27th Nov

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

www.kuwaittimes.net

MOHARRAM 13, 1434 AH

Premier sees no foreign interference in Kuwait Sheikh Jaber defends voting amendments, bemoans rifts

By Dr Ziad Al-Alyan Kuwait Times Deputy Editor-in-Chief

Amir on state visit to Britain

LONDON: HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah arrives at Heathrow Airport yesterday to pay a state visit to Britain, where he will stay in the regal splendour of Windsor Castle as a guest of Queen Elizabeth II.—AFP

Max 20º Min 14º High Tide 11:44 & 22:29 Low Tide 05:01 & 16:19

KUWAIT: HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah meets editors-in-chief of local newspapers at Bayan Palace yesterday. Kuwait Times Deputy Editor-in-Chief Dr Ziad Al-Alyan is seen third from right. — KUNA

MoI authorizes opposition demo

KUWAIT: “Kuwait is going through very difficult times,” HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlSabah told editors-in-chief of newspapers in Kuwait during a meeting at Bayan Palace yesterday. Remarking that he is bewildered about the current situation in the country, he queried: “How has the level of disagreement of the population reached such a critical moment? In Kuwait we have always had opinions and opposing opinions but our opposing views have never reached such a level.” He noted that it is time for the government and the media to cooperate and focus on the important issues of the day. “We might express different views but we must refrain from leveling groundless accusations against each other,” he stressed.

“The political movement in the country testifies to the vitality of the society and democratization which should give momentum to development rather than hindering it,” Sheikh Jaber added, noting that the majority in the last parliament failed to encourage the government to adopt positive steps contrary to the spirit of the constitution which favors cooperation between the legislative and executive authorities.

Continued on Page 13

in the

news

Israel’s Barak quits politics

Court won’t rule on electoral decree

By B Izzak KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry yesterday issued a permit to the organizers of the opposition demonstration on Friday, one day before the Dec 1 election. The opposition has decided to stage the demonstration in protest against holding the election on the basis of the amended electoral law. Interior Ministry spokesman Col Adel Al-Hashash told a press conference yesterday that the ministry issued the permit after it found that the application submitted by the organizers met the conditions set by the ministry, mainly that the demonstration must be peaceful.

A statement issued by the National Front for Safeguarding the Constitution, an umbrella of opposition groups, called on its supporters to actively take part in the demonstration and to

boycott the election in large numbers. The Front also called on supporters to prepare themselves for a “long battle” to achieve longawaited democratic reforms in the country.

Earlier, the administrative court yesterday said it was not competent to rule on a challenge against an Amiri decree that amended the electoral law and triggered the ongoing political crisis and calls to boycott the election.

The challenge was filed by lawyer Riyadh AlSane, who said that the decree breached the Kuwaiti constitution and demanded that the election should be halted until it had ruled on the main case. The court said that it was not authorized to rule on the case because the decree is a sovereign act. Opposition figures plan to take the issue to the constitutional KUWAIT: Candidate Abeer Al-Fawaz speaks during a gathering court after the election.

Continued on Page 13 yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Morsi holds talks over power grab

CAIRO: Egyptian activists carry the coffin of Gaber Salah, an activist who died overnight after he was critically injured in clashes last week, during his funeral in Tahrir Square yesterday. — AFP

CAIRO: Egypt’s president negotiated with judges yesterday to try to defuse a crisis over his seizure of extended powers which set off violent protests reminiscent of the uprising that thrust his Islamist movement into government. The justice minister said he thought President Mohamed Morsi would agree with a proposal from the highest judicial authority to curb the scope of new powers. Morsi was “very optimistic Egyptians would overcome the crisis”, his spokesman said.

But the protesters, some camped in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, have said only retracting the decree will satisfy them, a sign of the deep rift between Islamists and their opponents that is destabilising Egypt nearly two years after Hosni Mubarak fell. “There is no use amending the decree,” said Tarek Ahmed, 26, a protester who stayed the night in Tahrir, where tents covered the central traffic circle. “It must be scrapped.”

Continued on Page 13

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Defence Minister Ehud Barak, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stunned observers yesterday by announcing his retirement from politics ahead of snap elections in January.

The decision appeared to end a decades-long career that has seen him serve in top governmental posts and lead the country as prime minister. At a hastilyannounced press conference at the defence ministry in Tel Aviv, Barak, 70, said he would step down when the new government takes office after general elections on Jan 22. “I have decided to resign from political life and not participate in the upcoming Knesset (parliamentary) elections,” he said. “I will finish my duties as defence minister with Barak the formation of the next government in three months,” Barak added, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his family. “Politics is just one way of contributing to the state,” he said, while declining to specify whether he might consider a return to government if he were hand-picked for an appointment by Netanyahu. (See Page 8)

Climate talks open in Qatar DOHA: Nearly 200 nations launched a fresh round of United Nations climate talks in Doha yesterday amid urgent appeals to scale up the fight against Earth-warming greenhouse-gas emissions. “Time is running out,” UN climate chief Christiana Figueres told a press conference.

“The door is closing fast on us because the pace and the scale of action is simply not yet where it must be.” The run-up to the 12-day conference - the annual climax to negotiations on climate change coincided with a welter of warnings that violent events like superstorm Sandy will become commonplace if mitigation efforts fail.

Figueres “This is a historic conference of crucial importance,” said Qatar’s conference president, Abdullah Al-Attiya. “We must work seriously in the next two weeks... be flexible and not dwell (on) marginal matters.” (See Page 28)

Saudis ‘reassured’ about king’s health

KUWAIT: A panoramic view shows Kuwait City’s skyline on a rainy day yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

JEDDAH: Saudi Crown Prince Salman “reassured” Saudis during a cabinet meeting yesterday about King Abdullah’s health, more than a week after the monarch had surgery to tighten a ligament in his back, state news agency SPA reported. The king was admitted for surgery on Nov 16 and an announcement from the Royal Court said he had undergone a successful back operation that took 11 hours. “His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz reassured everybody about the health of King Abdullah,” SPA said without giving any details or saying when the king might be released from hospital. The Saudi stock market, which was on a downward trend King Abdullah throughout the day, reversed course and the index closed up 0.4 percent. Top royals have repeatedly visited King Abdullah at the Riyadh hospital since the operation, SPA said on Saturday, but no photographs of the monarch have been released.

2

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

LOCAL

Govt accused of inciting divisions within society Election campaign in full swing KUWAIT: Two Kuwaiti parliamentary hopefuls accused the government of corruption through “favouritism” while another called on the government for a national development plan driven by research. Kuwaitis prepare to select 50 representatives who will be seated at the National Assembly, during elections due on Dec 1.

“I have put my trust in the Kuwaiti people’s awareness, understanding and desire to cause a change and alteration in the political stalemate that the country has been gripped with for a number of years as a result of irresponsible practices,” third constituency candidate Mohammad Al-Reesh said in a press statement yesterday.

He also suggested that he was keen on seeing the voting in of “competent” representatives of the people at the National Assembly, able to put the interests of the nation above personal gain.

Manea Al-Ajmi blamed the government for inciting divisions within the Kuwaiti society, through favouring some communities over others and seeking to achieve individual goals.

To overcome the current political problems and for the country to witness development, ministers and MPs need to be replaced, said the fifth constituency candidate.

Focus needs to be given also to applying Islamic Sharia law more firmly, developing the individual through better standards of education, improving health facilities and the improved utilizing of financial surpluses and the vast areas of vacant land.

For his part, Mohammed Al-Barrak of the fourth constituency said that the par-

liament alone should be the determiner of the decree to revert to the single-vote system as opposed to the former four votes given for Kuwaitis opting to select their National Assembly representative.

The parliament will have the right to decide whether it will back or reject the decision recently taken by HH the Amir

The government should be supporting its development plans by programmes that encourage diversified income sources and attract foreign investments, he stressed.

He also pledged special significance to the issues of education, health and housing.

KUWAIT: Two voters attend a public address held by second constituency candidate Salah Al-Otaiqi Sunday as part of his campaign for the upcoming parliamentary elections. A survey released by the state-owned Kuwait News Agency yesterday shows that many voters believe that the period ahead of election day on Dec 1 is “not enough” to become fully acquainted with candidates’ programs or have the opportunity to discuss their agendas during activities at election camps. —Photos by yasser Al-Zayyat Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, when MPs meet after the upcoming December elections.

Education and the public health, in particular, were two sectors that needed to be addressed by the country, he said,

adding he had outlined a proposal to address the issue of education.

“It is most vital we counter corruption in all its forms, and the surest means to do so is to stress the ‘Right Man in Right Position’ principle, all the while checking against illegal profiteering, graft, and crossing the competency restraints,” stressed Second Constituency candidate for the 2012 National Assembly elections Aslan Al-Matrouk yesterday.

The candidate remarked that there is a need to overhaul the education sector through developing curricula to embrace new technologies and methodologies, as well as through introduction of workshops to help teachers and students alike and reduce the need, and therefore market, for special tutoring.

When it comes to healthcare, we need to set up full-spectrum hospitals across the country with specialized clinics, to improve standards of service at state hospitals to bring them at par with private hospitals, and to improve management and administrative aspects of state healthcare. The candidate went on to stress that if we host world specialists frequently to provide counseling and care at state hospitals, we would dramatically reduce the need and tendency to seek medication abroad.

When it comes to improving the economy, he said there is a need for introducing subjects like “small enterprises” in school curricula to increase awareness and encourage the young to engage in private sector and industrial fields. “There must also be a center where Kuwaiti small investors and entrepreneurs seek all kinds of services and advice,” he said. — KUNA

ABK congratulates Al-Tulabiya KUWAIT: Among the activities of the annual conference held by the National Union of Kuwaiti Students- USA Branch, and in which ABK is participating as a Silver Sponsor, the Bank extends its congratulations to Qaemat Al-Wehda AlTulabiya for winning the elections of the NUKS - USA Branch. Sahar Al-Therban, Public Relations Manager at ABK,

expressed her pleasure at attending the elections which had a great turnover and was perfectly planned and organized.

Al-Therban congratulated the successful winners, Saad Al-Zamel, the newly elected president and Abdulhadi Johar, Vice President, and wished them luck and success in their forthcoming role as they serve the Kuwaiti students in the USA.

Abdulhadi Johar, Ali Al-Baghli, Saad Al-Zamel and Sahar Al Therban.

25 suffocated by fumes from Hussainia fire

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Twenty-five people were affected and 13 of them had to be rushed to various hospitals after they were suffocated by fumes from a fire at a Hussainia at Rumaithiya area. Fire started from a store stocked with cookery related supplies. When the initial report about the incident was received, a single ambulance was dispatched but personnel manning it reported back that they would need six more ambulances since as many cases of people suffering from suffocation were detected by then. More ambulances were then rushed as requisitioned while the Emergency Room and the Mubarak Hospital were asked to stay ready for more cases.

By early morning, the number of suffocation cases reached 25, with four patients sent to Rumaithiya clinic and nine to the Mubarak Hospital and the Amiri Hospital. Twelve cases were treated at the site by medical emergency teams.

KIPCO brings students in US closer to home KUWAIT: KIPCO - the Kuwait Projects Company - is bringing Kuwaitis studying in the United States closer to home through special segments aired by Marina FM, a member of the KIPCO Group.

Marina FM, a Media Sponsor of the 29th Conference of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students - USA Branch (NUKSUSA), is in Washington, DC to cover the activities of the event. It is also speaking to students about their experiences and what they miss about home.

The Marina FM team - Talal Malik, Salman Al-Nijadi and Homoud Adel - are giving away prizes to 15 lucky winners.

The prizes - presented by KIPCO - are Burgan Bank X-Change Cards each credited with $200.

Marina FM, widely listened to by Kuwaiti students in the US through its smartphone application, is also airing daily reports covering the activities of the NUKS-USA Conference.

This is the second year that KIPCO is providing Platinum Sponsorship for the event.

The conference is being held under the auspices of HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah in Washington, DC.

The Marina FM team: Salman Al-Nijadi, Talal Malik and Homoud Adel.

KUWAIT: A group photo of the participants of the child protection held at the Kuwait Bar Association on Thursday. . — Photos by Joseph Shagra

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

LOCAL

Amir departs to UK

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah left here yesterday, embarking on a state visit to the United Kingdom.

HH the Amir was seen off at the airport by HH the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, senior sheikhs, Deputy Chief of the National Guards Sheikh

Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah, ministers, senior officials and high-ranking officers at the army, police and National Guards, as well as governors.

Accompanying HH the Amir is a delegation comprising of First Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-

Sabah, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, Finance Minister and Acting Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of State for Housing Affairs Anas Al-Saleh, HH the Amir’s Office Director

Ahmad Fahad Al-Fahad, Advisor at the Amiri Diwan Mohammad Abdullah Abu Al-Hassan, Head of Amiri Ceremonials and Protocols Sheikh Khaled Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Khaled Suleiman Al-Jarallah, in addition to senior Amiri Diwan, foreign ministry and finance ministry officials, as well as an economic delegation. — KUNA

All precautions taken for election day security

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: There was no ban on issuing a license for holding protest gatherings, provided the planned protests were in keeping with the laid down norms, top Kuwait officials have said. At a press conference organized by the Ministry of Information at its premises yesterday to underline the steps taken by various ministries in-charge of the Dec 1 elections, Col Adel Al-Hashash, PR Director and Acting Security Media Director of the Ministry of Interior said the Ministry did not ban issuance of license for protest gatherings that remain within the confines of the law.

The ministry’s statement comes in the wake of news that opposition activists may hold protests on the day of the election in order to impact voting and convincing people to boycott. “The Ministry is ready to deal with any illegal acts or violation of law that can take place on the election day. Also, judges and prosecutors present at the voting locations, in cooperation with the police, will take strict action against any one violating the law,” he added.

The Ministry of Interior is ready to ensure smooth conduct of elections and will main-

tain security besides managing information dissemination and flow of traffic.

“We are cooperating with the Ministry of Information and local and international media for raising citizens’ awareness and advising voters and candidates. We will be spreading awareness through statements, messages and videos with the help of mass media about any violations or electionrelated crimes or undesirable activities so that people can avoid that,” explained AlHashash.

“We will also be providing facilities to the media corps to enable them to get all necessary information that will help in their coverage at all centers. The Ministry has issued permission for the media people to perform their duty. We are also cooperating with some NGOs to ensure transparency in the election process. The Ministry is broadcasting awareness programs on both radio and TV. On our official website, we will be publishing all laws and security procedures related to elections,” he further said.

There will be two media centers in each of the five constituencies, one for men and the other for women. “These centers will provide the voters with information about the correct place where they are registered

and can vote. These centers will be fully equipped with basic services including wheelchairs, water and other amenities,” he noted.

“The Ministry of Information has printed and put up 210 boards including the photos of the candidates for each constituency in addition to 300 rollup boards, which were put up along the main roads and public places to ensure that they remain visible to the voters,” concluded Al-Hashash.

On his part, Colonel Mohammed AlAdwani, Head of the Elections Department at the Ministry of Interior stressed that there were 666 voting committees divided among 1000 schools in the five constituencies. “The total number of voters is 422,569.

First constituency has 74,876 voters voting in 112 committees in 16 schools, while 57,772 voters in second constituency will vote in 78 committees in 16 schools. In the third constituency, 73,065 voters will vote in118 committees in 20 schools while in the fourth constituency, 108,395 voters will vote in 171 committees in 22 schools. The fifth constituency’s 108,461 voters will vote in187 committees in 26 schools. The committees will be open for the votes from 8:00 am and will remain open till 8:00 pm. Elderly

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Information press conference in progress. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat people who are not able to write will be able to tell the judge at the committee the name of the candidate they have chosen,” he pointed out.

The Assisting Undersecretary for Commercial Advertizing at the Ministry of Information, Mohammed Al-Awash, highlighted the preparations made by the

Ministry for elections. “The Media Center was launched at the Ministry to provide facilities for journalist from more than 70 local and international media houses.

About 850 reporters will be covering the elections in all five constituencies, while 70 cameras will be beaming the exercise live,” he stated.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

kuwait digest

No third camp in between

Warmly welcomed by ‘Al-Nashamah’

By Arwa Al-Waqian

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

I

recently had the honor of visiting the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, otherwise known as the land of Al-Nashamah (the gallant, the cavaliers or the magnanimous) for the first time in my life. Honestly speaking, while I was enthusiastic, I was also anxious because of the statements made by former MP Musallam AlBarrak. Being a Kuwaiti, I was worried about visiting a country that had been insulted by Al-Barrak in his quite ill-advised statements that could have put in jeopardy the lives of Kuwaitis in Jordan.

It really annoyed me that those statements did not harm Al-Barrak himself. They rather harmed Kuwaitis visiting Jordan or the Kuwaiti students studying there while he himself can roam Kuwaiti streets freely, whipping up public hysteria against a fraternal people. He was so irresponsible that he did not show any concern for the safety of Kuwaitis in Jordan.

I do condemn his insults and, left to myself, would never have allowed these in the first place. However, the dilemma is that once out of Kuwait, any single Kuwaiti represents all Kuwaitis to the outsiders.

Whenever a non-Kuwaiti insults Kuwait, we would all form a certain unfavourable opinion about his country and its people.

Anyway, returning to the subject of my visit, it was about a course in writing that was of a few days’ duration. We were cordially and warmly welcomed by the general manager of Knowledge Kingdom, Mohammed Shoja’eyya who spared no effort in assisting or serving us. He treated us with utmost Jordanian generosity that really made me feel ashamed, considering what I had heard Al-Barrak saying. Then there was the course instructor, Sharif Al-Hamawi, who was a walking data bank and was helpful to us all, and who totally ignored what he had heard being said about Jordan.

I truly fell in love with that country that, though relatively small, gladly hosts any Arabs in trouble, be they Syrian, Palestinian or Iraqi refugees. It has been a safe haven for all Arabs whose countries were struck by wars, disasters or were occupied. Such a country really deserves much praise and appreciation.

Al-Barrak’s statements really made me suffer and tore me apart between shame and fear - shame on seeing how warmly, friendly and cordially we were being treated on the one hand, and fear of saying that I am a Kuwaiti in a brotherly Arab country. They were such irresponsible statements but the blame would lie upon all of us. Nevertheless, I will never forget how we were received by Al-Nashamah with utmost generosity and friendship. I will also never forget the harm that AlBarrak’s statements wreaked upon others.

Concluding remark: Whether to take part in the upcoming election, or to boycott it, is up to you, but neither question others’ loyalty or dedication to Kuwait, nor accuse anyone of betrayal. Never make your views a cause for arguments or enmities. Learn how to respect others even if you disagree with them. — Al-Jarida

T

in my view

Contradictory stands of MPs

By Aziza Al-Mufarej

I

f a researcher decided to do a doctoral thesis about politicians saying and doing extraordinarily contradictory things in any country at a certain time, he will not find better material for his case study that Kuwait as a country and members of the National Assembly as politicians during the period from 2009 to 2012. That researcher will find a wealth of material about contradictory stands taken by these MPs, and will be surprised by how an MP can say something, and then act exactly in an opposite fashion. The researcher will find a complete variance between words and deeds of these politicians.

And even as the MP says completely contradictory things, the researcher will still find him appearing before his people as a man of principle safeguarding the interests of Kuwaitis, and ostensibly trying to instill the meaning of justice, freedom and equality in the society. The researcher will be surprised by the number of Kuwaiti citizens who believe those MPs, follow them and even defend them.

They rather carry them on their shoulders to encourage them. The researcher will notice that the MP who reaches the Parliament through by-elections - which is a crime according to the law because he deprives others from reaching the Parliament and representing the people - publicly swears that he will strongly defend the law and the constitution, and fight for the right of each citizen to be treated as an equal in the matter of opportunities.

The researcher will notice that any Kuwaiti MP, to begin with, has a simple life, especially those who do not have a degree, but then turns into a property owner and becomes wealthy within a short period of time. But that

does not prevent him from accusing others of reneging on their oath and becoming richer by misusing their office. The researcher will notice that the MP continuously accuses the government of being corrupt. With very little effort, the researcher will also discover that much of the corruption is committed by MPs who hardly hesitate to intervene and ensure promotion of one at the expense of another, or to steal an influential job from a citizen who deserves it and grant it instead to another who does not, or to send some one who feigns to be sick but actually wants to go on a pleasure trip abroad at the expense of the government while rejecting the claim of some other genuinely sick person.

The researcher will notice how the MP’s personal interests dictate everything. If his supporters put out posts on Twitter against the government, they will be considered innocent who should not be questioned, otherwise the government would be considered dictatorial. In case, he is held responsible for his misbehavior, he will quickly file complaints, and hurl accusations of being hypocrites and mercenaries against his opponents. The researcher will find out that it is the construct of an MP in Kuwait which founded the culture of violence, and encouraged defiance of the head of the regime. The MP would address the head in an unacceptable way, compromise national unity, and tear the society’s fabric. He is the one who spreads hate talk but, despite all that, still accuses the government and its supporters of all the above crimes. Kuwaiti MP is the one who insulted the country, its Amir, people and stability, and despite that he claims he is the one honest defender of all these things. — Al-Watan

he Kuwaiti society is deeply divided today between two sides over whether to participate in or boycott the elections. Between these two teams is a group that says it stands in the middle, and is neither taking part nor boycotting the elections, yet it does not plan to vote. Some in this group honestly believe that they can remain impartial and their position serves neither the government nor those boycotting the polls. But I have bad news for these dreamers, and I say to them: “You are standing by the side of the boycotters and are serving their agenda, whether you want to or not. There is absolutely no difference between the positions of prominent liberal figure Ahmad A-Khateeb and Islamist oppositionist Falah AlSawagh, or the positions of prominent liberal Abdullah Al-Naibari and oppositionists Abdullah Al-Turaiji and Musallam Al-Barrak. Come election day, and all of them will be boycotting, and their positions will serve only the agenda of those who are regressive.

The fight today is not about whether you are against the government or support the opposition, but rather it is about the elections itself. It is all about whether you vote or boycott the election; it is as simple as that.

Earlier positions vis-‡-vis the government or the opposition do not matter anymore, and the only position which will matter on the election day will be whether you participated or boycotted. There is no room in between.

Our country has unfortunately been going through a phase where it is being dominated by outdated ideologies and practices. The majority of state institutions are held hostage by out-of-date traditions and obsolete ideologies that dominate everything ranging from education and unconstitutionally forced upbringing of children according to specific ideologies. Availability of employment opportunities violates principles of justice and equality while development and opportunities of growth are also hostage to these obscurantists. The emergency decree that amended the voting mechanism provided a glimmer of hope for the progressive voices to achieve their reformist ambitions. The amendment was aimed at abolishing racist coalitions and limiting the dominance of forces of backwardness, while giving individuals the right to determine their future more effectively, to build the foundations of a modern society and country.

Unfortunately, however, many have chosen to follow what serves their own agenda at the expense of the common cause. Some of those who call themselves ‘national forces’ have sadly followed the boycotters, wasting a historic opportunity that liberal forces always dreamt of in order to take the right step towards achieving the long awaited progress and change.

Kuwait is divided between these two camps: the regressive camp and the progressive camp. If you boycott the elections, you join the regressive camp. And if you vote, you will be joining the progressive forces.

There is no third camp in between.—Al-Qabas

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

LOCAL

Pro-boycott protestor sets fire to two election camps Family friend held for molesting girl KUWAIT: A man set fire to election camp offices of two candidates over the weekend as a way of protesting since he supported the opposition’s boycott call.

Police arrested him later from his home, and found he was wanted in drugs and money related cases and also had a history of criminal behavior. After the suspect set fire to a fourth constituency candidate’s camp in Oyoun district of Jahra morning, firefighters and police rushed there but the suspect had driven away by that time. Police were able to track him down just when he was setting another candidate’s camp on fire, but he managed to escape in his car which then got into an accident, forcing him to flee on foot. Police found two liquor bottles and a plastic container containing an inflammable substance in his car. They were able to identify its owner who turned out to be wanted in drug and money related cases, and later arrested him from his home when he was still under the influence of liquor. During his interrogation, he said he set fire to the camps as

a mark of protest since he supported the call for boycott of elections. He remains in custody pending further action.

Sexual assault A man was arrested for molesting the daughter of a family which regarded him as a close family friend for years. The incident was reported in Salmiya where an Egyptian woman approached the local police, accusing a compatriot of sexually assaulting her 12-yearold daughter. The complainant said the suspect’s relations with her family dated back to the time when he had proposed to her.

Things did not work out and she ended up marrying someone else.

The suspect enjoyed enough trust and reportedly had full access to the family’s apartment, a fact he exploited to commit the crime.

Neighbors were alerted to the assault when they heard the victim’s cries for help. Salmiya detectives were able to track down and arrest the suspect within hours after his escape. He was referred to the Public Prosecution to face charges.

Fugitive nabbed A fugitive facing multiple charges including auto theft and sexually assaulting a minor was nabbed on Sunday following investigations carried out by Hawally detectives. Investigations began after Salmiya police were approached by a Lebanese teenager who claimed he was kidnapped and sexually assaulted in the Sabbiya desert by a man armed with a knife. The boy had to be hospitalized as he had suffered bruises and was bleeding as a result of the assault. Meanwhile, detectives were able to identify the car used in the crime which turned out to have been reported as stolen. The man was eventually located in Salmiya and arrested following an ambush. The suspect was held for interrogation after the boy identified him, and confessed to have committed 18 auto thefts besides several kidnappings and sexual assaults against minors. Police also found out that the Bedouin (stateless) man faces drug abuse charges.

The man remains in custody pending trial.

Man fakes identity A bedoon (stateless) man who faked his identity and posed as a Kuwaiti detective working in the Ministry of Interior is now a fugitive from law after two girls who fell for his charms indulged in a fistfight at a Salmiya coffee shop.

The entire story came to light when the police, which was called, arrested the two women.

Police verified that the man was actually a Bedouin who had most likely faked his identity to ‘win women’s hear ts’.

Investigations are on.

Students arrested Three high school students, who set the office of their principal on fire, were arrested 48 hours after the arson at a Rumathiya school recently. After crime scene investigations hinted at arson, detectives were able to arrest the youngsters who reportedly committed the crime due to some school-related disputes with the principal. They were referred to the proper authorities for further action. —Al-Rai

Arab justice ministers meeting opens in Cairo CAIRO: The 28th round of the Arab Ministers of Justice Council kicked off here yesterday, with participation of Kuwaiti Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs Jamal Al-Shahab and Arab League Secretary General Nabil Al-Arabi.

Addressing the opening session, Al-Arabi said that the meeting’s agenda features several key topics related the judiciary in the Arab world.

“The meeting focuses on required measures to bolster the independence and upgrade the performance of judiciary institutions in the Arab world to protect personal

rights and freedoms, fight corruption and restore the illicitly gained Arab money,” AlArabi said.

He underlined that the Arab world, particularly “Arab Spring” countries, is undergoing a sensitive and critical transitional stage.

“This stage requires strong resolutions to achieve justice, enforce the rule of law and apply good governance,” Al-Arabi stressed.

He noted that recent events in the Arab world have showed the need from the Arab governments to heed the democratic demands and aspirations of Arab people.

Fairground expansion soon KUWAIT: Kuwait International Fair Company underlined here yesterday the continuing implementation of a strategic expansion plan to turn the fairground into a local, regional and international exhibition hub.

The expansion blueprint is part of the ambitious drive to transfer Kuwait into a regional trade hub at the behest of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the deputy chairman and CEO of the company, Abdulrahman AlNassar said in news remarks.

The company has an unequivocal future vision to notch up this end, he said, hailing

his company’s role in the national economic development.

It has already completed a relevant integrated study in collaboration with a foreign exhibition consulting firm in order to promote Kuwait International Fair globally, he added.

He noted his company attaches much attention to youth exhibitions, given that the young are the core pillar for societal progress and development. Al-Nassar unveiled that Kuwait International Fair Company would hammer out soon cooperative agreements and programs with Gulf exhibition companies. — KUNA

BNA seeks cooperation with KUNA MANAMA: Director of Bahrain News Agency (BNA) Mohannad Sulaiman said that his country seeks to increase its media cooperation with Kuwait.

Speaking to KUNA ahead of a threeday trip to Kuwait which starts on Monday, he said that Bahrainis are keen to attend journalism training courses conducted by Kuwait News Agency.

The visit aims to discuss Bahrain’s hosting of the Federation of Arab News

Agencies’ (FANA) General Assembly meetings in December. Sulaiman will also take a tour of KUNA’s main office, he said, describing the Kuwaiti state news agency as “one of the most important in the region.” The Bahraini media official went on to praise KUNA’s Director General and Board Chairman Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij Al-Sabah for his efforts in supporting the role of media organizations in the Gulf Cooperation Council. —KUNA

Al-Arabi urged the Arab countries to enforce the conventions related to the mechanisms of investment disputes settlements to give a push to the pan-Arab economic cooperation.

The meeting will tackle bolstering judiciary cooperation among Arab countries, especially in the fighting against terrorism, human trafficking and naval piracy.

The Arab ministers will discuss proposals presented by Palestine on the investigations regarding the death of late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. —KUNA

Hai Wei Li playing on piano.

Musicians Dragan Markovic, Oana, Serdin, Kim Park and Agnes Fajga.

—Photos by Joseph Shagra

‘The Concert of Hope’

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Hope Foundation organized ‘The Concert of Hope,’ a charity musical event, at the Radisson Blu Hotel on Saturday evening.

The concert was part of the charity foundation Hope’s calendar of events.

Hope, which supports disabled children, will also hold a “journey for hope” in which young Kuwaitis will be sailing on a ship.

The concert also featured an auction of paintings and drawings done by the disabled children. The artists’ performance opened with a seven-year-old Chinese boy Hai Wei Li, a student on full scholarship at the Kuwait Music Academy, playing Bach’s Prelude on piano.

Also, Dragan Markovic, Oana Serdin, Kim Park, Agnes Fajga, Verica Grmusa and Anna Karagimitrova presented mesmerizing musical performances.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

LOCAL

GJA seeks to encourage female Gulf journalists

Group photo of participants with HH the Prime Minister of Kuwait.

KUWAIT: On May 22, 2012, editors-in-chief who are members of the Gulf Journalists Association (GJA) and who attended the third general conference in Manama agreed to implement a proposal that was put forward by some of them three years back - to find out the difficulties female Gulf journalists face in the field in order to remove them.

The editors-in-chief of member papers were not only satisfied with the proposal but they marked it with “urgent... for execution.”

Assistant Secretary General Adnan AlRashid expressed Kuwait Journalists Association’s wish to hold the first symposium in Kuwait, and this was approved and instructions by the secretary general to act to immediately to execute it. Al-Rashid told the secretariat general that preparations were to hold it during October, but the busy schedule of Kuwait’s information minister led to its postponement until Nov 18 and 19 under his patronage.

Away from formalities and rigid subjects, some parts of the symposium in which 25 female Gulf journalists, six Kuwaitis, seven Saudis, four Bahrainis, four Omanis, two Qataris and two Emiratis participated, high capabilities, courage and ability of expression were discovered in them, and this is because of their work in the field in addition to having intellectual maturity and notable knowledge. As for the reason of varied numbers of participants from each country, it was because of some urgent circumstances like traveling and other commitments that kept them from participating in this important event.

The following are the events from the symposium: Al-Riyadh newspaper: We do not have female journalists. The first day for participants at the secretariat general in the country of the headquarters (Bahrain) was to contact member papers to nominate member journalists to participate in the symposium.

The decision was to have five journalists from each Gulf state in addition to Yemen.

The editor-in-chief of Al-Riyadh newspaper said they received the letter but they do not have any female journalists. We found this strange. I then met with Editor-in-Chief Turki bin Abdallah Al-Sudairi in Doha two weeks before they symposium, and he is also the president of the GJA. I told him about the strange answer, and said “is it realistic of AlRiyadh, the prestigious newspaper not to have even one female journalist?”

The surprise was that he told me the paper has around 20 fulltime female journalists! I asked him to nominate one, but he insisted on two. And this is what happened as two from Al-Riyadh newspaper participated and had very effective contributions. The contraction of the information came that who said we do not female journalists thought we want one nominated from the paper’s office in Kuwait, and all the workers there are male!

Unknown soldiers of information: The hosting of participants and GJA team was the responsibility of Kuwait’s informa-

tion ministry. The ministry made available a trained team from the public relations department to meet the needs of the guests, and ease things for them as they were available from 8 am until 2 am. The Yemeni journalist could not make it because she did not get an entry visa to Kuwait because of the weekend and the start of the new Hijri year, so Yemen was not represented. Jassim Kamal, who is member of KJA drew much attention because he was available at all times at the lobby with a smile.

Kamal was a good example and representative of Kuwait.

Adnan Al-Rashid: The leader Adnan Al-Rashid of Kuwait’s Al-Anbaa newspaper, who is assistant secretary general and vice president of KJA was the maestro that ran everything due to his high skills and abilities. He has the credit of implementing

Z, and was keen on being available daily, with a smile that accompanies his personality, who talks less and works more.

Information Minister: Forgive us!

The symposium was held under the patronage of Information Minister and State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdallah Al-Mubarak AlSabah, but because of his busy schedule, he deputized Ministry Undersecretary Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah and asked him to apologize for not being present. He was keen on delivering a speech in which he lauded the GJA and for designating an event for female journalists.

Before the first session was over, Adnan Al-Rashid announced that he was able to arrange a meeting with the Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah at Al-Seif Palace. The PM was in a

The last session witnessed differences on where and when to hold the second symposium. Some wanted it to be annual, others every two or three years. No decision was taken, but there is a wish to continue holding the symposium. Secretary General of GJA Nasser Al-Othman was keen during the final session to thank Kuwait’s Prime Minister, Information Minister, Information Ministry Undersecretary, President of KJA, Public Relations, participants in the symposium, and all those who played an important role in the event.

During the opening session: Kuwait’s Information Ministry Undersecretary Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud called upon the Gulf to carry out its role in facing challenges that we are living, and should deal with it using new tools that utilize the journalists’ experience, adding that ●

●

KJA President Ahmad Behbehani said the symposium is a good start and was fruitful, adding that female Gulf journalists are able to contribute.

Some of the recommendations and proposals of participants: 1- Work towards enabling women to get into decision making posts at the various media establishments.

2- Involving women in planning the front page of the newspaper.

3- Train female Gulf journalists and send them to countries of more experience in journalism.

4- Prepare television awareness ads that raise the value of the Gulf female journalist and encourage Gulf girls to get into journalism.

5- Form a system of professional relations between female Gulf journalists.

6- Distinguish the journalist who works in

Opening ceremony in the presence of Sheikh Salman. the symposium proposal and its success.

Mousa Turki (Bu Khalid) is the director of public relations at the information ministry, and the link with the minister. He was asked to keep in touch with GJA to arrange travel and stay, and I realized that he is keen on making the event a success, and we thank him for all his efforts.

Behbehani’s calmness is the secret of his personality President of K JA Ahmad Yousuf Behbehani supervised everything from A to

meeting, which he interrupted to meet us, and pictures were taken.

It was decided that each female journalist be given 10 minutes to speak about her experience and the obstacles she encounters in the field. They expressed themselves, spoke about problem and proposed solutions. Among the proposals discussed in the symposium is to have a team of Gulf female journalists cover events in hot spots. They said we want to go to Somalia, Afghanistan, Syria, etc. We do not know whether they will keep their word!

Gulf information has an important role at this stage. ● GJA President Turkey Al-Sudairi said the symposium does not tackle work as a profession, but for the responsibility of the profession and setting to know what is going on around the world. ● GJA Secretary General Nasser AlOthman said the aim of the symposium is to decide on the obstacles the female journalist meets in the field and try to solve them, and encourage the Gulf woman to get into journalism.

Female Gulf journalists discuss their problems enthusiastically.

the field from her colleague who works in office as far as pay in concerned.

7- There should be insurance against profession risks.

8- There should be a law that regulates journalism and states rights and duties of the female journalist.

9- Form a female Gulf team with the support of the secretariat general of GJA, under the supervision of the Gulf information establishments to go on a work mission outside GCC countries.

International TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

Separatist parties win Catalonia election

Page 10

Israel defence minister retires in pre-vote shock

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TITISEE-NEUSTADT: In this image taken from video firefighters try to extinguish flames in a workshop for disabled people in Titisee-Neustadt, southwestern Germany, yesterday. Firefighters said the fire has killed 14 and injured at least six others. There was no immediate information on why the building in Titisee-Neustadt, near the city of Freiburg, caught fire yesterday. — AP

Fire kills 14 at workshop in Germany Workshop employed 120 people with disabilities BERLIN: Fourteen people perished and several more were injured when fire swept through a workshop for handicapped people in the Black Forest region of Germany yesterday, authorities said. Around 300 firefighters backed by helicopters battled the blaze in the town of Titisee-Neustadt in southwestern Germany for more than two hours, as some wearing breathing apparatus pulled several people from the stricken building. The cause of the fire was not immediately known but there was a large police presence at the site. At least one explosion was believed to have taken place in a storage room.

It was still unclear whether chemicals were stored in the room, but the workshop’s activities included the treatment of wood. Pictures showed smoke billowing out of the three-storey concrete building and firefighters helping the injured, some in wheelchairs, to helicopters and ambulances. “We can tell you that we have 14 dead. The process of identification is ongoing,” Karl-Heinz Schmid, a spokesman for police in the nearby city of Freiburg, told rolling news channel N24. “We also have a large number of injured who have been

taken to hospital.” Authorities told AFP that seven people had been seriously injured, revising up an earlier toll by one. Most had suffered injuries due to smoke inhalation, according to police. However, all seven were expected to survive, police spokesman Alfred Oschwald said.

Another police spokesman, Marco Troll, told AFP: “The building is empty. There are no further dead.” A source close to Caritas, the welfare association that runs the workshop, said there were 50 or 60 people aged between 20 and 65 in the building when the blaze broke out. In total, the workshop employed some 120 people with disabilities. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the majority were mentally disabled workers who were manufacturing wooden decorations for Christmas as well as other electrical and metal goods.

The building was relatively modern and fully respected the fire regulations, this source stressed. The building was still intact after the blaze was extinguished, authorities said.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert tweeted that she was “appalled” by the fire and was receiving

updates from Winfried Kretschmann, the state premier of Baden-Wuerttemberg, where the fire took place. Kretschmann himself said: “My thoughts go out to the victims and my deepest condolences go to their families. The whole of BadenWuerttemberg mourns with them.”

Some 25 counsellors were treating relatives of the victims at the scene. The process of identifying the dead was expected to last until the early evening local time. Prosecutors and experts must now investigate the possible causes of the blaze, said a spokesman for the local fire department.

“We are dealing here with people who of course do not react rationally,” local agency DPA quoted local fire chief Alexander Widmaier as saying. In 1996, 16 people died in a blaze at Duesseldorf airport. In February 2008, nine people died, including five children, when a blaze ripped through a block of flats in the western city of Ludwigshafen. Founded in Germany in 1897, Caritas has a presence in some 200 countries. The organisation employs some 559,000 people in 24,500 centres across Germany. — AFP

Sarkozy wades in to battle ravaging French right party PARIS: Ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday waded in to a bitter leadership battle that has left France’s main right-wing opposition party, the UMP, on the verge of collapse.

The UMP, the political heir to the party founded by Charles de Gaulle after World War II, was in turmoil after accusations of vote-rigging tarnished a leadership vote. Still reeling from its loss of the presidency and parliament this year, the UMP is facing the spectre of an unprecedented split, with rivals Francois Fillon and Jean-Francois Cope refusing to back down in an increasingly angry dispute.

The ridicule foisted on the party over the leadership debacle has done serious damage to its image, benefitting Socialist President Francois Hollande as he struggles with a flat economy and and dropping popularity. Some UMP deputies were already raising the prospect yesterday of breaking away from the party’s parliamentary faction-a move that would deprive it of crucial public funding. Sarkozy met one of the rivals

for the leadership, his former prime minister Fillon, for lunch after flying in early Monday from a conference in Shanghai.

The meeting lasted more than hour in Sarkozy’s office in central Paris but there were no immediate signs of progress in the dispute. A party heavyweight who earlier failed in a mediation bid had urged Sarkozy still enormously popular with the UMP rankand-file despite his loss to Hollande in May’s presidential vote-to intervene.

“Clearly (Sarkozy) is the only one today to have enough authority to propose a way out,” former foreign minister Alain Juppe told RTL radio.

Fillon, 58, and Cope, 48, have traded accusations of fraud and ballot-rigging since last Sunday’s party election ended with Cope ahead a handful of votes. A party appeals commission yesterday confirmed Cope’s win, raising his margin of victory from 98 votes to nearly 1,000 following an examination of complaints over alleged irregularities. — AFP

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

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

Kurdish militant leader wields influence from prison ANKARA: Snatched by Turkish commandos in Nairobi, Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan looked resigned and bewildered as he was flown back to Ankara, the gallows beckoning. A decade later, on his island prison, he appears to have the ear of a Turkish government eager to end a devastating conflict.

It seems an unlikely comeback. Reviled in most of Turkey but commanding fierce loyalty from Kurdish nationalists, Ocalan has been held in virtual isolation on the barren island of Imrali, 50 km (30 miles) south of Istanbul, since his capture in 1999.

Even his lawyers haven’t seen him for 15 months. But after the bloodiest summer for years in Turkey’s conflict with Kurdish militants, and with fears over the spread of Kurdish insurrection in neigbouring Syria, Ocalan is emerging from the virtual oblivion of Imrali.

When hundreds of Kurdish militants on hunger strike in jails across Turkey drew close to death this month, Turkish authorities turned to the man reviled by newspapers after his capture as “Butcher” and “Baby Killer”.

A message through his brother to call off the strike was immediately obeyed, an apparent sign of the authority generally supposed to have drifted from the man, known by allies as “Apo”, over his years on Imrali. “He proved that he is still the boss,

that he has the last word,” said Turkish journalist Mehmet Ali Birand, who met Ocalan twice in Lebanon and Syria in the 1980s.

“He is not a fighter or a guerrilla war expert, he is more the thinking man trying to shape the Kurdish problem. He wants to be the leader of all Kurds, that is the image he gives.” Turkish MIT intelligence officials took the ferry to Imrali at least three times over the past two months and their talks with Ocalan paved the way for his appeal, according to the liberal daily Radikal, which did not identify its sources.

Few men stir such hatred in Turkey as Ocalan, who founded the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebel group and led the armed struggle for Kurdish home rule for 15 years before his capture, a conflict which burns at the heart of the country.

Many hold him responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people since the PKK - designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union - took up arms in 1984. Its campaign has included bombings in major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, and has stirred anger with images of soldiers’ coffins returning, although most of those killed in almost three decades of conflict have been PKK fighters.

His brother Mehmet said more than a decade on the tiny island of Imrali, where military coup leaders hanged a prime min-

ister along with two other ministers five decades ago, appeared to have taken only a limited toll.

“Psychologically he’s fine. He’s able to analyse the world, Turkey and the region very well. He doesn’t have any health problem,” he told reporters after visiting Ocalan.

“He was in good shape, physically and psychologically.”

Many Turks rejoiced when Ocalan was hounded from a series of Middle East hideouts, denied refuge in Europe and finally tracked to Kenya by Turkish special forces in 1999. Television showed footage at the time of him strapped into the seat of a plane transporting him to Ankara, flanked by masked soldiers.

He appeared weary and at times bemused talking with his captors, who had seized him at Nairobi airport in a secret operation as he attempted to flee his refuge in Kenya. After a televised trial, he was sentenced to death, the sentence upheld while crowds chanted “hang, hang, hang” outside the court.

Ocalan would have become the first prisoner executed in Turkey for 25 years had the country not abolished capital punishment a few years later, part of a wave of reforms aimed at gaining membership of the European Union, which still eludes it.

Ocalan’s solitary confinement was eased in 2009 when five more inmates

were brought to Imrali. Only a handful of people have seen him in recent years.

Lawyers say he has no access to a telephone or television and his newspapers are censored.

Pictures released by the government in 2009 to demonstrate that his living conditions complied with international norms showed a mattress on a grey metal bed frame in a narrow cell, a small plastic table and chair under a barred window. Before his capture, Ocalan, now 64, cut a portly figure, with beady eyes and a thick, bushy moustache.

A drop-out from Ankara University’s political science faculty, he forged his political ideas among violent street battles between left- and right-wing gangs in the 1970s. He then split from the left, raising the Kurdish nationalist banner to found the PKK in 1978. His goal was an independent state for Kurds living in Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran.

Those who met him in the 1980s say he ran his campaign from luxury villas in Syria rather than fighting on the front lines. “I can’t say he gave an image of a very strong character,” said Birand, describing his fear after he was apprehended and held for two days by the Syrian secret police in Damascus.

He was forced to flee Syria in 1998 when Turkish troops massed on the border

and threatened intervention. The PKK’s base then moved to northern Iraq, where Turkey has carried out air strikes against its camps as recently as this month.

Ocalan himself fled to Rome before moving around Europe looking in vain for a new host to shelter him, ultimately going to Kenya as the snare closed, seeking refuge in the Greek embassy there under close observation by Turkish and western intelligence services.

Erdogan, who publicly refused to negotiate with the hunger strikers and dismissed their protest as blackmail supported by “merchants of death”, said no promises had been made to Ocalan in exchange for his intervention. “ There was no such thing,” he told reporters on the way back from a trip to Egypt last week.

But the government has also suggested more talks between the intelligence agencies and the PKK were a possibility. “This is Ocalan’s second comeback,” said Koray Caliskan, a political scientist at Istanbul’s Bosphorus University who also writes for the Radikal. “What people saw with the hunger strike was that peaceful disobedience can achieve something, that you do not have to kill Turkish soldiers. It will be more and more difficult for the PKK to convince Kurds that their methods are valid,” he said. —AP

Israel defence minister retires in pre-vote shock ‘Politics is just one way of contributing to the state’

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, right, shakes hands for photographers with Armenian President Serge Sarkisian, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, yesterday. Sarkisian is in Beirut for three-day visit to meet with Lebanese officials. — AP

Syrian rebel officers plan post-Assad army BEIRUT: Syrian rebel officers have formed a commission to lay the foundations for a future army and liaise with the political opposition on issues such as arming fighters on the ground, a spokesman said yesterday.

The announcement came in a video posted to YouTube on Sunday which shows some 50 Free Syrian Army officers wearing military fatigues assembled in a dimly lit basement room, one of whom reads a statement listing the objectives and basic principles agreed on during their gathering.

Anticipating the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the statement lists as a key objective of the Free Officers Assembly “to lay the correct foundations for the construction of the new Syrian army, which will be a nonpartisan defender of the rights and dignity of the people in line with the National Coalition.”

Another is to liaise with the Coalition, a newly-formed umbrella opposition bloc, in securing financing and equipment and to provide logistical support to rebel battalions fighting the Assad’s forces. The FOA statement says one dissident officer will be appointed as a representative to the coalition, which seeks to present a united front to the international community in hopes of securing weapons to topple the Assad regime.

