30th Nov

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

40 PAGES

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2010

World scrambles to deal with the WikiLeaks fallout

THULHIJA 24, 1431 AH

Lost generation: Shortage of staff threatens nuclear renaissance

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Long term residency for expats boost domestic economy

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High fives as Barcelona humiliate Real and Mourinho PAGE 20

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Wikileaks expose hidden Gulf views on Iran Leaks show rising Arab fear of Tehran RIYADH: The disclosure in leaked US cables that Gulf Arab leaders want Washington to destroy Iran’s nuclear program exposes long-hidden views that will kill any chance of detente with Tehran.

From Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, to tiny Bahrain, Gulf Arab rulers revealed a reality they had spent years trying to hide publicly. The views in the cables released by the WikiLeaks website contrast with the public stance of those Sunni rulers whose statements on their religious rivals in Shiite Iran and its

Op-ed by US Ambassador

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re s i d e n t Obama a n d Secretary of State Hillary R o d h a m Clinton have made it a priority to reinvigorate America’s re l a t i o n s h i p s around the Deborah Jones world. They have been working hard to strengthen our existing partnerships and build new ones to meet shared challenges, from climate change, to ending the threat of nuclear weapons to fighting disease and poverty.

As the United States Ambassador to Kuwait, I’m proud to be part of this effort.

The United States and Kuwait have a strong and enduring partnership, based on trust, mutual confidence and shared values.

For nearly a quarter-century we have pursued a shared vision for peace and regional security, strengthened by a common commitment to democratic values and economic prosperity. Kuwait’s vibrant and occasionally boisterous democracy is familiar to us; our financial and energy relationships are stable, mutually beneficial and long standing.

I have had the honor to work to sustain and expand our alliance and friendship, and I am grateful for the outstanding support for that endeavor I have received from the Kuwaiti government and its citizenry. Of course, even a solid relationship will have its ups and downs. We have seen that in the past few days, when documents purportedly downloaded from US Defense Department computers became the subject of reports in the media. They appear to contain our diplomats’ assessments of policies, negotiations, and leaders from countries around the world as well as reports on private conversations with people inside and outside other governments.

I cannot vouch for the authenticity of any one of these documents. But I can say that the United States deeply regrets the disclosure of any information that was intended to be confidential. And we condemn it. Diplomats must engage in frank discussions with their colleagues, and they must be assured that these discussions will remain private. Honest dialogue-within governments and between them-is part of the basic bargain of international relations; we couldn’t maintain peace, security, and international stability without it. I’m sure that Kuwait’s ambassadors to the United States would say the same thing.

They too depend on being able to exchange honest opinions with their counterparts in Washington and send home their assessments of America’s leaders, policies, and actions. ‘Sadeeqak min sadaqak.’ Indeed, we highly value the frank exchanges we have with our friends and allies. Contrary to what some may perceive or believe, the US does not speak from a position of assumed perfection; we are painfully aware of our own flaws and work to address them as well, of ten reserving our harshest criticisms for ourselves.

While we acknowledge and welcome and even celebrate the open ‘give and take’ of Kuwait’s diwaniya culture and the relatively free exchange of information here, we recognize and believe strongly in the necessity for discretion and confidentiality in our official exchanges, particularly those of a sensitive, deliberative nature. In an increasingly interactive, sometimes painfully transparent global environment, this becomes an ever greater challenge.

I do believe that people of good faith recognize that diplomats’ internal reports Continued on Page 13

nuclear program have until now been far more conciliatory.

The revelations, however, do confirm the depth of suspicion and hatred of the Shiites among Sunni Arab leaders, especially in Saudi Arabia, the leading Sunni power and which regards Iran as an existential threat. That concern was intensified by the rise of the Shiites in Iraq after the US-led invasion of 2003 - the first time the Shiites have controlled an Arab heartland country for nearly a millennium. For Sunni Gulf rulers, seeing Iraq fall

under Shiite influence was shocking enough, but the fear of a nuclear Iran is something they find even more alarming.

According to the leaked cables, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah repeatedly exhorted the United States to “cut off the head of the snake” by launching military strikes to destroy Iran’s nuclear program.

He has never publicly called on Washington to use force against Iran. The Bahraini king also said Iran’s nuclear program should be halted by any means, and the crown prince of the emirate of Abu

Dhabi saw “the logic of war dominating” when it comes to dealing with the Iranian threat. “I think it confirms that the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) states are all more united on the anti-Iranian front than previously disclosed,” said Theodore Karasik, a Dubai-based analyst.

DEEP MISTRUST Saudi analyst Khaled Al-Dakhil said the cables were a reminder of the deep mistrust between Iran and Saudi Arabia as well as other Gulf Arab states. “I don’t think Iran takes at face value public decla-

rations coming from the Gulf, whether for a war or not-just as Gulf leaders do not believe declarations about how peaceful the Iranian nuclear program is,” he said.

The leaks show the extent of the worry that Iran’s nuclear program is causing in the region. “Iran should take note of the distress that its nuclear program is causing in the region-this is not something that should be ignored,” said Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center.

Iran denies its nuclear program is a

cover to build a nuclear bomb and says it is purely for peaceful purposes. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday appeared to play down the impact the WikiLeaks disclosures, saying they would not hurt Tehran’s relations with its Gulf neighbors. The United States has repeatedly said the military option to halt the Iranian nuclear program is on the table, but US military chiefs have also made clear it is a last resort, fearing it could ignite wider conflict in the Middle East.

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Islamist MPs target women in swimsuits MPs propose one-year jail term, KD1000 fine

By B Izzak

NEWCASTLE: A main arterial road A1 in Newcastle, England, which was closed between Berwick and Edinburgh as heavy snowfall continues to cause travel chaos in the north-east of England yesterday. — AP (See Page 13)

Kuwait to spend $90 billion on oil projects KUWAIT: OPEC member Kuwait plans to spend as much as $90 billion on oil projects inside and outside the country over the next five years, a top oil executive said yesterday. “About $90 billion will be spent over the next five years to achieve our strategy,” said Hashim AlRefaai, managing director for planning with Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC), the state’s national oil conglomerate. More than a third of the amount is earmarked for two major projects to build a new refinery at a cost of $14 billion and upgrading two existing refineries for $16.3 billion, he told the 6th annual conference on Kuwait projects organized by MEED. The two projects have been stalled by political disputes between MPs and the government over the past five years. The 615,000-barrels per day (bpd) refinery project was scrapped by the government after awarding it to South Korean and Japanese firms due to protests by Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: Chairman and managing director of the Kuwait Oil Company, Sami Al-Rasheed, speaks on the first day of the 6th annual Kuwait Projects 2010 Conference yesterday. — AFP

KUWAIT: Five Islamist MPs have proposed a one-year jail term and a fine of KD1,000 for women who wear swimsuits at public beaches and who show parts of their body in public. The bill, submitted

by MPs Waleed Al-Tabtabai, Faisal Al-Muslim, Khaled AlSultan, Falah Al-Sawwagh and Jamaan Al-Harbash, calls to add a new article to the penal code to curb immoral behavior.

In the explanatory note, MPs said that immoral practices have increased at the beaches and since there is no clear law, coastguards have been unable to deal with moral violations. Liberal MP Aseel Al-Awadhi swif tly deplored the proposal as an infringement on personal freedom and a violation of the country’s constitution. She said that the bill is also discriminatory since it is only targeting women and does not apply to men, adding that if it is passed in the assembly, it will be unconstitutional.

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Omani ruler celebrates 40 years on the throne MUSCAT: Omani ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said attended a parade yesterday as part of festivities marking his 40th year on the throne in the tiny oil-rich Arabian Peninsula country.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II was guest of honor at the parade of military bands performing along with some 13,000 folkloric dancers and musicians. Sultan Qaboos assumed the throne in 1970 after overthrowing his father, Sultan Sultan Qaboos bin Said Said bin Taymur, in a bloodless coup.

When he took over the reins of power, Oman was an isolated country living on the margins of the modern world with little or no infrastructure. But over the years Sultan Qaboos has transformed his country — which sits atop proven gas reserves of 660 million cubic meters into a modern state that thrives on human development. Unlike most Gulf nations, Oman is not a member of the giant oil cartel OPEC, although it produces about 800,000 barrels of oil daily, as well as some three billion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas.

The tiny Gulf state is a close ally of Britain, with which it has a history of close military and economic ties. Queen Elizabeth II, her husband Prince Philip and British Foreign Secretary William Hague have just completed a short visit to the country. Muscat has close ties to the United States, and also maintains strong relations with Iran. Oman and Iran are co-guardians of the Strait of Hormuz, gateway into the oil-rich Gulf through which an estimated 40 percent of the world’s crude oil passes. — AFP

DAMASCUS: The speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly Jassem Al-Khorafi speaks during the opening session of the Fifth Conference of the Association of Asian Parliaments in Damascus yesterday. — AFP

Investment Dar committee quits CAIRO: The debt-saddled Kuwaiti Islamic investment firm that owns a majority stake in automaker Aston Martin blasted a committee representing its creditors of trying to “derail” restructuring talks, and said it accepted the committee’s resignation.

The development, outlined in a statement emailed yesterday from The Investment Dar, marks the latest hurdle in restructuring talks with a firm that was among Kuwait’s most prominent investment houses.

Like many of its peers in the small oil rich nation, however, TID faces massive debts stemming from a spending spree earlier this decade. Its debt stands at roughly KD1.15 billion. TID said it accepted the creditor coordinating committee’s resignation after it

rejected what it deemed an unfair debt to equity swap.

The committee had proposed an exchange of KD 475 million of debt for a 90 percent stake in the company. The deal would have lef t TID shareholders with 10 percent of the company and shouldering KD600 million in debt.

“It is clear that the purpose of this offer and the proposal outlined in the (committee’s) letter to negotiate a Debt for Equity plan on this basis is not aimed at reaching an agreement on debt settlement,” TID said. “The objective is to derail negotiations between the Company and its banks and investors, depriving the shareholders of their rights and to lay the foundations for the destruction of the Company’s value.”

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Blasts kill Iran nuke scientist Tehran accuses CIA, Mossad TEHRAN: Twin blasts in Iran’s capital killed a top nuclear scientist and wounded another yesterday, with Tehran swiftly blaming the CIA and Mossad for the attacks apparently carried out by men on motorcycles. Slain scientist Majid Shahriari and Fereydoon Abbasi Davani, who survived the attack, were senior figures in Iran’s nuclear program, which the West suspects of having military aims. Tehran denies the charge.

The attacks came af ter diplomatic cables that whistleblower website WikiLeaks released on Sunday revealed Saudi Arabia’s king “repeatedly” urged Washington to take military action against

Tehran’s nuclear program.

Tehran police chief Hossein Sajedi-nia said the scientists were targeted on their way to work in two different parts of the capital by men on motorcycles who attached bombs to their cars. “Dr Shahriari was killed and his wife and driver were injured. Dr Abbasi and his wife have been injured,” he was quoted as saying in media reports.

Iran’s presidential office and interior minister accused the US and Israeli intelligence services, the CIA and Mossad, of killing the two who were also professors at Tehran’s prestigious Shahid Beheshti University. “The Zionist regime this time shed the Continued on Page 13

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

‘Local building materials superior to western ones’ New housing solutions on display at 14th Housing Exhibition

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: With the aim of presenting the most modern building materials and equipments, new services for contracting purposes, raising awareness on housing concepts and constructional errors, and highlighting the role played by the private sector in resolving housing issues, the

KUWAIT: Kuwait Fire Service Directorate safety officers conducted a fire drill at the local United Nations offices, with UN personnel receiving training on how to combat different types of fires and use various fire extinguishers.

As part of the drill, an evacuation exercise was mounted, with staff gathering at the prearranged assembly points. —Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

‘Rotten food’ discoveries continue around Kuwait KUWAIT: As concern continues to mount among Kuwaitis and expatriate residents over the safety of the food on sale in Kuwait’s stores, cafes and restaurants, health and safety inspectors have found more foodstuffs unfit for human consumption stored in local warehouses ready for going on sale.

The inspectors from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) and Kuwait Municipality recently recovered 18.5 tons of expired foodstuffs stored in a local supplier’s warehouse. According to officials, the foodstuffs, including cheese and pickles, had been illicitly repackaged in boxes bearing future expiry dates long after their original expiry dates passed. The inspectors also discovered a special equipment in the warehouse which was used to stamp the new expiry dates onto the items, as well as finding out that the illegal operation had been going on for at least a year.

Meanwhile, inspectors from Farwaniya’s Municipality Department were able to recover nearly four tons of expired jars of jam and canned goods from a warehouse in Ardiya, which had been readied for sale despite being out of date.

Legal action is being taken against the owner of the supply company, who was discovered to be outside the country at present.

Several local lawyers have suggested that the

existing poorly designed regulations on food safety are at least partially to blame for the spread of violations in this area. Several attorneys were quoted in Al-Qabas as stating that the current laws are outdated and flawed in lacking any deterrent penalties against suppliers who provide retailers with foodstuffs unfit for human consumption.

The Minister of Public Works and State Minister of Municipality Affairs finds himself under increasing pressure as more rotten food is found for sale on the country’s market on a daily basis, reported Al-Qabas.

Most recently, inspectors from the Kuwait Municipality and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) found 7.5 tons of expired rice and coffee stored in two warehouses in Shuwaikh.

MCI teams also found two grocery stores in the area selling meat products that were either expired or unsuitable for human consumption.

Minister of Public Works and State Minister of Municipality Affairs, Dr Fadhel Safar said that work is ongoing to uncover those responsible for this corruption. Some of the confiscated food had been repackaged into bags with an expiration date of 2015, Capital Municipality Emergency Team Leader Tariq Al-Qattan told reporters. He asserted that many of the other supplies that were confiscated were properly disposed.

Ministry of Education key presenter at Middle East SharePoint Conference KUWAIT: Microsoft yesterday announced the participation of the Ministry of Education in Kuwait at the Middle East SharePoint Conference which will be held in Doha on Dec 5 and 6. As a pioneer and leading adopter of SharePoint in Kuwait, the ministry will give attendees a sneak preview of their new website and the transformation that is taking place by adopting Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet.

SharePoint for Internet 2010 was deployed in the ministry on the same day it was officially launched in the region on May 12, 2010. The Ministry of Education took the decision to standardize their websites on the latest version of SharePoint due to its advanced features such as tightened security, ease of use and enterprise capabilities.

The Ministry’s website (www.moe.edu.kw) is already running on SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet.

According to Hanaa Al-Sharrah, IT Manager, Ministry of Kuwait, “We are pleased at this opportunity to present a unique perspective on our experiences with SharePoint at the Middle East SharePoint Conference. Considering our growing needs and requirements in terms of scalability, we took the decision to move to Microsoft Sharepoint and we have been very happy with our experience.

What SharePoint has given us is a truly world class enterprise web platform which is secure and easy to use, and we look forward to sharing our experiences with our peers at the conference.”

“We are delighted at this opportunity to have the Ministry of Education, Kuwait at the Middle East SharePoint Conference next month,” said Ehab Mostafa, Country Manager, Microsoft Kuwait. “The Ministry has always been a pioneer and progressive user of the latest IT solutions and the fact that they chose Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet is a strong endorsement of its collaborative benefits. Moreover, the Ministry was the first user in the Middle East to deploy SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet. We look forward to working with the Ministry and support its ambitious initiatives in the future.”

As part of its long term roadmap, the Ministry of Education will soon introduce one of the most advanced learning gateways in the region. The Ministry’s portal is visited by hundreds of thousands of visitors and will be integrated in the future with their Learning Gateway. Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 for Internet now provides the Ministry with a more robust web content management platform to build on with higher performance, scalability and security.

More than sixty companies from all fields related to housing and construction are participating in and sponsoring the expo. In addition, public sectors such as the Ministry of Electricity and Water, the Ministry of Public Works, Kuwait Municipality, and the Public Authority for Housing Welfare are also making their presence felt. Visiting hours are between 9:30 and 1:00pm, and from 4:30 pm and 8:30 pm.

A variety of building materials like bricks, cement, marble, granite, steel and others are also on display. Also, finishing and decor materials, contracting services and tools, housing services including banking and financing services for building houses, housing solutions by public institutions, security and real estate services are available.

The administration of Zain Saudi Arabia (Zain KSA) is overseeing events, “The executive director there is responsible for the contract, and we as a group only follow-up the procedure of the contract and cooperation between the parties. Here lies our main role. Regarding share break down with UAE’s Etisalat, negotiations are still on. As Hamad Al-Amiri said, the new stake may reach 46 percent and we are proceeding with the deal. It will be closed as soon as possible. It is possible that during midJanuary 2011,” stated Bader Al-Kharafi, Chairman of UNIEXPO and Deputy Chairman of Mohammed Abdul Mohsin Al-Kharafi and Sons during the launch of the exhibition yesterday.

The Public Authority for Housing Welfare supports the use of local products, which have proven to be even better than the western ones, “Some participating companies offer 100 percent locally sourced materials, while others offer locally assembled products. We will also give a chance for the local products to be used to construct at least 10 to 20 percent of the new projects in Kheiran and Mitlaa. There will not be any delay in the projects. We hope that the government will complete the finance issue soon,” said Abdulkareem Al-Fozan, General Director of the Public Authority for Housing Welfare.

The Ministry of Housing is focusing on various upcoming projects, “The Khairan project will cost around KD 6 billion, and low-cost homes project will be valued at KD 520 million.

Tender for the project were floated last August but no orders were placed. So, it will be refloated again next December,” he added.

Man dies in Mishref road accident

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 50-year-old was killed when a car struck him on a road between Bayan and Mishref. Paramedics pronounced him dead upon arriving to the scene of the incident.

Meanwhile, a 30-yearold bedoon sustained several injuries during a car accident in the Jahra area.

He was brought to Jahra Hospital.

A citizen was left in very critical condition when his car collided with a truck on Sixth Ring Road yesterday evening.

Firefighters responded to the incident and freed the man from his vehicle, which had flipped over several times. He was brought to the hospital by paramedics.

A 40-year-old Kuwaiti suffered several injuries during a car accident on Fahaheel Expressway. He was brought to Adan Hospital.

Ahmadi explosion Director General of the Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD), Major General Jassim AlMansoury said the explosion reported in Southern Ahmadi was related to a gas cylinder and had nothing to do with the area’s current gas leak crisis.

Al Mansoury said firefighters were able to confirm the information after directly dealing with the explosion.

Tragic discovery Passersby were horrified to find the decomposed body of a newborn baby in an open area in the Riggae district. Police are investigating the tragic discovery.

Kuwait Society of Engineers (KSE) is currently hosting the 14th Housing Exhibition from November 29 to December 2, 2010 at the Regency Hotel. It is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Minister of State for Development Affairs and Minister of State for Housing Affairs. The UNIEXPO is organizing the event.

KUWAIT: Al-Fuzan during the opening ceremony.

kuwait digest

Human rights report wrong?

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

I

don’t know why the American State Department’s report on Human Rights is welcome here. Even though it was written 8,000 kilometers away it is considered 100 percent true.

I do not accept what their report has come up with. We should know that they see things differently than us.

There are some mistakes in Kuwait, and there are some violations. Some of them were mentioned in this most recent report and some were mentioned in previous human rights

reports. The report uses facts and figures published in our media. The Americans have not brought anything new to our attention.

Without going into too many details, we differ from them. For example, our government thinks that chasing writers and suing them in court is natural and necessary for political life. The West meanwhile considers jailing writers wrong. The West thinks it is natural to rotate power and considers Wasta a good social practice that only relatives can appreciate.

What I want to know is how we can

reject a report that states that Kuwaiti writer Mohammad Abdul Qader AlJassem has been jailed three times for his opinion in one year? He did not steal millions but he was sent to jail.

Meanwhile, those who did steal millions were not judged by the courts or imprisoned but were left alone by the state.

When a report states that we let criminals leave the country what is the proper response? Should we just say that the report is wrong and that Al-Jassem is at home with his children? Can we just lie and say that he stole millions and that we jailed him for that?! — A l - A n b a

in the news Palestinian folklore KUWAIT: The Touristic Enterprises C o m p a n y (TEC)’s Parks and Ice Skating Rink will host performances by Palestinian A s h i q e e n (Lovers) Dabka and Folklore Group on December 2nd and 3rd respectively. The Ice Rink’s Manager Jassim Al-Shemais stressed that the event will be held at the smaller skating rink in coordination with the manager of Rich Company Samir AlAlami. Furthermore, Al-Shemais explained that, no visitors will be received on the scheduled dates. However, the large skating hall will continue to receive visitors from 8:30 am till 10:00 pm. He also added that the rink’s management was currently working toward collaborating with Rich Company to prepare for the performances.

Grilling over cargo planes deal KUWAIT: MP Musallam Al-Barrak has called on First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak to stop the deal to purchase two cargo planes, describing it as “suspect” and suggesting that it aims to strengthen the relationship between the Kuwaiti premier and the aviation firm’s owners. The MP said that if the deal is concluded he will use his constitutional tools, believed to be

a reference to interpellation, regardless of the State Audit Bureau’s earlier approval of the transaction, reported Al-Shahed.

Al-Barrak claimed that pressure increased over the issue during the Eid holidays, asserting that the decision to purchase the planes was taken without taking into consideration any of the ten technical questions raised over the planes.

8th Ring Road project KUWAIT: The Eighth Ring Road Project seems to be moving toward a dead end as struggles continue between the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) and the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), reported Al-Qabas. The government is determined to push the project forward despite objections from KOC who warn that the project’s route runs through the Burgan Oil Field; the country’s largest oil field. KOC insists on not allowing MPW personnel to enter the field’s borders while the MPW prepares to hire foreign engineers to design the project. While some suggest finding a compromise that would allow the project to be built without affecting the Burgan Oil Field, a KOC official warned that the current design for the road could seriously affect the company’s work. The official also pointed out that construction on the road could be considerably dangerous and be a threat to the general public.

Airport officer under investigation KUWAIT: A Ministry of Interior (MoI) security official working at Kuwait International Airport (KIA) is being questioned after a complaint was lodged against

him by the chairman of a major local firm.

The interior ministry officer has been accused of illicitly working for a former MP wanted in connection with several finance-related cases and accused of issuing a number of dud cheques. A MoI insider told Al-Shahed that the officer has been accused of facilitating the former MP’s travel abroad, despite the fact that the accused man is on the wanted list and banned from travelling. The results of the investigation will be submitted to senior interior ministry officials for consideration as to what action should be taken.

Compensation possible KUWAIT: The government is studying the possibility of financially compensating the owners of industrial units that were removed from the Ashairej area, reported Al-Qabas.

The Cabinet has already formed a committee, led by the Fatwa and Legislation Department, and includes representatives from the Finance Ministry, Kuwait Municipality, Environmental Public Authority (EPA) and the Public Authority for Industry. The committee will work on preparing a detailed report on how best to clear the area of all industrial facilities as mandated by the Supreme Council of Environment back in 2003. In addition to removing industrial facilities and rehabilitating the area’s environment, the committee will also discuss which of the business owners deserve compensation. Earlier this year the EPA detected large scale environmental violations committed by several of the factories in Ashairej. Some of the factories were found to be guilty of extremely polluting the area’s marine environment by dumping engine oil and liquid waste into the sea.

NATIONAL

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

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KUWAIT: Oman’s ambassador to Kuwait, Sheikh Salim Bin Suhail held a special reception at the JW Marriott Hotel to celebrate his country’s 40th National Day Anniversary. The reception as attended by diplomats, dignitaries and members of the media. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KU College of Social Sciences hosts annual conference

local spotlight

Child marriage - a heinous practice

By Muna Al-Fuzai hat would you call any man over the age of 30 that seeks to marry a child ? A 10-year-old female child is forced to surrender her body to a man? Would you term such an act as marriage or organized rape? Do you think that such an act, even if sanctioned by any court, can be deemed as being just?

Every day, we read reports about marriages contracted between middle-aged men and pre-pubescent girls. I do not think that these men intend to share their lives, love and cherish a life partner. I believe that such men only want to sexually exploit their nubile bodies; under the comfortable shroud provided by the country’s judiciary. Moreover, most of these

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marriages take place owing to the harsh circumstances in which the child bride lives in, compounded by poverty and ignorance. I cannot imagine any educated or rich family that would want to ‘sell’ their children in this manner.

Such barbarian rape-marriages are widely practiced in ultraconservative societies and groups. It is revolting to learn that a female child’s body is subject to the perversions of permissive men who no longer exercise their past sexual prowess. They choose to manipulate a child instead - it is better and safe! After all these children belong to impoverished households!

Child marriage is an unacceptable and undignified practice. I really hope to see more NGOs who are dormant most of the time, rise up to the situation. Western countries have framed laws to prevent such heinous acts being committed against minors. I strongly feel that such acts be outlawed and those involved be penalized. muna@kuwaittimes.net

KAC union defends ‘Failaka’ pilot, slams media over ‘false informations’ KUWAIT: The union representing Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) workers has accused senior Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials of “attempting to provide inaccurate information” on the recent emergency landings performed by one of the airline’s jet and the subsequent investigation into the incidents, as well as slamming local media for publishing unsubstantiated reports regarding the case.

The plane in question, a passenger jet named ‘Failaka’ from KAC’s fleet, returned to Kuwait International Airport earlier this month shortly after takeoff to make an emergency landing after the smoke detector in the cockpit was activated, indicating that a fire had broken out in one of the plane’s engines.

During the subsequent passenger evacuation procedure, a number of the 260 passengers on board were injured, with one

subsequently dying of his injuries, reportedly due to problems in the evacuation process.

Less than a week later, the same plane had to make a second emergency landing at KIA after the pilot detected high air pressure in the cockpit, although no injuries were sustained during the evacuation procedure on this occasion, reported Al-Qabas.

Most recently, the same jet suffered a landing gear malfunction, when the hydraulic system which controls the undercarriage apparently jammed, forcing the pilot to deploy the emergency manual landing system in its place.

Recent reports quoted DGCA insiders as suggesting that the pilot who performed the first emergency landing, Captain Nayef Al-Mutalaqim, had been held responsible for failing to follow the correct procedures to assess whether or not a fire had actually started in

any of the plane’s engines before returning to the airport.

The KAC blasted this suggestion, however, calling Captain Al-Mutaqalim’s reaction “heroic,” and saying that they contributed significantly to saving the lives of the passengers on board the Dhaka-bound jet from imminent disaster.

“Instead of addressing KAC’s deteriorating fleet and the DGCA’s incompetent preparations at the airport, the blame was put solely on the brave pilot,” said a statement from the union, slamming local media outlets that carried the reports for “publishing false information gathered from unconfirmed sources.”

The statement quoted union head Hamad Al-Merri as condemning communications minister Dr. Mohammad AlBusairi, who insisted on the KAC fleet’s safety and reliability during a visit to the airport’s aviation maintenance section.

Female marriage officials soon?

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Justice is considering hiring Kuwaiti women to work as marriage officials as long as they are legally and legitimately qualified, reported Al-Rai. Currently only men are allowed to work in positions commonly referred to as ‘Maathoun,’ but the ministry is considering hiring women after several female citizens filed applications for the position.

According to a legal source there are no restrictions against hiring women as marriage officials as long as they have a legislative license and a license to practice law.

If a decision was made to allow women to work as Maathouns, Kuwait would join the United Arab Emirates as the only Gulf States that allow women to work in that profession. Egypt was the first Arab state to allow women to be Maathouns.

KPC co-sponsors small-scale industries forum KUWAIT: The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and all its affiliated companies will co-sponsor a forum on small scale industries, in association with the Kuwait Small Projects Development Company and the Leaders’ group.

The event begins today under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, State Minister of Development and State Minister of Housing Affairs.

This announcement was made by Sheikh Talal AlKhalid Al-Sabah Managing Director of Government and Parliamentarian Relations as well as Public Relations and Media Affairs.

Sheikh Al-Sabah further elaborated that the KPC’s cosponsorship of the event falls in line with its policies of supporting developmental projects, mainly those that focus on improving human resources and raise the competency of young manpower.

Sheikh Al-Sabah further reiterated the development plan’s goals on diversifying the sources of revenue, noting that this goal requires that small and middle scale businesses be supported.

Focus on building a healthy society

By Hussain Al-Qatari KUWAIT: The College of Social Sciences at Kuwait University inaugurated its fourth annual international conference yesterday in Shuwaikh under the auspices of the Minister of Education Dr Modhi Al-Homoud. The three-day event features public lectures and workshops by specialists She lauded the College of Social Sciences for taking such a progressive step, noting the college’s international accreditation from the American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE) last week as a result of the dedication of the academic staff.

The dean of the College of Social Sciences, Professor Abdulredha Aseeri said that the college chose a program that tackles as many issues that matter to the people as possible, hoping to balance academic presentations with public workshops and lectures to ensure that as many people as possible benefit from the conference. “This day and age society faces many challenges,” Aseeri said. “The role of social sciences today is quite important and for that reason we selected a plethora of renowned speakers and professors to make this event beneficial to everyone.”

The college intends to organize similar programs to

and experts from across the globe, including social sciences professors from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India and the United States. The conference embraces an agenda for finding practical methods to solve everyday social issues. “As we build the foundation for a better future with a development plan, it is of great importance that we focus on building a healthy society,” said Al-Homoud during the inaugural speech yesterday.

Dr Suha Al-Awadhi exchange knowledge and experience among specialists across the world.

“Development and advancement is not exclusive to technology and gadgets,” he continued. “Today, advancing and developing society is far more important and necessary for us in this region, especially in Kuwait” he said. The issues that will be

addressed in the lectures and workshops of the event will include the effect of personality traits and emotional intelligence on marriage, cyber crime, social responsibility and internet users, cyber-censorship, domestic violence, marital disputes and the impact on positive thinking on people.

Dr Suha Al-Awadhi, the head of the conference’s public relations committee, said that members of the public can register for the event through the college’s website at http://www.css.kuniv.edu. She added that the events and lectures will be broadcast at http://dlc.kuniv.edu/.

Lecture on ‘Language and Identity’

By Abdullah Al-Qattan KUWAIT: The English Department in Kuwait University’s Arts faculty yesterday hosted a lecture on ‘Language and Identity’ by Professor Itesh Sachdev, the Director of Language and Communication at London’s globally renowned School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), who is also the Director of the SOAS-UCL Centre for Excellence in the Teaching and Learning of Languages of the Wider World.

Professor Sachdev began his lecture, delivered at KU’s Kaifan campus, by pointing out that, according to Article 2:1 of the 1992 UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic,

Religious and Linguistic Minorities, 1992), all peoples from religious and linguistic minorities “have the right to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice their own religion, and to use their own language in private and in public freely and without interference or any form of discrimination.”

Thereafter, the distinguished academic talked about the increase in global migration and exchange of peoples, ideas, money, culture and other factors in recent decades, saying, “This has quite radically increased the complexity and make-up of modern societies so that there is greater diversity than ever in terms of ethnicities, cultures. religions and languages.” He continued analyzing this theme, suggesting

that “Languages, accents, dialects and other linguistic variations not only provide important cues for the categorization of speakers on the socio-cultural map but can also emerge as the most salient dimensions of group identity.”

Professor Sachdev also cited sociological and psychological research showing that linguistic variations can be both dependent and independent variables in analyzing relations between and within cultural, ethnic and other groups. In conclusion, he focused on the theme of the lecture, language and identity, illustrating his points with various items of empirical data on attitudes to language from various cultural contexts.

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‘Media firms should conduct periodic audits’ Best of Cannes Lions 2010 commercials screened

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: Louai Alasfahani, Managing Director-Paragon Marketing Communications addressing the occasion. — Photos by Yasser Zayyat

KUWAIT: An award winning selection of ‘Best of Cannes Lions 2010’ commercials were screened in Kuwait recently, organized by the International Advertising Association (IAA) Kuwait Chapter. The event was held at the Laila Gallery Cinema, attended by select groups mostly from advertising agencies, students, and individuals from different backgrounds and professions.

The Best of Cannes 2010 Bronze, Silver, Gold and Grand Prix winning advertisements from all over the world received rapturous applause during the two-hour screening.

Speaking with Kuwait Times after the screening, Louai Alasfahani, Managing Director-Paragon Marketing Communications said that the reason why ‘Best of Cannes 2010’ commercials were screened in Kuwait was to boost the country’s advertising spirit, and also encourage professionals to participate and compete in the awards and festivals to be held in the upcoming Dubai Lynx 2011.

“Kuwait was once a leader in creating the best advertising commercials in the Middle East,” Alasfahani said. “We want to revive that old, lost glory. By the way, Kuwait has been creative, we are more competitive.

Besides, we have more talents here not to mention the money, we have it, so we could easily reclaim and regain that title,” He added that the IAA initiative demonstrates its commitment to bring out ‘the very best’ in Kuwait and finally benefit from it and put the country back on the advertising world’s map.

Steve Lane, Dubai Lynx Festival Director presented Cannes and the best of different Cannes advertising. He lauded Cannes for producing such magnificent and brilliant work which is now part of the Cannes Best.

Shortly before the screening, Aspen Aman, BPA Worldwide-Business Development Manager Middle East delivered a lecture entitled ‘Accountability: Excellence and best Practices in Kuwait’s Media Industry.’ The lecture was held to encourage publications/owners in Kuwait to conduct auditing for their own benefits. She explained why media institutions have to be audited - so as to present themselves as being transparent and be accountable to their clients, “Auditing is a tool with which an advertising agency can determine which are the best possible partners to do business with,” she said.

Aman argued there are lots of talks about accountability and transparency as best practice, why it is important in media and advertising, and questioned have been raised about BPA Worldwide’s credibility in talking about accountability?.

She explained that its mission was to facilitate the buying and selling of advertising space, “BPA is a non-profit trade association; we have no financial interest in buying and selling transactions. We provide verification of the circulation for print media and audience measurement for on-line media,” she said. In fact, in a demonstration of its transparency, Aman claimed to be hiring third party auditors and providing audit data to advertisers and agencies for over 80 years. “We audit about 2,300 media properties in 30 countries.

The folks with the money - which run the advertising and publishing worlds - are our bosses. That means the advertisers and the advertising agency decide what they want audited so they’ll know how best to spend that money,” she disclosed.

She asserted that audit data and research are two essential tools to influence media buying and strategy, “Nothing could be farther from the truth; clients and agencies need to conduct good research and present credi-

ble third party audit data,” she stated.

There are challenges that an audit bureau (that caters to media organizations) faces in order to justify the money spent, “Budgets are generally much smaller and yet advertisers have more pressure to get good results with that advertising. Increasingly, advertisers in the region are demanding audit data to justify their expenditure in a particular channel or publication,” she mentioned.

Aman claimed that advertisements produced by firms that conduct periodic auditing are more valuable as advertisers know what they are buying, and the publisher can prove what is being sold.

Aman is heading to Bahrain on December 6 to deliver a similar lecture. BPA Middle East is currently based in Dubai, but its international headquarters is located in New York.

They have a presence in several countries in the Middle East including Lebanon, Egypt and Kuwait and soon in Saudi Arabia and Oman.

BPA Worldwide is the largest auditor of media in the world in terms of membership.

BPA is similar to Audit Bureau of Circulations, providing independent, thirdparty verified data that media owners provide to media buyers and advertisers. BPA Worldwide audited data provides media owners, advertisers and advertising agencies with independent assurance that they are reaching the right audiences.

Aspen Aman, BPA Worldwide-Business Development Manager Middle East

Steve Lane, Dubai Lynx Festival Director

Thusday, November 30, 2010

NATIONAL

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Three in police net for sexual assaults Fugitive nabbed at border KUWAIT: An Asian man reported that his eight-year-old son was sexually assaulted by a 15 year old in Fahaheel, reported Al-Watan. The teenager, who lives in the same apartment building as the family, was apprehended and a forensic investigation was launched to determine if the teenager was responsible. Meanwhile, two youths assault-

KUWAIT: Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Stephenson King and his accompanying delegation arrived here yesterday, on a short official visit upon the invitation of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. King was received at Kuwait International Airport by HH Sheikh Nasser , First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs, Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and a number of Al-Sabah members, governors, high officials in the army, police and national guards.

kuwait digest

MPs’ immunity should not be disregarded

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

A

rticle 167 of the Kuwaiti constitution classifies the public prosecution department as a state authority whose duties include prosecuting criminals and implementing the country’s laws. Article 110, meanwhile, gives MPs complete freedom of expression inside the parliament, while Article 108 protects them from being “prosecuted or questioned by any state authority.”

This short introduction proves that, as a state authority, the Public Prosecution Service does not have the right, according to the constitutional regulations, to request the withdrawal of

MP Faisal Al-Mislem’s parliamentary immunity for exposing a photocopy of a bank cheque in the parliament building, regardless of whether his actions were right or wrong.

Unfortunately, the PPS took this action in contradiction of the constitutional articles cited above, and should clarify the reasons behind its demand.

The main problem that the constitution and our democratic system currently face is the fact that they are violated by the people who are meant to be their primary defenders.

This case should be solely between Al-Mislem and the bank in question, with even the government, which has been

accused of targeting Al-Mislem, staying out of the equation. Instead of seeking legal action, the bank should release a statement explaining the damage that they sustained as a result of the MP’s actions, and let the voters evaluate and decide what actions should be taken, especially since Al-Mislem exposed the check due to being under pressure to prove claims he had made.

Meanwhile, it is to be hoped that the Cabinet will abstain from participating in the vote on the parliamentary legislative committee’s rejection of the proposal to withdraw Al-Mislem’s parliamentary immunity to avoid further accusations of hounding the MP. — A l - Q a b a s

Kuwaiti envoy meets chief of Saudi civil aviation JEDDAH: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah yesterday met here with the director of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Abdullah Rahimi.

Speaking after the meeting, Ambassador Sheikh Hamad conveyed his congratulations to the Saudi government on the success of the Hajj season.

Kuwaiti pilgrims greatly appreciate the efforts of the Saudi authorities to serve all the pilgrims coming from around the world to perform Hajj, he said.

The ambassador praised Rahimi’s efforts to expedite the return of Kuwaiti pilgrims to their country after a number of their flights were delayed due to adverse weather conditions.

The poor weather conditions held up the movement of pilgrims from Makkah to King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah, delaying domestic and international flights for all local and international airlines, he added. The Kuwaiti pilgrims’ flights were not the only ones delayed by the poor weather, he noted.

Ambassador Sheikh Hamad also hailed the GACA’s close cooperation with Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), indicating that this reflects the strong relations between the two nations.

The ambassador and Rahimi also discussed other issues of common interest. Ambassador Sheikh Hamad was accompanied during the meeting by Advisor at the Kuwaiti Embassy in Riyadh Thiyab AlRashidi and Third Secretary at Kuwait’s Consulate in Jeddah Abdullah Abu Shaiba. —KUNA

Algerian arrested Al-Salmi border security guards arrested an Algerian wanted by state security services while trying to enter the country, reported Al-Watan. While checking the identity of a family trying to enter the country, authorities discovered that the father was wanted by police. He was referred to the proper authorities and his pregnant wife was taken to the hospital by her brother when she started going into labor. She refused to be escorted to the hospital in an ambulance.

Meanwhile, an Egyptian wanted by authorities was arrested soon after being pulled over on Sixth Ring Road, reported AlWatan. Police were suspicious of the man’s vehicle and pulled him over to investigate his car. An investigation revealed that the car’s registration was expired and that the driver’s residency was also expired. They also discovered that the man owed KD 500 to authorities for a previous matter. He was referred to the proper authorities.

Police officer insulted A police officer pressed charges against a civilian who insulted him while he was on duty, reported Al-Watan. The incident occurred when the officer parked his vehicle at Farwaniya Hospital and was harassed by a driver entering a non-entry location. The driver angrily demanded that the officer move his vehicle and insulted him when he refused to answer. After being insulted the officer filed a case against the civilian.

ed their 11-year-old friend after luring him out to a remote location in Ahmadi, reported Al-Rai. The victim informed his father that he was taken out to a construction site in the area and raped by his two friends. The father filed a case with the area’s police station and an investigation was launched.

Black magic Salhiya police arrested an Egyptian man for allegedly using black magic to steal money and jewelry from his victims, reported Al-Watan. Police arrested the man after receiving several complaints from victims informing them that they were mugged by the man after he hypnotized them. One of the victims, a jewelry shop owner, said that the suspect stole KD 800 worth of valuable items from his store after being hypnotized.

Authorities placed the suspect under arrest and referred him to the proper authorities.

Drug Possession A Kuwaiti man was arrested for being in possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, reported Al-Watan. The man was arrested near a cooperative society in Daiya after police approached his suspiciously parked vehicle. A search of his vehicle revealed that the man was in possession of a quarter gram of heroin and a syringe loaded with the illegal substance. An investigation of his identity revealed that he has a history of drug abuse related crimes. He was referred to the General Department for Drug Control.

Attempted murder Police arrested a drug addict in Ferdous for attacking his two brothers and stepmother with a knife, reported Al-Rai. The youth waited for his father to leave the house before injuring his brothers with a kitchen knife, threatening his stepmother and fleeing the house. Authorities responded to the

incident and found the assailant in a car near his family’s house. Paramedics brought the two injured brothers to a nearby hospital.

When questioned, he told authorities that he injured his brothers by accident and that he threatened his stepmother because he thinks she is responsible for his parent’s divorce 15 years ago. He was charged with attempted murder.

Family trouble A man pressed charges against his wife and son, accusing them of kidnapping his underage daughter and taking her to suspicious places, reported Al-Rai. While opening a case with authorities at the Thahar police station, the man said that he noticed that his daughter stays outside of the house for extended periods of time. He discovered that his daughter was actually going out with her brother and mother to suspicious places.

He filed kidnapping charges against his family members and they were summoned by authorities for questioning.

Jahra brawl A citizen was admitted to Jahra Hospital’s intensive care unit in a coma after he sustained a serious head injury during a fight in Saad Al-Abddullah, reported AlAnba. The victim was injured while trying to stop nine juveniles, including his son, from fighting. During the brawl the man was stabbed in the head and fell unconscious.

Police responded to the incident and were able to arrest the brawlers. The man was brought to the hospital by paramedics.

Maids involved in agencies’ illegal activities KUWAIT: Kuwait has long been criticized over the mistreatment of numerous domestic workers by their sponsors. One local daily, AlQabas, recently launched an investigation of sorts into what it said was an often overlooked aspect to domestic workers’ behavior, the improper and criminal conduct of some maids and a number of the recruitment agencies which bring them here.

In its report, the paper said that a large number of expatriate domestic workers in Kuwait bring illegal practices from their home countries and continue this criminal behavior in Kuwait. It also stated that several local recruitment agencies are involved in a number of practices that can only be categorized as human trafficking, claiming that the maids being trafficked are willing accomplices to this. The newspaper found that in the majority of Kuwait’s domestic staff recruitment agencies, most staff are of the same South Asian origin as the maids being recruited.

Although a number of the agencies scrupulously adhere to the regulations, it continued, many have staff who are known to be involved in illegal activities for profit, regardless of the wellbeing of the maids themselves or the effect of their actions on Kuwait’s reputation.

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) regulations introduced in 2006 state that agencies must sponsor every maid they hire for a minimum of six months from her initial recruitment date. The ministry regulations also compel these agencies to fund a maid’s transportation back to her home country if she fails to find work for health or any other reasons. In order to avoid financial losses, said the report, staff at some agencies resort to forcing maids suffering from illness or disease to work by threatening them with deportation if they refuse. This has led to a flourishing business at some of these agencies in reappointing maids previously dismissed by their sponsors for being unable to work with other employers, despite knowing that the women will be unable to work for another sponsor either, with each appointment making a commission of between KD 70 and KD 120 for the agency in question. Some staff apparently go further

than this, with the owner of one local agency telling the paper that some agency staff deliberately encourage maids to flee their sponsors’ homes in order to ensure that they will then be dismissed and can be rehired by another employer, thereby making more in commission for the agency and for the staff there.

According to the report, such practices are common at a large number of local agencies, with another agency owner confirming that his own agency makes more money out of ‘returned’ maids than it does in recruiting maids directly from their home countries.

“A lot of staff realize that their income will double when the same maid’s hired more than once after first coming to the country,” he explained, calling this the “trade in returned maids.”

The report also listed some other tricks used by domestic staff recruitment agencies to increase their revenue. Another agency owner, again speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that sponsors are regularly targeted in sting operations organized beforehand by the recruitment agencies and maids working together. “Shortly after she’s recruited, a maid will refuse to continue working and demand that she be returned to the agency which recruited her,” the agency owner said, explaining how the sting works.

“Once they get there, [the maid] will be strongly reprimanded by agency officials in front of her sponsor, then taken to an apartment as soon as he leaves where she’ll stay until she’s rehired at a higher salary.”

The agency owner claimed that such stings are common, most especially with Indonesian maids following the Indonesian authorities’ ban on further domestic workers coming from that country after a string of abuse cases.

Meanwhile, agencies are also reportedly exploiting the waiting period of 30 to 70 days which sponsors must undergo between first recruiting a maid from her country and her arrival at their homes, with many agencies reportedly offering to provide the employers with a ‘returned maid’ during this period in exchange for a hefty commission, even if they

have no actual ‘returned maids’ on their books at the time. One agency owner alleged that in such cases agency staff would call an alreadyemployed maid and urge her to flee her sponsor’s home in order to be reappointed in exchange for a fixed amount in commission.

The report also accused some of the extremely low-paid cleaning workers employed in the public sector of abusing their positions to carry out criminal acts. Stating that many of these workers are required not just to carry out cleaning duties but to do additional work, such as delivering documents, serving tea and coffee and even buying snacks from local shops and cafes for staff, for which they receive no extra pay, the report claimed that the cleaners’ additional, unpaid duties give them access to sensitive documents, accusing some of exploiting this access to carry out illegal activities.

According to one unnamed civil servant, a cleaning worker at one Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) department used his “newfound powers” to place applications which did not meet the ministry’s criteria among a number of permits which did and were awaiting signature by senior department officials. The civil servant claimed that this earned the cleaning worker KD 30 for each of the fraudulently approved applications, adding that he benefited further when other menial workers there used his ‘influence’ to get transactions illegally approved. The report also alleged that a gang of cleaning workers at another MSAL department had specialized in stealing the stamps attached to labor-related documents and reselling them at reduced prices. The group’s illicit activities were apparently uncovered when MSAL staff noted that some of the archived documents were missing the stamps required for each transaction to be approved, which normally cost between KD1 and KD10 each depending on the transaction in question. After questioning the cleaning workers, it was reportedly discovered that they had been detaching the stamps from the documents and illegally reselling them, netting an estimated KD23,000 in total.

Ambassador praises Kuwaiti inventor

KUWAIT: The members of the Public Authority for Youth and Sports’ (PAYS) youth centers attended various art exhibitions as well as the 35th International Book Fair, as part of its commitment to participate in all the social events that benefit the youth in Kuwait.

KIFCO jobs fair ‘a great success’ KUWAIT: The Kuwait International Fairs Company’s (KIFCO) latest jobs fair ended yesterday, with the event being deemed a great success by the organizers.

The jobs fair was inaugurated by Sheikh Ahmad Meshaal Al-Sabah, the Assistant Undersecretary at development and housing minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah’s office, on behalf of the minister, who was the patron of the event.

Jamal Al-Haroun, the executive director

of administrative affairs with Al-Ikhlas International Holding Company, one of the firms participating in the event, commended the idea behind the jobs exhibition and the great results it had achieved. Al-Haroun said that the jobs fair had created a non-traditional atmosphere to present the available job opportunities while also allowing jobseekers to meet the decision-makers from a significant number of firms. Another employer participating in the jobs fair was Mohammad

Tawfiqe, the Director General of the Dahliya and Mansouriya Cooperative Society, who explained that by taking part in this event, he hoped to inform the public about job opportunities in the co-op and point out the best aspects of working there. Tawfiqe said that Kuwait’s co-ops are very interested in employing Kuwaiti people and providing them with training in all technical and administrative aspects in order to benefit both the Co-ops and the employees.

DOHA: Kuwaiti ambassador to Qatar, Ali Salman Al-Haifi yesterday praised the accomplishment made by Kuwaiti inventor Sadeq Ahmad Ghloum and his first place ranking in the “Stars of Science” competition which was sponsored by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.

The ambassador said after meeting Ghloum that Kuwait’s accomplishment achieved by the Kuwaiti inventor reflects the ability of the Kuwaiti youth in competing in various fields, particularly in scientific ones. He said that scientific achievement is a source of pride for Kuwait in particular and Arab in general and represents a major boost in exerting more effort and perseverance in the advanced scientific spheres which serve humanity in many of the issues, especially in areas of scientific character.

He stressed that the Kuwaiti inventor, who won first place in a race with 7,000 competitors was a good example to be followed. For his part, Ghloum said he presents his accomplishment to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the Kuwaiti people. — KUNA

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Number of inspections increased

Govt plans crackdown on commercial fraud KUWAIT: The Cabinet on Sunday urged officials in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Municipality to continue cracking dow n on all those found to be involved in commercial fraud.The Cabinet, meeting under the chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammed Al-Sabah, also hailed the Saudi security authorities’ capture of “terrorist cells” w ho reportedly aimed to

APA session ‘a great achievement’ DAMASCUS: Speaker of the National Assembly (of Kuwait) Jassem Al-Khorafi asserted here yesterday that Arabs are in need to interact and cooperate with friendly countries to better serve the causes and interests of the Arab and Islamic nations.

Al-Khorafi told reporters before the start of the 5th Asian Parliamentary Assembly Plenary Session in Damascus, “Our gathering here in Syria, in itself, is a great achievement for Arabs and it has to accomplish success.”

On the Palestinian question, AlKhorafi, said “there is no doubt that the Palestinian cause is a top priority in our Arab, regional and international meetings.

We hope that our Palestinian brothers help us to achieve the national reconciliation and to communicate with each other.”

The APA conference is scheduled to address support for the Palestinians, health issues in Asia, combating corruption, effects of globalization, impact of the world financial crisis on the Asian nations, combating terrorism and alleviating poverty.

Kuwait is represented by Al-Khorafi, who arrived in the Syrian capital on Sunday, accompanied by members of the Kuwaiti Parliament, along with a delegation of administrative and media figures.

Meanwhile, Kuwait is keen on coordinating with Asian nations for finding real-

istic solutions for major and common problems in the continent, namely poverty, food security as well as the Palestinian cause, legislators affirm.

Issues such as poverty and food security are contemporary and crucial topics in Asia, said Ali Al-Omair, a member of the Kuwaiti National Assembly (Parliament), in remarks to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), ahead of the fifth general convention of the Executive Council of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), due to open late yesterday. Several leading lawmakers would take part in the meetings.

Shedding light on Kuwait’s contributions to efforts to aid nations suffering from such problems, Al-Omair said Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) had given $12 billion for poor nations. Humanitarian aid had been also granted to need peoples through the Kuwaiti Government and HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah, who had personally launched the Arab fund for supporting enterprises, he pointed out.

“We in Kuwait have effectively contributed to resolving problems such as poverty and we have presented many papers at conventions, and I hope that this conference will be crowned with positive resolutions in coordination with Asian states that aspire to resolve such prob-

lems,” the member of the Kuwaiti Parliament added.

Elaborating, he expressed hope that the participants in the APA gathering would reach “realistic solutions and common grounds” for issues such as the cause of the Palestinian people. Other affairs, expected to be pondered by the conferees, would be water scarcity in Asia, power resources’ alternatives, environmental issues and power topics, AlOmair said.

For his part, Kuwaiti MP Ghanem AlMei’ affirmed Kuwait’s keenness on cooperation with Arab and Asian states “for service of the Palestinian cause at international quarters,” called for lifting the Israeli siege on Gaza and affirmed significance of the conference for addressing major affairs, namely poverty, globalization, effects of the international financial meltdown and the nuclear arms file.

The APA conference is scheduled to address support for the Palestinians, health issues in Asia, combating corruption, effects of globalization, impact of the world financial crisis on the Asian nations, combating terrorism and alleviating poverty.

Kuwait is represented by the speaker, Al-Khorafi, who arrived in the Syrian capital, on Sunday accompanied by AlOmair, Al-Mei’, MP Saleh Ashour and a delegation of administrative and media figures. — KUNA

Touristic Park supervisor Nadir Jaafar poses with the work team.

The officials discussed the administrative and legal measures to be taken, through a variety of means, including withdrawing commercial licenses, closing violating companies and referring violators to the public prosecutor, said the minister.

Al-Roudhan added that the Cabinet had urged the officials to continue their efforts to pursue violators and punish them using the relevant legislation. On the Saudi authorities’ capture of the terrorist cells, Al-Roudhan revealed that these groups possessed arms, tools and equipment to be used in their “wicked” criminal acts. The minister stressed the State of Kuwait’s solidarity with and support for Saudi Arabia’s fight against terrorism and crime, adding that the Cabinet backs any steps taken by Saudi Arabia to safeguard its citizens’ safety.

The council of ministers also congratulated KSA’s King Abdullah on the success of the operation he underwent recently in the US, wishing him a speedy recovery.

The Cabinet also noted a message sent by the President of Benin to His Highness the Amir inviting him to visit the Republic of Benin, as well as welcoming the visit of the Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Saint Lucia, Stephenson King, to Kuwait.

On the subject of the commercial fraud measures being taken, meanwhile, the MCI and Kuwait Municipality released a joint statement on Sunday highlighting the firm practical measures they are taking against the importing of expired

carry out sabotage and other criminal acts, and to cause chaos in the Kingdom. The council of ministers w as briefed by officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Municipality over the campaign they have launched against commercial fraud particularly in food supplies, said Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Roudhan Al-Roudhan in a statement issued after the cabinet meeting.

foodstuffs, part of their wider campaign against commercial fraud.

The statement revealed that both the state bodies have increased the number of inspections of local food suppliers’ premises in order to apprehend and penalize those responsible for violating regulations under the articles of legislation outlawing fraud in commercial transactions and withdrawing the commercial licenses of those found guilty of such offences.

The joint statement added that the inspection campaign has already resulted in 2,030 legal suits being filed against suppliers, with these cases being transferred to the commercial prosecution department for further action, adding that 86 shops and food supply firms have already been closed down.

