Hotel & Convention Centre, Le Meridien Bali-Jimbaran, all three scheduled to open in 2012, as well as existing Le Meridien hotels in Brussels, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok.

In recognition of this new Hub concept, Le Meridien was a finalist in the

the guests’ entire experience and establishes their mindset. Beginning with the hotel entryway, high impact arrival art immerses guests into the world of Le Meridien. This transformation is accomplished through a visual work of art created by Le MÈridien LM100 members.

The experience starts the moment the guest arrives at and enters a Le Meridien hotel, checks-in or asks for advice at the concierge.

Interaction Zone: From communal seating to coffeehouse style seating, this zone stimulates dialogue, contemplation and interaction.

In addition to the unique styling approach, guests and locals alike will find a curated library of books with topics catering to the creative minds. Le Meridien brand’s signature “A New Perspective” event series has been created to engage guests, local opinion leaders, media and associates into conversations around “culture,” and will also take place in this space.

MÈridien’s Hub concept, which will further evolve our new brand direction, is designed to appeal to the creative class.”

In Europe, Middle East, and Africa, as well as in Asia Pacific - the two regions that account for nearly 90 percent of the brand’s global footprint of 100 hotels, several Le Meridien hotels are scheduled to integrate the Hub concept into their lobby experience over the next 12 months. This will include Le Meridien

recent Worldwide Hospitality Awards in the “Most Innovative Concept” category.

Designed to promote dialogue, awaken curiosity and stimulate thinking, the Hub can be divided into three experience zones: Arrival Experience, Interaction Zone and Latitude Bar. Arrival Experience: Proprietary customer research shows that the first ten minutes of arrival define

Latitude Bar: Latitude Bar, with the quintessential espresso machine, supports the creative atmosphere of the Hub by drawing guests to the sights, sounds and smells of the coffee bar, with a skilled barista crafting signature coffees. Guests can enjoy local culinary offerings and experiences inspired by a coffeehouse environment by day and a wine-inspired setting by night.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests all Brazilian citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the website www.brazil.org.kw (Contact Us Form / Fale Conosco) in order to register or update contact information. The Embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the Embassy. The registration process helps the Brazilian Government to contact and assist Brazilians living abroad in case of any emergency.

GUST welcomes George Washington professors

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n coordination with the US Embassy, the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) AM Al-Refai Library was pleased to host visiting George Washington University professors Edward “Skip” Gnehm, former US Ambassador to Kuwait and Dr Judith Yaphe for a lecture on US Foreign

Policy and the Arab Spring.

The two academics delivered an informative lecture focused on recent changes and developments in the Middle East region, followed by a question and answer session with the audience. Over 150 members of the GUST community attended the lec-

ture, including GUST’s Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr Robert Cook, numerous faculty members, university staff and students. This presentation was part of the ongoing lecture series conducted in cooperation with the US Embassy in Kuwait.

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EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel 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 closed from 12:30 to 01:00 pm for lunch break.

Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday.

Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca.

The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait.

Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF GERMANY

Kuwait Mini-IHRSA conference organized at Al-Corniche Club

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l-Corniche Club in association with IHRSA, International Health, Racquet and Sports club Association (over 9,500 members worldwide) organized the 4th Kuwait MiniIHRSA conference at Al-Corniche Club on December 14 and 15.

The conference proved very bountiful for the audiences as the speakers were of various fields in the health and wellbeing industry and passed on valuable information and knowledge through seminars.

It was an eventful week at AlCorniche as several workshops and seminars were conducted prior to the conference such as the three-day Group Exercise Leader (GEL) Course for the trainers at Al-Corniche. This workshop included basics of Anatomy, Exercise Physiology and Training Principles in fun

interactive theory lectures and practical workshops. Lexie Griffiths, an expert in the field of Kids Fitness programs conducted a special session for 6-12 year olds aptly called Discomadness where the children enjoyed fun and interactive fitness sessions.

Doug Miller, a Sales and Marketing expert held training sessions for the Sales team at Al-Corniche, all the while sharing his experience accumulated from over 940 clubs worldwide. While resistance Training Specialist Dr Mark Slavin conducted a 5 day specialized course for Al-Corniche Trainers on exercise mechanics. The conference included expert speakers from around the world such as: 1. Lexie Griffiths - Pioneer speaker, trainer and author and international kids’ fitness program expert

2. Doug Miller - Sales and Marketing Expert 3. Fred Hoffman - Award-winning international fitness consultant, speaker and author 4. Dr Mark Slavin: Resistance Training Specialist (sponsored by Cybex) 5. Tamara Bennett: Al-Corniche Expert Nutrionist Delighted with the success of the conference Gerard Oliver Al-Corniche Club General Manager said “We are privileged today to have the input of five excellent speakers with expertise gained worldwide - their knowledge will help us to build the fitness industry here in Kuwait. It was also a great opportunity to network with managers and trainers from other clubs.”

Targeted at further educating Kuwait’s health and fitness professionals

the conference was attended by representatives from many different health clubs in Kuwait including Vithel, Pilates & More, Marina Hotel, Six Senses, Platinum, Sahara, Al-Hilal Clinic, Rana’s Fitness and Al-Corniche Club. The conference was kindly sponsored by Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait whereas the speakers were sponsored by Vithel, Inspire Pure Fitness, Multi Works General Trading & Contracting, Indoor Walking Middle East, Tempur Mattresses & Pillows and Al-Fuad Exchange. This is the fourth such occasion when Al-Corniche Club has organized a special conference targeting the health industry. As the leading health club in Kuwait, Al-Corniche Club is continuously working towards offering the best standards in health services at the same time enhancing the overall standards in Kuwait.

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application. Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (AlBabtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed December 25, 2011 (Sunday) “Christmas Day”. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to request all Kenyans resident in or training through Kuwait to register with the Embassy. We are updating our database. This information is necessary in order to facilitate quick assistance and advise in times of emergency. Kindly visit in person or register through our website www.kenyaembkuwait.com. The Embassy is located in: Surra Area - Block 6 - Street 9 Villa 3 Tel: 25353362 - 25353314; Fax: 25353316. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax- 25387719.

Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF PERU Peruvian Permanent Expo will be temporary close from December 2lst 2011 to January 21st 2012. The Expo will reopen on January 22nd 2012 and offer once again “Peruvian Private Gastronomy Tasting Lunches” and much more like Peruvian culture, tourism, trade and great possibilities of investment. nnnnnnn

TSK students dance to their own beat

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t The Sunshine Kindergarten in Salwa, the children really know how to move to the music.

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classes invited their parents to attend one of their Movement to Music classes last week and, led by Mr Junior, the children showed their families and friends some of the ways in which you can bend, stretch, jump, walk

and tip-toe to the beat.

We all know that growing children need to do lots of physical activity, and what better way than to combine exercise with singing, dancing and moving their bodies to the rhythm of a drum, or a tambourine. Developing better control and coordination of your body and learning how to sing songs in English is a great way to start

your Early Years education, as TSK children all know.

With the songs from the Tumble Tots ringing out in the TSK dance studio, children, teachers and parents joined in the fun. Parents caught the action on their mobiles as these healthy, happy children showed their families just how much excitement you can have in your lessons at The Sunshine Kindergarten.

Join in the festive celebrations at Marriott

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ith everyone gearing up to celebrate the upcoming holiday season, Kuwait Marriott Hotels is offering its eager customers an enticing atmosphere accompanied by exquisite culinary delights for the whole family. For those seeking a warm and welcoming ambience filled with the Christmas cheer, customers can enliven their spirits beside a massive living Christmas tree to the fantastic decor and gingerbread house on display in the heart of the Courtyard by Marriott eight-storey high lobby. To celebrate a joyful and memorable experience at the hotel, visitors can reserve a cozy corner at the Atrium restaurant on December 25 and feast on a specially prepared sumptuous holiday lunch buffet. Custom-made Christmas log cakes, festive pastries and gingerbread cookies will be available at the Tiramisu Café and Atrium Lounge for everyone to take home to their loved ones.

George Aoun, General Manager of Kuwait Marriott Hotels said, “Christmas is

one of the most anticipated seasons of the year with people on the lookout for a thrilling and unforgettable dining experience. It gives us pleasure in ensuring our customers will enjoy a wonderful evening with their friends and family as each offer is catered to please them in every way.”

Furthermore, at JW Marriott, a magical Christmas Day brunch awaits the festive starved at the La Brasserie restaurant, complete with roast turkey and a fascinating Christmas menu on December 25. Cafe Royal will present its customers with delicious Yule log cakes, tantalizing mince pies, puddings and much more, to take home to your loved ones as well.

“On behalf of the entire team at Kuwait Marriott Hotels, we hope that everyone enjoys a truly magnificent Christmas season and look forward to hosting our customers to the various tailor-made offers in store” added George Aoun. These festive promotions are valid on December 25, 2011.