The group also stresses the importance of maintaining positive relations with civilians who have taken up arms against Assad. In preparation for the fall of the regime, the FOA will also “cooperate with the transitional government to enforce security and arms control in the transitional phase.”

The commission listed eight basic

principles making up a code of conduct, including that officers may not belong to any political party and that each member of a future national assembly “represents only himself, regardless of affiliation to any fighting force on the ground.”

Officers, it says, should be loyal “only to God, the people and the nation” and avoid any “partisan, tribal or sectarian allegiances.” Accurate numbers are impossible to confirm, but FSA military council head Mustafa Sheikh told AFP in early November that 70,000 soldiers and 25 percent of the officer class had now defected, although nearly half of these are in prison.

The rebels have had difficulty overcoming the doubts of Western powers, particularly the United States, which is wary of providing heavy weaponry due to fears of extremist elements among their ranks.

The new Syrian National Coalition, formed November 11 amid much fanfare in the Qatari capital Doha, was snubbed by a number of Islamist groups in Aleppo province including the two most important, the Al-Nusra Front and Liwa alTawhid. Analysts says that the success of the Coalition will depend on its ability to exert control over the wide array of armed groups fighting Assad’s forces, among them hardline jihadists.

Britain and France have joined Turkey in recognising the Coalition as the sole representative of the Syrian people. Paris has also suggested arming the opposition fighters.

A number of other countries, including the United States, have granted only limited recognition to the opposition bloc while some, including Russia, vehemently oppose such moves. — AFP

ALEPPO: A general view shows a heavily damaged building in the al-Layramun district of the northern city of Aleppo, which is under government troops control, yesterday. Syrian rebels aiming to encircle Aleppo virtually cut off roads to the city from neighbouring Raqa province as the army targeted rebel strongholds around Damascus. — AFP

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Defence Minister Ehud Barak, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stunned observers yesterday by announcing his retirement from politics ahead of snap elections in January, The decision appeared to end a decades-long career that has seen him serve in top governmental posts and lead the country as prime minister. At a hastily-announced press conference at the defence ministry in Tel Aviv, Barak, 70, said he would step down when the new government takes office after general elections on January 22.

“I have decided to resign from political life and not participate in the upcoming Knesset (parliamentary) elections,” he said. “I will finish my duties as defence minister with the formation of the next government in three months,” Barak added, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his family. “Politics is just one way of contributing to the state,” he said, while declining to specify whether he might consider a return to government if he were hand-picked for an appointment by Netanyahu.

The prime minister said he respected Barak’s decision and thanked him for the role he had played in his ruling coalition government. “PM Netanyahu respects DM Barak’s decision; thanks him for cooperation in government and appreciates his contribution to security of state,” his office said on its official Twitter feed. The shock announcement comes at a time when the Jewish state has been pushing the international community to pressure Iran over its contested nuclear programme.

Israel and much of the West believes the programme is an attempt to build a nuclear weapon. Alongside Netanyahu,

TEL AVIV: Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak waves to media after a conference in Tel Aviv, yesterday. Barak shook up the Israeli political system yesterday with the abrupt announcement that he is quitting politics and will not run in general elections in January. — AP Barak has frequently warned that Israel could take pre-emptive military action to keep Iran from going nuclear, although he told a British newspaper last month that the moment of truth had been delayed for “eight to 10 months” until spring or summer 2013.

Ahead of Monday’s press conference, observers had speculated the veteran politician and former head of Israel’s Labour party would announce he was poised to join forces with ex-Kadima leader Tzipi Livni to run on a centrist ticket in the elections.

Livni resigned from politics earlier this year after losing her position as leader of the centreright Kadima party to former defence minister Shaul Mofaz.

But few believed Barak would announce his retirement from political life altogether, in a decision which comes just days after the Israeli military ended a major air assault on Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

The announcement caps a tumultuous couple of years for the former chief of staff, who had a stellar military career. In January 2011, he resigned from the Labour party where he had spent his entire political life, to set up the Independence party, which he quick ly led into Netanyahu’s rightwing government.

But his new faction fared badly in recent polls and was not expected to win enough seats to make it possible for him to stay

in the defence ministry post, which has long been coveted by members of Netanyahu’s Likud party.

The premier had reportedly declined to guarantee Barak the post after the elections, in part because of intense pressure from within Likud. In Netanyahu’s hawkish government, Barak is regarded as a moderate, and he is particularly disliked by the settler faction of the coalition, which accuses him of stalling on new settlement construction in the West Bank.

Observers said Barak’s departure could mean the next government, which Likud is expected to head, would be more rightwing, both on the Palestinian issue and Iran. —AFP

Hamas backs Abbas UN move in rare show of unity GAZA: The Islamist group Hamas said yesterday it was backing President Mahmoud Abbas’s attempt to win more clout for Palestinians at the United Nations, the latest sign of a rapprochement between the political rivals.

The Palestinians are registered as an observer entity at the UN and Abbas wants to see them upgraded to a “non-member state” in a UN General Assembly vote on Nov 29, giving him access to other international organisations.

The decision by Hamas was unexpected. It does not recognise Israel’s right to exist and has dismissed previous attempts by Abbas to promote the Palestinian cause on the diplomatic stage.

Abbas holds sway in the occupied West Bank. Hamas governs the Gaza Strip and has just fought a fierce, eight-day conflict with Israel. After more than five years of deep divisions, the two main political forces in the Palestinian territories have shown signs this past week they were ready to resume unity talks-driven closer together by the Israeli assault on Gaza.

Israel launched its offensive to halt rocket fire out of the coastal enclave into its southern towns and cities. Abbas denounced the Israeli assault and dispatched a top official to Gaza in a show of solidarity with Gaza.

Once the fighting subsided, the rival factions announced they would release their respective political prisoners.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the group backed any political gain Abbas could achieve at the United Nations “without causing any harm to the national Palestinian rights”.

Hamas political chief Khaled Meshaal, who lives in exile, told Abbas by telephone of his movement’s change of heart, Hamas said in a statement.

Direct peace talks between Israel and Abbas broke down in 2010 over the question of Israeli settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem-land the Palestinians want for their future state.

Hamas might struggle to explain its new position to some of its hardline supporters. As recently as Saturday, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar had urged Abbas not to

go to New York.

Abbas’s UN initiative “represents an ... official concession of the 1948 land,” Zahar told reporters, referring to the year Israel proclaimed its independence following the end of British rule in the region.

While Hamas leaders accept the notion of a Palestinian state along lines established before the 1967 Middle East War, they say this should only be a transitional solution ahead of the eventual creation of a nation on the basis of 1948 boundaries.

Abbas has said he supports a two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 lines. In his conversation with Abbas, Meshaal stressed the need for reconciliation between the two factions, especially in the wake of the Israeli offensive, which was ended thanks to a ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt.

“This signals that Hamas is showing greater flexibility towards reconciliation than any time before,” said Gaza political analyst Hani Habib.

Speaking to hundreds of supporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday, Abbas vowed he would speed up unity efforts after he returns from the UN vote. — Reuters

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

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

Obama may get chance to end Libya PR disaster Susan Rice to become secretary of state

TRENT: A motorist drives a car through floodwaters at Southwell Racecourse near Newark on Trent in Nottinghamshire yesterday. More than 800 homes in England and Wales have been flooded as heavy rain and strong winds battered the country and environmental officials warned of more downpours to come. — AFP

800 homes flooded as Britain soaked by rain LONDON: More than 800 homes in England and Wales have been flooded as heavy rain and strong winds battered the country and environmental officials warned of more downpours to come yesterday. Two people have died since heavy rain began on Wednesday, including a woman killed by a falling tree in the southwestern English city of Exeter and a man trapped in his car in rising waters in Somerset.

In a Twitter message, Prime Minister David Cameron described the scenes of flooding in the rural southwestern region of Cornwall as “shocking”, and promised the government “will help ensure everything is being done to help”.

Parts of the Cornish village of Millbrook were reportedly under 1.5 metres (five feet) of water and 40 homes were evacuated, a BBC reporter who lives there said, after torrents of muddy water swept through the village on Saturday.

Many communities were cut off after

police shut water-logged roads in Cornwall and neighbouring Devon. In Malmesbur y in Wiltshire, western England, pub landlord Tom Hudson said he had water lapping at the door in the worst floods he had seen for 14 years.

“It’s gone down a lot but I’m trying to get hold of some sandbags because more rain is forecast for later today,” he said. “Houses across the road have been flooded to a depth of three or four feet, with furniture floating around in the rooms.

“I’ve been here 14 years and there were floods in 2000 and again in 2007 but this is much worse than either of those.” Residents of the village of Kempsey in Worcestershire, central England, criticised new flood defences which they said had made the flooding worse, after pumps failed. The Environment Agency said 816 homes have been flooded since Wednesday across England and Wales. —AFP

Attack on Nigerian police unit in Abuja ‘repelled’ ABUJA: Gunmen sought to attack a special police unit in the Nigerian capital Abuja yesterday as a police spokesman claimed the assailants were “repelled”.

“I can confirm that there was an attempted attack on the (special anti-robber y squad) this morning which was repelled,” spokesman Frank Mba said, adding that the attackers were “suspected gunmen”.

Local media reported that gunmen attacked the unit. Members of Islamist extremist group Boko Haram have carried out scores of attacks in northern and central Nigeria, including against police stations and sometimes with the intent of freeing jailed members.

It was not immediately clear whether suspected Boko Haram members were being held at the police unit or whether anyone had escaped. An AFP journalist at the scene saw the main gate outside the police unit heavily guarded, including two armoured vehicles, six police trucks and more than a dozen armed policemen.

It was not immediately possible to determine whether the complex had suffered damage or whether there were casualties. In June 2011, a suicide bomber sought to attack police headquarters in

Abuja. That attack saw a powerful explosion rip through the car park inside the police headquarters compound, leaving at least one police officer dead.

The special anti-robbery unit is in Abuja, but not at the headquarters compound.

Boko Haram has also been blamed for the August 2011 attack on UN headquarters in Abuja which killed at least 25 people as well as the April 2012 bombing of an office for a prominent newspaper in the capital.

While the group has claimed responsibility for scores of attacks, criminal gangs and imitators have also carried out violence under the guise of the group and determining who is responsible is often difficult.

Boko Haram has claimed to be seeking an Islamic state in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest oil producer roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.

However, its demands have repeatedly shifted and it is believed to include various factions with differing aims. In addition to attacks targeting symbols of Nigerian authority, it has also bombed a series of churches. Muslims have however often been its victims, including community leaders in Nigeria’s restive northeast, where Boko Haram has been based.—AFP

WASHINGTON: The White House could finally have its chance to close the books on its Libya public relations disaster, as key Republicans signal they might not stand in the way of UN Ambassador Susan Rice to become the next secretary of state.

“I think she deserves the ability and the opportunity to explain herself and her position,” Sen. John McCain told “Fox News Sunday.” “But she’s not the problem. The problem is the president of the United States,” who, McCain said, misled the public on terrorist involvement.

Rice is widely seen as President Barack Obama’s top pick to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is expected to step down soon, as the nation’s top diplomat. But Rice’s reputation took a serious hit this fall when she relied on unclassified talking points provided by the intelligence community that portrayed the Sept. 11 attack on the consulate in Benghazi, Libya, as a spontaneous assault by a mob angered by an antiMuslim video posted on YouTube.

The video was produced in the US. Intelligence officials quickly amended their assessment to conclude the attack hadn’t been related to other film protests across the Middle East. But that revised narrative was slow to reach the public, prompting Republicans to allege a White House cover-up ahead of the Nov. 6 election.

The attack killed Ambassador Chris Stevens, a State Department computer specialist and two former Navy SEALs who were working as contract security

US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice guards. McCain’s remarks were in contrast to his previous stance that Rice wasn’t qualified to replace Clinton, and that he would do “whatever is necessary” to block Rice’s possible nomination.

Obama responded to that by angrily challenging those who would block Rice’s nomination to take aim at him instead. Sen. Lindsey Graham, McCain’s close friend and colleague on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told ABC’s “ This Week” he still suspects the White House intentionally glossed over obvious terrorist links in the attack to keep voters from ques-

tioning Obama’s handling of national security.

But instead of repeating his prior assertion that he was “dead set” against a Rice promotion, Graham suggested he looked forward to hearing her out. If Rice were nominated, “there will be a lot of questions asked of her about this event and others,” said Graham.

The subtle shift in Republicans’ tenor on Rice could be the result of internal grumblings on how far to take party opposition.

Democrats picked up extra Senate seats in the election to maintain their narrow majority, making it that much harder for

the remaining 45 Republicans to block the president’s nominees.

One senior Republican Senate aide said Sunday that Republicans hadn’t united against Rice and were not convinced she was worth going after.

“There’s a definite sense within the caucus that you have to be conservative about where you put your firepower,” said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly on internal Republican deliberations. “ The question is whether the caucus is prepared to filibuster her, and I’m not sure we were.” —AP

Serbia seeks evidence against Croat generals BELGRADE: Serbia yesterday asked UN war crimes prosecutors to hand over evidence against two Croatian generals whose convictions have been overturned, reigniting tensions between the Balkan wartime rival states.

Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac were released earlier this month by a UN war crimes court after the appeals judges reversed convictions for atrocities, including the murder of hundreds of Serbs and the illegal deportation of hundreds of thousands of people during a 1995 Croatian military offensive known as Operation Storm. Serbia’s war crimes prosecutors said they have asked UN prosecutors to hand over the evidence used in the trial of the two generals so they can consider whether to indict them in Serbia. Gotovina and Markac are considered heroes in Croatia for their role in the 1991-95

war for independence from Serb-led Yugoslavia.

Serbia has said it has opened its own investigation of war crimes committed during the offensive. Croatian officials say they will also investigate the events, but not the two generals - who received state honors and a hero’s welcome after their release from detention in The Hague, Netherlands.

The judgment sparked fury in Serbia, where many see the UN court as biased against them because the majority of the war criminals it has convicted have been Serbs. Croatians viewed Gotovina and Markac’s acquittals as vindication of their position that their nation was a victim in the Balkan wars.

Croatian President Ivo Josipovic said Serbia should not take out its anger at the UN court ruling on Croatia. “The fact is that it is not Croatia

Russia quells prison uprising in Urals MOSCOW: The Russian authorities yesterday said they had quelled a rare uprising at a prison in the Urals region that saw inmates climb on the roof and bloody clashes between police and supporters outside.

Hundreds of prisoners at Prison Number 6 in Kopeisk in the Chelyabinsk region had since Saturday staged a protest which the authorities said was aimed at obtaining the release of convicts from solitary confinement and the easing of conditions.

In an image widely broadcast on Russian television, a large group of inmates climbed onto roof of the prison and unfurled a banner reading: “People, Help!”

Activists said the real reason for the protest was beatings by wardens.

However by Monday morning “all the convicts returned to their sections” in the prison and the situation was “stable and fully under the control of the prison administration”, said the local directorate of Russia’s Federal Ser vice for the Execution of Punishment (FSIN).

Hundreds of people including relatives had also gathered outside the Kopeisk prison to support the convicts, and on Saturday night they were involved in bloody clashes with OMON riot police who sought to disperse them.

The local interior ministry said 38 people were arrested and eight OMON officers were injured.

Images published by local media showed some of the participants with bloodied heads. The local FSIN however attacked the “negative information on the Internet” about the protest which was “aimed at destabilising the situation in the penal institution.”

Local prison commission watchdog member Valeria Prikhodkina said the Kopeisk prison had long been considered “problematic” with a reputation for beatings and fatal incidents. “We have a raft of evidence from prisoners and their relatives about torture, humiliations and the theft of money from relatives,” she told AFP, adding that prosecutors had refused to take the documents. Rights activists have long criticised conditions in Russia’s vast network of prisons, complaining the situation recalls the Soviet era and its brutal Gulag system of prison camps. “The troubles in Kopeisk and other prisons show that the Gulag has been preserved in Russia,” the Vedomosti daily wrote in a commentary. —AFP

that freed the generals, but that the highest legal authorities in The Hague decided that our generals are not guilty,” Josipovic told Croatian state HRT television. “It’s a matter of respect toward the international community and international law.” However, Serbian nationalist President Tomislav Nikolic reiterated that the judgment does not help reconciliation and jeopardizes his dialogue with Josipovic. “It’s not going well with Croatia,” Nikolic told Belgrade daily Kurir. “He wants us to talk - me as the president of a nation which has committed crimes, and him as the president of a nation which has not been convicted of anything.”

“Croatians know that the crime committed during the Storm is awful, but they still celebrate because no one was convicted,” Nikolic said.

“They are a nation on a wrong path.” — AP

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

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

Europe mulls banning ‘boxes’ for abandoned babies BERLIN: German pastor Gabriele Stangl says she will never forget the harrowing confession she heard in 1999. A woman said she had been brutally raped, got pregnant and had a baby. Then she killed it and buried it in the woods near Berlin.

Stangl wanted to do something to help women in such desperate situations.

So the following year, she convinced Berlin’s Waldfriede Hospital to create the city’s first so-called “baby box.” The box is actually a warm incubator that can be opened from an outside wall of a hospital where a desperate parent can anonymously leave an unwanted infant. A small flap opens into the box, equipped with a motion detector. An alarm goes off in the hospital to alert staff two minutes after a baby is left.

“The mother has enough time to leave without anyone seeing her,” Stangl said.

“The important thing is that her baby is now in a safe place.”

Baby boxes are a revival of the medieval “foundling wheels,” where unwanted infants were left in revolving church doors. In recent years, there has been an increase in these contraptions also called hatches, windows or slots in some countries - and at least 11 European nations now have them, according to United Nations figures. They are technically illegal, but mostly operate in a gray zone as authorities turn a blind eye.

But they have drawn the attention of human rights advocates who think they are bad for the children and merely avoid dealing with the problems that lead to

child abandonment. At a meeting last month, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child said baby boxes should be banned and is pushing that agenda to the European Parliament.

There are nearly 100 baby boxes in Germany. Poland and the Czech Republic each have more than 40 while Italy, Lithuania, Russia and Slovakia have about 10 each. There are two in Switzerland, one in Belgium and one being planned in the Netherlands.

In the last decade, hundreds of babies have been abandoned this way; it’s estimated one or two infants are typically left at each location every year, though exact figures aren’t available.

“They are a bad message for society,” said Maria Herczog, a Hungarian child psychologist on the U.N. committee.

“These boxes violate children’s rights and also the rights of parents to get help from the state to raise their families,” she said.

“Instead of providing help and addressing some of the social problems and poverty behind these situations, we’re telling people they can just leave their baby and run away.”

She said the practice encourages women to have children without getting medical care. “It’s paradoxical that it’s OK for women to give up their babies by putting them in a box, but if they were to have them in a hospital and walk away, that’s a crime,” Herczog said. She said the committee is now discussing the issue with the European Parliament and is also asking countries which allow the practice to shut them down. Herczog also said it’s

wrong to assume only mothers are abandoning these children and that sometimes they may be forced into giving up children they might otherwise have kept.

“We have data to show that in some cases it’s pimps, a male relative or someone who’s exploiting the woman,” she said.

In some countries - Australia, Canada and Britain - it is illegal to abandon an infant anywhere. Yet, in the US there are “safe haven” laws that allow parents to anonymously give up an infant in a secure place like a hospital or police department. A handful of other countries including Japan and Slovakia have similar provisions.

Countries that support this anonymous abandonment method contend they save lives. In a letter responding to UN concerns, more than two dozen Czech politicians said they “strongly disagreed” with the proposed ban. “The primary aim of baby hatches, which (have) already saved hundreds of newborns, is to protect their right to life and protect their human rights,” the letter said.

However, limited academic surveys suggest this hasn’t reduced the murder of infants. There are about 30 to 60 infanticides in Germany every year, a number that has been relatively unchanged for years, even after the arrival of baby boxes. That’s similar to the per capita rate in Britain where there is no such option.

Across Germany, there is considerable public support for the boxes, particularly after several high-profile cases of infanticide, including the grisly discovery several years ago of the decomposed remains

of nine infants stuffed into flower pots in Brandenburg. Officials at several facilities with baby boxes say biological parents sometimes name the infant being abandoned. “The girl is called Sarah,” read one note left with a baby in Lubeck, Germany in 2003. “I have many problems and a life with Sarah is just not possible,” the letter said. The secretive nature also means few restrictions on who gets dropped off, even though the boxes are intended for newborns. Friederike Garbe, who oversees a baby box in Lubeck, found two young boys crying there last November.

“One was about four months old and his brother was already sitting up,” she said.

The older boy was about 15 months old and could say “Mama.”

Still, Germany’s health ministry is considering other options. “We want to replace the necessity for the baby boxes by implementing a rule to allow women to give birth anonymously that will allow them to give up the child for adoption,” said Christopher Steegmans, a ministry spokesman.

Austria, France, and Italy allow women to give birth anonymously and leave the baby in the hospital to be adopted.

Germany and Britain sometimes allow this under certain circumstances even though it is technically illegal. Eleven other nations grant women a “concealed delivery” that hides their identities when they give birth to their babies, who are then given up for adoption. But the women are supposed to leave their name and contact information for official records that may be given one

day to the children if they request it after age 18. For German couple Andy and Astrid, an abandoned infant in a baby box near the city of Fulda ended their two-year wait to adopt a child nearly a decade ago. “We were told about him on a Sunday and then visited him the next day in the hospital,” said Astrid, a 37-yearold teacher, who along with her husband, agreed to talk with The Associated Press if their last names were not used to protect the identity of their child. The couple quietly snapped a few photos of the baby boy they later named Jan. He weighed just over 7 pounds when he was placed in the baby box, wrapped in two small towels.

When Jan started asking questions about where he came from around age 2, his parents explained another woman had given birth to him. They showed him the photos taken at the hospital, introduced him to the nurses there and showed him the baby box where he had been left. Earlier this year, the couple began the procedure to adopt a second child, a boy whose mother gave birth anonymously so she could give him up for adoption. Astrid said Jan, now 8, loves football, tractors and anything to do with the farming that he sees daily in their rural community. She said it’s not so important for her and her husband to know who his biological parents are.

But for Jan, “it would be nice to know that he could meet them if he wanted to,” she said. “I want that for him, but there is no possibility to find out who they were.” —AP

Congo rebel leader in talks as pullout deadline looms Taxis back on roads, shops open

BARCELONA: People walk past torn electoral posters calling for the independence of Catalonia following the elections in Barcelona, Spain, yesterday. A day after voters in Spain’s economically powerful region of Catalonia dealt a punishing blow to the ruling party advocating independence from Spain, the pressure was on the party leader and regional president Artur Mas to form a new government that would carry out his promise. — AP

Separatist parties win Catalonia election BARCELONA: Separatists in Catalonia won a large majority in regional elections but a poor result for the biggest local nationalist party complicates a push for a referendum on independence from Spain. A deep recession and high unemployment have fuelled separatism in Catalonia, which represents a fifth of Spain’s economy, piling political uncertainty on top of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s economic problems.

Flying pro-independence flags - a lone star against yellow and red stripes - Catalan voters on Sunday handed 87 seats, almost two-thirds of the local parliament, to four different parties that want a referendum on secession. But voters also punished the movement’s figurehead, Catalan President Artur Mas. His Convergence and Union alliance, or CiU, remains the biggest party in the local parliament, but it lost 12 seats and Mas will have to form an alliance with another party to govern.

Mas had tried to ride the separatist wave after hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in the streets in September, demanding independence for Catalonia, which has its own language and sees itself as distinct from the rest of Spain.

But Mas only recently backed Catalan independence, and while he stirred up enthusiasm for the idea, in the end he drove voters into the arms of parties seen as more genuinely representative of the separatist cause. With a population of 7.5 million people, Catalonia has an economy almost as big as Portugal. But it is labouring under a load of debt and Catalans think too much of their taxes go to the rest of Spain.

Mas, who has implemented tough austerity measures to rein in Catalonia’s steep public deficit, said the situation was more complex now but he would still push for a referendum. Unlike in Scotland, where the government of the United Kingdom has agreed to a 2014 referendum, a Catalan plebiscite on breaking away from Spain could trigger a constitutional crisis and the central government has vowed to block it.

The push for a referendum will be more difficult now since Mas fell far short of his aim of winning an absolute majority, or more than 68 seats.

“Having a large majority would have made the path towards independence easier. It will be more difficult to put pressure on Madrid now without that majority. In these processes it’s important to have a single leader, a leader with whom people identify,” said Jesus Gilabert, a supporter of Mas’s CiU. In Madrid, where the ruling People’s Party and the opposition Socialists have said they will block a Catalan referendum, political leaders read the Catalan result as a failure for a referendum. “Mas wanted the Catalans to

decide and they have. They have said no to his absolute majority and the separation of Catalonia from the rest of Spain,” said Alicia Sanchez-Camacho, the leader of the People’s Party, or PP, in Catalonia.

Catalonia’s traditional separatist party, the Republican Left, or ERC, was the big beneficiary of Mas’s independence rhetoric.

The party more than doubled its presence in the Catalan parliament to 21 seats. Mas could team up with the Republican Left to continue to foster the independence cause.

But it will be a difficult alliance, because the ERC will not support his plans to achieve fiscal stability.

The Socialists took 20 seats and the PP 19. Three other parties, including two that want a referendum on independence, split the remaining 25 seats.

Catalans travelled home from around Europe to vote in the election, which had a high turnout of 68 percent, 10 percentage points higher than in the previous vote two years ago. Spains’ borrowing costs rose and shares fell after the election result, reflecting some concern at the separatists’ successes, but price moves were modest with investors focussed on efforts to solve Greece’s debt problems. No matter what the election outcome was, the revival of Catalonia’s longdormant separatist movement will eventually force Spain to rethink the model it chose after the Francisco Franco dictatorship ended in the 1970s. The 1978 constitution gave significant self-governing powers to the country’s 17 autonomous regions, partly to appease centuries-old dreams of nationhood in Catalonia and the Basque Country.

Catalans and Basques have continually tried to push the system for more autonomy, especially for more control over their taxes.

But in recent decades Catalan nationalists like Mas had taken a moderate line of seeking more self-governance but not a split from Spain.

Mas broke with that tradition in September when he made a big bet on a referendum, tapping into a centuries old Catalan dream of independence that is rooted in the Middle Ages when there was a Principality of Catalonia. Wary that separatism could spread to the Basque Country and beyond, Rajoy said the Catalan election was more important than general elections.

“The Catalan issue is an opportunity to discuss a model that has been under debate since its inception. It’s about theterritorial model for Spain,” said Antonio Barroso, politicalanalyst with Eurasia Group Under the current model, Catalonia shares some tax revenue with the rest of Spain and many Catalans believe their economy would prosper if they could invest more of their taxes at home.— Reuters

GOMA: DR Congo rebels patrolled the dusty streets of Goma yesterday as their military leader flew in to neighbouring Uganda for talks ahead of a deadline set by regional African leaders for the group to pull out of the strategic eastern city.

The M23 group, which seized Goma in a sudden advance last week that has raised international fears of a wider regional conflict, was given last night deadline to leave the city at a weekend regional summit in Kampala.

But the rebels, a largely Tutsi ethnic group, have refused to withdraw before any peace talks with the government of President Joseph Kabila, which in turn insists on a pullout before it will sit down at the negotiating table. M23 military leader Sultani Makenga, who was hit with UN and US sanctions last week over alleged atrocities in the DR Congo, flew into Kampala yesterday for “military talks” with regional army chiefs, rebel spokesman Amani Kabasha told AFP. However, Ugandan Defence Minister Crispus Kiyonga told AFP he was “not aware” of any invitation extended to Makenga. UN chief Ban Ki-moon called on Sunday for the M23 to lay down their arms and withdraw from Goma in line with the appeal by Kabila and the presidents of neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda at the weekend summit in Kampala.

Kabila, who was returned to power last year in a hotly-disputed presidential election, met M23 political leader Jean-Marie Runiga Lugerero in Uganda on Saturday but no breakthrough was reported.

M23 fighters seized Goma, capital of the resource-rich North Kivu province, last Tuesday, dramatically escalating a conflict that has claimed civilian and military lives, forced thousands to leave their homes and created a humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations issued a damning report last week accusing Rwanda, and to a lesser extent Uganda, of backing the rebels who it says have carried out murders, rapes and abductions in their sweep across the east.

Both countries vehemently deny the allegations. In just one week, the rebels expanded their area of control from one small corner of North Kivu to cover almost the

MINOVA: A group of Congolese National Army soldiers drive in the back of a jeep near to a military headquarters in Minova, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo yesterday. Minova has become a bastion of government troops after they were routed from Goma last week by M23 rebels. — AFP entire province, an area twice the size of Belgium and rich in diamonds, precious metals and mineral wealth.

The group, which has a list of grievances against Kabila and his government, seized Goma with little resistance from UN peacekeers and the regular DR Congo army, which abandoned munitions as it fled including rocket launchers with a range of up to 120 kilometres (75 miles).

The rebel fighters, who first launched their uprising in April, even threatened to march all the way to the capital Kinshasa, which lies about 1,500 kilometres to the west of Goma.

Yesterday, several rebel fighters were seen on the streets of Goma, although in few numbers than in previous days, while taxis were back on the roads and shops were open in the lakeside city.

Troops from the United Nations peacekeeping mission MONUSCO were also on patrol. UN forces last week were criticised for allowing the rebels to take Goma, but the peacekeepers stressed they did so to avoid further bloodshed.

UN deputy secretary for humanitarian affairs Valerie Amos said last week that the conflict had prevented aid workers from getting even basic aid to badly hit areas and children were among those who had perished in the fighting.

Bodies-civilian and militarycould be seen lining area roads last week and Amos warned that young men were afraid of being pressed into military service and girls were scared of being raped.

UN figures show some 1.6 million internally displaced people in North and South Kivu, including 285,000 newly displaced between July and September. The African Union on Sunday joined the Kampala summit of Great Lakes countries to call on the M23 to pull back 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Goma for peace negotiations to begin. The M23 is a group of former rebels who were integrated into the army under a peace deal on March 23, 2009. They say this was not honoured by the government, leading them to mutiny in April this year.

Rebels also seized Sake, a strategic town that sits at the junction of the main road south to neighbour-

ing South Kivu province and its capital Bukavu. Government troops unsuccessfully tried to retake the town on Thursday. Since the failed operation, the area has seen no new combat. An AFP photographer saw several rebels about three kilometres south of Sake yesterday.

Government soldiers were regrouped further south in the town of Minova. “All is calm, it’s the status quo,” army spokesman Colonel Hamuli said. A panel of UN experts on DR Congo has said that Rwanda not only funds and arms the M23 but also supervises ground operations, describing Rwandan Defence Minister James Kabarebe as the de facto head of the chain of command.

Analysts say there could be no other explanation for a force numbering no more than 3,000 men being able to overpower regular Congolese forces and seize a such large chunk of land in the resourcerich east.

Their assault raised fears of wider conflict erupting in the chronically unstable region, the cradle of two wars that ravaged the country from 1996 to 2002. — AFP

Bersani, Renzi face run-off in Italian centre-left’s primary ROME: Italian centre-left Democratic Party chief Pier Luigi Bersani is set for a run-off vote next week against young pretender Matteo Renzi, after millions of supporters chose their nominee for next year’s general election.

With 40 percent of the votes counted from Sunday’s balloting, Bersani was in front with 44.3 percent support, followed by Florence mayor Renzi with 36.3 percent, the organising committee said. More than four million supporters took part in the vote which will now head for a second round run-off on Sunday.

A general election is expected in April 2013 with the winner of the centre-left nomination one of the favourites to replace Mario Monti as Italy’s next prime minister.

All the most recent polls show the

Democratic Party coming first in the general election. Observers were surprised by the large turnout for the primaries and many polling stations were overwhelmed, with large queues forming outside.

More and more Italians are feeling the pain of a recession that began in the second half of last year and is forecast to continue into next year.

The main drama is between 61-year-old Bersani, a cigar-chomping former communist with a liberal economic orientation, and rising star Renzi, who at just 37 is a new face in politics, inspired

by US President Barack Obama.

The primary is being held at a time of deep economic crisis and political uncertainty in Italy, with a series of corruption scandals within the main parties sparking voter apathy and disgust

with traditional leaders.

Both men have said they will follow the broad course of reforms set by unelected technocrat prime minister Monti, but will seek to curb some of the more unpopular austerity measures he has advocated and do more to boost growth.

“We have to show the rest of the world that we don’t just have Monti,” Bersani, a former economic development minister, said last week.

“People want to take part, they want to have a politics that is in touch with the streets, with the squares, that returns hope to the country,” he said. Monti, a former European commissioner, took over from Silvio Berlusconi a year ago as Italy struggled with the eurozone crisis. While his cuts have angered many, he is seen as having saved Italy from a Greek-style collapse.— AFP

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

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

Afghans demand reprieve for killer of French troops JALALABAD: Student demonstrators yesterday demanded that an Afghan soldier sentenced to death for killing five French soldiers be spared execution. A military court last week rejected an appeal by the soldier, Abdul Sabor, and the Afghan authorities have since executed 14 death row prisoners in two groups including several Taleban insurgents. Unconfirmed Afghan media reports have suggested that Sabor is among a third group that President Hamid Karzai has approved for execution. Karzai’s office has refused to comment on the issue.

So-called green-on-blue attacks have spiralled this year, with a total of 61 NATO soldiers killed by members of the Afghan security forces, fuelling distrust between the allies in the war against the Taleban Islamists.

Sabor, who killed five French soldiers on January 20 while they were jogging within their base in the eastern province of Kapisa, is the first Afghan convicted by a court of carrying out such an attack.

The French casualties prompted France to withdraw its combat forces from Afghanistan earlier than planned.

It ended its combat mission in Kapisa last week. About 500 university students blocked a key road linking the eastern town of Jalalabad to the capital Kabul and chanted anti-government slogans, an AFP reporter said.

“We demand the president withdraw a decree that approves the execution of Abdul Sabor, the soldier who is accused of killing five French troops,” a statement by the demonstrators said.

The students demanded an end to

the execution of “all political prisoners”, a reference to the Taleban militants held in Afghan prisons. They also burned Israeli and US flags in protest at the attacks on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip during eight days of violence that left six Israelis and 166 Palestinians dead. Meanwhile, an international human rights group urged Afghan authorities yesterday to refuse to give Taleban insurgents immunity from prosecution in return for peace talks.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said President Hamid Karzai’s Western-backed administration had pledged amnesty for the Taleban if they join a Kabul-backed peace scheme.

“Providing immunity from prosecution for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious

human rights abuses violates international law,” HRW said in a statement.

“Future government talks with the Taleban should not hinge upon denying justice to victims of war crimes and other abuses,” said Brad Adams, the group’s Asia director.

“Afghanistan’s civilians should not be forced to choose between justice and peace.” Citing recent comments by Karzai’s peace enjoy Salahuddin Rabbani, HRW said the administration had promised immunity to Taleban officials joining peace talks and that their names would be removed from UN sanctions lists. Rabbani this month negotiated the release of nine Taleban prisoners held in Pakistani jails in the hope of pushing negotiations forward.

Karzai’s government has been desperately trying to broker a peaceful end

to the insurgency, which has been led by the Taleban since they were ousted from power by a US-led invasion in 2001. The Taleban have publicly rejected Karzai’s call for peace, dismissing his government as a puppet of the United States. The militants also broke off exploratory contacts with the United States earlier this year after problems arose over their demand for the release of Taleban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. Human Rights Watch pointed out that in 2007 the Afghan parliament, dominated by mujahedin leaders who fought a Soviet occupation and then a civil war, granted themselves immunity from prosecution for human rights abuses. “Afghanistan has a troubling history of providing amnesty for war crimes,” the group said. — AFP

Bangladesh workers protest ‘deathtraps’ New blaze spark fresh panic and terror

LAHORE: A Pakistani paramedic staff gives medical treatment to a patient who fell ill after drinking a toxic cough syrup at a hospital in Lahore yesterday. At least 16 people have died after drinking a toxic cough syrup in the Pakistani city of Lahore, forcing authorities to close three pharmacies and a medicine factory, officials said. — AFP

13 Pakistanis die after drinking cough syrup LAHORE: Thirteen people have died in a main Pakistani city after drinking cough syrup suspected of being toxic, police said yesterday. The victims were all drug addicts who apparently drank the cough syrup in an attempt to get high, said police officer Multan Khan.

Khan said they died at various hospitals in the eastern city of Lahore over the past three days. Five other addicts who drank the cough syrup were being treated. Police arrested the owners of three drug stores where the cough syrup was sold and sent a sample to determine whether it was toxic, said Khan. Elsewhere in the country, a bomb hidden in a cement construction block exploded in the southern city of Karachi killing one person, said senior police officer Farooq Awan. Four other people were wounded, he said.

The bomb contained about 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of explosives and was detonated by a mobile phone, said Awan.

Pakistan suspended mobile phone service throughout most of the country on Saturday and Sunday to prevent attacks against Shiite Muslims during a major religious commemoration.

Despite the ban, a pair of bombings over the weekend killed at least 13 people. Awan, the police officer, said he suspected the bomb in Karachi was meant to

target Shiites over the weekend, but militants were not able to detonate it because of the mobile phone ban. Shiites are currently observing the holy month of Muharram. Pakistani Shiites on Sunday marked Ashoura, the most important day of the month. Pakistan has a long history of Sunni Muslim extremists targeting Shiites, who they consider heretics.

Meanwhile, police say a bomb hidden in a cement construction block has exploded in Pakistan’s largest city, killing one person.

Senior police officer Farooq Awan says the blast yesterday in Karachi also wounded four people. Awan says the bomb contained 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of explosives and was detonated by a mobile phone.

Pakistan suspended mobile phone service throughout most of the country on Saturday and Sunday to prevent attacks against Shiite Muslims during a major religious commemoration.

Despite the ban, a pair of bombings over the weekend killed at least 13 people. Shiites are currently observing the holy month of Muharram. Pakistani Shiites on Sunday marked the Ashoura, the most important day of the month.

Pakistan has a long history of Sunni Muslim extremists targeting Shiites, who they consider heretics. — Agencies

Pakistan TV anchor escapes car bomb plot ISLAMABAD: A high-profile Pakistani journalist and television anchor escaped an assassination bid yesterday when police defused a bomb planted under his car in Islamabad, police and his channel said.

Hamid Mir, who hosts the Capital Talk evening show on Geo television and writes a column for the biggestselling newspaper Jang, was criticised by the Taleban last month in the wake of the shooting of teenage activist Malala Yousafzai. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the device was found stuck under the front passenger seat of his car, police said.

“There was half a kilo of explosives fitted with a detonator,” city police chief Bani Amin told Geo, saying that officers had defused the bomb and were gathering evidence.

Mir was on his way to his office and the bomb was apparently planted when he stopped at a market, said Geo’s Islamabad bureau chief Rana Jawad. “It’s a message to me as well as Geo and the journalist community in Pakistan,” Mir told the television channel. “They want to stop us from speaking the truth but I want to tell them that we will not be deterred.” Interior Minister Rehman Malik offered a cash reward of 50 million rupees ($500,000) for anyone with information about who was responsible for the powerful bomb.

“Had it exploded it would have blown the car into pieces,” Malik told reporters, offering Mir extra protection.

Mir said the interior ministry had told him about threats to his life and already

provided a police guard at his home, but he did not name any group he thought might be behind the device.

“Let us wait for the enquiry report, only then we can say something,” he said.

Intelligence officials said last month that an intercepted Taleban message suggested suicide bombers had been assigned to attack journalists, with Geo at the top of the list of targets because of their coverage of the Malala attack.

Taleban hitmen shot Malala on her school bus in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat Valley because she had campaigned for girls’ rights to education.

The 15-year-old survived. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Pakistan was the third deadliest country for reporters in 2012, behind Syria and Somalia. In May 2011, Pakistani journalist Saleem Shahzad went missing in Islamabad after writing about alleged links between Al-Qaeda and rogue elements in the military.

His body was found two days later.

Shahzad told Human Rights Watch before his death that he had been threatened by intelligence agents.

Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency denied any responsibility for his death.

In Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi on Monday, a bomb attack killed a labourer and wounded four passers-by in a predominantly Shiite Muslim area, officials said. The blast was detonated by a mobile phone. Authorities said they believed it had been planted to target a Shiite procession scheduled to have taken place in recent days. — AFP

DHAKA: Garment workers staged mass protests yesterday to demand the end to “deathtrap” labour conditions after Bangladesh’s worst-ever textile factory fire, as a new blaze sparked fresh panic and terror.

Ahead of the first of a series of mass funerals for the 110 victims, survivors of Saturday night’s blaze joined several thousand colleagues to block a highway and march in the manufacturing hub of Ashulia.

“Workers from several factories have left work and joined the protest. They want exemplary punishment for Tazreen’s owners,” said Dhaka police chief Habibur Rahman, referring to a plant near the capital where the blaze broke out late Saturday.

Police said Ashulia’s more than 500 factories who make apparel for top global retailers such as Walmart, H&M and Tesco declared a wild-cat “holiday”, fearing that the protests could worsen and turn into large-scale unrest.

“Most workers are in shock. They want to see safety improvements to these deathtrap factories,” Babul Akter, head of a garment union, told AFP. The protestors chanted a series of slogans, including a demand for Tazreen’s bosses to be brought to justice.

Local police chief Badrul Alam said officers had opened a murder investigation as a result of criminal negligence. Two government inquiries and the police investigation are trying to establish if the owners were to blame for the fire.

“We won’t spare anyone,” Alam promised as the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced a day of mourning for the dead, many of whom stitched clothes for international brands. All factories will also be closed today.

Dozens of workplace fires have killed more than 600 employees in Bangladesh’s booming garment industry since 2006, but none of the owners have so far faced prosecution for poor safety conditions.

Firefighters battled for several hours to contain the weekend blaze, which broke out on the ground floor of the nine-storey Tazreen Fashion plant 30 kilometres (20 miles)

north of Dhaka, trapping over 1,000 workers.

Witnesses told how panicked staff, most of them women, cried for help and several leaped to their deaths from upper floors as they tried to escape. Preparations have been made for the mass burial of the bodies of 59 workers who cannot be identified.

Their remains, most of which were burnt beyond recognition, will be laid to rest at a

rushed to safety. The latest fire caused widespread damage at the plant on the outskirts of Dhaka, but no casualties were reported after rescue teams searched the building for workers feared to have suffocated in toxic black fumes.

“Most workers broke grilles in the upper floor and escaped to a safe location at an adjacent building,” Dhaka district deputy

DHAKA: Bangladeshi firefighters and workers try to douse the fire at a garment-factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, yesterday two days after a similar incident killed more than 110 people on the outskirts. No casualty was reported in yesterday’s fire. Bangladeshis were blocking the streets near Dhaka, throwing stones at factories and smashing vehicles, as they demanded justice for those killed in Saturday’s fire. — AP state graveyard in a southern suburb of Dhaka. “We are keeping the DNA samples of the dead workers so that we can identify their relatives for compensation,” said Dhaka district police commissioner Yusuf Harun who said the death toll was now 110.

Even before the first burials, a new blaze at a 12-storey building housing four factories sparked new scenes of panic as workers

commissioner of police Nisharul Arif told AFP. Bangladesh has emerged as the world’s second-largest clothes exporter with overseas garment sales topping $19 billion last year, or 80 percent of national exports.

The sector is the mainstay of the povertystricken country’s economy, employing 40 percent of its industrial workforce, but work conditions are often basic and safety stan-

India fails to break deadlock over supermarket reform NEW DELHI: India’s government failed yesterday to defuse a row with the opposition over opening up the supermarket sector to foreign chains, a decision that has thrown parliament into chaos and endangered fresh economic reforms.

Opposition lawmakers have paralysed parliament in the world’s largest democracy, demanding the government roll back its flagship reform, announced in September, to allow foreign supermarkets like WalMart to set up shop in India.

Critics say that allowing foreign players into the $450 billion retail sector will destroy the livelihoods of millions of small store owners.

The government says the move will increase revenue and help eliminate chronic food wastage by setting up proper cold chain and transport infrastructure.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath called an all-party meeting yesterday to try to break the deadlock but opposition parties stuck to their demand for a parliamentary vote on the executive order on supermarket reform.

“There can be no compromise on Rule 184,” Sushma Swaraj, leader of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in parliament, said after the talks, referring to the parliamentary regulation that would allow the vote.

The government has so far refused to accede to the demand, even though the result of a vote would not be binding on it as the

reforms can be implemented without parliamentary approval.

If it agreed to and then lost such a vote it would be an embarrassing setback and give its opponents valuable ammunition ahead of state and national elections due by 2014.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s shaky coalition lost its majority in parliament in September after its biggest ally, the Trinamool Congress party (TMC), withdrew its support to oppose the reform. The government is not confident that it has the numbers to win the vote and is pushing instead for a debate.

The dispute over the reform has caused uproar in parliament.

Protesting lawmakers clamouring for a government climbdown on the policy have prevented any work from being done in the first three days of the month-long winter session.

So far it has been a replay of the August session, when lawmakers demanding Singh’s resignation over alleged irregularities in sweetheart coal deals refused to allow parliament to do any business. The deadlock threatens to derail the government’s efforts to drive forward its stuttering economic reform agenda and shake off the perception of policy paralysis in Asia’s third-largest economy. Bills to allow greater foreign direct investment (FDI) in the insurance and pension sectors are unlikely to come up for a vote while the stand-off over the supermarket reform continues.

“Take back FDI,” lawmakers chanted in parliament on Monday as the Speaker tried to get down to business. Many shouted from their seats while others carrying placards gathered around the Speaker’s seat. The commotion forced an adjournment for the day. Opposition parties have seized on revelations that the finance ministry is investigating Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer, over claims it violated foreign exchange rules when it invested $100 million in a domes-

tic unit owned by its wholesale joint-venture partner, Bharti Enterprises.

Bharti has also suspended its chief financial officer and other employees in a separate internal investigation into alleged violations of US anti-bribery laws.

Analysts said investors did not expect parliament to pass many, if any, important bills this session. The government, however, is under pressure to revive sluggish economic growth and narrow widening fiscal and trade

MUMBAI: Indian policemen keep their weapons as they pay tribute at the memorial to the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks on its fourth anniversary in Mumbai, India, yesterday. India secretly executed the lone surviving gunman Mohammed Ajmal Kasab on Nov 21, from the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, four years after Pakistani gunmen blazed through India’s financial capital, killing 166 people and shattering relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors. — AP

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

NEWS MoI authorizes opposition demo Continued from Page 1 The constitutional court has the authority to rule on such issues and its rulings cannot be challenged.

