11th Jan 2010

RI PT IO N BS C SU THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF

40 PAGES

MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2010

MOHARRAM 25, 1431 AH

Europe freeze strands travellers, cuts power

Foreign actresses moving centre-stage in Bollywood

Pink taxis to hit the roads in Kuwait shortly

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NO: 14606

Dozens of militants hiding out in Yemen: Governor

KUWAIT: Fire engines are seen near the building where a fire broke out in Waha in Jahra early yesterday.

Four of a family die in Jahra fire

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Four members of an expatriate Arab family died yesterday in a fire that broke out in their apartment in the Waha area of Jahra. Lt Col Khalil Al-Amir, the head of the Kuwait Fire Services Directorate’s Public Relations Department, said in a statement that although firemen immediately rushed to the scene on being notified of the blaze, they were unable to save the lives of the Arab couple and two of their children, who are believed to have been overcome by suffocation.

The couple’s six-month-old baby daughter was rescued from the apartment and rushed to Jahra Hospital’s ICU, and was later transferred to the Babtain Center, where her condition was described as stable. Nine other people were evacuated from the building where the fire took place, with firefighters putting out the blaze and ventilating the building before allowing residents to return to their apartments.

One fireman involved in tackling the blaze, Cpl Abdullah Al-Sindlay, was taken to hospital after sustaining bruises and suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.

His condition has been described as stable. Al-Amir urged all residents to be safety conscious, particularly at bedtime, taking care to turn off all gas valves and electrical appliances and to minimize the risk of fires by keeping flammable substances and materials in a safe place out of children’s reach.

He advised householders to install smoke detectors, which he said are known as “night watchmen” for their effectiveness in alerting occupants of homes or offices to the presence of smoke or fire.

Al-Amir expressed condolences on behalf of himself and the fire brigade to the family members of the deceased, acknowledging the need for the fire department to raise awareness of the need for safety procedures in residential areas.

in the news Handball also suspended KUWAIT: The International Handball Federation (IHF) suspended all activities of Kuwaiti handball at local and international levels, said an official yesterday. Secretary of the Kuwaiti Handball Federation Bader Thiyab told KUNA that the suspension would threaten Kuwait’s participation in the Asian tournament to be held in Lebanon in February, adding that the IHF’s letter called on the Kuwaiti federation to adjust its rules and regulations or the suspension would persist. Thiyab stressed it was important to find a solution to the dilemma because the absence of Kuwait from future competitions would affect the status of handball in the country.

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Burgan Bank said it became a majority shareholder in an Iraqi lender as part of its plan to become a regional player. Burgan, the commercial banking arm of investment firm Kuwait Project Co (KIPCO), now owns a 50.6 percent stake in the Bank of Baghdad after it bought an additional 5.3 percent stake for $10.7 million, it said yesterday in a statement on the Kuwaiti bourse website. The acquisition is part of a push by Burgan to move outside of its home market for the first time.

Burgan, which was founded in 1977 and is mainly active in Kuwait, said last year it would relaunch plans to increase capital

by KD 200 million as a way to fund the purchase. The bank said in December it received Central Bank approval to raise its capital

by KD 36 million.

Iran ‘can be bombed’ WASHINGTON: A top US military commander responsible for the Middle East and the Gulf region said the United States has developed contingency plans to deal with Iran’s nuclear facilities, insisting that they “can be bombed”. “Well, they certainly can be bombed,” General David Petraeus, head of US Central Command, told CNN television as he commented on suggestions that Iranian nuclear facilities were heavily fortified. “The level of effect would vary with who it is that carries it out, what ordnance they have, and what capability they can bring to bear,” he added.

Petraeus did not elaborate on the plans, but he said the military has considered the impacts of any action taken there, CNN said.

Dubai TV reporter freed TEHRAN: The Islamic republic yesterday released an Iran-based Syrian journalist working for Dubai TV who was arrested during opposition protests last month, the Tehran prosecutor and a colleague said. “He is fine and happy to be reunited with his family,” a colleague of Reza Al-Basha, who declined to be identified, told AFP after talking to Basha by phone. “We are also very glad he has been freed.” Earlier on Sunday, the Fars news agency cited Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi as saying Basha had been freed. Basha, 27, was detained on Dec 27 during opposition protests, according to his colleague.

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MPs to grill info, interior ministers MPs to meet Amir over debt law

By B Izzak KUWIAT: Opposition and tribal MPs have decided to grill the information minister and later the interior minister over their alleged failure to carry out their duties over the Al-Sour satellite channel controversy. Meeting late Saturday night at MP Mubarak AlWaalan’s diwaniya, around 20 lawmakers also decided to meet again on Wednesday to determine the exact date for the grilling of Information Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah AlSabah and those who will submit the grilling.

The lawmakers claimed that they already have the support of around 22 MPs who last month signed on a document pledging to grill

the two ministers. If the grilling goes ahead as announced, the MPs will have no difficulty filing a noconfidence motion against the minister, which only requires the signatures of 10 MPs. For the motion to pass, they require the support of at least 25 MPs. If approved, it would mean an automatic dismissal of the minister.

They also decided to file to grill the interior minister at a later stage over the same issue.

Tribal and opposition MPs are accusing the two ministers of failure to apply the law against the TV channel, owned and run by Mohammad Al-Juwaihel, who last month gave an interview in which he allegedly insulted tribes.

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Panel allows army men to wear beards

By Ahmad Saeid

SANAA: An armed Yemeni guard walks through the gate into the ancient village of Kawkaban, one of the favorite sites for tourist, north of the capital yesterday. Yemen’s president said he is ready to open a dialogue with Al-Qaeda fighters who lay down their weapons and renounce violence, despite US pressure to crack down on the terror group. — AP

US ‘threat’ causes stir in Israel JERUSALEM: A US peace envoy’s suggestion that Washington could penalise Israel financially to force it to make concessions to the Palestinians drew Israeli ire yesterday. “Under American law, the United States can withhold support on loan guarantees to Israel,” George Mitchell said on US television on Wednesday after being asked about the kind of pressure

that could be brought to bear on Israel. Over the past two decades, Israel has received US guarantees covering billions of dollars in loans, underwriting that has enabled it to raise money overseas more cheaply. Although such guarantees have slipped in importance and Mitchell made clear in the US Continued on Page 14

US quake leaves jumble of debris EUREKA, California: A powerful offshore earthquake rattled communities in far northern California, cutting power to thousands of customers, causing minor damage to homes and businesses and forcing many people to seek treatment for cuts and bruises from falling debris. The 6.5 magnitude temblor hit at about 4:27 p.m. PST Saturday (0027 GMT yesterday) and was centered in the Pacific Ocean about 35 km west of Ferndale. It was felt in towns more than 480 km south into central California and as far north as central Oregon, the US Geological Survey said.

Ferndale is about 385 km north of San Francisco.

Dozens of people suffered minor injuries and thousands lost power.

In Eureka, north of Ferndale, residents of an apartment building were evacuated, and an office building and two other commercial

Africa Cup starts, Togo hope to join later

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Yemen ready to talk with Qaeda SANAA: Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh said he is open to dialogue with AlQaeda militants, as a top official warned that dozens of foreign jihadists are grouping in a remote part of the impoverished country. “If Al-Qaeda (militants) lay down their arms, renounce violence and terrorism and return to wisdom, we are prepared to deal with them,” Saleh told Abu Dhabi TV in an interview carried by Yemen’s Saba news agency yesterday. “We are prepared to deal with anyone who renounces violence and terrorism,” he said.

Washington has urged Yemen to crack down on AlQaeda after the local franchise of Osama bin Laden’s network said it was behind a Christmas Day botched bombing on board a US airliner. Saleh, who also faces a Shiite rebellion in the north and a movement for autonomy in the south, stressed the government will crack down heavily on those who resort to violence. “They are a threat not only to Yemen but also to international peace and security, particularly AlQaeda. They are ignorants, drug dealers and illiterate.

They have no relation with Islam,” he said.

The governor of southern Shabwa province, Ali Hasan Al-Ahmadi, meanwhile was quoted yesterday as saying Al-Qaeda fighters, among them Saudis and Egyptians, have streamed in from Afghanistan to join local members of the jihadist network on rugged Kour mountain. “There are dozens of Saudi and Egyptian Al-Qaeda militants who came to the province,” Ahmadi told the London-based Al-Sharq AlAwsat daily. “This is in addition to Yemenis who came from Maarib and Abyan (provinces) and a number of militants from Shabwa province itself,” he added.

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structures in the town of about 26,000 people were declared unsafe for occupancy, according to Humboldt County spokesman Phil Smith-Hanes.

“Our initial reports were that, though this was a pretty decent quake, we survived it well,” Smith-Hanes said, adding that damage assessments would continue Sunday across the county.

Sandra Hall, owner of Antiques and Goodies, said furniture fell over, nearly all her lamps broke and the handful of customers in her store got a big scare. She said it was the most dramatic quake in the 30 years the Eureka store has been open. “We’ll be having a sale on broken china for those who like to do mosaics,” she said.

More than a dozen aftershocks, some with magnitudes as powerful as 4.5, rumbled EUREKA, California: Eureka Natural Foods for several hours after the ini- employees clean up the store as a backup generatial quake, which had a depth tor provides power after an earthquake struck on Continued on Page 14

Saturday. — AP

KUWAIT: The National Assembly’s legislative and legal committee yesterday passed a proposal to allow military personnel including army and police corps to wear beards while on duty. The panel approved the proposal on the bases of personal freedom principles. Some military establishments have been refusing to promote bearded servicemen.

Military personnel were previously required to file an application indicating their desire to grow a beard, provided it not be longer than two centimeters in length.

Furthermore, police and army officers were supposed to change their military ID picture every time they wanted to change their appearance.

Although the Kuwaiti law does not allow people in uniform to give statements to the media, two military personnel agreed to talk about this issue to Kuwait Times without revealing their names. A military sergeant said that he does not see any need to place such restrictions on beards. “I don’t see how growing a beard can affect the functioning of the army. It’s simply a traditional disciplinary code for the military,” he said, arguing that in Bahrain

for example, military personnel can grow beards in any way they want, and this is not affecting their performance.

“I’ll be delighted if this legislation is passed. It will be liberating for many of my army colleagues,” he added.

A commissioned officer also in army, said there is a legitimate reason to forbid military personnel from growing beards. “There are a number of reasons why growing a beard can be impractical for military people. For example, it could have an effect on them in war times if they were ordered to wear gas masks. “How can anyone were a gas mask while growing a long beard?” he wondered.

“The same principle can be applied in other cases, such as military pilots and tank operators when a head helmet is required,” he said. The officer noted that it could be acceptable to allow military personnel who have office jobs to grow beards, not those who work in the field.

While the current law allows law enforcement bodies to grow a beard no longer than two centimeters, wearing a longer beard is not a rare practice in the Kuwaiti army, especially since growing a beard is considered to be a part of Islamic teachings.

Sheikh freed after UAE torture trial AL-AIN, United Arab Emirates: A member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family was found innocent yesterday of the torture and rape of an Afghan in a case that embarrassed the Gulf Arab emirate and raised questions over human rights. The judge reading the verdict at a court in the United Arab Emirates, the world’s third largest oil exporter and a US ally, did not give a reason why Sheikh Issa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan was exonerated of responsibility for abuse shown in a video first made public on US network ABC last year. ABC identified one of the people taking part in the abuse as Sheikh Issa.

But a lawyer for the sheikh, a son of UAE founder Sheikh Zayed, said his client was found to have “diminished liability” because two former business associates had drugged him then taken

Sheikh Issa the video to extort money from him. The two men, Lebanese-American brothers Bassam and Ghassan Nabulsi, were sentenced to five years in absentia and ordered to pay the Afghan 10,000 dirhams ($2,723) for what the judge said was drugging, recording and publishing a video and blackmail.

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NATIONAL

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Monday, January 11, 2010

New style of transportation

Pink women-only taxis to start service soon

KUWAIT: The pink women-only taxis are expected to spare women the hassle they might face when a male driver takes them to their destinations. — Photos by KUNA

Slovenia president praises Kuwait LJUBLJANA: Slovenia’s President Danilo Turk has said that relations between his country and Kuwait have developed significantly in all fields.

Speaking in interview prior to his visit to Kuwait today, Turk said that the base for the Slovenian-Kuwaiti good ties dated back to the independence of Slovenia.

He said that his visit to Kuwait, at the top of a delegation of ministers and senior officials, reflects the keenness of Slovenia to boost cooperation and strengthen ties with the Arab Gulf state.

Turk said that he will discuss with Kuwaiti officials issues of joint interest, political issues in the Middle East, and economic cooperation. It is important to think about new forms of economic cooperation, especially in the field of investment and energy, he stressed.

He pointed out that Slovenia hosted a new European center to organize energy, Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), adding that he looked forward to exchanging opinions on that issue with officials in Kuwait.

He called for boosting tourism between the two countries and improving the system of granting visas. The President, who will visit Qatar as well during his Gulf tour, noted that he had recently visited Jordan and will be visiting other countries of the region. He said that his country’s Prime Minister visited Egypt shortly after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak visited Slovenia last November.

Such frequent visits to the Arab world prove that Slovenia is serious about developing its relations and increasing cooperation with Arab countries, he stressed.

Meanwhile, Turk said that his country, as an active member of the European Union (EU), strongly supports the establishment of two states, an Israeli and a Palestinian,

KUWAIT: During the next few w eeks, and for the first time in the country, people w ill begin to see pink taxis on the road in Kuw ait. The taxis w ill be driven by w omen and are for female customers only. Bedoor Al-Mutairi said she expects her ambitious new project to succeed because many w omen need to feel secure in their transportation.

She hopes to spare w omen the hassle they might face w hen a male driver takes them to their destinations. AlMutairi said the project, called Eve Taxi, follow s the example set in a number of Arab and Islamic countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Bangladesh.

She added that a number of European countries implemented the new style of transportation this year in such places as Britain, Spain and Mexico, even though they are known for being liberal.

Al-Mutairi said it took her a year and a half to plan, develop the project and complete the official documents. People will soon be seeing pink taxis on the streets, Al-Mutairi said, and added that the Eve Taxi phone numbers will be announced shortly.

She praised the Kuwait Small Projects Development Company, a governmental body of the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), for supporting her project and making it a reality. She said that she made the project 100 percent female oriented by ensuring that all the drivers are women, the vehicles are pink and that even the accessories and magazines are suited for women.

No men will be allowed in the taxi, Al-Mutairi said. The taxi will operate from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and will be equipped with a GPS system, she added.

The taxi drivers are highly qualified and well acquainted with Kuwait areas, she said. The prices of the taxi will be in compliance with the regulations of the Interior Ministry, and the taxi routes will cover the governorates of Hawally, Asma, and Farwaniya she assured.

tives by offering feasibility studies, funding, and 80 percent partnership with costs that may reach up to KD 400,000 without interest or any guarantees or mortgages. KIA also assumes the project’s risks, Al-Wazan

KIA Public Relations Officer, Zainab Al-Wazan, said KIA wanted to enthusiastically support the idea because it is suitable to the nature of Kuwaiti society. The company supports Kuwaiti youth initia-

said. The Kuwait Investment Authority provides performance incentives for up to 60 percent of the profit as well as their shares of the revenue of the project’s capital, Al-Wazan added. — (KUNA)

Kuwait thanks Jordan for not renaming street Slovenia’s President Danilo Turk — KUNA based on the borders of 1967.

In addition, Slovenia calls for halting the construction of Israeli settlements in occupied territories in the West Bank so that the peace process could resume, he said.

He expressed belief that the resumption of talks between the Palestinians and Israelis was greatly related to halting the construction of settlements.

The President stressed that Slovenia needed more economic and social development reforms, adding that the average yearly income of Slovenians is $27,000, which ranks the country between 27 and 30 on the international development index of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

On terrorism, he said his country coordi-

nated with the EU developing a program to fight terrorism. He added that more cooperation, regarding the exchange of information and coordination between security bodies, was needed.

He said that Muslims were a minority in Slovenia, mostly of which are originally from Bosnia. He stressed that his country respected their religious traditions, adding that the construction of a mosque in Ljubljana will be done soon.

He expressed hope that Muslims will continue their contribution in the cultural, social, and economic development of Slovenia. According to the latest statistics issued in 2002, there are about 27,000 Muslims in Slovenia, making up 2.4 percent of the population. — KUNA

Parliament panel approves dealing office proposal KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti parliamentary legislative and legal committee has given the thumbs up to a suggestion authorizing a parliament office to be charged with finishing MPs’ dealings. Emerging from a committee meeting yesterday, MP Walid Al-Tabtabai, rapporteur of the committee, told reporters that the agreed overture would relieve MPs of having to go to ministries to finish their dealings in person.

The move is chiefly intended to enable MPs to be more dedicated to their legislative and supervisory activities, he said.

However, the Justice Ministry asked for a three-week leeway to look into a suggestion aiming to annex the Public Investigation Department to the Public Prosecution, he added.

The committee has also unanimously

turned down a motion to withdraw the parliamentary immunity of Meslem Al-Barak and Khalid Al-Tahous on the grounds that the motion is unprovoked, Al-Tabtabai said.

The committee has consented to other proposals for setting up a new voluntary work commission, creating an insurance against unemployment system, regulating the psychological guidance profession and establishing a fresh communication system, he noted.

Furthermore, another suggestion allowing military personnel to wear beard has been given the thumbs up on the basis of personal freedom principle, he added. The committee has approved a final proposal for allocating a budget for a new airport and turning the land of the current airport into a residential area, the rapporteur concluded. — KUNA

Situation at hearing, speech disability center improving KUWAIT: Minister of Health Dr. Helal Al-Sayer has indicated that the low salaries of health sector employees working with individuals with speech and hearing disabilities have been responsible for the health ministry’s inability to recruit staff to work in the Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Center for Speech and Hearing Difficulties.

Responding to a question from MP Walid AlTabtabae about the issue, Dr. Al-Sayer explained that the situation was set to improve after the ministry coordinated with Kuwait University to establish a course specifically for those training to work in this field.

Twenty students have already graduated from the course and are set to be appointed to work at the center shortly, he added.

The minister said that the center is committed to meeting the Civil Service Commission’s conditions in all its procedures, reported Al-Qabas.

He added that center officials work closely with doctors from the Zain Hospital, with committees consisting of staff from both being formed to formulate the best way of dealing with the treatment of speech disabilities and decide whether hearing-disabled candidates for cochlear implant operations should undergo them in Kuwait or abroad. Dr. Al-Sayer asserted that no complaints had been made against the center by any parents, saying that all it had received were positive recommendations and proposals on several issues, such as establishing a group for cochlear implant recipients.

AMMAN: The Kuwaiti Ambassador to Jordan Sheikh Faisal Al-Humoud AlSabah yesterday thanked the Jordanian government for canceling a decision to rename a street in the Rumaithiya area of the Jordanian capital after the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Al-Humoud told KUNA that his meetings with Jordanian Prime Minister Samir Al-Refaei and other senior

Jordanian officials had reflected the brotherly nation’s sentiments to the state of Kuwait, which suffered under the tyranny of Saddam.

“This truly shows that the Jordanian government and people really cared about how this decision would affect relations between Kuwait and Jordan,” the Ambassador asserted.

Saddam, who ruled the Iraqi nation

with an iron fist policy, masterminded the 1990 invasion of Kuwait that was followed by a seven-month occupation of the country, during which his troops inflicted atrocities and wide-scale destruction of the country’s infrastructure.

Before their withdrawal, Iraqi forces set scores of oil fields and sites alight causing unprecedented levels of local and regional pollution. — KUNA

Activist blames ‘anti-human rights’ groups KUWAIT: The Popular Committee for Bedoon Affairs has criticized the “chaos” during last week’s fruitless parliamentary session on the draft legislation for bedoon (stateless) people’s civil and human rights.

Committee chairperson and prominent human rights activist, attorney Fawziya Al-Sabah, said that indications suggest that those actively working to deny bedoons their full human rights had intentionally caused the session to be cancelled and action on the draft law to be suspended.

She stated that the draft legislation only aims to ensure that the state fulfills its obligation to provide educational and medical care for bedoon children as per international law , also pointing out that bedoon people should already be entitled to civil IDs as per the law on the issue. Al-Sabah suggested that those opposed to the recommendations in the draft legislation presented by the MPs should submit their own proposals rather than postponing action on the issue, warning that the situation is moving towards being raised at an international level.

The committee chairperson also criticized the categorization used by one MP who classified the country’s residents into founding immigrants, new immigrants and illegal immigrants, reported AlWatan. She said that the MP’s attempt to classify bedoon people as illegal immigrants was inaccurate and offensive since illegal immigrants are those people who move unlawfully to a country to work there without legitimate residency, while bedoons are born and raised in Kuwait.

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Airways inaugurated its Cargo Service Center at the Kuwait International Airport’s Cargo terminal. Grand Service Administration Director at KAC Ezzul Din Al-Hassawi said that this step offered services and facilities to clients, in addition to delivering the inbound aircraft’s bills and delivery orders.

Student cheating rising: KU academics KUWAIT: A number of Kuwait University professors have expressed outrage at the increase in the number of unofficial businesses offering to write students’ essays, theses and other papers in exchange for money. Some academics at the university warn of the danger that the offer of such ‘canned’ papers, also known as ‘takeaways,’ will greatly damage students’ creativity.

Parents of students attending the university are also outraged at the increasing commonness of the phenomenon, with one telling local daily Al-Rai, “These businesses have to be fought and stopped immediately before they destroy our kids’ minds.”

Others, meanwhile, have suggested that the university itself is involved in popularizing such cheating among students.

Dr. Fares Al-Weqayyan, a researcher at the university’s Strategic Studies Center, described these businesses’ illegal activities as akin to drug trafficking, saying “These

businesses take advantage of our students, who should use their money in better ways that would help them to develop their mental skills.”

Dr. Al-Weqayyan alleged that these businesses provide their service on a 24/7 basis, with some even offering a delivery service, acclimatizing students to being dependent on individuals who might not be highly educated or qualified in the students’ field of study at all and doing immense damage to the work being done at Kuwait’s further education facilities. He called for very strict penalties, up to and including life sentences in prison, to be imposed to those found to be providing such services, calling them “equal to drug traffickers.” The researcher even claimed that senior officials have encouraged the growth of such illegal services.

KU Psychology Professor Owayyed AlMeshaan said that he had been aware of the problem for some years due to its negative

impact on scientific research generally.

“Some students have turned into couriers between these offices and their professors,” he asserted, stating that these students will ask the service providers to prepare a research paper on a certain topic on their behalf, providing them with the relevant reference materials and collect the paper once it’s completed, handing it in to the professors as their own work.

Another academic at the university, Political Sciences Professor Dr. Ahmed AlBaghdadi, partially blamed teachers and university lecturers themselves for the phenomenon. He said that if academic staff had taken time to read the papers handed in and discuss their contents with those submitting them, they would have realized that in many cases the student who supposedly wrote the paper was not the author and prevented the sale of some of the papers, which sell for between KD 20 and KD 50 each.

NATIONAL

Monday, January 11, 2010

Top priority to family development KUWAIT: The Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Dr. Mohammad Al-Afasi said yesterday that Kuwait should be selective as to which aspects of globalization it adopts, only accepting those which comply with Islam and Arab tradition, especially in the field of family development.

Representing His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah at the opening of a conference entitled ‘The Family and

Globalization...Opportunities and Challenges,’ Al-Afasi said in his opening speech that Kuwait provides care and support to families at all times.

He called for increasing joint action and efforts through social, cultural, and economic bodies to support family development projects.

The minister pointed out that the Kuwaiti Constitution states, “The family is the cornerstone of Society. It is founded on religion, morality,

and patriotism.”

Dr. Al-Afasi voiced hope that the conference would reach its goal of formulating proposals to achieve balanced family development and recommendations to strengthen family relations.

In her own speech during the opening ceremony, the director of the conference’s preparatory committee Sheikha Al-Adwani said that as the social units which provide basic physical and emotional

needs, families face challenges.

Delegates at the three-day conference will discuss issues including the media, economic changes, consumer behavior patterns and cultural phenomena, and their effects on families and family stability, she noted. Sheikha Al-Adwani also expressed her gratitude to HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlSabah for his sponsorship of the conference. — KUNA

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German cars ‘most wanted, most expensive’

Car renters like flirting and showing off

By Nisreen Zahreddine KUWAIT: Renting cars is very popular in Kuwait. It experiences phases of prosperity and hardship and the expensive cars are rented mainly to show off. Naser Ibrahim, responsible for reservations at Princess Car Rental Agency, explained Ibrahim then added that prices continue to rise with a Porsche Primera costing a customer about KD 200, 250, or even 300 per day. He said that this is also the case with a Lamborghini, a Bentley or an Austin Martin. Limos, he said, are rented at about KD 30 to 60 per hour.

Ibrahim said that, compared to last year during the holiday season, the market seems down. He said that his customer base is usually young Kuwaitis and a few expats but that his most frequent customers are young ladies who come in on the weekends.

that car rental prices on a daily basis are diversified but for the most part quite expensive. For instance, prices start at KD 6 per day for cars like a Toyota Corolla or a Mitsubishi Lancer from 2008 or 2009, he said. After that, prices jump to KD 150 per day for a 2010 model of a Lexus, a BMW X6 or a Range Rover, he explained.

Ibrahim said that Kuwaitis are more likely to haggle about prices than expats and that “they don’t care about the options of the car as long as it is new and looks nice from the outside.” The reason for most of the car rentals is not because of an emergency but to flirt and show off on the roads, he explained.

An employee from Diablo car rental company said that for him the winter season is a busier time of the year because the weather is pleasant and more appropriate for cruising. He added that the prices vary due to the

rate of the leases taken from the original rental agent.

“We lease cars for two years instead of four and this makes our payments much larger. This means that we have to raise the rate at which we rent out cars for our customers,” he said.

Diablo’s owner explained that German cars are most wanted but also the most expensive. People want them because they look nice and they want to impress others.

He said that his customers are usually employees or university students.

in the news

KUWAIT: Some people have been uprooting shrubs using digging machines and selling them as livestock feed in the fodder market. — Photos by KUNA

Desert areas being ‘annihilated’ KUWAIT: The Ornithological Society of Kuwait called for regulating grazing in the country to preserve the animals’ habitat, the environment and the human natives.

The chairman of the society, Abdel Rahman Al-Serhan, said that the country’s uninhabited areas and landscapes suffer from excessive cutting of trees, grazing and altering features of the meadows. “We are being so slack in terms of protecting the environment,” he added, calling for the enacting of special regulations to safeguard the uninhabited areas.

Some people have been uprooting shrubs using digging machines and selling them as livestock feed in the fodder market, Al-Serhan said. Others cut down trees and chop their trunks to feed their animals.

“Such negative practices that can be seen .. must be stopped.”

The region stretching from the north of Al-Salmi road in Jahra to Al-Salmi border checkpoint and the plot of land from the west of Abdali road in Jahra to Al-Abdali border station have been subject to excessive grazing. “And now after the rainfall, the number of randomly-built

MoI asked to curb expenses KUWAIT: The Audit Bureau has urged the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to curb expenses and commit to Cabinet regulations. In a recently released report, it explained that the Ministry had been exaggerating the number of Petro net fuel cards distributed to be used by various vehicles. “Consumption has exceeded permitted limits and has reached over KD 3,000 per vehicle every month,” the report noted. The report also mentioned another offense, failure to collect accumulating traffic fines that dates from 1991 in some cases, at a total value of KD 42,002,225. The report also stated that the ministry had not been collecting traffic fines from GCC nationals since 1993 and that the total value of these fines amounted to KD 2,833,095, reported Al-Rai. Furthermore, the report highlighted that some irregularities related to contract number 118/2008/2009 of Manufacturing and Supplying Billboards for voters at various electoral constituencies. Prices were quoted at a much higher price than the actual market cost. Finally, the report recommended granting civilian and military staff special bonuses for working overtime.

Solution to bedoon problems KUWAIT: Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalid Al-Sabah is reportedly personally supervising a high-level team of specialists, which is engaged in formulating practical solutions to the civil, social, educational and health-related problems affecting Kuwait’s bedoon (stateless) population, reported Al-Anba. A Ministry of Interior official said that the team is determined to devise solutions which guarantee the rights of all individuals and do away with oppression and injustice.

cattle barns have multiplied.”

Only a few trees have survived the human campaign of annihilation in the lands around the inhabited regions, and those offenders have been targeting these trees with uprooting and if conditions remain unchanged there will be total annihilation of Kuwait’s wealth of animals and plants, he warned.

He called for special regulations to protect the habitat, such as setting up a schedule for grazing, where it can be prohibited for some time during the year to give time for the plants and shrubs to grow. Moreover, grazing should be governed with a set of rules and laws, such as specifying the number of the heads of the animals to be let

loose in the desert areas.

He also made other proposals such as prohibiting usage of vehicles in the meadows, called for a media campaign to enhance the public awareness of the necessity of protecting the environment and establishing new natural reserves to protect various animal and plant species from extinction. — KUNA

Breast cancer a global affliction KUWAIT: Minister of Health Dr. Helal AlSayer said yesterday that breast cancer is a worldwide disease that has drawn the attention of experts in all the medical, surgical and diagnostic specialty fields.

Speaking at the opening of the second conference on breast disease and surgery, Dr. Al-Sayer, the event’s patron, said that both benign and malignant tumors had been found in the breast tissue of relatively young women in Kuwait, although he pointed out that 80 percent of the tumors discovered are benign.

He explained that this conference’s primary focus will be benign breast tumors, their causes and development, with particular attention being paid to the latest surgi-

cal methods and the future of critical surgery in order to take advantage of the available remedies, as well as discussion of establishing the best possible strategies and systems for the treatment of breast cancer patients.

The minister stated that the treatment of breast cancer requires the creation of specialist medical teams comprising surgeons, CT scan technicians, histologists and geneticists, and voiced hope that the country would be able to provide expert and highly qualified teams to administer all stages of patients’ treatment.

Another speaker, conference organizer Dr. Mervat Al-Saleh, voiced hope that the level of health services provision for breast

cancer treatment would be improved and that Kuwait would be able to offer all the medical specialties needed for the optimal care of breast cancer patients.

Dr. Al-Saleh further expressed optimism that the country’s facilities for treating breast cancer sufferers would be able to establish communications with the best oncology centers worldwide in order to help provide the most comprehensive treatment possible for the disease. The threeday conference includes lectures and the showing of a number of documentaries on surgical operations conducted abroad, with delegates travelling from countries including Australia, France, the UK, Italy, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. — KUNA

Ministry pays workers’ salaries KUWAIT: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor has paid backdated salaries to cleaning workers employed at its premises.

Salary payment had been accruing since October - November period, and the ministry used the penalty amount paid by the contracting company to make payments against delayed wages. The amount was directly deposited into the bank accounts. The move was taken following the flood of complaints that the workers had lodged in protest against unpaid salaries, and threatened to conduct strikes as a result. The Ministry’s Undersecretary Mohammad Al-Abdulhadi assured that all efforts were being made to safeguard the rights of contracted staff workers, reported Al-Watan. In addition, he said that it would do the same this week and pay salaries for the month of December. They noted that the contract of their company signed with the Ministry expires on January 16, 2011 and will not be renewed.

MPs respond to criticism KUWAIT: Following Saudi cleric Sheikh Mohammad Al-Arifi’s harsh criticism of Shiite scholar Ali Al-Siestanei, MP Saleh Ashour condemned Al-Arifi’s choice of words. He asked Al-Arifi to reconsider his act. MP Mohammad Hayef urged that HH the Amir’s warning against sectarian violence should be followed.

Furthermore, Hayef elaborated by saying that the MPs chose not to release a counter statement against Al-Seistanei during a previous occasion, reported Al-Watan. Al-Seistanei had allegedly claimed that all doctrines of Islam are false except for the Shiite sect. Ashour had also urged Al-Arifi be banned from entering the country.

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NATIONAL

Monday, January 11, 2010

8kg of opium confiscated

Drug dealers busted in KD 40,000 opium haul

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Two Iranian drug dealers who smuggled eight kilograms of opium worth KD 40,000 into Kuwait have been arrested by Drugs Control General Department (DCGD) officers, with the drugs, the largest haul so far this year,

KUWAIT: Kuwait News Agency Board Chairman and Director General Sheikh Mubarak Al-Duaij Al-Sabah holding talks with the Chairman of the Administrative Body of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students office in the UK and Ireland Ali Al-Bathal and its secretary Yussef Al-Enezi. During the meeting, they considered several issues bearing on the union’s efforts and activities in the UK and Ireland.

People speak out on installing new scanner devices in airports

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: As a new and improved way of increasing security at airports, some western countries have started using new inspection devices and scanners. These devices will be able to detect suspicious or forbidden objects passengers may try to carry with them onto a plane.

Many wonder if such device will violate their privacy, or if the inspector working on these devices will be able to see them without any clothes on. Others are concerned about the effect these new devices may have on a person’s health.

It wasn’t announced that such scanners are to be installed in the Kuwait International Airport, but what if it was installed? The Kuwait Times asked for the opinions of some frequent travelers to see what they think about it.

Some welcomed the idea and saw it as an opportunity to improve on the old ways of screening passengers. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea, it’s just another way to increase security,” said Daliya, a 36-year-old Lebanese woman to the Kuwait Times. “I don’t think we actually need that kind of technology in Kuwait International Airport but if it was implemented it wouldn’t be a bad thing. I think it’s a fast and effective way to make sure no weapons or illegal items get on board an airplane.

This kind of technology is less invasive than actually having someone put their hands on you and frisk you to check for weapons.”

Others think such scanners are useless. “From my reading about this issue such scanners will only detect about 55 percent of illegal objects,” said Salah, a 41-year-old citizen. “I think there are alternative and more effective ways of checking passengers than using these scanners. I see these scanners as a kind of violation of privacy. In the end I am for any procedure or precaution that ensures the safety or security of the passengers and the plane.”

Most people are not against the idea of installing such inspection devices but do have a few concerns. “I’m not against using these scanners as long as it is proved not to have a negative effect on a person’s health,” noted Mohammed, a 30-year-old Syrian. “I don’t believe that it’s the best way of fighting terrorists. Whenever they put more restrictions on the passengers the terrorists always break it. This will go on endlessly. I think that we should fight terrorism on an intellectual level without making life and traveling harder for the normal passenger.” Manal, a 37-year-old Kuwaiti, seemed to be for the scanners but had a few reservations. “I don’t have all the details about these scanners and I didn’t hear that it will show the entire body,” he said. “If this is the case I wouldn’t mind if they installed it here. If it shows the entire body on some screens then this will not be acceptable here. We have many Islamist Members of Parliament in Kuwait who won’t allow using such devices in the airport.”

Brig. Sheikh Al-Khalifa immediately ordered the formation of a team to look into the allegations, with an undercover officer arranging to buy 100 grams of opium from the man for KD 500. The dealer was caught red-handed during the handover and told DCGD officers about his source, an unemployed compatriot living in Salmiya. After raiding the second man’s home and arresting him, the officers found a further three kilograms of the drug there, as well as a number of forged Kuwaiti Dinar banknotes. The man admitted that he had also been forging money, leading the officers to an abandoned car where he had stashed a further quantity of opium, as well as KD 3,000 in forged notes.

Brig. Sheikh Al-Khalifa said after the two men were taken into custody that the DCGD would go after all those involved in narcotics with an iron fist since drugs pose the greatest threat to Kuwait’s human wealth. He said that citizens and expatriates need to cooperate with security officers in flushing out drug dealers, who do their best to smuggle in these toxic substances in order to take advantage of the country’s wealth.

being confiscated as evidence. The men have also been linked to other criminal activities, with one of them being involved in forgery. An investigation was launched into the two men’s activities after DCGD Chief Brig Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khalifa received a tip-off about a drug-smuggling operation being organized by an Iranian expatriate working as a satellite TV installation engineer.

The DCGD head said that the department’s strategy focuses on pursuing the dealers inside Kuwait and being constantly vigilant in order to foil attempts to smuggle narcotics into the country from elsewhere by working with anti-drugs bodies and authorities in other nations. The drugs issue is one that concerns governments around the world, he added.

Lift shaft death fall An unidentified woman died in a horrific accident when she fell down the lift shaft of a building under construction in the Ishbelia area. The body was removed for autopsy.

19 injured in road accidents Six Kuwaitis aged between four and 41 were injured, and an Indonesian woman complained of spinal pain following a car accident in Kabd. They were taken to Farwaniya Hospital.

In another incident, two Kuwaitis were injured when their car hit a horse under Eraifjan Bridge on King Fahad road. They were taken to Adan Hospital.

In a separate accident, a 25year-old Kuwaiti man and a 30year-old Indian woman were injured in a motorcycle acci-

KUWAIT: The drug dealers pictured in custody.

— Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun dent in Hawally. They were taken to Mubarak Hospital.

Meanwhile, three Kuwaitis were taken to Mubarak Hospital following a crash in the Bidaa area.

In a separate incident, a 22year-old Kuwaiti man sustained a fractured femur, a 31-year-old Lebanese woman sustained a

the KOC, said in a statement that the leakage began at 10 am.The damage occurred in the pipeline of the well, AH3, linked up with the gathering center 20, that is located 300 meters north of the Seventh Ring Road.

He affirmed that the leak

KUWAIT: At Seif Palace yesterday, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah received the Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs, Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Justice Rashed AlHammad who was accompanied by the Director General of the Zakat (Alms) House Abdulqader Al-Ojail and Zakat board member Mohammad Al-Mukaizeem.

The zakat officials presented Sheikh Nawaf with a book enti-

was contained immediately. A task force deployed on the location have been measuring the volume of oil leakage, Hashem said. He added that investigations will be conducted to determine causes of the leakage that did not last for more than one hour. — KUNA

also be tempting to criminals who might steal them and use them to commit crimes, said one security official, explaining that since the security presence in the car park area is extremely limited, any enterprising felon could use them to smuggle drugs, hide weapons or even to carry out terrorist attacks.

Several solutions have been suggested to the problem, including recommendations that the airport security authorities work with the traffic department to have the vehicles confiscated, with owners to be charged for removal services, as well as for storage before the vehicles can be returned to them.

Al-Sharhan added that research studies proved that this basic skill is related to the ability of children with Arabic as their mother tongue to read.

This test is designed and developed in cooperation with the Riyadh-based Prince Salman Centre for Disability Research.

She went on to say that CSATT test includes some basic skills among secondary tests, namely voice-recognition, speed of accessibility to dictionary and the audio memory, pointing out that such three skills are greatly interrelated.

Al-Sharhan said that each one of the previous three tests represents a separate ability and contribute to reading and writing skills.

Further, she said that the necessity of this test comes to help in gauging the multifaceted aspects of the relation between articulation therapy

and various reading skills as there is a close relationship between both of them.

Al-Sharhan added that it is necessary to evaluate such skills and identify them.

The CSATT has many advantages including its clear and attractive design for children, its individual applicability, its various uses in many fields as well as its relatively short time of application, she said.

She also pointed out that the test sets up marks on the accuracy of answers, besides its speed and being it easy to correct and evaluate.

Conducting the test is according to the paragraph suitable to the child’s ability and its age category, she said.

Al-Sharhan added that the CSATT was carried out on a 1,200 male and female pupils from 24 schools in Kuwait with ages ranging between seven and 11. — KUNA

tled ‘Kuwait, An Oasis of Giving,’ which documents the distribution of the Sheikh Salem Al-Ali grant for the needy. Sheikh Nawaf thanked the officials for their efforts in helping in the distribution of the grant, wishing the Zakat House further success in the future.

HH Sheikh Nawaf also received Amiri Diwan Undersecretary for Ruling Family Affairs Sheikh Sabah Nasser Al-Sabah. — KUNA

Speaker urges coordination KUWAIT: Parliament Speaker Jassem Mohammad Al-Khorafi asserted yesterday that the National Assembly and Cabinet should work together and coordinate in favor of people and not against them.

Speaking to the press, Khorafi noted that issues such as the insolvency fund was one of the major disputes between the government and Parliament. He reflected on the matter and said, “finding a just mechanism to pay-off the citizens’ loan interests would require considerable coordination.”. Referring the bill back to the Parliament was possible, said the Speaker, but asserted that finding a solution to the matter was a must in order to enable citizens to live a comfortable life.

On the MPs’ intentions to meet His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to discuss the loan issue. Khorafi affirmed that the MPs had the right to meet with His Highness the Amir.

World fencing contest KUWAIT: The Fencing Grand Prix Epee for men, one of the five major international fencing grand prix of 2010, is due to begin here on Friday under the sponsorship of the International Fencing Federation (FIE). The Deputy Chairman of the tournament’s organizing committee and head of the Kuwaiti and Arab federations, Fahad Al-Ahmad AlSabah, told KUNA that swordsmen from 30 nations would be taking part in the tournament, which will showcase the talents of 150 of the world’s best fencers, with 15 Kuwaiti fencers amongst their ranks.

He voiced hope that the event would help to develop the fencing skills of local swordsmen, especially with the participation of top level participants from all around the world. The cash prizes for the winners of the tournament’s individual contests amount to $33,000, while a further $12,000 is allocated for the winners of the team competition.

Child Evaluation, Education Center to launch articulation tests KUWAIT: Child Evaluation and Education Centre announced here yesterday it was to release Children’s Standardized Articulation Therapy Tests (CSATT) out of belief in importance of standardizing psychological and educational tests to unravel and diagnose special educational difficulties, Centre’s assistant executive manager said.

This also comes out of the Centre’s previous experience in designing and setting up tests and in pursuit of its past produced tests.

Abeer Al-Sharhan said in a statement to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that this unprecedented test complements the centre’s unremitting efforts toward setting up and developing standards needed by the Arab library to identify education difficulty cases through designing the CSATT.

Eye injury A 25-year-old Egyptian man was taken to Mubarak Hospital after suffering an eye injury during a fight in Maidan Hawally police station.

in the news

Abandoned vehicles create airport security problem KUWAIT: Senior security officials at Kuwait International Airport have revealed that the large number of cars abandoned in the car park there pose a serious potential security problem.

Numerous vehicles have apparently been dumped in the car park by their owners for various reasons, with the penalties against those abandoning their vehicles in this way being increased in severity due to the seriousness of such action. The problem reportedly worsened after security officials took some steps to ensure that they would not lose any of the monies due in payment for using the airport’s parking facilities, reported Al-Qabas. The abandoned vehicles could

subsequently crashed, in Maidan Hawally. He was taken to Mubarak Hospital.

CP receives Zakat officials, minister

Minor oil leak at KOC KUWAIT: Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) successfully stopped an oil leakage at a pipeline of AlAhmadi oil field, without affecting the output of crude oil.

Hashem Hashem, Deputy Managing Director (of the south and east of Kuwait) of

broken knee and two other Egyptians and a Kuwaiti suffered minor injuries in a car crash. They were all taken to Mubarak Hospital.

In another accident, a 20year-old Egyptian man suffered suspected fractures to bones in his right hand when he lost control of his motorbike, which

KUWAIT: The Hawally Municipality raided coffee shops situated in the Marina mall. Seven cafes were closed down and 84 citations were issued.

Security personnel noted that cafe owners had occupied spaces that were legally impermissible. Some shops violated regulations by operating with the help of expired health licenses.

MoH launching major investigation into Audit Bureau allegations KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health is reportedly to establish a high-level committee to investigate the violations allegedly committed by ministry staff, which were listed in a recent Audit Bureau report.

An MoH insider revealed that the committee will look into all the violations in all the ministry’s departments and investigate allegations against any ministry official without exception.

On a separate issue, the Deputy Assistant of the MoH’s Planning and Quality Department, Dr. Walid Al-Falah, has stressed the importance of improving the concept of medical care in Kuwaiti society to enable it to cope with modern developments through providing comprehensive healthcare services which are not restricted to reactive treatment.

In a press release issued on Saturday, Dr. Al-Falah said that

there has been a realization within the ministry that the medical system in Kuwait needs to be radically overhauled so that it focuses on proactive preventive healthcare, rather than on reactive treatment, reported Al-Qabas.

He also emphasized the need to increase awareness of the need for healthy lifestyles as a major social concern, not only to the ministry but to the general population.

KD60m for hospital expansion KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health (MoH) is expanding the bed capacity of its hospitals at a cost of KD 60 million, a ministry official said.

The Assistant Undersecretary for Public Services and Maintenance, Samir Al-Asour, said in a statement that officials of the ministries of health and labor would submit construction plans, including the ones to build eight hospitals at a cost of KD 1.2 billion. He added that the first conference and exhibition for hospital equipment would be held in April. The Jaber Al-Ahmad hospital project would be among the ventures promoted at the upcoming event.

New cancer cases KUWAIT: MP Falah Al-Azemi presented a series of questions to the Minister of Health. Some of those questions regarded the number of residents and children of Al-Sabah Al-Salem who have been diagnosed with cancer. He asked about the nature of the harmful carcinogenic emissions caused by factories and refineries in the area and their effect on human health. Al-Azemi then asked if the Ministry has any plans to address these issues, reported Al-Qabas. Al-Azemi also inquired about the validity of recent reports in the press regarding a strike conducted by laborers at the Adan Hospital. Workers there protested against unpaid salaries and the refusal of their company to renew their expired residencies. This caused work at the hospital to be paralyzed for a period of time. He then asked if reports placing full blame for the workers strike on the hospital’s manager, Dr. Adel Abdul Raziq, were valid. Al-Azemi requested to know who was responsible for contracting with the delinquent company and what their relationship is to the strike case.

Monday, January 11, 2010

NATIONAL

5 KJA delegation in Khartoum

Sudan extols Kuwait’s ‘unyielding’ support

local spotlight

Determine Kuwait’s priorities first

By Muna Al-Fuzai

S

ome believe that the past forms the cornerstone for the future. I agree that at this stage, for any kind of change to happen in Kuwait, a miracle should occur. It is time we Kuwaitis assess our past year’s achievements.

I believe that 2009 was not easy for Kuwait and Kuwaitis. Low productivity afflicted most sectors. Chaos led to confusion in many key areas of political and social life. While the global crisis made its impact here, this tiny country’s problems were not limited to its after affects.

I think one of the major issues that Kuwait faces today, is the lack of harmony in determining priorities, be it by the National Assembly or the government.

What did the National Assembly focus on in 2009? It mostly capitalized on the government’s attitude and weak functioning.

Many MPs gained popularity due to the slow implementation of major govern-

ment policies, especially concerning bedoons.

Other major subjects of interest to Kuwait were used to attack the government. The conservative MPs also launched an attack on the government on a daily basis. Clearly, the National Assembly’s agenda was charted out by its own group. This is why, fights and arguments between MPs have become public spectacle. They failed to create a blue print for the nation. They only pretend to possess the power to call for more development and achievements. I doubt that the year 2010 will change their attitudes as they are busy preparing for a new round of grilling sessions.

They are embodiments of the confusion we suffer from. The government is acting like the long-suffering first wife who is taken for granted. I wonder if the move will prove useful unless the government devises a new strategy.

Socially, people - Kuwaitis and expatriates are getting negatively affected by what they hear. They don’t witness enough development that convinces them of the government’s sincerity. The country’s education and economic sec-

tors have been stagnant. The lives of individuals, merchants or bankers have not changed a trifle. People are slowly losing faith in the government and promises.

Sadly, most of the economic development projects did not see the light of the day due to escalating political tension.

Calls to dissolve the Parliament will not usher in any change, and would only contribute toward worsening the situation and add fuel to public life.

In the year 2009, the oil sector performed strongly. However, no major project was executed. This is just one of the reasons why the MPs supported the debt write off issue. Many MPs question why the government has not been distributing more wealth to its people. I think they are right about one aspect.

As long as the government fails to create new opportunities to help its citizens, it should give them money!

Though a skewed interpretation of how a country should utilize its oil wealth, I feel this proposition will be wellreceived among MPs . muna@kuwaittimes.net

KHARTOUM: Sudanese Minister of Information Zahawi Ibrahim Malik appreciated yesterday Kuwait’s relentless support for Sudan’s issues and positions at regional and international forums. The minister made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation of the Kuwait Journalists

Association, in the presence of Kuwaiti Ambassador to Sudan Suleiman Al-Harbi. “Kuwait has provided, and is still providing, much support for Sudan in various fields, and its positions and issues at all regional and international forums,” he said.

He hailed Kuwait’s recent development in information and freedoms thanks to the care and support of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

He hoped that Sudan and Kuwait would further reinforce their media cooperation in the coming period so that his country could draw upon Kuwait’s media de velopment and experience.

During the meeting, the Sudanese information minister briefed the Kuwaiti press delegation on the latest developments in Sudan and his vision for future national issues.

He reiterated his government’s commitment to carrying out a referendum for self-determination in South Sudan as scheduled on January 9, 2011 as enshrined in the 2005 peace accord.

In this context, he urged Arab countries to boost their investments in South Sudan in order to fend off southern separation.

He said the Sudanese government was determined to make 2010 a year of work for making unity an effective option for southerners.

But, he claimed that some “foreign bodies” were seeking to push southerners to separate from northerners in spite of relevant perils and risks in case of separation given the current political and security circumstances.

He also blasted the ruling

coming round of negotiations with rebels in the Qatari capital, Doha, would be final and crucial for comprehensive and just peace,” he said.

He added that his country’s coming general elections would be held as scheduled in April in spite of calls for delaying the process until the Darfur crisis is over.

However, he denied that rebel movements in Darfur could follow the steps of southerners by demanding

KHARTOUM: Sudanese Minister of Information Zahawi Ibrahim Malik with the KJA delegation yesterday. — KUNA movement in south Sudan for having failed to set up considerable development projects in south Sudan even though it obtains 50 percent of southern oil earnings, not to mention insecurity and tribal conflicts there.

Concerning Darfur region, the Sudanese minister said: “The region’s situation is totally stable, and war has already come to a close according to statements of UN officials.”

“We are upbeat that the

self-determination.

On their part, the visiting Kuwaiti journalists thanked the Sudanese minister for warm welcome, hospitality and high transparency in his answers to their questions.

They voiced willingness to fully cover diverse events and developments in Sudan in an objective and fair manner with a view to giving the Kuwaiti, Arab and world public opinion a clear image of what is going on in the country. — KUNA

NATIONAL

6

Monday, January 11, 2010

Proper venue for race fans

GulfRun to display high speed cars

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: Kuwait divers retrieved remains of sunken boats and nets off the beachfront fish market in Sharq area yesterday. — Photos by KUNA

Diving team lifts sunken boats, nets KUWAIT: A team of divers of Kuwait Society for Environment Protection, in coordination with Kuwait Ports Authority, retrieved remains of sunken boats and nets off the beachfront fish market in Sharq area.

The divers recovered remains of 43 boats and discarded fishing nets, weighing 60 tons, from the sea bed, thus eliminating some of the pollution causes in Kuwait Bay. Walid al-Shatti, in charge of the marine operations in the team, praised the team for clearing the area of a large number of nets and pieces of sunken boats.

The team used a large number of air bags, diving equipment, rubber boats and jet skis, a main boat and cranes with a capacity of lifting 90 tons.

Al-Shatti praised great support from Director General of Kuwaiti Ports Authority Dr Sheikh Sabah Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah and his onsite presence throughout the 12hour operation. He called on relevant authorities to monitor activities of the fishermen and ensure their abidance by cleanliness regulations. — KUNA

KUWAIT: In preparation for the fifth annual race at the Bahrain International Circuit, the GulfRun team of automobile enthusiasts in Kuw ait w ill be exhibiting 50 of the highspeed vehicles participating in the upcoming event at the 360

Mall this coming Friday and Saturday. The show case event, sponsored by Wataniya Telecom, w ill give racing fans a chance to see the high speed vehicles up close, as w ell as raising money for good causes, said Khaled Al-Fraih, GulfRun’s General Manager at a press conference held at the 360 Mall yesterday.

“Automobile enthusiasts will display their high-speed cars, first to raise fund for charity and second to announce the upcoming event in Bahrain,” he said.

The three-day event in Bahrain runs between Jan 28 and 30, with participants traveling from around the world to take part.

GulfRun was started by a group of young Kuwaitis mainly for fun and meeting friends but has over time turned into a company that helps young car lovers to develop their hobby and become professional racers.

“The idea was established because we wanted to provide a proper venue for youngsters who are into sports,” Al-Fraih explained. “Instead of racing round the narrow and crowded streets of Kuwait, we want to prepare them to race professionally. That will only happen if one receives proper training.

The Bahrain International Circuit has professional trainers available to train car racers and eventually distribute them to their respective professional categories.”

The exotic cars expected to

support it has received from private companies such as Wataniya Telecom, Agility, Consolidated Contractors Co., Dent Express and Wataniya Airways, Al-Sawan Travel, Slider Station and CreditOne. Two Italian Vespa motorcy-

KUWAIT: Khaled M Al-Fraih with another GulfRun official at the press conference yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat be displayed at this weekend’s event include Lamborghinis and Ferraris, as well as sports cars from Volkswagen and Honda, among others.

Al-Fraih said that GulfRun’s tremendous success can be attributed to the tremendous

in the news 28% rise in sick leaves KUWAIT: More than one third of the government employees took sick leaves in 2009. The announcement was made by the Deputy Assistant for Information Systems at the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Tariq Al-Khalid. He said that the country incurred a loss that amounted to KD 20,440,947 - a 28 percent increase from the previous year. Al-Khalid further elaborated the situation by stating that at least 36 governmental directorates have registered a total of 1,503,371 days that were taken as sick leaves. However, a total number of sick leaves registered at medical stations have touched 1,003,794 in number. Furthermore, Al-Khalid pointed out that the cost of sick leaves taken by female employees has reached KD 18.634 million, while those taken by male employees amount to KD 4.409 million. Notably, employees from the Ministry of Education have benefited from the most number of sick leaves. At least 48,000 employees received a total of 652,000 days in sick leaves in 2009.

Channel suspension decision KUWAIT: Former parliamentary candidate Mohammed Al-Juwaihel has revealed that the Ministry of Information only asked the satellite service provider GulfSat to suspend broadcasting of the programme ‘Al-Saraya’ on his ‘AlSour’ satellite TV channel, rather than shutting down the whole channel. Speaking to local daily Al-Rai, Al-Juwaihel claimed that in its letter to GulfSat, the ministry had only asked the satellite service provider to suspend broadcasts of the programme in which he made his recent controversial statements. The former parliamentary candidate said that the ministry had asked GulfSat to suspend broadcasting of the one show, arguing that it was unlicensed for

broadcasting in Kuwait. He claimed that the satellite firm suspended the whole channel simply as a move to placate the ministry. “Ever since the channel began broadcasting, we were never told to stop,” Al-Juwaihel told the paper, adding, “We even received some support from the ministry, which provided us with some patriotic material at our request.”

Al-Refaie summoned KUWAIT: The Public Prosecution Department has summoned Fouad Al-Refaie, the owner of the controversial Wathakker (Campaign) Islamic Center to appear at its headquarters at 10:00 am today to give his testimony in the case lodged against him after his call to make the sacred Shiite day of mourning, Ashoura, a day of celebration. The center has been criticized heavily by prominent Shiite figures in Kuwait following the release of Al-Refaie’s controversial statement, reported Al-Watan. The Wathakker Center has previously fallen foul of the municipal council after erecting massive external electronic billboards, which the council ordered it to take down.

No extra security measures KUWAIT: Senior officials with airlines flying out of Kuwait International Airport have denied media reports that they were instructed to introduce stricter security procedures aboard their aircraft in light of the similar procedures introduced by the US government following the recent terrorist scare at Detroit Airport. Khalid Al-Nashmi, the Deputy Director of Land Services with the Kuwait Airways Corporation, said that he had received no such instructions or any orders to introduce specific security procedures against passengers of certain nationalities, reported Al-Watan. The Kuwait-based regional directors of Egypt Air and Gulf Air, Fathi Attiya and Ahmad Al-Matrouk respectively, also said that they had received no such instructions for any of their flights.

cles are to be raffled off during the event to raise funds for cancer patients being treated by the Hayat4Cancer Charity Organization. “The initiative is part of GulfRun’s commitment to corporate social responsibility,” Al-Fraih explained.

PASS increases investments portfolio KUWAIT: The Public Authority For Social Security (PASS) has increased the number of its shares in the Wafra International Investment Company’s national investment portfolio by almost half, reflecting the institution’s confidence in the new investment opportunities available in the market. The additional KD 40 million invested by the PASS brings its total investment with the Wafra International Investment Company to KD 100 million.

The move could raise controversy, however, after the Audit Bureau criticized the PASS over its approach earlier, when the institution chose to postpone any further investment in the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) following recent fluctuations in the stock market caused by the global economic downturn, especially after instability on the KSE in the last quarter of 2008 and throughout 2009. Despite these fluctuations, however, the PASS managed to achieve good returns on its investments, exceeding 10 percent in total, reported Al-Qabas.

The Wafra International Investment Company is one of the three firms that invests on behalf of state bodies, with the other two being the Kuwait Investment Company (KIC) and Al-Aman Investment Company, which both manage part of the Kuwait Investment Authority’s (KIA) portfolio. The three companies have succeeded in achieving good returns on the state funds invested since the launch of the national portfolio in December 2008.

Two drug dealers in police custody NBK goes green, reduces paper waste KUWAIT: A Pakistani man was recently arrested in Fahaheel for drug trafficking after being found in possession of heroin.

The arrest was made after police determined that the man was guilty of selling the illegal material. Police discovered that the man was in possession of three grams of heroin and had the intention to sell it. After being questioned he led authorities to his apartment where the rest of his drugs were confiscated. He was referred to the Public Prosecution Department by the General Department for Drug Control. Meanwhile, Farwaniya police arrested an Asian drug dealer who was caught selling drugs in the area. He was found in possession of six grams of heroin and 10 pieces of hashish.

After a short chase the police were able to arrest him and he was taken to the proper authorities.

Also in Farwaniya, police arrested an Indian man found in possession of 18 bottles of homemade liquor. The alcohol, concealed in his car, was found after his vehicle was searched. After being questioned he admitted that he was on his way to sell the alcohol to a customer. Police took him to the proper authorities.

Hit-and-run A 73-year-old citizen was struck and killed by a car while crossing the Second Ring

Road between Al-Qadsiya and AlMansouriya. The driver fled the scene following the incident but his license plate number was reported to the police by a witness to the crime. Criminal investigators were summoned to the scene and an autopsy has been ordered for the body. In a similar incident, a 26-year-old Egyptian man was also killed in a hit and run on Ghazali road.

Sexual assault A young man was sexually assaulted by his friends in the Barr Rahiya area after he was invited to camp with them. The young man went to the Taima police station and filed a case against his assailants.

Suicide attempt A 45-year-old Syrian man attempted to kill himself in his apartment in Khaitan by slitting his wrists. Paramedics responded to the emergency and brought the man to Farwaniya hospital where he was admitted under high security. A suicide attempt case was opened against him.

Armed robbery Two small grocery stores in Sabah AlNasser were robbed by armed men. The thieves arrived in an SUV and stole cash and cell phone credit recharge cards at knifepoint before escaping. The robbery

was reported to the police and investigators are in pursuit of the thieves.

Passport scam Officials at Salmi Port arrested a female GCC citizen who tried to leave the country using her sister’s passport. While being interrogated the woman explained that she used her sister’s passport because her own had expired and she wanted to avoid the trouble of registering for a new one. The woman and her sister were taken in for questioning and are currently banned from traveling.

