27 Dec 2011 by Kuwait Times

CR IP TI ON BS SU

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

Jong-Un gets new title, meets S Koreans

Jewish gender segregation campaign turns violent

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150 FILS

www.kuwaittimes.net

SAFAR 2, 1433 AH

A human touch for ancient scripts at Italy book hospital

Berbatov treble puts United level with City

Race for speakership seen between Saadoun, Saqer MoI refers primaries to prosecution, targets Twitter

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By B Izzak

FTZ out of legal limbo KUWAIT: Minister of Commerce and Industry Amani Bouresli hailed yesterday a resolution by the Municipal Council adopting the structural scheme of the free trade zone, noting that the authority’s decision to grant legal status to the zone would spur businesses, particularly those based in the zone. The council’s adoption of the structural plan of the free trade zone, presented by the Ministry of Commerce, whereby specifying the plot of land as allocated for the free zone, would end the “license crisis” in the region, the minister said in a statement to KUNA. Explaining, she indicated that entrepreneurs, running up to 270 various businesses in the FTZ, had been unable, for a long period of time, to renew their permits, on grounds that the plot of land on which their businesses were located had not been licensed. This move will pave way for tackling the issue of the permits and eventually lead to further steps for developing the zone, the minister said, indicating that her ministry would renew the business permits of the investors there once certain bureaucratic processes have been ﬁnalized. The Municipal Council, at a session held earlier yesterday, approved the ministry’s request of - oﬃcially and legally - allocating the plot of land in the district of Shuwaikh for the FTZ. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Former MP Mohammad Al-Saqer speaks to reporters after registering for the upcoming parliamentary elections yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Prominent liberal politician and former MP Mohammad Al-Saqer, who did not contest the 2009 elections, yesterday signed to run in the forthcoming general polls, fuelling speculations about a possible race for the speaker’s post with leading opposition figure Ahmad Al-Saadoun. In an important development meanwhile, Saadoun called on the government to stay away from the election of the next National Assembly speaker, saying opposition MPs will not allow the government to dictate the outcome. Like Saadoun, Saqer said yesterday that it is premature to talk about the speakership race and “we have to first wait for the results of the elections”. Saadoun made similar comments when he registered for the elections on the first day on Dec 21. Under Kuwaiti law, all the 16 Cabinet ministers, most of whom are normally unelected MPs, automatically become members of the Assembly after taking the oath and have almost the same powers as elected MPs. Accordingly, they participate in the elections for the crucial post of parliament speaker and deputy speaker whose terms last for the full four-year term of the Assembly. In the past, the opposition has accused the government of voting for former speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi who decided not to contest this year’s elections, giving way for young blood, according to him. Saadoun was speaker in the 1985 Assembly which lasted one year before it was dissolved and suspended. He was also elected speaker in the 1992 Assembly and won the race against Khorafi for the 1996 Assembly, which was dissolved three years later. Continued on Page 13

Arab monitors head to Syria

MUQSHA, Bahrain: A Bahraini Shiite girl flashes a victory sign during an antigovernment rally in this village west of Manama on Dec 24, 2011. — AFP

Bahrain medics recall ‘horror’ MANAMA: Shiite Muslim doctors, out on bail in Bahrain pending retrial for their role in pro-democracy protests, look back with horror at months of torture and demand a neutral hearing. “I can’t talk,” sobbed consultant paediatrician Nader Dawani, recounting how he was forced to stand up for seven days, while being beaten repeatedly, mainly by a female oﬃcer. “She was the harshest. She used to hit me with a hose and wooden canes, many of which broke on my back,” said the frail 54-year-old man. “They attempted to insert a bottle in my anus,” he recounted. Dawani is one of a group of medics arrested after security forces in the kingdom ruled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty crushed a Shiite-led uprising inspired by Arab Spring protests that toppled the rulers of Tunisia and Egypt. They face a plethora of charges, the most serious of which is occupying the Salmaniya Medical Centre and possessing weapons, while denying access to the hospital to Sunnis as Shiite demonstrators camped in the complex’s car park. The doctors also stand accused of spreading false news - particularly concerning the condition of wounded protesters - illegal acquisition of medicines and medical facilities, and participating in demonstrations. Thirteen were convicted by a military court on Sept 29 and sentenced to between ﬁve and 10 years

in jail. But before the verdict was handed down, they had already been released and now face retrial before a civil appeals court. Claims that torture was used against scores of Shiite detainees, including the medics, were upheld in November by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, a panel tasked by King Hamad with investigating the crackdown following an international outcry over alleged human rights violations. King Hamad said he was “dismayed” by the ﬁndings of the report concerning the use of torture, and pledged reforms. “We do not tolerate the mistreatment of detainees and prisoners,” he said. Many Shiite medics who were not arrested, like consultant neurosurgeon Taha Al-Derazi, lost their jobs just for being photographed at a demonstration. The medics insist that they are innocent. The commission’s report stated the charges that they inﬂated the number of protesters injured were unfounded, noting that hospital records showed hundreds were admitted during midFebruary. “All my statements to media were related to the wounded,” said consultant orthopaedic surgeon Ali Alekri, insisting he did not meddle in politics and only led demonstrations against the then health minister who was later sacked. Continued on Page 13

DAMASCUS: Heavy gunfire killed 23 people in Syria’s besieged city of Homs yesterday as newly arriving Arab League observers were urged to head immediately to one of the country’s most serious hot spots. An initial group of 50 observers was to land in Syria later yesterday to oversee a deal aimed at ending a bloody crackdown on anti-regime dissent, which has showed no signs of abating since it erupted in March. “Rocket fire and heavy machineguns in the Baba Amro quarter killed 15 people and wounded dozens,” the Britainbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement received by AFP in Nicosia. “The situation is frightening and the shelling is the most intense of the past three days,” it said. Seven civilians died in other parts of the central Syrian city and its suburbs, and a woman was killed at Talbisseh near Homs. Another three people, including a 14-year-old boy, were shot dead by security forces at a demonstration in Khattab in neighbouring Hama province, and a youth was shot dead in Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib. In other developments, four army deserters died in clashes with loyalist troops near the Turkish border village of Al-Yunsieh, and explosions were heard amid fighting between deserters and soldiers in the Damascus suburb of Douma. On Sunday, the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) said Homs was under siege and facing an “invasion” from some 4,000 troops deployed near the city Continued on Page 13

HOMS, Syria: Video grab shows a Syrian tank driving through this besieged city yesterday, where heavy gunfire killed 23 people. — AFP

US considering Saleh’s request

An astronaut photo released by the NASA Earth Observatory yesterday and acquired on Dec 4, 2011 from the International Space Station (ISS) shows the city lights of Spain and Portugal define the Iberian Peninsula. Several large metropolitan areas are visible, marked by their relatively large and brightly lit areas, including the capital cities of Madrid, Spain - located near the center of the peninsula’s interior - and Lisbon, Portugal - located along the southwestern coastline. The ancient city of Seville, visible to the north of the Strait of Gibraltar, is one of the largest cities in Spain. The astronaut view is looking toward the east, and is part of a time-lapse series of images. — AFP

HONOLULU: The United States is considering Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s request to visit, but would only grant him entry for “legitimate” medical treatment, a senior US official said yesterday. Officials also said President Barack Obama’s top anti-terror advisor John Brennan called Yemeni Vice President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi on Sunday to urge “maximum restraint” after forces backing Saleh killed 13 demonstrators. Saleh, set to stand down after a presidential election in February, said on Saturday he wanted to visit the United States, though was not seeking treatment for wounds sustained in an attack on his palace in June. But a senior US official said yesterday that Saleh’s office had contacted the US embassy in Sanaa and said the president did want to go to the United States to seek “specialized medical treatment”. “The request for approval for President Saleh to travel to the United States is currently under consideration,” the official said on condition of anonymity. “The only reason that travel to the United States by President Saleh would be approved would be for legitimate medical treatment.” Continued on Page 13

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Years

Khaled Al-Sultan

Abdullatif Al-Ameeri

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

LOCAL

Mubarak Al-Saifi

Mohammed Hayef

Mohammed Al-Saqer

Marzouq Al-Ghanim

Saleh Al-Mulla

252 candidates by day 6 KUWAIT: Thirty candidates running for Parliament registered at the Elections Department on the sixth day. Three registered in the first constituency, six in the second, the same numbers in the third, eight in the fourth and seven in the fifth. The total number of candidates rose to 252 including 13 females. Former MP Mohammad Hayef said 22 candidates in the previous Assembly submitted a request to amend the second article of the Constitution to apply Islamic law. “We did not announce that, and we will prepare a pact for candidates to sign, so that we amend the article at the start of the assembly” he said. Political money makes current elections go through danger, and exposes the next Assembly to danger. The man on the street cannot get the names of the bribers and bribees and those in between, “AlHayef said. He said because of those defects the Prime Minister is being tested. Concerning HH Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad, Hayef said “we do not think he will return, because the street decided on it and the page is turned.” Former MP Ali Al-Omair said “we do not sequester the youths opinion in evaluating the political arena, and I am running with the support of the Salaf movement and I will continue defending the rights we see.” He said he is not close to the government. He added “I chaired six committees and all condemned the government, and in Mohammad AlMaimoni’s case (allegedly died under torture by police), I asked the Interior Minister to resign.” He added, “the constitution is not a holy book.” Columnist Nabil Al-Fadl said “I am running to clean Kuwait from destruction, because all what is

going on does not please anyone, and this calls upon us to exert all efforts to rescue the country.” Al-Fadl said the storming of the Assembly was a shame to all those who participated, and those who defended it are worse. “I have no alliance with candidate Mohammad Al-Juwaihal, and I will launch a war against votes exchange,” he said. He said the byelections law is the law of the land and should be respected. Obeid Al-Wasmi, registered in the fourth district, said “elections are an opportunity to explain my patriotic view to all voters across the country”. He said political reform requires many legislations. Khalid Al-Shulaimi from the fourth district thanked his tribe for selecting him along with Ahmad Al-Shuraian, and called upon voters to choose the best for the sake of Kuwait. Former MP Marzouq AlGhanim, said “the former Assembly, which was the worst as far as achievements are concerned, may be an Assembly of political movements.” Al-Ghanim said “Jasim Al-Kharafi gave a lot and kept his word and will give the opportunity to the youth.” Former MP Saleh Al-Mulla described the millions deposits scandal as a catastrophe. He addressed the voters when he said H.H. The Amir put the responsibility on their shoulders and those who do not vote should keep silent for 4 years. He hopes more women will be elected. Abdallah Al-Barghash, a fifth constituency candidate who won the Ajman tribal by-elections, said the popular will play with this Assembly and the youth movements topple it. Second district candidate former MP Khalid Al-Sultan said “we cannot achieve our ambitions until

we get competent MPs with a good history, followed by the independence of the Judiciary, and this is an important issue”. A blind man who registered himself as a candidate, said “I hope the people vote for those who serve them”, adding he was ready to run since 2009. Meanwhile Islamic Law Professor, Dr. Nayef Al-Ajmi from the fifth district, said it is known to all that we are in the midst of a political movement carried out by Kuwait youth, who need to have their wishes fulfilled. Former MP Ali Al-Omair said that he was contesting elections with the backing of Salafist Alliance. Al-Omair also denied that he had taken a pro-government stance and stressed that he had presided over six committees that condemned the government. “I asked the interior minister to resign over the murder of citizen Al-Maymouni who was in custody,” he added. Commenting on the possibility of former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah’s re-election, Al-Omair stressed that this matter rested with the ruling family. Arriving at the elections department to register his name as a parliamentary candidate, former MP Mohammed Al-Sager stressed that he had refrained from contesting elections in 2009 because the country’s reputation had been badly tarnished. “Kuwait’s youth have revived my hopes. Many voters in my constituency have asked to run for public interest,” he said underscoring that it would be premature to discuss contesting speaker’s position. “I decided to contest elections before Jassim Al-Kharafi declared his intention not to contest elections. We have been competing for 20 years,” said Al-Sager.

“There is no such thing as success,” he added, calling for more efforts to alleviate tension created by the 2009 Parliament. He also denied allegations leveled by a former MP contesting elections. A member of the Islamic Salafist Alliance, Dr Adel Al-Damkhi announced that he would contest elections. “I made this decision out of my keenness to take part in ironing out some parliamentary and governmental practices.” Candidate from the fourth constituency Sallal Al-Harbi thanked HH the Amir to dissolve the Parliament. “It was a bribed Parliament that only worked for its members’ own interests,” he said. Mansour Al-Kharafi, candidate from the second constituency, urged all voters to vote for the best place. “We should all reject sectarianism and segregation,” he said calling for amending the Constitution to make sure more freedoms were granted. Candidate Mohammed AlHatlani promised to go as far as it takes to question executives if he won. “Of course, I will protest if the new government is incompetent,” he asserted. The winner of Al-Hajri tribe’s by-elections in the fifth constituency, Madhi Al-Hajri stressed that “his tribe’s trust was a matter of pride for him” and called for reviving many delayed development projects. “Both the previous Cabinet and the Parliament performed poorly,” he underscored. The fourth constituency candidate Fahad Al-Thafieri said that security forces violated human rights when they raided a peaceful bedoon rally and dispersed them using tear gas and water hoses. “How can we hold constitutional elections when our government doesn’t value human rights?” he questioned.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

local

KD10,000 required for self-sponsorship By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) has proposed that an expatriate can apply for self-sponsorship provided they possess a minimum of KD10,000 in their bank account. Under the proposed amendments to current law, an individual or a group of individuals will also be allowed to sponsor someone provided their bank account contains KD10,000. In order to obtain an exemption from the current regulations, the applicant must have been a businessman or a partner in a business venture for at least two consecutive years. The MSAL is still studying the

possibility of allowing certain professionals to acquire their own work visa without a local sponsor. The proposal was first presented and circulated in a 2005 draft law and is currently being studied at the Ministry of Labor, according to an MSAL official quoted in a local Arabic newspaper. The proposed changes have caused mixed reactions among the large number of expatriates residing in Kuwait. “Why do they need KD10,000 in our bank account? If I want to work here for two or three years, why do they need KD10,000? Will that serve as a bond? How can you raise that amount if you are an ordinary worker,” queried

a business owner. A Pakistani businessman said that the proposed selective change in the visa system will be great for business in Kuwait. “It is good for us but most especially for Kuwait’s business sector,” he said. “You are in fact erasing our reservations to do business in Kuwait,” he said. The businessman, director of a computer school, said that any doubts will be erased when the law is implemented. Elaborating, he said that another significant issue that hampers doing business in Kuwait is the work permit. “If we can have the work permit ourselves, it will be a good step for-

ward. If the policy is implemented the business atmosphere here will significantly improve. It will attract more investors,” he mentioned. A Filipina restaurant owner also welcomed the proposed changes. “This is a great idea. I hope it will be implemented soon to relieve our anxieties when it comes to our visas or the legality of our stays in Kuwait,” she noted. Not everyone welcomed the changes, claiming that safety in the country will be compromised. A Kuwaiti employer, who runs a small business in Shuwaikh, said that such an idea is crazy and unhealthy. “There are some nationals who

are crooked or maybe some people will acquire visas and then commit crime. Since they are not controlled by any company owner, they can easily commit crimes and leave the country. What is the assurance that erring workers can be asked to answer for their crimes?” he pointed out. The MSAL has a draft law to scrap the sponsorship system in Kuwait pending in Parliament. The debate was hampered due to the dissolution of Parliament earlier this month. If the proposal to scrap the sponsorship system passes, the state authority will then become the sole authority for the sponsorship of expatriate workers in Kuwait.

KUWAIT: In this file photo a business owner and a maker of eqal (black rope that keeps the white scarf on a man’s head) is working in his shop in Kuwait City. The image is used for illustrative purposes only.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

LOCAL

local Spotlight

kuwait digest

Transparency in the dark

Women running for elections

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

’m not sure on what basis the Cabinet has delegated the task of monitoring the upcoming election with Kuwait Transparency Society. Was it based on a long history of transparent work and public service that the KTS has provided? Or was it simply based on a recommendation or the Cabinet’s whimsical desire to select this particular civil society organization to fulfill this important assignment?

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

twitter @munaalfuzai

Vote buying remains lesser evil when compared to the practice of participating in by-elections. I don’t think the public are fully aware of the members of the KTS and their backgrounds. All we know is that it composed of members. I hope the KTS is transparent enough as to announce the names of its members who have been chosen to supervise the elections. According to news reports, the KTS handed over lists containing names and phone numbers of people they described as ‘vote buying brokers’ to the Ministry of Interior. Despite the fact that candidates are still registering their names, soon to be followed by vote buying - which follows naturally - is still yet to get underway. The KTS was able to detect alleged brokers when vote have not been bought yet! In the meantime, tribal primary elections have been taking place publically, with news being covered by the press. In some of these elections, thousands of voters participated to enjoy full endorsement. While the KTS was busy detecting ‘secret meetings between vote buying brokers and potential vote sellers,’ it failed - or perhaps ignored - to monitor movements of thousands of voters who swear allegiance to their tribal confederations. In my opinion, vote buying remains lesser evil when compared to the practice of participating in by-elections. A voter who willingly agrees to sell his vote for money would have done it according to his own choice without bucking under pressure or intimidation. That voter is still more honest than someone who faces pressure from his tribe. In both cases, the voter is misusing his right to enfranchisement. The primary difference is that while the vote seller is actually paid, someone who participates in by-elections comes out empty-handed! Vote buying is a threat to the elections process, but by-elections jeopardizes the democratic system and social solidarity. There appears to be more voice opposition expressed toward vote buying. However, only a few voice their opinions against primary elections. — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Let us choose carefully By Sami Al-Nisf

efore going to polling stations on Feb 2, we should pause a while to ask ourselves legal questions. Based on the answers, we must take our decision in electing the one who solves our problems and reduces our crisis, not the one who causes them. The first serious question is: Are we helping with our political movement over the past 20 years? It was full of crisis and catastrophes and was crowned with the Iraqi invasion. This was as a result of reading Saddam Hussein wrong over our internal conflicts. We appeared helpless, and are unable to solve our problems without help from others. Are we happy about the

number of crisis and interpellation motions based on the ‘identity’ and not the ‘case’? They aimed mostly at honest and efficient persons, and ignored the helpless and violators. Are we happy in fighting the formation of committees that hold MPs accountable? That action led to the current legislation corruption, and the increase of MPs who take bribes. Are we happy that our brothers in the Gulf have surpassed us by decades due to the systems and legislation which cause obstacles? They have stopped the wheels of growth in Kuwait. Ideas and money have migrated outside Kuwait and caused unemployment for Kuwaiti youths. Are we happy

about internal political money being taken out to the streets? Or the money taken externally as well, instead of being loyal to Kuwait? Our land is a playground for wars on behalf of regional powers and international power. We almost got burned more than once. Let us chose properly this time and correct our mistakes in previous elections. The wise and good MP is clear. So is the wrong MP who is a trouble maker and destroyer. Our state and the whole area is at stake! Things could escalate very fast at any minute. Only then shall we regret our wrong choice from our own hands. — Al-Anbaa

o you think women will have the luck to win in this election? This is the very question I am repeatedly asked every single day. Well I could be an activist, but not a fortune teller! So my predictions about women and the election is based on what I have seen and heard by many voters within my own constituency. Other constituencies catch my attention for other reasons. If the main question is whether women have a chance, I would say possibly ‘Yes.’ There is always a chance for a lady to win if she knows when to speak and what to say. Public speaking is not a talent that every educated person is equipped with. It is a special skill and few who hold it know how to utilize it effectively. In our society, educated women belong to different categories. Some were educated in the West and mentally graduate towards western culture. They could fail to win public acceptance or any role in local society unless they are part of a group that will back them. They could win but it will not be for life. We have to bear in mind that this is a Muslim society and the liberal or pro-western caliber is not really the most popular. Exceptions are possible, but not always! Another category of women who may run here are those who could be accepted due to an extremely conservative appearance. The problem with those women are that they have lived so long in a closed shell. They cannot communicate easily with the public for the requirements of election or with the number of men they are forced to deal with. The cases she will have to look at could be related to change in curricula, education and freedom! They see things with one vision and men are their leaders, so they will fall completely under the control of that group and will not speak or comment on anything that will lead away from that path.The last group are those who decided to run to show off and obtain fame and media focus. They have no interest in political or public service and know that they will not win in any case or for any reason. In fact they habitually run year after year for fun, and to remind everyone they are still around! That kind of female candidate will never win. But I salute them for their courage, not their calls as they lack any! But the election process is still in the preliminary stages. Until registration is complete, speculation will be hot and juicy.

kuwait digest

Pleasant surprise at GCC summit By Najat Al-Hashash

he Gulf nations perceive a threat when they observe problems created by political developments and crises happening in the region. As a result of these circumstances, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) became the target of attempts to startle security and stability within its countries through sectarian enticements and other methods. It was a surprise to hear the initiative made by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia during the recent GCC summit. He called for steps to achieve unity between GCC countries. It was a pleasant surprise to people of GCC countries, who not only share ambitions of unification but also share concern about the current risks threatening their region. King Abdullah’s call is a historic step that comes in line with requirements for the region given the present circumstances. It also realizes the need for national unity that can enable the GCC countries to face challenges ahead, and maintain the security and stability of their people. This step is also important to meet demands of the future, and maintain progress of all GCC countries. People of GCC countries share common dreams, hopes, ambitions and fate. GCC nationals also share a common hope of unity that can solidify security in the region against foreign threats, and achieve improvement in the political, health, cultural and other fields, in addition to raising living standards. The current time and circumstances call for unity among GCC countries. They can create an influential force both in the region and worldwide.

Kuwaiti lawyers attend trial of Mubarak KUWAIT: A group of Kuwaiti lawyers, who volunteered to defend former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, leaves Kuwait this week to participate in the trial of the ousted leader which resumes this Wednesday for two weeks. Yusri Abdul-Razzaq, an Egyptian lawyer, told Al-Rai daily on Sunday that the Kuwaiti attorneys will be led by lawyers Faisal Al-Otaibi, Bashayer Jaafar and Ayed AlSubai’ei. He confirmed the Kuwaiti lawyers will be present for the first time in Mubarak’s trials this Wednesday, explaining that they were prevented from taking part in previous trials which were held confidentially. —Al-Rai

They say that dreams can be realized through the hard work of honest and persistent people. We in GCC countries have full confidence in the ability of our leaders to realize our hopes and lead our way to prosperity. —Al-Rai

People of GCC countries share common dreams, hopes, ambitions and fate. GCC nationals also share a common hope of unity that can solidify security in the region against foreign threats, and achieve improvement in the political, health, cultural and other fields, in addition to raising living standards. The current time and circumstances call for unity among GCC countries. They can create an influential force both in the region and worldwide.

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Years

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

local

Shopkeeper thwarts armed robbery Suspicious hole found in Mutlaa

KUWAIT: Dr Adel Al-Falah visiting the exhibition after inaugurating the Fifth Islamic Arts Forum at the Grand Mosque.

Grand Mosque showcases array of Islamic art KUWAIT: The Fifth Islamic Arts Forum opened at the Grand Mosque on Sunday night, showcasing an array of works and products that attest to the fine caliber and beauty of Islamic art. Undersecretary of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs (MIA), Dr Adel Al-Falah, inaugurated the event. This year, the items on exhibit are the works of participants from 10 countries. The official said this event is an opportunity to shed light on many fine artistic works and artisans’ products, whether they be textiles, pottery, ceramics, or calligraphy or some other form of art. The MIA aims at stressing the beauty embraced in Islamic culture and share it with people of other cultures and faiths. The event is sponsored by Mohammad AlNomas, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, and the Minister of State for Housing Affairs. It is set to last till January 7. “Our calligraphers, artists, and artisans will help promote awareness of our great Islamic heritage through their fine works, and this is an opportunity for them to do the Muslim nation great service,” he said. “This comes within the general understanding of the framework of the ministry’s duties, including educational, cultural and social aspects,” he added. The official also expressed his belief that there is a great need to put more care into the introduction of Islamic arts and its legacy into school curricu-

la. Khlaif Al-Uthaina, Undersecretary for Cultural Affairs, said “the ministry aims to render The Grand Mosque a pioneering religious, cultural, social and educational institution at the local and regional level. It aims to make it a landmark sought for worship as well as interaction, and to foster more contact with the public.” This exhibit, he stressed, helps within the overall effort to preserve our Islamic identity and heritage. “Art has always been a reflection and embodiment of national advancement. It could well be the lone and strongest representation a civilization leaves behind for posterity,” the official noted. Farid Al-Ali, Chairman of Kuwait Center for Islamic Arts, said the previous four forums proved a great success, and saw great popularity by enthusiasts both locally and from other parts of the world. “Visitors are in for a magical journey in the world of color, brush-stroke, and font,” he promised. As part of the event, a workshop is set up for visiting children, who will be given tips on and the opportunity to experiment with special techniques in each of the arts represented. They will also be instructed on the arts of dialogue and interaction through work-groups, he divulged. Art supplies and books and compilations on Islamic arts are also on offer during the exhibit. They are offered by bookshops and establishments from other countries, he said.—KUNA

KUWAIT: A shopkeeper in Khaitan managed to thwart an armed robbery at his store in Khaitan. He engaged in a fight with four thieves until police arrived and placed them under arrest. Security officers rushed to a small convenience store (baqala in Arabic) where an Arab man reported a vicious brawl taking place. Police apprehended four men of different Arab nationalities, who were in the middle of a brawl with the outnumbered shopkeeper. The victim explained that he scuffled with the thieves after they attempted to carry out a robbery at knifepoint. The suspects were taken to the proper authorities to face charges.

Suspicious hole Investigations are currently ongoing to reveal the mystery of a hole, 15 meters deep with a one meter diameter, which was discovered in an open area in Mutlaa recently. Police suspect that the suspicious hole could be used as a secret passage to smuggle contraband. The hole was discovered by accident during a patrol mission near the northern border security building. Initial investigations revealed that an unidentified person visits the hole every night during late hours. Investigators also confirmed that the hole was not dug by any company for workrelated purposes.

Asian killed Police are looking for a male hit-and-run driver who escaped after fatally injuring a pedestrian in Jahra. Police and paramedics were present at the scene soon after the incident was reported. However, they were too late to save the life of the Asian victim. He was pronounced dead on the scene. Investigators were able to identify the driver responsible for the accident using the license plate number of his car, which was recorded by an eyewitness.

Brewery raided Far waniya police raided an apartmentturned-brewery run by two Asian residents in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. A security team headed to the apartment with an entry warrant based on information that it produces homemade liquor which is then sold secretly. Police found 500 bottles and 95 barrels filled with alcohol inside the apartment, where one man was put under arrest. The suspect confessed that he works with an accomplice to brew and then sell alcoholic drinks to customers around Kuwait. Investigations are currently ongoing in a search for the second suspect.

Fatal crash Two citizens were killed and another was injured in a car accident that took place recently on Al-Zoor street. Police and paramedics rushed to a location where a car was reported to have crashed after losing balance and overturning. Paramedics pronounced two Kuwaiti men, aged 19 and 22, dead on the scene. Another male passenger was hospitalized with several injuries. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accident was caused by a tire mishap.

Beaten actress presses charges An amateur actress was recently subjected to brutal assault by her husband. He claimed he caught her going out on a date with a stranger. She decided to press charges with officials, denying the allegations by her husband. The incident took place recently in Abdullah AlMubarak, where police intervened to stop the

beating that the woman was receiving. Police left a while later after neither of the couple wished to press charges. But according to a security source, the woman headed to the police station in the area on Sunday morning. She pressed battery charges against her husband and his brother, who she says was present during the attack. When summoned for investigations, the woman’s brother-in-law denied the accusations. Her husband confirmed that he beat her up after she was dropped off by a man he identified as being her fellow actor, following a four-hour date. The woman said she returned from a shooting site for a production she is participating in. She said she was dropped off by a driver, who was sent to pick her up by the production company. Investigations in the case are still ongoing. Vehicular assault on brawler A stateless man was admitted to the Adan Hospital with two broken feet. He said the injury was deliberately inflicted by someone who ran him over during a fight. In his statement to officers, the victim said that he engaged in a brawl with a Kuwaiti man at a camp in Bnaidar. He said during the scuffle his foe got into his car and intentionally drove over him. Police are looking for the suspect using information and a description of his car provided by the victim. Residency violators held Eighty-nine Asian men were arrested for residency violations during a 6-hour security crackdown carried out recently in Farwaniya and Khaitan. The suspects were taken to authorities to be held pending legal procedures. —Al-Rai, Al-Qabas, Al-Anbaa

Praise for Kuwait’s exceptional international humanitarian role KUWAIT: Kuwait engages in a great international humanitarian and developmental role in aiding victims of natural disasters, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Cambodia, Dherar Al-Twaijeri, said yesterday. “Kuwait’s outstanding role within the international humanitarian arena is under the framework of the initiatives and directions of His

Highness the Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,” AlTwaijeri told the press after a meeting with Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) Board Director, Barjas Al-Barjas. KRCS is worthy of praise, AlTwaijeri said, explaining that the Kuwaiti charitable institution is considered one of the fastest

responding bodies internationally in presenting ‘exceptional’ help to countries facing emergencies and disasters. During the meeting with Al-Barjas, means of boosting the efforts exerted by KRCS in Cambodia, and to strengthen connections between humanitarian bodies in both countries was discussed. Al-Barjas stressed that

KRCS projects and programs get “strong support” from the Kuwaiti leadership, especially from His Highness the Amir of Kuwait who always pays close attention to all philanthropic activities. He gave a detailed report on all aid given to Libya, Somalia, Thailand, Turkey, Pakistan and many other countries.—KUNA

Sabah Al-Ahmad center, KPC support local innovators KUWAIT: Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for the Gifted and Creative and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support talented Kuwaitis interested in creating technological solutions for energy and environment. The MOU, which was signed yesterday, stipulates adopting innovations and supporting scientific and technical cooperation of both bodies through organizing joint programs. It also specifies promoting ‘the awareness to create’ in order to achieve an international status for Kuwait in the realms of research and scientific development. Dr Bader Al-Omar, Chief of Sabah

Al-Ahmad Center, told the press that teaming up with a pioneering company such as KPC, which is well-known for investing in research and science, will lead to “a productive cooperation” and “an adoption of many Kuwaiti inventions that could be applied and used.” The MOU was signed by AlOmar and KPC associate member of research and development Bader AlKhashti and other members of both bodies. This agreement comes as an extension to the joint goals that are shared by both institutes to widen the scope of energy and environmental research to better serve the Kuwaiti community. Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for the

Gifted and Creative was established in May 2010 as an initiative from His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah, in an effort to support and nurture gifted and talented Kuwaiti individuals. The establishment of the Center comes hand in hand with the national Strategic Development Plan. The Center also embodies Kuwait’s commitment to encourage gifted and talented youth, highlighting their achievements, while promoting cultural innovations and advancement in Kuwaiti society. “We will build a clear path towards greater participation in the advancement of human knowledge and achievement.” —KUNA

50% discount on swimming lessons KUWAIT: The Swimming Pool Complex will offer a 50 percent discount on swimming lessons between Jan 1 and Feb 29. This offer, part of Touristic Enterprises Company winter promotions will be available to nonmembers for a KD 10 subscription to avail of eight training sessions during a month. Meanwhile, Interim Supervisor of the Swimming Pool Complex, Abdullah Al-Shaheen said that the facility welcomes visitors every day except Sunday from 9am to 9pm.

Trainers are seen with a group of trainees.

Abdullah Al-Shaheen

Training session in progress.

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LOCAL

Ministers urged to refrain from voting for NA speaker’s post ‘Greater freedom’ for lawmakers

KUWAIT: Acting Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah visited the North Korean Embassy in Kuwait yesterday, where he conveyed condolences of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the death of Korean leader Kim Jong-il. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Kuwait plans probe into embassy embezzlements KUWAIT: Kuwait is reportedly planning to launch investigations into an estimated $2 million embezzlement from its embassy in Thailand. A special committee from the Foreign Ministry will probe into the embezzlement case, which involves two people working at the Kuwait Embassy in Kuala Lampur. According to sources with knowledge of the incident, the two suspects are a diplomat and an administrator who are accused of altering receipts. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the receipts were for costs paid by the Embassy to a conference for Asian ambassadors for the Chairmanship of former Foreign Minister, Sheikh Dr. Mohammad AlSabah. The Foreign Ministry is also investigating another embezzlement case in which five million US dollars are suspected to have been illegally seized by an official in Kuwait’s consulate in Los Angeles, California. —Al-Rai

CB teams investigate banks KUWAIT: The Central Bank of Kuwait’s (CB) inspection teams have completed some inspections related to millions of dinars deposited into the accounts of some exMPs, sources said. The CBK has begun holding unscheduled inspections at local banks, sources revealed. They are reviewing bank records under the instructions of the CB. Banks that failed to send repor ts to the Public Prosecution Department include Commercial Bank, AlAhli Bank, United Bank, International Bank and Boubyan Bank. The inspection teams are also comparing the standard of work and checking client complaint units. Sources said that inspection groups have become acquainted with the type and size of complaints, the measures taken by the banks and their response to clients. Once the inspection teams complete their work, they will report findings on each individual bank in detail. —Al-Anbaa

Charbel wins $250,000 X-cite shopping prize KUWAIT: X-cite by Alghanim Electronics announced the third winner of $250,000 Charbel Bou Moussa who purchased a Sony LED TV 46” from Salmiya showroom on Dec 12. Charbel expressed his appreciation to X-cite for this amazing prize. After congratulating the winner, Samer Sayegh, Vice President of X-cite by Alghanim Electronics, spoke of the promotion, “We at X-cite are extremely committed to providing our customers in Kuwait with the best promotions and achieving the highest level in customer satisfaction. We always aim at making shopping a simple and easy experience that adds comfort and luxury to their lives” Hilal Farhat, Promotions and Advertising Manager at Xcite, also commented on the event saying: “We always seek to present to customers the latest products and the best promotions as an added value to them. We want to achieve happiness and satisfaction to our customers’ shopping experience”. With the third winner announced, there is one remaining draw and thus a lucky winner who will win the $250,000 cash prize on Jan 2. Starting on Dec 1, 2011, X-cite by Alghanim Electronics expanded its electronics shopping experience with the launch of its online store, www.xcite.com, a move that furthers X-cite’s pioneering nature in conveniently offering its many products and services.

KUWAIT: Former MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun has asked the Cabinet to refrain from voting to elect the speaker of the Parliament. The veteran parliamentarian believes that this step will allow lawmakers “greater freedom to select whoever they feel is the right candidate for the post,” adding that he is not opposed to any MP being elected as speaker “as long as that member remains unbiased.” A former speaker who has been elected several times, AlSaadoun who is contesting elections in the third constituency is widely considered to be a frontrunner for speakership post. It has been left vacant after former speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi announced that he would not run for office. Al-Saadoun is widely seen as the formi-

dable leader who persistently pressed for the resignation of Cabinet of former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlSabah. In other election news, former lawmaker Adel Al-Saraawi officially announced that he would not contest elections. Speaking to a crowd of supporters who gathered at his diwaniya with the hope of persuading him, Al-Saraawi explained that he took the decision “to make room for young politicians.” A report quoting sources close to the Islamic Constitutional Movement hints at rifts that have begun to emerge within political groups over selecting members in 2012 elections. Speaking on condition of anonymity, officials indicate that in addi-

tion to members who have been announced officially there are others who believe that they can still make it to the Parliament without the ICM’s backing. The ICM has nominated members Osama AlShaheen in the first constituency, Dr Jamaan Al-Harbash and Dr Hamad AlMutar in the second constituency, and Mohammad Al-Dallal in the third constituency. On Sunday, Ahmad Al-Manfouhi Assistant Director for Information Department at the Kuwait Municipality said that the licenses have been issued to 72 election headquarters. He added that a link has been posted at the municipality’s website detailing the addresses of all election headquarters in five constituencies.

In other news, 65.3 percent of citizens who participated in a recent online poll held by Al-Qabas daily shows that candidates’ competency is the determining factor in voting for a candidate. At least 4,432 citizens participated in the poll, 10 percent of whom said that their votes are based on the opinion expressed by candidate’s elections programs. At least 8.6 percent admitted that they were motivated by tribal descent. Also, 8.5 percent of participants said that ‘connections and personal favors’ influenced their voting decision, while 7.5 percent had sectarian factors in mind. The website also posted a question about the level of change expected to be present in the next Parliament. At least 18.6 percent predict a 50 percent change. — Al-Qabas

2012 report to put national development plan in spotlight KUWAIT: Kuwait has worked to modify some components of many projects that investors are being offered as it looks to boost the role of the private sector, according to Dr Adel A. Al-Wugayan, Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (GS-SCPD). The GS-SCPD is responsible for crafting and steering Kuwait’s multi-billion dinar mid-range Development Plan (MRP) which is a key component of the country’s longterm economic roadmap, Vision 2035. Al-Wugayan acknowledged that little can be done to change the current equity structure of at least seven major projects earmarked for the private sector under the

MRP since it mandated by the law and few IPO attempts had fallen short of expectations. “As one form of engaging the private sector in the plan, we have been actively creating publicly traded entities where 50 percent will go through an IPO, 24 percent maximum to be owned by the relevant government agency, and minimum 26 percent to a strategic investor by way of a public tender,” he said. He told the global publishing, research and consultancy firm Oxford Business Group (OBG) that the General Secretariat was working with the Cabinet of Ministers to explore ways of making the projects more attractive to the private sector, mostly

improving the feasibility indicators by adding more profitable components. “It has been somewhat challenging to attract private sector investments for many reasons, some related to the hardships faced by many private sector entities after the financial crisis, while many able entities in the private side perceived some of the internal rate of returns of the projects to be generally on the lower side, and demanded more clarifications” he said. “To make it more attractive, we have been working to change the core components of these project. We are also looking at setting minimum set-price to be paid by the government for the products offered by these projects, especially when the government is the

prime purchaser of these products.” The interview with Al-Wugayan forms part of the research for The Report: Kuwait 2012, OBG’s forthcoming guide on the country’s economic activity and investment opportunities. The Group’s report will include a detailed, sector-by-sector guide for foreign investors together with a wide range of interviews with the most prominent political, economic and business leaders. The government has earmarked 30.5 billion dinars (Public and Private Sector spending) under the MRP for a long list of major projects as it looks to diversify the economy away from a reliance on oil, which currently provides 91.5 percent of the country’s income.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

Afghanistan sets ground rules for Taleban talks Page 12

In swing Ohio, Gingrich gaining the ‘notRomneys’ Page 10

Baghdad bomb kills 7 as standoff deepens Biden urges dialogue between Iraqi politicians ANBAR: An Iraqi security force officer stands guard over one of three suspects (in orange jumpsuit) accused of taking part in the killing of Shiite Muslim pilgrims yesterday close to the western city of Ramadi, in the Sunni Muslim dominated province of Anbar.—AFP

BAGHDAD: A suicide attack killed seven people at the interior ministry in Baghdad yesterday as a key political bloc called for early elections in a worsening standoff that has stoked sectarian tensions. The blast, which left dozens wounded, came just days after the capital was struck by its deadliest violence in more than four months and as US Vice President Joe Biden urged dialogue between Iraqi politicians to resolve their differences. The parliamentary movement loyal to anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr, meanwhile, said it backed the dissolution of parliament and early elections in a row that has seen Iraq’s Sunni vice president accused of running a death squad and a deputy prime minister call the government a “dictatorship”. In yesterday’s attack, a suicide bomber rammed an explosivespacked car into the interior ministry compound when guards opened the main

gates to allow electrical maintenance workers through, a ministry official said. At least five people were k illed and 39 wounded, security and health officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Among the casualties were at least two policemen killed and 14 wounded. The blast came after a wave of attacks across Baghdad on Thursday killed 60 people, and violence in the provinces the same day claimed another seven lives. It was the deadliest day in Iraq since midAugust. The spike in attacks comes with Iraq mired in political dispute. Yesterday, the political bloc loyal to Sadr called for the dissolution of parliament and early elections. The movement’s parliamentary chief Baha al-Araji said in a statement that his bloc in Iraq’s Council of Representatives wanted to “dissolve parliament and repeat elections.” An official at the movement’s head-

quarters in the southern holy city of Najaf said Araji’s statement “represents all of the bloc, and it represents the opinion of the bloc.” The call comes after authorities issued an arrest warrant for Sunni Arab Vice President Tareq Al-Hashemi on charges he ran a death squad, while Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki has called for his Sunni deputy Saleh Al-Mutlak to be sacked. Hashemi denies the accusations, and Mutlak has decried the premier as a dictator “worse than Saddam Hussein”. The Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, to which both Hashemi and Mutlak belong, has boycotted the cabinet and parliament. Hashemi, holed up at the official guesthouse of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in the country’s autonomous Kurdish region, told AFP in an interview on Sunday he would not go to Baghdad to stand trial and raised the prospect of fleeing Iraq. Asked if he would return to Baghdad to

face trial, Hashemi told AFP: “Of course not.” The 69-year-old attributed his refusal to travel to the capital to poor security and politicisation of the justice system. Turk ish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said Ankara will not turn Hashemi away if he requests asylum, but that he should stay in Iraq. “I have no intention to leave Iraq at this time, unless my personal security is endangered,” Hashemi said in Sunday’s interview. “Then, we will talk about this.” Biden, President Barack Obama’s pointman on Iraq, has made a flurry of calls to Iraqi leaders this week, urging them to mend their fences. In calls to Maliki on Sunday and Kurdish leader Massud Barzani on Saturday, Biden “exchanged views... on the current political climate in Iraq and reiterated our support for ongoing efforts to convene a dialogue among Iraqi political leaders,” the White House said in a statement.—AFP

Seven die in Yemen army clashes with Qaeda suspects ADEN: Ongoing battles between Al-Qaeda suspects and Yemen’s army near the restive southern city of Zinjibar killed five soldiers and two Al-Qaeda suspects, military and medical sources said yesterday. “Five soldiers were killed and seven wounded in late Sunday battles” between the army and Al-Qaeda-linked militants, a military official told AFP. The army fired artillery rounds on the militants’ hideouts on Zinjibar’s outskirts. Medics confirmed the toll, adding that two of the extremists were also killed in the fighting. The Islamist extremist network has turned 11 months of political turmoil in the country to its advantage, using the popular revolt against President Ali Abdullah Saleh to bolster its presence in southern and eastern Yemen. Militants linked to Al-Qaeda control several regions and towns including Abyan provincial capital Zinjibar, where they clash regularly with government forces and tribal auxiliaries. Government forces are also sometimes supported by US drone strikes in their battle against the Partisans of Sharia, the Al-Qaeda-linked insurgent group that took over most of Zinjibar in May.—AFP

SANAA: Protestors wearing flowers on their heads, chant slogans during a demonstration demanding the prosecution of Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen yesterday.—AP

Opposition leader calls upcoming Iran election bogus TEHRAN: An Iranian opposition leader who has been under house arrest since February has accused the Islamic establishment of intending to hold a “rubberstamp” parliamentary election in March, his website Sahamnews reported yesterday. Candidates began registering on Saturday for the March 2 vote, which will be the first litmus test of the clerical leadership’s public standing since a disputed 2009 presidential vote that precipitated months of unrest. Mehdi Karoubi was detained along with his wife, Fatemeh, when he urged supporters to gather for a Tehran rally in support of uprisings in the Arab world. His wife was later allowed out for medical treatment but he remains under house arrest. “Officials do not believe in the people’s vote and they are preparing themselves for a rubber-stamp election,” his wife quoted him as saying during their weekly meeting, according to Sahamnews. Candidate registration will last one week and then entrants will be screened for their political and Islamic qualifications by the hard-line Guardian Council electoral watchdog. The Council has stopped hundreds of reformist candidates in the past from participating in elections. A grandson of late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was banned from running for a 2008 parliamentary vote by the Council. “The authorities want to repeat what they did in the 2009 presidential election by disqualifying the candidates.... and filling up the ballot boxes with counterfeit votes and creating an atmosphere of fear in the country,” Karoubi’s wife quoted him as saying, as reported by his website. The 2009 election was followed by eight months of opposition protests that, while ultimately suppressed, pitched Iran into its deepest internal crisis since the Islamic Revolution and exposed divisions within the ruling elite. The 73-year-old Karoubi and former prime minister Mirhossein Mousavi, who is also under house arrest with his wife, competed against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the 2009 vote. They became figureheads of the post-election protests by many who believed the vote was rigged to bring back President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iranian authorities deny the charge and have portrayed the protests as a foreignbacked bid to undermine the Islamic government system. Thousands of people, including senior reformers, were detained after the 2009 vote for fomenting unrest. Most of them have since been released, but more than 80 people have been jailed for up to 15 years and five have been sentenced to death.—Reuters

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

Mexico army: ‘El Chapo’ security head arrested MEXICO CITY: The Mexican army announced Sunday that it had captured the head of security for Sinaloa drug cartel head Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, one of the world’s most wanted men. The suspect, who was not identified by name, was captured in the Sinaloa state capital of Culiacan and will be presented to the media yesterday morning, the army said. Guzman, Mexico’s top drug lord, is one of the world’s richest men, and has eluded authorities by moving around and hiding since his 2001 escape from prison in a laundry truck. The army said the man they had arrested also ran cartel activities in Durango and southern Chihuahua state, and was responsible for carrying out secret burials of cartel victims, kidnapping, extortion and arson. They did not say if the arrest moved the military closer to capturing Guzman, an arrest that would be seen as a major victory for the government of President Felipe Calderon. Guzman is worth more than $1 billion, according to Forbes maga-

zine, which has listed him among the “World’s Most Powerful People.” He has a $7 million bounty on his head, and thousands of law enforcement agents from the US and other countries working on capturing him. His cartel controls cocaine trafficking on the Mexican border with California and has moved eastward to the corridor between the Mexican state of Sonora, which borders Arizona. Separately, Mexican soldiers discovered 13 bodies in an abandoned truck Sunday along with a message that they were killed in a war between rival drug cartels in the eastern state of Veracruz, officials said. The bodies were found in Tamaulipas state, a few hundred yards (meters) from its border with Veracruz, according to the Tamaulipas attorney general’s office. The office said that 10 of the bodies had been decapitated. The area has been the scene of bloody battles between the Gulf and Zetas cartels, and a pair of banners alluding to a rivalry were found in the truck, the statement from the attorney-gener-

al’s office said. On Friday, the attorney general’s office in Veracruz said it had found 10 bodies in a different area along the border with Tamaulipas after receiving a tip. On Thursday, three US citizens traveling to spend the holidays with their relatives in Mexico were among those killed in a spree of shooting attacks on buses. In the spree, a group of gunmen attacked three buses in Veracruz, killing a total of seven passengers. The Americans killed were a mother and her two daughters who were returning to visit relatives in the region. The five gunmen who allegedly carried out the attacks were later shot to death by soldiers. Earlier, the gunmen also killed four people in the nearby town of El Higo, Veracruz. Local police in Veracruz have become so corrupt that on Wednesday the government decided to dissolve the entire force in the state’s largest city, also known as Veracruz, and sent the Navy in to patrol. Some 800 police officers and 300 administrative employees were laid off.— AP

