23 Nov 2011

CR IP TI ON BS SU

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Tunisia enters new era of democracy

Indian rupee hits record low against US dollar

NO: 15277

150 FILS

7 40 PAGES

THULHIJJA 27, 1432 AH

UK wins five International Emmys as Gaga drops in

www.kuwaittimes.net

United hopes in balance as Benfica snatch draw

21 38 17 Govt supporters stage

huge rally backing PM Liberals to vote against PM • 50 summoned over storming

Max 20º Min 15º Low Tide 02:53 & 14:50 High Tide 08:57 & 20:03

By B Izzak

conspiracy theories

So what now?

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

H

ooray! At last we became like Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen. A demonstration against the government followed by another demonstration for the government. One rally you will see with banners saying: “Al shaab yureed iskaat alnizam (the people want the government to fall!)”.

Then the other side comes with a slogan: “Al shaab yureed ibqa (...the government to stay!).” There are so many other slogans. Sometimes they are so funny that they are almost like poetry. Some of them are amusing and feels like a part of a theatre performance. Unfortunately, Arabic language is too complicated for me to translate all these slogans chanted by demonstrators. They make them like songs.

It is so sad, guys. Don’t think I am happy to say this. I am saying it out of irony. We all expected this chaos to start happening in Kuwait if the honorable gentlemen in parliament continue behaving the same way they are doing now. We have become the laughing stock of the world. My friends from all over the world call me as if I am in charge or responsible for what is going on. They ask me: “Why are you demonstrating in Kuwait? We all wish to be in your shoes, guys!” You work little and have high salaries. Most of you have houses and those who are new graduates are supported by government rents.”

They tell me: “We heard that the Amir gives monthly subsidies for rice, milk, cheese, chicken, tomato paste, sugar etc. You are lucky guys in Kuwait. You pay little for your electricity and water bills, provided you pay at all. If you have a Hummer, you will fill it up with KD 5. If you are a humble man with an ordinary Toyota or a Honda, you fill it with KD 3. In other parts of the world, you have to multiply this number by 10.

In Kuwait, we have free schooling and universities. If you are smart and a graduate, you can also apply to be sent on scholarship to Canada, UK, US or many other places. Healthcare is free. If treatment is not available, the government is sending you to the UK, US, France or Germany. Even if you marry, you are given a KD 4,000 grant from the government. If you work in the private sector you are provided with a government salary. Wow! Isn’t that spoiling? So what is there to protest about?

OK, parliament is there to supervise the government. There are many things we need. The basics are there. We don’t have dictators who fill up jails with political prisoners. We don’t have a secret police to crack down on our houses. We say what we want at the diwaniya. There is no feeling of being scared from police or the government or high-level officials. The connection between the people and the government is simple.

Other countries do not enjoy such freedoms.

Especially in the Arab world. We can speak what we want in parliament and this is nothing new. The press is free and is one of the best in the area. You do not feel suppressed or oppressed in Kuwait and that is a nice feeling. What more people need?

There is no perfect government in the world just like there is no perfect nation. I agree that there are issues which need to be discussed but we have parliament to discuss it. We have proper channels.

But what do we do? We marched and destroyed even the dome of Abdullah Salem Hall - the place where we should discuss our problems.

KUWAIT: Pro-government demonstrators wave national flags as they gather outside the National Assembly yesterday. (Inset) A large flag is waved from a car driving along Arabian Gulf Road. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Political tension escalated to new heights yesterday as government supporters held a massive rally to back the prime minister while liberals made strong calls for sacking the prime minister and dissolving the National Assembly as the only solution for Kuwait’s political stalemate. At a gathering organized by the National Democratic Alliance at the Graduates Society, MP Saleh Al-Mulla said that all the five MPs of the National Action Bloc will vote against the prime minister in the grilling that is scheduled to be debated on Nov 29.

The announcement effectively means that if the grilling is debated, the opposition will have sufficient votes to unseat Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah, which is 25. MPs Musallam AlBarrak, Faisal Al-Mislem and Abdulrahman Al-Anjari last week filed to grill the prime minister over the bank deposit scandal involving 16 MPs and allegations that the premier transferred public funds into his overseas bank accounts. The government has strongly denied the accusation.

The government has said that it is studying the grilling to see if it is in line with the constitution based on last month’s ruling by the constitutional court which stated that the prime minister cannot be grilled for issues not under his direct jurisdiction. MP Al-Mulla also said that the National Bloc will submit a fresh grilling against the prime minister if the current grilling does not succeed. MP Marzouk Al-Ghanem appealed to HH the Amir to resolve the crisis to free Kuwait of the problems it is facing, adding that the demands are a new government with a new prime minister.

Continued on Page 13

Presidential polls in June: Egypt junta Aspirations of peoples not to be feared: Juppe KUWAIT: Arab regimes should not fear their peoples’ aspirations for democracy and reform, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told a pro-democracy forum in Kuwait yesterday. “A year after the start of the Arab Spring ... states gathering here should show they do not fear the aspirations of their peoples and civil society,” Juppe told the opening session of the eighth Forum for the Future. “On the contrary, we must support them through promoting the principles of democracy and human rights,” the French chief diplomat said at the forum, a partnership between the G8 and the broader Middle East and North Africa.

Continued on Page 13 CAIRO: Egyptians carry the shrouded body of a protester who was killed during clashes with the Egyptian riot police during his funeral in Tahrir Square yesterday. — AP

Erdogan: Coward Assad must quit

KUWAIT: French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe and his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Sabah AlKhaled Al-Sabah attend the official opening of the G8-Deauville partnership foreign ministers’ meeting yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

DAMASCUS: Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad was branded a coward yesterday by his onetime friend and ally, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who urged him to quit or face a bloody death like other dictators. The opposition Syrian National Council said, meanwhile, that it is already pressing ahead with plans for a conference together with the Arab League to prepare for a “transitional period” after the fall of Assad’s regime.

Assad is under mounting pressure from Syria’s neighbours to step down over his regime’s eight-month crackdown on protests that the United Nations says has killed more than 3,500 people.

Continued on Page 13

Bahrain oppn: repression ‘systematic’ MANAMA: Bahraini rights activists welcomed yesterday a government vow to outlaw torture and take action against those who committed abuse during unrest this year, but said they wanted to see senior officials fired so the Gulf state can turn a page. Bahrain’s government admitted on Monday that security forces had used “excessive force” and mistreated detainees in the effort to crush a pro-democracy movement this year. It also said it had started prosecuting 20 officers, but gave no details.

The confession came ahead of the release of an independent report expected to criticise the handling of the unrest in the island state, now mired in sectarian strife between majority Shiite Muslims and a ruling Sunni Muslim elite.

Continued on Page 13

SITRA, Bahrain: Tear gas rains down on anti-government protesters yesterday where clashes erupted during a procession marking the third day after the death of a teen who was killed by a police vehicle. — AP

CAIRO: Egypt’s military ruler said yesterday that presidential polls will be held by the end of June, and offered a referendum on the immediate transfer of power in a bid to contain mass anti-militar y rallies. Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who took power when Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February, said in a televised address that he had accepted the cabinet’s resignation, a week before crucial legislative polls which he said would be held on schedule. The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) “does not aspire to hold power and is fully willing to transfer responsibility immediately should the people wish it, through a popular referendum if necessary,” Tantawi said.

He said the council had accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf’s cabinet and had “tasked it to carry on working until a new government is formed... to handle the transition in cooperation with the Supreme Council”.

Continued from Page 13

3 Saudi Shiites killed by police ‘stray bullets’ Govt denies report DUBAI: Three Shiites have been killed accidentally in eastern Saudi Arabia by stray bullets fired by police, a Saudi activist said yesterday, but the Interior Ministry denied the report. Tawfiq Al-Saif, an activist, told Reuters the government was sending a team to the town of Al-Qatif to investigate the deaths, which have angered Shiites in the oil-producing Eastern Province ahead of their Ashoura holiday. The Interior Ministry, in a statement emailed later yesterday, said the report of the deaths was “not accurate”. It said one person was found dead after shooting at a police checkpoint on Sunday night, and another person had died in hospital after being taken there on Monday night by “unknown people”. The ministry did not say whether security forces had opened fire in the Sunday incident and said the Eastern Province police were investigating both events.

Saudi Arabia has escaped the popular protests that have swept three Arab heads of state from power this year, reacting to the unrest in the region by promising to spend some $130 billion on housing and other social benefits for its citizens. But smallscale protests have taken place in the Eastern Province, where most of the Sunni-run kingdom’s Shiite minority live.

Continued on Page 13

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Years

LOCAL

‘Citizens entered NA building to escape from security forces’ Al-Tabtabae defends ‘Black Wednesday’

By A Saleh

KUWAIT: Kuwait Fire Service Directorate has donated 14 heavy vehicles to its Senegalese counterpart. Senegal Interior Minister spoke about the fruitful mutual cooperation between the two countries in the field of fire and civil defense, which has been ongoing for nearly two decades. Kuwait’s Ambassador to Senegal Dr Hamad Bu Rahman conveyed greetings from Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud as well as those of KFSD Director General Maj Gen Jassem Al-Mansouri.

Asian man stabbed KUWAIT: Two people are facing attempted murder charges following their arrest after stabbing their rival during a fight and leaving him in a critical condition. The victim was admitted in the intensive care unit in the Adan Hospital where he was hospitalized following a fight that took place in Fahaheel. Investigations revealed that the Asian man was stabbed during a fight with two compatriots over moneyrelated disputes, and the two suspects were caught soon afterwards. They are set to face legal action.

Amghara accident An Arab man died at the Amghara Scrap after being accidentally hit by a car while crossing a street. Paramedics were shortly present at the site where a Kuwaiti man reported hitting a pedestrian accidentally. The 32-year-old victim was pronounced dead on the scene, and the driver was taken into custody for investigations.

Cons held Police arrested an employee who forged his employer’s signature on car registration documents. Salmiya officers were first approached by a businessman who pressed charges against a GCC national that works for him as a representative, accusing him of using his identity to release car registration documents. The suspect admitted his crime following his arrest and was taken to the proper authorities for further action. Meanwhile, a female citizen pressed charges at the Salhiya police station against her husband, saying that he forged her signature on a bank document which he used to finalize

a transaction. A case was filed for investigations.

Assailant caught A man accused of physically assaulting an assistant undersecretary of a local ministry was arrested recently hours after a subpoena was issued. The suspect, who works as a division head at the same ministry, was pulled over in Salmiya by patrol officers - who later placed him under arrest after learning about his arrest order while verifying his identity. The man was sent to the relevant authorities for further action.

Divorcee sues ex A citizen filed a case against his ex-girlfriend, demanding compensation for what he believes as ruining his marriage. The man had engaged in a quarrel with his wife after she answered his phone and found out that another woman was calling and talking about subjects which hinted that she was in a relationship with her husband. The citizen learned later that the caller is a woman with whom he once had what he described as “an innocent relationship”, and went ahead to press charges against her. Investigations in the case are ongoing.

Pesticide poisoning A man was rushed to the Mubarak Hospital after being exposed to pesticides that left him in a serious case of poisoning. An investigation was opened at the Maidan Hawally police station to reveal whether the Egyptian man was attempting suicide or the case was an accident.

KUWAIT: MP Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabae said a meeting was held with lawyers Mohammad AlDalal and Al-Hemaidi Al-Subaie, in the presence of MP Jamaan Al-Harbash, to discuss the defense of those accused of storming the National Assembly and added that there are three hotlines for anyone who wants to call. Al-Tabtabae said citizens resorted to the National Assembly to escape from security forces, and on the invitation of MPs, but did not cause any damage inside Abdallah Al-Salem Chamber. Al-Tabtabae found it strange for the public prosecution’s quick summoning of individuals in the storming issue and wondered why the MPs involved in the deposit scandal weren’t called earlier. He said “We hold the public prosecution responsible if it goes behind the political events, and we ask: Will the people called in the storming case be detained?” He added that they should be released, and if they committed a crime, then they should be subjected to judicial probe.

About the legislative committee lifting immu-

nity from him and some other MPs based on their participation in a TV show during which they spoke about Bahraini events, Al-Tabtabae said these are fabricated cases and charges and the prosecution should not become a part of the political game. He said the legislative committee is a tool in the government’s hand, adding that they did not say anything slanderous. “What we said is on the side of the Gulf organization, and they want Kuwait to be isolated from its Gulf depth. The TV show was called ‘Our Gulf, Our Fence’ so is it realistic for us to be sent to the prosecution because we defended Saudi Arabia and Bahrain?”

Meanwhile, Kuwait government official spokesman, State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Ali Fahad Al-Rashid said “We reject the unexpected storming of the Parliament on black Wednesday and feel saddened and ashamed by the incident”. He said “We have a clear image of who went and attacked policemen who exercised extreme self-control bravely”.

Al-Rashid also said that freedom and dignity Kuwaiti people enjoy is unmatched all across the

world, including the most democratic ones.

Minister Al-Rashid said the Assembly storming case is at the prosecution including names of MPs and people who committed mistakes, and there will not be any charges dropped since it is a stable case.

He said “I tell Al-Barrak ‘You are not a political adolescent, and please review what you said.’

There are countries wishing that they get half of what we have because we say whatever we want without fear of those who come at dawn”. He also said “I wish I was an MP at this moment to say whatever I want, and if anything happens in the country, then it is the responsibility of those who work against it” and added “I am worried for our country, and the strange thing is that anything that takes place, the government will be held responsible for it”.

Al-Rashid said the MPs who participated in the storming are responsible and can be imprisoned for life. On the topic of millions of dinars deposit, Al-Rashid said “the government has nothing to do with the deposits issue; the issue is to find out the sources of the money”.

Black Wednesday events ‘setback to democracy’ KUWAIT: Events which unfolded on Wednesday, Nov 16, should not be used to justify imposing restrictions on freedom, but instead must encourage Kuwaitis to become more committed to improving their democracy. This was mentioned in a recent statement released by the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in a comment on the incident in which the Parliament building was stormed by hundreds of protestors led by opposition MPs. The KCCI described the “Black Wednesday” events as “a setback to Kuwait’s democracy and parliamentary life”, but called for using this setback “to motivate efforts to evaluate social, political and economic situations properly and work to implement changes that boost national unity and push forward the development process”.

Moreover, the KCCI pointed out that cooperation and unity of approach between ruling family members is necessary for resolving the crisis “especially since allegiance to the ruling family in Kuwait isn’t

only based on constitutional legitimacy, but also the historic national legitimacy”.

Meanwhile, Group 26 - a national campaign active in combating waste of national wealth - reiterated their calls for a parliamentary dissolution and fresh elections as well as appointment of a new Cabinet, while condemning the Parliament’s storming. In other news, attorney of Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah announced plans to file lawsuits against opposition figure MP Musallam Al-Barrak next week over accusations he made against the Premier. “ The options for tak ing legal action against Al-Barrak are high following accusations he made over the past two months”, said lawyer Emad Al-Seif, adding that he is currently weighing options whether to press criminal or civil charges against the lawmaker. Al-Seif also said that the Premier is weighing options to press insult charges against others. — Al-Rai

KUWAIT: Capital governorate detectives uncovered details of a murder case in which a GCC national was killed in the Bnaid Al Qar area two days ago. They have arrested those responsible for the murder. A secret agent revealed to detectives that the killers are two Arab expats. The pair agreed to meet and rob the victim’s money and mobile, before going to his residence and stabbing him to death.

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Years

LOCAL

Back to the Future: ACK hosts lecture on robotics ‘Genius is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration’

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Australian College of Kuwait (ACK) hosted a lecture on robotics yesterday which was presented by Italian engineer Daniel Benedettelli, an international expert in robotics. He presented different robots he had developed over the years.

“Robotics are used in producing almost ever ything including manufacturing machines, packing food stuff, and others.

Technology, engineering and mathematics are important for the children to understand the science behind robotics better,” said Daniel Benedettelli during the lecture yesterday which was sponsored by Edutech Middle East in collaboration with Milset Asia Regional Office.

Benedettelli who is a member of the LEGO Lover Community is using popular LEGO bricks to build his robots to show it’s not only for small kids to play with, but also useful in inventions.

“LEGO Mindstorms has a big community and is an open source that helps artists and scientists to turn their ideas and imagination into something real,” he pointed out. He spoke about different

modern technologies. “Android technology provides the userpowerful SDK. With scratch technology, the users can program their devices from a graphic. The Openpicus makes a robot a global device,” explained Benedettelli.

This lecture comes as a part of

dents the opportunity to benefit from Benedettelli’s experience in robotics. “Through these lectures, he transfers his experience to the students to benefit from it. It also encourages the students to think creatively and develop their skills.

It encourages the new generation

KUWAIT: Engineer Daniele Benedettelli with some of the robots he created during the lecture at ACK. — Photo by Joseph Shagra the World Robot Olympiad held in Abu Dhabi from November 1820, 2011. Benedettelli also presented some lectures in Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. These lectures are held to give the stu-

Hajj ‘lottery’ may commence next year KUWAIT: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs is reportedly mulling the option of adopting a lottery system for next year’s Hajj season, for a chance to perform the Muslim pilgrimage in nominal prices, according to a report quoting a source.

Speaking anonymously, because the plans are still not final, the source explained that the system, which is already adopted in other Muslim countries, would provide a government-sponsored Hajj convoy in which the pilgrim would only be required to pay between KD 200 and KD 400, as opposed to the approximate KD 1500 cost in recent years.

Meanwhile, the source indicated that certain conditions will be applied for entering the lottery, including that an applicant must not have per formed Hajj before. — Al-Rai

‘Kuwaitis in Cairo safe’ KUWAIT: Kuwaiti students in Egyptian universities are fine and continuing their studies normally, assured the Kuwaiti ambassador in Cairo Rasheed Al-Hamad in a recent statement to AlRai. “The students are committed to the [Kuwaiti] embassy’s instructions of remaining at their accommodations during events that take place at the Tahrir Square and other parts”, AlHamad said, while further assuring that all other Kuwaiti citizens in Cairo are safe.

And while expressing gratitude to the Egyptian authorities for “securing the embassy’s premises”, Al-Hamad urged students to avoid taking part in demonstrations or gatherings, and stay in touch with the cultural office in the embassy. — Al-Rai

to think and realize their ideas,” said Neveen Kotb, Business Manager for Lego Education in Kuwait and the Middle East in an interview with the Kuwait Times.

Benedettelli brought some of

the robots he created with him and explained their functions and phases of production. He also made a live demonstration of the speaking and feeling robot Cyclops. “This robot can feel the user by detecting pictures then it detects the expression of person to know how he feels. It can see and talk through sensors. This is the first LEGO Mindstorms robot that can talk. It can also calculate numbers. I created it in 2010, and in the future it will be able to express more complicated phrases,” he explained.

He also spoke about his previous robots: Andy, Cubesolver, and Tetrix. “Tetrix is for all ages. It’s a set of aluminum parts, metal gears and structures. It works on Windows system and lays bare endless possibilities. Robotics provide more durability and the user can also build a robot in the size of a real person,” he further said. Benedettelli concluded by saying “The most important thing is to always love the child inside you. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Genius is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration. If I have seen the future, it’s only by standing on the shoulders of giants”.

EPA tackle ‘exclusive licensing’ efforts KUWAIT: The Environment Public Authority is committed to its legal right of co-licensing industrial facilities with the Public Authority of Industry, said director of the EPA’s industrial environment department Mohammad Al-Enizy in a recent statement.

Al-Enizy, who is also the head of EPA’s inspection teams, was commenting on recent reports which suggested that the PAI is seeking to take exclusive authority for issuing licenses to industrial activities. Al-Enizy argued that this step aims to “thwart the EPA’s monitoring efforts, which have been increasing in recent

years.” Before an industrial license is issued, the PAI must first obtain permission from the EPA. This process allows the EPA to ensure that said facility is obliged to environment-safety regulations. “[The EPA] have noticed strong reactions recently from industrialists, especially from the Kuwait Industries Union, after intensified inspection campaigns detected many violations at factories around the country,” Al-Enizy said, indicating that PAI’s recent step came under pressure from the Kuwait Industries Union. — Al-Qabas

Legal staff protest against reshuffle KUWAIT: A number of legal staff members in the Ministr y of Justice held a protest on Monday against a recent reshuffling decision.

The reshuffle saw many of them being transferred to work in other governorates.

While the Ministry insists that the reshuffle is a routine procedure, unionists believe that the decision was made as a punitive measure against staff members who have been staging strikes for weeks to demand financial privileges. “ The ministr y made an arbitrary decision against employees who will continue to demonstrate ever y morning until the decision is

No quorum foils Municipal Council session... again KUWAIT: For the fourth week in a row, a lack of quorum forced an early end for the Municipal Council’s weekly session, shedding light on the internal problems that are seriously affecting the council’s performance.

The Municipal Council is still yet to complete their work schedule after returning from the summer break last September, all because of lack of quorum, which follow conflicts between members.

On Monday, chaos took over minutes after the session was started as members couldn’t agree on naming certain streets. Following a 15minute break to decide on the voting methods for the street naming, the session never resumed because of a lack of quorum.

Member Jenan Bushehri warned, during the brief session, of a serious problem that the country could be facing soon with public cleaning contracts set to expire tomorrow. A new decision still hasn’t been reached between the Kuwait Municipality and the cleaning companies.

On that regard, the municipality has reportedly failed to reach an agreement with the Central Tenders Committee on extending the current contracts for one year, according to a report quoting sources with knowledge of a meeting held between the two on Monday.

The cleaning companies reportedly want a 100% increase in the new contract to cover extra expenses due to increasing workers’ salaries and maintenance works.

The companies had initially demanded a 300% increase, but agreed to reduce their demands “for the best interest of the country.”

The CTC, in the meantime, is still insisting on no higher than a 50% increase. — Al-Qabas

canceled,” said chairman of the legal staff labor union, Hamad Al-Wardan, in a statement to the press. He further indicated that legal action will be taken against MOJ officials for allegedly “making decisions in twisted ways.”

Separately, more than sixty teachers in the Higher Institute for Musical Ar ts held a protest on Monday against alleged “non-academic practices” of the institute’s dean Dr Sulaiman AlDeek an, which they say include making improper decisions in hiring personnel and terminating contracts, as well as intervening in the work of teachers.

MP Musallam Al-Barrak, who was present at the protest, vowed to make sure that the protestors’ demands reach the M inister of Education and Minister of Higher Education, Ahmad Al-Mulaifi.

Meanwhile, a group of cleaning workers at the AlSabah Hospital staged a protest Monday in protest against unpaid salaries, which they say that they haven’t received in five months.

The protest ended several hours later after security officers called the company’s manager who arrived and negotiated with the workers.

— Al-Qabas, Al-Rai

KUWAIT: The Omani Ambassador Sheikh Salem bin Suhail Al Ma’shani held a reception on Monday on the occasion of 41st Anniversary of the Independence Day of his country at J W Marriott Hotel. It was attended by a number of diplomats and other dignitaries. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Years

LOCAL kuwait digest

kuwait digest

A sad day in parliament

Big mistake

By Ibrahim Al-Awadhi

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

G

T

uesday was a sad and upsetting day in the Parliament owing to the political scene. The situation in Kuwait is boiling with numerous scorching problems including the multimillion-dinar deposits scandal which shook the trust of people in the integrity of the Parliament.

Yet, the Cabinet worked its way in toppling a grilling motion against His Highness Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah in a manner that can be seen as a violation to MPs’ right of questioning since the grilling was voted off the schedule through the Parliamentary majority, instead of being debated.

What is also worrying about this development is the concept that the Cabinet resorted to its majority support in the Parliament to avoid facing the grilling, instead of overcoming it through successful debate.

This is worrying because of many reasons, one of which is the probability that it leaves no options for the opposition to take but to stage mass public demonstrations; a choice that many feel is too risky to take given chances that it can get out of control.

Facing a grilling motion doesn’t weaken the position of the Prime Minister or any minister for that matter, provided they are confident about the integrity of their approach and their performance. This happened before with His Highness Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah who garnered more trust and respect after overcoming several interpellations that he faced.

Grilling motions aren’t the thing that weaken the premier’s position today; what is responsible is malpractices of his government in failing to address serious problems such as the abovementioned graft scandal, or push forward the development plan. This same approach is starting to give people the impression that the government doesn’t mind buying allegiance of parliament members to pass legislations the way they desire. In the meantime, the opposition was disappointing on Tuesday as well, as they walked away during the process of voting for a request made by the National Action Bloc on sending two MPs to the Central Bank of Kuwait to probe the suspected graft case. This idea was illogical and impractical, since the investigation would have helped reveal the truth behind the case to the Kuwaiti people.

The NAB’s request would’ve at least been something instead of nothing in light of limitations currently faced when taking the grilling route. This chance was wasted, however, when the opposition walked out of the voting process; the same way the grilling was wasted when it was voted off the schedule. One of the biggest mistakes a politician could make is when they limit their options to a single one, and focus on a single point of view while disregarding others. A wiser political approach would be by leaving all options open. The investigation option, while is not necessarily the best one to take, remains important given the probability that a grilling motion filed over the graft case is likely to reach a dead-end. — Al-Qabas

overnment represented by security men, made a mistake in dealing with youth, especially when the meeting was apparently 100 percent peaceful. No one has the right to prevent them and hold them responsible for this. However, breaking into the National Assembly Council was a mistake.

There was no reason for the peaceful youngsters to break into the National Assembly Council. In both cases, both parties violated the law. The government which is supposed to implement the law used unnec-

kuwait digest

Enforce the law

By Faisal Al-Mizyen

E

veryone knows how much the Kuwaiti people were displeased with what happened last Wednesday when the Parliament was stormed by protestors. The incident shocked everyone in the country. It was very painful to see those who pass legislations violate it through raid, a flagrant violation of the law and Constitution.

Honestly, those who represent us have been cunningly making use of public issues on which all agree, pretending to protect public fund and other issues that concerns government performance and general services. Our good intentions were exploited. We say it clearly, what has happened in

the name of free expression and democracy is nothing but a revolution.

It dismantled the state through a well-prepared plan held in several phases.

The National Assembly was just one of its victims. If not contained as soon as possible, the result will be disastrous unless concerned authorities stop this revolutionary plan and enforce the law without delay.

We feel that the relations that organize political work is the Constitution. The Constitution spells out that the majority should rule by respecting the minority groups. But what is clear is that some of the MPs who rep-

resent the minority revolt against the Constitution. They will not accept any decision that is not compatible with wishes except by violating the state’s social security, preparing to revolt against the general system in the name of freedom.

Due to the unfortunate incident that marred Kuwaiti politics on Wednesday, the law should be enforced without consideration any social or political implication, especially when it is straight forward and clear. His Highness the Amir very clearly condemned this act. Where is our wisdom and mind? The security of the state should be protected. What will be the response? — Al-Anbaa

kuwait digest

A contract between people

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

Breaking into NA council is a big mistake. Here I am talking about breaking into the building and not about those who were running from police and hiding there. The police dealing with the peaceful demonstration need to be accounted for. The first party committed a crime as the second and those looking to resolve this in a non-judicial manner fell into the trap. essary power against peaceful protestors and the opposition violated the law, by breaking into the Council. What happened on Wednesday was uncouth and there was no place for politics. If this dangerous game’s aim was the interest of the state, we will all side with the honest party, who has stronger argument in reality. But the battleground is Kuwait and the aim is personal interests, and here lies the disaster. The case is not a case of stopped growth, nor health or education services and bad infrastructure, and not a case of millions deposited in some accounts but is a case of climbing towards power and authority, led by parties in government and in opposition and other from behind the curtains.

Breaking into NA council is a big mistake. Here I am talking about breaking into the building and not about those who were running from police and hiding there. The police dealing with the peaceful demonstration need to be accounted for. The first party committed a crime as the second and those looking to resolve this in a non-judicial manner fell into the trap. The equation that I know is that there are three Kuwaitis. A Kuwaiti wanted by government who we are refusing, and another Kuwaiti wanted by opposition, and this we shall start refusing, and finally the Kuwait which we want. But nobody talks about it.

Everyone is busy fighting the other and the remaining are busy taking sides, either with government or opposition.

But as long as you find strength only to arrest peaceful demonstrators, and leave the “fat cats”, I suggest to you to leave those who hide in the Council running away from police as they did not steal a billion, not even a quarter dinar from public funds. — Al-Anbaa

M

P Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabaei stated a few days ago that the constitution was placed 49 years ago as a contract that organizes the relationship between the ruling Al-Sabah family and the Kuwaiti people. While I found these statements to be upsetting, I didn’t feel the need at the time to make a response about it. But I changed my mind when two fellow columnists indicated in recent columns that the constitution is a contract between a ruler and the people.

Now I feel compelled to express my opinion regarding the subject especially that the constitution became the center of relationship between all parties in Kuwait. In the preamble to the Kuwaiti Constitution, the late Amir Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah made sure to point out that the main responsible party for the constitution, and that when he said “as per decision of the founding parliament, we adopt and issue this constitution”. This means that the constitution of the State of Kuwait was issued as per decisions of the first legitimate council that represented all citizens at the time; not as per conditions of the ruling family or as per an agreement between them and the people.

I believe that every country in the free world has a constitution that is a contract between the people among themselves, including their classes, minorities, etc - and not between the people and their leader. The United States Constitution, for example, was issued by the people when the country was still yet to have a president.

If we take a closer look into the Kuwaiti constitution, we can notice that none of the Al-Sabah family members except for Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem AlSabah have signed it before it was issued. This means that the constitution was never a contract between the ruler and the people, and that’s simply because members of the ruling family in the Cabinet at the time chose not to sign it. This was perhaps made to avoid making it seem as if the constitution was forced on the people.

It’s noted as well that religious and tribal groups didn’t sign the constitution, because they had boycotted elections for the founding parliament. This means that the Kuwaiti constitution is a contract that regulates the relationship between Kuwaiti people themselves.

Saying that the constitution is a contract between the ruler and the people reflects a short understanding for how the ruling system works, because it gives the impression that the constitution mainly contains terms regulating the relationship between people and the government which both authorities must respect. This narrow approach in understanding the constitution leaves out social principles and freedoms such as social equality, personal freedoms and freedom of expression. So, saying that the constitution is a contract between the ruler and the people is like saying that both parties should only respect the term that regulate the relationship between each other, without having to respect the terms that regulate the relationship between people such as social principles and freedoms. — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

‘They are not Kuwaitis’

By Rashed Al-Rodaan

I

find it strange when I hear that those who stormed the National Assembly are not Kuwaitis and they do not love this country since they indulged in such reckless behavior! The tunes “They are not Kuwaiti” must disappear completely, because it carries a heinous racist spirit. Sheikhs naturalized many groups of people over the years and those fathered generations that studied, learned and served the country and enjoyed high degrees of education and are merged into the society and served their country.

So, is it right for someone to come out and say those are not Kuwaitis?

Then if the standard is “They are not Kuwaitis” then there are tens of Kuwaitis including sheikhs who have

Leave aside the story of racism as Kuwait and its society have changed for several reasons, the most important of which is that many generations grew up under circumstances dominated by political and social differences. committed worse crimes against the country. So what they have done is halal and others doing the same is haram?

Leave aside the story of racism as Kuwait and its society have changed for several reasons, the most important of which is that many generations grew up under circumstances dominated by political and social differences. In fact they can go to the fullest extent to achieve what they want but does the government realize this face? Or is the government asleep as usual, and can do nothing other than allow these groups to shout and insult and bring up the issue of “Those are not Kuwaitis”?

No, indeed they are Kuwaitis and have their friends, tribes and families, and have a bright future, and victory will be theirs and will get all what they want. As for those who are saying “We are Kuwaitis”, they should rest at home and read Kuwait modern history, and take lessons from it, and should be ready for the next stage and merge with all society groups, because social and tribal racism is over, and fronts will be changed very soon. — Al-Watan

y

A

5

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Local

Europe will survive debt crisis, will not disintegrate: Kater German bank executive optimistic

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The European Union will survive its current debt crisis and will not disintegrate, said a German bank executive. Speaking at a round-table discussion attended by the local press at the Marina Hotel in Salmiya yesterday, Dr Ulrich Kater, Chief Economist of the largest financial institution in Germany, DekaBank, said that the EU will survive as the Eurozone is still being considered the most attractive economic area of the world.

“The EU will not disintegrate, as some countries are hoping for. We are not going to disintegrate and, as a matter of fact, we will integrate further,” stressed Kater. He stressed that the EU is still holding the largest economic zone in the World, as well as

the fact that the EU holds the most successful currency union to this date.

“That is very clear to our population and politicians in the EU. The British and Americans would probably want to see us tear-apart, but we will not allow it because we believe it is not the proper way to deal with the current situation,” he continued.

Kater suggested that the only way to deal with the problem was to face it squarely and accept some severely needed reforms be it in the political or economic spheres, “We have to accept that some countries in the Eurozone have accumulated too much public debt, which has grown exceedingly high. But we are not alone in these present circumstances; the US, for example, has been dealing with gigantic public debts of their

Arabs opinion more favorable towards US WASHINGTON: A new US poll released late yesterday found that Arab public opinion is more favorable towards the United States as compared with a year ago due to the stance of President Barack Obama’s administration on the Arab Spring. A majority of Arabs (59 percent) continue to express “unfavorable views” of the United States but the number of those with favorable views increased from 10 percent in 2010 to 26 percent in 2011.

“This improvement could be related to the perception of the American handling of the Arab Spring, as 24 percent of those polled identified the US as one of the two countries they believe played the most constructive role in the Arab spring,” said Anwar Sadat, Professor for peace and development at the University of Maryland, who spoke about the findings of the poll during an event at Brookings. Of those polled, 52 percent of Arabs remain discouraged by the Obama administration policy in the Middle East, down from 65 percent in 2010 and up from only 15 percent in 2009.

“When asked about the two steps by the United States that would improve their views of the US the most, 55 percent said an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement and 42 percent stopping aid to Israel,” the findings revealed. “One of the striking things about the survey is the extraordinary difficulty that the US has had in translating its support for political change in the Arab world into improved opinions of the United States,” remarked Steven Heydemann, the senior advisor for Middle East initiatives at the United States Institute of Peace.

According to the study, 43 percent of Egyptians believe that the military rulers “are working to slow or reverse the gains of the revolution, while only 21 percent believe that they are working to advance these gains.” It further revealed, “Of the Egyptian presidential candidates, Amr Moussa receives the support of 21 percent of those polled, followed by Mohammad El-Baradei and Ahmad Shafiq.” The University of Maryland 2011 annual Arab public opinion survey is the result of a poll conducted last month with a sample size of 3,000 persons in five Arab countries; Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Lebanon, and Jordan. Of those polled, 67 percent of the Arabs continue to say that they are “prepared for peace with Israel based on a two-state solution along the 1967 borders. At the same time, a majority (53 percent) say that such a solution will never happen.”

In the key findings of the poll, Turkey is “the biggest winner of the Arab Spring” since the five countries polled felt that Turkey played the “most constructive” role in this regard, with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan placed as the “most admired among world leaders.” The poll mentions that Iran “suffered mixed results” as 18 percent saw Tehran as “one of the two biggest threats they face” and 35 percent see Iran having nuclear weapons as “negative for the Middle East.” Regarding the international intervention in Libya, 46 percent of Arabs polled said it was a mistake. —KUNA

Arab news agencies urged to cooperate DOHA: Arab news agencies chiefs participating in the 39 session of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA) here urged cooperation to face the growing competition with electronic media.

In his speech to the meeting, Chairman of the United Arab Emirates National Media Council and Director General of the Emirates News Agency (WAM) Ibrahim Al-Abed underlined the important role of new telecommunications technologies in the work of news agencies.

He also stressed the need for coping with the new challenges imposed by rapidly developed electronic media as well as so-called citizen journalism.

The competition has become fierce and therefore there is no news agency of any size that can work with cooperation and coordination with counterparts.

For his part, Palestinian News Agency Director Riad Hassan shed lights on the need for creating children-oriented sections in Arab news agencies.

“We need talented journalists who are to write news by language and style that matches the perceptions of children,” he said, adding that the children news should be diverse including political, economic and social ones.

Director General of Jordan News Agency (PETRA), Ramadan Al-Rawashdeh underscored the need to keep pace with new technologies in the news agencies work, referring to the so-called “new media” tools.

“The affect of these tools was very clear in what happened in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Syria,” he said.

He also called for bolstering cooperation among all of Arab News Agencies to activate their work in the next stage to cope with development of the media’s great Arab arena.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Middle East News Agency (MENA), Egypt’s official news agency, Adel Abdulaziz presented a working paper on the post-revolution developments in the agency in terms of both content and approach.

He unveiled that MENA will celebrate early December the launching of its web portal which is meant to upgrade its services and enhance interaction with audience.

FANA is a 19-member federation of Arab news agencies and is a body under the umbrella of Arab League. It was founded in 1975 and is based in Beirut, and aims at best and broadest distribution of news reports concerning the region within its own borders and beyond. —KUNA

own. But I believe EU will overcome the situation, maybe by next year,” he predicted.

At the opening remarks by Oliver

Dr Ulrich Kater

Behrens, DekaBank member on the management board and global head of asset management, said it is unfair to believe that this year has been an eventful one for the Eurozone, “But clearly there is a long way to go before full recovery,” he admitted. He explained that after the financial crisis of 2008 financial markets changed their attitude from over-confident to extremely risk-averse in an almost instant switch, “Even the highly developed states are no longer considered as risk free debtors. But Europe will accept challenges and, through the necessary measures, they will lead a new paradigm in public finances and thus will continue the period of economic and political stability in Europe,” he said.

Behrens further pointed out that

there are many exciting long-term investment possibilities in Europe, which he believes are very attractive options for outside investors.

DekaBank, the most successful asset management company in Germany, is also looking for local partners to be able to introduce their services here and in the region as a whole, “Although DekaBank is still new to many Kuwaiti investors, we hope that today ’s meeting will help address this issue and be a further step in developing long-term and beneficial relationships,” he added.

DekaBank’s activities include asset management in capital markets, properties and corporate markets.

DekaBank has been dealing with Kuwait for some time now in managing financial assets and financing cer-

tain transportation projects.

The round-table discussion was attended by Rudiger Daberkow, DekaBank’s head of international sales. Following the press briefing, DekaBank’s executives also met with some local Kuwaiti investors where a range of investment opportunities, particularly in Germany, were presented. They also briefed Kuwaiti investors on the current development in the Eurozone and on why Germany, and some other countries in Europe, continue to be the safest and most attractive investment hubs in the World. DekaBank is based in Frankfurt, Germany, and currently manages Euro 108 billion worth of assets, which span across various major institutional and retail investors.

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Years

LOCAL

Attention to inventors among Amir’s priorities

Kuwait hopes to increase number of scholarship students to Canada WASHINGTON: Kuwait hopes to increase the number of scholarship students to Canada, especially in the field of medicine, said Higher Education Ministry Undersecretary Dr Khalid Al-Saad yesterday. Dr Al-Saad said that the aim of his visit to Canada is to par ticipate in the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) 45th Annual Conference, held in Ottawa.

He said that he was invited to talk during the Canada-Arab Forum, which is held on the sidelines of the conference, about Kuwait’s scholarship programs and objectives “to encourage Kuwaiti students to pursue their studies in Canadian universities.” “We hope that our scholarships to Canada increase as Canada has strong programs and high level and quality of teaching and education,” he stressed.

He added that his visit to Canada is also an opportunity for him to meet Canadian education officials as well as to meet up with the Canadian universities “to encourage them to increase the number of seats for Kuwaiti students, especially in the medical schools.” The Canada-Arab Education Forum explores ways of suppor ting both Arab world and Canadian education sectors to connect to their mutual benefit and in support of their students’ and countries’ heightened expectations. It looks at partnerships and models within the field of education. Dr AlSaad presented a working paper to the Forum on the “Overview of the Scholarship Program of the State of Kuwait ” during a panel entitled “Models of Scholarships and Student Support.” He indicated that his working paper shed light on many points, namely historic background of Kuwait’s scholarship program, saying “the program started in the early fifties due to the absence of institutions of higher education or universities at that time.”

He added that “the scholarship destinations were limited to neighboring countries such as Lebanon and Egypt.” He said that his paper also pointed out to the current status of the scholarship program, saying “destinations shifted from neighboring countries to developed countries, such as the US, Canada, UK, France,

Germany and Ireland.” He pointed out that the scholarship majors also shifted from humanities to Engineering, Business and medical Sciences.

Dr Al-Saad added that his working paper also discussed the objectives of the scholarship program, saying “it is considered an opportunity for the Kuwaiti students to be exposed to new cultures, new values and mindsets, as well as setting the Kuwaiti students to compete in international universities in order to become effective participants in world globalization.”

He stressed that “each graduating scholarship student is a bridge of friendship between Kuwait and his country of study.”

Dr Al-Saad indicated that he also discussed the merit program, “which entitles students to financial incentives when joining highly ranked universities in their field of study.” He added that he also discussed the future plans for the scholarship program, where “there is a plan to increase the number of scholarship students and to diverse and increase the scholarship majors.”

As for his visit to Washington DC, he said that he met up with Kuwait’s Ambassador to the US Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah and discussed issues related to the Cultural Office. He added that he also met up with the Cultural Office in Washington DC during which they discussed the students’ affairs, the needs of the Office and the future plans to improve the supervision and monitoring of the students.

As for the number of Kuwaiti students studying in Canada, he indicated that there are currently only 67 undergraduate students, 35 graduate students and 110 medical residents in Canada, and he hopes to increase this number to over 500 scholarship students. Dr Al-Saad said that he will also meet Kuwait’s Ambassador to Canada Ali Al-Sammak during which they will discuss the possibility of having a cultural attach{ in Canada, as well as opening a cultural office there in the future. The CBIE conference examines “motivations, expectations, ambitions and targets for international education;” and work on leading to “clearer understanding of the role of international education and greater effectiveness” in setting and achieving the goals. — KUNA

Interior Ministry justifies police intervention in Tahrir Square CAIRO: The Interior Ministry said on Monday that the Egyptian police did not use force against protesters in Al-Tahrir Square, but only after their attempts to disperse them to facilitate traffic failed.

The police troops were forced to intervene after protesters assaulted them, seizing a police vehicle and setting it ablaze, the Ministry said, and affirmed that police forces did not use live ammunition.

“Police dealt with rioters using methods specified by the law and did not violate them despite police forces being

attacked with gunfire,” the Ministr y added. Police, it continued, arrested more than 150 rioters in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez.

The Ministry further underlined the point that people have the right to demonstrate peacefully. Clashes between protesters and police claimed the lives of more than 30 people and injured hundreds others. Egyptian TV reported that people climbed over roof of the American University in Cairo (AUC) and started firing bullets at the police.

No further details were given. — KUNA

Exhibition ‘a point of pride’ for Kuwait KUWAIT: Providing care for inventors and creating an atmosphere conducive to creativity is among the priorities of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, said the Minister of Information as he launched the Fourth International Inventions Exhibition in the Middle East. Minister Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali was representing the Amir at the ceremony Monday evening. He said the filing of applications for 150 inventions and participation of over 35 countries prove the merit and importance of the event. He hailed the efforts of the organizers, Kuwait Science Club, for their great effort.

Chairman of the organizing committee and Chairman of the Board of Kuwait Science Club, Ayad Al-Kharafi, said the sophistication of the inventions presented this year surpassed those shown over the past three years.

He further added that the volunteer organizers spared no effort in improving the organization of the event and avoiding past shortcomings.

Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs, Fadhil Safar, commented that the event is a point of pride for Kuwait, and that the care put into it contributes toward the State’s realization of the importance of encouraging creativity and invention.

The minister recalled that many Kuwaiti

KUWAIT: Minister Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali and other officials at the exhibition. researchers and inventors won prestigious prizes, including some working with Kuwait University, the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, and Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR). The motto of the event this year is “meeting of inventors and investors” and effectively reflects the ultimate

objective of such fairs, he added. KISR Director General, Dr Naji Al-Mutairi, said that organizing an event of this level is a bold move by the Science Club, as it is of great regional weight, and that the youth and their productivity and creativity are the nations’ security for a better future. —KUNA

Expat perishes in horrific car crash

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 30-year-old Indian was burned beyond recognition during a car accident on the scrap yard road. His body was recovered by the coroner.

Two Kuwaitis complained of pains in their hands and legs following a car accident in Jahra. They were taken to Jahra Hospital.

An 18-year-old bedoon and a 50-year-old Kuwaiti woman complained of pain in the back following a car accident in Sabah Al-

Nasser area. They were taken to Farwaniya Hospital. A 20-year-old Kuwaiti had a bruise on his head, while an 18-year-old had a bruised leg, following a car accident in Abdallah Al-Mubarak area. Both were taken to Farwaniya Hospital.

KUWAIT: Kuwait Fire Services Directorate conducted a mock evacuation at the Institute of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training in South Sabahiya. The event played out a dramatized rescue operation. Fahaheel and Mina Abdallah Fire Centers conducted the exercise with participation from the Civil Defense and Ambulance Service. It took four minutes to reach the site and the evacuation took place through the main exit. — Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Bangladesh Armed Forces Day celebrated Following is excerpts from the speech delivered by Brig Gen Aminul Hasan, defense attache at the Bangladesh embassy on the occasion of Bangladesh Armed Forces Day on Monday.

“B

angladesh Armed Forces was born in the war field during the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. Under the leadership of our Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh Armed Forces along with our civilian freedom fighters started the Freedom Fight on March 26, 1971. On this special day all three forces i.e. Army, Navy and Air Force started the joint operations against the occupation forces to ultimately bringing victory on Dec 16, 1971 at the cost of sacrificing valuable lives of about 3 million people. On this special Day I remember with great respect our Father of

the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and those valiant soldiers, men and women who sacrificed their valuable lives for our today’s Bangladesh. May God rest their souls in peace.

“With pleasure I would like to inform you that within this shor t span of time Bangladesh Armed Forces have participated in Operation Desert Storm along with the Allied Forces in Gulf Region in the year 1990-91. After the Gulf War, as the dawn of liberation smiled on Kuwait, it was found that the sacred soil of Kuwait was littered with lethal mines, bombs and explosives. In rebuilding war ravaged Kuwait, Bangladesh Armed Forces came forward to share the daunting task of clearing the mines and explosives and other war debris, on invitation of our brotherly country Kuwait.

“Bangladesh Military Contingent started its journey in Kuwait on May 25, 1991. Since

then BMC is a proud partner of Kuwait Armed Forces. I take it as a great pleasure and honor to convey my sincere thanks and deep gratitude to HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed AlJaber Al-Sabah, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Naser Mohammad Al-Ahmed AlSabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Chief of Staff, Kuwait Armed Forces Lt Gen Sheikh Ahmed Al-Khaled Al-Sabah and Kuwait Govt for the trust and kind support to Bangladesh and BMC to Kuwait. We feel that we are at home.

“Distinguished Guests, We consider Kuwait as our good friend and a development partner. Our friendship is deep rooted through supreme sacrifices of 60 Bangladeshi soldiers during liberation and reconstruction phase of Kuwait. I am sure

our relationship which has been cemented through sacrifices will last long and continue to be further cemented between our two Armed Forces vis-vis two nations. On this day I would like to convey our deep respect towards those brave soldiers who through their supreme sacrifice proved their dedication and love for Kuwait. We salute them and pray for the salvation of their souls.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Bangladesh has been supporting peace building, peacemaking and peace-keeping operations in conflict ridden countries, where ever called for under the Umbrella of the UN since 1989. Bangladesh as one of the largest troops contributing country in the UN Peace keeping operations and at the moment having more than 10,600 soldiers around the Globe. We have also lost more than 100 peace keepers in line of duty in

different UN Mission. We love peace, we like to build, make & keep peace with all nations of the world. We believe “Peace, Peace and Peace,” is the ultimate key for progress and development.

With pleasure I would also like to inform the distinguished guests and specially the members of Bangladesh Armed Forces serving in Kuwait that on this great occasion of Bangladesh Armed Forces Day our Honorable President Mohammad Zillur Rahman and our Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have sent separate cables of congratulations to all members of Bangladesh Armed Forces serving in Kuwait.

I take this opportunity to convey my sincere thanks and deep gratitude to our Honorable President Mohammad Zillur Rahman and Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the trust and kind support in the development of Bangladesh Armed Forces.

KUWAIT: Bangladesh Defense Attache, Brig Gen Aminul Hasan, hosted a reception at Crowne Plaza Hotel on the occasion of his country’s Armed Forces Day. Senior officials, diplomats and prominent members of the Bangladeshi community attended the reception. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

S Africa passes secrets bill, media furious

Stormy start for crucial Indian parliament session Page 12

Page 9

TUNIS: Tunisia’s newly elected assembly holds its inaugural meeting yesterday, in Tunis, ready to start shaping the constitution and the democratic future of the country that sparked the Arab Spring uprisings. A moderate Islamist party, Ennahda (Renaissance), won the most seats in the Constituent Assembly, and it has announced a coalition with a liberal and left-of-center party to make up the interim government. — AP

Tunisia enters new era of democracy Elected assembly gets to work TUNIS: Tunisia’s newly elected assembly held its inaugural meeting yesterday, ready to start shaping the constitution and the democratic future of the country that sparked the Arab Spring uprisings. And it didn’t take long for the legislators to feel one result of free speech: hundreds of people protested outside Parliament, demanding everything from women’s rights and a crackdown on security forces to limits on Qatar’s influence over Tunisia’s affairs. A moderate Islamist party, Ennahda (Renaissance), won the most seats in Tunisia’s Constituent Assembly, and has announced a coalition with a liberal and a left-of-center party, but groups representing the country’s secular traditions picketed the assembly’s first meeting expressing their fears of an Islamist takeover.

Lawmakers were elected last month in Tunisia’s

first free vote - the first one resulting from the Arab Spring protests. Tunisian protesters drove out their longtime president in January, setting off revolts in other Arab countries. Tunisia’s new assembly is being watched as an example amid the violence in Egypt ahead of its elections and escalating tensions in Syria. Tunisia has been spared the violent clashes of its North African and Arab neighbors, but there has been some continued unrest. Outside the assembly building in a suburb of Tunis, 1,000 people demonstrated from dozens of different associations, many representing women calling for their rights to be guaranteed in the new constitution.

“We have come to demand the inclusion of the rights of women and universal rights in the future constitution,” said Amel Abdennebi as she protested outside the parliament. “We do not want Tunisian

society to regress.” Under dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia had some of the most progressive laws for women in the Arab world, something its secular elite fear might be lost under an Islamist party. Ennahda, as well as its coalition members, has promised to maintain women’s rights. Newly elected Ennahda candidate Souad Abderrahim, an outspoken professional who does not wear the traditional Islamic headscarf, was heckled Tuesday by demonstrators demanding that she resign and was only able to enter the assembly grounds with the help of security forces.

Abderrahim raised a firestorm of criticism earlier by calling single mothers a “disgrace.” She later retracted her comments and described them as victims. Also protesting were relatives of those killed and wounded in the monthlong uprising that began

in December, calling for justice against the security forces. “We will seek to ensure that the national constituent assembly will complete its tasks, write a new constitution for the country and call for new elections within a period that should not exceed one year,” said the statement signed late Monday by the new coalition. The coalition, which holds 139 of the 217 seats, will present the assembly its candidate for interim president, veteran rights activist Moncef Marzouki who heads the liberal Congress for the Republic Party. He will then appoint a prime minister, Ennahda’s No. 2, Hammadi Jebali, and Mustapha Ben Jaafar of the Ettakatol Party as the leader of assembly. The North African country of 10 million people has been essentially a one-party state since it won its independence from France in 1956, yet it was able to organize a successful election accepted

Pakistan’s US envoy resigns ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s envoy to the United States resigned yesterday, losing a battle with the country’s powerful generals to keep his job over allegations he wrote a memo to Washington asking for its help in reining them in.

