30th Nov

The wedding gift all girls dream of

12

Ponting declares ‘it’s all over’

44

FR EE

6

Iraq bombings kill 45

Max 21º Min 09º

NO: 15643- Friday, November 30, 2012

www.kuwaittimes.net

Palestine wins UN ‘birth certificate’ See Page 10

NEW YORK: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (second right) and the delegation celebrate after the United Nations General Assembly voted to approve a resolution to upgrade the status of the Palestinian Authority to a non-member observer state yesterday at UN headquarters in New York. (Inset) Palestinians celebrate in the West Bank city of Ramallah yesterday after the vote.— AFP

Local FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Conspiracy Theories

Local Spotlight

The race

I do my work-out and I walk out

By Muna Al-Fuzai

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

I

made the mistake of my life last weekend when I went to the gym. I have been visiting a gym for as long as I remember. As a young kid, I liked to exercise. Even during my travels, I always find a gym near the hotel or my place of residence to do some exercise. If I do not find a good place to exercise, I will just walk up and down the streets. It makes me feel relaxed. I am the kind of person who, if does not exercise, gets depressed and gloomy.

I regularly join various sports clubs. But, but, but.

I never did what everybody does when they first join a gym - visit the small “health clinic” office where they take your measurements, starting from the toes to the forehead, the girth of the thighs and the calves, height and weight, waist size, and hips’ measurements. Maybe, all this is a necessity or it is all done for publicity. I never took this health clinic seriously. For me, the club was all about the exercise. I do not go there to socialize or make friends in the gym. It is a time to do workout. I do my workout and I walk out.

Last week I arrived late for my class and had to wait for the next one. I decided to go to the clinic and undergo the routine check-ups that everybody is asked to. The receptionist started taking my height and measured me. She jotted down the numbers. Then we came to the serious part - my weight. When she told me my weight, she asked me to jump on the scales. I hardly weigh myself unless required to do so as part of a hospital check-up. I always rely on my genes, they are my indicator.

When I heard my weight, I nearly fainted. We repeated the weighing exercise three times. After I overcame the shock of knowing my own weight came a second wave of shock. She requested to measure my Body Mass Index (BMI). In her lovely accent, she nicely told me: “Madaaaam, you are obeeese.” Who says that, I asked? In her funny accent, she said: “Yes, madaaam, the indicator is red.”

I told her that if she considered me obese with my size, I asked how she would categorize most of the women in the club. Sorry, but many seem like walking whales. They are visibly clumsy and overweight. Next to them, I thought, I was like a catwalk figure. But no, the indicator showed I was obese. At this point, I could not take it no more. Either the machines were wrong or I was wrong and I was in denial.

I went back to my office angry and frustrated and announced my diagnosis: Obese. I decided to answer the hello greetings with: Hi, I am Badrya, I am obese. So, leave me alone!”

The next morning I realized and faced the facts. I started following a diet. It is not a very strict one, to be honest. I just cut down on the sweets, though it is winter and sweets are most in demand. I cut down on all the pasta and the carbs and the delicious food I love.

I started hating the word ‘obese.’

muna@kuwaittimes.net

I

cannot find a better way to refer to the December 1 elections to the National Assembly than calling them a race. Some may use unethical ways to win it while for others, what will matter most will be the values they espouse, irrespective of the results. At the end, the election will come to an end and it will all be over in a matter of few days, but the moral values will last much longer. In fact, they will outlive us.

Running for the National Assembly is surely a very unique experience.

It is like going into an adventure not knowing what lies ahead. But you learn a lot through the process and by meeting a large number of people, listening to their troubles, sharing with them your views and offering help. You become aware of this huge responsibility and the fact that they expect you to help them. They expect that your actions will result in improving their lives.

Some of our problems did not emerge yesterday, but have been in the making for years. Think of all the Kuwaiti women who are married to non-Kuwaitis or Bedoons and

you would know how much they have suffered. They were given a lot of hopes and promises but good wishes are not enough; they need a solution to their sufferings, and quickly.

Think of all the retired people in our country and whether Kuwait is benefitting from them? They are not getting anything special, no matter at what age they retire.

So if someone serves for thirty years or more in the police force or the military, and retires at the age of fifty or so, he hardly gets another job since it is assumed that he is too old or not wanted?

But why not? What about his 30 years of experience? No one cares.

Aside from the fact that we hardly care about our youth and children, I can clearly see that in Kuwait, as things stand today, being retired means the end of life as you knew it.

The electoral race is set to be over in another day or so, but these are not the issues that we should be only taking up on an occasion like this only, and then forget all about them.

We need to motivate the Kuwaitis to look at the future and go for change for the sake of our own country.

Kuwait’s my business

Seeking entrepreneurs who want to help transform Kuwait

By John P Hayes

local@kuwaittimes.net

Life is good in Kuwait, and it’s going to get even better!

No, I’m not teasing, and yes, I’m in my right mind.

Then how can I make such a claim when the country is in turmoil?

Because I spent a long breakfast interviewing Dr. Sulaiman AlAbduljader, who told me so. While many young Kuwaitis appear to want us (Kuwait’s residents) to believe that the country is headed downhill, Dr. Sulaiman says the country is already headed uphill and shifting gears to speed up progress. There are several reasons why he’s in a position to know what he’s talking about. He’s the chairman of REMAS, a regional investment group that “bridges the investment divide between the Gulf region and the rest of the world.”

He’s the Head of the Economics and Finance Department at Gulf University for Science & Technology, where we are colleagues. And (perhaps most important of all) at 30-

something, he’s an experienced entrepreneur who has all the right connections in Kuwait.

“REMAS is all about entrepreneurship,” Dr. Sulaiman told me. The company works in several sectors including real estate, private equity, investment banking, retail, and food and beverage. REMAS brought the Yogen Fr¸z franchise to Kuwait, and early next year will open a Cavalli Café at Grand Avenue, sharing the best of Italy with Kuwait.

But REMAS isn’t focused solely on its own development. The REMAS Institute exists to encourage entrepreneurship in Kuwait. “We work with franchisors, franchisees, (and independent business owners) to enhance their businesses,” explained Dr. Sulaiman. “Kuwait may be the biggest market in the world for franchising. We’ve not only imported major brands, but we also have local entrepreneurs who are building brands worthy of franchising into the developed markets. I’m proud of Kuwaitis for creating concepts and brands that are innovative and pro-

fessional, and that can be marketed outside of Kuwait.” For many of these entrepreneurs, however, they need encouragement, guidance and know-how to expand. And that’s where the REMAS Institute can help.

“We provide mentoring, connections, consulting, support, and honest advice,” continued Dr. Sulaiman.

And hear this: The non-profit institute does not charge a fee unless its consultants are engaged to provide services.

When I asked my colleague to give me some examples of why he believes life is only going to get better in Kuwait, he shared several insights that I’ll save for another column. However, part of the reason is Kuwait’s interest in developing entrepreneurial talent, which ties back to the REMAS Institute.

—Dr John P Hayes is a professor in the College of Business at GUST and the Head of the Business Administration Department. Contact him at questions@hayesworldwide.com, or via Twitter @drjohnhayes.

Local FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Dolosse in Kuwait

By Margaretha Morgan

O

n my early morning walks along the coast of Kuwait, I come upon them. There are dolosse all over Kuwait - at the Kuwait Towers, Green Island, Salmiya Harbour and further down south. They remind me of home, my home - South Africa - because that is where dolos was invented.

What are they? They are the peculiar knuckle-shaped concrete structures along the coast which serve as breakwaters, protecting the coast and the harbor walls against storms. They can also be used to prevent sand erosion along the beaches. I have even seen them being used as parking barriers in Kuwait.

How did these structures get the name ‘dolos’ (plural dolosse)? In the old days, Zulu and Voortrekker (pioneer) children in South Africa would make toy oxen from clay. These oxen would then draw their toy wagons. The Afrikaans word for oxen is osse. As they were toy oxen, the Dutch word ‘dol’ was added

meaning fake or play. So, literally translated, dolosse means playoxen. However, the shape of the dolosse vaguely resembles the shape of the bones used by Sangomas (traditional healers). They throw and read the bones to make their predictions - much as the Roma read tea leaves in teacups. In English, these bones are called “knucklebones.”

The story of the concrete dolos used in harbors is very interesting.

Originally, the southern point of Africa was called the Cape of Storms by the early navigators. They were searching for a sea route from Europe to the spice markets of the East. These early sailors encountered treacherous storms on their voyages.

In 1963, one such devastating storm hit the Eastern Cape coast, causing huge destruction on land.

Eric Merrifield and Aubrey Kruger were harbor engineers in the town of East London at that time. They set themselves the task of finding a solution to prevent the vast damage caused by storms. The solution had

to be cheap and not need great precision or expertise in installing.

During his lunch break, Aubrey Kruger went home and, by cutting sections of a broomstick, fashioned the solution. He fitted the pieces into the shape of the letter H and then turned one leg 90 degrees.

And voila! The dolos was created. Of course, today they are not made of pieces of broomstick, but of reinforced concrete and they are found all over the world. Even in Kuwait.

When Kruger and Merrimen were testing their invention, they used small models and were tossing them about to see the effect.

Kruger’s father came upon them playing with models of the old-fashioned children’s toys. Puzzled, he asked, “Why are you playing with dolosse?” And that is how the newly-invented concrete shapes got their name.

Today, dolosse are protecting shores from storms in numerous countries across the world.

Dolosse were never patented.

The design is freely available for use all over the world.

Local FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

What’s in a shabka?

The wedding gift all girls dream of

By Nawara Fattahova

G

A shopkeeper displays a Shabka.

—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Different patterns of Shabka at the gold market.

etting married in Kuwait means happiness, family bliss, and a lot of jewellery. Other than attending a party for the women at the expense of the husband-to-be, women have few responsibilities when it comes to marital commitment. Besides the dowry that is paid to the bride, the wedding party, and other expenses, the bride receives a Shabka, one of the most favourite parts of a wedding. The Shabka tradition also known to exist in other Arab countries entails the mother-in-law to gift a set of gold ornaments to her daughter-in-law which usually consists of a set of nucleus, earrings, bracelet, and a ring. Depending on the size and the jewelry in the set, the price of Shabka differs and may range between KD 1000 and KD 5000, or above.

Usually, the Shabka is made of yellow gold. The modern styles of Shabkas are also adorned with diamonds.

Fatma, a 29-year-old bride, has chosen a white gold Shabka with diamonds. “In my family, it is shameful not to have a diamond shabka. All my cousins received a diamond shabka, so I also chose a set with diamonds,” she said, explaining that she went with her fiancÈ and his sister to buy the shabka. “I chose it but he paid for it,” she said. Fatma’s shabka cost KD 3500 after a lot of bargaining in the shop,” she said.

One of the features of the shabka is its investment value.

Due to its high price and value, shabka may serve as security in case of need. Amal, a 27-year-old girl narrated that after a little more than a year of marriage, she started having differences with her husband. “We decided to separate,” the mother of a two-month-old baby said. “I moved back to my family home, and I needed money for the baby but my husband refused to pay me for the child’s essential needs,” she said.

She explained that she needed a maid to stay with the baby while she was at work. “Under these circumstances, I was forced to sell the shabka. In fact, I do not feel guilty for doing so because I do not have any emotions for this shabka. I am angry at the one who bought it. It cost KD 2500, and I sold it for KD 1700, which is very good,” said Amal.

Young generations prefer the white gold shabka. “It is a tradition to accompany the future mother-in-law to buy the shabka. Because my mother is dead, my two sisters and my mother-in-law accompanied me to buy the shabka from Mubarakiya. The shabka I chose four years ago cost KD1200. I keep it at home as it has emotional value for me,” says 50year-old Huda.

The shabka of Huda, a 30-year-old Kuwaiti, is made of white gold and decorated with zircon stones. “I find the white gold more fashionable. Yellow gold is old fashioned,” noted Huda.

But 50-year-old Nida from Jordan chose yellow gold shabka with some precious stones when she married 25 years ago.

“I and my husband did not want our families to interfere in our choice, so I went with my husband alone to the gold market in Kuwait city and I bought one. In fact, after all these years, I do not remember what the price was. For me, this shabka is precious and I would never sell it. In Jordan, we have the same tradition of buying the shabka,” she said.

For some nationalities, it is not necessary for the bride to choose the shabka herself. “As part of the marriage rituals and traditions, the husband’s family has to buy the shabka for the bride. I am practical and believe in useful things, so I chose the shabka myself and bought her a pure gold one without any stones to preserve the best value of it. That was 11 years ago, and it cost me KD 300 only. Today, its value is about KD 1400 as gold was much cheaper in those days,” stressed 42-year-old Yunis from Jordan.

In Kuwait, the most popular gold markets are the Mubarakiya gold market, the gold market in Salmiya at the old Souq, in Hawalli at Bin Khaldoun Street, and in Fahaheel. Also, there are some jewelry shops in various shopping malls, especially Layla Gallery, Salhiya, Al Raya, and others. These stores mostly provide brand jewelries that are not available in the traditional markets.

Local FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

LONDON: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah with officials and staff during his visit to the Kuwait Investment Office in London to celebrate its 60th anniversary. — KUNA

Official reception marking Amir’s visit LONDON: A reception was held yesterday at the British capital’s Guildhall marking the visit to the UK by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and which was attended by Prince Andrew, Duke of York.

His Highness the Amir received the Mayor of London Alexander Boris Johnson and later Kuwait’s National Anthem and the ceremony then started.

His Highness the Amir met with high-ranking officials from London city and signed on the guest book of honor. — KUNA

Opposition to stage final demo before election Appeals court bars 7 candidates, reinstates 24

By B Izzak KUWAIT: The appeals court yesterday upheld a decision by the lower court to reinstate 24 candidates disqualified by the National Election Commission for a lack of “good conduct” but reversed a ruling on seven other candidates barring them from contesting the polls.

The court verdicts are final and cannot be challenged. The court also postponed the cases of four other candidates until February 13. The National Election Commission, a body consisting of nine top judges established for the first time to oversee the election, last week disqualified 37 candidates including seven former MPs and some members of the scrapped 2012 National Assembly. The candidates challenged the decisions at the administrative

court which reversed most the decisions, reinstating 27 candidates and confirming the disqualification of five hopefuls.

Among those barred from running in the election are former MP Khalaf Dumaitheer and leading Islamist candidate Khaled Al-Shulaimi.

With the latest decision, the number of candidates running in tomorrow’s polls has risen to around 307 including around 22 former MPs and the overwhelming majority of the rest are new candidates unknown to most voters. In another development, the opposition has finalized preparations for the last demonstration before the election. Organizers for Karamat Watan 3 “A dignity of a Nation 3” procession urged Kuwaitis to turn in large numbers in order to send a clear message to the government that they reject the

elections. The demonstration is held to urge voters to shun the ballot boxes in protest against the amendment of the electoral law which the opposition says it will allow the government to manipulate the results of the election. The organizers said on Twitter that the gathering starts at 2.00 pm. and the procession will kickstart at 3.00 and ends at 5.00 between Safir Hotel to Kuwait Towers on the Arabian Gulf Road. The interior ministry has issued a license to the organizers provided that no offensive slogans or banners should be raised during the demo and that the duration must be respected. Former opposition lawmaker Mussallam Al-Barrak meanwhile said the opposition will not recognize the next parliament and will continue to work to bring its downfall, expecting that it will not survive for more than four months.

UK, Kuwait sign MOUs on immigration and visa LONDON: Kuwait and the UK inked here on Wednesday memos of understanding on easing visit visa restrictions for diplomatic passport holders, and immigration.

Speaking to KUNA following the launching of a joint working group, led by both countries’ foreign ministers, Kuwaiti Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said the joint group will convene twice a year in Kuwait and London.

He said the goal is to follow up on all issues that concern both sides’ interests, something which would eventually lead to cementing and beefing up cooperative and friendly relations. He listed bilateral cooperative areas as investment, trade, education, healthcare, security and military fields.

He added that intensive meetings between Kuwaiti and UK officials during HH the Amir’s visit to London reflect the depth of historical relations between both countries. In this context, the Kuwaiti minister quoted Queen Elizabeth II as hailing, during a dinner banquet in honor of HH the Amir last night, UK-Kuwaiti relations that date back to 1775. — KUNA

Local FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Diabetes treatment — Spinning out of control?

By Abdellatif Sharaa

O

ne shall never be tired or bored of reminding his fellow human being, and himself, that there are things that we must pay attention to always.

Diabetes is becoming a phenomenon, and I dare to claim that is going out of control. Health control professionals were speaking about the problem for sometime, but are we paying attention?!

The answer in my opinion is not quite based on the numbers and statistics.

There are over 20% of Kuwaitis who are diabetic, and there is almost the same percentage of those who may be diabetic and do not know, or they are in prediabetes stage.

An alarming issue concerning diabetes is that Type 2 diabetes, which is supposed to appear in people above 45 is now appearing in children as young as 10 years old, according to Dr Kazem Behbehani who is Director General of Dasman Diabetes Institute, which was found to look into means of preventing diabetes and give care to those who already have it.

This must be tackled seriously and aggressively by all those concerned, not only the health ministry, but also the education, social affairs ministries. It is quite obvious that lifestyle has a significant effect on the diabetes occurrence, starting with being physically inactive, did not you notice when you went to the cooperative society, a long line of cars waiting in line for a parking place as close as possible to the entrance?!

Though the few steps one can walk in the parking lot are very helpful! Then there comes meal time, eat so fast and so much, without paying attention to what is being eaten, as if the terms of

balanced and sensible meals were thrown out of the window! Then the child runs from the dinner table to the Ipad, or whatever gadget they prefer...

Just a small example of what happens with some families and their children.

I once was in a diabetes clinic when an elderly man walked in, very upset, and started to scream at the doctor, telling him he must be honest and treat patients as he is supposed to. The doctor accepted the advice and asked the man about the problem, he said he came to the clinic the day before and was given few injections and felt well, but this morning, after eating breakfast, he is feeling tired and not being himself. The doctor asked the man’s son about what was the breakfast, he said “Rahash”, which is made by sesame seed flour and sugar, and a large cup of camel milk, a combination of highly charged food with calories and fat. The man’s blood sugar level at that movement was 600mg/dl, and I could not believe how he was standing. It took those in the room more than 30 minutes to convince this elderly man to go to hospital, where he gets the treatment and his blood sugar regulated. This leads me to the importance of awareness, but how can awareness be well achieved?!

In Kuwait, there are some events in polyclinics on certain occasions in all six governorates, where people are tested for blood sugar, blood pressure, body mass index, retina..., then lectures are held to give them advice on how to live with diabetes, or to prevent it by those who are free of it. I believe this is not enough, we must go out to the field more frequently to where people are, in malls where most of our youth are, speak to them about the risk factors of this disease called diabetes, talk to them

about how to prevent it, and how to avoid or significantly delay the complications that it causes. No matter how much the state spends on such campaigns, it is only a taken of the cost of medications and treatment of the complications.

When a young man becomes aware that he should work on preventing diabetes from getting to him if he has the risk factors, because if diabetes went unchecked it can cause blindness, limb amputation, kidney failure...

Changing lifestyle is a big step toward diabetes prevention, and we should never ever think that it is too late to start in anything. If a person is overweight, or has some family members with diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association gives the following tips on diabetes prevention: Document: Tip 1: Get more physical activity There are many benefits to regular physical activity. Exercise can help you: ● Lose weight ● Lower your blood sugar ● Boost your sensitivity to insulin which helps keep your blood sugar within a normal range Research shows that both aerobic exercise and resistance training can help control diabetes, but the greatest benefit comes from a fitness program that includes both.

Tip 2: Get plenty of fiber It’s rough, it’s tough - and it may help you: ● Reduce your risk of diabetes by improving your blood sugar control ● Lower your risk of heart disease ● Promote weight loss by helping you feel full. Foods high in fiber include

fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Tip 3: Go for whole grains Although it’s not clear why, whole grains may reduce your risk of diabetes and help maintain blood sugar levels. Try to make at least half your grains whole grains. Many foods made from whole grains come ready to eat, including various breads, pasta products and many cereals. Look for the word “whole” on the package and among the first few items in the ingredient list.

Tip 4: Lose extra weight If you’re overweight, diabetes prevention may hinge on weight loss.

Every pound you lose can improve your health. And you may be surprised by how much. In one study, overweight adults reduced their diabetes risk by 16 percent for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of weight lost. Also, those who lost a modest amount of weight - at least 5 to 10 percent of initial body weight - and exercised regularly reduced the risk of developing diabetes by almost 60 percent over three years.

Tip 5: Skip fad diets and make healthier choices Low-carb diets, the glycemic index diet or other fad diets may help you lose weight at first, but their effectiveness at preventing diabetes isn’t known nor are their long-term effects.

And by excluding or strictly limiting a particular food group, you may be giving up essential nutrients. Instead, think variety and portion control as part of an overall healthy-eating plan.

Wishing you all the best... be healthy, remain healthy... take care!

GCC camel race opens in Kuwait KUWAIT: The Second GCC Camel Race Championship kicked off here yesterday evening under the sponsorship of His Highness Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Saba.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Jahra Governor Sheikh Mubarak Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, the representative of the championship sponsor, said a large number of camel owners from the six GCC member states are taking part in the race. He hoped that Gulf fans would

be able to enjoy the camel-racing sports, which used to be practiced

by Gulf forefathers.

For his part, the head of the organizing committee and chairman of the Public Authority for Youth and Sports, Faisal Al-Jazzaf said the authority is keen to support all hereditary sports championships.

Many Kuwaiti and Gulf citizens are very interested in camel-racing sport, he said. The event is being held at the Track of Martyr Fahad AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. —KUNA

Local FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Analyst sees a wave of economic reforms in Kuwait after election Boycott of polls a wrong tactic: Prof Nalapat

By Sajeev K Peter

KUWAIT: Prof M D Nalapat, who arrived in Kuwait as an election observer from India, is Director, Geopolitical & International Relations, Manipal University. In a brief interview with Friday Times, Prof Nalapat, expresses his views on Kuwait parliamentary election to be held tomorrow and hopes that it will pave the way for a wave of economic reforms ushering in positive changes to the country. Prof Nalapat is also UNESCO Peace Chair and a renowned academician. The former Coordinating Editor of the Times of India, Prof Nalapat writes extensively on security matters and international affairs and is a columnist for the Sunday Guardian and the Pakistan Observer.

Excerpts: Question: You were here in February to observe a parliamentary election and now in November, once again there is an election. To what do you attribute such a situation?

Answer: I have been an observer of Kuwait for more than 15 years, and it was clear during the functioning of the parliament (after the 2012) elections that a deadlock had been created. More than 30 legislators opposed whatever the government proposed, and as a consequence, several projects were delayed. Many ministers became reluctant to implement big projects because of worry that they would get grilled by

the post-2012 legislative majority.

The people of Kuwait want faster economic growth. They want more jobs and higher incomes. This can only come if projects get implemented speedily rather than get delayed because of political deadlock.

Q: How do you expect that an elec-

Prof M D Nalapat tion will remove such a deadlock?

A: Because of the strategic mistake made by those who secured a majority during the February 2012 elections, of boycotting the November elections. In a democracyóand Kuwait certainly

qualifies as a democracy ñ boycotting an election is a wrong tactic. In India, in 1939, the Congress Party withdrew from governance and resigned its electoral posts. As a consequence, the Muslim League gained in influence and finally, the partition of India (through the creation of Pakistan) was the result.

A democrat should not be afraid of elections, she or he should contest them.

Those (in the previous legislature) who are refusing to contest the elections due on December 1 are ensuring the victory of those who have a view different from theirs. In my view, the new parliament will be much more supportive of development projects rather than block projects in order to grill ministers all the time.

Q: In view of the boycott call by some politicians, do you expect a low turnout this time?

A: In my view, the level of participation will be the same (as during February 2012). This is because the people of Kuwait appreciate the fact that they have a right to vote, a right that is not given to citizens of some other countries in the region. Certainly democracy in Kuwait is not perfect, and more reform is needed. However, it is a fact that Kuwait is far and away the most democratic country in the region, and Kuwaitis know this and appreciate this. They take democracy seriously, they take the right to vote

seriously and hence will come out to vote on December 1 in large numbers.

Q: Why do you feel Kuwait will make faster progress after this election?

A: Kuwait needs to go into a big wave of economic reform, such as privatizing huge state monopolies such as Kuwait Airways, which would function much better under private management. Of course, such privatization should be conducted in a transparent way without favorites, so that the best buyer gets the prize. The new parliament knows that the Kuwaiti public is very interested in ensuring clean government, so I am sure that the elected parliamentarians, while allowing growth to take place through economic reforms, will ensure that the process is fair and transparent.

Kuwait has huge financial resources.

Rather than rot in banks in Europe that could go bust at any time, these reserves should be used to create a better life, a better future, for the Kuwaiti people. I have confidence that this will be done.

Q: What political reforms do you feel Kuwait needs?

A: The people of Kuwait are wise and the ruling Al-Sabah family is modern. I am sure that the ruling family and the Kuwaiti people will mutually come up with necessary reforms, in an atmosphere free from rancor and abuse.

Bangladeshis arrested with forged passports KUWAIT: Three Bangladeshis were arrested upon entry at the Kuwait International airport with forged passports. They were deported over seven years ago, security sources revealed. Case papers noted that airport rangers noticed that the three suspects appeared worried and nervous on approaching the passport control counter and kept retreating to the end of the line. On arresting them and checking their fingerprints, it was revealed that they used forged passports.

KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Ali Sayed Al-Obaidi inaugurates a new Epilepsy unit in Ibn Sina Hospital. yesterday. — KUNA

Security measures in place KUWAIT: Commander of the elections security force at the third electoral constituency Maj General, Ibrahim Al-Tarrah stated that necessary measures have been to taken ensure a smooth and successful 2012 parliamentary elections befitting Kuwait’s image and democracy.

Al-Tarrah added that a comprehensive security plan had been put in place to secure elections in all five constituencies. The areas around the polling stations will be secured

and safety of polling boxes will be ensured, he added.

On his part, the commander of the elections security force in the fifth constituency, Brigadier, Abdullatif Al-Wehaib stressed that security forces would immediately deal with any violation of laws. He also stressed that using means of transportation as vehicle for electoral publicity was banned by law number 35/1962 and that all violators would be fined KD 1,000-3,000.

Schoolboy hurt A 12-year-old schoolboy nearly lost his life when a schoolmate pushed him so hard while playing at a Khaitan school that he slipped and fell off the stairs breaking his left arm. He lost consciousness on fall. The pupil was immediately rushed to hospital for treatment.

A private tutor reported that some unidentified person set his car ablaze while he was tutoring a student in Fahaheel, said security sources. His car was parked in an open yard. They heard a loud bang and on checking from the terrace, they found the tutor’s car was on fire.

Mobile store raided Unidentified robbers raided a mobile phone store downtown Kuwait City and

stole worth KD 4,000 of mobile phones, accessories and cash, said security sources. A case was filed and further investigations are in progress.

Jleeb scuffle A number of Asians were injured in a scuffle that erupted in Jleeb over flirting with a young blond and trying to take her mobile number, said security sources noting that the beautiful girl just left the scene ignoring them all.

Citizen arrested A citizen was arrested on arriving from Europe with the possession of two bottles of liquor, said security sources noting that the customs inspectors suspected the man’s handbag and on searching it, they found the liquor. A case was filed and the man was arrested.

Man found dead Passerby in Khaitan saw a man on the ground with his face down and on checking, he was found dead, said security sources. The man was identified as a 59-year-old Egyptian. Further investigations are in progress to determine the cause of the death.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Egypt charter retains sharia as ‘main’ law

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Iraq bombings kill 45

Net down in Damascus, phone lines disrupted

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NEW YORK: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the General Assembly at the United Nations before a UN General Assembly vote on upgrading the status of Palestine to non-member observer state yesterday in New York City. (Inset) The results of a draft resolution on Palestinian status — AFP / AP

Palestine wins UN ‘birth certificate’ US sees obstacle to peace UNITED NATIONS: The UN General Assembly yesterday voted overwhelmingly to recognize Palestine as a non-member state, handing a major triumph to president Mahmud Abbas in the face of fierce US and Israeli opposition. Abbas demanded the United Nations give a “birth certificate” to a Palestinian state and was rewarded with the backing of 139 countries.

Only nine members heeded Israeli warnings that the move could lead to more violence and voted against. Forty-one abstained. The vote lifts the status of the Palestinian Authority from an observer entity to a “non-member observer state” with the same status as the Vatican.

Even though it is not a full member it can now join UN agencies and potentially join the International Criminal Court.

The Palestinian leadership says it wants to use the “historic” vote as a launchpad for talks with Israel which have been frozen for more than two years. Abbas, who embraced his foreign minister after the vote and was given repeated standing

ovations, said the vote was “the last chance to save the two-state solution.” In a 22-minute speech laced with references to Israel’s assault this month against rockets fired from Gaza, Abbas said Palestinians would accept “no less than the independence of the state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

He added: “We must repeat here once again our warning: the window of opportunity is narrowing and time is quickly running out. The rope of patience is shortening and hope is withering.”

Abbas said UN members had to “issue a birth certificate of the reality of the state of Palestine.” US ambassador Susan Rice condemned the vote as “an obstacle to peace” because it would not lead to a return to direct talks between the Israelis and Palestinians.

