5 Dec 2011

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

New airport terminal to be ready by 2016 for KD 900m

Blast near UK embassy in Bahrain; Iran downs US drone

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MUHARRAM 10, 1433 AH

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End of era as Bollywood’s ‘evergreen’ Dev Anand dies

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www.kuwaittimes.net

Brazilian football legend Socrates dies

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Barrak denies receiving Qatar funds, sues paper Pro-govt MPs try to make hay • Amir swears in new PM

Max 18º Min 04º Low Tide 02:05 & 13:38 High Tide 07:55 & 20:01

By B Izzak conspiracy theories

Qatar - a global player?

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

H

ow politics and power change. There is a time for every country. Unfortunately, there is not a time for only one country to be influential.

History repeats itself. Nations come and rule, then other nations came and ruled. Never underestimate any country. Who could imagine that a country like Qatar will lead the Arab world now.

Look where a small country in size like Qatar - I don’t mean it as an insult but geographically speaking compared to its neighboring countries - has reached where it stands right now. Even in population Qatar is small. Qatari nationals number about 300,000 with another 1.5 million expatriates. But yet the influence of this country in the area, I mean the Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah (second left) holds a falcon as UAE Ambassador to Kuwait Hassan Salem Al-Khayyal (second right) looks on during celebrations marking UAE’s 40th National Day at the UAE Embassy yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Leading opposition figure MP Musallam AlBarrak yesterday categorically denied allegations that he had received 200 million Qatari riyals (KD 15 million) from Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Khalifa as published by Al-Shahed newspaper. A number of pro-government MPs who are allegedly implicated in the corruption scandal which the public prosecution is investigating, used the alleged story to call for a comprehensive probe into the alleged transfer.

Arabic-language newspaper Al-Shahed published yesterday what it claimed a copy of a transfer by the Qatari premier to a Kuwaiti person whose name starts with Musallam and covered the rest of the name. It said the transfer was made from HSBC Bank in Qatar to Doha Bank, both of which have branches in Kuwait. The paper said the transfer was made in the summer this year and coincided with a vote on a grilling of former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, an indication the money was for political reasons.

Al-Barrak said that he does not hold any bank account with the two banks and said he has initiated legal action against the newspaper and MPs who repeated the allegations and almost explicitly named Al-Barrak. The lawmaker said the story spelled his first name as “Mussallam” while in his passport it is spelt as Mosallam, which shows that the name is not his.

Meanwhile, an Omani businessman named Mussallam Al-Muhaidi said the copy of the cheque was his and has decided to file a lawsuit against the newspaper. And several activists wrote on their Twitter Continued on Page 13

Al-Muraikhi and Al-Alyan Families

Sarah Khalid Al-Alyan

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

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Conference helps foster awareness on cognitive disorders better clarity of the roles of all stakeholders is needed Polish team unearths treasure trove of Kuwaiti artifacts

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: The audience during the opening ceremony.

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Experts and specialists participated in the ongoing First International Conference for Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder being held at the Kuwait Regency Hotel. The conference, held under the patronage of HH the Amir, was launched yesterday by the Minister of Health Dr Hilal Al-Sayer, and is being organized by The Center for Child Evaluation and Teaching (CCET) and the Kuwaiti Association for Learning Differences (KALD) at the Regency Hotel under the slogan ‘The Future Unites Us.’ It will conclude today.

Internationally renowned experts in the field of Learning Disabilities (LDs) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) made their presence felt on the first day. A number of teachers, educators, students and parents interested in learning about the latest developments attended the event.

“The importance of this conference lies in its ability to establish social harmony between civil society organizations and governmental and non-governmental organizations. It also demonstrates the leadership Kuwait possesses in providing better services to students with LD and/or ADHD including assessment, therapeutic programs, training session and educational projects,” said Faten Al-Bader Director at CCET during the launching ceremony.

Amal Al-Sayer, Director of KALD stressed, “Our initiative to organize this conference comes from our belief in the role of civil society organizations in achieving the objectives of the development plan approved by Kuwait through HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The basis for the development of an educational system in Kuwait for the disabled depends on a mutual cooperation between governmental and nongovernmental institutions.”

She also provided some international statistics to illustrate the great negative impact of learning

disabilities on the life and future of students. “ At least 10 to 15 percent of students suffer from learning disabilities. Also, 35 percent of these students don’t complete high school, and less than two percent finish university. Forty three percent of them live below the line of poverty, and 48 percent are unemployed,” highlighted Al-Sayer.

This conference coincides with worldwide celebrations of the

links between the public and private sectors; between government bodies and civil society organizations in a scientific, celebratory ambience that is targeted for the benefit of our children with learning disabilities and ADHD,” he added. The Minister of Health Dr Hilal Al-Sayer noted, “The venue of this conference highlights not only the importance of awareness in the community of the unique needs

KUWAIT: (From left): Amal Al-Sayer, Abdullah Al-Sharhan, Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer International Day of the Disabled.

“Our conference focuses on one of the most important and most common types of disabilities: Learning Disabilities which negatively affects individuals’ abilities to read, write, compute and focus on their school and academic achievement. This in turn leads to the lack of benefit from the many educational services the state is working hard to secure for them which further hinders them from contributing fully and positively to the society they live in,” highlighted Abdullah AlSharhan.

“Our conference will provide valuable lectures and sessions attended by participants from many different countries. The conference concentrates on important themes such as awareness, training, assessment and intervention, in addition to building bridges and

and challenges faced by parents, educators, administrators, policy makers; the children and students themselves, also serve as an example of the type of forum required to address and overcome them.”

“In particular, facilitating and fostering cooperation between both public, private and non-governmental organizations can encourage new models for coordination and service provision; better clarify the roles of all the stakeholders; share their respective expertise and transfer knowledge within a holistic care framework; promote evidence-based practice and develop new scientific approaches, strategies and methodologies for diagnosis, assessment and treatment,” he further added.

The individuals suffering from learning disabilities and ADHD are often vulnerable populations. “ It is

our duty as parents, educators, healthcare professionals and the community for that matter, to protect, ensure that they remain integrated in society and assist them to become productive members. The government has demonstrated its commitment to and will continue to support such venerable efforts,” he concluded.

During the first day of the conference, 13 different sessions and workshops were held by many experts. The first session was conducted by Dr Gaven Reid focusing on the identification of literacy and learning needs of students with LD. He highlighted how these needs can be transferred from an assessment protocol to classroom teaching. In the following session, Shannon Green gave an insight on strategies of how to bridge the gap between parents and schools and how effective communication can be achieved, and strategies can be utilized by parents and teachers to establish the link. Professor Charles Haynes focused on early diagnosis and teaching for pre-literacy skills while Professor John Everatt’s session discussed reading comprehension in children and adults with LD. Moreover, an opportunity was given to parents to clarify the methods in which evaluation and diagnosis of LD are done ,and the ways to cope with it. A number of workshops were also given to clarify the concept of dyscalculia (math learning difficulties) and the importance of identifying types of dyscalculia and students who have difficulties in this area. Sessions will be conducted by experts such as Dr Mayada Al Natour, Dr Nahed AlAteeqi and Dr Hadil AlFaras.

The sessions and workshops of the conference go in line with the conference’s main objectives: To clarify the role of institutions working in the field of LD and ADHD; for governmental and non governmental institutions, educational institutions, to provide the latest services and learning environments for students with LD and/or ADHD as well as to share experience and expertise in the areas of diagnosis and treatment of students.

KUWAIT: A treasure trove of artifacts have been unearthed in north Kuwait during the last five years by a Polish archeological mission, an expert said.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Polish Embassy in Jabriya, Dr Piotr Bielinski, Head of the Polish Archeological Mission said that the findings may lead to solving ‘archeological puzzles’ that befuddled many observers and archeologists. “We believed that AlSabiya (formerly known As-Sabiya) desert findings are key to solving mysterious puzzles of the early civilizations that reconnect several archeological findings which were discovered earlier in Kuwait,” he said.

Bielinski was referring to the Al-Sabiya pre-historic settlement which was earlier brought to light by Kuwaiti archeologists a few years ago. They are now being excavated by Bielinski’s group only to reveal more settlements, gravesites and other exciting discoveries. The archeological mission which began its task in the spring of 2007 was specially appointed by the Kuwaiti National Council for Culture Arts and Letters [Department of Antiquities] through an agreement to help uncover the past.

The mission from the Polish Center of Mediterranean Archeology University of Warsaw, found more pre-historic gravesites, wells, settlements containing valuable potteries, jars, bowls and pearl beads which they belonged to the Ubaid period [about c. 4800-4500 BC].

“As-Sabiya has a lot of charm and exquisiteness to offer. We found several settlements, graves and plenty of potteries and tools which surprised us a lot. We are really stunned and amazed by our discoveries which would perhaps lead to answering several questions which were left unanswered over many years,” he added.

The archeological sites are located in Bahra, Mugheira, Muheita and Dubaij areas - all sites are located a few meters and kilometers away from each other, a clear indication that society of hundreds of people once lived or settled there.

“The settlements found were typical of Ubaid period. They are buried from .20 meters up to 4 meters of sand. The archeological findings are believed to be connected to early human civilizations

which settled there from Mesopotamia (Iraq). You will see walls built of stone beneath the surface of the desert, that is typical of Ubaid period,” he asserted.

The rooms inside the settlements contain numerous archeological treasures. In one settlement, decorated shells and some jars or potteries were found. “Some of the findings are easy to interpret but many are hard. Some objects are made from stones while others are made of clay. We found polishing tools that are difficult to explain. We believe that a bigger settlement was once used to mass produce products which they probably transported to Mesopotamia. But those are speculations, we don’t know maybe it was a market place or a production room,” Bielinski continued.

“But why [live] in the middle of the desert? Why in Al-Sabiya area? We don’t know yet; they needed support to live or survive in the dessert. Lots and lots of questions are raised and remain unanswered and we will continue to study further to get the right answer,” he added.

Bielinski expressed gratitude to Kuwaiti authorities for funding the Polish mission dedicated to helping countries throughout the world to conduct archeological research, both in excavation and study projects, to be able to conserve, reconstruct and restore archeological sites in different parts of the world. “Our role here is to provide the brains, hands and goodwill to Kuwaiti people; but everything we do is properly coordinated with Kuwait authorities; uncovering history which will benefit not just Kuwait, but human civilizations in general,” he said.

He expressed hope that the former settlements could be reconstructed to revive its former glory, in addition to studying previous climate, animals and environment of the past. Shehab Ahmad Al-Shehab, Director Department of Antiquities, noted that the Polish Archeological Mission deserves Kuwait’s commendation. “We appreciate the Polish Archeological Mission. Thank you for your cooperation, and we hope that this scientific work will answer many questions of the past and that we will be able to re-connect the puzzles,” he stated. Janus Szwedo, Polish Ambassador to Kuwait welcomed the press and introduced the team to reporters.

Egyptian dies in crash

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 45-year-old Kuwaiti woman complained of pain in the legs, while a 41-year-old complained of pain in the neck following a car accident near Ardiya area. Both were taken to Farwaniya Hospital. A 27-year-old Indian sustained a fracture in his backbone during a car accident on Jahra Road, just before the inspection post near Mutlaa. He was taken to Jahra.

The left foot of an Egyptian was broken when he fell at Al-Liyah School in South Jahra.

He was taken to Jahra Hospital. A lacerated

KUWAIT: A fire broke out on the 11th and 12th floors of a 13-story building under construction in Fahaheel area. Mangaf, Fahaheel, technical rescue and Mubarak Al-Kabeer hazardous materials centers responded and were able to extinguish the fire within an hour. No injuries were reported.

—Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

right hand and pain in the back is what a 28year-old Egyptian ended up with when he fell in Qurain’s Qadhi Mosque. He was taken to Adan Hospital. A 20-year-old Egyptian lost his life during a car accident near Omariya. His body was recovered by the coroner. A 23-year-old Kuwaiti had a dislocated shoulder and other injuries during a car accident near Dhajeej area. He was taken to Farwaniya Hospital.

A 30-year-old Bangladeshi ended up with swollen eyes and various injuries and lacerations on his body when a car hit him on Airport Road. He was rushed to Farwaniya Hospital.

KUWAIT: Dr Piotr Bielinski (center) talking at a press conference yesterday with some members of his archeological mission including Ambassador of Poland to Kuwait, Janus Szwedo (second right).

Bohra community holds condolence session KUWAIT: The Bohra Sultan’s son Prince Malekul Ashter Shujauddin held a condolence session yesterday at Burhani Center for Islamic Bohra Community in Kuwait. Members of Bohra community congregated in remembrance of the martyrdom of Imam Al-Hussain. The Sultan’s son delivered a speech praising Allah Almighty and Allah’s prayers. He

then elaborated on the virtues of the last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), his blessed life and favor done to humanity.

He then enumerated the many sacrifices made by Imam Al-Hussain, (Allah Be Pleased With him) in the course of promoting right teachings. His blessed family members did not surrender to

the unjust to maintain the Sharia of his grandfather Prophet Muhammad, he said.

Shujauddin advised Bohra community members to follow Islamic Sharia, be characterized by good morals, respect the laws of the country in which they live, be loyal to Kuwait and participate with their Kuwaiti brothers to

develop the country and serve its people.

He then expressed gratitude to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf AlAhmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the government and Kuwaiti people for their generous hospitality.

KUWAIT: The Bohra Sultan’s son Prince Malekul Ashter Shujauddin addressing the Bohra community in Kuwait. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

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KUWAIT: (Left) The American-Kuwaiti Neurosurgical Conference in progress. (Right) Doctors evincing keen interest on surgical tools and devices displayed at the conference.

Kuwaiti-US neurosurgical conference begins KUWAIT: The Fifth AmericanKuwaiti Neurosurgical Conference got underway here yesterday with participation of representatives of Kuwait’s Ministry of Health and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS).

This event reflects the MoH concern about medical education, development of vocational and technical skills of staff and prepar-

ing a new generation of qualified specialists in this field, said Dr Khaled Al-Sahlawi, the MoH Assistant Undersecretar y for Technical Affairs, in a statement at the inaugural session, addressed on behalf of Minister of Health Dr Hilal Al-Sayer.

This convention constitutes an opportunity for participating delegations to exchange expertise,

he said.

Dr Youssef Al-Awadi, Chief of Neurosurgery Department at Ibn Sina Hospital, affirmed significance of par ticipation of the American association.

Major goal of holding such a congress is to get acquainted with continuing development in this field, namely usage of new techniques and surgical tools and

International Water Week highlights solutions for Kuwait’s water issues

By Lisa Conrad KUWAIT/AMSTERDAM: International Water Week, which was held in Amsterdam last month, is the largest water event to be held in Europe and highlighted the many ways in which water can be utilized and handled effectively. From desalination to waste management, from flooding to drought, water is something which demands time and attention. The week was dedicated to showcasing the newest methods and technologies utilized to do so and, given that much of Holland is actually below sea level, yet is still fully functioning as a developed, dry country. It’s safe to say that the Dutch are wellversed in managing water effectively.

Maxime Verhagen, Vice-ministerpresident of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, said, “Amsterdam is four to five meters below sea level. The floods of 1953 were a dramatic, but historical, milestone.”

While Holland fends off floods, Kuwait is managing quite the opposite problem. As a dry, arid country, Kuwait is one of 17 countries listed as being at

‘extreme risk’ on Mapelcroft’s Water Stress Index, which is made up of calculations of water consumption and the renewable supplies of water. In fact, it comes in third after Bahrain and Qatar.

According to the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research’s (KSIR) 2007 report on combating desertification, Kuwait faces many water-related challenges, “Combating desertification and creating a green cover in arid region like Kuwait is always challenging because of many factors such as low rainfall, high evaporation, poor groundwater quality, poor soil properties and extreme weather conditions.” It continues, “the increasing population and high standards of living have resulted in excessive demands for water.” Despite Holland appearing to be the polar-opposite of Kuwait when it comes to water issues, only 2.5 percent of Holland’s water is sweet water and the other 97.5 percent is salt water. Like Kuwait, population growth is increasing water consumption. Verhagen utilized a shocking example to demonstrate just how much water is used in products that would never be associated with high water use. “It takes 2,400 liters of

AMSTERDAM: People passing by the Koningsplein in Amsterdam were invited to drink a glass of purified canal water during International Water Week (IWW). Water company had placed a mobile water treatment taking the water directly from the canals and purifying it on the spot so it was suitable for consumption. Normally this treatment is used in disaster affected areas in order to provide safe drinking water. — Image courtesy of IWW

water to produce one hamburger,” she revealed. As consumerism continues to rise, therefore, water management must also become more sophisticated and efficient. Evides, an integrated water cycle company, concentrates on innovation to meet demands and maintain quality. This, according to their company representative, is the vital factor that keeps them ahead, “We spend a lot on innovation; money shouldn’t be put back into the pockets of shareholders immediately, it should be reinvested.” He added, “This is why it’s important for us to be allowed to make a profit. Profit is necessary for reinvestment.” Innovation, he insisted, allows for better utilization of water, “Waste water does not exist: it is water of a certain quality. You can reuse it; given you use the correct technologies.” KSIR’s report suggested using infiltration systems to clean wastewater to an extent, thus making it reusable, “Since the infiltrated wastewater can be used without any restriction, then the dependence on brackish groundwater for landscaping, farming and gardening purposes will be reduced to the minimum. Hence, groundwater aquifers will be replenished.”

However, newer technologies are always around the corner and one particularly innovative method to handle hospital waste-water onsite was developed by Dutch company Pharmafilter.

The company developed a system that takes hospital waste-water, which is particularly hazardous water, through the entire purification cycle onsite.

The Managing Director, Maikel Batelaan, said that this method lowers costs for the hospital as they no longer have to pay for the collection and processing of waste water. Furthermore, it is more environmentally friendly as the bio-gas produced from the process can actually be reused to power the plant and the wastewater. In the end, it will be purified and free of harmful substances.

Throughout the International Water Week, all involved stressed the importance of utilizing new technologies to increase efficiency to meet rising demands and risks. Ahmed Aboutaleb, Mayor of Rotterdam, concluded in his keynote speech. “ There may be no immediate danger tomorrow, but we must still act today.”

‘Intact elections’ first test for new premier KUWAIT: All indications point to the idea that the most corrupt phase in Kuwait’s history was endorsed by the previous Cabinet which had current Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah as its first deputy premier. He was a main accomplice in all its procedures which enabled a corrupt minority to take over state resources. These statements were made recently by leading opposition MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun, who further accused the new prime minister of being an accomplice of former Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah and said that he protected him from facing interpellations.

The leader of the oppositionist Popular Action Bloc believes that AlMubarak has a “historic chance” to prove he is committed to combating corruption, by assuring that the new Cabinet maintains transparent and intact elec-

tions. Al-Saadoun further indicated in a statement that Al-Mubarak “has the duty to firmly address calls of amending the elections constituencies system made by people wishing to create instability in the elections process”. MPs Dr Faisal AlMislem and Mohammad Hayef said in the meantime that the possibility of expanding constituencies from five to 10 during upcoming elections would definitely create tensions between the Parliament and Cabinet after elections. MP Dr Hassan Jowhar meanwhile said that any adjustment to the current constituencies system is highly unlikely. In another development, liberal lawmaker Saleh Al-Mulla acknowledged efforts of youth activists “who led the movement towards change without being affected by any specific influences. Al-Mulla also expressed concern from “sectarian struggles” that could probably take place following a parlia-

mentary dissolution.

Al-Mulla’s National Action Bloc plans to reintroduce its proposal to assign two MPs to check documents of the Central Bank of Kuwait pertaining to bank accounts that received more than KD 100,000 deposits since the enforcement of the anti-money laundering law in 2002.

Independent MP Khalid Al-Sultan stated that Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak is encouraged to “avoid reappointing former ministers who quit their posts after failing to face grilling motions filed against them”. In other news, a lawyer announced Saturday that he will be taking legal action against MP Saleh Ashour over recent statements in which he endorsed the prospect of turning Gulf Cooperation Council countries into constitutional monarchies with full parliamentary systems.

— Al-Qabas, Al-Rai, Annahar

devices, Dr Al-Awadhi said, praising major role of the MoH regarding support given to the country’s hospitals, namely I bn Sina Hospital, such as surgical and scanning devices.

Conferees, among other topics to be tackled at the three -day conference, would address complications resulting from surgeries. — KUNA

Dr Youssef Al-Awadi, Chief of Neurosurgery Department at Ibn Sina Hospital

RIHS denies ‘suspicious transactions’ KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti charitable trust denied reports that suspicious transactions were made to Ansar Al-Sunna AlMuhammadiya Salafist group in Egypt.

However, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) is currently investigating the claims.

“The Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) supports humanitarian and charity projects all over the Islamic world, meeting the organization’s main goals of establishing education-

al, social and medical facilities in addition to building new mosques,” read a statement released by the RIHS to the local press. The organization added that it executed multi-million pound projects in Egypt including hospitals, schools and mosques, in addition to providing humanitarian aid to orphans and poor families.

In the meantime, a statement from the Ansar Al-Sunna group was also released, in which the organization

insists that all transactions are subject to government monitoring, including transactions made from outside Egypt.

The group said that the recent rumors were part of a campaign carried out by some news agencies to damage its reputation. In other news, Kuwait’s Public Authority for the Quran Science passed a new regulation by which its written permission is required to print and distribute copies of the Holy Quran. — Al-Qabas

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Local Spotlight

In my view

Cost of inaction and interference

Tough time ahead for new govt

By Fouad Al-Obaid

By Muna Al-Fuzai fouad@kuwaittimes.net Twitter: @Fouadalobaid

T

he wider Gulf area (GCC-Iran-Syria-JordanLebanon-Israel-Turkey-Pakistan-Egypt-Sudan) is home to more or less half a billion individuals, at the center of the world, linking East to West, North to South. It is a region filled primarily with hydrocarbon wealth, but more importantly, it is a region where the average individual is below the age of 35. It is an area that is mixed with pockets of great wealth, and others of great poverty. The nature of interaction between the various members in the area is mixed, some seeking greater regional hegemonic role, others vie to maintain independence and sovereignty.

If regional political rivalries are not enough, the area is prone to international interference, more clear than the ongoing Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Whether one likes it or not, Israel today is a reality, just as much as Iran’s nuclear ambition, and Syria’s murderous crushing of a rebellion which many condemn, failing to look inwards, seeing their own policies towards citizens!

Corrupt leadership is nothing new to a region that has been mismanaged for the better half of last century.

I will not negate that many countries in the region have raced to build flashy trophy cities. However, I have to question the role citizens of the region played in the process? How much of the intellectual property has allowed massive development in some countries in the region that is homegrown? If civilizations are judged based on how tall their towers are or how vast their empty museums are or how much income per/capita the average citizen. They then select a number of Gulf countries that are at the helm.

The reality I fear is that much of the development we have in GCC countries is nothing but a form of neo-colonialism that is based on expertise without much technology transfer. Despite billions spent on education and research, homegrown institutions are nowhere near their international counterparts. Is it because the regional leadership is not keen on developing citizens? Is it because citizens are unable, or worse not willing to use the knowledge acquired to develop national industries? Is it corruption that is creating disincentives to develop industries, or worse barring the growth of local industries?

Either way I don’t have answers. I suspect that governmental largesse in countries whose coffers are today filled and who spend today on salaries close to 50 percent of their annual budgets is not something that can be sustained. The countries lacking hydrocarbon and other natural resources have a structural problem, that can be addressed by encouraging neighboring countries to invest in industries, services and in the case of some, agricultural to develop regional wide inter-dependence, which could prove beneficial in integrating a region that is as big of a market as Western-Europe.

Rivalries serve a purpose in encouraging others to work harder at compensating their shortcoming vis-avis one another. If we shift the rivalry from military buildup, and foster education/technology rivalries, the region will emerge as whole in a better shape in the long run. Peace and stability are two assets that cannot be priced, the region ought to remind itself of the cost of war in both human and material loss, but more drastically in terms of opportunity-cost lost.

We have wasted much time already, it is time to build new bridges, new ports, new roads, new mentalities that pave the way for a prosperous Middle Eastern century. Though many would read in this a deluded fantasy, the desire to achieve, is what pushes people to exceed their expectation, and perhaps today such a vision is far. Imagine if we lived at the turn of the 20th century, what story could have we imagine of the century to come?

kuwait digest

It’s time to dissolve Parliament!

By Sherida Al-Maosherji

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ow that the Cabinet has resigned, people expect a decree to be issued to dissolve the National Assembly, to hold early parliamentary elections. The people are fed up with the current Parliament and can’t wait to see members out of office. They were disgraced by the political chaos and sectarian interests of the nation. The same Parliament will bring the state nothing but more disputes. Therefore, the demand to dissolve the Parliament has become a popular one. It is only opposed by a minority that has been proven wrong.

Retaining the current Parliament and forming a new Cabinet for the remaining constitutional period will make things worse because accepting a ministerial portfolio for a short while under the current tense circumstances is almost impossible. No minister will be able to achieve anything in such a short term; the new cabinet will only be a care-taker one, making such cabinet members ‘sitting ducks’ for MPs waiting for a chance to ‘fish in murky waters.’ It exposes executives’ incompetence and incapability to carry out tasks, especially when we approach a new election-season that will have many to surely ‘show off ’ their potentials and strengths before voters. This means that any government that assumes office during such circumstances is doomed to fail.

The aforementioned move means that the first step to be taken towards a new phase during which a new government is formed will help dissolve the Parliament and return to the ballots. They will devise a Cabinet capable of coping with the outcome of the electoral process. Otherwise all efforts will fail. — Aljarida

muna@kuwaittimes.net

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kuwait digest

A significant step forward

By Abdullah Al-Naibari

“B

etter late than never.”

This saying applies to the resignations submitted by the Health, Development and Social Affairs Ministers which - albeit a bit late led to the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah and his Cabinet. Through these actions, a demand that almost all Kuwaitis have been calling for was realized, after which we can say that a significant step forward has been made to resolve the political crisis.

One of the advantages of the Cabinet’s resignation is that it gave His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who had previously rejected the opposition’s demand to dismiss the Prime Minister or the Cabinet, a break and demonstrated to the MPs that they can use their constitutional tools to achieve their demands. I have to admit that HH the Amir made a wise argument, and further took the wise decision to accept the Cabinet’s resignation.

If we try to take a closer look at the circumstances which led to the Cabinet’s resignation, we find that it happened following mounting public pressure, which has been increasing for years as a result of the mistakes the government has committed. The pressure has been mounting specifically since late last year as a lawsuit was filed against MP Faisal AlMislem following the infamous PM’s bribery case, followed by the violent crackdown against citizens and MPs gathering outside the diwaniya of MP Jamaan AlHarbash.

This year, the multimilliondinar deposits scandal and the incompetent manner with which the government handled it added more fuel to the fire. Citizens were frustrated by the case after it damaged their trust in parliament members, who were supposed to be protecting their rights and interests; but instead were found to be accepting bribes without even an apology uttered after the scandals emerged.

But the legal action taken

against young citizens and MPs who broke into the parliament’s building was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

While the parliament’s storming is unjustifiable, and was condemned by most parts of the society, the government should

If we try to take a closer look at the circumstances which led to the Cabinet’s resignation, we find that it happened following mounting public pressure, which has been increasing for years as a result of the mistakes the government has committed.

The pressure has been mounting specifically since late last year as a lawsuit was filed against MP Faisal Al-Mislem following the infamous PM’s bribery case, followed by the violent crackdown against citizens and MPs gathering outside the diwaniya of MP Jamaan AlHarbash. have dealt with it by taking into account the regional issues which feature revolution against suppressive regimes as well as local issues including mounting tensions between MPs and the Cabinet, but also mounting frus-

tration from the public against the government.

Storming the parliament was a reckless act; however it was politically motivated and had political repercussions. The public categorically denounced this incident as being an attack against the parliament, which is a symbol of the state’s democracy and constitution and where legislation and governmental monitoring take place.

Unfortunately, the government did not deal with the incident as a political development, but instead took action against a group of youth activists as if they were a group of thugs who stormed the parliament for theft or sabotage. The activists were also detained, pending investigations, and state security charges were pressed against them which, if convicted, could lead to life imprisonment. The government’s behavior was seen by many as a vengeful step against anti-government protestors, or as an attempt to create a serious case in order to distract the public from the graft scandal.

This all took place while MPs accused of receiving bribes avoided prosecution and continued to threaten to take legal action against anyone providing information connecting them with the graft scandal.

All of these issues added to the pent-up frustration of citizens across the board, who gathered outside the Palace of Justice last Monday, in what is considered as the largest public rally in the history of Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Statistics suggest that the number of participants at the gathering ranged between 35,000 to 70,000 people. Even the lowest estimate is the equivalent of more than 2% of the Kuwaiti population. This is a vast turnout if we take into consideration that the one-million-citizen demonstration held at the Tahrir Square in Egypt was attended by approximately 1.2% of Egyptian citizens. This indicates that Monday’s demonstration represented the unanimous opinion of the Kuwaiti people. — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Why are the judges preoccupied?

By Rashed Al-Radaan

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t is very difficult for the executive to involve the judiciary in its problems and disputes with opponents. The government and its premier, for a long time, burdened the courts with irrelevant cases, especially with some media personalities and writers being taken to court.

Finally, youth of the country have been arrested, without bothering MPs who urged them to commit the acts openly. “ We stormed the National Assembly and now bear full responsibility.

The Speaker and some elements in the government have turned a blind eye to those MPs that focus on the youth. There is an impor-

tant message: the youth and opposition were led to create trouble. They also want to create problems between MPs and youths’ families, forcing them to send threatening messages.

Regardless of what goes on, most people are not interested in the government-parliament dispute. Rather, they care about the future of those arrested that belong to all groups of the society including doctors, university professors, lawyers and teachers.

We are worried because everyone is sure that the complaint of the National Assembly should have been directed at MPs who led the youth. So why are the youth

being punished? Those who admitted to committing crimes are being spared!

Personally, I sympathize with the judiciary and public prosecution department because the government is involved in many cases.

Prosecutors have spent several nights to investigate cases, and some are political and malicious in nature. Other cases reach the court.

This may be something good, of course. The question remains why are the judges preoccupied here, and use it as means to threaten your opponents. You can answer all their claims using various means. — Al-Watan

o you think the soon-to-be-formed new government will succeed? If you are betting on its chances, I will say that you are absolutely right this time!

Yes, it is harvest time. The old government has resigned and a new one will assume power soon. It will not have an easy mission. Great expectations may vanish and this new government may not survive long enough to witness any success or garner achievements. Let’s discuss the reasons.

The damage inflicted by former governments need to be fixed first before the situation is improved. The level of corruption is high. Civilized nations are evaluated and measured in accordance with how hard it works to achieve progress in this field.

It is a sad reality that respect and dignity is wanted here in Kuwait, but is missing. You will find some ‘figures’ trying to tamper a game when they fail to score!

What is next? I personally feel very disappointed to know that the future is bleak. I am surprised to meet people who falsely believe that Kuwaitis are lucky because they are rich and the country cares for you until you die. Now, this part about death could be true because the corpse has to be buried or it will rot. Let’s face it, obtaining housing in Kuwait is a nightmare if you don’t offer bribes or commissions.

Any ordinary, salaried Kuwaiti will have to spend 15 to 20 years to receive government housing in a remote area. So, he lives in an apartment, (bearing in mind how expensive rents are in Kuwait) for many years until he is lucky enough to own one.

The other option is to buy a house after inheriting money when a parent passes away!

How does the government plan to solve this matter? Has any of our former governments ever made a plan to solve this matter when only five percent of urbanized land is occupied! Why are citizens banished to the desert! No one cares because those who receive bribes can buy mansions, land, farms and even palaces anywhere in the world and at any price.

People rebel not only because they are hungry but lack social justice and abuse of humans as well.

This is the impact of corruption. In fact, in Egypt the youth started a rebellion. The middle classes brought about change to Egypt forcibly. They were not poor.

In Kuwait, many youth who were protesting are not ignorant. They belonged to the educated middle class. The future will be created with their demands. Change has come, the old days are gone.

Satire Wire

‘Phoney’ egos

By Sawsan Kazak

sawsank@kuwaittimes.net

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new trend of telephone loyalty has been emerging over the past few years, where users of certain smartphones are becoming more and more protective, defensive and devoted to a certain brand of phone. There are three major companies that are dominating the market and users of these phones seem to think they have it ‘right’ and the others have it all wrong.

Like telephone missionaries, they believe their main job is to convert others and make them use the same phone they are using. I have a couple of friends who constantly try to change my mind and try to influence my unwavering loyalty to my smartphone. They will sit there for hours telling me everything that is wrong with my phone and why I should not get the newest version of it. They will show me videos, stories and pictures of other phones in an attempt to get me to hate my own phone and buy a different one. They will also inform me, almost on a daily basis, just how much they hate my phone and how they would never use it, even if they received it for free.

I don’t really understand why some take the fact that other people use and enjoy different phones as a personal insult to themselves. Because I enjoy a certain phone does not mean that someone else’s choice is a bad one or that my phone is the best; it’s just a matter of preference. Why are people taking their phone choices so seriously? My friends seem to think that my loyalty is unwarranted and somehow a personal insult to them.

But I am of the strong belief that we should try to avoid any kind of discrimination; even when it comes to phone choices. We can all respect each other and our phones without feeling the need to insult or belittle any company. I am not here to say that one phone company is better than another or that my choice is the best; it all boils down to personal choice.

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NBK sponsors conference on learning disorders KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) is sponsoring the International Conference of the Difficulties of Learning Disorders, Hyperactivity & Attention Deficit. The conference is held under the patronage of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Shaikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday and today. It is being organized by the Kuwaiti Association for Learning Differences (KALD).

“NBK is keen to shoulder its corporate social responsibilities,” said Shaikha AlBahar, NBK Kuwait CEO. “NBK endeavors to share with the various governmental and public sector institutions and departments the bur-

dens and responsibilities of broader national efforts towards social advancement”.

Al-Bahar added: “This sponsorship and support also comes in line with the vital role NBK plays in supporting all students, youths and educational issues, especially those with learning differences”.

KALD is a social welfare association that collaboratively works towards helping students with learning differences in private schools in Kuwait. It works towards identifying and developing the capabilities of these students and supporting them academically, psychologically, and socially.

KUWAIT: An artist’s view of the new passengers terminal at Kuwait International Airport.

New passengers terminal to be ready at airport by 2016 KD 900 million project

KUWAIT: NBK CEO Shaikha Al-Bahar receives the trophy from KALD Chairwomen Amal Al-Sayer at the International Conference of the Difficulties of Learning Disorders, Hyperactivity and Attention Deficit.

Diplomatic missions in Kuwait hold fair KUWAIT: The second economic exhibition for embassies, due to get underway here late yesterday, will be in line with the instructions of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, to transform the country into a lucrative financial and commercial hub, said a senior official.

The event will be also within the framework of activation of the national economic diplomacy, said Ambassador Sheikh Ali Khaled AlJaber Al-Sabah, the director of the department of economic affairs of the Foreign Ministr y, alluding to the national policy according to which

Kuwaiti diplomats play a role at the level of serving Kuwait’s economy and economic interests.

The fair, organized by the economic department, will group 50 diplomatic missions based in Kuwait. It will be held at the headquarters of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), in coordination with private companies.

Foreign and Arab diplomatic missions will display products of their countries, publications about their states’ tourist, economic, cultural, industrial and educational sectors. The fair is to be held for the second time in Kuwait. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Ministry of Public Works announced yesterday that the new passengers terminal at Kuwait International Airport will be complete

by September 2016, indicating that the estimated cost is about KD 900 million. Acting Director of Advisers to the Ministry Faisal Majeed Al-Ostath said that the design phase and document preparations will be ready by March 2012. According to a Cabinet declaration issued in 2008, the Ministry is mandated to implement this project in coordination with the Department of Civil Aviation as the beneficiary of the project, he added.

Al-Ostath said that after the establishment and launch of this vital facility, it will be Kuwait’s civilized gateway to the outside world.

He said that the size of the terminal will display the new vision of the future of Kuwait with strategic investments in infrastructure

and construction, adding that what raises the admiration is the tendency of environmental ambition of the project.

A well-respected package of design team including Lord Norman Foster’s team will be in charge of the new airport.

The new terminal will be converted into a regional station in the Gulf region as well as the increase of its capacity significantly, indicating that to achieve this strategic objective, it became necessary to establish a new building with the latest standards and global systems to provide the highest degree of comfort for travelers, he confirmed.

He also said that the new building will consist of a horizontal triangular shape. It will be allocated a 6.8 million square meters and will form a symbolic triangular mark as a symbol of modern Kuwait and the echo of the rich culture and civilization.

Kuwait’s Higher Projects Committee will meet sometime this week to discuss three development projects, namely a metro transport system, a solid waste recycling centre and a wastewater treatment plant in the south, Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shimali said yesterday.

These projects are part of the country’s development plan, which aims at transforming the country into an international economic hub, noted Al-Shimali.

After the projects are adopted, they will be open for investment, to the public and private sectors, he added. On Thursday, tenders will also be accepted for an electricity and water plant in the northern area of Al-Zour.

Currently, some 28 projects nationwide are being revised in sectors such as transport, communications, services, energy, real estate and tourism. — KUNA

Govt reveals plan for media sector KUWAIT: Information Ministry Undersecretary Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah spoke about the ministry’s strategy to develop the media sector in Kuwait.

He said the strategy centers on developing humans and systems in a way that goes along with the technological development and media means. He said the new approach is being studied by specialists and academics,

to find out how to boost the positives while reducing the negatives.

He said the state is keen on developing the information ministry as an important vital establishment for its active role in delivering facts and supporting responsible freedom.

He added that Kuwait is proud of its democracy and freedom and the information ministry works o serve the society and

state. He said it is an old democracy and Kuwait society is always coherent under the wise leadership of the Amir.

Sheikh Salman thanked the media and members of the Arab Council for Media Development and their efforts to develop the role of Arab information to face challenges. He said the Joint Arab Action is a collective responsibility, as it became a rapidly changing field.

He said the private sector has an important role in information, adding that private media is integral to the official one in order to achieve the country’s interest, adding that there were many changes since the start of 2011, in the media tools, allowing people to express their opinions, and that countries that provided freedom, social and economic development were able to deal with the changes. — Al-Watan

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‘Egypt Votes’ website launched KUWAIT: As the Egyptian people vote in the first full democratic elections since January’s revolution, Microsoft Egypt has launched Egypt Votes to deliver insight into the experience of voters and publish the election results as they are announced. Egypt Votes was launched in conjunction with ElectionMall, a specialist provider of election-monitoring websites, Egyptian news portal Masrawy and MSN Arabia.

Engineered with transparency as a top priority, Egypt Votes hosts an interactive map of all governorates across the country, and provides a platform for Egyptians to share their experiences after posting their ballots. The website will also be showing the election outcomes governorate by governorate as the results are published by Egyptian authorities.

Ayman Abdellatif, General Manager for Microsoft Egypt, said, “Social networks have provided a critical outlet for people sentiment and information exchange throughout the Arab Spring and technology plays a pivotal role in monitoring these elections.

“Our website built with our strategic par tners gives Egyptian voters the

opportunity to share and discuss their personal experiences of this historical election online.”

Egypt Votes was designed in collaboration with ElectionMall, a Microsoft partner with experience in developing online solutions for electoral platforms, including recent presidential campaigns in Colombia and Ireland. In order to increase visibility and encourage voters to share their experiences, Egypt Votes can also be accessed via Masrawy, the first and largest Egyptian portal, and currently one of the biggest Arabic news websites. Additionally, voters can access the site via MSN Arabia, Microsoft’s portal providing access to Arabic-language news and other online solutions.

Ravi Singh, CEO of ElectionMall, said, “Technology and the Internet’s enormous power have allowed the rise of edemocracy in Egypt over the past six months. The whole world is watching as Egyptians vote in free and fair elections for the first time in 30 years. Our Campaign Cloud technology is designed to increase participation, and allow people around the globe to catch a glimpse of the democratic political engagement occurring throughout Egypt.”

LOS ANGELES: (Left) NBK Public Relations Manager Abdulmohsen Al-Rushaid and NBK PR Officer Talal Al-Turki talking to the attendees and giving out cash prizes. (Right) One of the students receives a prize from NBK Public Relations Manager Abdulmohsen Al-Rushaid.

NBK rewards students at NUKS-USA conference LOS ANGELES: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) held a grand raffle draw during a dinner banquet hosted by the bank for students attending the 28th annual conference of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students-USA. More than 2000 Kuwaiti stu-

dents participated in the raffle where surprises, cash rewards and luxurious gifts were awarded.

“NBK organized the raffle and the dinner banquet to honor Kuwaiti students studying in the United States and to recognize all the hard work they do,” said

Abdulmohsen Al-Rushaid, NBK public relations manager.

Al-Rushaid added: “Kuwaiti youth living and studying abroad deserve our utmost attention and care. NBK’s support for this event aims to contribute to the enhancement of NUKS cultural, syndicate,

sports and patriotic awarenessraising activities. NBK’s sponsorship is part of its long-standing dedication to supporting Kuwait’s youth and educational issues.”

The conference was held from Nov 24 to 27 in Los Angeles, California.

Kuwaiti beats up wife’s harasser Police crash party camp

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dive Team has entered into a partnership with Dubai-based Emirates Diving Association to help exchange expertise on marine environment protection, as well as raise environmental awareness. “We look to benefit from the rich experience of the Emirates Diving Association in protecting marine resources and environmental activity,” said Foreign Relations Manager at the Kuwait Dive Team Dhari Al-Huwail. This agreement comes as part of efforts the Kuwait Dive Team - a member of the Environmental Voluntary Foundation - to improve cooperation in the environmental field with regional, Arab and International organizations.

Total lunar eclipse visible in Kuwait on Saturday KUWAIT: A total lunar eclipse is to occur Saturday Dec 10, and would be visible in Kuwait, said Kuwaiti meteorologists Adel Al-Saadoun and Msaed Al-Hammad yesterday. “It is not a central eclipse and we would see some sunlight on the bottom side, and this would be the last eclipse this year,” he said. The year 2011 witnessed four solar eclipses and one lunar eclipse, Saturday’s being the second.

A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth comes between the Moon and the Sun, blocking sunrays, and the moon comes to pass the Earth’s shadow. This phenomenon happens in the middle of the month on the lunar calendar when the moon is at its fullest. Meanwhile, Director of the Merzam Observatory meteorologist Msaed AlHammad said the eclipsed moon rises

after sunset Saturday evening, and ends when the moon completely passes Earth’s shadow at 7:18 p.m. Eshaa prayer thus takes place within the duration of the eclipse.

The first stages of the phenomena are not fully visible with the naked eye, though people would be able to discern a change in the moon’s brightness, he said, but the total eclipse could be seen without need for telescope or special camera.

Except for changes affecting water bodies on Earth, lunar eclipses have no direct impact on humans circumstance, he said.

“Eclipses are the best proof of accuracy of our meteorological calculations today, as there had never been a miscalculation regarding this phenomenon in the modern era.”— KUNA

KUWAIT: Police were called to resolve a fight that took place outside a fast-food restaurant at the chalets road (south). Upon their arrival, they apprehended two male citizens who were in the middle of the scuffle, and took them in to custody to the Abdullah Port police station. During investigations, one of the brawlers explained that he beat up his foe when he spotted him harassing his wife who was waiting for him inside his car as he was ordering a meal. Sexual harassment charges were pressed after his wife confirmed her husband’s allegations. In the meantime, the husband was also put behind bars over physical assault charges.

Illegal activities Ahmadi police busted a camp which was turned into a bar where alcohol was served and other illegal activities took place. Investigators obtained a warrant to raid the camp after confirming information that it hosts late night parties where couples could enter after paying a KD 70 fee. Twelve men and women were arrested during the operation, while imported liquor bottles were found inside the camp. The detainees were taken to the relevant authorities to face charges, while police launched legal action against the camp’s owner.

Boy misses bullet Police are looking for the source of a gunshot which broke through a Kuwaiti citizen’s home in Waha and landed near his young son. Security officers accompanied by criminal investigators headed to the scene after the homeowner reported his house was the target of gunfire. The

investigators were able to retrieve a mechanical weapon’s bullet that had smashed a window and was found in the living room. A case was filed for investigations.

Teen stabbed in fight A Kuwaiti teen was hospitalized in a critical condition after being stabbed repeatedly at a public place in Salmiya. Paramedics and police rushed to the scene following reports about a vicious brawl taking place there. The 16-year-old victim was rushed to the Mubarak Hospital with three stab wounds on his chest and back, while police arrested eight people suspected to be involved in the case.

Teacher injures student A citizen took legal action against an elementary school teacher who left his son bleeding from a head injury. The man was called by the school which is located in South Surra to report urgently regarding a matter concerning his son.

He was shocked to find his son bleeding from a head wound and rushed him to the hospital. His son eventually told him that his Arabic Language teacher beat him with a ruler on his head following a misunderstanding in class. The man headed to the local police department immediately to press charges.

Drunks in trouble Police detained a female citizen who initially approached them to press battery charges against her male friend, but later was discovered that she and her alleged attacker were engaged in an illegal relationship. Officers at the South

Surra police station placed the woman in custody as she showed up inebriated at the station.

She claimed that her friend beat her at a cafe.

Her alleged attacker was detained as well soon after reporting to the police station, as he also arrived intoxicated. He explained during investigations that the complainant had been staying with him at his house in the area as the two were in an illegal relationship. The couple are in custody as they face adultery and alcohol consumption charges.

Rapist assaults friend Police are looking to apprehend a teenager who faces sexual assault charges pressed by his own friend. The victim had reportedly agreed to go out with his assaulter when he took him to a remote location and raped him after subduing him. The victim told his father after his attacker drove him back home, believing he was able to talk him out of reporting the incident. The kid’s father immediately headed to the nearest police station and reported the incident.

Nugra death Police were called to report to an apartment in Nugra where a Bangladeshi resident reported finding his wife unconscious and apparently dead. Paramedics who reported to the location with police pronounced the 42-year-old dead on the scene, and a medical check revealed that she had suffered a circulatory failure moments before she died. The body was taken for an autopsy for confirmation of the cause and time of death. - Al-Rai, Al-Watan, Al-Anba,

Plan to amend labor law KUWAIT: Assistant Secretary General for Work Force Affairs at the Restructuring Work Force program and the executive apparatus in the country Fawzi Al-Majdali said the program is following the recommendations it submitted to the Cabinet to amend the national labor (in the private) support law, and encourage them to work in a non-government area.

He said the recommended amendments include the establishment of a public authority to support national labor to replace the labor support program. Al-Majdali said the proposed amendments stressed that the public authority for the support of national labor should be supportive of small projects in various fields. — Al-Watan

Relief official urges youth to be involved in voluntary activities KUWAIT: The Chairman of Kuwait Red Crescent Society, speaking on eve of the International Volunteer Day (IVD), called for mapping out strategies aimed at encouraging youth to get involved in voluntar y activities, affirming that natives enjoy innate desire for relief work.

This international event is being celebrated for sake of boosting culture of volunteering among young citizens and relevant associations, said Barjas Homoud AlBarjas, in a statement marking the global occasion. He called for working out plans aimed at encouraging the young nationals to get involved in voluntary work, noting that Kuwaitis are naturally prepared to be involved in such activities, partly out of faithfulness to the homeland.

Voluntary work in Kuwait is of special significance at the official and individual levels, he added, affirming that experience of the KRCS and relevant national authorities has become richer, “much more powerful and mature,” alluding to the long record of relief missions that had been carried out by the society and Kuwaiti volunteers at

home and abroad.

The Kuwaiti society, upon orders of the political leadership, organizes dispatch of humanitarian supplies to nations suffering from natural catastrophes and disasters, such as earthquakes and floods.

Kuwaiti volunteers help in execution of such missions, often under dangerous circumstances. Al-Barjas, who praised efforts of the male and female volunteers, indicated that the society sent delegations to local hospitals, social care associations and held seminars at schools on the occasion falling tomorrow.

The IVD is an international observance designated by the United Nations since 1985. Declared aim of this activity is to thank volunteers for their effor ts and increase public awareness on their contribution to society.

The day is celebrated in most countries of the world. It is marked by many non-governmental organizations, including the Red Cross, scouts and others. It is also observed and suppor ted by United Nations Volunteers. — KUNA

TEC celebrates Lebanon’s National Day KUWAIT: The Green Island hosted a Lebanese-themed carnival on Friday to celebrate Lebanon’s National Day. A large group of Lebanese residents led by Lebanese Ambassador to Kuwait Bassam Al-Numani was present at the event, in addition to several citizens and other Arab nationals.

“As part of the event, a special multi-activity program including a folklore show, a national operetta and several competitions were held,” said Green Island supervisor Hussam Al-Zawawi.

Lebanese businessmen Al-Hajj Hassan Hoho and Joseph Astafan gave out prizes after gratitude was expressed to the Touristic Enterprises Company (TEC) to organize the carnival.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

Australia’s ruling Labor party overturns India uranium ban

Foul play claimed as Russia votes in Putin test Page 9

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Blast near UK embassy in Bahrain Iran downs US drone, threatens reprisal

Bahraini Shiites take part in religious ceremonies commemorating Ashoura in the village of Sanabis near Manama yesterday. (Inset) A vehicle damaged by a blast is seen outside the British Embassy compound in Manama yesterday. — AFP/AP

MANAMA/TEHRAN: A canister containing powerful explosive material blew apart the front of a minibus near the British Embassy in Bahrain’s capital yesterday, the Interior Ministry said. There were no injuries or other serious damage. Interior Ministry spokesman Salah Salem described the material as “highly explosive” and said it was undergoing further analysis.

Authorities gave no details on possible suspects, but security has been boosted sharply across Bahrain during annual Shiite religious ceremonies.

“A blast from the front part of a bus parked near the British embassy in Ras Rumman,” the diplomatic district of Manama, the ministry tweeted. Five other cars parked in the area were also damaged but there were no casualties, Salem said.

“Security services are present in the area to take the needed legal measures,” he said, adding security was boosted around embassies.

Bahrain’s majority Shiites began an uprising in February seeking greater rights from the Gulf kingdom’s Sunni rulers.

Some apparent Sunni protesters have jeered or tossed stones at the Shiite religious processions in recent days. Salem said the blast ripped away one of wheels from the minibus and shattered its windows in a public parking lot about 50 m from the British Embassy in the capital.

It was not immediately clear whether the blast’s proximity to the embassy was intentional. It comes less than a week after mobs in Iran’s capital stormed the British Embassy and a residential compound for diplomatic staff, leading Britain to pull its diplomats from Iran and expel Iranian envoys from London. “We are working with the Interior Ministry and we have requested a temporary increase in security,” a spokesman at the British embassy said, adding the blast took place between 1 and 2 am. “There were no casualties or damage to the embassy. We cannot identify yet the cause or the responsibility.”