Hussein Haqqani told The Associated Press he stands by his denials, insisting he had nothing to do with the memo that was sent to then-US military chief Adm. Mike Mullen in May. He said he was “happy to face an inquiry” into the affair.

The affair underlined the tense relations bewtween the US and Pakistan, a key ally in its struggle against Islamic militants, and the internal struggle between civilian politicians and the military in Pakistan. Haqqani is a key ally of President Asif Ali Zardari. He was generally well regarded in Washington, where he had a difficult job representing Pakistan during several crises, including the aftermath of the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May. The memo accuses Pakistan army chief Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani of plotting to bring down the government in the aftermath of the raid on Osama bin Laden on May 2. It asks Mullen for his “direct intervention” with Kayani to stop this.

In return, it promises a raft of policies long asked for

by Washington and likely to enrage the army. It says the government will allow the US to propose names of officials to investigate bin Laden’s presence in Pakistan, facilitate American attempts to target militants like al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri and Taliban chief Mullah Omar and allow the US greater oversight of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.

The scandal, dubbed “memogate,” has highlighted the tensions between the weak government and the army, as well as the role that the United States plays in them.

Despite being under nominal civilian control, the army wields immense political and economic clout in the country. It has seized power in at least three coups and has helped dislodge other civilian governments. Given that background, the affair has also led to pressure on the Zardari government, which some have speculated may have also known about the alleged memo. Critics in the media, many viewed as proxies for the military establishment, have been calling for the president to be investigated, suggesting the memo could be treasonous.

A statement from the prime minister’s office said an investigation into the affair would be conducted “at an appropriate level” and would be “carried out fairly, objectively and without bias.” Haqqani has long been viewed by critics as too close to America, regarded by many here as a hostile force, and to Zardari, who is also unpopular at home. —AP

ISTANBUL: Journalists and human right activists protest in front of the courthouse in Istanbul during the trial of two prominent Turkish journalists Ahmet Sik and Nedim Sener yesterday. The two journalists charged with aiding a shadowy group aiming to topple the Islamist-rooted government went on trial yesterday. — AFP

Turkish journalists go on trial over alleged plot ISTANBUL: Prominent Turkish journalists went on trial accused of links to a shadowy group seeking to topple the government, in a case that has fuelled Western concern over media freedom in Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey.

Gathered outside the courthouse yesterday, supporters of journalists Nedim Sener and Ahmet Sik bore a large banner with the message: “There can be no free society without free journalism.” Members of a journalist union dressed in white with a picture of man holding a hand over his mouth to symbolise the silencing of a critical press.

As part of a long struggle with EU candidate Turkey’s secularist old guard, Erdogan, riding a wave of popularity and economic success, has cut back the power of generals who removed several governments in the latter half of the 20th Century. Hundreds of people, including senior serving and retired officers, as well as journalists and academics, have been arrested in connection with an alleged ‘Ergenekon’ plot to carry out bombings and assassinations to trigger a military takeover.

Thirteen defendants, including Sener and Sik, went on trial yesterday, having been first detained in March, just three months before Erdogan won a third term in a national election. A fourteenth defendant died in prison earlier this month. Among the charges listed on the indictment are membership of an armed terrorist group and stirring hatred.

Often held up as a model Muslim democracy for countries emerging from the Arab Spring, Erdogan’s government has faced repeated accusations of trying to tame the media and smother opposition since coming to power in 2002. Sik had been tried once over a book he co-wrote about Ergenekon.

Detaining Sik again in March, police attempted to confiscate copies of an unpublished book in which he raised old allegations of links between the police and a moderate Islamic movement said to have influence in the ruling AK Party.

The Gulenist movement is led by Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic preacher who left Turkey for the United States after the military forced an Islamist-led coalition to quit power in 1997. —Reuters

by all participants in just four months. A number of the protesters outside the parliament building focused on Qatar’s alleged role in the success of Ennahda, charging that the party had been funded by the wealthy emirate. “No to foreign interference in Tunisia’s affairs,” said one banner near a giant effigy of Qatar Emir Hamad Ben Khalifa. “No Jazeera, No Qatar, the Tunisian people are free.”

Ennahda leader Rachid Ghannouchi made his first international visit after the elections to Qatar.

Qatar paid a highly visible role supporting Libya’s rebels and is accused by some in Tunisia of trying to influence the Arab Spring, especially through the influential Jazeera news network, based in Doha and partly funded by Qatar. A Jazeera camera crew was attacked by protesters, who called them “mercenaries” and “agents.” — AP

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

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

Israel MPs back first stage of contentious libel bill JERUSALEM: Israeli MPs have backed the first stage of a controversial bill which would significantly increase the compensation for libel claims, in a move critics say will seriously harm freedom of the press.

In a vote held late on Monday, MPs in the 120member Knesset approved by 42-31 the first reading of a draft law which would dramatically increase the penalty for “defamatory” articles which appear in the press, on a radio or television broadcast, or even on Facebook. In its current form, the bill would increase sixfold the damages resulting from a libel suit-to a maximum of 300,000 shekels ($80,000/60,000 euros) without any need for the complainant to prove they suffered actual harm.

And if the reporter or journalist failed to include a response by the injured party in the article, the fine could be raised to as much as 1.5 million shekels ($400,000/300,000 euros). Opponents describe the

bill, which must now be put to a second and third reading before passing into law, as an anti-democratic move aimed at stifling criticism of public figures which would seriously impede the culture of investigative reporting.

“If passed in second and third readings by the Knesset, the legislation ... would seriously intimidate journalists, editors and publishers,” an editorial in the right-leaning Jerusalem Post said yesterday.

And the rightwing nationalist daily Makor Rishon said if it were passed into law, it would would “all but hermetically seal journalists’ ability to conduct investigative reports and will prevent, in many cases, any real ability of the media to fight instances of governmental injustice and corruption.”

The bill was also condemned by the Tel Avivbased Foreign Press Association (FPA) and the International Press Institute, whose headquarters are

in Vienna. “This legislation is a clear attempt to intimidate and stifle the country’s media,” the FPA said in a statement issued Monday.

“We urge the prime minister, his cabinet and the Knesset to back down from these measures, stand up in support of democracy and free speech, and cancel this bill immediately.” The International Press Institute warned that should the bill become law, it could “chill” the culture of investigative reporting in Israel. “We urge the Israeli parliament to revise the Defamation Prohibition Law, which we fear would stifle free expression in Israel where, until now, Israeli journalists have enjoyed a level of press freedom above and beyond that of most of their colleagues in the region,” it said in a statement released on Monday. “While media houses must be held accountable for their reporting, a penalty increase of this dimension for libel could discourage media from

holding public figures accountable, which is their core duty.” The draft legislation was tabled by two MPs, one from the ruling Likud party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and another from Kadima, the centre-right opposition party. Both Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak, who heads the centrist Independence party, voted in favour and the government imposed coalition discipline, compelling all its members to support the bill.

On Sunday, hundreds of journalists rallied in Tel Aviv to protest against the bill and other political attacks on the freedom of the press, an AFP correspondent said. In a separate move, MPs on Monday also passed by 45 to 35 the first reading of a bill aimed at changing the composition of the panel that selects Supreme Court justices, which critics say is an attempt to bring right-leaning judges into the court. — AFP

West hits Tehran with new sanctions US increases pressure on Iranian regime WASHINGTON: Western powers responded to a damning UN report about Iran’s nuclear program with a fresh batch of sanctions, targeting the country’s central bank and the vital energy sector. With UN sanctions blocked by Chinese and Russian opposition, the United States, Britain and Canada rolled out measures aimed at pressing Iran to abandon its alleged nuclear weapons program.

Notably, the measures seek to limit the West’s links with Iran’s Central Bank-which has been key in funneling proceeds of energy sales to Iran’s government.

Iran’s energy sales are thought to account for around 70 percent of the government’s budget and are crucial to the broader Iranian economy.

“As long as Iran continues down this dangerous path, the United States will continue to find ways, both in concert with our partners and through our own actions, to isolate and increase the pressure upon the Iranian regime,” President Barack Obama said in a written statement.

Iran can “fulfill its international obligations... or it can continue to defy its responsibilities and face even more pressure and isolation,” he said.

The announcements came in response to an International Atomic Energy Agency report two weeks ago that came the closest yet to accusing Iran outright of seeking nuclear weapons.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, unveiling what she called a “significant ratcheting up of pressure on Iran,” said the United States was targeting Iran’s energy sector directly for the first time. Detailing sanctions against goods, services and technologies for the petrochemical sector, Clinton said “there have to be consequences of such behavior.”

Iran, already hit with four rounds of UN sanctions, strongly denies its nuclear program is geared towards making a bomb. In tandem, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner issued a warning that any firms doing business with Iran’s banking sector could run the risk of funding illicit activities.

The US government named Iran as “a primary money laundering concern,” but stopped short of adopting fully blown sanctions against Iran’s central bank that could strain ties with European and Asian allies.

But, Geithner warned, “financial institutions

WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, speaks as Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, listens during a news conference about new sanctions the US is taking to increase pressure on Iran, at the State Department in Washington. — AP

Yemen power transfer deal in place: UN envoy SANAA: A UN envoy said yesterday a deal on power transfer in Yemen had been reached and details on signing the accord were being worked out, but three previous attempts to secure the deal have seen President Ali Abdullah Saleh back out at the last minute.

A Yemeni official said a main obstacle to signing the accord was coming from senior politicians in Saleh’s ruling General People’s Congress (GPC) strongly opposed to signing the accord.

“We have an agreement. We’re working out the signing,” United Nations envoy Jamal Benomar, who has been shuttling between the two sides, told reporters in Sanaa. A Western diplomat confirmed an agreement on power handover has been reached but said that Benomar was still discussing details related to its signing.

Under a plan crafted by Yemen’s six Gulf Arab neighbours, Saleh would transfer his powers to his deputy, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, ahead of an early election. However, Saleh has repeatedly failed to sign the deal, which aims to end months of protests that have paralysed the country.

The Yemeni official, who asked to remain anonymous, said that Saleh was trying to reassure officials in his party to drop their opposition to the accord and to “convince them that the GCC plan is the best way forward”.

The official also said that renegade general Ali Mohsen, who had broken away from the Yemeni army after protests began in February, and tribal leader Sadeq al-Ahmar, who are not part of the accord, may try to obstruct it.—Reuters

TOKYO: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, left, is welcomed by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda prior to a meeting at Noda’s official residence in Tokyo, yesterday. — AP

around the world should think hard about the risks of doing business with Iran.”

According to former US Treasury official, Avi Jorisch, Tehran has become increasingly dependent on the central bank to clear payments for energy sales as other banks have faced sanctions. According to leaked US diplomatic cables, Iran had sought to use the central bank to transfer payments from as far afield as South Korea, France, Britain, Spain and Italy.

Britain was the first to make the sanctions public early Monday, with finance minister George Osborne saying London was cutting links with Iranian banks. “We are ceasing all contact between the UK financial system and the Iranian banking system,” Osborne said.

“All UK credit and financial institutions are required to cease business relationships and transactions with all Iranian banks, including the Central Bank of Iran,” said a ministry statement.

A series of announcements followed, designed to show collective resolve as the West struggles to slow Iran’s nuclear march.

In Ottawa, House Leader Peter Van Loan announced measures that would “block virtually all transactions with Iran, including those with the central bank.”

France went one step further, calling on international partners to impose a freeze of Iran’s central banks assets and an oil embargo, but did not announce sanctions on Monday.

With speculation about a possible Israeli military strike against Iran reaching fever pitch, Paris also warned of “the added risk of a military escalation in the region.

“The consequences of which will be catastrophic for Iran and for the world.”

There was a muted market reaction to the news. Oil prices in New York and London were pushed lower by fears about debt levels in the United States and Europe, although gasoline and gas prices in New York were higher.

Some experts have cautioned that targeting the Central Bank could have a profound impact on Iran’s economy and push up global energy prices at a time when Western economies are already struggling. — AFP

Abbas, Meshaal to meet in Cairo GAZA CITY: Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal will meet in Cairo this week despite the unrest rocking Egypt, Hamas and Fatah officials said yesterday. Egypt has been shaken in recent days by renewed protests calling for the ruling military council to step aside and allow an interim civilian government to take power.

But officials of the rival Palestinian movements said the unrest would not derail a planned meeting between Meshaal and Abbas later this week. The talks will go ahead “as scheduled on Thursday,” Hamas official Ismail Radwan told AFP in Gaza, in remarks which were confirmed by senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmed.

The two leaders are due to finalise details of a reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas which was signed in May but has yet to be implemented. The deal called for the immediate formation of an interim government to pave the way for presidential and parliamentary elections within a year.

But implementation of the agreement has stalled, with the two sides failing to agree on the make-up of the caretaker government and, in particular, who will head it. Abbas has reportedly insisted on keeping prime minister Salam Fayyad, in a demand repeatedly rejected by Hamas.

But Radwan said the idea of Fayyad heading the new government “has been ruled out already, and now we are talking about consensus principles to allow the selection of someone to head the government in line with the reconciliation deal.” Both factions reportedly have preferred candidates and Radwan said Hamas would submit its list of names “if we are asked to do so,” while indicating “the first priority is agree on a capable nationalist figure.”

He refused to confirm reports that Hamas would agree to implement a year-long truce with Israel. “There is no discussion about the management of the fight against the occupation, but the issue is subject to national agreement (between all factions) before and after the formation of the government,” he said.

Radwan said a senior delegation of Gaza-based Hamas leaders, including Khalil al-Hayya and Nizar Awadallah, would leave for Cairo on Wednesday where they would be party to the talks between Abbas and Meshaal.

Abbas was to arrive in Cairo later yesterday and meet with the head of Egypt’s ruling council, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, today, Ahmed said. A follow-up meeting involving “all the Palestinian factions” would take place next month, he said, adding that details would be announced after the Hamas-Fatah leadership talks. — AFP

OULMES: A militant of Morocco’s main opposition Justice and Development Party (PJD) distributes campaign leaflets yesterday in the central Moroccan city of Oulmes ahead of the November 25 legislative elections. — AFP

Morocco opposition activists boycott ‘undemocratic’ vote RABAT: Moroccan opposition activists are stepping up their calls for a boycott of this week’s parliamentary election, saying it will produce a corrupt assembly unwilling to implement the radical reforms they believe the country needs.

Inspired by the “Arab Spring” uprisings across the region, the activists have been staging protests for months. Friday’s election is seen as a test of the commitment by Morocco’s ruler, King Mohammed, to move his kingdom closer to democracy and cede some of his powers to elected officials.

The monarch backed constitutional changes and brought the vote forward by 10 months as part of a plan by the palace to bring fresh faces into a government associated in the minds of many Moroccans with corruption.

But the pro-boycott camp, led by a group called the February 20 Movement, says the vote just promises more of the same. “We are calling for a boycott because the constitution is not democratic and ... allows the royal court to dominate the military, the executive, the religious and the judicial authorities,” said Najib Chawki, an activist with the February 20 Movement.

“The interior ministry continues to control these elections, which saw the return of some politicians infamous for their involvement in graft and corruption as candidates,” he said. The movement staged protests on Sunday in cities across Morocco, gathering about 10,000 people in the northern city of Tangier and smaller numbers in Casablanca and Rabat.

The boycott call is unlikely to derail the election. The February 20 Movement and its allies represent only one segment of the population. Meanwhile, the majority of Morocco’s 32 million population is disin-

terested in politics and reverential towards the king. The main contest in the vote is between moderate Islamists, who are loyal to the palace, and a coalition centred around a party founded by a friend of the king. The risk for the palace is that a low turnout will cast doubt on its claim to be moving towards democracy and will embolden its opponents who call for more radical reform.

The palace will hope to improve on the official turnout for the last parliamentary election in 2007, which at 37 percent was the lowest in Moroccan history.

The king has exhorted Moroccan citizens to go to the polls. “Broad national mobilization is essential to meet the challenge of ensuring the success of the elections, so that they are free, fair and competitive,” the monarch said in a speech earlier this month. The authorities have also taken tougher measures to try to blunt the impact of the boycott campaign. Several activists, mostly from February 20 Movement, have been detained and interrogated by the police for distributing tracts that call for a boycott.

Moroccan law does not explicitly ban calling for a boycott, and it was not clear on what charges the activists had been detained. The February 20 Movement’s boycott campaign has been joined by Justice and Charity, an Islamist group that has been banned by the government.

“What purpose do these elections serve?

Are they really a mechanism for the devolution of power?,” the group asked in a statement. “The political, constitutional and legal contexts empty the polls of any democratic essence,” it charged.

Two small left-wing parties, which between them have a handful of seats in the outgoing 325-seat parliament, are also sitting out the vote. — Reuters

BEIRUT: (From left to right) Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Brazil’s vice President Michel Temer of Lebanese decent, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, and Lebanese Parliament speaker Nabih Berri, attend a military parade to mark the 68th anniversary of Lebanon’s independence from France, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, yesterday. — AP

y

A

9

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

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

Nigerian senator charged over links to Islamist ‘spokesman’ ABUJA: Nigerian authorities charged a senator yesterday over suspected links to a man accused of being a spokesman for Islamist sect Boko Haram, blamed for attacks including the bombing of UN headquarters here.

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume was charged in magistrate’s court alongside the alleged spokesman, Ali Sanda Umar Konduga, with breaching public trust and criminal intimidation.

The charges claim that between September 15 and November 3 in the cities of Maiduguri and Abuja, “Mohammed Ali Ndume and Ali Sanda Umar Konduga did conspire to commit” the alleged crimes.

Ndume, a senator from Borno state in the country ’s northeast, where

most of Boko Haram’s attacks have occurred, pleaded not guilty. Konduga pleaded guilty and is to be sentenced at a later date.

The case was adjourned until December 6. The senator is a member of the Peoples Democratic Par ty, which dominates national politics but is not in power in Borno state. He also served on a presidential committee that sought earlier this year to determine whether dialogue was possible with Boko Haram.

It was unclear whether Konduga, the alleged spokesman, had reached a deal with authorities. Secret police announced his November 3 arrest only on Monday and said he confessed to various crimes as well as his links to politicians.

French former first lady Mitterrand dead at 87 PARIS: Danielle Mitterrand, a decorated member of the French Resistance and combative advocate for the poor who broke the mold as first lady alongside France’s first Socialist president, died yesterday at age 87.

Mitterrand died before dawn after being hospitalized at Georges Pompidou hospital in Paris in recent days for fatigue, her foundation France Libertes said. Mitterrand turned the 14year tenure of her husband, French President Francois Mitterrand, into her own bully pulpit one that long outlasted him. He died of cancer shortly after leaving office in 1995.

A determined activist, Mitterrand advocated many left-leaning causes, supporting Marxist rebels in El Salvador, ethnic minorities like Kurds and Tibetans, and vociferously opposing capitalist excess. Mitterrand created several charities and criss-crossed the world in defense of human rights.

She reportedly once kissed Cuba’s Fidel Castro on the steps of the presidential Elysee Palace. Her foundation said Mitterrand found guidance in a phrase of French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre: “It’s not right to want to heal the suffering of people without committing to fight the very causes of this suffering.”

France Libertes, whose focus has been human rights and had recently made a top priority of getting drinking water to those without it around the world, said Mitterrand left behind “a message of hope.” Mitterrand called for worldwide unity among “new Resisters” to “put an end to economic and financial dictatorship, the henchman of political dictators. Finally, they seem to be shaken by the anger of peoples.”

Well before the Occupy movement, Mitterrand told Le Figaro newspaper in 1996: “Of course, the world revolves around the Dow Jones, the Nikkei stock index or the CAC 40. ...But all around the world, little voices are being raised to say that man is unhappy even if the stock market is doing well.” Praise and appreciation for her poured in from across France’s political spectrum yesterday. President Nicolas Sarkozy’s office said: “Neither the setback or the victory caused her to deviate from the road she

had laid for herself: giving a hearing to the voice of those that no one wanted to hear.”

Ever outspoken, in 2008 Mitterrand denounced American support for foes of Bolivia’s leftist president Evo Morales, and accused “fascist gangs” of intimidating native peoples in the South American country.

Thirteen years ago, Mitterrand visited in prison Mumia Abu-Jamal, a former Black Panther who has spent nearly 30 years on death row over his 1982 conviction for killing a white police officer in Philadelphia.

Danielle Mitterrand She was no novice at defending her convictions. As a young woman, she was awarded the Croix de Guerre for her work in the Resistance during the Nazi occupation in World War II. Mitterrand shucked the tradition of French first ladies to stay in the background. In a 1986 interview with The Associated Press, her blue eyes flashed at the suggestion she resembled a highprofile American first lady.

“There is no traditional role” for a first lady, Mitterrand said. “Each woman has her own personality and ... acts according to her conscience and her sensibilities.” Her nephew Frederic Mitterrand, who now serves as culture minister in Sarkozy’s conservative government, told BFM TV that his aunt “did a lot to humanize the role of first ladies.” —AP

“His arrest further confirms the Service (police) position that some of the Boko Haram extremists have political patronage and sponsorship,” secret police spokeswoman Marilyn Ogar said on Monday, referring to Konduga’s arrest. Speculation has been rife over political links to at least certain factions of Boko Haram, which has claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks, including an August suicide bombing of UN headquarters in Abuja which killed at least 24 people.

Such speculation has pointed to explanations ranging from local politics in Borno state to opposition to President Goodluck Jonathan in the mainly Muslim north. There has also been intense speculation, particularly among Western nations, over whether

In Somalia’s far south, close to the Kenyan border, fighter jets killed three civilians in strikes in Shebab-held areas, the latest assault by regional armies combating the Al-Qaeda linked militants. “Two military jets bombed Yaqle village, which lies between El Wak and Dhamase, three civilians were killed and several others injured,” said Moalim Abdulahi Mumin, an elder in El Wak, a town on the Kenya-Somalia border.

“The aircraft fired several bombs, and two of them hit near a shallow well where nomads were drawing water for their livestock... Most of the casualties are civilians,” Mumin told AFP by telephone. Sheikh Ibrahim Mohamed, regional commander of the extremist Shebab insurgents, confirmed the airstrikes.

“We are hearing the enemy military planes fired missiles at civilians, but I have no details at the moment,” he said. There was no immediate confirmation the jets were Kenyan but Nairobi sent troops and tanks into southern Somalia last month after accusing the Shebab of attacks and

BERLIN: Members of Bundestag, German lower house of parliament, and of government stand to pay a tribute to the victims of far right violence yesterday in Berlin, before a debate on far-right. —AFP

to deliver half the sum to Konduga.

Konduga allegedly confessed that a member of Nigeria’s National Assembly then took over the running of his activities. The statement did not name the person.

The statement also claimed that Konduga was behind threatening text messages sent to election tribunal judges with the aim of having the government in Borno state tossed out.

Other threats were made to politicians including former president Olusegun Obasanjo, it said. It claimed that Konduga told security agents that threatening messages sent to the chairman of an election petition tribunal in Borno state “were scripted and relayed to him by the National Assembly member.” -—AFP

S Africa passes secrets bill, media furious Bill makes it easy to hide corruption: Critics JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s parliament passed a bill on protecting state secrets yesterday despite criticism at home and abroad that it harks back to apartheid legislation and further harms the country’s weakened credibility on tackling corruption.

The Protection of Information Bill allows any government agency to apply for classification of information that is “valuable” to the state and criminalises the possession and distribution of state secrets.

Critics say the bill makes it easy to hide graft from public view and intimidates those who try to expose it. The ANC said the bill, passed with a vote of 229 in favour and 107 against, is essential for protecting state information and keeping spies at bay.

The press has criticised the legislation as an attempt to silence whistleblowers and muzzle investigative journalists, who face up to 25 years in jail for revealing state secrets. Many South Africans wore black to protest against the bill, saying it was reminiscent of apartheid-era censorship laws.

A joint editorial in the country’s largest newspapers on Tuesday called the vote South Africa’s “day of reckoning for democracy”. “The spreading culture of self-enrichment, either corrupt, or merely inappropriate, makes scrutiny fuelled by whistleblowers who have the public interest at heart more essential than ever since 1994,” the front-page editorial said.

Bomb blast, airstrikes kill at least 13 Somalis MOGADISHU: Somali civilians bore the brunt of violence in the war-torn nation yesterday, with a roadside bomb killing 10 in the capital and fighter jet strikes in the south claiming three lives. A roadside bomb exploded in a crowded area in the south of Mogadishu, where Islamist Shebab insurgents have launched repeated guerrilla attacks since pulling out of fixed positions three months ago.

“There was a heavy explosion in Wadajir this afternoon, it was a roadside bomb and we are hearing that more than ten people were killed in the explosion,” said Abid Omar, a Somali police officer. “We are still investigating who was the target, but all of the casualties are civilians,” he said, adding that several people were also wounded.

Witnesses said children were killed in the violent blast, which took place on the busy Jayga road in the war-torn city. “It was a horrible attack, I saw the dead bodies of at least nine civilians including children, there is blood and human flesh everywhere,” said Sadiq Mohamed, who witnessed the blast.

the group has formed links with outside extremist groups, including AlQaeda’s north African branch (AQIM).

Boko Haram is believed to have various factions with a number of different aims, and the alleged confessions of Konduga seemed to involve mainly local politics. Authorities claim that Konduga was the Boko Haram spokesman quoted in the news media under the alias Usman al-Zawahiri.

The secret police statement claimed that Konduga was “a former political thug,” referring to the practice of Nigerian politicians of recruiting or forming local gangs to help rig elections. The statement said one benefactor promised to pay him 10 million naira ($60,000, 45,000 euros) to work for his party, but then died on his way

kidnappings on its territory.

It said earlier this week said its jets had hit militia bases. Kenyan warplanes were also involved in a strike in southern Somalia late last month in which an aid group said at least five civilians died. The noose was tightening around the Shebab, who are now battling Kenyan forces in the south, Ugandan and Burundian African Union forces in Mogadishu and face Ethiopian troops which reports say have crossed in from the southwest over the weekend.

Kenyan army spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir was not immediately available for comment, but messages posted to his Twitter account Tuesday boasted that Kenya was confident of defeating the extremist militia.

“Victory is on the horizon,” one message read. “The outfit (the Shebab) won’t exist as a force. We will diminish its effectiveness and pass them to history.” Somalia’s neighbours have recently renewed efforts to restore stability there after two decades of chaos, with Nairobi last week saying it was willing to deploy troops for the African Union force protecting the Somali government.

At the weekend, Somali villagers reported seeing Ethiopian troops cross into the war-torn country. Addis Ababa has however denied that it deployed forces to the neighbouring state.

Ethiopia pulled out its soldiers from Somalia in 2009 after a two-year invasion that defeated an Islamist movement, but the group’s military wing, the Shebab, regrouped to battle the troops and have waged a bloody war since.

Ugandan and Burundian soldiers making up the 9,700-strong AU force have been battling the Shebab in the capital Mogadishu since deploying in 2007.

Ethiopia on Monday said the decision on whether it will send troops to Somalia will be taken Friday at a heads of state meeting in Addis Ababa of the regional body, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development. —AFP

The bill has a broad definition of valuable information and gives great authority on classification to State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, who faced calls for his resignation after his wife was convicted in May of

Africa’s outlook by ratings agency Moody’s, which said this month that it was worried about increasing government interference in Africa’s largest economy.

“It is a significant move away from

CAPE TOWN: Some of about 1,000 people protest yesterday outside the South African Parliament in Cape Town against the Protection of State Information Bill. South Africa’s parliament yesterday approved the controversial state secrets bill despite an outcry that it will threaten democracy and prevent exposure of corruption by investigative journalists. —AFP running an international drug ring and he said he was unaware of her criminality.

The measure coincides with concerns of growing cronyism in the African National Congress government and a downgrade of South

the liberal ideals that characterised the early days of the ANC government,” said Razia Khan, head of Africa Research at Standard Chartered in London. “With all the negatives typically associated with ruling parties that hold ‘too much power’ - this leg-

islation will only help to cement investor fears that a potential tipping point has been reached,” Khan said.

The bill needs to go through a few procedural matters before being implemented. The Nelson Mandela Foundation said it was “concerned” about the bill while Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said “the law will do our people and our country a disservice”.

South Africa, under ANC control since the end of white-minority apartheid rule in 1994, has been sliding in the Transparency International gauge of perceived corruption from 38th in the world in 2001 to 54th in 2010.

Transparency International said on Tuesday that about 60 percent of respondents in a survey said corruption had increased under Zuma, while 12 percent said it dropped. “This bill will unstitch the very fabric of our constitution. It will criminalise the freedoms that so many of our people fought for,” opposition Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko told the assembly, adding the party will challenge the measure in court. International rights group Amnesty International called the bill “fatally flawed” and Human Rights Watch said it “was a blow to freedom”. However, Peter Attard Montalto, emerging markets economist at Nomura International, said the bill, which has been debated for about a year, had not changed views of how the ANC operated with investors. —Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Years

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

California teen faces 21 years after guilty plea LOS ANGELES: A Southern California teenager who shot a gay classmate to death during a computer lab class three years ago avoided a retrial by pleading guilty to second-degree murder, a deal that will send him to prison for 21 years.

Brandon McInerney, 17, pleaded guilty to the murder charge Monday, as well as one count each of voluntary manslaughter and use of a firearm, said Ventura County Chief Deputy District Attorney Mike Frawley. McInerney is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 19.

The case drew wide attention because of its shocking premise: McInerney, in a fit of homophobic rage, killed 15-year-old Larry King at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard because he was offended by King’s dress and how the victim interacted with him. Larry King’s father, Greg King, told KABC-TV he understands why prosecutors agreed to the plea deal.

“I don’t think that 21-year sentence is justice for my son, but I understand the reality that was facing the DA of trying to convict a defendant who was 14 ... when he committed the murder,” Greg King said. Comic Ellen DeGeneres, a lesbian, weighed in on her talk show shortly after the

shooting and said gays shouldn’t be treated as second-class citizens.

McInerney was only 14 at the time of the February 2008 shooting. Several jurors said after the teen’s trial earlier this year that he should never have been tried as an adult. A mistrial was declared in September when jurors couldn’t reach a unanimous decision on the degree of guilt. The panel took a series of votes, the last one with seven jurors in favor of voluntary manslaughter and five supporting either first-degree or seconddegree murder. The trial had been moved from Ventura County to Los Angeles because of pretrial publicity.

Frawley said prosecutors agreed to the plea deal because of uncertainty about what might result from a second trial. “We took that into account and looked at what it would take to protect the community,” Frawley said. “The total time in custody for 25 years will do that.”

The murder conviction will be stayed, and the plea deal calls for McInerney to be given the harshest sentence under California law for voluntary manslaughter - 11 years - and use of a firearm - 10 years, Frawley said. McInerney is ineligible for

time served or good behavior because he pleaded guilty to murder.

After serving nearly four years since King’s slaying, McInerney will be released just shy of his 39th birthday. Prosecutors had previously offered a plea deal that would have sent McInerney to prison for 25 years to life, but his attorneys passed. A phone message left with defense attorney Robyn Bramson was not immediately returned.

Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, said in a statement the plea agreement ends a tragic chapter. “Ventura County along with communities and school districts everywhere must come together to promote a culture of respect and nurture the true potential found in every individual regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression,” Byard said.

King was shot twice in the back of the head in front of stunned classmates. Authorities maintained the shooting was premeditated and deserving of a murder conviction. During the trial, prosecutors noted at least six people heard McInerney make threats against King in the days

before the shooting. The victim’s mother, Dawn King, revealed Monday that she had contacted school officials four days before the shooting, seeking their cooperation in toning down her son’s behavior, the Los Angeles Times reported.

She said she was told that her son had a civil right to explore his sexual identity. “I knew, gut instinct, that something serious was going to happen,” she told the Times. “They should have contained him, contained his behavior.”

Prosecutors also contended McInerney embraced a white supremacist philosophy that sees homosexuality as an abomination. Police found Nazi-inspired drawings and artifacts at his house, and a white supremacist expert testified at trial the hate-filled ideology was the reason for the killing. Prosecutors, however, dropped a hate crime count against McInerney in preparing for a second trial. Defense attorneys acknowledged McInerney was the shooter but explained he had reached an motional breaking point after King made repeated, unwanted sexual advances. They also argued their client came from a violent upbringing and juvenile court would have been the best venue to try him. — AP

Three police officers found dead in Mexico border city Authorities detain eight police officers PIEDRAS NEGRAS: Assailants kidnapped and killed three police officers in the Mexican border city of Acuna, authorities said Monday.Acuna Public Safety Department said in a statement that the three were on patrol in the same unit when gunmen kidnapped them early Monday.

The officer’s bodies were found an hour later in a residential area of Acuna, which is across the border from Del Rio, Texas. They had been shot and their hands were handcuffed, the police department said.

Authorities say the Zetas and the Sinaloa drug cartels are fighting each other to control smuggling routes in the state of Coahuila, where Acuna is located. Last week, gunmen killed a federal prosecutor for the state of Coahuila when he was about to leave his home in the city of Torreon.

A day earlier, gunmen set a fire at the office of the Torreon newspaper El Siglo and fired shots at it. No injuries were reported.

Authorities in the neighboring state of Durango said soldiers dug up the remains of seven people from a pit.

Durango state prosecutors said troops found the remains in the town of San Juan del Rio, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of the state capital, the city of Durango. They gave no other details. More than 400 bodies have been found in a series of clandestine graves in Tamaulipas and Durango states since April. They are believed to be a result of turf battles between drug cartels.

In Hidalgo, the home state of Zetas leader Heriberto Lazcano, state police chief Damian Canales said authorities detained eight local police officers for allegedly working for the Zetas. Canales said six of those detained were officers for the town of Actopan and two for the state capital of Pachuca. He said they were detained after the arrest of the former police chief in the town of Arenal, who authorities allege was in charge of recruiting police offi-

cers to work for the Zetas.

Canales said the Pachuca city police officers told investigators the Zetas paid them about $360 a month. Also on Monday, military authorities said soldiers in the border state of Chihuahua detained two police chiefs while they were meeting with an alleged drug trafficker. Soldiers detained the police chief and a police officer for the town of Gran Morelos and the police chief for the town of Belisario Dominguez while they met with a boss for La Linea, a gang of hit men for the Juarez Cartel, the Defense Department said in a statement.

It said an anonymous phone call led the troops to the meeting in the town of Belisario Dominguez. Soldiers arrested two other men and seized three handguns and four automatic rifles, the statement added. President Felipe Calderon has been pushing to clean up local and state police forces, whose officers are often corrupt or are coerced by threats into helping drug gangs. — AP

Woman kills two, injures four and then kills self GREENSBORO: Mary Ann Holder wanted to see her married former flame one last time as their bitter love triangle threatened to open a new and potentially costly chapter in court.

The meeting ended with Randall Lamb, 40, being shot and Holder, 36, taking her own life Sunday. Later, police found that Holder gunned down four children living in her home, including her two sons, and the older boy’s girlfriend. Two are dead. Three of the children survived and were in critical condition Monday.

Investigators were trying to unravel the violent chain of events and understand why Holder took out her rage on children. Holder left notes taking responsibility for the shootings and apologizing for the pain she was causing, Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes said. The notes also indicate Holder was angry about how her relationship with Lamb ended.

“They were obviously shot for the purpose of killing them. You can call it an execution, you can call it a shooting, you can call it whatever you want. The result is the same,” he said. “ We may never know exactly what her thoughts were and why.”

Investigators said Holder and Lamb had been having an affair for almost four years and it was grinding to an acrimonious end. In February, Lamb’s wife, Jennifer, sought a court order to keep Holder away from her and her husband. Jennifer Lamb stated in the complaint that Holder would constantly call and text their cell phones and that Holder also sent nude pictures of herself. In June, Holder filed restraining orders against Lamb and his wife, saying they stalked and harassed her and that Lamb constantly drove past her house.

Authorities said Lamb agreed to meet Holder at a community college parking lot

GREENSBORO: A parent and students console each other over the loss of their friends during a prayer meeting held at Pleasant Garden First Baptist Church on Monday, in Pleasant Garden, N.C., following a series of shootings in which Guilford County Sheriff B.J. Barnes said Mary Ann Holder, 36, shot two of her sons, a son’s girlfriend, a niece and nephew, and a man she had had an affair with, before shooting herself dead Sunday. — AP

around 9 a.m. Sunday. His wife was about to file an alienation of affection lawsuit against Holder. North Carolina law allows a married person to sue the person with whom his or her spouse had an affair.

Holder shot at him multiple times and hit him once in the shoulder, the sheriff said.

Lamb called his wife, who reported the shooting to 911 dispatchers. He was in stable condition on Monday. Holder then drove off to pick up her 14-year-old son. Phone records indicate that about 45 minutes later, Zachary Smith was sending a text message thanking his hosts for letting him stay over the previous

SEOUL: US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, right, is escorted by a commander of combined US-South Korea forces, US Army Gen. James D. Thurman as she arrives to attend a ceremony of Thanksgiving Day at Yongsan US Army headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, yesterday. — AP

night. Nearly half an hour later, a sheriff ’s deputy on the lookout for Holder’s black SUV drove past it and turned around after seeing what he thought was a puff of smoke inside the vehicle. Holder was found dead inside with a gunshot to the head, and Zachary critically wounded was in the SUV’s back seat.

Deputies recovered two handguns inside the vehicle, one in Holder’s lap, the sheriff said.

The officers then went into Holder’s home in the Pleasant Garden community south of Greensboro and found her son, 17-year-old Robert Dylan Smith, dead. Smith’s girlfriend, Makayla Woods, 15, and Holder’s nephew, Richard Suttles, 17, were also shot inside the home and were in critical condition Monday.

Holder’s niece, Hannaleigh Suttles. 8, died Monday. The victims appeared to have been shot while they slept in a bedroom and the home’s living room, said Barnes’s chief deputy, Col. Randy Powers.

Holder’s decision to take in her dead sister’s children appeared to add to the pressures of what appeared to be a life in turmoil, neighbor Teresa Scott said. “Why would you take them children, keep them children, when your life’s rocky, up and down?” said Scott, who said Holder began renting the home across the street about four years ago.

Holder’s children were kind and vigilant toward the elderly couple across the road, Teresa Scott said. They volunteered to help with yard maintenance and inquired about the health of her husband, Joe, who has had recent health problems. In the past, Lamb also appeared to like Holder’s children, Teresa Scott said. “They’d pack up things and go places together,” she said.

But it was also clear the affair between Holder and Lamb had become rancorous, Teresa Scott said. —AP

CHILI: Hao Truong, Henrietta, left, laughs with his son, Samart Khumkhaw, 34, and other family members during his emotion filled arrival at the Greater Rochester International Airport in Chili, N.Y., Monday. Khumkhaw was separated from his father while escaping Vietnam in 1977. — AP

Refugee in US reunites with son after 34 years ROCHESTER: A Vietnamese war refugee who survived a 1977 pirate attack that separated him from his wife and infant child reunited with his grown son in upstate New York on Monday after nearly 34 years apart.

Hao Truong was tossed into the South China Sea after pirates attacked a boat taking refugee families to Thailand in December 1977. He said he managed to stay afloat for 16 hours before being rescued by a fishing boat.

In a Thai refugee camp, Truong learned weeks later that his wife had died - her body washed up on shore along with another female victim. But he said he’d long assumed that their 7month-old baby, Kham, had survived and was raised by someone else. Truong resettled in the United States in 1978, sponsored by an uncle living in Louisiana. On a trip to Thailand in June after hearing Kham might be alive, a social worker helped him locate his son, now a 34-year-old father of two named Samart Khumkhaw who lives in Surat Thani province.

“At this minute, I feel so excited and happy,” Truong said as he stood next to his son at Rochester’s airport surrounded by two dozen relatives and friends waving tiny US flags and “Welcome Home” balloons. “We’re going to have a big Thanksgiving holiday! “When I found him in Thailand, I stayed with him for almost three weeks. Then we know each other well, without asking anything, just like we know (each other) a long time ago.”

US Sen. Charles Schumer helped Truong obtain a visitor’s visa for his son, a carpenter, to travel alone to Rochester to meet his father’s family. During a fourmonth stay, Khumkhaw also plans to visit his 86-year-old grandfather in Texas.

“We don’t want to keep him too long away from his own family,” his father said, adding that “he knows my wish is to bring him to USA” someday. In late 1978, Truong traveled to Rochester to meet his late wife’s siblings and stayed. He remarried, raised four children and was a metalworker for 30 years before being laid off in 2009. At age 54, he’s studying for a community college degree and retraining as a machinist.

During four days of captivity before being pushed overboard, Truong said the pirate boat crew seemed enthralled at how cute his child was. “That’s why he never think for a moment that anybody would kill this little baby,” said his sister, Hong Truong.

While the circumstances of the child’s passage to safety remain murky, he was given to a bereft young couple in Thailand whose daughter had died two days after birth. “A lady - we don’t know the relationship - told the couple she had a little baby boy and asked if they would raise him,” Truong’s sister said. “The foster mom saw the baby and wanted to adopt him, but she can’t ask where the baby come from.”

More than 3 million people fled Communist-controlled Vietnam and neighboring Laos and Cambodia after the Vietnam War ended in 1975. Many sailed long distances in overcrowded small boats, at risk of shipwreck and pirate attacks.

The plight of the so-called “boat people” turned into a humanitarian crisis as they came under sometimes deadly assault. More than 125,000 refugees from Vietnam were resettled in the US between 1975 and 1980, according to the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. — AP

Bolivia says won’t let US anti-drug agents return LA PAZ: Bolivia, the world’s No. 3 cocaine producer, said on Monday it would not let US anti-drug agents return even as government officials work with Washington on a plan to fight the narcotics trade.

Bolivia and the United States agreed earlier this month to patch up their differences and restore full diplomatic relations three years after the Andean nation’s leftist president threw out the American ambassador and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents. As part of that agreement, they pledged to work together to tackle illegal drug production and trafficking, but Government Minister Wilfredo Chavez said the DEA staff would not be allowed back into the Andean country.

“The DEA is not going to return because of the effect they’ve had on the countr y, for the role they ’ve played,” Chavez said as he outlined an anti-drug plan being negotiated with neighboring Brazil and the United

States. Bolivian President Evo Morales, a former coca leaf farmer and fierce critic of US foreign policy in Latin America, has repeatedly accused the DEA of conspiring with his rightist political rivals.

Chavez played down the scope of the plan under discussion, saying it had “a much more operational focus” and would include digital monitoring of coca crops.

The accord was due to be signed last week but Chavez said Bolivia had asked for some last-minute revisions to the document in order to guarantee “absolute and total control” over the fight against drugs in its territory.

Bolivia is the world’s third-biggest producer of cocaine after Colombia and Peru and coca elimination programs have been outpaced by the s p re a d o f n e w c ro p s, s o u n d i n g alarm bells in neighboring Brazil as we l l a s t h e U n i te d S t a te s. B o t h countries are important markets for cocaine. — Reuters

y

A

12

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

i n t e r n at i o n a l

US visa program for Afghan allies comes up empty KABUL: Afghans who have spent years working for US troops, diplomats or agencies say their lives are at risk for that service as soldiers head home, and fear a visa programme that promised an escape for those facing serious threats has failed them.

The Afghan Allies program was approved two and half years ago for Afghans who have worked for the US government. Since then, of the 2,630 who have so far applied, 48 have been rejected and one has received an interview. Not a single visa has been handed out under the programme.

Those still waiting said they have been marked as traitors by the

Taliban, and fear they will be targeted if they remain when the last of foreign combat troops leave at the end of 2014. “My real concern is when the coalition forces and American troops withdraw from Afghanistan,” said Mohammad Zaher Moshtaq, employed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for the past two and a half years. He applied for his visa more than seven months ago and has not heard back.

“I will be worried about my life.

That is my concern. If I have not heard anything from this program. I don’t know what my other option would be after 2014,” he said.

Interpreters working with the US

military already face grave dangers in the line of duty. An Afghan interpreter died along with three foreign troops in southern Afghanistan in late October when an Afghan soldier opened fire on them.

Outside work there are further threats. Assassinations of government and foreign military employees, or those seen as their supporters, are rising. Others receive “night letters” warning them to quit their jobs or they will be killed.

An interpreter, one of several Afghans who did not want to be named for fear of upsetting their US employer and visa hopes, worked for 7 years for US troops. An anonymous phone call two years ago

labeled him a spy and told him to quit his job based in Kabul or “you will be killed.”

If Americans trusted Afghans enough to work with them in deadly Afghan environments, they should trust them enough to let them enter the United States, he said. “We have helped them night after night, day after day . Now we want their hand,” he said. “If they don’t help us, every Afghan will know they abused us, used us.”

The US embassy in Kabul said it is putting more resources into processing applications for a scheme that allows for 7,500 visas to be issued until 2013, or 1500 per year.

A unit set up in September “has

made significant progress in reducing the backlog” for initial stages of applications, said acting assistant chief of mission Alaina Teplitz.

“The pipeline is full and moving and it wasn’t previously,” she said. “It has not been simple, our feeling on this is we had to get this right,” she added, without specifying what problems have held up the programme since 2009.

The embassy said it has now issued 110 initial approval lettersthe first of five steps to getting a full visa, which requires checks of factors including background and employment. But Jamshid Anwari, 26, an interpreter for the US military since July, 2006, said time is running

out. “I can’t trust Afghan national security forces, I can’t trust the police...I have to get out. If I live in Afghanistan, somebody definitely will kill me.”

Anwari first applied two years ago to an older programme that awards up to 50 US visas a year for Afghan interpreters, except for 2 years where 500 were allowed. So far a total of 797 interpreter visas have been issued, the US embassy said. But when that programme was full, he applied to the Afghan Allies program. He received an email ten months ago saying the initial mission approval letter would arrive shortly. “I am still waiting,” he said. “It is frustrating.” —Reuters

Khmer Rouge trial sees chief defend regime in video Members deny charges of war crimes

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh waves as he arrives on the first day of the winter session of Parliament in New Delhi, India, yesterday. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal stands at left. —AP

Stormy start for crucial Indian parliament session NEW DELHI: India’s opposition disrupted parliament yesterday at the start of a crucial winter session in which the government is under pressure to pass a tough new anti-corruption law.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his ruling Congress party have been reeling from a series of corruption scandals, including the flawed sale of telecom licences that could have cost the country up to $40 billion.

With a faltering economy and high inflation adding to his woes, Singh is looking to seize back momentum from his critics and show that, half-way through his second mandate, his cabinet still has an appetite for reform.

Proceedings began with noisy protests from opposition lawmakers, who ignored pleas for order from the parliamentary speaker and the prime minister and eventually forced an adjournment for the day.

“The government is prepared to discuss all issues which the opposition wants to raise. We hope the session will move smoothly,” Singh told reporters at the start of the day outside parliament.

Only 15 laws have been passed by parliament in India in the last year, according to the PRS Legislative Research thinktank, leading to fears about governance and the government’s faltering reform agenda.

A new anti-corruption law, known as the Lokpal or Ombudsman bill, is likely to take precedence over all other business this session, which includes other proposed laws on foreign investment in retail, aviation and pensions.

The government was caught by surprise in August when social activist Anna Hazare launched a 12-day hunger strike to press for the Lokpal bill, which drew huge public support in an outpouring of anger about endemic graft.

The 74-year-old activist has warned that he will strike again unless the legislation, which would create a powerful ombudsman able to investigate and prosecute public servants, is passed by December 21.

The government has promised to pass a Lokpal bill. But it will not necessarily be the one proposed by Hazare, which would give the ombudsman power to

investigate a sitting prime minister and members of the lower bureaucracy.

Observers are also watching to see if the left-leaning ruling coalition and the opposition will restore order in the famously unruly but increasingly dysfunctional parliament.

The entire winter session in 2010 was lost due to constant adjournments.

“There appears to be a logjam in parliament even on smaller and uncontentious bills,” said M.R. Madhavan of PRS Legislative Research, a think-tank that tracks parliament.

“The last session saw only 10 bills being passed and the previous one five.”

Industry groups and leading businessmen have called on the government to push through key reforms to dispel a growing perception that slow policymaking is hurting the country’s economic growth.

“Many industry leaders feel there is a chronic deficit in governance and policy making amid slowing economic growth and rising inflation,” ASSOCHAM, an industry body, said in a statement last week.

India’s inflation rate edged closer to double digits in October, defying market forecasts and calling into question the strategy of the central bank, which has hiked interest rates 13 times since March last year.

Much in the winter session will depend on the behaviour of the opposition led by the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

It has already suggested it plans to boycott Home Minister P. Chidambaram by preventing him from speaking in the parliament over his alleged role in the telecom sale scam in 2008 when he served as finance minister.

“While India is not at war from outside, there is certainly a sense that it is in crisis from within,” leading businessman Sunil Bharti Mittal wrote in an open letter last week.

“It is the need of the hour that the opposition parties rise above politics and wholeheartedly support the government in fulfilling its duties by way of passing some critical bills of national importance,” he said. —AFP

Malaysia to ban street protests under new law KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s government announced yesterday it will enact new rules for public demonstrations, including a ban on street protests and other restrictions that opposition groups say are too repressive.

Despite being under pressure to improve civil liberties ahead of national elections expected next year, the ruling party introduced a legislation known as the Peaceful Assembly Bill that proposes a range of curbs on the public.

The legislation, which Parliament is likely to approve as early as next month, effectively rejects many of the reforms demanded by opposition and human rights groups, which accused Prime Minister Najib Razak of reneging on his promise to make Malaysia a more liberal and freer society.

The bill “is a total reversal of Najib’s promise of providing more freedoms to the people,” said Lau Weng San of the Democratic Action Party.

The planned law proposed by Najib’s National Front makes one concession-it removes a

requirement for demonstrators to get a police permit, which in many cases is denied to opposition parties.

Demonstrators will nevertheless be required to give a 30-day notice to the police, who can impose various restrictions or even reject the proposed time and place for the demonstration.

They also cannot take to the streets, effectively forcing them to be confined to stadiums or public halls. They also cannot make statements that can “promote feelings of ill will,” according to the text of the bill.

Children under 15 would be barred from rallies, which cannot be staged near schools, hospitals or places of worship. Protesters could be fined up to 20,000 ringgit ($6,200) if they break the rules. The prime minister’s office said in a statement that the legislation “makes it easier for Malaysians to express their views without putting public order at risk” and represented the latest stage of Najib’s “progressive package of social and political reforms.” —AP

PHNOM PENH: A top Khmer Rouge leader on trial at Cambodia’s war crimes tribunal was yesterday confronted with dramatic footage in which he defends the regime’s bloody purges and calls the victims “traitors”. Nuon Chea, regarded as the regime’s chief ideologue, showed no emotion as the short video clip, dating from 2001 or later, was shown on the second day of opening statements at his longawaited trial alongside two codefendants.

International co-prosecutor Andrew Cayley told the UNbacked court in Phnom Penh that the trio-the three most senior surviving Khmer Rouge memberswere “thieves of time” and “common murderers” of a whole generation of Cambodians.

“Brother Number Two” Nuon Chea, former head of state Khieu Samphan and ex-foreign minister Ieng Sary all deny charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide over the deaths of up to two million people during the Khmer Rouge’s 1975-79 reign of terror.

“No one in this country is left unhurt or unaffected by what these three elderly men have done,” Cayley said.

Prosecutors showed the packed court the footage of Nuon Chea, taken from the 2009 documentary “Enemies of the People”, to support their claim that the movement had a policy of killing enemies and those it regarded as disloyal.