The municipality has registered a large number of offences, with cases of selling food unfit for human consumption or preparing it for sale being the most common. A number of the other cases involve firms violating food standards regulations at local retail outlets, as well as infringing the laws compelling them to send expired foodstuffs back to their country of origin or organize its destruction.

A large number of municipality officials have been involved in conducting the investigation, the statement revealed, including senior management officials and department heads.

Based on their findings to date, Minister of State for Public Works and Municipal Affairs Dr.

Fadhil Safar has already dismissed two municipality employees after inspectors discovered that official documents had been forged. Both have been referred to the Public Prosecution Service.

In the case of the firm for which the two disgraced former municipality officials forged the documents, the municipality withdrew its health license and informed the MCI that it intends to withdraw its commercial license, with the firm’s main offices and branches to be shut down.

On the identity of the suppliers found to be breaking the law, the statement said that according to existing fraud legislation, only the country’s courts have the authority to name the offenders and publish the details following the final verdict on their individual cases.

Both the MCI and the municipality expressed their eagerness to confront fraud, stating that they will be jointly increasing the number of similar campaigns and crackdowns in order to eliminate those suppliers who are negligent about Kuwaitis’ and expatriates’ health and wellbeing.

Earlier this month, the MCI withdrew the license of a company found to have imported expired meat into Kuwait after the municipality affairs ministry called for the firm’s license to be revoked following the discovery of its illegal actions. MCI Undersecretary Rashid AlTabtabae stressed that the commerce ministry would continue to exercise its full authority to protect consumers from being affected by commercial fraud. — KUNA

kuwait digest

Constitutional amendment and politicking Dr Yaqoub Al-Sharrah emands to amend the Constitution are made by various members of political blocs, mainly the National Action Bloc. The Kuwaiti Constitution, which was put into effect by a team of Kuwaiti pioneers in 1962 led by late Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, is considered one of the most comprehensive in the world. It was drafted in a flexible manner to address social changes in the coming years. Moreover, the Constitution has left ample room adequate amendments to be made.

D

In order to call for a constitutional amendment, there must be constitutional justification for this request; which is absent. An amendment is aimed at improving the Constitution for the best interest of the country. The public should be consulted, and this can be done through a public referendum.

Since the Constitution is considered one of the primary sources of legislation that regulate lives, calls for amending it are usually met with concern among the public, especially when this amendment changes the working pattern of parliamentarians - in terms of initiating grilling

motions. More restrictions will be placed on public freedoms that severely affect the level of democracy - for which Kuwait has received praise.

Meanwhile, the main issue of concern is the possibility that amendments pave the way for manipulations to take place, while also pushing all political or social entities to demand ‘amendments’ of their own.

Therefore, protecting the integrity of the Constitution is necessary, to save it from being affected by never-ending disputes.

What we need is more than just constitutional amendment, politicking in our country should be disciplined. — Al-Rai

TEC official Adel Shaaban is seen here with the circus cast.

Thousands share Eid joy at Touristic Park KUWAIT: Thousands of visitors enjoyed their Eid Al-Adha holidays at the Touristic Park, where several events, sponsored by Zain, were held. A special program was organized by the Touristic Enterprises Company (TEC), featuring various events including an international circus show, as well as competitions during which many prizes were awarded.

Python display

Children participate in a skit.

Children react to a show

A traditional ‘Dhabka’ dance display.

Juggling

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

7

INTERNATIONAL

Egyptians riot, burn cars, claiming vote fraud CAIRO: Protesters clashed with police yesterday, setting fire to cars, tires and two schools used as polling stations in riots sparked by alleged widespread fraud by the ruling party in Egypt’s parliamentary elections. The Muslim Brotherhood acknowledged it had been heavily defeated, blaming vote rigging. Riots broke out in several Egyptian cities a day after the voting, and in some places police fired tear gas to disperse protesters.

Egypt’s opposition says the government of this top US ally was using the election to secure a complete monopoly over parliament and prevent dissent ahead of more significant presidential elections next year. The upcoming vote is clouded in uncertainty, because the man who has ruled Egypt for nearly three decades, 82year-old President Hosni Mubarak, has had health issues and underwent surgery earlier this year.

A coalition of local and international rights groups yesterday reported that the balloting was marred by widespread rigging after the government prevented monitoring. It said opposition candidate representatives and independent monitors who were supposed to be allowed to watch the voting were barred from almost all polling stations around the country, allowing officials to stuff ballot boxes. Though official results are not due until today, candidate supporters around the country took to the streets in anger after hearing word their favorites lost.

In the southern province of Assiut, police fired tear gas at a procession of Muslim Brotherhood supporters

armed with sticks who were carrying their candidate Mahmoud Helmi and chanting “Islam is the winner.”

Further south in the city of Luxor, backers of an independent candidate set fire to cars and clashed with security forces. Five people were injured and 30 arrested.

Other protests erupted in Egypt’s northern Delta region.

Around 500 backers of the secular opposition Wafd party clashed with ruling party supporters in Gharbiya, and police fired into the air and shot tear gas to disperse them. Other protesters set fire to two schools used as polling stations in Menoufiya and burned tires outside a station south of the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria, briefly blocking the main highway to Cairo.

In a statement, the High Election Commission dismissed reports of violence or irregularities during the voting, saying that the few incidents it uncovered “did not undermine the electoral process as a whole.” The ruling party secretary-general, Safwat el-Sherif, blamed the Brotherhood for fomenting reports of fraud. “An outlawed group of people is trying to stifle the positive results of the elections by spreading rumors about the whole process,” he said, referring to the Brotherhood, though most of the rioting was by supporters of independent candidates, and even one ruling party candidate who lost to a rival within the party. Defeating the Islamic fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood appeared to be the government’s main goal in the election. The group, though banned, is Egypt’s strongest opposition movement and in 2005 elections stunned the government by

winning a fifth of parliament’s seats, its strongest showing ever. The Brotherhood’s media official, Abdel-Galil el-Sharnoubi, acknowledged that when the results are announced, his movement may end up with almost no seats. He said none of its 130 candidates have so far secured a seat, either losing to the National Democratic Party or facing a Dec. 5 runoff.

“The elections revealed the real intention of the regime to unilaterally take over the Egyptian political arena,” he said.

The coalition of rights groups estimated turnout Sunday was only 10 to 15 percent, substantially less than the 25 percent turnout in the 2005. While the government has yet to issue official figures, election commission chief al-Sayyed Abdel-Aziz Omar admitted it was “less than the accepted level.” Before the election, Egypt publicly rebuffed US calls for international election monitors, maintaining that its own civil society groups were adequate to the task. The rights coalition, however, said authorities then largely prevented even local groups from watching. In 2000 and 2005 voting, independent judges watched the polls, but a 2007 constitutional amendment also removed them. “We are facing violations that we have not seen in the last two elections, when the stuffing of ballots boxes had stopped because judges were in the polling stations,” explained Hafez Abu Saada of the Egyptian Organization of Human Rights.

“This year we have gone back to the tradition of marking ballots.”— AP

QUSIYA: Muslim Brotherhood supporters upset with Sunday’s parliamentary election take to the streets, clashing with riot police firing tear gas, in the town of Qusiya, near Assiut, in Egypt yesterday. — AP

Statement reflects growing US misgivings over Ankara foreign policy

Turkish PM hates Israel: US cables ANKARA: Turkey’s Islamist-rooted prime minister “simply hates Israel” on religious grounds, US cables released by WikiLeaks say, reflecting grow ing US misgivings over Ankara’s foreign policy. The scathing assessment comes in a memo on a conversation w ith Israeli ambassador to Turkey, Gabby Levy, about Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s frequent outbursts against Israel follow ing the J ew ish state’s devastating w ar on the Gaza Strip last year. “Our discussions w ith contacts both inside and outside of the Turkish government... tend to confirm Levy’s thesis that Erdogan simply hates Israel,” the cable said. Levy

DARFUR: In this hand out image made available by the United Nations-African Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on Sunday, a Southern Sudanese woman leaves after registering at a center which will make them eligible to vote in the upcoming January 2011 referendum . — AFP

Sudanese flee border area fearing air raids JUBA: South Sudanese are abandoning north-south border villages fearing aerial attacks from the northern army, with at least 1,500 fleeing after recent attacks, UN and southern officials said yesterday. Southerners are expected to choose to separate from the north in a January referendum and form Africa’s newest nation on July 9; the climax of a 2005 peace deal that ended a civil war which claimed 2 million lives.

Tensions have escalated throughout November as southerners began to register to vote. An “accidental bombing” of southern territory by northern forces was followed by a helicopter attack on a southern army base in the same area, wounding soldiers and civilians. The north denied the second attack but southerners living near the remote border sites in Northern Bahr al-Ghazal state are leaving in droves.

“We have verified a first group of 1,500 people who left the border area (in Northern Bahr al-Ghazal) between November 16-22,” said Giovanni Bosco, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Southern Sudan. “People are leaving their villages

because of the military tensions in the area,” said Bosco, who added that there was no formal camp set up to receive the new arrivals, but the United Nations was helping the local community feed them.

Officials in the area say they have received “hundreds” of additional arrivals in just the last few days, and some reports put the number of overall displaced much higher.

“The report we received says 2,500 have been displaced in the area,” said southern army (SPLA) spokesman Philip Aguer. Northern government officials were unavailable for comment on the reports.

The SPLA says northern forces are still flying fighter planes along the border to scare southern villagers.

“Khartoum’s newly-acquired Chinese planes are flying in the ... area,” Aguer told Reuters. “They are trying to cause terror and disrupt the referendum.” Relations between north and south Sudan have threatened to boil over in the build-up to the southern vote. Sudan’s economy depends on oil, located mostly in the south, and Khartoum does not want to lose an important source of revenue. — Reuters

Netanyahu appoints Mossad veteran to head spy agency JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday appointed veteran Mossad agent Tamir Pardo to lead the spy agency in a period likely to focus on Israel’s covert war over Iran’s nuclear program.

Pardo, 57, previously unknown to the Israeli public because of the secretive nature of his post, replaces Meir Dagan who retires in December after eight often controversial years in the job.

“Pardo served for many years in senior positions in the Mossad. In his last position he served as deputy Mossad chief,” said a statement from Netanyahu’s office.

The announcement comes on a day when Israel’s archfoe Iran blamed the Mossad for killing a top Iranian nuclear scientist and acknowledged its nuclear activities had come under cyber-attack in a move widely blamed on Israel.

Mossad never comments on claims that it conducted specific operations, but is widely believed to be waging a shadowy war to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, something Israel considers to be an existential threat.

Iran denies its nuclear program has a military aim, saying it is for peaceful purposes only. Mossad’s work also focuses on battling groups that Israel designates as terrorists, particularly Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah, and the Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, all supported by Iran. Netanyahu expressed confidence that Pardo would rise to the challenges as the head of one of the world’s most vaunted espionage agencies.

“Pardo has rich experience of dozens of years in the Mossad and he is sure that he is the right man to lead the organisation in the next few years given the complicated challenges that face the state of Israel,” the statement said. Netanyahu’s office said Pardo, a father of two and a grandfather, joined the agency as an operative in 1980 before being given his first command in 1988. In 1998 he

was appointed head of the Mossad’s operations directorate and later twice served as deputy Mossad chief, the statement said.

He was also a veteran of the military’s elite reconnaissance unit. Israeli media reported that he served under Netanyahu’s brother Yonatan in the 1976 raid on Entebbe, Uganda, where Israeli commandos freed passengers from a hijacked Air France jet. Yonatan Netanyahu was killed on the mission. Defence Minister Ehud Barak, himself a former commando and army chief, praised Pardo as a partner in many missions.

“I have known Tamir for dozens of years and we took part in many operations together,” Barak said in a statement. “He is a professional with a rich operational experience, common sense and responsibility. He is worthy and very suitable to serve as Mossad head.” Pardo replaces Dagan, whose tenure was widely credited with several high profile operations, but also tinged with scandal over the killing in Dubai of Mahmud al-Mabhuh, a top militant of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

Dubai police chief Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan has said he is 99 percent sure the Mossad was behind the killing and that, if so, Dagan should face prosecution.

Khalfan released security footage of the agents said to have participated in the attack which earned Israel reprimands from Western countries like Britain, Ireland and Australia over the use of fake passports in the hit. But Dagan has also had reported successes, including the February 2008 car bombing in Damascus which killed Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughnieh.

Fingers also pointed to the Mossad after the September 2007 bombing of a suspected desert nuclear site in Syria and a December 2008 air raid on a truck convoy in Sudan allegedly carrying Iranian-supplied weapons destined for the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip. — AFP

Shortly afterwards, NATO’s sole Muslimmajority member voted “no” to fresh sanctions against Iran, adopted at the UN Security Council, insisting that a nuclear fuel swap deal it hammered out with Tehran, together with Brazil, should be given a chance. Another cable, dated November 2009, said Washington was “wondering if it could any longer count on Turkey to help contain Iran’s profound challenge to regional peace.”

According to other papers, Erdogan lacks “vision” and “analytic depth”, reads “minimally”, ignores foreign ministry expertise and is guided by an “iron ring of sycophantic (but contemptuous) advisors... which partially explains... his susceptibility to Islamist theories.” He is said to rely on “his charisma, instincts, and the filterings of advisors who pull conspiracy theories off the Web or are lost in neo-Ottoman Islamist fantasies, e.g.,

reportedly dismissed domestic political calculations as the motive behind Erdogan’s hostility, and instead attributed it to the prime minister’s Islamist background. “He’s a fundamentalist. He hates us religiously and his hatred is spreading,” Levy w as quoted as saying. The cable concluded that Erdogan’s “antipathy tow ards Israel is a factor” in his policy on Iran’s nuclear program and other Middle East issues.

It w as dated October 2009, before Turkish-Israeli ties plunged into a full-blow n crisis on May 31 w hen Israeli forces killed nine Turks on a Gaza-bound aid ship.

Islamist foreign policy advisor... Ahmet Davutoglu.”

Davutoglu, foreign minister since May 2009, met yesterday with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as part of a previously scheduled visit to Washington. The cables portray Erdogan’s advisors and Davutoglu as having little understanding of politics beyond Turkey. Turkish Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul, quoted by US diplomats, describes Davutoglu as “exceptionally dangerous.”

Despite his bragging, Erdogan is afraid of losing power, according to the dispatches, and one source is quoted as saying that, “Tayyip believes in God but doesn’t trust Him.” A cable signed by the US ambassador in January 2010 says Davutoglu wants to reassert on the Balkans the influence the Ottoman empire used to exert on the region. But the foreign minister overestimates himself and

Turkey, wrote the US diplomats, saying the country was “with Rolls Royce ambitions but Rover resources.”

Another memo reported Israeli claims that Ankara allowed supplies for Iran’s nuclear program to be shipped across its territory. Speaking in October 2009 after a meeting with Israeli counterparts, a French diplomat tells the Americans of “profound disquiet among the Israelis about Turkey.” “He reported that the Israelis claimed the Turks have allowed weapons-related material for Iran’s nuclear program to transit Turkey, with Prime Minister Erdogan’s full knowledge,” the memo said. “The French replied that Israel would need to have clear and concrete proof of such activity before leveling accusations. The Israelis replied that they are collecting evidence which they will eventually publicize.”— AFP

Baghdad needs $100 billion for new homes BAGHDAD: Iraq needs an investment of $100 billion under a plan to build a million new homes in the capital and meet a shortfall in residential property for its growing population, Baghdad’s mayor said yesterday.

An eight-month delay in forming a government after a March election has deterred many foreign developers from entering Iraq to take advantage of efforts to rebuild its capital, Saber al-Issawi told Reuters in an interview.

“They were afraid of the critical political situation, so there was some inaction, anticipation and waiting until the government is formed,” Issawi said. Last week President Jalal Talabani formally asked Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to form a government, giving him 30 days to choose a cabinet from Shi’ite, Sunni and Kurdish factions. Issawi said that around 80 percent of the total figure would come from investors and 20 percent from the government.

Baghdad has earmarked $1.5 billion for residential and infrastructure spending in 2011 but this figure has yet to be approved by the government and could be revised lower, he said. Iraq faces an acute shortage of houses after years of war and sanctions and needs 2-3 million new homes. Of the country’s estimated 30 million population, some 7 million live in Baghdad.

Baghdad will invest $10 billion over 10 years to build 150,000 homes in the capital’s sprawling Sadr City slum, one of the main projects the government is focusing on. Sadr City is home to almost half of Baghdad’s population. Issawi said the government would hold a tender on Dec 9 to build 82,000 homes in the district from 11 short-listed foreign developers.

Issawi said the government is also looking to spend around $850 million on giving the city a facelift ahead of the Arab League Summit to be held in March 2011, the first major event Iraq is to host since the invasion.

“It is a chance to develop some of Baghdad’s face,” he said. Some $350 million will be spent on renovating seven former luxury hotels in the city, $300 million on streets and $200 million on the main road into the city from Baghdad’s international airport, Issawi said.

The road, known by many Iraqis as the “Route of Death,” was frequently targeted by militias during the height of the country’s sectarian violence in 2006-07.

The government hopes a sharp fall in violence in the past two years, and a new investment law allowing foreigners to own land for housing projects, will entice foreign investors. Iraq’s National Investment Commission said earlier in November it had signed a memorandum of understanding with a South Korean group to build 500,000 homes all over Iraq.

Executives from Gulf Arab companies told the Reuters Middle East Investment Summit in October that while they see growing opportunities in Iraq, they retained a degree of cautiousness that slows plan execution. — Reuters

TEHRAN: A picture released by the Lebanese photo agency Dalati and Nohra yesterday shows Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) greeting Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Tehran. —AFP

Khamenei urges Lebanese PM to strengthen Hezbollah ties TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri yesterday that he should strengthen his ties with the Shiite group Hezbollah. The website of Khamenei’s office said he was “pleased” that Hariri and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah currently had good ties, adding “these relations must be more consolidated.”

His comment came a day after Iran’s Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi criticised a UN tribunal probing the 2005 assassination of Hariri’s father, former premier Rafiq Hariri, while condemning his killers as “enemies of Lebanon.” The tribunal is expected to implicate high-ranking Hezbollah officials in the murder, but the party has warned against this, prompting fears of sectarian conflict between Hariri’s Sunni supporters and Hezbollah.

Ahead of the visit, a Lebanese ministerial source told AFP that Hariri hoped Iran would help to reconcile his pro-Western camp and Hezbollah. “As long as the occupying Zionist regime exists, Lebanon needs resistance,” Khamenei said in reference to archfoe Israel. “The only element of deterrence against the occupying Zionist regime is the element of resistance,” he was quoted as saying.

Hariri is on the third and final day of an official visit to Iran, a staunch backer of Hezbollah. He had been told on Sunday by Vahidi that Tehran was prepared to help the Lebanese army. “We have stated on several occasions, and we say it again today, that we

stand alongside the Lebanese army and are prepared to cooperate” with it, Vahidi said. The United States, which accuses Iran of interference in Lebanon, this month lifted a freeze on 100 million dollars in US military aid to Lebanon. Khamenei echoed comments by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a meeting on Sunday, during which the Iranian president called for the Beirut government and Hezbollah to work together against Israel.

“If the government and the resistance form part of the same front, this country will follow the path of greatness and development, and the Zionist regime will not be able to do it the least harm,” Khamenei said.

The supreme leader also warned Hariri not to fall in the trap of sectarian violence. “Lebanon is a multiconfessional nations which followers of many religions have lived among one another in peace but some try to make sectarian conflict thus one has to stand against such intentions,” he said without elaborating. Khamenei’s office also quoted Hariri as telling him that, “the most important aim of Lebanon is to keep and consolidate national unity and resisting against the aggression. Any kind of division will benefit Israel.”

Speaking at a joint news conference with the Iranian first vice-president Mohammad Reza Rahimi, Hariri said “the visit bore good and beneficial political results. We have solid ties with the Islamic republic”. —AFP

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Switzerland slammed as ‘black sheep’ over expulsion vote GENEVA: Switzerland was slammed as the “black sheep” of Europe yesterday after voters endorsed a far-right push to automatically expel foreign residents convicted of certain crimes.

Austrian website news.at headlined an article saying: “Switzerland is now the black sheep-majority for tougher rules against foreigers.” The headline was a reference to the signature poster campaign mounted by the far-right Swiss People’s Party (SVP) in its push for the expulsion, depicting white sheep kick-

ing a black sheep out of the Swiss flag.

On Sunday, 52.9 percent voted in favour of automatic expulsions and 47.1 percent were against, with the country’s Germanspeaking majority largely backing the proposal.

Only six of the 26 cantons rejected the initiative. The vote came exactly a year after Switzerland shocked the world by agreeing to ban the construction of new minarets, which was another proposal backed by the SVP.

Switzerland’s biggest circulating tabloid Blick headlined the news “Get out” (Raus in German). Newspapers across Europe criticised the Swiss decision, with Belgian newspaper Le Soir saying that “Switzerland has once against chosen the radical road.” With the vote, “the Swiss have once again slapped the EU in the face,” as the expulsion is “absolutely incompatible with the bilateral accord of free movement of people which links Switzerland to EU,” said the newspaper.

The vote could “put all bilater-

al accords in question,” it added.

Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung headlined their article “Switzerland violates international law.” “Switzerland sendslike a year ago with the ban on minarets-a signal to the world that it doesn’t care what others think of it,” said the newspaper.

“The signal from the Swiss calls for a response... The European Union should not tolerate a country, with which it is tightly linked, to position itself so wantonly apart from this community.

“Switzerland has violated one

of the seven bilateral accords with the EU. And theoretically, it is also bringing six others into question,” added the journal.

“Austria’s Die Presse said Switzerland demonstrated a sort of “schizophrenia.” “On the one hand, murderers, rapists and foreign drug dealers must be expelled. On the other hand, despots, dictators, mafia or businessmen crooks, whose money have often dodgy origins, are always welcomed with a ‘Gruezi.’,” it noted, referring to the Swiss German greeting.

Even much of the mainstream broadsheets within Switzerland deplored their compatriots’ decision. Le Temps headlined their editorial “Anguish,” criticising the SVP for imposing their agenda “with disregard for universal rights.”

Le Matin said the far-right campaign was successful as the party had become a “real war machine, with a perfect propaganda service, incomparable financial means, dedicated politicians and simplistic but terribly efficient messages.” The TagesAnzeiger

noted “Switzerland will not make new friends with this ‘yes’-other than with the populist right circles of Europe.

“Up to now that included the Italian Northern League, and Holland’s Geert Wilders as examples.

Yesterday’s decision reminds us that even in the Swiss idyllic utopia, we can find their supporters,” it noted. Italy’s main broadsheet Corriere della Sera quoted a Northern League politician Mario Borghesio praising the Swiss decision as “an example of judicial civility.”—AFP

Libyan leader’s words echo complaints from other African leaders

Gaddafi issues warning to EU over African trade Serbia to retry ex-police for three slain Americans BELGRADE: Serbia’s Appeals Court has overturned the acquittal of two former policemen accused of involvement in the 1999 executionstyle slaying of three Albanian-American brothers and ordered a retrial, the war crimes prosecutor said yesterday. The court earlier this month accepted the prosecution appeal and ruled that “the state of facts had not been fully determined,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear when the new trial of Sreten Popovic and Milos Stojanovic would start.

The former policemen were charged with “war crimes against prisoners of war” for handing over the three brothers , Illy, Mehmet and Agron Bytyqi , to members of a special Serbian police unit that subsequently shot and killed them in a training camp in eastern Serbia. The two were acquitted in 2009 after the war crimes court concluded there had not been sufficient evidence for a conviction. The prosecutors at the time claimed that witnesses had concealed the truth about the killings in their trial testimonies.

The Bytyqis came to Kosovo from New York in 1999 to join the Atlantic Brigade of about 400 Albanian-Americans fighting with the ethnic Albanian rebels against Serbia’s rule.

After NATO bombed Serbia to stop its crackdown on the rebels, the brothers strayed outside Kosovo’s unmarked boundary. On June 26, 1999, they were arrested in southern Serbia and spent 15 days in a Serb jail for illegally crossing the border.

Upon their release, they were taken by the two Serb policemen to eastern Serbia and were summarily executed.

Their bodies, bound and blindfolded, were discovered in a trash-filled mass grave in 2001. Several such mass graves containing hundreds of bodies were discovered in Serbia following the forcible removal of nationalist President Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. Authorities in postMilosevic Serbia have said that the late leader and his security troops removed bodies of the war victims from Kosovo to central Serbia to conceal evidence of atrocities.

Milosevic was indicted with genocide by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, for his role in the atrocities. He died in 2006 before the trial ended.

Witnesses at the trial for the Bytyqi brothers’ slaying have described how bodies of Kosovo victims were brought and dumped in a mass grave in Petrovo Selo. No one has been charged with the actual shooting of the Bytyqi brothers. Members of the former special police unit allegedly involved have refused to reveal any details or names of possible culprits.

The United States had expressed concern that no one has been punished for the crime. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade has refused to recognize the status. —AP

TRIPOLI, Libya: Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, right, shakes hands with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy during the 3rd Africa-EU Summit in Tripoli, Libya, yesterday. 80 African and European Heads of State and Government and some 50 observers from third countries met in Tripoli to discuss concrete ways to stimulate inclusive growth, to create employment opportunities, and to use sustainable development as a driver for growth. —AP

‘Alpha-dog’ Putin rules Russia’s chaos: WikiLeaks MOSCOW: Russia’s Vladimir Putin emerges from the biggest ever leak of US diplomatic documents as the “alpha-dog” ruler of a deeply corrupt state dominated by its security forces. The 58year-old prime minister is presented by US diplomats as Russia’s most powerful politician, holding the keys to everything from energy deals to Moscow’s Iran policy. By contrast, President Dmitry Medvedev “plays Robin to Putin’s Batman”, is pale and hesitant and has to get his decisions approved by Putin, according to the cables.

But correspondence from the elite of the US diplomatic corps also casts Putin as a leader plagued by an unmanageable bureaucracy and grappling with ruling a “virtual mafia state” dominated by corrupt businessmen and the security forces. A cable from the US Embassy in Paris said US Defense Secretary Robert Gates observed on Feb. 8, 2010, that “Russian democracy has disappeared and the government was an oligarchy run by the security services”.

Gates told his French counterpart that “President Medvedev has a more pragmatic vision for Russia than PM Putin, but there has been little real change”, according to the document. Putin is the dominant member of what Russian officials call a ruling tandem with Medvedev, who Putin tapped as his successor when a constitutional limit of two consecutive terms kept him out of the 2008 presidential race.

But the publication of such frank statements by US diplomats about Russian leaders ahead of the 2012 presidential election are embarrassing for President Barack Obama, who has worked closely with Medvedev to improve US-Russian ties.

Russia “regrets” the release by whistle-blowing

website WikiLeaks on Sunday of more than 250,000 cables between Washington and US embassies around the world, a diplomatic source said yesterday.

“Digging into diplomatic underwear is not a nice business,” the source said on condition of anonymity. “We hope there is nothing (in the documents) which could really surprise us.” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment.

Medvedev’s spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said “the Kremlin has found nothing interesting or worth comment” in the cables, and, referring to the Batman and Robin allusion, she said that “fictional Hollywood heroes hardly deserve official comment.”

“YOU CAN’T BOIL TWO HEADS” The documents give a rare glimpse of an arcane world where US diplomats pore over news reports and garner titbits of information on everything from shady businessmen breaking UN sanctions on Iran to Kremlin politics. According to a cable from Feb 25, 2010, one of Washington’s top diplomats, Under Secretary for Political Affairs William Burns, was told by Azeri President Ilham Aliyev that Medvedev is surrounded by people he does not control.

“Many high-ranking officials don’t recognize (Medvedev) as a leader,” Aliyev was quoted as saying in a cable published by Britain’s Guardian newspaper. Aliyev said he had seen Medvedev taking decisions that needed further approval and that some were stymied by others, presumably in the prime ministerial office. “He said that there are signs of a strong confrontation between the teams of the two men, although not yet between Putin and Medvedev personally,” the cable added. —Reuters

TRIPOLI: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi warned the European Union yesterday that Africa would turn to other trade partners if the EU kept trying to dictate to the continent how it should develop. Gaddafi’s warning, at an EU-Africa summit attended by senior European officials, echoed complaints from some other African leaders who say Europe is trying to make them open their borders to trade but not giving enough in return.

“Our choice now is to cooperate with our brothers in the European Union but if that cooperation fails, Africa has other choices,” Gaddafi said in opening remarks at the summit in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

“Africa can look to any other international bloc such as Latin America, China, India or Russia.” A leaked internal document from the African Union this month showed some governments on the continent felt that trade deals being offered by the EU were one-sided.

It said the bloc was asking African countries to liberalise their economies to comply with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules but was not doing enough to help them develop their own economies. “We do not benefit from the WTO and we call for its abolition,” Gaddafi said. “All its interests are in opening our borders for industrial goods and killing national industries in the Third World, so I call (on everybody) not to join it.”

He also took a swipe at the EU’s practice of linking economic assistance to African countries’ respect for human rights and good governance. “We are not interested in political power. We want economic development,” he said.

“What is the meaning of human rights? What is the meaning of good governance?” In his own speech to the summit, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy defended the bloc’s policy on Africa.

“In a highly interdependent world economy, there are no easy recipes. But I am convinced that we can find ways of mutually beneficial cooperation, notably via the private sector. We need to transcend the state dependent economies which have performed so poorly over decades of development cooperation,” Van Rompuy said. He said in Europe’s experience, economic prosperity and good governance were closely linked.

“The dynamics of prosperity set in where business-friendly policies attract private investment, where corruption is not tolerated, where the rule of law is respected and transparency valued,” he said. —Reuters

Moldovan election officials empty a voting box after polls closed for parliamentary elections Sunday Nov. 28, 2010 in Chisinau, Moldova. Voters are choosing between pursuing closer ties to the European Union and forging a better relationship with Moscow and other former Soviet republics. —AP

Pro-European alliance ahead in Moldova elections CHISINAU: Moldova’s governing pro-Europe alliance was leading the opposition Communists, election results indicated yesterday, but it was not clear if the coalition would win enough legislative seats to end the country’s year-long political deadlock. With more than 95 percent of the votes counted from Sunday’s election, the three liberal parties of Prime Minister Vlad Filat’s Alliance for European Integration led with 50 percent of the vote, against the Communists’ 41 percent. Final results are expected later yesterday. The current tally would give Filat’s alliance 57 seats, and the Communists 44. But 60 percent of the 101-seat legislature, a minimum of 61 votes, is needed to elect a president.

Votes were still being counted from the 600,000 Moldovans who work abroad and who tend to favor the pro-Europe alliance, which includes the Liberal, the Democratic and the Liberal Democratic parties. Those ballots could provide the alliance with the extra seats it needs to elect a president, but analysts said the result was too close to call.

Yesterday afternoon, Filat said the leaders of the Alliance parties should meet today to discuss forming the next government. Communist leader Vladimir Voronin, who was president of Moldova from 2001 to 2009, offered to form a coalition

with the Democratic Party, but its leader, Dumitru Diacov, said he prefers to stick with the alliance. Turnout was about 60 percent of the country’s 2.6 million eligible voters.

Moldova lies in Eastern Europe between Ukraine, another former Soviet republic, and Romania, which is a member of the European Union. Moldovans have average monthly salary of euro 235 ($310) - one of the lowest in Europe.

The Communists favor closer trade, customs and political ties with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, which would keep it firmly in the orbit of the former Soviet Union. The governing alliance is pursuing market and democratic reforms, and would like Moldova to become a member of the European Union, something it acknowledges would take years. It is supported in those efforts by Romania. Moldova was part of Romania until 1940, when it was annexed to the Soviet Union.

Moldova does not want to join NATO. Riots broke out in Chisinau, Moldova’s capital, after an April 2009 election when opponents claimed the Communists had rigged the vote to hold onto power. A new election was held in July 2009, and the Communist Party lost its majority. But parliament was dissolved after the alliance couldn’t produce enough votes to elect a president.— AP

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast: An electoral official tallies votes for the two presidential candidates during vote counting at a polling station in the Treichville neighborhood of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010. Ivorians went to the polls Sunday in a long-overdue presidential election that many hope will reunite the country eight years after a civil war divided it in two. —AP

Ivory Coast to release initial election results Accusations of voter intimidation, violence and fraud

ABIDJAN: Rival parties in Ivory Coast traded accusations of voter intimidation, violence and fraud yesterday, as the world’s leading cocoa producer awaited results from the country’s first presidential election in a decade.

Electoral commission spokesman Yves Tadet said the first preliminary results were announced yesterday. Vote counts were being tabulated from polling stations nationwide, which completed their vote counts Sunday night and began sending them to the commission’s headquarters in the main city, Abidjan. Some results could not be delivered on time, however, because of a 10 pm curfew imposed days ago by President Laurent Gbagbo over security concerns. The ballot, delayed for years, is seen as a key step

toward reuniting the country eight years after a civil war divided it in two.

UN envoy Young-jin Choi said three people were killed Sunday in the west of the country, but he gave no details and said the vote went well overall. “I have no doubt that the will of the Ivorian people, as it was expressed yesterday, will be respected,” he said yesterday.

Voters chose between Gbagbo, who has been in power since violent street protests swept him into power in 2000, and Alassane Ouattara, the man Gbagbo accuses of being behind the rebellion that sought to topple him in 2002. Gbagbo received 38 percent in a first round of voting in October, and Ouattara came second with about 32 percent. —AP

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

‘Cablegate’ could undermine diplomatic practice: Experts PARIS: By ripping aside the veil of discretion that shields private dialogue between nations, WikiLeaks’ cable dump radically undermined the rules of trust that allow the world to conduct its affairs. While the “Cablegate” leaks reveal little that is dramatically new in terms of events or policy, the sometimes undiplomatic language used by US envoys has embarrassed their allies and shaken the rules of their trade.

“No-one will say what they think any more, even in cables,” said Dominique Moisi, of the French

Institute of International Relations (IFRI), warning that diplomats would now be even more reluctant to speak frankly to one another. “People will focus on the vulnerability in the system that was to blame, and on the careless ways some diplomats expressed themselves. From Saudi Arabia to European capitals, people will close ranks against America.

“It’s not WikiLeaks that will be blamed,” he predicted, in an AFP interview. “This accelerates the United States’ relative decline in the world.

No-one will blame the thief, they’ll blame the victim.” Other experts were less stark, but most agreed that the sheer scale of the security breach-the website is promising to publish 250,000 cables-would send shivers through the global diplomatic establishment.

Asked whether diplomats would now be more careful when talking to US envoys, Daniel Korski, a senior fellow at the European Council for Foreign Relations in Brussels, said: “It would be a natural cause for more reluctance.” In Berlin, Henning

Riecke of the DGAP think tank, said: “They are going to have to work to restore confidence but in my opinion the medium term damage is not too great. They’ll have to talk less openly, even on their Intranet.”

Around Europe, most foreign policy experts agreed that the leaks did not revolutionise public understanding of recent events, as most of the US and allied policy positions revealed in the documents were well known.

Instead, however, the revelations could disturb the internal politics of

US allies, especially where rulers have said one thing to their own people and another thing in “private” talks with US officials. Israel pronounced itself “satisfied” following the disclosures, noting it has at least been consistent in warning of an Iranian threat, but Arab leaders remained silent over the news that they push privately for attacks on Tehran.

Several European leaders may have been annoyed to see themselves mocked by US diplomats, although

Russia’s “alpha dog” Prime Minister Vladimir Putin may be pleased to be dubbed “Batman” to President Dimitry Medvedev’s “Robin”. Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi may have laughed off US concerns he is tired out from hard-partying, but he will not have enjoyed being “feckless, vain, and ineffective as a modern European leader.”

“The scale of the leaks is impressive, and we can’t help but ask whether that will change way diplomats write their telegrammes in

future,” said Pascal Boniface, of the Institute of Strategic and International Relations. “Perhaps it calls into question the whole idea of the diplomatic cable? It’s a hard blow for the United States. It’s diplomatically embarrassing, not a major diplomatic defeat, but it exposes them in a negative way.”

Some commentators were sharply critical of WikiLeaks for publishing the stolen paperwork, arguing that such an unmediated mass document dump brought confusion rather than transparency to world affairs. —AFP

Widespread complaints of electoral fraud

Election chaos in Haiti as candidates cry foul

GRANDE RIU DU NORD: Demonstrators carry and wear election ballots as they demonstrate in Grande Riu Du Nord village, Haiti yesterday. —AP

Four years on, drug war bleeds Mexican heartland MORELIA: A four-year army crackdown in Mexico’s methamphetamine-producing heartland has provoked a dizzying increase in violence, fueling fears that the country is losing its battle against organized crime. Grisly assassinations and gang extortion are terrifying Mexicans in the western state of Michoacan, where President Felipe Calderon launched his war on drug cartels, sending in about 5,000 soldiers in December 2006 following a narrow election victory.

Despite heavily armed patrols, hundreds of drug lab busts and thousands of arrests, locals say gangs in the president’s home state wield huge power, ramping up drug output while using terror and bribes to control towns mired in poverty. Almost 300 people were killed by drug hitmen between January and October in the state, and Michoacan’s 2010 total could near the 371 executions seen in 2009, according to Eduardo Guerrero-Gutierrez, an independent drug trade analyst. Total murders jumped to 2,265 last year, compared to 560 in 2006.

“Crime has only gotten worse. Before, things were calm.

Now you don’t know what could happen,” said Miriam Ortiz, a 32year-old teacher. Sitting by the pink stone cathedral in Michoacan’s capital Morelia near where a drug gang grenade attack killed eight in 2008, she added: “We are afraid here.” The army’s arrival on Dec 11, 2006, in the lush valleys of Michoacan, only a few hours from Mexico City, was hailed by many Mexicans and Washington as a bold departure after decades where drug lords were allowed to control vast fiefdoms in league with dirty politicians.

The military onslaught has been followed by massive troop deployments from Mexico’s Caribbean to the US border in a bid to replace corrupt police forces while they undergo reform. But the traffickers in Michoacan continue to openly defy authorities, despite the added presence of elite police.

Earlier this month, drug hitmen blocked roads with burning cars and set fire to a gas station after security forces arrested two local

smugglers, effectively shutting down Morelia. Gunmen fired 1,700 rounds into an armored vehicle carrying the state police chief in April. The official barely survived and later resigned.

Reporters are too fearful to report on drug killings and seven journalists have been killed since 2006. Meanwhile, Calderon’s unprecedented effort to break the ties between officials in Michoacan and traffickers suffered an embarrassing setback this year when judges released 30 local mayors and politicians arrested in 2009 on corruption charges. The judges cited a lack of evidence. As the bodies pile up-more than 31,000 across Mexico since December 2006 — 49 percent of Mexicans say Calderon’s drug war is a failure, according to a poll issued last week. “The traffickers continue to operate and find ways around the authorities. They evolve and develop new alliances, and they survive,” said Eric Olson, an organized crime analyst at the US-based Woodrow Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute.

Calderon insists there is no

ACAPULCO: Mexican federal police officers secure the site where three men were found dead after they were executed by unknown gunmen in the Pacific resort city of Acapulco, Mexico Sunday. Violence continues in this city as rival drug gangs battle for control of this region. —AP

turning back, that violence shows gangs are becoming desperate and that he is winning. “We will persevere until we leave Mexico free of the cancer of organized crime,” he said in a speech on Sunday.

Marijuana has been a major cash crop since the 1950s in Michoacan, raised among the state’s avocado and mango orchards.

But the rise of methamphetamine production turbocharged both gang profits and the violent clashes over control of billions of dollars in proceeds made by satisfying US demand. Drug trafficking in Michoacan is dominated by a cult-like band of thugs known as La Familia (The Family), which uses Christian evangelical propaganda to discipline its members while controlling locals with bribes and extortion rackets.

La Familia has even built churches and punished men accused of rape. “They’ve won the hearts and minds of some of these communities,” said a US law enforcement official. A string of mysterious statements, allegedly from La Familia, has raised speculation the gang could be weakening. In banners strung up across Michoacan in November, La Familia said it was looking for a truce with the federal government. Even if La Familia has been disrupted, analysts think other gangs could quickly take their place.

The Zetas, one of Mexico’s most ruthless gangs, has moved into the state, expanding from northeastern Mexico. Federal authorities have had a hard time gaining local trust, with complaints of torture and rape by soldiers lodged at Michoacan’s state human rights commission.

On a recent afternoon in the central square of the bustling city of Uruapan near Morelia, couples, groups of old men and clusters of youths watched warily as a contingent of federal police pulled on their ski masks and climbed into armored vehicles to set off on a patrol of their new beat. —Reuters

PORT-AU-PRINCE: Haiti’s top election authorities counted votes yesterday after they upheld the validity of Sunday’s balloting following a chaotic day that saw two deaths and widespread complaints of electoral fraud. The UN mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) late Sunday issued a statement expressing its and the international community’s “deep concern at the numerous incidents that marred the elections.”

In the grip of a cholera epidemic that has claimed 1,650 lives, Haitians are choosing a successor to President Rene Preval, searching for someone to lead a nation shattered by a January earthquake that killed 250,000 people. Despite street protests and general clamor for the vote’s cancellation, the Provisional Election Council (CEP) late Sunday validated the election in all but 56 of the country’s 1,500 polling stations, with CEP president Gaillot Dorsainvil calling the vote “successful.”

Fears that fraud could mar the elections were realized even before polls closed at 2100 GMT-with 12 out of 18 presidential contenders denouncing a “conspiracy” between Preval’s government and the electoral commission. The dissenters, including poll favorite and former first lady Mirlande Manigat, accused the alleged conspirators of seeking “to steer the elections to benefit the candidate of the party in power.”

Several thousand demonstrators took to the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince to protest the alleged vote-rigging. “You can’t steal the popular vote,” Haitian-born hip hop artist Wyclef Jean, who was ruled ineligible to run, told AFP at the head of one demonstration.

There was no immediate response to the allegations from CEP and no early verdict from independent election monitors from the Caribbean regional bloc CARICOM. In Washington, a US election monitoring group said Haiti’s vote was fraught with widespread irregularities and should be rejected by the international community. “From the banning of the country’s most popular party from the ballot to election day irregularities including numerous reports of ballot stuffing and the disenfranchisement of numerous eligible voters, these elections were an obvious farce from start to finish,” Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, said in a statement.

Dozens of UN peacekeepers were dispatched to the CEP’s headquarters to reinforce security. At least two people were killed by gunfire when rival party followers clashed in southern Aquin town, and several other people were injured across the country, a police spokesman in Port-au-Prince told AFP on condition of anonymity. MINUSTAH, in its late-night statement, said it was “urging” Haitians and political candidates “to remain calm,” noting the possible “dramatic consequences” of a deteriorating security situation.

Opinion polls gave the Sorbonne-educated Manigat, 70, a clear lead from Jude Celestin, the ruling party candidate and hand-picked protege of Preval who lives with the president’s daughter. Manigat, who is vying to become Haiti’s first female leader, did not flesh out the allegations but had previously accused Celestin’s ruling INITE (Unity) party of hoarding 500,000 fake ballots. —AFP

RIO DE JANEIRO: A resident holding a baby hides behind a door as an armored police vehicle patrols during an operation at the Complexo do Alemao slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Sunday. —AP

After taking key slum, Rio looks to next targets RIO DE JANEIRO: Rio’s top security official hailed the taking by authorities of what was long the most dangerous slum in the city that will host the 2016 Olympics, as operations continued yesterday to locate drug gang members thought to be hiding inside. Meanwhile authorities, jubilant at the sudden, dramatic shift that saw them take control of two gang strongholds long thought untouchable, were already setting their sites on the next targets.

Rio state public security director Jose Beltrame, who has been criticized by human rights groups in the past for tough policing methods, was humble, emotional and thrilled after police and soldiers seized control of the Alemao complex of about a dozen slums. For decades, it had been the key territory of Rio’s biggest drug gang, the Red Command. “The Alemao was the heart of evil,” Beltrame said at a late Sunday news conference.

But he emphasized that his two-year-old program to push gangs out of the city’s sprawling shantytowns and replace them with permanent police posts was only beginning, that he was now looking ahead to the next huge slum that police will go after - Rocinha, a sprawl of shanties and narrow alleys that is one of Latin America’s largest slums. He did not detail when police might attempt to wrestle Rocinha from the drug gang that controls it, but he was resolute and confident in saying that it would definitely fall.

“Criminals without a house, criminals without a weapon, criminals without territory, criminals without money are far less criminal than they were before,” said Beltrame, on the verge of tears, voice cracking. “We have not won the war, but we’ve won a difficult and important battle.”

He spoke hours after 2,600 police and soldiers poured into Alemao at sunrise, supported by armored personnel carriers, low-flying helicopters buzzing the slum and even a few tanks.

They claimed victory within two hours, saying they had taken control with little fighting in the district of 85,000 residents.

It was the biggest advance yet in the two-year effort to drive gangs from their strongholds in the hundreds of shantytowns, many draped across the hills that look down on Rio’s fabled beaches.

The crusade is driven in part by the need to make foreign visitors feel secure for the final matches of the 2014 World Cup and for the 2016 Olympics that are meant to be showpieces of Brazil’s emergence as growing world force. Alemao was a key target because it sits near a highway that connects most of Rio to the international airport.

Rocinha, the next target, lies on a road that will connect the main 2016 Olympic venues to the rest of the city. Rio de Janeiro Gov. Sergio Cabral said the campaign against gangs will go forward.

“We will continue to conquer more territories and give peace to our citizens and the foreign visitors who come here,” he told Globo TV. Officials have already imposed order on more than a dozen other former gang strongholds, even encouraging tourism along streets once echoing with gunfire.

The gangs reacted violently to the campaign a week ago, staging mass robberies of motorists on key highways, burning more than 100 buses and cars, and shooting up police outposts.

The government counterattacked with hundreds of soldiers and thousands of police in armored vehicles, first driving gangsters from the Vila Cruzeiro slum Thursday, then moving on to neighboring Alemao - their most ambitious target yet. At least 36 people, mostly suspected drug traffickers, died in the gang violence and resulting police raids over the past week.

Officials earlier warned that as many as 600 gang members were holed up in Alemao, but

by Monday police had made just 20 arrests, including a few of the slum’s reputed top gang leaders. —AP

Canada court examines North American polygamy VANCOUVER: The woman known as “Witness No.8” says she does not understand why polygamy should be illegal, and her court testimony is offering a glimpse into a religious sect that has vexed officials for years. The Arizona woman is a member of Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a breakaway sect from the mainstream Mormon church based in Utah with an estimated 10,000 members in the United States and Canada.

FLDS members have historically shunned talking about their lives with outsiders to protect their religious tenet of polygamy, which is illegal in the United States and Canada. But a Canadian judge has begun a special judicial inquiry to examine whether a Canadian anti-polygamy law violates protections of religious freedom or is still needed to protect women’s rights and deal with a variety of social problems.

Prosecutors asked for the inquiry into the law’s constitutionality before any push to file any charges against members of the sect’s community called Bountiful, located in eastern British Columbia near the Idaho border. The court in Vancouver has allowed church members from Canada and the United States to testify about their lives anonymously, to counter

their concern that the information will later be used against them by police. “We are beginning an historic reference,” British Columbia Supreme Court chief justice Robert Bauman said on Nov 22 at the opening day of the inquiry, which is expected to take more than two months to complete.

The fundamentalist church, headquartered in Colorado City, Arizona, split from the Mormon church in the early 20th century over the main church’s decision in the 1890s to renounce polygamy in face of US government pressure.

FLDS memebers believe that a man must have multiple wives to follow the will of God and advance in the afterlife, and “celestial marriages” help protect women and children from social ills and poverty in old age, the court has been told.

In practice, fundamentalist men have only one legal wife with other wives recognized in that role only by their faith. Law enforcement officials contend that is still illegal. Polygamy has recently acquired a North American pop culture vogue with cable television programs such as Sister Wives and Big Love. But the FLDS may be best known for the 2008 raid on its Texas compound and allegations its self-proclaimed prophet Warren Jeffs

forced young girls to marry older men.

The church, backed by some civil rights groups that are participating in the inquiry, says the Canadian law violates their right to practice their religion. “The criminal prohibition of polygamy baffles me,” Witness No. 8 wrote in an affidavit. She said she was raised in a fundamentalist Mormon family, has a college degree in education, and shares her husband with a “sister wife.”

“How do you truly force human minds to believe that which they don’t?” she wrote, denouncing efforts to end polygamy.

Prosecutors, who want the law upheld, told the court that a desire to practice religious beliefs does not absolve people from obeying laws intended to prevent other social harms. They have given the court statements from opponents of polygamy who say the practice subjugates women and claim that FLDS leaders force underage girls to marry older men and abandon some boys so other men can have more wives.

The affidavit of a former FLDS member said young men must do extra favors for church elders to be given a wife, and women are taught only to have many babies and obey the men. “You are told what to do,” Truman Oler, 28, wrote the court. —Reuters

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

11

INTERNATIONAL

US relations unaffected by diplomatic leaks says Kabul KABUL: Afghanistan said yesterday its relations with the United States would not be affected by leaked cables portraying President Hamid Karzai as weak and paranoid, and his brother as a corrupt drugs baron. The American diplomatic cables raised the issue of suspected high-level corruption within the Afghan government, long a concern among Western backers who see it as undermining the nine-year war against the Taliban.

Internet whistleblower WikiLeaks has begun releasing a quarter of a million confidential US diplomatic cables, detailing embarrassing and inflammatory episodes in what the White House called a “reckless and dangerous action”. But Karzai’s spokesman Waheed Omer told a news conference the leaks “won’t have any impact on the strategic relations between the US and Afghanistan”.

“We don’t see anything substantive in the docu-

ment that will strain the relationship,” Omer told reporters, adding: “We’ll wait and see what else comes out before making further comment.” On leaked criticism of Karzai as an “extremely weak” leader, which follows negative US media reports, Omer said: “Such comments are not new. But the president... will carry on with what he thinks is good for Afghanistan.”

US diplomats described Karzai in the documents as “driven by paranoia” and “conspiracy theories”.

The leaked cables also revealed American feelings about the president’s younger brother Ahmed Wali Karzai, long dogged by claims of unsavoury links with the lucrative opium trade and private security firms, which he denies. Western officials have kept quiet in public on the tainted record of the president’s half brother, who is a powerful figure in Kandahar, where US forces are leading the fight to break the Taliban.

But one note, that followed a meeting between the younger Karzai and US envoy Frank Ruggiero in September 2009, said: “While we must deal with AWK (Ahmed Wali Karzai) as the head of the provincial council, he is widely understood to be corrupt and a narcotics trafficker.” Kandahar is a make-orbreak battleground in the US-led fight to defeat the insurgency, and the United States has poured thousands of extra troops into the area to wrest initiative from the Taliban and bolster the Afghan government.

“The meeting with AWK highlights one of our major challenges in Afghanistan: how to fight corruption and connect the people to their government, when the key government officials are themselves corrupt,” the report said. In the 2009 meeting with American and Canadian officials, the president’s brother urged the allies not to fund small-scale cash

projects-a cornerstone of its counter-insurgency strategy-but to build large mega-projects instead.

“Given AWK’s reputation for shady dealings, his recommendations for large, costly infrastructure projects should be viewed with a healthy dose of scepticism,” the report said. “We will continue to urge AWK to improve his own credibility gap,” said the report, adding that both Ahmed Wali Karzai and Kandahar governor Tooryalai Wesa had tried to influence the awarding of contracts in the province.

Ahmed Wali Karzai repeated his denials after the leaks were released yesterday, telling privately-run television channel Tolo, “Dear brother! First of all I’ve no security company... “If one is able to show one single contract under my name, I’ll take all responsibility for all (the allegations) against myself.” According to the cables, in a second meeting in February, Ahmed Wali Karzai told Ruggiero

that he was willing to take a polygraph test to prove his innocence over claims of his involvement in the opium trade.

“He appears not to understand the level of our knowledge of his activities, and that the coalition views many of his activities as malign, particularly relating to his influence over the police,” said the cable. “We will need to monitor his activity closely.”

Another cable from the US embassy in Kabul said former vice president Ahmed Zia Massoud carried 52 million dollars in cash to Dubai last year.

The cable referred to the cash as “a significant amount” that Massoud “was ultimately allowed to keep without revealing the money’s origin or destination”. Tolo TV said Massoud had denied making the transfer. “There’s no truth in it. It’s an act by sick people against influential figures,” Tolo quoted Massoud as saying.— AFP

Incident took place on Pakistan border

Afghan police officer kills 6 NATO service members KABUL: An Afgha n border police officer opened fire on NATO troops during a tra ining mission in the ea st of the country yesterda y, killing six NATO service members before he w a s shot dea d, NATO a nd Afgha n officia ls sa id. The shooting , the highest toll for NATO forces since nine America ns died in a Sept 21 heli-

SRINAGAR: Indian policemen carry the body of a suspected militant to a police control room in Srinagar yesterday. — AFP

4 dead as shootout in India Kashmir capital sparks panic SRINAGAR: Three suspected militants and a policeman were killed yesterday in a gunbattle in a busy market in the main city in Indian Kashmir, police said, as panicked locals ran for cover. The firing erupted when the suspected rebels on a motorbike targeted a police patrol in Srinagar, killing a head constable, a police spokesman said.

“In the retaliatory firing by the police, three rebels were killed,” the spokesman said, asking not to be named.

Police and paramilitary forces had set up mobile roadside checkpoints in the area after intelligence reports that rebels were trying to sneak into Srinagar to carry out attacks. The violence sparked panic in Srinagar’s Qamarwari area as people scurried for shelter, abandoning shops and homes amid fears of a prolonged fight, witness Nazir Ahmed told AFP. Separately, security forces shot dead two members of hardline militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba yesterday in northern Handwara district, police said. “One of the slain

militants was identified as Abdul Rehman alias Naveed of Lashkar outfit who was a Pakistani national and active in the area for the last four years,” a police statement said.