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

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

Opposition gives Merkel’s president surprise backing BERLIN: Chancellor Angela Merkel got unexpected support yesterday in her battle to keep her beleaguered president in office with an improbable endorsement from the leader of Germany ’s opposition Social Democrats (SPD). SPD chairman Sigmar Gabriel, who may run against Merkel in the 2013 election, said he did not want Merkel ally Christian Wulff to resign over a banking scandal because it could spark a national crisis if a second head of state quit within two years. Wulff has come under intense public and media pressure to step down after 18 months in office even though he apologised about misleading lawmakers over where he got a 500,000 euro ($650,000) private loan for a house. “It’d be a disaster bordering on

a national crisis if a second president were to resign within the span of two years,” Gabriel told conservative daily Die Welt, which has reported extensively on Wulff’s business dealings. “He needs to come completely clean but that shouldn’t lead to his resignation - but rather a return to carrying out his duties as president in a decent, credible manner,” Gabriel said. Gabriel’s intervention may have been triggered by SPD hopes of installing its own candidate in the presidential election in 2015 when SPD chances of controlling the Federal Assembly will be higher. Wulff’s exit now would mean an immediate election and a likely conservative win. The next vote would then be in 2017. Merkel’s centre -right coalition, which backed Wulff, has a slim 4-seat

majority in the 1,244-member Federal Assembly that meets every five years to elect Germany’s head of state. That is down from a 22-seat majority in 2010 when Wulff was elected. Political analysts say the SPD also has no interest in seeing Merkel’s coalition collapse right now because it does not want events to spin out of control now to the point of triggering new parliamentary elections. The SPD trails Merkel’s conservatives in opinion polls and believes it would have a better chance of winning back the chancellery in 2013, analysts say. On Thursday Wulff apologised in person for the first time for a scandal over his private finances and links to wealthy businessmen, but said he intended to stay on as head of state despite having “irritated” his country-

men. After 10 days of revelations about the home loan from business friends when he was premier of Lower Saxony, which was swapped for a bank loan at cheap rates not available to the public, Wulff spoke out in public for the first time. “I have realised how irritating the private financing of our family home appeared to the public. I could have and should have avoided this,” Wulff said. Wulff ’s financial dealings risk undermining Merkel’s credibility. She chose him for the post in 2010 when her last hand-picked president had to step down. Shortly before the speech, Wulff ’s press spokesman was fired without explanation. “I should have told the state parliament of Lower Saxony about the private loan at the time. That was not straight of me and I

am sorry. I concede that not everything that is legally correct is right,” Wulff said. In a country with little tolerance for financial wrongdoings by elected officials, the scandal has given Merkel a headache at the end of a tough year. Wulff, who was premier of Lower Saxony from 2003-2010, replaced Horst Koehler, a former head of the International Monetary Fund. He resigned unexpectedly in 2010 after making undiplomatic comments about overseas military missions. The most concrete accusation against Wulff is that he told the state assembly in 2010 that he had no business ties with businessman Egon Gerkeens. But it emerged that Gerkeens’ wife had lent Wulff money whereupon Wulff made his apology. — Reuters

Fear grips Nigeria after Christmas attacks kill 40 Hundreds flee violence-torn city

OHIO: Republican presidential candidate, former Mass Gov Mitt Romney and his wife Ann walk through a square while campaigning in Concord. —AP

In swing Ohio, Gingrich gaining the ‘not-Romneys’ OHIO: For “Anybody but Romney ” Republicans in a key conservative region of Ohio, Newt Gingrich has been picking up support as an alternative to the former Massachusetts governor. The former House speaker has moved to the top in recent polling in Ohio, just as Republican presidential candidates prepare for the Jan. 3 caucuses in Iowa, followed closely by the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries. Ohio’s presidential primary is scheduled for March 6, one of the biggest prizes for Republicans among about a dozen states voting on “Super Tuesday.” Mitt Romney hasn’t excited some of the party’s staunchest conservatives for reasons that include his past support of abortion rights and enactment of a Massachusetts health care plan that’s often compared to President Barack Obama’s overhaul. Some conservatives had flirted with supporting Herman Cain, drawn to his business background and unconventional campaign style. But Cain suspended his campaign this month following allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior and a longtime extramarital affair. Cain’s decision and Gingrich’s performance in nationally televised debates helped some make up their minds. “He’s sold me,” said Dan Keith, 61, of Hamilton. Keith and his wife, Pat, said they are convinced that Gingrich has the experience and savvy to be strong against Obama. “I can’t see anybody else coming onto the scene that we would go to.” The Keiths said they were undecided when first interviewed three months ago. “I think before, people liked the other

candidates because they were an alternative to Romney. But I’m hearing more people who like Gingrich as Gingrich,” said Bill Langdon, co-owner of the Grand Ole Pub, a popular gathering spot for Republican partisans in West Chester. Langdon had been interested in Cain, but doubted whether Cain could win the presidential nomination. Gingrich is now his choice. “He’s the guy they think can go toe-to-toe with the president,” Langdon said. Sandra Arno, of nearby Springdale, turned out for Cain’s visit to West Chester in November and liked what she heard. She was deciding between him and Gingrich before Cain stopped campaigning, and most recently was leaning toward the former speaker. “I think they’re both very intelligent, and I think Newt will be good as the candidate,” Arno said. Republican-dominated suburbs like this one - home of House Speaker John Boehner - just north of Cincinnati provide a stronghold of votes in a state that no GOP nominee has ever reached the White House without winning. Their enthusiastic turnout to vote for George W. Bush by 2-to-1 margins in 2004 is credited with delivering Ohio to clinch his re-election. It’s important for the Republican nominee to be able to attract big numbers in GOP-oriented suburban and rural regions to offset Democratic urban bastions led by Cleveland. Ohio could be more crucial to Gingrich than some of his rivals because the former House speaker failed to qualify for Virginia’s primary ballot. — Reuters

US fire at home kills ad exec’s three kids, parents CONNECTICUT: Fire swept through an advertising executive’s Victorian home along the Connecticut shoreline, killing her three children and her parents. Madonna Badger and a male acquaintance were able to escape from the house as it was engulfed by flames on Christmas morning, Stamford police Sgt. Paul Guzda said. But Badger ’s three daughters - a 10-year-old and 7-year-old twins - died in the fire, Guzda said. He said Badger’s parents, who were visiting for the holiday, also died in the blaze. Neighbors said they awoke to the sound of screaming shortly before 5 a.m. and rushed outside to help, but they could only watch in horror as flames devoured the grand home and the shocked, injured survivors were led away from the house. Badger, an ad executive in the fashion industry, is the founder of New York City-based Badger & Winters Group. A supervisor at Stamford Hospital said she was treated and discharged by Sunday evening. Property records show she bought the five-bedroom, waterfront home for $1.7 million last year. The house is situated in Shippan Point, a wealthy neighborhood that juts into Long Island Sound. The male acquaintance who also escaped the

blaze was a contractor who was doing work on the home, Guzda said. He was also hospitalized but his condition was not released. “It is a terrible, terrible day,” Mayor Michael Pavia told reporters at the scene of the fire. “There probably has not been a worse Christmas day in the city of Stamford.”Police officers drove Badger’s husband, Matthew Badger, from New York City to Stamford on Sunday morning. Badger’s parents lived in Southbury, Conn., Guzda said. Firefighters knew there were other people in the home but could not get to them because the flames were too large and the heat too intense, said Acting Fire Chief Antonio Conte, his voice cracking with emotion. “It’s never easy. That’s for sure,” he said. “I’ve been on this job 38 years ... not an easy day.” Conte said fire officials don’t yet know the cause of the blaze and likely would not get clues for a few days until fire marshals can enter the structure and examine it. By Sunday evening, the roof of the blackened house had largely collapsed. A neighbor, Sam Cingari Jr., said he was awakened by the sound of screaming and saw that the house was engulfed by flames. “We heard this screaming at 5 in the morning,” he said. — AP

ABUJA: Fear gripped Nigeria yesterday after a wave of Christmas bombings blamed on Islamists killed at least 40, including worshippers who were left begging for mercy and burning to death as they exited a church. Hundreds of residents sought to flee the violence-torn city of Damaturu yesterday fearing further attacks and clashes between Islamists and police, while some 30 Christian shops were burnt in the nearby city of Potiskum late Sunday. Nigeria has seen scores of attacks claimed by Islamist group Boko Haram, but some analysts said the bombings marked a dangerous escalation in a country divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south. The government in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and its largest oil producer, blamed Islamist sect Boko Haram for three attacks on Sunday. They included bomb explosions at two churches-the deadliest as Christmas mass ended near the capital Abuja-and a suicide attack in the northeast. A third church was targeted in the northeast on Christmas Eve, but no one was reported killed. Residents reported another explosion near a church in the northeastern city of Maiduguri late Sunday, but an army spokesman denied it. The attack at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla outside Abuja killed at least 35 and left a gruesome scene, with rescuers picking up body parts and putting them in plastic bags while emergency workers pleaded for ambulances. It struck as the service was ending and worshippers were filing out of the church. Some of the wounded, including one man whose entrails protruded from his body, ran toward a priest for final blessings. Some burnt in their cars as they sought to leave. The attacks drew widespread condemnation, including from the Vatican, UN chief Ban Kimoon, the United States and Britain. “I wish to express my solidarity with those who have been hit by this absurd act,” Pope Benedict XVI told a crowd gathered for his Angelus prayer, adding that he was “deeply saddened” by the attacks. Authorities pledged to bring the attackers to justice, but the government has so far been unable to stop the Islamists, whose attacks have grown increasingly sophisticated and deadly. President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the violence and his national security adviser

called it “unnecessary bloodletting by a group whose objectives are not in consonance with any genuine religious tenants.” While the government blamed Boko Haram and a purported spokesman for the sect claimed responsibility for the violence, conflicting accounts emerged. A spokesman for police in Niger state, where Madalla is located, said yesterday that authorities had not yet determined who was behind the attack. “ We are looking beyond Boko Haram

city of Damaturu when the bomber sought to ram into a military convoy in front of a secret police office, killing himself and three security agents. In Damaturu yesterday, hundreds of residents sought to flee, lining up at taxi and bus stands amid momentary calm. “I have nowhere to stay,” said a 42-year-old trader with his wife and three young children as he waited along the roadside. “The situation in the city is frightening. You never can tell where will be

MADALLA: Rescue workers push a dead body after a bomb blast at St Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Nigeria, Sunday. An explosion ripped through a Catholic church during Christmas Mass near Nigeria’s capital Sunday. —AP because other people bent on destabilising the government might be doing these things in the name of Boko Haram,” said Richard Oguche. Describing the bombing, National Security Adviser Owoye Azazi said attackers threw improvised explosive devices from a moving vehicle in Madalla, adding that “two of the criminals had been apprehended, caught in action.” Oguche said no one was arrested and the blast occurred after a minibus pulled up near the church. He added that three police officers were among those killed. In the central city of Jos, a church was targeted and a policeman was killed in a resulting shootout. A suicide blast also occurred in the restive northeastern

the next target. My house was burnt in the attacks.” In the nearby city of Potiskum, residents and a police source said about 30 Christian shops burned on Sunday night, while a supermarket and the home of a local Christian leader were also set ablaze. Some worried the attacks could set off a new round of sectarian clashes in Nigeria. “The attack on churches is to nationalise the crisis,” said Shehu Sani, a rights activist based in Nigeria’s north. “It will instigate hitherto neutral people into the crisis. Christians may want to take revenge on Muslims and this is dangerous for the country.” There has been intense speculation over whether Boko Haram has links with outside extremist groups, including

Police find seven dead in Fort Worth apartment TEXAS: Seven people believed to be related had opened their Christmas gifts and started cleaning up the wrapping paper when they were shot to death in a suburban Texas apartment, police said Sunday. Authorities said they believe the shooter is among the dead, but got a warrant before doing a full search on the small chance that it was otherwise. Four women and three men, aged 18 to 60, were found in an adjoining kitchen and living room area when police entered the apartment around midday, said Police Sgt. Robert Eberling. Two handguns were found near the

bodies in the apartment that was decorated for the holiday with a tree, he added. “It appears they had just celebrated Christmas. They had opened their gifts,” Eberling said. The victims have not yet been identified, but Eberling said it appears they all died of gunshot wounds. He said authorities still don’t know what sparked the incident. Grapevine Police Lt. Todd Dearing said investigators believe that all the victims were related, but that some were only visiting and didn’t live in the apartment. He said police are looking for other relatives to inform. “Seven

TEXAS: Police officers investigate an apartment building where seven people were found dead at Lincoln Vineyard Apartment Homes on Sunday in Grapevine, Texas. —AFP

people in one setting in Grapevine, that’s never happened before. Ever,” Dearing said. He said police were performing a “meticulous” search of the apartment and he expects them to be on the scene for many hours. Police and firefighters first rushed to the Lincoln Vineyards complex after receiving an open-ended emergency services call at about 11:30 am, Eberling said. “There was an open line. No one was saying anything,” he explained. So police went into the apartment, located in a middle-class, suburban neighborhood of Grapevine, not far from the upscale Fort Worth neighborhood of Colleyville. The apartment is at the back of the complex, overlooking the athletic fields of Colleyville Heritage High School. But many of the nearby apartments are vacant, and police said no neighbors reported hearing anything on a quiet Christmas morning when many people were not around. Jose Fernandez, a 35-yearold heavy equipment mechanic who moved to the complex with his family about six months ago, said he always felt safe in the area, but is now afraid to let his 10-year old son play freely outside. “This is really outrageous especially on Christmas,” said Fernandez, who was visiting family for the holiday and returned to find several police cars parked outside his home. “ This has shocked everybody. It has scared everybody. I guess something like this can happen anywhere, but seven people dead. It’s just very scary,” he added. Eberling agreed the area is fairly quiet, noting this would be the first homicide in Grapevine since 2010. Christy Posch, a flight attendant who moved to the complex about six months ago so her son could attend the high school, said she lives a few buildings away and did not hear any gunshots. “It’s all families. That’s why I moved here. No burglaries, no nothing,” Posch said. — AP

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Afghanistan sets ground rules for Taleban talks KABUL: Afghanistan will accept a Taleban liaison office in Qatar to start peace talks but no foreign power can get involved in the process without its consent, the government’s peace council said, as efforts gather pace to find a solution to the decade-long war. Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, in a note to foreign missions, has set out ground rules for engaging the Taleban after Kabul grew concerned that the United States and Qatar, helped by Germany, had secretly agreed with the Taleban to open an office in the Qatari capital, Doha. US officials have held about half a dozen meetings with their insurgent contacts, mostly in Germany and Doha with representatives of Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban’s Quetta Shura, this year to prepare the way for face-to-face talks between the group and the Afghan government. A representative office for the group is considered the starting point for such talks and Doha has in the past served as a meeting ground for initial contacts. But the Afghan peace commission which has suffered a series of setbacks including the assasination of its head in September said that negotiations

with the Taleban could only begin after they stopped violence against civilians, cut ties to al Qaeda, and accepted the Afghan constitution which guarantees civil rights and liberties, including rights for women. The council, according to a copy of the 11-point note made available to Reuters, also said any peace process with the Taleban would have to have the support of Pakistan since members of the insurgent group were based there. “ The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is in agreement regarding the opening of an office for the armed opposition, but only to move forward the peace process and conduct negotiations,” the council said. The government would prefer such an office in either Saudi Arabia or Turkey, both of which it is close to, but was not averse to Doha as long as the authority of the Afghan state was not eroded and the office was only established for talks, officials said. “We are saying Saudi or Turkey are preferable, we are not saying it has to be there only. The only condition is it should be in an Islamic country,” said a government official. President Hamid Karzai’s administration

recalled its ambassador from Doha last week, apparently angry that it had been kept in the dark about the latest round of contacts with the insurgent group. Officials said Kabul was also deeply concerned about reports that the United States was considering the transfer of a small number of Afghan prisoners from Guantanamo Bay military prison to Doha as a prelude to the talks. “We are a sovereign country, we have laws. How can you transfer our prisoners from one country to another. Already it’s a violation to have them in Guantanamo Bay,” the official said. The Afghan government wanted the prisoners to be returned to its custody, the official said. Reuters reported this month that the United States was considering the transfer of an unspecified number of Taleban prisoners from Guantanamo Bay into Afghan government custody as part of accelerating, high-stakes diplomacy. “We have no problem with this. In fact we have been demanding this for a while. These are Afghan prisoners,” said the official, who declined to be identified. The tension between the Karzai administration and the United States over

engaging the Taleban underscores the challenges of seeking a political settlement as the West prepares to withdraw most combat troops from the country by 2014. Efforts to engage the insurgent group have faced a string of setbacks, the most recent being the assassination of the head of the peace council and former president, Burhanuddin Rabbani, in September at the hands of a suicide bomber who pretended to be a Taleban emissary. It led to a hardening of positions with Karzai saying the government could not talk to suicide bombers and that there should be an address for the Taleban so that negotiators know they are talking to the right representatives. “We are committed to the reconciliation process, the experience of the last 10 years shows no military solution is possible. Talking to the armed opposition is the key in this regard,” said presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi. The peace council, laying down the markers for engagement with the Taliban, said well known figures from both the Taleban and the government had to be involved in talks. It said that “before any negotiations

can take place, violence against Afghan people must stop and that the armed opposition must cut ties to al Qaeda and other terrorist groups”. It also said that the Taleban must accept the constitution and honour the gains made in the last 10 years since they were ousted from power, conditions that the Taleban have shown no sign of accepting. The Taleban do not accept the constitution and have vowed to carry on fighting until all foreign troops have left the country. The peace council said Pakistani support was necessary for talks to take place, another condition that makes the task harder because of fraught ties between the United States and Pakistan which fears it is being shut out of the process. Opening a Taleban office in a third country is seen as a way to create distance from Pakistan which has longstanding ties to the insurgent group. But the government official said he did not think the peace council had laid down such tough conditions that the talks would fail even before they started. “We don’t think it’s a deal breaker. We are quite optimistic,” he said. —Reuters

N Korea’s Jong-Un gets new title, meets South Koreans Move shows successor on track to full control: Experts SEOUL: North Korea yesterday added a key title to the credentials of its untested new ruler Kim Jong-Un, who met his first South Korean delegation since he was hailed as “great successor” to his late father. In a move that experts said shows the successor is on track to take full control of the secretive nation, the ruling party

“Jong-Un has not officially taken over as general secretary, but he is expected to inherit it and other posts held by his father,” Dongguk University professor Kim Yong-Hyun told AFP. Jong-Un has been the central figure in scenes of mourning at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, where his father lies in state in a glass coffin.

“inhuman”. Kim Dae-Jung and Kim Jong-Il held the first-ever interKorean summit in 2000 and Hyundai pioneered cross-border business projects. The North’s official news agency said Jong-Un “expressed deep gratitude” for their presence. It said Lee wrote in the memorial guest book that she hoped for “a quick unification” of

PYONGYANG: Members of the South Korean mourners group including Chairwoman of Hyundai Group Hyun Jeong-eun, center, pay their respects over the body of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il at Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang, North Korea yesterday.—AP newspaper hailed Jong-Un as head of its Central Committee. “Let’s stake our lives to safeguard the party’s Central Committee led by dear comrade Kim Jong-Un,” Rodong Sinmun said. Jong-Un, in his late 20s, has also been touted as “supreme commander” of the military since his father Kim Jong-Il died on December 17 of a heart attack at the age of 69. Usually the head of the Central Committee-a top decision-making body-is also its general secretary, a position previously held by Kim Jong-Il.

Yesterday evening he met the leaders of two South Korean delegations at the palace, Seoul’s unification ministry said. A spokesman said Lee Hee-Ho, widow of late South Korean president Kim DaeJung, and Hyundai Group chairwoman Hyun Jung-Eun paid respects to the late leader and expressed condolences to JongUn. The South’s government had approved the trip by the two delegations but banned other mourning visits by South Koreans, a decision criticised by Pyongyang as

the divided Koreas, in accordance with the spirit of the joint summit declaration signed by her late husband. Official media heaped more praise on Jong-Un, describing him as a “tender-hearted man” who sent hot sweet drinks to mourners braving freezing conditions in the capital Pyongyang. The isolated state is making final preparations for what is expected to be an elaborate funeral for Kim tomorrow that will be closely watched for clues about the powers at the side of the new ruler. South Korea’s

Yonhap news agency reported yesterday that Kim Jong-Il’s eldest son Jong-Nam had arrived in Beijing from Macau and was “placed under Chinese protection”, quoting what it called a source familiar with his activities. Seoul’s National Intelligence Service said it had no information on the report and there was no other confirmation. It was not clear whether the eldest son would attend Wednesday’s funeral in Pyongyang, Yonhap said. Kim Jong-Nam, 40, has lived abroadmainly in the Chinese territory of Macau-for years after apparently falling out of favour with his father for trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001. A South Korean left-wing activist also left Saturday for North Korea via Paris and Beijing to pay her respects, her colleagues said, despite Seoul’s ban on visits other than the trip by the former first lady and Hyundai chief. The North on Sunday lashed out at South Korea for its response to Kim’s death, warning of “catastrophic consequences” for relations unless Seoul eases restrictions on condolence visits by South Koreans. The South blames its neighbour for two deadly border incidents last year, but has taken a generally conciliatory stance since the shock announcement on November 19 that Kim had died of a heart attack two days earlier. But the authorities, who by law must approve all contacts with Pyongyang, allowed only two private delegations to visit the North and are not sending an official team. The North says the world is in mourning for its late leader. Chinese traders in Dandong, just across China’s border with the North, told Seoul’s Yonhap news agency yesterday that North Korean business partners were urging them to offer condolences. They said Pyongyang has set up mourning venues at its embassy in Beijing, its consular offices in Shenyang, Dandong and Yanji, and other places in China with a large North Korean population. —AFP

Gandhi clan blamed for keeping India in poverty NEW DELHI: The Gandhi dynasty that has ruled India for most of the 64 years since independence has kept the world’s largest democracy in poverty, leaders of a protest movement said yesterday as they prepared renewed rallies to target the government on corruption. A three-day fast led by 74year-old activist Anna Hazare and a plan for thousands of people to picket the home of Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi on New Years Eve will be a test of strength for the anti-corruption movement that forced a government U-turn in the summer. “India was not destined to be a poor country, India was destined to be a developed country but corruption has kept it poor,” said Kiran Bedi, a member of Hazare’s inner circle. “Who has exercised corruption? The party in power, and the party in power for the majority of the years has been the Congress party and in the Congress party, the Gandhi family.” India’s fast-growing economy is Asia’s third largest but many of the country’s 1.2 billion people suffer from inadequate nutrition and have no electricity. Hazare plans to begin his hunger strike in Mumbai today. Almost 100,000 people have signed up online to express support

for a the three-day “fill the jails” protest picketing politicians homes and courting arrest. A fast led by Hazare in August brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets. After initially arresting him and dismissing him as an anarchist, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government caved in to his demands to quickly pass a tougher version of anti-graft legislation first proposed decades ago. The protests also triggering an ongoing debate about the nature of India’s democracy. Hazare’s supporters say voting in elections must be supplemented by direct pressure on politicians, while traditional parties say the protests risk “mobocracy.” “If hundreds of thousands of people coming onto the street can’t get their government to hear their voices, there is something seriously wrong with the way our democracy is being implemented,” close Hazare aide Arvind Kejriwal told Reuters. Corruption scandals have tainted Singh’s second term, with a multi-billion dollar telecoms scam landing a former minister and other senior officials in jail. The focus on the Gandhi family drew criticism from the ruling Congress party, which accused the

protesters of being a front for the opposition. Hazare and his aides have turned their fire on Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul ahead of five state elections in the next two months, accusing the family of amassing too much power and watering down a bill in parliament for a powerful ombudsman to tackle graft. The protesters are pressuring parliament to bring the federal police force under the remit of the ombudsman, along with other demands. Parliament is due to debate the bill today. “There are one or two people in the ruling party who run the government and run the parliament,” this is not democracy, Kejriwal said. Three of India’s prime ministers since the end of colonial rule in 1947 have come from the family. Sonia Gandhi is widely considered to be at least as powerful as Singh in the current government, and her son is being groomed to lead the country in the future. The Gandhis enjoy almost regal status, and direct criticism of them is rare outside of political campaigns. Rahul Gandhi is now running the party’s campaign ahead of an election in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous state, in February. —Reuters

ILIGAN CITY: A boy wipes rain water from his eyes near a destroyed bridge at Kapay river, one of the three rivers that overflowed during typhoon Washi, in a remote area in Iligan City, southern Philippines yesterday. —AFP

More bodies found far from Philippine floods MANILA: Fishermen joined Philippine navy sailors, police and firefighters in an ever wider search for bodies from entire villages swept away in one of the country’s worst flash floods. More bodies have washed ashore, pushing the death toll to more than 1,200, an official said yesterday. While more than 60,000 homeless from hundreds of flood-ravaged villages spent a miserable Christmas in jam-packed schools and gymnasiums, search teams retrieved an additional 150 bodies from the sea as far as 60 miles (100 kilometers) from worst-hit Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities, said Benito Ramos, head of the Office of Civil Defense. He said it would take three to six months to restore some normalcy and construct temporary housing to free up schools that are now serving as refugee camps. The death toll as of yesterday stood at 1,236, with about two-thirds of the bodies unidentified. With more bodies found floating farther away, Ramos said authorities sought the help of fishermen to scour the sea. “We’ve stopped counting the missing. There are no accurate figures,” Ramos said. “Those recovered, we don’t know who they are. We have a system in place so that families can claim them later, based on fingerprints and dental records.” The United Nations last week launched an urgent appeal for $28 million to help an estimated 600,000 affected people, more than half the population of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan in the southern Mindanao region. Despite warnings from forecasters, most were asleep Dec. 16 when a tropical storm made a landfall in a region rarely visited by typhoons. It unleashed more than a month’s worth of rainfall in 12 hours, sending walls of water gushing into homes. Many of the dead were women and children who drowned in their beds. Others scrambled to climb roofs to escape the overflowing rivers and muddy waters that carried danger-

ous debris and logs from nearby mountains. The logs were still floating off the coast. President Benigno Aquino III, who banned logging in February following previous flooding deaths that experts say were caused partly by deforestation and soil erosion, has ordered an investigation. Communist guerrillas in the south canceled yesterday’s celebration of their movement’s 43rd founding anniversary and instead promised to donate money to flood victims and punish multinational companies they accuse of environmental destruction. Rebel spokesman Jorge Madlos told The Associated Press by telephone that they sought funds for victims from huge pineapple and banana plantations and other companies. “Some were lukewarm to our call,” Madlos said. “ That’ll be a factor when we decide which ones to punish first for this destruction.” Another factor in the staggering death toll was illegal settlements along Cagayan rivers. Thousands of people lived in shanties on the banks and islands directly along the water’s path. In the evacuation centers, where about a third of the displaced are children, aid workers were providing food, clothes, blankets, bottled water and hygiene kits. A lack of running water was still a major concern. Many shelters had poor sanitation with open drainage and defecation sites, said Ariel Balofinos, Mindanao manager for Save the Children aid agency. “Children in particular are susceptible to health threats because immune systems are weak,” he said, adding that many youngsters were also traumatized. “Many children have witn e s s e d f r i e n d s a n d f a m i l y d y i n g. We’ve come across children who have been orphaned, but the good thing is they have relatives, which is part of the Filipino coping mechanism,” he said. —AP

Philippine prez pardons British drug convict MANILA: Philippine President Benigno Aquino III has pardoned an ill British drug convict from his life sentence on condition he return home. Presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said yesterday that William Rober t Bur ton must pay a 20,000 pesos ($460) fine to a metropolitan Manila court. The other conditions are that he pay his airfare home and never return to the Philippines. Burton, from Rufforth, Yorkshire in northern England, has shortened arms due to a Thalidomide-caused condition and his health is reportedly fail-

ing. He was given a life sentence in 1992 for attempting to smuggle marijuana out of the Philippines, and the Supreme Court affirmed it in 1997. Britain’s Foreign Office, which supported the clemency appeal “given the compelling, compassionate circumstances of his case,” said it welcomed the news. “I know that this news will be warmly welcomed by Billy’s family and his supporters at the Thalidomide Trust who have campaigned tirelessly on Billy’s behalf,” Foreign Office minister Jeremy Browne said in a statement. —AP

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NEWS

RIO DE JANEIRO: A man crosses the Rio Branco avenue with an umbrella yesterday. After the beginning of summer and temperatures reaching 39 degrees Celsius, a cold front arrived yesterday causing rains and an important drop of temperature going down to 22 degrees. — AFP

Jewish segregation drive turns violent BEIT SHEMESH, Israel: Clashes erupted yesterday between police and several hundred ultra-Orthodox Jews from a town near Jerusalem who are campaigning for men and women to be segregated, an AFP journalist said. Israeli police had stepped up their patrols in Beit Shemesh following unrest sparked by discrimination against women imposed by a radical fringe of the town’s religious Jews. Several demonstrators were taken in for questioning after police, and journalists were roughed up and insulted by ultra-Orthodox men telling them to “clear oﬀ”, the journalist said. There were also shouting matches between ultra-Orthodox and secular Jews. Residents of Beit Shemesh, a town of some 80,000 people 30 km west of Jerusalem, showered police and

television crews with eggs and also set ﬁre to refuse bins. The majority of the town’s residents are religious Jews, among them a large and growing ultra-Orthodox community. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said one policeman was slightly hurt by a thrown stone. Several placards urging segregation between men and women that had been removed by police were later put back by protesters. Earlier, Rosenfeld said a man from Beit Shemesh had been arrested over an assault Sunday on a TV crew ﬁlming a sign instructing women to cross the street to avoid walking past a synagogue. Other signs posted in an ultra-Orthodox neighbourhood instructed women to dress “modestly” in long sleeves and calf-length skirts.

The Haaretz newspaper said the cameraman from commercial station Channel Two was thrown to the ground and his sound recordist grabbed by the throat in the attack by ultra-Orthodox men. Other journalists were also attacked and a police car stoned. “A male was arrested and is being questioned in connection with the incident which took place on the Channel Two team,” Rosenfeld told AFP. “Municipal inspectors have been working in the street taking down posters ... Police have stepped up patrols in Beit Shemesh.” But while police could be held responsible for ensuring the public’s safety, the broader issue at hand was not a matter for security enforcement, according to Israel’s police chief. “It is important to remember that the phenomenon of segregating women is ﬁrst and foremost a social issue, and therefore the solution to it should not just be from police,” Yohanan Danino told members of the Knesset’s foreign and defence committee yesterday morning. Israeli media said images broadcast on Channel Two last week of an ultra-Orthodox man in Beit Shemesh spitting at a woman led to his arrest on Saturday night. The Jerusalem Post said he was freed by magistrates on Sunday after being ﬁned and ordered to stay out of Beit Shemesh for a week. On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to crack down on acts of gender separation and ultra-orthodox violence towards women. “Israel is democratic, Western, liberal,” he said at the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting, and “the public realm is open and safe to everyone - men and women alike, with no room for harassment or discrimination” “Police will do everything to act against anyone

who spits, uses violence, and harasses,” he said. The violence in the town came after a wave of incidents elsewhere in Israel in which women have been compelled to sit at the back of segregated buses serving ultra-Orthodox areas or get off, despite court rulings that women may sit where they please. Women’s rights activists say the ultra-Orthodox - around 10 percent of the population - have become increasingly radical over gender segregation and are winning concessions that harm women. “Discrimination and violence against women, purportedly motivated by religious sensibilities, have spiralled out of control,” the liberal Haaretz said in an editorial yesterday. “In recent weeks, we have been witness to women attacked for refusing to move to the back of the bus to uphold a policy of gender segregation; women forced out of a venue where elections in a Jerusalem neighbourhood were being held,” it said. It said women had been barred from a health ministry prize-giving ceremony and prevented from serving in key military posts “due to the opposition of a growing, increasingly vocal group of religious male soldiers and officers”. Maariv newspaper compared the Beit Shemesh violence to attacks by extremist Jewish settlers on Palestinian property, homes and offices of Israeli peace activists and army bases, in protest against demolitions of wildcat settlements. “It is the exact same story,” it wrote. “Organised gangs, increasing in strength and audacity, of people who do not regard the state laws as the source of authority but rather rely on their various rabbis and peculiar divine voices in their heads. “This is a culture war, no less.” — AFP

US considering Saleh’s request Continued from Page 1

BEIT SHEMESH: An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man leans on a railing as a passing girl sticks out her tongue at him in this central town yesterday. — AP

Arab monitors head to Syria Continued from Page 1 that has become a focal point of the uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad. “ The observers must head immediately to the martyrs’ district of Baba Amro to stop the assassinations and meet with the Syrian people so that they witness the crimes being perpetrated by the Syrian regime,” the Observatory said yesterday. That demand was echoed by France. “The Damascus authorities must imperatively, in accordance with the Arab League plan, allow observers access this afternoon to the city of Homs, where the violence is particularly bloody,” foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said. Syrian foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdisi said the observer “mission has freedom of movement in line with the protocol” Syria signed with the Arab League last week. Under that deal, the observers are to be banned only from sensitive military installations. Ironically, the Observatory said the authorities had changed road signs in Idlib province to confuse the observers, and urged them to contact human rights activists on the ground. An advance team of Arab moni-

tors arrived on Thursday to pave the way for the observer mission to oversee the deal aimed at ending the crackdown, which the UN estimates has killed more than 5,000 people since March. Opposition groups have said the observers must stop their work if they are blocked by the authorities from travelling to places like Homs. “We hold the Arab League and the international community accountable for the massacres and bloodshed committed by the regime in Syria,” the SNC said. General Mohammed Ahmed Mustafa Al-Dabi, a veteran Sudanese military intelligence oﬃcer who is heading the observer mission, arrived in Damascus on Sunday, a source told AFP. In a meeting with AFP in Khartoum last week, the 63year-old Dabi distributed a curriculum vitae detailing a hardcore military background, including three years as chief of military operations against the insurgency in what is now South Sudan. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has said he expects the observers to vindicate his government’s contention that “armed terrorists” are behind the violence. Western governments and rights watchdogs blame Assad’s regime for the bloodshed. Opposition leaders

charge that Syria agreed to the mission after weeks of prevarication in a “ploy” to head oﬀ a threat by the 22member League to go to the UN Security Council over the crackdown. The observers will eventually number between 150 and 200, Arab League oﬃcials say. The mission is part of an Arab plan endorsed by Syria on Nov 2 that calls for the withdrawal of the military from towns and residential districts, a halt to violence against civilians and the release of detainees. Since signing the agreement, Assad’s regime has been accused of intensifying its crackdown. The SNC and rights activists have charged that the government was behind twin suicide bombings in Damascus on Friday that killed 44 people. Assad’s regime blamed the attacks on “terrorist organisations,” including Al-Qaeda, although it has not said how it reached the conclusion. The SNC said “the Syrian regime, alone, bears all the direct responsibility for the two terrorist explosions”. It said the government was trying to create the impression “that it faces danger coming from abroad and not a popular revolution demanding freedom and dignity”. — AFP

Bahrain medics recall ‘horror’ Continued from Page 1 “Our slogans were clear: sack the minister and his administration for failing to protect medics, halting ambulance movement when needed and giving false information on numbers of casualties,” he said. “We never called for the fall of the regime,” he added. Alekri said the medics “need a neutral body,” an “international judicial body” to judge them. “We don’t trust the Bahraini judicial system”. It was speaking out that got them in trouble, the medics said. “We are witnesses to the crimes of the regime,” said Dawani, who, like most of his sentenced colleagues, and other foreign and Sunni medics, appear in abundant video footage treating casualties at the SMC accident and

emergency department. Rula Al-Saffar, the head of the Bahraini Nursing Society, who faces 15 years in jail, said the authorities wanted to humiliate the Shiite elite. “We are the elite of Bahrain... They want to tell the well-off Shiite families that they can humiliate them,” said Saffar, 49, who said she shocked her interrogators when she told them her mother was a Sunni. During five months in custody, Saffar said she treated more than 200 female fellow prisoners who were subjected to torture and did not escape abuse herself. “At night they would take me blindfolded. I can smell alcohol fuming with their breaths. One interrogator would say: It is the weekend and we are a group. If you don’t confess, we will sleep with you one at a time.” — AFP

UN envoy Jamal Benomar said last week that Saleh, treated in Saudi Arabia after June 3 explosion at his palace, needed “important” medical treatment abroad. United Nations Secretary General Ban KiMoon had previously said that Saleh would visit New York for medical treatment. White House Deputy spokesman Josh Earnest meanwhile said that Brennan called Hadi on Sunday to discuss the recent violence and the political transition leading up to the presidential election. “Mr Brennan emphasized strongly the need for Yemeni security forces to show maximum restraint when dealing with demonstrations and called upon all sides to refrain from provocative acts that could spur further violence,” Earnest said. “Vice President Hadi said that he has initiated an investigation into the deaths and injuries that occurred and that he would do his utmost to prevent further bloodshed,” Earnest said in Hawaii where Obama is on vacation.

Thirteen people were killed on Saturday in an attack by security forces and loyalists of Saleh against a march of thousands of people calling for the embattled leader’s trial, medics said. Dozens more were injured. Brennan and Hadi also agreed on the importance of the transition leading up to the election in February, Earnest said. Brennan also said Washington was a “strong and fervent supporter of the Yemeni people” in their quest for security, political stability, representative government, and economic prosperity. The United States is acutely concerned about further instability in Yemen, and the presence on Yemeni soil of Al-Qaeda and aﬃliated extremists who have posed a direct threat to America’s people and security. Two years ago, while Obama was also in Hawaii for Christmas, Nigerian extremists Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who was trained in Yemen by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), allegedly tried to blow up a US airliner over Detroit with explosives

sewn into his underwear. In September, US-Yemeni militant Anwar Al-Awlaqi, who is believed to have masterminded the airliner plot, was killed in what was apparently a US air strike in Yemen. AQAP has taken advantage of 10 months of deadly protests against Saleh to bolster its presence in the restive provinces of Marib, Shabwa, Abyan. Militants linked to Al-Qaeda control several regions and towns including Abyan provincial capital Zinjibar, where they clash regularly with government forces and tribal auxiliaries. On Sunday, gunmen shot dead a local intelligence chief in the port of Aden in south Yemen, a police official said. Colonel Hussein Shabibi was the latest security officer to be targeted in recent months in south Yemen in attacks generally attributed by officials to Al-Qaeda. Government forces are sometimes supported by US drone strikes in their battle against the Partisans of Sharia, the Al-Qaeda-linked insurgent group that took over most of Zinjibar in May. — AFP

Race for speakership seen between Saadoun... Continued from Page 1 Khorafi was elected speaker for the first time in 1999, defeating Saadoun, and remained the speaker since then. It was reported that Saqer was coming out of “political” retirement to contest the elections in preparation for his election as speaker. There has been no official confirmation of this. Besides Saqer, a large number of former MPs signed up for the Feb 2 polls yesterday. They include Saleh AlMulla, Ali Al-Omair, Salem Al-Namlan, Khaled Al-Sultan and Abdullah Al-Bargash. Salafists Al-Sultan and AlOmair signed after their group, the Islamic Salaf Alliance, finally approved its candidates for the elections following a bitter dispute. Former minister and MP Ahmad Baqer said the group selected former MP Mohammad Al-Kandari to run in the first district, AlSultan and former MP Abdullatif Al-Omairi in the second while Omair will contest in the third. A number of well-known Salaf activists have however decided to run independently after they were rejected by their group. They include Adel Al-Damkhi, head of the basic human rights organization, in the first district, and former MP Fahad Al-Khannah in the second. Salafists are expected to form alliances with the candidates of the Islamic Constitutional Movement (ICM), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Interior Ministry meanwhile said yesterday that it had monitored and watched all the violations that took

place in the past few days in the outlawed tribal primary elections. It said in a statement that it has taken all the necessary legal procedures by referring the violations to the public prosecution supported by all the needed evidence. The ministry warned that its crackdown on the tribal primaries comes from its keenness to guarantee free, fair and transparent elections on Feb 2. Five major tribes held their tribal primary elections on Saturday as interior ministry agencies watched without interfering. The five tribes selected 11 candidates that they pledged to support in the general polls. The interior ministry also said in another statement that it has asked the communications ministry to scrap “suspicious” accounts on Twitter which have been illegally targeting the image and reputation of Kuwaiti families and personalities. Separately, the Amiri Diwan yesterday warned against statements being made by “some irresponsible figures” regarding nomination for leading posts or the diwan itself. Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, the acting minister of the Amiri Diwan, stated: “Some statements have been recently made by irresponsible figures concerning nomination for leading posts or the Amiri Diwan. Such remarks are merely false and lacks authenticity. Therefore, the Amiri Diwan, as the legally empowered authority for making statements concerning its affairs, calls for regarding only its official statements. It should be also noted that necessary legal action will be taken if such remarks are made or published again.”

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

opinion

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Issues

2011 in the Arab world: Change we can believe in By Prince El Hassan bin Talal egionally and globally we are coming to the end of a significant year. Manifold “awakenings” have altered the strategic, social and political context of a region I refer to as “West Asia North Africa” (commonly known as the Middle East and North Africa). On a global level, profound stresses in the world economy - which are not solely confined to Western countries have exposed a hyper-globalised age in which opportunity, equality, fairness and social mobility appear to have been compromised to an unacceptable degree. Deficits in national budgets around the world have created and accentuated a trust deficit, as well as a human dignity deficit in both the West and West Asia North Africa. This reality has resulted in the Occupy movement in London and the United States, and the “Indignant” movement in Spain, both of which were influenced by, and find common cause with, the Arab Awakening. What we may be seeing is the birth of a new global rhetoric born in the West Asia North Africa region. This rhetoric essentially argues that human beings are “too big to fail”. In 2012 it will, however, require further articulating: none of the demonstrations in Tahrir Square in Cairo, on Wall Street in New York City, or elsewhere, have been intellectually or politically codified. The concept of human security has instead been vindicated by events on the ground: a critical mass, made up of a once-silenced majority, has surfaced. But Tweeting - which is so closely associated with recent protests - is no substitute for thought, and passion no substitute for discipline. We have become a region of a million accents; decades of divide and rule have rendered us incapable of speaking with one single voice. Because of this, others from outside of the region, too often do the talking for us. It’s time to develop new narratives - and a greater sense of unity. A year ago, on 1 Jan 2011, 21 people were killed in an attack on a Coptic church in Alexandria; 25 days later Muslims and Christians prayed beside each other in Tahrir Square. It did not last long - sectarian tensions have resurfaced in Egypt, in Bahrain and across the region as a whole. It did however suggest that the frictions which so often seem to split this region asunder are, in the final estimation, far more brittle than they appear. The Arab world is often depicted as a place fighting against everything, particularly progress. But over the past few months it has been the men and women of this region who have led the way in fighting for what has been described as universal rights: for justice, transparency and accountability, for the right to have both a career and a family and for the right of Palestinians to become citizens in their own sovereign territory. The future of West Asia North Africa is being re-engineered, contested and heavily fought across a wide range of arenas. That future remains uncertain and its contours opaque - but its embers are glowing. Our region requires a bill of rights that prohibits all forms of discrimination, but also outlines responsibilities. We need to engage what I refer to as ‘third sphere’ communities - made up of civic organisations, government and the private sector -to engender meaningful models of social cohesion and social inclusion. We need to invest in research and development - and incubate not just businesses but educated human beings. In 1987, I was part of a commission which presented to the UN General Assembly a report which called for a “new international humanitarian order”. The report, entitled “Winning the Human Race”, argued that economic growth and national security were overwhelmingly dependent on individuals and community well-being. The conclusions which can be drawn over the past 12 months seem to accord with the findings of this 24 year-old report. In a sense both suggest that the real “change you can believe in” comes not from governments, armies nor institutions - but from individual human beings.

NOTE: His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal is chairman and founder of the Arab Thought Forum and the West Asia North Africa Forum. —CGNews

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.