Firefighter attacked A fireman was admitted to the Adan Hospital after he suffered a stab wound to the head. He was attacked by the owner of the house that caught fire in protest of the fire department’s late response to his emergency call. The firefighter filed a case against his attacker who is believed to have been intoxicated at the time of the assault.

Shell defused A citizen called police after he found a mortar grenade in an open yard in Al-Sabiriya.

Bomb squads were sent to the scene and were able to deactivate the shell.

Investigators identified the mortar as a remnant of the Iraqi Invasion.

KUWAIT: The National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), the leading bank in Kuwait and the highest rated bank in the Middle East, has tied up with The Metal Recycling Company (MRC) as part of the Newair program and has introduced a new initiative under its ‘Think Twice’ slogan.

The NBK head office has decided to reduce all paper waste and send the used paper for recycling to MRC as part of a wider plan to recycle paper in all NBK offices and branches.

NBK Public Relations Officer Badria Al-Reshaid said, “The staff is very actively involved in this campaign. We are working together with MRC and are looking to recycle all paper used in the head office building.”

“We are committed toward improving Kuwait’s environment. Our Think Twice campaign won us the first Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) award, earlier this year.

Together with MRC we are

confident that we will be able to educate the public on environment awareness,” AlReshaid concluded.

Commenting on the initiative, MRC Business Development Executive Musaad Al-Saleh thanked NBK and said that “NBK continuously tries to raise awareness and educate the public

about simple things they can do to improve their lives and we are happy to help in this”.

It is worth mentioning that The Metal Recycling Company (MRC) has three sectors, namely, Waste Management, Energy and Industrial sectors. MRC’s Waste Management sector offers various waste mini-

mization programs aimed at client organizations.

These focus on waste segregation at source, waste collection, waste treatment and minimization and most importantly, waste recycling.

MRC has obtained the ISO 14000 for environmental management systems.

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, January 11, 2010

7

Iraq families of Blackwater victims accept settlement BAGHDAD: All but one of the families of 17 Iraqis killed in a 2007 shooting by US security guards have accepted compensation from the Blackwater firm, a lawyer wounded in the attack said yesterday.

Confirmation of the payouts comes less than two weeks after a US federal judge dismissed charges against five guards of the American private security firm accused of killing the civilians in an unprovoked attack.

“All of the families of the dead

agreed, except for one family,” said 42year-old lawyer Hassan Jabbar Salman, who himself was injured in an arm, the chest and legs in the attack.

He said the family of each person killed in the Nisur Square shooting in central Baghdad was offered 100,000 dollars, while those wounded received between 20,000 and 50,000 dollars.

Salman declined to specify how much he was to receive in compensation, which has yet to be deposited in his bank account.

Investigators said shortly after the September 16, 2007, shooting that Salman’s car alone was hit with 73 bullets.

“I agreed to drop the civil complaint, but the criminal complaint, US prosecutors are still handling it, and they have invited me to attend the trial,” he told AFP, referring to a possible appeal.

Salman said a Blackwater lawyer met in late November with victims’ families in Istanbul, where the settlement was reached.

Blackwater, which has since been renamed Xe, took the families’ signatures and fingerprints and later also recorded video statements of them accepting the settlement terms, he said.

Since then, however, nine of the families have petitioned the office of Khaled alAttiya, parliament’s deputy speaker, for the deals to be nullified, saying they were forced to accept the deal under pressure.

“We were afraid, we signed the documents under duress,” said 45-year-old

Mehdi Abdul Khaddhar, a day labourer who lost one of his eyes in the shooting.

“We were pressured.” The sole family member who has not accepted a settlement, Haitham al-Rubaie, said he had turned down Blackwater’s repeated offers.

“I demand to prosecute them in a criminal court for the disaster they carried out,” said the medical doctor, who lost his wife and a son in the shooting.

“I’ve had enough of them underestimating the value of Iraqi blood.”

Salman said that Rubaie had demanded 200 million dollars in compensation, while the doctor confirmed he wanted financial compensation but declined to specify a figure.

On December 31, US federal judge Ricardo Urbina dismissed charges against five guards, part of a convoy of armoured vehicles, who stood accused of killing the Iraqi civilians in September 2007 using guns and grenades.

While Iraq says 17 people were killed, the guards were charged with 14 deaths.

Urbina said in his ruling that prosecutors violated the guards’ rights by using incriminating statements they had made under immunity during a US State Department probe.

The US government said on Friday it will review the decision.

“We respect the independence of the judiciary. The decision of the judge does not exonerate the defendants or necessarily terminate the proceedings,” State Department spokesman PJ Crowley told reporters. —AFP

3 Kahrizak officials charged with murder

Iran MPs criticise treatment of June election detainees

GAZA CITY: Palestinian student Berlanty Azzam receives her bachelor degree from father Peter Bray (L), the chancellor of Bethlehem University, in the presence of Archbishop Antonio Franco (R), the Vatican’s Apostolic Nuncio to the holy land, in Gaza City yesterday. Israel’s top court upheld on December 9, 2009 a decision under which the 22-year-old student was deported from Bethlehem to Gaza just two months before she was due to complete her bachelor’s degree. —AFP

Palestinian student forcibly sent to Gaza gets degree GAZA CITY: A Palestinian student forcibly relocated from the West Bank to Gaza two months before she was to complete her university studies was awarded her degree in the Hamas-ruled territory yesterday.

Berlanty Azzam, 22, who on October 28 was detained and sent to Gaza by Israel because she had a Gaza ID, said she had “challenged the occupation” by completing her studies at the Vatican-sponsored Bethlehem University.

“I am sad because I was not able to graduate with my colleagues in Bethlehem, but I was able to challenge the occupation and today I am graduating from the university despite all the difficulties,” she said at a ceremony attended by family and friends, her eyes filled with tears of joy.

Peter Bray, the vice chancellor of Bethlehem University, praised Azzam’s determination as he awarded the bachelor’s degree in Gaza City, saying the school “was not going to let the Israeli military prevent her from graduating.”

He added that her professors had worked with her via the telephone and Internet to allow her to complete her studies from Gaza.

Azzam was handcuffed and blindfolded

when she was sent to Gaza in October, according to the Israeli human rights group Gisha, which unsuccessfully petitioned Israel’s supreme court to allow her to return.

The court upheld the state’s decision that Azzam may not return to the West Bank because she had lived there since 2005 without the necessary Israeli permit.

The state admitted that Azzam had received a permit to travel to the West Bank via Israel in 2005 but argued that she should have obtained a further authorisation to remain there, even though it admitted none existed at the time, according to Gisha.

Israel controls the Palestinian population registry and since 2000 has not permitted address changes from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank.

Like Azzam, an estimated 25,000 Palestinians could be forcibly sent to Gaza because their addresses are registered there, according to Gisha.

Israel has severely restricted the travel of Palestinians into and out of Gaza since the Islamist Hamas movement seized power in June 2007, and Egypt only occasionally opens its Rafah border crossing with the territory. —AFP

TEHRAN: More than 145 people detained after Iran’s disputed June election Mortazavi ordered the group transferred to Kahrizak detention centre, were kept for several days in a room of 70 square metres at a Tehran jail, despite a lack of space there. The report into the situation in Kahrizak after including three who died, a parliamentary report was quoted as saying yes- the election, read out in parliament and cited by Iranian media, said the terday. In rare official criticism of the treatment of post-vote detainees, the space where the detainees were held lacked proper ventilation and sanitary investigative committee’s report said Tehran’s then prosecutor Saeed conditions.

It rejected the initial claim by officials, including Mortezavi, that the three deaths were caused by meningitis, ILNA news agency said.

“Their deaths are attributed to various issues such as limitation of space, poor sanitary conditions, inappropriate nutrition, heat, lack of ventilation and ... also as a result of physical attacks,” ILNA reported.

Kahrizak was closed in July on the orders of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after at least three people, arrested during widespread unrest after the vote, died in custody there.

Last month, Iranian media said the judiciary had charged three Kahrizak officials with the murder of three pro-reform protesters arrested after the June 12 election, which plunged Iran into deep and ongoing political turmoil.

But the report also dismissed opposition accusations that some Kahrizak detainees had been sexually assaulted, ILNA said.

“The committee arrived at no instances of sexual molestation and we reject the claim strongly,” TEHRAN: Iranian lawmakers attend an open session of parliament in Tehran, Iran, yesterday. An Iranian parit said.

The investigative committee liamentary probe has found the former Tehran prosecutor responsible for the deaths of three anti-government consisted of at least six members protesters in the turmoil following the disputed June elections. —AP of parliament, both conservative There was no immediate sparked Iran’s biggest unrest detainees into a space of merely tion, was replaced as Tehran and moderate MPs. Citing the committee’s 70 square metres (750 sq ft) at chief prosecutor in late August comment from Mortazavi on the since the 1979 Islamic revolution. report, the semi-official Mehr the insistence of (Mortazavi),” and named Iran’s deputy prose- report. The head of parliament’s Authorities deny allegations of foreign policy and national cutor general.

News Agency said Mortazavi had Mehr said. security committee, Alaeddin vote-rigging.

He signed indictments against “The detainees were kept for ordered the transfer of 147 postThousands of people election detainees from Tehran’s four days ... in this room without dozens of pro-reform figures put Boroujerdi, said that with the Evin jail to Kahrizak, south of the enjoying proper ventilation, suit- on trial on charges of inciting report the assembly had carried protesting against the conduct able food and sanitary conditions protests in a bid to topple the out its supervisory role and that of the election were arrested capital.

“According to this report, and also in very hard punitive Islamic establishment after the it was now for the judiciary to and some were beaten in Kahrizak officials first refrained conditions,” it said, without elab- election. Moderates also blame take “relevant measures”, ISNA detention. Most of them have since been released, though him for shutting down publica- news agency reported. from accepting the detainees orating.

The June poll, which secured more than 80 people have Mortazavi, a hardliner who tions critical of the government because of the lack of availability Mahmoud received jail sentences of up to of any space, but ultimately they played a key role in mass trials of during his six years as Tehran President Ahmadinejad’s re-election, 15 years. —Reuters were forced to take in the 147 leading reformers after the elec- prosecutor.

Israel’s ex-president testifies in rape trial

Israeli ex-President Moshe Katsav

JERUSALEM: Israel’s disgraced ex-president Moshe Katsav testified for the first time yesterday in a trial in which he faces several counts of rape and sexual harassment, Israeli media said.

The 64-year-old Iranianborn father of five arrived at Tel Aviv district court at 9:00 am (0700 GMT) with his lawyers but did not speak to reporters before entering the closed-door hearing.

He is expected to be questioned by defence

lawyers and prosecutors for three eight-hour sessions per week until the conclusion of the trial, which is expected to come before the Jewish passover holiday at the end of March.

The trial-in which at least 56 witnesses have been called to testifyopened in May with a 20minute session during which Katsav pleaded his innocence.

The district court judge then adjourned proceedings until September 1, when Katsav’s alleged victims

began testifying.

Katsav has been indicted on two counts of rape, forcible indecent assault and abuse of power against an employee at his office while he was tourism minister in the 1990s, according to the justice ministry.

He is also accused of sexually harassing at least one female employee while he was president, and of obstruction of justice, it said.

He was forced to step down over the charges in June 2007. —AFP

Iran arrests 30 ‘mournful mothers’ protesters TEHRAN: Iranian security forces have arrested 30 so-called “mournful mothers” who were protesting in a Tehran park the death or disappearance of their children in postelection unrest, an opposition website reported yesterday.

Kaleme.org, quoting witnesses, said the women were rounded up on Saturday in Laleh park.

“Around 4:00 pm (1230 GMT) we were in Laleh park and there were more than 100 police... who were not allowing the mothers to sit on the benches or gather in groups,” the unidentified witness told Kaleme.org.

“There were around 70 mothers in the park and the security chased them out. A number of them escaped

but around 30 were arrested and were forcefully taken into police vans,” the witness said.

They women were driven to a police station, the website said without giving more information.

“Mournful mothers” are a group of mothers whose children have gone either missing or killed in the aftermath of protests unleashed following the contested re-election in June of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The women, who dress in black group in sign of mourning, usually gather in Laleh park on Saturday afternoons to protest against the death or disappearance of their children, according to their website.

The website-http://mournful-

mothers.blogfa.com/ — says that security forces always intervene when the mothers meet in the park and that some of the women have been arrested in the past.

The group was set up after Neda Agha-Soltan was shot and killed in one of the protests, according to the website.

A video showing the young woman bleeding to death was shown on websites around the world, making her a symbol of opposition to Ahmadinejad’s contested re-election.

The mothers demand the prosecution of those who were behind the alleged killing and torture of their loved ones, and also call for the release of all prisoners of conscience.

Kaleme.org is the website of key opposition leader and defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, who charges that Ahmadinejad’s re-election was fraudulent.

Iran arrested thousands of protesters, including dozens of reformists and journalists, in the aftermath of the June election as massive street protests broke out in Tehran and some of them have been tried and jailed.

Iranian officials say 36 people died during the unrest, while opposition sources put the death at 72.

Eight more people were killed during December 27 anti-governement protests, according to official figures. —AFP

8

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, January 11, 2010

Russia kills two ‘militant chiefs’ in Dagestan: Official MOSCOW: Russian security forces have killed two leading local Islamist militants in clashes in the violent southern Caucasus region of Dagestan, officials said yesterday.

Madrid Begov, described as the head of the “Makhachkala-Shamkhal terrorist sabotage group”, was killed yesterday morning during an operation by security forces in Makhachkala, the main city of Dagestan.

The clash took place when the forces surrounded a suspected militant safe house on the outskirts of the city, security officials in Dagestan told official Russian news agencies. “After being asked to surrender, Begov replied with gunfire. In the resulting storm (of the house), Begov was eliminated,” a spokesman for the FSB security service told the ITAR-TASS news agency.

Meanwhile another militant leader, styled as the “emir of Makhachkala”, was shot dead by the security forces late Saturday after resisting arrest on a highway outside the city, the FSB official told ITARTASS. The militant, named as Marat Kurbanov, was killed along with two of his companions, who were also rebels, the FSB said. The car

they were in was filled with explosive materials and blew up.

Concerns have mounted over increased militant attacks throughout Russia’s Caucasus region, where Islamist militants have been battling pro-Kremlin local authorities and Russian security forces in a sporadic insurgency.

In Dagestan, a region on the Caspian Sea,

the tensions have been particularly acute in recent months and last week five policemen were killed in a suicide bombing in Makhachkala.

Begov, 35, had been wanted for attempting last April to murder a senior FSB operative in Makhachkala.

Colonel Zulkaid Kaidov, had been lured into the meeting after Begov’s brother tele-

phoned him to say Madrid Begov wanted to surrender. He was wounded but survived the attack.

The Interfax news agency said Begov had worked for the OMON, the special forces of the Russian police, but had been sacked in 2004. He then went to study in Egypt and became part of the militant underground. —AFP

Hundreds stranded on German highway

Heavy snow wreaks havoc in Europe BERLIN: Heavy snowfall trapped more than 160 people overnight on a frozen highway in northeastern Germany. The drivers survived by running their engines until police rescued them yesterday morning. Police in the town of Altentreptow said that 148 adults and 19 children were stuck in cars, a bus and trucks on highway A20 along the Baltic Coast.

“At least the firefighters were able to bring them hot beverages and food while they were waiting,” said Jens Apelt, a spokesman for the Altentreptow highway police. They were rescued after officers and rescue personnel used snow plows and heavy machinery to push through 6.5-foot (2-meter) drifts.

VICTORIA: A man clears the way as he tries to move his car, stuck between several cars covered with ice and snow by the cold temperature in the Basque city of Vitoria northern Spain, yesterday. A polar wind is crossing the country as many parts of Spain registered freezing temperatures and snow storms. — AP

Croatians vote for president to lead European Union entry ZAGREB: Croatians voted yesterday in a presidential run-off pitting a leftwing professor against the populist mayor of Zagreb, with the winner hoping to lead the former Yugoslav republic into the European Union.

Surveys show a solid lead for Ivo Josipovic, of the opposition Social Democrats (SDP) against his rival, Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic, who is standing as an independent.

Josipovic won the December 27 first round with 33.4 percent of the vote, more than double the support for Bandic. But last month’s vote was marred by a record low turnout of 44 percent, and analysts say Bandic is likely to be the main beneficiary if there is a a higher participation in the run-off. Polls opened at 7:00 am (0600 GMT) but voting stations were largely empty in the early morning.

In a Zagreb polling station, 27-year-old teacher Tihana Colak said she had voted for Josipovic as he had the “credibility to represent Croatia in the world as a civilized and decent country.”

“He is an educated man and he’s clear of corruption,” she told AFP. Josipovic a 52-yearold lecturer in criminal law and classical music composer, has vowed to wage an “uncompromising fight against corruption,” a key criteria for Zagreb’s EU bid.

Croatia, which joined the NATO military alliance in 2009, hopes to become the bloc’s 28th member by 2012.

The fight against corruption is also a major domestic issue as the authorities have recently launched several probes into state-run firms over allegations of graft. More than a dozen officials have been detained.

Bandic, a veteran SDP member expelled from the party when he announced his candidacy for the presidency last November, called on the

electorate to “vote for a man and not for a party” and touted his experience as Zagreb’s mayor. “Bandic has a heart, experience in politics,” said bank clerk Darko Pavlek, as he cast his ballot in Zagreb.

“The results of his energy and willingness are concrete and can be seen in Zagreb,” the 46-year-old added. Since Bandic first become Zagreb mayor a decade ago, the capital has enjoyed a construction boom and a major overhaul of its creaking transport infrastructure. During the campaign the two contenders pledged a similar agenda Croatia’s EU entry during their mandate, stepping up the fight against corruption and reviving the economy in the recession-hit country.

Croatia, where unemployment is running at around 16 percent, is forecasting a contraction of up to 6.0 percent in

its economy for 2009. Its external debt has now risen to nearly 94 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), official figures show.

Both candidates have been criticised for having few concrete proposals to tackle unemployment and the debt. The dayto-day running of the country is largely the preserve of the conservative government headed

by Prime Minister Jaderanka Kosor. Despite a similar platform, Bandic and Josipovic project vastly different images.

Observers say it led to polarisation between a “civil left or a nationalism playing with rightwing sentiments, modern or a conservative Croatia.”

Josipovic has a reputation as a competent politician untarnished by corruption, but analysts say with his bookish professorial looks he has failed to connect strongly with voters.

By contrast the energetic and outspoken Bandic, who insists that his leading virtues as “patriotism, philanthropy and love of God,” has styled himself a fighter for the common man.

However, observers warn that suspected links with a series of corruption affairs in capital could work against him.

In a bid to bridge the gap with his rival Bandic has also moved to the right, trying to pick up voters from the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, whose candidate failed to make the run-off.

He also enjoys the backing of Croatia’s powerful Roman Catholic Church. A total of 4.4 million Croatians are entitled to vote. Polling stations will close at 7 pm with exit polls to be releases shortly after. The first official results will be released by midnight. — AFP

ZAGREB: Croatia’s presidential candidate Ivo Josipovic of the Social Democrats, right and his wife Tatjana leave the polling station after casting their ballots in Zagreb, Croatia, yesterday. — AP

The drivers were brought to tents provided by local aid organizations.

“Several parts of the highway are still blocked by snow drifts, but we’re trying to free all cars from the snow so that the drivers can get back to their vehicles back and take a different road instead,” said Apelt. In southern Poland, about 80,000 people were left without electricity on Sunday after snow-ladden tree branches cracked, damaging several power lines, the news agency PAP reported.

Traffic also came to a standstill in other parts of northeastern Germany, which was suffering from a second day of heavy snowfall and gusty winds, especially along the Baltic Coast.

Two men were killed in an accident on the coast in Nordvorpommern when their car slid off a snow-covered road and hit a tree.

In Anklam, near the Polish border, rescue team had to free a regional train with 14 passengers that was stuck in drifts, the German news agency DAPD reported.

German railways reported that many trains in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg WesternPomerania were not running because railroad tracks across were blocked by snow.

The state government said Sunday that the county of Ostvorpommern declared a state of emergency to react to the severe weather conditions and the chaotic traffic situation. It also asked residents to stay at home and avoid traveling by car, train or ferry. Several towns along the coast and on the islands were also cut off from electricity and continuing snowfall in many parts of Germany led to traffic accidents and flight cancelations in several cities.

At Frankfurt airport, 61 flights were canceled and more than 400 persons spent the night at the airport. Along the Baltic Coast, ferry service to Scandinavia was canceled.

In the cities of Flensburg and Luebeck, several streets were flooded by rough swell and in the village of Dahmeshoeved the levees were threatening to break.

Rescue teams were busy repairing the damage, DAPD reported.

In southern Denmark, strong winds and snowfall also caused havoc on the roads and authorities warned against all unnecessary driving. The military’s armored tanks were put on duty to assist emergency vehicles through the snow and big “windsensitive vehicles” were warned against crossing the Orsesund bridge to Sweden. British forecasters predicted temperatures will likely remain frigid in many areas for the next week and beyond.

Britain’s Press Association news agency put the number of weather-related deaths at 26 — including a woman who died after being found lying in the snow in a wooded area in northern England and a 90-year-old woman who fell and froze to death in her garden earlier this week. The Red Cross and the military have both been mobilized to help deliver supplies to snowbound Britons in southern England. British Gas said it had experienced the busiest week on record with a surge of calls reporting broken boilers and frozen pipes.

Local authorities used to milder British winters have been struggling to keep roads clear of snow and ice. Workers at the Cleveland Potash Mine — Britain’s largest — have been working overtime to dig out emergency supplies of salt.

Chemical firm Ineos has diverted thousands of tons of salt destined for Germany to treat roads across England and Wales.—AP

MADRID: Spain’s Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba leaves a news conference in Madrid yesterday after four suspected members of Basque separatist group ETA were arrested in Portugal and France. — AP

Four Basque separatists arrested in Portugal, France MADRID: Four suspected members of Basque separatist group ETA were arrested in Portugal and France, including one who was driving a van loaded with explosives near a police barracks, the government said yesterday. Two ETA suspects were captured in northern Portugal after one was stopped while driving the van through the northwestern Spanish town of Bermillo de Sayago, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) east of the border with Portugal, regional Interior Ministry spokesman Miguel Angel Vicente told The Associated Press.

The ministry identified the suspects arrested in Portugal as Garikoitz Garcia Arrieta and Iratxe Yanez Ortiz de Barron.

Several houses in Bermillo de Sayago, which has a population of 1,000, were evacuated and the area around the van was cordoned off, Vicente said. He did not give details about the quantity of explosives, but said the van was stopped in the town center, not far from a police barracks. The ministry later confirmed in a statement the van contained 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of explosives, a pistol, a revolver, a rifle and unspecified bombmaking material. ETA has targeted police buildings in the past, using car bombs in such attacks.

The most recent case was in July when ETA acknowledged it had detonated 300 kilograms (660 pounds) of explosives packed into a van parked near a Civil Guard barracks in the northern city of Burgos, injuring 60 people including children.

Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said a man and woman in France were arrested in central Clermont-Ferrand as they approached a weapons stash. “Two suspected ETA members went to the stash and found the security forces of Spain and France waiting for them,” Rubalcaba said, praising the officers’ patience and vigilance in “extremely cold conditions.” He identified them as Inaki Iriabarren Galbete and Eider Uruburu Zabaleta and said police had seized two guns, money and false identification papers.

Vicente said two police officers stopped the van in Spain around 10 p.m. Saturday (2100 GMT, 4 pm EST) when their suspicions were raised by its French license plates. The driver of the van then pushed passed the police and proceeded to flee the scene driving off in their patrol car which he stole.

The police alerted their Portuguese counterparts who rapidly arrested the man and a woman, who had been following the van in a presumed getaway vehicle with French plates, authorities said.

Rubalcaba had warned in late December that ETA might try an attack to coincide with Spain’s turn as president of the European Union, which began Jan. 1. ETA has waged a violent campaign of bombings and shootings since 1968 that has killed more than 825 people in a separatist attempt to carve an independent Basque state straddling northern Spain and southwest France. —AP

Pope denounces Italy immigrant clashes VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI denounced riots between immigrants and Italians in southern Italy, saying yesterday that migrants have rights, are to be respected, and are equally loved

by God. Benedict issued the admonition Sunday at the end of his traditional noon blessing, during which he also denounced attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt which left seven people dead.

“Let there never be violence in the name of God!” Benedict said.

Benedict dedicated the bulk of his comments to the situation in the in the southern Calabrian town of Rosarno, where hundreds of African migrant workers rampaged after two migrants were wounded in a shooting. At least three dozen people were injured in two days of clashes between the migrants, police and resi-

dents.

The pope said immigrants to Italy were looking for a better life in a country that needs them, yet they run the risk of exploitation because of their status. Many illegal immigrants to Italy work for a pittance and live in wretched conditions.

Benedict invited all to “look in the face of others and discover that there is a soul, a history, a life, a person who God loves as he loves me.” The violence has largely subsided, and many of the hundreds of frightened and angry migrants have either been bused out of the area, housed in shelters or left on their own via trains or cars.

The attacks have underscored the simmering tensions between immigrants and Italians, many of whom resent the foreigners yet rely on their labor to do the agricultural, domestic or factory work

that many Italians refuse to do.

“Every migrant is a human being — different because of provenance, culture and tradition — but a person to be respected and having rights, particularly in work, where the temptation to exploit is easy,” Benedict said. Yet he also denounced the recourse to riot: “Violence must never, for anyone, be the way to resolve differences.” The pontiff made the remarks after baptizing 14 babies in the Sistine Chapel in an annual ritual.

In the Egypt attack, gunmen sprayed a group of Coptic Christians leaving a local church after mass on Coptic Christmas Eve on Wednesday night. Six worshippers and a Muslim guard died, and nine people were wounded. The shooting touched off two days of rioting in which 40 people were arrested. Three men have been detained. —AP

Somali militia executes Shabaab rebel commander MOGADISHU: A pro-government militia in Somalia executed a commander from the Al Shabaab rebel group in public yesterday, ramping up the stakes in battles for central regions of the failed Horn of Africa state. The Ahlu Sunna Waljamaca militia, which is aligned with Somalia’s weak Western-backed government, has been fighting al Shabaab insurgents in central Galagadud region. The United States says al Shabaab is Al Qaeda’s proxy in the country.

Ahlu Sunna’s spokesman said it had captured many rebels during clashes last week around Galgadud’s capital Dusamareb, including the commander who was sentenced to die by firing squad after he refused to renounce al Shabaab’s hardline ideology. “We don’t normally kill al Shabaab members. We arrest them and make them understand that Islam means peace. We have detained and then released many of them,” the spokesman, Sheikh Abdullahi Sheikh Abu Yusuf, told Reuters by telephone. “This commander insisted that all people

were infidels except his group ... We will execute al Shabaab members who insist that it can be right to kill the innocent. What else are we supposed to do to those who believe they will go to paradise for killing us and the whole human race?”

Al Shabaab and another rebel group, Hizbul Islam, want to impose a harsh version of sharia law across the nation, and have previously carried out executions, stonings and amputations in southern and central regions under their control.

Yestrday’s was the first known execution by Ahlu Sunna Waljamaca. It came as residents said Somali government troops and Ahlu Sunna fighters also battled Hizbul Islam insurgents for hours for control of another strategic central town, Baladwayne. The rebels want to extend their area of control from the south towards the pro-government northeast region of Puntland. The UN-backed administration of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed controls just a few blocks of the coastal capital Mogadishu. —Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, January 11, 2010

9

Scores of Guantanamo inmates back on battlefield: Lawmaker WASHINGTON: Dozens of released Guantanamo detainees have returned to the battlefield, said a senior US Senator yesterday, urging the Barack Obama administration not release more inmates from the war-on-terror prison camp.

US Senator Dianne Feinstein told CBS television’s “Face the Nation” program that about a third of former inmates at the US naval base who have

returned to fight against US interests come from Yemen, the new focal point in the US fight against terrorism.

“If you look at Yemen, and we’re taking a good look at Yemen, what you see is I think at least 24 or 28 are confirmed returned to the battlefield in Yemen, and a number are suspected,” said Feinstein, head of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

“If you combine the suspected and

the confirmed, the number I have is 74 detainees have gone back into the fight, and I think that’s bad,” she said.

“I think the Gitmo experience is not one that leads to rehabilitation,” Feinstein added.

Her views were seconded by Congressman Peter Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, who appeared on the same CBS television program.

“These people are released and a number of them go back to the battlefield,” he said.

“When these Gitmo detainees find their way back on the battlefield, they’re no longer focused on the conflict in Pakistan, Afghanistan or Iraq,” he said.

“They form the corps of people who want to attack the United States. It’s a national security, homeland security issue.”

Their remarks came just days after a Pentagon spokesman confirmed that an increasing number of former detainees from the US prison in Guantanamo have forged links to militant groups after their release.

Spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters last week that the precise number remained classified, but was in keeping with an April Defense Department report in April that found

Tuesday suspended transfers of Guantanamo detainees to Yemen following the Christmas Day incident.

The administration remains under intense pressure however from domestic critics not to release any of the remaining 198 detainees at Guantanamo, which include includes an estimated 91 Yemenis, amid rising fear in the United States regarding terrorism. —AFP

that about 14 percent of former Guantanamo inmates had engaged in or were suspected of having ties to militants.

The issue has taken on heightened importance after a failed attack on a US airliner on Christmas Day was tied to Al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, where two former Guantanamo detainees are believed to be acting as senior leaders.

President Barack Obama on

‘I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words’

Reid apologizes for ‘no Negro dialect’ comment WASHINGTON: Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid apologized on Saturday for saying the race of Barack Obama — whom he described as a “light skinned” African-American “with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one” — would help rather than hurt his eventual presidential bid.

HYTHE: Inspector Tim Shields speaks with media at the entrance road to Wiebo Ludwig’s Trickle Creek Farm in Hythe, Alberta just west of Grande Prairie, Alberta on Saturday. —AP

Canada police release man arrested in bomb probe VANCOUVER: An anti-energy industry activist arrested in connection with the investigation into a series of pipeline bombings in northeastern British Columbia was released Saturday without being charged, his lawyer said.

Lawyer Paul Moreau said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have not given any reasons for why they released his client, Wiebo Ludwig, after arresting him Friday at a motel in the western Alberta town of Grande Prairie. “They have declined to explain, at least to me, why they are releasing him without charging him, and it’s going to make for some interesting questions for someone to ask the RCMP,” said Moreau.

RCMP spokesman Inspector Tim Shields would not comment on why police released the suspect, but said discussions continue with prosecutors on possible charges for the man they arrested. Shields would not identify the man because Canadian law prohibits police from identifying a person who has not been charged.

“We are confident we arrested the right person, and we are at the right place,” said Shields, referring to a farm belonging to Ludwig that is being searched.

Officers have another four days left on their warrant to search Ludwig’s farm, Shields said.

Dozens of RCMP officers on Friday swept onto Ludwig’s farm, part of a strict religious commune of about 50 people that Ludwig presides over, near

Hythe in northwestern Alberta.

Police, who were combing through homes and outbuildings in the commune, said the search was linked to the investigation into the most recent pipeline bombings in British Columbia.

RCMP Superintendent Lloyd Plante said the residents of the commune are cooperating with police. Shields refuted allegations the police search was a fishing expedition.

“We had reasonable and probable grounds that an offense had been comitted that would support this search,” he said.

The RCMP’s counter-terrorism unit has been investigating six bombings of EnCana Corp. oil and gas pipelines in British Columbia since October 2008.

No one was injured in the attacks which caused only minor disruptions to pipeline operations.

EnCana has offered a $1 million Canadian dollars (US$970,000) award for information leading to the arrest of whoever is behind the bombings.

Moreau indicated at the time of the arrest that his client was being investigated on suspicion of extortion against EnCana, one of Canada’s largest oil and gas companies. Moreau said earlier that he was not sure what is behind the extortion allegation.

The pipeline blasts put a spotlight on local concerns over the rapid growth of the oil and gas industry in the region, par-

ticularly projects involving sour gas, which contains the potentially deadly chemical hydrogen sulfide. Ludwig is well known in Alberta for his opposition to the oil and gas industry. He was sent to prison in 2001 and served two-thirds of a 28-month sentence for his role in earlier gas well bombings in Alberta.

Two EnCana gas wells and one owned by Suncor Inc. were hit in 1998, and another blast cratered a road leading to a Norcen Energy well site. As he was released from jail Saturday, Ludwig said he wanted to go home to be with his family.

“I’ve had quite a grilling,” he told reporters. “I want to go home and connect the dots.”

Police previously had said they did not consider Ludwig a suspect in the latest pipeline bombings. Ludwig wrote what he called an open letter to the bomber last fall appealing for a halt to the attacks.

Moreau said Ludwig was called to a meeting with police Friday morning at a motel in Grande Prairie, where he was immediately placed under arrest.

Ludwig moved to Alberta’s Peace River region in 1985 to insulate his alternative Christian community from what he called the madness of modern life.

Five years later, the oil and gas companies arrived. He spent years trying to raise awareness of property rights around exploration, the environment and the toxic nature of sour gas. —AP

The revelations about Reid’s 2008 comments were included in the book “Game Change” by Time Magazine’s Mark Halperin and New York magazine’s John Heilemann. The behind-the-scenes look at the 2008 campaign that elevated Obama to the White House is based on the writers’ interviews with more than 200 sources, most of whom were granted anonymity. Thus much of the material could not be immediately corroborated.

Among the details in the book: * Presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton said she believed Obama’s team had used out-of-state supporters to win the Iowa primary caucuses and had intentionally exploited Obama’s race. She said America faced a “a terrible choice” between Obama and Republican nominee John McCain. * Obama and running mate Joe Biden barely spoke, kept separate schedules and seldom campaigned together. The campaign kept Biden off the nightly calls that included Obama, instead having the campaign manager and senior strategist brief Biden separately. * Aides to McCain described the difficulties they faced with their vice presidential pick, then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Steve Schmidt, a senior adviser to McCain, is quoted telling Palin’s foreign policy tutors: “You guys have a lot of work to do. She doesn’t know anything.” - Former President Bill Clinton’s efforts to persuade Sen. Edward M. Kennedy to endorse his wife’s presidential bid fell flat when Clinton told the Democratic lawmaker that just a few years ago, Obama would have been serving the pair coffee.

But what caused the biggest stir Saturday was the Reid statement.

“He (Reid) was wowed by Obama’s oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presi-

WASHINGTON: In this Jan 18, 2006 file photo, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nev, center, is joined

by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., left, and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., as he prepares to outline the Democrat agenda for reform in the wake of the scandal involving former lobbyist Jack Abramoff in Washington. In a White House statement released. —AP dential candidate, especially one such as Obama — a ‘lightskinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,’ as he later put it privately,” according to the book.

After new excerpts from the book appeared on the Web site of The Atlantic, Reid released a statement expressing regret for “using such a poor choice of words. I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially AfricanAmericans for my improper comments.” Obama issued a statement saying he had spoken with Reid, who faces a difficult re-election amid frustration from both liberals and conservatives with his leadership in the Senate and his agenda. For

Reid, not faring well in polls, the comments can’t help, even as Obama relies heavily on him to try to pass a health care overhaul. Reid’s office said he had also phoned to apologize to civil rights leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Chairman Julian Bond and Leadership Conference on Civil Rights president and chief executive officer Wade Henderson, as well as veteran political operative Donna Brazile. Reid also spoke with Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee and Rep. James Clyburn both African-Americans. The leaders quickly fell in line supporting Reid. “While there is no question that Senator Reid did

CIA planned to ‘rendition’ suspects in Germany: Report BERLIN: The CIA had 25 agents in Germany after the September 11 attacks and planned to “rendition” illegally Al-Qaeda suspects without informing the German government, Spiegel magazine reported yesterday.

“It was about grabbing people without the Germans knowing about it,” the German weekly magazine cited an unnamed former CIA agent as saying. “We were planning stuff that was totally illegal.”

Obama quickly accepted, saying “As far as I am concerned, the book is closed.” Reid, facing a tough Senate re-election bid this year, spent the day telephoning civil rights leaders and fellow Democrats in hopes of mitigating the political damage.

The plan went so far that other parts of the Central Intelligence Agency were in the loop, but in the end it was scrapped because of objections by the agency’s German section, Spiegel cited its source as saying.

VANCOUVER: Dane Clark Paresi’s wife MindyLou, is escorted from services by Paresi’s friend Jeff Hall, Saturday, in Vancouver, Wash. Paresi was one of the seven Americans killed in a suicide bombing at a military base in the Khost Province of Afghanistan on December 30th, 2009. —AP

“We said ‘no’ because we were of the opinion that you just couldn’t do a thing like that in a friendly country where there were so many US soldiers based,” the source is cited as saying.

The claim follows a Vanity Fair magazine report that the US spy agency intended to “find, fix and finish” an al-Qaeda suspect in Hamburg, where several of those involved in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States formed an Islamist cell.

Vanity Fair said that the CIA team was sent to assassinate Mamun Darkanzali, a Syrian-born German believed at the time to have known at least three of the hijackers, but in the end Washington pulled the plug.

Darkanzali was detained by German authorities in 2004 but prosecutors dropped their investigation in 2006, saying that although he had served as a contact for several Al-Qaeda members, he could not be considered a member.

Spiegel, however, cited its source as denying there was any such plan, saying: “That would have been completely impossible in a country like Germany.”

The “extraordinary rendition” programme was set up by the administration of then president George W. Bush after the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. It involved the transfer of “war on terror” suspects by the CIA to countries known to practise torture.

In November, an Italian court convicted in absentia 23 US secret agents for the CIA’s kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric in 2003, including the CIA’s Milan station chief at the time, Robert Seldon Lady.

One of those convicted, Sabrina DeSousa, said after the trial that she “broke the law” but that everything she did was “approved back in Washington.” —AFP

not select the best word choice in this instance, these comments should not distract America from its continued focus on securing healthcare or creating jobs for its people,” Sharpton said.

Clyburn, part of the House’s Democratic leadership, also supported Reid despite the comments. “Sen. Reid’s apology for his private assessment of President Obama’s candidacy should be accepted and our time and energy should be devoted to helping him overcome current obstacles to job creation, health care reform and energy independence,” Clyburn said.

Aides to Obama, the Clintons and Biden declined to discuss details of the book.

Palin’s spokeswoman, Meg

Stapleton, disputed the version presented in the reporters’ book.

“The governor’s descriptions of these events are found in her book, ‘Going Rogue.’ Her descriptions are accurate,” Stapleton said in a statement to “60 Minutes,” which is featuring the book in a Sunday broadcast.

“She was there. These reporters were not.”

In 2002, Republican Majority Leader Sen. Trent Lott lost his leadership position for racially charged language; the Mississippi lawmaker said that if then-Sen. Strom Thurmond’s 1948 pro-segregation presidential bid had been successful, the country would have been better off. —AP

in the news French burqa ban PARIS: A French anti-terrorism judge has warned that a prospective law that would ban face-covering Islamic veils in France could drive some to want to carry out terror attacks. A lawmaker from President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative party has said he will propose legislation within two weeks that would make wearing the veils in public an offense subject to a §750 ($1,070) fine. Antiterrorism Judge Marc Trevidic is quoted by Sunday’s edition of the weekly Journal du Dimanche as saying that such a law “will maybe push impulsive people to want to commit attacks.” Proponents of a law worry that such dress could fan Islamic extremism. They say it amounts to an insult to women and clashes with the deeply secular nature of France.

Emergency landing NEWARK: Landing gear problems have forced a United Airlines flight to make an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport. No injuries were reported with the landing at around 9:30 am yesterday. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, said all 53 people aboard Flight 634 from Chicago got off the plane safely.

Officials say the plane’s landing gear apparently failed to deploy properly. It was not yet clear why that happened.

The incident caused delays of about an hour for departing flights.

Mother slaying HOUSTON: A 17-year-old Pakistani immigrant who Houston police say admitted hiring a friend to kill his mother is denying involvement in the stabbing death.

Police say Danish Minhas told investigators he hired a high school classmate, 18-year-old Nur J. Mohamed, to kill his mother because she was too controlling.

Police say both teens confessed.

But Minhas tells the Houston Chronicle in a jailhouse interview that he gave the statement to police “out of necessity” and points the finger at Mohamed alone.

Mohamed, a native of Somalia, declined to be interviewed. Minhas called police Nov. 25 to say he found his 43-year-old mother Tabassum Khan fatally stabbed.

Police say Danish Minhas objected to rules that included having to be home by a certain hour and having to do chores. Minhas tells the newspaper he misses his mother.

Relatives told the newspaper that Khan and Minhas came to the US from Lahore, Pakistan, about 10 years ago.

INTERNATIONAL

10

Monday, January 11, 2010

Taiwan lawmakers blame president for poll setback TAIPEI: Taiwan’s ruling Nationalist lawmakers yesterday blamed the party’s second major electoral setback in a month on President Ma Ying-jeou’s failure to jump start Taiwan’s economy with his policy of pursuing closer ties to China.

The statement by Nationalist caucus whip Justin Chou and his colleagues followed his party’s defeat Saturday by the opposition

Democratic Progressive Party in three legislative by-elections.

The results underscore the proindependence DPP’s strong showing in local elections last December, and signal sagging popular support for the Nationalist party following growing anxiety over stronger economic ties with Beijing and a string of domestic gaffes.

Since Ma took office in May 2008, he has been forging closer

China trade ties in the hopes of bolstering Taiwan’s sluggish economy.

Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949, but Beijing continues to claim the island as part of its territory.

The pro-independence DPP is especially critical of the centerpiece of Ma’s China engagement program, the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, or ECFA, which it believes will undermine

Taiwan’s sovereignty and cost its workers thousands of jobs amid a flood of cheap Chinese imports.

Although the Nationalist Party still controls a majority of 74 seats against the DPP’s 30 in the 113seat legislature after Saturday’s byelections, Nationalist lawmakers said the setback reflected poor public reception of Ma’s economic initiatives.

“The various China deals the

government has signed have not brought Taiwanese people to see any improvement in the economy,” Chou said.

Fellow Nationalist lawmaker Lo Shu-lei voiced similar concerns.

“The government fails to eradicate public unease because it is unable to make clear how many jobs will be lost if Taiwan signs (a partial free trade agreement) with China,” she said, referring to ECFA.

Taiwan officials have said the pact would reduce restrictions on trade between the two sides. Ma has said he hopes to seal the deal with Beijing this spring. Even the Nationalist lawmaker Huang Chaoshun echoed the DPP sentiment.

“Taiwanese people have doubts about whether ECFA will hurt Taiwan’s sovereignty while the government has failed to win public trust on cross-strait issues,” Huang

said, adding that the electoral setback serves as a serious warning for her party.

Ma’s popularity in opinion polls has plunged to a low of 20-30 percent since August, when Typhoon Morakot took an estimated 700 lives amid complaints about the government’s botched rescue and relief effort. When he took office in May 2008, his support was more than 60 percent. —AP

Church attacks rise

Malaysian Christians defy church attacks Christian God. Council of Churches secretary-general Hermen Shastri said Malaysia’s Christians, who number 10 percent of a population of 27 million, were unbowed. “I think that people’s faith is greater than what’s happening around so they continue to go to church and pray for themselves as well as for the nation,” he told AFP. Islamic groups have staged protests after a court ruling last week that gave a Catholic newspaper the right to print the word “Allah”, following a long dispute with the government over the issue.

Four churches and a Catholic convent school were targeted early yesterday, police said, adding no one was injured.

Molotov cocktails were thrown at the All Saints Church and the school in Taiping, in the northern state of Perak, and a bottle of kerosene was found in another church nearby before Sunday services.

In two other minor incidents, black paint was hurled onto the window of a Baptist church in the central state of Malacca while stones were thrown at the windows of the Good Shepherd Church in the eastern state of Sarawak, according to police.

Confirming the fresh attacks, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the security situation remained under control.

“The people need not worry and should not be influenced by reports on the Internet or the SMSes,” the minister told state news agency Bernama, referring to inflammatory reports sent by telephone text mesTAIPING: Police officers inspect damage at the All Saints Church in Taiping of Perak state, Malaysia, yester- sage.

About 1,000 worshippers at day. Another church was hit by a firebomb early Sunday, the fifth assault in three days of unrest following a the Catholic Church of the court decision that allows Christians and other non-Muslims to use “Allah” to refer to God. —AP Assumption in Kuala Lumpur, one of four in the Malaysian capital targeted by arsonists, were briefed by parish priest Phillips Muthu on the attack on their building.

“I told them we don’t want to blame any people, any quarter, any religion. We are peaceful and we are here to offer our prayer for the nation,” he told reporters at the church, where a fire bomb damaged part of the grounds. “Of course we are MANILA: About 50,000 The Philippines is a lively Supt. Leonardo Espina said national and local polls, which afraid after the incident, but Philippine policemen began democracy and elections are yesterday. include a vote for president. life has to go on.” enforcing a five-month ban often marred by violence and Last week National Police In the country’s worst One worshipper who only on carrying guns in public fraud. In the 2007 local and Chief Jesus Verzosa said 558 of political violence 57 people wanted to be identified as Lee yesterday in hopes of avoid- congressional elections, 108 the country’s 1,634 cities and on the way to register a cansaid reaction to the court ruling bloodshed in the buildup people were killed in elec- municipalities have been iden- didate for the May 10 elecing from sections of the to May elections, arresting tion-related violence, includ- tified as areas of concern and tion were massacred last Muslim community had been 18 violators at checkpoints ing 15 candidates, national will get added attention from November in the country’s “quite shocking”.

“But I think the majority of across the country. police spokesman Chief security forces ahead of the volatile south, allegedly by a Malaysians are still peace-lovrival clan of the one registering and we should have diaing the candidate. logue to resolve this,” she Gun bans are common said. A police car was stapractice before elections, but tioned outside the nearby this year police will not issue Protestant Life Chapel church, any exemptions to gun ownwhich had a Molotov cocktail ers due to security concerns thrown into its porch, and volsparked by that massacre. unteers stood guard and Three policemen, a navy checked worshippers’ cars. enlisted man, and a jail warThe 1,000-strong congregaden were among those arresttion of the Metro Tabernacle church, the worst damaged in ed Sunday. They carried their the attacks, moved its service firearms outside their homes to a hall offered by Malaysia’s and stations without permits, ruling party. or while they were off-duty Prime Minister Najib Razak and in civilian clothes, Espina has called for calm and said the said. government will not tolerate “The main tool in commitany threat to racial harmony in ting crimes during elections the multicultural nation, which are guns,” Espina said. “Take is home to large ethnic it out and you minimize the Chinese and Indian minorities. violence.” Under the ban Tensions were heightened ordered by the Commission last week when the High on Elections, carrying Court ruled in favour of the Catholic newspaper The firearms, explosives and Herald, which has been using other weapons in public will “Allah” as a translation for be prohibited from yesterday “God” in its Malay-language until June 9. Only policemen section. and soldiers, who are on duty The government has and in uniform, can bear arms argued the word should be during the ban. used only by Muslims. The HONG KONG: A Hong Kong policeman (R) stands at the scene the day after an Violators face up to six acid attack injured some 30 people, on the corner of Temple Street and Nanking years imprisonment and dis- ruling in the newspaper’s favour was suspended on Street in the Yau Ma Tei district of Kowloon in Hong Kong yesterday. Hong Kong missal from work in the case Wednesday pending an appeal, police have arrested a man following an acid attack that left 30 people injured, of government employees. after the government argued police said yesterday, the latest in a string of similar incidents that have terrorised Foreigners can be jailed or the decision could cause racial conflict. —AFP deported. —AP the city. —AFP KUALA LUMPUR: Thousands of Malaysian Christians came out for weekly services yesterday despite new attacks in an arson campaign that has sent tensions soaring in the Muslim-majority nation. Eight churches across the country have been fire-bombed or vandalised since Friday in an escalating row over the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims as a translation for the

Philippine police arrest 18 at start of gun ban

JAGRAON: Relatives of Nitin Garg, a 21-year-old Indian graduate who was killed in Australia, mourn as they stand next to his body at Jagraon, India yesterday.

Garg was stabbed in the abdomen on Jan. 2 while on his way to fast food restaurant where he worked part-time, a local news agency reported. —AP

Australia welcomes Indian call for restraint over attacks SYDNEY: Australia’s government yesterday welcomed a call from India for restraint in media coverage of attacks on Indians, stressing there was no evidence that race was a factor in two recent incidents.

New Delhi urged its media to act responsibly after an Indian man was burned in an incident in Melbourne on Saturday, a week after 21-year-old Nitin Garg was stabbed to death in the city’s western suburbs.

The attacks followed a spate of violence against Indians in Victoria state last year and have prompted a strong reaction in the Indian press, with one newspaper likening Australian police to the racist Ku Klux Klan.

Australia’s acting foreign minister Simon Crean welcomed the statement from foreign ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash, who advised the Indian media to “exercise

utmost restraint in reporting on these sensitive issues”.

“I am very pleased that overnight the government has issued what I believe is a very constructive and responsible advice and that is, not to overreact to it, to understand that investigations are being undertaken,” Crean said. “We need to get all of the facts first and we shouldn’t overreact until all of the facts are in.”

In New Delhi, Australian High Commissioner Peter Varghese conceded Sunday the attacks had soured bilateral ties and criticised the local media for blaming the incidents on alleged apathy of the Australian authorities.

“Our image in India has taken a beating,” he told the CNN-IBN television station, citing “negative media coverage”.

Varghese also complained that sections of the Indian press gave “the impression

that there are marauding gangs of Australians who do nothing else but target Indians all day.”

In the latest incident, 29year-old Jaspreet Singh told police that he was doused with petrol and set on fire by a group of men as he parked his car in the early hours of Saturday. Singh suffered burns to 15 percent of his body and is recovering in hospital.

Crean, who is also Australia’s trade minister, said police had found no evidence that the latest incidents were racially motivated. “I think it is also important in terms of the most recent incident, that a relative of Mr Singh ... also doesn’t believe that it was racially based.”

A series of attacks on Indian nationals and students in Australia sparked street protests in the middle of 2009. —AFP

JAKARTA: Fishing boats are tied up in front of the owners’ houses at the mouth of a river in Jakarta, West Java, yesterday as fishermen traditionally stop their activities to the high number of accidents caused by bad weather during the rainy season between November to February. —AFP

Indonesian dead in floods JAKARTA: Widespread flooding has left one person dead and two missing in Indonesia’s East Java, a health official said yesterday.

Water as high as one metre (three feet) submerged more than 500 houses in Pasuruan district due to continuous rain since Friday

evening, health ministry crisis centre chief Rustam Pakaya told AFP. “One was killed and two others still missing are believed to have drowned,” he added.

The floods have yet to recede but “the situation is under control”, Pakaya said.

Floods and landslides are common in Indonesia, which is densely populated and prone to frequent heavy rain.

Activists have warned that logging and a failure to reforest denuded land in the world’s fourth-most populous country are often to blame. —AFP

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, Jaunary 11, 2010

11

Afghans losing hope after 8 years of war KABUL: The man on the motorcycle was going the wrong way down a one-way street, gesturing indignantly for the phalanx of traffic-clogged cars in front of him to move.

“Brother, why are you angry with us?” said a passenger leaning out of one of the vehicles blocking his path.

“It’s you who are going the wrong way!”

“I’m not angry at you, I’m angry at Afghanistan,” the man cried back, waving his arm dismissively as he negotiated his bike onto a crowded sidewalk and drove off in a trail of exhaust fumes. “These are sad days.” In Kabul, even a traffic jam can provoke a comment on this Islamic nation’s dismal state, which most people here believe is at its bleakest since the US invaded to topple the Taleban in 2001. It’s a striking sentiment when you consider it comes after eight years of international intervention, $60 billion in foreign aid and the lives of thousands of foreign troops and Afghan civilians. The Obama administration is hoping to reverse that trend as an additional 30,000 American and 7,000 NATO troops pour into the conflict in coming months. But “the more soldiers they send here, the worse it gets,” said 19-year-old carpet seller Hamid Hashimi.

In the year after the Taleban fell, international forces numbered a modest 12,000 or so. Today that figure has swollen to well over 100,000 and will approach 140,000 with the latest troop commitments. There are also 100,000 Defense Department contractors supporting the military effort, according to US lawmakers.

The insurgency has mushroomed in equal measure. The war — once mostly limited to Pakistan border — has spread to nearly ever corner of the country. It has also penetrated the frontier-like capital, where car bombings or other spectacular attacks like the October storming of a guest house filled with UN staff make news every couple of weeks.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

When the Taleban were overthrown in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, aid groups, analysts and Afghans themselves all believed the nation was finally emerging from a quarter century of war.

In retrospect, there wasn’t much of a break. “In those days people had hope, but unfortunately everything has turned upside down since then,” said Hanif Hangam, who stars in an Afghan comedy TV show called Alarm Bell. “People expected things to go

forward, but we’ve just been sliding back.”

The irony is that so much has changed in Kabul.

A vast sea of blown-out buildings in the west of the city has been completely rebuilt.

Multistory shopping malls encased in glass symbolize a newfound prosperity, towering above streets lined with travel agencies, internet cafes, and even Afghan Fried Chicken, a local fast-food chain. At night, rainbow-colored flashing palm trees climb the walls of splashy new wedding halls.

Newly connected electricity lines light up mountainsides ringing the capital, whose population has tripled in the last eight years to 4.5 million as millions of refugees returned.

Residents are also embracing freedoms anew: a majority of women have shed the once-ubiquitous blue burqas mandated by the Taleban in favor of flashy headscarves that shine in the night. And from one state TV channel in 2001, there are now more than 20 private stations with 3-D graphics and talk shows that rival any abroad.

“People can finally can talk openly about what’s gone wrong,” Hangam said of the media boom. “They can criticize the government and warlords, point out corruption. But

unfortunately, nobody is listening. We never see anything change.” Indeed, the news today is the same as it was eight years previous, there is just more of it: Car bombs and rockets rock Kabul. Civilians die accidentally in US air strikes. Afghan security forces are in dire need of training. The opium trade is booming.

And just like 2001, President Hamid Karzai is derided as the “mayor of Kabul” by critics who say his authority doesn’t extend much further than the city limits. “It’s a disaster,” said Ramazan Bashardost, a lawmaker who came in a distant third in the country’s botched August election, which was marred by fraud so widespread a third of Karzai’s ballots were thrown out.

“The situation is getting worse every day for ordinary Afghans.” According to Bashardost, about 80 percent of the country is without electricity and unemployment is 60 percent. Many families can only afford to eat once a day and corruption is so rampant, “it’s practically legal,” he said.

“People ask, ‘What has democracy brought?”‘ he said. Besides helping keep warlords accused of war crimes in power, Bashardost added, “the answer is: insecurity.” Guerrilla attacks have made even

provinces surrounding the capital unsafe.

Hashimi said his family owns land in Wardak province, which neighbors the city, but he hasn’t been home in years because the roads are too dangerous. Alongside billboards advertising modern utilities like BlackBerry smartphones are others hawking armored transport.

The local “Scene” magazine includes ads for shops selling bulletproof vests, and most of the people pictured inside its “Party Scene” section are foreign correspondents who came to cover the war.

Downtown, protective blast walls have grown larger outside US and UN facilities, and some streets have been closed to public traffic. Helmeted soldiers peek out of sandbagged guard posts at government ministries. Residents like Hashimi cringe whenever they walk past — fearful the offices will be targeted by bombers. Outside Thai and Indian restaurants in one posh neighborhood, bodyguards in black suits stand in the middle of streets like gangsters, holding small, uzi-like automatic weapons as officials climb into black SUVs with tinted windows.

And when security prevents dining out, the Wakhan cafe has signs that say: “Locked Down! No problems” — they deliver.

The US Congressional Research Service said in a recent report that foreign assistance pledged to Afghanistan since 2001 has topped $58 billion, about $38 billion of it from the US alone.

But “what happened to all this money?” said Bashardost. “Has garbage been cleaned up? Have all the streets been paved?” Many think some of those funds have been diverted to places like the city’s Shirpoor neighborhood, where the powerful clique Washington brought to power eight years ago bulldozed dozens of crumbling mud-brick homes occupied by squatters and divvied the land among cronies. Residents deride the gaudy mirrored mansions as “poppy palaces” because they are believed to have also been constructed in part with money from the drug trade.

Few believe their owners could have built them with paltry official salaries; they cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and rent for $20,000 per month.

“We’ve built a lot of buildings,” lawmaker Shukria Barakzai said with a sigh at a recent government ceremony commemorating the deaths of thousands of Afghan police and soldiers. “But we’ve lost a lot of hope.” — AP

Second journalist in 10 days killed in Afghanistan

UK reporter, US Marine killed in Afghan blast LONDON: An explosion outside a small village in southern Afghanistan claimed the life of a veteran British war correspondent, officials said yesterday. It was the British media’s first casualty in the conflict. The blast, which also killed a US and an Afghan soldier with whom Sunday

JAFFNA: In this handout photograph from the President’s Office, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse (C) takes part in a religious ceremony in the Nallur Kovil Hindu temple in the northern town of Jaffna yesterday.

Rajapakse visited Jaffna to campaign during his bid to win the second term as the island’s president in the election to be held on January 26. — AFP

Sri Lankan president woos Tamils on re-election trail COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s president yesterday took his re-election campaign to the Tamil heartland of Jaffna for his first visit to the peninsula since troops crushed separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in May. Mahinda Rajapakse vowed to step up reconstruction efforts in the former war zone and promised speedy re-settlement of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians displaced by last year’s bloody offensive against the rebels.

“The president moved about freely and spoke with the civilians,” his spokesman Chandrapala Liyanage said. “He also met with Hindu and Catholic leaders who thanked him for removing travel restrictions to Jaffna.”

Rajapakse’s visit follows a similar campaign trip to Jaffna by his main rival, former army chief Sarath Fonseka, ahead of the election on January 26. The minority Tamils, who constitute 12.5 percent of the country’s 20 million population, could be decisive if the majority Sinhalese vote is split.

Both Rajapakse and Fonseka, who was the main military architect of the Tigers’ defeat, are members of the Sinhalese majority and both look on the community as their vote base.

Fonseka’s supporters said new government concessions to the Tamils were no more than an

“election gimmick”.

The opposition People’s Liberation Front (JVP), which backs Fonseka, said Rajapakse had released 713 Tamil Tiger suspects on Saturday in a desperate bid for votes.

“There is no transparent basis for the release,” JVP spokesman Anura Kumara Dissanayake told reporters. “We want to know on what basis they are still holding over 11,000 people in custody.”

The army announced that 713 out of 12,000 Tamil Tiger combatants in detention were released at a ceremony attended by the president in the northern district of Vavuniya on Saturday.

The Tigers, who had fought for a separate Tamil homeland since 1972, were defeated by government troops eight months ago when the military killed guerrilla leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Between 80,000 and 100,000 people were killed in nearly four decades of ethnic bloodshed.

The United Nations estimated that 7,000 mainly Tamil civilians perished in the first four months of last year before the fighting eventually ended.

Rajapakse called the presidential election two years ahead of schedule in a bid to benefit from public acclaim for his government’s victory over the Tigers. —AFP

Stranded Indian workers seek shelter in Afghan temple KABUL: Dozens of Indian labourers have been forced to take refuge in Kabul’s Sikh temple after job agents who promised lucrative jobs in the unstable capital disappeared, leaving the men penniless and without passports.