EMBASSY OF RUSSIA Embassy of the Russian Federation invites all the Russian residents in Kuwait to visit the Consulate for registration and updating your database. This information is necessary for promptly notice, assistance and warning in case of emergency. The consulate reception hours: 10:00 - 13:00, Sunday - Wednesday.

The Embassy is located in Kuwait City, Daiya, Block 5, Diplomatic campus, Plot 17. Tel: (+965) 22560427, 22560428. Fax: (+965) 22524969, email: rusposkuw@mail.ru, consdepkuw@mail.ru Information also available on the website: www.kuwait.mid.ru nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF US The United States and Kuwait enjoy a long-standing and fruitful relationship with higher education. As evidence of this enduring partnership, the number of Kuwaiti students enrolled in US institutions of higher education in 2010/11 increased from 2442 to 2998, a 22.8% increase compared to the previous year. Kuwaiti students study in 45 states. This year, embassies and institutions around the world will be celebrating International Education Week the week of November 14-18. In honor of International Education Week, the US Embassy s Mobile American Corner will be at the Marina Mall on Wednesday evening, November 16, and at the Avenues Mall on Thursday evening, November 17. Information about higher education in the US, English language classes and the student visa application process will be available, and staff will be present to answer questions about study in the USA from the general public.

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00:50 Your Worst Animal Nightmares 01:45 Animal Cops Phoenix 02:40 Monster Bug Wars 03:35 Must Love Cats 04:30 Your Worst Animal Nightmares 05:25 Dogs 101: Specials 06:20 Animal Cops Phoenix 07:10 Last Chance Highway 08:00 Monkey Life 08:25 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 08:50 Talk To The Animals 09:15 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 09:40 Breed All About It 10:10 My Cat From Hell 11:05 Dogs 101: Specials 12:00 Animal Cops Houston 12:55 Bondi Vet 13:20 Wildlife SOS 13:50 Miami Animal Police 14:45 Animal Cops Phoenix 15:40 Monster Bug Wars 16:30 Monkey Life 17:00 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 17:30 Talk To The Animals 18:00 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 18:25 Dogs 101: Specials 19:20 Your Very First Puppy 20:15 Bondi Vet 20:40 Breed All About It 21:10 Dogs 101: Specials 22:05 Monster Bug Wars 23:00 Into The Lion’s Den 23:55 Untamed & Uncut

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

Last Of The Summer Wine Last Of The Summer Wine The Weakest Link Holby City Doctors Last Of The Summer Wine Little Robots The Large Family Boogie Beebies Poetry Pie Tweenies Balamory Little Robots The Large Family Boogie Beebies Poetry Pie Tweenies Charlie and Lola Balamory Little Robots The Large Family Boogie Beebies Poetry Pie Tweenies Charlie and Lola Balamory Little Robots The Large Family Boogie Beebies Poetry Pie Poetry Pie Tweenies Charlie and Lola Balamory My Family My Family The Weakest Link New Tricks Doctors EastEnders Holby City My Family My Family My Family New Tricks The Weakest Link Doctors EastEnders Holby City New Tricks The Weakest Link Doctors EastEnders Holby City New Tricks

00:05 Kirstie & Phil’s Perfect Christmas 01:45 The Hairy Bakers’ Christmas Special 02:40 Chef At Home 04:55 Chef At Home 05:20 Kirstie & Phil’s Perfect Christmas 07:00 Chef At Home 07:20 Chef At Home 07:40 Daily Cooks Challenge 08:35 Kirstie & Phil’s Perfect Christmas 09:25 Chef At Home 09:45 Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes 10:35 Indian Food Made Easy 11:25 Indian Food Made Easy 11:55 James Martin’s Champagne 12:15 James Martin’s Brittany 12:40 James Martin’s Brittany 13:05 Chef At Home 15:15 Chef At Home 15:40 Come Dine With Me 17:20 Come Dine With Me 18:10 James Martin’s Brittany 18:35 James Martin’s Brittany 19:00 Kirstie & Phil’s Perfect Christmas 19:50 Kirstie & Phil’s Perfect Christmas 20:40 Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey: Christmas 21:35 Come Dine With Me 23:15 Come Dine With Me

00:00 BBC World News America 00:30 Hardtalk 01:00 BBC World News 01:30 World Business Report 01:45 Sport Today 02:00 BBC World News America 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 BBC World News 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Newsday 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 Newsday 06:30 Asia Business Report 06:45 Sport Today 07:00 Newsday 07:30 Hardtalk 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 BBC World News 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 World Business Report 11:45 Sport Today 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 Hardtalk 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 BBC World News 14:30 World Business Report 14:45 Sport Today 15:00 GMT With George Alagiah 15:30 GMT With George Alagiah 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 BBC World News 21:30 World Business Report 21:45 Sport Today 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 23:30 World Business Report 23:45 Sport Today

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

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

The Garfield Show Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Droopy: Master Detective The Flintstones Johnny Bravo Duck Dodgers King Arthur’s Disasters The Scooby Doo Show Popeye Classics Tom & Jerry Popeye The Jetsons The Flintstones Looney Tunes Pink Panther & Pals Tex Avery Duck Dodgers The Garfield Show New Yogi Bear Show Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm Pink Panther And Pals Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show Dastardly And Muttley The Flintstones Tom & Jerry Pink Panther And Pals Top Cat New Yogi Bear Show Puppy In My Pocket Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Bananas In Pyjamas The Jetsons Duck Dodgers Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Tom & Jerry The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Droopy: Master Detective Wacky Races Scooby-Doo And ScrappyDastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Puppy In My Pocket Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show Dexters Laboratory Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Top Cat Wacky Races Tom & Jerry The Scooby Doo Show Dastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Johnny Bravo Dexters Laboratory

00:15 Samurai Jack 00:40 Megas XLR 01:05 Robotboy 01:30 Squirrel Boy 01:55 George Of The Jungle 02:20 Cramp Twins 02:45 Chop Socky Chooks 03:10 Best Ed 03:35 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 04:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:25 Generator Rex 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 05:40 Chowder 05:55 Powerpuff Girls 06:30 Ed, Edd n Eddy 06:55 I Am Weasel 07:20 Squirrel Boy 07:45 Cow & Chicken 08:00 Eliot Kid 08:25 Angelo Rules 08:50 Best Ed 09:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 09:40 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 10:05 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 10:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 10:55 Cow & Chicken 11:20 I Am Weasel 11:35 Adventure Time

THE LOSERS ON OSN ACTION HD

12:00 Ben 10 12:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 12:50 The Secret Saturdays 13:15 Samurai Jack 13:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 14:05 Codename: Kids Next Door 14:30 Skunk Fu! 14:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 15:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 15:40 Ed, Edd n Eddy 16:05 Camp Lazlo 16:30 Chowder 16:55 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 17:25 Cow & Chicken 17:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog 18:15 I Am Weasel 18:40 George Of The Jungle 19:05 Ed, Edd n Eddy’s Jingle, Jingle, Jangle 19:30 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 19:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 20:20 Generator Rex 20:45 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 21:10 Sym-Bionic Titan 21:35 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 22:00 Hero 108 22:25 Adventure Time 22:50 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 23:00 Ben 10 23:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 23:50 The Secret Saturdays

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

00:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson 01:00 Backstory 01:30 World Sport 02:00 The Situation Room 03:00 World Report 04:00 Anderson Cooper 360 05:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 06:00 Quest Means Business 07:00 Erin Burnett Outfront 08:00 World Sport 08:30 Backstory 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Report 11:00 World Sport 11:30 Inside Africa 12:00 World Business Today 13:00 Backstory 13:30 News Special 14:00 World One 15:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 16:00 News Stream 17:00 World Business Today 18:00 International Desk 19:00 The Brief 19:30 World Sport 20:00 Prism 21:00 International Desk 21:30 World’s Untold Stories 22:00 Quest Means Business 23:00 Piers Morgan Tonight

00:25 Fashion Police 00:55 Chelsea Lately 01:25 40 Smokin’ On Set Hookups 03:15 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Reality Hell 05:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Style Star 09:45 Style Star 10:15 Giuliana & Bill 11:10 Ice Loves Coco 12:05 E! News 13:05 Fashion Police 13:35 Style Star 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:00 Giuliana & Bill 15:55 Dirty Soap 16:55 Behind The Scenes 17:55 E! News 18:55 Bridalplasty 19:55 Kendra 20:25 Kendra 20:55 Ice Loves Coco 21:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 22:25 E! News 23:25 The Soup 23:55 Chelsea Lately

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

Cake Boss Cake Boss How It’S Made Dirty Jobs Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Overhaulin’ How Stuff’S Made Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Scrappers Wreckreation Nation One Man Army River Monsters River Monsters Cake Boss Border Security Scrappers How It’S Made How Stuff’S Made Cash Cab Us One Man Army An Idiot Abroad Freddie Flintoff vs The World