His death is a “major setback” to Lashkar, the group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks that left over 160 people dead, police said. The group has denied its involvement in the Mumbai killings. For more than 20 years, insurgents have fought police and soldiers in highly militarised Indian-ruled Kashmir. The violence has left at least 47,000 people dead, according to the official count. Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan each hold part of Kashmir but claim the Himalayan region in full. Overall militant violence has sharply declined in Kashmir since India and Pakistan began a peace process in 2004. But the Indian-ruled part of the region has been roiled by massive protests against New Delhi’s rule since early June, leaving some 111 protesters and bystanders dead. — AFP

Pakistan makes no progress on Mumbai attack suspects ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security agencies have made no progress in their pursuit of 20 people suspected of involvement in the 2008 attack on India’s commercial capital Mumbai which killed 166 people, a senior security official said yesterday. Pakistan has acknowledged that the attack was plotted and partly launched from its soil, and has put on trial seven suspects linked to the Lashkare-Taiba (LeT) militant group, which was blamed for the attacks.

But India says it is not satisfied with the pace of the Pakistani investigation and has demanded more people be put on trial for the attack, including the founder of the LeT, Hafiz Mohammad Saeed. Pakistani newspaper the Express Tribune in its online edition said the counter-terrorism wing of a Pakistani federal agency has identified the 20 suspects as mostly LeT affiliates. “The new suspects had allegedly provided logistical and monetary support for the Mumbai attack,” the newspaper said quoting a “classified report”, two years after the attack.

A senior Pakistani security official said the suspects had been placed on Pakistan’s most wanted terrorists list about a year ago and a judge had issued permanent arrest warrants. “We believe they are hiding inside Pakistan. It’s a huge country and so many thousands of proclaimed offenders are there. It’s a continuous process. There are over 1,000 police stations. We circulate this information to all of them,” he told Reuters. “You are aware of Pakistan’s mountainous areas. People can hide there indefinitely.”

The newspaper said the suspects included the alleged captain of two boats used in the attack as well as their 10 crew members, six financiers of the LeT and three others.

Relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated sharply following the attack, but tension has eased in recent months. The United States wants ties between the two countries to improve so that Pakistan can focus more closely on fighting Afghan militants who cross its border to attack US-led NATO troops in Afghanistan.

“We want the perpetrators to be punished through legal means, and our interior ministry has sought more information from India,” said Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday. Nine attackers were killed in gun battles with Indian security forces during the attack on Mumbai while the tenth, Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, sentenced to death by an Indian court.

The prosecution of the seven accused in Pakistan has stalled because officials are demanding that Kasab be allowed to testify in Pakistan, which New Delhi has refused. The seven suspects on trial included Zaki-urRehman Lakhvi, a LeT commander, who has been identified as a key person in the Mumbai attack by David Coleman Headley, an American who pleaded guilty in a US court in March to charges that he scouted targets for LeT for the assault.

LeT was nurtured by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency to fight India in Kashmir in the 1990s. Pakistan officially banned the group in 2002. — Reuters

The goal is to turn over the responsibility for nationwide security to Afghan forces by 2014 so that NATO troops can go home.

The shooter was wearing an Afghan border police uniform, NATO said, but did not provide additional details on how the shooting happened or his identity.

A spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, Zemeri Bashary, confirmed that the gunman was a border police officer, rather than an insurgent who had donned the uniform to infiltrate government forces.

The incident happened in Pachir Wagam district of Nangarhar province, right on the border with Pakistan, Bashary said. NATO declined to identify the nationalities of the victims. The majority of forces in Nangarhar are American. An investigation team has been sent to the area, said Gen. Aminullah Amerkhail, the regional border police commander for eastern Afghanistan. But he said information is not coming back quickly.

“The area is very remote,” he said. “Even the telephones are not working there.” There have been a number of incidents in which Afghan police officers turned on their trainers in deadly shootouts.

NATO is investigating an incident in which two US Marines were killed earlier this month in southern Helmand province, allegedly at the hands of an Afghan army soldier. On July 20, an Afghan army sergeant got into an argument at a shooting range in northern Afghanistan and shot dead two American civilian trainers before being killed. Another Afghan soldier was killed in the crossfire. In a July 13 attack, an Afghan soldier stationed in the south killed three British troopers, including the company commander, with gunfire and a rocket-propelled grenade in the middle of the night.

Also, in November 2009, an Afghan policeman killed five British soldiers at a checkpoint in Helmand. A month earlier, an Afghan policeman on patrol with US soldiers fired on the Americans, killing two. Such shootings highlight the potential hazards of a push to speedily expand Afghanistan’s army and police forces in the next few years.

The goal is to turn over the responsibility for nationwide security to Afghan forces by 2014 so that NATO troops can go home. In the past year, the Afghan police force grew 27 percent to 120,500 officers from about 95,000. The army grew 42 percent to about 138,200 soldiers from 97,000. — AP

copter cra sh, w a s the la test in a series of shootouts in w hich Afgha n security forces ha ve turned on their NATO pa rtners.

The a tta ck a lso highlights the potentia l ha za rds of a push to speedily expa nd Afgha nista n’s a rmy a nd police forces in the next few yea rs.

KANDAHAR: Afghan national Army soldiers attached to First Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division take off their ammunition before an Afghan National Army training program graduation in Panjwai district, Afghanistan’s Kandahar province yesterday. — AP

Pakistan drone victim demands damages from CIA ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani man who says he lost his son and brother in an American missile attack in the northwest threatened yesterday to sue the CIA unless he receives compensation, a move that will draw attention to civilian casualties in such strikes. Kareem Khan and his lawyers said they were seeking $500 million in two weeks or they would sue CIA director Leon Panetta, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and a man they said was the CIA’s station chief in Islamabad for “wrongful death” in a Pakistani court. The United States does not publicly admit to firing missiles into northwest Pakistan close to the Afghan border, much less say who they are targeting or whether civilians are also being killed. Privately, officials say they are taking out AlQaeda and Taleban militants and dispute accounts that innocents often die. Pakistani officials, who face criticism from their own people for allowing the attacks, rarely discuss them. Khan said his 18-year-old son, Zaenullah Khan and his brother Asif Iqbal were killed on Dec 31 last year in the town of Mir Ali in North Waziristan. The third victim was a mason who was staying at the house, he said. Khan said his son and Iqbal were teachers.

“The people who were martyred were innocent,” Khan told a media conference in Islamabad alongside his lawyer, Mirza Shahzad Akbar. “They did not have links with any terrorist group, nor they were wanted.” The Associated Press and other

media organizations reported that three people were killed on Dec. 31 in a missile attack in Mir Ali. Pakistani intelligence officials said then that the men were militants, but offered no proof.

Khan, who was working as a journalist, was in Islamabad at the time of the attack. Any legal action stands no chance of success unless US officials cooperate with the court, something highly unlikely given the secretive nature of the missile strike program. The most Khan and Akbar can hope for is to bring attention to the issue.

There have been more than 100 such attacks this year, more than twice than in 2009. The attacks began in 2005, but picked up pace in 2007 and have increased ever since. The border region is out of bounds for non-locals and much of it is under the control of militants, meaning independent reporting on who is being killed is nearly impossible. Most of the missiles are believed to be fired from unmanned planes launched from Afghanistan or from secret bases in Pakistan. Human rights groups have called on the United States to provide greater transparency about who is being targeted and publicly investigate allegations of civilian deaths.

Without knowing, they say it is impossible to judge whether such attacks are legal. Across the border in Afghanistan, the American military compensates the families of innocents killed once it carries out an investigation. — AP

Panicky pilot caused Indian passenger jet plunge: Report NEW DELHI: An Indian co-pilot sent an international passenger jet into a terrifying nosedive when he adjusted his seat and accidentally pushed the control column forward, an official report revealed yesterday. The clumsy officer then panicked and was unable to let the captain, who had gone on a toilet break, back into the cockpit as the plane plunged 7,000 feet (2,000 metres).

The captain only saved the Boeing 737 aircraft after using an emergency code to get through the cockpit door and take the controls back from the co-pilot, the report by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. The 25-year-old copilot told the inquiry he had “got in a panic situation couldn’t control the aircraft, neither open the

cockpit door and answer the cabin call.”

When the captain, 39, got back into the cockpit, he shouted “What are you doing?” as cabin crew ordered the 113 terrified passengers to fasten their seatbelts. The report said there was “complete commotion” in the cabin and that passengers were “very much scared and were shouting loudly” as the plane dived steeply and boxes and liquor bottles fell into the aisle.

The Air India Express flight was flying at 37,000 feet from Dubai to Pune airport, in western India, on May 26 when the near-disaster occurred.

No one was injured. According to the report, the nosedive was “due to the copilot adjusting his seat forward and inadvertently pressing the control col-

umn forward.” The plane fell 2,000 feet before the captain got back into the cockpit-and another 5,000 feet as he struggled with the panicking copilot.

“There was application of opposite force by pilot and copilot on control column,” the report said. It added that the copilot “probably had no clue to tackle this kind of emergency.”

“Appropriate action shall be taken against the involved crew,” it concluded. After the incident, the captain tried to calm passengers by telling them that the aircraft had hit an air pocket. Four days earlier, another Air India Express flight had crashed at Mangalore airport, killing 158 people. A leaked report blamed a sleepy pilot. — AFP

ISLAMABAD: Kareem Khan, Pakistani tribesman from North Wazirstan, talks to the media in Islamabad, Pakistan yesterday. Khan, says he lost his son and brother in an American missile attack in the country’s northwest and is demanding damages from the CIA. — AP

INTERNATIONAL

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S Korea cancels new artillery drill on island Decision comes hours after prez vows to get tough on North SEOUL: South Korea’s military announced provocative new artillery drills on the front-line island shelled in a deadly North Korean attack, then immediately postponed them yesterday in a sign of disarray hours after the president vowed to get tough on the North. Similar

live-fire maneuvers by South Korean troops one week earlier triggered the North’s bombardment that decimated parts of Yeonpyeong Island, killed four people and drew return fire in a clash that set the region on edge.

JEJU ISLAND: South Korean veterans and war widows burn portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, right, and his son Kim Jong Un during a rally denouncing last Tuesday’s North Korean bombardment on South Korean border island of Yeonpyeong, on Jeju Island, South Korea yesterday.—AP

Thailand court drops legal case against ruling party BANGKOK: Thailand’s ruling Democrat Party staved off its possible dissolution and ouster from power yesterday when a court dismissed charges that it had misused an official election fund. The Constitutional Court’s ruling is likely to meet widespread criticism that it has applied double standards. Previous court rulings have consistently gone against the Democrats’ political opponents.

If it had been found guilty by the court, the party could have been disbanded and about 40 of its executives , including Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva , banned from politics for five years, forcing the formation of a new government. A guilty verdict could also have brought less severe repercussions that would have allowed its politicians to stay in office under the banner of a new or different party.

The judges ruled 4 to 2 that the case brought by the Election Commission had not followed proper legal procedure and so did not comment on the substance of the

case, which accused the Democrats of spending part of a 29 million baht ($907,000) government fund without proper approval during the 2005 election campaign.

“This case has ended, and our party has the duty to continue solving the country’s problems,” Abhisit, who is also party leader, told reporters. He acknowledged that the ruling might not be universally welcomed but should be abided.

Critics of Abhisit’s government are likely to see the decision as further evidence that the legal system tilts in favor of the Democrats and against its rivals. The country has been polarized since 2006, when then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted by a military coup. The critics believe the courts and the Democrats are pillars of the Thai establishment, which felt its power threatened by Thaksin’s huge popularity with Thailand’s poor and working classes.

The divisions laid open by the coup have since led to deadly violence.

Demonstrations by protesters who believe Abhisit’s party came to power illegitimately , the so-called Red Shirt supporters of Thaksin , and a subsequent crackdown triggered bloodshed in the streets of Bangkok this spring with about 90 people killed and more than 1,400 wounded. After his ouster, Thaksin faced a slew of corruption charges, and fled the country ahead of his conviction for violating a conflict of interest law, for which he was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison. Abhisit’s two predecessors , both Thaksin allies , were removed from office by court decisions. And Thaksin’s opponents, protesters known as the Yellow Shirts, have yet to be prosecuted for occupying the prime minister’s office for three months and taking over Bangkok’s two airports for a week in 2008.

The Democrats still face another case with the same potential penalties. The case, involving an allegedly illegal campaign donation of 258 million baht ($8.1 million), is expected to be heard next year. — AP

Cambodian PM says no punishment for stampede PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s prime minister said yesterday that no one will be punished for last week’s stampede in which at least 351 revelers died after the swaying of a suspension bridge cause mass panic. Hun Sen said many people share responsibility for not anticipating the problems that caused the Nov. 22 tragedy but that rescue efforts were adequate and, without them, the death toll would have been higher.

“No one will receive punishment for this incident,” Hun Sen said at the opening of a new government building. “We have to learn a lesson from this for solving such problems in the future.” Preliminary findings by an official investigation committee found that the natural swaying of a suspension bridge ignited fears it would collapse among an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 people on the structure. In frantic efforts to escape, the crowd pressed and heaved, crushing hundreds of people and leading some to dive off the span into the water.

The official casualty toll is 351 dead and 395 injured. It was updated Sunday, after two more people died of their injuries and two others were added to list of dead by relatives said they had taken their

bodies home. The stampede occurred on the last day of a three-day holiday, as a crowd estimated to be more than 1 million thronged to the capital to celebrate the traditional water festival.

Last week Hun Sen has described the stampede as the

biggest tragedy since the communist Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror, which killed an estimated 1.7 million people in the late 1970s.

“It happened unexpectedly,” said Hun Sen. “If we had correctly assessed in advance that there could have been a stam-

pede, then we would not have allowed people to cross the bridge.” Hun Sen also announced that the families of each of the dead people would each be given at least $12,000, an enormous sum in a country where the annual per capita income is just over $700.— AP

PHNOM PENH: Ethnic Vietnamese relatives pray for victims near the site where hundreds of people stampeded during a water festival in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Sunday. —AP

The new drills originally planned for today could have had even higher stakes: South Korean and American warships are currently engaged in separate military exercises in waters to the south.

Officials at the Joint Chiefs of Staff told The Associated Press yesterday that the latest drills were postponed after the marine unit on the island mistakenly announced them without getting final approval from higher military authorities. The cancellation had nothing to do with North Korea, and the drills will take place later, one official said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing agency rules.

Pyongyang had warned last week that it would consider any South Korean drills off Yeonpyeong Island a deliberate provocation and territorial violation, and urged Seoul to call off last week’s exercises. The artillery attack that came after South Korea went ahead with its drills killed four and injured 18 people.

Earlier yesterday, President Lee Myung-bak gave his first address to the nation in nearly a week, taking responsibility for failing to protect his citizens, expressing outrage at the North’s “ruthlessness” and vowing tough consequences for any future aggression. Lee has come under withering criticism for what opponents have called lapses in South Korea’s response to the attack just eight months after the sinking of a South Korean warship in nearby waters that killed 46 sailors.

Hours after his speech, authorities on Yeonpyeong (yuhnpyuhng) announced new livefire drills for today morning, warning residents by loudspeaker to take shelter in underground bunkers well in advance. Another announcement later in the evening said there would be no exercise.

Meanwhile, a nuclear-powered US supercarrier and a South Korean destroyer carried out joint military exercises in the waters south of the island in a united show of force by the longtime allies.

Jets roared off an aircraft carrier as part of drills to practice air defense, combat warfare and search-and seizure drills, said Rear Adm. Dan Cloyd, commander of the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group. Lee observed the drills yeterday from the US Army’s command center in Seoul, along with Gen. Walter Sharp, the top commander in South Korea, in a pointed show of unity. “This exercise demonstrates our interoperability and how closely integrated the ROK-US forces are along with the capability both bring in defense of the peninsula that is the cornerstone of regional stability,” Sharp said in a statement posted by the military, using the acronym for the Republic of Korea, the South’s formal name. Amid the heightened tension, classified US State Department documents leaked Sunday by online whistle-blower WikiLeaks showed the United States and South Korea discussing possible scenarios for reunification of the peninsula, and American worry over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.

Under pressure to take stronger action in dealing with the defiant North, Lee lashed out at Pyongyang yesterday.

“Only a few meters (yards) away from where shells landed, there is a school where classes were going on,” Lee said. “I am outraged by the ruthlessness of the North Korean regime, which is even indifferent to the lives of little children.” In the past week, Lee has replaced his defense minister, ordered reinforcements for the 4,000 troops on Yeonpyeong and four other Yellow Sea islands, and upgraded the military rules of engagement.

“If the North commits any additional provocations against the South, we will make sure that it pays a dear price without fail,” Lee warned.—AP

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Dozens of kids injured in China school stampede BEIJING: A mad rush to the playground turned into a stampede that left dozens of elementary school children hurt and seven severely injured in western China yesterday, state media and officials said.

Students at the No 5 Elementary School in Aksu city were rushing downstairs for after-class exercises around noon when some students fell, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The report said that other students then pushed to squeeze through the narrow stairway, trampling on those that had fallen. Xinhua reported that 41 students were admitted to the Aksu’s No 1 People’s Hospital for treatment, with seven of them

seriously injured. No deaths were reported.

An official with the Aksu government’s propaganda office, who only gave his surname, Lu, said an investigation was under way. It was unclear whether teachers or other adults were present during the incident.

School safety in China came under scrutiny earlier this year when a string of stabbings around the country killed and injured dozens of schoolchildren. The attacks prompted Chinese authorities to tighten security at schools. Police and guards were posted at entrances and video surveillance and intruder alarms installed on some school premises.—AP

Kazakhstan hosts lavish summit despite rights qualms ASTANA: Kazakhstan tomorrow hosts the biggest global gathering in its history in the Central Asian state’s futuristic capital Astana, despite concerns over its human rights and press freedom record. Top dignitaries including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are due to attend the summit of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in the city, which only became the Kazakh capital in 1997.

The OSCE hopes the summit, also expected to be attended by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, will revamp the group and redefine its priorities 11 years after the last gathering in Istanbul. Kazakhstan this year became the first ex-Soviet state to chair the OSCE. Its hosting of the summit-the first such meeting since 1999 — is a major coup for its president since independence, Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Astana-with its glitzy Western-designed buildings and exponentially expanding population-is the key symbol of Nazarbayev’s vision of developing his vast energy-rich land into a dynamic world power. The city is undergoing an unprecedented security lockdown ahead of the summit, with 7,000 extra police drafted in from other parts of Kazakhstan and the city’s markets already shut down as an extra precaution.

“The summit is a political event that has as its aim a raising of Kazakhstan’s image. But I would not expect more than that from it,” said Dosym Satpayev, an analyst with the Risk Assessment Group. Several rights oranisations have questioned the wisdom of allowing Kazakhstan to head the OSCE and bask in the glory of heading the summit when it is the target of repeated accusations over its own rights record.

New York-based media watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists said the Nazarbayev government has “reneged on its promises and intensified its repressive practices” during its chairmanship. Nazarbayev holds all the levers of power in a country where parliament merely performs the function of a rubber stamp. He is expected to seek another term in office in 2012 elections.

“If Kazakhstan made no progress in democracy and human rights during its chairmanship of the OSCE, then it is hardly going to do this after the summit,” said Amirzhan Kosanov, general secretary of sidelined opposition party Azat. “Kazakhstan will think it has been given a free hand to pressure democratic freedoms,” he added. Kazakhstan dismissed allegations that the rights situation had worsened inside the country during the OSCE chairmanship, Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev insisting it was adhering to the organisation’s founding principles.

Among the topics set to be discussed by the 54-member trans-Atlantic security group are the Afghanistan conflict; the upsurge of unrest in Kyrgyzstan this year; and the search for a breakthough over the Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute over Nagorny-Karabakh. It should also be the first time since Moscow’s 2008 war with Tbilisi that Russian President Dmitry

BERLIN: A file picture taken on February 3, 2009, shows Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev speaking to the press in Berlin. After a two-decade drive to raise the world profile of his energy-rich nation, the hosting of the first OSCE summit in 11 years marks a huge political coup for Nazarbayev. —AFP Medvedev and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili find themselves in the same room.

According to OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut the December 1-2 meeting is “not just going to be a protocol event” even though no precise agenda has been worked out yet.

“A final declaration will be issued which will identify the threats and challenges in the areas of the OSCE’s comptetence,” he said.

After Kazakhstan’s frosty reaction to the the 2006 comedy hit film “Borat” about a fictitious politically incorrect Kazakh journalist, the summit represents a chance for the country to project the shiny modern image it wants. The capital welcoming the world leaders has grown into one of the world’s most ambitious construction projects, personally masterminded by Nazarbayev himself.

Astana was chosen as capital for its position in the country’s centre-whereas the previous capital Almaty is in the south close to the borders with China and Kyrgzstan-and certainly not its notoriously hostile climate. The city celebrated Nazarbayev’s 70th birthday in July by opening a massive new shopping and entertainment complex in the shape of what was billed as the world’s largest tent. Designed by British architects Foster and Partners and measuring 150 metres (500 feet) high to the post at the top, the Khan Shatyr complex even boasts an year-round beach where citizens can seek refuge from the freezing winters.—AFP

Anwar cements grip on party after polls KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s loyalists won top party posts in fractious polls in Malaysia, but he remains weakened by infighting among followers and his ongoing sodomy trial, analysts said yesterday. Anwar’s right hand man, Azmin Ali, was elected deputy president of the People’s Justice Party, whose new office bearers were announced at the annual party congress Sunday. The lineup features four vice presidents aligned with Anwar, including his eldest daughter, Nurul Izzah. His wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, was elected unopposed as president. Anwar’s formal title is party adviser but he is considered its de facto leader. The officer bearers were announced after several weeks of balloting that were supposed to showcase the party’s democratic leanings , all its estimated 400,000 members were eligible to vote to elect some 30 top officials. In contrast, the ruling United Malays National Organization elects its office bearers through some 2,000 delegates who represent more than 3 million members. There are constant complaints that delegates can be won over by lavish gifts and even money.

The opposition party polls too were not without controversy, only 40,000 members took part in balloting amid claims of voting irregularities and allegations of favoritism by Anwar that prompted a prominent candidate for the deputy president’s post to quit in anger. “The new lineup from No. 2 onwards are all Anwar’s men. It has cemented his authority but the party can’t get its act together,” said James Chin, a political science lecturer at Monash University in Malaysia. “Anwar must show stronger leadership to prepare his party for general elections. People see him

as the only acceptable candidate to lead the opposition alliance,” he said.

Elections are not due until mid-2013, but there is talk that Prime Minister Najib Razak could hold snap polls early next year to take advantage of the opposition disarray and an economy on the upswing , it is expected to grow more than 6 percent this year after contracting 1.7 percent in 2009.

The situation is a far cry from March 2008 when Anwar’s party, in alliance with two other opposition groups, won more than one-third of seats in Parliament in an unprecedented blow to the ruling National Front coalition, which has been in power since independence in 1957. The United Malays National Organization is the dominant party in the coalition. But within a few months Anwar, 62, was charged with sodomizing a young male aide in his office, which he has dismissed as a political plot. Still, his trial is dragging on with lurid details being documented by the court that will likely distract him from party affairs. Sodomy is punishable by up to 20 years in prison in Muslim-majority Malaysia, even if it is consensual. On Sunday, Anwar urged his followers to close ranks for the “last lap, the last 100 meters” to win the next elections.

“Everyone has a role to play. Let’s strengthen the party,” he told more than 1,000 members. “This is the platform for a new era. Let’s get our election machinery ready and let’s fight to the end.” Meanwhile, Najib has made numerous political and economic reforms to win back ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities who had voted for Anwar to highlight their grievances against corruption and racial discrimination. —AP

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

NEWS

13

Tehran admits cyber World scrambles to deal attack on nuke plants with WikiLeaks fallout Iran ready to enter talks with P5+1 powers on Dec 5 TEHRAN: Iran admitted yesterday that its controversial uranium enrichment centrifuges had been affected by a malicious computer virus, as reported by Western diplomats last week. Hours earlier, car bombs killed a top Iranian nuclear scientist in Tehran and wounded another. Both events may color a resumption of talks on nuclear issues next week with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a news conference Iran would attend the talks on Dec 5, but restated its position that its uranium enrichment program, which it says is purely for power generation, was not negotiable. Major Western powers as well as Israel and Russia have become increasingly concerned that Iran’s program may soon give it the capacity to build and launch a nuclear bomb, despite four rounds of UN sanctions.

Israel and the United States have not ruled out pre-emptive military strikes. But the emergence of Stuxnet, which some experts believe was aimed specifically at Iran’s nuclear installations, shows Tehran’s foes may no longer be restricted to conventional diplomatic and military options.

CENTRIFUGE PROBLEMS Ahmadinejad did not specify whether he was referring to the Stuxnet virus identified

by Western security experts, but said: “They

succeeded in creating problems for a limited number of our centrifuges with the software they had installed in electronic parts. But the problem has been resolved.” International talks on Iran’s nuclear program have made little or no progress and been stalled for more than a year. Russia’s RIA news agency quoted Iran’s ambassador to Moscow as saying the latest round would be held in Geneva.

Ahmadinejad said Iran was ready to discuss nuclear cooperation and international problems, but not enrichment. “The complete enrichment cycle and the production of fuel are basic rights of (IAEA) member states and are non-negotiable,” Ahmadinejad said. A senior Western diplomat in Tehran whose country is involved in the talks said no major breakthrough was expected. “Iran has always tried to evade pressure by expressing its readiness for talks. But we want to discuss sensitive issues like enrichment,” the diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Pressure has been increasing on Iran since the discovery last year of a hitherto undeclared underground enrichment site under construction near Qom. SPY ARRESTS In the past few months it has arrested a number of alleged nuclear spies, warning citizens against leaking information to foreign secret services. Iran’s top nuclear offi-

cial, Ali Akbar Salehi, said the scientist killed in Tehran yesterday, Majid Shahriyari, had had a role in Iran’s biggest nuclear projects, but gave no further details. The scientist injured by a separate bomb in Tehran, Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, is personally subject to UN sanctions because of alleged involvement in nuclear weapons research.

The state news agency IRNA said motorcyclists had approached both scientists as they drove to work and attached bombs to the outside of their cars before riding off. Both men’s wives were injured.

Another nuclear scientist, Massoud AliMohammadi, was killed in Tehran by a remote-controlled bomb in January. Western security sources said at the time that he had worked closely with Abbasi-Davani.

Ahmadinejad blamed the attacks on Iran’s enemy Israel and its Western allies. He also dismissed as “mischief” news reports based on secret US diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks indicating that many of Iran’s Arab neighbours had pressed for a US strike against its nuclear program. “Regional countries are all friends with each other. Such mischief will have no impact on the relations of countries,” he said. “Some part of the American government produced these documents. We don’t think this information was leaked. We think it was organized to be released on a regular basis, and they are pursuing political goals.” — Reuters

Wikileaks expose hidden Gulf views on Iran Continued from Page 1 “These revelations show that the Gulf Arab region is concentrating on Iran to the level that we want a war with Iran,” said Sami AlFaraj, head of the Kuwait Centre for Strategic Studies. Analysts say the Gulf rulers’ desire for military action against Iran could add to wider SunniShiite tensions and undermine Saudi Arabia’s efforts to mediate with Iran to

ease sectarian tensions in Iraq and Lebanon. “It depends how people receive this. If they play it up and manipulate it, in terms of Sunni-Shiite relations it could find some fertile ground,” Shaikh said.

“But in terms of policy I don’t think it’s going to have great impact-they are dominated by other interests,” he added, echoing comments by Dakhil who saw limited implications. Animosity between Sunnis and Shiite goes back to a cen-

turies-old religious schism that still poisons relations. Hardline Sunnis regard Shiites as “rejectionists” who strayed from true Islam. Until recently Gulf states banned Shiites from performing religious rituals in public. In some countries they are denied government and security jobs. No Gulf Arab government has commented on the Gulf leaks, which had on Monday not been widely covered by local media. — Reuters

Op-ed by US Ambassador Continued from Page 1 do not represent a government’s official foreign policy. In the United States, they are one element out of many that shape our policies, which are ultimately set by the President and the Secretary of State. And those policies are a matter of public record, the subject of thousands of pages of speeches, statements, white papers, and other documents that the State Department makes freely available online and elsewhere.

But relations between governments are not the only concern. US diplomats meet with local human rights workers, journalists, religious leaders, and others outside the government who offer their own candid insights. These conversations depend on trust and confidence as well.

The owners of the WikiLeaks website claim to possess some 250,000 classified documents, many of which have been released to the media.

Whatever their motives are in publishing these documents, it is clear that releasing them poses real risks to real people, and often to particular people who have dedicated their lives to protecting others. An act intended to provoke the powerful may instead imperil the powerless. We support and are willing to have genuine debates about pressing questions of public policy. But releasing documents carelessly and without regard for the consequences is not the way to start such a debate. For our part, the US government is committed to maintaining the security of our diplomatic communications and is taking steps to make sure

they are kept in confidence. We are moving aggressively to make sure this kind of breach does not happen again. We continue to look to Kuwait to remain one of our principal friends, allies, and partners in this region, as one of our leading interlocutors on regional issues, as a country whose counsel we seek as we endeavor to contribute meaningfully to the development of regional solutions for regional problems.

We cannot afford anything less. The Embassy is in close contact with Ministry of Foreign Affairs interlocutors to make sure we continue to focus on the issues and tasks at hand. President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and I remain committed to being trusted partners as we seek to build a better, more prosperous world for everyone.

Blasts kill Iran nuke scientist Continued from Page 1 blood of university professor Dr Majid Shahriari to curb Iran’s progress,” the office of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a statement posted on its website.

Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said the “Mossad and the CIA are the enemies of Iranians” whose “desperate terrorist act against the two academics shows their weakness and inferiority.”

Israel’s foreign ministry declined to comment on the reports.

Shahriari was “in charge of one of the great projects” at Iran’s Atomic Energy Agency, the Islamic republic’s nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA. He was also a member of the so-called SESAME project on nuclear cooperation in the Middle East. The other scientist, Abbasi Davani, was targeted by UN Security Council sanctions under Resolution 1747 adopted in March 2007. He was identified as a senior defense ministry and armed forces logistics scientist. The 52-year-old

was “one of the few specialists who can separate isotopes,” and has been a member of the elite Revolutionary Guards since the 1979 Islamic revolution, one report said.

“The two were cooperating with the defense ministry in the field of nuclear research. Shahriari was the head of a project that sought to achieve the technology to design nuclear reactor core,” said the hardline Rajanews website. The police chief said the assailants had managed to escape and that “nobody had yet claimed responsibility” for the attacks. In January, Masoud Ali Mohammadi, another Iranian nuclear scientist involved with the SESAME project, was killed in a bomb attack which Tehran blamed on “mercenaries” in the pay of Israel and the United States. Salehi warned “enemies” of Iran they were “playing with fire” in reaction to the assassination.

The latest attacks came a day after the top US military officer said the United States was weighing military options in the face of Tehran’s announcement it had an

atomic power plant up and running. “We’ve actually been thinking about military options for a significant period of time,” Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff said in an interview with CNN. Mullen said he doesn’t believe that Iran’s nuclear plant is for civilian use “for a second.” “In fact, the information and intelligence that I’ve seen speak very specifically to the contrary. Iran is still very much on a path to be able to develop nuclear weapons, including weaponizing them, putting them on a missile and being able to use them,” he said.

On Saturday, Iran said its first atomic power plant built by Russia in the southern city of Bushehr had begun operations, ahead of a new round of talks with Western powers over the country’s controversial nuclear drive. And in July, Iranian nuclear researcher Shahram Amiri said after returning to the Islamic republic that he had been held in the United States for more than a year after being “kidnapped” at gunpoint by two Farsi-speaking CIA agents in the Saudi city of Medina. — AFP

Islamist MPs target women in swimsuits Continued from Page 1 Meanwhile, the National Assembly is set to debate today a crucial request by the public prosecution to lift the immunity of opposition MP Faisal Al-Muslim so he can be interrogated for showing a copy of a cheque issued by the prime minister for a former MP during an assembly session.

To be accepted, the request must be approved by a majority vote in the assembly in which all cabinet ministers can participate. A large majority of lawmakers are set to oppose the request on the grounds that it breaches the constitution which guarantees the freedom of expression for MPs under the assembly chamber.

Based on an unconfirmed account, close to 40 out of the 50-member house are expected to oppose the request which was described by opposition MPs as an attempt to undermine the status of the 1962 constitution and an attempt to prevent MPs from freely expressing their opinions under the assembly chamber. A group of former MPs, writers and academics issued a statement yesterday call-

ing on MPs to firmly reject the public prosecution request, saying that lifting the immunity amounts to undermining the status of the constitution.

The statement said that lifting the immunity means scrapping the supervisory powers of the national assembly which is a key part of the constitution. They also stressed that the aim of the move is to silence other MPs from exercising their roles under the constitution. The lawsuit against MP Muslim was filed by Burgan Bank which claimed its interests have been harmed when Muslim showed a copy of the premier’s cheque which was issued through the bank. The debate over the request is expected to be very tense with many MPs expected to attack the government.

In another development, the National Assembly financial and economic affairs committee yesterday discussed a government-sponsored draft law for combating money laundering and terror funding, rapporteur of the panel said. MP Abdulrahman Al-Anjari said that the committee decided to return the bill to the

government to separate it into two bills, one dealing with money laundering and the other tackling terror funding.

Anjari said that committee members found no objection to the money laundering bill but added that they rejected parts of the terror funding bill since there is no clear definition for terrorism. He said terror definition could differ from a country to another, where in some countries what is seen as terror funding could be seen as charity donations in others. Anjari said the committee received a note from Islamist MP Khaled Al-Sultan saying that certain articles of the terror funding bill in fact violate the constitution.

Meanwhile, a number of MPs criticized Municipality Minister Fadhel Safar for forcing three senior Kuwaiti legal advisors to go on retirement in violation of the law which allows them to continue in their jobs until the age of 70. MPs were speaking to a number of lawyers at the legal department of the municipality who staged a protest sit-in at the national assembly yesterday in support of their colleagues.

Israel feels ‘vindicated’ PARIS: Governments worldwide scrambled yesterday to head off damage from a flood of leaked US diplomatic cables revealing secret details and indiscreet asides on some of the world’s most tense international crises. Despite diplomats’ red faces, officials were quick to criticize the release of the confidential missives, most of which date from 2007 to February this year, and to stress that the leaks would not harm relations.

Highlights include a call by Saudi King Abdullah for the US to “cut off the head” of the Iranian snake over its nuclear program and leaked memos about a Chinese government bid to hack into Google. The more than 200,000 cables were given to journalists from five Western publications several weeks ago and are being released on the web in stages over the coming weeks, with many governments still braced for the worst.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose policies are the subject of many of the memos, dismissed them as “worthless” and “mischief” which would not affect Tehran’s relations with its Arab neighbors. Britain said it would continue to work closely with the US despite the upcoming release of unflattering US memos about Prime Minister David Cameron. British newspaper The Guardian, one of those media selected to preview the documents, said that upcoming memos give “embarrassing” US views of Cameron and “weak” ex-leader Gordon Brown.

Cameron’s spokesman said leaks were “inhibiting the conduct of governments.” WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange described the release as a “diplomatic history of the United States” covering “every major issue.” Despite a cyber attack that took down its main website Sunday, WikiLeaks started publishing 251,287 cables - 15,652 of which are classified “secret”-from 274 US embassies around the world on http://cablegate.wikileaks.org. US officials had raced to contain the diplomatic fallout by warning more than a dozen governments of the impending leaks, but Washington refused to negotiate with WikiLeaks, saying it had obtained the cables illegally.

Afghanistan insisted its relations with the US would not be affected by cables portraying

RIYADH: In this file photo, Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (left) shakes hands with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah as Crown Prince Sultan (right) looks on at Riyadh airport. The classified diplomatic cables released by online whistle-blower WikiLeaks and reported by the London Guardian said some cables showed King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia repeatedly urging the United States to attack Iran to destroy its nuclear program. — AP President Hamid Karzai as weak and paranoid, and his brother as a corrupt drugs baron. “We don’t see anything substantive in the document that will strain the relationship,” Karzai’s spokesman Waheed Omer told reporters, adding: “We’ll wait and see what else comes out before making further comment.” US diplomats described Karzai in the documents as “driven by paranoia” and “conspiracy theories”.

Russia likewise tried to play down US diplomats’ reported assessment of the country as “a virtual mafia state” that is ruled

by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and not the president. “There is nothing new or deserving a comment in these publication,” Kremlin spokeswoman Yulia Timakov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. “Our own diplomats are sometimes just as open in their own private messages to each other,” an unidentified Kremlin official told the Kommersant business daily.

Israel emerged as a surprising beneficiary, with senior officials saying that they vindicated the Jewish state’s position as they exposed widespread Arab concern

over Iran’s nuclear program. “I don’t think Israel was harmed at all,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, although one document quoted him as saying while in opposition in 2007 that he would “never allow a single Palestinian refugee to return to Israel.”

And in the US itself, the government ordered a sweeping review of information security across federal agencies, saying the inflammatory and sometimes embarrassing revelations had damaged national security. “Any failure by agencies to safeguard classified information... is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Jacob Lew, said.

The Guardian said all five papers had decided “neither to ‘dump’ the entire dataset into the public domain, nor to publish names that would endanger innocent individuals.” US officials have not confirmed the source of the leaks, but suspicion has fallen on Bradley Manning, a former army intelligence analyst arrested after the release of a video showing air strikes that killed

reporters in Iraq. WikiLeaks argues that the first two document dumps-nearly 500,000 US military incident reports from 2004 to 2009 - shed light on abuses during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Meanwhile, the newly leaked US diplomatic cables also say that Iranian Red Crescent ambulances were used to smuggle weapons to Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group during its 2006 war with Israel. The cables say that the IRC shipments of medical supplies “served also to facilitate weapons shipments.” Hezbollah and Israel fought a 34-day war that killed 1,200 Lebanese and 160 Israelis.

The release of more than 250,000 classified State Department documents occurred this week by online whistleblower WikiLeaks. According to one of the cables, a person whose name was not published “had seen missiles in the planes destined for Lebanon when delivering medical supplies to the plane.” Iran allegedly funds the militant group to the tune of millions of dollars a year and is suspected of supplying much of its arsenal. — Agencies

Scottish airports hit as UK shivers in cold snap LONDON: Britain shivered yesterday as an unseasonal cold snap gripped the kingdom, with temperatures below freezing and snow flurries trapping hundreds of motorists and causing travel chaos. Snow played havoc with Scottish airports with the country’s busiest, Edinburgh, shut until at least 1400 GMT, while Glasgow reopened following a closure and Aberdeen was open but its runways had to be cleared. Amid the earliest widespread British winter snowfall since 1993, the chilliest spot was in Scotland, with an overnight low of minus 16.1 degrees Celsius reached in Altnaharra in the northern Highlands.

The BBC reported that hundreds of motorists had been trapped in their cars in Scotland, with a rest centre set up in Perth to assist more than 650 people who had

been stranded overnight. Llysdinam, which saw Wales’s coldest ever November reading on Sunday at minus 18C, was a bit warmer overnight at minus 12.9C. The weather was forecast to worsen with snow spreading inland and some temperatures plunging as low as minus 20C, forecasters warned. The unusual weather has been caused by high pressure over Greenland and low pressure in the Baltic, forcing cold winds from the north-east across Europe.

Britain’s Met Office national weather service issued severe weather warnings for the country’s eastern flank, saying snow showers would continue to affect many parts. Northeast England was among the regions blanketed in snow, with the landmark “Angel of the North” sculpture outside Newcastle spreading its wings over

picture postcard wintry scenes. English Premier League football side Chelsea were forced to take a seven-hour coach ride back to London on Sunday following their 1-1 draw at Newcastle after disruption to their planned flight home.

The weather has disrupted several sporting events-Dundee United’s Scottish Premier League match against champions Rangers was cancelled. Hundreds of schools were closed nationwide. A number of roads in Northern Ireland’s second city Londonderry went untreated after thugs smashed the windows of salt gritting trucks. The bitterly cold weather caught out two suspected thieves in Leigh, northwest England, after police followed a trail of frozen water which dripped from a stolen boiler. — AFP

Investment Dar committee quits Continued from Page 1 The company, which along with a majority stake in the British automaker also owns the Grosvenor House Apartments in London and other banking and property investments - launched its restructuring plan last year. It has said it gained the support of more than 80 percent of its banks and investors. “Despite

the residual effects of the wider financial crisis, TID continues to maintain a strong and solid asset base and the Board views this proposal as an overt opportunist attempt by members of the CC to attempt to assume control of TID’s assets, motivated by individual greed,” TID said.

It accused some members of the committee of acting on “personal and destructive agendas which are not repre-

sentative of the principles of their appointment or representative of the interests of TID’s banks and investors.”

TID said in May it was in default on a $100 million Islamic bond. In March, it sought state legal protection stemming from its debts. TID said it will appoint a new coordinating committee and, meanwhile, will work directly with banks and investors. — AP

Kuwait to spend $90 billion on oil projects Continued from Page 1 opposition lawmakers that its tendering did not go through the proper legal channels. Faruq Al-Zanqi, the CEO of the national oil company KPC, told reporters yesterday that he is hopeful the two projects will be tendered and awarded in 2011.

He said KPC is waiting for the Supreme Petroleum Council, the highest oil decision-making body, to meet and take a favorable decision on the two projects, insisting Kuwait needed them. After completing the two projects, Kuwait plans to shut down Shuaiba refinery, one of three refineries in the country with a total capacity output of 930,000 bpd. And when the two projects are operational,

Kuwait will have a refining capacity at 1.4 million bpd. Kuwait’s expenditure plan in the oil sector which supplies 90 percent of public income, envisages raising oil output capacity to 3.5 million barrels of oil per day by 2015 from 3.1 million bpd currently, Refaai said.

The ultimate goal of Kuwait’s longterm strategy is to raise its output capacity to four million bpd by 2020 and sustain that until 2030, Refaai, who is also chairman of Oil Development Company, said.

The chairman of Kuwait Oil Co (KOC), a KPC subsidiary responsible for exploration and production, Sami Al-Rasheed, told the conference the company expects to spend $25 billion over the next five years on projects. Rasheed said KOC aims to raise its crude output to 3.65 mil-

lion bpd by 2020 from around three million bpd now. The remaining 350,000 bpd will come from the divided zone with Saudi Arabia.

KOC also plans to raise natural gas production, both associated and non-associated, to around 4.5 billion cubic feet daily by 2030. Kuwait currently produces one billion cubic feet of associated gas and around 140 million cubic feet of nonassociated gas daily. KPC transport subsidiary, Kuwait Oil Tanker Co (KOTC) will account for $1.6 billion to modernize the Kuwaiti oil fleet by ordering six new modern tankers by 2015, Refaai said.

Kuwait, OPEC’s fifth largest producer, says it sits on 10 percent of the world’s proven crude reserves and is pumping 2.3 million bpd. — AFP

OPINION

14

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

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issues

What next for India’s deadlocked parliament?

By Matthias Williams

I

ndia’s parliament has been in deadlock for nearly three weeks, preventing bills from being passed as opposition parties keep up demands for a full investigation into alleged government corruption. The government has refused to agree to an allparty investigation, saying a separate one is already under way. The speaker of the powerful lower house has called an all-party meeting on Tuesday in the latest attempt to break the impasse, though informal talks over the weekend showed scant promise of a breakthrough. The Congress party-led coalition has said it had no intention of cutting short the winter session of parliament that runs to Dec. 13, though in practice the session could prove fruitless.

WHAT HAS CAUSED THE DEADLOCK? The opposition, fresh from a landslide victory in the eastern state of Bihar with its coalition partner, is disrupting mandatory open parliamentary debate on bills by shouting down proceedings, leaving the speaker forced to adjourn every sitting. The opposition, which includes the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as left-wing parties, now has four corruption scandals with which to beat the ruling federal government. In addition to a telecoms spectrum scam in which the telecoms minister has resigned, there is the issue of corruption in the run-up to October’s Commonwealth Games, a housing scam in the western state of Maharashtra and a banking scandal.

The Congress party has presented some proposals to break the impasse, including an investigation monitored by the Supreme Court, but the opposition has rejected them.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? If the government can find a solution to break the logjam, parliament will run until midDecember. But efforts by the Congress party’s main dealmaker behind the scenes, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, have failed and there could be an early end to the session. Should that happen, parliament would convene again in February to pass the budget for the fiscal year that ends in March 2012. The government could reconvene parliament earlier than February if it felt there were a possibility of resuming business.

WHAT IS AT RISK? A key bill needing approval for additional spending of about $9.8 billion to ensure the functioning of government, including interest payments on government debt and subsidies on food and fuel, until parliament reconvenes at the next session. As a money bill, if the government fails to push it through, it amounts to a government defeat.

Government sources say a voice vote, which can be used to circumvent debate, could be used to pass the bill. There are very few other key bills

slated for the session. One is a mines and minerals bill, which would provide for a 26 percent share of mining profits for people displaced by projects. Another seeks to empower banks to raise more capital.

HOW SERIOUS IS IT? The length of the deadlock is unprecedented in recent memory. Although the situation does not threaten the stability of the ruling coalition, it is undermining its credibility with voters and tarnishing the image of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The ruling coalition of the United Progressive Alliance still has the numbers for a majority in parliament. But with four major state-level elections coming up in the next few months, the government wants to avoid giving the opposition political ammunition. It feels a wider parliamentary investigation demanded by the opposition would be seen as capitulation.

The opposition senses an opportunity to draw maximum political mileage, driving home its point that the coalition is mired in corruption and misgovernance. Under pressure, Congress has lately sacked several senior figures in a bid to clean up its image.

In another blow to the party, a Congress lawmaker and son of a former chief minister of a key state has resigned amid a row over a TV broadcast by his channel criticizing India’s most powerful politician, party chief Sonia Gandhi. The resignation of YS Jaganmohan Reddy, who now plans to create his own political party, threatens to wean support away from Congress in Andhra Pradesh. The southern state sends 42 out of 545 MPs to the lower house and a big margin there helped Congress win a second term in 2009.

HOW COULD THIS AFFECT LONGER-TERM REFORMS? If the next session has to deal with delayed legislation, it means debate of some key reforms will be pushed back.

That could include landmark investor-friendly goods and services tax (GST) legislationunifying a fragmented tax system-as well as direct tax legislation. It is possible that GST will not even be passed until after September 2011. Reform initiatives such as opening up multi-brand retail keenly awaited by foreign investors such as global giant Wal-Martwill not be affected as they do not need parliamentary approval but can be implemented through executive decision. Passing legislation is notoriously slow in India due to red-tape, something of which foreign investors are well aware. Short-term setbacks not likely affect capital inflows. Government decisions regarding corporate majors such as POSCO and Vedanta over environmental concerns and a recent decision

by Karnataka state to ban iron ore exports are taken outside parliament’s business remit.—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.

After Irish humiliation, markets struggle with eurozone risk

F

inancial markets gave the debt rescue for Ireland and new rules for future bailouts a wobbly reception on Monday, and pressure on Portugal and critical eurozone member Spain rose. In Ireland, people woke to a new era of humiliation and a terrible hangover from a decade of bank-driven bingeing on property. For the Irish people, the problem now is how to pay the debt and loans, for financial markets the uncertainty is how to price the risk of funding eurozone governments in trouble in future as announcements on Sunday made clear the rules will change.

At ING bank, analysts said that the first reaction of the debt market “was positive.” But by mid-morning the borrowing rates for Ireland, Portugal and Spain had risen from the levels late on Friday, implying that the risk of crisis contagion was high and rising. There is widespread concern that if the cost of borrowing for Spain becomes prohibitive, Spain will need financial help that the European Union might struggle to provide. Spain says it is a totally different case from the two eurozone countries rescued so far, Greece and Ireland, and will not need a rescue.

The euro fell, but shares firmed although this was largely in response to signs last week that the US economy is on the mend and the German economy is recovering strongly. ING analysts noted that pressure from Germany for private investors to share the cost of future

bailouts, a factor behind huge uncertainty and tension over eurozone debt in the last two weeks, had been “watered down over the weekend.” But from 2013 governments would be able to renegotiate terms with savers who had lent them money if they ran into trouble.

Analysts at ING and at Goldman Sachs bank noted that the terms of the Irish rescue did not require people who had financed existing debt to take a “haircut,” meaning to be repaid less than the full amount when the loans expire. In Ireland, the public and media reaction to the weekend’s events was one of anger, humiliation and alarm at use of the national pension reserve fund to help shore up the nation’s finances. The Irish

Sun newspaper summed up the general mood: The rescue, it said, “sentences us all to generations of horrific debt.”

It said: “It is pure fantasy to think the Irish people can afford to pay this bill. The taxpayer is being saddled with all the pain, while the bondholders get off scot free.” But the rate Ireland must pay to borrow for 10 years rose to 9.137 percent from 8.877 percent late on Friday, the rate for Portugal rose to 6.971 percent from 6.690 percent and for Spain to 5.203 percent 5.148 percent.

In Paris, French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde assured that the rescue totaling 85 billion euros (113 billion dollars) for Ireland would “douse the fire” threatening other

eurozone countries, and strongly rejected any suggestion that France might be threatened.

The head of the French central bank, Christian Noyer who is also a decision maker at European central Bank, said in Tokyo he had “absolutely no doubt that this plan will work.”

But at French bank Credit Agricole in Tokyo, Mitul Kotecha said the euro had fallen in a “stark” initial reaction, and at MF Global in Tokyo, Nicholas Smith said: “The one to really watch is Spain.”

At BNP Paribas bank, analysts said: “As now Ireland had found aid, Portugal and Spain will obviously remain under the spotlight.” However, they said: “We believe that Portugal, despite the ambitious targets

contained in the 2011 budget, will probably be forced to resort to the EFSF (EU-IMF rescue fund expiring in 2013). “Our central case is that Spain will be able to continue to fund itself on the market, albeit at a higher cost.”

A statement by eurozone finance ministers on Sunday on the creation of a future permanent European Stability Mechanism “points clearly” to governments coming before private investors in funding debt. Goldman Sachs analysts said they expected the rescue to relieve some of the pressure against Ireland.

They also said they estimated that the “risk premium on Italian and Spanish bonds-the larger EMU (eurozone) non-

core countries-already largely discount” the tensions of new conditions emerging for eurozone debt markets. But they warned: “The ECB faces a serious dilemma on Thursday because they have indicated that they’ll spell out their next strategy on that occasion.”

They said: “It is worth bearing in mind that more than three quarters of eurozone government liabilities (debts) ... are held by eurozone members, primarily financial institutions.

“Moreover, the ECB has already purchased around 17 percent of the combined debt stock of Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

The share of public debt of the former two in public sector hands will likely exceed 50 percent by mid-2013.” — AFP

Kazakh strongman scores greatest coup with summit

A

fter a two-decade drive to raise the world profile of his energyrich nation, the hosting of the first OSCE summit in 11 years marks a huge political coup for Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Born in relative obscurity to a peasant family, Nazarbayev, 70, trained as an engineer and rose up to become First Secretary of the Kazakh Communist Party in 1989 and the president of the independent nation in 1991. Under his rule, Kazakhstan has won plaudits from business leaders as a major hub for free market investment.

But rights groups have condemned its authoritarian political system, which they say has changed little from Soviet times. Kazakhstan, a majorityMuslim country wedged between Russia and China, sits on some of the

world’s largest oil and natural gas fields, as well as holding massive reserves of uranium and other precious metals. Nazarbayev has showed acumen in the delicate balancing act of Caspian energy politics, securing cooperation from Western firms capable of high-tech exploration and development but without alienating Moscow.

Although the president has eschewed the statues and blatant personality cults favored by some in the region, he is ubiquitous on television and his face and slogans bear down from billboards on Kazakhs on the country’s roads. He relishes grandiose projects designed to demonstrate Kazakh prosperity, none more visible than the new futuristic capital Astana, which he conjured up almost from scratch from the barren northern

steppe. And until the 2008 financial crisis hit its highly-levered banking sector, Kazakhstan had seen years of spectacular economic growth at times touching almost 10 percent. But while Astana grew at a staggering pace, progress on democracy has been far less swift.

Nazarbayev won his first election in 1991 uncontested and in the latest edition in 2005 he won more than 91 percent of the vote. Rights groups allege that journalists who dare criticize the elite are harassed and threatened and say the situation has not improved at all under the OSCE chairmanship.

Parliament in 2007 removed all term limits for Nazarvayev and this year went a step further by granting him the status of “leader of the nation” (Elbasy in Kazakh) together with immunity

from prosecution for him and family members. His name is also inscribed as the co-author of the Kazakh national anthem quite against his will according to the president.

And while Nazarbayev did much to develop the country’s financial portfolio, critics charge that he was not equally enthusiastic about curbing the rampant corruption that sprang up.

One of his most prominent economic lieutenants is his son-in-law Timur Kulibayev, now deputy head of the giant holding company Samruk-Kazyna which owns many of Kazakhstan’s greatest assets. But to many of his supporters, Nazarbayev’s proudest legacy was his decision to relinquish a massive nuclear arsenal, the world’s fourth largest, which Kazakhstan inherited after the Soviet collapse. —AFP

Conde an unfortunate surname in ethnically tense Guinea

By Stephane Barbier Guinean doctor Alassane Conde describes himself as being half from the Malinke ethnic group and half from the Fulani, but his surname says otherwise. When opposition leader Alpha Conde, a Malinke, was declared winner of November’s disputed presidential election, the doctor and his family became a target for an angry crowd in the majority Fulani northern town of Labe. “It is my name which is causing me problems,” says 47-yearold Alassane Conde, who heads the department of biology at the University of Labe and also specializes in traditional Chinese medicine.

On the evening of November 15, “directly after the announcement of provisional election results named Alpha Conde the winner, people

armed with stones attacked my home,” he says.

The attackers shouted, “We will kill you, you’re a Conde, we will start with you,” the doctor says. Conde defeated Fulani opponent Cellou Dalein Diallo with 52.5 percent of the votes against 47.5 percent, once again robbing the country’s biggest and wealthiest ethnic group of political power. While some two dozen ethnic groups live in harmony alongside each other, with the Fulani the largest at around 40 percent of the population followed by the Malinke and Soussou politics has in the past polarized them.

Father of independence and despot president Ahmed Sekou Toure was a Malinke who denounced the Fulani, the economically dominant group, as hoarders of the country’s wealth.

Military ruler Lansana Conte who

ruled for 24 years was Soussou.