In a lengthy judicial day, another bench of the administrative court yesterday cancelled decisions issued by the National Election Commission to disqualify a number of candidates for the election. The court accepted challenges from 24 candidates and rejected five others while it will rule on a few others in the coming two days. The National Election Commission last week disqualified 37 candidates, including several former MPs, on the basis that they did not meet conditions for listing in the election which require candidates to enjoy a good reputation.

The government immediately appealed against the rulings and the court is expected to review the appeals

before the Dec 1 election. Among those allowed to contest the election are former MPs Saleh Ashour, Youssef Al-Zalzalah, Khalaf Dumaitheer, Saadoun Hammad, Askar Al-Enezi and Khaled Al-Adwah, all members of the 2009 National Assembly who had been interrogated on charges they received millions of dinars in illegal money. Others include Nabeel Al-Fadl and Khaled AlShulaimi and the rest are new candidates contesting the polls for the first time.

The criminal court meanwhile set Jan 7 for the next hearing into the case of 68 people accused of storming the Assembly building in November last year. The defendants include 10 former MPs including Musallam Al-Barrak, Jamaan Al-Harbash, Faisal Al-Mislem, Mohammad Al-Khalifa and others. The next hearing will be to hear the arguments of defense lawyers before setting a date to issue the verdict.

Premier sees no foreign interference...

Continued from Page 1 Sheikh Jaber opined that the change in the voting system from four votes to one is a legal and constitutional right of HH the Amir. “HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah reached the conviction that this abnormal situation could not persist any longer. Thanks to his wisdom and the advice of constitutional experts, the Amir adopted the emergency Amiri Decree regulating the constituencies and calling new parliamentary elections,” he said, adding that the Amir saw the necessity to change the voting system with one that does not favor alliances based on religious or tribal sentiments and one that creates problems.

“We are very optimistic and hopeful about the many positive changes that we will encounter in the near future. The coming stage will see a giant leap in economic development. The stage is set for implementing mega projects, some of which have already been approved. We have the money and we have the brains. We need to move forward,” Sheikh Jaber urged.

“I want a parliament that does not have a majority. We agree on having a majority-run parliament but not a majority with one group over another,” he said in response to criticism about the government’s majority in parliament.

Urging the media to shoulder their national responsibilities professionally and objectively, he said: “We must be proud of our media. You have responsibility before God and the Kuwaiti people,” adding that the media is the source for the government to listen to criticism and advice. Sheikh Jaber ruled out the existence of wasta and nepotism in some government institutions, stressing that the government works to ensure fair treatment of all citizens. “There will not be any tolerance of nepotism. We have already taken measures in some ministries to hold people accountable.”

On the Karamat Watan (National Dignity) III protest march on the eve of the elections, Sheikh Jaber said the organizers were given permission from the security services and the government does not oppose the march as long as it is held within rules and regulations.

Asked to reflect on allegations circulating on Twitter about foreign interference in Kuwait’s political affairs

and threats made by the Muslim Brotherhood to topple the government, Sheikh Jaber said: “There are no threats made to Kuwait by the Muslim Brotherhood.”

He emphatically denied any foreign support given to the opposition in plotting to topple the government in Kuwait. “Qatar’s government and its people want the best for the people of Kuwait,” he said.

Sheikh Jaber said that increases in housing and rental allowances and salaries are currently being studied by the government, affirming that increases are to be expected. “Studies of increases are being done and they will be implemented,” he said. On the issue of writing off loans, Sheikh Jaber was firm: “It is not in the public’s benefit and it is unfair to the public to write off the loans of some indebted entities. What about those who paid their loans?”

Reflecting on Kuwait’s participation in sports events, he said: “Out of keenness on more effective participation at international sports events, HH the Amir adopted a decree to amend the regulations and the activities of the Public Authority for Youth and Sports. The amendments, entailed in the decree, are in tandem with the laws of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Charter,” adding that the decree will be tabled at the coming National Assembly for endorsement.

In my capacity as a doctor with a solid background in the healthcare field in Kuwait, I made an appeal to Sheikh Jaber to continue with the implementation of projects in the field of healthcare. Assuring Sheikh Jaber that some 95 percent of the doctors in Kuwait are in full support of the projects announced by the Ministry of Health, I appealed for their implementation, which the prime minister welcomed warmly. He responded positively and acknowledged that a lot more needs to be done in this field. Taking the point further, he stressed that only the day before he had met the minister of health and discussed the necessary changes in the avenue of healthcare.

The meeting, which was held in a friendly and informal atmosphere, was attended by the Minister of Information and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information Sheikh Salman Al-Hmoud, who both played a vital role in the meeting.

DAIH, Bahrain: Bahraini Shiite protestors run for cover from tear gas fired by riot police during clashes following religious ceremonies commemorating Ashoura in this village west of the capital Manama yesterday.

Witnesses said hundreds of demonstrators tried to march from Daih to the former Pearl Square, now razed and turned into a junction, before being confronted by police. Police also fired stun grenades at the crowds, who gathered to pray before beginning their demonstration. — AFP

Morsi holds talks over power grab Continued from Page 1 One person has been killed and about 370 injured in clashes between police and protesters since Morsi issued a decree on Thursday shielding his decisions from judicial review, emboldened by international plaudits for brokering an end to eight days of violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Morsi’s political opponents have accused him of behaving like a dictator and the West has voiced its concern, worried by more turbulence in a country that has a peace treaty with Israel and lies at the heart of the Arab Spring.

Morsi’s administration has defended his decree as an effort to speed up reforms and complete a democratic transformation. Leftists, liberals, socialists and others say it has exposed the autocratic impulses of a man once jailed

by Mubarak. Morsi’s opponents have called for a protest today and leading leftist, Hamdeen Sabahy, vowed peaceful demonstrations would continue until the decree was “brought down”, saying Tahrir would a model of an “Egypt that will not accept a new dictator because it brought down the old one”.

“President Morsi is very optimistic that Egyptians will overcome this challenge as they have overcome other challenges,” presidential spokesman Yasser Ali told reporters, shortly before the president started his meeting with members of Egypt’s highest judicial authority, the Supreme Judicial Council. The Council has hinted at a compromise, saying Morsi’s decree should apply only to “sovereign matters”. That suggests it did not reject the declaration outright. Justice Minister Ahmed Mekky, speaking about the council statement, said: “I believe President Mohamed Morsi wants that.”

Legal experts said “sovereign matters” could be confined to issues such as declaring war or calling elections that are already beyond legal challenge. But they said Egypt’s legal system had sometimes used the term more broadly, suggesting that any deal could leave wide room for interpretation. And any deal with a judiciary dominated

by Mubarak-era judges, which Morsi has pledged to reform, may not placate them. Though both Islamists and their opponents broadly agree that the judiciary needs reform, his rivals oppose Morsi’s methods.

The Supreme Constitutional Court was responsible for declaring the Islamist-dominated parliament void, leading

to its dissolution this year. One presidential source said Morsi was looking for ways to reach a deal to restructure that court. A group of lawyers and activists has also challenged Morsi’s decree in an administrative court, which said it would hold its first hearing on Dec 4. Other decisions by Morsi have faced similar legal challenges brought to court by opponents.

The protesters are worried that Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood aims to dominate the post-Mubarak era after winning the first democratic parliamentary and presidential elections this year. Banners in Tahrir called for dissolving the assembly drawing up a constitution, an Islamistdominated body Morsi made immune from legal challenge. Many liberals and others have walked out of the assembly saying their voices were not being heard.

One Muslim Brotherhood member was killed and 60 people were hurt on Sunday in an attack on the main office of the Brotherhood in the Egyptian Nile Delta town of Damanhour, the website of the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party said. The party’s offices have also been attacked in other cities. One politician said the scale of the crisis could push opponents towards a deal to avoid a further escalation. “I am very cautiously optimistic because the consequences are quite, quite serious - the most serious they have been since the revolution,” said Mona Makram Ebeid, a former member of parliament and prominent figure in Egyptian politics.

Morsi’s office repeated assurances that the steps would be temporary, and said he wanted dialogue with political groups to find “common ground” over what should go into the constitution. But though the presidency has called for dialogue, that has been rejected by members of the National Salvation Front, a new opposition coalition of liberals, leftists and other politicians and parties, who until Morsi’s decree had been a fractious bunch struggling to unite. The Front includes Sabahy, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mohamed ElBaradei and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa. The military has stayed out of the crisis after leading Egypt through a messy 16-month transition to a presidential election in June. Analysts say Morsi neutralised the army when he sacked top generals in August, appointing a new generation who now owe their advancement to the Islamist president. Though the military still wields influence through business interests and a security role, it is out of frontline politics. — Reuters

14

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

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Issues

Could Spain survive loss of Catalonia?

By David Williams

C

atalonia’s leader Artur Mas says the powerful region’s economy can stand tall in Europe without Spain. But could Spain survive without Catalonia? The prospect of an independent Catalonia of 7.5 million people lying to the northeast of Spain seems distant with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government vowing to block any referendum. In a snap election Sunday, voters slashed the majority held by Mas’s conservative alliance, Convergence and Union, but boosted support for left-wing pro-independence forces. Despite having its wings clipped, Mas’s alliance promised to seek a popular consultation on self-determination.

The question of statehood overwhelmed any debate of the Catalan economy and its more than Ä40-billion ($50-billion) debt, but it also highlighted Catalonia’s importance to the rest of Spain. “We could get along quite well,” Mas boasted on Spanish public television two days ahead of the election, defying some analysts’ forecasts of an economic catastrophe if Catalonia splits from Spain. As a separate nation, Catalonia would rank seventh in the 27-member European Union in terms of wealth creation and ninth in terms of its trade capacity, the Catalan chief said.

But for the rest of Spain, already sunk in recession, its banks in crisis and one in four workers unemployed, analysts warn the outlook could be even grimmer without Catalonia. Independence for Catalonia is a “very unlikely outcome”, said Raj Badiani, London-based analyst at IHS Global Insight, a research group. But if it eventually did occur, the first impact would be a loss of tax receipts, he said in an interview.

Indeed, many Catalans complain Madrid collects far more in taxes from the region than it returns. It estimates the “fiscal deficit” at Ä16 billion ($21 billion) a year, a figure Madrid disputes. “There would obviously be a net impact on the rest of Spain’s tax receipts,” Badiani said. “Given that it is already facing the likelihood of missed fiscal targets both this year and next, and tax receipts are already being squeezed by a recession that is exhibiting depression-like qualities, that would be a fatal blow in terms of it being able to deliver its fiscal goals over the next two to three years.”

But the loss of Catalonia, which accounts for onefifth of Spain’s total economic output and more than one-quarter of its exports, would also hurt the broader economy, he said. “If Catalonia was suddenly to disappear I think you would be talking about a deeper and far more prolonged recession in the rest of Spain,” Badiani said. Perhaps more dangerously, a breakup of Spain would give the sense that Madrid was losing control of the nation. “And then you are pretty much in the dark. Nobody really knows what the impact would be on the rest of Spain. That is what obviously spooks bond markets,” he said.

Xavier Cuadras Morato, an economist at Barcelona’s Universitat Pompeu Fabra, agreed that a divorce between Catalonia and Spain would hit the Madrid taxman in the pocket. “If the Spanish economy already needs to make adjustments, those adjustments especially in the public sector would be somewhat more serious, somewhat larger,” Morato said. In any divorce agreement, Spain would likely insist that Catalonia pick up a share of Spain’s 685-billion-euro sovereign debt, said a report by think tank Instituto de Estudios Economics. It estimated the Catalan share at Ä128 billion.

But other economists warned creditors would be unwilling to swap from holding Spanish debt to holding a Catalan junk bond. Spain would suffer, too, from the loss of Catalan exports. “It would be very difficult because they would lose 30 percent of their export capacity, they would lose one of the parts of Spain that has been most dynamic in modern times,” warned Edward Hugh, an economist based in Barcelona. “If they have got problems implementing reforms and going forward anyway, what would it be like without the Catalans?” he asked. “How would Madrid survive supporting all the rest of the regions that don’t work?” —AFP

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.

Morsi’s folly

By David Rohde

A

fter helping end the fighting in Gaza, impressing President Barack Obama and negotiating a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has fallen victim to what Bill Clinton calls “brass”. Morsi’s hubristic post-Gaza power grab on Thursday was politically tone deaf, strategic folly and classic over-reach. It will deepen Egypt’s political polarization, scare off desperately needed foreign investment and squander Egypt’s rising credibility in the region and the world. Television images of renewed clashes in Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said and Suez will play into stereotypes that the Middle East is not ready for democracy. They will bolster suspicions inside and outside Egypt that the Muslim Brotherhood cannot be trusted.

I disagree with the skeptics and believe democracy can still be established in Egypt. But Morsi’s moves won’t help Egypt make the difficult transition. “There was a disease but this is not the remedy,” Hassan Nafaa, a liberal political science professor and activist at Cairo University, told Reuters Friday. “We are going towards more polarization between the Islamist front on one hand and all the others on the other. This is a dangerous situation.”

An alarming dynamic is taking hold in Egypt. Power-grabs, brinksmanship and walkouts are becoming the norm, as a bitter struggle plays out among newly empowered Islamists, vestiges of the Mubarak regime and the country’s deeply divided liberals. Political paralysis is the result - with rule by presidential decree, overreach by the judiciary and a deadlocked constitutional assembly. As polarization deepens, desperately needed economic, political and judicial reforms stall.

Friday’s street protests were relatively small compared to the massive Arab spring demonstrations. But the trend is in the wrong direction. “President Morsi has used the nearly absolute authority he assumed last August,” Nathan Brown warned in an excellent analysis for The Arabist, “to try to put that absolute authority beyond reach, at least on a temporary basis. He may very well succeed.”

In a surprising triumph in August, Morsi abruptly ended the Egyptian military’s post-Mubarak rule of the country.

After apparently gaining the support of younger military officers, Morsi forced older, pro-Mubarak officers, led by Field Marshall Muhammad Hussein Tantawi, into retirement. Morsi then seized sweeping powers. In one positive sign, Morsi used his new authority sparingly. Critics who feared an Islamist crackdown were proven wrong. His boldest move was a failed October attempt to remove the country’s unpopular prosecutor general, a Mubarak holdover widely criticized for mounting lenient prosecutions of Mubarak and other former officials. When the prosecutor, Abdel Meguid Mahmoud, refused to obey Morsi’s order to resign, the new president quickly backed down.

That restraint vanished on Thursday.

Morsi removed the unpopular prosecutor, opened the doors for a re-trial of Mubarak and other officials and granted himself and the country’s constitutional assembly immunity from rulings by the country’ pro-Mubarak judiciary. Critics feared proMubarak judges would dissolve the constitutional assembly, just as they had dissolved the country’s first democratically

elected parliament before Morsi was elected president in June.

In a speech outside the presidential palace on Friday, Morsi argued that he had seized sweeping powers to preserve the transition to democracy. He promised that once full constitutional democracy was established, he would relinquish these powers. “I am for all Egyptians,” Morsi said, adding that he was working for social and economic stability and the rotation of power. “I will not be biased against any son of Egypt.”

Unfortunately, we’ve seen this script before. It almost always turns out badly. A destructive dynamic is taking hold in Egypt.

The poisonous distrust and conspiracy theories that have handicapped the country’s transition to democracy are deepening. On Friday, a senior Brotherhood official scoffed at liberal opposition leader Muhammed ElBaradei’s calls for protests. “We’re not scared of ElBaradei,” the official told journalist Lauren E Bohn, “he has no real support on street, he’s Western.” ElBaradei and members of country’s liberal opposition have their flaws. They are deeply divided, failed to build strong political organizations and too quickly engaged in boycotts and walk-outs.

Only Egyptians can change Egypt’s political culture. The international community, though, can and should clearly signal its support for constitutional democracy and the rule-of law in Egypt. The State Department issued a statement Friday calling on all sides to peacefully resolve their differences. But the quicker way to create pressure is through the IMF. Last Tuesday, officials from Egypt and the IMF announced a tentative agreement to issue a $4.8 billion IMF loan to the country’s cash-strapped government.

Egyptian officials agreed to enact spending and tax reforms designed to reduce the country’s deficit, attract foreign investment and restore the economic growth that vanished after Mubarak’s fall. IMF officials said the loan was part of a whopping $14.5 billion funding package planned for Egypt. They did not name the donors but they are believed to include the Unites States, the European Union, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Final approval of the $4.8 billion IMF agreement lies with the group’s board, due to meet on Dec. 19.

Washington, Brussels and the IMF should set benchmarks for the disbursement of the aid, pegged to democratic reform being implemented in Egypt. Fears of instability in Egypt or Gaza should not prompt the international community to turn a blind eye to Morsi’s power-grab. All Egypt’s key stakeholders - whether Islamists or secular liberals - should be shown that they will pay a price for anti-democratic excess.

We’ve funneled billions to Egyptian dictators before. The results were grim: poverty, economic stagnation and deep resentment of the United States. If Morsi or any Egyptian leader - flouts democracy, they should not receive billions in American and international aid. If Egyptians squander their chance for democracy, it’s their choice. Shame on us, though, if we lose our nerve and make the strongman mistake twice.

NOTE: David Rohde is a columnist for Reuters, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and a former reporter for The New York Times. His forthcoming book, “Beyond War: Reimagining American Influence in a New Middle East” will be published in March 2013.

Italy’s centre-left shows new vitality

By Gildas Le Roux

W

ith more than three million Italians turning out Sunday to vote in a primary, the recessionhit country’s centre-left electorate showed its vitality ahead of a general election next year that may put their Democratic Party back in the driver’s seat, analysts said. “At a time of crisis in politics and rising abstentionism, we witnessed an example of democracy in a rather hostile climate,” Mario Centorrino, a professor of political science at Messina University in Sicily, told AFP. The turnout to select the centreleft’s candidate for elections that pollsters say it is expected to win was all the

This combo image of file pictures shows Italian centre-left Democratic Party chief Pier Luigi Bersani (above) and Florence’s mayor Matteo Renzi. —AFP

more impressive amid a wave of fraud scandals that have weakened many Italians’ faith in their politicians.

Pier Luigi Bersani, head of the main centre-left Democratic Party, came out ahead with 44.9 percent of the vote but fell short of a majority against Florence mayor Matteo Renzi’s 35.5 percent, according to organisers. The secondround run-off between Bersani and Renzi will be held Sunday. Analysts said that even if Renzi is runner-up, he could come out a “winner” since his result means his message of renewal in Italy’s leftist leadership is being heard and his role in attracting centrist voters will prove crucial. “Even if Bersani wins the second round, we cannot erase the Renzi experience. A part of the left has renewed itself,” said Centorrino, adding that many people had appreciated “this offer of a political renewal”.

There is a stark contrast between the 61-year-old Bersani, a former communist with a liberal economic streak, and the 37-year-old Renzi, a fan of US President Barack Obama who wants to “scrap” the Democratic Party elite. “Renzi scored a major success,” said Giacomo Marramao, a professor of political philosophy at the University of Rome. “I don’t think there would have been so many people taking part without Renzi, who gave life to these primaries,” he said.

Stefano Folli, a political columnist for business daily Il Sole 24 Ore, said Renzi was now “leader of the modernising wing” of the Democratic Party. Folli said “Renzism” represented the idea of “a modern, liberal left”. A total of five candidates were bidding for the nomination.

Third in the results was Nichi Vendola, the 54-year-old governor of the Apulia region, a gay Catholic who was considered the most leftwing of the five and a fierce opponent of Prime Minister Mario Monti’s government. “Vendola also won recognition, even though he heads a political formation that is not represented in parliament,” Marramao said.

Franco Debenedetti, a columnist for Il Sole 24 Ore, said that “Renzi’s incredible performance represents the only recent political novelty in Italy”. “In a few months, someone without support from the party’s apparatus has managed to emerge, which shows the vitality of the political scene. “It is a positive signal,” he said.

The comparison with what is happening on Italy’s centre-right is particularly glaring as Silvio Berlusconi’s oncedominant People of Freedom party is riven by infighting, analysts said. The party is stalling on whether to hold its own primaries, and Berlusconi who has been out of the political limelight since being replaced by Monti last year - has kept his supporters guessing on whether he will run. Renzi’s rise also represents a potential threat since his moderate message could appeal to many former Berlusconi voters. Debenedetti said: “What is important is Renzi’s potential as a source of attraction for the centrist and rightist electorate.” —AFP

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

sp orts Tough talk on hooligans

FIFA names World Cup mascot

Wales prop Jarvis ruled out

MOSCOW: In a desperate attempt to curb football violence in Russia, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev yesterday called for the most notorious hooligans to be banned for life from matches. A Russian league game between Dynamo Moscow and Zenit St. Petersburg was called off last week after the Dynamo goalkeeper was injured after a firecracker was thrown from the Zenit stands. More than 90 people were briefly detained after the match but no one has been charged.

Dynamo was given a 3-0 win.

In the wake of disturbances at the Dynamo-Zenit game, the Russian government has drafted a bill to introduce harsh penalties for misbehaving fans, such as temporary suspensions. But on Monday, Medvedev urged the government to go further and introduce life bans.

Medvedev said punishment ought to be “extremely harsh against those who come to the stadium to misbehave rather than watch the match.” Russia is due to host a handful of international sports events in the coming years, including the 2014 Olympics in Sochi and the World Cup in 2018. — AP

SAO PAULO: FIFA has named the mascot for the 2014 Brazil World Cup “Fuleco,” a word which organisers say transmits a message of environmental awareness. Almost half of the more than 1.7 million people who voted in an online poll chose Fuleco ahead of ‘Zuzeco’ and ‘Amijubi’. The mascot is a three-banded armadillo, which is an endangered species in Brazil.

The tradition of a World Cup mascot dates back to 1966, when a lion named ‘World Cup Willie’ was chosen for the tournament in England. Since then, the mascots have ranged from two German boys “Tip and Tap” in 1974, to “Pique” the chili pepper in Mexico in 1986, and “Zakumi” the leopard, who represented the tournament in South Africa in 2010.

The yellow and blue armadillo was chosen in September and huge inflatable versions were set up in Brazil’s 12 host cities.

However, authorities were forced to take them down or increase security in at least three cities after vandals attacked them.

Fuleco is expected to make an appearance in Sao Paulo this week at the draw for the 2013 Confederations Cup. The draw for the World Cup warm-up competition takes place next Saturday.

The naming of the mascot came on the same day that FIFA unveiled the posters to be used to publicise the tournament. Each of the 12 host cities has its own poster. — Reuters

CARDIFF: Wales prop Aaron Jarvis has been ruled out of Saturday’s Test match against Australia after suffering a knee ligament injury. Jarvis sustained the problem during his side’s 33-10 defeat against New Zealand on Saturday and will undergo further assessment on Monday before it is decided if the Welsh star needs surgery.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland, who has put back his team annoucement until Thursday, hopes to receive better news over the fitness of lock Bradley Davies ahead of this weekend’s Millennium Stadium clash.

Davies was hospitalised after being struck from behind in the second minute by New Zealand hooker Andrew Hore, but has now rejoined his team-mates.

“Bradley Davies is back in the Wales camp after spending some time in hospital on Saturday night,” a Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) statement read. “He is recovering from severe concussion and following the appropriate return to play protocols.

“He is not training today, but it is still too soon to reach any further conclusions.” — AFP

NBA results/standings San Antonio 111, Toronto 106 (OT); NY Knicks 121, Detroit 100; Brooklyn 98, Portland 85; Philadelphia 104, Phoenix 101; Boston 116, Orlando 110 (OT).

American League Eastern Division W L PCT NY Knicks 9 3 .750 Brooklyn 8 4 .667 Philadelphia 8 6 .571 Boston 8 6 .571 Toronto 3 11 .214 Central Division Milwaukee 6 5 .545 Chicago 6 6 .500 Indiana 6 8 .429 Cleveland 3 10 .231 Detroit 3 11 .214 Southeast Division Miami 10 3 .769 Atlanta 8 4 .667 Charlotte 7 5 .583 Orlando 5 8 .385 Washington 0 11 0

GB 1 2 2 7

0.5 1.5 4 4.5

1.5 2.5 5 9

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 10 4 .714 Denver 8 6 .571 Utah 7 7 .500 Portland 6 7 .462 Minnesota 5 7 .417

2 3 3.5 4

Pacific Division LA Clippers 8 5 .615 .571 Golden State 8 6 LA Lakers 7 7 .500 Phoenix 6 8 .429 Sacramento 4 9 .308

0.5 1.5 2.5 4

Southwest Division Memphis 9 2 .818 .786 San Antonio 11 3 Dallas 7 7 .500 Houston 6 7 .462 New Orleans 3 9 .250

0 3.5 4 6.5

Knicks stop Pistons NEW YORK: Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points as the New York Knicks ended a two-game losing streak with a 121-100 victory over the Detroit Pistons in the NBA on Sunday.

Steve Novak added a season-high 18 and JR Smith had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who had started the season 6-0 before dropping consecutive games to the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets.

Brandon Knight scored 21 points and Charlie Villanueva had 17 for the Pistons, who have lost six straight games at Madison Square Garden. The San Antonio Spurs got 32 points from Tony Parker and 26 from Tim Duncan to defeat the Toronto Raptors in double overtime 111106.

Parker scored six of his points in the second overtime as the Spurs won their third straight game and improved their NBA-best road record to 7-1. DeMar DeRozan scored 29 points and Lithuanian rookie Jonas Valanciunas added 22 for the Raptors, who have lost their past three games by a combined seven points.

The Brooklyn Nets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 98-85 for their fifth straight win at their new home in Brooklyn. The Nets have won six of their first seven games on their new home court - the team’s best start since the 2002-03 season when they won 18 of their first 19 at home.

Deron Williams had 15 points, 12 assists, four blocked shots and three steals to lead Brooklyn, while Joe Johnson added 21 points and Brook Lopez had 15.

The Boston Celtics outlasted the Orlando Magic 116-110 in overtime after trailing by as many as seven in the fourth quarter.

The Celtics were led by Kevin Garnett’s 24 points and Paul Pierce’s 23, while Rajon Rondo was one rebound shy of a triple double with 15 points, 16 assists and nine rebounds.

The Celtics won their second straight and earned their sixth consecutive win over the Magic, who got 21 points from J.J. Redick and 20 from Jameer Nelson.

The Philadelphia 76ers ended a twogame losing streak by edging the Phoenix Suns 104-101.

Jrue Holiday led the Sixers with a career-high 33 points and 13 assists, while Evan Turner added 16 points, Lavoy Allen had 11 and Thaddeus Young 10. Kenneth Faried had his eighth double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets routed the New Orleans Hornets 102-84. Andre Iguodala led the Nuggets with 23 points, while Ty Lawson had 17 points and six

NEW YORK: Knicks’ Raymond Felton (2) shoots past Detroit Pistons’ Kyle Singler during the first half of an NBA basketball game in New York. —AP

Argonauts crush Stampeders DUBAI: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates after he wins the final round of DP World Golf Championship in Dubai. —AP

Rivals say McIlroy playing like Tiger DUBAI: Rory McIlroy’s rivals were in awe of his two-shot victory at the DP World Tour Championship and compared the world number one’s form to the dominance 14-times major winner Tiger Woods displayed in his prime.

The Northern Irishman landed his fifth title of the year on Sunday, countering a course-record 62 by Ryder Cup team mate Justin Rose with a stunning sequence of five straight birdies at the conclusion of the final European Tour event of the season in Dubai. Luke Donald, who played alongside McIlroy in the last round at the Greg Norman-designed Earth course, said the 23-year-old’s performance proved he was the world’s outstanding golfer.

“He showed a lot of grit and determination,” the second-ranked Donald told reporters. “It capped off an amazing year for him. “Rory has been the best player all year and that was some finish. You have to give him a lot of credit for digging deep.

“I think he’ll be around for a long time but it’s good because he’ll push me to work harder,” added the 34-year-old

Englishman, who collected three victories of his own this season. South African Charl Schwartzel, who finished tied for third with Donald, was similarly impressed by the standard of golf McIlroy had produced in 2012.

“Rory is playing like Tiger did in his young days and it’s amazing to see,” said last year’s US Masters champion. “To watch it happen, and Justin coming up shooting a 10-under 62, just shows you how strong golf is right now.”

Schwartzel’s sentiments were echoed by fellow South African Louis Oosthuizen.

“Rory is probably playing the golf that Tiger was playing when he was on form,” said the 2010 British Open champion after finishing fifth in Dubai. “At the moment Rory’s in his own little world which is great to see.” McIlroy’s other victories this year came in the U.S. PGA Championship, his second major win after last season’s U.S. Open triumph, the Honda Classic in Florida and two events in the U.S. PGA Tour’s endof-season FedExCup playoff series. He also became the second player, after Donald in 2011, to land the money-list titles on both

TORONTO: Calgary Stampeders quarterback Kevin Glenn’s hopes of avenging a heartbreaking finish to the 2007 Canadian Football League (CFL) season were dashed on Sunday when his team were crushed in the 100th Grey Cup game.

Glenn came up woefully short in his bid to put the finishing touches on what would have been an inspiring tale of redemption as he completed just 14 of 27 passes for 222 yards and an interception that was returned for a touchdown in a 35-22 loss to the host Toronto Argonauts. “It’s frustrating. When these kind of things happen you go from your highest high to your lowest low,” Glenn, who was playing in his first Grey Cup after spending 12 seasons with four teams, told reporters.

“I don’t know any other kind of job that can happen to you.” For Glenn, the highestranked CFL passer to never win a Grey Cup, the game represented a chance to silence critics who have dismissed him over the years and, perhaps more importantly, an opportunity to make good on the lost chance from 2007.

Glenn was in stellar form that season when he led his former Winnipeg Blue Bombers team to the Grey Cup but was kept out of the title game after suffering an injury late in the campaign’s penultimate contest with the outcome no longer in doubt.

A veteran with over 200 games on his CFL resume, Glenn joined the Stampeders this year after stints with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

He stepped in for injured incumbent Drew Tate during much of the regular season and

completed a career-best 66.7 percent of his passes while throwing for 4,220 yards and 25 touchdowns. But despite his impressive numbers, the 33-year-old pivot’s unlikely shot at redemption was only made possible after another injury to Tate in the playoffs, suddenly setting the table for a feel-good story.

Glenn was thrust into the spotlight for the West Division final where he led the

Stampeders to a victory and within one win of an elusive Grey Cup. “You have to filter it out somehow and think about the positive things we did this year to overshadow this big loss,” said Glenn, who helped Calgary to the CFL’s second-best record during the regular season.

“Nobody is happy. I guess I’m going to try to think about positive things. What we did this season. Right now I can’t stop replaying

TORONTO: Toronto Argonauts defensive end David Lee holds the Grey Cup after defeating Calgary Stampeders in the CFL Grey Cup championship football game. —AP

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

sp orts

Japan win raises roof in tsunami morgue RIFU: Local schoolboy Yuzuru Hanyu’s emotional figure skating victory in an arena pressed into service as a morgue after the Japanese tsunami was a tonic for an area struggling to get back on its feet. Sport is being used as part of the healing process in the region of northeast Japan devastated by the earthquake and tsunami that struck in March 2011, destroying whole communities and leaving more than 18,000 people dead.

The NHK Trophy, a Grand Prix event staged at the 7,000-seat Sekisui Heim Super Arena, is the latest in a list of sporting fixtures brought to the area, including under-20 women’s football world cup matches and an international triathlon.

The arena itself has already been used for concerts and other sports events, including the national handball championships in July, after it was refurbished and blessed by a Shinto priest when its emergency mission ended. The Japan Skating Federation said it picked the region for the NHK Trophy to “send a message about our recovery, in response to support from around the world.”

“Thank you from Tohoku, Japan,” read a message projected in several languages onto the ice, referring to the region battered by the disaster, as medallists skated at a gala exhibition on Sunday. The success in the men’s competition the previous day of Hanyu, a 17-year-old high school student from the adjoining city of Sendai, brought welcome cheer to the home fans. “Hanyu is helping us stay strong,” said Yukiko Yonezawa, selling fried noodles at a stall outside the venue. Hanyu, whose home and local skating rink were damaged in last year’s disaster, was ecstatic after his second career Grand Prix victory, stroking the ice and admitting: “I talked to the rink, saying ‘I thank you very much’.”

The 2010 world junior champion broke his own world shortprogramme record on Friday and topped Saturday’s free skate, refusing to be put off even by two moderate earthquakes that brought back dark memories.

American ice dancing pair Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who won the ice dance title, were also caught up in the emotion of the occasion. “I think one of the most beautiful things about ice dance is that it can really move you emotionally,” said Davis.

“So it’s an honour for us to be able to perform for the audience and hopefully lift their spirits in some sort of way.” The 2011 world champions have spent the past two summers doing shows in Japan and one was “always dedicated to the victims of the tsunami,” said Davis.—AFP

SENDAI: Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan performs in this file photo during men’s free at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Sendai, Japan. — AP

Can Formula One get any better than 2012?

SAO PAULO: Mercedes Grand Prix driver Michael Schumacher (center) of Germany, toasts with members of his team after competing in the Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix at the Interlagos race track. — AP

Schumacher says farewell to the sport he dominated SAO PAULO: Michael Schumacher said farewell to Formula One with a battling seventh place for Mercedes at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday before an embrace for newly-crowned triple champion Sebastian Vettel.

By a remarkable coincidence, seventh was where he qualified in his first grand prix back in Belgium in 1991 for the now defunct Jordan team 308 races ago. The seven times champion also had the number seven on his car at Interlagos.

After a stellar 21-year career, the most successful by any Formula One driver with his record 91 wins, Schumacher recognised his time was up at the age of 43. His army of fans made clear they will miss the former Ferrari great all the same. “On 25 Nov 2012, last day of the golden age of F1,” declared one banner in the grandstand overlooking the main Interlagos straight. “Michael, F1 is nothing without you” and “Michael, we love you,” said others.

The former Ferrari great started in 13th place but, despite an early puncture and four pitstops, made the most of wet and chaotic conditions to end a run of six races without a point.

“We’re not really in a position to offer a lot of fireworks in this last race although I wish to do,” he had said, standing next to Red Bull’s champion Vettel on a truck as they went around the circuit for the pre-race drivers’ parade.

He did himself justice anyway, with a performance that showed some of his old ‘never-say-die’ philosophy as well as solid overtaking and ability to keep the car on the slippery asphalt.

“It’s been a pleasure to come back,” said the sport’s most successful driver, who won his titles and 91 races with Benetton and Ferrari before returning with Mercedes.

“I enjoyed most of it. It wasn’t as successful as we wanted it to be but still I learned a lot for life and I’m quite glad for the good emotions again. Now is a good time to go...”

Schumacher retired for the first time in Brazil in 2006 and came back in 2010. With Mercedes he has just one podium finish to his credit, at the European Grand Prix in Valencia this season.

“My final Formula One race was tremendous fun,” he said as team members donned Schumacher farewell Tshirts post-race. “I would once again like to thank the team and all my fans for their support over the past years.

“I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent together very much indeed.” Team principal Ross Brawn, who masterminded his titles at Benetton and Ferrari, repaid the compliment. “In terms of results, his second spell in Formula One hasn’t been as special but it has been so for all of us who have had the pleasure of working with him,” said the Briton. — Reuters

James focused on the bigger picture BARCELONA: When talking about his future, precocious world and Olympic 400 metres champion Kirani James repeatedly returns to the same three words: “the bigger picture”.

A national hero in Grenada after winning their first Olympic medal in London, the 20-year-old appears to know exactly where he is going and at what pace. It’s a state of grace he attributes to “just being around the right people”, coach Harvey Glance and manager Renaldo Nehemiah, successful former sprinter and hurdler respectively, and his self-awareness suggests there is a lot more to come from the man nicknamed “The Jaguar”.

“We really don’t think about running races just because, we really think about running races for a reason,” James told Reuters in an interview on Friday. “We are always focused on the biggest meets of the year,” he said, adding that he did not plan to race indoors in 2013.

“Every time I step on the track it has to be for a reason, for a purpose, not to just get a race in or anything like that. “I have learned a lot more things from them (Glance and Nehemiah) but that’s one of the most important things I have learned from them.”

James’s thrilling win in London prompted riotous celebrations back home in tiny Grenada and he was honoured by his compatriots when Prime Minister Tillman Thomas gave the entire island the afternoon off to party.

An undergraduate student of business at the University of Alabama, basketball fan James moved to the United States

Kirani James

when he was 17, leaving behind his parents, two older brothers and a younger sister.

His mother, to whom he is especially close and speaks to “almost every day”, works at a processing plant and his father in the housekeeping department at the university.

As well as defending his title at the world championships in Moscow next August, James also has Michael Johnson’s world record of 43.18 seconds, which compares with James’s time in London of 43.94, in his sights.

The Grenadan said he was not obsessing over the record, which has stood since 1999. “It’s not something I lose sleep over,” James told Reuters. “If it happens it happens and if it doesn’t I’ll just have to live with it. “I don’t go into every competition thinking about trying to break the world record because if I don’t I’m going to be disappointed about it.”

James said there were a couple of flaws in his technique he was working on, although he stressed that he did not want to tinker too much with a running style that was obviously working well already.

“There’s no perfect technique but you can always get better at doing something,” he said. “Obviously there are a few things I have to work on, my flailing wrist, bringing my knees up a little bit. “But not make too many changes because it’s already working for me and changing it has a huge possibility of going wrong.”

During 2013 he will race a couple of times in the 200 metres, an event he used to run before focusing on the 400. “Just a couple of fun runs you know,” he said.

“It’s not going to be serious competition-wise, the world championships or anything like that because I haven’t run 200 in so long. “It’ll help me with my speed and on pacing myself for that first 200.”

James gave a news conference earlier on Friday with Ato Boldon, a former sprinter from Trinidad and Tobago who also tasted success at a young age. “When you get into this business there are certain things you want to tick off your list,” Boldon said, listing James’s triumphs at the world championships, the Olympics and the world junior championships.

“I think he and his coach are probably going to start talking about the world record,” added the 38-year-old. “I gave him some advice last year and I gave the people of Grenada some advice: stop talking about the world record. Allow him to go out and compete freely.

“I feel like he took that advice and the results showed up in London.” James said that outside athletics his family and his studies were his main priorities.

“Other than that I just keep it simple, I like to stay at home, watch T V, play some video games. Just try to stay out of trouble.” — Reuters

ASPEN: Austria’s Kathrin Zettel reacts in the finish arena after winning the women’s World Cup slalom ski race. — AP

Zettel wins Aspen slalom ASPEN: Kathrin Zettel clinched her first World Cup victory in nearly three years as the Colorado magic worked wonders again for the Austrian at Aspen on Sunday.

Hampered by hip problems in recent seasons, the withdrawn 26-year-old left her woes behind her to win the slalom event in a combined time of one minute and 42.46 seconds on arguably her favourite piste on the World Cup circuit.

“It’s so wonderful, I can’t believe it. It’s only my second victory in a slalom. I don’t know what’s so special about Aspen, ever since I came here I had great results, my first podium, my first victory,” she said.

Zettel’s first medal spot was in 2005 and her first victory was in a giant slalom a year later. Sunday’s win, her ninth since her World Cup debut, was all the more special as it came ahead of compatriot Marlies Schild, the undisputed queen of the discipline.

“It means a lot to be on the podium with Marlies and to beat her. Nothing personal but it doesn’t happen often.

She’s the absolute reference for all of us,” said Zettel, whose last victory dated back to January 2010 in Maribor.

By 0.67 seconds, Schild again failed to equal the record number of World Cup slalom wins held by Swiss Vreni Schneider. But the world champion was relieved to be back on the podium after failing to score points so far this season.

“I’m not surprised about Kathrin’s victory. She now does in the race what she does in training. For me, it’s important to be back on the podium because the

Aspen test is always crucial to know where you stand early in the season,” she said.

Third place went to Slovenia’s Tina Maze, the overall World Cup leader and winner of the two giant slaloms held this winter, in Soelden and in Aspen on Saturday. “ The only thing that went wrong today was that I was too respectful of this course. Apart from that, I’ve been on the podium or close to it in every single race. Everything is clicking into place,” she said.

Maze now leads the overall World Cup standings with 310 points, ahead of Zettel on 260. “It’s not happening by chance. I’ve been on the circuit 13 years and we have been working like dogs with my group for the past five years. We deserve what’s happening to us,” said the Slovenian, who broke with her federation five years ago to launch her own personal training structure.

Maze, who won Saturday ’s giant slalom, said she was looking forward to the first speed events in Lake Louise next weekend, when she will test her speed and downhill skills on Lindsey Vonn’s terrain.

“It’ll be a break from technical events and it’s fine by me. Mentally and even physically it’ll be less demanding on the body because there’s only one run instead of two,” she said.

World Cup holder Vonn skipped Sunday’s slalom to keep recovering from a stomach bug and to better prepare for next weekend when she’ll be seeking her 12th victory in Lake Louise. — Reuters

BRAZIL: One of the most enthralling seasons of racing in recent memory finished with one of the most exciting races ever. Surely, Formula One cannot get much better than in 2012. Our hearts surely wouldn’t stand it. But next year could be special, too.

Unpredictable to the last lap. Competitive.

Largely fair. With a deserving champion, Sebastian Vettel, pushed to his limits by a noble loser, Fernando Alonso, who might have finished as the 2012 champion himself with just a smidgen more luck. This year, F1 delivered everything one can reasonably expect from sport, and all at dizzying speed.

Ridiculously expensive and gas guzzling, F1 may seem like an anachronism at a time when governments and families are counting pennies and cutting back. But, wow, what a show.

With 20 races from March to November, this was the longest season in 62 years of F1. But it never felt too long, because the outcome remained so uncertain. The tension of not being sure who would finish as champion built up nicely through the year, becoming exquisite by the last race in Brazil on Sunday, where only Vettel and Alonso remained in the chase for the world title.

Seven different winners in the first seven races made this a year of exceptional variety. Having been so dominant last year, greedily winning 11 of 19 races, Vettel didn’t really get his nose ahead this year until the F1 circus traveled through Asia in September and October, and he won four successive races in Singapore, Japan, Korea and India.

To the end, Alonso clung like a bull dog to Vettel’s coattails. After thousands of miles of racing around the world in 19 different countries, the gap between them at the checkered flag at Interlagos on Sunday had withered to just three points, in Vettel’s favor - 281 to Alonso’s 278.

The Spaniard climbed out of his bright red Ferrari and stared long and hard down the track with blank, faraway eyes. Had he won that last race in Sao Paulo, instead of finishing second, or had his German rival finished just two spots lower than his sixth place, then it would have been Alonso, not Vettel, being crowned as a three-time world champion and the Red Bull driver painfully ruing what might have been.

But of the two drivers, Alonso was most impressive in 2012, because he made his Ferrari seem far quicker than it was. From the day in February when heavy snow at its factory in Maranello, Italy, forced Ferrari to cancel the unveiling of its F2012 model, so little this year went to plan for the most famous team in F1.

The car appeared to be a dud in preseason testing. The team’s chassis boss said it was hard to drive. After the first race in Australia, Alonso said he felt the car was about one second per lap slower than it needed to be to get him on the front row of the grid.

That Alonso got to Brazil trailing Vettel by just 13 points was testimony both to his skill in squeezing every last drop of performance out of the car and Ferrari’s relentless work improving it as the season progressed. The car’s fundamental problems were also why Alonso hoped for a chaotic race in Brazil, because he knew his Ferrari had less chance of unsettling Vettel’s superior Red Bull in a run-of-the-mill Grand Prix. Alonso got his wish, and more.

Rain slickened the circuit. Vettel had a sluggish start and a mistake on turn four of the first lap, diving too aggressively into the corner, thumping into another car, spinning and leaving him at the back of the race. The radio linking him to his mechanics also broke, so when he later came into the pits for tires better suited for the damp weather, his team wasn’t ready for him, costing him more time. At 25, Vettel is F1’s youngest triple world champion. But this wacky race surely aged him.

“The most difficult race we faced,” Vettel said.

But edge-of-your-seat entertainment for spectators. “The most exciting race that I ever saw in Formula One,” said Nelson Piquet, F1’s champion in 1981, 1983 and 1987.

F1 plans to switch to smaller turbocharged 1.6 liter V6 engines from 2014, from the 2.4 liter V8s used now. That’s a major shift that could shake up the sport’s established hierarchy. But there aren’t massive changes in the rules for 2013, which gives reason to hope the action might pick up next season close to where it left off in Brazil on Sunday.

One of the most visible differences in the cars next year will be purely aesthetic: They’ll be allowed to hide the kinks on their noses that were so ugly in 2012.

Wonder-designer Adrian Newey will be counted on to deliver another quick Red Bull, further refining his RB-series car that gave Vettel the platform to become the first driver since Michael Schumacher to win three successive world titles.

Schumacher will be back in retirement, after three ho-hum years at Mercedes where he didn’t get even within sniffing distance of being able to challenge for an eighth world title.

His replacement is Lewis Hamilton, the Briton with a fragile temperament so keen to add to his world title of 2008. The pressure will be on Mercedes to give Hamilton a better car than its slug of 2012, so he doesn’t quickly get frustrated and regret his move from McLaren.

At McLaren, 2009 world champion Jenson Button is licking his lips at the idea of now leading that team. Button won Sunday’s race, with what looked like speed to spare.

“To end on a high is fantastic and it bodes very well for 2013,” Button said. Ferrari also is already working on its car for 2013. It hasn’t had a championship driver since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007 and hasn’t been able to deliver Alonso the third world title his talent surely deserves. “We need to build a quicker car next year,” Ferrari chassis director Pat Fry said. The biggest downer?

That the next race isn’t until March, in Melbourne. The best measure of how exciting this season has been is that that seems like a horribly long wait. — AP

17

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

S P ORT S

Time for NFL to pare down the rule book

NEW YORK: The NFL is America’s pastime, hands down. Imagine how much fun it would be if they got rid of about half the rule book. The replay challenge penalty?

The tuck rule? Muffed punts can’t be advanced?

Ridiculously harsh. Completely unnecessary. No idea why it’s like that. The league clearly has too many folks on the payroll who have too little to do, so they get together from time to time in fancy hotels to come up with ways to justify their existence.

The result is a set of rules that have grown into a convoluted mess, with no sense of what is reasonable or even needed. It’s as though the NFL is trying to keep everyone - the players, the fans, the coaches, even the officials - in a constant state of guesswork.

We can imagine a day when we’ll hear the referee explain a call thusly: “Due to the coach challenging a play that was already subject to an automatic review, but because he was able to tuck his red flag back into his pocket before he muffed it, we will assess a 15-yard penalty, run 20 seconds off the clock, and order his team to switch conferences.” A bit over the top, for sure.

But not by much. The league needs to

get busy, expunging the rules that aren’t needed and bringing some common sense to the rest. Start with the head-shaking replay rule that may have cost the Detroit Lions a much-needed win on Thanksgiving Day. That one should be erased from the books immediately. “This comes up every year,” said Ray Anderson, the NFL’s director of football operations.