00:40 The Gadget Show 01:05 The Tech Show 01:35 Superships 02:25 Stunt Junkies 02:50 Mega World 03:40 Mighty Ships 04:35 The Gadget Show 05:00 The Gadget Show 05:25 How Stuff’s Made 05:50 Superships 06:40 One Step Beyond 07:10 Brainiac 08:00 Scrapheap Challenge 08:50 Moon Machines 09:40 The Tech Show 10:10 Weird Connections 10:35 The Gadget Show 11:00 The Gadget Show 11:25 Brainiac 12:20 Sci-Fi Science 12:45 How Stuff’s Made 13:15 Mega World 14:05 Moon Machines 14:55 One Step Beyond 15:20 Stunt Junkies 15:50 Superships 16:40 Weird Connections 17:05 Scrapheap Challenge 18:00 Moon Machines 18:50 Sci-Fi Science 19:15 The Tech Show 19:40 Sci-Fi Saved My Life 20:30 Cosmic Collisions 21:20 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 22:10 The Gadget Show 22:35 The Gadget Show 23:00 Sci-Fi Saved My Life 23:50 Cosmic Collisions

00:00 00:25 00:50 01:15 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:15 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:20

Kim Possible Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Stitch Stitch Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Stitch Stitch Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Hannah Montana The Suite Life Of Zack And

The Suite Life Of Zack And Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Fish Hooks Fish Hooks Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Pixie Hollow Games 16 Wishes So Random Fairly Odd Parents Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Shake It Up My Babysitter’s A Vampire My Babysitter’s A Vampire Good Luck Charlie Hannah Montana Hannah Montana Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Shake It Up Shake It Up Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place

00:00 Racing To America 01:00 Banged Up Abroad 03:00 Eccentric Uk 03:30 Deadliest Journeys 04:00 Ultimate Traveller 05:00 Long Way Down 06:00 Racing To America 07:00 Banged Up Abroad 09:00 Eccentric Uk 09:30 Deadliest Journeys 10:00 Ultimate Traveller 11:00 Long Way Down 12:00 Racing To America 13:00 Meet The Natives 14:00 Treks In A Wild World 15:00 Cycling Home From Siberia 15:30 Deadliest Journeys 16:00 Amazing Adventures Of A Nobody: Europe 16:30 Which Way To 17:30 Graham’s World 18:00 Reverse Exploration 19:00 Meet The Natives 20:00 Treks In A Wild World 21:00 Cycling Home From Siberia 21:30 Deadliest Journeys 22:00 Amazing Adventures Of A Nobody: Europe 22:30 Which Way To

00:00 02:00 03:59 06:00 08:15 10:15 12:15 14:30 18:00 20:00 22:00

Luster-18 Largo Winch 2-PG15 The Losers-PG15 Legendary-PG15 Rocky IV-PG15 Ong Bak 2-PG15 Shanghai Knights-PG15 Wyatt Earp-PG15 Ong Bak 2-PG15 Deadly Impact-18 Game Of Death-PG15

01:00 Tortured-18 03:00 Love The Beast-PG 04:45 Secretariat-PG15 07:00 How To Train Your Dragon-PG 09:00 Love The Beast-PG 11:00 Slipstream-PG15 13:00 My Son, My Son, What Have You Done?-PG15 14:45 Alabama Moon-PG15 16:30 My Name Is Khan-PG15 19:15 Slipstream-PG15 21:00 Tomorrow, When The War Began-PG15 23:00 Green Zone-PG15

00:00 The Ricky Gervais Show 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 01:30 Enlightened 02:00 Hung 02:30 South Park 03:00 Friends 03:30 Friends 04:00 Will And Grace 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Seinfeld 06:00 Two And A Half Men 06:30 Just Shoot Me 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Will And Grace 08:30 Friends 09:00 Seinfeld 09:30 How I Met Your Mother

TOMORROW, WHEN THE WAR BEGAN ON OSN CINEMA 10:00 Traffic Light 10:30 Just Shoot Me 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Two And A Half Men 12:30 Will And Grace 13:00 Friends 13:30 Seinfeld 14:00 Melissa And Joey 14:30 Traffic Light 15:00 How I Met Your Mother 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 16:30 Outsourced 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Friends 18:30 Friends 19:00 How I Met Your Mother 19:30 Traffic Light 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 American Dad 22:30 Neighbors From Hell 23:00 South Park 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

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 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Desperate Housewives Breaking Bad Top Gear (US) Revenge No Ordinary Family Good Morning America The Glades Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Desperate Housewives Revenge No Ordinary Family Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice Royal Pains Covert Affairs The Glades

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

Detroit 1-8-7 Top Gear (US) Breaking Bad Desperate Housewives Revenge The Chicago Code Detroit 1-8-7 Modern Family Marathon Coronation Street Law & Order: Los Angeles Top Gear (US) Desperate Housewives Revenge Modern Family Marathon Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Law & Order: Los Angeles Detroit 1-8-7 Modern Family Marathon Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Law & Order: Los Angeles Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice Royal Pains Off The Map The Chicago Code

01:15 Killshot-18 03:00 The Losers-PG15 04:45 Bram Stoker’s Dracula-18 07:00 Rocky-PG15 09:00 Sherlock Holmes-PG15 11:15 Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time-PG15 13:30 The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course-PG15 15:30 Sherlock Holmes-PG15 18:00 Avatar-PG 21:00 Game Of Death-PG15 23:00 Child’s Play 3-18

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00

Bubble Boy-PG15 Mr. Wrong-PG15 Tom And Huck-PG15 Chasing Papi-PG

08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 PG15 22:00

My Father The Hero-PG15 Babe-FAM Babe: Pig In The City-FAM Like Mike-PG Bubble Boy-PG15 Out Cold-PG15 Nothing Like The Holidays-

18:30 European Challenge Cup 20:30 Futbol Mundial 21:00 Golfing World 22:00 Live Darts PDC World Championship

It’s Complicated-PG15

01:15 03:30 05:15 07:15 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Wild At Heart-18 Don’t Fade Away-PG15 Sunny Et L’elephant-PG15 Unstrung Heroes-PG15 Born Free-PG Don’t Fade Away-PG15 Sunny Et L’elephant-PG15 Catch That Kid-PG Inside Job-PG15 Greener Mountains-PG15 All The Pretty Horses-PG15 For Keeps-PG15

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 PG15 23:00

Jackass 3-R My Sassy Girl-PG15 Flying By-PG15 The Chaperone-PG15 The Devil’s Teardrop-PG15 City Of Life-PG15 Malibu’s Most Wanted-PG15 Home-PG15 The Devil’s Teardrop-PG15 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World-18 Nothing Like The Holidays-

01:30 Trans World Sport 02:30 World Cup of Pool 03:30 World Pool Masters World Pong 04:30 Ping Championship 05:30 SPL Highlights 06:00 Trans World Sport 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Masters Football 11:00 Scottish Premier League 13:00 Golfing World 14:00 Trans World Sports World PDC 15:00 Darts Championship 20:00 Scottish Premier League 22:00 SPL Highlights 22:30 Futbol Mundial 23:00 World Hockey 23:30 European Challenge Cup

All The Pretty Horses-PG15

00:00 Barbie: Princess Charm School-PG15 02:00 Columbus III: The New WorldPG 04:00 Adventures Of A Teenage Dragonslayer-PG 06:00 Nativity!-PG 08:00 Barbie: Princess Charm School-PG15 10:00 Tangled-FAM 12:00 Ramses Of Egypt-PG 14:00 Adventures Of A Teenage Dragonslayer-PG 16:00 Pocahontas & The Spider Woman-PG 18:00 Tangled-FAM 20:00 Ulysses-PG 22:00 Ramses Of Egypt-PG

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 09:45 11:45 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 23:45

Piranha-R The Clinic-18 Remember Me-PG15 Get Low-PG15 A Family Thanksgiving-PG15 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid-PG Another Year-PG15 Remember Me-PG15 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid-PG Cinema Verite-PG15 Predators-18 Megamind-FAM Passing Strange-PG15

00:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 15:00 16:30 17:30 18:30 19:00 23:00

UFC Unleashed Trans World Sport Powerboats F1 Masters Football Trans World Sport Powerboats F1 WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line Masters Football Volvo Ocean Race Speedway Trans World Sport Volvo Ocean Race Highlights UFC 131 UFC Unleashed

03:00 SPL Highlights 03:30 Scottish Premier League 06:30 Volvo Ocean Race 07:00 Darts PDC World Championship 12:00 World Cup of Pool 13:00 World Pool Masters 14:00 Ping Pong World Championship 15:00 Masters Football 18:00 World Hockey

02:00 03:00 04:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 23:00

UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed UFC 130 WWE NXT WWE Tough Enough Speedway Intercontinental Le Mans Cup V8 Supercars Championship V8 Supercars Championship Prizefighter WWE Bottom Line WWE Tough Enough Speedway FIM World Power Boats UIM Power Boats UIM UFC 131 Prizefighter

02:10 04:00 05:35 07:30 08:00 09:25 11:15 13:10 14:50 16:20 16:50 19:05 FAM 20:55 23:00

Young Cassidy-PG The Two Mrs. Carrolls-PG Little Women-FAM TCM Presents Under The...-U Black Legion-PG The Happy Years-FAM The Hucksters-PG It’s Always Fair Weather-FAM Each Dawn I Die-PG TCM Presents Under The...-PG Till The Clouds Roll By-FAM Please Don’t Eat The DaisiesTea And Sympathy-PG Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid

00:40 Extreme Forensics 01:30 The Haunted 02:15 A Haunting 03:05 Nightmare Next Door 03:50 Nightmare Next Door 04:40 Extreme Forensics 05:25 The Haunted 06:15 A Haunting 07:10 Life or Death: Medical Mysteries 08:00 FBI Files 08:50 Forensic Detectives 09:40 Fugitive Strike Force 10:25 Life or Death: Medical Mysteries 11:10 Real Emergency Calls 11:35 Who on Earth Did I Marry?