Dubai-based defence and security analyst Theodore Karasik said the blast could be the start of an escalation in the social conflict in Bahrain, where there are still almost daily clashes between Shiite protesters and riot police. Shiites are marking the mourning rites of Ashoura this week. “The timing is significant because it occurred during Ashoura,” Karasik said.

“What we might be seeing now is a cell or two that are being set up by disgruntled Bahraini Shiites who now use bombs to achieve their goals. It’s a jump to a new level.”

Bahrain’s rulers claim Iran has links to Shiite protesters in the strategic Gulf island nation, which is home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. Shiite leaders in Bahrain deny any connections to Tehran and an independent commission report into the unrest also found no evidence of ties. At least 35 people have died in clashes and protest-related violence since February. Hundreds of people have been arrested, including prominent Shiite activists sentenced to life in prison.

Yesterday, a military court sentenced three sportsmen - all Shiite employees of the Bahrain armed forces - to one year each in prison on charges that included disobeying orders to stay away from demonstrations. The defendants included medal-winning bodybuilder Tareq Al-Fursani; Ali Said, a goalkeeper for the national football team, and Mohammed Hassan Al-Dirazi, a member of Bahrain’s basketball squad, said lawyer Mohsen Al-Alawi, who was in court when the court martial sentences were given. The trial of 61 other athletes and sports officials is scheduled for Jan 4. They include handball, basketball and volleyball players along with referees and administrators for several sports. The charges include illegal assembly and inciting hatred against Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy.

Separately, Iran’s military said it shot down a US Army drone inside its territory near the Afghan and Pakistani borders yesterday, and threatened to retaliate for the violation, Iranian media reported. The Al-Alam Arabic language satellite channel, quoting a military source in Iran’s joint chiefs of staff, said late yesterday the RQ-170 unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down “a few hours ago”. The Fars news agency, which has close ties to the Revolutionary Guards responsible for Iran’s air defence and ballistic missile systems, said the drone had

made an incursion into Iran’s eastern airspace.

“Our air defence and electronic warfare units managed to identify and shoot down an advanced unmanned spy aircraft an RQ-170 - after it briefly violated the eastern border territory,” Fars said, quoting an unnamed military source. The drone “was downed with slight damage. It is now under the control of our forces,” the source added. The source warned that Iran’s armed response would “not be limited to our country’s borders” for the “blatant territorial violation”.

No images of the drone said to have been shot down were immediately published by any of the media carrying the reports. The RQ-170 Sentinel is a high-altitude reconnaissance drone whose existence was revealed in 2009 by specialised reviews and later confirmed by the US Air Force in 2010. In

January, Iran announced that its forces had downed two US drones after they violated Iranian-controlled airspace. It said it would put the aircraft on display to the public, but there has been no indication it ever did so.

In June, Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Guards’ aerospace unit, said Iran had shown Russian experts the US drones in its possession. “Russian experts requested to see these drones and they looked at both the downed drones and the models made by the Guards through reverse engineering,” he said. Hajizadeh did not specify how many US drones were shown nor give any details of the copies Iran was said to have made of the aircraft. The US military and the CIA routinely use drones to monitor military activity in the region.—Agencies

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

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

Iraq says ready to mediate with Syrian opposition BAGHDAD: Iraq is ready to mediate between the Syrian government and opponents of President Bashar alAssad to help end months of violence in the neighbouring country, an adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said.

Iraq’s Shi’ite leaders are concerned that turmoil in Syria could bring a hardline Sunni leader to power should protests lead to the downfall of Assad, who is facing increasing international condemnation over a crackdown on protesters.

Ali al-Moussawi, Maliki’s media adviser, said Iraq was ready to receive the Syrian opposition to try to reach a solution to achieve the demands of the Syrian people and avoid bloodshed. “We as a government ... seek a solution. If this clash continues forever it will be harmful for all, particularly to the Syrian people and the Syrian state,” he said.

“He (Maliki) is clear he is ready for a dialogue with all the parties.” Asked if the Iraqi government was already in talks with the Syrian opposition,

Moussawi said: “I think it is early to say talks, but there is some kind of communication.” In October, Maliki, a Shi’ite, urged Syria to open up its political system to end one-party Baath rule.

Syria faces deepening international and regional isolation, with the Arab League, the European Union and the United States piling on increasingly tough sanctions to pressure Damascus to stop the crackdown on protesters and talk to its opponents.

Since the 2003 invasion which top-

pled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein, Iraq’s Shi’ites have risen to power, drawing its leadership closer to Shi’ite Iran as well as to Syria, Tehran’s main Arab ally in a regional power struggle with Sunni-ruled states who have criticised the Syrian president.

Iraqi officials, trying to balance their interests in the region, say they are worried unrest in Syria could spill over their border and upset Iraq’s own delicate sectarian balance. They have resisted sanctions against Damascus.

Arab states have landed a hefty

blow on Syria’s crisis-hit economy by stopping deals with its central bank and halting investment last month.

Iraq voted against them. Damascus, where the Assad family has ruled for 41 years, says regional powers helped incite the violence, which it blames on armed groups targeting civilians and its security forces.

The United Nations says more than 3,500 people have been killed since the unrest broke out in March inspired by uprisings which overthrew leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. —Reuters

Islamists triumph in Egypt’s election ‘Egypt needs all parties to cooperate together’

TRIPOLI: Libyan Deputy Prime Minister Mustafa Abu Shagur speaks during a press conference in Tripoli yesterday where he said that a plan is being drafted to reopen and secure the country’s border with Tunisia, as Libyans returning from the neighbouring country accused Tunisians of attacking and robbing them there. — AFP

Libyans protest attacks, thefts in Tunisia border RAS JDIR: Libyans returning from neighbouring Tunisia said they were attacked and robbed there, as former rebel fighters showed readiness on Saturday to stay away from the troubled Ras Jdir border post.

The crossing, 180 kilometres (115 miles) west of Tripoli, closed on Wednesday when Tunisian guards stopped work complaining of lack of protection against armed and unarmed fighters deployed on the Libyan side of the frontier.

On Friday, Tunisia closed a second border post in Dehiba after allegations of attacks on Tunisians inside the Libyan border. And Tunis Air has cancelled flights to Libya since last week. But on Saturday, Libyans entering their country from Ras Jdir complained of facing steady attacks from Tunisians while on their way home, often forcing them to drive through unknown terrain to avoid being robbed.

“Around 10 people stopped my car near the Tunisian city of Madnin and robbed me and my friends,” Suleiman Zahra, a businessman from Tripoli crossing the border post, told an AFP correspondent at the scene.

“They threw stones at my car and shouted abuse at us. It was a nightmare as I was bringing back a friend who was treated in Tunisia after having been wounded in the fighting” that toppled Moamer Kadhafi’s regime. The only traffic at the Ras Jdir crossing on Saturday was Libyans entering from Tunisia, many returning after months of taking refuge from the war. The border was closed to Libyans trying to cross into Tunisia.

Apart from returning Libyans, only armed former Libyan rebels in their cars and pick-up trucks were moving around the crossing which usually sees thousands of people criss-crossing between the two countries each day.

Tension between the two neighbours was triggered after a Libyan rebel reportedly shot and wounded a Tunisian customs official as he forced his way across the border. Tunisian authorities closed the Ras Jdir and Dehiba crossings after the incident.

On Thursday, Tunis voiced its “deep concern” at the border incidents and called on Tripoli to manage its side of the Ras Jdir

crossing with professional forces. A Libyan border official said the fighters who led the uprising against Kadhafi have been ordered to steer clear of the border with Tunisia.

“There was a meeting by Libyan border officials and it was decided to ask the (former) rebels to move back two kilometres (over one mile) from the (Ras Jdir) border,” said Colonel Mohamed Jarafa.

“The decision is expected to be implemented later today or early tomorrow. We don’t want this to be a problem between the two governments,” Jarafa said. The official did not deny the incidents cited by Tunisian authorities but played them down.

“Some rebels are unaware of the consequences of their actions,” he said.

Another Libyan border official, Najmi Moamer, said the former rebels had been helping man the borders for several months by checking passports and car registration documents. On Saturday, fighters, mostly from the town of Zuwarah, remained in the border area. Regular blasts of gunfire could be heard and civilian pickup trucks loaded with heavy artiller y roamed the area.

Fighters who spoke to AFP said they were ready to move away from the border crossing but wanted Tunis to open the crossing. “We have no problem to move back and we took up arms only to liberate our country,” said fighter Nader Mansur, a resident of Zuwarah. But Tunisia “must open the border” and halt attacks against returning Libyans.

“They are attacking our people and we know who these attackers are. They are Tunisians paid by loyalists of Kadhafi who escaped to Tunisia during the early days of the revolution.” Libyan businessman Osama Mohammed Hassan said he spent an entire night at a farm in Tunisia with his wife, mother and brother, before he could reach the border crossing. “They (Tunisian men) are drunk and are attacking any Libyan vehicle they see. My car was also hit between Madnin and Ben Gerden,” another Tunisian city, he said. “We treat Tunisians like our brothers. They are the only ones allowed to visit Libya without visas and still they treat us like this.” — AFP

Sudan military says overran key rebel base KHARTOUM: Sudan’s military said it overran a key rebel base in the South Kordofan border state on Saturday, the latest push by government forces to assert control over the volatile territory. The insurgent group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army North (SPLA-N), denied it had troops stationed in the area named by Sudan’s armed forces, located in the loosely demarcated border region with newly independent South Sudan.

Fighting on both sides of the boundary has strained ties between Khartoum and Juba and complicated talks over issues such as oil and debt left unresolved since the south seceded in July under a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war.

Both sides have accused the other of supporting rebel groups on either side of the border. “The Sudanese army attacked and took control of an SPLA base at 4:30 this afternoon in the Baheirat al-Abiyad Jau region,” Sudan’s armed forces spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khalid said by phone.

“This is considered the headquarters of the SPLA in South Kordofan,” he said, adding that “a number” of rebels were

killed in the fighting. Qamar Dalman, a spokesman for the SPLA-N in South Kordofan, denied the group had soldiers in the area. “Our troops aren’t present in that area because it falls in South Sudan according to the ... 1956 border,” he said, referring to an internal boundary drawn shortly before Sudan became independent.

A spokesman for South Sudan’s military was not immediately available to comment. The SPLA-N fighters in South Kordofan and Blue Nile served as divisions of the southern rebel army during Sudan’s civil war, but were left on the northern side of the border when the south seceded.

Clashes broke out between the insurgents and government troops in June, with both sides blaming the other for provoking the violence. Khartoum accuses Juba of continuing to back the SPLA-N rebels, which both South Sudan and the rebels deny. South Sudan voted overwhelmingly to secede in a January referendum, culmination of the 2005 peace deal that ended what was one of Africa’s longest and deadliest wars. Some 2 million people died in the conflict. — Reuters

CAIRO: Islamists trounced their liberal rivals in the opening phase of Egypt’s first election since the fall of Hosni Mubarak, figures showed yesterday, with one in four voters choosing hardline Salafists. Islamist parties won 65 percent of all votes cast for parties in the first round of parliamentary polls, while the secular liberals who played a key part in the Januar y-Februar y uprising managed just 13.4 percent.

Among the Islamist vote, the moderate Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) of the Muslim Brotherhood won 36.6 percent, followed by the hardline Salafist AlNur party with 24.4 percent and the moderate Al-Wasat with 4.3 percent. “We welcome the Egyptian people’s choice,” FJP spokesman Ahmed Sobea told AFP. “Egypt now needs all parties to cooperate together to get it out of its crisis.”

The Brotherhood had been widely forecast to triumph as the country’s most organised political group, well known after decades of charitable work and opposition to Mubarak’s 30-year autocratic regime.

But the showing from Salafist groups, which advocate a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam dominant in Saudi Arabia, was a surprise, raising fears of a more conservative and overtly religious 498-member new lower parliament. The Salafis, newcomers who founded parties only after the toppling of Mubarak in February, trailed the FJP only slightly in the city of Alexandria and won a majority in northern Kafr el-Sheikh and Damietta provinces.

Followers of the Salafi strain of Islam advocate a stricter segregation of the sexes, the full veiling of women, a ban on alcohol and the idea that all sovereignty flows from god. There were few bright spots for the liberal secular movement which played a key role in the 18day uprising that led Mubarak to stand down and hand power to a council of army leaders charged with ushering in democracy.

Mohammed Hamed, a candidate with the liberal Free Egyptians party, warned that the Islamists would face widespread resistance if they enforced a strict interpretation of Islam, followed by about 90 percent of Egyptians. “All the people will turn into the opposition. Most Muslims are not extremist. If they

CAIRO: An Egyptian Christian makes orange juice in his shop in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday. The prospect of an Islamist victory in the election has Egypt’s Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the population of 85 million, terrified that one day strict Islamic law will be imposed. — AP do not feel the danger (of hardline Islamism) yet, they will if it is applied,” he said.

Mohammed Abdel Ghani, a liberal candidate, told the independent Al-Shorouq newspaper that his movement needed to counter propaganda that “non-Islamist candidates were infidels.” The results in Egypt fit a pattern established in Tunisia and Morocco where Islamists have also gained in elections as they benefit from the new freedoms brought by the prodemocracy movements of the Arab Spring.

Israel, which shares a border and peace agreement with Egypt, expressed deep concern over the trend. “We are worried,” Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz told Israel public radio yesterday, adding that he hoped Egypt “won’t become an extremist Islamist state because that would put the whole region in danger.” The Brotherhood has been at pains to stress its commitment to multi-party democracy, inclusiveness and civil liberties, while also advocating the application of sharia law. Nevertheless, the prospect of an Islamist-dominated parliament raises fears among liberals about religious freedom in a country with the Middle East’s

largest Christian minority and women’s rights.

“Islamic culture is compatible with democratic principles,” FJP vice president Essam al-Erian told AFP last week in an effort to counter alleged “Islamophobia” in the local media. Voting on Monday and Tuesday was only the opening phase of an election for a new lower house of parliament that is taking place in three stages, but the returns reveal the main political trends now shaping Egypt.

Only one third of districts have voted. The rest of the country will go the polls in a further two stages later this month and in January.

Voters were required to pass three votes: two for individual candidates and one for a party or coalition. The figures above are for the party results. Both the FJP and Al-Nur stand to gain further seats in runoff elections on Monday for the individual candidates. Only four out of 56 individual seats were won outright in the first round of voting.

The FJP said it had 45 candidates in the 52 run-offs to be decided on Monday, according to its website.

Al-Nur has 26, a party official told AFP. The Brotherhood and other political parties are now expected to face a fierce power struggle for

control with the interim army regime to ensure Egypt’s revolution is completed and power is handed over. The first test will be over the formation of a new caretaker government, with the Brotherhood insisting on the right to form a cabinet to replace the army-appointed administration. The second struggle with be over a new constitution next year and the relative powers given to parliament, a new president to be elected by next June, and the army. For Monday and Tuesday’s vote, elections committee secretary general Yusri Abdel Karim said final percentages would not be given until the end of ballotting for the lower house of parliament on January 10.

The percentages were calculated by AFP on the basis of total number of valid votes cast. The FJP won 3.56 million out of a total 9.73 million votes cast, or 36.6 percent.

Al-Nur party won 2.37 million, or 24.4 percent, and the Wasat party 415,590 votes, or 4.3 percent. The main liberal coalition, the Egyptian Bloc, won 1.29 million votes or 13.4 percent. After the lower house is elected in January, Egyptians will go to the polls for a further three rounds of voting to elect an upper chamber. — AFP

Fighting in city threatens Yemen power transfer SANAA: Four days of intense fighting threatens to wreck a deal to remove Yemen’s leader from power, with the government and opposition quarrelling over who will sit on a committee overseeing the military.

At least two people were killed yesterday in battles between loyalists of President Ali Abdullah Saleh and foes in Taiz, a centre of ten months of protests that have driven the Arab world’s poorest country to the brink of civil war. The European Union urged the government and opposition to agree quickly to both a unity interim cabinet and the makeup of a separate council tasked with overseeing the military and returning it to barracks to end the fighting.

Yesterday’s deaths bring to at least 19 the toll from four days of fighting in Taiz, a southern city. The deal to remove Saleh was crafted

by Yemen’s richer Gulf Arab neighbours, who share US fears a political and security vacuum will embolden the Yemeni branch of al Qaeda, and see multiple internal conflicts turn into full-blown civil war.

Saleh signed the deal last month after repeatedly balking, and it has been backed by the United Nations.

But implementation has bogged down over the formation of a government that would lead the country to a presidential election in February and the makeup of the body to run the military - key units

and child died from injuries suffered while trapped in a building hit by artillery fire in the midst of the fighting.

The fighting eased later yesterday. Gunmen from anti-Saleh fac-

TAIZ: A veiled Yemeni anti-regime protestor shows her hands painted as the colours of the national flag during a demonstration in the second largest city of Taiz (Taez) yesterday. —AFP of which are led by Saleh’s relatives.

Workers at a field hospital in the city some 200 km (120 miles) south of the capital Sanaa said a woman

tions held positions outside schools and government buildings - their windows shattered and their walls pocked with bullet holes - in a dis-

trict of the city near where battles had raged.

Residents said on Saturday government forces had used artillery, tanks and rockets in residential areas of Taiz, trapping about 3,000 families during skirmishes with opposition fighters who responded with medium and light fire. The province’s governor was trying to negotiate a ceasefire between units loyal to Saleh - including the wellarmed Republican Guard commanded by his son Ahmed - and his enemies.

“There’s no doubt that the army were responsible for some of the civilian deaths,” Governor Hammound Khaled al-Soufi told reporters. “Both sides shelled randomly into the city, that was a huge mistake.” One resident whose house was partly destroyed in the fighting said government forces had directed heavy fire on gunmen operating from residential areas.

“The gunmen are using hit and run tactics, firing from houses and then fleeing,” said Najib alMuwadim. Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Basindwa, an opposition leader, has warned his side would rethink its commitments under the transition deal if the fighting in Taiz did not stop.—Reuters

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

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

Croatians vote as centre-left set to sweep to power ZAGREB: Croatians voted yesterday for a new government that should lead them into the European Union in 2013, in elections expected to see a centre-left coalition oust the corruption-plagued conservatives.

Sur veys show the four-par ty opposition Kukuriku coalition, led by the Social Democrats (SDP), is poised to win an outright majority in the 151-seat assembly. “We expect victory,” Zoran Milanovic, SDP leader and likely new prime minister, told reporters after casting his ballot in Zagreb.

“I hope the citizens will have confidence in us.

The central issue in these elections, as we have been saying all the time, is confidence,” the 45year-old former diplomat said. If elected Milanovic will face the difficult task of guiding the Balkan country’s economy out of a crisis amid Europe’s financial uncertainties.

Croatia, independent since 1991, has been in

recession for most of the past three years and unemployment stands at over 17 percent. The central bank says economic growth has only been 0.5 percent this year.

“I want change. What we had until now should go,” Nedjeljka Pantic, a 73-year-old pensioner, told AFP after voting in downtown Zagreb. “Crime is the most devastating disaster in Croatia,” she said, reflecting the feeling of many Croatians following a string of corruption scandals involving the ruling conservative HDZ party.

A 49-year-old lawyer said he voted for the centre-left coalition although it was not his “natural choice.” “We have to get rid of the corrupted and incompetent HDZ rule. I’m voting ‘against’ rather than ‘for’,” Nenad, who would only give his first name, told AFP before heading for coffee with friends on an unusually warm and sunny election day.

Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, also from the centre-left, on Sunday voiced believe that the “new government will decisively undertake everything to resolve the economic crisis.” During the campaign, Milanovic refrained from making any grand election promises, as sur veys show Croatians’ confidence in politicians is extremely low.

Instead he warned Croatians they were facing rather difficult times. “We are not sure what awaits us. Sweat definitely-but I believe without blood and tears-and a lot of uncer tainty,” he said.

However, he pledged to lead the country in a “more honest and efficient way”. The remarks were a thinly veiled swipe at the HDZ which has been in power almost continuously since independence with the break-up of the former Yugoslavia.

HDZ leader and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor stepped up an anti-graft fight, a key demand for

Croatia’s EU bid, only to see it boomerang back to hurt her own party. “I believe that Croatians will choose those who will continue to lead an unsparing fight against corruption,” Kosor told journalists on Sunday after voting. Her powerful HDZ predecessor Ivo Sanader is currently on trial for corruption while the party is being investigated over alleged use of slush funds.

One HDZ supporter, Jakov Vlasic in his 20s, said he voted for the party, keeping up a family tradition, but stressed: “I would like them to change things, to lead the country in a better way.” More than 4.5 million Croatians are eligible to vote. By 1000 GMT turnout was at 16.39 percent, some two percent lower than around the same time in the previous 2007 elections, the electoral commission said. Polling stations will close at 1800 GMT and first partial official results are expected around 2000 GMT. — AFP

Foul play claimed as Russia votes in Putin test Turnout closely watched

KOBLENZ: Police guard a blocked shopping street in downtown Koblenz, Germany yesterday. Officials in the western German city of Koblenz say tens of thousands of residents have left their homes as experts prepare to defuse a massive World War IIera bomb discovered in the Rhine river. City officials said yesterday that some 45,000 residents living within a radius of about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the bomb site had to evacuate for the day by 0800 GMT. — AP

Slovenian PM to lose power in election LJUBLJANA: Slovenia’s centre-left Prime Minister Borut Pahor was expected yesterday to become the latest eurozone leader to lose power because of the debt crisis, with polls predicting a heavy election defeat.

Promising structural reforms and spending cuts, former premier Janez Jansa of the centre-right Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) is seen replacing him, although the last survey ahead of the vote showed his lead narrowing.

The poll conducted by Ninamedia gave the SDS 28.5 percent, with Positive Slovenia, a new centre-left party founded by Ljubljana’s popular millionaire mayor Zoran Jankovic, on 24.6 percent. Pahor’s Social Democrats were seen crashing to third place with only 14.3 percent support.

The debt crisis in the 17-nation eurozone has already led to a change in government in a string of countries, not least in Portugal, Greece, Italy and most recently in Spain.

Although still in a far better state than many euro members, since joining in 2007 Slovenia’s national debt as a proportion of output has roughly doubled to 45.5 percent, according to the European Commission.

The three main credit agencies have cut

their ratings on Slovenian debt in recent months, and last month interest rates hit seven percent-a level that forced other countries to seek outside support.

Pahor’s government lost a confidence vote in September after major reforms to the creaking pension system were rejected in a referendum, prompting early elections after just two years in office. “In the first 100 days we will take the necessary measures to cut the spiral of pessimism, the lack of ambition and the drought of financial resources,” the SDS manifesto promises.

If he wins enough votes Jansa will have a free hand to “act very quickly,” Corinne Deloy from the Centre for International Studies and Research (CERI) in Paris told AFP. But she added: “His grace period will be very short.”

Jansa, 53, is set to assume power under dramatically different circumstances from his first term in 2004-8 when Slovenia enjoyed stellar growth, unemployment under seven percent and solid public finances. The global financial crisis savaged the export-oriented economy-output slumped by 8.1 percent in 2009 — and the government has been paying for it ever since. —AFP

MOSCOW: Russia voted yesterday in legislative elections likely to erode the majority of Vladimir Putin’s ruling party and marred by claims the authorities committed dirty tricks to ensure its dominance. The United Russia party was expected again to win the majority in the State Duma parliament but with fewer seats than in the 2007 polls, as opponents said the ruling elite had downed websites and harassed monitors to limit dissent.

The elections are seen as a crucial test of Putin’s popularity in Russia as he prepares to stand in March 2012 presidential elections to return to the Kremlin after his four-year stint as prime minister. Independent monitor group Golos (Voice), which claimed rampant violations in the campaign, said its “Map of Violations” website documenting reports of fraud was inaccessible due a cyber-attack and its email was paralysed.

But it still was working via Skype and telephone, noting violations like the failure of the Volga city of Samara to allow observers inside to inspect ballot boxes before polls opened.

“Those people who wanted to stop us have not succeeded,” said Arkady Lyubarev, the head of election monitoring at Golos. Golos’ chief had been held for 12 hours at a Moscow airport while the group said it was the target of a smear-documentary broadcast on proKremlin Russian television. The United States said this pointed to “a pattern of harassment”.

Meanwhile, the website of popular radio station Moscow Echo, which is owned by state gas monopoly Gazprom but often tackles sensitive issues, was the subject of a similar distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. “The attack on the website on election day is clearly an attempt to inhibit the publication of information about violations,” Moscow Echo editor-in-chief Alexei Venediktov wrote on Twitter.

Putin had lashed out at Golos last weekend, suggesting its activity was tantamount to betrayal of Russia. President Dmitry Medvedev Friday rejected claims of foul play saying elections were “one of the greatest manifestations of democracy”.

Russia’s two rulers-who are set to swap jobs in 2012 with Medvedev becoming prime minister-voted at separate Moscow polling stations looking confident but without making comment. The four years since the last parliamentary vote in 2007 have been marked by an outburst of criticism of the authorities

MOSCOW: A picture taken yesterday, during parliamentary election shows a meeting in the Central Election Commission headquarters in Moscow. Russians voted yesterday in elections set to see Vladimir Putin’s ruling party win a reduced majority in parliament, amid claims the authorities were engaging in foul play to ensure it maintained dominance. — AFP

on the Internet as web penetration of Russia started to finally catch up with the rest of Europe.

Opinion polls have predicted that United Russia’s nationwide poll rating will drop from 2007, when it secured a landslide majority of 64.3 percent and won 315 seats in the State Duma. The three main opposition parties-the Communists, the nationalist Liberal Democrats and the populist A Just Russiashould all see their support tick up without posing any significant challenge to United Russia. Putin, who was recently subjected to unprecedented booing when he made an appearance at a martial arts fight, will want a strong performance from United Russia to consolidate his position as the country’s paramount leader.

The main liberal opposition party taking part, Yabloko, was not expected to poll sufficient votes to enter parliament. Vehemently anti-Kremlin liberal party Parnas was not even allowed to take part and its leader Boris Nemtsov deliberately spoiled his ballot paper with the words “give us back our elections.”

The marathon election process in the world’s largest country kicked off in Pacific Ocean regions and was to conclude 21 hours later with the close of polls in the exclave of

Kaliningrad bordering the European Union, nine time zones away.

Turnout will also be closely watched to see how many Russians are disillusioned with the political process after more than a decade of Putin’s strongman rule. According to information received by 1500 GMT, almost 50.4 percent of the electorate had cast their vote, the election commission said.

Some Russians said they would support Putin’s United Russia, while others noted they had so far seen nothing from it but empty promises. Nikolai Ponomaryov, a warrant officer from the Marshal Shaposhnikov anti-submarine warship based in the Pacific port of Vladivostok, said he voted for Putin’s party because he saw changes for the better.

“Already this spring my family will get an apartment in a new district,” he said. “I link these changes with the work of United Russia.” But Stanislav Dvorkovoi, 35, a voter in Moscow, said that he was voting from the Communists “so that the State Duma does not have a monopoly of one party.”

Police detained around 20 protesters including radical opposition leader Eduard Limonov for holding an unsanctioned protest in central Moscow, an AFP correspondent reported. — AFP

Congo’s Kabila leads election in early results

LJUBLJANA: Slovenian President Danilo Turk (L) receives a voting ballot at a polling station in Ljubljana yesterday during early parliament elections. Slovenia’s centreleft Prime Minister Borut Pahor was poised today to become the latest eurozone leader to lose power because of the debt crisis, with polls predicting a heavy election defeat. — AFP

Islamists bomb police, banks, kill 3 in Nigeria KANO: Suspected Islamists yesterday bombed two police buildings, two banks and killed three people, including a policeman and a soldier in the volatile northern Nigeria’s Bauchi State, residents said. The attacks by suspected members of the radical Boko Haram sect, which also seriously injured two other policemen, happened in the town of Azare and lasted four hours, they said.

The attackers armed with heavy machine guns, threw explosives and fired heavy machine guns into a regional police headquarters and an adjoining police station in the town, setting fire to the buildings, residents said.

“They came in a large convoy of cars armed with heavy machine guns and headed to the police area command office and bombed it along with the divisional police station attached to it,” resident Usman Musa told AFP.

“The attackers left behind a black banner hanging at the entrance of the police station with the arabic inscription of ‘Allahu Akbar’(God is Great), which made people suspect they were Boko Haram,” he said. The attackers also bombed and robbed two banks in the town, 230 kilometres (140 miles) from the state capital Bauchi, residents said.

Musa, who was at the federal medical centre where victims from the attacks were taken said he saw the bodies of a soldier, a policeman and an errand boy for the police, while two policemen were being treated for gunshot wounds.

Another resident Garba Mohammed said two banks were bombed by the attackers who broke into the vaults. “ They emptied the banks’ safes and made away with the money,” said Mohammed, a dealer in second-hand clothes. —AFP

KINSHASA: Congo’s president, seeking a second term in a nation reeling from poverty and pummeled by war, was leading Saturday in early results, but his opponents insisted he step aside and accused him of trying to engineer “carnage.”

President Joseph Kabila had 50.3 percent of the vote in early results from an election marred by technical problems and accusations of favoritism. Analysts had predicted he would likely win because the opposition candidates are splitting the vote.

In a show of unity, the 10 opposition parties held a press conference and accused Kabila of attempting to engineer a situation like Kenya, Zimbabwe or the Ivory Coast, all countries where rulers used the army to try to silence dissent and cling to power after losing at the polls.

“I think that Joseph Kabila could go down in history ... if he were to say, ‘I’m a good sport and I lost,’” said opposition candidate Vital Kamerhe, a former speaker of Parliament. “He is preparing a carnage.” International observers noted irregularities including possible instances of fraud, but most said the shortcomings seemed to be due to technical glitches rather than a systematic attempt to rig the vote.

Due to bad weather, planes carrying ballots did not take off in time to reach the remote interior of this gigantic nation, which stretches over a territory as large as Western Europe.

Today’s vote had to be extended for three days in order to give porters carrying ballots on their heads, on bicycles, in canoes and in wheelbarrows to reach the distant corners of Congo.

Election commission chief Daniel Ngoy Mulunda released province by province tallies Saturday he said amounted to 33 percent of all voting bureaus, showing that Kabila was ahead with 3.27 million of the 6.48 million votes counted so far. Opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi was trailing with 2.23 million votes, or 34.4 per-

cent. The gap between them is sure to close when results from Kinshasa are released, where poll workers in the four warehouses processing votes were visibly overwhelmed. Sacks of ballots were being brought in on the backs of poll workers; there were so many they were being piled in the parking lot outside. Some had split open, and ballots had fallen into the mud or the cement floor of the warehouse, where they were being trampled by election workers.

As of Friday, less than 5 percent of the ballots in one of the four warehouses had been processed, said a poll worker who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to

speak to the press. The election official complained they were not being brought food or even water, and several of the poll workers were asleep, splayed out across tables with bags of ballots piled up around them.

The results released from Kinshasa represent only 3.33 percent of the capital’s precincts, said Mulunda. In the small sample that was released, Tshisekedi had so far received roughly twice as many votes as Kabila, nearly 43,000 compared to the 23,000 cast for the incumbent. Over 3 million voters are registered in Kinshasa, so it’s possible that Tshisekedi will be able to catch up once the capital’s tallies are in. —AP

PARIS: Little girls hold flowers and portraits of three-year-old child Bastien during a white walk on his memory, yesterday, in Germigny-l’Eveque, 40 km east of Paris. Police in France have charged a 33-year-old father with murder after he allegedly killed his son by stuffing him into a washing machine and turning it on. — AFP

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

Peru anti-mine roadblocks lifted, govt calls talks LIMA: Peruvian protesters opposed to a $4.8 billion gold mine project abandoned roadblocks on Saturday as government officials called weekend talks with regional leaders to try to resolve the conflict. Earlier this week, USbased Newmont Mining Corp agreed to a government request to stop work temporarily on the Conga mine after the protests turned violent.

The demonstrations in the northern region of Cajamarca, which included roadblocks designed to pressure the government to cancel the largest min-

ing investment in Peru’s history, started 10 days ago. Local political leaders want President Ollanta Humala to stop the gold mine from being built, saying it would replace a string of alpine lakes with artificial reservoirs and cause pollution.

Protesters also have criticized Humala for moving too far to the right and for supporting the project, which would generate thousands of jobs and enormous tax revenues. “The main access routes have been cleared after police went in and opened up the

roads,” regional government spokesman Segundo Mata said.

“There’s access for vehicles, the situation has got back to normal and vehicles carrying fuel, food and tourists are passing,” he said. The blockades around the city of Cajamarca had started to cause shortages of basic goods.

Protest leader Wilfredo Saavedra said mine opponents had agreed to dismantle the blockades. “Today, activity is normal in Cajamarca.” The unrest has challenged Humala, who campaigned on promises to steer more

social spending to rural towns to help defuse social conflicts over natural resources while assuring companies they could move ahead with billions of dollars in mining and oil projects in Peru. The administration of Humala, who has been trying for weeks to mediate in the conflict over water at the proposed mine, called regional officials and community leaders in for more talks today. “We call on the people of Cajamarca not to let themselves be dragged into violent actions led by groups that don’t want the population

to prosper in peace and democracy,” a government statement said.

Saavedra said protesters had not been invited to today’s proposed meeting with regional leaders. The Conga project, which Newmont owns with Peruvian precious metals miner Buenaventura, would produce 580,000 to 680,000 ounces of gold a year and open in 2014. It has gold deposits worth about $15 billion at current prices and sits 13,800 feet (4,200 metres) high in the Andes, about 600 miles (990 km) north of Lima. — Reuters

Cain suspends campaign but plans endorsement Declares harassment and affair charges false

CARACAS: In this photo released by Miraflores Presidential Press Office, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez, right, applauds as Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera takes over the presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, CELAC, during a summit in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday. — AP

Chavez wants Chile, Cuba to help lead new Americas bloc CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Saturday urged Chile and Cuba to join him in a “troika” of core nations at the forefront of a new Americas bloc that excludes the United States and Canada. “The troika has to immediately assume responsibility,” said Chavez, the driving force behind the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on the second and closing day of its inaugural meeting.

But the fledgling bloc was missing two of its biggest members-Argentina and Brazil, whose presidents Cristina Kirchner and Dilma Rousseff both left early on Saturday, with the latter appearing cool on the new grouping’s aims.

“I think we will have to let it (the CELAC) operate for some time” before the unknowns about its operations are ironed out, Brazilian Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Simoes told a press conference Friday. If Brazil’s support is a bit measured, part of the reason may be that Latin America’s most populous nation and its new economic and political heavyweight, already leads its own regional bloc, the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

UNASUR, made up of Brazil and 11 of its allies, has a smaller scope than the CELAC or the Organization of American States (OAS), but there could be some doubling up in UNASUR and CELAC goals and operations.

Led by Chavez, CELAC delegates gathered for two days from Friday at a military fort for the meeting of an alliance of 33 countries. The CELAC grouping was

proposed by Latin American leaders in February 2010 in Mexico, more than 60 years after the start of the OAS, which is based in Washington and which excludes communist Cuba.

The OAS has lost credibility in the region in post-Cold War years, particularly as the United States has been seen as inconsistent in its defense of elected leaders as required by the OAS charter.

The most glaring case was in the aftermath of the 2009 coup against then Honduran president Manuel Zelaya.

CELAC nations signed a series of documents, one of which included a clause on “the defense of democracy and constitutional order.” They also voiced support for Argentina’s claim for the disputed Falkland islands, and called on the United States to end economic sanctions against Cuba, the only one -party Communist regime in the Americas.

The new bloc also gave its backing to social inclusion and food security. “We hope that this is going to be a community that does not just keep growing, but also keeps getting more and more united,” said Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. Chavez, hosting his first major international event since being diagnosed with cancer, on Friday dismissed the “old and worn-out” OAS, suggesting CELAC would eventually take its place.

According to its organizers, CELAC is designed to usher in a new era of Latin American “independence.” More than 10,000 security forces were on duty at the summit in Caracas, one of Latin America’s most dangerous cities. — AFP

Thousands call for new elections in Nicaragua MANAGUA: About 5,000 people protested in Managua on Saturday against alleged electoral fraud which they said led to the reelection of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, and called for new polls. Demonstrators shouted slogans such as “Where is my vote?” and “Democracy, yes-dictatorship, no!” as they marched in the western part of the capital.

“Electoral fraud is state violence!” they cried. At the head of the protest-the first called by the opposition since the November 6 election-was Fabio Gadea, a liberal radio host and the 66-year-old Ortega’s main rival for the presidency.

“Everyone knows that I am the rightful president, stripped of the title... everyone voted for me and their votes were mocked,” the 80-year-old Gadea said in a speech at the end of the march.

Ortega, a former Marxist guerrilla leader who was president of Nicaragua from 1984 to 1989 and then reelected in 2006, ran for a third term after the Supreme Court waived a constitutional ban on consecutive terms in office.

Electoral authorities said Ortega won 62.4 percent of the vote, but his two main rivals-Gadea, who came in second with 30.9 percent, and former president Arnoldo Aleman, who got six percentcharged fraud.

Foreign electoral observers also raised questions about the process. The United States said the election was “not transparent” and voiced concerns over irregularities reported by vote monitors.

Ortega, who was in Venezuela for a regional summit, denounced the march and accused the United States of funding it in part. — AFP

MANAGUA: An opponent of reelected Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega takes part in a protest called ‘’march against fraud’’ in Managua on Saturday. About five thousand people marched in Nicaragua denouncing electoral fraud in past November 6 elections in Nicaragua and demanding a new election with foreign observers. — AFP

ATLANTA: Former pizza magnate Herman Cain dropped out of the US presidential race on Saturday after accusations of sexual misconduct overwhelmed his bid to win the Republican nomination as an antiWashington tax reformer. Cain’s departure set off a competition among other candidates to win over his conservative supporters with voting to start next month in the race to determine the Republicans’ presidential pick for 2012 to oppose President Barack Obama.

Cain, a former Godfather’s Pizza chief executive, told followers in his hometown of Atlanta that “false and unproved” sexual accusations had forced him to suspend his White House bid. He said he would endorse another candidate, effectively ending a roller-coaster campaign that saw the African-American businessman go from complete outsider to the rising star of Republican conservatives within a few weeks over the autumn.

Cain held a Friday night meeting with his wife, Gloria, who has stayed mostly silent as several women accused her husband of sexual harassment and an Atlanta businesswoman this week said she had carried out a 13-year affair with him. Gloria Cain appeared at his side on Saturday and smiled throughout.

Cain’s departure shapes the wide-open Republican race more clearly into a matchup between former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and surging rival Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the US House of Representatives. Reuters/Ipsos poll data released this week showed Gingrich and Romney would benefit most if Cain quit.

Support for Romney and Gingrich would rise by 3 percentage points each, against the 1- or 2-point bumps Cain’s departure would give some of their rivals for the nomination.

Gingrich, a fellow Georgian, said he would meet with Cain next week. “I don’t anticipate anything,” CNN reported Gingrich as saying.

Cain has to “make up his own mind,” Gingrich said.

Romney said in New Hampshire he sought backing from Cain supporters. “I hope as they evaluate the various candidates, they conclude that I’m the leader they need,” he said.

Suspending his campaign instead of quitting altogether lets Cain continue raising money that he could use to pay off any debt he had run up.

Cain, 65, said a “cloud of doubt” had settled over his campaign. He insisted that accusations he sexually harassed several women and had an affair with Atlanta businesswoman Ginger White were simply not true.

“I am suspending my campaign because of the continued distraction, the continued hurt,”

“I’ve made mistakes professionally, personally, as a candidate, in terms of how I run my campaign. And I take responsibility for the mistakes that I’ve made. And I’ve been the very first to own up to any mistakes I’ve made,” Cain said. Supporter Kristen Keating, 35 of Decatur, Georgia, wept after Cain’s

NEW YORK: Callista Gingrich, center, wife of Republican presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, looks towards her husband as they walk to a book signing in the Staten Island borough of New York, Saturday. Gingrich praised GOP presidential rival Herman Cain for bringing optimism and big ideas to the 2012 campaign on Saturday. Polls show that Gingrich’s candidacy has surged in recent weeks, with many showing him topping the Republican field. — AP Cain said at an event that had been planned as the grand opening of his campaign headquarters in Atlanta.

Cain won attention for his 9-9-9 plan to reduce the US tax code to 9 percent on income, sales and corporate taxes. After jumping into the front-runner position two months ago, Cain had been in a free fall in the past month. His support in Iowa, which holds the first US nominating contest on Jan. 3, stands at 8 percent. Cain spoke of having made mistakes but did not elaborate. His campaign also suffered from several stumbles that included a long pause when he tried to answer a routine question about Libya.

announcement. “I believe in his plan and his vision for leadership and his solutions for very serious issues that are way beyond his own private life,” she said. “His plan was so clear. I understand it. “ She has not decided what candidate to support for president now. In Iowa, the Cain campaign’s state chairman, Steve Grubbs, told Radio Iowa he was not surprised by Cain’s decision. “My counsel would have been to stay the course and see it through, but obviously he thought a different way and I’ll be at peace with that,” he said.

What do you do with 3,000 yard signs?

Grubbs said. “You recycle.” — Reuters

Obama battles charges he’s not Israel’s friend WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama this week stepped up a counterattack against Republican opponents levelling angry, politically fraught charges that he has shortchanged staunch US ally Israel’s security.

With an eye on the November 2012 elections, Republicans energized by Obama’s low popularity have slammed his Middle East policy, hoping to pump up Christian conservatives and erode Democrats’ usually strong support from Jewish voters. And most of the Republican presidential candidates will gather in Washington Wednesday for a forum run by the Republican Jewish Coalition, where they are sure to court party activists with attacks on Obama’s approach to Israel. It was not immediately clear how Republicans, who have accused Obama of asking too much of Israel and not enough of the Palestinians, would respond to US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s blunt demand Friday that Israel “get to the damn table” for peace talks.

But Obama fired a preemptive shot this week during a campaign fundraiser in New York City, professing that “no ally is more important than the state of Israel” and trumpeting his commitment to help safeguard the Jewish state.

“I try not to pat myself too much on the back, but this administration has done more in terms of the security of the state of Israel than any previous administration,” the president told donors. “And that’s not just our opinion, that’s the opinion of the Israeli government,” he said, citing intelligence cooperation and US help for the “Iron Dome” missile shield meant to thwart regular rocket attacks on Israel.

Aides note Obama-who has drawn fire for calling for an Israeli settlement freeze-boosted military aid to Israel and has toughened US sanctions on Iran and won support from Russia and China for deepening Tehran’s economic isolation.

White House allies also point to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has had a rocky relationship with the US president-calling Obama’s threat to block UN recognition of a Palestinian state “a badge of honor.” — AFP

TEMPLE CITY: Theresa Reyes and Donald Hewko look at a destroyed car owned by 20-year-old Antjuan Roy on Primrose Ave. in Temple City, California, on Saturday. Severe wind storms Thursday night caused major damage to the area.

Weary Southern Californians struggling with the cleanup from this week’s violent windstorm braced for yet another round of windy weather forecast for the weekend. — AP

Clinton begins five-nation tour WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton left yesterday for a fiveday European trip which will take in a key international conference on the future of Afghanistan. Clinton’s trip starts in the German city of Bonn where she will lead the US delegation to Monday’s conference, which aims to chart a course for Afghanistan after NATO’s withdrawal at the end of 2014.

The State Department said in a statement that the conference, the first of its kind to be chaired solely by the Afghan government, “will be an opportunity to review progress achieved since 2001 and highlight the strong international support for Afghanistan through transition and beyond.”

Clinton then travels on December 6 to Vilnius, Lithuania, where she will participate in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) ministerial meeting.

There she will also meet with Lithuanian officials and with Belarussian and a wide range of other civil society

representatives from across the OSCE region. The State Department said Clinton then will travel to Geneva to deliver remarks to mark International Human Rights Day, which falls later that week. On December 7, Clinton will speak in Geneva at an event commemorating the 60th and 50th anniversaries of the Refugee and Statelessness conventions.

She will also deliver the US national statement at the Biological and Toxin Weapons (BWC) Review Conference, an international gathering which seeks to combat biological threats, before traveling on to Brussels and the Netherlands.

In Brussels, she will attend meetings of the North Atlantic Council, the NATORussia Council, and will hold talks on Afghanistan with partners from the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) on December 7-8.

Her trip wraps up in the Netherlands on December 8 with a visit to The Hague, where she will deliver the keynote address at the opening of a ministerial conference on Internet freedom. — AFP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

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

Pakistani Taleban splintering into factions ISLAMABAD: Battered by Pakistani military operations and US drone strikes, the once-formidable Pakistani Taleban has splintered into more than 100 smaller factions, weakened and running short of cash, according to security officials, analysts and tribesmen from the insurgent heartland.

The group, allied with Al-Qaeda and based in the northwest close to the Afghan border, has been behind much of the violence tearing apart Pakistan over the last 4 1/2 years. Known as the Tehrik-e-Taleban, or TTP, the Taleban want to oust the US-backed government and install a hard-line Islamist regime. They also have international ambitions and trained the PakistaniAmerican who tried to detonate a car bomb in New York City’s Times Square in 2010.

“Today, the command structure of the TTP is splintered, weak and divided and they are running out of money,” said Mansur Mahsud, a senior researcher at the FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Area) Research Center. “In the bigger picture, this helps the army and the government because the Taleban are now divided.”

The first signs of cracks within the Pakistani Taleban appeared after its leader, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in a drone strike in August 2009, Mahsud said. Since then, the group has steadily deteriorated. Set up in 2007, the Pakistani Taleban is an umbrella organization created to represent roughly 40 insurgent groups in the tribal belt plus al-Qaida-linked groups headquartered in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province.

“In the different areas, leaders are making their own peace talks with the government,” Mahsud added. “It could help the Pakistani government and military separate more leaders from the TTP and more foot soldiers from their commanders.”

The two biggest factors hammering away at the Taleban’s unity are US drone strikes and Pakistani army operations in the tribal region. Turf wars have flared as militants fleeing the Pakistani military operations have moved into territory controlled by other militants, sometimes sparking clashes between groups. And as leaders have been killed either by drones or the Pakistani army, lieutenants have fought among themselves over who will replace them.

“The disintegration ... has accelerated with the Pakistan military operation in South Waziristan and the drone attacks by the United States in North Waziristan,” Mahsud said, referring to the two tribal agencies that are the heartland of the Pakistani Taleban.

Another factor is the divide-and-conquer strategy Pakistan’s military has long employed in its dealings with militants. Commanders have broken away from the TTP and set up their own factions, weakening the organization. Battles have broken out among the breakaway factions, and in one particularly remote tribal region the TTP was thrown out. These growing signs of fissures among the disparate groups that make up the Pakistani Taleban indicate the military’s strategy could be paying off. That would explain the mixed sig-

nals this month coming out of the tribal belt, where some militants are mulling the idea of peace talks with the government, others are offering to stop fighting and still others are disavowing both peace and a ceasefire. It might also explain a steady decline in suicide attacks in Pakistan, according to the privately run Pak Institute for Peace Studies.

The US is eager to see some benefits in neighboring Afghanistan, where its troops have come under attack from militants based across the border in Pakistan.

NATO forces in Afghanistan are trying to break the back of the Afghan insurgency before the end of the US-led coalition’s combat mission in 2014.

There is no evidence so far that fissures within the militant structure in Pakistan are helping NATO and US forces. The deadly Haqqani network, which has bases both in Pakistan and Afghanistan and is affiliated with al-Qaeda, is one of the most lethal threats to coalition troops. It has long found safe haven in Pakistan’s tribal belt and has used the Pakistani Taleban as a source of recruits. Senior US officials say the Haqqanis also receive support from Pakistan’s army and intelligence agency, a charge Islamabad denies.

Analysts predict that over time, however, the internecine feuding in the Pakistani Taleban will take a toll on militants fighting in Afghanistan, making it increasingly difficult for them to find recruits and restricting territory available to them. Pakistan’s military has rebuffed appeals from Washington to take on

all of the insurgent groups in the tribal region, saying it has neither the men nor the weapons to do so. Instead, Islamabad has pushed its divide-and-conquer approach, which is gaining some traction in the United States, according to two Western officials in the region.

The officials say the success of this approach will be measured in Washington by its ability to curb Haqqani network attacks in Afghanistan. The officials requested to remain anonymous in order to speak candidly.

Cooperation between the US and Pakistan suffered a serious setback a week ago when NATO aircraft killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at two border posts. The Nov. 26 incident seems certain to blunt any prospect of Pakistan taking direct steps to curb the Haqqani network, analysts say.

In the wake of the attack, intelligence sharing has stopped, military-to-military contact has been suspended, routes supplying non-lethal goods to NATO in Afghanistan have been shut, and Pakistan has withdrawn its offer to bring Taleban and representatives of the Haqqani network to the negotiating table.

Pakistan also announced it will boycott next month’s conference in Bonn, Germany, to find ways to stabilize Afghanistan. There is no independent figure on how many Taleban fighters operate in the tribal regions, but it is estimated to be in the thousands.

There are upward of 130 groups in the area, Mahsud said, some of them small, violent offshoots of larger groups. —AP

Karzai accuses Pakistan of stalling talks with Taleban Bonn meeting will seek to chart a course for Afghanistan

DHAKA: Bangladeshi firefighters spray water on a police vehicle set afire during a strike by opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party in Dhaka, Bangladesh, yesterday. — AP

Police fire teargas at Bangladesh protesters DHAKA: Bangladeshi police fired teargas at scores of protesters yesterday as violence broke out during a day-long opposition strike in the capital Dhaka. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Islamist allies enforced the strike in protest at the government’s decision to divide the 400year-old city into two administrative zones. “Protesters became unruly as they pelted bricks and stones at police and torched a police van and motorcycle. We fired teargas to prevent vandalism,” deputy commissioner of Dhaka police Khorshed Alam told AFP. The mayor, a senior BNP official who will lose his job in changes to how the city is run, was hauled into a police van

at the protest but later released. Schools and businesses were closed and roads largely deserted as the strike took effect.

Several BNP activists were hurt in scuffles with police at a dawn rally.

The government recently ratified a new law splitting Dhaka into two administrative zones, which it said would improve services and utilities for the city’s 15 million people. The opposition criticised the move, saying it was politically motivated as the new system forced the city’s elected mayor out of office.

Police spokesmen said at least 13,000 law-enforcers including about 3,500 members of the elite Rapid Action Battalion were patrolling the roads and flashpoints in the city. — AFP

Maoist rebels kill 11 in attacks in India PATNA: Maoist rebels have killed 11 people in attacks across an eastern Indian state after their leader died in a gunbattle with security forces, police said. The rebels blew up railway tracks at two points in Jharkhand before dawn Sunday to protest the Nov. 24 killing of Koteshwar Rao, alias Kishanji, in the neighboring state of West Bengal, police Superintendent D.V. Sharma said.