Xmas in Saudi Arabia: Cheerful but chaste By Rob L Wagner hristmas in Saudi Arabia. The phrase doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. But celebrating the holiday in some areas of the kingdom is possible as long as expatriates use a subtle approach. Christmas has always been kept under wraps in the kingdom as a holiday celebrated in the privacy of one’s own home. There are no church services in the Land of the Two Holy Mosques, but private services are held in Christian homes and residential compounds. Holiday parties complete with festive decorations are commonplace in virtually all the compounds, although they are usually kept indoors. Outward displays of non-Muslim religious symbols or proselytizing can lead to nasty experiences with the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, but a personal copy of the Bible is allowed into the country. However, Saudi attitudes toward Christmas vary. “We had Saudi friends with kids who had lived abroad and used to enjoy Christmas, not as a religious holiday, but as a social one,” says a 41-yearold Christian Arab-American, who lives in the port city of Jeddah and asked not to be identified because of the sensitive nature of Christian holidays in the country. Given the pressure to keep one’s faith close to the vest, celebrating Christmas for Saudi Arabia’s 1.2 million Christians is a tricky proposition. An American blogger who writes under the name Susie’s Big Adventure told The Media Line her early Christmases were unlike any she had ever experienced. “My first two Christmases in Saudi Arabia were pretty non-existent, except for my son and I watching our favorite Christmas movies all day,” says Susie, who is married to a Saudi. Subsequent holidays brightened when she purchased a small tree, lights and glass ornaments. “Our Christmases have been very low key,” she adds. Yet Christians celebrating Christmas and the retailers who cater to the expatriate population, which numbers about eight million, have taken a page from the St. Valentine’s Day playbook to ensure that all the trappings of the holiday are recognized: Christmas tree

ornaments, tinsel, colorful wrapping paper, material for Santa Claus suits and food. To cater to the increasing popularity of St Valentine’s Day, florists traditionally stock up on red roses. Lingerie shops carry more stock and prominently display playful red and white-laced lingerie. Christmas celebrations in some regions of Saudi Arabia follow a similar pattern with varying degrees of success. Riyadh and the rural villages and towns are barren of any signs of Christmas. And Madinah and Makkah are closed to non-Muslims. However, cosmopolitan Jeddah and communities in the Eastern Province are islands that subtly mark the holiday. “I feel the Christmas season every year,” says Filipino expatriate Bayani, a Christian, told The Media Line. “I work at a big department store in Jeddah and about two months before Christmas we get a shipment of displays and inventory that sell the Christmas spirit.” Christmas often immediately follows the Islamic holiday of Eid. The Eid holidays follow the Hijri calendar and are held at different times of the Gregorian calendar. Department stores order inventory and displays to reflect the festive nature of Eid, and by doing so ensure that Christmas-style decorations pass through customs without interference, says Bayani. This Christmas season provided challenges for the department store since the holiday arrived three months after Eid. “We still managed to dress the store in red and white, maybe a little tinsel,” he says. “It doesn’t scream ‘Christmas’ but customers get the idea.” Islam does not recognize specific dates as holidays except for Eid Al- Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. Saudis often ignore birthdays, including the birth date of the Prophet Muhammad. Sufis, however, celebrate the prophet’s birthday with elaborate meals and singing, which perhaps comes closest to how Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Yet some expatriates say that Saudis are not blind to the emotional resonance of Christmas. Australian expatriate Steve Smith, 37, of Jeddah, told The Media Line that he and a Briton are the only non-Muslims employed by an information technology company. He expected a lonely Christmas. “We worked Christmas Day, of course, but after work my

Saudi boss invited us to his home for a Christmas dinner,” Smith recalls. “He had his cook make us a full dinner with trimmings. I was gobsmacked. We didn’t talk about Christmas at the dinner table, but it was his way of saying he appreciated that we were alone in a foreign country and that we needed this holiday.” Yusef A, 57, a Saudi who supervises about a dozen Western non-Muslims at an Eastern Province company, told The Media Line that he makes it a habit that his Christian employees have something to do during the holidays. Speaking on the condition that his full name is not used, he says that he usually schedules a private room at an upscale restaurant or hotel for a dinner or to contribute funds for a party if they live in a residential compound. “They are a long way from home and Saudi Arabia can be tough on foreigners,” he explains. “Besides, I want to keep them here and working for me.” While religious authorities take a dim view on any hint of public Christian holiday celebrations, one Saudi businesswoman, who asked not to be identified, says that some Saudis are learning the holiday is more secular than religious for many Christians. As a result, some people take a relaxed view. She said many Saudis studying in the US and Britain appreciate the holiday atmosphere, department store displays and home decorations. “My husband and I studied at MIT in Massachusetts in the’90s, so after five years we were fully exposed to the holiday and were often invited to parties by our non-Saudi friends,” she says.. “We’ve come back to Saudi Arabia with the habit of giving each other one gift on December 25. It’s pretty harmless and reminds us of the old good days in the States.” An assistant manager at an upscale hotel on Jeddah’s Corniche at the edge of the Red Sea says he notices a surge in dinner reservations on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. New Year’s Day is another holiday largely unnoticed since Saudis follow the Hijri calendar. “A lot of people come in on Christmas and New Year’s with their families, and even Arab couples, although I don’t see any Saudis,” he said. “I see couples exchange gifts at the table. It’s not a big deal.” —Media Line

Funeral watched as elite jockey for power By Simon Martin ate North Korean leader Kim JongIl’s funeral tomorrow will be closely watched for clues on the powers behind the throne as his untested son Jong-Un - hailed as the “Great Successor” - takes the helm. The new leader likes basketball, skiing and Jean-Claude Van Damme movies, but the world knows little else about the chubby young man or how he will rule the nuclear-armed nation and its million-man military which he has inherited. North Korea, in public at least, has closed ranks around Jong-Un since his father died of a heart attack on December 17. The political and military elite will jockey for influence, analysts believe, but no one has an interest in rocking the boat too violently with a fullscale power struggle. “ These people understand that they have to hang together, otherwise they will hang separately,” said Andrei Lankov of Seoul’s Kookmin University. But who will be advising the inexperienced youth, and who will he listen to? “Kim Jong-Il’s chosen regents, his brother-in-law Jang Song-Thaek and sister Kim Kyong-Hui, are the odds-on favourites at least initially, but how trusted Jang really is remains to be seen,” wrote Ralph Cossa, president of the Pacific Forum CSIS think-tank. “Old-time Kremlinologists will have a field day figuring out who is standing where and what it all means,” he said of tomorrow’s funeral. After the senior Kim’s Aug 2008 stroke, Jang was widely seen as the country’s second most powerful man. Last year he became a vice-chairman of the National Defence Commission (NDC), the coun-

try’s top body. Jang has had a chequered career, falling out of favour in 2004 for suspected corruption. He was for a time ordered to undergo re-education as a

Korea Economic Institute. “His support will be vital for his nephew’s early consolidation of power. He, however, could stand in the way of Kim’s long-term sur-

Kim Jong Un, late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s youngest known son and successor, visits Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang on Dec. 24, 2011 to pay respect to his father. — AP labourer at a steel mill. In 2005 he made a comeback, and in 2007 took over the administration department of the ruling communist party which supervises police, judges and prosecutors. Jang, 65, “is the real wild card in any succession scenario”, wrote author and analyst Ken Gause in a blog post for the

vival.” State T V Sunday showed Jang wearing militar y uniform with the insignia of a general, the first time he had been shown in public in such attire. The ruling party Saturday had hailed Jong-Un as “supreme commander” as he tries to tighten his grip over the 1.19 million-strong military. Jang’s wife Kim

Kyong-Hui, 65, has been at the centre of power for almost 40 years and currently heads the party’s light industry department. She was promoted to four-star general in September last year at the same time as Jong-Un, a sign that she played a key role in the family’s efforts to maintain its six-decade grip on power. Gause also singled out O Kuk-Ryol, another NDC vice-chairman and longtime loyalist to the dynasty, and Ri Yong-Ho as key players in the new era. Ri heads the military general staff. Several analysts predict a collective leadership will emerge, at least initially, with the son as focal point. But like so much else in the secretive state, it is unclear whether he will be a mere figurehead or a forceful ruler. “More likely than not, Kim Jong-Un cannot fill his father’s shoes at this point. It will take time for him to consolidate his power, if ever,” said Gause. Lankov told AFP that Jong-Un “will be a kind of figurehead, a presiding figure. Whether he will emerge as a real dictator or whether he will choose to remain a figurehead, we don’t know”. Some say the son should not be underestimated. “He has a very strong character with a fiery temper,” said Cheong Seong-Chang, of the Sejong Institute think-tank in Seoul. “You can never discount him as inexperienced.” Whoever calls the shots, most analysts agree the regime is unlikely to collapse or to change its policy direction dramatically, although fresh military provocations are not expected in the short term. “Kim Jong-Il did not choose his successors because he thought they would change direction but because he expected them to stay the course,” said Cossa. — AFP

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

analysis

Bombings strike at Nigeria’s faultlines By Tim Cocks hristmas Day bomb attacks against churches in Nigeria by Islamist militant group Boko Haram targeted the country’s religious and ethnic faultlines in an apparently escalating campaign to fracture the nation’s stability. The shadowy group from Nigeria’s Muslim north, blamed for dozens of bombings and shootings in recent years, said it was responsible for a string of blasts, three of them in churches, including one that killed at least 27 people at a packed Christmas service on the outskirts of the capital Abuja. The attacks, days after clashes between security forces and Boko Haram militants killed at least 68 people, show evidence of increasing coordination and strategy by the group that ought to ring alarm bells in Nigeria and Western capitals. The attacks strike at historic internal religious and regional divides that have often threatened the integrity of Africa’s most populous state since its independence from Britain in 1960 - dangerous divisions that included a brief but bloody civil war over the secession of Biafra in the eastern region. The Christmas church bombings included one in the central city of Jos, a religious and ethnic flashpoint region lying in the heart of the divide between the mercantile, largely Muslim pastoralist peoples of the north and the traditionally farming, largely Christian peoples of the south. Nigeria’s 160 million people are split roughly evenly between Christians and Muslims, who for the most part live side by side in peace, but their cohabitation in the “Middle Belt” has sometimes been a source of tensions over land and influence. Jos in particular has seen many hundreds killed in periodic outbreaks of vicious ethnic and sectarian violence. The attacks on the churches on one of global

Christianity’s most important feast days appeared aimed at touching off this latent tinderbox, just as targeted sectarian attacks in Iraq have tried to provoke Sunni-Shiite strife. In December last year, Boko Haram also claimed responsibility for Christmas Eve bombings around Jos and attacks on churches and clashes that resulted in more

Haram would “not be (around) for ever, it will end one day” - could be seen by many as complacent. The militant movement, whose name means “Western learning is sinful” in the northern Hausa language, is concentrated in Nigeria’s more remote northern states. It became active in 2003, with an avowed aim

Onlookers and security staff gather around a car destroyed in a blast next to St Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Nigeria on Sunday. — AP than 80 deaths. The latest attacks dramatically increase the challenge facing the government of President Goodluck Jonathan. He is a Christian southerner. Critics have accused him of trying to deal with Boko Haram purely as a security question, instead of doing more to tackle issues of poverty, youth unemployment, corruption and perceived alienation and resentment among Muslim northerners. His response to the attacks on Sunday - describing them as “unfortunate” and telling Nigerians Boko

to introduce sharia law across Nigeria. The latest attacks will fuel the fears of Nigerian and Western security experts who increasingly link Boko Haram to a wider violent militant Islamic jihadist threat from North Africa across the Sahara. They could also invite more Western counter-terrorism support for Nigeria and fellow governments in West Africa’s strategic oil-producing Gulf of Guinea region - a growing energy supplier to the United States and other Western powers seeking to temper their overreliance on the Middle East.

The head of the US military’s Africa Command, General Carter Ham, lists Boko Haram along with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Somalia-centred Al Shabaab as groups violently hostile to US and Western interests who have increasingly begun to cooperate among each other. Nigeria’s military sees even closer links with Al-Qaeda. Such analysis points to the increasing sophistication and organization of the Boko Haram attacks, moving from disparate shootings and bombings to more coordinated headline-grabbing actions, seeking national and international impact. The Christmas Day bombings are the group’s most high-profile strike since a suicide bombing - Nigeria’s first - that hit United Nations headquarters in Abuja in August, killing at least 23 people. But experts warn that tackling Boko Haram as a security problem alone will not address the underlying social, economic and political problems that underpin the group and its domestic support, and that a heavy-handed police and army response could simply exacerbate the threat being incubated in Nigeria’s north. John Campbell, a former US ambassador to Nigeria, says Boko Haram has given voice to what he calls “a cloud of inchoate rage shaped by Islam” that has brewed among northerners. “(President) Jonathan needs to address this northern alienation, of which Boko Haram is only a symptom,” Campbell wrote in a recent op-ed for Foreign Affairs magazine. “Too heavy a hand would risk alienating Nigeria’s 75 million Muslims, who already have legitimate grievances in the north. This, in turn, could undermine the very unity of Nigeria something neither Washington nor Abuja can afford,” said Campbell, who is the Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York. —Reuters

Human rights put to test in Mideast n June, a Bahraini military court sentenced activist Ali Abdulemam to 15 years in jail on charges of spreading false information and seeking to overthrow the government. Six months later, Maikel Nabil, an Egyptian blogger, was sentenced to two years in prison for using the internet to spread “lies about the armed forces”. Almost a year after the death of Tunisian fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi stirred up a political maelstrom across the region, human rights - one of the key demands of the Arab uprisings - are still being put to the test. There has been some good news. Tunisia’s onetime dissident Moncef Marzouki, for instance, has been elected the country’s president. But many activists are worried that the victory of the Islamist Ennahda party in the October election could yet derail the country’s democratization efforts. “Tunisians revolted to establish a new system, where human rights are at the centre of reforms, not for giving the old system a religious component,” said Tunisian rights advocate Yassin Ayyari. According to him, Ennahda lacks an encompassing reform program and “instead of addressing reforms, moves the debate towards sentimental, religious problems”. “The most jeopardized human right is the right to be different,” Ayyari told a recent panel discussion on human rights in Cairo. He said that many followers of Ennahada falsely equated criticizing the government with criticizing Islam. The rise of Islamism in the wake of the region’s uprisings has triggered fears that the tide will impede the promotion of human rights, by subtly changing the mindset of the people and leading them away

from their initial struggle for a new system that respects human rights. “The Islamist parties in Tunisia and Egypt focus on religion and thereby herd people away from the real issues on the ground,” Khawla Mattar, head of the United Nation Information Centre in Cairo, told dpa. Dozens of Egyptians have been killed in 2011 in a string of clashes with army and police forces over the right to protest, she noted. Frej Fenniche, a senior human rights officer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, believes that “human rights in Egypt have developed negatively” since the popular uprising that forced Hosny Mubarak out of office in February. According to Fenniche, the military rulers who took over after Mubarak have failed to implement the expected legislative changes. Worst still, they have also referred over 12,000 civilians to military trials - an average of about 50 a day - between February until August alone. Unlike in civil courts, defendants cannot appeal verdicts passed by military tribunals. “The reality on the ground is that the Supreme Court of the Armed Forces is adopting the inhumane methods of the Mubarak regime. Over the past months, we have recorded several cases of torture and excessive violations of the right to be tried before civil courts by the (ruling) military council,” said Nehal Al-Banna, of the Cairo Institute for Human Right Studies. The situation is not much better in the Gulf region, which has also been hit by a yearning for change. “There is no clear picture about the future in Yemen. There are realistic fears of a civil war as people increasingly distrust each

other,” said Yemeni activist Hend Al-Nasiri. A November Gulf-brokered deal involving a peaceful power transfer is still not complete, with forces loyal to long-standing president Ali Abdullah Saleh and his rivals occasionally locked in bloody violence. In Bahrain, pro-democracy protests have so far failed to topple their long-standing rulers, with the Gulf Cooperation Council accused by activists of playing a key role in quelling the protests, either by force or through political means. “The grip of the Al-Khalifa (royal) family on power in Bahrain is still tight. They use excessive force to keep power, forcing many human rights activists into hiding,” Hussain Yousif, a coordinator from the Bahrain Press Association, told dpa. According to Yousif, who fears detention and is in exile in Egypt, “everyone who critically speaks out in public (in Bahrain) faces arrest and false accusations.” The United Arab Emirates (UAE) seems to be one of the few countries to have avoided the protests that have erupted almost everywhere else in the Middle East. Yet, government opponents say they do not feel safe. The case of five political activists detained for seven months on charges of insulting the Gulf country’s president, for instance, have caused a stir. They were finally pardoned in November, one day after being sentenced to up to three years in prison, following strong pressure from international human rights groups. According to Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, their freeing was a positive step. “But a commutation alone will not undo the government’s terrible mishandling of this case,” Whitson said. — dpa

Deadly riots challenge Kazakhstan stability By Peter Leonard witch on Kazakhstan state television’s evening news and it almost always opens with an item testifying to the nation’s stability and economic prowess. So it was a shock when a recent edition began with the president announcing a state of emergency in a town rocked by deadly clashes between demonstrators and police. The rare public acknowledgment of trouble indicates the government’s belated concern over tensions underneath the exSoviet state’s placid facade. But it remains unclear how effectively authorities will address them. Instability in Kazakhstan could have farreaching consequences. It is an increasingly important source of oil and gas, as well as uranium, zinc and copper. The Northern Distribution Network that supplies US and coalition forces in Afghanistan goes through the Central Asian country’s seemingly endless stretches of bleak steppe. In the 20 years since independence, Kazakhstan has been one of the former Soviet Union’s success stories - avoiding the civil wars and rebellions that plagued its neighbors, assiduously promoting religious tolerance and ethnic harmony and recording impressive economic growth. But as the country’s fortunes flowered, its political system withered. The party of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has led the country since independence in 1991, wields a crushing domination, holding all the seats in parliament. Opposition parties are allowed, but are so repressed and bullied that they are nearly invisible. Corruption is rampant; Kazakhstan is ranked 120th out of 183 countries in Transparency International’s annual corruption perception index. Officials swat aside complaints of democratic shortcomings and the monolithic domination of the political scene by the president’s Nur Otan party, arguing that these things will take time to change. But this month’s violence in the energy-rich western Mangystau region suggests time may be running out. In Zhanaozen, a scruffy town of some 90,000 people, hundreds of oil workers in May took to the

main square and declared a strike over what they said were unfair salaries. Union representatives said monthly incomes for oil workers ranged upward of $600, which is equivalent to the national average, but that employers failed to account for the expense of living in a remote area where all goods are imported from far away. Laborers complained that while they endure severe conditions in a part of the country that ranges from searingly hot to punishingly cold, much of the riches they generate go elsewhere. “The problem is that there isn’t enough public

oil workers did so at their peril. After seven months of patient and peaceful demonstrations in Zhanaozen, something snapped. On Dec 16, clashes broke out between police and demonstrators. Dozens of buildings were burned down and at least 14 people were killed by police gunfire. Local people maintain the death toll was higher. The next day, large crowds occupied a railway line in the village of Shetpe, about 100 km away. According to the official account, at the end of a day of tense negotiations with authorities, a large gang

In this file photo taken on Dec 17, 2011, a Kazakh riot police officer instructs others before their patrol in Zhanaozen, Kazakhstan. – AP oversight over the resources sector. If there were transparent information, people would know how much was being extracted and what money is coming in,” said Kenzhegali Suyeyov, chairman of the Aktau independent workers’ union in Mangystau. When workers showed no sign of yielding, their employer, state-controlled Kazmunaigas Exploration Production, fired them en masse. Undeterred, the protesters held their ground. Those representing the

began throwing Molotov cocktails at train carriages and police opened fire, killing one person. The state-nurtured illusion of universal contentedness had been shattered. “There is a large number of problems that the authorities don’t want to deal with and solve, which is why ever more people are drawn to extremist messages,” said political analyst Dosym Satpayev. “Zhanaozen is not a one-off, and it is fair to expect that such incidents will increase in

number in the near future.” In boom times, the commercial capital, Almaty, has attracted masses of low-paid laborers who have often resorted to seeking accommodation in shanty towns on the suburbs. One such settlement, Shanyrak, was earmarked for demolition in 2006, which prompted robust and violent resistance from residents. As the rural poor look for their fortunes in cities they can barely afford to live in, many believe such flare-ups will be repeated on a regular basis. Ominously, the notable harmony among Kazakhstan’s multiple ethnic minorities has been strained by fierce rivalry over sparse resources. Although reporting on ethnic clashes is taboo, representatives of the Chechen, Uyghur and Meskhetian Turk communities tell of sporadic clashes in southern villages and towns with the Kazakh majority in recent years. This year also has seen an unprecedented spike in radical Islamist-inspired attacks that have claimed dozens of lives. Nazarbayev on Monday said the violence was incited by unspecified foreign agitators aiming to “sow social, interreligious, interethic discord in our society.” But he also blamed government officials for failing to resolve the labor dispute. Since the violence in Zhanaozen and Shetpe, crowds of protesting former oil workers have been coming out into the freezing cold in the Mangystau regional capital, Aktau, in a show of solidarity. Authorities have shown some initiative in entering into dialogue with the oil workers. But thousands of police have been dispatched to the region, raising anxiety and resentment among the locals. Government critics worry that Nazarbayev may be reluctant to adopt more root and branch political reform. “Zhanaozen was a very important moment, a turning point. The situation in Kazakhstan before and after Zhanaozen is fundamentally different,” said opposition politician Petr Svoik. Svoik said, however, that it appear as though Kazakh authorities intend to behave as though nothing had happened. “What doesn’t bend, breaks. And that is very dangerous for Kazakhstan,” he said. — AP

Focus

Gaza in shock after rare double murder By Omar Ghraieb he Gaza Strip is all abuzz about a grisly murder of an elderly couple in a story that brings together drugs, money, the dangers of leaving home and family, and a desperate escape by tunnel to Egypt. It’s the routine stuff of tabloid journalism in America and Europe, but here in this tiny coastal enclave, killings like those of Mustafa AlHuweihi and his wife Salma are quite rare, despite all the violence associated with the ruling Hamas movement and the other Islamic groups in Gaza that are in constant war with Israel. What is known is that on Dec 12, the AlHuweihis, aged 60 and 62, were found murdered in their home. The local police said that their initial investigation pointed to a single suspect, Samer Al-Huweihi, the couple’s 21-year-old son. But Samer had fled to Egypt, so the story was left unsolved. Spotty media coverage of the murders only whetted the public’s appetite by leaving a wide berth for speculation about who was responsible, the murder weapon and the motive. Some reports alleged that Samer killed his parents with a knife, others that he shot them in the head with a Kalashnikov. All agreed on that the motive was money. But what was the money for? Some reports said he needed it to feed his drug addiction while others said he wanted to travel. Suddenly, six days later, the police announced an arrest: Samer had been handed over to them across the border at the Rafah border station by Egyptian police. A trial awaits Samer and he faces the death penatly, but the police are firmly convinced he was behind the brutal murders and this is how they have reconstructed the events of Dec 12, starting at 1 am. “Samer had taken three Tramadol pills [a narcotic-like pain reliever] and then used a AK-47 Kalashnikov and shot his father Mustafa in the head while he was sleeping in their living room,” Ayman Batniji, Gaza’s police spokesman, told The Media Line. “Samer sat near his father’s body for 10 minutes before deciding to kill his mother Salma because she would have discovered her husband’s dead body if she woke up. “Samer entered his parents’ room and shot his mother in the head. He then went to his room and stayed there for two hours before taking his father’s keys and driving his father’s car to the gas station where his dad works. There, Samer stole 96,000 shekels ($25,500) and then called a friend who owns a cab and asked him to give him a lift to Rafah.” Getting out of Gaza isn’t easy. Israel maintains a land and sea blockade to prevent Hamas from smuggling arms and fighters into and out of Gaza. Egypt allows a single crossing point on its border, but those seeking passage have to register. So, Batniji alleged, Samer escaped Gaza that night through one of the many tunnels running under the Gaza-Egypt border, which are used to smuggle consumer goods, weapons and people. Samer reached the Egyptian town of Al-Arish, about 60 km away, where he was arrested for entering Egypt illegally and having a huge amount of money in cash on his person. “Local police in Gaza issued a warrant for Samer’s arrest so when he was returned to Rafah border he was immediately arrested,” Batniji says, ending the story. Arafat Al-Huwehi, Samer’s 29-year-old brother, said he got a call in the morning from the cab driver who gave his brother a lift to Rafah, telling him that his brother had fled to Egypt and confessed to killing his parents. The driver thought Samer was joking but decided to tell Arafat anyway. Arafat went to his parent’s house immediately to find the lifeless bodies of his mother and father drenched in blood. Samer himself filled in the details in a statement to the police and in an interview with The Media Line that describes a promising start to life foiled by drugs. He had begun out well enough, winning a scholarship during high school to study at the American University of Cairo (AUC) in Egypt. “I was very happy. I left for Cairo and started an amazing year in the American university there,” he recalled. “[But] I was taken by the nightlife there and I became friends with a bad circle of Egyptians. I became a drug addict and I started drinking. My grades started deteriorating so I lost the scholarship and came back to Gaza.” One of Samer’s Gazan colleagues and a friend from his (AUC) days recalled the change in his friend. “Samer was such a polite, clever and hard working student that made us all proud. He was shy yet social and funny,” said the friend, who was hesitant to speak out at all and then only without being identified. “Everyone liked Samer, then he started changing gradually and next thing you know Samer lost his scholarship. We were all shocked, Samer was the perfect student and such a good guy, but he became friends with a bad crowd who influenced him.” Back in Gaza, his parents were angry and disappointed with their son. The friend recalls getting emails from Samer about how much he missed the freedom he enjoyed in Egypt. But as Samer recounted those day back in Gaza, he was as determined to clean up his act as he was to escape. He applied for another scholarship, this time in America. He succeeded again and was off to the US in 2010, but he repeated mistakes he made in Egypt. “I became friends with a bad circle there and I went back to drugs and drinking. My grades started deteriorating again. I was involved with girls and my reputation was diminished. I came back to Gaza; my parents were heartbroken and decided they would not let me go back to America. I got angry and began using Tramadol,” he said. “Things became worse from there.” By his accounting, Tramadol “affects your mind to the extent that it stops working and the drug takes over”. It was about that time that Samer suddenly got in touch with his friend from AUC again after a hiatus of several months. “He said his parents were horrible for preventing him from going back to the States and that he is trying to go back to his old self but that he can’t,” said the friend, who said he was offended by its tone. “He said that he hopes I’m happy because he lost everything and he is back to drugs. He said I was always jealous of him but now he’s nothing.” His parents had had enough with his Tramadol addiction and refused to give him money to pay for his habit, which turned out to be a fatal decision for them. That led Samer to kill them with the aim of getting the cash he knew his father kept and fleeing Gaza. “After killing them I felt ashamed and regretful, but it was too late, so I had to flee to Egypt,” he recalled. Samer is behind bars now. Local police say they are still investigating how deeply Samer was under the influence of drugs when he allegedly killed his parents. Either way, they say, he faces either execution or life in prison. Arafat, Samer’s brother, has no sympathy and says he wants the police to apply the harshest punishment. “I thought I was a good guy, but after being exposed to outside influences my bad side woke up, “Samer said in his statement. “I had an inner conflict between my good and bad sides. I wanted to be good but being bad was so tempting so I couldn’t resist especially when I was taking drugs.” — Media Line

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

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Coe insists 2012 Olympic stadium will leave legacy LONDON: London 2012 Olympics supremo Sebastian Coe insisted yesterday that the 2012 Olympic Stadium will leave a legacy to benefit elite competition and community users alike. English Premier League outfit West Ham were originally slated to take over as tenants after the Games but that deal collapsed in October amid legal challenges from Tottenham and Leyton Orient. West Ham now hope to become tenants even though the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) will accept a ground-share by a football and a rugby team. Coe told BBC Radio: “My early hopes for that stadium going back 20 years were a Stade de France-type model but I do think given what we now have...track and field will have it for 20-odd days a year which will be for community use and elite level competition. “And with other tenants in there and possibly a football club - I think this is something that can work and will work with community use at the heart.” Coe insisted the idea of leaving a long-term legacy was key. —AFP

Plushenko grab the lead at Russian championship MOSCOW: Turin Olympic champion Yevgeny Plushenko enjoyed a lively start at the Russian figure skating championships, which started at Saransk on Sunday, clinching the lead after the short programme. The 29-year-old three-time world champion, who finished second behind Evan Lysacek at the Vancouver Olympics, earned 88.24 points for his short programme presentation, just three points less than his personal best mark. “For me it was mentally tough to skate after a long break,” Plushenko said. “I still failed to overcome my leg injury completely and I have to take care of the left leg. “However, I’m happy I was able to perform a quadruple jump here, though I

failed to avoid a mistake.” Plushenko, returning to competition after his 2010 Vancouver disappointment, added that he would have to undergo surgery on his left leg after next month’s European figure skating championships in Sheffield. “I will have an operation on my leg after the European championships assuming I qualify to compete there and will be completely ready for the event,” he said. Fellow Saint Petersburg skater Artur Gachinsky is second after the opening day with 83.52 points, while Jean Bush, who represents Saint Petersburg and Chelyabinsk, is third on 81.81 points. The winner of the men’s section of the Russian championships will be decided today. — AFP

Japan pick ex-Wallaby coach Eddie Jones TOKYO: Former Australia coach Eddie Jones has been appointed head coach of Japan’s national rugby team to replace All Blacks legend John Kirwan, the Japan Rugby Football Union said yesterday. Jones, 51, took the Wallabies to the 2003 World Cup final and was technical adviser to South Africa when the Springboks won the 2007 World Cup in France. His wife is Japanese and he has been managing Japan’s Top League side Suntory Sungoliath since 2009. In the 2010-2011 season, Suntory finished runners-up in the Top League and won the separate national championship under Jones. This season they are currently leading the Top League after eight straight wins. He emerged as Kirwan’s likely successor after Japan came home winless from the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Japan will host the World Cup in 2019 and will be looking to avoid the embarrassment of becoming the first host country to fail to make the knockout stages. Kirwan failed to break the Brave Blossoms’ 20year World Cup win drought at the New Zealand tournament. He opted not to seek a new contract when his current fiveyear deal expires at the end of this month. — AFP

Packers beat Bears 35-21, clinch top spot Rodgers’ fireworks prove to be too much for Chicago GREEN BAY: With the first five-touchdown game of his NFL career, Aaron Rodgers ensured that the Green Bay Packers’ playoff road will go through Lambeau Field. He also made sure the rival Chicago Bears will be spending the playoffs at home. Rodgers broke a close game wide open by leading three quick scoring drives in the second half, and the Packers beat the Bears 35-21 on Sunday night. Rodgers noted that he once threw six touchdowns in junior college - also in a rivalry game - but acknowledged this one was a little bit bigger. “Yeah, this one’s pretty special,” Rodgers said. With the win, the Packers (14-1) nailed down the No. 1 seed in the NFC and claimed another round of bragging rights in the NFL’s most storied rivalry by knocking the Bears out of the playoff chase. “We wanted the path to go through Lambeau,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. Rodgers threw a pair of touchdown passes to Jordy Nelson, another two to James Jones, and found tight end Jermichael Finley for a score. Rodgers was 21 of 29 for 283 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions when backup Matt Flynn took over for Rodgers with 7:54 left in the game. Rodgers surpassed Lynn Dickey’s singleseason franchise record of 4,458 yards passing with one game left, although it’s unclear how much Rodgers will play in the Packers’ finale against Detroit. The loss eliminated the Bears (7-8) from playoff contention and put the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs. Third-string running back Kahlil Bell rushed for 121 yards for the Bears, who trailed by only four early in the third quarter. But Rodgers drove the Packers for touchdowns on their next three possessions to put the game out of reach. “When you play the Super Bowl champions, you have to be on top of your game,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “Offensively, we did enough things to keep us in the game and have a chance to win the game at the end. But defensively we just didn’t have it.” McCarthy said the team’s run defense will be examined after the big performance by Bell, but added that the final score told the story. “We won big,” McCarthy said. “That’s the bottom line.” Chicago came into Sunday on a four-game losing streak and beset by injuries. But the Bears were able to stay in the game with solid defense and

GREEN BAY: Green Bay Packers’ James Jones celebrates with fans after catching a touchdown pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, in Green Bay, Wis. — AP tough running by Bell, who started because of injuries to Matt Forte and Marion Barber. Rodgers’ second-half fireworks proved to be too much for Chicago. “Thirty-five points on that defense, that’s a good night,” McCarthy said. The victory was the Packers’ fourth over the Bears in 2011. Green Bay also beat Chicago in the 2010 regular-season finale, the NFC Championship game, and at Soldier Field on Sept. 25. With the Bears trailing 14-3 at halftime, quarterback Josh McCown found Earl Bennett wide open for a 49-yard gain to set up first-and-goal on the 1. Bell fumbled just short of the goal line on the next play but offensive lineman Edwin Williams recovered the ball for a touchdown. With the Packers nursing a four-point lead, and the Lambeau Field crowd nervously quiet early in the third quarter, Rodgers answered by dropping deep and throwing a rainbow pass to Nelson, who blew through the Chicago secondary and hauled in the ball for a 55-yard touchdown. Rodgers then showed his running ability on the Packers’ next possession, juking his way between Bears linebackers Brian

GREEN BAY: Chicago Bears’ Kahlil Bell (32) fumbles the ball as he is hit by Green Bay Packers’ Clay Matthews (52) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, in Green Bay, Wis. The Bears recovered the ball. — AP

Urlacher and Lance Briggs on a scramble. Rodgers finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown toss to Jones, giving the Packers a commanding 28-10 lead. Packers safety Charlie Peprah came up with an interception, and Rodgers found Nelson for another score to give Green Bay a 35-10 lead. “It just hasn’t gone the way we wanted to,” Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said. “If we play like this, that’s what’s going to happen. The last five weeks, we haven’t played well enough to win, and we’ve lost all five games. We’re not real happy where we’re at. Our coaches aren’t happy, but that’s what we get.” McCown finally answered with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Davis then drew the ire of the Lambeau crowd by scrambling for a two-point conversion and spiking the ball over the goalpost with his team trailing 35-18. Rodgers’ offensive feats came behind a patchwork offensive line, as the Packers were without three of their top four tackles. Chad Clifton returned to practice this week after sitting out since October because of hamstring and back injuries, but

isn’t ready to play. Bryan Bulaga was inactive Sunday because of a left knee sprain, and backup Derek Sherrod is out for the season with a broken right leg. Green Bay also was missing wide receiver Greg Jennings, because of a sprained left knee, and defensive lineman Ryan Pickett because of a concussion. The Bears have lost five straight games since losing quarterback Jay Cutler to a broken right thumb in a Nov. 20 victory over San Diego. Chicago was 7-3 after that win, but came into Sunday’s game barely alive in the playoff chase. The Bears started McCown on Sunday after backup Caleb Hanie struggled to fill in for Cutler. McCown’s most recent start came with the Oakland Raiders in 2007, and he was out of the NFL last season. “It’s a tough assignment, but you’ve got to find a way to pull it off,” McCown said. To make matters worse for the Bears’ offense, Barber was inactive because of a calf injury. Chicago already was without Forte, who missed his third straight game because of a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee. — AP

Wild Oats XI leads Sydney-Hobart race SYDNEY: Favored supermaxi Wild Oats XI, winner of line honors in five of the past six years, led a fleet of 88 yachts out of Sydney Harbour and soon established a good lead at the start of the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race yesterday. Wild Oats XI sailed between Sydney Heads and into open ocean with a narrow lead over its main rivals Investec Loyal and Wild Thing in the 67th edition of the race. Crew immediately hoisted a spinnaker and Wild Oats headed down the east coast of New South Wales state with a 20 knot tail wind and on heavy swells.

The fleet was expected to sail into a southerly front last night with headwinds of up to 40 knots, making any challenge to Wild Oats’ 2005 race record time unlikely. Wild Oats XI struggled in the opening minutes of the race with a winch failure and had to give way to Investec Loyal as the yachts engaged in a tacking duel in the famous harbor. But the race favorite eventually showed its speed and passed through the heads into the open seas with a lead of several boat lengths. When positions were plotted after 5-1/2 hours of racing, Wild Oats XI held a 4.5 nautical mile lead over

SYDNEY: A handout photo taken and released by Rolex yesterday shows Australian solo round-the-world sailor Jessica Watson steering at the helm of ‘Elle Bache’ at the start of the 67th Sydney-Hobart yacht race. A fleet of 88 boats is heading into a Southerly storm on the first day of the 628-nautical-mile bluewater sailing classic. — AFP

Investec Loyal with Wild Thing a further three miles back. Two yachts, Alchemy and Maluka of Kermandie, were forced to turn back and restart after breaking the start line early. Yachts were expected to enjoy only a few hours of favorable sailing conditions before encountering the southerly front that passed through Victoria state on Sunday, bringing thunderstorms, high winds and hail. “It is a pretty interesting looking forecast, there is a bit of everything in it, and it promises to be a tough race,” Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards said. Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore Garry Linacre said weather conditions could produced an intensely tactical race. “There will be some fantastic speed set by the maxis down the coast,” Linacre said. “They will probably get 100 nautical miles under their belt before the change comes in, which is almost one-sixth of the race over, in just a few hours. “Record-breaking speed but then the breeze will come the other way with that traditional southerly buster type weather”. Investec Loyal, which was second across the line last year and has since undergone modifications, looms as the largest rival to Wild Oats XI’s bid for a sixth line honors win. Lahana, which has finished second, third and fourth in previous years competing under three different names, was also seen as a leading chance. Teenage round-the-world sailor Jessica Watson was skippering the youngest crew ever to compete in the race. The 17-year-old last year become the youngest person to sail around the globe solo, nonstop and unassisted. She took the helm of the Sydney 38-class boat Another Challenge for the 628-nautical mile (723mile) race which travels south along the New South Wales coast, across often treacherous Bass Strait and up the Derwent River to Hobart, the capital of the island state of Tasmania.—AP

NFL result/standings Green Bay 35, Chicago 21. American Football Conference AFC East Division W L T PCT PF y-New England 12 3 0 .800 464 NY Jets 8 7 0 .533 360 Buffalo 6 9 0 .400 351 Miami 5 10 0 .333 310 North Division x-Baltimore 11 4 0 .733 354 x-Pittsburgh 11 4 0 .733 312 Cincinnati 9 6 0 .600 328 Cleveland 4 11 0 .267 209 South Division y-Houston 10 5 0 .667 359 Tennessee 8 7 0 .533 302 Jacksonville 4 11 0 .267 224 Indianapolis 2 13 0 .133 230 West Division Denver 8 7 0 .533 306 Oakland 8 7 0 .533 333 San Diego 7 8 0 .467 368 Kansas City 6 9 0 .400 205 National Football Conference NFC East Division Dallas 8 7 0 .533 355 NY Giants 8 7 0 .533 363 Philadelphia 7 8 0 .467 362 Washington 5 10 0 .333 278 North Division y-Green Bay 14 1 0 .933 515 x-Detroit 10 5 0 .667 433 Chicago 7 8 0 .467 336 Minnesota 3 12 0 .200 327 South Division x-New Orleans 11 3 0 .786 457 Atlanta 9 5 0 .643 341 Carolina 6 9 0 .400 389 Tampa Bay 4 11 0 .267 263 West Division y-San Francisco 12 3 0 .800 346 Arizona 7 8 0 .467 289 Seattle 7 8 0 .467 301 St. Louis 2 13 0 .133 166 x= clinched playoff berth y= clinched division title

PA 321 344 385 296 250 218 299 294 255 295 316 411 383 395 351 335

316 386 318 333 318 342 328 432 306 281 384 449 202 328 292 373

Avalanches no problem for Sochi Alpine events KRASNAYA POLYANA: Organisers of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics have greatly reduced the risk of avalanches that could have jeopardised the Alpine skiing events. They have installed 30 extra anti-avalanche devices (gasex)at the Roza Khutor ski resort, which will host Russia’s first Alpine World Cup events, including men’s and women’s downhills, in February. Last February, the organisers were forced to shorten the men’s downhill, part of the Europa Cup event, by several hundred metres because of the risk of avalanches-a common problem in the high Caucasus mountains that surround the Black Sea. “We had too much snow at the top of the course so we decided to lower the start of the men’s event,” the area’s managing director Alexander Belokobylsky told Reuters. “The athletes’ safety is a paramount concern so you don’t want to jeopardise it in any way. “But at the same time, you don’t want to compromise any of the sporting elements, especially because a World Cup race is a top-level event compared to the Europa Cup. So we added 30 extra gasexes. We had four last year-now we have 34.” The downhill course starts at 2,045 metres for men and at 1,745m for women and finishes at 960m. Svetlana Gladysheva, president of the Russian Alpine skiing federation, has been impressed with the World Cup preparations after visiting the ski resort over the weekend. “Although I didn’t get a chance to try the downhill course myself, it should be in top condition come race day,” Gladysheva, who won silver in the women’s super-G at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics, told Reuters on Monday. “The men’s course will be the same as it was for the Europa Cup while the women’s should be a bit more interesting. The skiers will use a different piste which has some tricky portions.” Krasnaya Polyana, once a sleepy mountain village with 3,000 inhabitants some 70 km from central Sochi, will host all the outdoor Olympic events, such as bobsleigh, luge, Alpine and cross-country skiing, ski jumping and biathlon, in 2014. With the construction of most of the sporting infrastructure almost complete, the area will soon begin to host Olympic test events, starting with the Alpine World Cup. Despite unseasonably warm weather that has hit Sochi this month, there should be enough snow in the mountains in time for the competition, Belokobylsky said. “In December we usually don’t have much snow here but come February there will be plenty of it. Last February we even had too much,” the Krasnaya Polyana native recalled. “Besides, we have also installed 300 snow-making machines along the course, so the skiers shouldn’t worry about the lack of snow too much.” — Reuters

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Kauto Star wins record fifth King George VI Chase KEMPTON: Kauto Star won a record fifth King George VI Chase here yesterday to cement his standing as the best chaser of his generation. Ridden by Ruby Walsh and trained by Paul Nicholls Kauto Star jumped brilliantly to upstage Long Run, the even money favourite and the winner of the mid-winter showpiece last season. In arguably his finest performance in the Boxing Day feature Kauto Star proved that just days short of his 12th

birthday he was still the king of national hunt racing. “Awesome,” beamed Nicholls. “ We knew we had him in serious order today,” the trainer told Channel 4 Racing. Long Run, five years his junior, stole Kauto Star’s thunder last season in this Grade One and again in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, but the signs were ominous for Nicky Henderson’s chaser when he was soundly put in his place by Kauto Star at Haydock last month.

Despite that reverse all the money was for Long Run as he hardened from 54 to evens with Kauto Star sent off an easy to back 3-1 second favourite. From the off Walsh had Kauto Star in a commanding position, the pair receiving a rousing cheer when jumping into the lead in front of the packed Kempton grandstand on the first circuit. Down the back straight Sam Waley Cohen was tracking Kauto Star on Long Run who began to fiddle at his fences,

and was struggling to keep tabs on the leader rounding the home bend. But to his credit, as Kauto Star roared up the straight to rewrite jump racing history, Long Run never gave up the fight, going down by an honourable length and a quarter. Kauto Star was adding the 2011 edition to his triumphs between 200609, the only blip coming last season when he ran flat to finish a tame third. He is the only horse to ever regain a Gold Cup, and now has a remarkable third

Gold Cup firmly in his sights at Cheltenham in March although Long Run still shades him in the ante-post betting. Nicholls, reflecting on his lacklustre showing in last season’s King George, said: “I don’t know why he wasn’t quite right last year. “It was a massive plus having Ruby (Walsh) here today and it’s just unbelievable. “It’s amazing. He’s just the best. “If he gets to Cheltenham in that form he’ll be the one to beat (in the Gold Cup).”— AFP

Rose lifts Bulls over Lakers in opener Knicks edge Celtics on Anthony foul shots

OAKLAND: Cheerleaders perform during the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors during the season opener at Oracle Arena on December 25 in Oakland, California. —AFP

NBA results/standings Results and standings after Sunday’s National Basketball Association games: New York 106, Boston 104; Miami 105, Dallas 94; Chicago 88, LA Lakers 87; Oklahoma City 97, Orlando 89; LA Clippers 105, Golden State 86.