“Today’s grand pronouncements will soon fade and the Palestinian people will wake up tomorrow and find that little has changed,” she told the assembly, in a grimly delivered statement.

“This resolution does not establish that

Palestine is a state.” The United States blocked a Palestinian application for full membership of the United Nations that Abbas made in September 2011. “The UN resolution will not confer statehood on the Palestinian Authority,” Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor said.

He added that making Palestine a non-member observer state at the UN “will place further obstacles and preconditions to negotiations and peace.”

He warned that it could lead to increased violence.

Abbas was warned earlier by UN leader Ban Kimoon that the Middle East peace process is on “life support” and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said the UN General Assembly vote would not create a Palestinian state. Ban urged both sides to return to talks which currently look a distant prospect, diplomats said. The Palestinian leader did not make any reference to the possibility of joining the International Criminal Court-a major worry for Israel. But Abbas said the Palestinian Authority would consult with other countries about new steps after its diplomatic sta-

tus is bolstered.

“We will act responsibly and positively in our next steps, and we will to work to strengthen cooperation with the countries and peoples of the world for the sake of a just peace,” he said. Talks between the two have been suspended since September 2010, with the Palestinians blaming Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. The vote comes 10 days after a ceasefire ended a brief but bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that holds sway in the Gaza Strip and is a rival of Abbas and his West Bank-based Fatah faction.

The landmark General Assembly meeting was held on the 65th anniversary of a UN resolution on the division of the Palestinian territories into a twostate solution that Ban said “remains tragically unfulfilled.” The Palestinians say 132 countries now recognize their state bilaterally and said the result was a boost. Several countries which do not recognize the Palestinian state, such as France, voted for the resolution. — AFP

INTERNATIONAL

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Yemen offers reward to catch killers of Saudi diplomat SANAA: Yemen offered a $25,000 reward yesterday for help in catching the killers of a Saudi Arabian diplomat, a day after he was gunned down in an attack that security authorities blamed on Al-Qaeda. The killing on Wednesday of Khaled al-Enizi, a military attache at the Saudi embassy, and his Yemeni bodyguard underscored the challenges facing the US-allied state since an uprising last year that ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh. A Yemeni security committee offered a reward of 5 million rials ($25,000) for any information leading to the killers, state news agency Saba said.

Dressed as security officers, the attackers blocked a car carrying Enizi, an aide to the Saudi military attache, and opened fire, the security committee said in a statement.

The diplomat and his guard died instantly. No one has

claimed responsibility for the attack which took place near the diplomat’s house in the capital but a Yemeni security official said on Wednesday authorities were “assuming that al Qaeda was behind it”.

In a separate incident, armed men seized Nameeri AlAwadi, head of traffic police in Al-Kotn town in Hadramout province, on his way back home after the dawn prayer, a local official said. No one has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping but the official said he believed Al-Qaeda militants were behind it.

Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), regarded as al Qaeda’s strongest regional wing, has mounted operations in Saudi Arabia and tried to launch attacks against the United States. Restoring stability in Yemen is a priority for Washington and its Gulf allies

because of its strategic position next to top oil exporter Saudi Arabia and major shipping lanes.

“The threats are always there and they usually come from al Qaeda in Yemen,” Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen Ali Al-Hamdan told the Saudi-owned Asharq AlAwsat newspaper. The Saudis are a major donor to their poor neighbour and hosted the signing of a power transfer deal under which President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took over as head of state in February after Saleh stepped down.

Islamists linked to Al-Qaeda kidnapped a Saudi deputy consul in the southern city of Aden in March and are still holding him. They have demanded a ransom and the release of women prisoners, believed to be relatives of AlQaeda fighters. — Reuters

Egypt charter retains sharia as ‘main’ law Islamist-led assembly votes on Egypt constitution

port said. Elsewhere in the capital, warplanes bombed Kafr Souseh and Daraya, two neighbourhoods that fringe the centre of the city where rebels have managed to hide out and ambush army units, opposition activists said.

CAIRO: Egypt’s constituent assembly retained yesterday the principles of Islamic law as the main source of law, as it rushed through the approval process over objections from an opposition that argues more time is needed. It also agreed a clause stating that the principles of Christian and Jewish legal traditions would guide the personal and religious affairs of people belonging to those faiths. The panel is voting on the constitution article by article, and unanimously approved keeping the formulation from the past constitution, which was suspended after a popular uprising overthrew Hosni Mubarak in early 2011.

Article 2 states that “Islam is the state religion, and Arabic language is its official language. The principles of Islamic sharia are the main source of legislation.”A still unagreed Article 219 seeks to explain the clause on Islamic law in terms of Sunni Muslim jurisprudence.

Hardline Islamists known as Salafists had initially wanted stronger language in Article 2, but in the end supported the final wording.

The vote comes amid accusations that the Islamistdominated panel is railroading the charter through and protests over President Mohamed Morsi’s assumption of sweeping powers, which has plunged the country into its worse crisis since Morsi took office in June. Liberals, leftists, and representatives of Egypt’s churches had already withdrawn from the panel, complaining that the assem-

“Not last days yet” The past two weeks have seen military gains by rebels who have stormed and taken army bases across Syria, exposing Assad’s loss of control in northern and eastern regions despite the devastating air power which he has used to bombard opposition strongholds. senior European Union official said that Assad appeared to be preparing for a military showdown around Damascus, possibly by isolating the city with a network of checkpoints. “The rebels are gaining ground but it is still rather slow. We are not witnessing the last days yet,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

“On the outskirts of Damascus, there are mortars and more attacks.

The regime is thinking of protecting itself ... with checkpoints in the next few days ... (It) seems the regime is preparing for major battle on Damascus.” In the north of the country, rebel units launched an offensive to seize an army base close to the main north-south highway that would allow them to block troop movements and cut Assad’s main supply route to Aleppo, Syria’s biggest city.—Reuters

CAIRO: An Egyptian member of the constitutional assembly gestures ahead of the last voting session on a new draft constitution at the Shoura Assembly yesterday. — AFP

ALEPPO: An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube allegedly shows Syrian men recovering the body of a child from the rubble of a destroyed building yesterday. — AFP

Net down in Damascus, phone lines disrupted Damascus clashes cut off airport BEIRUT: Syrian rebels battled forces loyal to President Bashar Al-Assad just outside Damascus yesterday, forcing the closure of the main airport road, and the Dubai-based Emirates airline suspended flights to the Syrian capital. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that fighting along the road to the airport, southeast of Damascus, was heavier in that area that at any other time in the 20-month-old uprising against Assad.

“As of 20 minutes ago, there was heavy fighting along all the areas along the road,” the British-based Observatory’s director Rami Abdelrahman told Reuters by telephone. He said clashes were particularly intense in Babbila, a southern suburb bordering the insurgent stronghold of Tadamon. Residents said Internet connections in the capital went down in the early afternoon and mobile and land telephone lines were only working intermittently, in what they said was the worst disruption to communication since conflict erupted last year.

Emirates said it was suspending daily flights to Damascus “until further notice”, but other airlines continued operations. Airport sources in Cairo said an Egypt Air flight that left at 1:30 pm (1130 GMT) had landed in Damascus as scheduled. “The Egypt Air plane has arrived... and passengers are all safe but the pilot was instructed to take off back to Cairo without passengers if he felt that the situation there is not good to stay for longer,” an official at Cairo air-

bly was undemocratic and rushing through its work.

Sixty-seven percent of votes are needed for the charter to be approved, failing which a second round will be held in which only 57 percent of the votes will be sufficient. After 24 hours, the panel will meet to find alternatives to rejected articles, or strike them from the charter.

The draft constitution will then be sent to Morsi, who must call a referendum to be held within 30 days. It is thought he might do so within two weeks. A court had disbanded a previous constituent assembly and was due to rule on the validity of the current assembly on Sunday.

Last week, however, Morsi stripped courts of the power to disband the panel in a decree that also gave him broad powers that cannot be challenged by courts, sparking a judicial strike and mass rallies. In his decree, Morsi allowed the assembly a further two months after its mid-December deadline to finish the charter.

Consequently, an announcement on Wednesday that that the panel would imminently approve the charter came as even more of a shock to the opposition.

Morsi and his supporters argue that delaying the constitution, which would be followed by parliamentary elections to replace the Islamist-dominated house dissolved by a court earlier this year, would delay democratic transition. The sweeping powers Morsi granted himself last week will expire once a constitution is ratified in a referendum. — AFP

INTERNATIONAL

FRIDAYDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Iraq bombings kill 45 205 wounded in series of blasts

VIENNA: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General-Director Yukiya Amano answers questions during a press conference as part of the IAEA Board of Governors meeting at the UN atomic agency headquarters yesterday. — AFP

Defiant Iran in focus at UN atomic energy meet VIENNA: The UN atomic agency focused on Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons drive yesterday, a day after Tehran declared it would continue to defy UN Security Council resolutions and expand its programme. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, used his opening speech at an agency meeting in Vienna to call for “all of us to work with a sense of urgency and seize the opportunity for a diplomatic solution.”

Western countries were expected to refrain from seeking a censure motion from the 35nation IAEA board against Iran during the meeting, in part to give renewed efforts a chance to resolve the long-running crisis.

The IAEA’s latest report on November 16 said Iran is ready to double production at its Fordo facility, a key site dug into a mountain, enriching uranium to purities of 20 percent, close to the level needed for bomb. The IAEA also said that Fordo’s final machinery has been installed but was not yet ready to be put into operation. Once it is, Iran will be able to triple its current monthly output of 20-percent enriched uranium to some 45 kilos (100 pounds).

Israel’s “red line” for military action is thought to be when Iran has produced around 250 kilos. That would be enough, if further enriched-although such a move would be quickly detected by the IAEA-for one nuclear weapon. Supporting however Iran’s argument that its programme is for peaceful means is the IAEA’s finding that of the around 230 kilos of enriched uranium produced so far, 95 kilos have been converted for use as fuel for a reactor producing nuclear medicines.

The rate of conversion has however slowed dramatically, indicating possible technical problems, and once Fordo is fully up and running, Iran will be producing far more material than its civilian facilities need, experts say. As a result, multiple UN Security Council resolutions have called on it to suspend key parts of its programme.—AFP

HILLA: Bombs mainly targeting Shiite Muslims and security forces in Iraq killed 45 people and wounded 205 others yesterday in the deadliest day of violence to hit the country in more than two months. The attacks, the worst since 76 people were killed on September 9, included the second series of bombings against Shiites this week, after three car bombs exploded near their places of worship in Baghdad on Tuesday, killing a dozen and wounding scores more.

Yesterday’s violence brings the number of people killed in attacks this month to at least 152 — 16 more than in October, according to an AFP tally based on security and medical sources.

That reversed a three-month trend of declining death tolls.

Two roadside bombs targeted a group of Shiite pilgrims in the city of Hilla, police said. A list of victims posted at a hospital in Hilla put the toll at 33 killed and 166 wounded-figures confirmed by Babil provincial council member Hamed Ahmed Abboud. Iraqi security forces cordoned off the area of the blasts and set up checkpoints in the city to search cars, an AFP correspondent said, adding that shops near the site were shuttered after the attacks.

Ali Al-Khafaji, the owner of a mobile phone shop in the area of the blasts, said there was a big explosion near a restaurant where a tent serving food to Shiite pilgrims was set up, followed by another blast when emergency personnel arrived at the scene. In the shrine city of Karbala, a car bomb exploded under a bridge, killing five people and wounding 13, a police spokesman and a medical official said.

The spokesman said security forces closed off all roads leading to the old city, where Imam Hussein, one of the most revered figures in Shiite Islam, is buried, and were searching for a second car bomb. Security forces were also targeted yesterday. A suicide car bomb against an army patrol in Fallujah, west of Baghdad, killed three soldiers and wounded three others and four civilians. A car bomb in Mosul in Iraq’s north targeted a police patrol, killing a policeman and a civilian and wounding two more police, security and medical sources said. A car bomb on the main road south of Baghdad killed one person and wounded 11, including three police, while two roadside bombs near a military base north of the city killed one person and wounded six others, an interior ministry official and medical sources said.

Members of Iraq’s security forces and the country’s Shiite majority are both frequently targeted by Sunni insurgents in bomb attacks.

Millions of pilgrims flock to Karbala each year for Ashura commemorations marking Hussein’s death in battle in 680 AD, which peaked on November 25 this year. While pilgrims have often been targeted by bombings during Ashura that killed dozens, the commemorations were largely free of violence this year, though two attacks against pilgrims killed three people and wounded 35.

Pilgrims also walk from across Iraq to Karbala during the 40-day mourning period that follows Ashura. “What happened is that security forces were in the peak of readiness and activity during the last occasion (Ashura),” but became less so after the commemorations concluded, Ali alHaidari, an Iraqi expert in security and strategic issues, told AFP. “Security forces usually become tired after such occasions, and the enemy benefits from this directly. In addition to that, there is also the absence of modern technologies which can detect explosives,” Haidari said. Violence in Iraq has decreased dramatically from its peak in 2006 and 2007, when brutal sectarian violence swept the country, but attacks remain common. — AFP

HILLAH: People inspect the scene of a bombing at a busy commercial area in Hillah, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) south of Baghdad, Iraq, yesterday. — AP

Controversy over plan for ‘giant’ mosque in Istanbul ISTANBUL: Tayyip Erdogan has described his third term as Turkish prime minister as that of a “master”, borrowing from the celebrated Ottoman architect Sinan and the last stage of his storied career after apprenticeship and graduation. It’s a lofty allusion. Sinan’s 16thcentury creations came to define the Ottoman Empire at its apogee, the Suleymaniye Mosque, built for Sultan Suleiman, part of Istanbul’s unmistakable skyline. Now, entering a second decade at the helm of a country revelling in its regional might, Erdogan wants to leave his own mark on the cityscape with what will be Turkey’s biggest mosque, a “giant mosque,” he says, “that will be visible from all across Istanbul.”

To be built on the highest hill on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, planners boast the structure will hold up to 30,000 worshippers and bear six minarets taller than those of the Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi, or the Prophet’s (Peace Be Upon Him) Mosque, in Medina. It is symbolic of Turkey’s tilt to the east under Erdogan, who has chipped away at the founding secularism of the modern republic and presided over its emergence as a power in the Middle East.

But the Istanbul elite are up in arms. Some have branded the proposed mosque unsightly and ostentatious, a thinly-disguised declaration of victory by Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted government over the secularists and their guardians in the military. “On the European side, Sultan Suleiman put his mark on the city with the Suleymaniye Mosque, which could be seen everywhere from old Istanbul,” said Emre Kizilkaya, a blogger and foreign editor at the Hurriyet daily. “Now many think Erdogan wants to put his own mark on the Asian side.”

Picked in mid-November in a hasty competition limited to Turkish architects, the winning design bears a striking resemblance to Istanbul’s iconic 400-year-old Sultanahmet Mosque, or Blue Mosque, built by a student of Sinan. One religiously conservative intellectual called it a “cheap replica” and wrote to

Erdogan imploring him not to embarrass coming generations with such “unsightly work.”

“There’s a saying in Turkish - ‘You don’t discover America again,’” said Oguz Oztuzcu, chairman of the Istanbul Independent Architects’ Association. “You don’t try to make another Sydney Opera House, do you? They’re competing with existing icons.”

Even the country’s culture minister is unconvinced. “It’s not success in today’s world to build gigantic structures. It was success during the era of Sinan. Now it’s just about how much cement you’re using,” said Ertugrul Gunay, a rare dissenting government voice.

“We should build something like a gem, and it should shine with its beauty, not with its gigantic size.”

The mosque will sit atop Camlica Hill, once a hunting ground for the Ottoman well-to-do and now a popular viewing point, where couples sip sweet tea among rose bushes and take pictures with their cell phones of this city of over 14 million people. Minarets puncture the skyline of European Istanbul. Backers of the new mosque say they want to create a similar skyline on the Asian side, and do away with the antennae that now blight the hilltop.

Ergin Kulunk, president of the Islamic association overseeing the project, said the Asian side lacked a mosque of such a size to cater to the needs of worshippers.

“It’s a necessity,” he said, and dismissed the storm of criticism over the design, the work of two headscarved female architects. “We wanted a classical mosque with a dome, and if you’re going to build a classical mosque with a dome, it’s inevitable it will resemble Hagia Sophia, Selimiye Mosque or the Blue Mosque,” he said. Officially, the government did not instigate the project, but it has given the land and Erdogan’s personal endorsement. The cost is estimated at over 100 million lira, or 43 million euros, to be paid for by donors - code, the opposition says, for businessmen out to curry favour with the government.—Reuters

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

International FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

UN chief suggests ‘offensive military operation’ in Mali UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday recommended that the Security Council approve an African Union peace enforcement mission be deployed to combat Islamist extremists in northern Mali, but did not offer financial support from the world body.

Diplomats and UN officials say that peace enforcement missions allow the use of lethal force in serious combat situations, while peacekeeping operations are intended to support and monitor an already existing ceasefire.

The last UN-led peace enforcement mission approved by the 15-nation Security Council was in Somalia in the early 1990s when 18 US troops were killed in the “Black Hawk Down” incident, an event that led to US withdrawal of combat troops from UN-commanded peacekeeping operations. Ban’s cautiously worded recommendation made clear that the world body is still wary of getting back into the peace-enforcement business. He said that the council should ensure that political, human rights, training and operational benchmarks be met before any military offensive commences. As planning for the mission continues, Ban said the 15-nation council could “authorize member states of the African Union to establish AFISMA for an initial period of one year, comprising 3,300 (international) personnel to take all necessary meas-

ures to assist the Malian authorities.” AFISMA is the proposed acronym for the UN-mandated African force in Mali. “Fundamental questions on how the force would be led, sustained, trained, equipped and financed remain unanswered,” Ban said. “Plans for both the international force and the Malian security and defense forces need to be developed further.” One Security Council diplomat was furious at Ban’s recommendation against granting the AU request for UN funding for the operation, which UN diplomats estimate will cost $300 million to $500 million.

“I think it’s quite insulting to a number of countries, in particular to some AU countries,” a Security Council diplomat said on condition of anonymity. Another diplomat said the council was under no obligation to follow Ban’s recommendations, although he added that it might be hard to secure a majority in favor of overriding them in order to provide UN funding to an AU operation in Mali.

Ban suggested that the funding for the initial military combat operations could be through “voluntary or bilateral contributions” - which diplomats said meant European Union member states would be asked to cover costs.

“Targeted military operations” The fall of Mali’s north to Islamists, including AQIM, Al

Qaeda’s North African wing, has carved out a safe haven for militants and international organized crime, UN officials say, stirring fears of attacks in West Africa and in Europe. African leaders are seeking a UN mandate to send a mainly West African force to rebuild Mali’s army and back operations to win back the occupied desert zones.

Ban expressed reservations about the United Nations’ capacity to take on “terrorists and affiliated groups.”

“Targeted military operations may be required to dislodge them from northern Mali, in which case member states may decide to directly support the military activity needed to combat these groups,” Ban said. He added that once major combat operations the council could consider authorizing an actual UN peacekeeping mission. Council diplomats said that could take the form of special forces units from individual UN member states. Diplomats say they want to adopt a resolution authorizing the mission before the end of the year. African officials estimate there are 2,500-3,000 core fighters amongst the Islamists coming from Africa, Europe and Asia. The US estimates the hard-core contingent of Islamists much lower at between 800 and 1,200. The conflict has forced 400,000 Malians to flee their homes. Regional powerhouse Algeria says it prefers a negotiated solution. —Reuters

UK inquiry calls for press law after hacking scandal Lawmakers divided, PM Cameron trapped in the middle

MUSHAKI: Civilians carry boxes of arms for M23 rebels in the town of Mushaki, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo yesterday. — AFP

DR Congo rebels start pullout GOMA: Rebel fighters in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo said yesterday they were moving out of frontline positions, in line with a deal aimed at halting the deadly unrest in the volatile resource-rich area. The M23 rebels could be seen pulling back equipment from the areas that they seized last week in a lightning advance that prompted international condemnation and calls for withdrawal. “We have gathered our troops and will move towards Sake,” said M23 Colonel Antoine Manzi, a senior commander of the army mutineers, referring to a town some 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of the key regional capital of Goma, which the insurgents have agreed to leave by today.

“We will start leaving Goma tomorrow... we cannot leave Goma before we have left the other areas,” he told AFP yesterday, adding that he expected the M23 would hand over control to United Nations peacekeepers there. Residents have reported seeing dozens of trucks carrying food and ammunition trundling through the lush green and rolling hills on the shores of Lake Kivu towards Goma, pulling back past the wreckage of

last week’s fighting.

Uganda’s army chief Aronda Nyakairima said earlier this week a deal had been struck with the rebels to pull out of the lakeshore city by yesterday, although M23 military leader Sultani Makenga said the deadline was today.

Under the deal struck in Uganda between rebels and regional military commanders-who are due to visit Goma today to monitor progress of the promised withdrawal-a company of 100 M23 gunmen will stay at Goma’s airport.

Makenga, slapped with United Nations and United States sanctions last month for alleged atrocities including killings, rapes and abductions, reportedly commands some 1,500 fighters, according to a Western military source. But the rebels are understood to have also beefed up their strength with heavy artillery seized when the Congolese army fled their advance. Although no major moves have been reported yet out of Goma, Makenga has said he will withdraw just 20 kilometres from the city, the main settlement in the flashpoint Kivu region, which abuts both Rwanda and Uganda.—AFP

LONDON: A far-reaching inquiry into British newspapers called for a new independent watchdog enshrined in law to regulate the press, to prevent a repeat of the excesses which led to a phone hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World tabloid. The recommendation yesterday meant Prime Minister David Cameron faced angering either senior figures in his party and Britain’s newspapers or his coalition partners and the public.

The inquiry called for a radical overhaul of how Britain’s notoriously aggressive press should be governed. “I do not think that either the victims or the public would accept the outcome if the industry did not grasp this opportunity,” wrote Lord Justice Brian Leveson, whose report ran to almost 2,000 pages. While acknowledging Britain’s newspapers did much good, he was scathing about some of their behaviour and how they had ignored complaints and “wreaked havoc with the lives of innocent people”.

This had been most keenly demonstrated by journalists at Murdoch’s now defunct News of the World, a News Corp tabloid, who hacked the phone messages of missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler, who was later found murdered. Leveson said there should be a new independent self-regulatory body, which crucially would be recognised in law, something the press and many within Cameron’s own party, including senior ministers, have adamantly opposed as an erosion of centuries-old press freedoms.

“Despite what is said about these recommendations by those who oppose them, this is not and cannot be characterised as, statutory regulation of the press,” he said. “It would enshrine, for the first time, a legal duty on the government to protect the freedom of the press.” “The ball moves back into the politicians’ court: they must now decide who guards the guardians,” Leveson told a news conference.

The report leaves Cameron, who was embarrassed when toe-curling details of his cosy texts to one of Murdoch’s lieutenants emerged at the inquiry, in a no-win situation. He will either have accept to the report’s findings in full, which will anger a hostile press and members of his own party, or reject them and risk dividing his coalition government as the junior Liberal Democrat partners support some form of legislation.

He will also be conscious of the weight of expectation from a public that was scandalised to learn that journalists hacked the phones of victims of crime, wined, dined and paid police for leads and were in constant touch with senior politicians. Cameron will give his response to the House of Commons shortly, under scrutiny from high-profile figures such as Hollywood actor Hugh Grant who have campaigned for a clampdown on an industry they say ruins lives.

Nick Clegg, the leader of the junior Liberal Democrat partners in the coalition government, will deliver his own statement to parliament after Cameron, implying that the two disagree on the way forward. Leveson also said that politicians had become too close to newspaper executives in the last 30 years, and warned that the close ties formed between the government and Murdoch’s News Corp over the aborted takeover of BSkyB was concerning and had the potential to jeopardise the $12 billion bid. He said there was no credible evidence of bias on the part of senior minister Jeremy Hunt in his handling of the BSkyB takeover, but said the close ties allowed a perception of favouritism. — Reuters

LONDON: Lord Justice Brian Leveson delivers his findings into the Leveson Report, which is based on a major inquiry set up after the phone-hacking scandal, at the Queen Elizabeth II centre yesterday. — AFP

15

International FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Pak doctor in bin Laden case starts hunger strike PESHAWAR: The Pakistani doctor who helped the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) hunt down Osama bin Laden started a hunger strike in his jail cell this week to protest against his living conditions, prison officials said yesterday.

Shakil Afridi was sentenced in May to 33 years in jail for his links to a banned militant group. The decision was widely seen as punishment for helping the CIA find the al Qaeda leader, and has led to strained ties between Washington and Islamabad.

Prison officials in the northwestern city

of Peshawar said they are keeping Afridi in solitary confinement and will not allow him to have visitors nor speak to anyone by telephone as punishment for a media interview he gave in September. “After the interview in which Dr Shakil Afridi levelled serious allegations against the country’s top spy agency, the prison authorities barred his family members and lawyers from meeting him,” said a prison official, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media. “In protest, Dr Shakil has begun a hunger strike for an indefinite

period.” An investigation following the September interview found that Afridi had bribed guards to use their cell phones to speak to journalists, family and friends, making a total of 58 calls, prison officials said. Six prison guards have been suspended. US officials have hailed Afridi, aged in his 40s, as a hero for helping pinpoint bin Laden’s location before the May 2011 raid that killed the Al-Qaeda leader.

Afridi’s family and lawyers maintain he was not guilty of any wrongdoing. “He is not allowed to meet with us, his brother and other family members. He is a human

being and would definitely be frustrated enough to begin a hunger strike,” said Afridi’s lawyer, Samiullah Afridi. Afridi had been working with the CIA for years before the bin Laden raid, providing intelligence on militant groups in Pakistan’s unruly tribal region. The bin Laden raid was a humiliation for Pakistan’s powerful military and raised questions about whether it was harbouring militants. US President Barack Obama said the AlQaeda leader would have escaped if the United States had sought Pakistan’s permission ahead of the raid. — Reuters

Suicide bomber wounds prominent Pak militant 7 dead in attack

JAFFNA: Sri Lankan police officials clash with university students yesterday. — AFP

Tamils demand army pullout after Lanka clashes COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s main Tamil party yesterday demanded troops be withdrawn to barracks in the former rebel heartland of Jaffna after the worst ethnic violence since the end of the island’s decades-long civil war. About 20 students were wounded, seven of whom needed hospital treatment, in clashes with security forces at Jaffna University on Wednesday, underscoring the tensions in the region despite the end of the conflict in May 2009.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) lawmaker for the Jaffna district accused security forces of triggering the unrest by storming the university on Tuesday to thwart a planned commemoration for defeated Tamil Tiger guerrillas.

“Their action provoked a demonstration on Wednesday and then the police and the army moved in to break it up,” Eswarapatham Saravanapavan told AFP. “We have always wanted demilitarisation of Jaffna. After this incident what we say is that they must at least confine themselves to their barracks as a first step,” Saravanapavan said. The vast majority of the students at the university are ethnic Tamils who make up around 12 percent of Sri Lanka’s 20 million population.

The military, which is almost entirely composed of ethnic Sinhalese, crushed the Tamil Tigers more than three years ago in a bloody showdown which has drawn accusations by the international community of war crimes. According to the military, the students had been planning an “illegal” commemoration of the Tigers-a guerrilla movement notorious for its suicide attacks.

However, a military spokesman denied that soldiers had taken anything more than a support role in police action at the university on Tuesday evening when pro-Tiger posters and leaflets were confiscated. In the aftermath of the raid, the students organised a protest on Wednesday at the university where soldiers stood alongside police.

“The army was asked to stand by to assist the police in crowd control,” military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya told AFP. “There were a very small crowd and no need for the army to deploy.” There have been international calls to demilitarise Jaffna, 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of Colombo, and ease restrictions on civilians. Jaffna, the cultural capital of the island’s Tamil minority, was once run as a de-facto separate state by the Tigers. Tigers had led a guerrilla war for an independent Tamil homeland since 1972 in a campaign that claimed more than 100,000 lives, according to UN estimates. The military spokesman said Wednesday’s student agitation had been provoked by local politicians to disrupt what he called cordial ties between the security forces and the local residents. —AFP

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A suicide bomber yesterday attacked a prominent Pakistani militant commander in the country’s northwest who is believed to have a nonaggression pact with the army, wounding him and killing seven people, officials said. A few hours later, a US drone fired a pair of missiles at a house several kilometers (miles) from the bombing site, killing three suspected militants, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

The suicide bomber attacked Maulvi Nazir in Wana, the main town in the South Waziristan tribal area, as he was arriving at an office he uses to meet with locals and hear their complaints, said the commander’s spokesman, Maulana Ameer Nawaz. Nazir was not critically wounded, said Nawaz. Nazir was one of over a dozen people wounded in the attack, said Pakistani intelligence officials and a local government administrator, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. They initially reported that three people died, but later raised the number to seven after some of the critically injured died of their wounds.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, which has been waging a bloody insurgency against the government for the past several years and has jockeyed with Nazir for power in South Waziristan. The tribal area was the Pakistani Taliban’s main sanctuary until the army launched a large ground offensive in 2009 and pushed many of them out.

