30 Dec

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Outrage after Indian gang-rape victim dies

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

Nation grieves as suspects face death sentence

NEW DELHI: Indian protesters hold torches and placards during a rally yesterday after the death of a gang-raped student from the Indian capital. — AFP (See Page 11)

Chavez ‘fighting’ for health post-surgery

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Kuwait inflation to keep falling in 2013 KUWAIT: Inflation will slow to 4.3 percent this year and 4.1 percent next year from 4.8 percent in 2011, Central Bank Governor Mohammed Al-Hashel predicted yesterday in comments carried by state news agency KUNA. Inflation in the major oil exporter has been slowing gradually since mid-2011, mostly due to lower food prices. Consumer prices rose 2.3 percent from a year earlier in November. Non-performing loans at Kuwaiti banks amounted to around 6.8 percent of total credit portfolios in the first nine months of this year, Hashel said,

adding that the banks had set aside provisions totalling 82.2 percent of the NPLs. Kuwaiti banks took heavy provisions earlier this year, eating into first-half profits, as political conflict between the cabinet and parliament threatened to undermine the economy. In early October, Hashel announced a 50 basis point cut in interest rates as part of the central bank’s efforts to kickstart bank lending. In his comments yesterday, he said the cut, the first since 2010, would not have negative consequences for the dinar. — Reuters

MOSCOW: Rescuers work at the site where a plane veered off the runway at Vnukovo Airport yesterday. — AP (See Page 8)

Stranded Kuwaitis in Mashhad hail Amir’s help

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Egyptian president warns against new unrest

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Max 21º Min 09º High Tide 14:11 Low Tide 07:05 & 18:29

NEW DELHI: Thousands of Indians joined protests yesterday in a mass outpouring of grief and anger after a gangrape victim died in a Singapore hospital as police warned the suspects could face the death sentence. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led appeals for calm and police sealed off large parts of downtown Delhi as they sought to prevent a repeat of the sometimes violent protests that followed the Dec 16 assault. The demonstrations passed peacefully, however, as mourners vowed the 23-year-old medical student’s killing would serve as a tipping point for how the nation deals with violence against women.

The victim’s gold-coloured coffin was prepared in a funeral parlour in Singapore, ready to be flown to India with her parents who were at her bedside when she was pronounced dead at Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital before dawn. Draped in a white flag, it was finally driven out of the Hindu Casket funeral home shortly before 9:00 pm and was believed headed for the airport.

Protestors who gathered in the Jantar Mantar thoroughfare in central Delhi, scene of the largest protest, said the unnamed student’s death was a wake-up call for a country in denial about the levels of violence that women face. The numbers swelled throughout the day and into the evening, with some 5,000 taking part in a candlelit vigil after nightfall despite near freezing temperatures. Bela Rana, who was among the protestors, said the outrage after the attack represented a sea change and women were no longer prepared to suffer in silence.

“We are aware that this is not the first case, nor will it be the last case of gang-rape in India, but it is clear that we will not tolerate sex crimes anymore,” said Rana, a Delhibased lawyer.

After previous protests had been broken up by riot police, yesterday’s passed off peacefully. However when the chief minister of New Delhi, Sheila Dikshit, tried to join the crowds she was roundly heckled and quickly withdrew. Some of the protesters, who also gathered in outlying areas of the capital, carried banners that read “Hang the Rapist”, accompanied by a picture of a noose.

While six men who had already been arrested have yet to be formally charged, they are now the subject of a murder investigation. “We have booked all the six accused under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.

Continued on Page 13

Syria doomed to ‘hell’ without deal: Brahimi Morsi says Assad ‘regime’ has no future MOSCOW/BEIRUT: The international mediator touting a peace plan for Syria warned yesterday of “hell” if the warring sides shun talks, and Moscow blamed the foes of President Bashar Al-Assad for refusing to negotiate. UNArab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said in Moscow that responsible people inside and outside Syria should “help the Syrians stop their descent into more and more bloodshed, into more and more chaos and perhaps a failed state”. Efforts to find a negotiated solution to a 21month-old war that has killed some 44,000 people have floundered, with the opposition, buoyed by rebel military advances, demanding that Assad be excluded from power before any talks can proceed.

In a sign that the war may not quickly be won, government forces - in retreat for much of the past few months - scored a victory in the strategically important central city of Homs, where they pushed rebels from a district after days of fighting. But in the north, Syria’s national airline had to cancel a flight from Cairo to Aleppo, according to Egyptian airline officials, due to insecurity at an airport which rebels have declared as a target and where explosions were heard overnight.

Brahimi spent five days in Damascus this week as part of a major push to promote a months-old peace plan that calls for a transitional government, without specifying Assad’s role. “If the only alternative is really hell or a political process, then all of us must work ceaselessly for a political process,” Brahimi said in Moscow. “It is difficult, it is very complicated but there is no other choice.”

Western and some Arab states which back the revolt against Assad are hoping that Russia, his main international protector and arms supplier, will drop its support.

Continued on Page 13

Whale of a tale: Pakistani fishmonger now pop star

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MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (left) meets UN-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi as they arrive for talks yesterday. — AFP

Djokovic wins Abu Dhabi tournament

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

Local

Senior official denies deteriorating security

KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti citizens who were stranded in Iran upon their arrival at the Kuwait International Airport yesterday.— KUNA

Stranded Kuwaitis back home safe from Iran Returnees thank Amir for help KUWAIT: A number of Kuwaiti citizens returning home expressed yesterday their sincere appreciation and thanks to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah for his directives to the Kuwaiti Embassy in Iran to ensure their safe return to Kuwait and help them after they were stranded in the Iranian city of Mashhad due to the accumulation of snow and the shutting down of the airport there.

In interviews with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) at Kuwait International Airport upon their return yesterday, they said the directives of His Highness the Amir have alleviated their anxiety after they were stranded amidst the accumulation of snow and the closure of the airport there. They pointed out that the issuance of these directives has

eased their anxiety and was replaced by a state of contentment as the Amir has been very keen on following up their problem, not forgetting the role played by the Embassy of Kuwait there as well.

They said the embassy in Iran had immediately held contacts with officials in charge of their trips to Mashhad and hotels and bore all expenses in this regard until their safe return home.

The citizens added that the gesture of HH the Amir is not strange to him as His Highness is keen on the safety and comfort of Kuwaiti citizens inside and outside the country. They pointed out that they had been in a state of anxiety since last Wednesday as a result of heavy snowfall in Mashhad because they did not know when they would return home. —KUNA

KUWAIT: A senior Interior Ministry official argued that crime rate in Kuwait is actually on a decline when seen against the increase in population and refused to refer to the recent murder in the Avenues Mall as “an indication of deteriorating security in the country.”

Meanwhile, Major General Mahmoud Al-Dousary, the ministry ’s Undersecretary Assistant for General Security Affairs, reiterated that authorities were able to arrest the suspect within less than 24 hours of the crime. During an interview with Al-Rai TV, he applauded the efforts of the police and said investigations started “with a lack of information”. He also accused the shoppers for “being too busy taking pictures to note down the license plate number of the suspects’ car.”

Regarding the nature of the wound sustained, Maj Gen Al-Dousary refuted reports that spoke about the victim being stabbed in the chest, and claimed that, in fact, he bled to his death from a single “four centimeters wide wound inflicted below the neck near the collar bone.”

Asked about enhancing the security at malls and other places where people gather in large numbers, Maj Gen AlDousary said the ministry cannot deploy police officers “inside every mall, house or coffee shop” but did concede that the

number of officers at the security points already in existence in shopping malls will be increased. “It is not required to post heavily armed police officers at recreational places,” he added.

The senior official also talked about “cooperation between the interior ministry and the Awqaf General Secretariat” to establish a center for school related and domestic problems,” as well as a potential plan for the interior ministry to “review weapon licenses already released.”

Al-Rai TV also hosted Dr. Sulaiman AlKhadhari, a psychologist working with the Psychological Hospital, who said that the crime at the Avenues Mall “reflects a case of anxiety in the Kuwaiti society stemming from a feeling of lack of safety and justice.” He said that criminals justify their actions by “seeing that the other party has arrogated to itself what rightfully belonged to them and as a result must be destroyed.”

Dr. Al-Khadhari mentioned several factors connected with anxiety which he blamed for the criminal behavior being seen in Kuwait. These included “marginalization felt by stateless residents which drives many of them to resort to violence.” He added that ending the dilemma of the Bedouins would be a key towards bringing down the crime rate in Kuwait. —Al-Rai

NUKS honors NBK for support KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) Group Deputy CEO Isam Al-Sager received a delegation from the National Union of Kuwaiti Students-USA (NUKS) recently. The delegation honored NBK for sponsoring NUKS annual conference.

“Kuwaiti students studying abroad deserve our utmost attention and support,” said Al Sager. “NBK is always keen to support NUKS activities as part of our commitment towards Kuwaiti youth and students.” NUKS delegation visited NBK to honor the bank for its sponsor-

ship of the NUKS 29th annual conference held 22-25 November 2012 in Washington DC. NBK hosted a dinner banquet for attendees.

Surprises, cash prizes and luxurious gifts for Kuwaiti students studying in the States were given at the banquet.

KUWAIT: At the instructions of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah and the Undersecretary General Ghazi Abdul Rahman Al-Omar, the Director of Mubarak Al-Kabeer security Lt General honored a number of officers on the occasion of Arab Police Day for their outstanding work. In a speech on the occasion, he told the honored officers that the ministry’s policy is to honor those who do good work and urged them to continue their meritorious work to achieve the required objectives.

Kabad camper opens fire at fellow with AK-47 rifle KUWAIT: A man fired several shots at one of his fellow campers in Kabad with an AK-47 assault rifle, but missed his target. Investigations are now on to track down the campers who disappeared after the incident. Police visited the site after receiving report of a shootout.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the shootout happened after a group of friends in a camp escalated and saw one of the men point an AK47 at another. The armed man fired three bullets but missed his target who ran away to his car. One of the bullets hit a vehicle parked near another camp.

Two addicts die of overdose Two addicts died after they consumed an overdose of drugs inside a Nugra apartment recently. The two men, a

Kuwaiti and a Saudi, were found unconscious by a neighbor who went to check in on them after he did not see them for three days. The two were pronounced dead on the scene. Preliminary investigations indicated that they had died four days before their bodies were discovered.

Further tests showed that the victims died due to drug overdose. The bodies were taken for an autopsy to confirm the time and cause of death. A case was filed at the area’s police station. (Watan) Deportee dies A prisoner who was under detention pending deportation procedures died after he was hospitalized due to health complications, preliminary investigations said.

The 65-year-old Iranian man reportedly suffered multi-

ple health conditions and was swiftly cleared to be shifted from the Central Jail for deportation. The man died even before deportation procedures could be finalized.

His body was taken for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Search for rapist Search is on for a male suspect accused of sexually assaulting a domestic worker after kidnapping her in Fahaheel recently. The Ethiopian woman reportedly left her employer’s home to visit a nearby supermarket when the suspect forcibly took her in his car and drove to a remote location in the desert where he sexually assaulted her. He later dropped her back from where he had abducted her. The victim informed her Kuwaiti employer

about her ordeal and was escorted to the police station to file a case. A forensic examination was ordered as investigations went underway.

Party goes out of control A young man skipped joining his family for a camping trip and instead hosted a wild party at his family house, but things did not go quite as planned as some of the guests created a massive ruckus under the influence of liquor. A neighbor who felt disturbed by loud noises emanating from the house late in the night ended up in a scuffle with the inebriated guests and then called the police. Police arrested one of the drunken guests and the host while other guests managed to escape. A case was filed for investigations. —Al-Watan, Al-Rai

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

local

Kuwait envoy pays homage to Schwarzkopf WASHINGTON: Kuwaiti Ambassador to the United States Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Friday praised the

Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah legacy of the US Retired Army Gen H. Norman Schwarzkopf who passed away Friday at the age of 78.

The State of Kuwait and the United

States have lost one of the heroes of the Operation Desert Storm and the Operation Desert Shield, Sheikh Salem said in statement of condolences.

As commander of US Central Command in the admiration of US ex-president George H Bush, Schwarzkopf led the international coalition forces in the Desert Storm (also known as the Gulf War between January 17, 1991 and February 28, 1991).

This coalition managed to rout the invading Iraq forces and expel them from Kuwait; this war will remain to be a lesson for the coming generation, Sheikh Salem reminded. He added that ret. Gen. Schwarzkopf will be remembered for his sharp military wits and decisive works during this crisis (the invasion of Kuwait). He expressed condolences to administration of President Barack Obama, Ret Gen Schwarzkopf’s family and the US people. —KUNA

US Ambassador Tueller’s statement Today, we mourn the passing of General Norman Schwarzkopf. For 35 years, he served in the United States Army and will be remembered as one of the great military strategists of his generation and an inspiring leader. In Kuwait, he will be remembered for his command of the

international coalition that decisively defeated Saddam Hussein’s army in 1991 and restored Kuwait to its rightful government and sovereignty to its people.

The memory of General Schwarzkopf will inspire future generations to serve their country.

Bank loans, emergency decrees top NA agenda Parliament resumes session today

By A Saleh KUWAIT: The parliament resumes work today (Sunday) with numerous topics on committee agendas, including bank loans, emergency decrees passed before elections, and the security agreement approved during the recent Gulf Cooperation Council summit.

Regarding bank loans, parliamentary insiders revealed that several lawmakers have made it clear to the cabinet that writing off interest payments on citizens’ bank loans will be given priority in the parliament, after the proposal recently became a main topic of discussion in the financial committee. “MPs believe they have 44 lawmakers who will support a draft law to write-off the interest payments, which would be enough to overrule a potential cabinet decision to reject an initial draft law”, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Under Kuwaiti law, a two-thirds majority vote allows the parliament to force passage of a draft law, when passed originally by a simple majority and then rejected by the cabinet.

In the meantime, the sources note that the cabinet realizes the situation it finds itself in when it comes to the thorny topic of interest payments, “and is seeking to find a formula different from the MPs’ proposals” which focus on rescheduling the debt after the government purchases it and writes off the cumulative interest payments. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali had already announced the government’s rejection of the idea, raising strong condemnation from lawmakers who perceive the issue as being key to setting the tone for cooperation

between the two authorities.

Meanwhile, the parliament is expected to soon discuss and vote on the national unity and financial disclosure laws, which were enforced in the month preceding the parliamentary elections after the legislative committee finished discussing both emergency decrees. This announcement was made by the head of the panel, MP Maasouma Al-Mubarak, who indicated that other priorities should be finalized during the committee’s meeting today.

In other news, financial committee member Ahmad Lari criticized Minister of Communications Salem Al-Othaina for “failing to fulfill an agreement reached with the committee in the annulled parliament with regards to the Kuwait Airways privatization”, saying in a recent statement that an emergency decree released last month to enforce the privatization procedures “came about for the purpose of making profits”. The issue has been a topic of debate in recent days, after several lawmakers raised suspicions about “constitutional violations” that could be affecting the privatization decree.

Moving to another topic, parliamentary insiders revealed that a majority of lawmakers are leaning towards voting against the emergency decree to establish the Supreme Elections Commission, which, if it is rejected, means the dissolution of the body that was set up before the December 1 elections. The source, who asked to remain anonymous, indicate that MPs plan to present a new law for the commission “which ensures that it avoids mistakes committed” during its short period of operation. The errors, according to

the lawmakers, include the decisions to disqualify lawmakers on the basis of having a poor reputation without providing a clear definition of what that means.

Yesterday, Al-Qabas daily reported, quoting “a senior judicial source”, that the commission’s errors are set to be on the Supreme Judicial Council’s table of discussion soon, “in order to help the government avoid negative aspects in the future”. One of the main topics that the judicial authorities would like to rule on, is to make it clear to the government that it is “the necessity to limit the number of challenges made against disqualification orders to one court decree that would become a final verdict, instead of three decrees” according to the source.

Also, head of the foreign affairs committee, MP Saleh Ashour, announced that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah was invited to the panel’s meeting today in order to discuss regional topics, including the security treaty signed during the GCC summit in Manama, Bahrain last week.

Separately, parliamentary insiders also revealed plans for some lawmakers to request allocating a session to discuss the deteriorating security situation in the country, but at the same time hold it behind closed doors “in order to give the government better flexibility to support their arguments and avoid having lawmakers falling under public pressure”. On the other hand, sources noted that the cabinet is expected to reject another request to form an investigations committee to probe allegations of irregularities pertaining to the contract for the Jaber Causeway project.

Injured fire-fighter sent abroad for treatment

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A fire-fighter who had risked his life while trying to rescue two children in a residential premises and was seriously injured in his neck and spine after he fell during the operation is being sent abroad for treatment.

Hamad Abdul Rahman Al-Sadi’s name was approved for overseas treatment after the Fire Department applied to the Ministry of Health for its nod. The ministry granted its approval in appreciation of the heroic efforts of the fireman to protect those he was tasked to.

Deputy fire director, Brig. Khalid Al-Mikrad, said necessary arrangements were being made to facilitate the treatment of the fireman abroad. He also lauded the role of the Undersecretary of Ministry of Health and the director of Treatment Abroad Administration, and hoped that such cooperation continues in the future too. He wished for the safety of all fire fighters who expose themselves to grave risks in order to rescue others.

239 bedoon families to be naturalized in Jan

KUWAIT: Under the patronage and presence of the Swiss Ambassador to Kuwait Eithian Tefo, the Swiss exhibition was inaugurated at Kuwaiti Society for Plastic Arts in Hawally. A large number of diplomats, plastic art artists and art lovers attended the event. Chairman of the society Abdul Rasool Salman welcomed the audience and toured the exhibition. Admiring the art works on display, he said the works reflect the genius of the artists.

‘Different opinions’ may stall GCC unity summit

By A Saleh KUWAIT: A planned summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to discuss moving towards a unified position is not expected to be held during the first half of 2013 due to difficulties pertaining to how the ultimate decision is viewed separately by each country, said a source familiar with the issue.

“Parties behind reaching a unified position seek for it to happen collectively, or at least with the majority of countries involved”, explained the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. They

added that the plan is to avoid “a weak start for unity, which could happen if two or more GCC countries refused to join”.

Preparations for the summit, which is set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have been left to GCC Secretary General Abdullatif Al-Zayani, “who makes the final call whenever he senses readiness of GCC members to become unified”, according to the sources, who at the same time indicated that “a summit is unlikely in the near future due to different opinions regarding unity and other topics pending between the GCC countries”.

KUWAIT: Hundreds of stateless residents who meet naturalization conditions are expected to receive their Kuwaiti naturalization, with an announcement to be made by the end of January, a local daily reported yesterday, quoting “trusted government insiders”.

The group, which includes files of 239 bedoon families, would be the fourth to be released by the Central Agency for Stateless Residents since its establishment in 2010. All naturalized candidates must meet basic conditions for naturalization, including official 1965 census documents, the medium by which the government verifies that a resident or their ancestors lived in Kuwait prior to the state’s independence.

Naturalization, however, would become threatened, even if these documents were provided, if the holder had a history of criminal behavior. “In such cases, naturalization would be virtually impossible”, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

In the meantime, rapporteur for the interior and defense committee in the parliament, MP Abdullah AlTamimi, revealed that a majority of lawmakers support a draft law in order to increase the maximum number of stateless residents naturalized each year from 2000 to 4000.

Dozens of Bedouins had gathered in Taima on Friday afternoon in a demonstration to press demands for naturalization. The gathering, which started immediately after the Friday Prayer, was dispersed 20 minutes later following negotiations led by Jahra Security Department Director, Major General Ibrahim Al-Tarrah.

KUWAIT: The National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) took par t in the first ‘Productive Families Exhibition’, that took place recently and showcased artistic creations of people with special needs. NBK volunteers joined them in various entertainment programs organized for children as part of the event.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

LOCAL

kuwait digest

Local Spotlight

Injustice breeds violence

A society getting polluted by wasta

By Iqbal Al-Ahmad hootings: from 6 to 20 crimes. Attempted murder: from 16 to 30 crimes. Mugging: from 75 to 100 crimes. Arson: from 6 to 20 crimes.

These are statistics showing the increase in the number of cases investigated by the Criminal Evidence Investigations Department, and are a comparison between figures available for September 2010 and September 2012, respectively, according to a recent Al-Qabas report. Clearly, we have a problem on our hands.

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By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

asta has assumed epidemic proportions in Kuwait. Everyone in the country is now taking recourse to this unethical code of conduct to survive in Kuwait. One wonders why everyone believes that his life would be easier and smoother if he had a wasta. Why are we Kuwaitis becoming a role

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Wasta is one of the main reasons behind increasing assaults in the Kuwaiti society, especially when it leads to release of people detained for having committed a crime.

The victim is at sea about how to deal with this situation and is then overtaken by a desire for revenge.

Why do we encourage expats to become corrupt and then complain that the they are trouble makers while it is actually we who conduct ourselves as if it is alright to break the law as long you have a wasta link that can save you from any trouble? model for expats in how to break the law? Why do we encourage them to become corrupt and then complain that the expats are trouble makers while it is actually we who conduct ourselves as if it is alright to break the law as long you have a wasta link that can save you from any trouble? If you have a big wasta, you can avoid having to pay large penalties and even escape jail sometimes.

Why are we doing this to not just our country but even to our own selves something that is against our own safety and the future of our home land? Why do we ruin our country’s reputation when we actually obey and fear the law during our travels overseas? I think the culture of wasta now runs in our blood.

In Kuwait, it is very common to see Asian drivers, especially taxi drivers, break the traffic laws. They are found either using mobile phones while driving or jumping the red signals. It is also common to hear those Asians say that it is okay to do so because his sponsor will not allow him to face any penalties. So, I am right in assuming that this disease called wasta is corrupting our life and threatening our country’s reputation and all its people, be they citizens or expats.

Is there a way out? Not unless we realize that all these bad practices are wrong and must be stopped.

But how to stop it? If we really want reforms and really wish to have a better future where there is less corruption and more transparency, if we want to be fair towards every one and before that to our country and its reputation, we must stop behaving like absolute outlaws. We need a few form of education, a new method to teach our young students right from the ones studying at elementary schools that it is not okay to break the law. They must be taught that this principle is a universal one and they cannot break the law in their own country just as they cannot do so in any other. We need to launch awareness campaigns about morals and values such as respect for the law.

We need to work on that starting with the local media. The wasta is a destructive instrument for our society and we are not doing any one a favour when we protect him after he breaks the law.

kuwait digest

The politics of opposition

By Nasser Al-Abdeljalil embers of Parliament have been issuing warnings virtually on a daily basis, and I see three different kinds of strains in these warnings. But before that I would like to state that almost every Member of Parliament is acting like a political opposition.

Thus, we have three different kinds of opposition in the august House. First, there are those who play the role of necessarily negative political opposition that opposes for the sake of opposition and is always trying to either defeat the government or looking for ways to oust it altogether.

Second is the positive political opposition which opposes for the sake of reform and comes up with alternative agendas and suggestions. The third are those who fall in the category of ‘loyal political opposition’ as they actually have a behind-the-scenes understanding with the government and oppose only for effect.

When the Parliament warns the ministers, that warning comes from one of these three kinds of political opposition. I do not think that the negative political opposition which opposes only for the sake of opposition and actually wants to topple the government can succeed because most such elements boycotted the elections (I do not mean that everyone who boycotted the elections was from the negative political opposition), but some such people did participate and won a seat in the current assembly.

Such people are too clever and would not open their cards at such an early stage but they must be watched carefully.

The second kind of MPs who warn the ministers may be from the positive political opposition which

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is keen to expose the government’s shortcomings, even though it is still too early to do that. However, it is not a bad thing to happen because it is a new government and suffers from many draw backs. Such MPs must be encouraged and supported.

The third kind of MPs who issue warnings to the ministers are mere windbags. They are more interested in making personal and individual gains. We must be cautious of such elements and expose their true designs.

Window for the truth: May Allah bestow His mercy on the Avenues Mall victim, who became the target of a crime that the Kuwaiti society is not familiar with. We hold the government responsible in the first place because someone felt that he can escape punishment. Such a person will misbehave again. Almighty Allah said, “And there is for you in legal retribution (saving of) life, O you (people) of understanding, that you may become righteous.”

It means that the person who intends to kill and remembers that he will be killed for that, will stop and that will make the intended victim and the intended killer survive.

We also hold the government responsible for its laxity in resolving the bedoon issue. Then, to a lesser degree, we hold the legislators responsible for not placing limits on certain kinds of freedom at all levels. Finally we hold the negative political opposition responsible for spreading a culture of chaos and violating laws during demonstrations being held in schools, on the streets and in our neighborhoods. —Al-Watan

kuwait digest

The GCC security summit

By Dr Hassan Abbas ver since we became acquainted with politics, we have come to learn that GCC summits take place only to discuss ‘security’. Security is one common subject for ‘brief and smooth’ discussions that happen in every summit. Discussions focus on security development, security cooperation, security union, security cohesion, security relations and everything that has to do with security.

Amazingly enough, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Dr. Abdullatif Al-Zayani, describes the summit as “seeking to achieve human development” and lists five strategic goals that he says the summit seeks to achieve.

While these goals vary between security, human development and economy, we find that the only goals that have been successfully engaged with ‘for the benefit of the region’s policy’ were issues like the situation in Syria, the Yemeni initiative, the disputed islands between the United Arab Emirates and Iran, the Iranian nuclear program, terrorist networks, and the violence in Bahrain.

I remember when the first GCC summit was held, the Gulf states agreed to achieve cooperation in all aspects of life. More than thirty years later, we can say that nothing has been achieved in this regard except when it comes to security. In fact, there is talk about GCC countries moving towards unity, something which remains vague apart from Al-Zayani’s statement that it would ensure “protection for GCC countries from all kinds of threats.”

That appeals to common sense, but what about the other strategic goals that people of the Gulf region have always longed to see materialize? Where is the integration at economic, scientific, and cultural levels? Where is the cooperation in humanitarian fields, or other areas that have nothing to do with arms and violence? Why can the GCC not achieve success in any other field except security? How can human development be ensured, as the Secretary General said? How economic well-being can be achieved for the people of the Gulf states when we have been living with oil as the main source of income for half a century, and when the farthest we can go when it comes to cooperation is exchanging prisoners and intelligence information? —Al-Rai

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To the Ministry of Interior, to the Ministry of Education, to families and to the society at large, I have this to say: We live in society which has major security issues and where several factors contribute to this state of affairs, including idleness, marginalization, financial and emotional destitution, as well as lack of law enforcement.

Kuwaiti psychologists told Al-Qabas in a recent investigative report that the lack of prompt law enforcement measures in the country leads to three types of assaults: verbal, physical and sexual. Verbal assault is something happening all too often in schools and, according to studies, has increased after the Iraqi Invasion.

There is little to deter people from committing these assaults since investigation proceeds at snail’s pace, and people resort to wasta (unlawful mediation backed by influence). Also, there is discrimination based on sectarian, tribal or other social categorization considerations. Such conduct only fuels a feeling of injustice among victims, which in turn sparks a feeling of vengeance.

Wasta is one of the main reasons behind increasing assaults in the Kuwaiti society, especially when it leads to release of people detained for having committed a crime. The victim is at sea about how to deal with this situation and is then overtaken by a desire for revenge. Also, it leaves criminals to continue with their criminal behavior as they then know that they are above the law.

This clearly explains how wasta can eventually turn both, the suspect and the victim, into criminals. That is why it is important to have regulations criminalizing unlawful mediation to escape the course of justice. It is imperative that we end this wasta culture even in what we consider trivial matters.

Recent uprisings which saw young people hurling stones at police officers and police vehicles, as well as using foul language and even physically confronting the police reflects a picture of social violence which could lead to a more serious crime.

In the meantime, using violence against young people and failing to listen to what they have to say or how they justify their movements can equally lead to serious crimes.

What happened in the Avenues Mall is not just a crime. It was a crime committed in a public place and signaled both, a challenge to the society and a complete disregard of the law.

When young people resorted to violence during demonstrations, their actions were being backed by people whom those youngsters perceived as their role models. As a result, we saw them continuing with their behavior on multiple occasions. It was something we saw unfolding before our own eyes. And regardless of how we feel about it, the motive behind these verbal and physical assaults was clear. As their role models nodded in approval, these people continued with their behavior.

These were incidents that were perceived differently by the Kuwaiti society. They were strongly rejected by some, others sounded a note of caution while still others approved of them and even justified them. But what is right and what is wrong?

‘Take matters into your own hands because the law can neither protect your rights, nor can you be affected when you take law into your own hands’.

This kind of culture has become a reality and has led to an increase in criminal behavior. It has also led to people avoiding to seek shelter under the law when faced with injustice as they fear retribution on the part of the wrongdoer.

In order to change that reality, we need prompt regulations criminalizing wasta and eliminating it forever. The easiest way to achieve that is to computerize all procedures in state departments because computers do not know how to differentiate among people based on their social status.

I found many similarities between what happened in the Avenues Mall and the Iraqi Invasion. What happened over twenty years ago resulted from a political mistake that affected the entire society, and led to repercussions which unfortunately were not followed by studies and analysis carried out the right way.

Similarly, the killing of a person by four knife-wielding people for a trivial reason and in front of thousands in one of Kuwait’s busiest places during weekend reflected a moral failure that requires long research and analysis.

During the inauguration of a national forum for combating drugs recently, Secretary General of the National Committee for Drug Prevention stated that “countering drug trade cannot be a seasonal activity but has to be an organized work carried out on a daily basis.” He also identified “prevention, security and treatment” as the three main aspects of the methodology to resolve the problem. I believe this also applies to the problem we have at hand. — Al-Qabas

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

LOCAL

Investment in human ‘development vital’ Sheikh Salman launches creative workshop

KUWAIT: Major General Faisal Al-Jazzaf (right), Minister Sheikh Salman (center) and Dr Omar Al-Bannay during the opening of the creative workshop.

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Sheikh Salman Al-Homoud, Minister of Information and State Minister of Youth Affairs, launched a creative workshop at the Sabah AlAhmad Center for Creativity and Talent at the Qadsiya Youth Center.

Among those who attended the ceremony were members of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), Major General Faisal Al-Jazzaf, Chairman of the Public Authority for Youth and Spor ts (PAYS), and Dr. Omar Al-Bannay, Director General of the Sabah AlAhmad Center for Creativity and Talent. Sheikh Salman Al-Homoud praised the KFAS’ role in supporting and encouraging investment in human development. “This will go a

long way in building a strong base for science, technology and creativity. KFAS has been always supportive of the efforts and has also been providing grants in different fields of sciences. KAFS also suppor ts researchers and scientists,” he said while launching the workshop on Thursday.

The Sabah Al-Ahmad Center itself had come up at the initiative of H.H the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah as a means to tap and invest in the creativity of talented youth. “This initiative aims to develop the community by providing an environment conducive to harnessing these creative energies that will go a long way to achieve our development goals and build a prosperous future for Kuwait,” Al-Homoud added.

The Kuwaiti inventors and

Sheikh Salman Al-Homoud, Minister of Information and State Minister of Youth Affairs, touring the workshop. — Photos by Joseph Shagra researchers went on to hold leading positions in this field internationally.

“The Kuwaiti inventors always participate in the international fairs and competitions and have secured many leading positions. This makes us proud of this leading Foundation (KFAS) which is promoting scientific culture in the community. I would also like to praise the positive cooperation between the Sabah AlAhmad Center and PAYS,” he concluded. On his part, Dr Omar Al-Bannay said the workshop coincided with the launch of creativity and talent classes at the Center in cooperation with the Ministry of Education. “The aim is to develop and improve mental skills through educational programs. It also aims at developing positive relations and building complex educational model to cater to

highly creative students. The model will be based on the partnership between the parents and the schools which are holding these creativity classes,” he pointed out.

He also said that the creative workshops for applied sciences would be including those students which did not avail of a chance to register for the creativity and talent classes of the Ministry of Education held in the evening. “ The par ticipants will receive training at the applied sciences workshops to gain advanced industrial, technical, and manual skills. They will then be able to deal with administrating manufacturing laboratories, and will also be able to transfer their ideas into real models as the first phase of commercial manufacturing,” explained Al-Bannay.

Sheikh Salman Al-Homoud honoring Dr Omar Al-Bannay.

A kid showcasing his skill at the creative workshop.

Committee to probe KOC promotions KUWAIT: Minister of Oil Hani Hussain informed that he has decided to set up a high-level independent committee to look into the basic criterion KOC has taken in promoting and appointing group leaders in the company. He said that the committee members will be from outside KOC in order to ensure their neu-

CBK presents gifts to workers KUWAIT: In a commendable gesture on the eve of new year, the Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK) staff volunteered to present gifts to construction and cleaning workers

around Kuwait. They distributed jackets, scarves, hand sanitizers and drinking water to help them cope with the cold weather in the country. The initiative follows a similar

campaign launched last summer when workers were given face masks, water bottles and other items to help them beat the hot and dusty weather conditions.

Spate of accidents in Kuwait

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 27-year-old Lebanese expat was left with a fractured left leg in an accident at Sabbiya Road near the fire brigade premises. He was taken to the Al-Jahra Hospital.

Four Kuwaiti citizens were injured in a car accident at Cooperation Street, opposite Al-Maseela Hotel. A 40-yearold Kuwaiti man suffered head injury and was rushed to the intensive care unit of the Mubarak Hospital while three others aged 17, 18 and 26 years, were injured in the chest and hands. They were also taken to the same hospital.

A car accident between Bayan and Mishref left a 38year-old Egyptian expat with multiple injuries. He was taken to the Mubarak Hospital.

A car accident at Al-Eqaila near Al-Bairaq traffic sign resulted in different injuries for three Kuwaiti citizens aged 19, 21 and 19 years. All were taken to Al-Adan Hospital.

A 33-year-old Indian expat died on the spot after he was hit by a car while crossing the road. The accident happened at Al-Wafra opposite Al-Kamal Farm. His body was referred to the medical examiner.

A 17-year-old Kuwaiti man was injured in a motorcycle accident under Al-Multaqa Bridge towards Nowaiseeb.

He was taken to Al-Adan Hospital.

A car accident on Bnaider Road 250 left four Kuwaiti citizens, including an 18-year-old girl, injured. She, along with three men aged 22, 20 and 18 years, was rushed to the AlAdan Hospital.

trality. The committee will look into the norms and procedures of employments that took place and look into any complaints if any in this respect.

KOC sources revealed that promotion that took place in the company (KOC) represents all sectors of the society and that the company had formed

internal committees over months to choose head of work teams who are suitable for the job. The sources added that the objections raised by some MPs are groundless and that the company had followed a faultless mechanism in choosing the employees to the middlelevel management.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

LOCAL

EQUATE supports KAACH’s activities KUWAIT: EQUATE Petrochemical Company has continued its support for the activities of Kuwait Association for the Care of Children in Hospital (KACCH).

On this occasion, EQUATE VP for Technical Ser vices Mohammad AlBenali said, “EQUATE’s collaborative support with KACCH is aimed at ensuring the wellbeing of our children through all possible means. This effort is a manifestation of the EQUATEKAACH ‘Partners in Success’ philosophy as noted in EQUATE’s tagline.”

On her par t, K ACCH Direc tor Margaret Al-Sayer said, “EQUATE’s support has enabled KACCH to execute a number of sustainable initiatives that will enable better serving all relevant persons. I would like to thank EQUATE for the commitment to fulfilling part of its Corporate Social Responsibility through interaction and support for KACCH.” Earlier in 2012, EQUATE and KACCH organized “Painting Smiles,” a program dedicated to supporting children in

Dialogue crucial to avert conflicts: Kuwaiti lawyer BEIRUT: An eminent Kuwaiti lawyer has affirmed necessity of dialogue among nations to avert conflicts and strife among nations and human beings.

Dr. Mubarak Al-Wuhaibi on the sidelines of a forum organized by the Orient Press Club for Dialogue Among Civilizations, noted that such dialogue is of special significance for Dr. Mubarak Al-Wuhaibi nations of the Middle East where people advocate diverse cultural and religious beliefs and norms.

The head of the club, Elie Sergani, praised the role of Kuwait in boosting the culture of dialogue and tolerance for the sake of moderation, renunciation of extremism and indiscrimination. He also lauded the Gulf state for exerting noticeable efforts at the national and international levels for enhancing religious freedoms and its participation in international efforts for rejecting bids to tarnish religions and desecrate religious sanctities. Kuwait, several years ago, established the International Moderation Center, with the aim of boosting rapprochement among nations of different civilizations, promoting religious tolerance and respecting people’s rights for equality and peaceful existence. —KUNA

hospitals. The “Painting Smiles” exhibition brought together the works of many children. All the exhibition’s proceeds were dedicated to KACCH. Established in 1995, EQUATE is an international joint venture between Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Boubyan Petrochemical Company (BPC ) and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC). Commencing production in 1997, EQUATE is the single operator of a fully integrated world-scale manufacturing facility producing over 5 million tons annually of high-quality petrochemical products which are marketed throughout the M iddle East, Asia, Africa and Europe.

Kuwait Association for the Care of C h i l d re n i n H o s p i t a l ( K ACC H ) i s a non-governmental, charitable organization, founded in 1989. KACCH has since established an internationally recognized program to help children and their families cope with the stresses of hospitalization.

EQUATE team with KAACH staff

Ban grateful to Kuwait over Syria donor conference UN lauds $20m aid to Syrian refugees UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon late Friday expressed his gratitude to Kuwait for agreeing to host a donor conference for Syrians’ humanitarian needs and for its recent generous pledge of $20 million for the humanitarian appeals for Syria. “The Secretary-General is particularly grateful for the generosity of the Government of Kuwait for agreeing to host the conference and for its recent pledge of $20 million for the humanitarian response in Syria,” his spokesman Martin Nesirky said in a statement.

He announced that on 30 January 2013, the Secretary-General will chair a high-level International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria in Kuwait City, describing it as a “timely and much-needed opportunity to address the funding gap.”

He said Ban reiterates that the international community “must do more” to alleviate the suffering of millions of people in Syria and the neighboring countries, and “urges all member states to be generous in their pledges and is thankful to those who continue to support the humanitarian efforts.”

He added that the Secretary-General is

“extremely concerned about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria,” where more than 5 million people urgently need help. As a consequence of this situation, over 2 million people have been displaced inside the country and more than 540,000 Syrians have fled to neighboring countries.

He recalled that the UN Refugee Agency has warned that the number of Syrian refugees could double to 1.1 million by June 2013. This winter, many families are struggling to keep warm, without adequate shelter, warm clothes and heating fuel. Children make up more than 50 per cent of the civilians affected by the crisis.

He noted that despite the growing needs, the Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan (SHARP) and the regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP) for 2012 are underfunded, limiting the ability of UN agencies and their humanitarian partners to reach people who desperately need help.

The revised plans, he noted, now require more than $1.5 billion to cover the most urgent humanitarian needs during the first half of 2013. —KUNA

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Kuwait gathers support for top ALECSO post TUNIS: Kuwaiti Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf met with several counterparts on the sideline of the 21st conference of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization

(ALECSO) to gather support for Dr Abdullah Mhareb, Kuwait’s candidate for the organization’s Director General position. Speaking to KUNA late Friday, Al-Hajraf said that he has met with his Somali, Yemeni, and Palestinian coun-

Al-Hajraf meets Dr Mariam Ahmad form Tunisia.

terparts in a bid to ensure support for Kuwait’s candidate.

As for Mhareb’s chances, Al-Hajraf affirmed that Kuwait would be focused on further developing education, cultural, and science in the Arab world if candidate Mhareb won, noting that Kuwait’s candidate had a vast experience to enable him to carry on the huge responsibility of Director General.

In regards to his meetings with Arab counterparts, Al-Hajraf affirmed that they focused on means to bolster educational and cultural relations to benefit all involved parties. The 21st ALECSO conference will open later today with the participation of member states, UNESCO, and representatives of other world organizations.

In the race for the Director General position, the states of Kuwait, Tunisia, Iraq, and Mauritania are all eager to see their candidate leading the prestigious organization. — KUNA

TEC postpones musical concert KUWAIT: A musical program scheduled to be held at the Ice Skating Rink last weekend has been postponed to February 16, 2013 due to technical reasons, a senior Touristic Enterprises Company official announced in a statement.

Meanwhile, Ice Skating Rink and Fountain Park Supervisor, Omar Al-

Sameraei, announced that the minor hall in the Ice Skating Rink will not host visitors now and will remain closed until further announcement.

The Ice Skating Rink is open every day from 8:30 am to 10:00 pm over seven separate periods. The two periods between 6:30 pm and 10:00 pm every Tuesday are exclusive to female visitors. Omar Al-Sameraei

NUKS US branch visits Zain HQ KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunications company in Kuwait, hosted a delegation from the National Union of Kuwaiti Students (NUKS) - USA Branch who expressed their appreciation to Zain Group for the organization’s efforts in supporting NUKS 29th annual conference held in Washington DC last month.

In a press statement Zain said that Zain Group CEO, Scott Gegenheimer and Zain Kuwait’s CEO, Omar Al-Omar hosted the members from NUKS - USA branch who praised the support provided by Zain Group. The delegation acknowledged Zain’s leading role in supporting NUKS’ annual conferences held by NUKS - USA Branch. “As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility program we seek any opportunity to be involved with and to pioneer various initiatives. Zain is committed to provide support to the education sector in Kuwait and abroad,” Al-Omar

said addressing the delegation. During the meeting, he also stressed that Zain is keen to achieve its goals in the best possible way as well as to promote partnerships with various parts of society.

Al-Omar congratulated NUKS - USA branch for the conference held in Washington and for the efforts exerted by the group. Calling on the private sector to contribute to the education field with the support of various CSR programs, he stressed that students are the future and that is why it is essential to build bridges of communication with them. Al-Omar said that through such initiatives Zain always seeks to have a positive impact on the community.

As a leading organization, Zain’s sponsorship of NUKS latest annual conference was in line with the organization’s keenness to support Kuwaiti students studying in Kuwait and abroad.

Gulf Bank joins hands with INJAZ Kuwait for 2013 KUWAIT: Gulf Bank yesterday announced its partnership with INJAZ Kuwait for the year 2013. The partnership involves strategic support from the Bank on three key INJAZ programs; Innovation Camp, Job Shadow Day, and More Than Money. Gulf Bank’s partnership is in line with its 2013 Corporate Social Responsibility strategy which focuses on encouraging the talents of the next generation of Kuwaiti youth.

The Bank is supporting INJAZ programs that give students of INJAZ a firm understanding of the business world. Each of the three programs selected provides students with different experiences which will be of practical use when they enter the business environment after education. * Innovation Camp is an exciting one day

workshop that challenges 75-80 high school and university students to find the most innovative solution to a business issue or problem using the leadership, critical thinking and teamwork skills. The Bank will mentor this activity to assist students in expanding their horizons. * Job Shadow Day is a day when the Bank plays host to students, giving them the opportunity to meet professional banking staff and see first-hand how a selection of the Bank’s departments operate on a day-to-day basis. * More Than Money is a six session course which covers economics and business education for students in grades five and six. This will help to teach them how to spend, earn, share, and save money when establishing

their own businesses.

Fawzy Althunayan, Gulf Bank’s General Manager of Board Affairs said: “We are pleased to have the opportunity, once again, to sponsor an organization which is dedicated to elevating the skills of Kuwait’s young people through the delivery of inspiring and innovative educational programs on entrepreneurship and leadership. Our Corporate Social Responsibility strategy for 2013 aims to develop Kuwait’s human potential to the maximum for the future benefit of our national economy. INJAZ Kuwait’s noble initiative gives us an opportunity to do this through directly supporting and contributing to youth and community programs that will directly assist the development of tomorrow’s business leaders.

“The Bank warmly applauds INJAZ Kuwait

on its role and dedication to raising the skills of Kuwait’s young people, and we are very pleased to once again join hands with this respected organization and demonstrate the Bank’s support and encouragement of youth initiatives in education, arts, sports, and culture.”

Gulf Bank’s commitment to the Kuwaiti youth springs from its belief that a nation rises when its younger generation can benefit from practical assistance and educational channels to help the younger generations acquire professional business skills early, giving them the tools to help them become successful entrepreneurs in the future.

INJAZ Kuwait is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of young business talent.

Fawzy Al-Thunayan, General Manager, Board Affairs at Gulf Bank

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

Syrian state journalists ‘kill with words’

Chavez ‘fighting’ for health post-surgery Page 9

Page 8

CAIRO: An Egyptian key maker smokes a water pipe as he watches President Mohamed Morsi speak at the Shura Council, the countryís upper house of parliament, yesterday. — AP

Morsi warns against new unrest Egyptian president downplays economic crisis CAIRO: Egypt’s Islamist president warned against any unrest that could harm the drive to repair the country’s battered economy in his first address before the newly convened upper house of parliament yesterday, urging the opposition to work with his government.

In the nationally televised speech, Mohammed Morsi said the nation’s entire efforts should be focused on “production, work, seriousness and effort,” now that a new constitution came into effect this week, blaming protests and violence the last month for causing further damage to an economy already in crisis since the fall of autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Citing the economy, Morsi pressed the opposition to drop its refusals to deal with his government, repeating his invitation for it to join a national dialogue he has been holding and adding a warning that appeared directed at the opposition not to turn to protests that might cause unrest. All sides must “realize the needs of the moment” and work only through “mature democracy while avoiding violence,” he told the 270-member Shura Council. “We condemn and reject all forms of violence by individuals, groups, institutions and even from the nation and its government. This is com-

pletely rejected.” Last month, the largely secular and liberal opposition launched a wave of protests against decrees by Morsi grabbing new powers - since revoked - and against the draft constitution that his Islamist allies rammed through to finalization and put to a referendum, completed a week ago. In response, Islamists also launched mass rallies, and the two sides erupted into violence several times. The worst violence came in clashes outside the presidential palace in Cairo that killed 10 people, and though it was sparked when Islamists attacked a sit-in, Morsi’s allies have depicted the opposition as to blame.

Opponents fear that Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, from which he hails, are monopolizing rule and that the new constitution will consecrate their power. The charter allows for a stronger implementation of Islamic law, or sharia, than in the past and provisions that could limit many civil rights and freedoms of minorities. The charter was passed by 64 percent in the referendum, though turnout was only around 33 percent. Under the new constitution, the upper house of parliament, which normally has few powers, is now serving as the law-making body until a new legislating lower house is chosen in national elections expected

within a few months. The upper house, called the Shura Council, has an overwhelming Islamist majority, mainly from Morsi’s Brotherhood and the allied ultraconservative Salafis.

Morsi has depicted the national dialogue that he launched earlier this month as a compromise giving all factions a voice. The dialogue is supposed to draw up key legislation to put before parliament, including a law organizing the parliamentary elections, and decide other issues. The opposition has dismissed the dialogue initiative as disingenuous, and so far mainly Islamists are participating, along with a few small liberal parties.

Ahmed Maher, head of the activist April 6 Movement that helped engineer last year’s uprising against Mubarak, said Morsi’s speech offered nothing new beyond his acknowledgement of Egypt’s economic woes. He also said he would not enter into talks again with the president until the Brotherhood “gives up some of their arrogance and stubbornness”. “I sat with the president four times before. There are never any clear results from the conversations,” Maher said, adding that the opposition wants changes to the new constitution and a Cabinet led by a new prime minister with a

clear plan. In his speech, Morsi repeatedly said it was time to return to “production” and “work”. While he listed some new economic projects such as developing the Suez Canal area and Sinai, he did not give details on an overall economic program, including how the government will tackle a crippling deficit or carry out expected changes in taxes or reductions of subsidies. Morsi acknowledged in his nearly hour-long speech the country’s dwindling foreign currency reserves, which stood at around $36 billion in 2010 before the uprising and now hover around $15 billion, bolstered by large Qatari deposits.

His government has requested a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to bridge the burgeoning budget deficit.

But talks have been put off for the moment after the government this month backed off plans to raise taxes on a number of products, fearing a larger backlash amid the political protests. Potential cuts in subsidies on food and fuel and plans to raise taxes are major concerns in a country where some 40 percent of the 85 million population live near or below the poverty line of surviving on $2 a day.

Standard & Poor downgraded Egypt’s longterm credit rating one level this week to B-, six

steps below investment grade. “The reason (for the lower ranking) is the lack of political stability in the recent past,” Morsi said. He denounced those he said were spreading rumors that undermine the economy.

“Those who talk about bankruptcy, they are the ones who are bankrupt. Egypt will never be bankrupt and will not kneel, God willing,” he said to a round of applause. And he appeared to chide the opposition for not working with him, saying all sides must past through the crisis together. “We all know the interests of the nation. Would any of us be happy if the nation goes bankrupt? I don’t doubt anyone’s intentions. But can anyone here be happy if the nation is exposed to economic weakness?”

In attendance at the session were leading national figures such as Egypt’s new Coptic pope, Tawdros II, seated next to the country’s top mainstream cleric, grand sheik Ahmed AlTayeb of Cairo’s Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam’s foremost seat of learning. The former head of the ultraconservative Salafi Nour Party and the head of the Muslim Brotherhood party were also seated front-row along with former interim prime ministers, the country’s defense minister and other members of Cabinet. — AP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

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

Syrian state journalists ‘kill with words’ PARIS: Lama Al-Khadra summed up her work for Radio Damascus with a grim phrase: “Our mission was to kill with words.” Along with two other journalists for the state-run radio station, Khadra met with journalists in Paris on Friday after the three fled to France to join with opponents of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Now hoping to set up a pro-opposition station to counter regime propaganda, the three described a climate of fear and paranoia within state media that have remained loyal to Assad amid an uprising that has left more than 45,000 dead.

“It’s hard to always wear a mask, to show nothing, to think and talk like them, the men of the regime,” Khadra said after reading a “statement of defection” from the three in a bookstore in central Paris. The onetime head of the station’s political and cultural programmes, Khadra said she had for months toed the regime’s line in reporting events of the uprising that began in midMarch 2011. “We were confined to following reports from (state news agency) SANA and denigrating the opposition, it wasn’t easy,” she said.

The newsroom was beset by paranoia, she said, with no one daring to watch anything but state television. “It was dangerous to watch AlJazeera without looking like a revolutionary,” she said. “Within the official media, many journalists are suffering along with the people.” The journalists said they were under near-constant watch and faced frequent intimidation. “Some of us were called in by the secret services,” said Kamal Jamal Beyk, the station’s program director, who fled along with Khadra and Baddur Abdul Karim,

PARIS: Kamal Jamal Beyk (center), former director of programming at the official SANA radio and the SANA online news website in Damascus, listens during a press conference on Friday as he and two other colleagues from the radio service, Lama Al-Khadra (left) and Baddour Abdel Karim, announce their recent defection from official Syrian state media. — AFP

the former head of the station’s cultural programming. “We were threatened, as were our families,” said Jamal Beyk, who said he was questioned three times by secret police. “Working for the state media in Syria is like living in an invisible prison,” said Abdul Karim. “We were no longer

journalists,” she said, describing a newsroom where “some support the regime and don’t hide it, while others stay because they have no choice.” Beyk said “Iranian information experts” had been brought into the newsroom to train journalists and that the “most zealous” pro-

regime reporters were sent to Beirut to study with Hezbollah’s Al-Manar satellite television channel. The three journalists said they decided to flee after a friend and colleague, Mohammed Al-Said, was abducted in mid-July and killed by pro-opposition extremists. The three initially fled to Lebanon, before coming to Paris this week with the help of French authorities.

They are now living in an apartment in a southern suburb of Paris and hope to launch a radio station that will be “the embryo of the future public radio post-Assad”. “The revolutionaries have succeeded in creating alternative media. But without a channel for media transmission, there is a gap between those on the ground and opposition officials outside” the country, said Abdul Karim. They are hoping that with the help of the opposition National Coalition they can create a radio station that would “take the pulse of the Syrian revolution” to “strengthen national unity between Syrians”, Abdul Karim said.

Dozens of journalists have defected to the opposition since the start of the uprising. Most quietly left the country for exile in Turkey, Jordan or Lebanon, though some, such as state television presenter Ola Abbas, have opened up about defecting. For those who continue to work in the headquarters of state television and radio in central Damascus, the threat of kidnapping and assassination is constant. At least 17 professional journalists, both foreigners and Syrians, and 44 citizen journalists have died while covering the country’s conflict, one of the deadliest for the media in recent years. — AFP

CAR rebels defy peace efforts, inch on capital Insurgents seize new town

MOSCOW: Rescuers work at the site where a plane veered off the runway at Vnukovo Airport. — AP

4 dead as Russia plane crashes into motorway MOSCOW: Four crew were killed yesterday when a Russian airliner crashed into a motorway and broke up into three pieces after overshooting the runway at an international Moscow airport. The Red Wings airlines Russian-made Tu-204 jet - empty of passengers and carrying just its eight crew - caught fire after crashing through the perimeter fence of Vnukovo airport in the west of the city, officials said. Wreckage was strewn across the motorway, but there were no immediate reports of any injuries among road users.

The aircraft was returning from the Czech Republic after flying passengers from Moscow to Pardubice airport outside Prague, a Czech airport official said.