“If these traitors were alive, the Khmers as a people would have been finished so I dare to suggest our decision was the right one,” Nuon Chea calmly tells a Cambodian journalist in the clip.

“If we had shown mercy to the people, the nation would have been lost.”

The footage was shot at some point between 2001, when the journalist began interviewing Nuon Chea, and his arrest in 2007. Cayley spoke of mass killings of Vietnamese and Cham

Muslims, saying regime leaders had “a systematic plan of genocide” for them, and of the “smashing” of perceived enemies at detention centres across the country.

The defendants knew about and participated in five main accusations against them, Cayley said, including forced evacua-

Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge emptied cities, abolished money and religion and wiped out nearly a quarter of Cambodia’s population in a bid to create an agrarian utopia.

Nuon Chea yesterday dismissed the allegations against him in a lengthy speech to the court that at times slipped into a

wanted to “annex” Cambodia, the carpet-bombing of his country by the United States in the early 1970s and the admittance of “bad elements” into Khmer Rouge ranks for the suffering of his countrymen.

Owing to fears that not all of the accused, who are in their 80s and suffer from various medical

PHNOM OENH: Cambodian police officials receive the court documents from a court spokesman Huy Vannak, center, at the court entrance during the break time of the UN-backed war crimes tribunal in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, yesterday. —AP tions into rural areas, enslavement of the population in labour camps and the widespread practice of forced marriages.

The trio’s historic case, the tribunal’s second and most important, is seen as vital to healing wounds in the still-traumatised nation. Missing from the courtroom is the fourth accused, Ieng Thirith-the regime’s “First Lady” and the only female leader to be charged by the court-after she was ruled unfit for trial last week because she has dementia.

Led by “Brother Number One”

history of the communist party.

“Whatever has been indicated in the opening statements is not true. My position in the revolution was to serve the interest of the nation and the people,” the 85-year-old said as he read from a prepared statement.

The court was ignoring key events by focusing solely on the period of the Khmer Rouge’s rule, he said. “Only the body of the crocodile is to be discussed, not its head or its tail which are the important parts,” he said. He blamed Vietnam, which he said

ailments, will live to see a verdict, the court recently split their complex case into a series of smaller trials.

But this week’s opening statements may cover all of the accusations against the three. Ieng Sary and Khieu Samphan are expected to speak in court on Wednesday. Cayley said convicted Khmer Rouge jailer Duch, who was sentenced to 30 years in jail last year for overseeing the deaths of some 15,000 people in the tribunal’s first case, would be a key witness. —AFP

Philippine massacre victims’ kin sue Arroyo MANILA: Relatives of 57 people massacred in 2009 in the southern Philippines sued former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday over the killings, which they claim she could have prevented. At least two Arroyo allies, including a former governor of an autonomous Muslim region, are among about 100 suspects being tried on murder charges in the country’s worst politically motivated bloodbath, which occurred two years ago today. The dead included 32 media workers, making it the worst single killing of journalists in the world.

Arroyo was arrested last week on charges that she ordered the former governor, Andal Ampatuan Sr., and another official to commit election fraud two years before the massacre. Arroyo has condemned and denied any knowledge of the killings, but lawyer Harry Roque said she should have known that Ampatuan and his son were a danger.

Roque filed the lawsuit yesterday, seeking 15 million pesos ($346,000) in damages. In court documents, he argued that Arroyo turned a blind eye to a decade of human rights abuses in the region and “instead she cultivated ties with the Ampatuans, who would prove indispensable to her continued hold on political power.”

Reporters, drivers and assistants were accompanying family and supporters of the Ampatuans’ political rival en route to file for candidacy in regional elections when gunmen allegedly led by former town mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. stopped them and led them to a hilltop clearing where they were mowed down and hastily buried in mass graves.

The Ampatuans were political allies of Arroyo but after the massacre she expelled them from her ruling party. She also declared martial law in Maguindanao province, enabling the army and police to round up the suspects and attempt to restore order. Roque said that although there is no evidence that Arroyo masterminded the massacre, “she not only funded and armed the Ampatuans but gave them the sense of influence.

She could have prevented it. She knew about possible dangers.”

Arroyo lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said, “Talk is easy but the evidence has to be solid to pass those who will review it.” The former president’s legal team failed to convince the Supreme Court on Tuesday to temporarily stop the arrest of their client on charges of electoral cheating. The justices set oral argu-

The elder Ampatuan was implicated by his son, Zaldy Ampatuan, who wants to become a state witness in the electoral fraud case. Zaldy Ampatuan is also charged in the massacre, and the victims’ relatives strongly oppose allowing him to become a prosecution witness in Arroyo’s case, which could lead to more lenient treatment for himself in the murder trial.

MANILA: Protesters shout slogans as they gather outside the Supreme Court yesterday in Manila, Philippines. The Supreme Court heard the oral arguments between the government panel and lawyers of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on whether to discard the joint charges on electoral fraud and the arrest warrant issued by a lower court. —AP ments in the case for Nov. 29.

Arroyo, who stepped down last year, was arrested in her hospital suite on Friday on charges that she ordered Andal Ampatuan Sr. and a former elections official to rig 2007 congressional polls in Maguindanao to favor her candidates. Arroyo has denied any wrongdoing.

Amnesty International lamented the slow pace of the trial, saying “the Philippine government has to show that it has the ability to render justice.” The group criticized significant delays in the hearings and the fact that 100 of the 197 acccused remain at large. It also noted that Zaldy Ampatuan still has not been arraigned. —AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Years

NEWS KUWAIT: Kites are flown close to the residence of Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah as a show of support yesterday.

— Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Erdogan: Coward Assad must quit Continued from Page 1 Security forces killed 13 people yesterday, including five boys in the flashpoint central province of Homs, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Four boys - aged 10, 11, 13 and 15 - were “indiscriminately” gunned down in the Hula area, the Britainbased watchdog said in a statement, while a fifth - aged six - died in Homs city. Three other people, including a mentally ill man, were killed in Homs itself, two more, including a deserter, were killed elsewhere in the province, and three brothers were killed in Idlib in the northwest, it said.

In his fiercest criticism yet of his former personal friend, Erdogan called on Assad to “quit power before more blood is shed... for the peace of your people, your region and your country”.

After weeks of mounting criticism of Assad, it was the first time the Turkish premier had directly called for his removal, becoming the second leader of a neighbouring country to do so after Jordan’s King Abdullah II. “Bashar Al-Assad is saying he will fight to the death. Fighting your own people... is not heroism but cowardice,” Erdogan told parliament, referring to a recent interview with Assad published by the Sunday Times in London.

“If you want to see someone who fought and died, take at look at Nazi Germany, take a look at Hitler, take a look at Mussolini and Romania’s Ceausescu,” he said. Adolf Hitler died in his bunker as Allied forces closed in on

Berlin, wartime Italian leader Benito Mussolini was strung up from a lamppost by an angry mob, and Romanian communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was executed by firing squad on Christmas Day 1989. If Assad had failed to learn lessons from history, Erdogan invited him to consider the more recent fate of Libya’s longtime strongman Muammar Gaddafi who was killed by his opponents after being chased from power.

Erdogan also asked Assad why he failed to display the same fighting spirit to win back the Golan Heights, a rocky plateau which Israel captured from Syria during the 1967 Middle East war and unilaterally annexed in 1981.

“You are talking about fighting to the death. Why didn’t you fight to the death for the Golan Heights occupied

by Israel?” Erdogan asked. He insisted Turkey had no intention of interfering in Syria’s domestic affairs but added “we cannot remain indifferent” to what happens in a neighbouring country with which Turkey shares a 910-km border.

Turkey has become increasingly vocal in its criticism of Assad after its diplomatic missions came under attack by pro-government demonstrators in several Syrian cities earlier this month. Tensions deteriorated further on Monday when two busloads of Turkish pilgrims who were in Syria on their way back from the hajj in Makkah were attacked by gunmen. The Syrian National Council (SNC), the largest and most representative opposition

grouping, said it was in talks with activists and dissidents to prepare for the transition “in accordance with the Arab League initiative”. “It was determined that the conference will issue a memorandum concerning the postSyrian regime phase,” it said, adding this would ensure “inclusivity and the participation of all political forces in Syria.”

Saudi Arabia, which has also criticized the crackdown, announced yesterday that one of its citizens, Hussein bin Bandar bin Khalaf Al-Anzi, was killed in Homs while visiting relatives Monday. A government statement on the Saudi Press Agency demanded an explanation from Syria on the circumstances of his death and said the Saudi government regarded the incident with grave concern. It did not provide further details or say how he was killed.

Syria’s state-run SANA news agency said security forces on Monday carried out a “qualitative” operation in the Bayada district of Homs in which they killed four terrorists and confiscated their weapons. It said a “top terrorist” nicknamed Bandar was among them.

It was not immediately clear if the man referred to by SANA was the Saudi man. But Syria’s Al-Watan newspaper, which is close to the Syrian government, said a Saudi was among gunmen killed by security agents in Homs.

The paper said the Saudi was of Syrian origin, dismissing media reports that he was killed while on a visit to family in Homs. — Agencies

3 Saudi Shiites killed by police ‘stray...

Continued from Page 1 Activists said authorities responded by deploying armed riot police who had set up checkpoints.

The Eastern Province is the centre of Saudi Arabia’s oil production facilities and is connected by a 16-mile causeway to Bahrain, where Riyadh sent troops earlier this year to help the fellow-Sunni government crush mainly Shiite protests. Saudi Shiites complain of systematic discrimination, which the authorities deny.

King Abdullah has appointed several Shiites to advisory government bodies.

Saif, the activist, said that a 19year-old technical college student died on Sunday, killed by what police had told his family was a stray bullet fired during a clash between security forces and unknown assailants. The ministry statement, however, said that “On Sunday night the police found one person dead in a construction site after he was involved with others in shooting at policemen trying to investigate burning car tyres at the side of a major street opposite a police checkpoint.”

Saif said that on Monday, a girl was shot and killed and a young man, believed to be aged 24, was shot dead during a march in Al-Qatif.

Both were killed accidentally by

police bullets, he said. The ministry said that in addition to the two people it said had died, two were in hospital - one person in a “serious condition” and one, a woman, with a bullet wound that was “not life threatening”. “Opening fire is a big mistake, especially as we approach Ashoura,” Saif said, referring to the holiday when Shiites mark the anniversary of the slaying of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) grandson, Hussein, in 680. This year Ashoura falls in early December.

Saif said that unlike provincial police, who had always held back from opening fire even during protest marches, the riot police deployed in the province earlier this year had fired in the air more frequently. He said he hoped that a government investigation would calm tensions. “We expect this committee to work in a neutral way, to calm tensions. I hope it will calm spirits,” he added.

Another activist, Mohammed AlSaeedi, said in a statement sent by email to Reuters that security forces opened fire on protests in Al-Qatif and the nearby town of Awamiya on Monday, shooting dead one person and wounding 7. Eight other people were injured, but not by gunfire, he said. In separate incidents, a police vehicle ran over and injured a man in Al-Qatif, and earlier this week a

young man was shot and critically wounded in Awamiya, Saif said.

In early October the Interior Ministry said an unnamed foreign power, widely thought to mean Iran, had instigated an attack on a police station in Eastern Province in which 14 people, including 11 members of the security forces, were injured.

Saudi officials say there are nearly one million Shiites out of a population of 3.4 million in Eastern Province, but an International Crisis Group report from 2005 said they number around 2 million and a 2008 US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks said there are 1.5 million Shiites in the province.

Shiites say they face discrimination in education and government jobs and are spoken of disparagingly in text books and by some Sunni officials and state-funded clerics.

They complain of restrictions on setting up places of worship and marking Shiite holidays, and say that AlQatif and the town of Al-Ahsa receive less state funding than Sunni communities of equivalent size. The Saudi government denies charges of discrimination. King Abdullah has appointed three Shiites to the advisory Shura council and included Shiite leaders in “national dialogue” meetings where officials hear from representatives of different groups in society. — Reuters

Govt supporters stage huge rally backing PM Continued from Page 1 Ghanem also said that internal disputes within members of the ruling family are exhausting the country, adding that they are fighting a fierce battle to rescue the country. He vowed that the National Bloc will file to grill the prime minister over allegations of corruption. MP Abdullah Al-Roumi said his group will not deal with the government or the Assembly, insisting that it is better for them to sit at home rather than cooperating with the government.

At the pro-government rally, a massive crowd of well over 10,000 people gathered opposite the Assembly building, holding banners in support of the Amir and the prime minister. National songs were played and slogans were frequently repeated back-

ing the prime minister. They also called for national unity and chanted slogans against dividing the society on sectarian or tribal lines. It was the first rally organized by government supporters since the corruption scandal broke out. The rally also criticized the storming of the Assembly building by opposition activists last week and called for applying the law against them.

I n a re l a t e d d e ve l o p m e n t , a u t h o r i t i e s h ave issued warrants to summon about 50 people allegedly involved in breaking into the Assembly building but the list did not include names of MPs. Opposition MPs Al-Barrak and Jamaan Al-Harbash, who led the action, called on those summoned by the police to call them or call a number of lawyers who volunteered to defend them.

Aspirations of peoples not to be feared: Juppe Continued from Page 1 Arab revolts have already toppled the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya while Yemeni and Syrian regimes are facing similar revolts with a bloody crackdown that has killed hundreds of civilians. Top officials from 40 nations, half of them Arabs, are taking part in the forum aiming to promote reform and the role of civil society. “Our countries are capable of overcoming the current circumstances ... while taking into account the legitimate aspirations of our peoples,” HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said in his opening statement at the one-day forum.

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled AlSabah said the state is following “with deep concern the events in Syria and Yemen”, and stressed his “total respect for the will and choices of our peoples”. The Forum for the Future was launched at the G8 summit in 2004 in the United States. Participating countries reaffirmed their commitment to promoting reform in the Middle East and North Africa region and pledged to assist in establishing a suitable environment for open and comprehensive dialogue.

Juppe also said there is no plan for military intervention

in Syria because the opposition to President Bashar AlAssad’s regime wants to proceed peacefully. “The situation in Syria is different (from Libya). We have no intention of military intervention because the (opposition) Syrian National Council prefers to continue with peaceful efforts,” Juppe told a press conference later. Juppe said military action was also excluded because “Arab countries have not asked for (it) and because of the difficulty in obtaining a resolution from the UN Security Council as a result of Russia’s veto” right.

He said France and other Western governments would continue to coordinate with the Arab League, whose foreign ministers are meeting tomorrow to “intensify sanctions on the Syrian regime,” Juppe said. The French minister, in Kuwait City to attend the Forum for the Future, warned of the “risk of internal confrontations within Syrian society,” echoing fears expressed by Russian, Turkish and US officials of civil war. Juppe said he hoped the Arab League would “go further” in its actions against the Assad regime and called for talks with the Syrian opposition as an alternative to a government “which has lost its legitimacy”. — AFP

Bahrain oppn: repression ‘systematic’ Continued from Page 1 Bahrain’s response to the report could determine whether the US Congress approves an arms sale. “It’s a good step.

Torture has not been described in our law, but people have to be brought to justice,” said Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Human Rights Association (BHRA), who added that testimony from detainees indicated four members of the royal family were personally involved in abuses. “We don’t know who these 20 people (being prosecuted) are, or if they have really been questioned or not,” he said.

The opposition Al-Wefaq said in a statement the Sunni-dominated government is trying to escape responsibility for “violations leading to numerous fatalities and hundreds of injuries on junior security personnel”. The Wefaq statement said the February and March bloody crackdown on protesters was “systematic” and the result of a “planned” government policy. Al-Wefaq argued that the sheer number and nature of “abuses could not have taken place without prior knowledge and consent of influential officials,” adding that the “ultimate responsibility lies with the top decision makers rather than junior officials and soldiers”.

Observers are focused on whether the report, to be unveiled in a high-profile ceremony at one of King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa’s palaces, describes torture as systematic. Bahrain has argued the cases were restricted to some officers who acted alone, and has challenged the term “systematic”. “It’s not isolated cases, it’s an order for something happening systematically. It was from ministers and above ministers,” Rajab said. “We don’t want them to try to simplify the crime, it’s bigger than they have been trying to present.”

The BHRA issued its estimates of numbers of dead, detained and abused at a news conference yesterday. Rajab said around half of more than 3,000 people who were detained reported their case to the BHRA. Of those, 1,330 said they faced torture or abuse including electric shock, suspension by hands or feet, shackling of hands behind the back for days, solitary confinement, and humiliation by exposure to urine. The BHRA puts the total dead at 45, mainly during the month of protests, but also five in detention during martial law and several in clashes which have continued almost nightly.

Ali Yousef Al-Sitrawi, aged 16, was killed in a protest in Manama last week.

Officials said a police vehicle lost control because of oil spilt on the road deliberately by protesters, but activists say police often drive straight at them in clashes. Riot police were out in force in Sitra yesterday where the funeral ceremonies for Sitrawi were taking place.

Streets, littered in rubber bullets, were blocked off by residents, and helicopters flew overhead.

Jalila Al-Sayed, a lawyer defending many of the hundreds of people who have faced trial under military law, said the government’s mea culpa on use of force and abuse could render most if not all the verdicts invalid. “Every judgement from the military court was based on detainee confessions. It is highly likely they were extracted under torture. So should those cases go ahead, should proceedings be suspended?” she told the conference. Al-Sayed said the number of prosecutions the government mentioned of 20 was remarkably small.

“That’s really appalling. The question is, how many Bahrainis were killed, tortured or victims of your government?” she said.

Describing cases where battered defendants appeared in court, she said lawyers were often informed late of the charges and judges consistently refused to admit evidence of abuse. — Agencies

Presidential polls in June: Egypt junta Continued from Page 1 Tantawi said his council was also committed to holding parliamentary elections on schedule on Nov 28 and to “electing a president of the republic by the end of June 2012”. As news of the statement filtered into Cairo’s Tahrir Square, where tens of thousands attended an anti-military rally, protesters began to chant against Tantawi.

“The people want the downfall of the field marshal,” they chanted, just blocks away from clashes near the interior ministry on the outskirts of the square. “We can’t trust what he says. The ball has been in SCAF’s court for months, and they didn’t do anything,” said Ibtisam al-Hamalawy, 50. The Tahrir Square rally came after days of deadly clashes pitting police against protesters demanding democratic change.

Sporadic confrontations continued yesterday, with police using batons, tear gas and birdshot against demonstrators.

“Leave!” the huge crowd urged Tantawi from the iconic central plaza, where 10 months ago the same call toppled his long-time boss Hosni Mubarak. One protester hung an effigy of a man in military uniform on a lamp post with a sign reading “the execution of the field marshal”. The SCAF had invited the country’s political forces for crisis talks amid the spiralling unrest that had threatened to derail the election.

The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s best-organised political force, had said it would take part in the talks, which also included presidential hopeful and former Arab League chief Amr Mussa and the head of the liberal Wafd party Sayyed Badawi. Clashes also erupted in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, the canal city of Suez and the central city of Qena, the northern city Port Said and Assiut and Aswan in the south, as while as the Nile Delta province of Daqahliya.

Protesters at Tahrir Square indicated they would want to hear nothing less than an announcement of an end to the rule of SCAF, which took over when Mubarak was toppled in February. “The people want the downfall of the regime,” they shouted, echoing the Arab Spring signature chant.

According to the health ministry, at least 28 people have been killed since Saturday, when the security forces first resorted to tear gas, rubber bullets and birdshot in a bid to subdue the protests. Demonstrators responding by throw-

ing stones and petrol bombs.

The United States said it was “deeply concerned” by the violence and called for democratic elections, as watchdog Amnesty International charged the SCAF’s record on human rights was worse than under Mubarak. Egypt’s main stock market index closed down 4.77 percent after trading on the bourse had been suspended for one hour when the main EGX-30 index fell 172.82 points to touch 3,688.17 points, according to the Egyptian Exchange website.

Egypt’s military-appointed cabinet of civilian officials announced its resignation late on Monday, but state television initially quoted a SCAF source as saying this was rejected by the military. The SCAF said it had asked the justice ministry to set up a committee to probe the violence, and called on “all forces and citizens to commit to (restoring) calm, and creating an atmosphere of stability with the goal of pursuing the political process.” The Brotherhood-affiliated Freedom and Justice Party had said it would not join Tuesday’s protest, a decision it said stemmed from its “desire not to pull people towards fresh bloody confrontations with the parties that are seeking more tension.”

Yesterday’s rally was called by the activist groups which spearheaded the popular uprising that forced Mubarak out.

In a Facebook page for the rally, the groups called for the immediate resignation of Sharaf’s cabinet and the formation of a “national salvation” government. They also demanded a presidential election by April 2012 and a complete overhaul of the interior ministry. Several politicians, including ElBaradei, have urged the military to review its plans for the transfer of power to civilians, by organising a presidential election before the parliamentary polls which are due to begin next Monday and last several months.

The Muslim Brotherhood, although highly critical of the military rulers, is against any postponement of the legislative vote, feeling it is in a strong position. The military is also under pressure from abroad to halt the violence, with US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland calling for “free, fair elections,” and expressing the hope that the polls will proceed on schedule. UN leader Ban Ki-moon urged the military council to “guarantee” civil liberties and he deplored the deaths in the clashes. — AFP

14

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

opinion

THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher

YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN Editor-in-Chief

ABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN EDITORIAL : 24833199-24833358-24833432 ADVERTISING : 24835616/7 FAX : 24835620/1 CIRCULATION : 24833199 Extn. 163 ACCOUNTS : 24835619 COMMERCIAL : 24835618 P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait.

E MAIL :info@kuwaittimes.net Website: www.kuwaittimes.net

Issues

Army slammed for delaying civilian rule

By Edmund Blair and Marwa Awad ameh Attallah was among Egypt’s “silent majority” who trusted the army to make way for civilian rule after protesters ousted Hosni Mubarak in February. For nine months, he stayed home when others hit the street demanding swifter reform. That has changed. Now convinced that the ruling military council wants to cling to power, he joined protests on Friday that led to violence which has cost 33 lives. “I was among those who did not protest after Mubarak stepped down and the army promised to protect the revolution. But I must say now the army looks to be robbing people of their revolution,” the 29-year-old said in Tahrir Square, surrounded by debris and the whiff of teargas after three days of clashes.

For many, trust in the army has evaporated.

Security has not been restored and unrest has blossomed, with Egypt’s first free parliamentary election for decades due to start on Nov 28. Instead of standing above the political fray, the army-picked cabinet has enraged politicians by proposing principles for the new constitution that would shield the army from civilian oversight and give it broad national security powers. Plenty of Egyptians still give the army the benefit of the doubt. Some even rue Mubarak’s fall.

Yet the army’s support may be eroding, even as it seeks to manage its exit from government while retaining its privileges and political influence.

“It’s a fierce struggle for power along ideological, religious and social lines, and the military is trying to play the game to maintain its privileges. It’s a struggle for power, resources, turf and authority,” said Fawaz Gerges, a Middle East expert at the London School of Economics. “What has happened in the last few days represents the end of the honeymoon between the military and many Egyptians.”

Friday’s protest began as a largely Islamist affair, with demonstrators demanding the army scrap the constitutional principles. Youths broadened it to target the ruling military council and its leader Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi. What incensed many ordinary Egyptians was the sight of armybacked police baton-charging protesters in Tahrir Square - just as the police did during the antiMubarak revolt.

“Right after Mubarak’s ouster, we all felt the military council was supporting and protecting us, but the injuries and deaths we’re seeing now, which they are condoning, means they are complicit,” said 26year-old Ahmed Hassan. “The people want to topple the Field Marshal,” is a common protester refrain.

Walls are scrawled with “Tantawi is Mubarak”. The army says it was only trying to protect the nearby Interior Ministry, not to clear protesters from Tahrir, and that it will stick to the transition timetable, holding elections on time and returning to barracks once a president is elected.

But calls for a speedier timetable are growing louder. The military agenda suggests a presidential election may not take place till late 2012 or early 2013, leaving the army with sweeping executive powers until then. Many politicians and many in Tahrir Square want a presidential election by April, immediately after elections to the upper and lower house of parliament are completed. So far the army has not budged. Instead, it seems to be betting that it can ride out the protests. “The army will not interfere with the protesters in Tahrir and neither will elections be delayed. This violence and havoc will die out on its own, gradually,” said one army officer said, dismissing the impact violence could have on public opinion.

This sanguine approach may rely too heavily on support for the army beyond the hotbeds of Cairo and other cities. Yet, the mood may be shifting in these smaller towns and rural areas, typically places where politically conservative views prevail.

Mohamed Fadl, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party in the agricultural town of Mutubis, said the army had broadly played a “good role, with some reservations” but said he feared it now wanted the kind of influence the Turkish military once enjoyed. — Reuters

S

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.

Assad seen ignoring Gaddafis’ fate

By Samia Nakhoul he chilling spectacle of Muammar Gaddafi’s brutal end last month and the capture of his son Saif alIslam this week, far from deterring Bashar Al-Assad, seem to have energised him into redoubling his efforts to crush Syria’s eight-month rebellion. As the Arab League intensified Assad’s isolation by suspending Syria’s membership, defecting soldiers in the Free Syrian Army carried out their boldest attacks so far at Deraa in the south and on an Air Force intelligence base near Damascus.

Unconfirmed reports said the rebels also fired rockets at a headquarters of the ruling Ba’ath party in Damascus, until now firmly locked down by the regime’s security apparatus.

The country of 22 million, convulsed this year by a civil uprising like those that brought down dictators in Tunisia and Egypt, now appears to be on the brink of a Libya-style armed insurgency, with arms flowing in from Lebanon, Jordan and from soldiers who have deser ted with their weapons. Most observers believe Assad will fight it out, playing on fears of a sectarian war between minorities and the Sunni majority if the country’s complex ethnosectarian mosaic unravels, and that neither western powers nor Arab neighbours would risk military intervention to prevent it.

Arab leaders and Syrian opposition figures, with growing support from the Arab League, are now lobbying for a “Contact Group” for Syria, led by Britain and France, to help prepare for a transition in the belief that Assad’s days are numbered and preparations to deal with the fall-out are now essential. “I think we’ve entered into a new phase. I don’t know if it’s the final phase but it is significant because of two things: on the ground there is a more militarised environment, and in the diplomatic sphere, a more determined effort which includes Arab cover,” Salman Shaikh, Director of the Brookings Doha Center, told Reuters.

As Assad expands his military onslaught, which might soon include the use of air power, Arab leaders want the group to consider contingency plans for no fly zones and safe havens near the Turkish and Jordanian borders to protect civilians. “The Assads are finished and the dam could burst as soon as next year,” one senior Arab diplomat said. “ The Arabs have acted because they know he cannot survive”.

There is now, moreover, an Arab, international and Turkish coalition that has proven to be effective in Libya and will be effective with Syria, according to Salman Shaikh. “If you look at the core

T

countries that are driving this: France, Turkey, Qatar and the US. This disengagement and attempt at isolating Syria, particularly by these countries, is very significant and I think will have, in the longer run (and it is a long run game) a debilitating effect on the regime,” Shaikh said.

The Arab League said it would follow through with its decision to suspend Syria, establish contacts with the opposition and examine how the Arab bloc and the United Nations can protect civilians from military attack. “An international consensus is emerging with the exception of Russia that Syria is to blame for the violence,” said Fawaz Gerges, Professor of Middle Eastern Politics at the London School of Economics.

But the 46-year-old Assad looks set to tough it out. “The conflict will continue and the pressure to subjugate Syria will continue. Syria will not bow down,” Assad told the Sunday Times. Most analysts said Assad, who can depend on the loyalty only of two elite Alawaite units the Fourth Armoured Division and the Republican Guard - cannot maintain current military operations without cracks emerging in the armed forces.

They say Assad is taking a gamble because of his growing deployment of regular units whose rank and file are Sunnis. “If you have to move these people around, they are going to get tired ...

They are going to crack,” the Arab diplomat said. Assad, who inherited power from his father Hafez Al-Assad in 2000, is a member of the minority Alawite community, an offshoot of Shiism that amounts to about 12 percent of the population and dominates the state, the army and the security services in the majority Sunni Muslim country.

The 260-member Syrian National Council, which is leading the opposition against the Assads’ 41-year rule, said a conference will take place in Egypt under the auspices of the Arab League, to bring together political factions and independent figures to plan the transition and set rules for a democratic system. “ The opposition is more mature now. It is ready to agree on a common vision,” said SNC spokeswoman Bassma Kodmani.

There are many scenarios that could see Assad brought down; none of them neat and orderly. Some see an Alawite who is part of the community’s hierarchy - but not the regime’s inner circle - moving to oust Assad and his family and, in the interest of the Alawites and other minorities such as the Christians and Druze, to embark on an orderly transition towards a new democratic Syria. “I think effor ts to tr y and pressure the Alawite security core by slapping sanctions, asset freezes and travel bans with the promise of putting them on a list for the International Criminal Court in the future is a good thing, that should

concentrate their minds,” Shaikh added.

Observers say there are some prominent Alawite figures who could play a role in a post-Assad Syria while defecting military officers could also be at the forefront. Related to that, there are groups within the opposition working on a strategic 10-year transition plan. It involves some sort of a national unity government, which comprises major blocs and is as inclusive as possible and could last for a couple of years. This would set the stage for parliamentary elections and a new constitution.

As opposition plans start to crystallise with increased external support, Assad is trying to present himself as the only shield against a slide into chaos, Iraqstyle sectarian carnage, and the triumph of hardline Islamists from the Sunni majority. While the struggle still looks unequal, Assad has already lost the political battle in cities such as Homs, Hama or in the Idlib and Deraa areas, where he has only been able to maintain control through overstretched military units. Many Syrians have defied the military crackdown to keep up demands for change, despite bloodshed which the United Nations says has cost 3,500 lives as well as those of 1,100 soldiers and police, according to the government.

Aside from the human, military and political cost, Assad faces US and European sanctions against Syria’s oil exports and an economic collapse that is crippling his government.

But nobody believes sanctions alone can bring down Assad. “I am not suggesting that there’s going to be some orderly disintegration of the regime. It is likely that there will be a continued militarisation and the regime will be ousted through military means, with the assistance perhaps of Turkey and other Arab states - perhaps with buffer zones in both Jordan and Turkey which would be focused on protecting civilians and offering a safe haven for those launching attacks,” Shaikh said.

The big powers are more united in their campaign to subdue Assad, while ruling out military intervention. “A military intervention is not likely and the NATO example of Libya is not applicable to Syria.

Where would they hit?

Gaddafi had militar y bases entrenched across the country. Any attack on Syria would have reverberations and reactions in neighbouring countries,” said Middle East exper t Jamil Mroue.

Armed with a UN Security Council mandate to protect civilians, Western powers provided air support to Libyan rebels who toppled Gaddafi, but are not inclined to repeat the feat in Syria, in a far trickier arena of the Middle East. Russia, which believes NATO stretched the

UN mandate on Libya to embrace regime-change, firmly opposes any resolution against Syria, where it has its only permanent Mediterranean port facilities at Tartous.

Assad’s own spectre-waving has reinforced the fears of Syria’s neighbours Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Turkey about the possibly seismic consequences of a power shift in a nation on the faultlines of several Middle Eastern conflicts. Instability in Syria, an ally of Shi’ite Iran and Hezbollah, could spread to volatile Lebanon or Iraq. Israel relies on Assad to stabilise their common border, and fears his fall could herald less predictable rulers.

Undeniably, too, Assad still retains substantial suppor t within his own Alawite minority, parts of the business elite, Christians and others who fear that Islamist radicals might come to the fore, and, crucially, army and security force commanders. “The Syrian regime is not isolated internally as many would like to believe. It retains a strong social base of support in major centres like Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia where 60 percent of the population live,” Gerges said. “There is a real danger that Syria has already descended into a prolonged conflict no one knows its outcome internally and regionally. I don’t see a way out for the Assad regime. Assad has no exit strategy.

This is a fight to the bitter end for the family, the clan, with the mentality: either I am going to be killed or I kill my enemy,” Gerges said.

There are those who believe that Assad’s last real ally, Iran, will help him financially. “Iran will not give up on Bashar. It is a matter of survival for them too,” said Mroue. “Iran believes that targeting Syria is a first step in clipping the wings of the Islamic Republic.

The same goes for Hezbollah.” Yet some observers note that the Iranians, struggling with UN sanctions and economic problems of their own, are already making tentative contact with the Syrian opposition. — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

sp orts Beckham keeps EPL door open LONDON: David Beckham did not completely rule out a return to the Premier League yesterday even though he said he could not see himself playing against his beloved Manchester United.

The 36-year-old midfielder, whose five-year contract at Los Angeles Galaxy is about to expire, said he wanted to continue playing and was open-minded about what team he joined next.

“When I was (on loan) at AC Milan I played against Man United. I’d not played there for seven years and it was special going back but it would be totally different going back there in a Premier League shirt,” Beckham told Talksport radio. “It’s a club I love and adore,” added the former England captain two days after helping the Galaxy lift the Major League Soccer (MLS) title. “When I joined United I wanted to start and finish my career there but unfortunately that didn’t happen. I could never see myself playing against United for another Premier League team but you never know ... stranger things have happened.” Beckham has previously trained with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur to keep fit during the MLS off-season and there were moves for him to sign for Spurs on loan in January which narrowly failed to materialise. —Reuters

Montgomerie to visit troops in Afghanistan HAIKOU: Former European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie faces a unique experience this week when he visits British troops in war-torn Afghanistan.

The 48-year-old Scot is to spend four days with army personnel and British Embassy staff. Montgomerie will take the Ryder Cup trophy his team won at Celtic Manor in Wales last year with him and is also expected to hand out golf equipment to the troops.

“I am looking forward to it very much,” he told reporters. “I’m not taking my own golf clubs but I have gathered together a lot of equipment for the troops.

“It’s going to be a special occasion

Penguins top Islanders PITTSBURGH: Sidney Crosby capped his comeback with a flourish, scoring twice and adding two assists in his season debut as the Pittsburgh Penguins crushed the New York Islanders 5-0 on Monday night.

Playing his first game in more than 10 months while recovering from concussion-like symptoms, Crosby appeared to be in midseason form. He scored on his third shift in spectacular fashion, weaving through the New York defense before beating Anders Nilsson with a backhand for his first goal since last December.

Crosby added assists on goals by Evgeni Malkin and Brooks Orpik and capped his comeback with a second tally, a backhand that fluttered by Nilsson early in the third period to provide the final margin.

“Sidney Crosby’s back, guys,” linemate Pascal Dupuis said. Steve Sullivan also scored for the Penguins while Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 29 shots. Nilsson, making just his second start of the season, made 31 saves for New York.

Bruins 1, Canadiens 0 At Montreal, Tim Thomas made 33 saves for his second straight shutout as Boston extended its winning streak to nine games with a victory over Montreal.

Andrew Ference scored his second goal 15:41 in for Boston, which has not lost since dropping two in a row to Montreal from Oct. 27-29.

Thomas got his third shutout of the season, including a 23-save effort in a 6-0 road win over the New York Islanders on Saturday. It was his 29th regular-season shutout.

The Bruins have outscored their opponents 46-14 over the course of the streak, their longest since a 10-

NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Monday.

Carolina 4, Philadelphia 2; Pittsburgh 5, NY Islanders 0; Washington 4, Phoenix 3; Columbus 4, Calgary 1; Boston 1, Montreal 0; Florida 4, New Jersey 3; Dallas 4, Edmonton 1.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF GA PTS Pittsburgh 12 6 3 65 50 27 Philadelphia 11 6 3 73 62 25 NY Rangers 10 4 3 47 38 23 New Jersey 10 8 1 52 54 21 NY Islanders 5 10 3 35 61 13 Northeast Division Boston 12 7 0 65 39 24 Buffalo 12 8 0 58 51 24 Toronto 11 8 2 63 69 24 Ottawa 10 9 2 62 70 22 Montreal 9 9 3 53 50 21 Southeast Division Florida 11 6 3 60 51 25 Washington 11 7 1 62 59 23 Tampa Bay 9 8 2 54 60 20 Winnipeg 8 9 3 58 65 19 Carolina 8 11 3 53 72 19 Western Conference Central Division Chicago 12 6 3 71 67 27 Nashville 10 5 4 53 48 24 Detroit 11 7 1 53 43 23 St. Louis 10 7 2 48 43 22 Columbus 5 13 2 47 70 12 Northwest Division Minnesota 12 5 3 47 40 27 Edmonton 10 8 2 51 49 22 Vancouver 10 9 1 58 57 21 Colorado 9 11 1 56 65 19 Calgary 8 10 1 42 51 17 Pacific Division San Jose 12 5 1 57 43 25 Dallas 12 8 0 53 55 24 Phoenix 10 6 3 54 49 23 Los Angeles 10 7 3 49 48 23 Anaheim 6 10 4 41 61 16 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

game run from Dec. 12, 2008 to Jan. 1, 2009.

Carey Price, who stopped 17 shots, had shutouts in each of his past two starts. Ference’s goal ended his shutout streak at 148 minutes, 11 seconds.

Panthers 4, Devils 3 At Sunrise, Tomas Fleischmann scored at 17:57 in the third period in Florida’s win over New Jersey. Kris Versteeg scored two goals for Florida, and Stephen Weiss had a goal and an assist. Jose Theodore stopped 24 shots.

Fleischmann took a pass from Weiss to the left of the net and shot it past Martin Brodeur. Ilya Kovalchuk, Petr Sykora, and Dainius Zubrus scored for the Devils.

Brodeur had 33 saves. Andy Greene had two assists.

Hurricanes 4, Flyers 2 At Philadelphia, Alexei Ponikarovsky had two goals and an assist and Chad LaRose had a goal and two assists in Carolina’s win.

Jeff Skinner also scored and Cam Ward made 30 saves for Carolina, which got its first victor y in Philadelphia since Nov. 28, 2008. Jussi Jokinen added two assists for the Hurricanes. James van Riemsdyk and Matt Read scored for Philadelphia, which has lost two in a row.

Down 2-0 after the first period, van Riemsdyk scored his eighth goal of the season early in the second period to get Flyers on the board. However, a couple of minutes later, LaRose got his sixth to restore Carolina’s twogoal edge.

Capitals 4, Coyotes 3 At Washington, Nicklas Backstrom scored early in the third period, then set up Brooks Laich’s power-play goal, helping the Capitals rally from a two-goal deficit to end Washington’s four-game losing streak.

The victory was the 200th of Bruce Boudreau’s NHL coaching career. He took over the Capitals in November 2007, promoted from AHL affiliate Hershey when Washington fired Glen Hanson on Thanksgiving Day. The Capitals entered Monday in a serious slump, having lost six of their previous seven games, including a 7-1 setback at Toronto on Saturday. But Backstrom broke a 2-2 tie only 1:52 into Monday’s final period, lifting the puck past goalie Jason LaBarbera from near the net.

Joel Ward and Alex Ovechkin were credited with assists - Ovechkin’s first point in five games. That ended only the second four-game point drought of Ovechkin’s NHL career; the other came in February 2007, and he’s never had a longer stretch.

Lauri Korpikoski’s second goal of the game, with about 8 1/2 minutes left, cut the Coyotes’ deficit, but they couldn’t manage to pull even.

Stars 4, Oilers 1 At Dallas, Toby Petersen, Steve Ott and Michael Ryder each scored goals and Dallas Stars ended a fivegame losing streak with a victory over Edmonton.

Kari Lehtonen made 17 saves for the Stars, who had been outscored 21-4 during the five-game skid. Radek Dvorak wrapped up the win with a short-handed empty-netter with 1:24 left, Dvorak’s first goal of the season.

Rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who had five assists in the Oilers’ 9-2 win over Chicago on Saturday night, scored eighth goal of the season for Edmonton. Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 31 shots for Edmonton, which 1-5 in its past six games.

Blue Jackets 4, Flames 1 At Columbus, Jeff Carter had two goals and Curtis Sanford made 27 saves in the win over Calgary. Antoine Vermette and Rick Nash also scored, and Vinny Prospal added three assists for the Blue Jackets, who improved 3-1-1 in their last five games, and 2-0-1 in those games with the red-hot Sanford. Nash stopped a seven-game drought.

Sanford, who signed a two-way contract in the offseason and recently returned from a groin injury, has been a steadying influence on the team in place of the struggling Steve Mason.

Mark Giordano scored for Calgary, which was seeking a third consecutive win. Backup Henrik Karlsson made 26 stops. —AP

PITTSBURGH: Marc-Andre Fleury No. 29 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes a save against the New York Islanders during the game at Consol Energy Center. — AFP

as I have never undertaken anything like this before. I’m then heading to Hong Kong and looking to play myself into (December ’s) Dubai World Championship.”

Montgomerie, who has been succeeded as Ryder Cup captain by Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal, is also hoping to pay a visit to the Kabul Golf Club in Afghanistan, dubbed the most dangerous in the world.

The club is rudimentary with dusty fairways, oily greens and unwanted bunkers-the result of rocket attacks.

Montgomerie is 102nd on the European Tour’s money list and needs a strong performance at next week’s Hong Kong Open to qualify for the elite 60-man field in Dubai. — Reuters

Lorgat to step down in June NEW DELHI: International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat will step down after a four-year tenure in June 2012, the governing body said yesterday.

“My sense is to step aside after having delivered a successful ICC Cricket World Cup and the new global ICC strategy which is now in place,” Lorgat, an all-rounder who played 76 first class matches for Eastern Province and Transvaal, said in a statement. Lorgat’s eventful tenure included ICC relocating its headquarters to Dubai and dealing with issues such as the 2009 attack on visiting Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, hosting of this year’s 50-over World Cup in the Indian sub-continent and the recent spot-fixing scandal that led to three Pakistani cricketers to be jailed.

ICC president Sharad Pawar was happy the way Lorgat steered the governing body through those “tricky situations”. “I am satisfied that his contribution to the ICC and to cricket leaves us in a solid position,” Pawar said.

“The game owes Mr Lorgat a debt of gratitude for his good leadership and while we are sad at his departure we understand fully the reasons and wish him well in the future.” ICC Vice-President Alan Isaac will oversee the recruitment of the next chief executive. —Reuters

Edwards shows class and dignity in loss HOMESTEAD: Carl Edwards did everything right in his quest to win NASCAR’s championship. He was strong and steady for 10 consecutive weeks, he salvaged solid finishes on the days his Roush Fenway Racing team struggled, and he stood steely in the path of Tony Stewart’s unyielding verbal assault.

In almost any other year - and all five in the Jimmie Johnson reign - he’d have woken up Monday a NASCAR champion. Not this year, though. And there’s nothing he could have done differently to change the outcome.

Edwards went round-for-round with Stewart in what might be the greatest fight for the title in NASCAR history and lost. The two finished tied in the final Sprint Cup Series points standings - a first in NASCAR history and Stewart took the tiebreaker based on his five victories to Edwards’ one.

So despite winning the pole, leading the most laps in Sunday’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and finishing second to Stewart, Edwards went home the bridesmaid in what many believe to be the most gripping championship-deciding race ever.

“We knew we could come into this thing and we knew that of all of the circumstances that could happen, this one was the least probable,” Edwards said. “I mean, for us to finish like that, tied, fighting for the win. That is the least probable outcome.”

If somebody had told Edwards a month ago that he’d close the season with three consecutive second-place finishes and that he’d close the 10race Chase with a 4.9-average finish, he’d most certainly have bet the house on his odds to win the title.

But who could have known that a

Carl Edwards version of Stewart not seen in these parts for years would clog his path?

See, Smoke and his skills, his ability to do anything he wants in a race car, his fearlessness and reckless abandon, it’s almost legendary. People talk of that Stewart with awe and revere and dole out the highest of compliments when they describe him, simply, as “a racer.”

And, yeah, the reputation precedes him. The reality, though, was Stewart hadn’t driven up to his reputation, at

least not in NASCAR, for some time and that was evident at the start of this season when he lost the Daytona 500 on the final restart.

He slogged through the season, flirting with wins early, only to lose out by silly mistakes. Then his StewartHaas Racing team lost direction, and Stewart all but abandoned any hope of being a major player in the championship race.

Something changed in the last six weeks, though, and when Stewart got his eyes set on a third championship, nothing was getting in his way.

“When someone wants to win like that, they aren’t going to give up,” A.J. Foyt, Stewart’s childhood idol, told The Associated Press on Monday. “ Tony was not going to quit.

Period. Now, I knew Carl Edwards wasn’t going to lay down. But I’m pretty certain Carl Edwards didn’t know Tony’s will. Come hell or high water, Tony was winning the whole thing.”

So that’s how they got to late Sunday night, when a disappointed Edwards sat silently in Homestead’s media center watching Stewart’s championship celebration on a bank of televisions. He’d shaken Stewart’s hand, and he’d consoled crew chief Bob Osborne, who had to be devastated by the final outcome.

But Edwards himself? He didn’t pout. He didn’t scowl. And if he had himself a good cry, he most certainly didn’t do it in public. —AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Years

S P ORT S

Afghan taekwondo star targets London gold KABUL: The luxury apartment in north Kabul where Rohullah Nikpai lives with his family was a gift from the Afghan president, made after the 24-year-old Taekwondo champion brought home his country’s first ever Olympic medal in 2008.

As he prepares for his next qualification opportunity in Thailand this week, his hopes for the London Olympic games next year are even higher.

“In the last Olympics, I got a bronze medal,” he says, serving tea and snacks in his beautifully decorated lounge from a gold and silver tray. “This time, I want to win a gold medal for my country.”

Nikpai received a hero’s welcome when he returned to his native Kabul, a city scarred by three decades of conflict, from Beijing after beating Spanish world champion Juan Antonio Ramos in the 58kg category. He has come a long way since his early days training in an Iranian refugee camp in the

1990s, where he took up taekwondo at the age of 10. “Before, I didn’t have any facilities for my training,” he says. “Now it is better, but we need it to be even better. We need a lot more training, a lot more equipment.”In the immediate aftermath of the Games, he received a raft of gifts: his new home, money, a car.

But not all the support he was promised appeared, and with state funding sporadic at best from a government struggling with a tricky security transition, persistent violence and a flailing economy, Nikpai is having to do without the financial means star athletes in other countries might expect.

Despite his obvious pride in his country, Nikpai has been less than impressed by the support offered to the Afghan taekwondo team. They needed more equipment, he says, and more regular wages.

Team members can receive a monthly govern-

ment stipend of 500-700 Afghanis (around $10$14.50), but even this modest payment often fails to materialise. “We are getting a lot of medals for Afghanistan, the government should look after these people,” he says. “We hope to have better facilities before the fight, for all fighters. The government should be preparing for that.”

“Athletes should have security,” he adds. “When they have security, they can train well, they can fight well, and they can win medals.”

Nikpai has been winning medals since the age of 19, when he took gold in his first major competition in India. Two years later, he was an Olympian.

If his most recent training under the guidance of coaches Bashir Taraki and Korea’s Min Sin-hak takes him through qualification, he will be fighting for Olympic gold in east London’s ExCel centre next August. While the sport, whose name translates

from Korean as “the way of foot and fist”, is dominated by South Korea and China, Nikpai is loath to be drawn on the fighters he expects to prove toughest to beat. “At the Olympics, all of the sportsmen are champions,” he adds with a smile.

Having been first inspired to enter the sport by his brother Habib, he now trains twice a day with the national team. Competing at the Olympic Games was a longstanding goal for him, even during his early years in local competitions in Kabul.

“When I started out in competitions, I made a lot of mistakes, I got knocked down,” he says. “I got a lot of experience from that.” “In 2006, when I got gold medal at the south Asia games, I felt like I was ready to fight in an Olympic match.” Given that it took him only two years to claim a bronze medal in Beijing, the additional four may be long enough to lift him two more places on the podium. — Reuters

BCS runs out of tweaks — and luck NEW YORK: Over at the Bowl Championship Series, the short answer to the question of when there will be a playoff in college football remains the same. Never.

But get back in touch with the BCS next week, or better yet, with their sponsors after the Jan. 9 championship game and ask the question then.

For years now, playoff advocates have been drawing up nightmare scenarios that would shame the BCS out of business, but this season it’s practically guaranteed that the title game will leave many fans unsatisfied.

Last week, four of the top seven teams in the BCS standings lost their footing and left an unprecedented three teams from the same division - the SEC West holding down the top of the leaderboard.

Two of them, most likely current No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama, figure to be on hand at the Superdome for the title game. But even if No. 3 Arkansas grabs one of those spots, the newly crowned BCS champion will seem more mythical than ever.

Remember, the BCS hijacked the postseason in 1998 with the promise of matching the No. 1 and No. 2 teams at the very end. And every time logic didn’t jibe with their rankings, the guys in charge “tweaked” the formula after the championship game and promised it wouldn’t happen again.

You can argue over which school got jobbed the worst since then, but the two unofficial tweaks that matter here - a team must win its conference championship; the BCS finale shouldn’t be a rematch of a regular-season game - likely means it’s the fans who will feel cheated the most.

LSU, Alabama and Arkansas all will have played each other by the time next weekend rolls around and it’s possible that none of them will be the SEC champion when the game ends on Dec. 3.

Given the results of that little round-robin tournament so far, only fans of tractor pulls will be rooting to see any two of those three reprise those games in January. LSU slogged past Alabama 9-6 in overtime and the Crimson Tide pounded Arkansas 38-14.

In the past, the waiting period between the end of the regular season and the championship game has always worked in the BCS’ favor. Tempers cool as weeks pass. The outrageous lobbying and occasionally over-the-top remarks coaches make about the selection process recede into the background. Among fans, a kind of fatigue sets in. Arguing over whether either or both teams are deserving gives way to acceptance.

It’s like walking around with a rock in your shoe.

What makes this season even more aggravating is that the rankings are just about right. Arkansas ventures into Baton Rouge on Friday and if the Razorbacks pull off an upset and go on to beat SEC East entrant Georgia in the conference championship, they will have earned the trip to New Orleans. There are 14 oneloss teams in the mix at the moment, but few would deny that LSU - even if the Tigers lose to Arkansas and Alabama would be the most deserving of the lot.

The problem is that all three would have flaws we might be willing to overlook if they had to clear a path to that championship game on the field - it’s called a playoff - instead of relying on computer operators and best guesses to deposit them there. Now, there’s virtually no chance the winner gets the benefit of the doubt from the majority of fans.

All we know for certain is that the guys in charge at the BCS don’t mind seeing their brand being kicked around like a rusty can everywhere from the Oval Office down to the corner tavern. It hardly matters to them if the tweaks require additional tweaking, or if they throw out a stinker in the showcase game now and then. We keep hearing how resilient college football is, but it’s hard to remember a worse couple of years for the game.—AP

OXFORD: LSU coach Les Miles waves to fans at the end of an NCAA college football game in this file photo. — AP

MEDELLIN: Serena (left) and Venus Williams laugh during a news conference in Bogota, Colombia. Venus will make her comeback today in an exhibition match against her sister Serena in Medellin, two months after pulling out of the US Open because of an immune system disease. — AP

LONDON: Novak Djokovic of Serbia holds the trophy awarded to the ATP World Tour Player of the Year following a presentation at the ATP World Tour Finals. — AP

Djokovic passes Berdych test LONDON: World number one Novak Djokovic clawed his way to victory over Tomas Berdych in his opening match at the ATP World Tour Finals on Monday but Andy Murray’s prospects look bleak after a groin injury flared up in his shock defeat by David Ferrer.

Djokovic, who arrived in London with question marks over his right shoulder, showed all the qualities that have made him the year’s dominant force, digging himself out of trouble to win 3-6 6-3 7-6 after saving a match point deep in the decider.

Murray, the form player in the world since the US Open, was tipped by many to win the title in London but after a 6-4 7-5 defeat to bustling Spaniard Ferrer he faces an uphill battle to reach the semi-finals even if he can continue.