Nazir is widely believed to have cut a deal with the army ahead of the offensive that allowed him to stay in South Waziristan as long as he remained on the sidelines. The militant commander has in the past focused his fight against US-led forces in Afghanistan, not against the Pakistani state. Nazir had been running a secret campaign in recent weeks to push the Pakistani Taleban and foreign militants allied with them out of Wana and the surrounding areas, said intelligence officials. Nawaz, the militant commander’s spokesman, said the suicide bomber who attacked Nazir appeared to be a 15- or 16-year-old boy. “The moment

WANA: In this photograph taken on April 20, 2007, Pakistani warlord Mullah Nazir (center) talks to media representatives during a press conference in Wana, the main town in South Waziristan tribal district. — AFP the chief got out of his vehicle, the boy ran toward him and detonated his explosives,” Nawaz told The Associated Press by telephone. Yar Mohammad, a resident of Wana who witnessed the attack, said the blast was huge. “I’m seeing smoke everywhere,” he said.

Nazir’s fighters retaliated after the attack by killing two Pakistani Talebanmilitants in the main market in Wana, said intelligence officials. There were also reports of Nazir’s fighters attacking Pakistani Taleban militants in the nearby village of Kari Kot, they said.

The house that was hit by a US missile strike later yesterday was located in Sheen Warsak, another village near Wana, said intelligence officials. The identities of the suspected militants who were killed were not clear, said the officials.

The US does not normally comment publicly about CIA drone attacks in Pakistan, but American officials have privately said that the strikes have killed senior Taleban and AlQaeda leaders and are a key counterterrorism tool. — AP

16

International FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

N Korea replaces defense minister N Korea speculation overshadows S Korean rocket

MONYWA: A severely burnt Buddhist monk receives treatment at a hospital after police fired water cannon and gas during a pre-dawn crackdown on villagers and monks protesting against a Chinese-backed copper mine yesterday. — AFP

Myanmar police break up copper mine protest YANGON: Myanmar police fired water cannon and tear gas at protesters against a Chinese-backed copper mine yesterday, the government said, injuring dozens in a crackdown hours before Aung San Suu Kyi visited the area. The demonstration was the latest example of long-oppressed Myanmar citizens testing the limits of their new freedoms after the end last year of decades of authoritarian junta rule that saw protests routinely stamped out.

Demonstrators, who say farmers have been evicted to make way for the mine near the town of Monywa in northern Myanmar, recounted being shaken from their sleep in the early hours of the morning as police moved in to disperse them. Several monks were arrested and around 30 others “suffered burns to their body”, a monk called Yaywata, who goes by one name, told AFP. It was unclear exactly what kind of device caused the burns.

President Thein Sein’s office said in a statement that water cannon, tear gas and smoke bombs were used against the protesters, but a spokesman denied allegations by local media that a form of chemical weapon had been deployed. “It’s not true at all that chemical weapons were used in the crackdown,” Nyan Tun, a director of the presidential office, told AFP. As criticism of the police mounted, opposition leader Suu Kyi arrived in the area where she met officials from the Chinese mine operator Wanbao near the scene of the crackdown and later delivered a speech linked to the dispute. In her public address, Suu Kyi “promised to try her best to find a peaceful solution” to the mine row and to look into how the crackdown happened, according to her spokesman Ohn Kyaing. Villagers, monks and students had been warned to vacate protest camps near the mine-a joint venture between Wanbao and military-owned Myanmar Economic Holdings-by Tuesday, but had vowed to defy authorities. The government is being closely watched, with activists warning that the use of junta-style security tactics could undermine Myanmar’s reform process.

“These kind of old habit solutions should not happen,” said Kyaw Min Yu, a member of the ‘88 Generation movement, born during huge student-led demonstrations in 1988. “The government should be more patient in this transition period. If it (violence) is again used in the future, we cannot continue forward.”

Protesters are demanding work is stopped until environmental and social impact studies are carried out. During a September protest activists said 8,000 acres (3,200 hectares) of land had been confiscated from local farmers without consultation, and in some cases without compensation. Chinese-backed projects to tap Myanmar’s abundant natural resources have sparked resentment among residents, who have been testing the new reformist government’s proclaimed tolerance of freedom of expression.

An editorial in Chinese state newspaper Global Times said the protesters were standing in the way of development. “It will be a lose-lose situation for China and Myanmar if the project is halted,” the editorial said. The mine demonstration echoes fierce opposition to a Chinese-backed mega-dam which saw Thein Sein order the scheme’s suspension last year in response to public anger. The former general’s government earlier this year approved a bill allowing authorised peaceful protests but demonstrators must seek permission five days in advance. Several demonstrators in Yangon were charged Tuesday with defaming the state after they called for a halt to the project. —AFP

SEOUL: North Korea has replaced its defense minister with a hardline military commander believed responsible for deadly attacks on South Korea in 2010, diplomats in Pyongyang said yesterday.

It is the latest in a series of high-profile appointments leader Kim Jong Un has made since he took power nearly a year ago. Diplomats in Pyongyang told the Associated Press that they were informed that Kim Jong Gak had been replaced as armed forces minister by Kim Kyok Sik, commander of the battalions linked to two deadly attacks in 2010 blamed on North Korea.

The diplomats declined to be named, saying they had not been cleared to discuss the matter with the media. South Korean officials said they also received similar information about the North Korean personnel changes but gave no further details. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing government protocol.

The move comes amid speculation that North Korea may be preparing a long-range rocket launch. An April launch that broke apart after liftoff drew UN condemnation and deepened animosity between the Koreas. North Korea says its launches are meant to put a satellite into orbit. Analysts say Kim Jong Un aims to use the personnel change to bolster his grip on the 1.2 million-member military, which forms the backbone of his rule over the country.

Kim Jong Un is trying to put his stamp on the military by building loyalty with troops and also by creating tension among generals through personnel changes, said Baek Seung-joo, an analyst at the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses in Seoul. The appointment of a hawkish general could also mean North Korea wants to show a tough face to Washington and Seoul, said analyst Hong Hyun-ik at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea.

The new defense minister, Kim Kyok Sik, formerly served as North Korea’s mil-

SEOUL: People watch a TV broadcasting a report about the cancellation of a launch of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 yesterday. — AP itary chief and as commander of the units blamed in the 2010 attacks. North Korea acknowledges an artillery bombardment of a South Korean island that killed four South Koreans but denies any role in an explosion that sank a South Korean warship that year, killing 46.

Kim is North Korea’s third defense minister since Kim Jong Un took power after his father Kim Jong Il’s death in December. Previous defense chief Kim Jong Gak had been considered a trusted aide of Kim Jong Un. He was made a vice marshal in February and appointed defense minister in April. He was also one of seven men accompanying Kim Jong Un as he walked alongside a limousine bearing Kim Jong Il’s coffin during his December funeral.

It’s not the first time Kim Jong Un has made high-level personnel appointments. In July, Kim dismissed military chief Ri Yong Ho, who was seen as one of his key mentors, and named little-

known vice marshal Hyon Yong Chol as his new General Staff chief. In April, Kim also reshuffled top Workers’ Party posts by taking on top party posts held by his father and giving other high-level posts to close associates. In recent months, North Korea has also reshuffled top Cabinet members such as the ministers of sports, electronics industry and agriculture, according to Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency.

In another development, South Korea yesterday scrapped an attempt to fire its first satellite into orbit from its own soil amid speculation that North Korea was preparing to fire its own longrange rocket. Scientists in South Korea cited technical problems with the rocket’s flight control system. It’s the second time in a month that Seoul has been forced to cancel a launch at the last minute as it attempts to join an elite group of nations that have launched satellites from their own land. —AP

Chinese police to board vessels in disputed seas BEIJING: Police in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan will board and search ships which enter into what China considers its territorial waters in the disputed South China Sea, state media said yesterday, a move likely to add to tensions. The South China Sea is Asia’s biggest potential military trouble spot with several Asian countries claiming sovereignty. New rules, which come into effect on January 1, will allow Hainan police to board and seize control of foreign ships which “illegally enter” Chinese waters and order them to change course or stop sailing, the official China Daily reported.

“Activities such as entering the island province’s waters without permission, damaging coastal defence facilities and engaging in publicity that threatens national security are illegal,” the English-language newspaper said. “If foreign ships or crew members violate regulations, Hainan police have the right to take over the ships or their communication systems, under the revised regulations,” it added.

The Philippines, which also has claims to parts of the South China Sea, said the move could violate international maritime laws allowing the right of passage and accused Beijing of trying to escalate tension in the area.

“That cannot be. That’s a violation of the international passage (rights),” Marine Lieutenant-General Juancho Sabban, commander of military forces in the western Philippines, which covers the contested area. “That’s too much. While we are exerting all peaceful means, that is what they are doing.” Raul Hernandez, a spokesman for the Philippines’ foreign ministry, was more circumspect, saying the government was still checking the reports. “If it is true, it will pose a concern to the Philippines and the international community,” he added.

China’s assertion of sovereignty over the stretch of water off its south coast and to the east of mainland Southeast Asia has set it directly against Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also lay claim to parts. —Reuters

International FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

NJ spruce lights up as Rockefeller Center tree NEW YORK: An 80-foot Norway spruce that made it through Superstorm Sandy was transformed into a beacon of shimmering glory Wednesday when New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and others turned its lights on at Rockefeller Center. Thousands of onlookers crowded behind barricades on the streets that surrounded the center during the traditional tree-lighting ceremony for the Christmas holiday season. A video screen projected an image of the tree for those who did not have a direct line of sight.

“It makes me want to sing and dance,” said Zuri Young, who came several hours early with her boyfriend to watch the lighting for the first time. “I’ve heard a lot about it. I was kind of sick of staying home and watching it on television,” the 19-year-old nursing student from Queens said. Illuminated by more than 30,000 lights, the tree from the Mount Olive, NJ, home of Joe Balku was topped by a Swarovski star. The 10ton tree had been at the homestead for years, measuring about 22-feet tall in 1973 when Balku

bought the house. Wednesday, its girth reached about 50 feet in diameter.

“It’s an experience that I cannot get back home,” said Freyja Shairp, a 22-year-old from Sydney, Australia, who is working in the US temporarily. She said she hadn’t planned to come, but was in the neighborhood. Standing next to her was Donna D’Agostino, 48, and her 17-yearold daughter. She said she lived in New York City her whole life and decided this was the year she was going to see the lighting. “It’s a bucket list item,” said D’Agostino. “I think it starts the whole season.”

Balku lost power and other trees during the Oct. 29 storm at his residence about an hour outside of Manhattan. The spruce survived, and Erik Pauze, the head gardener at Tishman Speyer, one of the owners of Rockefeller Center, picked out the tree. He said he found it by accident when he got lost while returning to the city on a tree hunting expedition. “It wasn’t even on our list. It was a good find,” Pauze said.—AP

Prez Obama has Romney to lunch WASHINGTON: Bitter campaign foes just weeks ago, President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are sharing lunch at the White House with an eye on overlapping interests rather than the sharp differences that defined their presidential contest. In their first meeting since the election, Obama and the Republican nominee are to meet in the White House’s private dining room Thursday, fulfilling a promise Obama made in his victory speech the night of Nov 6.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama had no specific agenda for the meeting, but he said the president would like to discuss Romney’s ideas for making government more efficient. Obama has proposed merging some functions of government related to business and has asked Congress for authority to undertake some executive branch reorganization.

“The president noted that Gov Romney did a terrific job running the Olympics and that that skills set lends itself to ideas that could make the federal government work better, which is a passion of the president’s,” Carney said. Obama aides said they reached out to Romney’s team shortly before Thanksgiving to start working on a date for the meeting. The two men will meet alone in the White House’s private dining room, with no press coverage expected.—AP

WASHINGTON: First lady Michelle Obama shows the lollipop she decorated during a holiday decoration preview at the White House, Wednesday, Nov 28, 2012. Obama joined school children as they decorated holiday treats. — AP

NEW YORK: The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is lit during the 80th annual tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center. — AP

Rice feels the heat in Washington firestorm Playing politics with Kerry’s seat?

WASHINGTON: Any hopes Susan Rice has of running US diplomacy are now hostage to the power games, longnursed grievances and hard-nosed ambitions of the big beasts of Washington politics. Rice, a possible pick for President Barack Obama’s next secretary of state, is becoming a scapegoat for the attack by extremists on the US consulate in Benghazi that killed US ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens.

Her plight shows how quickly polished reputations can be shredded in Washington and Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, must rue the day she drew the short straw of responding to Benghazi on Sunday political talk shows. She said on September 16 that the attack was a “spontaneous” reaction to an anti-Muslim video, using CIA talking points she now admits were wrong. Extremists linked to Al-Qaeda are now blamed for the attack.

While Obama, basking in his re-election win, may be safe from Republican attacks, Rice’s luck may have run out because she is simply the most obvious, vulnerable target close to him.

Smarting Republicans were always going to look to check Obama’s replenished power: depriving him of hiring a cherished lieutenant to lead the State Department would be a good start. Senior aides say Obama has yet to tip his hand on who he will pick to succeed Hillary Clinton. Senator John Kerry is also in the mix.

In a bid to quell the firestorm threatening any nomination, Rice has met her main accusers, including senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte and other key Republicans. But instead of ending the row, she seems to have ignited a backdraft. Those close to Rice insist senators are ignoring clear evidence by suggesting that she had a political motive in covering up the terrorist nature of the attack several weeks before the presidential election.

But McCain said he was “significantly troubled” by Rice’s answers and would be hard pressed to support her if Obama chose to promote her. White House spokesman Jay Carney Wednesday complained about a “sideshow” that had nothing to do with what happened in Benghazi, the focus of two government probes. But Rice absorbed another damaging blow when moderate Republican Susan Collins said on Wednesday that even she needed more information on Rice’s role before she could vote to confirm her.

While Rice’s critics may be sincere in their disquiet over Benghazi, politics may also be at play. McCain, a perennial political street fighter, seems still to be coming to terms with his 2008 defeat to Obama and has been a thorn in the president’s side on national security issues, including Syria.

Graham, another foreign policy critic, predicted in 2011 that Iraq would “go to hell” after the president withdrew troops and told Obama he “failed as commander in chief” over Benghazi.

He may also gain from clashing with Obama, as he seeks to avoid a primary challenge from an ultra-conservative “tea party” Republican in 2014 and his campaign website links to his media hits on Benghazi. Obama seems to scent bullying of Rice and warned earlier this month that “if Senator McCain and Senator Graham and others want to go after somebody, they should go after me.”

Senator Ayotte, a rookie often tipped for higher things, wants to build foreign policy spurs and the reflected glow of the McCain and Graham spotlight is a good place to start.

Rice, who would be the second female African American secretary of state, may also not be blameless, and could be paying the price for her sharp attacks on McCain when she was an Obama campaign aide.

There have long been whispers that her whip smart intellect is matched by an abrasive personality and she may have left herself too little wiggle room in her Sunday show performances. But Rice has the most important currency in Washington-support from the president, who described her as “extraordinary” on Wednesday.

Rice risked sidelining a brilliant career when she backed then unknown Obama over Democratic favorite Hillary Clinton in 2007. Bill Clinton had ignited Rice’s rise and made her assistant secretary of state for Africa in 1997. So how does the Rice row unfold? Obama’s vehement defense of Rice seems to have boxed him in: if he decides now on someone else, he will be seen as caving to Republican pressure. But choosing Rice would pour oil on the row over Benghazi, as he tries to broker a compromise with Republicans over a budget and debt showdown. Rice’s situation is also raising new questions about the White House’s often shifting communications strategy after Benghazi.

Her television appearances dragged a supposedly apolitical official into the heat of the final days of a bitter election campaign when a campaign flack may have been a better choice. Democrats will have 55 seats in the new Senate that is seated in January, so Obama would only need to win over five Republican senators to overcome a Republican filibuster. But senators like Collins would be crucial. In one final twist to this Washington drama, the person who would preside over her nomination hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would be none other than her potential rival: Kerry. — AFP

International FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Family learns of student’s death on Facebook ATLANTA: The parents of a south Georgia college student first learned from Facebook that their daughter had been found dead in a dormitory study room shortly before Thanksgiving. Now, they hope that Facebook and other social media sites can help solve the death of 17-year-old Jasmine Benjamin, which police are investigating as a homicide. The Valdosta State University freshman was found unresponsive on a study room couch on Nov 18.

A family friend forwarded the Facebook post about the teen’s death to her parents before they were officially notified by authorities, said A. Thomas Stubbs, an attorney for the victim’s mother, Judith Brogdon, and her stepfather, James Jackson. But many questions remain unanswered about how she died. The family has hired a private investigator, and a new Facebook site has been set up in hopes that students and others might share tips. While some Facebook comments have already been turned over to law enforcement officers, the family hopes friends, classmates or others who noticed suspicious comments will also alert authorities.

“Anything that reveals a little more information than what’s publicly known about her death, those are the kind of comments police are looking for as someone who might warrant a closer examination,” Stubbs said. Also of interest are “unusual comments or unusually timed comments about her death,” he said. Police detectives have canvassed dormitories and interviewed several students on the campus, located about 250 miles south of the family’s home in Gwinnett County, outside Atlanta.

Benjamin wanted to follow the career path of her mother and become a nurse. Police say they’re treating the case as a homicide, though autopsy results are not complete and they can’t say for certain whether she was killed. There were no obvious signs of a crime when her body was found, but an autopsy raised questions, authorities have said. “We’re providing what resources are necessary to assist Valdosta State University police in solving this crime,” Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesman John Bankhead said. “The crime lab is expediting evidence from this incident.”—AP

Mexican models, gangsters do the catwalk and perp walk Lethal nexus between beauty and power CULIACAN: They are tall and slender beauty queens who sometimes fall into the arms of rich and ruthless Mexican drug traffickers.

Some have gone from the glorifying catwalk to the humiliating perp walk. But for Maria Susana Flores Gamez, Woman of Sinaloa 2012, it was a case of fatal attraction. The 22year-old brunette was killed in a gunfight between a suspected drug gang and soldiers in the northwestern state of Sinaloa last weekend. Flores was riding in a car with suspected gang members, including her boyfriend, when the group engaged in a running gun battle with troops.

Four civilians, including Flores, and a soldier were killed in the shootout. The troops reported that the model had come out of the car with a weapon in her hand but that she appeared to have been used as “a human shield,” according to an official in the prosecutor’s office. Authorities suspect that the group was a cell working for the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, led by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, Mexico’s most wanted man, himself married to a beauty queen.

People in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa, claim to have the most beautiful women of Mexico, reputed to be tall women with tough characters. But some end up in relationships with drug traffickers who lavish them with expensive designer clothes, high heels and diamonds. Gangsters “always want to be accompanied by beautiful women, and they transform them to their taste with plastic surgery,” Elmer Mendoza, a Sinaloa native who writes novels about drug cartels, told AFP. In 2007, six years after he escaped from jail in a laundry basket, Guzman married 18year-old Emma Coronel Aispuro, whom he helped win a pageant at a local fair in the neighboring state of Durango. Coronel

reportedly gave birth to twin girls in California in August 2011 but was not arrested. The case of Laura Zuniga, the winner of the Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa pageant in 2008, inspired the 2011 film “Miss Bala” (“Miss Bullet”), the story of an aspiring beauty queen who is forced into the shady world of drug gangs.

In real life, Zuniga was arrested in December 2008 in the western state of Jalisco along with seven suspected Juarez cartel members. She was later exonerated. In 2011, Colombian model Juliana Sossa Toro was detained along with her boyfriend, suspected Mexican drug trafficker Jose Jorge Balderas, in Mexico City. She was later released. Balderas was accused of shooting former Paraguay football player Salvador Cabanas in a Mexico City bar in 2010.

The nexus between Sinaloa’s beautiful women and powerful gangsters dates back decades. In one of the oldest cases, Kenya Kemmermand Bastidas, “Senorita Sinaloa 1958,” was found dead in Sicily six years after winning the pageant. She was married to Vittorio Giancana, the nephew of an ItalianAmerican mafia capo. In 1990, drug lord Francisco Arellano Felix kidnapped 18-yearold Carmen Lizarraga to prevent the queen of Mazatlan Carnival from marrying a rival.

Three years later, Arellano was arrested and sent to a maximum-security prison. He was released in 2008. Jose Carlos Ceniceros, coauthor of the book “Las Jefas del Narco” (“The Women Narco Chiefs”), said the dangerous world of drug trafficking can be a potent attraction to women with little economic opportunities. “It’s not only about money. It’s also about power,” he said. “There are female hitmen, for example, who may not be as pretty as the pageant contestants.” “They get

used to a life of luxury and take risks, assuming they will die soon, but they want that fleeting moment of glory.” — AFP

CULIACAN: Mexican Maria Susana Flores Gamez poses during a visit to El Debate newspaper in this file photo. — AFP

Daunting drug battle casts shadow on Mexican leader MEXICO CITY: Incoming president Enrique Pena Nieto will inherit two Mexicos when he takes office tomorrow: One basking in economic growth, and another bogged down by a drug war that has killed 60,000 people. Pena Nieto’s inauguration will mark the return of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which ruled Mexico with an iron fist for 71 years until it lost the presidency in 2000.

Outgoing President Felipe Calderon is handing off Latin America’s second biggest economy, buoyed by a manufacturing surge, but his six-year term will be mostly remembered for the military offensive against powerful drug cartels.

While 25 of the 37 most wanted drug lords were captured or killed, gangland gunfights, decapitations and kidnappings have surged since 2006, with the murder rate almost tripling to 24 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. Calderon deployed 50,000 troops to crack down on criminal groups such as the Sinaloa, Zetas and Gulf cartels, but analysts say the strategy backfired as the captures generated more street fights for control of US smuggling routes.

Pena Nieto, who visited President Barack Obama on Tuesday, has vowed

to continue the anti-drug cooperation with the United States but he signaled in a Washington Post column that “the strategy must necessarily change.” The 46-year-old lawyer also told Time magazine that the marijuana legalization votes in the states of Colorado and Washington “opens a space for a rethinking of our (drug war) policy.”

The former Mexico state governorwho will be sworn in under tight security with metal fences surrounding the congress-says his priority will be to significantly reduce the high levels of violence plaguing Mexicans. “This will not happen overnight. But the majority of people expect this improvement,” Jose Antonio Crespo, a political sci-

ATLACOMULCO: Mexican presidential candidate for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), Enrique Pena Nieto, waves to supporters during a rally. — AFP

ence professor at the Economic Investigation and Studies Center, told AFP. “It is not clear, from what he has said, how he is going to do it,” Crespo said.

Pena Nieto says he wants to boost the ranks of the federal police and move the scandal-plagued force under the interior ministry, getting rid of the public security ministry created

by Calderon’s predecessor Vicente Fox. Calderon had already increased the federal police force sixfold from 6,000 to 36,000 officers, hoping to make it the tip of the spear against cartels, but some officers have faced accusations of bring in cohoots with gangs.

Though Calderon can point to the capture of several top capos, his troops have yet to catch the biggest fish on this most-wanted list: Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who escaped prison more than a decade ago. “The result of the anti-drug strategy is quite negative,” Crespo said, noting that in addition to the violence, “institutions remain weak and while the cartels took a hit, they expanded their activities.”

The United States is providing equipment, including Blackhawk helicopters, and police training to help

Mexico improve law enforcement under the $1.6 billion Merida Initiative.

US Vice President Joe Biden will head the American delegation attending Pena Nieto’s inauguration.

While Pena Nieto has vowed to battle corruption, the new president must prove he will indeed be an agent of change even though he hails from the PRI, which clung to power for most of the 20th century with authoritarian tactics. Pena Nieto will mark the return of the PRI to the presidency, 12 years after its historic defeat against Vicente Fox of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), who was succeeded by fellow PAN member Calderon.

The second-place finisher in the July 1 election, leftist leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, charged that the PRI bought votes to secure victory.

But the electoral tribunal threw out his claim. Pena Nieto wants to shift the attention to economic matters to consolidate gains that led to 3.9 percent growth last year, beating Latin American powerhouse Brazil. He also hopes to enact structural reforms to improve competitiveness, open the energy sector to more private investments and deepen economic integration with the United States and Canada. — AFP

Business FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Cash crisis, Arab ferment threaten Jordan stability

India government bows to pressure PAGE 20

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SEOUL: This handout pictures show the new digital camera ‘Galaxy Camera’. Samsung Electronics yesterday launched a new Internet-connected camera in South Korea, as the electronics giant intensifies efforts to expand its dominance in the mobile phone market to other sectors. — AFP

Samsung launches ‘Galaxy’ camera Internet-connected, Android camera unveiled SEOUL: Samsung Electronics yesterday launched a new Internet-connected camera in South Korea, as the electronics giant intensifies efforts to expand its dominance in the mobile phone market to other sectors. The “Galaxy” camera, named after the Korean firm’s signature smartphone and tablet PC series, enables users to upload photos and videos directly to the Internet without having to hook it up to a computer.

The camera, launched earlier this year in countries in Europe, North America and elsewhere in Asia, is not Samsung’s first Internetconnected camera. Samsung is taking aim at its Japanese rivals with the Android-powered digital camera which allows users to swiftly and wirelessly upload pictures to social networking sites. The Galaxy camera lets users connect to a mobile network or Wi-Fi to share photographs and video without having to hook up the camera to a computer.

While it’s not the first to the market, Samsung’s financial and marketing clout suggest it could be the biggest threat to Japanese domination of a digital camera industry which research firm Lucintel sees growing to $46 billion by 2017 and where big brands include Canon Inc, Sony Corp, Panasonic Corp, Nikon Corp and Olympus Corp. “Samsung has a tough row to hoe against the likes of Canon and Nikon in the camera brand equity landscape,” said Liz Cutting, senior imaging analyst at research firm NPD Group. “Yet as a brand known more

in the connected electronic device arena, Samsung has a unique opportunity to transfer strength from adjacent categories into the dedicated camera world.”

The Korean group, battling for mobile gadget supremacy against Apple Inc, is already a global market leader in televisions, smartphones and memory chips. Samsung last year brought its camera and digital imaging business - one of its smallest - under the supervision of JK Shin, who heads a mobile business that generated 70 percent of Samsung’s $7.4 billion third-quarter profit.

“Our camera business is quickly evolving ... and I think it will be able to set a new landmark for Samsung,” Shin said on Thursday at a launch event in Seoul. “The product will open a new chapter in communications - visual communications,” he said, noting good reviews for the Samsung Galaxy camera which went on sale in Europe and the United States earlier this month.

AIMING AT ‘PRO-SUMERS’ The Galaxy camera, which sells in the United States for $499.99 through AT&T with various monthly data plans, features a 4.8inch (12.2 cm) LCD touchscreen and a 21x optical zoom lens. Users can send photos instantly to other mobile devices via a 4G network, access the Internet, email and social network sites, edit photos and play games.

The easy-to-use camera, and the quality of the pictures, is aimed at mid-market ‘pro-sumers’

- not quite professional photographers but those who don’t mind paying a premium for user options not yet available on a smartphone - such as an optical, rather than digital, zoom, better flash, and image stabilization.

The appeal of high picture quality cameras with wireless connection has grown as social media services such as Facebook Inc drive a boom in rapid shoot-and-share photos. “At a price point higher than some entry-level interchangeable-lens cameras, the Galaxy camera should appeal to a consumer willing to pay an initial and ongoing premium for

24/7 creative interactivity,” said Cutting.

Traditional digital camera makers are responding.

Canon, considered a leader in profitability in corporate Japan with its aggressive cost cutting, saw its compact camera sales eroded in the most recent quarter by smartphones, and has just introduced its first mirrorless camera to tap into a growing market for small, interchangeable-lens cameras that rival Nikon entered last year. Nikon has also recently introduced an Android-embedded Wi-Fi only camera. — Reuters

Italy, China ink deals worth $1.27 billion ROME: Italian and Chinese firms signed deals worth $1.27 billion (984 million euros) on Wednesday in Rome at talks attended by Prime Minister Mario Monti and senior Chinese politician Jia Qinglin. The six deals included agreements between Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and Italian Internet provider Fastweb for $557 million and between China Everbright and Chineseowned Italy-based yacht company Ferretti for $480 million.

“These agreements show that many sectors of the Italian economy can attract foreign investors, raising the growth potential

of the country and expanding its international exchanges,” Monti was quoted as saying in a statement. Jia is chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top advisory body. Monti has been seeking to raise Italy’s status among international investors. After a visit to Qatar earlier this month, Italy and Qatar set up a two-billion-euro joint venture for making investments in Italy. The two countries are set to sign another deal soon for a one-billion-euro fund for small and medium-sized enterprises, the government said. — AFP

Business FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Cash crisis, Arab ferment threaten Jordan stability Soaring energy and food costs force recourse to IMF AMMAN: Violent protests that shocked Jordan this month have mostly subsided, but unprecedented chants for the “fall of the regime” suggested a deeper malaise in a kingdom so far spared the revolts reshaping the Arab world. Anger over fuel subsidy cuts undoubtedly drove the unrest, in which police shot dead one man during a confrontation at a police station. The government’s planned electricity price rises starting next year may well ignite more popular fury.

King Abdullah has made some constitutional reforms and his counselors say turnout at a parliamentary poll in January will test public support for the pace of political change amid an acute financial crisis that has forced Jordan to go to the IMF. However, the model that has kept Jordan relatively stable for decades is cracking, nowhere more so than in the tribal East Bank provinces long seen as the bedrock of support for the Hashemite monarchy installed here

by Britain in 1921.