In this, Guinea’s first democratic election since independence from France in 1958, tensions sparked when the final two candidates were revealed as a Fulani and a Malinke.

Alassane Conde believes that if he had opened the door to try to calm the crowd outside, they would have killed him. He says he was stopped by his six-year-old daughter who said: “Don’t open it, daddy, there are more of them, they will kill you.” He called the special election security force, Fossepel, which is made up of gendarmes and police. By the time they arrived to evacuate him and his family, stones that rained down on the house had broken windows and damaged the roof.

Conde, who was holed up with his daughter, his nephew and stepmother,

says it was residents of his own neighborhood who had attacked, something he struggles to understand since they were people he “has treated free for years.” His office, located a few hundred meters from his home, was broken into the same night and two computers and two microscopes stolen, he says. “I’m traumatized, the children are traumatized. I have a hatred against people of the neighborhood,” he says. The doctor no longer wishes to stay in Labe, one of the main cities of the Fouta Djallon region in northern Guinea, the birthplace of the Fulani and stronghold of the defeated Diallo.”I thought I was from here, but I am no longer from here. I have asked for a transfer,” he said quietly. His house is now guarded by a soldier.

Until this attack, Alassane Conde felt at home everywhere in Guinea.

As with many of his countrymen, his father is Malinke and his mother is Fulani. Born in Upper Guinea, a region predominantly peopled by Malinke, he studied in Lower Guinea and worked in mostly Fulani Middle Guinea. He said he never belonged to a political party: “I am a researcher, more passionate about research than by politics.” His younger brother settled in Upper Guinea and was threatened “simply because he is from Middle Guinea” and thus classified as Fulani.In late October attacks mounted against the Fulani after a rumor that people of this ethnic group had “poisoned” beverages distributed to supporters of Alpha Conde in Conakry. The attacks on shops and houses that followed left at least one dead, a shopkeeper who was killed in the eastern city of Siguiri. — AFP

ANALYSIS Mood shifts in S Korea for tough stance against North

15

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

By Frank Zeller

P

atience with North Korea has snapped among many South Koreans and a martial mood is spreading among its leaders, military brass and public after Pyongyang’s deadly artillery strikes last week.

Reflecting the popular sentiment, a grim-faced President Lee Myung-Bak in a national address Monday called the strikes “a crime against humanity” and vowed to make sure the North “pays a dear price” for any further provocations. A new poll found that 80 percent of South Koreans think the military should have hit back harder last Tuesday, when it returned artillery fire but shied away from air strikes, said the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

Over the years Seoul has fumed, but usually refrained from retaliating, as the regime of Kim Jong-Il staged nuclear tests, fired long-range missiles and just weeks ago-showed off a new uranium enrichment plant.

Most South Koreans, especially the younger generations, have long shrugged off the Pyongyang’s Cold War-style vitriol and verbal attacks which label them “warmongers” and “the US imperialists’ puppet forces”. Agents from the North blew up a South Korean airliner in 1987, killing 115 people.

Pyongyang has also been blamed by a multinational panel for the March sinking of a South Korean corvette, the Cheonan, which killed 46 sailors.

But many believe North

SOUTH KOREA’S WEST SEA: US Navy Carrier Air Wing Five aircraft are tied down on the flight deck of the USS George Washington during joint military drill off South Korea’s West Sea yesterday. —AP Korea staged its most brazen provocation yet when it rained 80 shells and rockets on to the South’s border island of Yeonpyeong, killing two marines and two construction workers. The first artillery attack on a civilian area in the South since the 1950-53 war reduced two dozen buildings to smoldering ruins and sparked a panicked exodus of almost all of the island’s 1,500 residents. At the funeral for the two marines Saturday, Marine Corps commander Lieutenant General Yoo Nak-Joon vowed to “repay North Korea a hundred- and thousand-fold” for their deaths.

The government has

announced it will beef up island defenses, reform the military and change its rules of engagement, which have so far strongly emphasized the avoidance of escalation. But military analysts warn that another Korean war would bring a nightmare scenario of a devastated Korean peninsula and one million deaths. Pyongyang has claimed it only retaliated last Tuesday after its “superhuman” patience had been broken by the South firing shells into waters that the North claims as its own during an artillery drill.

Many South Koreans believe it is they who have been turning the other cheek. Korea Policy

Research Centre president Yo Ho-Yeol said: “Even until the Cheonan incident, public sentiment was still divided between criticizing the North and criticizing our own government’s hardline stance (on the North).

“Now the public sentiment is clearly dominated by anger towards the North. And a majority of the public wants strong retaliation against the North upon any further provocation.”

Daniel Pinkston, Seoul office head of the International Crisis Group, said: “The South has been pretty tolerant, but how much can you tolerate? I don’t know what the red line is, but if

you don’t retaliate, this is giving a green light to North Korea.”

Many people strongly support a joint US-South Korean naval exercise under way which is spearheaded by an American aircraft carrier, even as Pyongyang warned that the drill brought the Koreas closer to “the brink of war”. A rally against the maneuver drew just 20 activists Sunday, with protesters holding a banner that read: “Stop the Korea-US drill that causes a vicious cycle of retaliation and confrontation!”

Their numbers have been dwarfed by far larger antiPyongyang rallies.

A leading North Korea expert, Peter Beck said that it might be time for South Korea to consider military action beyond its limited response.

“This attack is different than the Cheonan sinking,” said Beck, an international affairs fellow at Keio University in Tokyo. “There is still at least a little ambiguity about what sank the Cheonan, but this artillery strike was not only a blatant violation of the armistice agreement, it was also against civilians. “Therefore, Seoul should consider a retaliatory strike, either on the North Korean navy or on its nuclear facilities.”

Many on the streets of Seoul feel the same way. “We should not be afraid,” said 77-year-old Cheon Sang-Yong, a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars who now works part-time in a fast-food restaurant. “We should be prepared to fight back.” — AFP

South Korea’s ‘Bulldozer’ topples into a ditch

By Jack Kim

S

outh Korean President Lee Myung-bak has carried the nickname “bulldozer” for much of his life as he rose through the corporate and political world with a can-do spirit, winning the respect of bosses and voters alike. This week, he is under pressure for failing to deliver on his tough words six months ago to avenge the deaths of 46 sailors in a torpedo attack on a navy ship he blamed on North Korea so that Pyongyang would never repeat provocations.

Yesterday, he conceded he had failed to protect the lives of civilians and soldiers and said he accepted responsibility for the public’s disappointment in how the military responded to an artillery attack by the North on a southern island last week. “It proved wrong the assumption that conservative leaders are strong on national security,” political commentator Yu Chang-seon said. “The disappointment is all the greater because it was felt even among his support base, the conservatives.” Lee had become a legend in his rags-to-riches tale to become the youngest chief executive at Hyundai Engineering and Construction, turning an upstart builder into the country’s biggest construction company.

He helped lay the asphalt and erect skyscrapers at home and abroad as South Korea surged to become one of Asia’s economic tigers. As mayor of Seoul years later, he won over its residents with projects to bring back a

stream running through the city centre, opening city hall plaza for free concerts and skating in winter, and knocking time off their commutes by enforcing new bus lanes. After winning the presidency in 2007 with the largest margin in the republic’s history, he weathered a political storm over an unpopular move to open the country to US beef to become one of the most popular national leaders in office.

But his popularity has taken a

nose-dive over the past week, dropping more than 15 percentage points in polls released on Monday from two weeks ago when he was seen as having successfully hosted a summit of G20 nations in Seoul. A poll published by the Chosun Ilbo of 1,000 people four days after the North fired 170 artillery rounds on and around a South Korean island showed Lee’s popularity at 44.2 percent, down from almost 60 percent in some polls

conducted two weeks ago.

Three quarters of those responding said the government did a poor job in responding to the island attack. That compares with opinion evenly divided over the government’s response to the North’s attack on the navy ship in March. Lee said in a tough-worded national address on Monday that the incident proved the North can never be trusted and that Pyongyang would pay a price for any further

provocation. “Now is the time to show action, not a hundred words,” he said. Political commentator Yu said the political damage would not derail Lee’s political legacy, but that North Korea would be the greatest dilemma of the rest of his term.

“The question is what the fundamental solution is going to be,” Yu said. “He faces a situation where trying to punish the North is not necessarily going to solve the problem.”—Reuters

The battles of the Korean West Sea

T

here have been numerous clashes between North and South Korea near five, disputed West Sea islands over the past half a century, killing dozens of people and sinking warships. Here is a look at how the main clashes have played out around Yeonpyeong Island, which North Korea attacked last Tuesday killing four people, since 1999.

FIRST BATTLE OF YEONPYEONG, JUNE 1999 North Korean naval boats crossed the Northern Limit Line, which it has never recognized, on several occasions between June 7-15. The South Korean navy conducted ramming or bumping operations to force the ships back across the NLL, sinking one torpedo boat on June 15. Fire was exchanged, sinking one and severely damaging two North Korean boats and killing at least 17 and as many as 80 North Koreans.

SECOND BATTLE OF YEONPYEONG, JUNE 2002 North Korean patrol boats allegedly crossed the NLL in the Yellow Sea and opened fire on a South Korean patrol boat.

This resulted in the deaths of six South Koreans and serious injury to nine South Korean sailors and the sinking of one South Korean frigate. A North Korean vessel also

caught fire and is believed to have been destroyed. An estimated 13 North Koreans were killed. South Korean armed forces “strengthened security preparedness”.

South Korea received US approval to change strategic military rules to allow its troops to strike first if threatened by intruding North Korean ships.

BATTLE OF DAECHEONG, NOVEMBER 2009 South Korean forces issued three verbal warnings to a ship from the North once it had crossed the NLL. The South Koreans then fired a warning shot, but when the North Korean vessel continued southward, the South Koreans opened fire. The North Koreans returned fire before heading back after their ship was damaged in the exchange. One North Korean sailor was killed and three wounded. South Korean Prime Minister Chung Woon-chan called the incident “accidental”.

SINKING OF THE CHEONAN, MARCH 2010 A South Korean corvette, the Cheonan, sank in the Yellow Sea just south of the NLL near Baengnyeong Island after an explosion in the ship’s stern ripped it in two. Of the 104 South Korean sailors on board, 46 were killed. The explosion was

later determined by an international investigation to have been caused by a North Korean torpedo. North Korea denied responsibility. As a result, all inter-Korean trade, save the Kaesung industrial complex, was severed, and North Korean merchant vessels were barred from using South Korean sea lanes.

SHELLING OF YEONPYEONG ISLAND, NOVEMBER 2010 North Korea fired around 170 artillery rounds at the island of Yeonpyeong, with less than half hitting land. The main target was the South’s garrison, but more than a dozen civilian homes were also destroyed, making it the first attack on a civilian location since the two Koreas signed a truce to ending fighting in the 1950-53 war. Two civilians and two soldiers were killed. The South fired 80 rounds in return, but it was not clear the extent of damage in the North.

Seoul ordered a full-scale review of its defense after criticism that its response was late and weak. It dispatched more troops and equipment to the islands. The defense minister quit. Most of the civilians left the island. Six days later, the US and South Korean militaries, including an aircraft carrier group, started exercises off the same coastline.— Reuters

California faces final court battle over ‘abysmal’ jails C

alifornia will try to convince the US Supreme Court this week not to force it to free inmates from its massively overcrowded jails, where one expert described conditions as “abysmal.” The West Coast state has appealed to the top US court to annul a ruling that some 46,000 inmates should be freed within two years, warning that the released prisoners could pose a risk to public safety. But critics say California, with among the most overcrowded and underfunded prisons in the United States, has dragged its feet and must be forced to take action a long-running dispute triggered by concerns over inmates’ health.

“Prisoners’ mental health is being made worse by the unprecedented levels of overcrowding,” Professor Craig Haney of the psychology department at the University of California, an expert witness in the case said. “Many of the prisons are unsafe and the living conditions inside them are abysmal ... State officials have refused to take meaningful action, forcing the courts to become involve to

remedy these unconstitutional conditions,” he said. Cash-strapped California has some 148,000 inmates housed in 33 prisons designed for some 80,000 people, according to the state’s own figures.

Images of prisoners stacked into triple-bunk beds packed into gymnasiums drew widespread criticism, although officials claim to have made progress in the last few years, since the state’s prison population peaked about 175,000. In August last year 55 inmates were hospitalized after a riot at a prison in the town of Chino, east of Los Angeles, while more than 200 others with minor injuries. The action which has led to Tuesday’s Supreme Court action was initiated by two prisoners who complained they were being denied access to medical and psychiatric care, alleging resources were strained by the huge jail population.

Three federal judges ruled last year that there was “overwhelming” evidence that the overcrowding in California’s prison system was depriving inmates of the health care they were entitled to

under the US constitution. But California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has said freeing a quarter of the prison population would represent a danger for the state’s 37 million residents. “Sending 40,000 inmates out of the game is not something that is in the best interests of public safety,” said spokesman Oscar Hidalgo of California’s Correction and Rehabilitation department, on the eve of the Supreme Court case.

He insisted California has made progress-notably contracting out some 10,000 inmates to private jails in Arizona and Mississipi-and should not be dictated to by a federal court ruling. “We’ve emptied gymnasiums of triple bunks .. there’s been quite a bit of relief in terms of overcrowding,” he said.

“We think the population reduction has to be done over time, and it has to be done without a court mandate to do it by a certain time,” he added, referring to the two-year deadline set by last year’s federal ruling. Professor Haney, who has visited some of the prisons himself in his role

as expert witness, said California is simply playing for time. “Tens of thousands of prisoners are in jeopardy every day inside these prisons,” he said. “And yet Department of Corrections officials continue to ask for ‘more time’ to address issues that they have shown themselves unwilling or unable to address in the past.”

Schwarzenegger-in his last year as California governor-suggested in January that California could even send thousands of undocumented inmates to specially built jails in neighboring Mexico. But the state’s prison department spokesman downplayed the idea.

“It’s not something that we’ve actively pursued. I think he made that comment as we were doing some out-of-state contracting. “It’s never come to fruition,” said Hidalgo. Republican former “Terminator” star Schwarzenegger is due to hand over power in January to veteran Democrat ex-governor Jerry Brown, and with it the task of coping with California’s chronic jail problems. —AFP

focus

Nuke lost generation

By Sylvia Westall

O

n a flat, low-lying island nestled in crisp waters off the west coast of Finland, the first nuclear power plant ordered in Western Europe since 1986 is inching towards start-up.

Over 4,000 builders and engineers are at work on the sprawling Olkiluoto 3 project, whose turbine hall is so cavernous it could house two Boeing 747 jets stacked on top of each other. When it is dark, which in winter is most of the day, enormous spotlights throw into focus scores of scaffolding towers and the red hauling equipment that encircle the grey, unfinished reactor building. The heavy reactor vessel, made to withstand temperatures over 350 degrees Celsius, has been gingerly lifted into place by two cranes. Inside the building, a dozen workers carrying a single pipe across their shoulders create a human caterpillar that carefully wends its way through tarpaulin-covered tunnels lit by lamps and chinks of daylight.

Walking through the expansive complex, still missing a domed cover on the reactor building, it takes a while to make out a peculiar but important detail: many of the engineers and building experts working here are in their late 50s and early 60s; some are in their 30s, but few are in between.

There’s a hole in the nuclear workforce, not just in Finland but across the Western world. For the moment, the operator of the Olkiluoto 3 plant, power utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO), is getting by with its most experienced staff. As those workers retire, though, the skills shortage could become a crisis.

“The nuclear industry has been in the desert for years and years and the question is how to revamp it and how to revamp human resources,” says Colette Lewiner from Cap Gemini, a consultancy firm which raised concerns about the ageing nuclear workforce in a report in 2008 and has warned “there will be no nuclear power renaissance” without efforts to tackle the problem. “The industry needs to ramp up and it needs to do it quickly.” Like a growing number of nations, Finland sees nuclear power as vital to its future prosperity. Olkiluoto 3 is the biggest investment in the history of Finnish industry. Helsinki wants nuclear power to provide more than a third of the country’s electricity by 2020, reducing its dependence on carbon-emitting fossil fuels and energy imports from Russia. Globally, 15 countries are currently building 63 nuclear power plants, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N.’s atomic body. More than 65 additional states, newcomers to the technology, are jostling for advice on nuclear power.

Completion of Finland’s new 1,600 megawatt reactor, built by French energy giant Areva and designed to withstand a plane crashing into it, is running four years late and will turn out far more expensive than its original 3 billion euro price tag.

Areva alone has already taken 2.7 billion euros in writedowns on the project. But delays and cost overruns are nothing compared to the skills crisis the project has helped expose, which is already affecting the nuclear sector around the world. “The global community is facing this big problem-where is this human resource?” says Yanko Yanev, head of the IAEA’s nuclear knowledge management unit, set up 10 years ago when the Vienna-based agency first sounded the alarm. “When we started this program, people said, ‘Ah, give us a break!’

Now they are realizing the problem is more complex than they had first thought.”

PARALYSIS Simply put, the cause of the looming shortage can be pinned on two events: Three Mile Island in 1979 and Chernobyl in 1986. In its first few decades, full of optimism and hope, the nuclear age was run and staffed by workers who had graduated between the early 1940s and late 1960s. People like Esa Mannola, who is responsible for nuclear safety at Olkiluoto. Mannola studied technical physics in the late 1960s and after a brief stint of military service, took a job working on the first two nuclear units based on Olkiluoto, which went online in 1979 and 1982. Like about 40 percent of TVO’s staff, Mannola, 62, is over 50. “Nuclear was a brand new technology and it was exciting,” he says, sitting in a bright conference room not far from where enormous parts for the reactor have been shipped in and hauled into place. “I felt it would be important for the country’s future.”

Now head of a specialist team of around 20 people at TVO, the wry, softly spoken manager says he is always on the lookout for potential new hires, but has struggled at times to find young people to fill highly specialized roles. That’s not surprising.

After Long Island and Chernobyl, many countries put their nuclear plans on ice or even phased out nuclear altogether, moving instead to more affordable fossil fuels. Students turned away from the nuclear sector, recruitment stagnated and many workers left. “Nuclear did not create a permanent demand on the market so that people could see it as a prospective career,” IAEA’s Yanev says.

The malaise lasted for well over a decade and created what Jorma Aurela, 51, chief engineer in Finland’s energy department, calls a ‘lost generation.’ “Many of us were paralysed. The people in this generation did not have a good future in front of them,” says Aurela, who graduated just before the Chernobyl accident and as a young worker, used to occasionally tell people he was studying history because he was embarrassed to be associated with nuclear power. Around half his classmates quit the sector, he estimates. “Some have been found again but some are lost,” he says. “They are lost to other parts of the industry or are mentally lost-they do not want to work for this industry again.” That’s left older workers running Finland’s plants, and could threaten the country’s planned nuclear growth, especially as Helsinki has just okayed plans for two more new plants.

SILVER TSUNAMI It’s a similar story in other parts of the Western world. French utility EDF says around 50 percent of employees in its nuclear branch will retire by 2015 and that its workers are on average 43-44 years old. In the United States, the peak age of workers in the nuclear sector is 48-52 while Britain estimates that up to two-thirds of its top-tier nuclear managers will retire by 2025. Worldwide, the nuclear industry employs around 250,000 people. Many first-generation nuclear staff have just retired or will do so in the next few years, taking with them skills and knowledge of complex, costly projects-just as the nuclear renaissance gets underway. Sometimes referred to as a “silver tsunami”, the departure of the first generation of nuclear workers is a big concern for the IAEA, which promotes civilian nuclear technology alongside its role as atomic watchdog. Many countries and private

firms have new units planned or under construction, the agency said in a September report for a conference of its 151 member states. “(They) are facing shortages of experienced personnel and loss of knowledge as they look to replace retiring staff for their existing fleet while at the same time staffing new projects.”

Finnish nuclear regulator Stuk says the lack of skilled workers is at least partly to blame for the delays at Olkiluoto. So many experienced nuclear manufacturers have left the business that project managers have been forced to look for subcontractors who then need nuclear training, the regulator said in a presentation in August. Building the next generation of power plants will be demanding, “because much of the earlier experience and resources have been lost from the nuclear industry.” And it’s not just a lack of engineers. The global shortage runs from uranium miners to the wastedisposal experts who tidy up at the end of the nuclear cycle. “I’ve got colleagues running around Florida trying to find people to take their knowledge before they die,” says Peter Waggitt, a uranium production consultant to the IAEA. “Most of the senior experts in uranium mining are pushing 50 and some of the best are over 70.”

A fall in uranium prices in the late 1980s left scant incentive to enter the mining industry, while leaky, badly constructed mines gave uranium mining a bad name. But the ore is now trading at around $60 per pound, in real terms more than four times the 1990 price. More than 500 companies are involved in the sector and the IAEA says at least 30 new uranium mines will open before 2015. The workforce, says Waggitt, is struggling to keep pace.

In May 2008, BHP-Billiton said it would take longer than originally estimated to expand its Olympic Dam copper-uranium mine in Australia because the worldwide mining boom had created greater competition among skilled workers, higher prices and shortages of equipment. A skills shortage still hangs over the site, the world’s biggest uranium deposit. The Australian government has estimated the country needs around 6,000 extra skilled workers during construction. Analysts have put the full expansion cost at $20 billion or more.

Waggitt sees these problems as a warning to the wider industry: “Uranium mining is at the very beginning. If there is a problem in this sector it is a problem for the entire nuclear cycle.”

BURNING NEED In an attempt to tackle the shortfall, Finland is rushing out a blueprint that outlines how to get more young people studying nuclear energy. From his offices next to the presidential palace in Helsinki, chief engineer Aurela heads a 20-person committee which is assessing the needs of Finland’s future nuclear workforce. The country wants to build another large plant at Olkiluoto by 2020. To staff such grand plans, Aurela says Finland will need to produce at least 100 nuclear specialists a year. At the moment it produces just 20 to 30. After talks with industry, university and government officials, the committee will soon present a detailed report on what to do next. “It will come out in spring,” Aurela says. “We don’t have time for a year. We need to get the measures in place. We know some of them already-we only have two nuclear physics professors in Finland and we already know that that is too few.” One of those professors is Rainer Salomaa, who first got into nuclear as a way to escape the isolated southwestern port city of Turku where he grew up, 160 km from where he now teaches near the capital.

Producing the next generation of nuclear experts, says Salomaa, 62, should not be left to chance.

“With the development at Olkiluoto, people are much more excited,” he says, sitting in his Aalto University office with its stacks of curled papers and heavy text books. “But when you are training new people, just to get an ordinary professional it takes around five years. It’s a very slow processand to get a professor it takes 15 years-that’s one of the bottlenecks.” Student numbers in basic nuclear engineering at the university have gone up, to around 30 a year from about 12 in 2000, the lowpoint of the industry in Finland. Masters students in the field-who it is hoped will become the next generation of top-notch nuclear specialists-have risen to 6-10 per year from 2-3 a decade ago. That’s an improvement, but nothing like what Salomaa says is needed. “For the moment we will survive, but once the two new units start at full speed the burning need will continue. “The difficulty is that the number in the new generation anywhere is getting smaller. There’s huge global competition for the bright students-they are wanted in economics, law-and engineering is not as fashionable as it used to be.”

NEW BLOOD Finding the right people to fill all those jobs will not be easy. Before padding in flipflops and socks to a lecture theatre, Salomaa explains what he is looking for in a student. “The courage to tackle nondefinable problems,” he says. “With nuclear engineering, you really have to have the courage not to give up.” At the same time, he wants students with a deep respect for safety and rules. His generation was rattled by two major nuclear accidents and had safety taught to them like a mantra. “The safety culture is a question of attitude. It has to be there from the start.” Few people have that mix: mathematically gifted, able to think outside the box, but also happy to abide by rules. On a grey, mild day in late September, some 30 young Finns who have at least some of those attributes listen to a lecture in a boxy, functional building on Aalto University’s sprawling science and technology campus. “I could work in the nuclear industry, I think it has a future,” says Karita Kajanto, a 21-year-old energy technology student in crisp, word-perfect English.

Like her other classmates, though, Kajanto notes that some are not so upbeat about nuclear physics. “Here at this university people have positive views but some friends studying humanitiesand some people who don’t really know about itthey have quite aggressive views that what we are doing is wrong,” she says. To give them choices after graduation, many of her classmates also take classes in the much trendier renewable energies such as solar and hydropower.

One problem is cultural. “The way nuclear companies are managed and the way young people want to work are different,” Cap Gemini’s Lewiner says.

“Nuclear companies can be quite hierarchical, it is very controlled-you are allowed to do this and not that. Some of that is needed of course, but it has to be softened.” Changing that image will take timebut it is possible. A recent study by polling company Gallup showed nearly one third of young Finns are in favor of nuclear power, the highest since the survey began in 1982. Ten percent were against it and the rest were neutral. —Reuters

SPORTS

16

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

NHL results/standings Washington 3, Carolina 2 (So); Atlanta 4, Boston 1; Detroit 4, Columbus 2.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Philadelphia 25 15 6 4 34 87 61 Pittsburgh 25 15 8 2 32 76 61 N.Y. Rangers 25 14 10 1 29 73 66 New Jersey 24 8 14 2 18 45 69 N.Y. Islanders 22 5 12 5 15 46 72 Northeast Division Montreal 24 15 8 1 31 60 47 Boston 22 12 8 2 26 59 46 Ottawa 24 11 12 1 23 57 71 Buffalo 25 9 13 3 21 62 73 Toronto 22 8 11 3 19 48 61 Southeast Division Washington 25 17 6 2 36 86 68 Tampa Bay 24 13 8 3 29 73 78 Atlanta 24 12 9 3 27 77 72 Carolina 23 10 10 3 23 70 74 Florida 22 10 12 0 20 57 57 Western Conference Central Division Detroit 21 15 4 2 32 73 56 Columbus 22 14 8 0 28 62 53 Chicago 26 13 11 2 28 79 74 St. Louis 22 12 7 3 27 57 57 Nashville 22 9 8 5 23 51 60 Northwest Division Vancouver 22 12 7 3 27 68 59 Colorado 23 13 9 1 27 83 71 Minnesota 22 11 9 2 24 56 62 Calgary 23 9 12 2 20 64 69 Edmonton 22 6 12 4 16 55 88 Pacific Division Dallas 22 13 8 1 27 64 61 Phoenix 22 11 6 5 27 66 65 Los Angeles 22 13 9 0 26 63 55 San Jose 22 11 7 4 26 65 63 Anaheim 25 11 11 3 25 64 77 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

WASHINGTON: Alex Ovechkin No. 8 of the Washington Capitals brings the puck down the ice against Tim Gleason No. 6 of the Carolina Hurricanes at the Verizon Center. —AFP

Thrashers dump Bruins ATLANTA: Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien had a goal and three assists, and Ondrej Pavelec made 40 saves to help the Atlanta Thrashers win their fifth straight game, 4-1 over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.

Pavelec had 16 saves in the sec-

ond period. During the winning streak, he has stopped 201 of 207 shots. Atlanta, which has outscored opponents 19-3 over its last five, led 3-0 by the 14:42 mark of the first period on goals by Evander Kane, Byfuglien and Jim Slater.

Blake Wheeler’s wrister 12:22

into the second cut it to 3-1, but Niclas Bergfors scored on a power play by redirecting Byfuglien’s slap shot with 13 seconds left in the period.

The Bruins, who had a 10-game winning streak against Atlanta, have dropped two straight overall

and are winless in four of their last five.

Capitals 3, Hurricanes 2 At Washington, Semyon Varlamov made 26 saves and stopped all three Carolina attempts in the shootout, and Alex Ovechkin con-

verted a shootout goal to lift Washington.

Carolina’s Eric Staal forced overtime with 3 seconds left in regulation, scoring his 11th goal of the season, and also had an assist on Erik Cole’s goal in the second period.

Alexander Semin and Marcus

Johansson scored first-period goals for the Capitals.

Red Wings 4, Blue Jackets 2 At Detroit, Niklas Kronwall, Darren Helm, Valtteri Filppula and Danny Cleary scored, and Jimmy Howard made 27 saves as Detroit

Injured Tsonga to boost French from sidelines

Federer’s passion still fuelled by Rafa rivalry LONDON: When Rafael Nadal was invited by a tennis writer to pick out the defining moments of his 2010 season on Sunday his answer stretched on for several minutes.

The remarkably humble 24year-old Spaniard could be excused some self-indulgence, however, because it has been quite a year.

Three grand slam titles, an unbeaten stretch on claycourts, and an iron-like grip on the world number one spot were definitely worth talking about.

Roger Federer, who beat Nadal to claim the ATP World Tour Finals for the fifth time with a show of force, described Nadal’s season as one any player “could only dream of”. High praise indeed for a player with 16 grand slam titles and a suitcase full of tennis records.

The good news, then, is that as one year ends and the pair snatch a couple of weeks of relaxation, arguably the two best players to stride a tennis court are both relishing the continuation of their rivalry next year after meeting just twice in the past 12 months.

Federer has ended the season like an express train and, at 29, his passion for the game he turns into art remains undimmed.

Nadal knows that, and just as in the days when John McEnroe fed off his rivalry with Bjorn Borg, the Mallorcan appears pleased that the man he respectfully calls the “best ever” is ready to battle him for the major honours.

While Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will continue to strive to close the gap, men’s tennis needs Federer and Nadal firing on all cylinders in 2011.

“I think tennis, the men’s game, is at an absolute high right now,” Federer, who trails Nadal 14-9 overall, told reporters. “There are lots of exciting matches and lots of respect.

“Also I think having had me and Rafa both make the career

grand slam already at a young age I think is great for the game. We’re obviously playing not only for ourselves and beating the other guys, but also for history.”

The Swiss added: “I think there’s a lot at stake always in all our matches we play in the future. I think that’s wonderful.

“With Rafa having won three grand slams in a row it seems like not many can stop him...(and) when I’m on, (stopping me) is a hard thing to do.”

While Nadal clearly looked in need of a rest after losing 63 3-6 6-1 on Sunday to the rampant Swiss, it seemed Federer would be happy to carry on straight into next season.

“I’m very excited starting in Abu Dhabi and Qatar and gearing up for the new season,” Federer, who will be defending the Australian Open in January, said.

“I’m sure I’m going to play well. That never guarantees success. But I’m sure that the confidence I took away from this tournament could help down the stretch. “Beating fellow top 10 players could always have some mental play at some stage of the season.”

Nadal, the youngest player to achieve a career grand slam, is a remarkably straightforward individual and, while appreciating what he has achieved, said he would get back to work in January and start all over again.

“I won’t be thinking about defending 100,000 points or if I have to defend 1,000 points,” he said, when asked if he felt that he would be the prey rather than the hunter next season. “I start the season, I have zero points. For me, every day and every season starts new, and I’m gonna’ work to be ready and be competitive to try to be in the top positions and to compete to keep winning titles.

“The pressure for me is the same. The goal is the same, try to play well, try to compete against everybody, and try to be in the final rounds.” —Reuters

swept a weekend series against Columbus. Johan Franzen added two assists for the Red Wings, who beat the Blue Jackets 2-1 on Friday night in Columbus. Derick Brassard and Antoine Vermette scored, and Steve Mason stopped 38 shots for Columbus. —AP

PARIS: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is sitting out this weekend’s Davis Cup final through injury, but will travel to Belgrade to cheer for France against Serbia as a team spirit second to none could once again help them pull off an upset.

Guy Forget’s squad have no player in the top 10 and will have to do without Tsonga, the 2008 Australian Open beaten finalist. He has an injured knee.

But Tsonga will be in Belgrade lending support from the sidelines as his compatriots battle Novak Djokovic and company.

The French have a history of upsetting the big guns. In 2001, they won the Davis Cup in Australia, on grass, with Nicolas Escude beating then world number one Lleyton Hewitt.

This year, France knocked out champions Spain in the quarter-finals and Argentina in the semis, thrashing both 5-0.

Escude, now the women’s Fed Cup team captain, believes team spirit was, and still is, the key.

“To me, the state of mind

is paramount,” he told Reuters, adding that despite Tsonga’s injury, France had more individual talent than ever.

Gael Monfils lies 12th in the ATP rankings while Michael Llodra has reached a career-high 23rd after beating Djokovic at the Paris Masters earlier this month, albeit on a super-fast court that favoured Llodra’s attacking game.

“In Belgrade, we will set up the court and it is going to be different,” Djokovic said in Paris. According to Henri Leconte, a 1991 Davis Cup champion, the French team spirit can make up for it.

Leconte, who still plays on the veterans’ circuit, told Reuters: “The key is Jo (Tsonga). He has not played the last ties but he is the one starting everything. He is the one saying ‘guys, we need to go get that Cup’. This is really important.”

“The team spirit is fabulous. Despite his injury, Jo has been around from the beginning to the end,” French technical director Patrice Hagelauer said. —Reuters

Montreal wins second straight Grey Cup title

LONDON: Switzerland’s Roger Federer celebrates after beating Spain’s Rafael Nadal to win the singles final tennis match at the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena. —AP

EDMONTON: Anthony Calvillo led Montreal to its second straight Grey Cup Canadian Football League title and third in nine years, completing 29 of 42 passes for 336 yards in the Alouettes’ 21-18 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday. Last year in Calgary, Montreal won with Damon Duval’s 33-yard field goal with no time left after Saskatchewan was called for too many men on the field on Duval’s apparent game-ending miss from 43 yards. Montreal has played in eight of the last 11 CFL title games, also winning in 2002. The Alouettes forced Saskatchewan to punt on eight straight possessions during the defensive game.

“Our defense played so well today,” Calvillo said. “We worked so hard. We kept working and working and keep fighting and it pays off. Saskatchewan is an awesome team. We knew it was going to be tight.” Avon Cobourne ran for two touchdowns for Montreal, the second a 2-yarder that gave the Alouettes a 21-11 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Saskatchewan cut it to three on Darian Durant’s 1-yard scoring pass to guard Marc Parenteau with 3:08 left. The Roughriders got the ball back after Duval missed a 41-yard field goal, but Billy Parker intercepted Durant’s pass with 56 seconds remaining. “We didn’t play good Alouettes’ football,” Montreal receiver Ben Cahoon said. “We struggled at times and our kicking game struggled. It shouldn’t have been close.” —AP

17

SPORTS

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Ashes first Test drawn as Cook sets batting record

ASPEN: Sweden’s Maria Pietilae-Holmner slams past a gate on her way to the best time in the first run of the Women’s World Cup slalom ski race. — AP

Pietilae-Holmner wins first World Cup slalom ASPEN: Maria Pietilae-Holmner of Sweden swiftly glided through the tightly set slalom course on the final run to capture her first World Cup event.

Pietilae-Holmner finished Sunday’s two runs in 1 minute, 46.19 seconds, while Germany’s Maria Riesch took second, 0.68 b a c k , a n d Fi n l a n d ’ s Ta n j a Poutiainen captured third. Threetime overall World Cup champion L i n d s e y Vo n n t u r n e d i n t w o strong runs and wound up eighth, finishing 1.44 seconds behind Pietilae-Holmner.

Vonn took a steadier approach Sunday after skiing aggressively the day before in the giant slalom and veering off the course. Sarka Zahrobska’s reign in the Aspen slalom ended with a 12th-place performance. The Czech Republic skier won this event the last two years.

Austria’s Nicole Hosp, who missed last season with a right knee injury, ended up fifth. She was second after the morning run.

Pietilae-Holmner led the race heading into the afternoon session, but Riesch applied the pressure with a blistering run. The 24-year-old Pietilae-Holmner responded, making few mistakes a l o n g t h e c o u r s e s t re w n w i t h quick turns.

“My first win! Ahhhh, I can’t describe it. It brings me to tears,” Pietilae-Holmner said. “I feel super good.” This was a solid weekend for Riesch, who also finished ninth in the giant slalom Saturday. With her second-place performance in the slalom, she

recaptured the early overall lead in the World Cup standings.

“I can be happy with this race,” Riesch said. For Vonn, this was almost redemption on a course that’s given her fits in recent seasons.

“It’s the hill that never quits,” Vonn said. “This hill is just tough and you try to do the best that you can.” Julia Mancuso had her day end early after she hit a rut up top on her first run and had to ski aggressively to make up time.

She later skidded off the course. “I was skiing well,” Mancuso said. “It’s hard when you make a mistake at the beginning, you know you have to pretty much win the rest of the course to make it in there. I was trying to push the line too much.”

Still, Mancuso called it a solid weekend after finishing eighth in the giant slalom Saturday. “I’m excited,” Mancuso said. “I think my slalom is going well. It’s definitely difficult getting back into race mode and skiing back-toback races. But I’m getting there.”

Austria’s Marlies Schild, who won the event in Levi, Finland, two weeks ago, straddled the first gate in the morning run and was done, just like that. “Short day,” said Schild, who captured the silver medal in the slalom at the Vancouver Olympics and bronze at the Turin Games.

“This doesn’t happen. Never.”

Resi Stiegler was back on the course after three injury-riddled seasons. She skied well enough to finish 25th.

Stiegler said her recent string of crashes has caused her to ski scared, but she’s seeing a sports psychologist to help alleviate her fears.

This performance was a step in the right direction. “That’s going to take a while. Getting to race every day is going to help,” said the 25-year-old Stiegler, who fractured her left femur in a crash during training last November.

Hosp has looked solid in her return from a knee injury, also finishing fif th in L evi. The 2007 overall champion missed all of 2009-10 when she crashed at the season-opening giant slalom race o n t h e Re t t e n b a c h g l a c i e r i n Austria. Sitting out was quite difficult, especially in an Olympic year.

“The week was OK, the weekend when the races were on TV, it was always a hard time,” Hosp said. Hosp had another scare with her knee in September after crashing again. She took nearly three weeks off to rest the knee and said for the most par t it’s holding up.

In January 2009, Hosp broke the upper part of her shinbone and tore ligaments in her lef t knee in a crash in Zagreb, Croatia.

The recent rash of injuries has only intensified her passion for the sport.

“Not racing one year and the year before, you’re really hot for skiing again and racing again,” Hosp said. “You’re not that strictly focused for just good results.

You are happy that you are here and can race.”— AP

Maiden win for Gruenenfelder LAKE LOUISE: Switzerland’s Tobias Gruenenfelder finally won his first World Cup race after 13 years on the circuit with victory in Sunday’s Lake Louise super-G. Gruenenfelder, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on Saturday, upstaged team leader and World Cup champion Carlo Janka to win in one minute 32.31 seconds. Austrian Romed Baumann took third place.

Austria’s Mario Scheiber finished fourth to take the overall World Cup lead on 130 points.

“Yesterday the course was a bit too icy for me,” Gruenenfelder said of Saturday’s downhill where he finished 28th. “Today the snow was stickier and it suited me better. I badly wanted to do well today to avenge my disappointment yesterday”, he said.

In a career marred by injury, Gruenenfelder had previously never managed higher than third in a World Cup race. “What changed this season is the fact I was, for once, not injured last season which gave me time to train and practice hard,” he said.

“I never doubted my potential because my times were great in training”, he added. Luck was also on his side as Gruenenfelder started with an early bib on a day when the course gradually deteriorated.

Janka was far from disappointed with second place behind his team mate. “It’s my third podium here so it’s a good result especially as it gives me confidence before moving to Beaver Creek, a place full of great moments for me,” the Olympic giant

ALBERTA: Tobias Gruenenfelder, of Switzerland, heads down the course on his way to winning the men’s World Cup super-g ski race in Lake Louise. — AP slalom champion said.

Janka swept the board in Beaver Creek last season, winning a supercombined, a giant slalom and a downhill. Swiss world champion Didier Cuche was fif th but most of the

favourites were below par.

American Bode Miller was 12th and Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal, second in Saturday’s downhill, finished 29th, 1.77 seconds off the pace. — Reuters

BRISBANE: Alastair Cook led England to a clutchful of records and the unlikeliest of opening test draws yesterday but most importantly served Australia notice that the Ashes will not be surrendered without an almighty struggle.

Facing a huge first innings deficit, England looked destined to add to a dismal record of four defeats in their last five Brisbane tests-they were saved by the weather in the other- and 10 reverses there in 18 matches.

Instead, they finished the contest having struck an important psychological blow with Cook carrying his bat unbeaten on 235 and consigning the previously dominant Australians to nearly two days of hard labour under the Brisbane sun.

Both Cook’s second innings partners, captain Andrew Strauss (110) and Jonathan Trott (135 not out), piled in with centuries of their own in an extraordinary score of 517-1 declared.

Australia closed out a fairly meaningless final session on 107-1 with their own skipper Ricky Ponting unbeaten on 51 but the moral if not actual victory was surely England’s.

Cook and Trott’s second innings partnership of 329 was the highest stand by Englishmen in an Australian series for the Ashes, arguably cricket’s hardest fought and certainly its longest enduring international rivalry dating back to 1882.

Their tally eclipsed England’s previous best set by the Edwardian batting masters Jack Hobbs and Wilfred Rhodes in 1911-12.

Cook, whose place at the head of the England batting order had been called into question by the British media at the start of their tour, also surpassed the great Don Bradman as the top scorer at Brisbane’s famous Gabba ground.

Comprehensive defeats to kick off the last two Ashes tours at the Gabba have set the tone for disastrous tours-they were whitewashed 5-0 in their previous visit four years ago-and this looked set to go the same way when Australia took a first innings lead of 221 on Saturday.

But rather than fold, they struck back hard against an Australian team who have slipped to fifth in the test rankings. “To score 200 against Australia in Australia is a great effort,” said a glowing Cook after his 10-1/2-hour knock.

“When you’re so far behind you have to bat a lot of overs to get back into. It’s been a great couple of days.” The fact that it happened at the Gabba, where England have not enjoyed victory for 24 years, was not lost on Strauss.

“Everyone talks about the Brisbane test and how important it is,” said Strauss “At the end of day three it wasn’t looking good for us, (so) to come back in the match and draw it, we’ve got a lot of belief that we can go on and win this series.”

Australia, who will have to win the series to reclaim the Ashes, reacted by calling up two more pacemen for the next test in Doug Bollinger and Ryan Harris to boost the bowling corps.

Main strike bowler Mitchell Johnson did wretchedly and could well lose his place after being put in the shade by the supposedly struggling Peter Siddle who took a first innings hat-trick. Johnson finished wicketless at the cost of 170 runs.

“Am I disappointed we didn’t win the game?,” said Ponting. “We gave ourselves the best chance possible to win and we weren’t good enough in the last couple of days.”

Cook and Trott completely dominated the first two sessions of the final day in front of a sparse crowd where England supporters were more numerous and much louder.

Their disciplined partnership on a pitch that offered little to the bowlers bettered the 307 Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin accumulated to put Australia firmly in charge on Saturday.

The “Barmy Army” of England were at their noisiest just before lunch when Cook clipped the ball behind square to become the fourth England player to score an Ashes double century in Australia.

Australia’s bowlers continued to struggle in the baking sunshine with the one cast-iron chance they had of separating the England batsman before lunch spilled in the slips by Michael Clarke, another of several dropped catches by the hosts.

The second of the five tests begins in Adelaide on Friday but Strauss wisely declined to crow after Brisbane’s turnaround. “The only victories that count are on the pitch,” he said. — Reuters

BRISBANE: England batsman Jonathan Trott jumps to celebrate his double century during the final day of the first Ashes cricket Test match between Australia and England at the Gabba. — AFP

Scoreboard Scoreboard after the first Ashes test between England and Australia ended in a draw at the Gabba in Brisbane yesterday: England first innings 260 (I. Bell 76, A. Cook 67; P. Siddle 6-54) Australia first innings 481 (M. Hussey 195, B. Haddin 136, S. Katich 50; S. Finn 6-125) England second innings (overnight 309-1) A. Strauss st Haddin b North 110 A. Cook not out 235 J. Trott not out 135 Extras (b-17, lb-4, w-10, nb-6) 37 Total (for one wicket, declared, 152 overs) 517 Fall of wicket: 1-188 Did not bat: K. Pietersen, P. Collingwood, I. Bell, M. Prior, S. Broad, G. Swann, J. Anderson, S. Finn.

Bowling: Hilfenhaus 32-8-82-0 (w-1 nb-3), Siddle 24-4-

90-0 (w-2 nb-3), North 19-3-47-1, Johnson 27-5-104-0 (w-5), Doherty 35-5-107-0, Watson 15-2-66-0 (w-2).

Australia second innings S. Watson not out 41 S. Katich c Strauss b Broad 4 R. Ponting not out 51 Extras (w-1 b-4 lb-1 pen-5) 11 Total (for one wicket, 26 overs) 107 Fall of wicket: 1-5 Did not bat: M.Clarke, M. Hussey, M. North, B. Haddin, M. Johnson, B. Hilfenhaus, P. Siddle, X. Doherty.

Bowling: Anderson 5-2-15-0, Broad 7-1-18-1 (w-1), Swann 8-0-33-0, Finn 4-0-25-0, Pietersen 2-0-6-0.

The five test series remained tied at 0-0.

Man of the Match: Alastair Cook (England)

Weather holds key to Sri Lanka, Windies Test PALLEKELE: Sri Lanka and the West Indies hope for clear weather as they seek to clinch the series with a win in the third and final Test starting at a new venue tomorrow. The series is tied at 0-0 after rain-hit drawn matches in Colombo and Galle and the weather is likely to curtail play at the Pallekele International Stadium.

The West Indies, seeking their first Test victory in Sri Lanka, surprised the hosts with their impressive performance in Galle where they enforced the follow-on, restricting the home side to 378 after posting 580-9 declared.

Sri Lanka came back strongly in the second Test in Colombo when they made 387-9 declared in their first innings on a new pitch before bowling the tourists out for 243. The hosts declared their second innings at 57-1 before taking two West Indies wickets, including that of former captain Chris Gayle, for 12 runs in the final session.

Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara, who led from the front with a superb 150 in the first innings, expects his bowlers to repeat their performance in a bid to keep pressure on the tourists in the final Test.

The hosts were indebted to their spinners for gaining the upper hand, with Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis and part-timer Tillakaratne Dilshan giving a good account of themselves with three wickets apiece. Debutant paceman Suranga Lakmal and fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara also backed their spinners.

“If the match had gone the full distance, it would have

been great to see our spinners performing,” Sangakkara said after the Colombo Test.

“We applied ourselves in batting and our bowling performance was a lot better than the first Test.” The West Indies, who arrived in the country with new captain Darren Sammy and an inexperienced bowling attack, will need to be consistent with their batting and bowling.

The tourists batted well in the opening match, with Gayle showing the way with a brilliant 333, but faltered against Sri Lanka’s disciplined pace-spin combination in the next game.

Darren Bravo, 21, impressed in both the Tests with his exciting stroke-play, scoring 58 on debut in Galle and an attractive 80 in Colombo.

“We didn’t play as well as we wanted to (in the second match), but the series is still 0-0, so we have everything to play for in the final Test. We need to keep improving,” said Sammy.

“Darren Bravo, Kemar Roach and Carlton Baugh all played well (in the second match). It’s been a long time we are going into the final Test of a series 0-0 and the players are looking forward to it.”

Wicket-keeper Baugh contributed a crucial 50 in the second innings to help his side avoid a follow-on, while fast bowler Roach bagged 5-100 in the first innings.

Roach also did well in the opening Test, finishing with five wickets, but the West Indies expect other bowlers to raise their performance. The West Indies have lost five and drawn three of their eight Tests in Sri Lanka. — AFP

18

SPORTS

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Johnson, Finnegan brawl, Texans pound the Titans HOUSTON: The Texans snapped a four-game losing streak while Andre Johnson and Cortland Finnegan were ejected for a fight in the fourth quarter of a 20-0 Houston win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Arian Foster rushed for 143 yards and caught nine passes for the Texans (5-6), who posted their first shutout since 2004.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Finnegan set it off by pushing up Johnson’s face mask at the line of scrimmage. Johnson ripped off Finnegan’s helmet and landed at least two punches to Finnegan’s head and neck. Finnegan tore off Johnson’s helmet before players and referees intervened.

Steelers 19, Bills 16 At Orchard Park, New York, Shaun Suisham kicked a 41-yard field goal with 2:14 left in overtime to lift the Steelers. Buffalo (2-9) blew an opportunity to win it with 10:30 left in overtime.

Wide receiver Stevie Johnson got in behind the Steelers secondary but dropped a 40-yard pass on the run, while he was 2 yards into the end zone.

Falcons 20, Packers 17 At Atlanta, Matt Bryant kicked a 47-yard field goal with 9 seconds remaining to give the National Football Conference-leading Falcons their fifth straight win. The Falcons (9-2) have their longest winning streak since 1998 and assured themselves of a third straight winning season. Of course, they have much higher aspirations sitting atop the conference standings with five weeks to go.

Vikings 17, Redskins 13 At Landover, Maryland, Brett Favre was perfect on two scoring drives as Minnesota won Leslie Frazier’s NFL head coaching debut despite Adrian Peterson’s early injury. Favre went 3 for 3 on the Vikings’ opening possession, which ended with Peterson’s 5-yard touchdown run.

The 41-year-old quarterback was 5 for 5 on the first drive of the second half, capped by a 5-yard TD from rookie Toby Gerhart, who took over after Peterson left in the second quarter with a bad right ankle.

Giants 24, Jaguars 20 At East Rutherford, New Jersey, Eli Manning threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Boss with 3:15 to play and the Giants rallied to snap a two-game losing streak and end the Jaguars’ three-game winning streak.

Manning also threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham, Lawrence Tynes kicked three field goals and the defense came up with three consecutive sacks and a late turnover with 1:25 to go as the Giants (7-4) rallied from an 11point halftime deficit.

HOUSTON: Texans running back Arian Foster (23) dives over Tennessee Titans safety Chris Hope (bottom) for a first down after catching a pass in the second quarter of an NFL football game. —AP

NFL results/standings Results and standings after Sunday’s National Football League games: Houston 20, Tennessee 0; Cleveland 24, Carolina 23; NY Giants 24, Jacksonville 20; Atlanta 20, Green Bay 17; Pittsburgh 19, Buffalo 16 (OT); Minnesota 17, Washington 13; Miami 33, Oakland 17; Kansas City 42, Seattle 24; St. Louis 36, Denver 33; Baltimore 17, Tampa Bay 10; Chicago 31, Philadelphia 26; San Diego 36, Indianapolis 14.

American Football Conference AFC East W L T PF PA NY Jets 9 2 0 264 187 New England 9 2 0 334 266 Miami 6 5 0 205 225 Buffalo 2 9 0 229 295 FC North Baltimore 8 3 0 250 188 Pittsburgh 8 3 0 254 181 Cleveland 4 7 0 216 229 Cincinnati 2 9 0 225 288 AFC South Jacksonville 6 5 0 240 294 Indianapolis 6 5 0 282 252 Houston 5 6 0 264 287 Tennessee 5 6 0 257 218 AFC West Kansas City 7 4 0 285 231 San Diego 6 5 0 310 225 Oakland 5 6 0 255 256 Denver 3 8 0 250 323

PCT .818 .818 .545 .182 .727 .727 .364 .182 .545 .545 .455 .455 .636 .545 .455 .273

National Football Conference NFC East Philadelphia 7 4 0 310 257 NY Giants 7 4 0 277 240 Washington 5 6 0 215 262 Dallas 3 8 0 256 301 NFC North Chicago 8 3 0 222 172 Green Bay 7 4 0 269 166 Minnesota 4 7 0 189 239 Detroit 2 9 0 258 282 NFC South Atlanta 9 2 0 276 209 New Orleans 8 3 0 265 197 Tampa Bay 7 4 0 219 223 Carolina 1 10 0 140 276 NFC West St Louis 5 6 0 213 231 Seattle 5 6 0 209 275 San Francisco 3 7 0 160 219 Arizona 3 7 0 188 292

.636 .636 .455 .273 .727 .636 .364 .182 .818 .727 .636 .091 .455 .455 .300 .300

Browns 24, Panthers 23 At Cleveland, John Kasay missed a 42-yard field goal that grazed the left upright as time expired, allowing the Browns to escape and give ex-Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme a little satisfaction.

Kasay had a chance to win it for the Panthers (1-10) after rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen drove them to Cleveland’s 25, completing a beautiful sideline pass to Brandon LaFell with five seconds left.

Chargers 36, Colts 14 At Indianapolis, San Diego intercepted Peyton Manning four times, returning two for scores, and Mike Tolbert scored on a 3-yard run as the Chargers beat Indianapolis. The Chargers (6-5) won their fourth straight and remained one game behind Kansas City in the AFC West race.

Indianapolis (6-5) lost for the second straight week — and for only the second time in its past 21 home games — but is still tied with Jacksonville atop the AFC South. Manning finished 31 of 48 for 285 yards with two TDs but was picked off four times for the third time in his career. He has thrown seven interceptions in two weeks for the first time in his 13-year career.

Dolphins 33, Raiders 17 At Oakland, California, Chad Henne returned from a benching and injury to throw for 307 yards and two scores, and Dan Carpenter kicked four field goals for Miami. Davone Bess had 111 yards receiving in his first game as a pro in his hometown, and Ricky Williams ran for 95 yards and a score for the Dolphins (6-5), who won for the fifth time in six road games to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Bears 31, Eagles 26 At Chicago, Jay Cutler tied a career high with four touchdown passes and Chicago took sole possession of first place in the NFC North. The win was the Bears (8-3) fourth straight and put them a game ahead of Green Bay.

LOS ANGELES: Clippers forward Blake Griffin (right) goes up to dunk the ball as Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game. —AP

Nuggets eclipse Suns DENVER: JR Smith scored a season-high 30 points as the Denver Nuggets overcame the absence of Carmelo Anthony to hold off the Phoenix Suns 138-133 Sunday in the highest scoring game in the NBA this season.

Chauncey Billups returned to the lineup after missing three games with a sprained right wrist and had 25 points and eight assists for the Nuggets.

Anthony was feeling ill Friday against Chicago but still played and hit the winner in the final seconds.

Sunday he lasted just 2:48 before sitting down for good.

Jason Richardson did his best to keep Phoenix in it with 39 points, and Steve Nash had 17 points and 11 assists. Nash missed a 3-pointer with 17.8 seconds left that would have tied the game.

Pacers 95, Lakers 92 At Los Angeles, Roy Hibbert had 24 points and 12 rebounds asIndiana got its first victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center.