Billions of dollars in Western military contracts have turned Afghanistan-long a source of refugees fleeing chronic conflict-into an unlikely magnet for migrant workers willing to risk their lives for a more lucrative pay packet. Around 200 stranded men were crowded into the Karte Parwan Gurdwara, the centre of Afghanistan’s small Sikh community, last month. Many flew home after their families scraped together funds for flights and travel documents, but over 30 are still stuck.

Mumbai native Subhedar Khandu is one of them. He said he paid 150,000 Indian rupees ($3,300) to an agent who promised he would earn $800 a month doing construction in Afghanistan.

“I took out a loan to pay the agent, who I met in Bombay. I thought I would get a one-year contact,” Khandu said. Instead, when he arrived in November, he was locked up in a house with other labourers, given only one meal per day and no work or salary. When his visa expired a month later, the agent vanished and the men turned to their embassy in desperation.

“We were locked in a kind of camp for one month. This is much better but we have nothing to do still, we just sleep a lot.”

Contractors supplying foreign troops, who have been fighting in Afghanistan for over eight years, often rely on foreign migrant workers for menial but comparatively well-paid jobs in construction, food preparation and other fields.

Many of those stranded had been transferred from Dubai, a popular destination for poor Indians who often pay hefty fees to secure work earning much more than they could at home.

“About six months earlier, we had stray cases of Indians sent by unscrupulous agents to Afghanistan from Gulf countries, mainly from Dubai, on the false promise of remunerative employment,” the Indian embassy in Kabul said in a statement.

“This trickle suddenly turned to a veritable flood, including also some cases of use of fraudulent visas,” the statement added. The embassy is helping cover the costs of feeding the men, and has also sent doctors to check their health, but declined to give an overall total of the number affected. Often barely literate and with few resources or connections, migrant workers are highly vulnerable to fraudsters and cheats.

Khandu said he had already lost money when another fake agent sent him to Bangkok for a job that also did not exist.

But strained labour markets and low wages at home mean many feel they have little choice but to seek work overseas.

Diplomats helped arrange for the men stuck in Afghanistan to stay at the Gurdwara. Sikh temples traditionally have a free food kitchen attached, and in Kabul a central hall has also been turned into an ad-hoc refugee camp. A mix of men from Rajasthan, Mahrashtra, Andhra Pradesh and other Indian states now spend most of the day huddled round a brazier or dozing under blankets waiting for rescue. They are trained as carpenters, electricians and masons, but work is short in Afghanistan and they worry about security problems if they go out. The embassy says it is doing as much as it can to help this batch and prevent a repeat of the fiasco. “The Afghan authorities have been requested to exercise caution in granting visas for potential Indian workers in Afghanistan by checking on their employment status,” its statement said. —Reuters

Canadian reporter Michelle Lang of the Calgary Herald newspaper was killed in Kandahar province on December 30 alongside four soldiers when a roadside bomb exploded beneath their armoured vehicle.

“Tragically it was a matter of time,” former British forces commander Col. Richard Kemp told Sky News television. “Our journalists, the same as other journalists, our British journalists deploying on operations with forces in Afghanistan or Iraq face exactly the same risks as our soldiers face out there.”

Hamer, 39, and photographer Philip Coburn, 43, were accompanying a US Marine patrol Saturday when their vehicle was hit by a makeshift bomb near the village of Nawa in Helmand, the Defense Ministry said. An US Marine was also killed in the blast, the ministry said, as was an Afghan solider. Coburn was seriously wounded in the explosion but remains in stable condition, the military said. Four US Marines were also left badly hurt. No further detail was provided on their condition. The past year has been particularly deadly for

Mirror journalist Rupert Hamer was traveling, brings the number of reporters who have died in Afghanistan since the Sept. 11 attacks to 18, according to figures kept by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

This undated photo released yesterday by the Sunday Mirror shows the newspaper’s defense correspondent Rupert Hamer who was killed in an explosion in Afghanistan on Saturday. — AP

those fighting the war and those covering it. Canadian journalist Michelle Lang died late last year while embedded with Canadian troops in Afghanistan. An Afghan translator for The New York Times, Sultan Munadi, was killed in September when during a rescue operation.

The Sunday Mirror said that Hamer and Coburn had flown to the region on New Year’s Eve and were embedded with the American military. Their trip was to have lasted for a month, the paper said.

Both were veterans of reporting from conflict zones.

It was Hamer’s fifth excursion to Afghanistan, while Coburn had previously reported from Afghanistan, Iraq and Rwanda.

“Rupert believed that the only place to report a war was from the front line, and as our defense correspondent he wanted to be embedded with the US Marines at the start of their vital surge into southern Afghanistan,” Sunday Mirror Editor Tina Weaver said in a statement. The Sun’s Tom Newton Dunn, who used to serve as the paper’s defense correspondent, said he and

Hamer often spent time together in the field.

“He was extremely good at getting news, and he really understood the armed forces,” Newton Dunn told the BBC. “And was never afraid to go out to places like Afghanistan or Iraq.” Government officials lined up to offer their condolences, with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown saying Hamer and Coburn brought “courage, skill and dedication to reporting from the front line,” something he said ensured that the world could see and read about what international forces were achieving in Afghanistan.

British defense minister Bob Ainsworth said the pair accompanied him on his most recent trip to Afghanistan and that he was “impressed by their hard work and professionalism.

“My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families, friends and colleagues of both men at this extremely distressing time,” Ainsworth said. Hamer is survived by his wife Helen and three young children, his newspaper said. — AP

Violence in Karachi raises political tension KARACHI: Members of a Pakistani regional party have asked their leaders to allow them to leave the ruling coalition in response to what they said was violence against their workers in the country’s commercial hub of Karachi.

About 35 people, most of them rival political activists, have been killed in three days of violence in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city which has a long history of factional bloodshed although it has been relatively peaceful in recent years.

Karachi is home to Pakistan’s main stock market, the central bank and its two main ports. While investors in Pakistan have got used to almost daily Islamist violence in the northwest, bloodshed in Karachi has a more direct impact on sentiment.

The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), the dominant political party in Karachi, said the provincial government, dominated by President Asif Ali Zardari’s party, had failed to stop the violence in the sprawling city of 18 million people.

The MQM is a member of Zardari’s federal coalition government and the threat to leave the alliance could destabilise the government which is already facing criticism over corruption, a potent Taliban insurgency and a troubled economy.

“The terrorists of the Lyari gang have complete protection from some elements in the Sindh government,” the MQM said in a statement late on Saturday, referring to the neighbourhood of Lyari domi-

KARACHI: Pakistani paramilitary soldiers search a car at a checkpoint in Karachi, Pakistan yesterday.

Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and commercial hub, has largely been spared the Taleban-linked violence that has struck much of the rest of the country, a fact that analysts believe is driven by the group’s tendency to use it as a place to rest and raise money. — AP nated by Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

Though in the PPP-led coalitions at both the federal and provincial level, the PPP and MQM have long been the main contenders for power in Karachi. The PPP dominates in rural areas of Sindh province, of which Karachi is capital.

The provincial government denies any involvement in the violence and says its is striving to stop it.

The MQM members of the National Assembly and upper

house Senate had asked their leaders to be allowed to leave the government and sit on the opposition benches, the party said.

The MQM won 25 seats in the 342-member National Assembly in a February 2008 general election.

Its departure from the coalition, while not leading to the government’s fall, would likely put pressure on the PPP to win over other parties and independents to shore up its position.

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf

Raza Gilani had discussed the situation with the MQM’s leader, Altaf Hussain, who lives in self-imposed exile in London.

They said they would ask their members to avoid provocation and help restore peace, Gilani’s office said.

The city’s police chief said reinforcements including paramilitary soldiers forces had been deployed in trouble spots.

A senior provincial government official said gangsters were taking advantage of the tension and the violence could

get worse. “We have to find quick fixes because there’s political and ethnic rivalry, while criminals, gangsters and the drug mafia have also been involved,” said the official who declined to be identified.

Karachi has been largely been free of Islamist violence over the past couple of years, but a bomb at a minority Shi’ite Muslim procession bys in late December fuelled concern that the militants were expanding their fight to the city. — Reuters

OPINION

12

Monday, January 11, 2010

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issues

US intel and fortune-telling H

By Bernd Debusmann

ot on the heels of what President Barack Obama called a potentially disastrous “screw-up” by the civilian intelligence community, here comes a devastating report on shortcomings of military intelligence in Afghanistan, by the officer in charge of it. He likens the work of analysts to fortune-telling. The report is highly unusual both because of its almost brutal candor and the way it was published, outside military channels. Even more unusual: the three authors hold out journalistic skills as models to emulate for gathering and putting together intelligence.

“Eight years into the war in Afghanistan, the US intelligence community is only marginally relevant to the overall strategy,” write the authors, Major General Michael Flynn, the most senior intelligence officer in Afghanistan, his advisor Captain Matt Pottinger, and Paul Batchelor of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). “The ... vast intelligence apparatus is unable to answer fundamental questions about the environment in which US and allied forces operate and the people they seek to persuade.

Ignorant of local economics and landowners, hazy about who the powerbrokers are and how they might be influenced, incurious about the correlations between various development projects and the levels of cooperation among the villagers, and disengaged from people in the best position to find answers ... US intelligence officers and analysts can do little but shrug in response to high-level decision makers seeking the knowledge, analysis and information they need to wage a successful counterinsurgency.”

While finding and finishing off enemy leaders is an important part of intelligence work, the report says, there have been only token efforts to acquire knowledge about the population, the economy, the government and other aspects of the environment the US and its allies in the 43-member coalition are trying to secure and eventually leave behind. The three said they decided to issue their report through a respected think tank - the Washington-based Center for a New American Security, which is centrist and close to the military - “in order to broaden its reach to commanders, intelligence professionals and schoolhouse instructors outside, as well as inside, Afghanistan.”

Making their case through a think tank rather than standard channels speaks volumes about fears that outspoken critiques or straightforward information might get stuck in America’s vast intelligence bureaucracy, both military and civilian, without prompting recipients to act on it. This is what happened in the case of the Nigerian Muslim indicted for attempting to bring down a

Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day in the screwup criticized by Obama.

The report on intelligence gathering in Afghanistan addresses the military and was written long before a suicide bomber killed seven operatives of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and a Jordanian agent at a base in Afghanistan on Dec 30. That, and the failed Christmas Day bombing, raise questions over the effectiveness of the intelligence and security overhaul that followed the Sept 11, 2001, attack on New York and Washington.

Those reforms established the Department of Homeland Security, a collection of disparate agencies with some 200,000 employees, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the socalled intelligence czar overseeing 16 spy agencies. They include the National Counterterrorism Center, set up to make sure that the dots that were not connected before Sept. 11 would be connected in future.

In an op-ed in the New York Times on Wednesday, Thomas Kean and John Farmer, respectively the cochairman and chief counsel of the 9/11 Commission, provided a gloomy answer on the success of the overhaul despite the best efforts of intelligence reformers, turf battles persist, the drift towards inertia continues, and the system is riddled with “persistent bureaucratic fault lines.”

Much of the problem, intelligence veterans say, is information overload. But in the case of intelligence on Afghanistan, according to the authors of the report (Fixing Intel: A Blueprint for Making Intelligence Relevant in Afghanistan), there is a shortage of information that goes beyond insurgents burying bombs or setting up ambushes.

Dozens of analysts in Kabul and hundreds more in the United States, the three write, are “so starved for information from the field that many say their jobs feel more like fortune telling than serious detective work ... It is little wonder then that many decision-makers rely more upon newspapers than military intelligence to obtain ‘ground truth’.”

To get things right requires cultural change: “Analysts must absorb information with the thoroughness of historians, organize it with the skill of librarians, and disseminate it with the zeal of journalists.” Apart from that, intelligence professionals must break away from the notion, dating back to the Cold War, that open-source material is inferior to classified information.

How to improve matters?

“To begin, commanders must authorize a select group of analysts to retrieve information from the ground level and make it available to a broader audience, similar to the way journalists work.” — Reuters

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.

Iran unlikely to risk blocking Strait of Hormuz

By Jonathan Saul and David Sheppard

I

ran is unlikely to risk blocking or mining the Strait of Hormuz if tension with the West rises, because it stands to lose vital oil revenues from closing the strategic waterway and lacks the military capability. Iran has threatened to close the strait a vital route for world oil supplies, if it is attacked over its nuclear ambitions.

Some Iran watchers say Tehran could opt to block the strait if more severe sanctions are imposed. Western powers suspect Iran’s nuclear activities are aimed at developing atomic weapons, not generating electricity as Tehran insists.

Analysts believe the threat itself is enough to raise oil prices to well above $100 a barrel, potentially damaging a still fragile global economic recovery.

“Oil prices rose by around $12 a barrel when Israel went into Lebanon in 2006 and neither of those countries are even involved in oil production,” said Paul Harris, head of natural resources risk management at Bank of Ireland. “You’d be looking at least double that kind of jump from an event on that scale in the region.”

Many analysts say Tehran cannot afford to risk a prolonged disruption of the narrow waterway, which borders Iran’s coastline at the mouth of the Gulf, and through which 40 percent of all seaborne oil trade, about 17 million barrels, passes daily. Iran itself exports around 2.4 million barrels daily - most of it via the Strait of Hormuz. “They would cut their own throats because two-thirds of the Iranian government’s budget comes from exports from the same strait,” said J. Peter Pham, an adviser on strategic matters to US and foreign governments. “Iran gains more from the threat of closing the strait than actually closing it.”

The strait, just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, lies between Oman

and Iran. Neighbouring oil-producing countries, including Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude oil exporter, are dependent on its shipping lanes.

“Closing the strait would reduce Iran’s leverage in the region as it would put Arabian Gulf countries squarely in the camp of America,” Iran analyst Meir Javedanfar said, adding that it could tempt them into financing Iranian opposition movements.

Many analysts believe that, if Iran retaliated, it would choose to mine the strait’s sea lanes as it did during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Military analysts believe Iran has three minelaying ships and three mine-laying helicopters, plus three Russian-built Kilo class submarines. “Military operations on the offence are fraught with problems,” said Eugene Gholz, professor of national security policy at the University of Texas. “The Iranians would have to do it over and over again every day to maintain the disruption.”

Global intelligence company Stratfor said the strait’s cramped, shallow waters made submarine activity difficult. “In any event, the Iranian navy does not have enough Kilos to have any confidence in its ability to sustain submarine operations for any meaningful period after hostilities began,” it said in a study.

Some analysts said double-hulled oil tankers were able to withstand damage from mines more than their singlehulled predecessors, which were targeted in the 1980s when Iran and Iraq fired on each other’s vessels during the “tanker war”.

John Dalby, chief executive of the maritime security company MRM which provides risk assessments and supplies former military personnel to ships in the region, said mines did not represent a real risk to tankers.

“Bearing in mind mines detonate under water, there is little risk of a sparkinduced explosion,” he said. Pham said Iran would have to sink three or four

very large crude carriers daily, each holding up to 2 million barrels of oil, to have a significant effect on supply.

“This is nearly impossible,” he said.

“They can cause a shock, they can cause psychological panic, but their actual capacity to do something is not there.”

Military analysts have not ruled out Iran using speedboats to attack tanker traffic. The US Office of Naval Intelligence said in a study last year Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had control of smaller and faster boats which had “serious firepower” including torpedoes and the Iranian-made Kowsar

anti-ship cruise missiles.

However, few believe Iran will take that course because of fears of severe retaliation by the West, given that the US Fifth Fleet is based in the region.

“That would be far too provocative. It would unleash hell,” MRM’s Dalby said. — Reuters

US-Russia nuke deal soon T

By Lachlan Carmichael

he United States and Russia may have found negotiations for a broad new nuclear disarmament deal tougher than expected, but are still likely to seal one soon in the New Year, analysts said Wednesday. In particular, they added, negotiators are under pressure to clinch a pact in the run-up to a May review conference for the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which obliges the nuclear powers to show progress on disarmament.

Negotiators missed a Dec 5 deadline to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which led to deep cuts in both nuclear arsenals after it was signed in 1991 just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Nor was there a deal by Jan 1, even though President Barack Obama’s White House said on December 17 that it still aimed to “conclude a good and verifiable (START) agreement by the end of the year.”

Russia echoed the new aim. But James Collins, a former US ambassador to Moscow, dismissed any suggestion the talks were in danger and was optimistic that stumbling blocks, like those over verification procedures, could be overcome. “There are not not insurmountable issues. They, however, are complex technologically,” Collins told AFP by telephone. The analyst with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said the negotiations “have gone slower than anyone thought they should and hoped.” But he added: “Both sides expect to reach an agreement. They expect to do it fairly soon in the New Year.... The vast bulk of the treaty is finished and is agreed.”

Collins expected the START talks to resume in Geneva sometime after the middle of January following the Russian Orthodox Christmas holiday period, although no date has been set. He added: “I think the pressure will be there to get it (the deal) done sooner rather than later because of its relationship to the non-proliferation meetings that are coming.” He was referring to preparatory meetings for the NPT review conference in May at the United Nations in New

York.

The longer it takes to clinch a deal, “it makes it harder for us to make the case that other people need to work with us to strenghten the treaty,” Collins said. He added: “A failure to get a START agreement would be a very serious blow to any idea that there is a credible commitment to zero nuclear weapons.” In a speech in Prague on April 5, Obama pledged to lead a quest for a world purged of atomic weapons when he unveiled a plan to cut stockpiles, curtail testing, choke fissile production and secure loose nuclear material.

Miles Pomper, an analyst at the James Martin Center for Non-proliferation Studies, said he would “be astonished” if there is no new treaty by the time of the NPT conference and suggested Russia was playing a game of “brinksmanship”. He told AFP that countries like Egypt, Brazil and South Africa - though not Iran - “will find it harder to be sympathetic” to the Obama administration’s agenda to check the spread of nuclear weapons. Under the 1970 NPT provisions, he said, the Russians “also have a reputation” to keep. And from a strategic point of view, Pomper said, Moscow needs a deal because, “as Russian systems become antiquated, they have to have lower numbers of weapons.”

Paul Saunders, the executive director of the Nixon Center think tank, told AFP he was “still optimistic” about chances for a deal amid pressure for one from the NPT review conference and Russia’s weaker strategic position.

But he warned that the Republican minority in the Senate could complicate the negotiations or deny the Obama administration and fellow Democrats the two-thirds majority it needs to have any deal ratified in the Senate.

Obama and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev set a goal in July of slashing the number of warheads on either side to between 1,500 and 1,675 and the number of “carriers” capable of delivering them to between 500 and 1,100. The United States has said it currently has some 2,200 nuclear warheads, while Russia is believed to have about 3,000. — AFP

Obstacles litter Guinea’s exit from crisis

By Mark John

A

n offer by Guinea’s junta to hand power back to a civilian government could avert the risk of new bloodshed in West Africa but the path to stability remains littered with obstacles. One potential deal-breaker is the prospect that army chiefs implicated in killings of over 150 pro-democracy marchers in a Sept 28 crackdown will demand an amnesty for their crimes before returning to their barracks.

But there are also doubts over whether the country’s untried opposition can rise to the challenge of democratic government in a country with huge mineral wealth but which has seen little but strong-arm military rule in half a century of independence.

“Given the lack of historical precedent for democratic transition in Guinea, it warrants cautious optimism,” said Rolake Akinola of Global Risk Analysis of the state broadcast late on Wednesday by interim junta chief Sekouba Konate.

Konate’s announcement that the recovery of military leader Moussa Dadis Camara from a Dec 3 assassination bid would take “time and patience” was the clearest sign that Camara’s brief political career since a Dec 2008 coup could be over. With the wounded Camara still cloistered in a Moroccan clinic, Konate pledged to

work with a unity government led by a prime minister drawn from opposition ranks, and to allow elections to be held on a date determined by that govern-

ment.

His words will elicit a feeling of “deja vu” among Guineans who recall Camara’s broken promises to allow

A file photo taken on Dec 15, 2009 shows Guinea’s General Sekouba Konate, interim leader after Guinea’s former strongman captain Moussa Dadis Camara’s assassination attempt, talking to fellow soldiers during a visit at the Kindia garrison, some 130 km from Conakry. – AFP

polls, but there are grounds to believe the offer is more credible this time.

With Guinea’s neighbours fearing a civil war there could destabilise the entire region, Guinea’s junta has been isolated by sanctions ranging from visa bans, bank asset freezes and the threat of international prosecution over the Sept 28 killings.

And while the volatile Camara craved public attention, Konate is a professional soldier who has not shown any evidence of seeking a frontline political role. “This is very positive,” said Omaru B. Sisay of London-based Exclusive Analysis. “The fact the offer is being made by Konate means the opposition response is likely to be more positive.”

With Africa trying to rid itself of the military governments that have dominated much of its post-colonial politics, Konate’s pledge will be welcomed across the continent and beyond.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner hailed “a very good surprise”. But the road ahead could be long, with observers warning the transition could take over a year, and even then take place under conditions largely favourable to the army.

The country’s opposition parties could struggle to agree on a prime minister that would be acceptable to diverse ethnic groups including the malinke, peul, soussou and smaller minorities from Camara’s Forestiere

region. “Opposition cohesion is a problem. They have never had the space within existing power structures,” said Akinola. It is also still not clear what powers Konate is willing to cede to the premier, leaving open the risk of a puppet prime minister that would be at the mercy of the junta.

While Konate himself was not directly implicated by a UN report into the Sept 28 killings, Camara and others in the junta run the risk of international prosecution for what the report described as crimes against humanity.

That leaves Konate open to the threat of a counter-coup from army officers afraid of being brought to justice and could mean he will insist on private assurances from opposition leaders and international players that his soldiers will not be pursued.

Analysts said the time was of the essence, with the risk that Camara could at some point recover and return to upset the transition process if it was not properly underway. Sisay said Guinea’s position as the world’s top exporter of the aluminium ore bauxite and its location at the heart of a fragile region could mean that the world turns a blind eye to any local arrangement offering soldiers a degree of impunity.

“But the key stumbling block will be civil society and the unions,” said Sisay, warning of public uproar to any overt deal to shield those behind the Sept 28 violence. — Reuters

ANALYSIS

Monday, January 11, 2010

13

So many dots, so much sharing. What now?

By Matt Apuzzo and Pamela Hess

B

efore Sept 11, 2001, US intelligence officials had little information about terrorism, and they hoarded it.

Now, they share it. All of it.

Everywhere. Information about threats - actual, perceived and bogus - is spread across multiple agencies, stored in multiple databases. It arrives in untold snippets from all over the world and is hurriedly passed around.

Nobody wants to be blamed for sitting on the missing puzzle piece.

In explaining its failure to stop alleged al-Qaida operative Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab from boarding a plane while carrying a bomb, the government said Thursday that it had plenty of dots to connect.

Information was passed around.

No puzzle pieces went missing, but nobody put it together. And there was nobody to blame.

“This incident was not the fault of a single individual or organization but rather a systemic failure across organizations and agencies,” President Barack Obama said. The Sept 11 Commission in 2004 cited a complete failure of the US intelligence community to share and analyze information.

Former President George W Bush spent years overhauling US spycraft, forming new agencies, building new databases, encouraging information-sharing and training spies.

Years later, and following a terrorist attack that was pre-

In this courtroom drawing, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab stands before Magistrate Judge Mark A Randon in federal court in Detroit Jan 8, 2010. – AP vented only because Abdulmutallab’s bomb failed to detonate, Americans are witnessing lingering problems that may even be getting worse.

“There’s so much intelligence flowing, and it all goes into this river of information,” said Patrick Rowan, who served as Bush’s top Justice Department counterterrorism official. “But the ability to fish out what’s

important from that river is always going to be a challenge.”

US officials had plenty of information to keep Abdulmutallab off the plane, and circulated it widely, according to the report.

But the information arrived in incomplete bits, and it was stored in multiple databases.

Had intelligence officials searched all those databases, they likely would have discov-

ered enough to put Abdulmutallab on the “no-fly” list. Intelligence is stored in multiple databases for different reasons. Sometimes because it’s maintained by different agencies in the 16-member intelligence community. Other times it’s to protect privacy or civil liberties. Also, now that everyone has access to the information, it’s not always

clear who’s in charge of analyzing it. That revelation left reporters scratching their heads as White House adviser John Brennan explained that now, someone should take the lead.

“It just seems like that would be the basic premise of any intelligence system,” one reporter said. “It seems so fundamental. I’m sure people won-

der, ‘Really, that’s a reform we need?”’ Yes. “There are a lot of different organizations involved,” Brennan explained.

“I think what we’re trying to do is to make sure that, as these threads develop - and there are so many of them - that it’s clearly understood who has the lead on it.” The biggest problems revealed by the Sept 11 Commission were dramatic and, in many ways, the solutions were obvious. The problems in Thursday’s report were murkier. How do you ensure the State Department spells a name correctly or that an analyst fishes the right tidbit of intelligence from the river?

“It’s a people problem and an accountability problem,” said Eleanor Hill, the former staff director of the Sept 11 Commission.

Michael Jacobson, an investigator for the Sept 11 Commission who now works on counterterrorism issues for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the problems described by Obama may be even more difficult to solve. The better our spycraft, the more information we’ll get. The more information, he said, the harder it is to make sense of it all.

That’s why President Obama’s order to his intelligence community looks much different from the list of recommendations following Sept 11. Obama didn’t tell the government to change what it is doing. He just wants them to do it better and faster. And he left it up to them to figure out how. — AP

Obama: Anti-terror ‘system’ can be fixed

By Robert Burns and Pete Yost

E

xplaining the failure to head off the Christmas Day airline bomb plot, President Barack Obama blamed the “system.” Yet his prescriptions for preventing a repeat of the near catastrophe amount to a tweaking of that system, not an overhaul on a scale of the post Sept 11 reforms. Among the more concrete steps Obama announced Thursday: assigning responsibility for investigating all leads on high-priority terrorism threats, “so that these leads are pursued and acted upon aggressively - not just most of the time, but all of the time.” In the case of the Christmas plot, US intelligence knew an Al-Qaeda affiliate was intending to strike the US but did not follow up leads. Obama also gave little indication that he would fire anyone over an episode for which he has drawn heavy political heat. “It appears that this incident was not the fault of a single individual or organization, but rather a systemic failure across organizations and agencies,” Obama said, declaring himself ultimately at fault. Other intelligence-related fixes the president announced were narrower in scope. For instance, he said intelligence reports would be distributed more rapidly and more widely.

“We can’t sit on information,” he said.

Another of his prescriptions for mending the system, while abstract on its face, may cut closest to the core of the problem. That is to strengthen the analytical system - how intelligence specialists dissect information, assess its importance and integrate it with other nuggets in order to “connect the dots” that form a plot-in-the-making.

In the aftermath of the Sept 11 attacks, the government tried to put a sharper focus on sharing and melding intelli-

gence information in order to head off a repeat. But in the intervening years the challenge has grown as the volume of “dots” - snippets of information related to potential terrorist plots - has vastly expanded. Compounding the problem is a relative lack of experienced intelligence analysts.

“We don’t have nearly enough of them,” said Charlie Allen, a former head of intelligence collection at CIA. Analysts take pieces of information like the disparate threads available before the Christmas Day episode look at them, correlate them and then make a “very strong leap in order to reach a decision,” Allen said. “It takes experience.” Many CIA and other government intelligence analysts have been hired only in the past five years.

In demanding a stronger governmentwide effort to prevent a repeat of the Christmas Day episode, Obama also acknowledged that he was demanding the impossible. “There is, of course, no foolproof solution,” he said.

After the Sept 11 attacks, after the fanatical shoe-bomber tried to blow up his flight to Miami in Dec 2001 and now after the Christmas Day attack aboard a Detroit-bound airliner, the government has turned its gaze inward and effectively said, “Oops”. In every case it has pledged renewed vigilance to prevent future attacks, and citizens collectively cross their fingers. Yet despite spending billions, producing lists, creating new government agencies, locking cockpit doors and subjecting travelers to extraordinary scrutiny, the system has failed again.

The stakes are high. Air travel is one engine of the global economy and cannot reasonably be curtailed. AlQaeda and its agents know this and look for ways to counter each move to

strengthen aviation security. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian suspect in the foiled airliner attack, made his first appearance in federal court Friday in Detroit for an arraign-

ment and a hearing to determine if he stays in custody. He is accused of trying to destroy a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit by injecting chemicals into a package of

pentrite explosive concealed in his underwear. — AP James Thompson, a Republican member of the national commission that investigated the failures that led to

Attack could provide new intel

By Jeremy Pelofsky

T

he Christmas Day attempt to blow up a US airliner embarrassed President Barack Obama and put him on the defensive, but there may be a silver lining for US authorities, it may provide new intelligence on AlQaeda. A Nigerian charged in the incident, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, spent months in Yemen and told investigators he had trained with Al-Qaeda militants who took refuge there to plot attacks against Americans.

The White House says he is already providing useful information. “Abdulmutallab spent a number of hours with FBI investigators in which we gleaned usable actionable intelligence,” spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Tuesday.

Potentially facing decades in prison, the 23-year-old Abdulmutallab could try to cut a plea deal with prosecutors in exchange for information he has about other plots, where he trained in Yemen and details about Al-Qaeda members he met. That could be valuable in light of reports that Abdulmutallab, who attempted to blow up a transatlantic airliner as it approached Detroit, told investigators after he was captured that more attackers like him were on the way.

“We are continuing to look at ways that we can extract that information from him,” Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser John Brennan said on Sunday. “I think we have to assume that there are others out there.”

However, Obama’s Republican opponents - led by former Vice President Dick Cheney -have strongly opposed the idea of trying Abdulmutallab in a criminal court rather than a military tribunal, where looser interrogation rules apply. They also have harshly criticized the idea of a plea deal. “The administration’s treatment could afford a murderous terrorist the opportunity to negotiate a plea bargain and a lesser punishment - and that is not acceptable,” said Rep. Eric Cantor, a top Republican in the House of Representatives.

Even with a plea deal, that would not necessarily mean that Abdulmutallab would get a lighter sentence. Convicted shoe bomber Richard Reid pleaded guilty and will be incarcerated for the rest of his life in a US prison. “Individuals in the past have, in fact, given us very valuable information as they’ve gone through the plea agreement process,” Brennan said.

Abdulmutallab was quick to tell investigators that he had trained in Yemen with Al-Qaeda operatives and they had given him the bomb and instructions on how to detonate it aboard the Detroit-bound jumbo jet, US officials said. Now he has a court-appointed lawyer who can help him navigate the US legal system and potentially bargain for any other information he possesses, if indeed he has any. One former counterterrorism official expressed some skepticism about what the young man can tell investigators about Al-Qaeda in Yemen because he was a foot soldier rather than a leader and Al-Qaeda is made up of many separate cells.

Also he could offer old information or details designed to misdirect US authorities. “They’re going to do everything they can to glean information,” said Rick Nelson, director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Homeland Security Program. “I just don’t see this guy helping us that much.” “The best this guy might be able to do is lead US intelligence and law enforcement to the people he dealt with directly, but it’s not going to lead up the chain of command to a long line of senior Al-Qaeda leaders,” he said. While Republicans have criticized the Obama administration’s decision to pursue charges against Abdulmutallab in a US criminal court rather than a military tribunal, that route has seen some recent success. In October, American David Headley was initially charged in a federal criminal court for plotting and scouting targets for an attack on a Danish newspaper that published cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in 2005, which offended many Muslims. — Reuters

Dodd exit throws jolt to US financial reform S

By Kevin Drawbaugh

enator Christopher Dodd made himself a lame duck on Wednesday, reducing his clout in the US Senate as an advocate for tighter financial regulation but also liberating himself from political pressures with consequences that are difficult to predict. The way Dodd handles his final months in office, how aggressive he is about reform and how seriously other key players take him are suddenly the big questions surrounding the financial reform debate, which is set to resume after the Senate reconvenes on Jan 20. Opponents of reform were quick to say that Dodd’s decision not to run for re-election in November means scaleddown reform, possibly dooming his idea for a bank super-cop and the Obama administration’s proposed financial consumer watchdog agency. Both proposals, so the argument goes, exemplify a populist approach to reform meant to win votes in a campaign. Dodd doesn’t need to win votes in his home state of Connecticut anymore, so now he can safely cut compromise deals to water down or kill such initiatives, said reform opponents.

But Dodd doesn’t need campaign donations from banks and Wall Street firms anymore, either. And after decades in the Senate, he will be deeply concerned in months ahead about his legacy and the lasting impact of legislation bearing his name. “Dodd is committed to continue working in a bipartisan fashion to pass strong financial reform this year,” said banking committee Democratic spokeswoman Kirstin Brost.

Representative Barney Frank, whose name also will likely be on a final reform bill later this year, said in a statement: “I do look forward to working closely with (Dodd) for the rest of this year on finishing the job of significant financial regulatory reform, to which he is committed, and to which he has already worked to advance.”

Dodd, like Frank, has been an outspoken advocate of President Barack Obama’s proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency, which would strip the Federal Reserve and other existing regulators of their consumer protection duties. The CFPA would cen-

tralize those duties and work to shield Americans from deceptive mort-

gages, credit cards and payday loans, among other financial products. “Dodd has been a champion for protecting consumers. That doesn’t disappear when he announces he’s retiring,” said Travis Plunkett, legislative director for the Consumer Federation of America, a public interest advocacy group.

What does disappear, however, for Dodd is the clout of chairing a Senate committee now and in the future. His status as a lame duck will reduce his influence as chairman, undercutting his ability to get his way, said Douglas Elliott, a former JPMorgan investment banker now with the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.

Dodd may strongly back the CFPA, along with many Democrats.

But American Bankers Association chief Edward Yingling, whose group fiercely opposes the CFPA, along with Republicans and many other business interests, said, “The concept of

an independent CFPA is unlikely to pass in the Senate.”

Dodd’s decision, coupled with the retirement announcement on Tuesday of Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan, raises a broader question about Democratic control of the Senate, already tenuous, and the party’s ability to win passage of reform. Dodd’s bill was slammed immediately after it was introduced by Senator Richard Shelby, the top Republican on the banking committee. Dodd responded by setting up four bipartisan teams of two committee members each to work on controversial issues.

Some committee members have said they are making progress toward agreement, with key provisions of Dodd’s original bill undergoing significant change.

“Dodd was already going to have to compromise ... if he wanted to enact the bill. His decision to retire after the election does not alter this equation,” said Jaret Seiberg, policy analyst at investment firm Concept Capital. The one provision of Dodd’s 1,139-page reform bill that bears his stamp more than any other is his proposed bank super-cop, which he wants to call the Financial Institutions Regulatory

Administration (FIRA).

No such agency is proposed in a 1,279-page bill pushed through the House of Representatives last month by Frank. Dodd’s FIRA would become the sole federal bank supervisor, stripping the Fed and other agencies of their supervision duties.

The agencies naturally oppose this, but Dodd may have bipartisan support for the concept, sources said this week. It has been clear for months that Dodd was far behind in the polls in his home state where he has been hounded by questions about his ties to the unpopular financial industry.

In 2003, he took out two lowrate mortgages from Countrywide Financial Corp, which was widely criticized for its subprime mortgage business.

Critics said the loans represented a conflict of interest. A Senate ethics investigation followed.

Dodd later refinanced the two loans, said he regretted doing business with Countrywide and made public related documents.

Dodd also has long-standing ties to Wall Street, having raised millions of dollars over the years from employees of firms such as Goldman Sachs and Citigroup. — Reuters

focus

US hunt for Haqqani nightmare for Pak

By Michael Georgy and Zeeshan Haider

T

he United States will push Pakistan hard to take the risky move of going after the Haqqani militant network if the group is linked to a Jordanian who killed seven CIA employees in Afghanistan. No evidence may emerge that the Al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network - high on the CIA’s hitlist - provided any support for the suspected suicide bomber from its northwestern Pakistani stronghold on the border with Afghanistan.

But the slightest suspicion that the Afghan group merely showed him hospitality in its redoubts will undoubtedly lead to a far higher degree of US pressure on Pakistan to take out the Haqqani network, possibly straining ties between the allies.

Islamabad has resisted past relentless Washington pressure to dismantle the network headed

by Jalaluddin Haqqani, allied with the Taleban and believed to be closely linked to Al-Qaeda and the architect of several high-profile attacks in Afghanistan.

Pakistan sees Haqqani - who had long-standing links with its military ISI spy agency - as likely to be a valuable asset in Afghanistan if US troops leave, as Islamabad anticipates, before the country is stabilised. And Pakistan officials, facing the country’s own growing Taleban insurgency, argue Haqqani has not attacked the Pakistani state.

So he should be left alone. After the huge blow to the CIA, however, Washington is more likely to dismiss Pakistan’s strategic concerns and push the government harder to take out Haqqani as the United States prepares to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

“The CIA never suffered such big losses. They will not only take revenge locally, they will put pressure on Pakistan to take action against this group,” said Rahimullah Yusufzai, a veteran journalist and expert on militant affairs. Investigators were exploring leads, including possible links between the bomber, a Jordanian recruited by Jordanian

intelligence to try to infiltrate AlQaeda, and Haqqani’s network, current and former US intelligence officials said. Haqqani’s followers and their Taleban allies have carried out numerous attacks with a growing degree of sophistication in Khost province, where the bombing at the Forward Operating Base Chapman took place. American and Pakistani interests have always been difficult to balance.

Critics say the United States see Pakistan as a frontline state in its war on terror and expects it to give in to every demand, despite high domestic political costs.

Pakistan says it has done more than any other country to end terrorism and its people have suffered the most. Greater US expectations would be politically explosive. Anti-American sentiment is running high, in large part because of US pilotless drone aircraft attacks on militants in Pakistan. Deeply unpopular President Asif Ali Zardari is in no position to manage any new political crises sparked by what many Pakistanis would view as interference if Americans made a strong push for more Pakistani cooperation on Haqqani.

Zardari is already in a vulnerable position. Some of his aides, including the defence and interior ministers, may face prosecution under revived corruption charges.

The United States might overlook these potentially explosive issues as it scrambles to hunt down whoever may have been behind the suicide bombing attack on a vital CIA operation.

Already there have been an unusually high number of drone strikes since the CIA incident.

Washington may decide - with or without Pakistan’s consent to intensify the drone hits in North Waziristan, where Haqqani operates and which is a Pashtun tribal region seen as a hub for global militants.

But that could hurt Pakistan’s fight against its own Taleban insurgents, who are extending their reach in the country and have killed hundreds of people in bombings since October. — Reuters

Japan PM survives but doubts remain

By Linda Sieg

J

apanese leader Yukio Hatoyama has survived a fuss over his finance chief’s resignation and has a shot at steering his party to victory in a midyear election, but doubts persist about his ability to make tough policy decisions. A scandal dogging the ruling party’s No. 2, Ichiro Ozawa, seen by critics as carrying too much clout over policies, remains a wild card as does the economy, still fragile after emerging from Japan’s worst recession since World War Two. A pledge by Hatoyama to decide by May how to resolve a feud with Washington over a US airbase on Okinawa island also represents a difficult challenge of his leadership skills.

Hatoyama’s Democratic Party (DPJ), which trounced the longdominant Liberal Democrats in an August poll, needs to win a majority in the mid-year upper house poll to end reliance on two tiny coalition parties whose demands can make decisions problematic on matters from US-Japan security ties to public spending. A defeat for the ruling bloc in the poll for the upper house, which can delay legislation, could create a political deadlock, foiling policy implementation as Japan grapples with the deep structural problems of an ageing, shrinking population. The rich grandson of an earlier premier, the softspoken Hatoyama has seen his ratings sag to under 50 percent in some surveys due to voters’ perception he’s indecisive and under Ozawa’s thumb.

But support for the Democrats, who have vowed to pay more heed to consumers than companies, and to put politicians rather than bureaucrats in control of policies, is still around 40 percent, about double that of the demoralised Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

“Anything can happen between now and July, but if the election were called now, there is a good chance the Democrats could secure a majority,” said Koichi Nakano, a political science professor at Tokyo’s Sophia

University.

Hatoyama on Wednesday picked his deputy Naoto Kan as finance minister, turning to a politician with considerable clout but less hawkish fiscal views than his elderly predecessor, who quit for health reasons.

Media reports said 77-year-old Hirohisa Fujii was also fed up after friction with party mastermind Ozawa.

Kan, in his first lengthy remarks since taking his new post, said he wanted the yen to weaken to avoid hurting an export-led recovery and would work with the central bank to achieve that. He also suggested the debt-burdened government would spend to stimulate if growth faltered, a stance that might play well ahead of the election but could be a worry for bond markets.

Analysts said the selection of Kan, a fiery debater and harsh critic of bureaucrats, made good political sense. “For a while, I was concerned that Hatoyama would turn out hopelessly indecisive but I think the decision was made quickly enough,” Nakano said. “I’m reasonably optimistic about Kan. I don’t know if he has the expertise needed to be a good finance minister but as a politician he is quite savvy and experienced,” Nakano added.

Japanese media speculated Hatoyama had picked Kan because Ozawa, whose strategic skills helped the Democrats win big in August and are vital to victory in the upper house poll, would have objected to other lawmakers whose names were floated. But while a perception Hatoyama is Ozawa’s puppet could further dent the prime minister’s ratings, some analysts said many voters were not so uncomfortable with the duo at the helm.

“The Hatoyama-Ozawa pair may work surprisingly well until the upper house election,” said Tsuneo Watanabe, a senior fellow at the Tokyo Foundation, a think tank. “Hatoyama is not that popular, but support for the DPJ is still firm. Voters feel they want to give them more of a chance.”— Reuters

NEWS

14

Monday, January 11, 2010

Foreign actresses moving centre-stage in Bollywood

GIZA, Egypt: In this undated photo released by the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities yesterday, newly-discovered tombs of workers are seen with the Great Pyramid in background. — AP

Egypt finds workers’ tombs near pyramids CAIRO: Egyptian archaeologists discovered a new set of tombs belonging to the workers who built the great pyramids, shedding light on how the laborers lived and ate more than 4,000 years ago, the antiquities department said yesterday. The thousands of men who built the last remaining wonder of the ancient world ate meat regularly, worked in three months shifts and were given the honor being buried in mud brick tombs within the shadow of the sacred pyramids they worked on.

The newly discovered tombs date to Egypt’s 4th Dynasty (2575 BC to 2467 BC) when the great pyramids were built, according to the head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass. Graves of the pyramid builders were first discovered in the area in 1990, he said, and discoveries such as these show that the workers were paid labor-

ers, rather than the slaves of popular imagination.

“These tombs were built beside the king’s pyramid, which indicates that these people were not by any means slaves,” said Hawass in the statement. “If they were slaves, they would not have been able to build their tombs beside their king’s.” Evidence from the site, Hawass said, indicates that the approximately 10,000 laborers working on the pyramids ate 21 cattle and 23 sheep sent to them daily from farms in northern and southern Egypt.

He added that the workers were rotated every three months and the burial sites were for those who died during the construction.

Discoveries like these reveal other aspects of ancient Egyptian society besides just the stone monuments and temples of priests, rulers and nobles, explained Salima

Ikram, a professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo. “It is important to find tombs that belong to lower class people that are not made out of stone and tell you the social origin and wealth of a range of people,” she said. Workers’ tombs from the 4th Dynasty were typically made up of mud brick and shaped like cones and covered in white plaster, probably echoing the nearby limestone-clad pyramids of the kings.

The most important new tomb discovered, according to Hawass, belonged to a man named Idu and the statement described it as rectangular in structure, with a plaster covered mud brick outside casing. The tomb also featured burial shafts encased in white limestone. Further grave sites were found around the main tomb, including burial shafts containing skeletons and clay pots. — AP

Canadian gets Saudi reprieve RIYADH: The case of a Canadian man sentenced to death for murder in Saudi Arabia could be settled by blood money after the kingdom’s supreme court granted him a reprieve and a case review, his father said yesterday. Ali Kohail, the father of Mohammed Kohail, sentenced to be executed for murder after a 2007 schoolyard brawl, said he was very happy after the country’s supreme court decided to send the case back to a lower court for review. “(I’m) so happy, from yesterday until now I haven’t slept,” he told AFP by telephone.

While the next step in the case was not clear, he said, it was still possible it could be resolved by a traditional diyah, or blood money, payment to the family of the dead man, Munzer Haraki. “Until now we have been sending people to them to discuss diyah,” Kohail said, adding that a settlement “is still possible”.

Mohammed Kohail, a Canadian citizen of Palestinian origin, was arrested in Jan 2007 and sentenced to death for the killing of Haraki, a 19-year-old Syrian, during a schoolyard brawl in Jeddah. His brother Sultan, now 18, was sentenced to one year

in jail and 200 lashes in the same case because he was a minor at the time of the incident. The family, the Canadian government and Canadian rights groups had strongly lobbied the Saudis not to execute Mohammed, and Ottawa welcomed Saturday’s decision.

“Canada is very pleased to confirm that the death sentence against Mohammed Kohail has been revoked and that a retrial has been ordered,” Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said in a statement. “The government of Canada has repeatedly raised the cases of Sultan and Mohammed Kohail directly with senior Saudi ministers, and this case remains a priority for our government,” he added. Canada does not have a death penalty.

Haraki’s death came during a fight between Palestinian and Syrian youths at the Edugates International School in an upmarket suburb of Jeddah where Sultan had begun studying. Mohammed Kohail came to the defence of his younger brother after he was accused of insulting a Syrian girl. Kohail allegedly punched Haraki, who hit his head against a fence, fell to the

ground and died instantly. Kohail later told Canadian media he was forced to sign a false confession, and in March 2008 he was sentenced to death, which in Saudi Arabia usually means beheading by the sword.

Ali Kohail said he had few details about the ruling and what happens next. “They will go to a new court, but when I don’t know,” he said. He added that he was not sure if Mohammed, who remains in a Saudi prison, knew yet of the reprieve. “Maybe he knows, he gets the newspaper in the prison,” he said. Sultan meanwhile is staying at home with his family in Jeddah.

The case has already been referred back to a lower court at least once. In late July or early August, the case was pushed back reportedly to give the families the chance to negotiate a payment of diyah. In cases involving manslaughter or unplanned murders, Saudi courts and political officials often urge diyah settlements to avoid execution. According to a report in the Arab News at the time, Haraki’s family had asked for five million dollars, while the Kohail family said they were only able to pay about $130,000. — AFP

US ‘threat’ causes stir in Israel Continued from Page 1 public television interview that no sanctions against Israel were being considered, his remarks added more discord to Israeli relations with President Barack Obama’s White House. In a statement late on Saturday “in reaction to media inquiries after Mitchell’s interview”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office blamed the Palestinians for a peacemaking impasse which the envoy, due back in the region later this month, has been unable to break.

“Everyone knows that the Palestinian Authority refuses to renew peace talks, while Israel took significant steps to restart the process,” the statement said.

Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem, visiting US Senators Joe Lieberman and John McCain rejected Mitchell’s remarks. “Any attempt to pressure Israel, to force Israel, to the negotiating table by denying Israel support will not pass the Congress of the United States,” said Lieberman, an independent.

Republican Senator McCain, who lost the 2008 presidential election to Obama, added:

“We disagree, obviously, with that comment and I am sure that you will see the administration in the future say that is certainly not the administration’s policy.”

Israeli media seized on Mitchell’s remarks as reminders of a low point in US-Israeli relations - President George Bush’s withholding of $10 billion in guarantees in 1991 after Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir refused to freeze settlement expansion. “Mitchell’s threat,” said the main headline of Israel’s mass circulation Maariv newspaper, which described the envoy’s comments as a “bombshell”.

Obama and Netanyahu have clashed over the president’s demand - since softened - that Israel halt all settlement activity on land captured in the 1967 war, in line with a 2003 USbacked peace ‘road map’ that also called on the Palestinians to rein in militants. Nabil Abu Rdaineh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, rejected the accusation that the Palestinians were to blame for a lack of progress toward a statehood deal. “Israel continues settlement building in violation of the road map,” Abu Rdaineh

said.

Under pressure from Obama, Netanyahu imposed a limited, 10-month moratorium on Nov 25 on housing starts in West Bank settlements, saying he hoped this would help restart negotiations suspended for the past year. But he excluded East Jerusalem and nearby annexed areas of the West Bank, and Abbas has not budged from his demand for a complete settlement freeze before talks can resume.

Asked about Mitchell’s remarks, Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz called US loan guarantees a “token of friendship” but said Israel had no plans to use those available for 2010 and 2011. In 2002, the United States provided a package of $9 billion in loan guarantees. The package included a formula that deducts a dollar of guarantees for every dollar Israel spent on settlement building. As of Dec 15, Israel still had $3.148 billion of the guarantees available after issuing $4.1 billion in bonds backed by the United States and a $1.1 billion deduction for settlement building and concerns over the barrier Israel is building in the West Bank.— Reuters

US quake leaves jumble of debris Continued from Page 1 of nearly 16 km. Authorities on Saturday said no major injuries were reported. But several people received minor cuts and scrapes from broken glass at the Bayshore Mall in Eureka, and an elderly person fell and broke a hip, authorities said. “We’re mostly getting reports of bumps, bruises and hits on the head,” said L aurie Watson Stone, a spokeswoman for St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka. “The emergency room is busy, but we haven’t heard of any major injuries.”

Amanda Nichols, a dispatcher for the Eureka Police Department, said she received a report that an infant was struck in the head with some flying debris at the mall. Pacific Gas & Electric Co spokesman J D Guidi said power outages were widespread across most of Humboldt County, affecting about 25,000 customers. Nearly 10,000 remained without power some five hours after the quake, and some could remain without

power through yesterday, said PG&E spokeswoman Janna Morris. No damage was done to the company’s former nuclear power plant outside Eureka, Morris said.

Several traffic lights fell and numerous residents reported water, gas and sewer leaks, Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services spokeswoman Jo Wattle said. “People have chimneys down, and we’re hearing about minor property damage and lots of glassware broken,” Wattle said. “People are really shaken up. It was shaking pretty good, then it had a big jolt to it at the end.”

Police in Ferndale, a town of about 1,500 residents, said the earthquake caused stucco to fall off City Hall and broke shop windows, strewing the historic downtown streets with glass shards.

“I thought a tyre had blown off my truck because it was so hard to keep control of the vehicle,” Officer Lindsey Frank said. “Power lines were swaying, and I could see people in the fields trying to keep their balance.” Eureka city

spokesman Gary Bird said because the earthquake hit shortly before dark, only the city’s old town received thorough surveys for damage. Authorities there found fallen bricks and parapets that had fallen off old structures, causing damage to adjacent buildings, he said. “There are some frayed nerves, but I think we’ve come through this pretty well for the magnitude of earthquake we’ve had,” Bird said.

Televisions tumbled and objects were knocked off walls in Arcata, a small town that’s home to Humboldt State University, one resident said. “The whole town is kind of freaked out right now,” said Judd Starks, the kitchen manager at a bar and restaurant known as The Alibi.

California is one of the world’s most seismically active regions. More than 300 faults crisscross the state, which sits atop two of Earth’s major tectonic plates, the Pacific and North American plates. About 10,000 quakes each year rattle Southern California alone, although most of them are too small to be felt. — AP

MUMBAI: For years they performed as backstage dancers or had minor roles, but foreign actresses are moving centrestage in India’s Hindi-language film industry - and becoming big names in their own right. The latest overseas name to take a starring role is Barbara Mori, a Mexican model and former television soap opera actress who makes her Bollywood debut in the upcoming film “Kites” alongside Hrithik Roshan.

Mori, 31, has not been seen on the promotional rounds for the movie, which hits screens in May, but she has been a constant presence in India on posters, the Internet and in the media, particularly gossip columns.

Roshan’s father Rakesh, who produced the film, said that “Kites” - about a L atino dancer who falls in love with a con artist - was the first Bollywood movie with a global theme, which meant an actress like Mori was a must.

Brazilian model Giselli Monteiro was unheard of in India until last year, when she took the role of Harleen Kaur in the 2009 hit “Love Aaj Kal” (Love Today and Tomorrow) with Saif Ali Khan. “People call me ‘Love Aaj Kal girl’ in India and that is what I am famous for,” Monteiro, 21, said. “I was doing modelling and came to India. I came to know that there was an opening for a foreign-born girl in the film ‘Love Aaj Kal’ and I went for it. To my surprise I was selected as the main lead heroine for the film and not the role for which I had gone to audition.”

Director Imtiaz Ali said: “I was looking for a Punjabi girl and Giselli suited the role, so I took her in the film. No one knew that she was Brazilian until the film was released.

We kept that as a surprise package.” Monteiro, whose

MUMBAI: In this file photograph taken on Aug 27, 2009, Indian Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif attends a meet and greet function for the Yatra.com ‘’New York’’ contest at Yash Raj Studio. — AFP dialogue was dubbed, is now learning Hindi in the hope of bagging more roles.

Bollywood was not known for its use of foreign talent, apart from the odd Western backpacker picked up in downtown Mumbai to act as a

poorly-paid extra. But as the industry expands from its domestic base to capture overseas audiences - and moves away from traditional themes and stylised song and dance routines - it is also broadening its horizons with

casts.

Foreign actresses who have previously starred in major Bollywood films include Alice Patten, the daughter of Britain’s last governor to Hong Kong, Chris Patten, who was in the 2006 hit “Rang De Basanti” (Colour Me Saffron). Another Aamir Khan film from 2001, “Laagan” (Tax), where locals from a small Indian village take on their colonial rulers at cricket, featured British actress Rachel Shelly. Tania Zaetta, an Australian who had previously appeared in “Baywatch”, featured in “Salaam Namaste” (Greetings) in 2005.

Katrina Kaif, a Hong Kongborn Briton, is the industry’s most bankable foreign star and the most-searched-for Bollywood celebrity on Internet search engine Google. The former model, who shot to fame in 2007’s “Namastey London” (Hello London) starred in two hits last year, “New York” and “Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani” (An Amazing Story of Strange Love). Her initial appearances saw her voice dubbed, but she now speaks her own dialogues.

Claudia Ciesla, a German model, actress and singer is also trying to break into Bollywood. A chance audition after she came to India on a modelling assignment saw her appear on “Bigg Boss”, the local version of the hit reality television show “Big Brother”. “I never knew that I would become this famous in India after entering the ‘Bigg Boss’ house,” she said.

“In public places I have found fans and they want to have my autograph. This all seems so unbelievable and like a dream.” She is now set on staying in Mumbai and learning Hindi in the hope of breaking into films. — AFP

Sheikh freed after UAE torture trial Continued from Page 1 The judge said the reasoning behind the verdicts would be published at a later date.

Sheikh Issa kissed his lawyer on the head after sentencing was announced but made no comment. The lawyer, Habib AlMulla, said the UAE had demonstrated its commitment to the rule of law. “The fact that this trial is taking place is a sign that the UAE is showing that everyone in this country can be put in front of law and judged,” he said. Mohammed Shahpoor, the Afghan grain trader abused in the video, showed no reaction when the verdicts were read out. Al-Mulla said Shahpoor had demanded compensation from the brothers rather than from Sheikh Issa.

Allegations against the sheikh emerged after the footage, which dates back to 2004, was aired in April appearing to show him beating a man with whips, electric cattle prods and a wooden plank with protruding nails. Assisted by police, Sheikh Issa is

seen to pour salt in the man’s wounds and run over him with a sports utility vehicle at a desert location near the oasis of AlAin. The victim needed months of hospital care following the incident. He was reportedly Shahpoor, who lost a consignment of grain worth $5,000. The incident was an embarrassment to the UAE at a time when it was trying to improve its rights image after international criticism over treatment of blue-collar workers and seek US approval for a civilian nuclear energy program.

A Nepalese security guard shown in the video was also acquitted. A Syrian national was given one year in jail for beating Shahpoor and an Indian and a Palestinian were both sentenced to three years for sodomising him with a stick. “If the UAE government really wants to stop torture and to restore its sullied image, one trial will not be enough,” Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director for NewYork based advocacy group Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. “While Sheikh Issa’s prosecution is a positive step, it is

not a substitute for the institutional reforms needed to prevent torture.”

In a rare trial of a high-ranking member of the ruling family, Sheikh Issa was charged at an opening hearing last October with endangering life, causing bodily harm and with rape for the incident. The lawyer told the court that one of the sheikh’s codefendants was responsible for Sheikh Issa’s medications and had drugged him, then videotaped the incident and tried to blackmail him. The verdict, however, is not final as it will have to be reviewed by a higher court if the public prosecution decides to challenge the ruling.

A US diplomat attended yesterday’s session but made no comment to reporters. The prosecution, the government of Abu Dhabi, did not say if it intended to appeal. About 80 percent of the 4.2 million population of the UAE, a regional trade and tourism centre, are foreigners. Ruling families control each of the seven emirates in the federation, according Emirati nationals few political rights. — Agencies

MPs to grill info, interior ministers Continued from Page 1 In another development, 11 MPs plan to meet HH the Amir to request him not to reject a law passed last week calling on the government to write off KD 1.5 billion in interest on consumer and personal loans and also rescheduling the principal of the loans estimated at KD 5.2 billion over at least 10 years. MP Shuwaib AlMuwaizri said the MPs will request the Amir not to sign a decree rejecting the law.

Under Kuwaiti law, the government can recommend to the Amir to reject laws passed by the National Assembly.

The Amir then normally issues a decree

to reject such laws and return them to the Assembly. The assembly can override the rejection in the same term by a twothirds majority vote, or by a simple majority if the voting is delayed until the next term. The government has vowed to reject the debt relief law, saying it breaches the constitution and involves high cost on public funds.

Meanwhile, the Assembly’s legal and legislative committee yesterday approved a proposal calling on the government to build a new international airport to replace the existing one and turning its land for housing purposes. The proposal calls for allocating the necessary budget for the airport. The committee passed

another proposal prohibiting MPs from carrying out any transactions in the ministries in person and instead urged them to set up an office that would be entrusted to do the job on behalf of the MPs. Also, liberal MP Abdulrahman AlAnjari asked in a question to the interior minister about reports that a group of bedoons who had taken third country nationalities and were given legal residence permits have now been returned to the bedoon category and their residence permits cancelled. Anjari asked about the reasons for such action and inquired if it was because the passports were found to be fake. He also asked if the ministry has launched an investigation into the matter.

Yemen ready to talk with Qaeda Continued from Page 1 Among them, he added, are the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) Nasser Al-Wahishi, his number two Saeed Ali Al-Shehri, a Saudi, and radical US-Yemeni cleric Anwar Al-Awlaqi. AQAP has claimed it was behind the botched Christmas Day bomb attack aboard a US airliner, while Yemeni officials have said the would-be bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, had been in contact with Awlaqi.

The United States has accused the AlQaeda branch in Yemen of training Abdulmutallab, who tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight before it landed in Detroit, but was overpowered by passengers. It has also accused Awlaqi of instigating “terrorism” and said he had links with the man suspected of shooting dead 13 people at a Texas military base in November,

Major Nidal Hasan.

Saudi analyst Anwar Eshki said AlQaeda militants have been fleeing to Yemen after coming under tremendous pressure in Afghanistan and Pakistan and because of a crackdown in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

“The network is trying to establish itself in Yemen,” Eshki, head of the Jeddah-based Middle East Strategic Studies Centre, told AFP. Eshki believes Al-Qaeda in Yemen “will be far more dangerous than in Afghanistan because of its proximity to Gulf oil resources and transportation lines.” The oil-rich Gulf region provides just under onefifth of the world’s crude oil supplies.