Hours earlier, they had attacked a police convoy traveling with a state lawmaker in western Jharkhand, detonating explosives and spraying gunfire that left 10 officers and a young boy dead.

Another officer was hospitalized with injuries. Former Jharkhand Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari escaped unharmed. The rebels, inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have been fighting

for more than three decades in several Indian states to demand land and jobs for agricultural laborers and the poor.

Referred to as Naxalites, after the West Bengal village of Naxalbari where the movement began in 1967, they frequently target police and government workers.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called the rebels the biggest internal threat to India’s security.

Last month, security forces launched a hunt for Kishanji and other rebel leaders in the jungles of West Bengal, eventually killing the top rebel in a gunbattle and seizing large stocks of arms and ammunition. The rebels have vowed to avenge his death. Left-wing politicians have protested the killing as well, saying the rebel leader could have been made to surrender. —AP

RANCHI: An Indian policeman injured in a Maoist attack is assisted by colleagues before he is flown to Ranchi for better treatment at Daltonganj, Jharkhand state, India, yesterday. Maoist rebels have killed 11 people in attacks across an eastern Indian state after their leader died in a gunbattle with security forces, police said. — AP

BONN: Afghan President Hamid Karzai has accused Pakistan, which is boycotting an international conference on Afghanistan starting today in Bonn, of undermining all negotiations with the Taleban.

“Up until now, they have sadly refused to back efforts for negotiations with the Taleban,” Karzai told Der Spiegel weekly in comments reported in German and due to be published today. The Bonn meeting will seek to chart a course for Afghanistan after the NATO withdrawal in 2014, but a boycott by Pakistan has dealt a blow to already fragile hopes for a roadmap.

Pakistan is seen as vital to any prospect of stability in the war-ravaged country a decade after US-led forces ousted the Taleban, who had offered safe haven to Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. But Islamabad pulled out after 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed in cross-border NATO air strikes a week ago, although sources close to the German foreign ministry said it would be kept informed of progress at the conference.

The United States has voiced regret over the strikes but has stopped short of issuing an apology while the American military conducts an investigation. Islamabad has so far refused to take part in the probe, exacerbating fears of a prolonged crisis between Pakistan and the United States.

Pakistan, reacting to fury from its people over the attack, shut down NATO’s vital supply line into Afghanistan and boycotted the Bonn conference. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday called Pakistan’s prime minister to offer condolences over the strike.

In the call with Yousuf Raza Gilani, Clinton “reiterated America’s respect for Pakistan’s sovereignty and commitment to working together in pursuit of shared objectives on the basis of mutual interest and mutual respect,” the State Department said.

A statement from Gilani’s office said he told Clinton that Pakistan’s non-attendance at Bonn was not open to review since it had received the backing of parliament’s national security committee. The committee “has supported the decision of the cabinet not to participate in the Bonn conference,” the statement quoted Gilani as saying, adding that parliament was also looking into the broader relationship with Washington.

Pakistan’s decision deals a blow to hopes for drawing up a roadmap for Afghanistan’s future,

MARJAH: A file photo taken on March 26, 2010 shows a US Marine of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, holding a dog tag of a fallen comrade as he gives his final respects during a memorial ceremony for four fallen comrades, at their base in Marjah, Helmand province, southern Afghanistan. The Taleban’s boycott of the Bonn conference on Afghanistan, 10 years after they were absent from its precursor, raises grave doubts about what progress it can make towards peace, experts say. — AFP 10 years after Germany staged another international meeting on political transition following the fall of the Taleban. As a neighbour with historic ties to the Taleban, Pakistan is considered integral to ending the decade-long conflict, but experts say a boycott matters less now that already modest expectations for Bonn have been dramatically curtailed.

Diplomats had hoped the conference would help broker peace with the Taleban, but the September assassination of Kabul peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani derailed those efforts and contacts are said to have achieved little.

Karzai also appealed for continued aid to his war-ravaged nation after 2014, when the last NATO combat troops are due to pull out after handing over responsibility for security to Afghan forces.

Stressing that Afghanistan will be “more than ever on the frontline,” he said: “If we fail in this war, which threatens all of us, it will mean a

return to the situation before 9/11.” The Afghan leader conceded that “sadly we have not been able to provide security and stability to all Afghans-this is our greatest failure.”

Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rasoul appealed Saturday for international support for his country after NATO troops withdraw. “After 2014, we will continue to need long-term support from our friends in the international community,” Rasoul said at a discussion forum in Bonn.

His German counterpart Guido Westerwelle vowed at the forum that the world would not abandon Afghanistan. In an interview to appear in Sunday ’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Westerwelle again voiced his regret over the Pakistani boycott of the conference, which will gather delegates from 100 nations. “Pakistan has more to gain from a stable and peaceful Afghanistan than any of its neighbours,” he said. — AFP

Australia’s ruling Labor party overturns India uranium ban SYDNEY: Australia’s ruling Labor party voted yesterday to lift a long-standing ban on exporting uranium to India in a passionate debate about nuclear weapons and reactor safety following Japan’s quake crisis. Labor passed Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s proposal 206 votes to 185, reversing a decades-old policy excluding New Delhi from Australia’s uranium trade because it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Gillard argued that it was neither rational nor intellectually defensible to sell uranium to rising powers such as China and not to India, “the world’s largest democracy” and a fastgrowing nation of increasing global clout.

“Let’s just face facts here-our refusal to sell uranium to India is not going to cause India to decide that it will no longer have nuclear weapons,” Gillard told the Labor summit. “We can honour the treaty, we can change our platform, we can-under the most stringent of agreements-sell uranium to India if we so choose and, delegates, I believe that we should make that choice.”

Although Australia does not use nuclear power, it is the world’s third-ranking uranium producer behind Kazakhstan and Canada, exporting 9,600 tonnes of oxide concentrate each year worth more than Aus$1.1 billion ($1.1 billion).

It also has the world’s largest reserves of uranium, holding 23 percent of the total, according to the World Nuclear Association.

Canberra ships the nuclear fuel to China, Japan, Taiwan and the United States but has refused to sell to India-long a sticking point in usually cordial relations between the key trading partners.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith backed Gillard’s proposal, saying India had voluntarily

submitted to civilian nuclear checks by international regulators and was a “rising power... which is deserving of being accorded that status”.

SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard delivering her first address since becoming prime minister to the 46th national conference of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in Sydney. Australia’s ruling Labor party voted yesterday to lift a long-standing ban on exporting uranium to India. — AFP

New Delhi agreed to separate its civil and militar y nuclear facilities and abide by International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards under a 2005 agreement with the United States which Gillard has cited as a precedent for her decision.

There were strong views put against lifting the ban, with British-born Communications Minister Stephen Conroy choking up with emotion as he described how the 1957 Windscale nuclear fire in Cumbria had affected his family.

Windscale was Britain’s worst atomic accident, rated at five out of seven on the international scale, and involved a blaze inside a reactor which released substantial amounts of radioactive contaminants into the local area.

Peter Garrett, former frontman for the rock band Midnight Oil, got a standing ovation for his impassioned speech, as did Transport Minister Anthony Albanese, who criticised the move following Japan’s Fukushima reactor disaster.

“Nine months after Fukushima we are being asked to sell more uranium for more nuclear reactors to a country that does not have nuclear safeguards,” Albanese said. “The (NonProliferation Treaty) was formed because the international community, humanity, drew a line in the sand to withdraw from the brink of a nuclear holocaust.”

Anti-nuclear campaigners said it was a “major blow to the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.” “The Labor Party has put profits before the peace and security of the region,” said Tim Wright, Australian director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. India is expected to increase its use of nuclear power from three percent of electricity generation to 40 percent by 2050. — AFP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

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

70 years after Pearl Harbor, USS Arizona still weeps PEARL HARBOR: Seventy years after Pearl Harbor, the wreck of the Arizona, the giant battleship sunk by Japanese warplanes, still leaks oil, evoking for some the tears of the thousand sailors who went down with their ship on that day of “infamy.”

On December 7, 1941 at dawn, Japan awakened the American “sleeping giant,” bombing the US Pacific Fleet anchored in Hawaii. In two hours, some 20 ships were sunk or damaged and 164 planes destroyed.

Denouncing “a date which will live in infamy,” president Franklin Roosevelt declared war on Japan, changing the course of World War II at a time when many of his countrymen had hoped to escape the conflict. Of

the 2,400 Americans who died at Pearl Harbor, nearly half, exactly 1,177, were killed in a matter of seconds aboard the Arizona, when a bomb detonated the ship’s munitions depot, igniting a conflagration that burned for three days.

Today, the wreck is still visible, one of its rusty turrets rising above the surface, flying an American flag. Every day, hundreds of visitors view it from a bridge-like memorial built over the wreck. “It’s a huge piece of history. It’s very powerful,” said Gord Woodward, a Canadian tourist, as he looked down on the memorial on what is officially designated a war grave.

What never fails to impress tourists are the drops of oil that rise to the sur-

face every 20 to 30 seconds. “Some people call them black tears, as if the men were still crying inside the ship,” said a guide at the memorial. Before the attack, the Arizona’s fuel tanks had been filled with 5,700 tons of fuel, ready to cast off in the event of war.

Part of its fuel tanks were destroyed by the explosion, but those in the rear were only punctured, explains Daniel Martinez, a historian attached to the memorial. Since then, the ship has been leaking oil at a rate of 3.5 liters a day. “We don’t really know how much oil is left in there,” he said, adding that “environmentally, it’s not causing a huge problem.” Martinez, who has dived several times into the ship’s hull, said inside each of the ship’s six sub-

merged levels floats a ribbon of oil one to three feet thick, rising gently toward the surface.

The wreck, he said, has become a reef attracting thousands of species of fish. “There are two sea turtles that live in there,” he told AFP. The historian acknowledges that a slick could spread through the harbor if the wreck were to crack open, releasing its residual fuel.

“We’re very much aware of this possibility but it seems that the strength of the ship will prevent a massive escape of oil,” he said. Studies have determined that the ship’s metal structure, built during World War I, could last another 600 to 800 years.

If worst comes to worst, the wreck-

age can be completely encircled with barriers within 30 minutes to contain the oil, he assured. On Wednesday, a hundred survivors of the Japanese attack, including seven who were on board the Arizona, will parade in a commemorative ceremony at the naval base, which is still active.

As flags are lowered to half mast throughout the United States, a minute of silence will be observed at 7:55 am (1755 GMT), when the first bombs landed. In the afternoon, the ashes of Vernon Olson, an Arizona survivor who died last year, will be released in the ship’s interior. Since 1941, about 30 former sailors have rejoined their comrades in this underwater grave. — AFP

Indonesia releases Australian drug teen Teenager will be barred from Indonesia for six months

BEIJING: Chinese soldiers check themselves in a parade ground mirror before going on duty at the Forbidden City in Beijing yesterday. — AFP

Philippines, rebels to re-open peace talks MANILA: The Philippines will resume formal peace negotiations with Muslim rebels this week after a series of deadly clashes led to a near collapse of the talks, a senior government adviser said yesterday. The talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were due to begin Monday in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, although Manila remained cautious about what they could achieve, presidential adviser to the peace process Teresita Deles told AFP. “The talks mark the resumption of formal, full panel negotiations between the two parties,” Deles said, but declined to say how long they would last. “While taking care to avoid preempting the talks by commenting on expectations, I cannot but take a positive view of the fact that formal exploratory talks are pushing ahead following very serious challenges to the peace process in recent months,” she said. Deles was alluding to largescale violence touched off by an October ambush in which MILF rebels killed 19

soldiers on the southern island of Basilan. The killings led to pitched battles on several fronts on the main southern island of Mindanao, during which as many as 40 soldiers, police and civilians were killed and thousands displaced.

The violence led to an intense pressure from critics of President Benigno Aquino for the government to end the talks and instead launch an all-out war against the 12,000-strong MILF. But Aquino held firm, and last month negotiators from both sides met in a series of back-channel talks in Kuala Lumpur to clear the air and prepare for the resumption of formal negotiations this week.

Even prior to the violence, the peace talks had already been stalled since August, when the MILF snubbed a government counter-proposal that did not address their initial demand for the creation of a “sub-state” for minority Muslims. The Muslim rebellion has claimed an estimated 150,000 lives since it began in the 1970s. — AFP

Myanmar state media confirms pact with rebels YANGON: Myanmar state media yesterday confirmed an initial ceasefire deal had been reached with one of the country’s major ethnic guerrilla groups. The pact was signed at a ceremony on Friday by representatives of the Shan State Army South and the local government in the northeastern state, the New Light of Myanmar said, after a mediator told AFP of the pact on Saturday.

The “initial agreement” was designed “in order to build peace at the invitation of the government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar,” and was witnessed by national ministers, the English-language paper said.

The ceasefire, signed in the Shan State capital Taunggyi, was the latest sign that the new army-backed regime is reaching out to its opponents in Myanmar, which has made a series of reformist moves in the past year. Civil war has wracked parts of the country since its independence in 1948, and an end to the conflicts, as well

as alleged human rights abuses involving government troops, is a key demand of the international community.

The Shan State Army South has been one of the biggest rebel forces still battling the government, with thousands of guerrilla fighters mostly stationed near the border with Thailand. Myanmar’s leaders last month held peace talks near the Thai-Myanmar border with several ethnic groups fighting a long-running struggle for autonomy and rights, according to people involved. “They (the Shan State Army South) are the first group who signed the peace agreement among the five groups that we have met,” Hla Maung Shwe, founder of the civil society group Myanmar Egress, told AFP after witnessing the pact. Mediators were also trying to reach peace agreements with the Karen National Union, the Kachin Independence Army, the Chin National Front and the Karenni National Progressive Party, he added. —AFP

DENPASAR: Indonesia yesterday released a 14-year-old Australian boy convicted of drug possession on the resort island of Bali who has spent two months in detention. A high school student from a coastal area north of Sydney, the teen has been the focus of intense negotiations involving Canberra’s Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and other Australian officials lobbying for his release.

The boy admitted to carrying 6.9 grams (quarter of an ounce) of marijuana when he was arrested on October 4 in the tourist area of Kuta, where he was on holiday with his parents. “Earlier, the process of taking fingerprints... processing release documentation, taking photographs was completed,” Bali’s Kerobokan prison chief Siswanto told reporters.

“He is now free and we have released him,” he said, adding he had told the boy not to repeat his actions. A district court on November 25 handed the teenager a two-month jail sentence for marijuana possession, deducting the eight weeks he had already spent in detention.

The boy had been held at an immigration detention centre in Jimbaran but made a brief stop at Kerobokan prison yesterday to get his fingerprints taken and paperwork finalised before he is handed to immigration authorities at Denpasar airport for deportation.

The boy, who wore a white shirt and a balaclava to hide his identity, was accompanied by his father. They did not speak to reporters as they left the prison with immigration officials.

DENPASAR: A 14-year old Australian boy (C) wearing a balaclava to hide his identity leaves the immigration office on his way to International Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar after his release from a Bali prison yesterday. Indonesia released a 14-year-old Australian boy convicted of drug possession on the resort island of Bali after two months in detention, an official said. —AFP Prosecutor I Gusti Putu Gede Wayan Sudana said “all proce- undergo rehabilitation instead.

Atmaja said he was in “fine condi- dures for deportation were com- Their case centred on evidence pleted” and the boy had been provided by an Australian doctor tion”.

“He was glad that he was treat- taken to the Denpasar airport. and New South Wales state ed very well during detention,” he Prosecutors had sought a three- police, as well as testimony from said. The boy is expected to fly month jail term for the boy under a local psychiatrist who had home to Sydney, Australia, early a drug possession charge that assessed the boy since his detentoday on a Virgin Australia flight, carries a maximum of two years’ tion. Several Australians have his lawyer Muhammad Rifan told imprisonment for minors, saying been arrested for drug possesthat the boy was young and likely sion on Bali in recent years, AFP. including two traffickers on death Rifan earlier said the boy will to change his ways.

The defence had tried to have row and six serving life sentences be barred from Indonesia for six months. Immigration official him acquitted, arguing he should in Kerobokan prison. —AFP

Support for Japan PM down, seeks election

BANGKOK: Thai King Bumibhol Adulyadej lighting candles at a ceremony performed by 20 senior monks at the Grand Palace to mark Coronation Day in Bangkok. Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej will celebrate his 84th birthday today. — AFP

Thai king birthday pardon excludes Thaksin: Official

TAIPEI: Main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (L) addresses supporters at a gathering in downtown Taipei yesterday. Tsai Ing-wen, also chairwoman of the anti-China party, will take on the incumbent Ma Ying-jeou of the China-friendly Kuomintang party and independent James Soong in January’s vote. — AFP

BANGKOK: An annual royal pardon granted to thousands of convicts to mark the revered Thai king’s birthday this week will not include fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, the prisons chief said yesterday.

Media reports emerged last month saying the cabinet had endorsed a draft pardon that could allow Thaksin to return without serving time, prompting anger from his rivals, but the government later appeared to back off from such a move.

While around 22,000 prisoners will benefit from the pardon which came into effect yesterday, a day ahead of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 84th birthday, Thaksin will not, corrections department chief Suchart Wongananchai told AFP. “He (Thaksin) will not qualify,” he said.

As in previous years, the royal pardon will only apply to people who have spent time in prison, Suchart added. Thaksin, who remains a hugely divisive figure, was deposed by the army in 2006 and lives in self-imposed exile overseas to avoid a two-year prison term on

a corruption conviction that he contends is politically motivated.

His sister Yingluck is now premier after a resounding election victory by his party earlier this year, in the wake of mass opposition protests in 2010 by Thaksin’s “Red Shirt” supporters which ended with a bloody army crackdown. Yingluck’s government said Friday that Thailand would issue a passport for Thaksin “very soon”, stoking the tensions with his opponents. He was stripped of his passport by the previous government but received citizenship from Montenegro last year, allowing him to travel internationally.

News of his new passport comes at a delicate time for Yingluck as the 44-year-old leader, who was a political novice before taking office in August, deals with the aftermath of the kingdom’s worst floods in decades. Yingluck has not yet taken any legal action clearing the path for her brother’s return, and analysts have warned it would be risky for her to do so during the flood crisis, although the waters are now receding in many areas.— AFP

TOKYO: Voter suppor t for Japanese Prime M i n i s t e r Yo s h i h i k o N o d a’s g o v e r n m e n t dropped for a third straight month, a survey showed yesterday, with a majority demanding a general elec tion before parliament passes a bill to double the 5 percent sales tax.

This adds to Noda’s headaches as he faces mounting calls within and outside his ruling party for the defence minister to quit over gaffes. Only a quar ter of those sur veyed backed Noda’s plan to call an election after passing the contentious bill and before raising the tax. The general election must be held by late 2013.

Suppor t for Noda, who took office in September vowing to fix tattered finances and steer Japan’s recovery from the March earthquake, slid to 44.6 percent from 47.1 percent in the previous month, according to the survey by Kyodo news agency.

The government is aiming to decide on the timing and scale of the politically sensitive sales tax hike this month before submitting a relevant bill to parliament before the current fiscal year ends in March.

Noda is struggling to win broad support for the sales tax plan even as Europe’s debt crisis sounded an alarm bell for Japan’s heavily-indebted government. In the same survey, 82 percent supported other tax increases planned by the government to finance post-quake reconstruction efforts.

Debate on raising the sales tax, one of the lowest among major economies, has long been politically touchy. The last consumption tax increase, in 1997, was blamed by some for triggering a recession that led to a long period of deflation. Highlighting public distrust against politics, 71.5 percent called for a re a l i gn m e n t o f p o l i t i c a l p a r t i e s, Kyo d o said.—Reuters

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QALANDIYA: A Palestinian man is carried by Israeli border police officers after he tried to prevent an army construction vehicle from working on Israel’s separation barrier in this West Bank village near Ramallah yesterday. — AP

Arab revolts are great fodder for cartoonists BEIRUT: The Arab revolutions have provided great fodder for political cartoonists, even if some in the region have paid a high price for daring to illustrate what would have been unthinkable only a year ago.

“This crisis is unheard of in contemporary Arab history and we must bear witness to it,” said Lebanese cartoonist Stavro Jabra. “Not so long ago, no one dared draw a king, a president or even a deputy,” added the artist. “Today cartoonists have been let loose, it’s total freedom.” “Fellow cartoonists before would tell me how lucky I was to be in Beirut - considered more open than other Arab societies - while all they could criticise was the US and Israel.”

But today the wall of fear has come crashing down and no sooner did the Arab uprisings erupt in January than cartoonists sharpened their pencils and began illustrating them along with the dictators they brought down. From Tunisia’s strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, to Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak and Libya’s dictator Muammar Gaddafi, all became fair game for caricaturists long muzzled in the region. “These cartoonists who risk their lives are examples of resistance ... and their work nourishes our thoughts and inspires us,” leading French cartoonist Plantu said this week on a visit to Beirut.

The artist, who has become an institution at the French daily newspaper Le Monde and who created the Cartooning for Peace foundation, spoke to AFP on the sidelines of a conference on the role of cartoonists in the Arab revolts. The conference was organised by IPEMED, a Paris-based think-tank.

Among the drawings Plantu presented to illustrate the courage of his peers was one showing Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat, both hands bandaged and writing “Long Live Freedom” through a pen in his mouth.

Ferzat, one of the best-known cartoonists in the Arab world and whose work is critical of the embat-

tled regime of President Bashar Al-Assad, was severely beaten up by Syrian security forces last summer. He is currently in Kuwait undergoing treatment. “The thugs in Damascus took him, tortured him and burned him with cigarettes and even broke his fingers,” said Plantu, whose real name is Jean Plantureux. He said Ferzat will soon be travelling to Paris to receive a prize from Reporters Without Borders for his work. In October, the Syrian cartoonist was awarded the Sak harov prize from the European parliament.

“His courage is an example for all of us,” said Plantu. He also pointed to the work of several other cartoonists, including Libya’s Kais Al-Halali, killed at an army checkpoint in March shortly after painting one of the political street murals for which he was locally famed. According to witnesses, he had just finished drawing a caricature of Kadhafi on a wall in Benghazi when he was struck down by a bullet.

Another Arab cartoonist who has come to the forefront amid the revolts is Tunisian artist “Z”, who conceals his real identity to avoid censorship. In one of his recent cartoons, he illustrates the “birth of the first Arab democracy”. A woman is shown in labour, surrounded by a horde of reporters asking her physician: “So doctor, is it a veil or a beard,” referring to the victory of an Islamist party in last month’s elections in Tunisia. Not long ago, such cartoons would have been unthinkable but they are now becoming part of the political landscape in the Middle East. “A drawing is a barometer of what is going on in a country,” Plantu said. “Thanks to cartoonists from all over the world we are able to narrate a world in turmoil through our drawings.”

Added Jean-Louis Guigou, of IPEMED: “The more tragic a situation, the more humour can make it comical.” — AFP

Qatar - a global player?

Continued from Page 1 Middle East and parts of Africa, such as Egypt and Libya, is very powerful. It has the influence of a country with a population of 100 million people if not more. It does not have the influence which everybody expects from a small country.

In the beginning, Qatar used the power of media through its Al-Jazeera TV. Al-Jazeera was dedicated day and night in backing the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. From there it went on. Qataris succeeded in making Al-Jazeera a global player in the media field. It is amazing that Al-Jazeera is competing with BBC and CNN who have long histories. Actually, at times it played a much better part than these two stations because it knew the Arab mentality and spoke through the Arab mentality. It integrated and sponsored the so-called Arab Spring.

That media played a major role in toppling the governments of Mubarak in Egypt and Zine el Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia. It acted like the voice of the revolutions. It finished with Mubarak in Egypt and shifted to Libya.

But in Libya it was a different story. There, Qatar went in with all its force - diplomacy, military, media and money.

Qatar stood side by side other powerful giant countries like France, Britain, the US and the NATO alliance.

Everyone around the world who wanted to be informed

of what is going on in Egypt had to watch Jazeera. Even Egyptians themselves who had lost faith in their national T V stations relied on objective viewpoint from Jazeera.

Everybody is interested to know the secret behind the power of Qatar. Of course, Qatar is one of the richest countries with gas and oil. It built a media power like Jazeera. The West could not deny the role of Qatar in the area when they worked hand-in-hand with the Qataris especially after the Arab Spring. Qatar actually cancelled the role of the Arab league and has been negotiating on behalf of the Arab nations. Qatar took over negotiating the Syrian problem together with Turkey by its side. Of course, every country has its agenda and interests but how you play that role is the important part. So far, Qatar is playing its role well. It is not conflicting with other countries.

I don’t care what people say. They might say: Of course, Qatar is deriving its power from working with the West. Working with the West or the East, Qataris are advancing and they made a name for their country. I hope this serves as an inspiration to our MPs who still think that by barraging parliament and stealing the gavel has given them a hero status.

Grow up, guys! The whole world is advancing and we are going 50 years back. Have a nice day! Good luck, Qatar!

Syria ignores deadline as secret police defect DAMASCUS: Syria faced new sanctions after flouting yesterday an Arab League deadline to accept observers to monitor the unrest sweeping the country, which the UN says has killed at least 4,000 people. The latest standoff between Syria and the Arab League comes as the death toll from violence across the country on Saturday and yesterday rose to at least 44, and after the UN Human Rights Council accused Damascus of “gross violations” of human rights. A senior Qatari official said Damascus had asked for “new clarifications and further amendments to be made to the protocol which was proposed” to cover the deployment of the observer mission. But the Arab ministers had “refused.”

The Qatari official said, however, that if Syrian officials “still want to sign, they can come tomorrow to Cairo”.

Meanwhile, at least a dozen Syrian secret police have defected from an intelligence compound, activists said yesterday, in what appeared to be the first major desertion from a service that has acted as a pillar of President Bashar Al-Assad’s rule. A gunfight broke out overnight after the defectors fled the Air Force Intelligence complex in the centre of Idlib city, 280 km northwest of Damascus, and ten people on both sides were killed or wounded, the activists said.

The Arab League ministerial committee late on Saturday gave Damascus until yesterday to allow an observer mission into the country and thereby avoid further sanctions. Jeffrey Feltman, US assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, said monitors were needed to keep a check on the forces ofAssad who have been accused by the UN of rights abuses. “We believe that in full light of monitors and media, the security services reporting to Assad and his clique would not be able to operate the way they are operating now,” Feltman said in Jordan. Allowing in monitors would be a “peaceful way of trying to stop this sustained cycle of violence that Assad seems committed to turning Syria into”. Feltman also charged that Syria’s ally Iran was “actively engaged” in supporting the Syrian regime’s lethal crackdown and “facilitating” the killings of Syrian people.

The meeting in Doha listed 19 Syrian officials it said would be banned from travel to Arab countries and whose assets would be frozen by those states. The panel also called for an embargo on the sale of Arab arms to Syria and cut by half the number of Arab flights into and out of Syria - including its national carrier Syrian Air - with effect from Dec 15. Top military and intelligence brass as well as the defence and inte-

rior ministers are among the 19 officials banned from travel to Arab countries.

President Assad’s brother, General Maher Al-Assad, who heads the feared Fourth Armoured Division, and his cousin Rami Makhluf, a telecommunications tycoon, are also among those blacklisted. The Arab panel also tasked a committee with drawing up a list of Syrian businessmen involved in financing the repression, ahead of slapping them with sanctions.

“This is a message to businessmen who have kept silent, so that they will choose what side to be on,” said Najib Ghadban, a member of the opposition Syrian National Council which represents most of Assad’s opponents.

An analyst in Damascus said chances were slim that the government would allow in observers under the conditions set by the Arab League. Syria says the conditions undermine its sovereignty. The Arab League had on Nov 27 approved an initial wave of sweeping sanctions against Assad’s government over the crackdown - the first time that the bloc has enforced such punitive measures against a member state. Those measures included an immediate freeze on transactions with Damascus and its central bank and of Syrian regime assets in Arab countries.

On the ground, three children aged 11, 14 and 16 and their father, were among 21 people killed yesterday by security forces and pro-regime “shabiha” militiamen, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Twenty of those killed yesterday died in the flashpoint central province of Homs which has been at the forefront of the regime’s crackdown on dissidents, the Britain-based watchdog said. Earlier it reported 11 civilians among 23 people killed on Saturday, most occurring in Idlib, another focal point of anti-regime protests raging since March.

Yesterday’s deadline was announced in Doha by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim AlThani, who also warned against the internationalisation of the Syrian crisis if Damascus did not heed the Arab call. “As Arabs we fear that if the situation continues things will get out of Arab control,” Sheikh Hamad said. On Friday an emergency meeting of the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution “strongly condemning the continued widespread, systematic and gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Syrian authorities.” Damascus rejected the resolution as “unjust” and said it was “prepared in advance by parties hostile to Syria”. —AFP

Barrak denies receiving Qatar funds, sues...

Continued from Page 1 accounts that the Qatari government plans to sue the newspaper. Commenting on the issue, MP Mukhled Al-Azemi said that the National Assembly should not be dissolved until a full investigation is launched into these “foreign funds” and that the accounts of all MPs must be fully examined. He wondered why the opposition lawmakers have remained silent on the news about the foreign transfers.

MP Khaled Al-Adwah strongly blasted Qatar, claiming it is interfering in Kuwait’s internal affairs, adding that Qatar has interfered in the internal affairs of all Arab countries. MP Saadoun Hammad said he will propose in the first Assembly session, if it is not dissolved, forming a committee to investigate internal and external money transfers, especially from Qatar. Hammad had previously claimed that veteran opposition MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun has received millions of dinars from Qatar but Saadoun strongly denied it and

Hammad could not provide any document to prove his claims.

Hammad challenged the MP who received the Qatari funds to “deny” it because he will provide the documents. Al-Barrak however later challenged Hammad and said he will supply documents to prove that Hammad is one of the MPs who accepted bribes.

Al-Barrak also said that because the opposition has succeeded in ousting the government of Sheikh Nasser, they were expecting more accusations about corruption, especially ahead of potential elections.

Opposition MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri called for keeping Qatar away from Kuwaiti politics and called on those who have any document to go to the judiciary.

Al-Muwaizri said that the opposition will hold a meeting today to discuss the formation of the new government that will be headed by Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah who was sworn in by the Amir yesterday. The lawmaker said the opposition will issue a statement about what is required from the new government.

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

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Issues

Islamist win sets up tussle with Egypt military

By Alistair Lyon

gyptian voters are sweeping Islamists to a victory that sidelines liberals and sets up a struggle with army generals eager to keep their power despite the fall of Hosni Mubarak. The Islamists won’t have it all their way. They are split into two main factions. If they push a religious agenda too hard, they risk alienating the many floating voters who decided to give them a chance. And the military men who have ruled Egypt for six decades will not easily relinquish their grip.

The outcome of the polls may not be welcome to the West, or to many of the young protesters who overthrew Egypt’s ruler of 30 years, but it confirms a trend set by Islamist election wins in post-uprising Tunisia and Morocco in the last two months. “It does have implications for US and Western interests in the region. It’s not going to be business as usual,” said Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Doha Center. “But it’s not a specifically Islamist issue. Arabs don’t like US policy, so the governments they elect will not like US policy. It’s just a new reality in the region.”

Armed with popular legitimacy from Egypt’s freest vote since army officers ousted the king in 1952, the Muslim Brotherhood and ultra-conservative Salafi Islamists look set to dominate parliament once a tortuous voting process winds up in January. “Egyptian voters had three choices: the remnants of the Mubarak regime, an Islamist current that had been its strongest opponents and new groups that started establishing themselves after the revolution,” said Adel Soliman, head of Cairo’s International Centre for Future and Strategic Studies.

“They rejected the first choice and the new groups were not crystallised yet, so Islamists became their only option.”

The Brotherhood, closer to political power than at any time since its founding in 1928, has told “all those who associate themselves with democracy to respect the will of the people”. Yet a movement seasoned by decades of patient grassroots work is unlikely to rush to impose purist Islamic codes, tear up Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel or confront Washington, still the source of $1.3 billion a year in military aid. “We are talking about pragmatic politicians. They don’t want a breach with the United States or Europe. They don’t want a diplomatic firestorm,” Hamid said, citing informal contacts between the Brotherhood and US officials in recent months.

But the Nov 28-29 election and the bloody protests against army rule that preceded it have shaken up what Egyptian military analyst Safwat Zayat described as a tacit US-approved deal between the Brotherhood and the ruling military council, which had envisaged a transfer to civilian rule perhaps in 2013. “The Tahrir protests were central to forcing the council to back off and set a date for transferring power in early July,” he said, referring to demonstrations in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and elsewhere in which 42 people were killed and 2,000 wounded.

Zayat said the army had regained some credit for running a generally free election, but the vote itself had weakened its chances of embedding itself as Egypt’s ultimate arbiter. “The military power will not be able to go beyond its current role or enshrine its role in the constitution,” Zayat said. “The Brotherhood is now stronger than before because it has voting power. The army cannot coopt it now that it has legitimacy in parliament. The relationship has changed.”

First-round election projections show the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) gaining some 40 percent of the vote, with a surprisingly strong 20 percent for the Salafi Al-Nour Party and up to 20 percent for the liberal Egyptian Bloc. The FJP has indicated it will not ally with the Salafis, preferring liberal coalition partners to share the task of dealing with Egypt’s crippling economic crisis and to reassure Egyptians and outsiders nervous about Islamist intentions. Soliman said the FJP might have to moderate and broaden its discourse even for the remaining stages of the election. “They will have to present themselves more as a civil force focusing on democracy and freedoms, because those who voted for them aren’t devoted followers and might change their minds.” For now, the military council remains in charge and its appointee, Kamal Al-Ganzouri, is forming a new government. But the next parliament will want a major voice in shaping a new constitution that is supposed to be drawn up and put to a referendum before a promised presidential election in June. —Reuters

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Army defectors complicate Syria uprising

By Elizabeth A Kennedy early nine months into the Syrian uprising, many protesters are pinning their hopes on an increasingly bold group of army defectors to give their revolution a fighting chance against President Bashar Assad’s fiercely loyal forces. But as the Free Syrian Army gains power, the defectors could make it harder for the West to give strong diplomatic support to a movement that so far has been largely peaceful. The FSA also could give the regime an excuse to crack down even more strongly, adding to the body count in a country where more than 4,000 people already have been killed since March.

US officials say the Free Syrian Army - thus far - has not essentially changed the dynamic in Syria or how the US assesses the situation: that the Syrian regime is the cause of the unrest, and Assad must go. American officials have not condoned the violence from the FSA, but they have described it as an understandable reaction to months of oppression. Still, the US and others are urging the protesters to remain peaceful because they fear that violence plays into the hands of the regime, and because they believe the FSA isn’t strong enough to pose a serious threat to the Syrian government’s military dominance.

An Obama administration official said the situation might change, however, should the FSA transform itself into a national rebel movement similar to the National Transitional Council in Libya. He asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the issue. But the likelihood of such an evolution is unclear. For now, the Free Syrian Army holds no territory,

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appears largely disorganized and is up against a loyal and cohesive military that will stop at nothing to protect the regime.

The FSA’s leader, breakaway air force Col Riad Al-Asaad, is based in exile in Turkey, making communication with defectors on the ground one of the biggest challenges to the group’s growth. But FSA attacks have grown more sophisticated in recent weeks, prompting worldwide alarm that the situation in Syria is spiraling toward civil war. On Saturday, more than two dozen people were killed in hot spots around the nation, most of them in a battle between troops and the growing force of defectors, activists said.

The sectarian divide in Syria, where members of Assad’s minority Alawite sect rule over a Sunni Muslim majority and others, means an insurgency could escalate quickly.

The FSA’s leader acknowledges nearly all the defectors under his command he estimates there are some 15,000, although the figure could be lower - are low-level Sunni conscripts. The men are armed with rocket-propelled grenades, rifles and guns they took with them when they deserted, as well as light weapons they acquired on the black market.

The group has claimed responsibility for brazen attacks on air force intelligence headquarters and other military installations, adding to the bloodshed carried out by the regime. November was the deadliest month of the uprising, with at least 950 people killed nationwide, activists say. As the death toll mounts, attacks by the FSA could stoke the fears of those Syrians who have yet to choose a side in the conflict. Many Syrians have stayed on the side-

lines, fearing that the alternative to Assad would be chaos.

The regime has added fuel to those fears, blaming the bloodshed on armed gangs and extremists acting out a foreign agenda to destabilize the regime. Assad has played on some of the country’s worst fears to rally support behind him, painting himself as the lone force who can ward off the kind of radicalism and sectarianism that have bedeviled neighbors in Iraq and Lebanon. Unlike the armies of Tunisia and Egypt, Syria’s military has stood fiercely by the country’s leader as Assad faces down an extraordinary protest movement.

Assad, and his father before him, stacked key military posts with members of their minority Alawite sect over the past 40 years, ensuring the loyalty of the armed forces by melding the fate of the army and the regime. A recent UN report estimated that Alawites make up the majority of the key positions in the country’s security apparatus, including the officer corps of the armed forces, the Republican Guard and the feared 4th Division. The top US diplomat for the Middle East, Jeffrey Feltman, said in recent congressional testimony that the regime was “executing a deliberate and bloody strategy of channeling peaceful protest into armed insurrection.”

Assad’s strategy, he argued, was to stoke fears among Syrian minorities with “blatant propaganda” about foreign conspiracies and terrorism, while claiming the regime is their only protection from sectarian violence. “Make no mistake: the regime is driving the cycle of violence and sectarianism,” Feltman said. “The Syrian people are resisting it, but the regime is working diligently to fulfill its own prophecy of inter-communal violence.” — AP

What can US accomplish in Afghanistan?

By Missy Ryan s senior US officials head to a major meeting on Afghanistan this week, underlying their talks will be a simple question: what can Washington hope to accomplish there with fewer troops, less money, and less time? US objectives in Afghanistan are far more modest than they were in the months following the Sept 11 attacks, when the West hoped to replace the Taliban’s backwardness and brutality with a secure democracy at the crossroads of Asia. After years in which the war was overlooked and underfunded, President Barack Obama focused this “war of necessity” in 2009 on the threat from Al-Qaeda and on enabling Afghanistan to fend off its enemies for itself.

Yet even US goals for Afghanistan today, which include providing a modicum of security, making progress against endemic poverty and improving weak, corrupt governance are in question as Western nations move to curtail their role in a war most officials believe cannot be won on the battlefield. The United States “has yet to present a credible and detailed plan for transition that shows the US and its allies can achieve some form of stable, strategic outcome in Afghanistan that even approaches the outcome of the Iraq War,” Anthony Cordesman, a long-time security analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, wrote recently. “Far too many US actions have begun to look like a cover for an exit strategy from Afghanistan.”

The US military and diplomatic blueprint, especially for the next two years as foreign troops hand over to local forces, takes center stage ahead of Monday’s summit in Bonn, Germany. The meeting, headlined by Afghan President Hamid Karzai and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will focus on Afghanistan’s economic future and on defining the West’s future presence in Afghanistan.

Despite plans to steadily shrink its Afghanistan force, the Obama administration has vowed it will not abandon the country as the West did following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. Officials link investment in a long-term presence in Afghanistan - which could include bases and a major diplomatic footprint even after most foreign combat troops go home at the end of 2014 - to defending US national security. Obama scored a major victory this spring in his tightly focused approach to the

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war when US Navy SEALs tracked down AlQaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and killed him.

The military mission on the ground in Afghanistan, however, has been much broader than just defeating Al-Qaeda. US commanders say Obama’s 2009 decision to deploy an extra 30,000 troops has paid off in the Taleban’s southern heartland. They now hope to connect

Many worry that an array of militants, in the absence of enough foreign troops and an adequate improvement in local security forces, will plunge Afghanistan back into major violence.

“If you don’t deal with that, then where are you going to be five years from now?” asked Jeffrey Dressler, a security analyst at the Institute for the Study of War in Washington. “You could have even a greater sanctuary and safehaven

In this Jan 22, 2002 file photo, US Marines sit along the runway of the airbase in Kandahar as they withdraw to be replaced by the Army’s 101st Airborne division. — AP that to the capital. Yet the outlook in the country’s rugged east, where militants from the Haqqani network and other groups crisscross the lawless border with Pakistan, is much more troubling. A series of high-profile attacks this fall, including an assault on the US embassy in Kabul and the assassination of the former Afghan president, the country’s top official for peace talks, also rattled the narrative of improving security. “We have important work to do inside Afghanistan. I will say that a great deal of progress is being made. Insurgents have been under increasing pressure,” Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters on Friday. “The enemy remains dangerous, and they are capable of violence, as we have seen, regrettably,” he said.

than you had before 9/11,” he said.

Military commanders are now drawing up plans for how they will stretch a shrinking force to match that threat as Obama moves to withdraw the surge force by next fall. Underlying Obama’s plans is the new fiscal reality of the US government, mired in debt and facing big budget cuts. “Here it’s just pure numbers and the amount of money we’re spending in Afghanistan,” said Brian Katulis, a security analyst at the Center for American Progress.

The Pentagon has sunk $330 billion into Afghanistan. While lawmakers are loathe to be seen as stiffing the troops, support for future spending of that order is all but inconceivable.

Fiscal pressures are compounded by Congress’ mounting exasperation with what they see as

Karzai’s erratic behavior and with growing recognition that Pakistan may never cooperate as desired against militants fueling violence in Afghanistan.

Even the most Herculean of US efforts may not matter without more cooperation from Pakistan, which is boycotting the Bonn conference after NATO aircraft accidentally killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers along the Afghan border. While the details of what happened are still unclear, the incident has laid bare lingering bilateral tensions and the gap between US and Pakistani ambitions for Afghanistan. US officials are pressing ahead with efforts to broker a deal outlining the long-term US-Afghan relationship even though night raids and other issues remain sticking points.

The deal will include a commitment in principle to a US military presence after 2014, which will focus on supporting Afghan forces and on targeted operations against militants.

US officials insist Washington is not walking away. One senior US official said the goal of the conference in Bonn and an earlier one in Istanbul was “to send a message to the Taleban and anybody else that, actually, international engagement and investment in Afghanistan is not over.”

Despite tactical successes in the south, even Western military officials say Afghanistan cannot be won by fighting alone - it also requires effective diplomacy and a viable plan to put Afghanistan on its feet economically. Yet the impact of the West’s aid effort - Congress has provided nearly $73 billion to rebuild and train local forces since 2002 - is another question mark beyond some important achievements in education and maternal and child health. The US strategy now rests on two objectives: building a local army capable of fending off militants, and brokering a peace deal with the Taliban. Both are ambitious goals.

While Clinton has pointed to initial contact between US officials and the insurgency in efforts to broker a peace deal, there is scant evidence that a substantive agreement can be reached in the near term. It is also a politically risky course for Obama with his re-election bid less than a year off. Efforts to build a strong local security force have succeeded in adding and arming men - and in many cases teaching them to read - but it remains unclear whether this force will have the ability and desire to take on the Taliban and other groups as foreigners go home.— Reuters

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Anelka, Alex free to leave LONDON: Former France striker Nicolas Anelka and Brazil defender Alex have had transfer requests accepted by Chelsea and will be free to leave the English Premier League club in January.

Both players have struggled for first-team action this season, and weren’t named in Chelsea’s squad for the league win over Newcastle on Saturday.

“Their professionalism and integrity is never in question but on recent results and form ... we have decided to assign different training times for them,” Chelsea manager Andre VillasBoas said.

“The transfer requests were accepted but it doesn’t mean it will happen, and if it doesn’t happen they will return to full training.”

Anelka, who joined Chelsea in 2008 from Bolton, has been marginalized at the London club following the signing last season of Spain striker Fernando Torres and the development of young England forward Daniel Sturridge.

Alex’s opportunities at Chelsea have been limited following the arrival of compatriot David Luiz in last season’s January transfer window. —AP

NHL results/standings Montreal 2, Los Angeles 1; Boston 4, Toronto 1; Washington 3, Ottawa 2 (OT ); Pittsburgh 3, Carolina 2; Winnipeg 4, New Jersey 2; NY Rangers 4, Tampa Bay 2; Chicago 5, St. Louis 2; Buffalo 3, Nashville 2; Philadelphia 4, Phoenix 2; NY Islanders 5, Dallas 4; Calgary 5, Edmonton 3; Florida 5, San Jose 3.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF GA PTS Pittsburgh 16 7 4 85 66 36 NY Rangers 15 5 3 69 51 33 Philadelphia 15 7 3 88 73 33 New Jersey 12 12 1 62 72 25 NY Islanders 8 11 5 52 78 21 Northeast Division Boston 16 7 1 85 51 33 Toronto 14 10 2 83 85 30 Buffalo 14 11 1 72 69 29 Ottawa 12 11 3 79 89 27 Montreal 11 11 5 67 69 27 Southeast Division Florida 14 8 4 73 65 32 Washington 13 11 1 75 79 27 Winnipeg 11 11 4 75 82 26 Tampa Bay 11 12 2 67 80 24 Carolina 8 16 4 66 94 20 Western Conference Central Division Chicago 16 8 3 90 84 35 Detroit 16 7 1 73 52 33 St. Louis 14 9 3 63 58 31 Nashville 12 10 4 68 71 28 Columbus 7 16 3 62 88 17 Northwest Division Minnesota 16 7 3 64 57 35 Vancouver 14 10 1 78 66 29 Edmonton 13 11 3 76 71 29 Colorado 12 13 1 71 76 25 Calgary 11 12 2 59 67 24 Pacific Division Dallas 15 10 1 69 72 31 Los Angeles 13 9 4 60 58 30 San Jose 14 8 1 67 56 29 Phoenix 13 9 3 67 62 29 Anaheim 7 13 5 57 81 19 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

sp orts Bahrain jails sportsmen DUBAI: A militar y cour t in Bahrain has sentenced three sportsmen to one year in prison for taking part in pro-democracy protests that the Gulf Arab state crushed earlier this year, a lawyer said.

The three, all members of Bahrain’s majority Shi’ite community, are bodybuilder Tareq al-Fursani, a gold medallist in several Asian championships, Ali Said, a goalkeeper in the national soccer team, and Mohammed Hassan al-Dirazi, a member of the national basketball team, said lawyer Mohsen al-Alawi, who was in court when the verdicts were read yesterday.

The men, who are not in detention and can appeal

against their convictions, were tried in a military court because they are employees of the Bahrain Defence Forces. They were found guilty of illegal congregation, inciting hatred for the system, and not obeying orders regarding involvement in politics.

Inspired by revolts in Tunisia and Egypt, thousands of Bahrainis took to the streets in February and March to demand an end to control of the government by the al Khalifa family.

The government, which hosts the US Fifth Fleet, said the protests were driven by Shi’ite sectarian motives and fomented

by Shi’ite power Iran. Iran denied involvement. — Reuters

England hooker retires LONDON: England’s 2003 World Cup-winning hooker Steve Thompson has announced his retirement for the second time due to a new neck injury, four years after he first quit rugby.

The 33-year-old injured his neck in training with Wasps in October, and while playing against Worcester later that month the problem worsened. “This has not been a decision I have made but a decision that is forced upon me given the severity of the injury,” Thompson said on the Rugby Football Union website (www.rfu.com) on Saturday. The 73-cap forward, England’s most capped hooker, recovered from a career-threatening injury that forced him out of the game in 2007 to resume playing in France with Brive later that year, and then in 2009 he worked his way back into the national team.

There he was able to work alongside former team mate and 2003 captain Martin Johnson, who became England coach in 2008 until his tenure ended last month.

“Nothing has given me more pride than representing my country, and I would also like to thank Martin Johnson for his support over the years as both a team mate and as a coach,” Thompson said. — Reuters

Islanders down Stars DALLAS: Matt Moulson scored a careerhigh four goals to help the New York Islanders beat the Dallas Stars 5-4 in the NHL on Saturday. The left winger scored twice in the wild, seven-goal second period, getting the game-winner off a 3-on-2 break with 2:50 left. John Tavares and P.A. Parenteau each had three assists and Dylan Reese added his first goal of the season for the Islanders, who have won three of their last four games. Eric Nystrom, Tomas Vincour, Jake Dowell and Tom Wandell scored for Dallas.

Karlsson and Milan Michalek scored for Ottawa.

Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 1 In Boston, Tuukka Rask stopped 21 shots as the Bruins beat Toronto for the fourth straight time this season. Nathan Horton and David Krejci each had a goal and an assist for the Bruins, who have outscored

for the Devils, who have lost four straight.

Rangers 4, Lightning 2 In Tampa, Florida, Derek Stepan scored the go-ahead goal and added an assist to help New York extend its winning streak to five games. Stepan gave New York a 3-2 lead on a low slot rebound goal with 3:19 left. Brad Richards scored an empty-netter

Sabres 3, Predators 2 In Nashville, Tennessee, Ryan Miller made 32 saves in his first start after missing eight games because of a concussion to help Buffalo beat Nashville.

Miller’s biggest stop came with 4:06 left in the second period when Jordin Tootoo crashed into him and knocked him out of the net, prompting a pileup of players.

Tootoo was given a major penalty for charging and a game misconduct. Luke Adam had a goal and an assist, and Zack Kassian and Tyler Ennis also scored for Buffalo.

Penguins 3, Hurricanes 2 At Raleigh, North Carolina, Arron Asham and Pascal Dupuis scored 1:27 apart in the third period as Pittsburgh rallied to beat slumping Carolina.

Craig Adams had a goal and an assist and Sidney Crosby added an assist for the Penguins, who have won five of seven games since Crosby’s return from a long layoff following a concussion.

Brent Johnson stopped 30 shots to win a battle of the backups against Brian Boucher, who made 37 saves. Jamie McBain scored two goals for the Hurricanes, who have lost six straight and 13 of 16.

Canadiens 2, Kings 1 In Los Angeles, Carey Price made 26 saves as Montreal ended a four-game losing streak by beating short-handed Los Angeles. Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn scored for the Canadiens.

Dustin Penner scored for the Kings. Los Angeles’ Jarret Stoll received a delayed penalty for goalie interference at 4:51 of the third period, nullifying a goal by teammate Jack Johnson that would have tied it.

Capitals 3, Senators 2 In Washington, Brooks Laich scored 12 seconds into overtime to lift the Capitals past Ottawa and give new coach Dale Hunter his first NHL victory. Hunter was coaching his third game since replacing Bruce Boudreau on Monday.

Nicklas Backstrom scored 1:58 into the game and Troy Brouwer also had a goal to help the Capitals end a four-game losing streak. Michael Neuvirth, starting for the first time in five games, made 32 saves. Erik

Blackhawks 5, Blues 2 In St. Louis, Marian Hossa scored twice to lead Chicago past St. Louis. Hossa scored on a power play and short-handed for his first multigoal game of the season. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Michael Frolik also scored to help Chicago win for the fourth time in five games. David Perron, returning after missing 97 games because of a concussion, and Chris Stewart scored for St. Louis.