11:55 On The Case With Paula Zahn 12:40 Disappeared 13:25 Fugitive Strike Force 14:15 Life or Death: Medical Mysteries 15:00 Real Emergency Calls 15:25 Who on Earth Did I Marry?

15:50 On The Case With Paula Zahn 16:35 Disappeared 17:20 FBI Files 18:10 Forensic Detectives 19:00 Fugitive Strike Force 19:45 Real Emergency Calls 20:10 Life Or Death: Medical Mysteries 20:55 Who on Earth Did I Marry?

21:20 On The Case With Paula Zahn 22:10 Disappeared 23:00 Couples Who Kill 23:50 Deadly Women

Classifieds TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 20/12/2011 Airlines Flt Route Time JZR 185 DUBAI 0:20 JZR 539 CAIRO 0:50 ETH 620 ADDIS ABABA 1:45 THY 772 ISTANBUL 2:15 UAE 853 DUBAI 2:35 QTR 138 DOHA 2:40 OMA 641 MUSCAT 2:50 DHX 370 BAHRAIN 2:55 FDB 67 DUBAI 3:05 ETD 305 ABU DHABI 3:10 RJA 642 AMMAN 3:10 GFA 211 BAHRAIN 3:15 KAC 544 CAIRO 4:40 DHX 170 BAHRAIN 5:15 FAH 201 DUBAI 5:30 JZR 529 ASSIUT 6:20 KAC 416 JAKARTA/KUALA LUMPUR 6:25 BAW 157 LONDON 6:40 KAC 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 6:45 JZR 503 LUXOR 7:25 KAC 206 ISLAMABAD 7:40 FDB 53 DUBAI 7:45 KAC 352 COCHIN 7:50 KAC 302 MUMBAI 7:55 KAC 332 TRIVANDRUM 8:05 UAE 855 DUBAI 8:30 ABY 125 SHARJAH 9:00 QTR 132 DOHA 9:05 ETD 301 ABU DHABI 9:15 FDB 55 DUBAI 9:20 IRA 605 ISFAHAN 9:45 GFA 213 BAHRAIN 9:55 IRA 619 LAR 10:50 JZR 165 DUBAI 11:20 RKM 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH 11:45 MEA 404 BEIRUT 11:55 MSR 623 SOHAG 12:30 MSR 610 CAIRO 12:55 KAC 672 DUBAI 13:20 GFA 219 BAHRAIN 13:25 KAC 512 TEHRAN 13:40 FDB 57 DUBAI 13:50 SVA 9307 JEDDAH 14:00 UAL 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 14:05 VOS 93 KANDAHAR/DUBAI 14:15 QTR 140 DOHA 14:20 KAC 546 ALEXANDRIA 14:30 SVA 500 JEDDAH 14:30 RJA 640 AMMAN 14:40 KAC 562 AMMAN 14:45 KAC 284 DHAKA 15:00 JZR 257 BEIRUT 15:00 QTR 134 DOHA 15:25 KAC 678 ABU DHABI/MUSCAT 15:30 JZR 561 SOHAG 16:10 ETD 303 ABU DHABI 16:50 UAE 857 DUBAI 16:55 GFA 215 BAHRAIN 17:15 SVA 510 RIYADH 17:20 ABY 127 SHARJAH 17:40 JZR 777 JEDDAH 17:45 ALK 227 COLOMBO/DUBAI 18:00 JZR 177 DUBAI 18:15 KAC 614 BAHRAIN 18:35 FDB 63 DUBAI 18:40 KAC 542 CAIRO 18:50 KAC 786 JEDDAH 19:10 KAC 618 DOHA 19:15 KAC 674 DUBAI 19:25 KAC 744 DAMMAM 19:25 KAC 166 PARIS/ROME 19:30 KAC 104 LONDON 19:35 KAC 774 RIYADH 19:40 FDB 61 DUBAI 20:00 KAC 552 DAMASCUS 20:05 JAI 572 MUMBAI 20:10 OMA 647 MUSCAT 20:15 MLR 1405 COLOMBO/DUBAI 20:50 DHX 372 BAHRAIN 21:00 MEA 402 BEIRUT 21:20 GFA 217 BAHRAIN 21:25 QTR 136 DOHA 21:35 UAE 859 DUBAI 21:40 JZR 135 BAHRAIN 21:55 KAC 502 BEIRUT 22:00 KLM 443 AMSTERDAM 22:05 AIC 981 CHENNAI/HYDERABAD/AHMEDABAD 22:05 JZR 239 AMMAN 22:45 UAL 981 BAHRAIN 23:00 AXB 389 KOZHIKODE/MANGALORE 23:35 DLH 636 FRANKFURT 23:50

Departure Flights on Tuesday 20/12/2011 Airlines Flt Route Time UAL 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 0:45 AIC 976 GOA/CHENNAI 0:50 BBC 44 DHAKA 1:00 JZR 502 LUXOR 1:05 PIA 240 SIALKOT 1:10 DLH 637 FRANKFURT 1:20 KAC 283 DHAKA 2:40 ETH 621 ADDIS ABABA 2:45 THY 773 ISTANBUL 3:15 FDB 68 DUBAI 3:45 UAE 854 DUBAI 3:50 OMA 642 MUSCAT 3:55 DHX 371 BAHRAIN 3:55 ETD 306 ABU DHABI 4:00 QTR 139 DOHA 4:55 JZR 164 DUBAI 6:55 GFA 212 BAHRAIN 7:00 RJA 643 AMMAN 7:10 KAC 545 ALEXANDRIA 7:40 FDB 54 DUBAI 8:25 BAW 156 LONDON 8:40 KAC 677 ABU DHABI/MUSCAT 8:55 KAC 671 DUBAI 9:00 JZR 256 BEIRUT 9:00 KAC 511 TEHRAN 9:15 KAC 561 AMMAN 9:20 JZR 560 SOHAG 9:30 KAC 101 LONDON/NEW YORK 9:35 UAE 856 DUBAI 9:40 ABY 126 SHARJAH 9:45 ETD 302 ABU DHABI 10:00 FDB 56 DUBAI 10:05 QTR 133 DOHA 10:10 GFA 214 BAHRAIN 10:40 IRA 604 ISFAHAN 10:45 KAC 165 ROME/PARIS 11:45 IRA 618 LAR 11:50 KAC 541 CAIRO 12:00 JZR 776 JEDDAH 12:15 RKM 311 RAS ALKHAIMAH 12:50 MEA 405 BEIRUT 12:55 MSR 624 SOHAG 13:30 KAC 785 JEDDAH 13:40 JZR 176 DUBAI 13:50 MSR 611 CAIRO 13:55 GFA 220 BAHRAIN 14:20 FDB 58 DUBAI 14:35 KAC 551 DAMASCUS 14:40 KAC 673 DUBAI 15:05 UAL 982 BAHRAIN 15:20 SVA 2307 JEDDAH 15:30 KAC 613 BAHRAIN 15:35 RJA 641 AMMAN 15:35 SVA 501 JEDDAH 15:45 KAC 617 DOHA 15:50 KAC 501 BEIRUT 16:15 KAC 773 RIYADH 16:25 QTR 141 DOHA 16:30 KAC 743 DAMMAM 16:40 JZR 238 AMMAN 17:15 ETD 304 ABU DHABI 17:35 JZR 538 CAIRO 17:40 QTR 135 DOHA 17:45 VOS 82 BAGHDAD 18:00 UAE 858 DUBAI 18:10 GFA 216 BAHRAIN 18:15 ABY 128 SHARJAH 18:25 SVA 511 RIYADH 18:35 JZR 266 BEIRUT 18:45 JZR 134 BAHRAIN 19:05 ALK 228 DUBAI/COLOMBO 19:10 FDB 64 DUBAI 19:20 JZR 184 DUBAI 19:55 KAC 361 COLOMBO 20:20 FDB 62 DUBAI 20:40 KAC 343 CHENNAI 20:55 DHX 171 BAHRAIN 21:00 KAC 351 COCHIN 21:05 JAI 571 MUMBAI 21:10 OMA 648 MUSCAT 21:15 MLR 1405 COLOMBO 21:50 KAC 543 CAIRO 21:55 DHX 373 BAHRAIN 22:00 MEA 403 BEIRUT 22:20 GFA 218 BAHRAIN 22:25 FAH 102 DUBAI 22:30 QTR 137 DOHA 22:35 KAC 301 MUMBAI 22:45 UAE 860 DUBAI 22:50 KAC 205 ISLAMABAD 23:00 KLM 443 BAHRAIN/AMSTERDAM 23:05 JZR 528 ASSIUT 23:35 KAC 411 BANGKOK/MANILA 23:55

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available for Indian bachelors in old Riggae, sector-1, street-1, Jada-3, near Noor Bakala. Contact: 97525930.

