30 Jan 2012

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Road to Assembly III

By B Izzak KUWAIT: Kuwaitis head to the ballot boxes to elect the fourth National Assembly since May 2006 in one of the most politically turbulent periods since parliamentary democracy was introduced in 1962. Here’s a look at the main contests in the five constituencies by highlighting the main political groups and leading candidates.

Third Constituency • Main areas: Jabriya, Rawdah, Adailiya, Khaldiya, Khaitan, Surrah and South Surrah, Qurtuba, Kaifan and Yarmouk.

• It has the second largest number of voters with 67,063. Women voters make up 36,823 or 54.9 percent of total voters while males make up 30,240 or 45.1 percent.

The third constituency is considered the barometer of the political battle in the country because it has candidates representing almost all political groupings in Kuwait. In addition, it is the electoral district from where veteran opposition leader and threetime former speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun is contesting. Most of the district’s voters are urbanites with a Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah kisses the national flag before hoisting it during a ceremony at Bayan Palace yesterday. — KUNA (See Page 2)

KABUL: Afghanistan and Pakistan plan to open a second front in negotiations with the Taleban in Saudi Arabia as US-brokered talks get under way in Qatar, officials said yesterday. The Taleban, ousted from power by a US-led invasion in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, announced earlier this month that they planned to set up a political office in Qatar ahead of talks with Washington. And Taleban negotiators have begun holding preliminary talks with US officials in the Gulf state on plans for negotiations aimed at ending the decade-long Afghan war, a former Taleban official said yesterday.

But Afghan and Taleban officials indicated in response to a BBC report about plans for talks in Saudi Arabia that both Kabul and Islamabad - usually at loggerheads on the issue -were looking for their own talks with the Taleban. Asked for his response to the BBC report, Afghan foreign ministry spokesman Janan Mosazai said: “Of course we support any steps towards the Afghan peace process.” He refused to comment further. But a senior Afghan government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP the BBC report was accurate, saying: “We will always pursue all roads towards peace in Afghanistan, including contacts with the

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Taleban that are not limited to the Qatar office.”

A member of the Taleban’s leadership council, the Pakistan-based Quetta Shura, also backed the report of talks in Saudi Arabia. “The idea that the Taleban should have a point of contact in Saudi is pushed by the Pakistan and Afghan governments,” he said on condition of anonymity. “This is because they think they have been sidelined. They want some control over peace talks.” Supporting this theory, Kabul announced yesterday that Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar would visit Kabul on Wednesday, marking what Mosazai called a “new phase” in cooperation between the two countries.

Khar would meet President Hamid Karzai to “discuss the fight against terrorism and Pakistan’s essential support to the peace process in Afghanistan”, he said.

Khar’s visit comes after the always touchy relations between the two countries broke down following the assassination of Kabul’s chief peace envoy, Burhanuddin Rabbani, in September. Karzai accused Pakistan of responsibility for the murder and said Islamabad was sabotaging all attempts at negotiations with the Taleban.

Continued on Page 13

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

local

Candidates flood media, press as election day nears KUWAIT: With election day drawing near, local media and press are being flooded with statements and interviews by candidates on their agenda, as well as predictions of the political scene after 2012 elections.

Third constituency candidate Dr Ali Al-Omair said that the selection of ministers who will eventually form the next Cabinet as well as elect the next speaker, are the two decisive factors to determine whether political tensions will return. The former lawmaker further argued in a recent interview with Al-Qabas that the opposition blocs “that broke the law when they stormed into the Parliament are insisting during election campaigns today on the need to protect the law and Constitution,” reported Al-Qabas.

Anti-government leader Musallam Al-Barrak said during an interview with Al-Rai T V that the raid was never planned, but was provoked by security officers “who provoked youth activist who are already angry about canceling the grilling motion [that was scheduled the previous day].” The fourth constituency candidate reiterated that the mass demonstration held during the night in which the Parliament was stormed “was forced after [the opposition] realized that the Cabinet took control over the Parliament through its majority support,” reported Al-Rai. First constituency candidate and former MP Hassan Al-Qallaf said that certain MPs are part of an agenda to “shake the foundation of the state by damaging all three authorities (judicial, legislative and executive), the Constitution as well as the ruling system.” The leading Shiite candidate said during a recent seminar that this agen-

da serves goals of “MPs that fuel tension,” reported Al-Qabas.

Another leading Shiite candidate in the first constituency, former MP Saleh Ashour, agreed during an interview with Al-Rai daily that Kuwait’s democracy is threatened by a “clear scheme” that seeks to ultimately cause destruction of the country’s democratic system and create chaos in Kuwait.

Ashour also used the term “big lie” to describe the multi-million dinar deposits scandal which sparked the political crisis that led to the Cabinet’s resignation and Parliament dissolution, vowing to reopen the issue again if elected “to expose all its details.” He also took a shot against the opposition by accusing oppositionists of boosting sectarianism in society, reported Al-Rai. Speaking of sectarianism, first constituency candidate Dr.Maasouma AlMubarak said during a recent interview with Annahar daily that “national unity and social stability” are the two main projects she adopted during her election campaign, which were necessary along with ending political conflicts to push forward the development plan, reported Annahar.

Many candidates make fiery statements as they address voters, one fifth of candidates believe that a recent fire that burned down a tent at his camping’s headquarters was an act of arson. “[The fire] was started as a reaction to the voice of truth which a lot of people don’t like to hear,” argued candidate Khalid Al-Hazzaa, insisting that a theft was also reported shortly before the fire. Lieutenant Colonel Khalil AlAmir Public Relations and Media Director at the Kuwait Fire Services Directorate(KFSD) told Al-Rai.

Reformist parliament essential for future

Fahad Al-Masoud

KUWAIT: Kuwait is going through a decisive phase in its history in which its own democratic and constitutional gain are put on the line as political groups face the test of working together as per a national agenda where Kuwait’s interest is given top priority.

This was stated by parliamentary elections candidate Fahad Al-Masoud, who indicated in his most recent statement that the upcoming phase requires a parliament “with reformation capabilities able to counter corruption and push forward the development process through legislating laws to thwart public funds theft activities and create an environment suitable for investment in Kuwait”.

Al-Masoud further urged Kuwait’s prime minister to select ministers “with good political experience and capability to make decisions and follow up with execution processes”. The first constituency candidate described the previous parliament of being “abducted”, referring to the prospect that it was controlled by the Cabinet through its majority support in the parliament.

“Political reform starts by electing reformist MPs and the formation of a Cabinet which adopts a new approach, in order to create a situation where all authorities ensure they don’t abuse their constitutional powers”, Al-Masoud ended.

Candidate calls for new laws KUWAIT: Abdul Amir Al-Ibrahim, a candidate for the third constituency, has promised his supporters that, if elected, he will focus his efforts on addressing the social and economic issues and asserted the importance of enacting new laws to lure foreign investment. AlIbrahim, one of the contenders in the polls due on February 2nd, said in a press statement yesterday that among the main objectives of his electoral platform is building a robust national economy based on development schemes.

The nominees indicated that he advocates various other issues, namely the enacting of laws to enhance the status of women and citizens with special needs. He added that the future parliament should be tasked with the job of realizing the aspirations of citizens, who have tired of the bickering between leg-

islators and executives.

Meanwhile, Fourth Constituency candidate for next month’s elections, Mohammad Hayef Al-Mutairi called for amending the second article of the constitution to bring about requirements of Islamic sharia and laws into harmony.

At the opening of his campaign in Jahra City, Al-Mutairi said Islamic sharia “is more impor tant than all issues because it has a great objective.”

He, meanwhile, said he would always call for completely solving the status of the people living illegally in Kuwait.

Al-Mutairi said his top priorities were making laws compatible with Islamic sharia, supremancy of law, activating the segregation law, activating the audio and visual law, reforming foreign policy and education, as well as enforcing human rights principles.

Amir hoists Kuwait’s national flag KUWAIT: Bayan Palace witnessed yesterday a flag-raising ceremony with the presence of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Deputy Chairman of National Guard

Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and various ministers, officials, military and police figures attended the ceremony. Upon his arrival, the Amir was greeted at the venue with 35 artillery

shots. HH was warmly received by officers from the military, police and the fire department directorate. The ceremony began with a performance of the national anthem, which was followed by the Amir hoisting the state’s flag. — KUNA

Kuwait poll candidates call for full democracy Calls for amending Constitution KUWAIT: Candidates contesting a general election in Kuwait this week are calling for sweeping reforms including a new constitution that would turn the oil-rich Gulf state into a full democracy.

Their demands range from the establishment of a Western-style, multi-party system, an elected government and a constitutional monarchy, effectively limiting powers enjoyed by the ruling AlSabah family. “I think that the Kuwaiti Constitution is incomplete. It is time to re-write the Constitution and various legislation,” independent candidate Yussef Al-Badah told an election rally.

The call was echoed by many of the 286 liberal, Islamist and independent hopefuls running in Thursday’s snap elections called after parliament was dissolved for the fourth time in less than six years. “ The constitution was issued in 1962 and since then ever ything has changed and developed except the constitution itself,” former liberal MP Abdulrahman Al-Anjari said. “The

dilemma is that we consider our country a (true) democratic state and it is not, because true democracy allows for an elected government” to run the state, said AlAnjari who is bidding for re-election. Kuwait became the first Arab monarchy in the Gulf to issue a constitution and adopt democracy as early as in 1962, a year after independence when the ruling family agreed to a power-sharing formula unprecedented in the region. However, that formula is now seen as incapable of resolving a political deadlock that has intensified in the past few years and led to youth protests encouraged by the Arab Spring to demand comprehensive reforms.

“Reforming the Kuwaiti political system is inevitable... but it has to be made in coordination and the participation of the ruling family,” said Dahem Al-Qahtani, a political analyst and blogger. “I think the ruling family is not prepared for constitutional amendments or giving more powers to the people now... because it thinks that the current constitution is

Elections media center extolled KUWAIT: Mubarak Al Kuwari, the Chief Executive Office of the Qatar Foundation for Information, extolled yesterday the level of services provided by the Kuwaiti media center for Arab and foreign correspondents.

Speaking to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Al-Kawari expressed how much he valued the invitation extended

by Kuwaiti officials for the Qatari media delegation to benefit from the experience.

Al-Kuwari added that the Media Center for Elections 2012 has considerable potential as well as many modern techniques and useful programs for this important period in Kuwait’s history.

He added that the media center included government and civil institutions in the exhibition this year, which enhanced its role in depicting literary and cultural roles, such as those taken by the Kuwait Transparency Society, which plays a role in providing useful information for Arab and foreign correspondents. — KUNA

enough,” Al-Qahtani said.

Often described as a half democracy, Kuwait’s political system is between parliamentary and presidential systems with extensive powers concentrated in the hands of the ruler and the cabinet dominated by his family.

The fully elected parliament enjoys legislative and monitoring powers including grilling the premier and ministers and voting them out of office on an individual basis but not the entire cabinet. But unelected cabinet ministers, about one -third of the house, become members of parliament and enjoy almost the same powers as elected MPs, thus effectively rendering the national assembly as a partially elected chamber. “The Kuwaiti constitution is a bottom-line charter... No constitution allows appointed cabinet members to vote like elected MPs,” former Islamist MP Jamaan Al-Harbash told an election rally.

Calls for amending the constitution have gained momentum in the past few years during which

the oil-rich emirate witnessed unprecedented political turmoil, leading to the resignation of seven cabinets in just over five years.

Former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad AlSabah, a nephew of the ruler, was replaced with Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah, another senior member of the ruling family, a step unprecedented in Kuwait.

Youth and political groups have raised the ceiling of reform demands by urging the establishment of a full constitutional monarchy where members of the Al-Sabah will continue to hold only the posts of the emir and crown prince. In addition to the two posts of the emir and crown prince, members of the ruling family currently control the premiership post, the so-called sovereign ministries of defense, interior and foreign affairs and a number of other senior positions.

Al-Qahtani warned that failure to respond to youth demands “may force them to search for other means to achieve their goals and this could lead to chaos.” — AFP

Kuwait keen on holding fair, successful NA elections KUWAIT: Kuwait is keen on rendering the upcoming parliamentary elections successful and fair, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem said yesterday.

In a meeting with foreign reporters, who are visiting Kuwait to cover the upcoming elections, slated for Feb 2, Sheikh Salman pointed out that Kuwait has formed an independent electoral commission to run and organize the elections.

A subcommittee was also formed to monitor the media coverage of election campaigns and balloting, he said.

Sheikh Salman, however, stressed the importance of votersí role in monitoring the whole election process. All Kuwaitis hope these elections will help change the atmosphere that obstructed cooperation between the parliament and the government, he said. He underscored that the development process requires political sta-

bility and cooperation among all authorities and people. Sheikh Salman noted that Kuwaiti government seeks fair elections and does not inter fere in the whole process. Candidates have the rights to choose their slogans, express their views and promote their programs, he said.

The Ministry of Information gave an equal opportunity for all candidates talk to his voters, he said. He revealed that the automated counting of votes was used in the last elections, but caused some problems. So, the elections commission has decided to return to manual counting and the Ministry of Information will broadcast the counting process live to ensure fairness and integrity. Concluding his speech, Sheikh Salman thanked the foreign reporters for their keenness on covering Kuwaiti elections, expressing hope their work will show the true image of democracy in Kuwait.— KUNA

KD 200 million spent on elections KUWAIT: The upcoming elections will go down in history as the most expensive one to be held since Kuwait’s liberation from Iraqi forces. Statistics indicate that more than KD 200 million has been spent so far at the rate of KD 700,000 for each candidate. There are a total number of 280 candidates contesting 50

seats in the National Assembly.

Although some candidates are salaried employees, they have been spending exorbitant sums on setting up luxurious election headquarters, hosting lavish five- star buffet meals and placing advertisements in daily newspapers and TV channels.

According to a recent study held, the total amount spent in 2009 elections amounted to KD 9.97 million when compared to KD 21 million spent by candidates in 2008 elections.

Sources expressed fear that influential individuals encourage such excesses with the aim of promoting a special agenda. — Al-Anba

KUWAIT: The leaders training center at the National Security College celebrated recently the graduation of trainees of a course aimed to improve their capabilities in assessing training program and development of human resources. The graduates include staff members from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defense, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Oil, Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and Ministry of Public Works. The graduation was attended by Interior Ministry Assistant Undersecretary Lt Gen Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah.

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

local

Ex-MP slams attack on female MPs KUWAIT: Candidate for Second Constituency Ex-MP Dr Salwa Al-Jassar expressed displeasure at the attitude of some candidates (Ex-MPs) towards former female MPs who claimed that they did nothing during the period they were at the council and that their performance was very weak.

She said that their achievements cannot be denied and the reason behind this attack on them stems from the idea that the men can dominate all the seats after discouraging the women from being a part of the council.

About the candidates’ programs, AlJassar said that the candidates made a

mistake by announcing them as it’s impractical to try and execute them individually.

She explained that the candidates will be working closely with the legislative and executive authorities which would take all their time.

She also said that one must keep away from selfishness, because some MPs monopolize legislations which are compatible with their agenda, in order to ensure continuation.

Al-Jassar talked about many important issues like the five constituencies and their benefits, apart from health assurance and environment and other public issues. — Al-Anbaa

KUWAIT: (Left) A parent speaks about her ward’s report. (Right) Former MP Musallam Al-Barrak speaks.

— Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Students, parents protest over mid-term results Ministry accused of manipulation

KUWAIT: The General Director of Public Authority for Youth and Sports, Faisal Al-Jazzaf, met with the Minister of Youth and Sports of Tunisia, Tariq Theyab, currently on a visit to Kuwait. During the meeting, attended by PAYS Deputy Director Dr Hmoud Fulaiteh, a discussion was held to boost bilateral relations and cooperation in sports.

Show of solidarity for bedoons KUWAIT: Dozens of citizens staged a sit-in outside the Irada Square on Saturday in support of bedoon’s cause, as they demanded the release of stateless residents who have been imprisoned in illegal demonstrations held in Sulaibiya and Taima districts of Al-Jahra.

The demonstrators, estimated at around 70 Kuwaiti men and women representing several political groups, further called the government to put an end to bedoons’ crisis by granting complete civil and human rights to all stateless residents, in addition to naturalizing those who are eligible, while allowing those who do not to appeal their

cases in court.

In a notable move, demonstrators did not allow candidates who were present at the sit-in to address gatherers, in fear that the gesture could be misconstrued to boost popularity among voters. “We seek stability in Kuwait which cannot be achieved until people living here enjoy stability as well as full rights and freedom,” political activist Dr Ibtihal Al-Khateeb said.

Police made sure that only citizens joined the sit-in. According to Ministry of Interior regulations, public demonstration and mass gathering in Kuwait can only be held by citizens. — Al-Qabas

KUWAIT: Dozens of high school students, parents and a number of parliamentary election candidates gathered outside the Ministry of Education building in Shuwaikh yesterday to protest against low mid-term grades. They blame the ministry of manipulating examination results. The call to hold a protest was made last weekend by the Council of Kuwaiti High School Students, after a significant number of students failed in their mid-term exams. Students accuse the ministry of setting a tough exam paper to reduce the number of high school graduates eligible to enroll into the overcrowded Kuwait University.

According to reports, Ahmad Al-Mulaifi Minister of Education and Minster of Higher Education proposed to hold a meeting with a group of students and their parents next Wednesday to discuss the issue.

Meanwhile, fourth constituency candidate and former MP Musallam Al-Barrak said during the protest that a second sit-in will be held in front of the prime minister’s residence if the problem is not resolved, reported Al-Aan. On Saturday, minister Al-Mualifi denied accusations that the ministry deliberately included advanced level questions in mid-term exams; promised to take all

complaints under consideration.

Moreover, Al-Mulaifi hinted that the smear campaign launched against him is instigated by his political enemies he specifically called ‘Baathists disguised as bedoons.’ The minister ended his statement by asserting that the government body will not re-evaluate the results “or take any decision by coming under political pressure.” In the meantime, sources quoted in a report published yesterday (Sunday) by Al-Rai argued that the current wave of frustration is uncalled for “considering the fact that average rates are almost identical to those of last year.” They added that the ministry examined the test papers to identify questions that students found most troubles with. This is to avoid repeating the same in the future. They further hinted that the ministry could come up with relatively easier final exams to help give students a chance to compensate.

Notably, they blamed students for low grades, pointing out the smart phones and other gadgets are deviating students’ attention away from their textbooks.

This year, the ministry adopted a new evaluation system that depends heavily on written test grades. Many students and educational spectators blame this system for the dramatic decline in mid-term exam results this year, reported Al-Rai.

KUWAIT: A mid-term results report showing a 67.98% average for a supposedly outstanding high school student.

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

In my view

Will elections lead to change?

What happened to KD37bn plan?

By Shereeda Al-Mousharji

A

lot of people expect so many changes to take place in the coming parliament; some have even predicted that changes would be up to 70 per cent due to great deal of dissatisfaction with the performance of former MPs that made people demand dissolving the parliament due to the low standards speech used therein. The real face of some MPs was openly exposed to the public after they tried so hard to conceal it.

By Fouad Al-Obaid

fouad@kuwaittimes.net Twitter: @Fouadalobaid

A

s a citizen, I am very concerned about the inability of the government to deliver on many fronts. One example is when the government that employs thousands in the ministry of information spending incredible sums of money on salaries, let alone equipment and TV shows, why is it that new private channels are doing with much less, so much more? Why is it that private education despite using

The coming parliament will neither be an exceptional one nor different from the previous ones. This election process is no different and change rates will not exceed 50 per cent, or even less. The same old MPs with the same old concepts, beliefs, methodology and manners will return to the parliament. Voters will go back home grumbling and complaining as usual after casting their votes to the same old candidates based on ‘Please, do me a favor and I beg your gallantry’.

Well, having reviewed what’s going on in the elections, I personally do not agree with them. I don’t expect any substantial changes to take place. The coming parliament will neither be an exceptional one nor different from the previous ones. This election process is no different and change rates will not exceed 50 per cent, or even less. The same old MPs with the same old concepts, beliefs, methodology and manners will return to the parliament. Voters will go back home grumbling and complaining as usual after casting their votes to the same old candidates based on ‘Please, do me a favor and I beg your gallantry’.

Election is not an easy process people can freely practice. It’s very complicated and is affected by many factors, mostly social ones related to the traditional customs and habits people are brought up to. They can never cut loose. Even the elections-related decision is usually affected by the groups — be it in the house, diwaniya, workplace, family, tribe or sect.

They all have very significant influence on voters’ decision. So eventually, your decision will be closely related to and affected by those surrounding you. Therefore, so many people find themselves driven to vote for certain candidates they had never approved of and had always criticized.

However, they have no other choice than to reelect them despite what they think of them. Such decisions are also affected by the media that has been so active in changing beliefs and directing public opinion to certain directions. For all the above, I reaffirm that the election process is more sophisticated than just heading to ballot boxes to cast votes in.

So in order to change our MPs, we need first to change people’s habits and traditions and the social effect machines. Otherwise, let’s pray to Allah to help the coming government in dealing with the new parliament. — Al-Jarida

With upcoming parliamentary elections candidates are not facing such issues, at least not directly, and even if most allude to them, no concrete plan is presented to the wider audience. kuwait digest

Imaginary Kuwait

By Dr Wael Al-Hasawi

O

ne day while I was bored, I began imagining what Kuwait would look like after the 2012 elections. I couldn’t help but think of several negative scenarios based on canvassing hearsay. I feel like sharing one of these with you, in which I pictured a Kuwait that is divided into several areas, each having its own distinctive characteristics.

First, we have a Las Vegas style area within the Third Constituency where everyone can drink freely after the parliament passes a legislation legalizing alcohol sale there.

There would also be large signs placed at the area’s exits, warning citizens against going there in order to avoid being persecuted.

Then, there is the area of ‘pureblooded Kuwaitis.’ A large billboard containing names of 200,000 citizens living there exclusively will be erected. If your name is not mentioned in the said list and are caught wandering in the area, you will be deported immediately outside Kuwait. Police checkpoints will be found in the area to nab dual citizens, as any one of them who fails a DNA test to prove his ‘pure Kuwaiti blood’ will be deported.

We will have our version of Hyde Park - Irada Square. What this park wouldn’t have in common

with its London counterpart is the fact that there would be no restrictions placed. For example, you don’t need to stand over a chair akin to Speaker ’s Corner of London’s Hyde Park. Also, you are allowed to say anything you want, even if what you say violates the Constitution or public morals.

Furthermore, this square would be a perfect place to regroup crowds necessary for storming into nearby facilities.

My imaginary Kuwait would also have a parliament museum, dedicated specifically to immortalize the Parliament storming incident. There, videos are displayed showing footage from the storming operation and documenting events of the “triumphant day.”

People visiting this museum can see several images from the scene of the raid. They will also have the chance of taking pictures with members of the ‘heroic raid.’

There will also be an area that follows strict rules, where everyone who violates rules will be punished severely. Ministers and other government officials will specifically be warned that if they step inside, there would be people waiting to crush them mercilessly.

People who come out to streets could face confrontation with

kuwait digest

Sectarian campaigns

kuwait digest

Pioneering example

By Dr Essa Al-Omairi

W

hile Kuwait prepares for elections day, perceived by many as a celebration of the state’s democracy, there are people in the Arab World facing oppression and death for demanding freedom and a decent living.

Since the adoption of the Constitution, Kuwaitis enjoy a good level of freedom of speech and opinion, as well as the freedom to vote for the candidates they want, something not seen in other Arab countries.

As we prepare to head to polls to exercise our right to universal franchise that people in other Arab countries long to have, I urge citizens to answer the call of duty towards Kuwait and make sure that we all participate in the voting process and elect candidates that can best serve our country.

Our participation in election day is also important for citizens who have the power to elect representatives that can deliver their message to the government via the Parliament. Moreover, it is important to prove wrong those who believe that Kuwait’s democratic experience has failed, and argue that the level of participation in the upcoming elections is going to be low.

Following political struggles which hurt Kuwait’s status as a pioneering example of democracy in the region, it is necessary that Kuwaitis take part in realizing a successful election process. Furthermore, citizens need to assess their performance of previous MPs , and reelect only those who believe are the best to help Kuwait move past political issues.

I have complete confidence in Kuwaiti voters’ capability of handling this mission and fulfilling duty towards their country. — Al-Rai

police who constantly patrol the area; especially if they are MPs or bedoons.

Of course, we can’t leave out the upmarket area; where all residents are extremely wealthy. A person in this area only has to pick his phone up to ask for money, and a briefcase filled with thousands of dinars will soon be delivered to their house. The price? Their own nationality. These people believe that they are the only ones worthy of taking over the decision making process in the country.

We will also have an ‘out of the coverage area zone’. The political game in this area is played according to different rules, as it is connected with interests of neighboring countries and basically adopt the concept of survival of the fittest. People in this area usually vow to take back rights they believe were taken away from them. You do not pledge full loyalty to Kuwait to live in this area.

Finally, we would have an area of constant consultations where Kuwait’s public decisions are made by a specific group of people. No one is ever allowed to enter this area because it is exclusive.

I hope my article doesn’t offend any candidates; it is only part of my imagination. — Al-Rai

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

I

n the run up to election day, hurried meetings are reportedly being held to form a coalition among Sunni candidates in the First Constituency to face Shiite candidates. Yes, we are over a decade into the 21st century and the third millennium, yet there are Kuwaiti people - the same people who united during the Iraqi Invasion crisis - that consider sectarianism as a criteria to assess patriotism and evaluate citizens.

But unlike in other countries where sectarian influence is generally caused by conflicts between two social or religious groups, sectarian instigation in Kuwait is a result of policies meant to serve the sole benefits of individual sectarian groups ahead of any other interest.

This rule applies to the current sectarian campaigns in the First Constituency; after sensing that their popularity is dropping among voters, some candidates resorted to play with people’s emotions by giving them the impression that they need to be united to face an alleged threat posed if candidates of the other sectarian group prevail during elections. You usually see them active in attempting to convince people that “the opposite sectarian group is creating tactics to take over the First Constituency’s

seats in the Parliament.” Such attempts - and hidden goals behind them - are usually

Sectarian-oriented approach in election campaigns is a crime against Kuwait and its citizens. This should not be found in the 2012 Kuwait; the country with a history of coexistence and peaceful living among people of all social and sectarian groups. Apparently, the people behind the sectarian instigations do not really trust our democratic system.

exposed when certain political groups promote their candidates as being the ‘sole national choice’ that citizens can vote to. As in, candidates of other sectarian groups do not meet conditions of nationalism which they believe in.

Even if their intentions are good, these groups would have promoted all of its members running for parliamentary elections, instead of limiting their support to the ver y same candidates responsible for instigating sectarian tension.

Sectarian-oriented approach in election campaigns is a crime against Kuwait and its citizens.

This should not be found in the 2012 Kuwait; the country with a histor y of coexistence and peaceful living among people of all social and sectarian groups.

Apparently, the people behind the sectarian instigations do not really trust our democratic system. This should not come as a surprise when we find that most candidates who advocate a sectarian approach simultaneously adopt a political approach.

I’m not at a position to tell first constituency voters - or voters in any constituency for that matter who they should or should not vote for. I strongly believe that days of sectarian fundamentalist MPs are numbered. — Al-Qabas

less means achieves so much more for the state by sending the bulk of its graduates to the most prestigious international universities? Why is Kuwait University not scoring high globally when hundreds of millions are spent annually on it? If I am to ask more similar questions, the answers will come to prove the government’s failure to deliver.

With upcoming parliamentary elections candidates are not facing such issues, at least not directly, and even if most allude to them, no concrete plan is presented to the wider audience. Even if one is to consider that infrastructure is important, one element is certainly not addressed and no plan is set to deal with it effectively due to its sensitive nature. In a country where social mores and culture make for the most random natural selection, you have immature children that bring to the world children that will become a burden to society once they grow. What society tolerates young infants that are allowed to stroll endlessly in malls with no concrete objective?

The unemployment bubble that is waiting to explode and is only being pushed back by a government that is inept in economics despite having access to the best global specialists is not serious about diversification. In the instances where it takes the first path such as in the Dow Chemical deal, it allows a corrupt Parliament - one that it is suspected of corrupting - to stop the project for flawed reasons.

This decision could cost the state KD 500 million in damages for a potential breach of contract.

Without blaming the buildings, for ministries and public institutes alike are run by nationals, the blame should be equally shouldered by a national populace grown comfortable to the idea of being incompetent and in need for constant assistance. When will this populace realize that to achieve something in life, it needs to plan adequately and needs to get out of old habits and take responsibility! When will the government start being serious about development human development? Despite our ability to score high on international indices, we are not first on top of the list! I question our ability to score so high should oil that constitutes 95 percent of our revenue, is taken out of the equation tomorrow.

The point I would like to affirm as a closing remark is the following; we ought not to delegate responsibilities that are ours. We, the people ought to wake up to the harsh realities that await our generation, and take action today so as to be spared of a shocking tomorrow. We ought to see things the way they are not the way we would love them to be. We ought to hold both MPs and ministers accountable.

Furthermore, and before we are even entitled to do just that, we ought to hold ourselves accountable. A society can be measured by the strength of its weakest link. We all have a role to play, let us not belittle ourselves, and let us be empowered to act.

kuwait digest

What we want

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

S

ome say the percentage change to be featured in the National Assembly (NA) will vary between 30 to 45 and that the upcoming council will not last more than one year. Others say that the upcoming government will not last for more than few months after being formed.

A third person swears that whatever is happening will mark the beginning of an unprecedented showdown between the executive and legislative bodies.

I wish that NA’s composition can be altered 100 percent! The same faces that were a part of it earlier are a part of Kuwait’s problems even now. I wish the government underwent a change of 110 percent (with the extra 10 percent from my side) and this applied to the new ways it will adopt to work as well.

I know that wishes can neither create a state nor solve any problem. Wishes alone cannot rectify a broken limb, how can they rectify a whole state?

But, although I do not rely much on voters, I can only wish the change in both council and government is from the roots. We do not want total opposition or total loyalty, and certainly don’t want a silent MP, and we don’t want a government which sells us bogus things and depends on an easy-go policy.

We want a government which is of the people, by the people and for the people but not one that is against us and ignites a fire, only to bask in its political warmth later. — Al-Anba

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

local

Gulf companies under pressure to nationalize their workforce Women to drive GCC’s future

Ibis hotel holds awards ceremony

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Ibis Hotel organized an awards ceremony to honor ‘booking agents’ [Top Corporate Accounts Agent]’ who place their hotel on top amongst other budget hotels in Kuwait. Ibis Hotel is a business hotel offering low-cost rates, yet providing the best services similar to a four-star hotel.

The annual event was hosted at their new Ibis Hotel in Sharq which was attended by top corporate accountants, sales agents and their various representatives. Bruno Debray, general manager of Ibis Hotel Salmiya and Sharq told reporters that the hotel recognizes the role of their agents.

“In business, in order to succeed, you have to give, not just receive. The ceremony today is about giving. We are thankful that our agents have helped us succeed. Our success in 2011 cannot just be claimed by us alone. We have agents who keep our business alive. They supported our business since inception in 2008 and we are thanking them for that. We appreciate their support,” he added.

Ibis Hotel boasts 80 percent occupancy even in lean [slow] months. “In busy months, we can say we are 100 percent occupied; that is why we have two branches now in Kuwait,” he said.

Ibis Hotel is being operated under Action Hotels; a private Middle East based global hotel development company estab-

lished as a subsidiary of Kuwait’s Action Group Holdings KSCC. It owns five hotels: one in Australia, two in Kuwait, one in Oman and another in Jordan.

Hotel business in Kuwait, according to Debray, is improving year after year. “We admit that it’s not as big as other countries in the Gulf like Dubai since Kuwait is not a tourism city, but every year, we see its growth.” Despite the presence of branded five-star hotels, the budget hotels’ customers remain solid. “We really hope that the Tourism Board here will continue to promote the tourism industry; we only rely on business tourism and we at Ibis Hotel are happy about it, because even if we don’t get many tourists to Kuwait, we’ve got a lot of business tourism, since the economy here is good and very positive,” he added.

Ibis Hotel is being managed under Accor-the world’s leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe with 900 Ibis Hotels worldwide and over 370 of them located in France. Ibis Hotel can be found in over 90 countries with a broad portfolio of hotel brands which provides an extensive offer from luxury to budget hotels.

The hotels are generally close to city centers, airports or rail stations, offering budget rates. The first Ibis opened in Bordeaux in 1974, while the newest Ibis hotel (the 900th) opened in January 2012 in Samara, Russia.

KUWAIT: Officials of the Ibis Hotel honoring ‘booking agents’.

—Photos by Joseph Shagra

Kuwaitis ‘shielded against fallouts of regional troubles’ KUALA LUMPUR: High ceiling of freedoms and equality among citizens have shielded the Kuwaiti nationals vis a vis repercussions of violent movements that have been taking place in other countries of the Middle East, said Singapore’s Minister of Justice and Foreign Affairs K. Shanmugam.

Natives of Kuwait have been enjoying such substantial freedoms and equality for half a century due to keenness and sagacious policy of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and cooperation of the government with the parliament, said K. Shanmugam, speaking during a luncheon held by the Kuwaiti ambassador to the republic, Abdul Aziz Al-Adwani, and his spouse, at their residence in honor of the Singaporean official and his wife.

The formal dinner was attended by a number of senior politicians and renowned busi-

nessmen, according to a statement released by the Kuwaiti embassy yesterday.

The eminent figures, in conversations held during the gathering, touched on necessity of enhancing business and financial cooperation among small countries, such as Kuwait and Singapore. Some attendees voiced concern at prospected results of the US military withdrawal and repercussions of the Iranian nuclear question on the Gulf region, namely forecast investment opportunities.

Nevertheless, the Kuwaiti side, during the reception, called on Singaporean entrepreneurs to explore business opportunities in the Gulf country, a state with advanced and distinguished financial facilities and judicial systems. Al-Adwani, at conclusion of the gathering, presented the Singaporean officials with a copy of a book about history of Kuwait. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Private and semi-private companies in the GCC are under enormous pressure to nationalize their workforce, owing to a combination of high regional unemployment and a currently outsized proportion of expatriate workers in the region. Thus far the talent pool of women employees in the region remains largely untapped, due to social, occupational, and legal challenges. Private and semi-private organizations in the GCC do not rely heavily on GCC nationals to fill their employment needs, and they rely even less on women as a group. GCC governments have taken a number of steps to improve this situation, such as Saudi Arabia’s national policies, including a five -year plan, Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) programs, and royal decrees, and the women’s leadership center that Qatar is establishing.

However, to achieve the goal of greater employment among national women in the regional workforce, companies will need to implement internal programs to recruit, develop, and retain women employees.

This will require solving a number of social, occupational, and legal challenges, with roots in long-standing and sensitive cultural attitudes in the region.

“There are clear benefits to be claimed. The companies that take the lead in this issue will help address the GCC’s unemployment problem among nationals. They will also assume a key role in shaping the future of women in the region,” said Ramez Shehadi, partner with Booz & Company. “Most significant, they will tap into a base of talented national women that is well-educated and eager to join the workforce, giving these companies a long-term competitive edge.”

Booz & Company has undertaken substantial research in this area, including a comprehensive survey and client work. We have also developed a framework to address these issues, in order to help GCC companies more successfully introduce national women into their workforce in greater numbers.

Our framework consists of three elements: 1) defining an overall corporate vision for employing women based on a solid case for change; 2) developing a talent management strategy and operating model to source, train, promote, and retain women; and 3) implementing a change management strategy to engage with and secure the support of internal and external stakeholders. One thing is clear from the efforts of companies worldwide to attract and retain talented women: Implementing diversity for diversity’s sake does not work. To begin successfully integrating women into their workforce, GCC companies must have a senior champion who can make a business case for the

need to do so.

“Creating such a business case is not without challenges. There is little in the way of objective, broad-based research that clearly establishes the importance of integrating women into the workforce, and none that is specific to the region,” said Dr Leila Hoteit, principal with Booz & Company. “However, anecdotal evidence from a multitude of companies shows the value that a strong female talent base can engender. A business case could be based on any of three elements: workforce, customers, or suppliers.”

Workforce: A dedicated effort to recruit and retain women does more than just fill talent gaps. A diverse workforce leads to higher employee engagement across the board. More than 100 studies have demonstrated the correlation between employee engagement and business performance: Engaged employees are far more productive and committed, and they are more likely to make progress toward company goals, as well as the goals of their own group Customers: Companies in a wide variety of sectors will need to more effectively target women as this key demographic’s spending power continues to grow. To do so, companies need to ensure not only that they have women on staff but that women are in the right positions to enhance the company’s go-to-market strategy with their insights, such as R&D, product development, marketing, and sales.

Suppliers: Companies need women in the right roles to raise awareness about potential new suppliers, use their networks to build these relationships, and maintain the relationships over the long term.

One company found annual cost savings of $2 million to $4 million when it focused on women-owned businesses by categorizing all thirdpar ty orders and enhancing the competitiveness of each category.

The second element of the framework requires developing a comprehensive approach to hire the most promising women candidates, invest in developing their technical and soft skills, evaluate them objectively, and retain them.

Talent acquisition: Companies should apply a unified process for attracting qualified talent from all available sources. This includes hiring entry-level candidates directly from the ranks of recent graduates of women’s colleges and vocational institutes. Another key channel for young talent is to sponsor students.

Still another source, particularly for experienced professionals and managers, is the region’s recruiting firms.

“Companies can partner with leading technology training institutions to establish a pipeline of women professionals with specialized technical experience,” said Dr Kamal Tarazi, Principal with Booz &

Company. “For example, the Women in Technology (WIT) program, a collaboration between Microsoft and local women’s organizations, teaches computer skills to women in nine Middle East and North Africa countries. Since its launch in 2005, WIT has trained more than 3,500 women throughout the MENA region.”

The company should ensure the same clear objectives and criteria are used in recruiting women as in its usual recruiting process, and avoid making subjective judgments about, for example, a female candidate’s age or number of children. It should also seek to have strong female representation in recruiting to project an image of a company that fully embraces and values diversity. Learning and development: In addition to recruiting and hiring female candidates, companies must implement a training program to develop women employees in technical areas and soft skills. Companies should consider a mentorship program that pairs less experienced staffers with more experienced women. In addition to serving as role models, the mentors would offer junior women an opportunity to share their concerns and issues.

Performance management: To support the integration of women into the workforce, companies must establish an objective system for evaluating their performance. This process needs to be clearly communicated and strictly implemented to ensure fairness. All scores should be objective and measurable, based on specific outcomes (such as turnover and employee satisfaction in the HR function, or sales numbers for the sales department), and the evaluation process should include multiple sources of input-eg., managers, colleagues, and subordinates. Although this is good practice for all employees, recent experience has shown that it is difficult to implement when evaluating women employees in a male-dominated environment. For example, in some job appraisals, women receive references to personality traits-they are “shy” or “emotional”-rather than specific descriptions of behaviors or quantitative assessments of their job impact. At other times appraisals may reflect an inherent, though unconscious, bias regarding women employees’ longterm commitment to the company in the context of family obligations.

Retention: Once the company has taken these measures to recruit, hire, develop, and evaluate the women in its workforce, it should devote equal effort to retaining women employees and ensure that they stay professionally fulfilled and motivated. This is critical, given the scarcity of skilled resources in the market and the investment that would be needed to hire and develop a new employee. We advocate a balance of traditional incentives and

“pride builders,” or less quantifiable and concrete benefits. The first category, incentives, consists of fairly traditional HR levers: rewards such as compensation and benefits, opportunities for career advancement, and a work-life balance that offers sufficient flexibility to attend to personal obligations while also pursuing a career. The introduction of resources such as family-friendly policies would go a long way in helping retain talent: For example, employees may seek part-time work, or the opportunity to telecommute certain days or for a finite period of time, as long as the job’s requirements allow for it.

“Because increasing women’s participation is a complex initiative with potential ramifications for the entire organization, companies will require an extensive change management strategy in order to succeed,” said Shehadi. “At the outset, all relevant stakeholders, both internal and external, must understand the program and its objectives. This may require overcoming misguided but still prevalent perceptions among some about the roles of women in society, or their ability to succeed in the private-sector workplace.”

Because these perceptions can be stubborn, changing them within companies must start from the top.

Companies must line up support and commitment from the board and executive vice presidents (EVPs), who must lead by example. Senior management should actively monitor key metrics through dashboards or score cards that track turnover, the number of women in senior positions, and other relevant indicators.

At lower levels, the company should identify middle management champions for the program. These champions can begin spreading awareness of the program in advance, along with motivating their staff to embrace the change.

They can overcome unforeseen obstacles at that level-through a performance-driven approach-and identify and communicate challenges up the chain of command.

Finally, companies will need to add a diversity-management component to the slate of mandatory training required of all employees. It is not sufficient to simply prepare women to join the labor force; management must prepare the rest of the employees to make the integration of women a company-wide success as well.

The entire company should build on small successes, potentially through recognition via in-house communications such as internal magazines or newsletters, or through awards given to the department that has the greatest proportion of women employees, or the largest number of women in leadership roles.

Maritime security conference kicks off in Abu Dhabi ABU DHABI: Deliberations of the security and maritime surveillance conference kicked off here yesterday with the participation of specialists from governments, armed forces and maritime security to exchange ideas about future possibilities and risks facing the coastal and marine areas in the Gulf with Kuwaiti participation.

The conference will discuss a variety of issues with a focus on developing strategies to achieve the maximum of the coastal security and combating piracy.

For his part, Director of Operations of the Coast Guard in Kuwait Lt Commander Sheikh Mubarak Ali Yousuf Al-Sabah said that Kuwait’s delegation will deliver an official lecture today to review efforts made by Kuwait in the maintenance of security and peace in the region.

He added that his lecture will also address actions taken by the Kuwaiti Coast Guard and Navy in cooperation with the Gulf and friendly states to reduce terrorist operations and maritime piracy, preservation of security in interna-

tional waters and to facilitate international maritime traffic. He said that Kuwait is part of friendly countries that work to maintain maritime security, safety of international waterways and shipping lanes in the Gulf, through the Joint Force 152, which consists of 25 countries including the Gulf States, the United States, Britain and France. He added that the Joint Force 152, which was formed in 2006, aims to protect ships in international Gulf waters from acts of terrorism and piracy.— KUNA

Kuwaiti students tour French universities PARIS: Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Kuwait University, Dr Ali Al-Nami, asserted here yesterday KU’s keenness on the distinction of outstanding students and support their academic performance.

This came in a statement following the conclusion of a visit of two outstanding KU student delegations, which toured a number of French universities and became acquainted with French cultural monuments, as well as visiting the Kuwaiti

Cultural Office in France.

Al-Nami added that the visit aimed to honor the students, as KU sends batches of them every year to explore various international universities and exchange of cultures.

He noted that KU, this year, sent student delegations to the United States in addition to France, where the students saw for themselves the various teaching methods those universities had to offer. — KUNA

Qurain Festival ends with great reflection of cultural movement KUWAIT: Qurain Cultural Festival presented, in the past three weeks, many art forms that reflected the ambitious creative movement of culture in the state of Kuwait, National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) General-Secretary Ali AlYouha said yesterday.

In a press statement, at the conclusion of the festival late Saturday, Al-Youha noted that “this cultural event provided a great opportunity to connect Arab intellects with one another and gave a chance to open communication channels amongst them.”

One of the highlights of the 18th Qurain Cultural Festival was a seminar that embraced many cultural and media figures who all rounded up at one table and discussed “the new reality of the Arab World.”

“This seminar would not have seen the light if there have not been room for

democracy and the freedom for expression that allow individuals to tackle the most sensitive issues with openness and utmost transparency,” the NCCAL chief pointed out.

He expressed his hope that this year’s festival had achieved its goal in deepening Arab cultural communication and further alleviating intellectually in the region.

Al-Youha concluded his statement to the press by expressing appreciation to the sponsorship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah and the support of Minister of Information and Head of the NCCAL Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah for holding such event.

He also extended his thanks to all the intellects and artists who engaged in the festival and to those who worked hard to make this event possible. —KUNA

Maintenance works at Entertainment City KUWAIT: Maintenance engineers from two major safety agencies in Germany supervised recent maintenance operations conducted at the Entertainment City, as part of annual operations carried out by the Touristic

Entertainment Company(TEC) in all of its facilities. “The TEC places special emphasis on conducting periodic maintenance operations to ensure that safety and security measures held at all facilities remain on par with international

standards,” said Meshary Al-Sanousy Deputy Managing Director for Entertainment City Affairs. He added that specialists from TUV and HAFEMA supervised recent maintenance operations and some of its rides were improved.

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

LOCAL

News

in brief

‘Meningitis no threat’ KUWAIT: Dr Musaab Al-Saleh, the Director of Epidemic Disease Fighting Unit at Ministry of Health said that meningitis, which is currently in Kuwait, shouldn’t give rise to concern as the number of casualties is very less and hasn’t reached epidemic proportions yet. He denied reports in social media that over 270 people have contracted the disease. He said that meningitis is a disease that cannot be hidden, as the patient requires care and isolation as long he is in the hospital. The average cases every year have not exceeded 10. He elaborated that the disease can be cured with antibiotics, provided the patient seeks medical intervention.

KUWAIT: Salem Al-Othaina, the Minister of Communication and Minister of Electricity and Water inaugurating five-day ‘InfoConnect & Infobiz’ exhibitions yesterday.

—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

‘Info-Connect’ clicks with tech enthusiasts Biggest technology, IT solutions fair opens

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The biggest technology, telecommunication and integrated solution exhibition was inaugurated yesterday at Kuwait International Fair Ground in Mishref. Salem Al-Othaina, the minister of communication and minister of electricity and water inaugurated the five -day ‘Info-Connect & Infobiz’ exhibitions. The event is being held at four separate venues [Hall No 5, 6, 7 and 8] from Jan 29 to Feb 4. The 31st exhibition is the biggest technology, telecom and integrated solutions exhibition ever held in Kuwait.

Over 120 private companies are participating in addition to several ministries and state agencies which showcased their latest advancement and technology. “The exhibition offers a great opportunity to decision makers, specialists, IT enthusiasts as well as individuals to take a look at the latest technology available,” said Mansour Al-Mousa, CEO, Infocenter for Exhibition

Angry students storm school in Rumathiya Man assaults wife’s lover

KUWAIT: Police are on the hunt to apprehend high school students believed to be responsible for a recent robbery that took place at a high school in Rumathiya.

Police reached the school following reports that it was stormed by a mob of irate students who committed arson and stole some computers, in protest against their low mid-term exam results. The suspects had escaped before police arrived, and an investigation was opened in the area’s police station to arrest them.

Drunks arrested Four people were arrested in connection with possession of alcohol recently, including a man who assaulted police officers in an attempt to escape. Patrol officers pulled over a car along the King Fahad Highway in which a male driver accompanied by three men were travelling. The officers’ suspicion deepened when the driver, identified as a government employee, turned visibly uncomfortable while his identity card was being checked. His companions were identified as three Iranian women; two of whom work at a local beauty salon while the third entered Kuwait a couple of months ago on a visit visa. Upon searching the car, officers found two liquor bottles believed to be of Scottish origin. As they tried to arrest the suspect, the man assaulted them. However, he was over-

powered and restrained. He was taken along with his three female companions to the Mina Abdullah police station; where investigations revealed that three women were arrested in connection with drunkenness. The four remained in custody pending further action.

Angry husband An Arab man is currently in custody at Rumaithiya police station as police investigate physical assault charges pressed against him. The attacker suspected that his wife had an affair with her boss.

According to the police’s account, he returned home early one day, only to witness his wife and her manager exit from his apartment. He launched an attack on his wife’s boss, who managed to wrest himself free and head to Rumathiya police station. The wife reportedly escaped, leaving behind three children in the apartment. The husband reported to the police station immediately, and explained that he committed an assault after spotting them in a compromising position. The manager argued that he had gone to the employee’s apartment to hand over her end-of-service indemnity. The two men are in police custody pending investigations..

Failed robbery Search is currently ongoing for an

armed thief who stabbed a worker at a grocery store when he refused to cooperate with the attacker’s demands. A second investigation was opened in the same case after it was discovered that the car used by the thief was stolen.

Police rushed to a co-op society branch in Sabah Al-Nasser where an Asian cashier was reported injured in a failed armed robbery attempt. The victim reportedly fought with a suspect who threatened him with a knife and demanded that he hand over all the money. The suspect fled after inflicting stab wounds on the victim. A coworker who rushed to his aid during the fight was not harmed in the incident. After receiving medical treatment, the victim was helped to the area’s police station.

Police, after checking the license plate number of the car which the suspects escaped with, learnt that it was reported stolen previously. Investigations are currently ongoing.

Suicide attempt Medical staff at Farwaniya Hospital saved a Kuwaiti teenager who attempted suicide by taking an overdose of prescription medications. The 17-year-old was rushed to the hospital by her family who found her in an unconscious state at home. Investigations are underway to find the motive behind the act .

Eight exhibitions in two months KUWAIT: More than eight conferences and exhibitions will be held in Kuwait during the two coming months, which will cover all economic and social spheres as well as events regarding the country’s national occasions.

Locally, the International Ground Fair is currently holding InfoConnect fair which is specialized in presenting everything that concern communicative technology. It is held simultaneously with another fair that showcases Arabic products.

On Monday, however, a conference regarding oil in the Gulf will begin and it will ends on the same day the Second Kuwait Cement and Concrete conference kick starts its two-day activities. In the month of February, three more events will take place. Two of these events will be held on the International Ground fair; the other one will deal with power and oil sectors. Internationally, a trade conference will be launched in Hong Kong, another one on industry and investment will start in Egypt and a third one on leather industries will kick off in India.

Turkey’s Istanbul will organize an office furniture gallery and a fashion week event, next month. The capital of Ukraine Kiev will open an agricultural and livestock fair at the same time. — KUNA

and Marketing Consultancy.

“We welcome everyone at the exhibition and we hope that all of us achieve our goals and targets,” said Al-Mousa.

Exhibition venue offers a selection of various models and brands of laptops, mobiles, Internet solutions and more.

Telecommunication companies such as Wataniya, Zain and Viva occupied the biggest space at the venue with all their latest products and services being displayed. X-Cite, Best, Essa Hussein Al-Yousifi & Sons and other smaller companies are selling gadgets from mobiles to home appliances at the venue. Various promotional products and items are available at least during the duration of the exhibition.

The exhibition also offers safety and security systems for infrastructure and buildings. Al-Mousa thanked HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlHamad Al-Sabah for patronizing the event.

Several ambassadors and dignitaries attended the event.

1st Respondents course kicks off KUWAIT: The ‘1st Respondents’ course on radioactive accidents opened yesterday at the Infection Control Department of Sabah Health Zone. The course was opened by Assistant Undersecretary for technical affairs Dr Khalid Al-Sahlawi, along with accompanying health ministry officials and members from the Egyptian Nuclear Authority (ENA). Al-Sahlawi lauded the cooperation of the ENA, urging trainees to benefit from the course and thanking all those who participated in the preparation for the course. Meanwhile, ENA member Dr Mohammad Jumaa thanked Kuwait’s Ministry of Health for their cooperation in holding the course.