“Can we simplify and be more cohesive and get rid of some rules that may be offshoots? We will go through that exercise again. We have rewritten some of the rulebook over the course of the last few years, to try to simplify it and get it to be more coherent.”

Clearly, there’s still a lot of work to do, thanks to a “we must have a rule for everything that can possibly happen on a football field at any given time in the course of human history” mindset.

The replay challenge penalty has already been called several times, including the previous week in Atlanta, but no team was impacted more than the Lions’ in their overtime loss to the Texans. For those eating turkey at the time, the officials clearly blew a call on a long touchdown run by Houston. Detroit coach Jim Schwartz, justifiably outraged, threw his red challenge flag to make sure the play

was reviewed. That wasn’t really necessary, since scoring plays are subject to an automatic check from the replay official.

So, a sensible person might say, what’s the problem? The officials pick up their yellow flags all the time. They could just tell the coach to take a chill pill. But the NFL decided that coaches wanting to challenge a call that was already going to be reviewed anyway was a potential menace that could ruin the very fabric of the game. That without some of rule to prevent unnecessary dissent and embarrassment of officials, the field could run red with challenge flags.

So, when a coach commits such a grievous act, he is assessed a 15-yard penalty (the same sanction that’s handed out to a player who tries to rip off an opponent’s head). And not only does his team lose the yardage, the officials are no longer allowed to review a play they were going to look at in the first place. Huh? Anderson, in perhaps the most obvious statement that will ever come from his lips, acknowledged the penalty “may be too harsh” and will be reviewed immediately. Hallelujah!

Hey, while they’re at it, here’s a few more things the NFL needs to change or eliminate: The tuck rule. Why this one is

still around - more than a decade after it reared its ugly head in a New EnglandOakland playoff game - remains one of life’s great mysteries. If a quarterback’s arm is going forward when he loses the ball, it’s an incomplete pass. If not, it’s a fumble.

Simple as that. Allowing a team to keep the ball because the QB lost control while trying to tuck it away is utter nonsense.

A muffed ball can be recovered by the punting team, but not advanced.

Apparently, this one stems from the theory that a returner who touches the ball but never has control of it didn’t actually fumble. Hogwash. If the coverage team can recover the loose ball, they should be able to run with it. Period.

Interference penalties. The NFL is always reluctant to copy the college game, but this is one case where it clearly should. When a defensive back interferes with a receiver, it should be a 15-yard penalty (as it is in college), not marked at the spot of the foul (the pro rule). Maybe if the defender flagrantly drags down a receiver, the current penalty could still be applied. Otherwise, there’s no reason for interference - a debatable call in so many cases - to potentially result in a much worse penalty than a horrific personal foul (which is 15 yards). While they’re at it,

increase the penalty for defensive holding from 5 to 10 yards, but get rid of the automatic first down.

Overtime. The NFL rightly decided a few years ago that it wasn’t fair for a game to potentially be decided by a coin flip. Of course, they didn’t just go with the obvious solution (allowing each team to have at least one offensive possession in overtime), coming up with a “modified sudden death” rule. If the receiving team scores a touchdown on its first possession, it wins the game. But if the team getting the ball first kicks a go-ahead field goal, the other team gets a possession. Another example of the NFL over-thinking a problem. Icing the kicker. Coaches have become enamored with the idea of trying to call a timeout right before an opponent attempts a game-winning kick, which is just plain silly. First of all, it rarely works. Secondly, it leads to far too many unnecessary delays at the most dramatic point in the game. If a coach wants to call a timeout to make a kicker think about it, he should do it before the play clock gets down to 10 seconds. After that, only the kicking team can stop it. Any other suggestions are welcome. Just send them straight to the NFL headquarters in New York City. —AP

Du Plessis salvages draw for South Africa ADELAIDE: Faf du Plessis carried his bat for more than seven hours, hitting an inspirational century on debut to carry South Africa to a morale-boosting draw in the second Test against Australia yesterday.

The all-rounder was grit personified on a tense fifth and final day, compiling an unbeaten 110 to steer the Proteas to safety in the stifling heat of the Adelaide Oval. Australia paceman Peter Siddle and spinner Nathan Lyon captured late wickets to leave South Africa wobbling at 240-8 and the home side in sight of victory.

However, Du Plessis and Morne Morkel survived the nerve-shredding final overs to leave the series

tied at 0-0 after the drawn first test in Brisbane. South Africa were 248-8 at the close, 182 runs behind the 430-run target Australia captain Michael Clarke set for victory, with Morkel unbeaten on eight.

The third and final test starts in Perth on Friday, a quick turnaround for two teams carrying injuries and battling fatigue after five days in Adelaide’s baking heat.

Du Plessis anchored two defiant partnerships, the first an 89-run stand with schoolmate AB de Villiers that soaked up 68 overs until after lunch. The second was a 99-run dig with the injured Kallis, who battled through the pain of his hamstring strain for a second straight innings.

“I just tried to keep my game plan very simple,” the 28-year-old Du Plessis told reporters. “Make them bowl at me and just take it an hour by an hour. “If you looked at it yesterday, it was quite a long way away. AB and Jacques really helped me a lot. I had goose bumps — it’s the record for the longest goosebumps ever.”

An enthralling battle between Du Plessis and Siddle saw both players slump to the ground in exhaustion before picking themselves up again. Siddle returned figures of 465 after nearly singlehandedly willing Australia to victory with two wickets after tea.

Lyon finished with 3-41 after

ADELAIDE: South Africa’s Jacques Kallis (center middle) is caught out for 46 runs by Australia’s Ed Cowan (second from left) on the final day of their cricket Test match. —AP

Scoreboard ADELAIDE: Scoreboard on the fifth and final day of the drawn second test between Australia and South Africa at Adelaide Oval yesterday.

Australia first innings 550 South Africa first innings 388 Australia second innings 267-8 dec South Africa second innings (overnight 77-4) G. Smith c Ponting b Hilfenhaus A. Petersen b Siddle H. Amla c Clarke b Lyon J. Rudolph c Cowan b Lyon AB De Villiers b Siddle F. Du Plessis not out J. Kallis c Cowan b Lyon

0 24 17 3 33 110 38

D. Steyn c Quiney b Siddle 0 R. Kleinveldt b Siddle 3 M. Morkel not out 8 Extras: (b-1, lb-1, w-1, nb-1) 4 Total (for eight wickets, 148 overs) 248 Fall of wickets: 1-3 2-36 3-45 4-45 5-134 6-233 7-234 8-240 Did not bat: Tahir Bowling: B. Hilfenhaus 34-16-65-1, P. Siddle 33-15-65-4 (nb1), M. Clarke 18-5-34-0, N. Lyon 50-31-49-3, D. Warner 6-029-0, R. Quiney 6-3-4-0 (w-1), R. Ponting 1-1-0-0.

bowling a heavy load of 50 overs as the Australian attack struggled with a greater workload with paceman James Pattinson ruled out with a rib injury.

“Losing James hurt us,” said Australia captain Michael Clarke. “I don’t want to take anything away from South Africa because they played really well. “Faf was outstanding on debut to make a hundred under conditions like that under pressure. We tried everything in our power ... we had a red hot crack.

“It was unfortunate we didn’t get over the line. But we didn’t lose the test so we can take a lot of positives out of that.” Graeme Smith’s South Africa looked dead and buried after slumping to 45-4 shortly after tea on day four but underlined their status as the world’s top-ranked test team with a display of formidable resilience to bat out nearly four sessions for the loss of only four wickets.

Du Plessis and Kallis seemed set to frustrate the hosts again after scoring a big partnership in the first innings and guiding their team past the follow-on, but Lyon struck to have Kallis caught for 38 and give Australia renewed hope.

Siddle raised the tension to boiling point by dismissing Dale Steyn for a duck with a full toss that was pushed straight to Rob Quiney in close for the seventh wicket.

Shattered but charging in on pure adrenalin, Siddle bowled Rory Kleinveldt with a yorker to spark a roar from the few thousand spectators remaining, but Morkel proved rock solid at the close and scored a pair of boundaries to defuse the threat in the final over.

Du Plessis was made to wait five nervous overs on 98, but brought up his 100th run with a drive through the covers for two off the bowling of Ben Hilfenhaus.

Siddle earlier bowled AB de Villiers with an off-cutter through the gate to remove the wicketkeeper for 33 and end a fifth-wicket partnership with Du Plessis that started shortly after tea on day four.

Du Plessis enjoyed some fortune, surviving a dropped catch by wicketkeeper Matthew Wade on the second-last ball before tea and a pair of lbw appeals in the morning after video reviews over-ruled umpire Billy Bowden twice. —Reuters

SEC eyes another title ATHENS: Thanks, Notre Dame. At least we don’t have to endure another All-SEC matchup for the BCS championship. But the conference everyone outside the South loves to hate staked out its usual place in the championship hierarchy on Super Saturday, a coast-to-coast buffet of college football’s greatest rivalries.

Either Alabama or Georgia will be playing for No. 1. Sound familiar?

The Southeastern Conference has already won an unprecedented six straight national championships, and here’s betting the Crimson Tide or the Bulldogs will make it seven in a row on Jan. 7 in Miami. Nothing against top-ranked Notre Dame, the best story in college football all season. The Fighting Irish (12-0) wrapped up their first perfect regular season since 1988 with a 22-13 victory over Southern California, leaving no doubt they have stifling defense and tremendous heart. Plus, they deserve bonus points for handing Trojans coach Lane Kiffin

another loss, the perfect capper to his seasonlong plunge from No. 1 to irrelevance, with a few deflated footballs along the way. All hail the Irish.

They deserve it. For now. “We’re not done yet,” Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson said. “We’ve got to keep going.” Not so fast. It will be a month and a half before the champion is crowned, a ridiculously long wait in a sport where players are used to taking the field in tidy, one-week intervals. Offenses, which rely so heavily on timing and communication, tend to suffer more from these long delays, so points will be hard to come by in South Florida.

That levels the playing just a bit, since all three of the title contenders have top-shelf defenses. Still, Alabama and Georgia both have more weapons offensively, which is why either team should have an edge on the Irish, no matter which one emerges as the winner in next Saturday’s SEC championship game. —AP

COLOMBO: New Zealand’s Trent Boult unsuccessfully appeals for the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews (unseen) during the second day of their second Test cricket match. —AP

Southee and Boult keep New Zealand in control COLOMBO: New Zealand fast bowlers Tim Southee and Trent Boult ensured their side remained in charge of the second cricket test against Sri Lanka yesterday, reducing the home side to 43 for three at the close.

New Zealand had reached 412 in their first innings thanks largely to a record third-wicket partnership of 262 between captain Ross Taylor (142) and Kane Williamson (135), before Southee took two for 16 and Boult one for 16.

At one stage Sri Lanka were 12 for three thanks to Boult and Southee’s triple breakthrough before Tharanga Paranavitana (9) and Angelo Mathews survived (20) to the close without further loss.

Sri Lanka remain in a precarious position as Thilan Samaraweera may have problems batting after suffering a cut to the webbing on his right hand while fielding which required three stitches.

Southee started the rot with the first two wickets of the Sri Lanka innings in three balls, bowling the fit-again Tillakaratne Dilshan between bat and pad for five and then causing Kumar Sangakkara to top-edge a hook-shot to fine leg to perish for a duck.

Boult got in on the action when he induced Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena (4) to edge a loose drive to gully, where Williamson pouched a low chance.

“To get three wickets before stumps was a great start and the bowlers have been bowling really well throughout this series,” Williamson told Reuters. “It was a good day all round and finishing off with the wickets was great. I think we’re in a good position but, saying that, it’s a very good track and we’ve got to bowl that side out twice to get a victory.

“They have got some seriously good cricketers and so that’s not going to be

an easy feat (to win).” Resuming at 223 for two, Taylor and Williamson took their stand to 262, a New Zealand record for all wickets in Sri Lanka, beating the unbroken 246 of Jeff Crowe and Richard Hadlee at the Colombo Cricket Club in 1987.

Williamson, who resumed on 95, moved to his third test hundred in 253 balls with nine fours and also got to 1,000 runs in the longest form of the game, becoming the youngest New Zealand batsman to reach that mark at 22 years 110 days.

“It’s been a tough tour with not having much time in the middle but I’ve been working really hard in the last week or so and so it’s nice to have put together this innings,” said Williamson.

The pair were eventually separated when Taylor, who started the day on 119, missed an attempted sweep at left-arm spinner Rangana Herath (6-103) after hitting 11 fours in an innings in which he faced 388 balls.

Williamson fell in similar fashion five overs later after just over seven hours at the crease, during which time he hit 12 fours. With Kruger van Wyk (0) and debutant Todd Astle (3) following in quick succession either side of lunch, New Zealand were in danger of squandering the hard work of day one.

That they did not was due to Daniel Flynn who made 53, his second half-century of the series, and helped to steer New Zealand past 400 for only the second time in 10 tests this year.

Flynn, like Williamson, also eased past 1,000 test runs during his innings before he was dismissed by Herath, who claimed his third successive five-wicket haul in the series. Herath now has 52 wickets in this calendar year, one behind the leading test wicket-taker in 2012, England’s Graeme Swann. —Reuters

Scoreboard COLOMBO: Scoreboard at the close of the second day of the second test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Colombo yesterday’

Everett Golson

New Zealand first innings M. Guptill c Mathews b Kulasekara 4 B McCullum lbw Eranga 4 K Williamson lbw Herath 135 R Taylor lbw Herath 142 D Flynn lbw Herath 53 C van Wyk b Dilshan 0 T Astle lbw Herath 3 D Bracewell c Herath b Randiv 24 T Southee b Herath 15 J Patel not out 25 T Boult b Herath 1 Extras (b-2 lb-2 nb-2) 6 Total (all out, 153 overs) 412 Fall of wicket: 1-4, 2-14, 3-276, 4-290, 5-291, 6300, 7-346, 8-347, 9-410, 10-412.

Bowling: K Kulasekara 24-2-76-1 (2-nb), R

Eranga 22-0-91-1, A Mathews 10-1-25-0, R Herath 29-10-103-6, S Randiv 39-3-94-1, T Dilshan 9-2-19-1.

Sri Lanka first innings N Paranavitana not out 9 T Dilshan b Southee 5 K Sangakkara c Boult b Southee 0 M Jayawardene c Williamson b Boult 4 A Mathews not out 20 Extras (lb-3, w-1, nb-1) 5 Total (3 wickets, 17 overs) 43 Fall of wicket: 1-7, 2-7, 3-12 Bowling: T Southee 6-2-16-2, T Boult 6-1-16-1 (1nb, 1w), J Patel 3-2-2-0, T Astle 2-0-6-0.

Sri Lanka lead the two-match series 1

18

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

SPORTS

Redknapp back as QPR seek end to winless run

BUENOS AIRES: Racing Club’s Diego Villar, above, vies for the ball with Boca Juniors’ Guillermo Fernandez during an Argentina’s league soccer match.—AP

Sarsfield close in on Argentine title BUENOS AIRES: Velez Sarsfield scored twice in the dying minutes to win 2-0 at All Boys and open up a two-point lead in Argentina’s ‘Inicial’ championship with two matches remaining on Sunday.

Lucas Pratto broke the deadlock in the 87th minute when he slotted home Jonathan Copete’s low cross, and Facundo Ferreyra made it 2-0 in the third minute of added time, steering the ball inside the post for his ninth goal of the championship. The winners of the ‘Inicial’, the first of two championships in Argentina this season, will meeet the winners of the “Final” tournament for the overall title in June. “It was the most important (goal) of my career so far,” said Pratto in a televised interview. “All Boys might have deserved a point and we were lucky, but we kept plugging away.”

Velez, chasing their ninth league title and first since the 2010-11 season, lead the first of two championships in the season with 35 points from 17 matches. They took a two-point advantage over Lanus, who were held 0-0 at home by Estudiantes ending a run of seven wins in a row.

Boca Juniors, who have emerged from a poor spell of form in mid-championship to vie for one of Argentina’s Libertadores Cup berths, beat Racing Club 3-1 at home, joining Newell’s Old Boys on 30 points. Racing have 29. Boca, who opened the scoring

with defender Matias Caruzzo s header at a corner, settled the match with two fine goals from young midfielder Leandro Paredes before Racing striker Gabriel Hauche pulled one back with a diving header. “We regret dropping a lot of points, we haven’t had a good tournament, we were inconsistent and have paid dearly,” said veteran defender Rolando Schiavi, who helped Boca win last season’s Apertura title. “Let’s hope we can play the Cup next year, that’s our objective.”

Newell’s came from behind to draw 2-2 at Union on Saturday with an equaliser from striker Ignacio Scocco, who scored both goals when Argentina beat Brazil 2-1 in a friendly in Buenos Aires on Wednesday.

Godoy Cruz went down to their fourth consecutive defeat, 2-0 at Tigre, while waiting for the official appointment of their new coach, former Boca Juniors and Argentina striker Martin Palermo.

Independiente’s trouble with their “barrabrava” hooligan fans continued on Saturday when a group hurled stones at the team bus as it left their Libertadores de America ground after a 2-2 draw with River Plate. River led 2-1 after an hour but Independiente played better and deserved to win. Instead, they dropped two more points in their desperate fight to stave off relegation for the first time at the end of the season.—Reuters

Toluca in Mexican final MEXICO CITY: Toluca scraped into the final of Mexico’s Apertura championship despite losing 2-1 to America on Sunday after substitute Edgar Benitez’s goal gave them a 32 win on aggregate.

Toluca, who beat America 2-0 in midweek in the first leg at the Azteca, are looking to tie Guadalajara’s record of 11 league titles and will meet newcomers Tijuana in the final. The Xolos, a small club promoted last year, recovered from a first leg defeat to beat Leon 3-0 at the border town’s Caliente stadium and qualify 3-2 on aggregate. There was an Argentine flavor to both America’s first half goals. Defender Miguel Layun scored in the 15th minute from

Argentine Rubens Sambueza’s backheeled pass and then former Argentina midfielder Daniel Montenegro headed their second in the 36th. Benitez, who scored one of Toluca’s goals in the first leg, got their allimportant goal on the hour mark when he dribbled past two defenders and placed a low shot inside the post.

Tijuana faced a difficult task after losing the first leg 2-0 at Leon, promoted this year after 10 years in the second division but with a pedigree of five league titles between 1948 and 1992. Fidel Martinez, Divier Riascos and substitute Richard Ruiz scored the goals for Tijuana, with the third coming in the final minute. —Reuters

LONDON: Harry Redknapp, back in the familiar role of trying to resurrect an ailing club’s fortunes, swaps easy street for a Premier League survival dogfight when he takes charge of Queens Park Rangers for the first time at Sunderland today.

Redknapp has been out of club management since being ditched

by Tottenham Hotspur in the summer despite turning Spurs into a force in English football again during his four-year tenure at White Hart Lane.

If things had worked out differently, the 65-year-old might have found himself an international manager and shipping out to leafy Kiev to take charge of Ukraine, rather than settling into the cramped confines of Loftus Road.

Whether Redknapp would have accepted the Ukraine post will remain unanswered, with the dismissal of Mark Hughes by winless Rangers on Friday coming at an opportune time. The lure of another Premier League role — and no doubt enticing financial reward for saving a dismal Rangers season — proved too good to turn down.

Redknapp watched from the stands at Old Trafford on Saturday as rock-bottom Rangers took a second-half lead at Manchester United before conceding three goals in an eight-minute spell.

Rangers embarked on a summer spending spree in overhauling their squad, brining in players such as Jose Bosingwa, Esteban Granero and Junior Hoilett, and Redknapp is hoping he can get the best out of the players he has inherited.

“The players at QPR have not performed to their potential,” he said. “The players have to be at it, the buck stops with them. I didn’t tell the club I wanted money to

spend, I have not even discussed that situation. There are some good players here and if we can get them performing then come January, we might not need so much.” The omens are not good for Rangers at the Stadium of Light today.

Sunderland have won their last five meetings in the Premier League and Championship - and six out of their last eight dating back to 1998.

While Redknapp gets to grips with trying to drag Rangers off the foot of the table, Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez will be hoping for a better reception when he takes charge of his second game at home to Fulham on Wednesday.

The Spaniard’s appointment, in place of the axed Roberto Di Matteo last week, was greeted in hostile fashion by Chelsea fans who jeered him in the 0-0 draw with Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Fourth-placed Chelsea are five points behind leaders Manchester United but without a win in five league games. United, who regained top spot with victory over QPR and held on to it after City were held by Chelsea, take on West Ham United at Old Trafford while their Manchester rivals are away at Wigan Athletic.

Third-placed West Bromwich Albion, who continued their impressive start with a 4-2 weekend win at Sunderland, are on the road again, this time at Swansea City.

Arsenal, held to a 0-0 draw by lowly Aston Villa on Saturday, head to Everton - one place above them in fifth. The Londoners have won five of their last six meetings, including their last three visits to Goodison Park where they strolled to a 6-1 victory in 2009.

Southampton and Norwich, two

LONDON: Harry Redknapp holds up a shirt, during a press conference to present him as the new Queens Park Rangers soccer team manager. —AP improving sides, meet on the south coast but firmly in the spotlight will be referee Mark Clattenburg.

Clattenburg has not officiated since Oct. 28 when Chelsea accused him of “inappropriate language” towards John Obi Mikel during the 3-2 home defeat by Manchester United.

However, investigations by both the Metropolitan Police and the English FA found there was no case

to answer. Tottenham Hotspur welcome Liverpool to White Hart Lane hoping to dish out similar treatment to last season.

Liverpool’s visit to north London in September last year resulted in a humiliating 4-0 defeat, the Anfield side playing for the last half hour with nine men after Charlie Adam was sent off in the first half, then Martin Skrtel after the break.—Reuters

Real seek refuge in Cup MADRID: Spain’s oft-maligned King’s Cup tak es on added sign ifican c e f or J os e Mourinho’s Real Madrid after a weekend which saw the champions slip 11 points behind the La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Real should have little problem seeing off third-tier Alcoyano at the Bernabeu on Tuesday (2030 GMT), holding a 4-1 lead from the first leg of their last-32 tie. More importantly, the competition may help to ac t as a diver sion for th e ne xt t hr e e months.

Barca’s record-equalling unbeaten start to a season, powering to 12 wins from 13 games, has piled pressure on their archrivals, who have slipped to three defeats in the same period, following Saturday’s 1-0 upset at Real Betis.

Mourinho’s side only lost two games on their way to the title last year and few, if any, Real coaches have survived to the end of a season after slipping so far behind the leaders at such an early stage.

Guiding Real to a 10th European Cup tri-

umph remains Mourinho’s primary challenge, and he has already led them to the last 16 of the Champions League. However, serious continental competition does not return to the agenda again until February.

With a league comeback looking ever more difficult, the opportunity to win a tournament which Mourinho secured in his first season two years ago, becomes more appealing.

The former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss first has to solve another dip in his side’s form, which has led to questions about his tactics in four of their last five outings.

After draws against Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City in the Champions League, a last-gasp win at Levante and defeat at Betis, Mourinho has blamed the referee, the calendar and even the club and players for not backing him.

“His jokes and his excuses aren’t funny anymore,” one columnist wrote in sports daily Marca yesterday “Madrid fans are still waiting for him to explain to them what is

happening in footballing terms. (With him) it is all paranoia, conspiracies and fixes.”

Another Madrid-based sports daily AS dismissed Mourinho’s explanations on Monday: “No boss, the basic problem for the defeat lies somewhere else.”

Mourinho will likely rest most of his key players in preparation for next Saturday’s visit of Atletico Madrid. La Liga’s secondplaced side travel to the Bernabeu with a rare eight-point lead over their thirdplaced neighbors, and a chance to seriously rock the boat.

The King’s Cup last-32 second legs are s p r e a d ov e r t he w e e k, w i t h hol d e r s Barcelona defending a 3-0 lead at home to third-tier Alaves on Wednesday. Top-flight sides Osasuna, Levante, Real Sociedad, Rayo Vallecano and Celta Vigo all trail lower-league opposition. Last season’s finalists Athletic Bilbao have had their second leg at home to Eibar postponed until Dec. 12 because of a rearranged Europa League fixture.—Reuters

Curtorcares, Betalbatim and Maroons win Santos United hold YRC Rising Stars In KIFF League KUWAIT: On the penultimate day amid chill and overcast weather conditions four matches were held of the ongoing KIFF League for the Late JP D’Mello Rolling Trophy on 23rd November 2012 at the MOH Sabah grounds in Shuwaikh, Kuwait.

In the first match of Curtorcares United took on United Goans Club. The first half was goalless, but in the second half Curtorcares United came alive and scored 3 goals in quick succession with Cleto scoring a brace and was rightly adjudged the man of the match given by Anton Rebello, a former Salgaoncar, Goa and India player. The match was officiated by David.

The second match was an inconsequential match as far as the league qualifications are concerned as both the teams are out of the reckoning, but the two teams showed poise and good spirit. Santos United went ahead and was certain to come out with a win, but Rising Stars equalized through hardworking Jemon and ended the match in a draw.

Jemon of YRC Rising Stars was awarded the

man of the match for his all-round performance. The MOM was handed over by Bosco Leitao, the President of CRC Chinchinim. The match was supervised by Christopher.

In the 3rd match of the day Real Betalbatim took on Malabar United. Real Betalbatim knowing a draw or a win will suffice their qualification chances started sedately. Malabar United known for their physical strength did not allow Real Betalbatim to open up. Real Betalbatim went into the lead when a spot kick was awarded which was taken by Philip, but was saved by the rival goalkeeper, and the ensuing rebound was punted in by Philip from a very good follow up. The match ended with Real Betalbatim victorious 1-0. The man of the match was given to veteran Teddy Pinto of Real Betalbatim for his instrumental vision at the defense and handed over by Kevin Vaz, the Hon. Sports Secretary of KIFF. The match was officiated by Tiago. The final match of the day saw Sparx taking on GOA Maroons. Both the teams started on a positive note with Maroons

needing a draw to qualify and Sparx already out of the qualifying after losing both their opening matches. The young brigade of Sparx took the game to the famed rivals and would have been ahead had their forwards made use of the chances that came their way.

GOA Maroons used their experience to take the lead and the match in the dying of the minutes of the game when Stephen scored the all important goal. The Man of the Match was awarded to Hussain of Sparx for his brilliant performance throughout. The award was handed over by Seby, the Executive Member of KIFF. The match was refereed by Michael. The Man of the Match awards are sponsored by Integrated Logistics Company.

The games are officiated by Indian Football Referees Association Kuwait. (IFRA) During the break United Goans Center (UG) conducted the draw for their 37th 11 a side football tournament which will kick off from 7th December 2012 and held under the auspices of KIFF and for the KIFF affiliated teams.

Match schedule for 30/11/2012 1st Match at 6.30am 2nd Match at 8 am 3rd Match at 9.15am 4th Match at 10.30am Strikers

AVC Kuwait v/s CRC Chinchinim DHL v/s United Friends Club Skynet Raiders v/s Santos United Curtorcares United v/s Indian

19

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

SPORTS

Iniesta masterclass helps Barcelona crush Levante

ITALY: Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio (right) makes an attempt to score with AC Milan midfielder Nigel De Jong of the Netherlands (left) and AC Milan midfielder Riccardo Montolivo (on the ground) during a Serie A soccer match.—AP

Milan ease pressure with gutsy win over Juventus ITALY: AC Milan eased the pressure on coach Massimiliano Allegri with a 1-0 win over Juventus on Sunday, inflicting the Serie A leaders’ second defeat in quick succession thanks to a controversial Robhino penalty.

The Juve loss came three weeks after their 49-match unbeaten record ended with a 3-1 home defeat by arch-rivals Inter Milan. For AC Milan, the win completed an impressive week in which the Rossoneri also sealed qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League. Former Milan striker Marco van Basten was a guest of honour at San Siro, though not, according to club vice-president Adriano Galliani, with an eye on replacing Allegri.

An unconventional-looking front three of Robinho, Stephan El Shaarawy and Kevin Prince Boateng, pushed up from midfield, combined well to inspire’s Milan’s win.

Juventus found it difficult to deal with Milan’s pressing play and went behind just before the half hour mark when the ball appeared to strike Mauricio Isla’s outstretched arm from Antonio Nocerino’s header, although replays suggested it hit the Chilean’s body.

Robinho stepped up to score, despite keeper Gianluigi Buffon getting both hands to the ball. The visitors were slow to react, with too many misplaced passes and errors allowing Milan to control the game.

Juve began to turn up the pressure later in the second half, with substitute Sebastian Giovinco, on for Fabio Quagliarella, going close with an overhead kick from Simone Padoin’s cross in the 62nd minute, but their lack of physical presence up front made life easier for the Milan back four.

The Italian champions attacked in numbers as the game entered its final stages, but Milan were increasingly happy to defend deep and try to catch Juve on the break.

It was a risky strategy and the home side lived dangerously at times, but worked hard to take all three points, putting a dent in Juve’s title challenge and providing a possible platform for Milan to build on in the run up to the winter break.

Juventus will welcome coach Antonio Conte back from his touchline ban, imposed after being found guilty of failing to report attempted match fixes while coach of Siena, on Dec. 8.

Angelo Alessio, Conte’s deputy on the

touchline, bemoaned his side’s failure to match Milan’s work rate. “When we don’t play as a team, we suffer and we lose, like we did tonight,” he told Sky Italia. Inter Milan now have the chance to close the gap on Juventus to just one point if they can win their game at Parma late yesterday.

Earlier, Mounir El Hamdaoui came off the bench to score a late equaliser for Fiorentina at Torino, with a 2-2 draw enough to lift the Tuscans up to jointsecond in the table.

The hosts took the lead five minutes from the break after Alessio Cerci got himself on the end of a low Danilo D’Ambrosio cross, with Riccardo Meggiorini’s dummy fooling the Fiorentina defence.

Fiorentina came alive in the second half, but with talisman Stevan Jovetic still out injured and Luca Toni in the treatment room following a nasty collision with defender Kamil Glik, Torino were able to weather the storm.

The visitors drew level from the penalty spot in the 75th minute after D’Ambrosio upended Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, with Gonzalo Rodriguez converting. However, just a minute later Torino were back in front, Valter Birsa’s cross shot tricking everyone and ending up in the net. Former Ajax striker El Hamdaoui equalised with pretty much his first touch of the game, turning and shooting in one movement, hitting an angled shot past Jean-Francois Gillet. “It was a good game, very open. Both teams gave it a go and deserved to win. On balance it was the right result,” Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella told RAI television. “I was a little happier in the second half than the first. We reacted with a maturity, with personality and quality.”

Elsewhere, Mattia Destro scored only his second goal for AS Roma since arriving from Genoa during the close season, helping the Giallorossi to a 1-0 victory at Pescara, a win that takes the capital club up to joint-fifth in the table.

The big shock of the day was Genoa’s 1-0 win at Atalanta thanks to Andrea Bertolacci’s first-half goal for the lowly visitors. Fellow strugglers Siena drew 0-0 at Chievo.

Sampdoria continued their revival, following victory in the Genoa derby last weekend with a useful 1-0 win at home to Bologna, Andrea Poli netting the winner. Cagliari host Napoli in the other Monday game, with Lazio at home to Udinese today.—Reuters

FA to launch probe after West Ham taunts LONDON: The Football Association (FA) said yesterday that they are ready to probe allegations that West Ham fans aimed anti-Semitic taunts at Tottenham supporters during Sunday’s Premier League clash at White Hart Lane. A section of West Ham’s support was reported to have mocked the gassing of Jews in the Holocaust and chanted about Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler during the London derby, which Tottenham won 3-1.

Tottenham have a significant fanbase in the Jewish community and an FA spokesman said it was “likely” that the governing body would launch a formal investigation once the match officials’ reports had been received.

The incident came just days after a Tottenham fan was stabbed before a Europa League game against Lazio in Rome in an apparently anti-Semitic attack by Italian hooligans. West Ham supporters also sang “Viva Lazio”, “Can we stab you every week?” and hissed on several occasions, mocking the mass execution of Jews during World War II. The east London club responded to the potential FA investigation by pledging to hand out life bans to any fans found found guilty of antiSemitic chants.

“West Ham United are in contact with Tottenham Hotspur to assist them with their investigation into the conduct of a small number of supporters and alleged inappropriate chanting during yesterday’s match at White Hart Lane,” the club said.

“West Ham United will take the strongest possible action against any of their supporters, including enforcing life bans from the club, that are found guilty of behaviour which is categorically not condoned by West Ham United,” a statement read.

“During the 46 games in the Championship

(second division) last season, West Ham United had zero arrests for racism or violence, so while we are surprised to see such reports today, we will examine any available evidence of such conduct thoroughly and take the appropriate action.”

The matter has also been reported to the police by a campaign group. Peter Herbert, chairman of the Society of Black Lawyers, confirmed that his organisation had contacted London’s Metropolitan Police to complain about the West Ham supporters’ actions.

Asked if he would take the issue to the police, Herbert told Sky Sports News: “We’ve done so already. “In fact, we were due to meet a borough commander of the Met Police either later this week or early next week, and it’s one of the things that will be on our agenda. “As far as we’re concerned, there has to be zero tolerance of this. If these people can be identified on camera and prosecuted, then that is something we’d like to see happen.”

It was a complaint from Herbert that prompted police to investigate an allegation of racial abuse made against referee Mark Clattenburg by Chelsea last month.

The police subsequently dropped their investigation due to a lack of evidence, while Clattenburg was cleared by the FA. The Community Security Trust (CST), an antiSemitism monitoring charity, said it had received complaints from members of the Jewish community, including people who attended the game. “The days of English football crowds making massed monkey noises are thankfully gone, but massed anti-Semitic chanting about Hitler and gassing was clearly heard yesterday (Sunday) from a loud section of West Ham fans,” said CST spokesman Mark Garder.—AFP

MADRID: A sparkling Andres Iniesta twice set up Lionel Messi, created a goal for Cesc Fabregas and netted a brilliant effort of his own as La Liga leaders Barcelona extended their near-perfect start with a thumping 4-0 win at Levante on Sunday.

The Spain playmaker’s masterly performance at Levante’s Ciutat de Valencia stadium helped maintain unbeaten Barca’s three-point lead over Atletico Madrid, who earlier crushed nine-man Sevilla by the same scoreline.

The latest victory for Barca, their 12th in 13 matches, also put them 11 points clear of champions and arch-rivals Real Madrid, who slipped further back in third after they were upset 1-0 at Real Betis on Saturday.

An almost impeccable performance from Tito Vilanova’s side, one of their best of the season, was crowned when Victor Valdes saved Jose Javier Barkero’s late penalty and Barca have 37 points with Atletico on 34 and Real on 26.

“We just need to keep doing what we have been doing, this is the right path,” Iniesta said in an interview with Spanish broadcaster Canal Plus. “Atletico are our closest rivals right now and playing very well and they are candidates for the title,” he added.

Malaga are fourth on 22 points after they thrashed Valencia 4-0 on Saturday, level with fifth-placed Betis and two ahead of Levante in sixth. After Levante kept a dominant Barca at bay until halftime and created a couple of decent chances of their own, Iniesta sent Messi clear to open the scoring with a dink over Levante goalkeeper Gustavo Munua in the 47th minute.

Iniesta danced to the byline and pulled the ball back for Messi to net his and Barca’s second five minutes later before he picked up Pedro’s pass and crashed a shot into the goal off the underside of the crossbar in the 57th minute.

Fabregas’s goal came six minutes later when Iniesta played him through into the area and he rounded Munua and finished from a tight angle, prompting chants of “champions, champions” from some of the Barca fans in the stands.

“We are only in November and the season goes through until May but we are very happy with the way things went today,” sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta told Canal Plus.

“Iniesta did a lot of great things but I would say the team as a whole played extremely well,” added the former Barca and Spain goalkeeper.

Messi’s 18th and 19th La Liga goals of the campaign put the Argentine World Player of the Year within three of the record for the most goals in a calendar year of 85 set by Germany and Bayern Munich striker Gerd Mueller 40 years ago.

The prolific 25-year-old has scored 70 for his club and 12 for Argentina and is hot favourite to secure a fourth straight World Player award when the winner is announced in January.

The only negative for Barca was an injury to fullback Daniel Alves, who was forced off with what Zubizarreta said was a leg muscle strain in the 14th minute.

The Brazilian was replaced by Martin Montoya, meaning all 11 Barca players on the pitch at that point were products of the club’s youth academy.

Atletico, who visit city rivals Real next weekend and Barca two weeks later, strolled to victory at the Calderon after Sevilla’s Argentine centre back Federico Fazio was dismissed for tripping Koke in the penalty area in the 20th minute.

Colombia striker Radamel Falcao smashed his spot-kick into the roof of the net before Arda Turan’s cross was turned into his own goal by Emir Spahic in the 40th minute and Koke clipped Diego Costa’s volleyed centre into the net four minutes later.

Sevilla’s Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic was shown a second

SPAIN: Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta celebrates after scoring a goal against Levante during their La Liga soccer match at the Ciutat Valencia stadium.—AP yellow card and sent off seven chance to get their erratic season minutes from time and Brazilian back on track when they surrendefender Miranda netted dered the lead and were held to Atletico’s fourth from Turkey a 1-1 draw at home to Deportivo playmaker Turan’s clever set-up La Coruna. in the second minute of added Oscar de Marcos fired the time. “I am very pleased with Basques ahead in the 24th what the players are doing,” minute and Abel Aguilar headed coach Diego Simeone, who has an equaliser for Depor seven revitalised the club he helped minutes after the break. Bilbao win the league and King’s Cup are 14th on 15 points and Depor double as a player in 1996, told a climbed out of the relegation news conference. places into 17th on 11.

“It’s huge,” added the Espanyol stayed firmly rooted Argentine, who led the club to to the bottom after they crashed victory in the Europa League last to a 2-0 defeat at home to season. “Hopefully, they have the Getafe, Pedro Leon and Mane strength to keep competing.” scoring for the Madrid-based Athletic Bilbao squandered a side in Barcelona.—Reuters

Bayern shape up at Freiburg for showdown with Dortmund BERLIN: Bayern Munich warm-up for their Bundesliga showdown at home to defending champions Borussia Dortmund this weekend with a tough trip to Freiburg as the next round of German league matches start today.

Bayern enjoy a nine-point lead over second-placed rivals Dortmund and Munich have dominated the league so far this season with 34 points from a possible 39. But having battled their way into the top six with an impressive 3-0 win at home to VfB Stuttgart on Sunday, Freiburg will be no push-overs at home when they host Munich tomorrow.

Bayern extended their lead at the top of the table with a 50 hammering of Hanover 96 in Munich on Saturday and after drawing their previous matches at Nuremberg and Valenciaagainst 10 men in both games-confidence is back up. “We need to recover well. We have a tough match in Freiburg on Wednesday, and then we play Dortmund. That’s a challenging week,” said France wing Franck Ribery, one of the goal scorers against Hanover. Germany striker Mario Gomez, who needed just 26 seconds to score against Hanover after coming off the bench, added: “We have to keep this going through to Christmas.” “We’ve won nothing for two seasons, so we have to win the league. “We’re on track, provided we keep it up. We were on track last year as well, only to veer off course. That mustn’t happen this season.” Dortmund host mid-table Fortuna Duesseldorf today waiting on the fitness of Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan who picked up an ankle injury in their 2-1 win at Mainz on Saturday, which moved them up to second. Dortmund enjoyed their third consecutive away win with goals by Germany midfielder Marco Reus and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski. “We are very happy that we are now in second place, but we are just focusing on us,” said Reus. “In the Bundesliga, there are still a lot of games to go, so a win at this stage doesn’t mean anything yet.” Dortmund are unbeaten in all competition since losing 2-1 at home to Schalke in the Ruhr derby on October 20. “It is only important that we collect points to us to stay near the top,” said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp. “Bayern are at the top, but we have to play our season.” Behind Bayern, things are tight with only one point separating Dortmund in second and Leverkusen in fifth. On Tuesday, third-placed Schalke are at Hamburg, who lost midfielder Rafael van der Vaart with a hamstring injury on Friday, while Eintracht Frankfurt, fourth, host Mainz the same night.—AFP

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

English Premier League Sunderland v QPR Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5 Aston Villa v Reading Abu Dhabi Sports HD 6

22:45 23:00

Italian League Lazio v Udinese Aljazeera Sport 1 HD

22:45

FRANCE: Marseille’s Ghanaian forward Andre Ayew (right) challenges for the ball with Lille’s French defender Lucas Digne, during their Division One soccer match.—AP

Marseille reel in PSG PARIS: Jordan Ayew scored early in the second half as Olympique Marseille beat 10-man Lille 1-0 at home on Sunday to move level on points with Ligue 1 leaders and arch-rivals Paris St Germain on Sunday.

Ayew headed home Mathieu Valbuena’s cross in the 46th minute after Lille had been reduced to 10 following Florent Balmont’s dismissal on the stroke of halftime.

Marseille have 26 points from 13 games and trail Paris St Germain on goal difference after the Qatar-backed club, who have played 14 matches, demolished Troyes 4-0 on Saturday.

OM will play their game in hand on Wednesday at Olympique Lyon, who missed out on top spot when they slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Toulouse on Sunday.

“Even when down to 10, Lille managed to keep the ball and make it hard for us,” OM coach Elie Baup told French TV channel Canal Plus.

“For quite some time we were playing very well without being rewarded. Tonight, we finally managed to convert one of our chances.” The keepers were the first to shine with Steve Mandanda pulling off a brilliant save to parry Marvin Martin’s attempt in the eighth minute.

After 13 minutes, Landreau denied Ayew, Mathieu Valbuena and Benoit Cheyrou in a packed goalmouth from close range. On his Ligue 1 debut after serving the rest of a Premier League 12-match ban,

Englishman Joey Barton, on loan from Queens Park Rangers, picked up a yellow card following his first tackle midway through the first half.

Mandanda pulled off another jaw-dropping save from a powerful Dimitri Payet downward header shortly before the interval just before Balmont was sent off for a foul on Mathieu Valbuena as the France forward was running through on goal.

Just one minute into the second half, Valbuena broke down the left flank and his cross was met by Ayew who made it 1-0.

Marseille were then content to keep Lille at bay and Mandanda spared them blushes again when he blocked Nolan Roux’s shot from inside the box after the forward had outpaced the defence.

Earlier, Wissam Ben Yedder ended Toulouse’s three-match losing run when he inspired a 3-0 home win over Lyon. The home side dominated throughout and were rewarded for their efforts five minutes into the second half when Ben Yedder headed home at the far post from Franck Tabanou’s cross.

Ben Yedder put the result beyond doubt at the end of a sharp counter-attack three minutes from the end with Etienne Capoue rounding things off in added time.

Toulouse, who were second a month ago before their bad run, moved up to seventh with 22 points from 14 games, while Lyon, who have a game in hand, are fourth on 25 points.—Reuters

Redknapp back as QPR seek end to winless run

Zettel wins Aspen slalom

18

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

Iniesta masterclass helps Barcelona crush Levante

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EAST RUTHERFORD: New York Giants tight end Martellus Bennett (85) is tackled by Green Bay Packers’ AJ Hawk (50) during the first half of an NFL football game.—AP

Falcons soar to victory over Buccaneers TAMPA: Matt Ryan threw for 353 yards and overcame two big turnovers by leading another late touchdown drive to give the Atlanta Falcons a 24-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Ryan teamed with Julio Jones on an 80-yard TD in the third quarter, but the NFC South leaders found themselves trailing 23-17 after the Bucs marched for a touchdown, then forced a fumble

by Ryan to set up a field goal that put the Falcons in catch-up mode.

Michael Turner’s 1-yard TD run put Atlanta ahead for good with 7:55 left.

Connor Barth missed a 56-yard goal for Tampa Bay (6-5) in the closing minutes, and the Bucs’ four-game winning streak ended when Josh Freeman’s desperation pass fell incomplete in the end zone with no time remaining.

The win enabled the Falcons (10-1) to keep pace with Houston for the NFL’s best record. Turner also scored a fourthquarter TD that helped the Falcons overcome mistakes to beat Arizona 2319 last week.

Giants 38, Packers 10 In East Ruther ford, Eli Manning threw for three touchdowns, giving him 200 for his career, and New York sacked Aaron Rodgers five times in a rout of Green Bay. Coming off their bye, the Giants (74) put to rest concerns about a dormant offense and a tired arm for Manning. He connected with rookie Rueben Randle, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks for scores, and Ahmad Bradshaw had a combined 119 yards, including a 59yard sprint on a screen pass to begin the onslaught. The Giants opened a two-game lead in the NFC East.

Mathias Kiwanuka had two of the sacks as Rodgers never got comfortable. Green Bay (7-4) had its five-game winning streak snapped and fell out of a tie atop the NFC North with Chicago.

The Packers had allowed no more than 24 points during their string of victories.

Broncos 17, Chiefs 9 In Kansas City, Peyton Manning threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns, and Denver rallied for its sixth straight win. Manning hit tight end Jacob Tamme late in the first half and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas in the

third quarter, and that was more than enough to overcome three field goals by the Chiefs’ Ryan Succop as Kansas City lost its eighth straight game.

Knowshon Moreno added 85 yards rushing for the AFC West-leading Broncos (8-3). Moreno got the start in place of Willis McGahee, who went on injured reserve this week with a knee injury.

Jamaal Charles ran for 107 yards for the Chiefs (1-10), who failed again to punch the ball into the end zone. They still haven’t scored a touchdown since the first quarter against Pittsburgh on Nov. 12, a span of more than 11 quarters and 173 minutes of game time.

Bears 28, Vikings 10 In Chicago, Jay Cutler threw for 188 yards and a touchdown after missing a game because of a concussion as Chicago ended a two-game losing streak. Tied with Green Bay for the NFC North lead and just a game ahead of Minnesota (6-5) coming in, the Bears (83) grabbed a 25-3 halftime lead thanks to Cutler ’s pinpoint passing. The defense held Adrian Peterson in check early on, although he finished with 108 yards rushing. The win could prove costly. The Bears lost wide receiver Devin Hester (concussion), running back Matt Forte (ankle), cornerback Charles Tillman (ankle) and both starting guards to injuries.

49ers 31, Saints 21 In New Orleans, Colin Kaepernick ran for one score that he made look easy and threw for a touchdown in another performance that validated coach Jim Harbaugh’s decision to start him.

The San Francisco defense added its share of big plays and the 49ers ended the Saints’ three-game winning streak.

Ahmad Brooks and Donte Whitner each returned interceptions for touchdowns and the 49ers sacked Brees five times.

Kaepernick was solid in his second career start while Alex Smith, deemed healthy enough to suit up after recovering from a concussion, watched from the sideline. Kaepernick passed for 231 yards, including a short touchdown to Frank Gore. He also ran for a 7-yard score. He threw his first career interception, but it was inconsequential. Brees finished with 267 yards and three TDs.