(C 3787) 20-12-2011 A separate room available with separate bathroom in a sharing ямВat in Mahaboula.

Contact: 66216713.

Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya with Keralite family. Keralite family or working ladies preferred. Contact: 99509436.

(C 3782) 17-12-2011

FOR SALE Toyota Corolla 1.8XLI, model 2006 color white, excellent condition, 88,000 km, Price KD 2,300/-, area Salmiya.

Contact:

55427307. (C 3784) 19-12-2011

abendra@yahoo.com 66598202. (C 3788)

Mitsubishi Nativa 2008, 66564 kms, black color, excellent condition, KD 3,560/-, negotiable.

Contact: 60306273.

(C 3779)

Palestinian having 6 years experiences in Accounts can handle Payroll, BRS, A/R, A/P, Financial Report.

Contact: amoorree79@hotmail.com / 97901392.

(C 3789) 20-12-2011

Mercedes Benz 1998 (E 200), color beige, running condition, registration till May 2012. Price KD 600.

Contact: 97277135.

15-12-2011

SITUATION WANTED Indian 26 years experiences in Accounts, Finance, Commercial sector. Can implement Accounts setup, Finalization of Accounts, control of department.

Seeking suitable senior position. Contact: d.man-

Indian male 29 yrs, B.Com., MBA having six years rich experience in ямБnance and investment in Kuwait, seeking suitable placement.

Fluent in English, Arabic & Hindi. ProямБcient on MSOямГce, Tally, Accpac, Focus etc., Article # 18 transferable. Contact: 66516791.

(C 3785) 19-12-2011

SITUATION VACANT Wanted English speaking maid / nanny. Contact: 99824597. (C 3781) 17-12-2011

Healthy Living

Pouring a healthier punch Picking the right ingredients for party punch can help limit the calories and provide some nutritional benefits.

Moderation is the key ┬З 8VH FKDPSDJQH WR PDNH D SXQFK WKH EXEEO\ KDV RQO\ DERXW FDORULHV LQ HDFK R] PO FXS ┬З 2U VHUYH D UHG ZLQH DQG IUXLW SXQFK UHG ZLQH FRQWDLQV DQWLR[LGDQWV WKDW FDQ EH JRRG IRU \RXU KHDUW DQG PLQG ┬З 0RVW SXQFKHV FDQ EH GLOXWHG ZLWK VSDUNOLQJ ZDWHU RU VHOW]HU WR ORZHU FDORULHV DQG VXJDUV ┬З /LPLW \RXUVHOI WR RQH RU WZR VPDOO FXSV NQRVK RQ IUHVK IUXLWV DQG YHJJLHV ORZ FDORULH GLSV ┬й 2011 MCT 6RXUFH (DWLQJ :HOO PDJD]LQH GUGKDUPD FRP 0&7 3KRWR 6HUYLFH *UDSKLF 3DW &DUU

/ CHANGE OF NAME I, Moidin Kunhi Badiyar Husan S/O Husan Kunhi Urmene Moidin, holder of Indian Passport No: F4932532 have changed my name to MOHAMMED MOHIDEEN for all purposes.

(C 3786) I, Marshal Agnelo Lawrence, holder of Indian Passport No. F5623328 hereby change my name to Marcelo Agnelo Lourenco.

19-12-2011 I, Shaikh Vali, Shaikh Imam holder of Indian Passport No. 3972054 hereby change my name to Shaikh Mettala Vali. (C 3783) 18-12-2011 I, Habeeb Mohammed Abdur Rahman Baageel Indian Passport No. G9948258 hereby change my name to Habeeb Mohammed Abdur Rahman Ba Aqeel. (C 3778) 13-12-2011

34

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

stars CROSSWORD 533

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Many projects come to your attention—recognition is easy to find. Your ideas gain a great deal of attention. Since you will be feeling so healthy and natural, you are likely to be the one taking the first step. You should have all of the support that you could possibly want from those around you, or find that circumstances may dictate your taking action. Finding yourself on the same wavelength with others should be conducive to your having a great time with someone you love. General good feelings are in the air and should have you in the mood to think about just how much support and harmony you really have in your life. You could probably sell an ice house to an Eskimo with little problem; you are very persuasive but may appear mellow.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Optimism is easy to find this Tuesday. This is a fine time to try out some new ideas or engage in some new business dealings or investments. Compromise should be exercised whenever possible. Mental stimulation from others is key for you right now and it is a good idea to make every effort to cooperate and compromise with others. At home this evening, it would be wise to try and foster a sense of togetherness and team play among family members. You should probably try hard at this time to squelch the desire to do everything by yourself.

Insights into purchases for the family can be considered now, which may include a new car, or groceries. As you go about your chores, you may be of great help to someone today without even knowing it.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS

1. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

4. A small skullcap.

10. Syndrome resulting from a serious acute (sometimes fatal) infection associated with the presence of staphylococcus.

13. Grass mowed and cured for use as fodder.

14. Of or relating to or characteristic of Hades or Tartarus.

15. Annual grass of Europe and North Africa.

16. (Babylonian) A demigod or first man.

18. Paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people).

19. The compass point that is one point east (clockwise) of due north.

20. A member of an agricultural people of southern India.

22. Of or belonging to an aecium.

24. The capital and largest city of Bangladesh.

27. Russian country house.

28. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

31. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium.

32. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

33. German organist and contrapuntist (1685-1750).

38. Fiddler crabs.

40. With rapid movements.

43. Genus of tropical plants with creeping rootstocks and small umbellate flowers.

44. A quantity of no importance.

47. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Dali region of Yunnan.

48. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

49. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

51. (of a young animal) Abandoned by its mother and raised by hand.

55. Any of numerous New World woodland birds having brightly colored males.

58. A fencing sword similar to a foil but with a heavier blade.

60. A drug combination found in some over-the-counter headache remedies (Aspirin and Phenacetin and Caffeine).

61. German chemist noted for the synthetic production of ammonia (1868-1934).

63. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh.

64. Towards the side away from the wind.

65. Departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal.

66. Mild yellow Dutch cheese made in balls.

DOWN 1. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

2. An informal term for a father.

3. Two items of the same kind.

4. God of wealth and love.

5. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

6. Hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary gland (trade name Pitressin) and also by nerve endings in the hypothalamus.

7. (meaning literally `born') Used to indicate the maiden or family name of a married woman.

8. The United Nations agency concerned with atomic energy.

9. Having come or been brought to a conclusion.

10. (physiology) Of or relating to or producing normal tone or tonus in muscles or tissue.

11. A region of Malaysia in northeastern Borneo.

12. An ancient upright stone slab bearing markings.

17. A genus of Ploceidae.

21. (informal) Of the highest quality.

23. Someone who is morally reprehensible.

25. An esoteric or occult matter that is traditionally secret.

26. Of or relating to the ancient Aramaic languages.

29. The last (12th) month of the year.

30. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

34. Treated with contempt.

35. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

36. Being one hundred more than two hundred.

37. A beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water.

39. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

41. The capital of French Polynesia on the northwestern coast of Tahiti.

42. God of love and erotic desire.

45. With the mouth wide open as in wonder or awe.

46. An artistic form of nonverbal communication.

50. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

52. Channel into a new direction.

53. Flightless New Zealand rail of thievish disposition having short wings each with a spur used in fighting.

54. A signal transmitted along a narrow path.

56. Take in solid food.

57. A run that is the result of the batter's performance.

59. A number of sheets of paper fastened together along one edge.

62. Angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object).

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Communication and successful leadership qualities are in your favor. You are able to handle most any situation. You want adventure, freedom and to go where no one has gone. These are really strong yearnings and you could become engaged in some pretty strange things at this time. Consider a trip—even if you cannot afford it, it may be time to start planning and saving for one. Romance is possible. Someone that you are close to could be very supportive in all of this and increase your feeling of support and rapport. It should be a happy time with a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with someone you love. Go ahead and spread your wings and feel the wind beneath them. You will be guided.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

You will find that materialistic things and the whole concept of value take on more importance for you now. Financial security and enjoying the finer things in life; appreciating and creating things that others want to have are the experiences that assume a high priority. You may feel like being totally different at this time—trying out new and unusual things. This is a perfect time for new ideas, a breakthrough in thinking, a novel approach. Everything seems to work together to bring out your more unique and unusual qualities. It will please you to learn that someone you are close to is supportive of your dreams and wishes. It will not take much for you to come up with new solutions to old problems or to be very inventive.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You may find yourself in the mood for some rather deep and penetrating conversations or thoughts today. Expect some real insight into your own inner workings or psychology and in a form that you can manage. Procuring and sharing information assumes more emotional significance for you just now and that would be achieved in any way it comes: business insights, personal insights or over the-back-fence gossip. Communicating feelings becomes important.