The 24-year-old Briton said he was “gutted” after the injury he sustained while practising for the seasonender hindered him during an error-strewn two-hour defeat.

“Yeah, I mean, I had a problem with my groin. I have to see how it goes for tomorrow,” Murray, who had never lost to Ferrer on any other surface than the Spaniard’s favourite clay, told reporters. “I’ll decide tomorrow whether or not I keep playing. If it wasn’t slams or this event, I wouldn’t have played.”

While the atmosphere in the O2 was a little flat as Murray laboured, it was electrifying in the night session as 17,500 fans, many waving Serbian and Czech flags, crammed into the huge arena that will stage the event until 2013.

After losing the opening four games Djokovic gradually found his range although he still had to recover from 4-2 down in the decider before Berdych finally ran out of firepower.

“That was the toughest match since the US Open,” Djokovic, who won three of the year’s majors and grabbed the number one ranking from Rafa Nadal, told reporters. “I wasn’t very satisfied with my performance but a win is a win.”

Despite having blue tape plastered over his shoulder, Djokovic said he had suffered no recurrence of the injury that forced him to withdraw from the Paris Masters this month.

“Something I’m happy about is my condition,” he said. “I haven’t felt any pain in my shoulder. I’m exhausted because it was three hours but I feel physically fit.”

After levelling the match with consecutive aces at the end of the second set, Djokovic found himself in trouble again in the third against the raw power of Berdych.

However, the Czech’s tendency to crack at key moments returned to haunt him. He let Djokovic off after forging a 4-2 lead and then when a Djokovic double fault presented him with a match point at 5-6 he buried a forehand into the net.

Another slew of Berdych forehand errors in the tiebreak, one of them worthy of a park hacker, gave Djokovic breathing space and he sealed victory after two hours 38 minutes.

“Maybe I was too risky (on match point), but that’s

how I play,” Berdych, who is due to face Murray next on Wednesday, told reporters. “That was my chance to end the match.”

It would have been scant consolation for Berdych but the quality on display in the evening was far superior to that served up by Murray and Ferrer.

Murray led in both sets but never looked comfortable despite winning all five of his previous hardcourt clashes with the 29-year-old baseline slugger.

There were some occasional flashes of brilliance but too few to prevent Ferrer earning a deserved victory.

The Scot made 44 unforced errors as he attempted to break down Ferrer’s formidable defences and needed treatment at the end of the first set.

Murray briefly appeared to have got back on track when he broke to lead 2-0 in the second set and again to move 4-3 ahead but it proved a false dawn as the mistakes returned.

At 5-6, Ferrer reached match point with a nervy forehand volley which clipped the line and he converted at the first attempt, punishing his opponent for an illadvised drop shot.

“I think it was important to start with a win,” Ferrer told reporters. “I think he had some little problems, but not too many strong problems because he played the whole match.”

Nadal and Roger Federer, both of whom won their opening Group B matches on Sunday, face each other for the 26th time in a mouthwatering evening session late yesterday. — Reuters

Cotto vows to fight Margarito only in NY NEW YORK: Miguel Cotto said yesterday that he will defend his World Boxing Association super welterweight crown against Antonio Margarito only in New York as plans for the bout awaited a licensing decision.

Puerto Rico’s Cotto, 36-2 with 29 knockouts, is scheduled to fight Mexican star Margarito, 38-7 with 27 knockouts, on December 3 at Madison Square Garden in a rematch of a controversial 2008 slugfest won by Margarito. But the New York State Athletic Commission has delayed approving Margarito’s license to fight in the wake of right eye injuries that required surgical repairs sustained in a loss to Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao last November.

Margarito flew from Mexico to New York on Monday to have his surgically repaired right eye examined by a doctor appointed by the commission and a hearing on the results is scheduled later Tuesday.

But Cotto says that if New York will not stage the fight, he will not fight Margarito. “If New York says he is not able because of his eyes, any commission outside of New York has to respect that,” Cotto said. “I’m not going to fight anywhere but New York. “I signed this fight for New York. I didn’t sign this fight for somewhere else. I want to fight in New York. I’m not going to present myself to any other state commission than New York.

“It’s not a question of giving an advantage to anyone. It’s a question of doing the right thing and that’s fighting in New York.”

Margarito, who has not fought since losing to Pacquiao, underwent surgery to remove a cataract and install an artificial lens in his eye.

Cotto said he will not shy away from going after Margarito’s right eye.

“I’m going to use any kind of advantage I feel I have over him, everything I have in the ring,” Cotto said. “I’m going to fight like always, with my heart and my soul. I’m going to do my work.”

Cotto said the uncertainty over where the fight might be held has not been a distraction. “I just focus on my training camp. The other things around the fight are not about us,” Cotto said. “We can fight anywhere and we have our health. We just focus on our work.”

Helping Cotto’s concentration is the conviction that Margarito had plaster in his handwraps when he inflicted the Puerto Rican hero’s first defeat, stopping him in the 11th round in 2008. In Margarito’s next fight, plaster was found in his hand wraps before he faced Shane Mosley and after a rewrapping, Margarito lost to Mosley.

Cotto cites similar red coloring on the Mexican’s gloves after his fight and the Mosley fight as evidence to convince him that Margarito used plaster against him, which makes him a “criminal” as far as Cotto is concerned.“I feel the same wraps he used in my fight,” Cotto said. “People who doesn’t believe that, who thinks he didn’t use it, they just don’t want to believe.

Margarito received a 16-month suspension but that seems insufficient for Cotto.“Playing with the health of somebody else, attempting to kill-he used plaster on his wraps, he used a weapon on me-he has to be treated like a criminal,” Cotto said. “In sports we use only our skills and conditioning.”

Cotto has waited three years for a chance to avenge the defeat. “I carry my loss like a man for the last three years,” Cotto said. “I didn’t ask for the people to erase the defeat. That’s not the issue. He has to accept what he used and what he did in 2008.” — AFP

ALICANTE: In this photograph supplied by Volvo Ocean Race, Puma Ocean Racing powered by BERG crew recover a sail after the mast broke on the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, which began 17 days ago from Alicante, Spain. — AP

Puma third Volvo Ocean Race victim ALICANTE: The Volvo Ocean Race claimed its third victim on Monday when American team Puma broke their mast, leaving the fleet down to half strength after just over two weeks of racing.

Puma, who finished second in the last race and were among the favorites heading into the eightmonth, 39,000 nautical mile (72,228 kilometre) challenge, saw the mast break into three in waves of around three metres in the South Atlantic 17 days into the first leg.

Ken Read’s team had been running second after a cat-and-mouse battle with leaders Telefonica over the first two thirds of the mammoth 6,500-nm first leg from Alicante to Cape Town.

Read reported from the boat that no one had been injured in the incident, which occurred with 2,150 nm to go in the leg. “This is the saddest and most disappointed 11 people on earth,” said Read.

“We were in a comfortable second position.

“There was no panic on board and all crew are safe and well,” Read added. “Thanks to amazing seamanship, the three pieces of the mast and all of the sails were recovered.”

Just three of the six teams who started the race in Spain on Nov. 5 are still going in leg one, though the points structure of the race means all can return to the start line for leg two with their hopes of overall victory intact.

Telefonica, the Spanish team who finished third in the last race in 2008-09, lead by around 100 nm from New Zealand/Spanish entry Camper, with French boat Groupama a further 300 miles behind.

The estimated time of arrival for the leaders is currently Nov. 27. Sanya and Abu Dhabi were the first boats forced to retire from leg one after the fleet headed into brutal conditions in the first 24 hours of the race in the Mediterranean.

Both Sanya, and Abu Dhabi are shipping their boats to Cape Town to get them ready in time for the second in-port race on Dec. 10 and the start of leg two to Abu Dhabi on Dec.11.

Puma have not officially suspended racing or retired from the leg, pending a decision on whether there is any chance of them limping into Cape Town to collect 15 points for fourth place. No points are awarded to teams who fail to finish a leg. — Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Years

S P ORT S

Windies batsmen keep India at bay INDONESIA: Fireworks explode during the closing ceremony of the 26th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Palembang. —AP

Curtain falls on troubled Games JAKARTA: A mesmerising closing ceremony for the Southeast Asian Games yesterday was unable to lift the pall cast over competition by the deaths of two fans in a stampede at the headline football final.

Fireworks and dancers lit up the centrepiece stadium in Palembang, which co-hosted the Games, but there was a sombre undertone to the event after the stampede that proceeded Indonesia’s clash with Malaysia for football gold.

Two victims died in the crush before the Monday night match in Jakarta when stadium gates were opened and the crowd surged to get in, Jakarta police told AFP, adding that a boy taken to hospital had slipped into a coma.

Games organisers Inasoc had warned of potential flashpoints ahead of the highly-anticipated final-which defending champions Malaysia won 4-3 on penalties after the teams were deadlocked at 1-1 after extra time.

The tragedy took the gloss off a glittering Games for the hosts, who collected 182 golds out of the 554 available in a bulging total medal haul of 476 overall.

It meant Indonesia topped the Games medals charts for the first time since 1997 — when they last hosted the competition-and left 2009 winners Thailand trailing on 109 golds, with Vietnam further back on 96.

The biennial event saw athletes from 11 nations compete for hundreds of medals, regional bragging rights and a rare chance to shine on the international stage. Indonesian athletes scored memorable victories in many of the headline track and field events, while also cleaning up in niche sports such as paragliding, roller skating and traditional Indonesian martial art pencak silat.

The hosts also swept the drama-filled badminton competition, while their under-23 football team stirred the passions of the nation with its run to the final.

But the Games struggled to shake off nagging organisational problems, including a delay in building venues and a lack of accommodation and transport in the South Sumatran city of Palembang.

The troubles prompted Myanmar’s

chef-de-mission to vow his nation will do a “better job” when they host the next Games in 2013.

There was also repeated criticism of home fans for barracking visiting teamsin particular Malaysia’s athletes throughout the 11-days of competition. “There must be some respect,” Malaysia’s chefde-mission Datuk Naim Mohamad told AFP. “That’s been missing from the fans on many occasions. Booing national anthems is the wrong behaviour for a Games that should be about regional solidarity.”

Games’ organisers Inasoc defended the competition saying they overcame early problems caused by alleged corruption from within the government to host a solid competition.

“It was good Games, a lot of good things happened too,” said Rita Subowo Inasoc chairwoman. “I think the athletes have enjoyed the competition. We had problems but I think we fixed them pretty quickly.”

Subowo joined the chorus of calls for fewer minor sports-such as paragliding and bridge-in the next edition, saying they divert resources and attention from Olympic disciplines.

The gold most craved by the home fans was in the headline under-23 football, but instead they endured heartbreak as Malaysia’s captain Baddrol Bakhtiar scored the winning penalty, following two missed spot-kicks by Indonesia.

The Malaysian side were hailed heroes for their gutsy showing in the incidentpacked final, with the country’s prime minister tweeting his congratulations shortly after the game.

Elsewhere, Singapore’s swimmers again dominated the pool, repeating their strong showing in the 2009 Games in Laos, while Thailand stormed to 14 athletics gold and Vietnam cleaned up in the gymnastics.

But other competing nations were left to digest a disastrous showing. The Philippines stumbled badly taking a paltry 36 golds, their worst showing for a decade. Only tiny Brunei left the biennial Games without a gold medal. —AFP

MUMBAI: West Indies’ top four made the most of ideal batting conditions at Wankhede Stadium and put their team on course for a big first innings total at the close of the first day in the third and final test against India.

Openers Kraigg Brathwaite (68) and Adrian Barath (62) gave the visitors an ideal start with a 137-run stand after captain Darren Sammy won the toss and opted to bat first on an easy-paced pitch in the hope of avoiding a 3-0 series whitewash.

Kirk Edwards (65 not out) and Darren Bravo (57 not out) then scripted an unbroken thirdwicket partnership of 117 runs to further consolidate West Indies’ position and took the team to 267 for two wickets at the close yesterday.

“Early on with the new ball it was doing a bit but nothing significant. It’s a good pitch. I will say it is the best pitch out of the all we have played on this tour,” Brathwaite told reporters. “It was spinning but it was spinning very slow. So we had time to adjust. There was not much turn.”

India’s off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin found enough turn before tea to account for both the right-handed opening batsmen, which turned out to be the only scalps in the day for the hosts.

Edwards, on 29, received a life when captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni floored a difficult caught behind opportunity off Virender Sehwag’s bowling.

Bravo, who made 136 in the second innings in the last test in Kolkata, was also dropped on 33 by Rahul Dravid at the lone slip position off left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha’s bowling.

Both Edwards (10 fours) and Bravo (seven fours) made the most of their good fortune and took the attack to the Indian spinners and were not afraid of taking the aerial route against them.

Barath had looked solid in completing a second consecutive half-century after his 62 in the second innings in Kolkata, but departed when he edged Ashwin onto his pads for Dhoni to complete an easy catch.

Brathwaite, who hit eight fours, was less assured against the spinners and was dropped on 57 by Vangipurappu Laxman off Ashwin at backward short leg.

However, the 18-year-old was dismissed in similar fashion to his fellow opener, clipping an Ashwin delivery off his pads that went straight to Virat Kohli at short leg.

“Playing against India in India... I mean it’s good to get two fifties against them. It has

S African Arthur named as new Australia coach

Medals Table JAKARTA: Final medals table at the 26th Southeast Asian Games yesterday.

Indonesia Thailand Vietnam Malaysia Singapore Philippines Myanmar Laos Cambodia East Timor Brunei Grand total

Gold 182 109 96 59 42 36 16 9 4 1 0 554

Silver 151 100 92 50 45 56 27 12 11 1 4 549

Bronze 143 120 100 81 73 77 37 36 24 6 7 704

Total 476 329 288 190 160 169 80 57 39 8 11 1807

the 85th over of the day, also failed to bring any success for the pacemen. Debutant Aaron felt it will be hard work for the bowlers over the next few days.

“It is a good cricket wicket. I feel there will be lot of runs scored in the next four days,” he

MUMBAI: West Indies’ cricketer Kirk Edwards bats during the third Test cricket match against India. —AP we will press on and we got a 50 partnership said. “It is not going to change much. There is and then a 100. After lunch when we came lot of grass which is going to bind the wicket.” back we thought we will give the team as best West Indies were earlier dealt a blow when a start as possible.” key batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul failed to India’s pace bowlers Ishant Sharma and recover from a calf injury and was replaced by debutant Varun Aaron failed to extract much Kieran Powell. movement with the new ball, prompting Pace bowler Kemar Roach was also ruled Dhoni to introduce spinner Ojha as early as out due to a stomach bug, making way for the the ninth over. Ojha and Ashwin, however, ini- return of Ravi Rampaul, who missed the sectially proved ineffective against the dogged ond test in Kolkata with an upset stomach. approach of the openers, who frustrated the India brought in right-handed batsman Indian attack for more than three-and-a-half Kohli for Yuvraj Singh, who was dropped after hours before the hosts broke through. the second test, while paceman Aaron made The second new ball, which Dhoni took in his debut in place of Umesh Yadav. —Reuters

Scoreboard MUMBAI: Scoreboard at the close of the first day of the third and final test between India and West Indies at Wankhede Stadium on yesterday: To bat: K. Powell, M. Samuels, C. Baugh, D. Sammy, F. West Indies first innings Edwards, D. Bishoo, R. Rampaul A. Barath c Dhoni b Ashwin 62 Fall of wickets: 1-137 2-150 K. Brathwaite c Kohli b Ashwin 68 Bowling: Sharma 17-6-33-0 (1nb), Aaron 16-3-47-0, K. Edwards not out 65 Ojha 26-7-55-0, Ashwin 27-2-86-2, Sehwag 3-0-23-0, D. Bravo not out 57 Extras (b-4, lb-10, nb-1) 15 Kohli 2-0-9-0.

Total (two wickets; 91 overs) 267 India lead series 2-0

Patriots shoot down Chiefs

Mickey Arthur

JAKARTA: Indonesian police officers evacuate an unconscious woman from the crowd after a stampede inside the stadium during the Southeast Asian Games final soccer match between Indonesia and Malaysia. —AP

done good to my confidence,” Brathwaite, who left school two months ago, said. “As openers me and Barath decided to look to get through the first hour without losing any wicket.

“We did that and from there we just said

WELLINGTON: Former South Africa cricket coach Mickey Arthur yesterday became the first foreign head coach of the Australian team, completing a sweeping revamp of management following their disastrous Ashes campaign last year.

The 43-year-old was in charge of the Proteas from 2005 until 2010 and had most recently been coaching Western Australia. His contract runs until after the 2015 World Cup, to be jointly held by Australia and New Zealand.

Arthur was presented at a media conference at Cricket Australia’s headquarters in Melbourne, just hours after his new charges completed a tense two-wicket victory over his old team in Johannesburg.

He replaces former coach Tim Nielsen who resigned after the Australian tour of Sri Lanka in September. Troy Cooley had been in charge on an acting basis for the tour of South Africa.

“I don’t think it’ll matter,” Arthur told reporters about being the first foreigner to coach the side, before adding he would look to seek permanent residency status in Australia.

“Ultimately, I guess you want a guy that is perceived to be the best for the job, irrespective of the nationality.” Arthur beat out the challenge of former New Zealand coach Steve Rixon, who is the current fielding coach for the Australian side and was considered one of the favorites for the top job. His appointment was the latest in a restructuring of the outfit that included the appointment of former Australia rugby international Pat Howard as CA’s general manager for team performance and a revamp of the selection panel. — Reuters

FOXBOROUGH: Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes to Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman returned a punt 72 yards for another score as the New England Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs 34-3 on Monday night, increasing their AFC East lead to two games.

The Chiefs (4-6) weren’t expected to do much on offense behind untested quarterback Tyler Palko, making his first career start with Matt Cassel injured. And they didn’t, managing just a 26-yard field goal by Ryan Succop with 1:30 left in the first quarter for their only lead.

With Gronkowski collecting his ninth and 10th TD receptions of the year, the Patriots had their second straight dominant game after beating the New York Jets 37-16. The Chiefs lost their third straight. The Patriots didn’t generate much of an attack during their first four series. There were with three punts and a fumble by Brady that was recovered by Kansas City’s Allen Bailey on the first play of the second quarter. And on his next series, Brady was sacked twice.

Then the protection improved and Brady, who had thrown for just 19 yards in the first quarter, took advantage and led three consecutive scoring drives.

He connected with Gronkowski for a 52yard score when which the tight end caught the ball over the middle and scampered the last 35 yards, barely managing to remain inbounds on the right side as he neared the end zone.

Kyle Arrington, who leads the NFL with seven interceptions, got his first of the game on Kansas City ’s next series and Stephen Gostkowski made it 10-3 at halftime with a 21yard field goal.

The Patriots got the ball to start the third quarter and marched 85 yards on nine plays, scoring on Brady ’s 19-yard pass to Gronkowski, who somersaulted into the right corner of the end zone after being hit by Derrick Johnson.

Gronkowski has 20 touchdowns in 26 games, surpassing Mike Ditka’s mark of 31 for the fewest games needed by a tight end to reach 20 touchdowns. He also pulled within three of the single-season, tight-end record of 13 touchdown receptions held by Antonio Gates of San Diego and Vernon Davis of San Francisco.

Just 1:03 after Gronkowski’s second touchdown, Edelman got his second punt-return touchdown of his career as the Patriots jumped to a 24-3 lead with 9:24 left in the third quarter.

Arrington picked off another pass on the Chiefs’ next possession, leading to a 19-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski.

And just when it looked as if Palko, who had thrown just 13 passes before Monday night, might direct his team to a touchdown, he threw an interception to Phillip Adams in the end zone with 10:50 left in the game.

The Patriots finished the scoring on rookie Shane Vereen’s first NFL touchdown on a 4yard run with 1:01 left. In the last meeting between the teams, Brady went down with a season-ending knee injury in the 2008 opener and was replaced by Cassel. But he injured his right throwing hand in the Chiefs’ last game, a 17-10 loss, and had season-ending surgery on Nov. 14.

Palko completed 25 of 38 passes for 236 yards and three interceptions. Brady was 15 of 27 for 234 yards and no interceptions. — AP

NFL results/standings NFL standings on Monday.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L T OTL PF PA New England 7 3 0 0 293 203 NY Jets 5 5 0 0 228 217 Buffalo 5 5 0 0 237 253 Miami 3 7 0 1 193 186 AFC North Baltimore 7 3 0 0 253 176 Pittsburgh 7 3 0 0 220 179 Cincinnati 6 4 0 0 236 195 Cleveland 4 6 0 0 145 193 AFC South Houston 7 3 0 0 273 163 Tennessee 5 5 0 0 203 195 Jacksonville 3 7 0 0 125 180 Indianapolis 0 10 0 0 131 300 AFC West Oakland 6 4 0 0 235 254 Denver 5 5 0 0 205 247 San Diego 4 6 0 1 236 259 Kansas City 4 6 0 0 144 252

PCT .700 .500 .500 .300 .700 .700 .600 .400 .700 .500 .300 0 .600 .500 .400 .400

National Football Conference NFC EAST NY Giants 6 4 0 0 228 228 .600 Dallas 6 4 0 0 250 206 .600 Philadelphia 4 6 0 0 237 213 .400 Washington 3 7 0 1 160 205 .300 NFC North Green Bay 10 0 0 0 355 2121.000 Detroit 7 3 0 0 301 219 .700 Chicago 7 3 0 0 268 207 .700 Minnesota 2 8 0 1 200 271 .200 NFC South New Orleans 7 3 0 0 313 225 .700 Atlanta 6 4 0 1 235 213 .600 Tampa Bay 4 6 0 0 179 268 .400 Carolina 2 8 0 0 225 286 .200 NFC West San Francisco 9 1 0 1 256 145 .900 Seattle 4 6 0 0 168 209 .400 Arizona 3 7 0 0 190 236 .300 St. Louis 2 8 0 1 120 247 .200

y

A

18

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

S P ORT S

Barca match like any other for Ibrahimovic MILAN: AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is relishing the chance to face former team Barcelona in the Champions League today.

The tall Swede missed the opening match at the Nou Camp in September, a 2-2 draw, because of injury. But he’ll be healthy this time.

“I was looking forward to that match,” Ibrahimovic said. “I was disappointed, but for me playing against a former team is nothing personal. Of course it’s emotional, a

“We will be playing against the best team in the world, without doubt,” Ibrahimovic said. “Even when I left the team, I knew I’d left the best team in the world.

“But, for me and all the other parties involved, I think the best solution was to leave the club.

Given the results for both sides, it was the best solution.”

A 1-1 draw against BATE Borisov last time out saw Milan lose ground in the race for first place in Group H.

“I think this game is more about prestige,” Ibrahimovic said.

“It’s good to come first, but sometimes it’s good to come second.

Both can be positive or negative.

“When you’re in the Champions League, you’re bound to meet a strong team, and to win the competition you will have to beat the strong teams.”

Antonio Cassano, who is recovering from heart surgery, turned up at Milan’s training ground

MINSK: AC Milan’s players celebrate in this file photo. —AP big game, but in the end it’s like any other game. There’s no need to over-hype it.”

Ibrahimovic spent only one season at Barcelona after a much-hyped move from Inter Milan in 2009 in a deal which saw Samuel Eto’o go the other way. He scored 16 goals in the Spanish league but often struggled to fit into Barcelona’s intricate passing schemes.

Milan is two points behind Barcelona with two games left to play. Both teams are already through to the knockout stage.

Ibrahimovic has scored in the three European matches he has played for Milan this season and another good performance from the Sweden striker could see the Italian side jump ahead of Barcelona.

Monday to give the team a boost ahead of the match.

Milan will also be boosted by the return of Alexandre Pato from injury. The Brazilian played his first game in two months in the goalless draw against Fiorentina over the weekend and hit the post in the 77th minute.

“I don’t have major doubts about the team,” Milan coach

Massimiliano Allegri said Tuesday.

“I have to decide who will start between Pato and Robinho, and in midfield evaluate how fit (Clarence) Seedorf is this afternoon.”

Barcelona extended its unbeaten start to the season to 20 games with a 4-0 win over Zaragoza on Saturday.

“It’s difficult to play against Barcelona,” Allegri said. “Because the players have skills and they can change the rhythm of the game, they are good at upping the pace or making the game slower.

“We will have to be very balanced, we’ll need to play a bit higher up the pitch and make sure Barcelona have less of the ball.”

Barcelona beat Manchester United last season to win the Champions League for the second time in three years, and Xavi Hernandez said his teammates have as much hunger as ever.

“When you win you live better, you are more respected and your cachet goes up,” Xavi said.

“Everything is positive when one wins. Unfortunately, a lot of footballers here have experienced the other side of the coin and it is not a nice experience.

“Hence we must never lose the appetite for titles. Great sportsmen always want to win and that hunger remains intact.”

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has a bruised left thigh and will not travel to the San Siro as a precautionary measure.

Barcelona is also without fullback Adriano and the suspended Daniel Alves. Pedro Rodriguez could play for the first time in a month after recovering from an ankle sprain. In the other group match, BATE will host Viktoria Plzen. BATE has two points, one more than Plzen. —AP

Valencia look to keep last 16 hopes alive

MINSK: Viktoria Plzen’s soccer team players are seen during a training session at Dinamo stadium. Plzen will face Bate Borisov today in a Champions League match. —AP

Chelsea face crunch clash BERLIN: Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas said he was satisfied with his team’s performances leading up to today’s Champions League Group E game at Bayer Leverkusen even though they have suffered an alarming dip in terms of recent results.

The Londoners have lost three of their last four Premier League matches including two in a row at home against Arsenal and Liverpool. “I think we are playing quite well overall but not getting the results and I need to analyse the details of what is going wrong at the back,” the underfire Villas-Boas told reporters. “We have a good squad, we are still in four competitions and we will put it right.”

Chelsea are top of Group E with eight points from four games, two ahead of Leverkusen. Valencia, who take on Belgians Racing Genk on Wednesday, are third on five points.

Villas-Boas said he needed to sort out their defensive vulnerability after getting beaten 5-3 by Arsenal three and a half weeks ago and going down 2-1 to Liverpool on

Sunday.

However, he added that the controversy surrounding skipper John Terry, facing police and FA investigations over alleged racist remarks made to Anton Ferdinand of Queens Park Rangers last month, was not an issue. “I don’t think its affecting what he does on the pitch,” said the Portuguese.

Chelsea have not won an away match in the group stage of the Champions League since a 2-0 victory at Spartak Moscow 13 months ago and were held 1-1 at Valencia and Genk this season.

Defeat in Leverkusen, coupled with a win for Valencia over Genk, would make the London club’s final match at home to the Spanish team on Dec. 6 a tense affair.

“Chelsea are under pressure,” said Leverkusen captain Ballack of his former club.

“This is a crucial game. We have won our home games against Genk and Valencia but we will need to be in top shape,” added Ballack who scored in a 2-0 Bundesliga victory at Kaiserslautern on Friday. —Reuters

Shirokov predicts victory over ‘pretenders’ APOEL NICOSIA: Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Roman Shirokov has dismissed Cypriot champions APOEL Nicosia as nothing more than Champions League pretenders as the group phase approaches its climax.

Shirokov boldly predicted outright victory for his team when the Russian champions host surprise Group G leaders APOEL in a penultimate round match today.

“I think you can call us the group favorites now,” he told reporters after Zenit beat Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 in their previous fixture to stay in second place with seven points from four matches, a point behind the Cypriots.

“We still have one more home game to play against this surprising team, but we must beat them and advance to the knockout round. We should have won our first match against them (in Cyprus) but just committed too many errors,” he added.

“Hopefully, we won’t make the same

mistake this time.” The outspoken Russia international infuriated Spartak Moscow fans this year with his comments on Twitter.

“Hey you little pigs, congratulations on the well-deserved defeat!” he wrote after Zenit crushed their bitter Russian league rivals 3-0.

He also called Slovakia’s national side a “farmers’ team” after Russia beat the Slovaks 1-0 in last month’s Euro 2012 qualifier to all but secure a place in next year’s finals.

At least Shirokov can back up his provocative comments. He is Zenit’s top scorer in the Champions League with three goals in four games-not a bad statistic for a holding midfielder.

APOEL came from behind to stun Zenit 2-1 in their group opener in September and have continued their amazing run in Europe to remain the only unbeaten team in the group. —Reuters

MADRID: Valencia go into today’s Champions League game with Belgian side Genk knowing that realistically they need to beat the minnows of the group to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the last 16.

‘Los Che’ currently sit third in Group E on 5 points, 1 behind Bayer Leverkusen and 3 adrift of leaders Chelsea who meet each other at the same time in Germany. Valencia go to Chelsea for a final game showdown and will hope the London side can win in Germany which would see them go second if they beat Genk.

The Belgians are facing their last throw of the dice regarding qualification, they have 2 points and could still go through if they were to clinch an unlikely victory on Spanish soil.

The home team must pick themselves up after losing a bruising encounter 3-2 at home to Real Madrid on Saturday night.

The defeat left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Valencians after a penalty appeal for a handball by Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain was turned down in the last minute. Valencia remain in third position, seven points adrif t of M adrid and three behind Barcelona at the top of La Liga.

While the repercussions of that decision have dominated the Spanish press since the game, Valencia’s French defender Jeremy Mathieu is keen to switch his attention to Wednesday night.

“The Madrid match is gone, now all we are thinking about is the Genk game because it is so important for our qualification from this group,” he said. “ The pitch will make things difficult, it will be heavy with so much rain, which may make it hard for us to play our normal game.” Valencia coach Unai Emery agreed with those sentiments. “We will be prepared for Wednesday as it’s very important for us, we have to lift ourselves after this game and concentrate on that one as soon as we can,” he commented.

Centre-forward Roberto Soldado will be looking to continue his good form, two goals against Madrid made it ten for the season for him in all competitions, including two in the Champions League.

Soldado is currently the in-form domestic striker in the Spanish league, and is only behind Barca’s Lionel Messi and Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Higuain in the top scorers table.

Valencia will be without the influential Ever Banega who has featured in all Champions League matches to date, after the Argentinian midfielder strained knee ligaments in their crucial 3-1 win over Leverkusen in their previous Champions League clash.

It is 29 years since Valencia last lost to a Belgian side when Anderlecht beat them 2-1 in the Uefa Cup in the 1982-83 season while Genk are looking for their first Champions League win at the group stage, though, they can take heart from their 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea in the previous match.

In two previous visits to Spain the Belgians have failed to score after a 0-0 draw in Mallorca in the European Cup Winners Cup in 1998-99 and a 6-0 defeat in their only previous Champions League group appearance at Real Madrid in 2002-03.

A 3-0 victory at the weekend over Westerlo will have left them in confident mood, the result leaving them in sixth place in the Belgian league.

Genk forward Jelle Vossen scored in that game to take his tally to eight for the season and the Belgian international will be the main danger to Valencia’s hopes today. —AFP

LONDON: Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta (left) leads a warm-up run during a training session at their training centre. Arsenal is to play Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League Group F soccer match today. —AP

Arsenal gunning for Dortmund LONDON: Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund meet in a Champions League Group F match in north London today with both teams hoping the momentum of their recent excellent domestic form will sweep them towards the last 16 of the competition.

The English side are far better placed to do that than the German champions as they lead the group with eight points, one clear of Olympique Marseille, who in turn are three ahead of Dortmund with Olympiakos Piraeus in last place on three.

A spot in the knockout round for the 12th successive season is assured if Arsenal win and if the other group result goes their way they could qualify with a draw at home, where they have only lost one of their last 36 Champions League matches. Their record against German sides is also good at home, winning their last five encounters.

Arsene Wenger’s side have recovered from a poor start to the season and continued their revival with a fifth successive Premier League win at Norwich City on Saturday to take their recent unbeaten run to eight matches in all competitions.

“Five weeks ago we were 17th in the league and I had to answer a question about whether I thought we would battle relegation,” Wenger told reporters. “At the time I said no but in football things change quickly. We are back in a stronger position.”

Arsenal have relied heavily on Robin van Persie this season and he scored both goals at Norwich, taking his tally to 31 in 29 league games this calendar year.

The Dutchman, who also scored Arsenal’s goal in their 1-1 draw in Dortmund in September, did not start the

drab 0-0 home draw with Marseille three weeks ago when Arsenal squandered the chance to make the last 16 with a victory.

Dortmund, who won their first group match at the fourth attempt when they beat Olympiakos 1-0 on Nov 1, will take great heart from their 1-0 win over Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich on Saturday-their sixth league win in their last seven matches.

Dortmund grabbed their so-called “week of truth” by the horns, winning 1-0 with a second-half goal from Mario Goetze to close to within two points of the top.

Coach Juergen Klopp could not have hoped for a better warm-up ahead of their visit to Arsenal, where they have to win to guarantee they stay in contention for a spot in the first knockout round with a final group match to play.

“We are really looking forward to Wednesday. We beat Bayern and we have no real time to celebrate. But we are fit, we are young and we are hungry for success so we want to put in a super performance in London,” said midfielder Kevin Grosskreutz. Defender Patrick Owomoyela, who has been out since October, returned to the Dortmund bench for the Bayern game with defender Marcel Schmelzer also back in action.

Klopp will again be without defender Neven Subotic, who fractured a cheekbone two weeks ago and is not expected to play again this year.

“The win in Munich was great but it also took a lot of energy and we cannot expect the match in London to be any easier,” said club chief executive HansJoachim Watzke. “But we are on a good run and will go for it.” —Reuters

Spurs roll over Villa Tottenham 2

Aston Villa 0 LONDON: Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp described watching his team defeat Aston Villa 2-0 and go third in the Premier League as the ‘best medicine’ following heart surgery.

Spurs’ victory came courtesy of a double from Togolese international striker Emmanuel Adebayor in what was Redknapp’s first match back following a minor operation three weeks ago.

“I enjoy watching us play football - that’s the best medicine for me,” said Redknapp, whose side trail leaders Manchester City by nine points though they have a game in hand.

“Some of the stuff we play is top drawer.

There are a lot of good teams around the world and we play like one of them.”

Adebayor opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a scissor-kick after Villa failed to clear a corner, then his second was a tap-in following a defensive mix-up before the interval.

“We all know what he (Redknapp) is going through but we are all behind him,” said Adebayor after the final whistle. “And we all send our regards to him.”

Redknapp was actually returning to the dug-out earlier than his doctor expected, but insisted he had no reservations about coming back to work. “He told me not to come back for four or five weeks but I didn’t take a lot of notice,” Redknapp said.

“I feel better now than I did before. I couldn’t feel better. I feel great but then I’ve felt great for the last 10 days and looking forward to getting back.”

Redknapp also suggested his side could be involved in the title race if they continue their current form. Victory over Villa was their ninth unbeaten in the league. “It is a possibility,” said Redknapp, when asked about the title race. “It is not impossible. “When I came here I said that I wanted to get into the Champions League and we did.

“If you believe in yourself and keep winning games you are going to do it. Last season Manchester United won it as everyone else fell over themselves. Everyone threw games away.

“We are on a real good run and if we continue the form that we are in now we will win the league. That will be very difficult.”

Manchester City are currently unbeaten, but Redknapp said he didn’t believe that they were much better than other teams.

“I would not say that they on a different planet to everyone else. They will not go through the season unbeaten, I don’t think they are that good (to remain undefeated).

“They are a very good team and worthy

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur’s Scott Parker challenges for the ball with Aston Villa’s Gabriel Agbonlahor during their English Premier League soccer match. —AP favorites but I would not say that they are certainties to win the league.” Villa manager Alex McLeish bemoaned defensive lapses which cost his team goals.

“It’s so frustrating to see that,” said McLeish, whose gamble on playing two right backs - former Spurs defender Alan Hutton played in midfield - to contain Gareth Bale backfired spectacularly as he set up both goals.

“We started really well, we nearly scored after 40 seconds, we were bright and positive but it was almost like we were waiting on conceding before starting again.

“What they’ve (the players) normally done is given me a good reaction. We have a tough game at the weekend and I will look to freshen things up.

“Spurs at times were pretty overwhelming and gave us problems. We gave them problems but if you don’t finish off your chances you are left to rue that.” —AFP

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

UEFA Champions League Russai v Apoel Aljazeera Sport +6 Milan v Barcelona Aljazeera Sport 1 HD Aljazeera Sport +4 Shakhtar v Porto Aljazeera Sport +6 Arsenal v Dortmund Aljazeera Sport +5 Marseille v Olympiacos Aljazeera Sport +9 Valencia v Genk Aljazeera Sport +2

20:00 22:45

22:45 22:45 22:45 22:45

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Years

S P ORT S

Real run riot in Europe

MOSCOW: Lille’s Eden Hazard (right) battles for the ball with CSKA Moscow’s Kirill Nababkin during their Group B Champions League soccer match. — AP

Lille keep CL hopes alive MOSCOW: French champions Lille reignited their hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout stages after beating CSKA Moscow 2-0 here yesterday in their Champions League Group B encounter.

CSKA defender Vasily Berezutsky helped them on the way with an own-goal in the 49th minute and striker Moussa Sow added the second after tapping home when English star Joe Cole’s shot hit the post and fell to him.

The result left Lille, CSKA and Trabzonspor sharing second all on five points ahead of the later Group B match between the Turkish side and 2010 champions Inter Milan, who are assured of progressing following this result. Should CSKA and Lille finish level, the French side will edge them on head to head results.

Lille coach Rudi Garcia was delighted with his side’s performance. “This match was very much like our previous domestic league match with Toulouse (a 0-0 draw last Friday) but today we played even better,” he said.

“We failed to convert our chances into goals in the first half but we did it after the break. And of course we learnt from our mistakes in the first match with CSKA (when they led 2-0 and ended up drawing 2-2).” “We never forgot the strength of their attack even in the absence of (Ivory Coast striker Seydou) Doumbia. Today we were in control of the match playing well in defence and attack even after taking a twogoal advantage. Now we need to win one more match (with Trabzonspor).”

Lille, who were in a must-win position to keep alive their chances of reaching the the play-offs, moved up a gear after 15 minutes to create a couple of opportunities but Cole and Mathieu Debuchy squandered their chances both missing the target from close range.

In the 39th minute Sow - who had scored in the clubs first meeting the 2-2 draw in France - was unable to force the ball home from close range, while defender Franck Beria should have done better with the follow-up effort but shot into the side netting with the goal gaping.

CSKA were lacking in a cutting edge in attack, patently missing their suspended Ivory Coast star Doumbia, while Lille continued to probe and test the hosts defence.

Their pressure paid-off as Berezutsky sent the ball into his own net from the edge of the box while attempting to prevent Sow dribbling into the area.

CSKA poured into the attack seeking an equaliser but to no avail as they made too many mistakes, and Sow wrapped up the match as this time he made no mistake from close range after Cole’s excellent effort hit the woodwork.

“Our plan for the match didn’t work completely, Lille were stronger team tonight in every aspect of playing,” CSKA manager Leonid Slutsky said.

“Taking into consideration our personnel problems our defeat was logical. I had only young players on the bench, who couldn’t strengthen our playing against such an experienced opponent.” — AFP

Ajax inch towards knockout stage LYON: Ajax is on the verge of qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League after grinding out a 0-0 draw at Lyon yesterday.

Ajax goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer made a stunning one-handed save to deny substitute Alexandre Lacazette in the last minute, but Ajax had the better chances until Lyon rallied in a frantic last 10 minutes.

Second-place Ajax has eight points, three points more than Lyon, and a vastly superior goal difference heading into the final Group D game. Lyon must win convincingly at Dinamo Zagreb and hope the Dutch side loses heavily at home to group winners Real Madrid to turn around a current seven-goal deficit.

Lyon’s overly cautious approach played straight into Ajax’s side, and the French club’s ‘keeper Hugo Lloris was kept busy throughout at Stade Gerland.

After losing its last three matches and five of the last seven, Lyon’s confidence was understandably low and luck went against Remi Garde’s side.

Moments before Lacazette went close, Lyon had strong claims for a penalty waved away after Brazilian midfielder Ederson appeared to be shoved in the back by Eyong Enoh as he prepared to shoot from just inside the penalty area.

Lyon missed an early chance when striker Lisandro Lopez drifted past Toby Alder weireld and curled a shot that Vermeer palmed away awkwardly.

But Lyon could easily have gone a goal down as it failed to cope with Ajax’s intricate passing game for long spells.

Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen sent a header just over from a corner in the fifth minute, and midfielder Christian Eriksen and Theo Janssen looked dangerous early on, finding space too easily as central defenders Cris and Dejan Lovren constantly backed off. Lyon barely threatened, with

Bafetimbi Gomis and Jimmy Briand both finding space but failing to test Vermeer.

Ajax finished the half strongly, however, and Lorenzo Ebecilio saw his half-chance deflected away in the closing stages.

Vertonghen was a permanent menace on high balls and, from the ensuing corner, Lyon’s defense hacked the ball away. The Dutch side continued to look assured early in the second half.

The 19-year-old Eriksen, who has drawn comparisons with famed Danish playmaker Michael Laudrup because of his exceptional skill and vision, almost set up the opening goal in the 51st minute.

After swapping passes with midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro, he burst through the Lyon midfield and ran at the heart of its defense before flicking the ball right to Miralem Sulejmani, whose close-range shot was expertly saved by Lloris.

Refusing to commit himself, the France No. 1 stood up until the last second and forced Sulejmani to hurry his shot.

But Lyon again failed to defend the corner properly, with Gomis heading the ball straight to Vertonghen, who forced Lloris into a leaping save with a powerful halfvolley from 15 yards out.

Sulejmani had another shot closed down in the 59th minute as Ajax continued to pour forward.

With 20 minutes remaining, Lyon finally woke up as Bastos drew a fumbled save from Vermeer with a shot from outside the area Lopez, who only returned from an ankle injury last Friday, looked tired and was replaced soon after by Ederson.

Ederson made a difference, setting up Bastos with a neat pass, and Bastos forced Vermeer into a spectacular save with his curling shot from the left that was destined for the opposite corner in the 73rd. —AP

FRANCE: Ajax’ Nicolas Lodeiro (center) is tackled by Lyon’s Cris of Brazil (left) during their Champions League soccer match. — AP

MADRID: Real Madrid made light work of Dinamo Zagreb winning 6-2 to make it five straight wins in Group D of the Champions League on a rainy night in the Spanish capital.

The Spaniards proved their strength in depth by resting key players in Iker Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe and sharing the goals around with Karim Benzema and Jose Callejon scoring twice and Gonzalo Higuain and Mesut Ozil also on the scoresheet.

The result leaves the Croatians pointless, Fatos Beciraj and Ivan Tomecak got late consolations for them, and confirms their last position in Group D. Ajax and Olympique Lyon battled out a 0-0 draw in the other game in the group and both will have to wait until the last match to decide who joins Madrid in the last 16.

For Madrid, the result was another demonstration of their power - they have now scored 16 and conceded only two goals in this season Champions League.

The improvement in coach Jose Mourinho’s second season in charge is apparent and establishes them as one of the favourites to lift the Champions League trophy in the Allianz Arena in Munich next May. ‘Los Merengues’ domination was so complete that a stunned Zagreb were four goals in arrears within twenty minutes.

French international Benzema opened the scoring on two minutes with clinical finishing after a neat one-two with Ozil found him in space. Four minutes later Benzema was the provider for Callejon to shoot home from close range.

And when Lass Diarra found Higuain on the right side of the penalty area on 9 minutes, the Argentinian showed the best individual skill of the night when he feigned to cross and beat his marker in one swift movement before executing a perfect chip from a tight angle for his team’s third.

Ozil added to Zagreb’s problems when he fired home after a Higuain shot had been parried out by Ivan Kelava, the shell-shocked Croatian goalkeeper.

Indeed the rest of the first half would have continued in the same way if it were not for Kelava, who tipped over a Benzema shot on

SPAIN: Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema from France celebrates after scoring against Dinamo Zagreb during his Group D Champions League soccer match. — AP

37 minutes and saved at the feet of Ozil a minute later.

Just before the interval Luis Ibanez brought some cheer to the one thousand visiting Croatian fans, who never stopped singing all night, with a long-range effort that tested Antonio Adan in the Madrid goal.

With a four goal lead Mourinho took advantage to rest more players at half-time, making all three substitutions. However, the pattern of the game remained the same and Callejon grabbed his second four minutes after the restart.

His first time shot finished a long pass out of defence from French teenage centre-half Raphael Varane in only his fourth game for

Champions League results/standings Group A: At Naples, Italy Napoli (ITA) 2 (Cavani 17, 49) Manchester City (ENG) 1 (Balotelli 33) At Munich, Germany Bayern Munich (GER) 3 (Ribery 3, 69, Gomez 23) Villarreal (ESP) 1 (De Guzman 50) Group B: At Trabzon, Turkey Trabzonspor (TUR) 1 (Altintop 23) Inter Milan (ITA) 1 (Alvarez 18) Group B At Moscow CSKA Moscow (RUS) 0, Lille (FRA) 2 (V. Berezutsky 49-og, Sow 64)

Group C: At Galati, Romania Otelul Galati (ROM) 2 (Giurgiu 75, Antal 81) Basel (SUI) 3 (F. Frei 10, A. Frei 14, Streller 37) At Manchester, England Manchester United (ENG) 2 (Berbatov 30, Fletcher 59) Benfica (POR) 2 (Jones 3-o.g, Aimar 60) Group D: At Madrid Real Madrid (Benzema 2, 66, Jose Callejon 6, 49, Higuain 9, Ozil 20) Dinamo Zagreb 2 (Beciraj 81, Tomecak 90) At Lyon, France Lyon (FRA) 0, Ajax (NED) 0

Champions League group stage tables after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Group A Bayern Munich 5 4 1 0 Napoli 5 2 2 1 Manchester City 5 2 1 2 Villarreal 5 0 0 5 Group B Inter Milan

5 3 1 1

Trabzonspor Lille CSKA Moscow

5 1 3 1 5 1 2 2 5 1 2 2

11 4 13 - qualified 8 6 8 7 6 7 2 12 0 7 5 10 - qualified 3 5 6 6 6 5 7 7 5

Group C Benfica

5 2 3 0

ManUnited Basel Otelul Galati

5 2 3 0 5 2 2 1 5 0 0 5

Group D Real Madrid

5 5 0 0

Ajax 5 2 2 1 Lyon 5 1 2 2 Dinamo Zagreb 5 0 0 5

7 4 9 - qualified 10 6 9 9 9 8 3 10 0 16 2 15 - qualified 6 3 8 2 6 5 2 15 0

the club. Callejon would have had his hat-trick with a brilliant chip on 60 minutes if Kelava had not managed to tip the ball away at fullstretch.

And six minutes later Benzema added to his tally, bursting through a large gap in the Zagreb defence before coolly finishing with his right foot. Beciraj snatched his moment of glory with a consolation headed-goal with nine minutes remaining.

And a minute later Benzema was denied his hat-trick when his spectacular overhead kick struck the crossbar at the other end.

Tomecak took advantage to make the scoreline more acceptable in the last minute could not mask Madrid’s dominance. —AFP

Basel see off Galati’s challenge BUCHAREST: Basel kept alive their hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout stages when goals by Fabian Frei, Alexander Frei and Marco Streller earned a 3-2 win at Otelul Galati in Group C yesterday.

Heiko Vogel’s side moved on to eight points from five games, only a point behind Benfica and Manchester United who drew 2-2 at Old Trafford. The Swiss side must beat United in their last group game on Dec. 7 to progress with the English champions needing a draw to reach the last 16.

“It’s just great that everything will be decided at St Jakob Park,” Vogel told reporters. “I’m so happy about the team and I want to congratulate everyone.

“We should’ve play better after we’re 3-0 up but it showed once again why football is so spectacular and unpredictable.”

The hosts, who have scored only once in the group, settled quickly at the National Arena, almost taking the lead after four minutes when Cristian Sarghi headed just over the bar from Laurentiu Iorga’s cross.

After a relatively slow start, Basel broke the deadlock on a bitterly cold evening in Bucharest with their first attack when midfielder Fabian Frei gave goalkeeper Branko Grahovac no chance in the 10th minute with a powerful shot. Four minutes later, Alexander Frei netted his fourth of the campaign with an easy finish from 10 metres following unselfish play from fellow striker Streller. Otelul were far from lethargic but lacked ideas on how to create scoring opportunities with Basel, unbeaten away from home in the group, defending solidly.

Lively Xherdan Shaqiri went close to scoring a third midway through the first half but his curling left foot shot from the edge of the penalty area went just wide.

Basel captain Streller made it 3-0 eight minutes before the break after reacting quickly to a deflected clearance before racing through to slot past home Grahovac for his debut goal in the tournament this season.

Basel continued to play a neat passing game after the interval while Otelul failed to test young keeper Yann Sommer until the last quarter of ah hour. —Reuters

Bayern down Villarreal MUNICH: France winger Franck Ribery scored twice as Bayern Munich booked their place in the Champions League’s knock-out phase with a 3-1 win over Villarreal yesterday.

After Napoli beat Manchester City 2-1 to go second in the table, Bayern are now five points clear at the top and will win Group A regardless of their last game away to the Premier League leaders.

This was Bayern’s fourth win in this season’s European campaign with only last month’s 1-1 draw at Napoli blotting their perfect record. Munich’s Allianz Arena will host the final next May and the Bavarian giants have made no secret of their desire to win the Champions League for the first time since 2001. “ We are proud and happy to have achieved our goal before the end of the group phase,” said goal-scorer Mario Gomez.

“Franck Ribery was outstanding.” Having fallen to a fifth straight defeat, Villarreal are now sure of elimination and even their dreams of finishing third, to secure a Europa League berth, are also dashed.

Bayern bounced back from Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to German champions Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga with an impressive display as Ribery found plenty of space to exploit.

Coach Jupp Heynckes started with Arjen Robben making his second appearance after groin surgery to help cover for the injured Bastian Schweinsteiger, who broke his collarbone in the 3-2 win over Napoli a fornight ago. Ribery opened the scoring after just three minutes when Germany midfielder Toni

Kroos set up the Frenchman to fire home from all of 12 metres out.

Bayern then went 2-0 up when hot-shot striker Mario Gomez netted his 21st goal of the season after Munich midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk hit the post and he was on hand to stab the ball home.

Dutch midfielder Jonathan de Guzman pulled a goal back for the Spanish on 50 minutes after a mistake by Kroos was pounced on by defender Joan Oriol, who sprinted down

field for de Guzman to score.

Munich made sure of the win when Kroos played a well-timed diagonal pass through the Villarreal defence and with Lopez off his line, Ribery fired into an empty net on 69 minutes for his eighth goal of the season.

Bayern are under no pressure now for their final group game in Manchester on December 7, while Villarreal will be playing just for pride the same night when they host Napoli. —AFP

MUNICH: Bayern’s David Alaba of Austria (right) and Villarrealís Joan Oriol challenge for the ball during their Champions League Group A soccer match. — AP

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

ITALY: Napoli’s defenders Salvatore Aronica (left) and Paolo Cannavaro try to stop a kick by Manchester City’s Edin Dzeko of Bosnia, during the Champions League, Group A soccer match. — AP

Napoli rock City’s knockout stage hopes NAPLES: Napoli stunned Manchester City 2-1 at the San Paolo stadium here yesterday to leave the English Premier League leaders’ Champions League hopes in the balance.

Napoli now lead City by a point heading into the final Group A games in two weeks time in which the Italians will travel to pointless Villarreal while the English team will host already qualified group winners Bayern Munich.

Edinson Cavani scored a brace for the hosts either side of a Mario Balotelli tap-in. City bossed the early stages as Pablo Zabaleta crossed from the right but Edin Dzeko was

over ambitious and the chance went begging.