Youth groups spark fear KUWAIT: Sources revealed that candidates in the fourth constituency are fearful of the ‘Change Campaign’ banner lifted by youth groups. This fear, the source added, led them to resort to spreading rumors and gossip in an attempt to fight their competitors. Sources said that the candidates asked their aides to contact voters claiming that they are the aides from rival candidates, and that they are willing to buy their votes.

Gas cylinder sparks residential fire

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Ardhiya and back-up fire centers responded to a call about a fire on the second floor of a Farwaniya building. The fire, which was located beneath the staircase, was a result of a poorly stored gas cylinder.

Road accidents An 18-year-old Kuwaiti refused to be taken to hospital after suffering various bruises during an ATV accident. A 26year-old Kuwaiti suffered various bruises during a car accident on Gulf road near Marina. He was taken to Mubarak hospital. An 11-year-old Kuwaiti suffered various bruises, while a 46-year-old Sri-Lankan suffered a facial wound during a car accident near Rawdha. They were taken to Mubarak hospital. A 43-year-old Kuwaiti sustained a broken leg and other wounds during a car accident between Mansouriya and Dasma. He was taken to Amiri hospital. A 35-year-old Kuwaiti suffered a head injury and was taken to Adan hospital following a car accident on the 7th Ring Road.

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

Thousands greet Suu Kyi on Myanmar campaign trail

‘Double discrimination’ affecting refugees with disabilities Page 9

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AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah II (R) meets with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal (2nd L), his second in command Mussa Abu Marzuk (L) and Qatar’s Crown prince, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (C), at the Royal Palace in Amman yesterday. Meshaal arrived in Jordan on his first official visit since his expulsion in 1999, a trip seen as a turning point in difficult relations between Amman and the Islamist movement. — AFP

Hamas chief makes ‘historic’ Jordan visit King Abdullah meets Meshaal after 12-year rupture AMMAN: Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal met yesterday with King Abdullah II on his first official visit to Jordan since his 1999 expulsion, calling the trip a “new good start” towards better ties with the kingdom. “We are happy with this new good start ... We are keen on building strong ties with Jordan and on its security, stability and interests,” Meshaal was quoted as saying in a palace statement after the meeting. “With this new chapter in relations with Jordan, we hope Jordanian and Palestinian interests will be served,” said the leader of the Palestinian Islamic movement.

Meshaal, who has Jordanian nationality, blasted Israel. “Hamas stands firm against Israel’s schemes to turn Jordan into a substi-

tute homeland. Jordan is Jordan and Palestine is Palestine. We insist on restoring Palestinian rights,” he said.

Meshaal, whose visit came after Qatari mediation, arrived in Amman with Doha’s crown prince, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad AlThani. “Jordan supports the Palestinian Authority as well as Palestinian reconciliation,” the king told Meshaal at the meeting, attended by Sheikh Tamim and a Hamas political bureau delegation, including number two Mussa Abu Marzuk. “Uniting the Palestinian stand will strengthen the Palestinian people and help restore their rights,” said the king, whose country aims to help efforts at interPalestinian reconciliation.

The Hamas spokesman in Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri, has said the visit seeks to “boost political cooperation, reorganise ties with Jordan and study the means to open a Hamas office in Amman.” But Jordanian government spokesman Rakan Majali said before the visit that the issue was “not on the agenda. They did not ask for that anyway.” Jordan’s powerful opposition Islamists, who are ideologically close to Hamas, hailed Meshaal’s visit.

“The meeting today is historic. Qatari mediation is supporting the palace’s efforts to reformulate Jordan-Hamas relations in line with national interests,” the Muslim Brotherhood said on its website. Domestically, the visit is likely to help improve ties between the regime

and Jordan’s Islamists, who have since January 2011 led an Arab Spring-inspired movement for political and economic reforms and for an end to corruption. Jordan, which mediated five rounds of informal Israeli-Palestinian talks this month, is trying to support reconciliation between Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. Amman also wants to maintain its support for Abbas as well as its relations with Israel under the two countries’ 1994 peace treaty. Relations between Hamas and Jordan have been strained since 1999, when the authorities expelled Meshaal and three other Hamas members after the group was accused of threatening the kingdom’s security and sta-

bility. Jordan-Hamas ties soured further in 2006 after Amman alleged that members of the group had smuggled weapons into the kingdom from neighbouring Syria, where the Hamas leadership is based.

Jordanian Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh, a former International Criminal Court judge, said when he formed his government in November that the expulsion of Hamas leaders had been “a constitutional and political error.”

Meshaal, who survived a 1997 assassination attempt in Amman by the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, has also made two shorts visits to Jordan since 1999 to attend his father’s funeral and see his ailing mother. — AFP

Tehran hosts UN nuclear watchdog, tensions grow TEHRAN: UN atomic watchdog officials began a visit to Iran yesterday to discuss Tehran’s suspect nuclear drive, amid a backlash by furious Iranian lawmakers at a looming EU oil embargo. The three-day International Atomic Energy Agency mission is to address evidence suggesting Iran’s activities include nuclear weapons research.

The visit was seen as a rare opportunity to maybe alleviate a building international showdown over Iran’s nuclear programme that has seen a ratcheting up of sanctions and talk of possible Israeli military action.

“In particular we hope that Iran will engage with us on the possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear programme,” Herman Nackaer ts, the IAEA’s chief inspector leading the delegation, told reporters in Vienna as he left.

“We are looking forward to the start of a dialogue, a dialogue that is overdue since very long.” Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Ali Larijani, called the visit a “test” for the UN agency, according to the website of the official IRIB state broadcaster. If the IAEA officials were “professional,” then “the path for cooperation will open up,” he said.

“But if they deviate and become a tool (of the West), then the Islamic republic will be forced to reflect and consider a new framework” for cooperation, Larijani added. Iran, which maintains its programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes, is increasingly furious at Western measures aimed at making it halt uranium enrichment.

It has defiantly stepped up enrichment at a new bomb-proof bunker in Fordo near the Shiite holy city of Qom. It has also reacted fiercely to new sanctions targeting its oil and finance sectors, notably the European

Union’s announcement of a ban on all Iranian oil imports within the next five months.

But Iranian lawmakers yesterday delayed taking action on a proposed bill to immediately cut oil exports to Europe in retaliation for the EU embargo. “No bill has been designed nor has it come to the parliament,” energy commission spokesman Emad Hosseini told Mehr news agency, adding that he hoped negotiations on preparing the bill would be finalised before Friday.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told Welt am Sonntag newspaper the EU was resolute on preventing Iran “acquiring an atomic weapon.”

“We will find ways in the EU to compensate for delivery stoppages” of oil, he said. Iran, OPEC’s secondbiggest producer, has repeatedly brandished threats to use oil as a weapon if it is backed up against the wall.

Officials have warned they could even close the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint at the entrance to the Gulf, in a move analysts say could send oil prices soaring by 50 percent.

Saudi Arabia has promised to make up for any shortfall should Iranian oil be curbed, but it too depends on the strait. The United States, which has called any attempt to close the strait a “red line” not to be crossed, is reportedly planning to send a large floating base for commando teams to the Middle East.

It already has two aircraft carrier groups in and near the Gulf, and has broadened arms deals to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Against that backdrop of threat and counter-threat, attention is focused on what the IAEA talks might yield.

It was not known, however, whether the delegation would visit any of the sites mentioned in a November

TEHRAN: Some Iranian students gather as they protest at the Imam Khomini’ airport in Tehran yesterday during the arrival of the team of international Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors. An International Atomic Energy Agency team arrived in Iran early yesterday on a mission to clear up what it called “outstanding substantive issues” on Tehran’s nuclear programme, the official IRNA news agency said. — AFP

IAEA report suggesting Iran had worked on developing nuclear weapons. The official IRNA news agency reported the mission would go to Fordo, but there was no IAEA confirmation. IAEA chief Yukiya Amano on Friday reiterated the agency had “information that indicates that Iran has engaged in activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device.”

He called on Tehran to show “substantial cooperation.”

Iran has alleged IAEA bias and kept the watchdog at arm’s length, even as it has pledged cooperation. Iran has signalled a willingness to resume talks with world

powers but has yet to reply to a letter sent three months ago by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton offering a return to talks.

That reply would come “soon,” Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said, IRNA reported yesterday. Observers note that while Iran is feeling the impact of Western sanctions, it shows no sign of halting its nuclear activities. “Sanctions have not eliminated Iran’s capacity or desire to continue developing its nuclear programme,” said Dina Esfandiary, analyst with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. — AFP

9

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

INTERNATIONAL

Syrian forces battle to retake Damascus suburbs DAMASCUS: Fierce clashes approached the capital yesterday as Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s opponents sought to crank up the pressure for UN action after the Arab League withdrew its observers.

Regime forces fired heavy artillery and mortar rounds against the Damascus suburbs of Douma, Saaba, Irbin and Hamuriyeh and were locked in close battle with rebel fighters emboldened by a fresh wave of desertions, activists said.

“The more the regime uses the army, the more soldiers defect,” Ahmed alKhatib, a local rebel council member on the Damascus outskirts, told AFP. A spokesman for the rebel Free Syrian Army, which boasts 40,000 men and whose leadership is in Turkey, said that the fighting came a day after “a large wave of defections,” with 50 officers and soldiers turning their back on Assad.

In a “steady progression of fighting towards the capital,” spokesman Maher Nueimi said deserters were clashing with army regulars only eight kilometres (five miles) from Damascus.

The regime, in turn, has launched “an unprecedented offensive in the past 24 hours, using heavy artillery” against villages in Damascus and Hama province of central Syria, Nueimi said. Other rebel spokesmen reported heavy fighting in Rankus, 45 kilometres (28 miles) from Damascus, and of heightened tension in Hama, further to the north.

Rankus was “besieged for the past five days and is being randomly shelled since dawn by tanks and artillery rounds,” rebel Abu Ali al-Rankusi told AFP by telephone.

In Hama, pro-regime snipers were deployed on the rooftops, according to activists, with security forces leaving “bodies of dead people with their hands tied behind their backs” on the streets across several neighbourhoods.

Earlier yesterday activists and state media reported the deaths of 16 soldiers in two separate attacks as well as of five civilians and a deserter.

The latest toll adds to an AFP tally of at least 232 people-among them 147 civilians-killed since Tuesday, compiled from reports by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and state media.

The Observatory reported 10 members

of the military killed when their convoy was attacked in Jebel al-Zuwiya in the northwest, and the official SANA news agency said “an armed terrorist group” killed six others near Damascus.

The watchdog also reported four civilians and a deserter killed as soldiers and mutineers clashed in the Ghuta area near the capital. It said another civilian was killed in Homs, central Syria.

That adds to the figure of more than 5,400 given by the United Nations last month since anti-regime protests erupted in mid-March.

It was this latest surge in violence that pushed the Arab League to suspend its mission to Syria in a surprise move on Saturday.

Arab foreign ministers are to meet in Cairo on February 5 to review the suspension, an Arab League official said.

League chief Nabil al-Arabi, departing Cairo for the United Nations, said the decision was taken after Damascus “chose the option of escalation,” but Moscow expressed surprise at the move.

“We would like to know why they are treating such a useful instrument in this way,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during a visit to Brunei, cited by Russia’s ITAR-TASS news agency.

The 165 observers deployed a month ago after Damascus agreed to the Arab League plan foreseeing a halt to the violence, prisoners freed, tanks withdrawn from built-up areas and free movement of observers and foreign media.

Arabi said on Sunday he hopes Moscow and Beijing will allow the UN Security Council to issue a resolution backing a League plan to end the crisis.

“I hope these two countries will alter their position concerning the draft UN Security Council resolution which would adopt the Arab plan,” he said, according to Egypt’s official MENA news agency.

The League plan looks to a halt in the violence and Assad transferring power to his deputy ahead of negotiations-a formula flatly rejected by Damascus.

Moscow opposes the draft UN resolution, and it has proposed its own draft assigning equal blame for the violence on both Assad and the opposition, an option dismissed by the West. —AFP

BEIRUT: Protesters shout slogans as they carry pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad and Syrian flags during a demonstration in front of the Russian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, yesterday, to express gratitude for the Russian position in support of Syria. —AP

Egypt Islamists look to build on success in polls CAIRO: Egyptians cast ballots yesterday for the upper house, with Islamists looking to build on their success in voting for the lower assembly as part of the first polls since a revolt ousted Hosni Mubarak.

Polling got under way with only a handful of voters at several stations, in sharp contrast to the long lines and enthusiasm around the elections for lower house of parliament. The election for the Shura Council, an advisory body, takes place over two stages, after which members of both houses will choose a panel to draft a new constitution.

The elections are part of a roadmap for a transition to democratic rule laid out by the ruling military council that took power after the popular uprising that overthrew Mubarak last year. The first phase of voting takes place over two days in 13 provinces, including the largest cities Cairo and Alexandria, and the second in the remaining 14.

Under the complex system adopted after Mubarak’s ouster, two thirds of the Shura’s 180 elected members will be elected via a party-list system, while one third will be elected directly. One third of the Shura Council will be nominated by the head of state. Under the framework for a transfer to civilian rule, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has said the two chambers, once elected, should choose 100 members of a constitutional commission. But voters in Cairo appeared split on the importance of the latest poll.

“I voted in the referendum (on constitutional amendments in March), I voted for the (People’s) Assembly, and so I will vote for the Shura,” said a voter who only gave her name as Seham.

“If this chamber had no importance, authorities would not be seeking to revive it,” she added. In contrast, voter Zainab alSadawi, said: “If the Shura had an important role to play drafting the future constitution, there should have been campaigns on the subject. Otherwise, the People’s Assembly is enough.”

Most political parties are pressing for the constitution to be completed ahead of presidential elections due to be held before the end of June.

The powerful Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party won a crushing victory in the lower house of parliament elections, which were contested over three months, to clinch 47 percent of seats.

The Al-Nur, representing the ultra-conservative Salafist current of political Islam, came second place, with liberal parties trailing far behind.

The election comes amid nationwide protests calling for the immediate ouster of the ruling military council led by Mubarak’s longtime defence minister, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi.

Tens of thousands of Egyptians took to the streets on Wednesday to mark one year since the start of the uprising that ousted Mubarak after 30 years of autocratic rule. A year on, protesters accuse the military council of mismanagement and human rights abuses.

Demonstrators are demanding an end to military trials of civilians, the restructuring of the interior ministry and a guarantee of freedoms and social justice. The Muslim Brotherhood has been less vocal in calling for the army to step down, prompting tensions with some anti-military protesters. —AFP

DOHA: One of the panels addresses the 5th International Shafallah Forum that was held in Doha January 22-24.

Disability is not inability ‘Double discrimination’ affecting refugees with disabilities

By Velina Nacheva DOHA: A shrinking pool of resources for refugee camps and people with disabilities, donor fatigue and the continuous marginalization of people with special needs as well as the urgency for implementation of poverty-reduction strategies and independence in an anemic economic cycle, were some of the main topics on the agenda of a three-day forum that was held in Doha from January 2224. The 2012 International Shafallah Forum titled “Crisis, Conflict and Disability: Ensuring Equality” opened at the Dohabased Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs with more than 250 dignitaries attending who represented over 50 countries.

The forum which was held under the auspices of Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser, wife of the Amir of Qatar and a patron of the Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs gathered First Ladies from across the globe, policymakers, government leaders, persons with disabilities and representatives of humanitarian relief organizations as well as journalists.

The fifth Shafallah forum came out with a firm commitment to support the United Nation’s Convention of Rights for Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and a declaration calling all stakeholders to raise awareness related to people with disabilities, especially with regard to the difficulties these communities face when affected by natural disasters and emergency situations.

At a gala dinner held as part of the forum’s activities, Hassan Ali bin Ali, Chairman of the Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs, urged the forum’s participants to endorse the Shafallah Declaration on Crisis, Conflict and Disability. By signing the declaration, he said, “we will be encouraging adoption by the global community of the UNCRPD. We will be establishing a concrete framework to begin addressing the rights and conditions of people with disabilities”.

The forum formulated a threeprong recommendation framework. As summarized by Ali bin Ali, these were: First, disability must be an integral part of all emergency and humanitarian response before and after a crisis hits, through sustainable programs; second, disability should be considered throughout all phases of humanitarian assistance; and third, the principles in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities should underpin all humanitarian efforts and international protection frameworks, particularly Article 11 - urging governments to develop national action plans or policies which identify strategic actions, priorities and resources, and determine responsibilities and timeframes at the national level.

Disability is not inability In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, floods in the Philippines and the ongoing reconstruction in Haiti, the forum highlighted the strains of societies and infrastructure as a result of natural catastrophes, and emphasized on the hardships people with disabilities face during this period. The forum dwelled on the latest develop-

ments in inclusive emergency planning that help ensure the protection and safety of persons with special needs during natural catastrophes and conflict.

At the opening of the convention, Ali bin Ali called on those countries that have yet to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to do so as a means to cope better with natural disasters. He said: “Although we have made long strides in the advancement of the rights of the disabled, there is still much more we can do”.

Calling it a worldwide crisis, Ali bin Ali estimated that there are about 1 billion people with disabilities living in the world today, of which 800 million live in poverty.

“Through ratification of the UNCRPD - specifically resolutions that support Article 11 - we will lift the status of the 1 billion persons liv-

ther the financial and human resources, nor expertise to properly implement the provisions of the Convention.”

According to him, if signed and ratified by a nation, the UNCRPD, demands access to healthcare, education, employment and all other fundamental rights. “In countries where resources are not available to accommodate the provision of these fundamental rights for persons with disabilities and even the rest of the population, you can guarantee that persons with disabilities will be considered last,” he said, adding that awareness of this convention is paramount. “The true implementation of this convention is vital. But for those living in abject poverty, whose main preoccupation is the daily struggle to have enough food to eat, the realization of the rights laid out in the Convention

Ossama Abu Safer, a Palestinian living with disability and an initiator of Forsan Al Erada Radio.

Valerie Amos UN Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the event. ing with disabilities, of which 800 million live in poverty, 6.5 million of those being refugees or displaced persons,” said Ali bin Ali who urged real and practical solutions. “Pressure must be put on international policy makers.

Awareness must be raised around the globe,” he elaborated.

In his opening remarks at the forum, Ali bin Ali explained that refugees with a disability are amongst the most disadvantaged and disenfranchised of all people living in the world today. “There are estimated to be over 3.5 million of them. Most refugees with disability live in abject poverty and in reality, there is a huge disconnect between the conditions in which they live and the opportunity to even begin implementing their numerous legal rights under the provisions of United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” he said.

He further explained that “many of the countries that signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities have nei-

are a world away from reality,” he stressed.

Marginalization and double discrimination One important emphasis of this year’s forum was the marginalization of persons with special needs during natural disasters in Japan, Haiti, Pakistan and the United States, as well as the ongoing crises and conditions in refugee camps in the Middle East and Africa. Panelists at the three-day event dwelled on the intersection between crisis, conflict and disability in order to bring attention to the “double discrimination” affecting refugees with disabilities.

In the words of Francesca Bonelli of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, refugees with disabilities are further marginalized by their communities. They lack adequate infrastructure, permanent residence and normal living conditions while dealing with a physical environment inhospitable to persons with mobility issues and other disabilities.

The focal point of discussion during one of the panels which focused on the displaced refugee communities in the Occupied Territories, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria emphasized that five years in the global financial crisis, and stagnant recovery amongst donor countries, organizations working on field at the Occupied Territories face “shrinking funds.” This coupled with donor fatigue afflicting Palestinian issues means fewer resources are available for people living with disabilities in the Palestinian Territories.

Contrary to the inconducive environment in the Palestinian Territories, Ossama Abu Safer, a 27-year-old Palestinian who is wheel-chair bound, had his success story to share. In conversation with the Kuwait Times, he narrated the story of Forsan Al-Erada Radio - the first radio dedicated to issues of concern to people with disabilities. “I have always been involved and active in supporting the people with disabilities,” he says. At the age of 22, he decided to bring about change and positivity to people living in hardship and in a war-zone.

He established the radio station which today employs 26 people, 45 percent of whom have disabilities. “The main objective was to make the voices of the people with disabilities heard in the world. I wanted to help people with any disability, in any country, regardless of their religion or race,” he explains. “This station is my life.”

In the station where salaries are paid by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) the ultimate goal is to support people who have a disability whose numbers grow by the minute, Osama says. The Israeli aggression increases the number of disabled people in Palestine, Osama says.

“We invite them all to come and work with us,” he said. His main commitment is to try and find ways to improve the station and go global. His determination and hard work has served as an inspiration for his younger brother who, Osama says, now studies media.

One billion strong During the forum, Ali Bin Ali focused on an initiative previously launched by Shafallah explaining that One Billion Strong was launched as a global initiative to promote the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to try and make a real difference to the lives of persons with disability. To date, two years after the initiative was launched, 153 countries have signed the convention and 109 have ratified it.”

Cherie Blair, wife of Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair, lauded the One Billion Strong initiative. Blair who is a founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and a co-chair of the Shafallah Centre for Children with Special Needs called the One Billion Strong campaign “one big step forward.” On her part, the United Nations Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos lauded Sheikha Mozah and Qatar for the exerted efforts to alleviate the plight of the disabled people, not only in Qatar but all over the world.

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

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

Benin takes AU helm as leaders meet to solve crises ADDIS ABABA: African Union leaders chose Benin’s President Thomas Boni Yayi yesterday as the 54-member bloc’s new chairman, at a two-day summit hoped to help resolve multiple crises facing the continent.

Boni Yayi, who succeeded Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema AU chairman, said he wanted to “ensure that peace comes back our continent,” as he accepted the post with “humility” for “the high responsibility.”

“We shall continue to work hand in glove to ensure that we consolidate all what we have achieved so far,” Boni Yayi said, an economist who is not expected to rock the boat in his new post, a largely ceremonial position.

War-torn Somalia, oil disputes between Sudan and South Sudan, violence in Nigeria and riots in Senegal in response to the president’s determination to cling onto power, are also expected to be addressed in sideline talks. “The development of our continent is in our hands my dear presidents...it is in unity and cohesion that our continent will ensure its development,” Boni Yayi added, urging peace in Sudan and South Sudan, the Sahel

region and in Nigeria.

The AU chairmanship rotates among African leaders and is held for one year, but intense lobbying continues ahead of a vote Monday for the top job, the head of the bloc’s executive arm, the AU Commission. On Monday, the 18th ordinary summit will chose in a secret ballot whether South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will take over from incumbent Jean Ping. No woman has held the AU Commission post. South Africa said Saturday it was optimistic Dlamini-Zuma, former wife of President Jacob Zuma, can unseat Gabon’s Ping, who was first elected in 2008. “Government remains optimistic that Minister Dlamini-Zuma will receive the necessary votes,” South Africa’s foreign ministry said in a statement. Sources close to Ping say he is confident of re-election, counting on support from French-speaking West and Central Africa countries.

But Dlamini-Zuma, 62, has launched a tough campaign and has the backing of the 15-member Southern African Development Community. Pretoria has been lobbying hard across the continent to drum

up the two thirds of the vote needed.

AU leaders, who gathered in their sleek new headquarters-a $200m highrise centre built and donated by the Chinese government-were meeting for their first summit since the death of the bloc’s founder Moamer Gadhafi. After a year that saw the AU faced with a post-election crisis in Ivory Coast as well as the Arab Spring revolutions, Obiang summed up his time in office by accusing “external powers” of trying to “perpetuate their influence” in Africa.

“Africa should not remain indifferent to external interference. Africa should not be questioned with regards to democracy, human rights, governance and transparency in public administration,” he said.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the Arab Spring was a “a reminder that leaders must listen to their people.” “Events proved that repression is a dead end. Police power is no match to people power seeking dignity and justice,” he said, also urging African leaders must also respect gay rights.

Homosexuality is illegal in most African countries. “One form of discrimination ignored or even sanc-

tioned by many states for too long has been discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity,” Ban said. The African leaders will also dis-

A file photo taken on October 11, 2009 shows President Thomas Boni Yayi of Benin arriving for the Seventh World Forum on Sustainable Development in Ouagadougou. Boni Yayi was elected the African Union Chairman yesterday. — AFP

cuss Somalia, where the AU has a 10,000-strong force protecting the country’s fragile Western-backed government from the Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab militia.

Regions of war-torn Somalia remains in the grip of a dire famine, but Ping said he was optimistic for the future. “Never before have the prospects of peace in Somalia appeared so real,” he told the opening ceremony. Insecurity in the Sahel region, where Al-Qaeda linked fighters also operate in several countries, will also be on the agenda.

Discussions are also expected on Senegal, where riots erupted Friday after opposition supporters reacted to a court decision that President Abdoulaye Wade could run for a third term. A bitter dispute between Sudan and South Sudan over oil pipeline transit fees, heightening tensions between the former civil war enemies, is also hoped to be addressed.

Ping urged the two parties to reach a deal. “Sudan and South Sudan... should in the supporting interest of the people conclude in earnest the negotiations on the post-cessation arrangements,” he said. — AFP

Boko Haram rejects talks, threatens fresh attacks Insurgency has killed more than 200 this year

PALOICH: In this Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010 file photo, Chinese technicians man drilling equipment on an oil rig in Paloich, South Sudan. Militants apparently captured 29 Chinese workers after attacking a remote work site in the volatile South Kordofan region of neighboring Sudan, and Sudanese forces were increasing security for Chinese projects and personnel there, China said yesterday. — AP

Sudan rebels capture 29 Chinese workers KHARTOUM: Rebels in Sudan’s South Kordofan state have captured 29 Chinese workers after a battle with government forces, a spokesman for the insurgents said yesterday. Nine members of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) were also being held, Arnu Ngutulu Lodi of the Sudan People’s Liberation MovementNorth (SPLM-N), told AFP. “Yes, we have captured them,” he said. “I want to assure you right now they are in safe hands.”

China confirmed some of its nationals “have gone missing” after rebels on Saturday attacked the camp of a Chinese company, the official Xinhua news agency reported. “The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese embassy to Sudan have initiated an emergency response to the incident,” Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said, according to Xinhua. Liu did not give a figure for the number of missing, but said the ministry had summoned Sudan’s charge d’affaires in Beijing and urged Khartoum to search for them.

“Currently, the Sudanese government is doing their utmost to locate and rescue the missing Chinese nationals,” he said. Lodi, of the rebels, said the Chinese have not been kidnapped and none was wounded.

They, along with the Sudanese, were captured on Saturday when the rebels destroyed a Sudanese military convoy between Rashad town and Al-Abbasiya in the northeast of the province, which has been at war since June. Lodi said the Chinese were working mainly on road construction in the area. They are being held in the Nuba mountains “until further

notice” because of the security situation.

“Today is a little bit calm but we are expecting at any time SAF may launch an attack on us,” he said. Spokesmen for the Sudanese army and the Chinese embassy in Khartoum could not be immediately reached for comment by AFP. But Xinhua quoted an embassy official as saying more than 20 Chinese were missing. China is a major military supplier to the regime in Khartoum, and the largest buyer of Sudanese oil. There is growing international concern over the situation in South Kordofan and nearby Blue Nile state, where a similar conflict broke out in September. The government is fighting ethnic minority insurgents once allied to the former rebels who now rule South Sudan.

The South gained independence from Khartoum last July after decades of civil war. Food shortages would become critical without substantial aid deliveries into South Kordofan and Blue Nile by March, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, has said.

Khartoum has severely restricted the work of foreign relief agencies in the war zones. It cited security concerns and also accused aid workers of using United Nations flights to deliver arms and ammunition to the rebels-a claim for which the UN’s top humanitarian official said there was “no evidence.” Princeton Lyman, the US administration’s special envoy for Sudan, told reporters last week the situation is so dire Washington has warned Khartoum it would consider ways for aid to be sent in without Sudanese government approval. — AFP

BERLIN: In this June 23, 2010 file picture then Lower Saxony governor Christian Wulff, right, and his spokesman Olaf Glaeseker, left, sit in a bus in Heeslingen, Germany. German prosecutors say they raided the office of the president’s former spokesman as part of a corruption investigation. Hannover prosecutor Hans-Juergen Lendeckel told the Sunday paper Bild am Sonntag that the office inside Berlin’s presidential mansion was searched Thursday. A spokeswoman for President Christian Wulff, Petra Diroll, confirmed the raid yesterday. — AP

KANO: Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamists have ruled out talks with the government and threatened new attacks in Africa’s most populous country, rocked by an insurgency that has killed more than 200 already this year.

Residents in the northern city of Kaduna said the group, which has frequently targetted the police, may have struck again late Saturday when gunmen on motorcycles shot dead a policeman.

Police confirmed the killing early yesterday, but said the attackers were trying to steal the officer’s motorcycle. Kaduna resident Rabiu Tukur disputed that account. “They did not make any attempt to take his motorcycle which raised the fear that the attackers could be members of Boko Haram,” he said.

The group’s deadliest ever strike came on January 20, north of Kaduna, in Nigeria’s second city of Kano, where a coordinated set of gun and bomb attacks killed at least 185 people, highlighting the Islamists’ renewed strength. Boko Haram has already claimed violence that has killed more than 200 people this year in Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer that is divided between a mainly Muslim and mainly Christian south.

President Goodluck Jonathan has been intensely criticised for his apparent inability to stem the violence and in a media interview this week urged the Islamists to state their

demands and enter into dialogue.

But Jonathan’s call for talks was “not sincere”, purported Boko Haram spokesman Abul Qaqa told journalists by telephone in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, regarded as the group’s stronghold.

“We don’t think dialogue is possible under the current situation,” he added. If captured members of the group were not released, the group “will launch attacks in Sokoto similar to the big Kano attacks,” Qaqa warned. Sokoto is a northwestern city which is the capital of a state of the same name. In a recording posted recently on the Internet, the purported head of Boko Haram, Abubakar Muhammad Shekau, said he had ordered the Kano attacks because the army was torturing the group’s members. “I ordered it and I will give that order again and again,” he said in the recording. Qaqa said the government had also arrested Boko Haram loyalists in Sokoto.

“They should expect imminent attacks on Sokoto if they don’t release our members,” he said, and warned that these illegal detentions had further undermined the possibility of dialogue. “The same day Goodluck Jonathan came out and said we should come out for dialogue security agents in Sokoto arrested a large number of our members in raids on their homes,” Qaqa said.

The Boko Haram accusations came after

Nigeria’s army said it killed 11 of the group’s members during a Saturday operation in Maiduguri. But Qaqa rejected the army account, saying its unarmed members “were individually picked in their homes ... and shot dead. The Boko Haram threat has intensified in recent weeks and the Nigerian security forces have struggled to respond, with the group seemingly able to strike at will. But as the shadowy Islamist sect steps up its violence, its specific aims and character remain largely unclear. It has previously said that it wants to create an Islamic state in Nigeria’s deeply impoverished mainly Muslim north, and has charged the government with harassing Muslims and raiding Islamic schools.

Top Nigerian politicians have denied that the Boko Haram insurgency is being fuelled by religious tensions, linking the group to like-minded external Islamist groups such as Al-Qaeda. Many analysts however doubt the strength of those links and say Boko Haram remains focused on a domestic agenda and is boosting its strength by exploiting religious tension within Nigeria.

The group launched an uprising in 2009 that was put down by a brutal military assault.

It fell dormant for about a year before reemerging in 2010 and now believed to have a number of different factions, including a hardcore Islamist cell. — AFP

African leaders meet for first post-Gaddafi summit ADDIS ABABA: African Union leaders met yesterday for their first summit since the death of the bloc’s founder Moamer Gaddafi, with intense lobbying for its top jobs overshadowing the start of the talks. At the start of the two-day summit, which opened mid-morning, the leaders are choosing the next AU chairman to succeed Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

The AU chairmanship rotates among African leaders and is held for one year. Late Sunday morning diplomatic sources said Benin President Thomas Boni Yayi was likely to be elected. Two other names have circulated over the past week: Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and Gambian President Yahya Jammeh.

Obiang, summing up his year in office ahead of the summit, said he regretted that Africa today was “like a chess board where the nations and leaders are like pawns on the board... being manipulated by external powers.” After a year that saw the AU faced with a postelection crisis in Ivory Coast as well as the Arab Spring revolutions, he said African leaders need to adopt a common front.

“We need a situation where African leaders are much more united and show solidarity to deal with the interference from external powers, and deal with the problems facing the continent,” Obiang told reporters in Kampala. Today, the 18th ordinary summit will also chose the next head of the AU Commission, the 54nation bloc’s executive arm, with South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s challenging incumbent Jean Ping. South Africa said Saturday it was optimistic Dlamini-Zuma, former wife of President Jacob Zuma, can unseat Gabon’s Ping, who was first elected in 2008. “Government remains optimistic that Minister Dlamini-Zuma will receive the necessary votes,” South Africa’s foreign ministry said in a statement. No woman has held the AU Commission post. The election by secret ballot will be held today.

Sources close to Ping say he is confident of re-election, counting on support from French-speaking West and Central Africa countries. But Dlamini-Zuma, 62, has launched a tough campaign and has the backing of the 15-member Southern African Development Community. Pretoria has been lobbying hard across the continent to drum up support to win the two thirds of the vote needed. The summit, being held at sleek new Chinese-built AU headquarters inaugurated Saturday, and attended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, will also focus on boosting “Intra-African Trade.” “Growth on the continent has remained robust. Many observers consider that Africa is on the verge of economic take-off.

However we are only at the beginning,” Ping told the opening, adding that the AU should “speed up the economic integration in the continent. African countries do not trade enough among themselves.” — AFP

VATICAN: Pope Benedict XVI looks at a dove flying after it was released from the window of his apartment at the end of his Sunday Angelus prayer in St Peter’s square at the Vatican yesterday. The Pontiff and youth of the Catholic Action released two doves, symbol of peace. — AFP

Cruise ship fuel removal stalled GIGLIO: Rough seas off Italy’s Tuscan coast forced a delay in the planned Saturday start of the operation to remove a half-million gallons of fuel from the grounded Costa Concordia, and officials said pumping may now not begin until midweek. Recovery operations continued, however, and on Saturday yielded a 17th body: The woman who wasn’t wearing a life jacket was found by divers on the submerged sixth floor deck, civil protection officials said. The Concordia ran aground on Jan. 13 off the port of the island of Giglio port after the captain deviated from his planned route and gashed the hull of the ship on a reef.

Some 4,200 passengers and crew endured a panicked evacuation after the abandon ship alarm didn’t sound until the ship had capsized so much that some life boats couldn’t be lowered.

Some 16 people remain unaccounted for and are presumed dead. On Saturday, the body found on the ship’s deck on Jan. 28 was identified as Erika Soria Molina, 25, of Peru by Doris Sotomayor, Peru’s consul general in Florence.

Sotomayor told The Associated Press that the body was found in a submerged

part of the deck. Soria, who was wearing a service uniform, studied tourism in Peru and was born in the Andean city of Cuzco, southeast of Lima.

The removal of the fuel aboard the Concordia is a key concern since the seas around Giglio form part of a protected marine sanctuary and are a favorite destination for scuba divers. So far, no leakage has been detected.

Dutch shipwreck salvage firm Smit has been contracted by the Concordia’s owner Costa Crociere SpA, a unit of Miamibased Carnival Corp., to remove the fuel.

Smit’s divers have made the necessary preparations to begin pumping out fuel from six outer tanks that hold more than half of the 500,000 gallons (1.9 million liters) of heavy fuel oil that are aboard the ship. The rest of the fuel is contained in inner tanks that are harder to access. So far, divers have drilled into four of the six outer tanks and fixed valves on them: one on top, one on bottom. Hoses will then be attached to the valves and as the oil which must be warmed to make it less gooey - is sucked out of the upper hose, sea water is pumped in to fill the vacuum via the lower hose. — AP

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

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

Suspect shown by Mexico cops says he beat Canadian CULIACAN: A man charged with brutally beating a Canadian tourist at a luxury beach hotel told reporters Saturday that he tried to hold the woman in an elevator and punched her several times in the face when she cried for help.

Police presented Jose Ramon Acosta Quintero, 28, to local and foreign journalists in the Pacific port city of Mazatlan, where the attack on Sheila Nabb of Calgary, Alberta, occurred in the early hours of Jan. 20.

He was arrested Friday and charged with attempted murder. Prosecutors have said investigators were led to Acosta by a hotel security video that showed him leaving the elevator where Nabb was attacked.

Sinaloa State Prosecutor Marco Antonio Higuera Gomez said Saturday that Acosta was drinking in local bars and had taken cocaine with a Canadian friend when they decided to go to one of the large tourist hotels where bars operate 24 hours. He said Acosta frequents those hotels and sometimes goes by the name “Ray.” Flanked by police, Acosta spoke in fluent English as he answered a few questions from foreign reporters. He said he entered the hotel from the back beach doorway and was taking an elevator up to the roof when the doors opened and Nabb got in. They talked and then he put his hand on the door, he said, to prevent her

from leaving so they could keep talking.

“She got afraid when I didn’t let her out and she started yelling, ‘He won’t let me out,’” Acosta said. “I got afraid also, because she’s a North American and I’m Mexican and I wasn’t supposed to be in the hotel.” He said he covered her mouth as she continued to yell for help. “Then I hit her four or five times in the face with my fist and then I left,” said Acosta, who swallowed nervously as he talked. Nabb’s husband was in their hotel room at the time of the attack and she was found lying in the elevator and bleeding heavily.

She was flown to Canada, and Canadian media have reported that she remains hospitalized with major

injuries to her face and jaw. “Yeah, I did it. I did, but it wasn’t planned or anything like that,” Acosta said in a soft voice. “I didn’t try to abuse her, or I didn’t try to kill her or anything or rob her.”

Acosta said police had shown him a security camera video of him leaving the elevator, but he denied it showed him kicking Nabb. He said that possibly he was using his foot to move her hand out of the door so it would close. Higuera has said Acosta had Nabb’s blood on his shoes when he was arrested.

“I’m sorry and I hope that she recovers,” Acosta said before being led away by police. “I’ve seen the papers.

Her face was bad.” — AP

Campaign heats again before Florida primary ‘Gingrich is the bold leader’

EAST HAVEN: In this Thursday Jan 26, 2012 photo, Mario Marin sits inside Guti’z Bakery in East Haven, Conn. Marin’s brother Moises Marin, was assaulted by East Haven Police Officer Dennis Spaulding while recording alleged profiling by police outside his restaurant in November 2008. — AP

US officer under sex probe shot by police SANTA MARIA: Police shot and killed a fellow officer when he fired his gun as they tried to take him into custody on suspicion of sexual misconduct with a teenage girl, authorities said. The officer was on duty at a DUI checkpoint early Saturday when the shooting occurred, Santa Maria police Chief Danny Macagni said Saturday. The four-year Santa Maria department veteran had just learned of the internal investigation of the alleged sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl.

“We had no choice,” Macagni said in video of a news conference posted by KCOY-TV. He said investigators had evidence “that demanded that we go out and take this officer off the street immediately.” Supervising officers were sent to make a felony arrest shortly after 1 am, but he struggled with them when they arrived, first putting up a physical fight, then firing his gun but hitting no one, Macagni said.

“He chose to resist, he drew his weapon, a fight ensued, he fired his weapon,” the chief said. Several officers came to help the police making the arrest, and one of them shot the suspected officer in the chest once, Macagni said. He was declared dead after emergency surgery at Marian Medical Center, Macagni said in a statement. Detectives had begun investigating the alleged relationship on Thursday night, and minutes

before the shooting had confirmed that an “inappropriate” and “very explicit” relationship had been going on, Macagni said.

He said he could not give details because of the sensitivity of the investigation, but “there was some witness intimidation involved” and the arrest couldn’t wait for a more proper time or place. “The information that we had in hand demanded that we not let him leave that scene, get in a car, drive somewhere, it would put the public at risk,” Macagni said at the news conference. “We just did not know what was going to happen, we did not expect him to react the way that he did.”

Macagni said police had expressed condolences to the officer’s family. The officer who fired the fatal shot, an eightyear depar tment veteran, has been placed on administrative leave, and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff ’s Depar tment was investigating the shooting, Macagni said. The name of the officer killed has not been released because some family members were still being notified, and the name of the officer who fired the shot was withheld while the incident was under investigation, police said. Santa Maria is a city of some 100,000 people about 60 miles northwest of Santa Barbara and 160 miles nor thwest of downtown Los Angeles. — AP

NEW YORK: Sens Charles Schumer of New York, left and Mark Pryor of Arkansas said yesterday that federal funding in a pending transportation funding bill be used for research and to train police in identifying drugged drivers, who don’t show the same outward signs of intoxication as drunken drivers do, such as slurred speech. — AP

WINTER PARK: With only two days left before a crucial Florida primary, US Republican presidential candidates square off on television talk shows yesterday, trying to secure support from key constituencies and filling the airwaves with hard-hitting campaign ads.

Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul scheduled TV appearances yesterday while frontrunner Mitt Romney tried to kill off top rival Gingrich’s campaign by unleashing a campaign ad state-wide. Romney-leading handily in the polls-sought to sweep away the largest obstacle to him winning the party nomination, hitting Gingrich over past ethics violations and dramatically calling into question his integrity.

After a feisty debate per formance on Thursday, Romney is in the ascendancy in Florida with just three days to go before Tuesday’s primary. According to poll averages, the former governor of Massachusetts and multimillionaire venture capitalist leads in the sprawling Sunshine state with 39 percent against 31 percent for Gingrich, the former House of Representatives speaker.

Former Pennsylvania senator Santorum and Texas congressman Paul trail the field with 11 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Time is running out for Gingrich to claw back some lost ground in a race that could prove pivotal in deciding who faces President Barack Obama in November.

If Gingrich loses in Florida his path to the nomination is far from clear. But his campaign got a boost late Saturday when he received an endorsement from a former rival for the nomination, pizza magnate Herman Cain. “It is time for conservatives and Republicans to refocus their attention on the ultimate mission of defeating President Obama,” Cain said, introducing Gingrich at a Republican dinner in West Palm Beach, Florida. “I believe Speaker Gingrich is the bold leader we need to accomplish this mission.”

Cain dropped out of the race in December, after several women accused him of improper sexual advances. Trying to rally support, Gingrich showcased his conservative credentials, arguing that only a true conservative like himself has a chance to beat Obama in November.

“We nominated a moderate in 96 and we lost,” he said campaigning in Orlando. “We nominated a moderate in 2008 and we lost. Only a solid conservative can debate Barack Obama and win.” But trying to seize on his rival’s precarious position, Romney’s ad uses television news footage from 1997 when Gingrich was reprimanded by a House ethics committee. It shows only iconic news anchor Tom Brokaw reporting that “by an overwhelming vote” Republicans and

FLORIDA: Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, center, arrives at Exciting Idlewild Baptist Church, yesterday, in Lutz, Florida. — AP Democrats in Congress had found Gingrich “guilty of ethics violations” and “raised serious questions about his future effectiveness.”

Gingrich was accused of dozens of violations, including a claim of tax-exempt status for his college course. However, NBC’s legal department asked the Romney campaign on Saturday to remove NBC News content from the ad. And Brokaw, in a statement, said he was “extremely uncomfortable with the extended use of my personal image in this political ad. I do not want my role as a journalist compromised for political gain by any campaign.”

A Romney campaign official refused to disclose the exact amount spent on the ad, but said “it’s running state-wide, it’s a heavy buy. It’s a heavy buy.” The Gingrich campaign described the ad as “another big lie” from Romney’s team.

“What the Romney campaign is hoping the American people don’t remember is that in 1999, the IRS cleared speaker Gingrich of the substance of the ethics committee investigation,” his campaign said.

The two men barnstormed Florida in the closing days of a bitter race for the biggest state yet in the Republican nominating contest. On Saturday, Romney sought to harden his conservative credentials by doling out a thumping to Obama in front of a Pensacola crowd peppered with military veterans, painting the president’s foreign policy as buckling to US enemies.

“He has the view that America is in decline

and that the best course for America is to appease and accommodate the worst actors in the world,” Romney said, seeking to convince those listening that he can be commander-inchief.

Flanked by Vietnam veterans and the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, John McCain, Romney vowed to increase the military by 100,000 — instead of the Obama administration’s proposal to cut it by that number to reduce costs after a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I will make sure that our military is so strong that no one in the world would think of testing it,” Romney said. Gingrich, meanwhile, released his own attack ad lambasting Romney’s suitability for high office. “What kind of man would mislead, distort and deceive just to win an election?” the ad’s narrator asked, alluding to Gingrich’s assertion that Romney wrongly smeared him during their latest debate.

Romney has touted his business experience as being better suited to the tasks of creating jobs and bringing strong growth to a lackluster US economy-and has poured scorn on Gingrich’s background as a Washington lawmaker.

But Romney’s own record in business has attracted challenges to his claim to have created more than 100,000 jobs, and he has been on the defensive over his immense wealth and low tax rates, revealed this week in the release of his 2010 tax return. — AFP

Man arrested in slayings of officer AIKEN: A 26-year-old man was arrested Saturday after police say he killed his girlfriend in Georgia, and then fatally shot a South Carolina police officer responding to a report of suspicious activity, authorities said.

Police in South Carolina said Joshua Tremaine Jones faces charges of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime in the death of Aiken police Master Cpl. Sandra Rogers. The South Carolina law Enforcement Division said officers were responding Saturday morning to a report of suspicious activity involving two cars, and that Rogers was shot after stopping one of the vehicles.

Jones was arrested hours later at a residence in Batesburg. Saturday evening, a visibly moved Aiken Public Safety director Charles Barranco told reporters that Rogers had died at an area hospital. The Aiken native had spent a nearly 28-year career with the department; she was 49.

In neighboring Georgia, The Augusta Chronicle reported that Jones also faces murder charges in the death of his girlfriend, 21-

year-old Cayce Vice. Police found her body in her apartment Saturday morning after she didn’t show up for work at a Five Guys restaurant and coworkers became concerned; she had been shot in the head.

Richmond County sheriff ’s Capt. Scott Peebles told the newspaper that the agency had obtained warrants for Jones for murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Peebles confirmed that Vice had sworn out a complaint against Jones for assault earlier this month.

A phone message left late Saturday for the Richmond County Sheriff ’s Office was not immediately returned. James Jones, the suspect’s father, told reporters that his son had past run-ins with the law and “was going through some mental problems.” Jones said his son had run away from home and moved in with Vice. He said his son is from North Augusta and briefly lived in Atlanta.

Jones said that when he returned from work Friday, his son had taken his blue BMW without permission and left. Jones said he and his other son drove around searching but

couldn’t locate him.

Jones said his heart goes out to the victim’ families, and that he’s devastated as a father. “I just went straight to God and said, ‘I cannot believe this.’ After all that I have taught him, I just never thought that my family would have to deal with something like this,” Jones said.

The Aiken public safety department issued a statement Saturday evening praising Rogers as “an invaluable street cop who exemplified the model of a Public Safety Officer,” according to WLTX-T V in Columbia, SC. “Master Corporal Rogers was a highly skilled investigator and senior patrol officer on her shift,” the statement said. “Please keep the Rogers family and Aiken Public Safety in your prayers as once again we deal with this tragic loss.”

Last month, hundreds of people gathered to mourn another Aiken police officer killed in the line of duty. Officer Scotty Richardson, 33, died in the early hours of Dec. 21 after being shot in the head during a traffic stop at an apartment complex the night before. Aiken is a city of 30,000 that’s located about 20 miles northwest of Augusta. — AP

27 killed in fire at Peru rehabilitation center LIMA: A fire swept through a two-story private rehabilitation center for addicts in a poor part of Peru’s capital Saturday, killing 27 people and critically injuring five as firefighters punched holes through walls to rescue residents locked inside.

The “Christ is Love” center for drug and alcohol addicts was unlicensed and overcrowded and its residents were apparently kept inside “like prisoners,” Health Minister Alberto Tejada told The Associated Press.

Authorities said 26 people died at the scene, and prosecutors spokesman Raul Sanchez said Saturday night that one of six men hospitalized in critical condition died later.

Peru’s fire chief, Antonio Zavala, said most of the victims died of asphyxiation.

All the victims appeared to be male. The local police chief, Clever Zegarra, said the cause of the 9 a.m. fire was under investigation. “There has been talk of the burning of an object, of a mattress, but also of a fight that resulted in a fire. All of this is speculation,” he told the AP. “I’ve been here at the scene from morning to evening but for the moment the exact cause of the fire is not known.”

One resident of the center on a narrow dead-end street in Lima’s teeming San Juan de Lurigancho district said he was eating breakfast on the second floor of the center when he saw flames coming from the first floor, where the blaze apparently began.

Gianfranco Huerta told local RPP news radio station that he leaped from a window

to safety. “The doors were locked; there was no way to get out,” he told the station.

AP journalists at scene said all the windows of the building they were able to see were barred. Journalists were not allowed inside as police cordoned off the block. By early afternoon, all the dead had been removed from the center.

Most of the bodies seen by reporters were shirtless, their faces blackened. Many were also shoeless. “This rehabilitation center wasn’t authorized. It was a house that they had taken over ... for patients with addictions and they had the habit of leaving people locked up with no medical supervision,” Tejada, the health minister, said.

Authorities said they did not know how

many people were inside the center at the time of the fire. They said they were looking for the center’s owners and staff, some of whom apparently fled the scene.

The local police chief, Zegarra, identified the owner as Raul Garcia. Zoila Chea, an aunt of one victim, said families paid Garcia $37 to treat an addicted relative and $15 a week thereafter. She said that neighbors had constantly complained about the center and that it had been closed twice by authorities.

Chea, 45, said relatives were prohibited from seeing interned patients during the first three months of treatment, which she added consisted mainly of reading the Bible. Her nephew, Luis Chea, was at the center for a month, she said. Zavala, the

national fire chief, said the blaze was of “Dantesque proportions.” Firefighters had to punch a hole through a wall with an adjoining building to help people trapped inside the rehabilitation center.

“We’ve had to use electric saws to cut through the metal bars of the doors to be able to work,” Zavala said. Relatives of residents of the center gathered near the building weeping and seeking word of their loved ones. As the day wore on, nearby sidewalks filled with relatives mourning and trying to console one another.

One of them was Maria Benitez, aunt of 18-year-old Carlos Benitez, who she said was being treated at the center. “I want to know if he is OK or not,” she told ATV television. — AP

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MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

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

China calls for calm after Philippine offer to US BEIJING: China yesterday called for greater efforts towards “peace and stability” in the region, after the Philippines offered to allow more US troops on its territory. Manila said Friday it planned to hold more joint exercises and to let more US troops rotate through the Southeast Asian country-an offer welcomed by the United States as it seeks to expand its military power in Asia.

“We hope that relevant parties will make more effort towards peace and sta-

bility in the region,” China’s foreign ministry said in a brief statement faxed to AFP. The government’s response was in sharp contrast to a blistering editorial in the Global Times-known for its nationalistic stance-which said Beijing should impose sanctions against the Philippines over the move.