You may find yourself out and about hunting for new clothes before the next family celebration. There is much anticipation between you and your family and friends regarding the New Year celebrations and you can feel it in the air as you shop. You make a discovery this evening.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) It may be a perfect time to be assertive and to move forward in your career decisions. This should be a wonderful time to be with others and to work together. Someone in authority could come to you with a proposition for a very special task. Your management and directional abilities are prominent.

There is a yearning for adventure and far horizons that beckons to you now. To roam, to wander and wonder, to seek freedom and go where no one has gone before, are the things that are deep and powerful longings. This is a time of romantic crusades—a universal love that might not be too particular. You have a great deal of energy that runs over into the evening and may find yourself volunteering in some way to help within a spiritual group.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

You should find this a particularly enjoyable day, perhaps filled with some renewed appreciation for all that is beautiful and fine. A feeling of value and valuing may find you bestowing affection on those near you. You might feel love or value for an older person. Your ability to make good commonsense decisions concerning group matters is appreciated. You seem to be blessed with a natural sense of what the public wants and needs at this time. Clear decisions that influence others could be made now. Anything that gets accomplished today will probably be due to the fact that you took the initiative to get the ball rolling. You could feel that you have a good support system. Being as flexible as possible will help you move forward with others.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) The need for emotional security is strong. Charisma, self-transformation, the development of personal power: all play a bigger role in your life now, more than ever before. You present a most positive and upbeat side while you lecture or speak to young people that need to hear what you have to say.

Fun and upbeat activity that helps you to teach will prove successful. You will be able to make a positive difference. Work this afternoon may include shoveling snow or chopping wood. Moral issues and the love of others are much more important now than material concerns—which may create a most unselfish time. This afternoon is a good time for surrounding yourself with friends. You appreciate your particular situation and enjoy the support you receive.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You are quite talented at figuring things out by digging beneath the surface and getting at what is beneath and behind a situation. This talent is what could have a friend or associate coming to you for help and advice regarding something quite personal and emotional. You should have little problem in handling and understanding any sort of emotional material. Your friendships will be strengthened by your compassion at this time. You may be a bit more on the reflective side this afternoon—wanting to spend more time with your loved ones.

You may not feel very outgoing or want to present yourself to the world. Too many parties lately may have you looking for some quiet time. You work your magic in a relationship this evening.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Yesterday’s Solution

Yester

Because you could be feeling an urgency to get total control over your life, you may find yourself with a greater interest or experience in healing and investing—and of course, the great mysteriousness of life and death. Sensual needs are but one of the life issues that you could find being emphasized for you now. You are embarking on a phase of emotional directness and impulsiveness now, one that is marked by forceful and powerful feelings. Emotional beginnings and perhaps even the establishment of some new habit could be what you are dealing with at this time. Just be sure that they are good changes as they will set the tone for quite some time to come. Tonight you may need to call a halt to someone that has borrowed one too many things.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Feeling very nostalgic and domestic could be calling to your attention the need for security and a sense of roots. Anything relating to family, home, relatives or real estate may play a bigger part in your life. You want to belong on a private, intimate and personal level. You long to be needed and to feel that it really is all right to have needs. You are quite practical when it comes to dealing and working with others. You know just what to do and can act without haste and emotion. You are called on to make use of your natural abilities and commonsense.

Friendships and interaction in group activities play a more important part for you now. Friends are our only true riches and the satisfaction that comes from doing things cooperatively is wonderful.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

This is a good time to work on a project of a large or complicated manner. You might enjoy stepping back to see what others have to offer—observing. You should enjoy great headway later today as you and others struggle to complete this project. Care must be exercised this afternoon, or you could find yourself making some inappropriate choices—in particular as to how they could affect your living situation. You may suffer from a bit of wanderlust and find yourself looking for adventure and something new and different. You could be seeking out some form of independence and allow yourself to go to places that you have never gone before. These experiences could bring you romantic encounters, a love that might not be too choosy—careful.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

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

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

lifest yle G o s s i p

eteran film and television actor Dan Frazer, best known for his role as Captain Frank McNeil on the 1970s television series “Kojak,” has died in New York. He was 90. Frazer’s daughter, Susanna Frazer, said Sunday her father died of cardiac arrest Dec 16 at his home in Manhattan. She described him as a “very

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truthful, naturalistic actor.” Frazer started playing character roles in various television series and films in the 1950s. His films include “Cleopatra Jones,” “Take the Money and Run” “Gideon’s Trumpet” and “Deconstructing Harry.” Besides “Kojak,” Frazer’s television appearances include “Car 54, Where Are You,”

“Route 66,” “Barney Miller” and “Law & Order.” He was a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and an adviser to The Workshop Theatre Co.

Osbourne

has broken her hand

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he reality TV star has been left with a permanent “thumbs up” after falling out of her bed in a hotel and fracturing her left hand. In a series of tweets, she wrote: “I must be the most accident prone/stupid person in the world I fell out my bed while sleeping last night & fractured my hand in 3 places! “I’m staying in a hotel and the bed is so tall I must have dropped about 4 1/2 feet! “it’s my left hand & I’m left handed so my mum has to brush my hair & cut my food 4 me i feel like a baby again. of course my mum is loving it! “the worst part is I permanently look like I’m giving everyone the thumbs up because of the way its casted!!” One of Kelly’s fans, @Mbalz3, was confused as to how she could still be tweeting her fans, asking Kelly: “if you ‘re left handed and your left is the one that’s hurt. How are you tweeting (sic)?” The ‘Fashion Police’ star replied by saying: “I do have 2 hands you know!”

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handie Newton believes there are no rules to parenting. The busy actress has two daughters Ripley, 11, and Nico, seven, with her director spouse Ol Parker and Thandie - who admits when her husband is away working she allows the girls to stay up late so they can all spend time together - tries not to follow the conventional rules of being a mother. She explained: “I try to be a mirror instead of impressing myself on them all the time. I take responsibility for my actions, explain to them, ‘The reason I’m rushing is’ or ‘It’s not your fault I’m upset.’ “But if I come across even remotely annoyed with them, I do get, ‘All right mummy’ and I think, ‘Jesus, you have no idea what real rage is.’” While Thandie is known for championing British designers, she revealed her daughters love dressing up, something she had no interest in when she was younger. She told Style magazine: “They’re into styling more than fashion. Dressing up. I wasn’t like that when I was younger. Not at all. I was in a lot of denial about my appearance when I was younger so I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to draw attention to myself.

Maybe I’m making up for it now.”

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ost New Year resolutions include dieting. Not for Jessie J. The British singer says her goal for 2012 is to gain more weight. Jessie J says she’s “been working hard this year” and that “it’s important to know when you need to gain weight, or when you need to lose weight and be healthy.” The 23-yearold is known for her slim figure and skintight outfits. She released her debut CD “Who We Are” earlier this year. It’s double platinum in the United Kingdom, where she has four Top 10 hits, including the No. 1 tune “Price Tag.” That song has reached the Top 40 in America. The singer also plans to shave her head for charity. Says Jessie J: “I want to make a difference in the world.”

Olivia O

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ritney Spears partied until 4am to celebrate her engagement on Friday. The ‘Hold It Against Me’ singer threw a joint engagement and 40th birthday party for her fiance Jason Trawick at the Chateau club in Las Vegas, spending money on Dom Perignon champagne and a chocolate fountain to adorn the room. A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “Britney made sure there was plenty of Dom Perignon champagne flowing throughout the bash. She had a couple of glasses herself. She stayed until 4am when she and Jason returned to their 50th floor suite.” Writing on twitter, Britney said:

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“Tonight was one of the most magical nights of my life. Such an amazing time with my new fiance and our closest friends and family.

Blessed. (sic)” Meanwhile, Neil Lane, the designer responsible for designing the engagement ring Jason gave to Britney has revealed he has been creating the piece of jewelry - which features one main diamond and 90 smaller gems on an eternity band - for some time while she has been touring the world. He told People: “Jason is a romantic and when I asked him to tell me about Britney and what the ring would represent to them so I could find inspiration, his response was always the same - she is a princess.

ennifer Lopez has revealed she feared there was something wrong with her daughter Emme when she discovered a lump on her head when she was a baby. The ‘On The Floor’ hitmaker has recalled her panic at finding the bump on the head of her daughter, who is now three, shortly after she and her twin brother Max were born and she was so worried she and her then-husband Marc Anthony rushed her straight to hospital. Jennifer told CNN: “I just remember that feeling of something is wrong with that baby and I’m gonna die. “I remember looking at Marc and going, ‘We should call the doctor.’ I started panicking a little bit and he was panicking too because we were thinking, ‘Did somebody drop her when we weren’t looking?’ “I just remember looking at him and saying, ‘If this baby . if Emme’s not going to be OK, I’m not going to be OK. He’s like, ‘I’m not going

livia Newton-John has shelved plans to write an autobiography. The 63-yearold actress - whose varied career has seen her be an actress, singer and charity worker - began writing things down so she could tell her life story, but changed her mind recently. She said: “You have to find out so many things about life when you are 18.