New York New Jersey Philadelphia Toronto Boston

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT GB 1 0 1.000 0 0 1.000 .5 0 0 1.000 .5 0 0 1.000 .5 0 1 .000 1

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 1 0 1.000 Denver 0 0 1.000 .5 Minnesota 0 0 1.000 .5 Portland 0 0 1.000 .5 Utah 0 0 1.000 .5

Chicago Cleveland Detroit Indiana Milwaukee

Central Division 1 0 1.000 0 0 1.000 0 0 1.000 0 0 1.000 0 0 1.000

.5 .5 .5 .5

LA Clippers Phoenix Sacramento Golden State LA Lakers

Miami Atlanta Charlotte Washington Orlando

Southeast Division 1 0 1.000 0 0 1.000 .5 0 0 1.000 .5 0 0 1.000 .5 0 1 .000 1

Houston Memphis New Orleans San Antonio Dallas

Pacific Division 1 0 1.000 0 0 1.000 0 0 1.000 0 1 .000 0 1 .000

Southwest Division 0 0 1.000 0 0 1.000 0 0 1.000 0 0 1.000 0 1 .000 .5

.5 .5 1 1

LOS ANGELES: Derrick Rose scored the go-ahead basket with 4.8 seconds remaining as the Chicago Bulls posted their seasonopening win on Christmas Day by stunning the Los Angeles Lakers 88-87. While Rose provided the finishing scoring touch, teammate Luol Deng gave the Bulls the fourth-quarter spark they needed to come from behind in front of a crowd of 18,997 at Staples Center arena on Sunday. “ We showed fight,” said Rose. “We don’t want to be in a situation like that but we got it done.” Deng scored nine points in the final quar ter and intercepted a Kobe Bryant pass then quickly got the ball to Rose who drove to the basket before pulling up and draining a short one-handed lob. Bryant then had a chance to put the Lakers back in front but his jumper from in close was blocked by Deng at the buzzer. “I wanted to crowd him so he didn’t have a jump shot,” Deng said of stopping Bryant. Reigning league MVP Rose finished with 22 points and five assists and Deng had 21 points for the Bulls who moved to 7-7 in their last 14 season openers. “That is just something I am used to doing if I am going to my right hand. They let me get to my right hand and that’s how it got up,” Rose said of the game-winning shot. Bryant, who is playing with a bandaged wrist to protect a torn tendon, scored a game high 28 points and Pau Gasol had 14 points for the Lakers who have a 36-16 record in season openers in franchise history. But the Bulls have now taken the sides’ last two meetings after dropping seven straight to the Lakers. The Lakers are one of the NBA’s most storied franchises but they enter the season with plenty of uncertainty, the biggest concern being the absence of legendary coach Phil Jackson who retired with 11 championship rings. Fragile centre Andrew Bynum is suspended for the first four games of the season, Bryant has decided not to have surgery on his wrist injury, and Lamar Odom has gone to rival Dallas after demanding a trade during the pre-season. “We are going through some growing pains and we are going to have to learn from them,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said. “This one

hur ts, whether we lost by one point or 10 points.” It was the first time since the start of the 2008-09 season that the Lakers have not begun their home schedule with a championship ring ceremony at centre court. Instead Lakers guard and president of the players union, Derek Fisher, took the microphone before the game to talk about the new collective bargaining agreement. “Everybody wasn’t happy with the process or the finished

onship this year after making it all the way to the league semi-finals last year before losing to Miami in five games. Rose, 23, recently signed a five-year, multi-million dollar contract extension. In other opening-day games, the New York Knicks edged the Boston Celtics 106-104, Oklahoma City defeated Orlando 97-89 and the Los Angeles Clippers beat Golden State 105-86. In New York, Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks know it will never

Nobody was down. Mentally everybody was still up about it, and we willed our way to this win.” Amare Stoudemire added 21 points and Toney Douglas had 19 for the Knicks, who led by 17 in the first half, trailed by 10 in the fourth quarter, then pulled out a thrilling Christmas victory in the delayed opener to the 2011-12 season. Tyson Chandler blocked six shots in his Knicks debut. Rajon Rondo had 31 points and 13 assists, nearly leading the Celtics back without

LOS ANGELES: Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng (9), of Sudan, puts up a shot as Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol, left, of Spain, looks on during the first half of their NBA basketball game, Sunday, in Los Angeles. — AP product but thanks for your support and patience,” Fisher told the crowd. After almost having to cancel the season, the league and players union agreed on a lastminute labour deal which resulted in a compressed 66-game schedule, beginning with five games on Christmas Day. Because of the lockout teams have had a little more than two weeks and just two exhibition games to get ready for the season. Dallas caught fire last year and beat the Miami Heat for the NBA title but the Heat earned a measure of revenge Sunday by holding on to beat the Mavericks 105-94. Chicago are one of the pre-season favorites to win the champi-

be easy against the Celtics. Not beating them in one game, and certainly not beating them for a division title. But pulling out the kind of nail biter that’s long gone Boston’s way in this rivalry only reinforced the Knicks’ belief that they can do it - and even the Celtics see a difference. Anthony scored 37 points, including a pair of free throws with the game tied and 16 seconds left, and New York survived a seesaw season opener Sunday to edge the Celtics 106-104. “Most importantly for us, as a new team, we showed something,” Anthony said. “We came together as a team. Even when we got down, there wasn’t no frowns.

an injured Paul Pierce. But Kevin Garnett missed a jumper just before the buzzer, the kind of shot Boston always seems to make against the Knicks. “ They seem to have a little swag and confidence behind them,” Garnett said. “It’s good for the city. It’s good for the Knicks. I’m going to see how consistent they are with that, but for the most part Carmelo played really well.” Brandon Bass had 20 points and 11 rebounds in his Celtics debut, and Ray Allen added 20 points. Garnett finished with 15 points. He and Allen had a sleepy Christmas start, with Rondo keeping the Celtics in the game until they got going in the second half. — Agencies

Leading players shine as NBA makes Christmas return

OSAKA: Two-time world champion Mao Asada holds back her tears after winning Japan’s national championships in Osaka on December 25. Asada pulled out of the Grand Prix Final in Quebec earlier this month to be with her mother, Kyoko, whose health had deteriorated. Kyoko died before Mao arrived at the hospital.—AFP

Asada dedicates Japan win to dead mother TOKYO: Japan’s two-time world figure skating champion Mao Asada has said she felt close to her mother as she overcame her recent death to win the national title and a berth in March’s world championships. “I think my mother is glad, too,” the 21-year-old told Japanese media after winning her fifth women’s title, her first in two years, at the national championships in Osaka on Sunday. “I feel she is the closest to me. So I think she understands even if I don’t tell her anything,” said the runner-up to South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Her 48-year-old mother, Kyoko, died on December 9 in the Asada family’s hometown of Nagoya after a battle with liver disease. Mao was flying home after pulling out of the Grand Prix final in Canada’s Quebec City at the time. The young skater has since vowed to continue training and competing “towards my dream”-the gold medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Mao’s misfortune has echoes of Canadian Joannie Rochette, who managed to overcome her heartbreak and clinch bronze at the Vancouver Olympics just four days after the death of her mother.— AFP

NEW YORK: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose all shined as the NBA tipped off in style on Christmas Day with some sparkling action putting aside memories of the five month long lockout. The Miami Heat immediately showed why they are title favorites by beating last season’s champions the Dallas Mavericks, while the New York Knicks enjoyed a surprise victory over the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden and the Chicago Bulls produced a great comeback to beat the Los Angeles Lakers. The games were part of a fivegame opening day to the delayed and reduced 66-game regular season after the dispute between players and owners over a new collective contract ended earlier this month. When they finally reached a new collective bargaining agreement, that was ratified on Dec. 8, the teams had just 17 days to get their rosters filled, hold brief training camps, complete a couple of warm-ups and get ready for Sunday’s openers. The opening day quickly gave fans a taste of what was at risk with some great displays from top per formers. The Heat ruined the Mavericks’ championship celebrations with a resounding 105-94 victory led by standout per formances from James and team-mate Dwyane Wade in Dallas. The Heat had to wait in their locker room as the Mavericks raised their championship banner minutes before

the start of the game as Dallas players, wearing “2011 NBA Champions” on the back of their tracksuits, celebrated. But when the game got underway, finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki and teammates Jason Kidd and Jason Terry were swept aside by an impressive Heat, Miami were 97-65 up after three quarters, before allowing Dallas, who never led, to make the score respectable in the fourth. James scored 37 points and had 10 rebounds and six assists while Dwyane Wade contributed 26 points with eight rebounds and six assists, as the Heat’s two biggest names offered an early reminder of their quality. Last season’s league MVP, Rose, crowned a superb comeback from the Bulls with a one-handed running shot over Pau Gasol to win the game 88-87 with 4.8 seconds remaining. Kobe Bryant’s last gasp attempt to steal it back for the Lakers was dashed as his shot at the buzzer was blocked by Luol Deng. Rose scored 22 points with Deng making 21 as the Bulls overturned a six-point lead in the final two minutes while the Lakers missed four free throws in the final 1:40. Bryant scored 28 points for the Lakers but will be disappointed to have started the season with a home loss. Carmelo Anthony was the top performer for New York, scoring 37 points as the Knicks enjoyed a 106-104 victory over the Celtics. — Reuters

ZOLDER: Dutch Marianne Vos celebrates after winning the women’s cyclocross race in Zolder, Belgium, the sixth Cyclocross World Cup race, yesterday. — AFP

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Composed Cowan raps ICC over review system MELBOURNE: Ed Cowan spent hours patiently seeing off India’s attack as he crafted a half-century on debut but was quickly on the front foot after stumps, when he told cricket’s governing body to get its house in order over the decision review system (DRS). The outspoken 29-year-old opener said the lack of replay technology cost he and Mike Hussey their wickets, and the team momentum, as Australia were confined to 277-6 by the end of the opening day of the first test at the

Melbourne Cricket Ground. “You saw the replays, you saw my reaction, you join the dots I guess,” he told reporters after his bid for a century on debut ended on 68 with a caught behind decision off Ravichandran Ashwin. “With the DRS... as someone who loves their cricket and has watched a lot of cricket, I can’t understand why it can’t be handed down by the ICC (International Cricket Council) to be uniform at all games.” “And that’s me speaking as an out-

sider, not as someone who has been in the bubble for a long time.” India’s cricket board (BCCI) vetoed the use of the technology, leaving Cowan and Hussey with no recourse and fuming as they trudged from the ground. Although disappointed, Cowan was also philosophical, saying he thought the ledger of umpiring decisions would level for both teams by the end of the four-test series. He had also delighted in his 113-run stand with former captain Ricky Ponting that helped Australia

recover after they were wobbling on 46-2 in overcast conditions after winning the toss and opting to bat first. Cowan replaced Phillip Hughes, who was dropped following repeated failures in the test series against New Zealand. He has been in career-best form in domestic competition since transferring to the island state of Tasmania after being starved for opportunities with New South Wales. Cowan’s tour diary of a strong season was turned into a book and the

opener now has enough fodder for another chapter after top-scoring at the MCG in front of a crowd of 70,000, which included a group of friends on a bucks’ party in the stands. “People (in the media) were sort of eulogising me being a journeyman... to me (being selected) felt like the start of a career, not as though something that I’ve earned and this is the end,” he added. “Hopefully I can keep scoring runs to (keep ensuring) my selection.” — Reuters

Australia fight back as review controversy rages Siddle, Haddin frustrate India

DURBAN: Sri Lanka’s batsman Mahela Jayawardene plays a stroke yesterday during the first day of the second cricket Test match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at the Sahara Stadium Kingsmead in Durban. — AFP

Samaraweera, Chandimal rescue S Lanka, Mahela hits landmark DURBAN: Thilan Samaraweera and new cap Dinesh Chandimal shared a century partnership as Sri Lanka made a strong recovery on the first day of the second Test match at Kingsmead yesterday. Sri Lanka finished the day on 289 for seven, with Samaraweera (86 not out) and Chandimal (58) adding 111 for the sixth wicket after Marchant de Lange, South Africa’s new fast bowler, had ripped out three of Sri Lanka’s leading batsmen. De Lange took another wicket in the last over of the day when he had Thisara Perera caught at short leg to finish with four for 60 in his first day in Test cricket. De Lange, 21, who received a late callup after Vernon Philander was ruled out by a knee injury, had Sri Lanka in trouble at 162 for five on a good batting pitch after dismissing Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews. But De Lange’s efforts on a hot, humid day were stymied by Samaraweera and Chandimal. Samaraweera made a bright start but scored only 23 runs between lunch and tea as he settled into an anchor role. He made his 86 runs off 218 balls with ten fours. Samaraweera was caught and bowled by leg-spinner Imran Tahir when he was on 50 but gained a reprieve when Tahir was no-balled. He also survived a stumping chance to Mark Boucher off Tahir when he had 63. Chandimal, 22, justified the decision of the tour selectors to pick him as wicketkeeper ahead of Kaushal Silva because of his superior batting skills. Strong on the cut, he was not afraid to go for his shots in an 86-ball innings which included seven fours. Chandimal was also handed a reprieve when De

Lange failed to pull down a leaping catch at mid-on off Tahir when he had 25. But the second new ball was Chandimal’s undoing as he flashed wildly at a short, lifting delivery from Morne Morkel to be caught behind by Boucher. Veteran Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene became the ninth batsman and first Sri Lankan to reach 10,000 runs in Test cricket when he opened his scoring with a single. The 34-year-old made 31 before he was bowled by Morkel. The tall, strongly-built De Lange had opening batsman Paranavitana caught behind by Boucher for 12 with his 12th ball in Test cricket. He followed up two balls into his next over when Sangakkara was caught behind for nought. In mid-afternoon De Lange ended a promising fifth-wicket stand of 45 between Samaraweera and Mathews when he held a sharp, right-handed return catch to dismiss Mathews for 30. Before Philander’s injury, De Lange was due to be released to play for the Titans franchise in a domestic first-class match. De Lange was brought into the attack after six overs and immediately impressed with his ability to generate pace and lift. He drew Paranavitana into a drive against a full length delivery after sending down several short balls, then forced Sangakkara into a hurried jab against a fast ball just outside his off stump. Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan backed up his decision to bat first on an even-paced pitch with some aggressive strokes at the start of the innings but was forced to become more circumspect after losing his first two partners. He made 47 off 69 balls with six fours before hitting a full toss from Tahir to Morkel at fine leg. — AFP

SCOREBOARD DURBAN: Scoreboard at stumps on the first day of the second cricket test between South Africa and Sri Lanka at Kingsmead yesterday’s: Sri Lanka 1st Innings Tharanga Paranavitana c Boucher b De Lange 12 Tillakaratne Dilshan c Morkel b Tahir 47 Kumar Sangakkara c Boucher b De Lange 0 Mahela Jayawardene b Morkel 31 Thilan Samaraweera not out 86 Angelo Mathews c & b De Lange 30 Dinesh Chandimal c Boucher b Morkel 58 Thisara Perera c Amla b De Lange 12 Extras: (8lb, 5nb) 13 TOTAL: (for 7 wickets) 289 Overs: 89.3. Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-47, 3-84, 4-117, 5-162, 6-273, 7-289. Still to bat: Rangana Herath, Chanaka Welegedara, Dilhara Fernando. Bowling: Dale Steyn 19-3-55-0, Morne Morkel 17-2-55-2 (3nb), Marchant de Lange 16.3-2-60-4, Imran Tahir 28-3-87-1 (2nb), Jacques Kallis 9-1-24-0. South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Jacques Rudolph, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, A.B. de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, Marchant de Lange.

Bangladesh to meet Pakistan in Cup opener DHAKA: Bangladesh will meet Pakistan in the opening match of the four-nation Asia Cup cricket tournament starting in Dhaka in March, an official said yesterday. The Sher-e-Bangla National stadium will host all the matches, including the inaugural tie on March 12 and the final on March 22, Asian Cricket Council chief executive Syed Ashraful Huq said. “All teams including India and Pakistan have confirmed their participation,” he told AFP. India won the last edi-

tion of the tournament in Dambulla in Sri Lanka in June 2010. Asia Cup schedule: March 12: Bangladesh v Pakistan March 13: India v Sri Lanka March 15: Pakistan v Sri Lanka March 16: India v Bangladesh March 18: India v Pakistan March 20: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh March 22: Final March 23: Reserve day. — AFP

MELBOURNE: Debutant Ed Cowan said the lack of a decision review system cost Australia two wickets and precious momentum after the hosts ended a controversial opening day of the first test against India on 277 for six a yesterday. The opening batsman ground out a half century before he was given out caught behind off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shortly after Mike Hussey had departed angrily when he was dismissed in a similar manner for a first-ball duck off a fiery Zaheer Khan. Australia recovered through an unbeaten 63-run stand by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin and paceman Peter Siddle to give the hosts a slight edge at the close, but the outspoken 29-year-old Cowan said the chance to drive home that advantage was stolen. “ Today, momentum went against us because of it. Two of the top six (wickets)... that’s the game,” he told reporters after scoring a 68 at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground. “Of course, I was disappointed for (Hussey). It was a massive moment in the game. We thought we were half an hour away from really nailing them, driving them into the dust. “ We get through Zaheer Khan’s spell unscathed and it’s a totally different complexion on the day’s play.” India’s cricket board (BCCI) vetoed the use of the review system before the series, leaving both players fuming that they had no recourse, but the tourists were also frustrated when numerous appeals were turned down in the final session. Zaheer dismissed Hussey a ball after bowling captain Michael Clarke for 31, before Ashwin made it three wickets for the addition of nine runs to leave Australia reeling on 2146. The number six Hussey ’s dismissal by umpire Marais Erasmus left him furious and television replays appeared to show the ball missing his glove and glancing his sleeve on the way through to India skipper MS Dhoni. Amid the drama, Haddin (21) and Siddle (34) rode their luck to stumps but the Australian wicketkeeper appeared particularly fortunate when a strong lbw appeal was turned down despite it appearing plum in front on the replay. Resuming on 170-3 after the tea interval, Clarke and Cowan added a brisk 45 for the fourth wicket, before Zaheer, who had struggled for rhythm in his first test after a fourmonth injury layoff, found his line in devastating fashion. The 33-year-old beat Clarke with a sizzling rising delivery that faded away wide from off-stump, then had him chop onto his wicket with the next ball that cut back in. Following Hussey’s dismissal, Haddin flicked a single off his pads to deny Zaheer a hat-trick and briefly quell the Indian fans’ raucous cheers. Cowan displayed impressive composure as he posted his half-century and built a 113-run stand with former captain Ricky Ponting after lunch. The pair pushed Australia to 159 before tea to steady the ship after the hosts had wobbled to lunch on 68-2. Desperate to score his first century in nearly two years, Ponting was out for 62, poking at an Umesh Yadav delivery

that bounced savagely and glanced the bat before giving VVS Laxman a simple catch in the slips. Ponting’s wicket was Yadav’s third and the rangy 24-year-old had the day’s best bowling figures of 3-96 in just his third test, though Ishant Sharma was unlucky to miss out on a wicket after a tight afternoon spell. Yadav earlier had Shaun Marsh out for a

MELBOURNE: Indian wicketkeeper MS Dhoni (L) appeals successfully for a caught behind decision from Australian batsman Ed Cowan (R) on the first day of the first Test match between Australian and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), in Melbourne yesterday. — AFP

SCOREBOARD MELBOURNE: Scorecard at the close of the opening day of the first Test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday: Australia 1st innings E. Cowan c Dhoni b Ashwin D. Warner c Dhoni b Yadav S. Marsh c Kohli b Yadav R. Ponting c Laxman b Yadav M. Clarke b Zaheer Khan M. Hussey c Dhoni b Zaheer Khan B. Haddin not out P. Siddle not out Extras (lb21 w2 nb1) Total (for 6 wickets; 89 overs)

Riaz, Akmal return for Pakistan vs England ISLAMABAD: Pakistan cricket selectors yesterday recalled fast bowler Wahab Riaz and middle-order batsman Umar Akmal for next month’s three-test series against England. Former captain Shoaib Malik was dropped from the 16-man squad after he failed to impress in the last three one -day series against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. He scored only 35 runs and took five wickets in his last eight ODIs. Riaz, the left arm paceman, last played against the West Indies earlier this year. Akmal also did not feature in the test series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh due to poor form, but returns to face the topranked test team. Pakistan has performed well despite the loss of three key players - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, who were given prison sentences for their part in a spot-fixing scandal. Under the captaincy of Misbahul-Haq, Pakistan has won three test series and drew 1-1 against the West Indies since reaching the semifinals of the World Cup this year. While it defeated Sri Lanka 1-0 in the United

duck when the number three spooned a simple catch to Virat Kohli at gully, before ending Twenty20 specialist David Warner’s innings after a quickfire 37 ended with a miscued hook caught behind by Dhoni. Yadav declined to buy into the review system debate. “If it’s a bad decision or a good decision, it’s part of the game,” he said, with an awkward smile. — Reuters

Arab Emirates, the other two wins came against lowly ranked teams Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Chief selector Mohammad Ilyas said that the series against England will be tough, but hoped Pakistan would keep its winning momentum going. “It’s a very tough competition,” he said. “But we will give you good surprise.” Pakistan has been forced to play its home series mainly in the United Arab Emirates since gunmen attacked a Sri Lanka team bus at Lahore in 2009, killing six police officials and a van driver. Dubai will host the first and third tests starting on Jan. 17 and Feb. 3, respectively, while Abu Dhabi will host the second starting on Jan. 25.Ilyas said the Pakistan team for the five-match one-day series and three Twenty20 matches against England will be named after the second test. Test squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Imran Farhat, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Adnan Akmal, Azhar Ali, Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Talha, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Junaid Khan (subject to fitness). — AP

68 37 0 62 31 0 21 34 24 277

Fall of wickets: 1-46 (Warner), 2-46 (Marsh), 3-159 (Ponting), 4-205 (Clarke), 5-205 (Hussey), 6-214 (Cowan) Bowling: Zaheer Khan 23-5-49-2 (1w, 1nb), Sharma 20-6-40-0, Yadav 20-4-96-3 (1w), Ashwin 26-2-71-1. India: Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni (capt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav.

Messi says Argentina can win World Cup BUENOS AIRES: Barcelona star Lionel Messi says he is convinced he can lift the World Cup with Argentina, the forward said in an interview published yesterday with the Argentina Football Association. Messi has won a host of top honours with Barca but has yet to taste major honours with the albiceleste, who are without a top title since 1993 and who flopped at the Copa America on home soil in July with many observers puzzled as to why his club form rarely appears at international level. “I still have this dream and that is to be a world champion and lift the Copa America with the national side. And I know I’ll do it, I am convinced I shall,” insisted Messi. “I don’t have to demonstrate anything to anybody. I would love to win a title with the national team but I am just another one in the group who wants to do the best for Argentine football, nothing more,” added Messi. Under new coach Alejandro Sabella, Argentina got off to a mediocre start to their World Cup qualifiers with an embarrassing loss to Venezuela but their recent win over Colombia put them on a more even keel and they are now level on points with regional group leaders Uruguay - albeit having played a game more - and Venezuela. “The group are doing fine. But we needed a win like that to strengthen ourselves. It has revitalised us,” Messi said, recognising that ‘sometimes we don’t quite get up to the mark either in terms of performance or the result. We are aware of that.” On the difference between playing for his country and Barca, with whom he has just won the world club title, Messi said: “ They are two different things. Barcelona are the best team in the world - even non-fans admit as much. That is the result of years of hard work with the same teammates. — AFP

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

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Wenger targets perfect Christmas season LONDON: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admits that a Christmas programme which features games against struggling Wolves, QPR and Fulham could define the club’s Premier League season. Arsenal, who face Wolves today, are just two points ahead of sixth-place Liverpool but only one behind fourthplace Chelsea. “We know we have an opportunity to gain a better position on the table. It’s down to us to do our job,” Wenger said. “In the Premier League the Christmas period is vital to get your points. “We have responded well to our defeat at Man City with a win at Aston Villa, so now it’s down to us to do the job at home and get the points against Wolves today.”

Meanwhile, Wenger believes his lack of cover at left-back is worrying-but he is yet to make any enquiry about a shortterm replacement. Wenger was left without a recognised left-back after Kieran Gibbs had surgery on his groin on Thursday. Gibbs is expected to be out of action for a month and he joins fellow defender Sandro on the sidelines. Wenger is currently making do with centre-half Thomas Vermaelen at leftback and he admitted he may have to enter the transfer market in the beginning of January. Wayne Bridge, who has played one match for Manchester city this season, has been mooted as a potential loan target for Arsenal. “It can only be a short-term solution for us because we have bought Santos,

we have Gibbs, we have Vermaelen who can play there, so we do not need a long-term solution,” said Wenger. “Long term, I am sticking to Santos and Gibbs, I love both of them because they have a quality I like, which is to attack. I haven’t made any enquiry yet (for Bridge), so for the moment not him or anyone else.” Defender Johan Djourou is still a doubt for the Wolves game, but apart from long-term absentees Gibbs, Santos and Jack Wilshere, Arsenal have no injury issues. On Wolves, Wenger added: “They have the Mick McCarthy spirit and attitude, they never give up.” “They play a very positive game so we know what to expect. They fight to stay in the league and you know it is always an intense game.” Wolves midfielder Karl

Henry has branded their position in the table “not acceptable” as they prepare to head to the Emirates Stadium. McCarthy’s team begin the festive period in 17th, a single point clear of the bottom three following 10 defeats in their last 14 games. However, they could slip into the relegation zone by the time they play on December 27 if results go against them on Boxing Day. Henry said: “Have Wolves had underachieved this season? One hundred per cent. I don’t think anyone is in disagreement about that. “ We know it’s not acceptable where we are in the league. If you had asked us where we wanted to be at the start of the season, it certainly wouldn’t be in or just above the relegation zone.

“We expected more points than we’ve got and it makes it hard every game you go into now. Yes, we need more points.” But manager McCarthy insists last year’s win at Liverpool during the Christmas period proves they should not be written off against the Gunners. “We’re always planning three or four games down the line and I went to watch them against Manchester City,” said the Wolves boss. “I don’t know if that’s given me information or made me a bit more fearful of going to Arsenal, because they were awesome against City.” Wolves will be without midfielder Jamie O’Hara, who has been ruled out for up to six weeks after surgery on a double hernia. — AFP

Man City fires blanks for first time in title charge City still holds advantage on goal difference Man City’s 0

Albion 0

SUNDERLAND: Everton’s Leon Osman, right, vies for the ball with Sunderland’s David Vaughan, during their English Premier League soccer match at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland, England, yesterday. — AP

Penalty drama leaves Sunderland seething Sunderland 1

Everton 1

SUNDERLAND: Sunderland were left seething as Leighton Baines’ controversial penalty gave Everton a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light yesterday. Black Cats boss Martin O’Neill had won two of his three matches since taking charge on Wearside and that impressive run would have continued but for a dubious decision from referee Howard Webb. Jack Colback had given Sunderland a first half lead but Webb ruled that Leon Osman had been fouled inside the area in the second half, although claims from the home players that he had simply kicked the ground appeared to be borne out by television replays, and Baines swept in the spot-kick. Baines’ equaliser also extended Sunderland’s wait for a victory over the Toffees to 15 games with the visitors unbeaten at the Stadium of Light for a decade. The game, which was broadcast by the BBC World Service to an estimated audience of 25 million across Africa, very nearly came to a dramatic conclusion when Sylvain Distin turned Stephane Sessegnon’s cross into the side-netting. Everton dominated the early exchanges and created at least three gilt-edged opportunities to take the lead. Australia midfielder Tim Cahill, who has not scored for his club since December 20 last year, might have ended his drought with just seven minutes gone when full-back Tony Hibbert’s long ball played him in on the right side of the penalty area. His shot from a tight angle was well struck, but Sunderland goalkeeper Kieren

Westwood beat the ball away. Cahill should have done much better seven minutes later when he was presented with a free header from Baines’ corner, but powered his effort well wide. Sunderland lost Titus Bramble to injury in the first half but it was Colback-on in place of the defender-who opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Sessegnon skipped past Distin and Hibbert before slipping the ball to the unmarked Colback, whose shot clipped the recovering Frenchman and flew past the helpless Tim Howard. However, Everton got themselves back into the game within six minutes of the restart, although they did so in controversial circumstances. Osman was allowed to work his way into the penalty area, where he went down as Wes Brown and Lee Cattermole closed in on him. Referee Webb took his time, but eventually pointed to the spot, although replays suggested that neither Sunderland man had touched the midfielder and that he had actually kicked the ground. But as the home fans bayed, England left-back Baines smashed his spotkick high to Westwood’s left to level. — AFP

Matches on TV English Premier League Arsenal v W’hampton Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3

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the early possession, their play certainly lacked the cohesion and crispness the Premier League has come to expect and it took them 14 minutes to extend Baggies goalkeeper Ben Foster via Samir Nasri’s low strike. Four minutes later Hodgson’s team threatened again when Paul Scharner attempted to exploit a gap between Joe Hart and his left post with a precise curling effort which the Manchester City goalkeeper did well to fingertip away for a corner. Yet the best opportunity of the half belonged to City, who should have led in the 25th minute when Sergio Aguero squared to leave David Silva with a clear sight of goal but, for once, the Spaniard’s technique let him down and he blazed

over. By now, the momentum was firmly with City and Balotelli saw a free-kick trickle past the right post after being involved in an angry exchange with Milner which required authorisation from Mancini on the sidelines over who was to take it. Balotelli had the ball in the net in the 37th minute thanks to a spectacular scissor kick, however the goal was correctly chalked off for offside. Balotelli continued to look the City player most likely to make a breakthrough and he rattled the crossbar with a fiercely-struck shot from 30 yards shortly after the restart. Once more, West Brom responded by creating an opening themselves and the lively Shane

Long will have been disappointed to have headed Thomas’ inviting cross the wrong side of the left post. Mancini responded by introducing Gareth Barry for Nasri, allowing Yaya Toure to push further forward and it almost worked immediately when the Ivory Coast international and Aguero combined to set up Silva inside the area, however his effort curled straight into Foster’s arms. The Baggies could count themselves extremely unfortunate when Thomas saw his low strike ricochet off the foot of the post in the 71st minute and Adam Johnson was introduced in place of Aguero as Mancini attempted to swing the match in his team’s favour. —AFP

Chelsea held by Fulham as title hopes begin to fade

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LONDON: English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): 18 18 16 18 17 18 18 17 18 17 17 17 18 18 17 17 17 18 18 18

WEST BROMWICH: Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli, right, vies for the ball against West Bromwich Albion’s Billy Jones during their English Premier League soccer match at the Hawthorns Stadium, West Bromwich, England, yesterday. — AP

(Local Timings)

English Premier League table

Man City Man United Tottenham Chelsea Arsenal Liverpool Newcastle Stoke West Brom Everton Norwich Aston Villa Fulham Sunderland Swansea QPR W’hampton Wigan Bolton Blackburn

WEST BROMWICH: Manchester City’s Premier League title challenge suffered a significant setback after the leaders were held to a 0-0 draw at West Bromwich Albion yesterday. City now top the table by virtue of goal difference alone after they could only manage a point at the Hawthorns and rivals Manchester United thrashed Wigan. Although Roberto Mancini’s team did hit the crossbar via Mario Balotelli, Roy Hodgson’s Baggies hit a post courtesy of Jerome Thomas in a tense second half from which the home side emerged good value for their point after delivering a defensive master class. It means City have collected just two points from their last three Premier League away trips, having recently drawn with Liverpool and lost to Chelsea and, with United next in action 24 hours before them, they could find themselves in second place by the time they face Sunderland on Sunday. Balotelli, James Milner and Pablo Zabaleta were all handed recalls by City, who arrived at the Hawthorns having topped the table at Christmas for the first time since 1929. It was West Brom, though, who began the more purposefully and a sweeping move after just three minutes almost concluded with an opener when Chris Brunt turned on the edge of the area before seeing his low drive veer inches past the left post. Although City dominated

45 45 35 34 32 31 30 24 22 21 21 19 19 18 18 16 15 14 12 11

LONDON: Chelsea blew a chance to move into third place in the Premier League after the spluttering Blues were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham at Stamford Bridge yesterday. Juan Mata gave the home side a 47th minute lead but Clint Dempsey levelled for Fulham in the 56th minute and Martin Jol’s visitors stood firm to claim a much-needed point. This was Chelsea’s third successive draw, coming on the back of stalemates against Wigan and Tottenham, and denied Andre Villas-Boas’s side the chance to force their way back into the title race. Instead, another disappointment means they sit fourth, two points ahead of fifth-placed Arsenal 24 hours before the Gunners face Wolverhampton Wanderers. Having moved to within seven points of leader Manchester City following victory over Roberto Mancini’s side earlier in December, Chelsea have fallen well off the pace. Villas-Boas restored Fernando Torres and Frank Lampard to his starting line-up, giving both the opportunity to restate their claims to a more regular start after being left on the bench for the Blues’ more important games recently. Torres in particular was unlucky not to mark his return with a goal when he carved out his side’s best chance of the first half after 15 minutes. The striker did everything right after being picked out by a floated cross from his fellow Spain international Mata, cushioning the ball on his chest before hooking an acrobatic volley that was superbly saved by Fulham keeper David Stockdale. Torres’s effort came moments after Orlando Sa has spurned a much more clear-cut opportunity to open the scoring for Fulham with the striker heading from

LONDON: Chelsea’s French midfielder Florent Malouda (R) misses a chance on goal as Fulham’s English goalkeeper David Stockdale and Austrian-Swiss midfielder Kerim Frei (L) defend during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Fulham at Stamford Bridge in London, yesterday. — AFP just six yards. Those two chances proved to be the highlights of a disappointing first half that rarely sparked into life and that was played out in a tepid atmosphere that belied the game’s status as a derby played out by west London neighbours. Fulham lost 5-0 to Manchester United in their last match, but if they had been successful in repairing fractured confidence in the opening period, they reverted to type immediately after the restart, allowing Chelsea quickly to take control of the game through Mata. The 47th minute move began with Ashley Cole on the left before the left back found Torres with his back to goal inside the Fulham area. Torres rolled the ball back towards Mata and the former Valencia playmaker beat Stockdale with a crisp, left foot shot from the edge of the area.

Chelsea failed to build on Mata’s effort, however, and were hauled back when a suspect defence contributed to Dempsey’s 56th minute equaliser. Bryan Ruiz was the creator of the goal, collecting Philippe Senderos’s header and wrong-footing Chelsea right-back Jose Bosingwa to reach the byline. Ruiz then pulled back a low cross that was turned home by Dempsey from close range after the American found space between terry and Luiz. Chelsea responded by dominating possession in the final half hour although they were unable to apply enough pressure to conjure a winning goal. VillasBoas introduced Didier Drogba at the expense of Daniel Sturridge, Chelsea’s in-form goalscorer, and the Ivorian forced a fine late save from Stockdale with a diving header. —AFP

Samaraweera, Chandimal rescue S Lanka, Mahela hits landmark

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

Man City fires blanks for first time in title charge

Rose lifts Bulls over Lakers in opener

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OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United’s Dimitar Berbatov, right, scores past Wigan’s goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, yesterday. — AP

Man United rout Wigan 5-0 Bolton in trouble as Newcastle get back on track Man United 5

Wigan 0

MANCHESTER: Dimitar Berbatov hit a hat-trick as Manchester United drew level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League with an emphatic 5-0 victory over 10-man Wigan at Old Trafford yesterday. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side are now behind arch rivals City, who were held to a draw at West Bromwich Albion, only on goal difference thanks to their second 5-0 win in the space of a week. Park Ji-Sung and Antonio Valencia were also on the mark for the defending champions, who have made great strides in reducing City’s previously commanding lead in the goal difference column as the title race hots up heading into the new year. United were already leading from Park’s early goal, the South Korean’s first since United’s eight-goal demolition of Arsenal and only his second of the season, when the game turned irretrievably against the visitors. Wigan forward Conor Sammon extended his hand as he backed into United defender Michael Carrick, catching him square in the face and earning an instant, if harsh, red card from referee Phil Dowd in the 38th minute. Three minutes later, Berbatov had doubled United’s lead and the only question that remained to be answered was how many goals United could pull back on City. Park had come up with the opening goal, although the hard work had been done by United left-back Patrice Evra who ghosted past Victor Moses and Antolin Alcaraz on his way to the by-line. The Frenchman picked out the unmarked Park with a perfect pass and the midfielder completed the simple task of guiding the ball into the Wigan goal from 10 yards. It was the start of an afternoon of relentless United pressure against a Wigan side that had done well in drawing with Chelsea and Liverpool on its last two outings. Away from the DW Stadium, however, Wigan had no answer to a ram-

pant United performance, all the more impressive for the fact that England forward Wayne Rooney started on the bench and injuries and illness forced the home side into playing Carrick as an emergency centre-half and winger Valencia at right-back. United might have doubled their lead in the 17th minute but Wigan escaped a strong penalty appeal after Alcaraz appeared to trip Javier Hernandez, an incident which was quickly followed by Gary Caldwell clearing a Nani shot off the line and Darron Gibson seeing a 20-yard shot deflected behind. Nani, with a 20-yard free-kick, and Berbatov, with a shot on the turn from the edge of the area, both just missed the target before the latter extended the advantage. Gibson crossed from the right and, after Hernandez had allowed the ball past him, Berbatov held off Alcaraz and waited for the ball to come down before converting from two yards. United opened the second period in similarly dominant fashion and Park should have secured a third goal for his team but headed too close to Ali Al-Habsi from eight yards and could not reach the ensuing rebound. David Jones placed a free-kick wide for Wigan but the respite was brief and Berbatov plundered his second, United’s third, after 58 minutes following a through ball from Valencia. The Bulgarian shrugged off Caldwell far too easily before turning and poking the ball in from 12 yards. Two goals in the space of two minutes late in the game sealed United’s romp. In the 75th minute, Carrick turned the ball into the path of Valencia, from Caldwell’s headed clearance, and the full-back advanced into the area before unleashing an unstoppable shot from 15 yards. Barely were the celebrations for that goal over than Alcaraz tripped Park on the edge of the Wigan area, presenting Berbatov with the opportunity to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot with a nonchalant finish. Meanwhile, Bolton remain stranded in the Premier League relegation zone after losing 2-0 against revitalised Newcastle at the Reebok Stadium yesterday. Second half-strikes from French midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa and in-from Senegal striker Demba Ba were enough to arrest a

poor run of form for the visitors and ensure that Wanderers remain in the bottom three. Bolton have now lost seven of their last eight games despite manager Owen Coyle ringing the changes before kick off, leaving big-name attackers Sanli Tuncay, Kevin Davies and Chris Eagles on the substitutes bench. Both teams have struggled for form recently with Newcastle claiming just two points in six games and Bolton starting the game three points off safety, but the Magpies are now back in the hunt for a top-four finish. Magpies full-back Ryan Taylor was first to threaten as he curled a dangerous long-range shot which Jussi Jaaskelainen did well to save. As the game settled, it was the visitors who looked most comfortable and were passing the ball confidently but mainly in areas of the pitch which posed no goal threat. The home team’s best hope appeared to be set-pieces, and it was with a free-kick five minutes before the break that they nearly opened the scoring. Bulgaria winger Martin Petrov whipped in a low-left footed drive from the 25-yard dead-ball, but Dutch keeper Tim Krul pulled of a smart save at full stretch. Wanderers had a muted shout for a penalty turned down early in the second period when Croatian striker Ivan Klasnic went down in the area, but the referee correctly turned down the appeals. The game was effectively decided within the space of two minutes as Alan Pardew’s side took complete control with two goals. Substitute Ben Arfa broke the stalemate on 69 minutes when he connected with Taylor’s left-wing cross to steer a superb volley past Jaaskelainen. The Trotters keeper was beaten again on 71 minutes when former West Ham striker Ba nipped in to score his 14th goal of the season after classy wing play from Gabriel Obertan left him with an open goal. Coyle threw on Davies and Tuncay in a desperate effor t to turn the game around, but it was the visitors who dominated with Ba missing another great chance to score again. Even so, Newcastle held out comfortably to notch a fist win in seven and haul themselves up to seventh in the table. — AFP

Frustration for Liverpool despite Maxi equaliser Liverpool 1

Blackburn 1

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool’s top-four charge faltered despite Maxi Rodriguez’s equaliser and Steven Gerrard’s return from injury as the Reds were held to a 1-1 draw by struggling Blackburn yesterday. Gerrard appeared as a 69th minute substitute after recovering from injury yet even the presence of their influential captain failed to inspire Liverpool as bottom club Blackburn secured a priceless point. Blackburn had threatened a shock win after Charlie Adam’s own goal on the stroke of half-time at Anfield. Rodriguez equalised eight minutes into the second half but on a bitterly

frustrating afternoon for Liverpool, they were unable to find the winner as they looked to put the Luis Suarez race row controversy behind them. Suarez, free to play until an appeal is heard, was given a warm reception on his first home appearance since being hit with an eight-match ban after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra. Anfield was the scene of one of Blackburn’s greatest-ever days in 1995 when Rovers, then managed by Dalglish, sealed the Premier League title despite losing 2-1. But the Lancashire club’s demise this season has been well documented and they arrived at the famous venue five points adrift of safety after three straight defeats. Calls for Rovers boss Steve Kean’s sacking have grown ever-louder, with the 44-year-old Scot overseeing 20 defeats and just seven victories in his previous 38 league games in charge since being appointed last December, but he will take heart

ANFIELD: Blackburn Rovers’ French midfielder Steven Nzonzi (2nd R) controls the ball during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers at Anfield in Liverpool, north-west England yesterday. — AFP

from this display. With Andy Carroll partnering Suarez up front, Liverpool carved out a string of chances before half-time yet their failings in front of goal once again resurfaced. Having been held to a goalless stalemate in the previous outing at struggling Wigan five days earlier, Liverpool suffered further frutration with Suarez spurning four chances alone. The Uruguay international fired over from a free-kick before finding the side netting from a good position in the 19th minute. Moments later Suarez curled another effort wide while Carroll was denied from pointblank range by goalkeeper Mark Bunn. Still Liverpool continued to attack yet their frustration increased when they were denied a penalty after keeper Bunn appeared to foul Rodriguez. But the referee waved away the home team’s appeals due to an offside flag. It was all Liverpool as midfielders Adam and Jordan Henderson also attempted to find the breakthrough. Yet the hosts were made to pay for their careless finishing after Daniel Agger conceded a needless corner which resulted in Adam, stationed at the front post, shinning the ball into the roof of his own net following Morten Gamst Pedersen’s flag kick. Blackburn’s lead lasted all of eight minutes after poor defending allowed Rodriguez, one of the smallest players on the pitch, to head a 53rd minute equaliser after good play by Martin Skrtel. Anfield erupted and the atmosphere was lifted even further when Gerrard climbed off the bench to make his first appearance for two months. But Blackburn spurned a glorious chance to seal their first away win of the season when David Dunn was allowed to run unchallenged into the Liverpool penaolty area before slipping at the crucial moment with the goal at his mercy. — AFP

Spain economy shrinks, outlook bleak: Minister

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Year-end lethargy grips bourse Page 24

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

Kuwait banking sector bullish

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Kuwait becomes China’s top LPG supplier Page 22

London retailers post brisk trade LONDON: Retailers in the British capital’s prestigious West End shopping district repor ted brisk trading on Boxing Day - one of the key dates in the year for the sector - and added that a London tube strike had not made much of a dent to their business. “I think the impact has been really minimal. It hasn’t deterred shoppers,” said Jace Tyrell from the New West End Company, which represents firms operating in the West End area. Boxing Day is when British retailers hope to attract as many customers as possible by offering k nock- down prices to goods after Christmas, with the flagship stores around Oxford Street in London’s West End packed with shoppers. This year’s sales have been marred by a strike on London’s underground transport system, but Transport for London (TFL) said more services than predicted were operating, although it warned travellers to expect disruption. “ We are operating a ser vice on most Tube lines, including key lines serving the West End, supported by London’s 700 bus routes and extra buses,” said London Underground chief operating officer Howard Collins. The New West End Company said retailers were optimistic of making 50 million pounds ($78.2 million) in Boxing Day sales, and added that they had made 15 million pounds worth of sales during the first three hours of trading on Boxing Day. Tyrell said year-on-year comparisons were difficult since Boxing Day 2010 fell on a Sunday and so had fewer hours of trading. However, he added that West End retailers had repor ted that their Boxing Day sales were up from the 2009 level. Britain’s retail sec tor, which counts for about 8 percent of gross domestic product, has been hit hard by the country’s economic slowdown, with consumers cutting back on spending and several retailers entering into administration. However, the New West End Company said Boxing Day sales in the capital had been buoyed by the presence of wealthy international tourists from China, Saudi Arabia and Brazil. John Lewis, Britain’s biggest department store chain, had reported earlier this month a surge in sales in the run-up to Christmas, and the company said yesterday that online orders from its post-Christmas clearance were up 19 percent. — Reuters

LONDON: People rush into a department store as it opens for Boxing Day sales in central London yesterday. Despite disruptions caused by London’s subway drivers striking over a pay dispute, large crowds of shoppers started flooding department stores in London as soon as doors opened early yesterday. —AP (See Page 25)

Saudi budgets for big drop in 2012 surplus Govt conservative on oil revenues • 250bn riyals for building 500,000 homes RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s government plans to spend 690 billion riyals ($184 billion) in 2012, cutting expenditure from an estimated 804 billion riyals this year, when social spending was ramped up in an effor t to ensure political stability. Announcing next year’s state budget yesterday, the finance ministry said it projected the budget surplus, which depends largely on oil revenues, would shrink to just 12 billion riyals from 306 billion riyals this year. Traditionally, the Saudi government makes conservative projections for oil revenues, leaving room for its actual budget surpluses to come in much larg-

er than initially forecast. But analysts said the 2012 budget plan showed the government was keen to demonstrate it was aware of the risks of overspending, after a year in which it boosted expenditure to a record as social unrest hit other countries in the Arab world. “There’s a balancing act here in that they want to demonstrate some fiscal rigor or conservatism in the budget figures, but there’s also a willingness to be flexible, both in ensuring the continuity of the infrastructure and capital spending ventures, but also in the face of the global economic environment,” said

Jarmo Kotilaine, chief economist of National Commercial Bank in Jeddah. I n its original budget for 2011, the government envisaged spending of 580 billion riyals. After uprisings began in the Arab world early this year, Saudi Arabia announced extra spending on infrastructure and welfare which the International Monetary Fund estimated at $110 billion over several years. In the 2012 budget announcement, the finance ministry said it had s et a s ide 2 5 0 billion riyals from the 2011 budget surplus to fund one of the special projects, the construction of 500,000 homes. — Reuters

Saudi index hits 21-week high; Qatar slips MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI/CAIRO: Saudi Arabia’s construction-related stocks jumped yesterday in the hope of higher government spending on housing in next year’s state budget, lifting the bourse to a 21-week high, while other Gulf markets were mixed. Saudi Steel Pipes and Arabian Pipes surged 8.3 and 9.7 percent respectively. Construction firm Al Khodari climbed 5 percent and Yamamah Saudi Cement gained 2.8 percent. The kingdom’s index advanced 0.5 percent, in turnover of $5.4 billion. After the market closed, the finance ministry said it planned to spend 690 billion riyals ($184 billion) in 2012, cutting expenditure from an estimated 804 billion riyals this year, when social spending was ramped up to ensure political stability. The ministry said it had set aside 250 billion riyals from the 2011 budget surplus to fund one of the special projects, the construction of 500,000 homes. “We need at least $7.5 billion (in daily trade) to make sure the gains are solid, reflecting injection of fresh money,” said Mohammad Omran, a financial analyst based in Riyadh. “I don’t think the market has enough time to recover the losses of this year.” Yanbu Cement Co gained 4.3 percent after saying it has restarted three of four production lines almost two months after a fuel shortage forced the firm to halt operations.

National Company for Glass Industries advanced 4.6 percent after proposing a cash dividend of 2.25 riyals per share for 2011. Shares in Saudi Chemical declined 4.8 percent to a 12-day low as it went exdividend, with a cash dividend of 2 riyals per share for the third-quarter. In Qatar, the index slipped 0.4 percent from Sunday’s 37-week high in a session of light profittaking as volumes fell to their lowest in 12 days. Heavyweight Qatar National Bank shed 0.7 percent, while Masraf Al Rayan and Commercial Bank of Qatar dipped 0.2 percent and 0.1 percent. “Investors are waiting for the new year to add risk and build positions,” said Ali Al Enin, equity trader at Qatar National Bank. “They are also looking for more cues from economic data from U.S.” Doha’s market is the only regional bourse recording year-to-date gains, at 1.2 percent. In Egypt, the main index fell 1.3 percent, retracing Sunday’s gains as investors cut positions ahead of holidays. Talaat Moustafa Group shed 2.6 percent and Pioneer Holdings dropped 3.8 percent. “There is a question mark as to what will happen in Egypt,” said Osama Moura at Arab Finance Brokerage. “Investors are reducing their stock holdings because they need the money and would rather wait to see what 2012 will bring.” — Reuters

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

BUSINESS

Kuwait becomes China’s top LPG supplier by Nov State’s shipment surges 64.4%, overtakes Qatar TOKYO: Kuwait became China’s biggest liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplier in November by overtaking Qatar, latest data by the Chinese government shows.

Kuwait’s LPG shipments to China surged 64.4 percent year-on-year to 80,500 tons last month, accounting for a quarter of China’s total LPG imports, according to the

BEIJING: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) representative office in Beijing. —KUNA

News

General Administration of Customs. The United Arab Emirates was second with 80,000 tons, up 55.7 percent, followed by Iran with 69,500 tons, down 5.1 percent. In October, Kuwait was China’s No 2 LPG supplier after Qatar. Kuwait’s January-November LPG shipments to the nation also skyrocketed 139.6 percent from the same period last year to 505,000 tons. China’s overall imports of LPG last month fell 7.3 percent from a year earlier to 320,900 tons. China is the world’s secondbiggest LPG consumer after the US. State-run Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) has successfully expanded its market share in China since the establishment of KPC’s Beijing office in early 2005, including LPG, crude oil and sulfur. Crude oil shipments to China reached 198,000 in 2010, a 11-fold increase from 18,000 bpd in 2004. —KUNA

Qatar T-bills to start trading on exchange

in brief

Mashreq loan syndicate for Bank of Ceylon DUBAI: Dubai lender Mashreq said yesterday it had led a syndication of banks to raise a $140-million loan for Sri Lanka’s Bank of Ceylon. Ten regional banks participated in the facility, including Oman’s Bank Sohar and Bank Dhofar, Qatar’s Doha Bank and UAE lenders Emirates NBD and Union National Bank. The statement did not provide details on the terms of the loan, including the tenor and pricing, but said the deal was oversubscribed. Mashreq acted as the mandated lead arranger, book runner and facility agent for the syndication.

DUBAI: Qatar has completed procedures to list government debt instruments for trade on its securities exchange, aiming to stimulate investment in them by commercial banks and other institutions, the central bank said yesterday. Trade in short-term Qatari Treasury bills will begin on the Qatar Exchange this Thursday, Central Bank Governor Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud Al-Thani said in a statement, with trade in government bonds and sukuk (Islamic bonds) to start “at a later stage”. Listing Qatari government bills and bonds on an exchange, rather than limiting trade to opaque over-the-counter dealings between banks, could make their secondary market prices more transparent and stable, increasing trading activity. A more active debt market could in turn encourage companies to issue more bonds, reducing their reliance on bank lending, which has been hurt even in the wealthy Gulf region by jitters over the euro-zone debt crisis. “The secondary market in bonds will encourage companies to issue debt instruments and will boost liquidity on the stock market of Qatar,” the central bank statement said. Since May the central bank in Qatar, the world’s largest natural gas exporter, has been issuing about 2 billion riyals ($550 million) worth of T-bills monthly with maturities ranging from three to nine months, to drain excess funds from the banking system and help create a domestic yield curve. Qatari banks held about 8 billion riyals of T-bills at the end of September.

