05 Feb 2012

CR IP TI ON BS SU

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

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10260 killed 20 in Homs; Russia, Activists storm Syrian embassy in Kuwait conspiracy theories

Walking on a tightrope

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

I

t looks like the Arab Spring winds have reached various parts of our life. I am sure you have all read about the students’ protest and demonstration they held in front of the Ministry of Education.

Do you know why they held this protest? They claim that the ministry manipulated the exams in order to reduce the number of graduates and in this way ease the shortage of seats at Kuwait University.

Guys, this is hilarious. I could not stop laughing.

Why would the ministry come up with such a plot against the students and against the future generations? If the students are adolescent and they don’t know how to think properly - we all know we have all been there - what about their parents? Are they also teenagers and believe in such ridiculous allegations? Why didn’t they question their children if they studied hard or not. Instead they ask if the test was harder and not come from the curriculum they were studying. The ironic part is that MPs are coming with the parents and the students to protest against the ministry. With all respect for Musallam Al-Barrak, on many occasions he is right in what he believes. But please, not everything that comes from the government needs to be adapted to please the people.

Instead the parents and students should be advised that this is wrong. The country cannot go on like this. Where is the discipline and where are we heading to? Less than two months ago, I received an email from a Western teacher who teaches in a school in Kuwait. She wanted me to write how parents come to the school and muscle her to give her students higher grades.

At that time I didn’t take the topic seriously because I thought that nobody talked about it and maybe she misunderstood it and all... When I saw the demonstration, I remembered the letter and deeply apologized. It means the mentality is really there. This is a dangerous edge we are walking on.

Be careful MPs and whoever else is in charge in the ministry. Do not chicken out and try to solve the problem in the wrong way. What’s the use if my son gets high grades and doesn’t get enough knowledge? Is it the grade that will run the country in the future or the knowledge he acquired?

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti and Syrian demonstrators wave the pre-Baath Syrian flag during a protest outside the Syrian embassy yesterday. (Inset) A man replaces the Syrian flag with the colours of the uprising at the embassy after it was stormed early yesterday. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat (See Page 2)

Max 19º Min 06º High Tide 11:14 & 21:17 Low Tide 04:06 & 14:39

DAMASCUS/KUWAIT: Russia and China yesterday vetoed a UN resolution condemning Syria for its lethal crackdown on protests, as activists said Syrian troops killed nearly 260 people in shelling of the city of Homs.

In Kuwait, police arrested around 40 people after hundreds of angry Syrians and local activists stormed the Syrian embassy yesterday, the interior ministry and a security official said. “A group of Syrian expats stormed the Syrian embassy in Kuwait, removed the flag and destroyed utilities,” the ministry said. Security personnel assigned to guard the embassy “fired warning gunshots” but protesters still stormed the embassy injuring a number of the Kuwaiti guards, it said.

Earlier, the independent Kuwait Association for Human Rights said on its Twitter page that at least two protesters were injured in the scramble to flee after embassy guards fired gunshots into the air. About 1,000 Kuwaitis later demonstrated outside the Syrian embassy to protest against the bloodshed in Syria and to demand the expulsion of the country’s ambassador.

“Long live Syria, down with (Syrian President) Bashar AlAssad,” chanted the crowd, including a number of newly-elected MPs, as elite special forces cordoned off the embassy. The interior ministry said the Syrian ambassador and other embassy staff escaped unharmed.

Police arrested a number of those who stormed the mission, including several Kuwaitis and authorities were still looking for others, the ministry said, without giving a number for those detained. But a security official, on condition of anonymity, told AFP that around 40 people were arrested, including at least two Kuwaitis. Kuwaiti activist Abdulaziz Al-Mutairi was among those arrested, his friends said in messages posted on Twitter.

Continued on Page 13

Speakership race hots up

Tehran begins war games, warships dock in Jeddah

Assembly meets Feb 14

Iran scoffs at EU ban, warns Gulf

By B Izzak KUWAIT: The battle for the post of the National Assembly speaker has started earlier than expected after liberal MP Mohammad Al-Saqer and pro-government MP and former minister Ali Al-Rashed announced they will challenge leading opposition figure Ahmad Al-Saadoun for the coveted post. The three veteran lawmakers were expected to be candidates for the speaker’s post, but it was thought that after the resounding victory of the opposition, no one will venture to compete with Saadoun, who is expected to win the support of not less than 25 MPs if not more.

But Rashed and Saqer are banking on the 16 votes of the government ministers who are allowed to vote for the speaker’s post. The government can make a difference only if it or one of the two candidates can convince some of the opposition members to vote for them. Based on the results of the elections, the opposition won around 34 seats, liberals, merchants Continued on Page 13

TEHRAN: Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard began military exercises yesterday in the country’s south, the latest show of force after threats to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for tougher Western sanctions.

Plans for new Iranian naval games in the Arabian Gulf off the country’s southern coast have been in the works for weeks. State media announced new maneuvers in southern Iran involving ground forces, but it was not immediately clear whether they were part of the planned naval training missions scheduled for this month or a separate operation.

Meanwhile, Iranian naval ships docked yesterday in the Saudi port city of Jeddah on a mission to project the Islamic republic’s “power on the open seas”, the Fars news agency reported. The supply ship Kharg and Shaid Qandi, a destroyer, docked in the Red Sea port in line with orders from Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, it quoted navy commander Admiral Habibollah Sayari as saying.

Continued on Page 13

TEHRAN: Iranian air force soldiers carry a cardboard cutout of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini from a passenger plane at Merhrabad airport yesterday during a ceremony to reenact his arrival to Tehran in 1979. — AFP

Street battles rage in Cairo

KUWAIT: Revelers gather during the launch of the 13th annual Hala February Festival at Salem Al-Mubarak street in Salmiya yesterday. — Photos by Joseph Shagra (See Page 4)

CAIRO: Protesters faced off with police in Cairo for a third day yesterday in deadly clashes sparked by anger at the failure of Egypt’s military rulers to prevent footballlinked violence that left scores dead. Thick clouds of smoke hung over the roads leading up to the interior ministry, where protesters hurled stones at officers and ambulances shuttled the wounded out of the area. A number of protesters tried to intervene and stood between their comrades and police who had been firing regular rounds of tear gas and birdshot, ending the violence.

But confrontations erupted again by late afternoon in the centre of Cairo, metres from the iconic Tahrir Square and government buildings. In the canal city of Suez, two people died from birdshot wounds sustained in clashes overnight, medics said. The health ministry said 12 people have been killed in Cairo and Suez since the violence erupted on Thursday in response to the failure of authorities to contain clashes at a football match in the northern city of Port

CAIRO: An Egyptian protester carried by fellow demonstrators shouts slogans near the interior ministry in downtown Cairo yesterday. — AFP Said that left 74 people dead. The shot. Marchers took to the streets official MENA news agency, citing nationwide Friday to demand the ministry, said 2,532 people Egypt’s ruling generals cede power have been injured. immediately, amid charges the milA Nile News television reporter itary was deliberately sowing was wounded in the eye by bird- chaos to justify its status at the top shot, said the state-owned chan- of the political ladder. Protesters, nel. The interior ministry said 211 many of them organised supportpolicemen were wounded, includ- ers of Cairo’s main football club ing a general who lost an eye, and known as the Ultras, held up a 16 conscripts wounded by birdContinued on Page 13

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

LOCAL

Information minister calls for peace, unity Media a ‘two-edged sword’ AMMAN: “Kuwait’s leadership and people are keen on maintaining the peace and unity in accordance with the constitution as they denounce any attempts aimed at disrupting the peace in their country,” said Kuwaiti Minister of Information Sheikh Jaber Al-Ali AlSabah yesterday. In a media chat published by the Arab Today (Al-Arab Al-Yawm) newspaper, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ali said that the Sabah family came into rule via the choice of the Kuwaiti people since the country’s inception, adding that the people through the National Assembly chose their representatives to observe and evaluate the performance of the government.

Disputes amongst the legislative and executive powers are settled through the judiciary, said the Minister, affirming that the Kuwaiti constitution, set by the forefathers, guarantees the rights of all individuals living in the country.

“Kuwait has a unique parliamentary experience that enabled all involved to have freedom of expression and transparency,” the Minister said, noting that the recent 2012 election was a fine example of such notions.

He affirmed that Kuwait was eager to develop itself on all possible levels. On the media, he said that there were plans to launch a ‘media project’ that would address the needs of development within this specific domain.

Sheikh Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah

Sheikh Jaber Al-Ali affirmed that Kuwait is eager to bolster relations with GCC and other Arab media outlets, pointing out that there were plans to establish media projects that would enhance social, economic, and educational development in the GCC and Arab region.

Sheikh Jaber Al-Ali also touched on the Kuwaiti media’s support on Arab causes, especially the one concerning the establishment of a Palestinian state, saying that Kuwait, since its independence, had worked diligently towards that goal.

On the possibility of Jordan and Morocco joining the GCC, the Minister said that the Gulf Foreign Ministers were assigned to address the issue during their meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on September 2011 which came out with a joint statement that called for bolstering cooperation and partnership with Jordan and Morocco in all possible domains.

When asked about the Kuwaiti media policy in regards to issues with Iraq, the minister indicated that Kuwait wants to maintain good relations with its northern neighbor which in turn reflected on the Kuwaiti media eagerness to pursue healthy and strong ties with Iraq.

On relations with Yemen and Egypt, the Kuwaiti minister affirmed that his country was aiming to boost ties with the two brotherly nations, hoping that normal conditions would be restored in Egypt and Yemen for the welfare of people in both nations. The Kuwaiti minister called on regional media outlets to focus on reflecting the truth when covering events, noting that media is a “two-edged sword” that could be used to develop or destroy. — KUNA

Observers extol Kuwait election KUWAIT: Arab teams who participated in monitoring Kuwait parliamentary elections lauded the high professionalism of the organizers and civil society. In a press conference held at the Kuwaiti Transparency Society, the Chairman of the Arab NGO Network for Development Ziad Abdel-Samad hailed the elections as real success. “ There was noticeable cooperation and coordination between ministries of justice and interior and all elec tion commission members,” Abdel-Samad said. He added that the security forces have played an important role in protecting the polling stations and ballot boxes.

“Polling stations heads have taken all measures to help voters and ensure the secrecy of the balloting,” Abdel-Samad said. He highlighted

the role of the Transparency Society’s 300 volunteers who were distributed to 105 polling stations to monitor the election process.

The Arab observers applauded the Ministry of Information for giving all candidates equal time to talk to the voters through official media and provided all the logistics for the media to do their jobs in covering the whole electoral process.

On his part, Dr Taleb Awad, another Arab observer, underscored that the police did not interfere in the elections process, noting there was no repor ts about any attempt to influence voters from police officers in polling stations. He extolled the good and professional organization of the elections despite the high turnout. — KUNA

Kuwait condemns Syria embassy attack KUWAIT: The Foreign Ministr y yesterday condemned the storming of the Syrian embassy in Kuwait, saying that such was a breach on Kuwait’s policy towards diplomatic missions in the countr y. The Ministr y said that this was a clear violation against international laws and norms, adding that Kuwait is keen on protecting diplomatic missions in Kuwait. A group of Syrian nationals and a number of citizens stormed Syrian embassy in Kuwait early yesterday, damaging property in the building. Interior forces assigned to guard the embassy tried to stop the incident from occurring but all efforts went in vain with a number of security personnel injured in the process. A number of Syrian nationals and Kuwaitis partaking in the incident were arrested. — KUNA

Poll results change NA set up by 52%

MANAMA: Kuwaiti ambassador Sheikh Azzam Mubarak Al-Sabah holding talks with Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled Bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa.

Bahrain praises Amir’s wisdom MANAMA: Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled Bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa has praised His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, stating Sheikh Sabah’s political and diplomatic record shows that he is “a pillar of wisdom.” HH Sheikh Sabah had served as foreign minister of Kuwait for long years before he was proclaimed as Amir of the country. Sheikh Ahmad, during a reception of the Kuwaiti ambassador to the kingdom, Sheikh Azzam Mubarak Al-Sabah, affirmed that Kuwait and Bahrain have been bound with deep historic ties. On the freshly-concluded elections, he said the polling constituted “an advance example for democracy in the region.” The

diplomat affirmed Kuwait’s keenness on boosting the brotherly ties with the kingdom for service of the two countries’ interests. Kuwait has just witnessed parliamentary elections - which ushered in new 50 members of the National Assembly (parliament).

HH Sheikh Sabah had ordered the holding of the elections after dissolution of the former assembly, events that came against the background of controversial political issues. Kuwait and Bahrain are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (the GCC), which was founded in the 80s to cement ties and cooperation. The bloc includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. —KUNA

KTS recommends legislations KUWAIT: The Kuwait Transparency Society (KTS) recommended yesterday a set of legislations and policies to manage and develop electoral process in the country.

The KTS made an effort in observing the pace of the electoral process, with all transparency, through 300 local volunteers, as well as 34 Arab and foreign volunteers, Dr Salah Al-Ghazali, chairman of KTS, explained in a press conference regarding KTSí report of the 2012 parliamentary elections. The KTS report, which has already

been forwarded to state authorities, recommended reviewing the constituencies system so that it would be equitable to the entire citizenry, reviewing the single candidacy system so that it would boost the role of political and economic programs instead of social relationships, issuing of the legislation of public authority for strengthening democracy, issuing of a legislation of political parties, and revising election law (35) of 1963, and changing of specialized legislations of vote-buying. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The results of the parliamentary elections, announced Friday, showed that the set up of the 14th legislative term of the National Assembly differed by an average 52 percent from that of the previous one. The ratio varied between 40 and 60 percent from one constituency to another.

Each of the five constituencies is allocated ten seats. In some cases, four MPs were elected for the first time with the remaining six being reelected MPs - so the ratio of change is 40 percent. The first, third and fifth constituencies registered the highest ratio of change - 60 percent. The newly-elected legislators include 13 doctorate degree holders, seven master degree holders, 22 bachelor’s degree holders, and eight others. Twelve MPs majored in political, economic and commercial sciences and business administration; ten majored in law; seven in Islamic Sharia jurisprudence; four in engineering; and three in security and military sciences. — KUNA

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

local

‘Cabinet should understand Kuwaiti people’s message’ Tough time ahead for foul players

KUWAIT: A damaged car is seen following an accident after the driver lost control of the speeding vehicle at a Salmiya street over the weekend. The driver was not injured in the accident.

—Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Islamists’ landslide victory makes headlines in Gulf KUWAIT: Kuwait’s elections results have made headlines in several Gulf and Arab states on Friday, with newspapers focusing on three main aspects: the resounding victory of Islamist and anti-government MPs, liberal lawmakers’ marginalization and the failure of female candidates. “ The elections took place in an atmosphere of concern following campaigns dominated by calls to eliminate corruption and bring in reform,” wrote Bahrain’s Al-Ayam daily, adding that early results speculate “landslide victory for the oppositions led by Islamists and tribal lawmakers.”

‘An atmosphere of concern’ was the phrase used by an Oman daily published in Muscat, to describe situation during election day in Kuwait, and alluded to voting based on tribal and sectarian allegiances. Qatar’s Al-Raiya daily wrote on Friday that Kuwaitis voted “amid high tension and conflicts,” in reference to events that took place before election day including a revenge attack against Mohammad AlJuwahel’s campaign tent. Al-Riyadh daily of Saudi Arabia went stuck to the obvious in their coverage by stating that Kuwaitis “voted for the fourth time

in six years,” and that “the opposition groups are likely to make gains” during elections.

In Beirut, Kuwaiti elections were featured among top stories in the top three dailies in Lebanon: Annahar, AlSafeer and Al-Akhbar.

“The Kuwaiti elections had much problems, with victory predicted for the opposition,” wrote Annahar, while Al-Safeer recognized the opposition’s “huge victory led by Islamists” as well as the reduction of Shiite seats from nine to seven. Al-Akhbar, which has links to Hezbollah, described the Kuwaiti elections as “a calm after the storm,” saying that it was held following “heated campaigning process marred by security issues.”

Meanwhile, Al-Ahram daily of Egypt made specific mention in a front page report to “Islamists winning 68 percent seats” in the Parliament, adding that “liberals failed to reap any gains while four former female MPs are not reelected.” Egypt’s Al-Wafd daily published an inter view with Kuwait ’s Minister of Information Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah, reasserting on the transparency of election process.— Al-Qabas

KUWAIT: The election results have sent out a clear message to the corrupt who have spread chaos in Kuwait, said Ahmad AlSaadoun while speaking to the press. “We are living in a celebration of democrac y,” AlSaadoun replied when asked about plans to contest for the speaker’s post. “We are now celebrating the return of veteran ‘warriors’ that Kuwaitis know and trust,” he said. MP Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabae, another anti- government figure who won in Third Constituency, said that Al-Saadoun is the opposition blocs’ number one choice for the speaker post.

He asser ted in statements made to Al-Rai “the Cabinet’s intervention in the process of voting for the speaker ’s post an d committees’ member s, prompts demand for a constitutional amendment to remove th at auth or it y from the Cabinet.” Al-Tabtabaei’s attack on the Cabinet did not stop at that, he argued that it failed to prevent bribery and vote-buying during the election process, an d accused it of bein g “a n accomplice to crime.”

Debutante MP Dr Obaid AlWasmi, who is already cementing his position at the opposition’s frontline, issued a 24 hour ultimatum for “anyone who took par t in corruption, suppressed freedom or thef t of public funds” to leave Kuwait.

After being announced winner in Four th Constituenc y elections, he announced that “all corruption files will be opened,” promising “tough times” for “the government and all allies who took to the same route of corruption.” Opposition leader MP M usallam Al-Bar r ak , wh o returns to the Parliament with a record-breaking 30,118 votes

urged the Cabinet to “understand the message that people wanted to deliver,” highlighting that the astounding success of op p os i t i on MPs “ l e ave s no choice but form a Cabinet comprising statesmen who believe in the Constitution and protect public funds.”

Meanwhile, debutante MP Adel Al-Yahya rejected use of the word ‘surprising’ to describe hi s s ucce s s i n t he Thi rd Constituency, second to only leading oppositionist Faisal AlM i s l e m . A l e a d i ng yout h ac tivist, Al-Yahya vowed to “activate articles of the Youth Movements Charter” - a document signed by candidates to adopt reform and anti-corrupt i on. H e f ur t he r a nnounce d plans to run for membership in the Pa rliament ’s legislative committee.

Shiite MP Ahmad Lari returns to Parliament after a four-year hiatus. On his plans, he reiterated to exert efforts to combat co r r u p t i o n “ w h e t h e r i n t h e opposition or pro-government.”

First-time Shiite lawmaker Abdulhameed Dasht y also announced that he would cooperate with opposition blocs “if they adopted serious approaches that serve Kuwait in the first place,” announcing that he considers running for the legislative and foreign affairs

parliamentary committees.

MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan, w hos e v i c tor y i n t he Fi r s t Constituency caught many by surprise, trumping more experienced fellow Shiite lawmakers like Hussain Al- Qallaf, Saleh Ashour, Adnan Abdulsamad and Lari. He said that Kuwaitis will only accept a Parliament “that will boost national unity by legislating laws to protect it, including anti-corruption and transparenc y reinforcement regulations.”

Islamist Osama Al-Shaheen, another fresh face from the First Constituency who entered into a coalition with fellow Islamist MP Mohammad Al-Kandari, said that election of a conservative majority in the parliament “reflects the composition of the Kuwaiti society which maintains values of conservatism without fundamentalism,” reported AlQabas.

Salafist MP Mohammad H aye f, w ho f i ni s he d s e cond only to Al-Barrak in Four th Constituenc y elec tions, said that the Islamist majority in the Parliament gives good opportunity to introduce a proposal to amend Ar ticle 2 of the Constitution, making Sharia law the only source of legislation i ns te a d of b e i ng t he m a i n source of legislation.

“Amending Article 2 is a top pri-

Emergency cases during elections KUWAIT: The Medical Emergency Department administered treatment to 424 cases during elections, stated Yacoub AlYacoub, public relations director.

At least 422 patients were administered treatment on site and two patients were hospitalized. Sixty four medical emergency clinics worked round the clock during elections, supported by 25 ambulances.

ority along with political, security and social reform,” Hayef said in statements to Al-Watan.

MP Nabeel Al-Fadhl argued that the Islamist-tribal majority in t h e Pa r l i a m e n t “ w i l l p l a ce obstacles in the road of developmental work” due to conflict of interests. “ While we were hoping that the national identity would be restored, it is actually scary to see voters bring a movement which accords top priority to the tribe to power, without recognizing national identity,” Al-Fadhl added.

First time MP R i yadh AlAdasani, who finished second in Second Constituency elections ahead of prominent figures like M ohammad Al-Saqr, Ali AlR ashid and M a r zouq AlGhanim, said that he would focus on “enforcing Articles 7 and 8 of the Constitution to achieve full equality among citize ns i n a l l f i e l d s.” H e a l s o announced efforts to combat monopoly “to reduce prices and open more oppor tunities for Kuwaiti youth to enter the commercial field,” repor ted AlWatan.

I n ot he r ne ws, Thi rd Constituenc y candidate Sheikha Al-Ghanim announced that she would challenge the election results, arguing that “numerous illegal ac tivities” took place during the elections.

She added in her appeal to the Constitutional Court, she would ask re-elections to be held “to fully insure equality among all candidates.” Al-Ghanim joins former MP and First onstituency candidate M aasouma AlMubarak to announce plans to challenge First Constituenc y election results shor tly after final results dropped her from the tenth spot of preliminary results, reported Al-Qabas.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

local

Kuwait Autism Center taking part in Hala February opening ceremony.

Cartoon figures on the Hala February opening carnival. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

Colorful Hala February Festival begins

By Hassan A Bari

McDonald’s team at the ceremony.

CAN members at the carnival.

KUWAIT: With the participation of thousands of citizens and expatriates, the 13th annual Hala February Festival (2012) began in pomp and fervor yesterday afternoon at Salmiya’s Salem Al-Mubarak street, said Waled Jassim Festival Coordinator. He noted that the event will go on till February 29.

Jassim added that this year’s festival will include a shopping festival in addition to recreational, social, cultural and sports related activities that meet the needs of all visitors - citizens, residents or visitors from other countries. “The Hala February Carnival has become a key attraction where family members find the kind of joy and pleasure they have always sought,” he stressed. The official opening ceremony began at 1 pm at Salem AlMubarak street. All traffic was diverted so that participants could march freely and safely. Various expatriate communities took part in the ceremony by performing their respective folk dances and playing traditional music. Many competitions were organized and instant prizes were offered to members of the audience. The carnival was sponsored by prominent local companies.

Colorful carnivals at the opening the Hala February festival.

The handicapped and citizens with special needs.

The Jordanian community hoisting Jordan’s flag during the ceremony.

A young participant all dressed up for the occasion.

African acrobats at the opening ceremony

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

LOCAL

Three top figures set to contest for speakership Major encounter on Feb 14?

KUWAIT: A top opposition figure, a leading pro-government MP and a liberal lawmaker have announced their plans to contest the speaker’s post soon after election results were announced early Friday morning, setting the stage for what could be the first major encounter between the opposition figures and the Cabinet. MP Ahmad AlSaadoun, a veteran parliamentarian and three-time speaker who has led opposition blocs previously, will face competition from MP Ali AlRashid, who served as Minister of Cabinet Affairs in the previous Cabinet. MP Mohammad Al-Saqr, who returns to Parliament as representative of the Liberal National Democratic Movement following a four-year hiatus, also announced that he would compete for the post that fell vacant when former speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi announced that he would not contest the elections.

The speaker will be elected during the Parliament’s inaugural session, which will initially be chaired

by MP Khalid Al-Sultan, the second

oldest lawmaker after Al-Saadoun who cannot chair the same session.

Meanwhile, there are speculations that the opposition blocs might nominate Al-Sultan for the deputy speaker post, giving him the advantage that the opposition gained a majority in this year’s elections. There are also speculations that Al-Sultan could actually run for speakership.

The deputy speaker in the previous Parliament was Abdullah AlRoumi, who lost the 2012 elections after falling four places behind the tenth and final spot in the First Constituency. Al-Roumi was widely speculated to be contesting for speakership if elected, reported AlQabas.

The opening session is tentatively set for Feb 14, stated Allam Al-Kandari, Secretary General of the National Assembly in a recently released statement. Al-Kandari told Al-Jarida that new MPs will participate in an orientation session before the inaugural session “which include meetings with assistant secretaries and other officials in the

[parliament’s] general secretariat.”

The session will help debutant MPs to become accustomed to parliamentary work, including posing questions, draft law proposals, the voting process in the parliament, and work performed by parliamentary committees, Al-Kandari further explained.

The new Parliament saw a 52 percent change when compared to the previous one - one of the highest percentages in histor y of Kuwait’s parliamentar y work.

Individual change in constituencies ranged between 40 and 60 percent.

According to statistics published recently in the press, the first, third and fifth constituencies featured a 60 percent change with six new elected MPs. The second and fourth saw a 40 percent change.

In the First Constituency, MPs Mohammad Al-Kandari, Osama AlShaheen, Abdulhameed Dashty, Ahmad Lari, Adel Al-Dhamkhi and Abdullah Al-Turaiji replaced Mikhled Al-Azmi, Dr Hassan Jouhar, Maasouma Al-Mubarak, Abdullah Al-Roumi, Dr Yousuf Al-Zalzalah

and Husain Al-Huraiti in the previous Parliament. Meanwhile, the Second Constituency saw MPs Riyadh Al-Adasani, Mohammad AlSaqr, Hammad Al-Muttar and Abdullatif Al-Omairi replacing Dr Salwa Al-Jassar, Khalaf Dumaitheer, Jassem Al-Khorafi, and Mohammad Al-Mutair in the previous Parliament (Al-Khorafi and AlMutair did not contest). The Third Constituency saw MPs Faisal AlYahya, Mohammad Al-Dallal, Ammar Al-Ajmi, Mohammad AlJuwaihel, Nabeel Al-Fadhl and Shaya Al-Shaya replace Dr Aseel AlAwadhi, Saleh Al-Mulla, Dr Rola Dashti, Roudhan Al-Roudhan, Naji Al-Abdulhadi and Adel Al-Saraawi.

In the Fourth Consti t u e n c y, Obaid Al-Wasmi, Mohammad AlHatlani, Osama Al-Munawer and Mohammad Al-Khalifa replaced A s k a r A l - E n i z y, D r D a i f u l l a h Buramia,. The Fifth Constituency saw Khalid Shukhayyer, Badr AlDahoum, N a ye f Al-Ajmi, Munawer Al-Azmi and Ahmad AlAzmi replace Mohammad AlHuwailah. —Al-Rai

KUWAIT: Ambassador C A H M Wijeratne, dignitaries, diplomatic staff and the Sri Lankan community in Kuwait celebrate the country’s 64th Independence Day yesterday in Jabriya. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

Sri Lankan embassy celebrates Independence Day in style

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Sri Lanka Embassy in Kuwait celebrated Sri Lanka’s 64th Independence Day yesterday at its premises in Jabriya. The event was attended by the Ambassador C A H M Wijeratne, dignitaries, diplomatic staff and the Sri Lankan community in Kuwait. The program included stirring ceremony of religious observances which included Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian prayer services.

The ceremony started with hoisting of the national flag by the ambassador, followed by signing of the national anthem by the Sri Lankan students. The audience held a two minutes silence - remembering the sacrifices made by their war heroes. The Independence Day messages from Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan president, DM Jayarathne the prime minister and Prof G L Peiris the foreign minister were also read out. While delivering an

Independence Day message, the ambassador stressed on the importance of unity. He lauded the contribution made by the expatriate communities abroad.

On tourism, the ambassador said that Sri Lankan tourism industry has received a boost within the last few years. “I’m happy to see the Kuwait tourists visiting Sri Lanka more and more these days. We have a lot to offer them.

Sri Lanka and Kuwait have good diplomatic relations. The Kuwait tourists can easily get their visas online. We simplified the procedure to make it easy for the tourists to visit Sri Lanka,” Wijeratne told the Kuwait Times.

Over a period of 2,500 years, the Island nation was k nown by different names “Taprobane” by the ancient Greeks and Romans and “Serendip” by the Arab writers and sailors in olden days. However, according to the Sri Lankan historical tradition, “Lanka” was the original name of the Island. It was in use for

centuries until the European invasions in the 15th Century.

During the British period (1815-1948), the Island was popularly known as “Ceylon.” This name was used even after the country gained independence in 1948. With the adoption of the new constitution in 1972, the traditional name “Sri Lanka” (Resplendent Island) was adopted, in keeping with the rich and varied culture of the nation. Colombo is the country’s capital and largest city.

The country is famous for its production and export of tea, coffee, coconuts, rubber, and cinnamon. The natural beauty of Sri Lanka’s tropical forests, beaches, and landscape, as well as its rich cultural heritage, make it a world famous tourist destination. Relations between the Kuwait and Sri Lanka have always been cordial and friendly. Over the years, there have many bilateral agreements relating to trade, cultural cooperation, and investments.

Midterm exams to be cross-checked KUWAIT: Minister of Education (MoE) Ahmad Al-Mulaifi has formed a special committee to evaluate the high school midterm exams and possibly call for the cross-check of the test papers, said a report quoting sources close to the Ministry. The students believe ‘human errors’ resulted in their low grades and failures.

This move is part of the efforts to contain the problem which emerged after the midterm results were released late last month. A significant number of students failed the exams while many of them recorded low marks. On that regard, the sources who spoke to

Al-Jarida on the condition of anonymity indicates that the committee is currently comparing this year’s tests with that of last year in order to insure that the questions match their standards.

This step comes after Al-Mualifi, who is also the Minister of Higher Education and Minister of Justice, met with students and parents last Wednesday. He said that all the test papers of protesting students will be cross-checked. The minister gave orders to senior MOE officials to receive written complaints from students and make sure that all their test papers are marked again.

Ahli United Bank launches ‘E-SCHOOL’ KUWAIT: Ahli United Bank, a leader in the role of serving society, recently launched of an innovative new service which enables parents to make school fee payments via the internet “E-SCHOOL”. This service is the first of its kind in Kuwait, as it provides parents and who are clients of Ahli United Bank or any other local bank to pay the school fees via the Internet by using their debit cards (K-Net).

With the implementation of this cutting edge service, the American international School (AIS) enrolled with AUB to make this service available to the parents of its students to pay their school fees through the use of AUB’s electronic payment gateway with their respective debit card (K-Net).

Huda Al Madani, the head of electronic channels at Ahli United Bank, stated that “This service comes as an affirmation to AUB’s policy towards continuously developing and offering new service to its valued customers”.

Huda Al Madani also added that every effort has been taken to make sure that the process is user friendly and as simple as possible to use for any one with the most basic knowledge with using internet payment services.

The “E-SCHOOL” service from AUB aims to save time thus no registration will be required and just the most basic information is needed ie being details of the parent, student and the amount to be paid of the. The service enables parents to initiate payments for multiple students that attend the same school covering

all types of fees simultaneously and instantly.

Al Madani also added that Ahli United Bank offers the E-SCHOOL service free of charge to all parents regardless whether they are clients of Ahli United Bank or any other local bank, as E-SCHOOL can be accessed from any location with an internet connection and a web browser 24/7 365 days a year.

She also emphasized that the E-SCHOOL service provided by Ahli United Bank carries the utmost confidentiality and security by using the latest banking security technologies developed to support the e-services package.

This service is a valued addition to the already existing innovative online services offered by Ahli United Bank.

Zaher K Al-Rayes; owner of the American international school said “We are always looking for all what is new to save time and effort for the parents. We have found in the ESCHOOL a service from Ahli United Bank which will add value to the parents in an environment of work pressures which leads to the parents search and demand for bank facilities that meet their aspirations and provide solutions for a variety of payment methods. This service would save the time and effort from having to showing up at the school premise just to pay the school fees. Al-Rayes expressed his happiness with signing the agreement with Ahli United Bank as she stated that many parents will benefit from the ESCHOOL service from AUB.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

LOCAL

KUWAIT: Firefighters in action after a fire broke out in a tent at Salmi.

Two killed in Salmi tent fire

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A fire broke out in a tent at Salmi. Firefighters responded to an emergency call and reached the

scene. However, the fire completely gutted the tent.

Two charred bodies were found. Investigations are ongoing to identify the victims.

In another incident, a fire broke out in the election

campaign headquarter of candidate Ayedh Al-Otaibi at Fahad Al-Ahmad area. Two individuals were reportedly trapped in the burning tent. Mangaf firefighters rushed to the site, rescued them and tackled the fire.

Also, two tents that were pitched in Al-Riqqa caught fire at Al-Ajman election headquarters. Firefighters extinguished the flames. No casualties were reported.

Firemen are investigating the reasons.

Kuwait plans to expand exploration, production Oil production reaches 3 million bpd

KUWAIT: Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Hamer, yield and capacity control officer of Bahrain Air, Santosh V.R, sales and operations manager of Bahrain Air for Kuwait, P.N.J. Kumar, CEO of Caesars Travel Group, Rajesh, manager (commercial and marketing) of Caesars International Travel Company-the GSA for Bahrain Air in Kuwait and the entire team of Bahrain Air during the inaugural operation of Bahrain Air to Kuwait on Feb 26.

Bahrain Air’s special offer for travelers to Beirut, India KUWAIT: A significant growth and development was experienced by Bahrain Air since the launching operations from Jan 26 for Beirut and the Bahrain-based Indian onward destinations from Kuwait. Bahrain Air will operate 4 flights a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Flights will depart from Bahrain in the morning at 8.35 am and return in the evening from Kuwait to Bahrain at 18.55 p.m. Departure to Beirut from Kuwait will be at 10.30 am in the morning and will return from Beirut at 2.45 pm. Beirut timings are designed to provide convenience to passengers who wish to maximize their time in Beirut or for business traffic required to return on the same day.

Commenting on the launching of these new operations to Kuwait, yield and capacity control officer, Bahrain Air who was on board with the launching flight on Feb 26, Al-Hamer said, “As part of our pledge to provide destinations that suit the requirements and demands of the Kuwait traveler, whether for business or leisure, Beirut, Bahrain and onward are natural destinations not only because of the historical ties with Kuwait and moreover, they represent special gateways within the Middle East”.

Bahrain Air’s Indian destinations are an unmatched commitment to the sub-continent. Bombay, Cochin and Kozhikode are particularly significant for the Indian expatriate population in Kuwait which includes an especially a large percentage of non-resident Indians who call Kerala home. P.N.J.

Kumar, CEO, Caesars Travel Group, said, “Beirut is another significant building block for the airline. Bahrain Air is offering an attractive and very competitive fare structure to Beirut as a launching gift to Beirut travelers until 10th February with a combination of advantageous schedule with superior service to our guests that will differentiate the Bahrain Air travel experience from that of other commercial carriers, therefore, this is the best opportunity to avail this offer for Beirut travelers as there are many holidays in line with Kuwait’s independence and liberation days during the last week of February”.

A number of booking options are available with Bahrain Air to potential customers looking to secure flights including: an online booking service, through the dedicated Bahrain counter at Al-Jawhara Building in Kuwait City or any preferred travel agency. Bahrain Air is to introduce a new Business Class seat configuration and a new onboard entertainment system for premium passengers. Richard Nuttall, who was appointed Chief executive from 1st December 2011 said, “We encourage our customers to book early to avail the early bird incentive, where a portion of our tickets are sold at up to 35% less than usual market rates. Bahrain Air’s advanced pricing mechanism promotes lower pricing for customers who book their seats early.”

Bahrain Air is operating with the low cost terminology but offering wider services to passengers than a commercial carrier.

KUWAIT: Oil production in Kuwait continues to rise, having reached three million barrels per day (bpd) as of early December. Output could expand further in the longer run, according to officials from the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), which recently said that it would be necessary to tap into the country’s heavy oil reserves to reach its four million bpd capacity goal by 2020. At the same time, the country is also looking abroad for additional energy sources, with the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) involved in joint energy projects in Asia and elsewhere.

Kuwait has been steadily increasing its crude oil output since the spring of 2011, when it, along with Saudi Arabia, upped production in response to a sharp drop in exports from fellow OPEC state Libya. By September 2011, Kuwait’s output had reached 2.9 million bpd, compared to an average of 2.5 million bpd during 2010. Mohammad AlBusairi, Kuwait’s minister of oil, revealed the most recent boost during an interview in Vienna, where he attended a meeting of OPEC ministers. On December 14 the 12-nation bloc announced that it would set its official production ceiling at 30 million bpd.

While this figure is broadly in line with current output by OPEC members, it is substantially higher than the 24.8 million bpd cap that the organization set in late 2008, when the group reduced production levels in response to a collapse in global demand for oil. However, most OPEC members are generally understood to be producing above their official limits. According to a

report released by OPEC prior to its meeting in Vienna, output by member states - excluding Iraq, which is not subject to quotas - hit 27.7million bpd in November. Including Iraq, the total amounted to 30.4 million bpd.

Kuwait has plans to further increase its output in the future, aiming to reach 4m bpd by 2020. To achieve this goal, however, the country will need to develop its heavy oil deposits, according to Sami Al-Rushaid, Chairman of KOC, speaking at a conference in Kuwait City in early December. “To achieve the four million bpd target, we need to develop our very large heavy oil reserves,” he said.

Kuwait Oil Company(KOC) is the state-owned enterprise that manages exploration and production of the country’s oil resources.

Most of the country’s heavy oil reserves are located in its northern fields, which until recently were not seen as commercially viable due to their depth and complexity. With a density between 11 and 18 API, the oil in these fields is heavy and difficult to extract by conventional means.

According to Al-Rushaid, the company plans to inject steam into the deposits to heat the oil, allowing it to flow into the wells. The initial goal is to produce 60,000 bpd of heavy oil in 2016, increasing to 270,000 bpd by 2030.

KOC may seek assistance from international oil companies to develop its heavy deposits, AlRushaid said. He added that the company has had discussions in the past with French oil company Total and ExxonMobil, but a final agreement had yet to be reached with either entity.

Development of the country’s heavy oil reserves may be just one part of a much larger investment program for the hydrocarbons sector.

According to Al Busairi’s interview with KUNA, Kuwait plans to invest up to KD 76 billion in the sector by 2030, with projects to include a new domestic refinery, a petrochemicals complex and refinery in China, joint energy projects in Vietnam and a natural gas venture in Australia.

In early December, Ali Al-Shammari, Deputy Chairman of Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), told Bloomberg that the company will soon start drilling for crude oil and natural gas in Vietnam. KUFPEC, a unit of the KPC, the state-owned energy company, has had three blocks in Vietnam since 2009 and plans to begin drilling exploration wells in 2012.

KUFPEC is aiming to produce 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent from abroad by 2020, most of which will come from new joint ventures. Besides its operations in Vietnam, the company is investigating opportunities elsewhere, including in North and South America and Europe. In Australia, which is a major focus for the company, according to Al-Shammari, KUFPEC owns a 35 percent stake in a joint venture that is developing two natural gas fields in the west area of Australia’s north shelf.

Kuwait’s efforts to expand exploration and production operations abroad will likely supplement rising output at home, as the country seeks to expand domestic capacity by tapping new sources of oil. — Oxford Business Group

Kuwaiti dies in accident KUWAIT: A male driver was killed in a car accident along the Subbiya road. Paramedics, who rushed to the scene with some policemen following a report about the accident, pronounced the Kuwaiti young man dead on the scene. Investigations revealed that the victim’s car lost balance and overturned as a result of a punctured tyre.

Driver arrested Police arrested a male driver at Abdaly road in possession of drugs and a loaded weapon. The suspect was pulled over when he suspiciously tried to drive away from an approaching patrol vehicle. The man, identified as a Kuwaiti citizen in his twenties, was put under arrest.

He was referred to the proper authorities to face charges.

Two hurt in brawl Two people were injured and five others were arrested following a brawl that took place recently in Abdullah Al-Mubarak. Police accompanied by paramedics rushed to a scene and the officers were able to arrest five suspects while two others were hospitalized with multiple injuries. The suspects were taken to the area’s police station to be held pending further action.

Pedestrian mugged Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh policemen are looking for three suspects who left a pedestrian bruised following a recent mugging incident. The victim, a Bangladeshi man in his thirties, reported to the area’s police station with a medical report showing several bruises on his body. He explained that three suspects attacked him and snatched his wallet by force. A case was filed.

Fugitive nabbed A fugitive was arrested in Abu Halifa during a routine mission for patrol officers in the area. The suspect was pulled over after raising suspicions. He was placed under arrest after verification of his identity revealed that he is wanted for nonpayment of a KD4600 loan. He was taken to the relevant authorities for further action.

KUWAIT: Samira Al-Munayes, transportation branch manager awarding prize to winner Mona Mohammed Al-Shemali.

Three NBK credit cardholders win KD 2,000 in weekly draw KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) announced the second group of winners in its ‘Use Your NBK Credit Card and Win’ campaign. The campaign offers NBK credit cardholders the opportunity to win KD 2,000 weekly. NBK customers who use their credit card anytime up to Feb 29 will also be entered in a draw for a chance to win the KD 20,000 grand prize.

Three NBK customers - Christo Bekker, Mona Al-Shemali and Tawfiq Khaled Awqal - won KD 2,000 each in the fourth, fifth and sixth draws of the campaign.

Every cumulative KD 20 spent by NBK

credit cardholders in Kuwait will qualify them to enter weekly draws to win KD 2,000 and the grand prize draw to win KD 20,000 at the end of the campaign.

The entries are doubled when they use their credit cards while travelling or shopping on international websites.

NBK credit cards are accepted worldwide. NBK credit cards have flexible payment options and are free for the first year. Moreover, NBK credit cards offer the best loyalty program in town, NBK Rewards. NBK Rewards provides credit cardholders a range of valuable discounts and a point redemption scheme redeemable at several stores in Kuwait.

Maid robs employer Search is currently ongoing for an Asian woman who disappeared after allegedly stealing some cash from her employer’s house. The suspect has also been blacklisted incase she tries to flee the country. The theft was reported at Al-Da’iya police station, where a Kuwaiti man said that his housemaid escaped after stealing KD500 from his bedroom as well as her own passport which was kept in the same drawer with the money.

KUWAIT: Secretary General of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, Ali Al-Youha, met at his office yesterday with Paolo Farah, the secretary general of the South American Arab Library and Research Center in Brazil. Farah was accompanied

by First Secretary at the Brazilian Embassy in Kuwait, Caio Noronha. The meeting, which was also attended by the NCCAL’s culture department director Suhail AlAjmai, saw Al-Youha and Farah signing a memorandum of understanding.

Sexual harassment

‘Missing’ women safe

A female citizen filed a case at Ali Sabah Al-Salem police station against a male driver she accused of sexually harassing her. In her statements, the woman explained that the suspect almost hit her car while she was driving in the area, which prompted her to stop. At that point, the woman said that the suspect harassed her, adding that he even followed her when she drove away from the scene until she approached her house.

Police are looking for the suspect - using the descriptions and license plate number of his car which the complainant provided.

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Iraq Ali Al-Momen has come out to assure the safety of three Kuwaiti women in Iraq, who were reported to have been kidnapped in the city of Karbala.

“After having made contact with Iraqi authorities, we have been told that the three Kuwaiti nationals are safe, in good health and are currently staying with one of their relatives.

They will be reunited with their family in Karbala soon,” the ambassador said yesterday.

Al-Momen said he would like to thank Iraqi authorities in Baghdad and K arbala, the General Commander ’s Office and the Karbala governor, for their diligent efforts that led to the information regarding the women’s’ whereabouts. — KUNA

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

Civilian deaths in Afghan war hit record high: UN Page 12

Clinton: US, Europe must do more against tyrants Page 10

ISTANBUL: Syrians living in Turkey and human right activists stage a protest outside the Syrian consulate to condemn the latest killings in Syria, in Istanbul, Turkey yesterday.—AP

Shock and horror in Syria’s battered Homs Over 200 civilians reportedly killed BEIRUT: Dazed and shocked residents of the battered Syrian protest hub of Homs emerged from their homes yesterday after a night of terror to search the rubble for loved ones. Church bells rang out and Muslim prayers were recited in mosques for more than 200 civilians reportedly killed in a barrage of mortar rounds and tank shells fired by regime forces, activists said.

Thousands took part in funeral processions across the restive city, but the largest ones were reported in Khalidiyeh, a hub of more than 10 months of anti-regime dissent that took the brunt of the overnight shelling. “Nearly 200 martyrs will be buried in Freedom Park,” activist Hadi Abdullah of the General Commission of the Syrian Revolution told AFP in a telephone call from Khalidiyeh.

It was not clear what triggered the violence in Homs, where activists said regime forces committed a “horrific massacre” despite staunch denials from the Syrian government that its forces had attacked the city. Damascus blamed the opposition for inciting unrest ahead of a vote that had been expected later yesterday at the UN Security Council on the lethal regime crackdown on democracy protesters. Ahmad Al-Qusseir, a spokesman for a local committee of activists, said the shelling started at 2:00 am yesterday and lasted three hours.

Khalidiyeh was the worst hit although “most of the city was shelled simultaneously,” said Abdullah, adding that targeted neighbourhoods included Baba Amro and Bayyada. “The shelling was very violent and totally destroyed some buildings while others were partially damaged,” he said.

Hospitals were overwhelmed by the number of wounded and running out of medical supplies, particularly in Khalidiyeh, activists said. “They need

blood and medicine and many of the wounded are still trapped under the rubble,” said Qusseir. Mourners swarmed the streets of Homs for the funerals of the victims. “Prayers are being recited for the dead in Khalidiyeh, said Abdullah. “Church bells are ringing and chants of Allahu-Akbar (God is Greatest) are being heard from the loudspeakers of mosques in tribute for the martyrs.”

Abdullah rejected reports that the government launched the attack on Homs after the rebel Syrian Free Army attacked regular troops, killing several and capturing others. The Syrian authorities unleashed a torrent of firepower on Homs deliberately to force regime opponents to suspend protests, he said. “What happened is an ugly act of revenge aimed at sending a message to the people of Homs and the Syrians at large to say, ‘We will exterminate all of you unless you call off your revolution,’” he said. The shelling on Homs subsided by daybreak but shelling was reported in the countryside, namely in the town of Rastan, said Abdullah. “The bombardment stopped this morning, and residents emerged to look for the dead and wounded in the debris,” said Abdullah. Syrian troops have laid siege to Homs for months, with tanks surrounding the city and carrying regular forays into flashpoint districts to hunt regime opponents. Damascus says they are battling “armed terrorists.”

The “Assad regime committed one of the most horrific massacres since the beginning of the uprising in Syria,” and killed “at least 260 civilians” in the Homs bombardment, the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) said. “It’s a real massacre,” Syrian

Sudan rebels ‘seeking way’ to hand over abducted Chinese BEIJING: Sudanese rebels said they are looking for ways to hand over 29 Chinese workers held in the border state of South Kordofan, Chinese state media said, as Sudan’s government confirmed the death of one worker in a firefight. The construction workers were captured last Saturday and are apparently being held as pawns in a dispute between Sudan and rebels allied with the newly independent and oil-rich South Sudan.

“Presently we are looking for a way ... to release these Chinese workers, set a date for their release and the party to which they are to be handed over,” Arno Taloudy, a rebel spokesman, told China’s state news agency Xinhua. Chinese officials had returned to Khartoum from Juba, the capital of South Sudan, and had been urging the rebels through “various channels” to release the workers, beginning with two women being held, Xinhua reported late on Friday.

The case marks the third abduction of Chinese in Sudan since 2004 and highlights the risks to China’s expanding economic footprint in Africa, particularly in troublespots often shunned by Western companies. On Wednesday, China secured the release of two dozen Chinese cement factor y workers who were kidnapped in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, a day after being taken hostage by Bedouin tribesmen, Chinese and Egyptian media reported.