One of them, which I did not know then, was that I would have no desire to tell my life story. “I have written things down for an autobiography, but have scrapped it. “I’ve decided that, living in the public eye, there’s so little of my life that has been mine over the years. I want to keep what is left to myself.” Another thing the ‘Grease’ star has learnt to do now she is older is to live each day as it comes. Olivia admits it’s easy to get too focused on the future when

to be OK - none of us are going to be OK.’ “ “Luckily” everything was fine with Emme after she underwent some routine tests, but it made Jennifer think about the stresses that less fortunate mothers experience because of their lack of money She said: “I was thinking, ‘What if I didn’t have that?

What if I didn’t have access to great health care?’ What if I was a mom just sitting there and there was something wrong with my baby and there was nothing I could do about it?” In response to the scare, Jennifer and Marc started the Maribel Foundation, named after Marc’s sister Maribel who died of brain cancer at eight, which is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of women and children.

—Bang Showbiz

you’re young and ambitious and you forget to enjoy the moment. In an interview with The Sun newspaper, she added: “I wish I had realized at 18 that it is best to live for the day. To have plans and targets is all very well, but they can take over your life.

“I also should have realized how quickly life goes by. It starts slowly, but as you get older the faster it becomes. A year now goes by so quickly.”

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

LIFESTYLE M u s i c

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Artists dressed as Disney’s popular fictional animation characters Cinderella, left, and her Prince Charming perform during a promotional event at the Bangalore Palace in Bangalore, India, yesterday. Cinderella is a 1950 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the fairy tale “Cendrillon” written by Charles Perrault in 1934. —AP

Kate Winslet finds delight in ‘Carnage’

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hen Roman calls, Kate goes to work. Holidays can wait.

That’s Roman, as in Polanski, and, Kate as in Winslet, whose new film “Carnage,” a satirical comedy of manners that skewers overbearing parents, opens on Friday, one day after earning Winslet a Golden Globe nomination for acting. “I had planned not to work,” Winslet told Reuters in a telephone interview. “But that notion just went right out the window the second I heard the name Roman Polanski.

“One doesn’t think of oneself as being ever sort of Roman Polanskiworthy,” said Winslet about the director of such classics as “Chinatown” and “Rosemary’s Baby.”

“So you’d have to be kind of stupid, really, not to change your plans.”

“Carnage,” which also co-stars Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly and Christoph Waltz, is based on Yasmina Reza’s biting Broadway satire of two sets of parents who meet one afternoon to discuss their sons’ playground fracas. Set smack in the middle of smug self-righteousness that is one of the hallmarks of upscale Brooklyn neighborhoods, the film chronicles in real time the couples’ downward spiral as polite overtures give way to Scotch-and-cobbler-fueled invective-a sort of “Virginia Woolf lite.”

“What’s so brilliant is that Yasmina was able to make this scenario funny, because if it wasn’t funny, it really wouldn’t be a very pleasant film to watch,” Winslet said. “She lets us laugh with them, and at them, but more importantly, at them,” she said of the four characters-a liberal writer (Foster), her

plumbing fixtures salesman husband (Reilly), a shady lawyer (Waltz) and an investment broker (Winslet) — who are all in virtually every scene. Winslet, who won an Oscar for “The Reader” after six nominations, laughed heartily when recalling “Carnage”‘s “rather ridiculous set-up, where they eat cobbler and drink whiskey-in the middle of the

faze Winslet, who shot to fame on the strength of performances in small, independent films such as “Heavenly Creatures” and “Sense and Sensibility” before striking box office gold with “Titanic.” Winslet, after all, is a woman who recently braved a raging inferno at Richard Branson’s private island villa in the Caribbean to rescue his elderly

day! It’s just so absurd.”

mother and who took on Britain’s notorious tabloids in a 2009 libel case-and won.

“I’ve never come across such energy in a man, maybe ever,” she said of Polanski. “He has such incredible charisma ... and the naughtiest, cheekiest energy.” As to his working style, she called Polanski “incredibly direct. He is

Sherlock Holmesleads North American box office

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new adventure of Sherlock Holmes and the famous detective’s loyal sidekick Watson landed on top of North American box office charts over the weekend, industry estimates showed Sunday. The British-American action mystery film directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Robert Downey, Jr and Jude Law grossed $40 million, according to Exhibitor Relations. “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” is a sequel to the 2009 film “Sherlock Holmes” about the character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

For its opening weekend, “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” earned a disappointing $23.5 million, still enough to land it in second place. It was the third animated film about the singing chipmunks. Tom Cruise action feature “Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol” had a $13 million start, playing in some 425 IMAX and other large-format screen theaters. Falling to fourth, last week’s winner “New Year’s Eve” earned $7.4 million. The star-studded holiday romance features Michelle Pfeiffer and Zac Efron, with appearances by Robert de Niro and Halle Barry.

That pushed it ahead of adult comedy “The Sitter,” with Jonah Hill starring as a reluctant babysitter. It raked in $4.4 million. Blockbuster

vampire heart-throb flick “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1,” came in sixth. It rang up $4.3 million in its fifth weekend in theaters, for a total of $266.4 million so far. Charlize Theron drama “Young Adult,” directed by Jason Reitman earned $3.7 million after expanding its showings from just eight theaters to nearly 1,000 this weekend.

Theron stars as a fiction writer who returns to small town Minnesota after her divorce in hopes to win back the heart of an ex-boyfriendplayed by Patrick Wilson-who is now married with children. Dropping two spots to eighth was Martin Scorsese’s first 3-D film “Hugo.” The adventure drama based on Brian Selznick’s novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” about a boy who lives alone in a Paris railway station $3.6 million. It came ahead of animated family comedy “Arthur Christmas,” about Santa’s son tasked with completing a mission by Christmas morning. The film pulled in $3.6 million. Rounding out the top 10 was “The Muppets,” based on Jim Henson’s puppet characters, which grossed $3.5 million for its fourth week in theaters. —AFP

Unfazed by demanding director But while Winslet said the eightweek Paris shoot was “a really terrific time for all four of us,” it wasn’t full-on fun and laughter. Polanski, after all, has a reputation as one of the film world’s more autocratic and meticulous directors. That didn’t

Polanski s R

oman Polanski’s new comedy” Carnage” had a solid opening at the box office this weekend, while “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and “The Descendants” continued their strong runs. “Carnage,” starring Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz and Kate Winslet, opened to $85,696 — a per-location average of $17,139 at five theaters. The strong debut comes after Foster received a Golden Globe nomination earlier in the week for her work on the film.

The R-rated movie, distributed by Sony Classics, is based on the play “God of Carnage,” by Yasmina Reza, who wrote the screenplay with Polanski. In the movie, Alan and Nancy Cowan go to the apartment of Michael and Penelope Longstreet to apologize for their son, who hit the Longstreets’ boy with a stick. They’re there to resolve issues around the

really blunt, really frank, which I love.” “He can be cutthroat,” she continued. “But at the same time I was surprised by how collaborative he was,” telling the cast to “try it your way,” before adding after a pause: “My way will be better, but try it.”

“Bless him, he would let us have a go,” she laughed. Winslet allowed that in order to work with such a perfectionist “you have to be, as an actor, very tough. For a younger actor who isn’t so experienced, I could imagine how Roman’s directing style could be very overwhelming.”

The actress said she was surprised by how much she enjoyed the theatrical nature of the film shoot, which was preceded by two full weeks of rehearsal and the cast having to learn the entire script-the way it’s done on stage. “People think because I’m English I’ve done so much theater. But I’ve hardly done any,” she said. “It was surprising to me, how much I did enjoy the process of repetition, repetition, repetition.” So did it whet her appetite to return to the stage, which she hasn’t visited professionally since age 18? “I have my children. They are my world and absolutely my priority, and the idea not to be able to put them to bed for three months and have weekends with them for three months ...

I’ll keep fantasizing about it, but will have to park the idea for now,” she said. —Reuters

Carnage posts strong box-office debut

playground melee, but end up having a series of childish arguments of their own. Meanwhile, in its second weekend of release, Focus Features’ R-rated “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” an espionage thriller based on the John le Carre novel, continued to perform well.

Expanding from four locations to 16, the film grossed $452,278 for a substantial per-screen average of $28,267. The second-weekend average is the highest for any movie expanding in such a pattern-from four theaters to 16 or 18 in its second weekend-according to Focus Features.

Until this weekend, 2004’s “Sideways” had the highest such average, with a second-week per-screen average of $25,288 in 16 locations. “The Wrestler” in 2008 was just behind that, with a second-week per-screen average of $21,529 in 18 locations.