Danny Granger added 18 points for the Pacers, who had lost 11 straight to the Lakers on the road since Feb. 14, 1999, shortly before Staples Center opened.

Kobe Bryant scored 23 of his 41 points in the second half for the Lakers, but he missed two tying 3-point attempts in the final seconds.

Spurs 109, Hornets 95 At New Orleans, Manu Ginobili scored 15 of his 23 points in the second half as San Antonio overcame a

17-point deficit to hand New Orleans its first home loss of the season.

Tim Duncan scored 21 points and Richard Jefferson added 19 for the Spurs, who matched a franchise-best 7-0 start on the road, set in the 2006-07 season. David West scored 23 points for the Hornets, who were outscored 65-34 in the second half while losing for the first time in eight home games.

Jazz 109, Clippers 97 At Los Angeles, Deron Williams had 26 points and nine assists as Utah won its fifth straight. C.J. Miles scored 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter for the Jazz, who won their 13th in 16 games after opening the season with one-sided losses to Denver and Phoenix.

Rookie Blake Griffin had 35 points on 13 for 21 shooting, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out seven assists for the Clippers, who have lost nine of the past 10 meetings with the Jazz.

Knicks 125, Pistons 116 At Auburn Hills, Michigan, Amare Stoudemire had 37 points and 15 rebounds, and Raymond Felton added 23 points and 11 assists for New York.

Danilo Gallinari hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the second OT, giving the Knicks a 115-109 lead, and Wilson Chandler followed with another 3 for a nine-point lead.

Tayshaun Prince led the Pistons with 31 points, including 21 in the fourth quarter and overtime, and Rodney Stuckey scored 29 points.

Rockets 99, Thunder 98 At Houston, Kevin Martin scored 23 points and Shane Battier hit 4 of 6 attempts from 3-point range as Houston edged Oklahoma City.

Battier scored 18 points, Kyle Lowry had 14 points and Luis Scola 13 for the Rockets, who won their 11th straight at home over the Thunder. Russell Westbrook had 23 points and 10 assists as Oklahoma City’s road winning streak ended at five games.

Hawks 96, Raptors 78 At Toronto, Josh Smith had his third career triple-double and Marvin Williams added 17 points and 12 rebounds as Atlanta downed Toronto.

Smith finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists as the Hawks won their third straight after losing seven of nine. Joe Johnson and Al Horford scored 16 points apiece.

Andrea Bargnani, limited to a seasonlow 11 points Friday, led Toronto with 14 points, while DeMar DeRozan scored 13.

Nets 98, T Blazers 96 At Newark, New Jersey, Devin Harris had 25 points, including a vital 3-pointer with 1:11 left, and eight assists to lead New Jersey.

Anthony Morrow scored 16 points and Brook Lopez added 13 for the Nets, who snapped a two-game losing streak and handed the Trail Blazers their third straight loss.

Reserve Wesley Matthews scored 25 points, Brandon Roy had 21 and LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 for the Blazers. —AP

Chiefs 42, Seahawks 24 At Seattle, Matt Cassel threw three touchdown passes to Dwayne Bowe, Jamaal Charles rushed for 173 yards and Kansas City remained atop the AFC West.

Facing Pete Carroll, his former coach at Southern California, Cassel threw for 233 yards and four touchdowns. Bowe extended his streak of games with at least one touchdown reception to seven straight. The pair connected on TDs of 7, 36 and 9 yards for Kansas City (7-4).

Ravens 17, Buccaneers 10 At Baltimore, Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes, and Baltimore won a franchise recordtying eighth straight game at home.

Flacco connected with Todd Heap for a 65yard score and hit Derrick Mason for a 10-yard touchdown during a three-minute span of the second quarter to stake Baltimore to a 17-3 halftime lead. Flacco now has 53 career TD passes, surpassing Vinny Testaverde (51) for most in Ravens history.

CHICAGO: Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Ernie Sims (50) and safety Quintin Mikell (27) combine to break up a pass intended for Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) in the second half of an NFL football game. —AP

Rams 36, Broncos 33 At Denver, rookie Sam Bradford threw for three touchdowns and had his first 300-yard game as St. Louis escaped with a rare road win, which came just over a day after the NFL fined the Broncos and their coach for a videotaping scandal.

There was more than a smattering of boos when Broncos embattled coach Josh McDaniels was introduced before the game. Bradford was 22 of 37 for 308 yards, three TDs and no interceptions in his first road win as a pro. —AP

HOUSTON: Oklahoma City Thunder’s DJ White (left) and Houston Rockets’ Kevin Martin (right) grapple for a rebound in the second half of an NBA basketball game. The Rockets won 99-98. —AP

19

SPORTS

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

BBC accuses three FIFA WCup voters over payments ZURICH: Three days before the vote on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts, FIFA was hit by further corruption allegations yesterday when three senior officials were accused by European media of having received secret payments.

Executive committee members Ricardo Teixeira of Brazil, Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay and Issa Hayatou of Cameroon were named as having allegedly received payoffs from world football’s former marketing agency.

The three long-standing members of FIFA’s ruling panel received kickbacks from marketing agency ISL from 1989-99, the BBC and Swiss newspaper TagesAnzeiger and Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported.

The three media outlets said they obtained a secret ISL document listing the names and payments. ISL and its

parent company ISMM went bust in May 2001, leaving debts estimated at $300 million and plunging FIFA into a financial crisis.

The collapse triggered one of Switzerland’s biggest criminal fraud cases. The BBC, which was airing the allegations on its flagship documentary program “Panorama” on Monday night, said the three men did not respond to requests for comment about the allegations.

FIFA told The Associated Press it had no immediate comment on the reports.

The reports said Teixeira, who heads the Brazilian committee organizing the 2014 World Cup, received $9.5 million dollars.

Leoz, the South American football confederation president, reportedly got $600,000. The 82-year-old lawyer had previously been identified as receiving

two kickbacks worth a total of $130,000 when six former ISL executives went on trial and were cleared of fraud charges in 2008.

African football leader Hayatou, who is also a member of the International Olympic Committee, allegedly received 100,000 French francs in 1995.

The BBC also made fresh allegations of wrongdoing against FIFA vice president Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago involving the sale of World Cup tickets.

He was previously criticized by FIFA’s ethics committee over his involvement in ticket-selling deals related to the 2006 tournament.

The BBC alleged that Warner tried to procure tickets for the 2010 World Cup in a scalping scam. It said the deal fell through when scalpers would not pay Warner’s asking price.

The BBC pressed ahead with the investigation despite fears at home it would damage England’s 2018 bid by alienating FIFA voters. Warner heads the CONCACAF regional body whose three votes are deemed to be crucial to England’s campaign.

Teixeira, Hayatou, Leoz and Warner are scheduled to take part in FIFA’s 22man vote on Thursday to select the two World Cup hosts. The 2018 contest involves England, Russia and joint bids from Spain-Portugal and NetherlandsBelgium. The 2022 candidates are the United States, Qatar, South Korea, Japan and Australia.

The latest allegations came two weeks after two FIFA executive committee members were banned from the World Cup voting for ethics violations.

FIFA’s ethics panel suspended Amos

Adamu of Nigeria for three years after he was linked to bribe-taking in a British newspaper’s undercover sting. Oceania football president Reynald Temarii was cleared of corruption, but received a oneyear ban for breaching FIFA confidentiality rules.

FIFA’s ethics committee also investigated alleged vote-trading but did not find enough evidence to prove allegations that Spain-Portugal and Qatar had colluded.

In their 2008 trial, ISL executives said secret payments to officials, channeled through accounts in Liechtenstein, were essential to secure sports rights and marketing contracts.

Such payments were then not illegal under Swiss law and the executives were acquitted of most charges. After the verdicts in July 2008, prosecutors in the Swiss canton of Zug said a second trial

was possible to examine if any FIFA officials received illegal payments from ISL/ISMM. Prosecutors finally closed the file in June after the defendants repaid 5.5 million Swiss francs ($5.5 million) in damages.

“It is important to stress that no FIFA officials were accused of any criminal offense in these proceedings,” Blatter was quoted by BBC as saying.

FIFA released a statement in June, stressing that Blatter had not been implicated. “It is important to recall that the decision was made on matters which took place prior to the year 2000 and that there has been no court conviction against FIFA,” the statement said. “In addition, the FIFA president has been cleared of any wrongdoing in this matter.”—AP

Lyon strike late to deny PSG top spot

ARGENTINA: Estudiantes de La Plata’s Gabriel Mercado (left) looks on as Independiente’s Cristian Pellerano kicks the ball during an Argentina’s league soccer match in Buenos Aires.—AP

Estudiantes on track for title BUENOS AIRES: Striker Gaston Fernandez headed a fine winner five minutes from time to give Estudiantes a 2-1 victory at Independiente and a five-point lead in the Argentine Apertura championship on Sunday.

With three matches to go, secondplaced Velez Sarsfield can close the gap to two points again when they play Tigre at home today.

Estudiantes had to work hard top beat a lively Independiente side with many reserves as coach Antonio Mohamed keeps his leading players fresh for the Copa Sudamericana final, first leg on Wednesday.

Captain Juan Sebastian Veron recognised Estudiantes are not playing well

and made a comparison with the Clausura championship which they let slip in May when they were a better side.

“It’s the opposite of the last championship when we were playing well but lost it in the run-in. Now, not playing so well, we got a very important result to keep putting pressure (on Velez),” he told reporters.

Forward Juan Pereyra put Estudiantes ahead in the sixth minute when he steered the ball in from the left after a poor clearance by the home defence.

Independiente equalised less than 30 seconds after the interval with a shot that went in off the bar from midfielder Nico Martinez, whose brother Juan Manuel Martinez of Velez is joint top scorer in

the championship with a tally of eight.

With the match seemingly petering out into a draw, Fernandez rose to a cross from the right and steered a looping header into the top far corner.

Estudiantes winger Enzo Perez, one of their best players this season, made a rash challenge in stoppage time and was sent off.

Third-placed Arsenal, eight points behind Estudiantes, came from a goal down to beat San Lorenzo 2-1 at home on Friday.

Argentina’s struggling giants Boca Juniors and River Plate had mixed fortunes. Boca lost 1-0 to Newell’s Old Boys in Rosario while River beat Olimpo 1-0 at the Monumental.—Reuters

PARIS: Paris Saint Germain missed a chance to go top of Ligue 1 when they were held to a dramatic 2-2 draw at Lyon on Sunday.

The visitors were on course for victor y when Guillaume Hoarau converted a penalty to give them a 2-1 lead in the 82nd minute.

But with three minutes remaining PSG keeper Apoula Edel fluffed a clearance and the ball fell to Bafetimbi Gomis, who swept home to rescue a point for Lyon.

“I am disgusted but that is football,” PSG playmaker Nene told Canal Plus. “We have to keep working, it is the only way. But it is difficult to lose two points like that.”

Aly Cissokho had opened the scoring for the hosts in the 53rd minute, before Nene headed PSG level 10 minutes later.

Lyon’s Cissoko was then sent off after conceding the late penalty that PSG thought had won it for them.

The draw lif ts PSG into third place on 24 points, one point shy of leaders Olympique Marseille, who had gone top with a 4-0 thrashing of fellow title contenders Montpellier on Saturday.

Lyon climbed to seventh on 23 points, while Lille slipped to second on goal difference after being held to a 1-1 draw at Bordeaux on Saturday.

Earlier on Sunday, Auxer re’s five-match unbeaten r un in Ligue 1 ended when they lost 2-1 at home to Toulouse. Daniel Braaten scored after eight minutes and Federico Santander added another 11 minutes before half-time to put the visitors two up.

Auxer re looked more dangerous after the break and pulled one back through Alain Traore in the 56th minute, but Toulouse held on to secure their first victory at the Abbe-Deschamps stadium in 20 years.

“We were really bad tonight, even catastrophic at times,” Auxer re’s JeanPascal Mignot told French television channel Foot Plus.

Elsewhere, Sochaux continued their revival by beating Caen 3-0. The game between Stade Brest and RC Lens was abandoned at halftime because of heavy snow, and has been rescheduled for Tuesday.—Reuters

FRANCE: Lyon’s Lisandro Lopez (left) challenges for the ball with Paris Saint Germain’s Ludovic Giuly (right) during their French Division One soccer match.—AP

Fluminense sight Brazilian title RIO DE JANEIRO: Fluminense were within one victory of being crowned Brazilian champions for the second time after a 2-1 win over Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Palmeiras on Sunday.

Fluminense maintained a one-point lead over second placed Corinthians, who beat Vasco da Gama 2-0, and with one match to go they can lift their second title since 1984 with a home win over relegated Guarani next weekend.

Coach Muricy Ramalho, asked about his team facing a relegated side in their last match, said: “They (Guarani) are professionals, and that’s something we mustn’t doubt... We don’t believe that we’ve already won it.” Cr uzeiro, two points behind Fluminense, also remained in contention for the title with a 2-1 win over outgoing champions Flamengo. In their final matches, Corinthians face relegated Goias and Cruzeiro meet Palmeiras.

Corinthians could have done with a hand from their arch-rivals Palmeiras. Instead, as a reflection of the deep seated enmity between the two sides from Sao Paulo, when Dinei put Palmeiras ahead after five minutes against Fluminense their own fans jeered the striker.

With both sets of fans behind them, Flu equalised in the 19th minute through fullback Carlinhos.

Substitute Tar ta, who came on for injured midfielder Deco during the first half, scored the winner 13 minutes after halftime when he picked up the rebound

after goalkeeper Deola had blocked a shot from Emerson.

For Fluminense, considered the most elitist of Rio’s four big clubs, to be on the verge of the title stands in contrast to last season when they only avoided relegation on the final day.

The man at the heart of Flu’s return to the top is diminutive Argentine playmaker Dario Conca, who has played in all their matches in the championship.

He has also stood in as captain during long injury absences for striker Fred and former Chelsea player Deco, Flu’s main recruit this season.

Fluminense, Corinthians and Cruzeiro have already secured berths in the 2011 Libertadores Cup, South America’s champions’ league.

Gremio and Botafogo are set to fight for a fourth berth at the former’s home of Porto Alegre in southern Brazil next weekend in a match between the fourth and fifth-placed teams.

Scolari’s Palmeiras had already suffered a disappointment this week when they were upset 2-1 at home by Goias in the second leg of their all-Brazilian semi-final in the Copa Sudamericana to go out on the away goals r ule af ter a 2-2 aggregate result.

Goias will play in the Libertadores Cup next year as a second tier team if they beat Argentina’s Independiente in the final of the Copa Sudamericana, the region’s equivalent of the Europa League.—Reuters

Benefica defeat Beira Mar in Portugal MEXICO: Pumas’ Israel Castro (left) and Monterrey’s Osvaldo Martinez go for the ball during a Mexican soccer league semi final match in Monterrey.—AP

Santos, Monterrey in final MEXICO CITY: Santos and Monterrey re a c h e d t h e f i n a l o f t h e M e x i c o Apertura playoffs after winning their second-leg semifinals Sunday. Santos drew 3-3 with Club America to advance on a 5-4 aggregate over two legs.

Colombian Darwin Quintero scored

twice and Christian Benitez of Ecuador a d d e d t h e o t h e r g o a l . M o n t e r re y defeated Pumas 2-0 a few hours later to advance 2-0 on aggregate after the t e a m s d re w 0 - 0 i n t h e f i r s t l e g .

Humberto Suazo scored in the 87th and Neri Cardozo scored three minutes lat-

er. “It was a great game and now we’ll focus on the final,” Santos’ Quintero said. The first-leg final is tentatively set for Thursday at Torreon, with the second-leg on Sunday in Monterrey.

Both cities are in the nor th of the country.—AP

LISBON: Oscar Cardozo scored a double and set up Javier Saviola’s goal in Benefica’s 3-1 win at Beira Mar on Sunday in the Portuguese league.

Benefica bounced back after its midweek Champions League exit by inflicting Beira Mar’s first home loss this season.

Cardozo struck first from the penalty spot at the end of the first half, and converted a pass from Carlos Martins for Benefica’s second in the 59th. The Paraguayan forward then passed to Saviola, who scored from close range to seal the win in the 66th.

Rui Varela pulled one back for Beira

Mar with in the 85th minute. The win lifted second-place Benefica to 24 points, seven behind FC Porto, which drew 1-1 with Sporting Lisbon on Saturday.

Also, Braga beat Nacional 2-0 and Rio Ave won 1-0 at Naval. With the victory, Braga moved to within three points of sixth-place Nacional. Nacional goalkeeper Bracalli stopped a penalty by Moises, but Lima raced in to score the rebound for Braga’s 66th-minute opener.

Paulo Cesar capped Braga’s win in the 90th from a counterattack. Braga’s Leandro Salino and Nacional’s Danijel Stojanovic were both sent off midway

through the second half.

Rio Ave won 1-0 at last-place Naval after a first-half goal by Bruno Gama.

Naval’s Alexandre Hauw and Nicolas Godemeche were both sent off in the final five minutes. The game between Portimonense and Leiria was interrupted in the 51st minute due to a power outage.

The Portuguese league said it will be resumed on Monday. Portimonense is leading 1-0.

On Saturday, 10-man Maritimo beat Guimares 2-0, and Pacos de Ferreira downed Olhanense 1-0. Academica won 1-0 away at Setubal on Friday. —AP

www.kuwaittimes.net

SPAIN: Barcelona’s David Villa scores past Real Madrid’s goalkeeper Iker Casillas during the La Liga soccer match against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium.—AP

High fives fives High as Barca Barca as humiliate humiliate Real and and Real Mourinho Mourinho MADRID: Jose Mourinho had a nightmare first Clasico as champions Barcelona crushed his Real Madrid side 5-0 at Camp Nou yesterday to go two points clear of their bitter rivals at the top of the Spanish first division.

Spanish World Cup winners Xavi and Pedro Rodriguez put Barcelona into a twogoal lead after just 17 minutes and David Villa marked his first Clasico with a brace inside two minutes (54 min, 56) before Jeffren added a late fifth as Mourinho stomached an unforgettable first defeat in charge of Real.

For Barcelona it was a fifth successive Clasico win over their arch rivals as coach

Pep Guardiola maintained his 100 percent record in the fixture and exacted revenge over Mourinho, whose Inter Milan side defeated Barcelona in last season’s Champions League semi-finals.

Real went into the game unbeaten and hoping for a first win at Camp Nou since December 2007. However, Barcelona gave old boy Mourinho, who used to work for the Catalan club as a translator under Bobby Robson, a night to forget with an emphatic win that evoked memories of the 6-2 drubbing of Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in May 2009.

It was a huge psychological win for Barca in the title race and the omens are good with

the winner of the first Clasico going on to be crowned champions in the last six seasons.

Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain was a last-minute withdrawal for Real due to injury so French international Karim Benzema was handed a chance to shine on the biggest stage.

Guardiola said Real were the best counter-attacking team in the world but said Barcelona would attack and they were good to their word.

In the fifth minute Messi surprised everyone by curling a beautiful left-footed chip onto the post with Iker Casillas well beaten. It was a warning that Real didn’t heed and on nine minutes the hosts took the

lead through Xavi.

Andres Iniesta fed a pass into the penalty area with Marcelo failing to intercept the pass and Xavi took advantage of a fortunate piece of control to prod calmly past Casillas to the delight of the home fans.

Real had the best defence in the league beforehand and this was only the seventh goal they had conceded under Mourinho.

The visitors responded with Angel di Maria forcing Victor Valdes to tip over a fierce shot but Barcelona were looking dangerous and struck again on 17 minutes through Pedro.

Villa went past Sergio Ramos by the touchline and Casillas could only fingertip

his cross into the path of the inrushing Pedro who fired home.

Cristiano Ronaldo, top-scorer in the league with 14 goals, then took centre stage with his pass almost reaching Benzema only for an Eric Abidal toe to avert the danger.

On the half hour mark Ronaldo started a melee when he pushed Barca coach Guardiola for holding the ball, earning him a yellow card, and then whistled a fine freekick past the post of Victor Valdes.

Real brought off the ineffective Mesut Ozil at half-time with Lass Diarra replacing him but it was more of the same as Barcelona dominated. Villa went close with his goal-bound shot blocked but on 54 min-

World Cup candidates face decisive final week ZURICH: The race to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups is still considered to be wide open as it enters the final week having survived a corruption scandal which threatened to derail the whole process.

Voting is restricted to members of FIFA’s executive committee and bidders believe many are still undecided. Even the number of voters taking part on Dec. 2 is uncertain after two of the 24-man committee were suspended and FIFA still has to decide on a last-minute request to replace one of them.

FIFA has prepared painstaking reports on the technical and financial attributes of each bid, but Sepp Blatter, president of soccer’s governing body, appreciates personal whims could hold more sway than the quality of the bids themselves.

“It wouldn’t be worth making technical reports if finally those who are going to vote are not using the information of such reports,” he said.

“But we are not only dealing with the World Cup institution, we are also dealing with human beings, and they have ideas other than those which are available in the documents.”

There are four bids for the 2018 tournament from England, Russia, Spain/Portugal and Netherlands/Belgium and five for 2022 — United States, Japan, South Korea, Qatar and Australia.

Of those, Russia, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Qatar and Australia have never staged soccer’s biggest event. The contest began in earnest on Jan. 15 2009, when FIFA launched its invitation to bid but, after nearly two years of lobbying, many feel the last few days could be decisive. “I’d like to think it’s still open. Maybe there are some people who haven’t made up their minds, I would like to think the game will be settled in the very last minute,” a source close to one of the bids told Reuters. Andy Anson, CEO of England’s bid, was also in the dark.

“No-one knows which way the vote is going to go, and no-one can know, whatever they tell you,” he said. “We are confident that our bid will be successful based on what executive committee members have told us-but you never know what might happen on the day they vote.”

With Brazil awarded the 2014 tournament unop-

posed, it is 10 years since FIFA last held a genuine contest for World Cup hosting, when Germany edged South Africa for the 2006 event in controversial circumstances.

But recent experiences with the Olympic Games show that last-minute lobbying can tip the balance between bids. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is largely credited with having won London the right to stage the 2012 Games at the expense of Paris while the influence of then Russian President Vladimir Putin’s influence was seen as crucial in helping rank outsider Sochi win the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Following this lead, England are sending a delegation to Zurich led by Prime Minister David Cameron and including heir to the throne, Prince William.

Putin has taken an active part in the Russian campaign, although they would not confirm whether the Russian Prime Minister would travel to Zurich, and former president Bill Clinton will be with the US delegation as honorary president of the bid.

The process has already been hit by controversy with two executive committee membersReynald Temarii of Tahiti and Amos Adamu of Nigeria-suspended following an investigation into allegations they offered to sell their votes to undercover newspaper reporters.

Temarii, who as Oceania Football Confederation’s only voter had been expected to back Australia, was found guilty of breaking general rules of ethics, while Adamu was found guilty of bribery. On Saturday, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) said they would ask FIFA if Temarii could be replaced.

The last competitive vote in 2000 ended in controversy when New Zealand’s Charles Dempsey, who had been instructed by the Oceania confederation to vote for South Africa, instead abstained in the final round and Germany won by 12 votes to 11.

If the late Dempsey, who said he was in a “nowin” situation, had voted as instructed, the result would have been tied and Blatter would have had the casting vote. This time, it could be equally close.—Reuters

utes Messi fed the Spanish World Cup winner, who took the pass brilliantly in his stride before firing past Casillas.

Real complained that Villa was offside but the goal stood and two minutes later the 40-million-euro signing from Valencia struck again with his eighth league goal of the season.

A defence-splitting pass from Messi released Villa, who beat Casillas again and left Real 4-0 down before the hour mark.

Substitute Jeffren Suarez netted a fifth late on and Sergio Ramos was sent off in the final minute for a terrible foul on Messi and then shoving Carles Puyol as tempers boiled over.—AFP

Ferguson to shake Utd lineup for League Cup

SPAIN: Barcelona’s coach Josep Guardiola (left) makes contact with Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal (right) during their La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium.—AP

LONDON: Manchester United will take its hopes of winning a third straight League Cup title to West Ham today, with recent form suggesting that only a changed lineup could prevent it reaching the semifinals.

United cruised to the top of the Premier League for the first time this season with a 7-1 win over Blackburn on Saturday but manager Alex Ferguson is set to make widespread changes to keep players fresh.

Javier Hernandez, Chris Smalling, Jonny Evans and Wes Brown are all likely to play, with United’s squad also containing reserves Magnus Eikrem, Ben Amos, Bebe and Ravel Morrison.

But midfielder Michael Carrick is not contemplating a correspondingly weaker performance due to any changes. “We set high standards and we want to keep hitting those levels,” Carrick said. “We did that, but we want to keep doing that every week.”

United’s priorities as usual are the Premier League and Champions League, but with Arsenal hosting Wigan in today’s other quarterfinal — and Aston Villa-Birmingham and West Bromwich Albion-Ipswich scheduled for tomorrow — there are still some tricky opponents left in the second-tier cup competition.

West Ham is last in the Premier League but beat Wigan 3-1 on Saturday and _ just three years ago _ recorded three straight wins over United.

The Hammers’ lineup is also likely to include several younger players after James Tomkins, Junior Stanislas, Victor Obinna, Pablo Barrera and Winston Reid helped end the club’s eight-game run without a league win.

“There are more young players behind the scenes,” manager Avram Grant said. “But you need to do it step by step. My vision at West Ham stays

the same even if we are at the bottom of the league with not many points. “You need to have a vision and our vision is to put this club in a good place. The young players here have the quality but they are young and need to learn.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger long used the League Cup to give experience to youth players but has shifted stance this season and will pick another strong lineup Tuesday. Robin van Persie could make an appearance as he continues his comeback from injury.

“We will play with a strong team,” Wenger said. “But don’t forget that we have played every three days for one and a half months so I have to see how we recover and who I rest Tuesday.

“But we will play with a strong team. You will see regular players.”

With Emmanuel Eboue back in the squad just a week after being carried from the field with a strained medial knee ligament, Cesc Fabregas and Sebastien Squillaci are the only players unavailable because of short-term injuries. “Emmanuel Eboue is back in the squad much quicker than planned,” Wenger said. “When we made a scan his knee was swollen, but the ligament was intact so we decided to push him back as quickly as possible and the tests were successful.” Arsenal avoided a third straight loss when it beat Villa 4-2 on Saturday.

Villa’s players will have more motivation than usual to bounce back since their quarterfinal is against the club’s biggest local rival. “There’s going to be a tremendous atmosphere for the Blues game, but I think we can win it,” Villa winger Stewart Downing said.

“It’s obviously going to be hostile and they’re going to get right behind their team. But if we score and can keep them quiet then we can start passing the ball and playing our game.—AP

KIB occupies a leading position in growth index

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Long-term residency for expats helps boost economy

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France, Germany say euro saved, investors skeptical

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

www.kuwaittimes.net

KUWAIT: Farouk Al-Zanki, Chief Executive Officer at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, speaks during the first day of the 6th annual Kuwait Projects 2010 Conference in Kuwait City yesterday.

Abdulaziz Al-Kulaib, Undersecretary of the Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works, speaks during the first day of the conference. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Sixth MEED Annual Projects Conference 2010

Kuwait to flex infrastructure, growth muscles $200bn development plan breathes new life • Private sector role critical

By Velina Nacheva KUWAIT: The confidence in Kuwait’s economic development is edging further upward as the country’s development plan estimated at $200 billion is breathing a new life by creating plentiful opportunities for business growth and enhancing public-private partnerships.

Government representatives, investors, business leaders, bankers and experts from various industry fields are upbeat about the new business environment. The breakneck portfolio growth that Kuwait has already embarked on and has chartered to expand in the coming 25 years in the avenues of electricity and power, real estates, infrastructure, petrochemicals and healthcare were the focus of the Sixth MEED Annual Projects Conference 2010 - a three-day forum that opened in JW Marriott Hotel yesterday.

At the forum, Farouk Al-Zanki, Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation explained that he feels optimistic about the fundamental disposition of the oil market “albeit, the non-fundamental factors, such as speculations and geopolitical issues, which contribute to increasing volatility and instability of oil prices, which often generate short term turmoil in the oil market.”

Stressing that the oil market today “is more balanced than at any time over the last five years,” he added, “Adequate oil supply has continued from all major oil producers, including Kuwait, which holds about 10 percent of the world’s oil reserves, and a production capacity of over 3 million barrels per day.”

In order to sustain oil flow security, he observed, there are two prerequisites that should materialize: demand and sustainable price. “Demand generates activity, an equitable price for both oil-producers and consumers ensure adequate supply,” he said.

Providing his viewpoint on the current oil outlook, he said that the world economy will resume growth and world trade will pick up. “Over the long-term, world economy will expand at an average GDP rate of 3.4 percent annually, emerging for the period 2010-2030. South Asia and China are the fastest growing regions averaging 5.3 and 6.8 percent annually respectively. He predicted world oil demand to show an average annual increase in oil of one million barrels per day over the period 2010-2030. “OECD oil continues to fall, having peaked in 2005.

Of the net oil demand growth, 75 percent is in developing Asia, with China seeing the largest growth. The transportation sector will remain the main source of this oil demand growth. And 85 percent of the net increase in road transportation oil demand, is in developing Asia.”

Non-OPEC liquid supply, including crude, NGLs, and nonconventional oil will continue to grow throughout the 2010-2030 period, he said. Taking the point further he stressed that “the demand for OPEC crude will rise by half a million barrels per day annually,” he said, “An optimal price range level, should provide sufficient financial resources to producers, a fair compensation for resource owners, and a fair return to investors. Hence crude oil prices are likely to be in the range $75-105 per barrel over

2010-2030. In his words, financial funds and speculators will remain large players with huge funds, moving in and out of the market, generating extreme volatility.

“However, industry should support the calls for the better functioning of oil markets, including oil trading over the counter,” he said.

The Ministry of Electricity and Water has planned a KD6 billion investment in the course of the coming four years which are allocated for projects in the electricity and water projects, Mohammad Boshehri, Director of Planning for power station projects at the Ministry of Electricity and Water said at the event.

He then focused on KPC’s role in stabilizing dynamic market stressing that Kuwait is endeavoring to raise its service base, and increase oil production to play its part in meeting rising oil demand in the future. “In this regard, KPC has developed a long-term strategy to build up production capacity to reach 4 million barrels per day by 2020 and sustain it thereafter through improving performance of existing reservoirs and through exploration.”

He then asserted that Kuwait seeks to increase its use of natural gas in power generation, water desalination and petrochemical.

“Some of the main projects worth $54 billion will be implemented over the next few years which include new refinery projects and upgrading existing refineries, known as clean fuel project,” he said elaborating that KPC is progressing through joint ventures to build refinery and petrochemical complexes outside of Kuwait, both in China and Vietnam.

On his part, Engineer Abdulaziz AlKulaib, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Public Works, introduced the scale of the

KUWAIT: Shaikha Al-Bahar, deputy CEO of the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), speaks at the event. mega development plan focusing on two axes - human development and construction projects. Stressing that the big spenders in the plan are the oil sector and the ministries of Public Works and Finance he said that there are some 81 projects worth a budget of KD204 million. “In the last 10 years we have spent over KD2 billion,” he said.

Elaborating on some of the major projects, he mentioned the Subiya Motorway worth KD 41 million, Jahra Motorway KD 265 million, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital worth KD303 million, the Boubyan Island Project, in addition to Nawaseeb

Road and Kuwait Airport Terminal 2. The development plan, he said, includes the construction of some 8 hospitals with a capacity of over 1,000 beds each.

In sum, of the 30 billion projects, the Ministry of Public Works will execute projects worth KD 8 million.

In her speech at the event Shaikha AlBahar, Deputy CEO National Bank of Kuwait focused on one of the key elements for the successful implementation of the 2035 vision: public-private partnerships and the role of the financing sector in supporting this cooperation.

She said that the 2035 vision comes at a

time when Kuwait, “which has fallen behind its GCC peers in terms of economic performance and infrastructure, needs to turn things around and build for a future where oil may potentially become less important.”

The 2035 target, which is to turn Kuwait into a trade and services hub, Al-Bahar said, will be “achieved through a series of fiveyear plans starting with the current $105 billion plan that will take us to 2014.”

She focused on the necessity of implementation in realizing the plan. She argued that successful implementation means better business environment and an expanded role for the private sector that alone can

create good jobs required. “We agree with the government that it is time for the private sector to take the lead in building Kuwait’s economy,” she said.

She observed, “the 2035 plan’s strategic objectives include encouraging private sector-driven growth as a vehicle for increasing GDP and raising the standard of living.”

According to her, “by working hand-inhand with the government and co-piloting growth, the private sector can create good jobs, effectively build the various non-energy sectors of the economy and add a diversity and richness to our natural resources.

“Rather than tax the already overburdened public sector, the development plans can become a vehicle for strengthening the role and cooperation of the private sector in building a future Kuwait,” she said.

She said, “The plan specifically mentions targeting faster growth of 8.8 percent for the private sector, versus 2.7 percent for the public sector, privatizing public institutions and incorporating the private sector in the execution of major projects.”

The projects, which aim to improve infrastructure and the productivity of Kuwait, revolve around the reactivation of the role of the private sector. “Kuwait has known for a long time that some imbalances needed addressing and that is why the plan comes at the right time and has all the needed ingredients,” she said.

A vibrant private sector is pivotal for the implementation of the 2035 vision as that “alone can deliver desired GDP growth and much-needed jobs.” Building up the private sector, she said, requires a partnership on every level and the public and private sectors working together to develop tools like the required legislation to get the job done.

Another strategic goal, she said, is building a more diversified and dynamic economy that can deliver those higher standards of living via the creation of more and more jobs.

In her words, only about 20 percent of employed Kuwaitis work in the private sector today; the plan targets 60-70 percent by 2030. “That implies the creation of some 400,000 new jobs for Kuwaitis,” she said elaborating that diversification and job creation can only happen with a vibrant private sector.

She said, “The 2035 vision projects a growth of the private sector from 37 percent of Kuwait’s GDP in 2009 to 44 percent as an intermediary target.”

“At the heart of the current five-year plan ending in 2013, 2014 fiscal year is the much touted $105 billion earmarked for onand-off budget projects (mostly oil) with the pace of spending likely to rise steadily over the plan’s horizon as implementation gets in gear,” she said.

She said, “On top of the current fiscal year’s record spending on projects of KD 4.8 billion, the plan calls for spending KD 7-plus billion per year until 2014, with half of the financing coming from the private sector and half from the government.” She added, “for the 2009 fiscal year on average the government has spent about 85 percent of its capital budget over the past 15 years, and rarely approached 90 percent, typically in years where it was consolidating and not launching any new projects.”

BUSINESS

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

KIB occupies a leading position in growth index The second locally, and third in GCC region: Market research KUWAIT: Kuwait International Bank (KIB) is ranking the second among local banks, and third in GCC region in the index of growth during the past period of 2010, according to a recently published market research.

One of the most dynamic and growing Islamic banks in Kuwait, the KIB recorded a growth of 382.6 percent with a net profit of KD 13.14 million, compared to losses of KD 4.65 million during the same period last year.

The research was conducted by Al-Jarida newspaper, and was published there on Tuesday 23rd of November 2010.

The results of this research indicate that the successful policy adopted by the management of KIB during this period has allowed the bank to achieve this advanced level of growth among local and regional banks.

Despite having a strong competition in the Islamic banking market in Kuwait, and the multiple financial challenges imposed during this period, this achievement serves as a proof of success for the strategy adopted by the KIB in this period. According to this

strategy includes supporting the financial position and increasing the prof-

No immediate plans for more bond issues: Emaar DUBAI: The chairman of Emaar Properties, the United Arab Emirates’ largest listed property firm and builder of the world’s tallest tower, said yesterday the company had no intention of tapping the bond market again in 2010 or selling new shares in the company.

Mohammed Alabbar also told a conference in Dubai there were no plans to reduce the Dubai government’s 31.2 percent stake. “We have just finished our bonds. We have no intention of doing that again,” Alabbar told reporters on the sidelines of the conference. The Dubai developer announced a $500 million convertible five-year bond issue in late September and said it would use the proceeds to refinance short-term liabilities and for general corporate purposes. On future finance raising plans, he said the company was looking at different options. “Any company will

itability of the bank’s operations.

The executive manage-

ment of KIB is currently developing a new comprehensive strategy to cover the upcoming three years, 2011 through 2013. The new strategy will focus on increasing efficiency and developing performance and profitability. It should also provide a base for funding the government development plans, in such a way to guarantee a bigger share for KIB in the Islamic banking market in Kuwait.

The bank is planning to maintain its strategy of supporting and strengthening its financial position and increase its operational profits. In addition to that, the KIB is also looking for a careful expanding of its customer reach after increasing its coverage for the local market by operating 14 branches across Kuwait.

This expansion will provide banking services and solutions for all groups of Kuwaiti society, including citizens and expat residents from all ages and with all kinds of banking needs.

This strategy also includes providing all forms of banking and financing solutions for corporations and businesses that are planning to

take part in government development projects with various economic activities.

The Bank is currently offering a large number of banking products and services to its customers in accordance with the provisions of Islamic Sharia, which include Murabaha types (car, real estate, commodities).

Kuwait International Bank has more than 37 years of experience and operation in the local market. Founded in 1973 under the name ‘Kuwait RealEstate Bank’, it continued to provide world class services to its clients by offering a comprehensive range of banking solutions. Due to its renewed vision of becoming a leader in quality banking, and continuously enhancing its performance and services, in order to meet all the financial and banking needs of its clients, the bank decided in 2007 to start operating according to the rules of Islamic Sharia’.

That change was accompanied by changing the name of the bank to Kuwait International Bank, in order to better reflect the bank’s and aspiration.

Air Arabia to start flights to Kabul First destination in Afghanistan, 66th route globally KUWAIT: Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, announced yesterday the launch of service to Kabul, Afghanistan, from its hub in Sharjah, UAE starting December 16, 2010.

With a history that spans over 3,500 years, Kabul is Air Arabia’s first destination in Afghanistan. With the addition of this new destination, Air Arabia now serves 66 routes from three hubs in the UAE, Morocco and Egypt. Roundtrip flights will operate four times per week between Kabul International Airport and Sharjah International Airport.

The low-cost carrier will fly to Kabul on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, departing Sharjah at 6:00 AM and

arrive in Kabul at 9:00 AM. On the same days, return flights will depart Kabul at 9:45 AM and arrive in Sharjah at 12:05 PM. “The launch of direct service to Kabul, our first destination in Afghanistan, will mark another milestone in Air Arabia’s ever growing network,” said AK Nizar, Head of Commercial Department, Air Arabia. “Kabul is a city full of history and culture. Its strategic location along the trade routes of South and Central Asia also makes it a prime hub for trade and commerce.”

Situated 1,800 metres above sea level in a narrow valley between the Hindu Kush mountains and along the Kabul River, the city of Kabul is an economic and cultural centre.

ABK awarded ‘Best Structured Award Retail Banks’ KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) was awarded ‘Best Structured Award Retail Banks’ (www.eahli.com), at the annual 2010 Banking Web Awards ceremony, held on Tuesday 23rd November 2010 at the Grand Ballroom, Phoenicia Intercontinental Hotel, Beirut, Lebanon.

This honor recognizes ABK’s continued endeavor to deliver valuable e-channel solutions and directly acknowledges the userfriendly structure of ABK’s retail website, following the implementation of the revamped version in April 2010.

Stewart Lockie - General Manager, Retail (Acting) accepted the award on behalf of the Bank and remarked ‘this award demonstrates and recognizes ABK’s ambitions to deliver multi-channel customer communication solutions, which will be a core part of the Bank’s 2011 strategy and beyond’. He went on to add ‘delivering customer convenience and service, the concept of ‘Banking at Home’ is a key part to ensuring our ABK Retail clients enjoy convenient, safe and secure beneficial services’.

Also present from ABK at the prestigious event were Othman Tawfiqi, Head of Delivery Channels, Masouma Ashkanani, e-Banking Operations Officer and Farid Gabriel, Graphic Designer.

increase capital, release some entities to (the) market, increase debt. So I think the future is the right combination of all. We’ll see which one of these will work better for us,” he said. Alabbar also said Dubai’s real estate sector had reached a bottom and expected the market to clear the property oversupply in a period of 20 months. The trade and tourism hub was hard hit by the global financial crisis, which led to a property market crash and the cancellation or delay of billions of dollars worth of projects.

“As existing supply is taken off, investment will come in,” he said. Alabbar also told the conference he saw “great opportunities” in Algeria, without elaborating.

In February Emaar said it would focus on mid-income housing in emerging markets and overseas expansion to boost 2010 revenue. —Reuters

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

.2770000 .4370000 .3710000 .2790000 .2740000 .2700000 .0045000 .002000 .0763380 .7437430 .3920000 .0730000 .7291070 .0045000 .0490000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2812000 .4395160 .3732090 .2812140 .2761470 .0500620 .0403000 .2719060 .0362220 .2136620 .0033470 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0765800 .7460860 .0000000 .0750170 .7309590 .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.501 6.334

.2870000 .4470000 .3790000 .2860000 .2830000 .2800000 .0075000 .0035000 .0771060 .7512180 .4120000 .0780000 .7364350 .0072000 .0560000 .2833000 .4427980 .3759960 .2833140 .2782090 .0504360 .0406010 .2739370 .0364920 .2152570 .0033720 .0062260 .0025520 .0033130 .0040470 .0771510 .7516580 .4007070 .0755770 .7364180 .0064750

Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.270 2.508 3.968 218.810 36.220 3.975 6.622 9.458 0.267 0.310 GCC COUNTRIES Saudi Riyal 74.865 Qatari Riyal 77.139 Omani Riyal 729.380 Bahraini Dinar 745.660 UAE Dirham 76.451 ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 51.550 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 48.948 Yemen Riyal 1.317 Tunisian Dinar 204.170 Jordanian Dinar 396.450 Lebanese Lira 187.700 Syrian Lier 6.140 Morocco Dirham 35.749 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 280.630 Euro 401.020 Sterling Pound 455.460 Canadian dollar 280.350 Turkish lire 200.450 Swiss Franc 292.020 Australian dollar 282.170 US Dollar Buying 279.895 GOLD 20 Gram 259.000 10 Gram 131.000 5 Gram 67.500

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 275.800 751.150 4.270 280.000 554.700 14.100 52.600 167.800 52.060 378.000

36.960 6.170 0.032

399.230 0.190 92.640 3.880 213.700

SELL DRAFT 274.300 751.150 4.010 278.500

217.000 49.961 376.500

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

282.350 280.559 444.006 375.751 281.568 692.030 747.318 76.849 77.531 75.262 398.418 48.974 6.177 3.291

Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

2.528 4.005 6.377 3.356 9.314 6.159 3.858

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency

733.490 3.305 6.415 77.700 75.410 217.020 42.370 2.530 443.500 284.300 6.300 9.550 76.970 282.400

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash

37.110 6.510 0.033 0.265 0.252 3.460 401.110 0.191 92.640 46.900 4.420 215.200 1.921 48.200 733.670 3.400 6.670 78.130 75.410 217.020 42.370 2.690 445.500 42.000 285.800 6.300 9.830 198.283 77.070 282.800 1.360 GOLD 1,441.810 TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 443.500 282.400

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 Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Candaian Dollars

282.400 3.300 6.170 2.545 4.010 6.415 76.975 75.515 750.700 48.985 445.800 0.00003280 4.025 1.550 401.200 5.750 379.700 282.100

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer rate 281.500 377.000 443.000 279.000 3.385 6.163 48.820 2.524 3.992 6.380 3.295 749.100 76.700 75.160

BUSINESS

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

23

Long-term residency for expats helps boost domestic economy: Economist HSBC holds seminar on foreign exchange paradigm

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Kuwait and other Gulf countries should offer long term permanent residence permits to expatriates in order to help boost their economic domestic developments, “I think it is about time that the GCC mulls over long term permanent residency for their expatriates,”

said Simon Williams, Chief Economist, HSBC Middle East. He was speaking at a seminar organized by the HSBC yesterday. Williams was one of the two guest speakers that spoke about foreign exchange paradigm shifts and economic recovery in the Middle East. The seminar was attended by dozens of economists and people from the banking and finance sectors, and other businesses held at the Salwa Sabah Hall in Salmiya.

Ahmad Abul, Executive Manager and Rasha Ezzeddine, Senior Manager at Gulf Bank with Pierre Moukarzel, President of Pan Arab Web Awards.

Gulf Bank wins prestigious ‘Best Interactivity’ Award in Pan Arab region KUWAIT: Gulf Bank has been awarded the coveted ‘Best Interactivity’ award at the 2nd Annual Banking Web Awards Competition, which took place at the Intercontinental Phoenicia Hotel, Beirut, Lebanon on 23 November.

Ahmad Abul, Executive Manager and Rasha Ezzeddine, Senior Manager received the award on behalf of Gulf Bank.

Eman Ali, Assistant General Manager of Consumer Banking at Gulf Bank said:”We are very proud to have won this award, which is a valuable endorsement of Gulf Bank’s efforts to improving and tailoring its services for its wide customer base.

Our website has always sought innovative and creative

ways to provide banking eservices and we will continue to develop our web-based services and improve our online offer to accommodate our customers’ banking needs.”

The Annual Banking Web Awards Competition is organized to promote bank and financial institution websites.

The aim of the competition is to encourage creativity in web design and web development and assist in constructing a banking e-world which is accessible to everyone twenty four hours a day, delivering needed banking/financial services. The overall long term objective is to create a global proactive banking community that encourages communication and interaction in the banking and finance sectors.

Gulf Bank announces Al-Danah winners KUWAIT: Gulf Bank held its 43rd Al Danah draw on November 28, 2010, announcing a total number of 10 Al Danah weekly prize draw winners, each awarded with prizes of KD 1,000. The winners were: Iman Sadrullah Sabouhiyan, Jaleel Ibrahem Haji Al-Tbakh, Khaled Mohd Ali Al-Adwany, Saleh Abdal Jalil Saleh Al- Jadi, Molly Anthony Morikal, Ali Abbas Ali Awad, Zainab Mohammed Mohhamed Khosroh, Mohammed Abd Almohsen Maki Al-Jmai, Maryam Abdullah Ibrahem AlMunayes and Nouriya Yousef Al-Saleh Al-Humaidi.

Gulf Bank encourages everyone in Kuwait to maintain the balance in their Al Danah accounts to increase the opportunities in becoming the next lucky Al Danah winner. Not only does Gulf Bank’s Al Danah allow customers to win, but it also encourages customers to save money. Chances increase the

more money is maintained and the longer it is kept in the account.

Al Danah also offers a number of unique services including the Al Danah Deposit Only ATM card which helps account holders deposit their money at their convenience; as well as the Al Danah calculator which is now in operation to help customers calculate their chances of becoming an Al Danah winner.

To be part of the Al Danah draws customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 53 branches, transfer on line, or call the Telebanking service 1805805 for assistance and guidance.

Customers can also log on to www.e-gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s bilingual website, to find all the information regarding Al Danah or any of the Bank’s products and services or log on www.egulfbank.com/aldanahwinners, to find out more about Al Danah and who the winners are.

KUWAIT: Simon Williams, Chief Economist, HSBC Middle East addressing the audience yesterday.— Photos by Joseph Shagra “I don’t mean giving nationalities, but grant them long term permanent residency so as to help them (expats) plan for their future and help spend more domestically and be active in domestic businesses,” he pointed out.

According to Williams, expatriates who work hard in this region only think about spending their hard earned money in their home country, rather than spending it here. In fact, it can help boost domestic economy, “Give them a reason to spend here and stay.

If they have long term residency, they’ll be bound to spend more and plan for their future right here. It will trigger massive domestic spending and developments,” he added.

A small domestic population and its

KUWAIT: A cross section of the attendees seen during the seminar yesterday at Salwa Sabah Hall in Salmiya.

reliance on expatriate workers are evident, although changes have been made to training and education in the past decades, “If you have enormous domestic economic potentials, just like this region, the need for expatriate workers remains. If they want to be compared to Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, London and Geneva, I would say this region should handle and manage expatriates’ resources gently.

Probably they could choose the expatriates who the country wants/needs [to be granted extended residency] so they can help propel domestic economy,” he explained.

William’s lecture focused on economic recovery in the Middle East and the North African region. He noted

that MENA’s economic recovery is finally under way, driven by an upturn in consumption, the renewal core capital projects and stronger external demand. He said business confidence has normalized, employment has regained speed, consumption appears to have increased, and there has been an Asia-led recovery in external demand. “GDP data has finally turned positive, and PMI data is good even for the UAE,” he stressed.

Williams asserted that capital spending plans have been trimmed but remained enormous and will set the rhythm for domestic demand growth which means “the shift away from real estate is encouraging.” He said that foreign funding is central to pushing pro-

jects forward, and the inflows still seems to be building momentum as the region benefits from the hunt for yield.

“Oil prices are supportive but flat and won’t give the same lift as last time as some has already discovered domestic funding vanished two years ago, and the local credit market shows no real signs of life. We expect the next credit cycle to look very different to the last,” he reiterated.

The next cycle may not match the pace of the last one, but he said, the region will stand comparison with other EM’s. Williams predicted that some states will outperform in the coming years, citing Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt following their strong public finances, accelerating industry, infra-

structure build out, hydrocarbon wealth service sector upgrade, growing capital exports, stable banking sector, resilient export oriented service sector and proreform government, among other reasons. But he was not very optimistic about Kuwait, Bahrain and Dubai whom he listed as lagging behind. “Kuwait has clear growth potentials but environmental policy remains challenging.

Bahrain’s public finances show strain and competition is increasing. In Dubai, there are strong long term stories showing signs of normalization, but debt, public finances, real estate vulnerabilities have not been resolved as yet,” he explained. Oman and AbuDhabi will perform well, according to Williams.

Be connected, entertained and informed 24/7 while on the go Demand for Samsung’s Galaxy Tab continues to rise exponentially in region KUWAIT: If you’re looking for a device that takes a netbook’s capabilities and features the functionality of a smartphone, with an e-reader and much more built in, consider the new 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab. In a world where portability and accessibility are critical, the Galaxy Tab is the perfect hybrid portable device that does all the things expected of it and some more. It is clearly designed with the user in mind: from its slick looks and small size that allow it to be slipped, quite comfortably, into a lady’s handbag or a man’s suit pocket to a 7-inch screen which provides an exciting mobile experience for watching videos, viewing pictures or e-reading.

The Tab is, in many ways, the Swiss Army knife of the gadget world with an astounding array of functionality packed into its compact frame, making it the ideal companion. If you’re looking to catch up on

your reading while sitting in a cafe or on your morning commute to work, the Tab features as e-reader that allows users to read books and articles anywhere and anytime. To compliment this feature, The Galaxy Tab’s Reader’s Hub application is made available to group together e-books, magazines and newspapers, into one hub, and giving users access to 1600 newspapers and 2500 magazines via download.

And if that isn’t enough, the Kobo software is also pre-loaded on the Tab to give users wireless access to the entire Kobo bookstore, with over 2.2 million titles-over a million of which Kobo claims can be downloaded free.

Moreover, the Tab is the first Androidbased tablet to feature Adobe Flash Player 10.1 compatibility, which allows users to experience thousands of sites with rich Flash based applications and content including animations, games, visualiza-

tions, e-commerce, videos, music and many more. Checking the news on

Aljazeera.net, playing games on EI3ab, or listening to Virgin Radio, will be a perfect

experience on the Galaxy Tab. Although the Galaxy Tab only comes in 16 Gb and 32 Gb models, it has an SD memory card slot which allows users to expand the device’s memory by an additional 32 Gb of memory, bringing up the overall storage to 64 Gb. The memory card feature brings versatility to the Tab as it allows the transfer of files between the device and other devices.

Importantly, this means that users have a lot more space for their favourite videos, pictures music and other digital content.

The Galaxy Tab also comes with the SIM card slot to support all functions of mobile communication allowing users to make phone calls and send SMS. Of course, it has been equipped with a 1.3megapixel front camera for video calls, video chatting and web conferencing which benefits business users as well as a 3.2megapixel rear facing camera.

The Investment Dar restructuring update KUWAIT: Following a meeting of The Board of Directors (“the Board”) of The Investment Dar on the 25 November 2010, the Company issues the following update on its financial restructuring.

On the 24 November 2010, the Chairman of TID board received a letter from the Coordinating Committee (“the CC or the Committee”) representing TID’s banks and investors. The letter follows the Central Bank of Kuwait’s (“CBK” or “Central Bank”) report on TID’s application under the Financial Stability Law “FSL”, in which it reviewed and commented on a plan submitted by the Company on the 5 October 2010 and not the Supplemental Termsheet to the Original plan submitted to the CBK, via their advisers Ernst and Young, on 22 October 2010 and presented by the Company to its banks and investors on 1 and 2 November in Kuwait and Dubai respectively and put for voting by the CC The CC considered that subsequent to this, any further negotiations over the restructuring should focus exclusively on a ‘Debt for Equity’ proposal, as per a draft proposal presented to TID by the CC on 20 September 2010. The structure of this proposal involved the equitisation of KD 475m, less than half TID’s total debt commit-

ments, for 90% of the TID’s total shareholder equity.

The letter gave notice of the CC’s resignation effective at the close of business 28 November 2010, unless a written commitment was received from the TID Board to immediately begin negotiations on an alternative ‘Debt for Equity’ proposal and to issue invitations to shareholders to attend an OGM/EGM to discuss a restructuring plan based on this principle.

The TID Board was surprised to learn that the confidential and sensitive contents of this letter had been leaked verbatim to the Kuwaiti media, on the same day as the letter was sent to the Company and prior to the TID Board being able to convene. It was clear that this was without any doubt a gross breach of the confidentiality arrangements agreed to by the CC by at least one of its members. In the opinion of the Board the passing of the letter to the newspapers was a cynical attempt to damage the prospects for progress towards a consensual solution.

There have been several previous breaches of confidentiality in the past, where sensitive material has been leaked (specifically to individual Kuwaiti newspapers) and which had led TID to give earlier

warnings to the CC concerning their obligations concerning confidentiality.