Beijing is facing immense pressure to secure the safe return of the workers. Stateowned newspapers have called for more protection for its overseas workers as the world’s second-largest economy expands its investments around the globe. One worker, previously said to be missing after rescuers came under attack, had been killed by a stray bullet, a Sudanese official said, according to the mouthpiece of China’s ruling Communist Party, the People’s Daily. — Reuters

Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. “Ninety-nine women and children are among 237 civilians killed in the shelling.” If confirmed, the violence would be the deadliest since the uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad erupted in mid-March.

Al-Jazeera television said witnesses spoke of nail bombs raining down and incessant shelling, while one resident, Danny Abdul Ayem, reported “nonstop bombardment... by tank shells and mortar bombs.” The Muslim Brotherhood, which is part of the SNC, urged an international probe into the “heinous massacre” and for those responsible to be brought before the International Criminal Court. “Assad has transformed Homs into a real battlefield, waging a war of extermination against his own people,” Brotherhood spokesman Zuhair Salem said in a statement.—AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

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

Dozens hurt in clashes over Yemen vote: Activists Over 30 demonstrators injured

CAIRO: An Egyptian boy walks past graffiti depicting victims of the revolution near the interior ministry in Cairo yesterday.—AFP

Cairo’s street children are unlikely victims of protests CAIRO: Fourteen-year-old Mohamed fled his abusive family in the southern Egyptian city of Minya and moved to Cairo’s Tahrir Square after last year’s political revolution, hoping to find safety and work. “My father and brothers used to beat me so I left them and came to Tahrir,” said Mohamed, whose head is bandaged after he sustained a stone wound during clashes last month between police and protesters.

“I felt safe with the protesters and people were talk ing to me,” said Mohamed. He is one of thousands of homeless children, who beg and sell matches and chewing gums on the streets of Cairo. “When I was hit, somebody took me to the field hospital, and I got stitches.” Egyptian children’s rights groups say Cairo’s street children are being manipulated by thugs, who incite them to take part in, at times deadly, political protests, and are criminalized by government institutions, which fail to protect them and get them off the streets.

At least two children were killed, 10 were wounded and 73 were detained in clashes in Cairo over one week alone in December, they say. “I nstead of being treated as victims, who were sometimes recklessly manipulated by thugs to get involved in clashes, the kids are stigmatized as criminals,” said Samah Hussein, who runs a shelter for street children in Cairo. “With neither parents nor a strong lobby to protect them, street children are exploited by society and governmental institutions,” she added.

Hussein had hoped that the revolution that ousted President Hosny

Mubarak in January would raise more awareness about the plight of street children in the capital, whose number the state -run National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) puts at 5,000. This figure has been challenged by local and international groups, who say the real number is in the tens of thousands. Egypt has been ruled by a militar y council since February 2011. The council has resisted calls by protesters that it hand over power to a civilian government, a position which three months ago sparked deadly clashes between police and activists.

“Street kids are the weakest in society,” said Somaya Al-Alfy of the NCCM. “They are defenceless and that makes them an easy scapegoat for all sides: the military council, protesters and the media,” she added. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says street children have been at the frontline of the protests since last year’s uprising, when several minors were killed in clashes. Philippe Duamelle, a UNICEF representative, called on the government in a statement last month “to fully respec t the rights of children,” adding that the number of children k illed, injured and detained had reached “alarming levels. UNICEF child protection specialist Nadra Zaki said children detained during clashes were sent to adult prisons, which lack the resources to rehabilitate them. Zaki said: “ These kids come from broken homes where they are deprived of love.

When they go to Tahrir Square they feel important, - maybe for the first time in their lives.” — dpa

ADEN: Armed clashes between supporters and opponents of a presidential election in Yemen left dozens of people wounded in the main southern city of Aden, activists from both sides said yesterday. The violence erupted late Friday when supporters of the Southern Movement, a separatist group, attacked a march organised by rivals from a year-old protest movement against President Ali Abdullah Saleh, one activist said.

More than 30 demonstrators were injured, some by gunfire, he added. A medical official confirmed that dozens of people had been hur t, and one who suffered serious head injuries was rushed to hospital in Aden. A Southern Movement activist blamed the other side for triggering the violence by staging their demonstration in a stronghold of the movement, and said 15 people from his group were injured-nine by bullets.

Nasser Tawil of the Southern Movement said the “tragic and unacceptable” clashes happened because supporters and opponents of Yemen’s presidential election set for February 21 were in the same neighborhood. Some factions of the Movement have been campaigning for a boycott of the election, which they say fails to meet their aspirations for autonomy or even southern independence. Saleh’s deputy, Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, himself a southerner, is the sole candidate in the election to succeed the veteran strongman who is standing down after more than three decades in power.

Nationwide protests erupted against Saleh’s regime in January last year, triggering months of bloodshed. Saleh himself arrived in New York on January 28 to receive medical treatment for blast wounds suffered in a June bombing at the presidential palace. US officials have said he will not return to Yemen until after the election.

Southerners have long complained of discrimination by the authorities in Sanaa, and Tawil accused Saleh supporters of stoking tensions in the south, proposing the election be postponed. “Why not entrust parliament with guaranteeing Hadi as president to ward off sedition, since Saleh loyalists are likely to repeat the events of Friday night?” he asked. Ali Salem alBaid, the exiled main southern leader and former vice president, issued a statement blaming militants loyal to Islamist party Al-Islah for the violence in Aden. Al-Islah is the most prominent member of the Common Front parliamentary opposition coalition that now heads the country’s national unity government. Baid accused Al-Islah of getting its northern supporters to stage protests in the south, “pretending in this way that the inhabitants of Aden and the south support the comedy of this election” for president.—AFP

News

in brief

Bahrain boosts security before unrest anniversary MANAMA: Security forces in Bahrain have expanded checkpoints and patrols as anti-government protesters call for major demonstrations to mark the upcoming one-year anniversary of their uprising in the Gulf kingdom. Sporadic clashes broke out yesterday between riot police and Shiite groups opposing the Sunni monarchy. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry says one policeman was injured by a firebomb. Bahraini authorities have approved some opposition gatherings, but warn of a harsh response to any unrest linked to the Feb. 14 anniversary. Some protest groups have called for attempts to reclaim Pearl Square, a landmark area that was once the hub of the protest movement.

Bahrain’s majority Shiites claim they face widespread discrimination by Sunni rulers.

2 bodies found on sunken ship off Turkey ANKARA: Turkey’s state-run news agency says divers have recovered the bodies of two of the eight missing crew members from a Cambodian-flagged freighter that sank off Turkey’s Black Sea coast. The Anadolu Agency says the bodies were found inside the ship yesterday. The Vera was carrying 10 Ukrainians and one Georgian when it sank off the coast of Eregli in stormy waters on Tuesday while sailing from Russia to Turkey’s port of Aliaga. The ship’s second and third officers and its cook were rescued but the other eight crew members, including the captain, were reported missing. Divers have been hampered by high seas and poor underwater visibility, but they began searching the wreckage on Friday.

Sudan denies bombing civilians in south KHARTOUM: A Sudanese newspaper says a military spokesman has denied that the country’s air force has bombed civilians in a southern province. The independent Akher Lahza daily ran the report yesterday, one day after teachers said that a Bible school had been attacked. The paper quoted Col. Sawarmi Khalid Saad as saying that reports of civilians being targeted were “Western plots” to damage Sudan’s image.

Pictures obtained by The Associated Press on Friday showed two demolished buildings in the Nuba mountains in South Kordofan state. No one was reported to have been hurt or killed in the Wednesday attack. US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said she was outraged by the “heinous” bombing. The school was built

by Samaritan’s Purse, a North Carolina-based aid group.—AFP

WEST BANK: About 1,000 Palestinians, some calling on premier Salam Fayyad to quit, wave national flags as they march in the West Bank city of Hebron yesterday in protest at his austerity plans.—AFP

Palestinian PM urged to quit over austerity plan HEBRON: About 1,000 Palestinians, some calling on premier Salam Fayyad to quit, marched in the West Bank city of Hebron yesterday in protest at his austerity plans. In the largest protest to date against economic measures announced last month, demonstrators chanted “Salam Fayyad, get out! You are an agent of the United States and Israel.” Fayyad, a US-educated economist and former International Monetary Fund and World Bank official, is widely respected in the West.

“No to a government that brings us poverty and unemployment,” read signs carried in yesterday’s protest. Further south, in the city of Bethlehem, a few dozen people staged a similar rally. In early January, Fayyad announced a number of measures, among them tax hikes and early retirement for civil servants, in a bid to reduce what is forecast as a $1.1

billion (853 million euro) 2012 budget deficit.

After public protests over the plans, he said last Sunday that he would put the tax rise on hold until February 15 and “open a dialogue with all institutions and factions.” Fayyad’s plans for spending cuts come as he himself faces an uncertain future at the head of the West Bankbased Palestinian government.

Representatives of the rival movements Fatah and Hamas, which controls Gaza, are currently trying to form an interim government of independents-as called for by a reconciliation deal they signed last year. Hamas has insisted that the caretaker government, which is supposed to pave the way for elections by May, not be headed by Fayyad, who has said he has no objection to stepping aside to allow the formation of a new government.— AFP

US charges debate over Iran threat

TRIPOLI: Libyans walk towards Martyrs Square in Tripoli in a traditional religious procession to celebrate the anniversary of Prophet Mohammed’s (PBUH) birthday yesterday. Muslims across the golbe are celebrating the birth of Islam’s prophet (PBUH) who was born in 570 AD in the holy city of Makkah and received his revelation at the age of 40. —AFP

Gaddafi’s revenge extends beyond death TRIPOLI: It is unusually cold in this section of Tripoli’s main hospital - cold even for a morgue. Two men who keep track of the morgue’s bodies being brought in and taken out are sitting in a small office at the entrance, wearing thick winter jackets to keep out the cold. One wall contains cooled metal boxes holding bodies that have yet to be identified.

Some of boxes carry sheets of paper written in ballpoint, giving details of the place and time the body was found.

Once identified, it is rare for a body to stay here for long, given that Islamic practice is to wash and bury the dead as quickly as possible. To the left of the 18 boxes, a body is lying, covered with a blanket. And next to a second stretcher, the small figure of a weeping woman is bending over the body of her daughter, shrouded in a white sheet. Only the face is visible. The mother and her young son have come to identify the body and to take it away for burial. The daughter died on the street, struck by a stray bullet fired by a man shooting around wildly without any apparent reason.

The mother and her son have no idea what lies behind the steel door painted in dark colours 10 metres away to the

rear of the building. This is where bodies lie of people Libya’s late dictator Moamer Gaddafi had liquidated during his 42year rule. Hospital workers, at least, believe them to be bodies of Gaddafi’s enemies and of their relatives, who simply disappeared. Before Gaddafi’s flight from Tripoli in August and death two months later in Sirte, the bodies of some of his victims were allegedly kept on the hospital grounds.

No one dared to talk about them. The men guarding the cold rooms of the morgue remained silent about their duties, according to people who worked in the hospital at the time. Rebel troops broke down the doors in October, finding the bodies of 16 men and a baby. A forensic expert later estimated that some of them had died more than 25 years ago. Only one of the bodies has been identified thus far, morgue employees say. He is Mohammed Hashim AlChodeiri, who was killed in 1984, according to his relatives. The morgue is called Dar al-Rahma - House of Compassion.

But months after the death of the their tormenter, Moamer Gaddafi, a final act of compassion for these lost lives will be years in coming. — dpa

WASHINGTON: Renewed charges by the Obama administration last week that a more aggressive Iran is willing to strike targets inside the United States and US interests abroad has experts split over just how worrisome and imminent the threat is. US spy chiefs including Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told Congress they believed Iran’s leaders - supreme religious leader Ali Khamenei among them - are now more willing to attack the United States in response to real or perceived US actions that threaten their government. “We are also concerned about Iran plotting against US or allied interests overseas,” Clapper said. Some US lawmakers, including the head of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, seconded Clapper’s remarks. But several US and European government sources familiar with official assessments of Iran’s behavior said they knew of no imminent threat. And they said Iranian attacks against US or allied interests would most likely go into motion in retaliation for any outside strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The administration’s calculation that Iran is more willing to strike US targets appears to be based largely on an alleged Iranian plot foiled last year to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s ambassador in Washington. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, a Republican who hosted the Thursday hearing with Clapper, CIA Director David Petraeus and other top US intelligence officials, indicated he did not think the Iran threat they described was exaggerated.

“I have a high degree of confidence that Iranian leadership was

aware of the plot” against the Saudi ambassador, Rogers said in an interview with Reuters. As chairman of the intelligence committee, Rogers receives frequent classified briefings from the administration. As for recent investigations of alleged plots with links to Iran in Thailand and Azerbaijan, “a reasonable person could deduce that there is some connection” between them, Rogers said. Petraeus mentioned the events in Thailand in testimony to Rogers’ committee as he discussed Iranian proxies he said had been active in a variety of plots.

Thai police last month detained a Lebanese man suspected of planning a possible bomb attack. They said he was linked to the Shiite Islamist group Hezbollah, which was founded with Iranian help. A US official told Reuters that the government was examining possible links between that plot and one in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, where two men were arrested last month suspected of plotting to attack prominent foreigners including Israel’s ambassador.

Azerbaijani officials said the men were connected to an Iranian citizen who had links with Iran’s intelligence. It is unclear if the US Embassy in Baku was a target, the official said.

Some US and European government sources said that many government experts believe that neither Iran nor its proxies presently pose a grave or even serious threat to attack either the United States or US and allied interests overseas, including Europe. These sources said they were unaware of any information surfacing in recent months suggesting attacks were more imminent or likely. But due to disor-

ganization and feuding among Iranian leaders such developments could not be ruled out definitively, they cautioned.

Analysts outside the government are divided on just how seriously to take the administration warnings of attacks within the United States and its conclusion that Khamenei himself has a role in a more aggressive Iranian approach.

It would be a “stretch” to conclude that Iran is looking to commit acts of terror in the United States based only on the alleged plot to kill the Saudi ambassador, said Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “The alleged plot to kill the Saudi ambassador remains a puzzle. It’s difficult to comprehend why the regime would entrust a whiskey drinking, pot-smoking, unemployed car salesman, together with a Mexican drug cartel, to carry out their first major attack on US soil,” he said.

The chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Democrat Dianne Feinstein, acknowledged this week that the alleged plot was “so unusual and amateurish that many initially doubted that Iran was responsible.” “Well, let me state for the record, I have no such a doubt,” she said in Tuesday’s hearing. US charges say an Iranian-American man, Monssor Arbabsiar, tried to hire a Mexican drug cartel figure to kill the Saudi ambassador. Arbabsiar is alleged to have confessed that he had acted for men he thought were part of the covert, operational arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

“I don’t know how you jump to the conclusion that the supreme leader (of Iran) was involved,” said

Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former CIA and White House official. “If they have evidence, that’s important, but we certainly haven’t seen any evidence of that,” Riedel told Reuters. But Michael Singh, managing director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said, “My own view is that we should take it seriously, because Iran has a track record of conducting these sorts of attacks, both through proxies and directly.” Singh noted that Iran’s current defense minister is among senior Iranian officials accused by Argentine prosecutors of being behind the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people.

Officials and analysts appear to agree that the risks of Iranian attacks would likely become much higher if an outside party such as Israel launches military strikes against installations linked to Iran’s nuclear development program.

Such attacks would likely involve various forms of asymmetrical, unconventional warfare, ranging from possible sea-borne guerrilla-type attacks on shipping in or near the Strait of Hormuz to possible larger-scale attacks on US or Israeli targets in the Middle East, Europe and even possibly the US or elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere. Riedel said that as far as the Iranians are concerned, they already have a long list of grievances that they could consider grounds for retaliation. “Somebody is killing Iranian scientists. And somebody is blowing up installations. From the Iranian perspective, the war is already well underway. In that sense, we should be aware that they sooner or later will retaliate,” he said.—Reuters

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

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

Indiana election chief found guilty of multiple voter fraud INDIANAPOLIS: Indiana’s top elections official could lose his job and his freedom after jurors convicted him of multiple voter fraud-related charges yesterday, leaving in flux the fate of one of the state’s most powerful positions. Republican Secretary of State Charlie White has held on to his office for more than a year despite being accused of lying about his address on voter registration forms.

A Hamilton County jury found White guilty of six of seven felony charges, including false registration, voting in another precinct, submitting a false ballot, theft and two counts of perjury. He was acquitted on one fraud charge. White expressed no outward emotion as the verdict was read, and later said outside the courtroom: “‘I’m disappointed for my family and the people who supported me.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what would happen to White’s elected office. He has resisted calls to resign from Democrats and Republicans, including Gov. Mitch

Daniels, but state law bars anyone convicted of a felony from remaining in office. White’s attorney, Carl Brizzi, said he will ask the judge to reduce the charges to misdemeanors because his client has no criminal background and has a long record of public service.

Daniels announced yesterday he had appointed White’s chief deputy, Jerry Bonnet, as interim secretary of state. “I have chosen not to make a permanent appointment today out of respect for the judge’s authority to lessen the verdict to a misdemeanor and reinstate the elected office holder,” Daniels said in a statement. “If the felony convictions are not altered, I anticipate making a permanent appointment quickly.”

Bonnet has worked for the secretary of state’s office since 2005, the statement said. The jury verdict came after a weeklong trial in which White, who had vigorously protested the charges in hearings before a state elections panel, presented no defense.

Prosecutors said he used his ex-wife’s address

instead of a condo he had with his fiancÈe because he didn’t want to give up his $1,000-per-month Fishers Town Council salary after moving out of that district. He faced seven felony charges, including voter fraud, perjury and theft. White, 42, has said the charges ignored a complicated personal life in which he was trying to raise his 10-year-old son, plan his second marriage and campaign for the statewide office he won that November.

He said he stayed at his ex-wife’s house when he wasn’t on the road campaigning and did not live in the condo until after he remarried.

Brizzi told the jury during his closing arguments Friday that White’s name was on the condo’s bills and documents because he was paying for his fiancee and her children to live there, not because he was living at that address. No sentencing date was set. Republican special prosecutor John Dowd expressed satisfaction about the verdict.

“We believe it was about someone who violated the

law and cheated the system - and gamed the system,” Dowd said. “And, obviously, the jury thought the same way.” A Marion County judge has ruled that White should be replaced by Democrat Vop Osili, the man he defeated by about 300,000 votes in the November 2010 election, but that ruling is on hold pending an appeal.

Attorney Karen Celestino-Horseman, who watched the trial and spoke on behalf of Indiana Democrats following the verdict, said the party believes White’s conviction further affirms that Osili should be secretary of state. “(White) has been convicted, but the judge has left it open for misdemeanor sentencing.

That’s something that’s going to have to be examined,” she said. During his closing arguments, assistant special prosecutor Dan Sigler Jr. argued that White knew that he was committing voter fraud but did it anyway for political power. “If we aren’t going to enforce election law against the secretary of state of Indiana, who are we going to enforce it against?” Sigler said.— AP

LA school reeling from arrest of second teacher First teacher charged with lewd acts on 23 children

COLORADO: Patrick Richardson begins the task of clearing his driveway of more than 22 inches of snow that fell overnight in Nederland, Colo., Friday.—AP

Storm goes east after dumping on Colorado DENVER: The most powerful storm of the winter season pounded Colorado with up to 6 feet of snow in the Rocky Mountain foothills and forced the cancellation of more than 600 flights in Denver before heading east toward the central plains. Blizzard conditions that hit the eastern Colorado plains, including 5-foot drifts in parts of Elbert County, began easing with forecasters advising of blowing snow early yesterday.

Light snow was falling intermittently in the Denver area early yesterday, but was expected to taper off by midday as the bulk of the storm moves out of the state, forecasters said “We have a chance of snow in the foothills, but (Denver) metro will get just light flurries,” National Weather Service meteorologist Robert Koopmeiners said yesterday. He said all winter storm warnings have expired in Colorado, but the several counties in the state’s eastern plains remain under a blowing snow advisory.

However, a winter storm warning was issued for parts of western Nebraska and northeastern Kansas and into southeastern Iowa. A blizzard warning remained on Friday for four counties in western Nebraska. A band of heavy snow stalled over Nebraska, dumping nearly 13 inches in some spots. Near-zero visibility forced officials to close all 160 miles of westbound Interstate 70 between the Kansas state line and metro Denver. A 70-mile stretch of eastbound I-70 from metro Denver to the plains town of Limon (LYE-min) also was closed.

The closures remained in effect early yesterday and Department of Transportation traffic specialist Becky Navarro said officials still can’t say when it the roadway will reopen.

Agate, a small town on the closed section of I70, reported more than 2 feet of snow by Friday night and winds gusting to 25 mph.

Other towns in eastern Colorado reported more than a foot of snow and similar wind speeds.

The snow was a welcome boost to several ski resorts that have suffered below-average snowfall this season. But while Echo Mountain and other resorts close to Denver celebrated up to 14 inches of new snow, the storm only dusted larger resorts, such as Vail, with a few inches in the central Colorado mountains. “It’s been fantastic,” said Scott Gales, a spokesman for Echo Mountain about 25 miles west of Denver. “We only had about 26 or 27 inches this morning. Now we’re over

40 and it’s still snowing at the rate of an inch or two an hour.”

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center issued warnings for slopes east of the Continental Divide until noon yesterday, saying 2 feet or more of new snow could easily overrun the weak, existing snow pack. In the foothills west of Denver, parts of I-70 were down to one lane, and chain laws were in effect throughout the mountains. Most travelers apparently heeded storm and blizzard warnings. A few trucks were involved in crashes - none serious - on I-70, and Denver traffic was relatively smooth on Friday, said Gene Towne of the Colorado Department of Transportation.

“The accident situation hasn’t really been that bad except the usual fender-benders we have during the evening commute,” Towne said. Some 600 flights were canceled at Denver International Airport, which averages 1,700 flights daily. Southwest Airlines, a key carrier at the airport, cancelled all of its flights for most of the day but resumed them late Friday. Koopmeiners said snowfall across the Denver area ranged from 14-20 inches. Nearly four feet covered the Pinecliffe area, while there was 18 inches near Boulder and 14 inches in the capital city itself.

For many ranchers in drought-stressed eastern Colorado, the storm brought muchneeded relief. “Basically, this storm is going to be a real blessing because of the moisture,” said Scott Johnson, who owns the Flying Diamond ranch near Kit Carson, about 130 miles southeast of Denver. The Flying Diamond got 3 to 4 inches of snow, which was preceded by rain. Some of Johnson’s other ranchland got a foot of snow. Other ranchers’ cattle were giving birth as the storm hit.

“Anything that was calving we moved in the barn,” said Skylar Houston, a partner at the Aristocrat Angus Ranch about 35 miles north of Denver. Ranch hands had to feed other cattle because they couldn’t graze through 6-inch snow, Houston said. In Alaska, transportation officials urging motorists in the state’s largest city to stay home over the weekend if they can so roads can be cleared as another winter storm blasted Anchorage.

The city was expected to get 6 to 10 inches of snow, with up to 15 inches on the city’s upper hillside, said Dan Peterson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Anchorage. — AP

HAVANA: In this photo released yesterday by the state media website Cubadebate, Cuba’s leader Fidel Castro holds two copies of his book ‘Guerrillero del Tiempo,’ or ‘Time Warrior’ during its presentation in Havana, Cuba, Friday. —AP

LOS ANGELES: A bizarre case at an inner-city elementary school where a teacher was charged with taking bondage-style photographs of children has expanded with the arrest of a second teacher suspected of fondling two girls in his classroom. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Capt. Mike Parker said Martin B. Springer, 49, was arrested Friday. The announcement sent further shock waves through the campus already reeling from the arrest of teacher Mark Berndt who’s charged with committing lewd acts on 23 children.

Springer’s arrest came four days after allegations surfaced against Berndt, but authorities said there was no known connection between the two cases. Springer was being held on $2 million bail. The case has shocked the nation and thrown a chill into its second-largest school district, with 650,000 students across hundreds of campuses. Parker said the victims in the second case were about 7 and 8 years old and were fondled once each in a classroom at Miramonte Elementary School during the past three years.

Detectives interviewed Springer and the alleged victims on Thursday and had him under surveillance. He was arrested Friday as he left a school district building in South Los Angeles, Parker said. Detectives anticipate that more victims might come forward, he said. A phone message left at Springer’s home was not immediately returned. Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy said the district plans to fire Springer next week. “We are prepared to fire him next week and we’ll do that at the next board meeting for inappropriate conduct and inappropriately touching students,” the superintendent told KTTV. In a related development, a lawyer filed a claim against the district stating that he intended to file a lawsuit alleging an unidentified girl ate a sugar cookie laced with Berndt’s semen.

Earlier this week, Berndt, who worked at the school for 32 years, was charged with committing lewd acts on 23 children, ages 6 to 10, between 2005 and 2010. He remains jailed on $23 million bail and could face life in prison if

convicted. Lawyer Raymond Boucher, whose Beverly Hills firm specializes in sexual abuse lawsuits against school districts, religious institutions and hospitals, said the legal claim of behalf of “Jane Doe 1” alleges the district did not take adequate steps to prevent Berndt from repeatedly abusing children after officials received complaints about him.

After news broke early Friday about Springer being removed from the classroom, several parents took their children out of the school. that 18 years ago, a 10-year-old girl claimed Berndt tried to fondle her. Prosecutors declined to file to charges against Berndt in the 1993 report, saying they didn’t have enough evidence.

Berndt, who denied the allegation at the time, was never arrested.

The details of that case and other claims by two former students about strange behavior by

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles County Sheriff Lt John Babbit is interviewed by the media outside the Miramonte Elementary school in Los Angeles on Friday.—AP

Romney, Gingrich expect Romney to win Nevada Vote LAS VEGAS: A confident Mitt Romney is looking past his GOP opponents and Nevada’s caucuses the day the state votes. Chief rival Newt Gingrich is bracing for defeat in a state the former Massachusetts governor won in 2008.

Romney was scheduled to fly to Colorado yesterday morning for a campaign rally before returning to Las Vegas for a party with supporters at a casino a few miles from the Las Vegas Strip. In a sign that he expects to lose, Gingrich planned a simple statement instead of an event.

Romney cruised to victory in Florida last Tuesday, handily won this state four years ago and is heavily favored to win yesterday’s contest. Gingrich, Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum also are on the ballot. But Romney, a Mormon, has an existing network of support from his 2008 race and likely will again benefit from the support of members of his church, many of whom live in Nevada.

Gingrich is still struggling after losing to Romney in Florida. He’s facing a month of contests that favor Romney and only one scheduled debate, opportunities that have helped him in the past.

Gingrich acknowledged Romney’s likely victory and cast the vote in Nevada as a fight for second place. “I think our hope is that we may be able to come in second, although Ron Paul is very organized,” the former House speaker told Fox News in an interview Friday. “ We’re going all out to see if we can’t be a good solid second here, and then we’re on to Colorado and Minnesota.”

Romney ignored his chief rival, instead projecting himself as the likely Republican nominee. “I’m convinced that I can beat Barack Obama and I don’t think anyone else can,” he told volunteers making phone calls for him Friday.

He accused the president of failing to do enough to create jobs as he campaigned in a state with sky-high unemployment

Berndt surfaced just three days after his arrest.

The allegations raised further questions about why he wasn’t disciplined by school officials, who have been lambasted by some parents for waiting a year to reveal that Berndt was suspected of blindfolding children and feeding them his own semen in his classroom in what children were allegedly told was a tasting game. School officials and investigators said proper procedures were followed to investigate and build a case against the teacher.

The investigation of Berndt began in the fall of 2010 when a film processor became suspicious about the photographs and turned them over to investigators who notified the school district. Berndt was immediately removed from classwork in January. The Board of Education voted to fire him in a closed session, which he challenged, before resigning. — AP

and foreclosure rates. Nevada’s unemployment rate was 12.6 in December well above the national average - after a record economic bust.

As he swept through Reno, Elko and Las Vegas, Romney sought to convince weary voters that he alone had the prescriptions for what ails the country even as the government reported that a quarter-million Americans streamed back into the workforce in January and unemployment tumbled to 8.3 percent.

Romney acknowledged the brightening economic picture but argued that it had little to do with Obama or his policies.

“The policies of this administration have not been helpful. They, in fact, have been harmful. They have slowed down the recovery, made it more difficult,” Romney said at a home and yard supply company in Reno, where he talked about the economy with local business leaders.

“The president deserves the blame that he’ll receive in this campaign.” Gingrich, in an interview on CNN, said the Democrat’s policies have driven up the national debt and raised the price of gasoline.

“The economy even at 8.3 percent is dramatically weaker than it was under Ronald Reagan at this exact same point in his first term,” he said. But as Gingrich looks to recover from a shellacking in Florida, he chose to spend much of his time hammering home his latest argument against a Romney presidency that there is virtually no difference between Romney and Obama.

For the second day in a row, Gingrich castigated Romney for saying that he’s not focused on the poor because they already have a safety net. Romney has said he misspoke, but Gingrich sought to use the moment to gain the upper hand, saying it’s another instance where Romney and Obama are similar. “Obama is big food stamp. He’s little food stamp.

But they both think foods stamps are OK,” Gingrich said. “I don’t think food stamps are the future for America.” — AP

Police converge on Occupy site in Washington WASHINGTON: Dozens of US Park Police officers in riot gear and on horseback converged before dawn yesterday on one of the nation’s last remaining Occupy sites. Officers arrived and placed barricades around McPherson Square, a federal park near the White House where demonstrators have camped since October. They were not evicting the protesters.

Police said they’re at the park to enforce a National Park Service ban on camping. They were removing wood, metal and other objects from beneath a big blue tarp draped around a statue in the center of the park. Later, in a lighter moment, Park Police used a cherry-picker to remove a mask of 17th century English revolutionary Guy Fawkes that had been placed on a statue of Union Gen. James McPherson, who during the Civil War. After months of tolerating the protesters and protecting their right to sleep in the park, the National Park Service announced last week it would enforce a camping ban. It took effect Monday, although police did not take immediate steps to break up or otherwise disrupt the encampment. The Washington demonstration is among the last remaining Occupy sites, enjoying special First Amendment protections by virtue of its location on park service property. The regulations permit protesters to remain onsite at all hours with tents, but bar them from camping or laying down bedding material.

Dozens have been camped since Oct 1 in McPherson Square, just blocks from the White House. Similar to the New York protesters, who strategically occupied a park near Wall Street to highlight their campaign against economic inequalities, the District of Columbia group selected a space along Washington’s K Street, home to some of the nation’s most powerful lobbying firms. Another group of generally older, longtime protesters laid claim to nearby Freedom Plaza five days later for an anti-war rally, then turned their camp into a second Occupy location. The relationship with police has been generally peaceful, though a daylong standoff in early December over a makeshift wooden building that protesters had erected in McPherson Square in advance of the winter resulted in more than 30 arrests. About five dozen protesters were later arrested during a mass demonstration that shut down K Street.

Democratic Mayor Vincent Gray, who forged his political identity as an advocate for the mentally disabled, initially appeared to support the protesters. But any enthusiasm by city officials waned amid reports of violent incidents and, more recently, a rat infestation that alarmed the health department. The encampment caught the attention of Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican who chairs the congressional committee that oversees district affairs. Issa questioned whether the protesters were permitted to remain for political reasons, which park service officials denied. —AP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

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

Conservative on course to win Finnish presidency HELSINKI: Conservative Sauli Niinistoe is on course for victory in the second round of Finland’s presidential vote today, with polls giving him a wide lead over Green liberal challenger Pekka Haavisto. Niinistoe’s finance minister experience has lent his candidacy credibility amid the European debt crisis while Haavisto’s openly gay stance has lost him support among older and more traditional Finns.

The most recent public opinion poll published Thursday gave the National Coalition Party’s Niinistoe 62 percent support against 38 percent for the Green League’s Haavisto. In the first round of

voting on January 22 featuring eight candidates, Niinistoe, 63, who survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Thailand by climbing a tree, garnered 37 percent of votes and Haavisto 18.8 percent.

Niinistoe has consistently trounced his challenger in the polls-largely due to his long tenure as finance minister from 1996-2003 when he helped usher Finland into the eurozone-particularly in the first round campaign when the euro crisis was cited as voters’ main concern.

Both candidates are strongly pro-Europe and agree on most other aspects of foreign policy-one of few areas the president still decides-with pun-

dits noting that the real fireworks died when the virulently anti-euro candidates were eliminated after the first round of voting. Haavisto has won support from left-leaning voters who feel they cannot vote for Niinistoe, but this group is ultimately marginal, Helsinki university political science professor Tuomo Martikainen said.

Rather, the candidates’ sexual orientation was turning out to be a key factor, analysts observed.

Haavisto is in a registered same-sex relationship with an Ecuadorean hairdresser, while Niinistoe enjoyed a romance with an ex-beauty queen turned parliamentarian and is now married to his

party’s press officer, a woman 29 years his junior.

Some 36.5 percent of an eligible 4.4 million voters have already cast their ballots in advance voting and final results are expected around 2000 GMT today.

Finland’s popular outgoing President Tarja Halonen is stepping down after serving a maximum of two consecutive terms. Analysts were optimistic that voters would turn out despite a wave of Arctic cold sweeping in from Siberia and plunging temperatures in Finland as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 Fahrenheit) over the weekend. — AFP

Competing mass Putin rallies face off in Moscow Demonstrators defy freezing weather

MUNICH: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (R) speaks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as they pose for photographers during the 48th Munich Security Conference at the Bayerischer Hof hotel in Munich, southern Germany yesterday.—AFP

Clinton: US, Europe must do more against tyrants MUNICH : The Obama administration yesterday called for stepped up US-European cooperation to isolate tyrannies such as the Assad regime in Syria, promote democracy in the Arab World and beyond, and repair damage from the global financial crisis. And, as America shifts its primary strategic focus to Asia and reduces its military presence in Europe, President Barack Obama’s top two national security aides attending an international security conference here together in a demonstration of Washington’s resolve - reassured the continent that it remains deeply relevant to US interests as well as its partner of “first resort” in dealing with global hot spots. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Americans and Europeans must send a clear and common message to tyrants that they must respect the rights of their people.

She spoke as violence flared anew in Syria ahead of an expected vote on a UN Security Council resolution on the matter later yesterday. “As a tyrant in Damascus brutalizes his own people, America and Europe stand shoulder to shoulder,” she said, referring to Syrian President Bashar Assad. “We are united, alongside the Arab League, in demanding an end to the bloodshed and a democratic future for Syria. And we are hopeful that at 10 am Eastern Standard Time in New York the Security Council will express the will of the international community,” she said.

Clinton said, “Wherever tyrants deny the legitimate demands of their own people, we need to work together to send them a clear message: You cannot hold back the future at the point of a gun.” Russia has been standing in the way of the Security Council resolution, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the conference it makes too few demands of armed groups opposing President Bashar Assad’s regime. He also said Moscow remains concerned about whether it prejudges the outcome of a national dialogue among political forces in Syria.

Clinton met with Lavrov on the sidelines for about 45 minutes, and had a “very vigorous discussion” that was largely focused on the resolution, said a senior State Department official speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the diplomacy. The official said both agreed that the situation on the ground is urgent because of the violence, and that Clinton made clear that the US felt strongly that the Security Council should vote later in the day.

In other remarks, Clinton said that while promoting democracy, Europe could not ignore backsliding in its own backyard, decrying limits being placed on press and religious freedoms. She did not identify trouble spots by name but was referring to Russia, Belarus and Hungary. “It is not credible to preach democracy elsewhere unless we also protect it within our community,” she said. “The trappings of democracy are not enough.” Clinton said she had no doubt that Europe would overcome its economic woes. But she said it is imperative for a common agenda and enhanced cooperation to reinforce recoveries on both sides of the Atlantic.

“We are confident that Europe has the will and the means to cut its debt, build the necessary firewalls, create growth, and restore liquidity and market confidence,” she said. But, she added: “As Europe emerges from crisis, we have to work harder to reinforce each other’s recoveries. As deep as our economic relationship is, it has not yet lived up to its potential.” To boost the recovery, she said the United States and Europe need to team up to fight unfair trade practices. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Europe is America’s security partner of choice for military operations and diplomacy around the world. He said Europe will continue to be a central US defense interest, even as the administration withdraws two of the four Army brigades stationed on the continent.

In his remarks to the conference, Panetta emphasized the positive. He noted that the US is building a missile defense system in Europe, including a radar installation in Turkey and missiles to be stationed in Romania and Poland. He said four US ships capable of shooting down missiles will be stationed at Rota, Spain. And he said that while two Army brigades will leave Europe, that will be partly offset by a new arrangement in which smaller Army units will rotate to the continent for temporary training assignments.

This was announced in January as part of a new US defense strategy. These changes, he said, amount to a US “vote of confidence” in the future of NATO. Panetta’s remarks were aimed at countering a perception that the administration’s added focus on security challenges in Asia and the Middle East is weakening US partnerships in Europe.—AP

MOSCOW: Tens of thousands took to the streets of Moscow yesterday for rival rallies duelling over Russia’s future, in a test of strength for the anti-Vladimir Putin movement one month before presidential polls.

Bundled up in down jackets, fur coats and felt boots, the demonstrators defied freezing weather of around minus 17 degrees Celsius (1.5 Fahrenheit) as Russia’s political temperature heated up ahead of the March 4 elections.

As protesters from the opposition movement massed for their third rally in less than two months urging the Russian strongman to quit, Putin’s supporters also filled a square in western Moscow to bursting point. Police said 138,000 turned up for the pro-Putin rally in the west of the capital but an AFP correspondent at the scene said the numbers appeared to have been exaggerated, amid allegations that people had been induced or pressured to attend.

Police put the number of protesters at the anti-Putin event called through social networks at around 36,000. But the organizers of the anti-Putin rally-its third since fraud-tainted December elections-said some 120,000 people turned up, repeating the success of the previous demonstration despite the harsh temperatures. “When people come out in such freezing cold, even more than 100,000 people, it means they are so sick of it that they do not have the patience to bear it any longer,” opposition politician Boris Nemtsov said.

Putin is standing for a new term as president in the elections after his-four year stint as prime minister and his main opposition will come from the Communists. “We are not afraid of the frost. We are afraid of lies,” said Mikhail Matrosov, a 51-year-old businessman.

“We are for fair elections.” The protesters massed in Bolotnaya Square just across the Moscow river from the Kremlin to hear speeches from activists and politicians calling on Putin to quit for the sake of the country.

“Putin wants to rule forever! One, two, three: Putin leave!” cried activist Ilya Yashin

as the crowd roared back its approval, while leftist activist Sergei Udaltsov tore up a portrait of the Russian strongman on stage.

The leader of the liberal Yabloko party, Grigory Yavlinsky, said: “We are different but we are all of the same colour, the colours of the Russian flag!” Yavlinsky was controversially disqualified from the presidential elections on procedural grounds last week, ridding Putin of his sole liberal challenger in the race.

Implying he expected Putin to win the polls but endure a hard time afterwards, Yavlinsky said: “Life does not end on March 4 or even 5. Everything is just beginning.

We will never retreat.” Legendary rock musician Yuri Shevchuk, a longtime supporter of the anti-Putin movement, crooned one of his best-loved ballads, “Rodina” (Motherland). In the west of the city, government supporters staged a rival

rally at the Poklonnaya Gora War Memorial Park dubbed the “anti-Orange protest”-a reference to Ukraine’s 2004 Orange Revolution that ousted its old order and infuriated the Kremlin.

“People who came here are those who are against a liberal coup,” said Valery, 79, a pensioner. “I came here because I don’t want chaos like in Libya.” Another participant was shown on national television saying: “We remember what was in the ‘90s when there were chaos, disorder and God knows what.”

Banners brandished at the protest read “Putin, we’re with you” and “No to the Orange plague.” Complaints have multiplied in recent days that employees of state companies were being offered cash incentives or even being ordered to attend the pro-Putin rally. Buses that had apparently been used to transport the protestors in from across the region surrounded the

MOSCOW: People take part in a pro-Putin rally at Poklonnaya Gora War Memorial Park in Moscow yesterday. The two distinguishable banners read (L-R) “Moscow votes for Putin!” “Vote for Putin!”—AFP

Europe cold snap claims 260 lives, sends ferry aground ROME: Hundreds of people were plucked to safety yesterday after a ferry caught in a snow storm hit a breakwater off Italy, as a vicious cold snap that has claimed over 260 lives across Europe maintained its grip. Ukraine has suffered the heaviest toll of 122 deaths, including many people who froze to death in the streets, as temperatures plunged to as low as minus 38.1 degrees Celsius (minus 36.5 Fahrenheit) in parts of the continent.

Airports were shut, flights and trains delayed, and highways gridlocked as emergency services raced to clear the falling snow. But as Europe huddled indoors for warmth, Russian gas giant Gazprom said it could not satisfy western Europe’s demand for more energy. In Italy, the ferry Sharden hit a mole shortly after setting off from the port of Civitavecchia near Rome, causing panic among the 262 passengers who feared a repeat of a cruise

protest venue. Opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that even parliament members were forced to join the proPutin rally.

It quoted an aide to a senator, who spoke anonymously, as saying “those above have lost their (expletive) mind”. A nurse from a hospital in the Moscow suburb of Zelenograd told AFP this week that colleagues were offered 3,000 rubles ($100) to attend the pro-Putin rally and 15 agreed to go. Putin earlier thanked his supporters who were preparing to attend the pro-government rally, telling them to dress warmly.

“I am grateful to them and share their views,” he said. Smaller anti-Putin and proPutin rallies took place across the country.

“I want changes. One can’t live like that any longer,” Mukhtar Akhmadullin told AFP at an opposition protest in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg whose turnout organisers estimated at around 8,000.— AFP

ship tragedy in the area last month which killed 32 people.

Coastguard spokesman Carnine Albano said the accident, which tore a 25-metre (80-foot) hole in the ship’s side above the waterline, happened after the vessel was buffeted by a violent snow storm from the north-east.

All passengers were evacuated to safety and no injuries were reported.

The heaviest snowfall in 27 years in Rome caused the capital better known for its warm sunshine to grind to a halt, with taxis and buses unable to navigate through the icy streets without snow chains. Parts of the Venice lagoon also froze over. A 46-year-old woman died in Avellino, near Naples in southern Italy, after a greenhouse roof collapsed on top of her with the weight of snow and the ambulance failed to get through the blocked roads to her in time. In Poland, the death toll rose to 45 as temperatures

VERSOIX: A man takes pictures of an ice covered car on the iced waterside promenade at the Lake Geneva in Versoix, Switzerland yesterday. A cold spell has reached Europe with temperatures plummeting far below zero. —AP

reached minus 27 Celsius in the northeast. In Romania, four more victims were found, bringing the number of fatalities in the country to 28.

The cold snap has also killed people in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Czech Republic, Italy, Slovakia, France, Austria and Greece. Snow fell in Bosnia for the second straight day, paralysing traffic, with one patient dying as the ambulance was unable to reach his village in the south of the country. Public transport was disrupted in Sarajevo, with several tramlines blocked by snow since Friday evening.

Even Croatian and Serbian Presidents Ivo Josipovic and Boris Tadic were forced to postpone their departure from a regional meeting, as they were blocked in the ski resort of Jahorina, near the Bosnian capital.

“I can only leave the house if I dig a tunnel with a shovel, my car has become a mountain of snow,” IT worker Eldar Hajdarevic told AFP by phone.

In tiny Montenegro, villages in the mountainous north were cut off.

Rescuers managed to evacuate 120 people, among them 31 school children from neighbouring Albania on a field trip, Interior Minister Ivan Brajovic said.

Both airports-in the capital Podgorica and the Adriatic port of Tivat-were closed to traffic, while the authorities ordered a railway service to be halted fearing mountainous avalanches. The Netherlands’ AmsterdamSchiphol airport meanwhile reported “dozens of delays and cancellations,” and London’s Heathrow, the world’s busiest in terms of international passenger traffic, cancelled 30 percent of today’s flights as it braced for heavy snow and freezing fog. In France snow fell from Lille in the north to Marseille in the south, though the west of the country and the capital Paris were spared for the time being.— AFP

Kenya: Best attack yet against Shabaab NAIROBI: Kenya’s military has struck Al Shabaab targets in one of the most devastating attacks against the Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents since it launched an operation in Somalia to crush the rebels last October, a Kenyan army officer said yesterday. Colonel Cyrus Oguna said two helicopter gunships hit a convoy of Al-Shabaab in Dalayat village in southern Somalia on Friday evening, following intelligence that the fighters were planning to attack Kenyan forces in nearby Bhadhadhe.

“This is one of the best attacks yet ever because we got them in their vehicles before they could disembark. Several Al-Shabaab were killed and many more injured,” Oguna told a news conference. Kenya began its military campaign against the rebels in southern Somalia after a series of cross-border raids by al Shabaab against targets on Kenyan soil, which threatened the east African nation’s tourism business.

Oguna said nine vehicles mounted with weapons, known locally as “Technicals”, and nine lorries were destroyed in the attack. There were no Kenyan casualties, he said. Emmanuel Chirchir, the military spokesman, said the force estimated that more than 100 al Shabaab fighters were killed in the attack. Al Shabaab dismissed the claims as propaganda. “Kenya has not destroyed or even attacked al Shabaab strongholds. It is propaganda” Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s spokesman, told Reuters.

Oguna said the capture of Bhadhadhe and Hosungow town, which was also taken last week, would remove sources of revenue for the rebels because they were used for trafficking goods. “We expect to see more ground being ceded by al Shabaab because they are weakened,” he said. The campaign against the rebels in the south, together with another by an African Union force in the capital Mogadishu, are aimed at stabilising Somalia after two decades without an effective central government.— Reuters

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

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

Civilian deaths in Afghan war hit record high: UN Militants responsible for majority of deaths

SRINAGAR: Kashmiri villagers carry the body of Ashiq Ahmed Shah, a suspected militant of Lashkar-e-Taiba, during his funeral procession in Panzgham some 52 kilometers (33 miles) south of Srinagar, India yesterday. Thousands attended the funeral of suspected rebel in Indian Kashmir yesterday, after two rebels were killed in a gunbattle with government forces in the restive region, according to police. —AP

Taleban deny leader sent letter to Obama KABUL: The Afghan Taleban yesterday denied that their leader Mullah Omar had written to President Barack Obama last July. Taleban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said reports that Omar had sent a letter indicating an interest in talks key to ending the war in Afghanistan were “baseless allegations.”

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is strongly condemning these rumors and allegations,” Mujahid said in an email to media organizations, referring to the Taleban by the name Afghanistan had while under their rule. He added that the reports were aimed at sowing confusion among Afghans. Current and former US officials told The Associated Press the letter purportedly from Omar was unsigned. It was passed through a Taleban intermediary and intended for the White House. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the letter and its contents are part of sensitive diplomacy with a fighting force that still targets US troops.

The previously undisclosed communication was considered authentic by people who saw it, but skeptical administration officials said they cannot determine it actually came from Omar. The Obama administration did not directly respond to the letter, two officials said, although it has broadened contacts with Omar’s emissaries since then. Sources who described the letter did not disclose its precise contents, but one current and one former official said it addressed Taleban willingness to build trust with the United States. One official said Omar complained that the United

States had not done enough to establish good faith for negotiations, such as arranging the release of Taleban prisoners held in the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. An administration official would say only that the message represented views consistent with what Taleban emissaries had been telling US officials during the clandestine meetings. Those preliminary sessions opened the way for more formal talks that US officials now publicly welcome.

A direct message from Omar could be a strong signal that the Taleban movement is interested in negotiation at the highest levels. The Obama administration is trying to foster talks among the Taleban and the USbacked government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, but remains wary of Taleban motives. Omar is the spiritual leader of the Taleban movement, and directs the organization’s guerrilla military campaign. He was the de facto head of state in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan prior to the US invasion that toppled the Taleban government in 2001. He has not been seen in public in years, and his exact whereabouts are unknown. He is wanted by the US government for harboring Osama bin Laden and helping the Al-Qaeda terror network.