The stricken white-and-red liner ended up with both its nose and tail sections separated from the main body, images broadcast on state television showed. The plane’s nose was left on the highway with only a tangle of wreckage linking it to the aircraft’s body, which was slumped on the motorway embankment with its disconnected tail lying further down. “According to updated information, four people were killed and four more were injured,” the interior ministry said in a statement published on Russian news agencies. The emergencies ministry confirmed the jet was carrying no passengers and eight crew, although earlier reports had said 12 people were on board. “All the injured are in a serious condition with head injuries,” a health ministry official told the Interfax news agency.

Interfax said that two of the dead were the flight captain and second pilot, whose corpses were found at the site of the crash. The identities of the other dead are not yet known. The crash took place during high winds and a snowstorm in Moscow, but the cause of the accident was not immediately clear. The state aviation security watchdog Rosaviatsya said it had sent a letter to the jet’s Tupolev maker on Friday about possible problems with the break system of the Tu-204 jet, RIA Novosti reported. The letter was sent after another Tu204 experienced problems with its breaks during a previously unreported incident on Dec 21, said the news agency.

Czech officials said the plane was in fine working order when it landed at an airport 100 km east of Prague earlier in

the day. “The plane brought passengers to Pardubice, then returned empty.

When taking off, the plane was absolutely okay,” the Czech News Agency quoted Pardubice airport director Vit Malek as saying. Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said all options including bad weather, pilot error and a technical malfunction - were being explored as possible causes. State television quoted reports saying that the pilot had been circling Vnukovo and had also looked into the possibility of landing at another airport.

Before it was extinguished, the fire around the busy Kiev Highway reached a maximum of 100 square metres (1,000 square feet), the emergencies ministry said. A spokeswoman for the emergencies ministry said: “The Tu-204 overshot the landing strip. As a result, the plane partially fell apart and its right engine caught fire.” President Vladimir Putin has been informed of the accident and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has ordered an investigation into its causes.

The emergencies ministry said a total of 204 ministry staff and 12 pieces of equipment were deployed to the scene.

Traffic on the Kiev Highway next to the airport was halted as a result of the accident and Vnukovo airpor t was also closed. But by late evening the airport said it had resumed working. However the incident risks causing travel chaos as Russians depart the capital in hordes for the country’s lengthy New Year holidays.

Aviation disasters remain a scourge across the former Soviet Union due to ageing hardware that often has not been replaced since the fall of the Soviet regime, as well as human error.

The Tu-204 is a modern Russian-made passenger jet. Seventy-two have been made and 51 are in operation, nine of which belong to Red Wings. Red Wings is a new Russian airline that started operating out of Vnukovo this summer.

It serves destinations in Russia and abroad as well as offering charter flights.

The company is owned by Russian businessman Alexander Lebedev, who also owns Britain’s Evening Standard and Independent newspapers. The accident came days after all 27 people on board a Kazakh military jet were killed in a crash in the south of the ex-Soviet Central Asian state. — AFP

BANGUI, Central African Republic: Rebels in the Central African Republic, defying regional mediation efforts, yesterday seized a new town in their advance on the capital Bangui and repelled a bid by army soldiers to retake a key central city. The rebels faced no resistance as they entered the town of Sibut some 150 km from Bangui, a military source told AFP. Also yesterday, officials on both sides said the rebels of the so-called Seleka coalition had repelled army soldiers who were trying to recapture Bambari, a former military stronghold in the landlocked country, one of the world’s poorest despite vast mineral wealth.

A military official described “extremely violent” fighting over the town, with detonations and heavy weapons fire audible to witnesses some 60 km away. Djouma Narkoya, a Seleka leader, claimed that the army suffered “losses”, while the rebel side had “one killed and three injured” in the fighting. The rebels, who launched their offensive in early December, now control four main towns, mainly in the north and centre of the country, including the garrison town and key diamond mining hub of Biraosince. Bangui is in the southwest.

Meanwhile regional efforts to mediate a peaceful solution in the landlocked equatorial country were at a standstill. A day after announcing that the rebels and the government had agreed to hold unconditional peace talks and that more regional troops would head to the country, the Economic Community of Central African States said no dates had been set for either measure.

The bloc’s foreign ministers will meet again next Thursday “and that is when they will announce a date for the meeting in (the Gabonese capital) Libreville,” ECCAS’s communications director Placide Ibouanga told AFP, referring to talks between rebels and the government. He said the arrival of more regional troops was also uncertain. “The arrival date of the new contingent depends on the heads of state,” he said, referring to troops that are due to reinforce the 500-strong Multinational Force of Central Africa, which ECCAS deployed in the chronically unstable country in 2002.

The coalition of three rebel movements known as Seleka - or the “alliance” in the Sango language - says the government has not fulfilled the terms of peace pacts signed in 2007 and 2001, provid-

BANGUI: A seller carries bread on Friday in a market. — AFP ing for disarmament and social reintegration for Sambo market. “We’re not going to sell our proinsurgents, including pay. Central African duce if there’s no peace. And then how we will President Francois Bozize, who took power in a feed our children?” “We don’t eat properly any2003 coup, has twice been elected into office. In more,” said another vendor, Angele Bodero, with the face of the rebel gains against an ill-equipped her baskets full of condiments before her. army, Bozize’s appeals for help from former colo- “Cassava has become more expensive, everything nial power France and from the United States costs more,” she said, referring to the country’s staple food. have fallen on deaf ears.

A bag of cassava has risen nearly 50 percent Neighbouring Chad, which has helped Bozize with rebellions in 2010, has sent a contingent to from 13,000 CFA francs to 18,000 FCFA ($26 to the country, however. In Bangui, food prices have $32). “We need peace so we can work and get by,” soared, further spiking tensions and uncertainty. said elderly vendor Jean Guere, trying to sell the Residents feared a rebel advance on the city flour sifters he makes himself. The United Nations would make a deteriorating situation even worse. has demanded rebels halt their assault, and urged “I’m afraid of the rebels coming,” said vegetable Bozize’s government to ensure the safety of civilvendor Euphrasie Ngotanga in the city’s huge ians. — AFP

At least 15 killed in sect attack in north Nigeria MAIDUGURI, Nigeria: Gunmen suspected to belong to a radical Islamist sect attacked a village in northeast Nigeria, tying up men, women and children before slitting their throats, killing at least 15 in the troubled region’s latest attack, witnesses said yesterday.

The assault happened early Friday morning in the village of Musari on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the city where the sect known as Boko Haram first launched its guerrilla campaign of shootings and car bombings against Nigeria’s weak central government. The gunmen shouted religious slogans and later ordered those there to be gathered up into a group, said Mshelia Inusa, a primary school teacher in the village.

“We heard some people chanting, ‘God is great, God is great’ amid sounds of banging on doors of houses at about 1 a.m.,” the teacher said. “A voice was heard ordering people to be slaughtered and also voices of children were heard screaming.” Inusa said he and others later saw corpses with their hands tied behind their backs and their throats cut.

Later Friday morning, an ambulance arrived at the State Specialists Hospital in Maiduguri, accompanied by a group of military vehicles, a security guard said. Agitated soldiers ordered people away, but the guard said he counted at

least 15 bodies being brought into the facility’s morgue. The guard spoke on condition of anonymity out of fears of angering either the military or the sect.

Lt Col Sagir Musa, a military spokesman, later issued a statement saying only five people had been killed in the village during the attack. However, military and police officials routinely downplay casualty figures because they are under increasing pressure from their superiors to minimize the perceived effects of the ongoing attacks by Boko Haram.

Boko Haram, which speaks to journalists through conference calls at times of its choosing, could not be immediately reached for comment yesterday. However, the attack mirrored other assaults carried out by the group as it expands its operations outside of cities in the northeast into rural towns and villages, where the security presence remains light and contact with the outside world remains difficult as the sect has destroyed a number of mobile phone towers recently.

The sect, whose name means “Western education is sacrilege” in the Hausa language of Nigeria’s Muslim north, wants the nation to enact strict Shariah law and release its imprisoned members. Despite a heavy military and police presence, the sect’s adherents have

continued to launch frequent attacks. More than 780 people have been killed in Boko Haram attacks so far this year, according to an Associated Press count, making 2012 the worst year of violence attributed to the group.

Boko Haram also has loose connections with al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and Somalia’s al-Shabab, according to Western military officials and diplomats.

Suspected Boko Haram gunmen also attacked another village Friday in Adamawa state on its border with neighboring Cameroon. Witnesses said that attack focused on the town of Maiha, where gunmen also shouted praises to God while setting fire to government buildings, a school and a prison.

At least 35 prisoners were released from the prison in the attack, though 11 had been recaptured, police spokesman Mohammed Ibrahim said yesterday.

Ibrahim said a civilian and a police officer were killed during the fighting. And violence continued around the central Nigerian city of Jos, where ethnic, religious and political rivalries have caused mass killings in recent years.

Authorities said at least seven had been killed in recent days around Christian villages in the rural plateau. Police said they were investigating the attacks. — AP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

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

US mentally ill, families face barriers to care NEW YORK: Lori, a 39-year-old mother in New Jersey, would like to save for the usual things: college, retirement, vacations. But those goals are far down her wish list. For now, she and her husband are putting aside money for a home alarm system. They’re not worried about keeping burglars out. They need to keep their son in. Mike, 7, began seeing a psychiatrist in 2009, after one preschool kicked him out for being “difficult” and teachers at the public school he later attended were worried about his obsessive thoughts and extreme anxiety. He was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

As she keeps trying to get help for him, “I am learning firsthand how broken the system is when dealing with mental illness,” said Lori. (Surnames of patients and their families have been withheld to protect their privacy.) “We fight with doctors, our insurance company, educators, each other; the list goes on and on ... It isn’t even a system.

It’s not like there’s a call center to help you figure out what to do and how to get help.”

Last week, the National Rifle Association blamed mass shootings such as that at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on the lack of a “national database of the mentally ill,” who, it claimed, are especially prone to violence. Dr Paul Appelbaum, professor of psychiatry, medicine and law at Columbia University, disagrees, however. “Gun violence is overwhelmingly not about

mental illness,” he said. “The best estimate is that about 95 percent of gun violence is committed by people who do not have a diagnosis of mental illness.”

But experts on mental illness agree with one implication of the NRA’s argument: families trying to get help for a loved one with mental illness confront a confusing, dysfunctional system that lacks the capacity to help everyone who needs it - and that shunts many of the mentally ill into the criminal justice system instead of the healthcare system. “Public mental health services have eroded everywhere, and in some places don’t exist at all,” said Richard Bonnie, professor of law and medicine at the University of Virginia. “Improving access to mental health services would reduce the distress and social costs of serious mental illness, including violent behavior.”

Because mental health care is in such short supply, emergency cases receive priority. If a young man has a psychotic break and threatens his mother with a knife, “you can call the police and initiate an emergency evaluation,” said Bonnie. A psychiatrist called to the local emergency room may agree that the man is an imminent threat to himself or others, or cannot provide for his basic needs - the criteria for involuntary commitment in most states. Anything short of that and even someone with a diagnosis of severe mental illness cannot be involuntarily committed. Critics argue that this

emphasis on civil liberties lets dangerous people roam the streets, and cite numerous cases where it has been fatal.

In October, for instance, a Tacoma, Washington, man who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was in and out of mental hospitals for years confessed to killing his father with a hatchet. One lesson of such tragedies, experts say, is that psychiatrists’ ability to predict who will be violent “is better than chance, but not much better,” said Dr Marvin Swartz, professor of psychiatry at Duke University.

Another is that the shortage of inpatient treatment has led everyone from judges to mental health professionals to look for any excuse to avoid committing someone involuntarily.

There is often no place to put them, and admitting one patient means discharging another who might be equally ill. “Getting people into hospitals is extremely difficult because of the shortage of beds,” said Columbia University’s Appelbaum. The shortage extends to out-patient services, too, largely as a result of continuing budget cuts. Since 2009, states have cut more than $1.6 billion from such spending, found a 2011 report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a nonprofit education and advocacy group. The result is “significant reductions in both hospital and community services,” it said.

Connecticut, where Newtown is, is an exception. Its mental health budget rose from $676 million in 2009 to $715 million in 2012. More typical are Illinois

US Senate approves $60.4bn Sandy bill Passage could hinge on success of ‘fiscal cliff’ deal WASHINGTON: The US Senate on Friday approved a $60.4 billion aid package to pay for reconstruction costs from Superstorm Sandy, which ravaged mid-Atlantic and northeastern states, after defeating Republican efforts to trim the bill’s cost. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urged the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to quickly take up the bill, which includes $12 billion to repair and strengthen the region’s transportation system against future storms. “There is no time to waste,” Reid said.

Both chambers have to agreed on a package by Jan 2, when the current term of Congress is expected to end, or restart the process of crafting legislation in 2013. The Senate approved the bill 62-32, with most Republicans voting no. “We beat back all of the crippling amendments,” said Senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, which suffered the largest monetary damage in the storm. “The century-old tradition of different parts of the country rallying to help those who are beleaguered because of difficult natural disasters continues,” Schumer said.

The bill’s chances in the next few days could depend on whether President Barack Obama and congressional leaders reach a deal to avert the “fiscal cliff” of tax increases and spending cuts set to begin taking effect in the new year. House Republican leaders have not yet decided whether to take up the Senate bill, a Republican aide said.

The bill also provides $17 billion in Community Development Block Grants to help rebuild homes, schools, hospitals and other buildings destroyed by the late October storm, help small businesses and improve the power infrastructure.

Senate Republicans complained the $60.4 billion reconstruction package requested by Obama is more than the annual budgets for the departments of Interior, Labor, Treasury and Transportation combined.

Senator Dan Coats, an Indiana

WASHINGTON: New York Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand brief the media on a bipartisan Hurricane Sandy relief bill Friday on Capitol Hill. — AFP Republican, offered an alternative that would have provided $23.8 billion in funding to help victims of the storm through the end of March and give Congress time to determine additional needs. “Let me just say, we simply are allowing three months for the Congress of the United States, the representatives of the taxpayers’ dollars, to assess, document and justify additional expenditures that go beyond emergency needs,” Coats said just before his amendment was defeated.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers, a Republican from Kentucky, would still prefer to pass a stop-gap bill to meet immediate needs and wait to do another package after better estimates come in, a committee aide said. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated about $8.97 billion of the Senate bill would be spent in 2013, with another $12.66 billion spent in 2014 and $11.59 billion spent in 2015.

The Senate bill is considerably less than the $82 billion in aid requested

by New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the states that bore the brunt of damage from the storm.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican, was in Washington this month, lobbying lawmakers for the larger amount. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund now has less than $5 billion available. The damage to New York and New Jersey coastal areas was on a scale not seen since Hurricane Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast and flooded New Orleans in 2005. Two weeks after that storm hit, Congress approved $62.3 billion in emergency appropriations.

Lawmakers passed numerous subsequent emergency funding requests over several years to cover damages from Katrina, which topped $100 billion. A number of Gulf State Republicans supported the Sandy relief bill. Republicans were successful in requiring offsetting spending cuts for $3.4 billion in mitigation work to prevent future disasters. Some Democrats said this would set a precedent for future disaster aid bills. — Reuters

Australia tourists found in Bolivia LA PAZ: Five Australian tourists who got lost in the Salar de Uyuni salt flat were found Friday, but their local guide is still missing, Bolivian police said.

“We have found the van with the five tourists unharmed, but the driver is missing” after going to look for help, Potosi department tourism chief Francisco Quisberth told reporters.

The tourists, between 21 and 31 years of age, went missing after leaving the nearby southern city of Tupiza on Thursday, Potosi police commander Colonel Denis Duchen said earlier.

There are no roads in the Salar, the world’s largest salt flat.

It is located near the crest of the Andes, some 3,650 m above sea level, and spread across a desolate expanse of 12,000 sq km.

Visitors usually navigate their way around the treacherous landscape by relying on tracks left by previous vehicles, but these can be washed out by heavy rain. — AFP

(a reduction in spending on mental health of $187 million in that period), Ohio (down $26 million) and Massachusetts (down $55.6 million).

“There’s a waiting list for our program (in Boston) and it’s hard to get in,” said psychiatrist and NAMI medical director Ken Duckworth, who treats mentally ill patients. There is room in his program for 60 people. The waiting list has 20, he said, “and they’re all psychotic.” It wasn’t supposed to be this way. The Community Mental Health Center Act, passed in 1963, called for federal funding of outpatient psychiatric facilities in towns and cities “so people would at least know where to start” when they or a family member needed a mental health evaluation or treatment, said Appelbaum. “It was supposed to be a single point of entry.” But only about 650 of the 1,500 centers were built, and federal funding for staffing tailed off after four years when Congress did not appropriate more.

As a result, of the estimated 45.9 million US adults 18 or older who had mental illness in 2010, some 11 million had “an unmet need for mental health care,” estimates the Alliance for Health Reform, a nonprofit advocacy group.

One of those 11 million is Joseph. Even though he became violent, tried to jump out of a moving car, hit his wife and threatened to burn down their house, it was not enough to keep him in the psychiatric unit of their local New Jersey hospital. He “cycled through the system,” said his daughter. He went to

the local emergency room five times, was arrested four times, went to the psychiatric unit three times, and spent 25 nonconsecutive days in a psychiatric hospital - all in three months in 2010.

Joseph’s psychiatrist and family believed he should be in a state mental hospital, but his doctor did not show up to testify at a commitment hearing and the main evidence presented was a threatening letter Joseph had written to his wife. He was not deemed a danger to himself or others, and was released. He did, however, cycle between jail and the psychiatric ward, making him one of many cases that “wind up in the criminal justice system instead of the healthcare system,” said the University of Virginia’s Bonnie.

“Families watch their loved one unravel and can’t get assistance, and then they get ensnared in the criminal justice system and can’t get them out.”

The difficulty getting outpatient care for the mentally ill is particularly widespread because most psychiatric hospitals were closed during the “de-institutionalization” of the 1960s and 1970s, an effort to provide more humane care than in the sometimes nightmarish wards. One facility that closed was Fairfield Hills State Hospital, which opened in 1933, housed just over 4,000 mentally ill, long-term patients at its peak in the 1960s, and closed in 1995.

It was located in Newtown. “It’s a metaphor for what we’ve done about mental health treatment in this country,” said Duckworth. — Reuters

Chavez ‘fighting’ for health CARACAS: Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced Friday that he will lead a government delegation to Cuba to visit President Hugo Chavez who was recovering in Havana following his Dec 11 cancer surgery. In the announcement, Maduro did not specify how long the group would stay in Havana. But he said Electricity Minister Hector Navarro would assume the vice presidency during his absence. Maduro also read a message from Chavez, in which the ailing president said he was “fighting for his health” in Cuba as he recovers from the surgery.

“During this Christmas season... I have had to fight for my health again, in order to continue devoting myself completely for the happiness of Venezuela,” Chavez said in the message read by Maduro.

According to the vice president, Chavez thanked the “commitment and loyalty” of his supporters “in this very difficult time”. Chavez, 58, the face of the Latin American left for more than a decade and a firebrand critic of US “imperialism”, has been in power since 1999. He won another six-year term in October’s presidential election, and is scheduled to be sworn in on January 10, but his health has raised concerns over the future of his leftist movement-and whether he will even be well enough to attend the inauguration.

On Monday, the government said there had been a “slight improvement” in his condition as he recovers from a post-operative respiratory infection.

Officials have never disclosed the type or severity of Chavez’s cancer, which was first diagnosed in June 2011, and he only designated a political successor -

HAVANA: Venezuelan Vice-President Nicolas Maduro (center) and Attorney General Cilia Flores are met at the airport by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez upon their arrival yesterday to visit ailing President Hugo Chavez who is recovering in the Cuban capital. — AFP Maduro - earlier this month. The Venezuelan leader had, in fact, asserted before embarking on his arduous re-election campaign earlier this year that he was cancer-free. But he was later forced to admit he had suffered a relapse. — AFP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

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

Would-be adoptive parents look beyond Russia NEW YORK: Russia’s new ban on US adoptions is the latest setback for hopeful American parents as countries increasingly impose restrictions. Other countries, including China and Guatemala, have erected hurdles for adoptive families as they create their own domestic adoption programs. The signing of the Hague Convention on adoption in 2008 drastically improved regulation of the process, which had been rife with corruption. But it has also led to a slowdown in adoptions or shutdowns in some countries. Internal politics and abuse concerns are additional reasons why countries have tightened controls.

In 2004, US citizens adopted 22,991 children who had been born abroad, an all-time high, according to Adoptive Families magazine. By 2011, that number had fallen to 9,319. There are still other options for Americans wanting to adopt an international child. Bulgaria, Colombia and many African nations are some of the new, go-to countries for US adoptions.

But even that’s not a sure thing. For would-be adoptive parents the best bet is to widen their search to include special needs kids, sibling groups and older children. Africa, which represented 22 percent of adoptions in 2009, is expected to be a bigger player in the future. “A decade ago, there were very few adoptions (in Africa),” according to Susan Soonkeum Cox, vice president policy and external affairs at Holt International, a Christian adoption

organization. “Now, there’s an explosion.” African countries seeing an increase in adoptions include South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya and Ivory Coast.

Adoptions in Ethiopia, meanwhile, have declined from a peak of 2,511 in 2010 as the country overhauled its oversight process. But it is still a viable option, Cox said.

Cox advises working with an adoption agency that has staff on the ground in Africa and other countries to handle paperwork and advocate for US families. Other countries that still welcome American adoptions include Bulgaria and Colombia, said Megan Montgomery, international adoption coordinator for Adoption Star, based in Amherst, New York. Adoption Star primarily deals with adoptions from Bulgaria, a country that has gone from five placements in 2008 to 75 adoptions in 2011. Placements from Vietnam and Cambodia, which shuttered their US adoption programs, should resume soon, adoption experts say. Adoptions of Russian children peaked in 2004, according to Dale Eldridge, coordinator of adoptive services at Jewish Family Services’ Adoption Choices, a non-profit adoption program based in Framingham, Massachusetts. Right now, fewer than 50 US adoptions of Russian children are formally in the works while another 250 US families have identified kids they would like to adopt, adoption experts said.

Unfortunately, families that already

have started an adoption in Russia can’t just flip a switch and redirect their efforts to another country. “I wish it was as simple as taking some families who have been waiting (for Russian children) to just move over to another country,” said David Nish, chief program officer at Spence-Chapin, a US-based adoption agency that finds homes for children in the United States and around the world. “But it’s a whole other process.”

That’s because every country has its own eligibility requirements. Criteria can include parents’ marital status, age of the parents, employment, financial status, medical issues, and even the age difference between the adoptive parents and adoptee child.

The adoption process remains restrictive for single-sex couples. And the cost can be prohibitive. For example, the median fee in 2011 was $8,000 for the Dominican Republic, $15,355 in Panama and $26,063 in South Africa, according to the US State Department’s Intercountry Adoption Annual Report.

Adoption fees for many of the 30-plus countries on the State Department’s list are in the range of $20,000. That’s not including travel costs. Even so, international adoptions are often cheaper than domestic ones for newborn babies, which can cost $40,000 or more.

To speed up the process, would-be adoptive parents should consider a school-age child, experts say.

According to the State Department, 233,934 international adoptions were

made by Americans from 1999 to 2011.

Nearly 94,000 of those adoptions involved children under the age of one.

Just about 20,000 children aged three or four were adopted during that period. And for kids aged 5 to 12, it was 29,712. The benefit of adopting a school-age child is that it is easier to identify developmental and emotional problems ahead of time. “There’s more you can do to prepare and put resources in place to support what they need,” Spence-Chapin’s Nish said.

School-aged children can be challenging if pre-adoptive experiences affect their development, he said. A special needs child is also a possibility.

One way to fast-track an international adoption may be to apply for a child with known medical or special needs, said Adoption Star’s Montgomery. “For families with resources, it can be great option,” Montgomery said. “Of course, you really have to find the right family to take on that kind of known medical need.” Special needs can range from a baby born with a minor medical problem, such as a cleft palate, to more serious issues, such as a heart condition, blindness or spina bifida. “It’s not about families getting a child quicker,” Nish said. “It’s about a family accepting a child into their household that they can provide for and love and nurture.”

China’s Waiting Child program, which includes children who have special needs or correctable medical conditions or are part of sibling groups, has wait times that are typically much

shorter than the traditional program, according to Adoptive Families magazine. In 2011, more than half of adoptions from China were through this program. Would-be parents must be prepared to wait.

The Associated Ser vices for International Adoption, a non-profit adoption group, says the wait time for an adoption referral in China is 73 months as the country has clamped down on US adoptions. “If the wait time is becoming impractical, it’s better to close the intake process” and start again, advised Holt’s Cox. Tracy Downey and her husband, Jason, who live in suburban Des Moines, Iowa, tried to go the traditional international Chinese adoption route in 2006. But after waiting for 18 months to bring home a baby from China, Tracy switched gears and started combing the official Chinese list of children with special needs along with additional lists from adoption agencies and orphanages. The Downeys have since adopted a daughter, Angel, along with two sons - Corban and Tegan - from China, all with large, potentially disfiguring moles known as a giant congenital nevi. They started the process to bring home the two boys, now aged 3-1/2, last January.

It took about 10 months. Aside from their large moles - which are on two of the children’s faces and on the other’s lower body - all three kids are healthy and thriving, Tracy said. “If we wanted a non-special needs child, we’d still be waiting,” Tracy said. — Reuters

Shock for US parents adopting Russian kids Americans have adopted 45,000 children since 1999

MILAN: Former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi arrives at Milan’s central train station yesterday. — AP

Vatican backs Monti, the anti-Berlusconi VATICAN CITY: The Vatican has thrown its weight behind outgoing prime minister Mario Monti, ditching the scandalhit Silvio Berlusconi in favour of a practising Catholic they hope may lead Italy after February’s general election. The Vatican’s Osservatore Romano newspaper this week said Monti’s appeal for compatriots to “rise up” and commit to renewal of national politics was “a call to rediscover the more noble meaning of politics”. The Roman Catholic Church, an influential political player in Italy, once supported Berlusconi but took steps to distance itself from the media magnate last year amid a series of highprofile sex scandals.

Monti’s use of the term “ascent into politics” - a barbed reference to Berlusconi’s oft-quoted phrase in which he announced his “descent” into the political fray in 1994 - captured the appeal he holds for a Church which has tired of the aged media magnate.

“Berlusconi’s governments have been characterised by a level of inaction,” Avvenire, the newspaper of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, said Friday in reference to the three-time premier, who is once again running for the top job in Feb 24-25 elections.

Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, head of the Italian Church, weighed into the election campaign fray on December 10, warning against letting Monti’s reforms - which pulled Italy away from the debt crisis brink - go to waste. “We can’t allow a year of sacrifices to be ruined. What is stunning is the irresponsibility of those who think of their own interests while the house is still burning,” he said. The Church supported Berlusconi for almost two decades despite tales of parties with young starlets and allegations of orgies - because he promised to block attempts to push through new laws on key topics, such as gay marriage.

But the scandal involving “Ruby the Heart Stealer”, a Moroccan pole dancer Berlusconi is accused of paying for sex in the latest trial against him, strained

the relationship to breaking point and the Church publicly distanced itself.

“Since last year, the Church has been looking for an alternative to Berlusconi,” said Vatican expert Marco Politi. When Monti announced last weekend that he is ready to stay on as premier in a move that could destroy Berlusconi politically, it seemed to have found its man. As an Italian senator for life, the former premier cannot himself run for office, but is in a position to be renamed prime minister if a party or coalition that he supports wins the vote on Feb 24-25.

Monti may be a church-goer who has met the pope seven times since taking power last year, but he believes strongly in the division of state and Church and observers say his aim is not to launch a new version of the Christian Democratic (DC) party, which ruled Italy for 45 years. “Monti is not a Catholic in politics. The Vatican supports him because he is serious. They place their trust in the man, and in his work, in what is a very difficult current situation,” Vatican expert for La Stampa daily, Marco Tosatti, told AFP. According to religious watcher Paolo Rodari, who writes for the right-wing Il Giornale newspaper, the Vatican has switched its alliance to the former eurocrat because “Monti has never betrayed the nonnegotiable values dear to the pope”.

It is still unclear as to how far a Monti-backed coalition could go in the race between the centre -left Democratic Party (PD) - currently tipped to win - and Berlusconi’s centreright People of Freedom party. A poll this week gave Monti between 19 and 21 percent as the head of a “new centre” - with around half of the votes coming from disaffected Berlusconi supporters. What should not to be forgotten, Politi says, is that the Vatican supports Monti not only as an antiBerlusconi figure, but also “because it fears a victory for the centre-left PD,” which may refuse to make a pact with the Church and overhaul laws safeguarding key Catholic morals. — AFP

ATLANTA: For months, life for Ann and Kurt Suhs has been a whirlwind of assembling documents, getting fingerprinted and scheduling evaluations of their Atlanta-area home in preparation for welcoming a Russian child into their family for a second time. Now, the couple - who adopted their son Ben, now 7, from Russia at age 13 months - say they were blindsided by news that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Friday banning Americans from adopting Russian children effective next Tuesday. “It’s hard to think that it would all stop, that it would all just come to such a screeching halt,” Ann Suhs said. “We haven’t talked about a Plan B. We hope and we pray.”

She and her husband are among some 1,500 US families who are in the process of adopting a child from Russia, according to an estimate from the Alexandria, Virginia-based National Council For Adoption. Some of those families had just started paperwork, while others had already been matched with a child and, in some cases, had the chance to meet the boy or girl. The Russian measure was passed in retaliation for a US human rights law - approved this month as part of a trade bill and signed by President Barack Obama that bars entry to Russians accused of involvement in the death in custody of anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky and other alleged rights abuses.

Putin has defended the Russian law by saying his country should care for its own children. But critics including child rights advocates say it is an unfair move that uses orphans as pawns in an unrelated dispute. Ann and Kurt Suhs, who were waiting to be matched with a child, had been frantically checking every morning for news about the Russian proposal moving through the legislative process.

They had chosen Russia in part because Kurt Suhs’ grandmother grew up there. On a recent day, “I looked at Kurt and said, ‘Do we know what we’re going to do if this goes through?’” Ann Suhs said. “We can’t put our heads around it to say, ‘OK, we give up on this dream.’” A November agreement between

MOSCOW: Children play before a performance to mark the upcoming New Year’s holiday on Friday.

Every year hundreds of thousands of children visit New Year shows which are performed through all New Year holidays. —AFP Russia and the United States calls for a one-year transition period in the case of either country banning adoptions, said Lauren Koch, a spokeswoman for the National Council For Adoption. “All we can hope for now is that President Putin will honor the terms of that agreement and at least, at a very minimum, allow those families who have been matched with a child to bring him/her home,” Koch said in an email. But Russia is withdrawing from that agreement under the law Putin signed, and there was no indication any American adoptions now under way would go through other than six that Russian officials said have been approved by Russian courts.

Americans have adopted more than 45,000 Russian children since 1999, including 962 last year. More than 650,000 children are considered orphans in Russia - though some were rejected by their parents or taken from dysfunctional homes. Of those, 110,000 lived in state institutions in 2011, according to government figures. Many American families are now in limbo. “Once you’ve

met that child, that’s your child, and that child is in your mind, he or she is in your heart, there are pictures on your refrigerator,” said Frank Garrott, president of Gladney Center for Adoption, a Fort Worth, Texas-based adoption agency working with about 25 families now in the process of adopting a child from Russia.

In Oakland, California, the news from Russia has Lease Wong holding her little girl especially tightly. She and her husband, Marty, arrived home from Russia about a month ago with their newly adopted daughter, Brianna, who is now 23 months old. “I think she knows she has a family,” said Lease Wong, who owns a toy store.

“I have to think of all those other children. They’re losing their opportunity for a family.” As Wong spoke, the girl chattered away in the background. Those are sounds that Kim and Robert Summers are desperate to hear. They traveled to Russia in August to meet the boy who they call Preston - he’s known as Stanislav in Russia - then returned to Russia earlier this month to continue the

adoption process. They had expected to go back to Russia in January to bring the boy home to New Jersey.

At their home in New Jersey, a stroller for the red-headed 21month-old sits in the dining room and his crib is already partially assembled. The Summers’ two-year adoption journey followed eight years of infertility struggles, three miscarriages and four unsuccessful attempts at in vitro fertilization. After soul-searching and prayers, they turned to international adoption, and the match with the boy was approved at a December court hearing, they said. Kim Summers, a chef who has no other children, said she quit her job to become a stay-athome mother to Preston. When they left Russia in December, they were so sure they would be back the next month that they left their diaper bag with a family there. On Friday, Kim Summers expressed shock, outrage and a determination to bring her son home in January as planned. “I promised this baby I was going to be his mommy,” she said. “I’m a mommy on a mission.” —Reuters

Kalashnikov leaves hospital MOSCOW: Russia’s legendary rifle-designer M ik hail K alashnikov checked out of hospital yesterday after spending nearly a week in an intensive care unit with swelling and general fatigue. The 93-yearold father of the AK-47 had been under the care of doctors in the central Russian city of Izhevsk - home to the tsarist-era plant that makes Russia’s most famous weapon. “He checked out today at 1:00 pm,” Inter fax quoted the centre’s chief doctor Sergei Ryashchikov as saying. “I just spoke to him - he is quite sprightly.

His eyes are shining bright.”

Ryashchikov said Kalashnikov underwent a scheduled checkup but his aide had earlier said that he had been suffering from what appeared to be the side effec ts of a lingering hear t condition.

Kalashnikov designed his famous rifles staples of armies across the world for the past half century - at Izhevsk’s Izmash factory and lives in the region to this day.

The 205-year- old plant remains one of the main producers of Russian weapons and is treasured as a national icon. But Izmash has also suffered from dwindling demand and a failure to make up for this with foreign orders - a problem plaguing many specialised post-Soviet industries.

Popular legend states that Kalashnikov began designing weapons after having t ro u b l e w i t h t h e r i f l e s t h e S ov i e t R e d Army was using during World War II. He is the 17th child of a family that lived in a tiny village high in the Altai Mountains n e a r R u s s i a’s r e m o t e b o r d e r w i t h Mongolia. — AFP

Mikhail Kalashnikov

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

international

The gang-rape on a bus that sickened India NEW DELHI: After spending her evening watching “Life of Pi” in a New Delhi mall, the 23-year-old student and her male companion were looking for a quick lift home when a bus with tinted windows pulled over. The pair were then subjected to a catalogue of violence and sexual depravity which has evoked comparisons with Anthony Burgess’s novel “A Clockwork Orange” and brought simmering anger over the plight of women to the boil across India.

The Indian news channel NDTV greeted news of her death in the early hours of yesterday in a Singapore hospital with the banner headline “RIP: India’s Daughter”, in a reflection of how her plight had moved the nation.

Ever since she was attacked on the night of Dec 16, the country’s leaders have lined up to offer their prayers and condemn the attack as well as paying for her treatment in Singapore. Although the identity of the young woman has not yet been released, reports have

said she was a medical student who hailed from a rural area of Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state which borders the capital New Delhi. Her parents, who had travelled to Singapore after she was flown out by air ambulance on Wednesday night, are said to have sold their small piece of land in order to fund their daughter’s education, often limiting their own meals to little more than rotis with namak (bread with salt), according to NDTV. “These are simple, rustic people, who have never dreamt of boarding an aircraft, much less travel to a foreign country in an air ambulance,” a source at the hospital told Singapore’s Straits Times after meeting her relatives. Before flying out to Singapore, the woman had managed to give an interview to police at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital about the events on the night of her attack.

Police and prosecutors have outlined how six men picked the pair up outside the mall in a

school bus which they had taken for a joyride after drinking heavily.

Even before they stopped outside

contents of his wallet. After getting into an argument with the woman’s male companion, the

LUCKNOW: Indian protestors hold a placard as they take part in a rally in front of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi yesterday after the death of a gang rape victim from New Delhi. —AFP the mall, they had allegedly picked up another passenger and then forced him to hand over the

group are then alleged to have lashed out at the pair before taking turns to rape the woman in

the back of the bus while driving around Delhi for some 45 minutes.

They also sexually assaulted the woman with a rusting metal bar, leaving her with severe intestinal injuries, before hurling her out of the vehicle. The bus would have had to cross numerous police checkpoints at that time of night but at no stage was the vehicle pulled over by officers. After news of the attack emerged, small-scale protests quickly swelled and were then repeated across the country - fuelled in part by anger at the police’s use of teargas and water cannon.

The Indian government has set up a commission of inquiry to investigate what mistakes were made on the night of the attack and in its aftermath. But in an address to chief ministers from the country’s states who gathered in New Delhi on Thursday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh acknowledged that it was far from an isolated event. “We must reflect on this problem, which

occurs in all states and regions. It requires greater attention by the central government and states,” he said.

Gang-rapes happen on such a regular basis that they are rarely reported in the Indian press although the attack in Delhi has led papers to shine a rare spotlight on such attacks. On Thursday night, it emerged that a 17-yearold girl had committed suicide after police allegedly tried to persuade her to drop a complaint of gang-rape and instead either accept a cash settlement or even marry one of her attackers. After quoting from the infamous gangrape scene in Burgess’s novel, a columnist for The Hindu wrote last week that “few Indians will need a dictionary of the teenage slang Burgess invented to grasp the horror of this passage”. “For progress to be made, we must begin by acknowledging this one fact: the problem isn’t the police, the courts or the government. The problem is us,” wrote Praveen Swami. —AFP

Gang-rape victim tragedy ‘a tipping point’ for India Rape reported every 18 hours in New Delhi

GUJRANWALA, Pakistan: A Pakistani nurse looks over patients who consumed toxic cough syrup are treated in a ward of a hospital yesterday. —AFP

Toxic cough syrup kills 33 in Pakistan LAHORE: Authorities are investigating cough syrup believed to have killed 33 people in eastern Pakistan in the past three days, a government official said yesterday, the second time in recent months that suspect medicine is thought to have caused multiple deaths. The deaths from the cough syrup occurred in Gujranwala and villages surrounding the city, said Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, the top administrative official in Gujranwala. Another 54 people are being treated at hospitals in the city who are also believed to have consumed the syrup. Those involved are thought to be laborers or drug addicts who drank the syrup to get high, said Shaheen.

Chemical samples collected from the victims’ stomachs contained dextromethorphan, a synthetic morphine derivative used in cough syrup that can have mind-altering effects if consumed in large quantities, said Shaheen. It is being investigated whether the people affected by the syrup in Gujranwala drank too much of it, or whether there was a problem with the medicine itself, he said.

Local hospital chief doctor Anwar Aman said some 54 patients were earlier brought to hospital who said their condi-

tion deteriorated after taking cough syrups. The victims were between 20 and 40 years old and a majority had a history of drug addiction, Aman said, adding that so far the culprit syrup has not been identified. Senior police official Azam Mehr said samples of cough syrups available at local pharmacies have been collected and sent to laboratories. “Police and health department have started inquiries and investigations into the deaths,” he added.

Twenty-three people died in the nearby city of Lahore in November after drinking bad cough syrup sold under the brand name Tyno. They were also described at the time as people who consumed the drug to get high. Shaheen said the cough syrup involved in the incidents in and around Gujranwala was not sold under a single brand. He said there were some people in the city involved in the business of making cough syrup specifically to sell to drug addicts, and officials were trying to arrest the culprits. Officials temporarily closed one Lahore-based pharmaceutical company whose cough syrup was found in the possession of some of those affected in Gujranwala and were investigating whether it caused any of the deaths, said Shaheen. —Agencies

NEW DELHI: They may never know her name, but the protesters were determined that the gangrape victim would serve as a “tipping point” in the battle to end a culture of violence against women in India. “The rape of this girl and the trauma she experienced is not new and this has happened in the past,” said Anjali Raval, a housewife who took part in a rally in the centre of the Indian capital yesterday.

“But this case has acted like a pressure cooker blast effect,” added the 35-year-old. “It is high time we woke up and fought for women’s safety.”

While police turned much of downtown Delhi into a no-go area yesterday in the aftermath of the young student’s death in Singapore, authorities did allow a small protest to take place in Jantar Mantar, a traditional rallying point. Women and men took part in the show of solidarity for the unnamed woman whose ordeal on a bus at the hands of a gang of rapists two weekends ago triggered an outpouring of pent-up anger and despair.

New Delhi has been dubbed the “rape capital” of India, with a rape reported on average every 18 hours, according to police figures.

Gang-rapes are so frequent that they are barely mentioned in the newspapers while victims are often deterred from reporting attacks for fear of shaming their families or that they will receive the brush-off from police. But Bela Rana, a Delhi-based lawyer, said that the wave of protests that followed the assault on Dec 16 represented a sea change and that women were no longer prepared to suffer in silence. “Yes we are aware that this is not the first case,

nor will it be the last case of gangrape in India, but it is clear that we will not tolerate sex crimes anymore,” said Rana.

Although the victim has not been named, she is known to have

country whose rapes and deaths are a footnote in the left-hand column of the newspaper,” she wrote.

“Sometimes, an atrocity bites so deep that we have no armour against it, and that was what hap-

deep-rooted hatred of women had to be eradicated. “Yes, the woman has died but her story will always be remembered as many Indians are now willing to fight against misogyny,” he said. Kamath added

SINGAPORE: The body of the dead Indian gang-rape victim wrapped in white shroud arrives at a funeral parlour for embalmment yesterday before being flown back to India. —AFP been a medical student who had spent the evening watching ‘The Life of Pi’ at a mall in southern Delhi before she was picked up by the six rapists who would later kill her. In a blog widely circulated on social media yesterday, the author Nilanjana Roy said the tragedy had touched so many people as she was “one just like us”. “The one whose battered body stood for all the anonymous women in this

pened with the 23-year-old medical student, the one who left a cinema hall and boarded the wrong bus, whose intestines were so badly damaged that the injuries listed on the FIR (medical) report made hardened doctors, and then the capital city, cry for her pain.”

Aakar Kamath, a college professor who was among the men at the protest, said it was high time a

her death should not be treated as the end of a chapter but rather as a “tipping point” in the struggle to ensure that women can exercise their “right to live without fear”.

Issues such as rape, dowry-related deaths and female infanticide have rarely entered mainstream political discourse but the deadly attack has put gender issues centre stage in Indian politics. “Better late than never,” said Rana. —AFP

British girl missing in Pakistan comes home LONDON: A six-year-old girl flew back to Britain for an emotional reunion with her mother on Friday more than three years after she was abducted by her father and taken to Pakistan. Atiya Anjum-Wilkinson disappeared in Nov 2009 after going to stay with her father, Raz wan Ali Anjum. The former insurance salesman told the girl’s mother, Gemma Wilkinson, that he was taking Atiya to Southport in northwest England but instead took her to the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore. He told his former partner that she was “never going to see Atiya again”. The girl flew back to Manchester Airport in northwest England on Friday after Pakistani authorities found her following an appeal by a British member of the European parliament.

Speaking shortly after her arrival her mother broke down in tears and told repor ters she was “overwhelmed” to see her daughter again after three years. “I am just absolutely overwhelmed at seeing Atiya now and giving her a cuddle and a massive kiss. I am just absolutely overwhelmed,” she said. Wilkinson said Atiya “looks exactly the same as she did three years ago, she is just taller and a bit older.” “We have gone from not knowing where Atiya is to finding out that we do know where Atiya is, to receiving pictures of Atiya and

how she looks now, to Atiya coming here and Atiya actually being here.

It’s just been an absolute whirlwind.”

Anjum is currently ser ving a prison sentence in Britain for refusing to reveal his daughter’s whereabouts despite a court order. Just last month

Gemma Wilkinson her 32-year-old mother launched a fresh appeal for information about her daughter, and it emerged that she discovered her daughter had been found on Christmas Day. Sajjad K arim, a British member of the European parliament, said he had used his contacts with the Pakistani authorities to persuade them to help

and also spoke to the Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar when she visited the parliament recently. He said Pakistani authorities had been “completely unaware” of the child’s presence in the country until they were alerted.

Anjum, who is in his late 20s, was given a fourth consecutive jail term by a High Court judge in April after he refused to reveal where his daughter was. He indicated that Atiya was in Pakistan or Iran but said he did not know her exact whereabouts, a claim which the judge in the case said was “absurd”. Another judge has previously said the case was “as bad a case of child abduction as I have encountered”.

It is thought Atiya was found after police issued a computer-generated image of what Atiya would look like now - a day before her sixth birthday in November. Her mother said on Friday she had had some fears that Atiya would be unsettled by her return to Britain but was relieved to find that she was “absolutely fine”.

“She is trying to communicate and she is playing with the things that we have bought for her. She’s settled,” she said. Describing the moment they were reunited, Wilkinson said: “She had a big smile on her face.

Atiya was told that I was mummy and she said ‘Mummy’ and smiled.” —AFP

KARACHI: Pakistani volunteers help a critically injured passenger on his way to a hospital following a blast yesterday. —AP

Blast in Karachi kills 6 on bus KARACHI: A bomb went off on a bus in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi yesterday killing six people and wounding 48, police and a hospital official said. Pakistan’s commercial capital and biggest city has seen numerous militant attacks over the past 10 years and is also plagued by violence between rival ethnic-based

factions. The bus sustained serious damage in the explosion and a subsequent fire. While police said the bomb had been planted on the bus, provincial official Sharfud Din Memon said it was left on a motorbike and went off as the bus passed.

Eight of the wounded were in critical condition, said Seemi Jamali, a doc-

tor at Jinnah Hospital. Also yesterday, gunmen opened fire on a vehicle carrying police officers in the southwestern city of Quetta, killing three of them, senior police officer Hamid Shakil said. No one claimed responsibility but authorities have blamed local insurgents for such previous attacks. —Agencies

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

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

Myanmar Muslims recall Buddhist assault SIN THET MAW, Myanmar: Stranded beside their decrepit flotilla of wooden boats, on a muddy beach far from home, the Muslim refugees tell story after terrifying story of their exodus from a once-peaceful town on Myanmar’s western coast.

They were attacked one quiet evening, they say,

by Buddhist mobs determined to expel them from the island port of Kyaukphyu. There were chaotic clashes and gruesome killings, and a wave of arson strikes so intense that flames eventually engulfed their entire neighborhood. In the end, all they could do was run.

So they piled into 70 or 80 fishing boats some 4,000 souls in all - and fled into the sea. In those final moments, many caught one last dizzying glimpse of the town they grew up in - of a sky darkened by smoke billowing from a horizon of burning homes, of beaches filled with seething Buddhist throngs who had spent the day pelting their departing boats with slingshot-fired iron darts.

The Oct 24 exodus was part of a wave of violence that has shaken western Myanmar twice in the last six months. But what began with a series of skirmishes that pitted ethnic Rakhine Buddhists against Rohingya, a Muslim minority, appears to have evolved into something far more disturbing: a region-wide effort by Buddhists to drive Muslims out with such ferocious shows of hatred that they could never return.

Although many Rohingya have lived here for generations, they are widely seen as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and most are denied citizenship. Similar mass expulsions have happened twice before under the country’s former army rulers. But the fact that they are occurring again now, during Myanmar’s much-praised transition to democratic rule, is particularly troubling.

Both reformist President Thein Sein and Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, have condemned the violence. Yet neither has defended the Rohingya, even though Muslims account for roughly twothirds of the 200 dead, 95 percent of the 115,000 displaced and 90 percent of the homes destroyed so far, according to government statistics.

Kyaukphyu was significant because those expelled from there included another Muslim minority, the Kaman, whose right to citizenship is recognized.

That they too were targeted raises fears the conflict is spreading to Myanmar’s wider 4 percent Muslim minority.

For Myanmar, also called Burma, the town symbolizes the country’s hopes of scoring a piece of the Asian economic surge. China is building a deep-water port and an oil pipeline terminal there.

“We never thought this could happen to us,” said

Kyaw Thein, a 48-year-old Kaman who fled Kyaukphyu and is now a refugee in the island village of Sin Thet Maw. “We don’t feel safe anymore, even here,” he said. “ Who says we won’t be attacked again?”

The unrest in Rakhine state was triggered by the rape and murder of a Buddhist woman in late May, allegedly by three Rohingya men. But the crisis stems from something that goes back much further: a dispute over when Muslims first settled here, and who among them qualifies for citizenship. Buddhists say the Muslims are foreigners who came to seize land and spread the Islamic faith.

Muslims say they settled here long ago, legally,

army drove out 250,000 Rohingya.

After the June violence, prominent Buddhist monks issued written warnings against doing business with the Rohingya, or even speaking to them. Rohingya were kept away from schools, markets, even hospitals. Security forces restricted their movement, particularly around their refugee camps. International groups were threatened for providing aid. Then, in October, there were demonstrations against plans by the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference to establish a liaison office in the state capital, Sittwe. One such march, in Kyaukphyu, brought out thousands. The rally spooked the Muslims who are

RAKHINE, Myanmar: In this photo taken on Nov 10, 2012, a displaced Muslim woman carries firewood and her daughter at Sin Thet Maw relief camp in Pauk Taw township. — AP and suffer widespread discrimination. The issue has been exacerbated by exploding population growth and what rights groups say is open racism against the darker-skinned Rohingya, who have South Asian roots.

The Kaman, numbering perhaps only in the tens of thousands, are said to be descended from archers who once guarded a Mughal king. The Rohingya number at least 800,000 by UN estimates, and they have long been unwanted here. In 1977, Myanmar’s military rulers, together with residents and local authorities, drove 200,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh, where 12,000 starved to death and most of the rest were forced back to Myanmar by the Bangladeshi government. A similar horror played out in 1991, when Myanmar’s

roughly 6,000 of the town’s 25,000 people. Rumors spread of an imminent new wave of arson attacks.

Captains anchored their boats close to shore. One Muslim woman, Yeak Thai Ma, said some local officials began telling Muslims, “this place is no longer for you.” On Oct 21, western Myanmar was hit with its second major spasm of violence. Within days, it had spread to nine of Rakhine state’s 17 townships. Unlike the June unrest, which had displaced 24,000 Rakhine and 28,000 Rohingya in the first week - the vast majority of the 35,000 refugees this time were Muslim, and 97 percent of property losses were Rohingya, compared with 78 percent in June, according to government statistics.

Human Rights Watch says anti-Muslim assaults were organized by Rakhine groups, at times with

support from security forces and local government officials. The government denies the charges.

There were indications the violence was coordinated; on a single day, three major Muslim neighborhoods came under attack. One of them, the village of Yin Thei in Mrauk-U township, was overrun Oct 23 by thousands of Rakhine armed with swords and spears. They slaughtered dozens of people who were buried in mass graves, according to Human Rights Watch. Satellite images of the village show almost nothing left but ashes.

The same day, farther south, several hundred Rakhine descended on Pauktaw by boat and forced the entire Rohingya population to flee, the rights group said. An AP team that traveled there confirmed two seaside Muslim neighborhoods were charred along with a mosque that was apparently finished off with sledgehammers. That night, it was Kyaukphyu’s turn. Hla Win, a 23-year-old mother of two, was eating a dinner of fish curry and rice with her family when she heard shouting outside. It was 7 pm, and the attacks had begun on East Pikesake district, where most of Kyaukphyu’s Muslim fishing community lives.

Her husband, a 26-year-old fisherman named Maung Lay, joined a group of men struggling to douse flames leaping from a mosque with plastic buckets of water. Security forces posted nearby ordered them to move back, and one opened fire, killing Maung Lay, according to several witnesses.

Rare amateur video of that night, seen by AP, shows Buddhist mobs armed with long sticks or spears and hurling jars of burning gasoline toward homes swamped in bright orange flames as men shout in the darkness: “Throw! Throw!” and “Watch out!”

In another clip, attackers can be seen flinging firebombs over a wall into more burning houses.

They crouch behind rectangular shields of corrugated iron sheeting which are being pelted with rocks, presumably by Muslims defending themselves. As the night wore on, the adversaries wrapped bandannas around their foreheads - red for Buddhists, white for Muslims. It is not clear what effort, if any, was made to stop the arson attacks. The video shows armed security forces walking among large crowds of Buddhists as fires burn, doing nothing to halt them.

In one scene, a policeman or soldier orders a Muslim mob to back away as fires burn on one side of the road, or else “we will shoot you”. A young Muslim man surges forward and fires a projectile from a slingshot. Gunshots ring out and the crowd retreats. A police chief in Kyaukphyu, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject, said more than 100 police deployed in those first few hours along with soldiers and firefighters. —AP

Japan PM says Fukushima ‘unprecedented challenge’ Abe tours stricken plant

KANGCHENJUNGA CONSERVATION AREA, Nepal: In this handout photograph taken by a remote camera trap on March 23, 2012, a rare snow leopard is pictured. — AFP

‘Yak insurance’ plan saving snow leopard KATHMANDU: The remorse felt by Himali Chungda Sherpa after he killed three snow leopard cubs in retaliation for his lost cattle inspired him to set up a scheme to prevent other herders from doing the same. Sherpa lost his cattle near Ghunsa village at the base of Mount Kangchenjunga on the Nepal-India border, later finding their remains in a cave beside three sleeping snow leopard cubs. The Nepalese herder put the cubs in a sack and threw them into the river, finding their bodies the next day.