Nevertheless, the Board had the firm intention to explore the possibilities to continue the dialogue with all the members of the CC. Since the CC’s appointment on 15 June 2009, the Committee and the Company have worked closely and constructively, in conjunction with their advisers, to ensure a consensual restructuring plan was reached which prioritized TID’s banks and investors, ensured TID’s banks and investors were treated equally and maximized for all related parties. The Original Plan was prepared by CC, accepted by TID and agreed by over 80% of TID’s banks and investors and was submitted to the Kuwaiti Special Circuit Court on 9 March 2010 as part of TID’s application to enter under the FSL. Following the official notification of the CBK, and the subsequent appointment of Ernst and Young, to assess the viability of the Company’s original plan under the FSL, there was a marked shift in cooperation and commitment from certain members of the Coordinating Committee. This became increasingly more apparent following a directive from the Central Bank to Ernst

and Young to review the Company’s original plan in the context of new regulatory ratio requirements released 3 months after the original plan was agreed, voted on and submitted to court.

Despite the directive being in violation of Law 74 of CBK’s Regulations, the Company and its advisers worked closely with Ernst and Young, both in their review of the Original Plan and in the formulation of a supplementary termsheet to the Original Plan to ensure compliance with future regulatory ratio requirements. This was a complicated and lengthy exercise which took place over a number of months On 10 September 2010, the CC, led by some of its members, met with some members of TID Board to discuss a potential debt for equity plan. The proposed plan envisaged an exchange of 97% of shareholder equity for KD575 million TID’s debt, equivalent to half TID’s total outstanding commitments. This offer was subsequently amended to exchange 90% of TID’s shareholder equity for KD475 million of existing debt, less than TID’s total outstanding commitments. Under this proposal TID’s shareholders would retain a combined 10% of the Company with outstanding commitments of KD600m.

It is clear that the purpose of this offer and the proposal outlined in the CC’s letter to negotiate a ‘Debt for Equity’ plan on this basis is not aimed at reaching an agreement on debt settlement. The objective is to derail negotiations between the Company and its banks and investors, depriving the shareholders of their rights and to lay the foundations for the destruction of the Company’s value. Despite the residual effects of the wider financial crisis, TID continues to maintain a strong and solid asset base and the Board views this proposal as an overt opportunist attempt by members of the CC to attempt to assume control of TID’s assets, motivated by individual greed.

TID management informed the CC in September that is was unable to negotiate or recommend a proposal to shareholders that would lead to the erosion of 90% of shareholder capital and the decision to enter into negotiation could only be taken by shareholders at an OGM/EGM It is firm belief of the Board that for some time certain members of the CC, as evidenced above, have been acting on personal and destructive agendas which are not representative of the principles of their appointment or representative of the inter-

ests of TID’s banks and investors. The CC has during this period distributed communications to TID’s banks and investors which have at best omitted and at worst concealed relevant important and material facts. Most recently, the CC called off the voting process on the Supplemental Termsheet that the Company presented to its banks and investors on 1 and 2 November 2010 on the last day for voting; the results received at that time have not been shared with TID. This deprived the banks and investors of the opportunity of expressing their views directly in the process of restructuring on a plan that an accounting expert opined met with the CBK’s new ratio requirements.

On the basis of the reasons outlined and in the best interest of all stakeholders, and in reiterating its full and unequivocal commitment to a consensual restructuring plan that is fair, acceptable and legally implementable TID’s Board and management believe that it would be beneficial to accept the resignation of the current CC members offered in the Letter.

The Board will seek in due course to appoint a new Coordinating Committee and will in the interim communicate directly with banks and investors.

24

BUSINESS GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT

Kuwait equities rally KUWAIT: Kuwait’s stocks rallied to a higher close yesterday backed by investment companies, erasing most of the losses accumulated during the earlier session.

Global General Index (GGI) closed 1.08 points up (0.50 percent), at 215.86 point as the Market capitalization increased reaching KD34.92mn. On the other side, Kuwait Stock Exchange Price Index closed in the green zone adding 45.60 points (0.66 percent) from its value and closed at 6,914.4 point.

Market breadth During the session, 109 companies were traded.

Market breadth was skewed towards advancers as 55 equities advanced versus 18 that retreated. Yesterday’s performance was accompanied by diminishing trading activity.

Volume of shares traded on the exchange decreased by 13.60 percent to reach 128.34mn shares, the value of shares traded decreased by 7.50 percent to stand at KD29.16mn.

The Investment Sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 34.86 percent of total shares and the Services Sector was the value leader, with 36.00 percent of total traded value.

Company-wise, Al-Madina for Finance & Investment Co was the volume leader, with a total traded volume of 9.84mn shares changing hands. Zain Co was the value leader, with a total traded value of KD6.41mn.

In terms of top gainers, Yiaco Medical Co was the biggest gainer for the day, adding 9.65 percent and

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

OPEC oil supply falls slightly in November Compliance with supply curbs up to 56%: Survey

closed at KD0.285. On the other side, Al-Masar Leasing & Investment Co came in as the biggest decliner, dropping by 5.56 percent and closed at KD0.043.

Sector-wise Investment stocks were major beneficiaries of yesterday’s rally, with Global Investment Index rising by an outstanding 1.89 percent. The sector’s performance was highlighted by a 6.17 percent gain in the stock price of National Investment Company. Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) also wit-

nessed a price increase of 2.22 percent that lifted the sector index even higher.

The Industrial sector followed, clocking 1.23 percent in gains. The Kuwait Cement Co and Gulf Cables & Electrical Industries Co both added 3.03 percent & 5.15 percent respectively.

Real estate scrips too were notable advancers, with the sector index growing by 0.91 percent. Al- Massaleh Real Estate Company was amongst the biggest percentage advancers, gaining 7.14 percent. Al-Massaleh Real Estate

Co. has received a bid for AlSuroor building in Ash-Sharq at a total value of KD4.35mn.

In case of concluding the deal, the company would generate KD2.57mn profit.

Corporate news Kuwait Finance House (KFH) stated that a contract was awarded to KFHMalaysia Berhad (KFHMB) in China. KFH said a fund managed by the Malaysia-based subsidiary won the $123mn deal to construct a solid waste treatment plant in China.

Shareholders of this fund are clients of KFH inside and out-

side Kuwait. Palms Agro Production Company signed an agreement worth KD1.05mn with Wara Construction Company.

Under the 18-month contract, the company will irrigate, cultivate and landscape gardens in Salmiya Park starting from February 2011. The company expects 7 percent net earnings from the deal.

The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $82.34 a barrel on Friday, compared with $82.55 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

LONDON: OPEC reduced supplies of crude oil a little in November as damage to a pipeline disrupted Nigerian exports and several other oil producers trimmed deliveries, a Reuters survey showed yesterday.

Supply from the 11 members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries with output targets, all except Iraq, has averaged 26.70 million barrels per day (bpd) this month, down from 26.79 million bpd in October, according to the survey of oil companies, OPEC officials and analysts.

The decrease reflects reductions from Nigeria, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Angola. OPEC has limited its production over the last two years in an attempt to stabilize prices. On Oct. 14, the cartel left its output targets unchanged, maintaining a deal agreed in December 2008 when it imposed a record supply cut of 4.2 million bpd.

Many OPEC members have been informally boosting supply since 2009 as prices and demand have recovered.

Crude oil has mostly traded between $70 and $80 per barrel over the last year, a level most OPEC members find comfortable, and was well above that level in early European trade on Monday at around $84.50.

The survey found that the 11 members bound by the OPEC output agreement met 56 percent of their promised supply reduction in

November, up 2 percentage points from October.

Total OPEC supply including Iraq was down 70,000 bpd, according to the survey.

“OPEC production is essentially stable with slightly better compliance with output targets,” said Christophe Barret, global oil analyst at Credit Agricole. “The small reduction in output is due mainly to supply disruptions.”

Nigerian supply has fallen by 40,000 bpd on average over the month, mainly because of a leak on the Trans-Niger pipeline that trade sources said was caused by thieves who siphoned off oil for resale.

The incident curbed output of Bonny Light crude, one of Nigeria’s most popular oil production streams. Industry sources said two Bonny cargoes were delayed into December from November because of the drop in output.

Shell, operator of the Bonny stream, has said it was ramping up production after fixing the pipeline, pointing to an earlier end to the disruption than some traders had expected.

Angolan output has also declined in November, falling by about 30,000 bpd.

Grades including Cabinda and Girassol have loaded fewer barrels, according to loading programs, with trade sources saying technical problems and maintenance at some oilfields have produced some unexpected delays.

OPEC’s top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, has trimmed

its oil supply as it has used less crude oil in domestic power plants, and output in the United Arab Emirates has edged lower as the country reduced allocations to customers of some grades.

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE remain among OPEC’s most compliant with their output targets.

They also have the most scope to boost supplies, analysts say, since they sit on much of the group’s unused production capacity. Iran has increased oil supply by around 30,000 bpd. Trade and shipping sources said the amount of crude Iran has been storing at sea on tankers has declined in recent weeks.

Iraqi output rose slightly because of increased shipments of Kirkuk crude.

Supplies of Kirkuk are volatile because Iraq’s pipeline to Turkey from the Kirkuk fields in Iraq faces frequent sabotage and technical problems. Venezuelan output is down because of technical problems at crude upgrading plants.

OPEC quotas exclude condensate and natural gas liquids and apply to supply rather than wellhead output, defined to exclude movements to, but not sales from, storage. Saudi and Kuwaiti data includes Neutral Zone.

Saudi data excludes oil produced for Bahrain.

Venezuelan data includes upgraded synthetic oil.

Nigerian output includes the Agbami stream and excludes Oso and Akpo. —Reuters

BUSINESS

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

25

ECB’s Noyer assures cagey markets over Ireland rescue BRUSSELS/TOKYO: European Central Bank policymaker Christian Noyer sought to bolster market confidence in the euro zone’s rescue for Ireland, telling cagey investors they should have faith in the plan’s success.

Euro zone ministers-acting under pressure to prevent the crisis of confidence in the region’s finances from engulfing Portugal and Spainalso backed a long-term mechanism intended to prevent the debt crisis from tearing the zone apart.

Noyer, the first member of the ECB’s policy council to speak after euro zone ministers sealed an 85 billion euro ($115 billion) loan package

for Ireland on Sunday, said he was confident the deal would bring down Dublin’s borrowing costs to more normal levels.

“There is no reason to doubt the recovery plans of the two countries,” Noyer said in a speech in Tokyo, referring to Ireland and Greece.

But market reaction showed investors thought the crisis that started with Greece’s budget blowout more than a year ago was far from over.

The euro rose slightly against the dollar in early Asian trading yesterday, but quickly slipped back to two month lows.

“I don’t think this is going to be a silver bullet. I think there are still going to be some question marks on Portugal and Spain,” said Peter Westaway, chief economist at brokers Nomura.

One of the questions that has been dogging markets for weeks and helped drive Ireland off the cliff was whether and under what circumstances private bondholders could be made to take losses, or “haircuts”, on euro zone government debt.

The new European Stability Mechanism outlined on Sunday would make private investors share the pain in the case of a debt default

or restructuring, but it would apply only to debt issued after 2013.

Noyer, who is also governor of the Bank of France, said that he believed even then it should remain only a theoretical possibility.

“As far as I’m concerned, I exclude that there will be haircuts in the future. It will be a major objective of all members of EU to do everything necessary to be in a position to fully honour their debts in the future.

European officials have been at pains to play down the links between Ireland and Portugal, widely seen as the next euro zone “domino” at risk.

Troubles in Portugal could quickly

spill over to Spain because of their close economic ties.

Noyer joined the chorus yesterday, saying Portugal was making good progress in consolidating its public finances. With anxiety rattling bond markets, the Irish government had been under intense pressure to accept a bailout despite repeatedly saying in recent weeks it did not need one.

“This agreement is necessary for our country and our people.

The final agreed program represents the best available deal for Ireland,” Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said. The deal aims to help Dublin cover bank debts amassed

when a property bubble burst and bridge its budget deficit, which ballooned to about a third of the country’s annual economic output.

Debt worries have marred Europe’s recovery from global recession for the past year, severely denting confidence in the 12-yearold euro currency and leading to what amounts to a showdown between European politicians and financial markets.

Some 35 billion euros was earmarked to help fix Irish banks, of which 10 billion will be an immediate capital injection and the rest a contingency fund. Ireland will contribute 17.5 billion euros in cash and

pension reserves. The rest of the emergency loans, which Dublin said were granted at an average interest rate of 5.8 percent, will help cover the giant hole the banks have blown in public finances. The IMF will contribute 22.5 billion euros.

In a key concession, Ireland was given an extra year, until 2015, to bring its budget deficit down to the EU limit of 3 percent of gross domestic product.

And Cowen, whose government is close to collapse over the EU/IMF bailout, said the deal did not involve any change to Ireland’s jealously guarded 12.5 percent corporate tax rate. —Reuters

France, Germany say euro saved, investors skeptical EU hopes Irish aid stops contagion to Portugal, Spain

DUBLIN: A woman walks past a branch of the Bank of Ireland in Central Dublin yesterday. —AP

Irish bank shares higher over EU-IMF rescue plan DUBLIN: Shares in Ireland’s banks rose sharply yesterday as investors welcomed an international agreement to provide 67.5 billion euros ($89 billion) in rescue loans for Ireland, particularly its immediate focus on injecting €10 billion into the cash-strapped banks. However, opposition leaders condemned the plan’s requirement that Ireland commit the bulk of its cash and pensions reserves, 17.5 billion euros, into its own rescue effort. They warned that the EU-IMF credit line’s average interest rate of 5.8 percent would be too high to repay. The senior International Monetary Fund negotiator, Ajai Chopra, stressed his view that Ireland was now well positioned to reassure investors and, eventually, resume normal borrowing once the interest rates being demanded on open markets fall below the cost of EU-IMF funds provided. “This is a very good deal for Ireland in current circumstances,” said Chopra, who arrived in Dublin 12 days ago to oversee negotiation of a bailout deal that leaders of all 27 EU nations approved Sunday at an emergency meeting.

“It’s clearly much better than what Ireland could get if it had to borrow on the market right now. ... As the program begins to work, we would expect that Ireland would be able to go back into the markets and borrow again,” he said.

The yields on Ireland’s 10-year bonds eased slightly yesterday to 9.12 percent, but remained near the euro-era record high of 9.24 percent reached Friday. The euro currency initially rose in value but quickly slipped back as investors remained unconvinced that the Irish deal would ease wider fears of eventual debt defaults somewhere in the 16-nation euro-zone. The cost of borrowing on bond markets rose for Spain, declined for Portugal, and was little changed for Greece.

Chopra said it was smart to require Ireland to use its long-term pension money, which was earning 1 percent interest, to reduce a bailout bill costing far more to finance.

“It’s making the best use of the money that Ireland has set aside. It’s a sign of strength,” Chopra told Irish state broadcaster RTE. Ireland’s three publicly listed banks surged on the Irish

Stock Exchange following Sunday’s deal, which emphasizes that more of their toxic propertybased loans will be transferred to Ireland’s “bad bank,” the National Asset Management Agency.

The deal provides 10 billion euros immediately to boost their reserves while 25 billion euros more remains available to draw down if markets don’t resume lending at better rates to the banks.

The remaining €50 billion is earmarked for use to cover Ireland’s expected deficits through 2014.

Chopra says IMF and EU experts in coming weeks will subject each Irish bank to a series of stress tests including worst-case scenarios to determine how much cash they need.

Ireland has already committed at least 45 billion euros to bailing out five Dublin banks, a bill that the government was forced to concede in recent weeks it could no longer finance on its own.

Shares in Irish Life & Permanent — the only Dublin bank yet to receive any bailout cash — rocketed 42 percent in the first hour of trade off its record low Friday. Bank of Ireland jumped 23 percent as it announced plans to try to raise 2.2 billion euroson its own without resorting to another bailout. Allied Irish Banks rose 7 percent, reflecting its humbled status as more reliant on bailout funds and likely to fall soon into majority government ownership. Some economists condemned the EU-IMF deal as designed to shackle the losses of Irish banks to Irish taxpayers, rather than pass any losses to the banks’ senior bondholders — chiefly other banks in Britain, Germany and the United States — that loaned the lost billions in the first place.

“We have a choice between the solvency of the state and the solvency of the banks. We needed to sever those links. This deal instead has soldered the links between the banks and the state,” said David McWilliams, a former Irish Central Bank economist who has argued in vain for Ireland to force senior bondholders to share losses.

“Of course the bank shares will rise,” he said of yesterday’s sharp gains. “We’ve just put 10 billion in their pocket.” —AP

BERLIN/PARIS: Germany and France declared yesterday that Europe had kets opened and prevent contagion engulfing Portugal and Spain, EU taken decisive action to save the euro by rescuing Ireland and laying the finance ministers endorsed an 85 billion-euro ($115 billion) loan package foundations of a permanent debt resolution system, but investors were not on Sunday to help Dublin cover bad bank debts and bridge a huge budget convinced. Under pressure to arrest the threat to the currency before mar- deficit.

They also approved the outlines of a long-term European Stability Mechanism (ESM), based on a Franco-German proposal, that will create a permanent bailout facility and make the private sector gradually share the burden of any future default.

“This is a measure which is not simply a single shot taken in response to an important crisis, it forms part of the absolute determination of Europe-of France and Germany-to save the euro zone,” French government spokesman Francois Baroin told Europe 1 radio.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said now that clarity had been achieved, “we are hoping for calming and reality in the financial markets”, where he said speculation against euro zone countries was “hardly rational”.

And French Economy Christine Lagarde said “irrational”, “sheep-like” markets were not pricing sovereign debt risk in Europe correctly.

The euro hovered near twoDUBLIN: (From left), David Hawley, International Monetary Fund, Ajai Chopra, International Monetary month lows against the dollar as Fund, Istvan Szekely EU Commission and Klaus Masuch European Central Bank speak to the media at Irish investors looked past the Government buildings in Dublin on Sunday. —AP Ireland rescue to the debt woes of other peripheral euro zone economies.

And the risk premium investors charge to hold Irish, Spanish and Portuguese bonds rather than safe-haven German BRUSSELS: The euro fell to a two-month for Ireland and its people, Irish press com- that she hoped the package would “douse bunds fell only slightly in early the fire,” a reference to fears that other low against the dollar yesterday as a huge ment was scathing.

London trade.

“Sold down the swanny,” headlined the euro-zone states could need a bailout as international bailout for Ireland failed to “There are still lingering ease investor fears for the fate of other Irish Daily Mail, adding in an editorial com- well. worries about the rest of the IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said ment: “We are falling without a safety net. financially troubled euro-zone members. countries, including Portugal “They demand the emptying out of the he had no doubt Ireland would honor its end “The impact on the euro was stark,” said and Spain,” said Lorraine Tan, Mitul Kotecha of Credit Agricole, with the national piggy bank, the only substantial of the bargain. director of Asian equity “Supported by substantial financing, this single currency “failing to hold its initial money we had left. We have sold our research at ratings agency program can underpin market confidence birthright for a mess of pottage (stew).” rally following the announcement.”

Standard & Poor’s. “It does The Irish government has has agreed to and bring Ireland’s economy back on track,” The euro rose to 1.3291 dollars on news raise risk worries and there are of the Ireland deal before slipping to 1.3181 contribute 17.5 billion euros to the loan he added in a statement Sunday. less people willing to take risk Non-euro countries Britain, Denmark in Asian trade, its lowest level since facility and will raid its National Pension at this stage.”

September 21. It later rebounded above Reserve Fund and other domestic cash and Sweden will provide bilateral loans Nouriel Roubini, the US resources. The Irish Sun said the deal “sen- totalling around five billion euros. As part of 1.3242 dollars. economist who warned of an Analysts said concerns about debt in tences us all to generations of horrific debt” the deal, Ireland was given an extra year, impending credit crisis before other parts of the euro-zone continued to and condemned the 5.8 percent average until 2015, to bring its 2010 deficit of 32 per2007, told the Diario roil currency markets, notably as borrowing annual interest rate on the loans as “fairly cent of gross domestic product back within Economico business daily that the permitted three percent limit. costs for Spain and Portugal have recently punitive.”

Portugal was increasingly likely Ireland’s coalition government unveiled “It is pure fantasy to think the Irish peosoared, prompting speculation they too to need an international bailout. ple can afford to pay this bill. The taxpayer a four-year plan last week that signalled might need an outside rescue.

“Like it or not, Portugal is “The one to really watch is Spain, as the is being saddled with all the pain, while the spending cuts worth 10 billion euros and tax reaching the critical point. euro-zone’s fourth largest economy, bigger bondholders get off scot free. It is scandal, rises worth five billion euros, triggering the Perhaps it could be a good idea mass protests at the weekend. than Greece, Ireland and Portugal put pure scandal,” it said. to ask for a bailout in a prevenCowen said he expected Ireland to pay The deal was nonetheless hailed by together,” said Nicholas Smith, director of tative fashion,” he said. an average interest rate of 5.8 percent a international finance officials. equity research at MF Global in Tokyo.

Adding to the gloom, Bank of France governor Christian year on the loans, subject to market condi“The question is whether the Union has Portuguese business confithe capital firepower to rescue Spain in the Noyer said he had “no doubt” that the initia- tions. dence dipped in November for “Without these loans the necessary tax way it has for Greece and Ireland.” Greece tive would be successful.“The package has the second straight month, on was the first recipient of a major EU-IMF been clearly designed by the IMF and the increases and spending cuts would be far poor prospects for the economy EU and you can rely on the multi-decade more severe,” Cowen insisted. The EU bailout earlier this year. due to austerity measures European Union finance ministers late experience of the IMF to put in place plans ministers also drew up rules for future resdesigned to calm investor conSunday sealed the 85-billion-euro ($113-bil- which are totally credible,” he told reporters cues that, under stringent IMF terms, cerns about its creditworthilion) rescue deal for Ireland, which is strug- in Tokyo on the sidelines of a financial would hit private investors who buy governness. ment bonds. gling to contain a huge public deficit and forum.

Troubles in Portugal, widely They agreed that the private sector “There is absolutely no doubt that this debt. Ireland’s crippled banks, having seen as the next euro zone invested heavily in a property boom that plan will work,” he said, adding that Ireland would share the burden in future bailouts “domino” at risk, could spread later collapsed, will immediately receive 10 has launched “extremely tough measures to after an existing eurozone emergency fund quickly to its neighbour Spain worth 440 billion euros expires in 2013. billion euros but will be subject to a “funda- restructure its financial sector.” because of their close economic “Rules will be adapted to provide for a In Paris French Finance Minister mental downsizing,” the government said in ties.

Christine Lagarde said the amount approved case-by-case participation of private sector Dublin.

Interest rate strategists While Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen would be “sufficient” to enable Ireland and creditors, fully consistent with IMF poliexpect Spain will have to pay insisted he had got “the best deal available” its banks to get back on their feet, adding cies,” said a statement. —AFP more to lure investors to Thursday’s offering of threeyear bonds, but five-year credit default swaps on BBVA and Santander tightened yesterday ATHENS: The extension to examine the necessity of aligning demanded for its bonds. “It is a program, particularly in 2014 and after widening aggressively last 2015, and analysts had been voicGreece’s 110 billion euros bailout the maturities of the financing of very important addition for us,” week. The new European Papaconstantinou said of the ing concern over Greece’s ability loan repayment schedule being Greece to that of Ireland,” the Stability Mechanism could considered by the EU would calm document agreed upon in text included in the decision on to cope with the repayment make private bondholders investors and help the govern- Brussels says. Several European Ireland. “It opens the road for the schedule. Papaconstantinou said share the cost restructuring a ment return to debt markets next countries, including Germany, extension of the repayment of the the markets at the moment were euro zone country’s debt issued year, the country’s finance minis- will have to submit the agree- Greek debt, and therefore it blocked due to “uncertainty as to after mid-2013 on a case-byter said Monday. On Sunday, ment to Parliament for approval opens the road for the markets to how viable the repayment rate is case basis. open up sooner.” Under the once the program is over” in European Union monetary affairs over the next few months.

The lack of detail in an earliFinance Minister George agreement signed in May with 2013. The repayment, which was chief Olli Rehn said EU finance er Franco-German deal on a criministers agreed “to look into” Papaconstantinou said Sunday’s the International Monetary Fund until 2015, would now go through sis mechanism, agreed last 2021 instead, extending the deadline for Greece decision paved the way for the and the European Union, Greece to month, and talk of private to repay its loans to 7 1/2 years markets to open up to Greece can draw on the 110 billion euros Papaconstantinou said, adding investors having to take losses, from three years, bringing the sooner. The country has essen- loan package for three years, until that the extension would not or “haircuts”, on the value of country’s loan package in line tially been blocked out of the 2013. However, it faced large affect the actual timeframe of the sovereign bonds, helped drive long-term debt market by exces- debt repayments in the years loan package itself, which would with one agreed for Ireland.

Ireland over the cliff. —Reuters “The eurogroup will rapidly sively high interest rates immediately after the end of the still end in mid-2013. —AP

Euro sinks after Irish bailout

Greek FM welcomes loan repayment extension

BRUSSELS: Irish Finance Minister Brian Lenihan arrives for a round table of euro-zone finance ministers at the EU Council building in Brussels. —AP

Wal-Mart makes firm offer on South African group JOHANNESBURG: The US giant retailer Wal-Mart is offering to buy 51 percent of South Africa’s Massmart stores, the two companies said in a joint statement yesterday. Wal-Mart is offering 148 rand (about $20) per share to Massmart stockholders in a 17 billion rand (about $2 billion) deal that has sparked concern among South African unions. It would be Wal-Mart’s first African foothold.

Massmart shares were trading at 143.75 rand Monday morning, up 1.45 percent from Friday’s close.

Massmart shares have been buoyed since Wal-Mart’s interest first became public in September.

Massmart will continue to be listed on the Johannesburg exchange, addressing a concern of some major Massmart stockholders that led Wal-Mart to revise an earlier bid to buy all of

Massmart.

Massmart’s board recommended shareholders accept, according to yesterday’s statement, which added that major institutional shareholders supported the deal. Earlier this month, South Africa’s main retail workers union said its members would strike if necessary to force Wal-Mart to respect labor and protect jobs. —AP

26

BUSINESS

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Holiday sales encouraging, but are shoppers done?

NEW YORK: Holiday spending appears to be off to a respectable start, with shoppers crowding stores and malls in bigger numbers than last year on Friday and maintaining steady traffic the rest of the weekend. Add in strong spending earlier in the month and robust sales online, and retailers are feeling encouraged. That’s particularly true because shoppers also scooped up fashion and other items for themselves, though mostly where they saw bargains. The question remains how many dollars shoppers are prepared to spend before Dec. 24 in an economy that’s still bumpy.

Discounts, particularly earlymorning specials, were deep enough that many shoppers say they bought more than they had planned. But some say that means they’re done, and they spent less than last year. “I started Thursday, and I’m finished,” said Tyler Jones, 34, of Manhattan, clutching packages at the Manhattan Mall on Saturday. She said she started shopping online on Thanksgiving, grabbing

deals on LCD TVs at Walmart.com, as well as clothing at Gap and Old Navy throughout the night and into Friday.

Then she went to the mall. She figures she spent $1,000 on holiday gifts, $500 less than last year.

Sharon Collins, 57, of Wilmington, North Carolina, said she had aimed to stagger her holiday shopping, but she found a lot of good buys on Black Friday at Target and Kohl’s. By Saturday she had spent about $1,000, reaping savings of about 50 percent.

She said she’d budgeted $2,000 but won’t need it.

“I am completely done.” Collins said. “Unless it is something I really need, I am not going back.” The heavy discounting and lower prices on certain types of items, particularly LCD TVs, held down overall spending. On Friday, retailers at shopping malls eked out a 0.3 percent increase to $10.69 billion, according to preliminary figures from ShopperTrak, a research firm that tracks sales at 70,000 stores.

TV prices are falling almost twice as fast as they did earlier this year amid a glut. They’re selling for anywhere from 15 to 20 percent lower than Christmas 2009. Earlier buying in November also stole some sales away from the day, said ShopperTrak co-founder Bill Martin. But 2.2 percent more customers came into stores on Black Friday compared with the same day last year. The research firm tracks sales at stores in shopping malls, not big discounters like WalMart and Target, which draw much Black Friday spending.

The National Retail Federation trade group estimated on Sunday that 212 million shoppers visited stores and websites over Black Friday weekend, up from 195 million last year, according to a survey it conducts. A fuller picture on spending will come Thursday when retailers report November revenue figures. Online, spending rose more than 14 percent from Thanksgiving Day through Saturday, according to IBM’s

Coremetrics. The average order rose 14 percent and the number of items per order grew 15 percent, fueled by shoppers taking advantage of deals on Black Friday. Online research firm comScore Inc. reported late Sunday that online spending for the first 26 days of November rose 13 percent to $11.64 billion, compared with the same period a year ago. On Thanksgiving Day, traditionally a lighter day for online spending, e-commerce sales rose to $407 million, up 28 percent from the year-ago period.

That was helped by more stores pushing exclusive deals. Online spending is still a relatively small piece of the holiday pie, between 8 and 10 percent by various estimates. Clearly, shoppers’ approach to the holidays has shifted, shaped by the stores themselves.

While Black Friday is expected to be the busiest day of the year, more spending was pulled forward as stores from Best Buy to Sears promoted discounts on holiday items earlier in the month, often pitching them as “Black

Friday doorbusters” weeks before the real thing. More stores opened on Thanksgiving, too.

“You are going to have to look at the overall month, instead of just Black Friday,” said Laura Gurski, retail practice leader at A.T. Kearney.

Lauren Beckley, a 28-year-old retail co-manager in Cincinnati, said she got a promotion at work this year but still plans to cut her holiday spending by 50 percent. This year, rather than scrambling at the last minute, she started shopping in July, taking advantage of “Christmas in July” promotions that were embraced by more retailers this year.

“I think I am bargain hunting a little more,” said Beckley while browsing for DVDs at a Best Buy in suburban Cincinnati on Saturday.

Stores hope to keep shoppers coming back with continuous deals and early-morning events on weekends.

But some analysts question whether the lull between Thanksgiving weekend and the days before Christmas

will be even more pronounced than usual.

“I believe customers will be waiting for the next round of deals,” Gurski added.

Stifel Nicolaus analyst Richard Jaffe described the weekend as a “success.” “I think retailers have won the battle of driving customers into the stores, but have they won the war? We won’t know until January,” he said. Retail executives offered an upbeat assessment on Sunday. Amy Adoniz, general store manager at Best Buy’s Union Square store in Manhattan, reported steady traffic through the weekend after the frenzy Friday. The best sellers have been TVs and laptops, but shoppers are also throwing in a few extra items like Blu-ray players and cables that they hadn’t planned, she said.

They’re also springing for more expensive items, she said.

Mall operators including Taubman Centers Inc. and Macerich Co. both reported sales and traffic

gains compared with last year, and traffic has remained steady through the weekend. Both reported that shoppers’ buying for themselves remained strong. Footwear and clothing were key big sellers.

Analysts are also closely watching stores’ inventory levels. Earlier this fall, many retailers worried they’d ordered too much holiday merchandise in the spring when the economic recovery had looked like it was gaining steam. There was scattered evidence those worries continue. Gap, for example, offered 50 percent discounts throughout the entire store until 10 a.m. Friday, rather than just discounting specific items to draw shoppers. Dana Telsey, CEO of Telsey Advisory Group, said Sunday that she believed inventories were appropriate and retailer profits aren’t in danger yet. Dec. 1525, which accounts for 40 percent of holiday business, will tell the tale.

“It’s the crux of the season,” she said. —AP

Deal to create Europe’s second largest carrier

Shareholders seal BA-Iberia merger LONDON: A multi-billion-euro merger between British Airways and Iberia was sealed yesterday as shareholders overwhelmingly backed a deal to create Europe’s second

biggest airline. “The shareholders of Iberia and British Airways today voted to approve the merger of the two companies,” Iberia said in an official statement.

“The shareholders of the two airlines thus met the final condition for carrying out the merger, which will be officially consummated when shares of the new International Airline Group (IAG) holding company are listed for trading on stock exchanges on late January.” BA shareholders backed the deal-worth more than 6.0 billion euros ($8.0 billion) — with an overwhelming 99-percent majority.

“Without a doubt, it is a historical agreement that will create a global group to lead a future consolidation process in the airline business,” said Iberia chairman Antonio Vazquez, who will become chairman of IAG. The boards of the British and Spanish airlines agreed a deal in April, MADRID: President of the Spanish airline Iberia Antonio Vasquez speaks during while EU competition regulaa meeting with shareholders of the Spanish company to vote the merger with tors have also given the green light for a full alliance.

British Airways yesterday in Madrid. —AFP A merger allows the two carriers to catch up with rivals such as Air FranceKLM and Lufthansa, according to analysts.

BA is set to benefit from Iberia’s strong presence in Latin America, while the Spanish airline will gain from LONDON: Economic sentiment in the 16 key to growth is that Germany continues to the British carrier’s strength nations that use the euro rose to a three year grow strongly and the survey will likely reinin North America. BA chairhigh in November despite mounting concerns force hopes that the export recovery remains man Martin Broughton told about the debt load of a number of member intact. More importantly perhaps, the survey shareholders yesterday that countries, most notably Ireland, official fig- indicated that consumer spending is on the the merger had a “compelling, ures showed yesterday. up as unemployment declines and wage setstrategic and financial logic”.

The European Commission said its eco- tlements rise. Despite the further pick-up in A tie-up, on schedule to be nomic sentiment indicator for the euro-zone sentiment, the European Central Bank is completed in January, will rose to 105.3 from October’s 103.8, largely on expected to keep borrowing costs at a record create Europe’s secondthe back of continuing improvements in the low of 1 percent at its meeting Thursday and biggest airline by market capservices and manufacturing sectors. The for many months to come, partly because italization after Germany’s increase was bigger than markets’ expecta- higher borrowing costs are the last thing the Lufthansa, and fly about 60 tions for a rise to 105. highly indebted countries like Greece, million passengers a year.

The survey will fuel hopes that the recov- Ireland, Portugal and Spain need right now.

BA and Iberia sought to ery in the euro-zone is on a fairly sound foot- On Sunday, Ireland became the second euromerge as the global economic ing despite the debt crisis gripping the single zone country after Greece to be bailed out by downturn and the rise of lowcost airlines resulted in steep currency zone following much stronger than its partners in Europe and the International losses for traditional carriers. anticipated economic growth this year. The Monetary Fund. —AP However since the tie-up announcement, the pair have overcome travel chaos due to strikes and the volcanic ash cloud to post healthy returns to profit, indicating that the sector is on a path to recovery after the deep recession.

The landmark AngloSEOUL: The Hyundai Group to fund the purchase of the lion won ($43 million) lawSpanish deal will create annuled by Hyun Jeong-Eun construction firm-which suit against Hyundai Motor al savings of around 400 milsigned an initial deal yester- came under creditor control over its allegations that lion euros by the fifth year of day to take over South in a debt-for-equity swap in Hyun’s group may have fundthe merger, which will see Korea’s largest builder, after 2001. ing trouble. Hyundai Motor the creation of a new holding trumping a rival bid from car However creditors this has raised “groundless company with a primary giant Hyundai Motor headed month chose Hyundai Group doubts and leaked such alleshares listing in London. BA by her brother-in-law. over the automaker to buy a gations to the media and will hold 55 percent of the Korea Exchange Bank 35 percent stake in the politicians, which is a clear capital of IAG and Iberia 45 (KEB), lead creditor of builder for an undisclosed violation of rules that ban percent.

Hyundai Engineering and sum. Dow Jones Newswires such activities”, Hyundai BA and Iberia will each Construction, said the final quoted people familiar with Group said in a statement retain their current operacontract is likely to be signed the matter as saying Hyundai Sunday. tions and individual brands. in January. The takeover bat- Group offered just over five Hyundai Motor responded Current BA chief executive tle is part of a family feud billion dollars, compared yesterday by saying creditors Willie Walsh will become over the former Hyundai with Hyundai Motor’s bid of should not grant its rival the chief executive of the new empire, which was split into just over four billion. status of preferred bidder group. separate units after the death Hyundai Group-which without clarifying its funding The planned merger of its billionaire founder includes a shipping firm, a plan. Given market concerns cleared a significant hurdle Chung Ju-Yung in 2001. brokerage, a tour company over the Hyundai Group’s when Iberia said it had decidHyundai Motor was hived that operates projects in funding capacity, creditors ed not to exercise its right to off almost a decade ago as a North Korea and an elevator will be able to deprive it of cancel the deal over a BA separate entity. With affili- maker-is disputing sugges- the status of prime bidder if employees’ pensions deficit of ate Kia Motors, it is now the tions it cannot afford the anything unlawful is found in 3.7 billion pounds (4.4 billion world’s fifth largest carmak- deal. the process, KEB said in a euros, $5.8 billion). —AFP er and was far better placed Yesterday it filed a 50 bil- statement. —AFP

Euro-zone recovery holds up despite debt crisis

Hyundai Group signs initial deal to take over builder

NEW YORK: A vendor sells puppets at the Union Square Holiday Market on Sunday in New York. —AP

Debt worries hit European shares; risk appetite down LONDON: European shares fell yesterday after an 85 billion-euro bailout deal for Ireland failed to allay concerns that the euro-zone debt crisis could spread to other countries.

An 11 percent jump in the European volatility index to three-month highs signaled a drop in appetite for risky assets, while charts indicated that a close below last week’s low could be a matter of worry for the market.

By 1243 GMT the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was down 0.7 percent at 1,078.96 points in choppy trade, having hit a one-week high at 1,096.38 points earlier in the session and then slipping to a low of 1,077.00.

Automakers topped the losers’ list on worries that a slow economic recovery could hurt demand. Daimler AG, Porsche and Renault fell 2.2 to 2.3 percent.

The main focus stayed on the euro zone debt problems. Shares opened higher after European Union finance ministers backed the loan package to help Ireland bridge its budget deficit, but the euphoria soon dissipated. “The worry is that Ireland won’t mark the end of the euro zone crisis and

with the economies of Portugal and Spain looking less than robust, markets are worried that we could be talking about potential bailouts once again in the not too distant future,” said Ben Critchley, sales trader at IG Index.

The cost of insuring Portuguese and Spanish debt against default rose to a record high after a tepid Italian auction result, while Portugal’s economic climate indicator fell for the second straight month in November.

“The issue has not been resolved,” said Luc Van Hecka, chief economist at KBC Securities. “We can perhaps sedate the problem regularly for some time, but it will pop up again until there is some kind of final agreement which almost inevitably leads to some kind of fiscal authority for the euro zone.

Financial shares slipped, with the STOXX Europe 600 banking index falling 0.9 percent. BNP Paribas, Bankinter and Societe Generale fell 2.4 to 3 percent. But Bank of Ireland jumped 21.5 percent, while Allied Irish Banks was up 9.7 percent.

The VDAX-NEW volatility index, one of Europe’s main barometers of investor anxi-

ety, jumped 11 percent to its highest since early September. The higher the volatility index, based on sell- and buy-options on Frankfurt’s top-30 stocks, the higher investors’ aversion for risky assets such as stocks.

Technical analysts said investors should keep an eye on key levels. Charts showed the FTSEurofirst 300 fell just 1.4 percent last week despite the Irish debt crisis.

“The magnitude of the break is not sufficient at this stage to call an end to the rally.

However, a close below last week’s low, at 1,076, would be a cause for concern,” said Bill McNamara, technical analyst at Charles Stanley.

The Thomson Reuters Peripheral Eurozone Countries Index fell 2 percent.

Ireland’s ISEQ rose 0.7 percent, but Britain’s FTSE 100, Germany’s DAX, France’s CAC 40, Spain’s IBEX, Portugal’s PSI 20, Italy’s FTSE MIB fell 1.1 to 1.6 percent.

BP was down 1.2 percent, tracking the wider market weakness. The oil major has agreed to sell its stake in Argentina-based Pan American Energy to Bridas Corp, half owned by China’s CNOOC. —Reuters

PM Cowen faces tough task selling bailout to angry Irish DUBLIN: Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen faced a backlash yesterday for agreeing the EUIMF bailout for his debt-laden nation, amid outrage at what opposition politicians and the press condemned as a “sellout”. Cowen insisted the 85-billion-euro ($113 billion) bailout was the “best deal available” for Ireland and will help shore up its banks, allowing his government to continue operating without imposing further tax rises or spending cuts.

But the main opposition Fine Gael party called the agreement “appalling”, insisting the 5.8 percent annual interest rate on the loan was unaffordable and condemning plans to raid Ireland’s pension fund reserves to help pay for it.

“This is a hugely disappointing result for the country. It’s hard to imagine how this deal could have been much worse,” said Fine Gael finance spokesman Michael Noonan.

“People are right to feel fright-

ened, and worried about the future, when our own government has sold out the country on such lousy terms.”

Opposition parties have demanded Cowen quit over the crisis hitting the former Celtic Tiger economy, but he says he will not call an election until early next year, after lawmakers

pass a forthcoming budget.

The December 7 budget will outline cost-cutting measures for the first year of a four-year plan to save 15 billion euros by 2014.

The austerity plan sparked mass protests in Dublin on Saturday but Cowen says it is a vital pre-condition to the

DUBLIN: Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen pauses as he speaks to the media at government buildings, Dublin yesterday. —AP

bailout. Labour party leader Eamon Gilmore said the deal struck with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund and announced in Brussels on Sunday was “a national sell-out”.

“This is a sad and sorry day for our country and the direct result of Fianna Fail (Cowen’s party) mismanagement and irresponsibility,” he added. Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams called the rescue package a “terrible deal” and said plans to raid the National Pension Reserve Fund to pay for Ireland’s 17.5-billioneuro contribution to the EUIMF loan facility were a “disaster”.

Irish newspapers also rounded on the agreement yesterday, saying it would saddle the Irish people with unsustainable levels of debt. “Sold down the swanny”, headlined the Irish Daily Mail, while the Irish Examiner said: “Instead of rescuing the state, it could scuttle it.” —AFP

TECHNOLOGY

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

27

Al-Yousifi unveils Panasonic’s first 3D Consumer Camcorder KUWAIT: Easa Hussain AlYousifi & Sons Co Panasonic’s agent in Kuwait is proud to present the world’s first 3D camcorder from Panasonic Corporation the industry leader in Full HD 3D and HD TV technology, whereas consumers and tech-savvy Middle East enthusiasts can avail of the product from November of 2010.

The SDT750 camcorder allows anyone to create powerful, true-to-life 3D images by simply attaching a 3D conversion lens that comes with the camcorder. Even without the 3D conversion lens, this innovative camcorder offers many ways to take home video recording to a new level with a wide range of sophisticated features.

“3D is the buzz word and is quickly becoming the most sought-after AV technology today. We have already launched 3D Viera TV, 3D Blu Ray player and 3D HDMI cables and now with this 3D Camcorder, Easa Hussain Al Yousifi &Panasonic is committed to making ground breaking 3D technology widely available to Kuwait consumers,” commented Wael Deeb, General Manager of Easa Hussain Al Yousifi & Co, Consumer Electronics Department (EWG).

“Home and personal videos are part and parcel of our daily lives, consumers can now make use of Panasonic’s 3D offerings to capture, create and enjoy memories in 3D,” added Deeb.

At the vanguard of 3D technology, this year Panasonic launched its Full HD 3D VIERA plasma TVs and 3D Blu-ray DiscTM players for homes as well as the world’s first professional 3D camcorder. The development of a consumer camcorder capable of 3D recording is a natural next step for the company.

Incorporating Panasonic’s broadcast technology, the advanced 3MOS System SDT750 camcorder lets users easily create their own 3D movies, something that previously only professional image producers had been able to do.

Combined with a VIERA 3DTV3 and Blu-ray DiscTM player/recorder4, the SDT750 camcorder makes it possible to save precious memories of friends and family in vivid, lifelike 3D images, thereby further expanding the world of 3D enjoyment at home. Even without the 3D conversion lens attached, there are many ways to enjoy the SDT750 camcorder. The 3MOS system with improved noise reduction (NR) technologies records

Panasonic’s new innovative camcorder unleashes 3D recording to amateur home videographers and enables superbquality 2D HD videos. dimly lit images in greater beauty than ever before.

Other sophisticated functions include 1080/60p for NTSC or 1080/50p for PAL recording (Full-HD 1,920 x 1,080, 60 or 50 progressive recording)5 for ultra-smooth images, iA (Intelligent Auto) mode5 in the new HYBRID O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization/Optical Image Stabilizer)5, and a wealth of manual functions controlled by a manual ring6 for easy, creative shooting.

The high-sensitivity 3MOS System provides an effective motion image pixel count of 7,590,000 pixels (2,530,000 pixels x 3). And even with this high pixel count, newly developed technology increases sensitivity, and furtherevolved NR technology achieves bright images with

minimal noise when shooting under low light conditions.

This maximizes the 3MOS features of excellent color reproduction, high resolution and rich gradation, and lets the user capture vividly colored images in both bright and darkly lit places.

Recording in 1,080/60p for NTSC or 1,080/50p for PAL5, the SDT750 camcorder produces richly expressive images, with none of the detail loss and flickering of the conventional 1,080i (interlace) recording. In addition, the iA function, which was highly popular on previous models, makes it easy for anyone to take beautiful videos. The SDT750 camcorder also newly incorporates the HYBRID O.I.S. system5 to bring clear, beautiful HD image quality to telephoto shots as well.

Mohammad Akbar (right)

Aref and Mohammad Akbar

Zamaq, Khaled and Arbab

Few smartphone owners are loyal to their brand: Survey LONDON: The booming smartphone market shows no sign of slowing but manufacturers will have to fight hard to keep their customers as smartphone owners show little loyalty to their current brands, a GfK survey shows.

The survey, to be published later yesterday, found that 56 percent of smartphone owners in key global markets were keeping their options open about which phone they would buy next, with only

Apple commanding a significant degree of loyalty.

With features such as Wi-Fi, GPS and high-resolution cameras now commonplace, owners of Internet-enabled phones are increasingly concerned with the ease of accessing attractive services to enhance their devices, often through app stores.

“Loyalty with a handset is a lot more complicated these days in that people buy into experiences at the high-end level,”

Ryan Garner, the lead analyst on the survey, told Reuters.

“If a phone doesn’t do what it says it will do or what the owner hopes it will do, the maker will lose loyalty.” The survey found that just 25 percent of smartphone owners planned to stay loyal to the operating system running their phone, with loyalty highest among Apple users at 59 percent, and lowest for Microsoft’s phone software, at 21 percent.

Of users of Research in Motion’s BlackBerrys, 35 percent said they would stay loyal. The figure was 28 percent for users of phones running Google’s Android software, and 24 percent for users of Nokia Symbian phones. Nokia, the world’s biggest maker of cellphones, is revamping its software strategy under new Chief Executive Stephen Elop, and is due to release two new platforms next year.

GfK conducted the survey of 2,653

mobile phone users in Brazil, Germany, Spain, Britain, the United States and China online during October and November.

The German market-research company also found that 37 percent of cellphone owners in all those markets excluding China planned to upgrade to a smartphone on their next purchase. They did not ask the question in China for logistical reasons.

Sales of smartphones nearly doubled in the third quarter and are expected to be up

more than 50 percent for 2010, according to IT research firm Gartner, outpacing growth seen at closer to 30 percent for the cellphone market as a whole.

Smartphones command far higher margins than regular mobile phones, although that profitability is being eroded by new competition from vendors who have been able to enter the market thanks to Google’s open-source Android software. — Reuters

HEALTH & SCIENCE

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Turkey leftovers could help you maintain weight loss LOS ANGELES: Thanksgiving is not a day for counting calories. But for people who have dieted this year and are trying to maintain a healthy weight, turkey leftovers - without the stuffing - may be a smart strategy going forward, according to a new report. In the largest diet study from Europe to date, foods that were high in protein and low on the glycemic index such as poultry, eggs, fish and nuts - did the best job of helping people maintain their weight loss for 26 weeks, researchers report in Thursday’s edition of The New England Journal of Medicine. The diet also was the easiest for study participants to adhere to among the five weight-maintenance diets tested, according to the study.

While many people can lose weight, “maintaining weight loss is the difficult part,” said study leader Thomas Meinert Larsen, an associate professor of food composition and obesity at the University of Copenhagen. “You have to come up with a diet that is easy to follow and is practical longterm. It’s reassuring that the most effective diet in our study seems to be the one that is best maintained.”

Larsen and his colleagues from around Europe assigned 773 adults who had already lost an average of about 24 pounds to one of five healthy diets designed to encourage a stable weight. All of the diets had a moderate fat content - 25 percent to 30 percent of calories from fat - were low on sugar, high in fiber and had no limits on calories consumed daily.

However, the participants were asked to watch their portion sizes and adhere to strict criteria, which varied between the groups, regarding the amount of protein consumed and glycemic index. Glycemic index is a measure of how quickly carbohydrates in food break down and affect blood sugar levels. Those that do so swiftly are assigned a value of 70 or above, while those that break down more slowly and release glucose gradually typically have a value below 55. The glycemic index of white bread is 70, for example, while chicken is about 45.

To make sure they followed their diets, the study participants were counseled on what foods to prepare, submitted food diaries and underwent urine tests to check the amount of protein they consumed. A small portion of the participants had their meals prepared for them. After 26 weeks, those who followed the high-protein, low-glycemic-index diet lost an average of 0.8 pounds.

Participants in the other groups gained an average of 0.7 to 3.7 pounds, according to the study.

Overall, volunteers who followed a low-protein diet gained an average of two pounds more than those who followed a highprotein diet, and those who ate high-glycemic-index foods gained two pounds more, on average, than those who ate low-glycemic-index foods.

In addition, those in the high-protein, low-glycemicindex group had the lowest drop-out rate - about 26 percent, compared to an average of 37 percent for the other groups, the researchers reported. The study suggests that people feel more satisfied on the high-protein, low-glycemic-index diet and thus will stick with it longer, said Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children’s Hospital Boston and co-author of an editorial accompanying the study. Ludwig also noted that the diets followed by the five groups differed only modestly.

The glycemic index varied by five units between the highest and lowest groups, while the proportion of calories obtained from protein varied by a mere 5 percent.

“A more powerful intervention supported by additional food products might produce an even greater effect, although ultimately we need longer-term research,” he said. James O Hill, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado, agreed that longer-term data would be more convincing. “There is not much difference among the groups right now,” said Hill, who wasn’t involved with the study. Still, he praised the researchers for focusing on weight maintenance, an often overlooked aspect of weight loss that requires a different approach than for the initial shedding of pounds. “This is the kind of research that ought to be done,” he said.

Nutrition researchers have not reached a consensus about how much protein and glycemic index matter for weight loss and weight control. High-protein diets, however, have been shown to be successful in the active phase of weight loss, along with many other types of diets. Researchers have also examined the children of those participating in the study.

Among kids whose families prepared high-protein, lowglycemic-index foods, the proportion who were overweight dropped from 46 percent at the start of the study to 39 percent half a year later. Those results were published this month in the journal Pediatrics. — MCT

Why ‘bad gifts’ are good thing for our humanity

WASHINGTON: National Thanksgiving Turkey “Apple” is seen before being pardoned by US President Barack Obama during the annual pardon of the Thanksgiving Turkey in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. — AFP

China AIDS death toll up 370,393 reported HIV/AIDS sufferers

JAKARTA: Indonesian Muslim students pose with HIV/AIDS symbols during a campaign in Jakarta prior to December 1 World AIDS Day. There were 21,770 reported cases of HIV and AIDS in Indonesia, in 2010, according to Health Ministry Data, and around 25 percent of the people affected are women. —AFP

BEIJING: The total number of reported AIDS deaths in China has jumped by nearly 20,000 since an official estimate last year, state media said yesterday as Beijing vowed to step up efforts to curb its spread. Deaths linked to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) since its emergence in China in the 1980s reached 68,315 by the end of October, state television said, citing figures from the health ministry. That compares with a tally of 49,845 reported deaths released by the ministry at the end of October 2009.

The number of reported HIV/AIDS sufferers stood at 370,393, the brief report by China Central Television said, compared with a ministry figure last year of 319,877.

World AIDS Day is on December 1.

HIV/AIDS was mostly sexually transmitted, with rates of infection among homosexual men increasing sharply, the report said. It did not give a reason for the sharp rise in death and infection figures, but the government has been making efforts to improve reporting of cases. The health ministry has previously also given a parallel estimate of 740,000 people “living with HIV/AIDS” in China since 1985 when it was first detected in the country. This apparently includes estimates of unreported cases.

The State Council, or cabinet, said yesterday the HIV/AIDS epidemic in China was “still grave” and pledged to increase screening for the disease and improve access to antiretroviral drugs for sufferers. Top leaders also vowed to crack down on prostitution and illegal drugs as well as increase public education about the disease. AIDS has long had a heavy stigma attached to it in China, with many sufferers hiding their condition out of shame. However, there have been recent signs that attitudes are changing. The government has started talking more openly about HIV prevention and control in China, though people with HIV/AIDS still encounter huge discrimination in employment, education and healthcare. — AFP

SEATTLE: When I was 13, I gave my Aunt Muriel a scarf. Not just any scarf, mind you. This scarf was red, my favorite color and huge and oblong, my favorite shape. When some time went by, and I never saw her wear it, I asked her if she liked it (At 13, you can get away with doing that). She said it was a beautiful scarf, one that she liked very much, and that someday she hoped to find something in her wardrobe to go with it. Patiently, she explained that she appreciated the compliment of my giving her what amounted to my favorite scarf. “You know, Mary,” she said, “giving a gift is the easiest way to impose our taste on another person.”

Ouch. Now, Amazon.com has removed all worries of displeasing, or perhaps more gently put, baffling the receivers of my gifts. Or your gifts. As I write this column, amidst the Thanksgiving holidays in the United States, I am thankful for the patent (#7,831,439) recently acquired by the company through the ingeniousness of CEO Jeff Bezos. I am thankful because it gives us all the opportunity to rethink the meaning of giving gifts. Said patent, which is a “gift conversion system” according to its application, means to ensure that you always will end up with whatever gift you want, regardless of how much the giver intended to give you something different.