The Obama administration is now considering release of five top Taleban leaders from Guantanamo as a starting point for negotiations. The five would be sent to custody in the Gulf nation of Qatar, where the Taleban plan to establish a negotiating office. Republicans in Congress oppose the release of the prisoners.—AP

Pakistan PM to visit Qatar to talk Afghanistan peace ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prime minister will travel to Qatar next week to talk with leaders there about the prospect of a peace deal to end the war in Afghanistan, a government official said yesterday, a trip that suggests some progress in a process long stymied by mistrust. The Afghan Taleban last month announced they would set up a political office in Qatar, which was seen as a major development in efforts to end an 11year war that is taking an ever increasing toll on civilians. According to latest UN statistics, more than 3,000 Afghan civilians died in the war in 2011, the deadliest year on record for civilians in the Afghan war.

Neither side in the conflict, or regional governments with an interest in Afghanistan, have talked in detail about what shape any deal might take. The Afghan Taleban - far from defeated and with US and Western nations committed to withdrawing troops from the country - will presumably demand de-facto control over much of Afghanistan. That is assuming they agree to take part in substantive talks The trip by Prime Minister Yousuf Reza Gilani on Monday comes amid unease in Kabul and Islamabad over the Taleban decision to open the Qatar office. Officials in both countries have said they fear they are being left out of the early stages of the peace process. Last week, Pakistan’s foreign minister traveled to Afghanistan to talk

about what is termed in Washington, Islamabad and Kabul as “Afghan reconciliation.”

“Our prime minister will have discussions connected to this with the Qatar leadership,” foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit told a local television station. “He will also inform them of Pakistan’s perspective in this situation.” Pakistan is an important player in moves to end the war because many of the leaders of the insurgency are said to be sheltering on its territory. The country’s security forces are alleged to have links with the militants that could be useful in bringing them to the negotiating table.

Western officials, who have accused Pakistan of sponsoring militants behind attacks in Afghanistan, also says the country has the potential to wreck any peace deal if it is not involved. Pakistan’s army wants to ensure that any post US regime in Afghanistan is hostile to India, which it regards as an existential threat. The US invaded Afghanistan after the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, seeking to destroy Al-Qaeda and the hardline Islamist Taleban regime that harbored the network. Afghanistan is no longer a haven for Al-Qaeda, but the US-led alliance has struggled to hold ground against the Taliban, which is supported by significant pockets of population in the south and east.—AP

Most Japanese towns undecided on nuclear stress tests: Sankei TOKYO: Three Japanese towns would be willing to restart their nuclear reactors if they pass government stress tests, two were against the idea but most were undecided, a newspaper survey suggested yesterday. The stress tests are aimed at showing the reactors can withstand the scale of disaster that crippled the Fukushima reactors last year.

The Fukushima Daiichi plant was struck by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11, the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986, triggering reactor meltdowns and radiation leaks that caused mass evacuations and widespread contamination. The three plants that might win approval to restart are the Kashiwazaki Kariwa plant operated by Tokyo Electric, the Takahama plant operated by Kansai Electric and Kyushu Electric’s Genkai plant, the Sankei newspaper said.

Two local governments said they rejected the tests and 24 said they were undecided, according to the survey, a sign that even UN experts’ approval of the tests isn’t enough to dispel deep-rooted mistrust of the country’s nuclear policy. The Viennabased International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday gave its backing to the stress tests, which are computer simulations that evaluate a nuclear reactor’s resilience to disasters.

Before March 11, nuclear power provided about a third of Japan’s electricity needs. Now only three out of the country’s 54 nuclear reactors are in operation after being damaged or taken off-line for checks.

The government hopes the stress tests will help persuade a wary public that it is safe to restart some of the reactors and avoid an economically crippling power crunch during the peak summer season.—Reuters

KABUL: Last year was the deadliest on record for civilians in the Afghan war, with 3,021 killed as insurgents ratcheted up violence with suicide attacks and roadside bombs, the United Nations said yesterday. Taleban-affiliated militants were responsible for more than three-quarters of the civilian deaths in 2011, the fifth year in a row in which the death toll went up, the UN said.

The figures were a grim testament to the violence the Taleban and allied Islamist militants can still unleash in Afghanistan, even as NATO begins to map out plans for international troops to draw down and give Afghan security forces the main responsibility for fighting insurgents by the end of 2014. “A decade after the war began, the human cost of it is still rising,” said Georgette Gagnon, director for human rights for the UN mission in Afghanistan. The number of civilian deaths was up 8 percent over the previous year.

Deaths in suicide bombings jumped dramatically to 450, an 80 percent increase over the previous year. While the number of suicide attacks remained about the same, they killed more civilians. On Dec. 6, a bomber detonated his explosives-filled vest at the entrance of a mosque in Kabul, the capital, killing 56 worshippers during the Shiite Muslim rituals of Ashoura. It was the single deadliest suicide attack since 2008.

The single biggest killer of civilians remained the ever-more-powerful roadside bombs planted by insurgents. The homemade explosives, which can be triggered by a footstep or a vehicle and are often rigged with enough explosives to destroy a tank, killed 967 people - nearly a third of the total. The 130,000-strong coalition force led by the US says it has been hitting the Taleban hard, seizing their one-time strongholds while expanding and training the Afghan army and police to take over primary responsibility for waging the decade-old war.

Still, insurgent attacks are killing more and more civilians, according to a detailed annual UN report. The increased presence of security forces managed to reduce civilian casualties in the troubled southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, but the UN said insurgents simply pulled back and focused instead on areas along the country’s border with Pakistan, relying more on roadside bombs and suicide attacks in places like bazaars, schoolyards, footpaths, and bus stations.

“The tactics have changed,” said Jan Kubis, the UN Secretary-General’s special representative to Afghanistan. “The anti-government forces being squeezed in certain areas ... move to some other areas and again use these inhuman, undiscriminating weapons like human-activated explosive devices and suicide attacks.” He pointed out that the Taleban itself banned the use of land mines as “un-Islamic and anti- human” in a 1998 proclamation issued while the hard-line movement ruled Afghanistan with their harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

The UN report said there is little difference between mines and the buried homemade bombs used by the Taleban . The majority of improvised explosives have about 9 pounds (20 kilograms) of explosives and are triggered by pressure plates rigged to explode when a person steps on it or a vehicle passes over. “These are

basically land mines,” Kubis said of the roadside bombs. “So why is this ‘inhuman and un-Islamic’ weapon being increasingly used?”

The sheer number of roadside bombs that insurgents planted last year overwhelmed security forces’ improved ability to detect and neutralize them. An average of 23 roadside bombs per day were either detonated or discovered and defused last year - twice the daily average in 2010, the UN report said. Actual explosions increased by 6 percent. The report’s toll of 3,021 civilians dead in violence related to the war and 4,507 more wounded made 2011 the deadliest year for Afghan civilians recorded by the UN since it started keeping a detailed count of civilian casualties five years ago. Last year’s figure was roughly double the number from 2007.

The UN attributed 77 percent of the deaths to insurgent attacks and 14 percent to actions by international and Afghan troops. Nine percent of cases were classified as having an unknown cause. The number of civilian deaths caused by insurgents was up 14 percent over 2010, the UN

strikes targeting insurgents rose to 187 in 2011, accounting for nearly half the deaths attributed to forces supporting the government. The number of civilians killed during controversial, coalition-led night raids on homes dropped to 63 in 2011, down 22 percent from the previous year, the UN said.

The UN noted a shift in where the violence affecting civilians was centered. In 2010, the provinces with the highest numbers of civilian casualties were the southern Taleban strongholds of Helmand and Kandahar, where an increased number of US troops pushed to take back territory from insurgents.

While those two provinces still had the most deaths in 2011, their numbers dropped, while civilian deaths went sharply up in southeastern provinces including Khost and Paktika, and the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar. All those areas lie along Afghanistan’s volatile border with Pakistan, where many of the Taleban ‘s leaders and the Al-Qaeda-allied Haqqani network are believed to be based.

KABUL: The UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay shows a copy of the United Nations casualty report during a press conference in Kabul, Afghanistan yesterday.—AP said, while those caused by security forces went down 4 percent. Last year was also the seconddeadliest year of the decade-long war for international forces in Afghanistan, with at least 544 NATO troops killed. The coalition has been in Afghanistan since the aftermath of the 2001 American-backed intervention to topple the Taleban , which followed the hard-line Islamist regime’s refusal to hand over Al-Qaeda terrorist chief Osama bin Laden, who sponsored the Sept 11 terrorist attacks on the US. While the total number of civilian deaths caused by international and Afghan forces dropped, the number of civilians killed by air

Insurgents also intensified an assassination campaign against people associated with the Afghan government. The UN report documented 495 targeted killings in 2011, including provincial and district officials, peace council members and pro-government tribal elders.

Assassinations were up 3 percent from the previous year and up 160 percent from 2009. Among the highest profile assassination victims last year was former President Burhanuddin Rabbani, head of the high peace council charged with seeking talks with the Taleban . He was killed by a suicide bomber claiming to carry a message from the insurgents.—AP

Myanmar’s Karen rebels say ceasefire ‘fragile’

GUANGZHOU: German Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses a German-Chinese economic forum during her visit to Guangzhou, China, Friday. —AP

Merkel unhappy China police blocked lawyer from meeting BEIJING: German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed regret yesterday that Chinese police blocked a human rights lawyer from meeting her and said the Communist government should have the confidence to allow dissent. The lawyer, Mo Shaoping, said Beijing police told him Thursday he could not attend a dinner and private meeting with Merkel.

The order came amid restrictions on Chinese political and human rights activists.

“Unfortunately the lawyer was unable to attend. I regret that,” Merkel told reporters in the southern Chinese business center of Guangzhou at the end of a three-day visit, according to a German government transcript. Merkel said a country with China’s vitality and dynamic economic growth should have the confidence that even dissident voices are necessary for its society. The “vitality and plurality of a civil society must be admitted, and it will finally contribute to strengthening the society and its capabilities,” Merkel said, according to the transcript.

Merkel earlier said her talks with Chinese leaders would include discussions of human rights and other “sensitive topics.” “We have spoken about the overall human rights situation,” she said yesterday. “The issue of Tibet was also discussed, not very explicitly but as one of many issues, which are also worrying for us.” Merkel canceled a planned visit to Southern Weekend, a newspaper in Guangzhou known for reporting on corruption and other sensitive issues, after Chinese authorities objected, an official with her told

German news agency dapd. It said he spoke on condition of anonymity in line with German government policy.

An opposition lawmaker traveling with Merkel, Viola von Cramin-Taubadel of the leftleaning Greens, said her overall impression of the visit was disappointing. “The Chinese leadership could have spared itself from acting like that,” von Cramin-Taubadel told dapd.

She said blocking Merkel from visiting the newspaper office was a sign of “hyper nervousness.”

Mo said he and Merkel had planned to discuss China’s legal environment and lawyers who have suffered from official harassment.

Mo has defended imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo and dozens of prodemocracy, labor and religious activists. Mo said police cited the need to maintain stability ahead of a Communist Party congress late this year. The meeting is a key stage in a oncea-decade handover of power to younger leaders, and the government is cracking down on dissent ahead of the event.

A second invitee from the pro-democracy community said he was able to attend the dinner and a meeting with Merkel. Wu Si, editor-in-chief of the online journal Yanhuang Chunqiu, said he saw guests from economics, environmental protection and education at the dinner. He said no lawyers were present.

Mo said he had run into similar interference during visits by top officials from France, the Netherlands, the U.S. and the European Union.—AP

BANGKOK: One of Myanmar’s most prominent rebel groups yesterday warned a ceasefire deal seen as a breakthrough in relations with the regime was “fragile”, as ethnic unrest continues to cast a shadow over reforms. The Karen National Union (KNU) signed a pact with a delegation of ministers from the new government on January 12 in a move that raised hopes of a permanent end to one of the world’s longest-running civil conflicts. “We have to make the ceasefire durable. This is a tentative step and still very fragile,” said Saw David Tharckabaw, vicepresident of the KNU in charge of foreign affairs.

He said charges against a senior rebel figure and continuing conflict in other ethnic areas was eroding trust in Myanmar’s nominally-civilian government, which has launched a series of changes that have persuaded some Western powers to re-evaluate tough sanctions on the country. The KNU’s Mahn Nyein Maung is facing trial for treason-for which the maximum penalty is death-despite assurances from the government’s top negotiator that he would be freed, according to Saw David Tharckabaw.

“Not much is changing so the government can’t keep its promises... that is not good for us to continue trust building,” he told AFP. “Some countries say there is a great change, real change, but we have to see proof on the ground, we cannot rely on promises.”Civil war has gripped parts of Myanmar since its independence in 1948, and an end to the conflicts is a key demand of the international community.

Tentative peace deals have been inked with several rebel groups, including in eastern Karen and Shan states, but fighting in Kachin, bordering China in the north, has caused uncertainty about the progress of the reconciliation effort. Citing reforms, the United States announced plans to exchange ambassadors with Myanmar soon after the KNU ceasefire and a major release of political prisoners in January. On Thursday, US assistant secretary of state for human rights Michael Posner said violence in the northern state was getting worse and called on Myanmar to address “serious human rights abuses”. Human Rights Watch in a recent report accused the army of extrajudicial killings, forced labour and rape and said both the military and some rebel groups continued to use landmines in 2011. It said over half a million people were internally displaced by ethnic conflicts. Saw David Tharckabaw said the KNU had heard of some abuses since the deal in January, but added that military activity in Karen had greatly reduced. He said the group remained committed to giving “peaceful resolution a chance” and would participate in further negotiations with the army-backed government later this month. The rebels will look at Mahn Nyein Maung’s treatment, the ongoing unrest in Kachin and by-elections on April 1 that are being contested by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as indications of the regime’s intentions, he said. —AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

NEWS

Seagulls fly over the Gulf of Oman as Emirati fishermen pull in their nets off the coast of Dibba Al-Fujairah north east of the United Arab Emirates yesterday. Fishing is an important source of domestic food in United Arab Emirates. — AFP

Street battles rage in Cairo

Speakership race hots up

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

huge banner to police reading: “Those who didn’t deserve to die have died at the hands of those who don’t deserve to live.”

Many of the dead in the football riot in Port Said were thought to have been Al-Ahly supporters, set upon by partisans of the local Al-Masry side after the Cairo team lost 3-1. The Ultras played a prominent role in the uprising that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak a year ago, and commentators have speculated that pro-Mubarak forces were behind the massacre, or at least complicit.

The football disaster sparked outrage, prompting demonstrations across the country, that saw police fire tear gas at protesters through a volley of rocks and stones.

Egypt has been gripped by instability since Mubarak’s omnipresent and hated police force disappeared from the streets during the uprising. In a sign of increased insecurity, gunmen carrying automatic weapons stormed a police station in east Cairo on Friday, freeing detainees before torching the station. And in the Dokki neighbourhood, a group of men attacked a police station, taking weapons from the building. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) blamed the unrest on “foreign and domestic hands targeting the country”. In a statement on Facebook, it urged “all political and national forces of this great nation to take a national and historic role and inter-

vene... to return stability.”

Wednesday’s clashes between fans marked one of the deadliest incidents in football history, and came amid claims by witnesses that security forces did little to prevent it. After the final whistle, victorious Al-Masry fans invaded the pitch, throwing rocks, bottles and fireworks at Al-Ahly supporters, causing panic as players and fans fled in all directions, witnesses said. State television reported yesterday that the Egyptian Football Association’s board of directors tendered their resignations, a day after the prosecutor general slapped a travel ban on Samir Zaher, head of the association, and on Port Said’s ex-governor, Mohammed Abdullah. “In Egypt, football has been victim of political interference,” Sepp Blatter, head of world football’s governing body FIFA, said late Friday.

For months, Egyptians have taken to the streets to demand the ouster of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and its chief, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who was Mubarak’s defence minister for two decades.

The SCAF has pledged to cede full powers to civilian rule when a president is elected by the end of June, but its opponents believe it intends to hold on to power behind the scenes after a transfer to civilian rule. In the Sinai, the brief abduction on Friday of two US tourists and their guide by masked gunmen dealt a new blow to Egypt’s already hard-hit tourism sector, despite their release unharmed several hours later. — AFP

260 killed in Homs; Russia, China veto UN...

Continued from Page 1 The foreign ministry strongly condemned the incident, saying it “breaches the country’s laws and international charters”. MP Ali Salem Al-Deqbasi who heads the Arab parliament called yesterday for the expulsion of Syrian envoys from Arab states, as Tunisia said it will expel Syria’s ambassador and stop recognising the regime in Damascus. About 100,000 Syrians work and live in Kuwait.

Thirteen countries voted for the UN Security Council resolution proposed by European and Arab nations to give strong backing to an Arab League plan to end the crackdown. But Russia and China made a repeat of a rare double veto on Oct 5 that struck down an earlier condemnation of the Syrian government. “I would like to express our great regret and disappointment” at the veto, said Morocco’s UN ambassador Mohammed Loulichki, whose country is the Arab member of the 15-member council.

While Western diplomats insisted on the vote going ahead, Russia announced that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would travel to Damascus on Tuesday to press Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad for a political solution.

Despite earlier objections from Moscow, Lavrov had said after a meeting in Germany with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that a consensus on condemning the violence in Syria was possible.

The Damascus government, meanwhile, denied involvement in the predawn assault on Homs that sparked international outrage, charging it was the work of rebels trying to swing the Security Council vote in their favour. US President Barack Obama denounced the “unspeakable assault” and demanded that Assad “step aside”. “Assad must halt his campaign of killing and crimes against his own people now. He must step aside and allow a democratic transition to proceed immediately,” Obama said in a statement. France condemned this “further step in savagery,” calling it a “crime against humanity,” while Britain’s foreign minister William Hague denounced the “chilling” violence in Homs.

As news of the Homs killing spread, protesters stormed Syrian embassies in Athens, Berlin, Cairo and London, as Tunisia announced it was expelling Syria’s

ambassador and withdrawing its recognition of the Assad regime. The opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) said it took over the embassy in Tripoli.” Assad forces randomly bombed residential areas in Homs, including Khalidiyeh and Qusur, which resulted in at least 260 civilians killed and hundreds of wounded,” the SNC said earlier. The “Assad regime committed one of the most horrific massacres since the beginning of the uprising in Syria” that has cost more than 6,000 lives since it broke out in mid-March, it said.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP at least 237 were killed, including 99 women and children, and several hundred others wounded. Assad’s forces also “bombed” the northern town of Jisr al-Shughur near the Turkish border, and suburbs of Damascus, the Britain-based Observatory said. AlJazeera and Al-Arabiya television channels showed dozens of bodies and scenes of chaos, as tweets claiming to be from residents said Homs was “bleeding” under the bombardment.

Church bells rang out and Muslim prayers were recited in Homs mosques for those killed, activists said.

Thousands took part in funeral processions across the city. “Nearly 200 martyrs will be buried in Freedom Park,” activist Hadi Abdullah of the General Commission of the Syrian Revolution told AFP in a telephone call from Khalidiyeh, the Homs district which bore the brunt of the bombing. Elsewhere yesterday, the civilian death toll rose to 21, the Observatory said, including 12 people killed when security forces opened fired on a funeral procession in Daraya, outside Damascus, the Observatory’s Abdel Rahman said.

Russia had balked at any resolution that could be used to justify foreign military intervention, calling for Assad to quit or that would impose an arms embargo on Syria. But Moscow announced that Lavrov and the head of Russia’s intelligence service would go to Damascus and press Assad for a political solution. “The visit by minister Lavrov and the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service (Mikhail) Fradkov to Damascus confirms the firm intention of obtaining a political solution to the conflict,” Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov wrote on Twitter. — Agencies

and supporters secured around five seats, while Shiites and pro-government supporters have around about 11 seats, in addition to the government’s 16 members, one of whom will be an MP. The maximum members the Assembly can have is 65 if only one MP is made minister and less if more MPs are selected as ministers.

So if the opposition is united in voting for Saadoun, he will be elected automatically regardless of the government’s vote.

But there will be some kind of a battle if the various components of the opposition do not reach consensus on Saadoun and this could be the only bet for Saqer and Rashed. Rashed can bank on the support of the seven Shiite MPs in addition to three other pro-government lawmakers while Saqer’s only support will come from just four MPs. The government support for both is thus very crucial.

The opposition however has called on the government to stay away from voting on the speaker’s post and if the government does that, Saadoun is a clear choice, because he has the backing of five Popular Bloc MPs and about five of their supporters in addition to a majority of the 23 Islamist MPs, if not

all. Most of the eight Islamic Constitutional Movement (ICM) or Muslim Brotherhood MPs and the 12 Salafist MPs are expected to back Saadoun in addition to three independent Islamists like Waleed Al-Tabtabaei, Faisal Al-Mislem and Osama Al-Munawer.

Prominent Salafist MP Khaled Al-Sultan wrote on his Twitter account yesterday asking people to express their views about who is best for the speaker’s post. Many chose Saadoun. Sultan later denied reports that he was going to contest the post of the speaker, saying he believes that he is not the best, but announced he will contest the deputy speaker’s post.

In another development, Secretary General of the National Assembly Allam Al-Kundari said the inaugural session of the new Assembly will be held on Feb 14. According to the constitution, the first session of the new Assembly must be held within two weeks of announcing the election results. The new Cabinet must be ready before the first session. HH the Amir is expected to start consultations today with former speakers of the Assembly about the appointment of the new prime minister amid expectations that Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Sabah will be asked to form the next Cabinet.

Tehran begins war games, warships dock in Jeddah Continued from Page 1 “This mission aims to show the power of the Islamic republic of Iran on the open seas and to confront Iranophobia,” he said, adding that the mission started several days ago and would last 70 to 80 days. The commander did not give other destinations.

Iran’s navy has been boosting its presence in international waters since last year, deploying vessels in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden on missions to protect Iranian ships from Somali pirates. Tehran also sent two ships into the Mediterranean for the first time in Feb 2011 through the Suez Canal. Ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have long been strained, deteriorated in late 2011 following US allegations that a foiled plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington had been hatched in Tehran.

Iran has also begun mass production of an anti-ship cruise missile, state television’s website said yesterday. The Zafar missile, as it is dubbed in the report, “is a short-range, anti-ship cruise missile capable of destroying small- and medium-sized targets with high precision”. It can be mounted on speed boats and other light vessels, can withstand electronic warfare, and is able to fly in low altitudes to avoid detection, the report said. Iran has a fleet of speedboats that often challenge US and allied warships in the Gulf. The vessels are usually controlled by the elite Revolutionary Guards and can be equipped with missiles.

The Islamic republic says it has a wide range of missiles. It says some are capable of striking targets inside Israel as well as Middle Eastern military bases of its other main archfoe, the United States.

The latest military maneuvers got under way following stern warnings by Khamenei, about any possible US or Israeli attacks against Tehran’s nuclear facilities. It also comes after Western forces boosted their naval presence in the Gulf led by the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Iran officials and lawmakers have repeatedly said that their country would close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Arabian Gulf in retaliation for sanctions that affect Iran’s oil exports. They have as yet made no attempts to disrupt shipping through the waterway, the route for one-fifth of the world’s crude oil, and the US and allies have said they would respond swiftly to any attempts at a blockade.

Last month, Iran’s navy wrapped up 10 days of exercises in the Gulf, but the Revolutionary Guard - which is directly under control of the supreme leader - represents a significantly stronger military force and controls key programs such as missile development. Iranian state media announced the new maneuvers, but gave no further details.

Khamenei, in a speech nationally broadcast on Friday, staked out a hard line after suggestions by Israel that military strikes are an increasing possibility if sanctions fail to

rein in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. He pledged to aid any nation or group that challenges Israel and said any military strikes would damage US interests in the Middle East “10 times” more than they would hurt Iran. The comments also may signal that Tehran’s proxy forces - led

by Lebanon’s Islamic militant group Hezbollah - could be given the green light to revive attacks on Israel as the showdown between the archfoes intensifies.

Iran’s oil minister repeated claims that an EU oil embargo will not cripple Iran’s economy, claiming yesterday that the country already has identified new customers to replace the loss in European sales that accounted for about 18 percent of Iran’s exports. Rostam Qassemi also reinforced Iran’s warning to Saudi Arabia and other fellow OPEC members against boosting production to offset any potential drop in Tehran’s crude exports, saying the cartel should not be used as a political weapon against a member state. “We are hopeful Saudi Arabia would respond positively to our just demand,” Qassemi said.

“We will not abandon our just nuclear course, even if we cannot sell one drop of oil,” Qassemi also told reporters. He said Iran would cut oil exports to some nations in Europe he did not specify which - in retaliation for the 27-state EU’s decision to stop importing Iranian crude. “Our oil exports will certainly be cut to some European countries ... We will decide about other European countries later,” Qassemi told a news conference. He urged Europe to reconsider its ban, and said the oil market is in balance now but would be thrown into turmoil without Iranian crude supplies.

“Unfortunately the EU has succumbed to America’s pressure. I hope they would review their decision on sanctioning Iran’s oil exports,” Qasemi said. “The international crude market will experience turmoil in the absence of Iranian oil with unforeseen consequences on oil prices,” he said. Qassemi said the ban would not disrupt the state’s oil transactions. “We have different ways to receive our oil money, which is not always necessarily through the central bank, like using banks in friendly countries,” he said without elaborating. The minister also dismissed reports of Iran selling its oil in lower prices.” No country has asked for a discount. We are selling our oil based on global market prices. If necessary, we would be willing to engage in barter trade.”

Although Israel has raised the strongest hints that it is likely to start a military campaign, Khamenei reserved some of his strongest comments for Israel’s key US ally. “A war itself will damage the US 10 times” more in the region, said Khamenei. Khamenei claimed Iran, however, could only emerge stronger. “Iran will not withdraw. Then what happens?” asked Khamenei. “In conclusion, the West’s hegemony and threats will be discredited” in the Middle East. “The hegemony of Iran will be promoted. In fact, this will be in our service.”

14

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

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Washington Watch

Dealing with Iran

By Dr James J Zogby f we are to believe what we are hearing and reading from a variety of confirmed and unconfirmed sources, in Israel and the US, some day in the next few months we may wake up to the news that Israel has bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities. Or maybe not. The Israelis appear to be deeply divided on the issue, sending mixed signals, almost daily, about their intentions, their capacity to execute such a mission, and even whether or not Iran’s reputed program poses an imminent danger.

The US is tied up in knots of its own making. Being in the throes of an election, no one wants to appear critical of Israel. And so while concerned with the consequences of a unilateral Israeli strike, statements from official Washington or from presidential aspirants range from hand-wringing and feigned powerlessness to full-throated support for any action Israel may take.

Last week’s New York Times Magazine had a feature piece arguing that Israel’s calculations as to whether or not they should go forward with a strike against Iran would be based on answers to a series of questions - whether they thought they could; whether they could withstand the “blow-back”; whether they could count on at least tacit American support; etc. With the answers to all of the above in the affirmative, Israelis might go forward with an attack.

For their part, the Iranians, apparently loving the attention they are receiving, have engaged in provocative actions of their own and their fair share of rhetorical excess. Lost in this deadly game are a number of serious issues that should be considered - but, in all probability will not be. In the first place, the matter of whether or not Iran is on a trajectory to build a bomb is not an incidental one.

The last IAEA report, despite efforts to mischaracterize its findings, was not conclusive. At best, it hedged.

Next to consider is the exact nature of the threat posed by a nuclear Iran. While Israel projects itself as facing an “existential” challenge from Iran, this is hyperbolic nonsense. An Iranian attack on Israel would amount to Iran signing its own death warrant. It is a horror even to image, but the reality is that a nuclear attack anywhere in Israel, would murder tens of thousands of innocents, Jews and Arabs, with radiation fallout spreading death and deformity over a wide radius that would infect hundreds of thousands more in the neighborhood (depending on the wind, to Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan or the occupied Palestinian lands). In other words, in the aftermath of any attack, not only would Iran be destroyed, but its fate would be sealed forever in the Arab and Muslim world - a consideration that could not be lost on the regime’s leadership.

The bottom line: there is no “first use”.

Iran’s real intention is the dangerous game of bragging rights. And their target audience is across the Gulf. Their recent effort to recast the “Arab Spring” as an “Islamic Awakening” being led by the Islamic Republic provided a case in point. Hoping that no one would notice their own brutal repression of their home-grown democracy movement and their support for the bloody crackdown against the uprising in Syria, the Iranians still seek to prey on Arab anger at the West projecting themselves as being in the vanguard of Arab revulsion at the excesses of imperialism and Zionism.

If this is the game, then Israeli saber-rattling and American outrage play right into Iran’s hand. By exaggerating the threat posed by this regime, by pretending that it is a menace equal to Nazi Germany of the Soviet Union, the West succeeds only in giving the Iranians what they want most - an inflated sense that they are a real power to be feared. Make no mistake, the regime in Tehran is a meddlesome menace and their aspirations for regional hegemony do pose a threat, not to Israel (which serves more Iran’s foil, then its target, and vice versa), but to the Arab Gulf States whose concerns are rarely, if ever, considered in US political discourse. My concern is that the escalating rhetoric by all sides poses a danger, in itself. The region is a tinderbox, and it is as if everyone is too busy playing with matches to think of the consequences of their behavior. Better than threats, which only serve to embolden Iran, I would suggest a combination of direct engagement (which has been tried too little), continued targeted sanctions (which are having a real impact) and a bit of ridicule. What, one might ask the leaders of Iran, will they do with their nuclear program and their provocation? Can it feed their people, rebuild their neglected and decayed infrastructure, give hope to their unemployed young, or secure their role in the community of nations? Rather than play their game, reduce them down to size. Look at the region, as it is.

I

NOTE: Dr James J Zogby is the president of the Arab American Institute.

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.

US Border Patrol OT up as arrests drop

By Alicia A Caldwell Border Patrol agents have racked up daily overtime at a cost of about $1.4 billion in the past six years while the number of arrests of illegal border crossers has fallen to the lowest level in nearly 40 years, an AP analysis of agency records finds. Since the 2006 budget year, the agency charged with stopping would-be illegal border crossers and smugglers from making it into the US over land and sea borders has spent more than $1.4 billion on what is described as “administrative uncontrollable overtime,” according to the data provided by the Border Patrol. In practical terms, agents average two hours a day in overtime. That means agents can earn anywhere from 10 percent to 25 percent extra pay an hour for the first two hours of overtime, with the extra cash being steadily reduced every hour after that because of complicated overtime rules. Over the course of a year, an agent can earn about $15,000 more than the base salary. Agents are limited to $35,000 in overtime annually. The cost of overtime rose from about $155.8 million in 2006 to more than $331 million in 2011. That increase coincides with the addition of about 9,000 agents in the past six years and the drop of apprehensions to a nearly 40-year low, from more than 1 million arrests in 2006 to about 340,000 in 2011.

Border Patrol Deputy Chief Ronald D Vitiello said patrolling the border can be an unpredictable job that requires longer hours from agents. “The uncontrollable nature of the work is inherent in the primary duty of a Border Patrol agent and must be performed in order to get the job done,” Vitiello said, adding that anything from making an arrest to talking to witnesses can keep an agent on duty beyond a scheduled shift. Often it stems from charging the Border Patrol for the time spent driving from a remote location to an agent’s home base or staying late to finish the paperwork from an arrest or seizure of illicit cargo.

Still, with the government facing record deficits and the Department of Homeland Security likely to see more cuts, a system that builds in overtime the same

US

way on the busy US-Mexico border as it does on the relatively sleepy US-Canadian border raises questions.

Most illegal border crossers are apprehended along the 2,000-mile long Mexican border in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. In the budget year that ended in September, 18,506 agents made a combined 327,577 apprehensions - an average of nearly 18 apprehensions per agent. The agency spent about $283 million on overtime.

But along the northern border there have been far fewer arrests, a statistic long used to judge the amount of illegal activity along the borders. Patrolling about 4,000 miles of border with Canada, 2,237 agents made 6,123 apprehensions- an average of about three arrests per agent - in 2011. For example, the 201 agents in the Houlton Sector in Maine arrested just 41 illegal bordercrosses. Agents on the northern border earned a combined $37 million in overtime pay. The more than 200 agents assigned to the Border Patrol’s headquarters also made a combined $4.8 million in overtime last year.

Vitiello defended the long hours and said agents need to have a strong presence on the border.

“Regardless of the level of illegal cross border activity, agents are responsible for securing the border against all threats,” Vitiello said. “This means that agents must have the flexibility to develop intelligence, act on that intelligence, interact with the community and work with their law enforcement counterparts on illegal activity that has a nexus to the mission.” As for those agents assigned to headquarters, Vitiello said they also cover shifts around the clock, including stints in the agency’s situation room.

T J Bonner, a retired Border Patrol agent and former president of the agents’ union, said daily overtime is necessary to make sure any gains made in securing the border aren’t lost. “You can’t just punch in for an eighthour day and go home,” said Bonner, who spent his career in the once-bustling San Diego sector. “If you have gaps at shift change, they (criminals) are going to exploit that gap.” Vitiello said the agency is looking at possible changes that would impact overtime, including shifting to 10 hour shifts for four days a week. No

final decisions have been made. Sharon Snellings, Customs and Border Protection’s deputy assistant commissioner of human resources, said agency officials also are looking at shifting to another type of overtime system used by other law enforcement agencies that she said could save the agency about $70 million a year.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has said that her department is constantly looking for ways to trim its multi-billion budget. “Every element of the federal government has an obligation to find ways to do what we do more efficiently and in a more cost effective manner,” Napolitano said in a speech this past week.

“We’ve been looking for these ways for three years. It’s everything ... it’s cutting down expenses related to procurement, it’s doing certain things with IT which are cutting the costs of that, it’s eliminating you know, subscriptions to unnecessary periodicals. We are finding that we can get leaner and meaner. And we will continue to do that.” Napolitano did not mention cutting staff or spending for manpower.

Union president George McCubbin said the proposed changes don’t “fit the type of work that we do. It’s more suited for investigations.” McCubbin said the current overtime system isn’t perfect, but it does ensure that agents are paid for the hours they work. Bonner said such pay changes or a scheduling shift would amount a substantial pay cut and mean hiring thousands of new agents to keep the same level of enforcement at the border. “You would sacrifice security for what amounts to a drop in the bucket in the federal budget,” Bonner said. “It’s in exchange for having a presence on the border. You would have to hire 25 percent of the existing workforce to have the same coverage.”

Bradley Schreiber, a former Homeland Security senior adviser and current vice president for the Applied Science Foundation for Homeland Security, said it’s difficult to know if the Border Patrol’s overtime system is the most efficient because the government hasn’t come up with a clear strategy to measure the threat at the border and respond appropriately. “It’s a circular question,” Schreiber said. “Since there’s no assessment, how do you know ... does this make sense?” — AP

Politics drives exit from Afghanistan

By Deb Riechmann he Taleban are not beaten, the peace process is bogged down in internal squabbles and Afghan security forces aren’t ready to take control of the nation. Yet the US and its partners are talking about speeding up - rather than slowing down their exit from the war. It’s becoming dramatically clear that politics is driving NATO’s war exit strategy as much or more than conditions on the battlefield. Political calendars in the West were never supposed to influence the decision about when Afghan forces take the lead and allow international troops step back into support roles or leave altogether.

The US, Afghan and other international leaders have said repeatedly that transition decisions would not be held hostage to international political agendas.

Then, after an Afghan soldier gunned down four French troops, President Nicolas Sarkozy suddenly announced last week that he was pulling French forces out of Afghanistan early. Sarkozy is facing an opponent in the coming presidential election who wants French forces withdrawn even faster.

Sarkozy boldly suggested that his NATO allies hand over security to the Afghan police and army in 2013 instead of by the close of 2014 an end date they had all agreed upon at a meeting in Lisbon more than a year ago.

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta dropped another verbal bombshell last week at a NATO meeting in Brussels. He said the NATO allies had largely agreed to step back from the lead combat role in Afghanistan and let local forces take their place as early as 2013. US officials downplayed Panetta’s statement, saying it was not a policy change but an optimistic look at the established 2014 end date. Either way, it shows how badly the Obama administration wants out of the war.

Panetta’s comment sounded different from what his predecessor told NATO allies just six months ago. “Resist the urge to do

T

what is politically expedient and have the courage of patience,” former US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said then. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said no final decision has been made but he noted the issue would be prominent in May, when President Barack Obama hosts the next NATO summit. That meeting, in Obama’s hometown of Chicago, will come less than six

“I definitely think there is a desire to say something appealing by Chicago,” said Mark Jacobson, former deputy NATO civilian representative in Afghanistan and senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States in Washington. He said Sarkozy’s decision to fast-track France’s exit clearly reflects his need to address pressing domestic pressure to bring forces home as his presidential

Policemen face anti-war demonstrators trying to approach the Bayerischer Hof hotel in Munich yesterday where the 48th Munich Security Conference is taking place. The conference is a three-day event bringing together top defence and diplomacy officials from around the world discussing the winding down of the NATO engagement in Afghanistan and other looming challenges. — AFP months before the US presidential election.

There has been speculation that Obama might announce some kind of accelerated pullout or simply underscore how America’s involvement in Afghanistan is winding down.

re-election campaign begins. Politics, “however undesirable,” always accompanies any coalition mission, he said.

Announcing that the US combat mission in Afghanistan will wrap up earlier than

expected would give Obama more good news to report about his foreign policy.

Already, the US military has officially declared the end of its mission in Iraq in Dec 2011 when the last American troops left. Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in May 2011 during a US raid in Pakistan. And reviled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi fell under a NATO onslaught without a single American casualty.

Lisa Curtis, senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, said US commanders in Afghanistan realize that American public support for the war is evaporating but they don’t want to squander military gains of the past 18 months. “The fear is that President Obama, under pressure from other NATO members and wanting to strike a popular chord with the US electorate in an election year, will announce a drastic reduction in US forces from Afghanistan in 2013 at the NATO summit in Chicago,” Curtis said. “By announcing a quicker transition to an Afghan security lead without drastically cutting troop numbers, the secretary of defense may be trying to meet the conflicting US political and military goals,” she said.

Assessments of the coalition’s progress vary depending on who is asked, but nobody says the war against the Taleban has been won. The coalition reports that violence is down in some areas of the country, Taleban fighters have lost territory and hundreds of their midlevel commanders have been killed and detained. The insurgency is “clearly on the back foot,” says German Brig Gen Carsten Jacobson, a spokesman for the US-led military coalition in Afghanistan.

The latest Afghan National Intelligence Estimate, however, warns that the Taleban will grow stronger and continue to fight for more territory, according to US officials who have read the classified document. The estimate also warns that the Taleban will use discussions about prospects for peace to run out the clock until foreign troops leave. —AP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

sp orts Jadeja hits IPL jackpot

India lose chief sponsor NEW DELHI: Sahara Group has pulled out of its sponsorship deal with the Indian cricket board and the Pune franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the diversified business conglomerate said yesterday.

Citing instances where it has been denied “natural justice” in IPL, Sahara said in a statement: “We really feel such one-sided emotional relationship cannot be dragged (out) any further. We are withdrawing from all cricket under BCCI.“ However, we don’t want to give any problem to the BCCI and we also feel that the players should not suffer. BCCI will definitely take 2-4 months to get a new sponsor and we will continue paying the sponsorship money until then. “All other IPL team players, coaches and

NEW DELHI: Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja fetched a bid worth more than $2 million, the highest in yesterday’s Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, while there was no taker for frontline England players.

Less than 24 hours after Jadeja’s man-of-the-match performance in India’s Twenty20 victory over Australia, Deccan had a fierce bidding war with IPL’s Chennai franchise matching their $2 million offer.

The stalemate resulted in secret bidding and Chennai secured the 23-year-old all-rounder’s service for an undisclosed amount.

Only two other cricketers - Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene ($1.4 million, Delhi) and Indian pace bowler R Vinay Kumar ($1 million, Bangalore) - fetched a million dollars or more in the auction in Bangalore.

England cricketers James Anderson, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann, Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara were not among the 25 players, out of 144, who invited bids.

Kevin Pietersen is expected to play some part in the league, having completed his transfer from Deccan to Delhi.—Reuters

other such associates will definitely get their due this year, in case they do not get a chance to play,” added the group which has been the sponsor the Indian cricket team since 2001.

Sahara’s existing sponsorship deal, at $719,000 per match, was to end on Dec 31, 2013. “It’s unfortunate but we have not received anything in writing from them and cannot comment on a media statement,” BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla told reporters.

While he did not elaborate, denying the Sahara-owned Pune franchise a replacement for their ailing player Yuvraj Singh is perceived as a major reason behind the fallout. The development came barely an hour before yesterday’s IPL players auction in Bangalore.

Boxer dies after fight injury MANILA: An undefeated Philippine boxer has died after sustaining head injuries during a fight and falling into a coma, a hospital official said yesterday. Flyweight Karlo Maquinto, 21, died in hospital on Friday, Dr. Chester Tan, a surgeon at Manila’s Far Eastern University Hospital told AFP. The right-hander, fighting only his ninth bout as a professional boxer, was taken to hospital last Saturday after rallying from two early knockdowns to salvage a majority draw against fellow Filipino Mark Joseph Costa. Maquinto, 8-0-1 with six wins by knockout, collapsed after the fourround bout in northern Manila.

Rhoby Orata, another member of the hospital medical staff, told ABS-CBN television in an interview that Maquinto was diagnosed with brain swelling, with a blood clot also detected at the right side of his brain. “From the start Karlo’s prognosis was not good,” Orata added. He could not be reached by AFP yesterday. Boxing is an extremely popular sport in the Philippines, which has two reigning world champions in welterweight Manny Pacquiao and bantamweight Nonito Donaire.

Blues shut out Kings ST. LOUIS: St. Louis goaltender Jaroslav Halak stopped 22 shots in a shutout as the Blues beat the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 on Friday to move equal second in the NHL’s Western Conference. Halak recorded his fifth shutout of the season and 21st of his career. He has four shutouts in his past seven starts, and St. Louis has a league-best 10.

Jamie Langenbrunner scored the sole goal in the second period for the Blues, who have not lost in regulation in two months.

Flames 3, Blackhawks 1 In Calgary, Jarome Iginla had a goal and an assist to help Calgary beat Chicago. Olli Jokinen scored in the first period and Jay Bouwmeester added a power-play goal for the Flames. Brent Seabrook scored for Chicago, which has lost five straight and have six games left on a nine-game road trip.

Panthers 2, Jets 1 In Sunrise, Florida, Sean Bergenheim scored a go-ahead goal in the second period and Florida hung on to edge Winnipeg.

Kris Versteeg had put the Panther ahead but the Jets tied the game in the second period when Bryan Little fired a wrist shot from the left circle that went between the goalie’s legs. The Jets lost for the ninth straight time when playing the second of consecutive games. In those games they have been shut out twice and outscored 36-7.

Islanders 2, Senators 1 In Ottawa, Mark Eaton scored in overtime in his 600th NHL game to give New York victory over Ottawa. Eaton took a pass from Milan Jurcina and put the puck into an open

right side for his first goal since 2009.

Zack Smith opened the scoring late in the second period for Ottawa, which has lost five in a row, the last four in regulation. Matt Martin scored the tying goal for the Islanders in the third.

Blue Jackets 3, Ducks 2 In Anaheim, Derick Brassard scored his

second goal with 1:05 left in overtime as Columbus snapped a six-game skid with a come-from-behind victory over Anaheim.

Jeff Carter scored the tying power-play goal in his return from a 10-game absence with a separated shoulder, and the Blue Jackets won the last of a six-game road trip.

Teemu Selanne scored his 654th and 655th career goals for the Ducks. — AP

NHL results/standings NY Islanders 2, Ottawa 1 (OT); Florida 2, Winnipeg 1; St. Louis 1, Los Angeles 0; Calgary 3, Chicago 1; Columbus 3, Anaheim 2 (OT).

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF NY Rangers 32 12 5 136 Philadelphia 30 14 6 167 Pittsburgh 29 18 4 157 New Jersey 28 19 3 138 NY Islanders 21 22 7 122 Northeast Division Boston 32 15 2 175 Ottawa 27 20 7 161 Toronto 26 19 6 156 Buffalo 21 24 6 122 Montreal 19 23 9 134 Southeast Division Florida 24 15 11 128 Washington 26 20 4 141 Winnipeg 24 23 6 129 Tampa Bay 22 23 5 141 Carolina 19 25 9 135

GA 100 145 132 142 146

PTS 69 66 62 59 49

108 166 152 151 142

66 61 58 48 47

139 145 147 170 164

59 56 54 49 47

Western Conference Central Division Detroit 35 16 1 167 121 71 St. Louis 30 13 7 125 102 67 Nashville 31 17 4 146 135 66 Chicago 29 17 7 169 158 65 Columbus 14 32 6 120 174 34 Northwest Division Vancouver 31 15 5 164 128 67 Minnesota 25 19 7 120 131 57 Calgary 24 22 6 124 141 54 Colorado 26 25 2 133 148 54 Edmonton 20 26 5 133 148 45 Pacific Division San Jose 29 14 6 142 112 64 Los Angeles 25 17 10 114 114 60 Dallas 26 22 2 134 143 54 Phoenix 22 21 8 131 138 52 Anaheim 19 24 8 132 154 46 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

CALGARY: Chicago Blackhawks’ Andrew Shaw (65) catches a stick in the face from Calgary Flames’ Krys Kolanos during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary. — AP

16

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

S P ORT S

Super Bowl promises grand ending to NFL season INDIANAPOLIS: One of the most tumultuous National Football League (NFL) seasons ever will climax today when the New York Giants and New England Patriots lock horns in the 46th Super Bowl.

A season that almost did not happen because of the bitter labor dispute between team owners and the players’ union has not only survived but produced a classic encounter between two of the NFL’s most popular franchises.

The United States has been whipped into a frenzy of excitement with more than 70,000 people expected to cram into Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to watch the game live while an estimated record worldwide audience of more than 160 million are expected to watch the extravaganza unfold on television.

“It’s been an extraordinary year for the NFL on many different levels,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said on Friday.”

“The best thing about it was the game and how fans responded to it. Now we finish up on Sunday with a fantastic match-up, the Giants and the Patriots.

What many consider to be the best Super Bowl in the history of the NFL. No doubt, the whole world will be watching.”

The rivalry between New York and Boston is already one of the oldest and fiercest in American sports and the stakes could not be higher this weekend after a wildly fluctuating season where nothing really went according to the script.

The Patriots, who have won the Super Bowl three times in the last decade, are the slight favorites after winning their divisional title, then beating the

Baltimore Ravens to claim the AFC championship. But is it a game where the unexpected is expected. Both teams have outstanding quarterbacks, solid defenses and game-breaking players who can pile on the points.

“Every Super Bowl is special,” New England coach Bill Belichick said. “I feel like we’ll be ready to go, and we’re looking forward, excited to be representing the AFC in this game. It’s a big challenge for us, but one that we’re excited to face.”

The Giants, who have also won the Super Bowl three times, earned their place in Sunday’s title game the hard way. After struggling through the regular season, they won their last two games to sneak into the playoffs, then won against the Atlanta Falcons, the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers to

take the NFC championship.

“We’ve had our backs to the wall,” said Giants coach Tom Coughlin. “It has been one elimination game after another. The players have been responding very, very well.” The Giants beat the Patriots 24-20 in the ninth week of the regular season but it is their previous meeting, in the Super Bowl at Arizona four years ago, that remains the biggest talking point in the lead-up the game. The Patriots went into the game as overwhelming favorites and bidding to go through the entire season undefeated but the Giants scored a lastminute touchdown to beat them in one of the sport’s biggest upsets.

“I remember waking up in Arizona the next morning after an hour of sleep thinking, ‘That was a nightmare, that didn’t happen,’” New England quarterback

Tom Brady said. “(But) After time, you learn to move on and get over it.”

Brady, already one of the most decorated players in the game, will be appearing in his fifth Super Bowl and a victory will see him tie Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw as the only quarterbacks to win four titles.

New York quarterback Eli Manning, named the most valuable player when the Giants won four years ago, is chasing a second Super Bowl win, one more than his older brother Peyton, a cult hero in Indianapolis where he plays for the Colts.

“What happened in the last Super Bowl doesn’t matter,” Manning said.