Mohammad Al-Muthaimi, economy professor at Sanaa University, blamed the faltering economy for the rise of extremism.

“Sixty-five percent of young people are without job opportunities, and extremist organisations are exploiting the chance to

recruit them by handing out much-needed money,” he told AFP. President Saleh, meanwhile, said the country’s armed forces have achieved “impressive victories” against Al-Qaeda in Abyan and Shabwa provinces and the capital Sanaa. Yemeni security forces insist they are winning the war against the jihadists, pointing to two separate air raids in December that killed more than 60 suspected Al-Qaeda militants. On Wednesday, officials announced the capture of key AlQaeda leader Mohammed Al-Hanq and two other militants believed behind threats against Western interests in Sanaa that caused embassies to close for several days.

Yemen insists it can win the war against the militants without US military intervention, but analysts fear bin Laden’s ancestral homeland cannot tackle the jihadists on its own. — Agencies

SPORTS

Monday, January 11, 2010

15

Russian ice hockey in shock after brawl MOSCOW: Russian Ice Hockey authorities launched an inquest yesterday after an unprecedented brawl at a top-level match that saw two entire squads exchange punches and wrestle on the ice just minutes into a game.

The game between Chekhov from the Moscow region and Siberia’s Omsk was abandoned with just 3 minutes 39 seconds played as so many players had been sent off that there were not sufficient players left to complete the fixture.

Their Continental Hockey League-Russia’s top flight which also includes teams from Belarus, Latvia and Kazakhstan-was holding an emergency meeting Sunday to decide how to punish the protagonists in the fight, state media said.

The game started testily, with ferocious body checks, and then degenerated into an unashamed boxing match with the players taking off their gloves to throw better punches.

More particpants skated onto the ice from the substitutes bench as the referees looked on helplessly, television pictures showed.

Having sent off much of the two teams, the game then restarted with those remaining.

But seconds after the face-off the fighting started again with everyone else again whizzing onto the ice to take part and the rink littered with discarded gloves and sticks.

Some players were even pictured wrestling bellydown on the ice. The referees then abandoned the match as so many players had been sin-binned not enough were left to muster the minimum four required to stage a game under the laws of the sport.

Reports said that only the two reserve goal-tenders would have been eligible to play. Even for observers used the sport’s notoriously rough nature the episode was a major shock.

“This is the first time in the history of the Russian game that a game has been halted due to an insufficient number of players due to sendings off,” wrote the respected Sovetski Sport newspaper on its Internet site.

The players involved were suspended for a total of 691 minutes each, which would see them spending the next 11 matches in the sin-bin.

“Is this hockey?,” asked the website of the Continental Hockey League in its report on the match.

The commission of the Continental Hockey League is to study video evidence and testimony from the referees in its inquest. —AFP

VANCOUVER: Canucks’ Mason Raymond (left) trips after being stopped by Phoenix Coyotes’ Ilya Bryzgalov of Russia on a penalty shot during the second period of an NHL hockey game. —AP

Avalanche bury Sabres, Red Wings soar BUFFALO: The Colorado Avalanche snapped Buffalo’s sixgame winning streak with a 4-3 overtime win in Saturday’s NHL action.

Matt Hendricks scored the deciding goal in the 11th round of the shootout after rookie Matt Duchene scored twice in regulation.

Fellow rookie Brandon Yip, playing in his 10th NHL game, tallied for the fifth time and added an assist. Buffalo got goals from Drew Stafford, Thomas Vanek and Jochen Hecht as the Sabres suffered their first loss since Christmas.

Red Wings 4, Sharks 1 In San Jose, California, Detroit rattled on three goals in the second period to overwhelm San Jose. Pavel Datsyuk stole a bad pass to level the game at 1-1, and Patrick Eaves and Dan Cleary then gave the Red Wings a buffer.

Darren Helm added a goal in the third period after yet another San Jose turnover. Patrick Marleau scored his NHL-leading 29th goal in the first period for the Sharks.

Wild 6, Blackhawks 5 In St. Paul, Minnesota, four unanswered goals in the third period pulled Minnesota level with Chicago, and the hosts carried on to win the shootout.

Mikko Koivu and Owen Nolan scored in the shootout after Minnesota trailed 5-1 with less than 14 minutes left in regulation.

The Wild got goals from Kim Johnsson, Mikko Koivu, Marek Zidlicky and Guillaume Latendresse to send the game to overtime.

Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews, Kris Versteeg, Troy Brouwer and Marian Hossa scored in regulation for the Blackhawks, which had conceded few goals in the third period up until Saturday, and suffered their first loss in six.

Devils 2, Canadiens 1 In Montreal, Zach Parise scored New Jersey’s first overtime goal of the season to lift the Devils over Montreal. Travis Zajac scored in the first period, before former Devils forward Scott Gomez scored a power-play goal in the second for the Canadiens.

It was the first time in over a month that the Devils have gone beyond regulation, and the first time this season that one of their overtime games did not go to a shootout.

Capitals 8, Thrashers 1 In Atlanta, Washington thumped Atlanta, recording its fifth straight win over the Thrashers. Mike Knuble and

Alexander Semin scored two each for the Capitals, who poured on four goals in the final period. The Thrashers have allowed four or more goals in 11 of their past 13 games.

Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom, David Steckel, Tom Poti and Jason Chimera also scored. Atlanta’s goal came from Maxim Afinogenov.

Islanders 5, Coyotes 4 In Phoenix, New York blew a three-goal lead in the third period but recovered to beat Phoenix in the shootout. Matt Moulson scored during the sixth shootout round for the Islanders, who led 41 after two periods via goals from Mark Streit, Josh Bailey, Blake Comeau and Kyle Okposo.

The Coyotes roared back with scores from Paul Bissonnette, Taylor Pyatt and Peter Mueller in a span of less than four minutes.

Rangers 3, Bruins 1 In Boston, Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves, including Marco Sturm’s first-period penalty, and held Boston scoreless until late in the game to lift surging New York to victory. Brandon Dubinsky scored and assisted on goals by Michael Del Zotto and Erik Christensen for the Rangers.

Boston’s late goal was by Dennis Wideman. The Rangers have won all three meetings

against Boston this season, including two this week.

Ducks 3, Predators 2 In Nashville, Tennessee, Teemu Selanne scored in his first game back from a broken hand as Anaheim held on to beat Nashville.

Anaheim, which led 3-0, also got goals from Matt Beleskey and Ryan Getzlaf. Patric Hornqvist and Martin Erat scored for Nashville.

Blues 4, Kings 3 In Los Angeles, Brad Winchester scored just 14 seconds into the game to put St. Louis on its way for a win over Los Angeles that ended a run of seven straight losses. David Perron, TJ Oshie and BJ Crombeen also scored in the Blues’ first win in four games under interim coach Davis Payne.

The Blues are 12-5-4 on the road - their best road start after 20 games in the franchise’s 42-year history. Brandon Segal scored his first NHL goal for the Kings.

Penguins 4, Maple Leafs 1 In Toronto, Sergei Gonchar scored two goals during a 3minute stretch in the second period to steer Pittsburgh past Toronto.

Bill Guerin and Sidney Crosby also scored for the Penguins, on the first game of a five-game trip.

Australia says athletes to decide on participation SYDNEY: The Australian government has ruled out ordering a boycott of this year’s Commonwealth Games in India despite fresh warnings from security experts over the safety of visiting athletes.

Australia’s acting foreign minister Simon Crean said the government was monitoring security arrangements in New Delhi but the final decision about participating in the Games would be left to competitors and sporting bodies.

“In the end, it is not a decision for the government whether the team actually goes,” Crean told reporters yesterday. “It is a decision for the athletes. It is also a decision for the sporting bodies.”

“At this stage, we continue to say there is no reason for concern. That is a view that has been expressed by the sporting bodies and by a number of athletes.”

Crean’s comments followed a warning in Australian media about security arrangements for the Commonwealth Games.

The Sunday Telegraph quoted Lloyd Bromfield, described by the newspaper as an international security consultant who had worked at the past three Olympics and had been hired for London in 2012, as saying New Delhi represented a real risk to visiting athletes.

“The worst-case scenario could be a major bombing,” he told the newspaper. “It could be a Mumbai-style (attack), where you’ve got a team of Osamas running around with hand grenades

and small arms. It could be anything.”

Bromfield’s warning came a week after another Australian security expert urged the government to provide extra protection for athletes because of the threat of an attack.

A London newspaper reported late last year that England were planning to pull out of the Games because of fears of an attack but English officials said the reports were not true.

Indian officials have repeatedly given assurances about their promise to provide tight security for the Games, to be held from Oct. 314.Meanwhile, one woman was killed and 12 other people injured when a fire broke out on Saturday at the athlete’s village under construction for this year’s Commonwealth Games in the Indian capital.

On Sunday, domestic media said that the blaze occurred at the residential quarters of on-site construction workers and had taken almost two hours to extinguish.

The Indian Express added that the fire started when some of the workers were preparing tea, making it the second blaze at a Commonwealth Games venue in a matter of weeks after the rugby stadium caught fire last month.

New Delhi is preparing to host more than 100,000 foreign visitors during the Oct. 3-14 event, seen as an opportunity to show off the Indian capital as a major global destination. —Reuters

NHL results/standings Results and standings from the NHL games on Saturday.

NY Rangers 3, Boston 1; Colorado 4, Buffalo 3 (So); Pittsburgh 4, Toronto 1; New Jersey 2, Montreal 1 (OT); Florida 3, Ottawa 0; Philadelphia 4, Tampa Bay 1; Washington 8, Atlanta 1; Anaheim 3, Nashville 2; Minnesota 6, Chicago 5 (SO); NY Islanders 5, Phoenix 4 (SO); Calgary 3, Vancouver 2 (So); St Louis 4, Los Angeles 3; Detroit 4, San Jose 1. (So Denotes Shootout) Western Conference Eastern Conference Central Division Atlantic Division Chicago 31 10 4 151 99 66 W L OTL GF GA PTS Nashville 26 16 3 128 127 55 New Jersey 31 10 1 124 90 63 Detroit 23 15 6 115 110 52 Pittsburgh 28 17 1 146 126 57 St Louis 18 19 7 115 130 43 NY Rangers 22 17 6 120 122 50 Columbus 17 20 9 122 154 43 Philadelphia 22 19 3 134 125 47 Northwest Division NY Islanders 19 19 8 118 144 46 Calgary 26 14 5 123 108 57 Northeast Division Vancouver 27 16 2 145 109 56 Buffalo 28 11 5 123 102 61 Colorado 25 15 6 135 132 56 Minnesota 22 20 3 122 134 47 Boston 22 15 7 114 107 51 Edmonton 16 23 5 121 147 37 Ottawa 22 19 4 125 137 48 Pacific Division Montreal 22 21 4 119 126 48 San Jose 28 10 7 147 117 63 Toronto 15 22 9 123 160 39 Phoenix 26 15 5 120 112 57 Southeast Division Los Angeles 25 17 3 134 128 53 Washington 27 11 6 162 121 60 Dallas 19 14 11 128 139 49 Atlanta 19 19 6 137 149 44 Anaheim 19 19 7 126 142 45 Florida 18 20 7 128 140 43 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point Tampa Bay 16 17 10 107 130 42 in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

Carolina 12 24 7 106 151 31 Matt Stajan scored for Toronto.

Panthers 3, Senators 0 In Ottawa, Rostislav Olesz scored twice to lift Florida over slumping Ottawa. Tomas Vokoun made 24 saves for his fourth

shutout of the season. Nathan Horton also scored as the Panthers inflicted the Senators’ third straight loss.

Flyers 4, Lightning 1 In Philadelphia, Blair Betts

scored two third-period goals to lift Philadelphia over Tampa Bay and to a third straight victory.

Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell also scored for the Flyers. The Lightning’s goal was from Martin St. Louis.—AP

Bolt set to miss C’wealth Games, says star’s agent

Commonwealth Games

Usain Bolt in action in this file photo

LONDON: Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt is likely to miss this year’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi according to the Jamaica sprint star’s agent.

Ricky Simms, quoted by Britain’s Mail yesterday newspaper, said: “It’s now looking unlikely Usain will be going to the Commonwealth Games. His priorities have to lie elsewhere.”

Simms said the timing of the Commonwealth Games, which take place in Delhi in October, would interfere with 100 and 200 metres Olympic and world champion Bolt’s pre-season ahead of the 2011 campaign.

“First and foremost is his four-year plan leading up to the next Olympics, which is exactly what he did prior to Beijing in 2008.

“It’s started well enough with what he achieved at last summer’s Berlin World Championships, but this year is all about the Diamond League and a continuation of his preparation for 2012. He also views the World Championships in 2011 and 2013 as crucially important.”

Bolt broke his own 100m and 200m world records in the German capital, lowering his 100m time to 9.58 seconds and reducing his 200m to 19.19 secs.

Simms added: “The timing of the Commonwealth Games is the issue here. By the start of October, Usain will have needed to have rested and then began his pre-season which, as every athlete knows, is massively important.

“If you don’t get your pre-season right, then you won’t get the following summer right. If Usain ran in Delhi, it would not only require him to stay at his

best from pretty much May through to October, but then delay his pre-season until Christmas or the new year.

“That would be far too late if he wants to emulate his feats so far on a global stage in 2011. It’s not as if Usain doesn’t want to be at the Games, it’s more the case that he most probably can’t afford to be there.” Bolt is not the only high-profile athlete who is contemplating missing the Commonwealth Games.

Britain’s world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis said last month the timing of the Games would clash with her preparations for the World Indoor Championship and European Championship, which she considers key staging posts on the way to the defence of her world title in Daegu, South Korea in 2011.

“The timing of the Commonwealth Games is not great,” Ennis said. “October is when I start my winter training so I’d have to push everything along, and it wouldn’t be good for doing an indoor season the following year, which I need to prepare well for the next World Championship.”

The Commonwealth is an organisation largely made up of nations that were once part of the now defunct British Empire.

Whereas the Commonwealth Games were once considered one of the major track and field events outside the Olympics, the advent of the World Championships, European Championships and Asian Games have seen a decline in the importance attached to it by many athletes. —AFP

16

SPORTS

Monday, January 11, 2010

Glover regains Kapalua lead of SBC Championship KAPALUA: US Open champion Lucas Glover maintained his composure to fend off a charging Geoff Ogilvy and cling on to a slender one-shot lead after Saturday’s third round of the SBS Championship.

Three ahead at the start of a blustery day at Kapalua, Glover briefly edged four strokes clear but then dropped two behind Australian Ogilvy before edging in front with a birdie at the last.

Seeking the third PGA Tour victory of his career in the opening event of the 2010 season, Glover birdied three of the last five

holes for a two-under-par 71 and a 17-under total of 202.

“I’m obviously very happy to finish with three birdies,” Glover told reporters after holding the tournament lead for the third day in a row. “It was a rough start, mainly with the putter.

“My speed was bad all day. Luckily it’s something I can work on. We will get it worked out tonight and in the morning and be ready to roll.

“I knew it would tighten up today,” said the 30-year-old from South Carolina. “Some

guys were going to play well, some guys weren’t and that happened to be me.

Everybody wants an opportunity on Sunday, and I have that.”

Defending champion Ogilvy had to settle for second place after firing a six-birdie 68 with Britain’s Martin Laird a further stroke behind at 15 under after carding a 69.

American Ryan Moore (68) was alone in fourth at 14 under while British Open champion Stewart Cink (69) and Masters winner Angel Cabrera of Argentina (70) were among a group of six players bunched at 13

under.

The surprisingly calm weather of the first two days at the picturesque Kapalua Resort was replaced by gusting Kona winds early on and Glover struggled with his putter over the front nine.

Although a bogey by his playing partner John Rollins at the par-four first gave Glover a brief four-shot cushion, he three-putted the seventh and eighth to slide back into a tie for the lead with Ogilvy.

The slender Australian, who romped to victory by six shots at Kapalua last year,

covered the front nine in a flawless three under and snatched a two-stroke advantage with further birdies at the 12th and 14th.

Glover, who had birdied the par-five ninth to reach the turn in one over, coolly knocked in six-foot putts at the 14th and 16th to again draw level with Ogilvy.

While the Australian offset a bogey on 16 with his sixth birdie of the day at the par-five last, Glover regained control of the tournament as the wind shifted late in the day with a two-putt birdie on the 18th green.

However, nine players will go into late

yesterday’s final round within four shots of the lead and a last-day shootout could well be on the cards.

“There are still 10 guys who think they can win the tournament, at least,” said Ogilvy, who is bidding to earn Australia its fifth champion at Kapalua in the last seven years.

“I don’t think I have time to feel too much pressure. I know I’m going to have to shoot six or seven under. When you stand on the first tee with that mindset, it’s probably a little easier.—Reuters

Monty leads Europe to thrilling win over Asia

AUSTRIA: France’s Julien Lizeroux clears a gate during the World Cup slalom race. —AFP

Lizeroux wins slalom race ADELBODEN: An inspired second run by Julien Lizeroux propelled him from 12th place after the first leg to victory in a World Cup slalom on the Kuonisbaergli course yesterday.

The 30-year-old Frenchman had a combined time of 1 minute, 51.88 seconds after slicing through the gates 0.92 faster than any rival second time down.

Austria’s Marcel Hirscher was second, 0.34 back, and Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic trailed Lizeroux by 0.80 in third. “No one could beat Julien with his crazy second run,” Kostelic said. “To ski without mistakes, and so fast, is the perfection which all of us are looking for.”

Lizeroux said he had no idea he was skiing so quickly. “I just ski 100 percent all the time, I don’t think too much,” said Lizeroux, who won silver medals in slalom and super-combined at the world championships last season. In that supercombi at Val d’Isere, France, he was 22nd after the downhill run then leaped on to the podium with the fastest slalom time.

“The day you think you made the perfect run, there is somebody who can beat you,” he said. Lizeroux was rewarded with his third career World Cup win for

his dashing and daring effort. He ran out to the finish area yelling with satisfaction when victory was confirmed, then blew kisses to a typically noisy Swiss crowd that roared back its approval. First-run leader Mattias Hargin of Sweden placed fifth, 1.11 back after his second run was more than two seconds slower than Lizeroux.

Lizeroux, who finished third last Wednesday in Zagreb, Croatia, trails Austria’s Reinfried Herbst by four points in the World Cup slalom standings.

Herbst was second after the first run but skied out while leading by 0.07 at the final split time. He holds a 245-241 advantage on Lizeroux in the discipline. Benjamin Raich extended his lead in the overall standings after placing fourth. The 31year-old Austrian has 639 points, 62 more than Switzerland’s Carlo Janka, who did not complete the first run yesterday.

Bode Miller of the United States placed 14th, 2.38 down on Lizeroux after being ninth fastest in the morning. The 32-year-old Miller, a former two-time World Cup overall winner, is still searching for race fitness after an ankle injury and missing offseason work while he con-

sidered retiring.

“I lose weight slowly,” he joked after his first run. “I will get fit over the next month and hopefully I will be ready for the Olympics.” US teammates Ted Ligety and Jimmy Cochran skied out at the same spot midway down the second course, which was set by their technical coach Rudi Soulard.

Lizeroux was 29 when getting his first World Cup win in a slalom at Kitzbuehel, Austria, last January, then added a second at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, after the worlds. Kostelic, who was second in the season-opening slalom at Levi, Finland, returned to the podium less than four weeks after knee surgery.

He was lying third in the opening run of Saturday’s giant slalom which was abandoned when thick fog smothered the course.

“The knee was holding really well (so) today I just went 100 percent,” the 30year-old Croat said. Racers competed under clear blue skies in the morning but the setting sun was blocked out by gathering fog in the afternoon. “It was a tough run because visibility was quite limited,” Lizeroux said. — AP

Vonn defeats rivals to secure hat-trick HAUS IM ENNSTAL: American Lindsey Vonn blitzed her rivals again to secure a hat-trick of wins this weekend in the Austrian resort of Haus Im Ennstal after taking victory in a World Cup super-G yesterday.

Winner of both downhills held the two previous days, Vonn’s feat matched that of Germany’s Katja Seizinger in Lake Louise in 1997.

“Another record. I’m pretty proud of it even if there was a hell of a pressure with everybody expecting me to do it.

I’m incredibly proud,” Vonn said.

Yesterday’s race was all the more important as it was Vonn’s first victory in a superG this season, her sixth in all this winter. Vonn last year took the discipline’s world title away from Anja Paerson and the Swede was second in Haus, 0.53 seconds behind.

The last place on the podium was shared by Italy’s Nadia Fanchini and Switzerland’s Martina Schild.

Also second behind Vonn in Friday’s downhill, Paerson made it clear she intended to push the American hard this season. “Lindsey is up there but it’s important to show her that I’m still around,” the Swede said.

CHONBURI: Europe survived a dramatic fight back to beat holders Asia 8-1/2 - 7-1/2 yesterday, winning the Royal Trophy for the third time in a thrilling match that went to the final hole.

Player-captain Colin Montgomerie’s Europe sealed victory when Henrik Stenson sank a nervy six-foot putt to halve with Thongchai Jaidee in the singles as the Thai favorite missed a 12-footer to take the competition to a sudden-death playoff.

Under pressure from a huge Amata Spring Country Club crowd hoping for him to miss, the Swede steadied himself with a deep breath and rolled the ball into the cup to deny Asia a second successive win after a superb performance on the last day.

“It was a do-or-die moment.

I wasn’t playing good, I had to come back from three down and I knew I had the chance to win it,” Stenson told reporters.

“It wasn’t the easiest to hole but I finished it off.” Europe led by a point going into the singles but were in a precarious position as Charlie Wi, Jeev Milkha Singh and Koumei Oda won on the last day for Asia.

Peter Hanson, Soren Kjeldsen and Pablo Martin replied with victories for the visitors while Montgomerie and Stenson came from behind to win important halves on the final hole.

Montgomerie said the triumph, and the intensity of the match, was the perfect preparation for October’s Ryder Cup in Wales where he will again skipper Europe.

“It was an incredible competition,” said the Scot after birdying the last to halve with China’s Liang Wenchong. “We had a strong team and it was very close but I didn’t think it would be that close.

“All credit to this team of winners for fighting, they did great. It was a good start for European golf in a very important year.”

Thongchai, who has been one of the best performers in the Royal Trophy for Asia, was left rueing his missed putt at the last and apologised to his team mates.

“I was playing very well. It was a very tough final hole, it really wasn’t an easy putt,” he said. “I let the team down, I want to apologise to them. I gave it all I had.” The win left Europe with three Royal Trophy victories to Asia’s one.

The competition returns to Thailand for a fifth year in 2011.

Asia captain Naomichi “Joe” Ozaki praised his players and said he had his sights set on taking the match to suddendeath. “Before Thongchai stepped up to make the putt I had a scenario in my mind,” he said.

“I thought it would go in and we would throw our hats into the air and we would go into the playoff and win. It’s a shame it didn’t happen.”—Reuters

THAILAND: Europe team captain Colin Montgomerie captain of Scotland holds the trophy after defeating the Asia team at the 4th Royal Trophy men’s team tournament between Europe and Asia.—AP

Harmon says, Woods must risk embarrassment and humiliation LONDON: Tiger Woods’s former coach Butch Harmon believes the world number one must risk the humiliation and embarrassment of a full and frank news conference over his infidelities before he can get on with his life.

Woods, who is taking an indefinite break from golf, has been in hiding since admitting last month he had cheated on his wife.

“The golfing public would like to see Tiger Woods do a press conference,” Harmon told the UK’s Observer newspaper yesterday. “To stand there in front of everybody, take his medicine, be humble, be embarrassed, be humiliated and answer the questions.

“But where the hell is he? We could find Osama bin Laden easier than we can find Tiger Woods. How long can you spend on a yacht in the middle of the ocean.”

Harmon, who now coaches world number two Phil Mickelson and does occasional commentary work for the UK television channel Sky Sports, said the 14-times major champion would have to put up with verbal asides from the crowds when

he returns to golf.

“The difficult part, in my opinion, is going to be the heckling from the galleries,” he said. “He is going to get it. “If he plays in the Ryder Cup (in Wales in October) which I happen to think he will, that is going to be very interesting.”

Harmon, who believes Woods is likely to return for one of the four PGA Tour events in Florida in March, said the 34-year-old American was strong enough to turn the other cheek to the crowds.

“He is the strongest person mentally that’s ever played our game,” said Harmon. “If there is anyone who can block out this extra stuff that is going on around him, he is probably the guy.

“If he wants to rekindle the image of who he is, this would be the best way to do it, to do the press conference because then he looks human.

“He is going to look ridiculous really, with the questions that are going to be asked. But the average person would appreciate that side of him because they’ve never seen that,” added Harmon.—Reuters

Schwartzel bags Africa Open AUSTRIA: Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, counts three victories in her last three races, after winning a women’s World Cup Super-G alpine skiing competition.—AP “Having been the best in the world five years ago doesn’t mean a thing. You have to start from scratch with every race but I really want my share of the cake this season, and it means gold in Vancouver,” added Paerson, who won a title and two bronze medals at

the last Olympics in Turin.

Vonn’s treble strengthened her lead in the World Cup overall standings. She has 894 points while her closest rival, Maria Riesch, lost precious points and is now a distant second on 702.

The German made a bad

mistake near the finish as she had clocked the fastest intermediate times and finished 24th, 2.65 seconds behind her American friend.

The women’s circuit continues tomorrow evening with a floodlit slalom in Flachau. — Reuters

EAST LONDON: South African Charl Schwartzel claimed his fourth European Tour title yesterday by firing a finalround 67 to win the Africa Open.

The 25-year-old from Vereeniging south of Johannesburg finished one shot ahead of compatriot and joint overnight leader Thomas Aiken to pocket a 158,500-euro first prize.

Schwartzel was the lowest ranked golfer in the tournament at 66 and displayed consistency over the par-73 links-cum-parkland course with rounds of 67, 70, 68 and 67 for a 272 total in generally favourable conditions.

“I played so good all day, hardly making a mistake, and then I put pressure on myself by taking four strokes to reach the green at the last and completing my round with a bogey,” said Schwartzel.

“I said to my caddie Wynand after hit-

ting my second shot short and right ‘we are still two ahead so let us make a five and let them make a birdie’ and it worked in my favor.

“It is great coming from a holiday in the bush and winning a trophy in the first European Tour event of the year. I played so well last season but never got my hands on silverware.”

Schwartzel started the final round two shots off the pace and steadily climbed the leaderboard while Aiken and fellow third-round leader Trevor Fisher became error prone as the wind strengthened on the 6,038-metre layout.

The South African, whose last European Tour success came at the 2008 Madrid Masters, had to endure some anxious minutes after completing his round with a bogey five.

Aiken found the last green in two and

needed to hole his 15-foot birdie putt to force a play-off, but the ball was always veering right and he had to settle for par and a 115,000-euro cheque.

The result ended European dominance in the South Africa leg of the Road to Dubai series this season with Spaniard Pablo Martin winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship and Scot Richie Ramsay the South Africa Open last month.

South African JB Kruger finished third and Fisher shared fourth place with compatriot Chris Swanepoel, Australian Rick Kulacz and Englishman James Morrison.

Crowd favourite Darren Clarke from Northern Ireland, Africa Open runner-up to South African Retief Goosen last year, closed with a 70 and ended eight strokes behind Schwartzel.—AFP

Monday, January 11, 2010

SPORTS

17

CINCINNATI: New York Jets running back Thomas Jones (20) dives into the end zone with a nine yard touchdown run in the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Cincinnati Bengals.—AP

Jets stun Bengals in playoff as Cowboys shoot down Eagles CINCINNATI: Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez played mistake-free in subzero wind chill to help the New York Jets upset the Cincinnati Bengals 24-14 on Saturday for their first NFL playoffs victory since 2004.

Sanchez went 12 of 15 for 182 yards and threw a touchdown pass on a rollout play, becoming the fourth rookie quarterback since 1950 to start and win a playoff game.

Running back Shonn Greene ran for

135 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown, as the Jets’ rookies made plays under the biggest pressure.

The Jets, six days after crushing the Bengals’ second-stringers 37-0 at home to make the playoffs as an AFC wild card, pulled off a rare back-to-back sweep of the Bengals, who got a team playoff-record 169 yards from Cedric Benson but little else.

Cincinnati’s streak without a playoff win reached 19 years and counting. The

Jets pulled ahead 14-7 by halftime with two big plays off Sanchez’s hand. He faked a handoff and made a perfect pitchout to Greene, who needed only one block to find open space for a 39-yard touchdown run, the longest of his career.

In the second quarter, Sanchez caught the Bengals off-guard. He rolled to his right and found tight end Dustin Keller running uncovered beyond the secondary.

The throw was perfect, and Keller kept his balance for the last 15 yards.

Cowboys 34, Eagles 14 At Arlington, Texas, quarterback

Tony Romo broke open a scoreless game with five straight scoring drives in the second quarter, sending Dallas to its first playoff victory since 1996. Dallas had lost six straight postseason games and would’ve set an NFL record with another one.

But now all those slumps are history, buried along with the notions that Wade Phillips (0-4 as a head coach) and Romo (0-2) couldn’t win a playoff game.

And the way the Cowboys have played

over the last four games — all wins, behind dominating defense and efficient offense — they could be sticking around a while this postseason.

Next up for Dallas is a trip to the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday, with Romo taking on childhood hero Brett Favre. Philadelphia lost its playoffs opener for the first time under coach Andy Reid. The Eagles had been 7-0 in playoff openers with Reid and 6-0 with Donovan McNabb at quarterback.— AP

Magic rout division rival Hawks 113-81

Armstrong: Contador rivalry to intensify SYDNEY: Seven-time record Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong said yesterday he expects his rivalry with Alberto Contador to increase this year now both riders are competing in different teams.

Armstrong, who will debut his new RadioShack team at next week’s Tour Down Under in Australia, finished third in his comeback Tour de France last year as Spain’s Contador won for a second time.

They were team-mates at Astana last year, but Armstrong, who dominated the Tour from 19992005, left Astana to spearhead his new RadioShack team, taking several riders with him. The two Tour champions have made clear their genuine dislike for each other.

“All the personal stuff aside, just speaking about the athlete, he’s a fantastic athlete, he’s a very complete rider,” Armstrong told Australian Associated Press.

“There’s going to be a lot of buzz and build-up about that in 2010, especially now that we’ve all left to create another team. “I will let everyone else build that up.

I will be ready, I’ve got to tell you.” Armstrong, who turns 39 in September, said he was growing in confidence that he can beat Contador for an eighth Tour de France crown.

“I’m more excited than I was 12 months ago ...

I feel good about it, I really believe I can (win the Tour de France),” he said. “Every time I say it, there’s 100 people who say ‘no way’, just because of my age, but I’m an optimist, so I’m staying there.” Armstrong began his cycling comeback at last year’s Tour Down Under in Adelaide and it was a massive success for local organisers.

“If I’m lucky enough to get another one (Tour de France), then I could see racing for another season, which would mean going again in 2011,” he said. “As far as Australia is concerned, I loved it down there last year - the vibe of the race, the treatment of the fans, the reception we all had, the support of the local and state (South Australian) government.

“It’s first class and the organisation there really deserves a lot of standing ovations ... three or four years ago it was a small race, now it’s on the (UCI) ProTour.”

The Tour Down Under gets underway on January 17. Contador confirmed this month that he will kick off his 2010 season during the Tour of the Algarve cycling race in Portugal midFebruary. —AFP

Sanchez led an eight-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in Thomas Jones’ 9yard run for a 21-7 lead late in the third quarter. Benson broke a 47-yard touchdown run — the longest in Bengals playoff history — that got Cincinnati within a touchdown, but Sanchez and Greene turned it on again, setting up Jay Feely’s 25-yard field goal.

ORLANDO: The Orlando Magic asserted its dominance over NBA Southeast Division rival Atlanta by thumping the Hawks 113-81 on Saturday.

JJ Redick scored 17 points in place of an injured Vince Carter as Orlando ended a four-game losing streak and pushed its divisional lead over the Hawks back out to 1-1/2 games. Matt Barnes finished with 18 points to help the Magic build a 38-point lead at one point. Atlanta was led by Al Horfordís 14 points.

Jazz 111, Mavericks 93 In Dallas, Deron Williams had 20 points and 9 assists in his return to the lineup as Utah downed Dallas. Carlos Boozer added 15 points for the Jazz, who made up for blowing a winning chance in their previous meeting, never allowing its lead to fall below 13 points in the gameís final 21 minutes. Dirk Nowitzki scored 29 points for Southwest Division-leading Dallas.

ORLANDO: Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) goes by teammate Zaza Pachulia (27), of Georgia, as he tries to get around Orlando Magic center Marcin Gortat (13), of Poland, during the first half of an NBA basketball game. —AP

Kings 102, Nuggets 100 In Sacramento, California, Tyreke Evans made the tiebreaking jump shot in the final second as Sacramento snapped a season-worst fivegame losing skid in style against Denver.

Evans, who finished with 27 points, sank a 10-footer to cap a wild fourth quarter where the lead changed hands frequently. JR Smith missed a desperation 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

Chauncey Billups had 27 points for Denver and made a 3-pointer from 25 feet to level it at 100-100 with 11

seconds remaining. The Nuggets played a fifth straight game without injured star Carmelo Anthony because of a knee injury. The NBA’s second-leading scorer is expected to play tomorrow.

Rockets 105, Knicks 96 In Houston, Luis Scola matched a season high with 23 points as Houston downed New York to win its first game in four. Aaron Brooks added 20 for the Rockets.

David Lee had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks.

Bobcats 89, Grizzlies 87 In Charlotte, North Carolina, Gerald Wallace tipped in Raymond Feltonís missed shot at the buzzer to give Charlotte a tight win over Memphis. Felton scored

19 points and Wallace had 18 points and eight rebounds for the Bobcats, who improved to 13-4 at home.

OJ Mayo scored 25 points for the Grizzlies, who fell to an 0-8 record when playing on the second night of back-toback games.

Thunder 108, Pacers 102 In Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant matched his season high with 40 points as Oklahoma City downed Indiana. Russell Westbrook added 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Thunder (20-16), who are already just three wins shy of matching their total from last season.

Danny Granger scored 25 points to lead Indiana, which has lost nine straight road games.

Bulls 110, Timberwolves 96 In Chicago, the hosts won their first game in four by defeating Minnesota. Joakim Noah had 20 points and nine rebounds, and Kirk Hinrich had 20 points and seven assists for the Bulls. Ryan Gomes led Minnesota with 15 points.

76ers 104, Pistons 94 In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Detroit was beaten by Philadelphia, falling to its 12th straight loss.

The losing skid is the Pistonsí worst since 1993-94.

Elton Brand matched a season high with 25 points for the 76ers, and Ben Gordon had 20 points, including the 10 millionth point in NBA history.

Charlie Villanuevaís 19 points led the Pistons. — AP

NBA results/standings Results and standings from the NBA games on Saturday.

Charlotte 89, Memphis 87; Orlando 113, Atlanta 81; Philadelphia 104, Detroit 94; Chicago 110, Minnesota 96; Oklahoma City 108, Indiana 102; Utah 111, Dallas 93; Houston 105, NY Knicks 96; Sacramento 102, Denver 100.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT Boston 25 9 .735 Toronto 19 18 .514 NY Knicks 15 21 .417 Philadelphia 11 25 .306 New Jersey 3 33 .083 Central Division Cleveland 28 10 .737 Milwaukee 15 18 .455 Chicago 15 20 .429 Detroit 11 24 .314 Indiana 11 25 .306 Southeast Division Orlando 25 12 .676 Atlanta 23 13 .639 Miami 18 16 .529 Charlotte 16 19 .457 Washington 12 22 .353

GB 7.5 11 15 23 10.5 11.5 15.5 16 1.5 5.5 8 11.5

Western Conference Northwest Division Denver 23 14 .622 Portland 23 15 .605 Oklahoma City 20 16 .556 Utah 20 17 .541 Minnesota 8 30 .211 Pacific Division LA Lakers 28 8 .778 Phoenix 23 14 .622 LA Clippers 16 18 .471 Sacramento 15 21 .417 Golden State 11 24 .314 Southwest Division Dallas 25 12 .676 San Antonio 21 13 .618 Houston 21 16 .568 New Orleans 18 16 .529 Memphis 18 18 .500

.5 2.5 3 15.52 5.5 11 13 16.5 2.5 4 5.5 6.5

18

SPORTS

Monday, January 11, 2010

Roddick wins Brisbane final

DHAKA: India’s Gautam Gambhir (left) and Virat Kohli run between the wickets during the fifth one-day international cricket match against Sri Lanka of the tri-series.—AP

Kohli and Gambhir guide India into tri-series final DHAKA: Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir cracked half-centuries to help India enter the triangular one-day series final with an emphatic eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka here yesterday.

Kohli made a brisk 71 not out and Gambhir scored 71 as India surpassed Sri Lanka’s 213 with more than 17 overs to spare in the day-night match.

India will clash with Sri Lanka in the final on January 13. Sri Lanka, who had made it to the final before this match, finished their league engagements with three victories from four matches.

India have so far posted two wins and Bangladesh none after three matches.

India’s victory was set up by paceman Zaheer Khan (3-38) and leg-spinner Amit Mishra (3-40), who restricted Sri Lanka to a modest total despite fighting half-centuries from skipper Kumar Sangakkara (68) and Suraj Randiv (56).

Dinesh Karthik and Gambhir put India on course for victory with an 89-run stand for the opening wicket. Kartik smashed an attractive 40ball 48 with nine fours before being caught behind off paceman Thilan Thushara.

Gambhir was dropped on 41 by Tillakaratne Dilshan at point and then on 43 by Upul Tharanga in the deep-both off the bowling of Thusharabefore being caught at mid-on off Thissara Perera.

He added 72 for the second wicket with Kohli, who hit nine fours in his 68-ball knock.

Sri Lanka’s hopes of setting a stiff target were earlier shattered when they lost six wickets for 84 runs in the opening 19 overs after electing to bat.

Sangakkara steadied the innings with a 59-run stand for the seventh wicket with Randiv before falling in the 30th over, caught by Suresh Raina at mid-wicket while attempting to pull part-time spinner Yuvraj Singh.

He hit nine fours in his 54th half-century.

Randiv continued to defy the Indian attack, hitting five boundaries in his maiden half-century before being bowled by Mishra. He also added 59 for the eighth wicket with Thushara (28).

Sri Lanka suffered an early setback when Tharanga was caught at first slip by Karthik off seamer Sudeep Tyagi in the opening over.

Tharanga, who made a century in the last match, failed to open his account this time.

Dilshan, who missed the last two games because of an injury, looked in punishing mood as he cracked five fours in Tyagi’s successive overs.

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni replaced Tyagi with Zaheer, who struck in his opening over when he had Dilshan caught by Gambhir. Dilshan hit eight fours in his 17-ball 33.

Sri Lanka were let down by middle-order batsmen, with Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Thilina Kandamby and Perera falling in the space of 24 runs.—AFP

SCOREBOARD DHAKA: Complete scoreboard of the triangular one-day series match between India and Sri Lanka here yesterday: (Welegedara).

Sri Lanka: Bowling: Tyagi 7-1-46-1, Sreesanth 7-0-38-1 U. Tharanga c Karthik b Tyagi 0 (w1), Zaheer 10-2-38-3, Mishra 9.1-1-40-3 (nb1, T. Dilshan c Gambhir b Zaheer 33 w3), Jadeja 6-1-21-0 (w1), Yuvraj 4-0-18-1 (w1), K. Sangakkara c Raina b Yuvraj 68 Raina 3-0-9-0.

M. Jayawardene c Kohli b Zaheer 5 T. Samaraweera lbw b Sreesanth 0 India: T. Kandamby run out 1 D. Karthik c Sangakkara b Thushara 48 T. Perera c Yuvraj b Mishra 11 G. Gambhir c Welegedara b Perera 71 S. Randiv b Mishra 56 V. Kohli not out 71 T. Thushara c Yuvraj b Zaheer 28 Yuvraj Singh not out 8 C. Welegedara st Dhoni b Mishra 1 Extras (lb4, nb9, w3) 16 S. Lakmal not out 0 Total (for two wickets; 32.4 overs) 214 Extras (lb3, nb1, w6) 10 Fall of wickets: 1-89 (Karthik), 2-161 (Gambhir).

Total (for all out; 46.1 overs) 213 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Tharanga), 2-42 (Dilshan), 3- Bowling: Welegedara 5.4-0-51-0 (nb6), Lakmal 60 (Jayawardene), 4-61 (Samaraweera), 5-66 10-0-75-0 (nb3, w2), Thushara 6-0-33-1 (w1), (Kandamby), 6-84 (Perera), 7-143 (Sangakkara), Randiv 6-0-19-0, Perera 5-1-32-1.

8-202 (Thushara), 9-209 (Randiv), 10-213 Result: India win by eight wickets

Dakar Rally ninth stage shortened by fog

CHILE: A mechanic naps in the Dakar encampment on the only rest day during the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally in Antofagasta. —AP

ANTOFAGASTA: Today’s ninth stage of the Dakar Rally between Copiapo and La Serena has been shortened by 267.75km because of persistent fog in the area, organisers said on Saturday.

The special will now cover 170.25km, instead of 338km, through the dunes around Copiapo, maintaining the degree of difficulty.

Just over 59 percent of teams who started the race on January 2 will continue into the second week after a difficult second week, organisers said.

Some 110 motorcycles and quads will race Sunday, of the 177 who started a week ago with 69 cars, out of 134, and 36 trucks of 52 - or 215 vehicles out of 362.

“We had a big first week. It’s been a difficult Dakar compared to other years.

We wanted that. The Dakar should be difficult,” said sporting director David Castera.

Yesterday’s special stage sees Spaniard Carlos Sainz leading the overall car standings in a Volkswagen and France’s KTM rider Cyril Despres leading the motorcycles.

Meanwhile, defending motorbike champion Marc Coma is back in the Dakar Rally after threatening to pull out of the race when he was given a time penalty for illegally changing a tire in Friday’s seventh stage.

Even without the six-hour time penalty, Coma trailed leader Cyril Despres by more than an hour going into yesterday’s eighth stage. Despres is the clear favorite in the motorbike category.

Argentine brothers Marcos and Alejandro Patronelli were also back after Saturday’s rest day. They also threatened to withdraw after Marcos was penalized three hours for changing a tire.

However, Marcos Patronelli’s penalty was later lifted. Marcos Patronelli leads the quad motorbike section and Alejandro Patronelli is second.—AFP

SYDNEY: American Andy Roddick survived a determined fightback from defending champion Radek Stepanek to win the Brisbane International final yesterday.

Roddick was forced to dig deep after throwing away a substantial second set lead before finally beating the Czech 7-6 7-6 at the Pat Rafter Arena.

Everything looked to be going smoothly for Roddick, playing his first tournament since a knee injury cut short his 2009 season last September.

He won the opening set in a tiebreak after all games had gone with serve and opened up a commanding 5-1 lead in the second before he suddenly got the wobbles. He twice failed to serve out the match as Stepanek forced a second tiebreak then faltered again as he neared the finish line.

Roddick made a great start and built a 6-1 lead to have five match points, but he blew the lot before eventually winning 9-7. “It was weird.

I don’t think I have squandered a lead where I have been putting in first serves and making approach shots,” Roddick said.

“And in the breakers it was the same deal. I kept making first serves so that was helping me hold on to the last shred of sanity I had. “But at the end of the day the only thing that will be remembered is the ‘w’ (win).”

Roddick’s hard-earned win provided the world number seven with his 28th career title and his first success Down Under since he won the Australian Open junior title a decade ago. He said it also gave him a real confidence boost ahead of the first grand slam of 2010, starting in Melbourne on Jan. 18, after his injury layoff.

“I certainly don’t know if I expected to win my first tournament after a pretty extended lay off. I feel pretty good about it,” Roddick said.

Stepanek, who won the inaugural Brisbane title 12 months ago, was also buoyed his performance over the week. “I never gave up. I was fighting until the last point,” he said.

“I said to myself ‘you are in Brisbane, you won here last year, there is something special here’, but in the end it wasn’t good enough. “(But) back to back finals-it has been a magic place for me here.

I will be coming into the Australian Open with only positives.” — Reuters

BRISBANE: Andy Roddick of the US holds the trophy aloft after defeating Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic in the men’s final at the Brisbane International tennis tournament.—AFP

Cilic retains Chennai title CHENNAI: Reigning champion Marin Cilic of Croatia retained the ATP Chennai Open title with his first-ever win over Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland yesterday.

Cilic, who had lost all four previous meetings against Wawrinka, finally broke the jinx to carve out a hard-fought 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3) win in a final that lasted two hours and 40 minutes.

The second-seeded Cilic became the first player after Spanish veteran Carlos Moya’s victories in 2004 and 2005 to win back-to-back crowns in South Asia’s only ATP event.

The world number 14 earned 68,450 dollars and 250 ranking points for his moraleboosting effort ahead of the season’s first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, which starts in Melbourne on January 18.

The 21st-ranked Wawrinka, seeded third here behind Robin Soderling and Cilic, picked up 35,980 dollars and 150 ranking points.

Cilic dropped just one set in five matches in the 400,000-dollar event at the Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium to clinch his fourth career title in six ATP finals.

“This was the longest final I have played in and also the toughest,” said the 21-yearold. “It was a mental battle out there with a lot of long rallies and returns.

“It is not easy to maintain your top game over such a long match. It makes me very proud that I have once again come out well in the first week. It was not easy to adjust to the heat. “A lot of sweat and hard work went into winning this week. I am very pleased really, very happy.”

Cilic said he was to fly to Melbourne later yesterday to rest and practice ahead of the Australian Open. “No tournament for me, I want to be fresh for the Open,” he said.

Wawrinka secured the first break of the match in the eight game, but Cilic broke back immediately in the ninth to force the set into the tiebreaker, which the Croatian won easily.

The Swiss star, who called for the trainer in the first set for a neck strain, lost his serve in the second game of the second set, but broke back in the third to draw level.

Cilic wasted two break points for a 5-3 lead as Wawrinka fought back to take the match into a second tiebreaker, which the tall Croatian dominated once

again. “It was tough to lose such a close match because I thought I played really well,” said Wawrinka, 24, who has now lost six of his seven career ATP finals.

“I threw everything I had into the match, but was unable to score the crucial points.

Maybe, I need to be more aggressive during the tiebreakers.”

Warwinka said he will take part in the Sydney International this week to fine-tune his game for the Australian Open. “I have a week in Sydney to be ready for the Open, but it has also been a good week in Chennai,” he said. “I am happy with my game and felt good to reach the final in the first event of the new year.”—AFP

CHENNAI: Croatia’s Marin Cilic poses with the tennis trophy in Chennai, India. Second-seeded Cilic retained the Chennai Open title with victory over third-seeded Swiss player Stanislas Wawrinka.—AP

Kuznetsova cruises into second round at Sydney

SYDNEY: Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova reacts after winning a game as she plays fellow countrywoman Alisa Kleybanova during their women’s singles first round match at the Sydney International tennis tournament.—AP

SYDNEY: French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova won her first-round match at the Sydney International yesterday, but was more concerned with a gambling-related ban to a fellow Russian player.

Kuznetsova, who had a 6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-5 win over Alisa Kleybanova, said after the match that the WTA Tour should give players some guidance after Ekaterina Bychkova was handed a 30-day ban for failing to report an offer to influence the outcome of a match.

On Friday, the Tennis Integrity Unit fined Bychkova $5,000 and barred the Russian from playing for 30 days, saying she failed to report that she was asked to provide inside information and throw matches.

An anti-corruption hearing officer said there was no evidence Bychkova accepted any compensation.

She was penalized because she didn’t disclose the offer until being questioned by investigators from the Tennis Integrity Unit, which was formed by the Grand Slam committee, International Tennis Federation, and the ATP and WTA Tours.

“When they told me I was really surprised because I have not heard about it,” Kuznetsova said yesterday. “I don’t know exactly what has happened with her and I will ask and find out more.

“It is very important to find out. I don’t know if I have to go and see someone if someone comes and asks me something because no one has told me what to do.” Asked if she had ever been offered the opportunity to influence a game, Kuznetsova laughed about

being put on a plane back to Moscow if she did admit to it, but said the issue is a serious concern for all players.

“If you have been approached before and now come forward and tell them will they ban you?,” she said. “And if you don’t come forward will they ban you? We need to be clear. How do you know if someone approaches me and it is a joke?

“Do I have to tell the WTA every time I get told a joke? They can send you a letter, fan mail, Facebook and you may not pay much attention to it and maybe it is people trying to catch you and doing it on purpose. It could happen and you could be not guilty.” Defending champion Elena Dementieva also said she was unaware that players have to report approaches from people offering cash to influence games. “I didn’t know but I do now, not that it matters because I have never experienced anything like that in my career,” said Dementieva, who beat Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-2, 7-5.

Dementieva will face Daniela Hantuchova in the second round after the unseeded Slovakian player beat Virginie Razzano of France 6-3, 6-0. Only three first-round women’s matches were scheduled yesterday in the joint ATP-WTA tournament.

Top-seeded Serena Williams, who has a firstround bye, is expected to play her first singles match on Tuesday. Williams was drawn for a potential second-round match against Justine Henin, but Henin injured her left leg in a Brisbane International final loss to fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters on Saturday and had to pull out of the Sydney event. — AP

SPORTS

Monday, January 11, 2010

19

Stage set for closest Premier League title race for years LONDON: No English team has won four successive top-flight titles and unless Manchester United return to their best soon, they are likely to miss out on the chance.

United, champions for the last three seasons, are involved in the most open and unpredictable title race for years, typified by their 1-1 draw at Birmingham City on Saturday when they failed to get the win that would have taken them top.

Arsenal, who could also have

inched closer to Chelsea after the leaders had their trip to Hull City postponed, slipped up in the snow of the Emirates where they were held to a 2-2 draw by Everton.

United manager Alex Ferguson, who has taken United to 11 titles and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, who has won three, agree that winning the league in a season full of shocks and surprising results will be harder than ever.

“There is an improvement in the

league. You have to assess it that way,” said Ferguson. “The general standard has improved.” Wenger said: “Something has deeply changed this season. There are now more teams aspiring to be in the top four-that has completely changed the structure.”

Roberto Mancini, the new manager at Manchester City, believes six clubs are in the running for the title.

Twelve points separate the top eight with Chelsea on 45 points from 20 matches and Birmingham eighth

with 33 from 21. This could also be the first season since 2004-05 that the leading final four are not United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

“There are five or six clubs that can win the Premier League,” Mancini told reporters. “The league is more competitive because there are many top players in England and, of course, City are a top club.”

This campaign appears to be in stark contrast with many recently when the contest was a two or

three-horse race.

With just under half the season remaining Chelsea, United and Arsenal again lead the way but have failed to shake off Tottenham Hotspur, City and Aston Villa, with Liverpool and improving Birmingham further behind.

Ferguson summed up how competitive the league has become, expressing his relief at escaping from Birmingham with a draw, a fixture United usually win. “It’s a difficult

“Manchester United do not dominate the league like they used to,” said the midfielder. “Look at the league-we have Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and now Manchester City, Tottenham and Aston Villa.

“They have made it really difficult for United to dominate and I strongly believe we are not out of the title race here either.” Chelsea are the bookmakers’ favorites but only a brave man would place a huge wager on the outcome. —Reuters

place to go to at the moment, it’s not a bad point (for us),” he said. “It’s a tough league, it’s not going to be easy.

“Teams like Birmingham have really improved since coming into the division.” City, the world’s richest club backed by the billions of owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, added former Arsenal titlewinner Patrick Vieira to their squad on Friday and he also believes the title race is wide open.

Unbeaten Napoli boost chances of top four finish

PORTUGAL: Benfica’s Javi Garcia (front) from Spain controls the ball with Rio Ave’s Ricardo ‘Tarantini’ Monteiro (behind) during their Portuguese League soccer match. —AP

Saviola lifts Benfica to top LISBON: Javier Saviola’s second-half goal led Benfica to a 1-0 victory over Rio Ave that kept it joint leader as the Portuguese league resumed on Saturday after a three-week break.

The Argentine striker was clear inside the area to score three minutes into the second half, and send Benfica to the top of the standings ahead of Braga only on goal difference. It was Rio Ave’s first loss at its Dos Arcos Stadium this sea-

son.

Benfica and Braga each had 36 points, FC Porto was next with 29, while Sporting and Nacional had 24 apiece.

Sporting took advantage of its man advantage to beat Lexoies 1-0. Bruno Gallo was shown a red card in the 70th minute of the stalemate before Antonio “Tonel” Vilar headed home the winner with six minutes to play.

Also, Henrique Sereno’s 74th-minute goal led Guimaraes to a 1-0 win over

Maritimo, which finished with 10 men after Bruno Marcelo was sent off two minutes after the score.

Porto can stay in touch with the leaders with a win against Leiria later yesterday, when Olhanense plays Pacos Ferreira and Academica faces Naval.

Last-place Belenenses is up against Setubal on Monday.

Braga beat Nacional 2-0 on Friday in the first game following the Christmas break. —AP

Ding and Fu beaten at Masters LONDON: China’s Ding Junhui and Hong Kong’s Marco Fu both suffered crushing first round defeats in the Masters snooker tournament at the Wembley Arena here yesterday. Ding lost 6-1 to Mark Selby and Fu went down 6-2 to former world champion Peter Ebdon.

Ding, who last month won the UK Championship - snooker’s second most prestigious tournament - by beating world champion John Higgins in the final, was swept aside as Selby raced into a 5-0 lead.

The most successful Asian player in professional snooker history, Ding only avoided the embarrassment of a whitewash when Selby failed to pot what would have been the clinching ball in the sixth frame.

That gave Ding a consolation frame before Selby wrapped up the match in the seventh. Both the first two frames were relatively competitive, with Ding compiling a break of 42 in the second only for a mistake on the blue to let Selby in. “Mark played very well,” Ding told worldsnook-

er.com. “I missed some balls and found it hard.

“I had chances and tried to play better safety, but Mark was very good. Everybody is a good player here so you are sure to get a tough draw.”

Ding added commitments in China over the holiday period had cut across his preparations for the Masters. “I was busy in China, I played in a Chinese ranking tournament and did some things for sponsors. I didn’t get back until January 4 so I only had four days to practise.

I’ll be working hard now to be ready for the Welsh Open.”

Barry Hearn, who made his name in the field of sports promotion as snooker great Steve Davis’s manager, has recently been installed as the head of the governing body World Snooker, with the aim of boosting the sport’s flagging popularity in its British heartland and cashing in on its global appeal.

This year at the Masters the players are walking out to theme tunes as now happens at many leading events in darts, a sport where Hearn is widely credited for helping revive

Plabennec record a Nice Cup upset PARIS: Relegation-threatened Third Division side Plabennec claimed the biggest scalp of the French Cup thusfar this weekend when they knocked First Division Nice out in the last-32.

Goals from captain Jean-Michel Abiven and an own goal from defender Gerald Cid saw them come from behind - France international striker Loic Remy having given Nice the lead in the 13th minute - to record a famous if unlikely victory.

Their coach Franck Kerdiles, while delighted to have defeated a First Division team, remained realistic about their real target for the season.

“The priority is to stay up, it is vital to bring the team back down to earth for the challenge ahead,” he said. —AFP

spectator and television interest.

Selby, who walked out to ‘Underdog’, a song by rock band Kasabian, who come from his hometown of Leicester, central England, was envious of Ding’s choice of ‘Eye of the Tiger’, best known as the theme music from the Rocky boxing films starring Sylvester Stallone.

“The music was great, it pumps you up and gets you involved,” Selby told the BBC. “I would have liked to have Ding’s tune though as I would have come out with boxing gloves and a towel!”

Fu won the first two frames against Ebdon and was looking good in the third but missed a brown which let the Englishman in for a frame-winning break of 27.

Ebdon, renowned for his safety play, fought back and, following a scrappy fifth frame, was 3-2 in front. From then on Ebdon found his touch with a succession of fluent breaks and might have finished the match with a century before missing a pink. —AFP

Matches on TV (local timings) English Premier League Man City v Blackburn ..................... 23:00 Show sports !

Show sports 2 African Nations Cup Malawi v Algeria .............................. 16:45 Al Jazeeera Sport +9 Ivory Coast v Burkina Faso ............ 19:00 Al Jazeeera Sport +9 Ghana v Togo ................................... 21:30 Al Jazeeera Sport +9

ROME: Napoli went 14 games unbeaten under coach Walter Mazzarri following a 1-0 home victory against Sampdoria yesterday that boosted their growing challenge for a top four finish.

German Denis’s second half goal earned the southerners three points that leaves them fourth in the Serie A table, just goal difference behind Juventus and a point above AS Roma.

They have not been beaten since October — 13 league games and one cup matchwhen former Samp boss Mazzarri took over from the sacked former Italy coach Roberto Donadoni.

Mazzarri refused to get carried away, though. “We’ll add up the points at the end of the season, this league is very balanced, it’s the details that will make the differences,” he said.

“We’ve got to keep working on those details without setting goals that are too high, too soon. “So that’s how we’ll go forward because that’s the right attitude to obtain results.”

It was just deserts from a game Napoli largely bossed against free-falling Samp, the early-season pace-setters now in the bottom half.

Cristian Maggio had the best chance of the opening period when played in one-onone with Luca Castellazzi from Walter Gargano’s through ball but the midfielder shot straight at the goalkeeper’s body.

Denis, who had replaced the injured Ezequiel Lavezzi in the first half, had a goal harshly ruled out three minutes into the second period for a dubious-looking offside decision.

Maggio had two more opportunities but fired wide with the first and was denied by substitute goalkeeper Vincenzo Fiorillo with the second. But 19 minutes from time Denis beat Fiorillo to a lofted cross from Hugo Campagnaro to head home the winner.

French goalkeeper Sebastien Frey made two crucial second half stops to help Fiorentina beat Bari 2-1 in Florence and go sixth.

Romania captain Adrian Mutu had cancelled out Paulo Barreto’s opener in the first period.

Frey made great saves from Sergio Almiron and Sergio Alvarez before Riccardo Meggiorini beat the Frenchman but not the woodwork.

After Almiron was dismissed, substitute Jose Castillo grabbed the winner, his first goal for Fiorentina, before he too saw red.

Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli was happy with his team’s second win in a week, especially considering their injury problems.

“It was a great game played by two teams who wanted to win. It was decided by certain moments,” he said. “Even so, I’m proud of the way we played despite the players missing.”

Palermo are level on points with Fiorentina after Uruguayan forward Edison Cavani’s penalty gave them a 10 win over coach-less Atalanta.

Yesterday’s main action was due to take place in the evening as third-placed Juve host second-placed AC Milan.

Both teams will be trying to reel in runaway leaders Inter Milan, whose stunning late come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Siena at the San Siro on Saturday gave them an 11point lead in the scudetto race.