China should use its “leverage to cut economic activities” between the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries and consider “cooling down”

business links with its smaller neighbour, according to the editorial published in the Chinese and English versions of the newspaper. “It should show China’s neighbouring areas that balancing China by siding with the US is not a good choice,” it said. “Well-measured sanctions against the Philippines will make it ponder the choice of losing a friend such as China and being a vain partner with the US.” China and the Philippines, along with Vietnam, have rival claims to parts of the

South China Sea, home to some of the world’s most important shipping lanes and believed to hold vast deposits of fossil fuels. Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia also have claims in the South China Sea. Manila and Hanoi complained repeatedly last year of what they said were increasingly aggressive acts by China in the decades-long rift. The alleged acts, which included a Chinese naval ship reportedly firing warning shots at Filipino fishermen, fuelled fears among some nations in the

region about China as its military and political strength grows.

The US has been looking to increase its military presence across Asia Pacific in a strategic shift that has angered China.

US President Barack Obama said in November the United States would deploy up to 2,500 Marines to northern Australia. The following month, a US admiral wrote that the US expected to station several combat ships in Singapore. —AFP

Thousands greet Suu Kyi on Myanmar campaign trail ‘You are our heart’ DAWEI: Huge crowds lined the streets to greet Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as she hit the campaign trail yesterday ahead of by-elections seen as a key test of the regime’s commitment to reform.

Tens of thousands flocked to hear the Nobel Peace Prize winner speak in the coastal district of Dawei, as she made her first political trip outside Yangon since declaring she would stand for office in the April 1 polls.

“If we move in the right direc-

last year following November 2010 elections that were marred by cheating and the absence of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

The regime has since surprised observers with a series of reforms, including dialogue with the opposition, welcoming the NLD back into the political mainstream and the release of hundreds of political prisoners.

Western nations are now considering easing sanctions, further raising hopes of an end to

times for Daw Suu to campaign for our region... She hasn’t been here for 23 years,” he told AFP. Daw is a term of respect in Myanmar.

Traffic clogged the roads in Dawei as local people thronged to get a glimpse of the NLD leader, who spent much of the past two decades in detention.

“You are our heart,” proclaimed banners held up in the crowds, with many people sporting NLD Tshirts and trying to give flowers and gifts to the opposition campaigner.

DAWEI: Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (C) waves to supporters as she leaves after addressing a gathering as part of her campaign trail on the outskirts of Myanmar’s southern city of Dawei yesterday. Huge crowds lined the streets to greet Suu Kyi as she hit the campaign trail yesterday ahead of by-elections seen as a key test of the regime’s commitment to reform. —AFP tion our country will have many opportunities. We are eager to seize them,” she told a jubilant crowd that filled the southern town soon after her arrival. Suu Kyi’s decision to stand for a seat in parliament is the latest sign of dramatic change sweeping through the country formerly known as Burma after the end of nearly half a century of outright military rule.

A new government dominated by former generals came to power

decades of isolation and poverty, but controversy surrounding the 2010 vote means the upcoming by-elections will be scrutinised by the international community.

The NLD is running for all 48 seats up for grabs in the polls and Suu Kyi is standing in a rural constituency near Yangon. Yesterday’s one-day visit was in support of the party’s candidate Aung Soe, who is standing in a local township.

“We have requested many

“For the security of the people, the rule of law is very important,” she said, urging people to vote for the NLD. “We hope to give back to the people by working for more stability in people’s lives.”

Suu Kyi’s convoy was trailed by a large number of cars and motorbikes as she travelled out of Dawei town through a series of villages, where she was cheered by hundreds of enthusiastic locals and schoolchildren in uniform.

At Aung Soe’s constituency the 66-year-old Suu Kyi, known here as “The Lady”, was met by many more supporters, with crowds reminiscent of the night she was released from seven years of house arrest days after the 2010 election.

Suu Kyi’s outing takes her to the area where a huge industrial site, the Dawei Development Project, is set to transform a sleepy strip of coastline with a strategic deep sea port.

The Thai-led, multi-billion-dollar development has sparked fears of a potential influx of “dirty” industry and the displacement of thousands of people.

But in another sign of burgeoning reform, Myanmar’s government cancelled a proposed coalfired power plant at the site this month citing “environmental problems”.

The April polls are to fill places vacated by those elected in 2010 who have since become ministers and deputy ministers in the government.

Although the seats available are not enough to threaten the resounding majority held by the army-backed ruling party, Suu Kyi’s participation will be a boost to the legislature’s credibility.

Her first political trip since her release was last year to the Bago region north of Yangon, which passed off peacefully.

Security had been a concern as Suu Kyi’s convoy was attacked in 2003, in an ambush apparently organised by a junta frightened by her popularity.

The NLD won an election in 1990 by a landslide while Suu Kyi remained under house arrest, but the ruling generals ignored the result.

The party was stripped of its status as a legal political party after boycotting the 2010 elections, saying the rules were unfair. —AFP

Pakistan’s PM reassures political crisis has eased ISLAMABAD: A political crisis in the past three months that has seen the worst tension between Pakistan’s government and military since a coup in 1999 appears to have eased-for now-with an delicate balance of power re-established, observers said.

The latest sign of a thaw was in snowy Davos, Switzerland, where Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani again backed away from critical remarks earlier this month that the military had acted “unconstitutionally” by supporting a top court-led investigation into a mysterious memo.

“There is no intention of the military to have a coup in the country because they also want stability in the country,” Gilani told reporters in Davos on Saturday . “They want democracy in the countr y and they want to strengthen the country.”

Since October, Pakistan has been roiled by a scandal that has, at times, taken bizarre turns. It involves an American businessman of Pakistani descent delivering an unsigned memo to the Pentagon asking for U.S. help in reining in a military humiliated and angry over the May 2, 2011 commando raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Gilani had criticised the army chief General Ashfaq Kayani and director-general of the military’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency Lieutenant-General Ahmed Shuja Pasha in January for filing responses in a Supreme Court investigation into the origins of the memo.

In an interview with Chinese media, Gilani had said the filings were “unconstitutional,” infuriating the military’s high command which responded with a stern press release, warning of “very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country.”

But the standoff that had sparked talk of a coup in the nuclear-armed nation grappling with the fallout from the US-led war in neighboring Afghanistan and a weak economy appears to have ended, for now, a senior US official said.

“Things have calmed down in the last week or so,” the official said. “But this is Pakistan. Any of the players could do something unexpected.”

The United States wants smooth ties between civilian and military leaders so that nuclear-armed Pakistan can help efforts to stabilise neighbouring Afghanistan, a top priority for President Barack Obama. In the middle of all this, the Supreme Court is pushing for old corruption cases to be re-opened against President Asif Ali Zardari, and has threatened Gilani with contempt of court if he doesn’t do so. The government and Gilani maintain that Zardari has immunity as head of state. —Reuters

MANILA: Devotees perform dragon dance during a procession of images of the Child Jesus in celebration of feast day yesterday in Manila, Philippines.

Hundreds of elaborately-dressed images of the Child Jesus are paraded every last Sunday of January for the celebration. —AP

Indonesian Christians protest over intimidation JAKARTA: Indonesian Christians held a prayer vigil in Jakarta yesterday urging President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to re-open their church and stop intimidation

by Muslim hardliners.

About 200 people, mostly members of the Taman Yasmin Indonesian Christian Church, prayed and sang hymns outside the state palace. “We hope the president will protect us from harassment by radical groups and re-open the church which is legally ours so we can conduct worship,” the group’s spokeswoman Dwiati Novita Rini told AFP. The Christians have been forced to hold services on the pavement outside their church in Bogor city, south of Jakarta, after its permit was revoked in 2008, Rini said.

“But the Supreme Court overturned the decision in December 2010 and ordered for the church to be re-opened. The Bogor city administration however refused to comply,” she added.

The congregation has since moved their weekly service to a house near a church but faced intimidation and verbal abuse from Muslim hardliners, Rini said. “A few dozen would harass us every weekend. But last Sunday, hundreds intimidated us with sticks and rocks and shouted at us to leave,” she added.

Although the constitution explicitly guarantees freedom of religion and the country of some 240 million people, laws make it difficult for faiths other than Islam to establish houses of worship. —AFP

AMRITSAR: Indian election officials carry Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) from a distribution centre in Amritsar yesterday, on the eve of the state’s assembly polls. State assembly elections are scheduled in five Indian states. — AFP

Punjab, bread basket of India, hungers for change LUDHIANA: Punjab made Sunil Jain’s family rich, but now he wishes he could afford to leave. Almost every day, the lights go out and machines shut down at the two factories of his $3-million-a-year packaging business in the northern India state. When the power goes out, the plants have to use generators, at up to three times the cost.

Profits at Oswal Polypack shrink every year, says Jain, a 49-year-old with a penchant for fat gold jewellery and chewing tobacco. The state government seems not to care and has even raised taxes on the raw materials he needs. “How can we survive?” Jain said from his factory office in an industrial park in the city of Ludhiana whose roads are dotted with potholes.

“How can industry remain here, when there is no power, when you face labour shortages?” he said. “The government has been promising power for the past five years, but what we have got instead is power cuts of up to 12 hours a day.”

While much of India has galloped ahead in recent years on the back of a reform drive that began two decades ago, Punjab has somehow been left straggling behind. The Congress party, which leads the federal government, has leapt on that lag to woo Punjab’s voters for a return to power in the state of 27 million people in elections there on Jan. 30.

Firms like Sunil Jain’s are moving to neighbouring states where land is cheaper and labour is more readily available, he says. Another gripe is that states such as Himachal Pradesh next door have been granted long tax holidays as part of a federal assistance programme, putting Punjabi firms at a disadvantage.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Punjab was a rare Indian success story. A star of former prime minister Indira Gandhi’s Green Revolution - a massive farm programme credited with ending famine in the country - Punjab drove growth at a time when India was throttled by the “Licence Raj”, an all-pervading system of permits and quotas.

But after reforms in 1991 unleashed a boom in Asia’s third-largest economy, Punjab was unable to capitalise. Its economy grew at an average annual rate of 6.6 percent over the past decade against a national average of about 8 percent.

High-flyers such as Gujarat and Maharashtra grew at about 10 percent.

The state government’s focus on farming may have earned Punjab the label the “bread basket of India”, but it has stifled the growth of manufacturing industries that the state needs to catch up with the strongest performers.

Farmers sitting on some of India’s most fertile land - Punjab means “the land of five rivers” - are reluctant to sell their fields to make way for industry, and politicians are wary of upsetting the state’s most powerful vote bank.

Slowing growth, a ballooning subsidy bill for power and food staples, and ineffective tax collection have plunged Punjab into debt, forcing the government to sell off state property.

“The crisis in Punjab is very deep,” said Sanjay Sharma, the regional bureau chief for the Times of India newspaper. Since the early 1990s, successive state governments had failed to grasp the importance of industrialisation, he said.

“Somehow there was an impression with the rulers here that Punjab is a surplus agriculture state, and that it can survive on this model. They didn’t try new things.” Punjab offers a snapshot of the ills that are putting the brakes on India’s economic expansion, from chronic power shortages to tussles between industry and farmers over land and policy decisions held hostage by political

compulsions.

After two decades of rapid economic growth, India has struggled to develop a manufacturing base to match its worldrenowned IT and services companies.

Tucked on India’s northwest border with Pakistan, hundreds of miles from a port, Punjab has been especially poor at attracting big-ticket foreign direct investment (FDI).

“This is one region that has been just bypassed by FDI,” said Sucha Singh Gill, head of the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) in the state capital, Chandigarh. Punjab used to enjoy the highest per-capita income in the country. It has now slipped to eighth place, and many trace the origins of that decline to the Sikh separatist militancy that killed thousands of people in the 1980s, including Indira Gandhi who was assassinated by two Sikh bodyguards in 1984.

Grappling with the threat of bomb blasts and massacres, Gill said, Punjab’s government diverted investment from new infrastructure, schools and research and development to beefing up its security. Companies such as SEL Manufacturing Company Limited , a textile exporter of the sort that once propelled Punjab’s boom, are investing elsewhere. It is setting up a $385 million plant in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, where land costs a tenth of the price, CEO V.K. Goyal told Reuters.

“I 100 percent agree that there has been a flight of industry from the state, and we are facing a very severe situation at present,” said Harcharan Bains, a spokesman for the state’s ruling party, the Shiromani Akali Dal. “But the reason why they have left is that states neighbouring to us have been given concessions by the government of India,” he said. “We are asking the central government to stop this or give the same incentives to our state.”

In Moga, it is rally day. Thousands of farmers wearing Sikh turbans of various hues have gathered to see Sonia Gandhi, the Congress party leader and India’s most powerful politician. But fog has delayed “madam” at a nearby airport.

Braving the January chill and drizzle, Amarinder Singh, the party’s candidate for chief minister, tries to excite the crowd, helped by a folk crooner singing lyrics such as “there is no power supply, but people face a lot of corruption”.

The crowd’s clapping and sloganchanting is sporadic. Talk of free hospitals and tackling police graft gets the biggest cheers, but Singh’s assertion that 900 industries have left Punjab on the incumbent government’s watch is heard in silence.

Reforming Punjab has always been a tough sell. Manpreet Singh Badal, the nephew of the state’s octogenarian chief minister, resigned as finance minister last year in a row over slashing subsidies and cutting the state’s debt.

Moga is a farming town where food giant Nestle India Ltd set up a dairy plant in the early 1960s that became a poster child for India’s agricultural leap.

But now, even Punjab’s farming sector is struggling. Cheap power for wells is sucking the state’s water table dry, while crops are drenched in pesticides that are widely blamed for a spike in cancer cases in the region.

The state has a peak-hour power shortage of nearly 30 percent, but ending a policy of free power to farmers could spell disaster for any political party that tries it.

“You need a lot of guts to pull Punjab out of the crisis,” said the Times of India’s Sanjay Sharma. —AP

NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

CAIRO: An Egyptian man passes by graffiti that reads in Arabic, ‘I wish to be a martyr, what do you wish for?’ near a protest camp in Tahrir Square yesterday. Other pictures show graffiti and murals across Cairo. — AP photos

Egyptians try to reclaim streets through graffiti CAIRO: The conflict between Egypt’s ruling military and pro-democracy protesters isn’t just on the streets of Cairo, it’s on the walls as well, as graffiti artists from each side duel it out with spray paint and stencils. Earlier this month, supporters of the ruling generals painted over part of the largest and most famous antimilitary graffiti pieces in the capital. The military’s supporters then made a 15-minute video using footage posted by two young men stenciling pro-revolution graffiti and wearing Guy Fawkes masks, the grinning face made famous by the movie “V for Vendetta”. In an attempt mock the revolutionar y street art, the military supporters declared in their video, “The police, military and people are one hand,” and, “The military is a red line.”

They posted the video online, calling themselves the “Badr Battalion” and describing themselves as “distinguished Egyptian youth who are against the spies and traitors that burn Egypt”. It was an ironic turnabout, with backers of the authorities picking up the renegade street art medium of revolutionary youth. During the regime of Hosni Mubarak, Egypt had almost no graffiti on the walls of its cities. But when the uprising against Mubarak’s rule erupted a year ago, there was an explosion of the art. Taking control of the streets was critical for the thousands of Egyptians who eventually overthrew the country’s authoritarian leader. The battle continues to be fought by graffiti artists who support the

country’s military rulers and those who want them to relinquish power.

Since Mubarak’s fall on Feb 11, graffiti is everywhere in Cairo and other cities, proclaiming the goals of the revolution and mocking the regime. Graffiti artists have continued to work, using walls, buildings, bridges and sidewalks as a canvas to denounce the generals who took power after Mubarak as new dictators and to press the revolution’s demands. Usually anti-military graffiti has a short lifetime before it is quickly painted over or defaced with black spray paint. And just as quickly the artists put up more.

The graffito that pro-military supporters painted over had survived remarkably long. Mohamed Fahmy, known by his pseudonym Ganzeer, put it up in May under a bridge. It depicts a military tank with its turret aimed at a boy on his bike who balances on his head one of the wooden racks that are traditionally used to deliver bread - though instead of bread, he’s carrying a city. It was a symbolic reference to revolutionary youth who care for the nation, heading into a collision with the generals. Quickly after it was partially stenciled over, a new graffiti was up, depicting the country’s military leader as a large snake with a bloody corpse coming out of his mouth.

Graffiti has turned into perhaps the most fertile artistic expression of Egypt’s uprising, shifting rapidly to

Sarkozy hits primetime PARIS: President Nicolas Sarkozy is blanketing France’s top T V news shows in a prime-time interview as polls show him trailing the Socialist nominee before this spring’s presidential election. Two days after he jolted NATO by announcing France will speed up its exit from Afghanistan, Sarkozy was expected to focus yesterday on issues of jobs, taxes and state debt, which worry most French. Most polls show Socialist Francois Hollande leading the conservative incumbent ahead of the election, whose two rounds are set for April 22 and May 6.

Sarkozy hasn’t formally announced whether he will run.

Much of the guessing game has been about when, not if, he will. But in the meantime, Hollande has been mak-

ing his case hard on the airwaves.

Sarkozy’s office had scheduled the TV appearance so he could explain measures planned after a crisis meeting with top labor and business leaders in mid-January - days after many French were jolted by Standard & Poor’s downgrade of France’s sovereign debt rating by a notch from AAA to AA+.

After that meeting, Sarkozy announced a Ä430 million ($550 million) plan to drive down unemployment and restart growth, including training for the jobless and new incentives to hire young people. One of the main questions was whether Sarkozy would announce a hike in the value-added tax, already at 19.6 percent - with revenues aimed to let the state take over payment of some

worker benefits now paid for by employers. Such a measure would aim to lower France’s relatively high labor costs, make French products more competitive and encourage employers to hire - helping to reduce France’s near-10 percent jobless rate.

Marine Le Pen, the sharp-tongued candidate of the far-right National Front party, all but accused Sarkozy of being a washout - and suggested the TV appearance wouldn’t stanch his decline. “He sure needs it,” she told a party rally in the southern city of Perpignan. “The only problem with Nicolas Sarkozy’s shows is that they’re like diets: Each attempt works less well than the previous one. I fear the French have already wished Nicolas Sarkozy a happy retirement,” she added. — AP

keep up with events. Faces of protesters killed or arrested in crackdowns are common subjects ‚Ä” and as soon as a new one falls, his face is ubiquitous nearly the next day. The face of Khaled Said, a young man whose beating death at the hands of police officers in 2010 helped fuel the anti-Mubarak uprising, even appeared briefly on the walls of the Interior Ministry, the daunting security headquarters that few would dare even approach in the past. Other pieces mock members of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the council of generals that is now in power, or figures from Mubarak’s regime.

When a police officer was captured on an Internet video shooting at the eyes of protesters during clashes, his image immediately dotted walls, urging people to find the “Eye-Sniper”.

State television is another frequent target because it has become the mouthpiece for the military’s proclamations that protesters are vandals, thugs and part of a plot to throw Egypt into chaos. One graffito shows the word “Occupy” written in the shape of the State TV building. Stickers plastered on walls show the words “Go down to the street” emerging from a television set, a message to the so-called “Couch Party,” people who sit and watch the protests on TV. “It’s about a message in the street. It reaches the poor, the rich, the trash collector, the taxi driver,” graffiti artist Karim Gouda said. “Most of these people are away from the Internet and the

social networking world so it’s a way to reach them.”

Not everyone is receptive. Gouda said he was accosted by residents as he put up posters depicting a rotting face with the words “open your eyes before it’s too late” in the impoverished Cairo district of Sayeda Zeinab.

They accused him of trying to create civil strife and of trying to encourage Egypt’s Christian minority to take over from the Muslim majority. Such accusations about activists were rife at the time after an October protest

by Christians in Cairo, which was crushed by soldiers, killing more than 20. The residents tore down Gouda’s posters and chased him out of the neighborhood.

Under Mubarak’s nearly 30-year rule, political expression on the streets was repressed by his powerful police forces. Once every five years, parliamentary elections would see the country littered with posters for elections that always favored the ruling party.

Billboards advertising a lifestyle that only a privileged few could afford for companies whose owners were often closely affiliated with the regime towered over the sprawling slums of Cairo, a bustling city of some 18 million people. “It’s liberating to see,” blogger Soraya Morayef said of the proliferation of street art. Morayef, who has dedicated her blog Suzeeinthecity to documenting graffiti artists’ work, said the street art reflects what happened in the whole country. “The fear barrier was broken,” she said. — AP

Road to Assembly III Continued from Page 1 mix of liberal and Islamist tendencies but with a key presence of strong contingents of Shiite and tribal voters who in some cases can tilt the balance.

Nine members of the dissolved National Assembly are bidding for re-election after Adel Al-Saraawi dropped out without giving reasons. This is in addition to three former MPs from previous assemblies - Bader Al-Jeean, Jamal AlOmar and Ali Al-Khalaf. The district has the largest number of women candidates after two women won seats in the previous election for the first time ever from this constituency.

The main Islamic groupings - the Islamic Constitutional Movement, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Islamic Salaf Alliance - have fielded a candidate each but are both supporting others. It also has the two most prominent Islamist candidates - Faisal Al-Mislem and Waleed Al-Tabtabaei, members of the Reform and Development Bloc in parliament. The liberal Kuwait Democratic Forum is

fielding two candidates - former MP Saleh Al-Mulla and Mohammad Bushehri - and is backing at least one more former MP Aseel Al-Awadhi.

There are nine candidates from liberal, Islamist and national opposition groups and the opposition hopes that all of them will win. The constituency was however taken by surprise when pro-government writer Nabeel Al-Fadl and tribal critic Mohammad Al-Juwaihel announced their candidacies. They appear to have formed an alliance among themselves along with female candidate Safa Al-Hashem.

Unofficial polls have shown that the trio, Fadl, Juwaihel and Hashem, are among the 10 winners in the constituency, a fact that has strongly shaken the opposition ranks. Fadl, a columnist with Al-Watan, has been a regular strong critic of the opposition, especially Saadoun and prominent opposition lawmaker Musallam Al-Barrak, whereas Juwaihel was repeatedly taken to court on charges of insulting Kuwaiti bedouin tribes. One of the most promising developments in the constituency is that youth activist candidate Faisal AlYahya is seen winning by pollsters.

Second front for Afghan peace talks...

Continued from Page 1 The president was wary over being sidelined in the Qatar talks, leading Washington to dispatch special envoy Marc Grossman to Kabul last week to assure him of a central role for his government in any major negotiations. And in another effort to soothe Karzai’s doubts, a delegation from the Qatar government is expected to visit Kabul to explain its role in the talks, High Peace Council secretary Aminundin Muzaffari told AFP. Preliminary negotiations between the US and the Taleban are already under way in the Gulf state, a former Taleban official who is now a member of the Afghan government appointed High Peace Council said yesterday. “The actual peace talks have not yet begun - they are in the process of trust-building and obviously this will take some time,” Mawlavi Qalamuddin, who once led the Taleban’s feared religious police when the

hardline Islamists were in power, told AFP. One of the trustbuilding measures demanded by the Taleban is the release of five of its members from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, while Washington wants the insurgents to renounce violence.

Qalamuddin said the delegation already in Qatar included Mohammad Tayeb Agha, a close ally and secretary of Taleban leader Mullah Omar, and Shahabuddin Delawar, the Taleban’s former ambassador to Riyadh. With them were Sher Mohammad Abaas Stanikzai, former deputy foreign minister in the Taleban government, and Aziz-Ul Rahman, a former Taleban diplomat in Dubai, said Qalamuddin. “At the moment the delegation is holding preliminary talks. It’s in its very early phases. You need to build some trust before starting talks.”

Qalamuddin said the Taleban delegation “obviously” went to Qatar from Pakistan, indicating that Afghanistan’s southern neighbor - accused by Kabul of blocking past attempts at peace talks - could be getting on board. — AFP

KUWAIT: A helicopter hovers during a flag-hoisting ceremony by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at Bayan Palace yesterday.

—Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

14

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

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Issues

‘Perfect storm’ feared despite official optimism

By Chris Otton espite attempts by political and business leaders to suggest the eurozone has turned a corner, the prevailing view of pundits is things can only get worse and a “perfect storm” is brewing.

The five-day Davos forum which ended yesterday, was dominated by the sovereign debt crisis in the single currency zone and was held against a backdrop of frantic negotiations on a write-down deal between Greece and its creditors. Some of the players most closely involved with the crisis since the 2008 financial meltdown insisted there was now light at end the tunnel with European Central Bank president Mario Draghi hailing “outstanding progress”. “Outlook Less Bleak From Alpine Retreat” was the assessment on the news pages of the Financial Times, suggesting the cool mountain air and pristine snow had raised the spirits of leaders more used to Brussels summits. But, in an end of forum debate, experts predicted the break-up of the eurozone, economic malaise in the United States and a rise of militancy - and then there are the consequences of a conflict over Iran’s nuclear program.

Nouriel Roubini, professor of economics at New York University, said the world might just about muddle through in 2012 but not much longer. “2013 could be a perfect storm where you have a full eurozone crisis, where the fiscal problems of the United States come to a head and ... there is an investment bust and you have a hard landing in China as well,” he said. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman had a similarly bleak forecast. “I feel we will be back here next year and the hole will be that much deeper,” he said.

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt was among those who argued at Davos that globalisation had been a huge force for good, raising two billion people out of poverty. But Friedman said the growing inter-connectivity meant the woes felt in one corner of the world impacted on everyone. “If the world were a table with four legs - the American economy, the European Union, the Arab world and China/India - what strikes me right now is that all four legs are really shaking and they have never before been more interconnnected and interdependent,” he said.

European leaders such as Germany’s Angela Merkel and Denmark’s Helle Thorning-Schmidt were among those who argued the eurozone crisis meant more integration was needed on the continent. But Gideon Rachmann of the Financial Times warned of a potential backlash against the European Union and a rise of extremist parties as a consequence. He raised the possibility that far-right wing leader Marine Le Pen could beat incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in the first round of France’s presidential election in March. “You will see a radicalisation in politics,” he said. “The potential for the unravelling, not just of the euro but the political structures which underpin the European Union, is really quite real.”

Roubini said it was only a matter of time before the 17-nation eurozone started breaking up, warning starkly: “The eurozone is a slow motion train wreck. Not only Greece but other countries are insolvent. “Probably not all members of the eurozone will be able to stay in the eurozone ... Greece (will exit) in the next 12 months, Portugal might take longer.”

Perhaps second only to the eurozone, the issue that most exercised minds here was the possibility of Iran acquiring the nuclear bomb. Friedman said Israel was “keeping its options open” as its leaders regarded a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat to the Jewish state.

He said the US government had made clear to Israel it did not want to see it launch any attacks on Iran as “the consequences could be so unpredictable”. “The deepest, deepest American fear is that Israel would start a war with Iran that America could be forced to finish,” he said. And Roubini said a war with Iran would have devastating consequences for the world economy. “Oil prices would spike at least 50 percent and you would have a global recession,” he said. “If we decide we are going to attack Iran let’s think about the consequences.” — AFP

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

Russia backs last friend in Arab world

By Vladimir Isachenkov ussia’s defiance of international efforts to end Syrian President Bashar Assad’s crackdown on protests is rooted in a calculation that it can keep a Mideast presence by propping up its last remaining ally in the region - and has nothing to lose if it fails. The Kremlin has put itself in conflict with the West as it shields Assad’s regime from United Nations sanctions and continues to provide it with weapons even as others impose arms embargoes. But Moscow’s relations with Washington are already strained amid controversy over US missile defense plans and other disputes. And Prime Minister Vladimir Putin seems eager to defy the US as he campaigns to reclaim the presidency in March elections.

“It would make no sense for Russia to drop its support for Assad,” said Ruslan Pukhov, head of the independent Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies.

“He is Russia’s last remaining ally in the Middle East, allowing it to preserve some influence in the region.” Moscow may also hope that Assad can hang on to power with its help and repay Moscow with more weapons contracts and other lucrative deals. And observers note that even as it has nothing to lose from backing Assad, it has nothing to gain from switching course and supporting the opposition.

“Russia has crossed the Rubicon,” said Igor Korotchenko, head of the Center for Analysis of Global Weapons Trade. He said Russia will always be marked as the patron of the Assad regime regardless of the conflict’s outcome, so there’s little incentive to build bridges with the protesters. The U.N.

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estimates that more than 5,400 people have been killed since the uprising began in March. “Russia will be seen as the dictator’s ally. If Assad’s regime is driven from power, it will mean an end to Russia’s presence,” said Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of the magazine Russia in Global Affairs.

Syria has been Moscow’s top ally in the Middle East since Soviet times, when it was led by the incumbent’s father, Hafez Assad.

The Kremlin saw it as a bulwark for countering US influence in the region and heavily armed Syria against Israel. While Russia’s relations with Israel have improved greatly since the Soviet collapse, ties with Damascus helped Russia retain its clout as a member of the Quartet of international mediators tr ying to negotiate peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

After Bashar Assad succeeded his father in 2000, Russia sought to boost ties by agreeing to annul 73 percent of Syria’s Soviet-era debt. In the mid-2000s, Putin said Russia would re-establish its place in the Mideast via “the Syria route”. Syria’s port of Tartus is now the only naval base Russia has outside the former Soviet Union. A Russian navy squadron made a call there this month in what was seen by many as a show of support for Assad. For decades, Syria has been a major customer for the Russian arms industries, buying billions of dollars’ worth of combat jets, missiles, tanks and other heavy weapons. And unlike some other nations, such as Venezuela, which obtained Russian weapons on Kremlin loans, Assad’s regime paid cash. The respected newspaper Kommersant reported this week that Syria has ordered 36 Yak-130 combat jets worth $550 million. The deal, which officials

wouldn’t confirm or deny, may signal preparations for even bigger purchases of combat planes. Korotchenko said Syria needs the jets to train its pilots to fly the advanced MiG-29M or MiG-35 fighter jets it wants to purchase: “It’s a precursor of future deals.” Korotchenko said Syria’s impor tance as a leading impor ter of Russian weapons in the region grew after the loss of the lucrative Iraqi and Libyan markets.

Russia, whose abstention in a UN vote cleared the way for military intervention in Libya, later voiced frustration with what it described as a disproportional use of force

by NATO. The Kremlin has vowed not to allow a replay of the Libyan strategy in Syria, warning that it would block any UN resolution on Syria lacking a clear ban on any foreign military interference. Moscow accuses the West of turning a blind eye to shipments of weapons to the Syrian opposition and warns it won’t be bound by Western sanctions.

Earlier this month, a Syria-bound Russian ship allegedly carrying tons of munitions was stopped by officials in Cyprus, an EU member, who said it was violating an EU arms embargo. The ship’s captain promised to head to Turkey but then made a dash to Syria. Asked about the ship, Russia’s foreign minister bluntly responded that Moscow owes neither explanation nor apology to anyone because it has broken no international rules. Nonetheless, Moscow has shown restraint in its arms trade with Damascus, avoiding the sales of weapons that could significantly tilt the military balance in the region.

In one example, the Kremlin has turned down Damascus’ requests for truck-mount-

ed Iskander missiles that can hit ground targets 280 km away with deadly precision.

While the sale of such missiles wouldn’t be banned under any international agreements, Moscow has apparently heeded strong US and Israeli objections to such a deal. Moscow also has stonewalled Damascus’ request for the advanced S-300 air defense missile system, only agreeing to sell short-range ground-to-air missiles.”

Russia has taken a very careful and cautious stance on contracts with Syria,” Korotchenko said.

The most powerful Russian weapon reportedly delivered to Syria is the Bastion anti-ship missile complex intended to protect its coast. The Bastion is armed with supersonic Yakhont cruise missiles that can sink any warship at a range of 300 km and are extremely difficult to intercept, providing a strong deterrent against any attack from the sea. Observers in Moscow said that Russia can do little else to help Assad.

The chief of the Russian upper house’s foreign affairs committee, Mikhail Margelov, openly acknowledged that this week, saying that Russia has “exhausted its arsenal” of means to support Syria by protecting it from the UN sanctions.

Lukyanov said Russia has made it clear it would block any attempts to give UN cover to any foreign military intervention in Syria, but wouldn’t be able to prevent Syria’s neighbors from mounting such action.

“Russia realizes that it has limited opportunities and can’t play a decisive role,” he said.

Pukhov also predicted that Russia wouldn’t take any stronger moves in support for Damascus. “Going further would mean an open confrontation with the West, and Russia doesn’t need that,” he said. —AP

Khaled Meshaal’s next career move

By Mohammed Najib he announcement by Khaled Meshaal, that he plans to quit his job as the powerful chief of Hamas’ political bureau has led to a flurry of speculation about why he acting? Whether the promise to step down if for real? If so, who will replace him? Meshaal made known his plans to Hamas’ Shura Council in a secret meeting in Sudan in late December. Meshaal, who has headed the political bureau chief for two terms, has plenty of time to reverse himself.

Elections are expected to take place in May. One source said that Meshaal would be careful not to severe all his ties with the movement. Even if he quits the Shura Council, he is going to stay at the general council, a Hamas source in Gaza told The Media Line.

Meshaal’s move comes at a crossroads for the Palestinian Islamist movement. The Arab Spring has shaken up the old Arab order in which Hamas stood squarely in the Iranian-Syrian axis and advocated the so-called armed resistance against Israel. But Syria is in trouble, Meshaal has been forced to flee his Damascus headquarters and Iran is angry at Hamas for failing to back Al-Assad. Meanwhile, Hamas’ bitter enemy in Egypt, President Husni Mubarak, is out of power and facing trial while a new government controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist parties is coming to power. Turkey, which once stood aloof of the Arab world, is positioning itself to be a big player with Hamas at its side. On Sunday, the Ha’aretz daily reported that Ankara is ready to provide the $300 million in aid to the Gaza-based movement in place of Iran.

Inside Hamas itself, a huge ideological debate is raging over whether the organization should forswear violence.

Meshaal, long seen as heading the more extremist end of the Hamas leadership, has reportedly been pushing for a more moderate stance, to the chagrin of Hamas Prime Minister Ismael Haniya. Although he has spent nearly his entire life abroad, Meshaal has been the dominant figure in Hamas. Age 55, he gained notoriety as the target of a botched assassination attempt by Israel in 1997. He was expelled from Jordan two years later and made Damascus his home base, thereby putting Hamas on the roads to an alliance with Iran and Syria. He took the reins of the movement when Israel killed founder and spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, in March 2004.

Among the various careers moves Meshaal could make, the most likely one both Palestinian security sources and

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political analysts say, is to head up a newly established Palestinian branch of Muslim Brotherhood. That would not be a great ideological leap for Meshaal, since Hamas’ origins can be traced to the Egyptian Brotherhood. But it could put him instantly at the top of a powerful organization with powerful friends - all at Hamas’ expense. Right now, the Palestinian Brothers are divided into two groups a West Bank branch that is part of the Jordanian Brotherhood and a Gaza branched linked to the mother organization in Egypt. A Palestinian Brotherhood stands a chance of winning the international legitimacy that Hamas - with its lengthy record of terrorism and links to Iran - can never hope for, said a Palestinian security source.

“Meshaal sees that the US is ready to cooperate with the Muslim Brotherhood in Tunisia and Egypt, while it considers Hamas as a terroristic organization. He may be thinking

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal is seen during a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Qatar’s Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani at the Royal Palace in Amman yesterday. —AP that this is a smart move to get recognition for Hamas by the US and the world,” the security source in Ramallah told The Media Line. The source, echoing what many other Palestinian observers believe, contends that the Egyptian Brotherhood organization has promised the United States

it will team up with Hamas as a condition to accepting their ruling Egypt. “If that’s true, then who else than Meshaal could maintain such guarantees given by the Muslim Brotherhood to the US?” wondered the official.

Palestinian security sources in Ramallah said they believe Meshaal has not made a final decision and that Hamas will do everything it can to keep him in the fold because he is so critical to the organization. A senior delegation of Hamas’ military wing was dispatched to Cairo on 26 January to convince Meshaal to stay on. This delegation included Ahmed Ja’aberi the commander of the Izz Eddin Al-Qassam military wing, and Yahiya Sinwar, who was freed recently as part of the swap for Israel’s POW Gilad Shalit.

“It’s difficult for anyone inside Hamas to unify the movement in exile, in Gaza and the West Bank as he does, not to mention his good contacts with Arab, European and US personalities and officials,” said the source who spoke to The Media Line on condition of anonymity.

A Hamas security source in Gaza who worked with Meshaal in Syria for three years told The Media Line that Meshaal has opened communications channels for the movement that nobody can match. “He easily pick up the phone and call any Arab president and speak to him,” said the source. Meshaal’s powerful regional role was demonstrated when he was tasked by the Arab League with conveying messages to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad calling on him for an immediate stop of the brutal killing of his civilians. If Meshaal finally decides to leave Hamas, the two strongest candidates to succeed him are his deputy, Moussa Abu Marzouk, and the prime minister, Hanieh. Last month, the latter went on his first trip outside of Gaza in five years with stops in Sudan, Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia and plans another trip this week to Iran and Kuwait, all aimed at sprucing up his international credentials.

Fatah security sources who spoke to The Media Line on condition of anonymity, claim that Meshaal asked Qatar and Bahrain not to receive his rival. Meshaal, meanwhile, was carrying out a high-profile visit to Jordan yesterday accompanied by the Qatari Deputy Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad.

Meshaal is seeking to improve relations with the Hashemite kingdom, which once hosted him. With the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood at the head of a powerful and increasingly daring opposition, Jordan’s King Abdullah will be seeking Meshaal’s help. A far cry from when the young king ousted him for “illicit and harmful” activities aimed at disrupting the peace treaty with Israel. — Media Line

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

sp orts

NHL labor war looms NEW YORK: The fun and games of the National Hockey League’s AllStar weekend turned serious on Saturday as league commissioner Gary Bettman and player’s union chief Donald Fehr danced around questions about a looming labor war.

With the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) set to expire on Sept. 15, NHL owners and the players association (NHLPA) have been quietly preparing the framework for negotiations that could prove as contentious as those that wiped out the entire 2004-05 season. Following a board of governors meeting on Saturday, Bettman said, there was no set date for negotiations to commence but talks are expected to begin in the days following Sunday’s All Star game.

“My hope is that we can reason together and that collective bargaining will be painless and quiet and quick,” Bettman told reporters following the board meeting. “That would serve everyone’s best interest.” — Reuters

NBA results/standings NBA results and standings on Saturday.

Washington 102, Charlotte 99; Philadelphia 95, Detroit 74; Houston 97, NY Knicks 84; Milwaukee 100, LA Lakers 89; Utah 96, Sacramento 93; Phoenix 86, Memphis 84.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT Philadelphia 14 6 .700 Boston 9 9 .500 NY Knicks 7 13 .350 New Jersey 7 13 .350 Toronto 6 14 .300 Central Division Chicago 17 4 .810 12 6 .667 Indiana Milwaukee 8 11 .421 Cleveland 7 11 .389 Detroit 4 17 .190 Southeast Division Miami 14 5 .737 14 6 .700 Atlanta Orlando 12 7 .632 Washington 4 16 .200 Charlotte 3 18 .143 Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 16 3 .842 14 5 .737 Denver Utah 11 7 .611 Portland 12 8 .600 Minnesota 9 10 .474 Pacific Division LA Clippers 10 6 .625 11 9 .550 LA Lakers Phoenix 7 12 .368 Golden State 6 12 .333 Sacramento 6 14 .300 Southwest Division San Antonio 12 8 .600 12 8 .600 Houston Dallas 12 8 .600 Memphis 10 9 .526 New Orleans 4 15 .211

GB 4 7 7 8 3.5 8 8.5 13 0.5 2 10.5 12

2 4.5 4.5 7 1 4.5 5 6

Puma head for podium SANYA: American team Puma survived a collision with a tree trunk to move into a three-way battle for the lead yesterday as the Volvo Ocean Race fleet picked a precarious route through the Malacca Strait.

With over 1,500 nautical miles (2,800 km) sailed in the second stage of Leg 3 from the Maldives to Sanya in China, just a handful of boat lengths separated overall leaders Telefonica of Spain, French challengers Groupama and Puma.

All three were in sight of each other at 1100 GMT yesterday, as they tried to steer a path through the hundreds of commercial ships and fishing boats in the narrow Strait, as well as hunks of floating debris. Puma have had the

biggest scare so far after a shuddering collision left them with damage to part of the boat but crucially left the rudder intact. “ There’s ships everywhere, debris everywhere, as we found when we hit a tree,” Puma skipper Ken Read reported. “There was this bang and we crunched up a dagger board, taking a chunk out.

It probably saved us, though, because the tree could have wiped out the rudder.”

Spanish/New Zealand team Camper, who are Telefonica’s closest challengers overall in the 39,000 nm (72,000 km) round the world race, are stuck in the second group of boats after misjudging the breeze. They are around 50 miles behind along with Abu Dhabi. —Reuters

Two Pakistan spinners listed among top 10 ABU DHABI: Pakistan spinners Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman were listed among the top 10 Test bowlers in rankings published by the International Cricket Council yesterday. The duo played a key role in their team’s remarkable 72-run win against England in the second test on Saturday. According to the ICC, two Pakistan spinners have not made the top 10 in 23 years.

The last time was in Sept. 1988 when the list included legspinner Abdul Qadir and leftarm spinner Iqbal Qasim. Offspinner Ajmal is listed second behind South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn while leftarmer Rehman improved five places after his 6-25 on Saturday and is listed at No. 9. England’s James Anderson is listed third. The pair has taken the bulk of the 40 England wickets to fall in the two test matches, with Ajmal taking 17 and Rehman 12. Ajmal and Rehman will be looking to raise their totals when they take on England in the third test at Dubai, where Pakistan won the first test by 10 wickets. — Reuters

Rockets too much for Knicks HOUSTON: The Houston Rockets made it nine wins in ten games by beating the New York Knicks 97-84 on Saturday, moving equal top of the NBA’s Southwest Division.

Chase Budinger scored 19 points and Samuel Dalembert grabbed 14 rebounds for the Rockets, who shot 49 percent (38 of 77) to improve to 9-2 at home this season.

Houston blew open a close game in the third quarter as the Knicks’ offense sputtered again without Carmelo Anthony. New York failed to reach 90 points for the fifth time in seven games.

Amare Stoudemire scored 23 points for the Knicks, who went 5 for 26 from 3-point range.

Suns 86, Grizzlies 84 In Phoenix, Jared Dudley made two free throws with 3.3 seconds remaining to lift Phoenix over Memphis. Dudley finished with a season-high 20 points, and Steve Nash added 21 for the Suns, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol had 18 points each for the Grizzlies, who have dropped three straight. Memphis had a chance to win but Mike Conley missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

points from CJ Miles. Tyreke Evans led Sacramento with 31 points on 12-of-20 shooting.

Wizards 102, Bobcats 99 In Charlotte, JaVale McGee scored 22 points and had 10 rebounds as Washington defeated fellow struggler Charlotte for the second time in a week.

The matchup between two teams tied for the fewest wins in the NBA came down to the final shot, but Matt Carroll’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer fell

Bucks 100, Lakers 89 In Milwaukee, Drew Gooden scored 23 points as undermanned Milwaukee deepened Los Angeles’ road woes. Ersan Ilyasova and Mike Dunleavy added 15 points each for the Bucks, who managed to beat the Lakers without two of their best players: injured Andrew Bogut and suspended Stephen Jackson.

Kobe Bryant scored 27 for the Lakers, who are 1-7 on the road this season. Bryant made six free throws to break Jerry West’s franchise record for 7,160 free throws made.

76ers 95, Pistons 74 In Philadelphia, bir thday boy Andre Iguodala recorded the eighth triple-double of his career with 10 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds as Philadelphia beat struggling Detroit.

Iguodala, on his 28th birthday, received an ovation from the crowd when he secured his triple-double with a defensive rebound with 7:34 remaining. Lou Williams scored 17 points for the Sixers, who improved to 10-2 at home.

Tayshaun Prince returned for the Pistons after two games away tending to a family matter, but scored only six points. Greg Monroe led Detroit with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

MILWAUKEE: Los Angeles Lakers’ Derek Fisher (left) dives for the loose ball as the Milwaukee Bucks’ Luc Richard Mbah a Moute grabs it during the first half of an NBA basketball game. —AP Jazz 96, Kings 93 In Salt Lake City, Gordon Hayward scored a seasonhigh 21 points as Utah beat Sacramento and spoiled Jimmer Fredette’s return to the city.

Fredette, who was last year’s national player of the year in college basketball with Brigham Young University, had a chance to give the Kings the win with 4.2 seconds left, but launched an air-ball 3-point attempt.

Hayward’s free throw sealed it for Utah, who got 20

short. McGee had a chance to seal the game with less than 6 seconds to go, but missed two foul shots. But that was about all McGee didn’t do right, as shot 9 of 14 from the field.

Like many others this season, McGee exposed Charlotte’s poor interior defense, using an effective hook shot in the lane.

Kemba Walker became the third Bobcats player to register a triple -double, recording 20 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. —AP

1.5 7.5

French looking to end century of inconsistency PARIS: France’s new coach Philippe Saint Andre’s goal in his first Six Nations championship is to deliver consistency, something he says has been missing from the national side for nigh on a century.

The 44-year-old succeeded Marc Lievremont, who despite leading the French to one Grand Slam and the World Cup final did so to the backdrop of massively inconsistent performances - such as losing to Tonga in the World Cup pool stage and an increasingly dissaffected squad. Saint-Andre, who lost out to Lievremont for the post after the 2007 World Cup despite having more coaching experience, said it was time to put it right and not to leave the French fans in a state of limbo as to which French team would turn up on matchday.

“This is French rugby for the last four years - for the last 100 years,” said Saint-Andre. “We can be one day up here and one day near to the floor.

“The biggest challenge — and we spoke with the players about this — is to try to be very consistent,” added the former national skipper, who was capped 69 times. Saint-Andre, who broke his coaching teeth with English side Gloucester before spells with Bourgoin, Sale and Toulon, believes that this consistency cannot only come from the players but also in changing the system in French domestic rugby.

“We are the only country who have the league Friday and Saturday,” he said referring to the Top 14 league programme this weekend. “We know the other countries have much more time to prepare. For the players, it is not easy. Last week, it was the European Cup. This week is French league and next week it’s Six Nations.

“So they play three different competitions in three different weeks. “We need to improve a few areas to give more times for the players to prepare for the Six Nations. “The French league, the federation, know this and they’ve started to speak with each other to try to find a French way to try to be as competitive as possible.” Saint-Andre has stuck with 14 of the 15 players who started the World Cup final 8-7 defeat by the All Blacks in the 23-man squad he has chosen for the home opener against Italy, but in new faces such as Clermont centre Wesley Fofana will hope that they become the nucleus of the 2015 World Cup group.

Saint-Andre’s backroom coaching staff of backs coach Patrice Lagisquet and scrum counterpart Yannick Bru realise that in what is likely to be a tight tournament their side goes into it as favourites by virtue of their going so close in the World Cup final. “Everyone is imbued with the spirit of that final, the performance that they produced with the All Blacks at bay in the final quarter-of-an-hour,” said Lagisquet, like Saint-Andre a former France wing and dubbed the ‘Bayonne Express’. — AFP

Shooter Talal Al-Rashidi receiving his prize from Sheikh Salman.

Shooter Amal Nidal Al-Sayed Omar being awarded by Sheikh Salman.

Shooting tourney concludes

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: The tournament of Late Sheikh Fahad Al-Salem Al-Sabah came to a close on Saturday at the Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Olympic Shooting Complex in the presence of the President of Kuwait and Asian Shooting Federations and Vice President of the International Shooting Sport Federation Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, President of the Arab Shooting Federation, member of ISSF Administrative Council Eng. Duaij Al-Otaibi and members of KSSC board.

Secretary General of the Arab and Kuwait Shooting Federations Obaid AlOsaimi said the tournament is held in memory of one of Kuwait’s men who contributed to its advancement, construction of its infrastructure, during his public service in various government authorities.

Al-Osaimi said more than 180 shooters participated in the shotgun, Air gun, and archery events over three days, and obtained outstanding results during fierce competition.

Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah thanked Sheikha Latifa for her support of the sport of shooting over the years, and thanked the family of Sheikh Fahad for backing this tournament year after year.

Meanwhile, Engineer Duaij Al-Otaibi said this tournament gets its importance from the fact that it is held immediately following the Asian Championship that was held in Doha, where four Kuwaiti

shooters qualified for the London 2012 Olympics.

Al-Otaibi said the International Tournament of HH The Amir will be held in Kuwait this March with the participation of Arab and foreign teams.

Results are: Air Pistol - Men Mishal Al-Mutairi Ali Al-Mutairi Abdallah Al-Mulla Air Rifle - Men Abdallah Al-Harby Khalid Al-Subaie Mohammad Abdelrahman 50M Free Rifle - Men Khalid Al-Subaie Mishal Al-Tahoos Abdallah Al-Harby

Air Rifle - Women Munira Al-Anjari Heba Erzouqi Zahraa Al-Saffar

Skeet - Women Sheikha Al-Rashidi Iman Al-Shamma Mariam Ali

Air Rifle - Women Junior Heba Erzouqi Zahraa Al-Saffar Shaima Buhamad

Double Trap - Juniors Osama Al-Faihan Saad Al-Fadhli Mohammad Al-Mutairi

Air Rifle - Juniors Mohammad Abdelrahman Mohammad Al-Subaie Bundar Al-Mutairi

Skeet - Juniors Abdelaziz Al-Saad Mohammad Al-Azmi Mater Al-Bughaili

Air Rifle - Shooting School (Women) Amal Nida Al-Sayyed Omar Heba Yahya Sabti

Trap - Juniors Talal Al-Rashidi Mohammad Al-Hamly Mohsen Al-Hamly

Skeet - Men Salah Al-Mutairi Abdelaziz Al-Saad Nasser Al-Daihani

Skeet - Juniors Shooting School Abdallah Al-Azmi Jarrah Al-Otaibi

50M Free Rifle - Juniors Torky Al-Shimmari Mohammad Al-Subaie Bandar Al-Mutairi

Trap - Men Abdelrahman Al-Faihan Talal Al-Rashidi Khalid Al-Shuhoumi

Trap - Juniors Shooting School Farraj Al-Rashidi Sultan Al-Daihani Mushari Al-Fadalah

50M Free Pistol - Men Mishal Al-Tahoos Zaid Al-Thafiri Ali Al-Mutairi

Double Trap - Men Hamad Al-Afasi Mishfi Al-Mutairi Jarrah Al-Shuwair

Archery - Men Abdelaziz Busheri Fahad Al-Rashidi Faleh Al-Askar

Air Pistol - Women Imam Boland Ghizlan Hussein Israa Bahman

Trap - Women Fatima Abdelmalek Sarah Arty Rasha Al-Fares

Archery - Beginners Khalid Al-Muhanna Ahmad Al-Baqsami Fares Al-Mutairi

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

sp orts

India seeks bright future as stars wane NEW DELHI: The very thought of Sachin Tendulkar and his contemporaries being shown the exit door would have been dismissed a year ago, but the majority of the Indian cricket fans are now convinced that the ‘golden generation’ should make way for new blood.

After a decade-and-a-half of blind worship, fans believe their demigods have been rendered immobile by feet of clay and are ready to thank them for the memories and move on.

The last time Tendulkar featured in a newspaper poll was when readers were asked who should be the first sportsperson to receive India’s highest civilian award, a Bharat Ratna.

As India succumbed to their second straight overseas whitewash in Australia, the Hindustan Times newspaper carried a poll this weekend in which more than 36 percent opined the 38-yearold ‘Little Master’ should hang up his bat.