New Orleans is 5-6, San Francisco is 8-21.

Ravens 16, Chargers 13 In San Diego, Justin Tucker kicked a 38-yard field with 1:07 left in overtime to complete a stunning comeback. San Diego led 13-3 on Nick Novak’s 30-yard field goal with 7:51 to go in regulation and seemed headed for its first win against a team with a winning record this season. But the Ravens converted on fourth-and-29 from their 37 when Ray Rice caught a short pass from Joe Flacco and weaved through the defense to the San Diego 33 with 1:37 to play. After a review, the ball was moved back to the 34 and the refs measured. The new spot gave the Ravens a first down by the length of the ball. Six plays later, Tucker kicked a 38yard field goal to tie the game as regulation expired. The Ravens (9-2) won their fourth straight and for the eighth time in nine games. The Chargers (4-7) were pushed closer to being eliminated from the playoff picture.

Rams 31, Cardinals 17 In Glendale, Janoris Jenkins became

the first player in Rams history and the first NFL rookie since 1960 to return two interceptions for touchdowns in the same game and St. Louis dominated the second half to hand the Arizona Cardinals their seventh loss in a row, 3117 on Sunday. Arizona rookie Ryan Lindley was intercepted four times in his first NFL start.

Jenkins’ returns of 36 and 39 yards emphatically ended the Rams’ streak of five straight games without an opponent turnover. Sam Bradford had a pair of 37-yard touchdown passes - to Lance Kendricks and Chris Givens - for the Rams (4-6-1), who snapped a five-game winless streak and beat Arizona (4-7) for the second time this season. The Rams’ Steven Jackson rushed for 139 yards in 24 carries.

Bengals 34, Raiders 10 In Cincinnati, Andy Dalton threw three touchdown passes and Cincinnati showed its former quarterback, Carson Palmer, that it has moved on without him. BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for 129 yards and a touchdown against the NFL’s most generous defense. He had runs of 48 and 39 yards - the longest of

his career - to set up scores.

Palmer had a tough time all-around in his return to Cincinnati, going 19 of 34 for 146 yards with four sacks and an interception. With their third straight win, the Bengals (6-5) moved back into the playoff chase. Oakland (3-8) lost its fourth in a row. A brawl in the fourth quarter resulted in Oakland’s Tommy Kelly and Lamarr Houston and Cincinnati’s Andrew Whitworth getting ejected.

Browns 20, Steelers 14 In Cleveland, Chris Rainey’s fumble with 2:25 left - Pittsburgh’s seventh of eight turnovers - was recovered by Cleveland’s Phil Taylor and the Browns handed their hated rivals a potentially devastating loss.

Charlie Batch, starting at quarterback for Pittsburgh because of injuries to Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich, was picked off three times and the Steelers (6-5) lost five fumbles, the last on the final play of the game to help the Browns (3-8) beat Pittsburgh for just the second time in 18 games.

Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden sustained a head injury in the final

NFL results/standings Cincinnati 34, Oakland 10; Cleveland 20, Pittsburgh 14; Indianapolis 20, Buffalo 13; Jacksonville 24, Tennessee 19; Denver 17, Kansas City 9; Chicago 28, Minnesota 10; Atlanta 24, Tampa Bay 23; Miami 24, Seattle 21; Baltimore 16, San Diego 13 (OT); San Francisco 31, New Orleans 21; St. Louis 31, Arizona 17; NY Giants 38, Green Bay 10.

National Football Conference American Football Conference AFC East NFC East W L T OTL PF PA PCT NY Giants 7 4 0 0 305 226 .636 New England 8 3 0 0 407 244 .727 Washington 5 6 0 0 295 285 .455 Miami 5 6 0 2 211 226 .455 Dallas 5 6 0 0 242 262 .455 NY Jets 4 7 0 1 221 290 .364 Philadelphia 3 7 0 1 162 252 .300 Buffalo 4 7 0 0 243 319 .364 NFC North AFC North Chicago 8 3 0 0 277 175 .727 Baltimore 9 2 0 0 283 219 .818 Green Bay 7 4 0 0 273 245 .636 Pittsburgh 6 5 0 0 231 210 .545 Minnesota 6 5 0 0 248 249 .545 Cincinnati 6 5 0 0 282 247 .545 Detroit 4 7 0 2 267 280 .364 Cleveland 3 8 0 1 209 248 .273 NFC South AFC South 10 1 0 0 294 216 .909 Houston 10 1 0 0 327 211 .909 Atlanta Tampa Bay 6 5 0 0 310 254 .545 Indianapolis 7 4 0 0 230 273 .636 5 6 0 1 308 304 .455 Tennessee 4 7 0 1 238 335 .364 New Orleans 2 8 0 1 184 243 .200 Jacksonville 2 9 0 3 188 308 .182 Carolina NFC West AFC West 8 2 1 0 276 155 .773 Denver 8 3 0 0 318 221 .727 San Francisco 6 5 0 0 219 185 .545 San Diego 4 7 0 1 245 237 .364 Seattle 4 6 1 0 205 254 .409 Oakland 3 8 0 0 218 356 .273 St. Louis 4 7 0 1 180 227 .364 Kansas City 1 10 0 1 161 301 .091 Arizona

minutes. Backup Colt McCoy finished the win. Batch was 20 of 34 for 199 yards.

Colts 20, Bills 13 In Indianapolis, TY Hilton scored on a 75-yard punt return and caught an 8yard TD pass from Andrew Luck. Hilton is the first player in franchise history to score by punt return and pass reception in the same game. Indy improved to 7-4. Luck was 20 of 37 for 240 yards with a TD and an interception. Buffalo (4-7) ended its red-zone drought with 11:30 left with a 1-yard TD pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Lee Smith to make it 20-13.

Jaguars 24, Titans 19 In Jacksonville, Chad Henne threw two touchdown passes, sparking the NFL’s worst offense for the second consecutive week. The Jaguars (2-9) snapped a seven-game losing streak and were competitive at home for the first time this season.

Henne, making his first start in more than 13 months, found Cecil Shorts III on a 59-yard touchdown play in the third quarter and hooked up with rookie Justin Blackmon for a 7-yard score in the fourth. The Titans (4-7) cut the lead to 21-19 on Jake Locker’s 6-yard pass to Kenny Britt with 4:52 remaining and had the ball with a chance to take the lead. But Russell Allen tipped Locker’s pass over the middle, and Dwight Lowery - back on the field after a fiveweek absence - had his first interception of the season.

Dolphins 24, Seahawks 21 In Miami, Dan Carpenter kicked a 43-yard field goal on the final, and Miami scored 17 points in the last 8:08.

Rookie Ryan Tannehill drove Miami 65 yards in the final 92 seconds to set up the winning kick. He finished 18 for 26 for 253 yards and a score.

Leon Washington returned a kickoff for a touchdown for the eighth time to tie the NFL career record and put Seattle ahead with eight minutes left.

Miami answered with an 80-yard drive capped by Tannehill’s 29-yard scoring pass to Charles Clay, making it 21-all.

Miami (5-6) broke a three-game losing streak. The Seahawks (6-5), who are unbeaten at home this year, lost for the fifth time in six road games.—AP

Business

Iran may slash oil sales outlook Page 22 Dubai Group cuts half of staff in cost-cutting move Page 23

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

Revolutionary luxury Sedan Quoris arrives in Kuwait

The future of International Monetary System

Page 24

Page 25

COMINES, France: People queue at a “Restaurant du Coeur” (Restaurants of the Heart), a French charity organization which distributes food packages and hot meals to the needy in Comines, northern France, yesterday. The Restaurants du Coeur organization was founded by French comedian Coluche in 1985 after learning that surplus products cost more to store than to distribute for free to the poor. —AP

Dubai economy grows 4.1% in H1 Gulf’s key trade hub to hold up amid turmoil DUBAI: Dubai’s economy expanded 4.1 percent from a year earlier in the first half of this year, official data showed yesterday, indicating the Gulf’s main trade and financial hub is holding up well in a weak global environment.

Foreign trade, including re-exports, rose 11.4 percent in the first half, according to Reuters calculations. That was roughly half the growth rate seen a year ago; in addition to global conditions, international sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program have hit Dubai’s trade with that country.

Nevertheless, Dubai’s gross domestic product growth in the first half was faster than 3.4 percent recorded in 2011. A major reason was booming tourism.

Hotel guest numbers in the emirate jumped 9.6 percent to 5 million in January-June, while hotels and restaurants saw a 16.1 percent surge in their business, said Arif Obaid AlMuhairi, executive director at the Dubai Statistics Center.

“These indicators are moving towards growth because of the diversity of Dubai’s tourism product,” he said in a statement. “That helps attract more tourists, which reflects positively on demand in related activities and improves performance of the local economy.”

Wholesale and retail businesses, which make up nearly a third of Dubai’s GDP, grew 3.8 percent in the first six months of 2012. The real estate and business services sector rose 1.5

percent. The Dubai housing market, where prices and rents crashed in 2008-2009, has been recovering gradually but bank lending in the United Arab Emirates remains sluggish.

Muhairi said the Dubai government’s latest plans for huge tourism and retail developments would help boost tourist numbers and contribute to economic growth.

Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum announced on Saturday a plan to build a massive complex that would include 100 hotels, the world’s largest shopping mall and a park larger than London’s Hyde Park.

“We see a strong growth outlook for Dubai next year, supported with a continued favorable outlook for consump-

Egypt recovers losses, Gulf markets steady

Qatar cashes in to make $2.7bn from Barclays deal NEW YORK/LONDON: Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund sold the last of the warrants it owns in Barclays yesterday, notching up a gain of more than 1.7 billion pounds ($2.7 billion) from the controversial fundraising deal it struck with the bank four years ago.

The warrants, which convert into shares, were sold to Deutsche Bank AG and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Yesterday the banks sold up to 303 million Barclays shares, worth 740 million pounds, at 244 pence apiece, a 4 percent discount to Friday’s closing share price and at the bottom of an indicated range of 244-248 pence. By 1500 GMT Barclays shares were down 5.1 percent at 241.3 pence, the biggest faller in the European bank index.

Qatar Holdings will keep its 6.7 percent stake in Barclays and make a profit of around 170 million pounds from the “monetizing” of the warrants. The warrants have not yet been converted, but the owners can do so at 198 pence per share in the next year. Conversion would bring in 750 million pounds for Barclays and lift its core Tier 1 capital ratio by about 20 basis points, but it would dilute the holding of shares by other investors.

The warrants were part of a controversial fundraising by Barclays at the height of the financial crisis in 2008, when it raised billions of pounds from investors in Qatar and Abu Dhabi to avoid taking emergency funds from the UK government. But existing shareholders said the terms offered to the new investors were too attractive, especially the warrants they were given as part of the deal. Barclays is being investigated

by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and Financial Services Authority (FSA) for the payments made to Qatar as part of the

2008 fundraising. Qatar is one of the most active sovereign wealth funds with assets of more than $100 billion and has snapped up significant stakes ranging from miner Xstrata to German sports car maker Porsche to oil major Shell.

Qatar made two big bets on Barclays in June and October 2008 which totalled about 5.3 billion pounds, including the later payments for the conversion of warrants.

Barclays shares are near the average price Qatar paid then, but it has profited from converting 1.5 billion pounds of warrants half of which it cashed a year later at a 600 million pound profit - plus 1.5 billion pounds of capital instruments that pay 14 percent interest until 2019 - worth about 840 million pounds so far.

Qatar was also paid commissions and fees worth 116 million pounds alongside the October 2008 deal. According to Reuters estimates that amounts to a profit of about 1.7 billion pounds in total.

Qatar Holding is part of Qatar Investment Authority, which was set up by the state in 2005 to diversify investments away from oil and gas into new assets. The sovereign wealth fund said on Sunday that Barclays was still a long term strategic investment and an important commercial partner. “We remain a supportive strategic investor in Barclays, and maintain our confidence in the long-term prospects for the business,” its CEO Ahmad Al-Sayed said.

Barclays has had a torrid five months after being handed a $450 million fine by US and British authorities to settle allegations that it manipulated key interest rates - prompted the resignation of its chairman and chief executive - and is under investigation on several other issues.—Reuters

tion and a gradual pick-up in investment,” said Monica Malik, chief economist at EFG-Hermes in Dubai.

Dubai is still restructuring billions of dollars of debt in the wake of the property crash, and its entities are expected to face nearly $50 billion of liabilities maturing between 2014 and 2016. However, Malik said this debt overhang would not prevent the emirate from obtaining sufficient financing.

“We see Dubai continuing to access foreign funding, which remains vital both for supporting the investment program and for the debt management position.”

The government has said it expects Dubai’s GDP to rise more than 4 percent in 2013. — Reuters

MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

MONTREAL: Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney waits to address the Canadian Club in Montreal. British Chancellor George Osborne announced yesterday that Carney is to lead Bank of England next year. — AP

Britain names Canada’s Carney to head BOE LONDON: Britain’s finance minister yesterday named Canadian Mark Carney, the current chief of the Bank of Canada, as the new governor of the Bank of England. “I can tell parliament and the public that the next governor of the Bank of England is Mark Carney,” Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne told lawmakers. “He is quite simply the best, most experienced and most qualified person in the world to be the next governor of the Bank of England.” Carney, 47, who is currently governor of the Bank of Canada and chair of the global Financial Stability Board, will take over from Mervyn King, who has lead the BoE since 2003 and will step down on June 30.

He comes from outside Europe, but in his role at the FSB has been involved in dealing with some of the fallout from the global financial crisis and fighting the euro-zone debt crisis. Britain is not a member of the euro-zone, but is deeply concerned that the thrust of European Union policies to reform finance threaten the City of London. Osborne described Carney as “the outstanding central banker of his generation with unparallelled expertise in financial regulation” who has helped steer Canada through the global financial crisis. —AFP

DUBAI: Egypt’s measure yesterday recovered some of the previous session’s heavy losses as President Mohamed Morsi met with senior judges to defuse a crisis over newly-seized powers, while Gulf markets steadied in cautious trading. Cairo’s index rose 2.6 percent. On Sunday, it plunged 9.6 percent to a four-month low in the first trading session after Morsi’s decree that temporarily widened his powers and shielded his decisions from judicial review. The news sparked a political crisis and violent protests.

Egypt’s Justice Minister Ahmed Mekky said he believed that Morsi would agree with the country’s highest judicial authority on its proposal that would limit the scope of the presidential decree. “The market has rebounded unexpectedly after a sharp decline but we are not expecting it to continue for a long time,” said Mohabeldeen Agena, head of technical analysis at Cairo’s Beltone Financial. “We are expecting the bears to attack again close to 5,100 levels.”

Trading volumes rose in large-cap stocks, which closed mixed. Palm Hills Development fell 3.2 percent and Al Saeed Contracting eased 0.9 percent, but Orascom Telecom jumped 6.7 percent. After the market closed, the Egyptian Administrative court said it set a first hearing for Dec. 4 in a case challenging Mursi’s decree granting him extra powers.

Traders said two major demonstrations are planned for today, one against the decree and one supporting Morsi, raising the possibility of violence. Arab investors were net buyers against Egyptian sellers, according to Egypt bourse data.

In Saudi Arabia, the index gained 0.4 percent, easing away from Sunday’s 10-month low after Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz gave assurances about the king’s health. Saudi’s index had

slumped in recent sessions as investors cut risk due to concerns over King Abdullah’s health since he had a major back surgery.

But Saudi petrochemical stocks helped lift the bourse. The sector’s measure rose 0.9 percent, trimming its 2012 losses to 10.6 percent as buyers targeted sold-off stocks. Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) climbed 0.9 percent, Saudi Arabian Fertilizers added 0.7 percent and Yanbu National Petrochemical gained 1 percent.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, UAE markets ended mixed in thin trade as an uncertain political climate in the Middle East spurred investors to tread cautiously. Dubai’s index slipped 0.8 percent, trimming year-to-date gains to 17.4 percent. A total of 46 million shares traded, about a third of the 50-day moving daily average.

Real estate-related stocks fell, with Emaar Properties and builder Arabtec declining 0.8 and 2.2 percent respectively. Developer Deyaar slipped 1.5 percent. These rallied on Sunday after the emirate’s ruler announced mega development retail and tourism projects. “In UAE, there’s no fundamental reason for the markets to pull back, but there’s caution based on the political risk in Egypt,” said Amer Khan, fund manager, Shuaa Asset Management. “We’re close to the end of the year and some of the names have rallied quite a bit. People will want to book these gains and stay on the sidelines.” Khan said regional investors are also concerned about succession plans for Saudi Arabia following the king’s back surgery. Two royal deaths and two cabinet reshuffles in just over a year have edged Saudi Arabia’s ruling family toward a tough decision: turning to a new generation, which includes hundreds of princes, after 60 years of rule by sons of the founding patriarch. —Reuters

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

BUSINESS

Iran may slash oil sales outlook, store more Sanctions bite as exports remain blocked DUBAI: Iran’s state budget for the next fiscal year may assume exports of just 1 million barrels of oil a day, an Iranian budget planning commission member told the semi-official Fars news agency yesterday, about half volumes shipped in 2011. “Apparently, the government wants to decrease the 1392 (the next Iranian year starting on March 21) state budget’s reliance on oil exports to one million barrels a day,” parliamentarian Gholamreza Mesbahi Moqaddam was quoted as saying by Fars. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that Iranian oil exports dipped below 1 million barrels per day (bpd) over summer as US and European Union sanctions on Tehran tightened.

According to official Iranian government data available through the Joint Oil Data Initiative (JODI), Iran exported an average of just over 2 million bpd in 2011. Iranian officials usually maintain that oil exports have not been significantly affected by western sanctions aimed at stopping the country’s disputed nuclear activities and say that the sanctions are an opportunity for the country to wean itself off heavy dependence on oil. The US government has focused on blocking Iran’s oil exports because it estimates that crude

sales provide about half of Iranian government revenues.

The IEA estimates that Iranian oil exports bounced to 1.3 million bpd in October. But if the country ’s budget planners are now expecting to sell only 1 million bpd on average next year it implies Iran expects to make around $110 million less each day from oil sales than before sanctions tightened in early 2012. With exports down sharply and fewer oil tankers available to store the excess, Iran’s Press TV reported on Sunday that Iran plans to build millions of barrels of additional storage facilities in the Gulf over the next few months.

“By the middle of the next (Persian calendar) year (beginning March 20, 2013), nearly 8.1 million barrels will be added to the crude oil storage capacity of Iran,” Press TV reported the managing director of the Iranian Offshore Oil Company (IOOC), Mahmoud ZirakchianZadeh, as saying.

Western governments led by the United States have increased pressure on the Islamic Republic this year in an attempt to curb its nuclear program that they say is includes atomic weapons but Tehran says is peaceful.

In early 2012, Iran used some of its fleet of oil tankers to store crude it could not sell due to

Oman Air sees 30% revenue growth

India’s Jet, SpiceJet in stake talks with Etihad, AirAsia NEW DELHI: Struggling Indian carriers Jet Airways and SpiceJet are in talks with Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways and Malaysia’s AirAsia Bhd to sell minority stakes, a senior government official with direct knowledge of the talks said.

Jet shares rose about 14.3 percent and SpiceJet jumped as much as 19.2 percent yesterday, continuing their rallies from last week amid speculation that they may become the first Indian carriers to secure foreign investment. India changed its rules in September to allow foreign carriers to buy stakes of up to 49 percent in local airlines, which have been battered by fierce competition and high operating costs. The Jet-Etihad tie-up would be the biggest of the two deals, with a possible value of up to nearly $440 million, but the government official provided no details on the stakes involved or costs.

Talks between Etihad and Jet, which has 100 planes and is India’s largest airline by total passengers carried, have been the subject of recent media reports citing unnamed sources. “The talks are on. This is more or less final. It may take around a month and half,” the government source told reporters, referring to the Jet-Etihad negotiations.

“This deal is not just about investment but also technology and partnership in many other ways,” said the source, who declined to be identified.

At current share prices, a 49 percent stake in Jet Airways would be valued at 24.3 billion rupees ($437.17 million), while

western pressure on its customers to reduce their intake.

But the number of ships anchored off its main export terminal in the Gulf, Kharg Island, has fallen sharply over the last few months, ship tracking data shows, as Iran’s state tanker company has had to use more of its own vessels to deliver crude to buyers unable to obtain shipping insurance.

The IEA estimates that Iranian crude oil held in floating storage nearly halved to 13 million barrels at the end of October from as high as 25-30 million in April.

Although short-term reductions in production could give Iran’s old oil wells welcome rest, a prolonged reduction in output could cause long-term production problems.

Iran has over 20 million barrels of onshore oil storage capacity at Kharg Island and another 5 million at Lavan Island but these facilities are believed to have been filled as Iran’s exports have slid over the past year.

The additional storage to be built over the next year near the Bahregan oil field in the northern Gulf would be enough to store less than three day’s of the IEA’s estimate of Iranian output of around 2.7 million bpd in October. — Reuters

for Spicejet, the value would be 10.82 billion rupees. The Indian aviation industry lost a combined $2 billion last year, and all but unlisted IndiGo lost money, hurt by high state taxes on jet fuel, expensive airports and regulatory uncertainty.

Jet and Etihad already have a codesharing agreement and a deal could help them win market share from state-owned Air India, as well as from Dubai-based Emirates Airline, which dominates routes between India and the Middle East.

Etihad is interested to access to Jet’s lowfare domestic network under JetKonnect, an industry source said in Dubai.A Jet official could not immediately be reached for comment. Etihad declined comment.

Thus far, there is no clarity on valuations for a Jet-Etihad deal, and internal finance teams of both airlines are in talks, without involving bankers, said another source, who is familiar with the discussions but not directly involved.

The founder of Jet Airways is likely to convert shares owned by its holding company into his personal stake to comply with foreign investment regulations, the government source said.

Tail Winds Ltd, the Isle of Man-based investment vehicle of Jet founder Naresh Goyal, currently holds 79.99 percent of Jet Airways. Etihad, which expanded globally through stake purchases in firms like Air Berlin and Virgin Australia, will look to extend its geographical reach to India and other Asian markets, its chief executive told Reuters last month. — Reuters

MUSCAT: State-owned Oman Air, the sultanate’s national carrier, expects its revenue to grow 30 percent in 2012 because of expanded operations, its chief executive officer said yesterday.

“I am pleased to say we are expecting a 30 percent revenue rise this year due to increased flights to Europe, the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and other destinations because of higher demand,” chief executive officer Wayne Pearce told Reuters.

The company said in its 2011 financial report that it generated revenue of 311.3 million rials ($809 million) last year.

“Part of our growth strategy is to extend our destinations to 50 from the current 42. We will be announcing a few new routes next week,” Pearce said. Oman Air’s latest destination is Tehran, to which it started to fly in September.

Pearce said the carrier added two aircraft this year to increase its fleet to a total of 28, and that the company plans to buy more in the near future.

“It will be helpful to our expansion flights if we buy more aircraft. That’s why now we are evaluating plans to buy more A300s and Boeing 737 aircraft to cater for the increased demand,” Pearce added without elaborating. Oman Air currently operates 15 Boeing 737s, seven A300s, four Embraer planes and two ATRs. “ With Muscat and Salalah airports being extended, and other airports being built, we need to grow to keep with the future demand,” Pearce said. Oman plans to spend a total of $14 billion on airport projects, including the construction of new airports in Sohar, Duqm, Ras Al Hadd and Adam. — Reuters

AMRITSAR: Indian media attend the opening of the 14th Metro Cash and Carry wholesale store on the outskirts of Amritsar yesterday. — AFP

Global wins backing for restructuring plan

DUBAI: Kuwait’s Global Investment House secured backing from the majority of bank creditors for its restructuring yesterday, a move the debt-laden firm hopes will be a significant step in ending its financial troubles. The Kuwaiti investment company and asset manager, undergoing its second debt restructuring in three years, may be able to implement the plan as soon as next week if it wins the approval of a High Court of Justice in London scheduled for Dec 3.

The restructuring, which applies to around $1.7 billion, was approved by creditors representing 96.7 percent by value and 90.9 percent by number at a meeting in Dubai earlier yesterday, a company filing to the London Stock Exchange said.

It will be the first time a Kuwaiti company has used the courts of the United Kingdom to implement a debt restructuring, said a Kuwait-based banker, who was not party to the deal.

Global, if it wins approval, can force opposing shareholders to accept the restructuring proposal. Kuwaiti law requires that all the shareholders must agree a restructuring plan. Dissenting shareholders could still appeal any ruling in a Kuwaiti court, arguing that UK law does not apply in the Gulf Arab state, a Dubai-based lawyer said, who asked not

to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Global was one of several Kuwaiti investment firms hit hard by the global financial crisis, having used short-term debt to invest heavily in local real estate and stocks whose values subsequently slumped. The firm laid off 17 percent of its staff to cut costs, sources said in January.

Under the proposed restructuring, Global plans to create two special purpose vehicles (SPV), one of which will hold company assets, along with debt, worth $1.3 billion. The other vehicle will take part in a capital increase for the parent company, in which Global will offer KD122.2 million ($433 million) of new shares to creditors, leaving them owning 70 percent of the investment firm. Global is due to hold a shareholder meeting on Dec. 2 to ask for approval to delist from the Kuwait Stock Exchange - where it has not traded since December 2011 after breaching accumulated losses limits - as it has not secured a waiver from the country’s regulator exempting it from rules requiring it to offer new shares to existing shareholders first.

Bondholders also backed the plan, the company said on Sunday, having halted payments on debt worth 95 million dinars to allow for the restructuring of bank debt to take place. — Reuters

Oman awards fixed-line telecom license to PCCW DUBAI: Oman has granted a fixed-line telecommunications license for the greater Muscat area to a consortium of Awaser Oman Co and Hong Kong’s PCCW International, the regulator said on Monday, a decision that may squeeze earnings at Oman’s existing operators.

The licence is valid for the Governorate of Muscat - home to about a quarter of Oman’s estimated 2.8 million people - and will enable the consortium to provide fixed-line data and voice services for 25 years. PCCW International is a subsidiary of PCCW Ltd. The consortium will compete against Oman

Telecommunications Co (Omantel) and Nawras, a subsidiary of Qatar Telecom (Qtel).

As the former monopoly, Omantel has an extensive fixed-line network and this provided just over half of its revenue for the nine months to Sept. 30, according to Reuters calculations. Fixed-line accounted for 18.5 percent of Nawras’s third-quarter revenue. The Awaser-PCCW license was awarded as fixedline services lag mobile, which had penetration of 180 percent - or 1.8 mobile subscriptions per person - at the end of June, according to Oman’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. — Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds

.2750000 .4480000 .3620000 .3010000 .2810000 .2920000 .0040000 .0020000 .0762840 .7432150 .3880000 .0720000 .7285900 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2810000 GB Pound/KD .4501900 Euro .3641200 Swiss francs .3024600 Canadian dollars .2831800 Danish Kroner .0488230 Swedish Kroner .0423800 Australian dlr .2938560 Hong Kong dlr .0362570 Singapore dlr .2297250 Japanese yen .0034130 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0765350 Bahraini dinars .7456550 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0749530 Omani riyals .7301550 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

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

3.426 5.084 2.936 2.164 3.183 232.910 36.439 3.446 6.868 9.207 0.271 0.273

.2850000 .4600000 .3670000 .3080000 .2910000 .3000000 .0067500 .0035000 .0770510 .7450684 .4070000 .0770000 .7359120 .0510000 .2831000 .4535550 .3668410 .3047200 .2852970 .0491880 .0426970 .2960520 .0365280 .2314420 .0034390 .0051220 .0021820 .0029560 .0035040 .0771070 .7512270 .4004240 .0755130 .7356110 .0069560

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 75.337 77.625 733.790 750.370 76.927

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 47.800 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.291 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.318 Tunisian Dinar 179.870 Jordanian Dinar 398.500 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.895 Syrian Lier 3.863 Morocco Dirham 33.420 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 282.400 Euro 367.830 Sterling Pound 454.100 Canadian dollar 287.280 Turkish lire 157.460 Swiss Franc 307.630 Australian dollar 298.210 US Dollar Buying 281.200 GOLD 332.000 167.000 86.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

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

298.700 750.620 3.690 288.000 554.300 46.000 49.700 167.800 47.930 369.900 37.100 5.510 0.032 0.161 0.246 3.520 399.980 0.191 95.590 45.400 4.340 236.200 1.828

51.000 733.150 3.080 7.070 78.070 75.360 232.210 34.400 2.688 456.300 43.500 307.400 4.000 9.560 198.263 76.960 282.600 1.360

10 Tola

GOLD 1,851.280

Sterling Pound US Dollar

732.970 2.957 6.901 77.640 75.360 232.210 34.400 2.170 454.300 305.900 4.000 9.410 76.860 282.200

COUNTRY

Currency

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 454.300 282.200

SELL DRAFT

297.200 750.620 3.448 286.500

232.200 46.333 368.400 36.950 5.085 0.031

399.940 0.190 95.590 3.190 234.700

SELL DRAFT

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

299.52 288.85 308.81 369.37 281.80 455.56 3.50 3.473 5.084 2.170 3.185 2.945 76.79 750.34 46.28 401.47 733.41 77.82 75.36

SELL CASH

296.000 285.500 304.000 362.500 283.000 451.600 3.690 3.580 5.550 2.310 3.650 3.150 77.500 750.000 47.950 400.000 740.000 77.850 75.850

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer

Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

282.950 284.075 451.020 361.410

Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

299.925 749.110 77.015 77.665 75.415 398.860 46.326 2.169 5.123 2.946 3.462 6.863 694.080 4.450 9.310 4.390 3.300 9.310

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

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

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

282.200 2.937 5.094 2.175 3.457 6.910 76.940 75.410 750.200 46.289 458.000 2.990 1.550 372.000 290.100 3.183

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

*Rates are subject to change

282.850 368.250 454.050 286.300 3.485 5.063 46.172 2.166 3.452 6.872 2.946 750.550 76.800 75.300

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

BUSINESS

Indian tractor maker bids for Aston Martin: Report MUMBAI: India’s Mahindra & Mahindra group, the world’s biggest tractor manufacturer, is the frontrunner in a bidding war to buy a large stake in flashy British sportscar maker Aston Martin, a report said yesterday.

Mahindra & Mahindra is likely to pick up a 40percent stake in the British manufacturer, whose vehicles feature regularly in James Bond movies, for about $190-320 million, The Economic Times reported yesterday.

The newspaper said Mahindra, which makes jeeps along with tractors, is set to pip the other serious bidder, Italian group Investindustrial which owns a stake in motorbike maker Ducati.

“Discussions are still fluid. We are expecting the deal to get closed this week,” the report said, quoting an unnamed official with knowledge of the talks. Mahindra shares saw hectic trading yesterday, hitting their highest level since March 2010 before sliding to 922.15 rupees, down 3.35 percent on growing concerns about the price the Indian group was prepared to pay. If Mahindra succeeds, it would be second time an Indian company has snapped up a famous name in British motoring in recent years.

Tata Motors bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor in 2008 for $2.3 billion and has overseen a revival in the group’s fortunes on the

back of strong sales in Asia.

Aston Martin, which announced its entry into India in April 2011, expects to sell a quarter of its cars to Asian and Middle Eastern countries in the next five years. Along with China, India has become a key market for global car manufacturers after growth in Europe and the United States stagnated in recent years.

Luxury carmakers including Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Bentley, Jaguar and Porsche already have dealerships in large Indian cities, attracted by the growing numbers of wealthy Indians. After an initial acquisition of 40 percent, Mahindra is looking at raising its stake to 50 percent in Aston Martin

over the next four years, The Economic Times said.

The group is currently owned by Kuwait-based finance firm Investment Dar, which bought it from Ford Motors for $767 million in 2007. A Mahindra spokeswoman said the group did not comment on speculation.

Analysts say the global economic slowdown has affected Aston Martin’s sales, and they questioned the rationale for Mahindra’s reported bid. “I cannot understand the need for Mahindra to buy a supercar maker,” an auto analyst with a Mumbai brokerage said, declining to be named. “After putting in so much money, they are unlikely to get operational control of Aston.” — AFP

Dubai Group cuts half of staff in cost-cutting move CIO among 30 loses job in $10bn restructuring

TOKYO: People stand in the rain in front of the electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo yesterday. Asian stock markets posted slight gains yesterday after the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season in the US topped expectations, offsetting concerns about Greece’s financial crisis. — AP

Markets nervous as euro ministers meet on Greece LONDON: Concerns that European finance ministers will again fail to reach an agreement on handing over more bailout cash to Greece weighed on markets yesterday.

Following last week’s bout of optimism, which sent a number of stock indexes around the world up to near 2012 highs and the euro back towards $1.30, there was an expectation of some investors cashing in.

Waiting for developments on Greece has proved to a catalyst to that as did election results in the Spanish region of Catalonia that saw separatists gain ground.

Most attention though centers on Greece, as the eurogroup of finance ministers meet for the third time in as many weeks to try to agree a strategy that will allow them to release some ?44 billion ($56.8 billion) for the cash-strapped country.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 0.5 percent at 5,792 while Germany’s DAX fell 0.7 percent to 7,295. The CAC-40 in France was 0.7 percent lower at 3,505. The euro meanwhile could not add to recent gains and was trading 0.1 percent lower at $1.2968.

The expectation is that Greece will get the money and an extra two years to make the reforms that are a condition of the bailout. But an extension would cost the euro-zone several billion more and finding that money has lain at the heart of the current stalemate. Several proposals to plug the financial gap have been proposed,

including reducing the interest rate Greece pays on loans it is getting from euro partners and the International Monetary Fund.

Time is short as Greece is running out of the money it needs to pay its day-to-day running costs.

“Clearly any decision by the eurogroup to kick the Greek issue further down the road will stand to unsettle markets globally,” said Fawad Razaqzada, market strategist at GFT Markets. In the US, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 0.5 percent at 1,403 while the broader S&P 500 index fell the same rate to 1,403.

The falls on Wall Street come despite signs that the crucial holiday shopping season has got off to a solid start. Surveys showed that Americans visited stores and websites in record numbers last Friday, the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Earlier, Asian markets failed to make much headway, if any.

While Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 0.2 percent to 9,388.94, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was sapped of momentum by lethargic mainland Chinese markets, closing 0.3 percent lower at 21,857.77.

In China, the Shanghai Composite Index was down 0.5 percent to 2,017.46 while the smaller Shenzhen Composite Index lost 1.4 percent to 789.49. Oil prices tracked equities lower, with the benchmark New York rate down 73 cents at $87.55 per barrel in electronic trading. — AP

DUBAI: Dubai Group, part of the ruler of Dubai’s personal empire, has cut half its staff of about 30 people as part of cost-cutting measures in its $10 billion restructuring, three sources told Reuters yesterday.

Among those to leave the firm is Chief Investment Officer Trevor Regan, who joined the company in December 2011, one of the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the information is not public. “We can confirm that a number of staff have been made redundant as part of the constant cost review process, this will not impact the management of our investment portfolio,” a Dubai Group spokesman said in an emailed statement.

Most of the cuts are in back office roles such as IT and are part of a plan to reduce costs at the firm to make it more attractive to lenders considering a restructuring proposal.

“The company has been very aggressively paring back costs to a bare minimum,” a second source aware of the move said. “There were always going to be some changes to make the company more efficient going forward,” a third source added.

Dubai Group, part of Dubai Holding, the investment firm owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, was hit hard by the global financial crisis in 2008 due to excessive

use of leverage in its investments and a sharp decline in asset values. It has been in negotiations with creditor banks, which are owed $6 billion of the total, since missing interest payments on two loan facilities in 2010. The remaining $4 billion is owed to shareholders and classified as internal lending.

Dubai Group wants time for asset values to recover before making sales in order to pay back its debts and has proposed extending maturities for between 3.5 and 12 years.

However, three international banks began unprecedented legal action in September to secure repayment of debts after running out of patience with the negotiations. — Reuters

Mauritius holds key repo rate, eyes growth in 2013 PORT LOUIS: The Mauritius central bank held its key repo rate unchanged at 4.90 percent yesterday, and said it expected its economy to perform better in 2013 as economic conditions in its main trading partner countries stabilized.

The Monetary Policy Committee said while there was some tentative evidence of a “bottoming” in the global economy, there were still risks from the debt crisis in the euro-zone and high food prices.

“The domestic economy has withstood the external headwinds relatively well, notwithstanding the slowdown in growth dynamics and price pressures in major export sectors,” the committee said in a statement.

“Projected growth for 2012 is maintained at 3.3 per cent and a preliminary Bank of Mauritius staff estimate for 2013 shows a pick-up to a range of 3.6 - 3.9 percent as economic conditions stabilize in main trading-partner countries, it said.

The committee said the central bank had forecast year-on-year inflation at 5.7 percent by December 2013 on a no-policy change basis and expressed “strong concerns over a possible resurgence of inflation”. It added that the rate decision had been taken after a third round of voting, after some members voted for a “marginal increase their worries over the worsening inflation outlook while anchoring inflation expectations”.

Some analysts expressed reservation at the central bank’s cautious stance. We believe that the MPC should have given priority to growth instead of inflation given the slowdown on our main markets and its impact on our export and tourism sectors,” Raj Makoond, director of the Joint Economic Council, an umbrella group of private sector organizations told Reuters. “However, in the present economic context we feel that the decision of a majority of members to maintain the repo rate rather than increasing it is the least harmful,” he said.

Eight out of nine analysts expect the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to hold its benchmark lending rate at 4.9 percent. The Finance Ministry has a growth forecast of 4 percent for the $10 billion-ayear economy from a projected growth rate of 3.4 percent this year. — Reuters

BRUSSELS: Spain’s Economy Minister Luis de Guindos (left) speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of eurogroup finance ministers at the EU Council building in Brussels yesterday. Euro-zone finance ministers are set to meet in Brussels yesterday to discuss the next installment of bailout money for debt-laden Greece. — AP

Spain says first bank recapitalization $50bn BRUSSELS: The first injection of euro-zone loans to recapitalize Spain’s broken banking system will amount to 37 billion euros (nearly $50 billion), Spain’s Finance Minister Luis De Guindos said yesterday. “ The injection of funds into the four nationalized banks will be for 37 billion,” De Guindos told reporters on arrival for talks on Greece gathering euro-zone counterparts and the International Monetary Fund. The injection will principally concern Bankia, and Eurogroup chair Jean-Claude Juncker recently said the euro-zone would decide on the release of the money, via the newly-established European Stability Mechanism rescue fund, around “the beginning of December.”

Spain requested in June a euro-zone rescue line of up to 100 billion euros ($129 billion) for its banks. De Guindos said the total

bill for recapitalization “could be about 40 billion,” which would be added to the country’s debt, to the tune of “a bit more than 3.5 percent of gross domestic product.” The minister spelled out that the European Union’s Competition Commissioner, Spaniard Joaquin Almunia, would set out on Wednesday a “restructuring plan” for the nationalized banks, including conditions attached.

The creation of a bad bank, called Sareb, was a key ingredient in the conditions imposed by Spain’s euro-zone partners when they agreed to the loan. Spanish banks that have been nationalized, including Bankia, are to transfer 45 billion euros in toxic assets to Sareb in December this year, the central bank said. The ceiling for bad assets to be held in Sareb has been set in law at 90 billion euros. — AFP

Euro-zone to seek Greek aid deal without write-off

A man receives a carton of milk from a volunteer in a “Restaurant du Coeur”, more commonly known as Restos du Coeur (Restaurants of the Heart), a French charity organization which distributes food packages and hot meals to the needy, in Nice, southern France yesterday. —AP

Russia PM says EU economic crisis ‘very serious threat’ MOSCOW: Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that Moscow was nervously watching the economic crisis in the European Union, which he said represented a serious threat to Russia’s own economic performance. In a joint interview with Agence France-Presse and Le Figaro, Medvedev complained that EU leaders sometimes lack the “energy and will” to solve their problems amid squabbles over whether to back austerity or growth.

“We see this as a very serious threat,” said Medvedev ahead of a working visit to Paris starting Monday for talks with President Francois Hollande. “We are to a large extent dependent on what happens in the economies of the EU.” Medvedev noted that EU states account for half of Russia’s trade volume while Moscow holds some 41 percent of its foreign currency reserves in euros.

“We are watching nervously. Sometimes it seems our European partners lack the energy and will to take decisions. And there is that

endless dispute of what is better, fiscal consolidation or development,” said Medvedev.

“It seems our European partners are moving towards an agreement but the main thing is that it is not late,” he added. He was speaking as talks on the European Union’s trillioneuro budget ended in deadlock Friday as leaders of the bloc’s 27 member states failed to overcome seemingly irreconcilable differences on how to reduce spending. Medvedev said that Russia is paying particular attention to what he described as the “weak links” in the euro-zone such as Greece and Spain. But he emphasized that Russia has no intention of moving out of euros in its reserves even though he acknowledged bringing up the importance of the currency in conversations with EU leaders. “So I have always said to my colleagues, including the president of France and German chancellor, that we very much hope that the euro continues to exist as a stable reserve currency.” — AFP

BRUSSELS: Euro-zone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund began their third attempt in as many weeks to release emergency aid for Greece yesterday with policymakers saying a write-down of Greek debt is off the table for now.

Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras voiced confidence the ministers would finally reach a deal after Greece had fulfilled its part of the deal by enacting tough austerity measures and economic reforms. “I’m certain we will find a mutually beneficial solution today,” he said on arrival for what was set to be another marathon meeting.

Greece, where the euro-zone’s debt crisis erupted in late 2009, is the currency area’s most heavily indebted country, despite a big “haircut” this year on privately-held bonds. Its economy has shrunk by nearly 25 percent in five years.

EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn said it was vital to disburse the next 31 billion euro tranche of aid “to end the uncertainty that is still hanging over Greece”. He urged all sides to “go the last centimetre because we are so close to an agreement”. Greece had met international lenders’ conditions and “Now it is delivery time for the Eurogroup and the IMF,” Rehn said.

Negotiations have been stalled over how Greece’s debt, forecast to peak at almost 190 percent of gross domestic product next year, can be cut to a more sustainable 120 percent within 810 years.

Without agreement on how to reduce the debt, the IMF has held up payments to Athens because there is no guarantee of when the need for emergency financing will end. The key question is: Can Greek debt become sustainable with-

out the euro-zone writing off some of the loans to Athens? IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on arrival that the solution must be “credible for Greece”. The IMF argues that the debt can only be made sustainable if euro-zone governments write off some of their loans to Athens, but Germany and its northern European allies have so far rejected any such idea.

Two European Central Bank policymakers, vice-president Vitor Constancio and executive board member Joerg Asmussen, said debt forgiveness was not on the agenda for now.

“It has been clearly stated. It is not on the table. Everything else is just rumors,” Constancio told reporters in Berlin. Asmussen told Germany’s Bild newspaper the package of measures would include a substantial reduction of interest rates on loans to Greece and a debt buy-back by Greece, funded by loans from a euro zone rescue fund.

So far, the options under consideration include reducing interest on already extended bilateral loans to Greece from the current 150 basis points above financing costs. How much lower is not yet decided-France and Italy would like to reduce the rate to 30 basis points (bps), while Germany and some other countries insist on a 90 bps margin.

Another option, which could cut Greek debt by almost 17 percent of GDP, is to defer interest payments on loans to Greece from the EFSF, a temporary bailout fund, by 10 years. The European Central Bank could forego profits on its Greek bond portfolio, bought at a deep discount, cutting the debt pile by a further 4.6 percent by 2020, a document prepared for the ministers’ talks last week showed. Not all euro zone central banks are willing to forego their profits, however,

the German Bundesbank among them. Greece could also buy back its privately-held bonds on the market at a deep discount, with gains from the operation depending on the scope and price.

But the preparatory document from last week said that the 120 percent target could not be reached in 2020, only two years later, unless ministers accept losses on their loans to Athens, provide additional financing or force private creditors into selling Greek debt at a discount. The latest analysis for the ministers showed the debt could come down to 125 percent of GDP in 2020, one euro-zone official with insight into the talks said.

To cut the debt more boldly, the IMF wants the euro zone to forgive Greece some of the official loans, in what is called Official Sector Involvement (OSI) in EU jargon.

Yesterday, the biggest battle is likely to be over just that. “OSI is at the core of the problems with reaching a deal,” one euro zone official with insight into the talks said.

German central bank governor Jens Weidmann has suggested that Greece could “earn” a reduction in debt it owes to euro-zone governments in a few years if it diligently implements all the agreed reforms. The European Commission backs that view.

An opinion poll published on Monday showed Greece’s anti-bailout SYRIZA party with a fourpercent lead over the Conservatives who won election in June, adding to uncertainty over the future of reforms. German paper Welt am Sonntag said on Sunday that euro-zone ministers were considering a write-down of official loans for Greece from 2015, but gave no sources and a euro-zone official said such an option was never seriously discussed. — Reuters

24

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

business

Libyan oil fever fades as 2013 talks begin GENEVA/LONDON: A year after oil firms jockeyed to secure the first deals in postwar Libya, political disorder and a large surplus of oil in Europe have sapped enthusiasm ahead of talks this week for 2013 contracts worth around $50 billion. More than a year has passed since the ousters of Muammar Gaddafi took control of the OPEC country, and while oil output has risen back to pre-war levels of 1.6 million barrels per day, unrest still disrupt shipments and work at refineries.

Protests and strikes cause expensive delays, while the continued presence of guns and rocket-propelled grenades in the capital is a concern for investors.

“The political instability and security problems make it less attractive for the international oil companies and for the traders as well,” said Charles Gurdon, managing director of Menas Associates, a political risk consultancy. Libya’s national congress appointed Abdelbari Al-Arusi as oil minister earlier this month, although it is unclear how responsibilities will be shared with the National Oil Corporation (NOC), which currently oversees oil sales.

Complicating the talks is the fact that sweet, high-quality crude that Libya produces is increasingly difficult to sell.

Global supply of similar, sweet grades is increasingly abundant because of the US shale oil boom, while at the same time, demand is falling because of closures at European plants, some specially designed to process Libyan crude. Last November,

major traders such as Vitol and Glencore made their debut in talks with Africa’s third largest producer, vying alongside established clients such as Italy’s Eni for deals in a departure from policies under Gaddafi.

Together, trading houses won close to 10 percent of Libyan oil exports in 2012, while Italian, French and Spanish refiners were given priority access to crude. Now, oil firms gathering in Istanbul for the talks say the premium once sought for Libyan oil is no longer justified as the world is structurally short of sour not sweet crude.

“People have struggled. The future is clearly sour and they will have to adjust lower their selling prices,” said a crude oil trader with a large independent trading house.

At some point this year, Libya set official prices so much higher than rival Kazakh CPC or Algeria’s Saharan grades that buyers steeply cut purchases. That contributed to the country’s output fall by 300,000 bpd and prompted crisis talks between the NOC and clients. High prices have especially hurt oil traders with no refineries as they need to seek an extra margin in arbitraging tankers between producers and consumers. Official prices have since fallen but Gurdon said there may be ongoing political pressure for Libya’s oil chiefs to keep prices high, as the hydrocarbons sector accounts for around 90 percent of government revenue, according to a 2012 IMF report.