“What happened in the last game of the season doesn’t matter. It’s about what we do on Sunday and what we do in this game.” —Reuters

Lawrie leads in Qatar DOHA: Former British Open Champion Paul Lawrie recovered from a penalty for dropping his ball on a marker to shoot a 5-under 67 yesterday and take a one-shot lead over Nicolas Colsaerts into the final round of the Qatar Masters.

Lawrie took advantage of calmer conditions at Doha Golf

stop after gusts of up to 35 mph moved balls and tossed signs.

Conditions improved yesterday but it remained windy.

“I played very good again, hitting it beautifully tee to green,” said Lawrie, who won the Andalucian Open in 2011 for his first win in nine years. “Anytime you play as

World Championship in 2010, when his penalty essentially gave the title to Robert Karlsson of Sweden.

“I didn’t see it and no one else saw it so you have to take the penalty and kind of kick on,” Lawrie said. “It’s one of these freak, stupid rules. ... It’s like Poulter in Dubai,

DOHA: Alvaro Quiros of Spain tees off on the sixth hole during the third round of the Qatar Masters tournament at the Doha golf club. —AP Course to make six birdies for an 8under total of 136 after two rounds. The 43-year-old Scotsman birdied the 16th to move into a tie with Colsaerts and then added another on 18 to take the outright lead.

The tournament has been disrupted by wind all week, and organizers called off Friday’s play and shortened the event to three rounds. Dozens of players had to

solidly as that and hit a few putts in there it’s a fair chance you are going to play well.”

Lawrie’s could have had an even bigger lead, had he not accidentally dropped his ball on his marker at the 10th green. Since it was unclear whether the ball moved, Lawrie was forced to take a oneshot penalty. The mistake was similar to the one by Ian Poulter during a two-way playoff at the Dubai

the same thing. It’s one of those many rules that could do with changing a wee bit.”

Playing in front of Lawrie, Colsaerts also birdied the 18th after a bunker shot that rolled within a foot of the pin to briefly take the lead. It was one of his six birdies on the day and came after he had one of his two bogeys on the 17th.

“I am playing very well even

though I think I could have hit closer to some flags,” the Belgian said. “I managed quite well, kept the ball in play and didn’t do anything stupid.”

Colsaerts, known for his big hitting, won his first European Tour title last year at the Volvo China Open and then finished fourth at the Volvo Golf Champions in January.

Peter Hanson of Sweden (69) and Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina (67) were two shots off the lead.

James Kingston of South Africa (69) and Simon Kahn of England (68) - who eagled his final hole are three shots back with another 10 players, including Jason Day (72), Sergio Garcia (68) and John Daly (73), a further shot back.

Third-ranked Lee Westwood (70) and fourth-ranked Martin Kaymer (70) are at 3 under.

Daly, the clubhouse leader when play was suspended, started strong with a birdie on the second but had three of his four bogeys on his front nine.

“I didn’t hit the tee-balls as good as I did Thursday,” Daly said.

“But I hung in there. Some of those bogeys I made could have been doubles or triples just as easy.”

First-round leader Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (75) couldn’t match his nine-birdie performance from Thursday and was at 141.

Hunter Mahan and KJ Choi failed to make the cut. Mahan finished at 149 after poor putting led to four bogeys on his back nine.

Choi was just a shot off the lead Thursday but a 78 that included two double bogeys left him at 146.

Mahan, who made a 17,000mile detour to play in the Middle East for the first time, struggled in the wind. “I played awful today,” Mahan said. “It just didn’t happen today. I’m going to go home and I’ve got three more tournaments coming up and I’ve got to get ready for them.” —AP

France defeat Italy in Six Nations SAINT-DENIS: Six Nations title favorite France opened with a convincing 30-12 win over Italy at Stade de France yesterday.

France scored four tries while keeping its own tryline spotless in its first match since losing the World Cup final to New Zealand last October. Italy played well and shaded France for long periods but simply lacked the playmakers the home side had.

Backs Aurelien Rougerie, Julien Malzieu, Vincent Clerc and Wesley Fofana, on debut, scored a try each, and scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili booted 10 points.

“We relish this first victory in this compe-

tition,” Rougerie told France 2 television, “because we know it’s always tough to start the Six Nations.”

Kris Burton kicked nine points in his first start for Italy since last year’s Six Nations, and Tobias Botes added a penalty, but there never looked like being a repeat of last year when France was stunned 22-21 in Rome.

Under clear skies and in a freezing minus-2 Celsius, France scored first when Yachvili slotted a penalty in the 11th minute after an Italian infringement in the ruck ended a counterattack led by left winger Malzieu. Burton dropped a goal to level at 3-3 in the 18th.

PARIS: France’s Aurelien Rougerie (center top) tackles Italy’s Luke McLean during their Six Nations rugby union match. —AP

France center Rougerie then found a big gap in the Italy defense and ran unchallenged to score the first try that Yachvili converted for 10-3 in the 22nd.

France hooker William Servat’s failure to roll away in a tackle gave Burton a penalty in the 29th, but France took advantage again of some sloppy Italian defending in the 35th.

No. 8 Louis Picamoles charged off a scrum to feed M alzieu, who held off Edoardo Gori and new cap Giovanbattista Venditti, cut inside fullback Andrea Masi and beat tackles from Gori and Alberto Sgarbi to touch down.

Yachvili missed the conversion but France led 15-6 at halftime. “They put a lot of intensity in their game and put us on the backfoot,” Malzieu told France 2 television. “I think we were not strong enough in rucks because we lost quite a few balls.”

Italy winger Luke McLean made a break in the 45th but was stopped 10 meters from the tr yline by Rougerie. France center Fofana’s failure to roll away helped Italy pull within six points with another penalty from Burton in the 46th.

Italy was penalized for an infringement in the ruck and Yachvili added three more points for an 18-9 lead. France capitalized on a turnover in the 54th and flyhalf Francois Trinh-Duc chipped the ball over the Italy defense. Rougerie kicked the ball on and Clerc ranged up beside him to collect it and score France’s third try, converted

by Yachvili.

Five minutes later, Italy substitute Botes nailed a penalty following an offside by Yachvili. Then Italy ran into trouble in the 71st when lock Quintin Geldenhuys received a yellow card for illegally pulling down a maul.

France’s for wards then surged to the posts, and quick passing to the left ended with Fofana running over McLean to score the last points. —AP

ARIZONA: Harrison Frazar hits his tee shot on the fifth hole during the second round of the Phoenix Open golf tournament. —AP

Levin surges ahead in Arizona ARIZONA: Little-known American Spencer Levin eagled the par-four 17th on his way to a commanding six-shot lead in the unfinished second round of the frost-delayed Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona on Friday.

In pursuit of his first victory on the PGA Tour, Levin fired a flawless eight-under-par 63 at the TPC Scottsdale to post a 14-under total of 128.

The 27-year-old holed out from a greenside bunker to eagle the driveable 17th and then parred the last to finish six ahead of compatriots John Huh (66) and world number six Webb Simpson (69).

American Kyle Stanley, agonisingly beaten in a playoff for the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego on Sunday, was a further stroke back at seven-under after also carding a 66.

However, 34 players were yet to complete the second round when play was halted in fading light, among them American Harrison Frazar who was at 11-under overall with three holes remaining.

It was an extra long day for Levin, who had to complete three holes from the opening round on Friday morning before setting off for round two.

He was delighted with his form, especially after struggling on the practice range before the start of the tournament.

“It’s kind of weird,” Levin told reporters after covering his back nine in five-under 31. “Yesterday on the range before I teed off, I didn’t feel good about my swing at all. I

was hitting it all over the range, and I bogeyed my first hole.

“And I told my caddie going to the next tee: ‘This might be a nine-hole week here.’

Shows you how crazy this game is, I guess.

After that I just started playing good, simple as that.”

Asked what had been the key to his 6563 start, Levin replied: “I’ve been putting really well, and if you’re going to shoot a low round you’ve got to putt good.

“I’m just going to try and stay as aggressive as I can the next two days. If you’re playing well, chances are someone else is, too,” added Levin, whose best PGA Tour finish was second place at last year’s Mayakoba Golf Classic.

First-round leaders Ryan Palmer and Jason Dufner carded 72s to finish at sixunder, alongside fellow Americans Bubba Watson, Ben Crane, Bo Van Pelt and Derek Lamely.

Phil Mickelson, winner of the Phoenix Open in 1996 and 2005, was at four-under, a four-birdie 70 putting him level with playing partners Dustin Johnson (70) and Rickie Fowler (69). The cut was projected to fall at even-par 142 with former major winners Davis Love III, Yang Yong-eun and Angel Cabrera among those likely to miss out.

Following two consecutive mornings of one-hour frost delays, there is a chance the tournament could spill over into a Monday finish, just like last year’s edition which was won by American Mark Wilson in a playoff with Dufner. —Reuters

US prosecutors drop probe of Armstrong team LOS ANGELES: Federal prosecutors on Friday dropped an investigation centered on whether seven-time Tour De France champion Lance Armstrong and his teammates cheated the sponsor of their bike racing team with a secret doping program.

The decision means that Armstrong, a cancer survivor and one of his sport’s greatest champions who has always vehemently denied using performance-enhancing drugs, will not face charges following the two-year-long probe. “I am gratified to learn that the US Attorney’s Office is closing its investigation. It is the right decision and I commend them for reaching it,” Armstrong, 40, said in a statement released through his spokesman.

“I look forward to continuing my life as a father, a competitor, and an advocate in the fight against cancer without this distraction,” he said.

Prosecutors have said little publicly about the case and U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr., in a brief written statement, announced simply that his office was “closing an investigation into members and associates of a bicycle racing team owned in part by Lance Armstrong.”

A source familiar with the investigation, however, told Reuters that prosecutors had been looking into whether the team had defrauded its main sponsor, the U.S. Postal

Lance Armstrong Service, by doping.

United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) chief Travis Tygart said on Friday that the end of the federal probe into Armstrong and his team did not mean that the USADA would drop its own investigation.

“Unlike the US Attorney, USADA’s job is to protect clean sport rather than enforce specific criminal laws,” Tygart said in a written statement. “Our investigation into doping in the sport of cycling is continuing and we look forward to obtaining the information developed during the federal investigation.” Doping, or using performance enhancing substances in professional sports, is not in itself a federal crime. —Reuters

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

sp orts

Heat scorch Sixers PHILADELPHIA: Miami’s Dwyane Wade scored 26 points to lead the Heat to a 99-79 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, putting the hosts back in their place with a convincing victory in the clash between two NBA divisional leaders.

Coming off wins against Orlando and Chicago, the Sixers were aiming to complete a hat trick of home wins over the league’s big guns, but could not go the distance against Wade, LeBron James - 19 points and 12 rebounds - and company. Wade made a pair of ferocious dunks during the game-changing 15-0 run in the fourth quarter that turned a tight game into a comfortable win that pushed the Sixers’ first sellout crowd of the season toward the exits. Thaddeus Young scored 16 points for the Sixers, whose four-game winning streak was ended.

DUBAI: Pakistan’s Younis Khan (left) runs between the wickets as England’s Monty Panesar dives to stop the ball during the second day of the third cricket Test match.—AP

Younus century puts Pakistan in command DUBAI: An unbeaten century by Younus Khan, the first of the series, took Pakistan to a superb position as they piled on a 180-run lead at the close of the second day of the third test against England yesterday.

The hosts ended the day on 222 for two in their second innings to leave number one-ranked test side England facing a third defeat in the three-test series unless the struggling tourists suddenly strike form.

The England bowlers laboured as an unbeaten 194-run partnership between Younus (115 not out) and Azhar Ali threatened to take the match away from Andrew Strauss’s men, who must bat last having crumbled in a similar position in the second test in Abu Dhabi.

“I was very upset with the way I got out in the first innings. I was determined not to repeat this,” Younus told a news conference.

“I just thought I should do something that no one else has done in this series.

No one has made a centur y so far.”

Younus’s 20th Test century was studded with 11 fours and one six and came of 195 balls as the 34-year old batsman skillfully worked through England’s pace and spin attack. “ Whatever we can get tomorrow would be good and a strong target. I was lucky today and the ball kept coming on to the bat. Also, I didn’t make any mistakes,” he added.

“The first session tomorrow will be crucial. I think England tried their best but at the moment we have an edge over them. They need some more luck and aggression and they may get through.”

Azhar eased to his half century and was unbeaten on 75 off 246 balls at stumps. England’s Alastair Cook acknowledged that a defeat was the most likely result. “It will take some seri-

ous guts for us to drag ourselves out of this,” he said.

“We tried a lot of things. But Younus took the attack to us. He didn’t let the bowlers settle to any kind of rhythm. It is very frustrating...we have not played to the standards that we know we can (all series).”

The post-lunch run-scoring was in stark contrast to what has been seen in the match and series so far. This test, being played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, had already seen 22 wickets fall in less than two days.

Six wickets tumbled in the morning session. Both Pakistani openers were dismissed cheaply. James Anderson struck first, dismissing Taufeeq Umar (6) for the second time in the match, this time caught at slip. Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar trapped Mohammad Hafeez lbw (21) on the sweep.

Earlier, Pakistan bowled out England’s lower order to trail by 42 runs as the touring par ty made 141 in reply to Pakistan’s first innings of 99.

Abdur Rehman’s five -wicket haul ensured a half centur y by captain Strauss (56) only resulted in a modest lead for England.

Pakistan, playing their home matches in Dubai due to security reasons, launched their spinners into the attack and they found immediate success.

Rehman, enjoying a purple patch of form, got his fourth wicket in the match when he dislodged the leg stump of nightwatchman Anderson (4) in the first over.

A doosra by Saeed Ajmal rapped Stuart Broad (4) on the pad and was given out on review. Rehman got his fifth wicket as Strauss stepped out to heave one over the park, only to be stumped.

Graeme Swann added a quick 16 runs but was soon caught by Rehman following a lofted shot off Ajmal.—Reuters

SCOREBOARD DUBAI: Scoreboard at close on day two of the third and final test between England and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first.

Pakistan first innings: 99 all out England first innings: (Overnight 104-6) England 1st innings: A Strauss st Akmal b Rehman 56 A. Cook c Akmal b Gul 1 J. Trott lbw b Gul 2 K. Pietersen lbw b Rehman 32 I. Bell st Akmal b Ajmal 5 E. Morgan lbw b Rehman 10 M. Prior b Rehman 6 J. Anderson b Rehman 4 S. Broad lbw b Ajmal 4 G. Swann cRehman b Ajmal 16 M. Panesar not out 0 Extras (b-1,lb-4) 5 Total (all out; 55 overs) 141 Fall of wickets: 1-5 2-7 3-64 4-75 5-88 6-

98 7-106 8-121 9-133.

Bowling: Umar Gul 7-1-28-2, Aizaz Cheema 4-0-9-0, Saeed Ajmal 23-6-59-3, Abdur Rehman 21-4-40-5.

Pakistan second innings: Mohammad Hafeez lbw b Panesar 21 Taufeeq Umar c Strauss b Anderson 6 Azhar Ali not out 75 Younus Khan not out 115 Extras (b-4, nb-1) 5 Total ( two wickets; 82 overs) 222 Fall of wickets: 1-16 2-28.

Still to bat: Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal, Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Aizaz Cheema.

Bowling: Anderson 16-5-24-1(nb-1), Broad 12-3-38-0, Panesar 33-7-84-1, Swann 19-2-58-0, Trott 2-0-14-0.

India finds confidence ahead of tri-series MELBOURNE: India’s breakthrough eight-wicket win over Australia in the second Twenty20 match was no surprise to home side captain George Bailey.

After four test losses and another defeat in the opening T20 contest, India finally won a match on this tour on Friday, and Bailey said “there’s a different energy in this Indian side in the shorter format.”

The win is a belated confidence boost for India heading into yesterday’s tri-series one-day tournament opener at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Sri Lanka is the other team in the series.

“We’re the No.1 one-day team in the world so I’d like to think we are favorites, but in saying that we have to play at our best to beat both these teams,” said Australia’s one-day and test captain Michael Clarke, who sat out both Twenty20 matches.

“They were both in the final of our

most recent World Cup so...I’m confident if we play our best cricket we can win this series.”

India batsman Suresh Raina said his team’s morale had remained strong despite a 4-0 whitewash in the test series. “Even when you are losing, you need to keep your process intact,” he said. “The good thing was the bonding even in defeats was good in the team.

“There was a little frustration but we kept the intensity up and kept motivating each other - keep enjoying every moment.” A feature of India’s Twenty20 win on Friday was strong fielding that included four run-outs. “The way they fielded last night is how you need to field in one-day, Twenty20 cricket and test cricket to have success,” Clarke said.

“I certainly wasn’t surprised by how they fielded - they are a very good outfit.” Sri Lanka plays its first match on Wednesday at Perth’s WACA Ground against India.—AP

Pacers 98, Mavericks 87 In Dallas, Paul George hit seven 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 30 points as Indiana won in Dallas for the first time in eight years.

The Pacers took the lead for good with seven consecutive points in the first 2 minutes of the second half. George made a go-ahead running layup then had a steal that he turned into a dunk and a free throw.

Indiana won its 10th road game this season, matching Miami for the most in the NBA. The Pacers had lost 11 of their previous 12 road games against the Mavericks. Dirk Nowitzki scored a season-high 30 points for Dallas on 12-of-17 shooting.

tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:23 left and Minnesota held on to edge New Jersey. Nikola Pekovic scored a career-high 27 points for the Timberwolves, who have already surpassed their road victory total from last season by improving to 6-4, including the past three.

Anthony Morrow recorded a career-high 42 points for the Nets, including eight 3-pointers which set a new high for the NBA this season.

Pistons 88, Bucks 80 In Auburn Hills, Michigan, rookie Brandon Knight scored a season-high 26 points, holding his own against Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings and helping Detroit snap a seven-game slide.

Knight, who was outscored 21-0 by Jennings in a loss at Milwaukee on Monday, helped the Pistons build a 15-point lead in the third quarter.

Milwaukee went on an 11-0 run spanning the end

of the third and beginning of the fourth, and Detroit led by only four with 2:54 remaining. Knight responded with a floater, followed moments later by a driving shot off the glass, and the Pistons held on. Jennings scored 20 points, but only seven after the first quarter.

Raptors 106, Wizards 89 In Toronto, Leandro Barbosa shook off flulike symptoms to score 19 points and lead Toronto over Washington. Amir Johnson had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who bounced back from consecutive blowout losses and won only their second game of 11 missed by leading scorer Andrea Bargnani, who is out with a strained left calf. Barbosa missed Friday’s shootaround with illness but showed no ill effects, scoring nine points in the second quarter and had six more in the third. Nick Young scored 21 points for the Wizards, who lost their third straight.—AP

Thunder 101, Grizzlies 94 In Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant scored 36 points and hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer in the final minute to lift Oklahoma City over Memphis.

Durant scored the final seven points of the game after Memphis had pulled even at 94-94 with 1:12 remaining. Durant answered with a 3 from the right wing and added a jumper from the foul line to push the lead to five. He closed it out by grabbing a rebound and hitting two free throws after getting fouled. Marc Gasol led Memphis with 24 points.

Lakers 93, Nuggets 89 In Denver, Andrew Bynum scored 22 points as Los Angeles opened a six-game road trip with a win at Denver. Al Harrington could have put Denver ahead with two seconds remaining, but his 3-point attempt missed. Kobe Bryant added 20 for the Lakers, who took control after Nuggets center Timofey Mozgov rolled an ankle early in the second half. He didn’t return but the Nuggets said X-rays were negative.

Two minutes after Mozgov left, Denver temporarily lost leading scorer Danilo Gallinari after he was poked in the eye. In that time, the Lakers put the finishing touches on a 10-2 run . Harrington scored 24 points for Denver.

Magic 102, Cavaliers 94 In Orlando, Dwight Howard scored 19 points, had 16 rebounds and blocked eight shots as Orlando outlasted Cleveland. Jason Richardson also had 19 points in his return from a knee injury as the Magic won their seventh straight over the Cavaliers, despite playing without injured starting point guard Jameer Nelson and suspended reserve big man Glen Davis. Alonzo Gee scored 20 points for the Cavaliers.

Rockets 99, Suns 81 In Houston, Kevin Martin scored 16 points to lead Houston over Phoenix. Kyle Lowry had eight rebounds and nine assists for the Rockets, who got another strong effort from their bench, with Courtney Lee and Patrick Patterson having 12 points apiece.

Marcin Gortat had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns, who were outrebounded 49-39 and could not make up for a quiet night from Steve Nash.

Celtics 91, Knicks 89 In Boston, Paul Pierce scored 30 points as Boston edged struggling New York. Ray Allen had nine of his 14 in the final quarter to help the Celtics notch their seventh win in eight games. Carmelo Anthony scored 26 points for the Knicks, who have lost 11 of 13.

Boston’s Kevin Garnett grabbed his 10,000th career defensive rebound, becoming the third player in NBA history to reach the mark after Robert Parish (10,117) and Karl Malone (11,406).

T’wolves 108, Nets 105 In Newark, New Jersey, Luke Ridnour made the

DENVER: Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol (16), from Spain, is fouled by Denver Nuggets center Timofey Mozgov (25), from Russia, during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game.—AP

NBA results/standings Orlando 102, Cleveland 94; Miami 99, Philadelphia 79; Toronto 106, Washington 89; Minnesota 108, New Jersey 105; Detroit 88, Milwaukee 80; Boston 91, NY Knicks 89; Oklahoma City 101, Memphis 94; Houston 99, Phoenix 81; Indiana 98, Dallas 87; LA Lakers 93, Denver 89.

Philadelphia Boston NY Knicks Toronto New Jersey Chicago Indiana Milwaukee Cleveland Detroit Miami Atlanta Orlando Washington Charlotte

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT 16 7 .696 12 10 .545 8 15 .348 8 16 .333 8 16 .333 Central Division 19 6 .760 16 6 .727 10 12 .455 8 13 .381 5 20 .200 Southeast Division 17 6 .739 16 7 .696 14 9 .609 4 19 .174 3 20 .130

Kuwait Vs Bhutan, Player of the Match Varshini Suresh

GB 3.5 8 8.5 8.5 1.5 7.5 9 14 1 3 13 14

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 18 4 .818 Denver 15 8 .652 Utah 12 9 .571 Portland 13 10 .565 Minnesota 11 12 .478 Pacific Division LA Clippers 13 7 .650 LA Lakers 14 9 .609 Golden State 8 12 .400 Phoenix 8 14 .364 Sacramento 7 15 .318 Southwest Division San Antonio 15 9 .625 Dallas 14 10 .583 Houston 13 10 .565 Memphis 12 11 .522 New Orleans 4 19 .174

3.5 5.5 5.5 7.5 0.5 5 6 7 1 1.5 2.5 10.5

Nepal Vs Malaysia, Player of the Match Santhoshi Choudhary

Kuwait in ACC semi-finals KUWAIT: Kuwait women’s cricket team caused a major upset in the ongoing ACC U-19 women’s championship by defeating a much fancied and tournament favorites Bhutan by 18 runs at Hubara grounds at Ahmadi. Winning two consecutive matches, Kuwait became the first team to reach the semi- final. A combined team effort was the key factor in Kuwait’s victory.

Bhutan won the toss and send Kuwait to bat first, Priyada Murali & Maryam Omar set up a slow but solid platform by seeing off Anju Gurung and Tsering Wangmo the fearsome fast bowlers of Bhutan. Anju & Tsering bowled a hostile spell and never let the Kuwait openers to settle.

Tsering soon bowled Maryam and Priyada along with Varshini posted 24 runs when Priyada (15 runs) was run-out by a direct throw from Sonam. Kuwait, middle order somehow withstood the accurate bowling of Bhutan to post 94 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 25 overs. Afia Khan played well to score 13 runs. Devika Darjee, Sonam Chodan & Ugyen Dema took a wicket each for Bhutan.

Chasing a low total, Bhutan openers Ugyen Dema & Sonam put on 30 runs in 4 overs.

Introduction of Khadija Khalil & Khansa Irfan put the brakes on Bhutan who were scoring freely. Afia

Khan then brought the much needed breakthrough for Kuwait as she had the well settled Ugyen caught in front of the wicket.

Varshini Suresh who was brought from the Ahmadi end bowled a super spell to wreck the Bhutan batting by running through the Bhutan batting line up. Varshini’s 4 for 10 runs rightly fetched her the Player of the match award. Zabreen, Afia, Khansa, Khadija bowled well to capture a wicket each to skittle the fancied Bhutan for 76 runs.

Nepal played enterprising cricket to prevail over Malaysia by a margin of 97 runs, thus improving the chances to reach the semi final. Batting first Nepal scored 136 runs at Unity ground. Shilu Rijal the Nepal opener scored a dashing 35 runs in 39 balls and along with Indu Varma (7 runs) put on 49 runs for the second wicket. Mamta Choudhary & Sonu Khada then set up a solid partnership to put Nepal in the driver’s seat. Mamta struck a well made 23 runs. Nur Nadhirah & Nur yaz Wani took two wickets each for Malaysia.

Malaysia chasing 136 were no match for the skillful Nepalese bowlers as Rubina Chhettri & Santoshi Choudhary struck at regular intervals to bowl out Malaysia for 39 runs. Santoshi who took 4 wickets for 13 runs was declared Player of the match &

Rubina supported her well to claim 3 wickets.

Qatar played their match of the life as they crushed Hong Kong by 68 runs to stay alive for the semi final berth. Riding on Manali Kadam’s 42 runs and a useful 20 runs by Huda Mallik enabled Qatar to post 130 runs. The diminutive Khadija Ahmed played well to score 17 runs in the end overs.

Marikko Hill was the pick of Hong Kong bowlers as she bowled well to capture 4 wickets for 34 runs.

Manli Kadam was declared player of the match for her batting performance.

In a match played at Unity in the morning, China came back strongly to dash UAE hopes as the minnows of cricket defeated the Gulf nation by 68 runs.

China batters found their form as Li Yang Ying (19 runs) & Chen Hui Ya (18 runs) played well to give China an opening stand of 34 runs. Chen top scored with 34 runs while Zhou Cai Yun & Zhu Li Ya plundered the UAE attack to post 163 runs for 4 wickets, the highest total so far in the tournament.

Super fielding by China accounted for 5 runs outs and only Kyna Vedasinghe with 19 runs & captain Humaira Tasneem who scored 15 runs reached double figures. Ding Xiu Xiu took 4 for 16 runs for China. Chen Hui Ya was declared player of the match for her batting performance.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

S P ORT S

Zambia back in semis after 16-year absence

MALABO: Ivory Coast’s captain Didier Drogba celebrates after scoring against Equatorial Guinea in their African Cup of Nations quarter-final match. — AP

Drogba strikes twice as Ivory Coast reach semis MALABO: Didier Drogba had a penalty saved before scoring in each half as Ivory Coast triumphed 3-0 against Equatorial Guinea yesterday in a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final.

The 33-year-old Chelsea striker struck with his right foot on 36 minutes and his head on 69 as the Elephants made it four wins in four matches and set up a semi-final date against Gabon or Mali in Libreville next Wednesday.

Yaya Toure completed the scoring nine minutes from full-time with a superb goal off a free kick, curling the ball over the wall and goalkeeper Danilo to send home supporters streaming to the exits.

It was a predictable outcome to a match that never scaled dizzy heights with the Ivorians fielding stars from some of the top leagues in Europe while the Equatoguineans relied heavily on Spanish lower-league footballers.

Ivory Coast made six changes from the vitual ‘B’ team that outplayed Angola to top Group B, but there were no starting places for English Premier League duo Salomon Kalou or Cheik Tiote.

Equatorial Guinea recalled Laurence Doe and Iban ‘Randy’ Iyanga after they completed one-match bans plus David Alvarez, and preferred Cameroon-born Narcisse Ekanga to compatriot Thierry Fidjeu up front.

Although 133 places separated them on the FIFA world rankings, the home team

held their own early on, getting plenty of players behind the ball each time the Ivorians threatened.

But the ball was almost exclusively in the Equatoguinean half with Ivory Coast goalkeeper Boubacar Barry a mere onlooker and the visitors had a good chance to take the lead just before the half-hour mark.

Ben Konate fouled Didier Zokora just inside the penalty area only for Drogba to have his hard, well-placed spot kick superbly pushed away at the expense of a corner by Brazil-born Danilo.

The captain atoned soon after with a clinical finish although the goal came giftwrapped from centre-back Fernando Rui, who had plenty of time to clear a long pass but let it slip past him.

Drogba darted forward, turned inside Rui and fellow central defender Doe and unleashed a low shot that beat Danilo and flew just inside the near post to give the Elphants a deserved 1-0 half-time advantage. Equatorial Guinea won more possession in the early second-half exchanges before Gervinho squandered a great chance to double the Ivorian lead on the hour mark as he dribbled past several defenders before losing control.

Reigning African Footballer of the Year Toure took the free kick that led to the second goal with Drogba soaring above Doe and his flying header gave Danilo no chance. —AFP

Today’s matches on TV

English Premier League Newcastle v Aston Villa ............ 16:30 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Chelsea v Man United .............. 19:00 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3

African Nations Cup Gabon v Mali ............................ 19:00 Al Jazeera Sports +9 Al Jazeera Sports +10 Ghana v Tunisia ......................... 22:00 Al Jazeera Sports +9 Al Jazeera Sports +10

Asian Olympic Qualifiers Syria v Japan ........................... 15:00 Al Jazeera Sports 1 Iraq v United Arab Emirates .... 16:30 Al Jazeera Sports Global Al Jazeera Sports 1 Qatar v Oman ............................ 18:00 Al Jazeera Sports 2 Al Jazeera Sports Global Uzbekistan v Australia ............. 18:00 Al Jazeera Sports +2 Bahrain v Malaysia ................... 18:30 Al Jazeera Sports +5 Al Jazeera Sports 1 Al Jazeera Sports Global

Saudi Arabia v South Korea .......... 20:30 Al Jazeera Sports Global Al Jazeera Sports 1 Al Jazeera Sports 2

Spanish League Sporting v Osasuna ....................... 14:00 Al Jazeera Sports +2 Sevilla v Villarreal .......................... 20:00 Al Jazeera Sports +2 Atletico v Valencia ......................... 23:30 Al Jazeera Sports +2

Italian League Genoa v Lazio ................................ 14:30 Al Jazeera Sports +1 Juventus v Siena ........................... 17:00 Al Jazeera Sports +1 Fiorentina v Udinese .................... 17:00 Al Jazeera Sports +4 Chievo v Parma ............................. 17:00 Al Jazeera Sports +8 Palermo v Atalanta ------------------. 17:00 Al Jazeera Sports +10 AC Milan v Napoli .......................... 17:00 Al Jazeera Sports +1 US Lecce v Bologna ....................... 17:00 Al Jazeera Sports +6

BATA: Stoppila Sunzu, Christopher Katongo and James Chamanga scored as Zambia overcame 10man Sudan 3-0 yesterday to reach the Africa Cup of Nations semifinals after a 16-year absence.

Favourites Zambia were rarely under pressure and Sunzu took advantage of slack marking to nod them ahead on 15 minutes, Katongo scored the second midway through the second half and substitute Chamanga added a late third.

Sudan had Saif Eldin red carded 19 minutes into the second half when his team were trailing by one goal and his dimissal signalled the end of any hope the Jediane Falcons had of causing an upset. “ This is the match we were expecting, a difficult game,” said Zambia coach Herve Renard whose team will face either Ghana or Tunisia in the semi-finals in Bata on Wednesday.

The Frdnchman added: “ We went to sleep a little bit in the second half, then as so often Rainford Kalaba gave us some light, we won a penalty and they were down to 10 men, which made the job easier.

“All was not perfect today, but you have to be efficient, and in football that’s the most important thing.” His Sudanese counterpart, Mohamed Abdulla Mazda, commented: “ This tournament has been a success for us, we achieved our aim. Since 1976 we hadn’t got a point or scored a goal....

“Unfortunately we lost players to injury, and the penalty changed everything. “We need more experience to reach the semi-finals.”

A tiny crowd dotted the 35,000seat Estadio de Bata in this port city

with the biennial African football showcase failing to woo fans in Equatorial Guinea or Gabon except when the co-hosts are playing.

The teams remembered the 74 Egyptians who died after a league match in Port Said last Wednesday by wearing black armbands and observing a minute’s silence while Confederation of African Football flags flew at half mast.

Zambia kept faith in the team that defeated co-hosts Equatorial Guinea to top Group A while Sudan made one enforced change from the side that edged Burkina Faso with Musab replacing injured defender Nagm Eldin.

It did not take Zambia long to break the deadlock through a glancing header from centre-back Sunzu and they would have been more than 1-0 ahead at half-time but for several brave saves by Akram.

The goal was a gift from the Sudanese defence as they stood still while Sunzu moved forward to connect with a Kalaba free kick and nod the ball in at the near post.

Another Kalaba free kick nearly led to another goal soon after the half-hour mark as he played the ball back into the path of onrushing Nathan Sinkala and Akram did well to parr y a drive away at the expense of a corner.

Sudan were slow and pre dictable and battling to create chances in the eerie atmosphere and lost midfielders Ala Eldin and Nazar through injuries with Amer and Ramadan coming on.

After applying early second half pressure, Sudan suffered a double blow when Saif Eldin was sent off after getting a second yellow card

BATA: Zambia’s Davies Nkausu (front) clears the ball ahead of Sudan’s Mohamed Tahir during the African Cup of Nations quarter-final soccer match. — AP for fouling Kalaba inside the box and Katongo scored almost immediately.

His penalty produced a fine save from Akram, who appeared well off

his line when the kick was taken, but the captain struck the rebound into the net with his weaker left foot, and Chamanga curled the ball in with four minutes left. — AFP

Bayern held in Hamburg BERLIN: Bayern Munich striker Ivica Olic equalised against former club Hamburg in yesterday night’s 1-1 draw as defending champions Borussia Dortmund finish the weekend back on top of the German league.

In a tight title race, Bayern, Dotmund and Schalke all went into the weekend on 40 points, but Dortmund’s 2-0 win at Nuremberg on Friday night puts them two points clear after their rivals failed to claim victories.

Hamburg took the lead when Peru forward Jose Guerrero curled in a clever cross which ex-Chelsea squad member Jacopo Sala, 20, headed home on 23 minutes. Despite a string of chances, Bayern were frustrated by Hamburg’s enthusiastic defence with their coach, ex-Bayern midfielder Thorsten Fink, urging them on. Germany midfielder Thomas Mueller went close on 70 minutes for Bayern when his shot forced Hamburg goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny into a reflex save. But just a minute later Croatia striker Olic saved Bayern’s blushes with the equaliser from a corner just seven minutes after coming off the bench.

“It’s nice to come back, I had some very good years here,” said Olic, who joined Bayern in 2009 after two-and-a-half years at Hamburg.

“Of course, there’s nothing better than taking a point, but that’s not enough. We have to work hard to get back level again.”

Munich have only taken four points from a possible nine in their last three league games and face FC Basel in the Round of 16 of the Champions League with the first-leg on February 22. Bayern’s point means they finish the weekend second and level with third-placed Schalke on 41 points.

Earlier, Schalke 04 moved up to second after their 1-1 draw with Mainz 05. The guests took a shock lead when Egypt striker Mohamed Zidan, who signed from Schalke’s deadly rivals Dortmund during January’s transfer window, scored after just 15 minutes on his Mainz debut. The Royal Blues got back on level terms when Nigeria striker Chinedu Obasi, who is on loan from Hoffenheim, netted in the 59th minute.

“In the first half, we didn’t get into the game,

GERMANY: Hamburg’s Son Heung-Min of South Korea (front) and Bayern’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (back) vie for the ball during the German First Division Bundesliga soccer match. —AP because Mainz played so well and controlled the ball,” admitted Schalke coach Huub Stevens.

“In the second half, I had to make a few changes to make us more dangerous. “That was a step in the right direction, that may sound strange, but we are developing.” Moenchengladbach remain fourth after they were held to a goalless draw at Wolfsburg.

Fifth-placed Leverkusen, who host holders Barcelona in the Champions League Round of 16 first-leg tie on February 14, were held to a 2-2 draw at home by mid-table Stuttgart after an 89thminute equaliser from Austria striker Martin Harnik.

In a dramatic last few minutes both sides finished with 10 men. At the bottom of the table, second-from-bottom Augsburg produced a brave performance to draw 2-2 at Hoffenheim, while

Hanover are seventh after their 1-0 win at Hertha Berlin. Today, bottom side Freiburg host Werder Bremen while Cologne are at Kaiserslautern.

Dortmund claimed first place in the league on Friday with an impressive win at Nuremberg in sub-zero temperatures.

Paraguay striker Lucas Barrios came off the bench to score his first goal of the season eight minutes from time after Dortmund captain Sebastian Kehl had put his team ahead just after the break.

The victory comes at a cost as midfielder Sven Bender damaged ankle ligaments and will discover on Monday how bad the injury is after an MRI scan while Kehl picked up a foot injury and is doubtful for Tuesday’s German Cup quarter-final with Holstein Kiel. — AFP

Real win piles up pressure on Barca MADRID: Real Madrid overcame windy conditions to win 1-0 at Getafe yesterday thanks to a Sergio Ramos goal and go 10 points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga ahead of the Catalans’ game at home to Real Sociedad.

Without ever getting into top gear ‘los blancos’ did just enough to deserve the points at the scene of Barcelona’s only defeat this season, but they had to survive a clear shout for a penalty by the home team in the second period.

Jose Mourinho decided to leave Gonzalo Higuain, linked this week with Chelsea, on the bench preferring Karim Benzema up front and recalled Xabi Alonso and stayed loyal to an improving Kaka in midfield.

Abdel Barrada had the first chance of the game for Getafe when he headed narrowly over the bar after just two minutes and the game was even until Madrid went ahead on 18 minutes.

Ramos outjumped Getafe defender Juan Valera to head home a Mesut Ozil corner for his third goal of the season and the only one of the game.

Getafe goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya had to be alert to stop a Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick on 35 minutes and three minutes later Miku went close at the other end with a header from a Juan Rodriguez free-kick, but chances were few and far between as both teams struggled to adapt to the conditions.

Moya again blocked a Ronaldo shot on 60 min-

utes and two minutes later he advanced quickly to block a shot from Benzema. Getafe had a penalty claim turned down on 70 minutes when a Diego Castro shot appeared to strike Pepe’s outstreched arm and their best chance to find an equaliser had

gone. Moya dived full length on 77 minutes to deny Higuain, who had replaced Benzema minutes before and Madrid played out the rest of the game comfortably holding on to their slim lead.

Earlier in the day Levante drew 1-1 at home to

MADRID: Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos (left) reacts with Pepe after scoring against Getafe during their La Liga soccer match at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez stadium. — AP

struggling Racing Santander to remain in fourth place in La Liga as Athletic Bilbao drew with Espanyol 3-3 in the clash between their two closest rivals. The results means Levante stay ahead of Espanyol on goal difference with both teams on 32 points, four points behind 3rd-placed Valencia, who play on Sunday, and two points ahead of sixth-placed Bilbao.

In a frantic game Espanyol snatched a point with a last-minute equaliser from Uruguayan Juan Albin, who smashed home a pass from substitute Kalu Uche. Earlier, Oscar De Marcos had put Bilbao ahead on 25 minutes, only for Koffi Romaric to even the game up seven minutes later.

Within two minutes of the restart Vladimir Weiss, on loan from Manchester City, put the visitors ahead with a dipping drive from 25 yards before Spanish international centre-forward Llorente levelled the game on 57 minutes and Javi Martinez headed home an Ander Herrera cross to put Bilbao 3-2 ahead. Espanyol fully deserved a point for their part in an entertaining game that keeps both teams in the hunt for European classification. Arouna Kone headed home a Pedro Botelho cross to put Levante ahead on 23 minutes.

However, Santander found a way back on 60 minutes when Manuel Arana produced an unstoppable left-footed shot from the edge of the area to grab a vital point for them. Mallorca beat Real Betis 1-0 thanks to a well-struck Chori Castro free-kick on 23 minutes. — AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

S P ORT S

McClean lifts Black Cats Stoke 0

Sunderland 1

LONDON: Swansea City’s Gylfi Sigurdsson celebrates scoring against West Bromwich Albion during the English Premier League soccer match at The Hawthorns.—AP

Swansea bounce back to defeat West Brom West Brom 1

Swansea 2

LONDON: Swansea came from behind to defeat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at The Hawthorns yesterday, recording just their second win away from home this season.

West Brom led through a MarcAntoine Fortune goal eight minutes into the second, but allowed Swansea to rebound with two quick goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Danny Graham.

Roy Hodgson’s men went into the match hovering a few points above the relegation zone and with just two wins under their belt all season at The Hawthorns.

Swansea, a point ahead of their opponents in the Premier League, however, had the worst away record of all 20 teams with just one win to their credit, coming over Aston Villa.

The Welsh side had the best of the early play, dominating possession and they went close to opening the score through Sigurdsson after four minutes

and again after 15 minutes.

West Brom counter-attacked and Gareth McAuley headed narrowly wide from a Nicky Shorey cross and James Morrison tested Swansea goalkeeper Michael Vorm with a long-range effort after 22 minutes.

The home side in turn was having the best of the pressure as the first half wound down and both Peter Odemwingie and Jerome Thomas went close.

And it was The Baggies that went ahead nine minutes into the second half when Cameroon striker Fortune fired home from inside the six-yard box into the bottom left corner. The Swansea reaction was immediate and devastating with two goals in the next four minutes.

Firstly, the industrious Sigurdsson slotted home from close range for the equaliser and then Graham made it 2-1, also from close in.

A stunned West Brom poured forward in search of an equaliser and Morrison pinged one effort over the bar before substitute Paul Scharner had a snap shot well saved by Worm.

But Swansea held on to take all three points and in so doing easing themselves away from the relegation zone.—AFP

EPL results/standings Arsenal 7 (Van Persie 2, 38, 62, Oxlade-Chamberlain 40, 54, Arteta 51, Henry 90) Blackburn 1 (Pedersen 31); Manchester City 3 (Aguero 10-pen, Baird 30-og, Dzeko 72) Fulham 0; Norwich 2 (Surman 70, Pilkington 85) Bolton 0; QPR 1 (Zamora 16) Wolves 2 (Jarvis 46, Doyle 71); Stoke 0 Sunderland 1 (McClean 60); West Brom 1 (Fortune 54) Swansea 2 (Sigurdsson 55, Graham 59); Wigan 1 (Neville 76-og) Everton 1 (Anichebe 83).

Playing today Newcastle v Aston Villa; Chelsea v Manchester United.

Playing tomorrow Liverpool v Tottenham English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man City Man Utd Tottenham Chelsea Arsenal Newcastle Liverpool Sunderland Norwich Swansea

24 23 23 23 24 23 23 24 24 24

18 17 15 12 12 11 10 9 8 7

3 3 4 6 4 6 8 6 8 9

3 3 4 5 8 6 5 9 8 8

63 56 44 41 46 34 28 33 34 26

19 21 25 26 34 30 21 24 39 29

57 54 49 42 40 39 38 33 32 30

Everton Stoke Aston Villa Fulham West Brom QPR Wolves Bolton Blackburn Wigan

24 24 23 24 24 24 24 24 24 24

8 6 10 24 27 8 6 10 23 36 6 10 7 28 31 6 9 9 29 35 7 5 12 24 34 5 6 13 25 41 5 6 13 27 44 6 2 16 28 49 4 6 14 34 54 3 7 14 21 49

30 30 28 27 26 21 21 20 18 16

Celtic book q-final spot INVERNESS: Neil Lennon praised his players as the Scottish Cup holders easily overcame a potential banana skin to book their place in the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win away to Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Inverness have form against Celtic in the Scottish Cup having famously knocked the Hoops out of the competition in 2000 when they were a First Division side, a feat they repeated in 2003.

Terry Butcher’s side also ended Celtic’s title hopes last season with a 3-2 win at the Caledonian Stadium in May that allowed Rangers to clinch their third title in a row.

However, there was to be no slip ups for the league leaders this time as Lennon’s side swept Inverness aside with a comfortable victor y thanks to a Georgios Samaras strike and a Scott Brown penalty.

It was Celtic’s 15th win in a row - a run which has seen them reclaim top spot in the SPL and a place in the League Cup final against Kilmarnock - and they could go four points clear at the top of the SPL with a win against Hearts on Wednesday.

And the Celtic manager, who made four changes for the game against Inverness, said he was happy with the strength of his squad as they remain on track for a domestic treble.

“People sometimes question what I do but the players are giving me the results and I’ve got a good squad. I don’t want to be too clever with it but I want to keep the players as fresh as I can,” Lennon said.

“The players who came in against Inverness were fantastic allied to the boys who have already being doing the hard work for the last three months so I couldn’t be more happy with them.

“I can’t praise the players highly enough. They played a difficult game against difficult opposition in difficult conditions and they came through it with flying colours.

“It’s never comfortable against Inverness but in terms of performance it’s as good as we’ve played here in a long time.

“It’s the next biggest trophy in Scotland after the league and the players are proud to be the holders of that. I think they gained a lot of satisfaction in winning it last year and they know it is days like this that get them there.

“I don’t know what the quarter-final draw will bring but they are totally focused. “We will take it one game at a time. It’s the oldest cliche in football but we have another huge game coming up on Wednesday against Hearts and we are not looking any further than that.”

Celtic will be joined in the draw for the quarter-finals by last year’s beaten finalists Motherwell who routed First Division Morton 6-0 at Fir Park and Hibernian who defeated fellow SPL side Kilmarnock 1-0 at Eater Road.

Aberdeen and Queen of the South will have to do it again after their tie at Pittodrie ended in a 1-1 draw. First Division Ross County missed the chance to cause a shock when Richard Brittain, who had given County a first half lead before Steven Thompson equalised, hit a last minute penalty over the bar as the game ended 1-1.

Richard Brittain missed a last minute penalty for First Division league leaders Ross County as they were held to a 1-1 draw by SPL side St Mirren.

Rangers take on Dundee United in their fifth round match at Ibrox on Sunday while Hearts are at home to St Johnstone.—AFP

STOKE: Northern Ireland winger James M cClean lif ted Sunderland to a 1-0 win against 10-man Stoke City in freezing conditions at the Britannia Stadium yesterday.

Snow and wind made conditions difficult as the players struggled in sub zero temperatures before McClean’s second half strike ensured that Martin O ’Neill ’s side recorded their third consecutive league victory and their fifth in six games.

Both sides went into the game equal on 30 points but the hosts were hit hard when Germany centre back Rober t Huth was controversially given his marching orders just before the half-time whistle for a tackle on David Meyler.

Kieran Ricardson missed a chance to put Sunderland ahead after just a minute of play from a freekick awarded following a Jermaine Pennant foul on Jack Colback.

Stoke then missed a chance to break through after 15 minutes when Pennant won a freekick only to fail to finish it off.

Republic of Ireland midfielder Meyler’s subsequent bid to play a through ball for Sebastian Larsson was stopped in the snow, with not a single clear

LONDON: Sunderland’s James McClean (left) challenges Stoke City’s Jermaine Pennant (center) during the English Premier League soccer match at The Britannia Stadium. —AP

shot at goal in the first half hour of play.

After the break the Black Cats took advantage of their numerical superiority following Huth’s red card, pushing forward with a corner from McClean producing the best effor t only for Benin midfielder Stephane Sessegnon to head narrowly over.

The visitors’ pressing finally paid off after 60 minutes when

McClean played a one two with Sessegnon, and fired into the net from inside the penalt y area. Ror y Delap missed the chance to equalise three minutes later as his shot went wide, and the hosts also squandered a free kick taken by Glen Whelan following a Michael Turner foul on England striker Peter Crouch.

Sunderland keeper Simon Mignolet proved solid late in the game pulling off a save after

65 minutes from a Whelan free kick, and five minutes later the Belgium proved solid again faced with a Crouch effort.