Jordan’s economy expands 2.6% in Q3 AMMAN: Jordan’s economy picked up slightly in the third quarter, expanding 2.6 percent from a year earlier as the mining, transport and financial services sectors rebounded, official data showed yesterday. The Jordanian economy has been at its weakest in the last two years since an economic crisis in 1989, when the country was forced to seek help from the International Monetary Fund. Officials say it will take time to get back to previous growth levels. The finance ministry expects the economy to expand just 2.3 percent this year, lower than its earlier projections of at least 3 percent, while the IMF forecasts a 2.5 percent expansion in 2011. In the second quarter, GDP grew 2.4 percent year on year. The aiddependent economy has been hurt by sluggish private sector growth, while regional political uncertainty has cast a shadow over investment. Private sector urged to bid for Souk Al-Wataniya KUWAIT: The Technical Apparatus in charge of Studying Development Projects and Initiatives urged the private sector to bid for the Souk Al-Wataniya development and operation project, through a press release issued yesterday. The apparatus said the project tender is floated virtue of law 17/2008 relating to organizing projects executed through BOT and similar systems. This is the first tender floated for a project the state is interested in having the private sector manage. Souk Al-Wataniya (Arabic for market or mall) is located in the tenth commercial district, in Jeblah, in Kuwait City.

Qatar has been preparing steps to deepen its debt market for many months, but has proceeded cautiously. In March, the Qatar Exchange’s chief executive Andre Went said the bourse was considering whether to allow trading of bonds by the second quarter of this year, and would start with trading of government debt before slowly moving to corporate bonds. Chavan Bhogaita, head of the markets strategy unit at National Bank of Abu Dhabi, said Qatar’s move could be an important step in the development of a more active debt market in the Gulf. Governments in the region have said they want to strengthen the market, partly because local banks will in the next few years have to obey new liquidity rules under the global Basel III banking standards, requiring them to keep large amounts of liquid securities on hand. At present, the amount and range of locally issued financial instruments is small, so meeting the standards could be difficult for some banks. “The move is significant as there is currently a lack of a local currency government debt market in the GCC. So if Qatar starts and others follow, this could add depth to the debt capital markets here, and also provide additional instruments that banks and other institutions can invest in,” Bhogaita said. “There is a need for more clarity however, especially regarding the trading of bonds and sukuk on the exchange, as such instruments are generally traded over the counter and not through exchanges.” —Reuters

KUWAIT: Kuwait Petroleum International (Q8) will provide Lufthansa with eight million liters of jet fuel per year. —KUNA

Q8 inks deal to provide jet fuel for Lufthansa KUWAIT: Kuwait Petroleum International (Q8) announced that one of its affiliate companies has inked a contract with Lufthansa to provide the German fleet at the Verona airport, northern Italy, with eight million liters of jet fuel per year. The company said in a press statement that it continues to successfully expand at airports across Europe, through the launch of a new service of aviation fuelling at the Verona airport. The Office of Business Development at the company expressed pleasure for

winning such a giant business at the Verona airport and contracting with Lufthansa, one of the largest airlines in the world, pointing out that striking such major contracts in a short period of time reflects the company’s reputation and the confidence it enjoys in Europe. It noted that this contract is consistent with the strategy of Kuwait Petroleum International for aviation fuelling that calls for the maximum utilization of its logistics facilities in Europe. —KUNA

Aldar Properties to discuss asset sales ABU DHABI: Aldar Properties said yesterday its board will meet this week to discuss asset sales as the Abu Dhabi developer, bailed out once by the government in 2011, struggles with a property downturn. Aldar, part-owned by the government, said the board will meet tomorrow to “consider the sale by the company of certain of its assets,” as well as other operational matters. The developer has already sold assets to the Abu Dhabi government, including its Ferrari World theme park and the Yas Marina Formula One circuit. Abu Dhabi bailed Aldar out in January with a $5.2 billion rescue package in

exchange for 2.8 billion dirhams ($762 million) in convertible bonds to Mubadala and the sale of assets. Mubadala converted a portion of its bonds earlier this month. In January, Aldar said it would sell assets worth $1.49 billion to the government to meet debt obligations. It did not name any specific assets earmarked for sale but analysts have said these could include properties such as the Yas Hotel and some commercial and retail developments under construction. Aldar shares were down 1.18 percent on the Abu Dhabi exchange. —Reuters

Yanbu Cement restarts units duction lines resulted in a loss of around 14.2 million riyals, the company said in a bourse statement. “Until now, Saudi Aramco has not provided the needed fuel to operate the fifth line,” it added. Saudi Aramco said it continues to supply all the fuel oil contracted by Yanbu Cement and no agreement was concluded in advance to secure additional supplies for the new line, which absolved Aramco from responsibility. —Reuters

KHOBAR: Saudi Yanbu Cement Co has restarted three of four production lines almost two months after a fuel shortage forced the firm to halt operations, it said yesterday. In October, Yanbu Cement said Saudi Aramco had not responded to its requests for additional fuel needed to commission the plant’s fifth new production line. This caused the firm to divert fuel from its old units to test the new production line. Halting the old pro-

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2730000 .4260000 .3670000 .2980000 .2650000 .2720000 .0040000 .0020000 .0750520 .7312060 .3810000 .0700000 .7168150 .0040000 .0430000

.2800000 .4370000 .3770000 .3090000 .2750000 .2830000 .0072500 .0035000 .0758060 .7385550 .4010000 .0760000 .7240200 .0072000 .0530000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2757000 .2793000 GB Pound/KD .4310710 .4367000 Euro .3694380 .3742620 Swiss francs .3006870 .3046130 Canadian dollars .2679820 .2714810 Danish Kroner .0496560 .0503040 Swedish Kroner .0400710 .0405940 Australian dlr .2768440 .2804590 Hong Kong dlr .0353810 .0358430 Singapore dlr .2129620 .2157420 Japanese yen .0035470 .0035930 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 .0053970 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 .0024600 Pakistan rupee .0000000 .0031760 Bangladesh taka .0000000 .0036530 UAE dirhams .0750920 .0760720 Bahraini dinars .7315910 .7411440 Jordanian dinar .0000000 .3950500 Saudi Riyal/KD .0735400 .0745000 Omani riyals .7163830 .7257370 Philippine Peso .0000000 .0064500

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.598 5.337 3.154 2.436 3.341 213.250 35.672 3.580 6.336 8.873 0.271 0.273

GCC COUNTRIES 74.150 76.402 722.230 738.540 75.715

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES 47.500 46.282 1.272 189.860 392.670 1.865 6.003 33.814

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 277.950 Euro 370.650 Sterling Pound 431.930 Canadian dollar 268.420 Turkish lire 153.940 Swiss Franc 300.620 Australian dollar 277.000 US Dollar Buying 277.750

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

SELL CASH 286.700 741.200 3.860 276.500 547.400 44.500 49.900 167.800 48.040 368.000 36.510 5.650 0.032 0.211 0.242 3.670 395.800 0.189 90.440 46.600 4.290 219.600 1.806

47.700 723.930 3.260 6.690 77.100 74.410 216.620 36.920 2.655 439.500 41.500 301.300 5.100 9.310 198.263 75.990 279.100 1.330

723.750 3.130 6.405 76.670 74.410 216.620 36.920 2.446 437.500 299.800 5.100 9.090 75.890 278.700

10 Tola

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 437.500 278.700

Sterling Pound US Dollar

SELL DRAFT 285.200 741.200 3.435 275.000

216.600 46.320 366.500 36.360 5.275 0.031

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

287.56 277.35 302.65 367.32 438.28 3.63 3.427 5.266 2.446 3.308 3.127 75.85 741.20 46.29 396.43 724.19 76.84 74.40

288.00 278.00 305.00 37.00 439.00 3.70 3.820 5.600 2.650 4.000 3.310 76.25 741.00 48.20 395.50 725.00 77.20 74.95

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 394.920 0.188 90.440 3.310 218.100

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar

Selling Rate 276.850 268.505 443.300 374.970 303.055 733.125

UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

75.350 75.990 73.785 389.700 46.310 2.422 5.309 3.179 3.615 6.383 679.095 3.675 8.955 5.830 3.415 91.960

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

GOLD 1,697.770

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

GOLD 315.500 159.000 81.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

Currency Rate per 1000 (Tran) US Dollar 278.650 Pak Rupees 3.140 Indian Rupees 5.305 Sri Lankan Rupees 2.455 Bangladesh Taka 3.445 Philippines Peso 6.445 UAE Dirhams 75.955 Saudi Riyals 74.450 Bahraini Dinars 740.700 Egyptian Pounds 46.325 Pound Sterling 439.900 Indonesian Rupiah 3.190 Yemeni Riyal 1.550 Jordanian Dinars 395.800 Syrian Pounds 5.750 Euro 369.100 Canadian Dollars 278.600 Nepali rupee 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 278.250 Euro 366.000 Pound Sterling 437.000 Canadian Dollar 274.800 Japanese Yen 3.575 Indian Rupee 5.284 Egyptian Pound 46.225 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.443 Bangladesh Taka 3.390 Philippines Peso 6.405 Pakistan Rupee 3.130 Bahraini Dinar 741.050 UAE Dirham 75.800 Saudi Riyal 74.350 *Rates are subject to change

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Years

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

BUSINESS

Crisis gatecrashes 10th birthday of euro banknotes FRANKFURT: “It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to”, goes a pop song from the 1960s. And as Europe celebrates the 10th anniversary of the launch of euro banknotes and coins, there must be a great many of the more than 300 million of its citizens who share the single currency who feel like doing just that. In the decade since the euro replaced their treasured national currencies, there can be few people who have not complained at one time or another that the euro has pushed up prices in every area of their lives. Now, with the long-running debt crisis threatening to plunge even the wealthiest euro-zone states into a deep recession or even a depression, there are a great many who, secretly or openly, clamor for a return of the deutschmark, the franc or the lira. As a currency, the euro is actually 13 years old not 10: it became the official unit of transaction on the financial markets for 11 countries in 1999. But it was not until January 1, 2002, that the virtual currency became a physical reality for Europeans, with the launch of euro banknotes and coins in 12

countries. By mid-2011, 14.2 billion notes and 95.6 billion coins worth a total 870 billion euros were in circulation in the euro area, since expanded to 17 countries and 332 million citizens, according to data compiled by the institution that manages the single currency, the European Central Bank. In retrospect, the euphoria that greeted the birth of the world’s number-two currency 10 years ago may-to many-sound a little hollow. Policymakers, bankers and financiers insist a common currency brings only advantages. It “increases price transparency, eliminates currency exchange costs, oils the wheels of the European economy, facilitates international trade and gives the EU a more powerful voice in the world,” proclaims the European Commission on its website. Furthermore, the euro “gives the EU’s citizens a tangible symbol of their European identity,” it insists. But despite its clear advantages for travellers, “consumers have never really warmed to the euro. They’ve never been able to shake off the feeling that it has led to higher prices,” said Andre

Sapir, economist at the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel. Of course, the official statistics tell a different story: the ECB has succeeded in keeping areawide inflation down to an annual average 2.0 percent since 1999. But the basket of goods and services monitored by statisticians when calculating developments in the cost of living are not necessarily those which consumers tend to focus on when they think about rising prices. Hence the discrepancy between “perceived” and “official” rates of inflation. People’s sense of a European identity has also taken a battering as a result of the debt crisis and interminable political wrangling, unsuccessful so far, to find a solution. Germans huff and puff over the perceived profligacy of the Greeks or Italians, while the French seem increasingly wary of the dominance of their neighbor across the Rhine. “No plan B” By contrast, companies are more enthusiastic about the euro, particularly in Germany, where the mighty automobile industry has saved an esti-

mated 300-500 million euros each year in transaction costs since the launch of the common currency, according to Bankhaus Metzler analyst Juergen Pieper. Bruegel’s Sapir countered that the euro was simply “one factor among others” that has helped better integrate the European economy, along with the Maastricht Treaty on economic convergence, the opening of borders under the Schengen treaty and the eastwards expansion of the EU. “Everything seemed to be going along just nicely until the financial crisis came along and shone the spotlight on the institutional shortcomings of the euro-zone,” said Philip Whyte, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think tank. A lack of area-wide fiscal integration and the absence of a common banking supervision fuelled the imbalances in the financial system. The low interest rates that monetary union brought with it for southern Europe led governments, businesses and households to take on increasingly unmanageable burdens of debt and everyone, including the northern

states, underestimated the dangers, Whyte said. At a summit in December, eurozone states agreed to anchor fiscal discipline in European treaties but still shied away from going down the path of federalism. No one at this stage is seriously contemplating a return to the old national currencies, even if nostalgia seems to be growing, particularly in Germany where people were fiercely proud of the mighty deutschmark, symbol of the country’s post-war economic miracle. A collapse of the euro would certainly be catastrophic for European banks because it would lead to a sharp depreciation in the currencies of southern Europe, where banks hold huge amounts of debt. Germany would be hit too, because its currency would likely rise sharply, throttling demand for its allimportant exports, and that could kill jobs. But nothing like that is on the cards for now, said Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann who recently quipped: “There’s no plan B. There’s no money printing press in the Bundesbank’s cellars.” —AFP

Spain economy shrinks, outlook bleak: Minister Fresh fears over deepening recession

LONDON: Underground trains are parked during a 24-hour strike by train drivers over public holiday pay, at Mordern depot, south London yesterday. —AP

Strike cripples London’s Tube LONDON: London’s underground train service was virtually halted by a strike over pay yesterday, disrupting the start of the post-Christmas sales and sporting fixtures. Most lines were shut or operating a vastly reduced service, with people forced to use buses or taxis to reach shops which are desperate for business after disappointing sales in recent months. Members of the London Underground train drivers’ union ASLEF voted overwhelmingly to hold a 24-hour strike on December 26, a public holiday in Britain known as Boxing Day, and on three more dates in the coming weeks. Drivers are angry that their employer is refusing to give them extra pay and a day off for working on Boxing Day. The operator has described their demands as “outrageous”. In anticipation of the strike, Premier League football club Arsenal postponed their Boxing Day fixture with Wolves by 24 hours, but Chelsea’s match with London rivals Fulham went ahead yesterday. Despite the strikes, thousands of

shoppers flooded into the recently opened Westfield centre in Stratford, east London, hoping to snap up a bargain in Europe’s biggest shopping mall. Shops began slashing prices by more than 50 percent even before Christmas. The drivers’ union plans three more 24hour strikes on January 16, February 3 and February 13 over the pay issue. ASLEF said it balloted 2,200 drivers on the Underground network, known as the Tube, and they returned a 92.3 percent vote in favor of action. Tube drivers also walked out on Boxing Day last year, crippling the Underground but failing to deter shoppers who flocked to the traditional sales. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry accused the union of holding the British capital and its businesses “to ransom through yet more Tube strikes”. “Retailers have already had one of their toughest years with recent sales figures showing a decline year-on-year fuelled by poor consumer confidence, rising unemployment and mild weather,” said the body’s chief executive, Colin Stanbridge. — AFP

Tata to replace starter on troubled Nano NEW DELHI: India’s Tata Motors offered yesterday to replace the starter motor on all old Nano models, but said the move was not related to safety concerns surrounding the world’s cheapest car. The five-seater hatchback, which has suffered a series of fires since its launch in 2009, costs as little as 140,880 rupees ($2,770) for the nofrills model. A Tata Motors spokesman told AFP the company was offering the replacement starter motors for cars produced between July 2009 and October this year because “we have a new one and it further improves the car’s performance”. “There are no safety worries,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Tata introduced its new variant of the egg-shaped Nano in November to boost customer appeal with a wider range of colors and more luxurious interiors along with better fuel efficiency and engine

power. The Nano’s sales have largely disappointed amid concerns over the engine fires, production delays, and cut-throat competition in the smallcar segment of India’s vast vehicle market. The carmaker has blamed the fires on “isolated” and “unrelated” reasons. The Tata spokesman would not disclose the cost of the upgrade, but the Finance Chronicle newspaper said the company-one of India’s biggest business conglomerates-would spend up to 1.1 billion rupees replacing the starter motors of 145,000 Nanos. Last November, Tata offered Nano owners the option of installing additional safety equipment, but saiVd the move did not amount to a recall. Observers say the company has failed to get its marketing right, simply selling the Nano as “cheap” rather than an aspirational product for India’s emerging and status-conscious middle classes. — AFP

MADRID: Spain’s economy will shrink in the last quarter and faces a bleak outlook for the coming months, its new economy minister said yesterday, heightening fears of a fresh recession. Luis de Guindos dampened already gloomy expectations for the economy as the new conservative government got to work on its program of tough spending cuts. “This quarter the Spanish economy will surely see a downturn and we will return to negative growth,” he told a news conference. “Make no mistake, the next two months are not going to be easy, neither from a growth nor a jobs point of view,” he said at a ceremony for his top ministry staff taking office. The fourth-quarter outlook “is logically going to determine the (economic) profile we will enter in the coming year, which is going to be a relatively slowed-down profile.” Media quoted him later telling reporters that gross domestic product would contract by 0.2 to 0.3 percent in the current quarter. Spain’s official growth figure for the third quarter was zero. Media seized on De Guindos’ words yesterday as a sign that Spain will tip back into recession in the coming months. Both lead-

ing dailies El Pais and El Mundo interpreted his words as signalling a recession at the start of 2012. Various economists have forecast negative growth in the current quarter and the first three months of 2012. A recession is commonly defined as two quarters of contraction in a row. Spain only emerged at the start of 2010 from an 18-month recession, triggered the global financial crisis and a property bubble collapse, which destroyed millions of jobs and left banks with mountains of bad loans. The collapse forced a major restructuring of the financial sector and tough spending cuts which the new government has vowed to deepen in order to create jobs and reassure the financial markets that lend to Spain. The new right-leaning government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has set a tight timetable for reforms to fix the slumping economy and reduce the public deficit. Its top priority is to cut its unemployment rate, which is the highest in the industrial world at 21.5 percent. Rajoy has said he will slash Spain’s deficit by 16.5 billion ($21.7 billion) in 2012 through sweeping cuts, with only pensions escaping the knife, as well as cleaning up banks and reforming the labor market. — AFP

China, Japan unveil deals to tighten finance ties BEIJING: Chinese and Japanese leaders have unveiled initiatives to tighten financial links between East Asia’s economic giants and sometime rivals - measures that could expand use of China’s tightly controlled currency abroad. During a visit to Beijing by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, the two governments said in a surprise announcement Sunday they will encourage use of their own currencies in bilateral trade, which now is conducted mostly in US dollars. They also agreed to support the sale of bonds denominated in China’s yuan by Japanese companies in Tokyo and foreign markets and by the state-owned Japan Bank of International Cooperation in mainland China’s markets, which are closed to most foreign investors. The pledges were a striking step for China and Japan, which are the world’s second- and third-largest economies and are bound by billions of dollars in trade but whose political relations often are strained over conflicting territorial claims and other disputes. “To support the growing economic and financial ties between China and Japan, the leaders of China and Japan have agreed to enhance mutual cooperation in financial markets of both countries and encourage financial transactions between the two countries,” the governments said in identically worded statements. They said Japan’s government also planned to purchase Chinese government bonds, and an application process for official approval of that was under way. The governments gave no timetable for practical steps to put the pledges into action or the size of possible bond offerings. Commercial banks still have to create yuan-denominated letters of credit and other tools before traders in Japan can use the currency. The moves might reduce the dominance of the US dollar in East Asia, the world’s fastest-growing region. The Kyodo News agency cited a Japanese official who told reporters some 60 percent of trade between Japan and China is now settled in dollars, which requires companies to convert money between yen, dollars and yuan, adding to their costs. Beijing controls the yuan’s exchange rate and the flow of money into and out of China’s booming economy. But the government has begun allowing limited use of yuan for trade. It said this month that some companies that obtain Chinese currency abroad will be allowed to invest it in mainland financial markets. Most trade in yuan is conducted through Hong Kong, where Beijing also has created a market for yuan-denominated bonds that McDonald’s Corp. and some other foreign companies have used to raise money to invest in their mainland operations. The easing of controls on bond sales could help to reduce costs for Japanese companies that need to raise money to invest in their China operations. The communist government keeps China’s bond and other financial markets sealed off from global financial flows. That helped the country avoid the turmoil of the 2008 global financial crisis but has slowed the development of markets that Chinese leaders want to support economic development. — AP

MADRID: Spain’s new Economy Minister Luis de Guindos arrives at the Moncloa Palace. —AP

Russia, Ukraine look to avert New Year gas row MOSCOW: Ukraine and Russia will renew gas talks on Jan. 15, Russia’s Gazprom said yesterday, as they strive to avert a standoff over pricing, which in the past has led to supply cuts and gas shortages in Europe during New Year holidays. Both countries have pledged to ensure steady gas flows to the Europe Union, which relies on Russia for one quarter of its gas supplies, despite differences over pricing and the ownership of Ukraine’s strategic gas pipeline system. Kiev and Moscow have been locked in difficult gas talks for the past year as Ukraine, whose fragile economy is suffering from a budget deficit, seeks a cut in the cost of Russian gas, which is set to rise to $416 per thousand cubic metres (tcm) in the first quarter of 2012 to match what the EU is paying. The price is currently around $400 per thousand cubic metres. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich said last week he considered $250 per tcm the highest acceptable price. But Russia has been adamant in saying Ukraine must stick to the multi-year contract signed in 2009. Moscow also faces a budgetar y squeeze next year as it is set to embark on a public spending spree ahead of March 4 presidential elections, which Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is poised to win. On Friday, Gazprom Chief Executive Officer Alexei Miller and Ukrainian Energy Minister Yury Boiko met in Russia’s second-largest city of St Petersburg. “The participants have taken note of the positive and constructive character of the 2011 talks and good perspectives for the next round of talks, which will take place on Jan. 15,” Gazprom said in a statement yesterday. Unlike 2009, there is no clear deadline for a deal, which is seen as important to securing shipments of gas to Europe by establishing a price and joint control of the transit pipelines that carry more than half of Russian gas deliveries to the EU.But Gazprom has little incentive to hurry a deal while it stands to gain leverage in the talks as Ukraine’s fiscal position worsens. It also continues to

collect the higher price stipulated in the current contract in the meantime. Prior to the November launch of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which started to pump gas directly to Germany along the Baltic Sea bed at a yearly rate of 27.5 billion cubic metres, Ukraine used to tranship around 80 percent of Russian gas to Europe. The rest passed through Belarus, which last month agreed to cede its gas pipeline operator Beltransgaz to Gazprom in return for cuts to gas prices, which will average at $164 per tcm in 2012. Russia would be glad to take over the gas pipeline system in Ukraine as well, but the idea has met with public outrage and fierce opposition in Kiev. According to Russian Energy Ministry sources, Moscow offered to split pipeline ownership equally between Kiev and Moscow. A proposal also to include EU companies is on the table. Nord Stream will double its capacity to 55 bcm a year when the second stage is commissioned by the end of 2012, fur ther weakening Ukraine’s position in the talks. Moscow is also pushing forward with plans to build the 15.5 billion euro South Stream pipeline, a rival to the EU-backed Nabucco project, to carr y 63 bcm of gas a year to Southern Europe via the Black Sea from 2015, in order to bypass transit countries such as Ukraine. Gazprom Chief Executive Alexei Miller said yesterday thatthe implementation of the South Stream project hinges on gas talks with Ukraine. “South Stream has always been linked to Ukraine,” he said. A source in the Russian Energy Ministry told Reuters that Russia expected Turkey to give its a nod to the pipeline to pass through its waters. Ankara’s prior refusal to give South Stream the green light has been a stumbling block for the project. A Russian delegation is due to meet with Turkish counterparts on Tuesday to discuss energy issues. “South Stream will effectively kill off the need to acquire Ukraine’s g a s t r a n s i t s ys te m ,” t h e s o u rce said. — Reuters

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Years

Year-end lethargy grips bourse, investors wary GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) closed almost unchanged yesterday. Major indices moved in several directions during the session after opening in green zone. Mid-day trading witnessed selling pressure on heavyweight stocks before they minimized their losses at the last-minute trading. Global General Index (GGI) ended the day down by 0.14 percent, at 178.07 point. Market capitalization was down for the day, reaching KD29.12bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 5,801.4 point, shedding 1.1 points (0.02 percent) to its previous close. Market breadth During the session, 105 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 31 equities retreated versus 22 that advanced. Trading activities witnessed a drop, as traders yawned their way through one of the final sessions of the year. Total volume traded was down by 4.77 percent with 108.69mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD19.98mn (20.74 percent lower compared to Yesterday’s session). Real estate sector was the volume leader. The sector accounted for 31.68 percent of total shares exchanges. Buying interest was clearly witnessed on shares of Abyaar Real Estate Development Company with 22.56mn shares exchanged. The banking sector was the value leader, having 42.50 percent of total traded value. In terms of top gainers, Kuwait National Cinema Company was the top gainer for the day, adding 7.07 percent to its share value and closing at KD1.060. On the other hand, Gulf Glass Manufacturing Company shed 7.58 percent and

closed at KD1.220 making it the biggest decliner in the market. Sectors Two sectors closed almost flat while Insurance sector closed unchanged. Global Real Estate Index and Global Banking Index closed marginally up by 0.05 percent and 0.01 percent respectively. Industrial stocks spearheaded the declining sectors with a 1.13 percent loss. Contracting & Marine Services Company was the sole advancer in the sector, adding 2.70 percent to close at KD0.228. While, Gulf Glass Manufacturing Company spearheaded the losers with 7.58

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

business

percent drop to close at KD1.220. Heavyweight Kuwait Cement Company followed, down by 5.15 percent at KD0.460. Services stocks followed, with Global Services index shedding 0.39 percent. Hits Telecom Holding Company and Zain Company recoiled by 3.51 percent and 1.14 percent respectively, Other losers within this sector were KGL Logistics Company (-4.10 percent), Jazeera Airways Company (2.22 percent) and Gulf Franchising Company (-2.63 percent). On the flip-side, Global Non Kuwaiti Index reported a daily gain of 0.31 percent. United Gulf Bank was up by 5.68 percent at KD0.186. It’s

worth mentioning that, non Kuwaiti stocks were the biggest losers in December so far. Global Non-Kuwaiti Index retreated 5.06 percent MTD. Oil News Kuwait became China’s biggest liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplier in November by overtaking Qatar, latest data by the Chinese government shows. Kuwait’s LPG shipments to China surged 64.4 percent year-on-year to 80,500 tons last month, accounting for a quarter of China’s total LPG imports, according to the General Administration of Customs.

Ratings role reversal GLOBAL ECONOMY WEEKAHEAD SINGAPORE: While the threat of credit rating downgrades hangs over Europe, a few big emerging market economies are on the upswing. Indonesia provides arguably the starkest contrast. Fitch’s upgrade of Indonesia’s sovereign rating on Dec. 15 restored it to investment grade status for the first time in 14 years. Back in 1997, when the Asian financial crisis exploded, the International Monetary Fund had to step in with a three-year loan worth $10.1 billion at the time. “Indonesia’s banking sector was not prepared to withstand the financial turmoil that swept Southeast Asia,” the IMF said then. Fast-forward to 2011, and it is European banks that are the focus of concern as the euro-zone struggles to come up with a politically palatable way to solve its own debt crisis. All three of the world’s major ratings agencies have warned that European countries face downgrades if they cannot stem the crisis. Fitch said Dec. 16 that a comprehensive solution was “technically and politically beyond reach.” Sentiment toward Europe has turned so dark that the most positive thing Northern Trust economists could say about the outlook there was, “Our base case is that the euro zone does not completely collapse within the next two years.” Why the role reversal? Indonesia’s 2012 growth is expected to reach 6.4 percent, according to a Reuters poll of economists, down only slightly from 2011’s estimated 6.5 percent. The euro zone is widely expected to be stuck in recession next year, while US growth will probably trudge along at one-third of Indonesia’s pace. The lesson that Asia learned from its financial crisis in the late 1990s was, “make sure you’ve got good insurance.” Asia now holds most of the world’s foreign exchange reserves, with about $4.5 trillion concentrated in China and Japan combined. But there are also large stockpiles in India, Indonesia and South Korea. That cushion can provide protec-

tion from financial market turbulence. Indonesia, South Korea, India and others have tapped reserves this year to defend their currencies from extreme volatility. The IMF itself seems to have learned a few lessons from its experience in Asia, especially on how deep budget cuts can hurt a country’s economic growth and its citizens. Its November 1997 statement announcing Indonesia’s bailout arrangement spelled out the IMF’s policy prescription: tight fiscal and monetary policies and “substantial” fiscal measures to keep the budget in surplus. The IMF at the time expected Indonesia’s growth, which had been around 8 percent before the crisis, to slow to 5 percent in the first year of the program and 3 percent in the second. In fact, Indonesia’s economy contracted by 13.1 percent in 1998 and grew by only 0.8 percent in 1999. Former IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn acknowledged in February 2011 that the IMF’s reform program had been “harmful and painful” for the Indonesian people. Many economists worr y that Europe’s austerity measures, much like those in Indonesia in the late 1990s, will end up doing even more damage to the economy, worsening the debt picture. IMF Chief Economist Olivier Blanchard said investors were “schizophrenic” about austerity and growth. “They react positively to news of fiscal consolidation, but then react negatively later, when consolidation leads to lower growth-which it often does,” Blanchard said. Who is next? European countries are the obvious candidates for imminent downgrade. S&P’s move could come any day. Moody’s said on Dec. 12 it will revisit its European ratings in the first quarter of 2012. While downgrades and the threat of more have received the most media attention this year, Fitch said its sovereign rating actions year-to-date were almost evenly split between upgrades and downgrades. — Reuters

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

business

Last-minute buyers top off US shopping season t’s that time for caroling, eggnog, holiday cheer - and for some, a frantic dash to the mall. Last-minute shoppers hit stores on Christmas Eve in a surge that retailers hope will top off a strong holiday shopping season. Among them was Len Boswell. He started his shopping at 6 a.m. at Starbucks. Later in the morning he was at a CVS drugstore in Decatur, Ga., picking up candy and a neck pillow for his wife. “I should have done this a couple of weeks ago,” acknowledges Boswell, 68, a director of book publishing at a nonprofit. Stores are expected to ring up $469.1 billion during the holiday season, which runs November through December. The final week before Christmas can account for up to 20 percent of those sales. Retailers tempered their expectations heading into the season because they worried that Americans weren’t ready to spend in the weak economy. But sales have been brisk during the two-month period, rising 2.5 percent from the start of the season on Nov. 1 through last Saturday, according to research firm ShopperTrak, which did not give a dollar figure. As a result, ShopperTrak upgraded its sales growth forecast to 3.7 percent from its 3 percent estimate heading into the season. “We’re seeing good traffic,

good sales,” said Sherif Mityas, a partner in the retail practice at A T Kearney, a management consulting firm. “Even with all the bad news and hesitancy in terms of the economy, consumers are still opening up their wallets more than last year, which is good news.” But at a time when Americans are still concerned about high unemployment, stagnant wages and market uncertainty, retailers aren’t willing to leave anything to chance on the final shopping days before Christmas. Toys R Us and some Macy’s have been open 24 hours a day in the days leading up to Christmas. At malls, Abercrombie & Fitch has been offering a blanket 50 percent off on all items while J. Crew and Madewell offered 30 percent off. Retailers’ promotional e-mails are up 34 percent from a year ago, according to Responsys, which tracks e-mail activity from more than 100 merchants. “They’re clearly putting their best foot forward on promotions right now,” said John Morris, analyst at BMO Capital Markets. Morris estimates that promotional sale activity is up about 7 percent compared with last year, taking into account the level of markdowns and the amount of goods marked down. Whether it’s the sales or just plain-old procrastination, last-

minute shoppers were drawn to stores across the country on Christmas Eve. Taubman Centers, which operates malls across the country including The

Apparel, electronics, perfume and jewelry were among the biggest sellers. Macy ’s, in New York’s Herald Square, also was packed with shop-

NEW YORK: A last-minute shopper leaves the Toys R Us flagship store in New York’s Times Square on Saturday. Retailers have begun a big push to snare procrastinating shoppers searching frantically for last-minute gifts and hoping for final-weekend New Year deals. —AP Mall at Short Hills in New Jersey and Beverly Center in Los Angeles, reported almost-full parking lots at some malls by 10 a.m., earlier than last year.

pers by late morning. The store has been open around the clock since Wednesday and was set to close at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Kimberly Sylvester, 28, was out for the first time doing her holiday shopping Christmas Eve. She had already spent $160 at Victoria’s Secret, taking advantage of a sale - two bras for $40 for her sister. At Macy’s, she picked up Lauren by Ralph Lauren sheets marked down to $79. Sylvester, who works with special needs children, said she has been too busy to shop. At Manhattan Mall in New York, there was a steady stream of shoppers Saturday morning. Shamek Shider, 22, was among them. He had spent $100 at Macy’s on snow suits for his goddaughter on Friday, his first time out holiday shopping. He came back on Christmas Eve and spent $250 on jewelry and clothing at Macy’s and J. C. Penney for his mother, sister and other relatives. “This is when I see the best deals,” said Shider, who lives in Newark, NJ Ryan Eagle, 25, planned to hit South Park Mall in Charlotte, NC, Saturday morning to shop for presents for his wife. He always shops on Christmas Eve, he said, to get good deals and to people watch. Last year, he found $200 boots on sale for $50 at Macy ’s. “I’m a lastminute person,” he said. “I enjoy going out and watching everyone run around.” Mae Anderson reported from Atlanta, Georgia. —AP

German economic might owes much to the euro Single currency just one factor: Boerner Honeymoon over for Europeans and their money BERLIN: The euro, rolled out as a cash currency with a string of promises about easy travel, European unity and stable prices, has left crisis-rattled consumers decidedly ambivalent a decade on. On the streets of Berlin, Madrid, and Bratislava, the view is similar: despite its clear upsides, the transition to the euro hiked the cost of living even as it introduced deep political and economic uncertainty in the bloc. The euro, the most tangible manifestation of European integration in everyday life, has become a symbol of the debt crisis and the economic downturn. “Since we rolled out the euro in France, we gave up our purchasing power,” fumes Viviane Vangic, 37, in the Paris city centre. Eighty-five percent of Germans believe that the euro has pushed up prices, according to a recent survey. And Maria Angeles in Madrid says that “when we went to the euro, what used to cost 100 pesetas now costs a euro” or 160 pesetas. Although the statistics do not bear out this impression, showing about two-percent inflation each year over the last decade, the accusation of a built-in price hike is widespread among those who remember their old currency. This is particularly true among the newcomers to the euro. “All the prices have gone up since we adopted the euro. It has always been hard for pensioners to make ends meet,” says Elena, a 72-year-old in Bratislava, Slovakia, which adopted the euro in 2009. “But now young families are also struggling to make a living.” Younger Europeans, who are suffering from disproportionately high unemployment in many countries, have little memory of their national currencies and take the euro for granted. “I don’t even know to convert anymore. I count in euros,” said Stephanie Jordan, a 23-year-old Parisian. “I am committed to the euro-since I’ve been spending money it’s been in euros,” said Ann Hillig, a 24-year-old in Berlin. For her the mighty deutschmark, for which Germans profess their love in poll after poll, is now a distant memory. Hillig says she hopes that the euro has a bright future ahead of it and finds it “exciting to flip over coins and say,’oh, this one comes from there or there’,” she said, referring to the national symbols from each of the 17 member states on the back of every euro coin. Moving from one country to another with the same bills and coins is generally seen as one of the great strengths of the euro, eliminating the expense, inconvenience and waste of converting currencies. But tough economic times have diminished that advantage. “You don’t have to change money when travelling but now I don’t travel anymore because it’s expensive,” says Rodny Kamil, 29, a fish seller in Bratislava. “My life has got more difficult since the euro adoption but not only the currency, also the times have changed. With the euro, I have a feeling that I can buy less for the same amount of money than I could a few years ago. So in order to buy what I need, I have to work more.” His compatriot Jano Bosansky, a 50-year-old entrepreneur, is sceptical about the future of the euro-zone. “We are saving richer indebted member states, lending money to them,” he said. At the same time “we are a cheap workforce and everything is more expensive.” In Spain, 70 percent of citizens believe that the euro does them little or no good, according to a recent survey. But in Greece, epicenter of the debt crisis, nostalgia for the drachma has not yet taken hold. “If we returned to the drachma we would fall into poverty, it makes no sense, really,” says Angeliki, a retired Athenian. Kerstin Bode-Rau, a German lawyer in her 40s, found that “the euro has strengthened cohesion in Europe, it forces us to work together.” But she admits feeling a “rational” attachment to the European common currency, compared to the more emotional link she had to the deutschmark of her youth. And within the EU, the euro is hardly the envy of the periphery. The British are less interested than ever and elsewhere, the eagerness to join the club is curdling. For the first time since 2005, more Lithuanians now say they are opposed to the euro than support it, according to a recent survey. — AFP

BERLIN: Germany has undoubtedly benefited from 10 years of the euro, analysts agree, but the single currency is not the only reason for the success of Germany’s export-driven economy, Europe’s biggest. Chancellor Angela Merkel has made no bones about the advantages for Germany of the euro, which went into circulation as banknotes and coins on January 1, 2002, and whose future she has been grimly racing to shore up. “As an exporting nation, Germany has particularly benefited from the euro,” she told lawmakers in her most recent speech to the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag. “This is true not only for big companies but also for small and medium-sized companies,” she said. Machinery, chemical products, heavy-goods vehicles and cars-Germany sells these manufactured products with strong added value throughout the world. But in its key market, the 17-nation euro-zone, the euro means it no longer needs to hedge against losses from exchange rate fluctuations. “With a single currency zone, all the uncertainties about exchange rates (within today’s euro-zone) disappear,” Henrik Uterwedde, deputy director of the FrancoGerman Institute in Ludwigsburg, pointed out. For Germany’s car industry which boasts heavy hitters such as Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen, this has certainly been good news. Since the euro was introduced, German carmakers have saved between 300-500 million euros ($400-660 million) annually on transaction costs, according to Juergen Pieper, analyst at German bank Metzler. Ferdinand Fichtner, economist at the Berlinbased DIW economic institute, highlighted the importance of the euro-zone as a marketplace for German goods. “About 40 percent of its exports are destined for

the euro-zone and 20 percent for the rest of the European Union,” he said. Some of the non-euro-zone EU countries also have currencies pegged to the single currency such as the Danish krone or Latvia’s lat, he said. Domestically much rides on Germany’s exports too. Nearly three million jobs in Germany depend on exports to the euro-zone while 4.4 million depend on

BERLIN: Chancellor Angela Merkel makes no bones about the advantages for Germany of the euro, which went into circulation as banknotes and coins on January 1, 2002, and whose future she has been grimly racing to shore up. exports to the EU as a whole, according to a study by the Prognos research institute published recently in the German business daily Handelsblatt. Trade within today’s euro-zone has been boosted by

the euro, McKinsey management consultants said attributing two-thirds of German growth in the last 10 years to the euro’s introduction. Germany has also felt the benefits indirectly. Southern euro-zone countries, traditionally more prone to inflation, have enjoyed better credit conditions due to a single interest rate fixed by the European Central Bank, encouraging them to buy German goods. While the deutschmark was regarded as a safe haven currency, as is the case for the Swiss franc currently, the euro is less susceptible to strong appreciation on the currency market. “And as a result, exported products benefit from competitive advantages,” Frank Mattern, director of McKinsey Germany, said. Nevertheless, the German economy does not entirely owe its success to the euro, a point underscored recently by Anton Boerner, head of the German Exporters Federation. Asking the rhetorical question: “Is there life for Germany after the euro?”, he immediately answered: “Yes there is.” The Ifo economic institute has struck a similar note while another institute, the DIW, notes that the euro is just one factor in Germany’s success story. It points to the competitive advantages of Germany, which does not have an overall minimum wage, having sought to keep the lid on big salary increases. For years, trade unions accepted only modest wage rises to save jobs, especially when faced with relocation. Reforms by Social Democrat former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in 2003 to tackle unemployment helped kickstart the country’s economy after a long rough patch. By gradually pushing back the retirement age and reducing unemployment benefit and social welfare charges, Germany reduced its costs and overtook its neighbors who have not swallowed the same bitter pill. — AFP

Asian stocks mixed on thin Boxing Day trade

HANOI: Residents walk next to concrete pillars of a skytrain project under construction in Hanoi yesterday. Vietnam’s big cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh-City are facing serious traffic problems but many major infrastructure projects aimed at easing the problems got delayed. — AFP

Japan, Myanmar eye investment pact TOKYO: Japan and Myanmar agreed yesterday to launch negotiations aimed at clinching a bilateral investment pact, Kyodo news reported, as the isolated nation gradually opens up after decades of tight military rule. Japan hopes to promote Myanmar’s transition towards democracy through stronger ties, Kyodo said, as Myanmar’s new civilian government, which took power in March, begins to implement political reforms and re-engage with the global community. A series of changes has been initiated by President Thein Sein aimed at pushing for the lifting of decades of Western sanctions and attracting much-needed foreign investment in the country formerly known as Burma. Meeting in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw, Japanese

Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba called on his counterpart, Wunna Maung Lwin, to free more political prisoners and to carry out upcoming by-elections in a fair manner, Kyodo said. Myanmar is the only country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that Japan has not inked investment pacts with. These treaties typically reduce barriers to companies investing in factories and to corporate acquisitions. Myanmar’s army, which has ruled the former British colony for half a century, formally handed over power in March to the civilian president, a retired general, who has begun reforms aimed at reviving an economy crippled by sanctions over human rights abuses. Gemba is also due to meet pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday. — Reuters

HONG KONG: Asian markets were mixed in thin Boxing Day trade yesterday, amid ongoing concerns over Europe’s fiscal woes and investor caution in the last trading week of the year. Japanese shares closed 1.00 percent higher, or 84.18 points, to 8,479.34, Seoul finished the day 0.56 percent lower, or 10.52 points, at 1,856.70, while Chinese shares ended down 0.67 percent, or 14.67 points, at 2,190.11. Taiwan shares lost 0.26 percent, or 18.15 points, at 7,092.58, with Manila gained 0.34 percent, or 14.82 points, to 4,387.06. Financial markets in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, New Zealand and Malaysia were closed yesterday for a public holiday. New York and other major Western markets were also closed yesterday for the Christmas holiday. Chinese shares were weighed down by concerns over whether policymakers would further ease monetary policy after cutting bank reserve levels earlier this month for the first time in three years to revive a slowing economy. Tokyo’s rise tracked an upswing on Wall Street Friday as dealers across the Pacific reacted to upbeat US economic data and a move by lawmakers to extend temporar y tax breaks and unemployment benefits, ending earlier Republican threats to block the moves. US new home sales rebounded and durable goods orders also came out better-than-expected, helping to buoy the market. The absence for the rest of the year of scheduled euro-zone events that could aggravate market fears about the region’s debt woes lifted sentiment somewhat, said Hideyuki

Ishiguro, super visor at investment strategy at Okasan Securities. But Tokyo’s benchmark index could still run out of steam with participants expected to take a wait-and-see approach until fund managers return from the holiday in the US market, said Kenichi Hirano, operating officer at Tachibana Securities. “They must have trimmed long positions before the break,” Hirano told Dow Jones Newswires. “Given firm US economic indicators, they may start buying back once they return.” The European Central Bank’s move last week to give hundreds of billions of euros in cheap loans to under-pressure lenders was seen as a doubleedged sword as it gave a lifeline but also exposed the region’s massive fiscal problems. On Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 3.6 percent to end the week at 12,294.00 points. The techfocused Nasdaq rose 2.5 percent for the week and the broader S&P 500 added 3.7 percent. The rise came after weekly claims for US unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level since April 2008, while data from Germany also set a more positive tone. Germany’s Ifo business sentiment index defied analysts’ expectations and rose to 107.2 points in December from 106.6 in November. On currency markets, the dollar barely moved at 77.99 yen in Asian trade yesterday, little changed from 78.06 yen in New York Friday. The euro was at $1.3062 and 101.86 yen, also little changed from $1.3040 and 101.86 yen in New York Friday. —AFP

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

business

Capital Standards - Industry research

Kuwait banking sector bullish CMA could augment regulation, transparency KUWAIT: Kuwaiti banking system is one of the strongest in the MENA region benefiting from a robust financial profile, strong support mechanism and limited competition from foreign banks. There are a total of 10 local banks and 9 international banks currently operating in the country. The banking system is in the evolvement phase with tighter regulations as well as development of new and better products. The banking sector growth is stemmed by a supportive government policy and is further assisted by higher than average capitalization. This largely offsets the risks related to operating in a mono-line economy with a narrow customer base, and limited business opportunity. Moreover the strong protection from the government backed by rich energy resources helps these banks in competing with foreign banks. Lack of a well diversified economy with concentration towards two sectors viz Real Estate and Investments, promotes latent credit risk. Deposit concentration with respect to government and quasi-government deposits creates concentration within the funding portfolio, however the levels of these deposits historically have been stable which minimizes the deposit concentration risk. During 2008 there was significant impact on the investment and the real estate sector which account for almost 1/3rd of the total bank credit. The lack of proper risk management measures within the investment companies led to significant losses. Most investment companies that relied on short term credit were unable to service their obligation, leading to a significant impact on the asset quality of the banks. Though the government took initiatives through the implementation of the financial stability program, this only made a limited impact. The current political uprising in many countries in the MENA region is also expected to have an impact on the asset quality of the banks over the next few quarters especially the ones which have operations or investment exposures in these sovereigns. The financial performance of banks in Kuwait are likely to improve coupled with lower provisioning due to declining NPLs, and prospective growth in credit from the Kuwait Development Plan. Positive growth The banking Industry in the MENA region has registered a positive growth in spite of the recent political unrest in the region. The banking sector in the three largest economies in the region viz. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar have fared better compared to their counterparts in Europe. Liquidity worries still persist in UAE banking sector due to a decline in deposits. The deposits had initially increased during the Middle East political crisis due to inflows from other regional countries and had reached a peak during April 2011. Since then the levels have declined by 5.4% till date. The banks in the MENA region are primarily benefited by strong capital adequacy ratios. Stronger support from sovereigns backed by low debt to GDP ratio is another positive factor with

Kuwait Bahrain, Western Union US Dollar Winners KUWAIT: Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange-Western Union 1st Draw was conducted on 18th December 2011. Following Lucky Winners will receive US$ 500/= each. Srl

Trans No.