“From that night onwards the mother snow leopard started crying from the mountain for her cubs, and my cattle were crying for the loss of their calves. “I realised how big a sin I had committed and promised myself that I would never do such a thing in the future.” Four years ago Sherpa, 48, founded with other locals an insurance plan for livestock that conservationists say is deterring herders from killing snow leopards that attack their animals. In doing so the scheme has given hope for the endangered cat, whose numbers across the mountains of 12 countries in south and central Asia are thought to have declined by 20 percent over the past 16 years.

Under the scheme, herders pay in 55 rupees ($1.50) a year for each of their hairy yaks, the vital pack animal that is also kept for milk and meat, and are paid 2,500 rupees for any animal killed by the endangered cat.

“The (Himalayan) communities have been able to pay out compensation for more than 200 animals since the scheme started,” WWF Nepal conservation director Ghana Gurung told reporters at a presentation in the capital Kathmandu. “The community members are the ones that monitor this, they are the ones who do the patrolling and they are the ones who verify the kills.”

The global snow leopard population is estimated at just 4,080-6,590 adults according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which lists the animal as “endangered” on its red list of threatened species. Experts believe just 300 to 500 adults survive in Nepal, and few can claim ever to have seen the secretive, solitary

“mountain ghost”, which lives 5,000 to 6,000 m above sea level. Despite its name, it is not a close relative of the leopard and has much more in common genetically with the tiger, though it is thought to have a placid temperament.

“There has never been a case of a snow leopard attacking a human,” Gurung said of the animal, revered for its thick grey patterned pelt. It does, however, have a taste for sheep, goats and other livestock essential for the livelihoods of farmers and is often killed by humans either as a preventative measure or in revenge for the deaths of their animals. WWF Nepal revealed details of its insurance scheme in filmed interviews shown at the recent Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival.

Sherpa now campaigns to convince Himalayan farmers that killing snow leopards is wrong, but has been frequently told they need to kill the animal to protect their livelihoods. “I swear if I can catch a snow leopard. They rob our animals and our source of livelihood,” herder Chokyab Bhuttia told the WWF. The insurance plan, which also covers sheep and goats, was set up with 1.2 million rupees donated by the University of Zurich.

Since the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Snow Leopard Insurance plan was launched four years ago no snow leopard is thought to have been killed in retaliation for preying on livestock since. Locals, who count the number of cattle attacked as well as tracks, fecal pellets and scratches in the ground, believe snow leopard numbers have significantly increased. “There is now an awareness among people that the snow leopard is an endangered animal and we have to protect it. The insurance policy has made people more tolerant to the loss of their livestock,” Sherpa said. He believes protecting the snow leopard is vital to boosting the economy in an area which gets just a few hundred trekkers a year, compared with 74,000 in Annapurna. “If a tourist sees a snow leopard and takes a picture of it there will be publicity of our region and more tourists will come,” Sherpa said. —AFP

FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI, Japan: The clean-up at Fukushima after its tsunami-sparked nuclear meltdowns is unlike anything humanity has ever undertaken, Japan’s prime minister said yesterday during a tour of the plant. “The massive work toward decommissioning is an unprecedented challenge in human history,” the newlyelected Shinzo Abe said. “Success in the decommissioning will lead to the reconstruction of Fukushima and Japan.” Abe was at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi just days after being sworn in following the electoral triumph of his pro-business Liberal Democratic Party.

The prime minister’s trip to the still-ruined site, on which he was accompanied by an AFP journalist, is part of a push by his administration to put a lid on the crisis. Observers widely expect Japan to restart its nuclear programme on the LDP’s watch, despite public concerns that the party was partially responsible for the extent of the catastrophe because of a culture of complicity during its more than five-decade rule. His government said Thursday it would review a pledge by the previous administration to scrap nuclear power within three decades and would give the green light to plants deemed safe by regulators.

Experts have warned, however, that a number of reactors sit above what could be stillactive faults, making them vulnerable to quakes.

Underlining Japan’s sometimes precarious position at the meeting point of continental plates, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit off the Fukushima coast mid afternoon, US geologists said. A spokesman for plant operator TEPCO said no abnormalities were reported. All of Japan’s 50 reactors were shuttered for inspections in the aftermath of the March 2011 disaster at Fukushima, where a tsunami swamped cooling systems, causing meltdowns. Reactors raged out of control for months, spewing radiation over a wide area and forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate.

Abe’s visit comes a year after experts said they had brought the wrecked units under control. However, melted fuel remains inside their cores and full decommissioning will take decades. Dressed in a protective suit and wear-

OTA, Japan: Japan’s new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (right) greets workers at the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO) emergency operation center inside the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant yesterday. — AFP ing a face mask, Abe was taken by bus to see two of the damaged reactors. He thanked workers for their efforts at a time when many Japanese are celebrating New Year with family.

“Decommissioning work is hard work, but it is progressing. We owe it all to you,” he told them.

The disaster at Fukushima was the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. Efforts to clean up the site in Ukraine continue, more than a quarter of a century after a reactor exploded.

Critics said lax oversight by regulators, who appeared to have the interests of power companies at heart, had exacerbated the impact of Fukushima. Operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) admitted earlier this year it had not carried out upgrade and repair work because it wanted to avoid alarming people.

No one has ever been arrested or prosecuted for the disaster, but TV Asahi reported yesterday prosecutors had quizzed a former TEPCO vice president over his handling of safety assess-

ments that forecast a large tsunami could hit the plant. The broadcaster said other officials would be questioned in the New Year. Before Fukushima, nuclear power generated around a third of Japan’s electricity and there was little debate about its merits. The meltdowns provoked fierce opposition, sending tens of thousands of people onto the streets.

The strong vein of anti-atomic sentiment did not translate into success at the ballot box earlier this month for parties championing an end to nuclear power. Abe’s LDP won a healthy majority, despite being widely viewed as the most pronuclear option on offer. Speaking to press in Kawauchi, a city to which residents have been allowed to return because of falling levels of radiation, Abe was guarded on the future of nuclear power. He said he wanted “a responsible energy policy” and pledged to boost alternative energy and renewables as his government worked out the best energy mix for Japan. — AFP

Aquino approves contraceptives law MANILA: The Philippine president has signed a law that will promote contraception, sexual education and family planning programs vigorously opposed by the countr y ’s Roman Catholic Church. President Benigno Aquino III signed the law on Dec 21 and his administration announced it only yesterday because of the “sensitivity” of the issue, said deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte. Valte said the passage of the law “closes a highly divisive chapter of our history” and “opens the possibility of cooperation and reconciliation” among those who oppose and support the “Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012.”

One of the most outspoken opponents of the legislation while it was still being debated in Congress, retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz, said

Aquino is dividing the country while adopting a “first world country value system.” He warned that the law will be followed by the passage of a divorce bill and same-sex marriage, both strongly opposed by the Church. Cruz, a former president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, criticized the secret signing of the law despite the presidential certification that it was an urgent measure.

“What is that? He is either ashamed of it or he is afraid of the repercussion of that bill,” Cruz said. “My first objection there is why don’t you call a spade a spade? Why do you have to call it ‘reproductive health?’ Come on. That is population-control legislation,” he said. “From the onset there is already deception.” He said responsible parenthood as taught by the church entails using only natural family plan-

ning methods. Providing artificial contraceptives will “separate pleasure from the hardship” of bringing up a family. “This government has now entered the bedroom bringing with it the condom and the pill.... That is very irresponsible,” Cruz said. He said a Catholic group is planning to question the law at the Supreme Court.

Women’s groups and other supporters of the law have praised Aquino for pushing its passage within the first half of his six-year term after the measure languished in Congress for 13 years largely because legislators were reluctant to pass it because of the strong opposition of the Catholic Church. The Aquino administration “should be commended for its political will to see this law through,” said Carlos Conde, Asia Researcher for the US-based Human Rights Watch. —AP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

NEWS Outrage after Indian gang-rape victim...

Syria doomed to ‘hell’ without deal...

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

It is a non-bailable offence which carries the death sentence,” police spokesman Rajan Bhagat told AFP. Dharmendra Kumar, one of Delhi’s most senior police officers, said formal charges were expected to be filed by Jan 3. The police have been heavily criticised for their hardline tactics in trying to quash the protests, including the frequent use of teargas and water cannon.

Gang-rapes are a daily occurrence in India and many go unreported by victims who have little faith in an often painfully slow justice system and are deterred by the response they can receive from male police officers. But the particularly savage nature of the attack in Delhi has brought simmering anger to a boiling point and prompted the government to promise better security for women and harsher sentences for sex crimes. After boarding a bus on Dec 16, the student was attacked by the men who took turns raping her and assaulted her with an iron bar before throwing her and her male companion off the moving vehicle.

“We have already seen the emotions and energies this incident has generated,” said Singh. “These are perfectly understandable reactions from a young India and an India that genuinely desires change.” Shah Rukh Khan, the most famous actor in Bollywood, tweeted that the victim had forced India to confront a shameful reality. “We couldn’t save u but wot a big voice u have... That voice is telling us that rape is not an aberration, not a mistake,” he wrote.

“Rape embodies sexuality as our culture & society has defined it. I am so sorry that I am a part of this society and culture.”

“For some reason, and I don’t really know why, she got through to us,” well-known columnist Nilanjana Roy wrote in a blog yesterday. “Our words shrivelled in the face of what she’d been subjected to by the six men travelling on that bus, who spent an hour torturing and raping her, savagely beating up her male friend.”

Sonia Gandhi, the power ful leader of the ruling Congress party, directly addressed the protesters in a rare broadcast on state television, saying that as a mother and a woman she understood their grievances. “Your voice has been heard,” Gandhi said. “It deepens our determination to battle the pervasive and the shameful social attitudes that allow men to rape and molest women with such impunity.”

After the death was announced in Singapore, the Indian Commissioner TCA Raghavan spoke of the ordeal endured by the family of the victim, who hail from a rural part of Uttar Pradesh state. “They have repeatedly asked me to say how inspired they are by the many messages of support and condolences they have received,” he said. “This reinforces their view that the death of their child will lead to a better future for all women in India and in Delhi.” “She was courageous in fighting for her life for so long against the odds but the trauma to her body was too severe for her to overcome,” Kelvin Loh, chief executive officer of the Mount Elizabeth Hospital said in a statement announcing her death from multiple organ failure. — Agencies

They have been searching for signs that Moscow, an ally of Syria since Assad’s father seized power 42 years ago, is changing its stance - so far mostly in vain. After meeting Brahimi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov firmly repeated Moscow’s position that Assad’s removal cannot be a precondition for negotiations, calling the Syrian opposition’s refusal to talk to Damascus a “dead end”. “When the opposition says only Assad’s exit will allow it to begin a dialogue about the future of its own country, we think this is wrong, we think this is rather counterproductive,” he said. “The costs of this precondition are more and more lives of Syrian citizens.”

The United States and its allies hope a change of heart in Moscow could prod Assad to yield power, much as Russia’s withdrawal of support for Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic heralded his downfall a decade ago.

Lavrov noted that Assad has repeatedly said he would not go, adding that Russia “does not have the ability to change this”. Brahimi’s peace plan has stalled on the demand by the opposition that Assad be excluded from any transitional government, a precondition also backed by the United States, European countries and most Arab states.

Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi, repeating the most populous Arab country’s public support for the rebellion,

said there was “no place for the current regime in the future of Syria”. Morsi, an Islamist, said Egypt’s priority was to halt the bloodshed and to work, with “Arab, regional and international support and consensus”, for a political solution that would allow “the Syrian people to replace the current regime” with elected leaders. “All of that while preserving the unity of Syria,” Morsi said during a televised speech to Egypt’s Shura Council, or upper house of parliament. “The revolution of the Syrian people, which we support, will go forward, God willing, to realise its goals of freedom.” Most Arab states are ruled by Sunni Muslims, who form the majority in Syria and are the foundation of the revolt against Assad, a member of the Shiite-linked Alawite minority sect.

Brahimi’s plan was formally agreed in Geneva in June by world powers, but Washington and Moscow argued from the outset over the core question of whether the plan meant Assad must go. In Damascus, Brahimi advocated a transitional government “with all the powers of the state”, but his wording did not exclude a role for Assad, a red line for the opposition. The envoy’s credibility with the rebels appears to have withered. In the rebelheld town of Kafranbel, demonstrators held up banners ridiculing Brahimi with English obscenities. “We do not agree at all with Brahimi’s initiative. We do not agree with anything Brahimi says,” the rebel chief in Aleppo province, Colonel Abdel-Jabbar Oqaidi, said on Friday. — Reuters

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

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Washington Watch

Arab attitudes toward America rebound in 2012

By Dr James J Zogby s President Obama prepares to launch his second term in the White House, he can take some comfort in the fact that positive attitudes toward the United States have once again risen sharply in several Arab countries. After plummeting to record lows during the Bush years, the 2008 election of Barack Obama and the new president’s early outreach effort to the Arab and Muslim worlds caused favorable attitudes toward the United States to increase across the Arab region. However, by mid-2011, with Guantanamo still open, US forces still in Iraq, and the White House appearing to have capitulated to Israeli obstructionism, Arab attitudes toward the United States dropped back to Bush-era levels.

But now in our Nov 2012 Zogby Research Services (ZRS) survey of Arab opinion, we find that overall US favorable ratings have spiked upward in most Arab countries. More significantly there are, at this point, strong majorities in several countries who assess that the United States is making a positive contribution to peace and stability in the Arab World. In addition to the countries normally covered in Zogby polls (Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE), Iraq, Palestine, and Tunisia were also surveyed.

What the 2012 poll makes clear is that the decline in favorable attitudes toward the United States we witnessed in 2011 has been arrested and ratings are back up. In Saudi Arabia, for example, US favorable ratings are at an all-time high of 62 percent, while in Jordan and UAE positive attitudes have climbed back to where they were in 2009.

In Egypt, US ratings are still a low 10 percent. That, however, is double the 5 percent positive rating Egyptians gave the United States in 2011, but nowhere near the 30 percent level it was at when President Obama delivered his “New Beginnings” speech to the Muslim World from the stage at the University of Cairo.

In Lebanon and Morocco, attitudes have held steady.

The more surprising findings were the more than 80 percent of Jordanians and Emiratis who now say that they believe that the “US is contributing to peace and stability in the Arab World” - a dramatic rise from the less than 10 percent who held that view a year and a half ago. This is matched by the three-quarters of Saudis, the one-half of Egyptians, and the more than one-third of Lebanese and Moroccans who also agree that the United States is playing a positive role in the region. In all these cases, the rise since 2011 has been substantial.

In those countries for which we have no 2011 data, in our 2012 survey, we find low overall favorable ratings for the United States (13 percent in Iraq, 2 percent in Palestine, and 19 percent in Tunisia). But once again Iraqis, Palestinians and Tunisians give high ratings to the US regional role. We found that 65 percent of Palestinians, 49 percent of Tunisians, and 40 percent of Iraqis agreeing that the United States makes a “positive contribution to peace and stability in the Arab World”.

In an effort to understand these findings we conducted some follow-up interviews with opinion makers. We were told that the reasons for this rise in rating, while somewhat varying from country to country, reflected an appreciation for the more “low key” and cooperative approach President Obama has taken to dealing with the Arab World. They point to the Administration fulfilling its commitment to withdraw from Iraq; its coalition-building work in Libya; its working diplomatically to support change in Syria; and its principled but non-preaching approach to democratic change in Egypt. The one sore point, of course, has been the Administration’s weakness on the Palestinian issue. Many, however, maintain some hope that the United States will make a renewed push to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian peace in the second term.

While this rise in confidence and support should be welcomed in Washington, it also comes with a warning. This is the second spike in favorable ratings for the United States during Obama’s tenure in the White House. Clearly there is relief that President Obama has moved away from Bush-style unilateralism. But hopes are high that the US has the capacity to lead. The President thus begins his second term with Arab public opinion giving him a second vote of confidence.

The challenge is clear. He must act now. A second loss of hope could be irreversible.

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

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

The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

Mission impossible for US Senate leaders

By Richard Cowan ollowing a Friday meeting with congressional leaders, an impatient and annoyed President Barack Obama said it was “mind boggling” that Congress has been unable to fix a “fiscal cliff” mess that everyone has known about for more than a year. He then dispatched Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, on a mind-boggling mission: coming up with a bipartisan bill to break the “fiscal cliff” stalemate in the most partisan and gridlocked US Congress of modern times - in about 48 hours.

Reid and McConnell, veteran tacticians known for their own long-running feud, have been down this road before. Their last joint venture didn’t turn out so well. It was the deal in August 2011 to avoid a US default that set the stage for the current mess. That effort, like this one, stemmed from a grand deficit-reduction scheme that turned into a bust. But they have never had the odds so stacked against them as they try to avert the “fiscal cliff” - sweeping tax increases set to begin on Tuesday and deep, automatic government spending cuts set to start on Wednesday, combined worth $600 billion.

The substantive differences are only part of the challenge. Other obstacles include concerns about who gets blamed for what and the legacy of distrust among members of Congress. Any successful deal will require face-saving measures for

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Republicans and Democrats alike.

“Ordinary folks, they do their jobs, they meet deadlines, they sit down and they discuss things, and then things happen,” Obama told reporters. “If there are disagreements, they sort though the disagreements. The notion that our elected leadership can’t do the same thing is mindboggling to them.”

The core disagreement between Republicans and Democrats is tough enough. It revolves around the low tax rates first put in place under Republican former President George W. Bush that expire at year’s end. Republicans would extend them for everyone. Democrats would extend them for everyone except the wealthiest taxpayers. The first step for Reid and McConnell may be to find a formula acceptable to their own parties in the Senate.

While members of the Senate, more than members of the House of Representatives, have expressed flexibility on taxes, it’s far from a sure thing in a body that ordinarily requires not just a majority of the 100-member Senate to pass a bill, but a super-majority of 60 members. With 51 Democrats, two independents who vote with the Democrats and 47 Republicans, McConnell and Reid may have to agree to suspend the 60-vote rule.

Getting a bill through the Republicancontrolled House may be much tougher.

The conservative wing of the House, composed of many lawmakers aligned with the Tea Party movement who fear being tar-

geted by anti-tax activists in primary elections in 2014, has shown it will not vote for a bill that raises taxes on anyone, even if it means defying Republican House Speaker John Boehner. Many Democrats are wedded to the opposite view - and have vowed not to support continuing the Bush-era tax rates for people earning more than $250,000 a year.

Some senators are wary of the procedural conditions House Republicans are demanding. Boehner is insisting the Senate start its work with a bill already passed by the House months ago that would continue all Bush-era tax cuts for another year. The Democratic-controlled Senate may amend the Republican bill, he says, but it must be the House bill. For Boehner, it’s the regular order when considering revenue measures, which the US Constitution says must originate in the House.

As some Democrats see it, it’s a way to shift blame if the enterprise goes down in flames. House Republicans would be able to claim that since they had already done their part by passing a bill, the Senate should take the blame for plunging the nation off the “cliff”. And that could bring public wrath, currently centered mostly on Republicans, onto the heads of Democrats.

Voters may indeed be looking for someone to blame if they see their paychecks shrink as taxes rise or their retirement savings dwindle as a result of a plunge in global markets.

If Reid and McConnell succeed, there could be political ramifications for each

side. For example, a deal containing any income tax hikes could complicate McConnell’s own 2014 re-election effort in which small-government, anti-tax Tea Party activists are threatening to mount a challenge. If Obama and his fellow Democrats are perceived as giving in too much, it could embolden Republicans to mount challenge after challenge, possibly handcuffing the president before his second term even gets off the ground.

It could be a sprint to the finish. One Democratic aide expected “negotiation for a day.” If the aide is correct, the world was to know by late yesterday or early today if Washington’s political dysfunction is about to reach a new, possibly devastating, low. If Reid and McConnell reach a deal, it would then be up to the full Senate and House to vote, possibly as early as Sunday. Reid and McConnell have been through bitter fights before. The deficit reduction and debt limit deal that finally was secured last year was a brawl that ended only when the two leaders agreed to a complicated plan that secured about $1 trillion in savings, but really postponed until later a more meaningful plan to restore the country’s fiscal health.

That effort led to the automatic spending cuts that form part of the “fiscal cliff”.

Just months later, in December 2011, Reid and McConnell were going through a tough fight over extending a payroll tax cut.

In both instances, it was resistance from conservative House Republicans that complicated efforts, just as is the case now with the “fiscal cliff”. —Reuters

UN confronts failure of diplomacy in Syria

By Louis Charbonneau ttempts by the United Nations to end the bloody 21-month-old Syrian conflict through diplomacy have been a resounding failure and there is little reason to expect a quick change given the Russian-US rift on Syria. After a year of intensive diplomatic efforts by the world body, UN-Arab League peace mediator Lakhdar Brahimi of Algeria has made no more progress than his predecessor, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in getting the government and rebels to come to the negotiating table, or getting Russia and the United States to overcome their deep disagreements on Syria.

Brahimi headed to Moscow yesterday to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the United Nations said, but expectations are low. Syria’s opposition leader rejected an invitation from Russia to attend peace talks, which was a blow to Brahimi’s efforts. At the heart of the diplomatic roadblock is a seemingly unbreakable impasse on the UN Security Council, where Russia and the United States, both veto-wielding permanent members of the 15-nation group, are seeing their bilateral ties deteriorate.

There is no reason to expect anything different in early 2013. After three joint Russian-Chinese vetoes on Syria, the Security Council has all but given up on the issue. “It’s very depressing to be a party to failed diplomacy,” a senior UN official told Reuters. “There’s no end to the (Security Council) deadlock and as long as that deadlock remains, it’s hard to make a difference

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beyond humanitarian aid, and that’s not easy.”

In addition to generally rocky relations between Washington and Moscow, Russia has strategic reasons for standing by Assad.

He has been a staunch ally, a major purchaser of Russian arms and host to Russia’s only warm-water naval port. But even Russia realizes Assad will likely be ousted sooner or later.

Annan, the first UN-Arab League peace negotiator to try to end the escalating civil war, focused on getting Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s government and the opposition to agree to a ceasefire. With neither side willing to lay down its weapons, a frustrated Annan announced his resignation in August, saying the divided Security Council had undermined his efforts. He urged Russia, China and Iran to do more to push for an end to the bloodshed. Brahimi is concentrating on healing the rift between Russia and the United States as the conflict in Syria becomes increasingly gruesome and sectarian, UN officials and diplomats say.

Disagreements between the United States and Russia or China on the 15-nation Security Council are nothing new. They have had sharp differences on crises in Georgia, North Korea, Myanmar, Zimbabwe and elsewhere that have prevented the council from taking any meaningful action.

But the deadlock on Syria is especially frustrating for UN officials and diplomats, who complain the United Nations has been confined to the sidelines as the corpses pile higher. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has repeatedly urged countries to unite in support of Brahimi’s efforts but that has not

happened. “We do not see any prospect of any end of violence or any prospect of political dialogue to start,” Ban told reporters last week.

Brahimi is convinced that ending the USRussian rift is the key to unraveling the Gordian knot that has prevented a negotiated end to a war in which 44,000 people have died. The crux of their disagreement is whether Assad should go now, as the rebels, Washington and the Europeans want, or later, as Moscow would prefer, after a period with a transitional leadership that could include members of Assad’s government. Russia has repeatedly said it is not wedded to Assad, although it has refused to abandon him. “For (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, it’s all about not compromising with America at the moment,” a senior Western diplomat said.

The latest example of worsening USRussian ties is Moscow’s new ban on US adoptions of Russian children, a move that came in retaliation against US human rights legislation aimed at Russia. Diplomats and analysts say it is not Brahimi’s fault that he has failed. The veteran Algerian diplomat played down hopes that he could succeed from the outset. Richard Gowan of New York University said Brahimi’s modest approach has restored some of the UN credibility that was lost while Annan was the Syria mediator. “But (Brahimi’s) current peace plan is at least half a year out of date,” Gowan said.

“The rebels simply will not buy it.”

Brahimi is pushing for a transitional government and has suggested he wants to build on an international agreement signed in Geneva six months ago that envisioned a

provisional body - which might include members of Assad’s government as well as the opposition - leading the country to a new election. His recycled peace plan has not made him popular with the rebels, who also have complained that the United States and Europeans have failed to provide them weapons, despite the West’s clear desire to see Assad ousted. Diplomats say arms are reaching the rebels from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

The mainly Sunni Muslim Syrian rebels have seized the military initiative since June’s Geneva meeting and the political opposition has ruled out any transitional government in which Assad, who is from Syria’s Alawite minority, has a role. Radwan Ziadeh of the opposition Syrian National Council dismissed Brahimi’s proposal as “unrealistic and fanciful” and said a transitional government could not be built on the same “security and intelligence structure as the existing regime.”

Some diplomats say Russia’s influence on Syria is wildly exaggerated and that Assad is not going to compromise because he is fighting for his own and the Alawites’ survival. So where does that leave Russia?

“It’s understood that Bashar Al-Assad’s regime will not last long,” said Georgy Mirsky, a Middle East expert at the Institute for World Economy and International Relations in Moscow. “But this does not mean that Russia is ready to join the West, the Turks and the Arabs and demand that Assad go? That would be senseless. Syria is lost (to Russia) anyway,” he said. At least Russia “will be able to say that we do not abandon our friends,” Mirsky said. —Reuters

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

sp orts PSG recruit leaves Brazil

India’s soccer club kicked out

Berdych to play in Chennai

SAO PAULO: Paris St Germain’s first January recruit Lucas says he has a “heavy heart” as he prepares to leave Sao Paulo and is not expecting an easy ride at the big-spending French Ligue 1 leaders. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder, snapped up by PSG in August for a reported fee of 45 million euros ($59.5 million) with the agreement that he would move in January, is one of the most exciting young Brazilian prospects.

“I am happy with everything that has happened in my life, to have achieved my dream of leaving here with a title. I leave with a heavy heart but happy,” he was quoted as saying

by L’Equipe’s website on Friday having helped Sao Paulo win the Copa Sudamerica on Dec. 12. “It’s time for me to go to PSG. I want to enjoy my last days in Brazil and on Sunday, I leave for France to start my career in Europe. As the club is preparing for the resumption after the mid-season break in Qatar, I will spend the New Year there. — Reuters

NEW DELHI: India’s oldest soccer club, Mohun Bagan, have been kicked out of the league and banned for a further two years after refusing to take the field for the second half of their crowd troublehit derby against East Bengal earlier this month.

Mohun Bagan were trailing their arch-rivals 1-0 on Dec. 9 in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata when one of their players was hit by a stone hurled from the stands. The match resumed after a near 15minute interruption but Mohun Bagan, founded in 1889, did not return to the field.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointed a retired judge to look into the case and his finding got the approval of an ILeague Core Committee yesterday. An AIFF statement said Mohun Bagan had been thrown out of the ongoing I-League competition, their matches had been declared null and void, and they would be disqualified from the next two editions of the league.

The club would also have to “return to the I-League any financial stipends that had been paid to it by I-League throughout the competition 2012-2013 or forfeit the right to the same,” the AIFF said in a statement. A revised fixture and points table would soon be issued, the AIFF added. The I-League committee will decide on any possible additional sanction or fine in a Jan. 9 meeting where the club would be asked to present its case. —Reuters

CHENNAI: Sixth-ranked Czech player Tomas Berdych heads a strong field that includes four top-20 players in the Chennai Open that starts tomorrow.

World No.9 Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia and former champions Marin Cilic of Croatia (15) and Stanislas Wawrinka (17) of Switzerland are the other big names in the field. Also in the field are Frenchman Benoit Paire, who showed good form in 2012 and has risen to 47 in the ATP rankings, Dutchman Robin Haase, Taiwan’s Yen-Hsun Lu, and Japan’s Go Soeda. Berdych defeated Roger Federer in the quarterfinals of this year’s US Open. He is returning to Chennai after missing the previous year.

Berdych lost to Wawrinka in the semifinals of the 2011 tournament, but is among the favorites because of his liking for hard courts. Among his biggest threats would be Tipsarevic, who lost a marathon final to Milos Raonic last year. “It’s a great event,” Tipsarevic said. “You’ve been seeing a lot of me in the last few years, and every year I am playing better and better as you can see and I really want to win the whole thing this year.” Two-time champion Cilic said the tournament was good preparation for the Australian Open starting Jan. — AP

NBA results/standings Washington 105, Orlando 97; Indiana 97, Phoenix 91; Brooklyn 97, Charlotte 81; Detroit 109, Miami 99; Atlanta 102, Cleveland 94; Toronto 104, New Orleans 97 (OT); Denver 106, Dallas 85; San Antonio 122, Houston 116; LA Clippers 116, Utah 114; Sacramento 106, NY Knicks 105; LA Lakers 107, Portland 87; Golden State 96, Philadelphia 89.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT GB NY Knicks 21 9 .700 Brooklyn 15 14 .517 5.5 Boston 14 14 .500 6 Philadelphia 14 16 .467 7 Toronto 10 20 .333 11 Central Division Indiana 17 12 .586 Milwaukee 15 12 .556 1 Chicago 15 12 .556 1 Detroit 10 22 .313 8.5 Cleveland 7 24 .226 11 Southeast Division Miami 20 7 .741 Atlanta 18 9 .667 2 Orlando 12 17 .414 9 Charlotte 7 22 .241 14 Washington 4 23 .148 16 Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 22 6 .786 Denver 17 14 .548 6.5 Portland 14 14 .500 8 Minnesota 13 13 .500 8 Utah 15 16 .484 8.5 Pacific Division LA Clippers 24 6 .800 Golden State 20 10 .667 4 LA Lakers 15 15 .500 9 Phoenix 11 19 .367 13 Sacramento 10 19 .345 13.5 Southwest Division San Antonio 23 8 .742 Memphis 18 8 .692 2.5 Houston 16 13 .552 6 Dallas 12 18 .400 10.5 New Orleans 6 23 .207 16

Joy for Spaniards BELGRADE: Four wins out of four by Spanish clubs in the opening round of the Euroleague’s marathon second group stage came as icing on the Christmas cake for the country’s basketball fans.

CSKA Moscow, six-time winners of Europe’s premier club competition, impressed with a 90-71 home rout of Anadolu Efes Istanbul on Friday and their less heralded neighbors Khimki, based on the outskirts of Russia’s capital, sprung an 80-75 upset at Besiktas Istanbul.

Panathinaikos Athens edged Lithuanians Zalgiris Kaunas 67-66 in a battle of former champions while Italians Montepaschi Siena produced an effervescent performance in a 79-69 home win over Maccabi Tel Aviv, the winners of four Euroleague titles.

Caja Laboral Vitoria were staring at an early exit after losing six of their opening seven games in the preliminary group stage of the fiercely competitive 24-team competition earlier in the season, two of them to holders Olympiakos Piraeus.

But in their opening match of the top-16 stage, featuring two pools of eight teams playing each other home and away on a round-robin basis, the Spaniards got sweet revenge with an 82-74 victory against the defending champions after overcoming an 11-point first-half deficit.

Polish centre Maciej Lampe engineered Caja’s fourth win on the trot with a career-high 25 points and American shooting guard Brad Oleson added 15 as the Basque outfit powered ahead after winning the third quarter 27-11 in the cauldron of their Fernando Buesa Arena. “Caja is a completely different team from the one in the regular season as they now have the confidence and the chemistry while our defence was not what it was supposed to be,” Olympiakos coach Georgios Bartzokas told the competition’s official website (www.euroleague.net).

His counterpart Zan Tabak said: “It has been very difficult to make the players believe they can win after they lost twice to Olympiakos already but we prepared mentally very well for this game.”

Eight-time winners Real Madrid strolled to a 77-63 success at Alba Berlin on the back of 13 points apiece

by Rudy Fernandez, Nikola Mirotic and Jaycee Carroll, while 2010 champions Barcelona outclassed Fenerbahce Istanbul 100-78 in their Blaugrana Arena.

Unicaja Malaga were perilously close to spoiling the Spanish party after falling behind 15-0 in the opening few minutes of their home tie against rank outsiders Brose Baskets Bamberg, who squeezed into the top 16 with a 3-7 record thanks to a last-gasp win over Partizan Belgrade. But the Germans were undone by a patient fightback from Malaga, who turned the match with a strong final quarter and won 85-82 as shooting guard Marcus Williams buried a pair of crucial three-pointers to finish with a game-high 19 points.

“Every game in the top 16 will be very tough and we have to stay focused,” Malaga’s Croatian coach Jasmin Repesa said. “We don’t have stars so it’s important to play as a team, with energy and chemistry.” — Reuters

Clippers silence Jazz SALT LAKE CITY: Chris Paul scored 29 points, and the Los Angeles Clippers rallied from a 19-point deficit in the third quarter to beat the Utah Jazz 116-114 on Friday night, stretching their winning streak to 16 games. Ex-Clipper Randy Foye’s 3-pointer at the buzzer was contested by Matt Barnes, but no foul was called. Foye finished with a season-high 28 points for Utah. Paul scored the Clippers’ final seven points, most from the free throw line, as Los Angeles extended the NBA’s longest winning streak this season. The Jazz led 7455 with 8:08 left in the third on a pair of free throws by Paul Millsap. But the Clippers outscored Utah 29-14 the rest of the quarter to pull to 88-84 going into the fourth. Al Jefferson added 22 points for Utah. Gordon Hayward had 17 off the bench.

Nets 97, Bobcats 81 In New York, the Brooklyn Nets gave P.J. Carlesimo a victory in his debut and the Charlotte Bobcats a 17th straight loss, getting 26 points and 11 rebounds from Brook Lopez. A day after firing Avery Johnson, the Nets played as they did last month, when they were 11-4 and Johnson was Eastern Conference coach of the month. They are just 4-10 in December, a slump that cost Johnson his job, but got back over .500 with ease.

Deron Williams added 17 of his 19 points in the first half and Joe Johnson had 16 for the Nets, who led by 29 points and won for just the second time in seven games. Hakim Warrick scored 13 points and Ramon Sessions had 12 for the Bobcats (7-22), who shot 38 percent and haven’t won since tying last season’s total with their seventh victory.

Pacers 97, Suns 91 In Indianapolis, George Hill scored 22 points, including three 3-pointers, and led Indiana over Phoenix. Paul George had 15 points, and David West added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Pacers, who have won four straight and seven of eight.

Sebastian Telfair had 19 points and six assists, and Marcin Gortat had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Suns, who have lost four in a row. West, who scored eight points in the fourth quarter, netted the goahead jumper to give the Pacers an 87-85 lead with 3:17 left to play after the Suns rallied from a 16-point deficit.

Wizards 105, Magic 97 In Washington, Jordan Crawford scored 27 points, and worst-in-the-NBA Washington showed it can still win a game every once in a while, breaking an eightgame losing streak with a victory over Orlando. Nene added season highs of 23 points and 11 rebounds and shot fourthquarter free throws while hearing chants of

Orleans. The Raptors, who never trailed in the second half, scored nine of the first 11 points in overtime after blowing a sevenpoint lead in the last 1:30 of regulation.

Amir Johnson scored under the basket to give Toronto a 93-91 lead. Lowry then drove the baseline for a reverse layup and hit a 3-pointer to make it 98-93.

DeRozan finished off the Hornets with two free throws and an outside shot that made it 102-95 with 31.7 seconds left.

Lowry, coming off the bench after missing seven straight games with a partial triceps tear, had 17 points. Alan Anderson added 14 points for the Raptors.

LOS ANGELES: Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) drives against Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (left) during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game. —AP “R-G-3!” - the new equivalent of “M-V-P!” in a city where Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III is the new superstar - as Washington won by its largest margin of the season. The game represented onequarter of the win total for the 4-23 Wizards. Arron Afflalo scored 26 points and J.J. Redick added 23 for the Magic, who have lost four straight since Glen Davis sprained his left shoulder in the final minute of a win over these same Wizards last week. The Magic ended an NBA-best 12-game streak of holding opponents under 100 points, and Washington hit the century mark for the first time in 12 games.

Hawks 102, Cavaliers 94 In Cleveland, Jeff Teague scored a career-high 27 points, and Atlanta scored the game’s final nine points to beat Cleveland. Teague’s jumper from the foul line gave the Hawks a 95-94 lead with 2:32 remaining and sparked the run that sent Atlanta to its third straight win.

Kyrie Irving led Cleveland with 28 points, but the Cavaliers failed to score in the final 2:53 after taking a 94-93 lead. Lou Williams scored 16 points for Atlanta, which is 8-4 on the road. Al Horford added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Dion Waiters scored 18 points for Cleveland, which had its season-high, two-game winning streak end. Cavaliers center Anderson Varajeo, the league’s leading rebounder, missed his fifth straight game with a bruised right knee. He’s also been ruled out of Saturday’s game against Brooklyn.

Pistons 109, Heat 99 In Auburn Hills, Will Bynum had 25 points and 10 assists, leading another spir-

ited performance by the Detroit reserves, and the Pistons beat short-handed Miami despite 35 points by LeBron James.

Miami was without Dwyane Wade, suspended for a game by the NBA for flailing his leg and making contact with a Charlotte player on Wednesday. The Detroit reserves, who scored 85 points in a loss to Atlanta on Wednesday, contributed 64 on Friday. Charlie Villanueva had 18, and Austin Daye added 11 to help the Pistons snap Miami’s six-game winning streak.

The Heat scored the game’s first 10 points and led by 15 after one quarter, but the momentum shifted for good when the Pistons outscored Miami 41-20 in the second. Chris Bosh had 28 points for the Heat.

Spurs 122, Rockets 116 In san Antonio, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili combined to score 84 points, and San Antonio snapped Houston’s five-game winning streak. Parker had 31 points and 10 assists, Duncan had 30 points and five rebounds, and Ginobili had a season-high 23 points for San Antonio (23-8). Danny Green was 5 for 7 on 3-pointers and finished with 17 points.

James Harden scored 33 points, Chandler Parsons added 24, and Jeremy Lin had 21 for Houston (16-13). After allowing the Rockets to shoot 55 percent through three quarters, the Spurs clamped down defensively in the fourth. San Antonio had seven steals in the period, and Houston shot 10 for 23 from the field.

Raptors 104, Hornets 97 In New Orleans, DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points, Kyle Lowry had two big baskets in overtime, and Toronto held off New

Nuggets 106, Mavericks 85 In Dallas, Danilo Gallinari scored a career-high 39 points, and Denver spoiled Dirk Nowitzki’s first home game since returning from knee surgery by beating Dallas. Nowitzki had five points in 17 minutes in his third game back, and the Mavericks lost their fifth straight for the first time since January 2011.

Gallinari scored five points in the 5.3 seconds before halftime and opened the second half with a 3-pointer to put the Nuggets up by 11. Andre Iguodala hit four 3-pointers in a 32-point third quarter and finished with 29 points. OJ Mayo led Dallas with 15 points. Nowitzki missed 27 games after knee surgery late in the preseason.

Kings 106, Knicks 105 In Sacramento, James Johnson made a 3-pointer at the buzzer, lifting Sacramento to a victory over the New York Knicks after blowing an early 27-point lead. With time running out, John Salmons found Johnson above the top of the key. Johnson’s shot left his had just ahead of the final buzzer and helped the Kings avoid a major collapse. Marcus Thornton scored 18 points, and Johnson had 17 for the Kings. The Knicks played their second straight game without injured forward Carmelo Anthony (knee), who leads Eastern Conference scorers, averaging 28.5 points per game. J.R. Smith scored a season-high 28 points for the Knicks. Rookie Chris Copeland had 23 points, and Tyson Chandler added 21 points and 18 rebounds.

Lakers 104, Trail Blazers 87 In Los Angeles, Dwight Howard had 21 points and 14 rebounds, Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers never trailed in beating Portland for their sixth win in seven games.

Pau Gasol had 15 points and nine rebounds as the Lakers closed out their 2012 schedule by climbing back to .500 (15-15) in their rocky season. Los Angeles had little trouble rolling past the Blazers, taking a 20-point lead in the first half and holding star rookie Damian Lillard to 11 points on 4-for-17 shooting. — AP

BOC honors sports coaches BAHRAIN: More than 180 men’s and women’s coaches from different top level sports were honored at the 12th graduation ceremony of the National Coaching Programme, supervised by the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) Sports Training and Development Section. Held at the Gulf Hotel’s Awal Ballroom, the function was attended by BOC chief executive Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, general secretary Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Canadian Consulate Head of Mission Qays Al Zu’bi, sponsoring companies representatives, sports federations officials and other invitees. The event started with a word from Sports Training and Development Section head and international instructor Nabeel Taha, who highlighted the importance of science in achieving developing renaissance in various fields.

Taha noted that this programme, which was founded more than a 12 years ago, aims at developing the national coach level and is line with the directives of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, by focusing on the scientific part in the development of sports programmes.

Taha praised the Bahraini human element, characterized by its passion and keenness to obtain knowledge, which had contributed to the success of this programme and for winning the annual Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award in sports excellence, as well as the co-operation from the Coaching Association of Canada.

Taha congratulated all the graduates and wished them success in their future careers. He also thanked

Sheikh Khalid (left) honors Dr Sami Zubari. the sponsors of the programme, namely Chevron Bahrain, Lucky Gulf and McDonald’s, and expressed appreciation to the Public Security Sports Federation, the Military Sports Federation and Ministry of Education’s Physical Education Directorate and Physical Education Deanship, University of Bahrain’s Physiotherapy section and Bahrain Sports Channel for their co-operation and support to this programme.

He also took this opportunity to laud the efforts of his colleges from the section, including Dr. Sami Zubari, national coach Sabah Al Thawadi and administrator Nabiha Al Khayat, who turned to early retirement, praising their outstanding contributions and stressed that if it wasn’t for them, the section would have been able to get the job done the way they wanted. They were also honored in recognition for their efforts and services.

Sheikh Ahmed presents a certificate to handball coach Essam Abdulla.

Sheikh Khalid, along with Sheikh Ahmed, Al Zu’bi and representatives of the sponsoring companies, provided certificates and commemorative gifts to the graduates of the first four levels.

Among those honored were Bahrain junior volleyball coach Abdullah Isa and Kuwait Club basketball coach Salman Ramadan, who were named best coaches in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

Other coaches included Rauf Hubail and Adel Al Asfoor, who were graduated from the University of Leipzig in German, in addition to level two graduates from the instructors qualifying course, namely Khaled Taj, Fakher Qashi, Fatima Al Burhsaid, Hayat Jamal, Mubarak Hamad Faris, Mohammed Jalal, Ali Al Anzoor and Mohsen Al Ghanim.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

sp orts

Reichelt, Paris share downhill classic

UFA: Slovakia’s goalie Adam Nagy watches the puck while playing against Canada during the first period of an IIHF World Junior Championships hockey game. —AP

Sweden beat Latvia 5-1 UFA: Viktor Ar vidsson scored twice Saturday as Sweden beat Latvia 5-1 at the junior ice hockey world championships to secure a spot in the knockout round. Sweden dominated the match but struggled to find a way past goalkeeper Ivars Punnenovs, until Emil Molin gave the Swedes the lead with 50 seconds left in the first period. Teodors Blugers equalized for the winless Latvians, but Sebastian Collberg restored the lead before the interval and Sweden added three late goals to wrap up the win.

Arvidsson scored two quick goals midway through the third and Alexander Wennberg added the fifth with less than a minute to play. Sweden tops Group A with eight points from three games, while Latvia is last with zero points.

Russia played Germany later Saturday in Group B, Meanwhile, Andrei Makarov made 41 saves to help Russia edge the United States 2-1 Friday at the world junior ice hockey championships. Vladimir Tkachyov scored the winner from close range four minutes into the third period as Russia withstood a late two-man advantage for the Americans to hold on for the win.

Albert Yarullin gave Russia an early lead with a slap shot from the left circle 2:42 into the first period, and Jacob Troub equalized with a slap shot from the blue line on a power play midway through the second. US goalie John Gibson had 28 saves, and stopped Nikolay Kucherov from extending the lead by blocking his one-on-one effort with 2:44 left to play. The Americans then had a late power play and pulled Gibson to play 6-on-4, but couldn’t force the match into overtime.

Earlier Friday, Ryan Strome scored two goals as Canada rallied to beat Slovakia 6-3. Goals in the first period from Marko Dano and Tomas Mikus put Slovakia 2-0 ahead before Strome narrowed the gap

at 22:16 and Dano restored the two-goal margin on a power play midway through the second period.

But Morgan Rielly, Ty Rattia and Mark Schiefele put Canada 4-3 ahead after 40 minutes. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Strome then scored a goal each early in the third period to seal Canada’s second victory after a 9-3 win over Germany in the Group B opener on Wednesday.

Malcolm Subban made 25 saves for Canada, Adam Nagy stopped 24 for Slovakia. Canada leads Group B with six points. Russia is second, a point behind.

The United States has three points after two games while Slovakia has one point and Germany has lost both its matches.

Also Friday, Sweden took the lead in Group A by rallying to beat Switzerland 3-2 on Victor Rask’s winner in a penalty shootout. Eliot Antonietti put Switzerland ahead at 14:04, but Sebastien Collberg equalized on a power play at 30:32 before Mike Kunzle scored his third goal at the event to restore Switzerland’s lead on another power play. Emmil Djuse leveled at 2-2 at 46:14 to send the match into overtime.

Both teams had their chances in overtime but failed to convert them. In the penalty shootout, Rask sent what proved to be the winner past Melvin Nyffeler, who made 39 saves. Joel Lassinantti, who had 29 saves, then denied Lino Martschini’s effort.

Earleir, the Czech Republic earned its first victory at the event, beating Finland 2-1 through first-period goals from Marek Hrbas and Tomas Hyka in Group A. Teuvo Teravainen scored the only goal for Finland 2:29 into the second period and Patrik Bartosak made 29 saves for the Czechs to secure the victory. Joonas Korpisalo had 17 saves for Finland.

Sweden has five points from two games, a point more than second-place Switzerland. Finland and the Czech Republic have three points each, while Latvia has lost both its matches. — AP

BORMIO: Even in a sport where races are often decided by hundredths of seconds, the results of yesterday’s classic Bormio downhill were so tight that even the most experienced skiers were left stunned.

Hannes Reichelt of Austria and Dominik Paris of Italy shared victory with the exact same time on the Stelvio course - usually considered the circuit’s most physically demanding - and the top four finishers were separated by a mere two hundredths of a second in one of the closest finishes skiing has ever seen.

“On a hill as tough as this to have a race that close, that’s surprising,” said overall World Cup leader Aksel Lund Svindal, who finished third. “The crazy thing is we were fast in different sections.”

Paris took the early lead by clocking 1 minute, 58.62 seconds for his first career win and Reichelt then matched him to give Austria its first speed win of the season.

Svindal finished 0.01 seconds behind - the smallest possible margin - and Klaus Kroell of Austria was fourth, missing out on a podium finish despite being just 0.02 behind the winners.

“It’s for sure the tightest race I’ve ever been in,” added Svindal, who sat out training Friday with a sore throat. “Obviously 0.01 is extremely tight and you wonder what you could have done to be faster than the winner, but that’s always the case. The race is over. I had a good run and I’ll take third place today.”

It was the ninth time two men tied for victory on the men’s World Cup circuit, but the first time four racers finished within 0.02 of each other - among men or women.

In the super-G at the 1999 world championships in Vail, Colorado, Lasse Kjus and Hermann Maier shared victory, with Hans Knauss 0.01 behind in third.

However, the fourth-place finisher in that race, Stephan Eberharter, was 0.22 back.

There was also a downhill in Panorama, British Columbia, in 1992 won by William Besse, with Daniel Mahrer and Guenther Mader sharing second - each 0.01 behind. AJ Kitt was fourth in that race, 0.19 behind. Among the

women, there was a three-way victory in a giant slalom in Soelden, Austria in 2002 between Nicole Hosp, Tina Maze and Andrine Flemmen. But again fourth place was further behind.

For a while, it looked like the race might be remembered as an Italian sweep, with Paris, Werner Hell and Christof Innerhofer sitting 1-2-3 through 13 starters. With Italian great Alberto Tomba on hand, the local fans were going wild. Reichelt was then faster than Paris at each checkpoint, but he lost time on the bottom section and crossed dead even - prompting the fans to cheer some more.

Svindal then made a slight error near the end of his run - nearly going down on one hip - but battled to regain his balance.

“It definitely wasn’t my best turn on the hill, but I didn’t crash and I saved a third place,” Svindal said. Svindal turned 30 earlier this week then came down with a sore throat.

“I tried warmup yesterday but it wasn’t a good day for me,” he said.

“I decided if I wanted to have any chance, I needed to rest. I went to bed and read some books and rested up for today.” Svindal matched Michael Walchhofer’s record from 2004 of six podiums in speed events before New Year’s.

“I’m on a very good roll,” Svindal said. “Every day other guys are fast, too, but I’m always right there.”

With 674 points, Svindal also extended his overall lead ahead of Marcel Hirscher of Austria (560) and Ted Ligety of the United States - both technical specialists who did not race. He also still leads the downhill standings.

Kroell was the last of the favorites to ski and was 0.20 faster than the leaders at the final checkpoint. But when he crossed the line and saw the results board, he buried his face in his hands.

“Fourth is not bad, but it’s not fair to lose by 0.02,” Kroell said. “I don’t have any joy at all. I’m the (fool) of the day. ... My finish was very bad.”

It was the first downhill win of Reichelt’s career. He has also won four super-Gs and one giant slalom, and took silver in super-G at the last world championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

“I see myself as an all-around racer,” Reichelt said. “I can win in three disciplines.” Paris’ only previous podium result was a second in a downhill in Chamonix, France, two seasons ago. The Italian moved up to second in the downhill standings, 92 points behind Svindal. It was the third speed victory for the

BORMIO: Austria’s Hannes Reichelt (left) and Italy’s Dominik Paris celebrate on the podium after winning an alpine ski, men’s World Cup downhill. Reichelt and Paris shared the victory in one of the closest races in skiing history, with the top four finishers separated by a mere two hundredths of a second. —AP Italian men’s team this season, after Innerhofer won a downhill and Matteo Marsaglia took a super-G in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

“We have a great group and we’re always pushing each other,” Paris said. “Winning my first race before my home fans is truly something special.” On a splendid day of sunshine, the top American finisher was Travis Ganong in seventh for his best career result.

“When I train I push it to a certain amount and it’s smooth and fast and consistent, and I reached that level today,” Ganong said.

Always known as one of the most physically demanding course on the circuit, several racers fell as they battled exhaustion on the lower section. Andrej Sporn of

buyouts, a player who requested anonymity told ESPN.com.

The offer would extend the limit of player contracts to six years from the NHL’s previous offer of five, adjust yearly salary variance to 10 per cent from five per cent, and permit one buyout for each team before the 2013-14 season that would not count against the team’s salary cap but would count against the players’ share, the ESPN report said.

With the talks stalled, the players have given their union’s executive board the authority to file a disclaimer of interest, which would essentially dissolve the union and allow individual players to file anti-trust lawsuits against the league.

The board has until Jan. 2 to made a decision.

To counter that possible move, the NHL has asked US courts to confirm the legality of the lockout and filed an unfair labor practice against the players’ union.

The dispute is the third to rock a professional North American sports league following lockouts in the National Football League and National Basketball Association last year. It is also the NHL’s fourth work stoppage in 20 years and first since a lockout forced cancellation of the entire 2004-05 season.

When a labor dispute led the NHL to run a 48-game campaign for the 1994-95 season, an agreement with players was reached by Jan. 11 and the season opened on Jan. 20. — Reuters

Bridge results First Bianca Mousalli Ahmed Tawfik Second Dashti Khalid Third S Mostafa Al Roumi Fourth Imran Sam Jacobs Fifth Ahmed Hinnawy M Tawfik Sixth Ibrahim Al Qattan Numan Turki We conduct duplicate Bridge tournament every Sunday and Wednesday at 20:00 hours; played at the Graduates Club next to Kuwait Engineering Society.

near the end of his run. “When I went off the San Pietro jump I was (completely) dehydrated - I had no saliva in my mouth - then my legs went numb and I just tried to stick on my line,” the Squaw Valley, California, skier said. “But if you really just push two turns, that’s the whole bottom part, so I really just saved my energy a little bit and pushed on those last two. I could barely stop when I crossed the finish line, but it was good and I was happy.”

The next stop on the circuit is a special city event in Munich on New Year’s Day for select athletes.

Speed specialists have a break until the classic races in Wengen, Switzerland, and Kitzbuehel, Austria, in mid-January. — AP

Laporte wants more of the same from Toulon

League offers new proposal to end dispute NEW YORK: The National Hockey League (NHL) has given the players’ union a new comprehensive proposal in an attempt to end their bitter labor dispute in time for a limited season, league deputy commissioner Bill Daly said on Friday.

Daly said the proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement was delivered to the NHL Players’ Association late on Thursday. NHL and union officials were expected to discuss the proposal during a conference call on Saturday and then meet face-to-face on Sunday, the league’s website said. “We are not prepared to discuss the details of our proposal at this time,” Daly said in a statement.

“We are hopeful that once the union’s staff and negotiating committee have had an opportunity to thoroughly review and consider our new proposal, they will share it with the players. We want to be back on the ice as soon as possible.”

The new offer is reportedly contingent on a regular season of at least 48 games starting no later than Jan. 19, according to NHL.com. The union had no comment.