Blues goalie Brian Elliott fell to 10-2 and had his six-game winning streak broken.

SAN JOSE:Thomas Greiss No. 1 and Brent Burns No. 88 of the San Jose Sharks looks on as teammate Douglas Murray No. 3 loses control of the puck to Kris Versteeg No. 32 of the Florida Panthers at HP Pavilion. —AFP the Maple Leafs, their closest pursuer in the Northeast Division, 23-6 this season. Rask made his first start since a 3-2 shootout loss to Detroit on Nov. 25 that was the only blemish on Boston’s otherwise perfect month. He has won four of his last five.

Jets 4, Devils 2 In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Evander Kane scored twice in Winnipeg’s victory over New Jersey. Kane scored the Jets’ first goal and added an empty-netter with 32 seconds left, his 14th goal of the season.

Alexander Burmistrov and Mark Stuart also scored, and Bryan Little had two assists.

Ondrej Pavelec made 23 saves in his 23rd start of the season.

Adam Henrique and Patrik Elias scored

in the final minute. Ruslan Fedotenko and Artem Anisimov also scored for the Rangers, and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 24 shots.

Steve Downie and Tom Pyatt scored for the Lightning, who have lost five of seven.

Flyers 4, Coyotes 2 In Glendale, Arizona, Claude Giroux scored his 15th goal of the season to move into a share of the NHL scoring lead with 32 points as Philadelphia dominated Phoenix.

Matt Read had a goal and two assists, and Wayne Simmonds and Scott Hartnell also scored as the Flyers took a 4-0 lead after one period. R ay Whitney scored for Phoenix, his 350th career goal. Mikkel Boedker added the second Coyotes goal with 41 seconds left.

Panthers 5, Sharks 3 In San Jose, California, Tomas Fleischmann scored the go-ahead goal and Jack Skille added a short-handed score in a three-goal second period to carry Florida past San Jose.

Stephen Weiss, former Shark Marco Sturm and Dmitry Kulikov also scored for the Panthers, who beat the Sharks for the fourth straight time. Logan Couture had two goals for San Jose, which has lost three of its last four games.

Flames 5, Oilers 3 In Edmonton, Alberta, Derek Smith tied it early in the third period and helped set up Mikael Backlund’s power-play winner with 9:35 left in Calgary’s comeback victory over Edmonton.

Olli Jokinen scored twice and Rene Bourque added a goal for Calgary.

Edmonton took a quick 2-0 lead after Lennart Petrell and Sam Gagner scored in the opening three minutes. Ryan NugentHopkins then put the Oilers up 3-2 with a goal at 5:27 of the third. —AP

Career over, lineman faces transplant NEW YORK: His football life is now officially over, ended early by a knee injury that cost him one final game. Now it’s time for Julian Paksi to do what other college seniors do - finish up his studies and begin making plans for the rest of his life.

On Friday, the defensive lineman from tiny Albion College was fitted for a conference championship ring, the final prize of his college career.

He’s getting serious with his girlfriend, and he’s beginning to think about what he will do once he graduates.

He wants to get on with his life. But first Paksi must have the operation that could save his life.

He put it off to play the game he loves one final season. He knows he can’t put it off forever.

In a few months he’ll put his name on a list at the University of Michigan Transplant Center.

While his fellow students are making plans for their future, he’ll wait for a liver transplant that is the only real treatment for the cancer Paksi was diagnosed with a year ago.

So far the cancer has been cooperative. Paksi’s latest tests in October showed it hadn’t spread, and doctors gave him the OK to wait until graduation to put himself on a waiting list for a new liver. The uncertainty of it all, though, weighs heavily on him. “It’s a little bit of stress dealing with this,” Paksi said. “I try to put it in the back of my mind, but it’s always there.”

The official name of his cancer is Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, a condition so rare it is diagnosed in only a few hundred people each year in the United States. Before Paksi found out he had it last December, he was planning on anchoring the defensive line at Albion, a Division III school of just 1,650 in south central Michigan.

Paksi wouldn’t let cancer change those plans.

Not when he had only one more season to play a game that had been so much of his life since he was a little kid. Doctors told him the cancer was usually slow growing, though waiting was always a risk. For Paksi, it was a risk worth taking. “I’m getting so excited for the season,” he told me in July. “I don’t want to be down, I want to be up

high.” If this was a movie, Paksi would have gone out in a blaze of glory, chasing quarterbacks as his team mowed down opponents on the way to a national title. But this is real life, and the final season didn’t go quite as planned.

Albion struggled outside of its conference, though the Britons did win the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association for the only time in Paksi’s career. Albion finished 6-5, getting knocked out of the Division III playoffs in a 59-0 first-round loss to the University of WisconsinWhitewater, a game Paksi sat out because of an injured MCL. Double-teamed most of the year, he didn’t put up the kind of numbers he had as a junior. But he did block an extra point with 8 seconds left to allow Albion to escape with a 27-26 win in October over MIAA rival Alma College. And he did get the final year of football he so desperately wanted. “Probably my favorite year playing football ever,” Paksi said. “We went through a lot of adversity as a team but we always believed in ourselves, believed we could do it.”

The 21-year-old made sure he got no special consideration from his teammates, telling them before the season began to treat him normally.

His defensive line coach didn’t even know about his cancer until he read about it.

The reality that his days of playing football are over is now sinking in. He already misses waking up early to hit the weight room, going to the morning meetings. There are no more afternoon practices at the field house.

The structure that football provided helped Paksi deal with his diagnosis. It kept him from getting down, filled the hours that might otherwise have been spent thinking about his suddenly uncertain future. Soon, though, he will face reality. He has no other choice. “Right now a new liver supposedly lasts 20 years if everything goes right,” Paksi said.

“But with new technology now, who knows. I had one parent come to me after a game to tell me he had a liver transplant and said he doesn’t even feel like he had one.” — AP

GulfRun Karting celebrates successful conclusion of 26-Hour Endurance Race KUWAIT: GulfRun and Pro-Vision Sports Management announced the successful conclusion of the GulfRun Karting 26 Hour Endurance Race. The Gulf Cables Team was the first team to cross the checkered line after an exhausting 26 hours, followed by Team Scuderia in second place and Team Agsher in third place. The 26 Hour Endurance Race was organized in partnership with The Kuwait 1/4 Mile Club for Cars and Motorcycles and KT. Ahmed Al-Mudhaf, CEO and Founder of GulfRun and Ahmed Almajed CEO of Pro-Vision Sports Management said: “We are extremely pleased with the outcome of our 26hour endurance race. At first, we were not certain if racers will want to push through the full 26 hours, but

after 2 consecutive days of racing, they proved us wrong. The race was highly competitive and all the racers gave it their very best.”

“Over the two days, we witnessed many exciting experiences, from cars over taking each other, to small collisions between cars, as well as penalties given to drivers who did not follow the rules and regulations. Through bringing together racers, enthusiasts as well as general public for this race, we believe we achieved our goal and look forward to more exciting things in the near future.” Commenting on their victorious win, Team Captain Yousef Irbaian from the Gulf Cables team said: “We are very pleased to have won this amazing race. This is the first time we go through a 26 hour endurance race and couldn’t believe

we could finish it. We thank the GulfRun team for organizing such an entertaining event, where all our friends were able to come and enjoy the fun with us.” GulfRun’s management team extends its appreciation to all the volunteers, partners and all those who took part in making the 26 hour endurance race a reality. GulfRun also extends its thanks for the support of Kuwait’s private sector that acknowledges the important role sport plays amongst Kuwait’s youth.

GulfRun Karting Endurance Race is supported by a wide range of sponsors: Title sponsorship is Wataniya Telecom; Platinum Sponsors are: Audi, Gulf Cables, Powerboat and Safari Accessories; and Gold Sponsors are: ACK, Safir Hotels and Resorts, Goal and Moon Light Studios.

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THOUSAND OAKS: Matt Kuchar waves to the gallery during the third round of the Chevron World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club. —AFP

Westwood leads Sun City field SUN CITY: Lee Westwood showed why he is ranked third in the world on Saturday, reeling off 10 birdies in a course-record 62 to charge seven strokes clear of the field after the Sun City Challenge third round.

The 38-year-old Briton did not drop a stroke all day at the Gary Player Country Club and stormed home in just 30 shots to finish with a 16-under-par aggregate of 200.

Swede Robert Karlsson (69) and Britain’s Graeme McDowell (70) shared second place on 207, one ahead of American Jason Dufner (70) and Martin Kaymer (70) of Germany.

World number one Luke Donald was back on 211 after returning a 70 in the $5 million invitational event. “I feel in real control of my body and swing and if you ask me about the poor shots I hit in the round I probably could not tell you one,” defending champion Westwood told reporters.

“I hit it right where I was aiming all day ... it was as good as I’ve played in a long time.” The Englishman began the day one behind overnight leader McDowell but three successive

birdies from the second hole put him in front ahead of a 90-minute interruption for a thunderstorm.

Westwood then claimed another birdie hattrick from the ninth before capping his round with four in a row at the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th.

“I have always felt like I have the hang of this golf course and this is one of my favourite weeks of the year,” he said. “You get what you deserve if you hit fairways round here, you can attack flags and if you don’t it becomes very difficult very quickly. I just love everything about the place.”

Westwood is aiming to become the first golfer to win back-to-back Sun City titles since American Jim Furyk in 2005 and 2006.

His 62 clipped one shot off the previous record held by American Nick Watney (2009), Swede Henrik Stenson (2008) and South African Ernie Els (2002). “I always try not to get too far ahead of myself,” said Westwood. “I intend to just play the course on its merits tomorrow, play my own game and keep going with the same game plan.”—Reuters

Mathieu leads LSU past Georgia ATLANTA: Tyrann Mathieu returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown and set up two other scores with a fumble recovery and another dazzling return as No. 1 LSU trounced No. 12 Georgia 42-10 to win the Southeastern Conference title Saturday.

With the win, the Tigers secured a spot in college football’s championship game next month in New Orleans. LSU’s opponent will be announced Sunday night, but conference rival and No. 2 Alabama - beaten by the Tigers 9-6 in overtime a month ago - has the edge over No. 3 Oklahoma State and No. 4 Oregon.

After a dismal first half in which they managed only 12 yards and failed to pick up a first down, the Tigers outscored Georgia 35-0 over the final two quarters.

Mathieu sparked the comeback from a 10-0 deficit with his punt return for a touchdown midway through the second quarter.

Oklahoma State 44, Oklahoma 10 In Stillwater, Oklahoma, Joseph Randle ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns and Richetti Jones returned a fumble for a score as Oklahoma State won the Big 12 Conference championship to make its case to play for a national title. The Cowboys ended an eightgame losing streak against the Sooners and won their first outright conference title since 1948 in the three-team Missouri Valley Conference. Oklahoma State’s much-maligned defense forced the Sooners into five turnovers four of them by quarterback Landry Jones.

Clemson 38, Virginia Tech 10 In Charlotte, North Carolina, Tajh Boyd threw three touchdown passes and ran for another as Clemson routed Virginia Tech to win its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 20 years.

The Tigers clinched their first Orange Bowl berth since 1981, the year they won their only national championship. Clemson had lost three of its last four games to close the regular season. Clemson scored three touchdowns on five plays in a span of 4:24 in the third quarter to break open a 10-10 tie at halftime. The Tigers became the only team to beat Virginia Tech twice in the same season.

Southern Mississippi 49, Houston 28 In Houston, Austin Davis threw four touchdown passes as Southern Mississippi captured its first Conference USA title and ruined Houston’s perfect season.

Tracey Lampley also caught two touchdown passes for the Golden Eagles, who became the first team to hold Houston below 35 points this season. The Cougars had been averaging more than 50 points per game.

Houston’s star quarterback, Case Keenum, completed 41 of 67 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns. He became the first quarterback to reach 5,000 yards passing in three seasons.

Houston had been going for its first unde feated season and first Bowl Championship Series berth, but will now have to settle for a lower-tier bowl game.

Boise State 45, New Mexico 0 At Boise, Idaho, Kellen Moore threw three touchdowns in the final home game of his brilliant career and Doug Martin ran for two more as Boise State rolled over New Mexico.

Moore, the winningest starting quarterback in college football history, was 28 of 33 for 313 yards before heading for the sideline midway through the third quarter. His three touchdowns give him 41 for the season, setting a new school single-season record. He also set a new school record for completions in a season with 300.

The victory gives the Broncos their second straight season with a single loss and looks to clear the way for another trip to the MAACO Bowl in Las Vegas.

Wisconsin 42, Michigan State 39 In Indianapolis, Montee Ball ran for three touchdowns including the decisive 7-yard score with 3:45 to go as Wisconsin beat Michigan State in the inaugural Big Ten Conference championship game. Wisconsin is now headed to its second straight Rose Bowl.

Ball ran 27 times for 137 yards and caught a TD pass, giving him 38 touchdowns this season.

Russell Wilson was 17 of 24 for 187 yards with three TDs and no interceptions.—AP

INDIANAPOLIS: Michigan State’s Keshawn Martin loses his helmet as he is tackled by Wisconsin’s Chris Borland during the second half of the Big Ten Conference championship NCAA college football game. —AP

HONG KONG: World number two Rory McIlroy sealed the US$2.75 million UBS Hong Kong Open yesterday by holing a birdie chip from a bunker on the last, keeping alive his slim hopes of denying Luke Donald a historic Order of Merit double.

“I think that’s the most excited I’ve ever been on a golf course,” said the 22-year-old. “It was just incredible to see the ball drop and realise that I had won this tournament.”

A final-round 65 clinched a twostroke victory for the Northern Irishman and the winner’s cheque of $458,330 means the US Open champion still has a chance of overtaking current Race to Dubai leader Donald with victory at the seasonending Dubai World Championship next week. McIlroy has collected 3,066,605 euros ($4,110,477) for the season to world number one ranked Donald’s 3,856,394 euros.

The event in Dubai is worth just over 930,000 euros to the winner.

Englishman Donald, who has already won the US PGA Tour money list, skipped the Hong Kong event as did Germany ’s Martin Kaymer, who had been placed second in the Race to Dubai until McIlroy’s heroics yesterday.

“Ever ything’s dependent on Luke because he has got such a big lead but that was one of my intentions going out today, to win this tournament to keep myself in with a shout next week,” said McIlroy.

“Another bit of motivation was I woke up this morning and saw Lee Westwood had shot 62 at the event in Sun City (South Africa) and I thought I really needed to win to stay about him in the world rankings.

“So it was nice to be able to do both.” McIlroy had started the final round three strokes behind overnight leader Alvaro Quiros of Spain, but five birdies over the course-three coming while the pressure was building in the run-in to the clubhouse-ensured victory for a player who had finished run-

ner-up here in both 2008 and 2009.

“If feels like it has been a long time coming,” he said. “I played my first Hong Kong Open in 2007 and I felt like it owed me something after losing the playoff (to Taiwan’s Lin Wen-Tang) in 2008. To get my hands on this trophy and to win this tournament is very special.”

After finding the sand next to the 18th green with his approach

shot, McIlroy blasted up, out and into the hole to thunderous applause while pumping his fists in celebration.

He had earlier announced via Twitter that he had brushed off the ailment that had been bothering him all week thanks to “11.5 hours sleep and a 5km run” and he returned shortly after finishing his round to declare to his followers:

HONG KONG: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland poses with the winner’s trophy following his victory in the UBS Hong Kong Open golf tournament.—AFP

“Winner winner chicken dinner”.

“I’ve not been feeling well all week so I went down this morning and got a really good sweat up,” said McIlroy. “It seemed to work.”

McIlroy had certainly been looking fragile over the first three days of this event-which is co-sanctioned by both the European and Asian Tours-but his stamina was never in doubt today and a birdie on the par-five second set him off in just the right mood.

France’s Gregory Havret finished in second place on 10-under-par after a storming five -under 65, while Sweden’s Peter Hanson was placed third on nine-under after closing with an even-par 70.

“I had a chance going into the last one behind Rory,” said the 35year-old Havret. “But I made a bad drive and in the end it was very hard just to make par. My putt for par was a beauty, so now I’ll have some champagne and I am quite happy.”

Reigning champion Ian Poulter was left to rue his luck on the greens after charging home with a bogey-free four-under 66 to finish tied for fourth at eight under with Scotland’s Richie Ramsey and Pariya Junhasavasdikul.

“I came to defend and I’ve come up shy,” said Poulter. “I thought I had a chance today. I got off to a very good start with birdies at two and three and had pretty much a sackful of chances from there on in.

I’m walking away disappointed.”

Quiros, who had led or shared the lead in the event for all three days coming into yesterday, faded with a three-over 73 to finish on seven under and joint seventh.

Juvic Pagunsan’s six-under for the tournament was enough for 10th place and sealed him the Asian Tour Order of Merit, the first time a player from the Philippines has won the title.

“I’m really surprised,” said the 33year-old. “Everyone dreams to get an Order of Merit and I really wasn’t expecting to win it this year.”—AFP

Australia crush New Zealand BRISBANE: Debutant pace bowler James Pattinson ripped through New Zealand’s top order in a brilliant morning spell to fire Australia to an emphatic nine-wicket victory with more than a day to spare in the first Test yesterday.

Australia, who made 427 in their opening innings in response to New Zealand’s 295, needed just 19 runs in their second knock to claim victory after dismissing the tourists for 150 less than an hour after lunch.

They still managed to lose under-fire opener Phil Hughes for seven before David Warner (12 not out) rattled off the winning runs but the day belonged to Man of the Match Pattinson, who finished with 5-27.

The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the series with the second and final match in Hobart starting on Dec. 9 and kept intact Australia’s unbeaten run in tests at the Gabba, which stretches back to 1988.

“It was a great performance today and James Pattinson was outstanding,” said Australia’s skipper Michael Clarke, whose 139 in the second innings helped tip the balance of what had been a tight contest in his team’s favor.

“I think our whole performance throughout this test match was spot on. I couldn’t be happier with the start to the summer.”

Pattinson had already removed opener Brendon McCullum late on Saturday to leave New Zealand to resume on 10-1 but no-one was prepared for the fireworks he unleashed in his opening over of the morning. The 21year-old removed the other opener Martin Guptill for 12 with his second ball and his fourth and fifth accounted for Kane Williamson and Black Caps’ skipper Ross Taylor, both for ducks, to leave Pattinson on a hat-trick and New Zealand reeling on 17-4.

Angling to become just the fourth player to take a hattrick on their test debut, the pace of Pattinson’s sixth delivery beat batsman Jesse Ryder but the ball missed the offstump.

Four overs after that devastating three-wicket maiden, Pattinson grabbed his “five-for” with the wicket of nightwatchman Doug Bracewell for two to reduce the tourists to 28 for five.

“It’s pretty surreal,” said Pattinson. “I was a bit nervous in the first innings and I just tried to stay settled today and run in and bowl fast and luckily it worked out.”

Pattinson was the second Australian pace bowler in successive tests to take five or more wickets on debut after teenager Pat Cummins took 6-79 against South Africa last month.

All five of Pattinson’s victims were caught behind or at close range and, despite the pace, swing and bounce he produced, the New Zealanders will be disappointed with some sloppy batting.

They were also left to rue a string of dropped catches, particularly the two lives they gave Clarke on Saturday, after coming into the match confident they could win a first test on Australian soil for 26 years.

“I think the top six have got to put up their hands, there were some soft dismissals out there,” said Taylor. “We’re pretty disappointed with that performance ... we didn’t play as well as we thought we could have. We didn’t take our opportunities.”

More was to come when Ryder, who had looked like building a decent partnership with Brownlie, took on Nathan Lyon in the offspinner’s first over of the day and succeeded only in slapping the ball to Mike Hussey at midoff to depart for 36.

Daniel Vettori and Brownlie put on 52 for the seventh wicket before Hussey’s occasional bowling accounted for the former New Zealand captain for 17 with Clarke taking the catch in the slips.

Brownlie faced six balls after lunch before Peter Siddle had him caught at point by Warner for 42 and the same fielder gave spinner Lyon his sixth wicket of the match to send Tim Southee back to the pavilion for eight.

By that stage, New Zealand had at least avoided the innings defeat but it only remained for Lyon to remove Chris Martin before the Australians accumulated the winning runs in 2.2 overs.—Reuters

GABBA: Australian paceman James Pattinson sends down a delivery to the New Zealand batsman on the fourth day of the first cricket Test match between Australia and New Zealand.—AFP

SCOREBOARD Scoreboard after Australia beat New Zealand by nine wickets in the first test at the Gabba in Brisbane yesterday: New Zealand first innings 295 (D. Vettori 96, D. Brownlie 77 not out; N. Lyon 4-69) Australia first innings 427 (M. Clarke 139, R. Ponting 78, B.Haddin 80) New Zealand second innings (overnight 10-1) M. Guptill c Khawaja b Pattinson 12 B. McCullum c Ponting b Pattinson 1 D. Bracewell c Haddin b Pattinson 2 K. Williamson c Ponting b Pattinson 0 R. Taylor c Haddin b Pattinson 0 J. Ryder c Hussey b Lyon 36 D. Brownlie c Warner b Siddle 42 D. Vettori c Clarke b Hussey 17 R. Young not out 11 T. Southee c Warner b Siddle 8 C. Martin c Starc b Lyon 0 Extras (lb-15, nb-4, w-2) 21 Total (all out, 49.4 overs) 150

Fall of wickets: 1-10 2-17 3-17 4-17 5-28 6-69 7121 8-123 9-141 Bowling: Pattinson 11-5-27-5 (nb-1), Siddle 163-44-1 (nb-3, w-1), Starc 6-0-33-0 (w-1), Lyon 11.4-2-19-3, Hussey 4-1-7-1, Warner 1-0-5-0.

Australia second innings P. Hughes c Guptill b Martin 7 D. Warner not out 12 U. Khawaja not out 0 Extras 0 Total (for one wicket, 2.2 overs) 19 Fall of wicket: 1-11 Did not bat: R. Ponting, M. Clarke, M. Hussey, B. Haddin, P. Siddle, J. Pattinson, M. Starc, N. Lyon.

Bowling: Southee 1-0-11-0, Martin 1-1-0-1, Bracewell 0.2-0-8-0 Australia lead the two-match series 1-0.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

sp orts

Cotto retains title after Margarito’s eye closes

BEAVER CREEK: Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway skis to second place in the Super G at the Audi FIS World Cup in Beaver Creek. —AFP

Maiden win for Viletta BEAVER CREEK: Swiss Sandro Viletta stunned everyone including himself to bag his maiden World Cup victory in the Beaver Creek Super-G on Saturday.

Starting with bib number 30, the 25year-old all-rounder skied to perfection in the steep upper part of the race to topple Norway’s Aksel Lund Svindal in one minute 18.71 seconds.

“I’m so happy, it’s difficult to believe in a day like this. It’s not my kind of piste, it’s not my discipline. It’ll take me some time to figure it out,” the skier from La PuntChamues said.

Viletta had never made it on a World Cup podium before, his best result being fourth in a giant slalom in Adelboden in 2009 but he made the most of his chance as visibility in the race, held in snowy conditions, cleared up as he was going down.

“I just skied the way I know, with lots of commitment. It’s maybe the first step towards greater things and I might have to change my perspective,” he added.

Winner of the first Super-G of the season in Lake Louise a week ago, Svindal had to be content with the runner-up spot, 0.20 seconds behind the winner.

But the Super-G Olympic champion

seized the overall World Cup lead on 265 points, ahead of Swiss Didier Cuche.

“That’s alpine skiing. I had the feeling something would happen today so I never settled in the idea I had won,” said the Norwegian. “Viletta was fastest in every section. He was unstoppable today.”

Fast-improving Swiss Beat Feuz collected his third podium place of the season in third place, 0.06 behind Svindal.

Feuz, 24, finished second to Bode Miller in Friday’s downhill on the Birds of Prey piste and also symbolised the progression of the new Swiss generation. “It’s all the more important for me as I can share this win with Beat,” said Viletta.

Miller looked impressive again, clocking a fast intermediate time before nearly crashing out of contention and finishing 21st.

Other favourites squandered their chances, including last year’s winner Georg Streitberger of Austria who straddled a gate and team mate Hannes Reichelt who was fastest throughout but faded in the final section after losing his balance shortly before the finish. The Beaver Creek programme continues on Sunday with a giant slalom. —Reuters

NEW YORK: Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto avenged his controversial loss to Antonio Margarito three years ago when he beat the Mexican on Saturday to retain his World Boxing Association (WBA) super-middleweight world title.

Referee Steve Smogner stopped the fight before the start of the 10th round when ringside doctors ruled that Margarito was not fit enough to continue.

Margarito’s right eye, which had required surgery after he was brutally beaten by Manny Pacquiao last year, had closed shut and left him half blind after he had been repeatedly battered by Cotto.

The Mexican’s corner begged the officials to let the fight continue but the physicians called a halt to proceedings despite howls of protests from the packed crowd at Madison Square Garden. “His eye was gradually closing. I felt it was safer to stop the fight,” doctor Barry Jordan said.

“His lid was completely closed for three rounds. He had no vision in that eye. I think it would have been dangerous for him to go back in.”

Cotto, who improved his career record to 37-2 (30 KO), was well ahead on points when the fight was stopped, with all three judges having him 89-82 in front.

The two fighters are sworn enemies and even when the bout ended they continued taunting each other with Cotto triumphantly marching over to his vanquished opponent’s corner.

“He means nothing to me,” Cotto said. “(I) just (wanted) to look at him and taste my victory on him.” Margarito, one of the most controversial figures in the sport after he was banned for a year for

NEW YORK: Miguel Cotto (right) of Puerto Rico and Antonio Margarito of Mexico exchange blows during the WBA World Junior Middleweight title fight at Madison Square Garden. —AFP using illegal hand wraps, insisted he could have gone on and the officials were wrong to stop the fight.

“They were out to protect him (Cotto) because I was going forward,” the aggressive Margarito said. “I hurt him. He hits like a girl. I never felt the punches.”

The rematch initially lived up its billing as one of the most anticipated fights of the year after the pair traded punches in the early rounds in a repeat of their savage encounter from 2008, which Margarito won with an 11th round knockout.

But after beating Cotto, Margarito’s reputation was ruined when he was found to have used a plaster that hardens on his hand wraps during his loss to Shane Mosley.

After serving his penalty, he returned but suffered a serious eye injury in his loss to Pacquiao which almost prevented Saturday’s fight from going ahead.

The New York State Athletic Commission initially rejected Margarito’s initial application to fight but finally agreed to grant him a boxing license after he underwent further medical exami-

nations by an eye specialist of its choice.

The fight was then in danger of finishing early when Cotto opened up a cut on the eye in the third round. Margarito, who fell to 38-8, (27 KO), with the loss, responded by unleashing a flurry of punches in the hope of landing a knockout but Cotto defended well and continued to jab away at the eye.

By the seventh round, Margarito’s eye was completely shut. The doctors almost stopped the fight after the eighth round before finally calling a halt after the ninth.—Reuters

Mares defeats Agbeko, to keep bantam belt ANAHEIM: Abner Mares beat Joseph Agbeko by unanimous decision Saturday night to retain his IBF bantamweight belt in a rematch of their controversial bout four months ago.

The Mexican fighter won 118-110 on all three judges’ scorecards to maintain his unbeaten record of 23-0-1, with 13 knockouts.

Mares was awarded a majority-decision victory over Agbeko in August, but he landed several blatantly low blows on the Ghanaian during the bout without being penalized by the official. The IBF ordered an immediate rematch.

The rematch featured almost no questionable blows. Mares landed more total punches and power shots despite fighting the final 10 rounds with a deep cut near his right eye from a punch. The Associated Press scored it 116112 for Mares.

“I’m happy that my fans finally saw my true boxing skills,” Mares said. “I beat him the first time, and I beat him again. I knew I was winning the whole fight.”

In the co-main event, Panama’s Anselmo Moreno kept his WBA bantamweight belt in his American debut, winning a unanimous

decision over Vic Darchinyan, an Armenianborn Australian. Moreno could be Mares’ next opponent, said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions.

Mares was a bit sharper and crisper than Agbeko, whose entourage still raised him on its shoulders after the final bell. Agbeko’s small but vocal Ghanaian cheering section disliked the verdict. “A lot of media guys told me at the press conference that this is California, and that I will have to knock him out to win,” said Agbeko, whose record fell to 28-4. “I told them no. If I win, I deserve to win.

Right now, I don’t have anything to protest. I don’t feel like a loser. I think this decision is unfair. You shouldn’t have to knock out your opponent to win in California. I thought I fought better tonight than the last fight.” Both fighters traded exciting shots from the first round, and Mares didn’t flinch when his cut opened in the second round. “It bothered me a few times, because he was only going for my eye,” Mares said.

Agbeko was understandably sensitive to low blows, complaining to referee Lou Moret after borderline punches in the third and sixth

rounds.

The fighters’ defensive skills and strong conditioning led to a few uneventful rounds, but Mares came alive in the final minute of the 11th, landing several strong punches that staggered Agbeko. “Last time, I was a little stocky,” Mares said. “This time I didn’t have as much muscle, so I was faster.”

Moreno thoroughly outboxed Darchinyan in his 26th consecutive victory and ninth title defense. Darchinyan was docked a point for throwing the backpedaling Moreno to the canvas at the fourth-round bell.

“He’s a great boxer, but he faced a ghost tonight,” Moreno said. “He couldn’t catch me. ... He threw a lot of punches, and I avoided them. That was the plan. Yes, he did connect a few times, but so did I.” Moreno, who has a 32-1-1 record, with 11 knockouts, said he hopes to fight Mares next in a unification bout. Darchinyan has also lost to both Agbeko and Mares in the past 21/2 years.

“I couldn’t find him, and I lost the fight,” Darchinyan said. “I was going for big punches, and I couldn’t find a home for my left.”—AP

Women’s World Cup ski jump

CANADA: US skier Lyndsey Vonn celebrates on the winners’ podium after winning the FIS Ski World Cup Women’s Downhill in Lake Louise. —AFP

Vonn triumphs at Lake Louise LAKE LOUISE: Lindsey Vonn won a Lake Louise downhill for a remarkable ninth time on Saturday and for her tenth World Cup victory in all at the Canadian resort.

The American’s 44th World Cup win, in one minute 51.35 seconds, was just marginally less impressive than the previous day’s when she had left nearest rival Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein nearly two seconds adrift.

This time, Vonn beat France’s Marie Marchand-Arvier by 1.68 seconds while world champion Elisabeth Goergl of Austria was third, 1.91 adrift. Vonn also won a Super-G in Lake Louise last winter.

“This course fits me so perfectly. I have been skiing on it for almost 15 years since I was a kid and I hope to ski on it many more times before I give up skiing,” said the American, who equalled Austria’s Renate Goetschl, the only other winner of 10 races in the same resort, in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

But Vonn disclosed she had struggled a little more than in Friday’s opening downhill on the same piste. She said: “The course was rough, there were lots of ruts. It was more challenging and in the middle part, I nearly lost my balance. I was lucky to make it down to the finish without serious problems.

“I don’t have that many doubles so this

is great,” added the downhill Olympic champion who also won both downhills on her favorite piste two seasons ago.

Finishing second was an achievement for Marchand-Arvier, who had only three previous World Cup podiums behind her.

“It’s great for my confidence and I hope to score more podiums this season. For wins, it’s almost impossible. Lindsey is on another planet,” said the Frenchwoman, who has taken time to recover after a bad crash two seasons ago.

Goergl’s medal placing was also a morale booster in the speed events as she had finished a disappointing 20th in Friday’s opening downhill. The Austrian is also recovering from a recent crash and improving steadily.

Giant slalom Olympic champion Vitkoria Rebensburg confirmed her progress in the discipline with her second fourth place in two days.

The German is now second in the overall World Cup standings, 42 points behind Vonn. The race was halted after American Laurenne Ross crashed heavily before being flown to hospital by helicopter. The extent of her injuries was not immediately known but she was conscious throughout.

Vonn will be going for a weekend hat-trick in Sunday’s Super-G.—Reuters

LILLEHAMMER: American teenager Sarah Hendrickson won the first women’s World Cup ski jump on the same Lillehammer hill used by the men in the 1994 Winter Olympics.

The 17-year-old Hendrickson jumped 951 /2 meters Saturday, pushing French opponent Coline Mattel to second place.

Hendrickson, of Park City, Utah, finished with 277 points. Mettel had 247.7 and Melanie Faisst of Germany was third in a field of nearly 50 women from 15 countries.

“I held it together and I’m very happy,” a smiling Hendrickson said after the race. The competition was delayed by more than an hour because of the snowy and windy conditions, but Hendrickson said she wasn’t affected by the wait.

“You just have to jump like you do always,” she said. “You can’t change anything - stay strong and keep relaxed and hopefully it will come together.” World champion Daniela Iraschko of Austria was fourth.

American Lindsey Van - who became the sport’s first female world champion in 2009 missed the inaugural World Cup event because of a hip injury.

Beginning with the women’s second-tier Continental Cup began seven years ago, the competition Saturday was another milestone in a long battle to get women’s ski jumping recognized as an elite sport.

The sport was included on the Olympic program for the 2014 Sochi Games after the International Olympic Committee twice rejected it for the 2010 Vancouver program, arguing that it lacked elite competition.

In the men’s event, Austria’s Andreas Kofler won after setting a hill record with a leap of 105 meters in the first round. He jumped 98 meters in the second round, earning a total score of 279.3 points.

Germany’s Richard Freitag was second with 273.3 points and Poland’s Kamil Stoch was third.—AP

OKLAHOMA: A fan hangs from a goal post after it was torn down in celebration of Oklahoma State’s 44-10 win over Oklahoma on Saturday. —AP

Official: 13 hurt when fans storm Okla. St. field STILLWATER: Thousands of fans stormed the field and tore down goalposts after Oklahoma State’s 44-10 victory over archrival Oklahoma in a college football game, leaving at least 13 people injured, including two in critical condition, medical authorities said early yesterday.

Michael Authement, who heads the command post at emergency medical provider LifeNet EMS, told The Associated Press that a throng so big took to the field as the game ended that some fans were trampled and one person fell at least 15 feet (4.5 meters) onto concrete during a wild celebration by Oklahoma State fans.

No. 13 Oklahoma State routed the Sooners on Saturday night to win the Big 12 conference championship and make its case to play for the Bowl Championship Series college football national title.

The Cowboys (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) snapped an eightgame losing streak in the intrastate rivalry and won their first outright conference title since 1948 in the three-team Missouri Valley.

“They won the game and stormed the field and

ripped down the goalposts, and some were jumping off the stands and hit the field and others got trampled. It was a nasty deal,” Authement said.

He said the crowd was so big it took police at least 45 minutes to clear fans from the field at the university’s Boone Pickens Stadium, which has a capacity of more than 60,000 people, according to the school’s website.

“There were thousands of people. Thousands of people stormed the field. You couldn’t move there were so many people,” he added. AP photographs showed fans climbing atop the yellow goalposts and tearing them apart amid a crush of people on the field. Scores of hands stretched out to pull down the goalposts during the celebration.

Authement said nine ambulances, including six from LifeNet, rushed 11 of the injured away and the two with critical injuries were flown to Oklahoma City hospitals. He said he knew of leg fractures but didn’t have any details on the extent of the injuries, though two of the 13 had minor injuries and were treated at the scene and released. —AP

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

S P ORT S

In Paris, Beckham would jump into Mideast politics PARIS: Football star, fashion icon, ambassador for Britain, friend to Hollywood stars - David Beckham is many things. To that list, he could soon add player in Middle East politics.

Should he accept a sheik’s ransom to finish his career in France, Beckham won’t simply be coming to boost shirt sales for Paris Saint-Germain or to score and create goals for the team whose emblem features the Eiffel Tower.

Beckham would also be lending his face to Qatar, the Gulf state which owns PSG and is using sports to become even more famous than he is. It would be a coming together of two brands: Beckham, already recognized globally, and Qatar, which wants to be.

Qatar, a desert peninsula that pokes thumb-like into the Arabian Gulf and is slightly bigger than the Caribbean island of Jamaica, is fortunate to sit on the world’s third-largest reserves of natural gas and on lakes of oil.

Its misfortune is that its region is volatile and a theater for competing global interests. It has giant neighbor Saudi Arabia hanging on its shoulder and Iran just across the waters of the Gulf. If Iran and the West came to blows, Qatar could be caught in the middle.

Which is where Beckham comes in.

Qatar is using the globally understood

language of sports - notably football, the most global sport - to put itself on the map, to buy friends and influence not only in the world’s corridors of power but in its households, too.

The purchase of PSG, Qatar’s winning bid to host the World Cup in 2022 and its investments in other sports ventures are not simply part of Qatar’s forward-thinking efforts to secure alternate revenue before fossil fuels run out.

They are not designed solely to encourage Qataris to partake in sports instead of just watching them on their flat-screen TVs, nor merely vanity buys by wealthy sheiks outshining each other.

Instead, experts say, Qatar is using sports to build itself into a globally recognized and respected brand. Qatar used to be known for being unknown.

But Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait, also relatively small and backing onto the Gulf, and the potentially hostile geopolitical environment in which they live, have demonstrated to Qatari leaders that anonymity isn’t their smartest policy option.

Becoming a player in sports is part of Qatar’s efforts to anchor its future and security, not unlike the way in which a pufferfish swells into a ball to appear bigger and more formidable to predators.

“A defense by popularity, so to speak,”

said David Roberts, deputy director of the Qatar branch of RUSI, a British security think-tank.

“If you are going to be invaded by someone it seems to me that you want people to know damn well where you are,” Roberts said in an interview. “You don’t want people to go, ‘Qatar? There’s a country that begins with a Q? Where’s that? Never heard of it.’”

Should he join PSG, Beckham would be expected to bring worldwide attention and boosted revenue through merchandising and perhaps new sponsorship to Paris’ only major football club, which is being pressured to quickly up its ante and produce results by its Qatari owners who bought a controlling stake in May. French media reported that President Nicolas Sarkozy, without playing a direct role in the takeover, looked favorably on the sale, not least because it pumped much-needed funds into the club he supports.

Sarkozy has nurtured French relations with Qatar’s ruling family and he has ties with PSG shareholder Sebastien Bazin.

Sarkozy spokesman Franck Louvrier, asked by The Associated Press, denied any knowledge of whether the president used his influence to bring the parties together. Luc Dayan, who was involved in

a 2006 effort by Qatar investors to buy PSG, said the purchase couldn’t have happened without French political backing.

“A takeover like that in France, where everything is very politicized, cannot happen without political agreement at the highest levels,” Dayan, former president and main shareholder of the Lille club, said in an interview.

The fund that bought a 70 percent stake in PSG is controlled by Qatar’s crown prince, Sheik Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani.

That, said Dayan, made this a “more political and strategic investment” than the Qatari takeover in 2010 of another struggling European club, Malaga, in Spain. The buyer then was Sheik Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani, who is a member of Qatar’s ruling clan, but isn’t closely related to the prince or his father, the nation’s emir, Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani.

So while it may appear from the outside that Qatar is making a land-grab in European football, its investments are not necessarily coordinated and unified.

“These are groups of different parts of the Qatari elite which are almost competing with each other to try to buy into Brand Qatar,” Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, an expert on Gulf politics at the London School of Economics, said in an inter-

view. “There’s a lot of very ambitious sheiks with a lot of money looking enviously around and seeing this guy’s done this, this guy’s done that, how can I get a slice of the action?”

Beckham, on an Asian tour with his club, the Los Angeles Galaxy, is keeping people guessing about his intentions.

Re-signing with the MLS champions would spare his family from being uprooted from Los Angeles. But PSG, which reportedly is offering millions, could offer a final bumper paycheck and chance to show, at 36, that he can still compete in a European league, perhaps furthering his hopes of playing for Britain at next year’s London Olympics.

“I’m very proud of the time that I’ve spent with the Galaxy and it might continue,” he said this week. “I think at the end of the day I have a big decision to make, but I obviously haven’t made one yet.” Leonardo, part of Brazil’s 1994 World Cup-winning squad and the former Inter Milan coach brought in by the Qataris to oversee PSG’s drive for European success, has made all the right noises about how Beckham isn’t too old to play in France’s Ligue 1.

But, in truth, while PSG will hope that Beckham’s right foot can still conjure up his trademark free kicks and pinpoint crosses, he is too slow and fragile now to

produce match-winning performances week-in, week-out.

But that won’t matter so much if his star power helps lure other players to PSG and, most importantly, drives up interest in France and internationally in both PSG and the French league, which lags behind those in Spain, England, Germany and Italy. Beckham’s biggest value to Qatar lies in his glamor which would marry nicely with Paris’ fame as the capital of chic, not in his fading football skills.

“David Beckham is bigger than sport.

He is an ambassador, a brand, an example for others,” PSG president Nasser alKhelaifi told French sports newspaper L’Equipe in November, before adding: “He is also still a very good footballer whose age isn’t a problem.”

Al-Khelaifi is also a director at AlJazeera, the Qatar-based broadcaster.

Around the same time that PSG’s takeover was completed, Al-Jazeera bought rights to broadcast French league games in France and internationally.

It will pay $43 million per year from 2012 for overseas broadcasts and $121 million to broadcast two games per round, on Fridays and Sundays, in France.

If PSG does well on the field and that, combined with the lure of Beckham, attracts viewers, it could be win-win for Qatar. —AP

City host United in FA Cup third round LONDON: Holders Manchester City have been handed an explosive derby clash with bitter rivals Manchester United in yesterday’s draw for the FA Cup third round.

City defeated United 1-0 in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley en route to winning the competition last season and they will host Sir Alex Ferguson’s side at Eastlands over the weekend of January 7/8.

Roberto Mancini’s side, who beat Stoke in the final to claim their first trophy in 35 years, are currently five points clear of reigning champions United in the Premier League as they seek to snatch the English title away from Old Trafford.

The match has added spice as it will be the first Manchester derby since City’s astonishing 6-1 league triumph at Old Trafford in October.

The tie was one of only two all-Premier League encounters in the third round draw, with Newcastle hosting Blackburn in the other.

Chelsea take on Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge in a rematch of the 2010 FA Cup final which the west London club won 1-0 to complete their first ever league and cup double.

Arsenal will host Championship side Leeds and Liverpool are at home to either Southend

or Oldham. Tottenham take on League Two club Cheltenham and Everton host National Conference outfit Tamworth.

Martin O’Neill’s first FA Cup tie in charge of Sunderland will come at Championship club Peterborough, while Stoke manager Tony Pulis returns to one of his former clubs at League Two Gillingham.

Aston Villa face a trip to League Two Bristol Rovers, who earned their place in the third round with a 6-1 demolition of Southern Premier Division AFC Totton at Testwood Park on Sunday.

Craven Cottage will stage a London derby as Fulham take on League One leaders Charlton, while midlands rivals Birmingham and Wolves will meet at St Andrew’s.

Draw for the English FA Cup third round made at Wembley yesterday: Middlesbrough v Shrewsbury Nottingham Forest v Leicester Manchester City v Manchester United Dagenham and Redbridge/Walsall v Millwall Crawley v Bristol City Doncaster v Sutton United/Notts County Bristol Rovers v Aston Villa

Tottenham v Cheltenham Sheffield Wednesday v West Ham Milton Keynes Dons v QPR Hull v Ipswich Coventry v Southampton Brighton v Wrexham Fulham v Charlton Birmingham v Wolves Norwich v Burnley Arsenal v Leeds Derby v Crystal Palace Fleetwood/Yeovil v Blackpool Swindon v Wigan Barnsley v Swansea Chelmsford/Macclesfield v Bolton Newcastle v Blackburn Everton v Tamworth Sheffield United v Salisbury/Grimsby Liverpool v Southend/Oldham Gillingham v Stoke Chelsea v Portsmouth Watford v Bradford Peterborough v Sunderland West Brom v Cardiff Reading v Stevenage Ties to be played on the weekend of January 7/8. 0 —AFP

Adidas presents official match ball for the UEFA Euro 2012 Today, Adidas and UEFA presented the Adidas “Tango 12”, the official match ball for the UEFA EURO 2012(tm). The ball was unveiled on stage during the UEFA EURO 2012(tm) finals draw by former Ukrainian Olympic pole vaulter Sergey Bubka.

Based on the classic Tango design used during both the FIFA World Cup(tm) and UEFA EURO(tm) tournaments during the early 1980s, the Adidas Tango 12 features a modern interpretation of the design including a colored outline inspired by the flags of the two host nations - Poland and Ukraine.

Etched into the Tango design are three bespoke graphics which celebrate the decorative art of paper cutting, a tradition in the rural areas of both host countries and link to the key characteristics of football - unity, rivalry and passion.

“The Adidas Tango 12 is based on an iconic design which is known by players and football fans throughout the world, and it is great to see the design reinterpreted in such a creative fashion for the UEFA EURO 2012 tournament,” commented David Taylor, CEO of UEFA Events SA. Complementing the design, the Adidas Tango 12 features a series of triangular panels that are thermally bonded together to ensure a true, stable flight path. Covering each panel of the ball is a grip texture which supports boot to ball contact and enhances ball control. Beneath the outer surface of the ball lies a woven carcass and a new bladder for increased air retention and reduced water uptake.

The Adidas Tango 12, which has been developed over a two-year period, underwent two rigorous types of testing - qualitative player testing, which was conducted across eight different countries, using players, federations and clubs from both elite and grass roots football, and quantitative lab testing, which concluded that the Adidas Tango 12 meets and exceeds all FIFA Approved Standards for an Official Match Ball making it the most tested ball Adidas has ever produced.

Adidas Group CEO Herbert Hainer commented: “The Adidas Tango 12 is a combination of many years of football tradition coupled with extensive player and lab testing to make it the most tested ball Adidas has ever produced.”

The Adidas Tango 12 is the eleventh Official Match Ball produced for the UEFA EURO(tm) tournament leading on from a rich history in Adidas football development which started in 1963. During that period, three Tango inspired designs have been produced for the UEFA EURO(tm) tournaments the 1980 Tango River Plate, the 1984 Tango Mundial and the 1988 Tango Europa - making the Adidas Tango 12 the fourth in its history.

The Adidas Tango 12 will be used on field during the UEFA EURO 2012(tm) which kicks

off on June 8th when tournament hosts Poland take to the field at The National Stadium Warsaw. All competing federations will receive an allocation of thirty Official Match Balls during the week commencing December 5th, six months ahead of the tournament, for training and competitive use. The Adidas Tango 12 is available for purchase in Adidas retail outlets and associated stockists as of December 3rd. For further information on Adidas products and services please visit: www.adidas.com/football or www.adidasnewsstream.com.

SAO PAULO: This May 18, 2011 file photo shows former Brazil’s soccer player Socrates posing for pictures in Sao Paulo. —AP

Former Brazil captain Socrates dies at 57 SAO PAULO: On and off the field, former Brazil star Socrates stood out above the rest.

His elegant style and his deep involvement with politics made him a unique figure in Brazilian soccer, setting him apart from the players of his time and even of today.

He was mostly known for captaining Brazil at the 1982 World Cup, regarded by many as the best team ever not to win football’s showcase tournament.

But he was also widely known for his heavy drinking, which he publicly admitted caused the health problems which eventually helped lead to his death yesterday.

The Albert Einstein hospital said in a statement that Socrates died of septic shock at 4:30 a.m. Brazilian time (0630 GMT). He was 57.

Socrates had been rushed to the hospital on Saturday - the third time in four months - and had been in critical condition in an intensive care unit with an intestinal infection. He was breathing with the help of a ventilator.

Socrates was twice hospitalized and placed in intensive care in the last few months, most recently in September. Both times he was admitted for a hemorrhage caused by high pressure in the vein that carries blood from the digestive system to the liver.

Socrates never denied his fondness for drinking from the time he was a player in the 1980s, but said he stopped drinking earlier this year after his stints in the hospital. “Socrates seemed like a player from another era,” former Italy forward Paolo Rossi told the ANSA news agency. “You couldn’t place him in any category - on the pitch and even more so off it. Everyone knew about his degree in medicine and he had a lot of cultural and social interests as well. He was unique from every point of view.”

Indeed, Socrates was like no other on and off the field. He became a doctor after retiring from football and later became a popular TV commentator and columnist, always with unique and controversial opinions.

Since his playing days, Socrates never kept his political ideas to himself and often wrote about the subject in his columns.

Known as Dr. Socrates because of his practice of medicine, he was constantly in demand from local media for interviews on varied subjects.

While with Brazilian club Corinthians, Socrates spearheaded a movement called the Corinthians Democracy, in which players protested against the long periods of confinement required by the club before matches. It quickly became a broader protest that coincided with Brazil’s fight to overturn a military regime in the 1980s.

The clever, tall full-bearded playmaker also was a member of the Brazilian squad in 1986 in Mexico, but it was in 1982 in Spain that he made history with Brazil, which is known to have had one of the greatest teams in World Cup history but failed to win the trophy. With players like Zico and Falcao, it fell to Italy 3-2 in the second

round despite needing only a draw to advance to the semifinals.

“He was a very dynamic player with a sublime foot but most of all great intelligence,” added Rossi, who scored a memorable hat trick against Brazil in that match.

“Along with Zico and Falcao he was the symbol of that Brazil squad.

Dozens of Brazilian footballers expressed their sadness on Twitter moments after Socrates’ death was announced. “Sad start to the day,” retired Brazil striker Ronaldo wrote. “Rest in peace Dr. Socrates.”

Former Brazil and Barcelona playmaker Rivaldo added on his Twitter page: “Sad to wake up and find out that Socrates has died.” Reaction came from those outside of football, too, including three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten and three -time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves. “Great guy,” Castroneves tweeted. “A Brazilian who will be greatly missed.”

The Brazilian football federation said the final round of the Brazilian league on Sunday will be played in Socrates’ honor. All matches will be preceded by a minute of silence. Corinthians, the team that featured Socrates at the height of his career, needs a draw against rival Palmeiras to win the title.

Corinthians’ main fan group said it will honor its former star throughout the day.

Fiorentina, another of Socrates’ former clubs, held a minute of silence and players wore black armbands in his honor in yesterday’s Italian league match with Roma.

Socrates wrote a series of columns for The Associated Press during the 2011 Copa America in Argentina, expressing his views on all aspects of the tournament, including economic and political issues in Latin America.

“It’s not just about the game itself,” Socrates said before the competition began. “Before anything, (football) is a psychological battle, the human aspect plays a significant role.”

Socrates, whose full name is Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, starred for Corinthians in the early 1980s, but he also played for Flamengo and Santos, as well as Fiorentina in Italy.

Socrates was included in FIFA’s list of the best 125 living soccer players in the world, a list compiled by countryman Pele.

Socrates played 63 matches with the national team, scoring 25 goals.

He was known for his great vision on the field. Always clever with the ball at his feet, his trademark move was the back-heel pass, and he set up and scored many goals with it throughout his career. Socrates briefly coached and played for Garforth Town in England in 2004.