The formula reinforced after the 1970 civil war between the army and Palestinian guerrillas - a defining national trauma now airbrushed from public discourse - broadly gives East Bankers jobs in the army, police, security services and bureaucracy. Jordan’s Palestinian-origin majority dominates private enterprise, but does not play a commensurate political role, in part because electoral gerrymandering curbs its voting power. Although the fissure between the two communities is blurred by inter-marriage, long co-existence and, at least among the elite, business ties, it is likely to haunt Jordan as long as the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains unresolved.

Jordanians of all stripes are fearful of the insecurity that stalks their neighbors, but the money that kept discontent in check across a fragmented society is simply no longer there. An influx of 240,000 refugees from the Syrian conflict next door has further strained the resources of a country of seven million that has almost no oil and precious little water. “Reform is genuinely difficult because you need to change the economic as well as the political rules,” said a European diplomat. “In the past the tribes gave their support in return for jobs and money. Now that this is no longer affordable, they are shouting things like ‘We won’t pay for your corruption’.” Palestinians, while also hard hit by the austerity measures, have mostly laid low to avoid political flak.

DISGRUNTLED TRIBESMEN In Kerak, a tribal hilltop town caught up in price protests earlier this month, morose shopkeepers await customers in the narrow market streets below the imposing Crusader citadel. “Everyone who feels the pinch should go out in the street to express his views peacefully,” said Hani Herzallah, 41, a barber with four children. He said he had

joined the protests against fuel price rises that included a 54 percent increase in the cost of gas cylinders most Jordanians use for cooking and heating.

At a shop selling live chickens from wire cages, Tahseen Al-Tanashat, 64, said he had just drawn his 200 dinar ($280) pension, but only had 50 dinars left after paying his bills.

Tanashat, on a state pension since he retired as a guard 31 years ago, said two of his three sons were soldiers. “I just want my 19-year-old still at home to get a job in the army.” For all their complaints, Kerak, 90 km south of Amman, has been lavished with state funds, thanks perhaps to powerful Majali and Tarawneh tribal figures who have occupied top positions in the government and military for decades. An illuminated four-lane highway leads to the town of 65,000, passing a power station and an industrial zone that is far from bustling. Kerak boasts a major university, a new public hospital along with training colleges, and a palace of justice.

But jobs are scarce. A government hiring freeze is meant to alleviate the

public sector pay and pension burden on a state treasury long reliant on aid from Gulf Arab and Western donors. A US diplomatic cable published by WikiLeaks said Jordan’s “bloated civil service and military patronage system” soaked up 83 percent of the 2010 budget, despite planned spending cuts.

The economy has hit even stormier seas since then. Egypt’s new rulers have sharply reduced cheap gas supplies to Jordan, which imports 97 percent of its energy and which has suddenly had to pay an extra $2.5 billion a year for fuel.

This month’s protests were the most violent of several bouts of unrest in Jordan since Arab uprisings erupted nearly two years ago and toppled autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Those in Kerak and other East Bank towns were organized by local opposition movements known collectively as Hirak, whose grievances focus on corruption, poor services and unemployment.

They also resent privatization and other market reforms intended to reduce state spending - from which they benefit. “Hirak is not driven by democracy,

AMMAN: Jordanian protesters burn an identity card to encourage citizens to boycott the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections in front of the Al-Hussein mosque in Amman during a rally against rising fuel prices and calling for political and economic reform. — AFP

but by a sense of entitlement,” said Mustafa Hamarneh, a social scientist running for parliament in the provincial town of Madaba. “It has not developed from spontaneous mobilization into a national political movement. It is parochial, with personalized demands.”

EMBOLDENED ISLAMISTS Jordan lacks credible political parties, with the exception of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Islamic Action Front, whose power base is mostly, but not exclusively, urban and Palestinian. In some cities Islamists have developed tentative links with Hirak. The Brotherhood, which has a track record of moderation since its Jordan branch was licensed in 1946, plans to boycott the January election, citing rules it says are meant to keep it from securing the biggest bloc in the 150-seat assembly.

The authorities accuse the Islamists, emboldened by Arab uprisings that led to election wins for their counterparts in Egypt and Tunisia, of fomenting unrest and of refusing to join a reform dialogue launched by King Abdullah in early 2011. “Apparently the Muslim Brotherhood decided they stood to get more gains if they stayed in the streets,” said a senior official source, speaking on condition of anonymity. He acknowledged that the timing of the subsidy cuts, just as winter and an election were approaching, was far from ideal, but said there was no choice because Jordan risked “insolvency”.

In return for a $2 billion standby arrangement agreed in August, the International Monetary Fund wants public sector reform and action on subsidies, including electricity tariffs. Gulf donors such as Saudi Arabia, which rescued Jordan from an earlier crunch point with $1.4 billion a year ago, have held off from giving direct budget support so far this year, though Riyadh and Kuwait have sent $250 million each for projects. Speculation about the reasons ranges from heavy spending by Gulf nations to stave off disaffection at home, concern about corruption in Jordan, and more pressing regional priorities - or even irritation that Amman had factored assumptions about Gulf aid into its IMF presentation without asking the donors first.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar may also want Jordan to be more active in the Syria crisis. “They would essentially like to see Jordan becoming the southern equivalent of Turkey in supporting the Syrian opposition,” said Amman-based analyst Moin Rabbani. “The Jordanians however ... prefer to play a less visible role and exercise it more covertly.” The survival of a vengeful Bashar Al-Assad or a triumph for his Islamist-dominated foes would both pose dangers for Amman. Jordan, valued by the West for its peace treaty with Israel and for its role as a stable buffer in a volatile region, still has an ambassador in Damascus, in line with its usual policy of

walking a careful line between its more powerful neighbours.

TOP-DOWN REFORM When Arab revolts began last year, the king, reigning since his father Hussein died in 1999, renewed a political reform drive opposed by conservatives which he had set aside to focus on economic liberalisation aimed at expanding the middle class. “The results remain disappointing,” wrote Julien Barnes-Dacey in a paper for the European Council on Foreign Relations.

“Despite changes to the constitution, few restrictions have been placed on the king’s direct political authority.”

King Abdullah, who has replaced his cabinet five times in the past two years, can still appoint and dismiss governments, although he has promised to consult parliament on choosing the next prime minister, who must then win a confidence vote. “Parliament must become its own master and not get dissolved by the king in two words,” said Wisam Al-Majali, a Hirak activist in Kerak. “Now if even the best parliament digs deeper on corruption, it is dissolved the next day.”

Another Kerak activist, Moaz AlBatoush, said an empowered parliament would obviate the need for street protests against “stupid” decisions that risked igniting revolutionary demands.

“Some people angered by the price rises reacted by calling for the downfall of the regime,” he said, adding that this had never been a Hirak demand. “There is a crisis of confidence.” The official source defended the reforms, which include creation of an independent electoral commission, saying an overwhelming majority of Jordanians opposed removing powers from a monarch seen as a safeguard amid competing interests.

He said re-drawing electoral boundaries was not easy, given resistance from now over-represented East Bankers - Amman gets only a fifth of seats in parliament, despite being home to roughly half Jordan’s population, many of them Palestinians. The mood is sour among Palestinians in the Hussein refugee camp, now a scruffy built-up neighborhood of the capital. “These price rises have slapped people in the face,” said Abdul-Moneim Abu Aisha, 52, a butcher dragging on a cigarette as he sold small gobbets of meat in a tiny neon-lit shop.

In a market street where stalls piled high with vegetables jut out into the snarled traffic, people said only minor fuel price protests had occurred in the camp. Some voiced suspicion that even these were the work of outside provocateurs. “The Palestinian camps will move only when the Jordanian tribal cities move and when the whole country rises up. If the camps rise up on their own they will be put down brutally,” said a carpenter, who gave his name only as Abu Omar. —Reuters

Business FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

German unemployment slightly higher FRANKFURT: German unemployment rose in November, data showed yesterday, amid signs that Europe’s top economy is increasingly feeling the pinch from the debt crisis, but analysts said the figures were better than expected. In seasonallyadjusted terms, the German jobless total increased by 5,000 to 2.939 million this month, the highest level since August 2011.

Analysts had nevertheless been expecting a much bigger rise of around 15,000 after similar double-digit increases in previous months. And the jobless rate-which measures the number of people claiming dole as a proportion of the working population as a whole-was unchanged at 6.9 percent and therefore close to its record lows, the Federal Labor Agency said in a statement. “The German economy is increasingly feeling the pull of the recession in Europe. Its already shallow growth path is continuing to lose momentum,”

said agency chief Frank-Juergen Weise.

“The labor market has remained comparatively robust so far, but the downturn is increasingly making itself felt.

Employment has practically shown zero growth, while seasonally-adjusted unemployment increased slightly in November,” he said. In raw or unadjusted terms, the total number of people registered as unemployed in Germany slipped by 1,874 to 2.751 million in November and the unadjusted jobless rate was also steady at 6.5 percent, the agency calculated. While the November data suggested that Germany cannot escape the fallout from a crisis that has pushed many of its eurozone partners into recession, the numbers were better than expected, analysts insisted. “Today’s numbers provide further evidence that the labor market is gradually losing steam. However, the lack of qualified employees and still strong labor demand in domestic sectors should make

Gold rises with stocks LONDON: Gold firmed yesterday in line with stocks and other commodities, further retracing the previous day’s sharp fall, as renewed optimism that a deal will be reached to resolve the US fiscal crisis boosted appetite for assets seen as higher risk.

World shares hit three-week highs and commodities rose as comments from a senior US lawmaker raised hopes of a budget deal by year-end to avoid a fiscal crisis in the world’s biggest economy. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner voiced optimism on Wednesday that Republicans could broker a deal with the White House to avoid a $600 billion crunch of spending cuts and tax hikes dubbed the “fiscal cliff”.

The implications of the cliff for gold are unclear. Protracted talks, which could heighten risk aversion, may be positive if they spark buying of the metal as a haven from risk, but in the short term, hopes for a quick resolution are benefiting gold as it keeps pace with stocks. “Gold is being pulled higher on this prevailing optimism over the fiscal cliff,” said Ross Norman, chief executive of bullion dealer Sharps Pixley. “One would expect good news on the fiscal cliff to be gold-negative, but now gold is acting as a risk asset like shares.” Spot gold was up 0.2 percent at $1,723.51 an ounce at 1054 GMT, after tumbling 1.3 percent in the previous session due to a heavy bout of stoploss selling. US gold rose $7.60 an ounce to $1,724.10.

UBS said in a daily market note that despite the selling on Wednesday, it had observed little client appetite to follow the trend, suggesting that gold remained well-supported. “For now... the market moves into contemplative mode, with some participants licking their wounds while others weigh up the pros and cons of going long or short the metal in its aftermath,” it said. “We don’t think anything has materially changed for gold. Essentially the metal is back to where it was trading last week. This is another test of downside buying interest but it also highlights the commitment issues that reside when the market attempts to climb higher.”

Gold prices found good support at $1,720 an ounce earlier, a key retracement of the decline from its October high of $1,795.69 an ounce to its November low at $1,672.24, and the location of its 30-day moving average. “Gold broke below the ascending channel which had been developing since early November (at) 1737/35,” Societe Generale said in a note. “(Key support level) $1,703 is the 61.8 percent retracement of the recovery from 1672 to 1754, as well as the lows of early/midNovember.” Dealers said cheaper gold prices after the technically driven sell-off on Wednesday augured well for increased buying of physical metal. Gold importers in India, the world’s biggest buyer of the metal, sprang back in action, accumulating stocks in small quantities, as prices fell to hit their lowest in nearly two weeks. Holdings of the SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s biggest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, hit a record high for a second consecutive day, underlying buoyant investment interest.—Reuters

the current slowdown a very gradual one,” said ING Belgium economist Carsten Brzeski. “In fact, if the external environment improves quickly, the slowdown could not only turn out to be gradual but also very short-lived,” he said. Berenberg Bank economist Christian Schulz agreed.

“After five months of double-digit increases, the lower figure for November may not break the trend of slowly rising unemployment, but it is a slightly positive signal,” Schulz said. It was in line with a surprise jump in the key Ifo business confidence index in November, pointing to a stabilization of the economy, he said.

“The labor market is usually a lagging indicator and is currently moving sideways.

However, it provides evidence that the German economy is not falling off a cliff and should provide some support for domestic demand,” Schulz said. The expert said some of the most recent data supported his forecast that the German economy

could grow faster again early next year after a weak fourth quarter. “It could even drag the euro-zone as a whole out of recession in spring 2013,” he suggested.

Newedge Strategy analyst Annalisa Piazza also said the data were “less weak than anticipated and show that the effects of the slowing business cycle are still relatively contained in Germany.” Germany has been spared a technical recession so far and a slight contraction in the economy was expected to remain short-lived. As such, companies were reluctant to downsize their workforces as it might be more costly to reverse that once the economy started to pick up again, Piazza said.

Postbank economist Thilo Heidrich said that unemployment in Germany was nevertheless set to rise further in the coming months. “We’re expecting the jobless rate to reach an annual average 6.8 percent this year and then rise to 7.1 percent in 2013,” he predicted.— AFP

US optimism of fiscal deal boosts markets Budget deal hopes lift shares, commodities LONDON: World shares hit a three-week high and commodities gained yesterday on optimism that US political leaders would eventually reach a deal to avoid a fiscal crisis which threatens to derail growth in the world’s biggest economy.

The “fiscal cliff” - automatic spending cuts and tax increases early in 2013 unless Congress agrees an alternative is the biggest risk facing markets in the final weeks of the year after a deal to help Greece was agreed earlier this week.

President Barack Obama and the top Republican in Congress, House Speaker John Boehner, both expressed hopes on Wednesday that a deal could be reached, though other lawmakers have said any solution remains some way off.

The optimistic comments were enough to prompt buying across world equity markets which sent the MSCI global equities index up 0.6 percent to 330.74 points, its highest level since Nov 7. In Europe the FTSE Eurofirst 300 index rose 0.8 percent with gains of between 0.7 and 1.0 percent posted by London’s FTSE 100, Paris’s CAC-40 and Frankfurt’s DAX. “One minute the portents for a deal on the fiscal cliff are negative, the next minute they are positive. This is likely to be the pattern all the way up to the deadline on Jan 1,” said Mike Mason, a senior trader at Sucden Financial Private Clients. US stock index futures also pointed to further gains when Wall St reopens, with the S&P 500 contract up 0.6 percent and adding to gains in the underlying index of 0.8 percent on Wednesday. “Equities are sure to remain volatile and trading subdued until there is any concrete outcome to these negotiations,” Mason said. US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is due to meet with House and Senate leaders from both parties yesterday to keep up pressure for a deal with less than a month left to reach a compromise.

BARCELONA: A woman (right) begs as a tourist take a picture with a man dressed as Santa Claus in Barcelona yesterday. Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos is to hold a joint news conference with OECD secretary general Angel Gurria, after OECD projected this week that Spain’s unemployment rate would reach 27 percent. — AP Demand for Italian debt was also As investors returned to riskier assets, the other side of the coin was a retreat supported by evidence of rising confrom safe-haven German government sumer and business sentiment across bonds, pushing benchmark 10-year the euro zone. The European debt yields up two basis points to 1.39 Commission’s monthly business and percent. The better tone allowed Italy to consumer survey showed yesterday that auction successfully six billion euros morale in the region improved for the ($7.75 billion) of new 5- and 10- year first time in almost a year in November. debt, which was expected to complete Its economic sentiment index rose 1.4 its funding needs for the year. The yield points to 85.7, ending an eight-month on the 10-year bond was 4.45 percent, run of falls. However, the survey also the lowest since November 2010. revealed stagnant investment plans for “Clearly demand is very strong. You next year, dampening any hope of a could almost say flamboyant,” said quick recovery from recession, while Michael Leister, interest rate strategist at German data showed unemployment Commerzbank in London. “The hunt for rising for an eighth month running in yield continues and the market seems November.

After all the data, the euro was still very happy to leave Greece and other question markets like Spain and the US up 0.3 percent at $1.2990, as the hopes fiscal cliff aside and look at the glass for a US fiscal deal supported the common currency. — Reuters almost full, not even half full.”

Business FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Oversupply to depress crude prices High production, inventories weigh on oil prices LONDON: Oil prices are expected to fall slightly over the next year as high production feeds softening demand at a time of slowing global economic growth, a Reuters poll shows. Reuters’ monthly oil price survey of 29 analysts forecasts North Sea Brent crude oil will average $107.50 per barrel in 2013, down $1.30 from the forecast in the October poll and compared with an average of around $111.90 so far in 2012.

Five analysts now expect Brent to average less than $100 in 2013, compared with three in last month’s poll.

Only three analysts forecast Brent will average more than $115 next year, compared with five analysts last month. “We are notably bearish on the near term oil price environment given that we see a fundamental oversupply of oil,” said Raymond James analyst Praveen Narra, who has the lowest

2013 Brent price forecast of $80 per barrel in the poll. Gain Capital Group analyst Chris Tevere is also bearish: “Our overriding outlook continues to foresee slowing global growth (which) consequently should persist in undermining (oil) demand,” Tevere said.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has cut its outlook for global growth, reducing its forecast for 2013 to 3.4 percent from 4.2 percent, saying the euro zone debt crisis was a serious threat to the world economy.

Expectations of slowing growth have led many analysts to trim their oil price projections, although most institutions are less bearish than Narra at Raymond James. “Our analysis of supply and demand in 2013 suggests the oil market will be in comfortable surplus next year (barring an unforeseen disruption to sup-

ply) and thus we expect prices to fall back,” said Caroline Bain at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

SPIKE Many analysts argue loose monetary policies being followed by leading central banks should keep a floor on oil prices, and geopolitical tensions may lead to price spikes, but most say upside risks have diminished. “While geopolitical concerns in the Middle East have increased of late, namely in the Gaza strip, since this is not an export heavy region, it is unlikely to lead to supply disruptions,” Gain Capital’s Tevere said.

“Tensions between Turkey and Syria still persist, and this could potentially effect the supply of oil should this escalate to other nations within the Middle East. While we ultimately believe cooler heads will prevail,

these elevated risks could see crude spike at times,” he added.

Harry Tchilinguirian, head of commodity market strategy at BNP Paribas, said the prospect for further quantitative easing in the United States with a resulting weakening of the US dollar and a seasonal upturn in demand could support oil prices this northern hemisphere winter. Barclays had the highest Brent price forecast in the poll with $125 per barrel for 2013. Analysts also saw a narrowing of the Brent/WTI spread due to easing geopolitical tensions in the course of next year. The poll projected a spread of $12.8 for next year. “New pipeline capacities in the US should help to reduce oversupply in the US Midwest and to narrow the price gap between Brent and WTI next year,” said Carsten Fritsch, senior oil analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt. —Reuters

Hamstrung OPEC to keep crude target unchanged Middle East tension supporting oil prices LONDON: High oil stockpiles, slowing demand growth and a fragile world economy would usually give OPEC reason to consider supply cuts when it meets next month, especially when some think they may be pumping more than enough to meet demand. But with turmoil in the Middle East keeping the price of oil well into triple digits, OPEC delegates say the 12-member group is expected to stick with an output target of 30 million barrels per day (bpd) agreed a year ago. They also hope the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will contain tension over sanctions on Iran that have seen Tehran’s output plunge and led Saudi Arabia and Gulf Arab allies Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates to turn up the taps.

Indications are that Iran, under tightening US and European sanctions over its nuclear work, is resigned to dramatically lower exports and will fly under the radar at the Dec 12 meeting in Vienna. “OPEC is facing a difficult year ahead. The world economy is weak and supply will be running ahead of demand, which could justify a cut of around 500,000 barrels a day,” said a senior OPEC delegate from a Gulf producer. “But political factors will prevent OPEC from taking any formal action.”

With changes in the output ceiling unlikely, oil market management will be guided

by OPEC’s leading producer Saudi Arabia the only member with significant unused capacity - supported by the UAE and Kuwait.

Riyadh has already pulled back from 30-year-high rates of 10 million barrels daily, pumping about 9.7 million bpd in October. That has helped lower overall OPEC production by some 700,000 bpd from its peak earlier this year near 32 million bpd. The numbers alone suggest OPEC’s supply surplus could build up next year and may indicate modest curbs are

needed. Oil inventories in industrialized countries have risen to 59.6 days of future demand in September, according to the International Energy Agency, significantly above the five year average for the first time in 2012.

OPEC is pumping about 1 million bpd above the 30 million bpd output ceiling.

Demand for OPEC crude is set to drop next year by just over 400,000 bpd as the United States, enjoying a shale energy boom, and other non-member countries expand supplies. But lower Iranian exports, oilfield outages from the North Sea to Nigeria and concerns of wider disruption to Middle East supply have outweighed lacklustre demand due to Europe’s debt crisis and a slowing Chinese economy, keeping oil above $100 a barrel for most of 2012. “You have tension in Gaza, Syria, Iran, Egypt - all over the Middle East - that’s keeping the price high,” said a delegate from another Gulf OPEC country.

“Is there an over-supply? Yes, there is.

Do we want to keep this over-supply for the time being? Yes we do, until things become clearer.” Brent crude has averaged $111.89 so far this year, putting it on course to exceed the record annual average of $110.91 set in 2011, and well above Saudi Arabia’s preferred level of around $100. “On the production front, it is going to be the same story - keeping the 30 million bpd production level and the members will basically produce what they want,” said Paul Tossetti, senior energy adviser at PFC Energy. “The (Gulf) countries are producing at high levels and as long as prices hold, why would they want to cut production?”

SAUDI-IRAN TENSION While many in OPEC appear relaxed about the market outlook, there is tension under the surface. Tehran was angered by

a rise in Saudi output to 10 million bpd earlier in 2012 that helped to cushion the impact of the sanctions on Iran by helping to bring prices down from a 2012 high of $128 in March. Iran, traditionally OPEC’s second-largest producer, has seen its output sink to around 2.7 million bpd, the lowest in two decades. Iraq, benefitting from an expansion in export capacity, has overtaken its long-time rival, as has Kuwait.

An Iranian oil official, asked if Iran was concerned about other OPEC members taking its market share, indicated Tehran had no stomach for a fight with Saudi Arabia and was not calling for a cut in output. “When I compare the different forecasters, they are forecasting the same demand volume. Also the non-OPEC supply will be about the same. Therefore it seems next year’s market situation will be about the same as this year,” the official, who declined to be identified, said. The contrasting fortunes of Iran’s and Iraq’s oil industries, as well as waning output in other members such as Algeria are expected to hinder any move towards dividing OPEC’s 30 million bpd target into individual shares, or quotas.

Ministers are also expected to try to appoint a secretary general to replace the outgoing Abdullah al-Badri during talks at OPEC’s Vienna headquarters. Badri, a Libyan, completes his term at the end of December. Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq have appointed candidates to succeed him, and the group has been deadlocked all year over who should do so. The candidate from a fourth member, Ecuador, has withdrawn, an OPEC source said. In the absence of the needed consensus on a new candidate, delegates have raised the possibility of temporary moves such as rotating the job around the members for shorter terms, as used in the past, or even asking Badri to stay on. —Reuters

MUMBAI: Indian onlookers watch share prices on the digital broadcast on the facade of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) yesterday. —AFP

India government bows to pressure NEW DELHI: The Indian government bowed to intense opposition pressure and agreed yesterday to a vote on its decision to let foreign supermarkets set up shop in India, taking a major step towards ending a deadlock that has paralyzed parliament for days. In finally conceding to a symbolic vote on its flagship economic reform, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s fragile coalition appears to have calculated that it has the numbers to overcome opposition demands for the measure to be rolled back.

The debate will begin on Tuesday in the lower house, with voting likely the next day, members of parliament told reporters. A vote will also take place in the upper house. A lot is at stake for Singh’s minority government. If it loses the vote it would be more than just an embarrassing setback. It would likely face intensified pressure to reverse its executive decision in September to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) of up to 51 percent in domestic supermarkets.

“It is most crucial for government and the country at this stage that the vote on FDI musters a majority otherwise it will be a symbolic blow for the government,” said Paresh Nayar, head of fixed income and forex trading at First Rand Bank. “India is a deficit country and needs all foreign flows to manage the rupee, to cut deficits and to push GDP,” he said. India’s economy is set to grow at its slowest pace in a decade this fiscal year. Manufacturing is contracting and exports are falling. October’s trade deficit of nearly $21 billion was its worst on record. Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer, plans to open its first supermarket in India in 12 to 18 months. Meira Kumar, speaker of the lower house of parliament, or Lok Sabha, announced the vote. —Reuters

Opinion FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Rebels seize initiative in long war for Syria Assad’s powerbase shrinks, losing grip in north and east

By Erika Solomon and Dominic Evans

R

ebel strikes against military bases across Syria have exposed President Bashar Al-Assad’s weakening grip in the north and east of the country and left his power base in Damascus vulnerable to the increasingly potent opposition forces. Rebel fighters, who have taken at least five army and air installations in the last two weeks, are still waging an asymmetrical war against a powerful army backed by devastating air power, and predict months of conflict still lie ahead.

Their tactics are gradually choking off Assad’s forces in the northern provinces of Aleppo and Idlib, as well as the eastern oil region of Deir al-Zor, while in Damascus “there is a sense that the flames are licking at the door”, a diplomat in the capital said.

The steady capture of military installations and arsenals is sapping the morale of Assad’s forces and also ensuring a modest supply of new weapons to relatively ill-equipped rebels whose calls for a no-fly zone - which proved crucial in the Libyan uprising - have been ignored. Although they have yet to seize control of a single city, or translate their dominance in swathes of rural Syria into “liberated” territory free of air and artillery strikes, rebels say that their increasing prowess on the battlefield and growing armouries have finally allowed them to take the initiative.

“The difference is that we’ve gone from being on the defensive to thinking and acting on the offensive. We actually have the ability to work offensively now, since we have seized enough weapons,” said a fighter with Islamist battalions in Damascus province, who used the nom de guerre of Abu alYaman. As Syria’s 20-month uprising to overthrow Assad has dragged on, killing 40,000 people, rebel strategy has evolved from quick opportunistic attacks to slow but carefully planned campaigns of siege and attrition. Exploiting the military expertise of military officers who have defected from Assad’s army, rebels have achieved significant successes by focusing on strategic roads and supply routes as well as military bases.

Gunships The slow progress of the fighting can conceal rebel gains, especially when fighters are forced to retreat in the face of withering retaliation from Assad’s MiG warplanes and helicopter gunships. Fighting in the cities, however, is still a challenge.

“We have rebel sieges and army defections, and then military air raids. Then sieges and defections and raids again, in a loop,” said a wearied commander from Ahrar al-Sham brigade in Aleppo, where rebels have been battling Assad’s forces since late July and control about half of Syria’s biggest city.

“The countryside is somewhere where we can advance more, but inside the cities I still see the battle as long and difficult. I think we need several more months.”

Another fighter, from the largely rebel-held province of Idlib on the Turkish border, said the battle to “liberate the northern frontier” was going well, while progress further south near the Jordanian border was more of a challenge. “We still have a lot of work to do. We’re not about to take the country but yes, I see a lot of progress in the last month.” Unlike the toppled leaders of North Africa who were dropped by their friends when trouble started, Assad still draws strength from Russia and China and from Iran, which is believed to be supporting him with arms and cash. Divided by personal and ideological rivalries as well as geographical and military obstacles, the mainly Sunni Muslim rebels have also struggled to show common cause since they took up arms against Assad, who is from an Alawite minority linked to Shiism.

An opposition coalition was formed earlier this month, aiming to bridge the rifts and bring the rebels under a unified structure - a first step towards overcoming Western reluctance to arm a rebel movement which includes radical Islamists. Ali Al-Ali, a fighter in the Ahrar al-Jabal al-Wustany brigade, said the rebels were slowly overcoming their splits. “Our attacks are getting more coordinated locally,” he told Reuters by Skype from Idlib province. “On the ground we have the advantage, (Assad’s) power has deteriorated on the ground.”

Rebel Gains The cumulative effect of the rebel gains has left Assad’s power concentrated in the south around Damascus and in the Mediterranean provinces of Tartous and Latakia - the heartlands of Syria’s Alawites. The capital and the coastal regions are linked by the city of Homs, which bore the brunt of fighting earlier this year as Assad’s forces bombarded rebel neighbourhoods to keep their grip on Syria’s third-biggest city. Homs itself has now been divided between rebels and Assad’s forces. “In the north and the east (of Syria) the tide has turned against the regime,” said Andrew Tabler, a Syria expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “Where the game is much closer is along the coast, around Homs and Damascus.”

The two main rebel gains of the last fortnight were the huge 46th Division army base, which sprawls over several square miles west of Aleppo, and the Mayadeen base in Deir al-Zor, which left rebels controlling 120 km of the Euphrates river north of the Iraqi border. Around the capital itself, rebels have captured an air defence installation in the south of

Train Crash “People I have spoken to who are in touch with very senior Syrian officials report a sense of calm among generals and senior officials,” the envoy in Damascus said. “I can’t understand that, unless they are simply putting on a brave face”.