Players have been locked out since midSeptember and the league has cancelled games through Jan. 14, more than 50 percent of the regular season which was scheduled to start in October. At stake is how to divide $3.3 billion in annual revenue. The league’s latest offer included changes in NHL proposals on term limits for players contracts, salary variance and

Slovenia was the first to go down, within sight of the finish. He eventually got up and skied down under his own power. Next was Joachim Puchner of Austria, who crashed into the nets but also appeared to escape serious injury.

In all, 11 racers failed to finish.

Ganong battled through fatigue

HOUSTON: Texas Tech’s Derreck Edwards (19) flips into the end zone for a touchdown ahead of Minnesota’s Antonio Johnson (11) during the first quarter of the Meineke Car Care Bowl NCAA college football game. —AP

Texas Tech edge Minnesota HOUSTON: Texas Tech’s DJ Johnson returned an interception 39 yards and Ryan Bustin made a 28-yard field goal as time expired to give the Red Raiders a 3431 comeback victory over Minnesota on Friday in college football’s Meineke Car Care Bowl.

In the day’s other bowl games, a field goal in overtime gave Virginia Tech a 1310 win over Rutgers in the Russell Athletic Bowl and Ohio cruised to a 45-14 win over Louisiana-Monroe in the Independence Bowl. Texas Tech quarterback Seth Doege found Eric Ward on a short pass, and he outran a defender for a 35-yard scoring play to tie the game 31-31 with just more than a minute remaining, setting up Bustin’s winning field goal.

Minnesota’s Michael Carter intercepted two of Doege’s passes in the fourth quarter before the tying score, but the Golden Gophers couldn’t convert either of the turnovers into points.

Texas Tech got their third straight bowl win to wrap up a month that began with coach Tommy Tuberville’s abrupt departure for the job at Cincinnati. Texas Tech has hired Kliff Kingsbury to replace him, but interim coach Chris Thomsen led the team against Minnesota. Kingsbury watched from a suite.

In Orlando, Florida, Virginia Tech’s Cody Journell kicked a 22-yard field goal on the first possession of overtime to help the Hokies beat Rutgers. Virginia Tech won its

third straight game to avoid its first losing season since 1992. Rutgers had a chance to tie it in overtime, but Nick Borgese missed a 42-yard field goal attempt.

Virginia Tech trailed 10-0 at halftime, then rallied in the final 30 minutes thanks to some timely turnovers and offense.

Quarterback Logan Thomas struggled in the first and finished with a pair of interceptions, but also had 192 yards passing.

Virginia Tech cornerback Antone Exum, selected the most valuable player of the game, picked off Gary Nova’s pass early in the fourth quarter to set up the tying score - Thomas’ 21-yard pass to Corey Fuller with 10:56 left as steady rain began to fall. Rutgers had opened the scoring when Virginia Tech center Caleb Farris sent his second snap of the night sailing past Thomas and into the end zone.

Thomas tried to run it out of play, but he was swarmed and lost the ball as he was tackled. It was recovered by Khaseem Greene for the touchdown.

In Shreveport, Louisiana, Ohio quarterback Tyler Tettleton threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns while Beau Blankenship ran for four scores as the Bobcats easily beat Louisiana-Monroe.

Chase Cochran caught three passes for 162 yards and a touchdown as Ohio won their second straight bowl game.

Blankenship’s four rushing touchdowns set an Independence Bowl record. He added 104 yards rushing. — AP

PARIS: Top 14 leaders Toulon enter the second half of the season today with coach Bernard Laporte calling for more of the same from his men. The multi-talented Mediterranean side are currently on a roll that saw them defeat bogey side Agen 15-9 away last weekend. That put them seven points clear of second-placed Clermont with reigning champions Toulouse trailing a further two points back.

On paper the visit of seventh-place Perpignan to the Stade Mayol on Sunday should not be cause for too much concern, but Laporte, who was national team coach from 1999 to 2007 and then in government as secretary of state for sport, is wary. “We have finished on top in the first half of the season, but that is far from an end to the matter,” he said.

“What matters most now is to stay top in the second half of the season. That is what we are aiming to do and we have a favourable fixture list as we have eight home games out of 13.

“We will look to go on the attack against Perpignan, but when you look at the squad they have, they are a very good team and we need to take them very seriously indeed.” Back into the mix for Toulon come international winger Alexis Palisson, who has been sidelined with a back injury since early October, and back-to-form fly-half Frederic Michalak, who was rested last weekend after his fine performances in France’s November Test matches. Clermont, who edged Bordeaux away 28-24 last weekend, welcome Bayonne, who scored a fine 39-13 home win over bottom-side Mont-deMarsan.

The Auvergne side have injury concerns over veteran international winger Aurelien Rougerie, who has a long-standing back problem, as well as hooker Benjamin Kayser and Samoan centre Benson Stanley, who both have been laid low with a virus.

Toulouse were also missing several top players when they resumed training on Wednesday ahead of the tough trip to Castres, who are currently level with Guy Noves’s side in third place on 42 points.

Injuries apart, they will be without key players Yannick Nyanga, Yoann Huget, Louis Picamoles, Yoann Maestri amd Census Johnston, all of whom are obliged to take a break after international duties. The loss to Grenoble last weekend was the second in a row for Toulouse following the away defeat against Ospreys in the European Cup and Castres forwards coach Laurent Labit has promised them no mercy today.

“I have every respect in the world for this club, but we will have no complexes against them as we know that we have some good qualities of our own,” he said. In other games fifth-place Montpellier host Stade Francais, Grenoble take on Bordeaux, Racing Metro look to bounce back at home to Agen and Mont-de-Marsan seek what would be just their second win of the season at home to Biarritz. —AFP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

sp orts

Outstanding former England captain Greig dies MELBOURNE: Former England captain Tony Greig, one of the architects of cricket’s World Series revolution in the 1970s, has died at the age of 66 after suffering a heart attack at his Sydney home yesterday.

Greig, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in October, was taken to a Sydney hospital but died at about 1:45 pm (0245 GMT). “The staff of the emergency department worked on Mr Greig to no avail,” a spokesman at St Vincent’s hospital told local media.

A larger-than-life figure standing 6ft 6in (1.98 metres), South Africa-born Greig was an outstanding all-rounder who played 58 tests for England from 1972-77, scoring 3,599 runs at 40.43 including eight centuries and claiming 141 wickets at 32.20 each. He was also a brilliant slip fielder, taking 87 catches in test matches.

Greig could bowl at either a lively medium-pace or, on occasion, employ quickish off-spin, using his height and bounce in the latter style to take 13 wickets and win a test match in the Caribbean.

But Greig and controversy were never far apart and on the same West Indies tour in 1974 he ran out Alvin Kallicharran while the batsman was walking back to the pavilion after the

last ball of the day had been bowled.

Technically Kallicharran was out as the umpire had not yet indicated play had officially ended, but after spectators invaded the ground and threatened to riot, the batsman was recalled.

Later that year on the Ashes tour of Australia, Greig sometimes seemed to be playing the Australians on his own as Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson blitzed the hapless England batsmen with their pace, menace and bounce.

He was promoted to the captaincy in the following year after England lost the first Ashes Test at home and immediately infused his own aggression and determination into the team who drew the next three tests against one of the strongest sides in history.

However, in 1976 Greig attracted further unwanted controversy before a series against West Indies when he said he intended to make the tourists “grovel”. The use of the word by a white South African in a time of heightened racial tensions enraged the West Indies, whose fast bowlers noticeably lifted their pace when Greig arrived at the crease on their way to a 3-0 series victory. Greig’s biggest impact on the game came after he joined forces in 1977 with late Australian businessman Kerry Packer to set up the breakaway World

Series Cricket (WSC) competition.

Media magnate Packer’s concept, aimed at securing cricket broadcast rights for his Channel Nine in Australia, shook up the game’s world order by pioneering limited overs matches played at night and turning cricketers into full-time professionals.

Greig’s signature lent credibility to WSC and he played a key role in recruiting disaffected players to the controversial competition which lasted only two years but permanently changed the face of the game.

“He influenced all those guys from overseas, certainly, and the West Indies to join World Series Cricket and it was great for cricket what he had done,” former Australia batsman Doug Walters, who played in the WSC competition, told Sky News. “Greig was one of the great competitors of cricket...he was someone that really took the fight to Australia, but he took the fight to everybody. “Win, lose or draw he was the first guy in our dressing room with a couple of beers in his hands.” Greig’s recruitment to WSC’s cause put him at loggerheads with cricket’s conservative establishment and he was stripped of the England captaincy in 1977. His international career ended that year after he had made a typically whole-hearted

DUBAI: In this Nov. 13, 2009 file photo, commentator and former England cricketer Tony Greig (left) is joined by New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum (center) and Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi during the toss before the start of their second Twenty20 international cricket match in Dubai. —AP contribution under Mike Brearley to England’s Ashes success at home. A long-time resident Down Under, Greig later became a cricket commentator with Channel Nine, having been promised a “job for life” by Packer. A combative and occasionally abrasive character,

Greig’s booming voice and signature white hat featured on Australian television screens for over three decades, but his battle with cancer prevented him from taking his position behind the microphone for the current 2012/13 season. —Reuters

Djokovic wins in Abu Dhabi

Mike Hussey

‘Mr Cricket’ Hussey to retire MELBOURNE: Mike Hussey will play his final test against Sri Lanka next week and retire from international cricket at the end of the Australian summer, the veteran batsman said, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.

The rugged 37-year-old, known affectionately Down Under as ‘Mr Cricket’ for his all-consuming passion for the game, will sign off at the peak of his powers, having scored three centuries in his past five tests.

Hussey, speaking in an interview with Nine Network, said he wanted to bow out on a high and that family life would become his priority. “I was actually quite excited to tell (my children) this morning that I’m not going to go away and play for Australia any more,” he said.

“They were happy but not as excited as I thought they were going to be, so it was a bit of shock.” Shut out from the peerless Australia team that dominated world cricket for over a decade, Hussey had to wait until he was 30 for his test debut, against West Indies in 2005, by which time he had amassed a mountain of first-class runs.

Although scoring one and 29 in his first test in Brisbane, Hussey scored consecutive centuries in his next two matches and went on to score another 17 in his lateblooming career. Hussey’s career dipped in 2008-09, but he dug himself out of a prolonged form slump with two centuries in

Australia’s home Ashes series loss in 201011 and has continued to dominate bowlers around the world since.

“I know how low I felt when my head was on the chopping block and I was maybe one innings away from being dropped from the team,” the Western Australian said yesterday. “It’s not a nice place to be.” An aggressive left-hander who charges between the wickets and always looks to score, the middle order batsman will play his 79th test against Sri Lanka in Sydney and brings 6,183 runs at an outstanding average of 51.52 into the match.

The Perth-born Hussey has also scored over 5,000 runs in one-day internationals and will sign off with matches against Sri Lanka and West Indies in January and February. The sight of the ever-reliable Hussey walking out to the pitch following a top order collapse has been a comfort to cricket fans Down Under in recent years, with the test team struggling to rebuild following the retirements of a golden generation of cricketers. His shock decision is a major blow ahead of a tour to India and the back-to-back Ashes series in 2013, however, and follows the retirement of another prolific run-scorer in former captain Ricky Ponting, who called it a day after the third test match against South Africa earlier this month. — Reuters

Victorious Australia dogged by injuries, selection queries MELBOURNE: Australia’s second test thrashing of an injury-ravaged Sri Lanka provided some consolation after a stinging 1-0 loss in the home series to South Africa, but has left the team with much to ponder ahead of the dead rubber test in Sydney next week.

Australia head into the final match of the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead, but the innings victory in Melbourne was soured with ongoing injury clouds over skipper Michael Clarke and vice-captain Shane Watson.

The fitness concerns have added further ammunition to critics of the team’s player management, with selectors and fitness staff already under fire for a controversial rotation policy that saw injuryfree seamer Mitchell Starc rested for Melbourne for fear he might break down.

Both Watson and Clarke played despite bringing injuries into the Melbourne test, leaving selectors open to accusations of double standards. While Clarke scored a glittering 106 and Watson a solid 83 to help set up victory, the wash-out from Melbourne will do little to quell the grumbling.

All-rounder Watson broke down with a calf strain after bowling on day one and will miss the Sydney test, while Clarke remains in doubt as he continues his battle to recover from a hamstring strain.

When asked why selectors had not rested the injury-prone Watson, who was forced to shoulder a big bowling workload in the first test victory in Hobart when seamer Ben Hilfenhaus broke down

with a side strain, Cricket Australia’s high performance chief Pat Howard told reporters: “There was some consideration of it.”

“But it was looked at as a collective.

He’s multi-skilled and can bring more than a couple of attributes to the game.

“When we talk about players missing a game or managing their workload, a lot of this is around young fast bowlers and looking after them is a pretty core principle of what we’re trying to do.”

The support staff ’s best intentions have not stopped young pacemen James Pattinson and Pat Cummins from breaking down among a raft of injuries, while 22-year-old Starc’s Melbourne omission left the bowler tweeting that he was “shattered” by the decision.

Selectors have also backed themselves into a corner by promising Starc would play at the Sydney Cricket Ground, meaning either one of Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle or Jackson Bird must miss out on a wicket traditionally conducive to spin.

Man-of-the-match Johnson, had a brilliant return to form in Melbourne after being dumped for the Hobart test, capturing six wickets and bashing an unbeaten 92 in a performance that would virtually guarantee selection.

Bird also had an excellent test debut with four wickets in place of the injured Hilfenhaus, while pace attack leader Siddle might not take kindly to being left out after being controversially rested for Australia’s third test loss to South Africa in Perth. — Reuters

ABU DHABI: Novak Djokovic got his season off to a perfect start by defeating Nicolas Almagro 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-4 yesterday in the final of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament.

Djokovic had looked in impressive early season form in Friday’s semi-finals, destroying world No.5 David Ferrer in straight sets, while Almagro, a late replacement for the injured Rafael Nadal, was taken all the way by Janko Tipsarevic.

But it was the Spaniard who edged a close first set 7/4 on a tiebreaker, with Djokovic, the winner here last year, looking listless at times.

The world No.1 put that setback quickly behind him as he broke Almagro to start the second set, but he failed to turn that into a 2-0 lead as Almagro broke back to level in the next game.

A double-fault from the Spaniard though saw the Serb take back the advantage and this time he held firm to level the set scores. The decider went with serve until the 10th game when Almagro served up three straight unforced errors to hand Djokovic the win.

The match for third place played earlier was won by Spain’s Ferrer as he defeated Tipsarevic of Serbia 7-6, 6-2. All four players will head out for Australia to complete their preparations for the Australian Open which gets under way in Melbourne on January 14 where Djokovic will be the defending champion. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic believes he can become only the third man in history to hold all four majors at the same time in 2013 having come so agonisingly close last season.

The world number one missed out on joining Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969) as just the third man to simultaneously possess the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles when he was beaten by Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.

Having finished number one in the world for the second successive season, the 25-year-old Serb goes into the new campaign, which gets underway officially next week, with his confidence high.

“I won the last big tournament of the year in London (the ATP World Tour Finals) and I am hoping that I can continue playing well,” said Djokovic. “So my ambitions are always high. I want to win every Grand Slam that I play.” The five-time major winner added: “Roland Garros is always at the top of my priority list and ambitions. It’s the only slam I haven’t won. I played in the final, which is a step further than ever before.”

Djokovic won the Australian Open in 2012, was runner-up to Nadal at the French while also losing a five-set US Open final to Andy

Murray. He was a semi-final loser to Roger Federer at Wimbledon.

In New York and London he had been defending champion. Federer captured a 17th major when he claimed a record-equalling seventh Wimbledon, coming from a set down to defeat a tearful Murray.

seasons come around. “My goal is not Doha or the Australian Open. My goal is to get fit, recover all my feelings. The only thing I care about is the knee,” said the seven-time French Open champion, who has battled a series of knee injuries throughout his career.

“My real goal is to start in perfect condition

ABU DHABI: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic holds the trophy after he beats Spain’s Nicolas Almagro in the final match of Mubadala Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi. — AP With his 32nd birthday coming in August, the great Swiss has already slashed his schedule for the new year, intending to play just 13 events. He will go into a 14th Australian Open next month-a tournament he has won four times-not having played a warm-up competition. World number three Murray became the first British man since 1936 to win a major when he defeated Djokovic to clinch the US Open, with his triumph coming in the slipstream of his Olympic Games gold medal.

“In the last three, four or five years there has been significant pressure in my mind and I feel more relaxed and more relieved after winning the US Open,” said the 25-year-old. “So I think from my side I hope to take pressure off myself and will be able to play a little bit more relaxed and hope to repeat my Grand Slam win.”

Nadal, the 11-time major winner, will be the unknown quantity having been out of action since his shock second round defeat at Wimbledon to world number 100 Lukas Rosol in June. He will make his comeback in Doha next week but only expects to be at full fitness once the US hardcourt and European claycourt

at Indian Wells and Miami and reach MonteCarlo with good feelings, to face the clay season in good condition.” In 2012, Serena Williams was the player of the year on the WTA Tour, with the veteran American overcoming her worst ever Grand Slam performance-a first round defeat at the French Open-to win Wimbledon, the Olympics, US Open and then the end-of-season WTA Championships title.

“I definitely think I can improve some more,” said Williams, who now has 15 Grand Slam singles titles. That’s just three off the 18 collected

by Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, with only Steffi Graf’s record of 22 looking potentially out of reach.

Williams, who will be 32 in 2013, starts her season in Brisbane as does world number two and French Open champion Maria Sharapova, and the world’s top player, Victoria Azarenka.

Williams has undergone toe surgery while Sharapova pulled out of an exhibition in Seoul last week with a neck injury. Australian Open champion Azarenka, however, was sunning herself in Thailand before heading for Brisbane.—Agencies

Petkovic suffers knee injury at Hopman Cup

PERTH: Bernard Tomic of Australia serves against Tommy Haas of Germany during their second session men’s singles match on day one of the Hopman Cup Tennis Tournament. —AFP

PERTH: Andrea Petkovic’s 2013 campaign has suffered a potentially catastrophic setback before the new year has even begun, with the German struck down by a knee injury at the mixed teams Hopman Cup yesterday.

The injury-plagued Petkovic appeared hampered by a right knee problem late in the opening stanza of her singles match against Australian teenager Ashleigh Barty, but still managed to win the first set 6-4. The former top 10 player sought treatment at the end of the first set and broke down in tears while being attended by the trainer.

With her right knee heavily strapped she returned to the court, but the 25-year-old did not even manage to play another point, instead retiring from the match in tears, throwing her upcoming Australian Open campaign into serious doubt.

Petkovic had been ranked as high as ninth in the world in 2011, but slipped outside the top 100 this year due to injuries, with back and ankle problems seeing her end the year at 126 in the rankings after playing just 23 matches for the season. She had surgery on a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee in 2008 and last year tore the meniscus in the same knee. Her retirement handed Australia a 3-0 win in the Group A tie, with the Germans forfeiting the

mixed doubles and Bernard Tomic earlier beating Tommy Haas in three sets.

In the men’s singles, veteran Haas did everything but beat the 20-year-old Tomic, the Australian eventually prevailing 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 75 in a match the German generally controlled.

The German, ranked 21st at age 34, had a seemingly insurmountable 6-1 lead in the first set tie break, but then inexplicably lost the next seven points to hand the Australian the set. Haas levelled the match and appeared to be cruising through the deciding set after an early break, until he served for the match at 5-4. Tomic, ranked 52nd, broke back to level the set, held serve and then broke Haas again to take the match. “I don’t know how I got out of that tiebreak,” Tomic said after the win. Earlier on the opening day, the Spanish pairing of Anabel Medina Garrigues and Fernando Verdasco notched a 2-1 win over South Africa in sweltering heat. The singles rubbers were split in the Group B tie, with Medina Garrigues beating Chanelle Scheepers and Kevin Anderson upsetting Verdasco before the Spaniards proved too strong in the deciding mixed doubles. The fourth seeds for the eight-nation tournament, Verdasco and Medina Garrigues, won the doubles in a match tiebreak, 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 10-8 on a day where the mercury reached 40C (104F). — AFP

18

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

sp orts

Ferguson awaiting Obama’s call after ref controversy LONDON: Facing criticism once again from media and fellow Premier League managers, Alex Ferguson was half-expecting a reaction from the President of the United States, too.

The volatile Manchester United manager hasn’t been short of influential critics following his latest outburst at a referee. This time, he wouldn’t have been surprised if it had even reached the ears of the White House.

“The press have had a field day out of it,” Ferguson said of the discussion about his behavior. “They have addressed every possible avenue. The only one they have left out is Barack Obama. He is too busy.”

It’s hardly comparable to the “fiscal cliff” deadline currently occupying President Obama, but the Premier League’s main talking point over the festive period has been the outspokenness of English football’s longest-serving manager.

Days after claiming one of his players could have been “killed” by an opponent, the 70-year-old Ferguson delivered another rant Friday while defending himself for approaching match officials during a league match

against Newcastle. Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said Thursday he was surprised to see Ferguson escape punishment for confronting referee Mike Dean, a linesman and the fourth official during United’s 4-3 win at Old Trafford, after the visitors had been awarded a dubious goal. It prompted an angry response. “I carry that because I am the manager of the most famous club in the world,” Ferguson said. “I am not like Newcastle, a wee club in the north east.”

Ferguson claims he was “demonstrative but ... not out of order” and accused Pardew of hypocrisy, with the Newcastle manager having served a two-match touchline ban this season for pushing an assistant referee during a league match.

“Alan Pardew is the worst at haranguing referees,” Ferguson said. “His whole staff, every game. He was at it the whole game on Wednesday. “He shoves the referee and makes a joke of it and has the cheek to criticize me. It is unbelievable.”

Some believe Ferguson - one of the most powerful voices in football - benefits from

favorable treatment from authorities, yet the United manager did serve a five-match touchline ban following criticism of referee Martin Atkinson after a league match against Chelsea last season. He also was handed a suspended two-match ban that season for accusing another referee - Alan Wiley - of being physically unfit to referee a Premier League game.

In this latest incident, Ferguson was furious that Dean overruled a linesman’s decision and awarded a goal to Newcastle when United defender Jonny Evans turned the ball into his own net as he attempted to clear a shot. Newcastle striker Papiss Demba Cisse was standing in an offside position when the shot was struck and was close to Evans when the ball was deflected in, but wasn’t seen to be interfering with play according to Dean.

Dean decided not to mention his confrontation with Ferguson in his referee’s match report.

“I think Mike Dean might feel slightly disappointed he didn’t do something about it,” Pardew said. However, Ferguson said: “It has

been overplayed. I was not on the pitch for more than three or four yards and then we came off together. There was no ranting or raving from me. I was demonstrative. I am always demonstrative. Everyone knows that.

I am an emotional guy. That doesn’t mean to say I was abusive.”

Arsenal manager Arsene shared Pardew’s view of the incident, however. “Should you behave like that? No ... when you go overboard, you have to be punished,” said Wenger. The Frenchman’s relationship with Ferguson has improved over recent seasons, compared to the days when Arsenal and United were going head-to-head for English titles, but Wenger had little sympathy for his old adversary.

“Whether it’s me or Fergie or anyone else in the world, the rules are the rules,” Wenger said. “It is not rules for one person and rules for another. It’s the same for everybody. “We love the Premier League. It is watched all over the world so we want it to be respected by fans for its behavior.”

Meanwhile, Ferguson has warned the

club’s fans not to expect any major signings to arrive at Old Trafford during the January transfer window. Writing in the club programme prior to United’s Premier League home game with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, Ferguson said he was happy with the players at his disposal and was not interested in making any “serious” signings.

“Don’t hold your breath waiting for Manchester United to jump through the transfer window when it opens next week,” he wrote. “It’s been open season to link us with a stack of players, admittedly some very good ones, but it just isn’t going to happen.

“You can never say never in football because you don’t know who might become available, but speaking generally, I am not looking to do any serious business in January. “I don’t have to because I am more than satisfied with the players I have in my squad, a group as good as I have had in my time at Old Trafford.” United went into the weekend’s fixtures with a seven-point lead over second-place Manchester City in the English top tier. — Agencies

Benitez set for stormy reception at Everton Michel Platini

UEFA, agents clash over third-party ownership DUBAI: UEFA President Michel Platini wants to end the third-party ownership of players’ transfer rights but that is being fiercely opposed by agents who contend it would be a disaster for smaller clubs who depend on outside financing to secure big names.

The issue came up repeatedly at a two-day football conference in Dubai with several agents complaining the issue was being mischaracterized in the press and that imposing a ban - which is already in place in France and England - would only serve to further widen the gap between big and small clubs.

“If we do this, we put an end to football for small clubs,” said Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes, whose clients include Colombia striker Radamel Falcao and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I don’t think competitions will be the same if third parties can’t take part,” he said. “Clubs have the right to use legal instruments to follow their objectives. In my country, I know very well the stories, the histories of these clubs who don’t have economic power to compete.

If there is no mechanism to help clubs buy these players legally, then these clubs won’t be able to compete.”

Others like European Football Agents Association Chairman Rob Jansen told The Associated Press he opposed third parties owning the rights to a player but felt Platini was going too far with his calls to scrap the system altogether.

“They are trying to break something down which they haven’t looked at carefully,” Jansen said. “If you have third party ownership as long as it’s in control of the club, then the club has to decide what will happen. There is nothing wrong with that. ... When you take everything out, you destroy Portugal, Spain, Holland, Belgium. You destroy entire competitions.”

In November, a FIFA panel of football experts called for a global ban on the practice of third-party ownership.

FIFA said its football committee, chaired by Platini, requested “a mandatory regulation to prohibit third-party ownership in football in general” and would submit a proposal to the panel’s next meeting early in 2013.

Third-party ownership allows agents to buy a stake in a player from his club and cash in when future transfer fees are paid. The practice has been exploited by agents and clubs in countries such as Portugal to bring players from South America and was behind the controversial move of Carlos Tevez to West Ham from the Brazilian club Corinthians in 2006. The Tevez deal led to rule changes on third-party ownership in England and a string of bitter legal cases that saw the London club fined nearly $11 million.

In remarks at the football conference Friday, Platini reiterated his opposition to the practice and said it opened the door for criminal activity such as money laundering in the sport.

“Some have dismissed this system as modern slavery which denies players the freedom to make critical decision about their future and careers,” Platini told the conference. “I would not go to that length. But I sincerely believe that such a system poses unnecessary risks to football by creating improper links between agents, financial speculators and clubs that could ultimately effect the fairness of competition while promoting abuses such of money laundering which can only harm the integrity of football. England and France have banned this system and I’m in favor that Europe does like wise.”

Atletico Madrid, in many ways, demonstrates the benefits of the third party ownership, as it used the system to bring Falcao to the club. The striker the club win the Europa title last season and his 17 goals this season have helped it keep pace with Barcelona at the top of the Spanish standings.

The club’s chairman Miguel Angel Gil Marin appears conflicted over efforts to ban the practice. He agreed with Platini that outside investors shouldn’t be allowed to own a player - Falcao’s contract is owned 100 percent by Atletico - but he insisted the club has benefited from tapping the money of outside investors.

“Atletico wants to compete against the 16 clubs in Europe but doesn’t have the same budget,” he said. “I don’t have the same budget but I win. The only way to reach it is to look for some help but we don’t share the economic rights with anyone. Having an agreement with third parties, funds or banks, it’s normal like other companies in any sector ... It’s fair, normal and it’s legal.” —AP

LIVERPOOL: Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez expects a hostile reception at Goodison Park today after branding Everton a small club during his days as Liverpool boss.

Benitez knows Everton supporters are unlikely to have forgotten the jibe, nor will it have been dismissed by Toffees manager David Moyes and his players.

That will only add to challenge confronting Benitez’s side when they attempt to extend their recent revival and mark their ninth game in a gruelling December with a seventh win in eight games.

With Everton lying just two points behind Chelsea, this game will provide a telling test of Benitez’s claim his side are ready to force their way back into the thick of the title race.

“I think Everton are doing a good job,” Benitez said.

“They are doing well, they have fewer resources than other teams and are still competing. They are near the top of the table so credit to them.

“It is a good team and a tough game for sure. For us, we have to be ready physically as well as mentally for the game. They have been doing well in the past year and we know that Goodison is a difficult place to go to.”

Chelsea have struggled on their trips to Everton in recent seasons, losing their last three league fixtures at Goodison Park.

But recent victories, in particular the 8-0 thrashing of Aston Villa, have helped ease concerns about the effects of their congested recent programme that has included a trip to Japan for the Club World Cup.

Chelsea’s Spanish interim manager Rafael Benitez Benitez, though, insists the flurry of games has taken its toll and he will again rotate his squad. “Always when you win, it’s easy to say, ‘No’ (the players haven’t been affected),” he said. “But, to be fair, it’s not easy to keep the same players.

“I like to change players, to move players around, because if we don’t manage the squad they will be really tired.” Everton could begin 2013 third place in the Premier League table if they overcome Chelsea.

The closest Everton have come to the Champions League group stage was in the 2005-06 campaign when they entered at the third qualifying round only to lose

to Spanish side Villarreal 4-2 on aggregate. But the Merseyside club, who start the weekend in fifth spot, are well placed to join the elite at Europe’s top table next season after an impressive first half to the season.

They reached the midway stage with a 2-1 home win over struggling Wigan on Wednesday, and defender Phil Jagielka believes his team can carry on the good work during the second half of the campaign.

Although Everton are blessed with talented individuals such as South African midfielder Steven Pienaar and Croatia striker Nikica Jelavic, they have a thin squad compared to their rivals.

Yet Moyes’ side have won their last two games without influential midfielder Marouane Fellaini, and Jagielka believes the Belgium international could struggle to earn an automatic recall after he serves the final leg of a three-match suspension against Chelsea.

“Felli has been a massive player for us for the first part of the season, but we’ve done okay while he’s been suspended so far which really bodes well,” said England international Jagielka. “The manager knows he has a couple of options he can try and they’ve worked in the last two games.

“Victor Anichebe has come in and give us that presence up there, Steven Naismith has done really well when he came on. “Felli is a big talent and when we heard we were losing him for three games we knew it wouldn’t be ideal - but at this rate he might struggle to get back in.” —AFP

Inter’s Sneijder could be perfect fit for EPL LONDON: Inter Milan coach Andrea Stramaccioni is still holding out hope that Wesley Sneijder will play for the club again but a move to the Premier League looks the most obvious choice for the talented Dutch playmaker.

Sneijder, inspirational as Inter won the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup in 2010 under Jose Mourinho, has been dropped by the club for refusing to renegotiate his lucrative contract with purse strings being tightened at the San Siro.

A sale in the January transfer window therefore looks likely with reports saying the 28-year-old could be allowed to leave for as little as eight million pounds ($12.9 million).

Tottenham Hotspur have been heavily linked with Sneijder in the media while Manchester United were previous admirers of a player who operates best behind the strikers and is notoriously difficult for Serie A defenders to pick up.

Players with a knack of finding that killer pass have thrived in the newly-cosmopolitan English top flight with Spaniards David Silva, Juan Mata and Santi Cazorla all excelling for Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Sneijder is in that class, proving his worth again when helping the

Netherlands to the 2010 World Cup final, even if he has gone off the boil a little in the last two seasons having possibly stayed at a faltering Inter too long. The contract wrangle might suggest he has outstayed his welcome but Stramaccioni is still leaving the door open for a return to the fourth-placed Serie A side.

“With regards to Sneijder, he knows that when a player is deserving I give him everything, if the opposite is true he stays out of the group,” the coach told Italian TV on Friday.

“I am sure Wesley will make me believe again, a shirt is ready for him.”

United looks a less likely destination than it did a year and a half ago when Alex Ferguson was crying out for a playmaker in the middle of the park following Paul Scholes’ retirement.

Reports said a disagreement over Sneijder’s hefty wages curtailed a deal and Scholes has since returned to the fold while young Tom Cleverley is improving and Shinji Kagawa made a promising start to life in the Premier League before injury. A seven-point lead at the top at the halfway mark shows little needs fixing, in attack at least, at United. Second-placed City have never been mentioned as suitors but Tottenham, in fourth, makes more sense as a destination despite

Wesley Sneijder

Belgium’s incisive Moussa Dembele signing from Fulham in August.

Dembele was bought as a replacement for Real Madrid-bound Luka Modric but said earlier this month that he was a “totally different player”.

“He had different qualities and I have different qualities as well so I don’t feel I have to do exactly what he did, I do my own game,” Dembele said.

The Belgian has yet to be a big hit for Andre Villas-Boas’ charges and with Spurs light up front with only Jermain Defoe, Emmanuel Adebayor and Clint Dempsey on the books, Sneijder’s arrival would increase their attacking options.

Sneijder will have heard all about Spurs from Netherlands team mate Rafael van der Vaart, who returned to Hamburg in the last transfer window after two decent years at White Hart Lane.

However, Van der Vaart’s failure to really impose himself at Spurs could lead Sneijder to think again, although other English destinations look less obvious despite Dutch players normally settling well in the Premier League.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been criticised like never before by his own fans for the other north London side’s struggles this term and signings are likely next month.

However, with Cazorla putting in some mesmeric performances in the “hole” and Jack Wilshere impressing after a long spell out with injury, Arsenal are unlikely to upset their wage hierarchy by aiming for Sneijder - especially as Wenger seems set on a new ploy of promoting fresh English talent.

Third-placed Chelsea boast Mata, Frank Lampard, Eden Hazard and Oscar while Liverpool languishing in 10th in the league may not appeal to the former Real Madrid and Ajax Amsterdam man despite their five European Cups and vivid history.

Fifth-placed city rivals Everton do not have a wealth of funds but for a bargain eight million, Sneijder could light up a first stint in England with his ability to play perfect first-time passes in one of the world’s fastest leagues. — Reuters

Radamel Falcao

Falcao to stay at Atletico DUBAI: Colombia striker Radamel Falcao has no plans to leave Atletico Madrid, although he acknowledged yesterday he was filled with “pride” by talk that several of the world’s top clubs are interested in signing him next year.

Falcao’s 17 goals this season has been a key reason why Atletico Madrid has kept pace with Barcelona at the top of Spanish standings. His goal-scoring prowess also has sparked rumors that several big-spending clubs, including Chelsea and Manchester City, would try to sign him as soon as January. But at a Dubai football conference, Falcao said he was “very happy” at Atletico and planned to see out the remaining three years of his contract. He transferred to Atletico from FC Porto in the summer of 2011 for‚ euro47 million (then $67 million), with the club using the funds earned for the sale of Sergio Aguero to Manchester City.

“I have had a great season with my squad and my aim is to finish this year properly. I don’t know what will happen in future,” Falcao told the conference. “I feel pride to learn that the work I’ve been doing is acknowledged by other clubs. Having said that, this is part of football and I’m very happy at my club.”

Atletico Madrid Chairman Miguel Angel Gil Marin ruled out selling Falcao in the January transfer market but said that could change this summer if the Columbian receives offers significantly more lucrative than his current deal.

“I prefer he remains with me at the end of the season,” Gil Martin said. “But it’s like you. If you received a proposal that was seven times more than your salary at another newspaper, I’m sure you will decide to go. I can’t forbid for Falcao to increase his salary, to improve his way of life. I’m only the manager of the club, not the owner of the man.”

Falcao led Atletico to the Europa League title last season, scoring twice in a 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the final. The Colombia striker had previously helped Porto win European football’s second-tier competition the year before. —AP

19

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

SPORTS

Arsenal demolish Newcastle

Soccer results/standings Arsenal 7 (Walcott 20, 73, 90, OxladeChamberlain 50, Podolski 64, Giroud 84, 87) Newcastle 3 (Ba 43, 69, Marveaux 59); Aston Villa 0, Wigan 3 (Ramis 3, Boyce 52, Kone 56); Fulham 1 (Ruiz 56) Swansea 2 (Graham 19, De Guzman 52); Man Utd 2 (McAuley 9-og, Van Persie 90) West Brom 0; Norwich 3 (Pilkington 15, Martin 63, 75) Man City 4 (Dzeko 2, 4, Aguero 50, Bunn 67-og); Reading 1 (Pogrebnyak 5) West Ham 0; Stoke 3 (Jones 16, Upson 67, Jerome 90) Southampton 3 (Lambert 10, Rodriguez 24, Wilkinson 36-og); Sunderland 1 (O’Shea 40) Tottenham 2 (Cuellar 48-og, Lennon 51).

English Football League results Championship Barnsley 1, Blackburn 3; Bolton 3, Birmingham 1; Bristol City 4, Peterborough 2; Burnley 0, Leicester 1; Cardiff 1, Millwall 0; Charlton 1, Derby 1; Huddersfield 0, Sheffield Wednesday 0; Hull 2, Leeds 0; Middlesbrough 4, Blackpool 2; Nottingham Forest 2, Crystal Palace 2; Wolves 0, Ipswich 2.

Division One Bournemouth 3, Crawley 0; Carlisle 2, Bury 1; Leyton Orient 2, Walsall 1; Milton Keynes Dons 2, Coventry 3; Oldham 1, Crewe 2; Portsmouth 1, Yeovil 2; Preston 0, Doncaster 3; Sheffield Utd 2, Hartlepool 3; Shrewsbury 0, Brentford 0; Tranmere 1, Scunthorpe 0.

Division Two AFC Wimbledon 0, Oxford 3; Bradford 2, Rochdale 4; Burton 2, Southend 0; Chesterfield 1, Morecambe 1; Dagenham and Redbridge 2, Port Vale 3; Exeter 2, Barnet 2; Fleetwood Town 0, York 0; Plymouth 0, Wycombe 1; Rotherham 4, Accrington Stanley 1.

Scottish Premier League results Dundee 1 (Stewart 82) Aberdeen 3 (McGinn 46, 69, 89); Hibernian 1 (Griffiths 9) Celtic 0; Motherwell 2 (Murphy 71, Ojamaa 74) Kilmarnock 2 (Perez 13, Heffernan 62); St Johnstone 0, Inverness CT 0.

Scottish Football League results First Division Airdrie 1, Partick 1; Falkirk 3, Dumbarton 4; Morton 4, Dunfermline 2; Raith 2, Cowdenbeath 2.

Second Division Arbroath 2, Albion 1; Ayr 0, Alloa 0; Forfar 3, East Fife 2; Stenhousemuir 1, Queen Of The South 3; Stranraer 0, Brechin 2.

Third Division Annan Athletic 2, Elgin 0; Clyde 2, Berwick 1; Montrose 3, Stirling 2; Queen’s Park 0, Rangers 1;lPeterhead 2, East Stirling 0.

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man Utd Man City Tottenham Chelsea Arsenal Everton West Brom Stoke Swansea Liverpool Norwich West Ham Sunderland Fulham Newcastle Wigan Aston Villa Southampton Reading QPR

20 20 20 18 19 19 20 20 20 19 20 19 20 20 20 20 20 19 20 19

16 1 3 50 28 49 12 6 2 38 19 42 11 3 6 36 26 36 10 5 3 37 17 35 9 6 4 39 21 33 8 9 2 32 23 33 10 3 7 28 25 33 6 11 3 21 17 29 7 7 6 29 24 28 6 7 6 28 26 25 6 7 7 23 32 25 6 5 8 22 23 23 5 7 8 21 26 22 5 6 9 30 36 21 5 5 10 26 37 20 5 3 12 22 35 18 4 6 10 15 39 18 4 5 10 26 37 17 2 7 11 22 37 13 1 7 11 16 33 10

English Football League tables Championship Cardiff 25 17 2 6 Hull 25 15 3 7 Middlesbrough 25 15 2 8 Crystal Palace 25 12 8 5 Leicester 25 12 5 8 Watford 23 11 4 8 Nott Forest 25 9 10 6 Millwall 25 10 7 8 Leeds 25 10 5 10 Brighton 23 8 10 5 Derby 25 9 7 9 Blackpool 25 8 9 8 Burnley 25 9 6 10 Bolton 25 8 8 9 Blackburn 24 8 8 8 Huddersfield 25 8 8 9 Wolves 25 9 4 12 Charlton 25 7 9 9 Ipswich 25 8 6 11 Birmingham 25 7 8 10 Sheff Wednesday 25 7 4 14 Bristol City 24 6 4 14 Peterborough 25 7 1 17 Barnsley 25 5 6 14

47 37 45 47 38 41 36 37 37 31 37 43 38 39 32 30 31 30 27 33 28 37 35 25

29 27 33 33 22 31 32 34 42 23 37 38 40 39 33 37 35 33 45 41 40 48 48 41

53 48 47 44 41 37 37 37 35 34 34 33 33 32 32 32 31 30 30 29 25 22 22 21

Division One Tranmere Sheffield Utd Doncaster Brentford Bournemouth Swindon Milton 24 Crawley Town Coventry Stevenage Notts County Yeovil Crewe Leyton Orient Preston Walsall Carlisle Oldham Shrewsbury Colchester Portsmouth Bury Scunthorpe Hartlepool

25 25 24 24 24 23 11 25 25 23 23 25 24 23 25 25 24 25 25 24 24 25 24 24

13 8 4 41 24 47 12 10 3 36 21 46 14 4 6 36 22 46 12 9 3 36 23 45 11 8 5 43 33 41 11 6 6 37 18 39 6 7 35 24 39 11 5 9 33 37 38 10 7 8 44 33 37 10 7 6 31 32 37 9 9 5 35 24 36 11 3 11 38 38 36 10 6 8 31 31 36 11 1 11 27 27 34 7 10 8 33 31 31 7 8 10 31 41 29 8 5 11 33 44 29 7 5 13 25 34 26 5 10 10 29 34 25 6 5 13 24 38 23 5 6 13 29 37 21 4 9 12 26 40 21 5 5 14 24 44 20 2 6 16 18 45 12

Division Two Port Vale Gillingham Cheltenham Southend Rotherham Bradford Burton Albion Fleetwood Town

24 23 24 25 24 24 25 24

13 7 13 6 12 6 11 7 12 4 11 6 11 6 9 10

Chesterfield Rochdale Exeter Northampton Torquay Oxford Utd Dagenham York Wycombe Morecambe Accrington Plymouth Barnet Aldershot Bristol Rovers AFC Wimbledon

25 9 9 7 33 28 36 25 10 6 9 44 42 36 24 10 5 9 36 37 35 23 9 6 8 37 31 33 23 8 9 6 30 27 33 24 9 5 10 37 38 32 24 8 7 9 36 35 31 24 7 10 7 30 34 31 24 8 5 11 28 36 29 24 7 7 10 30 33 28 25 7 6 12 29 41 27 25 5 9 11 28 34 24 25 5 8 12 25 40 23 24 5 7 12 22 38 22 23 4 7 12 26 46 19 23 5 4 14 24 44 19

Scottish Premier League table Celtic 20 12 4 4 Inverness CT 21 8 10 3 Motherwell 21 9 7 5 Hibernian 21 9 4 8 Aberdeen 21 8 6 7 Kilmarnock 20 7 6 7 St Johnstone 21 6 9 6 Dundee Utd 19 6 7 6 Hearts 20 6 7 7 St Mirren 20 5 6 9 Ross County 20 4 9 7 Dundee 20 3 3 14

39 44 37 31 28 31 23 28 20 25 21 13

15 35 29 29 26 26 26 28 22 34 30 40

40 34 34 31 30 27 27 25 25 21 21 12

Scottish Football League tables First Division Morton 17 10 5 2 Partick 16 10 3 3 Dunfermline 17 9 3 5 Falkirk 17 6 5 6 Livingston 15 6 5 4 Raith 16 5 7 4 Hamilton 15 4 4 7 Cowdenbeath 16 3 6 7 Airdrie Utd 17 3 4 10 Dumbarton 14 2 2 10

39 36 37 25 23 25 17 21 18 15

23 14 21 23 21 23 21 27 40 43

35 33 30 23 23 22 16 15 13 8

Second Division Queen of South Alloa Forfar Brechin Arbroath East Fife Stenhousemuir Ayr Stranraer Albion

40 31 33 29 28 27 29 22 19 23

10 17 35 26 34 26 36 27 36 34

44 33 26 25 23 20 19 18 15 14

17 14 17 10 17 8 16 8 17 6 17 6 17 4 16 5 17 4 17 4

2 3 2 1 5 2 7 3 3 2

1 4 7 7 6 9 6 8 10 11

50 41 36 41 40 37 37 31

27 21 32 25 34 29 34 22

46 45 42 40 40 39 39 37

17 13 17 7 17 7 17 7 15 6 17 5 16 5 16 6 16 4 16 4

3 6 5 4 5 5 4 1 2 1

1 4 5 6 4 7 7 9 10 11

48 35 33 19 22 29 25 18 22 26

13 31 33 17 17 34 28 26 40 38

42 27 26 25 23 20 19 19 14 13

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

Everton v Chelsea Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5 QPR v Liverpool Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5

16:30

19:00

Wigan compound Villa woes Aston Villa 0

Wigan 3

BIRMINGHAM: Aston Villa’s season went from bad to worse with a crushing 3-0 defeat by relegation rivals Wigan yesterday that left the future of under-fire coach Paul Lambert in further doubt.

Goals from Ivan Ramis, Emmerson Boyce and Arouna Kone ensured Villa went scoreless in a third consecutive defeat, a run in which they have conceded 15 goals after losing 8-0 to Chelsea and 4-0 to Tottenham Hotspur.

Villa would have slipped into the relegation zone had third-bottom Southampton not been denied victory in a 3-3 draw at Stoke City, and they now sit behind Wigan, level on 20 points, in 16 and 17th positions respectively. The victory was a boost for Wigan, the northern club having lost five and drawn one of their last six Premier League games.

Newcastle 3

LONDON: Theo Walcott sent a message to Arsene Wenger as the Arsenal forward hit a hat-trick in his side’s stunning 7-3 demolition of Newcastle yesterday. Walcott, out of contract at the end of the season, faces an uncertain future in north London after Arsenal failed to meet his wage demands, while boss Wenger has been reluctant to play the England winger in his preferred central striking role.

But Wenger has finally allowed Walcott to start up front in recent weeks and the response from the 23year-old suggests the Gunners should bow to the player’s demands to avoid losing yet another star name.

As well as hitting a hat-trick, he provided two assists against Newcastle as Arsenal, with Olivier Giroud, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lukas Podolski also on the scoresheet, kept the pressure on Tottenham and Chelsea in the race for a top four finish.

The fifth placed Gunners are one point behind Chelsea, who have a game in hand at Everton on Sunday, after their fourth successive league win. Many supporters were still making their way into the Emirates Stadium when a burst from Jack Wilshere played in OxladeChamberlain but he dragged his shot wide.

After repelling the initial wave of Arsenal pressure, Newcastle slowly

LONDON: Newcastle United’s French-born Senegalese striker Demba Ba (third right) heads towards goal during the English Premier League football match against Arsenal.—AFP found their feet and forced a corner in the 17th minute. Sylvain Marveaux picked out the unmarked Demba Ba and the Senegal striker should have done better with his header and the ball sailed over the bar. Newcastle were made to pay as a brilliant through ball from Podolski finally found Walcott in space in the 20th minute and his precise curling finish past Tim Krul was reminiscent of Thierry Henry in his pomp.

Seven minutes before the break, things almost got even better for Walcott as he raced onto another Podolski pass on the edge of the box but this time Krul stood firm. That proved to be a crucial moment in the half as Newcastle finally broke free of the shackles and produced their first shot on target from Tiote’s piledriver that was tipped over by Wojciech

Spanish central defender Ramis made a perfect return from injury with a headed goal for the visitors past Brad Guzan after just two minutes. Villa were in the ascendancy for the end of the first-half and early in the second period, Belgian Christian Benteke in particular causing problems. But the home side were the ones to relent, conceding a brace of goals in the 52nd and 56th minutes.

First, Boyce struck home past Guzan after a neat one-two with Kone, and then the Ivory Coast international was on hand to finish off any home hopes. Picking up a through ball from Argentine strike Franco di Santo, Kone rode Mathew Lowton’s weak challenge to round Guzan and slot home from a tight angle into an empty net.

Kone could have made it four for Wigan 20 minutes later but he failed to control a huge kick from his keeper Ali al-Habsi that cleared the hapless Villa defence. The result, coming after previous humiliating defeats by Chelsea and Tottenham. It also closed an annus horribilis of a calendar year in which Villa managed just six wins in 38 Premier League games, this most recent defeat meaning Villa equalled their record number of 18 league losses, set in 1994 and 1999.—AFP

Szczesny. They didn’t have to wait long to draw level as a minute before the break Ba’s free kick took a vicious deflection off the back of Wilshere’s head and diverted into the net.

Arsenal came out determined to put things right after the break. Kieran Gibbs almost restored their lead straight away, only to be denied by Krul. But the Dutch shot stopper had no chance of reaching OxladeChamberlain’s brilliant drilled effort in the 50th minute after he was picked out by Santi Cazorla’s pass.

Yet Newcastle levelled again on the hour mark. Gabriel Obertan’s cross was going harmlessly towards Wojciech Szczesny until Thomas Vermaelen’s touch diverted it to the waiting Marveaux at the back post to tap in.

Undeterred, the Gunners were

back in front in the 64th minute as a superb cross by Wilshere was deflected onto his own bar by Fabricio Coloccini and Podolski bundled the ball home. Incredibly, Newcastle were level for a third time within five minutes as Ba made no mistake from Marveaux’s cross to smash home.

But it was Walcott who took over then as he gathered a cutback from Gibbs and forced his shot into the roof of the net to make it 4-3 in the 73rd minute. Walcott wasn’t finished yet as he turned provider six minutes from time to set up substitute Giroud with a brilliant cross.

Giroud struck again three minutes later and, with Newcastle’s defence now in complete meltdown, Walcott danced into the penalty area and recovered his footing after a slip to chip over Krul for his hat-trick.—AFP

Swansea deepen Fulham gloom

LONDON: Reading’s Irish striker Noel Hunt (left) vies with West Ham United’s Portuguese striker Ricardo Vaz Te (right) during the English Premier League football match.—AFP

Pogrebnyak boosts Reading’s survival bid Reading 1

Third Division Rangers Elgin Montrose Peterhead Queen’s Park Annan Athletic Berwick Clyde East Stirling Stirling

English Premier League 4 4 6 7 8 7 8 5

Arsenal 7

West Ham 0

READING: Pavel Pogrebnyak boosted Reading’s bid for Premier League survival as the Russian forward clinched a 1-0 win over West Ham yesterday. Pogrebnyak struck early in the first half to give Brian McDermott’s side just their second league victory of the season.

The second bottom Royals had halted a run of seven defeats with a draw at home to Swansea on Boxing Day and continued their momentum with a win that moved them within five points of safety.

It was a horrible mistake from James Collins that presented Pogrebnyak with a late Christmas gift after only five minutes at the Madejski Stadium. Hammers defender Collins

looked to play a simple ball back to goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, but made a hash of his pass and Pogrebnyak stole in to slot past the Finn. Reading found it hard to maintain their momentum after that and Sam Allardyce’s team almost equalised on the stroke of halftime. Kevin Nolan pounced and found Gary O’Neil, but he appeared to be caught in two minds and his final ball was neither a shot or a cross. Pogrebnyak had the ball in the back of the net again five minutes after the restart but was flagged offside after latching onto a through ball from Mikele Leigertwood. Jack Collison almost drew the visitors level but his low shot was parried by Adam Federici with no West Ham player able to tap home the rebound. Although the Hammers were starting to finally find their feet in the game they almost fell further behind when Jem Karacan’s thunderous effort was tipped onto the bar by Jaaskelainen.

Ricardo Vaz Te was involved again moments later as he missed West Ham’s best opening of the game, heading Matt Jarvis’ cross wide of the goal from close-range.—AFP

LONDON: Fulham’s alarming slide towards the Premier Fulham 1 League’s relegation zone continued yesterday when they lost 2-1 at home to Swansea 2 Swansea City. Goals either side of halftime from Danny Graham and Jonathan de Guzman put the visitors 2-0 up before Bryan Ruiz replied for Fulham, who have won only one of their last 12 league matches.

Defeat left Fulham just four points above the relegation places in 14th place, while Swansea remain ninth after extending their unbeaten run to three matches.

Swansea were without injured top scorer Michu but it did not prevent them from taking the lead after 19 minutes at Craven Cottage. Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale, playing in place of Mark Schwarzer, saved from Nathan Dyer but Graham swivelled to turn the ball home and claim only his second league goal of the season. Kerim Frei sought to produce an immediate riposte for Fulham, but his cross-shot flashed fractionally wide of the far post. Fulham coach Martin Jol handed a first start to Ruiz since his recent return from a hamstring injury, and the Costa Rican was at the forefront of the hosts’ attempts to get back into the game.

He twice shot over the bar and when he finally located the target, in the 39th minute, his 25-yard effort drew an excellent stop from Swansea goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel. Ruiz threatened again early in the second period, whipping a free-kick inches wide of the righthand post, but within moments, a clanger from Stockdale saw Swansea go 2-0 up.

In attempting to clear a back-pass, the Fulham goalkeeper inadvertently drove the ball into the legs of team-mate Brede Hangeland and De Guzman was left with a simple finish. The hosts hit back immediately, but their goal was not without controversy.