“Tinker Tailor” has grossed $851,842 to date. In its third week of release, meanwhile, Steve McQueen’s “Shame” expanded by 30 theaters to 51, and grossed $305,000 — a solid $5,980 per screen. It has taken a total of $1.2 million. The NC-17-rated movie, starring Michael Fassbender, is distributed by Fox Searchlight.

Fassbender has been nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in the film.

Two films from the Weinstein Company, both in their fourth week of release, continued to post strong numbers as well. “The Artist,” the mostly silent, black-and-white PG-13rated movie earned Michel Hazanavicius a Golden Globe nomination for best director. It grossed $276,879 at 17 locations-one more than the previous week-for a per-location average of $16,875. The movie, nominated for six Golden Globes, has

a total gross of $1.3 million.

And “My Week With Marilyn,” the Rrated movie starring Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe and directed by Simon Curtis, grossed $586,000, a per-location average of $2,402 at its 244 locations. The movie, nominated for three Golden Globes, has grossed just short of $6.1 million.

Finally, “The Descendants” increased by two theaters, to 878, and grossed $3.35 million in its fifth week of release- a per-location average of $3,815. It has now grossed $28.7 million. The R-rated movie earned Golden Globe nominations for star George Clooney and director Alexander Payne. Its other nominations include a nod in the category of Best Picture- Drama. —Reuters

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H1 may have honored singing divas at its annual VH1 Divas special, but the night was all about collaboration. 50 Cent was hand-in-hand with Chaka Khan on the red carpet; Mavis Staples screamed her love for Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine and Ledisi gushed over meeting Martha Reeves. “It’s exciting. You see me, I’m standing next to the fire,” 50 Cent said, while Khan laughed. The rapper said he called the veteran singer and told her he wanted to be her date. He said he and Khan are working together on music and movie projects. “Hopefully we’ll be able to put together some movie things because her life story is epic,” he said. “I want to be a part of it.”

Khan added that 50 Cent is “savvy” and she’s excited to learn from the younger generation. “(He) knows the ropes in a way I don’t, in a way I’m looking to. He’ll be giving me a lot of direction in the future,” she said. Another unconventional pair was Welch and Staples, who told the London singer “I just love you so much.” “I saw you the other night on ‘X Factor.’ I saw you. I said there she go that machine!”

Staples said, laughing along with Welch. Inside the event, there were more pairings, from Mary J Blige, Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson to Khan, Staples, Jessie J and Erykah Badu.

The night honored cities where soul music has thrived, like Philadelphia, Detroit, Memphis, Chicago and London.

Welch, Wanda Jackson and Sharon Jones and the DapKings also paid tribute to the late Amy Winehouse. “With Amy it hurts me bad that she’s not here. I got to talk her slightly over 24 hours before she passed. We were supposed to hang and work on stuff, but I think it’s very fitting tonight,” said Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, whose group The Roots worked as the event’s house band. “(We’re) giving really a talented soul her just-do.”

“She was the most incredible artist,” added Welch, who performed Winehouse’s “Back to Black” at the taping, held at the Hammerstein Ballroom. “I feel kind of overwhelmed.”

Other performers included Jill Scott, Boyz II Men, Marsha Ambrosius and Estelle. The special aired last night.—AP (From left) Chaka Khan, Mavis Staples and Erykah Badu perform .

Mary J Blige

Chaka Khan, left, and 50 Cent arrive at ‘VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul’ on Sunday in New York. — AP photos

Jessie J

Boyz II Men and Black Thought, of The Roots, second from left, perform onstage.

Jennifer Hudson

Boyz II Men

Samuel L Jackson

Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah appear onstage.

Sharon Jones and Wanda Jackson

Ledisi and Sharon Jones

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Kelly Clarkson and Ledisi

Chaka Khan and Mary J Blige Florence Welch

(From left) Divas Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson and Mary J Blige.

La La Anthony

Jill Scott

Mary J Blige

(From left) Black Thought, of The Roots, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott.

(From left) Marsha Ambrosius, Martha Reeves and Sharon Jones perform onstage.

Terrence Howard appears onstage.

(From left) Erykah Badu, Marsha Ambrosius and Estelle.

Jennifer Hudson

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2011

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File photo shows Jhollywood actor Prashant Kumar Sharma and Kim Roi rehearse a dance sequence prior to the shooting of a music video album, on the outskirts of Ranchi in Jharkhand. —AFP photos

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Do-it-yourself glamour for India’s ‘Jhollywood’ stars

n one of India’s poorest, most violence-wracked states, being a movie star means doing your own make-up in a car mirror and then dancing to a soundtrack from a mobile phone. Los Angeles has Hollywood, Mumbai has Bollywoodand then there’s Jhollywood, a tiny but enthusiastic film industry in the eastern state of Jharkhand. “This is the biggest problem of working in our movies, you have to do everything yourself... apply your own makeup, supply your own costumes,” Jhollywood’s leading female star Varsha Lakra grumbles with a smile.

On a sunny Sunday morning in Ranchi, the scruffy state capital, Lakra, 24, is on location at her latest shoot. She sits in her small car, applying pink eyeshadow, eye-liner, layers of foundation and powder as the traffic whizzes past. “Our films are made keeping our culture in mind and our culture is not that glamorous,” she admits. “We show our villages and how, as Jharkhand develops, people are leaving the villages to go work in towns.”“Jhollywood” prides itself on telling the stories of the state’s low-caste and tribal people, making movies on shoestring budgets with minimal equipment.

Producers raise capital by cashing in anything from parcels of land to cars, and some of the film industry’s

key players are shopkeepers who have day jobs selling mobile phones and CDs. Jhollywood’s stars may have lives far different from Bollywood’s adored big-name screen legends, but they are hugely popular in the state. Lakra and her actor husband Monuraj, 25, are household names, and are regularly mobbed by

Photo shows Jhollywood actress Varsha Lakra applies her make-up in her car on location. fans. “Recently I was out with my family and some village women saw me. They just grabbed me, and wouldn’t let go. They kept saying, you must come to our home for a meal,” she says, smiling at the memory.

With limited funds and few cine-

Photo shows actor and director Deepak Lohar and crew members of a film unit in action during the shooting of Jhollywood movie ‘Aye Sajani’, on the outskirts of Ranchi in Jharkhand.

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ma owners willing to screen Jhollywood over Bollywood fare, however, the industry-barely two decades old-is fighting to stay afloat.

Lakra, who said she earns up to 30,000 rupees ($600) per film, does not let such grave concerns get in the way of her art as she starts shooting a song against a backdrop of

and multiple musical sequences.

Lakra’s most recent release, “Karma” was a saga about a villager who avenges the murder of his sister’s boyfriend. But, unlike Bollywood, most Jhollywood productions are shot on digital video and in the local languages of Sadri, Nagpuri and Santhali. Lakra told AFP

Photo shows crew members of a film unit in action during the shooting of Jhollywood movie ‘Aye Sajani’, on the outskirts of Ranchi.

wooded hills. As butterflies flit around, she improvises the choreography while one of the crew members holds up a cheap mobile phone playing the soundtrack. Jhollywood films often follow the same basic plotlines as Bollywood, featuring a dash of romance, a few fight scenes

Photo shows a make-up artist touches up actress Kanchan Rai on location.

she began working at 15, when a local composer asked her to act in a music video. Now, with four films released and five more on the way, Lakra says she hopes to move up to a Bollywood project some day.

She admits to waiting outside Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh

Photo shows local villagers watch crew members of a film unit in action during the shooting of Jhollywood movie ‘Aye Sajani’, on the outskirts of Ranchi in Jharkhand.

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“Bollywood is like an ocean compared to us. Even if I get a small role there, I will go ahead with it for sure,” she says. The first Jhollywood film, “Sona kar Nagpur” (Golden Nagpur) was released in 1992 and director Dhananjay Nath Tiwari did so many jobs that his name appeared a reported 13 times in the credits.

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Sikdar’s latest venture, “Jharkhand ka Chhaila” (The Boy From Jharkhand) attracted good audiences last year in local cinemasthough no official figures are available-but he was still unable to recov-

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His situation is not unusual-in the last 19 years, only one Jhollywood production is thought to have broken even, meaning film-making is a costly labor of love. And fear of violence by left-wing Maoist insurgents is another problem as villagers are reluctant to make the trip to city cinemas after sunset. “They are afraid to go on the roads. If they do go out, then they will get stopped by the police and questioned. So why would anyone take the risk?” Sikdar said.

A thriving piracy racket also means that the market is flooded with fake copies just days after the original film is released. Such difficulties mean that the harsh realities of film-making are testing the dedication of even the keenest Jhollywood insider. Producer Shahid Akhter, who runs a music shop in Ranchi, said he was ready to quit the film business after the failure of his second venture, “Pyaar kar Sapna” (Love’s Dream) earlier this year. “I have lost the strength to make a third film. I think it might be time to start selling electronic goods instead. I have to keep my family going.” —AFP

Photo shows Jhollywood actor Monuraj puts on make-up using his car’s rear view mirror on location.