Fuller had a shot at goal after 81 minutes which was also kept out by the Belgian. Sunderland held on to collec t all three points after losing their four previous away games at Stoke, to stay eighth with 33 points, as Stoke drop three spots to 12th.—AFP

Wolves punish 10-man QPR QPR 1

Wolves 2

LONDON: Wolves edged their way out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 victor y over Queens Park Rangers here yesterday as Djibril Cisse was sent off for the Londoners.

Cisse had made a dramatic start to his QPR career in midweek, scoring on his debut in the 2-2 draw with Aston Villa following his transfer window move to Loftus Road from Lazio.

But the Frenchman made headlines for all the wrong reasons on Saturday after being sent off for a clash with Roger Johnson as QPR

let a 1-0 lead slip in a vital game for both sides.

QPR had got off to a dream start when another of their transfer window signings, Bobby Zamora, fired the Londoners into the lead on 16 minutes.

The 31-year-old striker had failed to score in previous debuts for Tottenham, West Ham and Fulham but ended that unhappy run with a confident finish after collecting Shaun Wright-Phillips’ pass.

Wolves afternoon went from bad to worse shortly after wards when loan signing Emmanuel Frimpong hobbled off to be replaced by Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

Yet Mick McCarthy’s men were thrown a lifeline on 34 minutes after Cisse lost his cool following a clash with Johnson.

The striker was furious after being caught late by Johnson, grabbing the Wolves defend-

er by the throat.

Referee Mark Clattenburg promptly booked Johnson for his challenge but stunned Rangers by reaching for red to dismiss Cisse.

Wolves then came roaring back after halftime, and equalised in the 46th minute when Matt Jarvis cut in from the left and blasted past Paddy Kenny.

The goal galvanised Wolves who were unlucky not to take the lead shortly afterwards when Steven Fletcher’s header from six yards hit the crossbar.

Moments later Fletcher saw a mishit shot scooped off the line by Anton Ferdinand before Kenny saved Kevin Doyle’s shot.

Eventually the Wolves pressure told, and substitute Doyle secured the club’s first victory in 10 matches when he rifled home the winner on 71 minutes.—AFP

Everton snatch late draw Wigan 1

Everton 1

WIGAN: Victor Anichebe’s late equaliser earned Everton a 1-1 draw at Wigan that struck a major blow to the hosts’ survival hopes.

Wigan took a shock lead through Phil Neville’s own goal with a quarter of an hour remaining.

But Anichebe’s header earned Everton a point that means that Wigan have managed just one home win in the Premier League this season.

Everton manager David Moyes started with Steven Pienaar, who returned for a second spell at Goodison Park on loan from Tottenham and the South African winger made a strong start.

He made one long break from his own half and also provided a neat through ball for striker Denis Stracqualursi, who had strayed offside.

Struggling Wigan had their first chance when Emmerson Boyce failed to make decent contact on a header from Jean Beausejour’s corner.

Pienaar continued to cause problems and after cutting in from the left flank, he fed Australian midfielder Tim Cahill, who lifted a shot over from the edge of the area.

Having struggled all season, Everton’s midfield immediately looked more flexible thanks to the influence of Pienaar and Landon Donovan.

And they opened the hosts up once again when Donovan rolled away from Maynor Figueroa and provided a return pass for Stracqualursi, who could only prod straight at Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi.

LONDON: Everton’s Denis Stracqualursi (left) and Wigan Athletic’s Gary Caldwell battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match. —AP

Figueroa created another opportunity when his long ball forward picked out Argentinian striker Franco Di Santo, who stabbed weakly at Tim Howard after shrugging off Sylvain Distin.

Jordi Gomez also drove a free kick over the bar but Everton continued to create the better opportunities.

A Leighton Baines free kick was flicked on by M arouane Fellaini but John Heitinga shot straight at Al Habsi. A strong run down the left by Baines, who s t a r ted hi s c a reer wi t h Wigan, saw the left-back cross for Darron Gibson, only for the fo r m e r M a n c h e s te r U n i te d mifielder to lift over the bar from a good position.

Everton were forced into a change at the interval when Cahill had to be replaced by skipper Neville. Gibson went some way to making up for his poor first-half finishing when he surged forward to force a low save from Al Habsi.

But Moyes felt his team needed more sharpening up and brought on Nikica Jelavic, who joined from Rangers in a £5.5 million deal last week, just before the hour.

Fellaini went close once again when he pulled down a long ball from Distin and saw his drilled shot saved by Al Habsi.

Wigan were struggling to create any penetration and made a desperate appeal for a penalty

when James McCarthy ’s shot struck Heitinga’s hand from close range.

But they took a surprise lead when Beausejour’s cross span off Neville and took a strange bounce past the helpless goalkeeper Howard.

Everton responded quickly and pulled level just eight minutes later. Gary Caldwell headed Baines’ corner straight back to the full-back and when he whipped the ball back into the area, Anichebe peeled away to the near post and glanced a header past Al Habsi.

Jelavic’s only real chance came when he got on the end of Donovan’s corner but saw his effort blocked by Caldwell.—AFP

Drogba strikes twice as Ivory Coast reach semis

Younus century puts Pakistan in command

18

17

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

Super Bowl promises grand ending to NFL season

Page 16

LONDON: Alex OxladeChamberlain of Arsenal (right) holds off Blackburn’s Radoslav Petrovic during the English Premier League soccer match.—AP

Arsenal thrash Blackburn 7-1 Arsenal 7

Blackburn 1

LONDON: Robin van Persie scored a hattrick as Arsenal recorded their first Premier League win of the year by thrashing Blackburn 7-1 at the Emirates Stadium here yesterday.

There had been reports of supporters protesting against Arsene Wenger ahead of the game but there was very little to complain as Arsenal romped to their biggest win in all competitions since

October 2007. Morten Gamst Pedersen may have cancelled out Van Persie’s opener but the Arsenal captain ended up completing a treble, Alex OxladeChamberlain added two goals, while Mikel Arteta and Thierry Henry also scored.

Rovers were not helped by Gael Givet getting sent off for a rash tackle on Van Persie, although they were trailing at that stage of the match.

Van Persie’s goals moved Dennis Bergkamp out of Arsenal’s top 10 leading goalscorers, with the Gunners skipper now on 123 strikes for the club.

Wenger had considered resting Van Persie but after failing to win a league match in 2012 before this game, the Arsenal manager included the Premier

League’s top goal scorer. It took the Holland striker just 79 seconds to open the scoring with the 100th league goal his career.

Radoslav Petrovic’s poor clearance fell for Francis Coquelin, who slipped a ball through to Theo Walcott down the right flank. Walcott’s low cross found Van Persie unmarked and the Gunners skipper had the simple task of tapping past Paul Robinson and into an empty net.

Blackburn, set up to contain the hosts, needed to attack but struggled to impose themselves on the game with just Anthony Modeste in attack.

Modeste was almost on the end of a cross, but was inches away from the ball and ended up with a booking for crashing into Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech

Szczesny. Arsenal looked likely to increase their lead. Oxlade-Chamberlain, who started despite a slight concern over his knee, went wide from the edge of the penalty area with their next chance.

Laurent Koscielny almost scored when Per Mertesacker nodded Tomas Rosicky’s corner into his path, while van Persie also went wide with a delicate chip.

But Rovers shocked Wenger’s team in the 32nd minute through Pedersen’s spectacular free-kick. Koscielny gave away the set-piece when he allowed the ball to bounce and eventually held Modeste, earning the France defender a booking.

Pedersen took full advantage, sending his effort into the top corner, with Szczesny getting a touch but failing to

prevent an equaliser. Arsenal were ahead again with a couple of goal just before half-time. Van Persie notched another, tapping home from another low Walcott cross. Alex Song had set up the goal with a precise pass for England winger Walcott.

Oxlade-Chamberlain added the third when Van Persie sent him through with a reverse pass after Rosicky had been fouled in the build-up but advantage was played. Robinson rushed out but OxladeChamberlain touched the ball around him and finshed into an unguarded goal.

It got worse for Blackburn when Givet was given a straight red card for a twofooted tackle on Van Persie, with the defender apologising to the player and Wenger as he left the pitch. Thomas

Norwich pile misery on struggling Bolton

Ruthless City go three points clear Man City 3

Fulham 0

MANCHESTER: Manchester City put the title pressure back on Manchester United as a comfortable 3-0 victory over Fulham at Eastlands restored their three-point lead at the top of the Premier League yesterday.

Roberto Mancini’s side took an early lead through Sergio Aguero’s penalty and Chris Baird’s own goal increased their advantage before Edin Dzeko sealed the points in blizzard conditions in the second half.

Defending champions United now need to win their tricky trip to Chelsea on Sunday to move back level on points with City at the top.

City, searching for a 12th home victory in as many games this season, had the game under control inside the opening half hour.

Argentine forward Aguero capped an opening 10 minutes of unrelenting City pressure by starting the move that led to the opening penalty-then converting the resulting spot kick himself. Aguero’s dynamic run past Philippe Senderos ended with a pass to Adam Johnson, who was clearly tripped by Baird as he worked his way into the area.

It was no surprise that City took the early lead and Johnson might have had a second penalty when Baird tripped him on the touchline although this time referee Mike Dean took pity on the Northern Ireland international.

Joe Hart was finally called into action after

24 minutes when he dived smartly to smother a sharp 18-yard shot from Simon Davies and Damien Duff cut in from the right and curled a shot wide just to remind City that a second goal might be required.

But it was Schwarzer who was soon back under pressure as Silva’s low shot flew across the face of goal and Johnson unleashed a wicked 20-yard strike which missed the righthand post by inches.

A difficult task for Fulham, the last team to earn a league point at City’s home ground almost a year ago, was rendered seemingly impossible just before the half-hour when Baird deflected Johnson’s cross-shot into his own net.

After Baird’s own goal, Aguero’s snap shot was parried by the increasingly over-worked Mark Schwarzer and Dzeko was clean through again only to be blocked by Brede Hangeland as City looked to improve upon their pre-match six-goal advantage in the goal difference column over United. As the snowy conditions worsened in the second half, Fulham finally showed a flicker of life as Clint Dempsey’s shot was charged down by Joleon Lescott with the visitors appealing in vain for handball before Danny Murphy produced a shot from outside the area which Hart caught comfortably.

The heavy snow forced delays for the pitch markings to be cleared and the conditions briefly seemed to unsettle City.

Stephen Kelly’s darting run and shot tested Hart, who momentarily saw the ball slip from his gloves in all the snow and ice and Baird’s 20yard free-kick beat the City wall and was smothered at the second attempt by the keeper in similar circumstances.

Aguero and City pushed for the comfort of a third goal and Murphy cleared an Aguero effort that was bound for the back of the net.—AFP

Vermaelen also hit the post from closerange before the interval when Arteta’s cross was flicked on by Rovers substitute Grant Hanley.

Arteta’s goal came six minutes into the second half, a volley deflected in after the visitors failed to clear a corner.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s second goal was set up by Walcott’s mazy run followed by a simple pass to his team-mate, who finished into the near post.

And Van Persie completed his hat-trick when he met Coquelin’s cross at the front post and sent his finish into the top corner of the net.

Van Persie unselfishly set up Henry’s goal deep in stoppage time, with the substitute’s finish deflecting in off Scott Dann from close range.—AFP

LONDON: Manchester City’s English midfielder Gareth Barry (right) vies with Fulham’s English midfielder Danny Murphy (L) during the English Premier League football match. —AFP

NORWICH: Norwich pushed struggling Norwich 2 Bolton back into the Premier League relegation zone as a pair of second half goals Bolton 0 clinched a 2-0 win at Carrow Road yesterday. Paul Lambert’s team were frustrated until the 70th minute when Andrew Surman broke the deadlock and Anthony Pilkington’s late strike sealed the points.

Bolton’s defeat, combined with Wolves’ win at QPR, left Owen Coyle’s side back into the bottom three, while Norwich remain comfortably in mid-table as they look to consolidate after last season’s promotion. Norwich made the early running and American defender Zak Whitbread headed David Fox’s cross wide before Grant Holt brough the first stop from Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan. Simeon Jackson then fired wide after Surman cut the ball back from an acute angle and Bogdan prevented the Canadian from scoring again minutes later after he took advantage of some poor marking to collect Holt’s flick-on.

The hosts’ best move of the first half came in the 24th minute when Wes Hoolahan played in Holt and he squared to Surman, but his shot struck the crossbar and rebounded to safety.

Lambert was forced into another defensive reshuffle before the break when Whitbread came off injured and was replaced by winger Elliott Bennett. Bolton started to come into it more towards the end of the first half and went close just before the break through a deflected Martin Petrov drive.

The Canaries should have been ahead two minutes after the break when Adam Drury found Holt unmarked at the back post but his dreadful header flew 10 yards wide.

Norwich finally made the breakthrough in the 70th minute when midfielder Surman pounced on the rebound after his initial shot was blocked and drilled a fine shot past Bogdan.

Petrov tested John Ruddy with a fierce half-volley 11 minutes from time as Bolton launched a desperate bid for an equaliser.

Holt missed from close-range moments later, while striker Marvin Sordell, signed from Watford on deadline day, came on for his Bolton debut in place of David Ngog.—AFP

Kuwait economy seen growing 3.8% in 2012 Page 22

Europe aims to double e-commerce by 2015 Page 23

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

Sharp launches ‘Bigger Is Better’ campaign

Kuwait stocks lackluster before elections Page 24

Page 25

THESSALONIKI: Potato producers offer free bags of potatoes outside the “AGROTIKA”, International Fair for Agriculture, in the northern city of Thessaloniki, to protest against the crop’s low selling price and their difficulties in selling their harvest yesterday.—AFP

Greece struggles to win bailout Lenders stumble over unpopular reform clauses ATHENS: Greece’s government yesterday struggled on in talks with lenders to secure a 130 billion euro bailout before turning to the trickier task of persuading political leaders to back the unpopular reforms involved in the rescue.

On the brink of bankruptcy, Athens must wrap up talks with foreign lenders on the bailout and get political approval for it soon to ensure funds begin flowing in time for the country to pay back 14.5 billion euros of bonds falling due in mid-March.

But negotiations with its ‘troika’ of international lenders have stumbled over their demands that include cutting labor costs by axing holiday bonuses and lowering the minimum wage - proposals strongly opposed by Greek political party leaders.

Athens failed to reach a deal with

the European Union, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund in marathon negotiations that ended early yesterday, with crucial issues still unresolved. “The troika is not backing down on wages, holiday bonuses and supplementary pensions,” a Greek government official said after ministers met to discuss the reforms yesterday.

“None of these issues have been resolved. They are all open and the onus is on political leaders.”

Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos was due to continue talks with lenders yesterday in a bid to clinch agreement before technocrat Prime Minister Lucas Papademos calls the socialist, conservative and farright leaders in his coalition to seek their blessing. That meeting of party chiefs, initially scheduled yesterday,

has now been put off until early afternoon today, a government source said. Euro-zone finance ministers are also holding a conference call yesterday to discuss Greece’s rescue, Venizelos has said. “There are issues to be resolved but we expect the negotiations to be concluded by tomorrow,” a senior government official told Reuters on Saturday on condition of anonymity.

Increasingly frustrated with Athens’ inability to enact the reforms needed to reshape the recession-hit Greek economy, foreign lenders have demanded proof of the country’s commitment to spending cuts before doling out any more funds. They want all the country’s political chiefs - who are keen not to be linked directly with the painful reforms as they gear up for elections expected in April - to back

the measures, irrespective of the outcome at the polls.

“Greek political leaders must offer their commitment to the program,” said a source close to the lenders. “No more loans will be approved if they don’t.” The lenders have demanded extra spending cuts worth about 1 percent of GDP - or just above 2 billion euros - this year, including big cuts in defense and health spending.

Defense spending would be cut by 400 million euros this year and next, while health spending would be cut by 1.1 billion euros in 2012, government officials said. The Kathimerini newspaper reported yesterday that if political leaders did not reach a deal on reforms, Papademos was considering asking them to either authorize a new round of negotiations with the troika or themselves join the discus-

sions. Ordinary Greeks are seething as round after round of austerity measures is imposed on them as the price for saving the country from default.

About 2,000 demonstrators clad in black, some hooded or wearing helmets, waved red flags, beat drums and chanted “Burn parliament” as they marched to protest over austerity measures and the politicians they blame for the economic pain imposed on the country.

Dozens of leftist protesters also held a demonstration outside the prime minister’s office.

Athens has repeatedly said the talks on a bond swap with private holders of Greek debt and on the bailout are in their final stage. But it has failed to secure either deal after weeks of wrangling, largely due to concern that the rescue plan will not

Pakistan serves up first-class rail luxury ABOARD THE BUSINESS EXPRESS, Pakistan: A security guard pointing a gun at your chest may not be a perk of first-class travel in the West, but it’s all part of the service on Pakistan’s gleaming Business Express. Thirteen carriages have been lovingly restored into a sleek sleeper to ply the 1,200 kilometers (800 miles) between Pakistan’s two biggest cities, Lahore and Karachi, on an 18-hour journey that once used to take upwards of 30 hours.

Presided over Friday by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, perhaps keen to front a good-news story as he faces contempt charges, and waved off by excited crowds it is Pakistan’s most luxurious and expensive train. For 5,000 rupees one way ($55), or 9,000 rupees return, passengers are waited on by a bevy of attentive stewards, as they settle down to watch films on flat-screen TVs or power up laptops. Afternoon tea and piping hot dinner-courtesy of chefs at five-star hotels are borne into cabins as uniformed guards carrying rifles in the corridors are a reminder of a country troubled by kidnappings, Taliban and Al-Qaeda violence. Then as night falls, stewards come round with crisp bed linen to turn slightly hard green bunks into inviting beds.

It’s all part of a first private investment of millions of rupees in the ailing state railways, billed as the last hope of preventing a much-loved relic of British rule from falling into ruin. Corruption, mismanagement and neglect have driven Pakistan Railways to the brink. Since Gilani’s government took power in 2008, the group has retired 104 of 204 trains in a country larger than Britain and Germany combined. It relies on handouts of $2.8 million a month just to pay salaries and pensions, and faces expected losses of $390 million in the current fiscal year.

But the new train pulled away five minutes early and customers boarded from a brand-new business lounge at Lahore station. Decorated in tinsel, the engine then ground to a halt 10 minutes later to pick up more passengers.

Mariyam Imran, a strikingly beautiful young advisor for cosmetics firm L’Oreal, is delighted. A frequent traveler and terrified by a recent emergency landing on increasingly precarious state airline PIA, she is an avid convert. “It’s beautiful. It’s relaxing, compared to the trains before. I’m so happy and very comfortable. The staff are good. It’s a mar-

KARACHI: Passengers walk near the newly-launched Pak Business Express train following its arrival at a station in Karachi yesterday. Thirteen carriages have been lovingly restored into a sleek sleeper to ply the 1,200 kilometers (800 miles) between Pakistan’s two biggest cities, Lahore and Karachi, on an 18-hour journey that once used to take upwards of 30 hours.— AFP vellous train,” the 22-year-old young mother told AFP. Travelling with her businessman husband, three-year-old daughter and sister-in-law they are heading to Karachi for a short break before returning to host a Valentine’s Day party at home in Lahore on February 14.

“I hate PIA. Oh my God, that emergency landing.

Compared to the plane, this train is best. The service is very good.” Gilani congratulated staff on what he called a “deluxe” and “state of the art” service that would serve as a trail blazer for future private-public partnerships capable of turning around Pakistan’s depressed economy. “It’s a big, big initiative from the private sector, which we have welcomed with open arms,” Arif Azim, the chairman of Pakistan Railways, said. Years of decline saw customers

flock to airlines and luxury coaches. Azim hopes that if the Business Express, and a similar service to be rolled out on February 20 between Lahore, the textiles centre of Faizalabad and Karachi, are a success then investors will sink millions more into saving the railways. “The sky’s the limit because we’re in a pretty bad shape. We need a totally new fleet. 75 percent of our wagons can be described as vintage,” he said. Retired journalist Ishtiaq Ali is taking his young, second wife home after a two-week holiday to show her snow for the first time in Murree, a resort in Pakistan’s foot hills of the Himalayas.

“Oh my goodness, what the hell are you talking about,” he jokes when asked how the new train compares to the best rail services in the West.— AFP

do enough to cut Greece’s debt burden to a manageable level. European Union sources said on Friday that euro-zone governments may now have to cough up an extra 15 billion euros on top of the 130 billion agreed in October because of the funds needed to recapitalize Greece’s ailing banks.

Athens also wants public creditors like the European Central Bank to take part in the bond swap deal, under which banks and insurers will take real losses of about 70 percent on the Greek debt they hold. The bond swap talks were now the easier part of the overall process to save Greece, Venizelos said earlier yesterday.

Representatives for the banks and insurers are expected to be back in Athens to continue talks over the weekend. —Reuters

Obama urges Congress to assist homeowners WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama yesterday pressed US lawmakers to pass his proposal to provide up to $10 billion in aid to struggling homeowners, saying a failure to address the housing crisis would put the rest of the economy at risk. “The housing crisis has been the single biggest drag on our recovery from the recession. It has kept millions of families in debt and unable to spend, and it has left hundreds of thousands of construction workers out of a job,” Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address.

Obama this week unveiled the details of a $5 billion to $10 billion program that would help homeowners take advantage of record low interest rates to refinance their mortgages. The assistance would be funded by a tax on large US banks. The housing initiative was one of several ideas Obama unveiled his annual State of the Union address to Congress last week.

Obama, who clashed repeatedly with House of Representatives Republicans over budget and tax issues last year, faces an uphill battle gaining traction for his domestic agenda in an election year.

Republicans gave a cool reception to the housing plan, saying it would mean too much government involvement in a key sector of the economy.

In his address, Obama acknowledged the challenges of pushing the legislation through a divided US Congress. “As anyone who has followed the news in the last six months can tell you, getting Congress to do anything these days is not an easy job,” he said.

Obama’s handling of the economy, which has seen a sluggish recovery since the 2007-2009 recession, is likely to be the top issue in the Nov 6 presidential election. In a report that could be helpful to his re-election prospects, the government said on Friday that the US economy created a robust 243,000 jobs in January the fastest pace in nine months - while the US unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent from 8.5 percent in December.—Reuters

22

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

BUSINESS 6 ways to maximize your marketability Bayt.com weekly report

Kuwait economy seen growing 3.8% in 2012 NBK GCC MONTHLY BRIEF KUWAIT: Kuwait’s real GDP should advance 3.8% in 2012 with CPI inflation relatively moderate at 4.0%. We expect oil prices to remain relatively supported thanks to very moderate world growth (but escaping a recession), as well as tight supply conditions though Libyan oil should be coming back gradually. The consumer sector has been, and should remain, steady as witnessed by strong levels of confidence, loan growth, and salary/spending growth in 2011. We expect the same factors to be supportive in 2012.

The rest of the economy (construction, business services...) showed signs of stirring late in 2011 and should improve somewhat in 2012, but will be very sensitive to the momentum, or lack thereof, of

the government’s current development plan.

The real estate sector recovered further in 2011, with special sustained interest in the “investment” sector i.e. apartment buildings that generate income. For the year, the total value of real estate sales was up 35% in 2011 over 2010, at KD 2.7 billion.

The leading segment - the investment sector - was up 53%.

The 4-year KD 31 billion development plan called for spending KD 5 billion on infrastructure in FY 2010/11. The government managed to spend an estimated 60% of that amount. In the current fiscal year 2011/12 (ends in March) plans are to spend KD 5.4 billion. We expect a higher spending (or execution) pace of 70-75% for

India, Russia, US, China plan anti-carbon tax talks NEW DELHI: India, Russia, the United States, China and other countries will meet in Moscow this month to decide whether to retaliate against the EU’s decision to impose a carbon tax on air travel, a report says. The European Union (EU) imposed the tax with effect from January 1, but over two dozen countries, including India, Russia, China and the United States, have opposed the move saying it violates international law. The Press Trust of India late Friday quoted what it said were official sources as saying over 30 countries would meet in Moscow on February 21 and 22 to decide on retaliatory measures against the EU if it insists on imposing the carbon tax on nonEU flights as there was “growing agreement” on the matter.

The report did not name the sources. The news agency added that India delivered “a strong message” on the carbon tax issue to an EU delegation led by EU cli-

mate chief Connie Hedegaard on Friday in New Delhi. “Even if only India, Russia and China decide to start charging for over-flights by European carriers or decide to restric t the number of flights operated by them citing emission concerns, it could have a devastating effect on the European airline industr y,” a source said, according to PTI. A “Delhi Declaration” was unanimously adopted at a meeting of the I nte rnational Civil Aviation Organization Council and other non-EU member states in New Delhi last September. The declaration opposed EU’s plan to include all flights by non-EU carriers to and from an airport in the EU territory in its emissions trading system, saying it was inconsistent with applicable international law. The EU has said the carb o n t ax will h elp th e 2 7 nation bloc achieve its goal of cutting emissions by 20 percent by 2020. —AFP

2012 though recent early signs are not very encouraging and we could still end up near 60%.

Investors, policy makers, and analysts expect that infrastructure spending (and indirect effects) will pick up once the new public-private companies (PPPs) are formed and start business in earnest.

Progress has been somewhat disappointing on that front, and it is hoped that the first two (large) such ventures are not further delayed beyond 1Q2012.

These two PPPs should have their financial closing in 1Q2012 if there are no delays. The Kuwait Health Assurance Company (KHAC) will be taking over, from the state, the mandatory insurance and health care of expatriates. The choice of the

Kuwaiti partner to manage/part-own this venture was slated for May 2011 but has yet to occur (the bidding extended once and is now closed). The other large PPP company will build and operate an independent water and power plant (IWPP) in North Al-Zour. The bids are in and the winner should be announced in early 2012.

Consumer price inflation stood at 4.8% in 2011, pressured by higher international food prices. We expect inflation to ease back to 4.0% in 2012 as the pass through of higher global food prices wanes.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s fiscal position remains enviable. It posted its 12th consecutive surplus in FY 2010/11, at KD 5.3 billion (21% of GDP). Another, larger surplus is expected for FY 2011/12, at KD 9.0 billion or higher.

Gazprom unable to pump extra gas MOSCOW: Gazprom said yesterday it could not pump additional gas to Western Europe amid a cold snap, after EU officials said the Russian giant’s deliveries had dropped in several countries. “Gazprom at the moment cannot satisfy the additional volumes that our Western European partners are requesting,” the company’s deputy chairman Alexander Kruglov said at a meeting with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, according to Russian news agencies. Putin told Gazprom at the meeting that the demands of Europe had to be respected but the firm’s priority was to supply consumers in Russia, which is also enduring a spell of very cold weather. “I ask you to make efforts to meet the demands of our foreign partners, bearing in mind that the prime task of Russian energy firms and Gazprom in particular is to satisfy the internal demand in Russia,” said Putin.

Kruglov said that Gazprom was carrying out deliveries in line with its agreements with European states but that it was unable to pump additional gas that had been requested. He said there had been a reduction of 10 percent in gas volumes delivered on previous days but that now deliveries had returned to their normal levels. The European

Commission said Friday that Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovakia had each registered drops in gas supplies. But a spokeswoman for EU energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger, Marlene Holzer, said that Gazprom contractual small print with European buyers “allows for a certain flexibility.” —AFP

Exxon, Petrom find gas in Black Sea shelf BUCHAREST: Energy giants ExxonMobil and OMV Petrom said yesterday they have found gas deposits in the Romanian part of the Black Sea continental shelf, a month after they began explorations in the area. “The first deepwater well drilled by ExxonMobil and OMV Petrom indicates the presence of natural gas,” the two companies said in a press release. “This is encouraging but it is too early in the exploration and assessment process to say if the deposit will prove commercial or not,” they added.

The companies began drilling offshore late last year in a bloc lying 170 kilometers east of the Romanian coast, at a depth of about 1,000 meters. —AFP

KUWAIT: Successful career management involves treating your career as a series of opportunities for growth and advancement and building a framework to explore these opportunities accordingly. To help you maximize your career growth, career exper ts from Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 Job Site, list below six effective career management tactics: 1. Have a long-term vision and take control Always plan ahead and make sure it’s you at the steering wheel of your career. For example, do not let a job in marketing dwindle to a position in graphic design, all because of poor assertiveness skills and lack of direction. Take on projects that drive you further along your chosen career path and try to steer away from others that do not promote your growth and advancement at work.

2. Build relationships both in and outside your firm Get to know people in your chosen profession and make networking, both within and outside your firm, part of your job description. A close network of friends and/or professional associates is an invaluable career management resource.

The more connected you are with others in your industry, the easier it will be to secure a new position.

3. Research your industry thoroughly Learn about competitors, new products as well as innovations in your industry. The more knowledgeable you are about your domain, the more valuable you are to your present employer - this will also make it easier for you to market yourself to a different company.

4. Update your skills and develop new unique ones The principle of ‘Supply and Demand’ applies to skills as well. Some skills will always be more in demand than others. In order to increase your ‘market-value’, you need to identify these skills in your industry which are scarce in supply and focus on developing them. Whether it is by taking evening courses, attending workshops or maybe even enrolling in a school as a part-time student, aim to continuously enhance your skillsset and further your education.

5. Join professional associations Not only do these look great on your CV, but they are a wonderful way to network with others, gain visibility and keep abreast of the changes in your industry. Your boss will be very pleased with your awareness of the latest updates in your industry, and you will be making a reputation for yourself in your professional circle that reflects positively on the firm.

6. Read the trade journals and industry literature There is no substitute for reading trade literature to stay updated on new developments and to remain competitive in your industry. Always share relevant articles with your manager, so that he is aware of your efforts to keep ahead of the curve; this will also help you incorporate them into your department’s game-plan.

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 .4350000 .3610000 .3000000 .2750000 .2930000 .0040000 .0020000 .0752140 .7327900 .3830000 .0720000 .7183680 .0040000 .0430000

.2800000 .4430000 .3700000 .3080000 .2830000 .3010000 .0070000 .0035000 .0759700 .7401550 .4000000 .0760000 .7255880 .0072000 .0500000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2760500 .2801500 GB Pound/KD .4351650 .4416280 Euro .3625090 .3678390 Swiss francs .3009380 .3054070 Canadian dollars .2762020 .2803040 Danish Kroner .0487660 .0494900 Swedish Kroner .0407790 .0413850 Australian dlr .2945730 .2989480 Hong Kong dlr .0355920 .0361200 Singapore dlr .2203110 .2235830 Japanese yen .0036290 .0036830 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 .0057210 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 .0024670 Pakistan rupee .0000000 .0031090 Bangladesh taka .0000000 .0033290 UAE dirhams .0751870 .0763040 Bahraini dinars .7325200 .7433990 Jordanian dinar .0000000 .3962520 Saudi Riyal/KD .0736330 .0747270 Omani riyals .7172920 .7279460 Philippine Peso .0000000 .0065720

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.598 5.337 3.154 2.436 3.341 213.250 35.672 3.580 6.336 8.873 0.271 0.273

GCC COUNTRIES 74.150 76.402 722.230 738.540 75.715

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES 47.500 46.282 1.272 189.860 392.670 1.865 6.003 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

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

SELL CASH 299.000 740.140 3.650 281.300 546.800 45.400 50.300 167.800 48.110 368.000 36.580 5.820 0.032 0.195 0.249 3.750 394.680 0.188 93.970 48.500 4.280 233.200 1.803

49.100 722.890 3.170 6.750 76.990 74.310 222.810 38.250 2.658 442.700 42.400 306.100 4.300 9.330 198.263 75.880 278.700 1.290

722.710 3.085 6.495 76.560 74.310 222.810 38.250 2.439 440.700 304.600 4.300 9.330 75.780 278.300

10 Tola

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 440.700 278.300

Sterling Pound US Dollar

SELL DRAFT 297.500 740.140 3.310 279.800

222.800 46.177 366.500 36.430 5.615 0.032

COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

SELL DRAFT 301.91 282.82 308.19 368.95 442.99 3.71 3.304 5.664 2.442 3.557 3.080 75.74 740.13 46.18 395.86 723.15 76.73 74.30

SELL CASH 303.00 283.00 309.00 371.00 444.00 3.70 3.600 5.800 2.650 4.250 3.240 76.30 740.15 48.20 394.50 728.00 77.25 74.60

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 394.360 0.187 93.970 3.530 231.700

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar

Selling Rate 278.200 280.599 438.466 370.953 302.163 736.705

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

75.721 76.360 74.146 391.603 46.169 2.440 5.622 3.082 3.307 6.482 682.414 3.677 8.889 5.856 3.572 92.408

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

GOLD 1,814.990

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

GOLD 315.500 159.000 81.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Currency Rate per 1000 (Tran) US Dollar 278.200 Pak Rupees 3.075 Indian Rupees 5.625 Sri Lankan Rupees 2.450 Bangladesh Taka 3.310 Philippines Peso 6.525 UAE Dirhams 75.845 Saudi Riyals 74.340 Bahraini Dinars 739.600 Egyptian Pounds 46.145 Pound Sterling 443.800 Indonesian Rupiah 3.190 Yemeni Riyal 1.550 Euro 369.300 Canadian Dollars 283.000 Nepali rupee 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 277.850 Euro 368.900 Pound Sterling 442.800 Canadian Dollar 280.700 Japanese Yen 3.675 Indian Rupee 5.695 Egyptian Pound 46.115 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.436 Bangladesh Taka 3.265 Philippines Peso 6.500 Pakistan Rupee 3.078 Bahraini Dinar 740.100 UAE Dirham 75.700 Saudi Riyal 74.250 *Rates are subject to change

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

BUSINESS

With sparse data, focus returns to Europe WALL STREET WEEKLY OUTLOOK NEW YORK: Europe will again be at the center of investors’ focus this week as the US earnings season passes the halfway mark and there is little on the economic calendar to give the market direction.

Economic data expected this week includes weekly initial jobless claims, the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index and international trade figures. Improving data helped push the S&P 500 index up nearly 7 percent for the year, highlighted

by Friday’s stronger-than-expected jobs report. “It’s the old ping pong game. Today it is the US, tomorrow it is Europe again,” said Joe Saluzzi, co-manager of trading at Themis Trading in Chatham, New Jersey.

“Normally in this type of tape when there is no economic news, it seems like the bias goes to the upside.”

But Europe and whether European bond yields spike or

other news from Europe emerges will be the wild card for the markets, Saluzzi said. Greece remains at the forefront of the euro zone crisis as the government continues to struggle for agreement on fiscal reforms that would be accepted by political leaders and private bondholders as it tries to avoid a disorderly default.

Talks on a bond swap and 130 billion euros in bailout funds have been continuing for weeks before a March deadline when 14.5 billion euros of bonds fall due. Hopes a deal was on the horizon dissipated on Friday as euro zone finance ministers delayed a meeting scheduled for tomorrow.

“There is always the chance in brinkmanship - which is what is being played here - that you have a dangerous outcome if the pieces don’t come together,” said Paul Mendelsohn, chief investment strategist at

Windham Financial Services in Charlotte, Vermont.

“They have until March 19. They are going to keep pushing this thing until everybody gets the best deal they can out of it or they decide not to move forward and let Greece go. It’s always a possibility at the end of the game.” The flood of earnings reports will slow next week. A total of 66 S&P 500 companies are expected to report, including Walt Disney Co, Coca-Cola Co and Cisco Systems Inc. NYSE Euronext is also due to report results after the exchange terminated merger plans with Deutsche Boerse on Thursday. Through Friday, 283 companies in the S&P 500 have reported results, with 60 percent posting earnings that have topped Wall Street expectations, a lower percentage than seen in recent quarters through this stage of the reporting season. The payrolls report on Friday helped lift the S&P

500 1.5 percent to 1,344.90, past a recent resistance point of 1,325, which the benchmark index had failed to pass on several occasions recently. Analysts said the resistance level could now serve as support, with 1,350 representing a new resistance point for equities.

But even with the gains sparked by the payrolls report, a lack of volume remains a troubling sign, one which could be alleviated by a resolution of the Greek question. “The (payrolls) news is great but you are not getting a ton of volume, so you still get some skepticism,” said Ken Polcari, managing director at ICAP Equities in New York. “It is going to be slow to get these people back. Ultimately I still think the large asset managers are waiting for a Greece decision because no matter what, the market will pull back and that is when they will jump in.” — Reuters

Europe aims to double e-commerce by 2015 Lack of digital single market to cost 4.2% of GDP

WASHINGTON: US Park Police erect barricades as they enter McPherson Square before dawn to enforce a no camping law on Occupy DC protestors in Washington, one of the nation’s last remaining Occupy sites, yesterday. — AP

Washington protesters comply with rule WASHINGTON: Some 150 “Occupy” movement protesters who have been camped at a park near the White House since October peacefully removed gear on Saturday after police moved in at dawn to enforce a nocamping rule.

The US Park Police said there had been no arrests of the protesters, who are targeting the growing income gap, corporate greed and what they see as an unfair tax structure favoring the richest Americans.

The US National Park Service had put the protesters on notice that it would start enforcing a ban against camping in McPherson Square, a park located just blocks from the White House.

“This is not an eviction,” Park Police Sergeant David Schlosser said at a brief news conference at the park. “We’ve got a great deal of cooperation from folks that are in the park and right now we have no arrests.” While similar “Occupy” protests against social and economic inequality in other US cities have been shut down by police, the demonstrations in the capital

have survived an unusually warm winter and a permissive approach by federal authorities reluctant to provoke confrontation. The number of protesters in the Occupy DC camps fluctuates, but city officials estimate there generally are fewer than 100. The demonstrators had set up tents and were sleeping in the park.

Despite their small numbers, the Washington protesters have received outsized media attention because their camps are just blocks from President Barack Obama’s official residence.

The National Park Service forbids camping on federal land not designated as a campground. City officials have complained about squalor, rats and trash.

A protester who said she had been at the camp since October said police said they could have tents, but not the camping materials inside and could not sleep in the park. Asked what she was going to do now, Brittney Steer, 20, of Minneapolis, said: “Same thing we’ve been doing. This is just another day in the square.” — Reuters

MUNICH: Michael Diekmann, CEO of the German insurer Allianz SE (right), talks to Robert B Zoellick, President of the World Trade Bank, prior to the opening of the 48th Conference on Security Policy, on Friday in Munich, southern Germany. — AP

Indian bank ‘to name and shame’ defaulters MUMBAI: The State Bank of India, the country’s biggest lender, will name and shame “wilful” defaulters and put their pictures in newspapers to get them to pay up, the Economic Times said yesterday. “The fresh approach will ruffle a few feathers,” the paper quoted a bank executive as saying. A “wilful defaulter” is one who does not meet payment obligations even when he or she has the funds. Bad loans in India could jump to as much as 5.8 percent of the total within two years in a “severe risk” scenario, up from 2.8 percent in September, according to a central bank report. The non-performing loan ratio for Indian banks was 2.3 percent in the last fiscal year. — Reuters

COPENHAGEN: European Union competition ministers have supported the plans to remove barriers to electronic trade in a bid to spur economic growth and jobs by expanding the single market to the digital world, officials said. The European Commission has proposed a dozen initiatives to remove barriers and create a wellfunctioning digital single market, and the ministers gathered in the Danish capital responded positively to those plans, officials said.

Denmark’s Minister for Business and Growth, Ole Sohn, said his EU counterparts supported an objective of doubling online sales and the share of the Internet-based economy in the EU’s GDP by 2015. “That will give more growth in the EU

push forward the concrete proposals of the Commission,” Sohn said.

Twenty years after the creation of the European single market, the Internet economy remains small, accounting for no more than 3 percent of European GDP in 2010, but e-commerce is growing fast, the Commission has said. The digital single market is far from reaching its potential, and failure to complete that market is estimated to cost at least 4.1 percent of GDP between now and 2020, the Commission has told the European parliament. “It’s a huge amount of money,” Sohn said of the potential for boosting the European economy.— Reuters

Unemployment falls in US, rises in Europe NEW YORK: America’s job market is starting to heal just as other major economies contend with rising unemployment and the threat of recession. The unemployment rate fell faster in the United States in 2011 than it did in all but three of the 31 countries measured by the Associated Press’ Global Economy Tracker. Only Germany, Russia and Turkey had faster declines. On Friday, the government said the US economy added 243,000 jobs in January and that unemployment fell to 8.3 percent, its lowest point in three years. The strength of the US job market relative to other wealthy nations marks a reversal from the situation as recently as a year ago: The American labor market was hit harder than others by the Great Recession. And it was initially slower to recover.

But now, US factories are busier. And consumers are more willing to spend than they were a year ago, giving businesses the confidence to increase hiring. At the same time, Europe’s economy has deteriorated over the past year and may already have slipped into recession. To reduce their debts, European governments have raised taxes and cut government spending. This has helped lower their borrowing costs.

But it’s also contributed to weaker growth and rising unemployment across much of Europe. Greece and Spain have been especially hard hit. Germany’s powerful economy has so far been unscathed by Europe’s troubles.

The unemployment figures sometimes reflect the idiosyncratic way different countries report unemployment. China’s unemployment rate, for instance, is almost always low. And it doesn’t fluctuate much.

In December, the official Chinese rate was 4.1 percent. It’s remained between 4 percent and 4.3 percent since 2003. But the CIA, which compiles information on foreign economies, notes that China doesn’t count among its unemployed the migrants who flock to Chinese cities in search of work. Once you include them, China’s unemployment rate looks more like 9 percent. Likewise, Thailand’s rock-bottom 0.8 percent unemployment rate is skewed in part because the government counts beggars as gainfully employed. — AP

US heating oil hits 11-week high on lower stocks NEW YORK: US heating oil futures ended at their highest level in 11 weeks, spurred by a fall in commercial inventories for six consecutive weeks even though the demand level has declined from a year ago due to a mild winter in the US Northeast, the biggest regional market for the fuel.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, heating oil for March delivery settled at $3.1144 a gallon, gaining 6.15 cents or 2.01 percent on the day, rising for a second straight day and pacing the day’s trading on the US energy complex.

The settlement was the highest level for front-month heating oil since Nov. 16, when prices ended at $3.1346. For the week, front-month heating oil gained 4.4 cents, or 1.43 percent, extending gains for a second week in a row. In the week to Jan. 27, domestic heating oil stocks

and better competitiveness,” Sohn said. “In a time of economic crisis, it is necessary to get growth back on track.” The ministers also backed initiatives to boost electronic procurement, to make it easier for firms to send e-invoices and to make it safer for consumers to do business online, Sohn said.

Such measures would help cut the administration burden on companies and enable them to focus on developing their business instead, said Sohn who chaired the meeting as Denmark holds the rotating presidency of the EU for the first six months of 2012. “There is a common interest among all EU countries to push this agenda forward, and the Danish presidency will

fell 1.3 million barrels to 30.8 million barrels, extending the deficit from a year ago to 8.3 million barrels, data from the US Energy Information Administration showed.

Total demand for distillates that week, of which heating oil is a major component, was 3.63 million barrels per day, 1.65 percent below the year-ago level, EIA data also showed.

The US winter has been so far the second mildest since 1950, running about 30 percent warmer than the 30-year normal, according to private forecaster MDA EarthSat. For the next two weeks, temperatures in the Northeast will mostly average above normal as daytime highs, at times, top out in the upper 40s or low 50s Fahrenheit, according to forecaster AccuWeather. — Reuters

BEIJING: A general view shows the Beijing city skyline and the China Central Television (CCTV) tower (C) yesterday. China could easily boost domestic consumption to stimulate its economy if its slowdown is too sharp, the International Monetary Fund said. — AFP

How economy is viewed can differ sharply WASHINGTON: The stronger the economy gets, the more the presidential race comes down to what voters believe: Are things actually getting better? Or is it all still a mess? If the economy’s direction is the key, President Barack Obama’s hand just keeps getting better. A new snapshot Friday showed the unemployment rate has tumbled to 8.3 percent. That means it is almost back to where it was right after Obama took office, a time when a monstrous recession was still gobbling up American jobs. Hiring is now on a consistent upswing. Employers added nearly twice as many jobs last year as they did in 2010.

With every fresh batch of economic data, the Republicans challenging Obama and the president himself try to spin the numbers to their advantage, depicting either a nation mired in trouble or one showing undeniable signs of progress. Both often seem to be true. So whichever side sways people on where to put their focus - on America’s lingering economic hole or on the fact that the country is climbing out of it - will have an enormous edge toward winning the White House.

Shortly after the jobs report was released, Obama sounded more confident than ever, declaring: “The recovery is speeding up.”

The Republicans say that’s none of his doing, that improvements have come in spite of his policies, not because of them. There’s still a long way to go before full recovery; federal deficits and Europe’s troubles hang ominously over the US; unemployment could worsen again. But there’s little doubt that the brightening picture, which is also reflected in other economic indicators, has seriously complicated the messaging for the GOP. It wasn’t long ago that the unemployment rate was closer to 10 percent and stagnant, making it easier for them to claim nothing was getting better under Obama. Now they have to calibrate. “I believe the economy will come back. It always does,” said Mitt Romney, the Republican front-runner, during a campaign stop in Nevada. He blamed Obama’s policies for slowing the recovery, hurting families, and making it harder for businesses to bounce back. “And for that,” Romney said, “the president deserves the blame that he’ll receive in this campaign.” The bigger opening for Republicans has to do with the burden still resting on Obama’s shoulders: Millions of people don’t feel any better yet, no matter what the statistics show.

About 12.8 million people remain out of work, and an additional 11 million have either given up looking or can find only part-time jobs. Typical wages have failed to keep up with inflation. Nearly 43 percent of those out of work have been unemployed for at least six months.

And many people around the nation are struggling to make monthly payments on homes that are now worth less than their purchase price. So Republicans are trying to shift the question away from whether the economy is

getting better to whether their party would do much better yet.

That argument can be heard from the campaign trail to Capitol Hill, where House Speaker John Boehner accurately pointed out that unemployment has topped 8 percent for 36 months in a row under Obama Obama’s campaign, while noting recent improvements, is eager to frame the election around the question of which candidate has a better and more hopeful economic vision for the next four years and beyond. The contrast there, in policies, is remarkably clear. Obama promises to use government as a lever to ensure fairness. Opponents Romney and Newt Gingrich promise to repeal Obama legislation they say has helped weaken the economy, such as his health care law and tighter rules on Wall Street behavior.

Gingrich, asked on CNN whether Obama deserves any credit for improving employment, said: “If it makes you happy, give him some credit.” Even with the new jobs numbers, he said, the most Obama will be able to say is that he is “less destructive” than he was a year ago.

Obama’s vulnerability, as the president who owns the economy, is that voters who remain in dire economic straits will be so turned off by their current condition that they won’t listen to talk about the future. That would play into the underlying Republican argument: Obama has had his chance, and if your life isn’t better, it’s time to kick him out.

In turn, Obama always tempers his remarks about the economy, even with the trends in his favor. As he put it on Friday: “There’s still far too many Americans who need a job, or need a job that pays better than the one they have now.” Nine months before Election Day, the nation is split. Obama’s approval rating has improved over the past few months, rebounding from lows reached last summer, though it has not turned positive. The latest Gallup tracking poll finds the public torn on his performance, with 45 percent saying they approve and 48 percent disapproving. For every number about how things are getting better, another is available for sobering perspective - and political opportunism.

Obama made a point Friday to say that the economy had added 3.7 million private sector jobs over the past 23 months. Yet overall, the nation has about 5.6 million fewer jobs than it did when the giant recession began in late 2007. A better direction for the economy is not all that Obama promised. When he was a new president, Obama told NBC’s Matt Lauer that people were going to start seeing progress in a year from his policies. Then he added: “If I don’t have this done in three years, then there’s gonna be a one-term proposition.” The threeyear mark is here, and voters will soon decide on the one-term part. The answer may well come down to which economy they’re voting on - the one they see now or their faith in the one ahead. — AP

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

business

Kuwait stocks lackluster before elections BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) indices closed last week mixed before parliament elections held on Thursday. The price index ended last week with an increase amounted to 0.07%, while the weighted index declined by 0.14% compared to the closings of the week before.

Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover dropped by 7.55%, compared to the preceding week, whereas trading volume average recorded loss of 17.24%.