“It’s very difficult to tell people after a revolution when there’s a lot of resource nationalism that they need to give better

terms to foreign companies,” he said.

Industry sources have also complained that transparency on oil contracts had worsened after the NOC stopped releasing details of price and volumes on its website earlier this year. NOC chairman Nuri Berruien said this month that it aimed to sell most of its oil via term contracts but would resort to spot sales if there was not enough interest.Berruien did not give exact export figures for 2013 but Reuters calculations suggest availability of at least 1.3 million bpd based on NOC production targets for the first quarter minus refining capacity.

“The market is going to be open to everybody who is a credible buyer,” Berruien said, indicating that trading houses were again welcome to compete for contracts. Traders also complain that some of the problems that complicated deals last year, including a lack of clarity on whom to approach and what exactly is being sold, remain unresolved. This has created a lack of trust between parties and the perception that some oil firms may be favored above others.

For instance, on fuel imports, with contracts for over three million tons of gasoline to be purchased by the Libyans in 2013, traders complain that some firms have been approached first and others excluded.

“Trading houses will be excluded unless they have a term contract with a refinery,” said a gasoline trader. “Saras, Litasco, Eni (all Italian refiners) and the Greeks are the favorites to win the contracts.” —Reuters

The future of International Monetary System

By Alessandro Magnoli Bocchi CEO of Foresight Advisors

T

he international monetary system needs some serious re-thinking. On paper, it has to guarantee - with its institutions, policies and conventions - the

orderly functioning of transnational financial flows and exchangerate regimes. Over the past few years, however, most currencies’ exchange-rates fluctuated at an unprecedented pace, hampering commerce and capital transfers.

At the macro level, to ensure capital flows, trade relations, and global prosperity, money needs to flow smoothly across countries. A few internationally-trusted currencies- the so-called “global reserve currencies” - need to facilitate the setting of prices, the payment of goods and services in global markets, the holdings by governments and institutions of foreign exchange reserves, the denomination of balance sheets for both public and private actors, and the accumulation of savings and (central) bank reserves.

Since the onset of the 2008-crisis,however, periodic uncertainty about the global economy resulted in currency volatility. Search for safety privileged the US dollar (USD), as policy intervention kept the Japanese yen (JPY) and the Swiss franc (CHF) from overvaluation. In the euro-zone (EZ), capital flight created a quasi-currency market within the single currency area.

The “German” Euro became sought after, with 10-y Bunds yields below 1.4 percent. Monetary expansion in advanced economies and real exchange-rate appreciation in commodity-exporting economies triggered concerns about currency wars. Protectionist pressures grew, mostly via nontariff measures, such as restrictive import licensing and local content requirements. International trade volumes declined below their precrisis trend.

At the micro level, firms need to be able to count on stable cost structures, gradual exchange rate adjustments, predictable business outcomes and orderly rebalancing of external accounts. Instead, currency uncertainties created important managerial challenges over the past years. Firms - in particular small and medium enterprises exposed to currency movements by a disaggregated supply chain suffered exchange rate volatility and its effects on costs and prices, especially when incapable of com-

plex treasury operations (e.g. active hedging). Decade-long global imbalances caused - and were reinforced by - a series of financial crises.

Uncertainty became the base case, currency forecasting turned into an impossible endeavor and as a consequence, medium-tolong-term planning became more challenging, in particular vis-‡-vis liquidity management, investment decisions, and revenue targets. What is happening? Why isn’t the international monetary system delivering stability as before? Because it is going through a tectonic shift, unlikely to be frictionless.

Currently, the international monetary system heavily depends on the USD and the Euro. Together, the two “global reserve currencies” account for: a) about two-thirds of global foreign-exchange tradingthese are deep and liquid markets, with an average daily turnover of about $4 trillion; b) nearly 90 percent of the foreign exchange reserves held by central banks and governments; c) almost 80 percent of the value of Special Drawing Rights, the reserve asset used in transactions between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and its members; and d)more than three-quarters of all debt securities denominated in a foreign currency.

Still, as economic interdependence among emerging markets intensifies and the correlation between their currencies grows, firms are increasingly driven to switch trade contracts from USD or euros to local currencies. Furthermore, analysts and investors are voicing concerns about the future stability of the USD and the Euro and a weakening of their role as “store of value”. The economies of the US and the EZ are fragile, face high debt and will undergo significant internal structural adjustments; these factors are likely to constraint their role as leading international currency areas.

In other words, the global financial system is asking for more than one reserve currency, and a few monetary zones of regional significance. The world might drift towards a multiple reserve-currency system shared among the USD, the euro and - sometime in the future- the Chinese Renminbi. No one currency is likely to take over.

Over the next decade, the USD will not lose its reserve-currency status and will remain the major investment currency. In the short term, there is alack of viable alternatives and the USD will remain a key” unit of account” and” medium of exchange”. Still, its centrality in the global monetary system will be gradually re-appraised. Indeed, a multi-polar currency system implies a slow, steady reduction in the long-term share of USD assets in central banks’ vaults and private portfolios. The trend is there: the USD’s share of global foreignexchange reserves has already fallen from 80 percent in the mid-

1970s to around 65 percent today.

It is likely that the greenback will continue its downward trend against other major currencies and its position will slowly deteriorate.

There are advantages: if other major currencies constitute greater portions of the world’s foreign exchange reserves, the US might find increasingly easier to maintain its current account deficit at manageable levels.

The Euro will remain the primary alternative to the USD. True, the turmoil in Europe has caused a loss in confidence in the future of the Euro, and until a new governance and a fiscal union are built the shift from USD to Euros will pause. But if the Euro survives and it is likely to - the rebalancing in favor of Euro of countries with large reserves now overweight in USD will resume, causing the value of the Euro to rise again relative to the USD. The Chinese Renminbi will incrementally be accepted in trade settlements and outbound investments. In turn, China needs to cooperate in global currency management, promote regional integration, and deepen its domestic bond markets. For China there are also clear benefits (not only the above mentioned costs): as the Renminbi becomes global, the country will be able to enjoy the financial advantages of printing a reserve currency (seignorage, above all), domestic macro-economic autonomy, balance of payments flexibility (i.e., it will be able to run sustained current account deficits), low borrowing costs, and a financial markets hedge.

Managing such a multi-polar global economy will present serious challenges. For the system to be redesigned, a coordinated adjustment at the global level is needed, with the G-8 to allow a change in the geopolitical monetary hierarchy.

As the new financial architecture needs coordinated global answers, a reformed IMF should play a key role in helping distribute benefits, costs and responsibilities.Of course, national and regional politics can lead to suboptimal global outcomes. Until this process is complete, expect uncertainty and volatility to stay.

Magnoli Bocchi is CEO of Foresight Advisors, a management consulting firm that provides customized advisory services to local and international firms, institutions and family offices, in three specific fields: 1) economic analysis for decision making; 2) strategic planning and company restructuring; and 3) investment advice, mostly on private equity deals.

Prior to Foresight Advisors, he was KCIC’s Chief Economist and also served on the company’s Management Team and the Investment Committee. He also was a Senior Economist at the World Bank, a Research Associate with Harvard University and an economist with the Inter-American Development Bank.

Oil around $111 on Greek deal hopes, Egypt clashes

LONDON: Brent crude oil steadied around $111 a barrel yesterday as violent protests in Egypt raised new worries over the stability of the Middle East, reigniting supply concerns.

Hopes Greece could avoid bankruptcy also brightened the outlook for oil demand from Europe as euro zone finance ministers met to try to hammer out a deal to get lenders to release emergency aid to Athens before its next debt repayments.

Brent crude slipped 30 cents to $111.08 a barrel by 0930 GMT, consolidating recent gains. Brent is up around 2 percent so far this month.

US crude oil futures fell 39 cents to $87.89.

Supply worries remained uppermost in the minds of many investors, traders said, as political crisis deepened in Egypt over an expansion of the powers of President Mohamed Morsi.

Morsi was due to meet senior judges yesterday to try to ease the

dispute which has set off violent protests reminiscent of last year’s revolution which brought him to power.

Carsten Fritsch, senior oil analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt, said investors were right to be concerned by what was happening in Cairo because Egypt was such a pivotal power in the Middle East and North Africa.

“If it is getting messy there, it could spill over into other countries - oil producers in North Africa and even into the Gulf and even countries like Saudi Arabia,” Fritsch said.

“The whole of the Middle East is a mess and it seems that, just as one fire is extinguished, another one breaks out.”

The euro strengthened yesterday, taking heart from signs that euro zone ministers could thrash out a deal to allow emergency loans to Greece. Euro-zone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund met yesterday

Monday to try to unfreeze the second bailout package for Greece, but first need to agree how to cut the country’s massive debt pile to a more sustainable level.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was confident a deal could be reached, while the French finance minister said an agreement was close.

Investors also kept an eye on Washington, where the White House and Congress are set to resume budget talks this week.

They want to avoid a series of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts worth $600 billion set for January, which some fear could tip the world’s biggest oil consumer into recession.

Lawmakers in both the Democratic and Republican parties have been trying to convince the public - and financial markets - that they are willing to compromise and can reach a deal before the end of the year. —Reuters

BUSINESS

Revolutionary luxury

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

Sedan Quoris arrives in Kuwait

National Agencies Group, the certified distributor of KIA Motors in Kuwait

Ahmed Al-Mutawa, Chairman & Managing Director of National Agencies Group speaks during the unveiling.

KUWAIT: In a bold move to extend its global success into the luxury sedan segment, KIA Motors proudly unveiled the highly anticipated KIA Quoris luxury sedan at an upscale launch event on Sunday, November 25th,at Salwa Al-Sabah ballroom.

The KIA Quoris is KIA’s first modern rear-wheel drive sedan and introduces an unprecedented combination of luxury and high tech features that set new standards for automotive luxury as a whole. Among the VIPs in attendance at the event was M.Y. Chung, President of KIA Regional HQ - Dubai, who explained the significance of the KIA Quoris debut: “KIA has experienced tremendous success in the past five years. The brand has undergone a dramatic transformation, and today we rank 6th place in the JD Powers Appeal Study and are listed in the prestigious top 100 Global Brands list by Interbrand.

With the launch of the most impressive KIA yet - the KIA Quoris - we are giving an indication of how much further KIA’s success has to go.”

The name ‘Quoris’ conveys solidity, luxury and high technology, all resonating together as a chorus. Derived from the English words ‘core’ and ‘quality’, ‘Quoris’ hints at the core attributes of the new flagship sedan.

“The KIA Quoris represents a quantum leap in the production line of KIA Motors Corporation, and sets new standards that reinforce KIA’s commitment to our slogan: The Power to Surprise,” said Ahmed Al-Mutawa, Chairman & Managing Director of National Agencies Group.

New Standards on Exterior Design The exterior design of the KIA Quoris is centered around elegant simplicity, balanced proportions and simple surfaces. The class-leading long wheelbase, the prestige distance, large wheels, sharply upright short overhangs and a long sweeping shoulder line all work together in harmony to give KIA Quoris a sporty, athletic proportion and a confident stance quintessential to a premium large rear-wheel drive vehicle.

New standards in comfort Every KIA Quoris driver will appreciate the remarkable clarity of the all-new 12.3-inch wide thin film transistor (TFT) LCD cluster. The high-definition cluster features KIA’s ‘two cylinder’ instrument design with precise graphics and delivers a wide range of information with immense clarity. KIA Quoris is also equipped with a HUD (head-up display) which presents a variety of information discretely in the driver’s sight line (on the windshield), enabling it to be assimilated without distracting from the road ahead.

To assist night driving, an impressive new technology called Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFLS) delivers optimal visibility by automatically adjusting the headlights according to the nature of the road and driving speed. Additionally, the new sedan is equipped with PGS (parking guide system), featuring automatic steering control by an on-board computer to safely perform parallel parking.

Rare high-end technology, epic design elements and lavish materials As well as providing high-tech protection for its occupants, every KIA Quoris enables them to enjoy a sophisticated, refined and luxurious interior. Both the front seats are powered, heated and ventilated. The driver’s seat features 16-way adjustment and memory settings, while the passenger seat has 10-way adjustment.

The regular rear seat has three-stage heating of the cushion and backrest, with manually adjustable lumbar support and a folding center armrest.

A special ‘VIP’ option will offer twin heated and ventilated rear seats with a reclining backrest, sliding cushion

and lower leg support for the ‘nearside’ seat, together with a front passenger seat that slides forwards when unoccupied. The in-vehicle infotainment system available for KIA Quoris is remarkable. The touchscreen on the dashboard allows the driver to take advantage of state-of-the-art functions and services, while the backseat display supports a variety of video formats to entertain passengers. High-definition 9.2-inch monitors are

Al Mutawa: Quoris represents a quantum leap in production line of KIA Motors mounted in the back of each front seat. The folding center armrest for the rear seats incorporates a complete set of controls for the multi-media system.

KIA Quoris features a premium audio system from Lexicon by Harman, the renowned creator of truly concert-hall standards of sound reproduction. A 12-channel digital amplifier is mounted in the trunk, two speakers are fitted in each front door, three are fitted in each rear door, four are located in the dashboard center, with two surround-sound speakers and an inverted sub-woofer.

New Standards in Performance Under the hood of the KIA Quorisis a reengineered Lambda V6 gasoline engine featuringseveral powerboosting improvements and technologies such as CVVT (Continuous variable valve timing). The engine produces a robust 294 HP @ 6,200 rpm with maximum torque of 36.5 kg.m @ 4,500 rpm.Every KIA Quoris comes with KIA’s all-new eight-speed automatic transmission. The wide spread of gear ratios guarantees brisk acceleration and high-speed refinement, while shift-bywire (SBW) technology with a joystick control delivers

fast, smooth gear changes. KIA Quoris’selectronically controlled air suspension with five-link front and rear suspension geometry gives the new flagship first-class ride and handling characteristics.

Three driving modes (Eco, Normal and Sport) enable the driver to choose a preferred set-up of suspension, steering, engine and transmission that is ideal for various road conditions or driving styles.

Advanced smart cruise control (ASCC) KIA Quoris is fitted with KIA’s first radar-based advanced smart cruise control (ASCC). This system continuously monitors traffic conditions and speed in order to maintain a pre-determined safe distance from the vehicle ahead.

The KIA Quoris is armed with an advanced vehicle safety management (AVSM) system, integrating electronic stability control (ESC) and multiple warning systems to alert the driver of a collision risk.

The blind spot detection (BSD) warns the driver when a vehicle comes into the blind spot zone along each side of the KIA Quoris. The lane change assistance (LCA) system alerts the driver to vehicles approaching from the rear at high speeds. Perhaps one of the most stunning features on the KIA Quoris is the around view monitor system which provides a true 360-degree allaround view in eight different viewing modes, displayed on the audio video navigation (AVN) monitor. It provides a virtual ‘top’ view in motion, so the driver can easily have a full grasp of all his or her surroundings, maximizing safety for the car occupants as well as pedestrians.

The KIA Quoris is now available to test drive at the KIA Showroom in Al Rai. The authorized dealer for KIA Motors in Kuwait is National Agencies Group (NAG), a subsidiary of Abdulaziz Al-Ali Al-Mutawa Group of Companies. NAG has been growing the KIA brand in Kuwait since 1997.

26

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

BUSINESS

S

‘Golden Steering Wheel’ Award 2012 goes to the new BMW 3 Series

ixth generation of sports sedan wins the coveted award presented by the magazines “Auto Bild” and “Bild am Sonntag” - “Golden Advertising Steering Wheel” goes to BMW xDrive marketing campaign BMW is the most successful manufacturer in this year’s competition.

Munich/Berlin. Sixth generation, fifth triumph: the new BMW 3 Series has won the 2012 “Golden Steering Wheel” award presented by “Auto Bild” and “Bild am Sonntag”. The latest version of the sports sedan came out top among mid-range and top-range automobiles, thereby winning this important international automobile award for the fifth time in the history of the model. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, was there to receive the coveted trophy at a festive gala in Berlin yesterday. Third place in the “Convertibles and CoupÈs” category went to the BMW 6 Series Gran CoupÈ. BMW was also awarded the “Golden Advertising Steering Wheel”. The jury voted the current BMW xDrive marketing campaign winner of this prize, which was presented to BMW AG Chief Sales Officer Ian Robertson. All in all this made BMW the most successful manufacturer in this year’s “Golden

Steering Wheel” competition.

For over thirty years now, the BMW 3 Series has regularly been listed among the winners of the “Golden Steering Wheel”. In fact no other mod-

Series lies in the fact that it is the founder of the class of sporty midrange sedans and perfectly epitomizes the character of BMW with its dynamic performance, efficiency and

its predecessor model - as well as increased space.

Sporty, elegant lines and a reinterpretation of the front view including a striking visual connec-

BMW 3 Series Touring has now also been launched. The “Golden Steering Wheel” is awarded each year to the most impressive new models on the automobile market. The selection

el has received the award more frequently than the BMW 3 Series, currently in its sixth generation. The success series began in 1978, with further awards following in 1991, 1994 and 1998. At the same time, the BMW 3 Series has become the world’s topselling premium automobile. “I believe the success of the BMW 3

aesthetic appeal,” explained Norbert Reithofer after receiving the award.

The new BMW 3 Series Sedan has been on sale worldwide since February 2012 and offers not only impressive athletic flair and efficiency as is typical of BMW but also a level of ride comfort which has been further optimised as compared to

tion between the twin headlights and the BMW kidney grille give the BMW 3 Series an unmistakable appearance. The current model program includes five petrol and five diesel engine versions as well as the BMW ActiveHybrid 3. The intelligent all-wheel drive system xDrive is available for four models. The new

procedure includes a readers’ vote and assessment by a jury consisting of racing drivers, technicians, magazine editors and celebrity testers, who this year scrutinised a total of 44 candidates.

The “Golden Steering Wheel” was awarded for the 37th time this year, making it one of the most tradition-

Qualitynet launches corporate campaign IDSP showcases services for companies of all sizes KUWAIT: Qualitynet, Kuwait’s No 1 Internet and Data Services Provider announced the launch of its corporate services campaign, dedicated to enterprises of all sizes and industry verticals.

Always on the forefront of introducing innovative and advanced solutions to the local market, Qualitynet provides its customers with every opportunity to save time, effort and valuable resources. The company prides itself in being a One Stop Shop to cater to all the needs of the market.

Mohammed Al-Nusif, GM - Corporate & Business Services said “Qualitynet is a pioneer in providing advanced and viable Telecom and Internet services. In our pursuit to maintain our position as the technology leader and elevate service levels provided to professionals and business owners, we develop cost effective solutions that help improve operational effectiveness while bringing to your table state-of-the-art technological solutions.

The current campaign showcases our readiness to meet every business requirement,

and also stresses on how our solutions are compatible for any type of business, irrespective of size.”

He continued by saying that Qualitynet has always been supportive of small & newly

Mohammed Al-Nusif, GM

established businesses, and works together with such establishments to provide solutions that best fit and compliment their requirements. Such establishments belong to a wide variety of sectors, ranging from healthcare facilities and clinics, to retail stores, educational institutes, entertainment firms and food service companies, among many others.

“Qualitynet offers services that are convenient and relevant, helping you improve your overall business efficiency and achieve goals, in the most economical and practical manner” said Mohammed. “These services include QCS, a cloud based service that seamlessly connects your Head office and Branches providing a range of services such as fax, voicemail, phone - email integration, etc, Structured Cabling that allows carrying higher bandwidth, Remote Surveillance Services that give you eyes on all your valuable establishment over the Internet, Advanced Internet and Workspace Security from Kaspersky Labs and Google Apps for businesses”, he added.

Minister says Mittal not welcome in France PARIS: The showdown between global steel giant ArcelorMittal and France over its Florange plant hit new heights yesterday as a minister said the company was no longer welcome in the country. A source close to the matter said company chief Lakshmi Mittal was to meet President Francois Hollande today ahead of a deadline Saturday for France to find a buyer for two shuttered blast furnaces at the site in northeast of the country.

France says it has two offers, but only

for the entire site, and Mittal has refused to sell the full operation. Industrial Renewal Minister Arnaud Montebourg has raised the spectre of a temporary nationalization of the plant, prompting Mittal to warn that would threaten its activities in France, where it employs 20,000 people. Montebourg upped the stakes yesterday, saying France did not want ArcelorMittal in the country anymore and is looking for an industrial partner to take over the group’s operations at the plant. “We do not want

Mittal in France any longer because they do not respect France,” Montebourg told the French financial daily Les Echos.

“Mittal’s lies since 2006 are damning,” the French minister said, adding that the company “has never honored its commitments” to the country. Newspaper Le Monde quoted members of the Mittal family as saying they were “extremely shocked” by Montebourg’s remarks.

Montebourg told Les Echos he was working on a “transitory nationalisation” project for the site. The newspaper said

Exclusive offer from CBK to its premier banking customers at Morad Yousuf Behbahani showroom KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait yet again offers its customers a unique opportunity. The bank has par tnered up with Morad Yousuf Behbehani showrooms where Premier Banking Customers can enjoy an exclusive discount up to 35 % on a wide range of famous and luxurious watches in Al Kout Mall,Souq Sharq and Laila Gallery, where the offer is valid For the

period from November 27th to December 1st 2012.

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that “the idea would be to associate an industrial operator with a minority capital stake for as long as it takes to stabilize activity” at the plant. The fate of the site has become a litmus test of Socialist President Francois Hollande’s strategy for fighting rising unemployment and raising the flagging competitiveness of French industry. The plant is based in the Lorraine region of eastern France, the traditional centre of France’s steel industry. ArcelorMittal has said the furnaces, which were damped down for 14 months prior to their closure, were uncompetitive in a tough trading climate, partly because they are too far from ports for transportation.

Les Echos has reported that Russian group Severstal is among several potential buyers for the furnaces. ArcelorMittal last month reported it had plunged into a third quarter net loss of $709 million (547 million euros) due to a slump in Chinese demand and operating losses in Europe. The group owns 11 blast furnaces in northern France, Germany and Belgium and, as well as the two at Florange, has shut down two furnaces in the Belgian city of Liege and one in the French port town of Dunkirk. —AFP

steeped and renowned automobile prizes in Europe.

The candidates for the “Golden Advertising Steering Wheel” were likewise subjected to a demanding selection procedure in 2012. In addition to a reader survey and the celebrity jury’s vote, the verdict of communication experts and well-known advertising specialists was also incorporated in the decision-making process. Both the public at large and the experts finally chose the “xDrive Mountain” campaign deployed by BMW to highlight the benefits of the electronically controlled all-wheel drive system xDrive.

As Ian Robertson said at the award ceremony: “This emotional campaign enabled us to achieve a significant increase in the number of vehicles fitted with the intelligent all-wheel drive system BMW xDrive. We are very pleased to see how successful the campaign has been.”

The “xDrive Mountain” is a fictitious place where the seasons change every day and where adverse weather conditions prevail all the time. TV commercials, print advertisements, posters and online appearances were used to show how BMW models fitted with xDrive tackled the varying conditions on “xDrive Mountain” as well as providing outstanding driving pleasure.

Rosneft may use TNK-BP cash, loans for takeover MOSCOW: Rosneft may dig deeper into its pockets and raise funds from TNK-BP to help finance its $55 billion takeover of the Anglo-Russian oil firm that will make it the world’s largest listed oil firm by output.

Rosneft said in a Eurobond prospectus, dated Nov. 23 and obtained by Reuters on Monday, that it may use its and TNK-BP’s existing cash - which totalled over $15 billion at Sept. 30 - to fund the deal in combination with borrowings from banks. It was not clear how exactly state-controlled Rosneft would rely on TNK-BP to finance the deal - some analysts say the joint venture may eventually pay a special dividend or loan funds to Rosneft to help complete the deal.

Rosneft needs $45 billion in cash to fund its two-stage takeover of TNK-BP. In the first leg, which has already received Russian government and board approval, it will buy out British oil major BP’s onehalf stake for stock and $17.1 billion in cash. BP would plough back $4.8 billion of proceeds into buying Rosneft shares from

the Russian state, ending up with a stake of nearly 20 percent.

In the second step, Rosneft would pay $28 billion in cash to buy the rest of TNKBP from AAR, a consortium that represents billionaire shareholders Mikhail Fridman, German Khan, Viktor Vekselberg and Len Blavatnik. Rosneft also said in the prospectus that it has received a commitment from a syndicate of international banks to lend around $30 billion, including up to $7.5 billion in long-term financing, to fund the takeover.

Reuters Loan Pricing Corporation reported on Nov. 15 that Rosneft was receiving initial commitments of $32.5 billion in takeover finance from banks. A source close to the deal told Reuters that Rosneft will hold roadshow for a dollardenominated Eurobond between Monday and Wednesday of this week. The offering is expected to be of benchmark size, meaning it would raise $500 million or more. —Reuters

White House: Tax hike threat could hurt retailers WASHINGTON: White House economists warned yesterday that the uncertainty of a potential hike in taxes next year for middle class taxpayers under the looming fiscal cliff could hurt consumer confidence during the crucial holiday shopping season. In a new report that coincides with Congress’ return after the Thanksgiving holiday, the White House says that if lawmakers don’t halt the automatic increase in taxes for households earning less than $250,000, consumers might even curtail their shopping during the current holiday season.

“As we approach Grover Norquist the holiday season, which accounts for close to one-fifth of industry sales, retailers can’t afford the threat of tax increases on middle-class families,” the report says.

The study by President Barack Obama’s National Economic Council and his Council of Economic Advisers also says a sudden increase in taxes for middle-income taxpayers would reduce consumer spending in 2013 by nearly $200 billion, significantly slowing the economic recovery.

The figures echo estimates by private forecasters and by the Congressional Budget

Office. Congress and Obama have until the end of the year to avoid across the board tax increases that would do away with rates set during the administration of President George W. Bush and restore higher tax rates in place during President Bill Clinton’s administration when the economy was robust and the federal government had a budget surplus.

Many middle income taxpayers also would be exposed to automatic tax increases under the Alternative Minimum Tax, which is designed to guarantee a certain level of tax payment by wealthier taxpayers.

According to the report, a married couple earning between $50,000 and $85,000 with two children would see a $2,200 increase in their taxes.

Obama wants the Bush-era tax rates to remain at their current level for households earning less than $250,000. He is calling on Congress to increase taxes for families earning more than that threshold.

Obama’s plan is part of an overall deficit reduction package that would increase tax revenue by about $1.5 trillion and reduce spending by a similar amount over 10 years.

Congressional Republicans, led by House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, have said they are open to including tax revenue in any budget package but have balked at any plan that raises tax rates on wealthier taxpayers.

They argue that higher rates would also hit some small businesses. —AP

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Gift guide to full-size tablets NEW YORK: Tablets are at the top of many wish lists this holiday season. But what to get? The choice used to be pretty limited, with the iPad dominating the latecomers. But this year, the field is more even, as tablets from Apple’s competitors have matured. In addition, Google and Microsoft are diving in with their own tablets, providing more choice.

The first step in the buying process is to decide on the size of the tablet. They fall into two rough categories: the full-sized tablet, pioneered by the iPad, and the halfsize tablet, epitomized by the Kindle Fire.

Full-sized tablets, which generally have screens measuring about 10 inches on the diagonal, are better for surfing websites designed for PCs, and far better when it comes to displaying magazines and documents. Overall, they go further toward replacing a laptop. They cost $400 and up.

Half-sized tablets, which have screens measuring roughly 7 inches on the diagonal, are cheaper and lighter, but just as good as full-sized tablets for e-book reading. It’s an excellent first computing device for a kid, or a gentle nudge into the digital world for an older adult with little computing experience. This year’s crop costs $199 and up, but last year’s models are available for less. If you’ve settled on a large tablet, here are some top choices.

Apple iPad, fourth generation (starts at $499) Apple usually updates the iPad once a year, so it was a surprise when it dropped a new model in October, with a faster processor and the new “Lightning” connection and charging port, replacing the wide port inherited from the iPod. Like the third-generation iPad launched in March it has an ultra-high-resolution “Retina” screen. The model’s resolution of 2,048 by 1,536 pixels is only surpassed by the Google Nexus 10.

That means the current iPad is two generations ahead of the iPad 2 that was on sale last holiday season. It packs enough improvements to make the upgrade worth it. The iPad 2 is still on sale for $100 less, but it’s not a very good value for the money: if $400 is all you can spend, there are better tablets out there than the iPad 2. While other tablets are starting to approach it in terms of hardware, the iPad still enjoys the best support by far from third parties, both in terms of quality applications and accessories like cases.

One caveat: the base model of the iPad has only 16 gigabytes of storage, which fills up fast these days. The thoughtful giver goes for at least a 32gigabyte model, for $100 more.

Other than that, there are few downsides to the iPad: no one will frown when opening this package.

Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ (starts at $269) For a book store, Barnes & Noble makes some amazing tablets. The HD+ is its first model that approaches the iPad in size, with a screen that’s 9 inches on the diagonal. That makes it slightly smaller than the iPad, and the resolution is lower as well, but still very respectable. At 1,920 by 1,280 pixels, it can show more detail than a living-room HDTV. The Nook is family-friendly too. You can create user accounts and restrict them from certain content, so there’s less risk that your kids will stumble on your copy of “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Like the basic iPad, the basic Nook HD+ comes with just 16 gigabytes of storage memory, but it can be expanded with a microSD memory card. That means another 32 gigabytes will cost you just $25 - a good deal. But the Nook is the least versatile tablet in our roundup. The number of apps available is small, and it’s focused on Barnes & Noble content like e-books, magazines and movies. It doesn’t have any cameras, while the competitors have two each. It’s best for someone who’s likely to stick to media consumption, and doesn’t need the latest apps and games.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (starts at $499) If the Nook is for the avid reader or movie watcher, the Galaxy Note 10.1 is for the creative type. It’s the only tablet

in our roundup that comes with a “pen” that can be used to write and draw on the screen. In our test, this worked well, though the number of apps that take advantage of the pen is still small.

(Other tablets, like the iPad, only respond to finger-like objects, so thirdparty styluses for them are of necessity thick and clumsy.) The Note 10.1 runs Google’s Android software, giving it access to a wide array of apps originally written for smartphones. The selection is not on par with the iPad’s but better than other alternatives.

The Note’s screen falls into the lowresolution category, sporting 1,280 by 800 pixels. That’s a third of what the iPad musters. Like the Nook, the Note 10.1’s storage memory can be expanded with cards. The Note’s appeal is somewhat niche, but it could be just the thing for the budding or established artist.

Microsoft Surface (starts at $499) Microsoft’s first tablet seems at first like a throwback to the first iPad. It’s thick, heavy and rugged. But it’s really doesn’t have much in common with the first iPad or any Apple- or Google-powered tablet. It runs Windows RT, a version of Windows 8 adapted for tablets. It comes with a version of Microsoft’s Office suite and the ability to connect to wireless printers and some other peripherals, like USB drives. The covers for it have functional keyboard printed on the inside.

The screen resolution is 1,366 by 768 pixels, placing it in the low-resolution category. The Surface screams “work, work, work.” It’s the tablet for those who are wedded to Word and want to take their writing on the go. One thing to note about the Surface: the basic model starts out with “32 gigabytes” of memory, but of that, only 16 gigabytes are available to the user. It accepts memory cards of up to 64 gigabytes, however, so expanding the memory is cheap. Note that even though it runs Windows, the Surface doesn’t run standard Windows applications. It will run only programs specifically adapted for Windows RT. The selection is, for now, quite limited.

Asus Vivo Tab RT (starts at $599 with a dock) Asus has a quality line of Android tablets they call “Transformer” because they dock into a keyboard with an extra battery. The combination folds up just like a small laptop and has excellent battery life. The Vivo Tab RT essentially takes a Transformer and stuffs it with Windows RT instead of Android. The tablet part is smaller and thinner than the Surface. Together with the keyboard, it makes for a familiar little setup: a tiny laptop running Windows. Like the Surface, it has a memory card slot and a USB port. The screen resolution is the same. The Vivo Tab is a good tool for those who want to get some work done on the commute or plane, or those who can’t decide if they want a laptop or a tablet.

Google Nexus 10 (starts at $399) This is Google’s first full-size tablet and the only tablet from any manufacturer that beats the screen resolution of the iPad. It boasts 2,560 by 1,600 pixels, a third more than the fourth-generation iPad. It’s also the only tablet in this roundup that has speakers on either side of the screen when it’s held horizontally, making for good stereo reproduction when you’re watching movies. It has a grippy, rubberized back and widely rounded corners. There’s no memory card slot or an option for a cellular modem. The array of third-party software is wide, just as it is for the Note 10.1. Most people don’t associate Google with online books, music or movies, so it may feel odd that the Nexus steers buyers to Google’s Play store. Of course, given the open nature of Google’s Android operating system, there are apps available for other entertainment stores, including Amazon’s, and for streaming services like Netflix.

The Nexus 10 is a snappy performer, and among the iPad’s competitors, it comes the closest to matching the versatility of Apple products. — AP

Samsung finds unfair practices among China suppliers SEOUL: Samsung Electronics said yesterday that a probe of its suppliers in China had found no evidence of alleged child labour, but did uncover some “inadequate” employment practices that needed to be remedied.

The South Korean technology giant inspected 105 Chinese partners in September following a report by China Labor Watch that at least one supplier was employing children under the age of 16.

The US-based watchdog said staff at some plants were forced to work up to five times the legal overtime limit and denied basic labour rights.

Samsung said its investigators had reviewed employment records at all 105 suppliers and conducted face-to-face ID checks, but “did not identify any instance of child labour”. However, they did find “several instances of inadequate practices” including excessive overtime and a system of fines imposed for lateness or absenteeism.

“We have identified the need for initiatives to reduce employee overtime as a top priori-

ty, and we are researching and developing measures that will eliminate hours beyond legal limits by the end of 2014,” Samsung said in a statement.

Samsung said it would finish reviewing 144 additional suppliers by the end of this year. From 2013, working conditions at all 249 suppliers in China would be monitored by a third party audit programme, it added.

“Although we did not identify any child labour during our audits in September, we have demanded all suppliers to adopt a new hiring process immediately, and contracts with suppliers who use child labour will be terminated,” the statement said.

Suppliers will also be required to correct irregularities in labour contracts, and to provide adequate safety equipment and sufficient safety training. Managers will receive additional training on sexual harassment and physical and verbal abuse, while hotlines are being established for workers to report any inhumane treatment or labour violation, Samsung said. — AFP

Rights Watch campaigns against ‘killer robots’ Drones play an increasing role LONDON: Technology is moving fast when it comes to “autonomous systems” - intelligent machines that perform tasks with little or no human guidance. In modern warfare, drones and other unmanned vehicles are playing an increasing role, with militaries embracing a technology that they say makes war safer and more effective.

But human rights campaigners fear what might be to come - fully autonomous weapons that could select and engage targets without human intervention - and they want a new global treaty to stop that from happening.

In Israel, the country’s missile defense system, the Iron Dome, autonomously senses the threat of an incoming rocket and sends a warning to an operator, who then gives the command to fire a missile.

During the recent cross-border violence between Israel and Gaza, Israeli officials said the defense system had an 80-90 percent success rate. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or drones, have also played a growing military role, especially in US campaigns. They provide surveillance, identify targets, and can deliver lethal force - but only if an operator gives the go ahead.

But David Mepham, the United Kingdom director of Human Rights Watch, said within decades technological advances could write the human operator out of the equation.

“Drones are not fully autonomous weapons,” Mepham said. “They involve human intervention in terms of their targeting and the decision to strike, but that has been an increasing trend in the way Western militaries, in particular, have been going in recent years. This will be several technological steps beyond that. It will be a weapons system that takes the human beings out of the loop.”

Human Rights Watch has jointly published a report with the Harvard Law School’s International Rights Clinic arguing that within 30 years militaries could be armed with autonomous “killer robots.” They said such weapons would be inconsistent with international humanitarian law and would increase the

risk to civilians during armed conflict.

In order to prevent a move in that direction, the campaigners are pushing for a global deal that would prevent the use of such weapons, similar to agreements banning the use of landmines and cluster bombs.

“One of the things that holds us back from

But Britain-based independent security analyst Hugo Rosemont said there should be a public discussion around the future use of autonomous technology, and not only with regard to its military potential.

“There also needs to be a public discussion around some of the wider applications, such as

LONDON: An undated US Air Force image shows a MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft. barbarism in contexts of war is this distinction between combatants and civilians,” said Mepham. “And we are worried about a robotic weapon of the future not being able to tell the difference between a child holding out an ice cream and someone holding a weapon.”

The US and other militaries have said they have no plans to remove human supervision over the decision to use lethal force, despite advances in technology.

in the use of disaster management and humanitarian relief,” said Rosemont. “These technologies can be deployed and have been in those circumstances, and that should be part of the wider discussion in what we think of as autonomy.”

He said robots could well do the world plenty of good in the years to come. France sent remote controlled robots to Japan to help contain the Fukushima nuclear disaster last year - just one job better left to machines. —MCT

How to transfer your data to a new computer

DUBAI: This March 9, 2011, file photo, shows a large image of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, UAE Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai, rear left, and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, UAE President, right, on a tower at Internet City, as cars pass drive on Sheikh Zayed’s highway in Dubai. — AP

Web access battles brew before UN conference DUBAI: An upcoming UN gathering about Internet oversight is raising alarms from a broad coalition of critics, including the US, tech giants such as Google and rights groups, concerned that changes could lead to greater efforts to censor Web content and stifle innovation in cyberspace.

Among the issues on the agenda at next month’s meeting in Dubai are ideas to battle Internet spam and fraud. But also tucked into more than 1,300 proposals are potential hotbutton items that opponents believe could be used by in places such as Iran and China to justify their crackdowns on bloggers and other Web restrictions. Another likely battle when the meeting begins Dec. 3 is over European-backed suggestions to change the pay structure of the Web to force content providers - such as Google Inc., Facebook Inc. and others - to kick in an extra fee to reach users across borders.

It’s unclear what proposals will emerge from the 11-day meeting of the UN’s 193-nation International Telecommunications Union, or ITU. The preliminary jockeying highlights the tensions of the Internet age between what to regulate and what to leave alone. The outcome could affect billions of Internet users. Some are unhappy with the structure of the conference itself. “Engineers, companies and people that build and use the Web have no vote,” said Google in an online statement. “The billions of people around the globe that use the Internet, the experts that build and maintain it, should be included” in the decision-making process.

Others warn of dangers.

Simply opening the door to greater controls by the ITU raises concern among activists and others. They worry that countries with tightly controlled cyberspace such as China, Iran and Gulf Arab states will push for additions to the ITU’s treaty - such as national security monitoring - that could be used to give legitimacy both to their current efforts to monitor and restrict the Web and to possible future clampdowns.

“We can expect an Internet totally different to today’s open and global system,” said Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, representing 175 million workers worldwide.

“Repressive governments will have a UN treaty which allows them to control freedom of expression, to monitor everything any targeted

individual is saying on the Net, and to stop social movements and human rights defenders demanding respect for basic rights,” she cautioned.

The host United Arab Emirates, for example, sharply tightened Internet laws this month to give authorities wide powers to bring charges for offenses such as insulting the rulers or trying to organize street protests. The ITU’s secretarygeneral, Hamadoun Toure, said in a May speech in Canada that he expected “a light-touch regulatory approach to emerge.”

The ITU says it has no interest in governing the Internet or restricting expression, but notes that it must update its communications treaty to incorporate the dramatic technological changes that have occurred since the last revisions in 1988. That was before the Internet in the public domain.

Among the topics to be discussed in Dubai: Internet security, combating fraud, preventing mobile phone “bill shock” with roaming charges and efforts to expand broadband infrastructures in developing countries.

“For every proposal, there is a counterproposal,” said ITU spokeswoman Sarah Parkes. She noted that U.N. treaties such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights take precedence over any regulations ITU may adopt that could relate to freedom of expression.

“We will not support any effort to broaden the scope of the ITRs (International Telecommunications Regulations) to facilitate any censorship of content or blocking the free flow of information and ideas,” said Terry Kramer, a former technology industry executive who was given ambassador status to lead a powerhouse 123-member US delegation to the World Conference on International Telecommuni-cations. The groups include representatives from Facebook, Microsoft Corp., Amazon.com Inc. and Google - which has been leading an aggressive online campaign to warn about the risks of increased Internet regulations from the meeting.

The international Internet Society, a group headquartered in Virginia and Switzerland that maintains the Internet core protocols, also claims any tighter UN controls could “interfere with the continued innovation and evolution of the telecommunications networks and the Internet.”—AP

MUNICH: Any move means stress, even if it’s just moving a bunch of bits and bytes. But there’s no avoiding a migration when giving up an old computer for a new machine. There are data services that will help you do it online, but using a local network or a simple cable might be a better idea.

Get an external hard drive, recommends Andreas Paul from Munich’s Technical University. “It’s the simplest and easiest method,” says the computer scientist. Usually, the most important files - music, pictures, videos - are stored in the My Documents folder on Windows machines, unless the user has set up a special folder for personal documents.

Programmes cannot simply be copied, but have to be installed anew. Messages and contacts from mail clients, bookmarks in browsers and financial data in tax programmes can usually be shared with an export function. Often this exported data can be used by other similar applications.

It’s possible to transfer data by connecting machines via wi-fi or a cable. “But that’s usually a little difficult for laypeople,” warns Paul. A networked connection isn’t faster either. “True, I only copy things once, instead of twice, like with an external drive.” But that advantage is erased due to the slower speeds of a networked connection.

Another option is simply not to have to move anything. “These days, I don’t really keep a lot of files on my computer,” says Paul, alluding to cloud services. “That makes the transfer simpler.”

One good example of this is a webmailer. If a person has all his contacts and emails saved there, then there’s nothing that needs to be transferred to a new PC. The same applies to anyone who has stored their music collection online and simply streams it when it’s time to listen.

But Paul recommends against setting up an online storage service just to help with the data transfer. “That takes too long,” he says, noting that uploading can take a lot longer than downloading.

“Once you’ve got more than a few hundred megabytes, I wouldn’t try it from home.”

However, if you’re already using an online storage option, there’s no need to pull the information onto a new PC. A new computer can mean a new operating system. Nowadays, that will often mean Windows 8. Like its predecessors, it comes with an Easy Transfer application, hidden under the name migwiz.exe on the installation DVD, notes German computer magazine c’t. The assistant helps with transfers from external drives or via cables, especially with personal files or Windows settings.

However, be careful. Easy Transfer will not work if you’re swapping data between 32-bit and 64-bit machines. Switching from Windows to Apple usually isn’t much of a problem, as Apples can generally open all data types. Contact data and bookmarks can also be transferred easily. For Mac-to-Mac transfers, there’s a special assistant that handles everything with ease.

Switching from Windows to Linux can be trickier, even if the newest Linux operating system, Ubuntu, seems relatively user-friendly. “I would initially install Linux and Windows at the same time,” says Thomas Uhl, a Linux expert at the Open Source Business Alliance. Doing so gives users a chance to save data that may get lost otherwise.

But Paul also reminds potential movers: don’t be afraid of using the switch as a chance to get rid of some old junk. Just get rid of anything you haven’t used in a while, he says. —dpa

28

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

health & science

UN climate change talks open in Doha Time is running out: UN DOHA: Nearly 200 nations launched a fresh round of United Nations climate talks in Doha yesterday, facing urgent appeals to scale up the fight against Earth-warming greenhouse-gas emissions. “Time is running out,” UN climate chief Christiana Figueres told a press conference. “The door is closing fast on us because the pace and the scale of action is simply not yet where it must be.” The runup to the 12-day conference-the annual climax to negotiations on climate change-coincided with a welter of warnings that violent events like superstorm Sandy will become commonplace if mitigation efforts fail.

Experts said pledges to mitigate greenhouse gas pledges were falling dramatically short of limiting warming to the UN goal of two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels.

“All of these reports agree that it is much more preferable to act now because it is safer and much less costly than to delay,” said Figueres. “This is a historic conference of crucial importance,” added Qatar’s conference president, Abdullah al-Attiya. “We must work seriously in the next two weeks... be flexible and not dwell (on) marginal matters.”

Topping the talks under the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the future of the Kyoto Protocol, the world’s only binding pact for curbing carbon emissions.

The protocol, whose first commitment

period runs out on December 31, currently commits about 40 rich nations and the EU to an average five percent greenhouse gas reduction from 1990 levels. The accord is a touchstone for developing countries and green campaigners.

But critics say it is badly flawed, as it does not include the United States and China, the world’s biggest emitters, in the binding targets. Getting a deal on Kyoto’s future would smooth the way towards a new, global treaty that would be sealed in 2015 and take effect in 2020. Prospects, though, are soured by discord on how long the next Kyoto commitment period should last and the scope of its carbon pledges.

The EU, Australia and some small Kyoto parties have said they would take on commitments in a second period, but New Zealand, Canada, Japan and Russia will not. “In Doha, governments must agree to the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol and close the loopholes that could give countries a free pass to pollute for years,” urged Greenpeace’s Martin Kaiser.

“At the end of a year that has seen the impacts of climate change devastate homes and families around the world, the need for action is obvious and urgent.” Also crucial is for delegates to draft a work plan for arriving in the next 36 months at the new global climate deal.

Negotiators, to be joined in the last

four days by cabinet ministers from more than 100 nations, will be under pressure to raise pre-2020 emission reduction targets.

And rich nations will be expected to come up with funding for the developing world’s mitigation actions.

“Developing countries are heading towards a climate ‘fiscal cliff’ without any certainty about how they will be supported to adapt to climate change

after 2012 draws to a close,” said Oxfam climate change policy advisor Tim Gore. For its part, a grouping of African countries, poor nations and small island states most at risk of climate change-induced sea level rise said failure in Doha would be “a setback from which we may never recover”. Last week, the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) said the goal of keeping planet warming in check was

moving farther out of reach and the world was heading for a 3-5 C (5.4-9 F) rise this century barring urgent action.

The World Bank said a planet that is 4 C (7.2 F) warmer would see coastal areas inundated and small islands washed away, food production slashed, species eradicated, more frequent heat waves and high-intensity cyclones, and diseases spread to new areas. — AFP

DOHA: A general view shows the opening ceremony of the 18th United Nations (UN) climate change conference yesterday. — AFP

Rare skin disorder bonds families

Dar Al-Shifa Clinic hosts Open Day to celebrate World Premature Day KUWAIT: Dar Al-Shifa Clinic recently held an open day in celebration of World Premature Day, which included series of educational lectures with an objective of highlighting the latest measures in caring for premature children, along with shedding light on children’s general health. The event was open to doctors, patients along with the general public, and tackled topics such as caring for premature children, child health, as well as caring of child oral health.