Socrates’ younger brother Rai was another great Brazilian midfielder, and he helped Brazil win the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

Funeral services will take place in his home town of Ribeirao Preto, in the interior of Sao Paulo state. He is survived by his wife and six children. —AP

y

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19

e niv rsar n

Years

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

S P ORT S

Fletcher double leaves O’Neill with plenty to do Wolves 2

Sunderland 1

LONDON: Stoke City’s English midfielder Dean Whitehead (right) competes with Everton’s English defender Tony Hibbert during the English Premier League football match. —AFP

Huth ends goal drought Everton 0

Stoke 1 LIVERPOOL: Robert Huth’s first goal of the season gave Stoke a hard-fought 1-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park yesterday.

Although Huth is a defender by trade, the German international has developed a habit of causing havoc from Stoke’s setpieces until this season when he had gone without a goal before his decisive first-half strike sunk the Toffees.

Huth’s clever finish condemned Everton to a fourth home defeat this season and lifted Stoke above their opponents into eighth place in the Premier League table.

Greek striker Apostolos Vellios was handed only his second Everton start as the 19-year-old, who scored his third goal of the season in last weekend’s win at Bolton, came in for Louis Saha.

As a tribute to former captain Gary Speed both teams walked out to the Welsh national anthem as opposed to the familiar “Z Cars” theme tune.

Speed’s father Roger was among a number of his son’s former team-mates invited on to the pitch to join in a minute’s applause before kick-off, while mascots wearing the kits of Wales and all the clubs represented by the midfielder joined the group around the centre-circle.

Everton midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov completed miscued an early striker after a flick on by Vellios. The

Russian’s next intervention was even more costly for Everton as it led to the opening goal in the 15th minute.

Bilyaletdinov’s weak header from Matthew Etherington’s corner dropped to Dean Whitehead on the edge of the penalty area and he drilled in a shot which Huth cleverly flicked past Tim Howard from close range.

Stoke were posing the greater goal threat and when Glenn Whelan’s leftwing cross was flicked on both Ryan Shawcross and Ryan Shotton were inches away from connecting at the far post.

Shawcross’ header just before the interval was tipped over by Howard and even when Everton had a sight of goal Marouane Fellaini nodded Bilyaletdinov’s corner wide.

With Everton showing few signs of improvement after half-time, Everton manager David Moyes sent on England midfielder Jack Rodwell in place of Bilyaletdinov in a bid to shake his side out of their lethargy.

The home side had a penalty appeal in the 67th minute when Huth carelessly opted to leave a Leighton Baines pass and Tim Cahill nipped in front of Thomas Sorensen.

Sorensen collided with Cahill and the Stoke goalkeeper appeared to miss the the ball in the process, but referee Lee Mason awarded a corner rather than a spot-kick.

Sorensen, still feeling the effects of the clash with Cahill, departed on a stretcher moments later leaving Asmir Begovic to see out the remaining 20 minutes. Six minutes from time John Heitinga missed another Baines cross six yards out as Everton failed to land an equaliser.—AFP

EPL results/standings Everton 0 Stoke 1 (Huth 15); Wolves 2 (Fletcher 73, 81) Sunderland 1 (Richardson 52)

Playing today Fulham v Liverpool

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Norwich 14 4 4 6 20 26 16 Man City 14 12 2 0 48 13 38 QPR 14 4 4 6 15 25 16 Man Utd 14 10 3 1 31 13 33 West Brom 14 4 3 7 13 21 15 Tottenham 13 10 1 2 29 16 31 Swansea 14 3 5 6 14 20 14 Chelsea 14 9 1 4 31 17 28 W’hampton 14 4 2 8 15 24 14 Arsenal 14 8 2 4 30 23 26 Fulham 13 2 6 5 15 16 12 Newcastle 14 7 5 2 19 15 26 Sunderland 14 2 5 7 16 17 11 Liverpool 13 6 5 2 17 12 23 Blackburn 14 2 4 8 21 32 10 Stoke 14 5 3 6 14 23 18 Bolton 14 3 0 11 19 34 9 Aston Villa 14 3 7 4 16 18 16 Wigan 14 2 3 9 12 28 9 Everton 13 5 1 7 15 17 16

LONDON: Wolves striker Steven Fletcher scored twice in the closing stages to clinch a 2-1 win over Sunderland yesterday that left new Black Cats boss Martin O’Neill in no doubt about the size of the task facing him at the Stadium of Light.

O’Neill was confirmed as Steve Bruce’s successor on Saturday and the former Aston Villa and Celtic manager was in the stands at Molineux to get a first glimpse of his new players.

Eric Black was in temporary charge of Sunderland for this match so O’Neill’s record hasn’t been sullied just yet, but his stern expression as he watched the visitors throw away the lead against fellow strugglers showed he is well aware there is plenty of room for improvement on Wearside.

For a while it looked as though Sunderland would give O’Neill the perfect welcome present as Kieran Richardon fired the Black Cats ahead early in the second half.

But the turning point arrived when Sebastain Larsson’s second half penalty, controversially awarded for a foul on the Swede, was saved by Wayne Hennessey in the 72nd minute.

Within 25 seconds Wolves had gone up the other end to equalise through Fletcher, who bagged the winner with a fine finish nine minutes from full-time.

That blow was made even more painful for O’Neill as replays showed Wolves midfielder Jamie O’Hara had used his arm to lay the ball into Fletcher ’s path before the goal.

Sunderland slipped below Wolves into 17th place in the Premier League table and O’Neill will officially take charge today with his team only one point and one place above the relegation zone.

“I don’t know if we were better than Sunderland or they were worse than us,” Wolves boss Mick McCarthy said.

“It was two toiling, struggling teams who’ve been having difficult times. But my lads get going and you can see the pleasure it gives people around the place.”

O’Neill had taken his place in the directors’ box flanked by Steve Walford and Seamus

Huntelaar opened after 16 minutes with a backheeled kick to join Mario Gomez as the top scorer this season with 13 goals.

But a lapse by the home defence allowed Augsburg striker Sasha Moelders to finally find the back of the net after more than 1,200 minutes without a goal.

Christian Fuchs got Schalke back in front after 66 minutes and Raul, the man with 74 European goals, headed in six minutes from time to pour more woe on tailenders Augsburg.

Earlier Hamburg continued their

McDonagh, who have respectively served as first-team coach and goalkeeping coach at his previous clubs.

Wolves threatened first when O’Hara’s volley ballooned up to Christophe Berra, whose header was held on the line by Keiren Westwood. It took a superb save

Vela helps rescue Sociedad MADRID: On-loan Arsenal striker Carlos Vela hit a spectacular late goal as Real Sociedad scored twice in the last two minutes to snatch a 3-2 win over Malaga in La Liga yesterday.

Malaga had led 2-1 when Mexican star Vela hit the target with an overhead kick in the 89th minute before Uruguayan John Ifran grabbed the winner in injury time.

The win moved Sociedad up to 12th position and eased mounting pressure on Sociedad’s French coach Phillippe Montanier after a run of bad results. Malaga would have gone joint-fourth had they won.

In an action-packed game, Sociedad were fortunate to take the lead on 10 minutes when Malaga defender Martin Dimechelis could not avoid bundling the ball into his own net after Imanol Agirretxe had crashed a header onto the crossbar.

Malaga then came back with goals from Jose Rondon on 19 minutes and Seba Fernandez on 58 minutes that seemed to have taken the points to the Costa del Sol before the game’s dramatic conclusion.

Atletico Madrid’s 40-million-euro ($53.6m) striker Falcao hit his eighth goal of the season as his side kept up their push for a European place with a 3-1 win over neighbours Rayo Vallecano.

Atletico moved up to seventh in La Liga on 19 points, while Rayo stay in 12th place. Gabriel Fernandez opened the scoring with a clever chip on 35 minutes before second-half goals from Falcao, who signed from Porto in the summer, and Salvio sealed the win.

On Saturday, Real Madrid defeated Sporting Gijon 30 while Barcelona hammered Levante 5-0 as Spanish football’s two superpowers warmed up for next weekend’s El Clasico by preserving their grip on the title race.

Real stretched their winning run to 14 games in all competitions and lead Barcelona by three points, with the defending La Liga and European champions having played a game more.

Valencia stayed in third place, four points behind Barcelona, after Roberto Soldado came off the bench to notch the winner in a 2-1 home win over Espanyol. —AFP

move up the table by beating Nuremberg 2-0 to remain unbeaten in seven matches since the arrival of new coach Thorsten Fink.

“We played better last week at Hanover (1-1) but the most important was to show our efficiency up front,” said Fink, who took over mid-October when the side were stuck to the bottom of the table.

Goals from Peruvian Paolo Guerrero (24) and Marcell Jansen (62), ensure that Hamburg are now in 11th position with 17 points.

Bayern Munich shot back to the

near post for his second goal of the season.

Sunderland had a golden chance to seal the win when Jody Craddock was adjudged to have brought down Larsson inside the box. Replays suggested the contact - if any - may have been outside. But Hennessey kept Wolves’ hopes alive by saving Larsson’s low spot-kick away to his left.

Within seconds Fletcher had

LONDON: Wolverhampton Wanderers English midfielder Jamie O’Hara (left) vies for the ball with Sunderland’s Irish defender John O’Shea (right) during the English Premier League football match. —AFP

Raul on target for Schalke BERLIN: Spanish veteran Raul was on target as Schalke 04 kept in touch with the Bundesliga leaders yesterday with a 3-1 win at home against Augsburg.

Just days after qualifying for the Europa League knockout stages, Schalke notched up their ninth win of the season to put them back in fourth place with 28 points.

The Gelsenkirchen-based club are now three points behind leaders Bayern Munich and two off second-placed Moenchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund.

Dutch striker Klaas Jan

from Westwood to keep Sunderland on level terms after 39 minutes.

Ryan Jarvis delivered a probing cross which found Stephen Hunt in space and his powerful close range effort was parried away by Westwood when a goal seemed inevitable.

Stephen Ward came to Wolves’ rescue three minutes before the interval when he cleared off the

top of the German league on Saturday with an impressive 4-1 win over 10-man Werder Bremen and replaced defending champions Dortmund who were held 1-1 at Moenchengladbach.

France star Franck Ribery scored two superb individual goals, while Dutch winger Arjen Robben converted two penalties as Munich opened a one-point lead at the top, as the Bavarians prepare for Wednesday’s Champions League clash at Manchester City. Dortmund, unbeaten in nine matches, host Marseille tomorrow. —AFP

line from Stephane Sessegnon.

Richardson put Sunderland in front when he finished a flowing counter-attack in emphatic fashion. Nicklas Bendtner’s flick found Sessegnon in space and he released the overlapping Richardson, whose rising shot flew past Hennessey inside the

levelled for Wolves as his header from a Jarvis cross beat the dive of Westwood.

And Fletcher won it for Wolves in the 81st minute when a cross from Adam Hammill was nudged

by O’Hara’s arm to the Scot whose low shot flew past Westwood. —AFP

Spanish League results/standings Atletico Madrid 3 (Gabi 25, Falcao 74, Salvio 90+1) Rayo Vallecano 1 (Piti 90+3); Real Sociedad 3 (Demichelis 10-og, Vela 89, Ifr·n 90+1) Malaga 2 (Rondon 20, Seba 59); Osasuna 2 (Miguel Flano 39, Nekounam 90+3) Real Betis 1 (Ruben Castro 80).

Playing later: Real Mallorca v Athletic Bilbao; Granada v Real Zaragoza Playing today Sevilla v Getafe

Spanish league table after yesterday’s early matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Real Madrid Barcelona Valencia Levante Malaga Sevilla Osasuna Atletico Athletic Bilbao Espanyol

14 15 14 14 14 13 14 14 13 14

12 10 9 8 7 5 5 5 4 5

1 4 3 2 2 6 6 4 5 2

1 1 2 4 5 2 3 5 4 7

49 47 23 23 19 13 18 21 19 11

10 7 14 17 19 10 26 21 16 17

37 34 30 26 23 21 21 19 17 17

Vallecano Real Sociedad Villarreal Getafe Real Mallorca Real Betis Grenade Santander Sporting Gijon Real Zaragoza

15 14 14 13 12 14 12 14 14 13

4 4 3 3 3 4 3 2 3 2

4 3 5 4 4 1 3 6 3 4

7 7 6 6 5 9 6 6 8 7

16 15 11 14 10 13 5 10 12 12

22 22 20 19 17 21 12 20 24 27

16 15 14 13 13 13 12 12 12 10

Fletcher double leaves O’Neill with plenty to do Page 19 MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

Nadal rallies for win to give Spain Davis Cup

SEVILLE: Spain’s team celebrates after winning the tennis Davis Cup final against Argentina. —AP

Juve beat Cesena to return to the top ROME: Juventus went back to the top of Serie A after a 2-0 victory over Cesena yesterday in a match where the visitors had their goalkeeper controversially sent off.

Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal, from the penalty spot, scored the goals that restored the Old Lady of Turin’s two-point lead over AC Milan and Udinese.

But the match was not without incident and controversy, not least the dismissal of Cesena goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli.

Juve struggled for more than 70 minutes

against dogged opponents, but coach Antonio Conte felt their eventual success demonstrated a growing maturity.

“When you try everything to score a goal you risk getting annoyed and worried,” said Conte. “I told them at the end of the first half not to get annoyed and to stretch the game. I saw the statistics, we had 70 percent of possession and 21 shots, we did well at pushing them back.

“This is the proof that this team is improving day by day.” Juve dominated possession in the first half but managed only two shots on target,

the best effort being from an angle by Mirko Vucinic that Antonioli saved comfortably.

Vucinic had another effort after the break that Antonioli parried, with Simone Pepe knocking the follow-up straight into the goalkeeper’s hands. Pepe then headed a great chance wide after meeting a cross from the left by Giorgio Chiellini.

Juve lost substitute and club captain Alessandro Del Piero after a clash with Marco Rossi that left him bloodied and carried off on a stretcher. — AFP

SEVILLE: Spain won its fifth Davis Cup title after Rafael Nadal recovered from a terrible start, holding on to beat Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (0) yesterday to give the hosts an insurmountable 3-1 lead.

Nadal endured his most lopsided set defeat in the competition as Del Potro hit forehand winners at will, with the Spaniard failing to hold his first four serves to trail 1-0, 40-0 by the second game of the second set. But Del Potro started misfiring and Nadal found his rhythm to break back before finally holding serve.

Nadal caught Del Potro out with one of 35 winners to take the second set and cruise through the third set on course for the win. But a late fightback by Del Potro saw the Argentine break Nadal four times in the fourth set to send it to a tiebreaker, where Nadal raced ahead without losing a point before securing victory with a forehand winner.

Spain’s players swarmed their teammate after he had dropped to the ground in celebration, while Del Potro exited the clay surface in tears for the second time in three days after losing Friday’s singles to David Ferrer.

“Today is one of the most emotional days of my career,” said Nadal, a 10-time major champion who won the title for the third time of his career. “After such a difficult year, this was a spectacular finale to the season. To win a final this way is very special.” Nadal stretched his record on clay to 16-0 with a 20th straight Davis Cup victory as Spain won its third title in four years and Argentina remained the only nation to play in four finals and never win one.

It was Spain’s fourth title since 2004 when Nadal helped the hosts to victory at the same Olympic Stadium over the Americans.

“On home clay they are probably one of the best teams in history,” Argentina captain Tito Vazquez said after Spain stretched its record home winning streak to 21 series.

Del Potro’s pinpoint accuracy added to Nadal’s nightmare start to give the visitors hope of a first foreign win in Spain since 1999, and of becoming the first team since Australia 72 years ago to come back from a 2-0 deficit in the Davis Cup final. While Del Potro struggled with his serve throughout, the Argentine overpowered

his opponent with a laser-like forehand, cruising to a first set lead behind one of his 44 winners as Nadal seemed to struggle with nerves.

Nadal was broken for the fourth time after netting in the first game of the second set, and Del Potro showed his range as an ace and drop shot helped set up 40-0. Nadal had looked lost up to then as Del Potro dispensed winners with ease. But Del Potro erred to allow Nadal to get to deuce before slapping another forehand wide for Nadal to break. “That was a very important moment,” said Nadal, who routed Juan Monaco in his opening match. “After that game I felt like the match started for me.”

Nadal played two spectacular backhand passing shots before holding his serve for the first time with a 204 kilometers per hour (127 miles per hour) ace, giving him a 2-1 lead.

Nadal sent Del Potro scurrying to save a forehand before smashing a winner to secure the set and send nearly all of the 23,000 fans into wild celebrations.

“I’ve never played in front of such a crowd before,” said Nadal, one of only seven players to have completed a career grand slam of majors.

Del Potro, who let slip a 2-1 set advantage in his near five hours singles loss to Ferrer, was spraying his shots as nerves and fatigue appeared to creep into his game again, with Nadal ripping back-to-back forehand winners down the line to break in the second game of the third set.

Nadal bounced across the baseline to curl a forehand around him for another break in the fifth game as he took a 2-1 set lead.

With Nadal seemingly on course toward victory, Del Porto came alive in the fourth set as the players traded breaks before a pumped-up Del Potro celebrated Nadal’s error to get ahead and have a chance to serve out the set 5-3.

“He was dominating before that and I thought this might be the last set of the series so I have to give it all,” a subdued Del Potro said afterward. “I played a good match despite losing, I felt that once again I was very close to winning.” But Nadal broke right back with a forehand and held serve before breaking for the ninth time in the 11th game when Del Porto netted.—AP

BPG Kuwait opens doors to new Tijaria Tower office Page 22

Kuwait equities slip as investors look for clue Page 24 MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

Oil will go over $250 if exports banned: Iran Page 25

Infiniti Al-Babtain always nearest its clients Page 23

BELO-SUR-MER: Vezo people fishermen sail on their outrigger canoe in the mangrove reserve in Belosur-Mer, western Madagascar. Mangroves spread over thousands of hectares of Madagascar’s west coast, rich with fish and crabs. But fishermen have declared some areas off limits, hoping to ensure their future catches. — AFP

Euro-zone enters decisive week Italy, Greece, Ireland to show austerity commitment PARIS: The euro faces a decisive week as European Union leaders, urged on anxiously by the United States, seek agreement on the definitive rescue plan that has eluded them for two years.

Despite short-term market optimism about a possible deal to tackle Europe’s sovereign debt crisis and ensure the survival of the single currency, the outcome is far from certain as the EU gears up for a summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. “This week, the stable future of the euro and thus the economic recovery in Europe and employment are at stake,” EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn told Reuters. “This calls for a convincing package of measures from the European Council (summit).”

If all goes according to plans being hatched in Berlin and Paris, the EU will have taken a step towards fiscal union by Friday night, agreeing on a treaty change to anchor coercive budget discipline for the 17-nation currency area. The European Central Bank will have cut interest rates on Thursday to counter a looming recession and taken new measures to provide longer-term funding for Europe’s teetering banks.

And new prime ministers in Italy, Greece and Spain will have demonstrated their commitment to tough austerity measures and structural economic reforms to tackle their debt problems and restore investor confidence. World financial markets rallied last week on the prospect of such a masterplan after ECB chief Mario Draghi signaled that in response to a new “fiscal compact” in the euro zone, the central bank could act more decisively to fight the crisis. A convincing show of

political determination to stand behind the euro and surmount the crisis through closer euro zone integration could prompt the ECB to do more to support Italian and Spanish bonds, cementing that reversal of market sentiment.

“It all comes down to what the ECB does, and whether political leaders produce a sufficiently convincing plan to give the ECB a basis to intervene,” a senior EU government source said, speaking on condition of anonymity to respect the independence of the central bank.

However, if the 27-nation EU is unable to agree, or settles for another half-measure after months of dithering, the flight from euro zone bond markets may accelerate, confidence may ebb further and the crisis could become acute in January, when Italy has to start a massive refinancing campaign.

Underlining Washington’s vital interest in averting a euro zone meltdown, US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will visit Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, Marseille and Milan from Tuesday to urge key European officials to take decisive action. Sources close to German Chancellor Angela Merkel say she is prepared-despite hostility from the German Bundesbank-to see the ECB step up buying of troubled states’ bonds as a short-term bridging measure until stricter euro zone budget controls take hold.

But things may not go entirely according to plan. Merkel visits French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris today to outline joint proposals on economic governance, but Berlin and Paris still have significant differences about how the euro zone would control national budgets. Merkel wants to empower the exec-

No deal at EU summit ‘extraordinarily grave’ LONDON: Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said yesterday it would be “extraordinarily grave” if no agreement was reached on saving the euro-zone at this week’s EU summit. European Union leaders gather in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to thrash out a way to save the 17-country single currency bloc, likely with proposed treaty changes to create closer fiscal union and economic governance.

“It is extraordinarily grave if no agreement is reached,” Clegg told BBC television. “We need to have a clear roadmap towards a stabilization and strengthening of the euro-zone.”

He said the euro-zone rules should be toughened up, and blamed Paris and Berlin for causing much of the present woes by breaking the existing rules themselves. “Those rules were not adhered to. That’s the great tragedy. And, bluntly, it was the French and German governments back in 2005 who signalled that there was going to be a free-for-all.

“If those rules had been stuck to in the first place, we wouldn’t now be in the trouble that we now face.

“It’s right that they should be strengthened.” Clegg said German Chancellor Angela Merkel is “right when she says that the design of the currency as it is is lop-sided and needs to be changed”.—AFP

utive European Commission to veto national budget plans that breach EU limits before they go to parliament, with automatic sanctions for deficit sinners and the possibility to take serial offenders to the European Court of Justice for punishment.

Sarkozy, struggling to win re-election next May, wants euro zone leaders to have the final say, with no new supranational powers for EU institutions. Several other governments, notably Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands, do not want treaty change at all because of the domestic political risks. Some fear it would be hard to win public backing in referendums.

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, who chairs the crucial end-of-week summit in Brussels, will present options for stricter budget control without touching the treaty, as well as steps that would require amendments, aides said.

European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek warned last Friday that treaty change could be divisive and “dangerous”. But diplomats say it is a political must for Merkel. For British Prime Minister David Cameron, the choice is between enraging euroskeptics at home by allowing treaty change to go ahead without winning a return of key powers to London, or seeing the 17 euro zone states reach a separate agreement outside the treaty that could cement a two-speed Europe.

Germany and France want to short-circuit the complex treaty amendment procedure by wrapping the new budget procedures into a single amended protocol 14 on the euro zone. They hope to avoid a parliamentary convention and spare most, if not all, countries the need for a referendum on ratifica-

tion.

That has caused outrage among some lawmakers who say the EU’s main powers are trying to sideline national parliamentary budget sovereignty without any democratic accountability.

In their defense, Paris and Berlin argue the debt crisis is an emergency that requires swift executive action to avert disaster, and that member states already signed up to the budget rules in the 1992 Maastricht Treaty.

While Sarkozy and Merkel put forward their plan, new Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti will be unveiling rigorous austerity measures and economic reforms designed to save Rome from requiring the next international bailout. And bailed-out Ireland will be presenting an eye-watering 2012 austerity budget.

Italy has become the centre of the debt crisis since yields on its 10-year bonds shot up above 7 percent, levels at which Greece, Ireland and Portugal were forced to seek EU/IMF help.

Government sources familiar with Monti’s plan say the mix of cuts and tax rises will total 20-25 billion euros ($27-34 billion) over two years. About half will go to reduce the budget deficit and help balance the budget by 2013, despite an economic downturn and rising borrowing costs.

The rest will free up resources to try to regenerate Italy’s recession-bound economy.

On Tuesday, the Greek parliament is due to give final approval to a draconian 2012 austerity budget that is a condition for a second bailout package still under negotiation with private creditors, euro-zone governments and the IMF. — Reuters

Gold still soaring amid continued debt crisis KUWAIT: Gold is still gaining amid the continued European debt crisis and encouraging US unemployment figures, said a specialized report here yesterday.

The Zummorroda jewelry group report cited last week’s prices, which reached $1,764 per ounce on Friday, on the heels of US economic data released the same day.

The upward curve started Monday and was steeper on Thursday after issue of decisions by six European central banks to reduce financing pressures among banks through bringing down interest on loans in US dollar by 50 basis points, which is a step widely believed would enhance the performance of the euro.

This decision brings more optimism to the European talks ahead of the European Union meetings late next week. The report said that despite the rise in price last week compared to pre-

vious weeks, there was significant increase in buying and popularity of the yellow metal among international investors seeking it as a safe-refuge item to counter the still present threat of inflation.

Most forecasts indicate further hikes despite profit-taking. The psychological barrier for the price of gold is $1,800 per ounce, which could be seen very soon if the metal pushes through the current resistance barrier of $1,767 per ounce.

Prices could go beyond that point if the European Central Bank resorts to boosting liquidity in an attempt to relieve some of the pressures caused by the sovereign debt.

As for silver, it kept to the $33 per ounce range, fluctuating when there is need for liquidity and reaching $33.7 an ounce, an up of 5.5 percent. The bulk of liquidity in the market went into purchase of the metal since it is the most

affordable and most rewarding investment. There are forecasts for silver reaching $34.2 within days, the report said. As to other precious metals, Palladium was the metal of last week, soaring $50 to reach $654 per ounce, with predictions it would reach $630660 per ounce. Platinum meanwhile went in the opposite direction of other precious metals, losing $10 to reach $1,548 per ounce.

When it comes to the local gold market, the report cited increased demand for 18 and 21 carat gold items late in the month, and attributed this to public awareness that prices could well go higher still in the near future.

Sales of pure gold and gold alloys went up in the weekend at workshops and distributors’ outlets, even though 24 carat gold reached KD 15,600 per kilo, while a kilo of silver traded for KD 320 per kilo. —KUNA

China slams US solar probe as ‘protectionist’ BEIJING: China yesterday accused the United States of “protectionist attitudes” towards Chinese solar panel makers and warned that a US investigation could hurt global efforts to cut emissions cheaply.

A US trade panel vote to continue a probe into Chinese imports “betrayed the insincerity of America ... in pushing climate talks while being indifferent to cutting emissions in an affordable way”, the official Xinhua news agency said. As countries try to reach an agreement on emission cuts at the global climate talks in Durban, “the US government’s protectionist attitudes towards China’s solar products could pull back the global green agenda,” Xinhua said.

“The availability of high-quality, low-priced panels in America is a blessing for the debt-ridden country’s efforts to reduce emissions, and serves to avoid its green efforts being retarded by financial strains.” China’s commerce ministry said earlier it was “deeply concerned” about the International Trade Commission’s ruling on Friday that there was a “reasonable indication” that Chinese solar panel imports have harmed the US industry.

“The United States should avoid abusing trade remedies which will affect bilateral trade and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and US enterprises in the new energy sector,” the ministry said a statement. The decision allows the US Commerce Department to continue its probe into complaints by US solar firms-led by SolarWorld Industries America-that China was dumping solar cells and panels in the US market at prices below the cost of production.

The Commerce Department investigation, which could lead to retaliatory duties on Chinese imports, sparked tit-for-tat action from China, with Beijing announcing last month a probe into US subsidies for renewable energy companies.

“While censuring Chinese producers benefiting from state subsidies, the US makers applied double standards by selectively ignoring the millions of dollars in tax breaks and public subsidies ... they themselves received,” Xinhua said. It added that China hoped the United States would “objectively analyse” their domestic industry for the real reason US companies lacked competitiveness “before any grave consequences are incurred”.

“Citing Chinese imports as a key reason for its failure would only underscore their incompetence and heighten their embarrassment if the whole industry is disrupted by the steep duties that could be levied,” it said. The United States will release its preliminary findings early next year.— AFP

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KIB hails success of marketing campaign at KNPC premises KUWAIT: Kuwait International Bank (KIB)’s display stand on KNPC premises continues to be a key part of the Bank’s marketing drive targeting oil companies.

The campaign is in line with KIB’s policy to actively communicate with all society segments.

Tareq Al-Ajlan, Marketing Manager at KIB, said that the KIB campaign for oil companies, which is entitled: “Know Your Muyassara Privileges”, enhanced the bank’s existence at different levels.

Al Ajlan added: “During the campaign, KIB staff met with a number of KNPC’s employees who wished to transfer their salaries to Nafees Account for Men and Rimas Account for Women because of their respective benefits and

advantages.” Al Ajlan said that KNPC staff admired the KIB campaign, which saved them time and effort and gave the Bank the opportunity to communicate with them personally to introduce its products, financial services and other features. He also promised that the KIB campaign will continue to visit other oil companies to introduce the Bank’s competitive product range to potential new customers, as well as providing services for current customers. Finally, he praised the Marketing Department’s commitment in helping the Bank expand its business; increasing the number of customers from different society levels and segments; and achieving the best returns for them.

BPG Kuwait opens doors to new Tijaria Tower office Sign of renewed confidence in Kuwait economy India in bind, may delay coming of foreign retail MUMBAI: India’s ruling party faced a potentially damaging setback yesterday after an important coalition ally said the government had reversed its decision to throw open the country’s huge retail sector to foreign investors.

The government has not officially announced a change in its policy on foreign direct investment, but a reversal would be an embarrassment for the Congress party, which has been scrambling to reassert its leadership and kick-start investment in the deteriorating economy.

The furor over whether to allow chains such as Wal-Mart to open supermarkets in major cities has deadlocked Parliament, with many politicians slamming the deci-

sion as a job killer for India’s small retail shops. Proponents say it would bring needed investment into India’s infrastructure that would bring higher prices to farmers selling their produce and lower prices to consumers buying it.

An about-face on such an important decision would raise serious questions about the ability of India’s ruling party to effectively govern. “(Finance Minister) Pranab Mukherjee has informed me the government is suspending the FDI issue until a consensus is evolved,” Trinamool Congress party chief Mamata Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata late Saturday, according to a translation of her comments by CNN-IBN television news station. — AP

KUWAIT: BPG Kuwait (Bates PanGulf Kuwait), a member of BPG Group, one of the larger marketing solutions groups in the Middle East and part of the WPP network, has officially inaugurated its new office in one of the country’s greatest architectural landmarks, Tijaria Tower on Soor Street. The move comes in response to the sustained growth witnessed by the company and as a sign of renewed confidence in the Kuwait economy.

To mark the occasion, a special welcome lunch was hosted for a number of clients, business partners and members of the media corps. Mohammed Alshaya, Chairman MH Alshaya and Board Member BPG Kuwait, along with Avi Bhojani, BPG Group CEO, and other guests toured the new office and were briefed on BPG Kuwait’s operation and latest developments.

Commenting on the opening Bhojani stated: “Clients want bestin-class solutions to their business problems and we offer significant competitive advantages to our clients through innovative and integrated marketing solutions.

This is demonstrated by the growth not only of the Kuwait office in the last 13 years, but the agency as a

whole across the Middle East. BPG strives to maintain its position as a top-tier ideas driven agency and continues to add to its impressive portfolio of clients seeking pioneering answers.” On her part, Fiona Quinn,General Manager of BPG Kuwait, said: “BPG Kuwait always aims at raising the bar in everything we do and our new office is

no exception. This new work environment will enhance the unique corporate culture that makes us an employer of choice in our industry.

When our clients succeed, so do we, and our continued growth and expansion are a testament to the exceptional results our clients have come to expect from us.”

With offices spanning the GCC and affiliates across the globe, BPG opened their first office in Kuwait in 1999. Nearly 13 years later, the agency continues to be one of the top marketing solutions providers in the country.

The agency’s clients include market leading companies such as M H Alshaya Company, Alshaya Trading Company, Behbehani Motors Company, Fantasy World, Rasameel,the IFA group of companies and Jumeirah Mesillah Beach Hotel, to name a few

First Bahrain’s Majaal project achieves major milestone KUWAIT: First Bahrain, a Kuwaiti real estate company, announced yesterday the achievement of full occupancy at its flagship project, the Majaal warehousing development.

Working diligently, the company was able to fully lease the Small-toMedium sized Enterprises (SME)focused warehousing and industrial workspace facility located at the Bahrain Investment Wharf in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The end result shows that Majaal has attracted a diverse and stable portfolio of tenants representing a broad range of sectors and business activities with leases

averaging nearly four years in length.

Salah Ahmed Al-Wuhaib, Chairman of First Bahrain stated: “We are pleased to announce that First Bahrain has achieved full occupancy of Majaal Phase I within the first 18 months of operations.” He also commented, “Moving ahead, we will focus on the expansion of the second phase of Majaal at BIW, which will more than double the size of the facility. We are also preparing to grow Majaal regionally, with planned expansion into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are in the advanced stages of this effort and we hope to be making major

announcements about a partnership to facilitate this new venture soon.”

Al-Wuhaib concluded by thanking First Bahrain’s management and staff and expressed his sincere appreciation of the companies’ stakeholders; investors, tenants and vendors, for their continued trust and support.

The Majaal warehousing development is located within the Salman Industrial City at the Bahrain Investment Wharf, providing easy access to Khalifa bin Salman Port and other major transport links in Bahrain.

Majaal presently offers 130,000 square feet of secure, flexible and cost effec-

tive storage spaces. The SME-focused warehouse and logistic facility is designed to service the needs of the industrial sector. The convenient and high-quality units at Majaal are complemented with a set of services that include 24 hours a day, seven days a week security, state-of-the-art information communication technology provisions and assistance in design and fit-out. Other distinguishing services include professional facilities management, onsite forklift rental and logistics support. Units are available from as little as 2,700 square feet to as much as 10,700 square feet.

GCC COUNTRIES 74.150 76.402 722.230 738.540 75.715

Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Salah Ahmed Al-Wuhaib, Chairman of First Bahrain

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 .4260000 .3670000 .2980000 .2650000 .2720000 .0040000 .0020000 .0750520 .7312060 .3810000 .0700000 .7168150 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2757000 GB Pound/KD .4310710 Euro .3694380 Swiss francs .3006870 Canadian dollars .2679820 Danish Kroner .0496560 Swedish Kroner .0400710 Australian dlr .2768440 Hong Kong dlr .0353810 Singapore dlr .2129620 Japanese yen .0035470 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0750920 Bahraini dinars .7315910 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0735400 Omani riyals .7163830 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.598 5.337 3.154 2.436 3.341 213.250 35.672 3.580 6.336 8.873 0.271 0.273

.2800000 .4370000 .3770000 .3090000 .2750000 .2830000 .0072500 .0035000 .0758060 .7385550 .4010000 .0760000 .7240200 .0072000 .0530000 .2793000 .4367000 .3742620 .3046130 .2714810 .0503040 .0405940 .2804590 .0358430 .2157420 .0035930 .0053970 .0024600 .0031760 .0036530 .0760720 .7411440 .3950500 .0745000 .7257370 .0064500

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 47.500 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.282 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.272 Tunisian Dinar 189.860 Jordanian Dinar 392.670 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.865 Syrian Lier 6.003 Morocco Dirham 33.814 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 277.950 Euro 370.650 Sterling Pound 431.930 Canadian dollar 268.420 Turkish lire 153.940 Swiss Franc 300.620 Australian dollar 277.000 US Dollar Buying 277.750 GOLD 315.500 159.000 81.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

COUNTRY

SELL CASH

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal

287.100 738.020 3.820 276.400 545.100 44.800 51.400 167.800 48.390 376.500 36.390 5.730 0.032 0.213 0.241 3.660 394.110 0.188 91.050 46.400 4.270 219.700 1.798 49.300 719.770

SELL DRAFT

285.600 738.020 3.554 274.900

247.600 46.250 375.000 36.390 5.410 0.031

10 Tola

75.500 277.600

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

276.850 268.505 443.300 374.970 303.055 733.125 75.350 75.990 73.785 389.700 46.310 2.422 5.309 3.179 3.615 6.383 679.095 3.675 8.955 5.830 3.415 91.960

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

287.79 276.48 306.15 374.96

438.00 3.70 3.750 5.700 2.650 4.150 3.350 76.00 737.50 48.39 393.00 721.00 76.80 74.25

277.450 3.120 5.410 2.445 3.570 6.450 75.630 74.130 737.500 46.230 438.200 3.190 1.550 394.100 5.750 377.200 277.800 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange

UAE Exchange Center WLL Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro

436.07 3.61 3.571 5.405 2.436 3.394 3.134 75.52 738.00 46.21 394.72 721.07 76.51 74.08

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 435.600 277.500

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Currency

720.630

304.000 5.300 9.200

Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

Currency

393.230 0.187 91.050 3.400 218.200

3.130 6.410 76.340 74.090 217.610 37.120 2.420 435.600

GOLD 1,814.960

Rate for Transfer

Bahrain Exchange Company

3.330 6.650 76.770 74.090 217.610 37.120 2.644 437.600 42.200 305.500 5.300 9.340 198.263 75.650 277.900 1.220

287.50 277.00 307.40 377.00

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

277.500 376.800 437.800 274.300 3.575 5.405 46.125 2.428 3.500 6.398 3.115 736.900 75.350 73.500

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Infiniti Al-Babtain always nearest its clients Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al-Babtain sponsors Greek Festival in Kuwait

IKEA enhances empowerment of women KUWAIT: The IKEA Foundation in collaboration with the UN Development Program (UNDP) have paved the way for women in Uttar Pradesh, Carpet belt in India to be self-sufficient and better equipped socially, economically and politically.

IKEA has funded and continues to support UNICEF managed programs since 2000 with an aim to provide at least 50,000 women with a range of beneficial inputs to help them become entrepreneurs, contribute substantially to their household income, strengthen legal awareness and participate in the local political decision-making processes of their villages. Functional Self-help groups are designed to support women on various levels as they are now considered active and respected influencers in their communities.

Local motivators are deployed to teach village women about how to manage sanitation as well as health and diet within the family. Women are taught to take control over their children’s health and have also been made aware of the health insurance facilities and benefits available to them.

Through dedicated resources in the form of master trainers of functional literacy, IKEA together with the UNDP along with their partners developed training modules in financial literacy and leadership. To further refine their capabilities, more than 70 master trainers from among the women community have been trained to develop women’s skills in craft on a mass scale basis. Women have also been inducted into micro credit schemes that enable the startup of small businesses. To help enable women manage credit in an effective manner, about 3,000 have been trained in good credit management practices.

IKEA continues to enhance the lives of various demographics through innovative and productive programs in different parts of the world as part of their ongoing corporate social responsibility.

AUB announces prizes of Al-Hassad weekly draw KUWAIT: Al-Hassad Islamic is the only scheme to offer high value weekly and monthly prizes that are significantly higher than the total outlay of other prize schemes.

AUB has announced the results of the weekly draws of its Al-Hassad Islamic savings scheme. The lucky customers winning the Grand Weekly prize worth KD 25,000 each at the draws held on 9th of November 2011. Rahman Jassim A Rahman Hazeem, Mohammed Yousif A. Rahman and Mohamed A. Jalil Ebrahim Shehab.

The following Al-Hassad Islamic customers won cash prizes of KD 1000 each: Aisha Saeid Ali Saeid, Leyla Hassan Vahhabi, Hassnaa Kleeb Rashid Al Husseni, Eid Mahmoud Ibrahim Al Burdini, Sami Radhi Ali Hasan, Sami Abdulaziz Youssif Alsediki, Subhey Sadeeq Faheem Abdulsayed, Vaikunta Raja C Raja, Aesha Mohd , Saleh Khaled Deefallah Al Mutairi, Fahad Awad Alewe Al Thafiri, Amina Ghloum Haider, Abdeen Mohd Yousef A/Rahim, Ebrahim Ismaeel Agha Kazerooni, Mohammed Khalifa Badriya Fakhri, Ahmed Tarish Al Doseri, Mehboob Ali Akbar Ghiasi, Hajar A.Jalil Mohammed Dailami, Meshal A H Aljassam, Samer Mounir Zaky Tadros, Faisal Abdullah Ahmad Almansouri, Fahad Mohamad Fahad Alajmi, Hussain Abbas H J Al haddad, Suzan Mohamed Mousa Awad, Abdulla Ali Rashid Ali Maanter.

Shuaa to lay off 29 in first phase of job cuts DUBAI: Shuaa Capital will lay off 29 of its employees in the first phase of a planned redundancy program aimed at boosting profitability at the struggling Dubai-based investment bank, it said yesterday.

Shuaa, which helped float ports operator DP World several years ago, said the entire cost-cutting program, which will take a number of weeks to complete, will have a “significant” positive impact on its profits going forward. The majority of the redundancies relate to the retail brokerage business, which Shuaa’s plans to exit after slumping trade volumes in the United Arab Emirates, it said in a bourse statement.

“Markets have been challenging for the entire industry in 2011, and we expect conditions to be much the same for the next few quarters,” Michael Philipp, Shuaa’s recentlynamed chief executive said. “We expect the cost cutting measures to have a significant positive impact on our bottom line going forward.”

Shuaa also named Houssem Ben Haj Amour as its new finance director, replacing Paul Kelly. Amour’s appointment is effective immediately, the bank said. One of the Arab world’s largest investment banks and once a symbol of the sector’s potential in the region, Shuaa was hit by the 2008 global financial downturn, with asset impairments erasing profits. Its stock has fallen 50 percent year-to-date.

Shuaa named former Credit Suisse banker Michael Philipp as its new chief executive in October, replacing Sameer Al Ansari. Philipp is shifting the bank’s focus to high-net worth and institutional clients, he said in an interview after the appointment. —Reuters

KUWAIT: Infiniti Brand, affiliated to Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al-Babtain Company sponsored the Greek Festival which was inaugurated by Hilton Kuwait Resort in collaboration with Greek Embassy in Kuwait on the basis of social participation for all the events and in welcoming of the Greek Community residing in Kuwait.

Abdulmohsen Abdulaziz Al-Babtain Company is always keenly interested in taking the initiative to sponsor everything new; it is the first time in which the Greek Festival is held in Kuwait. The Festival is deemed a distinct and unique meeting place gathering lovers of Greece; it gave the opportunity for presenting the Greek art, culture, music and history. In addition, it provided the attendees with enjoyable atmospheres for enjoying the taste of excellent Greek cuisine which are so delicious. The Festival was intervened by several draws ad valuable prizes in the midst of multitude of attendees, including air travel tickets to Greece, in interesting and won-

derful Greek atmospheres. This step comes as materialization of Infiniti Al-Babtain’s vision and taking as a starting point is targeting mission to contribute with a prominent and responsible social role through supporting distinct activities and proceedings, and its presence in such proceedings to be always near its clients.

(From right): Belal Al Kharoby, Qostanteen Drakakees (the Greek Ambassador), Mohamed Shalaby, Essam Salama and Shahid Taher

Al-Tijari announces winners of daily draw with Najma Account KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al Najma Account draw on December 4, 2011. The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Abdulaziz Al Kouh. The winners of the Al Najma daily draw are:Wafa Habib Abdul Baqi — KD 7000 Heirs of deceased Abdulla Mohammed Ali —KD 7000 Prakash Balaji Ghagare — KD 7000 Jamal Abdul Karim Ali Shamoh — KD 7000

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account. Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Eid AlAdha and on the 19th of June which is the date of the bank’s establishment.

With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be

EU crisis overview

One week to save the euro PARIS: One way or another, this is crunch week for the euro. By the end of the EU summit on Friday, European voters and markets will know how their leaders plan to save the single currency bloc. The outlines of a plan have begun to emerge, but details will be thrashed out over a perilous week of high-wire economic diplomacy, starting today, when Germany ’s Chancellor Angela Merkel comes back to Paris. She and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have vowed to unveil proposed EU treaty changes to create what Merkel has dubbed a “European fiscal union with strict rules” and the French leader calls “true economic government.”

If the proposed reforms are seen as a credible guarantee that euro-zone governments will at last bring their deficits under control, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi has suggested “that other elements might follow”.

This has been taken as a signal the ECB might inter vene to protect European banks from any credit crunch and to buy bonds to rein in soaring interest rates on government borrowing, perhaps acting in concert with the IMF. Would that be enough to end the debt crisis and save the euro? Some expert observers think so, others fear it will be too little too late, and in any case between now and then many questions will have to be answered.

Firstly, can France and Germany even agree on the details of the reforms?

Sarkozy and Merkel have certainly sought to take charge, working so closely together that the media have taken to calling them “Merkozy” and running the risk of alienating smaller EU states wary of Franco-German domination. In a landmark speech last week, Sarkozy insisted on the importance of the Paris-Berlin alliance, arguing: “When Germany and France are united, it’s all of Europe that is united and strong.”

But tensions are not far from the surface. Sarkozy is smarting from becoming the junior partner, obliged to tail along in Merkel’s imperial wake when she rejected French entreaties to make the ECB a lender of last resort on the model

of the Fed or the Bank of England.

Merkel also dismissed the idea of pooling euro-zone members’ debts by issuing joint eurobonds, declaring: “Whoever has not understood that they cannot be the solution to the crisis has not understood the nature of the crisis.”

Opposition leaders accused Sarkozy of capitulating, comparing Merkel to 19th centur y German leader Otto von Bismarck and the French president to Edouard Daladier, who signed the notorious Munich Accords to appease Hitler in 1938. Nevertheless, the French and German positions seem to be converging. After Monday ’s Franco-German mini-summit, EU leaders will have three days to digest France and Germany’s proposals before Thursday, when the EU summit begins in Brussels and the ECB board meets in Frankfurt.

The ECB is expected to cut its base rate from 1.25 percent to one percent, signalling that it is not worried about inflation taking off-and therefore implying it might have some leeway to provide greater cover for banks. But Draghi and especially Merkel have quashed attempts to broaden its mandate beyond price stability, stopping it from bringing out what British Prime Minister David Cameron called the ‘big bazooka’ of monetisation.

Britain is not a member of the eurozone-only 17 of 27 EU members are-and it is not clear whether Merkel will expect all EU countries to sign up to her plan to allow Brussels to tightly police national budgets. Some countries may be obliged by national law to put a new treaty to a referendum, which might delay or even derail its implementation.

After talks with Sarkoz y on Friday, Cameron appeared resigned to the idea of treaty changes, but he promised to fight Britain’s corner, under pressure from the anti-European wing of his party to win back powers from Brussels.

The EU summit is slated to last two days until Friday, but previous meetings have lasted long into the night without arriving at lasting solutions, and all now agree that this week represents a last chance to head off disaster. — AFP

eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or two months prior to the mega draw. In addition, for each KD25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50. Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

K-PAK granted Green Business Certification KUWAIT: The assistant managing director at Kuwait Packing Materials Manufacturing Co (K-PAK) Sana’a AlQamlas announced with delectation that K-PAK, one of the leading manufacturing companies of packaging materials was granted the Green Business certification (GBC) by the Institute of Green Business Certification - Middle East.

K-Pack, is a pioneer in supplying high quality and innovative packaging solutions for food industry, retail, catering, supermarkets etc. The company is well concerned in the wellbeing of the customers’ needs and the environment in a particular way.

It is an ideology embedded in its core business process. Its pool of products are easily and cheaply recycled, and ozone friendly (CFC free). It starts at the very basic level of the raw materials used which are food grade materials. K-pack made sure that its strategy is a win-win situation, targeting the customers at their basic needs level and their sophisticated environmental concerns.

K-PAK was subjected to an audit performed by the audit committee at the Institute for Green business Certification.

The Company commitment was translated in measures implemented in the different environmental areas. The compa-

Sadegh Jafar, Regional Director of the Institute for Green Business Certification- Middle East

ny encouraged water conservation, implemented reduction in paper and solid wastes measures, made changes to save electric energy in the offices.

Sadegh Jafar, Regional Director of the Institute for Green Business CertificationMiddle East commented on the company’s achievement explaining that he appreciates the positive improvements made by the company in pursuit of going green and acknowledge the determination, and commitment of the direction and staff into making this step forward. As a result, the company was certified and listed in the official list of the Middle East Green Business Directory.

The Institute of Green Business Certification (IGBC) is a US based global organization established in 2006, with a sole purpose to help organizations become green and environmentallyfriendly. It operates in the US, Canada, UK, Latin America, East Asia, and Middle East (www.igbc.me). It is considered the world’s first institution to develop a certification program that verifies and accredits the businesses for being environmentally-friendly. The Middle Eastern branch, based in Kuwait, serves the Asiatic Arab states with a mission to promote green business practices in this market. Today’s businesses are more and more heading toward adopting a green business model responding to the great popular interest in the environment, no longer can this trend be ignored.

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Kuwait equities slip as investors look for clue GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) closed in red zone once again during yesterday’s session as the positive political developments in the country had only a short-lived impact on investorsentiment.

Local bourse went back to the same situation with no catalysts to inspire investors and portfolios. Banking sector pulled major indices to end the session in negative territory.

Global General Index (GGI) ended the day down by 0.52 percent, at 181.51 point. Market Capitalization was down for the day, reaching KD29.69bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 5,829.3 point, shedding 5.9 points (0.1 percent) to its previous close.

Market breadth During the session, 95 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards advancers as 37 equities declined versus 29 that advanced.

Trading activity was down yesterday. Total volume traded was down by 11.04 percent with 162.96mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD21.74mn (17.18 percent lower compared to Thursday session). Investment sector was the volume leader. The sector accounted for 35.64 percent of total shares exchanges.

Gulf Finance House was the session’s most traded stock with 25.10mn shares exchanged. The banking sector was the value leader, having 54.18 percent of total traded value.

In terms of top gainers, Ekttitab Holding Company was the top gainer for the day, adding 10.87 percent to its share value and closing at KD0.0255. On the

other hand, National International Company (Holding) shed 7.27 percent and closed at KD0.051 making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Sector-wise Global’s sectoral indices ended the day on a mixed note with Global Banking Index being the top loser. The index ended the day down by 0.91 percent dragged lower by Ahli United Bank & National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), the top losers in the sector, ending the day with losses of 2.44

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

business

percent and 1.72 percent, respectively. Commercial Bank of Kuwait was the only gainer in the sector, adding 3.95 percent, and closing at KD0.790.

Global Real Estate Index came in second, shedding 0.60 percent in value as heavyweight Mabanee Company posted a 1.12 percent decline to end the day at KD0.880. Furthermore, National Real Estate Company shed 4.23 percent to close at KD0.136.

In terms of advancers, Global Non Kuwaiti Index took the top spot with a 0.53 percent gain.

Heavyweight Gulf Finance House was the main factor to the index’s gain, up 2.47 percent to end the day at KD0.0415. The stock was also the most traded in the market with 25.12mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD1.03mn.

Oil news The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $109.41pb on Thursday, compared with $110.38pb the previous day, according to OPEC secretariat calculations.

Batelco eyes tower sales in Bahrain and Jordan DUBAI: Bahrain Telecommunications (Batelco) is eyeing a sale and lease back deal for its tower assets in Bahrain and Jordan, a banking source familiar with the matter said, in a move that would raise funds for potential acquisitions.

Batelco, which secured investment-grade ratings last month, has hired Citigroup to help with the sale process, the banking source said speaking on condition of anonymity.

The deal may generate between $200 million to $300 million for the carrier, he added. A formal bidding process is on and Batelco has received expressions of interest from a few bidders, the source said.