Yaya Toure, Balotelli and Dzeko all tried their luck from distance but didn’t hit the target. Napoli had clearly set their stall out to counter and on one such raid Ezequiel Lavezzi skipped around Nigel De Jong and crossed for the unmarked Marek Hamsik, who played despite his pregnant wife having been carjacked at gun-point in the morning, but his header went straight at Joe Hart.

Lavezzi played a quick one-two with Cavani but ‘Pocho’ then shot power fully wide.

Switzerland midfielder Gokhan Inler tried his luck from long-range but Hart tipped it over.

Lavezzi’s corner on 17 minutes was flicked on by Cavani and then came off both Aleksandar Kolarov and Hart’s knee before sneaking in at the near post for a soft goal.

The San Paolo was rocking and Cavani fired just wide on another swift counter. City kept their nerve and continued to dominate possession with David Silva and Balotelli both shooting into Morgan De Sanctis’s arms.

The equaliser came on 33 minutes after some shoddy defending. Salvatore Aronica’s poor clearance from Kolarov’s cross went straight to Silva and although De Sanctis pushed out his cross-shot, Balotelli was in the

right place to tap home.

Cavani had a whack from distance that went well over before Kolarov capped a slick City move with a shot that De Sanctis smothered.

Napoli needed only four minutes to go back in front after the break as Andrea Dossena got down the left and picked out Cavani to shoot home under Hart and this time there were no doubts it was his. The hosts had their tails up and Joleon Lescott had to hack a Hamsik shot off the line.

Napoli were content to sit back and hit City on the counter and they almost scored a third

Inter ensure top spot

United hopes in balance as Benfica snatch draw MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s Champions League hopes were left hanging in the balance yesterday after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Portuguese rivals Benfica at Old Trafford.

Argentinian veteran Pablo Aimar punished some slack United play to secure a precious point for Benfica after United had fought back from an early Phil Jones own goal to lead through strikes from Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Fletcher.

Although the result left Benfica and United level on nine points, the Portuguese will progress as winners of Group C if they beat Romanian whipping boys Otelul Galati in their final group game in Lisbon next month by virtue of their better head-tohead record with United.

United, meanwhile, face a tricky final game at Swiss side FC Basel, who can qualify for the last 16 at the expense of the Premier League giants if they manage to defeat Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

Ferguson, who had suffered a blow before kick-off when Wayne Rooney was ruled out through injury, was left ruing another frustrating result for his team.

It was the second time this season that United had led a home Champions League fixture only to let victory slip through their fingers, following their 3-3 draw with Basel.

United had got off to a disastrous start, conceding a goal after only three minutes as Benfica impressed with some enterprising early play. Maxi Pereira and Nicolas

Gaitan combined well to carve out an opening down the right flank, and when Gaitan rifled in a low shot United defender Jones stuck out a leg and turned the ball into his own net. The goal stunned Old Trafford into silence and United looked shellshocked by the setback for several minutes afterwards.

Eventually United regained their composure and soon Nani was threatening, Ezequiel Garay earning a yellow card for an ugly tackle on the Portuguese winger in the 16th minute.

Nani was at the heart of United’s equaliser on the half-hour mark. A quick free-kick was spread wide to the winger who curled in an inviting cross for Berbatov to glance beyond Artur in the Benfica goal.

It might have been 2-1 just seconds later as Ashley Young was put clean through on goal only to see his shot blocked by the advancing Artur. A breathless passage of play continued as Benfica swept up the other end and Aimar saw his angled shot well saved by David de Gea. An increasingly niggly game saw Fletcher become the next man to be booked for dissent before Artur picked up a further caution for time-wasting. United were quick out of the blocks after the break, subjecting Benfica to wave after wave of attacks.

More good work from Nani created an opening for Young but the striker’s shot was blocked by frantic Benfica defending on 50 minutes. A rampaging charge into the attack from Jones gave Fabio a clear shot on

when Vincent Kompany’s slip let in Lavezzi but Hart stood tall to block his shot.

And the hosts went even closer after a mistake by Kolarov let in Hamsik but although his shot beat Hart, it came back off the post and City survived, just, again.

Chances were coming thick and fast, Toure put Balotelli in behind the Napoli defence but De Sanctis saved his shot and Christian Maggio went through one-on-one with Hart who stood up bravely to block. A brilliant move between Silva and substitute Samir Nasri then teed up Balotelli, who headed over. —AFP

LONDON: Manchester United’s Ashley Young (right) vies for the ball against Benfica’s Javi Garcia during their Champions League Group C soccer match at Old Trafford. —AP goal on 55 minutes but the Brazilian’s auda- a minute. A sloppy clearance from de Gea cious chip was comfortably saved when a fell to the elusive Bruno Cesar, and the low shot might have been the better Benfica winger raced to the byline and option. Yet on 59 minutes Benfica’s defence crossed. Cesar’s centre slammed into an offfinally cracked. Patrice Evra curled in a teas- balance Rio Ferdinand and fell to Aimar ing cross from the left flank and Fletcher who lashed high into the net for 2-2.

United pressed relentlessly over the final timed his run superbly to prod past Artur.

The Benfica goalkeeper did well to block quarter but United’s best chance for a winFletcher’s shot but the Scotland captain car- ner was squandered by Berbatov, the ried on his run and smashed in from close Bulgarian striker volleying high over the bar from close range on 78 minutes. range for 2-1.

It might have got worse for United on 89 But just as it looked as if United were poised to take control of the contest, minutes when Rodrigo burst into the box Benfica grabbed an unlikely equaliser inside only to shoot into the side netting. —AFP

TRABZON: Inter Milan guaranteed they will finish top of Group B after drawing 1-1 with Turkish side Trabzonspor in their Champions League match here yesterday.

The 2010 champions had already qualified for the knockout stages prior to kick-off after Lille beat CSKA Moscow 2-0 in Moscow but the draw means they cannot be caught at the top as they lead Trabzonspor by four points with one match remaining. The two sides fought out an entertaining first-half with the visitors drawing first blood as Argentinian midfielder Ricardo Alvarez scored a great goal in the 18th minute.

Alvarez played a 1-2 with compatriot Gabriel Milito and then slotted it past goalkeeper Tolga Zengin.

Burak Yilmaz almost broke his duck in the competition - a contrast to his lethal domestic form which has brought him 13 goals this term - three minutes later but his effort went just wide with Julio Cesar beaten.

However, the hosts didn’t have to wait long for the equaliser as two minutes later veteran striker Halil Altintop saw his 25 yard effort fly into the net, though, it took a deflection off Inter’s Argentinian defender Walter Samuel.

Burak Yilmaz - 13 goals in the domestic league but none in Europe - had a great chance but aimed his header straight at Cesar, while straight from that action Inter created a giltedged opportunity for themselves but Mauro Zarate’s shot was well-saved by Tolga Zengin.

Trabzonspor were proving that the first result between the sides had been no fluke and Alanzinho went close to giving them the lead with 10 minutes remaining of the first-half but Cesar got down well to turn it away for a corner.

Inter were a bit hesitant at the start of the second-half, but finally got going when their veteran Serbian midfielder Dejan Stankevic unleashed a fierce drive and Zengin did well to turn it around the post for a corner. Trabzonspor kept pressing and the lively Yilmaz - a target for leading clubs outside Turkey - forced a good save out of Cesar just after the hour mark.

Alanzinho also went close with 20 minutes remaining as the Brazilian got in on goal but his shot slid just wide of the post with Cesar well beaten. —AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Business

World Bank warns of risks to East Asia growth

Years

Page 23

Bahrain bank sees inflation under control; banks stable Page 25

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

South Korea govt ratifies landmark US trade deal

Islamic finance assets to hit $1.1 trillion in 2012

Page 26

Page 26

WASHINGTON: The underground meeting room where many of the Supercommittee’s gatherings have taken place is empty at the Capitol in Washington. — AP

Super failure: Deficit-cutting panel gives up US debt ‘supercommittee’ fails on deficit plan WASHINGTON: A US Congress “supercommittee” has failed to reach a deal to rein in the government’s galloping deficits due to angry partisan battles over how best to revive the nation’s sluggish economy. The move confirmed widespread expectations that the 12-member committee would miss its goal to cut US deficits by $1.2 trillion over 10 years amid political feuds over tax hikes on the rich and cuts to social spending.

“We are deeply disappointed that we have been unable to come to a bipartisan deficit reduction agreement,” co-chairs Democratic Senator Patty Murray and Republican Representative Jeb Hensarling said in a joint statement on Monday. The deadlock was sure to fuel voter anger at gridlock in Washington one year before November 2012 elections in which President Barack Obama hopes to win a second term by painting congressional Republicans as

zealous obstructionists.

Global markets reacted cautiously yesterday with most stocks in Asia closing down slightly.

European markets opened higher. Under the August law that created the supercommittee, the US impasse triggers draconian automatic cuts to domestic and military spending come January 2013, unless lawmakers repeal that requirement or find an alternative deficit-cutting plan. Obama blamed the deadlock on Republicans who “will not budge” from opposing a “balanced” approach that pairs cuts in social spending with a tax hike on the wealthy, and warned he would veto any attempt to repeal the automatic cuts.

“There will be no easy off-ramps on this one.

We need to keep the pressure up to compromise, not turn off the pressure,” the president said in the White House briefing room shortly after the announcement. “The question right now is

News

in brief

Japan to grant $750 million loans to Iraq TOKYO: Japan will offer Iraq loans totaling $750 million to help rebuild the oil-rich country, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said yesterday in his meeting with visiting Iraqi leader Nouri Al-Maliki. The money will go toward refurbishment of oil refineries and other infrastructure and health care projects, according to the Japanese foreign ministry.

Resource-poor Japan has eagerly sought to strengthen its ties with Iraq by offering reconstruction support. The world’s third-largest economy relies heavily on the Middle East for its oil needs. Tokyo has also promoted Japan’s infrastructure technology, particularly in emerging economies.

Swiss trade surplus rises 10.2 percent GENEVA: Switzerland’s trade surplus increased 10.2 percent last month to 2.2 billion Swiss francs (1.8 billion euros, $2.4 billion) despite the impact of the strong franc on exports, customs officials said yesterday. Exports rose 1.5 percent to 17 billion Swiss francs in October compared to the figure for the same month last year, marking a slowdown after September’s 3 percent increase. Only certain sectors recorded an increase, notably the watch industry and to a lesser degree the chemical and food sectors, a statement said. Sales to the EU, Switzerland’s main trading partner, fell 2.2 percent but exports to North America, its second largest market, rose 6.9 percent.

Exports to Asia increased 5.4 percent, with a 12 percent drop in China sales countered by a jump in sales to India (26 percent) and Japan (21.2 percent).

Imports remained stable in October, rising 0.3 percent compared with a 0.8 percent increase the previous month. Since the beginning of the year Switzerland’s trade surplus has risen 15 percent to about 19 billion Swiss francs.

whether we can reduce the deficit in a way that helps the economy grow-that operates with a scalpel, not with a hatchet.” Obama held out hope that lawmakers could reach a new deal and tried to reassure the markets by saying that despite a ballooning national debt of more than $15 trillion, there was no imminent threat of a US default.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 2.1 percent before the announcement.

Tokyo lost 0.40 percent yesterday, Sydney slid 0.72 percent but Hong Kong was 0.14 percent up and London’s FTSE 100 opened 0.58 percent higher. Standard & Poor’s maintained its AA+ credit rating for the United States, while warning that if lawmakers bust previously agreed-upon spending caps, “downward pressure on the ratings could build.” Fitch said it would wait until the end of November to make its review of the US

sovereign rating.Panel members-six Democrats and six Republicans-had met behind closed doors in a last-ditch attempt to salvage the effort but made no headway.

The collapse of talks triggered an avalanche of political finger-pointing. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said a deal had foundered on Democrats’ “puzzling insistence on taxing job creators in the middle of a jobs crisis.”

But Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid blamed Republicans for heeding “the extreme voices in their party instead of the voices of reason” for seeking “more giveaways to millionaires at the expense of the middle class.” The talks faltered chiefly on Republican refusals to raise taxes on the rich in return for Democratic concessions on making cuts to cherished social safety net programs, so-called “entitlements” with fastincreasing price tags. Republicans argued that

Indian rupee hits record low Weakening rupee expected to fuel domestic inflation MUMBAI: The Indian rupee yesterday hit a record low against the dollar, as fears about eurozone debt and the global economy as well as falling local stock markets provoked further selling of the currency. The rupee plunged to 52.73 against the greenback on the foreign exchange markets, causing further problems for India’s central bank as it tries to rein in near double-digit inflation.

The weakening rupee is expected to fuel domestic inflation because oil imports priced in dollars will become more expensive, translating into higher prices for local consumers and businesses. “It (the weakening rupee) is disruptive, there is no question,” the deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Subir Gokarn, told reporters in the financial capital, Mumbai.

“There will be an impact on our import bill, particular for energy.

It’s having an impact on companies and it is a problem.” Gokarn, forex dealers and analysts said however that the fall matched global trends, as investors flee riskier emerging market and eurozone assets, pushing up demand for the dollar, which is seen as a safe haven in times of crisis. The rupee is the worst performing of Asia’s 10 most-traded currencies, having fallen around 14 percent against the dollar since the start of 2011, while Indian shares are faring the worst among their regional peers. The leading 30-share Sensex index has lost 22 percent this year. Dealers added that the rupee’s fall had been exacerbated by the finance ministry’s comments on Monday that the RBI had only a “limited” ability to arrest the partially convertible currency’s slide.

Media reports and analysts said the bank had intervened for the first time in more than two months to try to quell the decline of the rupee, which has tumbled by about four percent against the dollar in the past six trading days. “There’s no official confirmation but people think that’s the case,” said economist Siddartha Sanyal, from Barclays Capital. “At this moment, the dynamics seem to be pretty much against all emerging market currencies and that’s not really helping the rupee,” he said. The RBI’s Gokarn said the bank had no target level for the currency, although he admitted the weakening rupee could have an immediate impact on inflation.

“Any action we take now, if any, has to take into account the fact that these actions might have consequences a little further down the road,” he added. “So we’ve got to balance out actions

now with risks or potential increase in vulnerability later on.”

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that “RBI intervention (in the forex market) will not help”, as the government warned against over-reactions. Falls in the domestic share market have also weighed on the rupee, with the blue-chip Sensex index of leading shares down 2.6 percent to 15,946.10 points on Monday.

The index closed up 0.75 percent yesterday, with US-exposed IT firms and other exporters among the leading gainers. The weak rupee makes their services cheaper for overseas clients. Some car makers, however, said they were considering price rises because of the increase in cost of components. India is a net importer, with one-third of foreign goods made up of crude oil that is used to power the energy-hungry nation. Thirteen interest rate hikes since March 2010 have slowed India’s fast-paced economic growth but made little impact on rising prices. Investors are also concerned about widespread corruption and a perceived lack of movement on key institutional reforms.—AFP

MUMBAI: A bank cashier receives Indian Rupee notes for a deposit from a customer in Mumbai yesterday.

The Indian rupee hit a record low against the dollar, as fears about eurozone debt and the global economy as well falling local stock markets provoked further selling of the currency. — AFP

tax hikes would smother job-creation at a time when the US economy is wrestling with stubbornly high nine percent unemployment.

Republican Senator Olympia Snowe condemned the failure as “yet another regrettable milestone in Congress’s steady march toward abject ineffectiveness.” Democrats pledged to wage a year-end fight to extend jobless benefits and a cut in a payroll tax, measures designed to ease worker pain and spur consumer spending. “With millions of Americans out of work, we must stay focused on creating jobs,” said Reid, who warned that failure to renew both measures “could plunge us back into a recession.” Republicans said they would push to repeal the automatic defense spending cuts, citing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s warning that they will leave the military slower, weaker, and smaller than at any time since World War II. — AFP

Egypt market plunges for third day on crisis CAIRO: Egypt’s stock market took a beating for the third consecutive day and the cost of insuring its sovereign debt soared as protests and violence in the capital raised questions about the country’s stability days before pivotal parliamentary election. The Egyptian Exchange’s benchmark EGX30 index fell by almost 3.1 percent within minutes of the start of trade and extended its slide to 3.6 percent by midday, blowing past the 3,800 point level seen by brokers as a key support level.

The declines built on the previous day’s 4 percent slide and dragged its year-to-date decline down to over 47 percent. The losses marked the 10th consecutive trading session in which the market - one of the worst performing emerging market indices in the world - suffered a slide as a result of Egypt’s tenuous political situation.

Egypt’s five-year credit default swaps - the cost of insuring its sovereign debt against default, climbed 25 basis points to 563 basis points, according to data service provider Markit. With the first parliamentary elections since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak slated for Nov. 28, the fourth day of clashes between demonstrators and security forces spotlighted the challenges the country faces as it tries to move toward a democratic system.

“We passed the support point, so the only thing that will stop further declines in the market is fixing the political situation in the country,” said Khaled Naga, a senior broker with Mega Investments. “We have to wait and see what happens.”

While far from presenting a united front, the activists massed in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, which served as the epicenter of the Jan. 25 uprising that pushed Mubarak from power, are demanding either the military rulers immediately hand over power to a civilian administration or set a fixed date for a transition to civilian rule. The days of unrest have proven deadly, with at least 29 killed across the country - most in Cairo - and the violence and continuing demonstrations prompted the civilian Cabinet to offer its resignation late Monday. But the move failed to appease the activists who see the civilian government as little more than subservient to the military rulers. Firmly entrenched in Tahrir, the activists issued a call for a million-man demonstration, a move that had hundreds of people streaming into downtown Cairo and raising the scepter of further clashes and violence even as officials called for restraint from all sides. —AP

y

A

22

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

BUSINESS

Asia shares fall after US deficit deadlock

Burgan Bank launches new ‘BuBa Kids Account’

European shares seen gaining 0.7-0.9% SINGAPORE: Asian shares edged down yesterday as fears about the ability of politicians on either side of the Atlantic to tackle huge debt burdens sapped investors’ confidence in the outlook for Western economies. The dollar held gains near a 6-week high against a basket of currencies, with European banks scrambling to secure dollar cash as money markets seize up, and equity volumes were thin, indicating that risk aversion remained high. “ There is no fundamental change in the markets’ risk averse mood. There’s been no clear progress in the euro zone,” said Koji Fukaya, chief foreign exchange strategist at Credit Suisse. Shares in China and Hong Kong were hit after central bank data showed Beijing may have sold foreign currency to prop up the yuan for the first time in four years in October, signaling rare capital outflows from the world’s No2 economy. But European stocks were expected to claw back some of the previous day’s losses, with spreadbetters calling the FTSE 100 to open up 0.7 percent. Germany’s DAX was also seen up 0.7 percent and France’s CAC-40 up 0.9 percent.

COMMITTEE’S FAILURE The failure on Monday of a “super committee” of US lawmakers to reach agreement on a deficit-cutting plan was another

blow to market confidence already hammered for weeks by Europe’s inexorably worsening sovereign debt crisis. US stocks fell around 2 percent on Monday, following sharp falls in Europe, and commodities also slumped on concerns that the chances of a global recession are rising. “The S&P index has broken sharply lower and looks technically pretty dire, despite more OK data as the Chicago Fed index bounced slightly and the overhang of unsold homes dipped back to a lower but still high 8 months,” said Kit Juckes, head of foreign exchange research at Societe Generale.

Investors’ jangled nerves were soothed somewhat in Asia when Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s, two of the big three ratings agencies, said the deficit committee’s failure would not trigger an immediate downgrade of the US credit rating. Japan’s Nikkei share average opened down 1 percent, hitting its lowest level in 8 months, then pared losses to close down 0.4 percent. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.3 percent, putting it in negative territory for the sixth successive session. S&P 500 futures rose 0.5 percent, pointing to a modest rebound on Wall Street.

DEBT WOES The news that a congressional committee of six Republicans and

six Democrats had abandoned their efforts to reach a deal on reducing the United States’ ballooning deficit had been expected, but nonetheless reinforced investors’ perceptions that Washington politicians are too divided to deal with the debt problem. It came as the euro zone’s crisis crept ever closer to the heart of the continent, with the risk premiums on Spanish, French, Italian and Belgian government bonds rising after Moody’s warned that France’s triple-A credit rating was under threat.

“The tightening of credit conditions and pro-cyclical bias of fiscal policy means that the global economy is at serious risk of returning to recession when it has singularly failed properly to recover from the last recession,” said Russell Jones, head of global rates strategy at Westpac, in a note.

“Europe is already effectively there. But Japan and the US are looking increasingly likely to follow suit.” Asian credit markets reflected the cautious mood, with spreads on the iTraxx Asia exJapan investment grade index, a gauge of risk appetite, widening by around 5 basis points. The euro was steady around $1.35 and the dollar held firm after jumping on Monday. Ironically, the US currency has been boosted by the debt worries because it remains investors’ preferred safe haven in

times of market volatility.

YEN DEMAND WEAKENS But demand weakened for the yen, another safe-haven currency, which eased about 0.2 percent to around 77.05 to the dollar and about 103.90 to the euro. In commodities markets, copper rose 1.4 percent after a three-day slide that had taken it close to its lowest levels in a month on worries that the darkening economic outlook would crimp industrial demand. There were more modest rebounds for other commodities, with gold rising 0.3 percent to around $1,684 an ounce.

Oil steadied after the United States, Britain and Canada announced new sanctions against Iran’s energy and financial sectors, ratcheting up pressure on OPEC’s second largest producer to end its nuclear program. US crude gained 0.2 percent to climb above $97 a barrel and Brent crude rose 0.5 percent to above $107 a barrel on fears the standoff could ultimately lead to military action and a disruption of supplies. “Iran adds a risk premium to crude,” said Jonathan Barratt, managing director of Commodity Broking Services.

“Depending on how the issue escalates, we may see $150 crude, which will have dramatic concerns especially as Western economies are trying to emerge from a slowdown.” —Reuters

KUWAIT: Burgan Bank yesterday launched the “BuBa Kids Account”, a new savings account that provides an array of benefits, and is specifically tailored for children up to 14 years old. The new account gives parents the opportunity to save money for their children while benefiting from a wide range of features that are associated with it.

As an added benefit, Burgan Bank is offering the first 200 customers that

Ritz Travel, and experience the excitement of Ferrari World.

Ms. Haneen Al Rumaihi, Head Of Marketing at Burgan Bank said: Our new “BuBa Kids Account” aims at helping parents who want financial security for their children and are beginning financial planning for them. The new account is a rewarding one, and presents a diverse array of incentives and rewards schemes for children. It has been designed to be both fun and educational, encouraging children to save from an early age.” “The BuBa Kids Account” is a new addition that marks a milestone in Burgan Bank’s continued efforts of providing tailored banking services to its varied customers at every stage of life,” added Al Rumaihi.

The minimum opening balance of the “BuBa Kids Account” begins at KD 10, with no required minimum balance or interest earning or charges fees. Children will also be entitled to a free branded ATM VISA Electron card, which will allow them to withdraw money from any of Burgan Bank’s local branches. To find out more about Burgan Bank’s newly launched “BuBa Kids Account”, customers are urged to visit any of Burgan Bank’s conveniently located branches, or call the bank’s call center on 180408, or log on to Burgan Bank’s website at www.burgan.com.

enroll in the “BuBa Kids Account”, an additional KD20 to be deposited into their accounts. Two draws will also be held in February and May 2012 for BuBa Account holders to grant them a family trip to Abu Dhabi in collaboration with

Jet Airways declared ‘Best Domestic Airline’ MUMBAI: Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, has been declared the ‘Best Domestic Airline’ at the fifth edition of the CNBC Awaaz Travel Awards 2011. The award was presented by Shri Subodh Kant Sahay, Honorable Union Minister for Tourism to Gaurang Shetty, Senior Vice President- Commercial, Jet Airways

at a glittering ceremony in New Delhi, in the presence of several luminaries from the travel and trade industry.

These Awards, based on an exhaustive consumer response study conducted across eleven cities, with close to two thousand respondents across all segments (including the Adventure,

General public and Corporate segments), seek to recognize and honor the best in class destinations, organizations, infrastructure and service providers based on an objective study conducted by India’s leading research firm, Nielsen.

Sudheer Raghavan, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways, said: “The CNBC Awaaz Travel Awards 2011 are widely respected across the tourism and trade industry and we are delighted to receive this honor. At Jet Airways, we are committed to offering our guests the very best travel experience in the skies, and awards such as these stand testimony to the quality of our services and encourage us to further raise the bar in customer service excellence.”

The airline was previously awarded ‘Airline with the Best Business Class’ and ‘Airline with the Best Economy Class’ at the CNBC Awaaz Travel Awards 2008, in the Airlines of India Category. The CNBC Awaaz Travel Awards are an annual event hosted by CNBC AWAAZ, India’s first business and consumer-focused Hindi channel, to honor the best in class travel destinations and other ancillary services of the tourism industry.

LG sells over two million 6 Motion washing machines delivering a wash that is as gentle as it is thorough, LG’s 6 Motion technology goes beyond mere “laundry ”. “LG washing machines have gained a reputation as the most innovative appliances in the market today,” said H S Paik, President, LG Gulf FZE. “6 Motion was a breakthrough when we unveiled it in 2009 and continues to lead the industry two years later.” Due in large part to the popularity of LG’s 6 Motion washing machines, the company posted the best sales figures - in volume and value - for washing machines in 2010, according to figures provided by various market research companies1. LG’s front-loading washing machines have been the best-selling front loaders in the world for the past two years.

KUWAIT: Sales of LG Electronics (LG) 6 Motion washing machines have exceeded more than two million units worldwide since its debut in later 2009. First introduced in October 2009, LG’s 6 Motion Direct DriveTM washing machines have recorded 2.25 million units in sales, which includes 1.25 million units of its front-loading washing machines as well as one million top-loading units. Enabled by LG’s Inverter Direct DriveTM technology, the 6 Motion washing machine has won rave reviews.

Its unique feature allows for more precise spin speed control and inner drum movements saves energy, time and gets clothes cleaner. With a range of cycles optimized for different types of fabrics and

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

.2725000 .4310000 .3700000 .2980000 .2650000 .2720000 .0040000 .0020000 .0747670 .7284350 .3810000 .0700000 .7140980 .0040000 .0430000

.2785000 .4430000 .3790000 .3140000 .2760000 .2830000 .0072500 .0035000 .0755170 .7357560 .4010000 .0760000 .7212750 .0072000 .0530000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2754000 .2775000 GB Pound/KD .4323920 .4356890 Euro .3706060 .3734320 Swiss francs .2993750 .3015980 Canadian dollars .2668730 .2689080 Danish Kroner .0497950 .0501740 Swedish Kroner .0404670 .0407760 Australian dlr .2732240 .2753080 Hong Kong dlr .0353590 .0356290 Singapore dlr .2118460 .2134620 Japanese yen .0035860 .0036140 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 .0053780 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 .0025220 Pakistan rupee .0000000 .0031910 Bangladesh taka .0000000 .0036390 UAE dirhams .0750100 .0755820 Bahraini dinars .7307950 .7363670 Jordanian dinar .0000000 .3925040 Saudi Riyal/KD .0734600 .0740200 Omani riyals .7156030 .7210600 Philippine Peso .0000000 .0064530

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 3.623 5.331 3.167 2.502 3.361 212.780 35.546 3.600 6.386 8.908 0.271 0.273

GCC COUNTRIES 73.843 76.086 719.240 735.490 75.402

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES 48.250 46.187 1.267 190.900 391.040 1.858 5.978 34.089

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 276.800 Euro 374.650 Sterling Pound 434.850 Canadian dollar 268.740 Turkish lire 153.940 Swiss Franc 302.180 Australian dollar 279.870 US Dollar Buying 276.700

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 Nigeria

SELL CASH 279.900 735.760 3.850 272.600 543.400 44.700 51.200 167.800 48.240 378.000 36.220 5.790 0.032 0.224 0.241 3.690 392.910 0.187 89.930 46.300 4.260 213.300 1.793

49.000 718.600 3.340 6.600 76.530 73.870 214.290 36.290 2.636 440.200 41.700 305.200 5.500 9.300 198.263 75.430 277.000 1.220

718.420 3.185 6.385 76.100 73.870 214.290 36.290 2.503 438.200 303.700 5.500 9.110 75.330 276.600

10 Tola

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 438.200 276.600

Sterling Pound US Dollar

SELL DRAFT 278.400 735.760 3.605 271.100

214.300 46.268 376.500 36.070 5.360 0.031

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

277.79 271.38 307.49 377.81 437.15 3.65 3.620 5.265 2.432 3.300 3.182 75.37 736.54 46.28 393.94 719.64 76.36 73.94

282.00 272.00 305.00 377.50 437.50 3.62 3.740 5.770 2.610 4.150 3.370 75.75 736.56 48.20 393.00 719.50 76.65 73.95

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 392.020 0.185 89.930 3.370 211.800

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar

Selling Rate 273.850 277.615 442.140 389.790 317.635 726.070

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

74.535 75.165 72.990 385.475 45.923 2.482 5.619 3.164 3.606 6.425 671.723 3.710 9.070 5.765 3.560 90.965

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

GOLD 1,783.550

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

GOLD 317.000 159.000 82.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

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

Currency Rate per 1000 (Tran) US Dollar 276.600 Pak Rupees 3.175 Indian Rupees 5.345 Sri Lankan Rupees 2.515 Bangladesh Taka 3.615 Philippines Peso 6.415 UAE Dirhams 75.410 Saudi Riyals 73.915 Bahraini Dinars 735.400 Egyptian Pounds 46.245 Pound Sterling 441.000 Indonesian Rupiah 3.190 Yemeni Riyal 1.550 Jordanian Dinars 393.000 Syrian Pounds 5.750 Euro 379.800 Canadian Dollars 274.400 Nepali rupee 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 276.250 Euro 376.300 Pound Sterling 438.000 Canadian Dollar 270.900 Japanese Yen 3.625 Indian Rupee 5.335 Egyptian Pound 46.205 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.501 Bangladesh Taka 3.590 Philippines Peso 6.365 Pakistan Rupee 3.170 Bahraini Dinar 735.700 UAE Dirham 75.300 Saudi Riyal 73.825 *Rates are subject to change

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

BUSINESS

Debt crisis sweeps towards heart of Europe Greece set to get lifesaving cash injection BRUSSELS: The eurozone’s debt crisis swept closer to the heart of Europe despite a clear-cut election victory in Spain for conservatives committed to austerity, adding to pressure on the European Central Bank to act more decisively. Spain’s Socialists became the fifth government in the 17-nation currency area to be toppled by the sovereign debt crisis this year. Portugal, Ireland, Italy and Greece went before, while Slovakia’s cabinet lost a confidence vote last month and faces a general election in March.

An absolute parliamentary majority for Mariano Rajoy’s centre-right Popular Party brought no respite on financial markets increasingly alarmed by the absence of an effective firewall to halt a meltdown on sovereign bond markets. Rajoy kept investors, and Spaniards, guessing about his plans to tackle the crisis, saying the constitution will make him wait until just before Dec. 25 to name an economy minister and explain how he will get five million people back to work.

The risk premiums on Spanish, Italian, French and Belgian government bonds rose as investors fled to safehaven German Bunds, while European shares fell more than 3 percent after Moody’s warned that France’s credit rating faced new dangers. “This crisis is hitting the core of the euro zone. We should have no illusions about this,” European Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said. He defended the European Union executive’s advocacy of austerity policies blamed for choking

off growth and jobs. “One simply cannot build a growth strategy on accumulating more debt, when the capacity to service the current debt is questioned by the markets,” Rehn told a Brussels seminar. “One cannot force foreign creditors to lend more money, if they don’t have the confidence to do it.”

Greece’s new technocrat prime minister, Lucas Papademos, on his maiden trip to Brussels, won an assurance that euro zone finance ministers should be in a position to agree at their next meeting, next Monday, to disburse vital bailout funds to avert bankruptcy.

Papademos was expected to meet European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi yesterday evening in Frankfurt.

Borrowing costs for both Spain and Italy hit levels regarded as unsustainable last week before the European Central Bank stepped in temporarily to steady the market.

Two newspapers said the ECB’s governing council had imposed a weekly limit of 20 billion euros on purchases of euro zone government bonds, a figure analysts say prevents it wielding massive deterrent power in the markets. Germany’s central bank has led resistance to the bond-buying it sees as inflationary. The latest weekly figures released on Monday showed the central bank bought nearly 8 billion euros in the week to last Wednesday, far below that reported limit in a week when Italian and French spreads hit euro era highs.

Critics say this reluctant, piecemeal approach is

aggravating the situation rather than restoring confidence. ECB governing council member Ewald Nowotny, regarded as a dove, told a conference in Vienna that the central bank could not simply start printing money but would have to discuss its next response to the crisis.

“What we certainly have to discuss is what is a role for the ECB in these difficult times, but this is also something we will discuss in Frankfurt at the appropriate time,” he said.

FRENCH RATING RISK Ratings agency Moody’s said a recent rise in interest rates on French government debt and weaker economic growth prospects could be negative for France’s credit rating. “Elevated borrowing costs persisting for an extended period would amplify the fiscal challenges the French government faces amid a deteriorating growth outlook, with negative credit implications,” Senior Credit Officer Alexander Kockerbeck said in Moody’s Weekly Credit Outlook dated Nov. 21.

France’s government spokeswoman insisted on Monday that Paris would not impose a third package of budget savings, despite market pressure on its cost of credit. Talk of a possible break-up of the 12-year-old single currency has grown among analysts, mostly outside the euro area, as EU paymaster Germany has rejected most of the widely-touted solutions to the debt crisis.

The chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management,

Jim O’Neill, said the crisis of European economic and monetary union (EMU) meant “big decisions have to be taken pretty quickly”. “It’s not obvious to me that EMU could survive without Italy,” he told a Confederation of British Industry conference. “It’s not obvious to me that Italy can survive with 6-7 percent bond yields, so something’s going to have give pretty quickly. Italian bond yields have got to come down pretty quickly or EMU will have some severe challenges.”

Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager, one of Berlin’s closest allies, acknowledged that the euro zone could splinter. Asked whether a break-up of the euro would cause an economic depression, he told BNR radio: “This could be a consequence from the euro zone falling apart, that is correct.” The chief executive of Deutsche Bank, Josef Ackermann, said Greece leaving the Eurozone would cause incalculable damage and make it less likely that Greece would pay its debts.

Spaniards gave the People’s Party a clear mandate for more austerity against a background of 21 percent unemployment and one of the highest budget shortfalls in the region. “We will stop being part of the problem and will be part of the solution,” Rajoy said after the vote. Nicolas Lopez, head of research at M&G Valores, said the government had to introduce convincing measures. “While these measures are being taken, the ECB will have to buy up bonds as it has been doing to maintain confidence,” he said. — Reuters

Thailand and Malaysia at risk in global slump: Fitch World Bank warns of risks to East Asia growth

‘Hala Watani’ receives more than 1 million calls a month KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait’s (NBK) “Hala Watani” service hits a new record this year by receiving more than one million calls a month due to its ease and flexibility. NBK was the first in Kuwait to provide customers with banking services over the phone. NBK remains the leader in providing easily accessible and technologically advanced channels to meet its’ customers needs, including the simple-to-use “Hala Watani’ call center.

“Hala Watani” provides NBK customers a convenient and reliable means to conduct their banking transactions and manage their accounts around the clock, seven days a week by simply calling 1801801. In addition to “Hala Watani”, NBK provides its customers with a wide range of services to meet their banking needs in a flexible and secure manner. Those services include NBK’s most advanced mobile banking application and NBK Online through www.nbk.com

SINGAPORE: Thailand and Malaysia would be the most at risk among Asia’s developing countries if there were a sharp deterioration in the global economy, Fitch ratings agency said yesterday. Indonesia is the least exposed and has a larger capacity to bring in stimulus measures should the world economy tumble sharply, analysts from the credit ratings firm said.

“Both Malaysia and Thailand look highly exposed and have constrained room for policy stimulus,” said Fitch analyst Philip McNicholas, citing high debt levels relative to gross domestic product (GDP). Due to its large domestic economy and its low debt-to-GDP ratio, Indonesia “is relatively the least exposed in the region,” he said.

Southeast Asia’s biggest economy was on track for a ratings upgrade within the next 12 to 18 months, McNicholas added, but a key test will be how well Jakarta weathers an economic slowdown.

Fitch currently rates it BB+ with a positive outlook. “The ability to withstand the shocks would be very favorable for Indonesia’s case,” he said in a teleconference with journalists. McNicholas said China and India also “do appear somewhat insulated” from external shocks, but have limited scope for policy stimulus now compared with the last global meltdown that started in late 2008 and lasted well into 2009. Asian economies had rolled out massive spending packages that helped them weather that downturn better than other regions of the world, Fitch said.

Fitch analysts had looked at several indicators to assess the potential exposure of emerging Asian economies in the event of another steep global economic downturn or shock in the world financial system. Should a severe credit crunch take place, “we see Malaysia, (South) Korea and Indonesia as some of the most exposed to a liquidity shock while China,

Taiwan and the Philippines are the least exposed,” McNicholas said. But on the whole, emerging Asia “is relatively less exposed or has minimum exposure to” a severe pullback in global liquidity than other regions, he said.

In another development, the World Bank held its East Asian growth forecast steady but warned of growing risks including Europe’s sovereign debt crisis and uncertainty about Thai manufacturing’s

Growth in East Asia’s economic linchpin, China, is expected to ease to 9.1 percent this year and 8.4 percent in 2012 after a searing 10.4 percent growth in 2010. The bank cut Thailand’s growth forecast by about 1 percentage point to 2.4 percent for 2011 because of damage to car and electronics factories and their suppliers from months of flooding. Four percent growth is forecast for next year. Thailand’s worst flooding in more than half a century

SEPANG: This file photo shows a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft on the tarmac of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang. Malaysia Airlines posted its third straight quarterly loss on higher fuel costs and foreign exchange losses, the national carrier said yesterday. — AFP recovery from widespread flooding. In a half-yearly report on the outlook for 11 emerging East Asian and Pacific economies, the bank yesterday forecast economic growth of 8.2 percent this year and 7.8 percent in 2012, practically unchanged from an earlier prediction in April.

affected two-thirds of its 77 provinces and killed more than 600 people. More than 1,000 factories in six industrial estates have been disrupted, the report said.

It’s the second major natural disaster to hit East Asia this year, following a devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March, killing some 20,000 peo-

ple. Both disasters have tested Asian production supply chains. “Losses in production are felt in the entire region, as the impacts of the disaster are spreading through industrial supply chains,” the World Bank said. The tsunami wiped out a vast stretch of factories in Japan’s northeast, severely disrupting manufacturing for several months. However, production levels there and in other affected countries recovered by the summer. The World Bank said it’s unclear whether manufacturing in Thailand can rebound as quickly as it did in Japan.

“Whether the levels of production in Thailand can recover in the coming months remains to be seen, and will depend on demand for electronics and cars, which in turn is linked to global growth,” the report said. The report, which also covered Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Fiji, Laos, Mongolia and Papua New Guinea, said Europe’s debt crisis is a growing worry for East Asian growth. Policymakers in Europe are struggling to come up with a solid plan to contain the continent’s unfolding debt crisis and investors are concerned about the possibility of defaults in weaker countries.

“Should such an event occur, it may well trigger another recession in Europe.

Spillovers to developing East Asia will be substantial, through trade, financial flows, remittances and consumer and investor sentiment,” the report said. While the region’s export-oriented economies were seeing sluggish demand for their goods from their traditional US and European markets, the slack was being taken up by growing domestic demand from China, which is trying to shift its economy away from being heavily dependent on low-value manufacturing for exports to one based on domestic consumption. — Agencies

Memac Ogilvy holds its annual management meeting in Lebanon

KUWAIT: Memac Ogilvy, one of the leading multinational communication agencies in the Middle East, recently held its regional annual management meeting in Lebanon, gathering their tier one and two managers from across the entire Middle East and North Africa Network. The meeting was held at the Massabki Hotel in Chtaura Lebanon.

The conference was attended by the managing directors of Memac Ogilvy offices in UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, KSA, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco and Algiers. The regional

heads of Activation, Ogilvy Public Relations, OgilvyOne, Planning, Finance, HR and the advertising senior account management executives in all offices participated in workshops and agreed on the future plans to fulfill the vision of the agency in 2012.

Memac Ogilvy Chairman and CEO Edmond Moutran opened the conference with a recap on this year’s results and the outlook for 2012 as well as revealing the four key priorities to improve performance for the coming year, including Pervasive Creativity, Digital Communication,

Margins and Talent Management. “2012 will be a big year for Memac Ogilvy and we’ve identified four key areas that will help us better service our clients and raise standards within the industry,” said Edmond Moutran, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Memac Ogilvy.

Pervasive Creativity was described by Mr Moutran as a state of being that involves approaching every task with a creative mindset, from the most mundane task to the most high profile pitch, with originality, flair and a collaborative “can-do” spirit. It is the pursuit of

wonderful and very tangible ideas that grow a client’s business and means thinking creativity across all areas of the business. Moutran also revealed plans to apply digital in all aspects of the company’s operations. “With advances in technology moving so quickly, digital is no longer the way of the future, it is our present.

We can no longer restrict digital knowledge to a few digital specialists within our agency but must ensure all our staff become innovators in digital work,” added Moutran.

Margin improvements were also discussed

to work towards improving efficiencies and adding value without adding costs. 2012 will also focus on talent management and creating a culture and environment where the best people for the business want to work and stay.

Employee training and career development will also continue to be a main priority. Moutran concluded the meeting with an address broadcast via Webex to the whole network, updating all staff on the developments discussed during the management meeting and congratulating everyone on a successful year.

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Years

BUSINESS

KSE breaks three day losing streak GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended yesterday’s session on a positive note, breaking a three day losing streak.

That was backed by positive performance from banking and industrial sectors. Furthermore, five suspended companies announced their 9M2011 financial results during the session and were back for trading. The market will fluctuate in the coming sessions until the picture gets clear for investor regarding the political situation in Kuwait.

MARKET INDICES Global General Index (GGI) ended the day up by 0.50 percent, at 180.15 point. Market Capitalization was up for the day, reaching KD29.48bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 5,796.7 point, adding 12.80 points (0.22 percent) to its previous close.

MARKET BREADTH During the session, 87 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards advancers as 41 equities advanced versus 16 that declined.

DAILY TRADING ACTIVITY Trading activity was up yesterday. Total volume traded was up by 86.31 percent with 191.43mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD23.43mn (23.62 percent higher compared to Monday session). Investment sector was the volume leader after 4 investment companies get backed for trading. The sector accounted for 36.94 percent of total shares exchanges. Al-Ahlia Holding Company was the session’s most traded stock with 48.24mn shares exchanged.

The banking sector was the value leader, having 35.84 percent of total traded value.

TOP GAINERS AND BIGGEST DECLINERS In terms of top gainers, Al Safwa Holding Group was the top gainer for the day, adding 17.86 percent to its share value and closing at KD0.0165. On the other hand, Al-Qurain Holding Company shed 11.90 percent and closed at KD0.0185 making it the biggest decliner in the market.

SECTORS WISE Sector-wise, during the session six out of eight indices showed a positive performance. Global Industrial index was the prominent gainer among the indices up by 1.13 percent to close at 177 points. Kuwait Metal Pipe Industries & Oil Services Company was the top gainer in the sector, adding 8.62 percent and closed at KD0.126.

Heavyweight, National Industries Group (Holding) closed the session up by 7.72 percent at KD0.265.

Global Real Estate index followed, gaining 0.98 percent with no losers in the sector during the session. Tijara & Real Estate Investment Company was the top gainer in the sector, adding 6.56 percent to its share value, closing at KD0.0325.

Real Estate Trade Center Company followed. The scrip closed up by 6.35 percent at KD0.067. Agility Company recovered from the losses accrued in the past three sessions, adding 4.17 percent to its share price to close at KD0.375.

National Mobile Telecommunications Company (Wataniya) added 1.04 percent to close at KD1.940.

Among the sector’s gainers were: Al-Safat Energy Holding and Sultan Center Food Products Company which rose by 5.68 percent and 5.88 percent, respectively. Global Services Index closed up by 0.56 percent yesterday.

Global Investment index was the only loser for the day, shedding a marginal 0.02 percent. Heavyweight, Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) Company declined by 3.23 percent to close at KD0.300. It is worth mentioning that 34 out of the 51 investment companies are still suspended for not releasing their financial results.

Iraq to slap sanctions on Exxon LONDON: Iraq said yesterday it would slap sanctions on US oil major Exxon Mobil for signing a deal with the Kurdish region, which it said came without any approval from either Baghdad or Washington. “The Iraqi government is considering sanctions, and will inform the company before they make a public announcement,” Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Hussain Al-Shahristani told an industry conference in London.

“The position of the US government has been that they were unaware of it and if they had been asked, they would have obliged (Exxon) to get approval of the Iraqi government,” he told the audience packed with hundreds of Western executives and consultants. The comment means Exxon could lose its giant contracts to develop fields in southern Iraq after agreeing to six exploration deals with the northern Kurdish region,

which is at loggerheads with the central government in Baghdad over oil and land rights.

Exxon has yet to comment on the deal, which some analysts and industry insiders say could have been a rare miscalculation by the world’s largest publicly traded oil company of political risks in Iraq. US State Department has not yet commented on the deal. “Everyone was keen to see what Shahristani had to say. And he could not have agreed because fundamentally it would show Baghdad has lost. If he approved the Kurdish deal others would rush and sign similar deal and other regions such as Basrah would ask for more autonomy,” said one risk consultant with clients in Iraq, who asked not to be identified. “Washington must be furious. What can you say when your own company goes and destroys stability in Iraq?,” he added. — Reuters

Gold rallies; debt woes dominate LONDON: Gold recovered strongly yesterday as buyers from China saw value in lower prices and as panic over western world debt subsided in the wider financial markets, lessening the need to sell gold to raise dollar funding. But the respite was seen as temporary, with investors rattled by the continuing stress on euro zone debt markets, and also by the apparent inability of US officials to come to grips with debt in their own economy.

A bipartisan US deficit-reduction committee abandoned on Monday a three-month effort to find $1.2 trillion in budget cuts, although rating agencies were holding off taking immediate action on the US rating. On the other side of the Atlantic, Spain’s Treasury paid the highest yields in 14 years to issue short-term bills while German bunds recovered, indicating concerns that the euro zone may struggle to find a solution to the debt crisis in time.

Spot gold gained more than 1 percent to trade at $1,697.69 an ounce by 1125 GMT, off the fourweek low of $1,665.88 hit on Monday. The precious metal has lost nearly 5 percent over this week and last. US gold also rose more than 1 percent to $1,697.70. “There was a lot more activity in the Asian market this morning and (there’s) the less aggressive selling across all asset classes, including gold,” said Credit Suisse analyst Tom Kendall.

“Running up to today gold’s been suffering because it’s a source of cash, of US dollars. When balance sheets are under stress if you need to raise dollars and you’re holding gold it’s an easy instrument to use.”

The dollar slipped versus a currency basket yesterday as global equities paused their sell-off, but the US currency remained near a six week high as European banks scrambled to secure cash dollars amid funding strains. A strong dollar usually makes dollar-priced gold costly for European investors, weighing on gold. In addition, the

need to sell gold to raise dollars to cover losses in other markets has in recent days over-ridden gold’s traditional appeal as a safe haven asset that holds its value in times of economic or political turmoil.

Going forward however, safe haven plays could put a floor under gold prices, especially if the metal suffers sharp falls and starts to look appealing to investors in Asia and in top gold buyer India.

“Fundamentally, gold is not looking that bad, especially were risk aversion to escalate, with investors returning to the ultimate safe haven asset. We still believe in limited losses for gold after the ongoing price correction,” said V TB Capital analyst Andrey Kryuchenkov.

Buying from China emerged in the Shanghai market overnight, though gold demand in India was subdued as a weakening rupee kept buyers at bay, further deterred by a rebound in local prices due to gains in overseas markets. In other precious metals traded, spot silver rose 0.35 percent to $31.75 an ounce, recovering from a onemonth low of $30.63 hit in the previous session. China’s trade data revealed that the country’s silver imports slumped 26 percent in October from a year earlier. The inflow of silver powder, used in the photovoltaic industry, dropped 20 percent.

“The (photovoltaic) sector had provided some support to silver prices, but in light of the concern about industrial demand, this is an element that has now softened, thus increasing the importance of investment demand to make up for the fundamental surplus,” said Barclays in a research note. “However, investment demand in silver has also slowed recently, leaving prices more vulnerable to the downside.” Spot platinum rose 0.73 percent to $1,557.24 an ounce, while spot palladium rose 1.15 percent to $591.47 an ounce. — Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

25

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

BUSINESS

Good Night Store: Latest innovation by American Mattress KUWAIT: American M attress Company- the leading retailer for mattress and bedding solutions in Kuwait since 1996, announced the opening of its new lifestyle concept Good Night - Bed Pillow & More, in line with its marketing strategy to strengthen its foothold in the ultra luxury market. The new innovative and contemporary concept, introduced for the first time in Kuwait will help customers find the perfect mattress that best fits their individual sophisticated lifestyle need for premium luxury mattress, pillows, bedroom accessories, kids mattress and introducing the all natural, nontoxic, and environmentally friendly bedding for the baby - comforters, linins, bumper pads Organic Mattresses, and complete baby sets.

The new innovative and exciting concept of Good Night Store - Bed Pillow & More is your one stop shop for all the family. I t hosts iconic American and Canadian brand names specialized in manufacturing ultra luxury bedding solutions, integrating the latest technologies, design, craftsmanship and the finest material, to produce state-of-the art mattress; cherished for its comfort, sophistication and unsurpassed quality.

INSPIRING LUXURY AND SOPHISTICATION On the occasion of opening the s t o r e ; N a j l a a A l H u w a i t a n - Vi c e p re s i d e n t- M a r k e t i n g - A m e r i c a n Mattress Company, released to the press “Good Night store introduces a new sophisticated shopping experience to the customer that is self indulging, personal and contemporar y ; where the customer can choose the per fect mattress that best fits his or her unique body needs in a contemporary elegant and serene shopping environment. We wanted our customers to feel the quietness and comfort he o r s h e a s p i re s t o f ro m t h e f i r s t moment they step inside our store.

“At American Mattress Company we wish all our customers a good night sleep that is so vital for their, health and their wellbeing with the help of our carefully selected line of luxurious mattresses, pillows, lifestyle accessories and more. In addition to that, our customers can tr y and test the best mattress for their body needs through XSENSOR technology ; which was introduced for the first time in the Middle East in

No plans for further Islamic bond in 2011 MANAMA: Inflation in Bahrain is under control and the kingdom’s banking system remains liquid and stable, the Gulf Arab country’s central bank governor said yesterday.

“Inflation in Bahrain is under control,” Rasheed Al-Maraj told reporters at an Islamic finance conference in Manama. “ The most important thing in Bahrain is to ensure financial stability,” Maraj said. “So far the banking system remains liquid and stable.”

The small non-OPEC oil exporter-a US ally and home of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet-was hit by unrest earlier this year by demon-

American Mattress Mall is available now in Good Night Store.”

NEW LEVEL OF COMFORT Najlaa assures customers that the quality of Good Night sophisticated products are unsurpassed; “If you want a sophisticated top of the line mattress that’s extremely comfo r t a b l e m a d e f ro m t h e f i n e s t material, then look no more as all of our mattress manufacturers use the best of breed natural material which is a huge factor in protecting your health and giving you a truly good night sleep. Once we help you find the perfect mattress then

we can zero in on the pillow that you need. Pillows as we all know wo r k to k e e p t h e s p i n e a l i gn e d properly, at Good Night store you can see and feel the vibrant affects for yourself of each of our bedding solutions; mattresses, organic bedding collection and pillows”.