Quite a significant percentage, considering the man in question has virtually been the sacred cow of Indian cricket since his first test century in 1990.

The results were even worse for the two stal-

warts Tendulkar sits sandwiched between in the batting order. More than 58 percent favoured 39year-old Rahul Dravid’s immediate departure while 82.6 percent would prefer not to see VVS Laxman (38) in India colors again.

“Age is conspiring against them,” former test player Ravi Shastri wrote in a column that appeared in Sunday’s Times of India newspaper.

“A bad series or two at the start of your career is almost a given. A series or two at the end is a catastrophe. Everyone is in an unforgiving mood.” From India’s perspective, the Australia tour was a disaster, where anything that could go possibly wrong invariably did.

The biggest letdown was the vaunted batting order where Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman - who have more than 37,500 test runs between them made a collective contribution of 636 runs in the four-test series. Dravid, who alone had scored 619 in the drawn 2003-04 series, managed just 194 runs at an average of fewer than 25 per innings.

His legendary defence, that earned him the moniker of “The Wall”, was breached seven times in

eight innings, including by a Peter Siddle no-ball in Melbourne.

Some other hard-earned reputations were also sullied. Laxman was a pale imitation of the batsman who has been Australia’s nemesis for so long and scratched around for his 155 runs from eight innings to finish with an embarrassing sub-20 average.

Only Tendulkar averaged 35-plus in the series and regularly middled the ball, but his desperate bid for a 100th international century seems to have become a millstone around the neck of cricket’s most prolific batsman.

Almost inevitably, India hurtled from one defeat to another and many believe the humiliation could have been easily averted had the selectors shrugged off their timidity and took a long-term view of things.

“I can understand the fans being in awe of big names. But sometimes the selectors and officials are also too much in awe of the big names and that’s why not able to take tough decisions,” former test player Sanjay Manjrekar told CNN-IBN channel.

His views were echoed by former Australia captain Ian Chappell, who recommended a thorough review of Indian cricket.

“The star system is well and truly ingrained in the Indian team and things won’t improve, certainly not on the overseas test match front, until this is changed,” Chappell wrote in a column that appeared in Sunday’s Hindustan Times.

“India is currently a side full of individually bright stars and it needs to become a group of cricketers who perform as a team. It doesn’t help when a number of those individually bright stars are playing for their own survival. “... the star players have held sway for too long and surely eight successive losses, some of them total capitulation, is confirmation that the system is not working,” Chappell added.

To make it work again, the Indian cricket board has no other choice but to confront the transitional crisis they have been avoiding for too long and their task has been made easier by the fact they finally have the country’s fans on the same page. — Reuters

Rock rolls in Abu Dhabi

Gulf Bank team

KFH leads KBC League KUWAIT: The Kuwait Finance House claimed top spot of the KBC Football League after beating the International Bank 4-0 in second week of competition, which also saw the National Bank Club rout the Industrial Bank 7-0.

Other matches contested in the second week saw the Gulf Bank overcome Al-Ahli Bank with two goals to nil, while Boubyan Bank beat Al-Ahli United 5-0.

The KFH was scheduled to take on the

Gulf Bank yesterday as part of third week matches, in which the NBK goes against Al-Ahli bank today (Monday), and Boubyan Bank faces the International Bank tomorrow (Tuesday).

Third week competition ends Wednesday with a match between AlAhli United and the Industrial Bank. The tournament is organized by the Kuwait Banks Club and takes place at the Ministry of Information fields.

KFH team

Ganassi lead at Daytona DAYTONA BEACH: Chip Ganassi Racing was back out front of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, with the defending race winners clinging to the lead yesterday morning in the twice-aroundthe-clock endurance race.

Joey Hand put the No. 01 BMW Riley out front when Michael Shank Racing had an extended pit stop with about six hours remaining. IndyCar driver Justin Wilson had opened up a nearly full lap lead over the Ganassi team during a triple driving stint, but MSR appeared to change its brakes when Wilson came in for the driver change.

Hand then moved out front before he was replaced by defending GrandAm champion Scott Pruett. The team is made up of Grand-Am champions Pruett and Memo Rojas, Hand and IndyCar driver Graham Rahal.

The team won last year’s race, but appears to be at a horsepower disadvantage this season to the Fords and Chevrolets. MSR’s No. 60 is a Ford Riley.

“We’re definitely pushing for sure.

We don’t have quite the straightline speed that those other guys have,” Hand said. “But we still have a shot at this thing.”

The second Ganassi entry was four laps off the pace with NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya behind the wheel. The car was strong during the night but went six laps down when the shifter broke while IndyCar’s Scott Dixon was driving.

That entry is somewhat of the “star car” with NASCAR drivers Montoya and Jamie McMurray, and IndyCar champions Dixon and Dario Franchitti. That group finished second to its Ganassi teammates last season.

Only two Daytona Prototypes were on the lead lap, and the championship-contending SunTrust Racing was knocked out of the race during the first hour on Saturday.

Max Angelelli took the No. 10 Chevrolet to the garage with an engine issue 25 minutes into the race.

The team sent the car back out after a few minutes, but moments later Angelelli was back in the garage for good in the 50th running of the prestigious sports car event.

“We’ve never had an engine problem in all the time we’ve run the Chevrolet engine program, so this is the first time,” team owner Wayne Taylor said. “There was truly nothing we were worried about. In fact, this is probably the one 24 Hour I think we all felt - the only thing we were worried about was traffic, and we didn’t have any issues. Really caught us by surprise.”

The engines are made by NASCAR’s Earnhardt Childress Racing organization. Taylor said the problem was in the valve train, and was “catastrophic.

Angelelli and Wayne Taylor won the Grand-Am championship in 2005, and have finished second in the standings the last two seasons to Pruett and Rojas. The SunTrust team also won the 24-hour race in 2005.

X-Games star Travis Pastrana made his debut in this race with the AF Waltrip team. He’s driving with Michael Waltrip Racing owners Waltrip and Rob Kauffman, and Rui Aguas in a Ferrari in the Grand Touring class.

He called driving the Ferrari something that should be on everyone’s “bucket list” and said he was thrilled to have been added to the team last month. “Most of the experience that I have is actually in the four-wheel-drive cars,” said Pastrana, who will race a limited schedule for Waltrip this season in the second-tier Nationwide Series. “So getting the opportunity to come out here in rear-wheel-drive car I think is very helpful, especially for when NASCAR hits the road courses.” —Reuters

ABU DHABI: Robert Rock held his nerve yesterday to beat US Open champion Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship for the biggest win of the Englishman’s career.

The 117th-ranked Rock shot a 2-under 70 for an overall 13-under 275 to beat the 22-year Northern Irishman by a shot and the 14-major winner by two. Woods finished in a tie for third with Thomas Bjorn (68) and Graeme McDowell (68). Matteo Manassero (69), the 18-year-old Italian, and George Coetzee (70) of South Africa were a further shot back.

Woods started the final round tied for the lead with the unheralded Rock. He appeared poised to win his second tournament in a row after ending a two-year winless drought with victory last month at the Chevron World Challenge.

But the control Woods displayed for much the weekend abandoned him Sunday and it was Rock who held it together down the stretch.

“I didn’t hit the ball as well as I would like to,” Woods said. “Today I was just a touch off. I was righting the ball through the fairways. I was hitting the ball a little bit further than I thought I would ... So something to look at, and something to try and figure out.”

Woods started strong and it looked like he might pull away from Rock, sinking a 40-footer on No. 2 for a birdie and then chipping to within a foot of the cup for a second birdie on the 3rd.

But Rock - who said Saturday he was a bit overwhelmed to face his idol - didn’t blink. He also birdied the first two of three holes to keep pace.

Then Woods began to unravel.

He started spraying his drives into the thick rough and fairway bunkers, resulting in the first of three bogeys. When Woods wasn’t missing the fairways, he was scrambling to save par as he did on the 11th when overshooting the green. As he approached his shot in deep rough just off the 11th green, he sighed heavily and let out a stream of obscenities under his breath.

Woods managed to save par on 11 by sinking a 12-footer and Rock just missed a birdie putt.

Woods pumped his fist and appeared to be regaining the momentum when he pulled within one shot of Rock on No. 13 when the Englishman had one of his three bogeys. But the 34-year-old Rock birdied two of the next three holes to seize control.

Rock wobbled on the 18th when his drive landed in a pile of rocks near the water - forcing him to take a drop. But he recovered beautifully, reaching the green in four and then two-putting for the win.

“It’s pretty hard to believe that I managed to win today. Very surprised,” said Rock. “I played good. So I guess I had a chance from early on, a couple of birdies made the day feel a little bit easier.”

“But it’s difficult playing with Tiger. You expect almost every shot to threaten to go in. I felt a lot of pressure and couldn’t afford any lapses in concentration at all.”

Rock said that he drew strength from the

ABU DHABI: Robert Rock from England (right) receives the trophy from Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority after he won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. — AP struggles of Woods and his other playing partner Peter Hanson (78) and used that to bounce back from several bogeys.

“I was just focusing on trying to hit fairways and then hit my iron shots as good as I have been and give myself chances at birdies,” Rock said. “Both Tiger and Peter struggled on occasions on a few holes and I managed to keep my ball in the right position and didn’t put myself under too much stress until the last, which was a relief.”

It was a storybook ending for Rock, who rose from a club pro to join the tour in 2003 and only got his first tour win last year at the Italian Open.

The victory will elevate him into the top 60.

“It doesn’t get an awful lot harder than playing with Tiger Woods,” Rock said. “So I guess barring a major championship, I know I can handle that again. So that’s pretty nice to know.”

The loss is the second straight time Woods has failed to win with at least a share of the lead after 54 holes. He lost the Chevron World Challenge in 2010 after going into the final round with a four-shot lead over McDowell.

Woods acknowledged it wasn’t the way he wanted to start the 2012 season but said he took solace from the control he showed the first three days and the putts he made over the final three days. He missed out on his 84th win and the fifth time in nine years to open the season with a victory.

“Obviously the ultimate goal is to win and I didn’t win,” Woods said. “I hit the ball good enough to win the golf tournament this week,” he said. “Today I just didn’t give myself enough looks at it. Most of my putts were lag putts. I did-

n’t drive the ball in as many fairways as I should have. Some of the balls were running through.

Other balls, I was just missing. It was a day I was just a touch off off the tee and consequently I couldn’t get the ball close enough to give myself looks.”

While most of attention was on Rock and Woods, several players surged into contention down the stretch.

McIlroy, playing ahead of Rock and Woods, birdied 18 to move to 12 under and give himself a chance at a win. But he came up short and was left ruing a tournament in which four rounds of par or better golf was undone by several costly mistakes - the worst coming on Friday when the third-ranked McIlroy was penalized two shots for brushing away sand in front of his ball in the rough of the 9th.

“You know, you’ve got to take the positives,” McIlroy said. “It’s the first week of the year, and you know, it looks like it’s going to be the second year in a row here that I’ll finish second. But still a very good start to the season and something I’ll build on.”

McDowell played the most exciting round of the tournament yesterday, with a hole-in-one on No. 12, a chip-in on 13 and then a shot off the grandstand on the last that led to a birdie and a tie for third. For the 2010 US Open champion, it was a good way to start the year after failing to win in 2011.

“Any time you come back in 31 shots on a Sunday, semi in the mix is always a good day’s work,” said McDowell. “It was certainly an eventful last seven holes with a hole in one and a nice ricochet off the grandstand at the last.” — AP

Stanley forges ahead at Torrey Pines TORREY PINES: Largely sticking to his mantra of playing “boring golf” from tee to green, American Kyle Stanley charged into a commanding fiveshot lead at the Farmers Insurance Open after the third round on Saturday.

In pursuit of his first victory on the PGA Tour, the big-hitting 24-year-old fired a four-under-par 68 in dazzling sunshine on the challenging South Course at Torrey Pines.

Stanley, a rookie on the US circuit last year who regularly drives the ball more than 320 yards, used his power game and accurate approach play to record five birdies and a lone bogey as he posted an 18-under total of 198.

His 54-hole aggregate equalled the tournament record set by six-times champion Tiger Woods at Torrey Pines in 2008.

“Another really good ball-striking day,” the bearded Stanley told reporters. “I drove it pretty well and I only had one hiccup, I hit a five-iron (approach) long on 12. Other than that, I’m really pleased. “I’m really happy with where I’m at, but I still have to go out there tomorrow and just keep playing golf.” John Huh, competing in only his second PGA Tour event after earning his card at qualifying school in December, returned a 68 to share second place with fellow American John Rollins (68).

South Korean Bae Sang-moon (72) was a further stroke back at 12-under, level with American Bill Haas, last year’s FedExCup champion, who carded a 70. However, no one was able to catch the pacesetting Stanley who began another glorious sun-splashed day at Torrey Pines a stroke in front and then birdied the second and sixth to reach the turn three ahead of the chasing pack.

He rolled in a 10-footer at the par-four 10th to stretch his lead to four before bogeying the parfour 12th after overshooting the green with his five-iron approach from the middle of the fair-

LA JOLLA: James Driscoll tees off on the 16th hole during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. — AFP way. Non- pulsed, the ice-cool Stanley regained too much trouble.” his four-shot cushion with a comfortable birdie at Asked if he would change his strategy for late the par-five 13th, where he two-putted from just yesterday’s final round, Stanley replied: “The off the green. biggest thing is you can’t necessarily go out there He then rammed home a 19-foot birdie putt and try to protect it (the lead). You’ve got to realat the par-three 16th and narrowly missed a five- ly just keep doing what got you to this point. footer at the par-five last that would have “I’ll stick to my game plan off the tee and stretched his lead to six strokes. hopefully just continue to give myself a lot of Before Saturday’s third round, Stanley had chances.” Rollins, a three-times winner on the said his mindset was “to play boring golf ... hit PGA Tour, accepted that the tournament was fairways, hit greens and make a few putts”. He Stanley’s to win or lose. was delighted with the outcome.

“He’s clearly playing well and in control of his “It was good,” said the 24-year-old, whose best game,” Rollins said after making two birdies in his PGA Tour finish is a runners-up spot at the 2011 last five holes. “I can only control myself and my John Deere Classic. “I really didn’t get myself in game. That’s what I’m going to do. —Reuters

17

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

SPORTS

Djokovic wins Australian Open in longest final

NEW YORK: Lola Jones of USA (left) clears the second hurdle during the women’s 50 Meter Hurdles, which she won in 6.78 seconds in the US Open Indoor athletic meet. —AP

Jamaica celebrates sprint double NEW YORK: Asafa Powell and Veronica Campbell-Brown completed a Jamaican sprint double at the US Open indoor meet at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

There were no Olympic gold medals on offer but it was an ominous reminder ahead of this year’s London Games of the unrivalled strength of Jamaica’s crack sprinters.

Powell, almost the forgotten man of Jamaican sprinting because of the achievements of Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake, lunged at the line to win the 50 metre dash in 5.67 seconds, the fastest time in a decade for the rarely-run event.

“It was weird but it was a pretty good time for my first race of the season,” said Powell. “There’s bigger races ahead but that’s a good way to begin.”

Powell’s training partner Nesta Carter was second in 5.67. Like Powell, he has his sights set on London, if not in the individual events then the Jamaican relay.

“Just making the Jamaican team is going to be hard enough,” Powell said.

Campbell-Brown, who won the 200m gold medal at each of the last two Olympics and was part of the Jamaican relay that won in Beijing four years ago, burst out of the blocks and held on to win the women’s 50m dash in 6.08.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” she said. “Each race is just a preparation for what’s to come this season.” The US won the men’s and women’s hurdles.

Terrence Trammell, a former world indoor champion, won the men’s race in 6.45 while Lolo Jones, also an indoor world champion better known for a mishap at the Beijing Olympics, won the women’s event in 6.78.

Jones was leading the Olympic final in Beijing when she clipped the penultimate hurdle and crashed to the ground, finishing seventh.

Last year she underwent spinal surgery to repair a defect she had suffered from birth but is hoping for better luck this season.

“For me, winning this race is a huge confidence boost,” Jones said. “Just a few months ago, after the surgery, I couldn’t even walk, now I can run fast.”

Kenya’s Silas Kiplagat, the silver medallist in the 1,500m at last year’s world championships in South Korea, won the men’s mile in four minutes 0.65 seconds.

Bernard Lagat, who had won the mile a record eight times when the Millrose Games were held at Madison Square Garden, led with less than two laps to go but could not hold off his younger opponent. —Reuters

SWITZERLAND: Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, speeds down the course during the alpine ski women’s World Cup super-combined event. —AP

Vonn denied by Hoefl-Riesch ST. MORITZ: Lindsey Vonn was denied a three-win weekend sweep by just 0.03 seconds as Maria Hoefl-Riesch won a super-combined event yesterday.

Hoefl-Riesch won for the first time in 11 months to kick-start her defense of the World Cup overall title she took from Vonn last season.

Vonn was last to race in the slalom leg after being fastest in the morning superG run, and threw back her head in frustration on seeing how close she was to winning for a third straight day. She smiled as her German friend approached in the finish area and hugged her in congratulation.

“It would have been nice to have a hat trick,” Vonn acknowledged. “I’m really happy for Maria - but I’d rather she beat me by a second.”

Still, Vonn earned 80 points and extended her lead to 387 over Tina Maze of Slovenia, who placed fifth yesterday.

Hoefl-Riesch, who is third overall, trailed Vonn by 0.23 after the super-G but just edged the American on a flat slalom course slowed by warm sunshine.

The German racer had a combined two-run time of 2 minutes, 8.41 seconds.

Nicole Hosp of Austria was third, 0.51 back, after finishing 28th fastest in super-G. “I’m really happy to be winning again.

It’s obviously the best,” said HoeflRiesch, who had been runner-up three times this season, including behind Vonn in Saturday’s downhill.

“In the speed events it’s so hard to beat Lindsey so I was hoping to take the

chance at the right time. Today, it was the right time,” she said.

Hoefl-Riesch’s 21st career World Cup win was her first since a super-G at Are, Sweden, last February. As defending World Cup champion, she has struggled for consistent results after missing some offseason training.

Her first maximum 100-point tally came after Vonn has posted eight victories this season, and Hoefl-Riesch trails her great rival by a daunting margin of 554.

Vonn said she “never doubted” that her biggest rival during her three-year reign as overall champion would return to form.

“It always takes a while when you have setbacks,” Vonn said. “It wasn’t really a surprise for me that she has won.”

Vonn was aiming to reach 50 career World Cup victories after also winning another super-combined event here on Friday.

She leads the super-combined standings after two of the scheduled three races, and can clinch the crystal globe trophy for a third straight year on Feb. 19 at Sochi, Russia. Sunday’s race was a makeup for one canceled last month at Val d’Isere, France.

Vonn will be strongly favored to reach her landmark 50th win next weekend when her specialist speed events, downhill and super-G, are scheduled at Garmisch-Partenkirchen Hoefl-Riesch’s home town. “Maria is going to give me a run for my money,” Vonn predicted. —AP

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic wore down Rafael Nadal in the longest Grand Slam singles final in the history of professional tennis, winning 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 after 5 hours, 53 minutes to claim his third Australian Open title.

Djokovic sealed victory at 1.37 am Monday local time and became the fifth man since the Open Era began in 1968 to win three straight Grand Slam finals.

The 24-year-old Djokovic tore off his shirt in celebration after one of the most dramatic finals in the history of the game. He went to his support camp and repeatedly thumped the side of the arena in front of them in delight and relief.

Nadal leaned on the net, while Djokovic sat on his haunches before the trophy presentation.

Eventually, nearby official took pity and they were given chairs and a bottle of water each.

“We made history tonight and unfortunately there couldn’t be two winners,” Djokovic said.

Djokovic’s win maintained his mastery of Nadal, who has lost seven straight finals against the Serb since March last year.

In the most devastating of circumstances, Nadal became the first man in the Open Era to lose three straight major finals. He lost in four sets to Djokovic at last year’s Wimbledon and U.S. Open.

Having reduced Roger Federer to tears when he won the title over five sets in 2009, Nadal maintained his composure during the on-court speeches - and even managed a joke.

“Good morning, everybody,” Nadal said, earning laughs and loud applause from the crowd.

“Congratulations to Novak and his team. They deserve it. They are doing something fantastic, so congratulations.”

After coming back from 5-3 down to win the fourth-set tiebreaker, Nadal was up a break at 4-2 in the fifth set against Djokovic, who seemed to be tiring.

But the No. 1-ranked Djokovic, who needed almost five hours to win his semifinal against Andy Murray, somehow responded. He broke for a 6-5 lead and saved a break point before finally claiming the win.

The previous longest major singles final was Mats Wilander’s win over Ivan Lendl at the U.S. Open in 1988, which lasted 4 hours, 54 minutes.

The longest Australian Open final also involved Wilander in 1988, when the Swede beat Pat Cash. Sunday’s match was also the longest in the tournament’s history.

A tense, error-strewn opening set offered no indication of the high drama to follow. In hot, humid conditions, both players struggled for consistency.

After an exchange of breaks, Nadal took it after 80 minutes two minutes short of the entire women’s final the previous day.

Nadal had only lost one match

As if to demonstrate the pervading tension of the occasion, Djokovic double-faulted at break point down while serving for the second set at 5-3 before Nadal

ders were visibly slumping and he was talking to himself more often, unable to stop his opponent peppering the baseline with his returns to take control of the points.

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic of Serbia (left) holds the championship trophy as Rafael Nadal of Spain looks at his runner-up trophy during the awarding ceremony after Djokovic won the men’s singles final at the Australian Open. —AP

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Rafael Nadal of Spain during the men’s singles final at the Australian Open. —AP of his previous 134 in Grand Slams after winning the first set, but he found his serve coming under increasing pressure as the match wore on.

returned the favor by doublefaulting in the next game to give the Serb the second set.

By the time Djokovic took a 3-1 lead in the third set, Nadal’s shoul-

At 5-2, his uncle and coach Toni Nadal moved to the front row of the players’ box to try to get some positive messages to his nephew. It didn’t work. Nadal lost his serve again - at love.

But in the fourth set, Nadal dug in, drawing on his renowned fighting spirit, and the match really came alive when he recovered from 0-40 down in the eighth game with two spectacular winners, two unreturnable serves and an ace. Then came a rain shower and a brief delay for the roof to close, robbing Nadal of his momentum.

He regained it the tiebreaker, though, reeling off four straight points from 5-3 down, taking the match into a decider when Djokovic’s forehand dropped wide. The tennis, almost unbelievably, seemed to improve in the fifth set as the match ticked past five hours.

At 4-4, Djokovic looped a backhand long after a 31-shot rally - the longest of the match and then collapsed with his arms and legs spread wide.

He looked hardly able to pick himself and his racket up, but he broke two games later when Nadal, finally showing signs of fatigue, netted a backhand.

Still, Nadal wasn’t quite done.

Djokovic had to save a break point with a crosscourt backhand, crossing himself as he limped back to the baseline, before finally claiming victory with his 57th winner of the match. —AP

Wagner wins 1st title in night of flawed skating

SAN JOSE: Ashley Wagner picked the perfect time for the performance of her career. Wagner won her first title at the US Figure Skating Championships on Saturday, salvaging what was an otherwise dismal night of splats and spills with a majestic rendition of “Black Swan.” She finished with a score of 187.02 points and then watched as two-time champion Alissa Czisny and Agnes Zawadzki melted down.

When the final results were posted, tears filled Wagner’s eyes and she rested a hand on the shoulder of coach John Nicks. It was further affirmation that Wagner had made the right choice last summer, when she left her family on the East Coast and moved to California to train with Nicks, best known as Sasha Cohen’s coach. The change rejuvenated the two-time bronze medalist, who came into these nationals feeling it was her time to be a champion.

“I was really nervous going out there because I felt like it was getting to the point where I wanted it so bad,” Wagner said. “Then I remembered that I’ve made all these changes for a reason. I’ve learned so much in my time in California and I needed to use that new training. Mr. Nicks has done a great of helping me refocus.”

Wagner beamed as she stood on the podium, her smile as bright as the gold medal around her neck. “I’m in shock,” she said. “It hasn’t hit me yet.” Czisny finished second and Zawadzki wound up third.

The US has been looking for someone - anyone - with the starpower and skill to carry the Americans like Michelle Kwan did for almost a decade. The Americans have gone five years without a medal at the world championships, and they came home empty-handed from the Vancouver Olympics. For the fourth straight year, they’ll have only two spots at the world championships.

It’s a drought the likes of which the Americans

have never seen, and the shortcomings were made all the more glaring this week by Kwan’s return to nationals to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Wagner has freely admitted she wants to be the new face of US skating, and she went out and backed it up, beating not one, not two, but three former US champions.

“I’m happy I did or I else I would have looked like an awful person,” Wagner said. “This is a learning experience, I take something away from every competition I’m in and learn. If I skate with confidence, the results will come.”

Her next challenge will be at the world championships in March. Wagner and Czisny will need to finish with a combined placement of 13 to earn the Americans to spots at next year’s allimportant world championships, the qualifier for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

“I have some demons to overcome at worlds,” said Wagner, who was 16th in her only appearance at the senior world championships but who has two bronze medals from the junior version. “I need to keep on training I’ve been training. I will relax, go home, do what I’ve been doing and things will go well.”

Third after the short program, Wagner needed a spectacular performance and some help from others. She did her part, a refreshing departure after a night of lackluster, one-dimensional performances. Wagner actually used her music and her portrayal of the “Black Swan” character was so vivid, it’s a wonder feathers didn’t pop out of her back. Her technical elements were woven right in with her artistic elements, rather than standing alone as individual tricks, and she could have been a swan floating on the lake for how majestically she moved across the ice She wasn’t perfect, popping a triple salchow and touching down with her free foot on her triple flip. But it hardly mattered. None of the

other top women skated cleanly, though some were much worse than others.

Czisny got off to rough start, putting her hand down on her opening triple lutz, and things didn’t improve after that. She fell on her second triple lutz and was crooked in the air on a few other jumps. She was saved by her spins, which were gorgeous as always, high component marks for her elegant presentation.

“It’s never easy to defend a title,” Czisny said.

“I’m disappointed with the way I skated but I’m happy I kept fighting.”

Zawadzki won the short program, and looked early on as she might hang onto the top spot.

She opened with a double axel-triple toe loop combination that was bigger and smoother than any other jump done any other woman did Saturday night. But Zawadzki is just 17, two years removed from winning the junior title, and she quickly became overwhelmed by the moment.

She fell twice, crashing on a triple lutz and a triple salchow, and popped a triple toe that was supposed to be the opening jump of a combination. She also brushed up against the boards on a triple lutz-double toe combination. She dropped all the way to seventh in the long program and barely managed to hold off Caroline Zhang for third place.

“I’ve never been in this position so it’s a different feeling for me,” Zawadzki said. “I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished. I’m a little down on the long but happy with the overall result.”

Earlier Saturday, Meryl Davis and Charlie White claimed their fourth straight title with a performance that showed why they set the gold standard in ice dance these days. The world champions’ elegant and seamless routine to “Die Fledermaus” earned a total score of 191.54 points, nearly 13 better than siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani - who, as the reigning world bronze medalists, are not exactly slouches. —AP

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

sp orts

Preview

Ivory Coast and Angola in top-of-table showdown MALABO: The seven goals scored by Ivory Coast and Angola in a previous Africa Cup of Nations encounter is not likely to be repeated when they meet today at the Nuevo Estadio de Malabo.

Although blessed with some of the best strikers on the continent in captain Didier Drogba, Chelsea team-mate Salomon Kalou and Gervinho of Arsenal, coach Francois Zahoui says success is far more important than putting on a show.

“My mission is to bring the trophy back to Abidjan,” he told reporters in the Equatorial Guinea capital. “I do not care if winning means scoring from a corner in the final minute.”

Angola were accused of “anti-football” by opponents Burkina Faso after beating them with route-one tactics and persistent time-wasting, angering coach Paulo Duarte. “The type of football we played against Burkina Faso was for a purpose. My players carried out instructions perfectly,” countered Angola coach Jose ‘Lito’ Vidigal.

Entering the final series of Group B fixtures here and in mainland city Bata, Ivory Coast have six points from two outings, Angola four, Sudan one and Burkina Faso are out of the running following a couple of losses. Ivory Coast are assured of competing in the knockout stages, but whether they advance as group winners or runnersup depends on the outcome against Angola with a draw sufficient to seal top place. That would keep them the at the plush accommodation they have here with a private beach and golf club, and give them a quarter-final fixture on the Malabo

pitch where they have played all their pool matches. Angola can finish top with a win, qualify with a draw, or possibly go out on goal difference if they lose and Sudan defeat Burkina Faso in a match scheduled to be staged simultaneously at Estadio de Bata. While Ivory Coast must carry the burden of tournament favorites with nothing less than victory in the final next month acceptable to Abidjan, getting to the quarter-finals is the bottom line for Angola with any further progress a bonus.

Although lacking the array of attacking talent the Ivorians boast, Angola have one of the leading scorers in the competitiion this year in three-goal former Manchester United striker Manucho.

He was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson on the strength of outstanding displays at the 2008 Cup of Nations in Ghana, but failed to make the grade at Old Trafford and now plays for Turkish club Manisaspor.

Manucho-full name Mateus Alberto Contreiras Goncavles-has been back to his opportunist best this month, scoring the winner against Burkina Faso and both goals in a draw with Sudan.

While Ivorian supporters are likely to outnumber Angolans in the 15,000-seat stadium, the Antelopes can count on the backing of some of the most dedicated football followers on the continent. A 10man group has travelled through five countries on motorbikes to reach Malabo, but work commitments mean they will have to return home after the final group game while hoping their team can stay at lot longer.—AFP

Zambia take top spot MALABO: Zambia defeated already qualified co-hosts Equatorial Guinea 1-0 yesterday to top Group A at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Captain and striker Christopher Katongo settled a cagey Nuevo Estadio de Malabo clash of few scoring chances on 67 minutes, beating Brazil-born goalkeeper Danilo with a hard low shot.

Topping the table means the Zambian Copper Bullets are likely to face Angola or Sudan in the quar ter-finals next Saturday while Equatorial Guinea must brace themselves for a clash with title co-favourites Ivory Coast.

Zambia collected seven points from three matches, Equatorial Guinea six and Libya four after a 2-1 victor y over pointless Senegal in Bata thanks to a brace from Ihab El Busaifi.

Coach Gilson Paulo made three changes to the Equatorial Guinea line-up that started in victories over Libya and Senegal with defenders Daniel Vazquez and Jose Bogung and striker Daniel Ekedo drafted in.

They took the places of suspended Laurence Doe and rested David Alvarez and Iban ‘Randy’ Iyanga as Paulo basked in the satisfaction of securing a one-year contract at 15,000 dollars a month after his earlier tri-

umphs. Zambia coach Her ve Renard made one change to the starting line-up that drew with Libya in a Bata mudbath four

days ago with Davies Nkausu tak ing over from Francis Kasonde in defence.

A goalless first half was

MALABO: Zambia’s Davies Nkausu (right) heads the ball over Equatorial Guinea’s Daniel Ekedo in their final African Cup of Nations Group A match.—AP

extremely cagey before a nearcapacity crowd in the 15,000seat stadium with the first chance of breaking the deadlock coming after 35 minutes.

Midfielder Rainford Kalaba set up striker Katongo inside the penalty area and his stinging angled shot brought out the best in Danilo as he pushed the ball away from danger.

Equatorial Guinea had a better chance six minutes later as Ivan Bolado picked up a low Daniel Ekedo cross and beat Stoppila Sunzu only to be foiled by a brave block from goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene.

Danilo has a habit of handling back passes and did so again just after the break, presenting Zambia with an indirect free kick within the box, but the goalkeeper atoned with a reflex save from a Hichani Himoonde drive.

Although the Equatoguineans are 25 places below the Zambians on the African rankings, there was no evidence of a yawning gap between the teams with the National Lightning holding their own entering the final quarter.

However, a goal out of nothing from China-based Katongo silenced the crowd as a throw-in set up the former army sergeant to beat Danilo with a shot into the corner of the net.—AFP

Loss to Libya wraps up Senegal’s Cup campaign

LIBREVILLE: Gabon Llyod Palun (left) and Daniel Cousin play a tennis football in the courtyard of their hotel during preparation of their next African Cup of Nations Group C soccer match against Tunisia.—AP

‘Baby Jet’ Gyan’s ego goes into overdrive FRANCEVILLE: Ghana star striker Asamoah Gyan has said being a marked man any time his country is in action has shown what a great a player he is.

The former Rennes striker, nicknamed ‘Baby Jet’, was shackled by the Mali defence for most of Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations Group D match only for him to conjure up a superb free kick in the 63rd minute to spark a Black Stars win.

In the opening Group D clash against Botswana, skipper Mompeti Thuma ensured ‘Baby Jet’ did not cruise and even spoke of the referee ‘over protecting’ the Black Stars hit man. Gyan was a doubt for the Mali match after he limped out of his team’s training in Ngouni on Thursday but coach Goran Stevanovic insisted on playing the striker, who repaid his faith with another match-winning performance.

“Everyone who plays against Ghana, comes out strongly to stop Asamoah Gyan,” said the Al Ain striker, who is on loan from English Premier League club Sunderland. “I have been the country’s lone striker for the past six years, it shows how great I am.

“I have to take responsibilities and I did so by scoring even when it seemed that I have been shut out of the game.” “There was a doubt whether I will be fit for the match against Mali, but the medical staff did a fantastic job on me.

“I’m playing through a pain barrier. It was the same in 2008, but the team have confidence in me, they know what I am capable of.

“I’m a Ghanaian and I have to sacrifice for my country.

Gyan has scored crucial goals for Ghana at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups — but also missed the last minute penalty agaisnt Uruguay that would have taken Ghana into the 2010 World Cup semi-final — as well as the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola, where a youthful Black Stars went all the way to the final. “My confidence is back after my goal.

That is what happens to a striker,” he said after his goal against Mali on Saturday.

However, the striker has yet to win any silverware with his country since he made his debut in 2005 but on arriving here he

expressed his confidence that they could end that drought. “We won’t put any pressure on ourselves,” said Gyan. “We are prepared and highly motivated and it is left for us to deliver. And I have confidence in the Black Stars.”

On Saturday, Mali held their own against the Ghanaians in the first half, only for the Black Stars led by Gyan to move up a gear after the interval and score twice for their second win in as many matches.

“We had a bit of difficulty in the first half and we were a bit slow,” admitted the 25year-old forward, who has fully recovered from a hamstring injury.

“The boys showed great character and in the second half, we changed tactics by putting pressure on them to make mistakes.

“This was an important victory and we hope to continue to make Ghana proud by winning our games. “However, any talk about the final or the cup is premature at this stage.” Ghana take on another west African rival Guinea in their final first round game on Wednesday knowing they cannot afford any slips in a group that is still wide open with even bottom team Botswana still in the reckoning, even if only mathematically.

“We expect a very difficult game against Guinea. We’re on six points and Guinea also want to be on six points to stand any chance of staying in this competition,” said Gyan. “We have quality players and we are ready for any team.”—AFP

BATA: One of the pre-tournament favorites Senegal finished a disappointing 2012 Africa Cup of Nations campaign without a point after they lost 2-1 to Libya here in their final Group A match.

Senegal finished rock bottom of the group, while Libya failed to reach the knockout stage after Zambia defeated co-hosts Equatorial Guinea to win the group on seven points.

Libya were third with four points despite their first victory in 30 years in this tournament - their last win coming against Zambia in 1982, when they hosted the competition.

Zambia will now tackle the runners-up from Group B in Bata, while Equatorial Guinea will battle the winner of Group B, most likely the Ivory Coast, in Malabo for a place in the last four.

In a bid to salvage their pride, the Teranga Lions of Senegal made six changes to the team who lost 2-1 to co-hosts Equatorial Guinea to crash out of the competition.

Among the changes were goalkeeper Khadim Ndiaye, Montepellier striker Souleymane Camara and Demba Ba, who has fired 15 goals in the English Premier League this season but posted a very disappointing Nations Cup debut outing.

Libya went in front after just five minutes through Ihab Abousaifi after he was set up by the tricky Ahmed Osman.

Osman wiggled his way around the top of the box before he slipped the ball for Abousaifi, who features for Tunisian club Club Africain, to score.

Senegal responded six minutes later, when ArlesAvignon midfielder Deme Ndiaye rose above the Libyan defence to head home a corner for the equaliser.

In the 33rd minute, Souleymane Camara’s low drive forced a good save from Libya goalkeeper Samir Aboud, who tipped the ball for a corner.

And from that corner experienced Libya defender Younes Al-Shibani saved a Mamadou Niang effort on the goal line after the keeper was beaten.

Abousaifi scored his second goal six minutes from time with a fine volley after he combined well with strike partner Ahmed Zuway, who capitalised on some poor defending by Cheikh M’Bengue. Senegal had a goal by Souleymane Camara disallowed for offside on the dot of time.—AFP

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

African Nations Cup Ivory Coast v Angola ......... 21:00 Aljazeera Sport +9 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD Sudan v Burkina Faso ........ 21:00 Aljazeera Sport +9 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD

MALABO: Soccer fans without match tickets are held back by riot police as they try to approach Malabo Stadium where Equatorial Guinea play Zambia in their final African Cup of Nations Group A match. —AP

BATA: Senegal’s Kader Mangane (left) tackles Libya’s Ahmed Zuway during their African Cup of Nations Group A soccer match. —AP

Preview

Sudan seek rare win to provide last eight hopes BATA: The ending of Sudan’s 36-year Africa Cup of Nations goal drought against Angola has left the Jediane Falcons still in with a shout of squeaking through to the quarter-finals.

Sudan confront already knocked out Burkina Faso lying in third place in Group B on one point, with Angola on three and qualified Ivory Coast on six points.

To grab the precious runner up spot the Sudanese must not only beat Burkina Faso but also pray that their rivals for second place Angola take nothing from their encounter in Malabo with Ivory Coast.

That will put both sides on four points with goal difference coming into the equation to determine who goes forward to a last eight clash with either Equatorial Guinea or Zambia.

On Thursday, Sudan ended their three and a half decade scoring drought in the 2-2 draw with the Angolans, with Mohamed Bashir twice levelling after Manucho had scored for the Black Antelopes at the start of each half.

That stalemate will have given them a dose of confidence after their spirited opening 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast, Didier Drogba getting the decisive goal.

That narrow defeat was some feat for the only completely locally-sourced squad in the competition up against the footballing highrollers.

Sudan coach Mohamed Abdalla, who was 16 when Sudan lifted the title in Khartoum in 1970, commented after that game: “We started by attacking because to continue in this competition we had to win.

“We let in the first goal on a major defen-

sive blunder, the second on a penalty but my players aren’t sufficently experienced. “I’m happy that twice we were able to equalise.

This game gives us huge motivation for our next one.”

He added: “I’m trying to minimize the small mistakes of our inexperienced defenders playing against high-quality strikers. I think we are improving. To survive in this competition you have to win.”

History is against Sudan, whose last win in the competition was way back in 1970 in the final against Ghana. The second lowest ranked team in the 2012 competition were knocked out in the first round in 1972 and 1976 and again in their next appearance in 2008. For Burkina Faso, honor is the only thing at stake after an error-strewn opening 2-1 loss to Angola and a 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast. This is their fifth first round exit since they finished fourth 14 years ago.

They go into today’s match with uncertainty surrounding the future of their coach Paulo Duarte, who has threatened to quit if the national football federation does not change its ways.

He is upset over the way the federation has handled a number of nationality claims, with Cameroon-born Herve Zengue missing the finals and Abdou Razak Traore who is here in Equatorial Guinea unable to play.

Duarte told the BBC: “I don’t know if I will stay. I have other teams and Burkina Faso who want me to stay - but I don’t know. I’ll go home and think about my future - I’m tired of the same problems every day.”—AFP

19

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

S P ORT S

Sociedad rout Gijon 5-1

ITALY: Lecce’s Juan Guillermo Cuadrado of Colombia (left) and Inter Milan Obi of Nigeria fight for the ball during a Serie A soccer match. —AP

Inter and Napoli slip ROME: Inter Milan’s run of seven successive Serie A wins came to an abrupt end yesterday as they fell to a 1-0 defeat by relegation strugglers Lecce.

Inter’s loss leaves them nine points adrift of leaders Juventus, who beat Udinese 2-1 on Saturday, while city rivals AC Milan can stay a point behind the leaders should they beat Calgiari later yesterday.

There was also a surprise loss for Napoli, who had ended Inter’s defence of their I talian Cup trophy on Wednesday, as they went down 3-2 at mid-table Genoa and now trail Juventus by 15 points.

Uruguayan Guillermo Giaccomazzi struck for Lecce to give them their first home win of the season - they had previously taken just two points from the 27 available at home - while their ‘keeper Massimiliano Benassi was in superlative form denying Inter on several occasions.

Lecce’s win took them to three points from safety, fourth from bottom Siena having lost 2-1 earlier on Sunday to

Fiorentina.

Napoli’s loss was even more of a shock because only last month they had walloped Genoa 6-1, but this time round they found themselves trailing 3-0.

A double from Argentinian Rodrigo Palacio, taking him to 11 for the season, and a first goal in their colours from veteran Italian World Cup winner Alberto Gilardino, who joined in the transfer window from Fiorentina set Napoli an almost impossible task.

However, they made a game of it but only in the last 10 minutes as Uruguayan Edinson Cavani and Argentinian Ezequiel Lavezzi struck in the 80th and 82nd minutes respectively.

Lazio kept in touch with the battle for Champions League places with a 3-0 win over Chievo, two late goals from veteran German international striker Miroslav Klose sealing the victory.

Their city rivals AS Roma lost ground on them after being held 1-1 by Bologna despite a superb goal from a freek ick by Bosnian international Miralem Pjanic.—AFP

BARCELONA: David Zurutuza lasted only five minutes, but it was long enough to score a double in Real Sociedad’s 5-1 rout of visiting Sporting Gijon in the Spanish League yesterday.

The 25-year-old midfielder volleyed Antoine Griezmann’s cross into the left corner for Sociedad’s second-minute opener, and a minute later he stunned Sporting with another shot from the right side of the area after Carlos Vela had played him clear.

“Those goals were just surreal,” said Sporting coach Manolo Preciado. “All the goals that they had missed earlier in the season went in today.”

But Zurutuza’s dream start took an ugly turn in the fifth minute when he and Sporting defender Gregory Arnolin collided face-toface while disputing a loose ball.

Zurutuza was taken off on a stretcher, and the Basque club said after the game that he had a broken nose and will need surgery. Gregory tried to continue after cleaning the blood from his face but was substituted soon after.

Miguel de las Cuevas grabbed one back for Sporting two minutes after halftime, only to see Sociedad’s Gorka Elustondo tap in a poorly defended corner kick in the 75th.

Mikel Aranburu and Griezmann scored in stoppage time at Anoeta stadium to seal a win that lifted Sociedad four points clear of the drop.

Earlier, Granada coach Abel Resino got off to a winning start as his team moved out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win at Real Betis, while Racing Santander drew 2-2 at home against third-place Valencia.

Striker Odion Ighalo put Granada ahead in the 13th minute with a low shot from the edge of the area, and Carlos Martins finished off a counterattack for the visitors’ second five minutes before halftime.

The home side improved after the interval and substitute Jonathan Pereira made it 2-1 in the 81st but that was as close as it came.

SPAIN: Valencia’s Roberto Soldado (left) duels for the ball with Racing Santander’s Marc Torrejon during their Spanish La Liga soccer match. —AP Resino, a former Atletico Madrid coach, took over promoted Granada earlier this week after Fabricio Gonzalez was fired following a three-game losing streak.

“The feelings are good, but we saw a little of everything today,” said Resino. “We’ve been working together for just a week so we can’t ask for big things.” Before this game, Granada’s struggling attack had only scored four away goals this season.

Valencia looked set to get its first win in four weeks when substitute Aritz Aduriz scored two second-half goals to cancel out Adrian Gonzalez ’s opener for Racing. But defender Bernardo Espinosa headed home Racing’s equalizer in the 88th to split the points.

The game also saw a head-tohead collision between Racing’s Papakouly Diop and Valencia’s Mehmet Topal that left Diop temporarily unconscious on the pitch before being substituted. Topal was also taken off on a stretcher.

Racing’s Pedro Munitis and Valencia’s Ricardo Costa were both sent off late with second bookings

for a spat near the end of the match.

Also, Getafe dealt Levante its second home loss of the season with a 2-1 win. Sevilla is at Malaga later, while Atletico Madrid visits Osasuna today.

On Saturday, Real Madrid moved seven points clear at the top of table with a 3-1 win over last-place Zaragoza and Barcelona’s

Spanish League results/standings Spanish League results and standings yesterday.

Levante 1, Getafe 2; Racing Santander 2, Valencia 2; Real Betis 1, Granada CF 2; Real Sociedad 5, Sporting Gijon 1.

Real Madrid Barcelona Valencia Levante Espanyol A Bilbao Getafe Osasuna A Madrid Sevilla

Palermo 2 (Budan 42, 72) Novara 0; Lecce 1 (Giacomazzi 40) Inter Milan 0.

Playing later AC Milan v Cagliari Played Saturday Catania 1 (Bergessio 33) Parma 1 (Modesto 43); Juventus 2 (Matri 42, 62) Udinese 1 (Floro Flores 55)

Italian league table ahead of yesterday’s evening match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Juventus AC Milan Udinese Lazio Inter Milan Roma Napoli Palermo Genoa Fiorentina

20 19 20 20 20 19 20 20 20 20

12 12 11 10 11 9 7 8 8 6

8 4 5 6 2 4 8 3 3 7

0 3 4 4 7 6 5 9 9 7

33 40 29 30 30 29 36 26 28 20

13 17 16 19 21 21 24 27 36 17

44 40 38 36 35 31 29 27 27 25

Parma Chievo Atalanta Cagliari Catania Bologna Siena Lecce Cesena Novara

20 20 20 19 19 20 20 20 20 20

6 6 7 5 5 5 4 4 4 2

6 6 8 8 8 6 7 4 3 6

8 8 5 6 6 9 9 12 13 12

25 16 24 16 22 18 21 21 13 18

33 25 25 18 28 26 22 36 31 40

24 24 23 23 23 21 19 16 15 12

Ajaccio out of drop zone PARIS: A fine injury-time goal from substitute Christian Kinkela saw Ajaccio win 2-1 at Valenciennes yesterday to claim their fourth straight Ligue 1 victory and drag themselves out of the relegation zone.

Ajaccio were knocked out of the French Cup by fourth-tier Bourg-Peronnas in their last game and finished the game with 10 men after Paul Bastien Lasne was shown a second yellow card for diving but Kinkela’s strike catapulted them up to 15th place.

Recent signing Eduardo broke the deadlock for the visitors in the sixth minute but Vincent Aboubakar equalised shortly after half-time with a low drive from outside the penalty area.

Lasne’s dismissal appeared to have ended Ajaccio’s hopes of victory but in the second minute of added time, Congolese midfielder Kinkela drifted into the area from the right before curling an inch-perfect left-footed shot inside the far post.

Ajaccio had registered just one win in their first 17 games but yesterday’s victory takes the Corsican side out of the bottom three for the first time since September.

The other afternoon kick-off between Evian and Bordeaux ended in a goalless draw, with Bordeaux goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso saving a second-half penalty from Yannick Sagbo after he had felled the

Evian striker inside the penalty area. The top four sides all won on Saturday, albeit in contrasting circumstances.

Leaders Paris Saint-Germain ground out a 1-0 win at Brest courtesy of a scruffy Milan Bisevac goal in the first half to remain three points clear of Montpellier, who needed a last-minute goal from Olivier Giroud to prevail 1-0 at Nice.

Nolan Roux scored twice on his debut for third-placed Lille as the champions breezed past Saint-Etienne 3-0, while Lyon, fourth, required a pair of late strikes from Bafetimbi Gomis and Alexandre Lacazette to see off Dijon 3-1.

The preservation of the status quo means that Lille remain seven points behind PSG and four points shy of Montpellier, with Lyon a point further back.

In yesterday’s late game, sixth-placed Marseille will aim to procure their seventh consecutive victory in all competitions at fifth-placed Rennes, who have put together a four-match winning streak of their own.

Victory would take Rennes level on points with Lyon, but in-form Marseille a point behind Frederic Antonetti’s side-are desperate to keep the Champions League places in their sights.—AFP

P 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 19 19 19

W 17 13 10 9 9 7 7 6 7 6

D 1 6 6 4 4 8 6 9 5 8

L 2 1 4 7 7 5 7 4 7 5

F 70 59 31 26 22 30 22 22 30 20

A 19 12 22 24 21 25 26 31 27 20

Pts 52 45 36 31 31 29 27 27 26 26

Played on Saturday Rayo Vallecano 2, Athletic Bilbao 3; Espanyol 1, Real Mallorca 0; Real Madrid 3, Real Zaragoza 1; Villarreal 0, Barcelona 0.

Malaga 19 Real Sociedad 20 Real Betis 20 R Vallecano 20 Real Mallorca 20 Granada CF 20 R Santander 20 Villarreal 20 Sporting Gijon20 Real Zaragoza 20

7 6 7 6 5 6 4 4 5 2

4 6 2 4 7 4 9 8 3 6

8 22 8 22 11 23 10 23 8 17 10 14 7 17 8 18 12 19 12 15

28 28 29 31 25 27 25 28 38 36

25 24 23 22 22 22 21 20 18 12

Polish stadium rocks on its inauguration

Italian League results/standings Italian league results and standings yesterday: Fiorentina 2 (Jovetic 4, Natali 63) Siena 1 (Calaio 89-pen); Cesena 0, Atalanta 1 (M. Rossi 76-og); AS Roma 1 (Pjanic 62) Bologna 1 (Di Vaio 57); Genoa 3 (Palacio 31, 70, Gilardino 36) Napoli 2 (Cavani 81, Lavezzi 82); Chievo 0, Lazio 3 (Lima 21, Klose 88, 89);

0-0 draw at Villarreal.

Also, Fernando Llorente scored a hat trick to give Athletic Bilbao a 3-0 win at Rayo Vallecano, and Espanyol edged 10-man Mallorca 1-0.

Bilbao visits third-tier Mirandes tomorrow in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal. Valencia hosts Barcelona in the other series’ opening game on Wednesday. —AP

GERMANY: Stuttgart ‘s Cacau (left) and Moenchengladbach’s Havard Nordtveit challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match. —AP

Gladbach down Stuttgart BERLIN: Borussia Moenchengladbach ensured just one point separates the top four teams in the German league after their impressive 3-0 win over VfB Stuttgart yesterday.

Gladbach striker Mike Hanke scored the opening goal of the game with a superb header with half an hour played after converting a freekick from rising Germany midfielder Marco Reus to put his side fourth in the table.

Reus slotted home his 12th league goal in 17 games with nine minutes left as Gladbach finished with a flurry and striker Igor de Camargo fired home just a minute later to seal the three points in a comprehensive victory.

Bayern Munich remain top of the league on goal difference after their home win against Wolfsburg on Saturday, but defending Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 are level on 40 points.