A Batelco executive said yesterday the firm was looking at options to monetize the tower operations in the two countries. “We are exploring all options to unlock value for our business and the towers is one of those options, but we have not made a decision on whether to lease them back or keep them - we are still going through the deliberations,” said Peter Kaliaropoulos, Batelco chief executive of strategic assignments.

“We have no debt, so extra funds we derive-should we proceed with monetising the towers-will go towards future acquisitions because it reduces the cost of funding for us.”Batelco has been keen for acqui-

sitions to shore up growth after losing its monopoly in the Gulf Arab island kingdom in 2003. Last year, it had a 37-percent share of Bahrain’s mobile subscribers and fierce domestic competition from units of Kuwait’s Zain and Saudi Telecom Co is pushing the operator to look abroad.

In September, a joint consortium led by Kingdom Holding and Batelco scrapped a $950 million offer for a 25-percent stake in Zain Saudi. Batelco also has interests in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, India, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, with these providing about a third of revenue in the first nine months of 2011. Debt-free Batelco had a cash and bank balance of $230 million as of Sept. 30 and may issue bonds to raise financing for acquisitions after securing ratings from Fitch and Standard & Poor’s, analysts say.

In a sale and lease back arrangement one party sells a property to a buyer who immediately leases the property back to the seller. This allows the original owner to make full use of the asset but have no capital tied up in the asset.

Saudi rivals Mobily and Saudi Telecom plan to close a tower-sharing deal by year-end to help the two carriers cut network maintenance costs in Saudi Arabia, in a first for the Gulf Arab region. — Reuters

No timeframe for foreign access to Saudi bourse ABU DHABI: Saudi Arabia is yet to finalize a timeframe for when it will open up its stock market for direct foreign ownership, the chief executive of the kingdom’s stock exchange said yesterday.

“It needs to be done right. The Saudi market has always done things in a structured way,” Abdullah al Suweilmy told reporters on the sidelines of the Arab fed-

eration of exchanges conference in Abu Dhabi. Asked if it could be soon, he said: “No timeframe.” Saudi Arabia has been considering a wider opening of its market, the biggest in the region, for several years. Currently, foreigners have only very limited opportunities to invest through indirect ownership and exchange traded funds that track indexes. — Reuters

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Years

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

BUSINESS Weekly commodity update

Central Banks deliver end of month boost

By Ole S Hansen inancial markets including commodities reacted positively to what looked like concerted efforts by central banks to boost liquidity and confidence. Five major central banks announced a coordinated reduction in the interest rate charged on US dollar swaps, which should help the flow of liquidity between international banks and The People’s Bank of China surprisingly cut the reserve requirement ratio for domestic banks, as its manufacturing activity contracted for the first time in almost three years. This has forced it to shift focus back towards growth as the world’s second largest economy looks set to slow down much faster than expected over the coming months.

The CRB only lost 0.4 percent during November and is down 5.6 percent year to date. During the month the debt crisis continued unchecked with the dollar rising by 1.4 percent against a basket of currencies and thereby removing some support for commodities. The star was WTI crude which closed some of the gap to Brent and generally stayed supported on the back of tightness ahead of winter and geo-political risk looming in Iran. Agricultural commodities fared the worst with seven out of the bottom ten belonging to this sector.

The price of copper jumped strongly from an oversold situation and most other commodities followed, not least helped by what looked like temporary weakness of the dollar. Meanwhile the US economy continues to decouple from the rest as economic data continues to surprise on the upside further removing the risk of recession in the world’s largest economy. The recession in Europe and slowing developing economies however will probably not avert the global economy from slowing further during the next 3 to 6 months and commodities will be struggling to move much higher on that assumption.

It is important to note that this is not a turning point for the euro-zone debt crisis and politicians needs to show a similar resolve as the central banks as the sovereign debt crisis in Europe requires much stronger medicine and only they can deliver the potential cure, whatever that may be.

Difficult market and trading conditions therefore look set to persist for now with the length of elevated volatility now only having been exceeded by two periods during the 1930’s.

F

Headline risks persist ahead of year-end The central bank actions triggered a major stock market rally but the bond markets failed to buy into the relief with especially Italian bond yields staying at elevated and long term unsustainable levels while the return on German oneyear government bonds has fallen below zero with many investors now more concerned about the return of, instead of a return on, their money. With liquidity continuing to dwindle as we head towards year-end the markets will become more and more driven by headlines and very short-term trading decisions as traders try to protect whatever profits they have or limit their losses.

Hedge funds and other large speculators continued to reduce exposure to commodities during November. The recent data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed that they have reduced their combined long exposure of futures and options on the 25 commodities we track by 19 percent to 770,000 lots, the lowest level since July 2009 and well below the recent peak of nearly 2 million contracts back in February. In nominal terms the exposure dropped by $12 billion to $76 billion last week.

This data is becoming increasingly important to keep an eye on as a potential reverse indicator. A good example of this was copper this week which saw an intraday low to high swing of 10 percent. According to the CFTC investors had tripled their short positions in copper as the outlook continued to deteriorate. This left it vulnerable to positive news and this was what the Central Banks delivered and a strong rally followed as short positions were scaled back.

Gold rush Gold traders reacted strongly to the central banks’ announcement after having been trading quietly over the last week. The move up to 1,750, the highest in two weeks, was supported by heavy trading volumes and could indicate that while many have been looking for a larger correction they do not want to miss out on a potential move to the upside. Gold is generally being viewed as one of the safest and most defensive investments among commodities while the economic outlook deteriorates. We believe the dollar will soon find support and strengthen again and this remains a major deterrent for the price of gold to rise unless the crisis escalates even further.

Crude oil The price of oil went looking for resistance this week after important support levels at 95 on WTI and 105 on Brent crude held early on. The market is currently stuck between the deteriorating outlook for economic growth combined with the return of Libyan oil and winter tightness and geo-political risk. The clash between western government and Iran, OPEC’s second biggest producer, continues with the UK closing its embassy following an attack.

This geo-political risk premium on oil, which could be worth five dollars on the price, will remain and could potentially widen further. Given the lack of firm convictions as to the future direction the established ranges, which are 95 to 105 on WTI and 105 to 115 on Brent, look set to hold.

Grain markets The grain sector tumbled the most with long exposure to corn, the up until now darling of the grain markets, dropping by 22 percent. The overall long exposure to CBOT grains now sits at only 69,500 contracts, down from 800,000 contracts in February when worries about this year’s crop reached boiling point. The short position in the soy complex, which comprises soybeans, soy meal and soy oil, grew for the second week reaching -45,000 contracts.

The sharp reduction in investor participations over the last couple of months has been triggered by higher than expected production this summer while US produced grain prices have come under pressure as the strengthening dollar has sapped its competitiveness on the global market. The price of corn and soybeans especially should remain supported as higher feed demand and Chinese restocking will ensure good demand in the months ahead.

The global supply response to the higher prices over the last couple of years should also ensure a high amount of planting next year but with La Nina, the weather phenomenon, expected to make a return the outlook could easily change.

Oil will go over $250 if exports banned: Iran US, EU yet to finalize blockade move TEHRAN: Iran’s Foreign Ministry believes that if the West seriously considered blocking Tehran’s ability to export oil, the global price of crude would more than double, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was quoted as saying yesterday.

“As soon as such an issue is raised seriously the oil price would soar to above $250 a barrel,” he told the reformist daily Sharq. Talk in the West of tightening sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program has

increased since the United Nations nuclear watchdog issued a report in November containing what it said was evidence that Tehran had worked on designing an atom bomb.

Iran says its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. The US Senate voted on Thursday to penalize foreign financial institutions that do business with Iran’s central bank, the main conduit for its oil revenues, and the European Union is considering a ban on oil imports from the

Islamic Republic.

But so far neither Washington nor Brussels has finalized its move against the oil trade or the central bank amid fears of the possible impact on a fragile global economy of restricting oil flows from the world’s fifth biggest exporter.

Mehmanparast said he doubted they would take that step.

“Imposing sanctions on oil and gas is among the sanctions that, if one wants to do that, the consequences should be fully

considered before taking any action,” he said.

“I do not think the situation in the world and especially in the West today is prepared enough to raise such discussions.” The storming of Britain’s embassy in Tehran on Tuesday after London announced unilateral sanctions on Iran’s central bank raised tensions and pushed up crude prices. ICE Brent January crude rose 95 cents on Friday to settle at $109.94 a barrel. —Reuters

Global coordination to help Europe NBK WEEKLY MONEY MARKETS REPORT KUWAIT: Investors thought that the major surprise of the week was China cutting its Required Reserve Ratio by 50 bps, signaling the intention of Bank of China for more easing. Still the reaction ended up being modest, in front of the market shock when the Fed and major central banks including the ECB, BOC, BOJ, BOE and the SNB simultaneously cut the penalty rate for USD funding.

Although the policy shift was perhaps not material by itself, it received a higher weight because of the global coordination and their warning that they could do more in “non USD” funding if needed.

The USD which had been supported by rising US funding rates, collapsed and markets exploded to the upside with the major outperformer being the financial sector. Markets tried to consolidate on better mood on Thursday and Friday and the week ended on a quiet tone.

The marathon did not end on Thursday as Investors’ attention automatically turned towards next week’s European Summit. The French President Sarkozy provided few details on the Franco-German proposals for the Treaty change, but said that the detailed proposals to change the EU treaty would be presented jointly with German Chancellor Merkel on Monday in Paris.

On a different front, the Swiss government announced that it might consider negative interest rates as a solution against a strong Swiss Franc. Swiss data in recent weeks consistently highlighted the negative impact of the strong franc on the economy. After the statement, speculation over the lift in the EURCHF floor resurfaced taking the Euro to a high of 1.2394 against the Swiss franc.

US unemployment rate The US unemployment rate dropped to 8.6% in November, its lowest level in two years, from 9% the month before.

One of the reasons for the sharp drop in the jobless rate in November was the large number of people who gave up looking for work, and therefore were no longer counted as part of the workforce.

The unemployment rate decline was also driven by a mix of household employment (+278k) and the distorting impact of a sharp decline in the labor force (315k). Although the decline in unemployment rate looks overstated, the good news is that the household survey has delivered four monthly gains in a row averaging 321k a month. The other major surprise includes the ongoing upward revision to past data including September.

US home sales Pending home sales rose sharply in

October and remains above the 2010 levels. The Pending Home Sales Index jumped 10.4% to 93.3 in October from 84.5 in September. The National Association of Realtors report indicates closings may be increasing in the next couple of months, which will bring some hope to the industry. Analysts believe low interest rates and slipping home prices may finally be triggering the release of buyer demand. Buyer confidence seems to still be lacking and the lack of a bottom in prices are keeping purchasers on the sidelines.

The economy grew in most parts of the US in October and the first part of this month, though hiring remained subdued, suggesting a slow recovery. The Federal Reserve said Wednesday in its latest beige book that 11 of its 12 bank regions reported an increase in economic activity since the previous report. Most Fed districts described the pace of growth as slow or moderate. Contacts

generally noted modest increases in consumer spending, stronger tourism activity, a steadily expanding manufacturing sector, sluggish real estate and construction markets, and stable wages and salaries since the previous beige book.

Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup had their long-term credit grades downgraded to A- from A by Standard & Poor’s after the ratings firm revised its criteria for the banking industry. S&P made the cut to 37 banks in total, including as well Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo. The downgrades may be costly for the US financial sector. Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Janet Yellen said the central bank will defend the financial sector as it has leeway to spur the US recovery and reduce unemployment by purchasing more assets and clarifying its plan to sustain record-low borrowing costs.

Europe Risk sentiment has been supported since Wednesday, partly on expectations for policymakers to move into the right direction and prospects for a more aggressive stance by the ECB have been

rising. In a speech at the parliament, German Chancellor Merkel stressed that Euro-bonds are the wrong tool for solving the debt crisis. Regaining confidence via more fiscal integration and the creation of a fiscal union seems to be the only reasonable way out of the crisis.

More progress on that basis would be welcomed by the ECB, which hinted that its arsenal has not been fully deployed yet, and that more aggressive action may be on the cards should politicians indeed deliver on more fiscal integration.

German Finance Minister Schaeuble also hinted towards a more concrete plan for fiscal integration and stated that proposals for special funds for sovereign debts of over 60% of GDP would be made at the December 9th summit.

Finally, the Europe finance ministers gave the go ahead on Friday to a European proposal to channel central bank loans through the IMF. The plan would deliver as much as 200B Euros to fight the crisis.

Overall, all these news appear to give some hope on the political front and seem to be moving the European zone in the right direction.

Yields on bonds issued by Spain and Italy fell on mounting belief that the euro-zone leaders may be moving closer to a comprehensive solution to the debt crisis. The Italian 10-year government bond yields had already retreated below 7% reaching a low of 6.49%, while the 10-year Spanish spread over Bunds has collapsed around 60 basis points.

IMF Lagarde’s Latin America trip is part of a broader effort that included visits to Russia, China and Japan to secure bilateral loans to the IMF as a way to help Europe. With about $390 billion currently available for lending, the Washingtonbased IMF may not have enough money to meet demand, stated Lagarde. As a result, Mexico and Brazil, which alone has more than $350 billion in international reserves, have said they are willing to do their part provided Europe boosted its own rescue efforts.

Bank of England’s Governor Mervyn King’s stated that in the past year the UK economy has witnessed an unpleasant

combination of weak output growth and high inflation. He also mentioned that UK has seen a reluctant recovery to date due to the headwinds associated with the rebalancing process that is underway at home. However, in recent months developments abroad, and especially in the Euro area, have increasingly threatened that process of rebalancing and recovery.

The UK Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 47.6 versus expectation of 47.0 in November, its lowest level since June 2009. The manufacturing sector contracted for the second consecutive month in November, as companies cut production due to lower demand from both export and domestic clients. A level below the 50 indicates contraction Euro-zone woes have created “an exceptionally threatening environment” as falling government bond prices, eroding confidence and asset fire sales threaten to “spiral” into a systemic financial crisis, the governor of the Bank of England has warned. As he unveiled the Bank’s twice-yearly Financial Stability Report, King urged the UK financial system to continue building up capital against an “extraordinarily serious”.

Japan taking action Japan’s industrial production increased more than expected in October. Factory outputs increased 2.4% from September, rebounding from a 3.3% drop. The strong Yen has been a source of volatile data over the past few months. Japan’s finance minister said on Thursday the government will compile a fourth spending package this fiscal year to help companies cope with a strong yen and floods at factories in Thailand, but the measures will not rely on new bond issuance. Finance Minister Jun Azumi said the budget, to be compiled by the middle of this month, could be worth around 2 trillion yen but did not provide details on the funding.

China’s manufacturing contracted for the first time since February 2009 as the property market continued cooling down. The Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 49.0, versus estimate of 49.8 in November from 50.4 in October. The People’s Bank of China also announced the first cut in banks’ reserve requirements since 2008, moving two hours before the US Federal Reserve led a global effort to ease Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis. The move will add about 370 billion Yuan to the financial system and more reductions may follow as the government seeks to support growth.

Kuwaiti dinar at 0.27680. The USDKWD opened at 0.27680 yesterday morning.

Drake & Scull Int’l inks KD15m KU contract

Compact-new-Lexus-CT-200h

Lexus ‘CT 200h’ receives maximum rating TOYOTA CITY: Lexus announces that the “CT 200h” gasoline-electric hybrid five-door hatchback has received a maximum five-star rating in automobile safety testing and evaluation for 2011 carried out under the Japan New Car Assessment Program (JNCAP). The rating is based on a new overall safety assessment structure introduced this year.

CT 200h The new assessment structure integrates vehicle occupant protection and pedestrian protection performance during collisions under a single assessment structure, providing an overall safety evaluation for automobiles with the assignment of one to five stars. The CT 200h was awarded five stars for achieving the highest level of safety through features including a highly rigid

cabin and impact-absorbing body, state-ofthe-art technology in the form of a body structure that lessens injuries to pedestrians, and the vehicle’s Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL) seats and eight airbags.

Lexus will continue to pursue the highest levels of safety performance. Since 1995, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and the National Agency for Automotive Safety and Victims’ Aid have been disseminating information under the JNCAP on the safety of vehicles to promote the use of safe automobiles. The information comprises results of safety evaluations for commercially available vehicles based on tests including collision safety performance tests, pedestrian head and leg protection performance tests and braking performance tests.

KUWAIT: Drake and Scull Kuwait (DSK), a subsidiary of Drake & Scull International (DSI) PJSC a regional market leader in integrated design, engineering and the construction disciplines of Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP), Civil Contracting, and Water & Power inked today a AED 200 million About KD15 million contract to execute the MEP package for the college of art as part of the Sabah Al-Salem University development in Shadadiya, Kuwait.

On this occasion Khaldoun Tabari, CEO of DSI commented, in a press statement, “We are progressing steadily in Kuwait and we have managed to secure AED 430 million worth of work year to date .Investment in educational institutions is at the heart of government’s social development programs in the region. The Kuwaiti Government recognize the implications of ensuring high quality education and its magnitude in securing a sustainable future economic growth. Substantial funds have been dedicated to decrease illiteracy rates through the development of a wide range of educational institutions across the nation and we intend to take a significant part in these developments.

DSI has a reputable experience in the educational development industry and is specialized in the integrated MEP services for schools and universities’ facilities. We have adopted specific design policies and applications of proven technologies and systems on educational projects similar in scale and complexity. We intend to mobilize on site shortly and we expect to deliver

Khaldoun Tabari the project in March 2015.

Since its inception in 2004, DSK has been involved in some of Kuwait’s top engineering projects including the Special Training Centre for Public Authority for Applied Education and Training in Chuwaikh and the College of Basic Education- Boys Campus in Ardiya in addition to the Kuwait State Audit Bureau. DSK exclusively owns unique engineering technologies, especially in the MEP and Water and Power sectors, and enjoys close ties with governmental and private property developers.

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

business

Obama urges public help pushing payroll tax cuts WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama wants voters to get involved in the debate over extending the reduced payroll tax and he’s asking them to tell members of Congress to keep the cut in place.

“Let your members of Congress know where you stand,” Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. “Tell them not to vote to raise taxes on working Americans during the holidays. Tell them to put country before party. Put money back in the pockets of working Americans. Pass these tax cuts.”

Obama’s address directs listeners to the whitehouse.gov website, where an online calculator lets them determine how much money it’s worth to them to continue the 2 percent reduction in the payroll tax that took effect this year.

A family with income of $50,000 a year would

pay $1,000 more in payroll taxes if Congress does not act by the end of this year to extend that reduction.

Democrats want to expand the reduction in addition to extending it. Republican leaders say they’re committed to passing an extension, fearing political fallout if payroll taxes rise on Jan. 1 on 160 million wage-earners. The GOP rankand-file appears divided, with many Republican senators voting against an extension supported by their leadership this week.

There’s also disagreement about how or whether to pay for any extension. Democrats favor a new tax on millionaires; Republicans prefer to cut federal spending. “We’re going to keep pushing Congress to make this happen. They shouldn’t go home for the holidays until they get this done,” Obama said in his address. “And if

you agree with me, I could use your help.”

Obama also took note of a new monthly jobs report out Friday that showed the economy added 120,000 jobs in November, a positive number. “We need to keep this growth going and strengthen it,” the president said.

Republicans devoted their weekly address to promoting a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, which is headed for a vote in the Senate after failing in the House last month.

Democratic leaders worked aggressively to defeat the measure in the House, saying that such a requirement could force Congress to cut billions from social programs during times of economic downturn and that disputes over what to cut could result in Congress ceding its power of the purse to the courts. The result was that the amendment got majority support but

fell short of the two-thirds needed to advance a constitutional amendment.

Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said “the impending vote to amend the Constitution represents a choice between changing business as usual in Washington or embracing the status quo that we can no longer afford.”

“The real reason many lawmakers don’t want a balanced budget amendment is the exact reason why it’s so essential,” Snowe said. “They don’t want their hands tied; they want to continue to spend without restraint.”

Like Obama, she asked listeners to make their views known. “Contact your senators and urge them to support our balanced budget amendment,” Snowe said, “so that we finally seize the fiscal reins and reclaim our future for our children and our grandchildren.” —AP

Downturn pushes Rome’s historic shops to brink Italians feel the pinch of financial crisis ROME: A famous bookshop, a historic bakery and an olde-worlde hat store: all historic shops in the Eternal City that are failing the test of time as Italians feel the pinch from a deep financial crisis.

“I’ve lost hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars). I’m quitting,” said Rodrigo Dias, owner of Libreria Croce, a book store that was the biggest in Rome when it opened in 1945 but was forced to shut down this month.

“In October revenue here was down 50 percent compared to the same month a year ago.

We’ve been in trouble since the crisis of 2008.

But 2011 has been the worst year yet and next year will be even worse,” the 70-year-old said.

“In 40 years in the business, I’ve never seen it this bad,” he added. Dias said he was offered an interest-free loan to keep his business alive by “suspicious types”. Local business associations warn that the current financial climate favors mafia groups, which have high levels of

liquidity. “Who knows what they would have got me into. I resisted,” Dias said. The fear among many shopkeepers is that Rome’s city centre will end up with a cluster of chain shops and restaurants aimed at tourists, while Italians go and shop in some of the large malls mushrooming in the city’s outskirts. Local associations say that seven small businesses a day in Rome and the surrounding region are going belly-up, with rents on the rise, bank financing ever more elusive and consumer spending on the slide for months.

A survey by the retailers’ group Confesercenti found that 64 percent of Italians were planning to cut back on their Christmas shopping this year and 22 percent will reduce their spending by more than half from last Christmas. “This is an unprecedented crisis that has been underestimated by politicians,” said Lorenzo Tagliavanti, leader of the National Confederation of Artisans in Rome.

ROME: A beggar plays violin in front of a bank in downtown Rome. — AFP

Shopkeepers held a rally in Rome last monthone of the first demonstrations under the new government of Prime Minister Mario Monti-in which retailers symbolically handed over the keys to their shops in protest.

“The truth is this crisis has been devastating,” Tagliavanti said. Rome city hall responded last week with a series of proposals to restrict the number of giant shopping malls allowed within Rome’s city limits-there are already four and 16 more are planned in the coming months.

It also confirmed a ban on large retail hubs in the city centre. “Our fundamental value is the small and medium-sized enterprise sector which helps keep neighborhoods alive,” Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno said. But businesses say only a complete ban on new shopping centres would help save local shops and warn they will come under pressure if Monti hikes value-added tax in a bid to reduce Italy’s skyhigh public debt.

It’s not just shopkeepers who are under threat but a slice of history in the city of La Dolce Vita where a day out shopping used to include visits to some of the many local artisans making clothes, furniture or delicacies.

The closure at the end of last year of the Metropolitan cinema on Rome’s main thoroughfare, Via Del Corso, was a blow to many local residents but went ahead anyway. It was bought up by Italian clothes chain Benetton.

Another popular spot is Forno-a traditional bakery on the ever-busy Campo de’ Fiori square. But owner Dino Bartocci, 64, says the streams of regular customers he gets are not enough because he is having trouble accessing credit. “I applied for a 20,000-euro loan but they were asking for so much paperwork that I just said no. If you think of the strong guarantees I had and the fact I’ve been with the bank for 40 years, it’s just amazing!” he said. “We’re overwhelmed by bureaucracy, we can’t take it anymore,” said Bartocci, who heads the Italian bakers’ association. He added: “But with a bit of help we can recover and if small businesses recover, Italy recovers.” — AFP

Ireland bracing for new austerity budget DUBLIN: Ireland unveils a fresh austerity budget this week as the indebted nation looks to claw back 3.8 billion euros via spending cuts and tax hikes, with its recovery threatened by the euro-zone crisis.

The government will today announce cuts to welfare and education spending worth 2.2 billion euros, a day before Finance Minister Michael Noonan gives details of tax hikes aimed at raising an extra 1.6 billion euros in 2012.

Under the fiscal-raising plans, Ireland is expected to unveil a 2.0-percentage point hike in the highest rate of valued added tax on goods and services, to 23 percent. Prime Minister Enda Kenny ’s government has pledged to slash Ireland’s public deficit to 8.6

percent next year and to less than 3.0 percent, the EU ceiling, by 2015, after the country was last year saved by an international bailout.

Ireland received an 85-billion-euro ($115billion) EU-IMF rescue package in November 2010 as massive debt and deficit problems left the euro-zone country on the verge of collapse. Under the terms of the rescue, Ireland has already implemented major austerity measures, heaping pressure on families already struggling due to rising unemployment.

Goodbody stockbrokers economist Dermot O’Leary said he expects Noonan to meet the 8.6 percent deficit-reduction target also thanks to savings from an EU decision earlier this year to cut the interest rate on

BEIJING: A Chinese woman and her granddaughter walk by a vendor selling clothes at a street market in Beijing. China, anxious about rising living costs, has pulled on a variety of levers to curb price rises in the past two years, including hiking interest rates five times since October 2010. — AFP

Ireland’s rescue loans.

“That lower interest bill gives him a little bit of scope, a little bit of room for manoeuvre,” he said.

Amid a deteriorating outlook for the global economy, the Irish government last month slashed its 2012 growth forecast for the country to 1.6 percent from 2.5 percent. Last week the country’s leading economic think tank, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), said Irish gross domestic product (GDP) growth would stand at only 0.9 percent next year.

However Ireland is set to show that its economy has grown this year-its first annual expansion since 2007 — as robust growth in Irish exports offsets weak domestic demand.

“I think exports will (continue to) out-perform the rest of the developed world because of the main sectors that we are situated in, namely pharmaceuticals and IT services,” O’Leary said.

The analyst expects the domestic economy to contract around 2.0 percent next year as a result of budget consolidation and deleveraging of the economy as consumers repay debts. “It is a much more difficult proposition to meet targets when the international economy is slowing down,” O’Leary said.

A drop in global trade could meanwhile derail Ireland’s plans to meet the terms of its bailout and further impact the average family.

Following four austerity budgets in just over three years, the average single-income Irish family has taken a financial hit totalling 423 euros a month, or a 16 percent cut in net pay, according to the Irish Tax Institute. “ The capacity for people to bear more pain is running out as we approach an overall tipping point in terms of the money that can be taken from them in tax,” said Institute president Bernard Doherty.

“The tax element of the last four austerity budgets was almost 4.8 billion euros and the government is now seeking to raise 4.65 billion euros in taxes over the next four budgets,” he added. — AFP

MORONDAVA: Fama, 45, a “fondy”, a marine carpenter posing in a 14m long and 3.8 m large schooner under construction in Belo-sur-mer, 80km southern Morondava. Along Madagascar’s west coast, isolated villages with no roads between them are linked by a fleet of schooners that could have set sail from 19th century France. — AFP

French schooners still set sail in Madagascar BELO-SUR-MER, Madagascar: Along Madagascar’s west coast, isolated villages with no roads between them are linked by a fleet of schooners that could have set sail from 19th century France.

In a way, they did. The skill was brought to the village of Belo-sur-Mer in the 1800s by French shipbuilders, who taught the craft to locals who have passed it down the generations so they make the same ships today. Ship frames lie scattered on the village’s beaches, evolving over months as planks and masts cover the giant skeletons to create a fleet of about a dozen schooners that take to the water every year.

“I get so many orders, I can’t keep up with all the work,” says shipwright Fama, 45, who uses only one name. He leans against the hull of a 14-metre (46-foot) ship while using a pickaxe to level the planks in the sand. “Before, people were less open. They didn’t move around very much. Today, the young people go away and make money,” says 42-year-old Alex, whose two sons became sailors while his brothers went to work in shipyards.

Boats are the only transport along the island’s west coast. Even where roads do exist, they are in poor condition, while rising gas prices have made road transport more expensive. Schooners are ideal for whisking among the creeks along the rugged coastline, visiting far-off villages practically unreachable by land. Their holds transport 80 tons of cargo from Mahajanga in the north to Toliara in the south. “I get all my goods over the sea,” says Dorote, who runs a hotel and restaurant in Belo-sur-Mer.

“It’s unthinkable to do that with a 4X4, and then the roads are cut off during the rainy season,” from December to April, he adds. He owns a brand new boat with his siblings. They plan eventually to trade in locally mined salt, but for now their vessel Solidarite lies stranded on the beach.

“We are still looking for a mast. It’s becoming hard to find wood, especially large sizes. We need trunks more than 10 meters high,” he says.

The wealth of forests in the country’s hinterland are in fact the key to the ships’ strength. Several types of wood are used in their construction, each for their strength or lightness, according to the intended part. This expert knowledge is vested in the “fondy”, master shipwrights like Fama. They manage the shipbuilding from choosing the wood at the start to letting the ships to water in the end.

“I learned the job from my father. First I was his apprentice, then I took over the craft 20 years ago,” says Fama. With no electricity here, the technique has stayed unchanged since it was brought to the island two centuries ago. At the time Madagascar’s King Radama II invited the Joachim brothers, shipwrights from the French province of Brittany, to teach new shipbuilding techniques on the island.

Since then the Breton style has been mixed with “fomba”, a construction tradition watched over by local healers.

Shipowners consult the healers at the beginning and end of construction.

These traditional authorities choose the date to let the schooners to water, and the whole village comes together for a feast to celebrate the launch.— AFP

Japan PM’s tax raise plan snubbed in poll TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s plan to raise the consumption tax has proven unpopular in a poll which showed deep public distrust with established political parties, a report said yesterday.

A telephone poll, conducted by Kyodo news agency over the weekend, said 50.7 percent of respondents want a general election to be held before a law for a consumption tax hike is enacted.

In contrast, only 25.4 percent supported Noda’s plan to call an election after the legislation but prior to an actual tax hike, Kyodo said. The government plans to double the five-percent sales tax rate by the middle of the decade, as the nation looks to tackle rising social welfare costs and ballooning debt.

But critics, including ruling and opposition lawmakers, fear that the economy is too fragile to cope with a tax hike, despite the threat from ratings agencies of a sovereign debt downgrade.

Raising the tax is considered potentially risky as the issue has contributed to the fall of prime ministers in the past, particularly after a hike to

the current rate in 1997. The approval rating for Noda’s government fell 2.5 percentage points from November to 44.6 percent, while the disapproval rating rose six points to 40.3 percent, Kyodo said. The poll received responses from 1,021 randomly selected eligible voters. Noda replaced unpopular Naoto K an as prime minister in September as the third chief executive to take office since the ruling centre-left Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) came to power in a general election landslide in 2009.

The DPJ ousted the long-ruling conservative Liberal Democratic Party, pledging to give priority to ordinary people’s livelihood. But the party’s leadership has since been criticized for backpedalling on the promise and aligning with the country’s powerful bureaucracy.

The poll also showed that 71.5 percent called for a realignment of political parties, against 17.8 percent who said such a change is unnecessary, Kyodo reported. The result indicated “public dissatisfaction with the current political framework involving two major parties and several small parties,” Kyodo said. — AFP

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TECHNOLOGY

Frost & Sullivan award top honour to SITA DUBAI: Frost & Sullivan recognized SITA’s leading role providing border management solutions worldwide by awarding it the top honour for commitment to Customer Value Enhancement in Border Control.

SITA is the IT company dedicated to the air transport industry and it provides iBorders, a range of border management solutions, that enhances security through improved detection and risk analysis while, at the same time, facilitating rapid border-crossing of low-risk travellers.

Over the past 15 years SITA has become the world leader in border management solutions. It has successfully provided the infrastructure, along with the passenger and border security technology, for the world’s major sporting events including the Olympic Games held in Los Angeles, Athens, Sydney and Beijing. Its border management technology also played a pivotal role in ensuring the security of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

This Frost & Sullivan Global Customer Value Enhancement Award is presented annually to the company that demonstrates excellence in implementing strategies that create value for its customers beyond simply good customer service, leading to improved customer retention and customer base expansion.

Dominik Kimla, Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst, said: “SITA has excelled in providing high value added services, integrated products and solutions and in driving innovation and product development through customer collaboration.

“A rare mix of skills and knowledge sophisticated IT design, delivery and integration skills, air transport industry expertise - and an intimate understanding of the security and policy challenges which governments around the world face underpin SITA’s success.”

Dan Ebbinghaus, SITA Vice President, Government and Security

Solutions, said: “This award recognizes the fact that for more than 15 years SITA has focused on delivering the most sophisticated and advanced border management solutions.

“Over the years SITA has developed systems that allow risk analysis on biographic data including passport and passenger information. Now we are moving to systems that converge this biographic data with biometrics to allow more complex analysis and verification ensuring even tighter security at the world’s borders.”

SITA was the first to provide solutions for airlines to comply with government mandates for passenger data and continues to pioneer innovative solutions which reduce both the cost and complexity of compliance for its customers.

SITA’s border management solutions are widely used in the Middle East, particularly in the GCC countries which demonstrate a global leadership in this area. In fact, SITA solutions

are in place, or being implemented, in all of the GCC countries.

Hani El-Assaad, SITA Regional Vice President, Middle East and North Africa, said: “SITA understands the challenges of governments to consolidate security and safety in this region while delivering a smooth and efficient journey for passengers. We support the efforts of the GCC governments to ensure the region is a secure hub for international business, investments, travel and tourism through the use of state-of-the-art IT solutions to control borders.” iBorders solutions are now used in Australia, Bahrain, Canada, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Spain, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America, New Zealand and many other countries. More than more than 200 airlines use SITA to submit millions of messages every week to governments around the world to meet a variety of legal requirements related to border security.

Hani El-Assaad

Facebook ‘likes’ NY high-tech scene ‘World’s number one hub for IT, social media’

BANGKOK: Thai residents salvaging their belongings as a dog sits on top as floods continue to hit Pathum Thani province, suburban Bangkok. It is not just humans who have been suffering during Thailand’s worst floods in half a century — tens of thousands of pets and stray cats and dogs have also been stranded as water levels rise. Their plight has prompted an outpouring of sympathy from city residents, who have mobilised using Facebook and Twitter to set up animal shelters, organise “pet rescue” patrols and provide free medical care to flood-hit pets. — AFP

Web helps Bangkok’s flood-hit pets find relief BANGKOK: When the floodwaters came up to her chin, Karuna Leuangleekpai knew she had to abandon her house on the outskirts of Bangkok. But she had no idea what to do with her seven dogs. Through Facebook, she heard about a flood evacuation shelter for pets run by veterinary student volunteers in the capital, so she crammed her soaking wet dogs into her car and went to seek help. “ The water was above my head when we left the house-the dogs were swimming around. That was over a month ago and my house is still underwater,” Karuna told AFP. “I’m glad to have found this shelter for them-I’m staying with a friend in her apartment but there’s no way my dogs could have fitted in too.”

Three months of unusually heavy monsoon rains have inundated large swathes of Thailand, killing more than 650 people and affecting the homes and livelihoods of millions. But it is not just humans who have been suffering during the kingdom’s worst floods in half a century-tens of thousands of pets and stray cats and dogs have also been stranded as water levels rise.

Their plight has prompted an outpouring of sympathy from city residents, who have mobilised using Facebook and Twitter to set up animal shelters, organise “pet rescue” patrols and provide free medical care to floodhit pets. “We knew that the floods would make it hard for owners to care for their pets and we felt we had to help,” said veterinary student Mataya Taweechart, adding that the animal shelter was set up and run by students and volunteers.

Waters are now receding in many areas, but for people in some of the capital’s suburbs, the misery continues and there is little sign that the supposedly-temporary pet shelter will be able to shut soon, she said. “We are using an abandoned government building, we can’t stay long. But some areas of the city are still flooded, so we still have a lot of animals,” she told AFP as she bottle-fed a two-day-old kitten.

The shelter in Bangkok’s Maen Si district runs on donations of cash and food. The service is free and most people hear about the shelter-and alert them to cases of abandoned animalsthrough Facebook, she said. Most of the some 500 animals at the shelter have owners, but some-like the kittens, which were left in a cardboard box outside-have been abandoned.

The shelter will try and use its online

networks to find them new homes, she said. It is one of dozens of Thai-run shelters set up to help flood-affected animals. They are largely organised online on popular Thai-language forums such as Pantip.com, run by volunteers and funded by donations.

There are also a number of larger state-run centres for pets-managed by the government’s Livestock Department-which are caring for thousands of animals, Chutipon Sirimongkolrat, a vet from the department told AFP. More than 7,000 animals have passed through the department’s four centres, he said-mostly dogs and cats, although they have also had a fair number of rabbits, mice, birds, three goats and even an iguana.

More than 5,000 animals are still at the shelter, but the department is no longer accepting new arrivals and is urging owners to collect their pets as soon as possible. “We’re trying to clear all the animals we have in our shelter before Christmas,” he said, adding that it was hard to estimate how much the shelters cost to run but that they had received generous donations from the public.

The city’s handful of regular animal shelters are also packed to capacity, as they look after flood-affected strays and abandoned pets, which are usually brought in by worried members of the public, said local animal charity SCAD. “We’re thinking of the long-term implications of the flood-it will be well into next year before we are back down to our normal volume of animals,” said SCAD operations manager Lindsay Hartley-Backhouse.

SCAD is currently looking after some 70 cats-they usually have around 20 at any one time-and hundreds of dogs, with more animals “definitely” on the way, she said. “In the long term, I think we will end up with a lot of leftovers,” she said, adding that the animals would go into SCAD’s adoption programme, which posts photographs of potential pets on its website hoping to find them new homes.

The outpouring of sympathy that has helped keep Bangkok’s animals safe during the floods looks set to continue and the huge level of interest online may help many abandoned animals find new homes, she said.

“We’ve had quite a lot of adoptions recently. At first no one came, but now people are really interested-maybe they realise that they want a pet anyway, and now is a good time to adopt one,” she said. — AFP

NEW YORK: New York City is already the US capital of advertising, fashion, finance and media. Now it wants to be its high-tech center too. The Big Apple’s ambition to rival Silicon Valley with its own Silicon Alley received a big boost when Facebook announced that it will open an engineering office next year in New York, its first outside the West Coast.

The plan was unveiled at Facebook’s Madison Avenue offices during an event attended by Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Senator Charles Schumer and other top officials.

“Facebook is capitalizing on what more and more tech companies are realizing: That New York City is the best place in the world to recruit and retain a talented workforce,” Bloomberg said. “We’re well on our way to achieving our goal, and that is to become the world’s number one hub for information technology and social media.”

Sandberg said establishing its first engineering presence outside the West Coast was a “big step” for Facebook, “one we would take only if we found the right combination of talent and community support.” New York may not yet be able to lay claim to the high-tech

crown held by Silicon Valley-home to Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and Oracle, to name just a few-but it does have a flourishing tech scene of its own.

Major Internet companies such as Barry Diller’s IAC have their headquarters here and the city has given birth to a number of successful Internet startups including Etsy, Foursquare, Gilt and Tumblr. Online music sensation Spotify selected New York as the base for its US operations after launching in the United States in July.

“It’s quite amazing how far the tech sector in New York has grown, even in the last three years,” said Jonathan Bowles, director of the Center for an Urban Future, a think-tank that focuses on the city’s economic and social development. “A lot of things have changed.

California-based venture companies have set up offices in New York, Google, LinkedIn, Facebook and others have opened offices,” Bowles said. “Entrepreneurial bootcamps like Tech Stars have come here.

“Five years ago, most of this wasn’t imaginable.” Mike Schroepfer, Facebook’s vice president of engineering, said New York will become an increasingly attractive destination as the high-tech scene here grows. “You may

be working for Facebook but you want to go meet and exchange ideas, best practices with other people who are doing similar jobs,” he said. “I think that community has been part of the fuel that has made Silicon Valley a success, and it’s clear that New York has that as well.

That’s why we’re here.” As part of his plan to expand New York’s tech industry, Bloomberg has offered unused land belonging to the city to a university that pledges to build an engineering and applied sciences campus.

California’s Stanford University, breeding ground for many of the Internet stars of Silicon Valley, is among the seven candidate schools. Lou Kerner, a social media analyst at LiquidNet, said New York may be emerging as the number two tech center in the United States but it is still Silicon Valley “whose beacon shines bright for every tech entrepreneur in the world.”

“They have the best engineers, and most importantly, the best culture to foster innovation,” Kerner said by email. “Innovation is core to the culture of the Valley, while it remains a (growing) side show in New York. “That’s why Zuckerberg moved to the Valley when he left Boston, and not New York,” he said of the Facebook co-founder. — AFP

China web users WikiLeaks chief Assange in criticise new crucial UK extradition hearing LONDON: WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange seeks today to have his appeal against extradition to Sweden heard by Britain’s top court, playing his final card in a lengthy legal battle.

Almost a year after his arrest over claims of rape and sexual assault, the 40-year-old Australian will ask two judges at London’s High Court to decide whether his appeal can proceed to the Supreme Court.

For the appeal to be heard in Britain’s highest court, the judges must rule the case raises a question of general public importance.

Monday’s hearing comes a month after his first appeal against a ruling that he can be sent to Sweden was rejected.

If the ruling goes against Assange, the British leg of his legal battle will end and he faces extradition to Sweden within 10 days, an outcome that would mark a new low for the former hacker after a string of controversies. Swedish police want to quiz Assange over allegations made by two Swedish women of sex crimes, which he strongly denies. Assange claims the allegations are politically motivated and linked to the activities of his anti-secrecy website, which angered the United States by publishing thousands of classified documents. He has already appeared nine times in British courts since his detention under a European Arrest Warrant on December 7 last year.

He has spent much of the last year under virtual house arrest on a supporter’s country

estate in eastern England, where he has had to stick to strict bail conditions. A lower court initially approved Assange’s extradition in February, but he appealed to the High Court which rejected his challenge on November 2.

Assange made the application for the Supreme Court to hear the case one day before the legal time limit. The judiciary of England and Wales said the High Court would “consider Julian Assange’s application for a certificate of law of general public importance on 5 December.”

Legal sources said a decision was expected on the same day but that it was not certain.

According to the website Sweden Vs. Assange, which supports his case, his legal team will question whether a European Arrest Warrant issued by a state prosecutor is valid. They will also query whether he can be defined as “accused” despite having not been prosecuted, the website added. Assange has previously expressed fears that his extradition to Sweden would lead to his transfer to the United States to face as yet unspecified charges of spying.

The legal challenge comes despite the fact that a Swedish public relations firm claimed last week that it had been hired by Assange and that he would soon be returning to Sweden to face questioning over the allegations. Swedish prosecutors want to question Assange on suspicion of two counts of sexual molestation and an accusation of rape made by two Swedish women in August 2010. — AFP

LONDON: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange (L) prepares to speak at a press conference at City University London in central London on December 2. Along with a number of other guest speakers, Assange spoke of the whistle-blowing site’s ongoing investigation of surveillance software companies and their alleged use by governments around the world. — AFP

state TV boss BEIJING: Thousands of Chinese web users yesterday lashed out at the new head of the staterun China Central Television (CCTV) network over a speech in which he said journalists were “propaganda workers”. Hu Zhanfan-who was appointed to the top post at CCT V in November-said in May that journalists who defined themselves as “professionals” rather than “propaganda workers” were making a “fundamental mistake about identity”.

“The first social responsibility and professional ethic of media staff should be understanding their role clearly and be a good mouthpiece,” said the former chief editor of the state-owned national newspaper Guangming Daily.

China’s ruling Communist Party would insist on “politicians running newspapers” and those in the media who gave “up the position of mouthpiece ... will never go far”, Hu warned at an event hosted by the China National Media Association.

Hu’s remarks were published by the official Xinhua news agency at the time but appear only to have caught the attention of web users on Sunday after a netizen posted the Xinhua report on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter.

Tens of thousands of bloggers flooded social networking sites to criticise Hu’s remarks and bemoan the lack of independent media in China. “As a media student, I feel very depressed,” said a web user called Bao Xiaomo.

“People who are obviously doing advertising claim that they are doing news.”

Another netizen said the speech showed that the needs of the Communist Party would always be considered more important than those of the people and the country. Hu “learned this well, and that is why he can be promoted as director of CCTV,” the post said.

Hu’s appointment was the latest in a string of recent leadership changes in organisations controlled by China’s ruling Communist party.

He took the helm weeks after reports that the broadcaster of 37 channels was planning a major global expansion. Beijing has earmarked 45 billion yuan ($7.1 billion) to fund the expansion of state-owned media groups including CCTV, Xinhua and China Radio International, according to previous reports.

CCTV reportedly plans to open studios in North America and Africa, each with more than 200 staff. Last month China’s Communist leaders called on the culture industry-a broad term taken to include the media-to raise its game and promote the Asian nation abroad as Beijing continues its “soft power” drive. — AFP

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H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Gorillas, tigers at risk due to climate change Global warming threatens 20-30% of plant, animal species

CHINA: A cargo plane with a picture of a panda prepares to take off with two pandas to be transported to Edinburgh, Scotland, from the airport in Chengdu in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, yesterday—AP

2 giant pandas from China land in Scotland LONDON: Two giant pandas from China landed yesterday in Scotland, where they will become the first pandas to live in Britain in nearly two decades. The 8-yearold pair, named Tian Tian and Yang Guang or Sweetie and Sunshine - were welcomed by bagpipe players and a host of dignitaries as they touched down at Edinburgh Airport on a specially chartered Boeing 777 flight called the “Panda Express.” The pandas, from the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, are to stay for 10 years at Edinburgh Zoo, where officials hope they will give birth to cubs. The female, Tian Tian, has had twin cubs in the past, but not with Yang Guang. The male panda has previously fathered cubs as well.

The Scottish government has said the loan of the pandas symbolizes a “growing friendship” between Scotland and China.

China sometimes gifts or lends the cuddly looking animals - considered a Chinese national treasure - to other countries as a sign of cooperation. In 1974, British Prime Minister Edward Heath received two pandas from the Chinese government as a goodwill gift to mark his visit to China.

Female Ching-Ching and male Chia-Chia became a much-loved attraction at the London Zoo, but never produced any cubs.

Zoo officials have spent the past five years securing the loan of the animals, which are expected to boost Scottish tourism. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland will pay more than 600,000 pounds ($935,000) a year to China for the loan of Sweetie and Sunshine, not including the expense of imported bamboo.

Britain’s last giant panda, Ming Ming, lived in the London Zoo until 1994, when she was returned to China.—AP

CHINA: File photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency shows Jeremy Browne, British Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has photos taken with a giant panda at Ya’an Bifengxia Base of China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) in Ya’an, southwest China’s Sichuan Province.—AP

DURBAN: Several animal species including gorillas in Rwanda and tigers in Bangladesh could risk extinction if the impact of climate change and extreme weather on their habitats is not addressed, a UN report showed yesterday.

Launched on the sidelines of global climate negotiations in Durban, the report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization shows how higher temperatures, the rise in sea levels, deforestation and excessive land use have damaged the habitats of certain species, especially in Africa. “Many ecosystems have already been stressed by increasing population, historical and recent deforestation, unsustainable management prac-

tices and even invasive species,” Eduardo Rojas-Briales, assistant director general at the FAO’s forestry department, said at the launch of the report.

The most affected areas include mountains, isolated islands and coastal areas, which limit the possibilities for animals to migrate elsewhere and create new habitats. “ The remaining populations become enclosed in very small ecosystems, they have inbreeding problems ... and at the end these species may disappear,” he added.

Conflict Wildlife migration may also lead to conflicts with humans as happened with the tigers in

explains, the next step will be to look beyond the earth’s atmosphere. “Within five years we will have launched a probe into space and within a decade we will put a man in space,” says Nsamba, 26, an amateur aeronautical engineer, as he leans against the wing of the Skyhawk. But for Nsamba, and his impoverished homeland, there is still a long way to go before they can think of reaching the cosmos.

The Skyhawk still lacks an engine and Uganda does not yet have any trained astronauts. Nsamba says that he will have to both train and certify them himself. But despite the hurdles there are a lot of people who have put their faith and money-in Nsamba’s project.

Nsamba says that over 600 space enthusiasts have volunteered their time and opened their wallets to help make his dream a reality and that almost $80,000 and 22 months have been

species and infectious diseases, it said.The report urges more focus on restoration of damaged ecosystems, especially those key to tackling climate change such as mangroves, inland waters, forests, savannahs and grasslands.

The FAO also called for the creation of migration corridors for animals in areas where their movement was constrained. The organization said while more resources were flowing to biodiversity conservation, more action at the government and policy level was needed. It also urged local communities to develop projects that mitigate the impact of climate change on wildlife, naming eco-tourism activities as an example.—Reuters

Arctic much worse since 2006 WASHINGTON: US officials say the Arctic region has changed dramatically for the worse in the past five years. It is melting at a near record pace, and it is darkening and absorbing too much of the sun’s heat. A new report card from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rates the polar region with blazing red stop lights on three of five categories and yellow cautions for the other two. Overall, these are not good grades, but it doesn’t mean the Arctic is doomed and it still will freeze in the winter, said report co-editor Jackie Richter-Menge.

The Arctic acts as Earth’s refrigerator, cooling the planet.

What’s happening, scientists said, is like someone pushing the fridge’s thermostat much too high. “It’s not cooling as well as it used to,” Richter-Menge said. The dramatic changes are from both man-made global warming and recent localized weather shifts, which were on top of the longer term warming trend, scientists said. The report, written by 121 scientists from around the world, said statistics point to a shift in the Arctic health in 2006. That was right before 2007, when a mix of weather conditions and changing climate led to a record loss of sea ice, from which the region has never recovered. This summer’s sea ice melt was the second worst on record, a tad behind 2007. “We’ve got a new normal,” said co-author Don Perovich, a geophysicist at the Army Corps of Engineers Cold Research and Engineering Lab. “Whether it’s a tipping point and we’ll never recover, who’s to say?” The report highlighted statistics to show an Arctic undergoing change: • A NASA satellite found that 430 billion metric tons of ice melted in Greenland from 2010 to 2011, and the melting is accelerating. Since 2000, Greenland’s 39 widest glaciers shrunk by nearly 530 square miles (1,375 sq. kilometers), about the equivalent of 22 Manhattans. The past five years have had the five lowest summer sea ice levels on record. For two straight years, all three major passages through the Arctic have been open in the summer, which is unusual.

• Seven of 19 polar bear sub-populations are shrinking.

• This year’s temperature is roughly 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit (1.4 degreesC) higher than what had been normal since 1980.

What’s even more troubling to scientists is that there’s been a record darkening of the normally white Arctic land and sea. White snow and ice reflects solar energy, but a melting darker Arctic in the summer absorbs that heat.

Marco Tedesco of the City College of New York, a co-author, said the darkening is like a speeding train going downhill, adding to the acceleration of warming.—AP

Ugandan works on space project from mom’s backyard KAMPALA: Chris Nsamba says that at one time or another every successful scientist has been called a madman, and some think he is crazy about working to send the first Ugandan into space-from the back yard of his mother ’s home. “People around here used to come and see and say he was mad, but they come back now and are impressed,” Nsamba’s mother, Sarah Lugwama, told AFP, waving towards a group of eight volunteers sanding the left wing of the hulking craft parked under a jackfruit tree in the garden. The craft named the African Skyhawk, which looks like a bulky glider with a wingspan of 10 metres (33 feet), will reach into the earth’s outer atmosphere, says Nsamba, the founder of the African Space Research Program.