After Dimitar Berbatov had hit the bar and then seen a shot blocked, Ruiz forced the ball home, but Swansea felt it should have been disallowed for offside because Ruiz’s shot flicked off Fulham’s Sascha Riether.

Tremmel saved superbly from Frei and Berbatov had a goal ruled out for offside late on, but De Guzman’s fortuitous strike ultimately proved sufficient for Michael Laudrup’s Swansea.—AFP

Stoke steal point off Saints Stoke 3

Southampton 3

STOKE: A last-minute goal from Cameron Jerome allowed Stoke City to take their unbeaten run to 10 games following a pulsating 33 draw with Southampton at the Britannia Stadium.

Jerome had barely had time to vent his frustration at an effort being ruled out for offside when he buried a sumptuous 90thminute strike. Peter Crouch almost won it with a header but in the event neither side deserved to lose. The welter of goals began when Saints, in the bottom three following promotion, took a 10thminute lead against rivals sitting in the top eight after some impressive showings this term including last week’s win over Liverpool. Guly do Prado cut in

from the left and found Rickie Lambert, who fired home his eighth goal of the season.

Kenwyne Jones, who had already missed a sitter, flicked in a neat equaliser on 16 minutes following a Ryan Shotton cross. But Lambert then turned provider to set up Jay Rodriguez for a simple tap in on 24 minutes with the home defence all at sea.

And nine minutes before before the break it was 3-1 as Andy Wilkinson turned the ball into his own net after Jason Puncheon’s cross created confusion. Defender Matthew Upson pulled one back for Stoke midway through the second half before Jerome came up with his blistering leveller.

Prior to Upson’s goal, Wilkinson collided with colleague Robert Huth, leaving the German bloodied. Stoke were then furious at not being awarded a penalty as Jones went up against Jose Fonte, who appeared to impede the striker as he went for a header.

The drama didn’t end there as, no sooner had the Potters hauled

LONDON: Stoke City’s Trinidadian striker Kenwyne Jones (second left) vies with Southampton’s French midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin (left) during the English Premier League football match.—AFP themselves back into the game through Upson, the hosts found themselves down to 10 men as referee Mark Clattenburg red carded Steven Nzonzi for a foul on Jack Cork. Jerome’s 20-metre

piledriver ensured Stoke remain unbeaten at home since February after denying Saints their second away win this season following a success at bottom side Queens Park Rangers.—AFP

Reichelt, Paris share downhill classic

Clippers silence Jazz

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15

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

Ferguson awaiting Obama’s call after ref controversy Page 18

OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United’s Ecuadorian midfielder Antonio Valencia (right) vies with West Bromwich Albion’s English defender Liam Ridgewell during the English Premier League football match.—AFP

United end year seven points clear Man United 2

West Brom 0 MANCHESTER: Alex Ferguson had no cause for complaint as Manchester United ended the year seven points clear at the top of the Premier League after a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion yesterday.

The United manager, who was involved in controversial exchanges with the officials during the last game at Old Trafford, saw an early Gareth McAuley

own goal and a late effort from substitute Robin van Persie secure victory.

And, after his heated exchanges on the touchline during United’s 4-3 win over Newcastle United on Wednesday, Ferguson even managed to exchange jokes with the assistant referee as he masterminded another United win and a rare clean sheet.

United, who had trailed in five of their previous nine home league games this season, at least had the comfort of being gifted an early lead on this occasion.

Ferguson had gambled by starting with van Persie and Javier Hernandez-two of the central figures of the thrilling win over Newcastle-on the bench.

The fact that two players recalled for

this occasion, Young and Shinji Kagawa, played a key role in the goal was therefore vindication for his selection policy.

Young was the creator of United’s ninth-minute opener, exchanging passes with Kagawa and drilling in a low cross that struck the leg of McAuley and flew past his deceived goalkeeper Ben Foster.

Albion had started brightly, with a Shane Long break halted by Michael Carrick and an unsuccessful penalty appeal by the same West Brom forward after Chris Smalling’s robust challenge.

United responded and were spurred on by the sight of skipper Nemanja Vidic back to full fitness after missing much of the season with a knee injury-rising to power over a header from Young’s eighth-

minute corner. The goal soon followed and Danny Welbeck then tested Foster with an 18-yard shot that the former United goalkeeper smothered.

Young headed wide from Welbeck’s miscued shot and the former Aston Villa winger came even closer to doubling the lead after 32 minutes following Antonio Valencia’s sprint down the right.

Valencia picked out Young with his cut-back and the England forward’s 18yard drive was tipped onto the bar by Foster’s impressive reflex save. The subsequent corner opened up yet another chance, with Carrick’s goal-bound drive being hacked to safety by Gabriel Tamas, just in front of his goal-line. Peter Odemwingie shot into the side-netting on

Dzeko’s double fires Man City Norwich 3

Man City 4 NORWICH: Edin Dzeko scored twice as Manchester City survived Samir Nasri’s dismissal to secure a dramatic 4-3 win at Norwich yesterday. Roberto Mancini’s side were 2-1 up thanks to two goals from Bosnian striker Dzeko in the first four minutes at Carrow Road when Nasri was shown a straight red card for head-butting Sebastien Bassong just before the break.

But the former Arsenal midfielder’s controversial sending off didn’t scupper City’s hopes of keeping in touch with Premier League leaders Manchester United. Sergio Aguero made it 3-1 and, although Russell Martin deduced the deficit, an own goal conceded by Norwich goalkeeper Mark Bunn made it four before Martin struck again to set up a tense finale.

The win means champions City remain seven points behind United heading into the new year. City’s title hopes suffered a serious setback with a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland on Boxing Day, but they took just 80 seconds to take the lead through Dzeko.

Pablo Zabaleta started the move with a long ball from the right of defence that found its way to Aguero via Dzeko and his cross was deftly touched into the striker’s path by David Silva. The Norwich defence claimed the Bosnian was offside but the linesman correctly ruled that Martin had played him on. City’s second goal arrived just two minutes later and again Norwich were aggrieved as Vincent Kompany went in with studs raised on Bradley Johnson. Referee Mike Jones allowed play to continue and the Belgian’s pass found Aguero on the right of the box.

Norwich goalkeeper Bunn came out to challenge but Aguero was able to check and calmly lay the ball back for Dzeko to side-foot into the net despite the best efforts of defenders to close him down.

Kompany was penalised while making a legitimate tackle on Robert Snodgrass just outside the visitors’ box - and Norwich pulled one back from the resulting free-kick in the 15th minute. Anthony Pilkington’s shot took a deflection off Gael Clichy to beat goalkeeper Joe Hart. Bunn then had to pull off an acrobatic tip-over to prevent Javier Garrido, the former Manchester City defender, scoring a bizarre own goal with a clearance that resembled a shot. An exciting half ended with more controversy as Nasri was sent off, for aiming a head-butt at Bassong. The

the break in one of the few openings for West Brom.

At the other end, Foster almost gifted United a second when his clearance succeeded only in striking Welbeck, the ball flying behind for a goal-kick. United opened the second half with a couple of patient moves before Chris Brunt reminded them that they really needed the cushion of a second goal. Having been given space and time 25 yards out, the Albion midfielder produced a solid shot that David de Gea moved sharply to gather.

There was also a threatening McAuley header from a set-piece as Albion grew in confidence, while Valencia saw a strong effort deflected behind and then shot narrowly over from a tight angle.

Ferguson threw on van Persie, in an attempt to avoid an anxious final 25 minutes, but United were almost undone when McAuley sent a header against the bar from a Brunt corner in the 70th minute.

Van Persie might have eased the growing nerves around Old Trafford eight minutes from time when he was played into the Albion area by Patrice Evra, only to see his shot kept out by Foster’s outstretched leg. Foster was equally impressive in denying Welbeck’s curling shot a minute from the end but, with two seconds left in normal time, van Persie took a short pass from Valencia and found room to send a superb finish into the top-left corner.—AFP

Spurs roll into third place Sunderland 1

Tottenham 2

LONDON: Norwich City’s Scottish defender Steven Whittaker (left) falls to the ground as he challenges Manchester City’s Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure during the English Premier League football match.—AFP Norwich defender went in hard on the France international, who reacted angrily. Nasri pushed his forehead against Bassong’s forehead and then flicked it forward before referee Jones consulted with his linesman and produced a red card for Nasri and a yellow for Bassong. That setback couldn’t rattle City and Aguero produced a superb finish to increase their lead in the 50th minute after Yaya Toure’s ball over the top had hit Bassong on the back.

Hart had to dive to turn a low drive from substitute Jonny Howson round a post and Norwich made it 3-2 from the corner. Snodgrass’s delivery found Bassong at the back post and his head-

er was headed home by Martin in the 63rd minute. The champions needed a response and again Dzeko was the man who provided it with the visitors’ fourth four minutes later.

It was a close offside call but play continued and the striker saw his shot hit Bunn’s near post and rebound off the goalkeeper into the net. Again Norwich pulled one back with Martin the scorer after Hart and his defenders failed to deal with a corner.

Matija Nastasic did well to block from substitute Harry Kane but Martin was there to divert the ball into the net the moment it came back via Johnson’s shot.—AFP

SUNDERLAND: Tottenham climbed to third place in the Premier League after Aaron Lennon’s strike capped his side’s fightback in their 2-1 win against Sunderland yesterday.

Andre Villas-Boas’s team trailed when John O’Shea notched his first goal for Sunderland late in the first half at the Stadium of Light.

But the north Londoners hit back with two goals in three minutes early in the second half as Carlos Cuellar’s own goal was followed by the winner from England winger Lennon.

That double blast was enough to seal Tottenham’s sixth win in their last eight league matches and lift them one point above Chelsea, who travel to Everton today. The only dark cloud for Spurs was the latest diving controversy involving Wales winger Bale.

Not for the first time this season, Bale fell theatrically after a slight tug from Craig Gardner in the penalty area, earning a booking that rules him out of Tottenham’s next match against Reading.

Bale, who scored a hat-trick in his side’s win at Aston Villa on Boxing Day, showed the more positive side to his game early on when he surged away from Gardner and crossed for Emmanuel Adebayor, whose shot lacked the power to beat Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

Mignolet had to be quick off his line to block Adebayor’s shot after Lennon, capitalising on a mistake from James McClean, slipped a pass behind the Sunderland defence.

Bale couldn’t keep his header on target from Lennon’s cross as Tottenham pushed for the opener. Sunderland were wobbling at the back and a blunder from Spanish defender Cuellar almost gifted Spurs the lead on the half hour.

When Jermain Defoe curled a cross in from the left, Cuellar completely misjudged his attempt to clear and the ball ran through to Adebayor. But from no more than four yards out the Togo striker could only prod his shot onto the crossbar.

After that narrow escape Sunderland took the lead against the run of play in the 40th minute. Sebastian Larsson’s free-kick caused chaos in the Totenham defence and Steven Fletcher pounced with a close-range effort that Hugh Lloris could only palm into the path of O’Shea who fired home from six yards. But Sunderland’s advantage was short-lived as the visitors took over at the start of the second half.

In the 48th minute, Kyle Walker whipped over an inswinging corner and Cuellar’s attempt to head clear only succeeded in diverting the ball into his own net.

And three minutes later Villas-Boas’s team were ahead. It was all down to the poise and pace of Lennon, who cleverly flicked the ball around O’Shea before racing clear and slipping a cool finish past Mignolet. Defoe should have put Spurs in complete control on the hour when Bale ended an incisive run down the left by picking out the England striker, but his closerange effort was brilliantly pushed away by Mignolet.—AFP

Business

Fewer US banks failing as industry strengthens Page 22 Bad news plagues Boeing Dreamliner

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

Page 26 Intense bargaining as ‘cliff’ deadline nears Page 23 Page 24

Asia’s long-stay schemes lure foreigners

HONG KONG: A man lies on a footbridge to beg for money as pedestrians walk past in Hong Kong yesterday. Hong Kong plans to raise the city’s minimum wage to 30 HKD ($3.87) an hour, a minister said, in a hike slammed by labor groups as inadequate for the Asian financial hub. Known for its stunningly wealthy tycoons, the southern Chinese city is also home to hundreds of thousands of workers who live on hourly wages sometimes as low as $2 an hour prior to the introduction of the minimum wage. — AFP

Gulf Air, Qatar Airways get Saudi licenses Qatar Airways files $600m claim over airport delays JEDDAH: The Saudi aviation authority has awarded Qatar Airways and Bahrain’s Gulf Air licenses to operate domestic flights in the vast desert kingdom. The national carriers of the two neighboring Gulf states will be the first foreign airlines to operate domestic flights in the oil-rich nation, competing mainly with the government-owned Saudia and budget carrier NAS. “The best bids came from Gulf Air and its partners, and Qatar Airways,” the General Authority of Civil Aviation said in a

statement late on Friday. It said 14 companies had competed for the licenses, adding that the decision took into consideration the accumulated experience of the companies in air transport, as well as operational efficiency and financial solvency.

Saudi Arabia stretches over 2.149 million square kilometers (0.85 million square miles) of mainly desert covering most of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a population of more than 27 million, including around 8.5 million foreigners. It has four inter-

national airports and 22 domestic airports.

In another development, Qatar Airways is filing a $600 million legal claim against a contractor for a delay in opening a new international airport in the emirate’s capital, Doha, it said in a press release yesterday. Lindner Depa Interiors, a German-Dubai joint venture, holds a $250 million contract to build 19 airport lounges by the middle of 2012, said Qatar Airways, which will operate the new airport. The $15.5 billion

Egypt receives $500 million from Qatar

Saudi surplus hits $102.9bn RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said yesterday its budget surplus in 2012 hit 386 billion riyals ($102.93 billion) as oil-dominated revenues continued to rise, state television AlEkhbariyah reported. It also announced what it described as a record budget for the coming year, with expenditure expected at $218.7 billion and revenues amounting to $221 billion.

The world’s largest exporter of crude oil traditionally uses a conservative price for oil in its budget. Oil revenues amounted to 92 percent of total revenues in 2012, the channel said, citing a finance ministry statement. Revenues in 2012 amounted to 1,239 billion riyals ($330.4 billion), while expenditure hit 853 billion riyals ($227.5) billion, the ministry said. The oil-rich kingdom had expected a small surplus of 12 billion riyals ($3.2 billion) in 2012, with revenues expected to reach 702 billion riyals ($187.2 billion) and expenditure increasing only to 690 billion riyals ($184 billion).

In 2013, revenues in the oil-rich Gulf state are projected to reach 829 billion riyals ($221.06 billion), while expenditure is planned at 820 billion riyals ($218.7 billion), the news channel reported. “The council of ministers has passed the largest budget in the history of the kingdom,” it said. Ailing King Abdullah, who underwent a back operation last month, presided over a council of ministers meeting yesterday. “There is plenty of wealth, thanks be to Allah,” the monarch said in a shaky voice, addressing his ministers, according to television footage.”You have no excuse after today for any dereliction or complacency,” he said, according to AlEkhbariyah. Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf told ministers that real growth in the kingdom’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to be 6.8 percent, with 5.5 percent growth in the oil sector and 7.2 percent in other sectors. He put the rise in inflation in 2012 at 2.9 percent compared with the previous year, and 4.5 percent compared with the benchmark year of 1999, according to the official SPA news agency. —AFP

airport will be the hub for an airline that has grown to a fleet of 116 aircraft since its launch 15 years ago. The new airport was scheduled to open this month but is now expected to start operations in late 2013, the airline said in the release. It said Doha’s existing airport had reached capacity and the delay in moving to a new facility was hindering the company’s expansion plans. LDI is a joint venture between Lindner Group and Depa United Group. — Agencies

CAIRO: An Egyptian family rides a motorbike near Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, in Cairo.

The approval of Egypt’s disputed, Islamist-backed constitution held out little hope of stabilizing the country after two years of turmoil and Islamist President Mohammed Morsi may now face a more immediate crisis with the economy falling deeper into distress. — AP

CAIRO: Egypt has received a final $500 million installment of funds promised by Qatar and will get another $500 million from Turkey at the end of January, its finance minister said, in the latest aid to help balance its budget and defend its currency. Egypt has been facing a financial crisis as a month of political strife has cast doubts on the government’s ability to push through unpopular spending cuts and tax hikes needed to persuade the International Monetary Fund to agree to a $4.8 billion loan.

Finance Minister Mumtaz Al-Saeed said yesterday Egypt had received the final installment out of a total of $2 billion promised by Qatar, although he did not give a date.

“Egypt will receive the remaining $500 million of the Turkish loan at the end of January,” he added. Egypt has spent more than $20 billion in foreign reserves to support the Egyptian pound since the popular uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in early 2011.

Reserves fell by $448 million in November to reach $15 billion at the end of the month, equal to only about three months of imports. The political turmoil has led to a run on the pound, with many investors and ordinary citizens rushing to convert into foreign currencies on concern the government might be forced to allow a sharp devaluation. On Thursday, the central bank allowed the pound to weaken to an eight-year low of 6.188 to the US dollar.

Qatar said in August it would deposit $2 billion with Egypt’s central bank in four $500 million installments to help support the budget, and later that month Egypt said that it had received a first tranche. Egypt said in October that Turkey had would lend it $1 billion in two tranches, also for budget support, with one tranche coming in October and the second in January. In June, before Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood was elected president, Egypt said Saudi Arabia had sent $1.5 billion in budget support as part of a $2.7 billion aid package. “We are still negotiating the remainder of the Saudi aid package,” Saeed said.— Reuters

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

BUSINESS

Fewer US banks failing as industry strengthens

Bayt.com weekly report

Guide to success: Working mothers

Strengthening economy boosts banks WASHINGTON: US banks are ending the year with their best profits since 2006 and fewer failures than at any time since the financial crisis struck in 2008. They’re helping support an economy slowed by high unemployment, flat pay, sluggish manufacturing and anxious consumers. As the economy heals from the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, more people and businesses are taking out - and repaying - loans.

And for the first time since 2009, banks’ earnings growth is being driven by higher revenue - a healthy trend. Banks had previously managed to boost earnings by putting aside less money for possible losses.

Signs of the industry’s gains: Banks are earning more. In the July-September quarter, the industry’s earnings reached $37.6 billion, up from $35.3 billion a year earlier. It was the best showing since the July-September quarter of 2006, long before the financial meltdown. By contrast, at the depth of the Great Recession in the last quarter of 2008, the industry lost $32 billion. Banks are lending a bit more freely. The value of loans to consumers rose 3.2 percent in the 12 months that ended Sept 30 compared with the previous 12 months, according to data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp More lending fuels more consumer spending, which drives about 70 percent of economic activity.

At the same time, overall lending remains well below levels considered healthy over the long run. Fewer banks are considered at risk of failure.

In July through September, the number of banks on the FDIC’s confidential “problem list” fell for a sixth straight quarter. These banks numbered 694 as of Sept 30 - about 9.6 percent of all federally insured banks. At its peak in the first quarter of 2011, the number of troubled banks was 888, or 11.7 percent of all federally insured institutions.

Bank failures have declined. In 2009, 140 failed.

In 2010, more banks failed - 157 - than in any year since the savings and loan crisis of the early 1990s. In 2011, regulators closed 92. This year, the number of failures has trickled to 51. That’s still more than normal. In a strong economy, an average of only four or five banks close annually. But the sharply reduced pace of closings shows sustained improvement.

Less threat of loan losses. The money banks had to set aside for possible losses fell 15 percent in the July-September quarter from a year earlier.

Loan portfolios have strengthened as more cus-

tomers have repaid on time. Losses have fallen for nine straight quarters. And the proportion of loans with payments overdue by 90 days or more has dropped for 10 straight quarters. “We are definitely on the back end of this crisis,” says Josh Siegel, chief executive of Stonecastle Partners, a firm that invests in banks.

The biggest boost for banks is the gradually strengthening economy. Employers added nearly 1.7 million jobs in the first 11 months of 2012.

More people employed mean more people and businesses can repay loans. And after betterthan-expected economic news last week, some analysts said the economy could end up growing faster in the October-December quarter - and next year - than previously thought. That assumes Congress and the White House can strike a budget deal to avert the “fiscal cliff” - the steep tax increases and spending cuts that are set to kick in Jan 1. If they don’t reach a deal, those measures would significantly weaken the economy.

Banks have also been bolstered by higher capital, their cushion against risk. Banks boosted capital 3.8 percent in the third quarter, FDIC data show. And the industry’s average ratio of capital to assets reached a record high. On the other hand, many banks are no longer benefiting from record-low interest rates. They still pay almost nothing to depositors and on money borrowed from other banks or the government. But steadily lower rates on loans other than credit cards have reduced how much banks earn. “This interest-rate pressure on the banks becomes very difficult to overcome,” says Fred Cannon, chief equity strategist and director of research at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. “It’s a big headwind for banks.”

Many banks have reported lower net interest margin - the difference between the income they receive from loans and the interest they pay depositors and other lenders. It’s a key measure of a bank’s profitability. The industry’s average net interest margin fell to 3.43 percent in the third quarter from 3.56 percent a year earlier.

Some big banks have also cautioned that their earnings are up mainly because they’ve shed jobs, bad loans and weak businesses rather than because of an improved economy. They include JPMorgan Chase & Co, Bank of America Corp, Citigroup Inc and Wells Fargo & Co. All managed to recover from the financial crisis in part because of federal aid. Small and midsize banks have tak-

en longer to rebound. They held risky commercial real estate loans used to develop malls, industrial sites and apartment buildings. Many such loans weren’t repaid. But as the economy has strengthened, fewer such loans have soured, and many small and medium-size banks have recovered. For example, at M&T Bank Corp, a regional institution based in Buffalo, NY, net income soared in the third quarter. M&T attributed its gain to reduced loan losses and higher mortgage revenue. The bank repaid the remaining $381 million of the $600 million in bailout aid it had received during the crisis.

Yet analysts say regional banks are still feeling squeezed from reduced borrowing by companies. Many banks complain they’ve been hampered by new regulations, especially stricter requirements for the capital they must hold to protect against unexpected losses. Rules enacted after the crisis have compelled some banks to move more capital into reserves and reduce the amount available to lend. Some of the biggest banks say their customers have held off on borrowing in part because of slower global growth and concern about the “fiscal cliff.”

To avoid a collapse, some weak banks have sought mergers with larger institutions. In the July-September quarter, 49 banks were absorbed in mergers, up from 45 in the April-June quarter, FDIC data show. The torrent of failures after the crisis and the increased mergers have thinned the number of banks to 7,181 with about 2.1 million employees as of Sept 30. That compares with 8,451 banks with 2.2 million employees in the second quarter of 2008. “The pressure is on to consolidate the industry,” says Siegel of Stonecastle Partners. He thinks more than 1,000 banks will be absorbed within five to seven years.

Consider BancTrust Financial Group Inc, based in Mobile, Ala, with around $1.3 billion in assets.

Burdened with bad loans tied to Florida real estate, the bank couldn’t repay $50 million in federal bailout aid it received during the meltdown, and it struggled to stay profitable. So it decided to put itself up for sale. It’s now being acquired by Trustmark Corp in Mississippi, which has about $9.9 billion in assets. The acquisition will help Trustmark expand in Florida and Alabama. “Some of the smaller (banks) are just throwing up the flag,” says Cornelius Hurley, a former counsel to the Federal Reserve Board who heads Boston University’s Center for Finance, Law and Policy. — AP

The group represents shrimp fisherman in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas who say they have lost US market share to lower-priced imports from the six countries in Asia and the one in South America.

“Our harvesters, docks, and processors have all played a vital role in the economy and culture of the Gulf region throughout its history.

This case will help determine whether together we can continue to create jobs, contribute to eco-

nomic growth, and sustain communities across the Gulf states for years to come,” Veal said. The request could be awkward for the United States because it is engaged in regional free-trade talks with two of the countries targeted by the petition, Vietnam and Malaysia.

The threat of punitive US duties on their shrimp exports could make those countries reluctant to agree to US demands for marketopening in other sectors. The sev-

A

SET YOUR PRIORITIES Setting your priorities straight is the most important step in balancing between your home and career. Make sure you have clearly set your priorities in order to better assess all opportunities that will come your way. While some might place a better salary as their top priority, yours could be working close to home or having a more flexible time arrangement.

According to Bayt.com’s survey “The Status of Working Women in the Middle East” (June 2012), MENA women take the following into consideration when looking for a job, in order of importance: salary (59%), opportunities for long-term career growth (31%) and health insurance for their whole family (28%). Retirement benefits are important to working women aged 46 and above.

DO YOUR RESEARCH Make sure you do your research before and while you apply to a job, based on the priorities you decided upon in point one: Browse through different vacancies, and make notes of the requirements, the skills needs, the schedule if mentioned, etc. When you’re aware of the skills needed, you are in a better position to negotiate flexible timing arrangements. Search for the top companies in your country, review their culture, mission and values, the distance of the workplace from home, etc. Get insiders’ insights if

US industry presses for duties on shrimp WASHINGTON: US shrimp producers have filed a petition asking the Commerce Department to impose punitive duties on billions of dollars of shrimp from China, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Ecuador to offset what they said were unfair foreign government subsidies. “Today’s filing is about the survival of the entire US shrimp industry,” C David Veal, executive director of the Coalition of Gulf Shrimp Industries, said in a statement.

re you one of the many female professionals who have halted their careers for their families and are now considering getting back on the job market? If so, you might be feeling apprehensive about how you will start balancing both work and family. Let us comfort you and start by telling you that a lot of today ’s women have been through the same situation, but ended up balancing perfectly between their work and personal lives. In fact, Bayt.com’s survey “The Status of Working Women in the Middle East” (June 2012) revealed that 57% of women believe that their decision to have children has affected their career, especially for those who are 35 years old or younger. The career experts at Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 jobsite have just the advice for you.

en countries named in the petition exported $4.3 billion worth of shrimp to the United States in 2011, accounting for 85 percent of US imports and over three-quarters of the domestic market, the US industry group said. The Commerce Department has several weeks to decide whether to launch an investigation. Assuming it does, final countervailing duties could be in place by the end of 2013 if illegal foreign subsidies are found, the group said. — Reuters

possible and get help from someone in your industry or in the market to help guide you to the right path.

CHECK YOUR OFFER LETTERS Make sure you review every offer letter thoroughly against your pre-set priorities before you approve or reject an opportunity. Some of the things you should closely consider are: The monetary benefits (ie salary, commission, etc.); The non-monetary benefits (ie family insurance, children education allowance, etc); The schedule (part time/full time/flexible timing); The possibility to telecommute; Vacation days; Travel quota; Maternity leave (if you are planning on having more children). According to Bayt.com’s “The Status of Working Women in the Middle East” (June 2012) survey, the most commonly received benefits by MENA working women are personal health insurance (51%), paid maternity leave (38%), company transport or transport allowance (28%), jobrelated training (28%), and family health insurance (19%).

ASSESS THE CHALLENGES Anticipate and know ahead of time what challenges you might face once you’re back to the workforce. Bayt.com’s aforementioned survey revealed that according to 44% of working women in the region, fewer opportunities for job promotions are the biggest challenge they face in their work.

Stressful and demanding work environments follow, according to 38%, while 33% state that lack of flexible working timings, limited opportunities to perform, and insufficient job training and coaching are equally demanding. When it comes to working hours, 58% of women claim to put in as many as their male colleagues, while 22% claim to work even more.

KNOW YOUR OPTIONS They usually come down to the below: Full-time job; Part-time job; Freelance job; Starting your own home-business. Take some time to note the pros and cons of each of these options and then choose the best one for you and your family. With a little bit of planning, some passion and a lot of ambition, we’re pretty sure you can make a very smooth transition back to work!

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds

.2740000 .4500000 .3680000 .3040000 .2810000 .2890000 .0040000 .0020000 .0762030 .7424230 .3880000 .0720000 .7278130 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2807000 GB Pound/KD .4526010 Euro .3701030 Swiss francs .3065410 Canadian dollars .2828210 Danish Kroner .0496120 Swedish Kroner .0430560 Australian dlr .2909880 Hong Kong dlr .0362170 Singapore dlr .2293110 Japanese yen .0032920 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0764540 Bahraini dinars .7448590 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0748730 Omani riyals .7293750 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

3.262 5.145 2.894 2.213 3.224 232.710 36.800 3.499 6.855 9.209 0.271 0.273

.2840000 .4620000 .3770000 .3130000 .2910000 .3020000 .0067500 .0035000 .0769960 .7498850 .4060000 .0770000 .7351280 .0510000 .2828000 .4559870 .3728720 .3088350 .2849370 .0499840 .0433780 .2931650 .0364870 .2310270 .0033170 .0051680 .0022360 .0029150 .0035530 .0770260 .7504310 .4000000 .0754330 .7348320 .0069240

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 75.230 77.515 733.750 749.300 76.818

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 47.700 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 45.478 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.316 Tunisian Dinar 183.120 Jordanian Dinar 397.940 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.893 Syrian Lier 3.065 Morocco Dirham 340.990 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 282.000 Euro 376.750 Sterling Pound 457.690 Canadian dollar 287.320 Turkish lire 157.480 Swiss Franc 312.470 Australian dollar 295.540 US Dollar Buying 280.800 GOLD 311.000 157.000 81.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

SELL CASH

295.800 749.500 3.840 286.400 553.500 45.900 50.900 167.800 47.730 376.600 37.060 5.480 0.032 0.161 0.242 3.360 399.410 0.191 95.080 45.900 4.330 234.700 1.826

51.600 732.110 3.050 7.270 77.960 75.250 231.790 35.210 2.685 459.800 44.300 312.300 3.400 9.560 198.263 76.850 282.200 1.360

731.930 2.898 6.868 77.530 75.250 231.790 35.210 2.217 457.800 310.800 3.400 9.400 76.750 281.800

GOLD 1,764.360

10 Tola Sterling Pound US Dollar

COUNTRY

Currency

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 457.800 281.800

SELL DRAFT

294.300 749.550 3.516 284.900

231.800 45.494 375.100 36.910 5.138 0.031

SELL DRAFT

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

297.01 287.69 312.30 374.69 281.50 457.46 3.34 3.521 5.133 2.212 3.217 2.896 76.71 749.54 45.52 401.04 732.63 77.74 75.28

SELL CASH

296.000 288.000 311.000 373.500 283.000 457.500 3.690 3.667 5.500 2.370 3.600 3.050 77.400 748.500 47.400 398.850 734.000 77.850 75.600

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 399.380 0.190 94.080 3.230 233.200

Rate for Transfer

Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

281.750 284.290 455.440 371.830

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

308.010 745.925 76.685 77.335 75.095 397.165 45.625 2.220 5.123 2.885 3.494 6.839 691.135 4.315 9.290 4.370 3.290 91.965

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

281.800 2.898 5.136 2.235 3.490 6.895 76.830 75.300 749.200 45.624 460.800 2.990 1.550 377.200 289.800 3.265

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

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

281.600 375.100 457.800 284.800 3.290 5.134 45.460 2.204 3.497 6.850 2.895 749.500 76.700 75.200

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

BUSINESS

Over the fiscal cliff: Soft or hard landing?

WASHINGTON: Three days out from the end of the year, lawmakers appeared to have made little progress toward devising a compromise to keep the nation from going over the so-called fiscal cliff at the start of 2013. All eyes were on the Democratic and Republican leaders in the Senate, who vowed to keep chipping away despite the wide gulf still separating them. President Barack Obama met Friday with congressional leaders from both parties who rushed back to Washington soon after Christmas in hopes of striking a last-minute deal. Optimistic words from the Senate’s top Republican, Mitch McConnell, were muted by this cautionary note from the top Senate Democrat, Harry Reid: “Whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect.” A look at why it’s so hard for Republicans and Democrats to compromise on urgent matters of taxes and spending, and what happens if they fail to meet their deadline:

Because consumers would get less of their paychecks to spend, businesses and jobs would suffer.

At the same time, Americans would feel cuts in government services; some federal workers would be furloughed or laid off, and companies would lose government business. The nation would lose up to 3.4 million jobs, the Congressional Budget Office predicts. “The consequences of that would be felt by everybody,” Bernanke says.

THE TAXES Much of the disagreement surrounds the George W Bush-era income tax cuts, and whether those rates should be allowed to rise for the nation’s wealthiest taxpayers. Both political parties say they want to protect the middle class from tax increases. Several tax breaks begun in 2009 to stimulate the economy by aiding low- and middleincome families are also set to expire Jan. 1. The alternative minimum tax would expand to catch

and some programs for the poor, are exempt.

THERE’S MORE AT STAKE All sorts of stuff could get wrapped up in the fiscal cliff deal-making. A sampling: Some 2 million jobless Americans may lose their federal unemployment aid. Obama wants to continue the benefits extension as part of the deal; Republicans say it’s too costly. Social Security recipients might see their checks grow more slowly. As part of a possible deal, Obama and Republican leaders want to change the way cost-of-living adjustments are calculated, which would mean smaller checks over the years for retirees who get Social Security, veterans’ benefits or government pensions. The price of milk could double. If Congress doesn’t provide a fix for expiring dairy price supports before Jan 1, milk-drinking families could feel the pinch. One scenario is to attach a farm bill extension to the fiscal cliff legislation - if a compromise is reached in time. Millions of taxpayers who want to file their 2012 returns before mid-

NEW YEAR’S HEADACHE Partly by fate, partly by design, some scary fiscal forces come together at the start of 2013 unless Congress and Obama act to stop them. They include: Some $536 billion in tax increases, touching nearly all Americans, because various federal tax cuts and breaks expire at year’s end. About $110 billion in spending cuts divided equally between the military and most other federal departments. That’s about 8 percent of their annual budgets, 9 percent for the Pentagon. Hitting the national economy with that double whammy of tax increases and spending cuts is what’s called going over the “fiscal cliff.” If allowed to unfold over 2013, it would lead to recession, a big jump in unemployment and financial market turmoil, economists predict.

WHAT IF THEY MISS THE DEADLINE? If New Year’s Day arrives without a deal, the nation shouldn’t plunge onto the shoals of recession immediately. There still might be time to engineer a soft landing. So long as lawmakers and the president appear to be working toward agreement, the tax hikes and spending cuts could mostly be held at bay for a few weeks. Then they could be repealed retroactively once a deal was reached.

The big wild card is the stock market and the nation’s financial confidence: Would traders start to panic if Washington appeared unable to reach accord? Would worried consumers and businesses sharply reduce their spending? In what could be a preview, stock prices around the world dropped Friday after House Republican leaders’ plan for addressing the fiscal cliff collapsed. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has warned lawmakers that the economy is already suffering from the uncertainty and they shouldn’t risk making it worse by blowing past their deadline.

WHAT IF THEY NEVER AGREE? If negotiations between Obama and Congress collapse completely, 2013 looks like a rocky year.

Taxes would jump $2,400 on average for families with incomes of $50,000 to $75,000, according to a study by the non-partisan Tax Policy Center.

WASHINGTON: Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) (right) and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) hold a news conference about filibuster reform on Capitol Hill. Senators were back on Capitol Hill on Friday to try to deal with the ‘fiscal cliff’ issue before the year-end deadline. — AFP 28 million more taxpayers, with an average increase of $3,700 a year. Taxes on investments would rise, too. More deaths would be covered by the federal estate tax, and the rate climbs from 35 percent to 55 percent. Some corporate tax breaks would end. The temporary Social Security payroll tax cut also is due to expire. That tax break for most Americans seems likely to end even if a fiscal cliff deal is reached, now that Obama has backed down from his call to prolong it as an economic stimulus.

THE SPENDING If the nation goes over the fiscal cliff, budget cuts of 8 percent or 9 percent would hit most of the federal government, touching all sorts of things from agriculture to law enforcement and the military to weather forecasting. A few areas, such as Social Security benefits, Veterans Affairs

March will be held up while they wait to see if Congress comes through with a deal to stop the alternative minimum tax from hitting more people.

CALL THE WHOLE THING OFF? In theory, Congress and Obama could just say no to the fiscal cliff, by extending all the tax cuts and overturning the automatic spending reductions in current law. But both Republicans and Democrats agree it’s time to take steps to put the nation on a path away from a future of crippling debt. Indeed, the automatic spending cuts set for January were created as a last-ditch effort to force Congress to deal with the debt problem. If Washington bypassed the fiscal cliff, the next crisis would be just around the corner, in late February or early March, when the government reaches a $16.4 trillion ceiling on the amount of money it can borrow. Boehner says Republicans won’t go along with raising the limit on

government borrowing unless the increase is matched by spending cuts to help attack the longterm debt problem. Failing to raise the debt ceiling could lead to a first-ever US default that would roil the financial markets and shake worldwide confidence in the United States. To avoid that scenario, Obama and Boehner are trying to wrap a debt limit agreement into the fiscal cliff negotiations.

SO WHAT’S THE HOLDUP? They’re at loggerheads over some big questions.

Obama says any deal must include higher taxes for the wealthiest Americans. Many House Republicans oppose raising anyone’s tax rates. Boehner tried to get the House to vote for higher taxes only on incomes above $1 million but dropped the effort when it became clear he didn’t have the votes.

Republicans also insist on deeper spending cuts than Democrats want to make. And they want to bring the nation’s long-term debt under control by significantly curtailing the growth of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security - changes that many Democrats oppose. Obama, meanwhile, wants more temporary economic “stimulus” spending to help speed up a sluggish recovery. Republicans say the nation can’t afford it.

IT’S NOT JUST WASHINGTON Seems like they could just make nice, shake hands and split their differences, right? But there’s a reason neither side wants to give ground. The two parties represent a divided and inconsistent America. True, Obama just won re-election. But voters also chose a Republican majority in the House.

Republican and Democrats alike say they are doing what the voters back home want. Neither side has a clear advantage in public opinion. In an Associated Press-GfK poll, 43 percent said they trust the Democrats more to manage the federal budget deficit and 40 percent preferred the Republicans.

There’s a similar split on who’s more trusted with taxes. About half of Americans support higher taxes for the wealthy, the poll says, and about 10 percent want tax increases all around. Still, almost half say cutting government services, not raising taxes, should be the main focus of lawmakers as they try to balance the budget. When asked about specific budget cuts being discussed in Washington, few Americans express support for them.

THE COUNTDOWN Time for deal-making is short, thanks to the holiday and congressional calendars. Some key dates for averting the fiscal cliff: Lawmakers didn’t begin returning to the Capitol until Thursday, leaving less than a week to vote on a compromise before year’s end. Obama returned Thursday from his Christmas vacation in Hawaii. The president asked congressional leaders to the White House Friday to try to resolve the fiscal cliff. If lawmakers reach Dec 31 without a deal, some economists worry that the financial markets might swoon. The current Congress is in session only through noon Eastern time on Jan 3. After that, a newly elected Congress with 13 new senators and 82 new House members would inherit the problem. —AP

Intense bargaining as ‘cliff’ deadline nears Time running out for deal on US taxes, spending

CALIFORNIA: A woman walks towards a home for sale during a viewing for brokers in Leucadia, Calif. Americans bought new homes last month at the fastest pace in more than two and a half years, further evidence of a sustained housing recovery. — AP

Cliff may be a fear, but US debt ceiling ‘much scarier’ Wall St Week Ahead NEW YORK: Investors fearing a stock market plunge -if the United States tumbles off the “fiscal cliff” this week - may want to relax. But they should be scared if a few weeks later, Washington fails to reach a deal to increase the nation’s debt ceiling because that raises the threat of a default, another credit downgrade and a panic in the financial markets.

Market strategists say that while falling off the cliff for any lengthy period - which would lead to automatic tax hikes and stiff cuts in government spending - would badly hurt both consumer and business confidence, it would take some time for the US economy to slide into recession.

In the meantime, there would be plenty of chances for lawmakers to make amends by reversing some of the effects. That has been reflected in a US stock market that has still not shown signs of melting down. Instead, it has drifted lower and become more volatile.

In some ways, that has let Washington off the hook. In the past, a plunge in stock prices forced the hand of Congress, such as in the middle of the financial crisis in 2008. “If this thing continues for a bit longer and the result is you get a US debt downgrade ... the risk is not that you lose two-and-a-half percent, the risk is that you lose ten and a half,” said Jonathan Golub, chief US equity strategist at UBS Equity Research, in New York. US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said this week that the United States will technically reach its debt limit at the end of the year.

INVESTORS WARY OF JANUARY The White House has said it will not negotiate the debt ceiling as in 2011, when the fight over what was once a procedural matter preceded the first-ever downgrade of the US credit rating. But it may be forced into such a battle again. A repeat of that war is most worrisome for markets. Markets posted several

days of sharp losses in the period surrounding the debt ceiling fight in 2011. Even after a bill to increase the ceiling passed, stocks plunged in what was seen as a vote of “no confidence” in Washington’s ability to function, considering how close lawmakers came to a default.

Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor’s lowered the US sovereign rating to double-A-plus, citing Washington’s legislative problems as one reason for the downgrade from triple-A status.

The benchmark S&P 500 dropped 16 percent in a four-week period ending Aug 21, 2011. “I think there will be a tremendous fight between Democrats and Republicans about the debt ceiling,” said Jon Najarian, a co-founder of online brokerage TradeMonster.com, in Chicago. “I think that is the biggest risk to the downside in January for the market and the US economy.”

There are some signs in the options market that investors are starting to eye the January period with more wariness. The CBOE Volatility Index, or the VIX, the market’s preferred indicator of anxiety, has remained at relatively low levels throughout this process, though on Thursday it edged above 20 for the first time since July. More notable is the action in VIX futures markets, which shows a sharper increase in expected volatility in January than in later-dated contracts. January VIX futures are up nearly 23 percent in the last seven trading days, compared with a 13 percent increase in March futures and an 8 percent increase in May futures. That’s a sign of increasing nearterm worry among market participants.

The CBOE Volatility Index closed on Friday at 22.72, gaining nearly 17 percent to end at its highest level since June as details emerged of a meeting on Friday afternoon of President Barack Obama with Senate and House leaders from both parties where the president offered proposals similar to those already rejected by Republicans. —Reuters

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama and US congressional leaders have agreed to make a final effort to prevent the United States from going over the “fiscal cliff,” setting off intense bargaining over Americans’ tax rates as a New Year’s Eve deadline looms. With only days left to avoid steep tax hikes and spending cuts that could cause a recession, two Senate veterans will try to forge a deal that has eluded the White House and Congress for months.

Obama said he was “modestly optimistic” an agreement could be found. But neither side appeared to give much ground at a White House meeting of congressional leaders on Friday. What they did agree on was to task Harry Reid, the Democratic Senate majority leader, and Mitch McConnell, who heads the chamber’s Republican minority, with reaching a budget agreement by Sunday at the latest.

“The hour for immediate action is here. It is now. We’re now at the point where in just four days, every American’s tax rates are scheduled to go up by law. Every American’s paycheck will get considerably smaller. And that would be the wrong thing to do,” Obama told reporters. A total of $600 billion in tax hikes and automatic cuts to government spending will start kicking in on Tuesday - New Year’s Day - if politicians cannot reach a deal.

Economists fear the measures will push the US economy into a recession.

Pessimism about the fiscal cliff helped push US stocks down on Friday for a fifth straight day. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 158.20 points, or 1.21 percent.

Retailers are blaming worries about the “fiscal cliff” for lackluster Christmas season shopping.

Under the plan hashed out on Friday, any agreement between McConnell and Reid would be backed by the Senate and then approved in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives before the end of the year.

But the House could well be the graveyard of any accord.

A core of fiscal conservatives there strongly opposes Obama’s efforts to raise taxes for the wealthiest as part of a plan to close America’s budget deficit. House Republicans also want to see Obama commit to major spending cuts.

Talks between Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner collapsed last week when several dozen Republicans defied their leader and rejected a plan to raise rates for those earning $1 million and above. A Democratic aide said Boehner stuck mainly to “talking points” in Friday’s White House meeting, with the message that the House had acted on the budget and it was now time for the Senate to move.

TALKS ON ‘BIG NUMBERS’ The two Senate leaders and their aides will plunge into talks on Saturday that will focus mainly on the threshold for raising income tax-

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama speaks following a meeting with congressional leaders in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House. Obama met with congressional leaders for talks aimed at avoiding the ‘fiscal cliff’. — AFP es on households with upper-level earnings, a Democratic aide said. Analysts say both sides could agree on raising taxes for households earning more than $400,000 or $500,000 a year. The pair will also discuss whether the estate tax should be kept at current low levels or allowed to rise, the aide said. Democrat Reid warned of tough talks. “It’s not easy, we’re dealing with big numbers, and some of that stuff we do is somewhat complicated,” he said.

McConnell described Friday’s White House summit, also attended by Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, as “a good meeting.” “So we’ll be working hard to try to see if we can get there in the next 24 hours. So I’m hopeful and optimistic,” he said.

If things cannot be worked out between the Senate leaders, Obama said he wanted both chambers in Congress to vote on a backup plan that would increase taxes only for households with more than $250,000 of annual income.

The plan would also extend unemployment insurance for about 2 million Americans and set up a framework for a larger deficit reduction deal next year. There are signs in the options market that investor fear is taking hold. The CBOE Volatility Index, or the VIX, the market’s favored anxiety indicator, has remained at relatively low levels throughout this process, but it moved on Friday above 22, the highest level since June.

But some in the market were resigned to Washington going beyond the New Year’s Day deadline, as long as a serious agreement on deficit reduction comes out of the talks in early

January. “Regardless of whether the government resolves the issues now, any deal can easily be retroactive. We’re not as concerned with January 1 as the market seems to be,” said Richard Weiss, a senior money manager at American Century Investments. —Reuters

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

BUSINESS

Asia’s long-stay schemes lure foreigners GEORGETOWN: Like many Japanese mothers, Ritsuko Kawasaki fretted over the health and safety risks of remaining in Japan after 2011’s earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters. So in August she and her two boys moved to the Malaysian island of Penang under a government long-stay program that aims to lure foreigners-and their money-to the country.

“I don’t think I want to return to Japan. Life here in Penang is so comfortable,” said Kawasaki, 43. With its warm climate, political stability and modern economy, Malaysia has drawn 19,488 foreigners to settle in the country since launching the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program 10 years ago. MM2H and similar schemes in Thailand and the Philippines have traditionally targeted western retirees in the hope they will settle down and boost the economy.

But program officials say Asians are now the typical applicants, led by post-quake Japanese and increasingly affluent Chinese. A total of 2,387 MM2H applicants were approved in 2011, and the government is targeting 3,000 for 2012, officials say. The Malaysian incentives include a ten-year multi-entry visa, tax exemption for remittances of offshore pension funds, the right to open a business, tax-free purchases of locally made cars, and other enticements. Applicants, meanwhile, must deposit a certain amount of money in a local bank account - $50,000 for MM2H-in return for a life under the sun.

For Britons Keith and Adrienne Francis, sunshine was the clincher as they mulled whether to settle back in England after Keith’s 2004 retirement from 35 years in the Hong Kong police force. “Look at the UK, it is dull and cold,” Adrienne said as the couple sipped sweet milk tea in an Indian restaurant in Georgetown, Penang’s British colonial-era capital. Their other options had included the Thai resort Phuket. “I didn’t like Phuket because of the bars,” she said of its bawdy nightlife. The couple said Muslim-majority Malaysia was attractive due to its high living standards, lack of political upheaval seen often in its neighbors, quality medical care and widely spoken English.

SEOUL: Workers sweep with the brooms after the year’s market closing ceremony near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at the Korea Exchange in Seoul. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index closed the year’s last trading at 1,997.05. — AP STRETCH RETIREMENT DOLLAR Under MM2H, retirees also can own freehold property and land-although some restrictions apply-a key factor for the Francises, who shuddered at the thought of a costly and cramped retirement nest in Hong Kong. Home is now a spacious 2,500-squarefoot seaside Penang condo they bought in 2004 for $182,000. But increasingly it is Asians, and particularly Chinese and Japanese, driving the so-called “silver” market-business opportunities linked to seniors-says Janice Chia, managing director of Singapore-based

consultancy Ageing Asia.

She said by 2050 Asia will account for an estimated 63 percent of the world’s senior citizens, who will become increasingly important to economies, especially as medical advances extend lifespans.

“Traditionally, MM2H has attracted Western retirees, but there will be greater movements of Asian retirees to Southeast Asia,” where they “can stretch their retirement dollar,” Chia said. Siti Nani Shaarani, director of MM2H, said its applicants are now led by China, Japan, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom and Iran. The

Philippine Retirement Authority cites a similar mix of origins for the nearly 21,000 people now in its retirement incentive program, led by China, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan.

England, America and Germany still top Thailand’s long-stay scheme, which approved 35,488 applicants in 2011, according to Thai immigration figures.

Coming to Malaysia was a big leap for Kawasaki, who speaks only Japanese. She likes that her two boys, nine and three years old, are learning English in school. But Malaysia’s relative safety appealed to her the most. The country is seismically stable and free of the typhoons that annually rake east Asia. “A month later (after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami), I visited Miyagi prefecture to witness the damage.

I was totally shocked by the extent of the destruction,” the former career consultant said.

The tsunami crippled a nuclear power plant, triggering a meltdown that released large amounts of radiation into the environment, shattering Japanese public confidence in nuclear power. Jessie Ong, director of Overseas Living, a firm that helps MM2H applicants settle in Malaysia, said incoming Japanese typically claim they are “being driven out by last year’s tsunami and nuclear fears.” Whatever the motivation, Japanese led the pack of new applicants for 2012, with 558 as of August compared to 195 for all of 2010.

Shigeru Tanida, 65, has lived in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur since 2006, drawn by the year-round sunshine and far lower living costs than in Japan.

He considered Spain, Thailand and the Philippines after retiring from Japanese electronics giant Panasonic, before settling on Malaysia. He now teaches karate, and plays his beloved golf far more cheaply than he could at home. “Living costs here are a third lower than Japan and the weather is good,” he said.

MM2H participants Bernd Freytag, a German, and his American wife Kimmie gripe about the choking traffic of Malaysian cities like Georgetown and Kuala Lumpur, and the country’s often haphazard development. —AFP

Bolivia nationalizes a Spanish company

MIAMI: A container ship is docked at the Port of Miami, Florida. — AFP

US port strike averted

LA PAZ: Bolivia yesterday nationalized electrical utilities owned by Spanish company Iberdrola, sending in police and troops to enforce another expropriation ordered by the populist leader of South America’s poorest nation.

President Evo Morales announced a decree targeting Iberdrola-owned utilities in the cities of La Paz and Oruro.

They are called Electropaz and Elfeo, respectively. In La Paz, soldiers later took control of power plants that until now were run by Iberdrola, while police seized corporate offices.

It was the latest in a series of such seizures by the outspoken leftist who is a key member of a group of populist South American presidents led by the now-ailing Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Back in May, Morales nationalized a subsidiary of another Spanish power group, Red Electrica Corporacion, which distributed electricity. Since coming to power in January 2006 Bolivia’s first president representing the country’s indigenous majority has nationalized the country’s oil wealth and smelters, in addition to electric power companies.

This time, Morales said he was acting because Iberdrola charged more for electricity in rural areas than it did in cities, and service was also uneven. “We are forced to take this measure so that utility rates will be uniform” and service will be of the same quality in the country as in urban areas, the president said at a ceremony at the presidential palace. He said Iberdrola would be compensated after an evaluation of its seized assets. This will be done by a private Bolivian company and can take up to six months.

Morales’ actions over the years have caused friction with Spain. Spain said after the Red Electrica nationalization that it had been given assurances from Bolivia that there would be no more such expropriations. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said in August that Spanish companies operating in Bolivia needed legal security for their investments. The May 2006 energy nationalization affected a dozen or so companies, including Spain’s Repsol, Petrobras of Brazil, Argentina’s PanAmerican and British Petroleum. Morales has also nationalized refineries and telecommunications companies.— AFP

Tentative deal on container royalty payments BOSTON: The union representing nearly 15,000 dockworkers at US Atlantic and Gulf Coast seaports stretching from Boston to Corpus Christi, Texas, reached a tentative contract deal with shipping companies on Friday, averting a strike that threatened to wreak havoc on the US economy. The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the US Maritime Alliance clinched a deal in federally-mediated talks less than two days before a strike deadline set by the union to coincide with expiration of the contract today.

The threatened walkout would have brought container cargo operations to a halt at 15 ports along the Eastern seaboard and Gulf Coast, marking the first such work stoppage in 35 years. Friday’s announcement came hours after the White House urged the parties to settle their dispute. Under Friday’s deal, the two sides agreed to extend the terms of their expiring labor pact for 30 more days while negotiators finalize details of their settlement, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service said in a statement.

The breakthrough came as the parties agreed “in principle” on the contentious issue of “container royalties,” or bonus payments earned by ILA dockworkers based on the tonnage of cargo moved through their respective ports.

The new contract does not eliminate the royalty payments, as the shippers had demanded, according to Benny Holland, an executive vice president for the ILA. “The royalty will stay intact. We have worked out a formula for it,” he said in an interview. He did not elaborate and the shippers declined to comment. No further details were disclosed in the government’s statement.