“Every ordinary Syrian I speak to is worried. They see the train crash coming.” How soon the train crash comes is a matter of conjecture among military and political analysts who follow Syria. The rebels themselves say their real test will come when fighters move on the capital for that final reckoning, an operation they are already planning. Some observers say the opposition may already have sleeper cells in Damascus while it tries to prepare a launch pad for attacks from outside the city.

There is no sign that rebels have the sophisticated equipment, weaponry and intelligence which would enable sleeper cells to overpower Assad’s die-hard battalions, and which proved a game changer in Libya when the support of Western special forces helped topple Gaddafi after months of apparent stalemate. But the rebels have struck deep in the capital killing four close Assad aides in a devastating July 18 bombing.

A Syrian opposition fighter looks out at a street blocked with rubble in the Al-Jadeida neighbourhood in the Old City of Syria’s northern city of Aleppo on Nov 26, 2012. Syrian rebels virtually cut off roads to Aleppo from neighbouring Raqa province severing regime supply lines. — AFP Damascus and a helicopter base situated among the eastern farmlands and towns which have been an opposition stronghold for months. To the southwest the army has been bombarding rebels in the suburb of Daraya, determined to prevent them from holding another gateway into the capital.

The Damascus-based diplomat said Assad still had 70,000 to 80,000 soldiers stationed around the city and its outskirts.

There are no clear figures for the size of the rebel brigades but they say they number tens of thousands nationwide. In his rare televised appearances, the 47-year-old president does not look like a leader under siege. He appeared calm and relaxed in his latest meeting on Friday with the parliamentary speaker of his strongest regional ally, Iran.

Syria experts say Tehran has sent Revolutionary Guards and weapons to help Assad’s military campaign and financial support to help prop up an economy reeling from a collapse in revenues and tens of billions of dollars of war damage. They also say Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah has dispatched militants to fight alongside Assad’s forces - a charge Hezbollah has denied even though it has held several funerals for fighters killed performing “jihadi duties”.

One analyst, who asked not to be named because he remains in contact with Syrian officials, said the Syria conflict had undergone a “dramatic change in dynamics” in the last few weeks. “If you look at the map, it hasn’t changed so much.

But the psychological situation is different. This is a regime engaged in a fighting retreat ... The more the opposition wins over regime bases, the more they acquire weapons. I think it’s self-sustaining,” he said, predicting a showdown within weeks.

“All this could be brought to a close, or it could lead to a multiplication of conflicts,” he said voicing a widespread fear that Assad’s overthrow, if it were to happen, might only be the close of the first chapter in a far longer sectarian war.

A regional security source said rebels were getting a steady flow of shoulder-held surface-to-air missiles from Saudi Arabia via Jordan. But anxious to avoid a buildup of sophisticated weapons among militants, as happened in the 1980s in Afghanistan, the Gulf state was monitoring their use and limiting supplies. “It’s not like the rebels are being flooded with weapons,” said Michael Stephens of the RUSI think-tank in Doha. “There is a gradual increase in weapons and capacity, and they are getting smarter.” — Reuters

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012 www.kuwaittimes.net

KUWAIT: Kim Kardashian, Hollywood socialite, celebrity and reality star arrived in Kuwait yesterday for the opening of a beverage store at one of the malls. — Photo

by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Food FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Tweaking the Toll House formula D

oes this ever happen to you? A food image leaps off the pages of a magazine and imbeds itself into your cortex. Before you know it, you’re scrupulously following the recipe’s every word. Yet despite your best efforts, the finished product isn’t a twin of the one that appeared in the magazine. It’s more like a second cousin, from the ugly side of the family.

My latest tragic disconnect between newsstand fantasy and kitchen reality originated with a recent issue of Saveur. To celebrate the magazine’s 150th issue, Team Saveur gathered 150 classic recipes, squeezing 101 into print, and diverting the balance to the magazine’s website and digital edition.

It’s a keeper, and even a cursory spin through its pages reveals an eclectic, never-ending parade of Iwanna-make-that dishes.

Leave it to my sweet tooth, which never met a chocolate chip cookie that it didn’t totally crush on, to stop dead in its tracks on page 76. Richard Avedon himself couldn’t have shot a more compelling photograph, and the more I read, the more I liked.

An inspired idea sets this cookie apart. Rather than utilizing the scoop-and-drop method that makes the Toll House cookie such a beloved paragon of simplicity, this recipe, borrowing puff pastry principles, rolls out the dough and layers it, alternating with several handfuls of chopped bittersweet chocolate.

What really grabbed me is how the cookies appear to have a puffy outer layer that collapsed, post-oven, a look that mimics another favorite cookie of mine, the meringue. A meringued-up Toll House? Where do I sign up?

Imagine my acute disappointment when my first batch looked nothing like the magazine’s version. A second go-round was a slight improvement, but still several leagues below the beauties that emerged from Saveur’s mighty midtown Manhattan test kitchen (which, by the way, is the real-life rendition of the handsome, lavishly equipped facility that exists in the fantasies of most home cooks).

My own baking cluelessness aside, a possible explanation for the disparity is a finishing step that author Sarah Copeland included in a previously published blog post. It doesn’t appear in the magazine, but it’s simple: Just before baking, the cookies are brushed with a beaten egg, then sprinkled with a few grains of fleur de sel.

That discovery sent me back to the kitchen.

Unfortunately, my eureka moment never arrived.

While the egg wash gave the cookies a pleasant sheen, the final results still didn’t add up to the Saveur’s rendition. No wonder the magazine left that particular finishing touch out of its version.

Not that it matters, because while my attempts weren’t exactly magazine-worthy, in the end, who cares what they look like? These things are amazing. The crackled tops - a golden, chocolatepocked sibling to the molasses crinkle - create a thin and enticingly crisp outer shell that gives way to a thick-ish, chewy and exceedingly rich center. A teasingly salty kick plays nicely against all that bittersweet chocolate.

By the way, for those with rolling pin anxiety, fear not; the preparation is easy. No exacting technical prowess is required, and a 2-inch biscuit cutter does the rest of the work. It’s a soft dough, so it’s best to work quickly - with a well-floured rolling pin - while the dough remains chilled and relatively firm. I can’t imagine why I’d ever go back to the old scoop-and-drop method.

Yeah, they’re that good. I’ve also decided that the magazine version’s pale beige cookies aren’t nearly as good as the ones I (admittedly, accidentally) coaxed into a deep caramel brown. My opinion was reinforced by Michelle Gayer, the baker/owner/quote machine behind the Salty Tart in Minneapolis. During a recent demonstration at the Mill City Farmers Market, Gayer was knocking out the baking tips faster than a politician on a stump speech, and one in particular resonated

with me. “Do you guys know that color means flavor?” she said. “Don’t be afraid of the brown. Put it back in the oven.” Will do.

SAVEUR’S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Once I’d learned that layering sheets of butter into dough makes puff pastry irresistibly flaky and rich, I resolved to create a chocolate chip cookie with equal textural appeal. I tried layering pieces of chocolate into cookie dough in a similar style, and I was delighted with the results: crisp around the edges, moist and tender inside, and so marbled that every bite contained the consummate balance of sweet dough, melting bittersweet chocolate and crystalline salt.”

2 c. flour, plus extra for rolling dough 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. kosher salt 1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 c. packed dark brown sugar 2c. granulated sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 4 egg yolks 9 oz. bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped 1 egg, beaten, optional Sea salt, optional Directions In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks, two at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Transfer dough to a work surface and divide into three equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a 4-

by 6-inch rectangle; wrap in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour a work surface. Place one dough rectangle on prepared work surface and sprinkle with half the chocolate.

Top with another rectangle, sprinkle remaining chocolate and cover with last rectangle.

Using a floured rolling pin, flatten stacked rectangles into a 6- by 9-inch rectangle that is 2 inches thick. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out cookies and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 3 inches apart. Gather scraps, re-roll into a 1 inch thick disk and cut out more cookies, repeating until no dough remains. (At this point, you can brush the tops of the cookies with a beaten egg, and sprinkle a few grains of sea salt on each cookie).

Bake, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are lightly browned and set, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool 2 minutes and then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition information per serving Calories: 230; Fat: 12 g; Sodium: 100 mg Carbohydrates: 28 g; Saturated fat: 7 g; Calcium 17 mg Protein: 3 g; Cholesterol: 50 mg; Dietary fiber: 2 g Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 other carb, 2 fat. — MCT

Food FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Great groats! It’s oatmeal N

ow that Thanksgiving is out of the way, maybe we can talk about something that is really important: oatmeal. Let’s be specific. What most Americans think of as “oatmeal” is really rolled oats. These are oat groats (the grain with the husk removed) that have been steamed to soften them and then rolled flat. This process lets you cook them more quickly at home. The difference between rolled oats that are labeled “oldfashioned” and “quick-cooking” is how thickly they’re rolled.

I have made something of a small science out of cooking my morning oatmeal. It’s not hard, but I’m convinced that it makes a difference in flavor.

Use Quaker oats and a dry saucepan, 1 quart is fine for two or three people. Cook the oatmeal over medium heat until it smells nice and toasty. That’ll take about 3 or 4 minutes, depending on the heat. You’ll hear it start to pop when it’s ready. When your cereal begins to sing, add four times the volume of Quaker oats in water (1/3 cup of oats, enough for two people, will take 11/3 cups water). Increase the heat to high until the water starts to boil, give the pot a good stir, then turn the flame to low to maintain a decent simmer.

Partially cover the pan with a lid, but be sure to prop it askew with a wooden spoon or a whisk. This is important: If the lid is on too tight, the oatmeal will boil over, and there is no cleanup project worse than scraping baked-on oatmeal off of stove-top burners.

Let the oatmeal simmer for a good 20 minutes or so. You don’t need to pay much attention, but if you’re going to walk the dog, put a flame-tamer underneath the pan to keep it from scorching. When the oatmeal is done, there will probably be some liquid on top, and there may be a thin layer of dried flourskin. This will disappear when you stir it. The oatmeal itself will be tender but still have a bit of “pop.”

Whisk in butter according to your conscience, toss in a small handful of dried fruit (I use a mix of raisins, sour cherries and cranberries), cover tightly and let stand off heat for five minutes for the fruit to soften. You can doctor this base however you want. I like a mix of brown and white sugar (brown for molasses, white for sweetness) or maybe some maple syrup. Then some chopped toasted nuts - almonds or walnuts. Finally, I add just enough milk to make the mixture creamy. If I have leftover steamed milk from the morning coffee, I might use that. And if I’m feeling splurge-y, nothing but half-andhalf; that’s just how I roll.

Those quicker-cooking rolled Quaker oats are great for granola. And when I’m not eating real oatmeal. my breakfast is usually fruit, yogurt and granola. In the last month I’ve made this recipe at least once a week (depending on how quickly we go through it).

And I don’t think I’ve ever made it exactly the same way twice. I change the mix of the nuts and dried fruit depending on what appeals to me at the moment (and depending on what I have left from other cooking - this is a great way to clean out all those odds and ends of

nuts you probably have in your freezer).

Start with a bunch of fruit (lately I’ve been using persimmons from our tree, spiked with a bit of lime juice), then add a handful of granola and top with a good dollop of yogurt sweetened with honey. This granola mix would make a terrific gift too, packaged in storage jars. Be sure to include the recipe, because folks will definitely want to fix it again. And, after all, there are more holidays just around the corner.

GRANOLA Total time: 50 minutes, plus cooling time Servings: Makes 16 cups 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup light brown sugar 1 cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 4 cups old-fashioned rolled Quaker oats 3 cups mixed chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds) 4 cups mixed chopped dried fruit (sour cherries, cranberries, apples, pears, apricots, raisins, dates) 1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two jellyroll pans with silicone mats or parchment.

2. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the oil, sugar, syrup and salt until clear, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

3. Place the rolled Quaker oats and the mixed nuts in a large mixing bowl and pour the sugar mixture over. Stir with a spatula to coat the Quaker oats and nuts evenly. Divide the mixture between the lined jellyroll pans, patting with the back of a spatula to make thin, even layers.

4. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating the sheets and stirring halfway through.

5. Cool slightly before stirring in the dried fruit and storing. The mixture will keep in a tightly covered container at room temperature for at least a week.

Each cup serving: 238 calories; 4 grams protein; 31 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 12 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 18 grams sugar; 67 mg sodium.

— Great groats! It’s oatmeal — MCT

Beauty FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Nail the look now!

Artificial nails: Acrylics, gels, and silks

T

here are plenty of reasons to get artificial fingernails.

Maybe you’re going to a wedding or reunion and you want to look sharp. Or perhaps you’ve had trouble growing your nails long and need assistance. Gel, acrylic, and silk nails are widely used. Most people choose gels or acrylics when they’re committing for a longer time. Silks are most often used for a shorter time to strengthen nail tips or repair nail trauma, rather than making nails longer.

Acrylic nails Your nail technician will mix a liquid with a powder and brush the mixture onto your nails. They’ll usually cover your entire nail, though sometimes they’ll just add tips or a flexible form that they can sculpt to extend your nails. The product hardens as it is exposed to the air. You may notice a strong odor during the application process, but it isn’t harmful, provided the room has good ventilation.

Upkeep: Over time, acrylics grow out with your nails.

Every two to three weeks, you should return to the salon to have your nails filled in. Your technician will gently file down the acrylic edge closest to your nail bed, then fill in the empty area between your nail bed and the existing acrylic nail.

Removal: When you decide to have your acrylics removed, your nail technician will remove them quite easily, with no forcing or prying, after soaking your hands in nail polish remover for 15 minutes.

“If you accidentally catch on something, like the edge of a drawer, the whole nail can get lifted off of the nail bed,” says dermatologist D’Anne Kleinsmith, MD, of West Bloomfield, Mich. “When you break that seal, you’re able to get a yeast or fungus or bacteria brewing in that space.”

Gel Nails Unlike toothpaste-thick gel products of the past, today’s gels have a similar consistency to nail polish. They are brushed onto your nails, nail tips, or nail appliquÈs to extend length. After your nail technician applies each coat, you must put your nails under ultraviolet (UV) light for up to two minutes to “cure” or harden the product. There is no odor during the application process.

There have been reports of skin cancer risk from the UV exposure, which may be a consideration, though you’re not getting exposed to a lot of UV light per session. Gels are more expensive than acrylics, but they may hold their color longer without chipping, so you may not mind the steeper price.

Maintenance: Like acrylics, gels grow out with your nails and need to be filled in every two to three weeks. Your technician will gently file down the gel edge closest to your nail bed, and then fill in the empty area between your nail bed and the existing gel nail.

Removal: You can remove most gel nails by soaking them in nail polish remover. Some nail-sized wraps are

filled with nail polish remover, which can loosen the artificial nails enough for removal, without drying out your hands.

As with acrylics, you could get an infection in your nail bed if minor trauma (such as getting your finger caught in a door or accidentally banging your nails against a countertop or other hard surface) causes your gel nail to lift your entire nail off.

With either gels or acrylics, the nail doesn’t have to come completely off your finger to cause an infection. If it’s loose, but still attached, that could be enough for bacteria or other germs to cause problems.

Silk nails These fabric wraps are glued in place to strengthen weak nails or help a cracked nail grow out. Some wraps are made of silk, but others are made of linen, paper, or fiberglass.

Your nail technician will fit the material to your nail’s shape, hold it in place, then brush on glue.

Silks are intended to be temporary, and the adhesives will loosen within two or three weeks, or sooner if you wash dishes by hand without gloves. Your nail technician can remove or reapply them at your follow-up visit. www.webmd.com

Books FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Review

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The Life of Pi

n the author’s note that prefaces this vertiginously tall tale, Yann Martel blends fact and fiction with wily charm. Yes, he’d published two books that failed to shake the world - eager, studiousyoung-man’s fiction with a strain of self-conscious experimentalism - and taken off to India nursing the faltering seeds of another. But no, he didn’t there meet a wise old man who directed him to a putative “main character”, now living back in Martel’s native Toronto: a certain Piscine Molitor or Pi Patel, named for a French swimming pool and nicknamed for an irrational number, who in the mid-1970s survived 227 days lost at sea with a Royal Bengal tiger.

Despite the extraordinary premise and literary playfulness, one reads Life of Pi not so much as an allegory or magical-realist fable, but as an edge-of-seat adventure. When the ship in which 16-year-old Pi and his zookeeping family are to emigrate from India to Canada sinks, leaving him the sole human survivor in a lifeboat on to which barge a zebra, a hyena, an orang-utan and a bedraggled, seasick tiger, Pi is determined to survive the impossible. “I will turn miracle into routine. The amazing will be seen every day.” And Martel writes with such convincing immediacy, seasoning his narrative with zoological verisimilitude and survival tips about turtle-fishing, solar stills and keeping occupied (the lifeboat manual notes that “yarn spinning is highly recommended”), that disbelief is suspended, like Pi, above the terrible depths of the Pacific ocean.

Martel dextrously prepares us for the seafaring section in the first part of the book, which describes Pi’s sunny childhood in the Pondicherry zoo and his triple conversion to Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. We learn much about animal behaviour - flight distances, aggression, social hierarchy - which is later translated to Pi’s survival tactics on the lifeboat.

Like a lion tamer in the circus ring, Pi must convince the tiger that he is the super-alpha male, using toots on his whistle as a whip and the sea as a source of treats, marking the boundary of his territory on the boat with urine and fierce, quaking stares.

The ongoing miracle of his

existence at sea is also foreshadowed by his spiritual life on land; Pi is a creature of faith (or faiths) who sees eternally renewed wonder in God and his creation. There is joy on the lifeboat - as well as horror, and gore, and “tense, breathless boredom”. He had cho-

sen his irrational nickname because of his schoolmates’ insistence on pronouncing Piscine as “pissing”, but he also has a believer’s scepticism about reason, “that fool’s gold for the bright”. In one of the many elegant, informative digressions in the book’s first sec-

tion, Martel takes us through instances of zoomorphism, whereby an animal takes a human or another animal to be one of its own species, and the usual predator-prey relationship is suspended. Pi characterises this adaptive leap of faith as “that measure of

madness that moves life in strange but saving ways”; in other words, his coexistence with the tiger is possible precisely because it has never happened before.

Faith and science, two marvelling perspectives on the world, coexist throughout the book in a fine, delicate balance, as when the two Kumars, one Pi’s atheist teacher and the other the baker who introduces him to Islam, meet at the zoo to “take the pulse of the universe” and wonder together, in opposing ways, at the sheer surprisingness of the zebra and its stripes. In its subject and its style, this enormously lovable novel is suffused with wonder: a willed innocence that produces a fresh, sideways look at our habitual assumptions, about religious divisions, or zoos versus the wild, or the possibility of freedom. As Martel promises in his author’s note, this is fiction probing the imaginative realm with scientific exactitude, twisting reality to “bring out its essence”.

The realism that carried the reader in the erratic wake of the small boy and large tiger falters as they begin to waste away and die - and then the book gets seriously strange, with ghostly visitations and impossible islands, as though Martel wants not so much to test our credulity as entirely to annihilate it. It’s an odd tactic, though it does leave a fertile interpretative space, a dark undercurrent below the narrative’s main structure, which has the neatness of fable.

Though horrors are hinted at, “this story”, as the book had unfashionably assured us, “has a happy ending.” Pi runs safely aground in Mexico, and the tiger about which he still has “nightmares tinged with love”, which saved his life by coming between him and a more terrifying enemy, despair, leaps ashore and disappears into the jungle, denying him an anthropomorphic goodbye growl. Of course, the officials who arrive to investigate the ship’s sinking don’t believe him for a moment. In a daring coda, Pi offers them another story, which turns the tale on its head and seals Martel’s extraordinary, oneoff achievement. He had written earlier about how a blinkered dedication to factuality can lead one to “miss the better story”. The better story has a tiger in it. www.guardian.co.uk

Te c h n o l o g y FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

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he stereotype of an internet addict is a slightly nerdy young man or teenager, spending all his time in front of some kind of online role-playing game. The reality is more diverse, with recent studies showing that plenty of young women are also at risk of internet addiction, primarily due to social networking sites like Facebook.

Just about all girls diagnosed with the addiction trace their problems to social networking sites, says Bernd Werner, from the German Foundation for Media and Online Addiction. “They’re always thinking about what’s going on right now in the network,” he says. They use such sites to chat with others in their clique. “There’s pressure from within the peer group.”

The problem is that many parents have not yet tuned in to the addiction danger, warns Werner.

They are more prone to sound the alarm when children - primarily boys - show signs of addiction. The signs parents would note for online addiction are the same for girls on social networking sites as for boys involved in online gaming.

“For one thing, there’s a loss of control,” says Werner. “I can no longer control how long I stay on the Internet.” The second indicator is a change in tolerance levels. “I consciously tolerate the fact that my behaviour leads to stress with my parents or worsening marks at school.”

A

The most serious sign is when a girl starts to ignore friends, hobbies or basic hygiene.

Statistically, Internet addiction is more of a masculine problem. One German study showed that 0.7 percent of people aged 25 to 64 had trouble breaking away from games or social networks. Taking into account the whole population, about 1.0 per cent of men suffered from addiction, almost double the figure for women, at 0.4 per cent, the federal appointee for addiction issues, Mechthild Dyckmans, reported.

The job of monitoring a child’s Internet usage is made easier if the computer is not set up in their room. “Instead, put it somewhere where parents often walk by,” recommends Werner. It’s also not a good idea to allow boys and girls to have their own smartphones too early, regardless of protestations that ‘Everyone else has one.’”

Set computer usage time limits with your children. “And take a real interest in what your daughter is doing on Facebook,” says Werner. Such topics can easily be discussed during family meals. What’s important to remember is that comments like “I don’t like that” are best avoided by parents when it’s time to discuss the matter. — dpa

lot of familiar faces are being trotted out onto mobile gaming devices in advance of the Christmas season, though none of them are quite the same as they were before. Pokemon: Black Edition 2 and White Edition 2 for the DS mark the first time Nintendo has put a number behind a Pokemon adventure title. These two titles build upon the story laid out in the first: players travel as a trainer along with their small monsters, capturing new creatures and fighting rivals.

Just like before, the two versions only differentiate themselves by a single Pokemon, though that one can be traded online. It’s also possible to import monsters from the old version. The two new ver-

sions sell for about 35 euros (45 dollars). Sega’s Sonic Jump is the blue hedgehog’s first foray into iOS devices from Apple. Now he climbs vertically, instead of left to right. It hearkens back a bit to Doodle Jump, but is supposed to be more engaging than the smartphone classic due to major opponents, a story mode and more playable characters.

The game can be had for 1.79 euros.

MUD: FIM Motocross World Championship for the Playstation Vita allows players real access to the game, with simulations of three actual title races and a choice between up to 80 drivers, like reigning world champion Tony Cairoli. Namco Bandai has

promised a good balance of action and simulation. A lot of care has been taken to make the scenery more realistic. Players can see the tracks they leave in the mud. There are 12 official courses, along with several arenas designed for practicing tricks, usually jumps and artistic pieces. The game sells for about 40 euros.

Spy Hunter is yet another racing game for the Vita and the Nintendo 3DS. There have been some updates on the arcade classic, but the basic idea remains the same: racing through a track while hunting down members of a terrorist network. That means cars come equipped with weapons and special abilities, like being able to convert into an all-terrain vehicle or a speedboat. There’s also a multi-player mode. From Warner Interactive, it costs about 40 euros, on both systems.

If players liked the changing hardware in Spy Hunter, Transformers: Prime, unsurprisingly, will hold some treats. The game, for the Nintendo DS and 3DS, has little to do with the recent film.

Transformer Optimus Prime and the Autobots are facing a new threat from Megatron and the Decepticons, who have summoned up a mysterious power on an asteroid racing towards Earth.

Alongside the robot-on-robot fighting, there are also racing games and multi-player games. From Activision, it costs about 40 euros.

Sherlock Holmes: The Mystery of the Frozen City for the 3DS is set at a relaxed pace. Producer Koch Media says it drew inspiration from the Professor Layton series. In the game, an unexplained winter has Londoners freezing and the Thames frozen.

Holmes comes across some of the city’s darker secrets as he explores the mystery. Puzzles are everywhere: there are at least 70 hidden throughout the city. The game sells for about 30 euros. — dpa

Lifestyle FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Nearing 50, a heightened perspective for Pitt

Brad Pitt poses for a portrait to promote his film, “Killing Them Softly,” in New York. — AP

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he face is hardly wrinkled and the long blond locks appear unchanged, but Brad Pitt, who will turn 49 in December, is increasingly preoccupied with the passage of time and the thought that his rarefied place in movies is fleeting. It’s now been more than 20 years since Pitt broke out as the heartthrob of “Thelma & Louise.” While nothing has diminished his status as one of the few genuine movie stars on the planet, Pitt says he’s now working as if an expiration date lurks.

“I’m definitely past halfway,” says Pitt. “I think about it very much as a father. You just want to be around to see (your children) do everything. If I have so many days left, how am I filling those days? I’ve been agonizing over that one a bit like I never have before.” But that sense of urgency has helped fuel some of Pitt’s best, most daring work, including his new film, “Killing Them Softly.” It’s his second with Andrew Dominik, the New Zealand-born director of “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.” In the adaption of George V Higgins’ 1974 crime novel, “Cogan’s Trade,” Pitt plays a hit man operating in a shabby underworld of image-conscious gangsters.

It’s almost surprising how few blockbusters Pitt has starred in over the last decade. Instead, he’s gravitated toward working with revered directors like Terrence Malick (“Tree of Life”) and the Coen brothers, and shaping his opportunities by producing them. His production company, Plan B, produced both “Jesse James” and “Killing Them Softly,” as well as many of his films in between. More often than not, he’s sought to downplay his glamour, a track begun with David Fincher’s “Fight Club” and extended with ruminations on celebrity (Dominik’s “Jesse James”) and more character actor roles than most leading men would dare (his ditzy personal trainer in the Coens’ “Burn After Reading,” his Nazi-killing lieutenant in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds”). “Killing Them Softly,” too, is an ensemble, with James Gandolfini, Richard Jenkins, Ray Liotta, Scoot McNairy and Ben Mendelsohn.

Even in last year’s performance as Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane in “Moneyball” (for which he landed his third Oscar nomination), Pitt deliberately played it low-key.

“Life is more interesting,” says the Missouri-bred Pitt. “I enjoy the fantasy; I enjoy when everyone wins. I just don’t contribute to that idea very well, for better or worse. There’s something subversive in my Christian upbringing or something, my mid-America upbringing. That irreverent urge that makes you want to yell or fart during the Benediction in church. I just can’t help it.”

And yet, Pitt has simultaneously carried the movie star mantle with seeming ease. Though his relationship with Angelina Jolie, with whom he has six children, has made him a constant tabloid target, he’s relaxed and unguarded in conversation. He says his celebrity “hasn’t bugged me since the ‘90s,” but he acknowledges that he occasionally trades on it: “I mean, I play some smart ball,” he says. “The difficulty with Brad was always: What can you cast a movie star in?” says Dominik. “You have to deal with it. You have to cast him as someone extraordinary, which I guess he is. He’s the cool guy in the movie.” Certainly a very un-”Fight Club” thing to do was the recent Chanel ad campaign Pitt stars in, where he smolders in black-and-white and says things like “It’s not a journey” into the camera. —AP

Powerball numbers are chosen in the drawing at the Florida Lottery in Tallahassee, Fla. — AP

Two winners in massive $550 million US lottery jackpot T

wo people had winning tickets in the $550 million Powerball jackpot, beating the one in 175 million odds for the second largest lottery in US history, the game’s website said early yesterday.

Powerball’s website crashed shortly after the winning numbers — 5, 23, 16, 22, 29, with Powerball 6 — were announced late Wednesday, as did that of the Multi-State Lottery Association, which oversees Powerball. Lottery fever in the lead-up to the drawing was such that 160,000 tickets per minute were being sold, according to media reports.

The Powerball website said players in Arizona and Missouri had the winning numbers, without providing further information. It was not yet clear if anyone had come forth to claim the prize. Another 8.9 million players won lesser prizes totaling

$131 million. Nobody had won the semiweekly grand prize for Powerball-available in 42 states, the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands-since October 6, swelling the kitty for whoever holds the winning six-number combination.

Winning numbers, selected every Wednesday and Saturday, are made up of five out of 59 white balls plus one out of 35 red “Powerballs” from which the game gets its name. The odds of winning stood at one in 175.2 million-compared to the one in a million chance of being struck by lightning in a given year. “I’m buying this lottery ticket so I can put my pencil down and walk out of my office and live my dreams,” quipped a 40-something woman named Szami earlier as she bought a batch of tickets for herself and friends at a Washington corner store, declining to give her family

name. “It’s phenomenal. There’s a lot of excitement in the air,” added Kimberly Chopin of the Louisiana state lottery, which had sold $2.5 million in tickets by mid-afternoon Wednesday-compared to $1.1 million a week earlier. The biggest jackpot in US lottery history — $640 million-was claimed

by MegaMillions players in Kansas, Illinois and Maryland who all held tickets bearing the same winning number. Lottery winnings in the United States are subject to taxation, with winners typically getting a choice between an annuity spread over many years or a reduced amount paid out in a lump sum. Besides the jackpot, players can win as much as $1 million if they hold tickets with most but not all of the drawn numbers, but many people are unaware of such secondary prizes, which end up going unclaimed. — AFP

Lohan arrested after fight in NY club T

roubled US actress Lindsay Lohan has been arrested once again, this time on assault charges after a fight with a woman in a New York nightclub in the early hours of yesterday, police said. “She was charged with assault” and ordered to appear at a later date, a New York Police Department (NYPD) spokeswoman said, adding that the 26-year-old actress allegedly struck the other woman.