The champions have played two more games than Milan and one more than Juve, though. —AFP

ITALY: Napoli’s German Denis of Argentina (in foreground) reacts after scoring the winning goal, during a Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Sampdoria. —AP

Italian League results/standings Bologna 0 Cagliari 1 (Matri 66); Fiorentina 2 (Mutu 38, Castillo 74) Bari 1 (Barreto 25); Genoa 2 (Mesto 36, Sculli 71) Catania 0; Livorno 2 (Tavano 23, Lucarelli 62) Parma 1 (Dzemaili 68); Napoli 1 (Denis 71) Sampdoria 0; Palermo 1 (Cavani 70) Atalanta 0; Udinese 1 (Di Natale 27) Lazio 1 (Floccari 16).

Playing later Juventus v AC Milan Played Saturday AS Roma 1 (Di Rossi 1) Chievo 0; Inter Milan 4 (Milito 24, Sneijder 36, 88, Samuel 90) Siena 3 (Maccarone 18, 65, Ekdal 37).

Italian League table ahead of yesterday’s late match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, against, points): Inter Milan 19 14 3 2 41 17 45 AC Milan 17 10 4 3 28 19 34 Juventus 18 10 3 5 32 22 33 Napoli 19 9 6 4 29 24 33 AS Roma 19 9 5 5 30 24 32 Fiorentina 18 9 3 6 25 17 30 Palermo 19 8 6 5 24 21 30 Parma 19 8 4 7 24 26 28 Cagliari 18 8 3 7 28 23 27

Bari Genoa Sampdoria Chievo Livorno Lazio Udinese Bologna Catania Atalanta Siena

18 18 19 19 19 19 18 18 19 18 19

7 8 7 7 6 4 5 4 3 3 3

6 3 5 3 3 8 4 4 6 4 3

5 7 7 9 10 7 9 10 10 11 13

22 32 22 20 13 15 20 17 17 15 21

17 32 27 21 24 18 24 26 28 28 37

27 27 26 24 21 20 19 16 15 13 12

ITALY: Fiorentina’s Adrian Mutu of Romania (left) scores past Bari’s goalkeeper Jean Francois Gillet of France (right) during the Serie A soccer match between Fiorentina and Bari. —AP

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Armed attack highlights athletes’ vulnerability LONDON: A second armed attack in the space of a year on a bus carrying a national sports team has highlighted the vulnerability of top-level athletes and the publicity such ambushes attract.

Two members of Togo’s soccer delegation died when gunmen attacked the team bus on Friday as it travelled to the African Nations Cup in Angola. The driver was killed in the assault. Last March gunmen killed seven people in an attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team’s bus in Lahore. Six of the team were injured.

As a result Pakistan are now effectively a cricket team without a country and will play

all their fixtures abroad for the foreseeable future. The Angola attack, which has resulted in Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor announcing on Sunday his players will return home, has focused unwelcome attention on the soccer World Cup in five months’ time.

South Africa, which has already successfully staged rugby and cricket World Cups, will be the first African nation to host the world’s second biggest sports festival after the Olympic Games.

On Saturday chief World Cup organiser Danny Jordaan dismissed any comparison with the Nations Cup at the start of a

momentous year for African soccer.

“To say what happened impacts on the World Cup in South Africa is the same as suggesting that when a bomb goes off in Spain, it threatens London’s ability to host the next Olympics,” he told Reuters.

However Sajjan Gohel, the international security director of the Asia-Pacific Foundation, a London-based think tank, said many people had been looking to the Angola tournament as a litmus test for the World Cup. “Although it is not in South Africa, it is in southern Africa so I suppose many people were looking at it in a similar light,” Gohel said in a telephone interview yesterday.

“We have seen the fact terrorism can cause problems to sports events. Pakistan have become sporting pariahs, nobody plays there.” Gohel said the magnitude of the soccer World Cup made it an attractive target for militants seeking maximum publicity.

“For the last three World Cups terrorist groups have thought about carrying out an attack but they haven’t been successful, they have had their own logistical and technical problems,” he said.

“It would be totally naive to assume South Africa would be either immune or exempt from it. It is very worrying sporting events are being hijacked in this way.”

The major headache for organisers is the ease with which a sporting event can be disrupted even if the attacks do not go according to plan. A soccer World Cup is also logistically easier to target because it is not confined to one city as are the summer and winter Olympics.

Security is going to be a major problem at the New Dehli Commonwealth Games in October following the militant attacks in Mumbai in 2008 which killed 166 people.

An England badminton team withdrew from the world championships in Hyderabad and the Australian Davis Cup tennis side refused to play in Chennai. “I believe the

threat to the Commonwealth Games is very serious because we saw how the Mumbai gunmen were able to hold an entire city hostage for several days,” Gohel said.

“We saw how it created panic, it captured the headlines, it precipitated fear we haven’t seen since the 9/11 attacks, it was being beamed into our homes from the international media.

“Even a smaller attack up to a month before the Games will create problems for the authorities because there will be panic, countries like Australia and England will start panicking whether they can send their teams.”—Reuters

Africa soccer Cup starts, Togo hopes to join later

LUANDA: An Angolan girl performs in the opening ceremonies ahead of the start of the African Cup of Nations Group A soccer match between Angola and Mali. —AP

Real dump Mallorca to reach summit MADRID: Real Madrid moved top of the Spanish League for the first time since the end of November beating Real Mallorca 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu yesterday as they maintained their flawless home record with a ninth consecutive win.

Argentine Gonzalo Higuain made it six goals in his last five league outings with a seventh minute strike before substitute Esteban Granero netted early in the second half as Real reached the summit for the first time since surrendering the lead with a 1-0 loss at Barcelona on November 21.

Real move a point ahead of Barcelona at the summit although the champions can reclaim top spot with victory at Tenerife later yesterday.

Mallorca drop to sixth although they are only one point off the Champions League spots due to their 100 percent home record of eight wins.

Freezing temperatures and snow in the Spanish capital saw some Real fans stay in the warmth of their home but for the players gloves and undergarments were the order of the day.

Kaka returned for Real in his first appearance since injuring his groin at the end of November while Fernando Gago was given a rare start. Mallorca had won 3-1 at Real last season but got off to a nightmare start conceding after just seven minutes. Higuain cut inside and curled a beautiful shot into the top corner with his left foot that gave the goalkeeper no chance.

MADRID: Real Madrid’s Kaka of Brazil vies for the ball against Mallorca during their Spanish League soccer match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.—AP

It was an 11th goal of the season for Higuain taking him just one behind Valencia’s David Villa in the goalscoring charts. Two minutes later Mallorca almost levelled but Gonzalo Castro headed wide when well-placed at the back post.

On 25 minutes Kaka should have scored when through on goal but was off balance and his lofted shot went over. Mallorca still remained in contention at 1-0 but their second half game plan went out the window when Granero scored four minutes after the break. Granero, on as a substitute for the injured Rafael van der Vaart, arrived on cue in the box to show great technique to volley in Higuain’s cross with his left foot.

Valencia lie six points behind Real in third after making it seven wins from nine on the road defeating bottom side Xerez 3-1 yesterday.

“Barcelona and Real Madrid have a high number of points and in past seasons we would be top or close to them with the points tally we have,” said Valencia coach Unai Emery. Spanish internationals Juan Mata, David Silva and Carlos Marchena were all on target to clinch victory at Xerez and boost confidence for Thursday’s last 16 King’s Cup match at Deportivo La Coruna.

Deportivo are four points behind Valencia in fourth after a 10 home victory over Osasuna yesterday thanks to a Juan Rodriguez goal. Depor won 2-1 at Valencia in the first leg of the Kings Cup tie so Valencia will need to win at the Riazor to progress to the quarterfinals.—AFP

Spanish League results/standings Sporting Gijon 1 (Castro 37) Getafe 0; Xerez 1 (Calvo 25) Valencia 3 (Mata 10, Silva 33, Marchena 69); Espanyol 2 (Verdu 13, Marques 71) Real Zaragoza 1 (Arizmendi 39); Deportivo La Coruna 1 (Rodriguez 49) Osasuna 0; Malaga 1 (Weligton 47) Athletic Bilbao 1 (Llorente 79-pen) Real Madrid 2 (Higuain 7, Granero 49) Real Mallorca 0.

Playing later Tenerife v Barcelona (2000 GMT) Played Saturday Valladolid 0 Atletico Madrid 4 (Jurado 16, Forlan 32, Reyes 58, Aguero 90); Sevilla 1 (Romaric 61) Racing Santander 2 (Canales 25, 37); Villarreal 1 (Nilmar 40) Almeria 1 (Corona 67-pen).

Spanish League table ahead of yesterday’s late match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Real Madrid Barcelona Valencia Deportivo Sevilla Mallorca Getafe Bilbao Sporting Villarreal

17 16 17 17 17 17 17 7 17 17

13 12 10 9 9 9 9 8 6 6

2 4 5 4 3 3 0 3 6 5

2 0 2 4 5 5 8 6 5 6

42 37 31 20 28 30 26 22 18 26

13 10 17 16 17 20 23 21 17 21

41 40 35 31 30 30 27 27 24 23

Atletico Racing Espanyol Osasuna Almeria Valladolid Tenerife Malaga Zaragoza Xerez

17 17 17 17 17 17 16 17 7 17

5 5 5 4 4 3 4 2 3 1

5 7 27 4 8 21 4 8 12 5 8 14 5 8 17 7 7 22 3 9 15 8 7 20 4 10 18 4 12 7

28 26 23 20 27 31 30 24 37 32

20 19 19 17 17 16 15 14 13 7

CABINDA: Togo’s soccer team was to fly home late yesterday after the deadly ambush of their team bus but the sports minister said they hoped to return to Angola, where Africa’s biggest sports tournament got underway.

Though overshadowed by the deaths of a Togo squad coach and a press officer in Friday’s gun attack in Cabinda, the African Nations Cup got underway as planned in a 50,000-seat stadium in the Angolan capital Luanda.

A spectacular fireworks display lit up the purpose-built stadium, whose rims bend like the horns of the black sable antelope-Angola’s national symbol.

Soccer fans observed a minute of silence as a sign of respect for the Togolese and their driver, who was killed at the scene, before hosts Angola and Mali kicked off the tournament.

Togo’s players and head coach, though shocked by the attack, said they would remain in the competition to honor the dead, but their prime minister ordered the team home and sent a plane to bring them back.

It would be wrong to let the team stay and take part, Togo’s Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo said. “Anybody that is involved in security matters will tell you that it would be irresponsible to just pretend that nothing has happened and just let the show go on,” he told the BBC World Service. “Security is nonnegotiable.”

Togo striker and captain Emmanuel Adebayor told reporters at Cabinda airport: “We have to mourn our dead, we’re going back to do so, that’s life and we’re obviously very sad.”

But even as the Togolese plane prepared to fly the team home, a spokesman for the squad said a final decision had not yet been made.

“We are still talking with the players, no decision has been made yet. Everything is possible,” the spokesman said.

Togolese Sports Minister Christophe Tchao added to the uncertainty by telling reporters in Cabinda that Togo had asked the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to find a way for the team to rejoin the competition later.

“We have ordered a three-day mourning,” Tchao said. “The players are leaving with the bodies of their fallen brothers and we have asked the CAF to find an arrangement so we can catch up with the competition later.”

Team media officer Stanislas Ocloo, assistant coach Amalete Abalo and a driver were killed when gunmen from the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda fired on the team bus in Cabinda, an enclave separated from the rest of Angola.

Seven people were wounded including reserve goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale, now in stable condition in a South African hospital after surgery.

Friday’s ambush shows how easily insurgents can grab world headlines with attacks on soft targets and raises questions about security for the soccer World Cup in South Africa in June, but South African President Jacob Zuma dismissed any comparison.

The attack by a separatist group Angola’s government recently said no longer existed cast a shadow over an event supposed to show Angola at peace after years of civil war.

Angola has spent $1 billion building stadiums, roads and hotels for the competition, which brings together Africa’s best national teams. The biennial tournament, which lasts until Jan. 31, will be broadcast live around the world.

Cabinda, the scene of rebel FLEC attacks even after Angola’s 27-year civil war ended in 2002, provides half the oil output of the country, which rivals Nigeria as Africa’s biggest producer.

South Africa’s Zuma, who attended the opening ceremony, stressed on arrival that his country remained 100 percent ready to host the World Cup, and said the Angolan attack had no bearing on the tournament in South Africa.

It was the second militant attack on a sports team in a year. In March, six policemen and a driver died when gunmen attacked a bus carrying Sri Lanka’s cricket team in Pakistan.

Despite South African assurances, security analysts said outsiders involved in June’s World Cup are unlikely to ignore the Angolan attack and will want to review security. South Africa is the first African nation to hold the world’s biggest single-sport event.—Reuters

LUANDA: Angola’s Flavio reacts after scoring against Mali in their African Cup of Nations Group A soccer match.—AP

Mali’s late show dazzle Angola LUANDA: Mali made a miraculous recovery to pull back from a four goal deficit to hold Angola to a 4-4 draw in the opening game of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations here yesterday.

The hosts appeared set for the best possible start when a first half double from Flavio Armado and penalties from Gilberto and Manucho had them celebrating a famous victory.

With only 16 minutes on the clock Mali looked down and out. But a double from Seydou Keita and contributions from Frederic Kanoute and Mustapha Yattabare gave them an improbable draw.

This Nations Cup curtain raiser began with a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of Friday’s deadly gun attack on the Togo team coach in Cabinda.

The silence, immaculately observed by the 50,000 capacity crowd, turned to something much louder seconds after kick off when Mali goalkeeper Mahamadou Sidibe had to look lively to deal with Flavio’s shot from the left.

The Angolan striker only made coach Manuel Jose’s starting XI after shrugging off injury but Keita was on the bench after missing the Eagles’ warm-up games with a thigh problem.

Angola were forced into an unscheduled change of personnel in the 22nd minute when Aderito Carvalho was stretchered off and replaced by Djalma Campos.

Mali coach Stephen Keshi sent Barcelona midfielder Keita into the fray sooner than expected when Le Mans forward Modibo Maiga limped out of contention.

This was the first ever match at the 11 November stadium built by the Chinese and ressembling a smaller version of Beijing’s Birds’ Nest.

And the ‘Chicks Nest’ burst into life in the 35th minute when Flavio raced on to Gilberto’s angled 20 metre freekick from the left to put the hosts’ in front with a low powerful header.

One minute from the break Flavio got his double, another fine header set up by fullback Jose ‘Malbina’ Alberto.

That prompted the wife of Angolan head of state Jose Eduardo dos Santos to jump off her seat and execute a very unpresidential style jig.

Mali’s multi-million pound strikeforce led by Sevilla’s Kanoute had proved strangely impotent in the first half. They looked a more purposeful force after the interval, with only Angola keeper Carlos Fernandes’ charge out of his box stopping Mali captain Mahamadou Diarra’s shot.

Gilberto then struck from the spot after he was brought down in the box by Mamadou Samassa.

The Al-Ahly midfielder proved a cool customer as he converted, but was then invited to have a second go by Egyptian referee Essam Abdel Fatah, which he duly struck past Sidibe.

Manucho got Angola’s fourth, also from the spot after another foul on Gilberto. But then Angola crumbled. Keita began the comeback after a scramble for the ball in the box following a mistake by Fernandes.

Then Kanoute struck with a classy header, with Keita producing a volley for his double and Yattabare grabbing a highly unlikely point for the Eagles.—AFP

Preview Drogba to lead Ivory Coast CABINDA: Striker Didier Drogba will captain the Ivory Coast against Burkina Faso today in a group-opening game at the African Cup of Nations in the Cabinda enclave, where an armed attack on the Togo team bus left three people dead.

Though Togo is withdrawing from the tournament in the wake of Friday’s shooting, organizers have said the cup will go ahead as planned, clearing the way for Drogba and his teammates to try and improve on the Ivorians’ record in the competition.

Though coach Vahid Halilhodzic last year successfully guided his team to a second successive World Cup qualification, the coffee and cocoa-producing west African nation secured its lone African title in 1992.

“We will fight with honor and dignity to win,” said Drogba, who scored 14 goals for Chelsea before joining the squad at a pre-tournament training camp in Tanzania.

While there are no guarantees, teams advancing in Group B will be keen on claiming top spot to mathematically avoid the risk of clashing with host Angola in the quarterfinals. Against a side his team twice beat in qualifying, Halilhodzic will have a wealth of experience and

Didier Drogba scoring talent in Chelsea’s Salomon Kalou, Marseille’s Bakari Kone, Portsmouth’s Aruna Dindane and Lille’s Gervinho.

Kolo Toure of Manchester City, Emmanuel Eboue of Arsenal and West Bromwich Albion’s Abdoulaye Meite should provide stability at the back with the midfield drive coming from the likes of Barcelona’s Yaya Toure and Galatasaray’s Abdul Kader Keita. “Going to win something means going as far as possible.

Why not win the cup?” Halilhodzic said.

Moumouni Dagano, the joint topscorer in World Cup qualifying with 12 goals, will lead Burkina Faso’s attack. Quatar-based Dagano is the only striker in Portuguese coach Paul Duarte’s side currently playing outside a European league. —AP

Algeria wary of Malawi LUANDA: Playmaker Karim Ziani says Algeria must defeat Malawi today in the opening Group A match for both teams if they hope to reach the 2010 African Nations Cup knockout phase.

Hosts Angola and Mali complete the mini-league and media expectations suggest a tight three-way fight for two quarter-finals places with Malawi considered outsiders.

Veteran Germany-based Ziani has been a key figure in an Algerian revival that culminated in qualification for the 2010 World Cup at the expense of fierce rivals Egypt after a play-off.

The ‘Desert Foxes’ are also back at the Nations Cup after a two-tournament absence and the midfielder says he has never played in a stronger Algerian national team.

“So much depends on our first Cup match against Malawi. Victory is all that counts and we owe to ourselves and our nation to succeed,” stressed Ziana to reporters.

“There is a lot more quality and mental strength in the squad now than when I started representing my country because many of our squad are playing regularly for first division clubs in Europe. While Algeria shared with Brazil the prize for Best 2009 FIFA rankings mover, Ziana says they cannot yet be compared with fellow World Cup qualifiers and Nations Cup contenders Cameroon,

Karim Ziani Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria.

“Those teams are still at a higher level than us. There is lots of work for us to do but with dedication you never know. This team is the strongest I have played in while wearing the green jersey.”

“It is a good draw, compared with those of Ivory Coast and Cameroon, which are very difficult. I think we have an excellent chance of reaching the quarter-finals.” Malawi, whipped 3-0 by Algeria during their only previous Nations Cup appearance in Ivory Coast 26 years ago, have produced warm-up results which defy the ‘whipping boys’ tag.

The Flames triumphed 1-0 in Mozambique, snatched a late 1-1 away to Nations Cup holders Egypt, and drew 0-0 with Ghana in Swaziland to offer hope they can deliver more this time than the one point garnered from the 1984 campaign. —AFP

BKME finalizes transition to Islamic banking system

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Wataniya sponsors ‘Thank you My Teacher’ festival

Venezuelans clamor to buy goods after devaluation

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Monday, January 11, 2010

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Job-hunting Palestinians build settlements they despise NILIN CHECKPOINT: Like most Palestinians, Ismail Harb resents the Israeli settlements that crown the hilltops of the occupied West Bank, but every day he lines up before dawn to help build them. “It’s not just the money we make in the Israeli construction projects, but also that the work in the settlements never stops,” the 36year-old says as he waits with hundreds of others in the chilly darkness before sunrise.

The workers gather outside a military checkpoint starting at 3:00 am to enter Israel or one of four nearby settlements, where most of them will help build new Israeli homes in the occupied territory. Western-backed Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has called the settlements the biggest obstacle to peace and refused to restart negotiations with Israel without a complete construction freeze.

But thousands of Palestinian laborers rely on work in the settlements, which pays more than twice the wages of similar jobs elsewhere in the West Bank, where the economy is still recovering from a violent uprising. “If we could find the same kind of work in Palestinian shops then we wouldn’t come here every day and face this humiliation before we even get to work,” Harb says, referring to the long wait at the checkpoint.

“I completely agree with the Palestinian Authority’s demand to halt the settlements, but where is the alternative that will provide us with a decent living,” he asks. They stand in line as the sun rises over the imposing white apartment blocks of the Modiin Ilit settlement on the other side. An Israeli soldier yells at the men in Hebrew, saying no one arriving after 6:30 am will be allowed in. “I think most of the workers here know they are being humiliated, but there is no alternative,” says Raid al-Rabi, 26, who works as a carpenter in the nearby Hashmonim settlement.

“People criticized the Palestinians who worked on the separation wall, but they had nothing to say when the workers asked them what the alternative was,” he adds, referring to Israel’s controversial West Bank barrier. Nearly a half million Israelis live in more than 100 settlements scattered across the occupied West Bank, including annexed east Jerusalem. Their number has more than doubled since the start of the 1993 Oslo peace process, and the Palestinians fear further expansion will make it impossible to establish a viable independent state.

After months of US pressure, rightwing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to a 10-month halt to new construction in November, but he excluded east Jerusalem, public buildings and projects already under way. Many of the laborers refused to discuss their reasons for working in the settlements, fearing that doing so could get them in trouble with the Palestinian Authority (PA) or cause them to lose their Israeli permits.

Before the outbreak of the 2000 Al-Aqsa Intifada, or uprising, some 146,000 Palestinians were working inside Israel and the settlements, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Today, only around 45,000 Palestinians have work permits, according to the Israeli military.

Palestinians must pay 75 dollars (50 euros) a month for a permit to work in the settlements, but can still be turned back by the soldiers at the checkpoint at any time for unspecified “security” reasons. But a construction worker can make 50 to 75 dollars (35 to 50 euros) a day in Israel and its settlements, compared to just 20 dollars (15 euros) in areas controlled by the PA. Palestinian employment minister Ahmad Majdalani says the Authority is aware of the problem but blames Israeli closures for the lack of job opportunities. “There is unprecedented unemployment in the Palestinian labor market, which is basically tied to the Israeli blockade and the closures,” he says. The PA has tried to address the problem with economic reforms aimed at promoting investment and a recent campaign to rid shops of settler-made products, but the boycott has not been fully implemented.

In September the IMF projected a seven-percent real growth rate for 2009 in the West Bank, but said even that would be “quite low” for an economy where per capita gross domestic product (GDP) has fallen by nearly a third since 1999. In the meantime, neither the economic growth nor the easing of settlement construction has done much to stem the early morning commute. “The situation forces me to do this bitter work,” says Sharif Sanina, a 43-year-old father of eight waiting in line with the others. “I want to provide for my family, and I’ll do it any way I can.” — AFP

NILIN, WEST BANK: Palestinian laborers arrive at dawn at Nilin checkpoint, between the West Bank and the Jewish settlement of Modiin Illit, as they head to work in Israel and nearby settlements. — AFP

Arabtec’s deal may signal looming losses, shares fall DUBAI: Dubai-based Arabtec Holding may need a $1.7 billion investment by Abu Dhabi’s Aabar Investments to cope with future losses, analysts said yesterday, as its shares fell 6.9 percent. On Friday, investment firm Aabar, 71 percent owned by the UAE federal government, offered to buy a 70 percent stake in Arabtec through a convertible bond at 2.3 dirhams per share, in a deal valued at $1.7 billion.

The deal, at a 20.4 percent discount to Arabtec’s closing price on Thursday, could signal more trouble in coming quarters.

“The fact that the offer entails a discount ... could be seen as an indicator of a larger than previously anticipated hit on Arabtec’s Dubai receivables,” said Shuaa Capital analysts who estimated that the

Liquidity injection fuels fears of future losses 2.3 dirham price implied additional impairments of 1.7 billion dirhams for Arabtec. A Dubai-based analyst who asked not be identified: said “The implication is that the liquidity situation with Arabtec was worse than the market had assumed, because this is a big capital injection”.

Abaar’s investment is also seen by analysts as a sign that the centre of decision-making in the United Arab Emirates is shifting further to Abu Dhabi from Dubai, a move that may be accelerated with the latter emirate’s debt trouble.

“We note that the deal could be led by the Dubai government, as part of some assets

Mazaya to raise $137m in IPO KUWAIT: Mazaya Qatar, an affiliate of Kuwait’s real estate developer Al Mazaya Holding, said it plans to raise 500 million Qatari riyals ($137.4 million) in an initial public offering next week. The firm will offer 50 million shares, or 50 percent of its capital, in the IPO after it got the approval of the Qatari authorities, it said in a statement yesterday. The IPO, which will be open to citizens and 100 percent owned Qatari firms, will run Jan 17 to Jan 31.

Nominal value per share will be 10 riyals, it said. Qatar National Bank is the lead manager for the IPO. Last year, the Islamic Sharia-compliant firm had put on hold the IPO plan to increase its capital from 500 million riyals to 1 billion riyals due to turmoil in the financial and real estate markets which hit the Gulf. The IPO was originally planned for November last year. The firm had said it planned to launch the IPO as it looks to benefit from a property shortage in Qatar, the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. Kuwait’s Al Mazaya Holding owns a 10 percent stake in Mazaya Qatar. — Reuters

reshuffling with Abu Dhabi,” Deutsche Bank analysts said in a research note.

“While Dubai has no equity stake in Arabtec, it is the largest debtor through the receivables,” they said, estimating those at 1.9 billion dirhams.

Arabtec-which has ventured into new markets such as Russia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia as the global downturn hit business at home in Dubai-has said it will turn its main focus to other locations including Abu Dhabi where it won contracts last year. Aabar’s investment will help Arabtec weather future liquidity concerns, analysts said. “The size of the funds that

Arabtec would receive would be useful to tide through any liquidity concerns that may worsen, which have already affected Arabtec in 2009,” said EFG Hermes.

Arabtec officials in interviews with local papers said they would use the Aabar cash to finance expansion plans. “(It could be) acquisitions, investments or taking equity in major developments where we feel we can then improve our chances of being involved in those projects,” Arabtec’s chief Riad Kamal told The National. Three quarters of Arabtec shareholders must still approve the sale to Aabar, which is not a done deal, ana-

lysts said. “Since 89 percent of the capital is free float, management will have to provide more clarity to investors regarding the rationale of the deal,” Deutsche Bank said.

The UAE real estate sector has been severely hit in the downturn, and its recovery could be delayed as Dubai struggles with a debt pile estimated at up to $100 billion. Arabtec shares closed 6.9 percent lower at 2.69 dirhams. “It (Aabar deal) solves any short-term liquidity issue, which is obviously a positive for the stock and will probably bring longterm synergies for the company’s order book, but in terms of dilution it seems like a very high price to pay for existing shareholders,” said the Dubai-based analyst. — Reuters

Saudi prince sees long Citi recovery Kingdom Holding still has $4bn unrealized losses RIYADH: Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s announcement of a rescue plan for his investment vehicle indicates he expects a long road to recovery for his shares in Citigroup.

The plan will help Alwaleed wipe out some $7.8 billion of accumulated losses his firm has reported by endSeptember but it still leaves it with an additional $4-billion-plus in unrealized losses that could swell further especially if US equity markets do not improve in 2010.

His 95-percent-owned Kingdom Holding Co said this week that it

would slash its capital by almost half and he announced the free-of-charge injection from his own pocket of 180 million Citi’s shares-which he valued at $3.31 each- into its balance sheet.

Analysts say this was necessary to shore up the finances of the firm whose assets were hurt by the global market turmoil as it prepares for the launch of major property projects and avoid the potential damage if it loses its listing.

“This plan exempts the company of the need to liquidate assets including its shares in Citi. I don’t think he

will sell Citi,” said Hesham AbuJamea, head of asset management at Bakheet Investment Group, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading independent investment services firm. Kingdom Holding’s spokeswoman Heba Fatani declined to discuss the implications of Tuesday’s announcements and said Prince Alwaleed could reveal more details about his investment in Citi at a press conference that may be held today.

SENTIMENTAL VALUE Kingdom Holding, whose stock

Alaqaria agrees to Barwa takeover terms Merger creates Qatar’s 9th largest company DUBAI: Qatar Real Estate Investments (Alaqaria) agreed to a takeover by Barwa Real Estate, the companies said yesterday, in a deal creating Qatar’s ninth-largest company with a market value of $3 billion.

Each Alaqaria share will be exchanged for 1.1 shares in Barwa, it said, adding that the deal values Alaqaria shares at 36.30 riyals per share and implies a 30.6 percent premium, a statement on the Qatari bourse website said.

Alaqaria shares were up 9.7 percent at 30.50 riyals in the wake of the deal, which was announced in early 2009. Af ter the merger, Alaqaria will become a subsidiary of Barwa and the market capitalisation of the combined firms will reach 11.1

billion Qatari riyals ($3.05 billion), it said. Barwa, which has properties in Paris, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, was ordered by the government in January to merge with Alaqaria.

Barwa’s activities focus on retail, office, hospitality and residential property development, while Alaqaria specializes in industrial housing. The companies’ operations are also spread out in different geographical areas.

“The managements of Barwa and Alaqaria expect that the increased scale will support future growth of the enlarged Barwa group,” the statement said. Goldman Sachs International and The First Investor are advising Barwa on the proposed merger, while JP

Morgan advises Alaqaria.

Qatar house prices are poised to ease 15 percent in 2010 on higher supply but the construction sector would grow as 40 percent of the state budget is earmarked for infrastructure, The First Investor Asset Management said in November. The merger is backed by the government and Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company (Qatari Diar), which owns 45 percent and 27 percent of the share capital of Barwa and Alaqaria respectively. Qatari Diar said it will approve the merger and maintain at least a 45 percent equity shareholding in the new Barwa group through a contribution of assets, the statement said. — Reuters

DUBAI: In this file photo, a train is tested during a trial session ahead of the opening ceremony of metro in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Dubai’s transit authority said work on its partially completed metro system is on schedule and contractors are being paid, seeking to quiet questions about the fate of one of the most visible big-ticket projects in this cash-strapped emirate. — AP

has lost almost half its value since listing on the Saudi bourse in 2007, had losses of 65 percent of its capital at the end of September, and losses exceeding 75 percent would require a suspension in its stock. For Kingdom’s investment in Citi-its most valuable asset estimated at 3.6 percent of the bank’s capital-the plan should put the prince in a more comfortable situation and fulfil his repeated pledges not to sell the shares.

“The plan was devised to help Kingdom cope with unpleasant turns of events that could affect Citi. The prince appears to be coming to terms with the fact that it could take years for Citi to turn around its fortunes,” said a US-based investment adviser who had past dealings with Alwaleed’s company.

Prince Alwaleed’s relationship with Citi began also at troublesome times for the bank: He injected $590 million into the bank in 1991. He told Fortune magazine in 2007 that he has paid back then $2.75 per share adjusted for share splits.

The investment has played a big role in raising both his personal profile among hundreds of third generation Saudi princes who are grooming themselves for greater influence in domestic politics and that of Kingdom Holding which started off as a consulting business. “There is no sentiment in business but I guess yes you can speak of sentimental value for Prince Alwaleed’s investment in Citi,” the US adviser said. Last month, the nephew of King Abdullah said he would not sell his shares in Citi after Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund reaped a handsome $1 billionplus profit from the sale of Citi shares. A few days earlier, the prince said 2010 would be a year of stabilization for Citi after he contributed to its recapitalization in 2008 alongside Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which has filed a lawsuit against the bank over the deal. — Reuters

22

BUSINESS

Monday, January 11, 2010

KSE ends first trading session of the week on higher note KUWAIT: The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) managed to end the first trading session of the week on a higher note as market indices and indicators also posted gains supported by all except two sectors ending in the green. It is worth to mention that heavyweight Agility has ended every trading session of 2010 in the green with a YTD gain of 23.08 percent.

Market indices During yesterday’s session, 128 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards advancers as 72 equities advanced versus 23 that retreated. A total of 109 stocks remained unchanged during yesterday’s trading session.

Daily trading activity Trading activities ended on a positive note today as volume of shares traded on the exchange increased by 14.07 percent to reach 719.68mn shares. Furthermore, value of shares traded rose by 16.46 percent to stand at KD81.56mn. The Investment Sector was the volume and value leader for the day, accounting for 39.23 percent of total shares traded and 34.05 percent to total market value. Al-Deera Holding Company was the volume and value leader with 105.625mn shares changing hands at the highest traded value of KD11.84mn.

Top gainers and biggest decliners In terms of top gainers, Nafais holding Company was the top gainer in the market, adding 9.26 percent and closed at KD0.118.

On the other hand, Housing Finance Company was the biggest decliner for the day, dropping by 6.35 percent and closed at KD0.118.

Global Daily Market Report

Sectors wise Overall, Global’s sectoral indices ended on a positive note yesterday except for Global Insurance Index which was unchanged and Global Banking Index which was the only decliner. The index is down 0.33 percent backed by Commercial Bank of Kuwait being the top decliner in the sector. The scrip ended the day down 3.13 percent and closed at KD0.930. In addition, Burgan Bank ended the

day down 1.45 percent and closed at KD0.340.

On the other hand, Global Services Index was the top gainer yesterday, advancing 1.48 percent. Zain and Agility greatly contributed to the index’s gain by advancing 1.01 percent and 4.92 percent, respectively. It’s worth mentioning that three companies in the sector made it to the top five gainers list for the market. Global Food Index gained 1.14 percent making it the second biggest gainer backed by

two scrips in the sector ending in the green, with the rest being unchanged. Heavyweight Kuwait Foodstuff Company (Americana) and Danah Al Safat Foodstuff Company advanced 1.33 percent and 1.54 percent, respectively. In regards to Global special indices, they all ended on a positive note with Global Small Cap Index being the top gainer, up 1.55 percent. Equipment Holding Company was the top gainer in the index, up 3.77 percent to end the day at KD0.055.

Oil news The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at US$80.12 a barrel on Thursday 7/1/2010, compared with US$79.64 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

Market news National Bank of Kuwait has clarified the news published on a local gazette as regards its dividend distributions. The Kuwait-based lender stated that no cash dividends or bonus distributions could be effected except after obtaining the go-ahead from the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) and the shareholder meeting. As for the capital increase, the NBK noted that the potential raise was still under discussion and no decision had been taken yet in this regard. Burgan Bank became the majority shareholder in Iraq’s Bank of Baghdad after increasing its stake in the lender to 50.6 percent. Burgan Bank acquired an additional 5.3 percent stake for US$10.70mn, the lender said in a statement to the KSE’s website.

Giorgio Armani Samsung Smartphone launched KUWAIT: Giorgio Armani, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Microsoft are proud to present the new Giorgio Armani-Samsung smartphone, the most elegant and functional mobile on the market.

Giorgio Armani personally designed this stylish smartphone, as he did with the first Giorgio Armani Samsung mobile in 2007 and the Emporio Armani Samsung “Night Effect” mobile in 2008.

In 2009, the new smartphone makes its debut with more powerful functions and superior usability. The next rendition of this style and technology partnership

includes a Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, a unique two step tilt hinge form factor with both full touch screen and QWERTY keyboard hybrid, and a stunning 3.5 inch Ultra Brilliant AMOLED display. The Giorgio Armani-Samsung smartphone is part of an innovative brand alliance of portable electronics and household products by Giorgio Armani and Samsung Electronics. This phone stands out due to the innovative blend of Giorgio Armani’s refined style and Samsung Electronics’ cuttingedge technology.

Giorgio Armani, President and CEO of Giorgio Armani SpA., commented: “Today more than ever, elegant dressing is part of daily business life. When Samsung asked me to design the new business and lifestyle smartphone I decided to use my fashion aesthetic to create it. I simply aim to create a smartphone which is not only an elegant tool but also functional and useful, perfect for today’s managers. The result is a unique smartphone perfectly suited to every moment of one’s business and private day. This is the Armani aesthetic - to com-

bine beauty with function in a simple and timeless way.”

Sandeep Saihgal, general manager of mobile phones, Samsung Gulf Electronics commented: “We are delighted to have reached another milestone in the collaboration between Giorgio Armani and Samsung Electronics. This latest-generation mobile masterfully combines our experience in technology with a design from one of the world’s best known designers, and the functions offered by Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system.

KUWAIT: The Chairman of BKME, Hamad Al-Marzouq (center) addresses the audience during the 43rd ordinary and the 22nd extraordinary general assembly meetings yesterday. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

BKME finalizes transition to Islamic banking system

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Bank of Kuwait and the Middle East (BKME) has converted to an Islamic bank and changed its name to Al-Ahli United. The Bank will start transactions according to the new system by the beginning of the second half of 2010. This announcement was made during the 43rd ordinary and the 22nd extraordinary general assembly meetings held yesterday at the BKME headquarters.

This decision is a historical event for the Bank of Kuwait and the Middle East, which in 1941, was the first bank established in Kuwait. “This decision is a result of the resolution adopted at the fortyfirst ordinary general assembly meeting convened on July 14 2008,” said Hamad Al-Marzouq, Chairman and Managing Director of BKME. “Our shareholders expressed their desire, and will, for the conversion of the Bank’s business to be exercised in compliance with Islamic Sharia,” The bank’s management has been eager to achieve this goal and has worked on it diligently.

“Notwithstanding the inconvenient economic conditions and the difficulties recently witnessed, and due to extraordinary efforts and immense cooperation, we have realized the outstanding success of converting into an Islamic banking system within the time frame set by the Central Bank of Kuwait,” Al-Marzouq said. “It is my pleasure to announce the accomplishment of this conversion within the one year time frame. This is an outstanding achievement,” he added.

According to Al-Marzouq, more than 85% of the BKME’s clients agreed to convert the bank. “The assets of the clients who didn’t agree with the conversion will be transferred to other banks,” he

explained. “We haven’t decided which bank to move it to yet because we are still waiting for the final numbers.”

Clients will notice the change in all levels of the bank’s business. “It covers all departments,” said Marzouq. “We have introduced state of the art technologies compatible with the specific nature of Islamic financing. We have also trained bank employees in the latest Islamic financial systems and recruited specialists to support the existing staff working at the bank. Plans were developed to ensure that we offer the latest in contemporary Islamic financing in order to satisfy the clients’ needs,” he stressed.

The BKME also developed business manuals and financial policies to comply with Islamic banking and the latest international accounting standards. “Measures were effected to arrange banking relations between BKME and other local, regional and international banks in accordance with Islamic banking practices,” added Marzouq. “All these achievements confirm the banks capability as a pioneer.” BKME is a great competitor on the local market. “There are already three Islamic banks in the market and there may be another one coming.

We still have the chance to excel. I don’t think the new banks can compete with us because we already have a base of clients numerous branches and we offer special services as well,” Al-Marzouq concluded. The banks successful transition was recognized by the resolution passed by the Central Bank of Kuwait’s Board of Directors on Sunday Dec 13, 2009. This resolution gave BKME the Central Bank of Kuwait’s final approval to convert their banking activities in compliance with Islamic Sharia provisions.

BUSINESS

Monday, January 11, 2010

23

Russian oil flows to Belarus despite talks failure MOSCOW: Russian oil continues to flow to Belarus and via Belarus to the European Union despite a failure by Moscow and Minsk to clinch a new oil supply deal at talks on Saturday, a Russian Energy Ministry spokeswoman said yesterday. “Belarus is holding back the negotiation process.

Russia has made unprecedented and very comfortable proposals about duty-free oil supplies...But Belarus is demanding more,” spokeswoman

Irina Yesipova said.

She said she didn’t know if talks would resume today or next week.

On Saturday, Belarus’ delegation left Moscow, and Minsk accused Russia of ignoring its arguments in a development that will revive fears of supply cuts to Europe, which have already pushed oil prices up. Talks have repeatedly broken down over the New Year period, resulting in a brief interruption in supplies to

Belarussian refineries.

Europe, mindful of a dispute in

oil, has yet to affect supplies to Europe, but it was a contributing fac-

and the United States to accuse the Kremlin of using its energy might to

Moscow accuses Minsk of holding back talks process 2007 that cut around a million barrels per day of Russian oil supplies via Belarus, are keen the ex-Soviet states resolve their differences. The latest dispute, which centers on the tariffs Belarus must pay for Russian

tor to oil’s push to a 15-month high above $83 a barrel during the past week. Russia has repeatedly clashed with ex-Soviet states over energy pricing in recent years, prompting politicians from the European Union

bring its neighbors to heel.

Russia says it wants simply to bring energy prices and transit fees into line with the market after subsidizing its neighbors for many years with preferential terms. Much of its

oil and gas must cross Ukraine and Belarus to reach Europe. Russia allowed Belarus to import around 20 million tons of oil last year at only 35.6 percent of the current crude export tariff. Russia has said Belarus can now buy only 6 million tons of Russian oil, for domestic needs only, duty-free.

While Minsk argues all Russian oil should be duty-free, Moscow now wants payment in full for about 14.5

million tons a year of crude that is mostly refined and re-exported.

Germany and Poland would be worst affected should the dispute affect transit supplies to Europe. Germany last year received 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude via the Druzhba pipeline, or just under 15 percent of its total consumption. Refineries belonging to Total, Shell and BP are among the biggest buyers of crude from Druzhba. — Reuters

Crisis-hit Romania hopes for recovery BUCHAREST: Among the European countries worst hit by the global slump, Romania sets out in 2010 in slightly better shape-a new government is in place, an aid deal with the IMF could be revitalized and growth may return. On the downside, however, Romania has had to pay a very high price for its troubles and the social cost be higher still for its 22 million people, analysts warn. “In 2010, the economy is likely to recover but from a social point of view things are likely to worsen,” Nicolae Chidesciuc, chief economist at ING Bank Romania said.

While expecting growth this year, ING analysts see unemployment jumping to 10 percent from 7.8 percent at the end of 2009. The jobless rate was 4.4 percent in December 2008, before the global economic crisis hit. The economy is likely to have contracted 7.0 percent in 2009 after 10 years of steady growth, suffering much more than other former Communist countries such as the Czech Republic, down 4.4 percent, or Poland which held onto positive figures.

The situation was made worse by political turmoil between the main parties, holding up the formation of a new government that the International Monetary Fund could work with. Tired of the instability, the IMF and the European Union decided in October to delay disbursements from a 20-billion-euro rescue package agreed earlier in the year to help Bucharest cope with the impact of the world economic crisis.

But in December, a new centre-right government was sworn in, a draft budget for 2010 is set to be approved by Parliament before January 15 and the IMF has revised its forecasts.

“We now project that growth will become positive

for 2010 at about 1.3 percent” as against an anticipated 0.5 percent, the IMF head of mission Jeffrey Franks said last month. “Growth will be fueled mainly by industry, especially firms exporting to Romania’s main markets in other EU countries,” financial advisor Aurelian Dochia, who sits on the board of BRD Bank, told AFP. “Internal demand will recover more slowly,” he added. “There is a tinge of optimism as far as growth is concerned,” Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu told lawmakers this week.

At the same time, he warned them though not to push for amendments that could impact the budget deficit target for 2010 set, in agreement with the IMF, at 5.9 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). If the budget is approved, Romania should then get access to two aid installments from the IMF worth a total of 2.3 billion euros (3.32 billion dollars).

The central bank announced on Tuesday a surprise interest rate cut of half a percentage point to 7.5 percent, citing a “relative improvement in foreign investor perceptions” of the economy and the country.

European firms present in Romania also generally expect an improvement in 2010 - with the country paying an average net salary of 325 euros a month, its labor costs are low. “Although it is too soon to dismiss political risks out of hand, as any further political turmoil would once again hold up the (rate) easing cycle, we see scope for further interest rate cuts over the coming months,” analysts at Capital Economics said in a note. They added that they expect the central bank’s key interest rate to fall to 6.9 percent by the end of this year.— AFP

ECB mulls interest rates Eurozone growth, debt in focus FRANKFURT: The European Central Bank is widely expected to keep its key interest rate at a record low 1.0 percent on Thursday, with the focus on eurozone economic prospects and how the Greek debt crisis plays out, analysts said.

“The ECB should hint that official interest rates will be on hold for some time yet,” Capital Economics economist Jennifer McKeown said as unemployment hit a eurozone record of 10 percent and plummeting retail sales raised fears a recovery could be derailed.

Meanwhile, “the current Greek crisis has again moved the structural problems of EMU (European Monetary Union) into the focus of interest,” Commerzbank chief economist Joerg Kraemer said. Across the continent, there is concern that serious fiscal problems in Greece and elsewhere threatens the credibility of the eurozone-ECB economist Juergen Stark has publicly warned that Athens must not expect a European Union bailout.

Greek public debt was estimated at 113 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009 and is set to rise further this year compared with an EU limit of 60 percent. The 16-nation eurozone’s first recession has exacerbated fiscal weakness among its members, presenting the ECB with widely contrasting situations. Germany should wrestle its finances back into shape fairly soon but “peripheral” members like Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain must “step up budget consolidation far more than the core countries,” Kraemer said.

A monetary policy that is right for Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris could thus mean serious problems for Athens, Lisbon and Madrid. The eurozone has also seen private sector credit shrink over the past three months and “the ECB will probably not consider rate hikes until a turnaround in lending to the corporate sector is visible,” Commerzbank’s Michael Schubert said. One

reason for the fall is weaker demand from companies and households amid the recession, which ended in late 2009 and is expected to be followed by 0.8 percent growth this year that the ECB warns will be uneven and uncertain.

Consumers in particular have proven wary of splashing out on big purchases as unemployment climbs inexorably higher, resulting in a 1.2 percent drop in retail sales in November from October and a 12-month fall of 4.0 percent. Those figures “confirmed that the recovery has yet to reach the household sector,” McKeown noted.

Deutsche Bank economist Gilles Moec said consumers recognized “the end of the ‘deflation windfall’ which had propped up spending in the spring and early summer.”

Elsewhere, eurozone industrial production expanded in December and consumer sentiment reached its highest level since US investment bank Lehman Brothers collapsed in September 2008 but the results were not broad-based.

Overall output and consumer goods rose while new orders gained for the fifth straight month but Irish production fell and slumps in Greece and Spain remained entrenched as more people left the workforce. Spanish unemployment soared more than 25 percent last year. “All of this will make the ECB’s job considerably harder as it ponders the appropriate monetary policy stance for the eurozone,” McKeown said.

Another bright spot was provided by inflation however, which stood at a tame 0.9 percent in December, official EU data showed. ECB economist Stark told an Italian newspaper: “I don’t see risks for price stability from now to the end of 2011,” suggesting that rates could be on hold for longer than markets expect. In London, the Bank of England left its key interest rate at a record low of 0.50 percent and maintained radical credit-easing plans last week as Britain awaits data set to signal the end of its deep recession. — AFP

RUNCORN: Salt is loaded into waiting trucks from stockpiles in Runcorn, England, as local councils struggle to keep roads clear of snow and ice yesterday. Around 12,000 tons of salt at the UK distribution facility has been diverted from going abroad, and is being distributed across Britain to alleviate chronic shortages in some regions. —AP

Britain to shrug off wintry economic chill: Analysts Cold weather worsens downturn LONDON: The British economy, forecast to emerge soon from recession, will likely shrug off the most brutal winter in decades as many Britons simply delay purchases and work from home to beat the big freeze. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the nation’s biggest employers’ organization, admitted that the cold weather was causing “massive disruption” for companies already suffering from weak demand in the downturn.

The CBI also argued, however, that the economic impact will be mitigated by the growing adoption of high-speed Internet services that allow many to shop or work from the comfort of their own homes. Economist Howard Archer, who covers Britain and Europe for IHS Global Insight, played down the effects of heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures.

“These things tend not to have as much impact as often feared,” Archer said.

“Obviously, the longer it persists the more it will hit retail spending and affect some business activity but these things tend to be made up once conditions return to normal. “For example, people tend to delay their retail spending rather than cancel it,” he added. With icy conditions making it almost impossible to travel, many people are choosing instead to sit on their sofas, flick on the heating and power up their home computers and laptops. Consumers will also transfer their spending to other items, said Collin Ellis, economist at Daiwa Capital Markets

Europe.

“I would not expect (the bad weather) to have a big impact on economic growth,” Ellis said. “Obviously if people are struggling to get to work, that means it may take longer to fill orders. “But I suspect the most likely outcome may be a further transfer between different types of consumption-more meals at home versus eating out.” Britain’s big freeze will slash around 1.0 billion pounds (1.1 billion euros, 1.6 billion dollars) from the nation’s daily economic output, according to forecasts from the Centre for Economics and Business Research consultancy.

However, Keith Pilbeam, economics professor at London’s City University, said the true impact on the economy was impossible to quantify. “Although the true cost of the current wintry weather on our economy cannot be calculated precisely, it will create a number of economic issues,” Pilbeam said. “The full effects of the weather will depend on the severity and duration of the wintry conditions

Alshamel International supports growing Kuwaiti enterprises

BREMEN: Photo shows a worker polishing a Mercedes C-class car in the Mercedes manufacturing site in Bremen, northern Germany. German exports were up 1.6 percent on the month in November, increasing for the third consecutive month as global economic gloom lightened. Germany, which is Europe’s biggest economy, exported goods worth euro 73.7 billion (US$105.9 billion) in November, the Federal Statistical Office said. — AP

KUWAIT: Alshamel International, the leading Kuwait-based travel management company recently participated in the Get2gether “I’m An Innovator” event. Held for the second year, from 7th-9th January 2010 at Movenpick Hotel Free Trade Zone, the event aimed at providing a platform for small Kuwaiti projects in achieving their goals. Alshamel International Holding was at the forefront by participating as one of the Gold sponsors of the event. Attended by the industries top representatives, decision makers, senior level professionals and influential delegates, the event proved to be a success with over 160 growing, Kuwaiti led projects featured under one roof this year.

Derin Cameron, CEO Alshamel International Holding said “We are delighted to be a part of this fantastic event.

Get2gether “I’m An Innovator”

is an excellent platform for us to show our support for small Kuwaiti businesses and encourage them to grow. It also helps us strengthen our relationships across this industry segment and make contact with exciting new businesses. We believe in the capabilities of the Kuwaiti youth and are pleased to be able to help them achieve their potential in the booming Kuwaiti market.”

Alshamel International has been operating in the Middle East for over 12 years, offering a wide range of travel products and services for corporate and individual customers. With branches all across Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and soon in Oman and Saudi Arabia, the company’s dedicated team of leisure travel professionals has the knowledge, experience and range of solutions to tailor make packages to best suit the requirements of VIP customers and corporate clients.

we are currently experiencing.” Profits and sales will be damaged but some businesses will also benefit as more people stay at home. “For businesses, the reduction in revenues coupled with paying staff who cannot make it to work-and so are not producing-will be very damaging to their profitability,” Pilbeam said.

“However, the absence of staff from the workplace will benefit some companies, such as utilities, as people stay at home, switch on the television and turn up the heating. “The widespread wintry weather will mean an increased demand for commodities such as oil and gas, which will lead to higher prices that may prove long lasting,” he added. British annual inflation jumped to 1.9 percent in November because of rising fuel prices, recent official data showed. CEBR head Douglas Williams warned that some businesses could go to the wall in the bad weather but agreed that the overall impact was limited.

“Don’t exaggerate (the) economic impact of the freeze-much of the lost

GDP (gross domestic product) will be made up in the coming weeks - but some cash-strapped businesses might be pushed over the edge,” Williams said.

“But all the past research shows that the impact of extreme weather on GDP is surprisingly small,” he said, adding that many businesses were already operating below full capacity because of the recession. Most analysts agree that the effects of wintry weather will simply be reversed when the big freeze thaws out.

“The wintry spell is likely to have an adverse impact on industrial production as well as a generally disruptive effect on the service sector as three million workers are reckoned to have missed work in the worst affected areas,” said VTB Capital economist Neil MacKinnon.

“Obviously, these are temporary effectsas better weather would simply see a sharp rebound in output and activity.

“The underlying picture of the UK economy is one where there are tentative signs of a gradual move out of recession,” MacKinnon added. — AFP

Spain’s Crown Prince to participate in Abu Dhabi World Future Energy Summit ABU DHABI: The Crown Prince of Spain, Felipe de Borbon y Grecia has confirmed his participation in the upcoming World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. His Royal Highness will be a keynote speaker in the Plenary welcome session on the first day of the Summit on January 18th.

President Obama recently named Spain, Germany and Japan as three countries that have made a “real investment in renewable energy”.

The investment has resulted in the Spanish renewable energy market growing tremendously over the last eight years. HE Gonzalo de Benito, Ambassador of Spain in the United Arab Emirates said: “Spain represents one of the leading countries worldwide in

Crown Prince Felipe de Borbon

the renewable energy industry. Spain strongly supports the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) in Abu Dhabi.

We foresee a strong Spanish presence at the third edition of the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, through the presence of HRH. Prince Felipe, Crown Prince of Spain; together with a larger number of Spanish leading companies.” In his role as Crown Prince he has played a very active role in the promotion of Spain’s economic and commercial interests. His Royal Highness graduated from University of Georgetown (Washington DC) with a Master’s degree in International Relations at the Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service.

24

BUSINESS

Monday, January 11, 2010

Gulf Bank sponsors College of Business Administration’s Open Day KUWAIT: Gulf Bank began its new year by sponsoring Kuwait University’s College of Business Administration’s Open Day on January 3rd, 2010 which was held at “Sahaat Al-Alaam”. The open day was organized by the Student Association at the College of Business Administration. The event included various activities and

exhibitions such as a haunted house, photography exhibition, and various participating restaurants catered to the visitors. An arts and crafts bazaar with over 60 participants were in attendance making the day even more interesting for the students.

Approximately 3000 people participated in this event and Gulf Bank took the opportunity

to showcase its ‘Red’ program for university students; an account specifically designed for 18-24 year olds and which requires no deposit. The Bank handed out gifts bags to visitors.

For those that signed up for an account during the event, the “red box” was delivered to them. Red offers many innovative features including a no min-

imum balance charge, free online banking, free welcome gifts, exclusive discounts at selected shops and restaurants, all without the need for parental signature.

Gulf Bank is committed to supporting education and encouraging people to succeed and realize their ambitions. The Bank’s dedication to promoting a

more prosperous Kuwait stems out of its own commitment in being a financial institution that is socially dedicated. To find out more about Red, customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 50 branches strategically located all over Kuwait or log on to Gulf Bank’s bilingual website www.egulfbank.com for more information.

Wataniya sponsors ‘Thank you My Teacher’ festival KUWAIT: For the fifth consecutive year, Wataniya Telecom has sponsored “Thank You My Teacher” festival organized under the patronage of HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

The festival lasted for three days and was filled with honoring events and many activities organized by the Kuwaiti Teachers Society.

Wataniya’s initiative in sponsoring the festival reinforces its commitment to support the educational sector and its full trust in the teaching cadre in Kuwait that is aiming to educate the youth and prepare them for a brighter future. Wataniya affirms its social responsibility by concentrating on encouraging and supporting all cultural and educational organizations.

Regarding the sponsorship, Abdul Aziz Al Balool PR Manager of Wataniya said: “At Wataniya we are committed to assisting all educational and national activities.

With pride we are sponsoring this yearly festival which aims to give teacher’s their right and thank them for all their continuous efforts in building a society of strong and educated youths.” Al Balool also added: “Wataniya believes in its social role in sponsoring such occasions that help in building a better society. A society with intelligent youth that is capable of achieving abundance of accomplishments and successes for the sake of Kuwait.”

The festival carried on for three days in which the first day was dedicated to honor the teaching cadre in appreciation of the long period of time spent with the Ministry of Education and their consistent efforts to shape a productive youth. During the second day, they unveiled the memorial statue designed for

AL FAJER RE joins the QATARLYST platform KUWAIT: AL FAJER RE, the Kuwait based reinsurer, has become the first Retakaful company to join the QATARLYST platform in order to offer an improved and speedier service to its many supporting brokers and clients. Eddie Melvin, Chief Underwriting Officer of AL FAJER RE commented that he is confident that the QATARLYST platform, with its substantial financial backing, will go from strength to strength in the coming years and AL FAJER RE is proud to be one of the founding members. AL FAJER

KUWAIT: Edward Melvin, Chief Underwriting Officer Al Fajer Re pictured with James Sutherland, Chief Executive Officer.

KUWAIT: His Highness honoring Wataniya Telecom PR Manager Abdul Aziz Al Balool the occasion at the 360 mall in honor of the teachers in Kuwait. The memorial statue was created by millions of pencils by a group of students representing schools around Kuwait.

On the third day, the festival was concluded by a forum under the title of “A Teacher and Proud”, brought together by the minister of education Dr Mothi Al Hmood, Khaled Al Fadala representative of Social Securities and Ayed Al Sahli President of Kuwaiti Teachers Society. During which, they focused on the contributions to be made by all three parties to support the teacher in his educational aims and highlight his/her pivotal role in building the society.

Appreciation and gratitude were expressed for Wataniya’s initiatives by the President of the Kuwaiti

Society for Teachers Ayed Al-Sahli: “We view Wataniya as a success partner to this festival since it was launched five years ago in Kuwait.

Wataniya is always leading in providing all the necessary support and assistance to thank the teachers for their devotion and dedication.” AlSahli also added: “We thank Wataniya today and deeply value its responsibility towards the society which reflects its commitment as a Kuwaiti company serving its role.” Worthy to mention about Wataniya, that since it started operating in Kuwait in 1999 has been devoted to build upon its corporate social responsibility strategy aspiring to strengthen the Kuwaiti society. It has sponsored a number of social events and in different fields such as athletic, art and many more.

and securely to in-house systems, it offers the flexibility of the web with the stability of high-cost internal systems and architectures. QATARLYST will offer all the processes required from both a placing and quoting perspective through to binding, including the offering of insurance contracts to a selected group of (re) insurers with structured data, negotiation on those offers, decline or accept of offer, submission and agreement of endorsement or cancellations to bound quotes and contracts.

RE has a capitalization of KD 50m ($175m) and is a member of Dubai Group. AL FAJER RE accepts treaty and facultative business and has a client base that includes some of the largest insurance companies in the Mena and Asia regions.

QATARLYST is a webbased solution that can be accessed via a standard web browser from anywhere in the world, making it both costeffective and ideal for multinational transactions. With a robust security architecture, and the ability to link directly

Real estate residential sector ‘set to recover’ KUWAIT: A real estate expert expected the real estate market of the residential sector to prosper in 2010 due to the political stability and the rescheduling of debts for some companies. Speaking to KUNA, Director General of the real estate division at Al-Mishkat Real Estate Group, Yusuf Al-Alian referred the prosperity of the real estate market in the residential sector to the verdict issued in favor of the Kuwait Finance House and Kuwait Bank and the Middle East (BKME) transfer into an Islamic Bank.

Al-Alian expected the investment sector to increase by 12 percent and the leasing rates to decrease by 10 percent.

The prices of the real estate business sector have been stable and the leasing rates declined due to the reduction of funding. The real estate in 2009 in Kuwait witnessed an extreme recession especially with the low demand during the first ten months of 2009.

The trading volume decreased in all

real estate sectors including the private residence, investment, and business, industrial or agricultural. People were incapable of buying real estates, thus a decline of 30 to 40 percent was observed since the beginning of the global financial crunch, he added. The prices of the real estate in areas such as Ishbiliya reached KD 100,000 for an area of 400 square meter, overlooking one street; and KD 110,000 for an area of 500 square meters in Messilah; and KD 70,000 for an area of 300 square meters in Funaitees and Abu Fatirah; and KD 100,000 for an area of 500 square meters in Oqailah.

Prices reached KD 170,000 for an area of 500 square meters in Zahra area; KD 240,000 for an area of 500 square meters in the Salam area; and finally KD 35,000 for a 400 square meters in the Residential Kheran area, the real estate expert said. Citizens with good financial status showed greater interest and demand on residential houses especially

after the verdict in favor of Kuwait Finance House and the Islamic Banks to trade in residential houses.