The event, which took place on November 17, included an extensive program of workshops, entertainment, free gifts for children as well as a range of discounts and offers for parents and their children. Dr Ashraf Azzaz, Pediatric at Dar Al Shifa Clinic said: “Worldwide, 15 million babies are born prematurely each year, and sadly, around 1 million of these babies will not survive.

Preterm babies represent the largest child patient group and their number continues to increase, even as the total number of births is steadily decreasing. It is important to continue to raise more awareness and support our children’s health requirements.”

During the keynote presentation he delivered, Dr Azzaz noted that a number of studies have confirmed that in children’s overall dietary habits, added preservatives may increase excess movement, in which accordingly will lead to loosing focus, and eventually find more difficulty in learning.

“Understanding children’s health is crucial in order to nurture a healthy future generation. We continue to provide leading

medical services as well as groundbreaking equipment with an overall objective of delivering sound healthcare solutions to children of all ages,” added Dr Azzaz.

Moreover, Dr John Deacon, Pediatric Dentist at Dar Al-Shifa Clinic highlighted the importance of children’s oral health.

The highlights of his presentation included that children need to visit their dentists 6 month after their teeth start growing, but no longer than one year. He also pointed out that children need to start taking care of their oral health when they reach three years of age.

Furthermore, Dr Rochella George, Pediatric Dentist at Dar Al-Shifa Clinic shed light during her presentation which was aimed for parents and children around understanding the structure of the teeth along while also pointing out the various negative nutritional habits that may lead to tooth decay and different methods to maintaining a strong oral structural through healthy teeth.

The Pediatric and Neonatology Department at Dar Al-Shifa Clinic is one of the most specialized departments that provide superior healthcare services to children.

Dar Al-Shifa Clinic provides patients with comprehensive medical solutions. The clinic includes an extensive array of departments such as Dar Al-Shifa Dental Care Unit, Internal Medicine & Endocrinology, Diet & Nutrition, Ophthalmology, Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and a fully equipped laboratory as well as a solely dedicated pharmacy to accommodate patients’ prescription requirements.

ORLANDO: Daisy Sherman has an imaginary friend named Skunk who can do everything the 5-yearold from Kissimmee, Fla, can’t.

Skunk can wrestle and tumble and climb ladders into the clouds because his skin - unlike Daisy’s won’t break and blister at the slightest touch.

The girl’s rare skin disease, called EB (for dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa) is difficult for many to understand, but last week Daisy found herself surrounded by nearly 400 visitors to central Florida who did understand what it’s like to get an open sore after simply holding a baby rattle or sitting on a tricycle.

Called by those familiar with it “the worst disease you’ve never heard of,” EB affects one in 50,000 babies; one in three don’t see their third birthday. The deadly genetic disorder causes an inability to create a protein that helps two layers of skin bind. Thus the skin is fragile, and the slightest friction causes wounds, according to DebRA, a 30year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to research and support for EB families. The group met last week near Orlando at Gaylord Palms Resort.

“We couldn’t do it without the other families,” said Daisy’s mom, Dana Sherman. “Other parents are your best source of information.

Many of us are friends on Facebook, but it’s so nice to meet the others going through this in person. They become like family. (On Facebook) we see each other’s kids hitting milestones and growing. We also lose some.”

Sherman knows of only five families in Florida who have “butterfly babies,” as children with this condition are sometimes called because their skin is as thin as a butterfly’s wing. None is near her.

At the three-day conference, parents and caregivers listened to talks by some of the nation’s leading medical experts who shared information about new medical treat-

ments, better bandaging techniques and research under way to bring their kids, if not a cure, a better quality of life. Moms share coping skills and practical tips, such as what kinds of shoes work best for their children’s fragile feet.

Meanwhile, the kids took over three playrooms set up just for them. Like normal kids, they tussled over toys. In the game room, the large blow-up plastic palm tree was the big draw.

“We all want it,” Daisy said, “because it’s green.” But unlike normal kids, their skin is covered in sores; their arms and legs are wrapped mummylike with bandages, which serve as a layer of skin.

They have nurses, not nannies, hovering, and little wheelchairs on the sidelines for when they wear out. They also have to endure frequent baths in bleach solutions to

FLORIDA: Daisy Sherman laughs during a kid’s magic show during the DebRA’s 2012 Patient Care Conference. — MCT quell infection and bandage they’re dealing with. “When we first changes every other day that can moved here and took Daisy to a last several hours. Being at the con- pediatrician, he said, ‘Don’t worry, it ference not only helps parents and will clear up,’” Sherman said. caregivers commiserate and share Bringing attention to the disease is care strategies, but it also helps the a big push for DebRA, said Brett kids see they’re not the only ones Kopelan, whose 4-year-old daughwho look like this. “At home, Daisy ter, Rafi, has EB. Besides being the asks me, ‘Why don’t you wear organization’s executive director,

ing disease can take a higher physical and mental toll on patients than cancer and heart disease, past surveys have found.

“During all that time, I experienced great stress and prejudice. In the subway, people around me will stare at me and they think I may infect them,” said Lai, a data analyst. “I can tell from their eyes even if they don’t say anything.” In psoriasis patients, skin cells grow too fast and rapidly pile up, forming red and inflamed scales or plaques on the skin. While cell reproduction in normal skin takes 28 days, that process in psoriasis patients takes only four days. The exact cause of psoriasis remains unknown although experts believe it is linked to the immune system where a class of fighter cells attack the body’s own healthy skin cells by mistake. — Reuters

he is a chief officer for an executivesearch company in Manhattan.

When he first learned his newborn had a serious problem, “it was as if the Earth fell out from under my feet,” Kopelan said. Next, he made it his goal to know every researcher. Two years ago, his daughter was one of the first EB children to receive a bone-marrow transplant to help her condition.

Her body now appears to be producing a layer of binding skin tissue that it never had before. After the transplant, Kopelan got more involved in DebRA: “I felt moved to do more to help not just us but others.”

The disease attacks families financially, physically and emotionally, he said. “It’s a sad but also hopeful story. We will see a dramatic breakthrough in the next two years. We’re getting really close.” In addition to bone-marrow transplants, promising advances for EB are taking place in stem-cell research, gene therapy and the development of tissue proteins.

“The hope is to make EB a controllable disease like diabetes, something kids can live with,” Kopelan said.

In the two years he has been on DebRA’s board, Kopelan has seen research explode. Well-financed science is under way: Venture capitalists have funded $27 million for a technology that replaces a tissue protein these kids don’t make, and private funding has gone into stem-cell therapies for the disease.

Top institutions also are involved.

Researchers at the University of Southern California have received a $4.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop another protein-replacement therapy.

Scientists at Stanford have received an $11.5 million grant to study gene therapy to treat EB. “The cost for research is a lot,” Kopelan said, “but the cost of doing nothing is too much.” — MCT

Caffeine-diabetes link still unresolved

Psoriasis patients look to HK govt for assistance HONG KONG: When Gary Lai first came down with the skin disease psoriasis, he got so tired of the stigma he faced in the outside world that he would lock himself away in his apartment whenever he didn’t have to be at work. “When you have to apply ointment all over your body, it is impractical. It also has a smell and when you go to work, your colleagues will start asking questions,” said Lai, who was 24 when he was diagnosed.

Now Lai, 41, and other Hong Kong residents suffering from psoriasis - a lifelong autoimmune disease that covers the skin in red, scaly plaques - have joined hands to press the government to help subsidize their high treatment costs. Affecting up to two percent of the population in Asia, or 125 million people worldwide, this disfigur-

bandages?’” said Sherman. “But here she sees others who look like her. The kids go up to each other and say: ‘Oh, you have an itchy monster, too,’” referring to the sores that itch.

The condition takes constant vigilance, because children are at risk of dying from anemia, suffocation from swollen airways, infection and malnutrition because their intestines don’t absorb well. Like many EB babies and children, Daisy gets most of her nutrition from a feeding tube. Bandages and ointments cost $10,000 to $15,000 a month, and the children need nursing care almost around the clock.

“Her laughter gets me through,” Sherman said. Among the biggest problems families face is a lack of awareness about the condition.

Because the disease is unusual, most doctors don’t know what

BEIJING: In this photograph, a panda bear sleeps in the Olympic Games Panda Bear enclosure at the Beijing Zoo. The population of the Asiatic black bear, sloth bear, sun bear and Andean bear have suffered a 30-49 percent decline in recent decades and are expected to plunge further, a biologist from the IUCN-SSC Bear Specialist Group (BSG) said at an international bear conference. — AFP

LONDON: Sugary drinks are linked to a heightened risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, but a large U.S. study that confirmed this shed little light on whether caffeine suggested in past studies to have a link to sugar processing - helps or hinders. Among more than 100,000 men and women followed for 22 years, those who drank sugarsweetened drinks were as much as 23 percent more likely to develop diabetes than those who didn’t, but the risk was about the same whether the drinks contained caffeine or not, according to the study that appeared in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

“We found that caffeine doesn’t make a difference at all,” said lead author Frank Hu of Harvard University. “Coffee can be beneficial and the caffeine doesn’t appear to have a positive or negative effect on diabetes risk.”

Numerous past studies have linked regular consumption of soft drinks, both sugar- and artificially-sweetened, to an increased risk of diabetes.

Research over the past decade has also suggested that caffeine temporarily prevents the body from processing sugar efficiently - a problem that those who live with diabetes

deal with all the time. That at least suggests that caffeine in conjunction with sweetened drinks might raise diabetes risk even further.

However, other research has found a protective effect from coffee and tea, suggesting caffeine does the opposite.

Hu and his coauthors wanted to know if people who regularly drink sugary and caffeinated beverages might only be exaggerating their risk of developing a disease that affects nearly 26 million adults and children, or about 8 percent of the U.S. population, according to the American Diabetes Association.

They examined the health habits of 75,000 women and 39,000 men involved in longterm health studies that began in the mid1980s. Compared to people who didn’t consume sugary drinks, the likelihood of developing diabetes over the years for those who did was higher by 13 percent for caffeinated sugary drinks and 11 percent for decaffeinated among women, and by 16 percent or 23 percent among men, respectively. Caffeinefree artificially sweetened drinks were also linked to a 6 percent increase in risk among women. — Reuters

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

health & science

Timely CPR can save lives

By Leslie Barker

DALLAS: Call it a gathering of storm clouds, or an aligning of the planets.

Maybe it was a carefully planned pattern of fate’s dominoes, when knocking down that first tile could start a motion that almost couldn’t be stopped. To recount all that was lining up that Labor Day weekend of 2011 would entail a deep breath and several head-shakings of disbelief.

Instead, here’s where it culminated: In Marla Sewall’s cardiac arrest and subsequent near-drowning; the response from her husband, Cary, that brought her back to life; her determination to keep living this life she holds so precious.

Marla is 43, and I’m not the first person to tell her she looks like Jennifer Aniston. She’s a former gymnast and cheerleader who plays tennis fervently and who, a year ago, was at the peak of training for her 12th marathon. “I did them till last year,” she says before offering this double-dip of understatements: “Then I got sick. It’s been quite a journey.” Every step of the way, says this mother of four boys, “has been a miracle.”

The first was her decision, a year ago the first Monday of September, to take a bath. It was around midnight and she wasn’t feeling well not surprisingly, after running 40 miles in three days and playing tennis with Cary on two of them. The second step, she says, was Cary hearing the water running. “There’s divine intervention,” Cary says.

“There’s luck. There’s being physically fit. The fact I would hear anything and get up is a miracle and that I checked is astounding. In hindsight, if she hadn’t drawn a bath, I wouldn’t have heard anything. She would have had this in bed, and I’d have found her the next morning.”

When he saw his wife, she was face-up in the bathtub. Her eyes were open; she was blue, limp, lifeless. “I pulled her out, started CPR,

breathing, chest compressions, back and forth - hysterically, as you can imagine,” he says. “What seemed like an eternity was probably two minutes or more of me screaming and working, blowing, chest compressions. I finally got her to gurgle.”

He called 911; Marla was taken to Texas Health Presbyterian of Dallas.

She was in ICU for almost a week. As

son, Kyle, who almost drowned six years ago.

“The doctors said it’s a genetic heart issue,” he says. “Heat, dehydration, lack of potassium - they probably had something to do with it. I’ll never forget what the doctor said: ‘Ninety percent of the time, we find this condition doing an autopsy.’”

Marla had a pacemaker with a defib-

Marla Sewall, left, a mother of four and marathon runner, was drawing a bath a year ago when she passed out. Her husband, Cary Sewall, found her, performed CPR and saved her life. — MCT time passed, brain damage became rillator implanted in her chest. It’s the less and less of a fear. Tests showed “ultimate safety net,” Cary says; were no blockage, no high blood pressure. her heart to go into “v-tach” again, Everything looked normal, until she the defibrillator would automatically underwent an electrophysiology shock it back into rhythm.

For a while after being released test, or EP. During the procedure, “I went into ventricular tachycardia, from the hospital, Marla wore her and my heart stopped beating. They heart-rate monitor to make sure she never got close to the number that had to shock it back.”

Doctors determined that’s what would set off the defibrillator. As time Marla had initially suffered. The dan- went on and she started, with every gerously rapid heartbeat caused her doctor’s blessing, running again, she to pass out as she leaned down to took it off. A friend has told her, and turn on the water. The condition can Marla agrees, that she isn’t as intense also lead to ventricular fibrillation, as she used to be. She runs, but is fine which can cause sudden death. with running five miles instead of 20 People survive only if someone near- at a time. She’s training, but for a 10by has a defibrillator or knows CPR. mile race at the end of September Cary did. He’d taken it in high school, and the Dallas Half Marathon in years earlier, though oddly enough December, not a marathon. “I didn’t he’d used it to revive the couple’s get this second chance to just sit on

the couch,” Marla says. “I love running. I love the feeling of it, and I love my friends.” Marla says she feels “extremely fortunate.” Though she doesn’t like public speaking, she is happy to share her story at fundraising events for the American Heart Association. She raised money for the organization’s Heart Walk earlier this month, a week after what Cary calls “the anniversary of her re-birthday.”

“I don’t have blockage; I don’t have heart disease,” Marla says. “But when you hear the statistics” - 1 in 3 Americans dies of heart disease and strokes - “getting the word out is important to raise money for research.” Plus the organization is instrumental in teaching CPR, which saved her life. “You can learn what you need to know about CPR in about five minutes,” Cary says.

“Usually there’s not a paramedic or doctor around to save someone’s life.

I did something and I did it immediately.” He still has a hard time sleeping at night, he says. He has flashbacks seeing Marla underwater. He has asked his wife, and they’ve talked about, what affect the experience had on Marla. What does she want to do now? “She looked at me and said, ‘I’m doing what I should be doing. I love our life, our family,’” he says. A day or so later, I ask Marla to elaborate. She says the most important thing to her is being a mother, and how blessed she is to be with her kids longer.

“Cary and I read ‘Tuesdays With Morrie’ a few years ago,” she says.

“That guy was really, really sick. When asked, ‘What would you do if you were healthy?’ he said, ‘I just want a normal day with my wife. I want to get up and drink coffee and read the newspaper.’

“When you’re not healthy, all you want to do is the normal, like making breakfast with my kids. You don’t have to go to Thailand to be happy.”

What happened, she says, “is always on my mind. It’s a reminder, a deep breath. I’m so lucky. I’m so glad I’m here.” — MCT

CALIFORNIA: Skyrobics class in progress at Sky Zone trampoline gym. — MCT

Skyrobics jump-start the heart

By Susan Carpenter LOS ANGELES: There’s something comical about a bunch of middle-aged women leaping like gazelles across an open plain of trampolines. Bouncing, after all, is largely the domain of the preschool set, for which jumpers are pretty much de rigueur. But why should 4-year-olds have all the fun? I, like so many mothers of a certain age, had gotten into a workout rut. Walk. Weightlift.

Repeat. After years of the same old same old, I was eager for a change. So I decided to channel my inner kid and try Skyrobics, a trampoline aerobics class offered through the indoor trampoline park franchise Sky Zone.

Trampoline fitness has existed for at least 50 years. What’s different about Skyrobics is that it doesn’t take place on just one trampoline but 18, which are strung together in an enclosed “court,” or rectangle pattern, allowing users to jump from one trampoline to another and literally bounce off the walls.

It takes 30 percent more energy to run across a trampoline than a hard surface because it moves and rebounds, offering more resistance. It’s also easier on the joints. The instability of the trampoline surface works core and lower back muscles as well, because it requires balance. I experienced this high-intensity, low-impact rou-

tine in all its sweat-enhanced glory on a recent night, when I joined six women in a court across the way from a bunch of teenagers going wild in a game of trampoline dodge ball. Two of the women, who’ve been taking Skyrobics since Sky Zone opened in Gardena in the spring, joked they come together so that one of them can carry out the dead body of the other when the class is over. It’s that challenging.

The one-hour class, which can burn as many as 1,000 calories, starts out deceptively low key, with stretching exercises, jumping jacks and push-ups. Our enthusiastic and ridiculously buff instructor then had us take turns “rouncing” - a combination of running and bouncing - back and forth to get our hearts racing, before restricting us to individual trampolines for jumping skyward. Then we rounced some more. We rounced, before dropping for push-ups. We rounced again, followed by leg lifts. And in a sort of rouncing finale, we flew across the trampolines only to park ourselves for sit-ups and more stretching exercises, which were far more difficult at the end of the class than at the beginning.

All of us were drenched and heaving. And this, apparently, wasn’t even the hardest class. The instructor of a six-week Skyrobics boot camp likes to have his students crawl in, through and out of a pit of foam cubes. — MCT

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

WHAT’S ON

‘The role of India in New World Order’

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ichar Bharathi team is coming up with yet another addition to its prestigious activities. A talk on ‘The role of India in the New World Order’ is being conducted on November 30, 2012 at Indian Community School, Amman Branch, Salmiya, at 5 pm. UNESCO Peace Chair, Professor of Geopolitics at Manipal University and famous writer M D Nalapat will inaugurate the function. The speaker of the day will be the Indian economist and Chartered Accountant M R Venkatesh. He is India’s highly ranked corporate advisor who has represented Indian corporates at international forums. He is a prolific writer, author, regular columnist and serves as visiting faculty in various professional Institutions, Chambers of Commerce and Universities. The discourse will have a look into India’s foreign policy in the current evolving situation around the world, our economic policies, our political and infrastructural systems and their impact on our growth as a super power.

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

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hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! This summer, let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

Announcements TASK general body meeting

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echnical Staff Association of Kuwait (TASK), Kuwait are conducting their General Body meeting on December 7, 2012 Friday 4:00 pm at Hi-Dine Auditorium. Election will be conducted for selecting new office bearers for the year 2013. The committee is inviting all members and technical staff non-residents from India in Kuwait to join hands with TASK and strengthen the association.

MMF Kuwait media conference

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alayali Media Forum (MMF), Kuwait will hold ‘MMF Media Conference 2012’ on Friday, November 30, 2012 from 5:30 pm onwards at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan auditorium, Abbassiya. Vidhu P Nair, Deputy Chief of Mission, Indian Embassy, will be the chief guest. Well-known Indian journalist J Gopikrishnan, the first man to unearth the massive 2G Spectrum scandal in India, will deliver the keynote address. The conference will spotlight the emerging trends in media world with special focus on Indian media especially in the context of the growth of social media networks.

Joy of Christmas

YMCA Kuwait holds award ceremony

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MCA Kuwait, conducted the second Plus Two, toppers award function for the year 2011-12, to encourage the young talent in the field of academics at Indian Community School, Salmiya. The program began with the opening prayer. Parimanam Manoj (General Secretary) welcomed all the invited guests. The meeting was presided by Babu Johnson (President). M Mathews (Sunnychayan) inaugurated the function. YMCA felicitated students who came in first and second places in Science and Commerce streams

from all Indian schools. From the first and second places for each school, overall topper was selected from the winners of each stream. The overall first for the Science stream was awarded to Ashray Jain from Fahaheel AlWatanieh Indian Public School (FAIPS) and Commerce stream awarded to Kumari Stuti Jain from Delhi Public School. Mathew Varkey proposed a vote of thanks. Biju Vellor compeered the program.

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hristmas is the Season of new beginnings and second chances! Headlines of disease, disaster and death slowly but surely acclimatize us to permanently anticipate the darker side of life. Men’s Voice Kuwait and Choral Society has always carried the message of love, hope and unity, touching the hearts of thousands, regardless of age, creed or religion. Every year we look forward to ring the Christmas season with a night of joyous music. Popular 12-year-old choir draws us to the brighter side with the “The Joy of Christmas” a wonderful Concert on Friday, December 7, 2012 at 7 pm at Carmel School Auditorium, Khaitan.

Basketball Academy

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he new Premier Basketball Academy offers coaching and games every Friday and Saturday from 10 am onwards for 6 to 18 year olds, boys and girls. Located in Bayan Block 7, Masjed Al-Aqsa Street by Abdullah Al-Rujaib High School. Free Basketball and Tee Shirts for all participants, with certificates and special awards on completion of each 6 week course. Qualified and experienced British and American Coaches, Everyone Welcome.

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Arabic courses

WARE will begin Winter 1 Arabic language courses with new textbooks and curricula will begin on December 2, 2012 until January 24, 2013. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed & courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. For more information or registration, please log-on to our website.

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Winter 2012 AMIE examination he AMIE Winter 2012 examinations will be held between Dec 01-07, 2012 as follows:

Section A (Diploma) - December 1-4, 2012 Section A (Non-Diploma) - December 1-7, 2012 Section B - December 1-7, 2012 The last date for submission of examination application forms are given hereunder: Candidates not appeared at Summer 2012 Exam: Aug 21 - Sept 21, 2012 Candidates appeared at Summer 2012 Exam: Sept 21 - Oct 19, 2012.

Candidates who intend to appear for the Winter 2012 examination must apply directly to Kolkata by filling the prescribed application form along with requisite amount of demand draft in favour of The Institution of Engineers (India), payable in Kolkata.

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Suhaani Shaam

fter hosting ‘Bappi Lahiri Live Concert’ Indian Cultural Society brings you live excitement & entertainment with renowned young Ghazal Maestro Jaswinder Singh for romantic geet & ghazal.

An evening accompanied by laughter machine & Hindi poet sardar Manjit Singh. Special guest of honor & attraction from Bollywood will be famous film actress Raveena Tandon. Join us on 30th Nov at 7 pm at Dr. Kamil Al Rays Auditorium AIS - near police station Maidan Hawally, Kuwait.

Goan Culinary Club

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he Goan Culinary Club - Goa encourages you to log on to their website where you can find a video of Odette and Joe Mascarenhas sharing their thoughts on Goan cuisine. These videos were recorded at the launch of the Goan Culinary Club in Goa on March 3, 2012. Thanks to support from all at the Goan Culinary Club, we have made great progress in six months.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

IES Bhavans holds spectacular Sports Day

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o evince sportsmanship and cache a treasure trove of memories, the members of the Bhavans family embellished the Tadhamoun; Omaria Stadium on November 24, 2012.

The events of the day began with the recitals from the Holy Quran by Adil of Grade 11. The school choir sang the Kuwait National Anthem. The Sports Captain and the IES Supreme Council welcomed the Chief Guest, Khalid Shabeeb, Vice Chairman, Board of Directors of Al-Tadhamoun Club, Guest of Honour, Ali Al Johar, Technical Inspector, Ministry of Education, Sponsor, Ali Judiyan Al-Baghily, Chairman, N K Ramachandran Menon, Sudha Ramachandran and other distinguished guests with a bouquet of flowers.

IES Head Girl, Ahana Sivaskandan, offered a congenial welcome to the distinguished guests and the members of the Bhavan’s family with an inspiring speech. Dina, Teacher, Arabic Department, delivered a warm welcome note for the special invitees. With dexterity, precision and passion, holding their House Flags of capturing hues, the young marshals of IES flawlessly displayed what the world called ‘March Past’. Led by the IES Supreme Council, the brightly attired

contingents offered deferential salute to their revered Chief Guest Khalid Shabeeb. Keeping the spirit of team work and camaraderie in sports and society, the Torch Bearers, the 17 Sports Champions of IES, carried the flame and shared the light to pervade. The Sports Captains, Srikar Sidharth and Merium Philip together lit the torch amidst boisterous applause.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest, Khalid Shabeeb expressed his happiness in being a part of an event of such magnitude. He blessed the Bhavanites, appreciated the management, staff and students for the wonderful manifestation of team spirit and perfection in execution and declared the sports meet open.

Addressing the gathering the Guest of Honour, Ali Al-Johar, Inspector - Ministry of Private Education expressed his delight in being invited for the Annual Sports Day Celebration of IES and congratulated the entire Bhavans team for the efforts, concord and discipline displayed. Chairman, N K Ramachandran and Principal T Premkumar presented mementos to the distinguished guests.

With the inaugural ceremony, a series of events, one surpassing the other, ensued. The

audience witnessed heated athletic sessions with blaring applause that sparked off the vigour and verve of the vibrant athletes. The surprise event that enthralled the audience was the track events for the teachers and the parents. The students cheered the zealous marathon of the parents and the teachers with boisterous applause.

The highlight of the day was essentially the scintillating, rejuvenating and mesmerizing drill displays. It was emboldening to behold a melange of sports, art, education and culture.

Emblazoned in the colours of the Kuwait Flag, the tiny tots of Grade 1 paid tribute to the land of Kuwait and their fantabulous performance won prosperous plaudits. With electrifying music, draped in Indian tricolor, Grade 2 students evinced the magic of India. Shafts of shimmering ovation were extended when the students of Grade 3, in bright ensembles, merged to form a brightly burning Olympic torch. Grade 4 students in their sparkling costumes brought to life the very motto of Olympics.

In a blast of energy, brimming with enthusiasm the students of Grades 5 and 6 presented the most amazing, Zumba dance which resonated in the aesthetic domains of all

the onlookers. The radiating performance of the sunflower damsels of Grades 7and 8, manifested the language of flowers, blooming and fluttering and waving, to form the letters, IES. The audience relished the feast of tranquility and reciprocated with reverberating applause.

The stump action tableau displayed by the boys of Grades 7 and 8 left the audience speculating and unceasingly applauding. Exuding artistic quality and creativity in execution, the drill displays were incredibly captivating.

In the Prize Distribution Ceremony the Guest of Honour, Ali Al-Johar, Sponsor, Ali Judhiyan Al-Baghily, Chairman, N K Ramachandran, Sudha Ramachandran, Principal T Premkumar, Vice Principal Lalitha Premkumar, Academic Co-ordinator Anita Sadanand, student affairs Shaima honoured the winners of the athletic events. The Individual Champions of Grades 1-12 were awarded trophies. The much coveted trophy, the House Trophy, was won by Sanskriti House. Satya House won the trophy for securing the second position and Tapas House took the trophy for the third position.

The parents and teachers who got the I, II and III positions

in the 100 m race were also honoured. Jai Shankar, Kasiviswandha and Sherry Oommen bagged the First, Second and Third prizes respectively in the track event held for parents(males). Gayathri Bhat, Saheela Quintus and Sangeetha Pradeep bagged the First, Second and Third prizes respectively for the track event held for parents (females). Principal T Premkumar congratulated the winners and extolled the efforts of Murugaiyan, HoD, Physical Education, and his team in bringing about a successful and spectacular sports day. IES Head Boy, Akhil Govind proposed the vote of thanks.

Every event at IES is an exemplary illustration of togetherness and undying loyalty, a pledge to toil tirelessly and surmount the zenith of success.

The splendid and spectacular sports day redolent with grandeur and glory was indeed a sincere effort to resuscitate the magnanimous principles of friendship, respect, harmony and excellence. The sports meet is over, the applause subsided, but the memories will remain forever in the minds of all at IES.

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WHAT’S ON

Cafe Abi Nasr to open first cafe in Kuwait

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afe Abi Nasr announced the opening of its first store in Kuwait, as part of the company’s geographic expansion program to strengthen its presence in the fastest growing markets in the world. “Cafe Abi Nasr has been present in Lebanon since 1956, and has acquired throughout the years the tradi-

tional know-how in coffee roasting and processing, combined to the highest technology and quality control in the coffee industry, while always tracking the changes in the consumer’s taste and the latest trends in the coffee market” says Firas Abi Nasr-General Manager of Cafe Abi Nasr, Lebanon.

The first Cafe Abi Nasr store was opened on November 26, 2012 at Salmyia, block 5,Hamad Al-Moubarak street 6. The store offers to the distinguished Kuwaiti Consumer, in addition to an extensive range of sweets and nuts, a wide selection of coffee blends, including Turkish coffee, Arabic coffee,

espresso coffee, American coffee and much more. Cafe Abi Nasr commits to offer the Arabic consumer, a delicious coffee break, and a perfect cup of coffee, especially designed to meet his preferences.

Kuwait St John’s Marthoma Parish Harvest Festival 2012

BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour comes to Kuwait!

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Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office).

In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

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EMBASSY OF CANADA The Canadian Embassy in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 7:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed for lunch from 12:30 to 13:00. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday.

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Unforgettable Dubai trip for ICSK students

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he ICSK organised a scintillating four-day trip to Dubai for senior secondary students from Oct 31 to Nov 3, 2012. A group of 86 students and 9 staff members went on the trip. Four days of fun and travelling brought a refreshing change for the students. The impressive skyline and amazing architecture of Dubai delighted the entire group. The tour was deftly planned and the students savoured every moment of it with relish. Desert safari, Burj Al-Khalifa, Atlantis, Ski Dubai, City Tour, several malls ,Dubai Museum and the metro offered a broad range of exposure and stimulating experience to the students. Meticulous planning made the trip a huge success. All the members of the group averred that they would cherish the memories of the Dubai tour.

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EMBASSY OF INDIA Due to maintenance work being done in Sharq area by the Ministry of Electricity on Tuesday, November 27, 2012, BLS International Sharq Branch will remain closed between 08:00 Hrs and 11:30 Hrs. The working hours on 27-11-2012 will be from 16:00 Hrs to 19:30 Hrs. Fahaheel Branch will remain open during regular working hours 08:00 - 11:30 and 16:00- 19:30.

Skyline Builders bring new projects

kyline Builders, the name which is synonymous as a provider of quality homes, currently has a bunch of residential projects aimed exclusively for cosmopolites. Situated in various urban centers of Kerala, these modern homes bear the same Skyline signature for consummate luxury, trusted transparency and hassle free possession.

Skyline’s promise of comfortable living does not stop with the physical construct of a charming house but continues long after that. In fact, there is more on Skyline’s mind than we may be given credit for. An example is the Skylineage card, which entitles a Skyline customer to enjoy a host of privileges as a Skyline family member.

The card holders can enjoy complementary short stays and usage of facilities at any of the Skyline Transit Homes across Kerala in the luxurious comfort of a Skyline Project.

The Ranch, Skyline’s most ambitious villa project, will be ready to move into,

Embassy

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on short-stay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS.

uwait St John’s Marthoma Parish Harvest Festival 2012 is to be conducted on November 30, 2012 from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm at Barathiya Vidya Bavan School premises in Jleeb Shuyoukh. The public meeting will be inaugurated by the chief guest Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta. Rev Immanuel Gareb and other dignitaries will deliver the facilitation speeches.

The main attraction of the cultural program is Allegro Melodia, musical evening led by young music maestro of Malayalam Alphons Joseph (music director, singer, leading guitarist) and his troupe with playback singer Manorama Indian Voice fame Priya Jerson.

Local talents Neelima, Anwar Meera and others will also delight the music lovers. Children’s variety program will be staged in the morning. Food stalls with all varieties Kerala flavours and tastes, homemade delicacies, thattu kada, skill games, American auction, raffle; all in one roof for a day long relaxed family entertainment, enjoyment and thanks giving.

A portion of the proceedings of the fest is earmarked for the rehabilitation project of street children of Mumbai and mission works in Maharashtra villages. All interested are requested to attend, cooperate and support with prayers to make the event a great success.

he BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour is coming to Kuwait on December 13, providing mobile developers with the opportunity to learn more about the unique capabilities of BlackBerry 10 and become one of the first to develop for the new platform.

Developing for BlackBerry 10 has never been easier, with support for different programming languages and the ability to leverage APIs that can integrate with core BlackBerry apps such as contacts, calendar, BlackBerry Messenger, BlackBerry Hub and more.

The event will be held at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel, Kuwait City. Developers interested in attending the event are invited to register in advance. Ahmad Olaywan, Country Manager, Kuwait at BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion (RIM) said: “We are committed to bringing the latest tools, training and resources to help the Kuwaiti developer community to produce fantastic, locally- and globally-relevant apps and mobile content.

We have successfully hosted more than 35 BlackBerry 10 Jam events around the world, and we’re excited to meet with Kuwaiti developers to help them bring their BlackBerry 10 applications to market in time with the BlackBerry 10 launch early next year.”

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

in the very near future. Coming up at a clean, green locale of Kochi in Thripunithura and positioned as the address of the achievers, the Ranch

Garden Bungalows will be an aristocratic preserve of a select few. A luxurious sample villa is ready and offers a very inviting view of this majestic project.

With the collective experience spanning more than two decades in delivering premium homes to the most discerning of Keralites, many of them

NRIs, Skyline surges on with new launches - Cedar Park in Trivandrum, Green Turf and Palazzo at Kottayam, AXIS at Trichur and Petal at Calicut.

Skyline Builders, the undisputed

leader in Kerala’s housing sector, has been awarded more than once for its futuristic projects. The most recent one among this long list of accolades is the CREDAI Real Estate Award2012 for Skyline Imperial Garden as the Best Residential Apartment in the All India (Non-Metro) category.

Skyline Homecare, Skyline Interiors and Skyline after Sales Service are divisions of Skyline Builders which offer residents a host of value added after sales services like remittance of statutory bills, periodical upkeep and refurbishing of their apartments and even giving a facelift to their newly bought home. Unnikrishna from Skyline Builders is currently staying at The Palms Beach Hotel and Spa, Gulf Road, Kuwait. He has the details of exciting new launches and also of other ongoing projects of Skyline.

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TEMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com.

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EMBASSY OF UKRAINE The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait would like to remind that the external polling station No 90046 was created in the Embassy’s premises at the following address: Hawalli, Jabriya, bl.10, str. 6, build. 5. The working hours of the polling station: Sunday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Monday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Tuesday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Wednesday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Thursday from 13.00 to 17.00 pm; Friday from 10.00 to 13.00 pm; Saturday from 10.00 to 13.00 pm On October 28, 2012 the working hours of the polling station from 8.00 am to 20.00 pm. Please be advised to refer to the Embassy to check your data in the Electoral Register as well as to pick up your personal invitation from the polling station if you did not receive this document by post.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 Animal Cops South Africa 01:45 Human Prey 02:35 Untamed & Uncut 03:25 Baboons With Bill Bailey 03:50 Baboons With Bill Bailey 04:15 Too Cute!

05:05 Wildest Arctic 05:55 Deep Into The Wild With Nick Baker 06:20 Going Ape 06:45 Dolphin Days 07:10 Dolphin Days 07:35 Wildlife SOS 08:00 Monkey Life 08:25 Animal Planet’s Most Outrageous 09:15 Dogs 101: Specials 10:10 Must Love Cats 11:05 Wildest Arctic 12:00 Wildlife SOS 12:55 Shamwari: A Wild Life 13:20 Shamwari: A Wild Life 13:50 Wildlife SOS 14:15 E-Vets: The Interns 14:45 Animal Cops Philadelphia 15:40 Wildest Arctic 16:35 Going Ape 17:00 The Really Wild Show 17:30 My Cat From Hell 18:25 Natural Born Hunters 18:50 Natural Born Hunters 19:20 Dogs 101: Specials 20:15 Monkey Life 20:40 E-Vets: The Interns 21:10 Deep Into The Wild With Nick Baker 21:35 Going Ape 22:05 Wild France 23:00 Gator Boys 23:55 New Breed Vets With Steve Irwin

00:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 00:45 Come Dine With Me 01:35 Antiques Roadshow 02:30 Gok’s Fashion Fix 03:20 Gok’s Fashion Fix 04:10 The Restaurant UK 05:00 House Swap 05:45 Saturday Kitchen 06:15 The Restaurant UK 07:10 House Swap 08:00 MasterChef Australia 08:45 MasterChef Australia 09:10 Gok’s Fashion Fix 10:00 Gok’s Fashion Fix 10:45 Bargain Hunt 11:30 Antiques Roadshow 12:25 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 13:05 Baking Made Easy 13:30 Come Dine With Me 14:20 Holmes On Homes 15:05 Holmes On Homes 15:55 Bargain Hunt 16:40 Antiques Roadshow 17:30 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 18:10 Come Dine With Me 19:00 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 19:30 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 19:55 Rhodes Across Italy 20:45 Come Dine With Me 21:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 22:20 Antiques Roadshow 23:15 Bargain Hunt

00:05 00:20 00:45 01:10 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:15 03:40 04:00 04:25 04:50

Popeye The Jetsons Duck Dodgers Puppy In My Pocket Tom & Jerry Kids Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Flintstones Pink Panther And Pals Looney Tunes Help! It’s The Hair Bear Bunch Dexter’s Laboratory Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes

05:15 The Scooby Doo Show 05:40 Johnny Bravo 06:00 The Flintstones 06:25 The Jetsons 06:50 Wacky Races 07:00 New Yogi Bear Show 07:15 The Garfield Show 07:30 Bananas In Pyjamas 07:45 Gerald McBoing Boing 08:10 Baby Looney Tunes 08:35 Ha Ha Hairies 08:50 Jelly Jamm 09:05 Puppy In My Pocket 09:30 The Garfield Show 09:55 Taz-Mania 10:20 Pink Panther And Pals 10:45 Dastardly And Muttley 11:10 Tom & Jerry 11:35 Scooby Doo Where Are You! 12:00 Looney Tunes 12:25 Duck Dodgers 12:50 Dexter’s Laboratory 13:00 Jelly Jamm 13:15 Baby Looney Tunes 13:40 Ha Ha Hairies 13:55 Gerald McBoing Boing 14:20 Bananas In Pyjamas 14:35 The Flintstones 15:00 Popeye 15:25 Top Cat 15:50 The Garfield Show 16:15 Pink Panther And Pals 16:40 Moomins 17:05 Tom & Jerry Tales 17:30 Taz-Mania 17:55 Looney Tunes (Hannah Barbera) 18:05 Pink Panther And Pals 18:30 The Garfield Show 18:55 Johnny Bravo 19:20 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 19:45 Dexters Laboratory 20:00 Jelly Jamm 20:15 Baby Looney Tunes 20:40 Ha Ha Hairies 20:55 Gerald McBoing Boing 21:20 Cartoonito Tales 21:35 Moomins 22:00 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 22:25 The Garfield Show 22:50 Taz-Mania 23:15 Dexter’s Laboratory 23:40 Dastardly And Muttley

00:40 Chowder 01:30 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 01:55 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 02:20 Foster’s Home For...

02:45 Foster’s Home For...

03:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 04:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 04:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Powerpuff Girls 05:40 Generator Rex 06:05 Ben 10 06:30 Ben 10 06:55 Angelo Rules 07:00 Cow & Chicken 07:30 Casper’s Scare School 08:00 Eliot Kid 08:45 Johnny Test 09:05 The Powerpuff Girls 09:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:20 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:45 Courage The Cowardly Dog 11:35 Grim Adventures Of...

12:25 Generator Rex 12:50 Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge 13:15 The Marvelous Misadventures...

14:05 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 14:30 Young Justice 14:55 Foster’s Home For...

15:20 Foster’s Home For...

15:45 Ben 10: Alien Force 16:10 Ben 10: Alien Force 16:35 Powerpuff Girls 17:00 Angelo Rules 17:20 Young Justice 17:40 Hero 108 18:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 18:25 The Amazing World Of Gumball 18:50 Johnny Test 19:15 Adventure Time

19:40 20:05 Series 20:30 20:55 21:20 21:45 22:10 23:00 23:25 23:50

Regular Show Green Lantern: The Animated

00:15 01:10 02:05 03:00 03:55 04:20 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 14:35 15:05 15:30 16:25 17:20 18:15 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Outback Truckers Deadliest Catch Gold Divers Mythbusters Border Security GI Dough Auction Kings How Stuff’s Made How It’s Made Hillbilly Handfishin’ Wheeler Dealers Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Border Security GI Dough How Stuff’s Made How It’s Made Outback Truckers Deadliest Catch Earth 2050 Border Security GI Dough Auction Kings Ultimate Survival Wheeler Dealers Hillbilly Handfishin’ Mythbusters How Stuff’s Made How It’s Made Border Security GI Dough Auction Kings You Have Been Warned Masters Of Survival Ultimate Survival

00:40 01:05 01:35 02:25 03:15 04:05 04:35 05:25 06:15 06:40 07:05 08:00 08:50 09:15 09:40 09:43 10:10 10:40 11:30 11:55 12:20 13:10 14:00 14:50 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:03 17:30 18:00 18:25 18:50 19:40 20:30 20:55 21:20 22:10 22:35 23:00 23:25 23:50

Ben 10 Generator Rex Level Up Grim Adventures Of...