Earlier yesterday, German league bottom club Freiburg leaked three goals in the first 17 minutes and had a man sent off in a 3-1 defeat at Mainz as they dropped deeper into the relegation mire.

Freiburg were left reeling after Mainz striker Eric Choupo-Moting netted after three minutes and just 60 seconds later, Senegal defender Fallou Diagne was shown a straight red card for the hosts.

He was dismissed for hauling down Mainz’s Adam Szalai, who was through on goal, and Poland midfielder Eugen Polanski drilled home the resulting penalty.

Things went from bad to worse for Freiburg when Choupo-Moting netted his second on 17 minutes with the defence all at sea.

Freiburg pulled a consolation goal back with 20 minutes left through Czech defender Pavel Krmas and they finished the game the stronger of the two teams after their disasterous start.

Having sold prolific striker Papiss Demba Cisse to Newcastle United, Freiburg are three points from safety - though only four points separate the bottom four teams.

Things are just as tight at the other end as Munich stay top after their 2-0 victory against

Wolves at Bayern’s Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Having previously lost 3-1 at Gladbach last weekend, Bayern bounced back with Mario Gomez scoring on the hour mark before Dutch star Arjen Robben netted in added time. “It wasn’t easy today after the defeat in Gladbach,” said Munich coach Jupp Heynckes.

“The victory will boost our confidence, and we’ll take it from here over the next few weeks.

There’s a lot of footballing potential at Bayern.”

Defending champions Dortmund and Schalke are hard on Bayern’s heels after Japan winger Shinji Kagawa scored twice in Dortmund’s 3-1 win over Hoffenheim.

Kagawa gave Dortmund an early lead before Germany’s Kevin Grosskreutz put the hosts 2-0 up at the break.

The pair combined for the third goal on 55 minutes as Grosskreutz flicked a deft back-heel into Kagawa’s path and the Japan star fired home before Hoffenheim pulled back a consolation goal.

Schalke came from behind to record a 4-1 win at 10-man Cologne to stay third after Germany striker Lukas Podolski gave the hosts an early lead, before suffering a foot injury that threatens to keep him out for up to four weeks.

The Royal Blues got back in the game when Romanian striker Ciprian Marica netted with headers on 60 and 72 minutes.

Cologne’s problems were compounded when defender Miso Brecko was sent off for fouling Schalke’s Julian Draxler in the area and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar netted the penalty.

Midfielder Marco Hoeger completed the rout with a late strike to claim Schalke’s fifth straight league win.

At the other end of the table, second-frombottom Augsburg were held to a 2-2 draw at home to fellow relegation contenders Kaiserslautern, who remain third from bottom.

Hamburg bounced back from last weekend’s hammering at home to Dortmund with a 2-1 win at Hertha Berlin in the capital city. Werder Bremen stay fifth and Bayer Leverkusen sixth after they drew 1-1 in Bremen. —AFP

WARSAW: Poland cleared a crucial hurdle yesterday in its closely-watched preparations for Euro 2012, as thousands braved bone-chilling temperatures at the rock’n’roll inauguration of its new national stadium.

“This is the cherry on the cake,” Mikolaj Piotrowski, spokesman of Poland’s tournament organisers PL.2012, told AFP. “Come June 2012, we’ll share our cake with Europe.”

Huge crowds flocked for a chance to look around the brand-new stadium and get warm by dancing to the sounds of A-list Polish groups including Zakopower and T.Love, before a fireworks show.

On June 8, the 58,000-capacity ground will host the opening ceremony of Euro 2012, as well as the tournament’s first match, pitting hosts Poland against Greece.

Built at a cost of 1.9 billion zloty (450 million euros, $593 million), the basket-shaped stadium in the Polish national colours of white and red is one of eight Euro 2012 venues, with four each in Poland and fellow host country Ukraine.

Euro 2012 marks the first-ever time the quadrennial football championships will have taken place behind the former Iron Curtain, in a region where the infrastructure challenges outweigh anything in previous Western European host nations.

Poland and Ukraine are anxious to prove their organisational mettle, having been plagued by doubters ever since European football’s governing body UEFA picked them as hosts in April 2007, ahead of much-fancied Italy.

Poland’s other stadia are in the Baltic port of Gdansk, the western city of Poznan, and Wroclaw in the southwest, opened in 2010 and 2011.

Ukraine’s quartet are in Kiev, plus Lviv, Donetsk and Kharkiv. The Warsaw inauguration was due last July, but was put off after construction headaches, and organisers faced last-minute nerves as safety officials only gave a green light on Friday. The stadium sits on the right bank of the River Vistula which cuts through the centre of the Polish capital, and lies opposite the historical Old Town which like most of the city was razed by Nazi Germany during World War II. It lies on the site of stadium which was constructed by Poland’s post-war communist regime by piling up war rubble and carving out a bowl.

After the regime fell in 1989, the stadium became a symbol of the cowboy capitalism of the post-communist years, hosting a huge open-air bazaar which was closed in September 2007. Work remains to be done on the new stadium, with the turf yet to be laid. The first football match - the Polish SuperCup between Legia Warsaw and Wisla Krakow - is scheduled for February 11, provided the pitch passes muster and the police approve security measures. —AFP

WARSAW: Visitors watch a rock concert during the opening ceremony of the National Stadium in Warsaw. The stadium will host the opening game of the Euro 2012 soccer championships to be held in Poland and Ukraine. —AP

Sociedad rout Gijon 5-1

Vonn denied by Hoefl-Riesch

19

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MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

India seeks bright future as stars wane

Page 16

LONDON: Arsenal’s French Laurent Koscielny (second right) is awarded a penalty for this challenge from Aston Villa’s Darrent Bent (right) during the fourth round FA Cup football match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium. — AFP

Arsenal fight back to defeat Villa LONDON: Arsenal staged a stunning comeback to reach the FA Cup fifth round as the Gunners recovered from two goals down to snatch a dramatic 3-2 win against Aston Villa yesterday.

Arsene Wenger’s side were heading for a shock fourth round exit after first half goals from Richard Dunne and Darren Bent put Villa in control at the Emirates Stadium.

But, facing the unpalatable prospect of a fourth successive defeat, the Gunners finally silenced the frustrated jeers of the home fans with a sensational second half display.

Three goals in seven minutes-two Robin van Persie penalties sandwiching a lucky strike from Theo Walcott-overwhelmed Villa and earned Arsenal a last 16 trip to Sunderland or Middlesbrough.

After a torrid start to the new year this was exactly the kind of spirited effort Wenger desperately needed to lift the gloom surrounding the north London club.

Wenger had endured a torrent of abuse following his ill-fated decision to send on Andrey Arshavin for Alex OxladeChamberlain during last weekend’s defeat against Manchester United. Young winger Oxlade-Chamberlain was back in Wenger’s starting line-up here, while the much-maligned Arshavin had to be content with a place on the bench.

Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen went close to providing the ideal start when his ferocious free-kick was pushed over by Shay Given.

But after a cautious opening, Villa went ahead with a wellworked goal in the 33rd minute. Stiliyan Petrov played a short corner to Robbie Keane, who returned possession to the Bulgarian. As Arsenal’s defenders stood off, Petrov had time to clip a clever back-heel to Keane, who floated a teasing cross to the far post where Dunne rose above Laurent Koscielny to power his header past Lukasz Fabianski.

Stephen Ireland almost gifted Arsenal an immediate equaliser with a ridiculously careless pass in his own penalty area. Aaron Ramsey intercepted but his shot was scrambed away for a corner.

Villa were going forward with real confidence now and extended their lead with a majestic move in first half stoppagetime. Gabriel Agbonlahor started the attack from deep in his own half and Petrov then switched play to the right wing, where Ireland slipped a sublime pass behind the Arsenal defence for Bent to chase.

Bent got there before Vermaelen and when his initial shot was saved by Fabianski, the Villa striker kept his composure to slot the rebound into the empty net. Wenger’s players trudged off with the home fans’ anger ringing in their ears.

It needed an immediate response in the second half to avert a crisis and Arsenal delivered in emphatic fashion. The hosts were unlucky not to reduce the deficit when Per Mertesacker’s header was cleared off the line by Ireland.

But they were back in the tie in the 54th minute when Dunne halted Ramsey’s surging run into the Villa area with a crude foul.

Referee Mike Jones pointed for a penalty and van Persie stroked home the spot-kick for his 24th goal of the season.

Suddenly Arsenal had been lifted out of their lethargy and they equalised in the 57th minute.

Walcott, previously a subdued figure, raced away from Stephen Warnock before cutting towards goal. It seemed as though Villa had escaped when Walcott’s shot hit a post, but Arsenal’s luck was in as Alan Hutton’s attempted clearance struck Walcott and flashed back into the net. Walcott knew little about it but no-one in Arsenal colours cared and the mood changed from relief to wild celebration when the Gunners took the lead four minutes later.

Koscielny carried the attack to Villa with a ramaging run into the area, prompting Bent to bring the defender down with a despairing lunge. Again Jones awarded the penalty and once more van Persie sent Given the wrong way with a clinical spotkick. Villa threatened an equaliser through Ciaran Clark’s late header, but Arsenal had done enough to complete the sensational fightback.- — AFP

Campbell rescues Sunderland SUNDERLAND: Fraizer Campbell brought an end to 17 months of injury frustration to earn Sunderland a 1-1 draw at home to north-east rivals Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fourth round yesterday.

The Black Cats forward, who has battled back from two career-threatening cruciate knee ligament problems, made a dream return, scoring within 15 minutes of his first appearance since August 2010, his previous goal having arrived almost two years ago.

“Personally, I was delighted to be back out there,” Campbell told ITV. “We started sloppy, and let them dictate to us, but we dug deep. Cup games are like that, especially a local derby, which adds that little bit more spice, but I think we deserved the draw and we move on to the next game.”

Campbell, recalling his injury problems, added: “You can’t put it into words. It was a tough 18 months for myself, but days like this are what I’ve been waiting for, and hopefully now I can stay injury-free and just do what I do.”

In a predictably feisty derby, Championship promotionchasing Middlesbrough stunned their Premier League hosts by breaking the deadlock mid-way through the first half. However, they were pegged back by former Manchester United forward Campbell, a half-time substitute for England Under-21 striker Connor Wickham.

The 24-year-old produced a cool first-time finish to beat Danny Coyne from 10 yards, after running onto a perfect LONDON: Sunderland’s Wes Brown (front) collides with 59th-minute through-ball from James McClean, who teammate Kieran Richardson during their English FA Cup pounced on an errant pass from Barry Robson, the fourth round soccer match at the Stadium of Light. — AP Scotland international who had given Middlesbrough an

Favorites kept apart in FA Cup draw LONDON: The leading clubs left in this season’s FA Cup were kept apart from one another in the fifth-round draw made here yesterday.

Liverpool’s reward for knocking bitter rivals Manchester United out of the FA Cup on Saturday was a home last 16 clash against Championship (secondtier) side Brighton, a team they beat 2-1 earlier this season en route to the League Cup final.

Meanwhile, Premier League high-flyers Tottenham Hotspur, eight-time FA Cup winners, travel to Stevenage Borough of third-tier League One. Fourth-division Crawley Town, the lowest ranked club left in the tournament, are at home to Stoke City, last season’s losing finalists, following a 1-0 win away to Championship side Hull City.

Only one all-Premier League clash is possible in the last 16, although Sunderland must first overcome Championship nor th-east rivals Middlesbrough, who held them to a 1-1 derby draw if they are to face Arsenal

after the Gunners came from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa 3-2, also yesterday.

Chelsea, who beat local rivals QPR 10 on Saturday, will be at home to Championship side Birmingham City, with Everton facing the winners of the replay between Blackpool and Sheffield Wednesday.

Nor wich City, promoted to the Premier League this season, face Championship side Leicester City, while top-flight strugglers Bolton Wanderers travel to the winners of the all-second tier replay between Millwall and promotion-chasing Southampton. The fifthround ties will be played on the weekend of February 18-19.

5th round draw Liverpool v Brighton and Hove Albion; Everton v Blackpool or Sheffield Wednesday; Chelsea v Birmingham City; Crawley Town v Stoke City; Stevenage Borough v Tottenham Hotspur; Norwich City v Leicester City; Sunderland or Middlesbrough v Arsenal; Millwall or Southampton v Bolton Wanderers. —AFP

early lead.

Middlesbrough had more than held their own when Robson broke the deadlock in the 16th minute with his eighth goal of the season.

The 33-year-old midfielder latched onto John O’Shea’s weak clearing header from a Faris Haroun cross, showing impeccable technique to volley left-footed past unsighted goalkeeper Simon Mignolet into the bottom corner from 18 yards. Afterwards, Robson’s mood was one of frustration with his defensive error rather than joy at his goal.

“That was a bit of slackness from myself and I’m disappointed,” he said of his stray pass. “It was a simple little task, but it happens. Top footballers do it so we’ll move on.”

Sunderland felt they should have been on level terms when, shortly before the interval, they had an effort ruled out in controversial circumstances.

Craig Gardner appeared to handle as the Sunderland midfielder controlled the ball in the six-yard box to send a low left-footed effort into the bottom corner off the post.

Celebrations were cut short, however, by the linesman’s flag-not for Gardner’s sleight of hand, but an offside decision ruling on Wickham.

There was still time for Lukas Jutkiewicz, the forward making his full debut following a £1.5 million ($2.36m) move from Championship rivals Coventry City, to spurn a glorious chance to double Middlesbrough’s advantage before the break. The 22-year-old saw his initial shot blocked by Mignolet and, when the ball found its way back to him via Haroun, the unmarked striker fired wide from 10 yards in a major let-off for the hosts. —AFP

Celtic made to sweat for League Cup final place GLASGOW: Celtic were made to work hard for their place in the League Cup final as they edged out First Division Falkirk 3-1 in an entertaining semi-final at Hampden yesterday.

Gary Hooper had already seen his 11th-minute strike harshly ruled out for offside before Scott Brown put the Hoops ahead from the penalty spot after Darren Dods had wrestled Thomas Rogne to the ground in the 26th minute.

Falkirk, who had defeated holders Rangers and fellow SPL side Dundee United on the way to the semi-final, were not overawed by the occasion and got themselves level through Jay Fulton in the 40th minute following a fine flowing move.

Fulton missed a great chance just after the break before Anthony Stokes restored Celtic’s lead with a curling free-kick ten minutes after the break.

Celtic keeper Fraser Forster made a couple of crucial saves before Stokes tapped in his second goal against his former club in the 86th minute as the Hoops progressed to face Kilmarnock in March’s final - though coach Neil Lennon admitted it had not been plain sailing.

“People might say that Falkirk deserved better but looking from my point of view we missed so

many chances today,” Lennon said.

“We’ve hit the bar twice, we’ve hit the post and we’ve missed two one-on-ones with the goalkeeper so we could have won the game more comfortably,” he opined. Falkirk counterpart Steven Pressley thought his side had been terrific, despite losing.

“Our players can go away from here exceptionally proud,” said Pressley. “We came here against an in-form Celtic side and we gave them one hell of a game.” Falkirk had started on the front foot with Keiran Duffie not far away with an early effort from distance. Moments later Kallum Higginbotham went on a surging run before picking out Farid El Alagui but the Moroccan sliced his first time effort wide.

Celtic soon settled into the game and had the ball in the net in the 11th minute.

Michael McGovern tipped a curling shot from Brown on to the post before Hooper rifled the rebound in to the roof of the net but his effort was harshly chalked off for offside.

Things got worse for the Bairns in the 26th minute when Brown gave Celtic the lead from the penalty spot after referee Euan Norris penalised veteran defender Dods for hauling Rogne to the ground at a corner. — AFP

Indian banker says Gulf region very important Page 22

KSE stocks eke out gains Page 24 MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

Trade cheats beware, US team will come after you

Mada offers ‘Internet sahala’ at ‘Info-Connect’

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Davos focus on euro, rich-poor gap Global elite see euro surviving, for now DAVOS: Europe’s crippling debt crisis dominated the world’s foremost gathering of business and political leaders, but for the first time the consequences of growing inequalities between the planet’s haves and have-nots also became an issue.

The attention to inequality was in part sparked by the Arab Spring and protests around the globe that spotlighted poverty and unemployment. Despite some guarded optimism about Europe’s latest attempts to stem the euro-zone crisis, fears remain that turmoil could return and spill over to the rest of the world, and there were no answers to the widening inequality gap. The mood at the five-day meeting of the World Economic Forum that ended yesterday was somber, and more than 2,500 VIPs headed home concerned about what lies ahead in 2012.

At a discreet farewell dinner in Davos for Swiss National Bank chief Philipp Hildebrand, a handful of guests including central bankers past and present were handed blank sheets of paper. Before they began eating they were asked to write down the probability, in their view, that the euro would collapse in the next five years, according to two of those present at the meal. They were also asked what likelihood they thought financial markets assigned to such an event. The result, announced at the end of the dinner, can hardly have helped the Europeans’ digestion.

On average the guests - from Switzerland, the euro zone, North America and Latin America - saw a 21 percent risk of the 17-nation single currency breaking up in five years, one participant said. They concluded markets envisage a 35 percent chance the euro will not exist in its current form.

It was not possible to corroborate the figures with other diners who cited the private nature of the event. Some declined to reveal the content of the discussions at all. The straw poll among current and recently retired policymakers reflected a wider mood of short-term relief tinged with longerterm doubt among the world’s movers and shakers at this year’s World Economic Forum session in the Swiss Alps. In contrast to pre-Christmas fears of an imminent breakdown, few now expect the euro to blow up suddenly this year after the European Central Bank flooded banks with cheap long-term money.

“We know for sure that we have avoided a major, major credit crunch, a major funding crisis,” ECB chief Mario Draghi told Davos delegates. Bankers concurred.

In another hopeful sign, Greece says it is close to a deal in

which private creditors would “voluntarily” accept a roughly 70 percent write down on their government bond holdings as part of a second bailout package for Europe’s worst debtor. The alternative to this “soft” debt restructuring would be a potentially chaotic hard default, which banks and governments are desperate to avoid if possible.

Even if Greece is rescued again, much remains to be done to restore market confidence in the euro’s long-term survival.

The gloom was felt most strongly in North America and Asia, where investors impatient with the complexity of the EU machine have lost trust and simply got out. High-level private meetings over four days in Davos helped many appreciate that progress is being made in Europe.

Away from the media glare, a secret steering group of top European and U.S. policymakers, the ECB’s Draghi and IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde discussed how to strengthen financial defences to protect the euro zone.

The group, including finance ministers of France, Germany and the United States, discussed a plan to assemble a combined warchest of 1.5 trillion euros by the time of the International Monetary Fund’s spring meeting in April, one participant said.

That depends on Germany agreeing to let a new 500 billion euro permanent rescue mechanism run in parallel with an existing bailout fund that has about 250 billion euros left after lending almost as much to Greece, Portugal and Ireland.

Chancellor Angela Merkel gave no clear signal of acceptance in her keynote Davos address, challenging the assumption of some policymakers and market participants that a doubling or trebling of existing rescue funds would restore real trust.

Germany wants to be sure it has nailed down a new treaty on stricter budget discipline in the euro zone and a rulebook for the permanent bailout fund before it shows its hand on extra money, EU officials say.

“Actually people are slightly more optimistic at the end of the week than at the beginning,” British finance minister George Osborne, a member of the eurosceptical Conservative party, said.

Yet a note of caution is in order. Many delegates left last year’s Davos too thinking the crisis was nearly over. This year, the mood was darkened by a bleak outlook for economic growth, with rising unemployment and deep recession in southern Europe widening a continental divide and making

DAVOS: International Monetary Fund, IMF, managing director Christine Lagarde shows her bag as she speaks during a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos. —AP efforts to balance public finances even more difficult.

Participants were most impressed this time by the decisive action of the ECB to shore up teetering banks. As a result, “there is not going to be a Lehman-style event in Europe”, Canadian Central Bank chief Mark Carney said, referring to the collapse of the US investment bank in 2008, that triggered the global financial crisis.

Markets had been baying for the ECB to step in as a lender of last resort to debt stricken countries, but the bank had fired its “bazooka” indirectly via the banks to avoid breaching its treaty mandate. “The euro will continue to exist in its current form. It is highly likely that all countries will remain in. I think the odds are it just stays together,” said Gary Parr, vice chairman

of US-based investment bank Lazard Ltd. Parr said American scepticism about the euro-zone’s ability to mend itself was a mirror image of the subprime crisis of 2007-9, which was primarily felt in the United States.

In an informal show of hands at a closed-door session on global currencies, a majority of participants said they believed in the long-term survival of the single currency. Those who affirmed the euro would still be around in 10 years included a non-EU central banker and a top European regulator. Market doubts about the euro focus on Europe’s ability to rein in fiscal excesses at a time of slow growth and high unemployment, and a growing gap in economic competitiveness between northern and southern Europe. — Agencies

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MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

business

Indian banker says Gulf region very important SBI opens branches in Saudi, Qatar

BRUSSELS: India’s biggest and oldest bank, the State Bank of India (SBI), recently opened two new branches in the Gulf region, one in Saudi Arabia and one in Qatar, as part of its plans to expand operations abroad. “The Indian banking sector plays a very important role for trade and finance in the Gulf region and the Middle East. We have branches in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, “Hemant Contractor, Managing Director and respon-

sible for international operations of SBI, told the Kuwait news agency, KUNA, during a visit to Belgium.

“We are there in a big way, but Kuwait is the only GCC country where we don’t have a branch,” he said. Contractor said the UAE is India’s largest trading partner in the Gulf and ties between the Gulf region and India “is very, very strong.”

He noted that the SBI is seeking to increase its presence abroad. Currently it is

present in 34 countries across the world and has 170 branches in those countries.

SBI has 14 branches in Europe including 10 in the UK and one each in Belgium, Germany and France and a representative office in Italy. SBI branch in the Belgian city of Antwerp is its fifth largest branch.

Asked about the effect of Iranian oil import ban to Europe on India’s economy, Contractor noted that “India does import oil from Iran in a big way and ever since the

last one year this has become a major issue because of the restrictions imposed both by the US and now also the EU on import of oil from Iran.”

“So Indian oil companies have tried to find out alternate sources of fuel supply and reduce dependence on Iran. It will involve some pain initially but I think they will have to look at other alternatives for supply of oil. They are tapping other sources in the Gulf,” he added. — KUNA

Dhaka inks coal power plant deal with Delhi DHAKA: Bangladesh has signed a deal with an Indian state-run company to build a $1.5-billion coal-fired power plant to help ease a severe shortage. The plant is expected to open in 2016 and produce daily 1,320 megawatts of electricity.

Bangladesh’s Power Development Board chairman Alamgir Kabir and Arup Roy Choudhury of India’s National Thermal Power Corp signed the agreement in Dhaka yesterday.

Bangladesh relies on decades-old gas-fired plants. A daily shortfall of about 2,000 megawatts is blamed for hampering the economy. With about 3.3 billion tons of coal reserves, the country of 150 million people is looking into options for coal-fired power plants.

The government says the economy is expected to grow by more than 6 percent this year. — AP

DHAKA: Chairmen of Bangladesh’s Power Development Board (PDB) Alamgir Kabir (right) and India’s National Thermal Power Corp (NTPC) Arup Roy Choudhury (left) shake hands at a ceremony in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka yesterday. —AFP

Tamweel reports Q4 profit jump DUBAI: Tamweel, the Dubai-based shariacompliant mortgage lender, made a fourthquarter net profit of 31 million dirhams ($8.44 million) in 2011, the company said in a statement yesterday.

The figure was close to a four-fold increase on the 8 million dirham profit it recorded in the final three months of 2010. The firm, in which Dubai Islamic Bank is the majority shareholder, posted a full-year net profit of 101.9 million dirhams, a 291.9 percent rise from 26 million dirhams for 2010.

Income from Islamic financing and investing assets for 2011 was 559 million dirhams, up slightly from 553.2 million dirhams in 2010, the statement said.

Total assets at the company stood at 10 billion dirhams at the end of last year, a 2 percent fall from the 10.2 billion dirhams total in 2010. DIB, the United Arab Emirates’ third-

Emirates NBD investment banking CEO to leave

largest bank by market value, raised its stake in Tamweel to 58.25 percent in September 2010, effectively rendering the mortgage lender a subsidiary of the bank.

Tamweel and its rival Amlak ran into trouble after the collapse of Dubai’s real estate sector in 2008.Trading in the shares of both companies were halted, with Tamweel only resuming last May after a hiatus of more than two years. Amlak’s shares remain suspended.

Tamweel returned to the debt capital markets this year for the first time since its shares started trading again, printing a $300 million five-year Islamic bond, or sukuk, which was guaranteed by DIB. Shares in Tamweel fell 1.1 percent in trading on Sunday but are up 7.3 percent since the beginning of the year. Earnings were released after the Dubai Financial Market had closed. — Reuters

DUBAI: The chief executive of Dubai lender Emirates NBD’s investment banking division is leaving the bank, three sources familiar with the matter said.

Suresh Kumar, who was a board member and appointed head of Emirates NBD Capital in 2009, has worked with the bank for over twenty years and held senior management roles with Emirates Bank Group before its 2007 merger with National Bank of Dubai to create Emirates NBD. A spokesman for ENBD declined to comment yesterday.

Last year, ENBD consolidated its investment banking and financial advisory businesses under its Emirates NBD Capital unit and

appointed Mohammed Wajid Kamran as general manager of the arm, according to an internal bank memo seen by Reuters. Kamran was previously the bank’s general manager of institutional and international banking and debt capital markets. It was unclear who would replace Kumar.

Emirates NBD, which is 55.64 percent owned by Investment Corporation of Dubai, is one of the major creditors to Dubai World, the state-linked conglomerate that completed a $25 billion restructuring in 2010.

The bank is also involved in the restructuring of Dubai Holding, a conglomerate owned by the emirate’s ruler. — Reuters

Economic crises offer unique opportunities Investment Heatmap 2012 KUWAIT: Investors will both do good and maximize their chances of locking in attractive longterm returns by investing in businesses that provide solutions to some of the greatest challenges of our age, said the chairman of Africa’s largest private equity firm.

The myriad global challenges now faced by business and policymakers alike are daunting, but a look beyond the headlines shows there are unique opportunities to lay the foundation for sustainable global growth by building real businesses that address the needs of a massive, fastgrowing emerging markets population, the founder of Africa’s largest private equity firm said yesterday in Davos, Switzerland.

“We gather here tonight from the four corners of the world under clouds. Not one single cloud, but many,” said Ahmed Heikal, Chairman and Founder of Citadel Capital, the leading private equity firm in the Middle East and Africa with $9 billion in investments under control.

“In some cases, these are clouds particular to our unique circumstances,” he noted. “In my neighborhood, we have the still-unfolding revolutions and, in some cases, political strife and conflict. Globally, even those who enjoy relative calm face falling consumer and business confidence, a slowdown in global economic activity, high and rising commodity prices, and challenging public finances.

“But uprisings, natural disasters, nuclear meltdowns and debt defaults do not need to be the hallmarks of our age. We have a unique opportunity to chart a brighter economic future by focusing not on traditional opportunities, but on opportunities to generate returns while solving problems,” he said in opening remarks at the World Economic Forum’s Investor Reception before serving as a discussion leader for an interactive workshop titled ‘The Investment Heatmap 2012.’

With emerging and frontier-market governments facing both rising public expectations and constrained balance sheets at the same time as developed markets slow down, business brings to the table the ability to articulate and implement solutions to some of the pressing challenges of our age.

“Despite investor flight immediately after the Egyptian Revolution, Citadel Capital raised equity and debt of well over $ 300 million in 2011 for our 19-platform portfolio while adding a further $325 million in fresh cash to our balance sheet. We did this because we have built viable businesses that create value for our investors by offering solutions to pressing national challenges.

“Our investments offer solutions to solid waste problems; they will eliminate Egypt’s reliance on diesel imports while simultaneously preventing the release of nearly 180,000 tons of sulfur dioxide each year; they ease road congestion and reduce emissions by shifting transport off our highways and onto un-used water ways,” Heikal said.

“This emphasis on solutions is not solely in Egypt, of course: It extends across our 15-country footprint, from re-building the national railway of Kenya and Uganda to growing critical crops for local sale in Sudan and South Sudan,” he added.

“With 2012 giving every sign of looking a lot like 2011,” he concluded, “the challenge for us today is not to complain about gathering clouds, but to start investing in enterprises that solve these problems.”

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2730000 .4330000 .3630000 .3010000 .2740000 .2920000 .0040000 .0020000 .0750920 .7316020 .3830000 .0710000 .7172040 .0040000 .0430000

.2800000 .4420000 .3720000 .3100000 .2820000 .3010000 .0070000 .0035000 .0758470 .7389550 .4000000 .0760000 .7244120 .0072000 .0520000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2766000 .2787000 GB Pound/KD .4351890 .4384930 Euro .3657070 .3684830 Swiss francs .3033390 .3056420 Canadian dollars .2761440 .2782410 Danish Kroner .0491890 .0495630 Swedish Kroner .0410230 .0413350 Australian dlr .2944410 .2966760 Hong Kong dlr .0356700 .0359400 Singapore dlr .2210320 .2227110 Japanese yen .0036070 .0036340 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 .0056770 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 .0024560 Pakistan rupee .0000000 .0031040 Bangladesh taka .0000000 .00331040 UAE dirhams .0753370 .0759090 Bahraini dinars .7339790 .7395520 Jordanian dinar .0000000 .3942010 Saudi Riyal/KD .0739530 .0743400 Omani riyals .7187220 .7241780 Philippine Peso .0000000 .0065670

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.598 5.337 3.154 2.436 3.341 213.250 35.672 3.580 6.336 8.873 0.271 0.273

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 74.150 76.402 722.230 738.540 75.715

Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 47.500 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.282 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.272 Tunisian Dinar 189.860 Jordanian Dinar 392.670 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.865 Syrian Lier 6.003 Morocco Dirham 33.814 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 277.950 Euro 370.650 Sterling Pound 431.930 Canadian dollar 268.420 Turkish lire 153.940 Swiss Franc 300.620 Australian dollar 277.000 US Dollar Buying 277.750 GOLD 315.500 159.000 81.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

COUNTRY

SELL CASH

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal

299.700 738.950 3.690 281.100 545.700 44.400 50.100 167.800 48.030 371.700 36.510 5.800 0.032 0.189 0.248 3.720 394.050 0.188 93.970 46.400 4.270 232.700 1.800 48.900 721.720

SELL DRAFT

298.200 738.950 3.310 279.600

223.600 46.045 370.200 36.360 5.640 0.032

10 Tola

75.660 277.800

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

277.750 280.147 437.589 369.497 301.675 735.511 75.598 76.236 74.026 390.969 46.037 2.431 5.636 3.084 3.302 6.479 681.308 3.671 8.875 5.846 3.567 92.259

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

299.80 281.92 306.72 368.15

440.00 3.70 3.700 5.730 2.660 4.250 3.260 76.50 741.60 48.20 396.00 728.00 77.25 75.85

277.800 3.076 5.640 2.450 3.300 6.525 75.735 74.230 738.500 46.015 442.500 3.190 1.550 373.000 282.900 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange

UAE Exchange Center WLL Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro

438.83 3.64 3.299 5.556 2.444 3.479 3.086 75.80 740.66 46.10 396.14 723.67 76.78 74.35

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 439.300 277.800

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Currency

721.540

307.200 4.400 9.150

Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

Currency

393.720 0.187 93.970 3.540 231.200

3.080 6.500 76.430 74.190 223.610 38.510 2.437 439.300

GOLD 1,801.860

Rate for Transfer

Bahrain Exchange Company

3.180 6.740 76.860 74.190 223.610 38.510 2.636 441.300 42.000 308.700 4.400 9.230 198.263 75.760 278.200 1.290

297.00 280.00 307.00 370.00

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

278.050 369.200 439.600 279.200 3.595 5.560 46.084 2.441 3.255 6.485 3.088 740.550 75.750 74.250

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

business

Greek debt-swap talks still going on NBK MONEY MARKETS REPORT

KUWAIT: FX markets are still turned towards any hint about the Greek debtswap deal, but there is still no clear direction in the market as to what the agreement will be. However, traders are optimistic that EU officials will draft a deal in time to avoid a potential default, which boosted the risk sentiment last week and weakened the US Dollar accordingly.

Moreover, the Federal Reserve’s meeting and Bernanke’s statement afterwards also gave a hit to the greenback as the Central Bank extended its low interest rate period and sounded more dovish than usual about the state of the US economy.

Therefore, the US dollar had a negative week against most of its counterparts, shown by the performance of the dollar Index. After opening at 80.20, the Dollar Index broke lower to a low of 79.07 after the Fed’s meeting, and closed the week at an even lower level of 78.84.

The euro was able to keep its upward trend last week even though talks about the Greek debt agreement were unclear.

The single currency opened the week at 1.2930 and managed to reach a high of 1.3185 on Thursday, before ending sessions at 1.3220. Although the MPC’s minutes showed disagreement among policymakers and GDP figures were lower than expected, the Sterling Pound had a somewhat similar performance to its European counterpart. The pound started on Monday at 1.5575, reached a high of 1.5735 towards the end of the week, and closed at 1.5730. The Swiss Franc followed suit with the Euro, strengthening against the greenback from an opening level of 0.9350 to 0.9150, and closed at 0.9125. USDJPY broke its usual trend, and was able to reach a two-month high of 78.28, before reversing its trend and closing the week at 76.70.

Due to the weakness of the US dollar, gold strengthened from levels around $1,660 and ended the week at the high level of $1,739.

Fed meeting The Federal Reserve’s meeting last week ended as expected with the Central Bank taking no action in terms of implementing further policy actions to boost the financial markets overtly, or quantitative easing. The only real shocker coming out of the meeting was the statement that the Fed expects to “hold rates at exceptionally low levels until late 2014”, which is an extension of about one year from the previous meeting. The FOMC’s dovish statement was further underscored by the Fed’s downbeat assessment of the economy. The statement characterized housing as “depressed”, unemployment as “still elevated”, and business investment as having “slowed”.

Furthermore, the outlook for GDP growth in 2012 was downgraded slightly, and the Fed still does not see inflation as an issue. The Fed stopped short of giving any explicit signals of QE3. Yet, Bernanke did say that the balance sheet is likely to remain at current size for longer than previously expected. Expanding the balance sheet remains an option according to the Chairman and will be considered seriously if progress towards full employment slows down or if inflation falls relative to the Fed’s forecast. One significant development was the announcement of an explicit inflation target of 2.0%, but the Central Bank was a bit more vague on its unemployment objective and gave a range of 5.2% to 6.0% as the estimate of the longer-run normal rate.

Pending home sales The number of Americans signing contracts to buy previously owned homes in December held near a 19month high, showing that the stabilization in the market that began in late 2011 could extend into the new year. The index of pending home sales decreased 3.5% last month after jumping a combined 18% in October and November. It was the best back-to-back reading since a buyer tax credit boosted demand in early 2010. The ability of the market to sustain gains in the absence of government incentives may mean housing has stopped weighing on growth. President Obama proposed last week a plan aimed at reducing monthly mor tgage payments, which would help combat a drop in home prices that is impending the world’s largest economy according to some Fed policymakers.

New home sales Sales of new US homes unexpectedly declined in December for the first time in four months, capping the slowest year on record for builders. Purchases of single-family properties decreased 2.2% to 307,000, from an earlier reading of 315,000, and lower than the expected 321,000. Last year marked the worst year for the industry since 1963. The threat of further price declines may be dissuading some Americans from buying a new home even with mortgage rates near alltime lows and more people finding work.

Europe European services and manufacturing output strengthened in January, led by a robust per formance by the region’s largest economy, Germany. Purchasing Managers Indices for manufacturing and services both surged this month, with the composite index increasing from 48.3 to 50.4, thus crossing the 50 level that separates contraction from expansion.

Slower growth The UK economy shrank more than economists had forecasted in the fourth quarter of 2011, as manufacturers cut output and services stagnated, leaving Britain on the brink of another recession.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell 0.2% from the third quarter, lower than the 0.1% drop expected. Bank of England Governor Mervyn King stated that policymakers could increase stimulus again if needed to aid the ailing economy and guard against a “renewed severe downturn”.

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) decided last week to leave its monetar y polic y unchanged for the third month in a row even as it lowered its forecast for growth.

The central bank’s policy board voted unanimously at the end of its two-day meeting to leave its policy rate, the unsecured overnight call loan rate, in a 0%0.10% range. The Central Bank said it lowered its forecasts for real gross domestic product to a 0.4% contraction for this fiscal year and a 2.0% gain for the next year, from its previous projections of 0.3% and 2.2% gains, respectively. The bank still expects the year- on-year change in the consumer price index, excluding volatile food, to be at 0.5% in fiscal 2013, a sign that it thinks deflation will persist into 2014 and will maintain a lax monetary policy until then.

Kuwait Kuwaiti dinar at 0.27715 The USDKWD opened at 0.27715 on Sunday morning.

Saudi CB and CMA to coordinate supervision JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s central bank will play a bigger role in the supervision of the country’s financial sector as the kingdom weighs opening up its stock market to direct investments by foreigners.

The countr y ’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) said yesterday that it had signed a cooperation agreement with the central bank or Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) to coordinate supervision of the financial sector in order to improve its stability. As per the agreement, the two entities will coordinate in the supervision of corporate governance, risk management measures, initial public offerings (IPOs), sukuk issuance and merger and acquisition regulations as well as the exchange of information.

Currently companies need only CMA approval for mergers and capital increases. “It’s been to a degree anticipated...

From the market perspective it makes sense to have streamlining and making sure any inconsistencies are eliminated

ahead of time rather than after the fact,” said National Commercial Bank chief economist Jarmo Kotilaine.

“Given the stage of development in the Saudi market, it makes sense to have a system whereby the regulators compare notes on an ongoing basis and coordinate their activities,” he said.

CMA also stated that the two bodies would coordinate before issuing or renewing regulations or taking any steps to ensure the stability of the Saudi financial sector. Saudi Arabia is in the process of finalizing plans for foreigners to invest directly in its stock market, the biggest in the region. Last week the CMA amended article 14 of its listing rules, allowing foreign companies to list securities on the kingdom’s bourse, taking the kingdom a step closer to direct ownership for overseas investors.

In December Saudi King Abdullah appointed a new central bank governor, Fahd bin Abdullah al-Mubarak, replacing Muhammad Al-Jasser. — Reuters

KUWAIT: (Left) Ahmed Ebraheem, Mada General Manager and Shahad Ibrahim pose for a photograph at their booth at Kuwait International Fair Ground in Misref yesterday. (Right) Mada staff members pose for a souvenir photo at the venue.—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Mada provides ‘Internet sahala’ at ‘Info-Connect’

Unlimited connectivity, no strings attached

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Mada, a telecom company providing wireless data and Internet connectivity to users in Kuwait is offering ‘Internet sahala’, at the ‘Info-Connect, Info-Biz’ exhibitions. Mada promised to provide ‘Internet sahala’; no sim cards, no strings, no capping, but with unlimited Internet connectivity.

Mada is just one of many companies exhibiting their products and services to customers during the five-day ‘Info-Connect’ exhibition being held at the Kuwait International Fair Ground in Mishref. Mada is located at Hall No 7, one of the three exhibition venues inside the Fair Grounds. The exhibition kicked off yesterday and will go on till February 4.

Ahmed Ebraheem, General Manager, said Mada provides a broadband solution for customers in corporate segments, government institutions or individuals.

“We invested heavily in the new

system which is basically what we call now the ‘plug and play ’ scheme. Plug and play or simply ‘Internet sahala’ [Arabic for ‘done easily’] needs no technicians; all you need to do is plug your connectivity to power and you’ve got the Internet connection. You do not need telephone lines, sim cards or anything; just a small, portable gadget will connect you to the world,” he said.

Ebraheem said, over the last two years, Mada invested heavily in research and development, tools and equipments and building infrastructure [broadband network] to provide the best quality service according to market needs.

Formerly known as Arab Telecom, Mada takes pride in three main Internet sahala products; the SoHo Wireless Broadband, Biscuit Portable Wifi Router and Xenon USB Dongle.

SoHo according to Ebraheem is an ‘all-in-one device’, with wireless broadband access including data,

voice and WiFi. The Biscuit Portable WiFi Router on another hand is a portable multi-user wireless modem that gives ultimate Internet freedom to users. It has a built-in battery that can operate up to six hours. Biscuit can be used anywhere to access the Internet via a WiFi-enabled device.

Meanwhile, the Xenon USB Dongle is also a plug and play device. However Xenon provides wireless access to the Internet at any point. You can simply plug Xenon to establish an Internet connection. It can be used with any laptop or desktop which has a USB-por t. “ We believe that we should be providing a broadband for individuals. We’ve been suffering from lack of Internet access for a long time but with Mada, we can compete in terms of services, and bandwidth quality,” he said.

“If something goes wrong with our products, we can easily resolve them soon. We value our customers; in fact to stress more on

this, we gave free trial for a week to individuals and companies. If the customers weren’t happy, we offered to return their money, no questions asked,” he added.

Competition in this segment is quite stiff, but according to Ebraheem, customers are benefiting from it. “If you remember, when the Internet came into being, many could not afford it, but now, it has become cheaper and accessible. Plus, we provide better services to the market,” he said.

Shahad Ibrahim, Director of Marketing said ‘Internet sahala’ is currently a trend. “People want something easy that can do many things; Internet sahala gives you more features at no additional cost,” Shahad mentioned.

Promotional prices are available at the venue including all their branches located in Bairaq Mall, Muhalab Mall, Marina Mall, Sharq Mall and The Avenues throughout the duration of the exhibition.

RBS boss Hester could pocket 8m stg bonus in future LONDON: The chief executive of bailed-out lender Royal Bank of Scotland, already under political pressure to give back a 1 million pound ($1.6 million) bonus for 2011, could get eight times as much in future under his current contract. RBS CEO Stephen Hester could theoretically receive an 8 million pound bonus under a long-term incentive plan that gives him a maximum of 375 percent of his annual 1.2 million pound salary, along with other share plans in place, based on RBS’ recent stock price of 28 pence.

RBS, 83 percent owned by the British government after a state bailout during the 2008 credit crisis, said this week that Hester’s 2012 share award and long-term incentive plan would continue in line with a policy set out in 2010.

RBS declined to comment on the situation yesterday. Anger over bankers’ pay has shown few signs of abating, with many still set for million pound salaries while elsewhere thousands lose their jobs in a weakening global economy.

In Britain, the salaries at RBS and Lloyds are particularly controversial since both banks were bailed out with 66 billion pounds of taxpayers’

money during the crisis. As well as its RBS stake the British government owns 40 percent of Lloyds.

RBS halved Hester’s stock bonus for 2011 to just under 1 million pounds from 2 million in 2010. It resisted calls to axe Hester’s bonus altogether, although it waived a 1.4 million pound bonus for its chairman Philip Hampton. Senior opposition Labor politician Liam Byrne reiterated calls yesterday for Britain’s Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron to intervene over Hester’s bonus.

“This is a bank that the government owns almost all of, the government is the biggest shareholder. Mr Cameron has been talking about how shareholders need to flex their muscles and have a bigger say in the way that executive pay is set,” Byrne told Sky News.

“Fine - let’s keep you to your word, step in now and say that this bonus payment to Mr Hester is wrong and should be stopped,” he added. However, Conservative cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith said intervention would be difficult, adding that the RBS pay contracts had been set under the previous Labor government.

“You can’t interfere and tell them what to do.

And if we did not like that, the only option would be to get rid of the board. If you do that, imagine what would happen in the banking sector, and imagine what would happen to RBS. You would have chaos,” he told the BBC. Duncan Smith also reiterated Cameron’s stance that it was up to Hester to decide if taking the bonus was appropriate or not.

Hester, a former Abbey National and Credit Suisse banker, joined RBS in October 2008 from property company British Land as RBS was reeling from its disastrous acquisition of Dutch bank ABN AMRO and the effects of the credit crisis.

Britain used some 45 billion pounds of taxpayers’ money to rescue RBS, leading to the eventual resignation of former head Sir Fred Goodwin, who was replaced by Hester.

Hester was given a brief to restructure RBS and restore its fortunes, and his tenure has seen RBS cut more than 30,000 jobs. Britain aims to eventually sell its state holdings in RBS and Lloyds back to the private sector, although volatile markets have meant the timing of any disposal is uncertain. — Reuters

Monti buoyed by ace bond sessions despite strikes MILAN: Shored up in the polls and with a run of successful bond sessions in the bag, I talian Prime Minister Mario Monti’s government is staying the course on bitter reforms despite countrywide strikes.

Monti, who took over when former premier Silvio Berlusconi was ousted amid intense market pressure, adopted new measures aimed at simplifying bureaucracy on Friday, as part of his Grow Italy plan designed to boost growth.

Amid fears that the heavilyindebted euro-zone country was sliding towards bankruptcy, Monti pushed through an austerity package in December and a liberalization plan last week-much to the fury of trade unions and guilds.

Investors appear reassured by his decisive governance and Rome celebrated its fourth successful bond session since the beginning of the year on Friday.

The Treasur y sold 11 billion euros ($14.5 billion) in short term bonds at sharply lower rates, after receiving bids for more than 16 billion euros. The rate of return paid to investors on six-month bills fell to 1.969 percent from 3.251 percent in the previous auction, while the rate on flexible bonds dropped to 2.214 percent from 2.735 percent.

Analysts said short term bonds were being supported by liquidity injec ted in December by the European Central Bank (ECB), which offered vast loans to eurozone banks, particularly benefiting Italy’s financial institutions.

Friday’s session-following Rome’s

successful issue of 5.0 billion euros in medium-term bonds on Thursday at much lower interest rates-is a sign that market pressure could be easing on the heavily-indebted euro-zone country.

There had been “important purchases from foreign investors” and the session showed “a real step towards normalization,” said Sergio Capaldi, a bond strategist at Intesa Sanpaolo bank.

Italy ’s borrowing costs have dropped to around 6.0 percent for 10-year bonds, from an alarming 7.0 percent at the end of 2011.

However, Capaldi warned the market “may be overly positive”.

While Monti may have “clawed back a bit of confidence abroad,” his political future is still uncertain and “it is still too soon to say that rates will not rise again.”

While Monti’s popularity appears to only have dipped slightly from 58 percent in December to 56 percent this month despite the cuts and tax hikes according to an IPR poll, country-wide strikes may still take their toll. A truck drivers’ strike against a tax hike on petrol caused major disruption to petrol and food distribution across Italy, while taxi drivers revolted over liberalizations which also affec t

QIA to buy Credit Suisse London HQ DUBAI: Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), is in the final stages of acquiring Credit Suisse’s headquarters in London and may sign the deal in a few weeks, two sources familiar with the matter said.

“They’re working out the details now. It’s a matter of a few weeks,” one of the sources said, adding that the Qataris would pay 330 million pounds ($517 million) for the property, with a separate leaseback agreement to be put in place with Credit Suisse.

Credit Suisse declined to comment and Qatar Investment Authority was not reachable.

UK newspaper the Daily Telegraph had said earlier that the Qataris had placed 1 Cabot Square in Canary Wharf under offer in the sale-and-leaseback deal with the Swiss bank. QIA holds a 6percent stake in Credit Suisse and owns shares in Songbird, the majority owner of Canary Wharf Group. Qatar has agreed other high-profile investments in London, including the US embassy in Grosvenor Square and Harrods department store.— Reuters

pharmacies, notaries and insurance companies.

Petrol station attendants and lawyers are among others set to strike in the coming weeks as the protests continue and fears over social degradation rise. “The markets appear to trust that Monti’s government will see out its term in 2013, but there may be some surprises on that front,” Capaldi said.

The country, which has probably fallen into recession, faces another market test today, when it hopes to raise 5.5 to 8.0 billion euros in medium to long-term bonds. Rome is struggling with a colossal debt of 1.9 trillion euros, around 120 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, and has said it will issue bonds worth almost 450 billion euros this year.

Despite signs investors are regaining confidence in I taly, Berlusconi’s former coalition partner Umberto Bossi has been trying to rustle up support to bring down Monti, whom he said “the whole country wants to throttle.”

But the Northern League leader has not yet been able to persuade the playboy former premier to do the dirty on his successor. “Silvio Berlusconi is not interested in pulling the plug on the Monti government at the moment,” said Stefano Folli from Il Sole 24 financial daily.

“It’s nothing to do with generosity of spirit. It’s a calculated move: if the ‘technocrats’ have to fall, it has to be because of discrepancies in the left, not spasms in the right,” he said. —AFP

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

business

KSE stocks eke out gains GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) kicked off the week with marginal gains after buying interest was shown on some pivotal stocks. Investor sentiments were cheered after National Bank of Kuwait (NBK ) good results FY2011 came out last Thursday.

Fur thermore, Investment sector had good performance in 2012 so far. By the end of yesterday ’s session, Global Investment Index closed up by 2.65 percent YTD. Global General Index (GGI) ended the day up by 0.21 percent, at 179.50 point. Market capitalization was up for the day, reaching KD29.37bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 5,857.6 point, adding 5.40 points (0.09 percent) from its previous close.

Market breadth During the session, 101 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 39 equities retreated versus 34 that advanced.

Even though the market moved northward, trading activity diminished. Volume and value of the shares traded on the exchange decreased by 11.96 percent and 12.51 percent respectively. Investment groups accounted for 35.94 percent (120.62mn shares) of the market’s total volume, out of which 54mn shares were attributable to Abyaar Real Estate Development Company. The scrip climbed by 8.33 percent during the session.

In terms of top gainers, Nafais Holding Company was the top gainer for the day, adding 11.11 percent to its share value and closing at KD0.100. On the other hand, share price of Al Madina for Finance & Investment Company retreated by 7.14 percent and closed at KD0.065, mak-

ing it the biggest decliners in the market for the day in a row.

Sectors Sector-wise, five out of the eight sectors edged higher during the day, led by the banking stocks. Global Banking Index added 0.41 percent to close at 326.42 points. National Bank of Kuwait (NBK ) continued to advance for the second consecutive day, adding 1.72 percent to close at KD1.180.

The bank realized a 0.24 percent growth in 2011 earnings figures compared to 2010, at KD302.41mn. This translates to an EPS of KD0.077. NBK’s result was in line with our expectations. The bank ’s NPL ratio dropped to 1.55% from 1.65% in 2010 while NPL provisions

increased to 243% from 209% in 2010. This is explained by the movement in provisions whereby quar terly provisions were higher by 2.7 times YoY and 57%QoQ. The bank ’s top-line matched our expectations, however non-interest income was slightly higher than our forecast on account of investment gains and income from associates. The impact from that and slightly lower operating expense was offset by higher than anticipated provisions for the year.

Non-Kuwaiti stocks too were notable gainers. Global NonKuwaiti Index gained 0.22 percent, as most index constituents, ending the day on a positive note. Fujairah Cement Industries Company led Non-Kuwaiti stocks today, rising by 6.85 percent

adding 6.85 percent to its share price, and closing the day at KD0.078. On the other hand, Gulf Finance House tumbled to its lowest level in 4 sessions, shedding 3.06 percent to close at KD0.0475.