The prices of the houses in some areas remained the same, where as other areas, the prices went down, he said. The price of a two stories and half house in Ishbiliya, over a 400 square meter area, overlooking two streets reached KD 190,000; whereas a two stories house in Oqailah over a 375 square meters, corner location, reached up to KD 170,000; a three stories house in West Jelib over a 400 square meters area reached KD 190,000. The prices of the houses in local areas were stable with a slight decline due to the low demand and the hesitant buyers.

With the beginning of the last quarter of 2009, the real estate prospered and the prices of the houses and lands have changed and noticeably increased in the new areas and the areas of which the Municipality finished from infrastructure

works such as Funaitees and Abu Fatirah.The investment sector witnessed a state of stability and equilibrium on the supply and demand during the first half of 2009, with a slight change of the demand on the buildings which violate the Municipality’s regulations because they yield better profits and the possibility of selling them reaches 13 percent.

The investment sector of the second half of 2009 witnessed a slight demand which affected the prices of the buildings and the percentage rates. In which, the percentage rate of Hawalli and Salmiyah was nine percent and has become ten, and in Mahboulah, Abu Halifah, and Fintas, was 11 percent and reached 12, and Farwaniya was nine percent and reached 11. The business sector was the strongest in 2009 concerning the supply and demand and the increase of its price; however with the first half of 2009, this sector underwent some problems due to the lack of tenants. —KUNA

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 US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals

.2830000 .4560000 .4100000 .2750000 .2770000 .2620000 .0045000 .0020000 .0776760 .7568070 .4020000 .0750000 .7419170 .0045000 .0500000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2861500 .4584350 .4122840 .2776660 .2795920 .0554220 .0404420 .2645610 .0368900 .2053250 .0030880 .0062950 .0025100 .0034060 .0041920 .0779470 .7594070 .4046970 .0763460 .7436230 .0062880 TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2882500 .4616730 .2796330 .0768330

.2930000 .4670000 .4170000 .2860000 .2840000 .2700000 .0075000 .0035000 .0784600 .7644130 .4180000 .0790000 .7493730 .0072000 .0570000 .2882500 .4616730 .4151960 .2796330 .2815730 .0558150 .0407290 .2664290 .0371520 .2067800 .0031100 .0063400 .0025280 .0034300 .0042220 .0784440 .7642510 .4075640 .0768330 .7483660 .0063330

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 287.450 Euro 418.000

Sterling Pound Canadian dollar Turkish lire Swiss Franc Australian dollar US Dollar Buying 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 Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

464.400 284.600 196.920 283.800 265.610 285.000 ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.147 6.279 3.383 2.510 3.934 207.000 37.084 4.159 6.276 8.675 0.301 0.292 ARAB COUNTRIES 55.000 52.730 1.390 219.430 406.120 194.220 6.328 37.234 GCC COUNTRIES 76.694 79.013 747.110 763.800 78.324 GOLD 225.000 115.000 60.500

Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal 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 10 Tola Sterling Pound US Dollar

SELL CASH 269.600 764.270 4.480 282.800 693.400 15.800 56.300 54.960 418.000

37.610 6.280

406.520 0.193 86.990 3.940 214.300

SELL DRAFT 268.100 764.270 4.162 281.300

52.735 416.500

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Cyprus Pound Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees

287.300 279.775 461.880 415.995 279.090 721.610 761.855 78.200 78.845 76.640 405.415 52.750 6.275 3.395

Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

2.510 4.165 6.265 3.120 8.675 5.540 3.890

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency

746.360 3.400 6.270 79.060 76.730 207.720 41.630 2.510 462.500 283.100 8.860 78.420 287.400

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Egyptian pound Euro Cash

37.760 6.520 0.034 0.290 0.260 3.180 407.690 0.194 86.990 38.700 4.240 215.800 2.183 51.500 746.540 3.490 6.450 79.490 76.730 207.720 41.630 2.761 464.500 41.400 284.600 6.400 9.030 222.000 78.420 287.800 1.430 GOLD 1,224.200 TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 462.500 287.400

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Candaian Dollars

287.250 3.395 6.285 2.520 4.165 6.305 78.245 76.720 763.700 52.725 465.900 0.0000306 1.550 408.100 5.750 419.500 286.200

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer rate

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

287.000 415.800 462.250 3.140 6.285 52.705 2.509 4.150 6.270 3.395 763.750 78.200 76.650

BUSINESS

Monday, January 11, 2010

25

Five predictions for 2010 Arab-Asian trade KUWAIT: KCIC, an investment firm specializing in investments in Asia, hosted a closed discussion on the outlook for 2010 Arab-Asian trade relations with CEOs and analysts from leading financial institutions in Kuwait and Ben Simpfendorfer, author of the book ‘The New Silk Road’ and chief China Economist at the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Ben Simpenforder is an expert in the economic and social interaction between the Middle East and China.

He joined the Royal Bank of Scotland in 2005, having previously been Senior China Economist at JPMorgan. He appears regularly on CNBC and Bloomberg and is quoted in major daily newspapers such as the Financial Times and the New York Times.

Simpfendorfer speaks Arabic and Chinese and has lived in Beirut, Damascus, Beijing and Hong Kong. During the talk, Simpendorfer delivered the following five projections for 2010 Arab-Asian relations: Projections:- Trade flows will remain at the heart of the ‘New Silk Road’. Trade and investments between the

Middle East and emerging Asia quadrupled in the last 10 years. In 2009, China overtook the USA as the largest exporter to the Middle East.

This trend will continue, and more trade will be seen between the Middle East and emerging Asia. l China’s push into Africa will ensure that Dubai’s troubles are only temporary. The volume of financial flows that China can bring into the African continent will help boost Dubai’s position as an essential hub connecting Asia with Africa. l Factory closures in the Middle East threaten to spoil China’s relations with the Middle East. -Thanks to Chinese exports to the Middle East, low and middle income households can afford to purchase ordinary goods once considered unaffordable. However, ‘made-inChina’ competitive goods have threatened local factories and small businesses, such as textile manufacturing in Egypt and Syria. l China’s energy policy is at an inflexion point in the Middle East. -As China continues to grow, its demand for energy imports continue

KCIC hosts Ben Simpfendorfer, author of ‘The New Silk Road’

to increase, pushing the country to pursue stronger ties with the Middle East.

The Silk Road accounts for 48% of the World’s oil production and Middle East producers are expected to sign medium term contracts with China.

l The flow of ideas is no longer only East-West. It’s also East-East.- The traditional paradigm of East-West relations overlooks the growing internal flows within the Eastern hemisphere and, more specifically, the increasing relations between

the Middle and Far East. The Middle East and China share some of the same developmental challenges and are increasingly looking at each other for solutions.

Simpendorfer also posed on five questions to be considered in 2010:

Questions Does Asia’s growth model need to change in order to survive the crisis?

Can Asia’s export-led growth model - that brought a dynamic momentum to its economy and ensured social stability by protecting jobs -

survive in the long term?

What is the role of Islam in the ‘New Silk Road’?

China and Asia in general witnessed a rise in Islamic banking and investment related products over the last few years. Chinese investors are attracted by the straightforward design of Islamic wealth products, which are less volatile than conventional investments and offer a return based on performance.

Will the Arab world benefit from its demographic dividend?

Asia’s demographic dividend spurs energy demand and Arab investments, but will it suffice? Will the Arab demographic dividend pay off in a similar way?

Why has intra-investment between China and the Middle East disappointed?

Intra-investment between China and the Middle East has not met expectations to date.

Would 2010 be a turning point?

Can the Arab world’s lowcost manufacturers succeed in a globalized world?

Would the Arab world’s low-cost manufacturers be able to continue facing an increase in exports of Asian’s

competitive goods? KCIC Chief Economist Alessandro Magnoli Bocchi said: “As Asia and the Middle East rediscover trade and investment opportunities on the New Silk Road, it was a great opportunity to host Ben Simpfendorfer. The depth and timing of the insights that he shared are invaluable to any student of the economies of emerging Asia. We thank him for responding to our invitation and look forward to hosting him again in the future”.

KCIC was founded in 2005 with a capital of KD 80 million by an Emiree Decree with a mandate to develop investment opportunities in Asia towards building an Asia focused asset management company. The public company employs a team of Asian specialists and currently manages assets in excess of USD 450 million. Key shareholders include the Kuwait Investment Authority, the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Kuwait, National Investment Company, one of the leading investment banks in the Middle East, and Al Ghanim Industries, one of the largest conglomerates in the Middle East.

2009 full year surplus $196.1 billion, down 34%

China Dec exports, imports surge on economic strength GUANGDONG: Chinese college students wait to attend a job fair at the South China Institute of Software Engineering in Guangzhou, in south China’s Guangdong province. —AP

China will likely spend full amount of stimulus Cabinet steps up measures to curb investment in real estate BEIJING: China’s government will likely spend the full amount of its planned stimulus in 2010, the finance minister said yesterday, despite improvements in its economy and efforts to control bank lending. Separately, China’s Cabinet announced measures to curb speculation in the property market. Finance Minister Xie Xuren’s comments could help to reassure companies and investors that Beijing will keep spending to shore up growth.

Xie said Beijing plans to spend 992.7 billion yuan ($145.3 billion) on public investment in 2010, Xinhua News Agency reported, including 572.2 billion yuan of stimulus funds. The state-run news agency gave no indication whether Xie’s comments included whether the rest of the stimulus due to come from other levels of government also would be fully spent. China’s stimulus calls for pumping 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) into the economy in 2009 and 2010 through higher spending on public works and aid to industry. Some 1.18 trillion yuan of that is coming from Beijing and the rest from local governments, state companies and lending by government-owned banks.

Xie’s comments add to a string of assurances that official aid will continue, especially to private companies, which missed out on the first year of the stimulus. Most funds last year went to stateowned construction companies and suppliers of steel and cement to build airports and other public works facilities. China’s economic growth accelerated to 8.9 percent in the third quarter of 2009, which prompted some economists to say Beijing should start thinking about how to wind down its stimulus. But Premier Wen Jiabao and other officials say the recovery is still not firmly established and have warned against complacency.

The government has ordered banks to control lending following a stimulus-driven credit surge in mid-2009 and is trying to prevent over-investment in steel, cement and some other industries.

That has stirred unease among some investors that Chinese leaders might be winding down the stimulus and cutting access to credit.

Meanwhile, the minister also said Beijing’s central government revenues rose 11.7 percent in 2009 despite the global financial crisis. That could help to reinforce confidence that Beijing can continue stimulus spending without straining its finances. Economists say China can afford more stimulus because its debt is low compared with other major economies and tax revenues are still strong.

Xie did not give a deficit figure but said it was within the budget approved by the national legislature last March. The government projected then that it would run a deficit of 951 billion yuan ($138 billion) in 2009, equal to about 3 percent of China’s $3.5 trillion economy. The State Council, China’s Cabinet, stepped up measures yesterday to curb unauthorized investment in real estate, a move aimed at countering speculation.

Communist leaders have been trying for three years to cool a boom in housing costs that they worry could ignite a backlash if the poor are priced out of the market.

But credit limits and curbs meant to discour-

age speculation and increase the supply of lowcost housing have failed to slow price rises.

Housing prices rose 5.7 percent year-on-year in November to a 16-month high and new construction rocketed almost 200 percent, while sales nearly doubled. “With the recovery of the real estate market, such problems as excessively rising house prices have recently emerged in some cities, which call for great attention,” the State Council said in a notice.

The notice called for strengthening the monitoring of capital flow and foreign investment to prevent credit from entering the real estate sector illegally and “stop overseas speculative funds from jeopardizing China’s property market.” It said families applying to buy second homes backed by loans should foot a minimum down-payment of at least 40 percent. Governments at all levels should increase the supply of affordable homes to help resolve the housing difficulties of 15.4 million low-income households by the end of 2012, it said. —AP

Food prices soar in North Korea SEOUL: Food prices in North Korea have soared this year amid chronic shortages, a Seoul-based welfare group said yesterday, as a world relief agency struggles to raise funds for the impoverished state. Good Friends, citing its own contacts in the reclusive North, said prices for rice and corn doubled last week at markets in the capital Pyongyang and in the eastern port city of Chongjin.

Rice prices ranged from 120-150 won per kilogram in Pyongyang and 110 to 140 won in Chongjin last week-up from 40 to 50 won reported on December 30, the group said. Corn also traded higher at 70-75 won last week-up from 2025 won on December 30 in the areas, it added.

Seoul’s unification ministry, handling cross-border issues, could not confirm the data. The official exchange rate is 135 won to the dollar but the black market rate is between 2,000 and 3,000 won.

The report came as the World Food Program struggles to raise relief funds for the food shortage-hit North.

Major donors-including South Korea and the United States-refuse to help in protest at its second nuclear test in May last year. Statistics available at the WFP website display it raised 89.8 million dollars as of late last month, around only 18 percent of its target of 492 million dollars in relief funds for the communist North. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has admitted failing to deliver an acceptable standard of living for the communist nation’s people, according to Rodong Sinmun, the ruling communist party newspaper, Saturday.

“The president has said that people should be allowed to eat white rice and meat soup, wear silk clothes and live under tiled roofs,” the leader was quoted as saying, citing his father and “eternal” President Kim Il-Sung who died in 1994. “But we’ve so far failed to carry out this goal.” “I will certainly resolve the issue of people’s livelihood within the shortest possible period and achieve the president’s last wish,” he said. —AFP

BEIJING: Growth in China’s exports and imports last month blew past declines; imports surged 55.9 percent, much more than the 31.0 percent expectations, providing fresh evidence of the vigor of the economy and increase markets had expected. “The strong acceleration in imports may strengthening the case for Beijing to let the yuan start climbing again. heighten the chances of overheating and put more pressure for the governExports leapt 17.7 percent from a year earlier, dwarfing the 4.0 percent rise ment to tighten policy,” said Wang Hu, an economist at Guotai Junan forecast by economists and breaking a 13-month streak of year-on-year Securities in Beijing.

Based on the trade data, he estimated industrial output in December grew by more than 25 percent from a year earlier and that GDP growth in the fourth quarter exceeded 11 percent. Despite the leap in exports, the even bigger jump in imports meant China’s trade surplus slipped to $18.4 billion in December from $19.1 billion in November and $39.0 billion in December 2008. Economists had expected it to tick up to $19.6 billion.

China was not the only Asian exporter to enjoy a dazzling December. South Korea and Taiwan reported export growth of 46.9 percent and 33.7 percent, respectively. But China is far bigger, overtaking Germany as the world’s biggest exporter of goods in 2009. Its booming investment and consumption are helping to rebalance the world economy even though Beijing has refused to let the yuan rise against the dollar since the global financial crisis began in mid-2008, said Rob Subbaraman, chief Asia economist at Nomura in Hong Kong.

Its imports of crude oil also hit a monthly record, while iron ore shipments were the second highest ever and cop- BEIJING: A man walks on a pedestrian overhead bridge passes vehicles drive on a heavy traffic in Beijing. per imports beat expectations.

China overtook the United States as the biggest auto market in 2009 and automakers should see more strong Booming Chinese demand will be a boon for commodity growth this year. —AP exporters like Australia, said they had feared. “The govern- August. And yesterday the cab- Beijing. “China is in need of tistics official with the General Liu Nenghua, an economist ment needs some time to see inet voiced fresh concern over exports to create jobs and to Administration of Customs, with Bank of Communications what happens. The really criti- the bubbly property market promote economic growth, called the rebound in in Shanghai. “It shows that cal period is the first quarter of and vowed not to let specula- there’s no doubt about that,” December exports “an imporChina will continue to play an 2010: if the situation continues tive inflows heat it up. Other Lin said. tant turning point”. He cited important role in driving world to be rosy, then the govern- economists agreed that the Brian Jackson, an economist strength in export orders evieconomic growth,” he said. ment may have to change a yuan could start to rise around with Royal Bank of Canada, dent in last month’s survey of YUAN PRESSURE slew of policies, including its the end of March if exports said strong exports would purchasing managers as eviLiu said policy would not exchange rate policy,” he said. remain strong. But any appre- increase pressure on Beijing to dence that exports are set to change in response to one China flagged the possibility ciation would be moderate, in allow some appreciation, grow further. “It is safe to say month’s figures, but the strong of tighter policy settings last the order of 3 percent for the “while also making it easier to now that Chinese exporters data would further reassure week when the central bank whole year, as China strove to justify such a move to domestic have come right through the Chinese officials that global nudged up a key money market protect export jobs, said Lin audiences”, he said in a note to period of weakness,” Huang demand was not as weak as rate for the first time since Songli at Guosen Securities in clients. Huang Guohua, a sta- told state television. —Reuters

Indian firms set to report profits rise MUMBAI: Indian firms are expected to announce a sharp rise in profits when the quarterly reporting season kicks off this week, aided by improving business and a low base from the depths of the financial crisis. The 30 companies that make up Mumbai’s benchmark Sensex index are forecast to announce a year-on-year increase in net profit of between 15 and 20 percent for the quarter ending December, analysts said.

“We have definitely turned the corner.

Earnings will be robust, aided by the low base effect of the December 2008 quarter,” said Hitesh Agrawal, head of research at Mumbai’s Angel Broking. India’s economy grew by a faster-than-expected 7.9 percent in the three months to September, picking up pace from the previous quarter when it expanded by 6.1 percent. “Demand across

sectors is picking up and business confidence is high. The economy has been boosted by foreign capital inflows and government stimulus packages,” said Jigar Shah, senior vice president of Kim Eng Securities India.

Infosys Technologies, the Bangalorebased pioneer of India’s flagship software sector, announces its profits tomorrow, the first index heavyweight to report earnings.

TCS, the largest software exporter, announces its earnings on January 15 and rival Bangalore-based Wipro on January 20.

India’s largest oil exploration firm Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) takes its turn on January 21 and the country’s largest passenger car maker Maruti Suzuki India will be centre stage on January 23.

The improved business sentiment in India is reflected in the Mumbai stock

exchange which vaulted by 80 percent over 2009 - its biggest annual gain in 18 yearsafter it had declined 52 percent in full-year 2008. Such has been the force of the revival that India’s government and central bank now face a tricky balancing act in fighting inflation and keeping economic recovery on track. Analysts say that any monetary policy action in coming months is likely to be mild to avoid snuffing out the recovery.

“The RBI could make a ‘calibrated exit’ from the current overtly accommodative monetary policy,” Edelweiss Securities analyst Siddharth Sanyal said in a latest report to clients.

A hike in rates or the cash reserve ratiothe amount which commercial banks have to keep aside as deposit-would take place during the first quarter of calendar year 2010, the Edelweiss report said. Finance Minister

Pranab Mukherjee in December said he expected India to grow between 7.5 and 8.0 percent for the year to March 2010. Shah and Agrawal said the recovery would mean Indian companies had to cope with rising input costs from metals, commodities, fuel prices and financing-if the expected tightening of monetary policy materializes.

“Companies have to get proactive as input costs will start to rise,” Agrawal said, forecasting Sensex companies to show a 20percent profit growth in the three months to December. India was better insulated from the direct impact of the global turmoil that hit growth in 2008 and early 2009 due to its strong local demand base. Sectors such as automobiles, steel, cement and infrastructure could report the strongest results thanks to robust domestic demand, analysts say. —AFP

BUSINESS

26 BUENOS AIRES: The Argentine government appealed Saturday a court ruling to reinstate the central bank chief a day after President Cristina Kirchner ordered him removed in a brewing crisis over external debt payments. Federal Judge Maria Jose Sarmiento temporarily suspended the government decree allowing the use of central bank reserves to pay down the national debt and called for central bank boss Martin Redrado to be reinstated.

Sarmiento, who denounced the presence of a police vehicle outside his home as “abnormal” pressure, refused to hear the appeals over the weekend, saying he has no jurisdiction outside of his office.

“The court of appeals says the issue cannot wait,” cabinet chief Anibal Fernandez told C5N television. President Cristina Kirchner dismissed Redrado on Thursday over his refusal to release 6.59 billion dollars from the central bank’s reserves to pay down national debt due to mature this year, in a bid to return Argentina to international credit markets.

He was replaced by central bank vice president Miguel Pesce, who was given provisional control of the bank. Analysts have warned of a showdown between the government and opposition lawmakers who back Redrado could hit the country’s fragile economy.

Argentine bonds sank on Friday on news of a deepening crisis, as local investors sought better returns for increased risk, raising the cost of borrowing.

Argentina’s economy-Latin America’s third largest-is still struggling to recover from a massive default in 2001, which left the country’s finances decimated and choked access to international credit markets.

Kirchner’s administration appealed the judge’s two rulings, but Sarmiento can still reject the request, which would pave the way for the case to reach the Supreme Court. “I’m very calm, convinced that I fulfilled my mission to pro-

Monday, January 11, 2010

tect the savings of all Argentines,” Redrado said Friday in rejecting the government’s arguments to dismiss him.

He said he intended to finish his sixyear term expiring in September “because in its 75-year history, the central bank has had 55 presidents.

That makes the Argentine system unstable.” Vice President Julio Cobos, head of the Senate and opposition leader, called on Congress to break from its summer recess to discuss the validity of the decrees next week. Redrado became president of the central bank in 2004 under the government of Nestor Kirchner, husband of the current president. — AFP

Venezuela weakens currency for the first time in five years Nervous shoppers fear sharp price rises for imported goods CARACAS: President Hugo Chavez’s decision to devalue Venezuela’s currency for the first time in nearly five years aims to stretch oil earnings further and counter a recession by increasing government spending. The devaluation of the bolivar lessens a wide gap with the black-market exchange rate for dollars and will unavoidably push inflation - already the

highest in Latin America at 25 percent - to even higher levels. Opposition leaders on Saturday called the devaluation a blow to Venezuelans that will make them pay through inflation while letting the government instantly convert its oil revenue into more cash domestically to boost spending ahead of congressional elections.

CARACAS: People crowd outside an electronics store to buy appliances they fear soon will be considerably more expensive. The currency’s official exchange rate had been held steady by the government at 2.15 bolivars to the dollar since the last devaluation in March 2005. — AP

LG introduces rare innovations LG to kick off 3D TV, Mobile Digital Television and Solar Businesses in 2010 KUWAIT: LG Electronics (LG), a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, introduced a raft of new innovations yesterday at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (Booth #8205), with a focus on making broadcast content more accessible to those on the move and creating a more immersive environment for viewing content in the home.

“This year LG is focusing on key innovations including 3D TV, mobile digital television, and our new solar cell business,” announced Dr Woo Paik, President and Chief Technology Officer at the LG Unveiled media event in Las Vegas. “3D technology has come of age and is expected to create new opportunities this year. We plan to deliver advanced 3D technology across a wide range of products-LCD TVs, Plasma TVs as well as projectors.”

But home isn’t the only place LG is innovating. At CES, LG is introducing the DP570MH mobile digital television (DTV), which also offers DVD playback. LG plans to launch mobile phones and portable DVD players equipped with a chip to receive broadcast signals in North America and is anticipating significant demand for the new technology. So far, 88 stations in the US have commenced mobile DTV broadcasts and 45 percent of homes are covered by the service.

Dr. Paik was confident in future opportunities surrounding LG’s solar cell business as well. “LG will double the production capability for the solar cell business by next year, aiming to achieve gigawatt capacity within years.” LG opened a production line with a total capacity of 120-megawatts in December

2009. LG’s Chief Technology Officer gave further highlights on more innovative technologies and products: “Most of the TVs LG will bring to market this year are wirelessready with the addition of online connectivity and entertainment options plus DivX functionality to enable the screens to play back a wider range of multimedia content through a broadband network,” said Dr Paik.

He added that the company would announce 480Hz LCD TVs this year, after debuting 240Hz models last year. The high refresh rate eliminates blur and after-images in fast-paced action scenes. LG’s full line of LED LCD HDTVs including INFINIA, an innovative new family of LED HDTVs, highlights the company’s 2010 lineup of LED and LCD HDTVs. LG INFINIA HDTVs (the LE9500, LE8500 and LE7500 series) combine a slim design and thin bezel with seamless connectivity and limitless content options.

LG’s new Full LED Slim technology elevates picture quality with a slim LED structure that supports detailed local dimming of up to 240 addressable segments (on the 55inch class LE9500), resulting in an HDTV that provides the deeper black levels and uniform picture quality which typically could not be achieved on an ultra-thin set. Boasting a thin bezel of only 8.5mm, the LE9500 brings advanced technology into the home without being obtrusive. Leading the way to the ultimate home entertainment experience, the 55- and 47-inch class LE9500 sets will be LG’s first 3D-ready models available in the United States.

The Consumer Electronics Association

(CEA) recognized LG’s excellence in design and technology with 17 prestigious 2010 International CES? Innovations Awards including the 47-inch LG INFINIA Full LED Slim Backlit LCD HDTV (47LE9500) as “Best of” recognition in the Online Audio/Video Content category. At the end of the presentation, Dr Paik revealed an ultraslim LED LCD TV with a mere 6.9mm thickness. While discussing new mobile technologies, Dr Paik said, “LG will release an external dual-mode device to support both the fourth generation of LTE and the third generation of EVDO services, following our success in developing the world’s first LTE chipset in 2008.”

LG also showcased strategic products to attack the smartphone market in 2010 including the LG eXpo (LG GW820), which ships with Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5, the Android-based LG GW620 and LG GT540..

The LG eXpo, which picked up a 2010 International CES? Innovations Award, packs plenty of punch and boasts a 1GHz processor, earning it the title of the fastest Snapdragonbased device available in North America.

Mobile phones are all about staying in touch, and LG GW620 and LG GT540 take this to a whole new level through specific optimization for social networking services like Facebook and Twitter. A final highlight was LG’s Wireless Charger. This triumph of LG innovation is the first wireless charging solution in the world to offer simultaneous cable-free recharging for up to three mobile devices. Topping up power is as simple as placing the mobile device on the pad, and it’s even possible to make calls while recharging.

LG smartphone stars in Intel CES keynote KUWAIT: LG Electronics (LG), a global leader and technology innovator in mobile communications, was featured in Paul Otellini’s Intel CES keynote, with the world’s first demonstration of the LG GW990. The LG GW990 is based on the Intel Moorestown platform and represents a new generation of powerful smartphones. The Linux-based Moblin 2.1 operating system paired with the Moorestown platform provides a highly-responsive rich user interface. LG and Intel had previously announced their collaboration early last year at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

LG’s GW990 is an innovative mobile internet device that combines the high performance and rich internet capabilities of a PC with the mobility of a smartphone. The 4.8-inch full touchscreen display with a 2.13:1 aspect ratio offers a compelling mobile viewing experience. The dis-

play runs at a resolution of 1024 x 480 pixels and provides a full screen to display web content without the need for scrolling. The device is expected to come to market in the second half of 2010.

The user experience on devices such as the LG GW990 will continue to improve as faster broadband speeds emerge with 4G deployments.

While the version that was demonstrated in the keynote was based on HSPA, LG indicated that the GW990 is extensible to support Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks and the company has plans to add this functionality in the future. The LG GW990 roadmap gives LG a unique opportunity to bring its leadership in LTE chipsets to market.

“The demonstration today is convincing evidence of LG’s technology leadership. LG expects handheld devices to be one of the fastest

growing market segments in the mobile industry today,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “Beginning with the GW990, LG will drive the smartphone market segment by delivering products that significantly improve the user experience based on our breakthrough technologies in LTE chipsets, mobile devices and PCs.” “The Intel Moorestown platform represents an amazing example of technology innovation, delivering high performance at dramatically low power levels,” said Anand Chandrasekher, Intel’s senior vice president and general manager of the company’s Ultra Mobility Group. “Combined with the rapid advances in broadband wireless, Moorestown will unleash rich PC-like internet experience in smartphone devices such as the LG GW990 like never before.”

“Venezuelans’ standard of living has been devalued,” said Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma, a member of the opposition. Finance Minister Ali Rodriguez said the devaluation announced by Chavez on Friday night should add to inflation by 3 percent to 5 percent this year.

Some economists predicted a much bigger leap. Dozens of Venezuelans lined up in Caracas on Saturday outside stores that sell electronics and appliances, trying to buy items that they fear soon will be considerably more expensive.

“When I heard about the dollar, I didn’t think twice about it. I got some of the last cash out of my account and I came to buy my washing machine,” said Iraima Rodriguez, a 31-year-old secretary. “Whenever they devalue, the prices go sky high.” The currency’s official exchange rate had been 2.15 bolivars to the dollar since a devaluation in March 2005. Chavez set a new twotiered exchange rate to lessen the impact on prices for priority imports like food, medical products and machinery for economic development. The bolivar will trade at 2.6 to the dollar for priority transactions and 4.3 to the dollar for other transactions.

The higher rate, which Chavez called the “oil dollar,” doubles the paper value of Venezuela’s oil earnings when converted to local currency. Oil accounts for about half the government budget, but that income has been squeezed by lower world oil prices and declines in output in the last year. The president - a self-described Marxist and former paratroop commander - said the adjusted currency rates aim to boost the economy by encouraging local manufacturing of items such as clothing and shoes, which Venezuela mostly imports.

“This is going to generate greater productivity in Venezuela,” Chavez said in a televised speech after inaugurating a new subway line. He said the former exchange rate encouraged imports. Venezuela slid into a recession last year after five years of oil-fueled growth, and Chavez said the country should produce more non-oil products and refrain from unnecessary imports. “Last year we imported 90 million pairs of shoes, for the love of God,” Chavez said. “We can make all of that ourselves shoes, clothes, almost everything is imported.” Imports now falling under the less favorable rate include automobiles, telecommunications goods, computers, appliances, alcohol and tobacco.

The government has maintained strict controls on the amount of bolivars that can be exchanged for dollars since 2003 in an effort to diminish capital flight. It also kept a fixed exchange rate that varied widely from the bolivar’s real value on the black market and in bond trading. Lately the bolivar has fetched little more than one-third of its official rate in market trading, hovering at about 6 bolivars to the dollar.

Chavez called that rate a “product of speculation” and said “we’re going to combat it with a strong intervention by the Central Bank and the government” in the parallel bond market. He didn’t elaborate, but the aim is apparently to further narrow the gap between official and unofficial rates. Economist Pedro Palma, of the Caracas consulting firm MetroEconomica, said the government was forced to accept that a large disparity between the official and unofficial rates was no longer viable. —AP

AVELLANEDA: Handout picture of Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kircher (left) posing with workers in Avellaneda province of Buenos Aires. A major political and institutional crisis brewing in Argentina over repaying its national debt deepened Friday as the courts dealt two blows to President Cristina Kirchner. — AFP

For the unemployed, new job often means a pay cut NEW YORK: Unemployed for nearly a year, David Becker was relieved to land a new job in information technology last summer. The offer carried a price, though: It was a lower-rung job than the one Becker had lost. He had to uproot his family from Wisconsin to Nevada. And, like many formerly jobless people who find work these days, Becker is now paid far less than before - $25,000 less.

It’s one of the bleak realities of the economic recovery: Even as more employers are starting to hire, the new jobs typically pay less than the ones that were lost. In the government’s data, a job is a job. More jobs point to a growing economy. But to people who used to earn $60,000, a new $40,000 job means they’ll spend less and contribute less to the recovery.

“In most cases, it means a subdued expansion, for sure,” said Marisa Di Natale, director at Moody’s Economy.com. Worse for those affected, people hired at lower wages in a tight job market tend to lag behind their peers for years, sometimes decades.

For example, workers laid off during the 1981-82 recession earned 20 percent less than people who remained in a job - even 20 years after they were rehired, a Columbia University study found. The study examined pay for white- and blue-collar workers, managers and hourly workers.

That means a few short months of unemployment could haunt workers such as 34-year-old Jessica Moore for years. Moore had been employed since graduating from Penn State University more than 12 years ago. But in March, she was laid off from her job as managing editor for digital media at the nonprofit Sesame Workshop in New York, which produces “Sesame Street.”

In April, Moore got an interview for a job opening as editor and publisher of the nonprofit Teen Voices magazine in Boston. The job paid 25 percent less than her previous position. And the company was a fraction the size of Sesame Workshop. Still, she leapt at the offer. “I wanted the immediate security,” she said. It’s hardly surprising that employers are being stingy with pay these days. Their own businesses were squeezed by the recession. Most depend on consumer spending, which remains tepid.

The first jobs to emerge from a recession typically aren’t well-paying ones, says Till Marco von Wachter, a Columbia economics professor.

Companies delay hiring for higher-paying jobs, in particular, until they’re confident the recovery will last, he says. In addition, as the unemployed compete for the few job openings available, employers face no pressure to raise wages. More than six people are now vying, on average, for each job opening, according to Labor Department data - compared with just 1.7 workers per opening when the recession began in December 2007.

That’s why Becker considered himself lucky to get a job offer this summer as an information-technology manager after months of searching. That was even though he had to move his family from Milwaukee to Reno, Nevada, and take less pay than he’d been used to. “I think a very large number of people will never have the life they had at one time,” he said. Becker, 48, oversees fewer than a dozen employees, compared with the 60 he managed before the recession when he earned $25,000 more, or $150,000. He drained $100,000 in savings to support his family during a year of unemployment to pay his mortgage, health insurance and college tuition for

two children.

Though his current job is a step down, he wasn’t prepared to hold out for a better and higher-paying one. Too many other workers were lined up for each opening he sought. John Irons, research and policy director for the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, says that as millions of unemployed workers accept lower pay for new jobs, their collective wage cuts will likely stifle income growth for years.

Inflation-adjusted hourly wages rose throughout most of 2008 but peaked at an average $8.65 in May for non-management hourly employees, as measured in 1982 dollars, according to Labor Department data.

(Unadjusted for inflation, the average was $18.53.)

Since then, inflation-adjusted wages have fallen 1.3 percent to an estimated $8.54. The resulting wage depression is part of the economic “scarring” of the labor force, Irons said. For example, inflation-adjusted wages stagnated for four years after the downturn of 1991. And they remained mostly flat from 2002 to 2005, after the mild recession of 2001, according to Labor Department data.

“You can’t spend what you don’t have,” said 35year-old Travis Becker, who took a 12 percent pay cut when he was hired in July. Becker (no relation to David Becker) had been laid off a few months earlier by a Minnesota company that installed concrete pieces for commercial projects. Pay cut or no, Becker is grateful to have a job at Wells Concrete in rural Minnesota Becker moved his family from a small town near Minneapolis, lost his seniority and took a job with less responsibility.

“There’s no other choice,” he said. “It’s job or no job.” Becker said he and his wife will remain as frugal as they have been after he was laid off. They dine out rarely and spend mainly on necessities for their three children. Consumers already are saving more and spending less than they normally do, because of high debt and tight credit. With Becker and other newly hired workers keeping tight grips on their wallets, consumer spending could stay weak well into the recovery, sapping its strength. How much will hinge on how long and how deeply wage growth lags.

Pay tends to stagnate during or immediately after recessions and it’s often severe during “jobless recoveries,” when hiring remains weak long after the economy starts growing again, according to a 2005 study by Princeton University economist Henry Farber. For example, workers who lost jobs and found new ones from 1981 to 1983 took average pay cuts of 10.8 percent once they found new jobs, the study found. But from 1983 to 1985, as hiring accelerated, that pay cut narrowed to less than 8 percent.

But those who lost jobs and were rehired from 2001 to 2003 averaged bigger pay cuts of 13.6 percent as hiring stagnated for nearly two years during a jobless recovery. By contrast, formerly unemployed people who were rehired during the boom years of the late 1990s averaged a minuscule pay cut of 0.2 percent, according to the study, which examined pay data from the Labor Department. Moore, the former Internet editor for Sesame Workshop, said living in Boston turned out to be more enjoyable than her life in pricey New York. But to make up the lost pay? She said she’s simply going to work harder in coming years to make some of it back. “I do have to play catch up,” she said. —AP

CALIFORNIA: An unidentified job seeker looks for job opportunities at a computer terminal at the Verdugo Job Center in Glendale, Calif. The economy lost more jobs in December and the unemployment rate was unchanged, as a sluggish economic recovery has yet to revive hiring among the nation’s employers.—AP

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TECHNOLOGY

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Microsoft unveils Windows tablets at gadget exhibition Newest version of Mediaroom will let subscribers watch live and recorded TV and video-on-demand on Windows computers and phones and through Xbox 360 consoles.

LAS VEGAS: The new and improved MagicJack, is shown with a regular cellphone at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). — AP

MagicJack’s upcoming act: Vanishing cell phone fees LAS VEGAS: The company behind the magicJack, the cheap Internet phone gadget that’s been heavily promoted on TV, has made a new version of the device that allows free calls from cell phones in the home, in a fashion that’s sure to draw protest from cellular carriers. The new magicJack uses, without permission, radio frequencies for which cellular carriers have paid billions of dollars for exclusive licenses.

YMax Corp, which is based in Palm Beach, Florida, said this week at the International Consumers Electronics Show that it plans to start selling the device in about four months for $40, the same price as the original magicJack. As before, it will provide free calls to the US and Canada for one year. The device is, in essence, a very small cellular tower for the home.

The size of a deck of cards, it plugs into a PC, which needs a broadband Internet connection.

The device then detects when a compatible cell phone comes within 8 feet, and places a call to it.

The user enters a short code on the phone. The phone is then linked to the magicJack, and as long as it’s within range (YMax said it will cover a 3,000-square-foot home) magicJack routes the call itself, over the Internet, rather than going through the carrier’s cellular tower. No minutes are subtracted from the user’s account with the carrier. Any extra fees for international calls are subtracted from the user’s account with magicJack, not the carrier.

According to YMax CEO Dan Borislow, the device will connect to any phone that uses the GSM standard, which in the US includes phones

from AT&T Inc and T-Mobile USA. At a demonstration at CES, a visitor’s phone with a T-Mobile account successfully placed and received calls through the magicJack. Most phones from Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp won’t connect to the device. Borislow said the device is legal because wireless spectrum licenses don’t extend into the home. AT&T Inc, T-Mobile USA and the Federal Communications Commission didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Borislow said YMax has sold 5 million magicJacks for landline phones in the last two years, and that roughly 3 million are in active use.

That would give YMax a bigger customer base than Internet phone pioneer Vonage Holdings Corp, which has been selling service for $25 per month for the better part of a decade. Privately held YMax had revenue of $110 million last year, it says. US carriers have been selling and experimenting with devices that act similarly to the wireless magicJack.

They’re called “femtocells.” Like the magicJack, they use the carrier’s licensed spectrum to connect to a phone, then route the calls over a home broadband connection. They improve coverage inside the home and offload capacity from the carrier’s towers. But femtocells are complex products, because they’re designed to mesh with the carrier’s external network.

They cost the carriers more than $200, though some sell them cheaper, recouping the cost through added service fees. YMax’s magicJack is a much smaller, simpler design. — AP

China writers say Google ready to settle book row BEIJING: Google Inc wants to apologize for its poor communication with Chinese authors about scanning their books into its online library and is ready to work out a settlement to allay copyright concerns, a writer’s group said yesterday.

The US search giant has been working the past five years on an ambitious plan to scan all the world’s books into a digital library accessible to anyone with an Internet connection.

Google says the project is an invaluable chance for books to get more exposure, but many authors and publishers argue it is a copyright violation. The Chinese Writers’ Association said it received a letter from Google acknowledging its efforts had upset Chinese authors.

“Following discussions and communications in recent months, we do believe that our communication with Chinese writers has not been good enough,” Google said in the scanned letter posted on the association’s Web site. “Google is ready to apologize to Chinese writers about this,” said the letter, which bore the signature of Erik Hartmann, Asia-Pacific head of Google Books. The authenticity of the letter could not immediately be confirmed.

Calls to Google officials in Hong Kong and China rang unanswered Sunday.

Last month, a Chinese court heard Chinese author Mian Mian’s lawsuit against Google for scanning her work into its library. A Beijing judge told the two sides to hold talks on a settlement and report back, according to the writer’s lawyer.

The search giant’s apparent statement comes after a recent call by the governmentaffiliated China Written Works Copyright Society to negotiate compensation for Chinese authors.

Google plans to work out a settlement proposal with Chinese writers by March and reach a formal agreement by June, the scanned letter said. It said it would take the “unprecedented move” of making a complete list of Chinese books it has scanned, in response to a request from the writers’ group. Google has scanned more than 10 million books worldwide since 2004, including 2 million with the consent of about 30,000 publishers. Another 2 million books in Google’s library no longer are in copyright. Google has been only showing snippets from the remaining books while it tries to iron out copyright disputes. — AP

SEATTLE: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer showed off a new touch-screen, tablet-style computer from Hewlett-Packard Co, the first of several such devices expected to be unveiled this month. The tablet - also known as a slate, a one-piece portable computer without a physical keyboard - was one of several new PCs Ballmer demonstrated Wednesday as he delivered Microsoft Corp’s customary keynote presentation on the eve of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. During the talk, which was shown live over the Web, Ballmer said the HP tablet will be available later this year.

He also gave a glimpse of two similar devices from Archos and Pegatron Corp.

Tablet-style computers that run Windows have been available for a decade, but HP’s new machine is bound to draw extra attention thanks to expectations that Apple Inc will launch a similar device later this month.

Apple, notoriously secretive about upcoming products, has not commented on the matter.

But given the iPhone’s success, which propelled competitors to come out with copycat touchscreen phones and centralized “app” stores to sell add-on software, all eyes are on Apple to define what a slate or tabletstyle computer should look like and how it will be used.

Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division, announced that Natal, new technology that lets video game players control the action by moving their whole bodies instead of using a joystick, will go on sale for the Xbox console in time for this year’s holiday shopping season.

Bach said in an interview that devices built for touch, gestures and other so-called natural user interfaces will become much more mainstream in the next few years. While Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates has for years said the same thing, Bach says computer science and hardware technology are now sophisticated enough to support Gates’ and other visionaries’ big ideas.

Bach also called out some of the big-name Xbox 360 video games that will launch in 2010, including the next installment of the popular “Halo” franchise, and unveiled Game Room, which will let Xbox users play favorite early video games from the Atari and arcade era. More than 39 million people now own Xbox 360 consoles. Microsoft also said it forged a new search distribution deal with HP that will make the company’s Bing search site and MSN.com content portal the default search engine and Web home page on new HP computers sold in 42 countries.

The software maker has signed similar deals in the past, including one with HP in 2008 that made Live Search, Bing’s predecessor technology, the default on computers sold in the US and Canada. People who buy such computers can still change their preferred search engine to something else.

Ballmer announced a new version of Mediaroom, its technology that delivers TV over the Internet on such services as AT&T Inc’s U-verse system. The newest version of Mediaroom will let subscribers watch live and recorded TV and video-ondemand on Windows computers and phones and through Xbox 360 consoles, in addition to a set-top box. It will work over regular broadband, not just special fiber connections. — AP

LAS VEGAS: Attendees play a game on the Microsoft Surface multi-touch computer at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show. — AFP

Video games can now teach many skills MINNEAPOLIS: Learning is a game to Brock Dubbels and the students in his class at Seward Montessori in Minneapolis. They spend their school time together playing off-the-shelf video games for the Nintendo Wii and other popular systems. But the 26 sixthto eighth-graders aren’t learning from the games’ content. They’re gaining key skills simply by playing and studying the games. “It connects to their lives,” Dubbels explained. “Research shows that kids want to perform where they have competence. Games are part of their lives.”

That’s where Dubbels’ Video Games as Learning Tools class comes in. Over a three-week period, the kids split up into groups and play video games. They also take notes. The goal is to explain how the game is played, how a player might win and how the game is designed. By the end of the session, the students will have created a multimedia presentation, including lots of writing, about their games that is then uploaded to the Web. It’s the modern version of a book report.

Sure, the kids are playing. But Dubbels, who has a background in cognitive psychology, says they’re also improving reading comprehension, learning to work cooperatively, building technical-writing skills and incorporating technology into their studies. That resonates with the kids who elected to take Dubbels’ class, such as Genevieve Paule, 14. “I like video games a lot, and I thought it would be cool learning about how to learn from them,” she said on the first day of the class in the school’s media center. “It’s going to be really interesting, because all I’ve ever done before is play them for fun. But now I get to play them for class and actually learn about how they help people learn.” As Genevieve confabbed with three other girls about what game they wanted to play, Simon Quevedo, 12, and Jess Sanchez, 14, worked together to set up an old Nintendo 64 system that

An old Nintendo 65 video game was used by some of the Seward Montessori School students during Brock Dubbels class that uses video games as a learning tool in Minneapolis, Minnesota. — MCT Sanchez had borrowed from his dad. “I like the part about learning how the games can help you in the future and how they’re made, instead of just playing them,” Jess said as he connected the game console to a TV. “It makes me think of them in a different way.”

Both boys said they might one day like to learn how to design video games. “Oftentimes, kids don’t think very deeply or analytically about the video games that they play,” Dubbels said. “They don’t learn how to deconstruct; we don’t give them the time to seriously reflect and we don’t ask them to evaluate. I think that makes us helpless in a consumer vacuum, where we are inundated with so much stuff that we never get the time to think carefully and thoughtfully about it. And as a child, that’s your chance.”

Modern learners wired differently Other educators want to explore that opportunity, too.

Dubbels will spend much of his summer showing other teachers how the class works. His training projects include an online course for Minneapolis Public Schools, inservice training for Richfield Public Schools and seminars for a consortium of school districts in upstate New York. He also will be presenting at the Games in Education Conference in New

York and at the Games+Learning+Society Conference in Wisconsin.

Dean Breuer, instructional technology coordinator for Richfield Public Schools in the Twin Cities suburbs, says he knows exactly where Dubbels is coming from in reaching out to kids through something they know well. “These modern learners, their brains are just wired differently,” Breuer said. He said that he also teaches with books, of course, and that there are times when discussions and lectures are important. But, Breuer added, “if all you do are more traditional methods of instruction, it may not be as clear to 21st-century learners that you are relevant, that you get that they are different.”—Andy Reiner, 33, executive editor of Minneapolis-based Game Informer magazine, likes Dubbels’ approach. Reiner said he was fed “a steady diet of book reviews” when he was in school.

“In retrospect, you’d think I attended school in the 1800s,” he said. Reiner clarified that he’s not diminishing the importance of books. But he pointed out that evaluating a video game, for example, requires a different writing style and critical analysis than a book review.

“This isn’t just about students having fun with their homework,”

Reiner said. “By incorporating video games into his teaching, Dubbels is expanding his students’ technical-writing skills.”

He added: “And why shouldn’t school be fun? For one student, a fun review might be reading the work of Edgar Allan Poe. For another, it could be playing ‘The Legend of Zelda,’ watching ‘Star Trek,’ or listening to Green Day. We choose our occupation later in life. Why can’t we choose our homework if our teacher is willing to teach us the skills that go with it?” The more complex, the better Dubbels, 42, is a lifelong gamer who grew up in the shadow of Atari in Cupertino, Calif. In class, he has a PlayStation 2, an Xbox and a Wii - all his personal systems. The students bring in their systems, too. The kids also can bring in any game they want, as long as it is rated Everyone or Everyone 10+ by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Teen-rated games, which are suitable for players 13 and older, can be played with parents’ permission.

Any game will do, Dubbels says. His classroom favorites include the cerebral first-person shooter “Metroid Prime 3: Corruption,” sports games such as “Tiger Woods Golf” and “NBA Live,” and movement-based titles such as “Shaun White Snowboarding” and “Dance Dance Revolution.” The Xbox 360 version of the latter is what Paule and her group decided to do. “The more complex the game, the better - because the deeper we can dig into the game, the more I love it,” Dubbels said.

Parents must sign a permission slip for kids to take the class.

But Dubbels acknowledges that traditionalists might not like his video-game approach to teaching basic skills. “To be quite honest, most parents have bought their kids game systems,” he said.

“There are some people who are a little bit up in arms, but they just don’t understand about games and kids.” — MCT

Latest glares can be used for 3-D viewing LAS VEGAS: With the hit movie “Avatar” creating a buzz around 3-D entertainment, a California company is touting what it believes are the first 3-D glasses which can also double as sunglasses. “We believe we’re the first ones and we have a significant patent portfolio in the lens device so we believe we’ll have a good bit of protection in the market,” MicroVision Optical president David Johnson said.

The San Diego-based company is displaying the glasses here at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, where leading television manufacturers have been pushing 3-D technology as the next big thing in home theater. MicroVision Optical said

the polarized lenses provide sun protection while also allowing for 3-D viewing of the most widely used 3-D movie theater systems and the latest generation of flat screen television or computer monitors.

“It decodes the content very clearly, very crisply,” Johnson said, adding that the 3-D/sunglasses “should be a permanent addition to your eyewear collection.” He said the glasses, which come in a variety of styles, will sell for between 32 dollars and 40 dollars in optical stores.

“We’re also working on a prescription program where you can have your own prescription 3-D glasses as well,” Johnson said. — AFP

LAS VEGAS: A model wears 3D glasses at a 3D display at the Panasonic booth at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show. — AFP

HEALTH & SCIENCE

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Monday, January 11, 2010

Cold snap doesn’t disprove global warming hypothesis Beijing had its coldest morning in almost 40 years and its biggest snowfall since 1951. Britain is suffering through its longest cold snap since 1981. And freezing weather is gripping the Deep South, including Florida’s orange groves and beaches. Whatever happened to global warming?

Such weather doesn’t seem to fit with warnings from scientists that the Earth is warming because of greenhouse gases. But experts say the cold snap doesn’t disprove global warming at all - it’s just a blip in the long-term heating trend.

“It’s part of natural variability,” said Gerald Meehl, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado With global warming, he said, “we’ll still have record cold temperatures. We’ll just have fewer of them.” Deke Arndt of the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina, noted that 2009 will rank among the 10 warmest years for Earth since 1880. Scientists say man-made

climate change does have the potential to cause more frequent and more severe weather extremes, such as heat waves, storms, floods, droughts and even cold spells. But experts interviewed by The Associated Press did not connect the current frigid blast to climate change.

So what is going on? “We basically have seen just a big outbreak of Arctic air” over populated areas of the Northern Hemisphere, Arndt said.

“The Arctic air has really turned itself loose on us.” In the atmosphere, large rivers of air travel roughly west to east around the globe between the Arctic and the tropics. This air flow acts like a fence to keep Arctic air confined.

But recently, this air flow has become bent into a pronounced zigzag pattern, meandering north and south. If you live in a place where it brings air up from the south, you get warm weather. In fact, record highs were reported this week in Washington state and Alaska. But in the eastern United States, like some other unlucky

parts of the globe, Arctic air is swooping down from the north. And that’s how you get a temperature of 3 degrees (-16º Celsius) in Beijing, a reading of minus-42 degrees (minus-41º Celsius) in mainland Norway, and 18 inches (46 centime-

ters) of snow in parts of Britain, where a member of Parliament who said the snow “clearly indicates a cooling trend” was jeered by colleagues.

The zigzag pattern arises naturally from time

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cientists say man-made climate change does have the potential to cause more frequent and more severe weather extremes, such as heat waves, storms, floods, droughts and even cold spells.

to time, but it is not clear why it’s so strong right now, said Michelle L’Heureux, a meteorologist at the Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The center says the pattern should begin to weaken in a week or two. Jeff Masters, director of meteorology for Weather Underground, a forecasting service, said he expects more typical winter weather across North America early next week.

That will be welcome news in the South, where farmers have been trying to salvage millions of dollars’ worth of strawberries and other crops. On Miami Beach, tourists bundled up in woolen winter coats and hooded sweatshirts Wednesday beneath a clear blue sky. Some brazenly let the water wash over their feet and a few even lay out in bikinis and swimming trunks.

“Last year we were swimming every day,” said Olivia Ruedinger of Hamburg, Germany. “I miss that.” — AP

Is US orca baby boom a fluke?

WASHINGTON: In this file photo a baby orca whale swims alongside its mother, near Vashon Island. — AP

Stricken with cancer and out on streets MUMBAI: In this makeshift cancer ward, there’s little risk of enduring bedsores, fussy nurses or tasteless hospital food. In fact, on some days, the cancer patients living on the sidewalk in front of Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital have no food at all. At any given time, there’s a floating population of several hundred patients awaiting treatment, with barely a rupee to their name. Many have lived for months, even years, in makeshift tents that hug the hospital walls and gates.

They recline, surrounded by their medicine bottles, religious icons and tattered luggage, waiting for a hardwon appointment at this, one of India’s few state-ofthe-art charitable hospitals. Their bed is a few square feet of hard pavement, their sheets a plastic tarp, their erratic food supply left to the gods and the beneficence of charities in a city that’s home to more than half of India’s 52 billionaires. Cancer is only one of numerous serious illnesses the poor grapple with in India, but it’s among the more dramatic. Government-run Tata Memorial, which specializes in the disease, is a magnet for poor Indians suffering from its ravaging effects.

Jerbai Wadia Road and adjoining streets, a tangle of belching taxis, street vendors and garbage-lined gutters, is the only home Deepali Dahale has known for most of her three years. She was born with a blood clot in her eye, said her mother, Meena Dahale, 25, as the rambunctious infant grabbed at her mother’s bangles and the legs of passing pedestrians. The clot soon turned cancerous, forcing the family to borrow $500 from relatives when Deepali was 4 months old to pay for an operation to remove her eye at a local clinic near Akola, their village in Maharashtra state.

The procedure was unsuccessful and the cancer spread. Soon Dahale’s husband turned on her, she said, blaming the illness on her genes. A little later, he banished her and their daughter, forcing them to find their way, broke and disillusioned, to this street in Mumbai, the state capital. The couple’s two older sons, considered little treasures in patriarchal village society, remained with him. “My husband can’t stand having her in his sight,” Dahale, who married at 12, said as tears slid down her cheek. “She’s his daughter too.

Even if he hates me, he should care about her.”

The toddler will need a second operation, but doctors haven’t yet told Dahale how much it will cost, she said, adding that she’ll have to petition local charities for the money. She hasn’t seen her two sons in a couple of years, a source of anguish. Most of her neighbors in the row of crude shelters tell similar stories of crushing debt, superstition and family alienation after their diagnosis. Anita Kamble, 29, racked by painful stomach cancer, considers her husband a rare exception.

Farmer Sudhir Kamble, 38, has stood by her through a major operation in 2007, 11 subsequent rounds of chemotherapy, numerous injections and countless tablets. Forced to leave their three children with grandparents back in the village after her diagnosis three years ago, the couple have lived here on the street ever since. Most of the husband’s days are spent lobbying various charitable trusts to open their checkbooks for her. “I’m extremely lucky,” she said. “He tells me, ‘Whatever happens, I’m with you.’ I’m terrified what will happen to our children if I die, though.”

Rising cancer rates - India is bracing for 27 million new cases annually by 2030, up from 12 million this year, partly a function of longer life expectancy - have coincided with growing health care privatization. It has become so lucrative to treat rich patients and foreign medical tourists that even tractor and trucking companies have rushed to open specialized hospitals. “The American system is being copied here, unfortunately,” said Dr V Shantha, chairwoman of the Cancer Institute in Chennai. “Now it’s all about ‘how much am I going

MUMBAI: Meena Dahale, 25 and her 3-year old daughter Deepali Dahale live on the streets after the toddler was diagnosed with eye cancer and abandoned by her father. — MCT to make from this patient.’”

That’s left the poor scrambling for care at the few remaining public or charitable trust hospitals, including Tata Memorial, which handles 43,000 new cancer patients annually, most for a nominal fee. Kamlakant Tripathi, 49, sits along Jerbai Wadia Road beside his mother, Lal Devi, 70, a liver cancer sufferer. Her yellow, listless body lies on the pavement, barely able to move. “We have no insurance,” he said. “Catastrophic illness is the biggest worry for an Indian family.”

Statistics bear that out, with health care the secondlargest source of debt among India’s rural poor after dowry, wedding banquet and related social obligations, activists say. By the time they arrive at Tata Memorial, most sufferers have spent everything on a parade of local doctors. Shatrughan Tiwari, 42, minds his mother, Vidhya Devi T Tiwari, 70, lying in fetal position on the sidewalk by the hospital, her withered body wreathed in a pink sari. They arrived two weeks ago to try to take care of her cheek cancer. “Local doctors just squeeze all your money from you,” he said. “Now we need treatment as fast as possible, but there’s no money left, making it impossible.”

With so few public clinics in rural areas, many patients have little choice but to go to unlicensed practitioners or natural healers. “There they often receive questionable injections,” said Avinash Kumar, lead health and education officer with Oxfam India. “There are many quacks.” So many impoverished cancer sufferers descend on the Mumbai hospital that it can take weeks, even months, to get an appointment.

“Everyone gets treated,” said Sudhir Kamble, the husband of stomach cancer victim Anita Kamble. “But those with money get treated faster, which can make the difference between life and death.”

So the poor wait, adapting to life on the street. The hospital is in a low-lying area, forcing them to huddle in ankle-deep water when it rains. Mosquitoes are ferocious. Sidewalk resident Pushpa Patil, 55, said her grandson, who she says suffers from blood cancer, recently contracted malaria, which the hospital doesn’t cover, forcing her to cut into the 75 cents a day she earns helping a local food vendor. Passers-by and charities occasionally donate old clothes, tarps and blankets, but there’s rarely enough to go around.

Periodically, city officials shoo away the cancer suf-

ferers when neighbors complain, forcing them to retreat a few blocks with their meager belongings, only to return when the pressure’s off. “We don’t even have $2,” Shatrughan Tiwari said. “We’re caring for a sick person. What do they expect us to do?”

Along the way, old-timers who have been here for up to a decade teach newcomers basic survival skills, including where to defecate, where to find food and how to fill their dirt-caked containers with water meant for the hospital lawn. A nearby entrepreneur charges 4 cents to use the toilet and 15 cents to bathe, but many can’t even afford that and opt instead to wake early and bathe in the gutter before the city rouses.

A charity group distributes meals every other day.

When it doesn’t, some of the sidewalk dwellers make flat chapati bread on small gas stoves, risking the hospital’s ire if they’re too close to an ambulance. Others go without. When appointment day finally arrives, most said, the doctors treat them with dignity. But money is always a concern. Most medicines and procedures are subsidized, but some aren’t. Paying fees involves petitioning a trust, such as the Shirdi Saibaba Trust, that requires a lot of paperwork, with a lot at stake. “If I go for an injection tomorrow and they don’t pay, I’ll die,” Anita Kamble said.

The insecurity fuels depression and stress. “I get very tense about food, money and shelter,” said Dahale, the mother of the 3-year-old. “But I have no choice and try to remain strong.” Rom Sevar Sharma, 55, who’s been here a month with neck cancer and still hasn’t seen a doctor, has burned through $300. He’s in great pain and can barely speak. “Our money is exhausted,” he rasps. “If the doctor can . . . help, we’ll go ahead. If not, I’ll return to the village and await my fate.” The journey from the village leaves many wide-eyed at Mumbai’s skyscrapers and frenetic pace. “We’re scared to cross the road with all the noise and bustle, but it sure is exciting,” Tiwari said. “And there’s so much money around, not that any of it ever comes our way.” Although Shanti Devi, 40, has lived on the street intermittently for 11 years and finds it incredibly boring, she recently brought her children to spend time with her, and they’re thrilled; it’s the first time her 13year-old daughter has seen the ocean, which is at the edge of the city. —MCT

SEATTLE: A little over a year after researchers feared a drop in the Northwest’s endangered killer whale population meant disaster, the number of orcas has bounced back with six new babies and no whales lost.