LONG-TERM AGREEMENT AWAITED Established in 1960, the royalty payments to ILA workers are based on the tons of container cargo that move through a port. That tonnage has risen from 50 million tons in 1996 to 110 million tons last year, according to the alliance. Total payments last year were $211 million, according to the USMX, or an average of $15,500 per worker. The original idea of the royalty payments was to protect longshoremen from wage losses expected as a result of “containerization,” in which more and more goods are packed in the nowfamiliar 20- and 40-foot long boxes.

Those take less manpower to offload than the less-standardized containers they replaced. The two sides also fought over the guaranteed eight-hour workday in the current contract as well as the seven-man “lashing gang.”

Lashing crews, or gangs, secure the cargo containers to the vessel using metal lashing rods to keep them from moving while the vessel is at sea. The maritime alliance wanted to eliminate each.

A new long-term agreement has an 80 percent chance of happening by Jan 28, Capital Alpha Partners analyst Loren Smith said in a research note. The temporary agreement comes as labor forces felt emboldened by recent victories by other unions across the United States. At the same time, shipping companies and port operators have been using more automation, but have seen profits shrink. The Baltic Dry index, which tracks the cost to ship materials overseas, is down 55 percent in the past year and currently trading at levels it has not seen in a decade. — Reuters

LA PAZ: Military personnel stand guard around a substation of Electropaz, a power plant that until now were run by Spain’s Iberdrola, in La Paz yesterday. — AFP

Will retailers rebound after weak holiday?

WASHINGTON: As signs emerge that holiday sales this year grew at the weakest pace since 2008, investors are dumping retail stocks. Analysts are crowing about the missing “consumer engine” without which the economy may stagnate. Many fear that the season’s weakness will reverberate throughout the economy: Stores will be saddled with excess merchandise, forcing them to slash prices and accept razor-thin profit margins. Demand will soften for goods up and down the supply chain, leading eventually to a decline in orders for factory goods and weaker manufacturing. Growth will slow.

Yet there are plenty of reasons to believe that these fears are overblown, some market-watchers argue.

Auto sales are strong, as are some measures of consumer sentiment. Home values are rising, leaving fewer Americans on the brink of foreclosure and helping many feel more financially secure. Above all, they point out, there is nothing permanent about the “fiscal cliff,” a set of tax hikes and spending cuts that will automatically take effect at the beginning of 2013 if lawmakers are unable to reach a deal to avert it.

When the fiscal issue is addressed and demand bounces back, these contrarians argue, beaten-down retail stocks may turn out to be this year’s best afterChristmas bargain. “There may be some caution ahead of the fiscal cliff” because of uncertainty about tax rates, “but it’s more of a road bump than any fun-

damental weakness,” says David Kelly, chief global strategist for JP Morgan Funds. He notes that a daily tracker of consumer sentiment, the Rasmussen Consumer Index, rose Friday to 98.9, the highest level measured since January 2008. Other measures of consumer sentiment appear weaker, but Kelly believes the Rasmussen data is more reliable because it is updated daily. Most other indices rely on monthly surveys.

The fiscal cliff isn’t the only reason consumers slowed down in November and December. Americans were buffeted by a series of events that made them more likely to stay home. Superstorm Sandy caused steep holiday sales declines in the Northeast and midAtlantic that made the national picture appear far weaker. The presidential election distracted people in November, the Newtown massacre in December. And the rising din about Washington’s current budget impasse left many people unsure what their 2013 household budgets will look like.

The outcome: Holiday sales of electronics, clothing, jewelry and home goods in the two months before Christmas increased just 0.7 percent compared with last year, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, which tracks holiday spending across all payment methods. That’s the weakest holiday performance since 2008, when sales dropped several percent as the

cresting financial crisis pushed the economy into a deep recession. For many, the early results were a worrisome sign of things to come. Jeff Sica, president and chief investment officer of SICA Wealth Management in Morristown, NJ, called the retail sales result “onerous” and “a negative overhang on the market.”

Still, the nation’s largest retail trade group, the National Retail Federation, is sticking to its forecast that total sales for November and December will be up 4.1 percent from last year. A clearer picture will emerge next week as retailers like Macy’s and Target report monthly sales. That didn’t keep investors from reacting hastily to the grim early data. Retail stocks in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 5.4 percent this month, while the broader index declined only 1 percent. Computer and electronics retailers fared the worst, sinking 10.3 percent.

Not so fast, says Karyn Cavanaugh, market strategist with ING Investment Management in New York.

She favors the consumer discretionary sector, represented in the S&P 500 by Home Depot, Amazon.com Inc, Target Corp and Ford Motor Co, among others.

“The consumer has shown surprising resilience throughout this tepid recovery and we believe will continue to do so,” Cavanaugh says. The housing turnaround “will further aid consumer and consumer confidence,” she says.—AP

LONDON: People walk past a sale sign on a store front, for the traditional Boxing Day sales on Oxford Street in London. — AP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

BUSINESS

Factory fires bedevil garment industry Persistent safety lapses fix spotlight on US retailers DHAKA: The gruesome fire that killed 112 garment workers in Bangladesh last month underscored a stubborn problem that has dogged retailers for years. Bangladesh’s garment industry makes clothes cheap for companies like Target, Wal-Mart and the Gap, but the work is too often deadly. An estimated 600 garment workers in the country have died in fires since 2005, the International Labor Rights Forum says.

The persistent safety lapses have fixed a spotlight on US retailers, prompting criticism from labor groups that say companies don’t do enough to protect the people who make the clothes they sell. “Workers’ lives are on the line while they’re making clothing for export to the US market,” said Liana Foxvog, spokeswoman for the labor rights group. Stores that sell clothes in the United States are on the end of a supply chain that starts with cheap labor at cheap factories in South Asia. Minneapolis-based Target Corp is no exception.

The Nov 25 fire happened at a factory called Tazreen Fashions, whose parent company was a Target supplier until 2008.

Tragedy struck the Minneapolis company’s supply chain directly two years ago when a December 2010 fire killed 29 at a factory that supplied clothes to Target, J.C. Penney, Kohl’s and Abercrombie & Fitch. The company won’t say why its partnership with Tazreen’s owners ended, but Target has in recent years cracked down on safety violations by suppliers, spokeswoman Jessica Deede said in an email.

The company’s inspectors get extra time in Bangladesh to conduct fire audits and ensure factories use adequate safety procedures and training. The company has

also stopped doing business with nearly 50 percent of its Bangladeshi suppliers, consolidating its factory base to more easily monitor it, Deede said. “We can confirm that we have no known production with the Tazreen factory,” Deede said. Certainty is difficult. Middlemen broker clothing deals in South Asia, and work can be subcontracted multiple times. Buyers can be several degrees removed from suppliers.

Like Target, Wal-Mart has said it ended its relationship with Tazreen before the fire.

Yet the factory was full of jean shorts destined for Wal-Mart’s shelves, thanks to subcontracts the company said it didn’t know about. “This is complicated, there are multiple steps in a supply chain, there could be a supplier that may be based here in the United States and may be buying from factories, and sometimes there are subcontract factories,” said Mike Duke, the CEO of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., during a Dec. 11 meeting with the Council on Foreign Relations. A recent report by consulting firm McKinsey suggests companies that want to know which factories are making their clothes can find out if they are diligent. But suppliers have been known to conceal subcontractors even from the middlemen who broker the deals, and not just in the garment industry, said Li Zhao, an owner at China Iowa Group, an importexport firm in Des Moines. “Sometimes they will secretly outsource their orders to what they call a partnering factory,” she said. “Right when they’re about to finish, they ship it back to the original factory for final inspection, so unless there is someone on the ground constantly monitoring production, no one really knows that

there’s another factory involved.”

When Bangladesh’s roughly 5,000 garment factories ramp up production, share work and hire temporary employees, supply chain confusion can be exacerbated, said Kingshuk Sinha, who teaches corporate responsibility at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. “The general dynamic is there’s madness,” Sinha said. “People forget the hours, the conditions. You’re chasing orders.” Garment workers in Bangladesh on average make only 24 cents per hour, the Associated Press reported. But for the country’s 161 million people, packed into a landmass two-thirds the size of Minnesota, the work is attractive. Factory managers have no problem replacing people, Sinha said. “Bodies are substitutable,” he said.

The Tazreen blaze broke out two days after Black Friday in the United States. The factory was still under construction and not up to code, the Associated Press reported. The building, which was several stories taller than its permit allowed, had no fire escapes, and employees in upper floors were ordered to keep working until smoke had risen through the stairwells, the New York Times reported. After it came to light that the factory was working on goods emblazoned with the US Marine Corps logo, several US senators signed a letter asking President Barack Obama to ensure federal work doesn’t go to companies like Tazreen’s owner, the Tuba Group.

No one has proved that Tazreen workers were sewing clothes for Target at the time of the fire, but Dickies jeans and C&A brand clothing, which Target sells, were recovered from the site, Foxvog said. The

owner of the Tazreen factory, Delowar Hussein, did not respond to emails from the Star Tribune. Also, Li and Fung Ltd, a longtime supplier for Target and Wal-Mart based in Hong Kong, is a Tazreen customer.

The Hong Kong firm, one of the gatekeepers to Asia’s garment industry, has pledged to help compensate the families of victims of the fire. In a letter to Target earlier this month, the International Labor Rights Forum and four other groups asked Target to publish its audit reports related to Tazreen Fashions, publicly disclose its full

supplier list, submit to independent fire inspections and pay for repairs at supplier factories.

The legally binding Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Agreement, which was developed by unions and labor rights organizations, also stipulates that retailers promote unions at Bangladeshi factories.

Two companies - American firm PhillipsVan Heusen and a German chain called Tchibo - have agreed to participate.

Phillips-Van Heusen sells the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands. —MCT

DHAKA: Bangladeshi garment workers shout slogans as they participate in a protest to mourn the death of the victims of a fire in a garment factory in Dhaka. — AP

US judge approves Toyota $1.1bn deal Deal covers about 16 million (1998-2010) vehicles

ATHENS: A man sleeps in the main Athens’ Syntagma square in front of the Greek parliament.

Homelessness has risen sharply since the start of the country’s major financial crisis three years ago. — AP

Never mind crisis: Greeks look on bright side of life ATHENS: They may be in the grip of a crushing recession and riven by bitter internal political divisions, but Greeks are also trying to look on the bright side. Never mind the massive debt, the salary cuts and tax hikes: both ordinary people and the news organizations that serve them have started looking for a silver lining. The trend began on blogs more than a year ago but now the mainstream media are starting to take notice too.

One of Greece’s main television stations, Skai, makes a point of closing the main evening news on a positive note: a recent medical discovery or an offbeat item from the animal world.

The Kyriakides group, another media outlet, has gone further. It sponsors olakala.gr (“all is well”), a website that actively trawls the Internet looking for positive news. State broadcaster ERT’s contribution to the war on gloom is “Reservoir”, a two-hour radio show where host Yiannis Daras turns the news mantra “if it bleeds it leads” on its head. “I always thought good news can sell,” says Daras, a 28-year media veteran. “It is not an easy task because the media only focus on the economy and politics... people are tired, there is widespread disappointment, they don’t know if they will have money from one day to the next.” “(But) underneath all the rust, there is gold,” he said.

“Young minds, strong minds, scientists, people working for solidarity, people who cooperate, think, work and create.” “Reservoir”, he says, is like a tank that must be filled every week with emotions, initiatives and innovations that are otherwise drained by the pessimism spread by the economic crisis assailing Greeks with a daily drumbeat of bad news. Just this month, national figures showed Greece’s unemployment rate had risen to 24.8 percent in the third quarter-up from 23.6 percent in the previous three-month period.

The figures are even worse for younger people. In Greece, 57 percent of under 25s were jobless in August and Greek unemployment has more than doubled since the start of the debt crisis in 2010. “Reservoir” has acquired “fanatical” followers, who call in every weekend, Daras says, and the program receives hundreds of calls and text messages. Greece is heading into its sixth year of recession, and the country’s leading chamber of commerce last month warned that more than 40 percent of limited liability companies were expecting a fall in sales next year. The country has seen a wave of attacks against immigrants and minority groups in recent months and the far-right Golden Dawn party entered parliament after the June elections.

Thousands of businesses have shut down, and thousands of others have trouble paying their staff. The Kyriakides media group is among them. But Thalia Spiliopoulou, who runs the olakala portal on behalf of the group, says the site has more than 7,000 visitors a month. “We did not fix (the site) only for the crisis,” she said. “It was an idea to generally help and offer optimism irrelevant from this period,” Spiliopoulou said, as she prepared to upload a story on a rare butterfly species with transparent wings. “It is news you read and you feel something good afterwards,” she said.

On the streets of Athens, Greeks agreed they were eager to hear good news from the media. “People can’t survive without being positive and thinking of better days,” said Maria Vizeryiannaki, a 46-year-old unemployed accountant. “No matter how bad things are, at some point you can see the light.” “It is nice to also hear good things and not continuously about our bad economy,” said Eddie Keivan, a 17-year-old student. “We get sad hearing these miserable things,” he added.— AFP

Greece uncovers tourism scam ATHENS: Three Greeks were arrested on suspicion of trying to defraud the national tourism board, police said yesterday, and the finance ministry is investigating a suspected 12-million-euro hole in the state agency’s books. Tourism is one of cashstrapped Greece’s few remaining money-spinners and the EOT tourism board is in charge of funding several promotion campaigns and subsidy programs for the industry.

A police statement said a former EOT adviser colluded with at least two accomplices to cash in a forged cheque of 147,000 euros ($194,400) made out to a hotel on the Aegean island of Syros. The three, arrested earlier this week, were put in pre-trial detention after appearing before a prosecutor on Friday.

“They are charged with forming and participating in a criminal organization,” the statement said.

The tourism ministry said it was investigating why an EOT chequebook was handled by the 39-year old

adviser, who was not a career EOT official but rather an aide to the board’s outgoing secretary general, who resigned last week. Separately, the finance ministry appointed on Thursday a team to investigate what the EOT’s new secretary general has called “accounting irregularities” of 12 million euros in the EOT’s books.

Cronyism, political meddling and lack of accountability are central causes for the endemic corruption that has bedeviled Greece, leading to fiscal profligacy, financial crisis and an international bailout in 2010.

Greece ranked last among the 27 European Union countries in a global corruption index compiled by anti-graft group Transparency International earlier this year. The country’s governing coalition, which took power in June, has pledged to crack down on corruption, which infuriates citizens who have seen their wages cut and taxes increased as part of its 240billion euro bailout.— Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: A US judge granted preliminary approval on Friday to Toyota Motor Corp’s $1.1 billion settlement of a class-action lawsuit brought by consumers who lost value on their cars due to sudden, unintended acceleration. US District Judge James Selna in Santa Ana, California, scheduled a hearing in June for final approval of the deal, which was announced this week.

It provides $500 million in cash for plaintiffs, plus installation of break override systems and a customer support program valued at about $600 million combined.

“Settlement will likely serve the interests of the class members better than litigation,” Selna wrote. Plaintiff lawyer Steve Berman said he was pleased with the favorable comments in Selna’s order. Toyota spokeswoman Julie Hamp said the company was gratified by Selna’s approval of the settlement, “which will provide value to our customers and provides an extra measure of confidence in their vehicles.”

About 16 million Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles sold in the United States spanning the model years 1998 to 2010 are covered by the settlement. Company officials have maintained that the electronic throttle control system was not at fault, instead blaming ill-fitting floor mats and sticky gas pedals. A study by federal safety officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and NASA found no link between reports of unintended acceleration and Toyota’s electronic throttle control system. Toyota, the No 3 automaker in the US market, admitted no fault in proposing the settlement, one of the largest US mass class-action litigations in the automotive sector. One plaintiff’s law firm called it the largest settlement in US history involving auto defects.

However, the deal does not cover wrongful death or injury lawsuits, believed to total more than 300 according to a Toyota filing in June. Toyota’s recall of its vehicles between 2009 and 2011 relating to the unintended acceleration issue hurt its reputation for reliability and safety. But the automaker’s sales were up almost 29 percent in 2012 through November, compared with a 14 percent increase in the industry, and Toyota’s share of the US market has risen to 14.4 percent from 12.7 percent in 2011.

In his order on Friday, Selna said the settlement is fair, given the risks of further litigation and the complicated legal rulings he has issued throughout the case. “Some of these rulings have been favorable to plaintiffs, some have been favorable to Toyota,” Selna wrote. “Were the parties to proceed to a fully litigated result, virtually any outcome would face the risk of uncertainty upon appellate review of these rulings.” S elna also approved up to $200 million in attorneys’ fees, saying the amount falls within 25 percent of the total settlement which is the benchmark established by appellate law. The case is In re: Toyota Motor Corp.

Unintended Acceleration Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, US District Court, Central District of California, No 10-ml02151.— Reuters

TOKYO: Japan’s auto giant Toyota Motor president Akio Toyoda poses as he introduces the company’s flagship sedan ‘Crown’ in Tokyo. — AFP

Facts on ‘cliff’, debt ceiling showdowns WASHINGTON: The “fiscal cliff” is a combination of dramatic spending cuts and tax increases mandated to take effect beginning in January if President Barack Obama and Republicans cannot bridge their differences on how best to reduce the nation’s budget deficit and debt. To add to a drama that could reverse the slow US recovery and impact the global economy, the United States is also about to reach its borrowing limit, so Congress will also be asked to raise the government’s debt ceiling.

WHAT IS THE FISCAL CLIFF? The Budget Control Act of 2011 codified in law a grudging political compromise forcing the government to slash spending by $1.2 trillion over 10 years from January 1, 2013. Next year’s cuts, called “sequestration,” would be about $109 billion. Also on that date, a package of tax reductions and an extension of unemployment benefits will expire, meaning taxes will rise significantly for most Americans.

WHY WILL THIS HAPPEN? Democrats and Republicans have long been deadlocked over whether to address a $1 trillion-plus annual budget gap with higher taxes or lower spending. The Budget Control Act was a poison-pill deal designed to force them to find a less austere compromise, but political wrangling and dysfunction meant no deal was done, and the deadline is now looming.

WHAT HAPPENS IF NOT AVOIDED? Together, higher taxes and lowered spending could slice the $1.1 trillion deficit racked up in fiscal 2012 (ended September 30) by almost $500 billion next year, according to the Congressional Budget Office, vastly improving the government’s financial picture. But the CBO estimates the shock treatment would send the country back to recession and push the unemployment rate to 9.1 percent.

Deep cuts would come to both defense and non-defense spending. Government suppliers and contractors would lose busi-

ness, and temporary furloughs could be in store for tens of thousands of federal employees. Taxes and automatic paycheck deductions would increase for most Americans, reducing the cash they have for spending, and taxes on capital gains and dividends would rise, hitting investors.

WHAT IS THE DEBT CEILING? The US government will hit its statutory $16.39 trillion debt limit on Monday, according to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. The limit is set by Congress, and if it is not raised, the United States will not be able to borrow any more money and would, in theory, be forced to slash spending to make ends meet. Possible, but desperate, remedies would include halting pay to the military, retirement health benefits, social security, and failing to pay government debts.

WILL US DEFAULT ON ITS DEBT? Not immediately. The Treasury has various extraordinary measures in its armory, including halting the issuance of securities to state and local governments, which could buy about two months of leeway.

WHAT WOULD A DEFAULT MEAN? No one is sure: the dollar, and Treasury bonds, are the primary currency of global finance, and holders do not really have any alternatives. And most believe that eventually the US government would make good on its debts. However, the country’s credit rating could be further downgraded, likely pushing up its borrowing costs over the medium term and possibly diminishing the dollar’s cachet in world finance.

WHAT WILL CONGRESS DO? Eventually, Congress is likely to raise the debt ceiling but Republicans who run the House of Representatives will use the showdown as leverage to demand spending cuts from Obama in return. It is uncertain how high the raised borrowing limit will be, and any resolution will likely trigger a new confrontation between Obama and Republicans the next time around.— AFP

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

business

EQUATE holds bi-annual Management Forum KUWAIT: EQUATE Petrochemical Company held its bi-annual Management Forum 2012. During the forum, EQUATE senior management and leaders addressed a number of issues relevant to the company ’s per formance, human resources, operations, arising challenges, corporate social responsibility and other relevant topics. EQUATE President & CEO Mohammad Husain said, “The petrochemical industry faces many challenges, yet EQUATE has proven its ability to overcome them and the recent restart of Ethylene Glycol in record time by EQUATE’s employees proves its ‘Par tners in Success’ tagline embodiment in reality.”

Husain added, “The petrochemical industry is a long-term business that requires several elements, the most important is relevant to human resources who are fit and qualified to perform their responsibilities within a challenging, safe and sustainable work environment.” With the attendance of nearly 100 leaders, the Management Forum is part of EQUATE’s transparent comprehensive communication initiatives,

which advocate and stimulate discussion and open-dialogue between the company’s senior management and its executives.

Established in 1995, EQUATE is an international joint venture between Petrochemical

Industries Company (PIC), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Boubyan Petrochemical Company (BPC) and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC). Commencing production in 1997, EQUATE is the single operator of

a fully integrated world-scale manufacturing facility producing over 5 million tons annually of high-quality petrochemical products which are marketed throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe.

Bad news plagues Boeing Dreamliner Aerospace giant runs into another bout of turbulence

VIVA announces winners ‘Win a car every week’ Campaign KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s fastest-growing telecom operator, announced yesterday two more winners in the ‘Win a car every week’ campaign. The lucky draw winners were Maryam Mohammad who won the Mercedes Benz C180 and Shamayel Al-Olayan who won the Chevrolet Camaro. The winners drawn on 17 December 2012 will have until 16 January 2013 to claim their prize, otherwise the prize will be given to the alternate winner. VIVA congratulated the lucky winners and invited its customers to participate in the longest ongoing campaign of its kind, and to anticipate many more surprises planned for 2013. With the continuous success this campaign is witnessing, VIVA is keen to further engage its customers by presenting them with several means to enter the draw.

Entering the draw can be done through one of the following options. The first option is to subscribe with 500 Fils per day giving customers infinite minutes and SMS to any VIVA line. This option entitles the customer to one chance to enter the draw each week. The second option is to subscribe to the BlackBerry KD3.9 service, which gives customers full and unlimited BlackBerry Services.

This option provides customers with 7 automatic chances to enter the draw each week.

The third option is to purchase the KD 2 prepaid line. Upon activating the line, customers

should simply send ‘GO’ to 535, and will be presented with four chances to enter the draw each week.

The fourth option is to recharge for KD 3 or more, and entitles the customer to six chances to enter the draw, each time. Last but not least, customers who choose to enjoy the prepaid internet service will receive either 2 chances for the KD 1 - 500 MB recharge or 10 chances for the KD 5 - 1 GB recharge, automatically upon activation. Customers can also subscribe to more than one of the five options, increasing their chances each week to win the valuable prizes. In the case a customer does not win, the points will be accumulated and carried on to the next draw.

VIVA also created the ‘Flavor of the Week’, an additional mean to entering the draw and increasing the customers’ chances to win a new car every week. The ‘Flavor of the Week’ will be a ‘special service’ for that week, to which the customers can subscribe. Prepaid customers interested in the full, unlimited, local KD 3.9 BlackBerry offer, can send an SMS with the number ‘2’ to ‘535’. For the full menu of the prepaid offers, send an SMS with the word “GO”, to number ‘535’. To find out more about VIVA’s numerous competitive promotions, products and packages visit any of the 14 VIVA branches or visit our website at www.viva.com.kw.

Steps to obtain Burgan Bank’s multi-currency X-Change Card KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday that customers wishing to obtain the newly launched multi-currency X-Change card may do so though the following 3 simple steps, which are logging into the bank’s website https://cards.burgan.com/xchange to fill in their personal details, selecting the currency of choice, and finally receiving and loading the card from the nearest Burgan Bank branch. The new card, which is accepted across 23 million locations around the world, has been tailor-made specifically for frequent travelers, students studying abroad, online shoppers, and expatriates sending money back to their home countries.

Customers are given a selection of

the top currencies when using the card, and these include US dollars, Euro, British Pound, Saudi Riyal, UAE Dirhams, Egyptian Pound as well as the Filipino Peso.

The card, which provides its users with easy access to online shopping, ticket booking and hotel reservations, retains the value of the exchange rate at which it was bought to enable customers to capitalize on their preferred currency rates. To find out more about Burgan Bank’s latest X-Change card, or any of its products and services, customers can visit any of the bank’s branches, or contact the call center on 1804080. For more information, customers can also log onto the bank’s website on www.burgan.com

Gulf Bank announces winners of 51st Al Danah Weekly Draw KUWAIT: Gulf Bank held its fifty-first Al Danah weekly draw on December 23rd, 2012, announcing a total number of ten Al Danah weekly prize draw winners, each awarded with prizes of KD 1,000. The 51st Al Danah Weekly winners are: Taibah Haidar Al-Jumaa •Maher Abdullatif Khalil Bin Naji •Mohammed Mohammed Ibrahim Haggag •Roqayah Naser Ahmed Al-Hamdan •Fadhel Mohammed Abbas Al-Sharaf •Abdullmohsen Abbas Abdullkarim Al-Safar •Aryam Saleh Saad Al-Azmi •Khaled Ali Zahed Hadi• Nidhi Dhall Chanermohan Dhall and Moudhi Talab Motlaq Al-Ajimi .

Gulf Bank encourages everyone in Kuwait to open an Al Danah account and/or increase their deposits to maximize their chances of becoming a winner in the upcoming weekly (KD1000 each for 10 winners). Gulf Bank’s Al Danah allows cus-

tomers to win cash prizes and encourages them to save money. Chances increase the more money is deposited and the longer it is kept in the account. Al Danah also offers a number of unique services including the Al Danah Deposit Only ATM card which helps account holders deposit their money at their convenience•as well as the Al Danah calculator to help customers calculate their chances of becoming an Al Danah winner.

To be part of the Al Danah draws, customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches, transfer on line, or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance. Customers can also log on to www.e-gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s website, to find all the information regarding Al Danah or any of the Bank’s products and services or log on www.egulfbank.com/aldanahwinners, to find out more about Al Danah and who the winners are.

NEW YORK: Aerospace giant Boeing Co just can’t seem to escape trouble with its new 787 Dreamliner passenger jet. More than three years late because of design problems and supplier issues, the much-anticipated plane has run into another bout of turbulence with fresh concerns about its safety. The Federal Aviation Administration this month ordered inspections of fuel line connectors on Dreamliners because of risks of leaks and possible fires. On the same day, a United Airlines Dreamliner flight from Houston to Newark, NJ, was diverted to New Orleans after an electrical problem popped up mid-flight. After accepting delivery of the aircraft just a month earlier, Qatar Airways later said it had grounded a Dreamliner for the same problem that United experienced.

Despite criticism of the problem-plagued program, Boeing is confident that the plane will be a success once it gets more miles under its wings. “We’re having what we would consider the normal number of squawks on a new airplane, consistent with other new airplanes we’ve introduced,” Boeing Chief Executive Jim McNerney said in an interview on cable network CNBC. “We regret the impact on our customers, obviously,” he said. “But ... we’re working through it.” The Dreamliner, a twin-aisle aircraft that seats 210 to 290 passengers, is the first large passenger jet with more than half its

structure made of composite materials (carbon fibers meshed together with epoxy) instead of aluminum sheets.

Major parts for the plane are assembled elsewhere and then shipped to Everett, Wash, where they are “snapped together” in three days, compared with a month in the traditional way. Boeing says the new plane burns 20 percent less fuel than other jetliners of a similar size. Because of this, the plane has been hotly sought-after. Through November, Boeing had delivered 38 Dreamliners. The Chicago company has taken 844 orders for the plane from airlines and aircraft leasing firms around the world. Depending on the version ordered, the price ranges from $206.8 million to $243.6 million per jet.

Early customers get massive rebates on the first planes delivered because of bugs that may pop up in production. The plane maker sells these early aircraft at a loss. David E Strauss, an aerospace analyst at UBS Financial Services, said in a note to investors this month that his analysis indicates Dreamliner production “costs are not declining rapidly enough for (Boeing) to come close to its target for breakeven 787 cash flow by early 2015.” Boeing spokesman Chaz Bickers said he would not comment on Strauss’ analysis, but he did say that the company had already cut its production cost per plane by half. He did not specify

how much that was.

“We’re very pleased on the progress and confident on our processes,” he said. “Once we get to 10 Dreamliners a month and stay there, that’s when we expect a healthy production system.” Boeing is currently making five Dreamliners a month. The company doesn’t plan on reaching 10 a month until late next year. Many of the planes so far have gone to Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways, which has 16 of them. The airline said the Dreamliner has exceeded its expectations. Since All Nippon began flying the planes in November 2011, it has flown nearly 7 million miles and saved 21 percent more fuel per flight than a different aircraft of similar size.

The company also took a customer survey that found 98 percent of passengers said they would like to fly again on the Dreamliner. “This is better than what we initially expected,” said Kohei Tsuji, an All Nippon spokesman. “And the financial impact will only grow bigger for ANA as we continue to operate more Dreamliners.” Scott Hamilton, an aviation industry consultant and managing director of Leeham Co. in Issaquah, Wash., said that the latest Dreamliner problems are “irritants more than substance.” “The 787 problems are annoying for the airlines and embarrassing for Boeing,” he said. “But I don’t see these as major issues to worry about.” — MCT

Burgan Bank completes KD100 million Subordinated Bond Issue KUWAIT: Burgan Bank has announced the successful completion of a KD 100 million ($ 356 million) Lower Tier II Subordinated Bond Issue.

The Bond marks the first KD-denominated Lower Tier II (“LT2”) subordinated bond, largest private sector KD issuance and longest tenor in Kuwaiti market to be issued by a Kuwaiti bank.

KIPCO Asset Management Company (KAMCO) and Watani Investment Company (NBK Capital) jointly managed the bond issuance.

The ten-year subordinated LT2 bond, callable after year five upon receipt of regulatory approvals, was issued in fixed and floating rate tranches. In the first five years, the fixed rate bonds pay investors a coupon of 5.65% annually, while the floating rate bond pays investors a coupon of 3.90% over the Central Bank of Kuwait discount rate, capped at 6.65% annually.

Should Burgan Bank decide not to exercise the call option after 5 years of issuance, the coupon rate on both tranches will increase by 0.25%.

The fixed rate bond would then pay 5.90% annually, and the floating rate bond then pay investors a coupon of 4.15% over the Central Bank of Kuwait discount rate, capped at 6.90% annually. The bonds were issued at par and will pay coupons semiannually in arrears. The bond is rated BBB+ by Capital Intelligence. The proceeds of the bond will be used for further supporting the Bank’s capital, especially after acquiring EuroBank Tekfen. Burgan Bank continues its strategy of raising funds from the debt capital markets to strengthen its capital base, diversify its investor base and provide financial flexibility to the bank.

The bank maintains a proven track record of raising financing from global bond markets. The Bank last went to market in September 2010 raising a US$ 400 million, 10-year bond. Burgan is also rated BBB+ by Standard & Poor’s and Baa1

by Moody’s. Commenting on the transaction, Majed Essa AL Ajeel, Burgan Bank Chairman, said: “Burgan Bank is very pleased to add this successful transaction to its recent achievements. This bond will enhance the capitalization of Burgan Bank and will enable its Capital Adequacy Ratio to reach 17.5% after the Eurobank Tekfen acquisition in Turkey, well above the Central Bank of Kuwait’s 12% requirement.

“This is a landmark transaction, not only for Burgan Bank, but also for the development of the local debt capital markets by issuing the bond with the largest and longest tenor to date.

Since the onset of the global economic crisis, Kuwait’s bond market has been starved of quality bond offerings, so it is crucial that local banks help to stimulate supply. We strongly believe that a fully functioning and vibrant local bond

market is a key element in the development of Kuwait’s private sector, in line with the plan of developing Kuwait into a key financial center in the region.” “We would like to thank the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait Capital Markets Authority, and our joint lead managers - KAMCO and NBK Capital - for their assistance and support.”

Salah Y Al-Fulaij, CEO of NBK Capital stated that: “The issuance is an important one as it signals a milestone in the development of the local debt capital markets. Investors now have long term local currency securities to consider as part of their investment universe. Furthermore, we are pleased to support Burgan Bank in its expansion initiatives. The success of this transaction could not have happened without the coordinated and efficient effort of the Central Bank of

Kuwait and Capital Markets Authority and the continued support of our investor base”.

On the same note, Faisal M Sarkhou, KAMCO’s Acting CEO added: “We are proud to have played a leading role in such a momentous financial milestone, and we expect that this issuance will increase overall confidence in the Kuwaiti economy and investment banking sector especially. We at KAMCO have a firm interest in the development and support of the local bond market which in turn will be a key element in the development of the Kuwaiti economy and private sector.” “Finally I would like to extend my gratitude to all of our subscribers for their help in making the issuance a success, as well to the governmental institutions and all other companies that have provided support to develop the local bond issuance market.”

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

China unveils tighter Internet controls BEIJING: China unveiled tighter Internet controls on Friday, legalizing the deletion of posts or pages which are deemed to contain “illegal” information and requiring service providers to hand over such information to the authorities for punishment. The rules signal that the new leadership headed by Communist Party chief Xi Jinping will continue muzzling the often scathing, raucous online chatter in a country where the Internet offers a rare opportunity for debate.

The new regulations, announced by the official Xinhua news agency, also require Internet users to register with their real names when signing up with network providers, though, in reality, this already happens. Chinese authorities and Internet companies such as Sina Corp have long since closely monitored and censored what people say online, but the government has now put measures such as deleting posts into law.

“Service providers are required to instantly stop the transmission of illegal information once it is spotted and take relevant measures, including removing the information and saving records, before reporting to supervisory authorities,” the rules state.

The restrictions follow a series of corruption scandals amongst lower-level officials exposed by Internet users, something the government has said it is trying to encourage. Li Fei, deputy head of parliament’s legislative affairs committee, said the new rules did not mean people needed to worry about being unable to

report corruption online. But he added a warning too.

“When people exercise their rights, including the right to use the Internet, they must do so in accordance with the law and constitution, and not harm the legal rights of the state, society ... or other citizens,” he told a news conference.

Chinese Internet users already cope with extensive censorship measures, especially over politically sensitive topics like human rights and elite politics, and popular foreign sites Facebook, Twitter and Googleowned YouTube are blocked. Earlier this year, the government began forcing users of Sina’s wildly successful Weibo microblogging platform to register their real names. The new rules were quickly condemned by some Weibo users. “So now they are getting Weibo to help in keeping records and reporting it to authorities.

Is this the freedom of expression we are promised in the constitution?” complained one user.

“We should resolutely oppose such a covert means to interfere with Internet freedom,” wrote another. The government says tighter monitoring of the Internet is needed to prevent people making malicious and anonymous accusations online, disseminating pornography and spreading panic with unfounded rumors, pointing out that many other countries already have such rules. Despite periodic calls for political reform, the party has shown no sign of loosening its grip on power and brooks no dissent to its authority.- Reuters

BEIJING: China unveiled tighter Internet controls on Friday, legalizing the deletion of posts or pages which are deemed to contain ‘illegal’ information and requiring service providers to hand over such information to the authorities for punishment.

Schools use smart devices to help make kids smarter Growing number of schools now to turn to smartphones

Video games still in play despite some closures NEW YORK: Transition continued in the video game industry in 2012. While independent and small developers proliferated, several big name studios were shuttered during the year leaving many programmers and designers jobless.

The most attention-grabbing closure was that of 38 Studios, a studio started by ex-major league pitcher Curt Schilling, with the help of artist Todd McFarlane, author R.A. Salvatore and game creator Ken Rolston. After the studio’s first game, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, released in February, fared poorly, 38 Studios shuttered and laid off its entire staff in May, filing bankruptcy the next month.

More recently, publisher THQ filed for bankruptcy, although it has a buyer and plans to continue development on games include a Saints Row sequel. Meanwhile, sales of traditional video games played on console systems connected to TVs and dedicated handheld game systems continued a slight decline. Still, overall spending on video games-including mobile, digital, social and console hardware and software-is expected to top $25 billion, analysts estimate, surpassing 2011’s $24.8 billion.

More Americans took up playing games on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, while some of the hard-core players who play on console game systems dropped out. Overall, about two-thirds of Americans — 211.5 million-play video games, according to

market tracking firm The NPD Group.

That’s 5% fewer than in 2011, but far more than a decade ago, when about 145 million played games regularly.

Analysts expect a rebound in video game sales as early as 2013 with the arrival of the next generation of home systems. To kick off the holiday season, Nintendo released its new Wii U system ($300 to $350) with high-definition graphics. Demand for the Wii U, which makes use of older Wii remotes and an innovative wireless, motion-sensitive tablet controller, is expected to outstrip supply into spring 2013. Next year, Microsoft and Sony are expect to announce, if not launch, new consoles.

Master Chief, the main character of Microsoft’s video game ‘Halo 4’.

Transition aside, beloved franchises such as Call of Duty and Halo can still be counted on for big sales. Call of Duty: Black Ops II, released in November, became the fastest game in the history of the series to top the $1 billion mark.

Also in November, Microsoft relaunched its popular Xbox franchise with Halo 4, racking up more than $220 million in the first 24 hours. For an industry in flux, there are other good signs. The last time the industry began the move to new console systems, in 2005, retail video game sales were half that of today, says NPD analyst Liam Callahan. “This really demonstrates the (the industry’s) longterm health,” he says. — MCT

China court orders Apple to pay for copyright violation BEIJING: Technology giant Apple has been ordered to pay compensation to eight Chinese writers and two companies for selling unlicensed books online, state media reported.

The California-based company was ordered to pay a total fine of 1.03 million yuan ($165,908) to the plaintiffs for violating their copyrights, Xinhua news agency said. The ruling was issued Thursday by the Beijing No 2 Intermediate People’s Court, the report said.

Xinhua quoted a lawyer for the plaintiffs as saying they had seen applications that contained unlicensed electronic versions of their books available for download last year. The downloads, which were described as being in great quantity and resulted in large economic losses

for the plaintiffs, the lawyer was quoted as saying. According to Xinhua, the court decided that the plaintiffs’ “right of communication through information networks” covered by China’s Copyright Law had been violated by Apple through its provision of apps that included the unlicensed books.

“As an IP holder ourselves, we understand the importance of protecting intellectual property and take copyright infringement complaints very seriously,” Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu said Friday.

“We’re always updating our service to better assist content owners in protecting their rights.” Wu said the company’s App Store provides customers in China with a selection of more than 700,000 apps created by the company’s developer community. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Pulling a cellphone out during class used to mean likely confiscation and perhaps detention for students bold enough to try. Now, a growing number of schools are turning to the smartphones students bring with them to school as an instructional device that can augment classroom learning.

Teachers ask students to use their smartphones to look up a vocabulary word, take a photo of an assignment written on the board or text themselves a homework reminder. Teachers use countless apps, many of them free, to better connect students with coursework on a platform they’re familiar with. Eston Melton, an assistant principal at West Potomac High School in Alexandria, Va., says students can better internalize their lessons when they’re doing them on their own personal smartphones or tablets.

“My education becomes something I walk around with in my pocket,” he says. Outside Washington, West Potomac draws from rich and poor neighborhoods. Melton says not every student has an iPad or iPhone, so teachers have to be mindful not to alienate students who don’t have one.One way is to put students into small groups, in which only one is using the phone while others are tasked with different responsibilities. West Potomac lets students check out laptops from the library. Melton says, “Kids are incredibly responsible with it.

“Some people are going to have a visceral response of, ‘Oh my God, you let a poor kid check out a laptop? You’re never going to see it again!’

But we’ve never had that problem,” he says.

Other schools are moving to incorporate private smartphones and tablets in the classroom.

Stephen Decatur High School in Berlin, Maryland, is one. Administrators say they first have to figure out how to install a wireless network that will accommodate about 400 students at once.

And, they say, they’ve got to make sure students will be responsible with the access.

“How do we know they’re not texting somebody when we think they’re on a calculator?” says John Gaddis, assistant superintendent for Worcester County, Md., schools, which is home to Stephen Decatur High. “We’re trying to address those issues.”

The goal at Decatur is to have mobile device management software next year, so the school knows about every device plugged into its network, and a digital cloud where all content can be uploaded. “In five years,” Gaddis says, “I see all students with some sort of tablet in their hands.”

Standard teen equipment Teens already have cellphones, many of them smart versions, in their hands. A March study by the Pew Research Center found that 77% of young people ages 12-17 have cellphones. One in four has a smartphone. The study found no differences in smartphone ownership across racial, income, or ethnic lines.

A November study from Teen Research Unlimited, done for the Verizon Foundation, found that 39% of middle school students use smartphones to do homework. Among them, just 6% said they were permitted to use a smartphone in class. The number is bound to grow as more schools experiment with using smart electronic devices and mobile apps as learning tools. The Verizon Foundation chose 12 schools this year and 24 next year to receive up to $50,000 in grant funding to bring laptops, tablets and mobile phones to class. The focus is on science, math and technology studies.

One of the schools is Assabet Valley Vocational High School in Marlborough, Mass. Teachers use a number of smartphone apps: iCell for biology, Quizlet for digital flash cards and Poll Everywhere for a quick group survey. The apps offer an easy way to do research, solve problems quickly and motivate students, says Assabet science teacher Alexia Forhan. “You really get away from a lot of the photocopying and the pen and paper,” she said. “This kind of teaching definitely keeps (students) engaged.”

Safety aspects The idea of allowing phones in class is being raised as a possible safety measure after the Newtown, Conn., school shooting. At Assabet, having phones in the class was “a natural fit,” says Cindy Zomar, a school spokeswoman. “There was absolutely nothing to do with safety considerations.”

Zomar points out that the first-graders at Sandy Hook Elementary would have been too young to carry cellphones. “It wouldn’t have made a difference in what happened,” she says.

But in Salisbury, Md, a private school is putting iPads in the hands of kindergartners. It also encourages fifth-graders to use their own phones to research ancient Egypt.

“Why ignore the fact that our students forever will have a smartphone or an iPad somewhere in the vicinity that they can access anything imaginable?” says Debbie Wessels, an administrator at the Salisbury School. “Everybody needs to understand that this is going to be a shift that is forever going to change the face of education.” — MCT

Once-vaunted firms face new onslaught LOS ANGELES: Consumer electronics are among the most popular holiday gifts, but how many people really wanted a BlackBerry tablet, a Panasonic television or a Nokia smartphone for Christmas?

It’s been a tough year for old-guard tech companies including Sony, Sharp, Panasonic, Nokia and Research in Motion, which not too long ago enjoyed widespread popularity. Now, for a variety of reasons _ price, slow pace of innovation, lack of coolness factor and a cutthroat market _ the former stalwarts are frequently becoming second-tier options among fickle consumers.

“There is a consolidation around just a handful of players,” said Bob Bellack, chief executive of Newegg North America, an online electronics retailer. “There’s going to be a handful of companies that have huge resources that are able to build a castle and a moat around it, and I think that’s what you’re seeing. It’s actually very unfortunate for consumers in the long run.” As shoppers gravitate toward a smaller pool of brands for their big-ticket electronics purchases, the effects are being seen in sales of cellphones, tablets and televisions, with industry leaders Samsung and Apple leading in nearly all categories.

In the US smartphone market, “the lion’s share” of growth is concentrated in the top two brands, market research firm NPD Group said. The group found that Apple’s iPhone took 31 percent of the market in the second quarter, followed by Samsung with 24 percent. And that advantage is growing. Apple and Samsung’s combined smartphone unit sales that quarter rose 43 percent year over year as sales for other brands fell 16 percent.

BlackBerry and Nokia didn’t even make the top five brands in the US. Samsung is also gaining ground in the global cellphone market: The South Korean juggernaut is set to become the No. 1 mobile handset brand in the world this year, uprooting struggling Nokia, which has held the top spot for the last 14 years,

market research firm IHS said.

For companies playing catch-up, the challenge is to create devices that are technologically superior, cheaper or otherwise unique in some way, and to work more closely with wireless carriers to promote them.

“It’s a competitive market; it’s always been a competitive market,” said Grace Belmonte, a marketing director at Nokia, which has been touting its new phones running on Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system. “It’s tough for the consumer because there’s so many messages out there, and I think what becomes critical is that your message comes through. ... It makes all the manufacturers step up to the table.” Underscoring Apple and Samsung’s elite status, the top five smartphone models sold in the third quarter were the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, Samsung’s Galaxy S III and the Galaxy S II, NPD said.

Among tablets brands, Apple was even more dominant, with the Cupertino, Calif., company capturing a 55 percent share of the market based on worldwide shipments in the third quarter, according to technology market research firm ABI Research, followed by Samsung, Amazon and Asus. Apple, which has maintained that lead for 10 straight quarters, is so prevalent that shopper Jen Polenzani, 42, said she didn’t even know what other options were out there for tablets other than the iPad. “Nothing has compelled me to look elsewhere yet. They haven’t been marketed to me very well, obviously,” the Los Angeles political consultant said recently after buying an iPad Mini for her parents at the Grove shopping center in L.A. Many consumers said they opted to buy products from the same brand for a seamless experience between gadgets. That means companies with a complete family of apps and devices across multiple categories and price points come out on top — and that success often builds upon itself, making it difficult for other brands to break in.—MCT

Japan security firm to offer private drone TOKYO: A Japanese security company plans to rent out a private drone that takes off when intruder alarms are tripped and records footage of break-ins as they happen, a spokeswoman said Thursday. The helicopter-like device is equipped with a small surveillance camera that can transmit live pictures of a crime taking place. “The flying robot

could take off if our online security systems detect any unauthorised entry,” Asuka Saito, a spokeswoman for Secom, said.

“It would enable us to quickly check out what’s actually happening on the spot,” she said. The machine with four sets of rotors is based on a model provided by

Germany’s Ascending Technologies and equipped with Secom-developed software, camera and other devices, Saito said.

The company says the world’s first autonomous private drone for security use measures 60 centimetres (24 inches) wide and weighs 1.6 kilogrammes (3.5 pounds) and will

allow factory managers to monitor areas left uncovered by static cameras. Firms in Japan will be able to rent the drone as part of Secom’s online security system for around 5,000 yen ($58) a month some time after April 2014, Saito said, adding the company would also like to offer the service in other countries.—AFP

28

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

health & science

Passengers on Queen Mary 2 sickened by norovirus NEW YORK: An unknown illness, suspected of being a norovirus, has sickened 194 passengers and 11 crew members aboard the luxury cruise ship Queen Mary 2, causing vomiting and diarrhea, federal health officials said on Friday.

Earlier last week, 189 passengers and 31 crew members on the Emerald Princess came down with the same symptoms. The symptoms are those of norovirus, a contagious microorganism that can be acquired from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Norovirus causes an inflammation of the stomach or intestines called acute gastroenteritis, producing stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea, and is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the United States.

Each year, norovirus causes some 21 million illnesses, of which 70,000 require hospitalization. It kills about 800 people a year, the CDC says.

The Queen Mary 2, with 2,613 passengers and 1,255 crew members, is now docked in Saint Lucia in the Caribbean, according to ship owner Cunard Line, which is owned by Carnival Corp. The cruise left Brooklyn, New York, last Saturday and is due to return there next Thursday.

The CDC learned of the illnesses on the QM2 on Christmas Day on Tuesday, and of those on the Emerald Princess last Saturday. Vessels are required to notify

“has affected a number of schools, hospitals, nursing homes and children’s day care centres this winter” in the United Kingdom, Cunard said in a statement.

the agency when 2 percent of those on board develop a gastrointestinal illness.

Although the microbial culprit remains unclear In both cases, another reason to suspect norovirus is that the pathogen

The UK’s Health Protection Agency reports that norovirus activity in the country is 83 per cent higher than last year.

The QM2 sails regularly scheduled

crossings between New York and Southampton, England, between April and late November, Cunard spokeswoman Jackie Chase said in an email. “In addition, many of our guests come from the UK.” The QM2’s captain is advising passengers with gastrointestinal symptoms to report to the medical center, Chase said.

Those sickened are asked to “isolate themselves in their cabin until non-contagious. They are also asked not to proceed ashore, and any shore excursion costs will be refunded. Room service is provided to affected passengers and every effort is made to make them as comfortable as possible.”

Of the 194 QM2 passengers who had fallen sick, said Chase, all but 12 had recovered as of Friday.

In a post on the message board cruisecritic.com on Wednesday, a woman who said her daughter was on the QM2 said she “just received a message from her indicating that the Norovirus is active on board.” On Thursday, someone reporting being on the ship posted that “the restaurants are still full. The Captain last night recommended that people take all of their meals in the full-service restaurants rather than the buffet, but the buffet remains open as of this morning. We’ve been kept informed daily of the persistent cases.”

Another post said: “The crew are working like crazy to service all the guests. At lunch today I noticed the hand rails on the promenade deck were wiped three times in about 1 hour.”

In response to the outbreak, the QM2 crew has increased cleaning and disinfection procedures, the CDC said, and is asking passengers and crew to report cases of illness and “encourage hand hygiene.”

Medical personnel are also collecting stool specimens from ill passengers and crew, which a CDC lab will analyze to make a definitive diagnosis.

When the QM2 docks in Brooklyn, an officer from the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program and an epidemiologist will board, conduct an environmental health assessment “and evaluate the outbreak and response activities,” the CDC said.

Two officers boarded the Emerald Princess, also owned by Carnival, when it arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Thursday and are conducting an environmental assessment.

The Vessel Sanitation Program has authority to inspect cruise ships that carry 13 or more passengers and call at US ports. It gave the Queen Mary 2 a perfect 100 on its most recent inspection this past summer, but found a few minor infractions, including a lack of serving utensils with breakfast pastries at a buffet. —Reuters

Budget struggle raising anxiety for healthcare US govt continues to send conflicting signals WASHINGTON: Confused about the federal budget struggle? So are doctors, hospital administrators and other medical professionals who serve the 100 million Americans covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Rarely has the government sent so many conflicting signals in so short a time about the bottom line for the health care industry.

Cuts are coming, says Washington, and some could be really big. Yet more government spending is also being promised as President Barack Obama’s health care over-

It’s widely assumed that a budget deal will mean cuts for Medicare service providers. But which ones? How much? And will Medicaid and subsidies to help people get coverage under the health care law also be cut? As House Speaker John Boehner famously said: “God only knows.” The Ohio Republican was referring to the overall chances of getting a budget deal, but the same can be said of how health care - one-sixth of the economy - will fare.

“There is no political consensus to do any-

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama speaking about healthcare reforms in the East Room of the White House in Washington. —AP file photo haul advances and millions of uninsured people move closer to getting government-subsidized coverage.

“Imagine a person being told they are going to get a raise, but their taxes are also going to go up and they are going to be paying more for gas,” said Thornton Kirby, president of the South Carolina Hospital Association. “They don’t know if they are going to be taking home more or less. That’s the uncertainty when there are so many variables in play.”

Real money is at stake for big hospitals and small medical practices alike. Government at all levels pays nearly half the nation’s health care tab, with federal funds accounting for most of that.

thing significant,” said Dan Mendelson, president of Avalere Health, a market analysis firm. “ There is a collective walking away from things that matter. All the stuff on the lists of options becomes impossible, because there is no give-and-take.”

As if things weren’t complicated enough, doctors keep facing their own recurring fiscal cliff, separate from the bigger budget battle but embroiled in it nonetheless.

Come Jan. 1, doctors and certain other medical professionals face a 26.5 percent cut in their Medicare payments, the consequence of a 1990s deficit-reduction law gone awry.

Lawmakers failed to repeal or replace that law even after it became obvious that it wasn’t working. Instead, Congress usually passes a

“doc fix” each year to waive the cuts.

This year, the fix got hung up in larger budget politics. Although a reprieve is expected sooner or later, doctors don’t like being told to sit in the congressional waiting room.

“It seems like there is a presumption that physicians and patients can basically tolerate this kind of uncertainty while the Congress goes through whatever political machinations they are going through,” said Dr. Jeremy Lazarus, president of the American Medical Association. “Our concern is that physician uncertainty and anxiety about being able to pay the bills will have an impact on taking care of patients.” A recent government survey indicates that Medicare beneficiaries are having more problems when trying to find a new primary care doctor, and Lazarus said that will only get worse.

Adding to their unease, doctors also face an additional reduction if automatic spending cuts go through. Those would be triggered if Obama and congressional leaders are unable to bridge partisan differences and strike a deal. They are part of the combination of tax increases and spending cuts dubbed the “fiscal cliff.”

Medicare service providers would get hit with a 2 percent across-the-board cut, but Medicaid and subsidies for the uninsured under Obama’s health care overhaul would be spared. The Medicare cut adds up to about $120 billion over ten years, with 40 percent falling on hospitals, according to Avalare’s analysis. Nursing homes, Medicare Advantage plans and home health agencies also get hit.

The American Hospital Association says that would lead to the loss of hundreds of thousands of hospital jobs in a labor intensive industry that also generates employment for other businesses in local communities. “It’s very difficult to believe hospitals can absorb the kinds of numbers they are talking about without reducing service or workforce,” said Kirby, the hospital association head. “You may decide that a service a hospital provides is not affordable - for example, obstetrics in a rural community - if you’re making a little bit of money or losing a little bit of money by continuing to deliver babies in a rural community.”