622-152-6040

Mohammad Afzal Noor Mohammad

Name

863-110-8984

Alona A Nulo

945-713-1090

Mukhtar Rezq Hussain

890-652-0205

Fatma M Dellva

866-614-5976

Srinivasu Rao

632-183-5965

Ahmed Raza

743-058-2240

Abdul Naseer Moideen Koya

359-648-1283

Ahymad Ali M Alhindi

078-087-3117

Ahmad Rasheed Alazmi

10. 412-185-9972

Hussain Ali Akab Saif

11. 014-596-1991

Hafiz Ur Rahman Habib Rahman\

12. 184-559-7790

Ibrar Hussain

13. 755-622-2509

Kasim Ahmed Khan

14. 213-155-6987

Nazmul Hossain

15. 509-117-9292

Eyad Mamdouh Mahmoud Abdul Rahman

16. 904-142-7012

Aftab Alam

17. 637-684-4173

Ann Michelle M Banua

18. 958-208-1696

Nabeel Butt Mohamad Islam Butt

19. 885-595-5730

Mohammad Rizwan Qaisar

20. 296-610-6798

Majid Khan Sulaeman Khan

21. 539-175-4859

Efigenia Gonzales

22. 677-642-9574

Thawab Abdullah Al Mutairi

23. 355-242-9617

Hassan Puthanpediyal

24. 902-576-4368

Amir S M Zalzala

25. 123-040-5790

Uma Sankar Gaya Prasad

26. 773-679-2639

Ajour Milouda

27. 425-623-5992

Mohammad Shoukat

regards to their operating environment. Most banks are funded by high amount of short term deposits which are cheaper compared to long term funding sources. The banks from the GCC region have less exposure to distressed assets globally. Out of GCC banks, only banks in Kuwait and Oman have shown a decline in their operating performance, the primary reason for which was a weak economic condition and in case of Kuwait the significant exposure towards troubled investment and real estate firms. Banks in the GCC region have stronger fundamentals than banks in Europe or the US due to their minimal downside risk. This combined with the growth in the region and the economic surplus supported by the hydrocarbon reserves enables banks to garner strong support from their respective sovereigns. However, the profits are likely to remain under pressure during the next two years. Kuwait The banking sector in Kuwait is characterized by high single party and industry exposures as well as concentrated funding structure. The credit growth in the market is subdued due to the aftermath of the global economic crisis which impacted most of the investment as well as real estate companies, coupled with a lack of government spending on projects. The government spending is essential to provide stimulus to the economy and help the banking sector to get back on track through an expansion in credit driven by the private sector. However the government stimulus has fallen short of its expected target, but however a turnaround is expected in the expansion of bank credit by middle of 2012. The plans of the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK), with regards to the investment companies come as a positive move in formulating a supervisory body to monitor their activities. The establishment of the CMA is likely to help implement better regulatory practices, and transparency within the companies listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange. The declining charge offs backed by

Subbalaxmi G Mudliar

29. 546-707-9757

Ali Obaid Daifallah Al Daihani

30. 212-183-4874

Azer Boles Saliba

Next Draws will be conducted on 18th Jan 2012 for 30 winners of USD 500 each and 20th Feb 2012 for 30 winners of USD 500 each and one Grand Draw for USD 5000/= among the customers who send money through Western Union from Kuwait Bahrain International Exchange Company. All send-money transactions till 15th February 2012 will be included automatically in the draw.

Regulatory Environment The operating environment which has been nonconductive for credit growth is likely to improve with the government stimulus provided by the execution of the Kuwait Development Plan. Since the pace of implementation of the development plans of the government is slow, a visible improvement in the credit growth can only be expected by the end of H2 2012. The increase in government surplus backed by the high oil prices supports the development plans of the government. According to the IMF forecast the economy is likely to grow by 5.7% this year compared to 4.5% in 2010. The regulatory environment remains strict on cautious growth with measures taken such as the implementation of the CMA and the combined plans of the CMA and CBK to bring about transparency within the companies listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange. Tepid growth The banking sector in Kuwait witnessed weak growth in credit after the recession, primarily due to the failure of some investment companies and the subdued investment appetite. The growth which was above 15% during the pre crisis period is only above 2% for Q2 2011 yoy, which shows that the economy requires stimulus from the government in terms of Kuwait Development plan for further growth in credit.

Dubai’s ‘Park Towers’ voted ‘world’s best’ DUBAI: One of the UAE’s most iconic projects, ‘Park Towers’ in the DIFC, has been voted the ‘world’s best’ in the ‘Best Mixed-Use Development’ category of the prestigious International Property Awards, held in London this month. The globally recognized award is the jewel in the crown of a string of accolades received by DAMAC Properties in 2011, including being named ‘Developer of the Year’ in the Big Project BGreen Awards. President of the International Property Awards, Stuart Shield, says, “Winning a coveted World’s Best award is a huge accolade for companies. They have demonstrated the height of excellence in their field and proved themselves capable of winning against the most accomplished property companies in the world. This global recognition puts them at the pinnacle of the international property arena.” The Park Towers development was propelled to the International Property Awards after scooping the Arabian Property Awards last month with five honors. The unique architectural design is the stand-out feature of the award winning development in the DIFC. The twin elliptical shaped towers change shape as they rise, with no two floor plates the same. The towers’ form expands from the base, with the maximum floor plates achieved at the mid-point, before receding until they reach the crest. Triangular, energy-reducing, solar glass panels comprise the external facade. Every panel is a different size, which essentially

created a giant 3D puzzle, which needed to be solved with highly complex computer modelling and controlled fabrication. The International Property Award for Park Towers and The Big Project BGreen Award for ‘Developer of the Year’ represent the culmination of a year defined by awards success for the developer. “These awards are validation from our industry peers that our strategic approach to sustainable development has been the right course of action in a challenging market” said Niall Mc Loughlin, Senior Vice President of DAMAC Properties. DAMAC was recognized and applauded in the Big Project Awards for delivering more units in the UAE than any other developer in 2011. The company completed 21 buildings comprising of 4,072 units this year to date. “Our primary focus for the past two years has been construction and delivery. We are one of a handful of Dubai developers that has still been building and delivering to customers even during the downturn” Mc Loughlin added. “This has been DAMAC Properties’ most successful awards year to date. The string of internationally recognized awards we have received this year reaffirms our position as one of the leading regional developers, and one of the most highly regarded developers in the world” said Niall Mc Loughlin. DAMAC Properties also received a gold five-star Arabian Property Award for ‘Best High-Rise Architecture’ for its luxury ‘Al Jawharah’ tower in Saudi Arabia, and a highly commended prize for the company’s website www.damacproperties.com.

Abraaj sells Acibadem, buys stake in Integrated Healthcare Holdings

Mohammad Nazir 28. 750-684-3724

the improving asset quality is likely to drive profits in the near term. Furthermore, most of the Kuwaiti banks are well capitalized providing them with sufficient loss absorption capacity. The Capital Adequacy Ratios are well above their counterparts in other GCC countries as well as in Asia. The undiversified nature of the private sector in Kuwait primarily contributes to the credit risk concentration within a few sectors. There is also weakness within the corporate governance framework of the banks in Kuwait, which pertains to lack of proper transparency that materializes from related party exposures and lack of independent board oversight in most cases.

The fear of an impending credit crisis in Europe and unrest in the Middle East region could further slowdown credit growth. The loan growth has not kept pace with the growth in deposits over the past two years on an average. The deposit growth is still at lower levels which hinder funding capacity to fund further loan growth. With the central bank proposition towards the banks to maintain their loan to deposit ratio at 85%, this will require further need to infuse funding. Since the primary drivers of credit growth before the crisis were investment and real estate companies which have been significantly impacted during the crisis, they are not likely to drive the next phase of the expansion in credit. However the government stimulus towards economy in the form of more infrastructure development activities is likely to benefit some large real estate firms and a few subcontractors. The banks have increased their capital recently to further strengthen their capital adequacy. However a higher growth in deposits is required to improve the liquidity. Since the deposit growth has not kept pace with the loan growth during the recent period this has created a high loans to deposit ratio for most banks. During 2009 and 2010 8 out of 9 banks have undergone capital increase. To quote a few, capital increase was carried out by Burgan Bank which completed a KD 100.8mn rights issue on May 2010, NBK increased their capital to KD 360mn through a rights issue and Boubyan bank increased their capital to KD 174.8mn in February 2010. ABK had also made a rights issue to increase its capital by 25% to KD 144.12mn in May 2010. Though this has improved the CARs, under a stress case scenario where all the current levels of NPLs are likely to be impaired completely, the capital adequacy could be under pressure. Boubyan bank has shown significant improvement in the deposits and loan portfolio due to the newly implemented strategy which marks a strong entry into the Islamic finance market both in the retail and corporate segments. The bank also benefits from a strong ownership support from NBK which is the largest conventional bank in Kuwait, holding 47% stake in the bank. The bank through its fully owned subsidiary viz. Boubyan Capital was incorporated in late 2007 however it became fully operational in August 2010. The gross loans to customer deposits ratio for Boubyan bank is 110.8% which is high showing dependence on borrowing other than deposits to fund lending. This is due to the aggressive expansion undertaken by the bank. It is worth noting that the increase in loan portfolio is being funded by the capital increase undertaken. The growth in deposits as well as their loans was achieved through a four step process where the bank had contracted McKinsey for implementing its strategy and the second step through increasing the capital by 50% which helped improve capital efficiency by more than 30%. The third step was to increase precautionary provisioning. Finally, the bank has boosted its human resource capital by recruiting experts in the sector.

Arif Naqvi, Founder and Group Chief Executive of Abraaj Capital

KUWAIT: Abraaj Capital, a leading private equity manager investing in the rapidly growing economies of the Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Asia, announced yesterday that it has entered into an agreement to divest its entire 50% shareholding in Acibadem Saglik Yatirimlar? Holding and affiliated companies (“Acibadem”) to Integrated Healthcare Holdings Sdn. Bhd (“IHH”) and Khazanah Nasional Bhd (“Khazanah”). Under the terms of the agreement, IHH and Khazanah shall acquire a combined 75% shareholding in Acibadem from Abraaj and Turkey’s Aydinlar family through a combination of a cash payment and the exchange of newly issued IHH shares. Upon completion of the transaction, Abraaj will become a shareholder in IHH, which is one of the largest emerging market healthcare service providers, operating over 3,000 beds across 76 healthcare facilities in Asia. The combined group will be amongst the largest hospital groups operating globally and across emerging markets. IHH is currently owned 70% by Pulau Memutik Ventures Sdn. Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Khazanah, and 30% by MBK Healthcare Partners Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui & Co (“Mitsui”). Commenting on the announcement, Arif Naqvi, Founder and Group Chief Executive of Abraaj Capital, said “This transaction demonstrates that quality assets in

growth markets can outperform and generate significant returns - even during challenging periods. The transaction, which is one of the largest to come out of emerging markets, also reinforces the increasing opportunities for collaboration among emerging markets participants.” He continued: “It has been extremely rewarding for Abraaj Capital to be a part of the Acibadem growth story in which the Aydinlar family has been an exceptional partner. We now look forward to this exciting new journey in partnership with Khazanah and Mitsui”. The transaction generates an attractive return for Abraaj which will receive half its proceeds in cash and half in newly issued IHH shares on which it will aim to generate future returns. The investment in IHH follows Abraaj’s expansion into Southeast Asia through the opening of its Singapore operations earlier this year. Abraaj invested in Acibadem in December 2007. Today, Acibadem, through its operating company Acibadem Saglik Hizmetleri ve Ticaret AS Holding, which is one of Turkey’s largest private healthcare groups, operating over 1,800 beds across 14 hospitals and eight medical centers in Turkey. Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs acted as joint financial advisors to Abraaj Capital and the Aydinlar family on the transaction.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

TECHNOLOGY

China city tightens control of microblogs SHANGHAI: Shanghai will require microblog users to register under their real names from yesterday, state media said, the latest local government in China to implement the rule after a spate of violent protests. Beijing and the southern province of Guangdong have also ordered users of weibos-microblogs similar to Twitter-to register using their real names, as authorities tighten their grip on the Internet. The move comes amid a surge in social unrest that

has been concentrated in the wealthy manufacturing heartland of Guangdong. Residents protesting against land seizures and a power plant in the province recently posted photos and reports of their demonstrations on weibos, defying official efforts to block news of the incidents. With more than half a billion Chinese now online, authorities are concerned about the power of the Internet to influence public opinion in a country that

maintains tight controls on its traditional media outlets. Shanghai said the new rules aim to “foster a healthy Internet culture” and improve management over social networking, the official Xinhua news agency reported late Sunday. The guidelines will apply to both private and corporate users in Shanghai. Previously, users have been able to set up weibo accounts under assumed names, making it more difficult for authorities to

track them, and allowing them to set up new accounts if existing ones are shut down by censors. Despite official censorship of the web, ordinary Chinese are increasingly using weibos to vent their anger and frustration over official corruption, scandals and disasters. A weibo user is believed to have broken the news of a deadly high-speed rail crash in China in July that provoked widespread condemnation of the government-much of it online.— AFP

Nokia N9 users enjoy full Arabic support Enhanced smartphone experience with new software upgrade

TOKYO: Japan’s auto giant Toyota Motor unveils the new compact hybrid car “Aqua”, equipped with a 1.5-litter gasoline engine and an electric motor to drive the five-seater body in Tokyo yesterday. The world’s highest efficiency vehicle, which achieved 35.4km/litter for fuel efficiency, started to sell here. —AFP

iPads, Kindles force papers further away from print

million iPads and Kindles may have been unwrapped on Sunday according to tentative analyst estimates - an influx of portable technology that is expected to hasten a decline in the already faltering sales of printed newspapers, adding pressure on traditional business models that have traditionally supported so many titles around the country. Publishers, preparing for the handheld arrivals, took the chance to break with a tradition that dates back to 1912, when publishers agreed not to produce Christmas Day papers to give paperboys, among others, a day off. For the first time in its 190-year history the Sunday Times published a digitalonly edition on 25 December - with the normally paid for product given away in the hope of luring sought after digital subscribers. Boxing Day publication, for dailies like the Guardian, has also become a necessity to ensure digital editions for new Kindle and iPad owners to read. The result is that what was a traditionally quiet period for news has become a critical moment to showcase new work, at a time when an industry already riven by the phone-hacking scandal and under judicial examination, is facing what can be described as an existential crisis. Fifty years ago two national dailies - the Daily Mirror and the Daily Express - sold more than 4m copies each; today the bestselling Sun sells 2.6m. In the last year alone, printed sales declined by 10% for daily broadsheets and by 5% for daily tabloids and when the News of the World stopped printing last July 600,000 copy sales simply disappeared. The knock-on impact of the decline has been a push for digital readers that have seen newspapers like the Daily Mail win

however, will update in real time. Daily titles in Birmingham and Bath have also gone the same way in recent years - while pre-tax profits at Johnston Press, the owner of the Scotsman and the Yorkshire Post, fell from £131.5m five years ago to £16m last year. Roger Parry, chair of Johnston Press since 2009, believes the party has been over for several years, since Craigslist and Google began to take classified advertising away from local press. “I think the future is for local multimedia companies which focus on signing up 50% plus of the households in their area on some form of subscription - that’s what happens in Scandinavia,” he says. For journalists there will have to be a shift from acting as “print writers to multimedia curators. There will be more content created by local people. The National Union of Journalists will hate this but it is fact of life.” With the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, wanting to license local television stations in 20 cities, that gives local media a new way to reach audiences, although some - such as Witney TV in Oxfordshire - have already made a start with a daily offering of local video news. David Cameron, the local MP, regularly appears, but the site is staffed by volunteers, and its content limited - underlining how tough the digital economics are. There are commercial pressures in national media too. Although the tabloid media have faced criticism at the Leveson inquiry, not least from the likes of Hugh Grant or Steve Coogan, popular titles remain in fair commercial health. Trinity Mirror’s stable of nationals - the Daily and Sunday Mirror, the People, and the Record titles in Scotland - will earn about £70m this year, although they made £86m the year before. The profit margin at the Daily Mail hov-

5m unique visitors a day - compared with its printed sale of 2m - but struggle to generate revenues to match. The Mail generated £16m from its website last year, out of £608m overall. Some specialist titles, such as the Financial Times, are managing the transition well - it has 260,000 digital subscribers - up 40% this year - compared with 337,000 buyers of the printed product, where sales are down by 12%. Digital subscribers generate £180 a year and the paper, priced at £2.50 on the newsstand on a weekday, is profitable. John Ridding, the managing director, says that 30% of the FT’s revenues come from digital sales and that “within two or three years” digital readers and revenues will account for more than those from the printed business. During a typical week the number of people signing on digitally is “five to 10 times” what it was a year earlier, as the newspaper looks to a future beyond print. Others, though, are under pressure. Local newspapers have been hit particularly hard, with 31 titles closing in the last year. Most of those shutting are freesheets - with titles distibuted in Yeovil, Scarborough and Harlow lost. Historic paid for titles have seen their frequency cut: the Liverpool Daily Post is to go weekly in print in the new year, after sales dropped as low as 6,500. Its website,

ers at around 10%. The challenge for the popular press is retaining printed sales - but the financial pressure is acute elsewhere. Three of the traditional broadsheets - the Independent, the Times and the Guardian all lose money in a market where five titles compete for 1.3 million print buyers. Their readers are more likely to make the digital transition too, leaving newspapers no option but to embrace new forms of reporting - such as the live blog - and seed content at digital hubs, such as Facebook. The Guardian may generate £40m in digital revenues from its largely free offerings, but some of that comes from its dating sites. The Times titles have gone for a low price subscription model, which has attracted 111,000 takers, but which generates £11m a year against an editorial budget estimated at £100m. Some, like Paul Zwillenberg, from Boston Consulting Group, says serious newspapers “will have to cut their cloth because there will be a smaller pool of revenue and profit”. But he acknowledges that by pursuing different business models, they may increase their chances of success. The result, though, is that was once an industry of one business model: a printed product sold on the newstand is fracturing into very different types of mainly digital content companies. — Guardian

KUWAIT: Nokia has announced the release of its latest software update for its flagship Nokia N9 smartphone across all key markets in the region, as part of its ongoing commitment to deliver the best user experience for its smart phone customers. Among the highlights of the software update includes the launch of full Arabic support enabling Arabic speaking consumers to view the entire user interface in Arabic, providing them with a superior smartphone experience in their preferred language. Sally Hamandi, Communications Manager of Nokia Lower Gulf, said, “Arabic is the third most spoken language in the world with more than 300 million native speakers. Nokia remains committed to providing Middle East consumers with a holistic smartphone experience and the Arabic functionality is the perfect example of this approach. Being able to now offer such support with enhanced features means not only providing a better experience for existing Nokia N9 Arabic speaking consumers, but also the potential to reach new users who only speak Arabic.” “The new software update makes the Nokia N9 our most user friendly and versatile handset to date as its designed to respond to the ever changing lifestyle needs of our smartphone users with enhanced features such as Swype keyboard, Twitter photo sharing, which helps connect people by sharing their lives instantly with friends and family,” added Hamandi. The latest updates released by Nokia also provide enhanced home screen, accommodating more applications in a much simpler manner, guaranteeing users seamless and uncomplicated control of the handset whereby N9 users can instantaneously switch between apps, media players and games, in addition to checking out the enhanced calendar and battery monitoring. Near Field Communication (NFC) is yet another component of the upgrade package, now supporting full NFC tag reading, thereby enabling consumers to make the best out of all the NFC opportunities available in the region. Nokia has a tradition

of NFC innovation and has been first to market in commercial roll outs of NFC globally. Nokia is now making its NFC presence actively felt in the Gulf region, through consumer education campaigns. For photography lovers, Nokia has included a new range of photo editing filters, such as grayscale, sepia and even negative effects. These new applications have been added to enhance the

Spam in November 2011: Phishing attacks on Habbo increase tenfold

Internet scams trick vacationers with fake rentals FLORIDA: A family from Suriname was the first of a string of guests to arrive at Steve Chase’s million-dollar South Florida home expecting a vacation - only, Chase didn’t invite any of them. All had paid thousands of dollars and had rental contracts for the Fort Lauderdale house. They were the victims of a growing number of scams that post occupied homes as available on vacation rental websites. “I said, ‘I hate to say it to you, but this house is not for rent. You’ve been scammed,’” Chase recalled telling the family. “It’s so sad,” Chase told the South Florida Sun Sentinel newspaper. “These were good people that had good intentions, and they were just shocked.” Experts say Chase’s would-be houseguests probably never get their money back or see the scam artists punished because the fraud crosses international borders, making investigation and prosecution difficult. Websites offering vacation home rentals act as clearinghouses where homeowners can list their properties. Prospective renters then connect with the owners independently of the websites. Scam artists are increasingly taking advantage of that arrangement, falsely listing properties and requiring unsuspecting renters to pay upfront by wiring the money or sending a check to a post office box, experts say. Chase’s neighbor, 85-year-old June Beard, also has received multiple visits from people who believed they had rented her beachfront home. Beard neither listed the property nor collected the rent. “The poor people who have come and expect to rent our houses, it’s a shame,” she said. Fort Lauderdale police say they have been stymied in efforts to locate, arrest and prosecute the culprits. “Our problem is that the victims are from Canada and other countries,” said Sgt. Steve Scelfo, head of the Fort Lauderdale police’s Economic Crimes Unit. “The money’s not actually coming through Fort Lauderdale. We don’t have standing jurisdictionally to investigate it.” Further complicating the cases is the fact that the homeowners such as Chase are not being victimized. — AP

nline scammers have long taken an interest in spam mailings with fake notifications imitating those sent out by social networking sites. At the same time, social network accounts have become permanent targets for phishers. In November, spammers focused on Flickr, Twitter and LinkedIn while phishers showed a preference for Habbo. Flickr is not often exploited by spammers. However, in November users of the photo-sharing site received emails sent from Flickr accounts that contained links to a pharmaceutical site. Twitter fell victim to a similar spammer trick, with invitations to join the social networking site that looked like they were sent on behalf of Twitter users. The invitations contained a rather steamy message and a link that redirected users to a porn site. In addition to the traditional fake notifications containing links to pharmaceutical sites, November witnessed an unusual mass mailing that also involved LinkedIn. The ‘From’ field of the message imitated an official notification from LinkedIn, but the actual message warned the recipient that a recent transaction made via an e-pay system had been canceled. The cybercriminals had obviously got their wires crossed somewhere and sent a fake notification from the Nacha payment system that looked like it came from LinkedIn. The rise of Habbo to second place in terms of phishing attacks came as a major surprise this month; in October it had dropped out of the phishing Top 10 altogether. The share of attacks on this social networking site increased a staggering ten times. Meanwhile, the number of attacks

Sony, Samsung dissolve panel joint venture TOKYO: Japan’s Sony and South Korean rival Samsung are dissolving their joint venture in liquid crystal display panels as Sony tries to stanch years of losses in its TV business. Sony Corp said yesterday that Samsung Electronics Co. will buy all of Sony’s shares in the joint venture for about 1.08 trillion Korean won ($935 million) subject to a final agreement. The joint venture called S-LCD was set up in 2004. Sony, which fell behind in flat panel TVs, invested in a Samsung panel factory to ensure a steady supply of panels for its LCD TVs. Sony’s TV operation has lost money for seven straight years and the company is straining to return that key business to profit. The prices of TVs as well as panels have been

quality and opportunity for creative photography on the Nokia handset, rivaling regular point and shoot cameras. Nokia N9 users can install the update on their handsets easily. Once connected to the internet, users will be notified on the home screen that new updates are available. To proceed with the update, all that is required is to swipe the notification and follow the steps.

dropping so it makes more sense to buy panels at the market rate than to invest in production. Sony, which makes Bravia TV sets, does not make its own LCD panels. It said it will enter a new partnership with Samsung to buy panels, and will also continue buying panels from other manufacturers. Sony said it will suffer a loss of 66 billion yen ($846 million) for the third quarter of this fiscal year, which ends later this month, because of the declining value of investment in S-LCD. Getting out the production venture will produce substantial savings after January 2012, when the deal is completed, according to Sony. It was still unclear how Sony’s profit forecast for the fiscal year through March 2012 will be affected, said company spokesman Takashi Uehara. — AP

targeting Facebook grew slightly, placing it in 4th position. The holiday season The fraudsters have been taking advantage of the pre-holiday excitement and in anticipation of Christmas and the New Year are distributing mass mailings enticing users to leave their financial and personal data on a phishing site. Kaspersky Lab experts registered several mass mailings of fake notifications from Internet stores. The names of specific Internet stores were not used - the recipients were merely invited to look through a bill or click a link to check an order reference. Of course, the link led to malicious code. In addition to the main winter holidays mass mailings also targeted Thanksgiving celebrations in the US and the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. The emails exploiting the theme of Eid al-Adha were mostly in Turkish and advertised religious tourism. The ‘Thanksgiving’ emails advertised holiday gifts. Statistics In November, the top four leading spam sources remained largely unchanged, although Brazil and Indonesia swapped places. The general level of spam emanating from the Top 5 countries increased by 7.2 percentage points, with the contribution of each country increasing: India (+1.86 percentage points), South Korea (+2.31 percentage points), Indonesia (+2.29 percentage points), and Brazil (+0.12 percentage points). The share of malicious files found in all emails amounted to 3% an increase of 0.5 percentage points compared to October. The top two countries with the highest rates of email antivirus detection remained unchanged: Russia stayed out in front, 6 percentage points ahead of the US. Both countries showed an increase - 3.39 and 2.77 percentage points respectively - compared with October. November’s list of the most frequently detected malicious programs did not see many changes either. TrojanSpy.HTML.Fraud.gen topped the rating yet again, accounting for 12% of all malware spread via email - only 1 percentage point less than the previous month. In second place was Email-Worm.Win32.Mydoom.m, a mail worm whose only functions are to harvest email addresses and to send copies of themselves to these addresses. The percentage of phishing emails in all mail traffic doubled compared with October’s figure and averaged 0.02%. There were no online games among the Top 10 phishing targets. At the same time banking organizations remained firmly in the sights of the phishers - half of the Top 10 entries were banks.— Kaspersky Lab

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Years

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

health & science

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;50s women may have triggered obesity epidemic

Stressed Chinese fight back with pillows before Xmas SHANGHAI: Whirlwind of pillows bearing the names of bosses and teachers filled the air as hundreds of Chinese gathered to blow off stress in Shanghai, staging a massive pillow battle. The annual event marked its fifth year with such a surge in interest from stressed young office workers and students that organizers held two nights of pillow fighting before Christmas Day and plan another for Dec 30. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nowadays there are many white collar workers and students that are facing huge pressures at work and at school, so we hope to give them an outlet to release their stress before the end of the year,â&#x20AC;? said Eleven Wang, the founder and mastermind behind the epic pillow fights. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes we have pressure on us by

our bosses, teachers and exams, so today we can go crazy. Everyone will get to write onto the pillows the names of their bosses, teachers and exam subjects, and enjoy and vent to the maximum,â&#x20AC;? he added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After releasing the stress, we can once again face our daily life with joy.â&#x20AC;? Pillows were handed out at the door as participants entered, then emotion stoked by a rock concert, with many on the floor of the huge event space rocking and waving their pillows in time to the music. Then came the fighting. Pillows filled the air, with many combatants opting for throwing rather than using them to whack opponents. A few hapless participants shielded their heads with as many pillows as they could hold, but most

ventured eagerly in to the fray. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really enjoyed the fight, but my friend was useless. He joined in for two ticks and could not go on, he was afraid of getting beaten by other people,â&#x20AC;? said 24-year-old Chen Yi. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thought it was pretty meaningful. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just been working so much (at the office) and never get to break out in a sweat, so it felt really good.â&#x20AC;? Others gamely said they enjoyed the experience even though they ended up as attackees rather than attackers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know who pushed me, but all of a sudden I w a s i n t h e p i l e o f p i l l o w s, w h e re I became the target of many people, and was beaten by all sorts of people,â&#x20AC;? said universit y student Zhu Shishan. â&#x20AC;&#x153; Ver y meaningful.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Reuters

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LOS ANGELES: After long days discussing Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s obesity problem, Melinda Sothern has had enough of windowless conference rooms. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I need to exercise,â&#x20AC;? she says, pausing to review her plans in the San Diego Convention Center lobby. She plans to rent a bicycle in Coronado, Calif., and ride, fast and far. Sothern, 55, is a woman who practices what she preaches. And one of her messages about obesity is aimed at women like herself: mothers. Fat mothers. Thin mothers. And especially mothers-tobe. A leading fitness and nutrition expert at Louisiana State University, she has a theory that the tide of obesity that has swept the nation in the last two decades had its roots in what young mothers did, or didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do, in the postwar, suburban-sprouting 1950s. If sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right-and evidence is stacking up on her side-reproductive-age women may become the central focus of efforts to reverse Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fat problem. The obesity epidemic has multiple causes, Sothern acknowledges. Food has changed in the last five decades. Americans have become much more sedentary. But she thinks that obesity rates soared just when they did-in the 1980s-because a generation of young women decades earlier smoked, spurned breast-feeding and restricted their weight during numerous, closely spaced pregnancies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was the evil â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;50s. A perfect recipe for obesity,â&#x20AC;? she says. Sothern calls her theory â&#x20AC;&#x153;the obesity trinity.â&#x20AC;? And she thinks the key to getting Americans to slim down lies in studying those lessons from the past. Among her prescriptions for change: Women who are significantly overweight should be discouraged from having babies until they shed some pounds. A central part of Sothernâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theorythat obesity starts in the womb-is gaining currency with a growing number of doctors and researchers who say that reversing the epidemic, with its attendant cases of weightrelated illnesses such as diabetes, should begin by addressing nutrition in pregnancy and early-life feeding practices. â&#x20AC;&#x153; We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t completely understand how people become obese, when people become obese and why children become obese,â&#x20AC;? says Michael L. Power, a senior research associate at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a coauthor of the book â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Evolution of Obesity.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;But children of parents in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;50s and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;60s may have started this off.â&#x20AC;? Sothern points to her own family as an example of the obesity trinity in action. Her mother was told by the obstetrician in the 1950s to gain less than 20 pounds during pregnancy. Smoking a pack of cigarettes a day was a good way to keep the weight down, the doctor said. Breast-feeding was not in vogue, so Sothern and her two siblings were bottle-fed formula. The kids were born within a span of four years. All three children-Sothern thinks itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no coincidence-battled with their weight as adults: Her brother is diabetic and her sister is obese. Sothern, at a healthy-looking 5 feet 3 and 129 pounds, has spent her adult life beating down a tendency to pack on weight by sticking to a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish and a regimen of dancing, biking, housework, gardening, sailing and strength training. Her story, she says, is nothing unusual. Women in the 1950s and 1960s-think Betty Draper on the hit TV show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mad Menâ&#x20AC;?-were generally advised to restrict weight gain in pregnancy to as little as 10 pounds. Inadequate nutrition in some of these women could easily have programmed their babies to catch up on growth during infancy-and studies suggest such growth spurts increase the risk of later obesity. Women smoked with abandon, unaware of the health risks. Smoking during pregnancy is thought to contribute to obesity risk in offspring because nicotine disrupts mechanisms in the body that control appetite, metabolic rate and fat storage. By the mid-1970s, breast-feeding in the US had hit an all-time low of 25 percent. Studies show that formula-fed babies have a higher risk for obesity than breast-fed babies, perhaps because of metabolic changes or because drinking formula from a bottle is passive and easy and generally done till a bottle is empty. And since breast-feeding can prevent ovulation, women using formulas were more apt to experience multiple pregnancies over a shorter period of time. Babies born close together can have inferior nutrition during gestation, which can permanently program their metabolism toward becoming overweight. Things only worsened with subsequent generations, according to Sothernâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theory. Over-nourished kids grew up to be over-nourished women, producing large babies. Large babies, just like too-small babies, are at height-

ened risk of obesity, says Sebastien Bouret, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. They are less sensitive to hunger cues and less sensitive to

CALIFORNIA: Nicole Neimeyer, holding a picture of herself, joined Weight Watchers in March 2009 and began to reshape not only her own health but that of her family. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;MCT insulin. Overweight women are more likely to have diabetes-and in a study in mice published last month, Bouret found that diabetes during pregnancy triggers obesity in the offspring. Today, about one-third of women are overweight when they enter pregnancy. And almost one-third of US babies are too fat by nine months. Statistics tell the tale. In 1960, middle-aged men were, on average, about 27 pounds lighter than middle-aged men in 2002, and women were more than 25 pounds lighter. In 1963, the average 10-year-old boy weighed 74 pounds and the average 10-year-old girl 77 poundscompared with 85 pounds and 88 pounds, respectively, in 2002. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is stunning, looking at pictures of kids in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;50s,â&#x20AC;? says Dr Matthew Gillman, a professor in the department of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They look scrawny.â&#x20AC;? Other changes were afoot in the mid-20th century, of course: the growth of suburbs, a car culture and modern conveniences. The fast-food craze was launched with the first McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in 1961. Nonetheless, Sothern thinks there must be more to the story for the changes to have happened the way they did, at warp speed: â&#x20AC;&#x153;There had to be physiological and metabolic changes in our bodies.â&#x20AC;? Indeed, scientists are coming to realize that subtle changes in our genetic materialtechnically known as epigenetic changes-can alter the way that genes are turned on and off, in ways that affect the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s functioning. Sothern thinks the obesity trinity tweaked our genetic material to make us prone to pack on pounds. If yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s young women may have gotten us into the obesity epidemic, todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s must be counted on to help us get out, Sothern said. She doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mince words when describing the necessary changes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Significantly overweight women should not have babies. Women should be physically active and have a healthy diet for at least a year before pregnancy,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do think we can de-program, but you have to be very aggressive.â&#x20AC;? Women should breast-feed for at least six months after childbirth orbetter yet-take one year off from work and breast-feed. They should not smoke. And after those babies become toddlers and enter preschool, they should have 60 minutes a day of recess plus a 40-minute physical education class. Reproductive-age women are, in fact, becoming attractive targets for change. In 2009, the Institute of Medicine introduced limits on how much weight an obese woman should gain during pregnancy; critics felt the board should have gone further. In January, US Surgeon General Regina M Benjamin launched a plan to increase the number of babies that are breast-fed for at least six months. A strategic plan to tackle obesity released in March by the National Institutes of Health highlights the period of before and during pregnancy as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a critical period to intervene.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The epidemic is partially reversible if we intervene at the right time,â&#x20AC;? Bouret says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we can convince women to have a better diet during pregnancy for the health of their babies, most women will do that.â&#x20AC;? It can take as little as two generations for our genes to be programmed in ways that tip us toward obesity. It may take more generations than that to reverse the damage done. But, Sothern says, we have to start somewhere. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We can reverse it. I think the next generation knows what is good for their babies.â&#x20AC;? Obesity doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be your destiny Nicole Neimeyer decided early in life that she was destined to be fat. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; MCT

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Twin probes to circle moon to study gravity field LOS ANGELES: The moon has come a long way since Galileo first peered at it through a telescope. Unmanned probes have circled around it and landed on its surface. Twelve American astronauts have walked on it. And lunar rocks and soil have been hauled back from it. Despite being well studied, Earth’s closest neighbor remains an enigma. Over the New Year’s weekend, a pair of spacecraft the size of washing machines are set to enter orbit around it in the latest lunar mission. Their job is to measure the uneven gravity field and determine what lies beneath - straight down to the core. Since rocketing from the Florida coast in September, the near-identical Grail spacecraft have been independently traveling to their destination and will arrive 24 hours apart. Their paths are right on target that engineers recently decided not to tweak their positions. “Both spacecraft have performed essentially flawlessly since launch, but one can never take anything for granted in this business,” said mission chief scientist Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The nail-biting part is yet to come. On New Year’s Eve, one of the Grail probes short for Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory - will fire its engine to slow down so that it could be captured into orbit. This move will be repeated by the other the following day. Engineers said the chances of the probes overshooting are slim since their trajectories have been precise. Getting struck by a cosmic ray may prevent the completion of the engine burn and they won’t get boosted into the right orbit. “I know I’m going to be nervous. I’m definitely a worrywart,” said project manager David Lehman of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the $496 million, three-month mission. Once in orbit, the spacecraft will spend the next two months flying in formation and chasing one another around the moon until they are about 35

miles (56 kilometers) above the surface with an average separation of 124 miles (200 kilometers). Data collection won’t begin until March. Previous missions have attempted to measure lunar gravity with mixed success. Grail is the first mission dedicated to this goal. As the probes circle the moon, regional changes in the lunar gravity field will cause them to speed up or slow down. This in turn will change the distance between them. Radio signals transmitted by the spacecraft will measure the slight distance gaps, allowing researchers to map the underlying gravity field. Using the gravity information, scientists can deduce what’s below or at the lunar surface such as mountains and craters and may help explain why the far side of the moon is more rugged than the side that faces Earth. The probes are officially known as Grail-A and Grail-B. Several months ago, NASA hosted a contest inviting schools and students to submit new names. The probes will be christened with the winning names after the second orbit insertion, Zuber said. Besides the one instrument on board, each spacecraft also carries a camera for educational purposes. Run by a company founded by Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, middle school students from participating schools can choose their own lunar targets to image during the mission. A trip to the moon is typically relatively quick. It took Apollo astronauts three days to get there. Since Grail was launched from a relatively small rocket to save on costs, the journey took 3 1/2 months. Scientists expect the mission to yield a bounty of new information about the moon, but don’t count on the US sending astronauts back anytime soon. The Constellation program was canceled last year by President Barack Obama, who favors landing on an asteroid as a stepping stone to Mars.—AP

Nepal’s AIDS orphans forced into parental role NEPAL: As dawn breaks, Nirmala Nepali steels herself for another day of cooking, cleaning, and back-breaking work to get food on the table-a struggle she has faced for many years. Yet she is still a child herself, thrown into the role of head of the household at the age of just six after her mother died of AIDS. Nirmala, now 15, has never been to school, never learned to read and write, and never had the sort of childhood enjoyed by her friends whose shouts of excitement drift into her home as they play outside. “If I don’t go out all day to collect firewood to sell, there is no food to eat. I have to work or my brother and sister will have empty stomachs,” she says. “I also do everything around the house-all the cooking and cleaning.” Nirmala rises at first light, makes sure her 13-year-old sister Sita and 10-year-old brother Suresh are fed and washed and then heads out for work. She spends all day collecting piles of wood in the forests below her tiny, mud and clay home in Biraltoli, a hamlet high in the hills an hour’s walk from Mangalsen, the main town in western Nepal’s impoverished Achham district. The money she earns — 100 rupees ($1.20) on a good day-means Sita and Suresh are able to go to school, enjoying opportunities she will never have. “I’d like to play but if I spend time playing it means we don’t eat,” she says. Nirmala’s father, a migrant labourer working in Mumbai, infected her mother with HIV on one of his visits home. He eventually died of an AIDS-related illness while he was in India. Nirmala’s story is all too common in remote Achham, one of the poorest regions in South Asia where health infrastructure was ravaged by a decade-long civil war that ended in 2006. Jobs are scarce and up to half of the young male population travel abroad-primarily to India-to find work. “Because of a lack of education they have unprotected sex with sex workers and contract HIV/AIDS, which they bring back to Achham. It’s a huge problem,” said Sharmila Shah, a UNICEF-funded village facilitator. The humanitarian organisation estimates that some 13,000 children have lost both parents to an HIV/AIDS epidemic sweeping Nepal’s rural communities, up to 1,500 of them in Achham. Bikram Augi, 17, cooks rotis for his 14-yearold sister Pashupati’s breakfast before leaving the mud and brick home they share high in the hills above Sanfebagar, a township of tin-roofed

shacks lining the Budhi Ganga river. He became head of his household at the age of nine when his mother, who was 32, died of AIDS-related illnesses. “I went to school that day. I remember it was a Friday which meant we had a half day. I came home and my mum looked like she was coming to the end,” Bikram tells AFP. “My sister and a neighbour were at home with my mother. When mum saw me she said: ‘This is my end time-look after your sister and take care of yourself.’ “I started to cry, and within 10 minutes of

attend his school, 90 minutes walk away. He is positive about the future and wants to pass his exams so that he can help educate others on the dangers of unprotected sex. But he is part a depressing cycle that shows no signs of being broken. Dhunki Nepali, 30, sits outside her ramshackle clay and stone home near Mangalsen cradling the toddler she knows she will probably never see grow up. She has been living with HIV since her husband infected her about 10 years ago.Dhunki’s youngest children, two-year-old

KATHMANDU: Fifteen year old Nepalese villager Nirmala Nepali stands among villagers .— AFP saying that to me she was dead.” Bikram found out through relatives a year later his father had also died, in Pune, India. He says at least 20 of his friends are also AIDS orphans. “From the day my mother died I have had to collect wood from the forest and bring it home. I’ve had to cook and clean and look after my sister,” he says. “Even when I was nine, I’d work the whole day and when I got home I’d go to bed and cry most of the night for my parents.” UNICEF and local charities have helped Bikram by providing school clothes, mattresses and food, allowing him to quit his job two years ago and

Rajesh and his four-year-old sister Yamshara, are undergoing tests and are yet to get the all-clear. But her eldest boy, Harka, nine, is HIV positive. She has not seen or heard from her husband since he went back to work in Mumbai soon after her positive test and does not know if he has been tested for HIV.Dhunki and Harka are receiving antiretroviral drugs provided by the government but she says she is becoming increasingly ill.”I’m starting to feel tired a lot and I’m suffering from a lot of mild fevers. “I’m taking medicine which I’m being given by the government but I’m worried that I will die and my children will be alone.”—AFP

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N

(Center left and right) Surour Alsamerai, General Manager, Human Resources and Saleem Sheikh, Chief Risk Officer with Gulf Bank graduates.

Diabetes seminar

ow do we improve quality of life and longevity in people with diabetes? A free seminar for the public by Indian Doctors Forum Diabetes shortens a person’s life by 10 years on an average. It is the major cause for the heart diseases, kidney failures, blindness, stroke and other neurological problems, gangrene, non healing ulcers and amputations and greatly reduces the quality of life in those affected. The quality of life is further decreased by frequent infections, high /low blood sugars, sexual difficulties, side effects of medications, psychosocial factors etc. This free seminar, under the patronage of Kuwait Medical Association, Indian Doctors Forum in co-operation with Dasman Diabetes Center and sponsored by AMMA Kuwait, aims to educate and empower people with diabetes to manage their health better and to have better quality of life now and in the future. There will be informative lectures in simple and easy to follow English by top experts in the specialties of diabetes, cardiology, nephrology, ophthalmology and surgery. This will be followed by interactive question and answer sessions with experts in all fields of medicine. A limited number of free blood tests will be done for the registrants on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. This will be on Friday, December 30, 2011 and blood testing will take place between 4:00-5:30 pm and the seminar and interaction will be from 5:30-800 pm at Kuwait Medical Association Auditorium, Jabriya (near Mubarak Hospital and the Blood Bank). For logistic reasons registration will close when the number of registrants reach 500 or on 25/12/11, whichever is earlier. Please contact for queries: Email: ammakuwait@yahoo.com / admin@indiandoctorsforum.org.

Upcoming events Aware Center Arabic lessons The AWARE Management is glad to inform you that Winter 1 Arabic language courses will begin on November 20th, 2011 until January 12th, 2012. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed and 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. We cater to teachers, travelers & those working in the private business sector. Arabic classes at the AWARE Center are unique because students are provided with the chance to practice their Arabic through various social activities that aim at bringing Arabs and Westerners together. AWARE Arabic courses highlight: lIntroductory to Level 4 Arabic language basics lBetter prepare you for speaking, reading and writing Arabic lCombine language learning with cultural insights lTaught in multi-nationality group settings lProvide opportunities to interact with Western expatriates and native Kuwaitis/Arabs. For more information or registration, call 25335260/80 ext 105/104/0 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw. RAK Dance Academy new year hangama-2012 The RAK Dance Academy (RDA) Kuwait, is planning to put a charity event as celebration of its New Year Hangama 2012, on 31st December, 2011, from 6.00pm onwards, at Carmel School Khaitan. All participants are well known artists from Kuwait. The main purpose of this celebration is to collect donations and raise money for supporting handicapped children in India. Advertisement will be published throughout Kuwait absolutely free of charge. We are expecting huge crowd for this event. The fund raised will be beneficial handicapped children. In order to make this event joyous and successful we are seeking kind contributions from you. Your attendance is your donation. Please join for an evening for a good cause. Darla Srinivasulu Achari, 99 692266; Mob: 65728740 K. Eswar Babu, Phone 99692266, Lashmeesha 65925730 Email: rakdanceacademy@gmail.com

Get into festive spirit only at Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait

rom a joyous Christmas celebration to welcoming New Year in style, Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait is the ultimate place to relish these moments, so look no further! This festive season, Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait’s numerous varieties of events has been tailored to suit all preferences. Culinary delights, marvelous decora-

tions, selective menus and a rich open buffet await you on Christmas Eve, Christmas day and New Year’s Eve at our various outlets. Explore the sprinkle and sparkle of Christmas with our festive Christmas Buffet. Get together for a Christmas Eve dinner and exchange gifts while enjoying a wide selection of delicious appetizers, hearty main

courses and tempting desserts. For those of you who would prefer celebrating Christmas Eve at the comfort of your home with some family quality time togetherness, Safir Hotel & Residences will always make your Christmas day merry with its Christmas Brunch. To make 2012 a jolly beginning, there are three unquestionable new year’s resolution that everyone wishes for. If you want to be content, then begin this year joyfully with a hip atmosphere that screams celebration at Chit Chat Cafe. To have a prosperous beginning, start your year with a rich and diverse variety of international dishes at Flavors. For people who haven’t experienced the feeling of being on top of the world and want to include it within their 2012 New Year’s resolution list, then Sky Lounge is the perfect place to unleash and celebrate, with a panoramic view overlooking the Arabian Gulf. Explore the lavish and festive season at Safir Hotel & Residences, where you get to celebrate Christmas & New Year with poise. The year of 2011 is passing, while the auspicious year of 2012 arrives, only at Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait, where you’ll be spoiled for choice! Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait is where you’ll “Enjoy a World of Hospitality”. We wish you all a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.

Greetings

Wish you Happy Birthday to Reeda Faheem. Best wishes from: Father MD Faheem, Mother Ayesha Fathima, father-in-law Syed Shakeel, D/o Salwa Fathima, mother-in-law Rayeesa.

AIP Awards Nite 2011

ssociation of Indian Professionals (AIP) will organize a mega event to award meritorious Indian students on December 29, 2011 (Thursday) at the auditorium of the Indian Community School, Salmiya. Awardees have been selected based on CBSE examinations results declared for the academic year 2010 - 2011 from all Indian Schools in Kuwait which are affiliated to CBSE system of education in India. For further details, contact General Secretary of AIP on 66616783 / 25644301 or yousees27@hotmail.com and / or Dr. Kamlesh Kumari on 24823875 or kamlesh02@gmail.com.