Though scientific evidence is skimpy, some whale experts say the good news might be the result of enough salmon for the majestic blackand-white mammals to eat. Others say so little is known about orcas that the baby boom could be due to any number of factors - or simply a statistical fluke. Whatever the reason, they’re overjoyed about the new arrivals.

“We’re all very happy to see so many births,” said Susan Berta of the Whidbey Island-based Orca Network. “We’re all hoping that they find lots of fish to keep them healthy and keep the mothers in good condition so they can feed the calves,” she said. The Center for Whale Research says that in 2008, eight orcas in the three pods, J, K and L, that make up the southern resident population in Washington and southwest British Columbia went missing and were presumed dead, including two females of reproductive age and the 98-yearold matriarch of K Pod. With just one surviving birth that year, the total in the three pods as of December 2008 dropped to 82.

That alarmed researchers - “This is a disaster,” Ken Balcomb, a senior scientist at the San Juan Island-based center, said in October of that year. But in 2009, no deaths were reported and five new calves were spotted, giving a December total of 87. A sixth infant was born Jan 3 while its family, J Pod, was near Seattle on a winter visit, making it 88.

Both Balcomb and Howard Garrett, director of the Orca Network, think food might have something to do with it. The whales feed on salmon - particularly chinook salmon, the largest and arguably tastiest of the Pacific species. Chinooks are listed as threatened or endangered in several Northwest waterways, including Puget Sound and the Columbia River. “Unfortunately, they’re very picky,” Garrett said, with chinooks sometimes making up 80 percent of the whales’ diet.

It sounds simplistic, Garrett said, but “the way that we can tag the population fluctuations is directly from the chinook runs.” Taken as a whole, the runs in the region have held steady over at least the past two years, he said. It’s not that simple, said Brad Hanson, a wildlife biologist with the federal Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. He said that for much of the year, little is known about what salmon stocks the whales eat and where. The southern orcas can range widely, from the north end of Canada’s Vancouver Island to Northern California for K and L pods.

Depending on the river, he said, some salmon stocks are up, some down, some about average. And orcas face the same problem that bedevils all fishermen: hitting the right run at the right time under the right conditions.

“There’s just so many different variables involved,” Hanson said. The three pods in the southern resident community - J Pod based in the San Juan Islands, K Pod in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and L Pod off the coast - are genetically and behaviorally distinct from other killer whales. Besides sticking to this region, their sounds are considered a unique dialect, they tend to mate only within their community and they usually gather each year to socialize in a “super pod” near the San Juans.

Orcas have a 17-month gestation period, so at least six of the whales were pregnant a year ago. From a distance it’s hard to tell whether an orca is pregnant, so no one on land knew they were expecting when worries over the lost whales emerged. Over the years the Center for Whale Research has tracked the southern population, their numbers have varied from a low of 71 in 1977 to a high of 97 in 1996, and the current total of 88 only matches the total in 2007. It’s also far below the 140 or so that lived here before dozens were captured for aquariums and parks in the 1960s and early ‘70s.

A 20 percent drop in their numbers in the late 1990s, blamed by many on pollution and dwindling salmon stocks, led to their listing as an endangered species. Experts estimate a long-term steady population of about 200 would be needed to take them off the list.

Experts caution that young orcas have a rough life - commonly, about 50 percent die in their first year - and that one good year isn’t a recovery. Critical to their long-term survival, they say, will be cleaning up the marine environment and eliminating the toxic chemicals that collect in the whales’ bodies, and restoring the region’s once-massive salmon runs. Still, Balcomb said: “I’m just optimistic that this year’s bumper crop of babies will prove to be their investment in the future. And we should invest in the food resources for them and for us. “We like salmon, too.” — AP

ZACHELMIE: This undated handout photo received from professor Per Ahlberg of Uppsala University, Sweden, which appears on the cover of the current issue of Nature Magazine, shows a trackway and an isolated footprint (highlighted with charcoal) that were made by early four-legged land vertebrates (tetrapods) almost 400 million years ago, discovered at a disused quarry at Zachelmie in the Holy Cross Mountains of southeastern Poland. The fossilised footprints, found in the Polish quarry, of an enigmatic, long-extinct creature have prompted palaeontologists to reopen the file of how life in the sea moved to the land. The trackways are possibly 18 million years older than the earliest tetrapod fossils found so far and a whopping 10 million years earlier than the first known elpistostegids. The find is radical, for it implies that tetrapods showed up much earlier than thought. — AFP

What makes light worsen migraines?

PARIS: A discovery among blind people has helped scientists resolve a mystery why light can make a migraine go from headache to head-splitter, according to a study published yesterday. The problem appears to lie with a newly-discovered bunch of cells in the retina, its authors say. Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Center, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, made the find after pondering why some blind people who suffer from migraines also experience photophobia-an extreme sensitivity to light that horribly worsens these headaches.

In a paper published online in the journal Nature Neuroscience, the team reported how they probed two groups of migraine-suffering blind individuals. One group, of six people, was totally blind and immune to the normal sleep-wakefulness cycle caused by daylight and night. The other, numbering 14, was “legally blind” because of degenerative diseases of the eyes.

They could detect the presence of light and followed the sleepwakefulness cycle although they could not perceive images.

“While the patients in the first group did not experience any worsening of their headaches from light exposure, the patients in the second group clearly described intensified pain when they were exposed to light, in particular blue or grey,” said senior author Rami Burstein. “This suggested to us that the mechanism of photophobia must involve the optic nerve, because in totally blind individuals, the optic nerve does not carry light signals to the brain.”

The team theorized that the culprit had to be recently-discovered retinal cells which have melanopsin photoreceptorslight-sensitive biological triggers for sleep and wakefulness.

“These are the only functioning light receptors left among patients who are legally blind,” Burstein explained. The next step was to test the ideas on lab rats. Using dyes injected into the rodents’ eyes, the scientists were able to trace the pathway from the melanopsin retinal cells through the optic nerve and to the brain, where they found a group of neurons which became activated during migraines.

Tiny electrodes inserted into the rats’ brains determined that, within seconds, light unleashed a surge of electrical activity in these cells-and the cells remained switched on even after the light was removed. “This helps explain why patients say that their headache intensifies within seconds after exposure to light and improves 20 to 30 minutes after being in the dark,” Burstein added in a press release.

The work could be a boon for migraine sufferers, the authors hope. It opens up exploratory options for drugs that block the pathway, enabling a migraine patient to endure light without added pain. Migraines are a widely researched disorder, although the causes remain unclear. They are believed to develop when protective membranes surrounding the brain become irritated.

This stimulates pain receptors and, in turn, causes sensory neurons to become activated for long periods. — AFP

WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

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Monday, January 11, 2010

BSB holds basketball course

Embassy information EMBASSY OF GREECE The Embassy of Greece has the pleasure to announce that with a view to promote business interaction and commercial relations between Greece and Kuwait and to present further support for the Kuwaiti importers, it requests all Kuwaiti Companies dealing with or representing Greek Companies in Kuwait to contact this Embassy as soon as possible and to provide by fax or e-mail the following information: (Name of the company, tel no, fax no, e-mail, type of business, name of the Greek companies/clients). The Embassy’s contacts are as follows: email: gremb.kuw@mfa.gr; fax: 24817103, and tel no: 24817100, 24817101, 24817102.

EMBASSY OF INDIA

aturday saw the conclusion of yet another excellent British School of Basketball course. Ex Professional and International basketball player Georgi Knjazev and his team of outstanding coaches put on the best basketball course in Kuwait. Over 70 students attended this year’s second course and its popularity continues to grow. Students are grouped

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according to age and ability and enjoy being taught skills and playing games in an exciting and positive environment.

At the end of each course the winning teams and outstanding players are awarded trophies and medals and all of the participants are awarded course completion certificates. The third course for The British

School of Basketball starts on Saturday, 16 January 2010, at the usual time of 11:30 to 13:30.

Each student receives a free basketball and BSB tshirt as soon as they start the course. The last day of the course is always very exciting. Students play with a great deal of enthusiasm and passion as they battle for every ball, trying to impress their coaches and

win trophies and medals. But most importantly, by the end of the course each student has improved their skills and further developed their love of the game! For more information please contact: The British Academy of Sports, TSK, Salwa 1, St 1 Tel no: 25625604 / 25620706 X 131, Mobile: 99458013, E-mail: BAS@bntishintl.com.

UAE’s physician receives India’s top honor for NRIs r Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman, DM Healthcare and MIMS India, a renowned physician turned entrepreneur based in UAE received India’s top most honor for overseas Indians the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award. The award conferred by the President of India on 9th January 2010 at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi recognizes Dr Azad Moopen’s notable contribution to social and humanitarian causes, his leadership qualities, his passion to reach the underprivileged and his commitment to provide best medical facilities to the people of Gulf Countries and India.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman is an award by Government of India in conjunction with the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, to honor exceptional and meritorious contribution of overseas Indians in their chosen field/profession. Maximum 15 awardees from all over the world are nominated every year to receive this prestigious award and Dr Azad Moopen now joins the

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Dr Azad Moopen, Chairman DM Healthcare, honored by President of India Pratibha Singh Patil. ranks of notable and eminent personalities from across the globe.

“I consider this award as a reward for whatever little I have been able to contribute in the area of healthcare and to alleviate the suffering of the needy people.

Greetings

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role for the healthcare sector to fill up the need for quality healthcare at an affordable price which we are committed in delivering through the largest network of healthcare delivery points across the GCC & India,” said Dr Azad

and India.

Dr Moopen’s Healthcare Management Services was formed in Dubai to further the concept of branded Clinics, pharmacies and hospitals as MEDCENTRE, MEDSHOP and MEDACRE across GCC. In 2001, he started Malabar Institute of Medical Science (MIMS), which is a 600 bed super specialty hospital in Kerala which serves people with complex ailments who earlier had to travel to far away cities to access treatment. The Quality Council of India has recognized MIMS as the first NABH accredited Multispecialty Hospital in India. MIMS is now adding many satellite hospitals with one at Kottakal inaugurated recently.

Dr Azad Moopen has also dedicated his resources towards the educational sector by establishing 3 international schools in Saudi Arabia and planning to start a school in Kerala. Dr Azad Moopen, a true visionary, believes and states that in the race of excellence there is no finishing line.

TEF appoints new committee members for 2010 amilnadu Engineers Forum (TEF) Kuwait is a non- profit, non- political, voluntary association of the group of Engineers graduated from Tamilnadu Engineering Colleges and Tamilnadu native Engineers working in Kuwait dedicated for the cause of knowledge and business enrichment for its members and other communities in the society. Since its inception in 2001 TEF has been very active in providing multi- faceted contribution to the humanity, society and a good business supporter to various organizations. TEF is considered to be one of the highly active, renowned, recognized and professional society within Kuwait.

(Website www.tefkuwait.com).

The new committee members for the year 2010 were formally introduced by the elected President Senthamilarasu , who in his address thanked all the members and supporters for electing him as the President for the third time and being one of the member from TEF’s inception recollected the history of TEF and look forward the same support and patrons for its continued growth.

The following members took over the committee charges and responsibilities for the year 2010: Senthamilarasu President, Sethumadhavan - Vice President, JeyakumarGeneral Secretary, Rajendra Kannan-Joint Secretary, Bala Elamaran - Treasurer, Amudan Ilakkuvan- Joint Treasurer and J Mannavan, Ramesh Kumar, Raman, Bascarane, Premraj, Vaithyanathan, Shankar, Raguraman, Neerthalingam,

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appy 4th birthday to our dear Shaik Junaid. Greetings from your Papa Shaik Younus and best wishes from your uncle Shaik Rayees and your whole family and friends.

This journey was possible only with the support of the growing fraternity of DM Healthcare and MIMS professionals who have manfully strived to bring experience & expertise to the masses with a human touch. There is a big

Moopen.

“Today our group treats over 2 million patients a year across a cross-section of society in Gulf Countries and India. As part of the Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility, we regularly conduct lot of awareness campaigns and extend free medical care to thousands of poor patients in India and GCC. Soon we will be launching a diabetes management programme in a big way” added Dr Azad Moopen.

DM Healthcare and MIMS founded by Dr Azad Moopen have always been leading the way through its numerous social initiatives aimed at improving healthcare standards and achieving the vision of “Healthcare for All”. Dr Moopen’s journey began in 1982 as a lecturer in General Medicine Department of the Government College in Calicut India. By the year 1995, his deep sensitivity and commitment to bring quality healthcare to the doorstep of millions paved way for establishing a successful network of medical centers and pharmacies in GCC

Ramasamy, Vaithyanathan, Selvam as the Committee Members.

Jeyakumar, General Secretary for TEF 2010 committee during his speech mentioned that TEF’s growth during the past decade has been tremendous with increased member’s strength and the

responsibilities from the committee members also has raised . He assured that the 2010 committee will deliver its best to make a great successful 10th year birthday for TEF and also informed that to have a platform for professional interaction, the new committee is intending to

work with few other Engineering associations in Kuwait for combined initiatives beneficial for the society and its members. TEF is looking forward to have the continued support from the all the Indian and other communities in Kuwait.

Standing from left to right (Committee Members): Raghuraman, Ramesh Kumar, Mannavan, Neerthalingam, Raman, Selvam, Bascarane, Vaithyanathan, and Bascarane. Sitting from left to right (Executive Committee): Rajendra Kannan, Elamaran, Senthamilarasu, Jeyakumar, Sethumadhavan, and Amudan.

Announcements Education exhibition versities, epresentatives from 45 uni language lish Eng and colleges of the schools from all 4 countries Hotel, za Pla wne Cro t. sen UK will be pre uary Jan 20 y Farwaniya on Wednesda ay rsd Thu and 00 21: 2010 from 17:00 0017: & 30 21 January 2010: 09:00 - 12: enquiries and 21:00. They will answer able courses, suit on tion rma info e vid pro ails about det and nts me entry require , including UK studying and living in the living cont, ten con rse cou information on nts and me nge ditions, costs, welfare arra to find e sibl pos be also will much more. It a application vis the ut abo re mo out process.

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January 15 Kalanjali Pongal Vizha 2010: Kalanjali Kuwait is planning to organize ‘Pongal Vizha’ on January 15, 2010 in American International School. Special program, similar to Paattukku Paatu (in Tamil), by World famous Bh Abdul Hameed will be conducted. Interested participants can send an email with their details to kalanjaliq8@gmail.com for selection process in Dec 2009 or contact 99816937 / 66457286.

Mega event: Seva Darshan Kuwait will present a mega stage show ‘Bharath Darshan’ on Friday, January 15, 2010 from 9 am onwards at the Marina Hall, Jleeb Al-Shouyoukh. The mega event will showcase riveting dance and music programs featuring celebrated artists of the Idea Star Singerfame Somadas, Jins, Prashobh and Superstar Global winner Roopa. They will be supported by the famous comedy duo Kottayam Nazir and Kalabhavan Prajod. The proceeds from the event will go to building a school project for the tribal

children in the backward region of Kerala’s Marayoor area.

All are welcome to the mega event.

KKMA children’s drawing contest: The grand final contest of KKMA-Tiffany drawing contest for children in Indian schools in Kuwait will be held on Friday, 15th January 2010. A press release from KKMA stated that a total number of 3000 entries were received during the first phase of the contest held in June-October 2009.

Children’s from 17 Indian schools in Kuwait participated in this contest. Of which 1000 finalists were selected and invited for an on-the-spot final contest held on January 15th 2010 at Kuwait Indian school in Jleeb (next to 6th ring road). A list of all finalists who are eligible for participating in the final contest is being sent to their respective schools and the participants are contacted by their given contact telephone or emails. The list is also published at KKMA website www.kkma.net The Association thanked all class teachers and the art/drawing teachers of your

school for their kind support without which we could not have received such an immense response. Contest titled as ‘World Peace’ KKMA-Tiffany Drawing Contest is conducted to promote a culture of nonviolence and peace by raising awareness among young children about these concepts. The competition was open to all students of Indian Schools in Kuwait and divided in to four categories Primary School (Class 1 to IV), Upper Primary School (Class V to VII), Secondary School (Class VIII to Class X), and Senior Secondary School (Class XI and Class XII).

The Phase 1 of the contest was held early this year in which each of the entrants was requested to submit one piece of drawing which responds to the theme, “World Peace”. All entries were then reviewed by a judging panel and 1000 semi-finalists were selected to advance to phase 2 final competitions which will be now held on 15th January 2009. Total of 60 winners, 15 students from each category will be then chosen and awarded with medals and gifts.

The Embassy of India will remain closed on Thursday, January 14, 2010 on account of “Makar Sankaranti”.

The Embassy of India has further revamped and improved its Legal Advice Clinic at the Indian Workers Welfare Center, and made the free service available to Indian nationals on all five working days, i.e. from Sunday to Thursday every week. Kuwaiti lawyers would be available at the Legal Advice Clinic daily from Monday to Thursday, while Indian lawyers would be available on Sundays.

Following are the free welfare services provided at the Indian Workers Welfare Center located at the Embassy of India: [i] 24x7 Helpline for Domestic Workers: Accessible by toll free telephone no.

25674163 from anywhere in Kuwait, it provides information and advice exclusively to Indian domestic sector workers (Visa No. 20) as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. [ii] Help Desk: It offers guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal, and other issues (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iii) Labour Complaints Desk: It registers labor complaints and provides grievance redressal service to Indian workers (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iv) Shelters: For female and male domestic workers in distress; (v) Legal Advice Clinic: Provides free legal advice to Indian nationals (Embassy premises; Kuwaiti lawyers 3 PM to 5 PM, Monday to Thursday; Indian lawyers 2 PM to 4 PM on Sunday); and (vi) Attestation of Work Contracts: Private sector worker (Visa No. 18) contracts are accepted at the Embassy; 9 AM to 1 PM; Sunday to Thursday; Domestic sector worker (Visa No. 20) contracts are accepted at Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO), Hawally, Al-Othman Street, Kurd Roundabout, Al-Abraj Complex, Office No 9, Mezzanine Floor; 9 AM to 9 PM, Saturday to Thursday; 5 PM to 9 PM on Friday.

EMBASSY OF PHILIPPINES The Embassy of the Philippines wishes to inform the Filipino community in the State of Kuwait, that the recent supreme court decision to extend the registration of voter’s applies only in local registration in the Philippines under Republic Act no. 8189 and does not apply to overseas voters which is governed by Republic Act no.

9189, hence it has no impact on the plans and preparations on the conduct of overseas absentee voting. The overseas absentee voting for presidential elections will start on 10 April 2010 and will continue uninterrupted until 10 May 2010 daily at the Philippine Embassy.

Registered overseas absentee voters are advised to schedule their days off in advance to avoid complications in their schedules. Qualified voters are encouraged to get out and vote.

EMBASSY OF SOUTH AFRICA The Embassy of the Republic of South Africa’s working hours till Thursday, 31st December 2009 will be from 8 am to 10 am. Please note that the Embassy will be closed on Sunday, 3rd January 2010 on the occasion of the New Year. The Embassy will resume its normal working hours on Monday, 4th January 2010, from Sunday to Thursday. Please note that the working hours will be from 8 am to 16h00 & the Consular section operation hours will be from 8h30 to 12h30.

Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Monday, January 11, 2010

WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

Executive Board IWG 2009-2010 at the monthly meeting yesterday. Karen Nauss-Henry, Shahla Abdullayeva, Narjes Al-Shatti, Farah Attai, Afi Khan, Sue Read and Jasmine Shuhaiber. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

31

(From left) Dalia El-Wassimy, Shereen Eldessovky, Mayssa Abdelhalim and Carla Foote.

o l d h s p m u o o n r g thly meeti s ’ G ng IW A quiz with a difference hosted

By Velina Nacheva

(From left) Nadine Farahat, wife of Egyptian ambassador to Kuwait, Narjes AlShatti, IWG’s PR and Sheikha Hala Al-Yassini.

(From left) Frederique Asfar, Yvonne Al-Hashem and Lucie Vavrova, wife of the Czech ambassador to Kuwait.

(From left) Mariam Noor, Kathy Little, Marwa Barakat, wife of Egyptian military attache and Jamila Bourjini.

KUWAIT: The monthly meeting of the International Women’s Group - an event that gathered multi-national group of ambassadors’ wives, business people, working women, housewives or professionals in Kuwait, was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel yesterday. The International Women’s Group (IWG) - an organization featuring some 150 members from more than 55 countries, hosted the event with women from different corners of the world in attendance.

The meeting opened with a welcome address by Karen Nauss-Henry, president of the IWG and wife of the Canadian ambassador to Kuwait. Members of IWG and guests were separated in groups and given a quiz that addressed questions varying from the fields of history, geography, society and culture to politics and inventions. There were four subscriptions for the Kuwait Times newspaper given to prize winners of the raffle draw at the event.

The IWG is a multinational organization that welcomes women from all corners of the world. Currently, the group’s members hail from across Canada, Europe, India, Kuwait, the US, and many other places. Every first Sunday of the month the members of the group and guests gather for a lecture, presentation or just meet up for an informative chitchat with the rest of the women and thus keep track on the latest news of the daily life in Kuwait. This is how the organization’s events could be summed up.

Being part of the International Women’s Group is an enriching experience, says NaussHenry. “It is a good chance to get to know people at a deeper level,” she said. According to her, the members of the IWG board are hard-working and long-serving. “They are the real heart and soul of the International Women’s Group and I am just privileged to be working with them,” Nauss-Henry said in explaining her role as a president.

Trips to museums, sightseeing and visits to neighboring countries, also add up to the agenda of IWG, that many members agreed opens a whole door of new things to see and do. As part of the organization’s activities, the IWG also puts together events to raise funds for various charities.

A long-term member of the group shared that being part of this network of women is also about learning about other places around the globe and getting acquainted with the culture of many countries. In the words of another member, the main idea of the group is for people from different cultural backgrounds to get to know the culture of each other and the culture of Kuwait.

(From left) Hanan Al-Mutawa, Nazi Al-Dashti and Julie Davies.

(From left) Vassiliki Drakakis, wife of Greek ambassador to Kuwait, Margaret Szwedo, wife of Polish ambassador, and Sheikha Hala Al-Yassini.

(From left) Rohaizan Sallehudin, Alka Barratt, Lore Al-Rifai, Jerry Esmaiel and Sanjita.

(From left) Hiroko Matsuda, Ikuko Yamabe, Yukiko Yamame and (From left) Mokhtaria Haddoll, Naziha Hajjaj, Motla Mohana, Keiko Katon at the IWG’s event yesterday morning.

Romanika Dissanayake and Ira Malhotra at the event.

INFORMATION

32

Monday, January 11, 2010 FIRE BRIGADE Operation Room 777 Al-Madena 22418714 Al-Shohada始a 22545171 Al-Shuwaikh 24810598 Al-Nuzha 22545171 Sabhan 24742838 Al-Helaly 22434853 Al-Fayhaa 22545051 Al-Farwaniya 24711433 Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983 Al-Fahaheel 23927002 Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983 Ahmadi 23980088 Al-Mangaf 23711183 Al-Shuaiba 23262845 Al-Jahra 25610011 Al-Salmiya 25616368

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw

For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 HOSPITALS Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

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

24874330/9 CLINICS

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

4892674

Al-Omariya

4719048

N.Kheitan

4710044

Rabiya

4732263

Fintas

3900322

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

PHARMACIES ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE Ahmadi

PHARMACY Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

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

PHONE 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

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

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554

EMERGENCY 112

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists: Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea Dr. Masoma Habeeb Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy Dr. Mohsen Abel Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly

25622444 25752222 25321171 25739999 25757700 25732223 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT): Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners: Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists: Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Plastic Surgeons: Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari Dr. Abdel Quttainah

22617700 25625030/60

Family Doctor: Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Zahra Qabazard Sohail Qamar Snaa Maaroof Pradip Gujare Zacharias Mathew

25710444 22621099 25713514 23713100 24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047 Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0 Gynaecologists & Obstetricians: Dr Adrian Harbe 23729596/23729581 Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321 Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539 Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406 Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272 Dr. Salem soso 22618787 General Surgeons: Dr. Abidallah Behbahani 25717111 Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Paediatricians: Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

(2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535 Dentists:

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists:

Internist, Chest & Heart: DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Tel: 25339667 Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Consultant Cardiologist Tel: 2611555-2622555 Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324 Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

Internists, Chest & Heart: Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939 Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300 Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004 Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515 Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446 Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Physiotherapists & VD: Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291 Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Endocrinologist: Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari

25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr

25329924

Psychologists/Psychotherapists Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688 info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677 William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kuwait Airways Wataniya Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines

22433377 24379900 177 22477631 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/2433141 22456700 22412284/5 22453820/1

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK)

0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345 00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044

Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guyana Haiti Holland (Netherlands) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Ibiza (Spain) Iceland India Indian Ocean Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia

00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689 00241 00220 00995 0049 00233 00350 0030 00299 001473 00590 001671 00502 00224 00592 00509 0031 00504 00852 0036 0034 00354 0091 00873 0062 0098 00964 00353 0039 00225 001876 0081 00962 007 00254 00686 00965 00996 00856 00371 00961 00231 00218 00370 00352 00853 00389

Monday, January 11, 2010

33 ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available near Highland super market Abbassiya for Keralite family from January 26th or February 1st onwards, rent KD 70. Contact: 66598187. (C 20163) Sharing accommodation available in Reggai for a family/ bachelors with an Indian Keralite family in a CAC building. Contact: 66531607. (C 20162) Sharing accommodation available for decent bachelors (non smoking & non alcoholic) with Keralite family in a 2 BR flat with 2 bathroom. Tel: 24349401, 99684527. (C 20161) Accommodation available near Indian Central School Abbassiya, with 2 bedroom 2 bathroom flat for female or Indian bachelor. Contact: 97506913. (C 20165) 11-1-2010 Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya for Keralite couple with couple.

Contact: 66615462 after 3 pm. (C 20151) Sharing accommodation available C-A/C flat in Abbassiya near Balansia bakery for a Keralite decent bachelor.

Contact: 99652616. (C 20150) Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya decent Keralite couple only, Jan 21st or Feb 1st, double bedroom flat rent 80 KD. Contact: 97142939, 99263083. (C 20152) Sharing accommodation available for a couple/ small family or two non-smoking bachelors in a two bedroom flat in Abbassiya from 1st Feb 10. Contact: 24315927/ 97669236. (C 20153) Fully furnished sharing accommodation available for Keralite family or single non smoking bachelor, Abbassiya near Highway center from 10 January.

Call: 67052936. (C 20157) 10-1-2010 Sharing accommodation available for a Keralite couple, decent bachelors or working ladies with Keralite family, Apsara Bazar building. Contact: 97214297.

(C 20144) Sharing accommodation available for family/ bachelor with central A/C attached bathroom, near Garden store, Abbassiya. Contact 65662085. (C 20143) Room available from 25th January in Tunis Street, Hawally, behind Alghanim W/TFC, A/C and internet.

Contact: 97823204.

(C 20145) Sharing accommodation available with a Keralite X始ian family in a C-AC flat in Abbassiya, opp German clinic with separate bathroom for family/ working ladies from Feb 01st. Contact: 99461537. (C 20146) Sharing accommodation available for Mangalorean family or 2 decent bachelors in Maidan Hawally. Phone: 66801120, 66285615.

(C 20148) Sharing accommodation available for a non-smoking, non-cooking bachelor with Keralite family at Abbassiya, near Thattukada, from February. Call 99372823.

(C 20149) 9-1-2010 Fully furnished sharing accommodation available for a Keralite Christian family at Abbassiya for 3-5 months. Contact: 99962214 & 66957146. (C 20140) Furnished accommodation from 1st February 2010 in Salmiya near garden for decent Muslim executive bachelors preferably Muslim Indian or Pakistani, in a very clean and peaceful environment. Rent KD 100. Contact: 66639581. (C 20141) 07-1-2010 Room available at Maidan

Hawally for Filipino only with TFC, near bus stop. Please contact 97277135 Sharing accommodation available for a Keralite bachelor with 2 bachelors in a flat in Abbassiya, near Classic Typing Center. Contact after 5 pm on 66439011. (C 20133) Room for rent, for Filipino only, pwede nang lipatan, old Riggae, bldg 25, near KPTC bus stop/ UAE Exchange.

Contact: 66982714/ 66166021.

(C 20134) 6-1-2010 Sharing accommodation available in Kuwait city from 1st Feb in CAC flat with Keralite bachelors for a decent person. Rent KD 42.

Interested pls contact 99486009, 97517417 (C 20132) 5-1-2010 Room available from 1st January in central A/C flat for Asian decent family/ couple, in old Khaitan near Water and Electricity department. Contact: 97468551.

(C 20125)

SITUATION VACANT

Wanted part/ full time maid for Indian family in Riggae, preferably Goan. Contact: 99694619. (C 20156) 10-1-2010 Required live in maid for Keralite family. Please call 99509436. (C 20129) 5-1-2010

BABY SITTING Baby sitting available, nursery base, age up to 1 year child, home care motherly care age up to 3 months Salwa, area 6, St 2, near Alghanim school, more details 66434840.

(C 20164) 11-1-2010

FOR SALE Japanese Daihatsu jeep for sale, 2005 model, good condition.

Contact: 97869143, 97625674.

(C 20166) Brand new IPC camera Sony model SNC M3W-digital video KD 120, Linksys model WVC200 KD 60.

Mobile: 99489047.

(C 20167) 11-1-2010 Toyota Corolla model 2002 white, good condition. KD 1,500 cash. Contact: 67744071. (C 20147) Toyota Corolla model 2007, XLi (low fuel communication) golden color, very excellent original condition, price cash KD 2,800 (installment possible). Contact: 99105286. (C 20158) 10-1-2010 Nissan Urvan model 2009, 10 seater, done 17,000 km, excellent condition, price cash KD 4,500. Contact: 97213518. (C 20142) 9-1-2010 Mitsubishi Gallant, 6 cylinder, silver color, 72,000 km, excellent condition, price KD 3,150.

Contact: 66026259/ 55273700.

(C 20138) Honda Accord 2007 model, honey gold, well maintained, (2.4 litres capacity, 25,000 km mileage). Single owner driven, owner leaving Kuwait. Price KD 4,000.

Contact: 99300296.

No: 14606

MATRIMONIAL Orthodox NRI parents invite suitable proposals for their daughter 25/170, BE, working with Kuwait University from professionally qualified God fearing boys (Orthodox, Marthoma, CSI) working in Kuwait. Please contact with details to anupg2010@gmail.com (C 20160) 11-1-2010

Flight Schedule Airlines JZR KLM WAN GFA ETH JZR DHX THY UAE ETD QTR FC JZR JZR JZR BAW KAC KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD KAC GFA WAN JZR JZR JZR WAN JZR MEA OMA IRC KAC MSR KAC WAN JZR JZR WAN SVA KAC JZR QTR

Arrival Flights on Monday 11/01/2010 Flt Route 0263 BEIRUT 0447 AMSTERDAM/BAHRAIN 2011 SHARM EL SHEIKH 211 BAHRAIN 620 ADDIS ABABA 0637 ALEPPO 370 BAHRAIN 1172 ISTANBUL 853 DUBAI 0305 ABU DHABI 0138 DOHA 201 DUBAI 0503 LUXOR 0527 ALEXANDRIA 0529 ASSIUT 0157 LONDON 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 206 ISLAMABAD 352 COCHIN 0161 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 676 DUBAI 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 0121 SHARJAH 0132 DOHA 0301 ABU DHABI 344 CHENNAI 213 BAHRAIN 1121 BAHRAIN 0447 DOHA 0165 DUBAI 0425 BAHRAIN 1021 DUBAI 0113 ABU DHABI 404 BEIRUT 0645 MUSCAT 6521 LAMERD 382 DELHI 610 CAIRO 672 DUBAI 2301 DAMASCUS 0525 ALEXANDRIA 0257 BEIRUT 2001 CAIRO 500 JEDDAH 552 DAMASCUS 0457 DAMASCUS 0134 DOHA

Time 00:05 00:10 00:15 01:05 01:45 02:05 02:15 02:15 02:35 03:00 03:25 05:25 05:35 06:10 06:30 06:40 06:45 07:40 07:40 07:45 07:55 08:20 08:20 08:30 08:55 09:00 09:35 10:35 10:45 10:45 11:00 11:05 11:10 11:20 11:20 11:55 12:15 12:35 12:45 12:55 13:25 13:35 14:05 14:10 14:20 14:30 14:35 14:45 15:00

KAC KAC KAC KAC RJA JZR KAC UAE GFA SVA ETD JZR JZR ABY JZR WAN ALK UAL WAN DHX WAN KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC IAC KAC KAC JAI JZR WAN GFA MEA QTR UAE KLM WAN KAC JZR JZR GBB JZR JZR TAR PIA DLH WAN WAN

284 548 678 546 800 0173 118 857 215 510 0303 0493 0239 0125 0367 2101 227 982 2003 473 1025 542 674 0177 786 614 744 774 575 104 618 572 0459 2103 217 402 0136 859 0445 1129 502 0449 0429 081 0117 0185 327 239 636 2201 1029

DHAKA LUXOR MUSCAT/ABU DHABI ALEXANDRIA AMMAN DUBAI NEW YORK DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH ABU DHABI JEDDAH AMMAN SHARJAH DEIREZZOR BEIRUT COLOMBO/DUBAI WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO BAGHDAD DUBAI CAIRO DUBAI DUBAI JEDDAH BAHRAIN DAMMAM RIYADH CHENNAI/GOA LONDON DOHA MUMBAI DAMASCUS BEIRUT BAHRAIN BEIRUT DOHA DUBAI AMSTERDAM BAHRAIN BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN BAGHDAD ABU DHABI DUBAI TUNIS ISLAMABAD/SIALKOT FRANKFURT AMMAN DUBAI

15:10 15:15 15:30 15:30 15:40 16:05 16:55 16:55 17:05 17:15 17:15 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:50 18:55 18:55 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 20:00 20:05 20:40 20:55 21:05 21:20 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:40 23:10 23:20 23:30 23:40 23:45

OMA

Departure Flights on Monday 11/01/2010 Airlines Flt JZR

Route

0528 ASSIUT

0646 MUSCAT

13:15

Time

IRC

6522 LAMERD

13:35

00:05

KAC

785

JEDDAH

13:40 13:55

AXB

390

MANGALORE/KOZHIKODE

00:30

MSR

611

CAIRO

UAL

981

WASHINGTON DC DULLES

00:40

KAC

673

DUBAI

14:30

IAC

982

AHMEDABAD/HYDERABAD/CHENNAI 01:05

JZR

0176 DUBAI

15:05

PIA

206

PESHAWER/LAHORE

01:10

JZR

0458 DAMASCUS

15:30

BBC

044

DHAKA

01:15

SVA

501

JEDDAH

15:45

DLH

637

FRANKFURT

01:20

KAC

773

RIYADH

16:10

KLM

0447 AMSTERDAM

01:25

KAC

501

BEIRUT

16:10

ETH

620

02:30

KAC

613

BAHRAIN

16:20

AMMAN

BAHRAIN/ADDIS ABABA

KAC

283

DHAKA

02:55

RJA

801

DHX

371

BAHRAIN

03:15

QTR

0135 DOHA

16:25 16:30

THY

1173 ISTANBUL

03:15

KAC

617

DOHA

16:35

KAC

381

DELHI

03:30

KAC

743

DAMMAM

16:40

UAE

854

DUBAI

03:50

GFA

216

BAHRAIN

17:55

ETD

0306 ABU DHABI

04:10

ETD

0304 ABU DHABI

18:00

QTR

0139 DOHA

05:00

UAE

858

18:10

JZR

0164 DUBAI

07:00

ABY

0126 SHARJAH

18:20

JZR

0524 ALEXANDRIA

07:20

JZR

0262 BEIRUT

18:25

JZR

0112 ABU DHABI

07:35

KAC

543

CAIRO

18:30

JZR

0446 DOHA

07:40

SVA

511

RIYADH

GFA

212

BAHRAIN

07:45

JZR

0184 DUBAI

18:35

JZR

0422 BAHRAIN

07:55

JZR

0116 ABU DHABI

18:40

KAC

545

08:30

JZR

0448 DOHA

18:50

JZR

0256 BEIRUT

08:35

GBB

082

18:50

KAC

677

08:40

JZR

0428 BAHRAIN

19:00

BAW

0156 LONDON

08:55

ALK

228

19:15

KAC

671

DUBAI

09:00

WAN

1028 DUBAI

19:30

KAC

551

DAMASCUS

09:10

KAC

331

21:00

KAC

547

LUXOR

09:15

WAN

1128 BAHRAIN

JZR

0456 DAMASCUS

09:25

JAI

571

MUMBAI

21:10

ABY

0122 SHARJAH

09:35

GFA

218

BAHRAIN

21:55 22:00

ALEXANDRIA ABU DHABI/MUSCAT

DUBAI

BAGHDAD DUBAI/COLOMBO TRIVANDRUM

18:30

21:00

UAE

856

DUBAI

09:40

DHX

171

BAHRAIN

QTR

0133 DOHA

10:00

KAC

675

DUBAI

22:10

ETD

0302 ABU DHABI

10:20

MEA

403

BEIRUT

22:20

GFA

214

BAHRAIN

11:40

JZR

0188 DUBAI

22:30

KAC

165

ROME/PARIS

11:45

FC

102

22:30

KAC

541

CAIRO

12:00

QTR

0137 DOHA

22:35

JZR

0172 DUBAI

12:00

KAC

301

MUMBAI

22:45

JZR

0492 JEDDAH

12:15

UAE

860

DUBAI

22:50

JZR

0366 DEIREZZOR

12:20

KLM

0445 BAHRAIN/AMSTERDAM

22:55

JZR

0238 AMMAN

12:25

JZR

0526 ALEXANDRIA

23:25

KAC

103

LONDON

12:30

JZR

0502 LUXOR

23:50

MEA

405

BEIRUT

12:55

KAC

411

23:55

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

BAHRAIN

BANGKOK/MANILA

SPECTRUM

34 CROSSWORD 866

Monday, January 11, 2010

Calvin Aries (March 21-April 19) Good luck and special

personal charm shows itself today. Love is passionate and you and your loved ones can enjoy a leisure day. Your friends may want to visit this afternoon, but if you are still in your robe, they will understand. This is also a good time to lay out some plans on improvements in health and home. The ultimate mysteries of life and death take on greater importance. Get outside, weather permitting of course, and enjoy some fresh air this afternoon. Visiting with a neighbor is likely. You may find yourself in deep discussions about the world and it’s opportunities. Talk of taxes, investments and other financial ties may keep your attention as well. Sex and healing are manifestations that play a big role in your life now.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You may spend a great deal

of time, effort and worry balancing commitments.

Also, this time marks an interest in intellectual stimulation from social and leisure activities. You want to be helpful and may decide to volunteer for some nearby charity this year. Conversations about goals, changes and perhaps the fun vacation you always wanted to take can also be of interest today. Writing your ideas down may help to give you focus. Getting an idea on paper will also help you to see your thoughts from a different perspective. Your sense of value is strong—today may be a good time to take advantage of some special sales to purchase accessories for the house.

This evening you will want to just sit back and enjoy a good book, etc.

Pooch Cafe

ACROSS 1. A fatal disease of cattle that affects the central nervous system.

4. A light touch or stroke.

7. A globular water bottle used in Asia.

11. (informal) Of the highest quality.

12. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

13. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates.

14. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

15. Agitation resulting from active worry.

16. The compass point that is one point east of northeast.

17. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

19. Any of various spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Acacia.

21. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

24. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

25. A software system that facilitates the creation and maintenance and use of an electronic database.

26. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

31. The compass point midway between east and southeast.

33. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element.

34. (Judaism) Sacred chest where the ancient Hebrews kept the two tablets containing the Ten Commandments.

35. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

37. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

38. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

39. Covered with paving material.

42. A public promotion of some product or service.

46. A beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water.

47. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

49. Primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves.

51. An ester of adenosine that is converted to ATP for energy storage.

52. Brief episode in which the brain gets insufficient blood supply.

53. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

54. Any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse.

55. Either extremity of something that has length.

56. A city in northern India.

DOWN 1. A small cake leavened with yeast.

2. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

3. The branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication.

4. A challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy.

5. Fermented alcoholic beverage similar to but heavier than beer.

6. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

7. An island of central Hawaii.

8. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

9. A sock with a separation for the big toe.

10. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

18. The highest level or degree attainable.

20. An esoteric or occult matter that is traditionally secret.

22. State in northeastern India.

23. Being ten more than one hundred ninety.

27. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

28. A flexible container with a single opening.

29. A colorless and odorless inert gas.

30. A state in northwestern North America.

32. A card game for 2 players.

36. English monk and scholar (672-735).

37. The branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication.

40. Deeply moved.

41. (Old Testament) Cain and Abel were the first children of Adam and Eve born after the Fall of Man. 43. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

44. Any culture medium that uses agar as the gelling agent.

45. Offering fun and gaiety.

48. An informal term for a father.

50. The act of slowing down or falling behind.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Now is the perfect time to get your thoughts together about a vacation you have been thinking about taking. You may find yourself on the Internet or in the Library or Science museum today; making discoveries, drawing map instructions or making decisions on just which areas will be the most beneficial to some research or some long-time interests. You may read about situations in one country that you think you can help to create positive change. Of course, the joy of the travel and the ability to travel may be enough for you. Today you will make a difference. You create your own future and you make a positive presence. An elderly or a very young person benefits from your guidance.

Exercise by walking today; there is a release of excess energy.

Non Sequitur

Cancer (June 21-July 22) On the home front, you check all the appliances, smoke detectors, food supply, automobile upkeep, and batteries for flashlights. There is nothing like feeling secure as the weather changes. You may find yourself being put to good use by your friends this afternoon. There is an opportunity to be helpful to each other and perhaps reorganize some project. All of this should go rather smoothly. Don’t do too much dreaming just now. It would be very easy for you to become carried away with some fancy or another. You are very intuitive when it comes to understanding what foods your body needs and now is the best time for experimenting with some new recipes or creating your own. It might be fun to make extra food and share with others at work next week.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Throughout all of this year, you will have plenty of enthusiasm and luck of the draw for your choice in such things as education, travel, publishing, art, theater or sports. Travel desires come from remembering times past and experiences enjoyed. You will be able to make some plans for travel through your career or hobby choice. Your life outlook is positive and ready for life experiences—fasten your seat belt. You may be inspired to pass on your knowledge in teaching survival techniques or guiding a group. You will more than likely attract the outdoor type of friends. You may find that your outdoor type friends are discussing the next fishing trip. A romantic dinner away from the home can be enjoyed this evening. Romance is high on your list.

Zits

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Whatever you set out to do today will have positive results. Everyone is in a good mood and restless to move toward out-of-doors activity.

This could be in the form of some sort of sports or competitive games. You may enjoy some team sports with your friends today. Obligations may gain your attention this afternoon . . . including studying, tutoring or teaching. A feeling of satisfaction is easy to find. Positive feedback for your effort is available and welcomed. Everything conspires to reveal you at your most elegant, particularly in social situations this evening. You will have a grasp for abstract and spiritual ideas and the ability to present or communicate these to others. Clear thinking and good communication is on target today.

Libra (September 23-October 22) Travel gets the green light now, but you will have to make confirmations and possibly change some plans. This could mean travel that is short-range or long-range and possibly surrounds business issues. Of course, you will have some time for yourself and while it may not be that grand vacation, it certainly gives you some time to be away from the regular routine. You have an interest in metaphysical fields of study and may find yourself signing up for a horoscope class. Good luck follows you around today and you may want to get a couple of lottery tickets but, do not overdo. This is a good time to surround yourself with your friends and enjoy the energies of this day. You are particularly witty and make stimulating company.

Mother Goose and Grimm

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You may think your

emotions are tuned in to others this morning. You may feel someone is out of order, when indeed they are right on target. Consider the facts of a particular matter instead of the presentation and you will also be on target. Take time to enjoy nature later today—adopt an observer attitude.

Relaxation is important. Perhaps you have never noticed the variety of birds in your neighborhood? This would be a good time to shop for those healthy, crispy vegetables and fruits to put in your lunches. You may find yourself put to good use by your friends this evening. This could include helping someone move furniture, provide needed transportation, etc. This evening brings about some good feelings of being included and needed.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Romantic thoughts are on your mind today. If you are not married you just may meet that special person today. If you are married you may have some plans to enhance and electrify your relationship. This is a most positive beginning for today. The afternoon is filled with the laughter of young voices and you may be interested in helping with some neighborhood youth group. Off-the-cuff remarks from these young people make for excellent writing material. Keep in contact with an elderly member of your family today—perhaps by phone. Better yet, consider including an invitation for some time with them this next week. This person could be bored or depressed; do not be shy about bringing them up to date with your own activities.

Yesterday’s Solution

Capricorn

yester

Yesterday’s Solution

to

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Kuwait Qatar Abu Dhabi Dubai Raas Al Khayma Al-Shareqa Muscat Jordan Bahrain Riyadh Makkah - Jeddah Cairo Alexandria Beirut Damascus Allepo

00965 00974 009712 009714 009717 009716 00968 009626 00973 009661 009662 00202 00203 009611 0096311 0096321

Tunisia Rabat Washington New York Paris London Madrid Zurich Geneva Monaco Rome Bangkok Hong Kong Pakistan Taiwan Bonn

0021610 002127 001212 001718 00331 004471 00341 00411 004122 0033 00396 00662 00852 0092 00886 0049228

Word Sleuth Solution

(December

22-January

19)

Walking for exercise is a way to focus your thoughts and that is probably how you begin your day today.

Squabbles over chores may be solved by rotating the duties between members of the family. You had many opportunities for a social life in December and it seems those opportunities will be coming up again. In your work, you will deal more with the public and encounter difficult personality types. You are good at handling difficult situations and your idea of relaxation and time out activities is something you may want to talk about with a friend later today. Your charm and friendliness are magnetic pulls that attract the sort of people that everyone would enjoy having around them. Your timing is perfect for a romantic evening.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Religious contacts could have a part in making good things happen today. With places to go and things to do, you enjoy having a day you can call your own. Relaxation time with friends or with family is also important. With the opening week of a new year behind you—you may decide to goof off in the garage, read, see a movie or just hang out this afternoon.

You may enjoy a good book or just sit in your comfortable chair and relax. Your life seems to be in-balance today. Home, office, personal and political is in tune with your energies. If you desire, a perfect setting can be arranged for a romantic evening. If you do not have a special loved one, consider a new person carefully. Close friends or family members want to share their thoughts tonight.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) It is a big relief to have help in cleaning and perhaps putting some new colorful accents around. Much of this day is spent in clearing away the old and making room for the new. Cleaning, washing and sprucing up the home are usual tasks for days such as this. You enjoy having things in order and you like to feel good about the place in which you live. Your taste in art and art appreciation in general are heightened as you gaze at an unusual exhibit later today. You may find a particular item to purchase for your living area or that blank wall in the hallway or entrance hall. There is a yearning for adventure and far horizons that may be satisfied by relaxing with a video movie this afternoon. Dinner is most enjoyable this evening as somebody else cooks.

TV PROGRAMS

Monday, January 11, 2010

35

Orbit listings / Show listings AMERICA PLUS 00:00 The Ex-List 01:00 Private Practice 02:00 Grey’s Anatomy 03:00 Cold Case 04:00 The Closer 05:00 The Ex-List 06:00 GMA Recorded 07:00 Inside the Actors Studio 08:00 Law & Order 09:00 Private Practice 10:00 Grey’s Anatomy 11:00 *24* 12:00 The Closer 13:00 Cold Case 14:00 *24* 15:00 GMA Live 17:00 Law & Order 18:00 The Closer 19:00 In Plain Sight 21:00 Private Practice 22:00 Grey’s Anatomy 23:00 Supernatural ANIMAL PLANET 00:50 Planet Earth 01:45 Animal Cops Houston 02:40 Untamed & Uncut 04:30 Animal Cops South Africa 05:25 Night 06:20 Animal Cops Houston 07:10 Aussie Animal Rescue 07:35 Vet on the Loose 08:00 Wildlife SOS 08:50 Animal Precinct 09:45 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:10 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:40 RSPCA: On the Frontline 11:05 Animal Cops Phoenix 11:55 The Jeff Corwin Experience 12:50 Wildlife SOS 13:15 Pet Rescue 13:45 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 14:10 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 14:40 Lions of Crocodile River 15:35 Lemur Street 16:00 Monkey Business 16:30 Pet Rescue 16:55 Pet Passport 17:25 Wildlife SOS 17:50 RSPCA: On the Frontline 18:20 Animal Cops Phoenix 19:15 Escape to Chimp Eden 20:10 Seven Deadly Strikes 21:10 Animal Cops Phoenix 22:05 Untamed & Uncut 23:00 Escape to Chimp Eden 23:55 Animal Cops Phoenix BBC ENTERTAINMENT 00:05 Life On Mars 00:55 Popcorn 01:55 Life In The Undergrowth 02:45 Casualty 04:25 Cash In The Attic 04:50 Doctors 07:20 Balamory 07:40 Tweenies 08:00 Fimbles 08:20 Teletubbies 08:45 Yoho Ahoy 08:50 Tommy Zoom 09:00 Balamory 09:20 Tweenies 09:40 Fimbles 10:00 Teletubbies 10:25 Yoho Ahoy 10:30 Tommy Zoom 10:40 Bargain Hunt 11:25 Child Of Our Time 2006 12:25 Life In The Undergrowth 13:15 The Weakest Link 14:00 Eastenders 14:30 Doctors 15:00 Bargain Hunt 15:45 Cash In The Attic 16:15 Antiques Roadshow 17:15 The Weakest Link 18:00 Doctors 18:30 Cash In The Attic 19:00 Rough Diamond Sd 19:50 Model Gardens 20:10 Antiques Roadshow 21:00 The Weakest Link 21:45 Doctors 22:15 Eastenders 22:45 Canterbury Tales 23:45 Holby City BBC LIFESTYLE 00:35 The Restaurant Uk 01:25 Saturday Kitchen 02:25 Living In The Sun 03:10 Coleen’s Real Women 03:55 10 Years Younger 04:45 The Clothes Show 05:30 Saturday Kitchen 06:30 Living In The Sun 07:15 The Clothes Show 08:00 Cash In The Attic Usa 08:20 Antiques Roadshow 09:10 Cash In The Attic Usa 09:35 Hidden Potential 10:00 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 11:30 Antiques Roadshow 14:00 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 15:25 Daily Cooks Challenge 16:20 Cash In The Attic Usa 16:45 Hidden Potential 17:10 Antiques Roadshow 18:50 Living In The Sun 19:45 Daily Cooks Challenge 20:45 Masterchef Goes Large 21:10 Saturday Kitchen 22:05 The Home Show 22:55 Coleen’s Real Women 23:40 Indian Food Made Easy BBC WORLD 00:00 Bbc World News - U 00:30Iran: Guarding The Revolution - U 01:00 Bbc World News - U 01:30 Dateline London - U 02:00 Bbc World News - U 02:30 Hardtalk - U 03:00 Bbc World News - U 03:30 Reporters - U 04:00 Bbc World News - U 04:30 Dateline London - U 05:00 Bbc World News - U 05:30 Asia Business Report - U 05:45 Asia Today - U 06:00 Bbc World News - U 06:30 Asia Business Report - U 06:45 Asia Today - U 07:00 Bbc World News - U 07:30 Hardtalk - U 08:00 Bbc World News - U 08:30 World Business Report - U 09:00 Bbc World News - U 09:30 World Business Report - U

10:00 10:30 10:45 11:00 11:30 11:45 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:30 14:45 15:00 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 20:30 20:45 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:30

Bbc World News - U World Business Report - U Sport Today - U Bbc World News - U World Business Report - U Sport Today - U Bbc World News - U Hardtalk - U Bbc World News - U World Business Report - U Sport Today - U World News Today - U World News Today - U Bbc World News - U Hardtalk - U Bbc World News - U Click - U World News Today - U Bbc World News - U World Business Report - U Sport Today - U Bbc World News - U Hardtalk - U World News Today - U Bbc World News - U Fast Track - U

CARTOON NETWORK 00:15 Out of Jimmy’s Head 00:40 Chop Socky Chooks 01:05 Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends 01:30 Cramp Twins 01:55 George of the Jungle 02:20 Adrenalini Brothers 02:45 Gadget Boy 03:10 Ed, Edd n Eddy 03:35 Class of 3000 04:00 The Powerpuff Girls 04:15 Robotboy 04:40 The Secret Saturdays 05:05 Chowder 05:30 Ben 10 05:55 Best Ed 06:20 Samurai Jack 06:45 Cramp Twins 07:10 Eliot Kid 07:35 The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack 08:00 My Spy Family 08:25 Chowder

23:00 Trial by Fire - PG CNN INTERNATIONAL 00:00 Fareed Zakaria Gps 01:00 Best Of Backstory 01:30 World Sport 02:00 The Situation Room 03:00 World Report 04:00 World Business Today 04:30 World Sport 05:00 World Report 06:00 Anderson Cooper 360 07:00 World Report 07:30 Worldview 08:00 World Report 08:30 Best Of Backstory 09:00 World Report 10:30 World Sport 11:00 World Report 11:30 World Business Today 12:00 World Report 12:30 Worldview 13:00 Larry King 14:00 World Report 14:30 World Sport 15:00 World Report 16:00 Amanpour.

16:30 News Special 17:00 World Business Today 18:00 International Desk 19:00 The Brief 19:30 World Sport 20:00 Prism 20:30 News Special 21:00 International Desk 22:00 Quest Means Business 23:00 Amanpour.

23:30 World One DISCOVERY CHANNEL 00:00 Ross Kemp in Afghanistan 01:00 Eyewitness 02:00 Street Customs Berlin 02:55 Fifth Gear 03:50 American Chopper 04:45 How It’s Made 05:10 Eyewitness 05:40 Eyewitness 06:05 X-Machines 07:00 Extreme Engineering 07:55 Chop Shop

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

Replacements Phineas & Ferb Little Einsteins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Lazytown Jonas Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Higglytown Heroes My Friends Tigger and Pooh Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Lazytown Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Brandy & Mr Whiskers Fairly Odd Parents Hannah Montana I Got A Rocket Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas & Ferb Suite Life On Deck Replacements American Dragon Kim Possible Famous Five Fairly Odd Parents Phineas & Ferb Replacements I Got A Rocket Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Fairly Odd Parents Phineas & Ferb Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana The Replacements Jonas Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Sonny With A Chance Hannah Montana The Suite Life of Zack & Cody The Replacements American Dragon Kim Possible Famous Five Fairly Odd Parents Phineas & Ferb

E! ENTERTAINMENT 00:15 Reality Hell 00:40 Ths Investigates 01:30 E!es 01:55 E!es 02:20 Sexiest 03:15 Young, Beautiful And Vanished 05:05 Dr 90210 06:00 Ths 07:45 Style Star 08:35 E! News 09:25 Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami 09:50 Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami 10:15 Ths 12:00 E! News 12:50 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 13:40 Ths 14:30 Ths 15:25 Behind The Scenes 16:15 E!es 17:10 Leave It To Lamas 18:00 E! News 18:50 Streets Of Hollywood 19:15 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties 19:40 E!es 20:30 E!es 21:20 Wildest Tv Show Moments 22:10 E! News 23:00 Dr 90210 23:50 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties

My Name Is Bruce on Show Movies 1 08:50 Best Ed 09:15 Chop Socky Chooks 09:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 10:05 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 10:30 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 10:55 Skunk Fu! 11:20 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 11:30 Squirrel Boy 11:55 Robotboy 12:20 Camp Lazlo 12:45 The Powerpuff Girls 13:10 Class of 3000 13:35 Ed, Edd n Eddy 14:00 Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends 14:25 Codename 14:50 Ben 10 15:15 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 15:40 Squirrel Boy 16:05 Eliot Kid 16:35 George of the Jungle 17:00 Skunk Fu! 17:25 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 17:50 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 18:15 The Secret Saturdays 18:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 19:05 Casper’s Scare School 19:30 Squirrel Boy 20:00 The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack 20:25 Chop Socky Chooks 20:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 21:05 Ed, Edd n Eddy 21:30 Skunk Fu! 21:45 The Secret Saturdays 22:10 Ben 10: Alien Force 22:35 The Life & Times of Juniper Lee 23:00 Camp Lazlo 23:25 Samurai Jack 23:50 Megas XLR CINEMA CITY 01:00 Chemical Wedding - R 03:00 Lost - PG15 05:00 Poker Run - 18 07:00 Hardball - PG 09:00 Mars Attacks! - PG15 11:00 Noble Things - PG 13:00 Saving Sarah Cain - PG 15:00 War and Peace - Pt.*1* - PG 17:00 Sight Unseen - PG15 19:00 For the Love of Grace - PG 21:00 Under Siege - PG15

08:50 09:45 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:55 13:25 13:50 14:15 15:10 16:05 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00

Street Customs How Do They Do It? Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Destroyed in Seconds How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Fifth Gear American Chopper Miami Ink Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Destroyed in Seconds Street Customs How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Dirty Jobs Deadliest Catch Ultimate Survival

DISCOVERY SCIENCE 00:40 Nextworld 01:30 The Future of...

02:20 Future Weapons 04:00 Nextworld 04:50 The Future of...

05:45 Engineered 06:40 Patent Bending 07:10 What’s That About?