Independent analysts like Mendelson doubt that a 2 percent Medicare cut to hospitals would be catastrophic, but say it will cost jobs somewhere. Even if there is a budget deal, the squeeze will be on. The administration has proposed $400 billion in health care cuts so far in the budget talks, coming mainly from Medicare spending. That’s only a starting point as far as Republicans are concerned.

They also want to pare back Medicaid and Obama’s health care law, and have also sought an increase in the eligibility age for Medicare. —AP

UN chief names special advisor for Haiti cholera UNITED NATIONS: The UN chief on Friday named a US health expert as special advisor in fighting Haiti’s cholera epidemic, which has claimed more than 7,750 lives and is widely blamed on UN peacekeepers.

Ban Ki-Moon has appointed Paul Farmer, a doctor and professor at Harvard Medical School, to “help galvanize support for the elimination of cholera in Haiti,” the United Nations said in a statement.

He will also be charged with advising “on lessons learned” from the epidemic and “how those can be applied in Haiti and other settings,” the statement added, without making any reference to the cause of the outbreak.

Earlier this month, the UN launched an

appeal for $2.2 billion to finance a campaign to halt the epidemic, which has exceeded 620,000 cases since it began in October 2010.

Farmer, 53, heads Harvard’s department of global health and social medicine. From 2009 to 2012, he also served as deputy to the UN special envoy for Haiti under former US president Bill Clinton. A huge UN operation has been helping the impoverished country with its political strife and the aftermath of a giant earthquake in January 2010 that killed an estimated 250,000 people.

While a UN investigation found there was no way of knowing what caused the cholera epidemic, a growing number of experts,

including some from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have said the cholera strain in Haiti matched the prevalent strain in Nepal.

The outbreak has been traced to a camp of Nepalese peacekeepers in the town of Mirebalais.

Lawyers for some victims and families of the dead have called on the United Nations to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation and threatened a court case. UN officials said 70 percent of the $2.2 billion needed in the next decade would be used to build water and sanitation facilities. The UN said it would also buy quantities of a new oral vaccine. —AFP

ATHENS: A worker cuts wood in a northern suburb of Athens yesterday. Air pollution in Athens has surged in recent days because of people choosing wood over more expensive fuels to heat their homes in the grips of a continuing economic crisis, the environment ministry said. —AFP

Study links milk-producing protein to aggressive cancer HONG KONG: The discovery that a protein which triggers milk production in women may also be responsible for making breast cancers aggressive could open up new opportunities for treatment of the most common and deadliest form of cancer among women. Found in all breast cells, the protein ELF5 tries to activate milk production even in breast cancer cells, which does not work and then makes the cancer more aggressive, according to scientists in Australia and Britain. “The discovery opens up new avenues for therapy and for designing new markers that can predict response to therapy,” said lead author Professor Chris Ormandy from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney.

In 2008, Ormandy’s work linked ELF5 to milk production. The latest research by Ormandy and his team, published in the journal PLOS Biology on Friday, went a step further to find the link between ELF5 and breast cancer. “Cancer cells can’t respond properly (to ELF5), so they ... acquire some characteristics ... that make the disease more aggressive and more refractory (resistant) to treatment with existing therapies,” Ormandy said by telephone. Ormandy and his team grew human breast cancer tissues, genetically manipulated to contain high amounts of ELF5, in petri dishes and saw how the protein proliferated aggressively.

Findings may help targeted therapy

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the top cause of cancer death among women, accounting for 23 percent of total cancer cases and 14 percent of cancer deaths in women. To decide on treatment, doctors normally need to find out if the cancer has receptors for the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which, in the case of breast cancer patients, promote growth in their tumors.

Two-thirds of breast cancers are usually positive for estrogen receptors, which then require anti-hormonal therapies that lower estrogen levels in the patient or block estrogen from supporting the growth of the cancer. For the remaining one-third of patients, their cancers do not have receptors, which means they won’t benefit from hormonal therapies. Such patients are usually given other treatments, such as chemotherapy.

Ormandy’s team found that cancers with these receptors had low levels of ELF5, while those without receptors had significantly higher levels of the protein. “What we have shown in this paper is high ELF5 tumors are dependent on ELF5 for their proliferation and if we block ELF5 in high ELF5 tumors, we will block proliferation and that will treat the tumor,” Ormandy said. “If we can develop a drug that targets ELF5, it will be very useful for that group of women,” he said.—Reuters

Dinosaur ‘thief’ pleads guilty to smuggling NEW YORK: A Florida man described by federal prosecutors as a “one-man black market in prehistoric fossils” pleaded guilty on Thursday to smuggling dinosaur skeletons into the United States. Eric Prokopi was accused of importing and selling stolen artifacts including a nearly complete Tyrannosaurus Bataar skeleton and skeletons of a duckbilled Saurolophus Angustirostris from Mongolia and a flying Oviraptor from China, according to the office of US Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan.

The 70-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Bataar skeleton, a cousin of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, became the subject of an international custody battle when the US government seized it after it was sold in May for $1.05 million in a sale conducted by Heritage Auctions in Manhattan. The seizure and charges against Prokopi stemmed from Mongolia’s claim that the skeleton had been stolen from the Gobi Desert and should be returned. Mongolia is rich in dinosaur fossils and forbids their removal for private gain.

Prokopi, 38, of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty before US Magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis in Manhattan to conspiracy, entry of goods by means of false statements, and the interstate and foreign transportation of goods taken by fraud. He faces up to 10 years in prison

on the last and most serious count, as well as possible fines, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25. Prokopi also agreed to forfeit several skeletons and other fossils.

Lawyers for Prokopi were not immediately available to comment. Prokopi was a commercial paleontologist who bought and sold whole and partial fossilized dinosaur skeletons. Prosecutors said that between 2010 and 2012, he acquired dinosaur fossils from foreign countries and illegally brought them into the United States, misrepresenting the contents of shipments on customs forms.

“Fossils and ancient skeletal remains are part of the fabric of a country’s natural history and cultural heritage, and black marketeers like Prokopi who illegally export and sell these wonders, steal a slice of that history,” Bharara said in a statement. “We are pleased that we can now begin the process of returning these prehistoric fossils to their countries of origin.” At the time of Prokopi’s arrest in October, Bharara said the investigation had “uncovered a one-man black market in prehistoric fossils.” The case is US v One Tyrannosaurus Bataar Skeleton, a/k/a Lot 49315 Listed on Page 92 of the Heritage Auctions May 20, 2012 Natural History Auction Catalog, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No 12-04760. —Reuters

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health & science

Road trip on tap for NASA’s Mars rover in new year PASADENA, California: Since captivating the world with its acrobatic landing, the Mars rover Curiosity has fallen into a rhythm: Drive, snap pictures, zap at boulders, scoop up dirt. Repeat.

Topping its to-do list in the new year: Set off toward a Martian mountain - a trek that will take up a good chunk of the year. The original itinerary called for starting the drive before the Times Square ball drop, but Curiosity lingered longer than planned at a pit stop, delaying the trip.

Curiosity will now head for Mount Sharp in midFebruary after it drills into its first rock.

“We’ll probably be ready to hit the pedal to the metal and give the keys back to the rover drivers,” mission chief scientist John Grotzinger said in a recent

flowed in the past thanks to the rover’s discovery of an old streambed. Besides water, life as we know it also needs energy, the sun.

What’s missing are the chemical building blocks of life: complex carbon-based molecules. If they’re preserved on Mars, scientists figure the best place to hunt for them is at the base of Mount Sharp where images from space reveal hints of interesting geology.

It’s a six-month journey if Curiosity drives nonstop.

But since scientists will want to command the sixwheel rover to rest and examine rocky outcrops along the way, it’ll turn into a nine-month odyssey.

Before Curiosity can tackle a mountain, there’s unfinished business to tend to. After spending the holiday taking measurements of the Martian atmos-

This file image provided by NASA shows a color self-portrait of the Mars rover Curiosity. It is set to drive toward a Martian mountain in mid-February after drilling into a rock. —AP interview at his office on the sprawling NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory campus 15 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

The road trip comes amid great expectations.

After all, it’s the reason the $2.5 billion mission targeted Gale Crater near the Martian equator. Soaring from the center of the ancient crater is a 3-mile-high peak with intriguing layers of rocks.

Curiosity’s job is to figure out whether the landing site ever had the right environmental conditions to support microbes. Scientists already know water

phere, Curiosity gears up for the first task of the new year: Finding the perfect rock to bore into.

The exercise - from picking a rock to drilling to deciphering its chemical makeup - is expected to last more than a month.

“We have promised everybody that we’re going to go slowly,” said Grotzinger, a geologist at the California Institute of Technology. Curiosity’s low-key adventures thus far are in contrast to the drama-filled touchdown that entranced the world in August. Since the car-size rover was too heavy to land using a para-

chute and airbags, engineers invented a daring new way that involved lowering it to the surface by cables.

The risky arrival proved so successful and popular that NASA is planning an encore in 2020. Curiosity joined another NASA rover, Opportunity, which has been exploring the Martian southern hemisphere since 2004. Opportunity’s twin, Spirit, stopped communicating in 2010.

After nailing the landing, Curiosity fell into a routine. The first month was dominated by health checkups - a tedious but essential prerequisite before driving. A chemistry laboratory on wheels, it’s the most high-tech spacecraft to land on another planet so extra care was taken to ensure its tools, including its rock-zapping laser and robotic arm, worked.

Once it got the green light, it trundled to a waypoint that’s home to three unique types of terrain to perform science experiments. Every time Curiosity roves, it leaves Morse code tracks in the soil, providing a visual signal between drives. The message spells out JPL, short for Jet Propulsion Lab, which built the rover.

So far, its odometer has logged less than a mile.

Despite the slow going, scientists have been smitten with the postcards it beamed home, including a stylish self-portrait and tantalizing glimpses of Mount Sharp. Huge expectations weigh on the mission with NASA balancing the need to feed the public’s appetite while pursuing discoveries at its own pace.

Last month, the space agency quashed Internet speculation that Curiosity had detected complex carbon compounds in a pinch of Martian soil by issuing a statement ahead of a science meeting where the team was due to present the latest findings.

American University space policy professor Howard McCurdy said Curiosity is currently in a transition, caught between the viral landing and the scientific payoff expected at Mount Sharp.

“It is interesting, but slow,” he said in an email. “I expect public interest will rise as the rover gets closer to its destination.” Curiosity’s prime mission lasts two years, but NASA expects the plutonium-powered rover to live far longer. A priority for its human handlers is to learn to operate it more efficiently so that it becomes second nature. Before heading to Mount Sharp, engineers plan a software update to Curiosity’s computers to fix remaining bugs.

“We’ll need to be pretty careful,” project manager Richard Cook said of the upcoming drive. “We may find terrain that we’re not comfortable driving in and we’ll have to spend time driving around stuff.” —AP

EPA faces decisions on US fracking boom NEW YORK: The past four years of US environmental regulation was marked by a crackdown on emissions that angered coal miners and power companies. Over the next four, the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency will have to decide whether to take on an even larger industry: Big Oil. Following Lisa Jackson’s resignation on Wednesday, her successor will inherit the tricky task of regulating a drilling boom that has revolutionized the energy industry but raised fears over the possible contamination of water supplies. The controversial technique at the center of the boom, hydraulic fracturing, involves injecting millions of gallons of water laced with chemicals deep into shale rocks to extract oil and gas. It has become a flashpoint issue, putting the EPA- charged with safeguarding the nation’s water-in the middle of a fight between environmentalists and the energy industry.

Both sides now eagerly await a major EPA research project into fracking’s effects on water supplies due in 2014, as well as final rules on issues including the disposal of wastewater and the use of ‘diesel’ chemicals in the process.

It is unclear who will take the role, but the

incoming chief may have a “huge impact” on the oil and gas industry, says Robert McNally, a White House energy adviser during the George W. Bush administration who now heads the Rapidan Group, a consulting firm.

On the one hand, energy industry and big manufacturers are warning the EPA not to impede a drilling boom that offers the promise of decades’ worth of cheap energy.

Meanwhile, environmentalists are pressing President Barack Obama to ensure the drilling bonanza is not endangering water resources.

“This administration clearly needs contributors to economic growth for its economic legacy as much as it needs to add to its environmental legacy,” said Bruce Bullock of the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

“This appointment could be key in seeing which of those two legacies is more important.”

There are many contenders for the role, but no clear front-runner as yet. Obama may seek an insider to avoid a difficult confirmation process, with possible candidates including Bob Perciasepe, the EPA deputy administrator and interim chief, and Gina McCarthy, who runs the air quality division. —Reuters

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W H AT ’ S O N

SEND US YOUR INSTAGRAM PICS

The Palms Beach Hotel wins Kuwait Hotels Football Tournament

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hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! Let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

Greetings

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ou came from God and started giving us joy and happiness. Your presence always gave us wonderful time. Day by day you grown up and cared us. One day, you departed & made us cry but always you are with us. We always miss you and love you.

May God bless you with all your desire.

Wishing you a great and rocking Birthday.

Best wishes come from Didun, Mummy, Papa, Baro Mama, Mejo Mama, Rango Mama, Tutu kaka, Kaki, Kona Pishi, Pishu, Ranti Dada, Mamoni, Mimi, Doly, Sonu, Mumu Didi, Sharmi didi, Debu kaka, Somu Dada, Manu Kaka, Debu Dada & Minu.

Announcements

Shirva feast

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hirva Welfare Association Kuwait (SWAK) will be celebrating their Shirva Parish feast-2013 here in Kuwait.

On this occasion there will be a mass offered at 9.15 am on February 8, 2013 at the Holy Family Cathedral.

Kuwait and the celebration / get-together with a of variety entertainment programme will he held from 4:30 pm - 9 pm on the same day at the Indian Community School, Salmiya.

SWAK members or their children who would like to participate in the variety entertainment programme and show their talent are requested to contact any of the SWAK committee members listed below to avail the opportunity before January 10, 2013. Likewise if any of members children have excelled in academics or any other extra curricular activities in the past 1 year will be appreciated and hence are requested to inform any of the SWAK committee members listed below before the 10th of January. Last date for enrollment in the talent show is January 15, 2013.

Palm’s Beach Hotel team

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he Palms Beach Hotel & Spa’s glorious the second continues successive triumph in Kuwait hotels football tournament, after defeating Crown Plaza Hotel 3-1 on the final game, which stated on Saturday December 22, 2012. The Palms Beach Hotel & Spa’s winning team was honored to provide the gold medals and championship trophy by the organizing committee.

Additional to the aforesaid details, Player Said Ali - one of the Palms Beach Hotel team, had won with the title of top scorer & the best player as well, further to player Said Al Sayad - on of the same team, had won with the title of best player in the final game.

The Palms Beach Hotel & Spa General Manager- Mr. Rabie Al Shukhon along with the administration team have congratulated the players for the great triumph and they express their thanks and appreciation for their efforts.

Furthermore, The Hotel Director of Sales & Marketing and team captain as well - Mr. Ahmed El Dackroury, had praised with the team high performance and the cooperation spirit that been privileged among of the team during the tournament, also he appreciate the great efforts made by the organizer committee and the hotel administration team, which considered the main aspect of succeeded this unique sportive event.

Said Al-Sayyad

Arabic courses

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WARE will begin Winter 1 Arabic language courses with new textbooks and curricula on from December 2, 2012 until January 24, 2013. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed & courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. For more information or registration, please log-on to our website.

Charity show

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n the occasion of New Year Hangama 2013, which will be held tomorrow from 6:00 pm to 12:00 am at Carmel School, Khaitan. Rak Dance Academy is conducting dance competition in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi. The winners will be rewarded.

Goan Culinary Club

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he Goan Culinary Club - Goa encourages you to log on to their website where you can find a video of Odette and Joe Mascarenhas sharing their thoughts on Goan cuisine. These videos were recorded at the launch of the Goan Culinary Club in Goa on March 3, 2012. Thanks to support from all at the Goan Culinary Club, we have made great progress in six months.

Basketball Academy

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he new Premier Basketball Academy offers coaching and games every Friday and Saturday from 10 am onwards for 6 to 18 year olds, boys and girls. Located in Bayan Block 7, Masjed Al-Aqsa Street by Abdullah Al-Rujaib High School. Free Basketball and Tee Shirts for all participants, with certificates and special awards on completion of each 6 week course. Qualified and experienced British and American Coaches, Everyone Welcome.

Embassy holidays French Embassy The French Embassy in Kuwait will be closed on the occasion of the New Year Tuesday, January 1st, 2013.

Indian Embassy The Embassy of India will remain closed on 01 January, 2013, Tuesday being New Year Day.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Kuwait United Company employees celebrated 20 years of Al-Waseet during an open day at the company’s camp in Abdaly.

Said Ali

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W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

Emad Al Ablani, NBK Deputy General Manager, Human Resources Group

NBK trained more than 2000 Kuwaitis during 2012

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ational Bank of Kuwait (NBK) has trained than 2000 Kuwaitis during 2012, as part of its commitment to supporting Kuwaiti nationals.

“Investing in human resources is investing in our future,” said Emad Al Ablani, NBK Deputy General Manager, Human Resources Group.

“NBK maintains its leading

position as one of the country’s largest employers in the private sector and is committed to supporting Kuwaiti nationals and empowering them to realize their potentials.”

Al Ablani added that “NBK will continue its efforts to provide career and training opportunities for nationals and to support the country’s

aim to encourage young Kuwaitis to assume roles in the private sector”.

NBK training programs include NBK Academy, the Summer Internship Program and the first of its kind in the region the NBK High Fliers Program in collaboration with the American University of Beirut to provide NBK’s future leaders with a wide range of

� � � ��� � �

leadership disciplines covering topics such as finance, risk and people management skills and included classroom discussion, case studies and assignments.

As an acknowledgment for its contribution to Kuwaitisation, NBK was awarded “The Localization Award” from the GCC Council of Ministers.

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Emad Al Ablani

he Embassy of Canada will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday 25 and 26 December 2012 on the occasion of Christmas. The Embassy will resume its duties on Thursday 27 December 2012.The Embassyof Canada in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, Email: abdbi-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, AlMutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed for lunch from 12:30 to 13:00. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday. � � � ��� � �

“Citius, Altius, Fortius” stands pat for GIS

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riday, 14th December 2012 awakened to the enthusiastic 19th Annual Inter-House Athletic Meet of Gulf Indian School at Al Sahel Sports Club, Abu Halifa. The occasion was graced by the presence of the Chief Guest Tony Luttrell, Prinicpal, Future Bilingual School and the heads of various schools and other dignitaries.

The events started with the recitation from the Holy Quran followed by

National Anthems of Kuwait and India.

Principal Shyamala Divakaran, in her welcome address congratulated the GIS team of athletes for securing the 3rd position among the 13 participating schools in the recently held CBSE Kuwait Cluster Athletic Meet. She also placed on record the school’s appreciation for the dedication and commitment of the P.E.Ts Mariamma Santhosh and Vinod Arjunan who gave extensive coaching

to the students.

The aerobics by class V and the drill display by class IV that followed soon after the inauguration were exceptionally outstanding with the perfectly synchronized rhythmic movements of the students.

The track events were held in a truly professional manner and the young athletes set many school records. The winners and individual champions were

awarded medals & trophies and Jyothi House with the maximum points received the overall championship trophy from the Chief Guest.

The individual champions were: Aksahy Yagesh Gopal, Anju Prakash, Syed Aamir Ahmed, Susmitha Maraim Titus, Abhinav Sudheer, Micah Raichel Koshy, Sarath Mohanakrishnan, Merin Ann Koshy, Sidharth Menon , Neha Imtiyaz Thakur.

Regenesys manages over 5000 student life cycle using openecampus ERB

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penbravo, the leading webbased open source business management solutions provider, recently announced the successful implementation of OpeneCampus, an Openbravo ERP vertical for campus management, at Regenesys. Regenesys is one of the leaders and fastest growing business schools in Southern Africa.

With the solution being recently implemented, Regenesys now boasts of managing 5000+ students through a comprehensive Student Life Cycle Management solution.

With over 65,000 students educated in the past 14 years from over 1,000 of the most reputable organizations in South Africa and around the world, Regenesys wanted to implement an ERP solution for student life cycle management which could be integrated easily with its learning management system, Moodle.

OpeneCampus, Openbravo’s based solution, was selected and implemented for student life cycle management as

it allows them to benefit from an integrated solution with the comprehensive functionality required, lowering licenses and overall implementation and maintenance costs. Additionally, the flexibility of the solution and easy customization and integration techniques proved to be a complete success for Regenesys.

The results are a one stop-one click solution that increases efficiency, and the improved collaboration allowing connecting people, data and departments, providing an outstanding student service.

Astute Business Solutions Pvt. Ltd, in India, are the authors of the OpeneCampus vertical and the partner who implemented the solution. Astute has large expertise in this education vertical and sector and thereby brought strong domain expertise and industry skills to this particular project.

Riaan Steenberg, COO and Director, of Regenesys said, “It’s a pleasure to recommend OpeneCampus and the services that Astute provided to Regenesys.

We believe that since we go live and in the long term, this solution would offer much more value than other solutions at a fraction of the cost. The requirements we had were very challenging but OpeneCampus and Astute exceeded our expectations. We encourage any company in the education sector, to adopt this ERP solution.”

Y Srinivasa Reddy, CEO of Astute Business Solution Pvt. Ltd., said: “Automating the entire student lifecycle is every educational entity’s key objective. The concept is to track the student life-cycle from enrollment to graduation and beyond; managing the student life-cycle seamlessly is a desired need for all educational vertical process owners. Having a safe, secure and stable environment at a low cost is a basic requirement of all customers. Our expertise in the ERP domain along with our vast experience in education vertical helped us addressing the requirements in the educational vertical and the partnership with openbravo has

helped us in meeting the security and low cost requirements to global customers. Openbravo’s support was timely and it’s a great feeling to see OpeneCampus being implemented and used extensively by the Regenesys University.”

AndreuBartol?, VP of Channel Operations, said: “As Gartner stated, making the college or university a truly real-time enterprise and achieving a practical fusion of business and academic processes will become a guiding ambition of institutions of higher learning. New tools for integration and collaboration will be the building blocks for this transformation. At Openbravo we think that Education is a growing field that requires business application solutions and unfortunately is a market that has been underserved by technology providers. With OpeneCampus we are ready to address the most complex educational business requirements, from the student first contact to graduation and beyond. “

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on short-stay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. � � � ��� � �

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com. � � � ��� � �

EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, Al-Salaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location. Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com. � � � ��� � �

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk. � � � ��� � �

EMBASSY OF PERU The Embassy of Peru is located in Sharq, Ahmed Al Jaber Street, Al Arabiya Tower, 6th Floor. Working days / hours: SundayThursday /9 am - 4 pm. Residents in Kuwait interested in getting a visa to travel to Peru and companies attracted to invest in Peru are invited to visit the permanent exposition room located in the Embassy. For more information, please contact: (+965) 22267250/1.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 Animal Cops Philadelphia 01:45 Buggin’ With Ruud 02:35 Untamed & Uncut 03:25 Adrift: 47 Days With Sharks 04:15 Monster Bug Wars 05:05 Earthquake: Panda Rescue 05:55 Call Of The Wildman 06:20 Animal Kingdom 06:45 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 07:35 Wildlife SOS 08:00 Talk To The Animals 08:25 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 09:15 Crocodile Hunter 10:10 Baby Planet 11:05 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 11:30 Breed All About It 12:00 Jeff Corwin Unleashed 12:25 The Really Wild Show 12:55 National Parks New Zealand 13:50 Great Ocean Adventures 14:45 Crocodile Hunter 15:40 Crocodile Hunter 16:35 Crocodile Hunter 17:30 Crocodile Hunter 18:25 Crocodile Hunter 19:20 The Animals’ Guide To Survival 20:15 The Animals’ Guide To Survival 21:10 In Search Of The King Cobra 22:05 National Parks New Zealand 23:00 My Cat From Hell 23:55 Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer

01:15 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 01:40 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 02:05 Come Dine With Me 02:55 Antiques Roadshow 03:45 Bargain Hunt 04:30 Masterchef: The Professionals 04:55 Masterchef: The Professionals 05:50 Baking Made Easy 06:15 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 06:40 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 07:25 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 08:10 Eating With The Enemy 08:55 Kirstie & Phil’s Perfect Christmas 09:45 Kirstie & Phil’s Perfect Christmas 10:35 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 11:25 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 11:50 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 12:15 Come Dine With Me 13:05 Antiques Roadshow 14:00 Bargain Hunt 14:45 Masterchef: The Professionals 15:15 Masterchef: The Professionals 16:10 Baking Made Easy 16:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 18:00 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 18:45 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 19:10 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 19:35 Come Dine With Me 20:25 Antiques Roadshow 21:15 Bargain Hunt 22:00 Masterchef: The Professionals 22:55 Masterchef: The Professionals 23:25 Baking Made Easy 23:50 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

00:00 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 00:30 Football Focus 01:00 BBC World News America 01:30 BBC World News America 02:00 BBC World News 02:30 Newsnight 03:00 BBC World News 03:10 Weekend World 03:30 Pick Of The Year 04:00 BBC World News 04:10 Faster, Higher, Stronger 05:00 BBC World News 05:30 Pick Of The Year 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Pick Of The Year 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 Fast Track

08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:10 10:30 11:00 11:10 11:30 12:00 12:10 13:00 13:10 13:30 14:00 14:10 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:15 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:10 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:15 22:30 23:00 23:10

BBC World News Middle East Business Report BBC World News Click BBC World News Weekend World Pick Of The Year BBC World News Football Focus Pick Of The Year BBC World News Pick Of The Year BBC World News World Features Newsnight BBC World News Weekend World Our World BBC World News Talking Movies BBC World News Sport Today Fast Track BBC World News Dateline London BBC World News Faster, Higher, Stronger BBC World News Our World BBC World News Final Score BBC World News Fast Track BBC World News Sport Today Click BBC World News Pick Of The Year

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:10 02:35 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:00 04:30 04:55 05:20 05:45 06:00 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:20 07:45 08:10 08:35 09:00 09:25 09:40 09:55 10:10 10:25 10:50 11:05 11:30 12:30 12:55 13:20 13:45 14:00 14:50 15:15 15:40 16:30 16:55 17:20 18:00 19:10 19:30 19:55 20:20 20:45 21:00 21:25 21:50 22:15 22:40 23:05 23:30 23:55

Taz-Mania Pink Panther And Pals Moomins Tom & Jerry Kids A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Puppy In My Pocket Wacky Races Looney Tunes Duck Dodgers Dastardly And Muttley Dexter’s Laboratory Wacky Races Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Moomins Looney Tunes Tom & Jerry Tales What’s New Scooby Doo? Taz-Mania The Looney Tunes Show Tom & Jerry Tales The Garfield Show Baby Looney Tunes Bananas In Pyjamas Cartoonito Tales Ha Ha Hairies Jelly Jamm Gerald McBoing Boing Moomins What’s New Scooby Doo? Chill Out Scooby Doo Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Taz-Mania The Looney Tunes Show Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Pink Panther And Pals Pink Panther And Pals Tom & Jerry Tales Taz-Mania Taz-Mania Johnny Bravo Scooby Doo: Pirates Ahoy Looney Tunes Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Taz-Mania The Looney Tunes Show Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Pink Panther And Pals What’s New Scooby Doo? Moomins Puppy In My Pocket The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop The Addams Family Droopy: Master Detective

00:40 Chowder 01:30 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 01:55 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 02:20 Foster’s Home For...

02:45 Foster’s Home For...

03:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 04:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 04:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Powerpuff Girls 05:40 Generator Rex 06:05 Ben 10 06:30 Ben 10 06:55 Angelo Rules 07:00 Ed, Edd n Eddy 07:30 Casper’s Scare School 08:00 The Marvelous Misadventures...

08:25 Redakai: Conquer The Kairu 08:45 Grim Adventures Of...

09:35 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 09:55 Level Up 10:15 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 10:35 Transformers Prime 11:00 Ben 10: Omniverse 11:25 Thundercats 11:50 Regular Show 12:15 Adventure Time 12:40 The Amazing World Of Gumball 13:05 Johnny Test 13:30 Ben 10 14:00 Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm 15:15 Green Lantern: The Animated Series 15:35 Transformers Prime 16:00 Angelo Rules 16:50 Ben 10: Omniverse 17:15 Generator Rex 17:40 Eliot Kid 18:30 Regular Show 19:20 Adventure Time 19:45 The Amazing World Of Gumball 20:10 Johnny Test 20:35 Ben 10: Alien Force 21:00 Ben 10: Alien Force 21:25 The Powerpuff Girls 22:15 Grim Adventures Of...

23:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:50 The Powerpuff Girls

00:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson 01:00 Amanpour 01:30 World Sport 02:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 03:00 World Report 03:30 World Sport 04:00 Anderson Cooper 360 05:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 06:00 Quest Means Business 06:45 CNN Marketplace Africa 07:00 The Situation Room 08:00 World Sport 08:30 Leading Women 08:45 Future Cities 09:00 World Report 09:15 CNN Marketplace Africa 09:30 Backstory 10:00 World Report 10:15 CNN Marketplace Middle East 10:30 Sanjay Gupta MD 11:00 World Sport 11:30 Winning Post 11:45 The Gateway 12:00 The Best Of The Situation Room 13:00 Amanpour 13:30 The Brief 14:00 World Report 14:30 Inside Africa 15:00 Talk Asia 15:30 I Report For CNN 16:00 World Report 16:30 On China 17:00 News Special 17:30 Backstory 18:00 International Desk 18:30 African Voices

FASTER ON OSN ACTION HD

19:00 19:15 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 22:45 23:00 Room

CNN Marketplace Europe CNN Marketplace Africa The Brief World Sport Open Court International Desk Inside Africa International Desk Leading Women Future Cities The Best Of The Situation

00:15 01:10 02:05 03:00 03:55 04:20 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:25 08:15 09:10 10:05 10:55 11:50 12:45 13:40 14:35 15:30 16:25 17:20 18:15 19:10 20:05 21:00 21:55 22:50 23:45

Dynamo: Magician Impossible Dynamo: Magician Impossible Dynamo: Magician Impossible Dynamo: Magician Impossible Border Security Scrappers Auction Hunters How Stuff’s Made How It’s Made Ultimate Survival How It’s Made World’s Top 5 Mega Builders Extreme Engineering X-Machines Rattlesnake Republic Gold Rush American Chopper American Chopper Wheeler Dealers Deception With Keith Barry Mythbusters Curiosity: X-Ray: Yellowstone Flying Wild Alaska Bear Grylls: A Day In...

Ultimate Survival World’s Toughest Drive Deadliest Catch Gold Divers Sons Of Guns

00:40 The Gadget Show 01:05 The Gadget Show 01:35 Mission Critical 02:25 The Future Of...

03:15 Thunder Races 04:05 One Step Beyond 04:35 Prophets Of Science Fiction 05:25 How Do They Do It? 05:50 How Do They Do It? 06:15 The Gadget Show 06:40 The Gadget Show 07:05 Mission Critical 08:00 Ten Ways 08:50 Tech Toys 360 09:15 Tech Toys 360 09:40 Head Rush 09:43 Stunt Junkies 10:10 Stunt Junkies 10:40 Man-Made Marvels Asia 11:30 The Gadget Show 11:55 How Tech Works 12:20 Gadget Show - World Tour 12:45 How Tech Works 13:10 Gadget Show - World Tour 13:35 How Tech Works 14:00 Gadget Show - World Tour 14:25 How Tech Works 14:50 Gadget Show - World Tour 15:15 How Tech Works 15:45 Curiosity 16:35 Things That Move 17:00 Head Rush 17:03 The Tech Show 17:30 The Tech Show 18:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 18:50 Scrapheap Challenge 19:40 Ways To Save The Planet 20:30 Sport Science 21:20 Sport Science 22:10 Sport Science 23:00 Sport Science 23:50 Sport Science

00:10 Fish Hooks 00:20 Fish Hooks 00:35 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 01:00 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 01:25 Replacements 01:50 Replacements 02:15 Emperor’s New School 02:40 Emperor’s New School 03:05 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 03:30 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 03:55 Replacements 04:20 Replacements 04:45 Emperor’s New School 05:10 Emperor’s New School 05:35 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 06:00 Doc McStuffins 06:15 Suite Life On Deck 06:40 Suite Life On Deck 07:05 A.N.T Farm 07:30 A.N.T Farm 07:55 Jessie 08:20 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 08:45 Good Luck Charlie 09:10 Good Luck Charlie 09:35 Austin And Ally 10:00 Gravity Falls 10:25 Starstruck 11:40 Austin And Ally 12:05 Austin And Ally 12:30 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 13:00 Jessie 13:20 Jessie 13:45 Good Luck Charlie 14:10 Good Luck Charlie 14:35 Gravity Falls 15:00 Gravity Falls 15:25 Shake It Up 15:50 Shake It Up 16:15 A.N.T. Farm 16:40 A.N.T. Farm 17:00 Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure 18:25 Good Luck Charlie 18:45 Starstruck 20:00 Shake It Up 20:25 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 20:50 Gravity Falls 21:15 A.N.T. Farm 21:40 Jessie 22:05 Jessie 22:30 Fish Hooks 22:45 Fish Hooks 22:55 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 23:20 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody

00:25 00:55 01:25 02:20 03:15

Holly’s World Style Star THS E!es Behind The Scenes

03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 E!es 05:05 THS 06:00 15 Remarkable Celebrity Body Bouncebacks 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 10:15 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 11:10 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 12:05 E! News 13:05 Scouted 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 14:30 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 15:00 Married To Jonas 15:25 Married To Jonas 15:55 Opening Act 16:55 Opening Act 17:55 E! News 18:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 19:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 20:55 Married To Jonas 21:25 Fashion Police 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Holly’s World

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:05 03:30 03:55 04:45 05:30 06:20 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:30 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:15 14:40 15:30 16:20 16:45 17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:05 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab Psychic Witness Evil, I Evil, I I Escaped Death Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab Psychic Witness Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Murder Shift Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Murder Shift Disappeared Forensic Detectives Street Patrol On The Case With Paula Zahn Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill The Haunted Ghost Lab

00:05 Hendrix 01:45 Coming Home 03:50 Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The...

05:30 Welcome To L.A. 07:10 Illegal In Blue 08:40 Hunter: Return To Justice 10:00 Carry On Columbus 11:26 For Better Or For Worse 12:55 Swamp Thing 14:25 De-Lovely 16:25 Eddie & The Cruisers II 18:05 The Mechanic 19:40 Mgm’s Big Screen 19:55 Texasville 22:00 Tenth Man, The 23:40 Arabian Nights

00:45 Amish: Out of Order 01:40 Naked Lentil 02:05 Naked Lentil 02:35 Naked Lentil 03:00 One Man & His Campervan 03:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 03:55 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 04:25 Amish: Out of Order 05:20 Bondi Rescue: Bali 05:45 Bondi Rescue: Bali 06:15 Street Food Around The World 06:40 Market Values 07:10 Market Values 07:35 Market Values 08:05 Market Values 08:30 Deadliest Journeys 2 09:00 Extreme Expeditions 09:55 Madagascar Maverick 10:50 Amish: Out of Order 11:45 On The Camino De Santiago 12:10 On The Camino De Santiago 12:40 One Man & His Campervan 13:05 One Man & His Campervan 13:35 Exploring The Vine 14:00 Exploring The Vine 14:30 Amish: Out of Order 15:25 On Hannibal Trail 15:50 Finding Genghis 16:20 Market Values 16:45 Deadliest Journeys 2 17:15 Extreme Expeditions 18:10 Madagascar Maverick 19:05 Bondi Rescue: Bali 19:30 Bondi Rescue: Bali 20:05 Street Food Around The World 20:30 Market Values 21:00 Market Values 21:30 Market Values 22:00 Earth Tripping 22:25 Earth Tripping 22:55 On The Camino De Santiago

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00

Prehistoric Predators Engineering Connections World’s Toughest Fixes Engineering Connections Hunter Hunted Convoy: War For The Atlantic Megastructures Dogtown Prehistoric Predators Engineering Connections World’s Toughest Fixes Engineering Connections Hunter Hunted Convoy: War For The Atlantic Megastructures

ANOTHER EARTH ON OSN MOVIES HD 15:00 Dogtown 16:00 Prehistoric Predators 17:00 Engineering Connections 18:00 World’s Toughest Fixes 19:00 Fight Science 20:00 Animal Autopsy (AKA Inside Nature’s Giants) 21:00 Hooked 22:00 Megastructures 23:00 Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Crimes Against Nature The Dark Side of Hippos World’s Deadliest GPU Shark Men My Life Is A Zoo Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Bug Attack Hooked Monster Fish Secret Brazil World’s Deadliest Animals Sharks In The City Shark Men Secret Brazil World’s Deadliest Animals Unlikely Animal Friends Monkey Thieves Animal Intervention How Big Can It Get Secret Brazil World’s Deadliest Animals Unlikely Animal Friends Monkey Thieves

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 PG15 14:00 16:00 18:00 PG15 20:00 22:00

Hide And Seek-18 Thick As Thieves-18 Survival Of The Dead-18 Men In Black II-PG The Reunion-PG15 Judge Dredd-18 Charlie’s Angels: Full ThrottleThe Reunion-PG15 Faster-PG15 Charlie’s Angels: Full ThrottleMachete-18 Boogeyman-18

01:00 The Last Exorcism-18 03:00 Teen Spirit-PG15 05:00 Snowflake , The White GorillaPG15 07:00 Soldier Love Story-PG15 09:00 Teen Spirit-PG15 11:00 Chasing 3000-PG15 13:00 Green Lantern-PG15 15:00 Marley & Me: The Puppy Years-PG 17:00 33 Postcards-PG15 19:00 Older Than America-PG15 21:00 After Life-18 23:00 Meet Monica Velour-R

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 02:00 South Park 02:30 Bored To Death 03:00 Raising Hope 03:30 30 Rock 04:00 Hope & Faith 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Hope & Faith 08:30 Raising Hope 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Hope & Faith 14:00 30 Rock 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Raising Hope 18:30 30 Rock 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Saturday Night Live 23:00 Bored To Death 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 03:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Fairly Legal Damages Six Feet Under Fairly Legal Emmerdale Coronation Street Criminal Minds Glee Alphas Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Criminal Minds Fairly Legal Emmerdale Coronation Street Criminal Minds Burn Notice C.S.I. C.S.I. Miami Strike Back Six Feet Under

01:00 Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown-18 03:00 Kill List-R 05:00 Unknown-PG15 07:00 Malibu Shark Attack-18 09:00 True Justice: Angel Of DeathPG15 11:00 Unknown-PG15 13:00 Rocky v-PG15 15:00 True Justice: Angel Of DeathPG15 17:00 Anaconda-PG15 19:00 Tupac: Resurrection-18 21:00 Boogeyman-18 23:00 Fertile Ground-18

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 PG15 08:00 10:00 PG15 12:00 14:00 16:00 PG15 18:00 20:00 22:00

A Little Help-18 Paul-PG15 Zookeeper-PG15 It’s Kind Of A Funny StoryScooby-Doo-PG The Marc Pease ExperienceZookeeper-PG15 The Winning Season-PG15 The Marc Pease ExperienceLife As We Know It-PG15 The Royal Tenenbaums-18 High Fidelity-PG15

01:00 Munich-18 03:45 Trader Games-PG15 05:30 Dear John-PG15 07:15 Bob Roberts-PG15 09:00 Shanghai-PG15 11:15 Lord Of The Dance-PG 13:30 Miles From Nowhere-PG15 15:30 Shanghai-PG15 17:45 Hindenburg-PG15 21:00 Bobby Jones: Stroke Of Genius-PG 23:15 Page Eight-PG15

00:00 The Rum Diary-18 02:00 Transformers: Dark Of The Moon-PG15 04:45 Rio-FAM 06:45 Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides-PG15 09:00 The Adjustment Bureau-PG15 11:00 Happy Feet Two-PG15 13:00 Marion Jones: Press PausePG15 14:00 The Prince And Me 4: The Elephant Adventure-PG15 15:45 The Adjustment Bureau-PG15 17:45 X-Men: First Class-PG15 20:00 Another Earth-PG15

01:00 A Venetian Rascal Goes To America-FAM 02:45 A Monster In Paris-PG15 04:30 The Three Bears: The Amazing Adventurers-FAM 06:00 Princess Lillifee-FAM 08:00 Teo: The Intergalactic HunterPG

10:00 Cats Don’t Dance-FAM 11:15 Battle For Terra-PG 12:45 The Three Bears: The Amazing Adventurers-FAM 14:15 Cheaper By The Dozen-PG 16:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 18:00 Cats Don’t Dance-FAM 20:00 Return To Halloweentown-PG 22:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 23:45 Teo: The Intergalactic HunterPG

00:00 Angry Juror-PG15 02:00 Letters To Juliet-PG15 04:00 The Smurfs-PG 06:00 Bound By A Secret-PG15 08:00 Monte Carlo-PG15 10:00 Spy Kids: All The Time In The World-PG 11:30 Letters To Juliet-PG15 13:15 Michael Jackson: The Life Of An Icon-PG15 16:00 Monte Carlo-PG15 18:00 The Eagle-PG15 20:00 Another Earth-PG15 22:00 Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans-18

02:00 ICC Cricket 360 02:30 Live Cricket Test Match 10:30 PGA European Tour Weekly 11:30 Trans World Sport 12:30 ICC Cricket 360 13:00 Live Twenty20 Big Bash League 16:00 Cricket Test Match 23:00 ICC Cricket 360 23:30 Twenty20 Big Bash League

02:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 10:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 22:00

WWE Bottom Line Top 14 Top 14 Twenty20 Big Bash League Darts ICC Cricket 360 Futbol Mundial Top 14 PGA European Tour Weekly Trans World Sport Twenty20 Big Bash League Live Darts

00:30 Top 14 Highlights 01:00 Golfing World 02:00 Spirit of Golf 02:30 Spirit of Golf 03:00 PDC World Championship 07:00 Top 14 Highlights 07:30 Trans World Sport 08:30 Futbol Mundial 09:00 Spirit of a Champion 09:30 Spirit of a Champion 10:00 Spirit of a Champion 10:30 Spirit of a Champion 11:00 Top 14 13:00 Top 14 Highlights 13:30 PGA European Highlights 14:30 Trans World Sport 15:30 Futbol Mundial 16:00 Top 14 18:00 Spirit of a Champion 18:30 Spirit of a Champion 19:00 Spirit of a Champion 19:30 Spirit of a Champion 20:00 Top 14 Highlights 20:30 Live Pro 12 22:45 Live Pro 12

00:00 01:00 03:00 04:00 07:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 14:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:00

Darts

Tour

WWE Bottom Line WWE SmackDown UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC 153 WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line WWE Vintage PrizeFighter WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line V8 Supercars Extra UFC 155 Countdown UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC UFC 154

Classifieds SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

ACCOMMODATION Room available, rent KD 65, near the big Jamiya, Bahrain St, Ghadeer Clinic building. Tel: 66792392/ 66282602/ 60421240.

(C 4263) 25-12-2012 CHANGE OF NAME I, Jafar Mohammed Hussain Warekar, holder of Indian Passport No: E8758097 hereby change my name to Zafar Mohammed Hussain Warekar. (C 4266) I, Raguri Subbaiah Reddamma holder of Indian Passport No: F0419527 hereby change my name to Ravuri Reddamma Venkata Subbaiah. (C 4258)

and currently working with Global PR in Bangalore as senior account executive, from well qualified and employed MARTHOMA/ CSI/ ORTHODOX boys preferably in Kuwait/Dubai with good family background and clean habits.

Contact: Email: jacobthomask3@yahoo.com (C 4269) 30-12-2012

SITUATION WANTED Systems Engineer (2-3 years experience in Infosys Ltd) Configuration Controller and Release Management, UNIX, Oracle, B-Tech Electronics & Comm.

Mob: 65015932. (C 4260) 24-12-2012

I, Mohammed Pervaiz S/o Mohammed Jahangir, R/o 19-4-281/A/30, Sanjeev Gandhi Nagar, Hyd. Passport bearing No: H1841911 hereby changed my name to Syed Parvez S/o Syed Jahangir Parvez.

(C 4267) 27-12-2012 I, Suresh Dhanapal, Indian Passport No: E6840843 have converted from Hindu to Islam and changed my name to Barakath Ali Dhanapal (C 4265) 25-12-2012

Marthomite parents in Kuwait, invites proposals for their daughter (28/160/Fair), B/B in Kuwait, Masters from UK

Learn Holy Quran in perfect way, private tuition available for elders and children by Hafiz-E-Quran.

Contact: 66725950.

(C 4262) Tuition available for Web Designing & Professional Graphic Designing. Learn to create your own website just in 3 months. Flexible schedule, join us to build

your career as Web Designer. Call 60078629, 22403408.

(C 4264) 25-12-2012 AutoCAD tuition available by Highly Qualified Experienced Teacher, Learn professionally AutoCAD 2D&3D with Projects, Flexible Schedule, and individual tutorial.

Contact: 99302850 / 22467301. (C 4251) 20-12-2012

Prayer timings Fajr: Shorook Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

05:16 06:40 11:49 14:39 16:58 18:20

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES Kuwait Parliament www.majlesalommah.net

The Public Institution for Social Security www.pifss.gov.kw

Ministry of Interior www.moi.gov.kw

Public Authority of Industry www.pai.gov.kw

Public Authority for Civil Information www.paci.gov.kw

Prisoners of War Committee www.pows.org.kw

Kuwait News Agency www.kuna.net.kw

Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.gov.kw

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair www.islam.gov.kw

Kuwait Municipality www.municipality.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Oil) www.moo.gov.kw

Kuwait Electronic Government www.e.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.kw

Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw

Public Authority for Housing Welfare www.housing.gov.kw

Ministry of Commerce and Industry www.moci.gov.kw

Ministry of Justice www.moj.gov.kw

Ministry of Education www.moe.edu.kw

Ministry of Communications www.moc.kw

Ministry of Information www.moinfo.gov.kw

Supreme Council for Planning and Development www.scpd.gov.kw

Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

MATRIMONIAL Proposal invited for a bachelor 29 years working as a secretary in a reputed company looking for a good fearing and well educated girls. Email: eng.mrabdo@yahoo.com (C 4268) 29-12-2012

TUITION

No: 15673

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JAI THY JZR JZR QTR ETH GFA UAE ETD QTR FDB MSR RJA KAC CLX DHX THY JZR BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB ETD GFA IRA IRC JZR MEA MSR UAE KAC KAC JZR KAC GFA FDB KNE KAC SVA SYR QTR MPH

Arrival Flights on Sunday 30/12/2012 Flt Route 574 MUMBAI 772 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 138 DOHA 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 642 AMMAN 544 CAIRO 792 LUXEMBOURG 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 555 ALEXANDRIA 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 855 DUBAI 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 603 SHIRAZ 6666 AHWAZ 165 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 610 CAIRO 871 DUBAI 742 DAMMAM 382 DELHI 175 DUBAI 774 RIYADH 219 BAHRAIN 57 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 672 DUBAI 500 JEDDAH 341 DAMASCUS 140 DOHA 97 AMSTERDAM

Time 0:30 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:45 1:50 2:35 2:45 3:01 3:05 3:10 3:15 4:20 4:55 5:15 5:30 6:00 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:55 8:15 8:25 8:40 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:55 10:40 11:10 11:20 11:55 12:45 12:50 12:55 12:55 13:10 13:30 13:35 13:50 14:10 14:10 14:30 14:40 14:45 14:50

JZR KAC QTR JZR UAE ETD RJA GFA SVA JZR QTR ABY UAL KAC JZR RBG KAC BAB FDB AFG KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA KAC FDB JAI AXB MSR ABY QTR ALK MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE KAC JZR JAI FDB DHX KAC KLM AIC JZR GFA KAC JZR UAL

561 284 134 787 857 303 640 215 510 777 144 127 982 542 177 3553 786 438 63 415 166 618 102 674 647 562 61 572 393 606 129 146 229 402 136 221 307 859 172 135 576 59 372 514 417 981 239 217 502 185 981

SOHAG DHAKA DOHA RIYADH DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH DOHA SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO DUBAI ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI KABUL PARIS DOHA NEW YORK DUBAI MUSCAT AMMAN DUBAI MUMBAI KOZHIKODE LUXOR SHARJAH DOHA COLOMBO BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI FRANKFURT BAHRAIN COCHIN DUBAI BAHRAIN TEHRAN AMSTERDAM CHENNAI AMMAN BAHRAIN BEIRUT DUBAI BAHRAIN

14:50 15:10 15:30 16:10 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:45 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:45 19:00 19:10 19:20 19:35 19:35 19:55 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:45 20:55 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:45 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:30 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:25

Airlines AIC AXB DHX BBC UAL DLH JAI KAC ETH THY KAC FDB UAE ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR GFA RJA THY CLX JZR FDB JZR BAW KAC KAC ABY KAC UAE FDB KAC ETD KAC QTR GFA KAC IRA IRC JZR KAC JZR MEA KAC MSR JZR UAE GFA FDB KAC

Departure Flights on Sunday 30/12/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 390 MANGALORE 371 BAHRAIN 44 CHITTAGONG 981 WASHINGTON 637 FRANKFURT 573 MUMBAI 283 DHAKA 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 381 DELHI 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 771 ISTANBUL 792 KUALA LUMPUR 560 SOHAG 54 DUBAI 174 DUBAI 156 LONDON 171 FRANKFURT 671 DUBAI 122 SHARJAH 741 DAMMAM 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 117 NEW YORK 302 ABU DHABI 773 RIYADH 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 602 SHIRAZ 6667 AHWAZ 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 786 RIYADH 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 611 CAIRO 176 DUBAI 872 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 561 AMMAN

Time 0:05 0:15 0:40 1:00 1:10 1:20 1:30 2:25 2:45 2:55 3:15 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:10 4:50 6:05 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:35 8:15 8:15 8:25 8:35 8:45 9:10 9:35 9:45 9:55 9:55 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:05 10:30 10:40 11:30 11:40 12:10 12:15 12:20 12:55 12:55 13:00 13:45 13:50 14:15 14:20 14:30 14:30

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

KAC KNE SYR SVA KAC QTR MPH KAC JZR ETD KAC JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR RBG JZR UAL FDB BAB AFG FDB OMA JAI AXB ABY MSR DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC FDB UAE JAI KAC KAC DHX KLM QTR KAC JZR GFA KAC KAC

673 473 342 503 617 141 97 501 238 304 513 538 135 858 641 216 184 511 128 266 145 3554 134 982 64 439 415 62 648 571 394 120 619 171 230 403 308 137 222 301 60 860 575 351 205 373 417 147 343 502 218 415 411

DUBAI JEDDAH ALEPPO MADINAH DOHA DOHA SHARJAH BEIRUT AMMAN ABU DHABI IMAM KHOMEINI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN JEDDAH DUBAI MUSCAT MUMBAI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI DUBAI KOCHI KOCHI ISLAMABAD BAHRAIN DAMMAM DOHA CHENNAI LUXOR BAHRAIN KUALA LUMPUR BANGKOK

15:05 15:10 15:40 15:45 15:45 16:15 16:20 17:05 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:00 19:05 19:10 19:25 19:30 20:00 20:40 20:55 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:50 22:55 22:55 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:15 23:35 23:50 23:55 23:55

34

s ta rs CROSSWORD 54

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) Your mind is full of amazing creative ideas today and you tend to talk about your ideas whenever you find yourself around people with the same interest as you. You could be most persuasive and even find a financial backer for one of your ideas.

Careful, if you broadcast your intentions too loudly, you may find someone else moving forward with your ideas. You may develop an interest in spiritual studies and self-improvement items at this time. Stimulating conversations may be the order of the afternoon. Any plans made for now should find positive results. This can be a period of improved communication with friends, groups and organizations. Interest turns toward scientific and humanitarian thoughts. You may give or receive advice and intuitive ideas.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This day seems to balance out quite well. You are included in the extracurricular activity of co-workers and time schedules all end up with time to spare. Satisfaction is felt when an important person in your life gives you a compliment about your work or abilities. This evening there are opportunities to make decisions about the times, people, trips and activities that could evolve around this time of year. Set your goals and include your good wisdom and common sense. Do not let them slip away, for they fill you with living energy and bring you honor and respect. This evening is excellent for psychological, psychic or spiritual studies. Vacations and artistic pursuits can be inspiring. Friends are supportive and stimulating.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. Committee formed by a special-interest group to raise money for their favorite political candidates.

4. A flat cake of thin batter fried on both sides on a griddle.

12. A health resort near a spring or at the seaside.

15. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

16. A merchant who sells goods at retail.

17. Of southern Europe.

18. A historical region in central and northern Yugoslavia.

20. An Indian side dish of yogurt and chopped cucumbers and spices.

21. (British) Your grandmother.

22. A member of a North American people formerly living in the Colorado river valley in Arizona.

24. The district occupied entirely by the city of Washington.

26. Essential oil or perfume obtained from flowers.

27. A region of Malaysia in northeastern Borneo.

29. Avatar of Vishnu.

30. Of or relating to or characteristic of the Republic of Chad or its people or language.

32. A genus of Ploceidae.

40. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

41. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

45. An enclosed space.

46. Liable to sin.

49. A blood group antigen possessed by Rhpositive people.

51. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

52. American dramatist (1928- ).

54. The lean flesh of a fish similar to cod.

55. The mission in San Antonio where in 1836 Mexican forces under Santa Anna besieged and massacred American rebels who were fighting to make Texas independent of Mexico.