“Our goal at Good Night is to make shopping for a healthy and sound serene sleep solution, a self indulging and sublime experience.

Good Night invites you to view all of our mattress models, pillows and other lifestyle bedding items, for yo u , yo u r k i d s a n d yo u r b a b y today!”

financial crisis, when Beijing poured 4 trillion yuan ($630 billion) worth of stimulus spending into the economy, much of it via government-owned companies.

With another global slowdown looming, few senior Chinese officials publicly advocate fur ther market opening or reform. Those backing a market-based approach lost credibility when Western governments responded to the economic crisis by intervening heavily in their economies, said Long.

“Some government officials say that for the last 10 years we were always trying to streamline and take away privileges. They say ‘But look at (the West)!,” Long said.

Long admitted that the planned handover of the top posts in China late next year had put a damper on any reform initiatives at the local level. China’s top leadership will hand over the reins next fall in a planned reshuffle that will reverberate through a Party bureaucracy that permeates every level of society, from big business in Beijing to local administrators in remote provinces.

“Many cadres prefer not to take action, or not very big action, to avoid a big mistake or jeopardizing their career,” he said.

NO PLAN TO FAVOUR THE STATE SECTOR China has largely met its WTO commitments to open its markets, contributing to a decade of eco-

nomic growth that has catapulted its economy to the world’s No 2 spot. But some sectors, such as financial ser vices and the resources industry, stay largely out of reach. And trade friction persists. Trading partners complain that the surge of cheap exports from China has undermined their own industries, while their firms face continuing market access issues and in some cases requirements that they transfer technology to local par tners. As for the dominance of state-owned enterprises, there was no “pre-cooked intention” to short-change the private sector, Long said.

But China was desperate to avoid the global financial crisis of 2008, and only the big state enterprises-whose spending accounts for 35 percent of China’s total fixed-asset investment - were large enough to absorb the flood of stimulus money that came into the economy. Long himself was surprised that the foreign banks-a particular bone of contention during W TO negotiations-had only managed to get about 3 percent of the market in China, lower than the 10 to 15 percent he had expected. He attributed that partly to foreign banks’ missteps and argued that China’s biggest banks could benefit from more competition in any case. “The big banks, they feel they have no pressure to reform. In fact, they don’t know how.” —Reuters

ADCB eyes another benchmark bond DUBAI: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank plans to issue another benchmark-sized bond in the first half of next year, its chief financial officer said yesterday, as one option to meet debt maturities. “We have upcoming maturities in this quarter and the next. So we are always looking at options,” Deepak Khullar told reporters on the sidelines of a conference. “We expect to come to the market again by the first half of next year. It will likely be a benchmark offering.”

Benchmark-sized deals are normally at least $500 million. Khullar

strations mainly by majority Shiite Muslims demanding political reforms and equality in the Sunniled state. The turmoil dented economic growth and hit its financial services industry. In October, inflation climbed to an eight-month high of 0.9 percent year-on-year and prices jumped 1.0 percent on the month as hotel prices rose during the haj pilgrimage season. The island kingdom drew $1.8 billion in demand for a seven-year Islamic bond, or sukuk, its first sovereign issue since March 2010, pricing it at a yield of 6.273 percent on Wednesday.

“We have no plans for (further sukuk issuance) this year,” Maraj also said. When asked if he was happy with the sukuk pricing, he said: “It’s water under the bridge.” A central bank official said this week the issue was part of the country’s plan to establish a benchmark yield curve. Analysts polled by Reuters in September forecast Bahrain’s economy to grow by 2.0 percent in 2011 and 3.2 percent in 2012, slower than previously expected due to the unrest. They also predicted average inflation of 1.8 percent in 2011 and 2.7 percent in 2012, after 2.0 percent last year. —Reuters

Opportunities, challenges lure expatriates to India

China should ‘open further’ BEIJING: There is growing support among regional officials for further market opening in China, a decade after entry to the World Trade Organization forced its economy to adapt to bracing competition, argued China’s former lead trade negotiator. Long Yongtu, who led the negotiations that brought Communist China into the W TO in 2001, said his recent meetings and travels showed growing impatience with the vested interests that have slowed reforms to a crawl in the past few years. “ The mainstream of Chinese leadership and many senior colleagues, including provincial and local leaders, still believe that reform and opening up should continue,” Long told Reuters from his office in one of Beijing’s earliest skyscrapers. “The general feeling is still for going ahead or we will face more difficulties and problems. This is the consensus of the majority of cadres,” said Long, who is now a member of the international board for the Boao Forum for Asia. Even so, economic reformers-particularly those who favor dropping the investment barriers for foreign companies and reining in the power ful state owned companies-face a difficult path in today’s China.

O ver the past decade, the Chinese government has bolstered the position of the state sector, particularly after the 2008

Bahrain bank sees inflation under control; banks stable

did not provide details of which currency the potential bond could be issued in or any other terms. He said that ADCB has 3.5 billion UAE dirhams ($952.89 million) of maturities mostly in the first quarter of next year, adding a portion of the proceeds from its recent bond sale would be used to refinance debt.

Last week, ADCB issued a $500 million Islamic bond which received nearly $1.4 billion in orders, signaling hefty appetite despite choppy global markets.

Among upcoming repayments, the bank has a $1.5 billion syndicat-

ed loan maturing in March, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Khullar said the lender’s exposure to Europe is minimal. “About 96 percent of our loan book is in the UAE. So we have minimal exposure to Europe.”

He added that although 2012 will be a tough year for UAE banks, provisioning for bad loans is likely to drop. “Every bank has its own provisioning coming down but it’s hard to predic t the corporate book. I don’t expect overall provisions for next year will be significantly higher.” —Reuters

MUMBAI: A regular day at work ends for Lamon Rutten after a series of meetings with policymakers and bankers. Then, like millions of fathers, he heads home to read a bedtime story to his young son. But once back at his Mumbai flat, he sets up his laptop, logs on to Skype and starts to read to his seven-year-old son who is sitting with his mother at the computer nearly 7,000 kilometers away in Geneva. “It’s not ideal but that’s how it is,” said 48-year-old Rutten, a Dutch national, who works as the top executive of MCX, India’s largest exchange trading in commodity futures. Rutten’s situation may not be ideal but it’s also no longer unusual, with India now home to an increasing number of foreign nationals, lured by new opportunities and jobs in a country emerging as a force on the world stage. Head-hunters say India has become a key destination for expats, particularly Americans and Europeans, as uncertainty escalates about the US economy and in the eurozone.

It is estimated that hiring has picked up 15-20 percent from last year, with about 40,000 expats working in various industries in India, which has emerged relatively unscathed from the recent global economic turmoil. “The rise of emerging markets, increased focus on new revenue streams and changing demographic imperatives are likely to increase the number of people working outside their home countries by 50 percent over the next decade,” PricewaterhouseCoopers said in its “Talent

Mobility 2020” report last year.

For Mumbai-based lawyer Satoko Kikuta, working in India became a necessity after doing an internship in the United States during the 2008 global financial crisis.

“US-based law firms were either cutting jobs and not hiring... so waiting periods (after the job offer) became lengthy. I could not let time go,” the Japanese national said.

Kikuta, who specializes in investment law, helps top India law firm Khaitan develop and expand its business opportunities in Japan. “I wanted a bit of uniqueness and specialization,” she said. Before coming to India, she envisioned it as “profound and mystical”, rather like the depictions of the country in Japanese author Shusaku Endo’s 1993 novel “Deep River”. She has now worked in three local law firms since 2009 and sees India as a “land of great opportunities”. Gregory Hughes, a director with global consultants KPMG, also came to India as the 2008 financial crisis peaked, and likewise saw new challenges in the South Asian country. “I wanted to grow. To do that one has to think out-of-the-box and work in overseas markets,” said Hughes, a British national who previously worked in London.

Not all expats come out of professional or financial expediency, however. For entrepreneur and chef Frederic Fernandez, India simply “seduced” him, he said. The bankerturned-chef last year opened Mumbai’s first French bistro, “Chez Vous”, serving up Chateaubriand steaks, tarte tatin, French wines and cheeses from a prime location

near the city’s bustling Churchgate station.

The restaurant itself is a sign of a changing modern India, a country where art, food, entertainment and sports are rapidly acquiring an international flavor as more Indians travel overseas and its economy grows. While some foreign nationals make India their permanent home, most know that their time in the country is limited, as new opportunities in new places beckon-or the pull of friends and family draws them home. Frederic, whose restaurant business is gathering pace, has medium-term plans to be in India, confident that the country’s economy will continue to grow at high rates. The chef, who also conducts French cooking classes and has appeared on local television channels, said he is keen to stay in a “fast-moving environment”. Kikuta, who grew up Japan’s ancient cities of Nara and Kyoto, plans to stay for at least two more years, while Hughes aims to move back to Britain next year. A frequent description among expats of living and working in the world’s second-most populous nation and particularly Mumbai is “hectic and challenging”.

Comparisons with the way things are done back home or in other countries are inevitable. Kikuta feels India is missing a relentless “drive and hunger” to succeed, often trapped in tackling mundane daily problems. “I miss meritocracy and the hard working atmosphere in the US which drives you to become the best in the field,” she added. —AFP

Economic woes no excuse for climate inaction: China BEIJING: Economic problems in Europe and elsewhere should not get in the way of a new pact to fight global warming, China’s top climate official said yesterday ahead of major climate talks in South Africa.

Delegates from nearly 200 countries meet from Monday till Dec 9 in Durban as part of marathon UN-led negotiations on a broader pact to curb growing greenhouse gas emissions as the world faces rising sea levels and greater weather extremes. “After the financial crisis, every country has had its problems, but these problems are just temporary,” Xie Zhenhua, vice-director of the National Development and Reform Commission, told reporters yesterday.

Officials in Beijing have suggested economic turmoil in Europe and political unrest in North Africa have pushed climate change far down the list of global priorities, overshadowing next week’s talks and undermining plans to provide cash and technical support to poor nations to adapt to climate change.

“Climate change isn’t unimportant at this stage, but it isn’t so salient, and I think it will again draw the attention of the global community in 2015 after the (new round of ) scientific assessments are carried out,” said Xie. He was referring to a review of nations’ emissions reduction pledges and a major 2013-14 report by the UN climate panel.

At the last round of negotiations in Cancun in 2010, all sides agreed on $30 billion in fast-start funding to help poorer countries adapt to the impact of rising temperatures and changing weather patterns up to 2012, with plans to increase the amount to $100 billion a year by 2020. Xie said the $30 billion commitment is now unlikely to be met, but expressed hope that mechanisms for a green climate fund could still be established at Durban. “We understand the difficulties facing Western countries, but the problem we are talking about now is a longterm financing mechanism while the economic problems are temporary.”

With little progress expected at Durban, environmental groups have said time is quickly running out if the world is to stay below a 2 degrees Celsius temperature rise.

The World Meteorological Organization said on Monday that carbon dioxide levels rose to 389 parts per million last year, an annual rise of 2.3 ppm and edging closer to the 450 ppm level that could precipitate two degrees of warming. It said concentrations of the three main greenhouse gases blamed for global warming reached record levels in 2010.

KYOTO CONUNDRUM Xie reiterated China’s support for an extension to the Kyoto Protocol beyond its first “commitment period” ending in 2012, despite opposition from a number of developed countries. Kyoto sets emissions caps

under Kyoto, saying it is meaningless if the biggest emitters, China and the United States, do not sign up to binding curbs.

Xie said environmental integrity was being used as an excuse, noting that since the 2009 Copenhagen climate talks, 57 percent of all pledged cuts had come from poorer nations.

China has pledged to reduce CO2 intensity-the amount produced per unit of GDP-by 40-45 percent from 2005 to 2020, and some scholars estimate the reduction could be the equivalent of Britain’s total annual CO2 emissions. Xie said China would also implement energy savings equivalent to 670 million tons of standard coal and impose an

BEIJING: Motorists come out from their vehicle to check as the traffic stand still at a city road in Beijing yesterday. —AP on about 40 rich nations. “How to solve this problem is actually a very central, very key problem at the Durban meeting,” said Xie. Beijing has been one of the big winners of the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism, which allows industrialized countries to earn carbon credits by investing in clean projects in developing nations. China has by far the largest number of CDM projects and its success has prompted Europe, the biggest carbon credit market, to seek changes to the CDM and the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012, saying it currently lacks environmental integrity. Russia, Canada and Japan have said they will not support a second phase of emissions cuts

“appropriate” cap on aggregate energy use over 2011-2015.

Xie said China was still hoping to break the deadlock between rich and poor countries by urging industrialized nations unwilling to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol to make comparable efforts to reduce their emissions.

It is also calling on poorer nations to make their own voluntary cuts in exchange for technological and financial support, Xie said. “If this all happens, every side would have taken action to reduce warming, the environmental integrity problem would be solved... and it would also meet the requirements for a second commitment period set at the Cancun meeting.” —Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Years

BUSINESS

European leaders scramble to stem debt crisis BRUSSELS: European Union leaders hold a flurry of meetings yesterday on fighting the debt crisis now threatening Italy and France while deficit gridlock also puts the United States in the spotlight. The new prime ministers of Italy and Greece, who took over governments felled by the crisis, were to hold separate talks with top EU

officials in Brussels and Luxembourg to present debt-fighting plans to keep their nations afloat.

The meetings come on the eve of new proposals to be unveiled by the European Commission to tighten fiscal discipline in the eurozone and raise the possibility of issuing joint bonds to pool debt among

BRUSSELS: Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti (left) and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso participate in a joint media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels yesterday. — AP

the 17 euro nations. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated Spain’s Mariano Rajoy and his conservative Popular Party for winning power at the weekend, saying: “In tough times for Spain and Europe you have received a clear mandate from your people to pass and implement the necessary reforms.”

The market focus on the debt drama, however, has turned also to the United States and France as markets worry at the risk that the crisis which has engulfed smaller nations could infect the world’s number one and number five economies.

Worried that the eurozone crisis will spark a world recession, the United States has pressured the European Union to quickly ringfence its economy but Washington’s attempt to curb its own massive debt was foiled by partisan bickering. A US Congress “supercommittee” declared on Monday that it had failed to reach a deal to cut US deficits by $1.2 trillion over 10 years due to Republican and Democratic feuds over how best to revive the nation’s sluggish economy.

US President Barack Obama held out hope that lawmakers could reach a new deal and tried to reassure the markets by

saying that despite a ballooning national debt of more than $15 trillion, there was no imminent threat of a US default. “The question right now is whether we can reduce the deficit in a way that helps the economy grow-that operates with a scalpel, not with a hatchet,” said Obama, who faces a re-election battle next year.

The United States is in the crosshairs of credit ratings agency over its massive debt. Standard & Poor’s, which jolted Washington by downgrading US debt in August, maintained its AA+ credit rating and warned that if lawmakers bust previously agreed-upon spending caps, “downward pressure on the ratings could build.”

Fitch ratings agency said it would wait until the end of November to review the US sovereign rating.

Another ratings agency, Moody ’s, warned France on Monday that the country could lose its cherished triple-A rating due to higher government borrowing costs, slowing growth and the eurozone debt crisis. France has slashed spending and tightened up on tax revenues in an effort to stabilise its strained public finances and retain its top creditworthiness.

Asian markets were mixed following the US political deadlock and the French credit warning, with Tokyo down 0.40 percent and Shanghai 0.10 off. “Investors are seeing this situation as further evidence that ‘the lights are on but no one’s at home’ when it comes to political leadership of the world’s major economies,” said Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Markets in Sydney. After Greece, Ireland and Portugal took bailouts, Italy is scrambling to convince markets that it can fend off contagion after Mario Monti was named to lead a cabinet of technocrats that succeeded Silvio Berlusconi’s government.

Monti will hold talks with EU president Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso to discuss the battle-plan of his cabinet of technocrats, which came to power after Silvio Berlusconi resigned under pressure from the markets. The new Greek premier, Lucas Papademos, met the two top EU officials on Monday and was to meet with Eurogroup chief Jean-Claude Juncker in Luxembourg as Athens seeks to convince eurozone partners it deserves to receive another 8.0 billion euros in urgent bailout aid by mid-December. — AFP

South Korea govt ratifies landmark US trade deal Biggest US trade deal since NAFTA SEOUL: South Korea’s ruling conservatives rammed a bitterly contested free trade deal with the United States through parliament yesterday as legislators scuffled and one opposition MP let off a tear gas device, briefly clearing the chamber. The deal, which economists say could boost the $67 billion in annual trade between the two countries by as

much as a quarter, had been stalled in parliament as the government shied away from forcing it through for fear of violent confrontations in the legislature might further dent its waning popularity ahead of general and presidential elections next year.

The bill was passed with 151 members largely

SEOUL: Protesters shout slogans to denounce the passing of the bill on ratification of a South Korea-US free trade agreement yesterday. — AP

British companies warned over ‘corrosive’ top pay LONDON: Executive pay needs to be radically simplified and companies should include workers on remuneration committees to end runaway awards that are “corrosive” to Britain’s economy, the independent High Pay Commission said yesterday. Its full list of 12 proposals on overhauling executive pay are likely to inform government action and debate among companies, amid growing public anger about pay increases for bosses that have far outstripped average wages.

The HPC’s year-long inquiry found pay for some top executive roles has risen more than forty fold in the past 30 years, while average wages are just three times higher. The HPC, set up by left-of-centre pressure group Compass with backing from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, includes a range of voices, from fund managers and pension funds to trade unions. Its report comes at a time when ministers are contemplating new rules on top pay and many in Britain are worried about rising unemployment and falling living standards.

Prime Minister David Cameron said last month he was concerned by news that pay for directors of Britain’s top 100 companies rose 49 percent last year, while business secretary Vince Cable is considering legislation on pay next year. “Many of the options we are consulting on are reflected in the High Pay Commission final report,” said Cable. The report could dovetail with his own review on top pay for which final submissions were due on Friday. The government plans to announce its next steps early in the 2012.

Cable said he was seeking views on whether there should be a binding vote for shareholders on deciding pay, employee representation on remuneration committees, and how to simplify and improve a company’s pay structure.

Those were all measures recommended by the HPC, which also wants companies to reveal their top 10 pay packages outside the boardroom and disclose the pay ratio between the highest-paid executive and the company median.

VICTORIAN ERA Latest data showed that at oil company BP, the chief executive earned 63 times the amount of the average employee, up from a multiple of 16.5 in 1979, while top pay at lender Barclays was 75 times that of the average worker, up from 14.5 in 1979, the HPC said. That compared with the United States, where average CEO remuneration is 142 times that of employees, according to Thomson Reuters ASSET4 data. The HPC estimated that by 2035 the top 0.1 percent will take home 14 percent of Britain’s national income, a level of disparity not seen since Victorian times. “We have seen rampant, runaway excesses on pay and bonuses and I think people want that brought back under control,” HPC chief executive Deborah Hargreaves said. —Reuters

from the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) voting for it and seven against, as most members of the opposition Democratic Party abstained. The two countries had set a Jan. 1 target for the pact to take effect. Analysts said the bitterness of the dispute could put parliament into a legislative limbo with potential problems for the 2012 budget bill that has a Dec 2 deadline under the constitution. However, that deadline has often been missed in the past.

Gridlock in parliament has all but paralyzed proceedings in the final weeks of budget deliberations and could leave members fighting into December up to the January fiscal year start. Though it was the opposition which initiated the FTA deal when it was in power, its legislators argue that subsequent changes to allow US carmakers a major inroad into the market and a dispute settlement mechanism will strip Seoul of any ability to defend its interests.

President Lee Myung-bak made a last ditch effort last week to try to persuade the opposition to let the trade pact come to a vote but liberal parties rejected his plea. His office said after the bill’s passage that it was time to get down to work on ensuring the deal leads to more jobs. The GNP worried that the row over the trade deal would damage its image, already battered after losing key by-elections in April and last month in what were seen as tests of support before elections next year.

The by-election results indicated voters would likely back the liberals at the national level, which would mean a step back from the big-business policies of President Lee and a shift toward more welfare initiatives, analysts said. The deal was approved by the US Congress last month and signed into law

by President Barack Obama, and is the biggest US trade pact since the North America Free Trade Agreement went into force in 1994. — Reuters

Thomas Cook shares slump after warning LONDON: Beleaguered tour operator Thomas Cook Group plc said it had instigated fresh talks with its banks after a further deterioration in its trading performance and cash position left it in danger of defaulting on the terms of its borrowing. Shares in Europe’s second-biggest travel firm, which had already lost over 80 percent of their value this year, slumped 26.6 pence or 65 percent to 14.6 pence by 0955 GMT, valuing the company, which was once in the blue-chip FTSE 100 index, at less than 100 million pounds ($156 million).

“As a result of deterioration of trading in some areas of the business, and of its cash and liquidity position since its year end, the company is in discussions with its principal lending banks with regard to its facilities during the seasonal low period of cash in the business,” Thomas Cook said. The company, which had issued a string of profit warnings leading to the departure of its chief executive, said it was currently in compliance with its financial covenants but was seeking adjustments to the terms of its borrowing to improve its resilience if trading remains difficult.

Thomas Cook has been hit hard by tough trading conditions, especially in Britain, where its core customer base of families with young children has been hit hard by the tough economic conditions. “That Thomas Cook needs to negotiate with the banks within two months shows that trading conditions across its mass-market product have deteriorated much faster that it or its bankers expected,” said Espirito Santo analyst Geetanjali Sharma.

Evolution analyst James Hollins said it was shocking that Thomas Cook needed to renegotiate its financing just 32 days after a previous deal with its lending banks was agreed.

“Legitimate questions will be asked as to whether Thomas Cook can survive long-term and/or whether there is any value left in its equity,” Hollins said. On a conference call with reporters, Acting Chief Executive Sam Weihagen said the share price decline was a concern but insisted the company’s future was secure. “Thomas Cook is a very strong business and we have excellent business segments outside the UK like in Scandinavia and in Germany. I think it’s a robust business that has a great future,” he said.—Reuters

LONDON: People walk-by a branch of Thomas Cook travel agent in Borehamwood, north London yesterday. — AP

SEOUL: This still image taken from video shows lawmaker Kim Sun-Dong (bottom) of the Democratic Labor Party detonating a tear gas canister towards the chairman’s seat at the National Assembly to try to stop the ruling Grand National Party’s move to ratify a bill on a free trade agreement with the United States. — AFP

Islamic finance assets to hit $1.1 trillion in 2012 MANAMA: Islamic finance assets around the world are expected to climb 33 percent from their 2010 levels to $1.1 trillion by the end of 2012, boosted by the aftermath of the Arab Spring uprisings and dissatisfaction with conventional finance in the wake of the global debt crisis, consultants Ernst & Young said in a report yesterday.

Growth in the Middle East and North Africa will be particularly strong, with assets rising to a projected $990 billion by 2015 from $416 billion in 2010, as new countries open up to Islamic finance, the report predicted. Egypt, for instance, has raised the possibility of issuing a sovereign sukuk (Islamic bond), while Tunisia and Libya have indicated that sharia-compliant banking will probably play a role in their financial systems after their changes of regime this year.

“After the Arab spring, we found a shift in the MENA market with a number of countries making announcements that they would consider a comprehensive Islamic financial system,” said Ashar Nazim, Islamic financial services leader at Ernst & Young. “Islamic finance has more equitable distribution of wealth and forbids excess leverage. We’re suddenly seeing much bigger appeal and acceptance.” Nizam said the Occupy Wall Street protests in the United States demonstrated mounting anger about imbalanced wealth distribution in capitalist systems, which might benefit growth of Islamic finance, which forbids the use of interest and pure monetary speculation.

Islamic banking in MENA is expected to grow over the next five years at a compound annual rate of 20 percent, compared to less than 9 percent for conventional banks, the

report said. However, the lack of a benign legislative, regulatory and tax environment among Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) countries will continue to pose barriers for the industry by raising costs for Islamic banks, it said. “Where there are guidelines and standards issued by industry infrastructure institutions, their reach and enforceability remains a concern,” Nazim said.

A lack of global standardization among Islamic institutions has been one of the main challenges for the Islamic finance industry.

While regulatory bodies such as AAOIFI in Bahrain and IFSB in Malaysia have attempted to provide standards for sharia-compliant transactions, they are guidelines rather than enforceable rules. Also, the industry remains fragmented, with most Islamic banks in the MENA region holding less than $13 billion in assets. Conventional banks, by comparison, hold an average of $38 billion in assets.

Exposure to weak real estate markets, with real estate often used as an underlying asset backing Islamic transactions, could also hinder growth.

But the profitability of Islamic banks, which were hit during the global financial crisis by higher provisions and operating costs, may stabilize. Return on equity is at 10 percent against 23 percent in 2006, prompting Islamic banks to focus on repositioning their businesses as well as considering mergers and acquisitions, the report said. “The combined MENA Islamic banking profit pool could rise to $15 to $19 billion in 2015 from the 2010 levels of $5 to $6 billion primarily by combining operational transformation with a more robust risk infrastructure,” Nazim said. — Reuters

Iran sanctions lift Brent above $107 LONDON: Brent crude futures rose above $107 a barrel yesterday as fresh sanctions on Iran raised the prospect of political instability in the region, offsetting persistent worries about the health of Western economies and their fuel demand. The United States, Britain and Canada on Monday announced new sanctions on Iran’s energy and financial sectors, ratcheting up pressure on Tehran to stop its nuclear program.

Investors fear oil prices could spike in the event of air strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, which could suddenly cut supply from OPEC’s second largest crude producer and disrupt trade in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil transit channel.

ICE Brent January crude rose 65 cents to $107.53 a barrel by 0849 GMT, after falling for four consecutive sessions. Brent has risen 13 percent this year, and is set for a third annual gain. US January crude futures were 88 cents firmer at $97.80 a barrel by the same time, having risen to an intra-day high of $97.96 a barrel, after three sessions of losses. “There is geopolitical risk after Western countries intensified pressure on Iran, cutting financial links and also putting sanctions on oil industry,” Commerzbank oil analyst Carsten Fritsch said. “This increases the

risk of supply disruptions either directly from Iran or transported via the Strait of Hormuz which carries one third of seaborne oil.”

The uncertainty has supported prices, under pressure from the worsening debt crisis in Europe and the United States that is expected to hurt economic growth and fuel demand. A decline in global oil demand may prompt the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to tighten output at its December meeting, Iraq’s oil minister said. Iran dismissed the new sanctions as more a propaganda exercise than something that will hit the economy while its deputy oil minister said any new US sanctions would not stop Iran exporting petrochemicals to the European Union.

Washington-based energy consultancy Rapidan Group said a military conflict could cause oil prices to jump by $23 a barrel initially.

“Potentially massive price increases would follow in subsequent weeks, depending on whether the key Strait of Hormuz choke point is blocked and how officials respond,” it said in a research note. The United Arab Emirates could start as early as end-December pumping oil via a key pipeline that will allow it to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and protect exports.—Reuters

y

A

27

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

TECHNOLOGY

Gates testifies in $1bn suit against Microsoft Novell Inc sues Microsoft for antitrust violation

BOCA RATON: Karina Newman, a senior at Spanish River High School in Boca Raton, Florida, shows an app on her phone from MyCampus360 that lets her take virtual tours of colleges she is considering. —MCT

High-tech tools streamline college applications, costs FORT LAUDERDALE: Students are finding clever ways to take a bite out of the cost of going to college, many getting help from local companies and the latest Web-based technologies. Some are doing so before they even settle on a school.

After choosing the path to higher education, the biggest decision for collegebound students - and parents - is what campus to select and how to pay for it.

Some students earn A-pluses for using the Web to cut down on time spent selecting colleges as well as costs for applying and attending - from travel expenses to book fees. High school senior Karina Newman of Boca Raton, Fla., has turned to YourCampus360.com, which provides virtual tours and insider information, to research colleges she’s considering.

“There are so many options and it’s pretty hard to choose,” Newman said. And the website is a convenient and cheap way for the 17-year-old and her parents to learn more about different colleges.

“You get an overall feeling of what it is like to be there,” she said. “You even see what the weather is like.” Newman most recently traveled via the Internet to Ohio University, Mississippi State and Oregon Tech. They are among her top considerations in addition to Miami University, where an older sister graduated and another still attends. “I will be using the site to check out other colleges, too,” she said, without having to ask her parents or airplane tickets.

YourCampus360, with offices in Aventura, Fla., and New York City, is free to use and offers an interactive and comprehensive experience via iPhone or Android smartphones, a computer or Facebook. Via all three platforms, take virtual walking tours, which include stops at dormitories, dining halls and football stadiums. Check out videos and photos with 360-degree panoramas while learning about everything from class descriptions to campus clubs, on-campus housing to nighttime campus escort services. Visitors can even apply online.

Jaclyn Sarnese, a junior at the University of Miami, plans to trim book costs with the help of a new locationbased app called Yapik, which works like a Craigslist for college students, allowing

them to trade or barter for goods and services. “It’s really convenient, and I can sell my current textbooks after the semester and even buy new ones for next semester,” Sarnese said.

Sarnese said she has used Yapik to monitor what other students are offering for trade, such as sneakers and football game tickets. “I even found an offer from a student selling car wash services,” she said. Based on what she has seen so far, Sarnese believes she will be able to sell her old class books for more on Yapik than she could if she sold back to the campus bookstore. “And it looks like I will be able to buy a lot of next year’s books for less than at the bookstore, which always has the highest prices.”

Launched in September by University of Miami student Sabina Kaplan and University of South Florida graduate Cristina Dominguez, the free Yapik app for iPhone and Android devices enables students to buy or sell products nearby, chat with other students, and create profiles and lists of “favorite” friends.

Currently the app is available for students at Florida International University, the University of Florida, and the University of Miami, but is scheduled to launch nationwide by next summer.

SALT LAKE CITY: Microsoft’s Windows 95 rollout presented the most challenges in the company’s history, leading to several lastminute changes to technical features that would no longer support a rival software maker’s word processor, Bill Gates testified Monday in a $1 billion antitrust lawsuit filed by the former owner of WordPerfect. “We worked super hard,” the Microsoft co-founder said. “It was the most challenging, trying project we had ever done.” Gates was the first witness to testify Monday as Microsoft lawyers presented their case in the trial that’s been ongoing in federal court in Salt Lake City for about a month. He was set to resume testimony yesterday morning.

Utah-based Novell Inc sued Microsoft in 2004, claiming the Redmond, Wash, company violated US antitrust laws through its arrangements with other software makers when it launched Windows 95. Novell says it was later forced to sell WordPerfect for a $1.2 billion loss. Novell is now a wholly owned subsidiary of The Attachmate Group, the result of a merger that was completed earlier this year. Gates said Novell just couldn’t deliver a Windows 95 compatible WordPerfect program in time for its rollout, and its own Word program was actually better. He said that by 1994, Microsoft’s Word writing program was ranked No. 1 in the market above WordPerfect.

Gates called it an “important win.” He testified later that Microsoft had to dump a technical feature that would have supported WordPerfect because he feared it would crash the operating system. “We were making trade-offs,” he said. Novell argues that Gates ordered Microsoft engineers to reject WordPerfect as a Windows 95 word processing application because he feared it was too good. WordPerfect once had nearly 50 percent of the market for computer writing programs, but its share quickly plummeted to less than 10 percent as Microsoft’s own office programs took hold.

Microsoft lawyers say Novell’s loss of market share was its own doing because the company didn’t develop a Windows compatible WordPerfect program until months after the operating system’s rollout. Novell attor-

ney Jeff Johnson has conceded that Microsoft was under no legal obligation to provide advance access to Windows 95 so Novell could prepare a compatible version.

Microsoft, however, enticed Novell to work on a version, only to withdraw suppor t months before Windows 95 hit the market, he said.

WASHINGTON: This file photo shows Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates participating in a panel discussion at the State Department. —AP Microsoft lawyer David Tulchin said Gates decided against installing WordPer fect because it couldn’t be made compatible in time for the rollout. He argued that Novell’s missed opportunity was its own fault, and that Microsoft had no obligation to give a competitor a leg up. “Novell never complained to Microsoft,” Tulchin said during arguments Friday. “There’s nothing in the evidence, no documents.”

Johnson maintains Novell was tricked in

give a product to a competitor so he can beat me,” Motz told Novell attorneys.

Gates, a billionaire, began by testifying about Microsoft’s history. He was just 19 when he helped found the company. Today, Microsoft is one of the world’s largest software makers, with a market value of more than $210 billion. “We thought everybody would have a personal computer on every desk and in every home,” Gates said. “We wanted to be there and be the first.” —AP

Russian astronauts back to Earth safe

Other options: networking: Facebook, Twitter and other networks deliver their own brand of insight and information. For instance, the University of Miami creates Facebook pages for classes with the help of the Student Affairs Office. Barry University created a Facebook app allowing users to browse housing opportunities and register for orientation. l College-related apps: Tap into your smartphone for help. CollegeMapp for iPhone costs $4.99 and helps high school students by mimicking a guidance counselor, helping users organize college applications, track deadlines and research admission requirements. Find it at the Apple App Store. College Confidential is a free app for Android devices that provides a wealth of information about colleges across the country, from advice on the admission processes to tips on getting into an Ivy League school. Find it at the Android Market. —MCT l Social

China microblog users top 300m BEIJING: More than 300 million people in China now have microblogging accounts, a state-run newspaper reported yesterday, as the country’s fast-growing online population seeks to bypass tight media controls.

China, which has the world’s largest online population with more than half a billion users, constantly strives to control the Internet, blocking sensitive content as part of a vast censorship system known as the Great Firewall. After Chinese censors blocked Twitter in 2009, several homegrown versions known as weibos emerged with enhanced services such as photo and video embedding, and proved wildly popular with web users.

On Monday, the State Internet Information Office announced at a conference in the central city of Wuhan that the nation now had more than 300 million registered users of weibos, local newspaper the Changjiang Daily reported. The rise of the weibos has exposed the difficulty of controlling access to information as more and more Chinese turn to microblogs to vent their anger over government corruption,

violation of federal antitrust laws so Microsoft could monopolize the market. “ We got stabbed in the back,” he said. Microsoft’s arguments for a dismissal of the case resumed Monday afternoon. Throughout arguments Friday, US District Judge Frederick Motz openly expressed doubts that Novell’s claims had merit. “I don’t see why I have to

scandals and disasters. A weibo user is believed to have broken the news of a deadly high-speed rail crash in China in July that provoked widespread condemnation of the government-much of it online.

Footage of bodies falling from train carriages as heavy machinery lifted them off the tracks just hours after the accident triggered a particularly furious response.

Authorities have vowed to step up efforts to crack down on “rumors” generated online, which are then often reported by traditional media. In September, the head of Internet giant Sina said the company, owner of China’s most popular weibo, had set up “rumour-curbing teams”, apparently in response to government pressure. And at a secretive annual meeting in Beijing last month, the country’s Communist Party chiefs agreed on directives that included stricter control of social networking sites and a crackdown on “vulgar” material on the web. The government also said in October that police had begun to detain and punish people for spreading rumors online. —AFP

MOSCOW: Three astronauts landed safely in the Kazakh steppe aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule yesterday after a stay of over five months aboard the International Space Station, Russian mission control said. American Mike Fossum, Japan’s Satoshi Furukawa and Russia’s Sergei Volkov touched down outside the remote settlement of Arkalyk in Kazakhstan just before sunrise after undocking from the ISS earlier in the day. “It has landed,” said a message flashed on the screen at Moscow mission control shown in a live relay. State television pictures showed the astronauts extracted from the capsule apparently in good health.

The Soyuz capsule landed on its side rather than its bottom after its descent to Earth with a parachute, mission control said, adding that this was not unusual.

The landing was on time and on target at 0226 GMT. The hitch-free landing of the Soyuz is a boost for the Russian space program, which has been battling to restore confidence in its reliability after a spate of disasters in unmanned spaceflight.

State television pictures showed ground workers moving quickly to carry the three men from the capsule to protect them from the initial shock of temperatures of minus 15 degrees Celsius after their half year stay on the ISS. Volkov was the first to emerge, followed by Fossum and Furukawa. All were carried out by ground workers as the experience of prolonged weightlessness means that they cannot initially walk unassisted.

The three men were sat down in chairs, swathed in blue rugs and blankets to protect them from the sub zero morning temperatures as dawn broke over the snow-dusted steppe. Fossum was shown chatting on a mobile phone. They were then lifted-still in their chairs-to a nearby medical tent put up next to the touchdown site to have their space suits removed and go through standard medical tests.

The three were then helicoptered to the northern Kazakh city of Kostanay for a farewell ceremony where they were wore traditional Kazakh hats and were presented with matryoshka dolls. After almost half a year in each other’s company they were to split up, with Fossum and Furukawa returning to the United States and Volkov flying to Moscow. It was during their stay on the ISS that a Russian unmanned Progress supply ship carrying supplies for the station crashed into Siberia in August shortly after launch, forcing a complete rejig of the timetable for manned spaceflight.

This capped a disastrous year for the Russian space agency which also saw the loss of three navigation satellites, an advanced military satellite and a telecommunications satellite due to faulty launches. Hours after the landing, the

Russian space agency publicly acknowledged for the first time that its PhobosGrunt probe for Mars’s largest moon, launched on November 9, was also likely lost. The probe has failed to head out of Earth’s orbit on its course to the red planet and its moon Phobos.

“There is little chance that we will be able to realise this mission,” the deputy head of Roscosmos Vitaly Davydov said at mission control, quoted by Russian news agencies. The three returned astronauts

BAIKONUR: A Proton-M rocket, carrying a Briz-M upper stage with China’s AsiaSat 7 satellite rests on a launch pad at the Russian leased Kazakhstan’s Baikonur cosmodrome yesterday. —AFP had spent 167 days in space-slightly more than the 161 day mission originally envisaged as the return was delayed by almost a week due to the Progress mishap.

Their return to Earth leaves three astronauts behind on the ISS, American Dan Burbank and Russians Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin who blasted off from Russia’s Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on November 14. They will be joined by another multinational crew of three that is due to take off from Baikonur on December 21. Following the retirement of the US shuttle in July, Russia is currently the only nation capable of transporting humans to the ISS. Unlike the horizontal landing shuttle, the Soyuz returns to Earth vertically with a parachute in a procedure whose basic principle has changed little in the last decades but is admired worldwide for its simplicity and reliability. —AFP

y

A

28

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

health & science

Where’s the salt? Hidden in your Thanksgiving menu WASHINGTON: No need for a salt shaker on the Thanksgiving table: Unless you really cooked from scratch, there’s lots of sodium already hidden in the menu. Stealth sodium can do a number on your blood pressure. Americans eat way too much salt, and most of it comes inside common processed foods and restaurant meals. The traditional Thanksgiving fixings show how easy sodium can sneak into the foods you’d least expect. Yes, raw turkey is naturally low in sodium. But sometimes a turkey or turkey breast is injected with salt water to plump it, adding a hefty dose of sodium before it even reaches the store - something you’d have to read the fine print to discover.

From the stuffing mix to the green bean casserole to even pumpkin pie, a lot of people can reach their daily sodium allotment or more in that one big meal unless the cook employs some tricks. “For Thanksgiving or any meal, the more you can cook from scratch and have some control over the sodium that’s going in, the better,” says the American Dietetic Association’s

Bethany Thayer, a registered dietitian at the Henry Ford Health Health System in Detroit.

The Food and Drug Administration this month opened deliberations on how to cut enough salt in processed foods for average shoppers to have a good shot at meeting new dietary guidelines. The idea: If sodium levels gradually drop in the overall food supply, it will ease the nation’s epidemic of high blood pressure - and our salt-riddled taste buds will have time to adjust to the new flavor. “Reducing sodium is important for nearly everyone,” Dr. Robin Ikeda of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the FDA hearing.

The question is how to make that happen. The prestigious Institute of Medicine and several public health advocates are urging the FDA to order gradual rollbacks, setting different sodium levels for different kinds of foods, a step the government has been reluctant to take. Food makers want a voluntary approach and say they’re reworking their recipes, some as part of a cam-

paign launched by New York City to cut salt consumption by at least 20 percent over five years.

It will take different strategies to remove salt from different foods - and some may need to be a sneak operation, Kraft Foods Vice President Richard Black told the FDA meeting. Ritz crackers labeled low-sodium were a bust until the box was changed to say “Hint of Salt” and those exact same crackers started selling, he said. In other foods, salt acts as a preservative with a variety of functions. Kraft sells cheese with somewhat less sodium in Britain than in the US Americans melt a lot of cheese and lower-sodium cheese doesn’t melt as well, Black said.

In the US, the average person consumes about 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day. The nation’s new dietary guidelines say no one should eat more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium about what’s in a teaspoon of salt - and half the population should eat even less, just 1,500 milligrams. The smaller limit is for anyone who’s in their 50s or older, African-Americans of any age,

and anyone suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.

Why? One in three US adults has high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure.

Being overweight and inactive raises blood pressure, too, but the weight of scientific evidence shows sodium is a big culprit. People want to eat hearthealthy, but Wal-mart shoppers spend about 19 minutes buying groceries, added Tres Bailey of Wal-mart Stores Inc., which told its vendors to start cutting sodium.

That’s not a lot of time for label-reading to find hidden sodium, especially in foods where it’s unexpected - like salad dressings that can harbor more than 130 milligrams per tablespoon.

Depending on your choices, Thanksgiving dinner alone can pass 2,000 milligrams: About 600 per serving from stuffing mix, another 270 from gravy. The salt water-added turkey can bring another 320, double that if you saved time and bought it fully-cooked.

Use canned beans in the green bean

casserole and add another 350. A small dinner roll adds 130. A piece of pumpkin pie could bring as much as 350.

How to cut back? Thayer, the dietitian, has some tips for Thanksgiving and beyond: All bread contains sodium, but starting with a homemade cornbread for stuffing could help cut a few hundred milligrams. Use low-sodium broth for the gravy, and choose lowsodium soups whenever possible. Try onion, garlic and a variety of other herbs in place of salt.

Lemon and other citrus also can stand in for salt in some foods. Check your spice bottles. Combination products, such as those labeled poultry seasoning, can contain salt. Fresh or frozen vegetables have little if any sodium, unless you choose the frozen kind with an added sauce.

People tend to heavily salt mashed potatoes while sweet potatoes, even dressed up as a souffle, contain very little sodium. Going suddenly low-salt can startle your palate, “but it adjusts much quicker than I think most people realize,” Thayer says. — AP

Migrating birds battle slim chance of survival Drought forces birds to fly off course for food

SOCORRO: These undated images show sandhill cranes at the refuge near Socorro. — AP

Scanners could reduce number of autopsies PARIS: Hi-tech medical scanners could be used to probe causes of death, reducing the need for invasive autopsies that can upset bereaved families, a study published in The Lancet yesterday says. In Britain, post-mortems are ordered in about a fifth of deaths, notably where crime is suspected.

The procedure has changed little over the past century, entailing evisceration and then dissection of the major organs.

Keen to find whether a non-invasive alternative could be used, researchers tested frequency magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and computed tomography (CT) scanners in 182 adult deaths where the corpse was afterwards given an autopsy.

Autopsy was not needed in a third of cases that had been imaged by fMRI and in half of the cases imaged by CT, according to the study. However, the scanners were not perfect. They failed to spot, or misattributed, more than two dozen cases of heart disease as well as several dozen cases of embolism, pneumonia and intraabdominal lesions. Screening by scanners could identify some of the major causes of death and thus make some autopsies

unnecessary, the paper suggests.

It could also identify suspect lesions that would enable pathologists to carry out only a minimal dissection to pinpoint the cause of death. “When radiologists are confident that the cause of death on imaging is definite, the discrepancy rate between the radiological and autopsy diagnoses is lower and might be acceptable from a medico-legal point of view,” says the study, headed by Ian Roberts, a professor of pathology at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

But several practical hurdles must be overcome before any screening becomes routine. Scanners-diagnostic tools that get cross-sectional or 3-D images of internal organs-are very expensive and require specialist training to operate them and interpret their results.

“Autopsy is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosis,” said James Underwood of the University of Sheffield in a commentary. “Post-mortem imaging cannot yet be regarded as a universal substitute for autopsy; it is one of several methods available for determining the cause of death.” — AFP

Text-message bullying becomes more common SAN CLEMENTE: A growing number of US children say they have been picked on via text messaging, including having rumors spread about them or been threatened, a study said. Of more than 1,500 middle school and high school students surveyed in 2008, 24 percent said they had ever been “harassed” by texting-up from 14 percent in a survey of the same students the year before, according to findings published in Pediatrics this week.

“Harassment” meant that peers had spread rumors about them, made “rude or mean comments,” or threatened them. Outright bullying, which was defined as being repeatedly picked on, rose to 8 percent of students surveyed from just over 6 percent the year before.

Researchers, led by Michele Ybarra of Internet Solutions for Kids Inc in San Clemente, California, told Reuters Health that the findings suggest that attention needs to be paid to children’s text-messaging, but that parents need not be alarmed.

“This is not a reason to become distressed or take kids’ cellphones away. The majority of kids seem to be navigating these new technologies pretty healthfully,” she said.

The study included 1,588 10- to 15year- olds who were sur veyed online for the first time in 2006. The survey was repeated in 2007 and

2008, with about three-quarters of the original group taking part in all three. It did not say why the results of the survey completed in 2008 were released now.

When came down to Internetbased harassment, as opposed to texting, there was little change over time. By 2008, 39 percent of students said they ’d ever been harassed online, with most saying it had happened “a few times.” Fewer than 15 percent said they’d ever been cyber-bullied. Even when students were picked on, most seemed to take it in their stride, which researchers said was a good sign.

Of those who said they’d been harassed online, 20 percent reported being “very or extremely upset” by the most serious incident, down a bit from 25 percent in 2006.

Ybarra and other experts said that the main message for parents was to try to help their children manage their relationships in a healthy way, since the issue was fundamentally a relationship problem.

Cyber-bullying still remained a smaller problem than the old fashioned kind, they said. “Meanness and bullying are still much more likely to occur face-to-face,” David Finkelhor, who directs the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire in Durham said. — Reuters

ALBUQUERQUE: From nesting grounds in Alaska and Idaho to the prairie potholes in Canada, thousands of sandhill cranes, snow geese and other migratory birds are making their way south to their traditional winter watering holes in the American Southwest.

The problem is a year of drought has ravaged wetlands and crops throughout Texas and New Mexico, forcing the birds to fly off course in search of water and food.

In the Texas Panhandle, there’s no standing water in any of the playas and officials at Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge haven’t seen many birds. It’s just as dry at Texas’ oldest national refuge in Muleshoe, where 27,000 birds have moved through so far this fall. “I don’t know where our birds are going,” said refuge manager Jude Smith. “It’s not just the cranes, but the geese and the ducks. They had bumper crop years up in the potholes with lots of reproduction but there’s nowhere for them to go.”

That ’s why managers at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in southcentral New Mexico are bracing for record numbers this fall and winter. With nearly 13,000 acres (5,260 hectares) of wetlands, the refuge is one of America’s most wellknown spots for observing migrating waterfowl. Thousands of people were expected to visit this week for the annual Festival of the Cranes. The shallow ponds at Bosque del Apache and the adjacent Rio Grande shine like beacons as the weary birds look for a place to rest after their long journey.

“The birds will go where the water is first and where the food is second. They’ll follow those two all the way south,” said Jose Viramontes, a spokesman for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Bosque del Apache is managed specifically to provide habitat and protection for migrating birds and other endangered species. When farmers upstream finish irrigating for the season, water from the Rio Grande fills the refuge’s impoundments, providing a place where birds can roost overnight without having to worry about coyotes or other predators.

But Bosque del Apache wasn’t completely immune from the effects of the drought.

This year’s corn crop that managers depend

on to feed the birds throughout the winter was decimated by a lack of rain. To keep the birds fed, the refuge plans to spread 500,000 pounds of barley donated by a Colorado brewer.

“If we didn’t have that, the birds would go elsewhere, and we know that they’re safe here so we prefer to keep them here,” said Robyn Harrison, coordinator of the crane festival. “And honestly by the time they get here, they’re not interested in flying any fur-

crane is distinctive and their long wings are captivating, Harrison said. “Just a slow easy flap and they take off in large Vs. It’s just an incredible sight,” she said. Harrison has been organizing the festival for the past four years and it never gets old.

At Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Roswell, manager Floyd Truetken said twice as many cranes have passed through the Pecos Valley this year and he suspects some of those birds changed course after

ther for a while.” It can take up to three days for a crane to recover from its migration, she said. That gives birdwatchers plenty of opportunities.

The autumn colors of the cottonwoods have already passed their peak, but cloudy skies have made for a week of beautiful sunrises and sunsets at Bosque del Apache.

What makes the refuge so spectacular this time of year are those early mornings. That’s when the birds wake up and begin to stretch their wings and legs.

A big racket ensues as they all take off in search of breakfast. The yodeling call of the

finding it too dry in Texas. While late summer rains took the edge off of what has been one of the driest and warmest years on record for New Mexico, Truetken said lake levels at the refuge are still far below normal.

Biologists at refuges around the Southwest have been busy sharing anecdotal evidence of the drought’s effects on the birds’ flight patterns. However, they will have to wait to model any shifts in the flyway, given that wintering populations usually peak in December and January depending on the species. — AP

Conservation body agrees to protect silky sharks

MUNICH: Chimpanzee Toni tastes the cake he was given for his 50th birthday yesterday at the Tierpark Hellabrunn Zoo. — AFP

ANKARA: Delegates at an international conservation meeting agreed on a measure mandating that silky sharks accidentally caught in fishing gear be released back into the sea alive, marine advocacy groups said. The 48-member International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), however - ending a weeklong meeting in Istanbul - failed to reach consensus on other threatened shark species, the groups said.

Conservationists also said more could have been done to save swordfish from decline in the Mediterranean while the World Wildlife Fund said steps adopted to preserve bluefin tuna remained insufficient. While establishing protections for the silky sharks, ICCAT - which manages tuna in the Atlantic and Mediterranean as well as species, like sharks, that have traditionally been accidental catches for tuna fishermen - made an exception for coastal developing countries, where the predators can continue to be caught for local consumption of their meat and not for the trade of their fins.

The sharks, named after the silk-like smooth texture of their skins, are among shark species most vulnerable to decline, threatened by the international trade in shark fins due to an increasing demand mainly in Asia for shark fin soup. Marine advocacy groups, including Oceana and The Pew Environment Group, welcomed the measure saying it would help overturn the silky sharks’ decline, though they also said they had hoped for more.

“Cutting the nets to free sharks when they are caught, will give a large number of them a real chance to survive,” Susan Lieberman, director of international Policy at the Pew Environment Group, told The Associated Press by telephone. “ The measure is an important step.” The group estimates that up to 1.5 million silky sharks are traded annually for their fins, and that up to 40 percent can survive if they are returned to the sea alive.

“It is a very good step forward in protecting one the most vulnerable species,” said Elizabeth Griffin Wilson, senior manager of marine wildlife at Oceana. The advocacy groups however, expressed disappointment that no measure had been taken to protect porbeagle sharks, or to establish catch limits for blue and shortfin mako sharks.

“It’s another year that they could not reach a decision for the porbeagle shark,” Lieberman said of the species which continue to be fished in Canadian waters.

Other measures adopted by ICCAT in Istanbul include a requirement for members to submit data on the species they catch or risk losing their right to catch those species in the following year.