Courage The Cowardly Dog Ben 10: Ultimate Alien Ben 10: Ultimate Alien The Powerpuff Girls

The Gadget Show The Tech Show Colony Brave New World Mega World Weird Connections Colony Prototype This The Gadget Show The Tech Show How The Universe Works Brave New World How Do They Do It? How Do They Do It? Head Rush Things That Move How Stuff’s Made How The Universe Works The Gadget Show The Tech Show Mega World Prototype This Brave New World Sport Science How Do They Do It? How Do They Do It? Weird Connections Head Rush Things That Move How Stuff’s Made The Gadget Show The Tech Show Mega World The Science Of Star Wars Junk Men Junk Men Prototype This The Gadget Show The Tech Show Junk Men Junk Men The Science Of Star Wars

00:10 Kim Possible 00:35 Kim Possible

01:00 01:25 01:50 02:15 02:40 03:05 03:30 03:55 04:20 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:40 07:05 07:15 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:00 09:25 09:35 09:45 10:00 10:25 10:50 11:15 11:25 11:40 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 14:50 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:00 17:30 17:55 18:20 18:45 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:30 20:50 21:15 21:40 22:05 22:30 22:55 23:20 23:45 23:55

00:00 Programmes Start At 7:00am KSA 07:00 Kickin It 07:25 Phineas And Ferb 07:50 Ultimate Spider-Man 08:15 Bw Rival Destinies 08:40 Kick Buttowski 09:05 Zeke & Luther 09:30 I’m In The Band 09:55 Scaredy Squirrel 10:20 Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge 10:45 Rated A For Awesome 11:10 Aaron Stone 11:35 Rekkit Rabbit 12:00 American Dragon 12:25 Kick Buttowski 12:50 Kid vs Kat 13:20 Pair Of Kings 13:45 Zeke & Luther 14:10 Scaredy Squirrel 14:35 I’m In The Band 15:00 Phineas And Ferb 15:10 Phineas And Ferb 15:25 Ultimate Spider-Man 15:50 Bw Rival Destinies 16:15 Rekkit Rabbit 16:40 Pair Of Kings 17:05 Lab Rats 17:30 Tron: Uprising 18:00 Ultimate Spider-Man 18:25 Zeke & Luther 18:50 Phineas And Ferb 19:15 Phineas And Ferb 19:40 Mr. Young 20:05 Tron: Uprising 20:30 Tron: Uprising 20:55 Scaredy Squirrel 21:20 Rated A For Awesome 21:45 Kick Buttowski 22:10 Phineas And Ferb 22:20 Phineas And Ferb 22:35 Ultimate Spider-Man 23:05 Pair Of Kings 23:30 Kid vs Kat

00:30 01:25 01:50 02:20 03:15 04:10 05:05 06:00 06:55 08:00 08:25 08:55 09:20 09:50 10:15 10:45 11:40 12:05 12:35 13:30 14:25 15:20 16:15 16:40 17:10 17:35 18:05 18:30 19:00 19:55 20:50 21:45 22:40 23:35

THE EAGLE ON OSN ACTION HD

Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Kim Possible Kim Possible Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Fish Hooks Fish Hooks Recess So Random Good Luck Charlie Doc McStuffins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Mouk Jonas So Random Hannah Montana Fish Hooks Fish Hooks Kim Possible Shake It Up Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Hannah Montana So Random Suite Life On Deck Fish Hooks Fish Hooks Shake It Up Austin And Ally Jessie A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Austin And Ally Phineas And Ferb A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Jessie That’s So Raven Cory In The House Kim Possible Hannah Montana Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Fish Hooks Fish Hooks

00:15 00:40 01:05 01:30 01:55 02:20

M1 Challenge Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory Pro Bull Riders 2011 World Combat League Enfusion Monster Jam M1 Challenge Pro Bull Riders 2011 Ride Guide Snow 2009 Ride Guide Snow 2009 X-Traordinary X-Traordinary Ticket To Ride – 6 2012 Ticket To Ride – 6 2012 AMA Motocross 2011 Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory Pro Bull Riders 2011 Mantracker Danger Men World Combat League Fantasy Factory Fantasy Factory X-Traordinary X-Traordinary Ticket To Ride – 6 2012 Ticket To Ride – 6 2012 Mantracker Pro Bull Riders 2011 Danger Men World Combat League Monster Jam Enfusion

Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam Guy’s Big Bite Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Heat Seekers Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco Jenny Morris Cooks Morocco

02:45 Andy Bates Street Feasts 03:10 Andy Bates Street Feasts 03:35 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 04:00 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 04:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:50 Heat Seekers 05:15 Guy’s Big Bite 05:40 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 06:05 Unwrapped 06:30 Iron Chef America 07:10 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 07:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 08:00 Food Network Challenge 08:50 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 09:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 09:40 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 10:05 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 10:30 Kelsey’s Essentials 10:55 Cooking For Real 11:20 Cooking For Real 11:45 Food Crafters 12:10 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 12:35 Heat Seekers 13:00 Iron Chef America 13:50 Guy’s Big Bite 14:15 Cooking For Real 14:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 15:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 15:30 Food Crafters

01:40 03:15 05:15 06:55 08:40 10:50 12:25 13:55 15:25 17:10 18:45 20:30 22:00 23:45

Welcome To Woop Woop Thieves Like Us Tryst Theater Of Blood Yentl Mission Of The Shark Tom Sawyer (2000) Carry On Columbus Futureworld Shark Billion Dollar Brain Shadow Of A Stranger Running Scared Child’s Play

00:15 Market Values 00:45 Roam 01:10 Travel Madness 01:40 Perilous Journeys 02:35 One Man & His Campervan 03:00 One Man & His Campervan 03:30 Banged Up Abroad 04:25 Don’t Tell My Mother 05:20 Danger Beach 05:45 Danger Beach 06:15 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 06:40 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 07:10 Street Food Around The World 07:35 Market Values 08:05 Roam 08:30 Travel Madness 09:00 Perilous Journeys 09:55 One Man & His Campervan 10:20 One Man & His Campervan 10:50 Banged Up Abroad 11:45 Don’t Tell My Mother 12:40 Into The Drink 13:05 Into The Drink 13:35 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 14:00 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 14:30 Street Food Around The World 14:55 Market Values 15:25 Roam 15:50 Deadliest Journeys 2 16:20 Perilous Journeys 17:15 One Man & His Campervan 17:40 One Man & His Campervan 18:10 Banged Up Abroad 19:05 Don’t Tell My Mother 20:00 Street Food Around The World 20:30 Market Values 21:00 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 21:30 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3 22:00 Into The Drink 22:25 Into The Drink 22:55 David Rocco‚Äôs Dolce Vita 3

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Alaska State Troopers Sea Patrol Sea Patrol Departures Animal Omens World’s Deadliest Animals Departures Situation Critical Alaska State Troopers Sea Patrol Sea Patrol Departures Ape Genius World’s Deadliest Animals Departures Trapped Alaska State Troopers Warrior Road Trip Warrior Road Trip Racing To America Alaska Wing Men World’s Deadliest Animals Racing To America Situation Critical

00:00 Animal Autopsy (AKA Inside Nature’s Giants) 01:00 Octopus Volcano 01:55 Wild Mississippi 02:50 World’s Wildest Encounters 03:45 Cliffhangers 04:40 Nordic Wild 05:35 World’s Deadliest Animals 06:30 Wild Mississippi 07:25 World’s Wildest Encounters 08:20 Cliffhangers 09:15 Shark Men 10:10 Python Hunters 11:05 Rescue Ink 12:00 Valley of The Wolves 13:00 Wild Russia 14:00 World’s Wildest Encounters 15:00 Monkey Thieves 15:30 Monkey Thieves 16:00 Shark Men 17:00 Python Hunters 18:00 Animals At The Edge 19:00 Wild Mississippi 20:00 World’s Wildest Encounters

30 MINUTS OR LESS ON OSN CINEMA 21:00 Cliffhangers 22:00 Shark Men 23:00 Python Hunters

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 PG15 18:00 19:45

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Kalifornia-18 The Silence Of The Lambs-18 Survival Of The Dead-18 The Eagle-PG15 Restitution-PG15 True Justice: Blood Alley-PG15 The Cry Of The Owl-PG15 Restitution-PG15 Jackie Chan’s Who Am I?The Cry Of The Owl-PG15 Windtalkers-PG15

Honey 2-PG15 The Conspirator-PG15 Bangkok Adrenaline-PG15 Quest For Zhu-PG Honey 2-PG15 Restless-PG15 The Artist-PG Black Forest-PG15 The Adjustment Bureau-PG15 Restless-PG15 30 Minutes Or Less-18 Dirty Girl-18

00:00 Napoleon Dynamite 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 01:30 Enlightened 02:00 Hung 02:30 Family Guy 03:00 Breaking In 03:30 Hot In Cleveland 04:00 Samantha Who? 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Seinfeld 06:00 Seinfeld 06:30 Friends 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Samantha Who? 08:30 Breaking In 09:00 Seinfeld 09:30 Seinfeld 10:00 Modern Family 10:30 Best Friends Forever 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Friends 12:30 Samantha Who? 13:00 Seinfeld 14:00 Hot In Cleveland 14:30 Best Friends Forever 15:00 Modern Family 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 16:30 Friends 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 How I Met Your Mother 18:30 Last Man Standing 19:00 Modern Family 19:30 Community 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Bored To Death 22:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 23:00 Family Guy 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:20 05:10 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00

Body Of Proof Boardwalk Empire Justified Downton Abbey Bones Revenge Body Of Proof Emmerdale Coronation Street C.S.I. New York The Ellen DeGeneres Show Revenge Bones Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show C.S.I. New York Body Of Proof Emmerdale

16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show White Collar Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice Hawthorne Pillars Of The Earth

01:00 03:30 05:15 07:00 09:00 PG15 11:00 13:00 15:00 PG15 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Carlito’s Way-18 Exorcismus-18 The Transporter-PG15 Faster-PG15 True Justice: Urban WarfareThe Transporter-PG15 Judge Dredd-18 True Justice: Urban WarfareHackers-PG15 Hustle And Flow-18 Mad Max-18 Open Graves-18

00:00 Burke And Hare-PG15 02:00 Tucker And Dale vs Evil-18 04:00 Letters To Juliet-PG15 06:00 The Decoy Bride-PG15 08:00 How Do You Know-PG15 10:00 The Ladykillers-PG15 12:00 Little Fockers-PG15 14:00 How The Grinch Stole Christmas-PG 16:00 The Ladykillers-PG15 18:00 Due Date-PG15 20:00 The Men Who Stare At Goats18 22:00 Held Up (2010)-18

01:00 Of Gods And Men-18 03:00 One Hour Photo-18 05:00 Planet Of The Apes-PG15 07:15 Sundays At Tiffany’s-PG15 09:00 Oceans-PG15 11:00 My Afternoons With Margueritte-PG15 12:30 Bob Roberts-PG15 14:30 Oceans-PG15 16:30 Evita-PG 18:45 Bobby Jones: Stroke Of Genius-PG 21:00 25th Hour-18 23:15 Inhale-PG15

01:30 Snowtown-R 03:30 Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides-PG15 05:45 The 19th Wife-PG15 07:15 Unanswered Prayers-PG15 09:00 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2-PG 11:00 The Bad News Bears (2005)PG 13:00 On Strike For Christmas-PG15 14:45 The Way-PG15 17:00 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2-PG 19:00 Fast Five-PG15 21:15 The Vow-PG15 23:00 Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star-18

01:15 02:45 04:30 06:00 08:15 10:00 11:30 13:00 14:30 16:00 PG 18:00 20:00 22:00 PG 23:30

Tom Tom & Nana-FAM Marco Antonio-PG Rh+ The Vampire Of Seville-PG Treasure Buddies-PG Supertramps-FAM Cher Ami-PG The Great Bear-PG Mia And The Migoo-PG Marco Antonio-PG Teo: The Intergalactic HunterCher Ami-PG The Hairy Tooth Fairy 2-PG Teo: The Intergalactic HunterMia And The Migoo-PG

00:00 Cross-18 01:45 War Horse-PG15 04:15 Rango-FAM 06:00 Dear John-PG15 08:00 Spy Kids: All The Time In The World-PG 09:45 Rat-PG15 11:30 War Horse-PG15

14:00 Certified Copy-PG15 16:00 Spy Kids: All The Time In The World-PG 18:00 Hop-PG 20:00 Sucker Punch-PG15 22:00 My Week With Marilyn-PG15

01:00 PGA European Tour 06:30 Futbol Mundial 07:00 Rugby Union International 09:00 Grand Slam of Darts 11:00 ICC Cricket 360 11:30 Trans World Sport 12:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 13:30 Premier League Snooker 17:00 ICC Cricket 360 17:30 Rugby Union International 19:30 Grand Slam of Darts 21:30 ICC Cricket 360 22:00 Futbol Mundial 22:30 Trans World Sport 23:30 PGA European Tour Highlights

00:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 01:00 Premier League Snooker 04:30 Rugby Union International 06:30 Extreme Sailing Series 07:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 08:00 Premier League Snooker 11:30 Extreme Sailing Series 12:00 Extreme Sailing Series 12:30 Rugby Union International 14:30 ICC Cricket 360 15:00 Rugby Union International 17:00 PGA European Tour Highlights

00:00 00:30 01:30 02:30 03:30 04:30 06:30 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:30 11:30 14:30 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Top 14 Highlights MENA Golf Tour Highlights Trans World Sport Golfing World Show Jumping La Baule Modern Penthalon Sea Master Sailing Golfing World MENA Golf Tour Highlights Sea Master Sailing Modern Penthalon Beijing Marathon Top 14 Highlights Golfing World Trans World Sport AFL Highlights Pro 12 Modern Penthalon Modern Penthalon MENA Golf Tour Highlights Golfing World

01:00 view 01:30 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:30 11:00 11:30 12:30 13:30 15:30 16:00 view 16:30 19:00 20:00 22:30

European Le Mans Series preEuropean Le Mans Series UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Unleashed WWE NXT WWE Bottom Line UAE National Race Day Series V8 Supercars V8 Supercars Extra WWE Bottom Line WWE Vintage Collection NHL V8 Supercars Extra European Le Mans Series preEuropean Le Mans Series WWE Experience V8 Supercars V8 Supercars Extra

00:35 Grand Prix-PG 03:25 Brainstorm 05:10 Son Of A Gunfighter-FAM 06:40 The Petrified Forest-PG 08:00 Bachelor In Paradise-PG 09:50 Gun Glory-FAM 11:20 Manpower-PG 13:05 To Have And Have Not-FAM 14:45 Quo Vadis-PG 17:35 The Big Sleep-PG 19:25 The Charge Of The Light Brigade-FAM 21:20 What’s Up, Doc?-FAM 23:00 Fame

Classifieds TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

FOR SALE Executive Office Tables, Cabinets, Chairs, Salon Facial Beds, Massage Bed, Steamer, Beauty Studios, and many more. Contact: 66711141 / 66711140.

27-11-2012 Golden chance Nissan TIIDA HB 1.8 SL 2011, 13,600 km only, full option, power warranty 5 year open mileage, like showroom, 1st owner, mostly lady driven, price KD 3,800/-. Contact: 66489351. (C 4229) MATRIMONIAL Proposals invited for a beautiful girl, aged 28 years, height 164 cms, belonging to Malankara Catholic denomination,

working with MOH Kuwait as B.Sc nurse and shortly moving to Kerala on annual vacation. Email: bijily92@gmail.com (C 4231) Proposal invited for my son MBBS Doctor, a Pakistani working in Kuwait from parents of Pakistani lady doctor or highly qualified girl age not more than 27 years can contact at email: shah-54@hotmail.com (C 4232) 26-11-2012 Proposals invited for a girl God-fearing (Marthomite, 27 yrs/166cm, B.Sc nurse), working in Kuwait MOH. Professionally qualified boys can contact varghese.aaron@yahoo.com (C 4227) 24-11-2012

CHANGE OF NAME I, Wahid Hussain, s/o Abdul Hakim Ansari, Vill & PO. Nawada, P/S Barauli, Dist.

Gopal Ganj, Bihar, India, is declaring that my name, Vahid Husen Abdul Hakim Ansari (Surname to Given name order), written in my Passport (No. K7916220) is wrong. The correct name is Wahid Hussain. (C 4233) 26-11-2012 I, Taza, s/o Shabbir Husain Raswala, holder of Indian Passport No. J0977787 have changed my name to Murtaza Shabbir Husain Raswala. (C 4228) I, Rolina Furtado Passport No. J5391581 have changed my name to Roulina Baigustavina Rubiana Santana Godinho.

(C 4230)

SITUATION WANTED Western educated “Project Manager ” with 2 Engineering-Degrees (Civil/Elec.), 4-Master Degrees (Project Mgmt/ Engineering/ Education & Training/ MBA), plus 17years experience in Middle East/ Australia, seeking Executive Position. Contact: 65695468 email: rav@engineer.com (C 4195)

TUITION Learn Holy Quran in prefect way, private tuition available for elders and children,

by Hafiz-e-Quran. Contact: 66725950. (C 4225) 21-11-2012

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES Kuwait Parliament www.majlesalommah.net

The Public Institution for Social Security www.pifss.gov.kw

Ministry of Interior www.moi.gov.kw

Public Authority of Industry www.pai.gov.kw

Public Authority for Civil Information www.paci.gov.kw

Prisoners of War Committee www.pows.org.kw

Kuwait News Agency www.kuna.net.kw

Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.gov.kw

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair www.islam.gov.kw

Kuwait Municipality www.municipality.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Oil) www.moo.gov.kw

Kuwait Electronic Government www.e.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.kw

Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw

Public Authority for Housing Welfare www.housing.gov.kw

Ministry of Commerce and Industry www.moci.gov.kw

Ministry of Justice www.moj.gov.kw

Ministry of Education www.moe.edu.kw

Ministry of Communications www.moc.kw

Ministry of Information www.moinfo.gov.kw

Supreme Council for Planning and Development www.scpd.gov.kw

Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

Prayer timings

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw

Fajr:

04:58

Asr:

14:30

Shorook

06:21

Maghrib:

16:50

Duhr:

11:36

Isha:

18:11

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines KLM JAI THY JZR QTR GFA PIA UAE ETD OMA QTR FDB MSR RJA DHX THY JZR KAC BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE KAC GFA ABY QTR FDB ETD IRA GFA JZR MEA UAE MSR GFA KAC FDB KNE KAC KAC SVA QTR JZR KAC

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 27/11/2012 Flt Route 411 AMSTERDAM 574 MUMBAI 772 ISTANBUL 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 211 BAHRAIN 239 SIALKOT 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 643 MUSCAT 138 DOHA 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 642 AMMAN 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 503 LUXOR 416 JAKARTA 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 332 TRIVANDRUM 855 DUBAI 284 DHAKA 223 BAHRAIN 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 605 ISFAHAN 213 BAHRAIN 165 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 871 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 514 TEHRAN 57 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 362 COLOMBO 546 ALEXANDRIA 500 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 561 SOHAG 562 AMMAN

Time 0:30 0:30 0:35 0:50 1:00 1:50 1:55 2:35 2:45 2:50 3:01 3:05 3:10 3:15 5:15 5:30 5:55 6:25 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:55 8:05 8:15 8:40 8:45 8:45 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:45 9:55 11:20 11:55 12:50 13:05 13:35 13:45 13:50 14:10 14:20 14:30 14:30 14:45 14:50 14:55

RBG QTR MSC JZR UAE ETD RJA GFA SVA QTR ABY UAL SYR KAC JZR KAC FDB JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA FDB JAI AXB MSR IRA ABY GFA QTR ALK MEA QTR ETD UAE QTR FDB DHX KLM AIC GFA JZR PIA JZR UAL BBC DLH

3553 134 2405 325 857 303 640 215 510 144 127 982 341 542 177 786 63 787 166 618 742 674 104 774 647 61 572 393 618 619 129 221 146 229 402 136 307 859 6130 59 372 415 981 217 239 205 185 981 43 636

ALEXANDRIA DOHA SOHAG NAJAF DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN RIYADH DOHA SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES DAMASCUS CAIRO DUBAI JEDDAH DUBAI RIYADH PARIS DOHA DAMMAM DUBAI LONDON RIYADH MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI KOZHIKODE ALEXANDRIA LAR SHARJAH BAHRAIN DOHA COLOMBO BEIRUT DOHA ABU DHABI DUBAI DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM CHENNAI BAHRAIN AMMAN LAHORE DUBAI BAHRAIN DHAKA FRANKFURT

15:20 15:30 15:45 16:25 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:00 18:05 18:15 18:30 18:45 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:30 19:35 19:35 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:35 20:35 20:45 20:55 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:30 22:35 22:45 23:00 23:05 23:25 23:45 23:55

Airlines AIC AXB BBC UAL DLH JAI KLM THY PIA FDB UAE OMA ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR GFA RJA THY KAC JZR FDB BAW KAC KAC KAC GFA ABY UAE FDB ETD QTR GFA IRA KAC KAC MEA KAC JZR JZR MSR UAE GFA FDB KAC KNE SVA

Departure Flights on Tuesday 27/11/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA/CAHENNAI 390 MANGALORE 44 DHAKA 981 WASHINGTON 637 FRANKFURT 573 MUMBAI 411 AMSTERDAM 773 ISTANBUL 240 SIALKOT 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 644 MUSCAT 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 560 SOHAG 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 101 LONDON 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 561 AMMAN 224 BAHRAIN 122 SHARJAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 604 ISFAHAN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 324 AL NAJAF 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 872 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 673 DUBAI 473 JEDDAH 501 JEDDAH

Time 0:05 0:15 1:00 1:10 1:20 1:30 1:45 2:55 3:10 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:10 4:50 6:05 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:35 7:45 8:15 8:25 8:45 9:20 9:25 9:30 9:30 9:45 9:55 10:00 10:05 10:30 10:40 10:45 11:30 11:50 12:55 13:00 13:00 13:50 14:05 14:15 14:20 14:30 15:05 15:10 15:45

KAC JZR RBG QTR KAC KAC MSC JZR ETD JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR SYR UAL FDB KAC FDB OMA JAI KAC KAC AXB ABY MSR IRA GFA DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR KAC KAC FDB JZR UAE DHX KAC KLM QTR QTR GFA JZR KAC

617 786 3554 141 773 741 2404 238 304 538 135 858 641 216 184 511 128 266 145 342 982 64 283 62 648 571 351 343 394 120 607 618 222 171 230 403 308 137 301 381 60 554 860 373 205 415 147 6131 218 528 411

DOHA RIYADH ALEXANDRIA DOHA RIYADH DAMMAM ASSIUT AMMAN ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA DAMASCUS BAHRAIN DUBAI DHAKA DUBAI MUSCAT MUMBAI KOCHI CHENNAI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH LUXOR LAR BAHRAIN BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA MUMBAI DELHI DUBAI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DAMMAM DOHA DOHA BAHRAIN ASSIUT BANGKOK

15:45 15:50 16:00 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:45 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:00 19:10 19:25 20:30 20:40 20:55 21:10 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:40 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:25 23:30 23:50 23:55

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

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

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

ST TAT TE OF K KUW WAIT A

Tel.: e 161

DIRECTORA AT TE GEN GENERAL OF CIVIL AV VIA AT TION METEOROLOGICAL DEP PA ARTMENT DA AY: Y Monday

Ext.: 2627 26 - 2630

WWW.MET.GOV V.KW .

26/11/2012

BY Y NIGHT:

Clouds will decrease gradually with moderate to fresh north westerly wind, with speed of 20 - 45 km/h

BY Y DA AY:

Cool with light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 15 - 38 km/h

WARNING A

No Current Warnings arnin a

22 °C

16 °C

22451082

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

22 °C

14 °C

Mirqab

22456536

NUW WAISEEB A

27 °C

15 °C

Sharq

22465401

WA AFRA

25 °C

14 °C

Salmiya

25746401

SALMI

17 °C

12 °C

ABDAL LY

19 °C

13 °C

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YAH A

19 °C

14 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FA AILAKA

23 °C

16 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

24 °C

18 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

25 °C

20 °C

W Hawally

22630786

WA ARBA A - BUBY YA AN

23 °C

18 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

ST TAT TION

SFC. CHART

26/11/2012 1200 UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA AT TE

WEA AT THER

Tuesday

27/11

Wind Speed

Wind Direction

MAX.

MIN.

cool

20 °C

14 °C

NW

15 - 38 km/h

fair + scattered clouds

21 °C

11 °C

NW

15 - 35 km/h

29/11

partly cloudy

20 °C

12 °C

NW

12 - 32 km/h

30/11

fair + high clouds

22 °C

11 °C

NW

10 - 30 km/h

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

Wednesday e

28/11

South Jahra

24775066

Thursday

North Jahra

24775992

Friday

North Jleeb

24311795

Ardhiya

24884079

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WA AIT AIRPOR RT

PRA AY YER TIMES Fajr

04:58

MAX. Temp.

24 °C

Sunrise

06:21

MIN. Temp.

14 °C 91 %

Firdous

24892674

Zuhr

11:36

MAX. RH

Omariya

24719048

Asr

14:30

MIN. RH

54 %

Sunset

16:50

MAX. Wind

N 21 km/h

Isha

18:11

TOT TA AL L RA AINF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

2.69 mm

23900322

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

26/11/12 14:19 UTC

V1.00

T1.06

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Dr. Salem soso General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Expected Weather e for the Next 24 Hours

KUW WAIT A CITY

Fintas

Al-Shuhada

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

19:00

Issue Time

MIN. N. EXP P.

24710044

22418714

Fax: 24348714

MAX. REC.

N Khaitan

Al-Madeena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Camille wants court order to stop Kelsey moving into home

C

amille Grammer “rushed to court” to apply for a court order stopping her ex-husband Kelsey Grammer moving into their former home. The ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ star tried to get legal documentation last Wednesday which would prevent the former ‘Frasier’ actor relocating his new family into the Beverly Hills property. Kelsey is keen to live at the 10,657 sq ft. mansion with his wife Kayte and their four-month-old daughter Faith, despite recently buying a different house in the same area and also having the property listed for sale. According to gossip website TMZ, Kelsey and Camille - who have two children together - have a huge mortgage on the house and have been desperate to sell it and half the profit. Camille fears the home will be even harder to sell if her ex-spouse is living there. The asking price was recently lowered by $1 million and the house is now listed for $16 million Camille’s request for a court order was not granted by the judge but a hearing has been scheduled for next month. Camille, 44, is currently dating Dimitri Charalambopoulos - who, at 35, is nine years younger than her.

Ke$ha wants to change sexism in pop

K

e$ha’s goal with her music is to end sexism in pop. The 25-year-old singer found worldwide fame with her single ‘Tik Tok’ - which was criticised for promoting drinking and promiscuity - and she doesn’t think it’s fair that men are allowed to sing about getting drunk and women aren’t. She said: “If men can talk about drinking in every awesome rock ‘n’ roll song and every awesome rap song, why can’t a woman? Just because I drink doesn’t mean I’m a drunk. Just because I have sex, and I’m not embarrassed doesn’t mean I’m a whore. “If men can do it, why can’t a woman do it? I really feel one of my main reasons for being on this earth is to level out the playing field just a little bit.” The ‘Die Young’ hitmaker who is just about to release her second album ‘Warrior’ - considers herself a feminist and insists she is determined to push the boundaries of what women can do. When asked if she’s a feminist, she told the Financial Times Weekend magazine: “In some ways. In the ways that I feel I can do the same things men can do, and be just as rock ‘n’ roll and bad ass and not feel shameful or be shamed for it.”

Brian May allowed deer cull

B

rian May allowed deer to be killed on his estate, despite campaigning against badger culling. The Queen guitarist set up antihunting charity ‘Save Me’ in 2010, but he has confessed he allowed deer culling for two years on his 139 acres of land in Dorset, South West England. He cancelled the stalker’s contract last spring. May told The Sunday Times newspaper: “I inherited culling of deer on the land I bought in Dorset a few years ago, and was initially advised that I ought to keep it up because having a gamekeeper discouraged poachers, and improved the health of the deer population. “I had my doubts, but I was new to forest management, and realised I had much to learn. I decided to let it continue for a short period, observe for a while, and then take what action I felt was right.

A couple of years ago, having studied the effects, I decided to stop the culling.” The 65-year-old rock star launched a petition on the Downing Street website against a badger cull in two trial areas of the UK to test whether it would reduce tuberculosis in cattle. His campaign attracted 150,000 signatures and has been credited with playing a major role in the government’s decision to scrap the trials. Although May has been accused of hypocrisy he has been defended by animal welfare charity the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) - an organization of which he is the vice-president.

An RSPCA representative said: “We understand that no culling of deer is taking place on Brian’s land. There is strong scientific evidence that deer culling is humane and effective in certain circumstances. The recently postponed cull of badgers does not accord with those circumstances.”

Jagger

S

on glamorous tour outfits

ir Mick Jagger likes clothes to “emphasize” his silhouette. The Rolling Stones front man is known for his slim frame so says when he’s performing on stage, he likes to show off his body as well as wearing clothes that allow him to move. He said: “I’ve always done a kind of skinny silhouette because I am skinny; I don’t have to worry about covering up fat bits! So you’ve got to emphasize your silhouette. But then sometimes you want, on top of that, clothes that have movement. So I’ve always done a lot of coats influenced by riding coats of the 18th or early 19th centuries - what the French call ‘red in gote.’ I do those with a small tail. Obviously I’ve done other more mad things. I’ve done capes and things.” Mick - who is in a relationship with fashion designer L’Wren Scott - also says he likes his stage outfits to be glamorous and fit the type of show he and the band are doing. He told WWD: “When you’re onstage [the costumes] have to fit, and they have to be - for me - glamorous. They have to fit in with the show. If you’re doing a small club like we did the other week [in Paris], you don’t want to dress up like a popinjay. If you’re playing in a really big stadium, you want to be in superb right colors, otherwise you just get lost. But if you’re in an arena that’s really well-lit, like we’re going to be in the next few shows, you don’t have to be looking like a Day-Glo.”

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Stallone paints to

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deal with grief

ylvester Stallone has turned to painting to get over the death of his eldest son. The ‘Rocky Balboa’ star has struggled to cope with his grief since his son Sage passed away in July from a heart attack at the age of just 36. Sylvester has sought comfort in his art and he insists his hobby has allowed him to work through his feelings of loss. In an interview with the new issue of Britain’s HELLO! magazine, he said: “The paintings I’m doing right now aren’t too cheerful, but there’s something amazing about the process because what will come out of the canvas is so profound. It’s very therapeutic I tell you.” The 66-year-old actor has confessed he has bad days when he can’t come to terms with the death of Sage - his child with his first wife Sasha Czack, with whom he has another son Seargeoh. The action legend doesn’t think his grief will ever fully go away and he realizes he just has to try and accept what has happened. He revealed: “I fall to pieces from time to time. You just do. It’s a cycle you just have to deal with, like a virus that keeps coming back. You go through this time of thinking, ‘It’s really horrible,’ then you come out the other end and realize there’s not much you can do about it and you can forgive yourself ... Then you go through another cycle where you don’t forgive yourself ... It’s just an ongoing thing and I don’t think it ever goes away.” Sylvester has been married to actress Jennifer Flavin since May 1997. The couple have three daughters, Sophia, 16, Sistine, 14, and 10-year-old Scarlet.

Simpson’s smoothie diet J

essica Simpson kicked off her post-pregnancy weight-loss campaign with a 15-day smoothie diet. The singer-and-actress - who welcomed daughter Maxwell Drew into the world in May - had 60lbs to lose so to give her body the boost it needed, she followed a strict plan of consuming just healthy and nutritious smoothies for 15 days before slowly introducing snacks and meals. She then spent five days having three smoothies a day with two healthy snacks, five days of two smoothies a day plus two healthy snacks and one meal and then five days of one smoothie a day with 2 snacks and 2 meals. The plan - which was crafted by Jessica’s former private chef and started in July - was part of the diet company Weight Watchers, of which Jessica is the new spokesperson for, and followed their its famed point system. According to website TMZ, items on the menu included foods like egg white omelettes, chicken satay, whipped chick peas, soba noodles and shrimp skewers. Jessica - who is now back to her pre-pregnancy weight - signed a $4 million deal with Weight Watchers to become their spokesperson and follow their weight loss plan religiously. Their plan involves giving each item of food, snacks and meals points and the dieter is not allowed to go over their daily allowance of points.

didn’t speak to dad for years

ikki Reed didn’t speak to her father growing up. The ‘Twilight Saga’ star was estranged from her dad Seth Reed for years because she felt “bitter” towards him for divorcing her mother Cheryl Houston when she was just two years old. Nikki wishes things had been different but as a child she found it difficult to understand why her father had left her and her brother Nathan. In the new issue of Zooey magazine, she said: “We weren’t close growing up and I guess it was both of our faults. He was waiting for me to come around and I was bitter about him divorcing mom. As a kid, you don’t have the mental capacity to understand why adults make the decisions they make and sometimes you hang on to that.” Despite enduring many difficult years, the 24-year-old actress insists she and her father now enjoy a close relationship and the pair are now very close. They dealt with their issues during a heartfelt meeting during which Nikki told her dad she needed him to always be there for her and wanted him to call her every day, “dig deeper” with her life and tell her that he loves her “every time” he “hangs up the phone”. Nikki - who is married to former ‘American Idol’ contestant Paul McDonald also lived with Seth for a short period after a messy break-up and she insists they really bonded when they shared a home. She said: “I was already way past the age when you’re supposed to be living with your parents, but I told him, ‘I have enough money to live by myself, but I would like to live with you for a little while.

It would make me feel more complete coming home and making dinner together instead of being alone in my apartment and eventually rushing to fill a void.’ “

Moore regrets cancer causing sunbathing

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ir Roger Moore wishes he had avoided the sun when he was younger. The former James Bond star used to maintain his bronzed glow by getting deliberately sunburnt to avoid wearing make-up on camera, and he blames his tanning addiction for his skin cancer scares. Quizzed about what he wishes he had known at the age of 18, Roger said: “I would have given myself a warning about having too much sunshine. I’ve had so many skin cancers as a result. No one thought about sun screen or creams in my younger days. “Even when they started to give warning, I thought, ‘Well, that won’t happen to me’. I would get sunburned so I would not have to wear make-up in front of the cameras. Every leading man was sunburnt.” As well as shunning sunbeds, Roger wishes he could warn his younger self about the hazards of rushing into marriage. Following three failed marriages to exotic beauty Doorn van Steyn, singer Dorothy Squires and Italian actress Luisa Mattioli, he says it was worth the wait for his “soulmate”, fourth wife Kristina Tholstrup. ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ actor told The Sun newspaper: “In Kristina, I had found my soulmate. I knew this wonderful woman could make me live again. So, if I was looking back, I would tell my old self not to rush into marriage. “It’s taken a long time to learn one simple fact - which is I wish I’d known what marriage meant when I was 18.

Was I too young to get married at 19? Maybe. Marriage is a commitment and a lot of us forget how much of a commitment it is. It should also be a commitment that is a pleasure.” —Bang showbiz

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

lifestyle F e a t u r e s

File photos show Warren Blackwell (seated 2nd R) watching as the ashes of his beloved canine companion are scattered in the sky via a firework funeral display in Sydney. -AFP photos arren Blackwell held onto the ashes of his beloved canine companion Gypsy for eight years, never able to find the right place or occasion to celebrate her life. “I’ve never been able to part with them, I’ve never been able to come up with anything that was suitable to do with them that would make me happy,” he said. The smart, loyal Staffordshire bull terrier was hit by a car when she was just four years old, shortly after Blackwell moved to the city from the countryside.

“I was giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and I tried to get her to the hospital, to the vet, but she didn’t make it,” he said. “I didn’t want something that was all about her death. I wanted it to be about her life.” So Blackwell didn’t think twice when friend Craig Hull, a trained circus performer and pyrotechnician asked whether he’d like to send Gypsy off in style, as the first customer of his fireworks funeral firm, Ashes to Ashes.

“When Craig suggested this I said ‘mate I want to be first cab off the rank’,” he told AFP, watching the sun set over the glittering waters of Sydney Harbour-soon to be Gypsy’s final resting place. “I’ve seen the shell, and I’ve seen her go into the tube over there, she’s over there waiting. I know she’s going to make a loud bang, that much I’m sure of.”

The Ashes to Ashes story began almost three years ago when Hull’s two beloved dogs, German shepherdAkita cross Zeus and Gyprock, a white labrador-cattle dog cross, died, leaving a “big hole” in the performer’s life. He’d already scattered the ashes of a friend during an aerial routine at an opening ceremony for one of the Olympics-he won’t say which-and felt his dogs deserved something even more spectacular. “I thought, ‘I’ll get a job as a pyrotechnician and I’ll send them up in fireworks’. So I did,” said Hull.

Instead of the “sad memory of scattering them into the water” Hull said he had a vision of colour and light as his dogs were fired into the skies during Sydney’s New Years Eve fireworks display in 2010. “To be able to scatter someone’s ashes like that, scatter them over a huge area in the air,” was incredible, he said. “To be able to look up to the heavens when you send your loved

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(From right) Craig Hull, a trained circus performer and pyrotechnician looking on as Warren Blackwell addresses the guests ahead of a firework funeral with the ashes of his beloved canine companion in Sydney. ones off is a pretty amazing feeling. “And I thought this is so amazing, other people should be able to experience this as well,” he said.

For Aus$950 (US$990) Hull will send up the ashes of a pet in a fireworks display complete with soundtrack, catering and a bar. Animals will be done in groups of four-Hull said “pet owners love to show photos of their dogs to one another, share the memories”. And he wants to give humans the same opportunity, although people receive a solo show. No one has yet taken up the offer. Prices start at Aus$4,800, and Hull said he planned to move beyond small shows to incorporating

decade ago, Stephan Pastis abandoned the corporate legal career that he loathed for his dream job of syndicated cartoonist. Pastis launched “Pearls Before Swine,” a smart, snarky comic strip featuring a misanthropic Rat, a naive Pig and a nest of Crocodiles with disastrously poor judgment, among other critters.

In the latest storyline, Rat ran for president because he hated Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. He openly mocked voters he thought were too stupid to understand him. In the end, he was too lazy to bother voting for himself. Pearls is syndicated nationally.

Pastis, 44, lives with his wife and two children in Santa Rosa, Calif. His first children’s book, “Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made,” will be published early next year. His newest Pearls collection, “Pearls Freaks the #(ASTERISK)%# Out: A (Freaky) Pearls Before Swine Treasury.”

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the ashes of the dead into large firework events such as New Years Eve. He’s even investigating the possibility of launching ashes into space. “It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I believe it will become a common thing one day,” he said. “And people are so creative they’ll want lots of different things-they’ll want to be spread over four different cities simultaneously, to the second.”

A modest crowd gathered beneath the eucalypts to say farewell to Gypsy, murmuring in delight at the sprays of gold, silver and blue and erupting into applause as the last shell containing her ashes explod-

He spoke with the Herald-Leader this week about comics-his and others’.

Q: “Pearls Before Swine” is unique on the comics page in that it’s angry-and also in that it’s funny. Not lame-golf-joke funny, but actually funny. Since there appears to be demand for it, why don’t we see more comic strips with an edge to them, like yours and Dilbert?

A: It’s a fine balance. If you come into the comics page and you have that edge, it is a very tough uphill climb. Because there is a large readership out there that simply likes to see the same characters they’ve seen for 40 years, even if the joke is sometimes not really a joke, it’s maybe just an observation. But it comforts them. You’re crashing this familiar party with characters who are these smart-aleck loudmouths who may not be welcome.

Q: You’re a big fan of “Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz, right?

A: Yes. ... And strangely enough, I co-wrote the last “Peanuts” animated special that Warner Brothers produced. It was on Fox last Thanksgiving, called “Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown.” I think that would surprise most people, to learn that I wrote a “Peanuts” animated special.

Q: When you read those early “Peanuts” strips, those were as dark-humored as anything you’ve ever drawn. The punch line is one of the little kids saying “I hate Charlie Brown” or Charlie Brown saying, “I’m so lonely and miserable.” Yet in the 1950s, this was a hit, wasn’t it?

A: Oh, God, yeah. Absolutely. The very first strip is two kids saying nice stuff to Charlie Brown’s face, and the moment he walks away, they say, “How I hate him.” You know what else was dark? Early “Family Circus.” The dad was sort of this hard-nosed boozer who would come home a little drunk. And early “Dennis the Menace,” there were some vaguely sexual jokes there where Mom would be in the bathtub and a salesman comes walking in.

I don’t know what it is. Maybe everything starts out edgy and then those edges get rounded off over the years.

Stephan Pastis draws the comic strip “Pearls Before Swine.”

A banner placed where the ashes of his beloved canine companion are to be scattered in the sky via a firework funeral display in Sydney.

Q: I look at the comics page today, and much of it is the same page I read as a kid. Not just the ancient strips but the tired gags-”Hagar the Horrible hates his mother-in-law, General Halftrack leers at his hot secretary. Why? A: We are such a strange anomaly. I tell people that if TV networks ran themselves like the comics pages are run, you would turn on your TV tonight and it

ed. Gypsy’s final moment was marked by a red loveheart firework slowly fading in the smoky sky. Blackwell, tears in his eyes, leaped elated from his picnic rug, champagne flute raised. “How was that?!” he exclaimed.

“That was Gypsy”. — AFP

would be nothing but “I Love Lucy” and “The Honeymooners” and “The Milton Berle Show.” I wish it were different, but obviously there’s a market for it. The average reader of an American newspaper, the last I heard, was 58. Those people who are in their 60s and 70s and 80s, there must be a fair number that like those old strips. If it were up to me, I would have a lot of newer strips and younger cartoonists in there.

Q: Should there be a lifespan for comic strips?

Some continue in reruns long after the creators die. Others get handed down over the generations. Space never opens up for someone new.

A: I say this over and over: When the original creator is gone, the strip should go.

The habit of handing off strips over the years waters them down. It’s insulting to the art form. I know we’re not fine art, but you would laugh if somebody said, when Picasso died, “Ah, it’s OK, we’ve still got his son, his son can just keep doing his paintings.” It would be ridiculous. The killer of killers-the soul-crusher of soul-crushers-is repeats.

No strip should be in repeats. There’s no other section of the paper that runs old news, that runs something you’ve seen before-except for, I don’t know, maybe the horoscopes.

that bad.” Those people who did the Bugs Bunny cartoons were as dark as dark can be. They were all World War II vets who came back with this dark sensibility, and the kids just loved it.

Q: My wife complains that comic strips about anger, envy, loneliness, humiliation and death are inappropriate for our 3-year-old son, who reads the comics with us. I say the boy is going to learn all this anyway, so it may as well be funny and have cute animals in it. Which one of us is right?

A: You are. You are 100 percent right. I’m on your side in this. That was an easy one. — MCT

Q: I love that you get hate mail. From whom and why?

A: It’s crazy. ... What surprises people is the level of hate it contains. It’s not just “I really don’t care for your comics.” It’s “You’re Satan, I think you’re the worst thing on Earth and I want you out of my sight.”

I have no idea where it comes from. You would have to ask them. Because if there is something on the comics page I don’t like-and believe me, there’s plenty-I don’t demand that the editor remove it from my sight. I just don’t read it.

Q: What’s the complaint? That you’re an awful person and the Crocs shouldn’t try to eat their “Zeeba Neighbas”?

A: It’s the violence, it’s the swearing, it’s the beer drinking, it’s the deaths. It’s any reference to drugs, sex, politics, nationality, ethnicity, political party, physical or mental disorder or disability. The list is so long, you would be shocked.

Q: Am I nuts or didn’t I used to read, long ago, a strip called Andy Capp, about a jobless, drunken wife-beater who cussed at his church vicar?

A: That’s what I tell them! I bring up Andy Capp and I bring up Bugs Bunny! I tell them, “I seem to remember growing up with Elmer Fudd shooting a duck in the face. And I don’t think I turned out

In this 2001 file photograph, sketches drawn by Stephan Pastis for comic strip “Pearls Before Swine,” are seen. — MCT photos

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

lifestyle F e a t u r e s

igh-rise uptown condos and strands of suburban apartment communities continue to be built, proof that bigger is not better for everyone. And home furnishing companies are catering to this expanding market. As a result, consumers can fit lots of new comforts into a modest footprint. With a smart approach to design, smaller spaces can be efficient, elegant and welcoming, experts say. Here are some of their tips for making even the tiniest small space something special.

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Scale down Sleek, clean lines and simple designs do better in small spaces, says home design and staging expert Wendy Field, owner of Field Consulting in

chest of drawers for a bedroom nightstand for extra storage. A coffee table should also have storage.

Choose movable pieces Ottomans and chairs or a guest bed can be in the middle of the room one minute, and then pushed against the wall the next to make room for more people or games. For example, a one-bedroom Charlotte condo has a small galley kitchen that opens to the living room. The stools can be used for seating or as side tables, says designer Cathy Diel of Diel Design & Interiors. Many ottomans also have storage areas.

Use vertical space Preventing clutter is a challenge in a small space, says Jennifer Foresman, senior manager of trend and design for Home Depot. Shelves and cabinets can conceal personal items, as well as the bed when it’s not being used. The same approach to keeping things tidy can be used in an office.

Splurge It makes sense to spend a little more to dress up a powder room or tiny kitchen, because pricy materials will be used in small quantities. Use highend flooring, wallpaper or marble that you could not afford in a large space, says Foresman. Las Vegas designer Taylor Borsari decorated a powder room with silver-leaf pattern on limestone tile from Walker Zanger. The sink is concrete.

Charlotte, NC. The improved futon Beddinge sofa bed from Ikea (starting at $279) has that uncluttered look that keeps a room feeling spacious.

Smaller appliances might also be the best choice.

Refrigerator drawers can be built alongside the lower cabinets. A small washer can be stored in a closet.

Make everything multitask Use tables and chairs in different shapes and sizes. Some pieces can transition from dinnertime buffet to office or homework space. Choose a small

Be bold Color is the least expensive way to dramatically change a room. Vibrant tones are fine for a small space, Foresman says. Contrasting colors can have a huge impact, giving a room dimension or drawing the eye to architectural details. Diel recommends limiting the palette to two or three colors. A wide stripe behind the bed can make the ceiling feel taller.

An efficient footprint Fewer formal spaces: Open floor plans are well suited to small spaces. The idea is to use every space in as many ways as possible.

Offices absent: Laptops and other portable devices make it possible to work almost anywhere.

You’re less likely to find someone sitting alone in a

lanc dishes are the blank canvases at restaurants. Like bright-hued brushstrokes, menu items stand out like an artistic composition on each white plate. Salads look so green, carrots so orange, cranberries so red and, well, you get the picture. “You notice the food, not the plate,” says chef Renee Kelly of Renee Kelly’s Harvest in Shawnee, Kan. “That’s why white dishes are synonymous with restaurants. They just work.”

For similar reasons and beyond, white dishware is a practical choice for the home, especially when entertaining. It’s easy to find. Every store that carries housewares carries a wide array of basic white dishware. Some have an entire aisle or section dedicated to white.

Unusual pieces save it from being dull. In serving pieces, swooping oval bowls reminiscent of mid-century modern tableware are available at Bed, Bath & Beyond; Crate & Barrel; and Stein Mart.

Pier 1 and Crate & Barrel sell white small plates for hors d’oeuvres and tapas.

It successfully mixes and matches. If you’re low on plates or serving pieces, guests can supplement with their pieces for Thanksgiving so the meal

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White dinnerware is versatile and food-friendly. — MCT photos

room behind a large desk.

Streamlined furnishings: Grand pieces clutter smaller spaces. Even the television takes up less space today, thanks to flat-screen designs. — MCT

presentation doesn’t look like a mishmash. Just be sure your guests’ names are taped to the bottom of the dishes: That’s how well they blend in.

How to warm up white Choose linens in a different color. White dishes with white napkins and a white tablecloth can come off as intimidating on Thanksgiving when cranberries and gravy are being passed around.

Renee Kellyoften uses tea towels as napkins with white dishes when she entertains at home. “It makes white more approachable.”

Add chargers or placemats. Their texture and patina can soften white. Gold, out of fashion for years, is making a comeback and gives white a glow. Mix in vintage. White dishes, even if they’re a few decades old, can look new and a bit severe.

Kelly will use heirloom glassware in different colors with white. “It looks beautiful, and there’s a family connection.” — MCT

Rolling Stones turn back clock with hit-filled comeback

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2012

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Star of ‘game of thrones’ sells a home fit for a queen ollowing a well-worn plot line since the mortgage meltdown, actress Lena Headey recently sold her Hollywood Hills West home for 25 percent less than she paid in 2008. The updated Midcentury Modern-style home, on about a quarter of an acre, sold for $1.349 million. Features include vaulted ceilings, walls of glass, an open-plan layout, a living room fireplace and a bar. The kitchen opens to a media/family room with skylights. There are three bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 2,507 square feet of living space.

Headey, 39, stars as Queen Cersei Lannister on the HBO fantasy series “Game of Thrones” (2011-present). She had the title role in the 2008-09 series “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” She paid $1.8 million for the home, public records show.

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Reality tv star gets a quick sale Reality TV’s Adrienne Maloof, of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” and her estranged husband, plastic surgeon Paul Nassif, have sold their mansion in gated Beverly Park for $19.5 million. The manse had come on the market less than a month earlier at $26 million.

Built in 2000, the Richard Landry-designed French chateau sits behind gates on two acres containing a guesthouse, swimming pool, pool house and tennis court. Features include a two-story entry with a sweeping staircase, a formal dining room that can seat 14, a paneled library, a home theater, a wine cellar, a gym, eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms in nearly 20,000 square feet of living space. Maloof, 51, has been on the reality series since 2010. Nassif, who also has appeared on the show, filed for a divorce in August.

Daytime host pares holdings Michael Strahan, who has been doing swimmingly on daytime TV since he replaced Regis Philbin as “Live!” co-host, has one fewer place near the water now. His town house in Hermosa Beach has sold for $1.725 million. The former NFL superstar and Fox football analyst had listed the custom walk-street home in August at $1.849 million.

A block from the beach, the 2,560-square-foot two-story house features dual living rooms, an elevator, a rooftop deck, two master bedroom suites, another bedroom and four bathrooms.

Strahan, 40, has boosted ratings since his arrival this fall on “Live! With Kelly and Michael,” which he co-hosts with Kelly Ripa. The defensive end played for the New York Giants his entire NFL career, setting a record for sacks in a single season and retiring in 2008 after the Giants won Super Bowl XLII. Public records show that Strahan bought the Hermosa Beach property in 2005 for $2.2 million.

Home of A-list agent sells The home of the late theatrical agent and film producer Freddie Fields and his wife, Corinna, has sold in Beverly Hills for $6.305 million.

Built in 1929, the Spanish-style house features a two-story entry, a step-down living room, truss wood beam ceilings, an office, a sun room, six bedrooms, 6 { bathrooms and 6,400 square feet of living space.

The lot, at one-third of an acre, includes a swimming pool, a guesthouse, fountains, courtyards and a koi pond. Fields, who died in 2007 at 84, worked with major stars including Judy Garland, Henry Fonda and Steve McQueen. He was involved in the production of such films as “Glory” (1989), “Poltergeist II: The

Other Side” (1986) and “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” (1977).

The couple paid $2.35 million for the property in 2001, public records show.

Mediterranean has temptation Otis Williams, co-founder of the R&B/soul group the Temptations, has listed his Woodland Hills home for sale at $849,000. The gated Mediterranean-style home, built in 1989, features a two-story living room, three fireplaces, a billiards room, an office, four bedrooms and 4 { bathrooms. There are about 3,600 square feet of living space in two stories.

Williams, 71, is a singer, songwriter and record producer. The baritone is the last surviving member of the original Temptations lineup and has continued to tour.

The Grammy-winning group’s hits include “Can’t Get Next to You,” “My Girl,” “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” and “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me).” Williams bought the property in 1999 for $485,000 as “a low maintenance home he could lock up and leave” while on tour, according to L.A. Times archives and public records.

In-town digs for ‘Glee’ producer “Glee” producer and writer Roberto AguirreSacasa has purchased a pied-a-terre in Hancock Park for $560,000. The one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo has 773 square feet of living space and features hardwood floors as well as tall windows to take in city, golf course and mountain views. Building amenities include valet parking, security and a gym.

Aguirre-Sacasa has worked on “Glee” since 2011 and wrote for “Big Love” in 2011-12. The comic book

writer and playwright has written the screenplay for the remake of “Carrie,” due out next year. The condo previously changed hands in 2002 for $345,000, public records show. — MCT