On the flip side, Global Real Estate Index led the pack of decliners during the day, shedding 0.76 percent. Mabanee Company shed 1.16 percent to close at KD0.850, while Kuwait Real Estate Company lost 3.57 percent, closing at KD0.054.

Oil news The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $111.26pb on Thursday, compared with $110.70pb the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

Trade ministers hopeful for Doha Round future DAVOS: Trade ministers and business leaders are not giving up on the much-delayed Doha Round of global trade negotiations, but they admit that it is not in the best of health.

“Doha is not dead,” Craig Emerson, Minister of Trade of Australia, told participants at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in DavosKlosters, Switzerland. “I think there’s enough life in the Doha Round to persist with it.”

Launched in 2001, the Doha Round involves all 153 member states of the World Trade Organization ( W TO) negotiating among themselves to lower trade barriers and revise trade rules on 20 areas of trade. The talks have been held back by the contentious issues of agriculture, services, intellectual property, among others, and the advent of the global financial crisis in 2008.

“You need a lot of political energy to do things multilaterally and it’s not just available,” said Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the WTO. “It’s in short supply, just as it is in climate change.”

Instead, government leaders are focusing their energies on bilateral talks and regional arrangements, such as the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership comprising the United States, Australia, Vietnam, Peru and four other countries. Lamy is particularly concerned about different, and

perhaps contradictory, industry standards and regulatory regimes that the parties in various bilateral and multilateral agreements may commit themselves to. This will pose new barriers to multinationals and global supply chains, which are becoming more extensive by the day.

Ron Kirk, US Trade Representative, said that his country has not given up on the Doha Round, but the reality is that it is easier to negotiate bilateral agreements, which can create more jobs and bring benefits to the two parties. But Gita Wirjawan, Minister of Trade of Indonesia, said the Doha Round is still needed because it remains the best way for every nation, especially developing countries like Indonesia, to be treated fairly in trade matters.

Lamy said that the WTO’s new strategy on Doha is to set aside the big issues for now and instead concentrate on small wins, such as agreements on relatively uncontroversial trade areas like trade facilitation. The WTO will stay in quiet mode for now, get things done and build confidence that the organization can then tackle the big issues.

With record participation of over 2,600 leaders from government, academia, business and civil society, the theme of this year’s Annual Meeting is The Great Transformation: Shaping New Models. — KUNA

MAF eyes 5-year sukuk, profit rate at 6% or under DUBAI: Dubaiís Majid Al-Futtaim plans to issue a five-year dollar-denominated Islamic bond, or sukuk, with early profit rate indications at no more than 6 percent, a source with knowledge of the deal said yesterday. MAF is holding investor meetings in the United Arab Emirates yesterday, followed by London and Kuala Lumpur today. The mall developer, which is the sole franchise for Carrefour in the Gulf, has picked Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank, HSBC and Standard

Chartered to arrange its debut sukuk.

The company has been eyeing global debt markets for several months, completing a series of roadshows for a conventional bond in June but not going ahead with a print because of the impact of market volatility on pricing.

It set up a sukuk program to have the option to tap Islamic liquidity and take advantage of healthy demand for shariacompliant assets amid ongoing global risk aversion. — Reuters

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MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

business

British charm offensive targets Chinese cash LONDON: Britain is making huge efforts to attract investment from China to kickstart an economy teetering on the brink of recession-and it is playing its trump card of being outside the euro-zone.

Finance minister George Osborne visited China this month and Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed Premier Wen Jiabao for talks in London in June, both repeating the message that Britain is “fully opened to foreign investments”.

In China, Osborne said he was keen to make London a leading international hub for the exchange of the yuan.

The attempts to lure Chinese investment show Britain is seeking to dis-

tance itself from the United States and France where some hostile voices question the intentions of China’s CIC sovereign fund.

The fund, lavishly stocked with 410 billion dollars (311 billion euros), is looking to invest in infrastructure projects in Europe and North America.

Britain hopes it will help finance the £30 billion worth of infrastructure projects that Cameron’s government launched last year in a bid to stimulate the struggling economy. The efforts to gain China’s trust bore fruit this week when it was announced that the sovereign fund had acquired an 8.6-percent stake in water company Thames Water, which supplies the needs of 14

million people in Britain.

Osborne hailed the investment, the value of which has not been divulged, as “a significant step by China” and “good news for both the British and Chinese economies.”

The Thames Water deal was the biggest Chinese investment of its type yet seen in Britain. Previous Chinese forays had been limited to buying shares in blue-chip companies such as supermarket chain Tesco. Most observers believe more deals are not far down the line.

If, for example, the project to build a new airport in the Thames Estuary ever goes ahead, “expect plenty of Chinese money behind it”, the Daily

Telegraph said. While Britain trails behind countries like Germany in trade, it is gaining ground in direct investment.

And its position firmly outside the troubled euro-zone gives it a distinct advantage compared to many of its fellow members of the European Union.

“In terms of a comparison with the euro area, the UK does not have the uncertainty over a possible euro break-up to contend with,” Philip Shaw of Investec Securities told AFP. Colin Ellis, of British private equity advocate BVCA, said that while Britain was wellplaced to capture more investment, Chinese money was not yet gushing in

to an economy that could be heading for a new recession. “ The independence of the UK should be a plus in terms of monetary sovereignty, and compared with some other European countries other economic fundamentals look somewhat better as well. “In order to make a material difference to the UK macroeconomy, however, net inward capital flows from China would have to jump quite substantially.”

Few experts doubt though that propping up the British economy is not China’s long-term aim-Chinese eyes are fixed firmly on the United States and Britain is a convenient springboard to achieve that aim. — AFP

New US team will come after you, warns Kirk Trade cheats beware...

DAVOS: Paul Achleitner, finance director of Allianz insurance and one of the future chairmen of the Deutsche Bank, looks on during a panel session at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos. —AP

Tie-up with NYSE Euronext not vital for Deutsche Boerse FRANKFURT: The proposed merger of Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronextwhich now looks almost certain to failis not vital for the German company’s survival, say analysts and industry experts.

According to NYSE Euronext chief executive Duncan Niederauer, there is only a “glimmer of hope” that the tieup, which would create the world’s largest market operator, will be approved by European competition authorities. EU competition authorities opened a probe into the deal in August over concerns that the merged company would control 90 percent of the European derivatives market.

A final decision is expected on February 1. In November, the companies proposed to separate some of their derivatives operations to allay EU concerns, but sources said Brussels remained unsatisfied. The proposed merger has also sparked controversy in the United States as it would hand over the New York Stock Exchange to foreign owners.

A deal would see Deutsche Boerse shareholders own 60 percent of the new combined, Netherlands-incorporated firm. Investors, too, seem unfazed by the likely failure of the deal, with Deutsche Boerse shares rising in recent days. At a dinner with journalists last week, the head of the company that operates the Frankfurt stock exchange, Reto Francioni, preferred to talk instead about “organic growth” and insisted his company was optimistic about 2012, merger or no merger. “It was the shareholders of NYSE Euronext who would have stood to gain more from the tie-up,” said LBBW analyst Martin Peter.

“Deutsche Boerse is better positioned than the Americans.” The Frankfurt-based group is indeed active across the whole range of activities, from its Xetra electronic stock-trading platform, to its Eurex derivatives market and its Luxembourg-based clearing subsidiary, Clearstream.

In the case of NYSE Euronext, the highly competitive, low-margin stock-

trading unit accounts for around half of overall business, while at Deutsche Boerse “it only plays a minor role,” the LBBW analyst said. In the first nine months of 2011 and the whole of 2010, Xetra accounted for just 12 percent of the group’s overall revenues. That means it has relatively small exposure to competition from alternative exchanges such as BATS and Chi-X, which teamed up to combine their stock trading platforms in Europe last year.

However, the German group would find itself “in danger” if alternative exchanges moved into the financial derivatives sector, warned Equinet analyst, Philipp Haessler.

Thanks to Clearstream and Eurex Clearing, however, Deutsche Boerse is well placed to benefit from the expanding post-market settlement and clearing sector, which plays a central role in both the regulated and overthe -counter markets. The London Stock Exchange is hoping to challenge Deutsche Boerse in this area by taking over the other large European clearing house, LCH.Clearnet.

If, contrary to all expectations, the tie-up does go ahead, NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Boerse would become the world’s leading stock market and would benefit from vast cost synergies and become more profitable, said Philipp Haessler at Equinet. However, the long-anticipated global consolidation in the sector is proving ephemeral: last year, an alliance between the London and Toronto stock exchanges ran aground and Australia also vetoed a merger between the Sydney and Singapore stock exchanges.

“National interests and regulation are proving bigger obstacles than expected,” Haessler said. Christian Muschick, analyst at Silvia Quandt, said the EU Commission’s reser vations about a tie -up between Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext are probably of a more political nature.

Europe “feared ceding control and being dominated by the Americans,” he said. — AFP

Zambia to review ZNCB sale to Rabobank LUSAKA: Zambian President Michael Sata has ordered a review of a 2007 sale of the state-run ZNCB bank, it was announced yesterday, the latest inquiry to be opened into deals done under his predecessor.

“This is to inform the public that president Sata has directed the minister of justice Sebastian Zulu to conduct an inquiry into the sale of ZNCB,” read a public notice published in the staterun Sunday Mail.

Rabobank of the Netherlands bought a 49-percent stake in the Zambia National Commercial Bank in April 2007 for $8.25 million under Sata’s predecessor Rupiah Banda.

The inquiry is charged with determining whether the sale met privatiza-

tion requirements, the statement said.

Sata, who unseated his predecessor Rupiah Banda in elections last year, had campaigned on a promise to reverse several controversial sales which he said had failed to serve the public good.

Since assuming office in September, he has embarked on an anti-corruption drive, opening inquiries into shady business deals. This week, Zambia took back its 75 percent stake in fixed-line operator Zamtel, which had been sold to Libya’s LAP Green for $257 million (191 million euros) in 2010.

He has also reversed the $5.4 million sale of a commercial bank, Finance Bank Zambia, to South Africa’s First Rand Group. — AFP

DAVOS: A new team of US trade enforcers will make countries think twice about putting up unfair barriers to American expor ts, President Barack Obama’s top trade official said.

US Trade Representative Ron Kirk told Reuters that the team, announced by Obama last week, will include intelligence officials as well as representatives of other agencies in order to beef up US resources and crack open markets. “We want to make sure we aren’t resource-constrained. Other countries know our budget and our resources ... and so they’ll game the system because they know that we’re very discriminating on which cases we make,” Kirk said in an interview.

“We don’t want them to make ... that bet that we don’t have the resources to come after them if they’re intentionally and unfairly discriminating against American exporters,” Kirk said, speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

He did not identify countries that could attract the attention of the unit, but Obama is under pressure to show business and voters he is taking a tough stance against China.

Republican presidential candidates have slammed Obama’s handling of Beijing ahead of November’s elections. The US trade deficit with China is expected to have hit a record of about $300 billion in 2011. Obama has set a target of doubling total US exports between 2010 and 2015.

Kirk’s office negotiates and enforces trade deals. But it has only about 250 employees, which could tempt countries to think they can flout world trade rules, Kirk said. “This (the new unit) will provide a much better tool basket and put more bodies in terms of being able to develop some of these cases and gather the intelligence that is necessary to take some of these complex matters before the World Trade Organization,” he said.

“There will be additional people, some additional resources,” Kirk said without providing details of any extra funding for the unit. Obama announced the team during his

Jan. 24 State of the Union speech in which he said the United States needs to do more to tackle unfair foreign trade practices and rebuild American manufacturing. As well as officials with the Commerce Department, which Obama is proposing to close as part of

es against China in his two terms although for most of his first year in office, China was not yet a member of the WTO. US trade officials say their main complaints against China are barriers to its agricultural and services markets, discriminatory industri-

DAVOS: Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), speaks during a panel session at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, on Saturday. —AP a government streamlining, customs personnel will also work with the unit, Kirk said.

“Even some of the intelligence agencies will be working collaboratively together” on the project, Kirk said. Obama said last week his administration was more forceful than that of his predecessor in the White House, George W Bush, in challenging other countries at the World Trade Organization.

Washington has filed six WTO cases since Obama took office in January 2009, five of them against China. Bush brought seven cas-

al policies and weak intellectual property rights protection.

Kirk told Reuters in the interview, which was conducted on Thursday, that his office would lead the team. Trade is likely to be high on the agenda when Obama hosts China’s likely next leader, Vice President Xi Jinping, at the White House on Feb 14. China has complained about anti-dumping duties applied to its exports to the United States and about restrictions on Chinese companies seeking to invest in US firms. —Reuters

Resistance to EU bailout boost ‘scandalous’: Delors

ATHENS: Charles Dallara managing director of the Institute of International Finance arrives at Maximos Mansion for a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos in Athens. Talks between Greece and private creditors on halving the country’s privately held debt loan have ended and a deal is very close, according to the creditors’ representatives. —AP

Private investors near deal on Greek debt ATHENS: Greece and investors who have bought its bonds have reached a tentative deal to significantly reduce the country’s debt and pave the way for it to receive a much-needed 130 billion euros ($170 billion) bailout. Negotiators for the investors announced the tentative agreement Saturday and said it could become final next week.

Under the agreement, the 206 billion euros worth of Greek bonds that investors own would be exchanged for new bonds worth 60 percent less. That will help Greece remain solvent and avoid a potentially devastating blow to Europe’s already weakened financial system. Private investors would receive new bonds whose face value is half of the existing bonds. The new bonds would have a longer maturity and pay an average interest rate of slightly less than 4 percent. The existing bonds pay an average interest rate of 5 percent, according to the think tank Re-Define.

The deal would reduce Greece’s annu-

al interest expense on the bonds from about $10 billion to about $4 billion. And when the bonds mature, instead of paying bondholders 206 billion euros, Greece will have to pay only 103 billion euros.

Without the deal, which would reduce Greece’s debt load by at least ?120 billion, the bonds held by banks, insurance companies and hedge funds would likely become worthless.

Many of these investors also hold debt from other countries that use the euro, which could also lose value in the event of a Greek default. The agreement taking shape is a key step before Greece can get a second, 130 billion euros bailout from its European Union partners and the International Monetary Fund. Besides restructuring its debt with private investors, Greece must also take other steps before getting aid. It must cut its deficit and boost the competitiveness of its economy through layoffs of government employees and the sale of several state companies, among other moves. — AP

STOCKHOLM: Former European Commission chief Jacques Delors yesterday blasted the reluctance of euro-zone countries like Germany to boost the size of the Greek bailout and create a system of eurobonds to facilitate lending.

“It is scandalous. You cannot be a member of the euro cooperation and at the same time say no to elementary demands for solidarity with other members within the framework of existing agreements,” the prominent European federalist said in an interview with Dagens Nyheter, Sweden’s daily of reference.

“We have to save Greece together. What has been done so far is too little, too late,” he added. Ahead of a European Union summit today aimed at putting the finishing touches on a pact to reinforce fiscal discipline, there have been mounting calls to increase the size of a planned second Greek bailout.

But a number of euro-zone governments, including in Germany and Finland, have been publicly wary of throwing more taxpayer money at Athens.

Delors, who was commission chief between 1985-95 and a key player in creating the framework for the euro’s 1999 launch, said it was “out of the question” to push Greece out of the euro-zone and insisted the solution was for “Greece to privatize more of its economy.”

“The euro countries also must together introduce common eurobonds, ... not to finance the current debt but to create greater efficiency and connectivity in the financial and monetary system,” the 86-year-old Frenchman said.

The creation of such a “eurobond,” which would pool the debt of the entire monetary bloc in a bid to reassure markets and facilitate lending, has long been a contentious issue among top policymakers, with the European Commission and France being in favor of such an instrument but Germany strictly opposed for now. “It is a mistake of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to refuse to go along with such bonds,” Delors said. Delors also criticized a growing concentration of EU power with its biggest members.

“Instead of deepening the cooperation so that the EU Commission takes the initiative to find solutions that are good for all EU countries, there has for the past decade been a development within the EU where the large countries (Germany and France) have the power,” he lamented. “We should instead return to the basic idea behind the EU’s success ... (by) including all member countries in decisions,” he added. — AFP

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MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

business

Mercedes-Benz design bags five-fold success ‘iF product design award 2012’

Ease Husain Al-Yousifi & Sons Co

New Citizen Eco-Drive Satellite Wave world’s first GPS watch KUWAIT: Ease Husain Al-Yousifi & Sons Co recently introduced the New Citizen “EcoDrive Satellite Wave watch,” a limited edition watch (990 pieces made worldwide) with a totally new timekeeping system.

The event took place at the Al-Yousifi Electronics showroom in Shuwaikh, in the presence of Aref Ease Al-Yousifi, the vice chairman of the group, and Hideki Imai from Citizen head office, along with a number of the Al-Yousifi managers and press people.

This next-generation timepiece watch searches for the closest of the 24 navigation satellites that orbit the earth. It captures the day, date and time signals the

satellite emits from space, 20,000 kilometres above the earth. Since the satellite signals are controlled by atomic clocks, this watch’s timekeeping is ultra-precise.

The metal ring embedded in the glass bezel seems to float in outer space, like a satellite in planetary orbit. The round case, which appears to be independent of the lugs, suggests the image of the earth. The three-dimensional forms on the watch face evoke the futuristic image of spaceship engines.

2012 will, thus, be the year in which time signals link wrist and outer space in an unprecedented experience. It is purely powered by light.

STUTTGART: The designers at Mercedes-Benz have picked up yet another prize for no fewer than four models in the form of the internationally renowned “iF product design award 2012”. A top-class specialist jury has bestowed the award on the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, the SLK, the SLS AMG Roadster, and the Concept A-CLASS show car, as well as the smart electric mobility concept, all for their outstanding designs.

First presented in 1953, the “iF product design award” ranks among the world’s most important design awards and represents the seal of approval for good design. For 2012 the 24-member jury was again faced with the task of choosing its favorites, this time from more than 2,000 candidates. Four models from Mercedes-Benz stood out in particular: the MClass, the SLK, the SLS AMG Roadster and the Concept A-CLASS show car.

The M-Class won thanks to its characteristically distinctive SUV design and its variable interior with high wellness factor. The opentop SLS AMG Roadster, meanwhile, owes its victory to its exciting lines, which are reminiscent of the legendary 300 SL from the 1950s.

The SLK Roadster also dominated the competition with its powerful sports car design, which portrays its outstanding qualities to brilliant visual effect - stylish comfort, lightfooted sportiness and exemplary ecology.

With the Mercedes-Benz Concept A-CLASS, the jury acknowledged the birth of a new vehicle generation which provides a glimpse of the expressive design of the future A-Class.

As an overall concept, the trend-setting developments achieved by the automotive brand Smart in the field of electric mobility also received the coveted “iF product design award 2012”. For its innovative e-mobility concept, Smart created one-off vehicles such as the open-top Smart ForSpeed, the Smart escooter and also the Smart e-bike, which is to be incorporated into the smart product line this year.

Al Tijari announces winners of Najm Account draw winners Boubyan Bank posts net profit of KD 8m in 2011 A growth by 31% compared to last year KUWAIT: Boubyan Bank’s announced results for year 2011 which showed a net profit of KD 8 million compared to a net profit of KD 6 million for year 2010; growing by 31%.

Chairman of Boubyan Bank, Ibrahim Al-Qadhi, said in a press release yesterday that the growth in the Bank’s net profits reflects the rise in operating profits by 24% to reach KD 30.4 million, while it continues to take general and precautionary provisions to reinforce its financial position.

Al-Qadhi stressed that despite the difficult business environment amidst which the Bank carried out its operating activities, it managed to continue its successful march and realization of profits overcoming many obstacles facing it in a highly competitive environment in which many financial institutions are seeking to acquire their shares.

“Thanks first to Allah then to our human resources, we were able to achieve these results that could have been even better were it not for the numerous difficulties surrounding the Kuwaiti economy, whether internal challenges and obstacles or external factors which casted heavy shadows on the economy; especially considering the various political developments witnessed in the region with reflections on different economies, including the Kuwaiti economy,” Al-Qadhi added.

Al-Qadhi pointed out that the noticeable positive indicators include the increase in net finance income to KD 39.6 million during year 2011 compared to KD 30.3 million for year 2010; growing by 31%, in addition to the increase in customers’ deposits to KD 1,202 million compared to KD 941 million by the end of December 2010; growing by 28%”, he added.

On his part, the Vice-Chairman and MD, Adel Abdul-Wahab Al-Majed said that the most noticeable fact in last year is proving the success of the Bank’s strategy for the second year of implementation as the Bank’s market share of finance rose to 4.1% in addition to a rise in its share of deposits to 3.8% despite the challenges undergone by different economic sectors.

Al-Majed added that the Bank continued to play its role as a banking institution operating in compliance with the Sharia by offering distinguished products and services targeting the different categories on the level of retail banking, while achieving excellence and progress on the level of private banking and asset management. In addition, the Bank carried on its expansion plan on the

KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al Najma Account draw yesterday. The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry represented by Abdulaziz Ashkanani.

The winners of the Al Najma daily draw are: Jaber Hawwas Saket Al-Shemmari KD 7000, Amerah Hayel Ghobar KD 7000, Nawal Raja’a Menhil Al Enezi KD 7000,

Wang Shuo KD 7000, Fatema AbdulKareem Ismael Hasanain KD 7000.

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account. Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha and on the 19th of June which is the date of the bank’s estab-

lishment. With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw.

In addition, for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50. Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

Gulf Bank meets highest global security standards in payment card industry

Chairman of Boubyan Bank Ibrahim Al-Qadhi

Vice-Chairman & MD, Adel AbdulWahab Al-Majed branches level increasing its branches to 20 in the framework of the new strategy which targets reaching 30 branches by year 2014. Meanwhile, he pointed out that the Bank’s total assets as by the end of December 2011 amounted to KD 1,552 million compared to KD 1,316 million as by the end of December 2010, boosting up by 18%.

In addition, he stated that the Bank’s total equity increased to KD 247 million compared to KD 240 million; boosting the Bank’s Capital Adequacy Ratio to 25% against 12%, being the minimum required ratio stipulated by the Central Bank of Kuwait.

Concluding his statements, Al-Majed indicated that the trust of the Bank’s customers qualified it to win many awards during this year including The Best Islamic Bank in Kuwait from Arabian Business, The Best Islamic Bank for Customer Service from Service Hero, The Fastest Growing Bank in Kuwait from The Banker Middle East Magazine and The Most Creative & Innovative Bank in Kuwait from World Finance.

KUWAIT: Gulf Bank announced yesterday that it has successfully achieved Payment Card Industry (PCI) - Data Security Standards (DSS) compliance for the secure management of its card holder information and the prevention of credit card fraud. The compliance was completed on schedule, at the end of 2011. The certification was achieved after an extensive independent audit of Gulf Bank Systems, operations and Husain Mairza, Chief processes conducted by Information Officer at Gulf SISA Information Security, Bank a qualified security assessor from PCI Security Standards Council. The Bank cleared six distinct security pillars in order to achieve PCI - DSS compliance, namely, building and maintaining a secure network, protecting cardholder data, maintaining a vulnerability management program, implementing strong security measures, assessing networks frequently, and maintaining an information security policy.

PCI - DSS offer a broad variety of advantages for financial organizations such as Gulf Bank, helping avoid security breaches and theft of card payment data while constantly monitoring threats and improving the means of dealing with them. The standards are endorsed by all the major global payment brands, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Financial Services and JCB International.

The Bank’s accomplishment reinforces its commitment to internationally recognized security standards that enhance the protection of customers’ payment card information.

Gulf Bank’s attainment of PCI - DSS compliance is in line with the Bank’s key strategic objective, of fortifying the Bank’s Infrastructure.

Husain Mairza, Chief Information Officer at Gulf Bank said: “Our latest achievement of PCI - DSS compliance emphasizes the Bank’s overall strategy to protect its customers’ card information and enhance their payment methods generally. We are proud to have achieved the coveted certification on schedule, which adds to our 2011 accomplishments.”

Sudhir Mundkur, Deputy General Manager - Information System Security and Quality Assurance at Gulf Bank said: “Information Systems Security is a journey of continuous improvement involving people, processes and technology working together in concert. Achievement of the PCI - DSS compliance represents a very big and important step forward on this journey and underscores Gulf Bank’s commitment to the goal of providing a secure computing environment to serve our customers. I sincerely thank the entire team of Gulf Bank employees as well as consultants from our technology and security partners who have worked extremely hard to make this achievement a reality.”

Doha Bank eyes more profits in 2012: CEO Seetharaman visits Kuwait branch KUWAIT: The CEO of Doha Bank R Seetharaman confirmed that the good profits achieved by the bank during 2011 stood at QR 1.24 billion recording an increase of 17.7% than the previous year which was attributed to the intensive efforts extended

by Doha Bank executives and team members including the branches in line with strategy to continuously upgrade and enhance the quality & diversification of services to coincide with its customers’ expectations and the needs of various economic sectors. In fact, the balanced strategy was adopted under the slogan of “Begin from whenever others finish” for better future horizon.

During a press release and his periodic visit to Kuwait branch Seetharaman made a tour within the branch and had a close look at all departments’ functional systems to ensure proper operational & procedural system is adopted and followed urging respective staff to dedicate all their efforts, experience and energy towards servicing customers confirming that success is accomplished by teamwork praising the professional competence of the employees at Kuwait branch who are recognized for their quality banking services.

Seetharaman welcomed the customers who were present at the branch and expressed his appreciation in their confidence to Doha Bank promising for beigger and better quality services simultaneously confirming to the staff his open door policy.

Upon his arrival at the bank,

Seetharaman alongside the head of human resources AbdulRahman Al-Mohamad were welcomed by the branch’s executives and its staff headed by the Regional Manager namely Ahmad Al-Mehzaa, Head of Support Kalidas Rao Vedula, S Manager, corporate Hashem Al-Mousawi and retail manager Hind Al-Qahtani.

Seetharaman added: The Bank’s Board of Directors decision to distribute cash dividends to the shareholders of 45% of the paid up Capital, I.e. QR 4.5 per share emphasizes the adequacy of an overall strong financial fundamentals of the bank and its ability to satisfy shareholders’ expectations despite the exceptional economic circumstances and its consequences regional and locally complementing on the achievement made by Doha Bank which was positioned parallel with the international financial institutions.

He pointed out that the aggressive and clear strategy followed over the past years enable Doha Bank to achieve the expected target return while several other branches launched to expand operation in various strategic locations worldwide last of which he added the branches launched in Frankfurt, Germany and another branch in process to be launched in Abu Dhabi within the next 3 months are expected to be in full operation capacity during next June mentioning the Doha Bank expansion vision includes the banking sector in India and several steps have already been taken in this regard in respect of the formal approvals.

27

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Windows can feel at home on a Mac BERLIN: More people are making the switch from PC to Mac these days.

Nevertheless, some former PC users still find themselves longing for certain Windows-only programmes.

They need look no further. Thanks to functions like Bootcamp, Parallels Desktop and Fusion, there are ways to set up virtual PCs on a Mac, resurrecting, for example, your favourite computer games from your old machine.

Bootcamp is an Apple tool that allows users to open other operating systems, like Windows or Linux.

Parallels Desktop and Fusion let users operate Windows or Linux simultaneously with the Mac operating system.

Regardless, to use Microsoft on a Mac, you’re going to need a valid Windows license.

People of a more experimental nature can get around this hurdle by using Developer Preview, an earlier

test version of Windows 8. Parallels Desktop has a direct link to it in its seventh version. “Windows 8 is a very exciting topic for us,” says Parallels manager Alexander Pantos. “After the one-click installation you quickly get comfortable in this new unfamiliar Windows 8.”

Competitor Fusion, from VMWare, also supports installation of Windows 8 on Macs. “We want to make it possible for Windows users to change platforms,” says VMWare manager Holger Temme. That means constant work to improve the performance of the virtual machine. It still isn’t as good as Windows with Bootcamp, says Temme.

“But we’re getting close.”

Office applications usually do fine with the virtual Windows machines.

Things can get a little more problematic with Windows games. Fusion 4, the newest version, supports the rush

of 3D applications with OpenGL 2.1 and DirectX 9, says Temme. But the virtual machines usually handle most games adequately “so long as you don’t take the absolutely newest games, the ones that also push a Windows PC to its limits.”

Pantos, from Parallels, takes a similar tack. He recommends setting configurations to the maximum level and making sure the virtual PC has access to a quadcore processor and as much RAM as possible.

Users with a Mac that has 4 gigabytes (GB) of working memory can give the virtual machine a maximum of 3 GB, explains Pantos. That’s because the Mac still needs 1 GB and a processor core to operate. The graphics card for the virtual machine can also be tuned, by pushing the slide control from a standard value of 256 megabytes to 1 GB.

To the Mac, the virtual machine appears as one data file, which contains the various installed Windows programmes and stored personal data.

To protect this data from outsiders, Fusion has integrated a possibility to encrypt it.

But virtualization does not, in and of itself, provide protection from malware. Once connected to the internet, the Windows system is vulnerable to the same dangers as any PC. Thus, an up-to-date virus protection system is recommended.

Both Parallels Desktop and Fusion offer a one-year license for virus protection. And data protection is somewhat better on a virtual machine than on a PC, since, technically, only one file needs protection. Both services also offer a snapshot function, making it easier to revert to earlier versions of the system in a pinch.

Another bonus of virtualization is that some services allow the use of older Windows versions. Bootcamp no longer offers drivers for XP or Windows Vista. That minus is partially made up for by the fact that Bootcamp comes free with Macs and is easy to install.

Fusion and Parallel Desktop require a fee - about 36 euros (47 dollars) for Fusion 4 online, while Parallels Desktop 7 goes for about 55 euros.

Both offer test versions that can be used free for several weeks.

If you’re a Mac user considering spending longer periods of time with Windows software, you should consider creating a Bootcamp partition on your hard drive. Since Windows on Bootcamp doesn’t use the Mac platform, rather the whole computer, it works faster than virtual machines, explains Chris Wiles of the British technology portal V3. —dpa

Beyond gaming

Internet brief

Closing security gaps in VLC media player BERLIN: The current 1.1.11 version of the VLC media player has been found to have security gaps through which hackers can gain access to computers. The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) recommends users of the widespread software to protect their computers by deleting all files from the installation directory beginning with “libty_plugin.” In addition, the new 1.1.13 version of the programme should be installed as soon as it is available. The developers are aiming to close this security gap with the update.

Connect Four for Androids The classic board game Connect Four is now available as a free app for Android smartphones. The principle for the Android version has not changed as players try to connect four chips horizontally, vertically or diagonally before their opponents.

The game can be played against the computer or another player with an Android smartphone. To keep games against the computer from becoming boring, four difficulty levels have been included.

One minor problem is that advertisements do pop up.

Microsoft closes 8 security gaps As part of their monthly Patchday, Microsoft has introduced seven security updates that close eight gaps. Users who have activated automatic updates in Windows need not do anything. For all others, the update function in Windows’ security centre should be activated or the patches should be installed from w w w.windowsupdate.com, the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) recommends. Windows 7 as well as Vista and XP are affected by the security gaps.

Compose Windows ringtones The update of Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) allows users to produce their own ringtones for the mobile operating system. But there are some requirements. The sound must be in either the WMA or MP3 format, cannot be DRM copy protected, must be smaller than 1 MB and cannot be longer than 39 seconds. Those who want to use part of a song only have to cut out the desired portion of the song with a sound editor such as Audacity. Then the file has to be copied into the Zune collection and selected as ringtone genre via a right click. The option genre does not appear in the menu until it’s typed in manually. The sound is then visible in the ring or alarm tones up above under User Defined during the next Zune synchronisation.

New lines of ultrabook Buying one of the new lines of ultrabooks will probably set a consumer back by about 1,300 dollars. Paying less will mean putting up with significant limitations, like a very small SSD hard drive or a significantly slower hard drive, reports German computer magazine c’t. There’s also the risk of the annoyance of a computer with no USB 3.0 port.

Ultrabooks are coming on the market starting at around 800 euros (1,030 dollars), meaning the price has already sunk noticeably. Just a few months ago, manufacturers were asking 1,500 euros and more for the computers, which have made a splash because they are light, have a high quality housing, battery lives of at least five hours and plenty of computing capacity. Also look at the work ing memory before buying. It’s often not possible to install extra memory yourself since the memory blocks are often welded in with ultrabooks. Thus, make sure you initially buy a model with enough memory or at least one that has the capacity for expansion. Another novelty with ultrabooks: most have a built-in batter y that cannot simply be exchanged while underway.

Check format before shooting If you plan to shoot video with your digital camera, be sure to check the video format suppor ted before making a purchase. Ideally, clips should be saved in the AVCHD format, recommends German computer magazine Computer Bild. That format provides decent quality without taking up too much memory. MPEG files take up a lot more space.

And beware of cameras that generate MDV files: Not every video editing programme can process those. Also check to see if the camera controls for focus and lighting. You can usually test this in the store before purchasing by moving the camera quick l y f rom a wel l - l i t to a p o o rl y l i t s pa ce.

Inexpensive models might only record 15 images per second, meaning jerky videos. And demanding consumers shouldn’t expect too much from the sound. Even the most expensive models have microphones that only produce mid-level quality.

It’s best to consider an external microphone if this is an important factor.

Consoles as media players BERLIN: Just because you like both computer games and movies doesn’t mean you need multiple devices stowed under your television. Xboxes and Playstations have long been able to play DVDs, Blurays and new movies from the internet, as well as show photos and run music, all the while supporting a whole host of games. That said, not every video runs problem-free on these devices. The Wii also has some potential beyond games.

And there are big performance differences between the different consoles.

“The Playstation 3 and the XBox 360 can both be used as DVD players,” explains Roland Stehle of the German Society for Entertainment and Communications Technology (gfu). But only the Playstation 3 can also be used to play Blu-ray discs.

When it comes to music, videos and photos saved on an external device, like a USB stick, both the XBox and Playstation can be of service. But the devices also show their age in this regard, since neither has a fast USB 3.0 connection. And the XBox 360, regardless of how large the external device connected to it might be, will only recognize 16 gigabytes of storage space.

“For the XBox, you’ve got to create a virtual drive on the hard drive into which you can copy films and music,” explains Ingolf Leschke of the German magazine Computer Bild Spiele.

The Wii’s options as a media player are relatively limited. “Conceptually, it was never intended for this kind of work,” says Leschke. “It’s purely an entertainment device.” Thus, it can neither recognize Blu-rays or DVDs, and can only recognize video files when they’re stored in the JPEG format. “And then, the picture

quality is much worse.”

As for video, music or photo files, they can only be pulled up off an SD card. The Wii cannot access USB devices. But all

users access files on their PC or network hard drive from the console so it can, for example, stream movies. To make that work best, connect the console with a

three offer internet access. The Playstation 3 and the XBox 360 go a step further, allowing themselves to be integrated into the home network, letting

cable to the router.

“That way you don’t lose any data packets,” says Leopold Holzapfel of the German computer magazine Chip.

Researchers made 3D object invisible for first time WASHINGTON: US researchers for the first time made a three-dimensional object invisible. The feat does not make a Harry Potter-style invisibility cloak a reality, but it brings the research a big step forward.

The scientists at the University of Texas at Austin said they coated an 18centimetre-long cylinder with plasmonic metamaterials, which made it invisible from every angle. Metamaterials, which redirect light around an object, have been used in the past to cloak objec ts, but only two - dimensional ones. The 3D breakthrough was made with plasmonic metamaterials, which cancel out the light rays bouncing off objects.

Humans and animals are able to see objects because of the light striking and rebounding off them to our eyes.

The breakthrough, however, rendered

the cylinder invisible only in microwave wavelengths. It was still visible to the human eye, the scientists said in their research published Wednesday in the New Journal of Physics.

“Realistic and robust plasmonic metamaterial cloaks may be realized for elongated 3D objects with moderate transverse cross-section at microwave frequencies,” the study said.

The world’s armies were unlikely to be able to issue invisibility fatigues for their soldiers anytime soon, but the research could be put to military use.

Objects of any size could be masked, including warplanes, which could be made invisible to radar with plasmonic metamaterial, the scientists said.

The technology could also be used to hide objects from visible light but would work only if they are extremely small, they said. —dpa

“Compared to that, wi-fi isn’t so good for streaming movies, because the connection tends to get shaky.”

Nonetheless, in case wi-fi is the only option, both the Playstation 3 and the XBox 360 come with wireless adapters.

Some can even be used to receive TV broadcasts. “With the XBox 360, you can use the new Metro Dashboard to see the pay-TV channel Sky Go,” says Leschke.

The Playstation 3 has a receiver for digital terrestrial television (DVB-T ).

These are best for big city residents who have neither a receiver nor a hard drive for recording TV shows. But even a fast cable connection doesn’t guarantee that the consoles can play all video formats.

“The XBox and the Playstation are a little limited,” says Holzapfel. “They both understand the standard formats, but, for example, MKV files for high resolution films aren’t recognized.” But both can download contemporary films from the web. XBox 360 owners have access to Microsoft’s platform Zune, where they can rent or buy titles. For a monthly fee, Playstation owners can stream films from Sony’s Lovefilm online video library.

Nonetheless, you should only consider a console as a media centre if your primary aim is to play games, says Stehle.

“Depending on the console, you can use the multimedia function as a practical extra feature.”

But, if you don’t play, you’ll notice several disadvantages to specialized devices.

“They are louder than a normal DVD player and use up more energy,” says Holzapfel.

A better and less expensive choice is usually a multimedia hard drive that plays multiple formats, uses less energy and can be connected to the television without much difficulty. —dpa

New technology products Smartphones as projectors BERLIN: Logitech plans on bringing the Cube onto the market this month with the square box uniting the laptop mouse and the controlling device for presentations. It is small enough to fit any hand and when used as a mouse the touch-sensitive surface replaces the scroll wheel. Picking up the device turns it from mouse to presenter, with a click on the surface bringing up the next slide while it goes back by turning the cube. The connection to the computer is through a small unifying receiver which can communicate with up to six other Logitech devices at the same time. The Cube will cost about 70 euros (90 dollars).

RaumfeldOne streams music via WiFi The company R aumfeldOne has developed a new stereo speaker to stream music as the device not only accesses your own music collection via WiFi connection but also online radio and services such as Napster and Simfy.

The built-in power amplifier outputs 100 watt from the speakers with a 130 millimetre Downfire woofer available.

The speaker can be operated by a free iPhone app. The RaumfeldOne is available now in specialist shops for about 450 euros.

Plug-in projector for iPhone 4 Trekstor’s i.Gear lumio transforms newer iPhones into a mini-projector.

The 127-millimetre-long device works with Apple’s 4 and 4S smartphones. A hard shell attaches to the iPhone and can be powered by electricity. The projector displays pictures with a maximum diagonal of 130 centimetres at a resolution of 640 by 360 pixels. The three LEDs provide a brightness of up to 15 ANSI lumens and the i.gear lumio has a speaker for videos. The mini projector costs 200 euros and is now available.

Digital satellite receiver with network access The new TechniBox S1 from Technisat can receive digital satellite television DVB-S as well as data from the home network.

The built-in Ethernet connection allows the receiver to pick up videos and music via DLNA standard. A USB connection and a CI Plus module for encrypted TV signals is also included. Parents looking for parental control can set up various user accounts with differing access to television stations.

The TechniBox is available now for 150 euro.

Motorola Xoom’s successor is lighter and quicker Motorola has announced a follow-up model for its Xoom tablet. The Xoom 2 will come with a 10.1 inch glass display though the manufacturer is also coming out with a more manageable version at 8.2 inches called the Media Edition. Both tablets will have a 1.2 GHz dual core processor and run the Android 3.2 operating system while providing WiFi, UMTS, 1 GB RAM and a 5 megapixel camera which can record HD videos. The pre-installed software MotoCast allows for the tablet to have continual access to files saved on a PC. Manufacturers say the Xoom 2 is furnished with a water- and dirt-resistant coating. The device weighs 599 grams or about 130 grams lighter than its predecessor while the Xoom 2 Media Edition weighs 386 grams and is especially designed for multi-media use with stereo speakers and a subwoofer. Motorola claims the battery has a life of six hours during surfing and more than three days if only music is being played. The Xoom 2 is supposed to last about 10 hours during surfing.

While the large tablet will be available with 16 GB or 32 GB memory, the Media Edition will only be available with 16 GB. Both devices will hit the market in February. Motorola has not yet announced prices. —dpa

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Davos wowed by device that reads ‘code of life’ in hours Machine could revolutionize healthcare

MUMBAI: In this file picture taken on October 26, 2005, an Indian staff checks batch numbers of Ranbaxy medicines at a shop in Mumbai. indian generic drugs giant Ranbaxy faces a tough road ahead after US authorities imposed stiff conditions to settle a long legal battle over manufacturing safety violations at its plants, analysts say. — AFP

Settlement puts India’s Ranbaxy on the ropes NEW DELHI: Indian drugs giant Ranbaxy faces a tough road ahead after US authorities imposed stiff conditions to settle a long legal battle over manufacturing safety violations at its plants, analysts say.

Ranbaxy shares hit a 10-month low Friday after the US Justice Department filed a socalled consent decree in court requiring “fundamental changes” to the firm’s operations, calling it “groundbreaking in its international reach”.

US prosecutors accused the company of making “adulterated, potentially unsafe” drugs for its crucial US market. The decree requires Ranbaxy to stop selling drugs to American consumers made at three of its Indian plants and one US factory until it cleans up its act. Analysts had no estimate of the settlement’s potential impact on sales. The agreement provides for “very stringent and punitive measures,” Bino Pathiparampil, vice president of Mumbai’s IIFL Capital, told CNBC. “They will have a long period struggling before they come out of the woods.”

New Delhi-based Ranbaxy, which has factories in seven countries and made the first generic version of top-selling cholesterol buster Lipitor, has grown by selling cheap copies of branded drugs that have gone off-patent, and through challenges to patents owned by Western companies.

But US authorities allege the firm took short cuts along the way, falsifying data, failing to prevent contamination of medicines, keeping inadequate records and not making sure drugs remained potent until their expiry.

Ranbaxy neither accepted nor denied the allegations in the consent decree, which was agreed by the two sides in late December but the details were only made public last week when it was filed in a US state court. A judge must still approve the deal. While the decree “offers a definite path towards resolution” of the dispute, Priti Arora, a pharmaceuticals analyst at Kotak Securities in Mumbai, told AFP that the provisions were “more rigorous” than expected.

The firm has already set aside $500 million to cover costs from the dispute, more than twice its profit last year, but analysts say it may have to spend at least $200 mil-

lion more to implement the settlement.

Under terms of the deal, Ranbaxy must hire a third party expert to conduct an internal review at the facilities, implement procedures and controls to ensure data integrity, and withdraw any applications found to contain untrue statements or data irregularities that could affect approval.

US authorities have previously taken up to seven years to re-approve pharmaceutical plants once they had been blocked from doing business, analysts said.

Ranbaxy has put a brave face on the settlement with chief executive Arun Sawhney saying the company was “pleased to have resolved this legacy issue” with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “We are (also) pleased with the progress we have made in upgrading and enhancing the quality of our business and manufacturing processes,” he said.

Ranbaxy has declined further comment on the deal. Particularly damaging, analysts said, is that Ranbaxy is required to give up 180-day marketing exclusivity for at least three pending US generic drug applications and maybe more. The drugs have not been named, but could include AstraZeneca’s Nexium heartburn pill, with annual sales of $5.0 billion. All this spells more bad news for Ranbaxy ’s parent, Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo, which paid $4.6 billion in 2008 — considered by analysts to be top dollar at the time-to buy a controlling stake in the Indian firm.

Daiichi saw the purchase-the largestever transaction in the Indian pharmaceutical sector-as a way to diversify globally.

But regulatory reverses have seen the value of its investment plummet. Only three months after Daiichi took control, the FDA banned more than 30 drugs made at Ranbaxy’s plants in India due to concerns about their production. Just last month, Daiichi, whose share price has dropped by half since the Ranbaxy acquisition, cut top executive pay after slashing its profit forecast partly due to the $500-million provision to settle Ranbaxy’s legal dispute.

Ranbaxy shares had risen following news of the settlement in December, but the details “dispel any optimism”, Credit Suisse AG said in an investor note.— AFP

DAVOS: It was the talk of Davos, grabbing the imagination of a forum other wise shrouded in gloom: a miracle machine that cracks the code of life within hours and could revolutionize healthcare.

Patients will no longer have to wait weeks to know if they have cancer and their doctors will know immediately what kind of disease they have, allowing them to target therapies precisely and to avoid harmful delays or mistakes.

Health officials confronted by superbug outbreaks will be able to identify the bug’s strain and begin planning treatment within hours rather than days or weeks, potentially saving thousands of lives.

Soon, researchers in the developing world will take portable DNA sequencers into the field to identify new viruses and verify water quality.

And police investigators will be able to develop a suspect’s DNA profile as quickly as their fictional counterparts do in glossy television dramas, while commandos on the battlefield will identify the bodies of friend and foe. The man behind the revolution is Jonathan Rothberg, master biotechnician and CEO of Ion Torrent, owned by US firm Life Technologies, which produces the Ion Proton-the world’s first desktop semiconductor-based gene sequencer.

Business and political leaders at this year’s Global Economic Forum were gripped by pessimism over the economy, but-at a summit boy-

cotted by Mick Jagger-Rothberg was received in Davos like a rockstar of science. “He’s a genius. I want to buy his machines,” Sami Sagol, a leading Israeli neuroscientist and research sponsor, told passengers on a minibus ferrying delegates through the snowbound streets of the Swiss resort.

“I was sat next to him at dinner.

He’s amazing,” declared a young investment banker swigging beer in a nearby bar, admitting he had found Davos’ scientific programme more uplifting than the headline economic debates. The man himself, geekily excited in a woolly ski hat and loud striped shirt, bursts with enthusiasm for a machine that has brought the once laborious task of gene-sequencing to the era of the semi-conductor microchip.

With no false modesty, he compares the revolution to the transition from the era of room-sized computing machines to desktop microprocessors, and predicts that his technology will follow the computer into laptop and hand-held forms. “It’s the first machine that can do an entire human genome for less than 1,000 dollars. It’s the first machine than can read the genome in two hours,” he told AFP in an interview in Davos.

“Previously machines would cost more than half a million dollars and it would take weeks to get information on your genome,” he said. A genome is the complete DNA code, unique to each individual, which shapes our organism.

“ The Proton instrument is designed to do discovery-find new genes that are involved in cancer, find new genes that are involved in autism, find new genes that are involved in diabetes,” he said.

“But it’s also designed to be used in a clinical practice to make sure that you give the person the right medicine or the right medicine to the right person. And to help diagnose new born children with ailments.” The Desktop Ion Proton was making its European debut, but the technology is not a pie in the sky dream. It is based on a larger predecessor that is already the world’s best selling sequencer.

“Last year in Germany there was a terrible outbreak and a number of people died,” he said, referring to a enterohaemorrhagic E.coli (EHEC) infection from contaminated food that killed 52 people and left more than 4,000 sick.

“It was the precursor to this machine and one of the first chips we made that decoded that E.coli outbreak and allowed us to understand that superbug, track that superbug and have a diagnostic for that superbug.” Two factors make the Ion Proton unique. It is the only machine to use a semiconductor chip to sequence genes, previously researchers had to study DNA strands under what were effectively powerful microscopes.

Now, DNA samples can be dropped onto a microchip a couple of centimetres (one inch) across, slotted into the Proton like a SIM

Oral cancer virus affects 7 percent of Americans CHICAGO: About 16 million Americans have oral HPV, a sexually transmitted virus more commonly linked with cervical cancer that also can cause mouth cancer, according to the first nationwide estimate. HPV - human papilloma virus is increasingly recognized as a major cause of oral cancers affecting the back of the tongue and tonsil area. Smoking and heavy drinking are also key causes.

Until now, it was not known how many people have oral HPV infections. Overall, 7 percent of Americans aged 14 to 69 are infected, the study found.

But the results are not cause for alarm.

While mouth cancers are on the rise probably from oral sex - most people with oral HPV will never develop cancer.

And most don’t have the kind most strongly linked to cancer. Also, tests for oral HPV are costly and mainly used in research. Still, experts say the study provides important information for future research that could increase knowledge about who is most at risk for oral cancer and ways to prevent the disease.

The nationally representative study is based on 30-second gargle tests given to about 5,500 people in a 2009-10 government health survey. Their mouthwash samples were tested for HPV. The results were published online Thursday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. There are many types of HPV, but one in particular, known as HPV-16, is most strongly linked with oral cancer and also is a common cause of cervical cancer. That form was found in about 1 percent of people studied, translating to about 2 million Americans.

Dr. Maura Gillison, the lead author and a researcher at Ohio State University, said the study “provides us some reassurance” that most people with oral HPV will not

get oral cancer. Millions may have oral HPV, but fewer than 15,000 Americans get HPV-linked oral cancer each year.

She said the study should prompt research into whether the existing vaccines for cervical cancer protect against oral HPV, too. Gillison has consulted with Merck & Co., and GlaxoSmithKline, makers of HPV vaccines. Ohio State, Merck and the National Cancer Institute helped pay for the study. Dr Ezra Cohen, a head and neck cancer specialist at the University of Chicago, said the study provides important information confirming similarities in risk factors for HPV oral infections and oral cancer.

For example, oral HPV was more common in men than women - 10 percent versus almost 4 percent; in smokers; and in people who had many sexual partners.

People aged 55 to 59 were most at risk.

Sexual activity was a strong risk factor, including oral sex. Oral HPV infection rates were much lower than previous estimates for HPV affecting the cervix and other genital areas, suggesting that the mouth might somehow be more resistant to infection, according to a journal editorial. Dr Hans Schlecht, the editorial author and an infectious disease specialist at Drexel University in Philadelphia, said the study provides fodder for researching how some infections lead to cancer and identifying ways to detect and treat HPV-related oral lesions before they turn into cancer. Unlike nonHPV cancers easily seen in the front of the mouth, HPV-linked tumors in the rear tongue and tonsil area are often hard to detect. Schlecht emphasized the importance of knowing symptoms of these cancers, which can include a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, ear pain and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.—AP

card into a mobile, and two hours later the enter six-billion-letter code of life is known. The second factor is size. The current model squats on a desk like a photocopier and, as a scalable device, it will one day shrink, even to the size of a handheld like the science fiction Star Trek “tricorder”.

“So investigators in Africa have asked me for machines that they can use to monitor wild game that’s caught to see if there’s any new viruses coming in that can interact with man for the first time,” said Rothberg. But, while its enthusiastic inventor foresees dozens of tasks for his machine, its inspiration and initial core use will be in healthcare. “ When my son was born, he was rushed to the newborn intensive care unit because he had difficulty breathing,” said Rothberg, recounting the personal trauma that led directly to his breakthrough.

“At that moment I realised that I was less interested in the human genome as an abstract concept and I was completely interested in my son’s genome. “I realized two things: I cared about my son Noah’s genome and I needed a technology that scales. And during the time he was intensive care I had the idea to move sequencing to a massively parallel substrate, a chip.” Noah recovered, his disease was not genetic after all, but once the Ion Proton is common in world hospitals, other parents will have a shorter wait.— AFP

Amylin’s long delayed diabetes drug gets nod WASHINGTON: Amylin Pharmaceuticals won approval Friday for its long-delayed diabetes drug Bydureon, a nextgeneration treatment that requires fewer injections than the company’s 7-year old diabetes medicine, Byetta.