08:00 The Kustomizer 09:00 NASA’s Greatest Missions 10:00 Nextworld 10:55 How Stuff’s Made 11:20 Stunt Junkies 11:50 Mars: The Quest for Life 12:45 Mean Green Machines 13:10 One Step Beyond 13:40 NASA’s Greatest Missions 14:35 Nextworld 15:30 Robocar 16:25 How Stuff’s Made 16:55 The Kustomizer 17:50 Brainiac 18:45 Building the Biggest 19:40 Mighty Ships 20:30 Mega Builders 21:20 How It’s Made 22:10 Mythbusters 23:00 Mighty Ships 23:50 Mega Builders DISNEY CHANNEL 00:00 Jonas 00:20 Wizards Of Waverly Place 00:45 Suite Life On Deck 01:10 Fairly Odd Parents

EXTREME SPORTS 00:00 Strikeforce 02:00 X Games 15 2009 03:00 Fim World Motocross Championships 2009 04:00 FIM World Supermoto 2008 05:00 I-Ex Season 2 07:00 FIM World Supermoto 2008 08:00 F.I.A European Drag Racing 09:00 The Sorsa Project 10:00 FIM World Supermoto 2008 11:00 Rebel Events 2009: Wir Schanzen 11:30 Rebel Events 2009: Nine Nights Season 12:00 F.I.A European Drag Racing 13:00 The Sorsa Project 14:00 Ride Guide Snow 2007 15:00 Rebel Events 2009: Wir Schanzen 15:30 Rebel Events 2009: Nine Nights Season 16:00 F.I.A European Drag Racing 17:00 The Sorsa Project 18:00 FIM World Supermoto 2008 19:00 LG Action Sports World Championships 20:00 Ride Guide Snow 2007 21:00 The Sorsa Project 22:00 Rebel Events 2009: Wir Schanzen 22:30 Rebel Events 2009: Nine Nights Season 23:00 LG Action Sports World Championships FOX SPORTS 00:00 College Basketball Game of the Week: Kansas at Tennessee 02:00 PGA Tour: SBS Championship, Final Rd. Kapaula, HI 06:00 Golf Central International 07:00 The Golf Channel - TBA 09:00 Pac-10 Men’s Basketball Washington St. at Arizona St. 11:00 Pac-10 Men’s Basketball Oregon St. at Oregon 13:00 PGA Tour: SBS Championship, Final Rd. Kapaula, HI 17:00 NFL: Playoffs TBA 20:00 ACC Sunday Night Hoops Florida St. v Maryland 22:00 ACC Sunday Night Hoops Virginia Tech v North Carolina FRANCE 24 00:00 News And Magazines - U 00:30 The France 24 Interview - U 01:00 News And Magazines - U 21:00 The France 24 Debate - U 21:30 News And Magazines - U

17:00 Futbol Mundial 17:30 Premier League World 18:00 Premier League Classics 19:00 Premier League 21:00 Premier League Classics 21:30 Live Barclays Premier League Arabic Review 23:00 Live Premier League

MGM 01:15 Gothic 02:40 Wisdom 04:30 A Woman’s Tale 06:05 Under Fire 08:10 Death Rides a Horse 10:05 Nobody’s Fool 11:50 Brenda Starr 13:25 Babes In Toyland 15:00 Nobody’s Perfect 16:30 Just Between Friends 18:20 Of Mice And Men 20:10 Lady in White 22:00 Broadway Danny Rose 23:25 Sometimes They Come Back (1991) NAT GEO ADVENTURE 00:00 Bondi Rescue 00:30 Surfer’s Journal 01:30 Jailed Abroad 03:30 Photo To Go 04:00 Cycling Home With Rob Lilwall 04:30 Lonely Planet 05:30 Bondi Rescue 06:30 Surfer’s Journal 07:30 Jailed Abroad 09:30 Photo To Go 10:00 Bondi Rescue 10:30 Destination Extreme 11:00 Madventures 11:30 Word Travels:the Truth Behind 12:00 Word Travels 12:30 Lonely Planet 13:30 Finding Genghis 14:00 The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia 14:30 Destination Extreme 15:00 Madventures 15:30 Surfer’s Journal 16:00 Bondi Rescue 16:30 Destination Extreme 17:00 Madventures 17:30 Word Travels:the Truth Behind 18:00 Word Travels 18:30 Lonely Planet 19:30 Finding Genghis 20:00 The Ride: Alaska To Patagonia 20:30 Destination Extreme 21:00 Madventures 21:30 Surfer’s Journal 22:00 Bondi Rescue 22:30 Destination Extreme 23:00 Madventures 23:30 Word Travels:the Truth Behind NAT GEO WILD 00:00 Kalahari Supercats 01:00 Chimp Diaries 01:30 Savannah 02:00 Secret Shark Pits 03:00 Return To The Python Cave 04:00 Rescue Ink 05:00 Grizzly Caldron 06:00 Kalahari Supercats 07:00 Chimp Diaries 07:30 Savannah 08:00 Secret Shark Pits 09:00 Return To The Python Cave 10:00 Rescue Ink 11:00 The Living Edens 12:00 Hidden Worlds 13:00 Frogs - The Thin Green Line 14:00 Guardians Of Nature 15:00 Caught In The Act 16:00 Insects From Hell 16:30 Snake Wranglers 17:00 The Living Edens 18:00 Hidden Worlds 19:00 Frogs - The Thin Green Line 20:00 Guardians Of Nature 21:00 Caught In The Act 22:00 Insects From Hell 22:30 Snake Wranglers 23:00 The Living Edens ORBIT NEWS 1 00:00 NBC Weekend Today Show 01:00 ABC This week (Sun) 02:00 ABC World News Live 02:30 NBC Nightly News Live 03:00 ABC World News (Sun) 03:30 NBC Nightly News (Sun) 04:00 NBC Sunday Today Show 05:00 ABC This week (Sun) 06:00 NBC Meet The Press (Sun) 07:00 ABC World News (Sun) 07:30 NBC Nightly News (Sun) 08:00 ABC World News (Sun) 08:30 NBC Nightly News (Sun) 09:00 ABC This week (Sun) 10:00 ABC World News (Sun) 10:30 NBC Nightly News (Sun) 11:00 ABC World News Now Live 12:30 NBC Early Today Live 13:00 ABC America This Morning Live 14:30 NBC Early Today 15:00 NBC Today Show Live 19:00 ABC Now Money Matters / Bell 19:30 ABC NOW / Good Money 20:00 MSNBC Live Dr. NANCY 21:00 MSNBC Live Andrea Mitchell Reports 22:00 NBC Meet The Press (Sun) 23:00 ABC This week (Sun) ORBIT NEWS 2 00:00 ABC NOW Nightline Twitter (Mon) 00:30 ABC Now Ahead of the Curve (Fri) 01:00 ABC Now Nature’s Edge (Mon) 01:30 ABC Now Good Money (Fri) 02:00 ABC Now Job Club (Wed) 02:30 ABC Now Daily Download + Now you Know (Fri) 03:00 MSNBC (As Live) Investigates 10:00 NBC Meet the Press (taped) 11:00 MSNBC (As Live) Investigates 12:00 NBC Meet the Press (taped) 13:00 MSNBC First Look (Live) 13:30 MSNBC Way Too Early w/W. Geist (Live) 14:00 MSNBC (taped) Hardball 15:00 MSNBC (taped) The Ed Show 16:00 MSNBC (taped) Countdown w/K. Olbermann 17:00 MSNBC Live Morning Meeting with Dylan Ratigan 18:00 MSNBC Live Morning Meeting with Dylan Ratigan 19:00 MSNBC Live 20:00 MSNBC Hardball Weekend (Sun. 12:00G) 20:30 MSNBC Your Business (Sun. 12:30G) 21:00 NBC Meet the Press (taped) 22:00 MSNBC Live

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The Oxford Murders on Super Movies PLAYHOUSE DISNEY 08:00 Special Agent Oso 08:25 Handy Manny 08:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:15 Imagination Movers 09:40 Chuggington 10:10 Handy Manny 10:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:50 Special Agent Oso 11:15 Imagination Movers 11:40 My Friends Tigger and Pooh 12:05 Chuggington 12:20 Chuggington 12:55 Handy Manny 13:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 13:30 My Friends Tigger and Pooh 13:50 Little Einsteins 14:10 Imagination Movers 14:30 Handy Manny 14:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:20 Jo Jo’s Circus 16:10 Higglytown Heroes 17:00 Happy Monster Band 17:05 My Friends Tigger and Pooh 17:30 Happy Monster Band 17:35 Handy Manny 18:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 18:25 Special Agent Oso 18:50 Chuggington 19:00 Imagination Movers 19:25 Handy Manny 19:50 Chuggington 20:00 Special Agent Oso 20:15 Little Einsteins 20:40 Handy Manny 20:50 My Friends Tigger and Pooh 21:00 End Of Programming SHOW COMEDY 00:00 Friends 00:30 According To Jim 01:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:30 The Colbert Report 02:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 02:30 The Colbert Report 03:00 Home Improvement 03:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 04:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 04:30 The Colbert Report 05:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 05:30 Will And Grace 06:00 My Wife And Kids 06:30 Home Improvement 07:00 Fresh Prince Of Bel Air 07:30 Three Sisters 08:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 08:30 8 Simple Rules..

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12:00 Ellen 12:30 The Nanny 13:00 Fresh Prince Of Bel Air 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 14:00 Home Improvement 14:30 Malcolm In The Middle 15:00 Friends 15:30 According To Jim 16:00 Ellen 16:30 The Nanny 17:00 Fresh Prince Of Bel Air 17:30 8 Simple Rules..

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SHOW SPORTS 4 00:00 NCAA Basketball 02:00 WWE Vintage Collection 03:00 Bushido 04:00 UFC - The Ultimate Fighter 07:00 WWE Bottomline 08:00 UAE National Race Day 08:30 FIM World Cup 09:00 Brain Cell 09:30 NCAA Basketball 11:00 Bushido 12:00 WWE Bottomline 13:00 Red Bull Air Race 15:00 WWE SmackDown!

16:30 WWE Bottomline 17:30 WWE Vintage Collection 18:30 NFL 21:00 UFC - The Ultimate Fighter SUPER COMEDY 00:30 Two And A Half Men 01:30 Drew Carey Show 02:00 The Ellen Degeneres Show 03:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 03:30 SNL 2009-2010 05:00 Curb Your Enthusiasm 05:30 Two And A Half Men 06:30 The Simpsons 07:00 Frasier 07:30 Drew Carey Show 08:00 The Tonight Show With Conan O’ Brien 09:00 The Ellen Degeneres Show 10:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live 11:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:30 Frasier 12:00 The Simpsons 12:30 Drew Carey Show 13:00 SNL 2009-2010 14:30 Curb Your Enthusiasm 15:00 Two And A Half Men 15:30 Two And A Half Men 16:00 The Ellen Degeneres Show 17:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 17:30 Frasier 18:00 The Best Of Jimmy Kimmel Live 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Drew Carey Show 20:00 The Best Of Jay Leno Show 21:00 The Best Of Tonight Show With Conan O’ Brien 22:00 The Best Of Late Night Show With Jimmy Fallon 23:00 Entourage 23:30 The Best Of Jimmy Kimmel Live SUPER MOVIES 01:00 Holly - R 03:00 Against the Current - PG15 05:00 Red Riding: *1980* - PG15 07:00 Married Life - PG15 09:00 Into the Storm - PG 11:00 Helen - PG 13:00 Hoot - FAM 15:00 Last of the Romantic - PG 17:00 Taking Chance - PG 19:00 The Savages - PG15 21:00 Gigantic - PG15 23:00 The Oxford Murders - 18 TCM 01:05 The Screening Room 01:35 Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams (1973) 03:10 Alex in Wonderland 05:00 The Screening Room 05:30 Slaves of New York (1989) 07:35 The Screening Room 08:00 The Comedians 10:30 Never So Few 12:30 Two Weeks in Another Town 14:15 Meet Me In St. Louis 16:05 Butterfield 8 17:50 Viva Las Vegas 19:15 Across the Wide Missouri 20:30 How the West Was Won 23:00 The Sunshine Boys THE HISTORY CHANNEL 00:40 Battles B.C. 01:30 Digging for the Truth 02:20 The Universe 03:10 Ice Road Truckers 3 04:00 Evolve 04:55 How the Earth Was Made 05:50 Warriors 06:40 Battles B.C. 07:30 Digging for the Truth 08:20 The Universe 09:10 Ice Road Truckers 3 10:00 Evolve 10:55 How the Earth Was Made 11:50 Warriors

Star listings (UAE timings) Star Movies 16:00 Scrubs 16:25 Scrubs 16:50 V.I.P. 17:00 Ugly Betty 17:50 One Day At A Time 18:00 Ghost Whisperer 18:50 Dilbert 19:00 Ghost Hunters International 19:50 V.I.P. 20:00 Ugly Betty 20:50 One Day At A Time 21:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:50 Dilbert 22:00 [V] Tunes 23:00 Worst Week 23:30 NGC Program 00:00 [V] Tunes 02:00 7th Heaven 03:00 American Idol 05:00 Ghost Hunters International

05:50 06:00 06:50 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:00 08:50 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:50 11:00 11:50 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00

V.I.P. Grey’s Anatomy One Day At A Time Scrubs Scrubs Dilbert Ugly Betty V.I.P. How I Met Your Mother The Bold And The Beautiful 7th Heaven One Day At A Time Grey’s Anatomy Dilbert [V] Tunes Ghost Hunters International American Idol According To Jim

Granada TV 20:00 The Last Detective (Series 1)

21:30 Airline (Series 5) 22:00 Resolutionaires * 23:00 Weddings From Hell 00:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 01:00 Resolutionaires * 02:00 Crime Monday: The Detective (Series 1) 03:30 Airline (Series 5) 04:00 Confessions Of 05:00 Emmerdale 05:30 Coronation Street 06:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Resolutionaires * 08:00 Crime Monday: The Detective (Series 1) 09:30 Airline (Series 5) 10:00 Revenge TV 11:00 Emmerdale 11:30 Coronation Street 12:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 13:00 Fight School *

Last

Last

14:00 Crime Monday: The Detective (Series 1) 15:30 Airline (Series 5) 16:00 Emmerdale 16:30 Coronation Street 17:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 18:00 Fight School * 19:00 Crime Monday: The Detective (Series 1) Channel [V] 22:00 [V] Plug 22:30 The Playlist 23:00 Loop 00:00 Backtracks 01:00 Double Shot 02:00 [V] Plug 02:30 The Playlist 03:00 Loop 04:00 [V] Special 05:00 [V] Tunes

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Last

06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30

Double Shot Backtracks Loop [V] Plug Double Shot Backtracks [V] Tunes [V] Plug The Playlist Loop Stylista The Goode Family Keys To The VIP Backtracks [V] Tunes [V] Plug The Playlist Loop Stylista The Goode Family Keys To The VIP

Fox News 21:00 America’s News HQ host Shannon Bream 23:00 Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace (repeat) 00:00 The O’Reilly Factor(repeat) 01:00 America’s News HQ hosts Gregg Jarrett and Julie Banderas 03:00 FOX News Sunday with Chris Wallace (repeat) 04:00 FOX Report Sunday host Julie Banderas 05:00 Huckabee with Mike Huckabee 06:00 Hannity with Sean Hannity 07:00 Geraldo At Large with Geraldo Rivera 08:00 Huckabee with Mike Huckabee 09:00 FOX Report Sunday 10:00 Geraldo At Large with Geraldo Rivera 11:00 Hannity with Sean Hannity

12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 16:00 18:00

War Stories with Oliver North Bulls and Bears (repeat) Cavuto On Business (repeat) FORBES on FOX (repeat) Cashin’ In (repeat) FOX & Friends First Live FOX & Friends Live America’s Newsroom

National Geographical Channel 20:00 ABOUT ASIA -ShowReal Asia : Strictly Asian Ballroom 21:00 Big, Bigger, Biggest -Oil Rig 22:00 Microkillers -Danger Virus 23:00 Reverse Exploration -2 00:00 Situation Critical -Apollo 13 01:00 ABOUT ASIA -ShowReal Asia : Strictly Asian Ballroom 02:00 Convoy - War For The Atlantic Wolfpack Rising 1 03:00 Jean-Michel Cousteau-Ocean

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atherine Zeta-Jones doesn’t find young men attractive.

The 40-year-old actress who is married to 65-year-old actor Michael Douglas - says she could never date someone who is younger than her because they are so “selfish”. She said: “I know that young men are more unbiased, playful and firmer. There’s no question about that. But they are also more selfish and narcissistic. This is why they never had a chance to go out with me. “I need a man who is sensitive and caring. Someone who is superior to me and I can lean on. But that doesn’t mean not that I fancy old and fat men.” The mother-of-two who married ‘Fatal Attraction’ star Michael in 2000 - believes the Oscarwinning actor is her ideal man and has never worried about the 25-year age gap between them. She told German magazine InTouch: “He knows exactly what he wants and what life is about. That impresses me. But Michael can also be a real softy. He sends me flowers and cries when his kids say something particularly pathetic.

“We didn’t care about the age gap from the beginning on. We relied more on our emotions and feelings. It was like that and it should always be like that.”

eryl Streep says the only person she has been star-struck by is US President Barack Obama.

The 60-year-old actress can usually maintain her composure when she meets other actors she respects but admits she was in awe of Obama America’s first black President - and his wife, First Lady Michelle

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amela Anderson has reportedly dumped her boyfriend. The former ‘Baywatch’ star has decided to call time on her romance with surfer-and-electrician Jamie Padgett - who she has been dating since she met him at Malibu’s Cove Trailer Park, the place she was living at while her house was being renovated - but is still friends with the hunk. Pamela - who spent most of December in the UK starring in pantomime ‘Aladdin’ - told a friend it was over between her and Jamie. A source told RadarOnline: “Pam made it pretty clear she is no longer dating Jamie and that she was looking for a new love interest. “She didn’t have anything bad to say about him and described him as a ‘sweet

Burke wants to find a boyfriend

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guy’ and that she hoped they would remain friends.” It seems Pamela’s ex-husband Tommy Lee - who she famously starred in a homemade sex tape with - may also have had a hand in the break-up. The source added: “Tommy was jealous of Jamie and Pam’s relationship and he had given their two sons Brandon and Dylan some surfing lessons.”

When Jamie was asked about his relationship with Pamela he didn’t seem to know what was going on. He said: “Pam is a fine mother and she does some great work for animal rights through PETA. I did not go to London with her over the holidays as I was doing my own thing - it’s up to her to say if we are dating or not. I will see her when I see her.”

lexandra Burke wants to find a boyfriend in a supermarket. The ‘Bad Boys’ singer - who shot to fame after winning UK TV talent show ‘The X

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Factor’ in 2008 - has laughed off speculation she is dating anyone famous, including Peter Andre, and insists she doesn’t get any opportu-

nities to meet a man. She said: “It’s ridiculous. I don’t have time to have a steady relationship. But if love comes knocking I’m not going to be the one to say no. “But I never meet anyone. Clubs or parties are the worst place to meet people. I’d rather meet someone in Sainsbury’s.” Alexandra says the most significant male in her life at the moment is record company boss Simon Cowell.

The singer is still in awe of the music mogul, though she is not afraid to speak her mind around him. She told The Times newspaper: “He is the most amazing person you’ll ever meet - and so smart. I’ve tried to fight him on things, but he’s been like, ‘Yes you can fight me on this and if I’m wrong I will apologize.’ But he’s always right.”

iley Cyrus’ tattoo is a constant reminder never to take life for granted. The ‘Hannah Montana’ star recently had ‘Just Breathe’ etched under her left breast as a tribute to her late grandfathers and one of her closest friends, who died of cystic fibrosis, and gets her inspira-

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tion from it. She said: “It reminds me not to take things for granted. I mean, breathing that was something none of them could do, the most basic thing. And I put it near my heart, because that is where they will always be.” Although Miley, 17, is afraid of needles, she insisted she didn’t feel any pain because

Pattinson to bed Thurman obert Pattinson is to bed Uma Thurman in his next film. The ‘Twilight’ star has signed up to star in a big screen version of French author Guy de Maupassant’s 19th Century novel ‘Bel Ami’ in which he will play ambitious young journalist Georges Duroy who sleeps his way to the top. Pattinson’s first on-screen conquest will be Thurman’s character Madeleine.

Film fans could possibly see Pattinson get steamy with Christina Ricci and Kristin Scott Thomas, who both also star as Clotilde and Virginie respectively.

The movie will be helmed by theatre director Declan Donnellan, who is making his celluloid debut, and three other actresses are to join the all-star cast. Pattinson will be hoping ‘Bel Ami’ is a success as he recently admitted he finds it “scary” taking on work outside of the ‘Twilight’ franchise “scary”. The actor - who plays vampire Edward Cullen in the hit movie series - said: “You get offered stuff that you would never dream of getting offered before, but that’s also scary. You don’t have to audition for anything. But I don’t want to do a movie just so it gets made. You have to question yourself a lot more. “Before ‘Twilight,’ I did any movie that I got offered, and you’d try and

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Wahlberg’s first date

Zeta-Jones prefers older men to toyboys Streep’s star-struck

Obama. She said: “I went to the Whitehouse and was star-struck by our President and First Lady.

Although I was also impressed by Bruce Springsteen, who was there as well.” Streep who can currently be seen in new romantic comedy ‘It’s Complicated’ opposite Alec Baldwin - is fully behind President Obama and believes he is more than capable of making the right political choices for the US. She added: “I think it’s thrilling to have someone who is thoughtful and can articulate, with a certain amount of passion and dispassion, the necessary choices that we have in the world.”-Bang Showbiz

Cyrus’ tattoo tribute

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Anderson dumps boyfriend

Monday, January 11, 2010

the tattoo meant something to her. She told Harper’s Bazaar magazine: “It really doesn’t hurt if you’re thinking about the meaning. I could never get a meaningless tattoo, but I think that if you’re doing something that’s important, that’s significant in your life, it takes some of the pain away.”

Michael insists Wham! will never reform he 46-year-old singer, who made his name in the pop band alongside Andrew Ridgeley in the 80s, claimed it would be impossible to recapture the feel of the group 20 years later. He said: “Wham! was about being young and exuberant and you can’t recreate that feeling at a certain age.

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make the best of it afterwards.

“But now, you’re expected to come into the movie and provide not only economic viability, but also a performance as well.”

“Andrew Ridgeley and I are still good friends but I’m afraid we’ll never get back together. We both agree on that.” Although George is proud of the duo’s legacy, there is one song he isn’t keen on their 1984 hit ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’.

The ‘Fastlove’ singer said: “I’m not keen on that song. I haven’t sung it for a long time.” As well as being unsure about some of the band’s songs, George has previously confessed he made some fashion faux-pas while in Wham!. He said: “When I see myself. I cringe mostly! Take the blonde hair. I wanted to have long, blond, straight hair because I didn’t really want to be me. “Looking back, I suppose I could have done without those curtain rings in my ears as well.”

ark Wahlberg took his now-wife to church on their first date. The ‘Lovely Bones’ actor wanted to share his faith with Rhea Durham - who he married last August and is currently expecting his fourth child with as soon as they met and admits it made a lasting impression on her. He said: “We met through a mutual friend in New York. I asked if she wanted to hang out the next day and she did, so I said, ‘Well, come to church with me.’ “She was raised a Christian, not a Catholic like me. She did come and now she’s converted.” Mark says he and Rhea always try to keep their romance alive in their relationship by setting aside time for one another.

He explained to Britain’s Cosmopolitan magazine: “I try to be romantic. Having kids means once they’re in bed, being romantic is cuddling on the couch and watching TV. “But we do have date nights every week. I have one with my daughter and one with mommy.” —Bang Showbiz

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Music & Movies

lbum ARTIST: RINGO STARR ALBUM: Y NOT ingo Starr has always done best with a little help from his friends, be it with the Beatles in the ‘60s or the high-profile contributors to his solo albums. The big guns are firing again on his newest release, “Y Not,” and to good effect. Joe Walsh, Dave Stewart, Richard Marx, Van Dyke Parks and Joss Stone (who duets on the gritty album-closer “Who’s Your Daddy”) help Starr write some of his best and most poignant songs in years. Such All-Starr Band alumni as Walsh, Gary Wright, Edgar Winter and Billy Squier join Ben Harper, Benmont Tench and Don Was in bringing their chops to the party. And the marquee guest-fellow Fab Paul McCartney-delivers, too, laying a loping bassline into the song “Peace Dream” (which name-checks John Lennon) and a haunting echo vocal into the string-laden “Walk With You.” The ever-optimistic Starr tells us he’s “tired of being negative” at the album’s outset. It’s hard to be anything but positive in this kind of company.

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‘Friends’ star Matt LeBlanc back to TV - as himself ormer “Friends” star Matt LeBlanc is returning to US television for the first time since 2006, playing himself in a quirky comic spoof of the TV business.

LeBlanc, 42, who played womanizer Joey Tribbiani in the hit comedy “Friends,” is forced to audition for the role of himself in the series “Episodes,” Showtime executives said Saturday. The show, a co-production with Britain’s BBC Two, is about a fic-

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tional hit British comedy that is turned into an American sitcom in which LeBlanc is chosen to play the lead in place of an erudite British actor.

Clips of the comedy shown to TV reporters Saturday showed a graying LeBlanc auditioning for his own part against a room full of leather-jacketed Joey look-alikes practicing his “Friends” catchphrase “How you doin?”

“I am so glad I got the part. Seeing someone else play Matt LeBlanc would have been devastating,” the actor said in a statement. The show is expected to air on Showtime later in 2010.

LeBlanc’s last TV outing was in the “Friends” spin-off “Joey,” which took his character from New York to Hollywood.

The show ran for two years before ending in 2006. —Reuters

Dave Gahan, singer of the British band Depeche Mode, performs on stage in Berlin on January 9, 2010. The concert is one in the band’s ‘Tour of the Universe’.

— AFP

ARTIST: ALICIA KEYS ALBUM: THE ELEMENT OF FREEDOM thought love would be my cure,” Alicia Keys sings on her fourth album. “But now it’s my disease.”

Let’s hope there’s no cure for it. On “The Element of Freedom,” Keys delivers a musically understated but richly passionate set of soul paeans to being in love, out of love, lovelorn and pining for her man to return. As usual, her vocals are spot-on throughout, especially when they’re layered into evocative choral pieces. The percussion-free “That’s How Strong My Love Is” is a change-of-pace standout, as is the gospel-flavored “How It Feels to Fly.” An early-’80s Prince flair is heard on “This Bed,” while “Like the Sea” drowns in its own metaphors. But fans who enjoyed her collaboration with Jay-Z on the song “Empire State of Mind” will find the reworked “Empire State of Mind (Part II)” refreshing.

Elsewhere, featured guests Beyonce and Drake are well deployed. But they hardly eclipse Keys’ performances in her pursuit of “Freedom.”

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s if Lady Gaga’s debut album, “The Fame,” wasn’t loaded with enough hits-four No. 1s on Billboard’s Mainstream Top 40 chart, to be exact-the set’s companion EP boasts eight new tracks, nearly all of which are worthy of heavy rotation.

Following the Marilyn Manson-esque bravado of “Bad Romance” is “Alejandro,” where Gaga channels Ace of Base’s “Don’t Turn Around,” and she improves on her first crack at a light Caribbean stomper from “The Fame,” “Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say).” Meanwhile, “Telephone”-one of two recently charting duets by Gaga and Beyonce-trumps its predecessor, “Videophone,” in the feistiness department. The vampish, Teddy-Riley produced “Teeth” offers seduction rife with carnal imagery, while Gaga sings of her “popped heart seams” on the piano power ballad “Speechless.” And on the ‘80s-adoring “Monster,” the artist talks about the “muh-muh-muh monster” who “ate my heart.” Who else but Gaga could make crushes sound this, well, crushing?

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ARTIST: CHRIS BROWN ALBUM: GRAFFITI ome still question whether Chris Brown can regain his career footing, but his third album, “Graffiti,” is a solid step in that direction.

Joining forces with such production talents as Swizz Beatz, Polow Da Don, Ryan Leslie and the Runners, Brown co-wrote the majority of the album, a forward-moving fusion of R&B, pop, rock and Euro-dance. The young phenomenon still knows how to party: In addition to the synth-heavy song “I Can Transform Ya,” he cuts loose on the rhythm-pumping “What I Do” (featuring Plies) and the disco-etched “Pass Out” with guest Eva Simons. Switching gears, the singer taps into his R&B/pop origins on “Sing Like Me” and “Take My Time” with Tank. Brown brings his vocal skills to the forefront as he navigates the depths of lost love and redemption on the poignant ballad “Crawl” and the revealing “Fallin Down” (“It’s getting heavy/I think I’m ‘bout ready to break down”). While listeners can’t help but be reminded of his fall from grace, Brown also shows us on “Graffiti” that he’s still a formidable talent.

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he crescent moon of the railway track divides the slum, a metal slash in the tumble of rusted tin roofs, stinking channels of sewage and narrow paths where children play with toys made of scraps of wire and rubbish. A band of youths hangs about on the track, perhaps slum hoods and their girls. Closer, you make out the boy among them. He looks tense, surrounded. Closer still: He wipes his hands over his face, as if washing off anxiety. One of the bigger youths totes a grubby supermarket bag. Gently, as if lifting out a loaded gun, Victor Onuoch produces a video camera. He softly reassures the boy. Then points the camera at him and begins.

It takes imagination to build a film school in Kibera, a crimetorn slum outside Nairobi where people routinely are beaten to death by mobs for stealing cheap TVs, radios or cell phones. Might not the camera gear and laptops be, well, taken? “My approach is just to give people access and see what happens,” says US filmmaker Nathan Collett, who’s based in Nairobi. In 2006, Collett, then a master’s student at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, set up a nonprofit film production unit, the Hot Sun Foundation, and shot a student film called “The Kibera Kid” in the slum, using local talent.

The film won awards. It was fun, but then it was over.

“People said, ‘Thank you for making this film, but now what?

You are going to go back to film school? But what about us?’ “

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dents. That’s how Onuoch, a 22-year-old who dropped out of school because there was no money, comes to be standing on a railway line behind a camera.

In front of the lens is Teddy Onyango, 11 but small for his age; he dropped out of school for the same reason.

There’s a shout of alarm as Onuoch frames the scene. A rickety train grumbles along the track. The group scatters, the girls shrieking and giggling.

Onuoch tries again. But the evening light is diamond hard.

It’s no good. They’ll have to come back later. Walking back along the railway track, Onuoch takes the boy’s hand. They’re alike, these two. Both motherless, struggling to rise out of the jostling heap that is Kibera.

Rags-to-riches miracles rarely happen here, no matter what the TV evangelists say.

Teddy Onyango doesn’t remember his mother’s face.

tle, hesitant voice. “I felt like I was locked in.” Evans Kangetha writes, the words pouring out furiously. A screenplay: his story.

He hears Collett’s voice in his head, urging him to write everything he’s seen and experienced-telling him he can stay in the filmmaker’s apartment to write. He remembers running.

He hears the old man’s screams in his mind too. He writes, but it gets to be too much. He trembles, afraid of his memories: December 2007 in Kibera.

Mobs are hunting members of his Kikuyu tribe, furious that the Kikuyu president, Mwai Kibaki, has claimed victory in elections. Kangetha runs. He sees an old man attacked by a mob. They roll him up in a mattress and set it alight. Nightfall in his mud shack. He has padlocked the door from the outside, to make it appear that no one is home.

Teddy Onyango, 11, one of the stars of the film ‘Togetherness Supreme,’ right, is filmed by Victor Onuoch in Kibera, Kenya. —MCT photos

now 27. “There were so many evil things within just a short space of time.”

The story of his experiences during the election violence inspires the screenplay for “Togetherness Supreme.” “I think people will shed tears when they see the film,” says Kangetha, who wrote the script last year in collaboration with Collett. “People will remember what they did was wrong. “We should put aside tribal loyalties and let togetherness be supreme.”

By chance, while channel surfing, Onuoch hears that a film called “Togetherness Supreme” is being filmed in Kibera. On the morning of auditions, in January, he’s one of the first to arrive. He anxiously waits for his chance at the front, watching as the people casting the crowd run auditions. He just wanted to be a part of the project-any part, he didn’t mind.

After some waiting, he is chosen to help cast and audition the people who want to act. It’s his foot in the door.

“I didn’t know anything about auditions. But for two days I watched and I caught up,” he says. “On the third day I was given a chance to audition people. The director, Nathan, started trusting me and giving me things to do. I became happy.” Onuoch is casting boys for the role of Peter, one of the leads, when he discovers Teddy. Most boys mumble, camera-shy. Teddy quickly grasps the need to speak naturally. But he keeps forgetting his lines.

There’s another boy, who

ARTIST: PHIL VASSAR ALBUM: TRAVELING CIRCUS n his fifth studio set, “Traveling Circus,” Lynchburg, Va., native Phil Vassar set out to make an album without following the conventions of Nashville’s paint-bynumbers record-making-he hired his road band to back him and produced the album himself. Although it steps away from the Nashville assembly line, “Traveling Circus” finds Vassar (who either wrote or co-wrote every song) less of a maverick than he might have hoped, as the result isn’t radically different from previous efforts. But that’s not to say he failed; quite the opposite. The standout tracks include lead single “Bobbi With an I,” a refreshing comedic jaunt about a cross-dressing good ole boy, and “A Year From Now,” a haunting, pianodrenched ballad about hidden optimism in the face of teethgrinding heartbreak. —Reuters

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pirit Music Group and its majority owner, Spirit Catalogue Holdings, have acquired the song catalog of lyricists Alan & Marilyn Bergman, whose work has been recorded

by Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson and many others. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. The catalog, which previously was administered by Warner/Chappell, includes more than 300 songs cowritten by the Bergmans, who have penned lyrics for some of the best-known songs in America during their 50-year career.

Songs included in the deal are Sinatra’s “Nice N Easy,” Fred Astaire’s “That Face,” the Streisand/Neil Diamond duet “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” Jackson’s “Someone in the Dark,” Sergio Mendes’ “Like a Lover” and “Yellow Bird,” and holiday perennial “A Christmas Love Song.” The deal also includes songs from such motion pictures as “Tootsie” (“It Might Be You”), “A Star Is Born” (“I Believe in Love”), “Sabrina” (“Moonlight”) and “Yentl” (“Papa Can You Hear Me,” “The Way He Makes Me Feel”) as well as the themes from TV shows like “Good Times” and “Maude.” The Bergmans’ musical collaborators have included Michel Legrand, Marvin Hamlisch, Dave Grusin, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mandel, John Williams, Quincy Jones and James Newton Howard.

The Bergmans have also signed an exclusive, long-term worldwide administration agreement with Spirit, covering other past works and new compositions, including their collaboration with the late Cy Coleman on the Kennedy Center-commissioned song cycle, “Up Close and

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Musical”; “Trust Me,” the endtitle song to the 2009 Matt Damon movie “The Informant!”; and new songs written for a planned revival of the 1978 Broadway musical “Ballroom,” which was based on the couple’s 1975 made-for-TV dramatic musical, “Queen of the Stardust Ballroom.” “With the passing of Cy Coleman, (the Bergmans) are among the last living writers of the Great American Songbook era,” Spirit Music president/CEO Mark Fried says. “They are still

Alan & Marilyn Bergman incredibly active, too, and focused on songcraft.” The Bergmans, who have collaborated since the mid-’50s and have been married since 1958, have won three Academy Awards and two Grammys, among other accolades. Marilyn Bergman also spent 15 years as president and chairman of the performing rights organization the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). She retired from her post in 2009 but still serves on the ASCAP board. —MCT

Jeremy Irons to star in ʻThe Borgiasʼ TV show

Jeremy Irons

ARTIST: LADY GAGA ALBUM: THE FAME MONSTER

The role of kids’ lives in Kenya

Alan & Marilyn Bergman song catalog finds new home

Evans Kangetha, 27, wrote a screenplay about the violence he witnessed after Kenya’s elections.

Collett won a fellowship to make a feature film, “Togetherness Supreme,” scripted, filmed, cast and edited

by Kibera slum dwellers. It’s now in its final stages of production. When filming ended midyear, Collett created the film school, funded entirely by donations(www.globalgiving.or g/projects/kenya-slum-filmmaking/), to train 10 Kibera stu-

Victor Onuoch grew up with no parents. Onuoch’s grandmother struggled to raise him and six siblings, then sent him to an uncle, who she hoped would pay the boy’s schooling. Instead, the uncle made Onuoch clean, wash, mop and sweep all day.

“All I could do was sleep, wake up, do the housework, sleep,” said Onuoch, a man with soft eyes, a ready smile and a gen-

Teddy Onyango, 11, is one of the stars of the film ‘Togetherness Supreme’.

The mob gets louder. Metal machetes clang on iron shack walls nearby. They reach his door, begin smashing the lock.

Kangetha escapes through a hole in the roof, leaps onto a wall and drops silently into a back alley. He runs, and is swallowed by the darkness. “The voices I could hear were the voices of the people I knew.

Neighbors,” says Kangetha,

has the script down word-perfect. He’s the natural choice.

Teddy sees it. He knows he is losing his chance, like a castaway watching a magnificent sailing ship disappear. Late that night, Teddy is still awake. He has a copy of the script and reads it over and over, his face set in concentration. “We didn’t think Teddy would get that role,” Onuoch says. —MCT

cheming Italian renaissance family “The Borgias” will be the subject of a US television series next year, with Oscar-winning British actor Jeremy Irons playing the starring role. Robert Greenblatt, entertainment chief of Showtime, told TV reporters on Saturday the cable channel had ordered 10 episodes of “The Borgias” to be directed by Neil Jordan, who won a screenwriting Oscar for his 1992 film, “The Crying Game.”

“The Borgias” will air in spring 2011 and replace Showtime’s hit steamy English period drama “The Tudors,” whose fourth and final season starts in April. The Borgia family, one of whose members became Pope Alexander VI in 1492, was notorious for murder, rape and corruption in 15th century Italy and has inspired a number of books, plays and films. Irons, 61, won an Oscar for his role as socialite Claus von Bulow in the 1990 movie “Reversal of Fortune.” —Reuters

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Monday, January 11, 2010

Fashion

Petite tween becomes big voice in fashion world avi Gevinson sat in a west suburban cafe consuming cheese pizza, hot chocolate and a fruit roll-up-the type of meal you’d expect from a 13year-old. As she nibbled, a receptionist from her doctor’s office came over to say hello, while a waitress wondered aloud

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Tavi Gevinson sits in her home amongst fashion magazine clippings she is using to make a collage. —MCT

Get a leg up on texture with patterned tights hen black polka dot tights went down Balenciaga’s fall runway, paired with immaculately draped skirts and soft velvet dresses, they provided a fresh take on the leg wear generally seen as either heavy and opaque or sheer and oldfashioned. Patterned tights have become a key accessory, adding another texture, print or layer to an outfit.

Whether lacy, pinstriped or dotted, patterned tights add a playful quality to an otherwise simple ensemble.

Treat them as you would any other

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look great during the day with flats or knee boots, and at night with heels or metallic oxfords.

But caution: Wearing dark tights is not a valid excuse to don a skirt or shorts that are too small for you. If an item is too short or unflattering on your body, it shouldn’t be in your closet. Tights don’t turn “too small” into “just right.” Wearing lighter-colored tights, such as a dove gray or soft ivory, will introduce a romantic element to your outfit. Pair them with a vintage-inspired dress and lace-up booties for a look that’s more glam

Firefighter’s tattoo inspires apparel line ames Love, a third-generation firefighter from Orlando, Fla, always wanted a tattoo. He finally sat down and sketched a design incorporating a cross, an eagle, wings of flame and a skull in a black helmet.

“When my brother-in-law saw it, right away he said, ‘You should put it on T- shirts,’” Love recalled. “He’s a Web designer. He told me: ‘Draw something up; get it made; I’ll put it on a Web site, and we’ll see if it can sell.’”

Love got to work-and in June, his Black Helmet line of firefighterthemed apparel for men, women and children was launched online.

Sketching comes naturally to Love, who majored in art at Miami-Dade Community College and planned to

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James Love models some of his designs at Orlando Fire Station 3, December 8, 2009.

Firefighter/T-shirt designer James Love works on a new design in his home studio in Orlando, Florida, December 18, 2009. —MCT photos be a graphic artist-until the family firefighter gene kicked in.

Things at Black Helmet were slow going at first, Love said: “If we had

two sales in a day, I was stoked.” Now they average 120 sales a day-and have more than 21,000 Facebook fans in countries around the world. “I’m humbled people like my work,” said

Love, 30, who is based at Station No. 3 in Orlando’s College Park neighborhood. “I see people at the gym wearing my shirts. It’s weird. It feels surreal.”

His T-shirt line has expanded to include a range of shirts, shorts and accessories. All the designs have firefighting references such as axes, hoses or flames. Some include sayings: Fight Fire, Adapt & Overcome, Remember the Fallen. A best-seller is a long-sleeved thermal printed with a Maltese cross and a prayer from Love’s department chaplain.

“It’s cool stuff,” said Rick Walker, Love’s station chief. “I like the way a fire element is tied into the design: The stem of a rose is actually a fire hose. It’s pretty unique,” Walker said.

Several months ago, Love was commissioned to make shirts for the Camp Liberty Fire Department in Iraq. The designs should be on the Web site by mid-January. —MCT

Obama billboard ad to be taken down-in 2 weeks Marinda Kaha models H and M shorts, a Zara blouse, an H and M blazer, Club Monaco tights, Nine West shoes, and a J Crew necklace at Magnolia in Los Angeles, California. —MCT item of clothing. Don’t mix a busy pattern or heavily textured tights with an equally busy blouse or dress.

The tights should add a pop of quirkiness or subtle sexiness, not create a Punky Brewster-type mishmash of pieces.

L ace top and lace tights? Not unless you want to look like a Victorian curtain. Pair lace tights with something solid in color and flat in texture, like a simple black dress and some colored ankle boots. Dark tights are the most flattering, as black minimizes the size of a leg. A pinstripe or any vertical pattern will create length, as will a great pair of heels, of course.

Dark tones are the most versatile and

than granny. Stick with a sheer weight when wearing a lighter color.

Thick or nubby tights add bulk and make the leg look shorter.

Tights can transform an item from day to night, summer to winter. A black mini dress worn with sandals in the summer becomes a chic holiday look with sexy zigzag tights. And tweed shorts become nighttime appropriate with diamondprint wool tights and a cropped black blazer. As an interesting and generally inexpensive accessory, patterned tights play well this time of year, breathing new life into existing pieces and adding a pop of unexpected texture. —MCT

lison and Claire Egan gazed up at Barack Obama’s rugged, windswept image in Manhattan’s Times Square on Friday, snapping pictures of the giant billboard atop the Red Lobster restaurant. The president looked pretty good in his casual cold-weather jacket, pronounced the tourists from Australia. But what, they wondered, was the leader of the free world doing modeling for an apparel ad? “I don’t think it helps his credibility as a politician,” said Claire.

Of course, Obama wasn’t moonlighting as a model. The Weatherproof outerwear company had purchased an Associated Press photo of the president at the Great Wall of China, in which, to their great fortune, he was wearing their jacket. Without his permission, they built an ad campaign around it. On Friday, after being contacted by the White House, the company pledged to take down the billboard-in about two weeks, plenty of time to squeeze more attention out of it. “We need time to create a new ad campaign,” explained Freddie Stollmack, president of Weatherproof.

“We can’t have an empty billboard.” In

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the meantime, he said, the ad campaign had been “absolutely” the right thing to do.

Legal experts say the incident shows that even though Americans all have the right to protect their image from unauthorized commercial use, for the president, it’s trickier than most to pursue that right. And probably counterproductive more often than not, given the attention it draws.

“The president probably has the narrowest ability of any of us to protect his image, because he’s the most public person,” says trademark lawyer and intellectual property expert Anthony Biller. “And even if legally he has a right to stop the purely commercial use of his image, does he create more harm by going after these people?”

The Weatherproof incident came just as the animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals debuted a new anti-fur campaign featuring Michelle Obama and other celebrities, with ads in Washington’s Metro stations, magazines and on PETA’s Web site. PETA says it didn’t ask for Mrs Obama’s consent because it knows she can’t give it. —AP

This photo released

by AP Images and Weatherproof Garment Company shows a Times Square billboard showing President Obama wearing one of their coats while in China. —AP

if she was related to another teenager in town. “As you can see, my fame is extraordinary here,” Tavi said, her 4-foot-6 frame barely visible behind the table. “Seriously, no one around here has any idea who I am.”

No idea that since she began blogging about fashion from her suburban bedroom at age 11, Tavi has become an international sensation, viewed as one of the most popular-and controversial-figures in the world of high fashion. No idea that when she’s not studying for a science test, having sleepovers with friends or attending summer camp, the 8th grader can be found in the front row at New York’s Fashion Week, adorning the cover of ultra-hip Pop magazine and helping to launch a new fashion line for Target.

The daughter of a high school English teacher, Tavi combined her razor-sharp writing skills, precocious attitude and Internet savvy into a high profile in the fashion community, using her youth and small size as bold exclamation points.

“She’s only 13, but Tavi Gevinson has the fashion world enraptured,” gushed Harper’s Bazaar in the introduction to a column Tavi penned for the January issue, making her the youngest writer ever published in the magazine. Like a pintsized suburban superhero, Tavi passes her days as a typical middle school student before transforming by night into a celebrated author and star of her blog, Style Rookie. She posts artistic photos of herself dressed in cutting-edge outfits and serves up sophisticated musings on the latest fashion trends, drawing nearly 30,000 viewers each day.

She’s a tween phenomenon that would have been impossible before the Internet, but her success is not just virtual. To the dismay of some members of fashion’s old guard, Tavi has recently leaped into the scene on which she comments, submitting to a photo shoot in London, hanging with elite fashion designers in Tokyo and hobnobbing with singer Gwen Stefani, actress Chloe Sevigny and other celebrity guests at an event at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.

“There are two stories here,” said her mother, Berit Engen. “The 13-year-old who lives in our house, and the 13year-old who is being taken very seriously in this world of fashion.” Some in the industry suggest the young blogger could be more novelty than anything, but Harper’s, Target and others are betting on her. Asked if she was worried about being used as a gimmick, Tavi said she would never be a part of anything that she does not admire. She has said no to 95 percent of interview requests. She’s declined reality show pitches, book deals and other opportunities.

And she says she will stop blogging if it causes her grades to suffer. The youngest of three sisters, Tavi has grown up on a quiet, tree-lined street in a com-

munity west of Chicago. (She asked that her specific suburb go unnamed so that she might remain low profile in her hometown.)

It’s a world with a dress code (her school prohibits skirts with hems above the knee and tank tops with straps less than three fingers wide) and limited activity. Tavi said she frequents the same three places: her local Borders, a record shop and a Salvation Army thrift store.

Most of her socializing takes place at sleepovers, theater camp and bar and bat mitzvahs.

“That’s why the Internet is so important,” Tavi said.

It has given her an endless supply of music, fashion and other types of art. At her keyboard, she has developed expertise on a wide range of subjects-from Bob Dylan, her favorite singer, to Japan’s Rei Kawakubo, one of her fashion design heroes.

The inspiration for Style Rookie came, she said, in 6th grade. A friend’s teenage sister had launched a Web site in which she posted critiques of fashion trends and photographs of herself modeling. Tavi had become increasingly interested in fashion, thanks to Seventeen Magazine and the TV show “America’s Next Top Model.” A blog seemed like an escape from the Abercrombie, pre-teen scene. “Life is boring in 6th grade,” said Tavi, whose blog debuted in March 2008 with a short entry titled The New Girl in Town. “It seemed like it would liven things up.”

Her photography, writing voice and sense of fashion rapidly evolved. Inspired by designers who aim for wearable art with “no rules, no restrictions, no pleasing anyone,” she posted photos of her of herself clad in distinctive outfits-such as a Polka dot skirt, tuxedo blazer and men’s shoes-and commentary at once youthful and sophisticated. “So much sweater and knit and grandpa-ness,” she writes of a Yohji Yamamoto menswear line in a typical post.

“I love it mostly for the model alone. He looks so mysterious, and like he should be sitting on a bench in the rain reciting Poe or playing a cello on the roof of a train.” The entries came easy.

“I never really liked writing before because at school I never got to write about what I like,” Tavi said. “With my blog, it’s my thoughts, like my brain is being translated onto the computer.”

She became part of a community of young fashion bloggers gaining media attention in 2008.

That summer, the New York Times featured several bloggers, including Tavi, in its fashion magazine. TeenVogue published a Q and A with her in the fall, proclaiming that “with her dead-on style observations and fearless fashion sense that puts even the most daring fashionistas to shame, this outspoken wunderkind is one to watch.”

Since then, Style Rookie’s traffic has grown from 2,000 viewers to 29,000 each day, and Tavi’s visibility in the fashion world has skyrocketed in a whirlwind of developments that felt, at times, like waking dreams to her. She’s courted by designers and editors alike, made evident by her column in Harper’s Bazaar. “Bazaar readers expect the unexpected, and when I met Tavi at the Marc Jacobs show in September, I knew they would relate to her passion for fashion-the fact that she is 13 only makes her insights more interesting,” Kristina O’Neill, executive editor of Harper’s Bazaar, wrote in an e-mail.

But what makes her remarkable to O’Neill and others has also made her an object of criticism. Some observers have questioned the legitimacy of her writing, suggesting that her parents or other adults are behind it. Earlier this month, an editor at Elle magazine wondered to New York Magazine whether there wasn’t a “team Tavi” at work. “It’s really annoying,” Tavi said. “People complain that my generation is stupid, but when I show that I have a brain, they call me a fake.”

In reality, her parents didn’t even know about the blog until she received an interview request from the New York Times, she said. Her father has accompanied her to New York, London and Los Angeles, but he tried to give her space at events so as not to embarrass her. To Tavi, the whispers and barbs from the fashion world remind her of middle school. —MCT

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Fashion

Peacocks has strong B

84 franchises abroad, reported strong demand online and for a range of dresses produced in collaboration with Lowe. The group said it planned further ranges with L owe for the spring/summer season. Peacocks adds to a growing list of British retailers, including fashion chain Next, grocer J Sainsbury and department store group John L ewis, to repor t strong Christmas sales. However, shopkeepers have also sounded a cautious tone about the coming year, warning that steps to cut government debt- likely to include higher taxes and lower public spending- could hold back a consumer recovery. —Reuters

Models wear a design of Walter Rodrigues collection during the Fashion Rio Fall Winter 2010 in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday.

Brazilian Cantao collection.

Fashion Rio Fall / Winter

udget fashion chain Peacocks added to signs of a robust Christmas for Britain’s retailers, helped by its tie-up with singer-turneddesigner Pearl Lowe, and said yesterday it planned to step up its expansion. The firm, taken private in 2005 by a consortium including US hedge funds Perry Capital and Och-Ziff, said sales at stores open at least a year rose 8 percent in the eight weeks to Jan 2, including 17 percent growth from December.

Peacocks said it planned to open around 40 stores in 2010-11, up from around 30 in 2009-10.

Peacocks, which currently trades from 546 stores in Britain and also has

Printing collection at the Fashion Rio Fall Winter 2010.

Lucas Nascimento collection.

—AP photos

www.kuwaittimes.net

Australian WWII wreck seen for first time in 66 years A

quest for unanswered questions and bring comfort to many families across Australia and beyond”. “The wreck was found leaning over towards its port side at an angle of approximately 25 degrees and the bow is almost completely severed from the rest of the hull in the area where the single torpedo hit,” he said. “Although the wreck is very badly damaged, characteristic markings and features that identify the wreck as the Centaur were clearly visible.”

Australia believes the ship was struck without warning by a Japanese submarine but Japan says the circumstances

This handout underwater photo provided by The Finding Centaur Project yesterday shows the red cross on the port bow of the Australian hospital ship Centaur, lying at a depth of 2,059 meters, off Australia’s northeast coast. —AFP

Shanghai Expo unleashes architects’ playful side

t a riverfront construction site in Shanghai, architect Andreas Bruendler scratched his head under his hard hat as he tried to explain his concept for Switzerland’s pavilion at the 2010 World Expo. A chairlift that will carry visitors spiraling up a shaft and then over a rooftop meadow before returning inside? Easy one. Exterior tiles encasing solar cells in a soybean resin? A bit more challenging-never been done before. Since the days of London’s Crystal Palace at the first World’s Fair in 1851 and Paris’ Eiffel Tower in 1889, Expos have showcased the latest advances in architecture and engineering.

Shanghai’s 2010 Expo aims to awe as well.

Many of the nearly 200 countries participating in the six-month event, which begins on May 1, have poured more money into pavilions than usual in a bid to do national branding and woo consumers in the Asian giant, officials say. In theory, the buildings will only stand for the duration of the Expo, which is expected to draw 70 million visitors, most of them Chinese.

But Bruendler says that temporariness is liberating. “You can explore new concepts. You’re closer to a free idea,” he said.

“With a ‘real’ construction, it has to hold for 20, 40, 60, 100 years. The limited period for which the pavilion stands here gives you a chance to think about the future developments in architecture.” After international competitions and months of construction, the steel, glass and wood exteriors of the national pavilions are finally taking shape. Katerina Dionysopoulou, the project architect for Britain’s pavilion, said she and her colleagues at

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The steel structure of the Swiss pavilion.

Minister Kevin Rudd said the boat’s sinking “struck deeply at the heart of our nation, and became a symbol of our determination to fight on against a brutal enemy”.

But a statement issued by the Japanese Embassy in Canberra said the circumstances in which the Centaur went down were not conclusive. In 2008, Australian searchers found the wreck of the HMAS Sydney II off the coast of Western Australia.

The Sydney, then the pride of the Australian wartime fleet, sank in 1941 with the loss of 645 lives after a battle with the German raider Kormoran. —AFP

Elvis Presley impersonator Kenji Shichijo sings a Presley tune at a mini-concert of Elvis’s 75th birthday party in Tokyo, Japan, yesterday. —AP photos

Japan

This undated computer generated image made available on December 19, 2009 by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office shows an artist rendering of the UK pavilion.

—AFP photos

around the sinking are unclear. Among the distinctive features revealed yesterday by the remotely-operated submersible vehicle equipped with a camera are the large red cross on both sides of the bow and the number 47 that designated the vessel as Australian Hospital Ship 47.

Mearns said conditions for filming the wreck were not ideal because strong seabed currents were stirring up sand and other material which was obscuring the view. More dives would be needed to completely document the shipwreck, he said.

In announcing the search for the lost ship last year, Prime

Elvis Presley

n Australian hospital ship which was torpedoed in World War II and sank with the loss of 268 lives was seen for the first time in 66 years yesterday when a remote-control camera captured footage of the wreck. The clearly-marked Centaur was lost on May 14, 1943 and only found off Australia’s northeast coast last month when a high-tech search uncovered it at a depth of 2,059 meters (1.3 miles).

Search director David Mearns said he hoped yesterday’s photographic proof would remove all doubt and “hopefully end a 66-year

Elvis Presley’s Japanese fans watch Elvis’ goods before a miniconcert of Elvis.

Heatherwick Studio were inspired by a photo from an old Expo showing people “trying to figure out what to do.”

The spiky British pavilion is built around the concept of the Royal Botanical Garden’s Millennium Seed Bank in London, which seeks to preserve plant life threatened with extinction. The whimsical result-with influ-

‘Jurassic Park’,” she explained.

“We are putting them inside 7.5metre acrylic rods. The daylight will make them shine and a small LED that is embedded in them will make them glow in the night.” A total of 60,000 rods will protrude from a timber box, she said. “They will catch the breeze of the river and, hopefully, just quiver,”

This picture shows a construction worker walking past a billboard showing an artist’s rendering of the Korean pavilion. ences ranging from Victorian gardens to science fiction films-is captivating.

“We realized we had to do something that was so different that people would just literally go towards it,” Dionysopoulou said. “We took all the seeds and decided to encapsulate them just like the DNA in the amber in

she said. For Italy’s pavilion, architect Giampaolo Imbrighi imagined how falling pick-up sticks-a game Italians call “Shanghai”-could trace the outlines of narrow lanes reminiscent of both Chinese and Italian cities.

A new material called transparent cement will make up 40 percent of the

This picture in Shanghai shows a green test module of the Swiss pavilion.

pavilion’s surface area so that its appearance changes throughout the day. “The different degrees of transparency make it possible to see light from the interior on the outside-and vice versa,” Imbrighi said. Finnish architect Teemu Kurkela’s pavilion also experiments with a new material.

A genuine white marble exterior was beyond the budget for his “Kirnu” design, which resembles a giant pestle. So his team improvised.

“The surface of the pavilion is made of industrial waste,” Kurkela said.

“We are using this paper that has been made waterproof by plastic.

This is a new product developed for the pavilion.” As part of efforts to develop greener and more energy efficient buildings, many of the pavilions will harness natural light and be cooled naturally. Some, like the Finnish pavilion, are designed to be dismantled after Expo and transported elsewhere to be rebuilt and reused.

Time and budget constraints can force Expo pavilion designers to be even more creative, Kurkela said.

“Or maybe we’re just crazy,” he said.

Bruendler eventually finds the word he was grasping for to explain the intelligent soybean resin tiles.

“It’s a battery,” he said, explaining that a visitor who uses a flash to take a photograph of the pavilion could trigger a chain reaction of light running around the building. “The cells collect energy during the day and once their tank is full, they flash.

They flash by themselves but they also have a receiver. So you could provoke the flashing of the whole facade,” he said. —AFP

Elvis Presley impersonator Kazunari Tajima.

75 years on, Elvis still heartbreak king in Aussie town eneath his homemade jumpsuit and the glinting black of his polyester Elvis Presley wig, Gnarnayarrahe Inmurry Waitairie sweats in the unforgiving Australian heat. Guitar over one shoulder and his official busking pass on one lapel, he adjusts his sunglasses and tunes his strings as he prepares to shake, rattle and roll like his American idol.

“Aboriginals don’t have an Elvis, so I thought I’d come and be him. I’m Black Elvis,” Waitairie told AFP. “Elvis can be anyone and call to anyone, because Elvis takes your heart away.”

Waitairie, an indigenous dancer originally from Western Australia’s Yindjibarndi country, has traded his didgeridoo and clapping sticks for polyester and rhinestones to be part of Australia’s biggest Elvis celebration. As fans in Memphis marked what would have been the 75th birthday of the man known as ‘The King’ of rock ‘n roll, thousands converged on the tiny, drought-parched town of Parkes 300 kilometers (186 miles) west of Sydney for the annual Elvis Festival.

It began almost two decades ago as the dream of Bob and Anne Steel, who ran a retro-themed reception centre called Gracelands and were desperate to liven up the relentless summer months in the farming and mining town. “We had hoped that a January festival would bring some business to town, and I think everybody’s doing handstands now,” Anne Steel told AFP. “Most people can see what it’s doing for the economy and, by God, we needed it.”

Home to straight-talking farmers and mining men, it seems an unlikely place for a tribute to the pioneering popstar. The town’s only previous claim to fame was “The

B

Aboriginal man Gnarnayarrahe Inmurry Waitairie, who calls himself ‘Black Elvis’, plays a tune as he attends the 18th annual Parkes Elvis Festival, in the outback town of Parkes. —AFP Dish”-a radio telescope used

by NASA to receive images of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. But the Parkes Elvis Festival has exploded from a humble town carnival with 200 visitors in 1993 to a national event which this year attracted more than 10,000 people and brought in excess of five million dollars (4.6 million US) to the local economy.

Hundreds packed onto the “Elvis Express” train from Sydney on Friday, adorned in their retro best to kick off the festival weekend with serenades by a tribute artist and dancing in the aisles. The trademark quiff and jumpsuit are a staple, and rarely is there a gent to be seen without sideburns and a swivel to his hips.

Priscillas and Lisa-Maries are also out in full-skirted force, feather boas and wedding veils in tow.

The diehards stake out a street corner to busk, while

others try their hardest to impress the lookalike contest judges. There’s an Elvis Idol contest, gospel services and “The King’s Castle”, which hosts the largest collection of Elvis memorabilia in the southern hemisphere.

Waitairie, who has travelled some 600 kilometers to take part, plans to win the street busking crown and renew his wedding vows at the mass “Back to the Altar with Elvis” ceremony in a park. “Elvis was about love, about peace,” he said. “Since I was 14 I liked that about him.”

White-suited lookalike contestant Graeme Mackaway, who has made the journey to Parkes four times on the “Elvis Express”, said the Main Street parade is always his highlight. “Every year we come and the crowd gets deeper and deeper and the route seems longer,” said the company director who swing dances and collects antique jukeboxes in his spare time.

In just five days the festival brings in more than one-tenth of the 11,000-person town’s annual tourism revenue, its third-largest earner after agriculture and mining. Hotel rooms are booked more than a year in advance not just in Parkes, but surrounding towns, and the sports ground, converted into a tent city, is overflowing. Officials say the expanding crowd is getting younger every year. It may have begun as the brainchild of “two silly people who were Elvis fans”, said Steel, but the festival has become a celebration of 60s rock culture and a coming together of city and country life. “I have been a fan since I was 11 and I’m now 66, but now you don’t have to be an Elvis fan, there’s something for everyone,” she said.

“The fella who gets dragged here kicking and screaming by his wife is always the first to book for next year.” —AFP