Lohan-once a promising young starlet after earning plaudits for her roles in “The Parent Trap” and “Freaky Friday” as a child-has been trying to rebuild her life after a series of run-ins with the law. Despite a widely praised performance in “Mean Girls” in her late teens, she has become more famous for drug problems that have led to several prison stays.

In March, a Los Angeles judge formally ended Lohan’s probation after a long string of court appearances, but told her to “stop the nightclubbing” and behave more maturely. She recently starred in “Liz and Dick,” a television biopic about film legend Elizabeth Taylor and her stormy relationship with actor Richard Burton. Her work earned mixed reviews. — AFP

US actress Lindsay

Lifestyle FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

US singer Madonna performs in the framework of the “MDNA” tour at Atanasio Girardot stadium in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia. — AFP

Depardieu to star in Uzbek film by Karimov’s daughter

Breakthrough

Gotye hit is Spotify song of the year

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praise on the project and appeared to confirm his rench actor Gerard Depardieu has agreed to participation. star as a monk in a historic serial penned by “There was the Great Silk Road and it is still the eldest daughter of Uzbekistan’s strongthere,” Depardieu said through a translator. “I think man President Islam Karimov, a screenwriter said. this is a great idea to recreate the ancient times Gulnara Karimova wrote a screenplay for “The and understand the secret of creating silk. For me Theft of the White Cocoon,” a story about the orithe story and the project itself is very interesting gin of the famed Central Asian silk and set in the and I will take part in it with pleasure,” he said in 5th-6th centuries in Central Asia. Depardieu, who comments provided by the project’s organizers. travelled to Uzbekistan, a secretive, largely Harvard-educated Karimova, 40, has become a Muslim but secular state with a population of public face of the ex-Soviet country, serving as its around 30 million, earlier this week has agreed to permanent representative in the United Nations in play a monk from Europe, said Akbar Khakimov, Gerard Depardieu Geneva and as its ambassador in Spain until last who co-wrote the script. year. She also runs jewellery, cosmetics and cloth“Depardieu visited the ancient Silk Road town of Bukhara on Tuesday and today he held meetings with ing lines under her Guli label. But it is as a pop star under the Uzbek filmmakers to review and discuss his role in the serial,” name of GooGoosha that she has attracted the most attention.

Akbar Khakimov, director of the annual Tashkent film festival, Her father President Karimov, 74, has ruled the Uzbekistan since told AFP in the Uzbek capital Tashkent late Wednesday. In an before the fall of the Soviet Union and has come under fire from interview with Uzbek television, the French actor heaped the West over the rights situation in the country. — AFP

B

Adele’s ‘21’ sells 10 million, Rihanna leads Billboard

ritish singer and Grammy darling Adele reached the 10 million sales mark in the United States on Wednesday with her heartbreak album “21” becoming the first British woman to reach the milestone, Nielsen SoundScan said. “21,” released in February 2011, produced the hits “Someone Like You” and “Rolling In The Deep” and became the top-selling album of 2011. Earlier this year, Adele swept the Grammy Awards with six, including song, record and album of the year. “21” became the third album to cross 10 million in 2012, along with Linkin Park’s “Hybrid Theory” and Usher’s “Confessions.” But it is the only album to reach the milestone in less than two years in the last decade, Nielsen said. “What an incredible honor,” Adele said

in a statement. “A huge, huge thank you to my American fans for embracing this record on such a massive level.” “21” will receive the diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, marking its 10 million milestones, joining the ranks of albums by artists such as Michael Jackson, The Beatles and Madonna. “Adele’s unique talent is a gift to music fans, and her success is certainly cause for a celebration of Diamond magnitude,” Cary Sherman, RIAA’s chairman & CEO, said in a statement.

Adele, 24, is enjoying the success of her latest single “Skyfall,” the official theme song for the James Bond film of the same name. It has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide. —Reuters

File photo shows Australian artist Gotye performs during the first weekend of the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. — AP

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otye’s smash hit “Somebody I Used to Know” is Spotify’s top song of the year. The digital music service said Wednesday that the multiplatinum pop song is the most streamed track globally this year. Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” and “We Are Young” by fun. are second and third, respectively. “Somebody I Used to Know” was also most streamed in the United States and most shared globally, on platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

French DJ-producer David Guetta’s “Nothing But the Beat” was the most streamed album globally. It includes hits like “Titanium” with Sia and “Turn Me On” with Nicki Minaj. Guetta is also the year’s most streamed male artist. Rihanna and Coldplay top the list of most streamed females and groups, respectively. Spotify is available in 17 countries. — AP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

James Franco Finds ‘Good People’ at Millennium Films

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big-screen adaptation of David Lindsay-Abaire’s hit Broadway play “Good People” is movingforward, with Millennium Films packaging the feature, and James Franco emerging as the front-runner to star.

This Boston-set drama plays out between a down-on-her-luck single mother with a disabled child, and a former classmate who has escaped the rough-and-tumble neighborhood of Southie. When she loses her minimum-

wage job, Margie, played by Frances McDormand on stage, seeks employment from the former classmate, played by Tate Donovan on Broadway, who may or may not be the father of her child.

The film is being packaged by Millennium, meaning that deals have yet to fall into place for the film. Franco already has the script, and some sources have told TheWrap that the actor is in the process of attaching him-

This undated publicity photo provided by the Sundance Institute shows Keri Russell, left, and JJ Feild, in a scene from the film, “Austenland,” included in the US Dramatic Film competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. — AP photos

self to the project. Representatives for Franco did not return calls to TheWrap.

Lindsay-Abaire, who won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for “Rabbit Hole,” was raised in Southie. “Good People” was nominated for two Tony awards in 2011, with McDormand winning best leading actress.

Last year, reports surfaced that Focus Features and “American Beauty” producer Dan Jinks were in negotiations to adapt the play for the big

screen, with McDormand looking to reprise her role on screen. Franco has been filming several projects, including “Black Dog, Red Dog,” “The Third Person,” with Paul Haggis, and “The End of The World.” A veteran independent player, Avi Lerner’s Millennium Films is getting behind an increasing number of high-profile features. This year, the company’s film “The Iceman” played at the Venice International Film Festival and in Telluride. — Reuters

This undated publicity photo provided by the Sundance Institute shows a scene from the film, “99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film,” included in the US Documentary Film competition for the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

Sundance

books record slate of female filmmakers

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he Sundance Film Festival has an apparent record lineup of female directors competing for its top honor this January. Half the entries - eight of the 16 films - announced Wednesday in the festival’s US dramatic competition were directed by women for the next installment of Robert Redford’s independent-cinema showcase, which runs Jan. 17-27 in Park City, Utah. Going back to 1992, the best showing previously for female filmmakers was in 2000, when six of the 16 US dramatic contenders were directed by women. Sundance organizers were still trolling back to the early years of the festival’s 33-year history, but this January’s eight competition films appears to be most ever from women and the first time the entries have been evenly split between female and male directors.

Among the competition films from female filmmakers are Francesca Gregorini’s “Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes,” whose cast includes Jessica Biel and Frances O’Connor in the story of a troubled girl fixated on a mysterious neighbor; Lynn Shelton’s “Touchy Feely,” featuring Rosemarie DeWitt, Allison Janney and Ellen Page in a tale of a massage therapist who develops a distaste for bodily contact; and Liz W Garcia’s “The Lifeguard,” with Kristen Bell as a reporter who moves home to Connecticut and takes a job as a lifeguard.

The festival’s US dramatic lineup also features the first Sundance entry for “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe, who stars as Allen Ginsberg in director John Krokidas’ “Kill Your Darlings.” Male directors still dominate the big-screen, but the

low-budget indie world has been narrowing the gender gap. Sundance director John Cooper said some Sundance film categories have had a nearly even split between male and female directors in

directors graduate from short films to featurelength stories.

Sundance has scheduled 113 feature-length films, chosen out of 4,044 titles submitted. The festival will feature four opening-night films, one each from its US drama and documentary and world-cinema drama and documentary categories.

Among the opening films is director Cherien Dabis’ US drama contender “May in the Summer,” in which she stars as a woman in conflict with her family after returns home to Jordan as her wedding nears. Other films in the US dramatic lineup include “Napoleon Dynamite” co-writer Jerusha

This undated publicity photo provided by the Sundance Institute shows Jessica Biel in a scene from the film, “Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes,” included in the US Dramatic Film competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

This undated publicity photo provided by the Sundance Institute shows, from left, Kaya Scodelario, Alfred Molina, and Frances O’Connor in a scene from the film, “Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes,” included in the US Dramatic Film competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. the past, a sign that more and more women are breaking into filmmaking. “I think that’s absolutely it,” Cooper said. “Also, what we’ve found is that through our short-film programs, they’ve been coming close to 50-50 in certain years or at least a high level of women directors. So it’s more of a coming-up-through-the-ranks situation” as female

Hess’ directing debut, “Austenland,” starring Keri Russell and Jennifer Coolidge in a romance about a “Pride and Prejudice”-obsessed woman searching for love at a Jane Austen theme resort; “In a

This undated publicity photo provided by the Sundance Institute shows Rooney Mara, left, and Casey Affleck, right, in a scene from the film, “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints,” included in the US Dramatic Film competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

World ...”, the directing debut of actress Lake Bell, who stars in the story of a woman trying to follow her father’s footsteps to become a voice-over star; Jill Soloway’s “Afternoon Delight,” with Kathryn Hahn and Juno Temple in the tale of a Los Angeles housewife who takes in a stripper as a live-in nanny; and David Lowery’s “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints,” featuring Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck in a drama about an escaped prisoner crossing the Texas hills to reunite with his family. —AP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Replicate Jaime King’s look in Christian Dior top and skirt Plush purple

A

shirt and a skirt in different shades of purple.

Try the Caslon long-sleeve crew neck shirt from Nordstrom.com for $25 with the Jucca threequarter-length skirt from Yoox.com for $35 or the purple shimmer skirt from Topshop.com for $40.

For the heeled ballerina slipper look, try the Pleaser women’s Chic-14 pump from Amazon.com for $30.55, and tie the straps up your ankle. Accessorize with a chunky statement piece. Try the knotted multi-chain necklace from Express.com, on sale last week for $24.43. For a gold clutch, get the Expressions NYC snake embossed box clutch from Nordstrom.com for $48. — MCT

ctress Jaime King plays feisty Lemon Breeland on the CW’s hit show “Hart of Dixie.” It’s all ruffles, debutante ball gowns and derby hats in Blue Bell, the fictional town where Breeland lives, but in real life, King is more of a fashion risk-taker than a Southern belle. From her start as a teen model, King has proved to be a fashion chameleon, able to wear a variety of looks and appear polished and on trend. Give her a paper bag, and she can find a way to rock it.

Jucca 3/4 length skirt.

File photo shows NYC snake embossed box clutch. — MCT photos King mixed a flowy floral dress with a motorcycle jacket at the recent Samsung Galaxy Note II launch, chose an embellished Giambattista Valli peplum outfit for the CFDA / Vogue Fashion Show and looked svelte in a white Calvin Klein collection dress at the Elle Women in Hollywood event last month.

At the recent launch of Rachel Zoe’s “Major Must Haves” collection for Jockey at Sunset Tower, King gave different shades of purple a whirl in a Christian Dior fall 2012 eggplant top and a skirt with sheer panels. She tied her Dior pumps like ballerina slippers and held on to a gold Jason Wu clutch.

To get King’s look, you’ll need a form-fitting

purple shimmer skirt .

Knotted, multi-chain necklace .

Pleaser women’s chic 14 pump.

MTV renovates House of Style, looks behind scenes T

he “House of Style” that MTV built back in 1989 has undergone some serious renovation, but it always had good bones. The show’s past and present come together in a documentary, “House of Style: Music, Models, and MTV,” that premieres Saturday (10 pm EST).

Originally launched with supermodel Cindy Crawford, “House of Style” made the logical links between music and fashion at a time when some of the biggest style trends were coming from the videos that were the bread and butter of MTV: Madonna’s many looks, including Jean Paul Gaultier’s 1990 cone bra; Run-DMC’s Adidas sneakers; and Michael Jackson’s many leather jackets.

Crawford interviewed designers Gaultier and Todd Oldham, runway buddies Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista, and video staples Duran Duran and Will Smith, back when Smith was The Fresh Prince. “It was the right show at the right time,” says Crawford.

“People saw designs from fashion before, but this helped introduce the people behind fashion in a way that hadn’t been done before.”

She isn’t claiming credit, but Crawford also notes that fashion didn’t have the broad pop-culture appeal two decades ago that it has now. That access is fueled by all the behind-the-scenes interviews

In this commercial image provided by MTV.com, models Karlie Kloss and Joan Smalls pose for a photograph in Los Angeles, Calif. —AP

and instant runway replays available on your cellphone, she says. “House of Style” was important in whetting that appetite, she says. The show grew up through the 1990s, adding new hosts Daisy Fuentes, Molly Sims and Rebecca Romijn, and ending its initial run in 2000.

But with fashion risk-takers such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Katy Perry again dominating the style-setter conversation, it was time for “House of Style” to make a comeback. Now, the mini-episodes hosted by top models Karlie Kloss and Joan Smalls stream

online. But the feeling of exclusivity and excitement remains. “We could have done this reboot three or four years ago, but I don’t think it was the right time.

We’re in a time now that there is again the interest in models, in music and there are so many visual platforms,” says Dave Sirulnick, MTV’s executive vice president of news and production. He was also behind the original show.

Viewers might come to the new “House of Style” as more educated fashion fans, he says. Still, an insider as a curator is unique. “You don’t know when cool

things might happen or pop up, and ‘House of Style’ follows that,” says Smalls.

“It’s always exciting. I got into this business because it is more challenging and more creative and more expressive. I didn’t want a 9-to-5 job. I don’t know where I’ll be flying to tomorrow, but the show might take you there.” They’ve covered interviews with Stella McCartney and Alexander Wang, gone backstage at Victoria’s Secret and revisited Gaultier.

Don’t expect nostalgia, though. “We’re not aimed at the same people now as we were. The 22-year-olds of 20 years ago isn’t who we’re targeting, we want the 22-year-olds of today,” says Sirulnick.

He adds, “I hope the 42-year-old might still watch, and I hope they’re interested, but we have to move forward.” On Smalls’ wish list to cover in upcoming episodes are a trip to her native Puerto Rico “which I think is an emerging fashion scene,” a segment on Japanese street style, a personal survey of Carine Roitfeld’s closet and a sitdown with Rihanna. Crawford says she doesn’t go back and watch old episodes often, but occasionally her kids will make her watch one on YouTube. “I was not hip back then. I was musically illiterate - and it was MTV! ... I thought Def Leppard was a person. That played on TV in a fun way.” — AP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Japan Couture Women Fashion Week

Models present creations by Japanese designer Yumi Katsura during the Japan Couture 2012 Women Fashion Week in Singapore. — AFP photos

Oh, Yoko! Ono’s fashion line gropes for Lennon

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ou remember that Beatles classic “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”? Turns out Yoko Ono had other things in mind. Ono’s new menswear collection inspired by John Lennon includes pants with large handprints on the crotch, tank tops with nipple cutouts and even a flashing LED bra. The collection of menswear for Opening Ceremony is based on a series of drawings she sketched as a gift for Lennon for their wedding day in 1969. Ono said she the illustrations were designs for clothing and accessories to celebrate Lennon’s “hot bod.”

Also in the collection are a “butt hoodie” with an outline drawing suggesting its name, pants with cutouts at the behind, a jock strap with an LED light and a transparent chest plaque with bells and a leather neck strap. “I was inspired to create ‘Fashions for Men,’ amazed at how my man was looking so great. I felt it was a pity if we could not make clothes emphasizing his very sexy bod,” Ono said in a statement.

“So, I made this whole series with

love for his hot bod, and gave it to him as a wedding present.” —AP

This undated publicity photo provided by courtesy of Opening Ceremony shows a clear perspex and black leather with silver chrome bells Ring For Your Mommy Piece ($400) and white wool and padded mesh Cutout Trouser ($250) from Yoko Ono’s new menswear collection. —AP

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

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Pe t s FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

More hospitals allowing visits from patients’ pets

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Say hello to the four-legged doctor

sk patients in some area hospitals which caregivers they most look forward to seeing, and they’ll say the ones with hairy faces and bad breath. For Sean Harris, they were his dogs Diesel and Wilson.

For Michael Friedman, it was the family pooch, Larissa. “My mother and grandfather had been (at Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center & Hospital) before and we brought the dog to visit, so when my father got sick, we knew we could bring her,” Brad Friedman said of Larissa, a friendly 5-year-old Australian shepherd. “She just cheers him up.”

Michael Friedman saw Larissa at least a half-dozen times while rehabilitating for a few weeks recently at Levindale after a car accident. Harris was visited by his dogs while recovering from a car accident at Maryland Shock Trauma Center for five months ending in 2010. The two Baltimore hospitals and a small number of other Maryland health-care facilities have joined others around the nation that now allow pet visits as a means of improving patients’ moods and possibly their health.

Studies show that having a pet around can lower blood pressure, promote relaxation and alleviate loneliness, and people suffer when they are away from them for long periods. In groundbreaking research published in 1980 in the journal Public Health Reports, a professor in the University of Maryland’s psychiatry department, James J. Lynch, and his colleagues showed that patients recently released from the coronary care unit lived longer when they had pets at home.

No one had to show the research to the Harris family. Sean, now 26, suffered a spinal injury when the car he was riding in crashed.

He had been hospitalized for about 2 months before a nurse noticed the pictures by his bed of three family dogs and a cat. She suggested they visit. Debbie Harris immediately settled on Diesel, a 120-pound blue mastiff the family had rescued several years earlier, because her son was closest to him.

She said the large gray animal, bathed and dressed in his own scrubs, was escorted through a back elevator to Sean’s room. The dog didn’t seem to mind the ventilator or other tubes he was hooked up to, or that Sean couldn’t talk and wouldn’t completely remember the visit the next day. The staff put Diesel on a gurney and raised him to Sean’s level. The dog placed his chin on Sean’s arm, Harris’ mother said. Sean prompted the dog by pursing his lips and Diesel began to “sing.”

“It was a big help,” Sean said recently from his family home. His pets “still are. They keep me company.” Visits by Diesel and Wilson, a Maltese-Shih Tzu mix, were made possible by the Rev Susan Carole Roy, director of pastoral care services at the University of Maryland Medical Center, which includes Shock Trauma, and founder of the pet visitation program. Roy knows about the connections people develop with their pets because she has two dogs and a cat. The pet program was launched in 2008 after two years of research and policy development. It all started when Roy noticed a patient feeding a dog on the sidewalk in front of the medical center. It turned out to be her pet; the woman had been hospitalized so long that the dog had stopped eating, and a friend started bringing it to the hospital. Roy began looking for examples of large hospitals that allowed pets, and found the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic.

The policies generally called for a patient’s doctor and infection control staff to sign off.

The pets needed up-to-date vaccines, a bath, scrubs and an escort. At Maryland, the patients receiving pet visits tend to be the sickest, Roy said. One woman who had fallen from a horse decided to terminate her life support, and the staff got her dog in within three hours. Recently, one dog was allowed to attend a meeting where doctors had to tell a patient’s husband that she was going to die; the dog’s presence helped calm him.

“They know how to see us through everything - marriage, kids being born, divorces, illnesses and death - and they’re a huge part of our emotional and spiritual well-being,” Roy said. “When pets come here, it seems like they give every ounce they have.” Anyone who has a pet would expect that, said Inga Fricke,

director of sheltering and pet care issues for the Humane Society of the United States.

She said hospitals and other health-care facilities have long had pet therapy programs, where animals are brought in to offer comfort to patients. A study last year by the American Hospital Association shows that such programs are now the most common alternative medicine offerings available to patients, ahead of massage and art and music therapy.

Allowing people’s own pets to visit is a logical extension, Fricke said.

“It certainly makes sense, given what we know about the intense bond people and pets have, and the overall health benefits people experience when they have pets,” she said. “Even if you’re just a little under the weather, having that wet nose nuzzling under your arm makes you feel better.” A small num-

Brad Friedman and his son, Ethan, 9, hold their family dog, Larissa, at a hospital in Baltimore. — MCT

ber of other Maryland hospitals, health-care centers and hospices are now allowing pets.

Northwest Hospital and Shore Health System, which includes Dorchester General Hospital and the Memorial Hospital at Easton, Md., encourage pet visits.

Levindale has been allowing animals to visit and live there since 2000. There are now five cats, birds and fish living there, and 10 to 15 animals visit. Brad Friedman, who brought Larissa, along with his son Ethan and mother Sheila, planned to return with the dog to visit other patients after his father’s release. “It’s a break from the routine,” he said as Larissa went around the room to greet everyone.

Sheila Friedman said the dog will sit at her husband’s feet and keep him company at home. Other hospitals say they recognize the bond patients have with pets. Sheppard Pratt, a mental health facility, organizes pet visits mostly for children and geriatric patients. And Kennedy Krieger Institute, which treats children with brain disorders, has arranged for long-term inpatients to visit with their pets outside the center.

Gilchrist Hospice Care has allowed pets since it opened in 1996, according to Reggie Bodnar, Gilchrist’s clinical director. Bodnar and others had visited other hospices and discovered a black Labrador retriever living in one in Ohio. A dog owner herself, Bodnar wanted one at Gilchrist to “put the finishing touch on the homelike environment,” but caring for the animal full time seemed too challenging. So patients’ pets were allowed to visit instead.

“If allowing someone to see a pet will bring joy, of course we want to do that,” Bodnar said. “They bring a sense of calm and normalcy and unconditional love.” Bodnar said the animals seem to know what the patients need, and they tend to elicit smiles from everyone they pass in the hallway. The Harris dogs did that for Sean, his mother said.

“You could tell they really lifted (Sean’s) spirits, and the spirits of the whole family and the staff,” said Debbie Harris, who visited daily and arranged for the dogs to get the required veterinarian visits and baths before bringing them from their home northeast of Frederick.

Sean battled many complications during his months in the hospital and 2 years of rehabilitation. But the dogs, whom he calls D and Scruff, as well as another family dog and cat, all treat him with the same adoration they did before the accident. Wilson wants to sit on his lap and Diesel wants his ears scratched. The cat won’t even move out of the way when Sean moves his electric wheelchair around.

Sean recently bought a house for himself and plans to resume everyday activities, which include hunting and college classes.

Once he’s settled in his new home, he’ll expect visits from his two- and four-legged family members, though Diesel is now pushing 10 and battling his own health problems. Sean will now be the one comforting him. — MCT

Stars

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Aries (March 21-April 19) Your sales may break records today. You have an inner urge for order and organization and a great sense of responsibility. You are competent, ambitious and cool. This marks the coming of good times as far as career and social life are concerned. If you have not discovered this already, it seems your time of paying dues is over; real accomplishments and staying focused are important.

You are a very hard worker and are driven to accomplish your goals.

You may manipulate a situation today for its own benefit so that you can put in for a supervisor job. You may find yourself as a representative or possibly a politician when it comes to your community. It is easy for you to be an arbitrator, especially if you can remove your own emotional issues.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This is a great time to be with others and to work together. You may look for better ways to be of service in the workplace. It may be time to change or upgrade to a more challenging position. You are certainly concerned with employment affairs and may be able to help others while you are helping yourself. Understanding inner motivations, seeing through to the core: that is your real path of power and enlightenment now. You may see the future as that period of time where your affairs will prosper, but now is the time to prosper—look again. You could develop a knack for being in the right place at the right time and you may find that you have friends in high places. You may find yourself looking for a little romance this evening.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Daring to be different gets you noticed—you get ahead in ways you never expected. Big changes affecting your career, status and reputation are likely now. Today seems to be a time of reaping rewards for your hard work. A high tech or an idealistic approach sets you apart. You are at your mental best with sharp ideas and clear thoughts. This is an excellent time to make decisions and take care of mental work. You never seem to miss an opportunity to encourage others when it seems they need encouragement.

Interaction with groups of people this evening gives your spirit a lift.

You enjoy studying people with their differences and their sameness.

The more you learn, the more you are curious about—and study. Read a little tonight.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Your ambition is strong. Things seem to fall in place and progress is easy. Outer circumstances and the flow of events make it easy for you to make clear decisions, see the road ahead and move forward. Be careful not to overextend or bite off more than you can chew. This is a good time to take a certain amount of risks and to perhaps, be a bit unconventional. You will prosper through new insights, inventions and an independent point of view. Fine-tuning your activities may prove to be a key move to better job opportunities.

Although financial rewards will come through your hard work, you may also find yourself spending it faster that you can make it. With the holidays coming, you may soon find the finances a bit tight. How about a budget?

Leo (July 23-August 22) There are categories in your life that have yet to be established and you may think seriously about these things today. You may ask yourself what you have accomplished and where you are going when it comes to your career, family, social, religious or spiritual life now. You seek to find peace of mind—you seem compelled. Don’t try to do this all in one day. Consider a note-taking schedule over a period of time to understand where you have been and where you want to go with these matters—new goals. Don’t forget—it is important to have fun and to enjoy some recreation and interaction in relationships—balance. You can demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity to the needs of others just now and may find yourself dealing with community affairs.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Your work efforts are not wasted today—staying away from emotional issues is a very wise plan however. Just stick with the facts and the outcome will be most positive. You may find yourself visiting the local library for new reading material or doing research for a particular project. Ambition takes center stage.

Achievements win you reward and recognition is yours for the making—but you must make them happen, you cannot simply wait around and expect them to appear. It may be time to move into a different cultural or psychological environment where your home life is concerned—look around and take a friend or family member with you.

A change in real estate can be very beneficial. Travel is also a consideration for the near future.

Libra (September 23-October 22) Compromise is the order of this day where professionalism is concerned. The power of organization on a social scale (business, politics and such) seems to take on importance for you. Problems and obstacles are short-lived when you give them your total concentration.

This is a perfect time to be assertive and to move forward in your career decisions. You have all the drive and energy you could want—the path is open and clear for whatever you want to accomplish. If there are any medical needs to be taken care of consider making those appointments this afternoon—especially dental. Marriage, partnerships and legal matters are highlighted—there could be plenty of discussions surrounding these subjects within the family unit—take little steps.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You are at your most practical when it comes to dealing and working with others today. You know just what to do and can act without haste and emotion. You could be working with groups of people or children. You are called on to make use of your natural abilities and common sense. A need to be respected is an ongoing emotionally charged issue. If you do not push others too hard for this respect, it will come naturally. You organize things and people well and today you will find yourself doing both of those things all day long. You may find yourself in a creative writing class this evening. Pat yourself on the back; every time you stretch to learn something new, make a discovery or polish a talent, you open new doors of learning and growth.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Problem-solving opportunities come to your attention.

You take the initiative to solve these problems and help others to learn in the process. This is a great time to be with others and to work together. Your mind may be very clear now—your thoughts are brought to a sharp focus. You will be able to find the answer to a difficult problem today. Your management and directional abilities are in high focus. Shopping this afternoon will need your time and patience.

You have someone special for whom you want to purchase a gift, and you may not settle for the first or second thing you see. You may spend a bit of time in the library this evening. Being in touch with ideas and people on a grand scale keeps your mind stimulated and busy.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) This is a good day—one where much progress is gained.

Your assertiveness in some job-related situation could be very well received. In fact, others could learn from the way you handle yourself. Your career assumes a much more determined and solid form.

Anything is possible these days. Your organizational abilities and sense of responsibility will be what guides you and proves successful. You have all the drive that is needed—it should be easy to channel your enthusiasm. This evening you may be moved to appreciate a friend’s situation. You may be able to help through the art of listening. You can teach the art of staying in the NOW. Opportunities to spend a large amount of money may be tempting this evening—careful.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This may be a tough day to solve problems or to look for insights and solutions. You may feel that your originality and independence are stifled or just not available to you for now.

Someone older may commiserate with you and boost your spirits. You tend to have a good sense of humor and it is easy for you to smooth out the most difficult situations. Your appreciation for hard work and discipline is natural and lifelong and you strive to do the very best in any job you undertake. You actually love responsibility and tend to pile on the work. Don’t be afraid to project yourself. Speaking out is the only way to really know what works and what does not work. A positive change in financial status is possible now. This may come from an investment or a partner.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Your attitude about your work is commendable. If there is a job, you can do it. As an unusual worker, you pour yourself into any task with absolute determination. You are responsible to the extreme and take on obligations as though you just cannot get enough. Others could seek you out for your psychological insight and understanding. This could be a time to make changes or additions in your environment. It may be that a place in the country will help to aid in your relaxation. Being more involved with neighbors or sibling(s) satisfies a deep emotional need this evening.

Communicating feelings becomes important. You have a natural ability to use emotions in productive ways. Entertaining others is one form this might take.