Bydureon is a once-a-week version of Byetta, which is taken twice a day to control blood sugar. Amylin executives say the new drug’s convenient regimen will give it a competitive advantage in the marketplace. After multiple delays however, it enters a crowded market, including one diabetes treatment in the same class that has shown superior results. The US Food and Drug Administration’s approval comes after two rejections in 2010, when the agency asked Amylin to conduct a new study of the drug’s effects on the heart’s rhythm. News of the costly delay sent company shares tumbling more than 50 percent and contributed to the eventual breakup of Amylin’s long-standing partnership with Eli Lilly and Co. The companies ended their collaboration in November, with Amylin paying $250 million and agreeing to take over full responsibility for both Byetta and Bydureon.

Analysts generally expect Bydureon to generate $940 million in sales annually by 2016, though Deutsche Bank analyst Robyn Karnauskas says the drug must post $1.2 billion annually to turn a profit. Karnauskas points out in a note to investors that Amylin currently has $2 billion in long-term debt and only $210 million in cash. She says Bydureon’s approval should give the San Diego, California, company greater flexibility to refinance its debt. Bydureon is part of the broader GLP-1 class of drugs, which work by increasing the body’s insulin production. People with type 2 diabetes are unable to properly break down carbohydrates, either because their bodies do not produce enough insulin or because they have become resistant to the hormone, which controls blood sugar levels. These patients are at higher risk for heart attacks, kidney problems, blindness and other serious complications. Diabetics often require multiple drugs with different mechanisms of action to control their blood sugar levels. Diabetes affects more than 25 million people in the US, or roughly 8 percent of the population. Amylin executives say the convenience of the Bydureon’s weekly regimen should give it a competitive advantage, but Amylin reported disappointing results last year for it against Novo Nordisk’s Victoza, a daily injection approved in January 2010. —AP

FRANKFURT: A penguin dives in a pool in the zoo of Frankfurt, Germany Friday. —AP

US clears Pfizer drug for advanced kidney cancer WASHINGTON: Patients with hard-to-treat kidney cancer that has spread to other parts of the body gained a new drug option Friday, after US government regulators approved a twice-a-day pill from Pfizer for the disease. The Food and Drug Administration approved the company’s drug Inlyta as a secondary option for patients with renal cell carcinoma that hasn’t responded to previous drug treatments.

Renal cell carcinoma is the most common form of kidney cancer, with an estimated 61,000 people in the US newly diagnosed last year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Only about 11 percent of patients with advanced kidney cancer survive five years or more after diagnosis.

Like other recent cancer drugs, Inlyta works by blocking proteins that promote tumor growth and cancer progression. The market for kidney cancer drugs has grown increasingly crowded in recent years, with six other new drugs approved in the last six years, including Roche’s Avastin and GlaxoSmithKline’s Votrient. Pfizer’s drug is only the second to be designated as a backup, or second-line, treatment after other kidney cancer drugs have been prescribed. Pfizer is also conducting studies of

the drug as a first-line option against kidney cancer.

“This is the seventh drug that has been approved for the treatment of metastatic or advanced kidney cell cancer since 2005,” said Dr. Richard Pazdur, FDA’s cancer drug director, in a statement. “Collectively, this unprecedented level of drug development within this time period has significantly altered the treatment paradigm.” The FDA approved the drug based on a single study in which patients on Inlyta, known chemically as axitinib, experienced two more months without their cancer worsening than patients taking Nexavar, a drug from Bayer and Onyx Pharmaceuticals.

The most common side effects with Inlyta included diarrhea, high blood pressure, fatigue, nausea, weight loss and decreased appetite, among others. “Even with the advent of targeted therapies, the need remains for additional options for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma whose disease has progressed following first-line medications,” Pfizer Senior Vice President Dr. Mace Rothenberg said in a statement. Shares of New York-based Pfizer Inc. fell 12 cents to $21.51 in afternoon trading.-AP

Taiba Hospital celebrated with Indians KUWAIT: The IVF Department at Taiba Hospital held an I ndian N ight celebration at Alzumorroda Hall with the attendance of Satish C Mehta, Ambassador of India to Kuwait, Dr Sanad Al Fadala, Chief Executive Officer of Taiba Hospital, and a crowd of Taiba Hospital consultants, doctors, and management; in addition to Indians patients who want to celebrate their successful treatment. Dr Shafik Saleh, the head of IVF and Obstetrics & Gynecology Department, expressed his happiness by saying: “in the IVF department we are very proud to say that we have the most experienced and professional team to offer the best services and treat-

ments for our patients.”

Manal Omar, the head of marketing and public relations at Taiba Hospital and Specialized clinics, emphasized that “We at Taiba Hospital have the best medical and administrative team to offer the best services and treatments for our patients to make them comfortable and satisfied as possible.” The ceremony included an entertain program started with the Indian traditional dance, raffles, prizes distribution and speeches by patients who talked about the successful program they had under the supervision of IVF department at Taiba Hospital. We wish you all a good health.

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

Vets take action to save Poland’s lynx PRZEMYSL: Growling furiously, Benek the lynx cub looks up with baleful eyes as a veterinarian squats by his cage and takes aim with a tranquiliser gun. “It’ll take a half hour to knock him out,” says Jakub Kotowicz, vice-president of the Rehabilitation Centre for Protected Animals in Przemysl, southeastern Poland. The feline snarls as the dart strikes its haunch, but minutes later is toying kitten-like with another pink, fluffy-tailed missile which went off target. “If he was a bear, we’d need a whole night to get him under,” jokes the centre’s head Radoslaw Fedaczynski.

Eradicated from much of Europe 150 years ago, lynx still roam the continent’s forested north and east. Europe’s population of Eurasian lynx is estimated at 7,500 to 8,000 — excluding those in Russia-with the bulk found in Romania, Scandinavia and the Baltic states. An

estimated 200 of the solitary wildcats live in Poland, mostly clustered near the northeastern borders with Belarus, Lithuania and Russia’s Kaliningrad territory and in the southern Carpathian Mountains, Benek’s home turf.

The Eurasian lynx is in far better shape than its critically-endangered Spanish and Portuguese cousin the Iberian lynx, about 100 of which remain in the wild. But life isn’t easy and BenekPolish for “Benny”-is lucky. After becoming separated from his mother, and too young to hunt game properly, he emerged from the forest. Locals called the care centre after finding him just before Christmas in Bircza, a village 27 kilometres (17 miles) from Przemysl.

“He was trying to catch chickens from the region’s farms but got chased up a tree by some dogs. When we found him, he was starving, exhausted and needed

our help,” said Andrzej Fedaczynski, 52, who with his son Radoslaw runs the regular veterinary practice doubling as a voluntary care centre for wild animals.

Benek has been getting the best care possible: shots, glucose and medication to boost his metabolism.

He’s the fifth lynx to have passed through in three years. “We don’t want to be a lynx sanctuary. Our goal is to get them back to the wild,” said Radoslaw.

“They have an excellent instinct for selfpreservation.” The tranquilised Benek is carried limp-limbed from the isolated cage where he is being kept to stop him getting used to humans, past a domestic cat about to be seen by a vet. It freezes in its owners lap.

“He weighed much less than he should, so we can’t use his weight to determine his age. But size and external appearance tell us he’s between six and

12 months old,” said Kotowicz. “It’s hard to say when we’ll be able to let him go.

For now he’s too weak. We only have 200 lynx in Poland, so each one is very valuable for the local ecosystem. We have to be 100 percent sure he’ll cope in the wild,” he added. Benek is regaining his appetite for a normal lynx diet of deer and smaller game. But if he reaches his third birthday-and sexual maturityhe will be an exception.

“Only one in four lynx actually make it to sexual maturity,” according to Urs Breitenmoser of the Swiss-based International Union for Conservation of Nature. “It’s a balance between different odds,” he told AFP in a telephone interview. Hunted, often by the ruling elite, until the fall of Poland’s communist regime in 1989, lynx have since enjoyed legal protection. But Krzysztof Schmidt of Poland’s Mammal Research Institute

insists the threats are still manifold here.

Shrinking forests have restricted their territory, and the thinning of woodlands makes it harder for lynx to stalk or hide out to rest, he said. “Then there’s the development of road networks in terms of further habitat fragmentation, roadkills to a lesser extent, and poaching, although that’s not very significant,” he added.

“Overall, I don’t think it’s a paradise for lynx. However, they’re still lucky here,” he said. Schmidt contrasted Poland with the Baltic state of Estonia, home to around 800 lynx, between 80 and 180 of which are hunted annually for fur and skull trophies under a legal quota. There is good news for some of those felines: plans are underway to use up to 40 Estonian lynx to repopulate the forest wilderness of northeast Poland’s Mazuria region.— AFP

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MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

W H AT ’ S O N

Movenpick celebrates V-Day throughout February

Greetings

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any many happy returns of the day to Mohamed Aziz Tunisain. May Allah bestow on you His choicest blessings throughout your life. With loving compliments from Sherif Ismail.

hen The Beatles sang ‘All You Need is Love’ they were not thinking about modern romance. These days when it comes to love, actions speak louder than words. Fortunately at selected Movenpick Hotels & Resorts throughout the Middle East and Asia there is a perfect deal guaranteed to make any romantic’s heart beat faster.

From February 1 to 29 lovestruck couples can enjoy 50 percent off their second night, a late check out until 4:00pm, a romantic gift

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Upcoming events

for couples to enjoy during their romantic break. Whether it’s a sophisticated city hotel escape in Dubai, Bangalore or Doha or a sunkissed relaxation resort in Dead Sea, Phuket or Beirut there are plenty of ways to fan the flames of romance this February. Participating hotels and resorts within the Middle East and Asia include properties in Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, India, Philippines and Thailand. For further details visit: www.moevenpick-hotels.com

McDonald’s sponsors Kuwait Riders Motorcycle Club

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ongratulations on your best day to you Mohamed Ahmed Soliman. I wish you a happy and prosperous married life.

With lots of love from Sherif Ismail.

and savor in-room breakfast for two.

“These days we have such busy lives that it’s often difficult to find time for romance,” said Toufic Tamim, Vice President Sales & Marketing for Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, Middle East. “So we decided to take the heartbreak out of organizing a Valentine’s getaway by offering a great deal every day of the month.

That way couples have the whole of February to choose from.”

Throughout the Middle East and Asia there is a heart-warming variety of Movenpick Hotels & Resorts

cDonald’s-Kuwait has made an agreement with the Kuwait Riders Motorcycle Club to be their official sponsor for their road-safety awareness tour in Kuwait. The Kuwait Riders tour will be stopping at many of McDonald’s 63 branches in Kuwait, and using the restaurants as venues for their roadsafety awareness expedition. The Kuwait Riders is a motorcycle club part of the “Riders” chain in the Middle East. The team was established in May 2010 in order to exchange cultures between countries around the world and strengthen the relationship between these cultures. Kuwait Riders are not just a motorcycle club, but an organization that is keen on serving the community by enhancing and raising awareness on health, safety and environment related issues.

The tour which will be on till April 13, 2012 will see the Kuwait Riders visit numerous McDonald’s branches for either breakfast or lunch. During the Kuwait Riders visit to the restaurants, members of the community will be able to meet and greet members of the club and the riders will be taking this opportunity to inform the attendees about establishing and activating the principle of a healthy and safe environment. Elite members of the club and partners will be discussing the culture of motorcycles and how they are giving back to their communities. “We are happy to support the Kuwait Riders to draw attention to the importance of road-safety education in an effort to make our streets safer.” commented George Khawam, Marketing Director of McDonald’s Kuwait.

AWARE lecture

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he AWARE Center cordially invites you to its lecture entitled, “The future of Kuwait Energy,” by Hani Hussein tomorrow at 7:00pm. Energy is the key driver of economic development for Kuwait and the region and understanding the changes that will impact the industry as a whole is critical. To that end, the AWARE Center has invited Hani Hussein, the former Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, to give a lecture under the title: “The Future of Kuwait Energy: Challenges and Opportunities” In his address, Hani Hussein will speak about the future of the hydrocarbon industry in Kuwait, the energy and geopolitics intersect and what he sees as the underlying factors driving development. He will take questions from the audience at the end of the lecture.

Music album An Indian music album, ‘Pranayam Madhuvasantham’, to be shot in Kuwait invites actors and associates, album’s creator Hari Paravoor said. The 9-songs audio album, which was released at a function at Gulf Indian School about a year ago is penned by Hari Paravoor and tuned by Bashir Koyilandi. The video album of the songs will be released shortly. The album creators would like creative contributions from artistes and common folks who can give a try in creative participation in the album. Please contact: 55442649.

Music festival On March 1, 2012, the “Blend Music Festival,” a mellow acoustic get-together of several local musicians, will take place in Bayt Lothan, the official sponsor, host, and curator of the event. This event will be FREE of charge and open to everyone to attend. We hope to see you all there, and here’s to a great start to 2012! The “Blend Music Festival” will be the first of many concerts to be held; there are a handful of musicians on board, and more will be added to the sets at a later stage. Here is the program for March 1st: 1- Ali Sleeq with Gary Ruston & Kevin Owen = JAZZ; 2- Hadi Sarieddine, Bader Nana, & Sarj = ROCK; 3- Lewis Chapman - FOLK / ROCK. Acting workshop The British Academy of International Arts (BAIA) is holding a world class acting workshop over three days. Nona Shepphard, Associate Director of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), will share her expertise as actor, director and playwright. The workshop will involve learning how to transform the written text into a successful performance.

Shepphard is head of the audition panel at RADA and will also discuss how best to prepare for auditions. This workshop is a rare opportunity and a must for anyone interested in improving their acting skills and/or considering a career in Theatre. When: February 2nd, 3rd & 4th. For more information: info@thebaia.com or 6005-2087 Where: Shakespeare Theatre At The British School of Kuwait (BSK) Salwa.

Infoconnect expo to be held in Kuwait From January 29th till February 4th Infoconnect will be held at the Kuwait International Fair Grounds Infoconnect is one of the most professionally organized trade shows in Kuwait, dedicated exclusively to the computer applications and information technology sector. The show ranks high on the popularity count, drawing in a large number of exhibitors as well as qualified business visitors at each of its editions. The line of products put on exhibit at the show is quite extensive and includes computer peripherals, IT security tools, software solutions, data warehousing systems and a host of other related services and accessories. The show draws in active participation from eminent professionals from both the public as well as the private sectors and the latest innovations and developments in the IT industry are closely looked into here. The show is held over a period of seven days at the Kuwait International Fairground and enjoys large scale media coverage too.

GLEE-esque show choir This Valentine’s Day step into a musical Love Story performed by Vocal Rhapsody, KLT’s first ever GLEEesque show choir. Vocal Rhapsody’s “Love Story” - is a show choir production with hit songs from artists such as Journey, Queen, Katy Perry and Meatloaf. It promises to be an exciting evening for all with some classic songs that everyone will enjoy. contact: http://www.theklt.com Cultural program On the 10th of February 2012, Friday at 3:30 pm. A cultural program will be staged at the Carmel School Kuwait, Khaitan. This will include a Book Fair and an Art Competition with a Musical Drama (JanatarDak). It is written n Directed by Rafiqul Islam Bulu and organized by the Bangladesh Udjapon Committee Kuwait. This is an open invitation, All are welcome.

Paritala Yuvasena pays tribute to Ravi

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n an event organized by the Paritala Yuvasena, Kuwait, the supporters of Paritala Ravi recollected the nostalgic moments of their association with their slain leader on the occasion of his 7th death anniversary on January 24.

Paritala Ravi (August 30, 1958 January 24, 2005) was a political leader and factionist in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, India. He was a former cabinet minister in Andhra Pradesh and a sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly when he was slain by his political rivals in 2005.

Speaking at the occasion, Ratakonda Laxmipati Naidu, the President of Paritala yuvasena, Kuwait along with Vegi Venkatesh, Pravasandhra Telugu Desam officials Mulakala Subbarayudu Naidu, Venkat Koduri, Gulf wide Nandamuri Fans President Polineni Santharam Naidu, TLKS President K Mohan Babu, Mahatma Gandhi youth association President Sannapaneni Mani and others said, “The generosity and helping hand extended by Paritala’s family can never be forgotten. It is now up to us to help of his family by supporting his wife Sunitha

Paritala and his son Sriram”.

Various TDP followers and Paritala Ravi’s supporters Peram Ramana, Pidikiti Srinivas Chowdary, Uday Prakash, Narayanamma, Chundu Reddeiah Naidu, Maratu Nagendra Naidu, Manohar, Chandra Babu Naidu Nagineni, T Naresh, Malepati Babu, venkataiah Naidu, Pattabi Naidu Kaperla, Rajendra Naidu Enduri, Sudhakar Naidu Chavana, Mallikarjuna Naidu Maratho, Ravi Raju Kuncham, Murali Pothuru, Siva Naidu Gandra, DeavaPrasad, Babu Naidu Polarapu, Koteswar Naidu Payyavula, Babu Naidu

Katuri, Sreeramulu Naidu Thota, Lakshminarayana Thalapaka, Basakar Naidu Jammala, Ravindranaidu Nagineni, Pattabi Naidu Dugginen participated in the event to pay their tribute. Ratakonda Laxmipati Naidu thanked all for their continued support and overwhelming response.

Announcements Burns Supper The Kuwait Caledonians are pleased to invite you to the 2012 Burns Supper To be held at the Movenpick Hotel, Al-Bida’a On Thursday 2nd February, 2012 Tickets will be available in January Please email kuwaitcaledonians@gmail.com Or call 60057882 Sadu weaving workshop This workshop is of four weeks duration, and it will be held twice a week. The morning group sessions are on Monday and Wednesday from 9am to 12pm. The evening group are on Sunday and Tuesday from 4:30pm to 7:30pm. A total of 8 sessions of three hours each.

This workshop will be held from January 22nd to February 18th.

For more Information kindly contact Sadu House at: info@alsadu.org.kw SaduWeaving@gmail.com 2243-2395 or 9959-7983

Boat show in Kuwait Kuwait City, is like a magnet: indeed it has been attracting Bedouin people from the Arabian interior, in search of a sea breeze and an escape from recurring drought, for centuries. Today the metropolis is still an oasis in a land of desert plains, but rather more of the cultural and epicurean kind. Excellent museums; a corniche ornamented with combed beaches and extravagant restaurants; modern shopping complexes and marinas, and long and lazy retreats at new beach resorts mark the Kuwait City experience. The organizers of the Kuwait International Boat Show expect more than 100 marine companies to display their latest products, boats, yachts, super yachts, electronics, engines and thousands of boating accessories from major marine manufacturers. The Boat Show encompasses more than 120.000 m2 of space, both on land and in water.

Where: Souk Sharq Marina & Water Front Boat Show Timings: 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm, February 812

The Wedding Expo The Wedding Expo is an annual event that caters to the elite soon-to-be brides of Kuwait who plan on hosting an extravagant and unique wedding, looking for high range and designer oriented brands, products and services that will aid in executing “the perfect wedding.” It is an elite event, targeted to all members included in the planning and execution process of an elite wedding and all interested parties interested in wedding oriented products and services. The Wedding Expo is a 3 day event. The first day will be an ‘invitation only’ event that will include a catered service and drinks. The second and third day will be open to the public. It will include a list of exhibitors in the fields of designer wear, jewelry, flowers, beauty, catering and wedding planning who will show their products and services to the visiting public.

The Event will be a heavily publicized event through the communication of various media outlets such as magazines, TV stations, Newspapers, online social networking and specialized invitations.

When: February 8th, 9th & 10th Where: 360 Mall Exhibition Hall

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Embassy Information EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests all Brazilian citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the website www.brazil.org.kw (Contact Us Form / Fale Conosco) in order to register or update contact information. The Embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the Embassy. The registration process helps the Brazilian Government to contact and assist Brazilians living abroad in case of any emergency. nnnnnnn

Egyptians in Kuwait celebrate first anniversary

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perators of the Egyptians in Kuwait website organized a campaign where Egyptian residents transferred funds to their home country to celebrate the first anniversary of the January 25 revolution. The campaign was held in cooperation with Al-Muzaini Money Exchange Company and attended by Abdul-Kareem Sulaiman, Ambassador of Egypt to Kuwait.

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Abdul-Kareem Sulaiman, Ambassador of Egypt

Fun and frolic at ISCK’s mega carnival

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he slightly chilly morning of Friday, January 20, 2012 saw the grounds of The Indian Community School filled with the home sick diaspora of Indians in Kuwait. It was the day of the 9th Mega Carnival organized every year not only for the fun and frolic, but also as a community event, to bring the big family of ICSK together at a common venue, Senior School, Salmiya. This year the Chief Guest was Kodikkunnil Suresh, the fifth-time Member of Parliament from the Lok Sabha. He was given a warm welcome, in a traditional ceremony, complete with aarti, tilak and garland. The inauguration ceremony began with the verses from the Holy Quran, followed by the National Anthems of Kuwait and India. The Marching Band presented their awesome performance, just an indication of what was yet to follow. The carnival parade led by the Carnival King and revelers was one of its kinds. The float bringing them in was an example of artistic innovation. The participants of the parade were dressed to suit the occasion of fun and festivities.

Rajan Daniel, Hon Secretary presented the welcome address during which he enumerated the highlights of Suresh’s illustrious political career.

Bouquets were presented to the Chief Guest, Dinesh Kamath, Hon Treasurer, Hon Joint Secretaries Francis Machado,

Vijay Karayil, Parent representatives, Ajay Kumar and Regi Mathew. Chief Guest Kodikunnil Suresh released the carnival souvenir and handed over the first copy to Dinesh Kamath, HonTreasurer. The members of the school band were awarded trophies for their dazzling display. There were awards for the top five entries in the

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, AlMutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 12:30 to 01:00 pm for lunch break. Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday. Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca.

The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait.

Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

The people who thronged the school grounds had a wondrous day with a variety of activities to do and an assortment of stalls from where they could buy innumerable things from costume jewelry to mouth watering snacks.

Junior students put up a mesmerizing fusion number, which cast a magic spell on the gathering. Amman singers made

with the DJ and the tambola which kept the crowd thoroughly entertained. For the first time in Kuwait, there was the laser show coupled with breath taking illusions. The jewel in the crown was the Raffle Draw at the end of the day with enticing bumper prizes! All in all the day was a highly spirited one that was enjoyed by one and all. Archie Menezes,

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS The Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus requests Cypriot citizens living in Kuwait to register with the Embassy. This registration service is provided so that the Embassy can update its contact list and assist Cypriot citizens in cases of emergencies. Registration information can be emailed to cyprusembassykwt@gmail.com or faxed to 22253227 or given by phone to 65906048 (Mrs Christine). nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF GERMANY The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application. Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (Al-Babtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF KENYA

school website, which included the senior Hindi teacher G K Maini, Senior School, Salmiya. In his inaugural address MP, Suresh lauded the efforts of the school management in organizing the carnival and complimented the noble cause behind holding the show. He encouraged the parents and students to extend their wholehearted cooperation to make the school achieve greater success in academics and other school related programs.

the crowd dance to the latest hit songs of Bollywood. Khaitan dancers took the audience to the land of Punjab with their energetic Bhangra, while the Western and Hindi mix number sent the crowd into raptures. The youngsters had their choice of henna, tattoos, face painting and hair colouring, games of luck and skills, while the couples could find out much to everyone’s glee if they were made for each other in the Jodi No 1 contest. There was live entertainment

Hon Vice Chairman expressed his deep appreciation for the organizers and participants of the event in his closing remarks. Vijay Karayil, Hon Joint Secretary proposed the vote of thanks.

The 9th ICSK Mega Carnival was yet another stupendous success which makes it the most awaited event of the year for all ICSKians.

The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to request all Kenyans resident in or training through Kuwait to register with the Embassy.

We are updating our database. This information is necessary in order to facilitate quick assistance and advise in times of emergency. Kindly visit in person or register through our website www.kenyaembkuwait.com. The Embassy is located in: Surra Area - Block 6 - Street 9 - Villa 3 Tel: 25353362 - 25353314; Fax: 25353316. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy will move its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, Al-Salaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location from 26 January, 2012. Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, e-mail:myankuwait11@gmai1.com nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF PHILIPPINES The Embassy of the Philippines will be closed to public transactions on 29,30,31 January 2012 to give way to its transfer to Faiha, Block 6, Nauman bin Basher St. corner Damascus St. Villa 153. For emergency, please contact the Consular hotline at 65184433. The Philippine Overseas Labor Office and other attached agencies shall continue to operate and hold office in Jabriya until 15 March 2012. All your passports and other consular concerns will be processed at our new location, except of course labor issues. Regular working hours of the Embassy shall resume in Faiha on 01 February 2012. nnnnnnn

FOKE pays tribute to Dr Azheekode

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riends of Kannur Kuwait Expats Association ( FOKE) conducted Dr Sukumar Azheekode ‘Anusmaranam ‘ on January 27 at Kannur Association hall in Mangaf.

Malayalam literary world has lost an epic icon with the sad demise of Dr Sukumar Azheekode, FOKE conveyed in a condolence message delivered by FOKE Secretary Shymesh K. KKMA president Abdul Fatah Thayil, Indian Lawyers Society President Adv Razak Payyoli, Saradhi Kuwait General Secretary K R Aji and former President of FOKE B P Surendran remembered Dr Azheekode in their speeches. FOKE chief patron I V Dinesh presided over the function. Gen secretary M P Jithesh welcomed the gathering and T V Jayan rendered the vote of thanks.

EMBASSY OF RUSSIA Embassy of the Russian Federation invites all the Russian residents in Kuwait to visit the Consulate for registration and updating your database. This information is necessary for prompt notice, assistance and warning in case of emergency. The consulate reception hours: 10:00 - 13:00, Sunday - Wednesday. The Embassy is located in Kuwait City, Daiya, Block 5, Diplomatic campus, Plot 17. Tel: (+965) 22560427, 22560428. Fax: (+965) 22524969, e-mail: rusposkuw@mail.ru, consdepkuw@mail.ru Information also available on the website: www.kuwait.mid.ru

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

TV PROGRAMS 22:55 Masterchef

00:50 Untamed & Uncut 01:45 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 02:40 Wildest Africa 03:35 Shark Attack File 3 04:30 Human Prey 05:25 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 06:20 Animal Cops Phoenix 07:10 Night 07:35 In Too Deep 08:00 Monkey Life 08:25 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 09:15 Crocodile Hunter 10:10 Panda Adventures With Nigel Marven 11:05 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 11:30 Bondi Vet 12:00 Monkey Life 12:25 Talk To The Animals 12:55 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 13:50 Wildest India 15:40 Wild France 16:35 Must Love Cats 17:30 America’s Cutest...

18:25 Baboons With Bill Bailey 19:20 Max’s Big Tracks 20:15 Into The Pride 21:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 22:05 Wildest Africa 23:00 Shark Attack Survivors 23:55 Whale Wars

01:00 01:15 01:45 02:35 03:05 03:30 04:00 04:20 04:30 04:45 05:00 05:05 05:25 05:35 05:50 06:10 06:20 06:30 06:45 06:50 07:10 07:20 07:35 08:05 08:35 09:20 10:05 10:55 11:25 12:10 12:45 13:35 16:05 16:50 17:20 17:50 18:40 19:10 20:00 20:55 21:45 Tests 22:40 23:05 23:35

Doctor Who Confidential Doctors Survivors One Foot In The Grave Little Britain dinnerladies Balamory Tellytales The Large Family The Roly Mo Show Buzz & Tell Tweenies 3rd & Bird Nina And The Neurons Balamory Tellytales The Large Family The Roly Mo Show Buzz & Tell Tweenies 3rd & Bird Nina And The Neurons Big Top dinnerladies Doctor Who The Weakest Link Casualty Chimp Family Fortunes The Weakest Link Big Top Lark Rise to Candleford Doctors Doctor Who Big Top dinnerladies Monarch Of The Glen Chimp Family Fortunes Lark Rise to Candleford Survivors Waking The Dead The World’s Toughest Driving

00:10 02:20 03:00 05:10 06:55 07:40 08:00 13:50 15:30 16:20 17:55 20:25 21:10 22:00

Masterchef Cash In The Attic USA Bargain Hunt Cash In The Attic USA Bargain Hunt Cash In The Attic USA Come Dine With Me Antiques Roadshow Celebrity Fantasy Homes Gok’s Fashion Fix What Not To Wear Cash In The Attic USA Antiques Roadshow Masterchef

New Tricks dinnerladies Live At The Apollo

00:00 00:10 00:35 01:00 01:25 01:50 02:15 02:40 03:05 03:30 03:55 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:15 07:40 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 09:55 10:20 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 12:30 14:00 14:50 15:15 15:40 16:05 16:30 17:20 Doo 17:45 18:10 18:35 18:55 19:20 19:30 20:20 20:40 21:00 21:30 21:50 22:05 22:40 23:05 23:30

Dexters Laboratory The Garfield Show Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Droopy: Master Detective The Flintstones Johnny Bravo Duck Dodgers King Arthur’s Disasters The Scooby Doo Show Popeye Classics Tom & Jerry Popeye The Jetsons The Flintstones Looney Tunes Pink Panther & Pals Tex Avery Duck Dodgers The Garfield Show Yogi’s Treasure Hunt Popeye Paddington Bear Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Jelly Jamm Puppy In My Pocket Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show The Scooby Doo Show The Flintstones Looney Tunes Scooby Cinema Tom & Jerry Top Cat Top Cat Pink Panther And Pals Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show Scooby-Doo And ScrappyDastardly And Muttley The Flintstones Wacky Races Scooby Doo Where Are You! Popeye Classics Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes Pink Panther & Pals Top Cat Dastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Wacky Races The Scooby Doo Show Tom & Jerry Johnny Bravo

00:40 Samurai Jack 01:30 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 02:20 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 03:10 Best Ed 04:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:25 Adventure Time 04:50 Generator Rex 05:15 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 05:40 Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 05:55 I Am Weasel 06:55 Powerpuff Girls 07:45 Angelo Rules 08:00 Casper’s Scare School 08:55 Angelo Rules 09:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:20 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 11:05 The Amazing World Of Gumball 11:30 Adventure Time 12:20 Courage The Cowardly Dog 13:10 Ben 10 14:00 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 14:50 The Amazing World Of Gumball 15:15 Generator Rex 16:05 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 16:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien

17:45 Adventure Time 18:35 The Amazing World Of Gumball 19:00 Regular Show 19:50 Generator Rex 20:40 Courage The Cowardly Dog 21:30 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 21:55 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 22:20 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 23:00 Ben 10 23:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog

00:20 Replacements 01:10 Fairly Odd Parents 02:00 A Kind Of Magic 02:45 Stitch 03:35 Replacements 04:25 Fairly Odd Parents 05:15 Stitch 05:35 Stitch 06:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 06:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 06:45 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 07:10 So Random 07:32 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 07:35 Fish Hooks 07:55 Shake It Up 08:20 Suite Life On Deck 08:45 The Suite Life Movie 10:15 Fish Hooks 10:30 A.N.T. Farm 10:55 Good Luck Charlie 11:15 Wizards Of Waverly Place 11:40 So Random 12:00 Shake It Up 12:50 Good Luck Charlie 13:15 A.N.T. Farm 13:40 Recess 14:00 Suite Life On Deck 14:25 Suite Life On Deck 14:50 So Random 15:15 Fish Hooks 15:30 Hannah Montana 15:55 Shake It Up 16:20 Good Luck Charlie 16:45 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 17:10 Fish Hooks 17:30 A.N.T. Farm 18:00 Phineas And Ferb 18:20 Suite Life On Deck 19:10 So Random 19:30 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 20:50 Have A Laugh 20:55 Have A Laugh 21:05 Wizards Of Waverly Place 21:25 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 21:50 Good Luck Charlie 22:15 Shake It Up 22:40 Fish Hooks 23:05 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 23:30 Hannah Montana 23:55 Sonny With A Chance

06:00 Pet Peeved 06:10 Memory Lane 06:35 Phineas And Ferb-Busters/Not Phineas And Ferb 07:00 Lizard Whisperer/ Robot Rodeo 07:25 Have A Laugh 07:30 Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge 11:10 Runaway Recital /Trike X-5 11:30 Magician Mickey 11:35 Pair Of Kings 12:00 Thirteenth Year 13:35 Kickin It 13:55 Boat Builders 14:00 Rated A For Awesome 14:25 Rekkit Rabbit 14:50 Hide And Seek/That Sinking Feeling 15:15 Down The Drain/9 To 5 To Oblivion 15:40 Zeke & Luther 16:05 Pair Of Kings 16:30 Hand In Hand/Luigi Vendetta 16:55 Rated A For Awesome 17:20 Kickin It

THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT ON OSN ACTION HD

00:40 Miami SWAT 01:35 Ross Kemp On Gangs 02:30 How Stuff Works 03:00 How It’s Made 03:25 How Stuff Works 03:55 How It’s Made 04:20 How Stuff Works 04:50 How It’s Made 05:15 How Stuff Works 05:40 How It’s Made 06:05 How Stuff Works 06:35 How It’s Made 07:00 How Stuff Works 07:25 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior 08:15 How Do They Do It? Turbo Specials 09:10 Wheeler Dealers 10:05 Auction Kings 12:20 Border Security 14:35 Cash Cab Us 16:25 Cash Cab Us 16:55 Cake Boss 17:50 Cake Boss

00:40 Bang Goes The Theory 01:35 Science Of The Movies 02:25 The Tech Show 02:50 Superships 07:10 What’s That About?

08:55 Head Rush 08:58 Sci-Fi Science 09:25 Weird Connections 09:55 Smash Lab 10:45 Scrapheap Challenge 11:35 Superships 15:45 Head Rush 15:48 Sci-Fi Science 16:15 Weird Connections 16:45 The Tech Show 17:10 What’s That About?

18:00 Science Of The Movies 18:50 Bang Goes The Theory 19:40 Science Of Storm Chasing 20:30 Human Body: Ultimate Machine 21:20 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 22:10 Tech Toys 360 22:35 Tech Toys 360 23:00 Science Of Storm Chasing 23:50 Human Body: Ultimate Machine

00:15 World Cafe Asia 00:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:30 Unwrapped 01:55 Andy Bates Street Feasts 02:45 Food Network Challenge 03:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:25 World Cafe Asia 05:15 Kid In A Candy Store 05:40 Unique Sweets 06:05 World Cafe Asia 06:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 06:50 Food Network Challenge 07:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 08:00 Food Network Challenge 08:50 Andy Bates Street Feasts 09:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 09:40 Kid In A Candy Store 10:05 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 10:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 10:55 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 11:20 World Cafe Asia 11:45 Everyday Italian 12:10 Unwrapped 12:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 13:00 Ten Dollar Dinners 13:25 Guy’s Big Bite 13:50 Easy Chinese: San Francisco 14:15 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 14:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 15:05 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 15:30 Unwrapped 15:55 Paula’s Best Dishes 16:20 Mexican Made Easy 16:45 Chopped 17:35 Andy Bates Street Feasts 18:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 18:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:50 Easy Chinese: San Francisco 19:15 Kid In A Candy Store 19:40 World Cafe Asia 20:05 Guy’s Big Bite 20:30 Food Network Challenge 21:20 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 22:10 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

00:20 Special Agent Oso 00:50 Jungle Junction 01:15 Little Einsteins 01:40 Higglytown Heroes 02:10 Jo Jo’s Circus 02:30 Special Agent Oso 03:00 Jungle Junction 03:25 Little Einsteins 03:50 Higglytown Heroes 04:20 Jo Jo’s Circus 04:40 Special Agent Oso 05:10 Jungle Junction 05:35 Little Einsteins 06:00 Higglytown Heroes 06:30 Jo Jo’s Circus 06:50 Jungle Junction 07:15 Higglytown Heroes 07:45 Handy Manny 08:00 Special Agent Oso 08:15 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 08:40 Timmy Time 08:55 Little Einsteins 09:20 The Hive 09:30 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 10:00 Jungle Junction 10:10 Handy Manny 10:25 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:45 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 10:50 Imagination Movers 11:15 Mickey Mousekersize 11:20 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 11:45 Art Attack 12:10 Imagination Movers 12:30 The Hive 12:40 Lazytown 13:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 13:30 Handy Manny 13:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 14:00 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 14:15 The Hive 14:25 Timmy Time

14:35 14:50 15:05 15:15 15:40 16:05 16:20 16:35 16:45 17:10

Special Agent Oso Handy Manny The Hive Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jake & The Neverland Pirates Imagination Movers Mickey Mousekersize

17:20 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 17:45 Art Attack 18:10 Imagination Movers 18:35 Little Einsteins 19:00 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:15 Handy Manny 19:30 Handy Manny 19:45 Jungle Junction 20:00 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 20:30 Animated Stories 20:35 Handy Manny 20:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:05 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:20 The Hive 21:30 Mini Adventures Of Winnie

00:25 Fashion Police 00:55 Chelsea Lately 01:25 15 Most Shocking Political Sex Scandals 03:15 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Then And Now 05:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Extreme Close-Up 10:15 E!es 11:10 THS 15:00 E!es 16:00 THS 16:55 Behind The Scenes 17:55 E! News 18:55 Scouted 19:55 Kendra 20:25 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 21:25 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 22:20 E! News 23:15 The Soup 23:40 Chelsea Lately

00:00 00:25 00:50 02:30 03:20 05:00 05:50 06:40 07:30 09:00 2011 10:40 11:30 12:20 14:00 14:50 15:15 15:40 17:20 17:45 18:10 19:00 19:25 19:50 21:30 22:20 23:10 23:35

X-Traordinary X-Traordinary Aiya TV M1 Selection 2010 Glutton For Punishment Extreme Lives: My Right Foot AMA Motocross 2011 AMA Motocross 2011 Ride Guide Snow 2009 FIM World Motocross MX3 X Games 16 2010 Summer Dew Tour 2010 AMA Motocross 2011 Mantracker Man’s Work Railmasters Untracked From Romania With Love BMX Masters 2010 Cowboy U Man’s Work Railmasters AMA Motocross 2011 Mantracker Ed’s Up Man’s Work Railmasters

00:40 A Haunting 01:30 A Haunting 02:15 The Haunted 03:05 Ghost Lab 03:50 A Haunting 05:25 On The Case With Paula Zahn 06:15 Disappeared 07:10 Mystery Diagnosis 08:00 FBI Files 08:50 Forensic Detectives 09:40 Murder Shift 10:25 Mystery Diagnosis 11:10 Real Emergency Calls 11:35 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

11:55 On The Case With Paula Zahn 12:40 Disappeared 13:25 Murder Shift 14:15 Mystery Diagnosis 15:00 Real Emergency Calls 15:25 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

15:50 On The Case With Paula Zahn 16:35 Disappeared 17:20 FBI Files 18:10 Forensic Detectives 19:00 Murder Shift 19:45 Real Emergency Calls 20:10 Mystery Diagnosis 20:55 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

21:20 On The Case With Paula Zahn 22:10 Disappeared 23:00 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed

00:00 Departures 00:30 Which Way To 01:00 Wild Rides 01:30 Ancient Megastructures 01:30 Food School 02:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 02:30 Wild Russia 03:00 Gone to save the planet 03:30 Master of Disaster 04:00 Travel Madness 04:30 Clash Of The Continents 04:30 Destination Extreme 05:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 05:30 Rescue Ink 06:00 Departures 06:30 A Traveler’s Guide To The Planets 07:00 Wild Rides 07:30 Food School 07:30 Which Way To 08:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 08:30 Ancient Megastructures 09:00 Gone to save the planet 09:30 Engineering Connections 09:30 Gone to save the planet 10:00 Travel Madness 10:30 Destination Extreme 10:30 Gospel of Judas 11:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 12:00 Departures 12:30 Shark Men

CRAZY HEART ON OSN MOVIES HD

00:00 Jackass 3.5-R 02:00 The Haunting In Connecticut 04:00 Time Machine: Rise Of The Morlocks-PG15 06:00 Coach Carter-PG15 08:15 Largo Winch 2-PG15 10:15 The Morgue-18 12:15 Universal Soldier: Regeneration-PG15 14:00 Largo Winch 2-PG15 16:00 Rocky III-PG15 18:00 Universal Soldier: Regeneration-PG15 20:00 The Clinic-18

01:00 A Single Man-R 03:00 My Son, My Son, What Have You Done?-PG15 05:00 Love The Beast-PG 07:00 The Open Road-PG15 09:00 My Son, My Son, What Have You Done?-PG15 11:00 The Boys Are Back-PG 13:00 Freakonomics-PG15 15:00 The Maiden Heist-PG15 17:00 The Boys Are Back-PG 19:00 Slipstream-PG15 21:00 Brighton Rock-PG15 23:00 Letters To Juliet-PG15

12:00 Yes Dear 12:30 Dharma And Greg 13:00 Just Shoot Me 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 16:30 The Office 18:00 Friends 18:30 Friends 19:00 Modern Family 19:30 Parks And Recreation 20:00 Wilfred 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Saturday Night Live 23:00 Family Guy

00:00 01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00

The Killing C.S.I. Miami Breakout Kings The Gates The View Good Morning America Kojak Emmerdale Coronation Street The Martha Stewart Show The View Persons Unknown Breakout Kings Kojak C.S.I. Miami Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show

01:00 Last Breath-PG15 03:00 Time Machine: Rise Of The Morlocks-PG15 05:00 Child’s Play 3-18 07:00 Top Gun-PG15 09:00 Patriot Games-PG15 11:00 Ong Bak 2-PG15 13:00 Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief-PG15 15:00 Patriot Games-PG15 17:00 Rocky v-PG15 19:00 Julia’s Eyes-18 21:00 Tremors-PG15 23:00 Midnight Meat Train-18

01:00 American Pie 7: The Book Of Love-18 03:00 Marmaduke-PG 05:00 Open Season 3-FAM 07:00 Post Grad-PG15 09:00 Dear John-PG15 11:00 A Lot Like Love-PG15 13:00 Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore-PG 15:00 Date Night-PG15 17:00 Dear John-PG15 19:00 Crazy Heart-PG15 21:00 A Nightmare On Elm Street-18 23:00 Barry Munday-18

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:15 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Turtle Hero: Part I-FAM Mars Needs Moms-PG Nativity!-PG The Nimbols: Part II-PG15 Turtle Hero: Part II-FAM Mars Needs Moms-PG 102 Dalmatians-PG Hua Mulan-PG Like Mike-PG 102 Dalmatians-PG Flicka 2-PG15 Hua Mulan-PG

02:00 03:00 10:00 12:00 16:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 23:00

WWE Bottom Line Live Test Cricket Trans World Sport Live PGA European Tour WWE Bottom Line WWE SmackDown UFC The Ultimate Fighter Cricket Twenty20 WWE SmackDown

02:00 03:00 10:00 13:00 20:00 23:00

Trans World Sport Live Test Cricket Cricket Twenty20 Test Cricket Cricket Twenty20 Scottish League Cup

01:30 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 16:00 18:00 20:00

Scottish Premier League Futbol Mundial World Cup of Pool World Pool Masters European PGA Tour Futbol Mundial Trans World Sports Live European PGA Tour Scottish League Cup Live Scottish League Cup European PGA Tour

00:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 08:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 15:00 16:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 23:00

WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line WWE NXT UFC The Ultimate Fighter Live UFC Fight Night WWE Bottom Line WWE SmackDown WWE Experience WWE This Week Powerboats WWE Experience WWE Bottom Line WWE Smackdown UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Fight Night WWE SmackDown

00:00 02:05 04:00 00:00 Charlie & Boots-PG15 05:50 02:00 The Perfect Score-PG15 07:30 04:00 I’ll Be Home For Christmas- 09:05 PG15 10:55 06:00 Bad News Bears-PG 12:20 08:00 Josie And The Pussycats-PG15 14:00 10:00 The SpongeBob SquarePants 15:40 Movie-PG 17:50 12:00 Coming & Going-PG15 18:05 14:00 Indian Summer-PG15 19:50 16:00 Charlie & Boots-PG15 22:00 18:00 All Night Long-PG15

Panther-18 Ulee’s Gold-PG Cop Mad Dog Coll-PG Keaton’s Cop-PG Evidence Of Blood-PG Haunted Honeymoon-PG Salt And Pepper-PG Romantic Comedy-PG Man Of LA Mancha-PG Mgm’s Big Screen-FAM Stanley & Iris-PG The Pride And The Passion-PG Panther-18

01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

Roswell: Final Declassification Russia: Land Of The Tsars Cities Of The Underworld Earthquake Italy Mega Disasters Roswell: Final Declassification Russia: Land Of The Tsars Cities Of The Underworld Earthquake Italy Mega Disasters Roswell: Final Declassification Russia: Land Of The Tsars Cities Of The Underworld Earthquake Italy Mega Disasters Roswell: Final Declassification Pub Dig Pawn Stars Ancient Aliens

00:05 01:00 02:00 02:55 03:25 04:20 05:15 06:10 06:35 07:05 08:00 09:00 10:00 10:55 11:50 12:50 13:50 14:45 15:45 16:40 17:35 18:30 19:25 21:20 21:45 22:15 23:10

Wicked Fit Top 10 Videofashion Daily Videofashion News How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Married Away Homes With Style Area Clean House Big Boutique Videofashion Daily Top 10 Homes With Style Open House Videofashion News Elements Of Style Videofashion Daily Clean House: New York Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Wicked Fit Big Rich Texas How Do I Look?

Fashion Police Elements Of Style Tia And Tamera Jerseylicious

00:00 Culinary Asia 01:00 Indian Times 02:00 Globe Trekker 03:00 Life’s A Trip 03:30 Floyd Around the Med 04:00 Food Tripper 05:00 Cruise 1st 09:00 The Big Guide 10:00 Globe Trekker 11:00 Great Scenic RailwaysAustralia 12:00 Cruise 1st 12:30 Cruise 1st 13:00 Swiss Railway Journeys 14:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 15:00 Essential 15:30 Cruise 1st 16:00 Cruise 1st 16:30 Wild Carpathia 17:30 Essential Specials 18:30 Globe Trekker 19:30 Cruise 1st 20:00 Cruise 1st 20:30 4Real 21:00 Third Class Traveller 22:00 Cruise 1st 22:30 Cruise 1st 23:00 The Ethical Hedonist

01:20 New York At The Movies 02:10 Edge Of The City-PG 03:45 Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid 05:40 The Sea Of Grass-PG 08:00 An American In Paris-FAM 09:55 King Solomon’s Mines-FAM 11:40 Three Little Words-FAM 13:25 The Yearling-FAM 15:35 Seven Brides For Seven Brothers-FAM 17:20 The Liquidator-PG 19:05 Father’s Little Dividend-FAM 20:30 Love Me Or Leave Me-PG 23:10 Shaft

Classifieds MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR KLM PIA JZR JZR ETH ETH THY UAE QTR DHX MSR FDB ETD GFA KAC DHX FAH JZR JZR BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD FDB BAB GFA KAC RBG JZR RKM MEA IRC MSR MSR JZR KAC SYR FDB UAL TMA OMA QTR KNE SVA RJA KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC QTR JZR JZR ETD KAC UAE FDB GFA SVA RBG ABY JZR BAB BAB ALK JZR FDB KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC AIC KAC KAC FDB QTR KAC JAI MSR DHX GRF MEA GFA QTR UAE JZR KLM TAR JZR UAL BBC DLH PIA

Arrival Flights on Monday 30/1/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 447 AMSTERDAM/BAHRAIN 205 LAHORE 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 2620 ADDIS ABABA 620 ADDIS ABABA 772 ISTANBUL 853 DUBAI 138 DOHA 370 BAHRAIN 612 CAIRO 67 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 211 BAHRAIN 544 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 503 LUXOR 555 ALEXANDRIA 157 LONDON 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 302 MUMBAI 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 301 ABU DHABI 55 DUBAI 436 BAHRAIN 213 BAHRAIN 344 CHENNAI 3555 ALEXANDRIA 165 DUBAI 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH 404 BEIRUT 6521 LAMERD 623 SOHAG 610 CAIRO 201 DAMASCUS 672 DUBAI 341 DAMASCUS 57 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 213 BEIRUT 645 MUSCAT 140 DOHA 745 JEDDAH 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 788 JEDDAH 284 DHAKA 257 BEIRUT 550 SOHAG 546 ALEXANDRIA 134 DOHA 561 SOHAG 535 CAIRO 303 ABU DHABI 118 NEW YORK 857 DUBAI 59 DUBAI 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 3557 SOHAG 127 SHARJAH 777 JEDDAH 8847 BAHRAIN 437 BEIRUT 227 COLOMBO/DUBAI 177 DUBAI 63 DUBAI 542 CAIRO 744 DAMMAM 787 RIYADH 786 JEDDAH 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 975 CHENNAI/GOA 104 LONDON 774 RIYADH 61 DUBAI 6056 AMSTERDAM 552 DAMASCUS 572 MUMBAI 618 ALEXANDRIA 372 BAHRAIN 81 BAGHDAD 402 BEIRUT 217 BAHRAIN 136 DOHA 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 445 AMSTERDAM 327 TUNIS 239 AMMAN 981 BAHRAIN 43 DHAKA 636 FRANKFURT 239 SIALKOT

Time 0:20 0:30 0:40 0:45 0:50 1:15 1:45 2:15 2:35 2:40 2:55 3:00 3:05 3:10 3:15 4:40 5:15 5:30 5:55 6:00 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:20 8:30 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:20 9:40 9:55 10:35 10:45 11:20 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:20 13:45 13:50 14:05 14:15 14:15 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:40 14:50 15:00 15:00 15:15 15:20 15:25 16:10 16:25 16:50 16:55 16:55 17:05 17:15 17:20 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:05 18:10 18:15 18:40 18:50 18:55 19:05 19:10 19:15 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:40 20:00 20:05 20:05 20:10 20:45 21:00 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:05 22:35 22:45 23:00 23:45 23:50 23:55

Airlines UAL AXB AIC DLH PIA KLM ETH KAC KAC ETH THY FDB UAE DHX MSR ETD QTR JZR GFA JZR FDB KAC KAC BAW KAC JZR KAC JZR KAC JZR UAE ABY ETD FDB QTR BAB GFA RBG KAC KAC KAC JZR KAC RKM MEA IRC MSR KAC JZR MSR FDB KAC SYR KAC KNE OMA UAL RJA SVA JZR KAC KAC KAC QTR JZR ETD JZR QTR FDB GRF UAE GFA RBG ABY SVA BAB BAB JZR ALK FDB JZR FDB DHX KAC KAC JAI MSR KAC DHX QTR MEA GFA FAH QTR KAC JZR UAE KAC KLM TAR JZR KAC

Departure Flights on Monday 30/1/2012 Flt Route Time 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 0:45 390 MANGALORE/KOZHIKODE 0:50 982 AHMEDABAD/HYDERABAD/CHENNAI1:05 637 FRANKFURT 1:20 206 PESHAWER/LAHORE 1:40 447 AMSTERDAM 1:45 2621 ADDIS ABABA 2:15 283 DHAKA 2:40 283 DHAKA 2:40 621 ADDIS ABABA 2:45 773 ISTANBUL 3:15 68 DUBAI 3:45 854 DUBAI 3:50 371 BAHRAIN 3:55 613 CAIRO 4:00 306 ABU DHABI 4:00 139 DOHA 4:55 164 DUBAI 6:55 212 BAHRAIN 7:00 200 DAMASCUS 7:30 54 DUBAI 8:25 545 ALEXANDRIA 8:30 545 ALEXANDRIA 8:30 156 LONDON 8:40 549 SOHAG 8:55 256 BEIRUT 9:00 671 DUBAI 9:00 534 CAIRO 9:15 787 JEDDAH 9:25 560 SOHAG 9:30 856 DUBAI 9:40 126 SHARJAH 9:45 302 ABU DHABI 10:00 56 DUBAI 10:05 133 DOHA 10:10 436 BEIRUT 10:25 214 BAHRAIN 10:40 3558 SOHAG 11:25 165 ROME/PARIS 11:45 165 ROME/PARIS 11:45 541 CAIRO 12:00 776 JEDDAH 12:15 103 LONDON 12:30 311 RAS ALKHAIMAH 12:50 405 BEIRUT 12:55 6522 LAMERD 13:00 624 SOHAG 13:30 785 JEDDAH 13:40 176 DUBAI 13:50 611 CAIRO 13:55 58 DUBAI 14:35 551 DAMASCUS 14:40 342 DAMASCUS 14:45 673 DUBAI 15:05 746 JEDDAH 15:10 646 MUSCAT 15:15 982 BAHRAIN 15:20 641 AMMAN 15:35 501 JEDDAH 15:45 786 RIYADH 15:50 617 DOHA 15:55 743 DAMMAM 16:15 773 RIYADH 16:25 141 DOHA 16:30 238 AMMAN 17:15 304 ABU DHABI 17:35 538 CAIRO 17:40 135 DOHA 17:45 60 DUBAI 17:50 82 BAGHDAD 18:00 858 DUBAI 18:10 216 BAHRAIN 18:15 3556 ALEXANDRIA 18:20 128 SHARJAH 18:25 511 RIYADH 18:35 8848 BAHRAIN 18:45 437 BAHRAIN 18:55 134 BAHRAIN 19:05 228 DUBAI/COLOMBO 19:10 64 DUBAI 19:20 184 DUBAI 19:55 62 DUBAI 20:40 171 BAHRAIN 21:00 331 TRIVANDRUM 21:00 351 COCHIN 21:05 571 MUMBAI 21:10 619 ALEXANDRIA 21:45 543 CAIRO 21:55 373 BAHRAIN 22:00 6056 DOHA 22:05 403 BEIRUT 22:20 218 BAHRAIN 22:25 102 DUBAI 22:30 137 DOHA 22:35 301 MUMBAI 22:45 554 ALEXANDRIA 22:45 860 DUBAI 22:50 205 ISLAMABAD 23:00 445 BAHRAIN/AMSTERDAM 23:05 327 DUBAI/TUNIS 23:35 528 ASSIUT 23:35 411 BANGKOK/MANILA 23:55

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

ACCOMMODATION Indian Tamil Muslim family with small family, 2 working ladies, 2 bachelors, 2 bedroom flat, rent KD 65 with W&E, 4th Ring Road behind petrol station near Farah Jamiya Maidan Hawally.