57. Swiss painter influenced by Kandinsky (1879-1940).

58. Harsh or corrosive in tone.

59. Cut or impressed into a surface.

63. (Jewish cookery) A loaf of white bread containing eggs and leavened with yeast.

66. Staff with a metal tip carried as a sign of office by e.g. a bailiff or constable.

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

72. Axis of a compound leaf or compound inflorescence.

75. Greek mythology.

76. The 17th letter of the Greek alphabet.

77. Make lighter or brighter.

79. Antibacterial drug (trade name Nydrazid) used to treat tuberculosis.

80. Any of several small ungulate mammals of Africa and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes.

81. Motionlessness attributable to a temporary paralysis.

82. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

DOWN 1. A civil or military authority in Turkey or Egypt.

2. A member of the people inhabiting the Aleutian Islands and western Alaska.

3. A unit of weight for precious stones = 200 mg.

4. A male religious of an order of mendicant

preachers of the gospel.

5. A light springing movement upwards or forwards.

6. A highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series).

7. A person who is rejected (from society or home).

8. An independent agency of the United States government responsible for collecting and coordinating intelligence and counterintelligence activities abroad in the national interest.

9. Surveying instrument consisting of the upper movable part of a theodolite including the telescope and its attachments.

10. A sailing vessel with two masts.

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

12. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

13. One of the 150 lyrical poems and prayers that comprise the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament.

14. Transient cessation of respiration.

19. Lacking either stimulating or irritating characteristics.

23. United States writer (born in Poland) who wrote in Yiddish (1880-1957).

25. (informal) Exceptionally good.

28. A small cake leavened with yeast.

31. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

33. Of or relating to or involving an area.

34. The capital and largest city of Bangladesh.

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

36. A dull persistent (usually moderately intense) pain.

37. (Old Testament) The second patriarch.

38. A Dravidian language spoken in south central India.

39. (of complexion) Blemished by imperfections of the skin.

42. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

43. A young woman who is the most charming and beautiful of several rivals.

44. A member of an Algonquian people living in central Canada.

47. Cud-chewing mammal used as a draft or saddle animal in desert regions.

48. The cardinal number that is the fifth power of ten.

50. A stiff chitinous seta or bristle especially of an annelid worm.

53. The time you go to bed.

56. Type genus of the Otariidae.

60. A soft whitish calcite.

61. A person forced to flee from home or country.

62. Widely distributed lichens usually having a grayish or yellow pendulous freely branched thallus.

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

65. A mountainous landlocked communist state in southeastern Asia.

67. Goddess of fertility.

68. The capital of Western Samoa.

69. Try to manage without help.

70. King of Saudi Arabia since 1982 (born in 1922).

73. A user interface in which you type commands instead of choosing them from a menu or selecting an icon.

74. A member of a nomadic people who invaded Europe in the 4th century.

78. A hard malleable ductile silvery metallic element that is resistant to corrosion.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

Work seems fun today. Ideas and thoughts will have greater meaning just now. You may be very expressive and easily understood. Today, you can expect a little boost, some sort of extra support or recognition from those around you. You may even feel that you are in tune with the universe. Lines of communication that were closed before are now opening up for you—the support you need is available. A change in financial status is possible and can lead you into unexpected directions. New spending patterns are developing—perhaps focused on high tech interests. A date with a new person or a promise you made may find you out on the town this evening. This evening is a good time to take in a movie.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You may find some of your values at odds with your own best interests. You may not appreciate tradition or someone older in authority just now.

Someone could challenge you, resulting in a very intense discussion. You may touch upon some very emotional parts of you and find yourself psychoanalyzing. Some of the problem here is in working with difficult people. You cannot always avoid difficult people. Learning to cope with them is worth the effort. You will achieve more and be less frustrated if you do.

In time, you will see that you are making progress with this situation. Despite any stress you may be experiencing just now, you have a way of finding the positive. Team sports with friends this afternoon bring you into a balance of emotions.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Any project that requires teamwork proves to be successful today. Someone may push you into making decisions quickly and this could create some costly mistakes—be aware. Rushing around seems to be the general mood today. Take plenty of breaks in order to remain focused and ask questions in order to get a better perspective on decisions that may have to be made quickly. Your imagination will be focused on how things ought to be, rather than on reality as it is. In communicating with others, you will most likely find greater clarity through using your intuition, rather than through rational thought. Shopping this afternoon you might want to find that perfect gift for a friend or relative that will be getting married soon. Tonight you can relax.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You may find yourself in a dreamy mood. You could find it difficult to maintain a train of thought. Work has been stressful and there are still plenty of things to do before quitting time so . . . go get that cup of tea and get back to work. Perhaps a list to guide you would be helpful. The way you work, you will complete the tasks that have been set before you in short time. An opportunity to exchange a gift or pick up some groceries after work completes your day. This afternoon a new instrument that you may want to practice or a new music CD keeps you entertained for hours. Friends or family take turns with you in some game or challenge that you received recently. One could play alone but you enjoy have people play with you.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) You are resourceful and look for ways to solve problems and make life easier for others. You can come up with simple answers to some of the most difficult questions. Someone may confer with you on a new business proposition. The advice or suggestions you offer may not be accepted right away, but will gain interest when contemplated by others—have patience. You seem to be very intuitive today and are on target with your ideas. Your energies are high where communication skills are concerned. You may also find that this puts you in a good position to heal some past grievances. This is a time of ambition and responsibility, a time to keep your cool and pace yourself. A romantic partner is ready to soothe your frustrations.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You will find a great deal of satisfaction in becoming better organized. Your work assignments and personal progress will be quite positive. A gutsy investigation into work improvements can be quite profitable. Concentrate on creating foolproof shortcuts to final results now. Make lists so that your time can be planned to your benefit.

Step out of your character and do something different; wear a hat, flower, tie or colorful socks. Dine at an unusual restaurant or cook a low-fat, low-sugar delicacy this evening; it is good to nurture yourself from time to time. It is good to budget but be careful—figuring out ways to make your nest egg grow can become a preoccupation. An attraction from a faraway place may peak your curiosity; it’s time to travel.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) A co-worker may criticize you on a matter that is very sensitive today. You may not understand situations as well as you think. Some hidden part will become clear and answers are revealed. This may be a very superficial day. It may not be possible for you to penetrate to anything remotely meaningful or moving. Perhaps there is a sense of the artificial. This will get better—patience. Your afternoon is much better as you are able to visit with friends that enjoy the same hobby as you. Much time is spent in bragging from each person and much laughter is shared. Finally, everyone has visited enough and home is where you find a loved one has fixed dinner and surprised you with some special treat. The evening produces some wonderful memories.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You can be bold—perhaps headstrong . . . you go where angels fear to tread, perhaps. You do not have to be told that you are a master of your own destiny; however, sometimes you forget. Create positive moments for your peace of mind. Feel the energy of joy around you and soak it into your consciousness. When you are feeling that your energies are low, for whatever reason, bring these positive feelings back into your consciousness. You may find work intense as projects and accounts end for this year. Pace yourself and take each day, one step at a time. Do not worry about the next five steps until you have completed the first five. The discipline you exert on yourself now can eliminate excessive stress. This can be a very rewarding day.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) New business opportunities open up for you today. Take your time before acting or answering the questions that come before you today—you will do well. An unhappy customer can be persuaded to think differently if you are patient. Be attentive to your high energy and with a list, you will accomplish much. You have an opportunity to change your financial outlook. However, continue to be frugal with any desire to splurge. Professional growth is possible when you listen carefully to an esteemed individual.

A loved one may need some encouragement to stay within a budget—this may be a difficult task for you, but a necessary one. Show the changes you have made in your own spending habits and thank him or her in advance for helping.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Figuring out how to organize projects and people may possibly become a specialty of yours and a special interest. There are all sorts of options open in this field of organized events. Opinions are not enough for you now; authority or evidence must back them. Above all, your opinions must have practical worth. This is a time of intense study and thought. Ambition and achievement can be tough taskmasters. You win reward, recognition and authority through hard work and knowing the score; otherwise, you may find that someone hungrier and more perceptive will overtake you. You are creative and will find your inventiveness working overtime for the next few days; what fun! You and a friend or loved one may decide to learn a new language soon.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

22451082

Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

ST TAT TE OF KUW K WAIT A

Te el.: 161

DIRECTORA AT TE GENE GENERAL OF CIVIL AVIA V ATION T METEOROLOGICAL DEP PA ARTMENT DA AY: Y Saturday

Ext.: 2627 262 - 2630

29/12/2012

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

07:00

Issue Time

Expected Weeather for the Next 24 Hours BY Y DA AY:

Viisibility isibil will improve gradually with light variable wind, with speed of 06 - 22 km/h and some scattered clouds will appear later on

BY Y NIGHT:

Cold with light variable wind, with speed of 06 - 22 km/h with a chance for fog forming on some areas

visibility decrease due to Fog

WARNING A

KUW WA AIT CITY

18 °C

12 °C

KUW WA AIT AIRPOR RT

19 °C

08 °C

NUW WA AISEEB

22 °C

10 °C

WAFRA A

21 °C

09 °C

SALMI

17 °C

06 °C

ABDAL LY

19 °C

07 °C

JAL ALIY YA AH

17 °C

08 °C

25623444

FAILAKA A

16 °C

10 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

19 °C

13 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

19 °C

16 °C

W Hawally

22630786

WARBA A A - BUBY YA AN

16 °C

07 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

ST TAT TION

SFC. CHART

29/12/2012 0000 UTC

4 DA AY YS FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA ATE T

WEA AT THER

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

Sunday

30/12

visibility will improve + scattered clouds

19 °C

09 °C

VRB

06 - 22 km/h

Monday

31/12

Tuesday

01/01

visibility will improve + scattered clouds

20 °C

10 °C

N-NW

15 - 40 km/h

cool + scattered clouds

19 °C

08 °C

NW-N

12 - 35 km/h

Weednesday

02/01

sunny

20 °C

09 °C

NW-N

12 - 35 km/h

PRA RA AYER Y TIMES

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WA AIT AIRPORT

Fajr

05:17

MAX. Temp.

19 °C

06:41

MIN. Temp.

09 °C 95 %

Ardhiya

24884079

Sunrise

Firdous

24892674

Zuhr

11:50

MAX. RH

Asr

14:40

MIN. RH

57 %

Omariya

24719048

Sunset

16:58

MAX. Wind

N Khaitan

24710044

Isha

18:21

TOT TA AL L RAIINF FALL A L IN 24 HR.

Fintas

23900322

NW 18 km/h 00 mm V1.00

29/12/12 03:16 UTC

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

T1.06

PRIVATE CLINICS Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Dr. Salem soso General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Matthew, Camila have a baby girl amila, 30 - who tied the knot with the ‘Magic Mike’ actor in June gave birth to the couple’s third child on Friday, in Austin, Texas, according to TMZ. Matthew and Camila already have kids Levi, four and threeyear-old Vida. Model Camila, 30, previously revealed she was worried her baby bump could ruin her career.

Camila signed on as the face of department store Macy’s INC International Concepts’ campaign in April, and discovered shortly afterwards that she was pregnant with her third child. She said: “A week before we were supposed to have a photo shoot, I found out I was pregnant! “I was over the moon, but my first reaction was that it was going to be a deal-breaker for the campaign - that they wouldn’t want a pregnant mum - but we worked it out. “I was trying to push [having another baby] back as much as I could, but it was time. This baby was ready to come.

“The main thing to me is to make sure our home is peaceful, that it’s healthy and that the kids are good.”

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Nick Stahl arrested for ‘lewd act’

Harry Styles is totally in love with Taylor T

he troubled ‘Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines’ actor was arrested by Los Angeles Police Department undercover vice officers at the store after they allegedly discovered him “touching himself” in a private booth, according to gossip website TMZ. However, Nick, 33, insisted the whole incident was a “misunderstanding”. This is the latest in a string of setbacks for the actor who was reported missing in May and again in June. After his fist disappearance he re-emerged and was admitted to a rehabilitation clinic. However, he walked out of the facility and went to stay with a pal but was again reported missing when he failed to return to the friend’s home. A source said at the time: “Now he’s disappeared. We can’t find him anywhere. He has not made contact with anyone. We are all just desperately looking for him. “Everyone just wants him to come home. It’s a terrible situation. We are searching, but we’ve had no solid leads.” He is estranged from wife Rose Murphy Stahl with whom he has a twoyear-old daughter Marlo.

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he One Direction heartthrob is completely smitten with the ‘Love Story’ singer and friends believe the pair are even considering marriage, even though they only recently started dating. A source told Us Weekly: “This [relationship] has gone from zero to 60 in seconds. “Harry is totally in love. I can see them getting married in a week, just going for it.” Things are so serious between the couple that Taylor, 23, recently visited 18year-old Harry’s mother Anne in Cheshire, North West England, and is reportedly planning to buy a country retreat there. A source previously said: “Harry and Taylor are crazy about each other. They just got back to LA together, after sharing a weeklong vacation in England. “While they were in the UK, they had a chance to drive up to Harry’s mom’s place in Cheshire and Taylor fell in love with the gorgeous countryside. “They spent a day in Holmes Chapel, with Harry’s mom Anne and his sister Gemma, before driving up to the Lake District. “Taylor would love a really old, thick-walled cottage with a fire place. “Harry’s mother and sister have vowed to help her find the perfect place!”

Kate Winslet, Ned RocknRoll

planned wedding for months lthough the ‘Reader’ actress and Richard Branson’s nephew wed in an intimate ceremony in front of a reported 12 guests earlier this month, those close to the couple say they have been planning to marry for some time. A source told the Daily Mail newspaper: “Marriage has always been on the cards and they’ve been talking about doing it for the past couple of months.

It wasn’t a spur-of-themoment thing, but they wanted to keep it secret.” While their decision to wed was a surprise to some family and friends, since they have only been dating for a year, the duo are “very much in love”. A friend of Ned’s said: “They are very much in love, and seem to be extremely happy together.” This is the third marriage for Kate, 37, who has children Mia, 12, by her first husband Jim Threapleton and Joe, eight, by her second, film director Sam Mendes. 34-year-old Ned - who has changed his name from Abel Smith - has previously been married to Eliza Pearson.

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Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux entertain friends he couple - who got engaged in August - welcomed John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Jimmy Kimmel, and Molly McNearney to Cabo San Lucas for a post-Christmas vacation and the three couples have been relaxing by the pool. A source told Us Weekly: “They spent the afternoon lounging around and having drinks at Jen and Justin’s house.

They seemed to all be really good friends and comfortable around each other. Emily was lying in John’s lap, and Jen had her arms around Justin. They were there all afternoon until sunset, laughing and hav-

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ing great conversation.” John, Emily, Jimmy and Molly all flew out for the getaway together from Los Angeles and eyewitnesses at LAX said they were in high spirits at the airport. An onlooker said: “The whole group walked out of the Admirals Club lounge and over to the terminal. John’s arm was around Emily, and they were smiling - very couple-y and cute. [They’re] clearly very happy. “The group looked very excited to be vacationing together.”

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LIFESTYLE

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

F e a t u r e s

Brian Austin ‘an amazing dad’ rian’s wife Megan Fox gave birth to the couple’s first child Noah in September and the actress revealed her spouse has been wonderful with the tot. She said: “He does anything that I can’t do at the moment because I’m too tired. Whatever’s going on, he does. He’s the perfect daddy. “Noah is getting really chubby! “He’s super healthy and funny and he’s very bossy already. He’s got a very strong personality, so I’m really in for it!” Brian, 39, also has 10-year-old son Kassius from a previous relationship and Megan revealed they can’t wait to have even more children. She added: “I want a big family. I definitely want to have a couple more kids.”

While the ‘This Is 40’ actress has already lost 13 of the 23 pounds she gained while pregnant, Megan doesn’t feel ready to start working out yet. She told Us Weekly: “I can’t work out yet because my body is still too fragile. I try to eat whatever I want, but I don’t eat any dairy, and I guess that’s the biggest diet tip. Try and stay away from dairy -especially if you’re a woman! It’s really hard on your hormones.”

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Jennifer Lawrence’s New Year resolution T

he ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ star thinks she is a pushover and wants to learn how to be more assertive without upsetting other people. She told Marie Claire South Africa’s January 2013 issue: “My New Year’s Resolution is to stand up for myself. It’s hard for me. Nobody wants to be disliked. You always want to be polite and be nice. I tried to find a balance in saying what I mean and still being nice. I can’t do it. I have this ‘okay’ attitude and everything. I end up allowing myself to get walked over and resenting it.”

Jennifer, 22 - who is dating British actor Nicholas Hoult also revealed she prefers staying at home rather than having wild nights out. She said: “I don’t like going out that much. I’m kind of an old lady. After it’s 11pm, I’m like ‘Don’t these kids ever get tired?’ When I’m out, I think about my couch.”

While the stunning star has been blasted for her curvy figure, Jennifer has no plans to lose weight.

Shakira’s boyfriend admits ‘April Fool’

Karrueche furious about Chris-Rihanna relationship fter the 23-year-old singer rekindled his romance with the ‘Diamond’ singer and spent Christmas Day with her, his former girlfriend Karrueche took to her Twitter page to slam the couple.

In a cryptic post, she wrote: “wishing death upon someone is some weak s**t (sic).” While Rihanna, 24, was spotted cuddling with Chris and whispering into his ear as they watched the Lakers basketball game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Christmas Day, the ‘Don’t Judge Me’ hitmaker is believed to have called and text Karrueche to wish her a “Merry Christmas”. A source said: “Even though he was with Rihanna, he still called Kae and told her Merry Christmas and told her how he misses her and how he hopes she was having a good day and all that s**t. “He was texting her throughout the day, too.” But Chris - who is still on probation for his assault on Rihanna - is said to have warned Karrueche he would be spending Christmas with the Bajan beauty.

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erard Pique posted a message on his Twitter account on Thursday proclaiming Shakira had given birth to their son but he confessed on Friday that it was a joke for Dia de Los Santos Inocentes, a holiday similar to April Fool’s Day. Gerard wrote in Spanish: “Our son has been born! We’re very happy! Thank you all for your messages!” but later followed up with “He has a name! His name is Innocence! Happy Day of the Innocents to everyone!” Shakira has been dating FC Barcelona soccer player Gerard for around two years and says he is the “best thing” to ever happen to her, until she got pregnant. She said: “This man is the best thing that could have happened in my life. And now the baby!” Shakira only confirmed their relationship last year by posting a picture of them both together on Twitter and Facebook with a caption reading, “I present to you my sunshine.” in Spanish.

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Cameron Diaz remembers people by their haircuts he ‘Gambit’ actress admits she has always struggled to remember people’s names, so resorts to visual clues to associate them with when seeing them again. She explained: “The feeling when I’m trying to remember a name is total emptiness. It’s something that’s been with me for a long time. I used to remember people by their haircuts. I’m a visual person. “But now I have so many faces that I meet on a daily basis that I can’t capture all of them.” Cameron - who left school at 16 to pursue a modeling career - admits she has no idea how she managed to graduate from high school. She said: “I did graduate but I honestly have no idea how. I don’t think I ever did one day of work in school.” The 40-year-old actress was in fact something of a rebel when she attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, and bought marijuana off budding young rapper Snoop Dogg, who was there at the same time. She said: “He was a year older than me. I remember him, he was very tall and skinny. He wore lots of ponytails. I’m pretty sure I bought weed from him. I was green even in high school.”

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

lifestyle

Beyonce and Chili Peppers among NYE lineup in Vegas in City has another New Year’s Eve planned with celebrity-studded bashes, exclusive concerts and a rooftop fireworks display billed as the nation’s largest. Big-name celebrity acts including The Black Keys, The Killers and Pitbull will help hundreds of thousands of partiers ring in the New Year Monday under the watchful eyes of a legion of law enforcement officers concerned with keeping the celebration peaceful and eager casino bosses concerned with ending 2012 with a profitable bang.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are performing a soldout show at the Cosmopolitan’s Chelsea Ballroom that will be broadcast live on the casino’s 65-foot marquee to partiers on the Strip below. Beyonce will give an invitation-only performance in the Wynn’s 1,500-seat-amphitheater. Other casino are touting pricey nightclub bashes with $3,000 bottle service and open bars, hosted by reality TV and music celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj and Brandy.

Revelers can also party celebrity-free on the Brooklyn Bridge at the New York-New York Hotel, where tickets start at $170, or inside the replica Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas, where couples packages start at $300. Those unimpressed with the ersatz offerings on the Strip can head 15 minutes south to a Great Gatsby soirÈe set inside a private airplane hangar. Organizers say the aviationthemed bash will recall a time “when the parties were bigger, the morals were looser and the liquor was cheaper.”

Las Vegas’ New Year’s eve festivities, dubbed “America’s Party,” have doubled in size since 1990.

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The Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority expects 332,000 visitors Monday, equal to the record-breaking number that flocked to last year’s celebration. That number has hoteliers happy, but does not rival other New Year’s Eve celebrations.

The ball drop at New York City’s Times Square draws more than 1 million spectators, and some 2 million people flock to the shores of Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro for music and fireworks.

Still, Las Vegas is dealing a full house this weekend, with hotel occupancy approaching 100 percent, according to Dawn Christensen of the visitor’s authority, and rooms going for several times the normal price. The city room suite at the Cosmopolitan can be had for $210 on Tuesday, but costs $650 Monday. The deluxe king room at Caesars Palace is going for $519 on Monday, compared with $139 Tuesday. With gambling revenue still down 20 percent in the Las Vegas area and visitor levels only recently returning to pre-recession levels this year, New Year’s Eve is a crucial night for the casino industry. It’s the biggest money-maker of the year, projected to bring in $210 million on Monday alone, not counting gambling revenue.

Spectators will be treated to more than eight minutes of coordinated pyrotechnics costing $500,000. The fireworks will be shot from the rooftops of seven hotel-casinos, from the MGM Grand toward the south end of the Strip to the Stratosphere in the north. The show will feature a medley of bubblegum pop, including The Wanted’s “Glad You Came” and Pink’s “Raise Your Glass.”

Grucci, the so-called “first family of fireworks,” is

bringing some extra flash to the city of lights for the eighth year in a row. CFO Felix Grucci said he chooses the score first and then establishes his choreography, as a nightclub or Broadway musical director might. “It’s a combination of science and art; mainly art,” he said.

A few miles north, the downtown Fremont Street Experience pedestrian mall will stage its fifth annual TributePalooza, with cover bands playing to an adults-only crowd. Virtual fireworks will light up the mall’s blocks-long metal canopy, which boasts the world’s largest video screen. “I’ve been to a lot of places, and this is the best,” said Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, who will lead the Fremont countdown. “One hotel after another, one place to go after another. It’s all happening.” Police plan to shut down Strip traffic six hours before midnight so that revelers can spill into the four-mile stretch of road normally packed with cars at night. Casinos will lock their doors to all but paying guests.

The city’s 2,700 metro police officers will be visible on horses and bicycles, and will also blend into the crowd and watch for bad behavior and more serious offenses. Police made 114 arrests for drunken driving during last year’s festivities.

“Our primary mission is crowd safety,” said Lt Jason Letkiewicz, who will be overseeing the command center on the Strip. “It’s usually a real good crowd. They want to party, they want to have a good time.” About 300 Nevada National Guard troops will also take up stations around town, where they will be on the lookout for possible terrorist threats. Street sweepers will move in around

In this file photo, Beyonce performs on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ in New York. Through a photo contest, 100 fans will join Beyonce onstage during the singer’s halftime show performance at the 2013 Super Bowl on Feb. 3, 2013, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. — AP 2 am and finish up by dawn. They typically collect 50 cubic yards of trash, enough to fill the 10,000gallon double archway aquarium at the MGM Grand’s Rainforest Cafe. — AP

Veteran actor Harry Carey Jr dies at 91 eteran character actor Harry Carey Jr, who appeared in scores of television shows and films including nine of famed movie director John Ford’s classic Hollywood Westerns, has died at age 91, his family said on Friday.

Carey, a frequent supporting player in films starring John Wayne, died peacefully of natural causes on Thursday morning in the seaside town of Santa Barbara, California, surrounded by family members, said his daughter, Melinda Carey.

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clay. Even late in life, he went by that nickname.

THE JOHN FORD STOCK COMPANY The family’s affiliation with Ford dated back to the director’s earliest westerns, with Carey’s father appearing in some of Ford’s silent films in 1917.

During World War Two, the younger Carey worked with Ford on training and propaganda films for the US military. He went on to become a regular performer, along with his father, in the John Ford Stock Company - actors and crew members who Ford used repeatedly in his films. Carey Jr was reported to be the last surviving member of Ford’s stock company.

Carey’s first feature collaboration with Ford in “3 Godfathers,” playing the Abilene Kid, saw Carey, Wayne and Mexican-born actor Pedro Armendariz co-star as cattle rustlers and bank robbers who care for an orphaned baby boy while dodging the law. Carey’s father starred in the original 1919 version, also directed by Ford. Carey began his association with Wayne in another

This November 3, 2005 file photo shows Harry Carey, Jr during an interview with Leon Worden at the SCV Public Channel 20 studio in Santa Clarita, Calif. Carey Jr, a character actor who starred in such Westerns as ‘3 Godfathers’ and ‘Wagon Master’ died on Thursday, . He was 91. —

“No cancer or nothing, he just got old,” she said of her father, who is survived by his wife of 68 years, Marilyn, and three adult children. Carey’s more notable big-screen credits included a co-starring role with John Wayne in Ford’s 1948 outlaw film “3 Godfathers,” the role of a young calvary officer in Ford’s 1949 western “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” also with Wayne, and a turn decades later in a saloon scene in the 1990 sci-fi comedy “Back to the Future Part III.” In all, he made 11 movie appearances with Wayne. Among other Forddirected films in which Carey appeared were “The Searchers” (1956), “Wagon Master” (1950) and “Rio Grande” (1950).

In addition to a prodigious movie career that encompassed more than 90 films, Carey was a fixture on television during an era when westerns proliferated on the small screen, popping up in various character roles on such prime-time hits as “Bonanza,” “Gunsmoke” and “Wagon Train” in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the 1950s, he had a recurring role in “The Adventures of Spin and Marty,” a series of TV shorts that aired as part of “The Mickey Mouse Club.” Carey was born in 1921, the son of silent film star Harry Carey and his wife, Olive, who also was an actress. The young Carey was raised among cattle and horses on his parents’ 1,000-acre (405 hectares) ranch in California’s Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles, and he earned the nickname “Dobe” because his hair color was the hue of the ranch’s reddish adobe

This 1940s publicity photo released shows actor, Harry Carey, Jr in character from the film ‘She Wore A Yellow Ribbon’.

1948 release, the classic Howard Hawks Western movie “Red River,” which also starred the elder Carey, though father and son had no scenes together.

Among Carey’s last screen appearances were his turn as a US marshal in the 1993 film “Tombstone,” which starred Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell, and a supporting role in the 1997 TV movie “Last Stand at Saber River,” which starred Tom Selleck. The Carey family ranch, which was visited over the years

by Wayne and fellow actors William S Hart and Gary Cooper, has been turned into a Los Angeles County historic park called Tesoro Adobe. Laurene Weste, city councilwoman in Santa Clarita, said Carey Jr remains a beloved figure in the area where the family ranch was once so prominent. “He was just a wonderful, loving, kind, down-to-Earth man,” she said. — Reuters

Presenters display a sweater knitted by Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi over 20 years ago, during a charity auction in Yangon. — AFP

Sweaters knit by Suu Kyi sell for $123,000

yanmar’s cash-strapped opposition party is tapping into the prestige of its leader: Two sweaters hand-knit by Aung San Suu Kyi have been auctioned for $123,000. A green-and-white sweater with a floral design sold at a Friday night auction to an anonymous bidder for 63 million kyat, or $74,120. On Thursday, a Myanmar-based radio station won a bidding war for a multicolored V-neck that fetched $49,000.

Suu Kyi has not publicly reacted to the success of her party’s two-day fundraiser, but aides said she was pleased with the results.

“Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is satisfied with the auction and the donations received,” close aide Ko Ni said Saturday. “She needs a lot of cash to carry out projects for the welfare of the people.” Daw is a term of respect in Myanmar.

The auction was part of a fundraising event organized by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party to raise money for education of poor children and health projects in Myanmar, an impoverished Southeast Asian nation also known as Burma. Both sweaters were knitted by Suu Kyi at least 25 years ago when she was living in England and raising her two children, Ko Ni told The Associated Press. “She made them when she was busy working, studying and taking care of her children,” Ko Ni said. “She wants to send the message that people should not stay idle but be diligent.”

Suu Kyi, a 67-year-old former political prisoner and winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, has become Myanmar’s biggest celebri-

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A hand-knit woolen sweater, made by Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu kyi, is displayed on the stage during an auction at a fundraising concert to mark the 2nd anniversary of her National League for Democracy Party’s education network, at Peoples Square in Yangon, Myanmar.

ty as the country transitions from a half-century of military rule. She is generally guarded about the family she left behind in England but the auction indicates a new willingness to

share her family history with an adoring public. Ahead of the auction, Suu Kyi asked her brother-in-law in England to ship some of her personal belongings, which arrived in nine boxes on Wednesday just in time for the auction, Ko Ni said.

The Oxford graduate was raising two young sons with her late British husband when she returned to Myanmar in 1988 to nurse her dying mother. As daughter of the country’s independence hero, Gen. Aung San, who was assassinated in 1947 when she was 2, Suu Kyi found herself thrust into the forefront of pro-democracy protests against the military regime. Over the next two decades, she became the world’s most famous political prisoner and won the adoration of her people, who call her “Amay Suu” - or “Mother Suu,” partly because she chose to stay with them over her own children. She declined opportunities to leave Myanmar, fearing she would not be allowed to re-enter.

Since her release from house arrest in 2010, Suu Kyi has reunited with her sons and completed a stunning trajectory from housewife to political prisoner to opposition leader in Parliament. The proud new owner of the $49,000 red, green and blue V-neck sold Thursday said it was worth the money. “It is priceless because the sweater was made my ‘Amay’ herself,” said Daw Nan Mauk Lao Sai, chairwoman of Shwe FM radio station. “I bought the sweater because I value the warmth and security it will give,” she said, adding that she plans to hang it up in the station’s office for the whole staff to see. — AP

‘African Grammys’ delayed as Chris Brown misses flight he Kora Awards, dubbed “Africa’s Grammys”, have been postponed until Monday because Chris Brown, the US rapper headlining the event, missed his flight, organizers said. Brown “will not arrive until Sunday at 5:00 am,” the event’s communication director Konnie Toure said yesterday.

The award extravaganza, which originated in South Africa in 1994, was to have been held Saturday in Ivory Coast’s economic capital Abidjan. Past editions have been attended by South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela and the late “King of Pop” Michael Jackson.

Brown, known as much for his virtuoso dance steps as for his tumultuous relationship with singer Rihanna, whom he has admitted assaulting, will still arrive in time to perform as scheduled at a concert “for peace in Africa” at Abidjan’s main sport stadium on Sunday, Toure said. African artists including

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the Nigerian duo P-Square, winner of the last top Kora prize in Ouagadougou in 2010, will also take part. For Ivory Coast, which is still recovering from four months of post-election violence that ended in April 2011 after claiming some 3,000 lives, the event signals a return to normalcy.

However, it has drawn criticism over the price of admission: one million CFA francs (1,500 euros, $2,000) for those who want a seat in the luxury hotel for the ceremony, or 50,000 CFA francs (75 euros, $100) for seats outside.

These prices are far out of reach for most people in the poor west African country, the world’s top cocoa producer. Brown was sentenced to five years probation, a year-long domestic violence program and 180 days of community labor after pleading guilty to assaulting Barbadian singer Rihanna on the eve of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2009. — AFP

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

lifestyle

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seems to bestow almost everyone with 15 minutes of fame, Nazir’s YouTube video could have been the end of the story. But Warner Music offered Nazir a deal to record a techno-infused version of “One Pound Fish,” he said.

In a Bollywood-style video, he performs in a snazzy suit alongside scantily-clad dancers to a South Asian-influenced pop beat. The music video has been viewed nearly 9 million times since it was posted on YouTube about three weeks ago. As the song gained momentum, people began talking about it as a serious contender for the fabled No. 1 Christmas single in the United Kingdom - the song that tops the chart in the week the holiday falls. Past chart-toppers include The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” In the end, “One Pound Fish” made it to No. 29 on the top-40 chart. It was beaten by another Internet sensation, PSY’s “Gangnam Style,” which clocked in at No 6. The No 1 spot was clinched by a version of the Hollies’ “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by The Justice Collective, a group of star musicians who recorded the charity single for victims of a stampede at a soccer stadium in 1989 that killed 96 people.

Nazir definitely doesn’t view missing out on the No 1 Christmas single as a setback. He has returned to his home country to get a visa for France for the release of his hit song there and also has plans to take “One

hen Bruno Mars made it big a couple of years ago with his debut, “Doo-Wops & Hooligans,” the impeccably attired singer did it with such conclusive style that you never really thought about the effort he put into his image. In an era of amateur-driven “American”/ “Voice”/ “Factor” pop, here was a guy who seemed to have appeared fully formed one day: a pompadoured crooner in the tradition of Frankie Lymon, yet remade with modern trimmings that appealed to a crowd raised on X-rated hip-hop and posteverything boy bands.

His music felt just as precision-crafted: “Just the Way You Are” and “Grenade” propelled Mars to No 1 on the singles chart, he sold 1.8 million albums and earned multiple nominations for Grammy Awards. It was a level of renown Mars had been aiming for since he moved to LA nearly a decade ago to pursue a solo career. Or at least that’s the way it seemed.

“Becoming famous was never what I wanted to do,” he insists. “There’s a lot of things that come with fame - it’s what people in the limelight have to do. I’m like, ‘Can’t I just write and sing?’” On a recent visit to his Cape Cod-style home high in the Hollywood Hills, Mars, 27, looked dressed less for success than for hiding from it. Wearing rumpled jeans and an untucked T-shirt, his eyes shielded behind silver aviators, the usually dapper entertainer was due to fly to Sweden the next morning to promote his new sophomore disc. At the moment, though, he hardly seemed in the mood to talk himself up.

“If people are going to have an idea of me,” he said, “I’d just want them to think of a guy who goes in the studio, works hard and jams out.” “Unorthodox Jukebox,” which came out Dec. 11, gives a different impression of the man behind the choreographed moves, presenting a dramatic vision of love under siege by fame (“Young Girls”), fortune (“Natalie”), and his own tomfoolery (“When I Was Your Man”). Even relatively conflict-free tunes such as “Moonshine” and “Gorilla” - in which he invites a “dirty little lover” to bang on his chest like a great ape - exude a gritty desperation.

It’s an unexpected shift in tone from an artist known initially as pop’s go-to good guy, an old-fashioned romantic doling out positive affirmations not long after he’d first appeared with ingratiating guest spots on B.o.B.’s “Nothin’ on You” and Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire.” “I think people will be surprised by it,” said Philip Lawrence, one of Mars’ partners in his LA-based production crew, the Smeezingtons. “But it’s not for shock value it’s telling a story, digging deeper into the feeling of what it means to become a celebrity.” Speaking in a relaxed manner opposite his frenzied stage presence, Mars described that experience as “being thrown to the wolves and having to deal with it” and said he wanted “Unorthodox Jukebox” to r e fl e c t where he is,

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not where he was.

“I love those (older) songs,” he said, sunning himself on a patio as one of his handlers arrived bearing cigarettes and coconut water. “I’ll stand by them and sing them till the day I die. But an artist has to stay excited to keep on doing it. And the way to stay excited is to keep pushing and to keep experimenting. I feel like I pushed on this record.” So far he hasn’t seen any push back: Last week the album entered Billboard’s album chart at No 2, while “Locked Out of Heaven,” the disc’s lead single, just spent its second week atop the Hot 100. Reviews have been strong too, with high praise from Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone, the latter of which said the album “makes the competition sound sad and idea-starved by comparison.”

Indeed, the songs on “Unorthodox Jukebox” burst with detail, each one a meticulously constructed example of its genre. In “Locked Out of Heaven,” Mars and his mates re-create the sharp-angled reggae-rock of the early ‘80s Police. “Treasure” is a lush disco-soul jam. And “If I Knew” channels Sam Cooke’s church-born R&B. The infectious sonics soften the effect of edgy themes such as the homage to a stripper named Where Your Stacks At in “Money Make Her Smile.”

And they provide a buoyancy that, as in so much great pop, lifts Mars above the sometimes-bleak scenes he describes. (It’s worth remembering that the Smeezingtons were behind the endearingly acidic Cee Lo Green hit known on the radio as “Forget You.”) “One of their great talents is that they have this fun, light vibe in the studio,” said Jeff Bhasker, who along with Mark Ronson joined the Smeezingtons for production and songwriting work on “Unorthodox Jukebox.”

“That allows you to be free so that you can let that primal emotion come out without being embarrassed. Then they polish afterward.”

Part of that polish, added Ronson, is the charisma Mars has honed since his childhood days as an Elvis impersonator in Hawaii, where he grew up. “Everything Bruno adds is what takes it into superstardom,” said the producer, who recalled being impressed by Mars’ performance in a tribute to Amy Winehouse at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. (Ronson co-produced Winehouse’s “Back to Black” album.) “If you put any other singer over ‘Billie Jean’ it wouldn’t be one of the most impactful songs of all time, and the same is true with ‘Locked Out of Heaven.’ “ Whether or not “Unorthodox Jukebox” lives up to the work of Michael Jackson, Mars said he longs for the pre-digital era when acts like Jackson and Prince retained an air of mystery. At his house he seemed happy to chat despite the last-minute tasks he had to accomplish before flying to Europe. But if his music has grown more intimate, in person he still evinced some of the reflective opacity endemic to superstars: What you look for in Mars he’d prefer you find in his songs. “Don’t you love it that Prince doesn’t use Twitter?” he asked. “Don’t you think he’s somewhere on a unicorn?” Then he admitted that he wished he hadn’t “wasted” a title he used for his first EP. It was called “It’s Better If You Don’t Understand.”— MCT

Bruno Mars

uhammad Shahid Nazir is a testament to the age-old adage that if you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day, but if you teach a man to sing about fish, his song will shoot up the British pop chart. The 31-year-old Pakistani fishmonger catapulted to fame in recent weeks in the unlikeliest of circumstances: while hawking frozen snapper and mackerel for one British pound ($1.61) at Queens Market in London.

Not comfortable with shouting about his merchandise to attract customers, as many vendors do, he came up with a simple ditty that someone caught on video and posted on YouTube earlier this year. It became a viral sensation and has been viewed over 7 million times. “One Pound Fish changed my whole life,” said Nazir, who returned to Pakistan on Thursday to a hero’s welcome and has been inundated with requests to perform and do advertisements.

“I am so happy now.”

To describe the song as catchy would be a gross understatement. It drills deep into your brain and sits like a lyrical jack-in-the box that goes off every few minutes, causing one to break into song involuntarily to the amusement, or perhaps growing despair, of those nearby. “Come on ladies, come on ladies, one pound fish! Have a, have a look, one pound fish!” sings Nazir, as he points to his wares behind him.

“Very, very good, one pound fish! Very, very cheap, one pound fish!” In an era in which the Internet

Pound Fish” to the United States, where he hopes it will make a big splash.

It has been quite a ride. He grew up in the littleknown town of Pattoki near the eastern city of Lahore. His father owned a transport company, but his passion was always music, and he spent his youth singing both religious songs and pop hits by stars like Michael Jackson. He traveled to Britain to study but eventually got a work permit and started working as a fishmonger in London nine months ago, he said. He now wants to pursue a career in music, but the fish stall in London will always hold a special place in his heart. “I can’t forget England, Queens Market, my fish stall because that place changed my whole life,” said Nazir. — AP

Pakistani fans receive Muhammad Shahid Nazir (center) who sings “One Pound Fish,” upon his arrival from London at Lahore airport in Pakistan. — AP

ou can fly from Los Angeles to Seattle in less time than it takes to watch “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” Elite runners can finish a marathon faster than the total time of “Django Unchained.”

And you can roast and carve your Christmas turkey quicker than going to see “Les Miserables.” Daily life may be swinging toward two-minute YouTube videos and brutally succinct tweets, but there’s still one place where time practically stands still: the multiplex. Extra-long films have proliferated this holiday season, a consequence of “final-cut” directors who wield near unilateral control over their films’ running times and digital filmmaking tools that allow for longer and repeated takes.

Some movie theater owners say the current crop of long-winded movies are costing them at the box office, as films approaching three hours in length can be shown only once an evening. To squeeze in extra showings, some are forced to book fewer films, giving ticket buyers fewer options. Exhibitors and more than a few movie critics have bemoaned this spate of prolonged productions. Yet some members of the most important constituency in the film business say the long films don’t really feel that time-consuming.

“It never lagged,” said 12-year-old Jesse Serrato, who joined his family for the 169-minute “Hobbit” movie last week in downtown Los Angeles and clearly has more fortitude than many adults. Added 15-year-old Jeremy Saborio: “It should have been even longer.” The young men are not alone: In a recent online survey conducted by the ticketing company Fandango of more than 1,000 moviegoers, 78 percent of the respondents said they feel long movies give them “more bang for their buck.”

The year’s maximalist movies include not only typically longer prestige titles such as “Lincoln” (149 minutes), “Les Miserables” (158) and “Zero Dark Thirty” (157) but also a comic-book movie (“The Dark Knight Rises,” 164), a James Bond sequel (“Skyfall,” 143) and even a comedy (“This Is 40,” 134).

The epic running times haven’t hurt some of these long movies at the box office. “Skyfall” has garnered domestic ticket sales of $272.6 million, “Dark Knight Rises” took in $448.1 million in North American theaters and “Lincoln” has grossed $108.5 million domestically. But those outsized revenues have largely come from megaplexes, where theater owners can utilize more screens for a hit film. The operators of smaller complexes say they don’t have that latitude, and are consequently suffering.

Ted Mundorff, chief executive of the 229-screen Landmark Theatres, said that when movies exceed a little more than two hours, exhibitors lose a showtime a day - at a cost of about $3,600 per theater per night.

With an average-length movie, Mundorff can book about five showings a day, with two in the sweet spot between 7 and 9:30 p.m., when theaters generate about 80 percent of their business. But movies like “The Hobbit” can be shown only four times a day, with one prime-time screening. “We know there’s going to be a cap at our box office,” Mundorff said, adding that running times this holiday season are “way worse” than in previous years.

Rafe Cohen, president of the 126-screen Galaxy Theaters that are mostly in smaller California and Nevada cities, said he is having to make some Solomonic choices in terms of what films he can book - to accommodate demand for a popular long movie like “The Hobbit,” he may have to bump a movie that’s been in theaters for a few weeks. So a film like “Rise of the Guardians” or “Life of Pi” that is still doing modest business, for instance, may get bounced.

Traditionally Hollywood’s longest movies were historical epics such as “Gone With the Wind” and “Lawrence of Arabia,” and running time was synonymous with prestige. But now even genre films have grown longer thanks in part to digital filmmaking tools that enable directors to work faster and cheaper but sometimes with less narrative discipline, accord-

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ing to Jan-Christopher Horak, director of UCLA’s Film & Television Archive.

When filmmakers used real film, directors shot roughly 40 minutes of footage for one minute of screen time, Horak said. Now shooting ratios are closer to 200 to 400 minutes shot for every one minute on screen, because crews are no longer concerned about wasting costly film stock.

“There’s a kind of overkill at work here,” Horak said. “Film directors have this mistaken notion that digital is free, so they shoot a lot more footage.

And they’re in love with what they shoot.”

Many of this year’s longer movies come from filmmakers who have racked up enough clout with their studios to win the running-time fight, like “This Is 40” director-producer Judd Apatow, whose comedies “Bridesmaids,” “Knocked Up” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” were boxoffice hits for Universal Pictures. But, at almost an hour longer than most comedies, “This Is 40” has inspired some in Hollywood to refer to the movie as “This Is 40 Minutes Too Long.” “It’s hard to get out of the house to go the movies,” Apatow said of his movie’s long running time. “Movies are expensive, parking is expensive - why is everyone in a rush to go home? An extra 15 minutes won’t kill you. Everyone thinks everything is like a two-minute YouTube video. And I refuse to adjust for them.”—MCT

Brown on hand as Abidjan hosts ‘African Grammies’

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2012

A dog wears a slogan as performers dance ‘Gangnam Style’ during a campaign on the harmful effects of firecracker explosions to animals and humans in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines yesterday. — AP

Old rites for New Year

s the clock strikes 12 tomorrow, millions will celebrate and light fireworks while others indulge in quirkier New Year’s rituals like melting lead, leaping off chairs or gobbling grapes. One of the world’s oldest shared traditions, New Year’s celebrations take many forms, but most cultures have one thing in common-letting one’s hair down after a long, hard year. For much of the globe this involves sipping bubbly with friends until the sun comes up, seeing out the old year with bonfires and flares and off-key renditions of Auld Lang Syne. But others have rather more curious habits, often steeped in superstition.

In Finland, say tour guides, people pour molten lead into cold water to divine the year ahead from the shape the metal sets in. If the blob represents a ship it is said to foretell travel, if it’s a ball, good luck. In Denmark, people stand on chairs and jump off in unison as the clock strikes midnight, literally leaping into the New Year. (The Danes also throw plates at their friends’ homes during the night-the more shards you find outside your door in the morning the more popular you are said to be.)

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The Dutch build massive bonfires with their Christmas trees and eat sugary donuts-one of many cultures to consume round New Year’s foods traditionally believed to represent good fortune. Spaniards, in turn, gobble a dozen grapes before the stroke of midnight, each fruit representing a month that will either be sweet or sour. In the Philippines, revelers wear polka dots for good luck, while in some countries of South America people don brightly colored underwear to attract fortune-red for love and yellow for financial success.

Despite regional and cultural differences, for most the New Year’s festivities are a chance to let off steam before the annual cycle starts all over again. “This is a holiday that is about relaxation and letting go,” explained George Washington University sociologist Amitai Etzioni. “The whole year people are chained by social requirements, morals, laws... “And then there comes some occasion in which society says for today, 24 hours, for this evening, all bets are off, all norms are suspended, and it’s OK. “The next day we have to get back in line.”

Historians say people have been marking the

year change for thousands of years. The ancient Romans, who gave us the solar calendar, celebrated in a way similar to ours.

PLAYING, EATING, DRINKING “It was a day of public celebration. People spent the day playing, eating and drinking,” according to French historian John Scheid of the College de France. “During the period of the empire, the first four centuries AD, this originally Roman custom became a general festival in the whole Roman world, and so it remained until today.” January 1 became the day widely marked as New Year’s Day only in 46 BC, when the emperor Julius Caesar introduced a new calendar. March 1 had been the first day of the year until then. Medieval Europe, though, continued celebrating New Year’s Day on dates with religious significance, including Christmas. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII replaced the Julian calendar with the Gregorian one, correcting mathematical inconsistencies.

Most Catholic countries immediately adopted the calendar and its January 1 start, but

A performer wearing a cat costume dramatizes the harmful effects of firecracker explosions to animals during a campaign in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines yesterday. Firecrackers are traditionally part of Filipino celebrations during the New Year in the belief that it will drive away bad spirits and bring good luck but the event has caused injury or death to many Filipinos. — AP

Protestant nations did so only gradually.

Britain and its then-colonies, including the United States, were among the last to introduce the new calendar, from 1752. While most of the world has now adopted January 1 as the official start of the year, some still hold their

festivities on other dates. Orthodox churches celebrate on January 14 (January 1 on the Julian calendar), while the Chinese New Year can fall on any date between January 21 and February 20, depending on the position of the moon. This year, it will be February 10. — AFP

Considering divorce? Good reasons to wait for January oing through a divorce during the holidays can be emotionally wrenching, which is why many people don’t do it - they put it off until January.

“People don’t want to upset the apple cart over the holidays, and they want a peaceful Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year’s. And then, because they don’t want to spend another damned year with that spouse of theirs, as soon as the holidays are over they pull the plug and file,” says Alton Abramowitz, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

While there are no hard numbers on how many divorces are filed in January, Abramowitz says it’s undoubtedly a popular time to act, rivaled only by September, when marriages break up after the summer holidays. Yet waiting for the holidays to pass doesn’t all come down to simply wanting a harmonious holiday season. There are sound financial reasons to wait until January.

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WAITING FOR BONUS A husband or wife who waits until January is likely to be entitled to any year-end windfall that might come from a spouse’s job. “In New York, at least, once you file for divorce and you set the cut-off date, anything you obtain afterward is separate property,” says Steven Goldfeder, a matrimonial attorney in New York City who acknowledges that year-end bonuses are often fought over, even if a spouse declares he or she wants a divorce in January. “Someone could claim the bonus isn’t really for that particular year, but a payment to entice someone to stay at the firm for the future.”

COOL YOUR EMOTIONS The holidays are a time when emotions run high. “If your spouse always has it in her mind that Christmas was ruined, she or he may not be so eager to settle with you,” says Goldfeder. “Your divorce might drag out for

months or years longer than it would have.” Once, shortly before Christmas, Goldfeder received a call from a client who said a co-worker had had a baby they both believed was his. The client, married and the father of three, planned to tell his wife and assumed she would leave him. Goldfeder talked him into first getting a paternity test. The client’s family had a nice Christmas, and the day after, the client learned he wasn’t the father. Not exactly a warm holiday tale, but by cooling your emotions, you may save your family a lot of stress.

AVOID DISASTROUS SHOPPING December is the shopping season, and that can spell disaster if an angry spouse is set loose with a credit card.

“The spouse served with divorce papers may feel that they deserve some kind of emotional gift because of this horrible thing their spouse did to them,” says Kevin Worthley, a certified divorce financial analyst and certified financial planner in Warwick, Rhode Island. An angry spouse may also be more inclined to want to drain the bank accounts and run up the credit cards.

“That’s a danger any time, but past the holidays, when everything’s been bought, there’s likely less inclination to buy a big-ticket item out of revenge,” says Worthley.

THINK ABOUT APRIL At year-end, taxes come to mind. “Obviously, the better records you have, the better position you’re going to be in,” says Andrew Katzenstein, a Los Angeles lawyer, referring to paperwork that you might want to start collecting now. Katzenstein, who specializes in assisting high-net-worth individuals, businesses and charities, says that in the past there haven’t been many tax advantages to filing for a divorce in January rather than December. Filling for divorce is just a beginning step, after all. Many couples end up filing their taxes jointly until the divorce is completed. But tax brackets

may go up in 2013, depending on whether the US budget dispute is resolved. So going forward, the calculus may be different. “The person who pays alimony will get more bang for their deduction buck, and the person receiving the payments will pay more taxes,” he says.

MORE TIME TO PLAN If you’ve made up your mind that a divorce is going to be one of your New Year’s resolutions, there are things you can do now. Whatever side you end up onpaying alimony or receiving it-you need to start preparing. “You should start collecting all of your end-of-theyear statements,” says Worthley. “You really need to know everything - your household budget, your assets, what’s in your checking account, how much you’re paying for the mortgage, all of your debts and your credit card balances. It’s important to get all of that.”

Your financial records will be needed to determine how much spousal support will be paid out, and how the finances will be divided. “The more information you get, the less complicated it’ll be when you’re negotiating and working things out with a financial mediator, attorney or judge,” says Deborah Moskovitch, a divorce coach in Toronto who counts January as her busiest month for new clients. The turn of the new year can also be a good time to try to salt away some extra money to pay for an attorney, says Worthley. You don’t need to have all of your money affairs in order the moment you and your spouse begin discussing the dreaded D-word.

You may want to start the year off with a fresh start by filing for divorce in January, but chances are you’ll be lucky to be divorced before that year is up. “Here in California, if you didn’t file by October, you weren’t going to get divorced in the next year anyway,” says Katzenstein. “And if you decide to divorce in January, it’s not like you’ll be divorced in February. It’s going to be a process.” — Reuters

The bones of twelve bodies are seen at an excavation site in Cholula, a town 120 kilometers north of the Mexican capital.— AFP

Archeologists uncover 800-year-old skeletons A

rcheologists in central Mexico uncovered the bones of 12 children and adults who may have been buried 800 years ago, a National Institute of Anthropology and History expert said. The skeletons were discovered as the archeologists supervised the installation of a new drain in an old neighborhood of Cholula, a city located 120 kilometers north of the Mexican capital. The first skull was found at the site on December 8 and by Thursday, the experts had identified the remains of 12 individuals.

They were found buried just a few centimeters below a paved section of asphalt, said archeologist Ashuni Romero Butron, who added “fortunately they were not damaged by erosion before the paving.” He said most of the 12 skeletons are complete, and their sexes will have to be determined in laboratory analysis. The ethnic origin of the bodies is also yet to be determined, though Romero noted that 800 years ago the area was home to people from the Tolteca-Chichimeca and the OlmecaXicalanca cultures. Last April, another burial site with 17 skeletons, some 700 years old, was found nearby. —AFP