After an intrepid pilot and a navigator have tested the craft sometime nex t year, Nsamba

Bangladesh, Rojas-Briales said.

“Lifestock and even humans were attacked and of course there was retaliation by the local population, and the success that was achieved by protecting this species is now being reversed by habitat degradation,” he said.

Other examples of affected animals included elephants in Mali, lions in the Serengeti and crocodiles in Malawi. The report said an estimated 20-30 percent of plant and animal species will be at higher risk of extinction due to global warming and a significant proportion of endemic species may become extinct by 2050 as a consequence. Other consequences could include the spread of invasive

spent on the Skyhawk project so far. “Since I was young I was interested in space... so whenever I have any free time I come here to work on the project,” says Nixon Lukenge, 25, a self- employed printer and would-be astronaut working on the craft. But it is not just amateur enthusiasts who are lending their support to the project. Uganda’s veteran President Yoweri Museveni has also backed the program and even pledged some financial support during a private phone call to Nsamba earlier this year.

“The president’s contribution and our moral suppor t was to show that we are proud of his ambitious project and we support him morally and financially,” Richard Tushemereir we, Museveni’s senior private secretary for science and technology, tells AFP. Tushemereir we says the

amount to be given to the project has yet to be decided and that the funds would likely come through early next year. But in a country where soaring inflation means many are finding it increasingly hard to survive, some might argue that Uganda’s scarce financial resources could be put to better use dealing with more pressing needs back on earth.

Tushemereirwe disagrees and argues that just because Uganda may not be able to match the established space powers by spending big does not mean the country should stop dreaming big.

“I don’t think that we are in a position to compete with China or anyone but I think we can make a contribution,” Tushemereirwe says.

“People interested in scientific research will always do their things irrespective of the health of the economy and any turmoil happening around them.”—AFP

KAMPALA: Volunteers from the African Space Research Program work on the African Skyhawk jet in the Kampala suburb of Ntinda on November 11, 2011.—AFP photos

CALIFORNIA: Dr Charles S Grob, Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, has researched hallucinogens as treatment for terminal cancer patients. —MCT

Turn on, tune in and get better?

LOS ANGELES: Janeen Delany describes herself as an “old hippie” who’s smoked plenty of marijuana. But she never really dabbled in hallucinogens-until two years ago, at the age of 59. A diagnosis of incurable leukemia had knocked the optimism out of the retired plant nurserywoman living in Phoenix. So she signed up for a clinical trial to test whether psilocybin-the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms”-could help with depression or anxiety following a grim diagnosis.

Delaney swallowed a blue capsule of psilocybin in a cozy office at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She donned a blindfold, a blood pressure cuff and a headset playing classical music. Then, with two researchers at her side, she embarked on a six-hour journey into altered consciousness that she calls “the single most life-changing experience I’ve ever had.”

What a long, strange trip it’s been. In the 1960s and ‘70s, a rebellious generation embraced hallucinogens and a wide array of street drugs to “turn on, tune in and drop out.”

Almost half a century later, magic mushrooms, LSD, Ecstasy and ketamine are being studied for legitimate therapeutic uses. Scientists believe these agents have the potential to help patients with post-traumatic stress disorder, drug or alcohol addiction, unremitting pain or depression and the existential anxiety of terminal illness.

“Scientifically, these compounds are way too important not to study,” said Johns Hopkins psycho pharmacologist Roland Griffiths, who conducted the psilocybin trial.

In their next incarnation, these drugs may help the psychologically wounded tune in to their darkest feelings and memories and turn therapy sessions into heightened opportunities to learn and heal.

“We’re trying to break a social mind-set saying these are strictly drugs of abuse,” said Rick Doblin, a public policy expert who founded the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies in 1986 to encourage research on therapeutic uses for medical marijuana and hallucinogens. “It’s not the drug but how the drug is used that matters.” Regulators and medical researchers remain wary. But among at least some experts at the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, the shift in attitude “has been dramatic,” Doblin said.

Researchers explored the usefulness of hallucinogenic agents as an adjunct to psychotherapy in the 1950s and ‘60s. But allegations that hallucinogens were used in government-funded “mind control” efforts, freewheeling experimentation by proponents like Dr. Timothy Leary, and the drugs’ appeal to a generation in revolt quashed legitimate research for decades.

The thaw has been slow in coming. In 2008, Griffiths co-wrote a report in the Journal of Psychopharmacology comparing psilocybin with a placebo for people dealing with incurable diseases. Psilocybin resulted in “mystical experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance,” according to the study, the first since 1972 to explore a hallucinogen’s therapeutic value.

In January, a team led by UCLA psychiatrist Charles Grob reported in Archives of General Psychiatry that psilocybin improved the mood of patients with “existential anxiety” related to

advanced-stage cancer. The benefits lasted at least three months. Janeen Delany is a typical case: The insights she gleaned during her encounter with psilocybin continue to shape her attitudes toward life and death.

Delany said her “trip” awakened a deep and reassuring sense of “knowing.” She came to see the universe and everything in it as interconnected. As the music in her headphones reached a crescendo, she held her breath and realized it would be OK-no, really easy-not to breathe anymore. She sensed there was nothing more she needed to know and therefore nothing she needed to fear about dying. And that, paradoxically, has allowed her to live.

“When you take the veil of fear away from your life, you can see and experience everything in such a present way,” she said. “I don’t have to know what the future is. Every day is the day of days.”

Fighting addiction Such mystical insights are central in another potential use for psilocybin-as an addiction treatment. Griffiths is conducting a pilot study combining psilocybin with cognitive behavioral therapy to help smokers quit. Four people have completed the program, and so far none has returned to smoking, Griffiths says.

At the University of Arizona in Tucson, addiction specialist Dr Michael P Bogenschutz has proposed a clinical trial to test whether psilocybin can help ease alcohol dependence.

If the NIH agrees to fund the study, it would be the first instance in decades of government financial support for a trial involving any drug of abuse. Psilocybin’s effect on the brain can be described, if not explained. It increases the activity of serotonin, a chemical that affects mood. Brain networks associated with emotions are highly active in the presence of psilocybin, as are structures involved in higher reasoning and judgment, MRI scans show.

Griffiths says that subjects routinely describe their psilocybin experience as one that “helps reorganize their thinking.” For those facing death, that can bring new perspective on loved ones, on life and on what lies beyond; for those stymied by addiction, it can cut the addictive substance down to size.

“Their enslavement to cigarette smoking will be almost funny,” Griffiths said.

Psilocybin isn’t the only drug on the cusp of a medical renaissance. Ketamine, best known as “Special K,” has shown promise as a fast-acting antidepressant. It induces euphoria, hallucinations and “out of body” experiences when smoked or snorted. When administered intravenously at low doses, it can lift symptoms of deep depression in a matter of hours.

Ketamine’s use in anesthesia has made it easier for researchers to study. They suspected its influence on a neurochemical called NMDA would make it a good antidepressant, since NMDA’s activity is altered in people with depression. In case reports, severely depressed patients who got ketamine in preparation for electroconvulsive shock therapy showed improvements in mood (even when the shock therapy failed), and several small clinical trials have demonstrated its fastacting abilities. The findings indicate that for suicidal patients who can’t afford to wait weeks or months for a standard antidepressant to take effect, ketamine could be a valuable rescue drug.—MCT

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US baby boomers feed need for joint replacements WASHINGTON: US baby boomers are fueling a wave of joint replacement surgeries, hoping to use new artificial knees and hips to stay active as they get older. With 76 million baby boomers still kicking, many are rejecting the sedentary lifestyle of their parents’ generation, and are using advances in technology and surgical techniques to keep on running, cycling, skiing and engaging in other sports. The 45-64 age group accounted for more than 40 percent of the more than 906,000 total knee or total hip replacement surgeries in 2009, the last year for which figures were available from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

Boomers will account for a majority of these joint replacements in 2011, according to projections by Drexel University specialist Steven Kurtz. The study projects the 45-64 age group will account for a 17-fold increase in knee replacements alone to 994,000 by 2030. Active boomers often accelerate the arthritis which wears down their joints, and obesity is another factor.

“We are still doing patients 65 years and up, but the volume is increasing dramatically among 45-64 year-old patients,” said Douglas Dennis, a Colorado orthopedist who has performed some 5,000 knee replacements and 4,000 hip replacements over his career.

Decades earlier, most replacements were in elderly patients unable to walk. But Dennis said, “We are now performing them in younger age patients. We have made great strides in our ability to revise them should they fail.” A number of his patients are avid skiers who have had several attempts to repair knee injuries, but want to keep active. “We encourage the patients to be active,” he said. “But I don’t favor things like racquet sports, soccer or basketball” which can put extra strain on

joints. Some patients are drawing hope from new technology, such as a so-called 30-year knee from British-based Smith & Nephew, endorsed by former tennis star Billie Jean King.

“I feel like I’m 20 again, and I’m back on the courts playing tennis,” King says in her endorsement after double knee replacement surgery. But some physicians say people these claims may not be realistic.

“That knee has been designed in the last five years, so how can you say it is going to last 30 years?” says Dennis. “It is disingenuous marketing... It is harmful rather than helpful. If I had 20 years of data on young patients playing racquet sports, and it showed good survivorship, I would change my opinion. But we don’t have that data.”

Still, some boomers persist. Dick Beardsley, an avid distance runner who came within two seconds of winning the Boston Marathon in 1982, said he is determined to show he can come back from two knee replacements.

“I’ve been a runner all my life,” Beardsely told AFP from his home in Austin, Texas, a year after he had replacement surgery for his left knee. “For a while I thought I might become a cyclist. But I had to give this a try.” Beardsley, 55, is back to running 70-80 miles a week to prepare for the April marathon in Boston, without any problem for his left knee replaced in 2010 or his right knee replaced three years ago. “The first six to eight weeks (after surgery) are brutal,” he said. “But I would keep at it, run a mile... eventually I got back to running the same pace I was before the knee surgery.”

Beardsley, who works as a motivational speaker and operates running camps for adults, said he knows he is flying in the face of medical advice. When he told his doctor about his training, “He told me, ‘I’m

not going to tell you to keep running, but I’m not going to tell you to stop.’” His exams have shown no excess wear on the joints, and believes this is in part due to his small frame and a technique he uses-”midfoot, forefoot” without striking his heels.

Allen Beale, a 62-year-old computer consultant in Durham, North Carolina, said he is extremely satisfied with the hip replacement he received two years ago, when he was barely able to walk.

Now, he is back at golf, motorcycling and other activities. Before the surgery, he said, “it had gotten to the point where I couldn’t stand up and move... Now it feels so good I don’t even know it’s there.”

Among celebrities getting surgery are former Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton (hip), singer Billy Joel (double hip) and actress and workout guru Jane Fonda (knee). Even if the new joints work as promised, it remains unclear whether supply will be able to keep up with demand, and if the costs will become overwhelming. A study appearing the journal Health Affairs suggests the costs may reach $50 billion for the government Medicare program alone by 2030 if current trends continue.

And with government reimbursement reduced, and private insurance following suit, the incentives for doctors are declining. A separate study co-authored by Thomas Fehring showed that if current trends continue, by 2016, 46 percent of needed hip replacements and 72 percent of needed knee replacements will not be able to be completed.”I was somewhat shocked at the shortfall that we predicted,” said Fehring, an orthopedic surgeon in Charlotte, North Carolina. “The number of people getting joint replacements is going up, the number of young surgeons is going down,” said Dennis. —AFP

INDIA: (From left) Australian Surgeon Dr Hugh English performs knee replacement surgery at the Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad.—AFP

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Kala (Art) Kuwait Niram prize distribution ceremony

CINEMAGIC Thursday, December 8th at 7:30pm WE LIVE IN PUBLIC A documentary focusing on the life of dotcom entrepreneur Josh Harris, and his exploits over the last decade.

Saturday, December 10th at 7:30pm THE ICE STORM 1973, suburban Connecticut: middle class families experimenting with casual sex, drink, etc., find their lives out of control.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N

iram 2011 - B Natural painting competition has come to a close upon the distribution of prizes to all winners at a colorful function held at Indian Community School, Khaitan on Friday, 2nd December 2011 in the presence of the Ambassador of India, School Principals, Business Personalities and Community Leaders.

Kala (Art) Kuwait President Samkutty Thomas Chaired the function and

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The Panel of Judges Artist Srinivasan, Lalu Lonappan, Deepa Namboothiri, Sasi Krishnan and Nigesh were honored by KALA (Art) Kuwait by giving away mementos to them in recognition of their laudable services in the field of arts.

A total of 2075 students from 19 Indian schools in Kuwait had entered the competition classified as 4 groups.

Accordingly, first prize to each group (total 4 groups), 2nd prize to 7, 3rd prize

Jeeves Erinjery and Veena Bhaskaran.

Kala (Art) Kuwait Vice President Hassan Koya congratulated the winners and thanked the audience.

Kala (Art) Kuwait has congratulated all the winners and also thanked all the participants as well as School Managements, Sponsors, All Indian Associations, Kuwait’s English dailies, Web Portals and Malayalam Medias for their wholehearted support to make the

General Secretary Jaison Joseph welcomed the gathering. The program reporting was done by Mukesh V P General Convener Niram-2011 and Judging Assessment was briefed by Artist Srinivasan.

Overall Champion Ship 1st Position bagged by Indian English School (BVB), Abbasiya, 2nd Position bagged by Carmel School and 3rd Position bagged

by Indian Community School, Khaitan.

to 7, Merit Prize to 32 and 143 consolation prizes were distributed.

Binu Sukumaran, K Sadik, Hassan koya, Aboobakkar, Santhosh Joseph, Johney, Joby Loukose, A. Mohanan, Mohanan V. Ajikumar, Mustafa, Lakh chakola, Naushad, Aneesh, Sadhu, Renuka Bhaskaran and Ajitha Binu, were active as volunteers to ensure the smooth and successful holding of the programme. Compering was done by

event a grand success. A big thank you to the parents and art teachers for their cooperation and support and to the management of Indian Community School-Khaitan, The meeting was adjourned followed by entertainment programmes.

The List of Winners as follows: Group-A: Ist Prize- Joanne Rebecca Varghese, 1st Std., Carmel School, IInd Prize- Nova Catherine Shygen, 1st Std,

Thursday, December 15th at 7:30pm THE LEGEND OF THE HOLY DRINKER This is an enchanting, mesmeric fable. It tells the story of an alcoholic who strives for redemption, but is cheated out of attaining it again and again - either by drink or friends or any of the myriad pleasures life throws at us. And yet somehow - miraculously - the drinker’s soul remainsintact; his final mission frustrated, temporarily foresaken but never entirely forgotten.

Saturday, December 17th at 7:30pm 12 ANGRY MEN A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court.

Thursday, December 22nd at 7:30pm THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON Daniel Johnston, manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist is revealed in this portrait of madness, creativity and love.

Saturday, December 24th at 7:30pm RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE In the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains, 486 metres deep, lies the closest ever guarded secret of Christmas. The time has come to dig it up! This Christmas everyone will believe in Santa Claus.

Thursday, December 29th at 7:30pm BRAZIL A bureaucrat in a retro-future world tries to correct an administrative error and himself becomes an enemy of the state.

Cinemagic Kuwait, is organizing these events as part of its efforts to contribute to the development of an internationally competitive Kuwaiti audio-visual production industry, partly by bringing the filmmakers and audiences together and by Increasing the public’s interest in - and appreciation for - the art of film-making.

Cinemagic movies are screened in the old Salmiya, on the roof on top of Alghanim Electronics and LG.

Gulf Indian School, Fahaheel, IIIrd PrizeAnjali Renjith Panicker, 1st Std, Carmel School.

Group-B: Ist Prize- Aadhithya Jayaprakash, 4th Std., IES-Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, Abbassiya. . IInd PrizeDeon Prince D’souza, 4th Std, Indian Community School, Khaitan, IIIrd PrizeNooha Hashim, 2nd Std, Indian Community School, Khaitan, Nanda Krishnan, 4th Std, IES-Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, Abbassiya.

Group-C: Ist Prize- Flency Thankachan, 8th Std, Indian Community School, Khaitan. IInd Prize- Aavani Jayaprakash, 8th Std, Indian Community School, Khaitan, Abitha George, 8th Std, IES-Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, Abbassiya.

IIIrd Prize- Fleno Thankachan, 5th Std., Indian Community School, Khaitan, Liya Elsa Jacob. 7th Std., Al-Wataniya English Private School (DPS), Fahaheel.

Group-D: Ist Prize- Vivek Unnikrishnan, 11th Std, Indian Community School, Amman. IInd PrizeArjun Narayanan Kutty, 9th Std., Indian Community School, Sr. Salmiya, Rimsha Rehan, 9th Std, Carmel School, IIIrd Prize- Dilruba Rukhsana, 9th Std, Gulf Indian School, Fahaheel.

Clay Sculpture: Ist Prize- N Kaushik, 11th Std., IES-Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, Abbassiya. IInd Prize - Carlo Robert, 8th Std, Indian Public School, Hawally. IIIrd Prize- Pinanki Chudasama, Carmel School.

Open Canvas (for Parents & Guests): Ist Prize- Vidhu Gopan, IInd Prize Mukundan, IIIrd Prize- Suresh Kumar.

Merit Prize: Group-A: Trisha Banerjee, Haarshith Sankar Sasidhr, Lana Khadeeja, Nida Adeel, Abel Shibu K, Ailin E Shibu, Albert Hansel, Anika Krishnan, Elijah Ayub Khan, Srya Vijith, Ananthapadmanabhan.S. Group-B: Mishaal.Kandapath, Malavika Vidhugopan, Rithika Teresa Roby George, Santhra K Dineshkumar, Sarangi Muraleedas, Justin Ignatius, Maya Jaypal, Varun Vineeth, Aman.B.Nair.

Group-C: Noel Saji, Aditya Jaypal, Nayama Elsa Christy, Vinayak Unnikrishnan, Gavin George. Group-D: Rozanne Jojo, Aleena Rehan, Reshma Abraham, Maleeha Khan, Merin Jose Vallavanthara, Abey Biju, Sibil Sara Sen.

Shreya Ghoshal to perform in Kuwait

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outh icon for the millions Shreya Ghoshal will be performing live in Kuwait on Friday, 9th Dec. 2011. The mega evening is organised by Indian Cultural Society. After hosting memorable events such as “ Parda Hai Parda” with Munawwar Masoom, Surinder Singh & Poonam Bhatia, “Mahakte Lamhe” with Udit Narayan, Neha Chauhan &Trishna Mukharjee, “Dil Ki Awaaz “ with Kavita Krishnamurti etc., ICS is now all set to present “Silsila Ye Chahat Ka” with Shreya Ghoshal at Al Jeel Al Jadeed School, Hawally. The Chief Guest for the event will be Ambassador of India, Kuwait and the guest of honor will be prominent personalities from Kuwait. The evening will witness new fashion and ever green songs by leading female playback singer from Indian cinema Shreya Ghoshal. She will perform with her world fame orchestra & musician along with co singer Shiv Prasad Mallaya. Young talents from Kuwait will be another attraction of the evening.

Arpan celebrates Children’s Day

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rpan Kuwait celebrated Children’s Day as a fitting tribute to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister. The day was dedicated to children by their parents in a unique manner with songs, dedication speeches and skits.

Many programs were conceived for children that were beneficial to them in molding their life.

The Children’s Day celebration started with a prayer song by Anil Attuva followed by presidential address by Krishnan K

Pillai. The president congratulated Arpan’s Ladies Wing for introducing innovative programs for children. Items like photo identification game and dedication speeches by parents were quite attractive and well-received by the Arpan members present at the Sopanam Hall, Salmiya.

While enjoying various cultural programs presented by their parents, the children also got an opportunity to know their parents’ deep love and affection towards them. The parents, while thanking the

Arpan team for conceiving the unique program, said the celebration provided an ideal platform for them to express their love towards their children.

A musical medley was presented by Anil Viruvil, Anil Attuva, Satheesh Subramaniam, Soumya Venkit, Kala Mohan, Lakshmi Anildas and Chitra Janardhanan. The skit titled ‘AVAK’ was informative and theme based. It was presented by Physics and Mathematics teachers providing scientific information about

health. The skit was conceived, written and acted by A R Subbaraman (Aviram) who was supported by Binu Thomas, Mahadevan, Viju Daniel, Ganesh and Sam C Vilanilam. A wide variety of games were also played for the children. The show came to an end with a vote of thanks by Vidya Raghave. The program committee, headed by Vidya Raghave, also included Soumya Venkat, Sheela Suresh, Anil Attuva and Ramamoorthy. The program was anchored by Satheesh Subramanian.

KDNA conducts Fahaheel area general body

VIBE 2011 to hit Kuwait’s stage

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uwait’s popular dance group D-illusions in association with community portal IndiansinKuwait.com presents a unique dance show, VIBE 2011 for the public. The show will be held on Thursday, December 8th 2011 at Kuwait Medical Association Auditorium, Jabriya at 7:30pm.

D-illusions, the brain child of Vibin John and Eman Al Mel is one of the leading dance group in Kuwait. The dance people are unique in their style of contemporary dance and has a proven track record in Kuwait’s entertainment arena. The unique shows ‘VIBE 2011’ for the first time will showcase a mixture of Ethnic, Hip hop, Bollywood and thematic dances. More than 55 dancers of different age groups will perform a dozens of creative shows which will take the audience to another level of imagination.

K SMCA office and auditorium inaugurated

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MCA’s foundation day DEC 1st was celebrated and at the same time the office and auditorium was inaugurated. The founder members and the working committee members joined President Jacob Pynadath George to cut the ribbon and then stepped into the new era in the history of SMCA. The first ceremony in the auditorium was the recital of traditional evening prayer

‘Ramsa’. General Secretary Bijoy Palakunnel welcomed all. In his presidential address, Jacob Pynadath expressed thanks to founder members, all previous committees, to all members who supported SMCA and to the Abbasiya Area committee who worked hard to make the dream about SMCA office and auditorium true. Treasurer Luis Neriamparambil thanked all.

ozhikode District NRI Association Kuwait (KDNA) conducted Fahaheel Area General body meeting at Shobha Restaurant Fahaheel. The General Body meeting was Presided over

by Santosh Punathil and Inaugurated by Association President Zubair MM. General Secretary Suresh Mathur spoke about the activities and vision of the association and Web & IT Secretary Nasir Thikkodi controlled the election procedure and elected following office bearers unanimously for the year 20112012.

Mokandy Mohammed Koya (President) TM Praju & C Mohammed Iqbal (Vice Presidents) Sajeevan Kunnimal (General Secretary) KV Jahfar, PV Suhesh Kumar (Joint. Secretaries)

Santosh Purakattiri (Treasurer) N Hafiz, PO Binil Kumar, MV Mohammed Najeeb, OM Majeed, VP Narayanan, VV Sreejith, P Shamshuddin, Linil Kumar, Jamal Nandi, M Dharmarajan, C KJarshad, Balan Koomulli, PP Yousuf, P Vinod Kumar, Nishal Ani, A K Jinesh, TM Aneesh Kumar (Executive Members) KDNA vice president Asha Premraj, Secrataries K Ali Koya, Sathyan Varunda, Ilyas Thottathil, Zaheer Alakal, Nisar KV, Abbasiya Area President Premraj Koroth, Farwaniya Area President Ubaid Chakkittakandy, Sandya Sreejith, Rafia Anas made felicitation speeches.

Organizing Secretary Rasheed Payanthong proposed welcome speech and Santosh Purakkattiri proposed vote of Thanks.

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests all Brazilian citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the website www.brazil.org.kw (Contact Us Form / Fale Conosco) in order to register or update contact information. The Embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the Embassy. The registration process helps the Brazilian Government to contact and assist Brazilians living abroad in case of any emergency. nnnnnnn

English Day at GUST

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nglish Day at the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) began with the national anthems and an introduction from Dr Abdulrahman Al-Muhailan, who explained the importance of the English language at GUST and around the world stating that English is not only a language of countries, but a language of the world where 70% of the world’s universities use English as the language of instruction. The English Day is a grand day at GUST filled with activities, excitement and an abundance of knowledge.

Dr Cook, in his speech, said: “I know that today is English Day, but I hope that

on campus, every day is English day.” Tom Shepard, the representative from the British Embassy noted: “I am very proud of my country and heritage today, seeing so many students here in Kuwait knowledgeable and enthused by the English language and literature,” and Mona Farouki, the representative from the American Embassy thanked all the students and organizers of the event stating that the Embassy is extremely honored to be part of the English Day celebrations.

Dr Piers Smith, Head of the English Department, welcomed the honored guests - representatives from the American and British embassies and

thanked all who made the day a success; and said: “English Day 2011 has expanded considerably since last year’s festivities and hopes to grow in the coming years.”

The formal program began with a costume processional of all the students and faculty who dressed up as various characters from prominent English stories and films for the occasion, followed by music and songs performed live by students and faculty.

The remainder of the day was enjoyed by all - students, faculty, and guests.

Exhibitions ranging from “Shakespeare and His Works” to “Stories from Arabian

Nights” were in action. A food festival was held at 1PM - enjoying foods from all over the world. Participation in games, a scavenger hunt, a spelling bee, and a graffiti board took place as well as the Candy Corner game and the ever so popular “On going story”!. Extraordinary “book covers” were on display. Movie trailers were held in the theater. At 2PM, Dr Todd Fine who has flown in from the US presented a fascinating seminaron “Project Khalid.” The day ended with the close of the scavenger hunt - and great memories of English Day 2011 - with a look forward to yet another exciting English Day next year!

Great leaders of India - Prep

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s a part of Gandhi Jayanthi celebration the students of Prep from Indian Community SchoolAmman, dressed up as great leaders of India and paraded on stage, enthralling the audience. The program began with an introduction by Zia Banu highlighting the achievements of our great leaders. The kids of Prep exhibited their talents by remembering our great leaders who led our country in the fight against the British rule. It was a sight to remember when the students dressed up as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Vivekanada and others delivering their speeches as a mark of respect to the great leaders. Principal Sridevi Pradeep appreciated the efforts of both the teachers and the students. They announced that certificates of appreciation would be given to all the participants. A group photograph was taken of the participants along with the Principal, Vice Principal and teachers. The live show came to an end with all of them proudly declaring “JAI HIND”. The Amman kids have done it again.

IES continues its Saga of Success

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he will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence. Indian Educational School continued its saga of success in the Inter School Talent Show conducted under the aegis of Kannada Kootta, Kuwait on 2nd of Decembr 2011 at Carmel School, Khaitan with an urge to reach their full potential. The stars of IES stood on top of the victory stand overshadowing the dazzling performance of their competitors, Reminiscence, a 12 minute enchanting stage performance, presented by them on the theme of Indian History was a harmonious blend of dance, mime and mono act. It was an ideal artistic attempt to depict the disharmony between the Hindu-Muslim communities in the post independent India and the irretrievable loss our mother India had when her heroic son Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi fell at her feet and took his last breath. It took all the spectators back to the blood stained sands of Indian history, and together with the performers they too posed a reverberating final question, are we really independent?

The wholesome piece of work stressed on the significance of a stronger desire to safeguard the long sought freedom of our country.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca.

The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

Effective January 15, 2011, the only Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) application form that will be accepted by CIC is the Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form.

All previous Temporary Resident Visa application forms will no longer be accepted by CIC and instead will be returned to applicants. Should old applications be submitted prior to January 15, 2011 they will continue to be processed. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF GERMANY

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application. Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (AlBabtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to request all Kenyans resident in or training through Kuwait to register with the Embassy.

We are updating our database. This information is necessary in order to facilitate quick assistance and advise in times of emergency. Kindly visit in person or register through our website www.kenyaembkuwait.com. The Embassy is located in: Surra Area Block 6 - Street 9 - Villa 3 Tel: 25353362 - 25353314; Fax: 25353316. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF PERU The Embassy of Peru is located at Al-Arablya Tower, Sharq, Ahmed Al-Jaber Street, on the 6th Floor. In the same place, as a part of the Chancellery of the Embassy of Peru in Kuwait, also is located the Showing Room of “PeruExpoTour, Trade & Invest.” nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF RUSSIA Embassy of the Russian Federation will hold the elections to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (Parliament) on December 3, 2011, between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm in the Embassy s premises by the address: Kuwait City, Daiya, Block 5, Diplomatic campus, Plot 17. All the Russians are invited to participate.

They are requested to present valid Russian passports. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF US The United States and Kuwait enjoy a long-standing and fruitful relationship with higher education. As evidence of this enduring partnership, the number of Kuwaiti students enrolled in US institutions of higher education in 2010/11 increased from 2442 to 2998, a 22.8% increase compared to the previous year. Kuwaiti students study in 45 states.

This year, embassies and institutions around the world will be celebrating International Education Week the week of November 14-18.

In honor of International Education Week, the US Embassy s Mobile American Corner will be at the Marina Mall on Wednesday evening, November 16, and at the Avenues Mall on Thursday evening, November 17. Information about higher education in the US, English language classes and the student visa application process will be available, and staff will be present to answer questions about study in the USA from the general public.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 Untamed & Uncut 01:45 Dogs 101 02:40 Shark City 03:35 Speed Of Life 04:30 Whale Wars 05:25 Dogs 101 06:20 Animal Cops Houston 07:10 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 08:00 Monkey Life 08:25 The Really Wild Show 08:50 Panda Adventures With Nigel Marven 09:40 Breed All About It 10:10 Bad Dog 11:05 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 12:00 Animal Cops Specials 2009 12:55 Bondi Vet 13:20 Wildlife SOS 13:50 Last Chance Highway 14:45 Animal Cops Phoenix 15:40 Life Of Mammals 16:30 Monkey Life 17:00 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 17:30 Natural Born Hunters 18:00 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 18:25 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 19:20 My Cat From Hell 20:15 Bondi Vet 20:40 Breed All About It 21:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 22:05 Life Of Mammals 23:00 Must Love Cats

00:20 Conviction 01:15 As Time Goes By 01:45 The Weakest Link 02:35 The Fixer 03:20 Conviction 04:10 My Family 04:40 3rd & Bird 04:50 Bobinogs 05:00 Boogie Beebies 05:15 Poetry Pie 05:20 Tweenies 05:40 Fimbles 06:00 3rd & Bird 06:10 Bobinogs 06:20 Boogie Beebies 06:35 Poetry Pie 06:40 Tweenies 07:00 Charlie and Lola 07:10 Fimbles 07:30 3rd & Bird 07:40 Bobinogs 07:50 Boogie Beebies 08:05 Poetry Pie 08:10 Tweenies 08:30 Charlie and Lola 08:40 Fimbles 09:00 3rd & Bird 09:10 Bobinogs 09:20 Boogie Beebies 09:35 Poetry Pie 09:45 Buzz & Tell 09:50 Tweenies 10:10 Charlie and Lola 10:20 Fimbles 10:40 My Family 11:40 The Weakest Link 12:25 The Inspector Mysteries 13:20 Doctors 13:50 As Time Goes By 14:20 Coast 15:25 My Family 16:25 The Inspector Mysteries 17:15 The Weakest Link 18:05 Doctors 18:35 As Time Goes By 19:05 Coast 20:10 The Inspector Mysteries 21:00 The Weakest Link 21:45 Doctors 22:15 EastEnders 22:45 Holby City 23:40 The Fixer

00:00 BBC World News 00:30 Horizons

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01:00 BBC World News 01:10 World Features 01:30 World Challenge Final 02:00 BBC World News 02:10 The Health Show 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 BBC World News 03:30 India Business Report 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Newsday 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 Newsday 06:30 Asia Business Report 06:45 Sport Today 07:00 Newsday 07:30 Hardtalk 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 World Business Report 11:45 Sport Today 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 Hardtalk 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 BBC World News 14:30 World Business Report 14:45 Sport Today 15:00 GMT With George Alagiah 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 BBC World News 21:30 World Business Report 21:45 Sport Today 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 23:30 World Business Report 23:45 Sport Today

00:15 Samurai Jack 00:40 Megas XLR 01:05 Robotboy 01:30 Squirrel Boy 01:55 George Of The Jungle 02:20 Cramp Twins 02:45 Chop Socky Chooks 03:10 Best Ed 03:35 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 04:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:25 Generator Rex 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 05:40 Chowder 05:55 Powerpuff Girls 06:30 Ed, Edd n Eddy 06:55 I Am Weasel 07:20 Squirrel Boy 07:45 Cow & Chicken 08:00 Eliot Kid 08:25 Angelo Rules 08:50 Best Ed 09:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 09:40 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 10:05 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 10:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 10:55 Cow & Chicken 11:20 I Am Weasel 11:35 Adventure Time 12:00 Ben 10 12:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 12:50 The Secret Saturdays 13:15 Samurai Jack 13:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 14:05 Codename: Kids Next Door 14:30 Skunk Fu! 14:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 15:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 15:40 Ed, Edd n Eddy

16:05 Camp Lazlo 16:30 Chowder 16:55 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 17:25 Cow & Chicken 17:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog 18:15 I Am Weasel 18:40 George Of The Jungle 19:05 Codename: Kids Next Door 19:30 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 19:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 20:20 Generator Rex 20:45 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 21:10 Sym-Bionic Titan 21:35 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 22:00 Hero 108 22:25 Adventure Time 22:50 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 23:00 Ben 10 23:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 23:50 The Secret Saturdays

00:00 00:20 01:10 02:00 02:45 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:00 06:20 Cody 06:45 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:35 09:00 09:15 09:25 09:35 09:50 10:15 10:30 10:50 11:15 11:35 12:00 12:25 12:45 13:10 13:30 13:55 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 Cody 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:45 19:35 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:35 22:00 22:25 Cody 22:50 23:15

Kim Possible Replacements Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic Stitch Kim Possible Emperor’s New School Stitch Emperor’s New School The Suite Life Of Zack And Shake It Up Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction The Hive Handy Manny Imagination Movers Phineas And Ferb Emperor’s New School Good Luck Charlie Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Sonny With A Chance Good Luck Charlie Hannah Montana Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Phineas And Ferb Fish Hooks Shake It Up The Suite Life Of Zack And Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Shake It Up Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Emperor’s New School Fish Hooks Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up The Suite Life Of Zack And Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place

00:00 Globe Trekker 01:00 Wild Camping 02:00 Cruise Today 02:30 Essential 03:00 Luxury Train Journeys Of India 04:00 Great Scenic Railways-New Zealand 04:30 Life’s A Trip 05:00 Globe Trekker 09:00 Intrepid Journeys 10:00 Tokyo Revealed 11:00 Glutton For Punishment 12:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma

TITANIC ON OSN MOVIES HD

00:40 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:45 09:10 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 15:05 15:30 16:00 16:25 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00

One Man Army Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Overhaulin’ How It’S Made Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings Coal Deadliest Catch Ultimate Survival Dual Survival Danger Coast Cash Cab Us Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Overhaulin’ Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings How It’S Made How Stuff’S Made Cash Cab Us

00:40 Bang Goes The Theory 01:05 The Tech Show 01:30 Super Comet: After The Impact 02:20 Future Weapons 06:40 The Tech Show 07:10 How The Universe Works 08:00 Scrapheap Challenge 08:50 How The Universe Works 09:40 The Tech Show 10:10 Weird Connections 10:35 The Gadget Show 11:25 Brainiac 12:20 Sci-Fi Science 12:45 Cool Stuff & How It Works 13:15 Build It Bigger: Rebuilding Greensburg 14:05 How The Universe Works 14:55 Stuntdawgs 15:20 Green Wheels 15:50 The Kustomizer 16:40 Weird Connections 17:05 Scrapheap Challenge 18:00 How The Universe Works 18:50 Sci-Fi Science 19:15 The Tech Show 19:40 Things That Move 20:30 Mighty Ships 21:20 Last Flight Of The Space Shuttle

00:15 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:40 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 01:05 World Cafe Asia 01:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:55 Bobby Chinn Cooks Asia 02:45 Food Network Challenge 03:35 Chopped 04:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 05:15 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 05:40 Unwrapped 06:05 Chef vs Britain 06:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 06:50 Paula’s Party 07:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 08:00 Chopped 08:50 Guy’s Big Bite 09:15 Extra Virgin 09:40 Chef vs Britain 10:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 10:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 10:55 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 11:20 Aarti Party 11:45 Guy’s Big Bite 12:10 Unwrapped 12:35 Paula’s Party 13:25 Extra Virgin 13:50 Paula’s Best Dishes 14:15 Mexican Made Easy 14:40 World Cafe Asia 15:05 Food Network Challenge 15:55 Unwrapped 16:20 Good Eats - Special 16:45 Chopped 17:35 Guy’s Big Bite 18:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 18:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:55 Extra Virgin 19:15 Lidia’s Italy 19:40 Mexican Made Easy 20:05 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 20:30 Food Network Challenge 21:20 Unwrapped 21:45 Unwrapped 22:10 Lidia’s Italy 23:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics

00:20 Special Agent Oso 00:50 Jungle Junction 01:15 Little Einsteins 01:40 Higglytown Heroes 02:00 Jo Jo’S Circus 02:30 Special Agent Oso 03:00 Jungle Junction 03:25 Little Einsteins 03:50 Higglytown Heroes 04:20 Jo Jo’S Circus 04:40 Special Agent Oso 05:10 Jungle Junction 05:35 Little Einsteins 06:00 Higglytown Heroes 06:30 Jo Jo’S Circus 06:50 Jungle Junction 07:15 Higglytown Heroes 07:45 Handy Manny 08:00 Special Agent Oso 08:15 Jungle Junction 08:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:10 The Hive 09:20 Handy Manny 09:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 10:05 The Hive 10:15 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 10:25 Timon And Pumbaa 10:45 The Hive 10:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 11:15 The Little Mermaid 11:45 Little Einsteins 12:10 Imagination Movers 12:30 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 12:45 Lazytown 13:10 Handy Manny 13:25 Jungle Junction 13:40 Imagination Movers 14:05 The Hive 14:15 Special Agent Oso 14:25 Lazytown

14:50 15:15 15:40 16:05 16:30 16:40 16:55 17:20 17:45 18:00 18:20 18:30 18:55 19:25 19:50 20:05 20:25 20:40 20:50 21:20 21:30 21:55 22:20 22:35 22:50 23:15 23:25 23:40

Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Hive Jake & The Neverland Pirates Imagination Movers Lazytown Jungle Junction The Hive Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Little Mermaid Special Agent Oso Animated Stories Jungle Junction The Hive Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Imagination Movers Little Einsteins Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Timmy Time Handy Manny Jungle Junction

00:25 Style Star 01:25 E!es 02:20 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Reality Hell 05:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 10:15 THS 12:05 Style Star 12:35 Fashion Police 13:05 Dirty Soap 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 Giuliana & Bill 15:30 E!es 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Bridalplasty 17:55 Ice Loves Coco 18:55 THS 19:55 Kendra 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:25 Dirty Soap 22:25 The Soup 22:55 Fashion Police 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:00 Cowboy U 00:50 Aiya TV 02:30 Final Fu 03:20 Glutton For Punishment 05:50 Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championships...

07:30 Ride Guide Snow 2009 09:00 Tread BMX 09:25 IFMXF 2010 11:55 Fantasy Factory 12:45 Man’s Work 13:35 Untracked 14:25 Mantracker 15:15 World Combat League 16:05 Fantasy Factory 16:55 Man’s Work 17:45 Tread BMX 18:10 IFMXF 2010 20:40 Mantracker 21:30 Untracked 22:20 Final Fu 23:10 World Combat League

00:40 01:30 02:15 03:05 03:50 04:40 05:25 06:15 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:25 11:10 11:35 11:55 12:40 13:25 14:15 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:35 17:20 18:10 19:00 19:45 20:10 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:00 23:50 23:50

Couples Who Kill True CSI Nightmare Next Door I Almost Got Away With It Couples Who Kill True CSI On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Street Patrol On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Street Patrol On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Nightmare Next Door Nightmare Next Door Nightmare Next Door Nightmare Next Door

00:00 Travel Madness 00:30Latin America On A Motorcycle 01:00 Delinquent Gourmet 02:00 Exploring The Vine 03:00 Word of Mouth 03:30 Banged Up Abroad 05:30 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 06:00 Travel Madness 06:30 Latin America On A Motorcycle 07:00 Delinquent Gourmet 08:00 Exploring The Vine 09:00 Word of Mouth 09:30 Banged Up Abroad 10:30 Banged Up Abroad 11:30 Weird & Wonderful Hotels 12:00 Travel Madness 12:30 Latin America On A Motorcycle 13:00 Banged Up Abroad 14:00 Banged Up Abroad 15:00 Eccentric Uk 15:30 Deadliest Journeys 16:00 By Any Means 17:00 Long Way Down 18:00 City Chase: Argentina 19:00 Banged Up Abroad

SHERLOCK HOLMES ON OSN MOVIES ACTION 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

Banged Up Abroad Eccentric Uk Deadliest Journeys

By Any Means Long Way Down

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:15 10:00 12:15 14:00 16:15 18:00 20:00 22:00

The Wizard Of Gore-R The Siege-18 The Payback-18 King Arthur-PG15 Secret Window-PG15 What Lies Beneath-PG15 Ong Bak 2-PG15 Secret Window-PG15 No Time To Fear-PG15 Ong Bak 2-PG15 Icarus-18 Death Race 2-18

01:00 A Perfect Getaway-18 03:00 The Answer Man-PG15 05:00 The Social Network-PG15 07:15 My Son, My Son, What Have You Done?-PG15 09:00 Winx: Secret Of The Lost Kingdom-PG 10:45 The Social Network-PG15 13:00 The Front-PG15 15:00 Winx: Secret Of The Lost Kingdom-PG 17:00 Paper Man-PG15 19:00 Crazy On The Outside-PG15 21:00 Lost Boys: The Thirst-18 22:45 The American-18

00:00 The Ricky Gervais Show 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Saturday Night Live 02:30 South Park 03:00 Friends 04:00 According To Jim 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 The New Adventures Of Old Christine 06:00 Yes Dear 06:30 Just Shoot Me 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 According To Jim 08:30 Friends 09:00 The New Adventures Of Old Christine 09:30 How I Met Your Mother 10:00 State Of Georgia 10:30 Just Shoot Me 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Yes Dear 12:30 According To Jim 13:00 Friends 13:30 The New Adventures Of Old Christine 14:00 Just Shoot Me 14:30 State Of Georgia 15:00 How I Met Your Mother 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Yes Dear 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Friends 18:30 Friends 19:00 How I Met Your Mother 19:30 Traffic Light

01:00 Mindhunters-18 03:00 The Payback-18 05:00 A Lonely Place For Dying 07:00 Speed-PG15 09:00 The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course-PG15 11:00 Sherlock Holmes-PG15 13:15 The Thirteenth Floor-18 15:00 The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course-PG15 17:00 I, Robot-PG15 19:00 Freight-PG15 21:00 Death Race 2-18 23:00 Alive-PG15

00:00 Post Grad-PG15 02:00 Wake-PG15 04:00 The Addams Family-PG

06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Addams Family Values-PG That Old Feeling-PG15 13 Going On 30-PG15 Babe-FAM Fierce Creatures-PG15 Post Grad-PG15 Lower Learning-PG15 Bad News Bears-PG Mystery Men-PG15

00:45 Titanic-PG15 04:00 Napoleon Dynamite-PG 05:30 Stomp The Yard 2: Homecoming-PG15 07:00 Coco Before Chanel-PG15 09:00 Amelia-PG15 11:00 The Tempest-PG15 13:00 Too Big To Fail-PG15 15:00 Leap Year-PG15 17:00 Amelia-PG15 19:00 Takers-PG15 21:00 Bad News Bears-PG 23:00 Piranha-R

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 17:45 20:00 PG1 22:00

02:30 03:00 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

Gladiators: The Tournament The Little Engine That Could Gladiators: The Conspiracy-PG Gladiators: The Tournament Ramses Of Egypt-PG Ramona And Beezus-PG Turandot-PG Flicka 2-PG15 Globehunters-FAM Ramona And Beezus-PG I’ll Be Home For Christmas-

15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Aquabike World Power Boats Nations Cup Le Mans Series Magazine UFC The Ultimate Fighter The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed UFC 140 Countdown

00:00 01:00 03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 23:00

Warriors American Pickers Pawn Stars American Restoration Chasing Mummies Battles B.C. Warriors American Pickers Pawn Stars American Restoration Chasing Mummies Battles B.C. Warriors American Pickers Pawn Stars American Restoration Chasing Mummies Battles B.C. How The Earth Was Made American Pickers Decoding The Past Ice Road Truckers Ax Men

Turandot-PG

Powerboats F1 Live Test Cricket Trans World Sport Aquabike World Powerboats Nations Cup Le Mans Series Magazine Powerboats UIM Test Cricket Aquabike World Powerboats Nations Cup Le Mans Series Magazine Powerboats UIM Trans World Sport International Rugby Union

00:00 Scottish League Cup 02:00 Trans World Sport 03:00 Live Test Cricket 10:00 World Cup of Pool 12:00 US Bass Fishing 13:00 Test Cricket 20:00 European PGA Tour Highlights 21:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 21:30 Scottish League Cup 23:30 Golfing World

00:05 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 01:00 Open House 02:00 Videofashion Daily 02:55 Videofashion News 03:25 How Do I Look?

04:20 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

05:15 Married Away 06:10 Homes With Style 06:35 Area 07:05 Clean House 08:00 Videofashion News 09:00 Videofashion Daily 10:00 Open House 10:55 How Do I Look?

11:50 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

12:50 Clean House: Search For The Messiest...

13:50 Clean House 14:45 Videofashion Daily 15:45 How Do I Look?

16:40 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 17:35 Jerseylicious 18:30 How Do I Look?

19:25 Tia And Tamera 20:25 Open House 21:20 Clean House: New York 22:15 Elements Of Style 23:10 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane

02:00 Scottish Premier League 04:00 Rugby Union International 06:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 The Nedbank Golf Challenge 12:30 Golfing World 13:30 Scottish Premier League 15:30 Live Snooker UK Championship 21:30 SPL Highlights 22:00 Live Snooker UK Championship

01:35 Posse-PG 03:25 Mad Dog Coll-PG 05:05 Fatal Charm 06:35 Heart Of Midnight 08:05 Avanti-PG 10:25 Murder Live!-PG 11:55 How To Beat The High Cost Of Living-PG 13:40 Mystery Date-PG 15:15 Double Deception 16:50 Mannequin-PG 18:20 The Resurrected 20:05 Thunderbolt And Lightfoot 22:00 The First Power-PG 23:35 Mgm’s Big Screen-FAM

01:30 02:30 03:30 06:30 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00

01:10 03:20 05:15 07:30 08:00 09:35 11:30 PG 13:35 15:05 17:15 19:00 21:10 23:00

WWE Bottom Line UFC The Ultimate Fighter The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale UFC All Access WWE Bottom Line WWE Vintage Collection Speedway Le Mans Series Highlights Aquabike World Power Boats Nations Cup Le Mans Series Magazine UFC All Access WWE NXT WWE Bottom Line UFC All Access

Victor/Victoria Clash Of The Titans Till The Clouds Roll By-FAM TCM Presents Under...-U The Catered Affair-PG The Opposite Sex-PG Action In The North AtlanticLive A Little, Love A Little-PG Tea And Sympathy-PG Captain Nemo And The...-FAM Ziegfeld Girl-FAM The Glass Bottom Boat-FAM Penelope-FAM

Classifieds MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

SITUATION VACANT English speaking female lady Indian / Sri Lankan full time live-in housemaid is required in Salmiya for an Indian family. Contact: 25635450 / 99838117.

(C 3760) 5-12-2011 Required English speaking nanny/maid. Contact: 99824597. (C 3756) 3-12-2011

MATRIMONIAL

REMOVE ACCESSORIES Don’t wear jewelry or fake nails while cooking. Remove all rings, bracelets and wristwatches. They can harbor bacteria and contaminate food, says Bruce Staebler, a certified executive chef and former head of the kitchen at Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, Calif. As for fake nails, they can fall into food, he says.

WASH HANDS Wash your hands often and properly.

Wash them before preparing or serving food, and after touching raw meat, poultry, seafood and produce, Staebler says.

When washing hands, rub soap into them for 15 seconds before rinsing off, Hudson says. Washing your hands for that long “will kill the bacteria,” she adds. “If you shorten that time frame, it only makes the bacteria stronger.” Also, if you wash your hands according to these guidelines, anti-bacterial soap is not necessary, she says.

WASH PRODUCE, NOT MEATS Wash your fruits and veggies, but not your meats. The CDC recommends washing all produce under running water before prepping or eating. Use a brush to scrub off any stubborn dirt, Staebler says.

Keep the running water at about the same temperature as the produce, Hudson says.

“Any severe change in temperature opens up the skin (of fruits and vegetables) and allows the bacteria to absorb into the skin.”

By contrast, Hudson doesn’t recommend washing meat, especially chicken. “With chicken, there’s a lot of salmonella,” she says. “People rinse their chicken and they contaminate their sinks. All you’re doing is spreading the salmonella around your kitchen.” If you cook meat to proper internal temperatures, the heat will kill salmonella that may have been on the surface.

CHECK THE TEMPERATURE Cook all types of poultry to 165 degrees. “Combination foods,” such as frozen lasagna and other prepared dishes to be reheated, also should reach 165 degrees for 15 seconds, she says. All types of ground meat (excluding poultry) need to reach 155 degrees. And cook seafood, steaks, pork chops and eggs (poached, scrambled or fried) to 145 degrees.

SANITIZE Clean and sanitize. Here’s a typical scenario: A home cook slices poultry or meat on a cutting board, transfers the meat to a plate, then washes the board with soap, water and a sponge before using it to chop vegetables.

Does this prevent the spread of bacteria?

No. The sponge cleaned the cutting board but didn’t sanitize it.

There’s a difference between cleaning and sanitizing, says Don Waddell, the culinary division director at the Institute

Reduce your chances of getting sick with these food-handling tips

BY JOAN OBRA

McClatchy Newspapers

f you follow the news about foodborne illnesses, you might wonder about the safety of our meats, fruits and vegetables.

There’s good news and bad news. First, the bad: About 76 million cases of foodborne illnesses occur each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Taken together, foodborne illnesses result in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths yearly.

Here’s the good news: The majority of cases are mild, according to the CDC. Also, improper food handling causes many cases of foodborne illness. That means you can take steps to protect yourself, says Molly Hudson, a food-safety instructor in the Institute of Technology’s culinary program in Clovis, Calif.

To minimize your chances of falling ill, we’ve collected these food-safety tips used in commercial kitchens.

of Technology in Clovis. “Cleaning means wiping off visible debris,” he says. “Sanitizing reaches the microscopic level.”