Oceana has said failure to report on catches were preventing conservationists from adequately assessing the impact of fisheries on threatened species. On swordfish, ICCAT agreed on a set measures, including setting a minimum size for catch, but Oceana said “more should be done.” — AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Years

health & science

Underweight people at higher post-surgery risk Risk of death 40% higher CHICAGO: People who are underweight have a 40 percent higher risk of dying in the first month after surgery than patients who are overweight, according to new research released on Monday.

The findings suggest that body mass index, or BMI, may be useful in predicting which patients are at the greatest risk while recovering from surgery, US researchers reported in the Archives of Surgery. Prior studies looking at the role of BMI in surgery have been mixed, said George Stukenborg of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, who worked on the study.

“Patients with low BMI are at higher risk of death 30 days after surgery,” Stukenborg said in a telephone interview. The researchers used data on nearly 190,000 patients who underwent a variety of surgeries at 183 hospitals between 2005 and 2006. BMI is calculated by dividing

weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 are normal weight, those with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are overweight, and those with a BMI of 30 and above are obese.

To look for a link between body weight and the risk of death, they classified patients into five groups or quintiles: people with a BMI of less than 23.1; people with a BMI of 23.1 to less than 26.3; people with a BMI of 26.3 to less than 29.7; people with a BMI of 29.7 to less than 35.3; and people with a BMI of 35.3 or higher. Overall, 2,245 or 1.7 percent of people in the study died within 30 days of surgery.

“We found patients in the lowest quintile had a 40 percent higher odds of death compared to the mid-range,” said Stukenborg, referring to

people in the overweight category with BMIs of 26.3 to 29.7. Even when the researchers adjusted for type of surgery and other risk factors, those with a low BMI still had a greater risk of dying in the first month after surgery compared with plumper surgery patients. Stukenborg said it is not clear why. The study did not track recent weight loss, so it could be that people who weighed less were sicker to begin with. “That is a possibility,” he said. Either way, Stukenborg said doctors should consider BMI when they plan surgeries for their patients. Being overweight or obese carries many other risk, raising chances of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, arthritis and other conditions. Obesity-related diseases account for nearly 10 percent of medical spending in the United States or an estimated $147 billion a year. —Reuters

Faster-than-light finding still holds

TACOMA: In this file photo, Qannik, a 6-year-old beluga whale, swims in a tank at his new home at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. A federal court judge has upheld the endangered species listing of Alaska’s Cook Inlet beluga whales. — AP

GENEVA: The chances have risen that Einstein was wrong about a fundamental law of the universe. Scientists at the world’s biggest physics lab said they have ruled out one possible error that could have distorted their startling measurements that appeared to show particles traveling faster than light. Many physicists reacted with skepticism in September when measurements by French and Italian researchers seemed to show subatomic neutrino particles breaking what Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein considered the ultimate speed barrier. The European Organization for Nuclear Research said more precise testing has now confirmed the accuracy of at least one part of the experiment. “One key test was to repeat the measurement with very short beam pulses,” the Geneva-based organization, known by its French acronym CERN, said in a statement. The test allowed scientists to check if the starting time for the neutrinos was being measured correctly before they were fired 454 miles (730 kilometers) underground from Geneva to a lab in Italy. The results matched those from the previous test, “ruling out one potential source of systematic error,” said CERN. Still, scientists stressed that only independent measurements by labs elsewhere would allow them to declare that the results of their experiment were a genuine finding. “A measurement so delicate and carrying a profound implication on physics requires an extraordinary level of scrutiny,” said Fernando Ferroni, president of Italian Institute for Nuclear Physics. — AP

COPAIGO: In this image made from video, Minister of National Assets Catalina Parot, using crutches, looks at a prehistoric whale fossil unearthed in the Atacama desert near Copiapo, Chile. — AP

Whales in desert: Fossil treasure poses questions SANTIAGO: More than 2 million years ago, scores of whales congregating off the Pacific Coast of South America mysteriously met their end. Maybe they became disoriented and beached themselves. Maybe they were trapped in a lagoon by a landslide or a storm. Maybe they died there over a period of a few millennia. But somehow, they ended up right next to one another, many just meters (yards) apart, entombed as the shallow sea floor was driven upward by geological forces and transformed into the driest place on the planet.

Today, they have emerged again atop a desert hill more than a kilometer (half a mile) from the surf, where researchers have begun to unearth one of the world’s bestpreserved graveyards of prehistoric whales.

Chilean scientists together with researchers from the Smithsonian Institution are studying how these whales, many of the them the size of buses, wound up in the same corner of the Atacama Desert.

“That’s the top question,” said Mario Suarez, director of the Paleontological Museum in the nearby town of Caldera,

about 700 kilometers (440 miles) north of Santiago, the Chilean capital. Experts say other groups of prehistoric whales have been found together in Peru and Egypt, but the Chilean fossils stand out for their staggering number and beautifully preserved bones. More than 75 whales have been discovered so far - including more than 20 perfectly intact skeletons.

They provide a snapshot of sea life at the time, and even include what might have been a family group: two adult whales with a juvenile between them. “I think they died more or less at the same time,” said Nicholas Pyenson, curator of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Pyenson and Suarez are jointly leading the research.

As for why such a great number perished in the same place, Pyenson said: “There are many ways that whales could die, and we’re still testing all those different hypotheses.”

The scientists have yet to publish their findings about the fossil bed and the extensive remains, which began to emerge in June last year during a highway-widening project that is now on hold. — AP

y

A

30

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N

Upcoming events Whose Line is it Anyway?

If you’re a fan of “Whose Line is it Anyway?”, you’ll enjoy playing improv games with us. Come for a low-key evening of improvisational fun and friendship.

When: Wednesday, November 23rd Location: American School of Kuwait teacher apartments (Dina/Dana Buildings), Block 2A, Mahboulah Time: 7:00 pm Cost/Fee: FREE Kindly RSVP by emailing Brad at: brmanker@hotmail.com Aware Center Arabic lessons The AWARE Management is glad to inform you that Winter 1 Arabic language courses will begin on November 20th, 2011 until January 12th, 2012.

AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed and courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. We cater to teachers, travelers & those working in the private business sector. Arabic classes at the AWARE Center are unique because students are provided with the chance to practice their Arabic through various social activities that aim at bringing Arabs and Westerners together.

AWARE Arabic courses highlight: l Introductory to Level 4 Arabic language basics l Better prepare you for speaking, reading and writing Arabic l Combine language learning with cultural insights l Taught in multi-nationality group settings l Provide opportunities to interact with Western expatriates and native Kuwaitis/Arabs.

For more information or registration, call 25335260/80 ext 105/104/0 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw.

Najla’a Al-Naqqi forum hosts event on Kuwaiti heritage

BLS Winter Bazaar The BLS Winder Bazaar will be held on Saturday the 26th of November, from 10am to 4pm. The official opening will be at 1.30pm. Bigger and better than ever before, it will include over 80 tables of delightful gifts, unusual ideas and handmade items. It will be held in the Marble Arch area in the British School Kuwait campus, Salwa, Block 1, Street 1.

Entry for visitors is free of charge!

‘KAVIYARANGAM (Poets Meet)’ We are glad to inform that “Valaikuda Vanambadi Poets Association”, Kuwait celebrates every year a grand “KAVIYARANGAM (Poets Meet)” with our NRI Tamil Poets along with Famous Tamil Poets from Tamil Nadu.

This year we are planning to conduct the Kaviyarangam on Thursday, 24th Nov 2011 at American International SchooL auditorium which is in Maidan Hawally at 5:00 pm. The Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, His Excellency H.E Satish C. Mehta will be presiding over the function.

We have invited Col. Dr. G. Thiruvasagam, Honorable Vice Chancellor, University of Madras and the Famous Tamil Cinema Poet & Lyricist Kalaimamani Kabilan, who has written more than 1500 cine songs and the popular Folk song singers Kalaimamani Selvi Ayyappan and Ayyappan who had performed on more than 1000 stages from India as chief guests, to entertain the Kuwait living NRIs with their tremendous performance and speech. As an additional entertainment, Classical dance will be performed by “Sangamam” dance group and karaoke songs by Valaikuda Vanambadi s singers.

So, we expect your presence and contribution to make this program a grand success.

For more details, contact 97801299, 67077302, 99847838.

Big boys toys back for 2012

A

rtaaj announced earlier this week that one of 2012’s most highly anticipated exhibitions, Big Boys Toys, is set to make its return to the UAE at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai from 9th to 11th February 2012.

The third UAE edition will feature a selection of the very latest, fastest, biggest and smartest products that are sure to be on every big boy’s wanted list. Commenting on the super-show, Raha Moradi, Exhibition Director, Artaaj, “Big Boys Toys 2012 promises to be full of new and exciting products that will make their regional debut at the show. Our aim and ambition is to gather appealing and unique products in one stunning exhibition and to bring them to the demanding public of the United Arab Emirates.”

Big Boys Toys is set to bring the top products and services for the man that ‘wants it all’, across ten categories: Adventure, Aviation, Digital, Drive, Fashion, Lifestyle, Marine, Off Road, Ride, and Wellness - many of which are either unique or never seen before in the region.

With a forecast of 70 per cent of show visitors being males, Big Boys Toys is tailored to meet their ultimate luxury Middle East lifestyle. Featured products that will be showcased and for sale at Big Boys Toys include the 2012 Nissan GT-R VVIP, SORA Electric Motorbike, Prime Ultra Light Aircraft, and many more.

“Big Boys Toys is the ideal platform for companies to demonstrate their top products at a show that is dedicated to bringing together the most unique brands and products,” added Moradi. “Year on year, the product lineup and exhibitors grow and evolve as we ensure that we showcase the very latest and most innovative products across all sectors. This show is all about making sure we not only excite first time visitors, but also give our diehard Big Boys Toys attendees something new and exciting to look forward to every time. With the 2012 event, we’re making sure that the products and exhibitors are unparalleled in the region.”

A new feature for the 2012 edition of Big Boys Toy is the ‘Show N Shine’ competition giving the chance for car and truck lovers to display their amazing customized vehicles at the show for all visitors to see and admire.

Two titles are up for grabs where vehicles will be judges for ‘Best Interior’ and ‘Best Exterior’ leaving the owners with amazing Big Boys Toys prizes and giveaways.

The Najla’a Al-Naqqi forum hosted an event recently featuring activists who were invited to talk about Kuwaiti heritage. Researcher Abdullah bin Nasser, the first filmmaker to release a documentary about Kuwait in the country’s history, was present at the event, in addition to Mansour Al-Hajri, who published a book that contains interviews he conducted with more than thirty Kuwaiti women in the past fifteen years.

Indian Ambassador’s visit to ICSK - An Evening of Glitter

A

n event was held to welcome the new Ambassador of India to Kuwait HE Shri Satish C Mehta on the evening of 16th November at the ICSK Auditorium. The guest list included members from the Ministry of Private Education and the Honorary Members of the Board of Trustees, members of the community, teachers and students.

The dignitaries were accorded the salute by the school band before they were escorted to the auditorium by the Senate members holding the Indian and Kuwaiti Flag, exhibiting the Indo-Kuwait relationship and fraternity. The evening’s agenda then continued with the Islamic prayer seeking the blessings of the Almighty. The school choir led the singing of National Anthems of Kuwait and India with great sense of patriotism. The dignitaries then lit the ceremonial lamp, true to our motto, “Thamosoma Jyothirgamaya”. The introduction of the

guests was performed by the Honorary Secretary Rajan Daniel, who also welcomed the gathering. He discussed the great Indian culture and proudly declared his pride of being an Indian. Ashok Kalra, the Honorary Chairman in his inspiring presidential address shared the history of ICSK. He pointed out that the Board is committed to the service of providing quality education with a unique human touch.

The Asst Under Secretary, Ministry of Private Education, Fahad Al Ghaiz, delivered an elegant speech assuring the school authorities of any help they would need. It was pleasantly surprising when the sponsor of the school His Excellency Essa Al Essa volunteered to speak. He welcomed the Ambassador and also praised the efforts of the Board of Trustees. The Finance Manager, Ministry of Private Education, Mohammad Dhahas in his speech lauded the service oriented attitude of the ICSK fraternity and said

that was one of the reasons why he always accepted the invitation from ICSK. The Chief Guest of the evening HE, the Ambassador of India to Kuwait, appreciated the efforts of the school band particularly and also graciously accepted the welcome accorded to him, “I am touched by the show of love and the warm reception,” he said. He thanked the parents for taking efforts to be present to encourage their children. He urged the children to pursue their goals keeping in mind the ideals and ideas would make the dream of a better world come true.

The mementos were then presented to the invited dignitaries by the Hon. Members of the Board of Trustees. Hon Chairman Ashok Kalra presented the memento to the Chief Guest, His Excellency the Ambassador, Satish C Mehta., Hon. Vice Chairman Archibald Menezes presented the memento to the Sponsor, Essa Al Essa,

and Honorary Secretary Rajan Daniel presented the memento to the Asst. Under Secretary, Fahad Al Ghaiz, Hon Joint Secretary Vijay Karayil presented the memento to the Director, Ministry of Pvt. Education Mohammad Dhahas and Honorary Joint Secretary Francis Machado presented the memento to the Finance Manager, Ministry of Pvt Education Abdullah Al Waheed. The Power point which followed provided a glimpse of the great tradition of the ICSK. The agenda also included the dance by the darling buds of the junior who mesmerized the audience by their concerted choreography and a patriotic song sung by the illustrious staff of ICSK. Both the items were received with huge rounds of applause. True to the Indian traditions of being grateful to the guests, the Hon Jt Secretary Vijay Karayil in his vote of thanks expressed his gratitude to all the invitees.

Hundreds attend free Medical Camp

H

undreds of less privileged people attended the free medical screening camp organized by Muslim Educational Society (MES) in association with the Indian Doctor’s Forum (IDF), Indian Dentists’ Alliance, Kuwait Heart Foundation, Kuwait Medical Association and supported

by Al-Rahma Committee for Medical Services (Al-Najat Charity Society) on Friday 11th November, 2011 at Central School in Abbasiya. The camp was inaugurated by Indian Embassy First Secretary HK Mohan.

The theme of this year’s medical camp was “Healthy Lifestyle Can Change Your Life” and a booklet based on the topic was released by HK Mohan and received by TA Ramesh, Country Head, Gulf Mart.

Experts from various medical specialties including Orthopaedics, ENT, Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Diabetes, Cardiology, General Medicine, Paediatrics, Dermatology and Dental examined the patients.

The dedication and hard work put in by the MES volunteers helped the participants to avail camp facilities easily. Large quantity of medicines received from leading pharmaceutical companies and well wishers distributed under the supervision of Medical wing convenor Nasaruddeen and hundreds of patients from different walks of life benefited from this noble event.

This is the 11th camp organized by MES for the community. IDF arranged around 50 doctors, which is the largest contingent till date for such a camp, covering almost all specialties. Around 60 skilled para-medical staff assisted the doctors for the preliminary check-ups.

ECG, blood sugar, and hepatitis tests

The free medical screening camp organized by Muslim Educational Society (MES). were also arranged for the public in addition to the blood cholesterol test done by Kuwait Heart Foundation. ‘While counselling is given to chronic patients, new cases of serious nature were diagnosed and

referred to hospitals for immediate attention’ - said N Mohammed Rafi, MES President.

The brief inaugural ceremony started with recitation of versus from Holy Qura’an

by Hasan Mangad - MES Treasurer. MES President N Mohammed Rafi presided the program in which Vice President Khaleel Adoor welcomed the audience and medical wing convenor Nazaruddeen briefed about the Medical Camp and extended vote of thanks. The felicitation address were given

by Dr. Noble Zakariya and Siddeeque Valiyakath (President, FIMA). Dr Murali Gopal Dr. Yousef Dar, Dr Amir Ahmed from IDF and Dr Peter Dezousa representing IDAK also attended the function.

Ashraf Ayyoor, Dr Musthafa Keyi, Saleh Batha, M M Zubair, Ibrahim, Arshad, Ashraf PT, Shaheer, OJ Usman, Advt Gafoor, Mujeeb, Noufal, Nizar Valiyakath, Ramees, Rayees, Noushad, Hassan Mangad and MES Ladies Wing Leaders Jesseema Rafi, Fibitha Khaleel, Shahana Ashraf, Saleena Mustafa, Shahina Zubair actively coordinated this unique program.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

31

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N

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. nnnnnnn

Al-Yassine hosts banquet for Ambassador Journalist Anwar Al-Yassine hosted a dinner banquet recently at the Sheraton Hotel on the honor of the outgoing Ambassador of Morocco to Kuwait, Mohammad Belaich. The event was attended by many guests including the Minister of Planning and Development Abdulwahab Al-Haroun and the Saudi Ambassador to Kuwait, Dr Abdul-Aziz Al-Fayez.

EF launches conference to recruit students

T

he international exhibitions center hosts a conference this week for the Education First (EF) international languages center, in which Professors Haitham Al-Younus and Hussain Al-Ghussain meet students aged 16 years and above who wish to register at EF’s English language programs.

EF if a foundation founded in 1965 and has schools in many countries that provide learning opportunities for students through top quality standard English language teaching programs. Recently, ED released the new EFEKTA system which includes

stronger tools to learn English and a shorter period of time.

Each of the EF schools includes students from many countries around the world who share a special educational experience prepared with the latest technologies in education, and is on par with the top quality standards recognized by international organizations. Furthermore, EF has a special team that helps students finalize all their traveling procedures, including buying tickets, issuing visas and health insurance, in addition to helping students with finding accommodation and transportation.

nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF GERMANY

Hosni Kamel

Kala (Art) Kuwait NIRAM winners

K

ala(Art)Niram Children’s Day painting competition prize distribution will take place at the Indian Community School, Khaitan, on Friday, the 2nd of December 2011. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2:30 PM and will also include entertainment programs.

Group-A: Ist Prize-Joanne Rebecca Varghese, 1st Standard, Carmel School, 2nd Prize-Nova Catherine Shygen, 1st Standard, Gulf Indian School, Fahaheel, IIIrd Prize- Anjali Renjith Panicker, 1st Standard, Carmel School.

Group-B: Ist Prize- Aadhithya Jayaprakash, 4th Standard, IES-Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, Abbassiya. 2nd PrizeDeon Prince D’souza, 4th Standard, Indian Community School, Khaitan, IIIrd PrizeNooha Hashim, 2nd Standard, Indian Community School, Khaitan, Nanda Krishnan, 4th Standard, IES-Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, Abbassiya.

Group-C: Ist Prize-Flency Thankachan, 8th Standard, Indian Community School, Khaitan. 2nd Prize-Aavani Jayaprakash, 8th Standard, Indian Community School, Khaitan, Abitha George, 8th Standard, IES-Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, Abbassiya.

IIIrd Prize- Fleno Thankachan, 5th Standard., Indian Community School, Khaitan, Liya Elsa Jacob. 7th Standard., AlWataniya English Private School (DPS), Fahaheel.

Group-D: Ist Prize- Vivek Unnikrishnan, 11th Standard, Indian Community School, Amman. 2nd Prize- Arjun Narayanan Kutty, 9th Standard., Indian Community School, Sr. Salmiya, Rimsha Rehan, 9th Standard, Carmel School, IIIrd PrizeDilruba Rukhsana, 9th Standard, Gulf Indian School, Fahaheel.

Clay Sculpture: Ist Prize- N. Kaushik., 11th Standard., IES-Bharatiya Vidhya

M

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 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 The Embassy of Peru is located at Al-Arablya Tower, Sharq, Ahmed Al-Jaber Street, on the 6th Floor. In the same place, as a part of the Chancellery of the Embassy of Peru in Kuwait, also is located the Showing Room of “PeruExpoTour, Trade & Invest.”

Bhavan, Abbassiya. 2nd Prize - Carlo Robert, 8th Standard, Indian Public School, Hawally. IIIrd Prize-Pinanki Chudasama, Carmel School.

Open Canvas (for Parents & Guests): Ist Prize-Vidhu Gopan, 2nd Prize Mukundan, IIIrd Prize- Suresh Kumar.

Merit Prize: Group-A: Trisha Banerjee,

Haarshith Sankar Sasidhr, Lana Khadeeja, Nida Adeel, Abel Shibu K, Ailin E Shibu, Albert Hansel, Anika Krishnan, Elijah Ayub Khan, Srya Vijith, Ananthapadmanabhan.S. Group-B: Mishaal.Kandapath, Malavika Vidhugopan, Rithika Teresa Roby George, Santhra K Dineshkumar, Sarangi

Muraleedas, Justin Ignatius, Maya Jaypal, Varun Vineeth, Aman.B.Nair. Group-C: Noel Saji, Aditya Jaypal, Nayama Elsa Christy, Vinayak Unnikrishnan, Gavin George. Group-D: Rozanne Jojo, Aleena Rehan, Reshma Abraham, Maleeha Khan, Merin Jose Vallavanthara, Abey Biju, Sibil Sara Sen.

BSK piano recital onday 14 November was indeed a memorable musical occasion for The British School of Kuwait. Guests were welcomed to the Shakespeare Theatre to the unveiling of the new Yamaha Grand Piano. Thanks to the generosity of Executive Chairman, Madame Vera Al Mutawa, a magnificent instrument has been provided so that BSK students can reach their full potential, compete at the highest level of national and international competitions and grace the stages at many of the music events in Kuwait. As the premier school for music in the Gulf, BSK prides itself on the level of investment in staffing, rooming and resourcing of which the piano is the latest example.

The inaugural recital featured three highly gifted pianists of different levels but all with the same commitment to performing to the best of their ability.

The concert began with Year 6 student Yejin Seo and her performance of the Sonatine by Clementi showed confidence and a musical sensitivity. From Year 7 came Da Eun Yun with her interpretation of

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. 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.

Effective January 15, 2011, the only Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) application form that will be accepted by CIC is the Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form.

Beethoven’s Fur Elise which was most enchanting, played with a good understanding of the dynamics needed to perform this piece with poise and grace. Throughout her playing the audience could feel the emotional warmth of this well-known piano solo.

Charles Fernandes ended the concert with an extremely demanding programme, which would challenge many experienced concert performers. He began with the Prelude & Fugue in D minor (Book 1) by J.S. Bach. Charles successfully allowed the contrapuntal lines in the Fugue to be clearly discussed showing a mature understanding of this Baroque piece. Beethoven’s Waldstein Sonata (1st movement) was performed with grandiosity and demonstrated mature interpretation of the new heroic style of the late Classical/early Romantic period. His performance of the Scherzo no. 2 by Chopin was magnificent, and he continued his musical journey through the 19th century to the 20th with Ravel’s Sonatine. A work in three movements, the first of which Ravel composed for a competition in Paris, Charles’ interpretation

nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF RUSSIA Embassy of the Russian Federation will hold the elections to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (Parliament) on December 3, 2011, between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm in the Embassy s premises by the address: Kuwait City, Daiya, Block 5, Diplomatic campus, Plot 17. All the Russians are invited to participate.

They are requested to present valid Russian passports. nnnnnnn

of Ravel was outstanding. The subtle harmonies, the beautiful melodic lines with a delicate and sensitive understanding of this music all captured an enraptured audience.

Charles then returned to Chopin with the Revolutionary Etude, a highly dramatic composition which challenges in both scalic and harmonic passages. This piece clearly

showed Charles has mastered the demands needed to perform with panache. To conclude the concert, Charles performed Chopin’s Etude Op.10 No.4. A delightful repertoire of piano playing at its very best and a promise of much more to come as the Grand Piano is enjoyed by future BSK musicians.

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.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 Bear Feeding Frenzy 01:45 Animal Cops Miami 02:40 Galapagos 03:35 Big Five Challenge 04:30 Bear Feeding Frenzy 05:25 Dogs 101 06:20 Animal Cops Miami 07:10 Wild Africa Rescue 08:00 Monkey Life 08:25 The Really Wild Show 08:50 Natural Born Hunters 09:15 Jeff Corwin Unleashed 09:40 Breed All About It 10:10 Your Pet Wants This, Too! 11:05 Dogs 101 12:00 Animal Cops Houston 12:55 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 13:50 Animal Cops Specials 2009 14:45 Animal Cops Miami 15:40 Galapagos 16:30 Monkey Life 17:00 The Really Wild Show 17:30 Growing Up...: Polar Bear Orphan 18:25 Dogs 101 19:20 Dogs 101: Specials 20:15 Monkey Life 20:40 Breed All About It 21:10 Dogs 101 22:05 Galapagos 23:00 Wildest Africa 23:55 Untamed & Uncut

00:30 Blackadder Goes Forth 01:00 One Foot In The Grave 02:05 The Weakest Link: S10: Set 2 02:50 Holby City: Set 1 03:40 Doctors: Set 2 04:10 One Foot In The Grave 04:40 3rd & Bird: set 01 04:50 Bobinogs 05:00 Boogie Beebies: Set 4 05:15 The Adventures Of Spot 05:20 Me Too: Set 1 05:40 Fimbles: Set 2 06:00 3rd & Bird: set 01 06:10 Bobinogs 06:20 Boogie Beebies: Set 4 06:35 The Adventures Of Spot 06:40 Me Too: Set 1 07:00 Charlie & Lola: Set 1 07:10 Fimbles: Set 2 07:30 3rd & Bird: set 01 07:40 Bobinogs 07:50 Boogie Beebies: Set 4 08:05 The Adventures Of Spot 08:10 Tweenies: Set 15 08:30 Charlie & Lola: Set 1 08:40 Fimbles: Set 2 09:00 3rd & Bird: set 01 09:10 Bobinogs 09:20 Boogie Beebies: Set 4 09:35 The Adventures Of Spot 09:50 Tweenies: Set 15 10:10 Charlie & Lola: Set 1 10:20 Fimbles: Set 2 10:40 One Foot In The Grave 11:40 The Weakest Link: S10: Set 2 12:25 The Planets (Revoiced & Updated) 13:15 Doctors: Set 2 13:45 Eastenders: set 253 14:15 Holby City: Set 1 15:10 One Foot In The Grave 16:40 The Planets (Revoiced & Updated) 17:30 The Weakest Link: S10: Set 2 18:15 Doctors: Set 2 18:45 Eastenders: set 253 19:15 Holby City: Set 1 20:10 The Planets (Revoiced & Updated) 21:00 The Weakest Link: S10: Set 2 21:45 Doctors: Set 2 22:15 Eastenders: set 253 22:45 Casualty: Set 3 23:40 Emma (2009)

00:00 00:45 01:30 02:20

Design Star Design Star Come Dine With Me What Not To Wear

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

Design Star Come Dine With Me What Not To Wear Design Star Cash In The Attic USA Ching’s Kitchen Daily Cooks Challenge Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt: Famous Finds Bargain Hunt Come Dine With Me Daily Cooks Challenge Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt: Famous Finds Bargain Hunt Come Dine With Me Ching’s Kitchen James Martin’s Brittany Eating In The Sun Come Dine With Me Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt: Famous Finds Bargain Hunt

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 Newsday 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 10:30 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 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 BBC World News 19:30 World Business Report 19:45 Sport Today 20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 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

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

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

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 19:45 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:45 22:10 22:35 23:00 23:25 23:55

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 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 Ben 10: Ultimate Challenge 08:04 Cow & Chicken 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 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 Codename: Kids Next Door 19:30 Scooby-Doo! Mystery

THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR ON OSN ACTION HD

Incorporated 19:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 20:20 Generator Rex 20:45 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 21:10 Hero 108 21:35 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 22:00 Total Drama Action 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

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 World Sport 07:30 Inside Africa 08:00 World Report 08:30 Backstory 09:00 World Report 11:00 World Sport 11:30 Revealed 12:00 World Business Today 13:00 American Morning: Wake-Up Call 13:30 Talk Asia 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 Revealed 22:00 Quest Means Business 23:00 Piers Morgan Tonight

00:15 Swamp Brothers 00:40 Dual Survival 01:35 Overhaulin’ 02:30 Dirty Jobs 03:25 Ultimate Survival 04:20 Mythbusters 05:15 How It’s Made 05:40 How It’s Made 06:05 Dirty Jobs 07:00 Wheeler Dealers 07:25 Fifth Gear 07:50 Overhaulin’ 08:45 How It’s Made 09:10 Mythbusters 10:05 Cake Boss 10:30 Border Security 10:55 Auction Kings 11:25 Mythbusters 12:20 Mythbusters 13:15 Ultimate Survival 14:10 Dual Survival 15:05 Swamp Brothers 15:30 Cash Cab Us 16:00 Wheeler Dealers 16:25 Fifth Gear 16:55 Overhaulin’ 17:50 Mythbusters 18:45 Cake Boss 19:10 Border Security 19:40 Auction Kings 20:05 How It’s Made 21:00 Cash Cab Us 21:30 Deception With Keith Barry 22:25 Mythbusters 23:20 Curiosity: Alien Invasion: Are We Ready?

00:40 The Gadget Show 01:05 The Tech Show 01:35 Mega World 02:25 Green Wheels 02:50 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 03:40 Brainiac 04:35 The Gadget Show 05:25 How Stuff’s Made 05:50 Mega World 06:40 Stuntdawgs 07:10 Powering The Future 08:00 Thunder Races 08:50 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 09:40 The Tech Show 10:10 Weird Connections 10:35 The Gadget Show 11:25 Powering The Future 12:20 Sci-Fi Science 12:45 How Stuff’s Made 13:15 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 14:55 Stuntdawgs 15:20 Green Wheels 15:50 Mega World 16:40 Weird Connections 17:05 Thunder Races 18:00 Brainiac 18:50 Sci-Fi Science 19:15 The Tech Show 19:40 Weird Or What?

20:30 How The Universe Works 21:20 Science Of Storm Chasing 22:10 The Gadget Show 23:00 Weird Or What?

23:50 How The Universe Works

00:00 00:25 01:15 02:00 02:50 03:35 04:25 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:20 Cody 06:45 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:35 09:00 09:15 09:25 09:35 09:50 10:15 10:30 10:50 11:15 11:35 12:00

Kim Possible Fairly Odd Parents Stitch Replacements Emperor’s New School Stitch Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Emperor’s New School The Suite Life Of Zack And Phineas And Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction The Hive Handy Manny Imagination Movers Phineas And Ferb Emperor’s New School Good Luck Charlie Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place

12:25 12:45 13:10 13:30 13:55 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 Cody 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

Sonny With A Chance Good Luck Charlie Hannah Montana Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Phineas And Ferb Fish Hooks Shake It Up The Suite Life Of Zack And Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Shake It Up Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Emperor’s New School Fish Hooks Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Suite Life On Deck Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 E!es 03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Bridalplasty 10:15 20 Acts Of Love Gone Wrong 12:05 E! News 13:05 Ice Loves Coco 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 Giuliana & Bill 15:30 E!es 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 17:25 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 17:55 E! News 18:55 E!es 19:55 Ice Loves Coco 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

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

Autopsy: Most Shocking Ghost Lab Psychic Witness Couples Who Kill Deadly Women Autopsy: Most Shocking Psychic Witness Ghost Lab Mystery Diagnosis FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Street Patrol True Crime With Aphrodite Disappeared Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Street Patrol True Crime With Aphrodite Disappeared FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol True Crime With Aphrodite Disappeared I Almost Got Away With It FBI Case Files

00:00 Adventure Wanted 01:00 Meet The Natives: USA 02:00 Banged Up Abroad 03:00 Graham’s World 03:30 Deadliest Journeys 04:00 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody 04:30 Which Way To 05:30 Earth Tripping 06:00 Adventure Wanted 07:00 Meet The Natives: USA 08:00 Banged Up Abroad 09:00 Graham’s World 09:30 Deadliest Journeys 10:00 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody 10:30 Which Way To 11:30 Earth Tripping 12:00 Adventure Wanted 13:00 Destination Extreme 13:30 Word Travels 14:00 City Chase Rome 15:00 City Chase Marrakech 16:00 Around The World For Free 17:00 Nomads 18:00 Best of Treks in a Wild World 19:00 Destination Extreme 19:30 Word Travels 20:00 City Chase Rome 21:00 City Chase Marrakech 22:00 Around The World For Free 23:00 Nomads

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:15 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Lake Placid 3-18 Icarus-18 Ip Man-PG15 What Lies Beneath-PG15 The Thirteenth Floor-18 Courage Under Fire-PG15 Rocky III-PG15 The Thirteenth Floor-18 Shinjuku Incident-PG15 Rocky III-PG15 Child’s Play 2-PG15 Don’t Look Up-18

01:00 PG15 03:00 05:15 07:00 09:00

Everywhere And NowhereThe Social Network-PG15 Fly Me To The Moon-PG Don’t Fade Away-PG15 How To Train Your Dragon-PG

FLY ME TO THE MOON ON OSN CINEMA 11:00 13:00 15:15 17:00 19:00 21:00 22:45

Three Investigators-PG15 The Social Network-PG15 Love N’ Dancing-PG15 The Front-PG15 The Greatest-PG15 Flipped-PG The Killer Inside Me-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 South Park 02:00 Bored To Death 02:30 Entourage 03:00 Friends 04:00 According To Jim 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Dharma And Greg 06:00 Yes Dear 06:30 Just Shoot Me 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 According To Jim 08:30 Friends 09:00 Dharma And Greg 09:30 The League 10:00 How I Met Your Mother 10:30 Just Shoot Me 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Yes Dear 12:30 According To Jim 13:00 Friends 13:30 Dharma And Greg 14:00 Just Shoot Me 14:30 The League 15:00 How I Met Your Mother 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Yes Dear 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Friends 19:00 Friends With Benefits 19:30 The League 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 Entourage 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

Private Practice Royal Pains Covert Affairs Grey’s Anatomy Alias Good Morning America Detroit 1-8-7 Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Private Practice Grey’s Anatomy Alias Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Once Upon A Time Terra Nova True Blood Covert Affairs Law & Order

00:00 The Glades 01:00 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior 02:00 Royal Pains 03:00 Grey’s Anatomy 04:00 Private Practice 05:00 Commander In Chief 06:00 The Glades 07:00 Outsourced 07:30 Coronation Street 08:00 Bones 09:00 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior 10:00 Grey’s Anatomy 11:00 Royal Pains 12:00 Outsourced 12:30 Coronation Street 13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 14:00 Bones 15:00 The Glades 16:00 Outsourced 16:30 Coronation Street

17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 18:00 Bones 19:00 Once Upon A Time 20:00 Terra Nova 21:00 True Blood 22:00 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior 23:00 Commander In Chief

01:00 Rocky IV-PG15 03:00 Ip Man-PG15 05:00 Battlestar Galactica: The Plan18 07:00 The Karate Kid I-PG15 09:15 Shanghai Knights-PG15 11:15 Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time-PG15 13:15 Stonehenge ApocalypsePG15 15:00 Shanghai Knights-PG15 17:00 Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant-PG15 19:00 From Hell-18 21:15 Public Enemies-18 23:45 Julia’s Eyes-18

00:00 PG15 02:00 04:00 PG 05:45 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 PG15 18:00 20:00 22:00

01:00 03:15 05:15 07:15 09:15 11:30 PG15 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:15

Revenge Of The BridesmaidsBlue Streak-PG15 Dead Men Don’t Wear PlaidThe Parent Trap-PG Indian Summer-PG15 Stuart Little 2-FAM All’s Faire In Love-PG Tom And Huck-PG15 Revenge Of The BridesmaidsMiami Rhapsody-PG15 Rat-PG Mallrats-18

The Deep-PG15 Somewhere-18 Against The Ropes-PG15 The Dust Factory-PG15 Alice In Wonderland-PG The Young Black StallionThe Dust Factory-PG15 North-PG The Wronged Man-PG15 Ishtar-PG15 The Reader-18 Into The Night-18

00:00 Cyrus-18 01:30 Antwone Fisher-PG15 03:30 Toy Story 3-FAM 05:30 The Tempest-PG15 07:30 Marmaduke-PG 09:00 The Open Road-PG15 11:00 Nanny Mcphee And The Big Bang-PG 13:00 Garfield-PG 15:00 At Risk-PG15 17:00 The Open Road-PG15 19:00 The Maiden Heist-PG15 21:00 Flipped-PG 23:00 Whiteout-18

00:00 Lego: The Adventures Of Clutch Powers-FAM 02:00 Tom Tom & Nana-FAM 03:30 The Last Airbender-PG 06:00 Zorro’s Secrets-PG 08:00 Turandot-PG 10:00 True Story Of Puss’n Boots-PG 12:00 Lego: The Adventures Of Clutch Powers-FAM 14:00 Ramses Of Egypt-PG 16:00 Hua Mulan-PG 18:00 True Story Of Puss’n Boots-PG 20:00 Shipwrecked-PG 22:00 Ramses Of Egypt-PG

00:15 All Good Things-18 02:15 Family Gathering-PG15 04:00 Remember Me-PG15 06:00 Whip It-PG15 08:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 09:45 Remember Me-PG15 12:00 Tooth Fairy-PG 14:00 Too Big To Fail-PG15 16:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 18:00 Post Grad-PG15

20:00 Mercy-18 22:00 Open Season 3-PG15 23:45 The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee-PG15

05:00 Rugby League 4 Nations 07:00 Trans World Sport 08:00 Speedway 09:00 Rugby League 4 Nations 11:00 Powerboats 12:00 Premier League Snooker 15:30 Le Mans Cup Review 16:30 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 17:30 Trans World Sport 18:30 RWC 2011 Tournament Highlights 20:30 Powerboats 21:30 Powerboats 22:30 Premier League Snooker

00:30 Volvo Ocean Race 01:30 Trans World Sport 02:30 Futbol Mundial 03:00 Scottish Premier League 05:00 Beach Volley Ball 05:30 ICC Cricket World 06:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 07:00 Scottish Premier League 09:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 09:30 Futbol Mundial 10:00 Golfing World 11:00 Beach Volley Ball 11:30 Rugby League 4 Nations 13:30 Darts 15:30 Golfing World 16:30 World Hockey 17:00 ICC Cricket World 17:30 Trans World Sport 18:30 Futbol Mundial 19:00 Rugby League 4 Nations 21:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 22:00 Darts

01:00 RWC 2011 Tournament Highlights 03:00 Beach Volleyball 03:30 European PGA Tour Highlights 04:30 Futbol Mundial 05:00 European Challenge Cup 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Premier League Snooker 11:30 Golfing World 12:30 European PGA Tour Highlights 13:30 ICC Cricket World 14:00 European Challenge Cup 16:00 SPL Highlights 16:30 Asian Tour Golf 17:00 Challenge Series Golf 18:00 European Senior Tour Highlights 19:00 Golfing World 20:00 European Tour Weekly 20:30 Trans World Sports 21:30 SPL Highlights 22:00 Scottish Premier League

00:00 01:30 02:30 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:30 11:30 12:30 14:30 15:30 16:30 17:30 18:00 19:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

V8 Supercars Powerboats Powerboats Highlights UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed WWE Vintage Collection V8 Supercars V8 Supercars Speedway WWE Tough Enough WWE SmackDown Intercontinental Le Mans Cup V8 Supercars V8 Supercars Powerboats Highlights WWE NXT WWE SmackDown UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed

Classifieds WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Wind energy plans pose challenge to Navy testing BALTIMORE: In the 400-foot-plus turbines that a wind energy company wants to build on his tree farm on Maryland's Eastern Shore, Hall Coons sees a chance at a steady stream of income — and an opportunity to untether his economic fortunes from the ups and downs of the lumber market.

But to the radar system at the Navy base across the Chesapeake Bay, the spinning blades of the towering pylons would look like aircraft — and interfere with the test range where the Navy studies how its planes appear to enemy radar, military officials say.

Plans to harness the winds that blow across the Eastern Shore for cheap, clean, renewable energy are arousing concern at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. And while the Defense Department does not have the authority to stop a project that interferes with the Navy's tests, officials say the Pentagon could use its considerable influence to discourage or scale back wind farm development.

"We really don't want to get to that point," says Christopher Jarboe, who works to protect the test ranges at the base in Southern Maryland from encroaching development.

"That's why we're trying to get the word out on our systems and what the impacts are."

Two firms have filed paperwork to build wind farms in Somerset County, with scores of turbines reaching hundreds of feet into the sky to capture the currents that flow in from the bay. They are talking with dozens of farmers about leasing their land — and sharing the revenues from the power they generate.

County officials, who have welcomed the developers' interest, are writing rules for commercial wind farms. The O'Malley administration is watching with interest.

"What we're talking about is a potential billion-dollar investment in some economically disadvantaged areas of the state," says Andrew Gohn, clean energy program manager for the Maryland Energy Administration. "It could save a lot of families' farms, and build a lot of roads and schools."

Officials with Naval Air Systems Command, which performs the radar studies at Pax River, say they support wind power. The military, the largest consumer of energy in the United States, has its own goals for expanding the supply of renewable energy.

But they say turbines tall enough to be seen by the ground-based radar — as the towers that Pioneer Green Energy wants to build on Coons' tree farm would be — would disrupt testing in the restricted airspace that extends from Southern Maryland across the bay to the Eastern Shore and into Delaware and Virginia.

The turbines, they say, would introduce electromagnetic clutter in an otherwise clean environment.

The 3,000-square-mile test range is unique in the Navy — the only operation in the serv-

ice capable of measuring the radar profiles of aircraft in flight. NAVAIR officials, who have known for years of the potential for conflict between tests and turbines, have been meeting with energy developers and local officials to discuss their work. They have secured agreements with several counties to be notified when projects are proposed, so they may review plans and warn of possible impacts.

They are in discussions with Somerset County about the wind energy ordinance. "We're working for national security," says Jarboe, team leader with NAVAIR's ranges sustainability office. "And this is a key component of that."

The challenge is not unique to Maryland. A similar conflict has arisen in California, where Navy officials say wind turbines along the Mojave Desert have affected air-to-air radar testing at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.

On the Eastern Shore, developers, officials and the military express confidence that conflicts may be settled to the satisfaction of all sides.

The director of a new Pentagon office created to review energy proposals cites statistics: Of the 249 projects flagged for "mission concerns" by the Defense Department's siting

A vertical access wind turbine is on a movable platform at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, where it can be tested in different locations, November 1, 2011. There are concerns about the development of wind turbines in the area of the Atlantic test ranges for aircraft. The turbines can cause interference with testing and radar imaging. — MCT

clearinghouse, director David Belote says, 240 have now been resolved. "It's clear that the intent of Congress is for us to try to find the right balance" between military operations and renewable energy development, Belote says. "And unless there is an overriding reason to say 'no,' to do whatever is in our power to find a way to get to 'yes.' " But in Somerset County, a solution does not seem readily apparent.

Adam Cohen, vice president of development for Pioneer Green Energy, says the Austin, Texas, firm envisions dozens of turbines in Somerset County reaching 400 to 500 feet high.

"In a rural wind speed-type site, you need to be capturing some of those higher wind speeds," he says. "We can't be shorter, because then the project loses its economics."

Jarboe shows a map of the Chesapeake Test Range, with concentric circles radiating from Pax River to show the height at which objects appear in the radar's line of sight. In much of Somerset County, that means anything taller than 400 feet.

"It's taken years to develop the system here," Jarboe says. "We're just trying to maintain this capability that we have, and hopefully guide development into areas where the wind energy interests can meet their goals."

In a secure control room at Pax River, technicians keep watch over computer screens that show planes flying in and around the Chesapeake Test Range. This is where the Navy studies how its aircraft, manned and unmanned, appear to enemy surveillance.

"I want to know how I'm presenting myself nose-on, what I look like broadside, what I look like going away from you," NAVAIR test manager Larry D. Miller says.

"We're trying to measure the signature of the aircraft and then determine what kinds of countermeasures and tactics" — dropping chaff, jamming enemy surveillance, flying evasively — "are required to protect that aircraft in a hostile situation."

The radar system, Jarboe says, "is very precise, and it's very sensitive, and therefore it's very susceptible to interference from wind turbines." Pioneer Green Energy aims to build a $150 million, 150-megawatt wind farm with as many as 70 turbines on land leased from farmers and other landowners.

Another company, Delsea Energy of Toms River, N.J., is seeking approval for at least 100 megawatts of wind energy on land leased around Marion Station, business development manager Steve Volkert says. That project would cost about $100 million. Somerset County, by some measures the poorest in the state, has welcomed the proposals. "We have heard support from the community," county planning director Gary Pusey says. "We see it as a great opportunity." — MCT

ACCOMMODATION Sharing room available for single or two working ladies with Keralite family in Abbassiya, separate room, satellite, facility, bathroom, cable, available. Please contact: 99509436. (C 3744) 23-11-2011 Separate room available in a dbl B/R apartment (furnished) with all facilities in Salmiya near garden. Please contact: 99787621.

(C 3737) Sharing accommodation available for Indian/ Sri Lankan couple or ladies, in Salmiya near Indian Public School. Contact: 99467432.

(C 3741) 22-11-2011 One room available with decent bachelors in two bedroom flat for Indian bachelors/ family near Garanada cinema at Khaitan. Call 99775589.

(C 3736) 20-11-2011 One full room available for 1 or 2 decent executive bachelor from 25 onwards with separate bathroom kitchen and sat facility, W&E free near Shara Amman st, opp Appolo hospital, Naser

Al Bather St. Salmiya. Call 99761807. (C 3734)

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Galant 1998 model, dark green, passing ten month, only KD 450. Tel: 65079379.

Suzuki jeep grant Vitar model 2011, white metallic color, full option, registration till March 2014, cash price KD 4,600. Installment possible whose salary KD 300 receiving through banks. Contact: 66507741.

(C 3739) Honda Civic, model 2004, white color, excellent condition, km 56000, Price KD 1400. Mob: 66729295.

(C 3740) 22-11-2011

CHANGE OF NAME I, Jeetendra Raghunath Pilankar, holder of Indian Passport No: F5608119, hereby change my name to Jitendra Raghunath Pilankar. (C 3742) 23-11-2011

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR PIA RBG JZR QTR ETH THY UAE QTR DHX MSR FDB ETD GFA KAC THY DHX FCX CLX JZR JZR BAW KAC AFR KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB ETD GFA FCX IRA RBG KNE JZR RKM IRM MEA MSR JZR KAC GFA

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 23/11/2011 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 205 LAHORE/PESHAWER 3564 ASSIUT 539 CAIRO 6130 DOHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 772 ISTANBUL 853 DUBAI 138 DOHA 370 BAHRAIN 612 CAIRO 67 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 211 BAHRAIN 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 870 LUXEMBOURG 555 ALEXANDRIA 529 ASSIUT 157 LONDON 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 6702 PARIS 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 382 DELHI 302 MUMBAI 344 CHENNAI 284 DHAKA 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 203 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 3555 ALEXANDRIA 839 JEDDAH 165 DUBAI 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH 5066 MASHAD 404 BEIRUT 610 CAIRO 201 DAMASCUS 672 DUBAI 219 BAHRAIN

Time 0:20 0:25 0:40 0:50 1:15 1:45 2:15 2:35 2:40 2:55 3:00 3:05 3:10 3:15 4:40 4:50 5:15 5:30 5:45 6:00 6:20 6:40 6:45 7:00 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:15 8:20 8:30 9:00 9:05 9:20 9:35 9:55 10:30 10:40 11:05 11:05 11:20 11:45 11:50 11:55 12:55 13:00 13:20 13:25

MSR SYR FDB KAC UAL IRC QTR SVA RJA ABY JZR KAC QTR JZR IYE JZR ETD UAE KAC GFA SVA RBG ABY ALK JZR FDB KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC AIC KAC KAC FDB JAI OMA DHX VOS MEA GFA QTR UAE JZR SAI JZR UAL AXB DLH PIA

621 341 57 790 982 6791 140 500 640 123 257 546 134 561 824 213 303 857 550 215 510 3557 127 227 177 63 542 618 787 786 614 674 166 975 102 774 61 572 647 372 81 402 217 136 859 135 441 239 981 393 636 215

ASSIUT DAMASCUS DUBAI MEDINAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES MASHAD DOHA JEDDAH AMMAN SHARJAH BEIRUT ALEXANDRIA DOHA SOHAG SANAA/DOHA DEIREZZOR/ALEPPO ABU DHABI DUBAI SHARM EL SHEIKH/SOHAG BAHRAIN RIYADH SOHAG SHARJAH COLOMBO/DUBAI DUBAI DUBAI CAIRO DOHA RIYADH JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI PARIS/ROME CHENNAI/GOA NEW YORK/LONDON RIYADH DUBAI MUMBAI MUSCAT BAHRAIN BAGHDAD BEIRUT BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN LAHORE AMMAN BAHRAIN KOZHIKODE/COCHIN FRANKFURT KARACHI

13:30 13:45 13:50 14:00 14:05 14:20 14:20 14:30 14:40 14:45 15:00 15:20 15:25 16:10 16:35 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:10 17:15 17:20 17:35 17:40 18:10 18:15 18:40 18:50 18:55 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 19:40 20:00 20:10 20:15 21:00 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:40 23:50 23:55

Airlines UAL AXB BBC AIC DLH PIA RBG QTR ETH THY VOS FDB UAE DHX MSR ETD QTR THY JZR GFA JZR CLX FDB KAC KAC BAW AFR KAC JZR KAC KAC JZR JZR UAE ABY KAC FDB QTR ETD KAC GFA IRA RBG FCX KNE KAC KAC RKM MEA IRM KAC JZR

Departure Flights on Wednesday 23/11/2011 Flt Route Time 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 0:45 390 MANGALORE/KOZHIKODE 0:50 44 DHAKA 1:00 982 AHMEDABAD/HYDERABAD/CHENNAI1:05 637 FRANKFURT 1:20 206 LAHORE 1:25 3562 ALEXANDRIA 1:25 6131 DOHA 2:45 621 ADDIS ABABA 2:45 773 ISTANBUL 3:15 94 DUBAI/KANDAHAR 3:30 68 DUBAI 3:45 854 DUBAI 3:50 371 BAHRAIN 3:55 613 CAIRO 4:00 306 ABU DHABI 4:00 139 DOHA 4:55 771 ISTANBUL 5:50 164 DUBAI 6:55 212 BAHRAIN 7:00 200 DAMASCUS 7:30 792 BASEL/LUXEMBOURG 7:45 54 DUBAI 8:25 545 ALEXANDRIA 8:30 545 ALEXANDRIA 8:30 156 LONDON 8:40 6702 DUBAI/HONG KONG 8:45 671 DUBAI 9:00 256 BEIRUT 9:00 549 SHARM EL SHEIKH/SOHAG 9:15 789 MEDINAH 9:25 560 SOHAG 9:30 212 ALEPPO/DEIREZZOR 9:35 856 DUBAI 9:40 126 SHARJAH 9:45 117 NEW YORK 10:00 56 DUBAI 10:05 133 DOHA 10:10 302 ABU DHABI 10:20 177 FRANKFURT/GENEVA 10:35 214 BAHRAIN 10:40 602 SHIRAZ 11:40 3558 SOHAG 11:45 204 DUBAI 11:45 840 MEDINAH/JEDDAH 11:55 541 CAIRO 12:00 103 LONDON 12:30 311 RAS ALKHAIMAH 12:50 405 BEIRUT 12:55 5065 MASHAD 13:20 785 JEDDAH 13:40 176 DUBAI 13:50

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

MSR GFA MSR FDB SYR KAC UAL IRC ABY RJA KAC SVA JZR KAC KAC QTR JZR IYE ETD JZR QTR UAE GFA RBG ABY KAC SVA JZR JZR ALK FDB JZR KAC KAC FDB KAC DHX KAC JAI OMA KAC DHX MEA GFA KAC FCX QTR KAC JZR UAE KAC JZR KAC SAI

611 220 622 58 342 673 982 6792 124 641 617 503 786 613 773 141 238 824 304 538 135 858 216 3556 128 153 511 266 134 228 64 184 283 361 62 331 171 351 571 648 543 373 403 218 381 102 137 301 554 860 205 502 415 442

CAIRO BAHRAIN ASSIUT DUBAI DAMASCUS DUBAI BAHRAIN MASHAD SHARJAH AMMAN DOHA JEDDAH RIYADH BAHRAIN RIYADH DOHA AMMAN SANAA ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA SHARJAH ISTANBUL RIYADH BEIRUT BAHRAIN DUBAI/COLOMBO DUBAI DUBAI DHAKA COLOMBO DUBAI TRIVANDRUM BAHRAIN COCHIN MUMBAI MUSCAT CAIRO BAHRAIN BEIRUT BAHRAIN DELHI BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI ISLAMABAD LUXOR KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA LAHORE

13:55 14:20 14:30 14:35 14:45 15:05 15:20 15:20 15:25 15:35 15:40 15:45 15:50 16:20 16:25 16:30 17:15 17:35 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:10 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:45 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:55 20:15 20:20 20:40 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:55 22:00 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:35 23:45 23:50

34

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

stars CROSSWORD 506

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) This is a time during which confidence and self-expression are perhaps limited and disciplined. What you achieve now will hold and prove to be lasting. This time could be seen as a kind of apprenticeship during which you learn to control yourself. You may find yourself succeeding and moving ahead by using your mind. Also, communication and research in all forms could be a key area for career growth.