Call: 97988528 / 66594790.

(C 3844) To let from 1 March 2012, 1 semi furnished big room with an attached small room consisting of toilet from a 3 bedroom spacious flat in B’neid Al-ghar. Rent KD 75 for single occupancy and KD 95 for double occupancy. For more details contact: 60914165.

(C 3846) 25-1-2012 Immediate sharing accommodation available for a decent Indian Christian couple or bachelor, near Salmiya garden. Please contact after 2:30 pm 66884273, 25657832.

(C 3843) ٢٤-١-٢٠١٢

FOR RENT A park in Wafra animal pens, very clean, over an area of 2500m, very large fenced yard in front (5) rooms, saloons, separate diwaniyas and swimming pool, fountain, children games tent. 94426116 For rent in Far waniya, basement 700m, car parking. 66920123 Flat in Maidan Hawally, one room, living room, bathroom, super deluxe finished kitchen, outstanding location. Rent KD 195.

Foreigners and expatriates only. Central satellite, CA/C and boiler. 66980123 A floor in Dasman, 300m, outstanding location, on main street can be sued by lawyer, consultations, clinics, health club, saloon, workshop, training center.

66980123 For rent in Salmiya, an apartment 3 rooms + 2 baths + saloon + swimming pool + DSL + Gym + Security + children games + other features. Rent start from KD 475. Foreigners and expats only. 66297171 For rent in Salmiya, an apartment 3 rooms + 3 baths + Saloon + Kitchen + Satellite. Outstanding location. Foreigners and expatriates only, no brokers.

66060299 For rent, basements in Jabriya and Hawally, good location, plastic floors, CA/C, serious only call: 66980123 For rent or investment, complete floors with a basement in Salmiya, good location, licensed for clinics, no brokers. 66060299 For rent, flat in Bneid AlQar (2 rooms, maid rooms, 3 baths, kitchen) deluxe finishing good location.

55117226

For rent in Fahaheel.

Complete building for companies (2 rooms, 2 baths, living room, kitchen) good location, car parking.

66233230 For rent, one floor in a villa in Salmiya, (3 rooms, 4 baths, large living room, maid room, driver’s room, diwaniya) parking. Centeral satellite. Rent KD 750.

67750024 A park for rent to families. 4 bed rooms + 4 bathrooms + living room + Diwaniya + rides in the garden + Isolated diwaniya. Fully furnished, A/C units, domestic help rooms. 99825160 For rent 1600m warehouse, can be used for ceramics, marble, electric or sanitary fittings, has electricity + 2 rooms + kitchen + bathroom. 99825160 An entire building for rent for companies, 30 flats in Kheitan (2 rooms, maid room, 2 baths + living room + kitchen) central satellite.

60658811

FOR SALE Expat owned Toyota Aurion, 2007 model, silver metallic color, done 73,000 kms, single owner.

Registration and full cover insurance valid up to Nov. 2012. Price KD 4,975/-.

Please contact Thomas only between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm at Tel: 22660301.

(C 3850) Well maintained Toyota Camr y 1998 for sale.

Contact: 99172842. (C 3852) 28-1-2012 Toyota Jeep Prado model 2009, white metallic color, 6 cylinder engine, full option (limited) sunroof, alloy rim, G.P.R screen, fog lamp, cruise control, wooden interior etc. Price KD 7,950/negotiable.

Contact: 66396517 (C 3845) 25-1-2012 Toyota Corolla 2011 model, white color, law mileage, excellent condition, lady driven, price KD 3650.

Contact: 60951195.

(C 3841) Toyota Camry 2007 GLX, silver color, law mileage,

No: 15344

excellent condition, alloy wheel, wooden decor, sensor fog lamp etc, wanted price KD 3350. Contact: 60099305. (C 3842) ٢٤-١-٢٠١٢

SITUATION WANTED Indian couple needs a job 12 years experience in Kuwait. Cleaning, cooking and driving, we are expecting good salary. Contact: 65585930.

(C 3851) 28-1-2012 Immediately available a Post graduate secretary having more than 12 years experience in Kuwait with full accounting background, experience in oilfield/ ministry tenders, foreign purchasing, correspondence, holding Kuwait driving license, part time acceptable. Call: 97669236/ 24315927. (C 3847) 25-1-2012 MBA Degree holder with 25 years multinational experience. Having own car and delivery van, having expertise in Management, Costing and Marketing fields. 10 years in Kuwait.

Looking for Bus. Development and consultancy opportunities.

Contact: 60647270 email: evzonekuwait@email.com (C 3839) 23-1-2012

MATRIMONIAL Proposals invited for an Ezhava girl MBA 23 years old, looking for well educated Malayali boys from India or abroad. Email: shibusviji@yahoo.co.in, shibusmini@gmail.com (C 3853) 28-1-2012 Marthomite parents in Kuwait invite proposals for their daughter (26/160/Fair), B/ B in Kuwait, Masters from the UK and currently working in Bangalore as senior executive, from well qualified and employed MARTHOMA/ CSI/ ORTHODOX boys (preferably working in Bangalore/ Abroad). Email: thomaskw8@yahoo.com (C 3840) 23-1-2012

TUITION CHANGE OF NAME I, Mobin Sekh Jali, holder of Indian Passport No. E3360623 hereby change my name to MUBIN SHEIKH JALIL. (C 3854) 30-1-2012 I, Chinna Ravi Raj s/o Chinta Someswara Rao holding Indian Passport No: Z1852081 place of issue Kuwait would like to change my name as CHINTA RAVI RAJ. (C 3849) 28-1-2012 I, Shaik Jahangir Peera, holder of Indian Passport No. F4970741 is changing the name as Shaik Jahangir Ahmed. (C 3848) 26-1-2012

Business management teacher with doctoral degree for universities, institutions, corporate & all student levels. Over 10 years experience.

Call 66495951. (C 3817) Business management teacher with doctoral degree for universities, institutions, corporate & all student levels. Over 10 years experience.

Call 66495951. (C 3817) Mathematics teacher, Intermediate and secondary Exams models, Easy method, Exams from past years with solutions. 97301901 English teacher (3) years experience, looking for a job and ready to start with all educational stages.

55963993

34

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 573

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) You may react suddenly against things that previously seemed the normal thing to do. Your desire to succeed in life is strengthened at this time. You may think on how you will improve your standard of living. Taxes, investments and other financial ties or obligations grab your attention as well; you are determined to plan ahead. You also become actively concerned about the welfare of others. Try to see where you can best improve or deepen your relation with family and friends in the near future. You desire new and original experiences now yet it is good that you are careful not to forsake old friends. This is a good time and you use this day wisely. Be aware that although this next week is a busy one, there will be time for fun.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You pay attention to the serious side of life today and concentrate on making things work. You see this as a time to take notes, make lists and review just what it is you think you want to accomplish. Your attitude is good and you have every chance to accomplish what you set out to do. You may feel the urge to break out of monotonous patterns and engage in a spontaneous relationship with someone new. You may find an increase in your power of attraction now. Try to keep a measure of objectivity. At home, you are receptive to the thoughts and feelings of family or roommates. Unexpected and delightful communication from a distant relative or friend may occur now. You have an increased ability to truly appreciate friends and family.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. (computer science) A measure of how densely information is packed on a storage medium.

4. A woman of refinement.

9. A dry cold north wind in SE France.

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

14. Jordan's port.

15. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

16. A fraudulent business scheme.

18. A state in the western United States.

19. A small ball with a hole through the middle.

20. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

22. A town in northern Egypt.

24. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

25. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

26. Any culture medium that uses agar as the gelling agent.

34. A spring-flowering shrub or small tree of the genus Crataegus.

36. 1 species.

38. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

40. A port city in southwestern Iran.

41. Common Indian weaverbird.

43. (British) An open river valley (in a hilly area).

44. A federal agency established to regulate the release of new foods and health-related products.

46. A doctor's degree in education.

48. An oleoresin used in varnishes and ointments.

52. American professional baseball player who hit more home runs than Babe Ruth (born in 1934).

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

57. (usually followed by `to') Full of eagerness.

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

61. An easy return of a tennis ball in a high arc.

62. Surveying instrument consisting of the upper movable part of a theodolite including the telescope and its attachments.

63. The branch of information science that deals with natural language information.

64. A unit of length of thread or yarn.

65. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

66. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

DOWN 1. Having or denoting a low vocal or instrumental range.

2. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

3. A theocratic republic in the Middle East in western Asia.

4. Informal terms for a mother.

5. A Kwa language spoken by the Yoruba people in southwestern Nigeria.

6. An audiotape recording of sound.

7. Of or relating to abasia (inability to walk).

8. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

9. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.

10. The content of cognition.

11. A Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria.

12. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

17. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that was formed by an explosion.

21. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

23. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

27. Mentally or physically infirm with age.

28. Distant in either space or time.

29. A island in the Netherlands Antilles that is the top of an extinct volcano.

30. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

31. An informal term for a father.

32. The food served and eaten at one time.

33. A native or inhabitant of Denmark.

35. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

37. A genus of Ploceidae.

39. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

42. An esoteric or occult matter that is traditionally secret.

43. A highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series).

45. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

47. (Irish) Chief god of the Tuatha De Danann.

49. A slender double-reed instrument.

50. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

51. Fleshy and usually brightly colored cover of some seeds that develops from the ovule stalk and partially or entirely envelopes the seed.

52. Intentionally so written (used after a printed word or phrase).

53. Very fertile.

54. Look at with amorous intentions.

55. Plant with an elongated head of broad stalked leaves resembling celery.

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

59. Tag the base runner to get him out.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Family members want things fixed or errands run—you may just want to relax, eat and be merry. Travel may have unforeseen delays or someone may sap your energy with their over-energized activity—a compromise may be in order. You could shoot the breeze with a stranger for hours, if given the opportunity. There could be a temptation, however, to play devil’s advocate or analyze things to death. Just enjoy the exchanges and give the other guy a chance.

Dismiss the idea that your time is limited and explain to others how you intend to spend your day—then do it. Ultimately, chores need to be done so inserting these into your plan would be good. A young person will bring you out of your isolation this afternoon.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

Most of your morning may be spent in beautifying your surroundings and preparing for visitors in your home later today.

Relationships rule the day. Getting all the things accomplished that are on your list may involve someone else for help—just ask. This is a most favorable time to go on a family outing or engage in some type of social activity with friends. The time is ripe for some sudden and unexpected change in the normal routine of family life. With this year in front of you, someone may make a joyful announcement about future plans that could affect the whole family or circle of friends. Being outdoors is most stimulating this afternoon. You have an acute grasp of your loved ones’ major concerns and can treat them with compassionate tenderness.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You may notice the beginning of a whole new attitude today. There is a definite difference in your attitude on this very special day. This is the beginning of new possibilities—you will find yourself more capable of handling the challenges that come before you. Instead of trying to figure out the right answer from many different perspectives, you will clearly employ a new way of thinking. There is less contemplation with more positive problem-solving abilities. Make lists of the changes you would like to make in your life. Then put down three things you can do now that will help get the new changes started. Make room for volunteer work this year. This will help you to benefit from a balance in your life. Enjoy the day!

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You may find yourself quickly walking away from other people’s conversations this morning. You value what is aboveboard and straightforward and have a particular aversion to what is secret, intense and private.

You can choose to walk away from gossip this afternoon and it would be good to consider doing just that. This afternoon there are circumstances that work in your favor.

You may find that you are more organized in thought and able to express yourself.

This is a smooth time during which events seem to arrange themselves to your advantage—insights are in order. This is one of those days when anything is possible. You see the green light for most any kind of activity with friends or loved ones. Enjoy a family meal together.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

This is an excellent time to make decisions and take care of mental work. Educational plans need changing: you now realize that they do not suit you as well as you would like. Anything connected with publishing, advertising or broadcasting may interest you. A change of plans or perspective gives you the upper hand. This is a good time to ask questions and receive input on your future plans for this year. Helping others in creating a focus is fun for you and through helping others you help yourself. Ideas and interaction with loved ones is an easy task. Working with—rather than against—the flow should be easy to do. You will enjoy being around people this evening, especially those to whom you are emotionally attached.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Your inner resources and emotions are accented. Expect a sense of support and good will from those around you. Perhaps you feel this is really you—how you feel and are. This is a time during which you discover new and different reasons or ways to enjoy and appreciate life. A kind of mini-revolution may find you altering your value system—allowing you to like new things. There may even be a new approach to love and compassion. You may be able to bring a group together with words or ideas that transport others. Express your love for someone without embarrassment. Communication is good with a lover. Take a drive in the country, surround yourself with beauty—poetry is possible. Movies, books and all forms of escape could prove very enjoyable.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) This is a time when your way of doing things will be changeable. You express great intensity and passion in the way you appear and express yourself to others. Engaging in any type of social activity should bring favorable results but you must also save some time for yourself, to focus and plan and appreciate. You show a great deal of interest in all family matters, particularly regarding the general living environment in the home. Further, you may wish to strengthen ties with your father or you may be apt to act like a father figure to those with whom you currently come into contact. You may see the family circle increase in numbers through plans for marriage or a new birth announcement. You gain a great sense of belonging.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

You are filled with a desire to be with friends and to have a good time. Engaging in any type of social activity should bring favorable results. A social affair, perhaps a neighborhood matter, can be valuable in your business as well as in your personal life. If you are in a social setting that involves co-workers, this period usually brings about good conditions for pleasant communication, particularly with the opposite sex. This is a fun time to behave in the opposite way of what is usual for you. If you are always in a hurry when you talk with some of your coworkers or neighbors, now is the time to slow down, etc. Anything you do now to clear the path in reaching your goals for this year is a big plus for the future. This is a harmonious time.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This is a great day to pay bills, clean up paperwork, write letters and make phone calls. Your phone will probably be ringing anyway. Communicating is easy for you; you make all details clear. No one should misunderstand anything you say. You are cheerful and friendly to all, making you popular, but you may also experience a bit of moodiness that may confound rational and practical thought. Do not let petty issues overwhelm you—take a step back and reflect on the positive parts of a touchy conversation. This is an excellent time for love relationships. You are good to keep the old friends as well as add new friends into your life. You are moved to appreciate and discover the beauty and the positive that is all round you.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

Careful—for the next few days you may show an interest more in cultural or literary affairs regarding the spending of money than with just merely collecting material goods. Keeping company with others is most rewarding at this time and you should take every opportunity to be with friends. You can be helping them as much as their presence is helping you. Keeping company with others is most rewarding today and you should take every opportunity to be with friends. Decisions and actions make for ripples and you are wise to think before you speak. You should open up to relatives about your ideas—it’s a good time for emotional support. If you do not let your high spirits get too far ahead of the discipline; you can make dreams come true.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE STATE ST TAT TE OF KUWAIT K KUW WAIT A

112

Tel.: T e el.: 161

DIRECTORA DIRECTORATE ATE T GENE GENERAL ERAL OF CIVIL A AVIATION V VIA ATION T DEPARTMENT METEOROLOGICAL DEP D PARTMENT A DAY: DA AY: Y Sunday

WWW .MET.GOV V.KW . W WWW.MET.GOV.KW

29/01/2012

Ministry of Interior

Ext.: 2627 262 27 - 2630

Fax: 24348714

Issue Time Time

07:00

Expected Weather Weather for the Next 24 4 Hours Cool with w light to moderate north westerly w to northerly wind, with w speed of 12 - 32 km/h

BY Y DA DAY: AY:

website: www.moi.gov.kw Cold with w light to moderate northerly northeerly to north westerly wind, with w speed of 10 - 32 km/h

NIGHT:: BY Y NIGHT

For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

No Current Warnings Warnin a gs

WARNING W ARNING A STATION ST TATION T

MAX. EXP EXP. P.

MIN.. REC.

KUWAIT KUW WAIT A CITY

20 °C

13 °C

24812000

KUWAIT AIRPORT KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

20 °C

07 °C

Amiri Hospital

22450005

NUWAISEEB NUW WAISEEB A

17 °C C

10 °C C

Maternity Hospital

24843100

WAFRA W AFRA A

20 °C

10 °C

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

SALMI

18 °C

07 °C

Chest Hospital

24849400

ABDALY ABDAL LY

20 °C

07 °C

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

ALIYAH JAL ALIY YA AH

20 °C

07 °C

Adan Hospital

23940620

FAILAKA F AILAKA A

18 °C

11 11 °C

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

PORT AHMADI POR RT

17 °C

14 °C

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

UMM AL-MARADEM M

17 °C

15 °C

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

WARBA BUBYAN W ARBA A A - BUBY YA AN

21 °C

06 °C

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

Clinics

SFC. CHAR CHART T

29/01/2012 0000 0 UTC

4 DA DAYS AYS Y FORECAST

4732263

Roudha

22517733

DAY DA AY

DA DATE AT TE

WEA WEATHER ATHER T

Adhaliya

22517144

Monday

30/01

Khaldiya

24848075

Tuesday Tuesday

Keifan

24849807

Wednesday Wednesday e

Shamiya

24848913

Thursday

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Fajr

05:17

MAX. Temp.

MA AX. T emp.

22 °C

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Sunrise S i

06 39 06:39

MIIN. IN Temp.

Temp.

MIN.

09 °C

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Zuhr

12:01

MAX. RH M

71 %

Asr

15:02

M RH MIN.

18 %

Sunset

17:23

MA AX. W ind MAX. Wind

N 36 km/h

Isha

18:43

TOT TAL AL RAI INF FA ALL L IN 24 HR. TOTAL RAINFALL

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

POLICE STATION

Rabiya

Al-Khadissiya

Al-Madena

Temperratures Temperatures MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction Direction Wind

Wind Wind Speed

partly cloudy+light rain n later on

18 °C

05 °C

NW -NE NW-NE

08 - 28 km/h

31/01

thunder Cloudy +scattered thun nder rain

19 °C

07 °C

SE

25 - 45 km/h

01/02

thunder Cloudy +scattered thun nder rain

21 °C

10 °C

SE

25 - 50 km/h

02/02

unstable

22 °C

12 °C

SE-NW

25 - 50 km/h

PRAYER PR RA AYER Y TIMES

RECORDED D YESTERDAY YESTERDA AY AT AT KUWAIT KUW WAIT A T AIRPORT AIRPORT

unless All times are local time un nless otherwise stated.

Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

00 mm

29/01/12 02:20 UTC

V1.00

T1.06

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

171 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22921555 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22958787 22453820/1 22404838/9

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands

0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345

Central African Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK) Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia

00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044 00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689

36

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Perrycomforted

bydancer

aty Perry is being comforted by a hunky dancer following her split from Russell Brand. The ‘Firework’ singer and the British actor announced the end of their 14 month marriage last month and friends say Malik Le Nost, a backing dancer on Katy’s ‘California Dreams’ world tour, has been helping her cope although the relationship is strictly platonic. A source told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “During the tour last year, Katy became extremely close to her band and backing dancers. They all lived in each other’s pockets and everyone knew how much Katy was suffering not least of all Malik. “Throughout her trip to India, Katy spent a lot of time with him the pair would often stay up late into the night chatting and drinking in the hotel bar. When they were dancing on stage together, it was clear she only had eyes for him. “In sound check on the day of the last show, the pair started falling about in fits of giggles over a private joke. It was as if they were a couple. Malik shot her cheeky winks across the stage and showered her with hugs. Katy was clearly loving the attention.” Despite the chemistry between Katy and Malik, friends say the pair have not taken their relationship further yet. The source added: “They insist they are just good friends but their closeness has set tongues wagging in the camp.”

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Etta Jamesremembered undreds of mourners gathered at a Los Angeles-area church on Saturday to remember rhythm-and-blues singer Etta James, saying she overcame great personal and professional hurdles to sing “the times that she lived.” During a two-hour service that featured performances by pop stars Stevie Wonder and Christina Aguilera, the Rev. Al Sharpton eulogized James as a woman who rose from a tough childhood and poured her pain into her music.

Aguilera performed a version of “At Last,” James’ show-stopping hit and best-known song. James died at 73 at a Riverside, California, hospital on Jan. 20 from complications of leukemia, prompting numerous tributes from artists and musicians who were influenced by her work, including Mariah Carey and Aretha Franklin. “People need to understand that when they hear the

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music Etta James sang, she sang the times that she lived,” Sharpton told friends and family at Greater Bethany Church City of Refuge church in the Los Angeles suburb of Gardena. “She put our pain and our dreams and our love and our need for one another in her vocal chords, but the difference between her and other artists is somehow you felt she meant what she was saying.” James, who was born to a teenage single mother, won wide acclaim and three Grammys, but saw numerous ups-and-downs in her career and personal life. She struggled with obesity and heroin addiction, ran a hot-check scheme and had troubled relationships with men. But, Sharpton said, James should be remembered for blazing a trail for the entertainers who followed her. “Etta was the one that brought class ... generations behind will try but never quite have the

strut and swagger and talent of Etta James,” he said. “At last you (Etta) can get the gratitude of the savior now. Go on home Etta. Get your reward now ... you beat them Etta. You won Etta.

Get your reward Etta. At last. At last. At last.”

James won her first Grammy in 1995 for her album, “Mystery Lady: The Songs of Billie Holiday.” She also won Grammys in 2003 and 2005, and a lifetime achievement award in 2003 from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which gives out the Grammys.

James is survived by her husband, Artis Mills, two sons Donto and Sametto who played in James’ backing band, and four grandchildren.

Dunst snormal

life

irsten Dunst claims her life has remained normal despite her career. Although the ‘Melancholia’ star - who first shot to fame in ‘Interview With The Vampire’ at the age of 12 - suffered with depression issues in the past, she wouldn’t change her upbringing and believes her parents did the right thing in letting her become an actress. She said: “My parents did a really good job with me. I was a very extrovert kid and it felt normal to me to act. I’ve never been a prima donna so I never had problems. I always went to regular schools - I always had my seat at the cafeteria when I came back from acting and I never felt like an alien in my life because of what I did. “My mum wasn’t my manager but she was always with me on set. She would bring the pasta machine and make home-made pasta wherever we went. My mum was way more laid back than my dad, so I had a good balance.” Kirsten - who is thought to be dating Garrett Hedlund - also revealed her career occurred by accident when people recommended she take part in commercials because she was such a “happy child”. She added: “My mother told me that when I was born she just knew I would be an actress. Every time we’d go to the grocery store, everyone would come up to her and say, ‘Your daughter is so animated, she’s such a happy child, she has such a light. You should put her in commercials.’ My mum thought, ‘Ok we’ll try acting and put away some money for college’. I booked my first commercial and that was it.”

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he actress was rushed to Sherman Oaks Hospital last Monday evening after suffering a seizure at a birthday party she was hosting at her home and although she was reportedly treated for anorexia and substance abuse, her director pal Patty Jenkins says she is recovering. Patty told E! Online: “I just saw her and she’s doing great. I think she’s doing much better than it’s made out to be. “Demi is awesome and so strong. I also hate when people make it a bigger drama than what is going on.

She’s great.” Despite Patty’s claims that reports of Demi’s condition have been exaggerated, a frantic 911 call made by her panicked friends revealed the actress had “smoked something” and was suffering from “convulsions” on the night she was taken to hospital. The star’s friend can be heard on the tape of the call saying: “We need an ambulance here as soon as possible. Why is an ambulance not on its way right now? She smoked something. It’s not marijuana, but it’s similar to, it’s similar to incense, and she seems to be having convulsions of some sort.” The dispatcher then asked the terrified pal if Demi, 49, was conscious and breathing. The friend replied: “Yes, well semi-conscious, barely ...

And she’s convulsing. She smoked something, but the reaction was accidental. It’s accidental.” Another friend, a woman, then takes the phone and reveals Demi had taken another substance before the smoking incident. The operator asks: “Is she breathing normally?” To which the second person responds: “No, um, not so normal, but more sort of shaking, convulsing. But burning up ... She’s been having some issues lately with some other stuff, so I don’t know what she’s been taking.” The name of the first substance was wiped from the recording that was released on Friday because of federal patient privacy regulations.

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Mob Wives ir Anthony Hopkins loves a quiet night watching ‘Mob Wives’. The ‘Silence of the Lambs’ star admitted he is a loner who prefers his own company to other people’s and loves to watch the VH1 show which follows the lives of four women whose husbands or fathers are doing time for Mobrelated activities. He told The Guardian newspaper: “My idea of a good night is staying in and watching ‘Mob Wives’ on TV. I don’t have many friends; I’m very much a loner. As a child I was very isolated and I’ve never been really close to anyone. Ask nothing, expect nothing. That’s my creed. We’re all just a bunch of sinners crashing around in the darkness.”

Anthony also revealed despite the perception that he was close friends with legendary fellow Welsh actor Richard Bruton, the pair were never pals. He said: “I don’t know where everyone gets the idea we were good friends. I suppose it’s because we are both Welsh and grew up near the same town. I didn’t really know him at all. I once went up to his sister’s house to ask for his autograph which he gave me and the only other time I met him was in his dressing room in New York when he was performing in Equus.”

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Winslet not worried about career ate Winslet doesn’t worry about her career now she is in her 30s. The 36-yearold actress - who has been married twice before - used to let her “ups and downs” affect how she felt about herself, but has now learnt to let go of things she is not happy with. She said: “I’m not going to get upset the way I used to. Once you’re in your 30s you learn not to panic or stress too much about work. “You don’t let the ups and downs of your career affect your sense of self-worth or personal wellbeing. That’s probably the greatest lesson I’ve learnt from all of this.” The Oscar-winning star - who will soon be seen in cinemas in Roman Polanski’s new movie ‘Carnage’ alongside Jodie Foster - is particularly happy with the direction her career is taking at present. She told Britain’s OK! magazine: “I’m very happy and I can’t complain. I’ve had the chance to work on very good projects of late and work with very talented directors. I hope things continue that way.”

Friendless singerK

Rey ana Del Rey became a singer to make friends. The ‘Born to Die’ hitmaker admits part of her inspiration in launching a music career was to become part of a “high-class scene”. She said: “I wanted to be part of a highclass scene of musicians. It was half inspired because I didn’t have many friends, and I was hoping that I would meet people and fall in love and start a community around me, the way they used to do in the 60s. I wanted to be seen as a good singer, and not much more than that.” Lana admits she always struggled to make friends, and she thinks it is because she was always too busy planning and searching for happiness. She told NME magazine: “I did find it hard to make friends, but it wasn’t because of the people, but because I was sort of a cerebral person, an over-thinker. I was trying to figure out a vision for my future that would make me happy.”

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eyes Hawaii move

prah Winfrey is considering a move to Hawaii. The media mogul has previously joked that if her network OWN isn’t a success she will move to the island of Maui, Hawaii to become an organic farmer but pals of the star have revealed the idea isn’t too farfetched. A source told National Enquirer magazine: “It’s always been a dream of Oprah’s to operate a farm in Maui if her life were ever to slow down. “She owns a home upcountry which sits on a lot of land and over the past six years she’s acquired even more land with good soil for farming. “Oprah’s in for the long haul to make OWN a success. But if it doesn’t work out she’s ready to slap on the overalls and start a new life as a farmer in Hawaii.” Oprah has also reportedly had an access road built on to her property which will make it easier to deliver her organic produce to markets on the island.” —Bang Showbiz

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MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

CRAZY COFFINS break British silence about death Visitors look at a sled coffin made for Richard Mullard.

Visitors look at a corkscrew shaped coffin.

Visitors look at a Lion shaped coffin, during the ‘Death - Festival for the Living’ exhibit, at the Royal Festival Hall in London, on January 28, 2012. —AFP photos ritish pensioner Malcolm Brocklehurst loves Blackpool Football Club and his former profession of aircraft engineer, and he has no plans to abandon them in death. So his final home will be a coffin shaped like a plane, painted bright orange and emblazoned with the Blackpool logo. “I want a fun funeral. I don’t want people crying and that,” the 77-year-old told AFP as he leaned happily on his casket, on show at London’s Royal Festival Hall as part of an event titled “Death: A Festival for the Living”. The wings of his plywood coffin are removable, Brocklehurst points out, for easier access to his local crematorium, where he has asked that he be sent to the incinerator with the World War II cry: “Chocks away!”

It is the work of Crazy Coffins-an offshoot of a Nottingham-based traditional coffin and urn maker which took on a new identity in the 1990s when people began asking to customize their final resting places. A commission for a pearlescent coffin for the late British TV presenter Paula Yates, who died in 2000, helped make the firm famous, as did several appearances in the press. “I don’t think there is anything we can’t make,” said David Crampton, the firm’s managing director. “The customers are the designers: we just make what they ask. We say to people, ‘There’s a choice in that final decision’.”

Crampton’s firm has made coffins and urns in the shapes of Viking boats, cars-including a Rolls Royce Phantom with working wheels-skateboards, a cork and a kite. Many of their creations are now six feet under, but others have been commissioned by people who are still alive and well but planning their own farewells in advance. Several of these are on show at the event, including a shining casket shaped like a ballet shoe which belongs to Pat Cox, 70, a former nurse and amateur dancer. “My grandfather was a pianist (who) had regular work at a ballet school, and one of my earliest

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Visitors listen to a talk by former Concord engineer Malcolm Brocklhurst (above R) as they look at his airplane coffin.

Visitors look at a kite shaped coffin built from pine and sail cloth.

A visitor looks at a skip shaped coffin made from plywood and commissioned by John Gratton-Fisher, a building contractor, who plans to be buried in the skip to celebrate his livelihood.

Visitors photograph various custom designed coffins, during the ‘Death - Festival’.

memories is of sitting cross-legged by the piano watching little feet in pink ballet shoes,” Cox said.

Cox first contacted Crazy Coffins with a view to planning an ecofriendly funeral, and ended up designing her ballet-pump casket,

which the firm made from taffeta on a pine frame. “It breaks the taboo to have something light-hearted,” she said. Her comment echoes a belief expressed by funeral directors at the event that Britons, known for their reserve, find it hard to discuss with

their families how they would like their death to be marked. Jude Kelly, artistic director of the festival, says in her introduction that “most of us ordinary mortals find discussing (death) quite tricky”.

But the topic has come to the

when families have to organize a funeral, said Andy Derriman, a Brighton funeral director. “We’re a reserved nation,” said Derriman. “No one really thinks about their own funeral until it’s too late. We’d much rather people gave themselves time to think.”

Crazy Coffins’ director John Gill said most customers are the families of people who have already died, but this often means coffin-making must be rushed so the firm’s website urges that customers “Buy first, die later”.

Coffin owner Brian Holden, 83, turned to designing his own casket as a distraction after the death of his wife.

The pair adored trains and often travelled on the Northern Belle, a vintage locomotive that tours scenic parts of Britain, so Holden chose a coffin shaped like one of its carriages.

“I’ve got six train tours booked for the coming year,” Holden said.

“One day I’ll miss one of them, but I’ll be able to catch that instead. I’ll always end up in the Northern Belle.”

Crazy Coffins staff say the growing popularity of their creations is a sign that people are becoming more open on the topic of their final exit-as is the crowds of visitors at the event who pose for photos with, and even in, coffins. One customer, a young man dying of AIDS, commissioned a casket with a glass top so he could use it as a coffee table until his death, managing director Crampton said. “It was his way of saying to his friends, ‘Don’t worry about me, this is where I’ll be,’” he added. He said that customers are also becoming more imaginative in areas like hearses, coffin wear and funeral songs. “Things are changing in our profession, and not only in coffins,” he said. —AFP

fore in a series of recent books including Sarah Murray’s “Making an Exit”, a survey of death rituals around the world, and the festival itself also aims to help break the silence. A reluctance to talk about death is not only unhealthy but can lead to stress

strip malls

Canada rethinks trip malls-once anchors of postwar North American suburban neighborhoods-are doomed, with thousands across Canada and the United States already derelict and eyed by land developers. But at least one Canadian academic sees value in maintaining the ubiquitous local retailing plazas, and has amassed proposals such as adding community gardens or toboggan slides, or morphing them into giant bee hives or parking lots for food caravans.

“Strip malls were once the economic hubs of new suburbs,” said Rob Shields, a sociology professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, who received a government grant to rethink strip malls to benefit communities around them. For more than 50 years, retailers favored the rows of boxy single-story shops opening onto a common parking lot facing major roadways bringing commuters driving between their suburban homes and downtown workplaces. But they are losing favor due to rising fuel prices, traffic congestion and city planners’ demands to make cities denser as part of a drive for more “walkable” cities.

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More than 11 percent of strip malls in North America are derelict, representing 300 million square feet of vacant retail space, according to the Washington-based Urban Land Institute. The rest are arguably in decline. City planners such as Winnipeg’s Jeff Palmer view strip malls as “retail relics.” “They reflect a time and a place that is no longer environmentally sustainable or economically viable. They do nothing to add to the vibrancy of a neighborhood and they don’t encourage walking, communicating or socializing,” he said. They once housed banks, dry cleaners, drugstores, post offices and video stores all in one convenient location.

But retailing has changed. Video stores lost out to online downloading while superstores now sell groceries as well as other goods and services all under one roof. “If they’re going next door for a product or service, why not keep them in-house,” John Williams, a senior consultant with retail consulting firm JC Williams Group, said of superstores.

Developers, meanwhile, would rather build regional “power centers”-big strip malls that pack in more stores and two or three anchor tenants locked into

20-year leases providing more stable cash flows.

And owners increasingly view “not very pretty” strip malls as “superb redevelopment opportunities,” said Ed Sonshine, chief executive of RioCan Real Estate, which owns more than 100 strip malls in Canada and the United States. Sonshine turned a 23,000-square-foot strip mall in Toronto into a seven-storey condominium building with retail stores on the ground floor and three levels of underground parking. The main argument for strip malls is that they allow some form of neighborhood retailing to survive, said Palmer, “so that we’re not all driving five kilometers (three miles) to buy milk.”

Some have been transformed into restaurant plazas, which proved to be popular. Food retailing is one of the few still strong segments in retailing.

Shields, along with cities researcher Merle Patchett, held a design contest to generate new ideas to transform others. The top entries from 11 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Germany and Iran, are posted at www.strip-appeal.com. “There’s still a demand for local retail services and these facilities are standing there and so the question is, how can

they be reused to make suburbs more vibrant and more sustainable?” Shields told AFP. Many of the proposals were hashed out by the communities they seek to change. Shields plans to put on display the finalists at city halls, starting in Buffalo, New York, hoping to generate support for salvaging strip malls. But Sonshine offers a more sober view. Eventually all strip malls will be redeveloped, he says, “because the land will become too valuable and there is a natural limit to what retailers will pay in rent, whereas the redevelopment potential will keep growing.”

A finalist in Shields’ contest came to the same conclusion and urged stripping Buffalo’s Central Park Plaza for parts: 4,700 bricks, 12,500 concrete blocks, 1,000 ceiling tiles, 120 steel beams, 125 wood panels, 20 aluminum door and window frames, and 600 sheets of steel decking. —AFP

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

lifestyle F E A T U R E S

German architectural historian and winner of the Fukuoka Arts and Culture Prize 2011 Niels Gutschow walks at his residence at Bhaktapur on the outskirts of Kathmandu. —AFP

Kathmandu architect chronicles a dying culture

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t is said that the mediaeval era never really ended in Nepal, its historic towns and architectural jewels blessed by an unbroken continuity of life and ritual that links the present with the past. The lasting image for tourists flying out of Kathmandu is of the multi-roofed pagodas of palaces and temples and the 16th century courtyards, which were once the basic unit of city planning. But much of the capital’s ancient architecture will soon be no more than a memory, according to one of the world’s leading authorities, Niels Gotschow, as haphazard urbanization and a desire for modernity change Kathmandu.

“To put things into a book is an act of preservation because one day this will be the only way to remember,” says Gutschow, who has dedicated the last four decades to chronicling and preserving Nepal’s architectural treasures. Gutschow, 70, has pulled up countless floors and chipped endlessly at concrete to reveal the long-lost craft of the Newars-the Kathmandu Valley’s indigenous inhabitants renowned for their striking brickwork and wood carving. The Hindu and Buddhist monuments of the three cities of the valley on which the German national has worked-Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Patan-were collectively designated as the first Asian UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

But every year bahal courtyards with richly-carved doors are demolished, balconies and lintels removed, and cornices and roof struts pulled down to make way for new homes in the fast-expanding capital. Significant monuments, monasteries, temples and historic houses across the valley are being lost in their entirety. “Until ten years ago a person did not even need a demolition permit,” says Gutschow. “So you’d demolish your house, even in the socalled World Heritage Sites.

“An amendment of the law now requires a demolition permit but that doesn’t mean much. There’s no enforcement because no municipality can ask the (authorities) to send a policeman to enforce the law. It’s a lawless country.” Born in Hamburg, the son of an architect, Gutschow studied architecture at the University of Darmstadt and spent time as an apprentice carpenter in Japan in the 1960s.

Violent resistance to conservation He came to Nepal in 1971 to volunteer on the restoration of the Pujari Math Hindu monastery in Bhaktapur, a Newar city around 13 kilometres (eight miles) east of Kathmandu where he made a home with his wife, Wau. Gutschow’s stock-in-trade is rescuing historical buildings from ruin with a holistic approach that takes account of ancient rites and building techniques, relying on old photographs and historical detective work. His latest project is on the restoration of the Patan Royal Palace and the Bhandarkhal Archaeological Garden, a trove of buried archaeological treasures dating back to the 12th century.

But local communities, preoccupied with moving towards a decent standard of 21st century living rather than preserving mediaeval character, are not always appreciative of his work. He recalls the at times violent resistance to his conservation efforts, particularly over the Itum Bahal, one of the largest Buddhist courtyards in Kathmandu, where his workers were attacked with hammers.

He says his work is about documenting a period which is largely beyond salvation.

But while the last Newari house may be gone in a generation, he is trying to preserve the “key monuments” of Kathmandu.

“Architecture of Newaris”, Gutschow’s threevolume labor of love 40 years in the making and the latest in a canon of work stretching to more than a dozen books, was published at the end of last year. It is the “ultimate” chronicle of Newari building techniques, says Gutschow, but it may soon also be the only record of an age consigned to history by the thrust for modernity. “I do not get depressed,” he says. “It’s part of life.” — AFP

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

lifestyle A W A R D S

‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ wins at

Director Benh Zeitlin, left, holds up actress Quvenzhane Wallis as they accept the Grand Jury Prize Dramatic award for the film ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Awards Ceremony. — AP photos

Directors Lisanne Pajot, left, and James Swirsky accept the World Cinema Documentary Editing Award for the film “Indie Game: The Movie”.

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mythical film starring an 8-year-old girl and a documentary about the war on drugs took top honors at the Sundance Film Festival. “Beasts of the Southern Wild” won the grand jury prize in the US dramatic competition, and “The House I Live In” won the same honor in the US documentary category Saturday at the independent film festival’s awards ceremony. Directed and co-written by 29-year-old first-time filmmaker Benh Zeitlin, “Beasts of the Southern Wild” follows a girl named Hushpuppy who lives with her father in the southern Delta. The film also won the cinematography prize.

Zeitlin said he was grateful to the Sundance Institute and labs, where he worked on the film for more than three years. “This project was such a runt, this sort of messy-hair, dirty, wild child, and we just have been taken care of and just eased along until we were ready to stand up on our own,” he said in an interview after the ceremony. “It’s just great that it happened here. This is the right place for the world to meet the film.” Zeitlin described his spunky young star, Quvenzhane Wallis, as “the biggest person I know.” She said she is ready to be a movie star, but first will be going back to third grade.

Fox Searchlight acquired the film earlier this week.

Eugene Jarecki’s documentary “The House I Live In” examines the social, human and financial costs of the war on drugs. The filmmaker won the same award in 2005 for his documentary “Why We Fight.” As he accepted his award, Jarecki called the war on drugs “tragically immoral, heartbreakingly wrong and misguided.” “If we’re going to reform things in this country, putting people in jail for nonviolent crime, in many cases for life without parole, for possession of a drug, for sentences longer than is now given for murder in this country, must end,” he said.

Kirby Dick’s documentary about rape in the military, “The Invisible War,” won the audience award, as did Ben Lewin’s heartfelt drama “The Surrogate,” which stars John Hawkes as a paralyzed 38-year-old man who hires a sex surrogate, played by Helen Hunt, to help him lose his virginity. Fox Searchlight acquired that film, too. “I don’t think most people have ever seen this sort of story before,” Lewin said after the ceremony. “I think it was very new and unexpected... From the experiences I’ve had seeing it with an audience, it seems to be a real emotional ride.”

“The Surrogate” also won a special jury prize for its ensemble cast. World cinema jury prizes went to the documentary “The Law in These Parts,” about Israel’s legal system in occupied Palestinian territories, and the drama “Violeta Went to Heaven,” about Chilean musician Violeta Parra. The audience favorites in world cinema were the

2012 Sundance Film Festival US DRAMA FILMS Best Film, Jury Prize - “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Best Film, Audience Award - “The Surrogate” Directing - Ava DuVernay, “Middle of Nowhere” Screenwriting - Derek Connolly, “Safety Not Guaranteed” Cinematography - Ben Richardson, “Beasts of the SouthernWild” Special Jury Prize, ensemble acting - “The Surrogate” Special Jury Prize, producing - Jonathan Schwartz, AndreaSperling, “Smashed” US DOCUMENTARY FILMS Best Documentary, Jury Prize - “The House I Live In” Best Documentary, Audience Award - “The Invisible War” Directing - Lauren Greenfield, “The Queen of Versailles” Editing - Enat Sidi, “Detropia” Cinematography - Jeff Orlowski, “Chasing Ice” Special Jury Prize - “Love Free Or Die” (Tied) “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry” (Tied)

Director Ra’anan Alexandrowicz accepts the World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary for the film “The Law in These Parts”.

WORLD CINEMA, DOCUMENTARY Best Film, Jury Prize - “The Law In These Parts” Best Film, Audience Award - “Searching for Sugar Man” Directing - Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi, “5 Broken Cameras” Editing - Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky , “Indie Game: TheMovie” Cinematography - Lars Skree, “Putin’s Kiss” Special Jury Prize, film - “Searching For Sugar Man”

Director Benh Zeitlin reacts as he accepts the Grand Jury Prize Dramatic award. documentary “Searching for Sugar Man,” which also won a special jury award, and the drama “Valley of the Saints,” which also claimed the Alfred P. Sloan film prize. A second winner of the Sloan Award, which recognizes films with science as a theme or a scientist as a major character, was “Robot and Frank.”

The film, which premiered at Sundance, stars Frank Langella as a retired jewel thief who befriends the caretaker robot his children have given him, eventually bringing the robot along on his illegal outings. —AP

WORLD CINEMA, DRAMA Best Film, Jury Prize - “Violeta Went To Heaven” Best Film, Audience Award - “Valley of Saints” Directing - Mads Matthiesen, “Teddy Bear” Screenwriting - Marialy Rivas, Camila Gutierrez, Pedro Peirano, Sebastian Sepulveda , “Young & Wild” Cinematography - David Raedeker, “My Brother the Devil” Special Jury Prize, artistic vision - “Can”

Screenwriter Derek Connolly accepts the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for the film “Safety Not Guaranteed”.

OTHER AWARDS US Short Film - “The Black Balloon” World Short Film - “The Return” Shorts, Jury Prize - “Fishing Without Nets” Shorts, Audience Award - “The Debutante Hunters”.

— Reuters

Director Eugene Jarecki, right, puts his hand on the pregnant belly of producer Melinda Shopsin, left, as they accept the Grand Jury Prize US documentary for the film ‘The House I Live In’.

Producer Amy Ziering, left, and director Kirby Dick, right, accept the US Audience Award: Documentary for the film “The Invisible War”.

Producer Judi Levine and Director Ben Lewin accept The Audience Award: Dramatic, presented by Acura, for ‘The Surrogate’.

Producer Nicholas Bruckman, left, accepts the World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic for the film “Valley of Saints” from presenter Edward James Olmos, right.

Director and writer Marialy Rivas, left and Camila Gutierrez accept the World Cinema Screenwriting Award for the film “Young & Wild”.

Director Ava DuVernay reacts as she accepts the US Directing Award: Dramatic for the film “Middle Of Nowhere”.

‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ wins at Sundance

MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012

39 Director Michel Hazanavicius, center, his wife, actress Berenice Bejo, right, and actor Jean Dujardin pose in the press room at the 64th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday.

— AP photos

Actress Michelle Williams poses in the press room on behalf of director James Marsh who was not in attendance. Marsh won the award for ‘Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary’.

Hazanavicius wins at Directors Guild for ‘Artist’ T

he Directors Guild of America Awards are the latest Hollywood film honors to go silent.

Hollywood’s top filmmakers group presented its feature -film honor Saturday to Michel Hazanavicius for his silent film “The Artist,” giving him the inside track for the best-director prize at the Academy Awards. “I really love directors. I really have respect for directors. So this is really very moving and touching for me,” said Hazanavicius, whose black-and-white silent charmer has cleaned up at earlier Hollywood honors and could emerge as the best-picture favorite at the Feb. 26 Oscars.

The Directors Guild honors are one of the mostaccurate forecasts for who might go on to take home an Oscar. Only six times in the 63-year history of the guild awards has the winner failed to win the Oscar for best director. And more often than not, whichever film earns the directing Oscar also wins best picture. French filmmaker Hazanavicius, whose credits include the spy spoofs “OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies” and “OSS 117: Lost in Rio,” had been a virtual unknown in Hollywood until “The Artist.” His throwback to early cinema centers on a silent-era star whose career crumbles when talking pictures take over in the late 1920s.

First-time nominee Hazanavicius won over a field of guild heavyweights that included past winners Martin Scorsese for “Hugo” and Woody Allen for “Midnight in Paris.” Past nominees David Fincher for “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and Alexander Payne for “The Descendants” also were in the run-

ning. Accepting his nomination plaque earlier in the ceremony from his stars in “The Artist,” Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo, Hazanavicius recalled his childhood education in great cinema, including Hollywood classics such as “Red River” and “Rio Bravo.” Hazanavicius said he felt he was being welcomed by the Directors Guild for a language they had in common: cinema.

“Maybe you noticed, but I’m French. I have an accent. I have a name that is very difficult to pronounce,” Hazanavicius said. “I’m not American, and I’m not French, actually. I’m a filmmaker. ... I feel like

I’m being accepted by you not as Americans but as filmmakers.” James Marsh won the film documentary prize for “Project Nim,” his chronicle of the triumphs and trials of a chimpanzee that was raised like a human child. It was the latest major Hollywood prize for Marsh, who earned the documentary Academy Award for 2008’s “Man on Wire.”

Scorsese went zero-for-two at the guild awards.

He also had been nominated for the documentary award for “George Harrison: Living in the Material World.” Robert B Weide won the TV comedy directing award for an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” while Patty Jenkins earned the TV drama prize for the pilot of “The Killing.” The award for TV movie or miniseries went to Jon Cassar for “The Kennedys.”

Other television winners were: * Reality programming: Neil P DeGroot, “The Biggest Loser.” * Musical variety: Glenn Weiss, “The 65th Annual Tony Awards.” * Daytime serials: William Ludel, “General Hospital.” * Children’s programs: Amy Schatz, “A Child’s Garden of Poetry.” * Commercials: Noam Murro.

At the start of the ceremony, Guild President Taylor Hackford led the crowd in a toast to one of his predecessors, Gil Cates, the veteran producer of the Oscar broadcast who died last year. The Directors Guild awards were the first of two major Hollywood honors this past weekend. — AP Director Robert B. Weide, right, and actress Octavia Spencer pose with his ‘Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series’ award.

Director Neil P. Degroot, left, and actor Jon Cryer pose with his ‘Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Reality Programs’ award.

Director Alexander Payne, left, and actor George Clooney. Payne was nominated, but didn’t win for “Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film”.

Director Patty Jenkins, left, and actress Laura Dern pose with her ‘Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series’ award.

Director Noam Murro poses with his ‘Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials’ award.

Director John Cassar, left, and actor Gary Oldman with his ‘Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and MiniSeries’ award.

Actress Kathy Bates poses in the press room on behalf of nominee director Woody Allen.

Director Amy Schatz poses with her ‘Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs’ award.