COUNTRY CODES 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 Republic 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 Somalia 00252 South Africa 0027 South Korea 0082 Spain 0034 Sri Lanka 0094 Sudan 00249 Suriname 00597 Swaziland 00268 Sweden 0046 Switzerland 0041 Syria 00963 Taiwan 00886 Tanzania 00255 Thailand 0066 Toga 00228 Tonga 00676 Tokelau 00690 Trinidad 001868 Tunisia 00216 Turkey 0090 Tuvalu 00688 Uganda 00256 Ukraine 00380 United Arab Emirates00976

Stars

C R O S S W O R D

2 4

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Yesterday始s Solution

ACROSS 1. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

4. Variety of endive having leaves with irregular frilled edges.

12. The local time at the 0 meridian passing through Greenwich, England.

15. A light touch or stroke.

16. Thorny Eurasian shrubs.

17. An associate degree in applied science.

18. A dark-skinned member of a race of people living in Australia when Europeans arrived.

19. A member of the Iroquoian people formerly living between Lake Chaplain and the Saint Lawrence River.

20. A nucleic acid consisting of large molecules shaped like a double helix.

21. A city in north central Venezuela.

23. A radioactive gaseous element formed by the disintegration of radium.

24. Mammary gland of bovids (cows and sheep and goats).

26. A Loloish language.

29. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

30. A quantity of no importance.

33. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

36. An ancient city of Sumer located on a former channel of the Euphrates River.

37. Lightweight single-breasted jacket.

40. An analgesic for mild pain.

42. The template for protein synthesis.

44. A cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment).

45. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

46. Mature female of mammals of which the male is called `buck'.

47. Freshwater or marine or terrestrial gastropod mollusk usually having an external enclosing spiral shell.

49. Perennial northern temperate plant with toothed leaves and heads of small purplish-white flowers.

50. A French abbot.

52. A theatrical performer.

54. (Polynesian) An alcoholic drink made from the aromatic roots of the kava shrub.

55. A bag used for carrying money and small personal items or accessories (especially by women).

58. A doctor who practices veterinary medicine.

60. Having leadership guidance.

61. English navigator who explored the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage (1550-1605).

63. (used of count nouns) Every one considered individually.

65. A region of Malaysia in northeastern Borneo.

68. The act of grasping.

70. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

74. A self-funded retirement plan that allows you to contribute a limited yearly sum toward your retirement.

75. A fatty deposit in the intima (inner lining) of an artery.

79. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

80. A unit of length of thread or yarn.

81. A cut of pork ribs with much of the meat trimmed off.

82. An agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank.

83. A metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 10 liters.

84. Thin-shelled freshwater mussels.

85. A young woman making her debut into society.

DOWN 1. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology.

2. An amino acid that is found in the central nervous system.

3. Away from the mouth or oral region.

4. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

5. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

6. Supply or feed to surfeit.

7. Belonging to or on behalf of a specified person (especially yourself).

8. Father of the storm gods Marut.

9. Similar to the color of a ripe orange.

10. (Irish) Ancient Irish god (probably a god of the sun).

11. (Old Testament) The eldest son of Isaac who would have inherited the Covenant that God made with Abraham and that Abraham passed on to Isaac.

12. A cushion on a throne for a prince in India.

13. Long coarse hair growing from the crest of the animal's neck.

14. A male monarch or emperor (especially of Russia prior to 1917).

22. Jordan's port.

25. A constitutional monarchy in northern Europe.

27. A medicinal drug used to evoke vomiting (especially in cases of drug overdose or poisoning).

28. Profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger.

31. A unit of weight used in some Spanish speaking countries.

32. The god who fathered the islands and gods of Japan with his sister Izanami.

34. Reach a destination.

35. An unnaturally frenzied or distraught woman.

38. Thickening of tissue in the motor tracts of the lateral columns and anterior horns of the spinal cord.

39. An investment trust that owns and manages a pool of commercial properties and mortgages and other real estate asssets.

41. Proceeding from or ordered by or subject to a pope or the papacy regarded as the successor of the Apostles.

43. The compass point that is one point north of northeast.

48. Unhappy in love.

51. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

53. Admit anew.

56. The dialect of Malay used as the national language of the Republic of Indonesia or of Malaysia.

57. The eleventh month of the civil year.

59. A crystalline metallic element not found in nature.

62. A broken piece of a brittle artifact.

64. (astronomy) The angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing.

66. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

67. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

69. Chocolate cookie with white cream filling.

71. Set down according to a plan.

72. (of a young animal) Abandoned by its mother and raised by hand.

73. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

76. Administration of a nutritionally adequate solution through a catheter into the vena cava.

77. 10 hao equal 1 dong.

78. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

Yesterday始s Solution

Sports FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

UC Irvine loses to No 24 UNLV No 4 Ohio State fades LAS VEGAS: The UC Irvine Anteaters found out why No 24 UNLV has been ranked all season. The Runnin’ Rebels (4-1) made 10 steals compared to three for the Anteaters (3-5). The Rebels forced 15 turnovers while the Anteaters only could force seven.

UNLV coupled that turnover number with 22 assists and one could see why they led throughout the game and got ahead by as many as 29 points in an 85-57 victory. “The thing making them good right now is their physical aggressiveness defensively,” UC Irvine coach Russell Turner said.

“That really bothered us. It bothered us more than I thought.

“They’re a better defensive team than an offensive team, and I give their coach credit for building that mentality with a young team. They’re good.” Senior guard Daman Starring, who grew up in Las Vegas, had 18 points and Adam Folker added 12 for the Anteaters, who lost by four points or fewer in their first three losses. This was their second straight loss by double digits following a 10-point loss to Pepperdine last Saturday. Freshman Anthony Bennett and junior Mike Moser scored 19 points apiece to lead the Rebels. Using tenacious defense, the Rebels held UC Irvine scoreless during a crucial 5 minutes of the second half, long enough to widen their lead to 20 points and take the Anteaters out of the game.

UNLV outscored UC Irvine 51-31 in the second half to pull away for the easy win.

Katin Reinhardt added 13 points for the Rebels. Bennett sat out Monday’s practice with a sore back, but practiced Tuesday at full speed, while senior point guard Anthony Marshall sat out with swelling in a knee. Neither looked as if they were bothered at all. Marshall finished with six points and nine assists. After a relatively quiet first half, with just six points, Bennett had 13 in the second half and scored seven of UNLV’s first 17 points in the second half. UC Irvine scored just 21 points over the final 14:59 of the game - nine from the free throw line.

NO 9 ARIZONA BEAT NAU Mark Lyons scored 18 points, Nick Johnson had 10 points and seven assists, and No 9 Arizona rolled over Northern Arizona 93-50 on Wednesday night. Arizona (4-0) overwhelmed the Lumberjacks from the get-go, showing no signs of rust after an eight-day break. Dropping in 3pointers and soaring in for dunks, the Wildcats built an 18-point lead in the first half and shut down Northern Arizona in the second for their 29th straight win over the Lumberjacks (24). Arizona shot 58 percent, made 12 of 21 from 3-point range and had 22 assists on 30 field goals to kick off a stretch of four games in 11 days.

Solomon Hill had 17 points, Brandon Ashley grabbed 11 rebounds and Johnson added four steals for the Wildcats. Dewayne Russell had 13 points and Blake

Hamilton 11 for Northern Arizona, winless in 24 all time games against ranked opponents. The game marked the return of Northern Arizona coach Jack Murphy to McKale Center. Murphy spent eight years at Arizona under coach Lute

GA TECH STRUGGLE Georgia Tech still needs to learn how to finish. Reserve guard Joseph Bertrand hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions and scored every point in a 10-0 run Wednesday night that rallied No 22 Illinois to a 75-62 victory

to our other loss against Cal. We’re just not quite tough enough at the end.”

Illinois (8-0) took control late thanks to Bertrand’s one-man show. The Illini finished the game on a 21-4 run over the final 7:15.

“Until you get to know him, Joe

After missing his first season with a knee injury, the redshirt junior relied upon his athleticism to get to the basket and create scoring opportunities for himself the last two years. By concentrating on his perimeter game during individual practice sessions over the summer, he’s become tougher to guard.

MERCER LOSES Mercer coach Bob Hoffman got a good look at No 25 New Mexico when the two teams played in the same tournament in the Virgin Islands recently. He didn’t like what he saw when Mercer lost to New Mexico 76-50 on Wednesday night. “Their team in general, they fit really good together,” Hoffman said of the Lobos. “I think they’ve got great pieces and I’m sure if you’re a fan just watching them, they’re fun to watch. If you’re an opposing coach, it’s not a whole lot of fun to watch.”

The Bears (3-4) fell behind early and did not do a very good job of playing catch up. “We knew we were going to have to mix it up some defensively because they execute their offense so well,” Hoffman said. “I thought we did that to some degree. We had them standing, but not very long. But a little bit here and there. I thought that kept us in the game. We just didn’t execute ourselves. Of course, you can contribute that to their defensive play to making that happen.” New Mexico’s inside duo of Alex Kirk and Cameron Bairstow combined for 32 points and 18 rebounds, proving to be too much for the Bears to handle.

DURHAM: Aaron Craft No 4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes drives to the basket against Mason Plumlee No 5 of the Duke Blue Devils during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. —AFP Olson, working his way up from student manager to director of operations. He also spent time as an advance scout for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets under George Karl and was an assistant to Josh Pastner at Memphis, so he’s worked for some of the best minds in basketball.

over the Yellow Jackets in an ACC-Big Ten Challenge game. Before the second-half scoring spurt by Bertrand, Georgia Tech held a 58-54 lead.

“Unfortunately for 33 minutes, that was a heck of a game,” Yellow Jackets coach Brian Gregory said. “We didn’t play very well at the end. Very similar

sometimes comes off like a quiet guy, but he’s got some big-time energy,” Illinois coach John Groce said. “I very rarely will watch practice film or game film and say, ‘Bertrand isn’t playing hard.’” Bertrand scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half as the surprising Illini kept up their early season run.

BUCKEYES DOWN No 4 Ohio State looked plenty capable of accomplishing something no non-ACC team could do in more than a decade: Beat Duke on its home court. Then, all of a sudden, things went wrong for the Buckeyes. An untimely cold spell and an inability to stop No 2 Duke down the stretch sent the Buckeyes to a 73-68 loss Wednesday night. Deshaun Thomas scored 16 points to lead Ohio State (41) and Aaron Craft scored 11 on 3-of15 shooting. His jumper with about 3:15 remaining was the Buckeyes’ last until a dunk by Evan Ravenel in the final seconds. “They just stopped guarding me towards the end, going under ball screens and things,” Craft said. “Just couldn’t knock down shots.

Sometimes, that happens.”

Ohio State - a 52 percent shooting team - hit just 33.8 percent from the field in this one. “If you had told me we were going to shoot 34 percent, I would have said we got ran out of the gym tonight,” coach Thad Matta said.

The Buckeyes also had no way to slow Duke freshman Rasheed Sulaimon in the second half. He scored all 17 of his points after halftime. “I let my teammates down in the beginning, not playing as well as I could be, and (coach Mike Krzyzewski) really got on me at halftime,” Sulaimon said. “I just love these guys and wanted to go out there and respond.” —Agencies

Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

Nets thump Celtics 95-83 At last, Wizards nab first win of season BOSTON: Joe Johnson scored 18 points, Andray Blatche had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Boston Celtics 95-83 on Wednesday after Rajon Rondo was ejected following a fight. The Celtics point guard was tossed after he shoved Kris Humphries to retaliate for the Nets forward’s hard foul against Kevin Garnett.

Humphries and Brooklyn forward Gerald Wallace were also ejected for their roles in the second-quarter skirmish. Garnett had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Paul Pierce added 14 points for Boston. Rondo had three assists before he was kicked out, ending his streak at 37 games with double-digits. That is tied for second-longest in NBA history. The Nets led by 21 in the second half and never less than nine in the fourth quarter.

WIZARDS 84, TRAIL BLAZERS 82 Washington earned its first victory after starting the season with 12 straight losses, getting 19 points from Jordan Crawford to beat Portland. Washington survived a scoreless 6:47 in the fourth when Crawford hit on a 3-pointer with 2:06 to play, and the Wizards finally took the 84-82 lead on Emeka Okafor’s two free throws with 39.1 seconds remaining. Damian Lillard was called for traveling with 28 seconds left. After Nene was called for an offensive foul, JJ Hickson missed a jumper with 2.8 seconds to play. The Wizards lost the ball with 0.2 seconds to go, but held on to end the skid. Nine teams started the season 0-13, and the Wizards were tired of the ridicule they’d been subjected to locally and nationally - as they crept toward the Nets’ NBA record-worst start of 0-18.

Randolph added 13 rebounds and six assists.

Mike Conley had 16 points, going 4 of 5 on 3pointers, and Rudy Gay added 14 as the Grizzlies maintained the best record in the NBA (11-2). DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 16 points, while Kyle Lowry and Jose Calderon scored 12 apiece. Linas Kleiza added 11 points, but was 5 of 15 from the field, as Toronto lost its sixth straight. The Raptors played without Andrea Bargnani, their second-leading scorer, who sat out after hurting his left ankle in Tuesday night’s loss at Houston.

NBA has scored at least 29 points in his last four games, including 35 points and 13 rebounds in a 96-89 overtime loss at Brooklyn on Monday. New York’s Steve Novak added 19 points and Tyson Chandler chipped in with 17 points and eight rebounds for the Knicks, who snapped a three-game road losing streak.

Jason Kidd missed his second game in a row for New York with lower back spasms.

Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings and Beno Udrih each scored 18 points. The Bucks have lost four of their last five.

KNICKS 102, BUCKS 88 Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points to lead New York past Milwaukee. Anthony, who sat out the fourth quarter, was 9 of 18 from the floor and also grabbed eight rebounds in 30 minutes. The second-leading scorer in the

PISTONS 117, SUNS 77 Brandon Knight and Charlie Villanueva scored 19 points apiece, and Detroit routed Phoenix to win back-to-back games for the first time this season. Detroit is 5-3 since opening 0-8. The Pistons led 55-44 at halftime and then

CLIPPERS 101, TIMBERWOLVES 95 Chris Paul had 23 points and 11 assists, and the Los Angeles Clippers welcomed Chauncey Billups back to the lineup for the first time this season with a 101-95 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

Billups had eight points and three assists in 20 minutes as the Clippers ended a four-game losing streak. The five-time All-Star, beginning his 16th NBA season, was sidelined for more than nine months after tearing his left Achilles’ tendon on Feb. 6 in a 107-102 victory at Orlando.

Blake Griffin, who had career lows in points (four) and field goals made (one) during Monday night’s 105-98 home loss to New Orleans, had 18 points and six rebounds. Kevin Love had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota.

HAWKS 94, BOBCATS 91 Al Horford scored 17 points and hit two clinching free throws to help Atlanta beat Charlotte for its sixth straight victory. Josh Smith and Lou Williams also had 17 points apiece for the Hawks. Ben Gordon finished with 26 points and Ramon Sessions had 18 to lead Charlotte, which has lost two straight and three of four. Gordon’s straightaway 3-pointer with 29.1 seconds remaining cut Atlanta’s lead to 92-91. The Bobcats got the ball back, but Sessions’ inbounds pass from the left sideline was ruled a turnover after the officials watched replays and concluded neither Gordon nor Smith touched the ball, which bounced out of bounds on the other side of the court with 5.2 seconds to go.

THUNDER 120, ROCKETS 98 Kevin Durant matched his season high with 37 points, and Oklahoma City beat Houston in James Harden’s first game back at Chesapeake Energy Arena since being traded by the Thunder before the season. Harden scored 17 points, but was limited to 3-for-16 shooting.

He had six shots blocked by the Thunder.

Patrick Patterson scored 27 points and Omer Asik had 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead the way for the Rockets, who began the day by attending the funeral of coach Kevin McHale’s daughter in Minnesota. Harden missed his first nine shots, and by the time he made one, the Rockets were down by double digits in the second half. They never got closer than 10 after that.

SPURS 110, MAGIC 89 Manu Ginobili had 20 points, Gary Neal scored 19 and San Antonio raced past Orlando for its fifth straight win. Tim Duncan added 15 points in 27 minutes and Tony Parker chipped in 14 points and eight assists. The Spurs also posted their eighth consecutive victory on the road and have now beaten the Magic in five of their last six meetings. Arron Afflalo led the Magic with 16 points, followed by Jameer Nelson with 14. The Magic struggled from the field, connecting on just two of their 15 3-point attempts. Orlando has lost two straight and concludes its season-high, five-game homestand Friday against Brooklyn.

BULLS 101, MAVERICKS 78 Luol Deng had 22 points and six rebounds to lead Chicago over Dallas. Five players scored at least 11 points to help the Bulls (7-7) beat the Mavericks for the fourth straight time.

Nate Robinson added 14 points and six assists for Chicago, and fellow reserve Jimmy Butler scored a career-high 13, including 9-of-10 shooting from the free throw line. Joakim Noah chipped in 13 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks as Chicago avoided its first three-game losing streak at the United Center since dropping five straight in March 2010. Shawn Marion scored 18 points for Dallas, which shot just 35 percent to lose for the eighth time in 11 games. The Mavericks (79), who had won 21 of 27 against Chicago, dropped to 2-6 on the road.

GRIZZLIES 103, RAPTORS 82 Marreese Speights had 18 points and 12 rebounds to help Memphis beat Toronto for its third straight win. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph finished with 17 points apiece, while

broke the game open when the Suns came unglued in the third quarter. Phoenix picked up four technical fouls in the third and trailed by as many as 44 in the fourth. Rodney Stuckey added 18 points for Detroit. Kyle Singler and Tayshaun Prince contributed 12 each, and Greg Monroe had nine points and eight rebounds.

Luis Scola scored 11 points for the Suns. The Pistons avenged a 92-89 loss at Phoenix in early November.

LOS ANGELES: Minnesota Timberwolves’ Luke Ridnour (13) shoots over Los Angeles Clippers’ Chauncey Billups in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles. _ AP

JAZZ 96, HORNETS 84 Al Jefferson had 19 points, Marvin Williams scored 16 before leaving with concussion symptoms and Utah won its second straight game by defeating New Orleans. Paul Millsap scored nine of his 16 points during a dominant third quarter for Utah, and Gordon Hayward had 13 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to help the Jazz overcome one last New Orleans surge. Robin Lopez and Greivis Vasquez each scored 18 points for New Orleans, which has lost eight of nine. Brian Roberts added 11 points. But the Hornets, who defeated Utah in an earlier meeting this season, struggled from 3-point range this time, going 5 of 21. Utah was a disciplined 6 of 11 from deep. — AP

Sports FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Nets thump Celtics 95-83 At last, Wizards nab first win of season BOSTON: Joe Johnson scored 18 points, Andray Blatche had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Boston Celtics 95-83 on Wednesday after Rajon Rondo was ejected following a fight. The Celtics point guard was tossed after he shoved Kris Humphries to retaliate for the Nets forward’s hard foul against Kevin Garnett.

Humphries and Brooklyn forward Gerald Wallace were also ejected for their roles in the second-quarter skirmish. Garnett had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Paul Pierce added 14 points for Boston. Rondo had three assists before he was kicked out, ending his streak at 37 games with double-digits. That is tied for second-longest in NBA history. The Nets led by 21 in the second half and never less than nine in the fourth quarter.

Randolph added 13 rebounds and six assists.

Mike Conley had 16 points, going 4 of 5 on 3pointers, and Rudy Gay added 14 as the Grizzlies maintained the best record in the NBA (11-2). DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 16 points, while Kyle Lowry and Jose Calderon scored 12 apiece. Linas Kleiza added 11 points, but was 5 of 15 from the field, as Toronto lost its sixth straight. The Raptors played without Andrea Bargnani, their second-leading scorer, who sat out after hurting his left ankle in Tuesday night’s loss at Houston.

NBA has scored at least 29 points in his last four games, including 35 points and 13 rebounds in a 96-89 overtime loss at Brooklyn on Monday. New York’s Steve Novak added 19 points and Tyson Chandler chipped in with 17 points and eight rebounds for the Knicks, who snapped a three-game road losing streak.

Jason Kidd missed his second game in a row for New York with lower back spasms.

Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings and Beno Udrih each scored 18 points. The Bucks have lost four of their last five.

KNICKS 102, BUCKS 88 Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points to lead New York past Milwaukee. Anthony, who sat out the fourth quarter, was 9 of 18 from the floor and also grabbed eight rebounds in 30 minutes. The second-leading scorer in the

PISTONS 117, SUNS 77 Brandon Knight and Charlie Villanueva scored 19 points apiece, and Detroit routed Phoenix to win back-to-back games for the first time this season. Detroit is 5-3 since opening 0-8. The Pistons led 55-44 at halftime and then

WIZARDS 84, TRAIL BLAZERS 82 Washington earned its first victory after starting the season with 12 straight losses, getting 19 points from Jordan Crawford to beat Portland. Washington survived a scoreless 6:47 in the fourth when Crawford hit on a 3-pointer with 2:06 to play, and the Wizards finally took the 84-82 lead on Emeka Okafor’s two free throws with 39.1 seconds remaining. Damian Lillard was called for traveling with 28 seconds left. After Nene was called for an offensive foul, JJ Hickson missed a jumper with 2.8 seconds to play. The Wizards lost the ball with 0.2 seconds to go, but held on to end the skid. Nine teams started the season 0-13, and the Wizards were tired of the ridicule they’d been subjected to locally and nationally - as they crept toward the Nets’ NBA record-worst start of 0-18.

CLIPPERS 101, TIMBERWOLVES 95 Chris Paul had 23 points and 11 assists, and the Los Angeles Clippers welcomed Chauncey Billups back to the lineup for the first time this season with a 101-95 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

Billups had eight points and three assists in 20 minutes as the Clippers ended a four-game losing streak. The five-time All-Star, beginning his 16th NBA season, was sidelined for more than nine months after tearing his left Achilles’ tendon on Feb. 6 in a 107-102 victory at Orlando.

Blake Griffin, who had career lows in points (four) and field goals made (one) during Monday night’s 105-98 home loss to New Orleans, had 18 points and six rebounds. Kevin Love had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota.

HAWKS 94, BOBCATS 91 Al Horford scored 17 points and hit two clinching free throws to help Atlanta beat Charlotte for its sixth straight victory. Josh Smith and Lou Williams also had 17 points apiece for the Hawks. Ben Gordon finished with 26 points and Ramon Sessions had 18 to lead Charlotte, which has lost two straight and three of four. Gordon’s straightaway 3-pointer with 29.1 seconds remaining cut Atlanta’s lead to 92-91. The Bobcats got the ball back, but Sessions’ inbounds pass from the left sideline was ruled a turnover after the officials watched replays and concluded neither Gordon nor Smith touched the ball, which bounced out of bounds on the other side of the court with 5.2 seconds to go.

THUNDER 120, ROCKETS 98 Kevin Durant matched his season high with 37 points, and Oklahoma City beat Houston in James Harden’s first game back at Chesapeake Energy Arena since being traded by the Thunder before the season. Harden scored 17 points, but was limited to 3-for-16 shooting.

He had six shots blocked by the Thunder.

Patrick Patterson scored 27 points and Omer Asik had 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead the way for the Rockets, who began the day by attending the funeral of coach Kevin McHale’s daughter in Minnesota. Harden missed his first nine shots, and by the time he made one, the Rockets were down by double digits in the second half. They never got closer than 10 after that.

SPURS 110, MAGIC 89 Manu Ginobili had 20 points, Gary Neal scored 19 and San Antonio raced past Orlando for its fifth straight win. Tim Duncan added 15 points in 27 minutes and Tony Parker chipped in 14 points and eight assists. The Spurs also posted their eighth consecutive victory on the road and have now beaten the Magic in five of their last six meetings. Arron Afflalo led the Magic with 16 points, followed by Jameer Nelson with 14. The Magic struggled from the field, connecting on just two of their 15 3-point attempts. Orlando has lost two straight and concludes its season-high, five-game homestand Friday against Brooklyn.

BULLS 101, MAVERICKS 78 Luol Deng had 22 points and six rebounds to lead Chicago over Dallas. Five players scored at least 11 points to help the Bulls (7-7) beat the Mavericks for the fourth straight time.

Nate Robinson added 14 points and six assists for Chicago, and fellow reserve Jimmy Butler scored a career-high 13, including 9-of-10 shooting from the free throw line. Joakim Noah chipped in 13 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks as Chicago avoided its first three-game losing streak at the United Center since dropping five straight in March 2010. Shawn Marion scored 18 points for Dallas, which shot just 35 percent to lose for the eighth time in 11 games. The Mavericks (79), who had won 21 of 27 against Chicago, dropped to 2-6 on the road.

GRIZZLIES 103, RAPTORS 82 Marreese Speights had 18 points and 12 rebounds to help Memphis beat Toronto for its third straight win. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph finished with 17 points apiece, while

broke the game open when the Suns came unglued in the third quarter. Phoenix picked up four technical fouls in the third and trailed by as many as 44 in the fourth. Rodney Stuckey added 18 points for Detroit. Kyle Singler and Tayshaun Prince contributed 12 each, and Greg Monroe had nine points and eight rebounds.

Luis Scola scored 11 points for the Suns. The Pistons avenged a 92-89 loss at Phoenix in early November.

LOS ANGELES: Minnesota Timberwolves’ Luke Ridnour (13) shoots over Los Angeles Clippers’ Chauncey Billups in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles. _ AP

JAZZ 96, HORNETS 84 Al Jefferson had 19 points, Marvin Williams scored 16 before leaving with concussion symptoms and Utah won its second straight game by defeating New Orleans. Paul Millsap scored nine of his 16 points during a dominant third quarter for Utah, and Gordon Hayward had 13 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to help the Jazz overcome one last New Orleans surge. Robin Lopez and Greivis Vasquez each scored 18 points for New Orleans, which has lost eight of nine. Brian Roberts added 11 points. But the Hornets, who defeated Utah in an earlier meeting this season, struggled from 3-point range this time, going 5 of 21. Utah was a disciplined 6 of 11 from deep. — AP

Sports FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Ponting declares ‘it’s all over’ Australia’s Ponting retires from test cricket PERTH: Ricky Ponting dropped his guard momentarily, his rugged, uncompromising exterior cracking while he told teammates that this test against South Africa will be his last.

The timing, and the delivery, caught everyone by surprise none more than Michael Clarke, Ponting’s successor as Australia captain, long-time understudy, and a member of the panel of selectors. Ponting, who will equal Steve Waugh’s Australia record with his 168th test cap starting Friday in Perth, managed to compose himself and present a resolute image to a domestic media contingent that has speculated for more than a year about when the former skipper should or would call an end to his 17-year test career.

“A few hours ago I let the boys know of my decision to make this test my last,” Ponting started. He continued, “I tried to say a lot but I didn’t get much out. “They’d never seen me emotional before, but I was this morning.”

Ponting’s wife, Rianna, and their two daughters were in the news conference room, along with all of his Australian teammates, coach Mickey Arthur and chief selector John Inverarity in a unanimous show of support. Clarke couldn’t hold back the tears when it was his turn to speak in front of the cameras after Ponting, who will turn 38 next month, announced his decision to the public.

“The boys are obviously hurting at the moment. He’s been an amazing player for a long time,” Clarke said, before drawing a few deep breaths, taking time as he contemplated a question posed about the atmosphere in the room when Ponting broke the news to his teammates. “And that’ll do me for today. Sorry, I can’t answer that.” Clarke had only half-jokingly told a news conference after the drawn second test in Adelaide on Monday that he hoped Ponting would rebound from his lean patch with a triple century in Perth against the top-ranked South Africans.

“No, I didn’t have the feeling it was coming,” Clarke said.

“Ricky spoke to me after the Adelaide test match, and made his decision over the last little while.” In a later television interview, Clarke said he tried to talk Ponting out of retirement. “I certainly tried to,” Clarke told cricket broadcaster Channel Nine. “Like all of the players in the changeroom we would still like him to be there.” Ponting made his test debut at the WACA ground in Perth against Sri Lanka in 1995, as a young batsman with plenty of ability and a lot of swagger just 10 months after playing his first limited-overs international for Australia. Since then, he has amassed 13,336 runs in the test arena, a record for an Australian batsman and second only to the great Sachin Tendulkar in the cricket world. Having one more shot at regaining the No 1 test ranking is Ponting’s main career ambition at the moment. “It’s an unbelievable opportunity going into what I believe is like a grand final,” Ponting said. “I’m hungrier

than ever and I want this win more than any game I’ve ever played in. To get back to the top of the tree and No. 1 in the world, there’s no better time for me to finish.”

The only serious blot on Ponting’s record is the three Ashes series losses on his watch, starting with England’s drought-breaking win at home in 2005 and - after such a resounding comeback by the Australians in the next series the back-to-back losses. He has long said he wanted another shot at England, but made up his mind he wouldn’t make it next year. “It’s not tough at all. I’ve made up my own mind

SYDNEY: In this file photo Australia’s Ricky Ponting celebrates making 100 runs against India. The 38-year-old former Australia captain said yesterday, the third test against South Africa starting today will be his last. — AP that I feel I’m not good enough to get there,” Pontings said.