Get ready get set - RunQ8

egistrations are now open for RunQ8, the annual 10km charity race to be held on January 21, 2012. Organized by the Fawzia Sultan Rehabilitation Institute (FSRI) and Agility, the race route will run from Marina Crescent in Salmiya along the Gulf Road up to the Third Ring Road and back. The race is aimed at supporting health issues affecting our community and raising awareness around them. In its second year, RunQ8 is promoting road traffic safety. 2011-2021 has been named the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety with a goal to stabilize and then reduce global road traffic fatalities by 2021. In Kuwait, traffic accidents are the third leading cause of mortality and a large number of people and their families are affected by the debilitating effects of injuries caused by road accidents. Last year, the race raised over KWD 50,000 for the Kuwait University’s Community Eye Health Care Initiative that supports Vision 2020, a joint initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). RunQ8 invites all members of the community to join in this initiative and help support road traffic safety in Kuwait. To register contact the FSRI office 25720338 or visit the race websitewww.Runq8.org for more details. There are also pre-race articles and videos produced by FSRI’s specialized sports trainers, physiotherapists, nutritionists and psychologists to help get you ready for the race. Please see our website www.runQ8.org and our Facebook page for updates on our running and walking clinic, race events, and other initiatives.

KERA conducts mass signature campaign

uwait Ernakulam Residents Association (KERA) conducts mass signature campaign on a memorandum to show the solidarity and support in the Mullaperiyar Dam issue especially to the residents of Idukki, Kottayam, Athanamthitta, Alapuzha and Ernakulam districts of Kerala. The campaign is focusing to obtain signature from minimum 10,000 people from Kerala. The memorandum is demanding to the authorities to immediately bring down the water level to 120 feet in the dam to ensure safety of 3.5 million people and properties. Approval to construct a new dam as it fears that a strong earthquake might damage the existing dam. Protect the lives and properties of over 3.5 million citizens. Find an amicable solution (preferably outside court) to this Kerala-Tamil Nadu dispute. Consider the Government of Kerala commitment to undertake ‘water for Tamil Nadu and safety for Kerala’. The organizers stated in a press release that the signed documents will be submitted to the President, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice, and the Union Minister for Water Resources of India, and the Chief Minister of Kerala.

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Embassy

Holiday season festivities kick off at Kuwait Hyatt Hotel

Information

his Christmas and New Year celebration Kuwait Hyatt hotel invites you to a season of festivities as you enjoy a homely atmosphere and class guest service on its upgraded facilities and outlets. A special dinner with turkey on Christmas Eve December 24th 2011 at coffee shop is just perfect for family yet to gather or simply a celebration with friends and special ones. A sumptuous lunch buffet consists of Arabic and international cuisines will showcase on Christmas day December 25th 2011. What’s more a dinner buffet party to long for New Year’s eve on the evening of December 31st 2011. Make the most of your festivities in family atmosphere, DJ and music. And raffle draws of valuable items.

EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests all Brazilian citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the website www.brazil.org.kw (Contact Us Form / Fale Conosco) in order to register or update contact information. The Embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the Embassy. The registration process helps the Brazilian Government to contact and assist Brazilians living abroad in case of any emergency. nnnnnnn

Sahara Kuwait Resort hosts Colin Montgomerie

Celebrate the arrival of 2012 with Sheraton Kuwait & Four Points by Sheraton Kuwait

ith the countdown for 2012, Sheraton and Four Points’ extensive preparations are taking place for a stunning New Year’s Eve dining extravaganza. Experience the happiness of this very special occasion at any of Sheraton Kuwait’s specialty restaurants whether it is Indian, Iranian, Lebanese or Italian cuisines that you fancy. Sheraton Kuwait’s specialty restaurants namely Bukhara, Shahrayar, Le Tarbouche and

Riccardo await you with a special set menu formulated by Sheraton’s master chefs. As for the famous Al Hambra restaurant and the Asseef restaurant, diners will be offered special New Year’s Eve buffet serving tempting delicacies to suit all taste-buds. For those looking for a moment of respite, the English Tea Lounge is the perfect venue to head to where a special New Year’s Eve set menu awaits you. The English Tea Lounge is also available at the Avenues Mall.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N

ahara Kuwait Resort hosted Colin Montgomerie, the captain of the European Golf Team and is one of the world’s top professional golf player, who came to Kuwait to supervise the Golf Tournament which was organized and sponsored by the HSBC Bank that took place on December 14th 2011 on the golf course of Sahara Kuwait Resort which is an 18 holes premium golf course built to the Championship Standards and meets the requirements of professional Golf Association. Montgomerie expressed his admiration to the Golf Course of the Resort and he rated it as one of the best golf course in the GCC region. He also praised the level of service, the food, the luxury and the privacy of the Resort which he experienced during his stay in one of the Villas at the Resort. Sahara Kuwait Resort has become the preferred destination for the celebrity guests when they are in Kuwait. The General Manager of the Resort, Hassan Bayerli, said that our definition of hospitality is that our team exceeds the expectation of our guests.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 12:30 to 01:00 pm for lunch break. Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday. Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF GERMANY

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application. Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (AlBabtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to request all Kenyans resident in or training through Kuwait to register with the Embassy. We are updating our database. This information is necessary in order to facilitate quick assistance and advise in times of emergency. Kindly visit in person or register through our website www.kenyaembkuwait.com. The Embassy is located in: Surra Area - Block 6 - Street 9 Villa 3 Tel: 25353362 - 25353314; Fax: 25353316. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF INDONESIA On the occasion of the New Year holiday, the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Kuwait will be closed on 29 December 2011 and will resume its activities on 2 January 2012. nnnnnnn

Kuwait Continental Hotels Co holds annual celebration

he management of Kuwait Continental Hotels Co held the usual annual celebration of the hotels’ staff and their families to strengthen the loyalty of them. The ceremony was held in Gardenia Hall of Kuwait Continental Hotel and the reception was opened by the hotel general manager Kamal El-Din Hussein, who explained the development and expansion witnessed by the hotel during the past twelve years. He also explained the lobby renewal also this year which became a glorious place recently. Kamal Hussein thanked and honored the oldest employees who completed 15 years in the hotel and gave them presents. Kamal Hussein thanked and commended the staff for their efforts during

group, has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of a new assistant director of sales and marketing. Bahaa Malaeb joins the Al-Jahra Copthorne team from Al Manshar Rotana Hotel in Kuwait, where he spent four years in management roles including as Sales Manager, and brings with him a decade of experience in the industry. Previous to Al Manshar Rotana Hotel, Bahaa was with the Crowne Plaza Beirut for six years, and he holds a Bachelor of Arts in hospitality management from the Business and Computer University College in Beirut. Bahaa’s responsibilities at the AlJahra Copthorne Hotel and Resort will

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EMBASSY OF PERU Peruvian Permanent Expo will be temporarily closed from December 2lst 2011 to January 21st 2012. The Expo will reopen on January 22nd 2012 and offer once again “Peruvian Private Gastronomy Tasting Lunches” and much more like Peruvian culture, tourism, trade and great possibilities of investment.

2011 which was impacted on the sales last year with average occupancy rate of over 75%, despite stiff competition and the emergence of many new hotels. Kamal Hussein has honored Mursi, Security employee of the hotel, as he is being the ideal employee for the month of December 2011 before leaving them to enjoy the ceremony. The event included children’s competitions, staff competitions and games with a magical show. Kamal Hussein also honored the companies who sponsored gifts to the staff that also contributed to the success of the concert at the end of the ceremony. The General Manager, Kamal Hussein delivered the annual bonus of a month’s salary for all the staff of the hotel which was ordered by the CEO.

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EMBASSY OF RUSSIA Embassy of the Russian Federation invites all the Russian residents in Kuwait to visit the Consulate for registration and updating your database. This information is necessary for prompt notice, assistance and warning in case of emergency. The consulate reception hours: 10:00 - 13:00, Sunday - Wednesday. The Embassy is located in Kuwait City, Daiya, Block 5, Diplomatic campus, Plot 17. Tel: (+965) 22560427, 22560428. Fax: (+965) 22524969, e-mail: rusposkuw@mail.ru, consdepkuw@mail.ru Information also available on the website: www.kuwait.mid.ru

Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort boosts sales team he Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel and Resort, part of the Millennium & Copthorne Hotel

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax- 25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk

include maximizing potential revenues; managing sales and marketing department; building up, maintain and enhance the business relations with all clients of the hotel. Bahaa commented: “I am excited to start a new challenge with Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel and Resort. I feel fortunate to be joining such a respected hotel which prides itself on top quality service and I look forward to working with the team.” Dani Saleh, General Manager at AlJahra Copthorne Hotel and Resort said: “We are pleased to welcome Bahaa to the Al-Jahra Copthorne team. His appointment adds another string to our sales and marketing bow, further developing

our excellent reputation in the region for quality and service.” Part of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, one of the world’s largest hotel companies with more than 120 owned and managed hotels across 20 countries, the Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel and Resort is located in Al Jahra - a growing town within driving distance of the Saudi Arabian border, 25 minutes from the international airport and 20 minutes from Kuwait City Centre. Part of the ‘Slayil Al Jahra Tourist Resort’, the hotel has access to a shopping mall, theme park and numerous restaurants nearby. It offers an attentive, personal service as well as boasting business and convention centre services and an outdoor pool.

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EMBASSY OF SOUTH AFRICA Please note on Tuesday, December 27, 2011, working hours will be from 8:00 to 10:00. The Embassy will resume its normal working hours on Wednesday, December 28, 2011, from Sunday to Thursday. Please note that the Working hours will be from 8:00 to 16:00 & the Consular Section operation hours will from 8:30 to 12:30. On the occasion of the New Year, the Embassy will be closed on Sunday, January 1, 2012. Please note on Thursday, December 29, 2011, working hours will be from 8:00 to 10:00. The Embassy will resume its normal working hours on Monday, January 2, 2012, as follows: Please note that the working hours will be from 8:00 to 16:00 & the Consular Section operation hours will from 8:30 to 12:30.

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Years

00:50 Your Worst Animal Nightmares 01:45 Animal Cops Houston 02:40 Feeding Off Nature’s Giant 03:35 Must Love Cats 04:30 Your Worst Animal Nightmares 05:25 Dogs 101: Specials 06:20 Animal Cops Houston 07:10 Last Chance Highway 08:00 Monkey Life 08:25 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 08:50 Talk To The Animals 09:15 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 09:40 Breed All About It 10:10 My Cat From Hell 11:05 Dogs 101: Specials 12:00 Animal Cops Houston 12:55 Bondi Vet 13:20 Wildlife SOS 13:50 Miami Animal Police 14:45 Animal Cops Houston 15:40 Feeding Off Nature’s Giant 16:30 Monkey Life 17:00 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 17:30 Talk To The Animals 18:00 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 18:25 Dogs 101: Specials 19:20 America’s Cutest... 20:15 Bondi Vet 20:40 Breed All About It 21:10 Dogs 101 22:05 South Georgia 23:00 Into The Lion’s Den 23:55 Untamed & Uncut

01:10 Last Of The Summer Wine 01:40 Last Of The Summer Wine 02:10 The Weakest Link 02:55 Holby City 03:50 Doctors 04:15 Last Of The Summer Wine 04:45 Little Robots 04:55 The Large Family 05:10 Penelope K, By The Way 05:20 Poetry Pie 05:25 Tweenies 05:45 Charlie and Lola: Christmas Special 06:10 The Large Family 06:20 Penelope K, By The Way 06:35 Poetry Pie 06:40 Tweenies 07:00 Buzz & Tell 07:05 Charlie and Lola: Christmas Special 07:30 Little Robots 07:40 The Large Family 07:50 Penelope K, By The Way 08:05 Buzz & Tell 08:10 Tweenies 08:30 Charlie and Lola 08:40 Balamory 09:00 Little Robots 09:10 The Large Family 09:25 Penelope K, By The Way 09:35 Buzz & Tell 09:40 Poetry Pie 09:45 Tweenies 10:05 Charlie and Lola 10:20 Balamory 10:40 My Family 11:10 My Family 11:40 The Weakest Link 12:25 Britain’s Royal Weddings 13:15 Doctors 13:45 EastEnders 14:15 Holby City 15:10 My Family 15:40 Keeping Up Appearances 16:10 Keeping Up Appearances 16:40 Britain’s Royal Weddings 17:30 The Weakest Link 18:15 Doctors 18:45 EastEnders 19:15 Holby City 20:05 Britain’s Royal Weddings 20:55 dinnerladies 21:25 dinnerladies 21:50 Doctors 22:20 EastEnders 22:50 Holby City 23:40 New Tricks

00:40 02:10 02:55 03:45 06:00 06:45 07:35 08:00 13:10 13:55 14:20 14:50 15:15 15:40 16:30 17:20 18:50 19:35 20:25 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:55

Bargain Hunt Bargain Hunt Holmes On Homes Bargain Hunt Bargain Hunt Holmes On Homes Glamour Puds Bargain Hunt Bargain Hunt What To Eat Now - Autumn What To Eat Now - Autumn Rick Stein’s French Odyssey Rick Stein’s French Odyssey Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt Bargain Hunt Holmes On Homes Rick Stein’s French Odyssey Rick Stein’s French Odyssey The Home Show Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt

00:00 BBC World News America 00:30 Hardtalk 01:00 BBC World News 01:30 World Business Report 01:45 Sport Today 02:00 BBC World News America 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 BBC World News 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Newsday 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 Newsday 06:30 Asia Business Report 06:45 Sport Today 07:00 Newsday 07:30 Hardtalk 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 BBC World News 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 World Business Report 11:45 Sport Today 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 Hardtalk 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 BBC World News 14:30 World Business Report 14:45 Sport Today 15:00 GMT With George Alagiah 15:30 GMT With George Alagiah 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 BBC World News 21:30 World Business Report 21:45 Sport Today 23:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 23:30 World Business Report 23:45 Sport Today

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:10 02:35

The Garfield Show Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Droopy: Master Detective The Flintstones Johnny Bravo Duck Dodgers

SALT ON OSN ACTION HD

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:15 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:00 09:25 09:50 10:15 10:40 11:05 11:30 11:55 12:20 12:35 13:00 13:15 13:40 13:55 14:20 14:45 15:15 15:40 16:05 16:30 16:55 17:20 Doo 17:45 18:10 18:30 18:55 19:20 19:45 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:45 22:10 22:35 23:00 23:25 23:55

King Arthur’s Disasters The Scooby Doo Show Popeye Classics Tom & Jerry Popeye The Jetsons The Flintstones Looney Tunes Pink Panther & Pals Tex Avery Duck Dodgers The Garfield Show New Yogi Bear Show Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm Pink Panther And Pals Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show Dastardly And Muttley The Flintstones Tom & Jerry Pink Panther And Pals Top Cat New Yogi Bear Show Puppy In My Pocket Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Bananas In Pyjamas The Jetsons Duck Dodgers Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Tom & Jerry The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Droopy: Master Detective Wacky Races Scooby-Doo And ScrappyDastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Puppy In My Pocket Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show Dexters Laboratory Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Top Cat Wacky Races Tom & Jerry The Scooby Doo Show Dastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Johnny Bravo Dexters Laboratory

00:15 Samurai Jack 00:40 Megas XLR 01:05 Robotboy 01:30 Squirrel Boy 01:55 George Of The Jungle 02:20 Cramp Twins 02:45 Chop Socky Chooks 03:10 Best Ed 03:35 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 04:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:25 Generator Rex 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 05:40 Chowder 05:55 Powerpuff Girls 06:30 Ed, Edd n Eddy 06:55 I Am Weasel 07:20 Squirrel Boy 07:45 Cow & Chicken 08:00 Eliot Kid 08:25 Angelo Rules 08:50 Best Ed 09:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 09:40 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 10:05 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 10:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 10:55 Cow & Chicken 11:20 I Am Weasel 11:35 Adventure Time 12:00 Ben 10 12:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 12:50 The Secret Saturdays 13:15 Samurai Jack 13:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 14:05 Codename: Kids Next Door 14:30 Skunk Fu! 14:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 15:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack

00:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson 01:00 Backstory 01:30 World Sport 02:00 The Situation Room 03:00 World Report 04:00 Anderson Cooper 360 05:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 06:00 Quest Means Business 07:00 Erin Burnett Outfront 08:00 World Sport 08:30 Backstory 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Report 11:00 World Sport 11:30 Inside Africa 12:00 World Business Today 13:00 Backstory 13:30 News Special 14:00 World One 15:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 16:00 News Stream 17:00 World Business Today 18:00 International Desk 19:00 The Brief 19:30 World Sport 20:00 Prism 21:00 International Desk 21:30 News Special 22:00 Quest Means Business 23:00 Piers Morgan Tonight

00:15 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:45 09:10 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 17:50 18:45 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Cash Cab Us Cash Cab Us How It’S Made Dirty Jobs Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Overhaulin’ How Stuff’S Made Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Scrappers Wreckreation Nation One Man Army Extreme Fishing Extreme Fishing Cake Boss Border Security Scrappers How It’S Made How Stuff’S Made Cash Cab Us One Man Army An Idiot Abroad Freddie Flintoff vs The World

00:40 The Gadget Show 01:05 The Tech Show 01:35 Superships 02:25 Stunt Junkies 02:50 Mega World 03:40 Mighty Ships 04:35 The Gadget Show 05:00 The Gadget Show 05:25 How Stuff’s Made 05:50 Superships 06:40 One Step Beyond 07:10 Brainiac 08:00 Scrapheap Challenge 08:50 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 09:40 The Tech Show 10:10 Weird Connections 10:35 The Gadget Show 11:00 The Gadget Show 11:25 Brainiac 12:20 Sci-Fi Science 12:45 How Stuff’s Made 13:15 Mega World 14:05 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 14:55 One Step Beyond 15:20 Stunt Junkies 15:50 Superships 16:40 Weird Connections 17:05 Scrapheap Challenge 18:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 18:50 Sci-Fi Science 19:15 The Tech Show 19:40 Sci-Fi Saved My Life 20:30 Tank On The Moon 21:20 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 22:10 The Gadget Show 22:35 The Gadget Show 23:00 Sci-Fi Saved My Life 23:50 Tank On The Moon

00:00 00:25 00:50 01:15 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:15 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:20 Cody 06:45 Cody 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:10 08:35 09:00 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 12:25 12:45 13:10 13:30 13:55 14:20 15:00 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:45 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15

Kim Possible Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Stitch Stitch Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Stitch Stitch Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Hannah Montana The Suite Life Of Zack And

21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:35

Suite Life On Deck Shake It Up Shake It Up Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 E!es 02:20 E!es 03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 25 Most Sensational Hollywood Meltdowns 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Giuliana & Bill 10:15 30 Best & Worst Beach Bodies 12:05 E! News 13:05 Kendra 13:35 Kendra 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 Giuliana & Bill 15:30 THS 16:25 Kendra 16:55 Kendra 17:25 Kendra 17:55 E! News 18:55 Kendra 21:25 Kendra 21:55 Chelsea Lately 22:25 E! News 23:25 Fashion Police 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:40 01:30 02:15 03:05 04:40 04:40 05:25 06:15 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:25 11:10 11:35 11:55 Jones 12:40 13:25 14:15 15:00 15:25 15:50 Jones 16:35 17:20 18:10 19:00 19:45 20:10 20:55 21:20 Jones 22:10 23:00 23:50

Extreme Forensics The Haunted Mysterious Journeys Nightmare Next Door Extreme Forensics Extreme Forensics The Haunted Mysterious Journeys Mystery Diagnosis FBI Files Forensic Detectives Fugitive Strike Force Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry? True Crime with Aphrodite Disappeared Fugitive Strike Force Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry? True Crime with Aphrodite Disappeared FBI Files Forensic Detectives Fugitive Strike Force Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Who On Earth Did I Marry? True Crime with Aphrodite Disappeared Couples Who Kill Deadly Women

00:00 Racing To America 01:00 Banged Up Abroad 02:00 Banged Up Abroad 03:00 Eccentric Uk 03:30 Deadliest Journeys 04:00 Ultimate Traveller 05:00 Long Way Down 06:00 Racing To America 07:00 Banged Up Abroad 08:00 Banged Up Abroad 09:00 Eccentric Uk 09:30 Deadliest Journeys 10:00 Ultimate Traveller 11:00 Long Way Down 12:00 Racing To America 13:00 Meet The Natives 14:00 Treks In A Wild World 15:00 Cycling Home From Siberia 15:30 Deadliest Journeys 16:00 Amazing Adventures Of A Nobody: Europe 16:30 Which Way To 17:30 Graham’s World 18:00 Reverse Exploration 19:00 Meet The Natives 20:00 Treks In A Wild World 21:00 Cycling Home From Siberia 21:30 Deadliest Journeys 22:00 Amazing Adventures Of A Nobody: Europe 22:30 Which Way To 23:30 Graham’s World

00:00 Deadline-18 02:00 Blood And Bone-18 04:00 Salt-PG15 06:00 Dick Tracy-PG15 08:00 Arctic Predator-PG15 10:00 Spartacus-PG15 13:15 Coach Carter-PG15 15:30 King Arthur-PG15 17:45 Coach Carter-PG15 20:00 The Descent 2-18 22:00 Legend Of The Fist: The Return Of Chen Zhen-PG15

The Suite Life Of Zack And Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Thirteenth Year Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Fish Hooks Fish Hooks Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Cheetah Girls 2 A.N.T. Farm Fairly Odd Parents Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Shake It Up My Babysitter’s A Vampire My Babysitter’s A Vampire My Babysitter’s A Vampire Good Luck Charlie Hannah Montana Hannah Montana Suite Life On Deck

00:45 02:45 04:45 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:15 15:00 16:45 18:45 21:00 23:00

Girl, Positive-PG15 Takers-PG15 Flash Of Genius-PG15 Ramona And Beezus-PG Leap Year-PG15 Flash Of Genius-PG15 Mars Needs Moms-PG Fly Me To The Moon-PG The Last Airbender-PG The A-Team-PG15 The Boys Are Back-PG Homecoming-18

00:00 Curb Your Enthusiasm 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 01:30 Enlightened 02:00 Hung 02:30 The Cleveland Show 03:00 Friends 03:30 Friends 04:00 Will And Grace 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Seinfeld 06:00 Two And A Half Men

THE A-TEAM ON OSN CINEMA 06:30 Melissa And Joey 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Will And Grace 08:30 Friends 09:00 Seinfeld 09:30 How I Met Your Mother 10:00 Traffic Light 10:30 Melissa And Joey 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Two And A Half Men 12:30 Will And Grace 13:00 Friends 13:30 Seinfeld 14:00 Melissa And Joey 14:30 Traffic Light 15:00 How I Met Your Mother 15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 16:30 Happy Endings 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Friends 18:30 Friends 19:00 How I Met Your Mother 19:30 Traffic Light 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 American Dad 22:30 Neighbors From Hell 23:00 The Cleveland Show 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Desperate Housewives Breaking Bad Top Gear (US) Revenge The Cape Good Morning America The Glades Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Desperate Housewives Revenge The Cape Live Good Morning America The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice Royal Pains Covert Affairs The Glades

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Drop Dead Diva Top Gear (US) Breaking Bad Desperate Housewives Revenge The Chicago Code Drop Dead Diva Modern Family Marathon Coronation Street Law & Order: Los Angeles Top Gear (US) Desperate Housewives Revenge Modern Family Marathon Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Law & Order: Los Angeles Drop Dead Diva Modern Family Marathon Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Law & Order: Los Angeles Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice Royal Pains Off The Map The Chicago Code

00:30 Zombieland-18 02:15 Salt-PG15 04:15 Splinter-18 06:00 The Postman-PG15 09:00 Rocky v-PG15 11:00 Ong Bak 2-PG15 13:00 Echelon Conspiracy-PG15 15:00 Rocky v-PG15 17:00 Blue Crush 2-PG15 19:15 Valhalla Rising-18 21:00 Legend Of The Fist: The Return Of Chen Zhen-PG15 23:00 Storm Warning-18

00:00 Straight Talk-PG15 02:00 Jack Goes Boating-PG15 04:00 One Hot Summer-PG15 06:00 A Pyromaniac’s Love StoryPG15 08:00 The Lizzie McGuire Movie-PG 10:00 Valentine’s Day-PG15 12:00 Easy Virtue-PG15 14:00 All About Steve-PG15 16:00 Straight Talk-PG15 18:00 Renaissance Man-PG15 20:00 Griff The Invisible-PG15 22:00 French And Saunders Still Alive-18

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:30 09:00 11:00 13:15 15:00 16:45 19:00 21:00 PG15 22:45

Deliverance-R En Attendant Le Deluge-PG Invictus-PG15 MacHEADS-PG15 Flying By-PG15 Invictus-PG15 Oceans - Into The Deep-PG The Wronged Man-PG15 I Am Sam-PG15 The Fantastic Water Babes-PG The Thomas Crown AffairForrest Gump-PG15

01:00 Mona Lisa Smile-PG15 03:00 Tangled-FAM 05:00 Glitter-PG15 07:00 Knucklehead-PG15 09:00 The Greatest-PG15 11:00 Inside Job-PG15 13:00 Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief-PG15 15:00 Celine: Through The Eyes Of The World-PG15 17:00 The Greatest-PG15 18:45 Eat Pray Love-PG15 21:00 Griff The Invisible-PG15 23:00 Harry Brown-18

00:00 Quest For Zhu-PG15 02:00 The Thief Of Baghdad-PG 04:00 Big Fat Liar-PG 06:00 Winner & The Gold Child: Part II-PG15 08:00 Quest For Zhu-PG15 10:00 Flicka 2-PG15 12:15 Sabrina The Teenage Witch: Friends Forever-PG 14:00 Like Mike-PG 16:00 Shrek Forever After-FAM 18:00 Flicka 2-PG15 20:00 Zorro’s Secrets-PG 22:00 Winner & The Gold Child: Part II-PG15

00:15 South Solitary-PG15 02:30 The Man Who Came With The Snow-PG15 04:00 District 9-PG15 06:00 Coyote County Loser-PG15 08:00 Africa United-PG15 10:00 District 9-PG15 12:00 Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps-PG15 14:30 Toy Story 3-FAM 16:30 Africa United-PG15 18:15 That’s What I Am-PG15 20:00 The Town-18 22:15 Little Fockers-PG15

01:00 02:00 02:30 09:30 10:00 11:00 13:00 20:00 23:00

UFC 141 Countdown Powerboats UIM Live Test Cricket Powerboats UIM WWE Vintage Collection WWE SmackDown Test Cricket UFC 137 UFC 141 Countdown

01:00 02:00 02:30 09:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 20:00

Trans World Sport ICC Cricket World Live Test Cricket World Hockey World Cup of Pool World Pool Masters US Bass Fishing Cricket Test Match ICC Cricket World

20:30 Futbol Mundial 21:00 Trans World Sports 22:00 Live Darts PDC World Championship

00:00 World Cup of Pool 01:00 Pro 12 Celtic League 03:00 Pro 12 Celtic League 05:00 European Tour Weekly Review 06:00 Trans World Sport 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Pro 12 Celtic League 10:00 Pro 12 Celtic League 12:00 ICC Cricket World 12:30 FEI Equestrian World 13:00 Pro 12 Celtic League 15:00 Trans World Sports 16:00 Live Darts PDC World Championship 20:00 SPL Highlights 20:30 Pro 12 Celtic League 22:30 Golfing World 23:30 The Open Championship Official Film

01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 23:00

Speedway UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed UFC 136 WWE NXT WWE Bottom Line Speedway Intercontinental Le Mans Cup V8 Supercars Championship V8 Supercars Championship WWE Bottom Line WWE Vintage Collection Intercontinental Le Mans Cup V8 Supercars Championship V8 Supercars Championship Speedway WWE Vintage Collection UFC 137 WWE Bottom Line

00:00 Globe Trekker Special 01:00 Floyd Uncorked 01:30 Glutton For Punishment 02:00 Globe Trekker 03:00 Rivers Of The World 04:00 Going South 04:30 Essential 05:00 Globe Trekker Special 06:00 Floyd Uncorked 06:30 Glutton For Punishment 07:00 Top Travel 07:30 Top Travel 08:00 Globe Trekker 09:00 Indian Times 10:00 Wild Camping 11:00 Flavours Of Scotland 11:30 Glutton For Punishment 12:00 Top Travel 12:30 Top Travel 13:00 Globe Trekker 14:00 Planet Food 15:00 Essential 15:30 Going South 16:00 Rivers Of The World 17:00 Globe Trekker 18:00 Top Travel 18:30 Top Travel 19:00 Planet Food 20:00 Globe Trekker Special 21:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 22:00 Glutton For Punishment 22:30 Life’s A Trip 23:00 Trabant Trek 23:30 Trabant Trek

01:45 03:20 05:25 07:30 08:00 09:25 11:05 12:45 14:20 16:00 17:40 19:35 21:35 23:00

Savage Messiah-18 The Hill-PG Northwest Passage-PG TCM Presents Under The...-PG A Yank At Eton-FAM The Seven Hills Of Rome-FAM Jezebel-FAM Flipper’s New Adventure-FAM King Solomon’s Mines-FAM Casablanca-FAM Boom Town-PG Love Me Or Leave Me-PG Viva Las Vegas-FAM Fame

Classifieds TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR JZR ETH THY UAE QTR OMA DHX MSR FDB ETD RJA GFA DHX FAH JZR JZR KAC BAW KAC JZR KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD FDB IRA GFA IRA JZR RKM MEA MSR MSR JZR IRC KAC GFA KAC FDB UAL GRF QTR KAC SVA RJA KAC KAC JZR QTR KAC JZR JZR ETD UAE GFA SVA ABY JZR ALK JZR KAC FDB KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC JAI OMA MLR DHX MEA GFA QTR UAE JZR KAC KLM AIC JZR UAL AXB BBC DLH

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 27/12/2011 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 539 CAIRO 620 ADDIS ABABA 772 ISTANBUL 853 DUBAI 138 DOHA 641 MUSCAT 370 BAHRAIN 612 CAIRO 67 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 642 AMMAN 211 BAHRAIN 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 529 ASSIUT 416 JAKARTA/KUALA LUMPUR 157 LONDON 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 503 LUXOR 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 352 COCHIN 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 301 ABU DHABI 55 DUBAI 605 ISFAHAN 213 BAHRAIN 619 LAR 165 DUBAI 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH 404 BEIRUT 623 SOHAG 610 CAIRO 201 DAMASCUS 6791 MASHAD 672 DUBAI 219 BAHRAIN 512 TEHRAN 57 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 93 KANDAHAR/DUBAI 140 DOHA 546 ALEXANDRIA 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 562 AMMAN 284 DHAKA 257 BEIRUT 134 DOHA 678 ABU DHABI/MUSCAT 561 SOHAG 213 DEIREZZOR 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 127 SHARJAH 777 JEDDAH 227 COLOMBO/DUBAI 177 DUBAI 614 BAHRAIN 63 DUBAI 542 CAIRO 744 DAMMAM 787 RIYADH 786 JEDDAH 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 166 PARIS/ROME 104 LONDON 774 RIYADH 61 DUBAI 552 DAMASCUS 572 MUMBAI 647 MUSCAT 1405 COLOMBO/DUBAI 372 BAHRAIN 402 BEIRUT 217 BAHRAIN 136 DOHA 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 502 BEIRUT 443 AMSTERDAM 981 CHENNAI/HYDERABAD 239 AMMAN 981 BAHRAIN 389 KOZHIKODE/MANGALORE 43 DHAKA 636 FRANKFURT

Time 0:20 0:50 1:45 2:15 2:35 2:40 2:50 2:55 3:00 3:05 3:10 3:10 3:15 5:15 5:30 6:00 6:20 6:25 6:40 6:45 7:25 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:30 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:20 9:45 9:55 10:50 11:20 11:45 11:55 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:05 13:20 13:25 13:40 13:50 14:05 14:15 14:20 14:30 14:30 14:40 14:45 15:00 15:00 15:25 15:30 16:10 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:15 18:35 18:40 18:50 18:55 19:05 19:10 19:15 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:40 20:00 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:50 21:00 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:05 22:45 23:00 23:35 23:45 23:50

Airlines UAL AIC BBC JZR PIA DLH KAC ETH THY FDB UAE OMA DHX MSR ETD QTR JZR GFA RJA JZR KAC FDB BAW KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC JZR KAC UAE ABY ETD FDB QTR GFA IRA JZR KAC IRA KAC JZR RKM MEA MSR KAC JZR MSR IRC GFA FDB KAC KAC UAL KAC RJA SVA KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC QTR JZR ETD JZR QTR GRF UAE GFA ABY SVA JZR ALK FDB JZR KAC FDB KAC DHX KAC JAI OMA MLR KAC DHX MEA GFA FAH QTR JZR KAC UAE KAC KLM JZR KAC

Departure Flights on Tuesday 27/12/2011 Flt Route 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 976 GOA/CHENNAI 44 DHAKA 502 LUXOR 240 SIALKOT 637 FRANKFURT 283 DHAKA 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 642 MUSCAT 371 BAHRAIN 613 CAIRO 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 200 DAMASCUS 545 ALEXANDRIA 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 677 ABU DHABI/MUSCAT 671 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 511 TEHRAN 561 AMMAN 560 SOHAG 101 LONDON/NEW YORK 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 302 ABU DHABI 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 604 ISFAHAN 212 DEIREZZOR 165 ROME/PARIS 618 LAR 541 CAIRO 776 JEDDAH 311 RAS ALKHAIMAH 405 BEIRUT 624 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 6794 AHWAZ 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 551 DAMASCUS 673 DUBAI 982 BAHRAIN 613 BAHRAIN 641 AMMAN 501 JEDDAH 617 DOHA 786 RIYADH 501 BEIRUT 743 DAMMAM 773 RIYADH 141 DOHA 238 AMMAN 304 ABU DHABI 538 CAIRO 135 DOHA 82 BAGHDAD 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 511 RIYADH 134 BAHRAIN 228 DUBAI/COLOMBO 64 DUBAI 184 DUBAI 361 COLOMBO 62 DUBAI 343 CHENNAI 171 BAHRAIN 351 COCHIN 571 MUMBAI 648 MUSCAT 1405 COLOMBO 543 CAIRO 373 BAHRAIN 403 BEIRUT 218 BAHRAIN 102 DUBAI 137 DOHA 554 ALEXANDRIA 301 MUMBAI 860 DUBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 443 BAHRAIN/AMSTERDAM 528 ASSIUT 411 BANGKOK/MANILA

only. 66297171 Time 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:05 1:10 1:20 2:40 2:45 3:15 3:45 3:50 3:55 3:55 4:00 4:00 4:55 6:55 7:00 7:10 7:30 7:40 8:25 8:40 8:55 9:00 9:00 9:15 9:20 9:30 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:05 10:10 10:40 10:45 10:50 11:45 11:50 12:00 12:15 12:50 12:55 13:30 13:40 13:50 13:55 14:05 14:20 14:35 14:40 15:05 15:20 15:35 15:35 15:45 15:50 15:50 16:15 16:15 16:25 16:30 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:10 18:15 18:25 18:35 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:55 20:20 20:40 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:35 23:55

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available for two decent executive Muslim bachelor in Sharq near Amiri Hospital. Contact: 55238110 or tajtoyota@gmail.com New super deluxe apartment in Al-Fintas, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room with parquet ﬂoor, parking spaces. Furnished KD 360 per month, unfurnished KD 260 per month, rent covers internet service. Tel: 50167793, 55919978. Wanted villa for a foreign family. South Surra, Salwa, Bayan, Mishrif, Rumaithiya, Jabriya, Yarmouk, and all internal area. 66653402 Wanted villa for a small foreign family in Aqaila, Mangaf, Fintas, Abu Al-Hasaniya, Maseila, Qurain and internal areas. 66653402

For rent in Salmiya, an apartment 3 rooms + 3 baths + Saloon + Kitchen + Satellite. Outstanding location. Foreigners and expatriates only, no brokers. 66060299 For rent, basements in Jabriya and Hawally, good location, plastic floors, C-A/C, serious only call: 66980123 For rent or investment, complete floors with a basement in Salmiya, good location, licensed for clinics, no brokers. 66060299 For rent, flat in Bneid Al-Qar (2 rooms, maid rooms, 3 baths, kitchen) deluxe finishing good location. 55117226 For rent in Fahaheel. Complete building for companies (2 rooms, 2 baths, living room, kitchen) good location, car parking. 66233230

Wanted a one ﬂoor ﬂat, in South Surra, Jabriya and Surra, Yarmouk, Salwa, Shamiya and all internal areas. (3) months payment. 66653402 27-12-2011

For rent, one ﬂoor in a villa in Salmiya, (3 rooms, 4 baths, large living room, maid room, driver’s room, diwaniya) parking. Centeral satellite. Rent KD 750. 67750024

Spacious single room attached with wardrobe available for executive Indian bachelor or couple, C-A/C ﬂat in Kuwait City. Contact: 65707726. (C 3798) 26-12-2011

A park for rent to families. 4 bed rooms + 4 bathrooms + living room + Diwaniya + rides in the garden + Isolated diwaniya. Fully furnished, A/C units, domestic help rooms. 99825160

Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya with Indian family separate room with separate bathroom available, preferred single or 2 working ladies or small family from India. Contact: 99509436. (C 3795) One furnished room accommodation available for a decent Indian bachelor immediately in a CAC 2 bedroom ﬂat with Indian family at Salmiya near Indian Community School, with Internet 24x7, rent KD 65. Contact: 97237934, 25658475. (C 3796) 25-11-2011 Separate room with separate bathroom available in a ﬂat with African family in Abu Halifa near round about, rent KD 75 for single working lady or couple. Call 66971502, 2371683, 90033641. (C 3793) 24-12-2011

FOR RENT A park in Wafra animal pens, very clean, over an area of 2500m, very large fenced yard in front (5) rooms, saloons, separate diwaniyas and swimming pool, fountain, children games tent. 94426116 For rent in Farwaniya, basement 700m, car parking. 66920123 Flat in Maidan Hawally, one room, living room, bathroom, super deluxe ﬁnished kitchen, outstanding location. Rent KD 195. Foreigners and expatriates only. Central satellite, C-A/C and boiler. 66980123 A floor in Dasman, 300m, outstanding location, on main street can be sued by lawyer, consultations, clinics, health club, saloon, workshop, training center. 66980123 For rent in Salmiya, an apartment 3 rooms + 2 baths + saloon + swimming pool + DSL + Gym + Security + children games + other features. Rent start from KD 475. Foreigners and expats

For rent 1600m warehouse, can be used for ceramics, marble, electric or sanitary fittings, has electricity + 2 rooms + kitchen + bathroom. 99825160 An entire building for rent for companies, 30 flats in Kheitan (2 rooms, maid room, 2 baths + living room + kitchen) central satellite. 60658811 27-12-2011 State Life Insurance Policy # 633000165 Name: Maqsood Ali and Policy # 633001462 - 1471 Mumtaz Hussain has been lost. Anybody found, please contact SLIC office No.: 22452089. (C 3794) 23-12-2011

FOR SALE Toyota Corolla 2009, white color, 77,000 km, Excellent condition, Price KD 3,150/-. Contact: 66729295. (C 3800) Underground Gold discovery device. New type, works by direct photography at a depth of 20 meters, determines the type, depth and size. Already tried with

No: 15311

guarantee. 66145558 A farm in Abdaly, covering 50 thousand meters squared, one street. Fenced with chicken wire, workers residence + electricity + treated water. 55555235 Electric generator 3700 Watts, Astra brand, 2011 model, 1st grade Chinese made + pressure and gas gauges + 2 sockets, smooth noise, yellow, new in a carton. Price KD 85. 60066891 27-12-2011

TUITION Mathematics teacher, Intermediate and secondar y Exams models, Easy method, Exams from past years with solutions. 97301901 English teacher (3) years experience, looking for a job and ready to start with all educational stages. 55963993 Mathematics teacher for Universities, Institutions, Foreign Schools, Administrative, American, English, Australian, Bahrain, Electric and Gulf Sciences, Algbra Prel, Mathematics, intermediate, gmat, sat college, math98, 110 pre calculus geometry. 97619261 Senior Biology teacher for secondary stage. Biology for University students and foreign schools, sciences of intermediate stage and 10th grade physics. A Syrian Arabic language teacher. Masters in methods of teaching and follow up of 10th grade and 11th grade students. 97934291 A Syrian Arabic Language teacher. Masters, for secondary, intermediate, religious institution, universities, and establishment of the elementary stage using the Aleppo method “the alphabet then the word”. 50513599 Islamic education teacher for elementary and intermediate stages. Experienced in Kuwait curricula. Easy explanation, and summary of the sub-

ject, training for exams. 66292985 Syrian Arabic language teacher for elementary and intermediate stages. Experienced in following learning diﬃculties, and those weak in reading and writing. 97264100 Female senior Mathematics teacher with more that 30 years experience in Kuwait, to teach secondary, intermediate and elementary stages. Religious and applied, communications and navigation institutions, special courses and secretariat institution. 97926737 Computer teacher for secondary and intermediate. Practical on laptop, power point projects, front page, visual basic data, universities and applied institutions. 50603063

SITUATION WANTED Ready to transport employees for all areas and all times. Payment in advance. 66678633 27-12-2011

SITUATION WANTED Young girl, Physiotherapy B.P.T; (India) M.Sc (UK) degree is looking for job. Currently residing in Kuwait with 2 years Dependent Visa. Please call: 66330570. (C 3797) 26-12-2011

CHANGE OF NAME I, Mohamad Quaid s/o Baquar Contractor, holder of Indian Passport No. Z1479667 change my name to Mohamad Quaid Baquar Contractor for all purposes. (C 3799) 27-12-2011

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

stars CROSSWORD 540

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Watch out, as an independent streak seems to be surfacing at this time. Others will admire your unique and rather unusual way of perceiving things. Your sense of humor simply shines and added to your rather eccentric behavior, should set you apart from the crowd. You should find the benefit of new insights or breakthroughs in your living situation or life conditions. Your friends or associates may come to you for help during this week, or you may find that circumstances call upon you to reorganize and be more conservative. This should all go rather smoothly. Your more reserved qualities may make others wonder what you have been up to—as you are not always so quiet. Keeping people guessing is part of your charisma.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You may be feeling very good about yourself just now and appreciating your own better qualities. Creative writing projects can be used in the workplace to introduce better advertising jingles. You may see value in or feel love for an older person or someone in authority. You seem to appreciate feelings and movement in general, and could possibly find yourself looking for a little romance. You may just want to get out and about and walk or exercise. It’s just a wonderful time to be in the company of others in play or work. A particular job may be just right for someone with your credentials. You certainly know how to manage and direct others. Your particular ideas and thoughts are exceptionally good today; they have not gone unnoticed.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. Any of various units of capacity. 4. Of or relating to an inability to urinate. 10. A master's degree in theology. 13. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism. 14. Any plant of the genus Reseda. 15. A tool with a flat blade attached at right angles to a long handle. 16. Area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir. 18. An enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals are kept. 20. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables. 21. (Greek mythology) A maiden who was first a sculpture created by Pygmalion and was brought to life by Aphrodite in answer to Pygmalion's prayers. 23. The sixth month of the civil year. 24. One of the most common of the five major classes of immunoglobulins. 25. (computer science) A system of world-wide electronic communication in which a computer user can compose a message at one terminal that is generated at the recipient's terminal when he logs in. 26. Relating to or characteristic of or occurring on the sea or ships. 28. Mild yellow Dutch cheese made in balls. 30. Nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate. 33. (of tempo) Leisurely n. 37. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens. 40. Any of a group of Indic languages spoken in Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. 41. A radioactive element of the actinide series. 42. A small cake leavened with yeast. 44. A piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep. 46. Decapod having eyes on short stalks and a broad flattened carapace with a small abdomen folded under the thorax and pincers. 49. Included seven times in every 19 years. 52. (Old Testament) The first of the major Hebrew prophets (8th century BC). 56. Aromatic bulb used as seasoning. 57. The 3rd letter of the Hebrew alphabet. 60. An narrative telling the adventures of a hero or a family. 61. A self-funded retirement plan that allows you to contribute a limited yearly sum toward your retirement. 62. A diacritical mark (an inverted circumflex) placed above certain letters (such as c) to indicate pronunciation. 63. Located in or toward the back or rear. 64. A coenzyme derived from the B vitamin nicotinic acid. 65. The space between two lines or planes that intersect. 66. An association of people to promote the welfare of senior citizens. DOWN 1. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds. 2. Lose blood from one's body. 3. Beat with a cane. 4. A colorless and odorless inert gas. 5. An acute inflammatory disease occurring in the intestines of premature infants. 6. North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. 7. Popular music originating in the West Indies. 8. The content of cognition. 9. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light. 10. The 8th letter of the Greek alphabet. 11. One of the 7 gods of happiness. 12. Containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal. 17. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine. 19. An embroidered rug made from a coarse Indian felt. 22. A soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element. 27. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill. 29. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code. 31. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural). 32. A federal agency established to regulate the release of new foods and health-related products. 34. Light informal conversation for social occasions. 35. A strong emotion. 36. Not divisible by two. 38. In bed. 39. Of or relating to the Iberian peninsula or its inhabitants. 40. North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. 43. Any of several small ungulate mammals of Africa and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes. 45. Food mixtures either arranged on a plate or tossed and served with a moist dressing. 47. German poet (born in Austria) whose imagery and mystic lyricism influenced 20-th century German literature (1875-1926). 48. An oil port in southern Iraq. 49. The 7th letter of the Greek alphabet. 50. A genus of Mustelidae. 51. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey). 53. The United Nations agency concerned with atomic energy. 54. Any culture medium that uses agar as the gelling agent. 55. A chordophone that has a triangular frame consisting of a sounding board and a pillar and a curved neck. 58. One millionth of a gram. 59. The fatty flesh of eel.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Now is a good time for that one-on-one with a higher-up, or supervisor. This is the time that you can express your desire for a new position within the company. Perhaps you could be in management. It’s a period when you can put your practical insights into words and convey them to others. Taking care of business is a major theme where your emotional orientation is concerned. You crave organization and you want to get things accomplished. You aim to have a place for everything and everything in its place. Health and work goals take on greater importance now. You can demonstrate much understanding and sensitivity to other’s needs at this time. A romance in your life becomes more stable. There is a deeper sense of intimacy.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

Expect some challenges in the workplace from time to time. You find you are appreciated for your talent in getting things done. It would be appropriate to ask for help. You are disciplined, work hard and are good at getting others to work with and for you. You have a fantastic appetite for detail work and can take it all in and still look for more. Willing and able to respond to almost any emergency—you are responsible and always ready. Being successful in life is easy; you have a built-in sense of how to approach and unravel even the most difficult problems. Helpful advice comes from a trusted confidante. You and another family member decide to visit an ill or elderly person this evening. You will meet with deep and loving acceptance.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Taking the novel approach, trying out new ideas and breakthroughs in thinking could be what life is all about. You just simply feel like being different, trying out something new and unusual. Perhaps you feel that you are too complacent, or are you getting bored with the status quo? Adding a little variety to your life will give it a little extra spice and adds interest. You may want to go where no one has gone before, or may just want to travel a less traveled path. Growth comes from allowing yourself to make changes, allowing yourself to see things through different eyes, so to speak, and being unafraid of taking a completely unfamiliar path or journey into the unknown. If you are reasonable, fear not what awaits you on the other side of any adventure.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You may have to use a great deal of diplomacy around others. There may be some problems with a negotiation, but the event will end positively. You would just love to be out and about and enjoying the company of your friends. Unfortunately, however, you may find yourself working inside four walls. This time will pass—patience. It may be a good time to think about the vocational or career decisions you will want to change. This afternoon you look for a belated gift or two that expresses your gratefulness. Home is likely to be a very nice place this evening! This is a great time to spend with loved ones and family. Nostalgia and domesticity could begin emphasizing a need for security and a sense of roots.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Your humor may be overshadowed, but only by your rather eccentric behavior for now. Your independence and unique qualities are appreciated by those around you. This should all give you some new ways of looking at things. Feel free to allow yourself to dream occasionally. Since you will not find these days coming too often, you should not ignore the opportunity to let your imagination loose. Maybe a good book or movie will take on that more than real dimension. Even if your friends do not see eye to eye on your unrealistic, dreamy mood, do not allow that to stop you from exploring the many possibilities that this could bring you. A plot for a play is available. Tonight you work on a new look with regard to hair or clothes style.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You may find yourself working extra hard to get things and people organized. Wanting and needing to feel respected is an emotionally charged issue in your life at this time. Achieving things, working especially hard and having a strong ambition are all things that are especially important to you now. A good understanding of those around you can almost assure you of a special time with someone you love. Great feelings and knowing how much you are loved should make this a very happy time. Some very important matters may be on the mind of someone younger than you, and you may be asked for your guidance and advice. If you have time, consider making a fun gift, just for the fun of it. Your social life is bright and active.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You should find yourself in top condition when it comes to any kind of mental activity. You are full of wit and sharp ideas. This could be a time when you find some real discoveries in the idea department. Having a clearcut idea of what the public wants and needs at this time is an important factor when making decisions with regard to group issues. Expect to make some crystal-clear decisions that affect others. You may find yourself moving cautiously through some difficulties, blocks or hot spots but the results will be positive. Someone may just not share your point of view or your life situation may not be exactly as you would like for it to be; however, all will work out just fine in the end—so relax. Family members enjoy games tonight—togetherness.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Extra support comes your way now. You may have the feeling that you are very much in touch and have a good connection with those around you; conversations have never been so interesting. All of the support that you need will be there for you. There is very little time to complete unfinished business before the year ends, but you manage to do it. Legal matters are concluded successfully today. Your taste in art and your creative thinking is heightened. Maybe this is the perfect time to pick out furnishings, colors and so forth—the more elegant things in life, or at least to communicate your ideas with loved ones. Also—this is a wonderful time to be around friends and associates and to work together. Healing is accelerated by your peaceful ways. To

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Work ethics are very important to you and should you choose to take time away from work today, you might allow yourself the time and call it vacation day. Keep a good attitude about competition and prepare for some extra projects. This is a very busy time in your professional life. At home this afternoon, you also enjoy staying busy. Just whiling the time away is not your bag! It should be a good time to really look at yourself and understand what is really important and of lasting value in your life. Writing efforts can be a spectacular success. Don’t hesitate if a travel opportunity arises—a journey begun this afternoon can be joyful and romantic. Do something fun with a good friend. You have a good attitude and this evening you are expressive.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You may find a physical move or some other type of major change is being discussed today. This may mean that higher-ups in your workplace are looking for a place to relocate the company. You will ponder many questions by analysis and deep, penetrating thoughts. This could all be temporary if the company building is in need of being refurbished. You could be asked to do some location research at this time. Putting yourself in a position to gather and share more information seems most important to you at this time. Many obstacles and responsibilities are about to dissolve. Someone close to you may come to you for your psychological perceptiveness and comprehension. Expressing your insights through poetry or song becomes impressive.

e niv rsar n

Years

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

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e niv rsar n

Years

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

lifest yle G o s s i p

aniel Radcliffe believes the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise has been a “double-edged sword”. The 22-year-old actor shot to fame playing the titular boy wizard in all seven movies and while he learned a lot from the films, he admits it was hard to see his acting shortcomings played out in public while he honed his craft. He said: “It’s only recently I’ve become aware of the problems people had with me in the films. “And, you know, people are obviously entitled to their opinions. “But we learn from our mistakes. You know, I’m at the age most actors would be when they’ve learned from their mistakes in private and done drama school for three years. “It’s a double-edged sword. I had the amazing privilege of working with these fantastic actors for 10 years and learning from them, but I also had - we all did - the slight curse of somebody seeing, basically,

ate Beckinsale is “proud and puzzled” by her ‘Underworld: Awakening’ character. The 38-year-old actress - who is to resume her role as vampire warrior Selene in the fourth film in the franchise - thinks it is hard to establish an action movie series with a lead female because it can be “difficult”. She said: “I’m proud and also puzzled by her. When I started acting, I was all militant and feministy. “I didn’t want to be the girl in movies who was always crying in the shower. It’s hard to get a female franchise - you

our acting exercises.” Daniel believes his acting has improved massively working on his new film ‘The Woman In Black’ because he had learned to connect with his emotions. He told Empire magazine: “The emotional stuff is the trickiest, absolutely. And that’s why I feel I made some strides in this film because actually, for the first time, I felt able to really allow my own emotions to come out through the character. I know it sounds bizarre to say this now, but it was a fairly new experience for me, for whatever reason. I think I had a sense of it on the last ‘Potter’, but not before then.”

need different things from female action heroes; they need to have an emotional side, and that can be difficult.” Kate also admitted she was initially reluctant to return to the movie series because she thinks it is “weird” to revisit a character. She added: “I wasn’t planning to play her again - I think it’s weird for an actor to play a part more than once. But Selene finds out she has a daughter, which was interesting to me, because she’s not the most maternal person.”