Sanitizers include Clorox Anywhere Hard Surface daily sanitizing spray or Lysol Food Surface Sanitizer.

Neither is appropriate for wooden cutting boards, but plastic ones are OK. Follow this method of preparing food if you have only one cutting board: Slice bread (or other shelfstable items) on the board, and transfer to a plate. Then cut cleaned fruits and vegetables on the board, and set them aside on a plate. Wash the cutting board, knives and sink with hot soap and water, spray with sanitizer and let them air dry. If raw produce touched the counter, clean and sanitize that as well. Then cut all of your meats and seafood, set them aside on a plate, and clean and sanitize everything again.

All of this cleaning in the middle of food prep can get unwieldy when you’re pressed for time. It’s easier to keep two cutting boards and knives for each board.

“Just remember to put protein on one cutting board, veggies on another,” Staebler says. “Then turn the veggie one over and slice bread.”

You’ll still have to wash your hands and sink (and countertops, if raw, perishable food touched them) in the middle of prep.

But if you keep the cutting boards and knives separate, you can skip cleaning and sanitizing them until you’re done.

For the final cleaning, use the dishwasher to sanitize plastic cutting boards. Just be sure to run the high-heat rinse and highheat dry cycles, Hudson says. The energysaving settings won’t be hot enough.

Also clean and sanitize countertops after each cooking session. And don’t forget the sponges. Dampen them with water, then microwave each of them for 20-30 seconds at high heat. Zap them one at a time to prevent fires, Hudson says.

STORE SAFELY Store food properly. This advice from the CDC is a no-brainer: Keep produce meant to be eaten raw separate from other raw foods.

As for cooked food, it should be stored below 41 degrees within two hours. That’s because bacteria thrives in a “danger zone” of 135-141 degrees, Hudson says. There’s also a “rapid growth zone” for bacteria, which is 125-170 degrees.

“If you get out of the danger zone within two hours,” she adds, “you’ll have a better chance of slowing down the growth.”

Given this advice, you never should place a large pot of steaming food directly into the refrigerator or freezer, Staebler says. In addition to heating up the surrounding space, it won’t cool quickly enough. Instead, spread the food onto a shallow pan to help it cool faster.

Refrigerate after the steam disperses.

To store the pot itself, first cool its contents to 70 degrees, Hudson says.

Place the pot in a sink filled with ice water, stir its contents, check its temperature with a thermometer and refrigerate. To freeze, transfer cooled food to smaller containers. Label the containers with the date and contents, then store and eat within three to six months (or sooner, if a recipe tells you to).

THAW SAFELY Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator. But if you’re in a pinch, thaw a container under cold, running water, Staebler says. Once you’ve thawed the food, eat it within three days for optimum safety. The same goes for refrigerated leftovers.

And when serving, it’s best to discard perishable food after four hours at room temperature. If you’d like to save leftovers, then refrigerate within three hours. But if you’re serving food in hot weather, such as a picnic, then throw away all leftovers.

Use common sense. “When in doubt, throw it out,” Staebler says. “If people would just use common sense, they probably would eliminate 80 percent of foodborne illness in the home.”

I L L U S T R AT I O N S

BY BOB CAMPBELL/MCT

Bride wanted for Hindu Nair (M.S, USA), Rohini, 28, 5’7”, E&E Eng. (Kuwait).

Prefer educated, traditional yet modern pleasant girl from well to do cultured family. Contact Email: dpakvnair@gmail.com (C 3754) 5-12-2011 Bride wanted for Hindu Nair (M.S, USA), Rohini, 28, 5’7”, E&E Eng. (Kuwait).

Prefer educated, traditional yet modern pleasant girl from well to do cultured family. Contact Email: dpakvnair@gmail.com (C 3754) 4-12-2011

FOR SALE

condition, registration till May 2012. Price KD 600.

Contact: 97277135.

4-5-2011

SITUATION WANTED

Indian Accountant highly experienced in preparing Trial Balance, P&L, Balance

Sheet, Budget & Budget controls, Dealing with Banks, all Accounting Procedures, L/Cs, Foreign Purchase, oil field Tenders, knowing Arabic, Accounting Softwares Tally, Al-Sahel, BIS, with Driving License available immediately. Can work as Secretary also. Contact: 97669236 / 24315927. (C 3758) 5-12-2011

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available in Abbasiya near Integrated Indian School, High Land Super Market building, Keralite family.

Contact: 99379252.

(C 3759) 5-11-2011

No: 15289

32” Sony LCD TV in excellent condition KD 90/-.

Contact: 99598324.

(C 3757) Furniture for sale, Shaab Sea side, Spectacular direct sea view, very close to the Canadian Embassy - 3 bedrooms flat. Wood flooring and wall paper in the living room. Contact: 60027061 / 97310272. (C 3761) Mitsubishi Jeep, Nativa, model 2010, white color, 6 cylinder engine alloy rim, registration till 20-04-2013, excellent condition (installment possible), cash price KD 3,550.

Contact: 99105286. (C 3762) 5-12-2011 Mercedes Benz 1998 (E 200), color beige, running

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

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Arrival Flights on Monday 5/12/2011 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 205 LAHORE 447 AMSTERDAM/BAHRAIN 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 620 ADDIS ABABA 772 ISTANBUL 853 DUBAI 138 DOHA 370 BAHRAIN 612 CAIRO 67 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 211 BAHRAIN 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 503 LUXOR 555 ALEXANDRIA 157 LONDON 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 302 MUMBAI 284 DHAKA 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 344 CHENNAI 165 DUBAI 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH 404 BEIRUT 6521 LAMERD 623 SOHAG 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 341 DAMASCUS 57 DUBAI

Time 0:20 0:25 0:30 0:45 0:50 1:45 2:15 2:35 2:40 2:55 3:00 3:05 3:10 3:15 5:15 5:30 5:55 6:00 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:15 8:20 8:30 9:00 9:05 9:20 9:35 9:55 10:35 11:20 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:30 12:55 13:25 13:45 13:50

UAL OMA QTR KNE SVA RJA JZR KAC KAC QTR JZR ETD KAC UAE GFA SVA ABY RBG ALK JZR FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC AIC KAC KAC FDB JAI MSR DHX VOS MEA GFA QTR UAE JZR KLM TAR UAL BBC DLH PIA

982 645 140 745 500 640 257 550 546 134 535 303 118 857 215 510 127 3561 227 177 63 542 744 786 618 674 975 104 774 61 572 618 372 81 402 217 136 859 135 445 327 981 43 636 239

WASHINGTON DC DULLES MUSCAT DOHA JEDDAH JEDDAH AMMAN BEIRUT SOHAG ALEXANDRIA DOHA CAIRO ABU DHABI NEW YORK DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH SHARJAH ALEXANDRIA COLOMBO/DUBAI DUBAI DUBAI CAIRO DAMMAM JEDDAH DOHA DUBAI CHENNAI/GOA LONDON RIYADH DUBAI MUMBAI ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN BAGHDAD BEIRUT BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM TUNIS BAHRAIN DHAKA FRANKFURT SIALKOT

14:05 14:15 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:40 15:00 15:15 15:20 15:25 16:25 16:50 16:55 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:40 17:50 18:10 18:15 18:40 18:50 18:55 19:10 19:15 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:40 20:00 20:10 20:45 21:00 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:05 22:35 23:00 23:45 23:50 23:55

Airlines UAL AXB AIC DLH PIA KLM ETH THY FDB UAE DHX MSR ETD QTR JZR GFA FDB KAC BAW KAC JZR JZR UAE ABY FDB QTR ETD GFA KAC KAC KAC RKM MEA IRC MSR KAC JZR MSR GFA FDB SYR

Departure Flights on Monday 5/12/2011 Flt Route Time 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 0:45 390 MANGALORE/KOZHIKODE 0:50 982 AHMEDABAD/HYDERABAD/CHENNAI1:05 637 FRANKFURT 1:20 206 PESHAWER/LAHORE 1:25 447 AMSTERDAM 1:45 621 ADDIS ABABA 2:45 773 ISTANBUL 3:15 68 DUBAI 3:45 854 DUBAI 3:50 371 BAHRAIN 3:55 613 CAIRO 4:00 306 ABU DHABI 4:00 139 DOHA 4:55 164 DUBAI 6:55 212 BAHRAIN 7:00 54 DUBAI 8:25 545 ALEXANDRIA 8:30 156 LONDON 8:40 549 SOHAG 8:55 256 BEIRUT 9:00 534 CAIRO 9:15 856 DUBAI 9:40 126 SHARJAH 9:45 56 DUBAI 10:05 133 DOHA 10:10 302 ABU DHABI 10:20 214 BAHRAIN 10:40 165 ROME/PARIS 11:45 541 CAIRO 12:00 103 LONDON 12:30 311 RAS ALKHAIMAH 12:50 405 BEIRUT 12:55 6522 LAMERD 13:00 624 SOHAG 13:30 785 JEDDAH 13:40 176 DUBAI 13:50 611 CAIRO 13:55 220 BAHRAIN 14:20 58 DUBAI 14:35 342 DAMASCUS 14:45

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

KAC KNE OMA UAL RJA SVA KAC KAC KAC QTR ETD JZR QTR VOS UAE GFA ABY RBG SVA JZR ALK FDB JZR FDB DHX KAC KAC JAI MSR DHX MEA GFA FAH QTR KAC JZR UAE KAC KLM TAR JZR KAC

673 746 646 982 641 501 617 743 773 141 304 538 135 82 858 216 128 3563 511 134 228 64 184 62 171 331 351 571 619 373 403 218 102 137 301 554 860 205 445 327 528 411

DUBAI JEDDAH MUSCAT BAHRAIN AMMAN JEDDAH DOHA DAMMAM RIYADH DOHA ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA BAGHDAD DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH ASSIUT RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI/COLOMBO DUBAI DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN TRIVANDRUM COCHIN MUMBAI ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN BEIRUT BAHRAIN DUBAI DOHA MUMBAI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI ISLAMABAD BAHRAIN/AMSTERDAM DUBAI/TUNIS ASSIUT BANGKOK/MANILA

15:05 15:10 15:15 15:20 15:35 15:45 15:55 16:15 16:25 16:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:10 18:15 18:25 18:30 18:35 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:55 20:40 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:45 22:00 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:35 23:35 23:55

34

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

stars CROSSWORD 518

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) You may want to delay any anticipated travel plans, as they could be more trouble to you than they are worth; reschedule, if possible. Ideas and communications are topics of interest and concern for you just now. Getting the facts and making sure that people get your message straight can make all the difference in the world; any shortcomings in these areas could cause problems. This is a time when new information may come to light that could make it clear that a change of plans or outlook may be to your benefit. Keep both eyes wide open and an ear to the ground. You are in a learning phase now and that means adapting to changing circumstances. Your energies and feelings will be directed toward solutions and moving forward at this time.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Your emotional drive and sense of things may be at odds with your best interests, the way to proceed. You could make some bad decisions, be too generous or squander your resources. This would be a good time to get down to long talks with your partner or loved one. You may decide on a sensible budget now, or you may set aside certain days to spend more time together. You and your loved one(s) may become involved in some kind of sporting activity and this will be successful for you on many different levels. New and perhaps unusual ways of appreciating and loving may be possible now. You may discover something new about love or may adopt a different and unconventional value system for a time.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. An aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect.

5. A device (trade name Aqua-Lung) that lets divers breathe under water.

10. Inquire about.

13. An elaborate song for solo voice.

14. An irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action.

15. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

16. Boiled or baked buckwheat.

18. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that was formed by an explosion.

19. Thigh of a hog (usually smoked).

20. The act of escaping physically.

22. North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

24. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

27. A neutral middle vowel.

30. A small ball with a hole through the middle.

35. Seed of a pea plant.

36. A bachelor's degree in religion.

38. Related to or written for or performed by a chorus or choir.

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

42. A dull persistent (usually moderately intense) pain.

45. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

46. English scholastic philosopher and assumed author of Occam's Razor (1285-1349).

48. Mild yellow Dutch cheese made in balls.

49. A very poisonous metallic element that has three allotropic forms.

51. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

52. Of or relating to or derived from or containing boron.

54. A large zodiacal constellation between Libra and Sagittarius.

59. A republic in the western central Pacific Ocean in association with the United States.

62. A strong emotion.

63. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

66. A young woman.

67. An accountant certified by the state.

68. Jordan's port.

69. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

DOWN 1. Cook and make edible by putting in a hot oven.

2. A river that rises in northeastern Turkey (near the source of the Euphrates) and flows generally eastward through Armenia to the Caspian Sea. 3. (computer science) A kind of computer architecture that has a relatively small set of computer instructions that it can perform.

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

5. A gray lustrous metallic element of the rare earth group.

6. A rotating disk shaped to convert circular into linear motion.

7. Relatively small fast-moving sloth.

8. Slanting diagonally across the grain of a fabric.

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

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

11. Singing jazz.

12. God of love and erotic desire.

17. A drug combination found in some over-the-counter headache remedies (Aspirin and Phenacetin and Caffeine).

21. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

23. Date used in reckoning dates before the supposed year Christ was born.

25. A small pellet fired from an air rifle or BB gun.

26. Hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary gland (trade name Pitressin) and also by nerve endings in the hypothalamus.

28. Goddess of the dead and queen of the underworld.

29. A city in east central Texas.

31. (informal) Of the highest quality.

32. A small nail.

33. A small cake leavened with yeast.

34. Winning all or all but one of the tricks in bridge.

37. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

39. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

41. The capital and largest city of Ghana with a deep-water port.

43. Alternatively, a member of the family Nymphaeaceae.

44. Group insurance that entitles members to services of participating hospitals and clinics and physicians.

47. Small New Zealand broadleaf evergreen tree often cultivated in warm regions as an ornamental.

50. A long steep slope or cliff at the edge of a plateau or ridge.

51. A white trivalent metallic element.

53. A federal agency that supervises carriers that transport goods and people between states.

55. Evergreen trees and shrubs having oily one-seeded fruits.

56. Harsh or corrosive in tone.

57. The basic unit of money on Malta.

58. With no effort to conceal.

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

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

64. The atomic weight of an element that has the same combining capacity as a given weight of another element.

65. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Fate sends opportunity your way. New information can change your outlook and your life, but you must be on the lookout for it.

Money, sensuality and health can be a focus for this—travel may help to decide the outcome. Gurus and ideologies of one kind or another—religious, political, philosophical and such—may seem to have all the answers at this time. Be very careful in what you believe; you could be deceived or you might even deceive yourself. Your powers of intuition are reaching a new high and you could even find yourself experiencing something on a psychic or spiritual level. Inner thoughts and feelings are very important to you just now. This evening is a good time to plan new goals or help a loved one shape their future plans.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

Romantic and social relationships are apt to be in a state of change now. There could be hard feelings or a lack of consideration for others. You must think about what impact your words and actions will have on people with whom you have an interest. Money matters require attention. Things need fixing and much of your day is spent doing just that, replacing light bulbs, cleaning out filters and other similar tasks. Travel, communicating and other connections with people are emphasized now. Let any breakdowns or weaknesses in these links be a signal of the need to rethink your approach and establish new directions—otherwise, you may find yourself stranded. You could gain from the ideas of young people at this time.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You should find yourself having a clear vision into your own inner sense of values: how you appreciate and love. This is a good time to examine and ponder what is important and of lasting value. This should be a great time for new achievements. Your activities this Monday may be centered near water and could involve ship travel—an ocean voyage is not out of the question. Take time to strengthen your energies today with good nutritional meals. Remember to say no to new opportunities when your appointment book becomes full. Your path of personal improvement becomes more intense now. An issue that you are involved with now deserves your full attention. Perhaps you have thought of new ways to improve community communications.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) This is a time when you will want to create some changes and you may find yourself examining your foundations— responsibilities and basic security. You can get rid of all that is unsound or superficial, leaving only that which has been properly determined or solid. You get down to the basics, which may come as a need to balance the budget or plan some future event. Your analytical insights and getting to the heart of subjects will be most positive at this time. Outer conditions seem to work in your favor.

You may find that you are more organized than before and you are able to reach new levels of self-discipline. Modifications in your thinking can lead you to an entirely different approach to life—tap into your inner resources.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You tend to family and domestic duties like a real trooper. This may include a bit of decorating as well as paying bills. Do not let feelings get in the way of real judgment. Seeing that your personal business is taken care of may be a major theme where your emotional orientation is concerned. You crave organization and you want to get things established. If you have your way, you will find a place for everything and keep everything in its place. You are open to unexpected adventures this afternoon and may find one when you visit a mall or a local bazaar. A good week is coming up for you as you renew old acquaintances and reestablish family ties. Work should go along smoothly for the most part with a chance of advancement.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Clearing up any misunderstandings is an important issue today.

Missing information is likely the only problem. Be sure that you get all of the facts and be sure that you understand the situation; make your ideas known.

You will flourish by pursuing your ideals and most deep-seated dreams of how life could be. In a group gathering later today you may notice that your popularity soars.

You enjoy the interaction with others and may be very influential to the young people around you as well. Relationships, group efforts and your general outlook on life are harmonious. The spirit of cooperation and sharp mental activities make it fun and easy for you to make friends and influence people for the positive. There is time to relax this evening . . . music fills the air.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Yesterday’s Solution

A change of residence is possible now, perhaps a long distance relocation. Educational plans need changing, as 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 gives you the upper hand. You may take a keen interest in religion, or even mysticism, and you feel great empathy for others. You may be a great help to a business associate or even a stranger because your compassion is heightened. You encourage others to be more charitable. Your natural psychic abilities are aroused this Sunday. You use your psychic talents to help you solve and resolve whatever challenges you find in your life at this time.

Do not forget that working together brings the greatest joy for a family. You may be reminded of a dream from last night. There is an important message for you; if you do not get it the first time it may be repeated in a future dream, so be on the alert. It might be fun to begin a dream diary for the next couple of weeks. Neighborhood gatherings or projects can be fun. You may consider taking on a leadership role in some project now. Reach out to your neighbors with some logical ideas. This is a good time for you in other matters such as affairs of the heart, entertainment ideas and perhaps new and fun treats to send to family and friends in another state. As you plan for the holidays ahead you may be pleased to find your financial investments are in an upswing.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You are very clearheaded and able to view all of the alternate paths—you are in a planning mood. Go ahead and make those decisions. You can see the road ahead and will make the right choices.

Someone will understand just how you feel and be on your side. You should feel appreciated or valued for your feelings and your ability to take action and get things accomplished. Along with your humor, others may see your somewhat eccentric nature now. You could conceivably have new insights or breakthroughs with regard to your living situation or life circumstances. Those around you may value you for your independence and unique qualities. It’s a super time to be with others and to work or play together.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

Your feeling of responsibility and sheer determination may not allow you to admit any feelings of vulnerability and sensitivity that may be coming to your attention. A power struggle could result, and a careful compromise may have to be found. You have a natural sense for communicating with those around you, especially those that are younger than you. Clear and positive thoughts about the past will be easy to find. You are mentally very sharp with great ideas and clear thoughts. You may have quite a bit to do with children and young people now and this should bring some fun into your life. This is an excellent time to make decisions and take care of mental work. Things are working with rather than against you so, don’t hold back.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

171 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22921555 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22958787 22453820/1 22404838/9

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

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0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345

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00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044 00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689

y

A

36

e niv rsar n

Years

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Ant sroyal pride dam Ant felt like “the world stopped” during the royal wedding.

The eccentric singer - who admits he is a royalist - enjoyed watching Britain’s Prince William marry Duchess Catherine at London’s Westminster Abbey on April 29 because he felt “proud” of the British monarchy, in particular William and his brother Harry. He said: “When those two princes stepped out onto the red carpet at that wedding it was like the whole world stopped. “I love the fact they’re in the front line, firing a machine gun if they have to - they like a ruck, they’re like ‘Starsky and Hutch’! And she was a little doll. You feel proud.” Adam also revealed he once met William’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth and she recognized him even without his crazy outfits. He told Britain’s OK! magazine: “I met the queen after the Royal Variety performance. I became friends with Liza Minnelli and she said, ‘Take your outfit and make-up off and wear a suit, and diamonds from Bond Street’. “So I met the queen and she said, ‘Hello Adam, I didn’t recognize you without your make-up! I’m sure you don’t want to be playing to fuddy-duddies like me!’

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Laugh-In performer Sues dies at age 85 lan Sues, known for portraying outlandish characters on the hit NBC Show “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” has died at age 85, a statement on his website said. Sues died on Thursday night while watching television at his home in West Hollywood, longtime friend Michael Gregg Michaud said on the site. He had recently been in poor health, Michaud said. From 1968 to 1972, Sues was a recurring per-

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former on “Laugh-In,” playing an eccentric children’s host named Uncle Al the Kiddies’ Pal and an effeminate sportscaster called Big Al. The California native was also known for his role as a clumsy and outrageously flamboyant Peter Pan on peanut butter commercials during the time he co-starred in “Laugh-In.” Sues later performed on Broadway in the 1970s as Professor Moriarty in the play “Sherlock Holmes.”

Newton turned to books for romance handie Newton turned to books when she couldn’t get attention from boys. The 39-year-old actress insists she wasn’t popular with the opposite sex when she was growing up so spent her spare time reading romantic novels to “make sense” of the feelings she had. She explained: “I lost myself in reading as a teen. Wasn’t the girl who boys saw themselves being involved with; I lived in a small town and you weren’t going to go out with the black girl. “So these sweeping stories taught me about love and romance. Reading was the only way I could make sense of the hormones coursing through my body.” Thandie also admitted she has learned a lot from the dark times in her life. Discussing why she loves Pema Chodron’s book ‘When Things Fall Apart’, she told Britain’s Elle magazine: “I read this at a difficult time and found it incredibly comforting. “The moment Chodron realized she had to make a change in her life was when her husband told her he’d been having an affair and was leaving her. The rage she felt was so powerful, it made her see that she needed to temper it with compassion. “But it was that rage that led her to a huge epiphany of love and that is certainly something I’ve encountered in my life. “The most painful and difficult times have been the key to wisdom, understanding and deep love.”

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Sheen sex-wife arrested in Colorado rooke Mueller, the ex-wife of actor Charlie Sheen, was arrested for cocaine possession and assault in Aspen, Colorado, the ski resort town where Sheen was arrested for assaulting Mueller in December 2009. The Aspen Police Department said in a news release that officers were conducting “a routine walk through” of the Belly Up bar late Friday night when a woman reported she was assaulted by Mueller. “The woman identified Brooke Mueller, 34, of Los Angeles, California as the aggressor,” the release said. Mueller was arrested at a second bar sometime after midnight and charged with felony possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and misdemeanor assault, police said. Mueller posted a $11,000 bond and was released. She has a Dec 19 court date. Her spokesman Steve Honig said she would have no immediate comment on the arrest. On Christmas Day 2009, police were called to an Aspen home the couple was renting for the holidays and arrested Sheen for assaulting Mueller during an argument. Sheen pleaded guilty to the charge in August 2010 and was ordered to serve 30 days in a California drug and rehabilitation facility. The couple divorced earlier this year.

Sheen was fired from his role on TV’s “Two and a Half Men,” sitcom after he ranted against his employers and posted videos on the Web in which he bragged about his “winning” ways and the “tiger blood” he had running through in his veins. He will return to television in summer 2012, in a new “Anger Management” series on FX.

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Craig is never satisfied aniel Craig is “not satisfied” with his career. The ‘James Bond’ actor who resumes his role as the iconic British spy in the next installment of the franchise, ‘Skyfall’, next year - is “constantly” unhappy with his work, as he is a perpetual perfectionist. He said: “I’m definitely not satisfied about my career. I don’t know how you can be; it’s the very nature of things. I’m always trying to figure it out and I’m kind of unsatisfied constantly. I always want to get it right and I don’t know what the answer to it is. “But I do know that it’s out there and I do know it’s worth looking for.” The 43-year-old star also admitted he finds it “extraordi-

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harlize Theron autographed a pair of her ‘chick-

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en fillets’ to help a pair of struggling actresses.

Theron s The Oscar-winning beauty saw the young girls holding a garage sale outside their West Hollywood autograph home in a bid to make some much-needed cash and

boost

when they told her they were aspiring actresses, Charlize decided to help. So she pulled a pair of silicone breast enhancers out of her bra, signed them and told them to sell them as she knew they would make some decent money. A source told National Enquirer magazine: “The girls told them showbiz wasn’t paying the bills and Charlize said, ‘Well, I feel sorry for you girls. I know what it feels like, but don’t give up. Be true to your passion, work hard and a break will come. But wait, I have an idea.’

“She then discreetly slipped her ‘chicken fillets’ out of her bra, handed them to the girls and said, ‘Here, you can sell these and tell everyone they’re mine. In fact, give me a pen.’ and she autographed the pair for the excited girls.” Within minutes, guys were swarming around the sale in a bid to get hold of Charlize’s ‘boobs’ and the girls ended up selling them for just under $1,000.

Khloe Kardashian being sued for assault ransgender woman Chantel Spears - formerly Ronald Spears - claims the reality TV star ‘violently’ attacked her outside a Hollywood nightclub on December 5 2009.

Papers filed by Chantal state that after the incident the victim needed medical care and suffered from ‘severe mental anguish’ and also claimed Khloe struck her ‘in and about her body’.

However, no arrests were made at the time of the incident.

Chantel - who is seeking unspecified damages - says the alleged assault happened after she made a comment to Khloe’s husband Lamar Odom. She told website TMZ: ‘All I was telling Lamar Odom is maybe he is too young to get married and all of a sudden I get this big push from this girl.’ Although Khloe’s spokesperson didn’t comment, her friends insist she did nothing wrong. One told Us Weekly magazine: ‘This was two years ago and Khloe did nothing. This person shoved Khloe and she pushed them off. This person just wants to jump on the bandwagon.’ —Bang Showbiz

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nary” he was cast as Bond at a time when he had done nothing similar in his career and is still unsure how he was successful in the role. He added to Britain’s GQ magazine: “What’s extraordinary is that at a point in my career when I was enjoying making movies and working with wonderful directors and just getting a big kick out of it, I was given this opportunity to do something for which I had no benchmark, no experience whatsoever. “I threw myself into it full bore and it was a success. But I’m not quite sure how.”

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

LIFESTYLE A w a r d s

German actress Nina Hoss (R) announces the name of “Melancholia”, a film by Danish director Lars von Trier, as the winner of “European Film 2011” award during the 24th European Film Awards ceremony. —AFP/AP photos

Trier’s ‘Melancholia’ wins best Europe film award enmark’s Lars Von Trier late Saturday won the prize for best European film of 2011 for his movie “Melancholia” at a ceremony put on here by the European Film Academy. “Melancholia” follows two sisters, the bride Justine (Kirsten Dunst) due to get married in the sumptuous romantic castle of Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), but the union is doomed as the wayward planet Melancholia heads for Earth. Dunst won the Best Actress award at Cannes for her role, although the Danish director was kept out after making some dubious remarks about Hitler.

Von Trier was not present in Berlin and a member of his team accepted the award on his behalf. “I should say from Lars that he has no message for you since he has decided not to make statements anymore and I really don’t know why. But he asked me that I should salute to you in a very kind and friendly way,” the crew member said.

“The King’s Speech” by Tom Hooper was the other big winner of the evening, taking three prizes including best actor for Colin Firth in the role of stuttering monarch King George VI. Hooper declared: “I’m absolutely thrilled to get this. I think it’s great that we’re standing here today celebrating the ideal of the European project through the film industry.” Michel Hazanavicius’s “The Artist” won best music prize while German director Wim Wenders, president of the academy, won the best documentary award for “Pina” about choreographer Pina Bausch.—AFP

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Danish director Lars von Trier’s wife Bente Froge is applauded by German actress Nina Hoss after receiving the “European Film 2011” award for von Trier’s film Melancholia.

German director Wim Wenders shows his European Film Academy Documentary Award.

French actor Michel Piccoli holds his honor award.

German director Wim Wenders is congratulated by members of the Tanztheaters Wuppertal troup after receiving the “European Film Academy Documentary 2011 - Prix Arte” award for his film “Pina”.

French actor Michel Piccoli holds his honor award next to German director Volker Schloendorff and Swiss actor Bruno Ganz.

Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen kisses his European Achievement in World Cinema Award.

(From left) Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, British director Terry Gilliam and German director Wim Wenders pose after the 24th European Film Awards ceremony.

Danish cinematographer French actress Sylvie Manuel Alberto holds his Testud speaks on the best photography Award. stage.

Belgian directors Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne speak after receiving the “European Screenwriter 2011” award.

German actress Anke Engelke performs on the stage.

US-born director Terry Gilliam, left, shows his European Film Academy Short Film Award, to the British director Stephen Frears, right, who received the European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

lifestyle F E A T U R E S

Europe’s crisis

won’t rob sparkle from Christmas

People look a Christmas lights on a street in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia, on December 3, 2011. — AFP

Letting loose at lunchtime,

Swedes disco dance

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va Bjoerkman munches on a sandwich, chats with colleagues, and then twirls and bounces to the rhythm at “Lunch Beat”, a growing movement in Sweden mixing a work break with a bit of disco fever. “This is so much fun!” the 28-year-old recruitment worker shouts above the pulsating, electronic beat. “It is just great to get away from the computer, and really fun to go dancing in the middle of the day,” she says, nodding to the hundreds around her jerking and jumping to the music, colorful pearls of strobe light gliding across their faces. Some have come to get out of the office for awhile, others just for the fun of it.

Whatever the reason, the Lunch Beat phenomenon has rapidly swept across Sweden since 28-year-old Molly Raenge, a concept and project developer, came up with the idea in early 2010. “I love to work and I love to go out dancing, but was getting frustrated that my two passions were not always compatible,” she tells AFP. “So I began thinking: What happens if you combine the two?” It started off small in May last year, with just 14 people in a garage “somewhere under Stockholm,” Raenge says. She had wanted to create some kind of “urban fight club esthetic,” but received immediate positive feedback and realized her creation might grow beyond the confines of a secretive, underground movement. At a recent event held at Stockholm’s Culture House in the heart of the city, more than 300 people cram into a large dark room. Only the thin slivers of daylight peeking through the blackout curtains and the absent odor of stale beer betray the authentic nightclub feel. The Culture House has become a favorite venue for the happenings that now take place about once a month in Stockholm, but the People queue to enter one of the Lunch Beat sessions. aim is to hold them in alternate locations. An event planned for January will be held for instance in a museum in the basement of the royal palace. “I like the idea of our journey from garage to palace,” Raenge jokes. Lunch Beat events have also popped up in about 10 other Swedish towns to date, one has been held in Belgrade and another is planned for Bogota. “I haven’t wanted to copyright the idea, since it came out of this whole ‘share’ philosophy... I want these to spring up everywhere,” Raenge says. Anyone can arrange a Lunch Beat event as long as they adhere to the manifesto posted on the lunchbeat.org website, which stipulates that everyone must dance, the event must be non-profit and held for exactly one hour at lunchtime during the work week, and food must be provided.

When the doors open at noon, people of all ages and occupations flood in, purchasing their 100-kronor (11 euros, $15 dollars) tickets before making a beeline for a counter covered with baskets of bananas, pitchers of water and plastic cups. The bananas and water are free, but to get the wrapped lunch patrons need to swap in their entrance ticket. In the beginning salads were offered A bartender serves sandwiches during one of the Lunch Beat sessions held at the Culture House. but lettuce flew on the dance floor so today’s meal is a sourdough baguette filled with baked veggies. Some people hover around tall, round tables to eat and others briefly sit on leather couches lining a far wall, but most people can’t wait to get onto the dance floor, chewing and dancing at the same time. Suit-clad businessmen bounce in time with ballet school students, pensioners and even a few children, as DJ Nadja Chatti pumps out an electrifying house mix. After about 20 minutes, Bjoern Erik and Tina Oeye, a couple in their 50s, rush to the counter for a drink of water before diving back into the crowd.

“This is such a great concept,” Bjoern Erik, a market analysis consultant, says, wiping sweat from his brow. “We love to dance! Finally we can do so during the day. Otherwise, we’re already in bed when the clubs get going,” his wife laughs. Asked whether it bothers him to get all sweaty and then go back to the office, he says: “No, I’ll carry it like a badge of honor.” Nearby, Ivar Forstadius, 32, sways gently to the beat, his hand resting protectively on his six-month-old daughter Silvia, snuggled in a Baby Bjoern carrier on his stomach, with giant yellow hearing protector muffs on her ears.

“This is her second Lunch Beat. She loves it!” he shouts, adding that his wife is also grooving in the pulsating crowd. “It feels natural to come here as a family,” he says. Anders Rasmussen, a tall, blond bank clerk who has opened his suit jacket and is rocking with a colleague, is here for the fourth time. “I go out a lot in the evenings, but it’s different during the day. No one is drunk and you get to go back to work after,” he says. And many like him feel it’s important to get out of the office and clear their heads for an hour with something totally different. “I feel like I work better after this,” he says. —AFP A man eats a sandwich while dancing with his friends during one of the Lunch Beat sessions held at the Culture House.

A young girl looking at toys in a toys store in Paris, less than one month before Christmas. —AFP

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t the gift-wrapping counter of Paris’ biggest toy store this week, parents twisted ribbon and paper around doll’s houses and construction sets, adamant the crisis would not take the sparkle out of their kids’ Christmas. Even as European governments scramble to save the debt-saddled eurozone, and turn the screw on public spending with dire warnings of hardship to come, the Christmas countdown has begun in earnest in capitals across the continent.

Everywhere the twinkle of street lights, the warm glow of window displays and sweet-smelling Christmas markets are beckoning families to shelve their worries-and those of the economy-for a few weeks.

In the worst-affected parts of Europe the austerityhit population will have little choice but to make sacrifices, chief among them the beleaguered Greeks. But a string of studies suggests many Europeans are splashing out: in Germany where a report this week showed consumers shrugging off the crisis, but also in Spain, where the annual festive lottery has had a bumper year-and in France. With three weeks to go until the big day, turnout was brisk Friday at the giant Toys “R” Us store in La Defense shopping complex on the edge of Paris. “I don’t give a hoot about the economy-so long as I’ve got money I’m going to spend it on my grandchildren,” quipped Tchao-Di Calvi, a 69-year-old retired office worker out shopping with her grown son and wife.

“Yes, I follow the news, but I say let’s wait and see what happens-why worry now?” Her son Patrick-more of a frugal type-was equally relaxed, even about the prospect of the euro foundering. “We have a strong currency, the franc. It’s the others, the ones dragging us down, who should be worried.” Next to them, a thirty-something blonde wrestled sticky tape and paper onto an umpteenth toy box. “I won’t be holding back for the kids at all-and I have 20 of them to treat, when you count all the cousins!” said the young woman, a marketing employee who gave only her first name, Marie.

‘People either cut back, or opt for hedonism’ Of the 15 European countries surveyed in a panEuropean study by Deloitte last month, consumers in the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy and Portugal said they were planning to cut their Christmas spending. But in other parts of Europe, holiday season budgets were set to inch up by 0.3 to 2.2 percent-in France, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg. In Germany, Finland and Poland families planned to up festive spending by as much as 6.8 percent, according to the study based on interviews with 18,354 people. “In times of crisis, people either ration themselves, watch ever y little expense. Or as we have often seen throughout history they opt for hedonism,” said the French sociologist and food expert Jean-Pierre Corbeau. By treating others people feel they are regaining control over their lives, he explained. A way of saying: Europe may be heading for a brick wall, but at least in my home, we are going to be well-fed and contented this Christmas.

That said, among the Paris toy shoppers, some admitted they were reining in the expense for themselves. Delphine Chambon, a mother of three who runs a cafe in the working-class suburb of Courbevoie, said her family had agreed gifts would be for the children only this year, partly to make things easier for a sister-in-law who lost her job. “Things are tough,” the 38-year-old told AFP. “And people are scared.” “I have no idea if the euro is going to disappear or not. But what worries me is what I see in my cafe, the fingerpointing, people looking for someone to blamewhether it’s the Greeks or others.”

A few of those met in La Defense felt their jobs were under threat, like Elizabeth Boyer, an IT manager in the banking sector. “Of course in my field, there are concerns for jobs,” she said. “We still have a big budget for the kids, but for ourselves we are being more careful.”

Vanessa and Polo Ferreira were able to treat their two small children this year thanks to Christmas gift vouchers from their employers. —AFP

Picture taken on November 30, 2011 of a young girl looking at toys in a toys store in Paris, less than one month before Christmas. —AFP

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

lifestyle T R A V E L

After two decades, a return to Prague in the

light of day Prague Castle and the Vltava River can be seen in an autumn background.

Alan Behr

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nlike cities such as Salzburg, which are lucky to display the Baroque in small clusters, Prague opens the Baroque onto the visitor like the spread of an eagle’s wings.

The Baroque and other architectural styles dating back through the centuries are everywhere in the Old Town of Prague because the city famously survived the cavalcade of European wars virtually intact. And it is a wonder to see-as long as it isn’t raining cats and dogs, that is, which is precisely what was happening on my free day at a conference that took me to Prague for my first visit in more than 20 years.

Baroque architecture is as dependent on a spectacle of color as the Art Deco of Miami, and color craves sunshine. Under gray skies, the Baroque loses its giddiness, and in a heavy rain, it pouts at you like schoolchildren unable to go out and play. The effect on me in Prague was not helped by the fact that my socks were wet and that, peeking from under my small travel umbrella, I still found tourists blocking all the best views.

I made the best of it, and a highlight of that day for me was at Kampa Park, a gourmet restaurant at the western foot of the Charles Bridge. With a river view and a delightfully unhurried atmosphere, and working with the sommelier, I paired each course with a Czech drink unavailable in the United States. I decided to try again on a dry day, this time with professional help. Wiggling through sparse gaps in the conference schedule, I joined my guide, Monika Ruzickova, for a view of Prague in sunshine.

My hotel, the InterContinental, was steps from the Jewish Quarter, and Monika, who is half-Jewish and who concentrated on Jewish lit-

A view of Prague is captured from the castle.

—MCT photos

An artist sketches along the Charles Bridge in Prague.

Along the Vltava River, the Charles Bridge and the castle on the top left can be seen in Prague.

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Monika Ruzickova poses for portrait with a big stuffed Little Mole.

erature for her PhD in philology from Prague’s Charles University, took me there first. The Old Jewish Cemetery and the Gothic Old New Synagogue (which is the oldest operating synagogue in Europe) were closed for a holiday.

From a distance, the cemetery had that ancient, ramshackle look of a breeding ground for storybook ghosts. Not surprisingly, therefore, by legend, the synagogue’s attic stores the now-inert 16 century golem of Prague, a magical community security guard made of river mud who is kept ready to be brought back to life when needed.

On my last visit, Russian troops were still packing up to go home, and Prague was just reviving from the torpor of communism. The people had spirit, as I saw in a huge protest rally staged by ordinary Czechs against a feared return of the communists. Back then there was nothing to buy except apples and strong beer that cost pennies, and I had to use of the last of my Czech money on CDs of memorably awful

Czech heavy-metal rock. As Monika and I walked down Parizska Street this time, toward the late medieval astrological clock, we passed the same shops that line streets like Madison Avenue and the Avenue Montaigne, bearing names such as Prada, Hermes and Salvatore Ferragamo.

There were few tourists when I last visited, but now every second person seemed to be herded behind a guide holding an umbrella aloft so as not to be lost in the crowd of other guided herds. The astrological clock chimes hourly, starting with a pull on a chord by an animated skeleton, which sends the 12 apostles into motion, peeking out from behind two windows. It ends with a rooster’s crow, followed by live horn blasts from atop the tower. The legend here is that the authorities had the maker of the clock blinded rather than let him build anything as good elsewhere. That Strasbourg, France, has a clock just as lovely that comes complete with an identical legend suggests that the master clockmakers of old need never have feared for

their eyesight.

Monika endeared herself to me by taking me down quiet, ancient streets unknown to tourists.

She took me for coffee and pastry at the Grand Cafe Orient, which was restored a few years ago to show its stylistic roots in the Cubist movement of the early 20th century. I found the coffee and pastries to be worthy of Vienna, which is the highest praise I can give.

While we were there, Monika called a friend she thought I would like to meet, and the three of us were soon seated for lunch at the Cafe Louvre, which dates from 1902 and was a favorite of Albert Einstein. We dined surrounded by true symbols of the new Czech prosperity: tables filled with business people and with fashionable ladies who lunch. On Monika’s recommendation, for my toddler back home, I bought a plush toy of the Little Mole, a popular Czech cartoon character, and then we headed for the Charles Bridge.

The Vltava River rolled unhurriedly under the bridge, which, with its three towers and its flanking columns of Baroque statues, is one of those utilitarian landmarks that double as an old city’s signature piece of charm. The bright sun shimmered in the tree leaves and glistened off the railings and windows of river steamers. You know a monument has become a worldwide draw when couples come from all over to have wedding pictures made there. I see them almost every weekend in Central Park in New York, where I live, and on a short walk over the Charles Bridge, two couples, in their wedding finest, posed for their hired photographers-and all the tourists popping off at them with everything from DSLRs to mobile phones. As in all cities with a castle, the one on the hill above Prague is a big draw, and it comes complete with a cathedral, an ancient street with tiny, Kafkaesque houses (including one in which Kafka actually lived), and decent restaurants.

You buy a single ticket and then get it punched each time you visit a new site. —MCT

Literary pilgrimage done in honor of author Dillard

t is a tough uphill hike to Tinker Cliffs.

The distinctive cliffs of light-colored sandstone stretch nearly half a mile atop Tinker Mountain at an elevation of 3,000 feet along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. The cliffs drop 50 to 60 feet to the sloped mountainside below and offer stellar vistas. There are other attractive hiking options nearby: McAfee Knob and Dragon’s Tooth in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western Virginia. The three sites are together known as Virginia’s Triple Crown for hikers.

You can hit all three on a 24-mile overnight hike.

But I was headed to Tinker Cliffs on a day hike to see what I could see. It was, in a way, a literary pilgrimage. I was paying tribute to Annie Dillard, one of my favorite authors, who penned “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” in 1974. Tinker Creek is visible in the distance from the flanks of Tinker Mountain. The landmark cliffs look out to the west in the opposite direction.

Tinker Cliffs is a special place along the 2,181-mile Appalachian Trail, sanctified by

Dillard, at least to some. When I got there, I did an Annie Dillard. I sat. I looked. I observed. I absorbed. At least for a few minutes. Her book-it won the Pulitzer Prize-is about living in a cabin along Tinker Creek and discovering the natural world around her through the seasons.

It is filled with a sense of wonder and an intensity of experience. It is about the inner spirit that is reached through reflections on the natural universe. It has a curiosity and a childlike wonder that are disarming. She is, in a sense, a modern-day, Southern Appalachian Henry David Thoreau. “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” is part reportorial, often reflective, meditative or even mystical. She is on a personal pilgrimage, seeking enlightenment. The style is highly poetic, with evocative sensory descriptions, metaphors, similes, alliteration and onomatopoeia, all interwoven with an array of allusions. Some love it. Others hate it, finding it overbearing.

A key message is that the natural universe abounds in extravagance and intricacy. True seeing is difficult to achieve. The

human task is to experience the world in all its variety and wonder. “I am no scientist. I explore the neighborhood. I think about the valley. It is my leisure as well as my work,”

Dillard wrote. “Like the bear who went over the mountain, I went out to see what I could see,” she later wrote. “On a good day, I might catch a glimpse of another wooded ridge

The Andy Layne Trail is a steep, uphill trail that climbs Tinker Mountain’s flanks via switchbacks and uphill climbs.

rolling under the sun like water, another bivouac.”

Her later books of poems, essays and stories include “Holy the Firm,” “For the Time Being,” “An American Childhood,” “ The Living” and “The Maytrees.” I took the hard way getting to Tinker Cliffs. I started at a trailhead off state Route 779 west of Roanoke and north of Catawba at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I set off across meadows and wooded plots along a stream-not Tinker Creek-that would take me to Scorched Earth Gap and Tinker Cliffs.

My route to the white-blazed Appalachian Trail was the Andy Layne Trail, named for a local trail advocate with the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club who died in 1991. The yellow-blazed trail climbs about 1,700 feet through the forest in a long series of switchbacks and one straight-up ascent that was a killer. That was a hard, long, extended scramble up a 75-degree slope that sucks your breath away and leaves your legs feeling like old rubber bands. That was the only time I really hated Annie Dillard. —MCT

Von Trier’s ‘Melancholia’ wins best Europe film award

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2011

File photo shows Bollywood director and actor Dev Anand waves to fans during the premiere of his film “Mr Prime Minister” in Ahmadabad, India. — AP/AFP photos

Bollywood’s ‘Gregory Peck’,

Dev Anand, B

ollywood romantic hero and fashion icon Dev Anand has died aged 88, prompting a flood of tributes yesterday from across India’s Hindi-language cinema industry. The Press Trust of India news agency said in a report from London that Anand, who with Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar reigned supreme in the golden age of Bollywood, died of a heart attack in the British capital on Saturday. He had been in the city for a medical check-up and had been in poor health for the last few days, the agency said, quoting anonymous family sources.

Often compared to the US actor Gregory Peck because of his matinee idol looks, “Debonair Dev” was best known for his boundless energy and passion for film. He starred in more than 100 movies. He made his debut in “Hum Ek Hain” (We Are One) alongside his friend Guru Dutt in 1946, and was still working well into old age, starring in “Chargesheet”made by his own production company-this year. “I cannot live without my films, my cinema and my work,” he told bollywoodhungama.com in 2007. “For me, until I die, moviemaking and acting will always be my first and

last love.” Current stars from Amitabh Bachchan and Anupam Kher to Shabana Azmi and Shah Rukh Khan mourned Anand’s passing on the micro-blogging site Twitter, praising his youthful optimism and joie de vivre.

Kher said he was “kind, passionate, courageous, forthright, charming, encouraging, contemporary, always a leader and a great human. Will miss him”. The writer Salman Rushdie wrote: “RIP Dev Anand. I grew up watching your films. Sorry to say goodbye.”

Dev Anand was born on September 26, 1923 in Gurdaspur in the Punjab area of Britishruled India that is now part of modern-day Pakistan, and was educated in Lahore.

He came to India’s film and entertainment capital Bombay (now Mumbai) to forge an acting career and soon found roles at the famous Bombay Talkies and Filmistan studios. His fame reached its height through films like “Munimji” (Accountant, 1955), “C.I.D.” (1956), “Kalapani” (Black Water, 1958), “Love Marriage” (1959), “Kala Bazaar” (Black Market, 1960), “Hum Dono” (Both of Us, 1961) and “Guide” (1966). “Hum Dono” was re-released in colour earlier this year. Anand’s films frequently tack-

led contemporary issues in a way that was then pioneering but has since become commonplace. Off-screen, he was also politically active. In the mid-1970s, he headed a group of

dies at 88

celebrities who opposed then prime minister Indira Gandhi’s emergency rule, and briefly launched his own political party. Anand was seen as a style icon, never without his trade-

File photo shows Dev Anand poses with actors Devshi Khanduri, left and Divya Dutta, right, as he promotes his film “Chargesheet” in Mumbai.

mark scarf or the latest fashions. His romantic conquests were catalogued in purple prose in his autobiography, “Romancing With Life”. He helped launch the careers of young actresses like Zeenat Aman, who starred in “Hare Raama Hare Krishna”-his critique of the hippie movement-and Mumtaz, who appeared in “Tere Mere Sapne” (Our Dreams), both in 1971.

Another was Tina Munim, who starred in Anand’s last recognised hit “Des Pardes” (Home and Away) in 1978 and later married the industrialist Anil Ambani. Anand had a supreme self-confidence and energy that drove his many acting, producing and directing projects, believing he had a unique creativity and vision to share. Anand, who received India’s third-highest civilian honour in 2001 and earned a string of film industry awards, married the actress Kalpana Kartik (real name Mona Singha) in 1954. They had two children, a son and a daughter. His brothers, Chetan and Vijay, were both film directors.

Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, was the mother of Shekhar Kapur, the Oscar-nominated director of “Elizabeth” and “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”.—AFP

Red Bull art of can Kuwait Winehouse Foundation makes first donations A unveils exhibit at 360 Mall T

The winner of the Red Bull Art of Can in Kuwait, “Scorpion” by Everito Villacruz .

he Red Bull Art of Can exhibit debuted in Kuwait last night with a private gala that captured the energy of all invitees.

The gala marked the opening of the event which is now open to the public at the Exhibition Hall of 360 Mall until the 17th of December.

The exhibited collection is filled with striking pieces including a giant ant holding a Red Bull Can, a large bull drawing and a captivating scorpion. During the gala, the distinguished panel of judges awarded special honors to the top three artists and their original works of art. The grand prize, a two thousand Kuwaiti Dinar, went to Everito Villacruz for his “Scorpion” work of art. Everito used a complicated technique to create a unique work of art made from several Red Bull cans. Second place went to Bader Al Mansour for his “Ready for Action” work of art (Large Bull). Hadeel Al Latheeth took third place for her “Dazzling Lady Gaga” work of art. “Art is something that I live every day. I’m walking, talking and living art.

I’m so glad that my work of art captured the attention of the judges and I ask Red Bull to bring more of these creative events to Kuwait.”

Said Everito Villacruz. In addition to the unique art pieces, guests were treated to an exceptional works of art created specifically for the gala by Greek Artist Agelos Antonopoulus.

The judging panel included Loulou Al Sabah, Soumaya Boustani, Abdelrasoul Salman president of the Art Association in Kuwait, Lucy Topalian, Shurooq Amin and Enzo Manara. The Red Bull’s Art of Can exhibition, which opened on Friday at the 360 Mall Exhibition Hall, is on display until December 17. For any additional information visit: www.redbullartofcan-kw.com

my Winehouse’s father says meeting the first children to be helped by the foundation set up in his late daughter’s name has been both heartbreaking and heartwarming. The Amy Winehouse Foundation was officially launched 10 weeks ago to support vulnerable youth, and has pledged to donate 500,000 pounds ($780,000) in its first year.

The singer’s parents, Mitch and Janis

Winehouse, visited Little Havens Children’s Hospice in Thundersley, east of London, on Wednesday to meet children benefitting from a 10,000-pound ($15,600) donation.

Mitch Winehouse says “it was heartbreaking actually . . . I’m starting to well up now, but heartwarming at the same time.” A British coroner ruled the singer, known for her beehive hairdo and hits like “Rehab,” died of alcohol poisoning. — AP

(From left) File photo shows Amy Winehouse’s parents, Mitch Winehouse and Janis Winehouse, second from left, visited Little Havens Children’s Hospice in Essex, England where they met Callum Miller, bottom, his mother Jane Morgan, right, and Callum’s grandmother Victoria Morgan, 2nd right, to meet the people benefiting from the foundations £10,000, euro 11,624, $15.695 grant. —AP