There are plenty of positive aspects to make you feel uplifted and give you a deserved confidence in yourself. Your life takes on a kind of mystical quality. Dreams and illusions, forgiveness and understanding human frailties arouse deep feelings. Keep a wish book; then list three things that will get you started in making each dream come true.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Review your professional achievements. Think of ways to improve and perhaps be more effective in your career.

There is plenty of optimism to go around. This is a day for thinking. You may feel like talking a bit more than usual, exploring new ideas or getting happily lost in a conversation. There will be an urge to communicate and solve problems. Also, perhaps a short trip or a special phone call is in order.

Shopping this afternoon, you may discover that you cease to waste time and money acquiring that which is worthless. You have developed an eye for that which is lasting and worthwhile. Your bright wit and talkative streak make you always ready for a conversation. You love to get your ideas across to others—communication is at a high.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. A detailed description of design criteria for a piece of work.

5. A city in central New York.

10. Surface layer of ground containing a matt of grass and grass roots.

13. A member of the Athapaskan people of the Trinity River valley in California.

14. A republic in northeastern Africa on the Red Sea. 15. An accountant certified by the state.

16. Fleshy and usually brightly colored cover of some seeds that develops from the ovule stalk and partially or entirely envelopes the seed.

17. A primeval personification of air and breath.

19. Coffee with the caffeine removed.

21. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

22. A telegram sent abroad.

23. A flat plate that controls or directs the flow of fluid or energy.

25. Troops trained to fight on horseback.

32. Leaf or strip from a leaf of the talipot palm used in India for writing paper.

33. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily.

35. A Turkish unit of weight equal to about 2.75 pounds.

36. A native of ancient Troy.

38. A pad of paper for keeping notes.

40. A federal agency that supervises carriers that transport goods and people between states.

41. A stick that people can lean on to help them walk.

42. Feeling or showing anger.

48. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

49. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali metal group.

53. Of the dull yellowish green of the meat of an avocado n 1.

57. The 19th letter of the Greek alphabet.

58. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

60. One of the most common of the five major classes of immunoglobulins.

61. Not in good physical or mental health.

62. Wool of the alpaca.

63. A light touch or stroke.

DOWN 1. Bony flesh of herring-like fish usually caught during their migration to fresh water for spawning.

2. Free of extraneous elements of any kind.

3. Surpassing the ordinary especially in size or scale.

4. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

5. North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

6. Cause to become very swollen.

7. Conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence.

8. Airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc..

9. An associate degree in nursing.

10. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

11. A translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica of variable color.

12. (British) An open river valley (in a hilly area).

18. A small cake leavened with yeast.

20. A misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning.

24. The basic monetary unit in many countries.

26. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

27. A unit of electrical power in an AC circuit equal to the power dissipated when 1 volt produces a current of 1 ampere.

28. Headdress that protects the head from bad weather.

29. Amino acid that is formed in the liver and converted into dopamine in the brain.

30. A Kwa language spoken in Ghana and the Ivory Coast.

31. Remove with or as if with a ladle.

34. A blind god.

37. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

39. Liquid containing proteins and electrolytes including the liquid in blood plasma and interstitial fluid.

43. Connected with or belonging to or used in a navy.

44. Someone who takes bodies from graves and sells them for anatomical dissection.

45. A shape that sags.

46. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

47. Jordan's port.

50. Harsh or corrosive in tone.

51. Mentally or physically infirm with age.

52. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

54. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

55. A metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 10 liters.

56. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

59. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Taking care of business is important today but your mind keeps running over several lists that you have going in preparation for a celebration coming up soon. Health and work goals are important as well as a reunion of family and friends this week. Sympathy and understanding are emotional qualities that take on greater importance as you deal with young people this afternoon. There is an open invitation to have a special time with a few extraordinary friends. Marriage and other close relationships give rise to great expectations now, particularly as a new cycle of family and group achievement gets underway. This is a time to enjoy and appreciate your ties to others and to seek and promote harmony in the interaction between people.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You have an inner drive to improve and reform the world, to share the wealth—true democracy. You have a feel for groups and any large-scale business or community project. You can be quite independent with a touch of the impersonal. With you, all persons get the same treatment. However, you may realize this and begin to work on a more personal approach with others. You may even find that you waste less time with hurt feelings than before. You will prosper by pursuing your dreams of how life could be. Don’t be afraid to project that image—make those dreams real. This could be a time that you feel very passionate toward others and find unusual ways to help or care for others—there is insight into accepting life as it comes.

NON SEQUITUR

Leo (July 23-August 22) You find that you can really use your mind to make clear choices. Career decisions are straightforward and easy to make. You will find that today you may be lecturing or speaking to a group. You have more than just the gift of gab. Your words and ideas can transport and enchant listeners, carrying them beyond the world as they know it and into the world as they wish it could be. Perhaps you will instill some desire in a few of the listeners to think of ways they could contribute in making the world a better place. You may encourage others to volunteer in helping with a reading program for young people. People seem to enjoy hearing you speak and they have plenty of questions for you to answer. Enjoy a light dinner this evening.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) An important message could get lost in the presentation if you do not have notes or at least write notes for the presentation. Then if you do not have the notes with you, it will not matter because you will have gained a focus through the writing. Communicate clearly with your peers. Do not leave out any major details. Your critical faculties are excellent today and you will pick out the important parts of issues in order to create a positive change. There are good practical jobrelated thoughts and ideas available for you. You are a real charmer—able to enchant others and bring them under your spell. Working with public relations issues is your specialty. Your ideals and ability to see the whole picture is obvious to all who come to know you.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Be flexible in your routine today. Outside influences tend to throw you off track. New ways to organize and discipline yourself are possible now. Here is an opportunity to get some insight into some of your responsibilities that may prove of great value in time to come. This is a great time to reflect and understand your own situation: just how you feel about your circumstances. A complicated task demands your expertise. Do not be too hasty in trying to speed up the task—you could eliminate something important. This evening you will find yourself writing notes, making calls and taking time for those in the community who need support. Energetic activities are favored at this time. This evening you may make an important decision concerning a child.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You are driven and passionate in your pursuit of change and inner growth. You are well advised to seek the advice of someone you trust when it comes to career matters. Things are happening on which your career or path depends. Your own ambition and drive is strong now. This is the perfect time to get ahead by taking action. This is a real time to settle down and concentrate on your goals. Your organizational abilities and sense of responsibility will be what guides you and proves successful. Your career is moving into a much more determined and solid form—a firm foundation. You can enjoy and depend more on those family members and friends now. You are able to dispense with some of the unessential and develop what is most basic.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Your career or life-path may depend on your talent for responding and making something out of ideas, insights . . . whatever is new and challenging. The business world may call for your ability to react and build on opportunities. This is a time for getting ahead and a time to enjoy your career and savor its rewards. The social graces pave your path to success. Your personal reputation is of the utmost importance while visiting with executives today—you will put your best foot forward. The key spot in your personality is your mind—the world of ideas and communication. You will take the opportunity to present your ideas to higher-ups today. Unconventional and possibly eccentric, but positive, solutions to housing are available now.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

There is lots of early action on the job today. Work through the madness. You may also help a co-worker to get on track today. You are wise to pull from your own experience to offer sound advice. Real estate plays a big part in your life goals and a surprise or unexpected event regarding real estate may be quite profitable. Stay with the flow of events and see where the ride takes you. A pregnancy or upcoming marriage may come to your attention this afternoon. The contributions you make toward a good relationship are very important at this time. Give of your time, energy and money to help with this relationship. Joint resources prosper under today’s energies. Come together with a plan to expand. Surround yourself with people you can trust.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You may feel you are in the right place today—everything just automatically falls into place. All the numbers add up and there are no complaints from the public, especially if you are working in a complaint department or in an employee department. Money benefits come your way today. This is a nice day that should just flow along.

Enjoy the company of your loved ones this afternoon. Meditate to relax your mind. This evening you will do well in activities that include children, young people and your home and surroundings. You could feel real support and harmony at this time for circumstances and those around you.

You are compassionate. You also enjoy serving others, you worry about their welfare. Share in merriment this evening.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You feel a love of order and law—an appreciation for responsibilities and duty. You may be called on to help with a problem co-worker or customer today. Problems today are valued for the lessons they represent, rather than perceived as obstacles. You are at your most practical when it comes to dealing and working with others. You know just what to do and can act without haste and emotion. Close relationships and other ties between people become a focus for much of your energy now. New partnerships are entered into; old ones are renewed or else they are left behind. You try your strength against another—learning to cooperate or seeking to conquer. Work, achievement and ambition are the things that mean a lot to you now.

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Years

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

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

171 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22921555 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22958787 22453820/1 22404838/9

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands

0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345

Central African Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK) Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia

00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044 00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689

y

A

36

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

lifest yle G o s s i p

hat’s in a name? About $3 billion, if you happen to spell it T-r-u-m-p. Real estate mogul, reality television star and author Donald Trump estimates his net worth at $7 billion in a forthcoming book. In his latest tome, Trump, known for promoting everything from his real estate projects to board games, vodka and reality TV shows, spells out his net worth, coming up with a figure billions more than Forbes magazine, which in September put the amount at $2.9 billion. Much of

W

judge on Monday rejected a request for additional tests on a bottle of the anesthetic propofol deemed responsible for Michael Jackson’s death. Attorneys for Dr Conrad Murray, who was convicted on Nov 1 of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 death of the singer, asked for tests on the vial of propofol that was found in Jackson’s bedroom on the morning he died. But judge Michael Pastor said Murray’s defense team had months to ask for the tests and should have done so during the six week trial.

Jackson, 50, was ruled to have died on June 25, 2009 from a propofol overdose and a combination of sedatives. “You’re not involved in fishing, you’re involved in foraging,” Pastor told the lawyers on Monday. Murray admitted giving Jackson a dose of propofol-normally used to sedate patients before surgery-as a sleep aid. But his attorneys argued during the Los Angeles trial that Jackson gave himself an extra fatal dose when Murray was out of the room. Defense attorneys said on Monday they wanted the new tests to confirm or disprove the prosecution theory that Murray hooked Jackson up to a IV drip of propofol and left the room. Murray is in jail awaiting sentencing on Nov. 29 and could face up to four years in prison.

A

esley Snipes won’t be leaving home with his American Express card anytime soon - primarily because he’s currently sitting in the slammer-and that’s probably a good thing. “Blade” star Snipes was slapped with a lawsuit in Orange County, Fla, Circuit Court on Friday by American Express, which claims that the actor racked up a $29,343 bill with them when he was still walking free. The complaint is seeking that amount, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. Snipes began a three-year prison sentence at Pennsylvania’s McKean Federal Correction Institution in December 2010 for failing to file tax

W

ary Barlow doesn’t like his kids listening to Black Eyed Peas. The Take That frontman who has children Daniel, 11, Emily, nine, and two-year-old Daisy with wife Dawn - doesn’t like the explicit lyrics the group use and will turn off their records so the youngsters are not exposed to swear words. He said: “Luckily, lyrics go over their heads for the most part, but I have had five nine year olds in my back seat singing along to Black Eyed Peas songs with ‘F’ this ‘F’ that and I’m like, ‘Right, I’m stopping the car!’ “I don’t like my kids listening to swearing. I’m the kind of parent who doesn’t like his kids to learn bad language like that too early on.” Gary also hit out at the sexualisation of music, admitting he is astonished by how “rude” some promotional videos are.

He told Britain’s OK! Magazine: “Music videos these days are so sexual. The other day, I wanted some music in the kitchen and put on one of the music TV channels and a video came on which as

G

the $4 billion-plus discrepancy lies with something Trump calls “brand value,” in the financial detail contained in “Time to Get Tough,” due out Dec 5. On page 182, Trump lists holdings including $1.37 billion in New York City commercial properties and $1.22 billion in club facilities and related real estate.

Liabilities include some $374 million in loans and mortgages. At $3 billion his biggest asset-by far-is brand value, which according to a note “has been established by Predictiv, the highly respected brand

returns. The actor, 49, employed a number of tactics in an effort to establish his innocence, including the invocation of the “861 argument” which theorizes that US residents’ domestic income isn’t taxable, and a claim that he’s a “non-resident alien.” In truth, the actor was born in Orlando, Fla. Snipes’ legal representative did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment. Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

so rude that I had to turn it off because my nine year old was with me. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a prude but I don’t think I really want my children seeing those kind of videos at that age. “I’m a parent. I have a responsibility, but I also understand that these videos are sexual to attract people’s attention but when you have young children, it’s not to be promoted.”

Jolie and Pitt’s son reunited with biological grandmother mily Blunt agreed to become the face and ambassadress for Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium fragrance because fragrances “evoke” so many memories for people. The ‘Devil Wears Prada’ actress will star in the new TV and print campaigns for the “evocative” scent - which was created by perfumer Jean-Louis Sieuzac in 1977 - and Emily revealed she loves fragrances because scent is so important to her. She explained to People: “I think really that’s what I love

E

most about it - it evokes so much for people.

Everyone always says they’ve smelled something, and remember this beautiful memory they experienced maybe many years ago.

There’s something very powerful about it.”

Emily’s new advertising campaign for the brand - where she plays a woman on the hunt for the Opium fragrance - will air in December and Emily revealed she was thrilled to play a role rather than simply pose with the product. She said: “It was thrilling. I was given a story to play, and for me as an actress that’s very exciting. I’m not just posing or just trying to sell something.”

Speaking about the perfume previously she said: “”It is a really exciting experience to embody this legendary fragrance, which has stood the test of time without its allure ever being diminished. Being a part of this new campaign and being able to tell the story of this very evocative fragrance is a real thrill.”

Renaud de Lesquen, president of YSL & Designer Brands, explained the new campaign will portray “a fiery, almost reckless woman with magnetic seduction, that nobody or nothing can resist”. He added: “Opium embraces the whole history and values of our house.”

iam and Noel Gallagher’s mother wants them to stop their legal battle. The former Oasis stars are set to go head-to-head in court after Liam filed a lawsuit against Noel claiming libel, which he has responded to by counter-suing. Their mum Peggy Gallagher, 64, who lives in Burnage, Manchester where the brothers grew up - is dismayed by what is happening and wants her sons to end their feud.

She told the Daily Star newspaper: “I’ve found it very upsetting. I want them to sort it out.” A source added: “The brothers know she is upset by the whole episode. But they obviously feel the need to defend themselves in court now.” Liam, 39, initially sued Noel, 44, over claims had missed Oasis’ V

L

ngelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s son Pax has reunited with his biological grandmother. The couple arranged for the eight year old who was adopted from an orphanage near Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam, in 2007 - to spend time with his grandmother Nhan Dung when the Jolie-Pitt family took a recent trip to the exclusive Six Senses resort in Con Dao, South East Vietnam. An insider told Us Weekly

A

Festival concert in August 2009 because he had a hangover. Liam insisted he had been diagnosed with laryngitis which forced him to miss the group’s second headlining night, a fact Noel later acknowledged in a radio interview, which was believed to have brought an end to the row. However, on November 1 Noel lodged a defense with the Queen’s Bench Division in London which included a string of counter claims against his sibling, which are now expected to see them meet in court next summer.

In his counter claims, Noel says his “hangover” statement arose out of exasperation at Liam’s “generally irresponsible and unreasonable behavior” over the years the band existed. The papers state: “The

valuation company.” The company, the note continues, “measures the financial impact of intangibles such as brand, strategy execution, innovation and post-merger integration.” In its latest look at his finances Forbes conceded that “yes, Trump remains adamant that Forbes is underestimating his brand value”-which they put at $200 million. His response: “You’re ridiculous,” Forbes reported.

magazine: “It was a one day visit. Nhan was looking forward to it after Pax had lived so many years abroad.” Angelina - who also raises Cambodian-born Maddox, 10, and Ethiopian orphan Zahara, six, as well as biological kids Shiloh, five, and three-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne, with Brad - recently revealed her brood are keen to learn about each other’s cultures. She said: “They are all learning about each other’s cultures as well as being proud of their own. “So it’s not like just the boys get to do the Asian thing. They all have their flags over their beds and their individual pride.” Meanwhile, Brad and Angelina have employed specialist teachers to ensure their children don’t forget their native tongue.

Angelina recently explained: “We have teachers who teach Cambodian and Vietnamese in our house and they know their flags, their music and quite a lot about their culture. We bring in as much as we can.”

claimant had a history over the years of not only throat problems and of pursuing such an incompatible lifestyle, but of treating Oasis fans and the defendant with disrespect by disrupting gigs, including walking off stage, assaulting them and generally acting irresponsibly.” He also states how “the last straw” for the band came at a show in Paris August 2009 when Liam “completely lost control” moments before going on stage. The papers claim Liam allegedly began “swinging a guitar around like an axe, nearly smashing the defendant in the face with it” and it was this behavior that led to Noel quitting Oasis. — Bang Showbiz

im Kardashian’s “inner circle” have remained in contact with her estranged husband Kris Humphries. The socialite announced at the end of last month she is divorcing the basketball star after just 72 days of marriage, but two of her closest pals have been offering comfort to her estranged spouse and advising him on how to move on with his life following the split. A source told RadarOnline.com: “Kim would be livid if she found out that two of her friends have been talking to Kris, as recently as late Sunday night...

“The contact between Kris and Kim’s posse haven’t been bashing her, rather, the girls are offering their support to Kris. They feel bad for him, and are giving him advice on how to move forward.” Some of Kim’s friends are said to be unhappy with her treatment of them following the breakdown of her relationship as they feel they are regarded as “disposable” by the reality TV star and her famous family. The source added: “Kim’s inner circle was shocked that she decided to end her marriage, and that Kris has essentially been disposed of. Her former friends have been shut out of Kim’s life since the decision was made to file for divorce, which has been shocking to her former BFFs. Kim’s pals also feel that they are disposable in the Kardashian world, even more insulting to them is they have known Kim for over 10 years.” It was recently revealed that Brittny Gastineau - a friend of Kim who caught the bouquet at her wedding - has not heard from her pal since the couple split, despite making numerous attempts to contact her. Brittny’s mother Lisa Gastineau said: “Britt has always been a great friend to Kim.”

K

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Years

lifestyle A W A R D S

(From left) Luis Marques , Technical Director, Guiherme Bokel , Executive Producer and cast with the Telenovela award for ‘Lacos de Sangue (Blood Ties) from Portugal.

UK wins five International Emmys as

Gaga T

List of winners Arts Programming: Gareth Malone Goes to Glyndebourne Twenty Twenty Television United Kingdom Best Performance by an Actor: Christopher Eccleston as Willy Houlihan ‘Accused’ RSJ Films for BBC One United Kingdom Best Performance by an Actress: Julie Walters as Mo Mowlam ‘MO’ ITV Studios for Channel 4 United Kingdom Children & Young People: ‘Con Que Suenas?’ ‘(What is your Dream?)’

Mi Chica Producciones / CNTV / TVN Chile Comedy: ‘Benidorm Bastards’ Shelter / VMMA Belgium Documentary: ‘Life with Murder’ JS Kastner Productions / The National Film Board of Canada in association with CTV Canada Drama Series: ‘Accused’ RSJ Films for BBC One United Kingdom

(From left) Soren Staermose Producer, Susann Billberg Rydholm Line Producer, presenters US actress Jessica Szhor and Brazilian actor Vladimir Brichta with the TV Movie/Mini-Series award for ‘Millennium’ from Sweden.

he United Kingdom won five International Emmy Awards on Monday as “American Idol” executive producer Nigel Lythgoe received an honorary prize presented by Lady Gaga, who made a surprise appearance. The Emmys, which honor television produced outside the United States, extended their reach at its 39th annual awards. While the United Kingdom dominated, winning five of 10 competitive categories including best actress for Julie Walters and best actor for Christopher Eccleston, it was not a sweep as in recent years when it won as many as eight awards.

Belgium, Chile, Portugal, Canada and Sweden each won one award, with Chile winning its first-ever Emmy, for children’s programming for “What Is Your Dream?”

Belgium won best comedy series for “Benidorm Bastards,” a hidden camera show in which elderly people play tricks on younger folk.

The UK series “Accused,” which chronicles the stories of suspects awaiting trial verdicts, was named best drama.

Eccleston won for his role on “Accused” while Walters triumphed for her performance as British Labour MP Mo Mowlam.

Neither was on hand to accept their awards.

But the show got an injection of Hollywood glamour when Gaga took to the stage in an unannounced appearance to present the Founders Award to Lythgoe, who also executive produces “So

drops in

You Think You Can Dance,” calling him her favorite executive in the business.

Lythgoe returned the warmth, saying that Gaga, who wore a relatively understated black gown and sported a long blond wig and dark glasses, “certainly is, for my money, the most creatively talented woman in show business right now.”

Among other honors, Sweden’s “Millennium,” a crime-solving drama that pairs an investigative journalist with an anti-social female computer hacker, won best TV movie or miniseries, while Canada won for its documentary, “Life With Murder,” about a man accused of murdering his sister. The arts programming and non-scripted, or reality, Emmys were both won by the UK ‘s Twenty Twenty Television for the opera-world set “Gareth Malone Goes to Glyndebourne,” and “The World’s Strictest Parents,” in which wild teenagers are sent to live with families run by strict parents.

Subhash Chandra, the media magnate behind India’s Essel Group of companies and Founder of ZEE TV, India’s first Hindi satellite channel, received the Directorate Award. Portugal won its second consecutive Emmy for telenovela, winning for revenge drama “Blood Ties,” about two sisters, one long presumed drowned in an accident survived by the other. Other presenters at the ceremony, hosted by actor Jason Priestley, included Ally Sheedy, journalist Dan Rather and Tony award winner John Larroquette. — Reuters

Lady Gaga and producer Nigel Lythgoe pose for photos after she presented him with the Founders Award at the 39th International Emmys, on Monday. —AP/AFP photos

Non-Scripted Entertainment: ‘The World’s Strictest Parents’ Twenty Twenty Television United Kingdom Telenovela: ‘Lacos de Sangue’ ‘(Blood Ties)’ S.I.C. (Sociedade Independente de Comunicacao)/ TV Globo Portugal TV Movie/Mini-Series: ‘Millennium’ Yellow Bird / SVT / ZDF / Nordisk Film Sweden International Emmy Founders Award: Nigel Lythgoe International Emmy Directorate Award: Shubhash Chandra — Reuters

(From left) John Kastner, Producer, Director, Writer and Silva Basmajian, Executive Producer, and presenter Dan Rather with Documentary award for ‘Life with Murder’ from Canada.

(From left) Tim Carter, CEO Twenty Twenty Television, Sam Whittaker , Executive Producer and cast, with the Non-Scripted Entertainment award for ‘The World’s Strictest Parents’ from Britain.

(From left) British actor Gareth Malone celebrates with Tim Carter, CEO Twenty Twenty Television and Lucy Hillman , Executive Producer of “Gareth Malone Goes to Glyndebourne” from Britain.

(From left) Producers Tim Van Aelst , Katrien Van Neiuwenhove and Tom Baetens, of Belgium, with presenter US actor John Larroquette after winning for ‘Benidorm Bastards’ in the Comedy category.

(From left) Guiherme Bokel, Executive Producer and Luis Marques, Technical Director, with the Telenovela award for ‘Lacos de Sangue (Blood Ties) from Portugal.

(From left) Samantha Artal Susskand, Executive Producer and Paula Andrea Gomez Vera, Director of “Con Que Suenas? (What is your Dream?)” from Chile, winner in Children & Young People category.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

lifestyle M u s i c

M

ove over Mozart. Toes in Salzburg are tapping to a new beat as residents finally embrace the Hollywood musical that put them on the map nearly half a century ago. Playing for the first time in this haughty town of opera lovers, “The Sound of Music,” has been met with surprisingly positive reactions in what is commonly considered a last bulwark of resistance to the iconic show.

“A wonderful performance,” enthused Johann Fink as he waited at the coat check at the end of a recent performance at the ornate Salzburg State Theater.

another sound of music - the music of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms. And it has a different concept of culture.

While residents earn millions each year from the tourists who come for sing-along tours of sites featured in the film, they traditionally view the visitors with benign disdain and occasionally as pests. Residents of the upscale Salzburg neighborhood where the von Trapp home is located tried and failed - to block attempts to turn the edifice into a hotel, fearing tourists would tie up traffic and make a nuisance of themselves. A museum dedicated

(File) Wietske van Tongeren, right, in the role of Maria Rainer and Uwe Kroeger as Captain Georg von Trapp, left, perform with children.

Such a reception in Salzburg is hardly a given despite the global popularity of the musical that was based on a true story and immortalized by the 1965 multiple Academy Award winning movie. Fans around the world may know every word of every song performed by Julie Andrews as the governess of seven children who charms - then weds - their widowed father Baron von Trapp, before the singing family flees the Nazis. But this city resonates to

to the film is still looking for a home after more than 600 residents in another neighborhood signed a petition three years ago against it, telling the city council they feared that local streets would be jammed with tour buses.

Resistance persists even though the city would literally be poorer without the musical’s magnet effect. Peter Proetzner, who guides daily bus-fulls of tourists on pilgrimages of the sites immortalized by the film, cites a poll

P

resident Barack Obama turned the White House into a country music hall on Monday, inviting an array of country stars for a concert that gave voice “to the emotions of everyday life.” Cowboy hats and bolo ties mixed with the majestic chandeliers of the East Room for a toe-tapping series of performances by Dierks Bentley, Alison Krauss, Lyle Lovett, Kris Kristofferson, Darius Rucker, James Taylor, The Band Perry, Lauren Alaina and Micky.

“Tonight, we are turning the East Room into a bona fide country music hall,” Obama said. Only days after wrapping up a nine-day trip through Hawaii, Australia and Indonesia, the president told guests that Johnny Cash “was really singing our song when he sang, ‘I’ve been everywhere, man.’”

Obama said country music tied together many threads of the nation’s immigrant heritage, from the Irish fiddle, the German dulcimer, the Italian mandolin, the Spanish guitar and the West African banjo. “At its most pure, that’s what country music is all about - life in America. It’s about storytelling - giving voice to the emotions of everyday life.”

Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, wearing a pink silk pantsuit, watched from the front row to a set list of country music past and present.

Bentley opened the concert by telling the audience that his thoughts were with members of the military and their families and then broke into a stirring rendition of “Home,” his current hit. Taylor, wearing a tan Stetson hat with his blue suit, sang his 1970s hit “Riding on the Railroads,” and performed a version of Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman.” Krauss performed an acoustic version of “When You Say Nothing At All,” her 1995 hit song.

Lovett reprised his 1994 hit, “Funny How Time Slips Away.”

Country star Willie Nelson’s influence loomed large over the show.

Kristofferson and Rucker performed “Pancho and Lefty,” a 1983 hit by Nelson and Merle Haggard, while Alaina did a rendition of Elvis Presley’s “You Were Always on My Mind,” which Nelson turned into a Grammy winner, also in 1983. Some of the most recognizable country standards were featured, with Alaina covering Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” and The Band Perry performing Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” Rucker, the former front man for Hootie and the Blowfish, got a shout-out from Obama - “Hootie’s in the house,” Obama told the audience - and later performed his contemporary hit, “I Got Nothin.”—AP

(From left) Kris Kristofferson, Lyle Lovett, and Darius Rucker, perform during an interactive student workshop on the history of Country music hosted by first lady Michelle Obama, Monday, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. — AP

&

M o v i e s

showing the Sound of Music as the city’s second biggest draw - right after the dozens of classical music events that resonate through its cobblestoned alleys. “The Sound of Music is better known than Mozart worldwide,” he asserts. South Koreans learn the songs as part of their English lessons. Some foreigners think “Edelweiss” - composed for the musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein - is Austria’s national anthem. And Austrian tourism surveys show that three out of four American visitors to Salzburg come because of the musical.

Australian Dianne Cole says she knows “absolutely nothing” about Austria - and will probably go home still ignorant of the country’s cultural, scenic and culinary delights.

“This is why I came to Austria,” she said recently, as her Sound of Music tour bus set out for its first stop - Leopoldskron Lake (where Maria and the children capsized their boat). “The sole reason is to do this tour.” In contrast, most Salzburgers don’t even know the musical. In a city that traditionally raps American culture as trashy, residents prefer to be associated with Mozart, Salzburg’s favorite son, instead of a film many write off as Hollywood kitsch.

And then there is the troubling Nazi component of The Sound of Music - a reminder, reinforced by the Swastika flag and storm troopers on stage, that not only Mozart, but Hitler, too, was Austrian. Austria has long shed its self-fabricated myth that it was a victim of Nazi atrocities instead of one of its most fervent suppor ters. Restitution panels have returned homes and precious ar tworks.

Millions of euros (dollars) have been doled out to Holocaust victims and their descendants, and schoolbooks now deal in depth with this nation’s complicity in the crimes of the Nazi dictator, born just 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Salzburg.

“I think that this is truly the right moment in time, when Austrians are actually ready to deal with their past,” says Andreas Gergen, who directed the German-language production. Still, anti-Semitic sentiment remains. A survey of 1,070 Austrians conducted earlier this year showed that 12 percent want their country “free of Jews.” Backed by the country’s neo-Nazi fringe, the country’s rightist FPO party is the second-strongest in the country although it now exploits Islamophobia instead of anti-Jewish sentiment. And the sight of Nazis on stage may remind some older audience members of uncomfortable historical facts. Over 99 percent of Austrians voted in

T

he Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has selected its shortlist of documentary features that will vie for an Oscar. The 15 titles announced Friday include “Pina,” Wim Wenders’ 3D tribute to late choreographer Pina Bausch; “Project Nim,” the story of a 1970s behavioral project involving a chimpanzee; AIDS-themed chronicle “We Were Here” and “Buck,” a portrait of the man who inspired “The Horse Whisperer.”

A couple of war-themed films made the cut: “Hell and Back Again” and “Under Fire: Journalists in Combat,” while “Semper Fi: Always Faithful” centers on a career military man who exposes a Marine Corps cover-up of an environmental crisis. Among The highly regarded documentaries that didn’t make the

favor of their country becoming part of the Third Reich in 1938; proportionally more Austrians than Germans were Nazi party members, and many of Hitler’s closest henchmen were Austrians.

Like the Salzburg version, the first full Austrian showing in Vienna in 2005 featured actors dressed as Nazi storm troopers standing guard at exits and a theater box filled with mock Nazi dignitaries - clearly too painful for some. Back then, some elderly audience members who last witnessed brown-shirted men wearing swastika arm bands as children were so troubled they hastily left the theater without watching the performance. Six years later, reactions to the Nazi theme are mixed. “Of course it’s not so pleasant for us Salzburgers to be confronted with it,” said Judith Herbst. But the smartly dressed woman in her mid 60s said that as far as she was concerned the role of Austria in Hitler’s crimes was no longer debatable.

For others, though, the sight of men in forbidden Nazi garb entering the theater remains traumatic.”It was horrible for a moment almost unbelievable,” said theatergoer Fink.

“Thank God this era is in the past!” But there were no gasps of dismay regarding the rest of the show. Some hummed its ear- candy melodies at the coat check after the performance.”Kitsch? I was afraid that would be the case,” said Helmi Popeter. “But once you see it, you realize that’s not so.”— AP

shortlist are Werner Herzog’s look at capital punishment, “Into the Abyss,” and Steve James’s “The Interrupters,” an exploration of grassroots attempts to curb urban violence.

For the preliminary round of voting, the Documentary Branch Screening Committee viewed 124 feature-length nonfiction films that qualified in the category. Documentary Branch members will select five nominees from the 15-title shortlist. Nominations for the 84th Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 24. The awards ceremony is scheduled for Feb 26. The Academy’s documentary shortlist, in alphabetical order: “Battle for Brooklyn” “Bill Cunningham New York” “Buck”

(File) Wietske van Tongeren in the role of Maria Rainer, center, performs with children during a dress rehearsal for the musical “The Sound of Music” by Richard Rogers in Salzburg, Austria.

—AP photos

“Hell and Back Again” “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” “Jane’s Journey” “The Loving Story” “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” “Pina” “Project Nim” “Semper Fi: Always Faithful” “Sing Your Song” “Undefeated” “Under Fire: Journalists in Combat” “We Were Here” — Reuters

Enthused by 3-D, Scorsese sees in a new dimension

T

helma Schoonmaker, Martin Scorsese’s longtime editor, warmly greets a reporter outside their Manhattan offices ahead of a screening of Scorsese’s new 3-D fairy tale, “Hugo.” Around the corner is Schoonmaker’s editing bay, where she and Scorsese keep Turner Classic Movies running silently on a nearby screen while they work. Inside is a screening room where Scorsese often runs old films, familiar classics and newfound gems. At one time, they gathered with Elia Kazan every Saturday to watch one of his films. Large movie posters dot the halls: “The Third Man,” “Black Narcissus.”

Directions to the bathroom are given as “across from Marlon Brando.”

It is, in short, a cinephile’s dream - a description that also could apply to the magical “Hugo.” The film, adapted from Brian Selznick’s award-winning illustrated book “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” is about a 12-year-old orphan, Hugo (Asa Butterfield), who lives in a 1930 Paris train station. It also is - as are so many of Scorsese’s films - a movie about movies. It captures young Hugo’s ecstatic discovery of cinema, echoing Scorsese’s own experience as an asthmatic child in New York’s Little Italy. Hugo’s adventures ultimately lead him to the turn-of-the century French filmmaker George Melies (Ben Kingsley), a special effects pioneer and early believer in the wonder of movies.

Just as Scorsese is looking back through film history, however, he also is looking ahead: “Hugo” is his first 3-D film. For a medium that has undergone a lot of criticism and doubt since James Cameron’s groundbreaking “Avatar,” Scorsese’s enthusiastic embrace of 3-D does a lot for its credibility. “It was a big issue when Fellini did his first color film, when Bergman did his first color film, when Antonioni did

In this image released by Paramount Pictures, Asa Butterfield portrays Hugo Cabret and Ben Kingsley plays Georges Melies in a scene from “Hugo.” — AP ‘Red Desert,’” recalled Scorsese in a recent interview and trip through the technological history of movies. “Everybody wanted to see how they did color.”

2011 is shaping up to be the year many notable directors took up 3-D: Werner Herzog (“Cave of Forgotten Dreams”), Francis Ford Coppola (“Twixt”), Wim Wenders (“Pina”) and Steven Spielberg (“The Adventures of Tintin”). But no one’s entry to 3-D has quite the same import as that of Scorsese, long held as America’s best. An inevitable side-effect of even a slight brush with Scorsese is that your Netflix queue doubles in length. His encyclopedic knowledge of film constantly spawns detailed analysis: He would much rather discuss a few thousand other films than his own. There are old favorites that

frequently come up - Michael Powell, Max Ophuls, Jean Renoir - and various dips into the rabbit hole.

Asked what films he shows his 12-year-old daughter (who helped inspire him to make “Hugo”), Scorsese lists more than 20 films, a virtual film school for adolescence. Scorsese grew up in another age of 3-D films, and he consulted many of those from the 1950s: “House of Wax,” “Kiss Me Kate,” “Dial M for Murder.” To him, seeing in depth is natural, “because we live with depth.” “There’s great potential for it,” the director says of 3-D.—AP

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

lifestyle M u s i c

T

he allure of cocaine and heroin has tragic effects for the addict and for their families. But for a sensitive child who already has lost his mother, watching his father slip away into addiction is even more heartbreaking and maddening. That is the fate of Luka, the 10-year-old, upper-middle-class white boy at the center of Dael Orlandersmith’s lyrical, poetic but bleak new play, “Horsedreams,” currently performing in a compelling, limited off-Broadway run at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. Orlandersmith, a 2002 Pulitzer Prize finalist for “Yellowman,” her exploration of racial identity within the black community, has structured her new play in monologue format, with four characters telling their stories separately while occasionally interacting.

Luka’s loving but immature parents, Desiree, now a ghost, (beguilingly portrayed by Roxanna Hope) and Loman (Michael Laurence, nicely ratcheting up the increasingly harried desperation) begin with flashbacks, relaying the hypnotic story of their New York City club-partying, coke-snorting younger and happier days. Loman, a successful third-generation lawyer, has champagne, cocaine and limousines at his disposal, and the couple wistfully relishes the memories of their wild times out on the town, when they “took the dance floor,” and had plenty of hot sex. They soon mar-

ry, but Desiree is quickly bored with Loman, suburban life and motherhood in Westchester County. She begins going out with friends at night, and soon both she and Loman are doing coke again. That leads her to a secret heroin addiction which ends her life in an overdose when Luka is 3.

The second part of the play focuses on Loman’s harrowing downward spiral, as he throws himself into his work and more and more frequently needs to “take the edge off.” Luka is now old enough to see what’s happening and to become very angry. Director Gordon Edelstein sensitively keeps most of the histrionics in check, except when Desiree several times steps forward to exhort Luka or Loman to “Go faster and faster!” Ten-year-old Luka, played with maturity and restraint by Matthew Schechter, has not been told how his mother really died. He dreams of riding a flying horse with her, and his weekly horseback riding lessons make him feel close to her again. One borderline overstretched parallel has Luka innocently saying, “I try to ride as long as I can and then the time is up/I have to come down” while his father anxiously repeats the same thing about his cocaine highs.

Luka’s caring, African-American nanny, Mira (a forceful performance by Orlandersmith), rounds out the cast as an angry presence. She is furious at the wasted

T

Musician Rebecca Pidgeon opens for Keb Mo at House of Blues in Chicago. — MCT

O

ne night a few weeks ago the House of Blues was jammed with fans of the blues singer/songwriter/guitarist Keb’ Mo’. They were a lively crowd, predominantly white (Keb’ Mo’ is African American), drinking and talking loudly as the opening act walked onstage. In this crowd were a small number of people there to see and hear the opening act, a singer/songwriter named Rebecca Pidgeon, who also is an actress of considerable accomplishment, the mother of two teenagers and the wife of the greatest playwright to ever call Chicago home, David Mamet.

A couple of Mamet’s relatives and a couple of friends were in the crowd, all but one never having heard of Mr Mo’ but all eager to witness the latest chapter in Pidgeon’s musical career. She did not disappoint. Pidgeon played guitar and sang with appealing authority. Accompanied by Tim Young on guitar, she performed a number of songs from her new album, “Slingshot,” a stunning gathering of a dozen tunes, from the politically provocative “Disintegration Man,” a big YouTube hit, to the countryish “Baby Please Come Home Again,” co-written with her husband.

Conversations ceased. Attention was paid. Applause was loud.

Naturally, the family thought Pidgeon was fantastic. “What strikes me most is the honesty in her voice,” said her brother-in-law, Bob Mamet, a talented jazz pianist and recording artist, who recently moved back here from California. “Of course, she’s a great songwriter, but when you hear her sing, she has this purity of tone that is so compelling.”

Lest you think this is nepotism at play, other members of the crowd expressed similar praise. “Rebecca Pidgeon’s voice has a lightness about it that is missing from other current female artists,” said Rea Frey, an author and personal trainer. “The simple acoustic guitar and one-man accompaniment provide all you need for a satisfying show. Her songs leave you with a smile.”

Said Frey’s husband, Alex Holguin, a graphic designer: “Her pleasing voice and honest lyrics are like glimpsing a few pages of someone’s journal. She tells a story with a voice-clear and defiant-that is one that you want to keep listening to.”

Pidgeon was born to English parents in Cambridge, Mass., while her father was a visiting professor at MIT. She grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and for a few years was lead singer of the British folk/pop band Ruby Blue. She left the band to focus on acting, met Mamet and married him in 1991.

She has since juggled acting and music and family with dexterity: Movies (starring in her husband’s “The Spanish Prisoner,” “The Winslow Boy” and “Heist,” among many), albums (including “The Four Marys” and “Behind the Velvet Curtain,” which features a stunning cover of the Beach Boys’ “Wouldn’t It Be Nice?”) and kids (Clara, 17, and Noah, 12). For “Slingshot,” she took guitar lessons for the first time in her career.

“I was never good,” she says. “But this has empowered me as a performer, made me more confident in the studio and onstage. And it’s a great deal of fun.” She has enjoyed touring for the first time in two decades.

“It’s only for a few days at a time. I do love it but I miss the family desperately,” she says. Back in California with her family, hunkering down for the holidays, she says she expects to perform in Chicago again early next year.

In the background, her husband the writer can be heard: “I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there. I am so proud of her and this album. I’ll make sure I’m there the next time.” — MCT

&

M o v i e s

opportunities of wealthy, drug- addicted white people, who have it all but throw it away for the thrill of getting high, while she struggles to make ends meet and takes care of their neglected children. Orlandersmith has written convincing descriptions of how easy it is to slide into drug dependency, no matter one’s race or class. She compares the seductive lure of getting high to the thrill of riding a horse, without actually using the word “horse” as a street name for heroin. Although Loman and Desiree are thinly sketched, they each have some intense monologues, and the high quality of the acting compensates for a few weak plot points.

Despite a few flaws, “Horsedreams” works as a dramatic, cautionary 95-minute story filled with rich imagery and harsh truths that leave the audience contemplating how easy it would be for a life to gradually spin out of control. — AP (From left) Michael Laurence, Roxanna Hope and Matthew Schechter are shown in a scene from Dael Orlandersmith’s new play, “Horsedreams” performing offBroadway at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in New York. — AP

aylor Swift has such an exceptional flair for capturing intimate moments and little emotional quirks on her records that it was bracing to realize, a tour or two back, that the sensitive girl with the teardrops on her guitar is really, at heart, a Broadway baby. Emotionally aware songwriters aren’t supposed to be spectacular show women, too. Would we have thought less of Carole King, Laura Nyro or Joni Mitchell if they suddenly declared that what they really want to do is direct “Les Miserables”? (Answer: probably.)

Swift is baiting Black Friday shoppers with a combo CD/DVD package, “Speak Now World Tour-Live,” commemorating her noteven-yet-completed 2011 arena/stadium trek (which wraps up this week at Madison Square Garden). Its success comes in capturing how Swift’s touring show scales Lloyd Webber-ian levels of pomp and pageantry while still staying true to the barely postadolescent poetry that made her countrypop’s greatest populist practitioner.

As with a Madonna tour, nearly every number gets its own production design and costuming. The song “Speak Now,” her bouncy musical-comedy remake of the last reel of “The Graduate,” has Swift and some colorfully skirted backup singers doing vintage girlgroup-style choreography as they bust in on a former beau’s wedding. “Mean,” her hilariously jolly kiss-off to her critics, is a relaxed bluegrass hootenanny set on the kind of big, wooden porches that still exist in America, even outside the sphere of Cracker Barrels.

“Haunted” (the studio version of which was recently featured on “ True Blood”) trades those friendly banjos for a brooding mini-orchestra and the rural duds for flowing gowns and elaborate crimson goth, making a lost first love sound just as apocalyptic and look just as Victorian as it should.

And then there’s the show’s silly, giddy climax, “Love Story,” where Swift fashions herself into a Juliet who steps onto the Capulet family balcony, lifts off, and floats over the entire arena, a rigging effect that makes Garth Brooks’ old soaring stunts look like something out of the Carter Family era.

Apparently, Swift is the kind of girl who hears a term like “flying buttress” and thinks literally.

As part of anyone else’s set (as if anyone else would have the budget to pull this sort of stuff off ), these set pieces would read as over-the-top shtick.

To non-converts, they still will. But Swift’s aim is at least to offer some multi-sensory

enhancement for her tunes’ emotionally detailed narratives, as opposed to making her production numbers into completely unrelated sexual-surrealist fever dreams, a la Gaga and Ciccione. You can get a kick out of the big-budget tableaux and Trevor Nunnmeets-”Glee” choreography, though, and still feel that the tour’s best moments are its simplest ones, which are built into the show just as craftily as any of its engineering feats.

Savant that she is, Swift knew even a show as elaborately staged and timed to the second as this one-or especially a show as carefully produced as this one-benefits from having the audience coming in still hoping for some one-night-only spontaneity. On this tour, that came in the form of the solo acoustic mini-set Swift did from the far end of the arena each night, where, in addition to her ukulele version of “Fearless,” she’d do a couple of unexpected cover tunes of artists who originally heralded from the city being visited.

On both the CD and DVD, that part of her show is represented by Train’s “Drops of Jupiter”... still a great song, even if Pat Monahan is the bogeyman to hipsters. The audio version has her additionally tackling Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes” (which, brace yourself, came out eight years before T-Swift did) and a too-short snippet of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.”

The Target-exclusive version of the DVD offers, as bonuses, additional solo videos of Gwen Stefani’s “Sweet Escape”-a sweet choice indeed-and David Mead’s rather more obscure “Going Back to Nashville.” With Swift devoting all this stage time to covers and 2010’s “Speak Now” album, what goes neglected are songs from her first two studio albums.

The audio disc contains nary a pre-2010 selection. The considerably longer DVD, which includes her full two-hour-plus set, includes just one song from her 2006 debut and four from her sophomore album, to enhance the dozen tracks from “Speak Now.” That’s no complaint, since “Speak Now” really is one of the best and most fully realized pop albums of the last decade.

Swift might be one of the few stars alive who could get away with completely jettisoning most of the song that originally made her a star just five years into her recording and touring career because the audience really cares more about the brand new stuff. For proof that she’s getting better at her advanced age of 21, or that she can command a stage sans bells and whistles,

F

you only have to look to her reading of “Dear John,” the epic ballad that is (presumably) her bitter send-off note following a brief and apparently scarring relationship she had with John Mayer.

Taylor Swift arrives at the 39th Annual American Music Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles. — AP She pulls out all the acting stops, which is not to say that it’s any less searing as a musical thespian’s showcase than it was on record as a spookier, disembodied audio confession. Yes, maybe there’s something more than a little show-bizzy about the fact that, when Swift finally gets to the critical line, “I’m shining like fireworks over your sad, empty town,” actual fireworks go off behind her. But if you’re the type of person who’s into the Carter Family and Cameron Mackintosh, you’ll just go along for the doubly cathartic ride. — Reuters

ilmmaker Christopher Nolan is finally ready to remove the shroud from his much-anticipated final “Batman” movie. While the director’s “ The Dark Knight Rises” isn’t due in theaters until July 20, fans will be reunited with Bruce Wayne-and rival Bane-via a prologue hitting IMAX screens Dec 21, Empire magazine reported Monday.

Nolan told the British film magazine that the prologue is “basically the first six, seven minutes of the film” and will serve as “an introduction to Bane, and a taste of the rest of the film.”

(Representatives for the movie’s studio, Warner Bros., weren’t available for further comment or confirmation.) Nolan also told Empire that “The Dark Knight Rises” would be set eight years after its predecessor. Christian Bale’s hero is “an older Bruce Wayne; he’s not in great state,” Nolan said. “Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after ‘The Dark Knight.”“ The filmmaker also discussed

the movie’s villain. “With Bane, we’re looking to give Batman a challenge he hasn’t had before,” Nolan added. “With our choice of villain and with our choice of story we’re testing Batman both physically as well as mentally.” The “Dark Knight Rises” prologue will be screened in advance of Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol” and be rated PG13.This isn’t the first time Warner Bros. has whetted Batman fans’ appetites in this fashion. In December 2007, the prologue to “The Dark Knight” was shown along with some IMAX screenings of the sci-fi film “I Am Legend.” — Reuters

UK wins five International Emmys as Gaga drops in

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2011

37

A sculpture is displayed at Gaga’s Workshop.

Gaga taps her inner Wonka for holiday workshop F

A snow globe is displayed at Gaga’s Workshop.

or the grand opening of Gaga’s Workshop, it seemed as if attached to headbands, iPhone and iPad covers and stiletto-heel Lady Gaga chartered a sleigh, picked up Santa Claus and holiday stockings as potential hits for her fans. It was, however, Willy Wonka along the way and landed Monday night at the composition notebooks splashed with her logo that she’d put Barneys New York flagship on Madison Avenue. The Workshop is at the top of the list. “I hope they’ll be given as gifts this year,” she the retailer’s in-store holiday shop, conceived, designed and chris- said. tened by Lady Gaga - 5,500 square feet of bright colors, crazy Gaga had many elves for this project, including Formichetti, shapes and a gigantic cartoon statue of the superstar herself in a whom she called the “art director” for it all. He oversaw the day-topinup pose surrounded by jagged mirday development of decor and products rors and sitting atop thousands of black - each one exclusive. “This was very perplastic discs. sonal and very emotional for us,” said From the street, passers-by get a hint Formichetti, who also helps design of what’s taken over the fifth floor of the Gaga’s concert costumes and personal store since Gaga and stylist Nicola wardrobe. Gaga’s mother, Cynthia Formichetti also created the seasonal Germanotta, also was very involved, window displays, always an attraction sharing memories with artists Eli during the holidays, but the crowds typiSudbrack and Christophe Hamaide cally don’t start building hours before Pierson and Barneys creative director the unveiling as they did on Monday. To Dennis Freedman. Items for sale - rangkeep them entertained, a troupe of ing from studded leather motorcycle clowns-turned-carolers sang some of jackets for infants to Gaga-on-aGaga’s signature songs, including “The motorcycle ornaments - purposely run Edge of Glory” and “Born This Way.” “It’s a the gamut of price and aim to appeal to ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ many ages. moment,” Gaga said. “We wanted it all to “I wanted it to be a wide spectrum,” be whimsical and fun, with a sense of art Gaga said. In the candy shop section and fashion.” there are cookies shaped like little monShe doesn’t have time to do much sters (Gaga’s affectionate term for her holiday shopping anymore, she fans) and rock candy necklaces, while explained, but Christmas was a special inside the boudoir, sort of a tent shaped time in her “traditional Italian house,” like a wig, there are hair bows and holowhere the smell of food cooking all day is gram-effect nail polishes. For toys, there one of her fondest childhood memories. are plush monsters riding a train, and As for gifts, her favorite as a teenager was the jewelry store has chunky necklaces a ticket to see a Tory Amos concert. She and bracelets from Erickson Beamon Artificial fingernails and a glove. pointed out at Barneys the hair bows and Pamela Love. —AP

Singer Lady Gaga appears at a ribbon cutting ceremony to launch Gaga’s Workshop, a holiday retail experience representing Lady Gaga’s reinterpretation of Santa’s workshop at Barneys department store in New York, Monday.

—AP photos

A facade with jewelry is displayed.

Displays are set up throughout Gaga’s Workshop.

A bookshelf and facade.

Displays are set up throughout Gaga’s Workshop, a collaborative fashion and lifestyle project between Lady Gaga and Barney’s New York.