Young ‘hates’ his first ever single arina Diamand is was “embarrassed” by her ambitions for fame. The Marina and the Diamonds star didn’t tell anyone she had been secretly writing songs until she was 20 years old because she didn’t think she was good enough to do well, so preferred to wait until she had honed her talents. She explained: “I think it was because I really wanted to be famous but was so embarrassed because it’s not a nice trait to have. “I couldn’t admit it to anyone because they would be like, ‘How are you going to make that happen? What talent do you have?’ “And I wasn’t any good at music yet. So I thought I would wait until I could show them I was famous, instead of telling them.” Despite her ambitions for fame, Marina, 26, is grateful that she is “just under” famous as it means she is able to lead a normal life. She said: “I love [being approached]. But I’m in a fortunate place where I’m not hugely famous. I’m just under famous. I think it’s totally doable to become really successful and still keep a bit of privacy for yourself.”

arc Anthony is reportedly set to challenge Jennifer Lopez for custody of their twins. The former couple - who split in July after seven years of marriage - had agreed an amicable arrangement where the ‘American Idol’ judge was primary career of three-year-old Max and Emme, but the Latin singer is now said to be seeking joint custody. Sources claim Marc “hit the roof” when he saw pictures of Jennifer’s new boyfriend Casper Smart bonding with the youngsters. The insider added to the new issue of Us Weekly magazine: “It caused a huge blow-up. “[Now he is] going back on his word and saying his wants joint custody.” Those close to the situation insist Marc’s motivation to take action is to make the ‘On the Floor’ hitmaker “suffer” because he is angry she has found love again. The source said: “He wants to make Jennifer suffer because she’s having fun with someone new, and he knows this will hurt her on the deepest level.” However, the singerand-actress is not prepared to give in to her estranged spouse and is ready to fight him to keep the custody arrangements as they are.

carlett Johansson always makes sure she’s wearing make-up. The stunning actress says she always makes an effort with her appearance even when she’s off duty as she doesn’t know who she might meet. She said: “I always like to put a little bit of makeup on,” she tells Style.com. “I’m not the kind of person that just slops around in sweatpants. I like to feel a little more together - you never know who you’re going to see out there! “My absolute must-have is a really rich and vibrant red lipstick. I always keep red lipstick in my bag because I never know when I might show up to an event and be completely underdressed. I feel like red lipstick is the cure-all for everything.” Scarlett also revealed how she has regular honey facials to keep her skin in good condition. She told style.com: “I use Manuka honey. You just warm your face so that your pores are open (you can steam your face right after getting out of the shower), and then you just take a spoon and apply the honey directly to

mily Blunt thinks Yves Saint Laurent “made a mistake” hiring her to front an advertising campaign. The ‘Muppets’ actress can’t understand why the fashion house asked her to star in a campaign for their Opium fragrance - which saw her dodging a leopard while wearing towering highheeled shoes - because she looks “so un-French”. She said: “God, I’m so un-French in that trailer.” Asked why she was invited to front the campaign, she added: “I don’t know. I’ve no idea. Perhaps there

was no one else? “They made a mistake, a terrible mistake.” Despite her reservations, Emily admitted she finally said yes to the campaign after years of turning down beauty advertisement offers because she liked the “aura of scandal”. She said: “I think that I’ve been wanting to make sure that when I did it would be the right thing. There’s such an aura of scandal around this perfume that I was quite attached to the idea of doing it from the word go. I’d been asked to do a couple of things but none were

your face and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes. “It really adds an amazing glow and your skin is so soft afterwards. It pulls out the impurities.”

as classy as this. And I got to work with a leopard.?” The ‘Devil Wears Prada’ star also revealed she wanted to wear a flowing gown instead of a tuxedo in the advert, but was advised it would send the leopard “crazy”. She told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: “I got word back that the leopard trainer says, ‘If you have flowing fabric around the leopard the leopard will go crazy .’ So I said yes to the tux.” — Bang Showbiz

he 32-year-old star released the double A-side ‘Anything Is Possible’ and ‘Evergreen’ when he won TV talent show ‘Pop Idol’ in 2002 but hasn’t ever performed the first track lives because he dislikes it so much. He said: “I’ve never done ‘Anything is Possible’ live. I hate it. I absolutely hate it.” The ‘Come On’ singer is known for his quirky music videos but admits he “can’t bear” to watch back his first ones because they were so “shocking”, despite having huge amounts of money spent on them. He said: “I can’t bear ‘Evergreen’ or ‘Anything is Possible’, they’re absolutely shocking. And you wouldn’t believe the amount of money that was spent on those videos. Dreadful videos. At one moment it looks like I’m in love with a tree! Dreadful. Really odd. Dreadful. No, no, no. No. But since then the track record has been pretty good actually apart from one - but the first one was really awful.” While he never performs ‘Anything is Possible’, Will still plays ‘Evergreen’ live but enjoys experimenting with different arrangements of the track as he thinks it is “important” to continue to sing the song. He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “I just thought, let’s do something a bit more interesting. Originally I wanted to do a really dancey ‘Evergreen’, which still could work one day. But Dave my MD [Musical Director] came with these chords, and it’s nice to... it’s a song that’s so different to what I’m doing now but it’s important and it’s a moment and it’s good to do, so we change it up and it works.”

e niv rsar n

MANSOORI

Years

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

ollywood struck gold in 2011, revving up lacklustre box offices in India with help from its leading men who wooed audiences back to cinemas after a dismal 2010. Domestic revenues hit 19.25 billion rupees ($363.2 million) this year, up from 14.5 billion rupees in 2010, and an unprecedented four films crossed the billion rupee milestone. Two of those blockbusters starred actor Salman Khan. The solid per formance contrasted sharply to the previous year when there were hardly any hits. “Audiences and filmmakers have gone back and discovered stories that are close to our Indian roots,” said Sanjeev Lamba, Chief executive of Reliance Entertainment, which produced two of the year’s biggest blockbusters-”Bodyguard” and “Singham”. “Bodyguard”, in which Khan plays a personal security guard to a rich man’s daughter and ends up falling in love with her, was the most successful Bollywood film, raking in more than 1.5 billion rupees ($28 million) at domestic box offices. “Singham” told the story of a right-

minded police officer who stands up to a corrupt politician and was accompanied by romance, drama and high-octane action. Both “Bodyguard” and “Singham” were panned by critics but loved by audiences. And both featured strong central characters, harkening back to the 1980s and early ‘90s in Bollywood when films were centered on the hero and his defeat of a villain in a battle of good versus evil. “Audiences have always loved the dilemmas of the hero, a little bit of action, some drama and some romance,” Lamba said. “We had a lot of that this year.” Other themes were successful, too. Offbeat films like “The Dirty Picture”, based on the life of a soft-core porn star, proved to be sleeper hits and took industry analysts by surprise. Together with the likes of “Singham” and “Bodyguard”, these smaller films proved audiences have an appetite for both mass market and niche-oriented work. “It is not that more people are watching movies, but that the same audience is watching more movies,” said Shailesh Kapoor of Ormax Media, a firm that

rapped in a maroon robe, her head shaven, Ani Choying Dolma treads gingerly into a Kathmandu hotel, exuding the composure and serenity one might expect from a Buddhist nun. But this 40-year-old is no ordinary devotee, for Dolma-better known by her moniker “The Singing Nun”-is the most unlikely of music stars, touring the world to change the lives of thousands of poverty-hit Nepali girls. She has recorded 12 albums, and for over a decade has been playing in festivals and concerts across Europe and the United States. The money she makes through her soulful music, a contemporary take on traditional Tibetan sounds, goes almost entirely to projects promoting the education and welfare of Buddhist nuns. Yet Dolma’s story has a dark heart-a childhood marked by brutality that she believes would have left her consumed with hatred if not for a teacher who recognized her talent and became her salvation. Born

Nepalese singer Ani Choying Dolma poses for a photo in Kathmandu on October 31, 201. —AFP

specializes in film market research. ‘Harry Potter’ hot; ‘RA.ONE’ not But widely-hyped movies like superhero film “Ra.One” were a let-down. In spite of a publicity blitzkrieg, actor Shah Rukh Khan’s film did not live up to expectations with around 1.2 billion rupees ($22 million) in net box office. That was just a bit more than its official budget of a billion rupees. Industry estimates put the film’s cost at over 1.5 billion rupees. Aside from that, for the most part, Bollywood managed to keep its purse strings in check, with production houses learning that budgeting a film right is half the battle. “Balaji Motion Pictures made ‘The Dirty Picture’ at a budget of less than 300 million rupees but have chosen themes and subjects which are interesting, and (they) publicized their films so well that audiences have felt compelled to watch them,” said industry analyst Vajir Singh. Big studios like Reliance and UTV also have changed their business models, preferring to co-produce films rather than acquire them after completion. Last year, Reliance suf-

Parts of manuscripts destroyed in the fire which erupted in January 1904 at Turin National Library are displayed on a shelf of the museum at the Central Institute for the Conservation and Restoration of Damaged Books on December 20, 2011 in Rome. —AFP photos

Books damaged by termites are displayed on a shelf.

Books damaged during the Second World War’s bombing of Monte Cassino abbey are displayed on a shelf of the museum.

fered losses after two big-ticket acquisitions, Mani Ratnam’s “Raavan” and Hrithik Roshanstarrer “Kites” flopped at box offices. “This year, all our films have been co-productions or our own productions and we have seen the successes,” Lamba said. “We prefer to be creatively involved from the beginning of the project rather than coming in at the end in an acquisition scenario.” Indian audiences also warmed up to Hollywood blockbusters including “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” and “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn”- something that wasn’t seen until just a few years ago due mainly to Bollywood’s dominance of the box office. “These days, the box office collections of good Hollywood films can rival those of a Bollywood film,” said Sunil Punjabi, chief executive of the Cinemax chain of multiplexes. “The Adventures of Tintin,” which was released along with Ranbir Kapoor’s “Rockstar” in November, made more than 70 million rupees its opening weekend. —Reuters

into a family of Tibetans who fled the Chinese occupation and raised in the shadow of a Buddhist monastery in Kathmandu, Dolma describes being beaten daily by her father and says her youth was “physically and emotionally painful”. But “the rebel in me took over”, she says, recalling how she opted to escape her family at the age of 13 to become a nun. “I was courageous enough to say that I didn’t want it anymore,” she told AFP in an interview. She moved to a monastery perched high in the hills overlooking Kathmandu where she found a teacher, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, an influential Buddhist master in Nepal. “The person I am today ... all credit goes to my teacher. I don’t know what I would have become had I not been blessed with his teachings. It transformed the hatred inside me into compassion,” she said. Dolma learned English, having left school aged 13, by talking to the foreigners who visited the monastery, and was schooled in spiritual singing by the Rinpoche and his

Ancient manuscripts are treated like hospital patients at a famous book restoration institute in Rome that has worked on everything from the Dead Sea Scrolls to one of the oldest Qurans in the world. “Look at this poor man suffering!” exclaimed Marina Bicchieri, head of the chemistry department at the Institute of the Pathology of the Book, as she examined oxidation levels on the unique institution’s most recent project. Bicchieri was looking at a chart with the scientific analysis of one of the last letters written by a captive Aldo Moro, a former Italian prime minister who was kidnapped and killed by far-left Red Brigades militants in 1978. Founded in 1938 to preserve Italy’s priceless archives, the laboratory is tucked away inside a walled garden in the city centre. “This interdisciplinary institute was the first of its kind in the world,” Bicchieri said. The museum is filled with books suffering from the worst kinds of ailments including one with a hole as big as a fist eaten by termites or another riddled with bullet holes from the Battle of Monte Cassino during World War II. The institute is the main point of reference for book and archive restoration in Italy but also does work for the Vatican and internationally. One recent research project was carried out on fragments of Quranic manuscripts found in Sanaa in Yemen dating back to at least the eight-century. Researchers are so keen they even donated blood to carry out experiments after finding that an ink with human blood had been used to write the Dead Sea Scrolls-apparently because of its iron content to help stabilise colours. “The main problems we see are linked to water, heat, dust and insects,” said Flavia Pinzari, head of the biology department. Their projects can be long-running but also emergency interventions. “Following the recent flooding in Tuscany we were called by the local authorities to help them with flooded archives,” Pinzari said. “We told them to freeze the books since that stops the water from diluting the ink and micro-organisms from propagating. Then we can vaporize the frozen water avoiding damage linked to the water,” she added. The institute brings together scientists as well as literature specialists and artisans with a range of skills from traditional book binding, to the production of parchment, to the restoration of mediaeval illuminations. They work with X-ray miscroscopes but also pincers, old printing presses and special machinery that ages paper artificially. “We consult old recipes, some of them mediaeval, to make colors and certain types of ink,” Pinzari said. They also rely on specialized firms in Italy and abroad, including one in Japan that makes a special paper used to “reconstruct” damaged pages. It is painstaking work as shown by a restorer of one of the Moro letters when attaching a tiny fragment of the Japanese paper to one of the pages and fixed it with a special ultra-thin plastic film developed in Rome. The institute’s book restoration course lasts a full five years. “Books doesn’t like moving, travelling. They adapt to their environment even when it’s not ideal and it is the change in temperature and humidity and manipulation that cause the majority of damage,” said Bicchieri. Pinzari added: “But even the most ancient books were written and made to be read. We therefore have to find the right middle ground between consultation and conservation.” —AFP

wife Kunseong Dechen. She may have been destined to sing for the pleasure of just a few fellow nuns and the tourists lucky enough to hear her at the monastery, were it not for a chance meeting with American new world musician Steve Tibbetts. Tibbetts, who is renowned for his original approach influenced by travel in Asia, was passing through Kathmandu when he heard Dolma chanting at the monastery, and proposed to record her songs. She was hesitant at first but consulted her teacher, who urged her to take up the opportunity. “I wasn’t sure but he told me that those were spiritual songs full of blessings, so whoever gets to hear them, would be benefited,” Dolma recalls. Her career took off immediately with a tour of the United States in 1998. Once she started to receive offers for concerts around the world and the sales of her albums grew, she began to use her newfound fame to help destitute girls in Nepal. In July 2005, she set up the Arya Tara school,

home to nearly 100 girls aged seven to 23 from the Himalayan Buddhist communities, who she says “mostly come from villages, where parents think that their daughters don’t need to go to school”. Her autobiography, My Voice for Freedom, published in French in 2008, has been translated into 12 languages including Nepalese. Despite her career taking off in the West, Dolma remained relatively unknown back home at first. But in 2005 she released “Moment of Bliss”, an album featuring the song “Phulko Ankhama” (In the Eyes of Flowers), which became an instant hit at home, turning her into a celebrity in Nepal. “When I walk on the street, people come over and say: ‘Oh Ani Choying!’ They give me a big smile. It’s a real blessing to know that I can be someone’s pleasure for a moment.” —AFP

A scientist works the cover of a book of memories dated 1600 by father Francesco Zazzara.

A scientist washes sheets of books during a restoration at the Central Institute for the Conservation and Restoration of Damaged Books.

A detail of a painting on leather, found over the altar of Sant’Anna church of Corigliano during its restoration.

A manuscript dated 1200 is shown by a scientist after it was restored.

A scientist unveils a painting on leather, found over the altar of Sant’Anna church of Corigliano.

A scientist works on a part of a travel book note of Cesare Pasquarella, dated 1200.

e niv rsar n

Years

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

lifestyle T r a v e l

Castle Neuschwanstein in Hohenschwangau; part of the castle has scaffolding on it as a renovation is completed on the exterior.

Germany’s Romantic Road

was driving along the Romantic Road when I realized a few things. For one, bombs cannot kill cities. For another, eccentrics sometimes create masterpieces. For a third, except for the plague and witch hunts, the olden days seem awfully recent here. Created in 1950 as a marketing tool to attract US servicemen and their families stationed in Germany, the Romantic Road stretches 217 miles between Fussen and Wurzburg. Today, it attracts visitors lured by medieval villages and castles that appear more like movie sets than real places. Yet what you see today is only an echo of a thousand years of history. Behind every flowerbox and window pane is an incredible story. The family of mad King Ludwig of Bavaria considered him to be pretty much a loser. Ludwig despaired of his royal duties and retreated to the mountains, where he built himself several extravagant palaces steeped in fantastic originality and oddities, blowing through the family’s royal fortune. Today, the two most famous are Linderhof and Neuschwanstein. They are amazing. Linderhof, many travelers’ favorite (about 45 minutes east of the Romantic Road near Ettal), has a stark white exterior and a small interior dripping with gold, lapis, china, marble and jewels. Constructed in the 1870s, it feels like stepping inside a Faberge egg, or perhaps a gilded cage.

The towers of downtown Wurzburg.

The nearby Castle Neuschwanstein, however, is Ludwig’s hallmark. Massive as an ocean liner, set among the dramatic mountains and waterfalls in Hohenschwangau, its turrets and towers are testaments to Ludwig’s theatrical taste. You go in on a timed ticket with a group of about 25, climb a steep spiral staircase, and get surprised. Giant murals depict scenes from Wagner operas. Golden floor candelabras shine in a ballroom that never held a party. A silver-plated swan fountain nests in the bedroom. A throne big enough for Goliath looms in the immodest throne room. This castle was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s castle in the Magic Kingdom, but it saw few happy times. Declared insane and dethroned in 1886, Ludwig drowned in a lake only a few days later at age 40. To this day, the German people do not know if it was suicide, murder or an accident. But here’s the kicker: Ludwig’s folly turned out to be a major tourist attraction. About 1.3 million people visit Linderhof every year, and the same number visit Neuschwanstein, which also was a finalist in 2007 as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World. The dreamy king did good. Really good. I have to admit, I cheated. The Romantic Road (basically, B-17 and B-25) is a two-lane winding road that can be slow with nowhere to pass. I began driving it in the south near the castles, but with fog blotting out part of the landscape, I detoured onto the A7 Autobahn and sped two hours north to sunny Dinkelsbn/4hl, where I rejoined the Romantic Road. The town with the adorable name is small, warmly charming, and the kind of place you might expect to see the real boy Pinocchio walking down the lane. Walk the perimeter wall, with gates and towers that date back to the 14th century. Enjoy the somewhat kitschy painted store signs in Gothic text (my favorite was the hearing aid shop called “Haus des guten horens”-literally, “The House of Good Listening “). There’s a harmony here, and the shopkeepers are very friendly for Germany. In December, like others on the route, this town has a big Christmas Market. About 30 minutes north of Dinkelsbuhl is the oddly named city Rothenburg ob der Tauber (“on the river Tauber”). This jewel of the Romantic Road features stately half-timber architecture, a big central market square, huge churches and busloads of tourists. It’s so pretty that scenes from the first “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was filmed here. The medieval-walled town dates back 1,000 years and gives off a jolly air, as if Santa might park his sleigh to grab a schneeballen powdered sugar pastry down at the bakery. Unfortunately for little Rothenburg, it was singled out by the Nazis as the ideal German town. The town’s Jews were wiped out. With German troops stationed there, it was targeted by Allied bombs in 1945, which destroyed about 40 percent of the town. It rebuilt. Today, you cannot tell what fell down and what did not. You see only a place that has reinvented itself many times, that survived, is still here and has a storybook charm-and a little Jewish memorial garden near the White Tower. At the northern end of

the Romantic Road is the carefully constructed city of Wurzburg. My favorite part is the Alte Mainbrucke (old main bridge), a 15th century walking bridge lined with gigantic stone statues, much like the Charles Bridge in Prague. But the most famous attraction is the Residenz, a massive palace built by the prince archbishops in the 1700s. You can visit 40 rooms and realize that, hey, these archbishops never went broke, just baroque. Founded as a religious center in the 8th century, Wurzburg was ruled by prince-bishops for hundreds of years, later prospering as part of Bavaria. But here’s what else to know: In 1945, 90 percent of the town was bombed and burned to bits by the Allies, killing an estimated 5,000. The U.S. military kept a presence here until Jan 14, 2009. That accounts for a slight American feel to the wide streets, the fast food, the good English that sales clerks speak. Wurzburg rebuilt. It rebuilt its glorious medieval churches and royal residences and bridges and towers. Now it is a huge tourist draw. Visited by 3 million day visitors and 650,000 overnight visitors a year, people come to see the old architecture, which truly is stunning, all the more so because it is actually a recreation of what was there before, a whole town that sprang back to life, in a romantic burst of hope.

he Romantic Road is part of Germany’s Bavarian region. Bavaria saw a 32.5 percent increase in tourism between 1999 and 2009; about 551,000 Americans visit per year. When to go: High season is May-October, plus Christmas Markets in December. I prefer the first week of November, when fares are down, rooms are cheap, tourists and tour buses are few and the snow has yet to arrive. How to go: You can go on your own or take a package trip by train, bus, private coach or bicycle; for packages see www.romantischestrasse.de (and click on the British flag for the English-language version of the site). If you rent a car: Order at least an intermediate car, preferably something fast. It helps on the Autobahn. I like the German company Sixt (www.sixt.com) for best oneway rental prices. What to eat: Eat local specialties. Depending on the town, you see mostly excellent pork, sausage, noodles, apple strudel. There is a lot of walking in Germany, with lots of stairs and few elevators at attractions, so you shouldn’t gain weight. More strudel, bitte! Costs: Entrance fees at museums and castles are cheap, about $10 or less. Walking around is free. What to buy: Look for the many consumer products made in Germany, especially toys, clocks, music boxes, fabric. — MCT

’m on a bus with 57 other tourists singing “I Am Sixteen Going on Seventeen.” It’s fun. Really fun. Well, it’s sort of fun. After three hours, I feel like jumping out the window. “I can’t hear you,” the tour guide coaxes the mumbling throng. “Sing!” The Original Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg caters to tourists who yearn to absorb the atmosphere of the movie that was filmed here in 1963. Salzburg, through the eyes of these fans, has particular charms. Look, here’s where Julie Andrews and the children ran around the fountain. This hotel is where actor Christopher Plummer got drunk at night. That mountain where Maria spins around in the opening scene? It is 12 miles from Nonnberg Abbeyshe’d never have made it back in time for dinner. The tour is four hours long. You will not lose the bus. It is loudly painted with scenes from the film and can be seen several blocks away. But luckily, the schmaltzy decoration and narration is just part of the tour. The upside? Salzburg is so incredibly beautiful that it’s a privilege just to be here. About 1.5 million visitors descend on Salzburg each year, and about 300,000 of those are drawn by “Sound of Music” lore. The tour takes visitors first to Castle Leopoldskron, which is set on a small, exquisite lake. It is where all the back patio scenes were filmed, and the lake is where Maria and the children tipped into the water. Privately owned, it can be admired only from afar. Next is Hellbrunn Palace to see the “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” gazebo and the lane where Maria sang “I Have Confidence.” Cameras flash! People pose. I actually see a couple skipping. The bus trundles into the lake district, headed for Mondsee and its cathedral, where the wedding scene was filmed. Even when accompanied by half-hearted choruses of “The Lonely Goatherd,” it’s a gorgeous drive. But the most amazing part of the tour is realizing that while foreigners can quote every word of “The Sound of Music” in their sleep, most Austrians have never even seen it. “Our view is that Mozart is in the first row,” Juliane Breyer, spokeswoman for the Landestheater in Salzburg, later says. “It’s a parallel world. You can be in Salzburg without being aware of ‘The Sound of Music.’ Now, it’s coming to surface. It’s now more present.” Salzburg still is a place where windows are washed, featherbeds are fluffed and children behave. It has nearly 20 Catholic churches. Manners are formal. Dirndls are in style. But on Nov 2, the old town’s towering glockenspiel began playing a new song. At 3 pm, the notes rang through the streets, repeating five times, tinkling a certain melody: “Edelweiss, edelweiss, every morning you greet me ...” What is remarkable is that the song is not an old Austrian folk song. Or, as many believe, the national anthem of Austria. Or even familiar to Austrians at all. It was written in 1959 by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein for “The Sound of Music.” And here it was, wafting across the Mozartplatz, right past the statue of Mozart. It turns out that the new glockenspiel song is tied not to the tours, but to the opening of a new exhibit at Salzburg’s Panorama Museum, “The Trapp Family: Reality and ‘The Sound of Music,’” which explains the complex story of the real family and how they became legends. More astonishingly, it also marks the first-ever stage production of “The Sound of Music” in Salzburg, which debuted Oct. 23 at the Landestheater. Why didn’t a Salzburg theater ever mount the musical before? Why did it take 62 years? “This was the whole dilemma,” says Breyer. “It was too close to the war. It was still too emotional, a topic not to be touched. Also, it was kitsch. To be shown their own kitsch by a foreigner, they didn’t like it.” Now, the musical is sold out through January, and

Attractions ”The Original Sound of Music Tour” by Panorama is offered twice a day. The fourhour tour is about $45. Also available are packages that include hotel (www.panoramatours.com). For a detailed listing of all filming locations in Salzburg, s e e http://emp.byui.edu/haderlieb/SoundofM usicSites.htm • Panorama Museum’s new exhibit, “The Trapp Family: Reality and ‘The Sound of Music,’” runs through Nov 2, 2012. It features 180 interactive photos and 100 original objects, including a fantastic audio exhibit with “My Favorite Things” in a dozen languages. About $4.50 (www.salzburgmuseum.at). • The new “The Sound of Music” musical, in German with English subtitles, is at the Landestheater in Salzburg through June 8; it is likely to return next fall. Tickets start at •

Dinkelsbuhl is a good example of the charm of the towns along the Romantic Road in Bavaria.

most of the patrons are Austrians. So I finish the Original Sound of Music Tour, and by the time I get off the bus, it’s dark. I walk through the dim Mirabel Gardens, pass the fountains and amble toward my hotel. Clanging church bells ring the time, 6 pm. The shops haven’t closed yet. Bright against the cold night, they still sell their Mozart candy, “Sound of Music” calendars, bright fabrics, loden coats. I chance upon a market where vendors sell five kinds of wurst and six or seven kinds of gigantic pretzels. Above, the lighted Hohensalszburg Fortress looms over the old town. That evening, I go to the fortress to hear the Salzburger Mozart Ensemble. It’s satisfying. It’s good. I feel pretty much alive with the sound of ... well, you know.

A woman poses in front of the gazebo used in the filming of “The Sound of Music” scene where the song “I am Sixteen Going on Seventeen” is sung.

When it comes to tourism souvenirs in Salzburg, Mozart has the edge over “The Sound of Music.” Why? There’s no copyright on Mozart.

about $20. www.salzburger-landestheater.at/index.php?option=com _ content&view=article&id=366&Itemid=218&la ng=de. • Mozart’s Geburtshaus: Don’t leave Salzburg without paying homage to its most famous citizen at the house where Mozart was born. About $10 (www.mozarteum.at). Souvenirs: Mozart wins out because “The Sound of Music” is still copyrighted. The only actual movie-themed gifts are calendars, postcards and ornaments from Mondsee. But you can dress like Maria by buying a dirndl or lederhosen, which are back in style. Dozens of shops sell them for $300-$400. I did not see anyone wearing play clothes made of old curtains. — MCT

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Years

lifestyle

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

T r a v e l

ehind a locked glass door lies the 17th floor of Copenhagen’s Bella Sky hotel: the Bella Donna floor is off-limits to men so women will feel safe and pampered, even though it’s in violation of gender equality laws. “I’m not allowed to enter. I have to wait here.” Except in the event of an emergency, even hotel manager Anders Duelund cannot pass through the door. “Me, I have a pass,” insists however Chren Vilander Thomsen, the head of security, as he bounds into the protected area to remove the AFP journalist accused of disturbing the female guests on the floor. “We’ve received a complaint and respect for our customers’ privacy is a priority,” he explains as he checks the identity card of the reporter who was seeking out some guests’ impressions of the allwomen floor. Access to Bella Donna, which means Beautiful Woman in Italian, is so strictly restricted that a female guest who wants to bring a man up to her room must ask to switch rooms to another floor. The exclusion zone prompted one anonymous plaintiff to report the hotel to the Danish Gender Equality Board on the grounds that “closing off the floor to men stigmatized men as aggressors”, Duelund said. Jytte Larsen of the women’s rights network Kvinfo said the complaint was “inappropriate.” “There is just one person, a man, who claims that this is discrimination and that requires the board to address the case and rule in his favor because, according to Danish gender equality laws, it is illegal to treat people differently based on their sex,” Larsen lamented. On November 11, the board ordered the hotel to open the floor to men. But, Duelund insisted, “we decide for ourselves who gets to stay at our hotel.” “This glass door cost 60,000 kroner (8,000 euros, $10,500), we’re going to use it now,” he said, his tone suggesting he was merely joking. Just a little prevention When the four-star, ultra-modern hotel opened in May “we didn’t think we had to specially protect women,” Duelund recalled. He said the idea to create the women’s floor had nothing to do with the Dominique Strauss-Kahn incident in a New York hotel or with the March 2010 murder of a woman in a Copenhagen hotel that made the headlines in Denmark. “It’s just a little prevention” that is greatly appreciated by businesswomen who travel alone and are afraid they may be followed up to their rooms, he explained. “A lot of foreign women, especially Americans, come here but also Danish women who have heard about us in the media,” the hotel’s head of personnel, Tanja Trab, told AFP. According to Duelund, “when a woman walks into a hotel room, the first thing she does is check the bathroom: she checks if it’s clean, looks nice and is well-equipped. While the man ... checks out the view, the television and the location of the outlets to charge his phone.” On the 17th floor, rose and burgundy tones have replaced the black and grey hues found on the hotel’s other floors, and the female clients enjoy special perks.

An outside view of the Bella Sky hotel.

The 20 Bella Donna rooms are the only ones decked out with fresh flowers and fashion magazines, while the bathrooms feature high-end shampoos, creams and facial masks. Belle Tyson, an Englishwoman staying on the floor, didn’t know it was barred to men when she booked her room and pokes fun at the idea. But she admitted the chocolates and fresh fruit laid out in the room were “a very good point.” These “extras” do not constitute discrimination, claimed Duelund, stressing that the hotel has 794 other rooms that can be used by men. In addition, underlined Trab, the advantages for the women do not come free of charge: “a room on the Bella Donna floor costs 300 kroner (40 euros, 53 dollars) more than the same room on another floor.”— AFP

An outside view of the Bella Sky hotel.

A picture taken on November 25, 2011 shows a room on the floor reserved for women at the Bella Sky hotel in Copenhagen. —AFP photos

A picture shows a room on the floor reserved for women.

s most Americans celebrated Christmas Day with warm feasts and crackling fires, members of the country’s oldest Polar Bear Club cast off their sweaters for an icy plunge into the Atlantic. A few dozen men and women of all ages took part in a special Christmas edition of the monthly tradition, gathering on a windy beach at Coney Island on a 40 degrees Fahrenheit (five degrees Celsius) winter’s day. A guitar-playing Santa Claus added some holiday cheer to the ritual, which saw club members wade into the freezing water at a seaside promenade in front of the New York Aquarium, in a tradi-

A picture shows the lobby of the Bella Sky hotel.

tion dating back more than a century. Onlookers in hats and gloves watched and took cell phone pictures of the spectacle, as the bathers stripped down to their swimsuits and plunged into the frigid waters, the novices shrieking in painful celebration. “It was pretty crazy,” said Alex Birman, an 18-year-old student from Virginia. “I liked it, it was fun. It was my first time. My uncle is a member of the Polar Bear Club, so I decided to join him.” Veterans were more nonchalant. Curtrell Gore, 60, has been taking the icy dips since 1994 and became a full member in 2000.

“Today is not very cold day, 25, 30 degrees-I cannot resist the beach. With 17 degrees I can resist the beach, but today it was OK,” he said. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club was founded in 1903 by fitness pioneer Bernarr MacFadden, who believed that a dip in frozen water “can be a boon to one’s stamina, virility and immunity,” according to the group’s website. The idea has since spread across the United States and Canada, with similar chapters taking regular frigid swims in the ocean and other bodies of water, often using the events to raise money for charity. Members have been known to break ice on frozen lakes or

wade through the snow in order to reach the water. The Coney Island group says it is not aware of anyone having suffered from hypothermia or frostbite in the last 20 years. Organizers expect a much larger crowd of some 300 people to attend the New Year’s Day plunge at Coney Island a week from now. The group holds similar swims on the first Sunday of every month from November through April. — AFP

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At Copenhagen hotel, women get a floor to themselves Years

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2011

A journalist looks over the Vogue Magazine archive Internet site on December 22, 2011 in Washington, DC. Bookshelves groaning under the weight of every issue of American Vogue ever published since December 17, 1892, and there have been about 2,800 of them, can now heave a sigh of relief. —AFP

Vogue’s vast archives make online leap from paper

ookshelves groaning under the weight of every issue of American Vogue ever published since December 17, 1892, and there have been about 2,800 of them, can now heave a sigh of relief. Two years in the making, an online Vogue Archive is being pitched to fashion designers, photographers and stylists for whom rummaging through musty back issues for inspiration is an everyday part of the job. “That’s about 400,000 pages. It’s everything,” said Matt Dellinger, a writer and multimedia producer who directed the digital project for Vogue’s publisher Conde Nast. “When you’re looking at this, you’re

looking at the actual pages of the magazine ... exactly as they appeared.” At $1,575 a year, or the price of a Dolce and Gabbana lace and satin bustier dress at Net-a-Porter, enjoying instant access to nearly 120 years of a single magazine title doesn’t come cheap. “If you live in a New York City apartment, and were thinking of getting a subscription to Vogue’s newlylaunched archive site, how does not paying your rent for a month sound?” quipped the Fashion Bomb Daily style blog. But in a telephone interview from New York, Dellinger said the archive’s real value lies in how every photograph, every advertisement and-

so far from October 1988 — every garment has been assigned a “tag” or search label. “Most of our work was creating an index so that you can find (a particular) ad or a photo,” he said. “That’s kind of the special sauce here” because, with most online archives, only the text is searchable, if at all. So someone looking for, say, a pleated dress by Balenciaga from an era when pleats were all the rage-will be swept back to the September 15, 1939 issue and an otherwise hard-to-find crisp line drawing of a black number from the Spanish couturier. Other searches reveal that over the

Holiday makeover costs less than $35

ur cover girl Lashunda Roberts, 21, likes to dress up, but doesn’t often have a chance to do so. “My life is kind of boring,” she said. “I go to school and go to work.” She attends North Hennepin Community College, works part-time at Wal-Mart and cares for her young son. She’s also a resident at the Jeremiah Program in Minneapolis, a nonprofit organization that helps single women with young children get an education and launch successful careers.

color of the skirt. I think it’s old-school to say your shoes have to match your bag,” he said. “As long as you stay in the same color family, you’re fine.”

The setup Our makeover artist: Grant Whittaker, a Minneapolis-based style expert. The challenge: We asked Grant to build a holiday-worthy outfit around one of Lashunda’s favorite items of clothing. The starting point: A sparkly T-shirt. “I like stuff that stands out,” said Lashunda, “stuff with a lot of glitz.”

The hair Instead of going for an up ‘do, Grant curled Lashunda’s hair into a “nice, loose wave” that he pinned to one side.

The store To complete Lashunda’s outfit, Grant only went to one place: Goodwill. “It doesn’t matter where you shop, it’s the outcome that counts,” he said. The outfit Grant paired her gray T-shirt with a bright fuchsia pencil skirt ($6.99). “We’re seeing a lot more color-vibrant color-and pattern this year. This color is trendy, and really flattering on her.”

Lashunda Roberts poses in her everyday street clothes before a holiday makeover.

The accessories Then he layered on accessories, including patterned black stockings ($4.99) and a chunky bracelet ($8.99). Her open-toed heels ($6.99) and clutch ($2.49) are in shades of cranberry that “play off the undertones of the

Finishing touch Grant used a belt to help blend the neutral tee with the bright skirt. “A belt ties it together,” he said. And because Lashunda likes a bit of bling, he selected a black leather belt ($3.49) with “good hardware.”

The makeup “I didn’t want people to see the makeup first-I wanted them to see her,” said Grant. For a “focused, pretty look,” Lashunda is wearing a cream foundation, luminescent bronzer, metallic copper eye shadow, coppery brown lipstick and, for a touch of drama, false eyelashes. The reveal The look: The young sophisticate. Total cost: Less than $35. The payoff: “I’m so excited about the holidays,” said Lashunda. “It’s my son’s birthday, I’ve got a couple of Christmas dinners to go to and I’m going to church on New Year’s Eve. That’s where we bring in the new year.” —MCT

Lashunda Roberts models her ‘after’ look for holiday going-out style by stylist Grant Whittaker. —MCT photos

years, Vogue has carried 12,406 references to “Chanel,” 8,970 to “Dior,” and 6,136 to “Yves Saint Laurent” unless you search for “YSL,” in which case that number goes up to 7,381. Graphs at the foot of the website reflect the ebb and flow of a particular trend. “Corduroy,” for instance, literally goes off the charts in the 1910s, then subsides before its notorious comeback in the 1970s. Calling up the very first Vogue (“a weekly magazine of fashion and society”) finds the first cover girl to be an anonymous New York debutante. From London, a correspondent reported: “Dogs are the fashionable fad at the moment.”

The word “supermodel” first appeared in the August 15, 1972 issue to describe the African-American model Naomi Sims. (Vogue was a weekly until 1912, then a biweekly, going monthly in 1973.) But nothing’s perfect: a search for “we don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day” manages to miss the October 1990 feature in which Linda Evangelista first uttered the infamous phrase. Karin Bohleke, director of Shippensburg University’s fashion collection in Pennsylvania, one of the biggest in the United States, said rummaging through back issues of fashion magazines is a key part of the creative

process. “You get the context. You see the evolution and development, you see parallels, things like that,” Bohleke, author of a study of 19th century American and French women’s magazines, told AFP. Vogue’s archrival Harper’s Bazaar did not respond when asked if it might put its own back issues online, and there are no plans for similar digital archives of the British, French, Italian, Japanese or other editions of Vogue. But a spokeswoman for Conde Nast in London said in an email that the publisher was monitoring the American Vogue project “with interest.” —AFP

Taking a look back at the best in fashion fr C

heers all around for the world of fashion in 2011 that brought us ease, girlishness and all-out pretty styles for spring/summer, and new, colorful swagger with a royal touch of elegance for fall/winter (not to mention some bargains). Here’s a look at our top 11 trends: 1. Star of the season: The statement coat. Toppers of all sorts made news this seasonponchos, capes, maxis and boyfriend styles some in those vivid shades (like one from DKNY). If you have to buy just one new thing, make it a great coat. 2. Designer collaborations: OK, admit it! You were one of the people who lined up, waited for, desperately sought the sprightly Missoni for Target collection that crashed a website. And, you worshipped at the temple of H&M when Donatella Versace’s collection hit the store. No shame in ‘fessing up and guaranteed there’s more to follow. 3. Fur, faux and otherwise: From sci-fi mounds of dyed real fur to sleeker faux fur vests to well-placed touches of fur on sleeves and collars (as in a Vince sweater), fur was a fashion focus for fall/winter 2011. 4. Color crazy: In a season that is traditionally neutral, color reigned supreme with loads of bolds, brights (including jeans) and even a heavy dose of pink for winter/fall. And what made it all that much more fun? Color blocking and wearing colors that (some would say) clash-like a J Crew ensemble, for instance. 5. The Kate Middleton factor: Many a fashion pundit credited Kate Middleton for steering trends in more formal, proper direction. From her wedding dress to-yes-her sheer pantyhose, the Duchess of Cambridge has had a strong influence on the fashion scene. In this recent photo, she’s wearing a floral minidress by Zara under a Ralph Lauren jacket. 6. Grrrrr-animal prints: Lions and tigers and snakes, oh my! In a nod to the exotic, spots, stripes, and skin patterns turned up head-

to-toe; here, a leopard trench coat from Banana Republic’s “Mad Men” collection. 7. It’s a boot-iful life: From knee-high ladylike heels to short combat-style stompers, boots are a must-have. New to the scene, high wedged heels and in a novel twist, work boots (these by Lucky) styled fashionably. 8. Hang loose mama: Easy, breezy silhouettes, like this dress at Michael Kors, were showcased by many designers giving gals a languid moment to relax. 9. Happy hippies: We loved those floppy hats that dominated spring catwalks and cute, easy frocks including the maxi and little floral prints went right along with that groovy ‘70s vibe, here on the runway at Tracy Reese. 10.Sheer magic: See-through dresses (this at BCBG), tops and yes, pants raged on spring/summer runways, so layering became a must, anddon’t be shy-underpinnings were showcased. 11.The white stuff: White was a staple for spring from evening wear to sportswear, a crisp alternative to also popular lingerie shades of nude, beige and blush. Here, a dress from Ralph Lauren’s spring show. —MCT

For 2011 trend wrap, this is an outfit from the Missoni collection for Target, one of the hottest designer collaborations of the year.

For style and trend pieces, this is an outfit that mixes colors, from JCrew.

Vince sweater in nutmeg has a removable collar made of genuine yak fur at select Nordstrom stores and nordstrom.com

Get noticed in this brilliant raspberry boyfriend coat by DKNY exclusively at Bloomingdale’s.