This means that you can enter your information and tell the elves at Amazon never to send you any actual gifts from Colleague Clarence of the Curious Choices. Rather, the Amazon elves automatically will convert that neon-striped tie into a gift certificate. This unfortunately means that, should Colleague Clarence suggest that you wear the neon tie to the next office party, you are in big trouble, because chances are you never knew what Colleague Clarence sent you in the first place. Not only that, but supposedly the gift-conversion system will autogenerate a thank-you note. Would it not be more honest simply to send a receipt confirmation? (That’s fodder for a separate column, thank you very much.)

So, you might ask, why am I thankful to Amazon for this system? Because the system is not yet in place. Thus, we still have some time left to think about what holiday gifts, or any gifts for that matter, really mean. Let’s remember, above all, that our only true gifts are our time and our attention. Sometimes that translates into a physical object; sometimes not. Sometimes it means a colleague sends you an illuminating article or takes you to lunch. Sometimes it means a sterling silver flash drive, a Prada case for your iPad, or home-baked cookies. This, after all, is the principle behind the adage: “it’s the thought that counts”.

A gift conversion system, which intercepts “bad gifts” and sends you a gift certificate instead, is brilliant technology sadly run amok.

It seems to me that the system of clicking a button in order to indulge our self-centeredness so sterilizes gift-giving relationships that we end up inadvertently deleting our humanity.

Although I am a shareholder in the company and ordinarily a fan, I do wish they had thought this through in the interest of good corporate citizenship. Life is built on relationships. Good relationships create good business. It’s not the other way around.

Every relationship has the potential for screw-ups, gaffes, or unintentional comedy. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Which means, if I receive a gift that seems ridiculous to me, I get to respond to the challenge of making the sender feel appreciated, while remaining authentic.

Yes, it takes time, energy, and effort; this is part of our humanity. That is what builds relationships. What if I am the giver who gives that ridiculous gift? I get to learn from it, just as I learned from Aunt Muriel all those years ago. Well, who among us is perfect? Yet we all can hone our successful gift-giving by asking ourselves: -Why am I giving it?- Is it sincere?- Am I giving it without strings attached?- Does it reflect the receiver’s taste - not mine? -Is it too extravagant? - Is it kind? (Beware of gag gifts) -Is it appropriate? (e.g. no candy for a dieter) -Can I present it in person? -Is it presented beautifully? -Do I feel good about giving it? —Reuters

Disease, pests hurt BAT Uganda tobacco output KAMPALA: British American Tobacco Uganda (BATU) expects its 2010 tobacco production to drop by 8.2 percent from last year’s output, depressed by crop disease and pests, top company officials told Reuters on Monday. Tobacco is one of the east African nation’s important foreign exchange earners and BATU, which is listed on Uganda’s bourse, is its biggest grower of the narcotic leaf, producing about half of the country’s total output. BATU’s managing director, Alain Schacher, forecast the company would produce 18,000 tons of tobacco this year, down from 19,600 tons in 2009.

“Unfortunately we had some adverse conditions this year. We had a disease problem in our main area of growing, West Nile, and that means we’ll not be able to achieve last year’s volumes,” he said in an interview. The company’s agronomist, Robert Bakyalire, said their crop had been attacked by tobacco mosaic, a viral disease that turns leaves pale-green and lightens

their weight, and nematodes, which chew through the roots making the plant dry prematurely. BATU, a unit of British American Tobacco typically accounts for about 70 percent of Uganda’s exports.

Some 12,000 hectares of east Africa’s thirdlargest economy are planted with tobacco, grown by an estimated 50,000 farmers.

Schacher said BATU was trying to help farmers control the disease. “The disease doesn’t affect the tobacco in terms of quality but the yield is affected. We’re encouraging farmers to ... apply the right chemicals that we supply them and this will mitigate the risk in future,” he said.

Schacher said the company would not recover all the loans it had advanced to farmers, to help compensate for the reduced yields. Contract tobacco farmers are normally offered credit by companies to purchase fertilizer, seedlings and other vital farm supplies. The loans are recovered from their tobacco sales. —Reuters

Retirement is restful, if not healthy: Study LOS ANGELES: Is retirement the start of a downward spiral in mental, physical and emotional health or is it good for you? Many surveys show that people feel their health improves after retirement. A large, new study suggests, however, that retirement doesn’t alter the risk of developing major chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. However, fatigue and depression seem to improve. The study, published recently in the British Medical Journal, is one of the largest and longest-running studies of retirement. Almost 14,000 French men and women were followed for seven years before retirement and seven years after retirement. The study authors, from Stockholm University, found that mental and physical fatigue improved significantly after retiring.

That suggests, they wrote, “that fatigue may be an underlying reason for early exit from the labor market and decreased productivity.” Fatigue was more common among women, people who retired before

age 55 and those who had a chronic disease.

Symptoms of depression also improved, especially among people with chronic diseases. In the year before retirement, 25 percent of the study participants reported depression symptoms and 19 percent had some kind of disease. All of the study participants retired by age 64. Other recent studies suggest that working helps keep people healthier. One study showed that mental health was better in retirees who pursued a second career after retiring from their first career. More research is needed to understand how retirement affects people at particular ages, said the authors of a commentary accompanying the study.

Discussions of raising the retirement age in several European countries have sparked protests and heated debate, the authors noted. In this country, many older employees consider working longer than anticipated in order to recover retirement funds and savings lost during the recession. — MCT

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11/29/10 5:19 PM

WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

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IDF audience

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

IDF Winners

IDF conducts interschool medical quiz Al-Wataniah Indian School team (FAIPS) swept TasidehePvtFahaheel all opposition to walk away with the IDF Rolling Trophy awarded for being the winners in the 1st IDF Interschool Health Quiz 2010 held on November 26, 2010. The event - the first of its kind in the region - was organized by the Indian Doctors Forum, Kuwait as part of their School Health Program. Dr Prasad Nair, a senior member of the IDF, said in his speech at the event, “the idea is to disseminate health information to school children in an interesting manner... and also to inspire more children to come into the medical profession”. Each school could send one team comprising of students of Class X, XI or XII to participate. Fourteen Indian schools battled it out in the written preliminary held earlier in the day.

The top scoring six teams were selected for the finals.

The finalists were: Gulf Indian School - Shadma Arshad, Josna Miriam Fernandes Indian Community School Shara Amman- Jay Chidambaram Ambalavanan, Sandeep Indian Community School Sr Girls-Bhavani Balasubramaniam, Batul Kaiser Sadliwala Indian Educational School (Bhavans)- Venkata Krisshna P N, Nandhini Narendran Indian Public School- Ahlaam Akbar Kazi, Mustafa Abbas

IDF Runners-Up Fahaheel Al-Wataniah Indian Pvt School- Immanuel Amrita Rhema, Sharwari Rajesh Pandit The finals, held at KMA Hall, Jabriya witnessed a packed auditorium filled largely with children, their parents and teachers energetically

cheering their respective school teams. Dr Narayanan Nampoory, President, IDF who personally oversaw all the arrangements stated that he was extremely impressed with the level of knowledge of the participating students and reiterated that

the event would be held every year.

The quiz covered all health related issues including current topics relevant to health, history of medicine, pioneering scientists, diseases, human biology etc. in eight unique rounds utilizing multimedia. The

quiz-masters, Dr Sebastian Mathew and Dr Ananthapriya Vaidya smoothly presented distinctive rounds one after the other which made the teams and audience full of keen anticipation. The unique format and randomization in all rounds ensured

fairness and the same advantage for each team.

Jay and Sandeep of Indian Community School, Amman Br seemed to have things in control and looked set to be heading for a victory with inspired answers in the initial rounds. However, Immanuel and Sherwari of FAIPS, who were never too far behind, unwaveringly fought back in the crucial buzzer rounds demonstrating cool heads and sharp reflexes to reach top spot. The event also had a number of questions for the audience with prizes for every correct answer infusing them with lots of energy and enthusiasm. Dr Amir Ahmed, the Vice-President of IDF, seamlessly integrated the whole event in his role as the master of ceremonies with spontaneity and liveliness.

K N Rao Charge d’affaires Indian Embassy graced the occasion and gave away the prizes to all finalist E D Titus, Director and General Manager of Bahrain Exchange Company (BEC) - the co-sponsor of the event, awarded the runners up medals to Jay Chidambaram Ambalavanan and Sandeep of Indian Community School, Shara Amman along with slick netbook computers as their 2nd prize.

T A Remesh, Country Manager of Gulfmart- the main sponsor of the event- was visibly captivated by the quality of the event. Presenting

Health matters at BSK he British School of Kuwait held their annual Health Week at the Tbeginning of November. Of the many exciting, interesting and informative activities that the students participated in, possibly the most anticipated events were the morning funky workouts, the healthy picnics and the grand finale - Sports Day. The Junior Department students at BSK were enthusiastic in their participation of morning exercise on the courtyard and managed to start the day with a high tempo workout, led by the BSK P E Team. Teachers and students dressed in their sports attire and got their hearts racing and their blood pumping to the sounds of “Superman”. What a great way to get ready for a day’s work!

During the week the Year 4 students brought in healthy food for their picnic. The students looked at

Symposium on Shakespeare

blood donation campaign

Future Eye Theatre, Kuwait will hold a ‘Symposium on Shakespeare’ on Friday, December 10, 2010 at the Orma Restaurant auditorium, Abbassiya from 5.30 pm till 8pm. Several theatre experts, directors and enthusiasts are scheduled to attend the symposium which will discuss the multidimensional features of Shakespearean theatre and its relevance in contemporary theatre forms.

l-Sayer Franchising, the master franchise for Caribou Coffee has affiliated with AKuwait Blood Center for launching its first ever Blood Donation drive and a mass PR campaign for three days at Jabriya in an attempt to do their part for the society the employees of Caribou Coffee donated blood on November 25, 2010 . And to encourage the Kuwaiti residents to come forward and join in this noble cause for 3 days Caribou Coffee will be offering Fresh Orange Juice to those who donate blood.

Hamad Musaed Al-Sayer, Managing Director of Al-Sayer Franchising explained the reason for this drive: “At Caribou Coffee, the passion and commitment about giving back to our local and national communities by focusing and channelizing our charitable efforts on humanitarian causes has percolated down to the last team member. We consider it our honor and privilege to support the Kuwait Blood Bank which provides us an opportunity to be able to help people or save their lives, thus upholding our integral and core values.” Boulos C Younes, General Manager stated “It is our mission to be a part of helping the community and we are excited to further develop additional corporate social responsibility programs. These activities are in line with the business philosophy of Caribou Coffee as a socially responsible global organization.” A number of Caribou employees pledged to donate on a regular basis.

Arpan to present ‘Tune & Taste-2010’ rpan Kuwait will present ‘Tune & Taste- 2010’-a festival of food, music and heritage-to mark the 11th anniversary of the association at the Indian Community School (Senior Girls), Salmiya on December 3. The celebration presenting a potpourri of cultural programs will start at 9:30 am and conclude at 6.30 pm.

Rajkalesh, the versatile television anchor and the producer of popular TV show, “Taste of Kerala” and “Taste of Dubai” will supervise cookery shows and competitions as part of the celebration.

Rajkalesh, who presented stage and television shows in and outside India, will adjudge the winners of the cooking competitions that will be held in major centers in Kuwait prior to the final on December 3. Also a magician, trained under world famous magician Gopinath Muthukad, Rajkalesh will mesmerize the audience with his spellbinding ‘Magic and illusions’ show.

The added attraction of the day-long celebration will be a musical extravaganza to be presented by well-known Idea Star singers Roshan, William Issac and Neelima along with upcoming playback singer

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Baselius College Alumni meeting

food labels, discussed how much food they should eat from each of the food groups and then made tally charts to investigate whether they were getting their 5-a-day fruit and vegetables, or not. The students in the photograph are shown eating their healthy food and enjoying leading a healthier lifestyle.

Health week culminated in Sports Day. The Junior Department students and teachers headed off to Bayan sports fields, where all the parents came to watch their children taking part in a variety of sports such as javelin throwing, hurdles, football dribbling, sprint racing, obstacle courses and sack races. The photographs show the Year 5 girls hurdles, the Year 3 boys sprint race and the Year 4 boys tug of war! Roll on BSK Health Week 2011!

Caribou Coffee launches

Uma. Classical and folk dance performances, folk song presentations etc will add spices to the unique program ‘Tune & Taste -2010’. For details and participation in cooking competitions, email to: arpankwt@yahoo.com Filipino Badminton Committee he Filipino Badminton Committee is inviting all badminton enthusiast to join its 20th Badminton Tournament. The event which is held for a cause will start on November 5 and will last until December 10 at the Kuwait Disabled Club, Hawally every Friday from 8 AM until 5 PM. The tournament will be a team event of 5 players. Each team must have Level 1 & 2 (Men’s), Level 1& 2 (Ladies’) and Level 3 (Ladies’). The deadline for submission of line up will be on October 15. Special prize will be given for Best Uniform, Best Team.

For more information, call 97197268.

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TIES Center announces Winter schedule IES Center announces its schedule of Winter Arabic Courses which will extend from October 29, 2010 through December 23, 2010. The courses are offered with the following options: Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 The Arabic courses at TIES Center are designed according to the students’ needs and requirements.

These courses are intended for all expatriates who wish to learn the Arabic language and culture. Upon completion of these courses the student will have a) Confidence in conducting basic Arabic communi-

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the IDF Rolling trophy to the winners, FAIPS represented by Immanuel Amrita Rhema and Sharwari Rajesh Pandit, he congratulated the students on their excellent performance. Each student in addition took home a brand new laptop computer each as their 1st prize.

Dr Murali Gopal, the General Secretary of the IDF seemed to be everywhere at all times, ensuring all aspects of the event proceeded smoothly. Dr Niranjan Kumar ,Dr Reji and Dr Surendra Nayak took up the challenging role of the scorers and diligently ensured that all the scoring was valid and accurate.

The Floor Managers, Dr Mahesh Kadam, Dr Unnikrishnan, Dr Thinakar and Dr Sanjay made sure that the audience had a smooth time all through especially in answering the questions for the audience. The written preliminary test was conducted by Dr P C Nair, Dr Sajna Munawar and Dr Rosh Vargheese, Dr Gangadevi. Dr Daisy Noble and Dr. Anitha were the gracious Hospitality team. The backup to the quizmasters in terms of research and support was provided by Dr Reji, Dr Raju, Dr Liji and Dr Noble. Technical support for the buzzers were provided by the engineers of NITCAA. The entire event was aptly summed up by a young student, “It was total fun and I learned a lot!”

n initial meeting of the old stuA dents of Baselius College, Kottayam will be held on Dec 3, at United Indian School, Abbassiya at 6 pm. All former students residing in Kuwait are welcome. For more details, please contact 66841852, 99687930, 66853100.

Toastmasters workshop he Toastmasters of Division I will hold ‘Be the Communicator and Leader You Want To Be’ workshop at Kuwait Economic Society from 4-7 pm on Friday, December 3.

The workshop will be conducted by Lieutenant Governor for Education and Training , DTM Khalid Al-Qoud from Bahrain and is open to members and guests. Toastmasters International is the largest nonprofit organization worldwide providing opportunities for women and men to develop spoken communication and leadership skills that promote personal and professional advancement. Since its beginnings in California in 1924, Toastmasters has grown to its current state of over 260,000 members in over 16,500 Toastmasters Clubs worldwide.

In the Middle East there are Toastmasters Clubs in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and, most recently, in Lebanon. In Kuwait’s Division I alone there are 13 Toastmasters clubs which actively participate in the time-tested educational programs that offer learning in a positive and supportive environment.

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cation (speaking, reading & writing) b) A basis for developing Arabic as a second language c) A better understanding of Arabic Culture d) Ability to interact with their classmates and learn about their background and culture For more information please contact us on 97144138 or visit our website www.tiescenter.net.

Annual ESF Winter Fayre he English School Fahaheel will bring in the festive season this year with their successful Annual Winter Fayre on Saturday 4 December from 11am to 2 pm at the school’s spacious premises which also offer ample parking. ESF is located just off Highway 30 in Mangaf. The Fayre is the perfect place for a family day out with stalls offering a variety of Christmas gifts and treats, carols sung by the ESF Choir and great raffle prizes including air tickets, electronics and more!. Don’t miss bargains on furniture, books, Exercise equipment, electronics and toys! To book a stall call 23711070/23717263 today!

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German Board of Oral Implantology n cooperation with Kuwait Dental Association in its third year, and after graduating 33 dentists in the past two years from Kuwait and abroad, with Kuwait becoming the regional center for the German Board of Oral Implantology (GBOI) in the Gulf. We like to announce to all dentists in Kuwait and abroad that registration for the third batch 2010 - 2011 is being held at Kuwait Dental Association to begin study on December 3, 2010.

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

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CETAA cricket tournament 13th Prof Ramachandran Memorial Tournament (RMC) conducted TbyheCricket College of Engineering Trivandrum Alumini Association (CETAA) and sponsored by GTE Olayan Co will begin on December 3, 2010 at Ahmadi. The eagerly awaited tournament conducted among the Engineering Alumini Associations front Kerala marks the start of the Engineers Sports calendar in Kuwait for the season 2010- 2011. Eight teams will be competing in earnest over the next five weeks for the coveted trophy. Weather permitting, new year’s eve will see a new champion crowned amidst the celebrations for the

new year. The matches will be conducted in a league cum knock out format with four teams in each pool playing against each other. The top two teams from each pool will qualify for the semifinal where the top team from pool A will clash with the 2nd placed side from Pool B and vice versa.

Last two years’ champions TEC will spearhead the challenge from Pool A while MACE (in Pool B) will hope that they can go one better than their second best performance last year. But TEC will have their hands full to first qualify for the knockout stage as 8 times winners KEA, previous winners TKM along with hosts

CET are drawn in Pool A. The young enthusiastic AECK (3rd last year) will fight back along with NSS and NIT for a semifinal berth from Pool B. With the players and spectator interest on the rise, GTE Olayaii Co will sponsor the tournament for the 13th consecutive year. During the league stages four matches (15 overs a side) will be held each Friday ensuring the cricket enthusiasts of an action packed weekend. On the opening day, TEC will meet CET and NIT will clash with MACE (both at 7 am) while TKM will meet KEA and NSS will play AECK (both at 9:30 am).

Greetings

P

roud dad Safwat

Moriss wants to welcome his kids, Esther Safwat

KNES celebrates Tolerance Day

Moriss, Basant and

uwait National English School at Al-Farabi Roundabout in Hawally recently celebrated Tolerance Day as it has for the past 14 years. This celebration serves as annual education on Tolerance and gives occasion in classes to discuss issues in the past K and today when tolerance degenerates into hatred and violence. The School Director Chantal Al-Gharabally once again

Paula on their first visit to

appy birthday to Shahid Shahul. Many many happy returns of the day. Wishes from Shahid Sajeena, Haja Nuzrath, Sadiq Azee and family.

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Kuwait.

addressed the students to inform them about tolerance being our duty and being the foundation of democracy, human rights, and a culture of peace.

Valaikuda Vanambadi Poets Association hold successful program e are glad to inform that Valaikuda Vanambadi Poet Association sucW cessfully organized a commercial pro-

MACE Alumni Association bids farewell to K K Rajan tion to the chapter and his dedicated a leading singer in MACEAA ACE Alumni Association Kuwait long service from 1984 to 2010 and Orchestra. MACEAA Chairman P C Chapter arranged a send off party M wished him all the very best in his George, General Secretary Shaji on November 27, for K K Rajan, exchairman and founder member, who is leaving Kuwait for good, after completing his long service with Al-Alamiah Building Company as Production Manager. His wife Valsamma Rajan was

Hussan, Sasi Kodanad, K S Govidan, Vijyachandran, Abby Chandy, K J Thomas, Salu John, Abraham Varghese, Jyothidas and Priya Chandy spoke in the meeting highlighting his contribu-

future life. As token of gratitude a memento was presented to him by the Chairman. K K Rajan thanked everyone for the good words and advised the members to continue the good work.

gram on November 19, at American International School (Maidan Hawally).

The program was inaugurated by the Indian Ambassador Ajai Malhotra by lighting the inaugural lamp, followed by Ananthi Natarajan, Ponni Raman, Radhika Selvam, Muthukumar, Rani Mohan, Naga Bushanam, Stella, Senthamilarasu, Manivel and Salika Shagul were also gathered and the karaoke singers started the program with Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu and the welcome note was given by Ponni Raman.

After the welcome speech a stunning dance was performed by the Sangamam Dance Troupe. Apart from that the Karaoke Singers Gangeswaran, Ganesh, Muruganandam, Bastin, Thanjal Jayaseelan, Rani Mohan, Radhika Selvam, Shanmugam, Ramakrishnan and Mahendran performed the musical karaoke events.

Later the poets meet was hosted by one of the chief guests poet, lyricist Yugabharathi and poems were read by the poets Sivashankar, Radhika Selvam, Nilavan, Viruthai Paari, Salika Shagul, And Vidhyasagar, all the poems were well focused by the viewers and made

everybody to think for a minute about the society. Folk song singer Chinnaponnu sang the Rocking folk songs, which made the viewers to dance by enjoying the song. The message with the song from the music director Aadhi, about the people under the poverty line was appreciated by everybody. All together the program was a sensational moment. We thank the anchors of the program Priya Ambalavaanan, Ponni Raman, Stella, Radhika Selvam, for their fantastic performance. Once again we thank the viewers for supporting us in running the program in a grand success.

Aware he AWARE Management is glad to inform you that Winter 1 Arabic language courses will begin on November 21st until December 29th, 2010.

AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed & courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. We cater to teachers, travelers & those working in the private business sector.

AWARE Arabic courses highlight: • Introductory to Level 4 Arabic language basics • Better prepare you for speaking, reading and writing Arabic • Combine language learning with cultural insights • Taught in multi-nationality group settings • Provide opportunities to interact with Western expatriates and native Kuwaitis/Arabs.

For more information, call 25335260/80 ext 105 or 104 or email: Htaware.hassan@gmail.com or log onto: www.aware.com.kw.”

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EMBASSY OF BANGLADESH The Embassy of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Kuwait has taken up an initiative to update the database of Bangladesh nationals residing in the State of Kuwait. For inclusion in the database all the Bangladesh nationals are requested to collect the Registration Form from the Labour Wing of the Embassy. The forms can also be collected sending request to bdoot@kems.net e-mail address. The filled-in forms can also be submitted by hand, by email or by fax (number 24913204).

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, AlMutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca.

The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday.

Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday. Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home.

The Embassy of Canada encourages all

Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca.The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

EMBASSY OF INDIA 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 com-

plaints 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 India would like to inform that application forms for passport/visa services and labor contracts that are on its website, www.indembkwt.org, have been upgraded to include the facility for online data entry. Affidavit forms on the embassy website have had this facility since May 6, 2009.

EMBASSY OF THE US The United States Department of State announces the increase in various visa fees to ensure sufficient resources to cover the increasing cost of processing nonimmigrant visas (NIVs).

US law requires the Department to recover the cost of processing non-immigrant

visas through the collection of the application fees. The increased fees are to take effect June 4, 2010. Under the new rule, applicants for all visas that are not petition-based, including B1/B2 tourist and business visitor visas and all student and exchange-visitor visas, will pay a fee of $140. Applicants for petition-based visas will pay an application fee of $150, as each of the below categories requires a review of extensive documentation and a more in-depth interview of the applicant than other categories, such as tourists.

These categories include: H visa for temporary workers and trainees L visa for intra-company transferees O visa for aliens with extraordinary ability P visa for athletes, artists and entertainers Q visa for international cultural exchange visitors R visa for religious occupations The application fee for K visas for fiance(e)s of US citizens will be $350. The fee for E visas for treaty-traders and treaty-investors will be $390.

EMBASSY OF THAILAND All foreigners who apply for Tourist Visa at the Royal Thai Embassies and the Royal Thai Consulate General worldwide, including eligible foreigners who apply for Visa on arrival at designated checkpoints, will be exempted from tourist visa fees until 31 March 2011.

Such arrangement is for Tourist Visa only.

Iraqi artist exhibits in Fa Gallery a Gallery hosts a solo exhibition for the Iraqi FSong”. artist Mohammed Al-Shammarey titled “Rain The exhibition opened yesterday and will be on view until December 11. Who is the artist? Mohammed Al-Shammarey was born in Baghdad in the 1962. His work was exhibited widely in galleries and museums throughout the Middle East, Europe and USA. He had participated in group shows at the British Museum, Columbia University and the Station Museum of Contemporary Art in Houston, Texas. Lately he has showed his recent work titled “Rain Song” in the Museum of Juniata college in Houston, where his work received a lot of welcome and admiration due to its artistic and cultural originality and specificity. “FA” focuses on introducing and promoting the modern art works from international art community such as paintings, sculptures, photos and even installations. Fa Gallery is located next to AlAmiri Hospital, Gulf road, Sharq.

Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

TV PROGRAMS

32

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Orbit / Showtime Listings

00:00 Ellen de Generes 01:00 GMA Live repeat 03:00 Royal Pains 04:00 The Invisible Man 05:00 Damages 06:00 GMA Live Repeat 08:00 Big Love 09:00 Dollhouse 10:00 Ellen de Generes 11:00 Damages 12:00 The Invisible Man 13:00 Royal Pains 14:00 Big Love 15:00 GMA Live 17:00 Dollhouse 18:00 Ellen de Generes 19:00 Royal Pains 20:00 In Plain Sight 21:00 Supernatural 22:00 Happy Town 23:00 Saving Grace

00:50 The Most Extreme 01:45 Untamed And Uncut 02:40 When Animals Go Bad 04:30 Animal Cops Houston 05:25 The Last Lion Of Liuwa 06:20 Untamed And Uncut 07:10 Wildlife SOS 07:35 Sspca: On The Wildside 08:00 Austin Stevens: Most Dangerous...

08:50 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 09:15 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 09:40 Project Puppy 10:05 Project Puppy 10:35 In Too Deep 11:00 Into The Lion’s Den 11:55 Monkey Life 12:20 Sspca: On The Wildside 12:50 Miami Animal Police 13:45 E-Vets: The Interns 14:10 Pet Rescue 14:40 Animal Cops Phoenix 15:35 Wildlife SOS 16:00 Sspca: On The Wildside 16:30 Dogs 101 17:25 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 18:20 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 18:45 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 19:15 Into The Lion’s Den 20:10 Earthquake: Panda Rescue 21:10 Dogs 101 22:05 Venom In Vegas 23:55 Animal Cops Phoenix

00:35 Ideal 01:10 Carrie And Barry 01:40 The Weakest Link 02:25 Holby City 03:25 Eastenders 03:55 Last Of The Summer Wine 04:30 The Roly Mo Show 04:45 Fimbles 05:05 Penelope K, By The Way 05:15 Tellytales 05:25 Me Too 05:45 Forget Me Not Farm 06:00 The Roly Mo Show 06:15 Fimbles 06:35 Penelope K, By The Way 06:45 Tellytales 06:55 Me Too 07:15 Forget Me Not Farm 07:30 Forget Me Not Farm 07:45 Fimbles 08:00 Penelope K, By The Way 08:10 Tellytales 08:20 Me Too 08:45 Forget Me Not Farm 09:00 The Roly Mo Show 09:15 Penelope K, By The Way 09:30 Fimbles 09:50 Tellytales 10:00 Me Too 10:20 Forget Me Not Farm 10:40 Last Of The Summer Wine 11:10 Only Fools And Horses 11:40 The Weakest Link 12:25 Doctor Who 13:10 Doctors 13:40 Eastenders 14:10 Holby City 15:10 Only Fools And Horses 15:40 Only Fools And Horses 16:10 Only Fools And Horses 16:40 Doctor Who

17:25 The Weakest Link 18:10 Doctors 18:40 Eastenders 19:10 Holby City 20:10 Doctor Who 21:00 The Weakest Link 21:45 Doctors 22:15 Eastenders

00:30 Masterchef 01:30 What Not To Wear 02:20 Glamour Puds 02:45 The Home Show 03:35 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 04:25 The Restaurant UK 05:25 Daily Cooks Challenge 05:55 Daily Cooks Challenge 06:25 What Not To Wear 07:15 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 08:10 Antiques Roadshow 09:00 What Not To Wear 09:50 Antiques Roadshow 10:40 Hidden Potential 11:05 Glamour Puds 11:35 Chef At Home 12:05 The Home Show 12:55 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 13:45 Glamour Puds 14:10 The Restaurant UK 15:00 What Not To Wear 15:50 The Home Show 16:40 Glamour Puds 17:10 Bargain Hunt 17:55 Masterchef 18:55 Cash In The Attic USA 19:20 Daily Cooks Challenge 19:50 The Restaurant UK 20:40 Masterchef 21:10 Chef At Home

01:30 A Thousand Acres-PG15 03:15 The Baader Meinhof Complex-18 05:45 Meet Bill-PG15 07:15 Centre Stage 2: Turn It Up-PG15 09:00 Nights In Rodanthe-PG15 11:00 Meet Bill-PG15 13:00 Northern Lights-PG 14:30 Cassandra’s Dream-PG15 16:30 Seven Pounds-PG15 18:30 Sophie’s Choice-18 21:00 Chicago-PG15 23:00 Midnight Express-18

00:40 Overhaulin’ 01:35 Dirty Jobs 02:30 Dual Survival 03:25 Extreme Engineering 04:20 Mythbusters 05:15 How Stuff’s Made 05:40 How Do They Do It? 06:05 Dirty Jobs 07:00 Fifth Gear 07:25 Extreme Engineering 08:15 American Chopper 09:10 Mythbusters 10:05 Ultimate Survival 10:55 Overhaulin’ 11:50 The Gadget Show 12:20 How Stuff’s Made 12:45 How Do They Do It? 13:15 Mythbusters 14:10 Miami Ink 15:05 Ultimate Survival 16:00 Dirty Jobs 16:55 Overhaulin’ 17:50 Mythbusters 18:45 Cake Boss 19:10 Border Security 19:40 The Gadget Show 20:05 How Do They Do It? 20:35 How Stuff’s Made 21:00 Miami Ink 21:55 La Ink 22:50 Pit Bulls And Parolees 23:45 Undercover

00:40 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 01:30 The Gadget Show 01:55 Nyc: Inside Out 02:45 Mega Builders 03:35 Superships 04:25 How Stuff’s Made 04:50 Scrappy Races

05:45 Robotica 06:40 Weird Connections 07:10 Nextworld 08:00 Thunder Races 09:00 Ten Ways 10:00 Mega Builders 10:55 Stunt Junkies 11:20 The Gadget Show 11:50 Nextworld 12:45 How Stuff’s Made 13:15 Scrappy Races 14:10 Weird Connections 14:35 Mega Builders 15:30 Superships 16:25 The Gadget Show 16:55 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 17:50 Nyc: Inside Out 18:45 Brainiac 19:40 Eco-Tech 20:30 Ultimate Power Builders 21:20 How It’s Made 21:45 The Gadget Show 22:10 Race To Mars 23:00 Eco-Tech 23:50 Ultimate Power Builders

00:15 Pretty Wild 00:40 Dr 90210 01:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 01:55 Reality Hell 02:20 THS 03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties 05:30 Streets Of Hollywood 06:00 15 Most Infamous Child Star Mugshots 07:45 Behind The Scenes 08:10 Behind The Scenes 08:35 E! News 09:00 The Daily 10 09:25 Giuliana And Bill 09:50 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 10:15 50 Cutest Child Stars: All Grown Up 12:00 E! News 12:25 The Daily 10 12:50 Behind The Scenes 13:15 Pretty Wild 13:40 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:05 Kendra 14:30 E!es 15:25 E!es 16:15 Behind The Scenes 16:40 Behind The Scenes 17:10 Holly’s World 17:35 Fashion Police 18:00 E! News 18:25 The Daily 10 18:50 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 19:15 Pretty Wild 19:40 E!es 20:30 Kendra 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:20 Giuliana And Bill

00:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:00 Chopped 02:00 30 Minute Meals 02:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 03:00 Iron Chef America 04:00 Barefoot Contessa 04:30 Unwrapped 05:00 Chopped 06:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 06:30 Guys Big Bite 07:00 Food Network Challenge 08:00 Paula’s Best Dishes 08:25 Good Deal with Dave Lieberman 08:50 Guys Big Bite 09:15 Barefoot Contessa 09:40 Everyday Italian 10:05 30 Minute Meals 10:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 11:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 11:30 Barefoot Contessa 12:00 Unwrapped 12:30 Paula’s Party 13:30 Guys Big Bite 14:00 Good Deal with Dave Lieberman 14:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 15:00 Barefoot Contessa 15:30 Everyday Italian 16:00 30 Minute Meals 16:30 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 17:00 Iron Chef America 18:00 Barefoot Contessa 18:30 Unwrapped 19:00 Paula’s Best Dishes 19:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 20:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay

00:00 Golf Channel - TBA 02:00 Golf Central International 02:30 Golf Channel - TBA 03:00 Rolex Spirit of Yachting Rolex Middle Sea 03:30 Big Ten Women’s Volleyball Penn State at Minnesota 05:30 Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour 06:30 ACC Sunday Night Hoops College of Charleston at North Carolina 08:30 ACC Sunday Night Hoops Florida at Florida St. 11:00 ACC: TBA at TBA 14:00 Golf Central International 14:30 Asian Tour Hong Kong Open 15:00 Big Ten Basketball: Creighton v Northwestern 17:00 ACC Sunday Night Hoops Florida at Florida St. 19:00 European Tour Dubai World Championship Final Rd. from Dubai, UAE

00:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner 01:30 Ghost Lab 02:20 A Haunting 03:10 Ripped From The Headlines 04:05 FBI Case Files 05:00 Forensic Detectives 05:55 Amsterdam Vice 06:20 Dr G: Medical Examiner 07:10 Real Emergency Calls 07:35 Real Emergency Calls 08:00 Mystery ER 08:50 Real Emergency Calls 09:15 Real Emergency Calls 09:40 Forensic Detectives 10:30 On The Run 11:20 Disappeared 12:10 FBI Files 13:00 Ghost Lab 13:50 Undercover 14:40 Mystery ER 15:30 Real Emergency Calls 15:55 Real Emergency Calls 16:20 Disappeared 17:10 Forensic Detectives 18:00 On The Run 18:50 FBI Files 19:40 Mystery ER 20:30 Real Emergency Calls 20:55 Real Emergency Calls 21:20 Ghost Lab 22:10 Undercover 23:00 True Crime With Aphrodite Jones 23:50 Solved

01:35 Foxy Brown 03:10 Mrs. Munck 04:50 Watch It 06:35 Till The End Of The Night 08:05 The 70’s 10:05 Sweet Land 11:55 A Home Of Our Own 13:40 The Black Stallion 15:40 Mystery Date 17:20 Sleepover 18:50 Whales Of August 20:20 Bojangles 22:00 Impromptu 23:45 Across 110th Street

00:00 Kath and Kim 00:30 The Simpsons 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Global Edition) 01:30 Colbert Report Global 02:00 Best Late night with Jimmy Fallon 03:00 Monday night Stand Up 04:00 Cleveland Show 04:30 Cougar Town 05:00 Cougar Town 05:30 Eight simple Rules 06:00 Hope & Faith 06:30 Ten things I hate about you 07:00 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 08:00 The Simpsons 08:30 Eight simple Rules 09:00 Hope & Faith 09:30 Ten things I hate about you 10:00 Will & Grace 10:30 Better off Ted 11:00 Eight simple Rules 11:30 Hope & Faith 12:00 Best of Tonight Show with Jay Leno 13:00 The Simpsons 13:30 Eight simple Rules 14:00 Hope & Faith 14:30 Kath & Kim 15:00 Better Off Ted 15:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Global Edition) 16:00 Colbert Report Global 16:30 Ten things I hate about you 17:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Billable Hours 19:00 The Office 19:30 Kath & Kim 20:00 Tonight Show with Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Boondocks 22:30 The Ricky Gervais Show 23:00 Cleveland Show 23:30 The Office

01:00 Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo-PG15 03:00 Old Dogs-PG 05:00 Appaloosa-PG15 07:00 X-Men Origins: Wolverine-PG15 09:00 Hellboy II: The Golden Army-PG15 11:00 Yes Man-PG15 13:00 Martian Child-PG 15:00 G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra-PG15 17:00 Hellboy II: The Golden Army-PG15 19:00 Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen-PG15 21:30 Chicago-PG15 23:20 Universal Soldier: A New Beginning-PG15

Diary of the Dead on Show Movies

00:30 Coronation Street 01:00 Eureka 02:00 Desperate Housewives 03:00 The Unit 04:00 The Simpsons 04:30 Warehouse 13 05:30 Coronation Street 06:00 Ellen DeGeneres 07:00 Glee 08:00 Eureka 09:00 Desperate Housewives 10:00 Ellen DeGeneres 11:00 The Simpsons 11:30 Warehouse 13 12:30 Coronation Street 13:00 Eureka 14:00 Desperate Housewives 15:00 The Unit 16:00 The Simpsons 16:30 Coronation Street

17:00 Ellen DeGeneres 18:00 Warehouse 13 19:00 Psych 20:00 Glee 21:00 Royal Pains 22:00 The Unit 23:00 The Simpsons 23:30 Ellen DeGeneres

00:00 Diary Of The Dead-18 02:00 Multiple Sarcasms-18 04:00 My Life In Ruins-PG15 06:00 Exterminators-PG15 08:00 Keith-PG15 10:00 The Secret Lives Of Second Wives 11:45 Che Part One: The Argentine-PG15 14:00 Danielle Steel’s Safe Harbour-PG15 15:45 Keith-PG15 17:45 Che Part Two: Guerilla-PG15 20:00 Cold Souls-PG15 22:00 Alice In Wonderland-PG

01:00 The Incredible Hulk-PG 03:00 Timber Falls-18 05:00 Final Destination 3-PG15 06:45 A Knight’s Tale-PG15 09:00 Connected-PG15 11:00 The Bodyguard 2-PG15 13:00 Hide-PG15 15:00 Connected-PG15 17:00 Daylight-PG15 19:00 Max Payne-PG15 21:00 Universal Soldier: A New Beginning-PG15 23:00 The Tattooist-18

00:00 Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo-PG15 02:00 Lymelife-PG15 04:00 Confessions Of A Shopaholic-PG 06:00 Mchale’s Navy-PG15 08:00 My Fake Fiance-PG15 10:00 Meet The Applegates-PG15 12:00 Wag The Dog-PG 14:00 Baby Mama-PG 16:00 Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo-PG15 18:00 Working Girl-18 20:00 He’s Just Not That Into You-PG15 22:15 Half Baked-R

00:00 Moomin And Midsummer Madness 02:00 Robotech - The Shadow Chronicles04:00 Christopher Columbus-PG 06:00 Superman/Batman: Public Enemies08:00 Pocahontas And The Spider Woman-PG 10:00 Christopher Columbus-PG 12:00 Scruff Cinderella’s Carnival-FAM 14:00 Robotech - The Shadow Chronicles16:00 Bugs Bunny 1001 Rabbit Tales18:00 Ice Age 3: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs20:00 Sing To The Dawn-FAM 22:00 Scruff Cinderella’s Carnival-FAM

00:00 CSI: Miami 01:00 Desperate Housewives 02:00 Martha Stewart 03:00 House 04:00 The View 05:00 What’s Good For you 06:00 Emmerdale 06:30 Coronation Stree 07:00 House 08:00 Martha Stewart 09:00 What’s Good For you 10:00 House 11:00 The View 12:00 Emmerdale 12:30 Coronation Stree 13:00 Martha Stewart 14:00 CSI: Miami 15:00 Desperate Housewives 16:00 What’s Good For you 17:00 The View 18:00 Emmerdale 18:30 Coronation Street 19:00 The Closer 20:00 The Closer 21:00 House 22:00 The View 23:00 What’s Good For you

G-Force on Super Movies

01:00 Little Children-18 03:15 Last Chance Harvey-PG15 05:00 Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleader Scandal-PG15 07:00 Living Out Loud-PG15 09:00 G-Force-PG 11:00 Last Chance Harvey-PG15 13:00 Carnera: The Walking Mountain-PG 15:00 Phoebe In Wonderland-PG 17:00 G-Force-PG 19:00 Management-PG15 21:00 The Level-18 23:00 Number 23-PG15

01:00 Vampira 02:30 The Screening Room 03:00 Never So Few 05:00 The Screening Room 05:30 The Bad And The Beautiful 07:30 The Screening Room 08:00 American Friends 09:35 Grand Prix 12:20 Easter Parade 14:05 The Bad And The Beautiful 16:00 Never So Few 18:00 Ice Station Zebra 20:30 The Dirty Dozen 23:00 The Killer Elite

00:40 American Warrior: Billy Fiske 01:30 B-25 Down: Hunt for a Hero 02:20 Mega Disasters 03:10 Secret Luftwaffe of World War II 04:00 Life After People 04:55 The Universe 05:50 Deep Sea Salvage 06:40 American Warrior: Billy Fiske 07:30 B-25 Down: Hunt for a Hero 08:20 Mega Disasters 09:10 Secret Luftwaffe of World War II 10:00 Life After People 10:55 The Universe 11:50 Deep Sea Salvage 12:40 American Warrior: Billy Fiske 13:30 B-25 Down: Hunt for a Hero 14:20 Mega Disasters 15:10 Secret Luftwaffe of World War II 16:00 Life After People 16:55 The Universe 17:50 Deep Sea Salvage 18:40 American Warrior: Billy Fiske 19:30 B-25 Down: Hunt for a Hero 20:20 Mega Disasters 21:10 Secret Luftwaffe of World War II

00:00 Tia And Tamera Take 2 00:30 Mel B: It’s A Scary World

01:00 Jerseylicious 02:00 Model TV 02:30 Style Her Famous 03:00 How Do I Look?

04:00 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

05:00 Model TV 05:30 The Designers 06:00 Style Her Famous 06:30 Area 07:00 How Do I Look?

08:00 Millennium Fashion: The Year In Fashion 09:00 My Celebrity Home 10:00 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

11:00 Married Away 12:00 Peter Perfect 13:00 Ruby 13:30 Ruby 14:00 Clean House 15:00 Clean House Comes Clean 15:30 Style Her Famous 16:00 Jerseylicious 17:00 Ruby 18:00 Four Kid Frenzy

00:00 Intrepid Journeys 01:00 Planet Food 02:00 Hollywood And Vines 02:30 The Thirsty Traveler 03:00 The Soller Railway 04:00 Globe Trekker 05:00 Intrepid Journeys 06:00 Chef Abroad 06:30 The Thirsty Traveler

00:00 Goals On Monday 01:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 01:30 Futbol Mundial 02:00 International Rugby Union 04:00 Spirit of a Champion 04:30 Spirit of Yachting 05:00 Aviva Premiership 07:00 Goals On Monday 08:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 08:30 European PGA Tour Highlights 09:30 International Rugby Union 11:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 12:00 Goals On Monday 13:00 International Rugby Union 15:00 World Pool Masters 16:00 Goals On Monday 17:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 17:30 Aviva Premiership 19:30 Goals On Monday 20:30 Brazil League Highlights 21:00 Futbol Mundial 21:30 World Sport 22:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 22:30 International Rugby Union

01:30 European PGA Tour 07:00 World Pool Masters 08:00 World Hockey 08:30 Premier League Snooker 12:00 European PGA Tour 17:30 World Hockey 18:00 World Sport 18:30 International Rugby Union 20:30 International Rugby Union 22:30 Brazil League Highlights 23:00 Futbol Mundial 23:30 ICC Cricket World

00:00 WWE Smackdown 02:00 WWE Vintage Collection 03:00 UFC123 Prelims 04:00 UFC 123 07:00 WWE NXT 08:00 WWE Smackdown 10:00 V8 Supercars Championship 11:00 V8 Supercars Championship 12:00 Le Mans Classic 12:30 FIA GT1 World Championship 14:00 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge 15:00 Red Bull X-Fighters Highlights 16:00 V8 Supercars Championship 17:00 V8 Supercars Championship 18:00 Prizefighter 21:00 UFC Wired 22:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter

Timber Falls on Show Movies Action

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

33 FLIGHT SCHEDULE

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines WAN GFA ETH THY UAE DHX QTR FDB ETD JZR JZR KAC AFR JZR JZR KAC BAW KAC FCX KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE KAC ABY QTR ETD GFA IRA IRA WAN JZR WAN JZR MHK JZR MSR JZR KAC FDB UAL SVA KAC QTR KAC KAC JZR MLR ETD UAE GFA SVA JZR JZR RJA JZR ABY VOS ALK JZR WAN WAN KAC KAC KAC WAN KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC WAN SIA VOS FDB OMA WAN JAI SYR WAN KAC DHX GFA MEA JZR QTR UAE KLM IAC JZR MSR JZR UAL WAN DLH

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 30/11/2010 Flt Route 306 CAIRO 211 BAHRAIN 620 ADDIS ABABA 772 ISTANBUL 853 DUBAI 370 BAHRAIN 138 DOHA 67 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 529 ASSIUT 207 DAMASCUS 544 CAIRO 6700 PARIS 555 ALEXANDRIA 503 LUXOR 416 JAKARTA / KUALA LUMPUR 157 LONDON 412 MANILA / BANGKOK 201 BAHRAIN 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 382 DELHI 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 676 DUBAI 284 DHAKA 855 DUBAI 286 CHITTAGONG 123 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 605 ISFAHAN 619 LAR 182 BAHRAIN 787 RIYADH 102 DUBAI 121 BAHRAIN 711 BAGHDAD / NAJAF 165 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 257 BEIRUT 672 DUBAI 57 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 500 JEDDAH 562 AMMAN 134 DOHA 746 ABU DHABI / DAMMAM 546 ALEXANDRIA 549 ALEXANDRIA 403 COLOMBO / DUBAI 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 213 DEIREZZOR 777 JEDDAH 800 AMMAN 239 AMMAN 127 SHARJAH 97 KANDAHAR / DUBAI 227 COLOMBO / DUBAI 177 DUBAI 304 CAIRO 204 JEDDAH 502 BEIRUT 542 CAIRO 618 DOHA 106 DUBAI 786 JEDDAH 614 BAHRAIN 674 DUBAI 166 PARIS / ROME 104 LONDON 774 RIYADH 552 DAMASCUS 642 VIENNA 458 SINGAPORE / ABU DHABI 93 KANDAHAR / DUBAI 61 DUBAI 647 MUSCAT 612 ISTANBUL 572 MUMBAI 341 DAMASCUS 402 BEIRUT 512 TEHRAN 372 BAHRAIN 217 BAHRAIN 402 BEIRUT 185 DUBAI 136 DOHA 859 DUBAI 443 AMSTERDAM 981 CHENNAI / AHMEDABAD 157 DOHA 612 CAIRO 135 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 186 BAHRAIN 636 FRANKFURT

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

WAN PIA

108 205

DUBAI LAHORE / PESHAWER

Airlines TAR UAL IAC PIA DLH ETH THY DHX FDB UAE ETD QTR VOS AFR JZR JZR GFA JZR JZR FDB KAC BAW JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD GFA IRA IRA KAC JZR WAN KAC JZR JZR MHK KAC KAC JZR MSR KAC FDB WAN KAC UAL KAC SVA KAC KAC KAC QTR JZR MLR ETD VOS GFA WAN UAE RJA ABY JZR SVA JZR ALK JZR KAC KAC WAN FDB KAC JZR KAC OMA JAI SYR SIA KAC DHX KAC GFA MEA JZR FCX KAC QTR KLM KAC UAE JZR JZR MSR KAC

Departure Flights on Tuesday 30/11/2010 Flt Route 328 DUBAI / TUNIS 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 576 GOA / CHENNAI 240 SIALKOT 637 FRANKFURT 620 BAHRAIN / ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 371 BAHRAIN 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 98 DUBAI / KANDAHAR 6700 DUBAI / HONG KONG 164 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 212 BAHRAIN 786 RIYADH 120 BAHRAIN 54 DUBAI 545 ALEXANDRIA 156 LONDON 548 ALEXANDRIA 671 DUBAI 745 DAMMAM / ABU DHABI 561 AMMAN 101 LONDON / NEW YORK 856 DUBAI 124 SHARJAH 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 604 ISFAHAN 618 LAR 165 ROME / PARIS 212 DEIREZZOR 303 CAIRO 541 CAIRO 776 JEDDAH 238 AMMAN 712 NAJAF / BAGHDAD 501 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 551 DAMASCUS 58 DUBAI 105 DUBAI 673 DUBAI 982 BAHRAIN 617 DOHA 501 JEDDAH 613 BAHRAIN 511 TEHRAN 773 RIYADH 135 DOHA 184 DUBAI 404 DUBAI / COLOMBO 304 ABU DHABI 82 BAGHDAD 216 BAHRAIN 305 CAIRO 858 DUBAI 801 AMMAN 128 SHARJAH 156 DOHA 511 RIYADH 266 BEIRUT 228 DUBAI / COLOMBO 134 BAHRAIN 283 DHAKA 361 COLOMBO 185 BAHRAIN 62 DUBAI 351 COCHIN 528 ASSIUT 343 CHENNAI 648 MUSCAT 571 MUMBAI 342 DAMASCUS 457 ABU DHABI / SINGAPORE 543 CAIRO 373 BAHRAIN 677 DUBAI / MUSCAT 218 BAHRAIN 403 BEIRUT 206 DAMASCUS 102 BAHRAIN 381 DELHI 137 DOHA 443 BAHRAIN / AMSTERDAM 301 MUMBAI 860 DUBAI 502 LUXOR 554 ALEXANDRIA 613 CAIRO 411 BANGKOK / MANILA

23:55 23:55

Time 0:25 0:45 0:50 1:10 1:30 2:30 3:15 3:45 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:55 5:30 6:30 6:55 7:00 7:15 7:40 8:20 8:25 8:50 8:55 9:00 9:00 9:05 9:20 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:15 10:20 10:20 10:45 11:35 11:45 11:45 11:50 12:00 12:00 12:10 12:30 13:00 13:40 13:50 13:55 14:20 14:35 14:35 15:10 15:25 15:35 15:45 16:20 16:25 16:25 16:30 17:05 17:40 17:40 18:00 18:05 18:05 18:10 18:15 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:40 19:10 20:05 20:15 20:20 20:25 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:20 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:45 23:45 23:55

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

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available for a single, decent & non-smoking Keralite bachelor from 01/12/2010 onwards, location Abbassiya, for more details please contact: 66725048. (C 2898) Sharing accommodation one room for family in Abbassiya, rent KD 70, free water, gas with big balcony, sitting room. Tel: 24336581, 99307591. (C 2897) 30-11-2010 Sharing accommodation available for bachelor or family opposite Al Rashid hospital, Amman street, Salmiya. Contact: 65515717.

(C 2892) Sharing accommodation available for bachelors Goan

or Mangalorian only with Mangalorian family with food near Jabriya bridge 4th Ring Road. Contact: 22662734.

(C 2893) 29-11-2010 To let one spacious bedroom, with a separate toilet, in a 3 bedroom apartment, behind Safir International hotel. Single occupancy KD 75, double occupancy KD 100 for more details please call: 60046720. (C 2889) 27-11-2010

SITUATION VACANT

Small Indian family requires maid preferably Indian, Nepalis, Indonesian, Ethiopian. English speaking, good cook, good household work, experienced baby-sitter. Contact: 66014855.

Email:

buildmerchants@yahoo.com

(C 2895) 29-11-2010

FOR SALE Toyota Corolla 1.6 XLi, model 2010, color white, excellent condition, brand new car. Cash price KD 3,900. Contact: 99934965.

(C 2894) 29-11-2010

MATRIMONIAL Proposal inviting for RC boy (Syro Malabar) fair/ 28yrs hgt 165cm, wgt 75, B.Com, working private firm in Kuwait as accountant, seeking alliance from girls working in Kuwait. Please contact email: joykutty.rs@gmail.com (C 2890) 30-11-2010

SPECTRUM

34 CROSSWORD 154

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Calvin Aries (March 21-April 19) A clear-minded insight into your own plans and methods is available to you.

This is a very good time to consult with someone that can help you formulate a plan for your goals, a good time for decisions. Correct choices and the best path for you may be clearer now than ever before. You seem more confident and your communications to others show strength and focus. Leadership qualities are showing and a higher-up is ready to give you challenges. This afternoon your family members may find that you have quick answers, great wit and a surplus of insights. Anything you do with writing will be successful; you have real originality. Inventions and breakthroughs are possible. Relax this evening—perhaps dinner out would be enjoyable.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Someone could challenge you on a very sensitive issue today. Stay with the facts in all your communications. Being successful in life is easy for you—you have a built-in sense of how to unravel the most difficult problems. New adventures are in the making, not only for you but for you and someone close to you; thinking and planning may be in the works this afternoon. A friend may want you to come along with them as they take their first plane, boat or train ride.

Whatever the case, the occasion will be fun and successful partly because of your contributions. Later today you may find yourself involved in helping older persons—perhaps in some volunteer program. You may find yourself enjoying a long conversation about this day with a loved one.

Pooch Cafe

ACROSS 1. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

4. Attack someone physically or emotionally.

10. A number of sheets of paper fastened together along one edge.

13. A metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 10 liters.

14. Statesman who led Northern Rhodesia to full independence as Zambia in 1964 and served as Zambia's first president (born in 1924).

15. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

16. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

18. Seed of a pea plant.

19. United States neoclassical architect (1847-1909).

20. Joint capital (with Mecca) of Saudi Arabia located in the central oasis.

22. Relating to or characteristic of or occurring on the sea or ships.

24. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

25. Cattle that are reared for their meat.

28. A general anesthetic (not a barbiturate) that is administered intravenously or intramuscularly.

31. A flexible container with a single opening.

35. A rapid bustling commotion.

36. A federal agency established to regulate the release of new foods and health-related products.

37. Wheelwork consisting of a connected set of rotating gears by which force is transmitted or motion or torque is changed.

39. French revolutionary leader (born in Switzerland) who was a leader in overthrowing the Girondists and was stabbed to death in his bath by Charlotte Corday (1743-1793).

41. A quantity of no importance.

44. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

45. A primeval personification of air and breath.

46. An accountant certified by the state.

49. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

51. A wad of something chewable as tobacco.

54. An open box attached to a long pole handle.

56. Greek mythology.

60. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

63. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942).

64. Government agency created in 1974 to license and regulate nuclear power plants.

65. A genus of tropical American plants have sword-shaped leaves and a fleshy compound fruits composed of the fruits of several flowers (such as pineapples).

66. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

67. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

68. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

69. Used of a single unit or thing.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You may find a sense of challenge today. Emotional support you need may only come from your own self-confidence, and you have it. You must clear your mind and work through whatever challenges come your way. Challenging authority and rocking the boat will not play in your favor—think things through to the end.

Old patterns of organization and power are ripe for an innovative approach but if you feel you must be the one to make those changes known, it must be done through the written word. This way you can phrase your words appropriately with no emotional overtones. Radical and inventive ideas hold the key to realizing your ambitions and advancing your status—a shake-up could be in the works. Do not expect changes over night!

Non Sequitur

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Take time to meditate each morning; it will help to give you peace of mind as you begin your day. You can smile all the way to the bank as a lucrative turnaround was expected where you dared to invest a few months ago. If you are not investing—this is a lucky day. Work is easy today, at least your professional life seems to move along through the day quickly—there are very few interruptions. There is real insight into your own inner workings or psychology and in a manageable form. You may be in the mood for penetrating conversations or thoughts this evening. It is your turn for kitchen duty tonight. There is a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with someone you love. Enjoy a quiet evening.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Events may make it easy for you to be original, have breakthroughs and find new solutions to old problems. You may find yourself able to formulate your ideas and put them into practice. This is a great time to be with others and to work together. You may be sought after as just the person for a particular job. You may find yourself succeeding and moving ahead by using your mind and thoughts. In addition, communication and research in all forms could be a key area for career growth. You could easily come up with new solutions or inventions. You are in a great mood to enjoy some sort of social event this evening; you show appreciation to all. You may see value in or feel love for an older person or someone in authority. Old emotional wounds heal.

Zits

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Complete projects and tie up loose ends today—outer circumstances are favorable and you will find it easy to push through the day quickly. You may decide to go home early this evening. If you are at home, home is the happiest place to be today. If you work out of your home, you are especially fortunate. Also, communication and research in all forms could be a key area for new concentration. You are not only forward moving and open-minded in the work place, you come up with brilliant ways to express, emote or act out things on the home front. New methods of lovemaking, raising kids and caring for animals are yours. You are outspoken, very dramatic, impressive and even regal. You relax with children, sports, acting, singing and such this evening.

Libra (September 23-October 22) In-depth discussions find you at your mental best. Your analytical abilities are at a high point. You are very motivated to improve your business or some problem in the work arena. You have a lot of energy as well as a positive attitude. There is a feeling of being at peace and stable on the emotional level. Constancy and a feeling of stability satisfy deep emotional needs. Lovers, children and other people or things dear to your heart are emphasized this afternoon. You may be helping a young person with homework or it may be an opportunity to guide someone in matters of importance. Being appreciated and admired for your gifts and talents bring you a great deal of satisfaction. Music is likely to play an important role for you this evening.

Mother Goose and Grimm

DOWN 1. The sixth month of the civil year.

2. Capital city of the Apulia region on the Adriatic coast.

3. Soil that is plastic when moist but hard when fired.

4. A state in northwestern North America.

5. A person who lacks good judgment.

6. French writer whose novels described the sordid side of city life (1804-1857).

7. Type genus of the Anatidae.

8. A state in the Rocky Mountains.

9. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

10. Large dark brown North American arboreal carnivorous mammal.

11. Fleshy and usually brightly colored cover of some seeds that develops from the ovule stalk and partially or entirely envelopes the seed.

12. Fallow deer.

17. A small cake leavened with yeast.

21. A style of glazed earthenware.

23. A gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number).

26. The basic monetary unit in many countries.

27. How long something has existed.

29. Mild yellow Dutch cheese made in balls.

30. Commonly the lowest molding at the base of a column.

32. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

33. Agitation resulting from active worry.

34. United States writer (born in Poland) who wrote in Yiddish (18801957).

38. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States.

40. Again but in a new or different way.

42. The great hall in ancient Persian palaces.

43. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

47. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

48. A republic in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea.

50. Squash bugs.

52. A chordophone that has a triangular frame consisting of a sounding board and a pillar and a curved neck.

53. Type genus of the family Arcidae.

55. Using speech rather than writing.

57. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

58. A feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause).

59. An officer who acts as military assistant to a more senior officer.

61. (British) A waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric.

62. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

Yesterday’s Solution

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Your tendency to compromise and settle for less than you dreamed can be a problem just now. Given the opportunity, you may choose the path of least resistance; willing to bypass some of the things you always wanted in favor of expediency. Career moves must be given special attention. While there are people around you that know you this evening, consider going over some of the ways you express your talents.

You would be very good at teaching art to young people. You would also be very good at an import, export business. Confer with the people that love you and really focus on some goals for your professional future. Tension results when you ignore your own capabilities and take a course of action, job, career or whatever that can never satisfy.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) A major life event may mark the end of a formative period and the beginning of more independence. You are on your own and you will be learning that this time also marks the start of increased responsibility and accountability. Now is the time to make that outward push and ride the crest of the wave into fame and fortune. It will be hard for you to do wrong, for all the cycles are working in your favor. The energies now indicate a possibility of a marriage or taking on a new role in the community or with other people. You will be in demand and recognition will be forthcoming—go for it. Friends and a social life are available this evening. Begin a dream diary; enjoy the process. Be sure you note what you think might have spurred the dream.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Your business expertise is highlighted today. You are motivated to achieve. Understanding inner motivations and seeing through to the core situation is your real path of power and enlightenment. As you try to balance errand-running, work and coordinating events, see if you can allocate some of the jobs that you feel are keeping you from your key work. Your work at home will also move along more smoothly if you can take on a helping hand. Be aware that a young person wants to help you today, not only because they want to help or join in the activities but also because they may want to get you alone to talk with you—listen. You are very fortunate in being able to progress throughout your life without too many difficulties.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This is a day of

Yesterday’s Solution

great mental activity and heightened communication with others. Intellectualism, the exchange of ideas and the idea of being smart as a fox are the things that have special appeal and importance. You become very much the expert with a search and inquiry into the nature of a subject—be it life, scientific research, or what-have-you. Your investigations will take you into some interesting places. Your passion for searching, finding out and communicating takes hold now. You may be very persuasive in speaking or communicating—people will understand just what you mean. This afternoon is a good time to settle down with a good book or take in a movie. A little walk after dinner tonight may find you under a beautiful starry ceiling.

Word Sleuth Solution

Pisces (February 19-March 20) You will find that your mind and thoughts will be very intense just now. Most of the tension, however, is self-induced because of expectations.

You do not have to lower the expectations that come at this time—just make your list and follow it. Business takes an upturn this afternoon. You have a knack for organizing things and people and you may find yourself instructing others in some special technique of yours. Close relationships have a big impact on your life. Old relationships will change or perhaps even end—new ones appear quickly. A partner has a mesmerizing impact on you; very compelling. Great music is a wonderful way to enjoy an attitude adjustment. You may find yourself looking for a little romance this evening.

INFORMATION

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

35 FIRE BRIGADE Operation Room 112 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. 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 22924455 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

36

SPECTRUM

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

he singer-and-actress has parted ways with Leslie Sloan and her colleague Nanci Ryder - who she has been working with for the past six years - after an alleged row over her manager Benny Medina. While Nanci refused to comment on the details she did say: “I think Jennifer is fantastic and I’m very sad that we’re not going to be representing her anymore.” Jennifer’s manager Benny said: “Artists and PR companies parting ways happens all the time. This is as much news as me re-doing my furniture.” Although Jennifer has sacked her publicist, her career has been going from strength to strength in

T

recent months, signing a deal to create a fashion line with husband Marc Anthony - who she has two-year-old twins Max and Emme with - and becoming a judge on ‘American Idol’. Speaking about her new role on the TV talent show, Jennifer, 41, promised she would be “tough” but “fair” on the contestants. She said: “I really want to put them through the wringer in the sense that I don’t want to let anybody really great go because they’re nervous or whatever and not get to see what they could’ve been. “We working with them a little more than maybe you’ve seen in the past. We give them more of a chance.”

he ‘Miral’ actress had dreamed of growing up to be a performer for a young age and used to practice routines - including those of the late King of Pop - in front of her mirror.

She admitted: “I have dreamt since I was the age of five that I wanted to become an actress. I didn’t know that I would do it professionally. But I knew that this was my area of interest. “I would stand in front of the mirror and for the longest time I really thought that I was a great Michael Jackson impersonator.” As well as dreaming of a career in the spotlight, Freida spent much of her childhood travelling the world and was grateful for the opportunities she had. She told Total Film magazine: “Both my grandfather and my uncle were in the army - which meant we travelled a lot. “As an army man, you keep getting posted in different places, so we’d use that as an opportunity to visit them and see new places.”

T t was recently rumored the couple who married in April 2008 - were expecting their first child together and although Tina Knowles insists this isn’t true, she knows they will be a fantastic mum and dad one day because they spend so much time with Beyonce sister’s six-year-old son, Daniel. She said: “They’re good people and they’re really positive and they’re talented and they’ve had a lot of practice with my grandson - their nephew. So I know they’re going to make great parents.”

“Beyonce is very caring and patient and

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loving, so I know she’ll be a great mum.” Tina says she will be thrilled when the superstar couple do have a child because she loves being a grandmother so much. She told People magazine: “Of course I am ready for her to have a baby. What grandmother isn’t? I can’t wait.” While Tina thinks Beyonce will be a great parent she admits her daughter isn’t so good at cooking. She said: “Cooking is the one thing she hasn’t gotten into. She hasn’t mastered it, but I’m sure she’ll be a good cook once she makes up her mind.”

he country music legend - who calls the star her honorary goddaughter - admitted she does not approve of the 18-yearold star’s recent provocative stage performances and is worried that the singer-andactress is trying too hard to overcome her Disney image. She said: “Hopefully she didn’t get that from me because I certainly never encouraged her to do any of that... I think she’s just in a cross - she’s just kind of in a crosswinds trying to overcome the ‘Hannah Montana’ little girl, and trying to become a young woman. “I don’t know if she’s surrounded by people that are helping her to not make the wise decisions...” Dolly also thinks Miley is putting too much pressure on herself to act a certain way. She told US TV talk show host Larry King: “I think

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he ‘Promise This’ singer has had a ribbon etched on her lower back, just below an existing butterfly design and it seems to be her biggest piece of body art yet. An onlooker who saw the new inking said: “It was very noticeable when her studded jacket rode up. It’s clear she’s very keen on body art.” As well as the ribbon and butterfly, Cheryl has five other tattoos - a barbed wire around her right upper thigh, a Celtic design on her hand, an etching on her bottom, a flower design on her left thigh and ‘Mrs C’ on her neck. Cheryl, 27, had the ‘Mrs C’ tattoo in 2006 following her marriage to soccer player Ashley Cole after changing her surname from Tweedy to Cole and although they have now divorced, she intends to keep the etching. Speaking of the artwork, Cheryl has said: “I’m not ashamed of anything. I’ve got nothing to rub away ... I don’t feel sentimental about the name.” While all her other tattoos have been seen, the design on her left thigh has never been fully revealed in public and the Girls Aloud beauty has previously admitted she was thrilled with it as signified a new start for her. She said: “It marks a new chapter in my life. It’s flowers, it’s a real piece of art ... it’s in a nice part of my body, it’s a gorgeous tattoo. I got it done out in Los Angeles about two months ago. It was a proper artist. We sat down together and designed it properly. It’s a new chapter. It’s got to be.” — Bang Showbiz

this day and time life is hard for young people, certainly young girls... The world is just... you just can’t flaunt enough. You can’t just do enough. You can’t just talk trashy enough or dress trashy enough. It seems to be like if you don’t do that you’re not in the in crowd. “So I think that there’s a lot of pressure just on young people in general and I think they put a lot of pressure on themselves.” However despite Miley’s “trashy” image, the ‘9 To 5’ hitmaker thinks she will emerge from this phase of her life and has offered to help her if asked. She said: “I’m hoping that Miley is going to be just fine. I know she’s very gifted and I love her dearly and if she ever needs me I’ll do everything I can to help her in any way that I can. So I think we should just let her grow up.”

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he 39-year-old star insisted on casting the then-unknown actress as sociopath Lisa Rowe in 1999 movie ‘Girl, Interrupted’ - in which Winona starred in and also served as the executive producer on - and thought they would get along well. However, Angelina - who won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her performance in the movie - insisted on maintaining a distance from her. Winona said: “I remember thinking, ‘Oh we’re going to turn out to be great friends.’

But I think she needed to be able to look at me just as the character Susanna, not as Winona, so in a very respectful way she just kind of kept her distance. “I saw her at one of the awards shows but I haven’t really seen her since.” Despite not becoming friends with Angelina who raises six children with partner Brad Pitt - Winona is delighted

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at the way the actress has overcome her personal problems to carve out a successful career. She added: “What she’s accomplished after the film in terms of humanitarian stuff, I’m just really happy she did that. I remember in the press junket for ‘Girl, Interrupted’ she would just be so open about her problems and then I would come in and everyone would think I was so boring. So it’s really great to see she’s found her calling in her personal life.” Winona also admitted she finds the movie difficult to watch because of late actress Brittany Murphy’s role in the film. She added to Total Film magazine: “I can’t watch the movie now because of Brittany Murphy. She kills herself in the movie ... I was very close to her before she died.” Brittany passed away in December 2009 from pneumonia aged 32.

SPECTRUM

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

37

Handicrafts re-affirm Palestinian national identity

By Wendy Clayton iham Abu Gazalih is a woman filled with passion and fire for her homeland of Palestine.

She uses this passion to inflame a group of dedicated women who are striving to provide support, encouragement and the necessities of life for women and children of Palestine.

Gazalih is the Head of the Cultural Committee for preserving Palestinian culture. Spearheading the organization for the last 40 years these unassuming women takes no credit for the work carried out in helping the people of Palestine.

“Nobody can say it is one person’s project, it is always a group project,” says Gazalih. “Of course you need someone who is passionate about the cause that works to collect people, keeps the drive going, and to follow-up with things within the group. That’s my job.”

The Centre for Palestinian Culture has just opened the Palestinian Culture Exhibition at the Bayt Lothan showcasing a wonderful selection of handicrafts made by Palestinian women. “Our main aim is to preserve the Palestinian culture,” says Gazalih. “This is very important to us. We have three main aims to our work. The first being the preservation of our culture; the second to empower women in the refugee camps; and thirdly to create an interest in our work.”

Gazalih explained that it is important for the Palestinian culture to create as much interest in it on a world scale. With the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel she believes the Zionists’ aim is to take everything that represents Palestine and make it their own. “They are literally kidnapping our culture. Our beautiful work is being stolen,” laments Gazalih. “Our exhibitions are a way of showing the world what we can do and to help preserve our art.”

A passionate woman, Gazalih further explains that in times past Palestine was a land of many religions. To be a Palestinian meant you shared the land and lived together in harmony. Palestine was a state for all not just a single religion. She says that those who came to the area in the last century are trying to take what is not theirs.

“Palestine is not a place for people to just come and because they are Jewish to take whatever they want. No one has the right to come into my home and say it isn’t mine anymore. This is what we are fighting. We are fighting for our rights, our

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Head of Cultural Committee Siham Abu Gazalih.

Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan. The women work on a piece such as wall hangings, cushions, shawls or smaller pieces that can be set into other materials to provide embellishments. The women are paid for their work, which is done to perfection. The women are masters at their craft creating beautiful works of art that seem too good to use.

Once the products are completed they are displayed and sold at the main centre in Amman, Jordon or sent to Kuwait to be sold at the twice annually held exhibition. Once sold the proceeds are directly funded back into Palestine to assist with providing the necessary equipment for hospitals, schools, orphans, and to provide for needy families.

Zanoon says, “In addition to providing funding it helps to preserve our culture and more specifically to showcase each areas style within their embroidery. Palestinian women love to put potted flowers in their homes and this is reflected within their work. Also birds are a big design influence. We use birds for the many things they offer us; feathers, eggs and meat. So we honor them in our designs. Another big element is the Cyprus tree. Up to 75 percent of Palestine is Cyprus trees so we show this and the palm tree also in our designs. It is out of respect to our traditions.”

Another large part of Palestinian culture is ceramics and Hala Kafity explained the trials and tribulations of the production of ceramics in Hebron and how they get the products out of Palestine into Jordan. “There are one or two factories left in Hebron. They are not big anymore and are run only by the family. Other smaller factories are run inside people’s homes in their basements.

With new rules and restrictions implied by Israel it is getting harder and harder for ceramic production,” she explains. “For example the traditional mother of pearl inset into products is becoming rarer as a new artificial product has been manufactured and is being flooded into the market. It is now not easy to get the original material and when you do it is very expensive.”

Kafity explains the process of getting ceramics out of Palestine and into Jordan is not an easy task. Traders must bring only small amounts at a time so as to not attract too much attention at border crossings and check points. She says some-

Mona Al-Zanoon and Reem Swedan with a selection of embroidered embellished boxes.

Visitors look at a collection of boxes embellished with cross stitching.

Maha Al-Sharaa displays a selection of Palestinian made items.

Hala Kafity and Reem Swedan present ceramics from Hebron.

A picture of a cross-stitched wall hanging depicting a wedding.

A selection of embroidered gifts.

land and our culture.”

Despite the extensive work the organization does through exhibiting their art work Gazalih says it is not enough. “What we have achieved so far is but a small drop in the sea. The help needed by the Palestinian community is huge. At the moment the people of the world are blind to what is happening in our state.

We do have our supporters though and for that we are thankful but the world needs to do more.

Someone has to put a hand up and say Stop! How dare this occupier come into our homes and kick us out? Step-by-step we are adding drops into the sea of knowledge so that the world will know and hopefully do something about it.”

Volunteer, Mona Al-Zanoon explains the life cycle of embroidered pieces. She says that materials and threads are given to women in the

times they have a lot of trouble and that the Israeli’s make it difficult for them to get their products out. However, once out they make it to Jordan where like the embroidery it is shipped to Kuwait in time for the exhibitions.

Expatriate, Barbra Trapp has brought her children this year to see the exhibition and says, “I think it is very important to give the children the chance to see a new culture. They understand that the products we are buying today are going to help others somewhere else in the world. I will be bringing them back on Thursday evening to see the Dabkah dancing display because I want to immerse them into the culture. Exhibitions like this are very important and they rely on people like us to support them. The world needs to look beyond what the fight is about and be human and start helping each other.”

A choice of ceramic products.

Visitors buy traditional homemade Palestinian foods.

— Photos by Joseph Shagra

A variety of cross-stitched items

SPECTRUM

38

By Christopher Borrelli our kid’s Christmas pageant is going to be terrible.

Sorry, but compared with the power and majesty of that is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra? Most Christmas pageants would stink. In fact, I’m not even sure the Trans-Siberian Railway can match the grandiosity that is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The TransSiberian Orchestra is so gargantuan and electrifying that in 2005 the TSO blew out the generators at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in New Jersey and now tours with, as TSO creator Paul O’Neill puts it, “the only super-powerful electronic motors” that can handle a holiday season megalith. So, yes, it’s a Christmas concert.

But as The Washington Post said: “It was like watching the spacecraft at the end of ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ touch down for hours.” And as the Independent of London said: TSO concerts boast “enough pyrotechnics to barbecue an entire school of blue whales.” I did mention this is a Christmas concert, didn’t I? And that it’s not a joke? During the shredding guitar solo that ends “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman Gentlemen,” the guitarist snarled at the row of grandmothers in the front. He thrust the double-horned rock salute skyward and spread his legs wide and dramatically whipped his hair while lasers punched through clouds of blue smoke circling him and strobe lights pop pop popped from red to green to gold and flames leapt toward the rafters and video screens behind the band shuffled through a rapid montage of helicopters and

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Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs during their Beethoven’s Last Night Tour at the Chicago Theatre, in Chicago, Illinois. — MCT

By Mark Kennedy reating a megamusical is no easy feat, even in the hands of U2 megastars Bono and The Edge. “Easier than we could ever have imagined. Harder than we ever thought,” says Bono, resting on a Times Square hotel bed near where “SpiderMan: Turn Off the Dark” is readying for its first preview. “I mean, easier in the sense that the music came to us effortlessly.

Dreaming up the show, the scale of it, the flying sequence, the pop art opera that it is that was all pure joy,” he adds. “What we didn’t realize was how difficult it is to stage this stuff, both technically and financially.” It’s been a long, strange trip for the Irish rockers’ first attempt at a Broadway show. But the end is in sight.

Years of delays and behind-the-scenes shake-ups will end when the public finally gets to see the reported $60 million musical for the first time. The first preview is naturally sold out. “Is there jeopardy?” asks Bono, U2’s main songwriter and lead singer.

“Yes. Because it’s technically very difficult.

It has never been achieved before - the kind of scale of what we’re looking for. There may be very good reasons. We’re going to find out. The expense of it? A lot of it was the delays.” He and The Edge, the band’s lead guitarist, signed on back in 2002 to write the score in partnership with co-writer and

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director Julie Taymor, the Tony Award-winning creator of the Broadway hit “The Lion King.” The death of a key producer slowed the production for nearly two years while raising money, and the sheer size of the show - enormous sets, a 41-member cast and aerial stunts - needed time to perfect.

“If the rabbit comes out of the hat, we will be, I think, rewarded. If the rabbit comes out of the leg of the trousers, we could be

Bono

figures of fun for a few days. Or worse.

Maybe looking for a job,” he says. The musical has 40 pieces of music in total, including 18 songs. Only one tune - the glam rocker “A Boy Falls From the Sky” - is widely known, but Bono and The Edge say the show’s music runs the gamut from garage rock (“Dancing Off the Walls”) to choral arrangements. Only four or five are rock songs and the musicians want to dispel the notion that they’ve created a rock opera similar to The Who’s “Tommy.” “It’s much more varied than anything we would ever achieve or set out to do with U2,” says The Edge.

Adds Bono: “There’s big, otherworldly melodies. There’s dance numbers. There’s experimental, avant-garde, jagged metal pieces.”

The music for the show will be performed live from an 18-member orchestra in two rooms backstage. Two musicians from the band Carney will be on stage alongside their lead singer, Reeve Carney, who plays Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Bono says only two songs had their start before the project began and the rest were custom created for the show. Sometimes, he and The Edge would come up with an idea for a song, and other times the scene came first. “We would always defer to the needs of the story and characters,” says The Edge. “It was a fun project and it was in that spirit of fun and just letting your imagination go off that a lot

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

eagles and lions and JFK and wolves and flags and space shuttles.

Why helicopters? Why JFK? Why, indeed. O’Neill is often asked why. For instance, why a Christmas concert that revels in the excess of the ‘90s and sports the hair of the ‘80s while overdosing on the musical pretensions of the ‘70s? (And again, is no joke?) “Because the rest of the year, there’s blood in the streets,” O’Neill said, “and Christmas is the one time when you pick up a phone and call someone who hasn’t seen you in years and even if that person has caller ID, they will pick up.”

When he first brought the idea to record companies, he told them he was starting a progressive rock band that would play Christmas carols “and have 24 lead singers and be the biggest, most complicated rock show ever mounted. And they were like ‘Why?’” Why? Because, dude, it’s awesome. Meet Sian Melenka. She knows how awesome TSO is. She is 51, lives in British Columbia and has been the moderator of one of the biggest Trans-Siberian Orchestra forums for seven years. Her loves are opera and heavy metal and TransSiberian Orchestra, which conveniently combines a little of the first two into a handy spectacle.

She told me “TSO is the only place I find myself seated between a kid in a Metallica shirt and a grandma in a knitted reindeer sweater.” She said she’s made friends through TSO, been to dinner with TSO, and considers the band some of her closest pals. Many TSO fans told me similar things: That they don’t just relate to TSO, they exchange Christmas cards with band mem-

bers, talk to them regularly on the phone, meet for dinner. When I ask about the music, Melenka said, “It’s not a bunch of notes thrown together with loud music. It’s layers of good music. Wonderfully bombastic.”

Bombastic? “Right, but notice how I used it with the adjective ‘wonderfully.’”

If you value holiday songs at a holiday concert, TSO offers snippets of old favorites and of course, it’s own favorite, the unintentionally hilariously titled “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24),” which many fans simply call “The Song,” and which sounds like every ramped-up, over-the-top “South Park” metal parody condensed to four minutes, and is almost certainly playing on a 24-7 holiday radio station at this minute. That said, the spectacle is the thing here, and TSO’s shows are so popular, and draw such a wide demographic.

Fourteen years after being founded, there are now two Trans-Siberian Orchestras which tour simultaneously, one on the west side of the country, one on the east, each playing a matinee and evening performance in almost every city.

At one show I attended, an elderly man noticed me taking notes and said “These guys are fantastic. Make sure you give them a good write-up!” His face glowed as he said this. It glowed partly because he said it against a backdrop of flame throwers and female dancers in military garb gyrating on catwalks. But there was no Frosty, no Rudolph, no Santa, and only vague allusions. Frankly, I don’t know where you’d fit them on a TSO stage anyway. — MCT

of this stuff came together.” They hope the experience will unlock the songwriting and expand their vocabulary -or at least shake things up - when they rejoin bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr in U2.

“As much as we’ve used our experiences with U2 to inform the way that we approach writing for this, we think that the opposite will happen, and when we come back to U2 Land, it’ll be with a certain knowledge and sense of new thoughts and new ideas,” The Edge says.

Both men are happy with the final product, layering praise on Taymor, whom Bono calls a “master of her form, a great storyteller and she believes in magic.” He also calls Eiko Ishioka, who did the costumes, and George Tsypin, the set-maker, as “two card-carrying geniuses.” Bono has been inside the sprawling Foxwoods Theatre on 42nd Street and says that despite the delays, the mood is upbeat, from the top creative people to the stagehands. New paint and carpet have been placed in the theater’s lobbies in anticipation of final dress rehearsals later this week. “I think even though it looks like there’s a lot of ill will against us, I think it’ll turn around,” he says. “If it’s just spectacle, we will have failed. But if you can be moved, and if you believe these characters, and if Spider-Man outlives his fabulism and you really buy into the myth, it’s a great American story.” — AP

Review

Taylor Swift

By Chris Talbott rowing up, Laura and Lydia Rogers always felt like outsiders, country music-loving wallflowers in a world that had forgotten its musical roots. Today they’re known as The Secret Sisters and they’re suddenly cool. Thanks to the help of two of music’s most influential tastemakers - T Bone Burnett and Jack White - they’re the throwback belles of the ball. They released their self-titled debut earlier this fall to universal praise and have found that the insular life Laura described as “a regular ol’ country girl raisin”‘ growing up outside Muscle Shoals, Alabama, wasn’t so bad after all. “I think growing up it was hard to find people that were our age that we could identify with about music and the importance it played for us,” Laura said. “A lot of that was bounced off each other all these years, so now it’s kind of crazy that we’re on this huge journey that we’re sharing.” Less than a year ago, Laura, 24, and Lydia, 22, were figuring out what they were going to do with the rest of their lives, when Laura took a big chance.

Lydia was still deep in graphic design college coursework and L aura had just wrapped up her degree in music business, but couldn’t find a job.

She read about an open call for singers from producer Dave Cobb in Nashville and thought she’d give it a shot. “I just did it to step out of my comfort zone,” Laura said.

“A hidden secret about me is I had a huge issue with stage fright. Huge. I could literally throw up before I walked on stage. And I thought this would be a good opportunity to get over that.” She sang a verse and chorus and was sent on her way. Her phone rang a few hours later, and they asked her to come back. She said she had a sister who sings, too. How about bringing her along?

Each sang separately, then got ready to leave. “So we’re packing up the guitar and walking out the door,” Laura said, “and they’re like, ‘Wait a minute. Do you guys ever sing together?’ We said, ‘Yeah, we do, we can throw something out there for you to hear.’ So completely unrehearsed - we played a song, and you could literally watch their mouths drop as they listened.”

Burnett thinks of it as a Ralph Peer moment. Peer was on a similar sort of fishing trip when he invited musical acts to record for him on a trip to Bristol, Tennessee, in 1927. That trip netted The Carter Family, and country music came to be.

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When Cobb brought The Secret Sisters’ first songs to Burnett, his reaction was immediate. “This is the music business behaving as it should and functioning as it should as well,” Burnett said. “The record industry is guilty of all sorts of offenses against humanity as far as I’m concerned, but in this case they’re doing the right thing.” Burnett was so entranced, he teamed with Universal Republic to open his own imprint, Beladroit Records, to release their album. The sisters harmonize sweetly on two originals and 10 tasteful pop and country covers like George Jones’ “Why Baby Why,” Buck Owens’ “My Heart Skips a Beat” and Hank Williams’ “Why Don’t You Love Me?” “They are absolutely hardwired to sound the way they sound,” Burnett said. “There’s no affectation in it at all. That is absolutely the way they

sound.” That sound has kept them busy since they started recording tracks. They have recorded a two-song vinyl 45 for Jack White, landed a “Soundstage” performance that will air on PBS in February, and performed on a major tour opening for Ray LaMontagne and Levon Helm. They will join Willie Nelson’s tour next month and Loretta Lynn’s in the spring. Then they’re off to Europe with LaMontagne. They’re caught in a whirlwind, one they never imagined existed. “We didn’t think what we had was anything extra-special because really the people we grew up with, it seemed like to us, could do the same things,” Lydia said. “Like in our church you could probably find 50 other people that could harmonize like we do. But when we presented it, it turns out it is.” — AP

The Scissor Sisters

e knew well before “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” that Kanye West is a tortured genius. He had made enough headlines and leaked enough music to make that clear. The main question left for his fifth album was, what’s in it for us? A lot - if you like reality TV, celebrity tabloids and car crashes. As a producer, Kanye’s immense gifts have reached a new peak, and his lyrics remain double-edged blades of young black pathos. The only thing missing from this “Fantasy” is a good time.

Kanye’s previous album, “808s & Heartbreak,” also was a bleak experience, but “Fantasy” delves into an uglier place.

There’s no happiness, vicarious thrills or funny stories, no touching odes to his mentor or his mother, just a man torn apart by the world and himself. This dysfunction still sounds incredible, though, because West lays down his torment on beds of sound that reveal new beauties with each listen.

Some of his musical compositions are made for the stadium, like “All of the Lights” and its red carpet of 14 vocalists ranging from Elton John to Charlie Wilson to Rihanna. Some are destined for European discos, like “Lost in the World” and its bipolar declarations: “You’re my questions, you’re my proof / You’re my stress, and you’re my masseuse.” But this is emphatically a hip-hop album, so the boom-bap is never far. “So Appalled” sounds like new-millenium Mobb Deep; “Monster” is a throbbing menace where Jay-Z psychoanalyzes Kanye and millions of other scary black men to a T: “Everybody wanna know what my Achilles heel is / Love! I don’t get enough of it ...”

Love does seem to be the root of Kanye’s issues, which he deconstructs on the simply brilliant “Runaway,” bravely discarding the Auto-Tune and building a single piano note into a glistening monument to his problems.

As great as the song is, though, it’s tough to party or bounce to, unless you’re one of the “scumbags” he’s toasting. That goes for most of the album - we can gawk at Kanye’s troubles, but few would want to live them. It makes you wish Kanye could finally find the woman or the award he yearns for, so he could escape from his own head and give us another hilarious “Gold Digger” or redemptive “Jesus Walks.” Until then, he’s like a Picasso who only paints self-portraits. — AP

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By Nekesa Mumbi Moody or a singer-songwriter who pours out her heart in song to near transparency, Taylor Swift is tightlipped when it comes to having probing discussions about her personal life. Over a recent lunch in a near empty pizza parlor, the 20-year-old deflects questions that may reveal details about the love and heartbreak that inspired many of the songs on her third album, the instant blockbuster “Speak Now.” The guy in “Dear John” is John Mayer, right? Which song is about Taylor Lautner? Who’s Swift referring to on “Better Than Revenge”? Don’t expect Swift to tell you. “The one thing that allows me to sleep at night is knowing that I’ve never confirmed who I write my songs about,” the lanky blonde says with a sly smile. And what about those strolls through Brooklyn with Jake Gyllenhaal? “I don’t want to talk about it,” she says, with typical sweetness.

But as indirect as she may be in interviews, she was resolute that “Speak Now,” like her other multiplatinum albums, be raw and reflective of her personal journey over the last two years, despite her superstar status. “I think the only hesitation I’ve seen her struggle with on this new album - was she being honest enough - ‘Am I telling everybody exactly how I feel?”‘ says Nathan Chapman, who co-produced “Speak Now” with Swift and has worked on all of her albums. That led to one song being bounced from consideration after she played it for her guitar player - and he gave it the thumbsdown.

“He said to me, ‘I don’t think that song is as honest and direct as you’ve been in your other music that I’ve heard from this record,”‘ she recalls. “As soon as he said that, I scratched that song off the list and added him to the list of the people that I always play music for.” “Speak Now” may be the most personal record of her young career. It may also be her best. The follow-up to the Grammy-winning “Fearless,” “Speak Now” debuted last month to near-universal acclaim.

It also debuted to over 1 million in sales in its first week, with the largest album debut for any artist since 50 Cent in 2005. Days after the achievement, Swift - looking glamorous in a black lace dress accentuated by diamondlike bling on her ears and fingers (“Urban Outfitters!” she exclaims proudly) - is still trying to comprehend the magnitude of it all.

“Mostly the feeling that I’ve had is just overwhelming gratitude,” she says. “I wrote

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an album for two years. I slaved away over every single detail of every line, of every lyric, and made an album that I was proud of.” Swift has always taken a page from her diary to inform her songwriting, and “Speak Now” is no different. The searing “Dear John” ballad seems to confirm tabloid rumors of a romantic relationship with Mayer, her former mentor; “Back to December” seems to be about a romance with Lautner that ended due to Swift’s missteps. Other tunes seem to give listeners a glimpse into Swift’s personal life. While there has been plenty of speculation about who’s who on “Speak Now,” Swift refuses to let those thoughts consume her.

“If I factor in that millions of people may possibly speculate who that song is written about ... I may start to edit my songs down to nothing,” she says. “So I keep them very, very one-on-one, just ‘message in a bottle’ to the person I’m writing the song to, about or for.” One message she’s confirmed publicly is for Kanye West on “Innocent,” which she debuted at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. West boorishly interrupted Swift’s victory speech at last year’s awards. It’s an incident that neither has been able to completely shake (though it’s a footnote for her and a detriment to him).

The lyrics are sympathetic to West and don’t take him to task: “I think that there are a lot of people who expected me to write a song about a situation ... and stomp my feet and throw a tantrum about it, but that just simply isn’t what I was feeling.” But Swift is weary of the subject. Right before this year’s VMAs, West went on an emotional Twitter rant where he apologized to Swift; in recent weeks, though, he seems to have taken jabs at Swift, saying “Fearless” didn’t deserve album of the year and seemingly taking some credit for Swift’s million-week sales.

When told of the latter comments, a surprised Swift exclaims, “What?” She rolls her eyes, but quickly regains her composure and says with a steely glaze: “I didn’t have a lot of choice in that situation, but the only choice that I’ve made after the fact is to not talk about it, and that’s the only choice I can continue to make.” Perhaps the only other moment from the past two years that tripped up her otherwise magical ride to the top occurred after her triumph at the Grammys, when after becoming the youngest person to win a best-album Grammy, some critics assailed her onstage vocal performance during the show. —AP

In this file photo taken, actors Leslie Nielsen (left) and Nicollette Sheridan arrive at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles for the premiere of “Spy Hard.” — AP photos

By Andrew Dalton and Bob Thomas espite decades spent playing sober commanders and serious captains, Leslie Nielsen insisted that he was always made for comedy.

He proved it in his career’s second act. “Surely you can’t be serious,” an airline passenger says to Nielsen in “Airplane!” the 1980 hit that turned the actor from dramatic leading man to comic star. “I am serious,” Nielsen replies. “And don’t call me Shirley.” The line was probably his most famous and a perfect distillation of his career. Nielsen, the dramatic lead in “Forbidden Planet” and “The Poseidon Adventure” and the bumbling detective Frank Drebin in “The Naked Gun” comedies, died on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 84.

The Canada native died from complications from pneumonia at a hospital near his home, surrounded by his wife, Barbaree, and friends, his agent John S Kelly said in a statement. Critics argued that when Nielsen went into comedy he was being cast against type, but Nielsen disagreed, saying comedy was his . “I’ve finally found my home - as Lt Frank Drebin,” he told The Associated Press in a 1988 interview. Comic actor Russell Brand took to Twitter to pay tribute to Nielsen, playing off his famous line: “RIP Leslie Nielsen. Shirley, he will be missed.”

Nielsen came to Hollywood in the mid-1950s after performing in 150 live television dramas in New York. With a craggily handsome face, blond hair and 6-foot-2 (1.88-meter) height, he seemed ideal for a movie leading man.

Nielsen first performed as the king of France in the Paramount operetta “The Vagabond King” with Kathryn Grayson. The film - he called it “The Vagabond Turkey” - flopped, but MGM signed him to a seven-year contract. His first film for that studio was auspicious _ as the space ship commander in the science fiction classic “Forbidden Planet.” He found his best dramatic role as the captain of an overturned ocean liner in the 1972 disaster movie, “The Poseidon Adventure.” Behind the camera, the serious actor

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was a well-known prankster. That was an aspect of his personality never exploited, however, until “Airplane!” was released in 1980 and became a huge hit.

As the doctor aboard a plane in which the pilots, and some of the passengers, become violently ill, Nielsen says they must get to a hospital

In this file photo, Leslie Nielsen (center) and his wife Barbaree pose for pictures at the premiere of his comedy movie “Wrongfully Accused” in the Westwood area of Los Angeles.

popular “Tammy and the Bachelor,” and he became well known to baby boomers for his role as the Revolutionary War fighter Francis Marion in the Disney TV adventure series “The Swamp Fox.” He asked to be released from his contract at MGM, and as a freelancer, he appeared in a series of undistinguished movies. “I played a lot of lead-

This 1988 file photo provided by Paramount, shows actor Leslie Nielsen as Lt Frank Drebin in the movie “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!”.

right away. “A hospital? What is it?” a flight attendant asks, inquiring about the illness. “It’s a big building with patients, but that’s not important right now,” Nielsen deadpans. It was the beginning of a whole new career in comedy. Nielsen would go on to appear in such comedies as “Repossessed” - a takeoff on “The Exorcist” and “Mr Magoo,” in which he played the title role of the good-natured bumbler.

But it took years before he got there. He played Debbie Reynolds’ sweetheart in 1957’s

ers, autocratic sorts; perhaps it was my Canadian accent,” he said. Meanwhile, he remained active in television in guest roles. He also starred in his own series, “The New Breed,” “The Protectors” and “Bracken’s World,” but all were short-lived.

Then “Airplane!” captivated audiences and changed everything. Producers-directors-writers Jim Abrahams, David and Jerry Zucker had hired Robert Stack, Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges and Nielsen to spoof their heroic TV images in a satire of flight-in-jeopardy movies. After the

by Anne Chaon ake four US scriptwriters, each with a story in mind, whisk them from Los Angeles to a Cistercian abbey near Paris, allow to simmer, and wait for their characters to step out on the big screen. That is the gamble taken by a residency scheme hosted in France this autumn and attended by a quartet of Hollywood writers: Rusty Lemorande, John Brian King, Danielle Wolff and Cynthia Riddle. By nurturing inspiration in its guest writers-who all come to the project with the rough draft of a French-linked story in mind-the French-US project aims to promote film shoots in France.

Chosen by the Writers Guild of America, the four were to flown to the country for a five-week residency at the Royaumont Abbey north of Paris before heading to the Sorbonne university for a

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By Sheri Linden he case of Robert Durst is one of the strangest and most exasperating in the annals of unsolved crime. Long suspected of responsibility for two dead bodies and one missing person, he’s been the subject of numerous investigations by journalists and, less fruitfully, the judicial system. “All Good Things,” Andrew Jarecki’s first narrative feature, sticks to the known facts, changes everyone’s name and imagines its way into the dark corners of the story. As in his haunting documentary “Capturing the Friedmans,” the crimes and misdemeanors of the nuclear family are a central concern, but here the director also explores the unholy trinity of money, power and privilege.

With Ryan Gosling, Kirsten Dunst and Frank Langella all delivering riveting portrayals, the inspired-by-real-life thriller should draw solid business when it opens Friday in New York and a week later in Los Angeles via Magnolia Pictures. The downbeat nature of the material might limit audiences, and those who prefer their murder stories neatly wrapped by the end credits will find the film unsatisf ying. But like the underappreciated “Zodiac,” “Things” chooses not to use crime as a way to explain, reassure and set the world right; it’s a sharp and unsettling depiction of human mysteries and the elusiveness of justice.

Spanning 30 years, the screenplay by Marcus Hinchey and Marc Smerling opens in 1971 with the terrifically spacey-sweet meeting of David (Gosling) and Katie (Dunst). He’s the “vagabond son” of Sanford Marks, one of New York’s top real estate

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Indian Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif poses during the Chivas Studio Spotlight party in Mumbai. — AFP

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

movie’s success, the filmmaking trio cast their newfound comic star as Detective Drebin in a TV series, “Police Squad,” which trashed the cliches of “Dragnet” and other cop shows. Despite good reviews, ABC quickly canceled it. Only six episodes were made. “It didn’t belong on TV,” Nielsen later said. “It had the kind of humor you had to pay attention to.” The Zuckers and Abraham converted the series into a feature film, “The Naked Gun,” with George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson and Priscilla Presley as Nielsen’s costars. Its huge success led to sequels “The Naked Gun 2 1/2” and “The Naked Gun 33 1/3.” His later movies included “All I Want for Christmas,” “Dracula: Dead and Loving It” and “Spy Hard.”

Between films he often turned serious, touring with his one-man show on the life of the great defense lawyer, Clarence Darrow.

Nielsen was born Feb 11, 1926 in Regina, Saskatchewan. He grew up 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle at Fort Norman, where his father was an officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The parents had three sons, and Nielsen once recalled, “There were 15 people in the village, including five of us. If my father arrested somebody in the winter, he’d have to wait until the thaw to turn him in.” The elder Nielsen was a troubled man who beat his wife and sons, and Leslie longed to escape. As soon as he graduated from high school at 17, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, even though he was legally deaf (he wore hearing aids most of his life.)

After the war, Nielsen worked as a disc jockey at a Calgary radio station, then studied at a Toronto radio school operated by Lorne Greene, who would go on to star on the hit TV series “Bonanza.” A scholarship to the Neighborhood Playhouse brought him to New York, where he immersed himself in live television. Nielsen also was married to: Monica Boyer, 1950-1955; Sandy Ullman, 1958-74; and Brooks Oliver, 1981-85.

Nielsen and his second wife had two daughters, Thea and Maura. — AP

This 1988 publicity file photo provided by Paramount Pictures shows actor Leslie Nielsen with actress Priscilla Presley in the film “The Naked Gun”.

who explained the system of subsidies and tax breaks available to them in France. “We try to facilitate production since the ultimate goal is for the films to be produced. And for them to be produced here,” said Eglantine Langevin of the French-US fund.For Lemorande, US movie houses are surviving only “because they are common meeting places for young people” with most of the films shot in Hollywood targeting the 18-25 age bracket.

“Thursday, Friday, Saturday they can go to the mall for the movies-that’s why grown-up movies in America have been pushed to the side,” he says, predicting that “five years from now, 85 percent of movies in Hollywood will be sciencefiction, action or slasher films.” “To come here is very refreshing,” said the writer, for whom his French hosts still have “a lot of respect for the cinema.” — AFP

final get-together. “Working in an abbey,” said Wolff, is a reminder that “film is an art, even if there is a lot of money involved.” The writer, whose two grandfathers took part in the Normandy landings in 1944, is retracing the life of the French resistance fighter Danielle Casanova, who died in the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz.

Lemorande is working on a script around the figure of Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin, a 19thcentury watchmaker turned magician who is widely considered the father of modern conjuring. Riddle’s project centers on the turn-of-thecentury French actress Sarah Bernhardt and her friend and rival Marie Colombier. And finally King plucks two young tourists from Arizona and spirits them to Paris where they succumb to Stendhal’s Syndrome-a psychosomatic illness caused by too much exposure to art and beauty-

in front of the Mona Lisa. A longtime francophile, King fed his storyline with inspiration from the capital’s best tables-even if one of his American characters refuses to eat anything but McDonalds while in France for fear of catching mad cow’s disease.

“Here there is still hope” for the art of filmmaking, said King. For Lemorande, solid facts are at the heart of any good script. “I want to be as precise as a surgeon,” he said, having trekked from museum to museum to dig out real-life mechanical contraptions built in the day of his magician-inventor character. Brainchild of the Paris region and the French-US cultural fund, which links up France’s artists’ copyright body and the major Hollywood guilds, the “Autumn Stories” scheme is now in its fifth year.

During their stay it put the writers in touch with local scriptwriters, producers and officials

developers and, in Langella’s intense performance, a refined thug with never-ending disappointment in David. She’s a tenant in a Marks Midtown building, and not long after David’s arrival on her doorstep as a surrogate plumber, tuxedoed and stoned, they marry. But their idyll in Vermont, where they open a health food store whose name gives the film its title, doesn’t withstand Sanford’s pressure on David to straighten up and join the family business.

The young couple’s bond is tested in the high life of disco-era Manhattan, where power and sleaze often tangle. In pre-Disneyfied Times Square, David makes the rounds collecting rent from flophouses and peep shows. Beyond the oppressive relationship with his father, something’s off with David, who’s given to muttering to himself and worse. The details of a horrendous childhood trauma are gradually revealed, and Gosling creates a fascinating blacksheep composite of awkward charm and profound emotional damage.

Before the story turns toward gruesome murder and offbeat melodrama, one of its most discomforting elements is Katie’s decision to stay with David.

But Dunst, in her best screen performance to date, is far more than a “nice blond shiksa,” as David’s mouthy friend Deborah (Lily Rabe) calls her-more too than a “beautiful young medical student,” the media’s favorite handle for the real estate heir’s missing wife, which would be Katie’s ultimate role.

Negotiating the narrow ledge between love and selfinterest, Dunst embodies a complex mix of middleclass humility and worldly ambition, and she shows how something goes dead in the vivacious Katie long before her 1982 disappearance.—Reuters

Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan poses in the backdrop of film poster during a press conference to promote his new film “Khelein Hum Je Jaan Sey” in New Delhi, India, yesterday. The film will release on Dec 3, 2010. — AP

www.kuwaittimes.net

By Adam Tschorn ou know Isaiah Mustafa from those wildly popular Old Spice television commercials - a bare-chested, fresh-from-the-shower Adonis who extols the virtues of body wash in stentorian tones. The man has charm, the man has six-pack abs . He’s “the man your man could smell like.” But on a sweltering autumn day in the San Fernando Valley, Isaiah Mustafa is wheeling two garbage cans the length of his driveway, a task that’s complicated by the energetic pair of Rhodesian ridgebacks careening across his path.

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Mustafa greets the reporter parking in front of his Van Nuys, California, abode with a nod and the words “Hey, man” in a voice that does not boom like a thunderclap. His handshake does not feel chiseled from granite. The former pro football player turned actor is not, at any point in the conversation, “on a horse.” Instead of a towel around the waist, the 36-year-old is wearing straight-leg jeans, John Varvatos distressed leather shoes and a plaid Caulfield Preparatory button-front shirt with sleeves rolled up to the crooks of his elbows. On his left wrist is a silver Omega Seamaster watch. On the inside of his right forearm is a tattoo of a spider the size of a computer mouse.

These things are worth noting because that stint in the steamy showers of our collective conscience has proven so popular that Mustafa’s career is taking off, and we’re likely to see a lot more of him than we are of his towelclad, sail-boating, horseback-riding, smooth-talking alter ego. Since the commercial debuted at the beginning of this year, he’s signed a talent deal with NBC and is slated to appear in two films scheduled for 2011 release - the Jennifer Aniston comedy “Horrible Bosses” and the next installment of Tyler Perry’s “Madea” franchise. Another pro footballer turned actor, Terry Crews, has followed him as an Old Spice pitchman.

But the Emmy-winning commercial made Mustafa the embodiment of men’s grooming, and we wanted his take on style.

Q: When it comes to fashion and style, the world sees you as a blank slate, so what do you wear when you trade in your towel?

A: I like to keep things really, really simple. Most of the time, I’m a jeans and T-shirt guy. Today I’m dressed pretty much the way I always do except this shirt is a lot more pattern than usual for me. I like AG jeans and Hudson Jeans.

Q: Where do you buy your clothes?

A: Honestly, I do most of my shopping online because it’s so much easier. I used to go to J Ransom when it was a store but it’s only a website now. I check out stuff at Revolve.com, and every once in a while I’ll go into American Rag. Q: What about when you have to dress up?

A: I like my suits slim-fitting - I’m very particular about that. I wear a Hugo Boss suit, I have a Tom Ford suit that’s pretty bold, and I’ve got this really cool Vivienne Westwood suit hanging in my closet. I really like her high collars, but there’s not really many places you can wear that. And I’ve got a bunch of Zegna dress shirts that are perfectly comfortable and crisp.

Q: Do you have a style signature like French cuffs or pocket squares or something you never leave the house without?

A: I’ll definitely put a pocket square in if I’m wearing a suit.

Q: Do you have a style icon?

A: I look to James Bond; 007 always wore those very form-fitting, almost metallic gray-looking suits. His look

was always so clean and simple. I usually don’t wear a watch, but James Bond wears an Omega and I’ve had this on my dream board (Mustafa points to his wristwatch), so I recently bought one. It doesn’t have any diamonds; it’s not gold. It’s simple and silver.

Q: You recently got back from doing a personal appearance in Canada what do you wear in those inbetween situations?

A: They are these kind of 3-hour-long meet-and-greet events where I shake a lot of hands and pose for pictures. I’ll usually wear dark jeans, brown shoes and a casual shirt with a collar - you know those seaman’s shirts, the ones that have the scoop necks and the (horizontal) white and blue stripes? I wear shirts with those stripes but in dark colors.

Q: What kind of reactions do people have when they meet you?

A: People are stunned that I’m not constantly in character. If they want me to say a line from the commercial I have no problem with that. It’s when they ask things like: “Can I jump on your back?” or “Can I ride you like a horse?” where I have to say: “How about a handshake or a hug?” That’s a bit much.

Q: People actually ask that?

A: Girls do that a lot.

Q: Do they give you the sniff test too?

A: I don’t wear the Old Spice aftershave, but I use the body wash and people seem to really be disappointed that they can’t smell it on me. It does go away after a while, but they want me to smell like I’ve just showered.

Q: Since we’re on the topic, has the ad campaign changed your personal grooming regimen?

A: Before, I was pretty much a soap and water guy. I’m not saying I’m frugal, but it’s nice not to have to go shopping and buy deodorant and body wash and all that. I’ve got an entire closet full of Old Spice products.

Q: What about male grooming and skin care outside of that?

A: The only other thing I use is a moisturizer for my arms. It’s made by Lush, and it’s this stuff called Dream Cream. I got it as a gift and it lasts forever. And I only get my hair cut when I go to New York by this guy at Astor Place Hair named Marcello. If I could ever afford to bring him places with me, I would.

He’s an awesome dude. In between, I mimic what he’s done with my own clippers.

Q: “The Old Spice Guy” was among the pop culture Halloween costume choices this year. Was there any temptation to grab a towel and just go trick-or-treating as yourself?

A: Ah, that would be too easy. Alison Haislip - from “Attack of the Show!”

- told me I should dress up as the Terry Crews version of the Old Spice Guy ... but I’m not sure I could (have) run around all night in a Speedo. — MCT

Isaiah Mustaf a has style beyond Old Spice.

— MCT

By Melissa Magsaysay ashion is having a bit of an identity crisis this fall.

The military-tough, almost street-warrior vibe is still going strong with cargo pants, utility jackets and tailored coats, while fur (both real and faux) is aggressively adorning almost everything from boots to anorak collars. But on the flip side of this heavy, edgy approach to fall dressing is the season’s pulledtogether 1950s aesthetic, inspired by the ladylike look of that decade.

Call it a yearning for simpler times, when women wore skirts that hit below the knee and the only boxy thing was a pillbox hat. Fall collections from Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs look to this woman, with longer skirts that fit at the waist and fall full to the shin. Cozy sweaters in pastels and neutrals wrapped around the bodice of a floral cocktail dress or delicate bustier inevitably inject some sex appeal and conjure up images of Brigitte Bardot’s and Sophia Loren’s effortlessly alluring style.

“Fashion is always influenced by some time or another,” says fashion stylist Jen Rade. “It always jumps around from the ‘90s to ‘50s to ‘60s, and I think that right now people are generally feeling like they want to go back to a simpler time.” The sentiment is manifesting itself in the form of below-the-knee circle skirts with waists that hit truly at the waist, for a sleek and clean

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line through the hips and torso. Sweaters contour to the body, showing off curves but not necessarily skin.

“With fashion, I personally find it sexy when someone doesn’t show a lot of skin, but rather the curves and shape of the body,” says Rade, who implements this technique flawlessly on her client Angelina Jolie. She warns that to wear these longer skirts you must balance the overall look by wearing something smaller or fitted on top and perhaps accentuating the waist with a bow belt. “The long skirts this season also make the legs look really long,” she says. “The waist is high and the length hits around the shin, and it just looks like you’re all legs.”

A shin-length skirt may not seem like the most practical piece for fall in Southern California, where women love to show leg and temperatures remain warm. So it’s important to temper the weight of one with a flimsy silk camisole and lightweight cardigan.

Fuzzy sweaters can be layered over cocktail-length floral skirts and dresses to push summer pieces into the cooler months. Leopard-print accents will add charm to a solid gray or black sweater or a tweed dress.

In these transitional months, wearing a cardigan over an ensemble can be the most effortless way to start changing your look from summer to fall. “For warmer climates, look for lighter weights and play with the idea of an updated twin set,” says Simon Kneen, creative director and executive vice president of design for Banana Republic. He adds that mixing up classic cardigans with crazy jewelry or knotted scarves is key, especially when following this 1950s trend. “Don’t take the ladylike look too literally,” Kneen says. “As it can age even the youngest.”

Duly noted. — MCT