The stock market witnessed a return to the buying operations on leading and operational stocks, which was relatively low during the past few weeks, especially on the Banking sector.

This movement gave the market indices a strong push at some times. In addition, last minute random buying operations that took place last week, assisted in reducing the weekly losses of the weighted index.

The traders are still waiting for the annual results of listed companies, especially after passing a month from the declaration period, which is estimated by 3 months that end next March.

By the end of the week, the price index closed at 5,856.4 points, up by 0.07% from the

week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 0.14% weekly loss after closing at 404.51 points.

Sectors’ indices Five of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the red zone, while the other three recorded increases. The Real estate sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 1.01% to end the

week’s activity at 2,037.2 points. The Insurance sector was second on the losers’ list, which index declined by 0.21%, closing at 2,606.5 points, followed by the banks sector, as its index closed at 11,464.5 points at a loss of 0.20%. The Industry sector was the least declining as its index closed at 4,166.2 points with a 0.19% decrease. On the other hand, last week’s highest gainer was the Investment sector, achieving

0.77% growth rate as its index closed at 3,689.0 points. Whereas, in the second place, the Services sector’s index closed at 13,183.1 points recording 0.43% increase. The Food sector came in third as its index achieved 0.30% growth, ending the week at 4,217.8 points.

Sectors’ activity The Investment sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 476.06 million shares changing hands, representing 38.58% of the total market trading volume. The Real estate sector was second in terms trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 24.10% of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 297.43 million shares. On the other hand, the Investment sector’s stocks where the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD 35.99 million or 30.33% of last week’s total market trading value. The Services sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD 29.22 million represented 24.62% of the total market trading value.

Market capitalization KSE total market capitalization declined by

0.10% during last week to reach KD 28.49 billion, as five of KSE’s sectors recorded an increase in their respective market capitalization, whereas the other three recorded declines.

The Non Kuwaiti Companies sector headed the growing sectors as its total market capitalization reached KD 1.74 billion, increasing by 0.45%. The Food sector was the second in terms of recorded growth with 0.22% increase after the total value of its listed companies reached KD 697.55 million. The third place was for the Investment sector, which total market capitalization reached KD 2.14 billion by the end of the week, recording an increase of 0.16%.

The Services sector was the least growing with 0.03% recorded growth after its market capitalization amounted to KD 6.90 billion. On the other hand, the Real estate sector headed the decliners list as its total market capitalization decreased by 1.81% to reach, by the end of the week, KD 1.69 billion. The Insurance sector was second on this list, which market value of its listed companies declined by 0.29%, reaching KD 301.42 million, followed by the Banks sector, as its market capitalization amounted to KD 12.86 billion at a 0.09% decrease.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

business

KUWAIT: Sharp Japan executives, Sharp Middle East and Kuwait officials with Aref Al-Yousifi. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

‘Bigger Is Better’ campaign in Kuwait Kuwait chosen as region’s first market for 70 inch Sharp LED TV launch KUWAIT: In a joint product launch held at the Best Electronics showroom in Al-Rai area, Sharp Middle East FZE with its Kuwaiti partner Easa Husain Al-Yousifi & Sons Co launched the biggest TV on offer in the market in the form of its incredible 70-inch class (69.5” diagonal) AQUOS Quattron LED TVs, model LC-70LE735M, the largest LCD television with LED backlight on the market.

Under the campaign banner of “Bigger is Better”, these new TVs provide sixty two percent more viewing area than a 55inch model. Sharp’s 70-inch AQUOS LED aims to redefine large screen home entertainment across the region and narrowed down Kuwait, as its preferred launch market to introduce this giant TV. “Our findings have shown the tremendous interest amongst Kuwaiti nationals and residents to enjoy home entertainment on large screens and this strong demand gives us the assurance in making our regions first launch with our partners Al-Yousifi and Best Denki”, said Hiroshi Sasaoka Chairman of Sharp Middle East who also unveiled the product.

Titled as “Bigger Is Better”, Sharp and Al-Yousifi aim to capture the large screen markets with their unique line up of currently 60 and 70 inch Aquos LED TVs. Thanks to Sharp’s patent-

ed Quattron Technology and full LED backlight, the new 70inch AQUOS LED TV from Sharp shines with brilliant colors and unparalleled picture quality promises a wholesome TV experience like none other. Its attractive features and excellent energy efficiency make it an environmentally friendly package while offering a fascinating multimedia experience.

TVs, particularly those of 60-inch class and above screen sizes.

It’s one of the reasons why we are a leader in the large screen LCD LED market”, Sasaoka continued.

It’s not just size and amazing picture quality that make the AQUOS LC-70LE735M so convincing. Its extensive features make for an up-to-date multimedia experience and turns

Easa Husain Al-Yousifi & Sons Co launches biggest LED 70-inch screen from Sharp “With the LC-70LE735M, we continue to expand our bigscreen product range and set new standards in size and picture quality. As TOP sponsor of the UEFA EURO 2012 football championship, we want to make it possible for our customers to experience great football and emotions at home with nearly life-size pictures,” explained Sasaoka. “Our production capabilities, including the industry’s only 10th Generation LCD factory, and other proprietary technologies give us a distinct advantage in supplying the market with superior large screen

watching TV into something completely new. Via the AQUOS NET + smart TV platform, viewers gain access to the free Web browsing. Additionally, the 70-inch AQUOS LED TVs have an integrated Lean back, YouTube and Piccassa applications which is far advanced than any LED TVs in the market. Thanks to its extremely low power consumption, the AQUOS LED TV meets the strict requirements for inclusion in the A+ energy efficiency class, making it a carbon-conscious customer’s first choice product.

Amjad Fayad, Sharp Senior Division Manager at Easa Husain Al-Yousifi and Sons Co said that “A modem lifestyle for all nationals and residents of Kuwait is our single aim at AlYousifi. As part of this aim, we believe this new offering from Sharp in the form of a 60 and 70 inch Aquos LED TVs makes our product portfolio complete and a unique match to the evolving needs of our customers”. “The growth in LCD TV business has been on the rise and the dynamic market of Kuwait has bucked global trends by outperforming in the large screen TV categories. We feel the market is ready for going bigger, and with the UEFA championship soon approaching, this is the perfect time for this launch.”

Sharp customers are always guaranteed high quality digital experience and durability due to the ‘Made in Japan’ X-generation panel which are produced in Sharp’s own Sakai Factory. This high quality, and the attractive prices on offer for these large size AQUOS LED TVs make it the hottest deals this year for customers who are looking to upgrade their TV viewing experience. The 70-inch Aquos LC-70LE735M will be available at an unbelievable price, but true! Grab it before its gone!”, says Fayad.

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

business

Energy needs to drive GCC oil exports

By Dana Al-Fakir KUWAIT: After 31 years, Japan’s annual trade deficit made a comeback in 2011, following a dismal performance throughout most of that year.

In March, the country was hit by three devastating disasters: an earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear meltdown. This had a knock-on effect on exports as industrial production suffered a major setback. The demand for imported energy surged as its nuclear reactors, which provided 30% of the country’s energy, were shut down. In the last part of the year, exports suffered several blows again: waning global demand, a stronger yen and heavy flooding in Thailand disrupting its manufacturing supply chain. The loss in competitiveness to countries like South Korea, China and the US, where it is becoming relatively cheaper to produce goods, as well as the relocation of Japanese production plants abroad, are also having a negative impact on the trade balance. Japanese firms are increasingly relocating abroad due to two main detriments: high corporate tax levels and an appreciating yen, which are eroding production profits. JP Morgan predicts that in 2014, 76% of Japanese car firms will be situated overseas, up from 49% in 2003.

This could further deteriorate the trade balance if the country starts importing cars from abroad. Also, if profits are repatriated, this could further strengthen the yen, making exports even more expensive.

The trade balance is the difference in value between a country’s total exports and imports.

When a country is in a trade deficit, then it is a

net importer: its imports are outweighing its exports in value. A trade deficit in Japan can have serious repercussions on its ability to refinance its huge public debt, especially for a country that is almost purely export led. Over ten years up to 2010, half of Japan’s real GDP growth was accounted for by net exports. The trade balance itself is a component of the current account balance.

The current account balance records the purchase and sale of goods and services and is comprised of the trade balance, net income from

abroad (repatriated profits, dividends, interest payments) and net current transfers (remittances, pensions, grants, international aid). Japan has been running a current account surplus for decades. However, if the trade deficit persists, then the fate of the current account surplus will depend on foreign income from abroad. Japan’s trade balance is also relevant as a leading indicator of the global economy.

Case in point, Goldman Sachs has recently highlighted a 90% correlation between its Global Leading Indicator (GLI) and Japan’s trade

balance, with a three month lead. In other words, a deteriorating trade balance in Japan could be indicative of a decline in global momentum in the medium term.

As long as the nuclear reactors remain shut and there is no alternative source of energy in the short-run, energy imports are forecasted to rise further. This could lead to a significant surge in oil exports from the GCC, as Japan tries to keep up with energy demand, creating a deeper deficit. Thus, if the trade deficit persists in 2012 and the current account surplus continues to shrink, Japan could go from being a steady provider of capital to a net borrower of capital.

As previously mentioned, this could leave Japan scrambling to find an alternative route to satiate its growing public debt. Japan’s debt-toGDP ratio stands at 206% in 2011, second only to Greece. However, unlike its European counterparts, Japan’s bond yields are among the lowest in the world mostly due to its traditionally large current account surplus and willing domestic investors, who already own around 95% of Japan’s sovereign debt. So if the current account balance does continue to deteriorate, then the government may be forced to turn to foreign investors to help refinance their debt. Foreign investors may demand higher yields however, and this could put the nation’s debt levels in greater jeopardy. Thus, if Japan is to avert a looming current account deficit, against a backdrop of waning demand, it needs to bolster its budget by reducing expenditures and by increasing consumer tax levies.-Dana Al-Fakir is an economist at KCIC, an investment firm specializing in emerging Asia investments.

Strong US jobs growth spurs recovery hopes Businesses shift into hiring gear in Jan

KUWAIT: Aseel Al-Jassar, manager, Consumer Banking Group, Gulf Bank and Mohammed Taqi, assistant manager, Consumer Banking Group, Gulf Bank with the two winners in the center.

Gulf Bank announces winners of MasterCard promotion ‘Travel, spend & win $10,000’ KUWAIT: Gulf Bank yesterday announced the names of the two winners of the MasterCard ‘Travel, Spend & Win $10,000’ promotion. Chadi Kayrouz and Ahmed AlMutairi have each received a prize of $10,000, which has been paid directly into their accounts.

The promotion, which was aimed at Gulf Bank’s customers who were travelling abroad, was organized as a joint collaboration between Gulf Bank and MasterCard.

Aseel Al-Jassar, Manager, Consumer Banking Group at Gulf Bank said: “At Gulf Bank, we aim to offer all our customers as many attractive promotions with both local and global companies as possible, as well as providing exciting and exclusive discounts that meet and exceed their

needs. With this joint collaboration with MasterCard, we were delighted to be able to extend our promotion activity abroad, so that our customers could also benefit from Gulf Bank’s promotions even when travelling outside Kuwait.”

Between 7 November 2011 and 31 December 2011, all Gulf Bank Debit or Credit MasterCard holders (Classic, Gold, and Platinum) who made transactions while travelling outside Kuwait were automatically entered into a weekly draw for a chance to win cash prizes of $10,000. To find out more about Gulf Bank’s offers, discounts, and other card offers, customers can visit the Bank’s website www.e-gulfbank.com, visit one of Gulf Bank’s 55 branches or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805.

Amazing offers on auto finance from ABK and Al Babtain KUWAIT: In collaboration with Abdul Mohsen Al Babtain (Renault, Nissan, Infiniti and Citroen), ABK announces the provision of auto financing services to its clients who want a new car but need financing for it.

Stewart Lockie, GM Retail banking, said, “Auto finance is one of the most important types of financing as it is related with an essential product which is an integral part of our lives. ABK strives to provide easy and affordable ways to fulfill its clients’ needs; with this offer clients can enjoy discounts up to KD 250 when financing their car with ABK amongst other benefits”.

Lockie added: “ABK, keen to be unique in the services and products offered, including auto financing, offers special packages on

various vehicle brands with the largest international car agencies”. It is Stewart Lockie, worth menGM retail banking tioning that in addition to the discount announced, ABK offers more advantages like financing up to KD 15,000 without the obligation of transferring the salary to the Bank. For more information about the Auto financing services please call Ahlan Ahli on 1899899, or chat live through Ahli Chat via our website www.eahli.com to talk to one of our account managers.

Dollar mixed after strong jobs report NEW YORK: Rumors about an ECB move to help Greece close its debt restructuring deal helped wipe out earlier gains made by the dollar Friday on the unexpectedly strong US jobs report. The euro finished the day higher against the greenback, at $1.3156 around 2215 GMT, up from $1.3142 at about the same time on Thursday.

The dollar rebounded against the Japanese currency, to 76.58 yen from 76.23 Thursday, The US currency gained a boost against the euro after the Labor Department reported solid January job growth numbers and the unemployment rate fell for a fourth straight month, to 8.3 percent from 8.5 percent. But the increase proved short-lived as the euro rebounded on a rumor that the European Central Bank is ready to share more of the burden in rescuing debt-wracked

Greece. The euro headed higher around 1745 GMT when the rumor about the ECB swept markets. “There was information that the European Central Bank is considering using its bonds to help Greece,” said Charles StArnaud, a Nomura currency strategist.

“That signaled to market participants that the ECB was ready to suffer losses and participate in the restructuring plan for Greek debt,” he said. Meanwhile, the Institute of International Finance, the global banking organization leading the debt writedown talks, said that its representatives will return to Athens this weekend for more negotiations. Greece is under growing pressure to strike a deal with its private creditors. Most experts say it needs to have an agreement by February 13; Athens faces debt repayments of $14.5 billion euros on March 20. —AFP

WASHINGTON: US businesses shifted into hiring gear in January, creating jobs at the fastest clip in nine months, official data showed Friday amid signs the recovery from deep recession is gaining traction.

The Labor Department’s keenly awaited jobs report blew past expectations, providing a welcome shot of good news for President Barack Obama’s reelection bid. The economy added 243,000 net new jobs in broad-based gains. The job growth was enough to pull down the unemployment rate to 8.3 percent, the lowest since February 2009, the department said.

“The economy is starting to turn the corner and the labor market is finally becoming a beneficiary of the improving economic conditions,” said Joel Naroff of Naroff Economic Advisors.

US stocks soared on the news, driving the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its highest closing level since May 2008 and the Nasdaq to an 11-year high. Macroeconomic Advisers said it was raising its forecasts for first-quarter growth in consumer spending, the main driver of the economy.

“The flow of economic data and improving financial conditions continue to point to an economy that is likely to grow at a moderate rate in the first part of the year, with strengthening momentum for consumer spending and employment relative to recent forecasts,” it said.

But analysts cautioned against reading too much into one month’s numbers. Echoing Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke’s concerns, they warned that the ailing labor market has a long, slow road to health and faces potential setbacks, not least from a negative impact from Europe’s debt crisis.

Moody’s Analytics analyst Sophia Koropeckyj pointed to a number of challenges, including weak fiscal conditions, an expected increase in home foreclosures, the European public debt crisis, and slowing global growth. “However, the very strong start to the year may also indicate that the US economy is more resistant to these threats than we believe,” she said. With jobs top-

TIGARD: People wait in line during a job fair for Home Depot at the WorkSource Oregon in Tigard. In the most impressive surge for the job market since early last year, the United States added 243,000 jobs last month, far more than economists expected. The unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent, the lowest in three years. — AP ping the campaign agenda ahead of the November elections, Democrat Obama seized on the data to urge opposition Republican lawmakers to support an extension of a payroll tax cut for the rest of the year.

“So I want to send a clear message to Congress: Do not slow down the recovery that we’re on. Don’t muck it up. Keep it moving in the right direction,” the president said. Leading Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney welcomed the decline in unemployment but accused Obama of preventing “a true economic recovery.”

“We can do better,” Romney said. The numbers were much better than analysts’ expectations. The average estimate was that the jobless rate held steady at December’s 8.5 percent rate

and job creation would slow, to 155,000 jobs.

But job creation in January was the strongest since April 2011, and well up from December’s 203,000 figure. Businesses put 257,000 jobs on their payrolls, while government layoffs, which had limited net jobs generation over the past two years, slowed to 14,000. The average workweek in the private sector in January was unchanged from December but wages rose 0.2 percent. Analysts cautioned that January job numbers are notorious for future revisions, but pointed to other recent positive indicators, including increases in auto sales and in closely watched surveys of manufacturing and services.

The ISM services sector index released Friday showed solid growth in new orders and jobs in January. — AFP

Why small caps stocks deserve a closer look WASHINGTON: Underperforming money managers are losing their most reliable scapegoat.

Since the 2008 financial crisis, the nation’s professional stock-pickers - who manage billions for pension funds, endowments and wealthy families - have said stocks were too stuck-together to build smart, market-beating portfolios.

When stocks are rising and falling in unison based on the same big-picture economic news, with little regard for the companies behind them, it’s tough to beat the market. That’s no longer a problem for the 2,000 relatively small companies in the Russell 2000 index. Correlation among Russell 2000 stocks, as measured by data analysts at Credit Suisse, plunged to 20 percent in late January, from 74 percent in September.

Meanwhile, the Russell has been on a historic upswing, gaining more than 36 percent in the past four months, compared with 22 percent for the much-bigger companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

Last month, the mighty Russell rose 7 percent 60 percent better than the S&P 500, and its strongest January since 2006. The median market value of a Russell 2000 company is $563 million about one-twentieth the median size of S&P 500 companies. It should be a small-stock-picker’s paradise. Yet only 42 percent of the small-cap funds tracked by Credit Suisse are beating the market so far this year, compared with half of S&P 500 funds.

“This should have been a period when stockpickers should have done well, and unfortunately, it just didn’t happen,” says Lori Calvasina, the lead author of the Credit Suisse report. “It does feel like this was an opportunity that got missed.” So how did so many fund managers end up holding the wrong stocks? They were too cautious, Calvasina says. Late last year, many were afraid that Europe’s debt crisis would boil over, threatening the US’s

slow economic recovery. They set about buying “high-quality” stocks - bigger companies, often in industries that do well when the economy is weak. Traders also bid up stocks of companies that do most of their business here in the US, Calvasina says.

Those aren’t the stocks driving the Russell index’s gains. As the economic outlook has improved this winter and traders have grown less worried about Europe, stocks have gained the most in sectors that are sensitive to the economy, such as homebuilders, boatmakers and furniture

manufacturers. “Plain and simple, (fund managers are) just not positioned for this,” Calvasina says.

“The portfolios that most small-cap fund managers have built are positioned to outperform in pullbacks, not to dominate in rallies.”

One investment adviser who gave in to last fall’s economic worries is Don Olmstead, managing director of Novare Capital in Charlotte, NC. Olmstead sold his clients’ small-cap stocks in September because the market was volatile and it looked like a financial shock from Europe might push the U.S. into a double-dip recession. —AP

NEW YORK: J R Smith (second from right), CEO of AVG Technologies, listens to specialist Michael O’Connor (right) during his visit to the trading floor after he rang the New York Stock Exchange opening bell on Friday. — AP

27

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Samsung says Germany rejects Apple’s request SEOUL: South Korea’s Samsung Electronics said that a German court rejected Apple’s bid to ban sales of its tablet computers and new smartphones, the latest chapter in a global legal battle between the rivals.

Samsung said Munich Regional Court on Wednesday quashed Apple’s request to impose a preliminary ban on sales of its Galaxy Tab 10.1N and Nexus smartphone. Apple claimed Samsung

infringed on its patent rights, but the court disagreed, saying the technology has been widely used in the mobile market, Samsung said. The rivals have been locked in a series of lawsuits in Germany.

Last week, the Mannheim Regional Court ruled against Samsung saying Apple had not violated one of its technical patents, while a Dusseldorf court is to rule next week on Apple’s request

to ban sales of Samsung’s Gaxaxy Tab 10.1N. The two technology giants are engaged in a legal battle involving dozens of cases worldwide as they struggle for leadership in the hugely lucrative smartphone and tablet computer market. Apple began the process in April last year, accusing Samsung of “slavishly” copying its iPhone and iPad designs. Samsung has focused its own lawsuits on technology patents rather

than design. The South Korean giant received two legal boosts in December.

A court in San Jose, California, denied Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction that would have banned the sale of three Samsung smartphones and a tablet computer. Australia’s High Court cleared the way for Samsung to sell its Galaxy 10.1 tablet in the country in time for Christmas, dismissing Apple’s bid to have a ban extended. But

European regulators this week opened an antitrust probe against Samsung to determine whether it has distorted competition in European mobile device markets. The European Commission said it would investigate whether Samsung went too far last year when it sought injunctions against competitors in various EU national courts, alleging infringements of Samsung’s patent rights.—AFP

East and West risk cyber ‘Cold War’ Intellectual property theft, Internet freedom key issues LONDON: With worries growing over computer hacking, data theft and the risk of digital attacks destroying essential systems, western states and their allies are co-operating closer than ever on cyber security. But as they do so, the gulf between them and China and Russiablamed for many recent hacks and with a very different and much more authoritarian view over the future of the Internet-grows ever wider.

Last week, Chinese officials turned down invitations to a privately-run conference of military and civilian experts on cyber security in London, telling organizers Defense IQ they would not attend due to a “low tide” in relations with the US, particularly its military. A senior Russian official also pulled out at the last moment, citing a failure to obtain a UK Visa in time-although other attendees suspected that might simply have been an excuse.

Western officials talk down such snubs. But they admit progress towards international agreement on “norms of behaviour” in cyberspace remains a distant dream. “It is worrying,” says John Bassett, a former senior official at British signals intelligence agency GCHQ and now senior fellow at London’s Royal United Services Institute. “If anything, in the last year the differences have become more apparent and there seems to have been little success in tackling them. There is a risk it could end up damaging the wider relationship.”

Russia and China, it seems, have little appetite to tackle data theft whilst the West has no intention of acquiescing to Russian and Chinese demands for a more controlled Internet. Jim Lewis, a former US foreign service officer and now senior fellow at Washington DC think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, participates in regular semi-official meetings with China on cyber.

“There are several things coming together here,” he says. “There is the political difference over the freedom and future of the Internet.

Then that gets tied together with the theft of commercial property-which itself becomes part of the wider trade issues.”

Already, Western officials and academics involved in talks say discussions on cyber between East and West have become much more difficult and more complex than on any other issue. “This is going to be a very gradual process,” says Christopher Painter, the US State Department lead official on cyber policy.

“There are obviously some very different visions of the future of the Internet... On intellectual theft, I’m not going to single out China or Russia but it’s obviously something we take very seriously.” A November London conference organized by British Foreign Secretary William Hague was supposed to kickstart progress towards global consensus. But if anything, it looks to have simply exacerbated the differences. A follow-up conference in Budapest later this year could be similar, some fear. “The London conference did seem to show a “nonflexible” attitude from both the West and East,” says Tony Dyhouse, a leading cyber security

specialist for UK defense firm Quinetiq. “Dare we coin the term “Cyber Cold War”?”

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT In public, US and other Western officials almost always decline to detail where they believe the plethora of recent cyber attacks have come from. In the last year, they have included attempts to break into computer systems at the US State Department and British Foreign Office and other highly publicized attacks on Lockheed Martin, Google, the NASDAQ and the International Monetary Fund amongst others. But privately and occasionally on the record, they frequently point the finger at Russia and China. Both angrily deny any involvement, saying they too are victims of hacking.

But many Western security specialists say the evidence against both nations-particularly China-has become increasingly compelling.

“China is currently engaged in a maximal industrial espionage effort that it justifies internally in terms of a catch up strategy (with the West),” says Thomas Barnett, chief analyst at political risk consultancy Wikistrat and a former strategist for the US Navy. “The key question here is: can China assume the mantle of intellectual property rights respect fast enough to avoid triggering economic warfare of the West... If it can’t, then this is likely to get ugly.”

PricewaterhouseCoopers consultant Tim Hind, a former intelligence chief at British bank Barclays, has few doubts.

“I think government circles and organizations now... have very good attribution,” he says. “The question is what you do diplomatically with that attribution... I think our government sees our economic and political mission with China as more important than addressing the cyber issue.” Some believe the most promising avenue of negotiation might be to link it to one of Beijing’s primary worries-the buildup of US military forces in Southeast Asia. “There is a deal to be made here involving the US ceasing its intelligence gathering, naval and air activity off China’s coast,” Nigel Inkster, a former deputy chief of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and now head of political risk and transnational threats at London’s International Institute for Strategic Studies, said late last year.

But others suspect the scale of Chinese responsibility might be overstated. “One thing is certain-the “in thing” to do is blame China and hence it is likely that at least some of the actions blamed on China will not be of that origin,” said another European cyber security expert, speaking on condition of anonymity. “They’ve become a “no questions asked” scapegoat.”

Because of the focus on China, some experts say the scale of hacking from Russian territory is often ignored. That, some suggest, is how Moscow was able to marshal so many “patriotic hackers” to paralyze Estonia’s Internet during a political face-off in 2007 as well as attacking Georgian websites during the 2008 war. More recently, such hackers have targeted dissident websites.

VAST PHILOSOPHICAL GULF Perhaps even more serious than worries over hacking, however, is the vast philosophical gulf between East and West. Last year, both Russia and China saw a rise in Internetfuelled unrest that they blamed in part on the West. Beijing’s censors increasingly struggled to control micro-blogging on their relatively tightly regulated Internet, whilst recent protests against Vladimir Putin are seen further fuelling Russian desire for control. In the run-up to the London meeting, Moscow and Beijing released a suggested “code of conduct” for the global Internet that would give national governments much more control over the Internet within their borders. But Western states swiftly shot down such suggestions. Despite British hopes the Chinese and Russians would not feel “ambushed” at the London summit, they would have found much to dislike there. “ The Chinese see the Internet as an American construct, designed to provide the US with military and commercial advantage,” said Lewis, adding that Beijing suspected the West of fostering dissent within its borders as well as building powerful cyber weaponry with which to attack. With almost every nation dramatically ramping up its military spending on cyber security-including offensive “cyber warfare” capabilities to attack essential networks, turn off power grids and cause massive disruption-some fear more serious confrontation.

In a worst-case scenario, a single damaging cyber attack could spark a wider conventional war or even nuclear confrontation-with the risk a nation might wrongly blame a rival government for the actions of a single hacker and strike back. The 2009 Stuxnet computer worm attack on Iran’s nuclear program that reprogrammed sensitive equipment to tear itself apart was seen by many as a sign of things to come. As with any potential military conflict, experts have long said the key to avoiding accidental escalation is the creation of “confidence building measures” between all sides such as meetings, hotlines and shared discussions over threats.

Senior officers from the newly launched US Cyber Command and other officials have massively ramped up links with other military and civilian cyber agencies across NATO and the Western world. That process with China and Russia is at a much earlier stage, officials say.

Some believe more should be done. “Even if you have long-running cyber arms control negotiations that never really went anywhere, that would give you the chance to get conversation and contacts going,” says former GCHQ official Bassett. For now, many believe the greatest risk is that paranoia sets in on both sides, further entrenching positions. “We are very tempted by a “Cold War” way of thinking,” says Lewis at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. “The problem is that that can be very self-fulfilling.” —Reuters

Going mobile: Travel set to go high-tech LONDON: Welcome to the airport terminal of the future. There are self-service bag drops but no check-in desks.

Your passage is seamless, punctuated behind the scenes only by discrete Near Field Communication (NFC) sensors.

Occasionally you stop to scan your NFCenabled smartphone at a touch point.

Your biometric information, picked up by automated surveillance cameras, will ensure there’s no need to queue up to see whether you pose a security threat.

This is where travel needs to be, say technologists who also insist that their wizardry, if employed universally, could solder together the jagged edges of the industry.

It may sound far-fetched, but automated systems that talk to handheld devices are in the trial stage: In Australia, Qantas has rolled out frequent flyer cards with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to streamline the luggage-tagging process; Japan Airlines (JAL) is deploying NFC-based mobile boarding passes later this year for domestic flights. “Technology is joining the dots by giving passengers the opportunity to ‘automate’ their way through the airport touch points,” says Renaud Irminger, a director at air transport communications and IT solutions provider SITA. But a report from global IT group Amadeus on how airlines, airports, ground transportation firms and hotels can be more collaborative, argues that there is no focus on the interfaces where travelers feel the pain.

Andrew Curr y, a direc tor of The Futures Company who helped research the Amadeus report, told Reuters that if nobody leads on this, nothing could happen for five or 10 years. The report is available at http://bit.ly/wMix0V. Recent SITA surveys have reported that of the top 50 airlines almost 80 percent are planning to deploy NFC technology

by 2014, but only 27 percent of airports expect to implement the technology by then. This could be because they are unsure if the investment is worthwhile.

For mobile solutions to work internationally for example, agreement across multiple jurisdictions would need to overcome a jungle of data privacy and security regulations.

“If only 10 percent of customers use new technology, all the old systems must remain, meaning you’ve simply added another layer of complexity, not greater simplicity,” said Peter Morris, chief economist at aviation consultancy Ascend. SITA projects 80 percent of travelers will use mobile check-in by 2018. Forced to bear the brunt of check-in responsibility, it is far from certain whether passengers will benefit from these airports of the future. “We remain to be convinced about customer reaction, which should be measured by proper impartial surveys rather than simple assertions by self-interested purveyors of technology,” Morris told Reuters.

Paul Behan, head of passenger experience at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said a focus on mobile boarding neglec ts other aspects of traveler stress. “The boarding process itself is not necessarily a major hassle for passengers; rather any frustration seems to come from the issue of trying to find all-important luggage space in the overhead bins.”

The benefits of new technology are certainly being enjoyed by the aviation industry. IATA’s “Simplifying the Business” program is, it has said, saving around $5.5 billion a year from the switch to e-ticketing, bar-coded boarding passes and selfservice kiosks. An ongoing baggage program replacing manual luggage systems will save an estimated $1.9 billion per year. —Reuters

Samsung condemns ‘anti-Iran’ ad featuring its tablet

Google loses appeal TAIPEI: Taiwan said Friday it had rejected an appeal by Google against a fine imposed on the US Internet giant for refusing to grant customers a seven-day trial period on its mobile phone apps. The Taipei City government, which levied the fine of Tw$1 million ($33,000) in mid-2011, said the economics ministry had ruled in its favor. “We urge Google to respect Taiwan’s laws and the rights of our consumers to resume sales of its Android Market paid apps,” it said in a statement.

Taiwan’s consumer protection law stipulates that consumers are entitled to a seven-day trial period after purchasing products online, including mobile phone software applications. The capital city’s government last year said that Google and Apple had violated the law and ordered them to amend its trading rules.

Apple later complied with the law but Google did not, it said. Under the terms of service for Google’s Android Market, consumers are entitled to a refund only within 15 minutes of purchasing a product online. Google has suspended the sale of its paid apps in Taiwan since the dispute. Google Taiwan’s officials were not immediately available for comment. —AFP

DUESSELDORF: In this file photo, a lawyer holds an Apple iPad and a Samsung Tablet-PC at a court in Duesseldorf, Germany. —AP

NEW JERSEY: Kruti Sheth refurbishes iPods at Liquidity Services Inc., in Cranbury, N.J. Liquidation.com has four warehouses full of returned merchandise. —AP

SEOUL: Samsung Electronics yesterday condemned an Israeli commercial featuring a Samsung tablet, expressing dismay at Iran’s threat to ban its products over the apparently anti-Tehran teaser.

The South Korean electronics giant said it had not been involved in production of the TV spot, produced by Israeli cable TV channel HOT. HOT offered Galaxy tabs as gifts to attract new viewers and the advert was part of the station’s subscription campaign, Samsung said. “We have absolutely nothing to do with this television spot,” a Samsung Electronics spokesman said. The commercial was produced by HOT “without Samsung’s knowledge or participation,” the company said in a statement. “It should be noted that HOT cable network utilized a GALAXY Tab in its advertisement solely as a promotional gift,” Samsung said.

“As a member of the global community, Samsung is committed to demonstrating respect for all people and cultures around the globe,” it added. A senior Iranian lawmaker has said Iran’s Majlis Energy Committee was considering a plan to impose a ban on Samsung products over the teaser. The commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ho HrLL-tVw&list) features Israeli Mossad

agents in a rendezvous at a cafe near what appears to be an Iranian nuclear facility. One of the agents, passing time at a table fiddling with a Samsung tablet and showing off its features to his comrades, inadvertently pushes a button on the device, setting off an explosion at the nuclear plant. “What? Another mysterious explosion in Iran,” a comment follows.

Arsalan Fat’hipour, who heads the Majlis Energy Committee, said the commercial was insulting and that Iran’s parliament was considering a ban on Samsung products. He told Iran’s Press TV that it depicted Iran as a “primitive society” and suggested Israel was “powerful enough to easily destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities or assassinate the countr y ’s nuclear scientists.” The episode comes as Seoul is under pressure from Washington to join US-led sanctions on Iranian oil over Tehran’s suspected nuclear weapons program.

South Korea imports nearly 10 percent of its crude from Iran. In December, Seoul added more than 100 names to a financial blacklist of Iranian firms and individuals but it did not announce a ban on imports of petrochemicals or crude oil. —AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

US recommends routine HPV vaccination for boys WASHINGTON: US health authorities on Friday urged all boys age 11-12 to get a routine vaccination against the most common sexually transmitted disease, human papillomavirus, or HPV. Other changes as part of an annual update to US immunization schedules included a recommended hepatitis B vaccine to the protect the livers of adults up to age 60 who have diabetes and a vaccine against whooping cough for pregnant women.

The updates, agreed upon by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), were published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report of February 3. The HPV vaccine has been approved for girls since 2006 but

News

in brief

Guillain-BarrA syndrome NEW YORK: Despite concerns by some that vaccines might cause a crippling nerve disorder called Guillain-BarrA syndrome, a new study finds that people who receive vaccines after previously having been diagnosed with the condition do not experience any flare-ups.

“Vaccines are OK for people with Guillain-BarrA syndrome,” said Dr Roger Baxter, the lead author of the study and the co-director of the Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center.

Green tea drinkers NEW YORK: Elderly adults who regularly drink green tea may stay more agile and independent than their peers over time, a large study of Japanese adults suggests. Green tea contains certain antioxidant chemicals- particularly a compound known as EGCG-that may help ward off the body-cell damage that can lead to disease. And researchers have been studying green tea’s effects on everything from cholesterol to the risk of certain cancers-with mixed results so far.

Anxiety therapy study NEW YORK: A form of talk therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy appears to help older adults battle anxiety disorders slightly better than other approaches, but not as well as in younger adults, according to a new study.

“Cognitive behavioral therapy is the mainstay for treating anxiety disorders in younger adults.

Its lower effect in older adults in this study is concerning,” said Dr Eric Lenze, a professor at Washington University School of Medicine, who was not involved in this study.

Breastfeeding tied to stronger lungs NEW YORK: Kids who were breastfed as babies may have better lung function, and a lower risk of asthma, than those who were formula-fed, two new reports suggest. Researchers said that past studies have found conflicting results when it comes to the effects of breastfeeding on kids’ lungs, with some research suggesting that moms with asthma who breastfeed may be putting their kids at risk as well.

Traffic-related asthma NEW YORK: Traffic pollution may cost two California cities millions each year in managing children’s asthma, a new study suggests. The findings suggest that “the real costs of this pollution are substantial,” said lead researcher Sylvia J Brandt, of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Ulcer-causing bug NEW YORK: People who have been infected with the ulcer-causing bacteria Helicobacter pylori are more than twice as likely to develop diabetes later on as people who do not have signs of the infection, according to a new study of Latino adults in California. The results don’t prove that the bug causes diabetes, but “it is strongly related to predicting type 2 diabetes,” said Allison Aiello, the senior researcher on the study and a professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. — Reuters

the CDC had not expressly urged it for boys, though boys were included among those who could receive it to prevent certain cancers and genital warts.

Health experts have expressed hope that if preteen boys and girls are both encouraged to get the vaccine, the rate of infection will decrease in the general population. About half of all sexually active adults will get HPV in their lifetime. There are more than 100 types of HPV, and most clear the body on their own, but some strains can linger and lead to cervical, anal or oral cancer. Only about 20 percent of women aged 19-27 reported having received the HPV vaccine in 2010, up slightly from 17.6 percent in 2009, the CDC said.

The vaccine, currently recommended for girls age 11-26, has faced resistance from some parents over fears that immunizing young girls would encourage them to be promiscuous.

The new guidelines, which were first urged by ACIP in October, call for all males aged 11-12 to get the vaccine too, with a catch up vaccination for those between the ages of 13 and 21 if they missed it. HPV vaccine also is recommended for males 22-26 years old who have not been vaccinated before and who have weakened immune defenses, who test positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or who have sex with men. The hepatitis B shot is now being recommended for all adults up to 60 who have diabetes as soon as pos-

Komen reverses move to cut Planned Parenthood funding $3 million new funding sparks controversy WASHINGTON: The Susan G Komen for the Cure foundation backed down from its decision to cut funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion and birth control services, following a massive outcry by supporters of the world’s largest breast cancer charity. Komen’s decision had thrust the group into America’s deeply politicized debate over abortion rights and its apology on Friday may not satisfy the more vocal advocates on either side.

Planned Parenthood supporters, including local directors within Komen’s ranks, say Komen had come under pressure from anti-abortion activists. Social conservatives had lauded the move to disengage from Planned Parenthood and said it would win Komen new supporters.

“We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives,” Komen said in a statement on Friday signed by its board of directors and its founder Nancy Brinker. Komen had said earlier this week it would cease to fund grants for breast cancer screening to Planned Parenthood under new rules to tighten eligibility.

The guidelines excluded groups under investigation by US authorities and Planned Parenthood is the subject of a probe by US Rep Cliff Stearns, a Republican from Florida who opposes abortion.

Planned Parenthood provides a variety of services including reproductive healthcare, sex education, cancer screenings and information on sexually transmitted diseases - but its abortion role has put it at the forefront of the national debate. Komen’s move prompted a protest campaign on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook that reached a fever pitch on Thursday. Local Komen chapters sent letters to headquarters opposing the move, and by late Thursday night, its board convened a special meeting.

Komen said it will now amend its new funding criteria to “ensure that politics has no place in our grant process.”

The guidelines will make clear that a group under investigation will be disqualified only if the probe is “criminal and conclusive in nature and not political.” “We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities.” Planned Parenthood said it was “enormously grateful” that Komen amended its funding rules.

“I really take them at their word that this is behind us,” Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards told reporters. She pointed to the strong ties between both organizations at the community level “where we work together to provide services and care for women who have nowhere else to turn.” Komen grants to Planned Parenthood amount to about $700,000 annually and have helped fund 170,000 clinical breast exams and more than 6,400 mammogram referrals in the past five years, mostly to poor women.

Richards said the public support this week led to nearly $3 million in new donations for its national breast health fund. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg pledged $250,000, while cycling champion Lance Armstrong’s cancer foundation LiveStrong said on Friday it was donating $100,000. Brinker founded the Komen foundation, known for its pink ribbon symbol and Race for the Cure fundraisers, after the death of her sister, Susan Komen, of breast cancer in 1980. The organization has collected more than $1.9 billion for breast cancer research and programs and has affiliates in more than 100 US cities and 50 countries.

Komen officials insisted the organization had not taken a political turn by changing its grant guidelines. Board member John Raffaelli described the initial Planned Parenthood decision as a misunderstanding of its own funding policy. “It didn’t come out very clearly,” Raffaelli said. “It got screwed up.” But activists on both sides of the

debate cited signs of a change in outlook from the group, and attributed some of it to pressure from anti-abortion activists. Brinker, who served as ambassador to Hungary under President George W Bush, had appointed Republican Karen Handel to a senior policy role inside the group last year. Handel had run for Georgia governor on a platform that called for defunding Planned Parenthood.

Komen faces additional fallout from the crisis, as social conservatives expressed deep disappointment over the group’s about-face. Representative Kevin Brady, a member of the US House Republican leadership team, said it was “really unfortunate” that Komen reversed its decision. “To be giving grants to an organization that effectively ends so many lives - (it) just seems to me they made the right decision before and they’re making the wrong decision now,” Brady said.

Stearns pledged to continue the investigation into Planned Parenthood’s use of taxpayer funds and said the group’s latest fundraising shows “it does not need the Komen funding.” Local Komen affiliates contacted by Reuters said they had no input into the decision to cut funding for Planned Parenthood on the national level, and many opposed it, whether openly or through private letters to the headquarters.

“We sent official letters to the headquarters,” said Nancy Healey, executive director of the Komen chapter in central and southern New Jersey. “Komen is a grassroots organization. The displeasure and the outrage was heard and the decision was reversed. I’m thrilled.” Anne Morris, executive director of Komen Connecticut, had publicly refused to pull her affiliate’s funding for Planned Parenthood. Morris said she continued speaking with the local Planned Parenthood daily through the week. “Our supporters knew that we weren’t supporting that (the national decision),” she said. “Our donors and people participating in Race for the Cure really applauded us for that.” — Reuters

Brains of addicts are inherently abnormal WASHINGTON: Drug addicts have inherited abnormalities in some parts of the brain which interfere with impulse control, said a British study published in the United States on Thursday. Previous research has pointed to these differences, but it was unclear if they resulted from the ravages of addiction or if they were there beforehand to predispose a person to drug abuse. Scientists at the University of Cambridge compared the brains of addicts to their non-addicted siblings as well as to healthy, unrelated volunteers and found that the siblings shared many of the same weaknesses in their brains. That indicates that the brain vulnerabilities had a family origin, though somehow the siblings of addicts-either due to environmental factors or other differences in brain structure-were able to resist addiction.

“Presumably, the siblings must have some other resilience factors that counteract the familial vulnerability to drug dependence,” said the study led by Karen Ersche of the University of Cambridge, published in the journal Science. “An individual’s predisposition to become addicted to stimulant drugs may be mediated by brain abnormalities linked to impaired selfcontrol.” Researchers tested 50 biological sibling pairs, in which one was addicted to

drugs and the other one had no history of chronic drug abuse. They also tested 50 healthy, unrelated pairs of people as a control group.

The tests involved measuring how well they could control their impulses in a stopsignal reaction time test that assesses how quickly a person can switch from following one set of instructions to another. Addicts are known to have poor impulse control.

The researchers found that the sibling pairs-even the non-addicts-fared significantly worse on the test than the healthy volunteers. Brain scans showed that the siblings shared some of the same weaknesses in the frontal lobe and its connections to the basal ganglia, which mediates motor, cognition and behavior.

In an accompanying Perspective article, Nora Volkow and Ruben Baler of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse said that knowing more about brain circuitry could help understand and treat other “impaired control” disorders, like obesity, pathological gambling, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. “Several childhood and adolescent interventions can improve executive function and self-control,” though more study is needed to see how such work may or may not impact the brain, they wrote. — AFP

Lifestyle changes prevent cancers GENEVA: More than 30 percent of cancers can be prevented by lifestyle changes, the World Health Organization said Friday, on the eve of World Cancer Day. Among key risk factors for cancer are tobacco and alcohol consumption, a diet low in fruit and vegetable intake and lack of physical activity. “Tobacco use is the most important risk factor for cancer causing 22 percent of global cancer deaths and 71 percent of global lung cancer deaths,” the UN health agency said.

Halting tobacco use, for instance, could therefore help cut cancer mortality rates. According to latest available figures dating to 2008, cancer caused 7.6 million deaths worldwide during the year, making up about 13 percent of global mortality. Lung, stomach, liver, colon and breast cancers caused the most fatalities. About 70 percent of all cancer deaths in 2008 occurred in low- and middle-income countries. The WHO projected that deaths from cancer will continue rising, and will hit an estimated 13.1 million in 2030.— AFP

sible after they are diagnosed, and for those older based on the need for assisted blood glucose monitoring.

The combination Tdap vaccine against tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (or whooping cough) had been urged for adults with close contact to children and for women after they gave birth if they had not previously been vaccinated as adults. The new recommendation calls for pregnant women to get the Tdap vaccine at 20 weeks gestation or later so they can pass the antibodies on to the fetus. All people age six months and older can get the annual flu vaccine, the update added. Patients with an egg allergy should get the inactivated flu shot. — AFP

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan nurses take part in a protest outside a hospital in Colombo. Sri Lankan nurses staged a protest against irregularities, political interferences and demanded the government to establish a better professionalism for them. Placards from left read as “Give Us Promotions In 5 Years”, “Amend the Nurses Act”, “Constitution for the betterment of Public”, “Nursing Graduates Awaiting Jobs”. — AP

HYDERABAD: Indian Medical staff members of Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute participate in a cancer awareness walk in Hyderabad during World Cancer Day yesterday. More than 30 percent of cancers can be prevented by lifestyle changes, the World Health Organization said on the eve of World Cancer Day. — AFP

Bossy mom at snack time tied to kid’s weight: Study WASHINGTON: Mothers who push their toddlers to eat more at snack time may end up with slightly chubbier children by the age of three, according to a US study.

Researchers whose findings appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition said that such parents might end up overriding their child’s ability to listen to their body’s natural “satiety signals”-the brain’s way of saying it’s time to stop eating.

It wasn’t clear if parental pushiness actually led to excess weight gain, and the weight differences in the study were small.

But a number of previous studies have pointed to links between “controlling” mealtime behavior by parents and their children’s risk of being overweight.

Toddlers of course are notoriously finicky eaters, and parents often worry their child might not be eating enough, said Julie Lumeng, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, who led the study. “So their toddler doesn’t want to eat, but parents are saying, ‘Come on honey. Eat, eat, eat!’” she said. Previous studies relied on questionnaires that essentially asked parents if they were pushy at the dinner table, but Lumeng and her colleagues decided to observe what mothers were actually doing.

To do that, they had 1,218 mothers come to their research lab, then videotaped them during a 10-minute snack with their child. Families came at three different times-when the child was 15 months-old, two years-old and three years-old. Overall,

mothers who were the most “intrusive” during the snacks tended to have heavier children, even when factors such as family income and race were taken into account.

“Intrusive” in this study meant pushing toddlers to eat rather than offering food, such as saying “You know you like it, take another bite,” Lumeng said.

Lower-income and minority children generally have a higher risk of obesity than white, middle-class children, and studies have found that their mothers also tend to be more controlling at mealtimes, the authors noted. But the association between pushiness and weight was a small one. If all of a mother’s snack time “prompts” were of the assertive variety, her child would move up slightly on the body mass index (BMI) scale, a measure of weight against height. The difference was akin to moving to the 57th from the 50th percentile, Lumeng said.

She also noted that since the research was done in a lab, it doesn’t reflect what happens at home. To address this, she and her colleagues are starting a study where they will have low-income families video typical meals at home. For now, Lumeng suggests that parents follow current expert thinking: give young children healthy food, but allow them to control how much they eat at a time. “Children will naturally eat the proper amount. Often, the kids (that) parents are worried about are actually a very healthy weight,” she said. — Reuters

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

Malaria toll far higher than thought: Study PARIS: Malaria kills more than 1.2 million people a year, nearly 50 percent more than previously thought, and inflicts a high toll among adults and older children and not just toddlers, a new investigation says. But there is also good news: deaths from the mosquito-borne disease have in fact been falling sharply thanks to access to better drugs and insecticide-treated nets. Published in The Lancet on Friday, the study by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, Seattle, says malaria killed at least 1.2 million people worldwide in 2010. The estimate will be a likely shock for health policymakers. Only last September the UN-backed Roll Back Malaria (RBM) calculated mortality in 2009 at 781,000. The higher figure, say the US researchers, derives from wider and more reliable data, including use of a technique called “verbal autopsy”. Under this, investigators interview relatives of someone who has recently died in order to help pinpoint the cause of death.

In many poor countries which lack medical infrastructure, mortality is often poorly probed or misidentified.