“It’s a pretty easy decision ... when you come to the realization that what you can give isn’t good enough. “I want to be a consistent performer. (There’s) been a buildup in my own mind, of reasonably consistent failure so that’s why the time is now.” Ponting was involved in one of the greatest eras of Australian cricket. He’s been described variously as stoic, surly, stubborn and irascible, but he’s attracted more praise than criticism over a long career in which his primary aim

SCOREBOARD COLOMBO: Complete scoreboard on the fifth and final day of the second and last Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo yesterday: New Zealand 1st innings 412 (R. Taylor 142, K. Williamson 135, D. Flynn 53, R. Herath 6-103) Sri Lanka 1st innings 244 (T. Samaraweera 76; T. Southee 5-62, T. Boult 4-42) New Zealand 2nd innings 194-9 dec (R. Taylor 74; R. Herath 3-67) Sri Lanka 2nd innings (overnight 47-4): T. Paranavitana lbw b Southee 0 T. Dilshan c van Wyk b Southee 14 K. Sangakkara b Bracewell 16 M. Jayawardene c van Wyk b Bracewell5 T. Samaraweera run out 7 A. Mathews c Guptill b Boult 84 P. Jayawardene c van Wyk b Astle 29 S. Randiv c Guptill b Boult 0 N. Kulasekara c Williamson b Boult 18 S. Eranga c Williamson b Southee 0

R. Herath not out 6 Extras (b4, lb11, w1) 16 Total (for all out; 85.5 overs) 195 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Paranavitana), 2-35 (Dilshan), 3-41 (Sangakkara), 4-46 (M. Jayawardene), 5-63 (Samaraweera), 6-119 (P. Jayawardene), 7-122 (Randiv), 8-168 (Kulasekara), 9-169 (Eranga), 10-195 (Mathews).

Bowling: Southee 20-5-58-3, Boult 17.5-633-3, Bracewell 13-6-13-2 (w1), Patel 16-7-20-0, Astle 18-4-56-1, Flynn 11-0-0 Result: New Zealand win by 167 runs, level two-Test series 1-1.

was always to score runs and chase a win rather than settle for anything less. The reaction of his teammates was a testament to his contribution as a leader and member of the group. He guided Australia to back-to-back World Cup titles in 2003 and ‘07 after taking over the captaincy from Waugh and led a team that was long considered No. 1 in the world.

He stood down as captain after an Ashes series loss on home soil followed by a quarterfinal exit in the 2011 World Cup in India.

It didn’t take long for selectors to drop him from the ODI team, with a run of low scores bringing about his demise in that format in February. He vowed to bat on in test cricket, promising to continue scoring runs and leaving it up to the selectors to keep picking him - or not. He came into the three-test series against South Africa with plenty of runs on the board in domestic first-class cricket, but only put together 20 runs in three innings of the two drawn tests in Brisbane and Adelaide. In the second test, he was bowled in both innings and never looked comfortable at the crease.

Ponting said during the Adelaide match that a discussion with selectors would obviously come sooner rather than later and, asked if he still was targeting the 2013 Ashes tour to England, suggested that he might not even make it through this summer. “I know I have given cricket my all, it’s been my life for 20 years. There’s not much more I could give,” he said yesterday. Australia needs to win the series against South Africa to have any chance of supplanting them at the top of the test rankings, and that is Ponting’s main career goal right now. “This week I’ve got a big job ahead, I’ve got to lift my level of play from what it was last week,” he said.

“Over the last couple of weeks my level of performance hasn’t been good enough. My passion and love for the game hasn’t changed.” Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland was full of praise for Ponting. “Ricky has had an extra-ordinary career and has made an extra-ordinary contribution, including through the example he has set for other elite players and through the excitement he has given fans, young and old,” Sutherland said.

“I think his record until he retired as captain was outstanding, but my respect for him since then has actually increased, seeing first-hand how he stepped back to become a total team player, absolutely committed to his captain, unstinting in his work to help other players and single-minded in his view that everything, including his own ambition, must always be second place after whatever was best for the team”. Ponting plans to continue playing for Tasmania state in the Sheffield Shield competition and will play for the Prime Minister’s XI against Sri Lanka later in the summer. He decided he just didn’t quite have the form for test cricket. Ever the pragmatist, he said the decision “was based on my results.” — AP

Kiwis level Lanka Test series with a rare win COLOMBO: New Zealand registered their first Test win in Sri Lanka in 14 years yesterday, overcoming Angelo Mathews’s defiance in the second and final Test in Colombo to level the series 1-1. New Zealand won by 167 runs, bowling Sri Lanka out for a second innings total of 195 in the last session of the fifth and final day at the P Sara Oval as the hosts chased a 363-run target. Allrounder Mathews offered stiff resistance to the tourists, top-scoring with a fighting 84 which included one six and 11 fours. He was the last man dismissed after batting for more than two sessions. New Zealand, who had lost five successive Tests before this match, put in an improved all-round show in Colombo, posting 412 in the first innings and their bowlers, especially the pacemen, delivered in both innings.

The tourists tightened their grip on the match on Wednesday when they reduced the hosts to

47-4, but had to work hard for success on a fifthday wicket, which was still good for batting. New Zealand got just one wicket in the morning session and two in the second before completing the job with the second new ball in the evening.

Fast bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee each finished with three wickets, while paceman Doug Bracewell took two and debutant leg-spinner Todd Astle one. Astle provided the crucial breakthrough in the afternoon when he had Prasanna Jayawardene (29) caught behind with a delivery that turned and bounced for his first Test wicket.

Jayawardene was involved in a defiant 56-run stand for the sixth wicket with Mathews. Boult, who got four wickets in the first innings, had lower-order batsman Suraj Randiv caught by Martin Guptill at second slip before ending the innings with the wicket of Mathews, caught by the same fielder in the slips. — AFP

Sports FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Under-21 teams play down security worries Biggest sports event in Israel in decades TEL AVIV: Teams have shrugged off security fears in Israel and are looking forward to next year’s Euro Under-21 soccer championships due to be held in cities targeted by Palestinian militants last week, coaches said on Wednesday. Several sporting events in the Jewish state had to be postponed during an eight-day Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip during which Islamist militants launched hundreds of rockets on Israeli towns as far north as the outskirts of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Europe’s national Olympic committees also scrapped a congress they were due to hold next month in Eilat. The fighting, in which some 170 Palestinians - more than half of them civilians - and six Israelis including four civilians were killed, ended in an Egyptian-brokered truce agreement a week ago. “We are pro-

fessionals, we want to come to put on a sporting spectacle, politics really doesn’t interest me,” England coach Stuart Pearce said after the draw for next June’s tournament was held in Tel Aviv. The biennial tournament is being held for the 19th time and will be hosted in the coastal cities of Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Netanya and in Jerusalem between June 5-18.

UEFA President Michel Platini, who was present at the draw, said European soccer’s governing body had never considered moving the championship to an alternative venue despite the recent upsurge in violence. “We never had a plan B. Israel was always, always planned to host the tournament,” he told Israel Radio. Norway coach Per Joar Hansen felt the situation had stabilised following the ceasefire. “We

were following events on television and saw the problems here but we talked to the Norwegian government and the Norwegian embassy here and to UEFA and now that the war has stopped we are looking forward to come to play here,” he said.

Holders Spain will face a tough challenge to retain their title. They will be up against 2009 winners Germany, the Netherlands and Russia in Group B. Israel were drawn with England, Italy and Norway in Group A. The top two teams in each group advance to the semi-finals. Pearce, leading his side to a fourth consecutive tournament, expects a difficult group stage against strong opposition. “I think whoever (wants to win) this tournament will have their work cut out, there are eight fantastic sides here. This is my fourth tourna-

Football foothold in US growing stronger American dream backed to thrive post-Beckham LOS ANGELES: Major League Soccer is poised to flourish in the post-David Beckham era, with football’s foothold in the United States growing ever stronger, MLS Commissioner Don Garber believes. With 2012 marking the 100th year of FIFA-recognized football in the United States, Garber said the professional league that began play in 1996 enjoyed its most successful season to date, with burgeoning attendance, increased television exposure and improved quality of play.

Former England midfielder Beckham will play his final MLS match tomorrow, when his Los Angeles Galaxy attempt to repeat as MLS Cup champions. Garber said he had no regrets about any aspect of the $32.5 million, five-year contract Beckham signed when he originally departed Real Madrid for a US league that was lightly regarded in global football circles. Garber said Beckham “over-delivered” on all of his stated aims-to win, and to increase the league’s profile at home and abroad.

“There’s arguably not a soccer fan on this planet that doesn’t know the LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer, and David played a significant role in helping us make that happen,” Garber said. The league is already working to consolidate those gains in a country where sports fans are spoiled for choice. Dan Courtemanche, the league’s executive vice president of communications, admitted officials were “surprised” that the ESPN-backed Sports Poll, based on a database designed by social scientist Rich Luker, found this year that football was the United States’ second-most popular

Los Angeles Galaxy soccer player David Beckham, of England sport among those aged 12-24. “They asked 12- to 24-year-olds what’s your favorite sport to consume,” Courtemanche said. “Number one was NFL-we get that. Number two was professional soccer-that’s a combination of international soccer and MLS. That really surprised us.” With that in mind, Courtemanche said the league believes NBC television’s recent acquisition of the US broadcast rights to English Premier League matches will benefit MLS, rather than detract from its audience. “We certainly believe that NBC investing in the English Premier League is a strong statement of what they see as the interest in soccer,” Courtemanche said. “We’re firm believers in the theory that a rising tide lifts all boats. As the sport grows in the US and Canada MLS, as the

biggest boat, will benefit.” America’s latino community, long considered a natural fan-base for MLS, has even more reason to watch thanks to an influx of players from Central America.

Garber said that the league is adopting a systematic approach to seeking out talent in Central and South America and Asia, while clubs continue to plunge some $20 million a year into academies designed to nurture domestic talent.

Garber admitted that such investment “has not yet paid off” and said the league was considering ways to enhance the playing opportunities for young players, including the possibility of a rule similar to one in Mexico that mandates a minimum among of playing time for players under a specified age. — AFP

ment and this is the strongest pool of teams that have come to an Under-21 tournament,” Pearce said.

Israel coach Guy Luzon said it was clear the host side were the weakest team in the event and that his players would need an upset to have a chance of advancing to the semifinals. “The difference between our players and those of England or Italy is like the difference between our premier league and the English Premier League or Serie A. They are huge but on a given day, if we play our best and manage an upset, perhaps we can do something,” he said.

The tournament will be one of the biggest sporting events Israel has held in the past five decades Tel Aviv hosted the Paralympic Games in 1968 - and its biggest soccer tournament since joining UEFA in 1992. — Reuters

Dortmund eye comeback coup BERLIN: Champions Borussia Dortmund are determined to jerk their title defense back on track with a victory at runaway leaders Bayern Munich in tomorrow’s Bundesliga derby. Bayern are brimming with confidence, having carved out a 10-point lead over second-placed Bayer Leverkusen and 11 on Dortmund, in third. The champions, who have yet to find the consistency this season that gave them back-to-back league titles, have already dropped two points this week with a 1-1 draw against promoted Fortuna Duesseldorf as Bayern won 20 at Freiburg.

A win for Dortmund tomorrow would see them remain in contention for the title but defeat would leave them 14 points adrift with Bayern showing no signs of slowing similar to last year’s implosion at the same stage.

“After such unsuccessful games like against Fortuna we always come back with a show of defiance,” said Dortmund defender Neven Subotic. “That is our trademark.” Dortmund, with playmakers Mario Goetze and Ilkay Guendogan as well as defender Mats Hummels back in the squad for the Munich trip, have every reason to be confident. They have won all four derbies with Bayern in their past two Bundesliga-winning seasons while also crushing them again in the German Cup final in May. Apart from winning titles, they have also matched Bayern in Europe this season, joining them in the Champions League round of 16 as they challenge the Munich club’s dominance. “We should not make a crisis out of it,” said Dortmund captain Sebastian Kehl after Tuesday’s draw. “We will be in different form tomorrow.

We will try everything to win. The season is far from over but even us in Dortmund can see Bayern have opened up a big lead by playing very consistently.” The Bavarians, who have gone two seasons without a title, are indeed in impressive form, having scored a stunning 40 goals and conceded just five as they raced to 12 wins in their 14 league games so far.

They have set a Bundesliga record for the best start and for ensuring they will stay top after the winter break earlier than any other team. With forward Mario Gomez fully fit and making his first start this season against Freiburg and left back David Alaba looking in scintillating form following an injury break, coach Jupp Heynckes has a full team to pick from. “We are currently in very good shape,” said Bayern midfielder Toni Kroos. “We have not been successful against Dortmund in the last few matches but this is something we want to change tomorrow.” — Reuters

Sports FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Benitez in search of elusive Chelsea goal LONDON: Rafael Benitez admitted his Chelsea side were in need of a confidence boost after successive scoreless draws in the new manager’s opening two Premier games in charge. Benitez’s men were held by Fulham in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, four days after the draw with champions Manchester City. And the Spaniard admitted that marked a disappointing start to his time with the west London club, where he has been appointed as interim manager until the end of the season. Benitez insisted there were positives from the Fulham stalemate but he added: “You cannot be satisfied when you haven’t won these games.

“City are a top side, a team with a lot of options. “Today (against Fulham) I saw a lot of positive things, sustaining the attacks and regaining the ball very high. I didn’t like the two chances we gave away on the counter-attack, and when we didn’t move the ball too quickly, but it’s a question of time. “We’ve only had a few training sessions. We need more time. “The main thing is to win games. If we do we’ll be there and we can win competitions. We need to start doing that and the confidence will come back.”

Chelsea have now gone six league games without a win and their problems in front of goal against Fulham were reflected in another frustrating performance from Fernando Torres.

The forward, who flourished under Benitez at Liverpool, had few opportunities and has now failed to score in almost 11 hours of Premier League action, a run the new Chelsea boss also put down to a lack of confidence.

“It’s a question of confidence,” Benitez explained. “He’s not scoring goals, so it’s confidence. But it’s not easy when you’re playing against lots of defenders. You could see how they

defended against him. But it’s not just a case of Fernando... You saw how they defended with a lot of bodies there. It wasn’t easy for him, or Hazard or Oscar.

“We were on top of them, regaining the game higher up the pitch, and might have won it in the last minute.”

Chelsea have now slipped seven points behind league leaders Manchester United but Benitez insisted the European champions remain in the domestic title race. “It’s still a long way to go,” he said.

“We have to keep going. We’ll have chances. Remember last season when City were ahead and it was easy. Then they needed to win their last game. “It’s a long, long competition. Why can’t we (win the league)?” The Chelsea supporters were less vocal in their criticism of the appointment of Benitez on Wednesday than they had been last weeked and the new man at the helm was adamant his players remain unaffected by the tensions between fans and manager. “If you talk with them, and we do all the time, they’re quite happy with the things we’re trying to achieve. It’s a question of time now.”.

Fulham manager Martin Jol believed Dimitar Berbatov was the stand-out player and that his side could easily have claimed all three points in this derby. “At 80 minutes we had two possibilities to ‘make it’,” Jol said. “I’m not disappointed to only get a draw away from home, but disappointed we didn’t make more of those chances. “Berbatov was almost unplayable and linked our play, and we had a few chances. After the game everyone said Berbatov was fantastic, and he was, but the other players worked every so hard. And the Dutchman added: “I knew we are a difficult team for them to play against. If you keep a clean sheet... they have to take initiative, and we could break them time after time.”—AFP

City aim to turn Europe pain into Premier gain

WIGAN: Roberto Mancini predicts tough times ahead-but the Manchester City manager also sees a silver lining in his team’s impending exit from the Champions League. For the second successive season, City will miss out on the knockout stages of Europe’s elite competition following their failure to beat Real Madrid at Eastlands.

Mancini’s deputy, David Platt, is one casualty of that drawn encounter, banned from the touchline by European governing body UEFA for two matches for remarks made to the fourth official.

City’s European hopes look likely to take a complete tumble, with even victory at Borussia Dortmund next week no guarantee of overtaking Ajax for the consolation prize of the Europa League.

But with English champions City hard on the heels of Premier League leaders Manchester United after a hard-won 20 victory at Wigan, Mancini knows that, just as last season, absence from the Champions League can be a blessing. “I think this season is long,” Mancini said after Wednesday’s win at the DW Stadium. “There are a lot of games in the next month and in February, if

teams are playing in the Champions League, it can change everything.”

While some might believe the title contest to be turning into a two-horse race centered on Manchester, given the recent upheaval at Stamford Bridge, Mancini will have none of it. The Italian added: “I think Chelsea can compete.

We are at the top at the moment, we are OK.” Mancini also expects to have Mario Balotelli at his disposal for the long haul, despite rumors linking the controversial striker with a January move back to Milan with either Inter, his former club, or AC Milan, the team he supports.

He waved away suggestions of a deal and instead chose to celebrate Balotelli finally scoring his first Premier League goal of the season at Wigan, a crucial strike in a game that see-sawed much more than the champions would have wished against a team only a few points clear of the relegation zone. “We have on the team three or four offensive players and one striker who scored,” Mancini said. “I’m very happy for him because he scored. He is not for sale. It’s his first goal this year and I hope he can improve after that game. —AFP

Liverpool’s Northern Irish manager Brendan Rodgers

Liverpool boss rages at referee decisions LONDON: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was fuming after his side were denied a penalty for a near “assault” on Steven Gerrard in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur but believes the Reds will reap a raft of spot kicks in the second half of the season.

Liverpool, who have yet to be awarded a penalty in their 14 games so far this season, saw their eightmatch unbeaten streak in the Premier League come to an end at White Hart Lane. Rodgers was incensed after referee Phil Dowd turned down penalty appeals for challenges on skipper Gerrard and Luis Suarez and said Liverpool had been getting the raw end of decisions all season long. “Gerrard’s was nearly assault, how was that not a penalty?” he asked.

“Second one, Suarez spins and William Gallas swings his left foot and he goes down.

“We know we need to be more clinical but to arrive at this stage of the season and not have had a penalty - I don’t know what the players have to do. “It racks up the points and I hear people and pundits say it evens itself out over the season - so the second half

of the season we’re going to get a lot of decisions.”

The home side had the better of the first half and Gareth Bale’s strong run and cross allowed Aaron Lennon to put them ahead in the seventh minute.

Bale doubled the lead 10 minutes later with a freekick that wrongfooted keeper Pepe Reina but he gifted Liverpool a lifeline 18 minutes from time when Lennon’s goalline hack smacked him in the face and flew in for a painful own goal.

Rodgers praised Liverpool’s performance on the night and predicted improvement from their current 12th place in the Premier League, though he cautioned that it would take time to build a squad capable of challenging for titles. “The performance level and our tempo and rhythm were relentless. If we keep playing like that, we’ll climb up the table,” Rodgers said, adding that fans should not expect the club to solve all their problems in the next transfer window. “January won’t be the answer to everything, this is a process that’s going to take time.” Liverpool host struggling Southampton tomorrow. — Reuters

Ferguson ready for Utd, City title slog

MANCHESTER: Alex Ferguson predicts a long, hard Premier League title race with champions Manchester City after his Manchester United team opened up a seven-point gap over rivals Chelsea.

Table-toppers United ground out a 1-0 victory over West Ham at Old Trafford thanks to Robin van Persie scoring the fastest goal of the Premier League season to date, after only 33 seconds. It was only the third clean sheet United have kept in domestic football this season and ended a worrying trend of the team having conceded first in nine of their opening 13 league games.

And while it was a far from vintage performance, it was a vital one given that City’s victory at Wigan kept the defending champions just one point behind. “The three points means we’re still ahead in the league and, with Chelsea drawing, it draws us away from them a little bit further,” said veteran United manager Ferguson. “But City are

on our tails. It’s going to be a long season. “The importance of winning 1-0 in certain games is your opponents know the resilience is there. “If you look at some of the really important one-nils we’ve had, go back to beating Newcastle when they were nine points clear of us (in 1996).

“Our 1-0 that night won us the league. There are important 1-0 victories. We’ve had many of them.” Given the scarcity of clean sheets for United this term, the fact his side were able to keep West Ham at bay for such a long period gave Ferguson as much pleasure as the large points cushion he enjoys over European champions Chelsea and their new manager Rafael Benitez. “It is particularly hard, when you take the lead after one minute, to keep a clean sheet over the remaining 90-plus minutes, with time added on,” said Ferguson. “But in the main I thought we defended very well.” —AFP

Sports FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

FIFA nearing line on goalline technology RIO DE JANEIRO: Did the ball cross the line? It’s a question which football fans have been asking at least since the 1966 World Cup final, when England striker Geoff Hurst’s extra time goal against Germany was given by a Swiss referee on the advice of his Soviet linesman. World governing body FIFA has been trying out two technologies and will put them to the tournament test at the upcoming Club World Cup starting December 6 in Japan with a view to using the most accurate version at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. A last-16 match at the last finals two years ago in South Africa went a long way to convincing FIFA that the technology had to come to the rescue after England’s Frank Lampard had what appeared to be a perfectly good goal ruled out against Germany.

The non-award of his effort ultimately went some way to presaging a 4-1 loss for Lampard’s side, prompting the game’s authorities to accept that there had to be a technological leap of faith to prevent such miscarriages of sporting justice. Two systems-one German, one English-have been certified by FIFA and are now fighting one another for the right to be used in Brazil in two years’ time. First there is GoalRef, which uses magnetic fields and a special ball which will be tested at the stadium at Yokohama during the Club World Cup. The other, Hawk-Eye, is based on deploying cameras in similar fashion to that already prevalent in tennis and cricket.

The latter will be used at the Toyota stadium. GoalRef is the brainchild of researchers Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuit in Germany and the second has been created by Hawk-Eye Innovations in Britain. “At the end of January we will discuss things with the two providers of their technology, and if there is a third system we will decide in February or March which will be used at the Confederations Cup” starting in June,” said Christoph Schmidt of FIFA, who has just visited the Soccerex exhibition in Rio de Janeiro. FIFA indicates the system which gets used for the Confederations Cup will not necessarily be guaranteed to be retained for the World Cup’s 12 venues a year later. During Soccerex, FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke defended the recourse to technology and explained that the system will sent a signal to referee’s stopwatcheswith a one-second delay. But Valcke says the referee will be the only one to see the information and the ultimate decision will fall to him, a better system, he suggests, than stopping the action for several seconds or longer “to watch a video or to say if a goal has been scored through handball”.

In due course, FIFA hopes the system will evolve and be sufficiently accurate-and affordable-to be used in domestic leagues.— AFP

Villa passes 300 goals; Barca progress in Cup MADRID: David Villa took his career goals tally to 301 when he netted twice as holders Barcelona eliminated thirdtier Alaves 6-1 on aggregate to qualify for the last 16 of the King’s Cup on Wednesday. The Spain striker clipped a sumptuous free kick into the top corner in the 56th minute at the Nou Camp and smashed home Cristian Tello’s unselfish layoff three minutes later as Barca came from behind to win the second leg 3-1 and set up a clash with second division Cordoba.

Coach Tito Vilanova took the chance to give some time on the pitch to players returning from injury and some promising youngsters and rested regulars including Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Victor Valdes. After Barca had won last month’s first leg at Alaves 3-0, the Basque club took a surprise 17th-minute lead when Martin Montoya failed to cut out Miki’s cross from the right and Borja Viguera nodded past Jose Manuel Pinto.

Adriano levelled in the 35th minute when he exchanged passes with Thiago Alcantara and sidefooted past Alaves goalkeeper Sergio Herrera before Villa struck twice after the break to kill off the tie. The 30-year-old has gradually been getting back to something close to his best after breaking his leg at the Club World Cup last December and now has 40 goals for Barca since he joined from Valencia at the end of the 2009-10 season. “We knew we had the advantage but also that they would come out strongly and they pressured us until they got the goal,” Adriano said in an interview with Spanish TV. “But we continued to show the same seriousness and patience to get a positive result,” added the Brazilian.

Levante won 4-1 on the night and 42 on aggregate but were given a scare

by Melilla when they conceded an early

BARCELONA: FC Barcelona’s Deulofeu (second right) duels for the ball against Alaves’s Agustin, (right) during a Copa del Rey soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. — AP goal to the third-tier side that would have sent them crashing out. A tiny Spanish territory on the north coast of Morocco, Melilla won the first leg 1-0 and were leading 2-1 on aggregate until goals from Roger Marti, Michel and Vicente Iborra from the penalty spot sent Valencia-based Levante through.

Atletico Madrid set up a last-16 meeting with city rivals Getafe when they beat third-tier Real Jaen 1-0 at the Calderon for a 4-0 aggregate success.

Getafe, who won their first leg 4-0, progressed after a 0-0 draw with second division Ponferradina at their half-empty stadium in Madrid. Valencia will play Osasuna for a place in the quarter-finals thanks to their 3-1 victory at home to Llagostera, another third-tier side, which made it 5-1 on aggregate in favour of the La Liga side. Valencia defender Adil Rami scored the goal of the night when

he drove the ball over the Llagostera goalkeeper’s head and into the net from just inside his own half.

Espanyol’s misery deepened when they had Javi Lopez sent off in the 25th minute and were thrashed 3-0 at home

by Sevilla, the Andalusians progressing 6-1 on aggregate. Barcelona-based Espanyol, who are bottom of La Liga, fired Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino after Sunday’s defeat against Getafe and appointed Mexican Javier Aguirre in his place. Second division Almeria have a 2-0 advantage over topflight side Celta Vigo, Real Zaragoza are leading La Liga rivals Granada 1-0 and Real Mallorca and Deportivo La Coruna, both of the first division, are tied at 1-1 ahead of their yesterday second legs.

Real Madrid, Malaga, Real Betis, Cordoba, Osasuna and Las Palmas all went through on Tuesday.— Reuters

Atletico Madrid seek Real scalp

MADRID: If coach Diego Simeone was not already a hero to Atletico Madrid fans, victory in tomorrow’s La Liga clash at bitter city rivals Real for the first time in more than a decade might just tip the balance. The combative Argentine, who helped Atletico to the league and King’s Cup double as a player in 1996, has transformed the Spanish capital’s second club since taking over from Gregorio Manzano in December 2011.

The Europa League champions are three points behind leaders Barcelona after 13 matches and, unbelievably for many of their long-suffering supporters, eight ahead of stuttering Real, who slipped to a third defeat of the campaign at Real Betis last weekend that left their title defence in serious peril.

Simeone, a tough-tackling midfielder sometimes described as “playing with a knife between his teeth”, has given his players added steel and in Colombia striker Radamel Falcao they have a genuine goal scorer who has attracted the attention of the sport’s big spenders. Turkey playmaker Arda

Turan is also having an impressive season, linking well with Falcao and scoring goals of his own, while the defensive line has a solidity that has been sorely lacking in recent years.”I think bringing in Simeone has been a success for Atletico,” Real captain Iker Casillas said on Wednesday.

“He has given them a new spirit and no one has gifted him anything,” added the Spain goalkeeper. “Falcao is a great player. He was a very successful signing and is a very complete, natural finisher.”

Claudio Ranieri was the last Atletico coach to savor victory over Real, when former Netherlands striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored twice in a 3-1 away triumph in 1999. A win or even a draw tomorrow could spell the end of Real’s hopes of a second straight La Liga title and Casillas is well aware of what is at stake. “It is a different match from previous seasons,” he said.

“They are coming to the Santiago Bernabeu with a very strong team and after a win in a very tough match against Sevilla, who beat us. “We hoped

that there would be less of distance between us, but hopefully at the end of the match that advantage will be cut to five points. Any aim other than winning is no good for us.” Real’s Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho was whistled by some sections of the Bernabeu crowd during Tuesday’s Cup victory and their reaction tomorrow will be closely watched.

The team’s erratic form has prompted speculation the former Inter Milan and Chelsea manager will not last the season, with almost 70 percent of voters in an internet survey conducted by As sports daily saying they believed he would be gone by May. “The club is the club and is in charge and I’m just an employee trying to do their best,” Mourinho told a news conference previewing the Cup match on Monday.

“The club has to decide if it is happy with the path we’re on and we’ll get to the end of season calmly,” he added. “It is possible that at the end of the season the club will not be happy with my work and that things have to change.”

Unbeaten Barca, meanwhile, will seek a 13th win in 14 games and look to increase the pressure on Atletico and Real when struggling Athletic Bilbao visit the Nou Camp a couple of hours before the Madrid derby. Barca’s World Player of the Year Lionel Messi has another chance to get closer to, or even overhaul, the record for the number of goals scored in a calendar year of 85 set

by Germany and Bayern Munich striker Gerd Mueller 40 years ago. The Argentine forward is on 82 after his double at Levante last weekend and should be well rested after sitting out Wednesday’s King’s Cup match at home to third-tier Alaves. Also tomorrow, fourth-placed Malaga, four points behind Real, play at Getafe, while 11thplaced Valencia, through to the last 16 of the Champions League but struggling domestically, are at home to Real Sociedad. Mexican Javier Aguirre will take charge of his first match since replacing the sacked Mauricio Pochettino when Espanyol play at Granada on Sunday.—Reuters

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER30, 2012

Australia’s Ponting declares it’s all over Page 44

www.kuwaittimes.net

BARCELONA: FC Barcelona’s David Villa (left) celebrates after scoring against Alaves during a Copa del Rey soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain on Wednesday, Nov 28, 2012. —AP

Villa passes 300 goals; Barca progress in Cup

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