The new study skewers the belief that the overwhelming majority of malaria deaths occur

among the under-fives. In 2010, more than 78,000 children aged five to 14, and more than 445,000 aged 15 or older, died of malaria, together accounting for 42 percent of the total. “You learn in medical school that people exposed to malaria as children develop immunity and rarely die from malaria as adults,” said lead researcher Christopher Murray. “What we have found in hospital records, death records, surveys and other sources shows that just is not the case.”

From 1985, says the paper, malaria deaths grew every year, peaking at 1.8 million in 2004.

But from 2004, the toll fell every year. Between 2007 and 2010, the decline has been particularly acute-more than seven percent every year-and the big beneficiary has been Africa. Among the stars are Tanzania and Zambia, which saw deaths fall by more than 30 percent between 2004 and 2010. The source of the decline lies in the increased use of artemisinin drugs, replacing medications to which the malaria parasite has become resistant, and the widening distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets, says the probe.

The major players in this campaign are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, RBM and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and

Tuberculosis. Funding rose from less than 250 million dollars annually in 2001 to more than two billion in 2009. “We have seen a huge increase in both funding and in policy attention given to malaria over the past decade, and it’s having real impact,” said Alan Lopez, a population health expert at the University of Queensland in Australia, who was a member of the research team.

The study warns of the dangers if the momentum is lost, especially in the shortfall of support for the Global Fund. “There has been a rapid decrease in malaria mortality in Africa because of the scaling up of control activities supported by international donors,” it says.

“Donor support, however, needs to be increased if malaria elimination and eradication and broader health and development goals are to be met.” In last September’s estimate, RBM said mortality from malaria fell from 984,000 in 2000 to 781,000 in 2009, a decline of 38 percent if the world’s population growth over this period is factored in. The new study was funded by the Gates Foundation; however, the IHME is an independent research institution and The Lancet is a peer-reviewed journal. — AFP

YOKOHAMA: A male walrus pokes his tongue out at his trainer during a practice at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium-amusement park complex in Yokohama, near Tokyo yesterday. — AP

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W H AT ’ S O N Greetings

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appy birthday to Mariam Khalil Jabeer, best wishes from parents and relatives.

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appy birthday to our darling daughter Veronica who is celebrating her 17th birthday today. God be with you and bless you with many more candles to blow. We love you. Greetings come from your loving sister Christina, mother Dona, father Ranjith, all your dear and near ones in Kuwait and Sri Lanka.

Upcoming events Comedy play Indian Cultural Society proudly presents new concept of comedy play “Mujhse Shaadi Karogi” with Bhagyashree & Akshay Ananad along with Krutika Sharma, Prairna & Navin Agarwal on 17th Feb at 7 pm sharp at Dr Kamil Al Rays auditorium American International School near Police station Maidan Hawally Kuwait.

The Chief Guest for the event will be Ambassador of India, Kuwait and the guest of honor will be prominent personalities from Kuwait. For more information contact: 97270386, 67030839, 66127231, or log on to ics.kuwait@gmail.com 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.

MMF holds session with Prof Nalapat

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he Malayali Media Forum (MMF), Kuwait hosted an interactive session with Prof Madhav Das Nalapat, the UNESCO Peace Chair and a professor of geopolitics at Manipal University, on Friday. An eminent writer and journalist, Nalapat shared some his valuable thoughts with the MMF members that ranged from Arab Spring to media freedom in India in the context of the new IT bill purported to limit the freedom of expression. Nalapat, who came to Kuwait as an election observer from India, expressed happiness over the parliament elections held in Kuwait on Thursday and commended on flourishing democracy in the country.

Commenting on the Arab Spring, he said it failed to address the key economic and social issues as intended.

Talking about the political situation in India, he said it is imperative to root out corruption at higher levels.

Indians hold more than $300 billion in Swiss banks and other accounts abroad and if the government declares an amnesty, allowing people to bring back the money into the country, it can be utilized for many vital development purposes in the public sector. Unfortunately, the Manmohan Singh government, while encouraging foreign companies to grow India, is functioning against the interest of Indian companies, he said.

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.

KMCC elects office bearers

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uwait Kerala Muslim Cultural Center, Hawally area elected following office bearers for the year 2012-2013. President - Abdul Azieez Valiyakath General Secretary - Hamza. V Treasurer - Adv. Anas Puthiyotil Vice President - K.C. Mohammed, V.A. Mohammad Ali Joint Secretary - Hasssan Kuppam, Ashraf Vazhakkodan.

GLEE-esque show choir This Valentine’s Day step into a musical Love Story performed by Vocal Rhapsody, KLT’s first ever GLEE-esque 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.

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 8- 12.

The Wedding Expo The Wedding Expo is an annual event that caters to the elite soonto-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

He said it is impossible to gag the social media as it has opened up a plethora of opportunities in the information sector. “The social media has transcended all the barriers so far existed and opened up unlimited opportunities for information revolution,” Nalapat said in the context of the new IT bill being envisaged by the India government intended to censor content on Internetbased blogs and publications.

KDNA Mina Abdulla Unit Convention

Kuwait Improv invites participants

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un lovers of Kuwait unite. A get together by people who love to surprise, be surprised and just be about at anything are welcome to Kuwait Improv, a gathering, reminiscent of the famous American TV program Whose Line is it Anyway, informally organized by American School of Kuwait teacher Brad Manker. No histrionic talent required, but a willingness to share. Please contact: mankerb@ask.edu

M

ina Abdulla Kharafi unit convention was inaugurated by KDA President M.M.Zubair.

Fahaheel Area Vice President T.M.Praju presided over the function.

Office bearers elected for the unit are K.M.Sajeesh ( president) , Prakash Naduvannur (vise President) Sabin Kumar ( General Secretary), Shamsu Annasseri ( Joint Secretary), C.P.Noushad ( Treasrer ) . Balan Koomulli controlled the election process. KDNA

General Secretary Suresh Mathur, KDNA Treasurer Santhosh Punathil, Organizing Secretary Rasheed Payanthong, Membership Secretary Sathyan Varoonda, Fahaheel Area Vice President C.Mohamed Iqbal and Anish Kumar (Secretary) confer facilitation speech.

Fahaheel General Secretary Sajeevan Kunnimmal welcomed the audience and Joint Secretary P.V.Suhesh expressed gratitude.

IMAX film program Effective 5th Feb. until 11th Feb. 2012 Sunday ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups The Last Reef 3D 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 5:30pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm, 10:30pm Into The Deep 3D 12:30pm Journey to Mecca 3:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 6:30pm Sea Rex 3D 9:30pm Monday ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Born to be Wild 3D 10:30am, 4:30pm, 10:30pm The Last Reef 3D 11:30am, 2:30pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm, 6:30pm, 8:30pm, 9:30pm Arabia 3D12:30pm Sea Rex 3D 1:30pm, 7:30pm Tuesday ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups The Last Reef 3D 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm,7:30pm, 9:30pm Sea Rex 3D 12:30pm, 10:30pm Into The Deep 3D 3:30pm Journey to Mecca 5:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 8:30pm Wednesday ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups Into The Deep 3D 10:30am The Last Reef 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm, 8:30pm, 10:30pm

Sea Rex 3D 12:30pm, 7:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 3:30am, 9:30pm Journey to Mecca 5:30pm Thursday ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups The Last Reef 3D 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 5:30pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm, 10:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 12:30pm, 9:30pm Sea Rex 3D 3:30pm Into The Deep 3D 6:30pm Friday Fires of Kuwait 2:30pm The Last Reef 3D 3:30pm, 5:30pm, 6:30pm, 8:30pm, 9:30pm Into The Deep 3D 4:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 7:30pm Sea Rex 3D 10:30pm Saturday ** 9:30am Showtime Available for Groups The Last Reef 3D 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 5:30pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm Into The Deep 3D 12:30pm Born to be Wild 3D 3:30pm, 9:30pm Sea Rex 3D 6:30pm Notes: * All films are in Arabic. For English, headsets are available upon request. * “Fires of Kuwait” is in English. Arabic headsets are available upon request. * Film schedule is subject to changes without notice.

For information visit www.tsck.org.kw

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wo recent visiting guests, musician Kanjangad Ramachandran and MD Nalappad are being presented their caricatures during separate functions held in Kuwait. Ramachandran is a famous musician who came to attend the National Service Society’s Mannam Jayanthi anniversary and renowned journalist MD Nalappat was honored at a function organized by Youth India at Pravasi Auditorium, Abbassiya.

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W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests all Brazilian citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the website www.brazil.org.kw (Contact Us Form / Fale Conosco) in order to register or update contact information. The Embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the Embassy. The registration process helps the Brazilian Government to contact and assist Brazilians living abroad in case of any emergency. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF BANGLADESH The Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Kuwait will remain closed today on the occasion of the Holy Eid-EMiladun Nabi. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF BRITAIN The British Embassy will be closed today on the occasion of the Prophet’s (Peace Be Upon Him) birthday. The consular section will also be closed on the same date. nnnnnnn

Malarvadi Balasangam celebrates Republic Day

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alarvadi Balasangam celebrated the Republic Day of India with colorful activities on the 26th January. The program drew applause for the variety of the programs and the participation of the children.

Jamaat-e-Islami Kerala executive member K Abdulla Hassan delivered the republic day message. You need to fly high, reach high and decorate high posts, such should be the dream of each and every child and you need to work hard to achieve it, he said.

Children from Abbasiya, Salmiya,

EMBASSY OF KOREA The Embassy of the Republic of Korea wishes to inform that it has moved to Mishref.

New Address: Embassy of the Republic of Korea Mishref, Block 7A, Diplomatic Area 2, Plot 6 The Embassy also wishes to inform that it will be opened to the public on the following office hours: Saturdays to Thursday Morning: 8:00 am to 12:30 pm Lunch Break: 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm Afternoon: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm

Farwaniya and Fahaheel zones presented National Anthem, patriotic songs and republic day speeches. Magician Thomas thrilled the children with his magic.

Islamic Womens Association President Warda Anwar presided over the function held in Pravasi Auditorium, Abbasiya.

The program started with recitation of verses from the Holy Quran by Sinan.

Islamic Womens Association General Secretary Mahbooba Anees welcomed the gathering. Balasangam Convenor Aysha Faisal proposed the vote of thanks.

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EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on the following dates during the month of February 2012.

1. Milad-Un-Nabi - Feb 5, - Sunday.

2. National Day of Kuwait - Feb 25, - Saturday.

3. Liberation Day of Kuwait - Feb 26, - Sunday.

Galvanizing Gala - IES Winter Carnival 2012

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buzz with fun frolicking revelry, the much awaited winter carnival sparked off with resplendent success at IES, Bhavans, on 27th January 2012. Mirth, merriment and entertainment rolled into one mesmerizing event, attracting and enrapturing multitude to make this grand fete a special day to be cherished forever. The school band swayed the audience as they waited for the inaugural ceremony. The Chief Guest Sooraj Ramachandran, Director, Bhavans Group of Schools, Middle East was given a warm welcome with the most mellifluous, rhythmic music played by the talented students of the school. The Chief Guest declared the Winter Carnival open.

Chairman, N.K Ramachandran Menon addressed the exultant spectators who flocked to the carnival venue. The magnificent mÈlange of music, jollity, dance, games and magic reached a fervent trance when the cheery cheerleaders of IES awed the spectators with their lithe dance steps.

Fun Galore Excitement ran high as the crowd swarmed to the school premises to experience a day well spent amidst fun, frolic and friendship. Donned in their new attire, the student volunteers dexterously displayed their best efforts in welcoming the people. Variety of game stalls had been put up with punch lines on attractive posters. The students and teachers geared up enthusiastically to invite the visitors to play a slew of entertaining games. Games like Coconut Shy, Wheel of Fortune, Try Your Luck....... were played by one and all with great interest and enthusiasm. Blast of joy swayed and swept the children on the swirling, twirling slides and rides as they dipped, hurled and bounced on the bouncy rides. A little paint, colour and imagination, transformed the sweet cute faces of the children who thronged to the face painting stall and walked their way out as beautiful butterflies, Spider men and flowers. Magic Show, White Elephant and Yoga kept the crowd on their toes.

Bibliophiles were not disappointed as there was also a sale of various books at affordable prices. IES also hosted an educative programme. Dr Bhaskar Gupta, Medical Director of Apollo hospital delivered an enlightening lecture on “Hygiene and Healthy Living” to the crowd in the IES auditorium. Carnival at IES was not just about entertainment alone but about education as well.

Delicious delicacies An array of mouth-watering delicacies was displayed at the food court.

Piquant savouries to sweets from Arab, Chinese and Indian cuisines were indeed a gourmet’s delight. The home science students of IES prepared yummy food items like pani puri, crunchy fritters, cakes, spicy biriyani, sizzling pizzas and savoury snacks and yummy icecreams. The crowd was delighted to savour the homely, nutritious, healthy and tasty delicacies prepared and served by the junior chefs of Bhavans.

Cultural fiesta A Mega Cultural Fiesta was the icing on the cake. Talented Bhavanites showcased their expertise in various cultural shows and enthralled the packed audience in the auditorium. Pretty babies

enamoured the crowd with their innocence and cuteness at the Baby Show.

Instrumental Music was one of the much-admired events in the auditorium.

A fusion of the eastern, western, string and percussion was a feast to the ears of music maniacs. Solo dance performances comprised traditional dance forms, filmic dance, hip-hop, western folk and modern dance forms brought laurels to the performers as well as their trainers.

The auditorium reverberated with roaring applause when the elegantly attired Bhavanites as well as their parents smartly walked the ramp. Solo singing was another high spot of the day. The cultural events of the day were adjudged by veterans Mrs. Vishaka and Mrs. Ambili of FAIPS. Galaxy of prizes The thrilling events of the day came to an end when everyone waited with bated breath for the raffle ticket draw.

The exciting prizes of the raffle draw ranged from air tickets and gold chains to LCD TVs and Gift Vouchers. Chairman, Mr N.K Ramachandran Menon and Principal, Mr. T Premkumar announced the names of the numerous lucky ones who walked away with fabulous prizes.

The Principal expressed his gratitude to the benefactors, well-wishers and sponsors of IES Winter Carnival 2012, KLM Airways, Damas, Caesars Travels, BEC, VLCC, Abbott Nutrition, Fusion Shipping, Alghanim Electronics and Centre Point.

Oneness brings success Bhavans aims at perfection in its true sense and strives hard with sincerity, dedication and commitment.

Togetherness in all endeavours has always brought success. The Winter Carnival has been one such event. As

one team all at IES put their heart and soul to reach the final destination of everlasting success and achievement.

With this radiant reservoir of success IES is looking forward to yet another vibrant carnival with fantabulous prizes and numerous exciting events.

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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, AlSalaam 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 PAKISTAN The Embassy of Islamic Republic of Pakistan will remain closed on the occasion of Milad-E-Nabwi. The embassy will resume its services on Sunday, February 5, 2012. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF PHILIPPINES 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. nnnnnnn

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 nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF SRI LANKA The Embassy of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka will celebrate the 64th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka’s National Day at the Embassy premises at 8.30 a.m on 04.02.2012. The ceremony will include the hoisting of the national flag, reading of National Day messages, remembrance of national heroes, religious ceremonies followed by serving of refreshments. All Sri Lankan nationals and well-wishers are cordially invited for the event.

Sri Lanka Embassy - Jabriya, Block 10, Street 107, Bld 01, Kuwait. (Tel: 25339140/25339150) nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF THAILAND The Royal Thai Embassy in Kuwait, wishes to invite the Kuwaiti companies that deal business with Thai companies or those agencies of Thai commercial companies to visit the Embassy’s Commercial Office to register their relevant information to be part of the embassy’s business and trade database. The Royal Thai Embassy is located in Jabriya, Block 6, Street 8, Villa No. 1, Telephone No. 25317530 -25317531, Ext: 14.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

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Years

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 Untamed & Uncut 01:45 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 02:40 Wildest Africa 03:35 Shark Attack Survival Guide 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 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 12:00 Monkey Life 12:25 Talk To The Animals 12:55 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 13:50 Wildest India 14:45 Amazing Animal Inventions!

15:40 Wild France 16:35 Must Love Cats 17:30 America’s Cutest Pet 18:25 Baboons With Bill Bailey 18:50 Baboons With Bill Bailey 19:20 Max’s Big Tracks 20:15 Into The Pride 21:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 22:05 Austin Stevens: Most Dangerous...

23:00 Shark Attack File 2 23:55 Last Feast Of The Crocodile

00:40 New Tricks 01:30 Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show 02:00 Supernova 02:30 Doctor Who 03:15 The Weakest Link 04:00 Balamory 04:20 Charlie and Lola 04:30 The Large Family 04:45 Bobinogs 05:00 Buzz & Tell 05:05 Tweenies 05:25 Little Prairie Dogs 05:35 Nina And The Neurons 05:50 Balamory 06:10 Charlie and Lola 06:20 The Large Family 06:30 Bobinogs 06:45 Buzz & Tell 06:50 Tweenies 07:10 Little Prairie Dogs 07:20 Nina And The Neurons 07:35 Big Top 08:05 The Weakest Link: Rugby Special 08:55 Doctor Who 09:40 As Time Goes By 10:10 Casualty 11:00 Chimp Family Fortunes 11:30 Big Top 12:00 The Weakest Link 12:45 Lark Rise to Candleford 13:35 Doctors 16:05 Doctor Who 16:50 Big Top 17:20 As Time Goes By 17:50 Monarch Of The Glen 18:40 Chimp Family Fortunes 19:10 Lark Rise to Candleford 20:00 Survivors 20:50 Waking The Dead 21:40 The World’s Toughest Driving Tests 22:35 New Tricks 23:25 The Weakest Link

00:30 What Not To Wear 01:20 What Not To Wear 02:10 Masterchef 03:05 Masterchef 04:00 Masterchef 04:25 Bargain Hunt 07:25 Bargain Hunt 08:10 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 08:40 Masterchef Australia 13:50 Masterchef Australia 14:40 Come Dine With Me 16:20 Come Dine With Me

17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:25 20:50 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:45

Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Gok’s Fashion Fix Gok’s Fashion Fix Cash In The Attic USA Cash In The Attic USA Antiques Roadshow Masterchef Masterchef Masterchef

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 01:05 Samurai Jack 01:30 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 02:20 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 02:45 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 And Mandy 05:55 I Am Weasel 06:55 Powerpuff Girls 07:45 Angelo Rules 08:00 Casper’s Scare School 08:25 Casper’s Scare School 08:55 Angelo Rules 09:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 09:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:20 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 10:40 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 13:35 Ben 10 14:00 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 14:50 The Amazing World Of Gumball 15:15 Generator Rex 15:40 Generator Rex 16:05 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 16:30 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 16:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 17:20 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 17:45 Adventure Time 18:35 The Amazing World Of Gumball 19:00 Regular Show 19:25 Regular Show 19:50 Generator Rex 20:15 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 22:40 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 23:00 Ben 10 23:25 Ben 10 23:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog

00:40 Miami SWAT 01:35 Ross Kemp On Gangs 02:30 How Stuff Works 02:55 How It’s Made 03:25 How Stuff Works 03:50 How It’s Made 04:20 How It’s Made 04:50 How Stuff Works 05:15 How It’s Made 05:40 How Stuff Works 06:05 How It’s Made 06:35 How Stuff Works 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 11:50 Auction Kings 12:20 Border Security 14:10 Border Security 14:35 Cash Cab Us 16:25 Cash Cab Us 16:55 Cake Boss 18:45 Cake Boss 19:10 Nextworld 20:05 The Future Of...

21:00 Mythbusters 21:55 Curiosity: How Do Drugs Work?

22:50 An Idiot Abroad 23:45 An Idiot Abroad

00:40 Bang Goes the Theory 01:35 Science of the Movies 02:25 The Tech Show 02:50 Weird Connections 06:40 Weird Connections 07:10 How Techies Changed the World 08:00 How Techies Changed the World 08:55 Head Rush 08:58 Sci-Fi Science 09:25 Weird Connections 09:55 Smash Lab 10:45 Scrapheap Challenge 11:35 Weird Connections 15:20 Weird Connections 15:45 Head Rush 15:48 Sci-Fi Science 16:15 Weird Connections 16:45 The Tech Show 17:10 How Techies Changed the World 18:00 Science of the Movies 18:50 Bang Goes the Theory 19:40 Meteorite Men 20:30 Human Body: Ultimate Machine 21:20 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman

THE RESIDENT ON OSN ACTION HD

22:10 Tech Toys 360 22:35 Tech Toys 360 23:00 Meteorite Men 23:50 Human Body: Machine

23:35 A Poem Is...

23:40 Animated Stories 23:45 Jungle Junction Ultimate

00:20 REPLACEMENTS 00:45 REPLACEMENTS 01:10 Fairly Odd Parents 01:35 Fairly Odd Parents 02:00 A Kind Of Magic 02:20 A Kind Of Magic 02:45 STITCH 03:10 STITCH 03:35 REPLACEMENTS 04:00 REPLACEMENTS 04:25 Fairly Odd Parents 04:50 Fairly Odd Parents 05:15 STITCH 05:35 STITCH 06:00 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE 06:25 JAKE & THE NEVERLAND PIRATES 06:35 JAKE & THE NEVERLAND PIRATES 06:45 THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK AND CODY 07:10 SO RANDOM 07:35 FISH HOOKS 07:55 TIMON AND PUMBAA 08:20 TIMON AND PUMBAA 08:45 PHINEAS AND FERB 09:10 PHINEAS AND FERB 09:32 HAVE A LAUGH 09:40 Suite Life On Deck 10:05 SUITE LIFE ON DECK 10:30 HATCHING PETE 12:00 FISH HOOKS 12:25 SHAKE IT UP 12:50 GOOD LUCK CHARLIE 13:15 A.N.T. FARM 13:40 SUITE LIFE ON DECK 14:00 TIMON AND PUMBAA 14:25 TIMON AND PUMBAA 14:50 SO RANDOM 15:15 HAVE A LAUGH 15:25 PHINEAS AND FERB 15:55 PHINEAS AND FERB 16:20 Good Luck Charlie 16:45 MY BABYSITTER’S A VAMPIRE 17:10 FISH HOOKS 17:30 A.N.T. FARM 18:00 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE 18:20 PHINEAS AND FERB 18:45 RECESS 19:10 SO RANDOM 19:30 Jump In! 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

00:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 00:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 00:40 Special Agent Oso 00:55 Little Einsteins 01:20 Timmy Time 01:30 Jungle Junction 01:45 Handy Manny 01:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 02:20 Special Agent Oso 02:35 Special Agent Oso 02:50 Jungle Junction 03:05 Jungle Junction 03:15 Little Einsteins 03:40 Higglytown Heroes 03:55 Higglytown Heroes 04:10 Jo Jo’s Circus 04:30 Special Agent Oso 04:45 Special Agent Oso 05:00 Jungle Junction 05:15 Jungle Junction 05:25 Little Einsteins 05:50 Higglytown Heroes 06:05 Higglytown Heroes 06:20 Jo Jo’s Circus 06:40 Special Agent Oso 06:55 Special Agent Oso 07:10 Jungle Junction 07:25 Jungle Junction 07:35 Little Einsteins 08:00 Higglytown Heroes 08:15 Higglytown Heroes 08:30 Jo Jo’s Circus 08:50 Jungle Junction 09:00 Jungle Junction 09:15 Higglytown Heroes 09:30 Higglytown Heroes 09:45 Handy Manny 10:00 Special Agent Oso 10:15 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:40 Timmy Time 10:55 Little Einsteins 11:20 The Hive 11:30 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 11:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 12:00 Jungle Junction 12:10 Handy Manny 12:25 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 12:45 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 12:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 13:15 Lazytown 13:45 Art Attack (Cema) 14:10 Imagination Movers 14:30 The Hive 14:40 Lazytown 15:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:30 Handy Manny 15:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 16:00 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 16:15 The Hive 16:25 Timmy Time 16:35 Special Agent Oso 16:50 Handy Manny 17:05 The Hive 17:15 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 17:40 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 18:05 Handy Manny 18:20 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 18:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 18:50 Jungle Junction 19:05 Handy Manny 19:20 Lazytown 19:45 Art Attack (Cema) 20:10 Imagination Movers 20:35 Little Einsteins 21:00 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:15 Handy Manny 21:30 Handy Manny 21:45 Jungle Junction 22:00 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 22:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 22:25 101 Dalmatians 22:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 23:05 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 23:20 The Hive 23:30 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh

00:25 Fashion Police 01:25 E!es 02:20 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Then And Now 05:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 06:00 50 Most Insane Celebrity Oops 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Extreme Close-Up 09:45 Extreme Close-Up 10:15 THS 11:10 Ice Loves Coco 11:40 Ice Loves Coco 12:05 E! News 13:05 Fashion Police 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:30 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:00 Dirty Soap 15:55 Dirty Soap 16:55 Behind The Scenes 17:25 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 21:55 E!es 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:40 A Haunting 01:30 A Haunting 02:15 The Haunted 03:05 Ghost Lab 03:50 A Haunting 04:40 A Haunting 05:25 On The Case With Paula Zahn 06:15 Disappeared 07:10 Mystery Diagnosis 08:00 On The Run 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 On The Run 18:10 Forensic Detectives 19:00 Murder Shift 19:45 Real Emergency Calls 20:10 Mystery ER 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 23:50 Kidnap And Rescue

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 08:45 09:15 10:10 11:05 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Shark Men Great Migrations World’s Deadliest Animals World’s Wildest Encounters Moray Eels: Alien Empire Wildlife Rescue Africa Wildlife Rescue Africa Red Sea Jaws Swamp Men Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves Hooked Monster Fish Wild Chronicles Wild Chronicles Orca Killing School Animal Extractors Monster Fish Triumph of Life American Eagle Cameramen Who Dare City Of Ants Monster Fish Triumph of Life American Eagle Cameramen Who Dare City Of Ants

00:00 18 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 PG15 12:15 14:15 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Snow White: A Tale Of TerrorThe Resident-18 Friday Night Lights-PG15 Ong Bak 2-PG15 Ballistica-PG15 The Manchurian CandidateLegendary-PG15 Ballistica-PG15 Arlington Road-PG15 Legendary-PG15 Sniper: Reloaded-18 Dad Savage-PG15

01:00 In Her Skin-18 03:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 05:00 The Box-PG15 07:00 My Sassy Girl-PG15 09:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 10:45 Gasland-PG15 12:45 My Dog Tulip-PG15 14:30 Flipped-PG 16:15 The 19th Wife-PG15 18:00 My Name Is Khan-PG15 21:00 Dinner For Schmucks-PG15 23:00 The Way Back-PG15

03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 Leno 05:30 06:00 08:30 09:00 10:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30

Raising Hope 2 Broke Girls Dharma And Greg The Tonight Show With Jay Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne Yes Dear Raising Hope Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne Just Shoot Me Malcolm In The Middle Dharma And Greg Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne Just Shoot Me

THE BOX ON OSN CINEMA 14:00 2 Broke Girls 16:30 How I Met Your Mother 18:00 Friends 18:30 Friends 19:00 Modern Family 19:30 Parks And Recreation 20:00 Whitney 20:30 Wilfred 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Saturday Night Live

00:00 01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Criminal Minds C.S.I. Miami Breakout Kings The Gates The View Good Morning America Kojak Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show Good Morning America Criminal Minds Breakout Kings Kojak C.S.I. Miami Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Body Of Proof Unforgettable Pan Am Top Gear (US) The Gates

00:00 Cold Case 01:00 Top Gear (UK) 02:00 Criminal Minds 03:00 C.S.I. Miami 04:00 Breakout Kings 05:00 The Gates 06:00 Cold Case 07:00 How I Met Your Mother 07:30 Coronation Street 08:00 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior 09:00 Top Gear (UK) 10:00 Breakout Kings 11:00 C.S.I. Miami 12:00 How I Met Your Mother 12:30 Coronation Street 13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 14:00 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior 15:00 Cold Case 16:00 How I Met Your Mother 16:30 Coronation Street 17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 18:00 House 19:00 Body Of Proof 20:00 Unforgettable 22:00 Top Gear (US) 23:00 Sons Of Anarchy

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 PG15 18:45 21:00 23:00

Talento De Barrio-PG15 Friday Night Lights-PG15 From Within-PG15 Staten Island-PG15 Fast Lane-PG15 The Craigslist Killer-PG15 The Devil’s Teardrop-PG15 Fast Lane-PG15 Bodyguard: A New BeginningAlive-PG15 Dad Savage-PG15 Deadly Impact-18

00:00 The Freshman-PG15 02:00 Marci X-PG15 04:00 One Hot Summer-PG15 06:00 A Pyromaniac’s Love StoryPG15 08:00 Nativity!-PG 10:00 Renaissance Man-PG15 12:15 13 Going On 30-PG15 14:00 Checking Out-PG15 16:00 The Freshman-PG15 18:00 Roommates-PG15 20:00 Spud-PG15 22:00 Aim Low: The Very Best Of Dylan Moran-18

01:00 Gigli-PG15 03:00 Stand By Me-18 05:00 Limousine-PG15 07:00 Winning Time-PG15 09:00 Sunny Et L’elephant-PG15 10:45 Free Style (2008)-PG15 12:30 Dance With Me-PG 14:45 Celine: Through The Eyes Of The World-PG15 17:00 Another Year-PG15 19:15 Moonlight And ValentinoPG15 21:00 On Strike For Christmas-PG15 23:00 Rocky-PG15

01:00 Film Socialisme-PG15 03:00 Pina-PG15 05:00 Don’t Fade Away-PG15 07:00 Cinema Verite-PG15 09:00 Bond Of Silence-PG15 10:30 What’s The Worst That Could Happen?-PG15 12:30 Valentine’s Day-PG15 15:00 Megamind-FAM 17:00 Bond Of Silence-PG15 19:00 Nine-PG15 21:00 Legend Of The Guardians-PG 23:00 A Soldier’s Love Story-PG15

00:00 Legend Of Sleeping BeautyPG 02:00 Jetsons: The Movie-FAM 04:00 Micropolis-FAM 06:00 Legend Of Sleeping BeautyPG 08:00 Pocahontas & The Spider Woman-PG 10:00 A Christmas Carol-PG 12:00 Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader-PG 14:00 Kong: Return To The JunglePG15 16:00 Slappy And The Stinkers-FAM 18:00 A Christmas Carol-PG 20:00 Shipwrecked-PG 22:00 Kong: Return To The JunglePG15

00:00 Howl-18 02:00 The Resident-18 04:00 St. Trinian’s 2: The Legend Of Fritton’s Gold-PG15 06:00 Made In Dagenham-PG15 08:00 The Silent Fall-PG15 10:00 St. Trinian’s 2: The Legend Of Fritton’s Gold-PG15 12:00 Grown Ups-PG15 14:00 Marmaduke-PG 16:00 The Silent Fall-PG15 18:00 Salt-PG15 20:00 A Soldier’s Love Story-PG15 22:00 Personal Effects-18

03:30 05:30 06:25 14:30 15:30 15:45 18:00 20:00 20:30

Super League Futbol Mundial Live Cricket ODI Trans World Sport Futbol Mundial Live Scottish Cup Live Scottish Cup ODI Cricket Highlights European PGA Tour

00:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 06:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 16:30 17:00 18:00 20:00 23:00

WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line UFC 143 Countdown Live UFC 143 Prelims Live UFC 143 WWE SmackDown WWE Experience WWE This Week Live PGA European Tour WWE This Week UFC 143 Countdown UFC 143 Prelims UFC 143 WWE SmackDown

00:00 00:30 01:00 03:00 03:30 05:30 06:00 07:00

Futbol Mundial Top 14 Highlights Super League World Hockey Scottish FA Cup ICC Cricket World Volvo Ocean Race Highlights Scottish Cup

09:00 Trans World Sport 10:00 Super League 12:00 Futbol Mundial 12:30 Scottish FA Cup 14:30 Futbol Mundial 15:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 15:30 ICC Cricket World 16:00 Seven World Series 19:00 ODI Cricket Highlights 19:30 European Tour Weekly 20:00 Live Anglo Welsh Cup 22:00 ODI Cricket Highlights 22:30 Super League

01:00 06:00 07:00 09:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 20:30 21:00

Sevens World Series Trans World Sport Super League Sevens World Series Super League Super League Live Football Copa Del Sol Live Football Copa Del Sol ODI Cricket Highlights Futbol Mundial Live Football Copa Del Sol

00:05 01:00 02:00 02:25 02:55 03:50 04:20 05:15 06:10 07:05 08:00 09:00 10:00 10:55 11:50 12:20 12:50 13:50 14:45 15:45 16:40 17:35 18:30 19:25 21:20 22:15 23:10

Clean House: New York Wicked Fit Homes With Style Open House Videofashion Daily Videofashion News How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Married Away Clean House Big Boutique Videofashion Daily Homes With Style Open House Videofashion News Videofashion News Elements Of Style Videofashion Daily Designer Marathon Clean House: New York Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Wicked Fit Giuliana & Bill How Do I Look?

Fashion Police Tia And Tamera Giuliana & Bill

00:00 Globe Trekker 01:00 Planet Sports 02:00 Travel 360 03:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 04:00 Globe Trekker 07:00 Planet Food 08:00 Globe Trekker 09:00 Essential 09:30 Glutton For Punishment 10:30 Essential 11:00 Third Class Traveller 12:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 13:00 Globe Trekker 14:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 15:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 16:00 The Ethical Hedonist 17:00 Globe Trekker 18:00 Planet Sports 19:00 Wild Camping 20:00 Globe Trekker 21:00 Planet Food 22:00 4real 22:30 Essential 23:00 Globe Trekker

01:05 02:45 04:25 06:00 07:30 08:00 09:55 11:50 13:55 15:40 17:25 19:10 21:05 23:00

The Morning After Hotel Paradiso-PG Forbidden Planet-FAM The Naked Spur-PG TCM Presents Under The...-PG Captain Blood-FAM The Twenty-Fifth Hour-PG The Yearling-FAM The Swan-FAM Interrupted Melody-FAM The Wheeler Dealers-FAM Silk Stockings-FAM Clash Of The Titans The Outfit

Classifieds SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines LMU AFR QTR JZR KAC RBG JZR JZR ETH THY UAE DHX QTR MSR FDB ETD RJA GFA KAC FAH JZR BAW DHX KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD FDB IRA GFA FCX RBG IRC JZR IRA RKM MEA SYR KAC MSR JZR KAC GFA KAC KAC FDB UAL QTR SVA RJA ABY KAC KAC JZR KNE KAC QTR JZR JZR ETD UAE FDB GFA SVA KNE RBG ABY JZR ALK JZR FDB KAC ABY JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC FDB JAI OMA AFG MLR KAC DHX GRF MEA GFA QTR UAE KAC JZR KAC AIC KAC JZR UAL AXB DLH

Arrival Flights on Sunday 5/2/2012 Flt Route 1109 ALEXANDRIA 6708 PARIS 138 DOHA 185 DUBAI 154 ISTANBUL 3564 ASSIUT 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 620 ADDIS ABABA 772 ISTANBUL 853 DUBAI 370 BAHRAIN 148 DOHA 612 CAIRO 67 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 642 AMMAN 211 BAHRAIN 544 CAIRO 201 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 157 LONDON 170 BAHRAIN 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 302 MUMBAI 528 ASSIUT 332 TRIVANDRUM 676 DUBAI 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 301 ABU DHABI 55 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 213 BAHRAIN 203 DUBAI 3555 ALEXANDRIA 6801 AHWAZ 165 DUBAI 615 SHAHRE KORD 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH 404 BEIRUT 341 DAMASCUS/ALEPPO 382 DELHI 610 CAIRO 201 DAMASCUS 672 DUBAI 219 BAHRAIN 744 DAMMAM 774 RIYADH 57 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 123 SHARJAH 788 JEDDAH 284 DHAKA 257 BEIRUT 945 JEDDAH 550 SOHAG 134 DOHA 535 CAIRO 213 DEIREZZOR/ALEPPO 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 59 DUBAI 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 989 JEDDAH 3557 SOHAG 127 SHARJAH 777 JEDDAH 227 COLOMBO/DUBAI 177 DUBAI 63 DUBAI 542 CAIRO 121 SHARJAH 787 RIYADH 786 JEDDAH 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 166 PARIS/ROME 102 NEW YORK/LONDON 562 AMMAN 61 DUBAI 572 MUMBAI 647 MUSCAT 405 KABUL/DUBAI 1407 COLOMBO/DUBAI 512 TEHRAN 372 BAHRAIN 81 BAGHDAD 402 BEIRUT 217 BAHRAIN 136 DOHA 859 DUBAI 172 FRANKFURT 135 BAHRAIN 502 BEIRUT 981 CHENNAI/HYDERABAD/AHMEDABAD 678 MUSCAT/ABU DHABI 239 AMMAN 981 BAHRAIN 389 KOZHIKODE/MANGALORE 636 FRANKFURT

Time 0:01 0:10 0:20 0:20 0:35 0:40 0:45 0:50 1:45 2:15 2:35 2:55 2:55 3:00 3:05 3:10 3:10 3:15 4:40 5:30 6:00 6:40 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:55 7:55 8:05 8:10 8:30 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:20 9:40 9:55 10:30 11:05 11:10 11:20 11:35 11:45 11:55 12:35 12:45 12:55 13:00 13:20 13:25 13:25 13:45 13:50 14:05 14:20 14:30 14:40 14:45 14:50 15:00 15:00 15:10 15:15 15:25 16:25 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:05 17:15 17:20 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:10 18:15 18:40 18:50 18:55 19:05 19:10 19:15 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:50 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:30 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:40 21:45 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:05 22:45 23:00 23:35 23:50

Airlines 394 UAL LMU AIC BBC JZR DLH RBG AFR KAC ETH THY KAC FDB UAE ETD MSR DHX QTR QTR JZR GFA RJA JZR FDB BAW KAC KAC JZR KAC JZR KAC JZR UAE ABY ETD KAC FDB QTR KAC IRA GFA KAC FCX RBG KAC IRC JZR KAC IRA RKM MEA SYR KAC JZR MSR GFA FDB KAC KAC UAL ABY KAC RJA SVA KAC JZR KNE KAC KAC QTR JZR QTR ETD JZR FDB UAE GFA RBG ABY KNE SVA JZR JZR ALK FDB ABY JZR KAC FDB KAC JAI OMA MLR DHX KAC DHX MEA GFA FAH QTR KAC JZR UAE KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC

Departure Flights on Sunday 5/2/2012 Flt Route 737 COCHIN/KOZHIKODE 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 1110 ALEXANDRIA 976 GOA/CHENNAI 44 CHITTAGONG/DHAKA 529 ASSIUT 637 FRANKFURT 3562 ALEXANDRIA 6708 DUBAI/VIETNAM 283 DHAKA 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 381 DELHI 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 371 BAHRAIN 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 200 DAMASCUS 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 549 SOHAG 671 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 171 FRANKFURT 534 CAIRO 787 JEDDAH 212 ALEPPO/DEIREZZOR 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 302 ABU DHABI 117 NEW YORK 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 773 RIYADH 602 SHIRAZ 214 BAHRAIN 743 DAMMAM 204 DUBAI 3558 SOHAG 541 CAIRO 6802 AHWAZ 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 614 SHAHRE KORD 311 RAS ALKHAIMAH 405 BEIRUT 342 ALEPPO/DAMASCUS 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 561 AMMAN 673 DUBAI 982 BAHRAIN 124 SHARJAH 677 MUSCAT/ABU DHABI 641 AMMAN 503 MEDINAH/JEDDAH 617 DOHA 786 RIYADH 946 JEDDAH 501 BEIRUT 511 TEHRAN 141 DOHA 238 AMMAN 135 DOHA 304 ABU DHABI 538 CAIRO 60 DUBAI 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 3556 ALEXANDRIA 128 SHARJAH 990 JEDDAH 511 RIYADH 266 BEIRUT 134 BAHRAIN 228 DUBAI/COLOMBO 64 DUBAI 122 SHARJAH 184 DUBAI 361 COLOMBO 62 DUBAI 351 COCHIN 571 MUMBAI 648 MUSCAT 1407 COLOMBO 171 BAHRAIN 543 CAIRO 373 BAHRAIN 403 BEIRUT 218 BAHRAIN 102 DUBAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 554 ALEXANDRIA 860 DUBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 343 CHENNAI 502 LUXOR 415 KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA 411 BANGKOK/MANILA

Time 0:40 0:45 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:10 1:20 1:25 1:55 2:40 2:45 3:15 3:30 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:00 4:30 4:40 5:40 6:55 7:00 7:10 7:30 8:25 8:40 8:55 9:00 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:25 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:10 10:25 10:40 10:40 10:45 11:45 11:45 12:00 12:10 12:15 12:30 12:35 12:50 12:55 13:35 13:40 13:50 13:55 14:20 14:35 14:45 15:05 15:20 15:25 15:25 15:35 15:45 15:50 15:50 16:05 16:15 16:25 16:30 17:15 17:25 17:35 17:40 17:50 18:10 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:45 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:35 19:55 20:20 20:40 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:50 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:30 23:35 23:45 23:55

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

LOST Policy No. 633000545 issued by the State Life Insurance, Gulf Zone on the Life of Mr. Riaz Ahmed is reported to have been lost.

Anyone finding the same or claiming any interest in it should communicate with the State Life office. Tel: 22452208/9. (C 3856) 2-2-2012

MATRIMONIAL Proposals invited for Keralite Orthodox Christian boy (38, 5 7” whitish), God fearing Computer Engineering diploma working in Kuwait having family visa status seeking alliance from nurses and other professionals. The boy will be coming to Kerala in the middle of March. Contact email: dilkoshy@asianetindia.com (C 3858) 5-2-2012 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

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

FOR SALE Honda Accord 2003, sky blue color, mileage 300,000 kms, owner driven, excellent condition, new tires, registered up to Dec 2012.

Contact 99456340 (C 3857) 5-2-2012 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

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

MISCELLANEOUS Original guaranteed Palestinian virgin olive oil, large black and green olives for sale. Tel: 66517417

A storey and half for rent in Mangaf including two 3 bedroom apartments with 2 baths, reception, kitchen, driver room each. Tel: 66989887

Whole Floor or small villa needed for rent in Shaab, Mansoriya, Nozha, Abdullah Al-Salem or Shamiya. Direct contact with owner. Tel: 9989018-99169016

For rent a ground floor in Qurain comprising of four rooms, large reception, 5 baths, maid room, courtyard, parking. Rent value KD 550. Tel: 66989887

A camp for rent in Kabed including five tents with all services. Complete privacy + game arcade. Tel: 97177714

A fully central air-conditioned two room annex in Mangaf with separate exit and shaded car parking for rent to expatriates. Tel: 67753557

Size 36 air pressure gun for sale in addition to a scope, safety lock. Shooting range 350 meters +bag+25 shots.

Price KD 70. Tel: 97790478 A 3700 watt, 2012 model ASTRA generator for sale.

Japanese parts assembled in China with pressure and gas meters. Price KD 85. Tel: 60066891 For rent in Hawalli a one bedroom (4x4m) and a 7x3.5 m reception+ terrace, fully equipped kitchen and bathroom. Tunis street, behind Al-Andalus pharmacy. Tel: 99683200 A 2008 white, 1600 CC Nissan Sunny. Price KD 1700. Tel: 99553221 A 2008 dark blue 6 cylinder Toyota Prado with Beige sued interior, low mileage, touch A/C, CD, cruise control, front and rear sensors for sale. Price KD 6650. Tel: 99275550 A 2009 white, 6 cylinder Toyota Prado with 40,000 mileage touch A/C, CD, cruise control, front and rear sensors for sale. Price KD 7850. Tel: 9747750855809093

CHANGE OF NAME I, M. Madhavan, holder of Indian Passport No. H5961296, son of M. Muthukrishanan, converted in Islam and do now hereafter be known by my new name M. MOHAMED SHARIF. (C 3855) 1-2-2012 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

TUITION Business management teacher with doctoral degree for universities, institutions, corporate & all student levels. Over 10 years experience.

Call 66495951. (C 3817)

and a basement in Mangaf including 8 rooms, laundry room, yard, parking. Rent value KD 1000. Tel: 97996900

A 2009 YUKUN Suburban GMC XL with low mileage and beige sued interior, electric seats, cruise control, super headlights, rear camera, remote recording and rear sensors. Price 8550. Tel: 99301914 For rent a two storey villa

No: 15347

For rent in Ashbelia: two apartments with 3 bedrooms, bath, kitchen and maid room each plus a yard in between. Tel: 90001594 A 2005 Mini Cooper for sale. Tel: 99224855 A 2006 Lumina for sale with genuine factory paint.

Price KD 2100. Tel: 69945429 A 2009 Touareg for sale.

Price 6350. Tel: 96670777 Senior English teacher for Pakistani, bilingual schools, T.M.A., Ielts, Toefl, IBT K.S.S., social studies and math. Tel: 99577430 For sale: a 375 square meter house in Omariya, fully rented for KD 600.

Price KD 185,000. Tel: 66815590 Transportation ser vice available. Payment in advanced conditioned for all areas. Tel: 66678633 The smallest and most up to date recording device (2012 model) for sale.

Finger size, voice activated, records up to 600 hrs, made in Japan. Free delivery. Tel: 99773818 Original guaranteed Palestinian virgin olive oil for sale. Tel: 55740271 Upholster and tailor needed with good experience.

Salar y determined per experience. Tel: 97813458

FOR RENT For rent at Salmiya, Apt 3 BR + 3 toilets + hall + kitchen + satellite, excellent location. Foreigners and expats only, no mediators.

Tel: 66060299. (14183) For rent commercial Apt at the sea, excellent location, 190 square meter, suitable for (beauty saloon, consulting office, lawyers office).

Tel: 66060299. (15004) For rent Apt at Salmiya 2 BR + 2 toilets + maid room + hall + kitchen and balcony for families only. Rent KD 280/-. Tel: 66980123.

(15007) For rent basement at Hawalli, excellent location, plastic floor, C-A/C, for serious only, please call: 66980123. (C 25997) Furnished Apt for rent in Salmiya 2 BR + hall + kitchen + satellite & DSL + parking, families only. Rent KD 450/-. Tel: 66297171. (C 14941) For rent, one floor in a commercial complex in Salmiya, at main street suitable for Coffee Shop or Restaurant for serious only call: 66980123. (15006) For rent floor at South of Surra, 4 BR + maid room + 4 toilets, hall and elevator. KD 800/-. Tel: 66604095.

(15041) For rent complete floor at Jabriya, 5 BR out of which 4 are master BR + 5 toilets + hall and elevator KD 750/-.

Tel: 66604095. (15103) For rent new elegant Apt at Al-Shaab for newly Weds, 3 BR + maid room + 4 toileets + hall + elevator. KD 650/-.

Tel: 94097080. (14899) For rent new ground floor at Granada, 4 BR + maids room + 4 toilets + hall, special entrance, C-A/C and marble. KD 700/-. Tel: 94097080. (C 14893) For rent Deluxe Apt South Al-Surra, 3 BR + maids room + 3 toilets + elevator. KD 600/-. Tel: 97713024.

(15106) For rent Deluxe 1st floor with elevator at Al-Adan 4 master BR + large hall + 2 parking. KD 650/-. Tel: 94097080. (15107)

34

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

s ta rs CROSSWORD 579

CALVIN & HOBBES

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) Restlessness today may have you exercising out-of-doors. You have too much energy to stay indoors. Neighbors and friends that visit early are included in your afternoon activities. You may enjoy some form of group competition today. Speak less and listen more, because today through Valentine’s Day, you will win friends and influence people. Connections with people on a grand scale—for example, at a distance or en masse—play a bigger part in your life now, perhaps communication with people through the computer. Education, advertising and travel could play a part in this. Law and philosophy and perhaps religion have much potential to impact your lifestyle. This is certainly a time when you may feel that you are in harmony with others.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates.

5. A wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention.

10. The compass point that is one point south of due east.

13. Female equine animal.

14. A long noosed rope used to catch animals.

15. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

16. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

17. A republic on the west coast of Africa.

18. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

19. A river of southwestern Africa that rises in central Angola and flows east and then north (forming part of the border between Angola and Congo) and continuing northwest through Congo to empty into the Congo River on the border between Congo and Republic of the Congo.

21. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

22. (of complexion) Blemished by imperfections of the skin.

24. A genus of Bothidae.

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

30. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

31. A waste pipe that carries away sewage or surface water.

35. Any seed plant yielding balsam.

38. Wearing or provided with clothing.

39. Of a pale purple color.

40. Amino acid that is formed in the liver and converted into dopamine in the brain.

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

44. The act of scanning.

46. An implement used to erase something.

48. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology.

50. A depression in an otherwise level surface.

51. A family of Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in southeastern Asia.

58. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

59. Someone who puts text into appropriate form for publication.

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

63. A tube in which a body fluid circulates.

64. The mountain peak that Noah's ark landed on as the waters of the great flood receded.

65. The 13th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

66. The residue that remains when something is burned.

67. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

68. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.

DOWN 1. In a murderous frenzy as if possessed by a demon.

2. An informal term for a father.

3. (Greek mythology) Greek god of war.

4. A summary that repeats the substance of a longer discussion.

5. A cgs unit of work or energy.

6. Show a response or a reaction to something.

7. The capital of Morocco.

8. A member of the Siouan people inhabiting the valleys of the Platte and Missouri rivers in Nebraska.

9. Type genus of the Ranidae.

10. A feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause).

11. A large bundle bound for storage or transport.

12. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

20. (Old Testament) The second patriarch.

23. Colloquial British abbreviation.

25. Any of various trees of the genus Ulmus.

26. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

28. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Dali region of Yunnan.

29. Leaf or strip from a leaf of the talipot palm used in India for writing paper.

32. By bad luck.

33. An enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals are kept.

34. The sixth month of the civil year.

36. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

37. A heavy odorless colorless gas formed during respiration and by the decomposition of organic substances.

41. A tricycle (usually propelled by pedalling).

42. A short aria.

45. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

47. The month following March and preceding May. 49. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

52. Type genus of the Anatidae.

53. Distinctive and stylish elegance.

54. God of death.

55. God of love and erotic desire.

56. In bed.

57. Flat and uninspiring.

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

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

Yesterday’s Solution

A community program may call for your negotiation expertise.

Others enjoy being around you and you know just what to say and how to help. If you want to have some time to yourself today, you may enjoy a walk. You and a friend may also find that some time at a nearby gym is rejuvenating! Of course, exercise of this sort can help your stamina. An instinctive urge to get serious about taking care of you at many levels is emphasized now. Diet, exercise and work somehow mean more to you: you want to feel good about the way you do things. This evening is a good time to write letters and make phone calls. It may get warmer before it gets cold again but for now . . . heat up that fire place, warm up a cup of cider and enjoy your surroundings.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You may find yourself working by choice today, but it is likely to be inside your home. If you negotiate, you could be on the phone. If you create proposals or make sales, you will probably be using some high tech equipment. Ambitious schemes and the pursuit of success take on a high priority now. This brings a focus on the practical and successful. You may be looking for a new computer to help you seek out new sales possibilities—perhaps you want to create a site on the Internet for yourself. Rain, cold, snow and all sorts of reasons to stay inside could create friction if too many people share the same space. Take time for a one-on-one and take time for yourself—perhaps some private reading or earphones for listening to beautiful music or intelligent words.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

You may make it a point to be alone most of this day—people just seem to drain your energies. You may find yourself shopping, not necessarily to purchase items, but to investigate the new technical items on the market at this time. Later this afternoon, you will feel more like being with others and perhaps, talking about all those new high tech products you saw this morning. Ideas and technologies that change the way people live—not just one person, but many—are a major new focus in your life just now. Uphold any obligations such as promises, errands, chores, etc. Someone is really depending on you to come through with your promises. Although your finances will look better later this year, it would be a good idea to lighten your spending trend.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

ZITS

Watch, take notes, play it cool and ask questions this morning.

Although your energies are high, now is not the time to make yourself heard. Allow others to speak first and when they are completely finished you can state your views simply. You may find yourself in a renters’ or homeowners’ meeting later today. This is a good time to speak up for the benefit of the group. You seem to take unexpected events in your stride. Today may be a particularly interesting day in this regard. It is good that your attitude is to be prepared for just about any unexpected event that might happen. This is a time when your path of expression becomes more and more defined—making it easy to help others. You are the center of attraction at a party this evening.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Seeking employment, taking a vacation and obtaining a loan are favorable activities now, even if it is a Saturday. You seem more interested in cleaning up or finishing things left undone from another time. Perhaps you will go into work this morning for a few hours. Friends encourage you to play this afternoon. After tending to a few chores, you may decide to join your friends in a game of hockey or racket ball, line skating, wall climbing, etc. Proper gear for these activities is very important and will assure you the enjoyment of a safe and fun afternoon. Pay attention to the family members this evening—it seems everyone has a story to share. You encourage positive, open communications. Hugs are easy to find; give them freely.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

A change of residence is possible this weekend—perhaps a longdistance relocation. Educational plans may need changing: you now realize that they do not suit you as well as you would like. Anything connected with publishing, advertising or broadcasting requires reexamination. A change of plans or perspective will give you the upper hand for your future financial security.

This is an exciting time that is full of opportunities for you to fulfill your wishes and plan your successes. A fun adventure today may include a camping trip, a special date, being invited to a party, etc. Today is the first day of more exciting times to come. Good feelings come from friends and family members. Consider keeping a dream diary.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Unexpected strange behavior from a family member or friend may find you jumping in to lend a listening ear. Perhaps you can suggest a physical checkup. Exercising your initiative opens doors for you, as well as others— your charm wins the support of others. Energies will return to a more balanced and positive position soon—you will feel you have truly made a positive difference. This afternoon is a good time to trade reading material, organize a closet in a competitive style for faster results or play board games. The quality of the energies around you is upbeat this afternoon—an attitude of gratitude takes hold. You may get into discussions such as near death experiences, educational or spiritual journeys. You could tweak your imagination.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Learning what makes people tick interests you. If you did not study psychology of the mind in school, you certainly could enjoy reading about the mind. You may find yourself in a mall, a theater, a play, a class, anywhere that a lot of people gather. Being the observer today is fun and may present several ideas for a book, a poem or some photography. Some kind of healing process is at work in your life these days: you will find positive results from isolating what doesn’t work, eliminating it and going on from there. In other words, you are embarking on new adventures. All through this day you will find that your common sense, efficiency and practicality serve you well. Truth is your byword. Partners are connected in thought. Enjoy

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Climbing up to fix something that needs repair today, you may discover that it is time to repair your own body. You may have discovered that you are either out of shape, out of breath or some other function needs changing. You may spend a great deal of time and worry over this situation. No need—one day at a time and you can change, complete or create anything you want to create. Obtaining and exchanging information takes on more emotional significance for you. Being more involved with neighbors or siblings satisfies a deep emotional need. Communicating feelings becomes important. A lover or child who is bright and articulate plays a big role in your life. If you are not babysitting tonight, you could be tutoring this young person.

Yesterday’s Solution Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Your desires are strong and you will want to enjoy yourself today.

Spending is very possible. There is a basic drive to appreciate and taste life. You may cease to waste time acquiring that which is worthless and may develop an eye for that which is lasting and worthwhile. If someone is trying to change your plans—stop! Stay on your defined path for now, especially if changes would cause you to rush or go into areas unknown. If you are driving today, leave early and do not rush. You may receive a new pet or take care of a friend’s pet today—enjoy, this could be an unusually entertaining animal. Expecting company this evening may have you rushing around to pick up and clean up—of course, this does not seem necessary—company will enjoy their visit.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

This is the time of the year when much of the world is under a blanket of drizzle in one form or another—snow, sleet, rain, etc. Let yourself dream today. These days do not come too often—do not ignore this opportunity to let your imagination loose. Perhaps a good book or movie will take on that more-than-real dimension. Consider the stars. This could be a long and dreamy time when you find it easy to lose yourself in one flight of fancy or another, often at the expense of rational thinking. Family and security are things that rattle your chain more than ever. Now is a good time to do repair jobs inside the house—pipes perhaps. When the last nail is hammered down, consider some fun time with the kids or family members—cards, charades, etc.

A

y

e niv rsar n

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

Years

i n f o r m at i o n FIRE BRIGADE STATE ST TAT TE OF K KUWAIT KUW WAIT A

112

Tel.: T el.: e 161

DIRECTORA DIRECTORATE ATE T GENE GENERAL ERAL OF CIVIL A AVIATION VIA V AT TION DEPARTMENT METEOROLOGICAL DEP D PARTMENT A DAY: DA AY: Y Saturday

WWW .MET.GOV V.KW . W WWW.MET.GOV.KW

04/02/2012

Ministry of Interior

Issue Time Time

07:00

Expected Weather Weather for the Next 24 4 Hours Cold with w moderate freshening at times t north westerly wind, with w speed of 20 - 40 km/h and an nd some scattered clouds will appear

BY Y DA DAY: AY:

website: www.moi.gov.kw

Cold with w moderate wind in general generaal north westerly wind, with speed of 15 - 35 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

17 °C

09 °C

24812000

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT KUWAIT AIRPORT

17 °C

07 °C

Amiri Hospital

22450005

NUW WAISEEB A NUWAISEEB

18 °C C

06 °C C

Maternity Hospital

24843100

WAFRA W AFRA A

18 °C

06 °C

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

SALMI

16 °C

01 °C

Chest Hospital

24849400

ABDALY ABDAL LY

17 °C

03 °C

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

ALIYAH JAL ALIY YA AH

17 °C

03 °C

Adan Hospital

23940620

FAILAKA F AILAKA A

17 °C

06 °C

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

PORT AHMADI POR RT

17 °C

08 °C

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

UMM AL-MARADEM M

18 °C

12 °C

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

WARBA BUBYAN W ARBA A A - BUBY YA AN

17 °C

03 °C

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

Ext.: 2627 262 27 - 2630

Fax: 24348714

Clinics

SFC. CHAR CHART T

04/02/2012 0000 0 UTC

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya Keifan

T emperratures Temperatures DA DATE AT TE

WEA WEATHER ATHER T

Sunday

05/02

24848075

Monday

24849807

T uesday Tuesday

Shamiya

24848913

W eednesday Wednesday

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Fajr

05:15

MA AX. T emp.

MAX. Temp.

14 °C

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Sunrise S i

06 36 06:36

MI IN T IN. emp.

MIN. Temp.

06 °C

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Zuhr

12:02

MAX. RH M

62 %

Asr

15:07

MIN. RH M

20 %

Sunset

17:28

MAX. Wind MA AX. W ind

N 46 km/h

Isha

18:47

TOTAL RAINFALL T OT TA AL L RAI INF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

DAY DA AY

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

4 DA DAYS AYS Y FORECAST

Rabiya

Al-Madena

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Dir ection Wind Direction

Wind Wind Speed

cold

17 °C

06 °C

NW

12 - 32 km/h

06/02

sunny

17 °C

07 °C

NW -VRB NW-VRB

06 - 26 km/h

07/02

partly cloudy + ligh ht rain light

18 °C

07 °C

VRB-SE

06 - 28 km/h

08/02

partly cloudy + scatte ered rain scattered

21 °C

12 °C

SE

20 - 40 km/h

PRAYER PR RA AYER Y TIMES

RECORDED D YESTERDA YESTERDAY AY A AT T 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

04/02/12 03:04 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

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Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

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Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

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Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

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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

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William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

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36

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Ben Gazzara dead at 81 S actor Ben Gazzara, who enjoyed a long and successful career on Broadway and in Hollywood, died of pancreatic cancer on Friday in Manhattan, his attorney said. He was 81. The lawyer told reporters that the actor died at a Manhattan hospital. During his 60-year Hollywood career, the actor appeared in more than 100 films and TV movies, including “Husbands,” “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie” and “Opening Night.” He won an Emmy Award for his supporting role in the 2002 HBO drama “Hysterical Blindness.” He also received an Emmy nomination for the 1985 TV movie “An Early Frost,” in which he played a middle-age husband who learns that his son is gay and dying of AIDS. Gazzara, who starred in films, television and on the stage, played Brick in the original Broadway version of Tennessee Williams’ “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof,” originating a tough-guy persona that he would cultivate on the big screen. In his later years he worked with the Coen brothers in “The Big Lebowski,” in 1998, in the television series “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,” and more recently in many movies made for television. Born into a family of Sicilian immigrants on August 28, 1930, Gazzara started acting at 13 when he appeared in a play staged at the nearby Boys Club. After graduating from high school, he entered Manhattan’s Dramatic Workshop and in 1951 was accepted into the prestigious Actors Studio. While successful on the big screen, he periodically returned to Broadway. He received a Tony nomination in 1975 for “Hughie/Duet” and another nomination in 1977 for a revival of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Gazzara is survived by his wife of 30 years, Elke, and a daughter.

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Robin Gibb feels fantastic ee Gees lead singer Robin Gibb said Friday he was making a “spectacular” recovery from colon cancer and felt better than ever. “The prognosis is that it’s almost gone and I feel fantastic and really from now on it’s just what they could describe as a ‘mopping-up’ operation,” the 62-year-old told BBC radio. Robin’s twin brother Maurice died in 2003 from complications resulting from a twisted intestine, and younger brother Andy died in 1988 following a battle against cocaine addiction. Robin Gibb has had repeated health problems himself due to a twisted bowel but after several periods of ill health, he was also found to be suffering colon cancer. “I was diagnosed with a growth in my colon. It was removed. And I’ve been treated for that by a brilliant doctor, and in their own words ‘the results have been spectacular’,” he said. “I feel better than I did ten years ago. I’m active, my appetite’s fantastic, the plumbing is all in perfect working order.” Gibb is soon to release a classical concept album about the sinking of the Titanic to mark the centenary of the disaster. He is aiming to perform at the symphonic work’s premiere in London on April 10. “If I had a choice about how I’d like to feel for the rest of my life, this would be it,” Gibb added. “I don’t know how I could feel any better.” British-born brothers the Bee Gees are one of the biggest-selling groups of all time. They scaled the heights of the pop world in the 1970s with disco hits “Stayin’ Alive” and “Night Fever”, and have notched up more than 200 million record sales during a career spanning more than 50 years.

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Son of actor Ryan O’Neal sentenced to jail riffin O’Neal, the elder son of US actor Ryan O’Neal, has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for causing a car accident while driving under the influence of drugs. The driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident, which occurred last August, was seriously injured. O’Neal, who was on parole at that time following another incident of driving under the influence of drugs, was arrested a month later. A test revealed that O’Neal

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had traces of five different types of drugs in his bloodstream, including cocaine and marijuana, at the time of the accident. His lawyer, Heather Boxeth, admitted Friday that her client’s behavior was “inexcusable,” but added that he had serious drug problems that needed to be addressed.

Perry’s ex-boyfriend Prince Harry and

comforting her after split aty Perry’s ex-boyfriend has been comforting her following her marriage split. The Firework hitmaker and British comedian Russell Brand called time on their union in December after only 14 months of marriage and Katy’s former love, Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy, says he has been trying to help the singer get over the break-up. He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: ‘There will always be a connection between us, I’ll always be there for her. When you’ve been in a relationship like ours, you will always make time for that person. Katy was there for me through my hard times when things were really bad. ‘Life goes on, I have regrets about the way things ended but there are no grudges anymore. I’ll always be there for her, she knows that. ‘Do I think she got married to Russell too fast? When you’re feeling it, you’re feeling it. You can’t help how you feel.’ Katy and Travie started dating in 2008 after she appeared in the video for his band’s song Cupid’s Chokehold but split in 2009.

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Beckham party until the wee hours rince Harry and David Beckham partied together until the early hours in London last night. The British royal and the soccer star - who arrived around 10pm and left at 3am this morning enjoyed a night out at the exclusive Arts Club, less than two months after they enjoyed a pre-Christmas night out at the same venue. Other guests included David’s best friend Dave Gardner and Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins. David - who is a close friend of both Harry and his brother William - stopped by the club after taping a recording of Jonathan Ross’ ITV 1 chat show, where he revealed he and wife Victoria are thinking about expanding their family, which already includes sons Brooklyn, 12, Romeo, nine, and six-year-old Cruz and seven-month-old daughter Harper. He said: “Harper is seven months now. I can’t even look at her without welling up.

After having three boys, you just assume that you’re going to have another boy, but when we got told she was a little girl, it was amazing. “We might have one more or two more, you never know. We’re not thinking about it yet, but if it happens, great. We’re enjoying the kids as it is. It’s always a thought. “I mean, we’re busy people and we’re enjoying the four kids that we’ve got already and we’re lucky, we’re lucky to have four healthy children.”

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Hudgens thinks she is ‘turning into’ her mother he 23-year-old actress says her mom Gina is her biggest inspiration, and though she used to find her positivity annoying, it is a side of herself now that she likes to embrace. She said: “My mom inspires me. She’s the most positive, bubbly person. “When I was younger, I’d think, ‘Why is she giggling all the time? It’s so annoying.’ Now, I think it’s great. “The older I get, the more I’m turning into her. You get back what you put into life, so you may as well be happy and get that back in return. Vanessa - who is currently dating actor Austin Butler - also admitted she loves being alone and feels comfortable dining out or watching a movie without a companion. She said: “I’ve loved being by myself since I was young. I love going to restaurants and to the movies by myself.” The ‘Journey 2: The Mysterious Island’ actress loves leaving her phone at home so she can get some peace. She told Britain’s Cosmopolitan magazine: “It’s too much to have your phone on all the time. There’s always someone trying to get hold of you. “I love leaving my phone at home - but I need music everywhere I go so I bring little portable speakers.”

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The Black

Keys predict backlash he Black Keys expect everyone to hate them. The ‘Lonely Boy’ group’s latest album, ‘El Camino’ has been their biggest to date, but while they feel they are at the peak of their success, they worry it could quickly work against them. Drummer Patrick Carney said: “We’re lucky enough to be enjoying a brief moment near the top. But that won’t last very long. What happens when you become popular? You become the band that everybody wants to hate. And it won’t be long until that catches up with us. Guitarist Dan Auerbach - who completes the group - thinks the group have become so popular almost by accident, after their track, ‘Tighten Up’ from their 2010 album ‘Brothers’ became an unexpected hit. He said: “People dedicate their lives to writing pop songs because that’s how you reach the biggest audience. We just never thought about it before. It never even dawned on us to write something catchy until we did ‘Tighten Up’. “Initially [that track] felt weird to me, I don’t know what it was that had me irked. Pat had no problem with it. He thought I was being a weirdo. I don’t have any weird feelings about it now. When we play it live it fits in, it feels natural.” —Agencies

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37

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Christina Mosley, Katelyn Freitas and Nancy Rodriguez crochet at the Blaine Street Women’s Jail in Santa Cruz, California. The three were among those who donated the blankets they knitted. —MCT photos

Inmate Joshua Daugherty works on creating pom poms.

Knitting Behind Bars weaves an unlikely partnership

ynn Zwerling speaks of knitting the way others talk about yoga or long distance running or even particularly potent cocktails. It’s lifechanging, she’ll say. Mind-altering. Zen. The Columbia, Md, retiree doesn’t care if she’s making a hat, a sweater or a scarf. It’s just the way she loses herself in the lightly clicking needles, plush wool and repetitive motion. Zwerling, who’s 67, took up knitting after retiring from selling cars, quickly becoming an evangelist, more enthusiastic than skilled. She started a knitting group that swelled to nearly 500 members and then - surprising everyone she knew — announced that she wanted to teach men in jail how to knit.

“I just knew it would work,” she says. “I thought I could give a calming influence to people who really need this. I’m not a social worker. I’m not an educator. But I thought what it takes to do knitting are skills vital to human existence — setting goals, completing a project, giving to somebody else. “And I thought, maybe when they get back in the world, these men might choose to be calm and do something worthwhile. But I’m a dreamer, you know.”

Defying every expectation, Zwerling’s Thursday night program, Knitting Behind Bars, has become in two years the most exclusive club at the Jessup PreRelease Unit, an all-male, minimum-security penitentiary in Howard County, Md. Men literally beg to get in. There’s a waiting list. And no one’s more surprised about that than the assistant warden who

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Organizer Lynn Zwerling helps inmate Phillip Jones with his knitting techniques.

couldn’t help but harrumph when Zwerling told her she wanted to teach inmates how to make stuffed dolls and woolly hats. Every other prison in the area had already turned her down.

“I was like, ‘Mmmm, I don’t know,” says Margaret M. Chippendale, the prison’s warden. “I just had a hard time trying to grasp that an inmate that might have committed a violent crime or been a gang affiliate was going to want to sit in a room and knit.”

But they did. And do.

They want it so much, in fact, that they’re willing to be good in order to do it. Chippendale has noticed lower rates of violence among the men who knit. “It’s a privilege to be in that program,” Chippendale says. “It’s something that matters and they don’t want to do anything to be removed from it.”

On a recent Thursday, George Hopkins hunched in a chair, grimacing in concentration, pushing a needle through a loop of wool, wrapping it with yarn, then deftly tucking it under, through and around _ again and again, over and over. The 54year-old from Baltimore, in prison for stabbing someone, had settled into a knitting-induced reverie. He was halfway into a hat and, just as Zwerling suspected, entirely transported.

“My mind is on something soft and gentle,” he said. “My mind is nowhere near inside these walls.”

That first night at the prison, Zwerling went alone. A grandmotherly figure who cuts her graying hair

short and who likes to wear her own brightly colored creations, Zwerling stepped through the metal detector, held her arms out for a pat down and endured disapproval over her underwire brassiere.

She says she wasn’t scared, not even for a minute.

“We were very naive,” says Sheila Rovelstad, a 61year-old avid knitter who joined Zwerling at the jail not long after that first class. “At first we didn’t know enough to be afraid.”

They thought the guys were fundamentally good fellows who perhaps made “some bad choices.” But soon enough they realized that these were men who had beaten people, written bad checks for thousands of dollars, and in one case, kept someone locked in a room. One was a child abuser.

“That one was hard,” Rovelstad says.

“They are criminals,” she says. “Most have hurt someone in some way. These are not good boys.

But we’ve become fond of them.” Both women will tell you they know boys. They raised their own.

Zwerling’s sons are 31 and 34. Rovelstad’s son died in 1999 in an accident while he was attending Florida State University. “We understand how easy it is go astray. It isn’t that we had bad boys,” Zwerling says. “But we had boys.”

In the bare, plain classroom that’s become the knitting room at the prison, the women lay down firm ground rules. No roughhousing. No coarse language. No prison nicknames. “Bring your best selves,” they say. If one of the men steps out of line,

Rovelstad finds herself telling him, “We don’t do that in this family.” It’s the same thing she’d tell her own kids.

For the sessions that run two hours every Thursday evening, the men do seem to bring their best selves. They shower. They put on clean clothes.

When they walk in, they peel off their skull caps and greet the women respectfully. Before they leave, they’ll call out things like, “Drive safely” and “Have a great week.”

During an inmate’s first class, Zwerling, Rovelstad and a third volunteer will help him make a little swatch _ nothing more than a few stitches worked back and forth. But before that new knitter leaves, the women will have him cut the yarn, taking care to leave a long tail. They’ll tell him to carry the square in his pocket and if he gets upset, to pull the tail.

That first class wasn’t easy for Raymond Furman, a 46-year-old from Washington who’s serving a sentence for telephone misuse and stalking. Frustrated and unable to do more than a stitch or two without a mistake, he threw down his work and said, “I can’t do this.” But, he remembers, one of the women said, “Just relax. Let the yarn have its way.”

Furman stayed put, kept at it and left that night with a little blue strip that he decided was a bookmark for his Bible. The next week he came back and started on a hat, that when he finished, he proudly wore around the prison yard. “The guys,” he says,

“were sort of impressed.”

On that recent Thursday evening, Hopkins, Furman and about 10 others were working wool, side by side, the room nearly silent with concentration. Most of them were making hats for students in need at Baltimore’s Arlington Elementary. There’s yarn of all colors spread along one table, as well as scissors, tapestry needles and pom-pom-makers — every last bit of which the women will have to account for before they leave the prison.

The women buy most of the group’s supplies themselves, though on the knitting site Ravelry.com, they’ve set up a page where people can make donations of money or yarn. Also, Rovelstad, who has a business hand-dying yarns where she names the shades after songs, designed one to benefit the program called, “I Fought the Law and the Law Won.” She had people nominate color suggestions online, then brought the choices in to the guys for a final vote.

They chose a variegating stripe of three colors — blue for the sky, green for the grass and black— for the bars that keep them from enjoying either one.

It’s Gary Ralph’s last night. After spending nearly all of his 30s and 40s in prison for burglary, robbery, making and selling drugs and, most recently, for violating parole, the 52-year -old was four days away from going home to College Park, Md. He smiled when someone pointed out that he’d never finish the hat in his lap. —MCT

Cruising the skies, cursing each other On a hazy afternoon, Joe Greblo gets a running start and leaps off Kagel Mountain for a flight over Sylmar.

s the ancient Dodge van bumped and creaked up the mountain road to one of Southern California’s legendary hang glider launches, a 68-year-old thrillseeker sitting in back mentioned that the 83-year-old riding shotgun is attracting condors whenever he flies. “He thinks it’s because he talks to them,” George Boswell said of his older friend, Rome Dodson. “We don’t have the heart to tell him it’s because they’re vultures.” There’s never been a shortage of gallows humor among hang glider pilots. They confront mortality every time they stare down at the world from thousands of feet with only a hollow aluminum frame and a thin sheet of Dacron holding them aloft. But as the age of a typical “hangie” soars into the 60s and 70s, many worry less about their own survival and more about the future of the sport they love and helped invent in the sun-baked mountains around Los Angeles. Today, most younger pilots favor the soft-winged paraglider-a steerable parachute with no rigid frame-pioneered by French alpinists looking for something light and compact enough to stuff into bags and carry on their backs up rugged peaks. From there, they would launch themselves for an aerial tour of their climbing route and a suitably stylish descent to the valley floor.

From the outside, it would seem the camps have a lot in common. Any two people who are willing to strap themselves to a wing and run off a mountain cliff, hoping to ride columns of warm, rising air to 10,000 feet or higher obviously share a rare and overpowering faith in something: God, physics, luck? But like followers of any creed who go their separate ways - think skiers and snowboarders - hang gliders and paragliders sometimes regard each other with a suspicion that borders on tribal.

For hang gliders, there is a practical concern: Fewer pilots means manufacturers may go out of business, making it hard to replace worn-out gear. But there is an emotional side, too: Many hang gliders have risked their lives for decades and seen friends killed honing skills that allow men to soar like birds of prey. It hurts to see that knowledge abandoned in favor of a sport that at first seems as hard to master as sitting in a lawn chair. One of the few young hang glider pilots left, 27-year-old Ryan

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Voight, said he knew he was living dangerously when he posted a message on hanggliding.org admitting he’d recently tried paragliding. And liked it. The message board (plastered with advertisements for a “mature singles” dating service) erupted with outrage. Curmudgeonly hang gliders accused Voight of harboring an anti-hang-gliding agenda, demanded to know if he was an undercover paragliding instructor trolling for business and suggested his views would be more welcome among his own kind, on a paragliding forum.

One aggrieved hang glider wrote: “We have a right to not have PG shoved down our throats all the time.” As it turns out,

because hang gliders started it all in the 1970s, when they were in their 20s or 30s, but now they’re getting to the point where they can’t do it anymore,” said Nick Greece, 35, the association’s spokesman.

Besides, a hang glider is “a way cooler craft ... it flies faster, it can fly in more wind,” Greece offered, just before confiding that he flies a paraglider. He is, in fact, a world-class competitor in the sport. One problem with hang gliders is their big, awkward frames.

Getting them up the hill usually requires a truck, or a large van, with a roof rack. Once at the launch, it takes time to assemble their metal tubes, steel wires and complicated harnesses.

Veteran “hangie” Joe Greblo rolls his glider to the edge of Kagel Mountain.

Voight is a second-generation hang glider.

His dad owns a hang gliding school and shop in New York. The younger Voight teaches whenever he can near his home in Utah, where he supplements his income as a ski instructor. Despite the ostracism, Voight is still paragliding. He is not the only turncoat.

Bowing to the seemingly inevitable, the US Hang Gliding Association added “and Paragliding” to its name a few years ago. In 2011, the number of paragliding members (4,066) surpassed the number of hang gliders (3,922) for the first time. “It’s hard

That rigid frame, though, means most hang gliders can fly twice as far and twice as fast as most paragliders and, significantly, a hang glider will knife through the turbulence surrounding rising columns of airknown as thermals-with much less drama.

But it takes longer to learn to handle all the power. That’s why most newcomers are flocking to paragliders, prompting old hangies, who in their youth were derided as “sky bums,” to despair that the younger generation is addicted to instant gratification.

The simplicity of paragliding can be

intoxicating. The backpack doubles as a wellpadded, L-shaped harness. Sitting in it feels a lot like being in a recliner. The wing and the Kevlar lines that dangle beneath it come neatly out of the pack and attach to the harness with two simple, locking metal loops.

The setup takes a couple of minutes and can easily be done by one person.

Once he steps into the harness, the pilot takes a few quick steps forward into a soft breeze and the wing rises overhead with a loud, satisfying whoosh. A few more brisk steps downhill and the ground slips gently away. Getting the takeoff right requires a bit of practice, but absolute beginners can be soloing hundreds of feet above the training

by pulling down on both handles a few feet above ground and stalling the wing. One problem with such a gentle learning curve, say some veteran hang gliders, is that naive paraglider pilots don’t have the sense to stay in calm air. Instead, they’ll take their fragile wings to the roaring thermal turbulence of the desert, where they can soar to 15,000 feet and cover a hundred miles in a single flight. Reliable accident statistics are impossible to find because neither the Federal Aviation Administration nor the National Transportation Safety Board tracks fatalities involving foot-launched, engine-less aircraft.

Accident reports on the hang gliding and paragliding association’s website are mostly

Los Angeles Times reporter Jack Dolan, who took this shot with a remote camera attached to the hang glider, hitches a ride over Sylmar with veteran “hangie” Fred Ballard. —MCT photos hill-there’s a famous one in Santa Barbara-an hour or two into their first lesson. Turning consists of leaning to one side in the harness and pulling gently down on a handle attached to the lines, a motion not unlike reaching for a beer from the comfort of a LaZ-Boy. In calm air, like the gentle uplift found along California’s coastal ridges, a flight can last hours and feel dream-like, allowing the pilot to float back and forth in a kind of quiet meditation.

Done right, landings are similarly serene.

The pilot gently places himself on terra firma

anecdotal and rely on voluntary submissions from pilots and witnesses. But a Web search on “paraglide and collapse” turns up horrifying video clips showing what can happen when soft wings encounter strong turbulence.

With no frame, a paraglider depends on air flowing in from the front to fill the space between an upper and lower layer of fabric.

When inflated, the material forms the shape of a wing and it flies. If air is suddenly forced out, however, the wing loses shape and a pilot can find himself thousands of feet

above the ground with a bundle of useless cloth overhead.

Beginner wings designed for safety are supposed to reinflate when they start to fall.

But that can take enough time for the pilot to drop a few hundred feet. If a wing collapses too close to the ground, there’s very little a pilot can do except deploy the reserve parachute, which also takes precious seconds. Competition paraglider wings, designed for maximum speed and range, do not reinflate so easily. Two pilots were killed on the same day at the paragliding World Championships in Spain last July after their wings collapsed, and three others saved their lives only by opening reserve chutes.

“If I thought there was any chance my aircraft was going to spontaneously stop being an aircraft in flight, I would not get on it,” said Rick Masters, a onetime hang glider who, after watching two paragliders plummet to their deaths, created a website devoted to the study of fatal paragliding accidents. Combing the Web for news accounts, he’s up to 873 since 2002.

When he posted his findings on a paragliding forum, he was called a “fool,” a “screwball” and a “psychopath.” One angry paraglider wrote: “You are an old fart who used to fly and enjoy himself. Now you see ‘your’ sport threatened by these upstart paraglider pilots.”

Masters, 61, lives in California’s Owens Valley, home to some of the best thermal soaring in the world. He said he understands the response: Paragliders are “not going to let anyone take away their toys.” He felt the same way about hang gliding-which, he concedes, is also plenty dangerous.

But he swears he didn’t quit out of fear.

Instead, he said, after about a decade of flying, he found himself soaring one day at 17,000 feet. He looked down at the ground and thought, “I’m bored. I gotta do something else, maybe build a house.” For others, the magic of flight doesn’t wear off so easily.

Eighty-three-year-old Dodson was a pioneer when he started hang gliding almost 40 years ago. He tried paragliding, but on one of his maiden flights he went into an unexpected spiral dive after launching from 3,500-foot Kagel Mountain, about 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. “If I’d hit the side of the hill then, I would’ve been mush,” he said. —MCT

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Models display creations by Spanish designer TCN during the presentation of the Autumn/Winter collections of the Madrid Fashion Week yesterday, in Madrid. —AFP

Men’s underwear gets a little extra attention S

These undated photos provided by H&M show a look from the new collection created and modeled by David Beckham. — AP photos

ome things are fashion, and some are necessity. Where do men’s undergarments fall? Increasingly, right in the middle. There’s a guaranteed market that needs to replenish supplies no matter what the economy is doing. But innovation in style and technology has made boxers, briefs and undershirts that were once an afterthought into a buzz-worthy category of men’s clothes. So much so that H&M is debuting ads for its new undergarment collection by David Beckham during the Super Bowl today, and Jockey wasted no time signing football star Tim Tebow as its new spokesman.

It makes sense as a growth category, says Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with market research firm The NPD Group, but it took the right conditions to get on the fashion industry’s radar: streamlined design, comfortable stretch fabrics, the idea that dressing starts at the base layer and that shabby-chic doesn’t cut it anymore.

Men, in general, aren’t as interested in fleeting trends, he adds. They are, however, willing to buy an “evolved” product if they need to replace an old one. And, Cohen says, as has happened with smartphones or athletic apparel, sometimes men will trade up if they think there’s genuine newness. It’s a purchase men are likely to make for themselves, although creating products that appeal to women - either on a business level or a more

personal one - is a factor, and that’s why you’ll see models such as sports figures as top ambassadors, he says. “Undergarments are relatively inexpensive so everyone can participate,” Cohen says. “It’s something that’s easy for a woman to buy for a guy, something for the guy to buy for himself, there’s need. It hits a large swath of demographics.”

The total US men’s underwear and undershirt market for 2011 was up more than 7 percent over the previous year, totaling almost $3.3 billion, NPD numbers show. H&M must see the potential. The collaboration with Beckham launches with not only boxers, briefs and Ts, but also vests, pajamas and long johns. Beckham said in a statement that it took him and his design team 18 months to come up with just the right initial styles. The plan is for new products each season to expand on these basics. “It all starts with underwear and you build your wardrobe from there,” agrees Patrick Doddy, senior vice president and brand director of A/X Armani Exchange. “It’s literally the foundation to your style.”

A/X’s core, younger consumer - probably an urbanite in his 20s or 30s - isn’t self-conscious about purchasing undergarments in the middle of a bustling store, he says. This fashion-savvy customer knows, just like his girlfriend or wife does, that flattering, stylish underwear only enhances his overall look.

One of the brand’s now-core styles, the hip brief, was added to the offerings because of the popularity of low-rise pants, and seamless products became a necessary addition when

silhouettes became slimmer, Doddy explains.

Boxer-briefs (a hybrid with legs like boxer shorts but a tighter fit like briefs) are the bestselling style for Tommy John, which CEO Tom Patterson sees as a reaction to the shift to flatfront trousers. “Tailored clothing is booming, and it makes sense to have clothes that fit your body. It’s taken a little while for underwear to catch up, but it’s on its way,” he says.

Men like problem-solvers, the T-shirt that will stay tucked in, or boxers that don’t ride up when they move from sitting to standing, according to Patterson. His brand’s newest twist is a horizontal fly, which eliminates some fabric and, Patterson says, bulkiness.

Doddy says men think about this stuff.

They have the same level of vanity as women, and they’ll take boosts of confidence wherever they can get it. Next up will be changes in the undershirt, with 9.4 percent growth last year, and then slimming shapewear, predicts NPD’s Cohen. “A decade ago, all the innovation was coming out of the shape of the bottom - you had the hybrid boxer-brief and younger guys wearing boxers. Now the growth is in undershirts. Guys are wearing them as everyday wear, not just for occasions.

Men have recognized they can’t do shabby chic and look like they just rolled out of bed,” he says. “They are looking for a job, or how to do their job better or how to move ahead, and dressing is part of that.” — AP

Chic way

to generate heat

Try the classic cropped blazer from Forever21.com Try the Hanes Silk Reflections control-top ribbed tights from Kohls.com as a chic way to generate heat.

—MCT photos

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To finish a chic look, slip into the Steve Madden Graanie black leather combat boot with heel from Footnotesonline.com.

ed carpets at the Sundance Film Festival are a little different. Park City, Utah, in January is too cold and snowy for the usual thin dresses, cut down to there and slit up to here. Instead parkas, scarves and knit hats rule. The festival’s most stylish set-and we’re counting Kate Bosworth, Lake Bell and Rashida Jones among themhave braved the weather wearing long-sleeved minis over tights, casual ponchos, skinny jeans and boots.

Jones showed how to dress stylishly for a party last weekend at a dinner for the cast of her screenwriting debut “Celeste and Jesse Forever,” a romantic comedy starring Emma Roberts and Elijah Wood. It was a star-studded evening on Main Street, with guests including Jones’ par-

s

Try the drop armhole button front blouse from Topshop.com.

ents Quincy Jones and Peggy Lipton; Andy Samberg, Chris Messina and film director Lee Toland Krieger. Jones shone in a textured black Olivier Theyskens for Theory dress and chunky gold jewelry by Lia Sophia. She kept warm under a cropped tuxedo blazer, ribbed tights and combat boots.

Jones dressed all in black, but the charming details of her skirt and large buttons on her blouse added definition to the single color palette. For a similar effect, try the Asos mini-dress with circle inserts from Asos.com for $80.57.

Jones’ look can also be achieved with a button-up blouse and textured skirt.

Try the Pink Tartan scallop tiered skirt from Last Call by Neiman Marcus for $84.50 paired with the drop armhole

Try the Asos mini-dress with circle inserts from Asos.com.

button front blouse from Topshop.com for $48.

Jones’ fitted, cropped blazer added a bit of warmth and polish. For a similar piece, try the classic cropped blazer from Forever21.com for $27.80. A pair of ribbed tights is a smart way to conquer cold weather in style. Try the Hanes Silk Reflections control-top ribbed tights for $10 from Kohls.com.

To finish the look, slip into the Steve Madden Graanie black leather combat boot with heel from Footnotesonline.com for $91 or the Vince Camuto Vestas boot from Shoptheshoebox.com for $129. Pieces like these will keep you warmly chic for all your upcoming winter soirees. — MCT

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Spain Fashion Week

Models display Autumn/Winter design by Maya Hansen during the Madrid’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, in Madrid, yesterday.

— AP /AFP photos

Chung‘loves’ attending Burberry shows

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he British beauty - who has a bag named after her

by Mulberry - admits she is a big fan of Burberry chief Christopher Bailey because he didn’t make any mistake when he took over the label and continues to do his own thing while remaining true to the brand.

She said: “Christopher Bailey is a really lovely and warm man. “He’s also really smart. He’s injected this vibrant energy into an old brand while also staying true to its heritage. I mean, he didn’t ruin it up did he?

“I constantly wear a trench coat that he designed and I borrowed a beautiful teal silk dress for my new TV series. I always love attending the Burberry Prorsum shows during fashion week.” She also loves the work of Alexander McQueen boss Sarah Burton, who famously created Duchess Catherine’s wedding gown for her marriage to Prince William last year.

Alexa added to UK’s Elle magazine: “Sarah is brilliant. She seamlessly slipped into her new role - and simultaneously created one of the most memorable dresses of our time.” — Bang Showbiz

J

Connelly named new face of Shiseido

ennifer Connelly has been named the new Global Face of Shiseido. The ‘Requiem for a Dream’ actress - who previously fronted a Japanese advertising campaign for the brand over twenty years ago - will also be the face of their premium skincare line Future Solution LX and is delighted to be involved with the campaign.

She told WWD: “I am honored to be working with Shiseido again and to be representing

the Future Solution LX line globally. “Like Shiseido, I believe it is important to prepare now for our future wellbeing.

I look forward to sharing my journey with Future Solution LX with women worldwide.”

Shiseido are thrilled to be working with the41-year-old actress again. Hiroshi Maruyama, General Manager of the International Marketing Department, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer back to

our family as we celebrate our 140th anniversary. “Jennifer’s genuine personality, commitment to her family and approach to living a beautiful life embodies the core values of our company, and match those of the Shiseido customer. We believe that she portrays the essence of the Future Solution LX line perfectly and that her inner and outer beauty will inspire our customers.”

— Bang Showbiz

Son of actor Ryan O’Neal sentenced to jail

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012

A sculpture of bull, symbolizing the 2012 Venice carnival, is carried on the boat in front of St Mark’s square in Venice. The bull is inspired by ancient rites of Venice’s lagoon. — AFP

‘Trompe l’oeil’, or the art of deception, on show in Paris

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A visitor looks at the piece of art “Large vase with birds” created by the Saint-Louis crystal manufacture.

rompe l’oeil”-or art designed to trick the eye-is the title of a new Paris exhibit exploring the history of illusion and pastiche, from ancient frescoes to fashion and the decorative arts. The first known use of trompe l’oeil, as legend would have it, dates back to ancient Greece, in the fifth century BC, when the artist Zeuxis painted a bunch of grapes so realistic that a bird flew down to peck at them. “It’s a game between the creator and the viewer, it’s all about reality and perception,” said curator Veronique Belloir, summing up the subject of the show which runs for 18 months at the Paris Museum of Decorative Arts.

A small selection of paintings opens the display of more than 400 artefacts, one of them a surrealist closet by the French artist Marcel Jean, its imaginary doors cracked open to offer a glimpse of the landscape beyond. But the core of the exhibit is the place of illusion in the decorative arts, which took off in the late 19th century when wallpaper for instance was used to imitate everything from ceramic to lace or lacquer.”Imitation is one of the great themes of the decorative arts,” said co-curator Dominique Fourest. “Cost is part of the reason, but not the whole story.

This was also a way for creators to develop their virtuosity.” Technical innovations such as linoleum were used to reproduce floorboards or mosaic, while glass imitated onyx or malachite, and ceramic posed as wood, leather or woven reeds. Late 19th century handbooks offered craftsmen exquisitely precise guides to imitating rare materials, such as specific types of marble, or decorative styles from ancient

Greece to China or the Islamic world. “It’s an endless game,” said Fourest. Reaching back in history, trick jugs from the 16th century had holes pierced in the sides, the liquid poured through concealed double walls.

A thick pile of leather-bound books, mounted on a wooden stool, prises open to reveal a chamber pot, an 18th-century marvel of invention and coyness. Fashion has also made copious use of the trompe l’oeil genre, starting in the 1920s with Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli,

The piece of art “Ostrich Egg” by Pol Chambost. — AFP photos The fashion world’s love affair with trompe l’oeil is highlighted by the exhibition’s cover photograph, a 1973 snap of a man seated at a Paris cafe, a jacket painted onto his naked torso. In a quirky twist, the curators discovered the story

A visitor looks at the piece of art “Chemises-cravates” by Paul Dionyssopoulos, aka Pavlos. who created knitted sweaters patterned with make-believe scarves or accessories.”Fashion is quite unashamed to talk about faux-collars, false lashes, wigs and faux-crocodile,” said Belloir. Among a dozen anthology outfits on display is a sporty, zippered man’s coat by Jean Paul Gaultier printed with the pattern of a tweed jacket. Likewise a piece carried out for Chanel’s haute couture collection in 1983, by the embroidery master Francois Lesage, imitates a set of jewellery. There is also a woman’s jumpsuit, created by Sonia Rykiel in 2008, with a classic dungaree top patterned on the front.

An earthenware dish created by Charles-Jean Avisseau (17951861) Elkington and Cie.

behind the picture on the eve of the opening, from the designer himself, Ruben Torres, who told them he drew clothes onto his models’ bodies after failing to complete his collection on time for a fashion show. — AFP

A visitor walks along the piece of art “Down The Rabbit Hole” by designer Rasch.

New York artist seeks naked truth of Wall St

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ll that glitters on Wall Street is fool’s gold for a New York artist who has gone to extreme lengths to bare his views on the world’s most famous finance center. An exhibition of Zefry Throwell’s work in Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking District transfers the angry sentiments of the Occupy Wall Street protests to the rarified atmosphere of the art gallery.

Housed in a bare-walled industrial space, “Ocularpation: Wall Street” features rows of golden objects that the 36-year-old artist says represent the Financial District’s chief professions. There are brooms for the janitors, piggybanks for bankers, handcuffs for police, highheeled sandals for prostitutes, paper coffee mugs and Blackberry phones, neck ties, legal pads and a FedEx box-all real and ready to use, except for being encased in gold-colored paint.

“The golden sculptures are representative of the US economy right now. They act as a

metaphor for how the US relates with its own people and the rest of the world,” he told AFP by email. “Gold in this body of work references the current American financial dream: sold as a glitter jewel of bling and hype, but in fact a fantasy whose value is a thin layer of myth and speculation.” Throwell was ahead of the curve in casting a rebel eye on Wall Street. Back on August 1 last year, six weeks before the first Occupy activists launched what became their nationwide movement, Throwell was seeking the naked truth of the financial industry.

In a well-organized piece of guerrilla art, he and about 50 others, each playing one of those Wall Street roles-banker, personal trainer, hot dog vendor, janitor and so on-gathered at the start of the working day. It was 7:00 am, just as the street was filling with people arriving at their offices and shops, when the 50 provocateurs swiftly undressed. The result, which was

caught on film by a pre-positioned camera crew, was a sometimes hilarious, always weird scene in which ordinary looking people, apparently for no reason, suddenly stripped nude, before continuing with their previous activities.

The footage was made into a short film that shows on a continuous loop downstairs from the gold objects at the Klemens Gasser & Tanja Grunert gallery. Throwell says the flash mob idea was inspired by his mother, who was 65 and retired when the stock market crash destroyed her savings and forced her to go back into work. “At first she was depressed. Then she was furious,” he says on the film. The same could be said of many of the people who flocked to Occupy Wall Street in its early days, before demonstrators were whittled down to hardcore activists and growing numbers of homeless and other hangers on. Throwell says his action in August caught the attention of the Occupy

organizers, who came for advice. Their original idea had been to try to camp on Wall Street, which he calls “the most mysterious street in the world.”

Instead, Throwell, who thought police there were too “jumpy,” suggested taking over nearby Zuccotti Park. Occupy Wall Street did so successfully and camped out for two months. “I am happy that people are paying attention to financial reform in the US,” he said. “Hopefully it will save people from ending up in situations like my mother’s where they work all their lives, save their money and then are abused by a system that doesn’t take care of them.” Since the heady days of late summer 2011, the Occupy movement has hit hard times.

The Zuccotti Park protesters were finally ejected November 15, with other camps as far apart as Boston and Los Angeles suffering similar fates. Today, the movement is struggling to

regain the media attention and the public sympathy it once had. But Maureen Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the “Ocularpation” exhibition, said this migration from gritty streets to chic gallery does not signal another stage in the Occupy movement’s decline.

She described a “huge emergence of artists” on political themes and said there was nothing abnormal about the wealthy art world supporting the so-called “99 percent” of ordinary folk.

“The art world is very much involved in this issue. As much money as they have, they’re leftist,” she said.

Throwell described the dip in Occupy activity as a winter hiatus. “They are regrouping.

When things get warmer, people will come out side again. I believe this period of hibernation is actually a good thing,” he said. “Ocularpation: Wall Street” opened in January and closes February 11th. — AFP